Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (115 page)

Hospital. The car. The truck. “Julian.”

“Is fine.” Romeo turned his head. She was tall. She wore a lab

coat. “Or as fine as he can be,” she went on, “seeing how some fool

drove a truck over him. He
will
be fine. And so will you.” She held

out a plastic cup with a straw through the lid. There was a chair

behind her, and blank wall. “Now did you want a drink? I could also

wash your face if you like before I let him back in here.”

“…make him eat…”

“His sister and grandmother are taking care of that, believe me. I

don’t think he’d dare to ever forget again.” She held the straw to his

lips. “Little bit at a time, now. How do you feel?”

The pain was easing, flowing away as it had flowed in.

“Can’t…feel anything.”

“You’re on some pretty good drugs.”

“Julian…”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re like a skipping CD?” She grinned.

“Five minutes and I’ll let him in here. I’m Dr. de Santo. Before the

drugs hit you again we need to talk.”

“…uh oh.”

“Well, it’s in how you look at it,” the doctor said. “Yes, you’re beat

up pretty badly and some of your injuries won’t heal as well or as

quickly as you might hope. On the other hand, you’re alive and Julian

is alive.”

“Noted,” Romeo said. “Go ahead.”

“You have glass cuts to your back. Those should heal just fine.”

She dropped her eyes to a clipboard. “The accident dislocated your

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shoulder again. Not as bad as it seems you did last time, and it will

heal, but the repeat trauma makes it less likely you’ll get full use of it

back. Part of the engine penetrated your lower leg. It was, of course,

filthy, and all your writhing around in the car didn’t help. Surgery can

only repair so much.” She raised her head to meet his eyes. “I can’t

foresee any doctor clearing you to play professionally again. I’m

sorry.”

Romeo took a deep breath and cursed his own stupidity and the

trucker’s.

“For what it’s worth,” Dr. de Santo said, “you succeeded in

shielding Julian. He’s bruised, but that’s it.”

“That…is worth a lot.”

“So then.” She squeezed his good shoulder. “Do you still want

Julian, or someone else, or some time alone?”

“Julian.” Romeo let his head fall back and closed his eyes. “Julian.

Please.”

“All right.” She walked away, around the foot of the bed and off to

his left where Romeo couldn’t seem to turn his head that far. A pillow

blocked him, or something else firm but padded. From the corner of

his eye he could see his arm, wrapped to his knuckles and tied to his

side…and his leg. His leg lay on top of the covers, thickly bandaged

from above his knee down to some very bruised toes.

“It’s about time you woke up for real.” Julian. Julian was smiling

at him over the pillow and something inside Romeo unclenched and

relaxed.

“Go sit down,” another voice said, and Donata tossed Romeo a

smile then helped Julian walk. He moved like an old man as he

shuffled around the foot of the bed.

“…you’re hurt?”

“Just sore.”

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“Romeo, do you want something not water?” Donata asked as she

helped Julian sit in the chair. “I’m going down to the cafeteria.”

“No. Thank you.” Romeo couldn’t take his eyes off Julian. Not

that he wanted to, especially with Julian staring back. Donata snorted

softly and walked away. When he heard the door close, Romeo

reached out and Julian caught his hand.

“Hey,” Julian said softly.

“Hey,” Romeo said back. “You look fantastic.”

“I look like hell, Romeo, and so do you.” He squeezed Romeo’s

hand. “Listen. The doctor said you might not remember things. In the

car—”

“I remember everything.” He’d changed his mind. Blessed

Virgin—

“I meant what I said in the car. I told my grandmother.” He

chuckled. “Well, Donata told my grandmother. I just confirmed it.”

“How did she know?” It wasn’t a dream. Nonna had come to him,

and she wasn’t angry at them…

“Please,” Julian said. “Every time someone drags me out of the

room you wake up yelling for me and I nearly run her down to get

back to you.’”

“Oh.” A smile spread across Romeo’s face despite how it hurt.

“So…” he ran out of words, cleared his throat. It didn’t help. All the

passion and poetry in his heart whirled and he couldn’t use any of it.

“Mine?” was all he could manage. Julian smiled and kissed his hand.

“Mine,” he said.

“I want to kiss you…”

Julian let go of Romeo’s hand to push himself out of the chair. He

took one step and clung to the edge of the bed and leaned to kiss

Romeo and nearly landed on him. “Damn it…”

“Here.” Romeo patted the bed. “There’s room.”

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“God, Romeo, I’m almost afraid to touch you as it is!”

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not.”

“Crazy man,” Julian muttered, but he sat carefully and turned and

lay in the narrow space beside Romeo. “Do
not
move that shoulder,”

Julian ordered, and took Romeo’s face in his hands and kissed him.

It started tender. It escalated. Romeo devoted all his being to

kissing the man he loved and Julian gave it all right back and when

they broke apart both were gasping for more than air.

“We should probably…”

“…maybe…”

“Oh, don’t stop on my account!” Donata walked back around the

bed, a lidded cup that smelled of coffee in hand. “I mean, unless you

mind that if you keep it up, I’ll be selling some really hot porn on the

internet.”

Romeo groaned. Donata grinned.

“Hurt/comfort,” she said. “It’s a thing.”

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Julian demanded. Donata

shrugged and sat in the chair.

“It’s my turn to watch you. Nonna and I aren’t letting you out of

our sight until you learn to take care of yourself. Call it a

punishment.” She winked. “That’s really big on the internet too.”

“Donata—” Julian growled, but Romeo couldn’t care if she was

there. Julian lay against him, his arm across Romeo’s waist, his head

on Romeo’s shoulder, and this time Romeo was sure he heard an

angel-choir. Unless it was the very good drugs. He wriggled just a

little to rest his cheek on Julian’s head. A far-off ripple of almost-pain

told him yes, he did indeed have an arm inside the bandages and it

wasn’t very happy with him. The side pressed against Julian, though,

was very happy.

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“What in—?” Poppa said and Julian jerked away. Romeo held

onto him and he didn’t go farther. Momma and Poppa came around

the foot of the bed.

“Romeo.” Momma stepped to the bed and kissed his cheek. She

kissed Julian’s forehead before she stepped back. “You really scared

us, my son.”

“I’m sorry, Momma,” Romeo said, sending silent thanks to the

Madonna that he hadn’t just imagined his mother’s support. “I’m glad

you’re here,” he told her.

“Mrs. Balducci, take the chair,” Donata said, getting up. Momma

shook her head.

“Save it for your mother. I’m used to standing all day.”

Donata’s parents? Romeo wondered if he could plead exhaustion

to avoid that, but then Julian would go too and he wasn’t letting go of

Julian ever again. Romeo’s arm tightened around the body next to him

and Julian winced. Romeo let go. Julian caught his hand.

“Seatbelt bruise,” he said, putting Romeo’s arm across his chest.

“You’re lucky to be alive,” Momma said. “We’re so grateful.” She

looked up at Poppa and he looked away. They were standing close

and it was subtle, but Romeo saw her elbow him. He’d never seen her

do that before. Poppa cleared his throat.

“Your mother and I have agreed,” he said, his eyes above Romeo’s

head, “that you put in too much work to only get room and board until

we pass on. We…we’ll have papers drawn up to make you part-owner

of the inn.” His eyes dropped to Romeo, skimmed Julian’s head and

shot to the ceiling. “So you, umm…if you should be…wanting a home

of your own, you…have some security.”

Security. His father knew what he made playing.

“Dr. de Santo told you.”

“Yes.” Momma teared up. ”
Bambino
, I’m so sorry.” Poppa put his

arm around her.

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“We’re grateful you’re alive,” he said. “And we want you at the

inn.”

“Don’t commit yet, young man!” Donata’s parents appeared at the

foot of the bed. Donata’s mother was smiling. Her father was too, but

he looked as strained as Romeo’s father had. Mrs. Vocelli went on.

“Because Donata has told me some incredible things, and if you’re

half the cook she says you are—”

“Don’t think you’re going to lure my son away, Arenza Vocelli,”

Momma said. “If you—”

“Think of the opportunities, Lavinia! Perhaps we should prepare

job offers and let him choose.”

“Perhaps you should just get back on your jet—”

“Girls, go pull each other’s hair outside.” Nonna was back.

“Nonna Maria, we’re not fighting.”

“Of course not!” Momma said, reaching a hand to Mrs. Vocelli.

She took it, and pulled Donata into the conversation. Beyond them,

Mr. Vocelli said something to Poppa that made him laugh.

“It’s like a horror movie,” Julian whispered. “Stepford Wives or

something. When you were in surgery everyone was blaming

everyone else, but then…it changed. One by one, they all got…nice.”

“It’s family.” Romeo squeezed Julian. “That’s how it goes.”

“It’s…terrifying.”

“Let’s leave them to it.” Romeo planted a kiss in Julian’s hair.

“You’ve got a room, right? I bet we could sneak off without them

noticing.”

“Right.” Julian snorted. “I’ll wheel the IV and monitors, you row

the bed.”

“And then we’ll take care of that virgin thing,” Romeo suggested.

Julian turned his head, laughed into Romeo’s side.

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“Yes, crazy man, that would be so sexy,” he said when he lifted

his face, eyes dancing. “Foreplay would be an hour of me figuring out

where I could even touch you!”

He was so beautiful when he laughed. Romeo lifted his hand to

brush Julian’s cheek. “You’re so amazing. You’ve changed my entire

world and I’ve known you a
week
.”

“Romeo,” Julian said, taking his face in his hands, “you’ve known

me fifteen years.”

THE END

Author bio: KD Sarge writes SF, fantasy, steampunk, GLBT, and

erotica. She’s usually writing two or more of those at once, sometimes

in the same story.

She can be found at
Escapist Literature,
or on
Twitter.

Read three chapters of her first novel,
Knight Errant
, here on

Turtleduck Press.
Her second novel,
His Faithful Squire
, will be
released August 1st, 2011.

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