Omorphi (18 page)

“I don’t want you walking to your car alone.”

Michael laughed as he and Christy followed Jake. “C’mon, Jake, you’re being over the top.”

“Shut up, man. Come on.” Jake continued to rant as they headed to the parking lot. “Christy, they let you out? What am I saying? Obviously, they let you out or you wouldn’t be here. You feeling all right?”

Christy smiled briefly, his eyes large on Jake, and mouthed, “Okay.”

“Jake, chill! You’re going at Mach nine with your hair on fire.”

“Can’t help it. I knew that freakin’ Whitman would do something stupid. I knew it!”

Michael put an arm around Jake’s neck and hauled him in for a kiss to his head. “Be easy, Jake!”

“Get off me, gay boy.” He shoved Michael playfully.

Michael laughed. Then held his stomach. Jason had really landed a good one.

“Shit! He hit you in the stomach too?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

“Have to, to shut you up.”

“How are you going to run tomorrow? It’s our freakin’ championship!”

Michael opened the car door for Christy and smiled when he saw that Christy wore teal silk today. His underwear matched his eyes.
How awesome.
“Come on, Jake, I’ll be fine. Call me later.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes!” Michael said as he climbed into the car and rolled the window down.

“I’ll call you later. You’d better be all right. If you’re lying to me, I’ll kick your ass.” With a doublehanded pat to the window jamb, Jake trotted away.

Michael sighed and shook his head as he started the car. “The guy’s unbelievable.” Michael hit the CD button and Placebo’s “Running Up That Hill” filled the air.

Christy held his pad up, and Michael chuckled as he read. “Yeah, he gets kind of emotional sometimes. We’ve been friends since the day we were born, and when I came out to him, it pushed him over the edge. He’s been extra watchful over me ever since.”

Christy scribbled as Michael put the car in gear.
Nice
.

“Most of the time. Sometimes, between Jake and my parents, I get a little crazy and need to be alone for a while. I usually go for a long run when that happens.”

Michael pulled into traffic and felt Christy’s hand slide onto his thigh. He covered it with his own and, again, could hardly contain his happiness.

“When we get to your place, I want you to tell me what the doctors said, and I want to see more of your paintings.” He caught Christy’s nod out of the corner of his eye. “And then we have to do homework. I’ve fallen behind in the last two days.”

Christy nodded again.

M
ICHAEL
came up for air like a drowning man. How had he found himself here? On Christy’s bed. In Christy’s arms. All but wedded to Christy but for their clothes. How had it happened so fast? So easily? So naturally?

“Christy,” he breathed into the side of Christy’s neck and whispered, “We’re going to get into trouble.”

Christy shook his head as he pressed his fingertips to Michael’s back, urging Michael closer.

“I didn’t mean with Rob. I have almost no control left.”

Christy arched against Michael. With the buttons of his jeans undone, the teal silk slid smoothly along Michael’s now seriously tight jeans.

“Christy, we have to stop,” he growled against his neck.

Christy pressed against him again.

Michael closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “Christy, please, I’m begging you. I’m going to lose it.”

Christy moved again, and Michael was helpless to prevent his reaction. With his brain screaming a thousand reasons why not, he moved in perfect synchronicity with Christy and, before he knew it, he had cupped Christy’s little rear with a hand. The thoughts and images that filled his mind didn’t come from any image he’d ever seen. They came from imagining what it would be like to truly make love to his pretty Christy. That was all it took. “Oh God, Christy.”

Michael felt Christy respond in kind and for one long, shiny, blissful moment, Michael was lost in more ecstasy than he imagined possible. Time slowed, his thoughts blended, colors blurred in his mind’s eye, and he felt as if he could touch the sun. Michael now knew what people meant when they said you could get lost in someone.

He rested his head on the pillow and tried to relearn how to breathe. Christy’s rising and falling chest reminded him to keep his weight on his elbows and, after an indefinable time, Michael lifted his head and looked into Christy’s beautiful eyes. “You are something else, Christophoros Tryphon Alexis Castle.” He brushed a damp curl from Christy’s sweaty cheek with a thumb.

“Angry?” he mouthed.

“Did you ask me if I’m angry?”

Christy nodded.

“Worried.”

“About?” Christy whispered.

“Are you supposed to be whispering?”

“Exercise.”

“Seriously? The doctors said you can talk now?”

Christy nodded.

“Congratulations.” Michael pecked his lips. “We should do something to celebrate.”

“We did.” Christy’s smile was just a little too smug.

Michael laughed softly. “Yeah, guess we did.”

“Worried about?”

“I don’t want to be a couple that lasts a few months in high school and then we’re done. I want to give what we have time to grow. I want us to last. And, though you’re not, I’m a virgin, and everything is a first for me. And everything we do together is a first for us. Not too many things rival that kind of importance. I want what we do to be special, and I don’t want you to feel pressured, or used, or taken advantage of.”

“I’m not a girl,” Christy rasped.

Michael smiled down at him. He heard an accent even in Christy’s whispers. “I
definitely
know that. But, you are precious to me. Maybe you could think of yourself as my prince.”

Christy began to laugh.

“Don’t.”

Christy only laughed harder.

“Okay, be easy.” He kissed Christy, changing his focus. The laugh died away into another glorious kiss. Michael ended the kiss with a whisper against Christy’s lips. “I want you to feel adored. I want to spoil you every chance I get.”

“Why?”

Michael looked down at him again. “What do you mean, why? I gave you all the reasons why. Oh wait, there’s one more reason. You suffered a terribly violent crime, and you’re trying to heal in a thousand different ways. I want to make sure everything we do helps you come away from this whole.”

Tears sprang into Christy’s eyes, and he turned away.

“Christy? Christy, talk to me.”

Christy swallowed hard and made a pain-filled sound.

“Oh God, did I say something wrong?”

Christy shook his head. “Afraid.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Christy swallowed back a sob. “Not true.”

“What isn’t true? You’re afraid what I’m saying isn’t true?”

He nodded.

“It’s true, Christy. I mean everything I say.” Michael kissed the tears away one by one. Christy coughed, and Michael quickly sat up and brought Christy into his lap.

Christy pushed his hands away and coughed again.

“You all right?”

Christy nodded and wiped the remaining tears away with impatient hands.

“You sure? Do you want me to get Rob?”

“No,” Christy rasped.

“There’s something else I want you to know. I won’t… I won’t care for you any less if we don’t have sex.”

Christy spun on him, fury large in his eyes.

Startled by Christy’s sudden anger, Michael was immediately defensive. “What?”

“What did Rob tell you?” The demand left Christy’s lips in a broken growl.

“Nothing.” Michael suddenly felt very uncertain as he searched Christy’s furious eyes. Would Christy think it wrong that Rob gave him things to read? Worse yet, would Christy think Michael had betrayed him by reading them? “Christy.” Michael reached for him, and Christy backed away so fast he nearly fell off the bed. He found his feet and quickly stepped to the floor.

“What did he say?” Christy demanded again, furious, as he buttoned his jeans.

“Let me get your pad and pen.”

“Fuck the pad and pen!”

Whoa.
Employing a calm he didn’t feel, Michael chose his words carefully. “He didn’t tell me anything. He gave me some things to read.”

“Bastard!” Christy choked out right before he ran, flying out the front door. It creaked softly on its hinges in Christy’s wake.

Holy shit, what just happened?
A slow fear crawled up Michael’s spine, filling his heart, his mind, and every corner of his soul.
That’s it. It’s over. I just lost my first boyfriend.
Tears pricked his eyes.
Bullshit. If we’re going to end, we aren’t going to end like this.
Michael shot off the bed and out the door.

Michael shielded his eyes against the setting sun and watched as Christy ran through a field and headed for the woods. He tripped and fell into the tall, spring grass, struggled to his feet, and ran again. Michael’s heart broke a little more each time he saw Christy take a spill and pick himself up. He couldn’t let him go on. If they were over, it just wasn’t going to happen like this. “Christy, stop!” Michael sprinted and caught up with him easily. Wrapping his arms around Christy’s waist, he lifted him from the ground. “Christy, stop! Please let me talk to you!”

Christy fought Michael’s grasp like a wild animal, and the harder Michael tried to hold on to him, the harder he fought to get away. An anguished pule tore from Christy’s throat, sounding like that of a tormented ghost.

“Michael, release him!” Rob’s shouted order startled Michael, and he let go of Christy.

Christy spun on Rob, his chest heaving. His little body contracted hard in a fierce effort to force out a shout, “You told him!” It came out as a strangled, raw screech.

Calm and collected, Rob glanced at Michael. “Don’t ever restrain him.” With hands held at his sides, palms up and open, he approached Christy slowly. “I didn’t tell him anything. I gave him literature to read. The same literature that I gave to you.”

“Why?” Christy’s hoarse word came out a broken, pain-filled cry.

“We discussed this, Christy. It’s important information for your partner to know.”

Christy backed away and turned, taking flight once again, and Michael started after him.

Rob shouted again, “Let him go, Michael!”

Michael’s feet slowed as he watched Christy crest a rise and fall again. Christy dragged himself to his feet and ran yet again.

Screw this
. Michael bolted and ascended the rise and poured on speed. He caught up with Christy right before he entered the woods and grabbed the back of his shirt. “Christy, stop!” Christy struggled and fought, determined to get away. “Christy, damn it, let me talk to you!”

Christy broke free of Michael’s grasp and tried to yell. Whatever he tried to say came out in garbled, hoarse words that did nothing but cause Christy to choke.

Taking in Christy’s heaving chest and hands that trembled violently, Michael’s heart constricted in unmitigated agony. “Please don’t run from me. Please,” Michael begged as he collected his breath.

Christy choked on another cough.

Michael approached, and Christy backed away and stumbled. Michael shot forward and caught him by the arm, and Christy jerked away again.

“Okay! All right! I won’t touch you. Just, just, please don’t run from me.”

“You…!” Christy choked on a sob.

“Christy, please don’t use your voice. Let’s go back to the ranch so you can write.”

“You… are…!” Christy choked out the strangled words and stumbled again.

“Christy, please! Let me take you back to the ranch! We can work this out!”

Christy stared at him, incredulous. Michael couldn’t fathom what Christy thought so unbelievable. “Please talk to me. Please? I don’t want to lose you.”

Christy seemed to wilt before Michael’s very eyes. Squatting into a small ball, Christy buried his face in his arms. The sobs that racked and shook his small frame told Michael that he was devastated.

“Christy.” Michael squatted next to him and raised a hand to pet his ringlets, then recalled what the literature emphasized.
Consistency in words and actions
.
Respect personal space and boundaries
. He withdrew his hand. “Can I touch you?”

Christy choked something out between sobs.

“I can’t understand you, Christy.”

Christy raised his head only long enough to spit venomous, hoarse words at Michael. “You want to touch the pathetic, dirty, little Christy? The willing little whore? You need not ask. He will do whatever you wish… because he must!” The last three words were a gut-wrenching sob.

Whoa.
The literature talked about poor self-image and self-destructive behavior but this… this was so far outside of Michael’s box he had no idea what to do. But he knew one thing for certain. Christy’s self-deprecating words were just plain wrong. “You are not pathetic. You are not dirty. You are not a whore. You are priceless to me, Christy. All I want to do is comfort you. Will you let me do that? Will you let me hold you even while you’re mad at me?”

Christy only sobbed harder.

“Christy, please… please, let me hold you.”

Christy slowly leaned and fell against him, and he said a silent thanks to the heavens as he encircled Christy in his arms. “You’re everything I ever dreamed of in a guy, Christy. Don’t ever think anything less of yourself.” Christy quieted after a few minutes, and his trembling slowed. “You need to tell me what I did wrong. I don’t ever want to upset you.”

“You are not….” Christy coughed into Michael’s neck.

“Let’s go back to the ranch so you can write.”

Christy pulled away from him, stood, and stumbled again. Michael steadied him with a gentle hand on his arm. “You okay to walk?”

Christy nodded and stumbled after no more than three steps and caught himself before he fell.

“You okay?”

Christy continued to try to walk, that odd limp now far more than just a mild nuisance to his gait. Michael had seen guys try to run after an injury, and he was surer than ever that something was wrong with Christy’s foot. He looked across the field and tried to judge the distance to the cabin. It was three hundred yards or more. “Let me carry you back?”