Page 74 of Hilarina and the Ogre

This time his hand was made prisoner. Hilary simply tucked it against himself and went back to sleep—if he could be said to have ever woken in the first place.

Trenton was hopelessly charmed. “Hilary, I think you need to go to work. Should I go in for you instead?” Patients would die on his watch, but that seemed a small price to pay for his jailer’s sleep.

There was a small movement, but it was only Hilary pulling the blanket up over his head. “We’re staying home. It’s Wednesday.”

It was Monday, not Wednesday, but Trenton didn’t mind suspending the laws of the calendar for such a cute curmudgeon. “Is Wednesday important?”

But Hilary was asleep again.

Trenton eased himself out of the bed, peeling the man off his chest like a sticker, and went to the kitchen. He made the fastest breakfast he could think of—eggs and toast—and brought the plate back to the bed, resenting every second they’d been separated. It worked. Hilary was willing to do for food what he wouldn’t for reason alone, but not without some concessions. “Feed me.”

Trenton didn’t expect Hilary to nest in his arms like a baby bird, opening his mouth whenever his hostage’s hand approached. It was messier than Trenton thought it would be. Twice he had to pick egg off Hilary’s face, and it added an incredible amount of crumbs to the bed, but that simple breakfast was more satisfying to him than anything he’d served over at the restaurant. “You have beautiful eyelashes,” he informed the man. Feeding him was giving him the kind of up-close view that allowed him to appreciate such things.

Hilary snorted. “Says the person who won’t fuck me.”

It had been embarrassing the day before, but already it wasn’t. No wonder Hilary thought he adapted easily. He could only guess where he’d be by the afternoon if they continued at such a rate. “Can’t I appreciate a man’s beauty for its own sake?”

“What beauty? I’m a withered old crone. Do you see these lines? Who has wrinkles like this at thirty-two?”

It wasn’t that bad, but yes, there were lines, especially around the man’s eyes. “Because you work nights.”

“I’m working today, aren’t I?”

“Because you’re covering for Vanessa. But you shouldn’t. Working both days and nights is worse than working nights alone. Your body will get messed up from not knowing when to sleep.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Switch to days.” He caught Hilary’s arm as the man stood to dress, the words important. “If there’s a pay cut, I’ll cover it. Don’t work nights anymore.”

“I told you, I don’t want you working.”

“Then you’ll switch to day shifts, won’t you?”

It was his first time stepping in like that. Throwing his weight around, so to speak, and using Hilary’s anxieties to do it. It was an asshole move, but he didn’t have much of a choice. It would take a while to build up arguments based on their own merit. Until then he’d have to rely on tricks, even if it did make him feel scummy.

Hilary’s eyebrows went up. “I see.”

Trenton held the gaze, forcing himself to focus on the dark circles beneath the man’s eyes to keep from backing down. Surprisingly, he won the standoff.

“Not like I’m attached to nights,” Hilary said as he pulled his scrubs on. “I just needed them if I was going to see you during the day.”

It was an arrow right through the heart. “You’ll have my time. All of it.”

“But only if I work days, is that it?”

No, he wouldn’t threaten. Not after words like that. “I want you to switch, but I’ll accommodate you in the meantime. I’ll learn to sleep days so I can be up with you.”

Hilary turned, the comb still in his hair. “Come here.”

And just like that, Trenton was nervous. But still he went, stopping just in front of him.

“Bend down,” Hilary commanded.

Trenton wasn’t sure what that meant. Did he bend at the waist? Kneel? Get down on all fours? He settled for a sort of hovering crouch. Hilary kissed his cheek. “I’ll speak to my nurse manager about the switch. Don’t change your schedule. We can’t have you looking like me, can we?”

Trenton’s cheek was tingling. No one had ever kissed him before, and it was shocking how quickly that had changed—and with no warning either. “I’d give anything to look like you.”

“Then be a good boy and be waiting here when I come home, yeah?”