Page 24

They lapsed back into a silence that was surprisingly comfortable despite the blood and queasiness. Ben washed the blood off his torso with a damp cloth and threw it into the sink with his bloody shirt. Then he bandaged his arm and put everything back in place in the first aid kit.

All the while, Levi leaned against the sink and watched him. When Ben tucked the first aid kit into the cabinet behind the mirror, he had to lean so close to Levi that their noses almost brushed. Levi, the little shit, didn’t move. He just stood there, his face ashen. There was a smudge of toothpaste at the corner of his lips.

“How’s your knee?” Levi asked suddenly.

Ben flexed his leg. His knee was worse than usual, but it had been like that since the first night he met Levi. He could still get around on it. That was what mattered. Although he was getting pretty fucking tempted to take Levi up on his massage offer, no matter how uncomfortably intimate it was. What was a knee massage compared to stitching up his shoulder when he hated blood? Ben was appalled by the pride swelling inside him. He shouldn’t be so emotional about this. Why did he care if Levi had pushed back against his blood phobia for him?

Levi gave Ben an expectant look. Right, he’d asked about Ben’s knee.

“It’s fine,” Ben replied.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Jesus. I bet you’re going to say that about the gunshot, too. You could get blood poisoning, and you’ll be all, I’m chill, don’t look at my arm that’s about to fall off.”

“I would never say ‘I’m chill’,” Ben drawled.

Levi chuckled. It turned into a gasp, his full lips pressing into a shaky white line. “I can’t believe this shit. I’m just a figurehead! I’m not in charge of anything!”

It was almost a relief to see Levi start to break. Ben had been waiting for it ever since Levi went all business on him with his stitches. He’d held it together admirably, but he was a civilian.

Levi’s eyes filled with tears. Ben hated it when people cried. But instead of the panic and annoyance he usually felt, only protective concern flared inside him.

“You’re okay,” Ben said. “Dom is sending people to sweep the perimeter. They’ll put a stop to this.”

“Cool, yeah,” Levi said, but he was clearly not feeling it. A tear fell down his cheek, and he wiped it away furiously. “God. I could really fucking die out here.”

“Hey.” Ben moved before he could think better of it, taking Levi’s chin and forcing his gaze up to meet his own. “You’re going to be fine. I won’t let anything happen. Alright? I’ll take care of you.”

Levi stared at him, his blue eyes shiny and wondrous. He should look like shit in the stark bathroom lights, especially after what he’d just been through. But he looked as beautiful as ever. No, even better than usual. Ben couldn’t forget how Levi had stitched him up, even though Levi had clearly hated every second of it. People always looked different to Ben once they’d gone through this kind of shit with him. Levi looked fucking radiant.

“I’ll take care of you,” Ben heard himself repeat. He knew he should add something like that’s my job, but the words dried up in his mouth as Levi leaned up and kissed him. It was hard and desperate, and it took all of Ben’s willpower to push him back by his chin.

“Levi,” he began.

“You said you’d take care of me,” Levi said over him. “So fucking take care of me. Daddy.”

He tried to say it like a threat. But his voice was shaking again, and it came out like exactly what it was: a plea. He didn’t just mean sexually; that was obvious from the wild look on Levi’s face. They could have died out there. Levi needed something to make him feel alive, make him feel safe, make him feel held and seen and protected. And goddamn him, Ben couldn’t do anything but give that to him.

Levi leaned up again. Ben’s grip tightened on his chin, holding him in place. Levi went still, his lips parting on a glorious moan that lit Ben’s blood alight. The stuff he hadn’t left all over the forest floor, anyway.

“You want me to take care of you?” Ben asked, head spinning from how hard he was getting after all that blood he’d lost. “Fine. But we do this my way.”

Levi nodded as eagerly as he could with Ben holding his chin.

“Good,” Ben said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to the kitchen because I’ve lost a lot of blood and I need water. Then we’re going to go to your room because you took the bigger bed, you little shit. Then I’m going to lie down, because my knee fucking hurts, and I’m going to open you up until you’re begging for it. Then you’re going to ride me. If you do it well enough, maybe I’ll let you come. How does that sound?”

“Good,” Levi blurted. “It sounds good.”

“It sounds good…?” Ben gave Levi’s chin a hard squeeze.

Levi shivered. “Daddy.”

Ben rubbed a possessive thumb over his chin. This was a horrible idea, but he couldn’t bring himself to give a shit. Not when he was giving Levi something he so desperately needed. And if Ben was honest with himself, he might need it just as much as Levi.

“You only call me that when we do this,” Ben said. “Nod if you understand.”

Levi nodded again, the panic from before turning into hazy joy. Ben wanted him to look like this, always. He gave Levi a long, lingering kiss until Levi whimpered into his mouth. Then he pulled back and slapped Levi’s ass.

“Kitchen,” he said. “Now.”