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“Are you sure you’re okay? The ankle is starting to swell a little.”
He released the breath he was holding. “I think it’s okay. I don’t remember twisting it, so I think I must have hit my foot on the way down.” At least that injury would be easier to recover from. A twisted foot could take weeks to heal, and he didn’t have that kind of time. The final tuition payment for the next semester was due. Thankfully, he had enough money to cover it, but without working, he was going to be existing on mac and cheese for weeks.
David cradled his ankle in his hands and adjusted the ice. Noel sighed as the discomfort eased somewhat. “You are going to need to take it easy, and these stairs up here are going to be impossible for you to climb regularly.” He stood and went to the kitchen, then opened and closed the refrigerator door before returning with a glass of water.
Noel drank it and settled back in his old, slip-covered chair. He set the glass on the scarred table next to him. He wondered what his place must look like to David. All the larger pieces of furniture had come with the place. The sofa had probably been there for decades. Noel had slip-covered the ugly thing, just like he’d done to the chair. They were large enough that getting them out was nearly impossible without a crew of six, so he’d just left them and made the most of what he had. Nothing matched, and everything in his place was practical. Noel imagined David living in a big house that was decorated by a designer, with everything perfect and stunning.
“I’ll figure things out. I always do,” Noel said. The story of his life. If something happened, he either worked around it or changed plans and continued forward.
“I see. Do you have someone who can help you?” David asked. His hand remained lightly resting on Noel’s leg, and Noel’s heart raced a little faster with each passing second. He loved that touch but didn’t want to draw attention to it in case David pulled away.
“The guys have to work, and I have no family to speak of.” Noel cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. I can do what I need to.” He sat back, closing his eyes once more and just willing his foot to feel better. “I’m not helpless.”
“Of course you aren’t. But you know getting up and down those steps is going to be tough.” David’s hand slipped away and then he stood. Before Noel could argue, David had lifted him into his arms and carried him through to his tiny bedroom.
“I can get around on my own,” Noel protested, even though he liked being in David’s arms. He was solid and strong. Noel knew he was at David’s mercy, but he also knew that David would never drop him. He was safe in those arms… at least for as long as David held him.
“Yeah.” David set Noel on the side of the bed. “Your ankle is still swelling, and it’s going to hurt. Those stairs are going to feel as tall as Everest tomorrow, and there’s nothing in that refrigerator of yours. I was trying to find you something to drink. I wasn’t snooping, I promise.” He smiled, and Noel felt his defenses begin to fall.
“What are you going to do? Stay here with me until my ankle heals?” Like that was really practical. There was barely enough room for him and the bed was a twin. It was all he had space for.
“No. My proposal is that we pack you some clothes, and I’ll take you home with me. I have plenty of room, and you aren’t going to have to climb halfway to heaven to get your groceries. Do you have a bag somewhere?”
“You don’t need to do this,” Noel protested lightly. “I can take care of myself. Groceries can be delivered, and I don’t need to leave for a few days.” He hissed when he tried to move, his ankle throbbing.
“Yeah, right,” David said, and hit him with a glare. “A bag?”
“Under the bed,” Noel answered, giving up. David was a force of nature, and he was in too much pain and too tired to argue. Instead, he managed to get a few things out of the dresser, put them in the bag, and then hop to the bathroom, each step jarring his ankle. By the time he sat on the bed once more, he knew he was pale, and his ankle hurt like hell.
David took the bag to the other room and brought in his coat. “We need to get you dressed and ready. I’m going to call an Uber, and then once you’re ready, we’ll get you downstairs for when they come.”
Noel managed to get a sock on, and David helped with a larger one over it for additional warmth. Then he got his coat, and David bundled up as well. Noel locked the door, and David carried his bag as they managed the stairs one at a time. David was right—it was a damned ordeal that resulted in more under-his-breath cursing than Noel would have liked to admit.
A Toyota Corolla was waiting for them when they exited the building, and after David got him settled in the back seat, they were off. Noel did his best to get comfortable, and David gave him room to spread out. His ankle throbbed, and David seemed to understand, placing his legs over his lap. The pressure eased, and they rode through downtown and continued north.
“Once we get there, I have some pain relievers you can take. They might help,” David said gently, holding his legs, and Noel leaned back in the crook of the seat, closing his eyes, trying to relax, but everywhere David touched him seemed warmer.
“Is this your house?” Noel asked like an idiot when the car pulled in.
David helped him out and up to the door, carrying his bag. “It was my grandparents’. Grandma left it to me.” He turned on the lights, and Noel hobbled through the house until David guided him down onto a long sofa that seemed to surround him as he sat. David helped him get his shoes and socks off, took care of his coat, and then got some ice on his ankle again.
Noel looked at the comfortable room, completely surprised by how warm and cozy it seemed. There wasn’t a designer… well, anything… in sight. Instead, everything seemed made for sitting and living.
“I’ll be right back.” David got a soft blanket to cover him. “Get comfortable and just relax.” He handed him the remote and left the room, leaving Noel on his own.
Noel heard David in the house, but he left him pretty much alone. “Hey, who are you?” he asked an old cat who jumped onto the sofa and pawed around Noel’s feet before settling near them. “I take it I’m taking your spot.”
“That’s Oscar, and yeah. The sofa is pretty much his domain. He was Grandma’s cat, and when I got the house, I inherited His Majesty as well.” David set some drinks on the table along with a tray of munchies.
Noel tried to sit up and get comfortable. “You know, you didn’t need to do this. I would have managed at home.” He’d been through worse and managed to come out the other side. Though when he looked over the goodies, his appetite kicked in.
David tilted his head to the side. “I have to ask. Every time I’ve done something for you, showed you even the most basic courtesy, you seem surprised. You fell off the stage tonight and hurt yourself, and I feel that was in part because of me.”
Noel rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Smartass,” David said. Damn, it usually took longer for people to catch on to him. “I saw that smile of yours and knew you were watching me.”
Noel had been, and he’d lost track of where he’d been on the stage, but that was his fault. He knew he should have been paying attention to what he was doing rather than trying to make eyes at David. It was stupid, and now he was paying for his own clumsiness. “I got too close to the front.”
