Something Beautiful (23 page)

"A time or two," Dune said, looking down into Kitty's face. Her fine brows were drawn together, puzzled, and he lightly beeped her nose. That got a squeal and she grabbed his finger to gum it.

"Anyway," Shiloh said, "like I was saying, anything you need, anything at all, you tell me and I'll get it for you."

"Mostly I just want my bathrobe," Micah said. "Walking around with my ass hanging out is nobody's idea of fun."

Dune started to say Micah's ass was a thing of beauty everyone should feel privileged to see, but decided that would be in poor taste and just smiled to himself.

"But Mom and Dad should be bringing that by later today," Micah went on. "The nurse says I'm going to be here at least a couple days, and I'm supposed to try and walk a couple times every day."

"Poor Micah," Shiloh said, rubbing his leg through the blankets. "What about work?"

"Health plan," Micah said with a shrug. "It covers hospital stays, and I'll have to do extended leave while I recover."

"I'll call HR on Monday for you," Dune said, and Micah smiled at him gratefully.

"All my insurance stuff is in my wallet. I'll have to get it from my Dad."

"Okay," Dune said.

A nurse came into the room. "Micah, it's time for you to walk a little. Feel up to it?"

"I don't have a bathrobe," Micah said, starting to look panicked.

"We have one here," she said, pulling a tissue-thin robe off a hook in the small bathroom off the main room. "And socks and slippers for your feet, if you'd like them."

Micah nodded miserably. "If I have to."

"You need to move around so your muscles don't atrophy," she said gently.

"It hurts so much just to walk to the bathroom."

"Keep moving and it won't," she said, and brought the bathrobe to him.

"I'll help you, Micah," Dune said, and the nurse nodded.

"There, you see? Your friend will help. You don't have to do it alone."

Micah's eyes met Dune's a moment and he smiled and said, "Okay." He flipped back the blanket and sheet, wincing at the movement. Dune gave Kitty back to Rebecca, got up and helped Micah swing his legs around and stand. Shiloh watched, biting her lip and reaching out a few times to steady Micah.

"There, you see?" the nurse said when the robe was on and Micah was holding firmly to Dune's arm. "Just for ten minutes or so, up and down the hall, and then rest. It'll be dinnertime in about an hour."

"Okay," Micah said, who looked even paler than usual.

"Do you want us to wait?" Shiloh said.

"If you want to," Micah said. He was gritting his teeth a little as he slowly placed one foot in front of the other. "I'll probably sleep after this."

"Okay," Rebecca said, and the door closed behind them.

"How are you holding up?" Dune asked him after they'd walked a few slow feet.

"It hurts."

"Do you want to go back?"

"No, no," Micah said and exhaled. "She said it won't hurt so much if I keep doing it. So I've got to keep doing it, even if it hurts."

Dune smoothed a hand over Micah's hair and kissed the top of his head. "You're tougher than you look, kitten," Dune said softly, and Micah chuckled, his eyes on the floor and his fingers digging into Dune's arm.

"I don't feel tough. I feel like I want to curl up in a corner and cry. Talk to me, so I have something else to think about."

"Well," said Dune, "I finally found out what's going on with my dad and Adam. Adam's cheating on him."

"Wow," Micah said, looking at him. "So when is Leo kicking him out?"

"He's not. He says this is one of those compromises you make in a long-term relationship. I don't know what to do. Mostly I'm furious with Adam right now."

Micah looked at the floor and said softly, "Oh."

Dune kissed his head again. "Do you want to talk to me about Ryan?"

"There's nothing to say about Ryan."

Dune nodded and said gently, "You know what I think it is with you? You were just realizing how attractive you are. You had Jamie crazy about you, and then Ryan came along and wanted you, and you --"

"I know what I did."

"I'm sorry, baby. I just --"

"I don't want to talk about it." Dune nodded, and they walked it silence for a few more steps. Micah said, "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"No," Dune said without hesitating. "I think you're a wonderful person who sometimes does the wrong thing."

"Is that why you're mad at Adam? Because he's doing the wrong thing?"

"Yeah. He and Leo have been together since before I was born. I thought they loved each other. I've always thought it didn't matter what else happened, as long as my folks were together."

"They're still together," Micah pointed out.

"Living a lie," Dune muttered.

"Dunie, even I know that relationships take compromise to work."

"Sure, but this doesn't seem so much like a compromise so much as a threat: 'Let me sleep around or I'll leave you.' Which is stupid. Dad could have anyone he wanted."

"He's always saying how hard it is to be gay and over forty."

"Stuart does just fine and he's over forty." He didn't know for certain himself, really: it always seemed that Stuart could have any young thing he desired and they'd be grateful for the attention.

"Stuart's a law unto himself." Micah was blushing -- or just flushed from the exercise, Dune thought. Micah squeezed his arm. "Let's go back to the room. I'm starting to see spots."

"Yikes -- yes --" Dune steered Micah back to his room, where Rebecca and Shiloh were still waiting on the upholstered bench, Shiloh playing with the baby as they chatted. Rebecca started up when the door opened and then smiled and got comfortable again.

"You're back. Geez, Micah, you look awful."

"That's because I feel awful," Micah said as Dune helped him back into bed and he pulled up the blanket with a sigh. "No sign of Mom and Dad yet?"

"Not yet," said Rebecca and her hands twisted together nervously for a moment.

"If they don't come soon I'll go get your things," Dune told Micah. "You shouldn't be too long without your toothbrush."

"Okay." He yawned and smiled at them sleepily. "Guys, I need a nap. I'm so tired."

"Sleep," Shiloh said and came to bed to kiss his cheek and gently hug him. "I'll come see you tomorrow after class, okay? I'm done by three."

"It's a long way for you to take the bus."

"Aidan will drive me," she said casually and behind her, Rebecca smiled.

She came to the bed to claim a kiss and a hug as well and told Micah, "I'll come by later in the week, okay? And maybe bring Justin."

"Okay." He gave Kitty's plump hand another caress and leaned back with a sigh when the door shut behind them.

Dune sat in the chair beside Micah's bed and took his hand. "They love you a lot."

"Yeah," Micah murmured.

"I've always wondered what it's like to have sisters. Or a brother. Or both." He looked at Micah, whose eyes were closed and breathing was evening out. "Go to sleep. I'll stay with you a while longer."

"Okay," Micah murmured, and Dune kissed the back of his hand and watched him sleep.

Chapter Thirteen

There was much discussion about where Micah would go when the hospital released him -- too much discussion, in Micah's view. Everyone had an opinion, his parents most vocally: he should stay with them, where he could be properly looked after, fed, taken to follow-up appointments. Finally Micah said, "I'm going to my apartment. Dune will look after me. I'm going home," and his parents could not dissuade him.

When the hospital released him, Dune drove him home. Micah leaned against him during the elevator ride up to his apartment. Dune unlocked the door and started putting away the contents of his duffel bag as Micah walked straight to his bed. He relaxed against the sheets with a contented sigh. They smelled sweet and outdoorsy, as if Dune had hung them out to dry on a clothesline.

After a few minutes Dune came into the bedroom and sat carefully at Micah's side. "Do you want anything to eat? I could make some orange juice and pancakes."

"Not yet." Micah turned from his side to his back so he could look at Dune. "My sheets smell really good. Did you wash them?"

"Yeah. And there's lavender in the pillowcases."

Micah laughed quietly, holding a pillow to his belly. "Ow. You're so predictable sometimes, Dunie."

Dune smiled at him beatifically. "I am a gay man," he said. "My purpose is to make the world beautiful."

"You make the world beautiful just by existing," Micah said, slipping a hand into Dune's. "Though I'm very fond of your orgasms, too."

Dune smiled tightly and looked away a moment. "We'll talk about that when you're better."

Micah moved his head to lay it on Dune's thigh. "Okay."

Dune started slowly stroking his hair. "You know you're my favorite person, don't you, Micah?"

"Yes," Micah said, closing his eyes and smiling. "I know. That's how I know you'll take care of me and won't fuss over me."

"I thought you liked being fussed over." His fingers played with Micah's earlobe.

"All I want to do today is sleep. I don't want somebody asking me if I need anything every ten minutes."

Dune poked him lightly in the shoulder. "Do you need anything? Do you need anything? Juice, milk, Jell-O? You have to need Jell-O. I know you like Jell-O -- you like raspberry Jell-O, right? Right? Right?"

"Dork." Micah batted his hand away.

Dune chuckled and resumed playing with his hair. "You're not going to be well enough for the Halloween party, are you?"

"Probably not."

"That's a pity. I was hoping we could do a couple costume."

Micah snorted. "Couple of jackasses, you mean."

"We could be a horse. Don't you think I'd make a great horse's ass?"

Micah laughed and clutched the pillow tighter to his belly. "Ow. Stop making me laugh, it hurts."

"I'm sorry." He ran his hand over Micah's back. "I won't make you dress up like a horse's ass."

"Oh, good. What costume were you thinking of?"

"I had a few ideas. Master and servant, vampire and victim, Achilles and Patroclus."

"Who?"

"Achilles is the hero of the
Iliad
, and Patroclus is his lover. Don't you think you'd look good in a pleated leather skirt?"

"I look terrible in skirts. My legs are too short."

Dune laughed. "I love your legs, pretty boy."

"Oh, don't call me that," Micah said, poking his thigh.

"Why not? You're beautiful." Dune ran a light fingertip down Micah's cheekbone, across the bridge of his nose, around the point of his chin. "Jamie loved drawing you, you know."

"He did?"

"Yeah. He didn't show the pictures to many people, though."

"But he showed them to you?"

"I made him. I can be very persuasive." Dune traced the curls of Micah's ear and then patted his shoulder and shifted to get off the bed. "Okay. I'll let you sleep, and when you wake up I'll have some breakfast made up for you. What do you think -- scrambled eggs? Oatmeal?"

"Cheeseburger," Micah said, propping his head on his arm to look at Dune. "With onions and mayonnaise and extra pickles."

Dune winced. "You're such a Philistine."

"After a week of hospital food, I feel it's my duty to eat something greasy and bad for me."

Dune bent to kiss him, murmuring, "As you wish." He left, quietly closing the bedroom door.