Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

got a pretty boy, barely-legal blond, tucked into my bed, who I picked up at the Blue Dragon, and I'm now waiting on him hand and foot."
    Jimmy laughed. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll see you later."
    "Yeah, you too." Sebastian hung up. Daren was still looking at him, but his face now held questions mixed in with that bit of fear. "I'm passing up a beach party to be here, just so you know."
    Sebastian flopped down into the chair and stared up at the ceiling. Daren still hadn't said anything new. Jimmy's call was more than just a reminder that he was missing a party. It was a reminder that there was a real world where people who are badly injured go to hospitals and call cops; they do not put themselves into the hands of strangers. And in that same real world strangers don't take home half-dead, pretty boys; they dial 911 and let the professionals handle things.
    "I didn't know you were gay," Daren said out the blue.
    Sebastian rolled his head to the side and looked at him. "Well, there aren't many heteros hanging around the Blue Dragon. We do get a misplaced Goth girl on occasion."
    "I'm not… I mean, I was looking for a pay phone. And I needed a drink."
    Sebastian just closed his eyes. His own stomach suddenly rattled, and he realized he hadn't eaten anything solid in nearly a day. He pushed himself to his feet. "I'll be in the kitchen. Call out if you need anything."
    ****
    Sebastian licked the last toast crumbs from his plate. It was after noon, but a full breakfast had felt appropriate. He had started to feel better, and the fog in his head began to clear almost as soon as the first bite of egg had hit his stomach. He started making plans for the rest of the day.
    He'd check on Daren, update his chart, scrub down the bathroom again, do some laundry, and then take another shopping trip. He thought about the FBI numbers in his phone. He half considered just calling and hanging up, but he was pretty sure the FBI could track things like that these days. Daren had said he was looking for a pay phone, and he didn't have a cell phone on him.
    He dropped his dishes in the sink. Daren was awake when he reentered the room. "Hey, anything you need?"
    Daren didn't meet his eyes. "I think I need to take a leak."
    "Can you make it to the bathroom, or should I grab a bowl?" Sebastian really should have thought about trying to find a bed pan.
    Daren didn't answer. Sebastian pulled back the blankets. "Come on. You should try to move a bit so your muscles don't seize up while they heal."
    Daren swung his legs around, and they made the long, slow trek to the bathroom. Daren began to tremble as they passed through the bathroom door. It was hard to tell if it was from fear, pain or exhaustion. He helped Daren to sit then stepped out but left the door open. After a minute he heard a pained whimper.
    Shit, Sebastian thought. It seemed to have become the primary word in his inner monologue. Daren was curled in on himself again, and he'd gone a bit pale. "Dumb question, what hurts?"
    Daren shook his head his jaw locked tight.
    "Do you need help standing up?"
    Daren nodded.
    "Right." Sebastian carefully pulled Daren to his feet before peeking into the toilet. It was a distinct brown color. He knew Daren must be bleeding into his kidneys. It was almost a given. He calmed himself by pointing out that if they were ruptured Daren would almost certainly be dead by now. So they were just badly bruised.
    He rubbed some circles on Daren's upper back, on a part he hoped was safe. "Your kidneys are a little bruised. I probably need to be giving you more fluids. Let's get you back to bed."
    The steps were slow and pained again; this time both of them were sweating. Sebastian lay Daren down. Daren's eyes closed instantly, and within a few breaths, he was asleep. Sebastian pulled out the notebook and updated Daren's chart then went to scrub the bathroom down and do some laundry. Once the cleaning had started, Sebastian found he couldn't really stop. He picked up his living room, scrubbed down the kitchen, and swept and vacuumed everywhere.
    Two hours later, h e woke Daren up and got him to drink some more water while downing some more antibiotics and painkillers. "I need to go shopping again." He put his cellphone on the bedside table. "I shouldn't be gone long." Daren just nodded and slipped once again into sleep. Sebastian brushed a stray bit of Daren's expertly-bleached hair from his face before heading out again.
    Now awake and in the height of