Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

that cut, but it was so deep, deep enough to need stitches really, that he hadn't wanted to un-bandage it and risk it opening again.
    He cut away at the gauze with some safety scissors, then reached up and turned Daren's head away before removing it.
    "You might not want to look at this."
    Sebastian didn't particularly want to look at it either. The cut was infected and still gaping. It started to bleed a bit almost as soon as the pad was removed.
    Daren's head started to turn around. "Nope. Serious, you do not want to look at this."
    Sebastian knew what the cut needed was be washed out with sterilized water and then get stitches, and it should have been done days ago.
    "I'm sure I know what the answer is, but can I please take you to a hospital?"
    Daren shook his head.
    "Okay. But when you end up with a hell of a scar don't blame me. But first… I need to get you back in the shower."
    Daren just squeezed his eyes and grit his teeth.
    Rinsing the cut in the shower after letting the pipes clear out was not exactly the same thing as flushing it with sterilized water. And wound-closer tape was a far cry from neatly administered stitches, but as he wrapped clean gauze around it he knew it was the best he was going to be able to provide.
    "I need you to tell me right away if it starts to hurt more. I don't want you to lose an arm or get blood poisoning. The cut's too close to your heart."
    Daren gave a small chuckle.
    "Something funny?"
    "No," he whispered, a smile pulling at his lips.
    Sebastian put a final twist in the gauze, locking it in place. "Can I at least get your last name?" Daren turned his head away. "Let me guess, it could be dangerous for me if I knew?" Daren didn't answer. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I've been trying to decide if you're on the run from some shadowy arm of the government or the mob."
    Daren started to laugh, his voice echoing through the bathroom, tears squeezing from under his eyes. He held his sides as best he could, wincing in pain between giggles but never once looking at Sebastian.
    Sebastian just sat and watched as Daren fought to bring himself back from the edge of hysterics. It took several minutes. By the time Daren calmed down, Sebastian could see muscles in his body twitching while his lungs heaved. "Glad I could be amusing." Daren shook his head. "Come on." He helped Daren to his wobbly feet. "That was your exercise for the day, and you still need lunch, so let's get you back to bed."
    ****
    Daren slept hard for most of the rest of the day while Sebastian bounced off the walls, his mind refusing to settle down despite his wanting a nap. Daren had laughed just a little too hard at the government or mob comment. For a half a second, Sebastian considered government and mob, but what the hell would they want with a nineteen-year-old pretty boy?
    He was pretty sure no one saw him take Daren out of the Blue Dragon, but the Dragon did have a security camera pointed at its parking lot. As far as he knew, it was mainly there to scare people off, but Sebastian started wondering about some kind of CSI image enhancement and his license plate. Or Harry, who worked the bar, remembering Daren and Sebastian being there on the same night.
    A panicky voice in his head, which was getting louder by the second, was telling him to just pack his bags, dial 911, and be gone before the cops showed up.
    He heard Daren shifting around in the other room and went to check. He was still asleep by the looks of things, but in the dim light with the second-hand blankets pulled up to his chin, it was only the few days of stubble on his chin that kept Daren from looking all of twelve years old. Sebastian carefully laid his hand across Daren's forehead. He didn't feel particularly feverish. Daren's eyes flickered open.
    "Just checking," Sebastian whispered, running his hand across Daren's hair. "Go back to sleep."
    Daren gave a half nod as his eyes shut.
    Sebastian sighed and eased himself into the chair, no longer even pretending that he was going to get any sleep on the couch.
    By morning, Sebastian fully blamed Jimmy's uninvited visit for Daren's particularly troubled night. It was a break in routine, and Sebastian did remember someone saying, in any one of a million-and-a-half lectures he was given, that routine was helpful for people recovering from trauma. Sebastian cracked his back as he stood and grabbed Daren's notebook. As the water boiled for coffee, Sebastian opened it to one of the back pages where