Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

you—"
    Hinata smiled at him, slow and sweet. "I had a blue butterfly clip in my hair that day."
    Peter's heart shook and stuttered and then stopped altogether before starting again with a shudder and a bang. Hinata remembered that day. Peter grinned. A warm curl of tenderness unfurled in his stomach, replacing the fighting snakes from earlier.
    "I remember. The butterflies had little purple spots on their wings that just matched the color of the bracelet you were wearing." Peter's voice dropped, deepening to a husky caress. His smile grew higher on one side. "I remember."
    Hinata took the same half step forward he had that very first day, but this time no one held him back. Instead they all cleared a path to Peter's bedside. With the way opened, he continued forward until he stood right at the rail, hands fluttering up to rest on the utilitarian plastic. "You look the same— just the same, but bigger too. I wanted to talk to you that day."
    Peter nodded. "Your friend Caroline stopped you. She never would tell me why, but she stopped you. And then I never really got close to you again."
    Hinata's eyes dropped away from Peter's. "I know. I stayed away. I— it is unimportant now. I have come to ask if you would allow me to help you. I have a studio here, where I teach dance. When you are better, will you come and let me help you get your leg ready to play football again? I know you love to play. Your face, when you catch the ball… I have never seen such joy except in the mirror as I dance."
    Peter's stomach roiled, and the snakes were back. "I'd like that, Hinata. But aren't you going to have breakfast with us today?"
    Hinata's cheeks turned a dusky shade of rose. "I… my man, Andre is coming with breakfast. I asked Rufus to call the hospital to find out if you would still be here or if you had been released… the nurse said you would likely go home, but she thought perhaps not until the afternoon?"
    Peter reached out, unable to stop himself, and brushed a strand of Hinata's shining black hair away from his face, tucking the silky bit of stuff behind the smaller man's ear. "Your man? Do you mean your boyfriend?"
    Hinata lifted his chin, his dark eyes locking on Peter's. "Oh, no, he is not my boyfriend. Andre is my friend."
    A deep chuckle sounded from the doorway, and Peter looked up to see the man he knew from when he'd gone to high school with Hinata. "I'm also your chauffeur, Mr. Hinata. Don't forget that detail."
    Hinata made a small huffing noise. "It is not the most important part."
    Andre's grin widened. "Still, as you don't know how to drive, it is a rather important one."
    A chorus of low chortling noises drew Peter's attention, and his head turned to take in his cousins and the doctor. All three were watching him, Hinata and Andre as if they were the stars of some cheesy soap opera, or god help them all, some chick-flick romantic comedy. He squinted at Tater and Rufus before turning back to Andre and Hinata. Andre reached around Hinata to set a fully laden drink carrier from Starbucks on the over bed table. He placed a large white paper sack next to the drinks. Ruffling Hinata's hair, he stepped back. "I left my drink out with the nurses. I'll be out there when you need me, sir."
    Peter blinked. The man somehow managed to speak to Hinata in a way that showed clear affection and respect without a speck of subservience. Andre caught Peter's gaze. He tilted his head toward Hinata, raised one eyebrow and then made a vee of his first two fingers, pointing first to his own eyes and then to Peter as he mouthed the words, 'I'm watching you'. The big man turned the gesture into a half comic salute as he turned toward Rufus and Tater, and then turned to saunter out the door of the room. The doctor cleared his throat. "Ah, well… I'll just see about getting your discharge paperwork started. I'll make sure the nurse gets you set up with a good orthopedist, and with physical therapy."
    Peter tore his eyes away from Hinata for a moment. "Oh. Right… um, thanks, doc. I appreciate it."
    Tater laughed. "Come on Rufus. Grab our drinks and whatever food is ours. Peter's gonna be busy here for a minute. I'll catch you up on what Auntie Mary had to say about our big brave cousin." He sauntered to the door, throwing a wicked grin over his shoulder at Peter. Rufus deftly plucked two of the drinks out of the carrier, and then followed Tater to the door. "They've got lots more food up at the nurse's station, Tater. Me and