Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

hungry by then."
    Peter gave him a long slow look that slid from the top his head to his waist where the bed blocked the glowing blue perusal of Peter's eyes. Hinata's stomach did a long slow roll, and heat crept up his neck. He bit his bottom lip, and then stepped forward to take a croissant from the bag and his latte from the drink tray. He smiled, lowered his eyes and glanced back up at Peter through his lashes. The other man was still gazing at him with that flame hot blue gaze. Hinata's breath shivered in his chest. "I… I'll see you later then."
    He turned and fled out into the hall, catching Andre's attention as he hustled toward the nurse's station. "Andre, we must go. I have class in half an hour." Andre frowned at him, but picked up his things from the counter and followed him to the elevators at the far end of the hallway. They spent a tense span of time that felt long, but which Hinata measured on his watch as being only two minutes waiting for the elevator to come. A weighty presence lingered on the back of his head and neck, and Hinata knew Rufus and Tater were watching him. He kept his head down, and bounced very lightly on his toes.
    The second time he lifted his heels from the floor, Andre placed his coffee in the same hand as his bag of pastries, and placed his free hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Hinata, are you alright?"
    Hinata shook his head. He didn't know if he'd ever be alright again. It was the most awful, wonderful thing in the world and he couldn't wait until ten to see Peter again. He was sure to die before then. He tilted his head to the side, and squinted sideways up at Andre with a grin playing at the edges of his mouth. "No."
    Andre stared at him without a word. The elevator came, and as the doors slid open with a chiming noise, the big man grunted and ushered his young charge in. Hinata turned then, and finally met Rufus and Tater's eyes. He blushed at Tater's knowing look, and then blushed harder at Rufus's gently mocking one. Mercifully the doors of the elevator slid shut before either man said anything.
    CHAPTER 11
    By the time Peter finally signed the last form and was released from the hospital lunchtime had come and gone, taking the last vestige of his patience with it. He tried to keep his miserable mood in check, but could tell by the way Rufus closed his eyes and sighed as he settled into the passenger seat of the big silver SUV they all now shared that he hadn't succeeded. The tic in the side of Tater's cheek clued him just how badly he'd failed. The last time Peter saw Tater's jaw clenched that tight someone had ended up in the hospital, and if Tater had been any older— he'd been twelve at the time— the sheriff had sworn Tater would have done at least five years for assault. Only the other boy's stupidity in admitting he'd swung the first blow, along with the other boy being sixteen had saved Tater from spending a lengthy amount of time in the juvenile version of the county jail.
    Peter cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, guys. I know I've been—"
    Tater took one hand off the steering wheel to pound against the dashboard. "No one needs to be told. You've been a right bastard since Hinata left this morning. You owe every nurse on that floor an apology for the way you acted the last two hours we were there. You made me ashamed to call myself a Jenkins. When we get back to the house you're gonna shut your damn mouth, let me and Rufus carry you up to bed, take your pain pills and sleep for the next four or five hours. And when you get up you better have pulled your head out of your ass, or by God I'll get another job just so's I can afford to hire the meanest, ugliest, orneriest nurse on the whole damned planet to take care of you, 'cause Rufus and I won't put up with this shit."
    Peter opened his mouth to apologize again. Tater shot him a brutal look in the rear view mirror. "And if you're not downright nice to Hinata tonight I won't wait 'til you're better to kick your ass, I'll do it as soon as I'm finished carrying him out to the car and passing him off to his Andre.
    Peter sputtered. "Hey, I didn't say anything mean to Hinata. He got all flustered over something he said. I got him back in a better mood after."
    Tater glared at him a bit more before turning his attention solely back to the task of driving. Peter fumed silently. Shit, he couldn't do this right now. He closed his eyes and clamped his jaw shut. He'd talk to Tater and Rufus after he got up from his nap. Anything