Fallen

Chapter 31. Behind locked doors [Caleb]

The rest of the night feels like one big blur.

We hurry home. Stumbling through the park, soaked to the bone and the rain still beating down on us heavily. Every time I blink, I'm in another place. That's what it feels like. First, the curve where the park turns into a road, then the familiar road up the hill, then through the forest to my home.

Whenever I look over at M's face, there's a frown, and he hasn't said anything else since we started walking. It makes me think, makes me worry. Maybe he's hiding something. He could be hurting worse than what I can see.

I shake the picture of the beasts' sharp teeth out of my head. I'm lucky to be alive, even more so getting away without a scratch. Probably just some sore spots tomorrow. M, on the other hand, well, lucky to be alive, he didn't get away unscratched. I want to stop him, to get a good look at his injuries.

But right now, in the grand scheme of things, getting home is more important. That's what we should focus on, what I should focus on. Even with how much I dislike the red leaking down his arm. The dark purple bruise on his face. The way his wings hang low, dragging themselves behind him, poorly.

I bite my lip, refusing to utter another word until we're safe inside the comforting surroundings of my home. Locked behind closed doors, where the beasts can't hear us, reach us, or will at least have a hard time getting in. But then again, a thin wooden door won't stand a chance against vicious beasts ready to bite our heads off. Maybe it's false comfort, but it's comfort nonetheless.

When we reach my house, I fumble with the keys. Unlocking the door, we both rush inside. I make sure the door is locked after us, just to make sure, a precaution.

We take off our shoes. Then M follows me, without uttering a word down the hall and past the living room and into the bathroom. The pale light, revealing a bumped and bruised M. I get a sense of deja vu, opening the cabinet to take out the medkit. It's not the first time I've seen him like this. Not the first time I'm treating his wounds.

He's cradling his arm. There's a long claw mark going down his forearm. It doesn't look too deep, I'm no expert, but I think I can skip out on stitches. This is good because I have no idea how to stitch a wound shut. And would prefer to never learn. At least not on M. But then again, there's one thing I've learned with him around, he's a magnet for trouble.

He sits down on the toilet. The seat down.

I throw out all the items in the sink. It's ironic to think that we've owned this medkit since we moved into this house, and I've only ever used it twice. Both because of M.

"This is going to sting," I tell him, grabbing the small bottle of rubbing alcohol. "But you probably already know that, and it's not like you're not already familiar with the pain, or in-"

"Caleb," M peaks up, "Just do it." He says it calmly, words soft, a little tired.

I give him a sorry look. I'm dragging it out. I just really hate this.

When the transparent liquid reaches his wound, he hisses. It does its job, seeping into the cuts. Cleaning them out. I can't afford for him to get an infection, not now, not ever.

When the bleeding dwindles down, I wrap his forearm in a white bandage. Fastening it close with a safety pin. I move on to a few other cuts, smaller, and cover them with plasters. Some don't even need that.

"What's going through that big head of yours?" I ask. I pat his arm with a small approving smile. Happy to see him all patched up.

I can see how he swallows thickly, giving me a small smile in reply.

"I don't know," He replies. The exterior of his seems to crack a little, showing someone just as startled. Shocked by what has happened tonight. Although he's better at hiding it than I am.

"Let's go up to my room," I say. "The door can lock, so we'll be safer there than any other place in the house."

He nods and lets me take his hand, leading him up to my room. A wet trail follows us both up the stairs.

I turn on the light. My room, as messy as ever. To avoid mud in my bed, I begin to slip out of my clothes.

Firstly, the cape falls to the floor. Then goes the fake teeth. I spend a little longer fumbling with the buttons of my shirt. Noticing how my hands are shaking. M sees it too but doesn't point it out.

Instead, he copies what I'm doing. Slipping out of his pants, leaving him in some of my brightly white underwear. Underwear that hug him tightly. A bit too snug in some places, not that I'm complaining or anything.

I drop my pants too. They fall to the floor with a wet smack. It might be the first time M is seeing me like this. At least with the way his eyes grace over me. It makes me a little conscious. Enough for me to hurry over to my bed to hide under the covers.

It's almost heaven. The way my body finally relaxes after a long, long night. It makes me extra appreciative of beds and of fluffy pillows.

M carefully lies down next to me. Wings, creating a small wet patch on my mattress. He then steals some of my blanket to drape over himself.

We both lie on our backs. Facing the ceiling.

The silence in the room is overruled by the rain hammering down on my window. Hitting with such power that it rattles the glass.

M is the first one to speak. "Those creatures," He licks his lips. "They were after me. They wanted me dead."

I grab his hand under the covers, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Not only as reassurance, but also to comfort him, and me too.

"I tried to push you away, to catch those beasts' attention. It didn't work and seeing that monster try to hurt you. It made me see red," M spits out, face scrunched into an angry frown. "I couldn't take my eyes off of you, the way it was so close to biting your head off. It made me explode."

"I'm fine. You made sure of that, with whatever you did." I reply to lessen his worry. "You made that bright light, and the beasts didn't like that."

There's a stop.

He's taking a breath.

"I don't know how I did it," He says. "All that went through my head was to protect you."

I let go of his hand to sit up, elbow on my pillow, I rest my head on my palm, and look down at M. He's avoiding my eyes, still looking up at the ceiling.

"And now you're hurt because of me," I reply.

"Worth it," He states. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I have to, other things as well."

I slap his chest. Smiling softly. It's enough to take my mind off of the worry for a short moment.

"Okay, Mr. Cheesy, can you tone it down a bit," I say. "You're making me blush."

"Why should I?" He asks, hand reaching up to stroke the side of my bottom lip. "I like it."

I bow down, closer to his face.

Our lips meet. It's quick, over too soon.

"We should get some sleep," He then says. "We have a long day ahead of us."

He couldn't be more right. He did an excellent job of making me forget the world for a second. But not enough to rid my incoming nightmare of snarly growls and sharp teeth.