Always in My Heart {BoyXBoy}

Chapter 12 - Recovery.

             Back to school today again.. It's been 3 weeks since that incident.. Nothing.. He insists he is fine but I know he isn't. He's killing me on the inside, the demanding presence when we are alone has died. I feel terrible. Why?! He's only just spent the last few days sleeping back in the bed with me, still hiding his bruises and looking down whenever things feel a bit shaky. I miss the false bravado, his sense of protection towards what's his.. Yeah, I guess I do kinda like his jealous streak.

"Morning.. You all right?" Joe's voice was tired, his tone weary but the concern was there as he rubbed Ty's cheek, trying to subtly wake him. "Yeah." Ty's response was emotionless, he was just going through the motions. "Do you still love me?". "What do you mean, Of course I still fucking love you.. I.. Just. Oh. Never mind.". Ty's eyes quickly glazed with water, he was angry at Joe, not in a bad way, more depressed that he had felt the need to ask him such a question. "What's wrong? It's not never mind. I need to know. Tell me. Please." The all to eerie silence once again loomed throughout the room, proceeding to get dressed Tyler remained in complete silence. Joe had spent most of the morning contemplating a strategy to get Ty to talk. It was going to be hard, the boy was a rock when it came to sharing his emotions. 

School, was long and boring, Ty had tried to cover his clear lack of motivation by 'blending' in, laughing with the crowd and making his usual cynical and sarcastic jokes but Joe knew, he could see it written all over Ty's face. Something was eating him. His soft features ruined by the black and blue patches all over his skin, his lip which had admittedly gone down in swelling was having a particularly hard time healing, it was still black in a scar like line surround the wound, bruised from the impact of the fall. The skin on the lip around the cut was wrinkled but tight at the same time. I still want him.. I could kiss him right now but he'd cry again, like last time and I couldn't do that to him again. Not in front of the school. We have five minutes till the end of the day. Maybe that could get him to open up to me.. Make him know I still love him. Make him know nothing matters to me but him. "Stop, I'm fine and I know what your thinking." Ty's remark was out of the blue, he couldn't possibly know what Joe was planning, Joe didn't even know himself. The siren signalling the end of the day loomed nigh, screeching in the ears of all around to hear it, rejoice filled the halls. Summer was close and the students had all but given up on learning. 

              "So when you going to tell me what's wrong?". Joe had planned everything. As long as the answer are what he is expecting his plan was now in motion. "Nothing's wrong.".  "Right well clearly. I'll just keep asking until you tell me.". Ty was angry, usually he had no problem blurting out obscenities when it was just Joe around. Then, as their house came into sight Joe grabbed Tyler, moving as fast as he could, pushed him onto the grass by the side of the road and kissed him.  "Listen dumbass. I. Love. You. No matter what." Joe smiled, pulling his lips closer, nibbling on Ty's top lip, the one that was unharmed. "Don't talk, not yet. Just be with me." Ty had started crying again, but this time he wasn't looking down. He was smiling and holding Joe so tight he could barely breathe. School bags flung on the ground, the grass standing still in the warm summer afternoon, it was bliss as the boys laid by the quiet road just holding each other and kissing.

"Oi boys, what are you doing on the grass?" Charlie had made it home, the boys still on the grass watching the clouds were ignorant of his calls, rather sitting with each other in a happy silence. 

"I know you love me." Ty's words were still interrupted by a few tears, new ones still forming, though fewer by the minute. "being beaten up for standing up for you made me feel.. Scared.. I guess.. You're so confident for the both of us when it comes to talking and doing anything, I felt like it was my job to protect us, I mean look at me.. I'm built for it.. But being smacked and left unconscious in the park.. Because I love you.. It's alot to deal with.. I'm just not sure." Joe said nothing instead he grabbed Ty's hand, the same way Ty had done for Joe all those years back when his parents where in hospital, there was no sense of romance to it, more a primal spark of comfort, knowing that no matter how far he fell he would always have Joe there to pull him back, make him feel like someone was there. "You always know what to do. I love you too."