When I wake up, my arm hurts worse. It's so bad that I call Martac while I grip the bandage with my free hand to apply pressure. It seems to make it feel better but it lets me know that it's also very hot to the touch.
"It's way too early for ya to be awake, lass" Martac grumbles when he answers after the third time I try to call.
"Is Chris still with you?"
"Yeah. Why? Everything alright?" The tiredness is out of his voice in an instant and it sounds like he sits up.
"It's just my arm. I think it feels worse than it should."
"He's still here. Are you already on yer way?"
"Just woke up. I'm going to get dressed and bop over if you're okay with it."
"Ya must be sick, lass. Ya never ask to come over, ya just show up." There's a note of worry in his tone and I take that as my invitation to rush over. He is right. It isn't like me to call before breaking into his apartment.
"See you soon" I hang up before he can say anything else. It's pretty early in the morning, which makes sense after going to bed before the clock even turned to double digits last night.
In record time, I'm in front of Martac's door and I knock before opening it.
"What seems to be the issue?" Chris asks, meeting me in the entry way, shirtless with his pajama pants slung low on his hips. He runs a hand through his bed head which only makes his hair messier and frustratingly good looking. "Mar said something about your arm being worse?"
"Yeah it's really hot today and I'm a little concerned."
"Come sit, I'll see what I can do." He sleepily walks to the couch and I sit down next to him, wounded arm on the side he's sitting. He unwraps it and prods the edges. "Definitely infected at least."
"Can you help me?" I ask, my heart pounding at the possibility that he can't.
"Yeah of course." He covers the wound with his hand and the warmth picks up to a burning feeling as my flesh stitches itself back together. Eventually, the pain yields and Chris lets go. The only evidence that I was hurt is a thin scar where the gash was.
"Thanks" I say feeling along the scar and feeling ten times better.
"There was definitely poison or some toxic chemical on the blade that cut you." Chris replies, holding his head.
"Oh shit. Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll just have a wicked headache today. Whatever it was would have killed you eventually. It's a good thing you came when you did. It would have gotten much worse very quickly.
"Was Martac's blade tainted too?"
"No. His was a standard weapon."
"Odd"
"Yeah. You could say that." He drops his hand and looks at me very intensely "can you give him a week off? We're in a really good place right now and I have the time to take from work. I'd really like to spend the time with him."
"Yeah. Of course. This week has already been cleared"
"Good" he sighs and leans against the couch. Now that I'm not so focused on my arm, I hear the shower running in the apartment and I finally have a chance to pry into a topic that Martac won't discuss with me.
"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"
"Sure."
"Why do the two of you keep breaking up when you so clearly care for each other?" I ask. Martac never answers me when we broach the subject and it's the only time he ever really yells at me.
"Really? You're asking me that?" He raises an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah. Am I missing something?"
"It's hard to be with someone who doesn't put you first."
"You lost me." I pull my eyebrows together, confused. Anytime Martac talks about Chris he talks about him like he hung the stars and moon himself.
"He puts you above me." I couldn't have felt more shocked if he had slapped me. "He has cancelled dates, rescheduled vacation time, blown me off in the middle of a date, and once we were even in the middle of sex when he pulled out to go see you. Because you texted him. And he checked his phone since it was your ringtone."
"That doesn't sound right. Just yesterday, he was basically growling at me because I was obviously intruding on your time together!" I protest.
"But did he kick you out or even ask you to leave?"
"He...." I have to think. He said to go play with my 'hero toy' but that was the only thing he said before actually tucking me into the recliner to make me comfortable. And when I left, they immediately went back to their... activities.
"Exactly" Chris continues after it's clear that I have no leg to stand on. "You call, he comes running. He told me it was because of your brother, but I don't know what reason would make that kind of loyalty extend to you."
"If there is one, then I don't know."
"That sounds like a lie to me. How would you not know why he's always there for you even if I need him?" I've never seen Chris so aggressive.
"So why do you keep coming back if it's that hard for you?" I push back, knowing I'm in the wrong here.
"Because he's my number one." The shower shuts off and a moment later Martac is in the living room with wet hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Ya all good, lass?"
"Yeah. Fine." I say, not taking my eyes off Chris who looks tortured. "I actually canceled the next two weeks worth of jobs. You two should take a vacation. Get away for a little while." Chris' face relaxes and he looks at me hopeful that I actually mean it. I switch my gaze to Martac "on my dime too."
"Now I really think you're sick." He eyes me suspiciously as he presses a hand to my forehead. I wave him off.
"Really. Go. You're over due a vacation by... like three years anyway." He already has a 'company' credit card that he uses when he needs to buy things for jobs. He can just put all the expenses on there. "Don't call either. I'll be fine without you for a couple weeks."
"Uh huh, sure ya will" he chuckles but looks more excited and relieved to have time off.
"I'll leave the two of you to plan. See you later." I stand and leave without giving Martac time to think about why I suddenly suggested he take time off. I'm sure Chris will tell him a version of our conversation that leans more toward him just needing time off and them spending alone time together without the possibility of me popping in.
I rush back home to try to reschedule the appointments we have for next week. I can get out of only a couple of them but there's still three I'll have to do on my own since it's time sensitive and we've already been paid a large sum in advance.
I've never done a job by myself, but it should be ok. Famous last words.
Brushing off my potential impending doom, I get ready for lunch with Ella. I put a little more effort into my appearance and even swipe on some make up to give myself the facade that I'm a well rested and an emotionally stable human. Quite a lot to ask of make up but here we are.
I should have blown her off or called to reschedule, because the moment I see her sitting and waiting for me, all smiles, I immediately regret every interaction I've had with her since the moment I texted her to go collect Tenya front the alley.
"You would not believe how last night went!" Ella greets and ushers me into a seat that already has my favorite drink waiting for me. "I already ordered your usual"
"So it went well last night?" I ask, taking a sip and trying to act more casual, rather than like I've been sucker punched in the gut.
"He is the perfect gentleman" she gushes "met me outside the restaurant, did the thing where he pushes in my chair for me, was genuinely interested in my job and interests, paid for dinner and even walked me home!"
"That is above the bare minimum" I reply when she pauses to clearly get my reaction.
"I just wish he would have taken me up on my offer to have a nightcap in my place." I perk up at this "all I got was a peck on the cheek and then he left. He had an early shift this morning, so I get it."
"Oh really?" The knot in my stomach untwists a little bit "that's disappointing."
"You don't sound very disappointed" she raises an eyebrow at me.
"It's just refreshing to hear about a guy who doesn't expect 'payment' for paying for dinner" I cover quickly
"You're right. He's already shaping up to be much better than any of my other ex's. I just hope he's not such a gentleman in bed" she sighs and I literally bite my tongue to keep myself from blurting out that I know he gets his partner to finish first. I guess that would technically include him in the 'gentleman' category.
"You didn't come up, by the way. Only this villain named Kagi did once when he was talking about his most recent patrol." I guess there was no reason for me to worry about my name slipping out. Even if Ella did talk about me, I don't know if she would drop enough information for Tenya to put it all together. "I just wish we had done more than dinner."
"Isn't it better to have a shorter enjoyable evening than a longer one where it could possibly be ruined in the last minute?"
"The only thing that would ruin it would be bad sex and based on how stiff he is, I think we would have adequate missionary."
I don't like the way she's talking about him, but I also know better. The kind of sex we had wasn't exactly kinky, but it was the kind I like and I hate to admit it, but I'm sure he would do a lot to make sure his partner enjoyed their time together.
"Sex isn't the only thing to make a relationship, you know." I squeeze my cup a little too hard, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.
"Says misses never commit."
"I'm just saying, of the two of us, you're not the one to have casual sex. Your last boyfriend, you didn't put out for until you had been dating for at least a year" I point out, non judgmentally. People have their preferences and if waiting to dance between the sheets is one of them, more power to them.
"Yeah, but I'm going for a different approach." When I raise my eyebrow at her, she continues "I'm going to jump his bones to get a foundation going, then we can build up from there."
"Does he know that?"
"Nope" she pops the p on the word "he's a guy. He won't mind."
The way she talks about it rubs me the wrong way and I'm increasingly uncomfortable listening to her.
"Maybe you should talk to him about your plan first?" I feel like a hypocrite since he was in my bed two nights ago, but we had our 'date' in my apartment within view of my bed. They had their date in a restaurant. Those two locations set a completely different expectation.
"It'll all work out. Besides, nothing happened this time. I'll just have to drop better hints tonight"
"You guys are already going out again?" I ask, trying to like I don't care. I shouldn't care but I do.
"Yeah, he's taking me to that take out place you really like. We walked by it last night and he said he thought the food was good and there's apparently a little park nearby for us to eat at."
I shouldn't feel betrayed by that, but for some reason, I do.
I take a deep breath and do the only thing I can in this situation. I lie. "I hope you two have a great time."