Page 16 of Where the River Meets the Skye

“Just hang on.” Skye tossed the other crutch aside, next to the first one, and then bending over, he scooped River into his arms. His roommate let out an astonished gasp, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Skye smiled. “Hey, there, gorgeous.” He gave a playful wink as he carried River to the bed.

“Skye, what are you doing?” River’s voice had risen considerably, that gorgeous flush returning to his handsome face.

“I’m putting you down on the bed, so you can keep the weight off your ankle and not hurt your ribs while I get your pants off.” Skye gently lowered River onto the soft mattress and then started to undress him once again.

“Can you lift your hips at all?” he asked, gripping the waistband of River’s athletic pants, making sure he had just his athletic pants and not his boxers as well. That would be all kinds of awkward.

“Not without it hurting a lot,” River said. He gazed up at Skye with those beautiful sapphire eyes, and Skye’s mouth went dry. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

“Okay, that’s fine,” he said. “I might just have to get more up close and personal then.”

“Whatever,” River sighed. “I don’t think this could get any more awkward, Skye.”

Skye started to pull River’s pants down once again and felt a shiver run down his spine when his fingers brushed against River’s hips.

He’s my friend.

And even along his butt cheek a little.

He's my friend.

And then along his thighs.

My very hot, very sweet, very injured, very straight, friend. God, what is wrong with me? Pull it together. Ice wall. Ice wall. Ice wall.

Until the pants were finally off far enough that he didn’t have to worry about his hands coming in contact with River at all. “Skye?” he heard River say, snapping him out of his daze, and he only then realized that he was biting his lip and staring at his best friend.

“Hmm?”

“Pants?” River said. “I don’t really want to lay here in my underwear, if you don’t mind.”

“Right.” Skye flushed and then mentally slapped himself for being such an idiot, and getting so lost in thinking about River that he’d forgotten about him at the same time. He grabbed the pair of pajama pants he’d gotten out and tossed on the bed earlier. “We can do this one of two ways. You can stay laying down, but you’ll have to lift your hips at least some, or you can sit for the first bit, and then stand for the second.”

“Let’s sit and then stand,” River said. “I have to get up at some point anyway. You’re gonna have to pick me up again, though. I can’t sit up on my own.”

Skye nodded, and felt the heat creeping up the back of his neck and shoulders. Now he was going to be holding River in his underwear. Perfect. But he bent down and scooped his roommate into his arms once again, and carried him just a few paces over to the foot of the bed before setting him down. His cheeks heated as he knelt in front of River and pulled his pajama pants on one foot, and then the other, and then slid them up his slender legs, and over his knees, just like they had done in the hospital earlier that day. Then he grabbed River’s crutches for him so he would have support, and helped him get his pants the rest of the way up.

He was pretty sure there was an audible sigh on both their parts when the whole ordeal was finally over.

“Thank you,” River said, crutches under his arms and his ankle raised again as he hobbled towards the door.

“You’re welcome. Let’s get you settled on the sofa.”

River returned to his spot on the couch. Skye couldn’t give him more meds yet but he set some by him on the side table. “You can have these in four hours. I’ll leave my phone turned up so you can text if you need me.”

He placed River’s pillow behind his head. River rested back and Skye draped the blankets over him as the other man closed his eyes and sighed.

Skye bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to River’s bandaged forehead. “Get some sleep, angel,” he said softly. “Love you.”

River didn’t open his eyes but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Love you, too, Skye,” he murmured. “Good night.”

CHAPTER 6

Skye

They stayed in their pajamas for the entirety of the next day. Skye worked on lesson plans for the substitute teacher while River went back and forth between watching tv, doing his breathing exercises, and sleeping. Skye switched out River’s ice packs for him, helped him get to the bathroom, and brought him his meals and his pain meds. River, thankfully, was getting better about letting Skye help him, about communicating his needs. Even though Skye knew it was hard for his roommate to accept the help, he really didn't mind at all. In fact, he was realizing that taking care of River made him happy.

When River’s eyes started to drift closed, Skye got up and draped a blanket over him. Sliding his glasses off, he placed them on the coffee table. Then he reached up and ran his fingers through River’s thick, dark hair.

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