Page 20 of Imperfect Skin

“She’s with Mum for the rest of the weekend so you don’t have to worry about that, and when she gets home, I’ll be telling her to go easy on the piggybacks because you hurt your back, okay?” I turned to switch the kettle on, then moved back over towards the breakfast bar. Doc had his bag open, and he’d fished out a couple of my stainless steel bowls.

“A touch of honey in mine,” Doc said, not looking away from Mouse’s face as he began checking the bruises and cuts.

“Do you want a brew, Mouse?”

Mouse shook his head slightly—well, as much as he could with Cullen holding his chin firmly.

I went back to the counter and opened the overhead cupboard and pulled out a tin. I wiggled it, getting Mouse’s attention. A slight uptick of his lips told me I had struck gold.

The hot chocolate was a special blend that Mum had brought back from Amsterdam on her last trip. Personally, I couldn’t stand it—way too rich for my tastes—but Mouse and Alice swore it was the best thing ever.

I poured the tea and set the milk to heating, keeping one eye on Doc as he worked on Mouse. I trusted the grumpy bastard with my life, but seeing Mouse in the state he was when I’d busted in that door, I could honestly say my protective instincts had kicked into high gear.

“Callum, stop glaring at me and pour the milk. Then come give me a hand.” Doc’s voice was all business and gruff. I knew better than to take offence at his tone. He was in doctor mode, and that made him even more snarky and brusque than normal—if that were possible.

Mouse even gave a small smirk at Doc’s tone. I made the brews and Mouse’s hot chocolate and brought them to the counter, out of the way of Doc’s supplies.

“I’m going to rinse these welts out and then put some of this salve I have on the smaller welts. The one up on your shoulder, I’m afraid, will need stitches.” Doc held up a glass jar filled with yellow paste. The label had dancing bees in leather and harnesses on it.

“Is that what I think it is?” I took the jar while Doc grabbed a bag of saline.

“It sure is. I made sure to grab a few jars when they brought it to the club last visit.” Doc answered absently as he snipped open the bottle of saline and started to rinse Mouse’s wounds.

Mouse let out a pained whimper and moved away from Doc’s ministrations.

“Hold still, little Mouse. Let Doc clean your back up.” I brought the jar close to Mouse. “See this?”

Mouse lifted his head to look at the jar I was holding.

“A couple of clever subs from the Crimson got together and made this stuff. It has honey and all these other things that Doc would know more about, but it’s amazing.”

Mouse reached out a slender hand and took the jar. A faint smile touched his face when he read the label.

Bee’s Knees Booty Balm.

Doc reached out a gloved hand and Mouse passed the jar back. “I can attest to it working.”

“Did Master William paddle your arse again?” Doc set the jar down again and pulled out sterile packs that held suture kits.

“I may have expressed some opinions, and William may have thought I was being a brat,” Doc said airily as he started to inject anaesthetic into the edges of the worst wound. Mouse flinched slightly but then settled back, resting his head on his arms, stretched out so Doc could work. Seeing his tolerance for pain firsthand, the boy had balls of steel. Even with the anaesthetic, it had to be damn uncomfortable as Doc worked.

The back and forth between Doc and myself seemed to have had the desired effect on Mouse. He held still, listening, and seemed to focus more on our voices than on what Doc was doing. I could see each time his skin flinched in reaction to Doc’s touch. Reaching out, I stroked his hair.

He turned his head from where it was resting in the cradle of his crossed arms and looked at me.

“‘I may have expressed some opinions’ is Doc speak for ‘I was an absolute brat and I finally pushed Master William’s buttons too far,’” I said, rolling my eyes.

Mouse gave a small smile in return.

“I object to the insinuation,” Doc muttered, but grinned at me when our eyes met. He motioned with his gloved hand to the bite mark on Mouse’s shoulder, and then to Mouse’s hair, which had lost its battle with the bun it had been in and now fell around his shoulders. I got the hint.

As I gathered Mouse’s hair up so it no longer fell over his shoulders, I continued with the banter.

“You know it’s not an insinuation when it’s true, right?” I reached into the basket that sat on the counter and pulled out one of Alice’s ladybug banana hair clip things and slipped it into Mouse’s hair, pulling it out of Doc’s way so he could work.

“Are you a brat?” Mouse’s voice was so soft we nearly missed it. There seemed to be something behind the question, though I couldn’t work it out. It was more than just asking the obvious.

“Yes, I can be. It’s a relief to let go of Doctor Cullen and be a naughty boy from time to time. Especially when I know I have good Doms around me.” Doc paused to place a gentle hand on Mouse’s shoulder. “You should never be ashamed of what you need.”

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