Page 68 of His Favorite Color is Blood
“But he doesn’t!” insisted Grim, pulling away from Misha.
“That’s not the point!”
Grim looked away from him. He couldn’t explain why, but the thought of hurting someone who couldn’t freely move around had always been something he found despicable, and having Misha unload on him like this was even more depressing, especially after the failure of the previous day. “No? I think it is.”
“It isn’t! If he had prosthetic legs or whatever, it wouldn’t make him a good person. Christ!”
A backdoor opened not far away from there, and Priest peeked out at them. “Is everything all right?”
And there it was, Misha instantly moved closer to Grim, and Grim’s hand trailed over his nape. It was such an immense relief to touch him again.
“Yes. Everything’s fine. I don’t have much experience with lovers’ quarrels.”
Priest chuckled and shook his head. “And you, little guy?”
Grim couldn’t help a smirk, but Misha wasn’t impressed. “I’m notlittle.I’m short because I have no fucking legs!”
Priest raised his hands. “Okay, okay,” he said and disappeared behind the door again.
Grim shook his head. “He’s letting us stay here. He offers us protection. Show some respect.”
Misha took a deep breath and couldn’t look into Grim’s eyes. “Can you help me up the stairs, please?” he muttered in the end.
Grim scooted down in front of Misha and stroked his knee. “Sure. Embrace me.”
Misha’s face was painted with guilt, and he shifted forward in the wheelchair to wrap his arms around Grim’s neck. “I’m not that used to being allowed to speak my mind, so I don’t know when to stop sometimes,” he whispered.
Grim’s mouth widened in a smile, and he slid his arms around Misha, hugging him with relief flooding his muscles. “You’ll learn,” he said and pulled Misha up, grabbing him by the ass.
“I’m so stressed out. Every minute Dennis spends with Zero is a minute where he could be hurting, and it’s all my fault. And if we don’t get that video done, he’ll probably kill him, and he won’t stop hunting me.” Misha hugged Grim back, and only now that Grim held him, he realized Misha was trembling all over.
He looked at the empty lounge helplessly and leaned his head against Misha’s. “There were people who hurt Coy because he was defenseless. I don’t want to be that. I’m not a good man, but I don’t want to be that,” he whispered.
Misha kissed Grim’s ear. “Help me take him, and I’ll … d-do what needs to be done.”
Grim took a deep breath and tightened his arms around Misha, pushing him against the wall, not to let go. Grim’s heart galloped without warning, leaving him confused and with a scorch inside his skull. “All right.”
“We’ll try again tomorrow, okay?” Misha squeezed his thighs around Grim and stroked his nape. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Grim leaned back to look at him, unsure what he could say. He felt so naked and out of his depth for once. “I hated that. It’s not like you.”
“I know. I’m still trying to find out who I am now, and it will take a while. Am I a quiet nerd who enjoys gaming and sudoku, am I the sexy amputee porn star who takes it up the ass every Tuesday, or am I a Russian immigrant who likes birdwatching from a blanket? I don’t know which parts are real sometimes.”
Slowly, Grim started moving up the stairs, his eyes focused on Misha and his heart in his throat. “They are all true. Well, you’re not a porn star anymore, but you are very sexy, and you can take me every Tuesday. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”
“I guess. I just need to piece myself back together.” Misha leaned away to open the door. “Thank you for not dumping me yet. I’m struggling with containing my emotions sometimes.”
Grim walked in and shut the door with his foot, slowly carrying Misha to the bed. “I’m not gonna dump you. You’re irreplaceable.”
“It’s just that you’re doing so much for me, and I don’t have a lot I can give in return.”
“That’s not true. You’re letting me save you,” whispered Grim, gently lying Misha down and leaning over him, trapped between the need to fetch the wheelchair and the sweetness of Misha’s warm body.
Misha gave Grim a shy smile and stroked his arm. “Thank you. It seems that I say that a lot, but I’m guessing you don’t mind.”
Grim smiled and gave Misha a peck on the nose. “No. I like it.”
“And you don’t mind carrying me around. I bet that would get old fast for most guys.” Misha took a deep breath, and Grim was happy to see him so much calmer.
