scars

Otis was actually awake and coherent after the massage. Despite his ongoing cold, something began to change in those deep red pools. Something…darker was emerging. Otis seemed to be gaining some of his strength back after losing so much from blood loss. He struggled but eventually was able to sit up on his own. Despite his head swooning he looked at me with such a look of independence and rebellion I wanted to beat it out of him. “Feeling better?” I asked him trying to hide the bitterness in my voice.

“Yeah, I am. I can take care of-" A coughing fit cut him short and collapsed him back into my arms. He fought hard in my arms to catch his breath. I soothed Otis lovingly, calming him. Why does it piss me off so bad that he’s getting better? You’re such a dickhead, R.J. I felt a strange sensation as I held him close. Otis had sunk his fingers into my chest muscle. I could begin to feel the pain of it. Those strong artist’s fingers sinking with all the strength of talons into my chest. Was he fighting back? He wouldn’t even think about it. No, he was just panicking over not being able to breathe. His body was trembling in my arms when I noticed something that sent me into a mixture of confusion, rage, and hurt-he had flattened his hand on my chest and was pushing me away! “I can take care of myself.” His words were broken by panting.

“No you can’t, you’re still sick.” I said flatly as I tried to pull him back in.

“I don’t need anyone!” His words were hot and venomous. His eyes burned me as they stared me down.

That was fucking enough. I pounced on him eliciting a voiceless shriek from him. I outweighed Otis by a good 60 pounds plus he was still pretty sick and weak. “You need me, and…” I pulled him by his hair to face me. “don’t you forget it.” Otis looked away and lowered his head submissively. Otis…submissive?!?! I was still in shock when he turned to face me, his eyes glowing with rage. I hit something cold and hard. I soon began to realize that little son of a bitch had dumped me off of the bed and onto the wood floor. “Okay, you want to be all alone?! You got it!” I stormed to the door and entered into the hallway. Grandpa looked at me as if he had just seen a ghost. He had been bringing a bowl of popcorn to his bedroom and munching contentedly on it when I had startled him, freeze framing a moment of his journey. “What are you looking at?!” I snarled at him.

His expression darkened. “I dunno, but scientists are working hard these days to find the missing link! Maybe you could give ‘em a hand, R.J.” He snapped back. Grandpa stalked to his room while I stood there. I listened in the stillness to Otis struggle to breathe. I felt horrible. Guilty, I was feeling guilty. I had never felt bad about much of anything before. Otis whimpered softly. Goddamn it, I wanted to pull him into my arms and hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Then I realized Otis was whimpering my name. I felt my heart break. I rushed to the door my hand set to open it. “No, I have gotta do this myself.” He was talking to himself. I froze listening to the broken raspy voice. Fuck, Otis, you’re breaking my heart. I could hear him settling in when a hand reached out and grabbed me.

I slapped my hand over my mouth to silence my scream. Damn it, Baby had watched this whole thing. “You really love him, don’t you?” She whispered with a huge smile on her face. She had the whole “little sister with a secret” look down.

“No, I jus’ want to make sure he’s okay.” I tried my best to look stern. I heard Otis coughing; the drugs must have worn off. She caught me eyes looking apprehensively at his door.

“Is he playin’ hard to get?” She asked coyly, twirling one of her blonde locks. “Trust me, big brother, he likes you. He must like you.”

“Baby, our thing the other night was just a…a…” I was lost for words as her smile widened.

She giggled softly. “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of him. He always gets pissy when he’s getting’ better. I know how ta handle ‘im.”

“Okay.” I sighed in relief. No Baby, I want to be with him. “He’s not well enough to take care of himself.”

“You gotta let ‘im do what he can. He’s never had no one to take care of him. Now you want him being dependent and all and let you coddle ‘im? It ain’t gonna happen.” She patted my chest. “Don’t worry; you two must definitely have something goin’ on with each other.” She giggled.

“And why is that?” Damn it, I fell for her trap.

“Because he ain’t killed you yet.” He words struck me.

“What do you mean?” I towered over her. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“See he does like you. In fact, I think he might be fallin’ for you.” She wriggled her butt in excitement of the revelation. Otis…loved me? She swayed back and forth like a schoolgirl. “If he hurt ya, he was jus’ feelin’ feisty. He didn’t mean it.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Baby? I’m serious.” I hated this game with her.

She sighed heavily. “Because he ain’t killed you yet.” She repeated. I growled at her. She rolled her eyes at me as she strode to her room. I began to turn around when her voice caught me, “You realize that his knife was under his pillow, he wanted it there ‘cause it made him feel safe.” The thought his me like a ton of bricks. Otis could have killed me at any moment. “When you two were fuckin’, I’m sure it crossed his mind. But he cared enough about you not to kill ‘ya. That’s sayin’ somethin’. You’re the first one, R.J. I think it’s cute. You two make a cute couple.” Now she was pissing me off. Otis could have killed me. It was true usually anyone he fucked he killed. It was the thrill of killing that got him every time. He was coughing again. I bit my lip considering going back into his room when Baby emerged. “Go do somethin’ for awhile. I’ll take care of him; I know he needs to take his meds. Seriously, go.” Baby wandered into his room. I watched through a crack in the door as she flopped on his bed and hugged him until he was scrambling to get away from her. Baby had fed him his medication and was holding his hand telling him the events that had led up to his injury. He lay there patiently while she laughed and petted him. He would lay there and let her coddle him but not me?! What the hell?! “You like R.J., huh?” The question hit me. I moved closer to the door. I had to know, I had to. Then I heard his answer.

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I still don't own any of the people mentioned here, but oh if I did.....Read and enjoy