Low sobs and intangible muttering woke Dillon from a restless sleep. Momentarily forgetting that he was on the couch and not his large bed, Dillon stretched with an exaggerated yawn, hitting his hands and feet against the chair arms. He groaned as he leaned over and tapped the screen of his phone that sat within reach on the coffee table. It was barely 7 am. His gaze shifted to the light peeking around the corners of the blackout curtains hanging on the single window of the apartment. They hadn't even been asleep for two full hours yet. It had taken him even longer to fall asleep, as his brain kept reminding him of what lay just beyond the pocket door leading into his bedroom. Even in his current state of sleep deprivation and exhaustion, he could feel a stirring inside his pajama bottoms at the thought.
Dillon blew out a sigh as more muffled sobs and agonized whimpers filled the other room. "Fuck…" He ran his free hand through his disheveled hair. He clutched his phone tightly in his hand as he sat up on the couch, weighing his options. This wouldn't be the first time he'd had to comfort Rory during a night terror… No, on the contrary. Rin had made a habit of sending Dillon in his wake lately… but that had awakened a desire in Dillon that had slowly become harder and harder to ignore. Now wouldn't be the time to risk those desires showing… Dillon growled as his gaze snapped to his tented pajamas in irritation. "You hear that? We have to be supportive, not act like fucking animals."
A rustling noise brought his attention back to the room and away from his current physical dilemma. Dillon gulped down everything he wanted to say in that second as Rory stumbled forward through the bedroom door. Rory's hands tugged the hem of the oversized pajama top down over the loose-fitting boxers as he staggered forward. Dillon watched as unfocused eyes landed on him, and Rory began moving toward him. Dillon leaned forward, awkwardly trying to hide the lingering signs of his arousal as Rory closed the meager space between them. He swallowed past the dryness in his throat. "Rory, what are you doing awake? It's only been a little over an hour since you fell asleep. The hospital's visiting hours don't start until nine…" His words were cut short when Rory flopped onto the couch beside him and curled into a ball at the other end. Dillon hesitated momentarily as his eyes roamed over Rory's body, but when he noted the way his entire body trembled, he pushed aside his own issues. Dillon stroked his hand over the arm that Rory had tightly wrapped around his legs as he leaned closer. "Rory… talk to me for a second… please…"
Rory tightened his hold as he pulled his knees tighter against his chest. "The bed is too large… and the room is too dark… and… and… I… I don't want to be alone."
Dillon nodded in understanding. "Then if I join you…" His words trailed off for the longest time. The dead silence of the apartment engulfed them, leaving only Rory's labored breathing and Dillon's pounding heart to reverberate in his ears. He could feel his palms grow moist as he grasped Rory's arm and pulled him upright beside him. Dillon gently turned Rory's distant staring gaze to face him. "You'd be ok with that? With us sharing a bed… here… alone?" He didn't remove his hand from Rory's face as he waited for Rory's reply. The seconds seemed to tick by, dragging on, feeling more like hours as he stared back into Rory's glassy eyes. He couldn't help the way his fingers naturally curled around Rory's sharp jaw, or the way his thumb instinctively stroked Rory's cheek in soothing circles while he waited for his answer.
Rory shook his head as he pulled away and lowered his forehead to Dillon's bare chest. "What's the difference? I think I've gotten too used to you… and tonight…" His voice broke with a sob. "Tonight, I need you more than ever…"
Dillon's chest tightened as he wrapped his arms tightly around Rory. Dillon's leg that had been outstretched on the couch naturally encircled Rory's trembling body as well. Dillon pressed his lips against the top of Rory's head as he whispered. "Ok… We'll do that then… I'm sorry I didn't from the very beginning… I… I was only thinking… Well, never mind…" He begrudgingly released Rory as he pushed up from the couch and stood. He held his hand down to Rory. "Can you walk, or do you need help?"
Rory took Dillon's outstretched hand and stumbled sleepily along behind him as Dillon led the way back into the bedroom through the dark apartment. Rory climbed in and curled into a ball on one side without a word.
Dillon offered up a silent thank you as he slid under the covers and closed his eyes. Perhaps if he stays like that, then I'll make it through without my mind going too wild. I'd hate to do something inappropriate to him in my sleep or wake up with a massive erection pressed against his ass. Shouldn't be a problem though if he stays on his side like that… right? Dillon's breath caught as his thoughts died in his mind. Small hands cupped around his bicep, and soft, familiar hair brushed against his shoulder. Shit! Well, there went that plan… "Rory…"
"Every time I close my eyes, all I see is blood… Mike's, Rin's… my own…" Tears burned Rory's eyes as he continued to whisper. "We fought before everything happened…" Rory's words broke as the tears pooled in his eyes. His lips trembled as he confessed. "I can't stop thinking… what if he never wakes up, and that will be the last thing I say to him? Harsh things… half of which I didn't mean…" His tears began to fall freely down his face, soaking Dillon's arm as they did.
Dillon reached across his chest and stroked Rory's hair. "We all say things we don't mean in the heat of the moment. Rin wouldn't have chased after you and protected you if you didn't matter so much to him. If he didn't believe you cared deeply for him. I promise you, Rin may have an ass-backwards way of doing things sometimes, but he really does care for you."
Dillon's words only made Rory cry harder and more uncontrollably. "That only makes what I said worse… what happened because of me worse!"
Dillon turned onto his side and pulled Rory against his chest. "None of this was your fault. You didn't ask for any of this. You warned us all. You even told us exactly who it was involved with it. We were the ones who put you in a position that endangered you. We are the ones who will have to spend our lives apologizing and making it up to you, not the other way around. Now get some sleep, ok? You don't want to look like the walking dead when we go see Rin in a few hours, do you?"
Rory shook his head against Dillon's chest.
Dillon forced out a chuckle as he squeezed Rory more tightly against him. "I didn't think so." He didn't loosen his hold as he began to stroke patterns onto Rory's back in hopes of soothing him into sleep.
"Do you have an alarm set?" Rory whispered against Dillon's chest, his breath tickling the area it blew against.
"Um… I did… So, don't worry so much and just rest. I have you now. You're safe." Dillon pressed his lips against Rory's hair and continued to whisper soothing words to him. His breath hitched as small hands slid up his torso and rested against his pecs. He knew Rory could feel the pounding of his heart, but continued whispering soothing phrases against his hair until Rory's body relaxed, and his breathing became even. "Good night, buttercup," Dillon whispered as he settled Rory against him better before closing his own eyes.
**
Dillon frowned down at the rigid body on the hospital bed in frustrated disapproval. According to the doctors and nurses that they'd talked to upon arrival, Rin had woken up early that morning, but because of the degree of injuries and because of the surgery he would be in and out of sedation for the next several days. He watched as Rory moved around the room tidying up gifts and flower arrangements that had already begun to pour in before dragging over a chair to the bedside. Physical pain shot through Dillon's chest as he watched Rory gently brush a lock of hair away from a thick gauze bandage across Rin's forehead. At this point, he wasn't sure which site brought him more pain and distress, seeing his lifelong friend and whatever else Rin was to him in the hospital bed, or watching Rory fawn over him. Dillon moved his attention to the chart at the foot of the bed. He snatched it up and walked over to the hard pullout sofa in the corner of the room. His arched brow moved from the file to the bed as several questions began flooding his mind, but before he could act on them a soft rap sounded on the room door. "Come in," Dillon called out as he stood and placed the file back into the pocket at the foot of the bed, but was stunned when a detective walked into the room instead of hospital staff.
The detective's gaze moved around the room before a satisfactory smile curved his thin lips. "Ah, nice to catch you both here. I was going to seek you out for official statements individually, but since you're here already…"
Dillon arched his brow. "I'm not sure you'll be getting all those statements. Didn't the doctors tell you? The patient here is still under some pretty heavy sedation."
The detective seemed briefly baffled as his attention moved toward the bed. "I see… I was told that the patient had woken up… Well, I can get both of your statements today at any rate."
Dillon ran his hand through his messy hair with a dismissive nod toward the detective as he turned a comforting smile toward Rory. "If you want to go on out, I'm going to look for something real fast. Then I'll be right behind you." He watched quietly as Rory hesitantly followed the detective from the room, offering reassuring smiles each time Rory would send him a worried glance back. Once the door closed, his smile faded, and he sent an irritated glare toward the bed. "You know damn well I've known you long enough to know when you're faking… Why? Why not let him know you were awake? You know how fucking torn up he's been?"
Rin puffed out a weak laugh. "Is that any way to greet your bedridden friend? I could be hanging on for dear life right now for all you know."
Dillon huffed out an irritated snort. "Hardly, I just read your file. So, why the act?"
Rin's expression darkened. "I… don't know how to face him right now… What to say… We had a huge fight before everything happened. He was ready to leave me and rightfully so… I don't want him to stay because of guilt…" The hand Rin lifted and ran through his unkept hair had an IV in it. "But I don't want it to be over between us either…"
Dillon gritted his teeth. "So, what?! You want him to go on feeling guilty longer! To keep going on without knowing whether you'll wake up or not?! All the while you're…" Dillon's words cut short.
"Perfectly fine?" Rin barked back angrily. "What's wrong? Can't quite say those words either, can you?"
Dillon fell onto the chair Rory had pulled over beside the bed in defeat. "You know that wasn't what I was going to say."
"Wasn't it?" Rin shot back. "It's happened before, so I should be fine now, too, right?" Rin's attention shifted to the bullet wound in his shoulder. "Well, first time being shot, anyway…"
Dillon leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. "That's not what I meant at all… Stop putting words in my mouth."
"Stop taking your anger out on me, then." Rin shot back. He was quiet for a few minutes before he continued. This time, his words were softer. "I know I'm not handling this properly, just like I didn't handle it right when Rory came back home with us… but…" He crossed his arms, his gaze trained on the foot of his bed, though nothing in particular. "It's nice to see him worrying about me… Feeling like he still cares… What… what if after we talk that changes… what if he wants to leave…"
Dillon's heart broke when he saw the tears streaming down Rin's cheeks. He leaned forward and cupped his hand over Rin's crossed arms. "Then you have to let him go this time, Rin… We have to stop hurting him… He deserves that much."