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Luka emitted a painful groan, his ribs throbbing him to a wakeful state. His eyes peeked open, taking in his casted leg. Attempting to rub at his face resulted in another groan and the discovery of his casted arm.
“Ah, man, what happened?” His voice felt scratchy as though he hadn’t used it in quite some time.
“Shh, don’t wake him.” Nino gestured to the sleeping blond in the chair between them. “He’s been bouncing between us the past few days, barely sleeping. He blames himself for what happened.”
Memories of the car accident flashed through Luka’s mind. The other driver had blindsided them in an intersection, sending their car rolling and spinning until it landed on its roof. Nino had been beside him, their seatbelts holding them suspended. The steering wheel column had been shoved into Luka’s abdomen, pinning him in the wreckage.
Adrien hadn’t been anywhere near the accident. He’d been across town waiting on them to celebrate some big news he’d learned that day.
“It wasn’t his fault,” Luka managed.
“I know, dude, but he does. If he hadn’t wanted to celebrate that night, then we wouldn’t have been in the car or struck on the way there.” Nino’s gaze slid over to the sleeping man, a gentle smile gracing his bruised and swollen lips. Kissing would be out for a while.
“We’ll have to make him understand then.”
His energy spent, Luka sank further into the hospital bed, his hair tangled and matted. His skin itched, residue of the accident and whatever else he couldn’t remember clinging to him. What he wouldn’t give for a shower, he thought, before his mind drifted to other options for his casted state. A smile flitted over his lips at a few of the choices he’d thought up, helping to ease some of his renewed pain.
“Dirty thoughts don’t suit you,” Nino teased. “They’re always written plainly across your face. If Adrien saw it, he’d be blushing redder than Nathaniel’s hair.”
“He is fun to tease,” Luka agreed. His smiled melted away, leaving him a bit somber. “We could’ve really devastated him if we hadn’t made it. He’s already lost so much in the past few years.”
“I know,” Nino whispered, his voice roughed with emotion. “You almost did, and I could barely handle it. Adrien isn’t the only one who’s a mess.”
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere.” Luka attempted to reach out, but his arm quickly ceased that idea. He hissed at the jolt of pain shooting through him. He didn’t try to speak again until he’d normalized his breathing. “It’s going to take more than some distracted driver to take me out.”
“A few seconds earlier and he would have. I heard the doctors talking. They’re not sure how you’re even alive.” Nino’s hand swiped at his eyes, his glasses sitting cracked and useless on the bedside table. “You’re some miracle in their minds. To them, it would’ve made more sense if you had died.”
“You overheard all that?” Luka asked, knowing the answer yet needing the confirmation.
“Yeah, I did.” He gave a derisive chuckle. “They didn’t realize, I think, or they would’ve been careful in saying it near an open doorway.”
“Ugh, stupid casts,” Luka grumbled. “I want to hold you.”
“If he didn’t need his sleep, I’d wake Adrien. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to convince him to pull our beds together.” Nino’s bruised lips lifted at the corners. “He loves to cuddle, and right now, I could use it, too.”
“We should let him sleep. We can wake him in a few hours.” Glancing at the blond, his heart melted at the boyish good looks his boyfriend had despite being in his mid-twenties.
“Or we could wake him now. He does look rather uncomfortable, doesn’t he?”
Needing no further urging, they called to him, waking him from his dreamless slumber.
Green eyes fluttered open, unfocused and hazy.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty, we need a favor,” Luka said in a soft tone.
Hearing the favor, Adrien hurried to push the beds together, mindful of the cords and other hospital machinery. It took some doing, but he managed, crawling behind Nino and linking hands with Luka’s free one.
The trio soon succumbed to sleep, allowing it to carry away their fears and their pain for the time being. They could focus on it soon, but right then, they had each other. That’s all that mattered.