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“Mon cher, can I come and visit you tonight?”
“..Not today, kitten. I’m ah.. busy.”
There’s a long pause before Lyney sighs, his voice crackling a bit through the phone.
“Is it your scars again? Are they hurting?”
Wriothesley’s silence is damning because he doesn’t dare lie – doesn’t want to ever lie despite it causing trouble for himself.
“Please, will you let me come over? I can brew tea and run you a bath. Let me take care of you.”
“I don’t need–”
“I’m not coddling you. I want to do this. Please.”
Unable to say no when Lyney begs like this, Wriothesley sighs.
“You know where the key is.”
He hopes that Lyney won’t be able to glean the meaning behind his words. Wriothesley is in too much pain to leave bed and the thought of having to answer the door when Lyney knocks is daunting. It’s nearly impossible to move without pain when he has chronic flare ups like this and Wriothesley wishes he had a body that was different – stronger and more tolerant to the cold that comes with winter.
“I’ll be there soon. Take a nap if you need to.”
The line goes dead and Wriothesley sighs, already feeling exhaustion win him over. He’d already been resting when Lyney called and the effort it had taken to grab his phone had been monumental. Resigned to the fact that Lyney is going to see him like this, Wriothesley closes his eyes and lets sleep take him once again. When he wakes up, maybe he’ll feel a bit better and more up to doing simple tasks like sitting up or walking.
+=+=+
The next time Wriothesley wakes up, a pleasant smell is wafting through his apartment. It takes him time to recognize it as his favorite tea and Wriothesley opens his eyes slowly, not fully processing the pain he’s in until he shifts. Biting back a groan, Wriothesley forces himself onto his back and splays out, hoping that this will somehow help his situation. It doesn’t, but at the very least it doesn’t make him feel worse.
It’s not long before Wriothesley sees someone in his bedroom doorway – undoubtedly Lyney here to check on him. When Lyney gets closer, Wriothesley looks up at him, trying to keep his expression neutral. He doesn’t want to show the amount of pain he’s in right now, but it seems Wriothesley’s attempts are for naught. Lyney looks concerned and a little upset, and Wriothesley sighs heavily before struggling to sit up.
“Hey, hey careful–”
Lyney moves to stop him, but Wriothesley forces himself upwards regardless. The exertion leaves him winded and Wriothesley groans, hating how his body protests. However, if Lyney is brewing tea, Wriothesley will have to be sitting up in order to drink it. A hand lands on Wriothesley’s cheek gently and he turns his head and meets Lyney’s gaze. His boyfriend’s brows are furrowed, a clear sign that he’s still upset.
“You don’t have to do everything on your own, especially when I’m here.”
“I got up just fine, kitten.”
“That’s not the point and you know it. Your stubbornness doesn’t make you more attractive.”
“I never claimed that it did.”
Huffing, Lyney crosses his arms and looks stern for a moment before giving up the ruse. He goes back to appearing concerned, his eyes traveling down Wriothesley’s bare chest to the litany of scars that reside there. Wriothesley knows it’s not a pretty sight, but Lyney has never made him feel ugly. It’s nice to have someone who doesn’t view Wriothesley as a monster simply because of how he looks.
“Your tea should be just about ready. I’ll bring you a cup – don’t even dream of moving.”
“You’re the boss.”
“Damn right, I am.”
Wriothesley chuckles, though the action causes him to ache. He watches Lyney leave and waits patiently, knowing that he’ll be back soon. While tea won’t help with Wriothesley’s pain directly, it should help relax him and warm his insides. It’s not the best solution, but with incurable chronic pain, Wriothesley will take what he can get – even if it is just a simple cup of tea. Sometimes, when Wriothesley is at his worst, a warm drink can make all of the difference for him.
When Lyney comes back, it’s with Wriothesley’s favorite mug. Managing a smile, Wriothesley takes it and blows lightly on the liquid. It does nothing to help the temperature, but it’s habit at this point. Wriothesley takes a small sip, warming his mouth before swallowing. It’s brewed to perfection and Wriothesley hums, knowing that Lyney has practiced making tea for him countless times at this point.
“Thank you.”
Lyney nods, though Wriothesley can tell that there’s something on his mind.
“What is it?”
“Well, I was thinking..”
“That’s a bad habit to have, kitten.”
“Shut up or I won’t tell you.”
Giving Lyney an amused look, Wriothesley wisely says nothing else. Whatever is going on in Lyney’s head, it seems to be serious and while Wriothesley can be a bit of a dick sometimes, he knows when to shut up and listen. Lately, especially with his constant flare ups, Wriothesley has been trying to be kinder. It’s a bit foolish, but if something were to happen to him, Wriothesley wants to be remembered kindly.
“..It’s the cold that causes you pain, right?”
“Not directly, but there is a correlation between the weather and how bad I get.”
Lyney chews his bottom lip for a moment, hesitating before continuing.
“I was looking up ways that I could potentially help. With my vision, I mean.”
“...How so?”
“Well, pyro doesn’t necessarily have to mean fire. It can also be simple heat – warm enough to soothe, but not hot enough to burn.”
The idea is compelling, though Wriothesley isn’t entirely sold on the idea.
“Pyro is dangerous – just like all of the elements. One slip up could lead to an accident.”
“Yes, but I’ve been practicing! I wouldn’t bring it up if I wasn’t confident that I won’t hurt you. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.. ever since I found out about the pain you’ve been in.”
Wriothesley told Lyney about his chronic pain months ago, back when they first became sexually active. He hadn’t wanted Lyney to think he was rejecting him out of disinterest, so Wriothesley admitted the truth. They’ve been able to have sex, but it’s only on Wriothesley’s best days when pain doesn’t plague him. Honestly, he’s held a lot of guilt over not being able to give Lyney more than he has.
Maybe Wriothesley ought to give Lyney a chance to help him.
“...Alright, I trust you. However, if I say stop–”
“I won’t press the issue. I want to help you, not hurt you worse.”
“Then, what do you need from me?”
Silently, Lyney takes Wriothesley’s tea from him and sets it aside.
“Can I help you lie down?”
“I’m perfectly capable–”
“Wriothesley.”
Knowing better than to argue when his first name is used, Wriothesley instead lets Lyney help him back into a lying position. It still hurts, but with Lyney’s assistance, the pain is minimal. Getting comfortable, Wriothesley looks up at Lyney curiously. He has an idea of how this is going to go, but he wants to wait and see what Lyney decides to do. Wriothesley’s boyfriend sits on the edge of the bed, looking over him for several moments.
“...It might hurt a bit at first, but it shouldn’t feel like a burn. Theoretically, it’ll be more like a muscle ache.”
“I trust you, kitten.”
Lyney nods, a look of concentration overcoming his face as he hovers his hands over Wriothesley’s chest. At first, Wriothesley feels nothing out of the ordinary. It takes time for him to feel the heat from Lyney’s hands and his boyfriend is right – it feels closer to a muscle ache than a burn. Doing his best to relax, Wriothesley closes his eyes and allows Lyney to do as he pleases. If it’s not making anything worse, Wriothesley doesn’t see the harm in this.
Over time, Wriothesley is surprised to find himself relaxing. Warmth is spreading through his body, tensing up his muscles before forcing them to loosen. His scars still ache, but Wriothesley no longer feels cold. This is the best he’s felt in a very long time and he lets out a sigh, subtly arching up towards Lyney’s hands. In response, Lyney places his hands directly on Wriothesley’s skin, keeping the heat down so as to not burn him.
“How are you doing, mon cher?”
“...It’s good. Really good.”
“I’m happy that I can help you.”
Wriothesley hears the smile in Lyney’s voice and it causes his heart to flutter. He would be embarrassed if it were anyone else, but this is Lyney and Wriothesley adores him. The fact that Lyney went out of his way to research and practice something to help Wriothesley is not lost on him. He’s incredibly grateful to Lyney and Wriothesley wishes that he could return the favor somehow. This kind of thoughtfulness is something that Wriothesley isn’t used to receiving.
Opening his eyes again, Wriothesley finds Lyney already staring back.
“Thank you, Lyney. Truly, this is..”
“There’s no need for that. You were in pain and I wanted to help. Whenever it gets bad, please call for me and I will come. You don’t deserve to be bedridden like this.”
Knowing better than to argue, Wriothesley instead pats the bed softly.
“Come lie down with me. You’ve done enough.”
“Are you still in pain?”
“Not anymore, thanks to you.”
Lyney listens for once, retracting his hands before lying down beside Wriothesley. Wanting to be closer, Wriothesley wraps an arm around Lyney and pulls him in. They cuddle, their legs intertwining, and Wriothesley lets out a pleased sigh. He’s truly blessed to have such a wonderful boyfriend and he hopes Lyney knows how much he cares. Just to make sure, Wriothesley turns his head and kisses Lyney softly.
“I love you.”
Lyney smiles, affection clear in his gaze.
“I love you too, mon cher.”