The Prince and the Pauper

Falling out of the sky.

Landing on Cory.

Getting a concussion.

Attis lay on the hospital bed, completely free of any IV, breathing tubes, or wires. It has been four days since he fell off the apartment roof. His brain was put through scans and kept in close observation by the doctors that treated him.

He was a living miracle. He had no broken bones. All that was keeping him in the hospital was a mild concussion. There would’ve been more if Cory hadn’t cushioned his fall. Thepoor man was now disabled and unable to walk. Attis had crushed his spinal cord and taken away his ability to walk.

Attis smiled at the thought of Cory trying to beat him in a wheelchair. That would never happen. And Layla would never beat him again. He was being sent out to an all boys’ foster home tomorrow.

“Hey there.”

Attis turned his attention from the white ceiling to the open doorway. Lyle walked to the side of his bed and took his hand in his. At the touch Attis remembered days ago, after he’d fallen, Lyle had held his hand and kissed him on the cheek. He remembered how numb he had felt after that. Lyle made all the pain go away. And then the numbness gradually went away and was replaced by a feeling Attis had never felt before: pleasure.

“You’re getting discharged tomorrow,” Lyle said as if to remind himself.

Attis widened his eyes and felt his muscles relax when Lyle ran his fingers over his knuckles. It was wrong to feel attraction towards someone who could be his related twin, but Attis couldn’t help himself. It was like falling for himself.

“Your hands are soft…” Lyle trailed off.

Attis rolled his head to face straight up and closed his eyes. It was just the darkness of the back of his eyes and the warmth of Lyle’s touch. Then the warmth disappeared and all the blood rushed back to his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at Lyle.

He reached out and took Lyle’s hand, squeezing it. He looked up at Lyle with an innocent look. Lyle smiled brightly and moved closer to Attis. He sat on the side of his bed and studied Attis’ hand. Attis watched with large eyes as Lyle ran his hand up and down, going down his bare arm. Attis blushed and shivered.

It felt so damn good.

“What the hell are you doing? Feeling his arm up?” Donnie chuckled.

Attis ripped his hand out of Lyle’s grip and flushed red. Donnie walked over with a large grin on his face. He dropped an arm over Lyle’s shoulder. Jealously shot up Attis’ spine.

“I was giving his arm a massage,” Lyle said.

Attis giggled mutely and turned even redder. Donnie nudged Lyle and they both stared down at Attis with smirks on their mouths. Embarrassed, Attis pulled the bed sheet over his head.

“Ah. You can’t hide from me,” Lyle teased.

The next thing Attis knew someone had straddled on his hips and was trying to pull the blanket away from his face. All the blood rushed to his face and he was sure he was as bright as a tomato.

“Come on! Let me see your pretty blush!”

Attis thrashed in the bed, not listening to the doctor’s instructions to stay still. He managed to roll onto his stomach, but in doing so he made Lyle loose his balance of sitting upright. With a quiet yelp Lyle had fallen on his chest.

And they stayed like that.

Lyle on top of Attis.