‹ Prequel: Trouble-Maker
Sequel: Summer Boy

Infinite

Skin & Sleep

The hospital released Ronnie earlier in the morning than I was anticipating and I arrived around nine to ensure that everything went smoothly. Doctor Mehmet didn’t appear until right before she gave the okay to let him go and she used the time to look him over and prescribe a painkiller.

Without a glance towards me, she signed off so that he could leave around eleven and explained that he could pick up his prescription in the pharmacy on the ground floor. He refused the wheelchair that they asked him to sit in until he was off hospital property, so, despite their policy, they allowed him to walk out on his own, accompanied by a couple of nurses and I.

The exchange between the doctor and I was quiet and controlled. I didn't offer any words to her and she kept her urging to herself, seeing as I kept to Ronnie’s side whenever she was around. It was more because I didn't want to bring up the topic again than I feared that she would tell him her suspicions, but either way, Ronnie noticed. As soon as we were in the guys' rental car, heading back to the hotel, he commented on it, his eyes searching mine for the answers I wouldn't give him.

“Atticus,” he said, his gaze turning to mine as I looked away.

"It's nothing," I answered before he could elaborate, "We just have a difference of opinion. Nothing for you to worry about."

He gave a sound of disapproval. “A difference in opinion about what?” he questioned, his tone tensed, “If there’s something wrong then I doubt it’s opinion-“

“It’s nothing, Ronnie,” I repeated, sparing a glance in his direction.

He didn’t have time to argue with me since we were pulling into the parking lot of the hotel. I parked in one of the spots along the wall of the building and we headed inside without another word. The guys were waiting in the lobby and cheered brightly as Ronnie stepped through the sliding doors.

They jumped out of their chairs and headed over to us, catching the attention from the couple of people manning the desk. "And he's free again!" Derek called out and they all whooped and hollered.

"Yeah, yeah," Ronnie said with a roll of his eyes. He raised his hands up as they engulfed him a series of hugs and gentle pats on the back. "Get out of the way," he added playfully, "I need to take a shower and a nap."

"Alright, alright," I shouted, cutting through the group of guys and pushing Ronnie away, "Don't hurt him again. The hospital will kill me if I bring him back there ever again, let alone the same day."

"Yeah, listen to the lady," Ronnie agreed, although he had ulterior motives. He followed me away from the guys and to the elevator and we headed up to our floor, the band talking about when they were planning to get back on the tour.

The tour was coming back this direction in just two days, so instead of trying to drive out and meet the caravan before the departure, they were going to meet them back at the next venue and save everyone a little effort.

Ronnie agreed easily, saying that he would put the news out on Twitter later tonight to keep the fans up to date.

“You need to shower and sleep first,” I answered, looking over my shoulder at the group behind us, “Where’s he sleeping?”

It was a strange question and everyone seemed to feel that. The last time it had been him and I sharing every room and bed on tour. Ronnie seemed to notice it too, but his expression evened out when he saw me looking and he waited expectantly for the answer.

“You can crash with me and Derek,” Jacky offered, “There’s a couch anyways, I don’t mind.” He clapped Ronnie’s shoulder and turned him to the room right across from mine. The guys dispersed and I stepped into my room, following their lead.

I was rifling through the clothes in my duffel bag when someone knocked on the door. I dropped the pair of shorts that I was holding and turned to open it. When I did, I instantly wished I would’ve checked to see who it was first. “Ronnie,” I greeted, looking at the tall, slim man standing in front of me, “I thought you were taking a shower.”

He’d changed out of the dirty clothes that he’d gone into the hospital wearing and donned a tank top that was open on the sides, exposing the skin from his shoulder all the way down to his waist on both sides, and a pair of basketball shorts that hung too-low on his hips.

“Derek just got in,” he answered, crossing his arms over his chest, “You know how he is. I was wondering if I could use yours.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I allowed, stepping back from the doorway so that he could step through. He walked in and looked at the room, which was completely identical to the one he was staying in, and wandered around as he made his way to the bathroom.

“This room already smells better than ours,” he commented, smiling back at me over his shoulder, “Like dirty laundry and food.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve only been here one day,” I answered, “Haven’t really had time to make a mess yet.” I turned bag and lifted up my shorts. “Bathroom’s through there. Clean towels should be in there.”

“Thanks.” He stepped through into the bathroom and closed the sliding door behind him. I listened for the sound of the water and then kicked off my jeans, sliding my shorts on in their place.

I settled down on the bed and dialed Heather’s number, smiling instantly at the voice on the other end.

”Atti, I miss you so much.”

“Hi, baby,” I greeted, grinning at the sound of his voice, “How are you, Sweetheart? Are you having fun over there?” I leaned back against the headboard and kept my eyes from the bathroom door.

”Yeah, Heather makes really good food,” he replied, ”But when are you coming home? I miss Charlie. He seems lonely.”

“You’ve been there twice since I left, Arch,” I replied, knowing that Charlie was in perfectly good hands. He didn’t mind being left alone as long as someone stopped by to feed him and give him a few minutes of attention every now and then. “I’m sure Charlie is fine.”

“But he misses sleeping with me,” he rebutted, putting on his best sad sounding voice, ”I need to go home and be with him as soon as possible.”

“I’ll be home in a couple of days,” I answered easily, “and then I promise that we can spend the next couple of days cooped up with Charlie in bed watching TV and eating whatever you want.”

Really?!”

“Of course. We’ll order pizza and rent movies and cuddle for an entire week,” I promised, completely enticed by the idea of spending unlimited time with Arch at my side.

We talked for about ten minutes as Arch explained what he had been up to and rambled about the things we could do when I returned home. I promised yet again that it would be soon, only for my words to be swallowed up by Arch’s excitement over the things that he was trying to teach Kyat.

The bathroom door opened as Arch giggled in my ear and my eyes settled on Ronnie as he stepped out, just his shorts back on his hips as he finished rubbing his towel through his hair. He held it in his hand as he watched me, leaning against the doorway.

“Arch, can you put Heather on, baby?” I asked, smiling as he complained about her stealing all his time talking to me. There were muffled noises as the phone was handed over and then Heather picked up.

“Hey, Atticus, how’s it going?” she questioned in her usual upbeat tone, “Did Ronnie get released okay?”

My eyes moved back up to him. “Yeah,” I said, “He’s just wonderful. How have things been going over there? Arch being his usual charming self?”

Heather laughed. “Of course he has,” she said, “When is he anything other?” She said something to Aiden and then turned her attention back to our conversation. “Feel free to stay as long as you want, we love having him here.”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure that everything is going well there for now. I’ll be home in two days and then I promise that I’ll never drop him on your doorstep like that again.”

Heather chastised me for thinking that watching him was a bother and then promised to check back in later before bedtime, seeing as Arch would undoubtedly refuse to sleep without talking to me before hand.

The phone clicked off and I dropped onto the blankets next to me.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Ronnie asked as he stepped away from the bathroom door and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I feel guilty for leaving him,” I replied honestly, “He’s had enough people leave him, I hate for him to think that I’m one of them.”

“Atticus,” Ronnie said gently, frowning, “He knows you’re coming back to him. It’s not like you left him at daycare or decided to adopt every child but him.”

“But I decided that I was leaving and left him with someone else,” I argued, crossing my legs as I let myself recognize what I’d done, “I just picked up and dropped him on someone’s doorstep, Ronnie. It’s all the same to him.”

I shook my head and shook it off before I could get too upset and jump on a plane that instant. I had made a promise to Ronnie and the guys and even though he was fine, despite what I was led to believe, I would follow through with it.

“When the guys told me what happened, they made it sound like you were dying,” I said, dark eyes lingering on his bare skin and bruises.

He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “I felt like I was,” he answered, “Although it didn’t have much to do with my bones.”

“It’s not easy for me either,” I answered, picking at a thread on the blanket as I tried my best not to look at him, not show him how fragile this all made me feel. How having him this close to me, sitting on the edge of my blankets, his body bruised and broken, tested the limits of my self-control. I swallowed back all the words and apologies.

His fingers touched my skin and my eyes moved up to his. In his expression, I could see recognition of my own emotions and I tried to look away, but his fingers caught my chin. It was too late to hide it, to push it all back down now.

“I love you,” he breathed, pushing past the fragmented strength I was struggling to hold onto, “I love you, Atticus.”

“Ronnie, I-“ I cut off and pulled my face away from him as tears surfaced and I let out a shaky breath, trying to stifle it all.

He moved over and wrapped his arms around my shoulders the best he could without bothering his collarbone. I leaned back into him and let myself feel it all. Being near him in this capacity had done exactly what I knew it would and as I tried to push it all away and hold onto the confidence I’d built up, he told me to let it all go because I would never be able to win a battle to break us up, especially if I was still fighting against myself.

The tears only lasted for a few minutes and when they’d gone I turned around in his arms and let him kiss me for the second time during this trip. I touched my fingers to his bare stomach and ran my hands along his sides until my fingertips were pressing into the bumps of his spine.

His hand cupped my jaw and the other was lost in my hair as he pushed me back with his body, slowly changing his position so that he covered me gently. He cursed quietly and lifted his head from the kiss. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my fingers touching the stubble on his jaw as I grabbed his face to keep him from turning his pain from me.

He shook his head out of my grasp and moved so that he wasn’t putting much pressure on the broken side of his body. He used his right hand to hold his body and his left hand moved to push my hair out of my face.

“Are you okay?” I questioned, gently pressing my palms against his sides.

“I’m great,” he answered, dark eyes staring down at me. He blinked, his lashes brushing his cheeks, and asked, “How are you?”

He wasn’t referring to my bones or any physical pain and I knew that. It was him asking me if I wanted to go through with this, with us. I reached up and cupped his neck, pulling his mouth back down to mine. “Don’t think so much,” I whispered in the mere millimeters between our lips.

He didn’t question me and there wasn’t any hesitancy in his kisses.

His skin against mine was something that I couldn’t explain, but I had missed as though I was missing a something vital to my survival. His hair matted to his head and his expression was purely carnal. His lips were parted and I could feel his humid breath on my cheek when he leaned down to kiss me.

The day passed in bed without any interruptions. It was as though the guys disappeared from the face of planet. None of them came to ask where Ronnie had gotten to and the two of us hardly remembered that they existed.

By the time someone did come to my room, I was asleep on Ronnie’s good side, my face nuzzled into the crook of his neck and he had his arms slung over my bare body, the print on his finger tips pressed into my skin.

The knock on the door roused me slightly, but Ronnie slowly made his way out of bed, leaving me to curl up in the remnants of his warmth. It was pure exhaustion that kept me from waking up, but I was trapped between coherence and deep sleep, awake enough to hear their words but not alive enough to register them.

“Atti’s out,” Ronnie whispered through the gap between the door and the hinge, “But you guys can go without us. We'll eat when she wakes up.”

“Did you two work it out?” Ryan questioned.

There was no noise for a moment and then faint whispering, too low to bother trying to overhear. I was asleep again as their conversation continued, only to be roused by the feel of Ronnie climbing back under the sheets.

I groaned and moved out of his space as he climbed in next to me. “Stop moving and lay down,” I demanded tiredly, annoyed by his constant shifting.

He chuckled and his arms wrapped back around me. “You’re just drained, aren’t you?” His head rested on mine, his cheek against my cheek and I nodded against him.

I stretched my arm up so that my left hand was in his hair and he settled in for another nap as I lazily pushed my fingers through the strands.

“Atticus, I love you,” he whispered, “I know you're sleeping, but I love you so much, baby.” His lips pressed against my cheek and his hand reached up and grabbed mine. We slept like that, in a position where every part of us was surrounded by the other.
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Movie Recommendation: Hedwig & the Angry Inch (#TommyGnosis)