Buttons and Snaps
1
“Okay, sit down. I've got you. It's okay.”
Alex sat on the edge of his bed and wrapped his arms around himself, squeezed his knees together, anything to make himself smaller than he was. He was numb, on the edge of falling into nothing, and the only thing he could focus on was Ian.
“Lemme get your jacket off, sweetheart,” Ian said gently. Alex relaxed a little, placing his arms on his sides. Ian unzipped his jacket and pulled it off his shoulders. Alex pulled his arm out of one sleeve, but let Ian pull the other one off and watched him cross to the other side of the room and hang it on the desk chair. Ian rummaged through his dresser and pulled out a pair of flannel pants and an old event t-shirt, setting them on the bed beside Alex.
“I'll help you. It's okay.”
He pulled Alex's shoes off and set them to the side, then unzipped Alex's jeans and slid them off with a little help from his boyfriend. He replaced them with the flannel pants which would normally feel soft against Alex's skin, but tonight, he can't feel.
“Almost done. I've got you.”
Ian lifted the bloodstained shirt over Alex's head and replaced it with the new, clean one. He finished with a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's forehead. Alex didn't move. Ian kicked off his shoes and sat on Alex's bed, using the corner of the walls to rest his back. He pulled Alex into his lap and close to his chest. Alex made a tiny noise.
“I've got you. You're okay now. I won't let go until you want me to.”
Alex sat on the edge of his bed and wrapped his arms around himself, squeezed his knees together, anything to make himself smaller than he was. He was numb, on the edge of falling into nothing, and the only thing he could focus on was Ian.
“Lemme get your jacket off, sweetheart,” Ian said gently. Alex relaxed a little, placing his arms on his sides. Ian unzipped his jacket and pulled it off his shoulders. Alex pulled his arm out of one sleeve, but let Ian pull the other one off and watched him cross to the other side of the room and hang it on the desk chair. Ian rummaged through his dresser and pulled out a pair of flannel pants and an old event t-shirt, setting them on the bed beside Alex.
“I'll help you. It's okay.”
He pulled Alex's shoes off and set them to the side, then unzipped Alex's jeans and slid them off with a little help from his boyfriend. He replaced them with the flannel pants which would normally feel soft against Alex's skin, but tonight, he can't feel.
“Almost done. I've got you.”
Ian lifted the bloodstained shirt over Alex's head and replaced it with the new, clean one. He finished with a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's forehead. Alex didn't move. Ian kicked off his shoes and sat on Alex's bed, using the corner of the walls to rest his back. He pulled Alex into his lap and close to his chest. Alex made a tiny noise.
“I've got you. You're okay now. I won't let go until you want me to.”