Work Text:
Worrisome
by Crystal
John watched as the clock ticked by another minute. 'Where in the hell is he?' he mentally ranted. Gary should have been back long ago. John was worried. If something happened, if he was hurt, and Gary had no one with him to help him, but just as those grim thoughts were coming to the surface, John heard the door. Glancing up in the dim light of evening Chicago sun still streaming through the windows, he caught the first shocking glimpse of his lover.
Gary's face was covered with drying blood, a nasty bruise already forming on his left cheek. His lips were split and swollen, his clothing torn, revealing more bloodied broken skin. He swayed slightly as he threw his keys onto the coffee table. The jingling noise of the keys scraping against the wood of the table jarred John out of his catatonic state.
"Gary?"
"I'm fine, John, really." He moved as though his entire body had been encased in cement for years.
John got up from his spot on the couch and stood in front of Gary, silently bringing forward his medical expertise. Mostly surface contusions, no broken bones, nothing that some antiseptic and bandages wouldn't take care of. John sighed in relief. "Come on, let's get you in the shower and cleaned up." He took Gary's arm, and felt the slight tremor as he steered the other man to the bathroom.
Gary was silent as John got the shower temperature set. John turned toward him and realized that Gary hadn't moved from the spot John had put him in. Standing there, fully clothed, battered and bruised was more than John could take. Gently, he began to unbutton Gary's shirt. The movement prompted Gary into action and he toed off his shoes and socks. His shirt stripped of him, he felt John's hands remove his jeans and he leaned on his lover's shoulders as he stepped out of the legs of the denim.
The warm water had created a steam floating softly throughout the enclosed area. Gary moved to get into the shower, and turned plaintive eyes back to John. "Join me?" he pleaded.
John smiled and nodded. Quickly he stripped of his clothes and stepped behind Gary into the warm water spray. He grabbed a wash cloth and soaped it to a full lather. He turned Gary to face him and he began to clean the cuts on his lover's face. He gently washed all dirt and dried blood from the man before him. Gary remained silent and acquiesced to every one of John's silent requests.
John stood after washing each one of the soles of Gary's feet. He pushed Gary back under the spray of water, rinsing the soap. Gary's head fell back and John stepped forward, making his body flush with his lover's. He kissed the pulse point on Gary's neck, feeling it flutter like a butterfly's wings under the tender skin. It was reassuring to know that a heart was still pumping life through this man's body, allowing them to be together.
Gary shuddered at the feel of John's lips on his neck. His head came back forward to rest on John's shoulder as their arms wrapped around one another. "It was too close today, John," he whispered.
"I know," John murmured, running a soothing hand across Gary's lower back.
They both knew their lives would be forfeit without the other one. It had been close for Gary that day with the paper. Now that they had something true to life for, neither one was going to give up this life easily. They would find their way back home to the other one.
The End.
Yeah, I know it's short, but it's a drabble. That's their job.