He frowned. Call him tomorrow? “What? I’m not leaving. Alain is bringing dinner for all of us.”
“You need to get back to your real life, and so does he. I’ll call him and tell him to wait for you there. No one can afford to just fuck off with me for god knows how long.”
“Oh, bullshit.” He reached for Neil, taking that handsome face in both hands. “I love you. You are my real life, baby. And Alain’s too.”
“I love you too. Go home. Rest. I’m tired.” Neil leaned into his hands. “And I want to get clean.”
“Neil. I’m not going home. You want a bath? Let me.” He wasn’t going to shy away from any part of his boy’s recovery.
“I said go home.” The words were firm, but Isaac could see the lines of tension around Neil’s eyes and mouth ease.
He wasn’t about to lose this battle of wills. He knew this was a test, and what Neil needed to hear. Whether his lover could admit it overtly or not, he knew how much Neil needed him. Especially now. He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw stubbornly. “I’m not leaving you, boy. You’re mine. You belong to me. I am going to look after you. Am I clear?”
“You… I hate this… I hate being here, being fucked up.” Neil grabbed onto him, holding on tight, hands hot, trembling.
Platitudes weren’t what Neil was looking for. He put his arms around his boy. “I know. It feels bad right now. I get it. But I’ve done what I can to make rehab what you need it to be and to get you home sooner. I can help here. I know the system.” Neil had a private room, and there was an aggressive plan in place that would keep his boy busy and wear him out so he could sleep at night. The time would go by fast.
Mitch came through the door at that moment but stopped before he came farther into the room. “I’ll come back.”
He nodded. “We’re good.”
Mitch gave him a wink and backed out, silently closing the door behind him.
“Mitch is going to be with you at rehab. He’s going to be your trainer.” Neil would have all the regular rehab, and then two hours with Mitch on top of it. “You ready to work?”
“Yeah, I can’t fucking wait. This sounds like way more fun than being at home with you and Kitten and relaxing.”
“It’s not going to be fun, but it’s going to get you back up and functioning as quickly as possible. Assuming you have the balls to do it.” He raised an eyebrow, not hiding his little grin at the dare.
“Fuck you, Guapo. That shit doesn’t work with me.” Neil almost grinned, though.
“Like hell it doesn’t. And for some reason, Mitch still likes you. I can’t speak for the other nurses, the orderlies…” He grinned wider.
“If they don’t like me, they can send me home.” Neil swatted at him, but this was playful. “Go away. Go home and make Alain happy.”
He rolled his eyes. “Enough. I don’t know why you keep insisting I leave, but I’m going to be insulted soon. How about we transfer you into bed and get you ready for Alain’s dinner?”
“Can you help me wash up a little first? I feel like I stink.” Neil squeezed his hand. “And it’s easier when you help.”
“Yes, an excuse to get my hands on you? Yes, please.” He smiled and stood to roll Neil into the large accessible bathroom. “This thing is bigger than our bathroom at home.”
“I know it. I’m totally remodeling for us.” Okay, that smile was better, more honest.
“A shower big enough for all three of us would be kind of nice, huh?” He carefully wiggled Neil’s T-shirt off, lifting one arm at a time, trying not to be thrown by all the bruising. He’d seen it a couple of times now, but he didn’t know how to stop being bothered by it.
How could he not be angry that someone had done this to his boy? To his love. He’d gone home the other night and ranted in the shower, punched the mattress and thrown pillows around the bedroom until he’d gotten it all out. He’d had more than one conversation with Brandon, with Cyrus, with any Dom that had a minute to make sure he had his head on right. Neil needed him, and Alain did too. He’d just managed to convince the boy that New York could be safe and fun again, and then this happened. But he was fine. Angry, but healthy. His boys didn’t need to feel that energy. He’d take care of them both.
He took a breath and focused on staying relaxed. “I’m thinking one of those wide rain showerheads, you know? And a glass door so I can be a kinky voyeur when I want to be.”
“Mmm… I can get into that. Sturdy shower seats too. Maybe a handle for Alain to hold onto.”
“For Alain. Of course. We wouldn’t want him to slip. Where? Like, hip height? Or up over his head?” He ran a washcloth under warm water and made sure his attention was sensual as well as practical. His touch meant something to both of his boys, and he wanted Neil to understand this wasn’t a favor or an obligation for him. He was meant to be needed. This was love.
“Mmm…let’s do both.” Neil began to relax, and that was what Isaac searched for, the way that his boy trusted his hands. “I can see us having a lot of fun with them.”
“All right, it’s a plan.” He felt a little of that Top’s high, knowing his boy was so frustrated when he arrived and how Neil’s trust in him helped bring them to a better place now. It made him smile, and he shared that joy with his boy through his fingers. The bruises didn’t even bother him right now.
“Okay. I miss sleeping with y’all. I just got that back.” Neil wasn’t whining to him, though. He was sharing, just being open and easy for him.