Chapter 6: Go Find a Dog

By three in the morning, the heating in the living room was in full swing.

Sebastian’s movements finally subsided.

The itching was still there, but it had transitioned from that life-ending frenzy into a bearable, numbing tingle.

He no longer struggled to scratch. Instead, he occasionally shifted in Lucian’s arms, his face rubbing against the boy’s chest like a cat that had finally exhausted itself.

Lucian looked down at him.

Sebastian’s eyes remained closed, his eyelashes resting peacefully, and his breathing had stabilized significantly.

The flush on his face had faded slightly, but his lips were still pale, and the hair at his temples was damp with sweat, clinging to his skin in thin strands.

He looked… obedient.

Lucian felt a surge of disgust at the word popping into his head.

Obedient, my ass.

He looked away, staring at a painting on the opposite wall, his mind wandering to who-knows-where.

Sebastian moved again.

Lucian’s body tensed once more. He looked down and snapped, "Stop moving."

The man in his arms didn't react, whether because he hadn't heard or simply couldn't be bothered to respond.

Lucian’s mouth moved faster than his brain, the next words already out: "Be good. Don't move."

He froze the moment the words left his lips.

Be good?

Did he just tell him to be good?

He felt like he had genuinely lost his mind.

By four in the morning, the itching had mostly vanished.

Sebastian’s brow smoothed out, and his breathing became long and steady as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Lucian didn't dare move.

He sat there for another half hour, and only after ensuring Sebastian was truly asleep did he slowly lay the man flat onto the thick duvet.

He stood up, his legs completely numb; he stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance.

He looked down at Sebastian.

The sleeping man looked peaceful, even a little… fragile.

Lucian averted his gaze, went to the bedroom to fetch a fresh blanket, and gently draped it over him.

Then he stood there, staring at that face for a long time.

At five o'clock, before the sun had risen.

Lucian helped Sebastian up from the duvet, wrapped him tightly in the blanket, and half-carried, half-supported him out the door.

Sebastian had woken up, but he lacked the strength to speak. He merely furrowed his brow and allowed himself to be handled.

The lights in the emergency room were blinding. The doctor asked a few questions, wrote out some forms, and ordered an admission for inpatient care.

Lucian ran back and forth, paying fees and handling the paperwork. By the time he returned, Sebastian had already been moved to a ward.

Lucian leaned against the hallway wall, slowly sliding down until he sat on the floor, burying his head in his knees.

After an unknown amount of time, a nurse passed by and gave him a light kick. "Family? Go in and keep watch. The patient is awake."

Lucian scrambled up and pushed the door open.

Sebastian was indeed awake.

He was propped up against the headboard, dressed in a hospital gown, still wearing that rigid medical brace around his waist. The curtains were half-drawn; outside, the sky had brightened into a pale, greyish light that fell across his face.

He looked incredibly weak—his lips still bloodless, his hair a mess. He was a far cry from the cold, distant Counselor Sebastian he usually was.

But the way he looked at Lucian hadn't changed one bit.

Cold and hard.

A glass sat on the nightstand. Sebastian reached for it and hurled it straight at him.

Lucian ducked. The glass grazed his ear and shattered against the wall, shards flying everywhere.

"You mother—" Lucian’s temper flared instantly.

Sebastian stared at him, the fury in his eyes burning even hotter than Lucian’s.

"Do you have a death wish? Turning my back into this?"

Lucian stood there, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

"Who told you to hit me first?"

Sebastian let out a short laugh.

The sound made a chill run down Lucian’s spine.

"Once I'm better," Sebastian said, emphasizing every syllable, "I am going to beat the living hell out of you."

Lucian looked at him.

He looked at that pale face, those burning eyes, and that stubborn streak of a man who couldn't even move yet was still spitting threats.

A thought suddenly bubbled up in his mind…

This guy is so soft.

Not

that

kind of soft, but…

that

kind.

As in—he was clearly furious, clearly wanting to kill him, yet lying there helpless on the bed, only able to throw insults. For some reason, it made Lucian want to pull him into an embrace.

Lucian was terrified by his own thought.

He turned on his heel and bolted out of the room, standing in the hallway for two seconds before marching toward the breakroom.

He filled a large cup with ice water from the dispenser and downed it in one go.

The freezing water slid down his throat but couldn't extinguish the inexplicable fire in his heart.

He stood there, hands braced against the counter, head lowered, panting heavily.

Crazy.

He must be going crazy.

He’d been infected by the man's insanity.

By the time he dragged himself back to the ward, Sebastian was trying to sit up. One hand was braced against the bed while the other supported his waist. His movements were agonisingly slow, his brow furrowing with every inch he moved.

Lucian stood in the doorway, watching him.

Sebastian sensed his gaze and looked up. Seeing it was him, a sarcastic smirk touched his lips.

"In heat?" His voice was still raspy, but the mockery was fully intact. "If you're that desperate, go find a dog. There’s a park across from the hospital with plenty of strays."

Lucian’s brain buzzed.

"Who the hell are you calling 'in heat'?"

Sebastian ignored him, continuing to support his waist as he slowly eased himself back.

Lucian took a few strides to the bedside, looking down at him from his height.

"Say that again?"

Sebastian lifted his head, meeting his gaze.

"I said," he repeated, one word at a time, "if you're in heat, go find a dog."

Lucian stared at him.

Sebastian stared back, the mockery in his eyes practically overflowing.

Then Lucian laughed.

He leaned forward, bringing his face close to Sebastian’s.

"Find a dog?" his voice dropped, carrying a hint of a smile. "What if I said I only want to find you?"

Sebastian froze for a split second.

Then he lifted his hand and delivered a sharp slap.

Slap.

It was crisp and loud.

Lucian’s head snapped to the side. He slowly turned back, that same smile still hanging on his lips.

Sebastian’s hand was still in the air when Lucian snatched it in a firm grip.

"Hitting me?" Lucian leaned even closer, close enough to see his own reflection in Sebastian’s eyes. "You can’t even move right now. How are you going to fight me?"

Sebastian’s breath hitched.

Lucian let go of his hand, and in the next second, he lunged forward and pulled the man into an embrace.

Dammit, he really was soft.

It wasn't a gentle hug; it was a full-on bear hug.

His arms were locked tight around the man, and he even rubbed his head against Sebastian’s shoulder.

"You mother—" Sebastian’s voice went sharp with agitation. "Let go!!!"

"I won't." Lucian buried his face in the crook of the man's neck, his voice muffled. "Didn't you say I was in heat? I'll show you exactly how it feels."

Sebastian couldn't move.

His waist wouldn't let him, his hands were pinned, and he was being held in a death grip by Lucian. He could do nothing but endure the boy rubbing against him.

He looked down at the head buried in his neck, his entire frame shaking with rage.

"Lucian."

"Yeah?"

"Just you wait."

Lucian looked up, meeting his eyes.

The fire in those eyes was burning brighter than before, but Lucian wasn't afraid at all. He actually felt like laughing.

"I’ll wait," he said, his tone teasing and bratty. "Anyway, until your back is better, I'm going to hold you every single day."

Sebastian let out a laugh of pure exasperation.

He was truly driven to laughter by the absurdity.

He was propped against a hospital bed, unable to move from pain, being hugged by a twenty-one-year-old punk who was threatening to hold him every day.

In his thirty-four years of life, he had never encountered anything like this.

"You're sick," he said.

"Do you have the cure?" Lucian shot back.

Sebastian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.

"Get the hell off me."

"No."

"Get off."

"Make me."

Sebastian stared at him.

Lucian stared back.

The two of them locked eyes for three seconds.

Then Lucian slowly let go, stood up, and took a step back.

"Fine, I’m 'getting off,'" he said. "But remember, you’re the one who insulted me first."

Sebastian said nothing.

Lucian walked to the door but turned back one last time.

"If your back hurts, stay lying down. Don't move around," he said, his tone carrying a trace of awkward concern. "I'm going to get you some breakfast."

The door closed.

Sebastian leaned against the headboard, staring at the door for a long time. Finally, he slowly raised his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

That kid… truly was begging for a beating.