One Plus Two Equals... - 24

Finally, much to the relief of both men, Julyan declared he'd done as much as possible. He made makeshift bandages with the last two clean washcloths and some duct tape he found in a kitchen drawer. Then he ordered Duane to get his ass into bed.

Duane wasn't about to argue. With Julyan's help he went into the bedroom and got undressed, sinking with relief onto the bed. Julyan sat down beside him on the edge and asked the question Duane was certain had been on the top of his mind since he'd entered the apartment, "How the hell did you manage to get mugged, and why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"After I left the restaurant I headed back here to pick something up for the meeting with my friend…" that had been his excuse for not going out with Julyan, "and decided to walk since the bar's close to here. I took the shortcut through the alley and…shit happened."

Julyan nodded. "Stupid, but I've done the same thing. And the hospital?"

"I hate them. I'd have to be dying before I stepped foot inside one."

"It didn't occur to you that with those wounds you might have been?"

Duane shrugged his good shoulder. "I was willing to take the chance. I figured if I could walk, or stagger, I wasn't dead yet."

"You're crazy. You know that, don't you?"

"So I've been told, by more people than I care to think about."

Julyan frowned. When Duane asked why since he was only joking, he shook his head. "I…someone else said almost the same thing to me a couple of days ago."

Yeah, me. I have to watch that. It's the second time I've slipped. Aloud, Duane just chuckled. "You run around with other crazy people besides me?"

"No." He winced. "I mean, I don't really think you're crazy, and the other guy, I don't know him so I couldn't say if he is. He was just some man on the roof taking pictures."

"And you just happened to be there when he was." Duane put a bit of jealousy into his tone of voice.

Julyan nodded. "I go up there sometimes to think. And before you get pissy, if that's what you're doing, we talked a bit was all, nothing more."

Duane felt strange being jealous of himself, but he was. Especially when he realized Julyan had dropped his eyes when he lied to him. "What was he like?"

"Umm…" Julyan shrugged casually as if it didn't matter, still not looking at Duane. "From what I remember he was taller than you, muscular, with dark hair, and… well, bossy. Very different from you except for his eyes, they're amber too."

"A lot of people's eyes are. Well, not a lot maybe but it's not that unusual."

"True." He looked at Duane again, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "You need to get some sleep."

"So do you," Duane countered. "If you want, you can stay here."

"I want," Julyan replied softly. "It's why I came over in the first place even though I knew I was probably being pushy."

"You? Pushy? Juls, you're about the least pushy man I know."

"Juls?"

"Don't like that? Sorry."

Julyan smiled. "Well, people have tried calling me that before and I always hated it but you know what, coming from you it's not so bad."

"Okay, then that's my nickname for you, but only when we're alone." Duane tried to ease himself into a more comfortable position and discovered it wasn't really possible.

Julyan shook his head. "Maybe if I…" He stood and undressed before sliding carefully in beside Duane, adjusting how they were lying so that his body cushioned Duane's. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Now sleep."

"Planning on it." Duane closed his eyes. A thought flitted through his head—something about it not being a good idea for Julyan to be there in the morning, but before it could take hold he was asleep.