Page 57 of Psync
:Ow.:
:Be careful.: Strong arms came around him to hold him in place.
“What happened?”And why am I treating you like my own personal teddy bear?
Amusement rippled through Haruka into Eli. “Do you remember what happened last night?”
Eli scrunched his forehead. “I remember Ash . . .”
The amusement faded.
“And the hospital . . . and you.” Eli summoned all of his bravery and looked Haruka in the eyes. They were soft and warm and shimmered with a thousand gold flecks. “You’re the voice in my head.”
Haruka nodded. :And you’re the one in mine.:
Eli startled and tried to get up, but once again was locked in place by Haruka’s arms. Did he work out or something? “How are you doing that?”
“I don’t know. It happened after we touched.” Haruka frowned thoughtfully. “It doesn’t work when we aren’t touching. At least not yet.”
“Yet?” According to all the laws of Eli, he should really be freaking out right now. So why wasn’t he?
“That’s really disorienting.” Haruka poked Eli in the nose. “Just say everything you’re thinking out loud. You’ll be saving me a headache.”
“You can hear everything I’m thinking?” How unfair! Eli wasn’t picking up anything other than what seemed like deliberate thoughts.
“You’re still doing it,” Haruka said in a pained voice.
“I can’t say everything I’m thinking.”
“Why not?”
Because then you’ll know what I’m thinking!Eli just managed to keep himself from saying.
Haruka burst into laughter, rocking Eli’s body with the intensity. His arms hugged Eli close to him and he buried his face into Eli’s hair. “But I like what you’re thinking.” His voice was a low purr.
Eli’s entire body burst into flames, and he blurted out, “I have to go to the bathroom!”
Haruka relaxed his hold and let Eli sit up. “I’m sorry for teasing you, but you make it so fun.” Haruka ran a finger across Eli’s cheek, and a million shooting stars followed in its wake.
Eli scrambled off the bed at top speed, which turned out to be a mistake for many reasons.
“Ow.” He clutched his head, then his hand, then his stomach. “What the . . .?” Why was he such a mess?
Haruka reached out a hand to steady Eli, and the pain receded. “You have a mild concussion and a few bruises. You didn’t reinjure your hand though. How did you hurt it in the first place?”
Like hell Eli was going to tell him he’d busted it while running away from Haruka when he was camped out in the hallway of Eli’s floor.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Something dark pulsed from Haruka to Eli. It was guilt, worry, and something Eli couldn’t put a name to. Maybe Eli couldn’t hear all of Haruka’s thoughts, but he was getting something from him. “You were that close, and I let you get away. And you were injured running from me . . .”
Eli was drawn toward Haruka and placed a hand on his cheek. “It wasn’t your fault, it was me being stupid, as usual.”
“You’re brilliant, Eli. I only call you stupid when you refuse to use your brain.” Haruka lifted Eli’s injured hand and pressed his lips against it, eyes staring intently into Eli’s. “I wouldn’t let someone else call you stupid. Do you think I’ll let you do it?”
“Bathroom!” Eli tugged his hand free and winced when the pain from all his injuries slammed back down on top of him. “How are you doing that?” he asked as he staggered toward the door.
“Doing what?”
“How are you making everything stop hurting when you’re touching me?”
