My Girlfriend's Brother

Chapter 8.5

He sighed, well, at least he wouldn’t have to explain his sorry state. Exhaustion seeped into Illiyan’s bones and all he wanted to do was curl up beside Clark and sleep, but he was sure the man wouldn’t appreciate him being in his bed.

Illiyan sighed, he could deal with the aftermath of the fight tomorrow. He went into Clark’s small bedroom but froze in the doorway when he saw Clark in bed, earphones on,

The light from the hallway shone in and Clark ripped the out of his ears to stare at Illiyan. Before, he scrambled out of bed and ran at Illiyan, throwing his arms around him.

“f**k,” he muttered, “I thought you’d left.”

When he squeezed on the taller man, Illiyan couldn’t hide his wince. “You’re killing me,” he muttered.

Clark frowned as he turned his bedroom light on to see Illiyan with his mask, glasses and cap on. “Take it off,” he deadpanned, eyes narrowed.

“What? Why?”

“Illiyan,” he snapped.

Illiyan refused to do it. Clark would see it all. So, Clark did it for him. He stood on his tiptoes, threw the cap back and gently took off the mask and glasses.

“What the hell happened?” he whispered, as his eyes scanned Illiyan's bruised face.

“I was low on money,” he muttered. “So, I went to get some.”

“Why?” Clark rasped. “You could have waited. We could have gone together.”

“Yeah,” Illiyan rasped. He wrapped Clark in a hug once more, as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Let me just stay like this for five minutes. Please.”

“You’re hurt,” Clark replied as he snaked his hands around his waist.

“Let me get the first aid kit, I don’t want anything getting infected.”

Clark tried to pull away, but Illiyan held on tighter. “Just one minute more, please.”

Illiyan pulled away after two minutes, and Clark looked up at him, sorrow dancing in his pretty brown eyes. He tugged on his dark hair before exhaling deeply. “I’ll stay home with you tomorrow.”

“You can’t do that. Reece will be pissed and you have community service.”

“I’ll call in sick.”

“I got a phone,” Illiyan tried, he would wake Clark up tomorrow and make him go. He had gotten worse beatings and dealt with them alone, all fine.

Clark frowned. “Why? Isn't that risky?”

“Yeah, but I hate being bred. And I've read all your books. Put your number in.”

He handed Clark the phone and sighed, but he frowned. “Who are ‘queen’ and ‘asshole’?”

Illiyan scowled. “Just some humans. It’s fine, put your number in.”

Illiyan watched Clark as he fiddled with his phone and then Clark’s phone rang. The shorter boy looked up at him and his expression changed into one of sadness. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Illiyan shrugged, he wasn’t sure. However, the pain searing from his body knew he probably was hurt everywhere.

“Strip,” Clark said, eyes narrowing.

“Clark, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Don’t f*****g start with me Illiyan,” he snapped. “I thought you’d gone and left. I was terrified and you came back in pain? Strip. Or I’ll take your clothes off myself.”

Illiyan eyed Clark before sighing and nodding slowly. He began taking his clothes off, the envelope he had stuffed with money was in his underwear band. He threw it on the bed as he continued taking his clothes off. He struggled with getting his pants off of his ankles, so Clark did it for him.

Illiyan felt unnaturally vulnerable when Clark stared at him.

“I’m going to run a bath.”

“No, it’s fine. I want to sleep.”

“Illiyan, you need to clean up-”

“I said no!” he hissed. Clark froze before he stared up at him, face blank. “Clark-”

“It’s fine,” he replied, walking past a semi-naked Illiyan to get to his bed. He grabbed his pillow and phone and walked past him. Illiyan tried to go after him but a groan of pain escaped his lips.

He hadn’t meant to yell, not at Clark,

“I’m sorry,” he said, as he limped into the bedroom. “I’ll sleep on the couch. It’s not comfortable and you’ll hurt your back. Please, sleep in your bed.

“No. You sleep on my bed, you’re hurt. I know my couch isn’t the comfiest.”

“We’ll share the bed,” Illiyan said, exasperated. “You don’t need a sore back. You have to go do your community service tomorrow.”

“No. I said I’m staying with you.”

“I’ll manage,” Illiyan said. “You should do it.”

“I said no-”

Illiyan rolled his eyes as he turned around, slowly making his way to the bathroom.

What Illiyan needed was a nice long hot bath, so he plugged the drain in and turned the hot water on. He slowly began stripping, ignoring the way his body was screaming at him to stop. He took a seat on the closed toilet seat and had a look around, although he knew the bathroom like the back of his hand.

The walls were a very light blue, with a white bathtub, and a showerhead hung above it. A sink beside the bathtub and then the toilet. The bathroom was small, it was as wide as the bathtub.

He froze when Clark walked in and scanned his body before looking away and taking a sip of his drink.

“Clark,” he said. “What are you doing?”

“You’re covered in bruises, Illiyan. I’m surprised you’re even conscious right now.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling.

Clark scowled at him. “That’s not a compliment, you ass.”

Illiyan watched Clark as he handed him his coffee mug and then poured something into the bathtub and a frown appeared on his face. Why hadn’t he gone to sleep? It was obvious he was exhausted, so why had he been awake?

And why had he been so excited about seeing him? Illiyan had never been hugged before. People stayed away from him unless they wanted to bone his sister, so he had soon given up on trying to form human connections. He was, however, quite fond of cats and when he got his own place, he wanted to have one.

“Illiyan, get in,” Clark said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Illiyan nodded as he stood up, Clark turned around as he slipped out of his underwear and climbed in. A small groan escaped his mouth when the hot water hit his sore body.

“Clark,” Illiyan said. Clark turned around and took a seat on the closed toilet lid. “If you’re tired go to bed.”

“No. I’ll manage. It’s why I have coffee,” he replied, lifting his coffee mug and taking a sip.

They sat in silence. Illiyan played with the bubbles and Clark watched his bruised body, drinking his coffee.

Clark sighed, gaining Illiyan’s attention. “This is ridiculous, Illiyan. You have to tell me something. Anything. You — what's going on? I mean, you don't leave and when you do — you — you're — you come back covered in bruises," he ranted, stumbling over his words.

Illiyan gave him a small smile. “It’s fine. It’s nothing. It’s my s**t to deal with.”

Clark tipped his mug back, finishing his coffee, before he stood up and crouched beside the bathtub, and grabbed a sponge.

“I take it back. Your s**t is my s**t. Now explain.”

“It’s boring. I’m fine.”

“Liar! Look at you! You’re covered in bruises, and you're struggling to walk. Please, tell me what’s happening.”

Clark wet the sponge in the bathtub and Illiyan tensed when he felt his cold hands on his back as he began cleaning, taking extra care not to touch his bruises.

“When did you get back?” Illyan asked, c*****g his head.

Clark frowned as he moved onto his arms. “At 5. You weren’t here so I thought you had left, but your clothes were still there. Then it was getting late and you weren’t back and I thought something had happened to you. I was so f*****g worried. You could have left a note, you prick.”

“I’m sorry,” Illiyanm said. “I didn’t think it would take long and that I would be home before you even noticed.”

“Leave a f*****g note next time.”

Illiyan frowned. “Why are you so worried? Wouldn’t it be better for you if I wasn’t here?”

Clark snorted. “Don't say s**t like that. I’m way too attached to you and if you left I’d be broken. I also have abandonment issues, so don’t.” He flashed a thumbs up.

Illiyan smiled. “Don't worry. I’m too attached to you to leave you either.”

“You are?” Clark asked and Illiyan nodded.

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Clark?”

“What is it Illiyan?”

“Can you tell me about your friends?”

He frowned. “My friends, why?”

He shrugged. “When you’re not with me, you’re with them and I just want to know more about the people you spend your time with.”

Clark stared at him for a minute before nodding. “Okay. So, Reece is my best friend. Reece has a sister, Kiera. Kiera is dating Noah, and Kiera’s best friend is Ella. Now, Mitch is Noah’s best friend and Cameron, who recently came home, is Noah’s older brother. I, he and Reece all went to school together. Now you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Why did I find you in the woods all wet?”

“I ran away from home.”

“I know that.”

“Because they beat me. They beat me a lot. They would take their anger out on me and that day, I ran away. I was going to wash up in the clearing, and that, I would have gotten food, but I passed out.”

“They beat you?” he whispered.

Illiyan nodded and Clark blinked a few times before he hugged Illiyan.

“I can’t hug you back,” he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. “|My hands are wet.”

“I don’t care.”

Illiyan raised his trembling arms and held Clark close, burying his face in his neck.

Clark pulled away a little, and he let his hand rest on Illiyan’s face. He leaned in and Illiyan was sure he was going to kiss him. But he kissed his forehead instead.

“Stay with me,” he rasped. “Please, don’t go back to them. Just stay here and once I’m done with the community service I’ll get a job. Just stay with me.”

Illiyan didn’t reply. “Can you help me get out of the bath? I’m getting wrinkly.”

Clark nodded, and he handed Illiyan a towel and turned around. Once he was out of the tub, he hugged Clark.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Clark turned around and hugged him, hiding his face in his chest.

“Get dressed, I’ll be in the room in a minute. I just need to clean up,” Clark said.

Illiyan nodded as he left the small bathroom and went to the bedroom, he changed into some clothes and climbed onto the bed, groaning. He laid down when Clark walked in and got in without a word.

“Clark?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow, I am getting you a new couch.”

“No,” he deadpanned.

“Okay. What about a slightly bigger bed?” The bed they were currently on was a single and they were practically one another, not that Illiyan minded. He liked being close to Clark.

“No.”

“Why?” he whined.

“I’m not using your money,” he deadpanned.

“If you expect me to sleep on the couch when I’m healed, you're getting a new couch.”

Illiyan frowned. If Clark didn’t want his money, then what was he useful for?

Illiyan sighed. “How about I just get you a new house?”

Clark sat up, scowling at Illiyan. Well, he assumed he was scowling, he couldn’t see much.

“You do anything like that and I will castrate you. What don’t you get? I don’t want your money. I want you!” he hissed.

Illiyan froze. “You want me?”

His heart was in his throat. Did Clark feel the same way he felt? Could he take this as Clark telling him he was romantically attracted to him just as he was to Clark?

“Your friendship,” he deadpanned.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Of course. Illiyan nodded as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Why would Clark ever feel the way he felt about him? It didn’t make sense.

“I’m just joking,” Illiyan said, hating how his voice trembled. “You should get some sleep, Clark. You are doing your service tomorrow.”

“I said I’m staying at home with you tomorrow.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ll just wait for you at home. I’ll be fine. You should go.”

“But-”

“Please,” he interrupted. “Just go to work tomorrow. It’s fine.”

After a moment's silence, Clark spoke. “Fine. But the moment you don’t feel good, you ring me and I’ll come straight back.”

Illiyan nodded even though he knew he wouldn’t do that.”

Clark laid back down, and Illiyan smiled to himself when he realised how quickly he fell asleep.

Even if Clark didn’t like him romantically, he still liked him as a friend and what more could he want?

He gently placed his arm over Clark’s torso, and just for tonight, he pretended they were lovers as he fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

~*~