Free aterovis_bleedinghearts.pm6 by Arlene Chance

here?” I asked him.
    “Your mom let me in. I’ve been sitting here for about an hour. By the way, she had to leave to do some chores.
    She asked me to keep an eye on you, so I did.” He grinned up at me. Gosh, he was cute when he grinned.
    “You need some help getting into the bathroom?”
    “I dunno,” I said, “I think I can handle it. I can walk, you know.”
    He still hadn’t stopped grinning. “Barely. How about 67

    JOSH ATEROVIS
    that?” he asked me, pointing to my crotch. “Think you can handle that?”
    I almost died. There, in all its glory, not hidden at all by my boxers, was my morning wood. I tried to pull my T-shirt down over it, but to my further embarrassment it was still fairly obvious. I glared at Asher and walked off to the bathroom, trying to spare some dignity while he rolled on the floor laughing.
    Thanks to my extreme mortification, it didn’t take long for Mr. Woody to go away. I decided while I was in the bathroom to go ahead and take my bath. Besides, it would make Asher wait that much longer. Maybe he’d go home before I got out. I stripped down and carefully took off the bandages while the water ran. I usually was a shower person, but showers were a little more than I could handle right then. I had to wash carefully around the wound and especially had to keep soap away from it or it stung like crazy, but it was looking much better this morning. I might be able to get the stitches out soon.
    When I came out of the bathroom in just a towel, I was surprised to see Asher reclining on my bed, still reading.
    “Make yourself at home,” I said dryly.
    “Thanks, I will,” he grinned. Man, that grin got to me. “By the way, nice towel.”
    I stuck my tongue out at him and went to get clothes out of my dresser.
    “You really shouldn’t be worried about your body, Kill,” Asher said coming up behind me, “You have a natural definition like your dad. You don’t even need to work out.”
    I blushed. “Um...thanks, Ash,” I mumbled.
    He examined my wound. “It looks a lot better this morning.” he said, running his fingers lightly around it, “Must be my magic touch. Sit down and I’ll put the bandages back on it for you.”
    68

    Bleeding Hearts
    “Oh crap, I left the bandage in the bathroom,” I told him. His closeness was starting to get to me. I still didn’t know what to make of his sudden interest.
    While Asher was getting the bandage from the bathroom, I quickly pulled on my boxers and a pair of jeans.
    “Okay,” he said in a bad Dr. Ruth imitation as he came back in, “Have a seat, the doctor will see you now.”
    I chuckled as I perched on the edge of the bed. I had to admit, I liked having him around. I hadn’t felt this good since before...I felt my face fall with the thought of Seth. How could I be laughing and having fun when Seth had been murdered?
    “You’re thinking about Seth, aren’t you?” Asher asked me, suddenly serious.
    I nodded. Asher pulled the tube of salve out of the basket and squeezed some on to the stitches. “You know,” he said as he worked, “You have to move on eventually. You can’t help it that he was killed, but you don’t have to go around sad all the time either.”
    “I know. And I’m not sad all the time,” I argued, “but it just doesn’t seem right that he could be murdered like that in cold blood and no one is trying harder to catch the killer. I could have been killed too.”
    Asher looked up at me from where he had knelt on the floor. “I know,” he said almost under his breath.
    Then he went on, louder now, “It was just a mugger, Killian. They’ll catch him eventually.”
    “Maybe not just a mugger.”
    Asher looked at me intently, “What do you mean?”
    “What if it wasn’t just a mugger? What if he was murdered on purpose?”
    “Why would anyone kill Seth?”
    “Because he was gay.”
    “Then why would they stab you?”
    I paused for a second, then rushed on, hoping he wouldn’t catch the pause, “Maybe because I was just in 69

    JOSH ATEROVIS
    the wrong place at the wrong