Eternity - 11. Chapter Eleven

"Kyle?" Jared asked, stirring slightly in Kyle's arms.

"I'm right here babe," Kyle said, squeezing slightly to reassure Jared.

"Have you been here the entire time I've been sleeping?"

"Yeah, was just doing some thinking."

"About?"

"Everything that's happened; what you told me after the nightmare, that kind of stuff. You're going to have to talk to the police again," Kyle said apologetically, giving voice to the thoughts in his head.

"I already kind of figured that one out," Jared said, the dread that he was feeling showing clearly in his voice. "Kyle, I can't say that I'm looking forward to talking to the police again, but I'll do it because I have to. I don't want to keep reliving that night, but I have to if there's ever going to be a chance to catch whoever keeps coming after me. If they don't catch this person, then there's no telling what they'll try next."

"I know that Jared, honestly I do, but I don't want you to have to go through that. You've already talked to them and I just wish you didn't have to do it again."

"I know that, but again, I'll do what I have to do. Kyle, don't worry so much, I'll be able to handle it."

"You mean we'll handle it," Kyle said, placing a kiss on Jared's forehead. "I'm not letting you go through this alone; I'm going to be there every step of the way."

"I know you will be and that's one of the main reasons I know I will be able to do this. On top of that, we need to get Matt out of jail. He took away his freedom to give you yours and I can't let him sit in there any longer than necessary."

"I know. God I feel so stupid, I've known Matt forever! How could I have possibly believed that he was capable of something like that? He's never going to forgive me."

"Yeah, he will, don't sell him short Kyle. I'm sure he understands why you said the things you did. If it hadn't been for the facts that I know the hands were too small and the build was smaller, I would have thought Matt too."

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to be his best friend, Jared; best friends don't just accuse without proof."

"We all make mistakes, as long as you're willing to admit that you made a mistake then I'm sure you'll be forgiven."

"Let's just hope that's the case."

"I'm sure it will be babe, now how about helping me out of this bed and into the tub?"

"No prob," Kyle said, slowly unwrapping his arms from around Jared and sliding off the bed. "Why don't I go get the water running and then we'll get you out of bed?"

"Kyle, I'm not an invalid. I just need help getting untangled here," Jared said laughing. "I'm capable of running the bathwater."

"I know, but I thought maybe I'd join ya," Kyle said as he winked before heading into the bathroom.

Jared's mind was suddenly filled with images of Kyle's departing shot. He could remember both of them squished in the too small tub and despite how much he wanted Kyle in there with him, he didn't know if he could handle being squished like that. His body still ached so much and being scrunched up probably wouldn't help at all. Jared waited until Kyle came back into the room to say anything.

"You ready?" Kyle asked, walking out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, but Kyle, don't take this the wrong way, but I think I should take a bath by myself," Jared said, uncertain as to how Kyle would take the comment.

"Why's that?"

"It's just that, well... that tub really isn't big enough for the both of us. Well, it is, but I still hurt and I think both of us cramming ourselves into the tub may make it worse."

"Well, if you want to take one by yourself then that's fine, but maybe you should wait to make a decision until you're actually in the bathroom," Kyle said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"What do you know that I don't?"

"Nothing."

"Liar," Jared said laughing. "Obviously there is something that you know that I don't."

"Yeah, well, you'll just have to see; now c'mon, the water is running."

Jared just shook his head as he climbed out of the bed with Kyle's help. He didn't know what Kyle had up his sleeve this time, but he was sure that he would find out soon enough. Walking into the master bath a minute later, Jared knew why Kyle had acted the way he had. The bathroom had been redone since Jared had lived there last and it now held a Jacuzzi style tub, certainly big enough for the two of them to sit in comfortably.

"When did you have this done?"

"Shortly after I bought the complex. Since I owned it I could do whatever I wanted to it, and even with just me, the other tub was just way too small."

"That it was, but you still didn't need one that big," Jared commented.

"Yeah well, I was hoping that sometime I'd have someone to share it with," Kyle said, smiling softly.

"I'm sorry that you haven't had someone sooner babe," Jared said softly, reaching a hand up to gently cup Kyle's cheek.

"Me too, but there's only been one person that I really wanted to share the bed and tub with, it just took me a little while to realize it."

"I don't plan on letting you forget any time soon either."

"You better not," Kyle said chuckling. "Now that I have you back in my life I have no desire to let you go anytime soon."

"Anytime soon?"

"Okay fine, I don't plan to ever let you go, but if you ever decide that I'm not what you want then there's nothing that I can really do to change your mind, now is there," Kyle said, trying his best to disguise the pain that the thought brought him.

"Kyle, I'm not going anywhere, I promise you that. Two years ago I was an idiot, I freely admit that, but it's different now, I'm different."

"I know that Jared, but it is still kind of a shock to be standing here with you. I couldn't be happier right now, but I thought we were happy before and then..." Kyle said, trailing off.

"And then I walked out without any kind of explanation," Jared finished for him. Jared wished that they didn't have this facet of their relationship that they had to deal with, but they did and nothing could change that. Jared hoped that in time Kyle would be reassured that Jared wasn't going to leave again, but he knew that it was a ways down the road.

"Yeah, pretty much," Kyle said, knowing that it was unfair to bring it up. He could see the pain in Jared's eyes, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't just right up and believe that he wasn't going to end up alone again.

"It's okay Kyle, I would probably be feeling the same way if I was in your shoes right now. I should have talked to you back then about what was bothering me, but I was scared. I knew that you'd stick by me, that wasn't even in question, but I didn't want you to have to deal with it. I didn't want to have to keep hiding you from my parents, but I also didn't want you to have to deal with the wrath of them either."

Kyle and Jared had both tuned out the sound of running water and didn't become aware of it again until they felt the water hit their ankles. Looking down, Kyle realized that they had a small flood on their hands and reached over and quickly turned off the facets. With an apologetic look at Jared for their conversation being interrupted, Kyle quickly slipped out of the bathroom and came back with a handful of towels. Spreading them out on the floor he began soaking up the water before going back over to the tub and reaching in to pull the plug, draining a couple inches of water out.

"Well, I guess that means our bath is ready," Jared said with a chuckle.

"Yeah Mr. Funny Man, I guess it does. Be careful!" Kyle hollered as Jared started moving around in the bathroom, his feet slipping slightly on the wet towels. "Would you please sit down before you hurt yourself?"

"Kyle, I repeat what I said earlier, I am not an invalid and I'd appreciate it if you stopped treating me like I am," Jared said, getting slightly frustrated.

"I'm not trying to treat you like an invalid, Jared; I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"I know that, neither do I, trust me, it is far from fun. I know that there are some things that I can't do, but for the most part I can, walking around the bathroom is one of those things that I can do."

"I'm sorry Jared," Kyle said his eyes downcast.

"I know that you're worried about me," Jared said, making his way slowly over to Kyle. "Kyle, you don't need to worry about me every second of the day though. Even if I had slipped, it wouldn't have been a big deal, people slip on wet floors all the time."

"I know, but most people haven't just come home from the hospital either."

"I understand that, and you've got a point, but if I thought I was in danger of falling I would have said something or I would have sat down, I don't need someone telling me what to do Kyle," Jared said, anger creeping into his voice. "I have to learn my own limits; you can't do that for me Kyle, as much as you might wish you could. Now, are we going to take our bath or just let the water get cold?"

"I uhh.. I think I'll leave you to take your bath in peace, let you ‘learn your limits' as you call it," Kyle said, turning and walking out of the bathroom without another word.

Jared watched Kyle's back as he left and then sat down on the edge of the tub as he felt the first sting of tears. He didn't know exactly what had just happened except that maybe he had overreacted just a bit. Pulling his shirt gradually over his head, he winced as the move caused his stitches to pull slightly. He stood up and managed to wiggle out of his sweats and boxers without pulling too much on the stitches. It was then that he realized he had a problem. He couldn't get his stitches wet and didn't know if Kyle had anything in the apartment to cover them with. Biting his lip he stood back up and checked the medicine cabinet. He must have been lucky because sitting on one of the shelves was some waterproof bandages and some water proof tape. He had just started covering his stitches when he realized that he had the second problem of not being able to see if there were any gaps. He finally had to give in and call to Kyle for help.

"Kyle?? Can you come in here and help me for a minute?" Jared hollered.

"I thought you could do it yourself," Kyle hollered back, not making an appearance in the bathroom.

"Fine," Jared mumbled, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut. Hoping that he got all the gaps covered, Jared started climbing in the tub when Kyle finally walked into the bathroom.

"What did you need help with?"

"Never mind, I got it, I think," Jared grumbled, starting to sink lower into the tub. Right as the bandage started hitting the water, the edge came up and Jared swore.

"What?" Kyle asked, worry quickly setting into his features.

"Just this damn bandage, I can't get all the gaps closed."

"Well, why didn't you just ask me to help?"

"I tried that, you didn't wanna come help, remember."

"You should have known that I would come in Jared."

"Yeah, well, I didn't, now did I, so I did it by myself. Fat lotta good that did me though, it's not tight enough."

"Get up here on the edge of the tub and I'll fix it for you."

"Well I wouldn't want to bother you," Jared said, still a little pissy at the way that Kyle had answered him.

"Jared? Do we really have to fight about this?"

Jared sighed as he thought about it, then wondered exactly what it was that they were arguing about. The more he thought about it, the more childish it all seemed to him. He levered himself back out of the tub, perching on the edge.

"I'm sorry Kyle, I didn't mean to be snappy with you, it's just frustrating, ya know? There are so few things that I am actually allowed to do," Jared said, almost spitting out the words. "It's just gonna drive me nuts knowing that I have to have help with so much."

"I know it is babe, and I'm sorry I'm so overprotective right now, but Jared, it scared me when I found you laying there at the bottom of those stairs. I thought I'd lost you and yet at the same time I couldn't lose what wasn't mine, so it made it that much worse."

"Kyle, I know that you want to protect me and that you only said anything because you care, but I've been being told what I can and can't do for a while now, ever since I woke up, it just gets tiring. I know that I overreacted to it, can we forget it?"

"Yeah babe, we can forget it," Kyle said, leaning down to press his lips gently against Jared's. "I understand what you're saying and I'll try to do better, K?"

"Don't worry about it; now, how about we fix this bandage and then you get your ass in here with me?"

"I think we can handle that," Kyle said, grabbing a towel and the bandaging stuff. "You didn't get the stitches wet, did you?"

"No, I stopped as soon as I realized the bandage wasn't tight enough, trust me, they are perfectly dry."

Kyle made quick work of getting the bandage on so that no water could seep through and then pulled his shirt over his head. He wouldn't have thought anything of it had he not heard Jared's breath hiss out between his teeth. Looking up Kyle found Jared's eyes riveted on his naked chest and smiled slightly. At least he still knew that Jared found him attractive. Kyle watched as Jared's eyes traveled up the expanse of naked flesh, over his throat, his chin, his lips, his nose, and then finally met his own eyes. Reflected deep in those liquid pools was a hunger that Kyle hadn't seen for a long while; a hunger that he was sure was reflected in his own eyes.

Kyle tried his best to keep his eyes from roaming over Jared's body as he perched on the edge of the tub. Finally he ended up giving in and let his eyes roam, slowly moving down, bit by bit, until he came to where Jared lay hard between his legs. Kyle felt himself plumping up and could hardly bear the restriction of his jeans. He began to rethink the idea of the tub because he wasn't sure that he would be able to keep his hands off the man. Two years of celibacy tended to wear down a man's resolve and having a naked man who Kyle loved sitting in his bathroom didn't help matters.

"Kyle?" Jared asked, watching as Kyle took a step back, a step closer to the door.

"What?" Kyle choked out.

"Where you going?"

"Ummm, I can't... Jared, I can't..."

"You can't what babe?" Jared said, standing up from where he sat and walking towards Kyle.

"I can't be around without wanting..." Kyle said, knowing that it was impossible yet almost unable to stop himself. "Jared, I have no willpower, none at all."

"Babe, it's natural, we've been apart for a long time. Neither of us has been with anyone else during that time. We won't do anything because we can't, but that doesn't mean that we can't want it."

"I just.. I just don't trust myself right now Jared."

"Then trust me. I don't want to stop any more than you do, but if we make love like we both want, it could make it so that we have to wait even longer. Please," Jared said, holding out his hand in invitation, "bathe with me?"

"I don't know if..."

"Kyle, I promise, I won't let it happen until the week is up, but after that I make no guarantees that I won't jump you," Jared said, trying to throw a little humor into the situation.

"Aw, damn Jared, did you have to bring that image to mind?"

"Sorry babe, now into the tub," Jared said, reaching down to unsnap Kyle's jeans and lower the zipper. He watched as Kyle slid out of them and felt his breath catch again. As far as he was concerned the man in front of him was downright gorgeous. Remembering his promise, Jared reached out and took Kyle's hand, walking with him to the tub. He waited until Kyle was settled before climbing in himself, settling between Kyle's legs and resting back against him. Jared felt completely content for the first time in two years when Kyle slid his arms around him and held Jared against him.