Page 132 of Hurt

Grant extended his bloody hand into the darkness and stroked that beast’s maw. He cooed to it gently, coaxing it from its cage and offering it freedom.

He would sacrifice his soul at the altar of this monster if it meant getting Kurt back.

With streaks of blood running across his face like war paint, he looked over at his brother with eyes that were unfamiliar.

The monster was loose.

“What’s a romantic way to say, ‘Daddy, please bend me over the table and spell my name with your tongue on my ass?’” Jamie asked from the couch. His lips were pursed, and eyebrows furrowed as he bent over his laptop.

“Jamie,” Noah inhaled then exhaled, “what. The. Fuck.”

He stared at him from where he was picking at soggy cereal at the kitchen table. The milk had gone warm and the flakes of whatever bargain brand box Elijah bought had congealed together. No longer appetizing, Noah found himself poking at rather than finishing it.

“Sorry, I forgot you were a virgin. I’ll ask someone with experience.”

Noah flung his spoon across the room. Milk splattered as it thunked into Jamie’s shoulder.

“Elijah! Noah is playing with his food!!” Jamie shouted, his shrill voice carrying through the apartment.

Noah carried his bowl, sans spoon, to the sink and dumped its mushy contents before rinsing everything and setting it in the dishwasher.

Things had been awkward these last couple of days. No matter how hard he tried, every time he looked at Elijah all he could see was that night on the roof. The rejection still stung.

Noah had never wanted to kiss anyone before. He had found some classmates attractive, enough to know that his sexuality was definitely not linear. But going so far as to kiss anyone? No. He had never had the desire. To kiss someone meant getting close to them, opening yourself up enough to let them in your space.

No one was brave enough to get in the heir of White Sand Mesa’s space. Not with the vicious Elliott reputation following him like a shadow. They didn’t look close enough to see that he was just as scared of it as they were.

But Elijah did.

Even with his lack of experience, Noah knew there was a moment between them. A heated tension that they were both leaning into. Elijah had wanted to kiss him.

Didn’t he?

Noah had stormed down from the roof ready to flee. To do what he did best—disappear into the ether. But with his hand on the doorknob, he realized he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave Elijah. Not like this. Not when his heart wanted so badly to stay.

The only time Noah had ever felt like this was when Luther was taking him away from Kurt and Willow the first time. His heart had ached to turn around. To see his family one more time.

It was a similar feeling, but not the same. Not quite.

More than just wanting to hide from his uncle, or protect Elijah, it was a simple desire just to be beside him. Like a plant getting nutrition from the sun, he was turning his leaves toward Elijah and basking in the nourishment he got just from being close.

Dropping his head, he tried not to analyze that feeling too much. He thought the first time he fell for someone it would be terrifying. A harrowing fall with no parachute, but it wasn’t. Scary, to be sure, but the kind of fear you felt on a roller coaster. The tingle of anxiety only added to the anticipation. You had to fall to enjoy the drop.

Elijah walked in from the bedroom. He was smoothing his crisp white shirt with his hands. “Stop yelling. We have neighbors,” he chided Jamie.

“Oh good, you’re here. Elijah, quick, I need some help with this.” He hefted the laptop and gleefully padded over to where both men were standing in the small kitchen.

“I need you to read this and let me know how accurate it is.”

Elijah took the laptop and read several lines before recoiling in disgust. “Jamie! What is this?”

“You should know better than to read what he writes,” Noah groused from the sink.

“You talk a lot of shit for someone who is homeless,” Jamie responded with a pleasant smile at Noah.

Jamie ignored the middle fingers pointed his way.

“It’s the climactic sex scene between Patton and Rommel. My readers have been waiting 116,790 words for this.”