Thin Ice (M/M Transmigration)

Chapter 10

"It wasn't your fault," Cale said, four hours later when his mouth was starting to work again. His voice was low and coarse, and he immediately sipped some water from the glass on his bedside table as soon as he finished speaking. Cale didn't pretend to be an expert on romantic relationships, but he thought that something this serious — he could have died — needed to be discussed as soon as possible.

Julius looked up from his book, "What?" He frowned at Cale, his cold eyes once more looking him over. Then he asked, "Do you even know what happened?"

Cale shrugged. Wincing at the pain that accompanied the movement, he said, "No. But I know you had nothing to do with it. And it most certainly wasn't your fault I was hurt."

"Sayer cracked the seal," Julius stated. He put the thick tome down on the bed next to Cale's curled up legs and forcefully scooted the chair closer toward Cale. Picking up Cale's hand, Julius squeezed it tightly. "Sayer cracked the seal," he said again. His eyes flickered down to Cale's hands. Julius gulped and said, "The seal cracked and the Fire Spirit was just... there. Suddenly." Julius paused before he hissed out, "And Sayer wanted to talk to the damn thing."

"I thought the Fire Spirit was asleep?" Cale asked. It was the only thing he could think of to say to that.

Julius breathed out a half-baked laugh, "It was. That's the only reason you're not dead right now, Calla." Looking up, Julius intense green eyes stared right at Cale's. "The Spirit was asleep and Sayer wanted to wake the thing up to talk to it. To befriend it."

Taking a sip of water again, Cale licked his lips before he asked, "How do you know this?"

"I was there."

Cale swallowed another sip. Furrowing his eyebrows, his eyes swept over Julius. Carefully, he checked him over to make sure that he wasn't hurt. He had already done this, but there might be something he had missed. Humming a little, he leaned back against the pillows behind his back and asked, "Does Sayer know?"

"He's the one that dragged me there," Julius said. His fingers swept over the skin on the back of Cale's hand and left fire in their wake. Julius continued, "Him and his posse. They wanted to stop the Spirit from destroying the school."

Cale smiled, "Didn't you used to be a part of that posse?"

"I was an idiot," Julius scoffed. He moved over to sit on the bed next to Cale. Settling in with his back against the pillows, Cale moved over closer to the wall in order to make room for him. Their sides pressed against each other as Julius once more picked up Cale's hand and gripped it. He interlocked their fingers and leaned his head against Cale's shoulder. It couldn't possibly be comfortable for him but Cale didn't say anything.

Instead, he burrowed deeper into the pillows and said, "You're not an idiot."

"Not now. But I was. Before you," Julius whispered into Cale's nightwear.

"You can't pin it all on me," Cale breathed out. "You're smart, sooner or later you were always gonna realize that Sayer is—"

"A shortsighted fool?"

"I was going to say, a person who is very eager to prove himself."

Cale felt Julius humming. "Regardless, it doesn't matter. Sayer almost killed you. He's lucky if I don't punch him the next time I see him."

"Punch?" Cale coughed out a laugh and sipped more water for his sore throat. All this talking was disagreeing with him. "You're really gonna punch him? No, wait, I can absolutely see you doing that."

Julius raised his head and stared straight at Cale. Cale turned his head toward Julius and rose a pale eyebrow. "What?"

"Can I kiss you?" Julius asked, his eyes serious. Cale blinked at him. His eyes glanced over the rest of his room before he turned his focus back on Julius. He licked his lips. Even that small movement was painful. Turning his head hurt. Hell, he still had a headache, despite the painkillers he had taken. What he wanted, most of all, was to just sit here and feel the warmth of another person by his side.