Top and Tail [boyxboy] [slash]

Chapter 16: Kiss It Better

Monday was a new day. It was the stereotypical routine; wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to school. But this time, it felt like there was some sort of presence in the house. Almost as though a ghost was shadowing us, reminding us all exactly why Jay was boarding with us. Reminding us about Linda, lying breathless in a firm white hospital bed with a steady drip attached to her arm. Reminding us it was all real.

And it was scary.

But I shook that thought away as Jay gently closed the door behind him and locked it with his very own house keys. My mum had decided that Jay would probably need his own pair in case he and I went out with other friends. Even though the only time we ever left the house was with each other...

"Um, you ready?" Jay questioned, his voice shaking slightly. Despite his best efforts, he was still visibly shaken after the visit on Sunday night. Due to the fact that he was always abnormally shy and uncomfortable around my parents, they hadn't really noticed the subtle differences in his behaviour. But I did. Sure they were small differences, just a slight twitch when something reminded him of her, a jerk of the knees when they mentioned her name, but they were there all right. They were there.

I nodded, my lips a thin line like a pencil scratch. "Yeah."

We walked in silence after that, my hand itching to reach out and take Jay's in my own like we had on our first –and only– date. So far we'd only come out to Linda, and even then it was an awkward encounter. My knees still quaked when I even thought about coming out to the rest of the world. Including my parents. Especially my parents.

Throughout the journey, I felt a funny scratching feeling at the back of my throat. Just a scrabble at first, like an insect lightly clawing at a window, but it soon developed into an irritating scraping sensation. A cough bubbled up in my throat and I winced, not enjoying the more than mild pain it caused. Jay noticed and his forehead creased with worry.

"Are you ok Ash?" he asked, grabbing my hand to stop me walking any further. A faint blush tainted my cheeks, but it probably wasn't distinguishable from the heated flush dominating my face. The bottom section of my face felt blocked up.

"Ugh," I moaned, my voice sounded clogged up. "I think I've got a cold..."

But the thick snot strangled my words and they came out sounding more like, "A fink a've got cowld."

Still frowning in concern Jay reached a hand up to my forehead, his cool palm a sharp contrast with my warm now sweating forehead.

"Well..." he said, talking slowly as though deliberating what was wrong. "I'm not a doctor, but I think your diagnosis is correct."

I let out a muggy sort of chuckle. "Cheers for that Jay. Could never have figured that one out."

"Well then, be glad I'm here to help," he teased, winding the woolly red scarf around both of our necks. I felt incredibly self-conscious (and incredibly stupid) as we walked through the park, a picture of the perfect couple. Aside from the fact that we were both guys, that is. Jay walked beside me, fighting to keep the girlish blush off his face and failing miserably. We were a sight to behold; two teenage boys connected by the ridiculously bright scarf wound round our necks, one tall, tidy and grinning, the other scruffy, snivelling and coughing.

"If anyone sees us I'll bloody kill you," I warned, much to Jay's amusement. But the threat was somewhat compromised by the fact I was unable to form an intelligible sentence because of that stupid, fucking cold.

"Ok," Jay replied happily, still grinning obliviously.

"Idiot," I mumbled, hiding my humiliated scowl under my shaggy somewhat fringe. Jay simply kept walking, smiling like a teenage girl and clutching my hand in his.