Hide Your Heart

Telling Paul...The Truth Comes Out

When Paul came back to the hospital about an hour later, he found Pat there. "Pat? Did something happen? " 

Pat truthfully told Paul what had happened earlier. "I honestly thought Tom already knew." "I'm sorry, Paul."

"Pat, I'm glad he finally found out. Now maybe he can start healing." "Don't worry about it, okay?"

The two of them sat in the waiting room talking until Gene and Eric showed up with Bruce. They moved to the cafeteria to further discuss the matter. Pat felt bad but was glad tommy now knew. "Maybe he won't be so scared of you now." 

Paul asked him to explain. "Tom's always been scared of relationships, intimacy especially. He's comfortable with kissing and holding hands but not much else. This caused problems between him and Jaime all the time. When we'd tour , I usually offered to share a room with Tom so he would be able to sleep. Jaime often accused us of sleeping together. The most we ever did was share a kiss or two."

"So, Tom doesn't like sex?" asked Eric. "That's definitely not Gene's problem."

"Nor yours. You two make enough noise to raise the dead." smirked Paul.

Bruce rolled his eyes as he sipped his coffee. "It must be an Eric thing." "The other Eric was loud too."

Pat excused himself to go back to check on Tommy. He found Tommy awake and crying still. "Hey, it's okay. Paul knows and isn't mad." "We just discussed that."

Sniffling, Tommy held out his arms to Pat. "I need you to hold me. Please."

Pat climbed into bed with Tommy and wrapped his arms around him. "Sh, you're gonna be okay." "What do you say to a warm shower? I'll be here when you get out."

"C-c-could you s-s-stay in there with me?" "P-p-please?"

Pat agreed to stay in the bathroom but fully clothed. "I don't think it would look right if I came out in just a towel or boxers. " "You don't need that." 

"Okay. That's fine."

Pat got Tommy into the shower before he sat on the sink. He hoped he wouldn't slip or turn the water on by mistake. "So Tommy, the last time I sat on the sink in a bathroom, I fell and landed in the floor. Pete was in the shower and jumped a mile. He nearly had a heart attack. I sat there laughing and he threw water on me. I squealed and ran out, knocking Jef over and landed on top of him. Pete came out and found us that way. Talk about awkward. Not only did was I soaked, Pete was pissed off because I was sprawled atop of his boyfriend."

"Um, Pat, why were you in the bathroom while he was showering?"

"I had been trying to change the light bulb and decided to stay there to annoy him."

Tommy snickered a little before turning off the water and reaching for a towel.