Hide Your Heart

Arriving

Finally the plane touched down in Madrid. Paul waited until everyone has gotten off so he could carry Tommy off. One of the stewardesses brought a wheelchair while a porter loaded their in plane bags onto a cart. Paul was worried since Tommy hadn't woken up yet.

He wheeled Tommy into the terminal and parked him in a quiet corner. The airport manager offered to watch him while Paul retrieved the rest of the bags. When he got back, a cab was waiting. 

Somehow he managed to get Tommy to the hotel and everything unloaded before his husband woke up. "Paul? Are we still flying?"

"No, we're at the hotel." "Are you able to head up to the room?"

"I think so."

Tommy stood up slowly and managed to walk to the elevator. He actually hated them but he was too weak to walk upstairs.

Paul asked the porter to bring the bags up in about ten minutes so he would have time to help Tommy to the room. "Come on, sweetheart, you can do this. Hold on to me."

Tommy held on tightly and kept his eyes closed. "Paul, I think I should have stayed at home." he whispered. "I feel horrible!"

Paul kissed him on the cheek and replied, "Just rest the rest of the day. We can see how you feel tomorrow."

Tommy groaned as the elevator came to a stop. "Paul, I gotta throw up."

Paul found an open room and quickly took Tommy to it. Since it wasn't their room, he cleaned up the puke afterwards. "We're just down the hall. Come on."

Tommy passed out on the bed as the luggage arrived. Paul took his shoes and jacket off, put them on the chair and started undressing his husband. He saw how thin Tommy was and the fresh bandages on his arms. "Damn him!" hissed Paul. "If I didn't know any better I'd say he's doing this to punish himself."

Leaving Tommy in his briefs and a t-shirt, Paul covered him up and started unpacking. His stuff took up half the closet and three drawers plus half the bathroom. Tommy had brought one big suitcase and a small carry-on. 

Paul debated unpacking Tommy's stuff or leaving it for later. He wondered if Tommy had brought anything he needed to be worried about. He gave in and opened the smaller one. All Tommy had in there was a few changes of clothes and some books. 

"Well, I guess that goes in the dresser drawer. " said Paul. He went to unpack the bigger one. That's when he found the opened letters from the ex. Taking them into the bathroom, he read all of them. "That fucking son of a bitch!" he snarled. "Now I know why Tom's been so upset!"

Jaime had sent Tommy pictures of the wedding and honeymoon along with pictures of the first sonogram of his just born baby. Remembering how happy Tommy had been when he thought Jaime couldn't father children, Paul felt his heart break. "My poor Tommy. He's been so upset that he's hurting himself to ease the pain."

Paul laid down and pulled Tommy close, kissing all the scars and fresh wounds. "I will never do that to you. I swear."

In his sleep, Tommy turned over and almost fell off the bed. Paul held him close as he slept.