Everyone decided to leave and give Ryan some time to rest, that is except Gale. He stayed behind as the others exited, turning to Ryan once the door was shut.
"We need to redress your wounds and make sure to clean them." He said.
Ryan winced as he realized that the disinfectant would probably hurt quite a lot. Gale finally let go of his hand, and he went to take off the covers shielding Ryan's wounded body. Ryan saw that he was dressed in a long blue T-Shirt and a pair of grey underwear, and that was all.
He blushed at how little he was covered, but realized that the skin that wasn't covered by the shirt was covered in bandages. He sighed as he took off the shirt, wincing as pain filled his body. Gale moved to help him, and soon he had the shirt off and was sitting up comfortably, pillows sitting behind his back, as Gale slowly took off the bandages.
The wounds had slowly started to scab over, and Ryan's eyebrows twitched as a question formed on his lips. "How long was I passed out for?" He asked.
Gale worked diligently to undress the wounds as he replied. "About four days. We were all... we thought you weren't going to wake up."
Ryan looked down at his nasty wounds as he chuckled slightly. "I thought I wasn't going to either."
Gale paused as he took away one of the dressings on Ryan's legs, glancing at Ryan as he slowly removed it. "Let's not do something like that again. If we need something we can go to a convenience store... it's too dangerous to go to crowded zombie areas."
After Ryan's experience with that talking zombie he made no complaint, and nodded in agreement. Once his wounds were undressed Gale fished out the disinfectant, and Ryan flinched at the sight of it.
"No. No no no. On second thought, I can't. That'll hurt too much."
Gale noticed that Ryan's breathing had grown concerning as it picked up, and reached out to grip his hands lightly. "We have too, it would be really bad if they got infected."
"Didn't you guys clean it already when I was passed out? Isn't that enough?" Ryan said as he pouted.
"No, your wounds need to be cleaned at least two times a day." Gale retorted stubbornly.
Ryan's expressions sank to dread and he shook his head in disagreement. "It'll sting so bad! I just can't!"
Gale hesitated before putting down the disinfectant as he opened the bedroom door. Ryan sighed in relief as he disappeared, but groaned in annoyance as he reappeared with Amber.
"No chance! Bringing Amber doesn't change my mind!" Ryan said.
Gale went over to him before bending down to reach Ryan's eye level. "What if Amber disinfects the wounds while I hold your hand? You can squeeze as tightly as you want." He said as he offered out his hand.
Ryan swallowed in an attempt to empty his dry mouth, and hated himself for actually considering the idea. He hated his weak heart. He blushed as he took Gale's hand, nodding as he prepared himself for the pain to come. And oh was it as bad as Ryan thought it was going to be.
The onslaught of pain continued for 5 minutes as Amber diligently cleaned each wound, Ryan squeezing Gale's hand as hard as possible. He felt Gale rub his head, running his fingers through his hair to soothe him. It worked a bit as Ryan stopped squeezing his hand so hard.
The excruciating pain caused tears to spring to Ryan's eyes, and the few water droplets fell across his cheeks. Finally, Amber announced that she was done, and Ryan sagged in relief. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh as he heard the door open and close, most likely Amber leaving.
Ryan felt a hand caress his cheek and wipe off the tears, opening his eyes to see Gale smiling down at him. His smile was heavenly, his full red lips pulled softly to each side. Ryan sniffled a bit, releasing Gale's hand as he relaxed in his position. He didn't want to let go of Gale's hand, but also didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
Gale went to rewrapping his wounds, focusing diligently as he gently wrapped each wound. When he was finished he sat beside Ryan on the bed, comfortable silence encompassing the two. Gale's hands fidgeted as he built up his courage, finally deciding to speak after a few minutes of silence.
"Ryan, I have something to say." Gale said nervously.
Ryan looked at Gale with a peaked interest, but slowly blushed as Gale took his hand into his own. His eyes looked straight into his, and Ryan felt like this was a little too intimate to be something between friends.
"I think I like you Ryan. No wait, that came out wrong. I definitely like you Ryan. Not as friends."
Gale finished in one breath, his nervousness getting the better of himself as he avoided Ryan's eyes.
Silence encompanied the air for a moment, and Gale's curiosity finally won over as he looked back up. He was shocked to see Ryan silently crying, tears streaming down his cheeks. He quickly reached out and wiped his cheeks of the streaming tears.
"I'm sorry. Did you not like that? I won't ever say it again, I'm so sorry." He said in worry.
Ryan shook his head as he grabbed onto Gale's hand, pulling in a shaky breath. "I've always liked you. Ever since I met you. So for you to tell me that you like me..."
Gale realized the meaning of the words, and his entire face grew beat red. He felt happiness swell as he smiled at the words. Gale reached out his hand to cup Ryan's cheek once again, except this time it wasn't to wipe away any tears. He brought his face closer until the two were only a breath apart, pausing as he looked into Ryan's eyes. "Can I?"
Ryan's body shook slightly in anticipation, and he nodded slightly as he breathlessly looked at Gale.
Gale took the small nod as affirmation and slowly met Ryan's pink lips with his own. They both closed their eyes as they enjoyed the blissful feeling. Ryan felt Gale wrap his arms around him, and he did the same as he drew closer to Gale. When Gale left his lips Ryan felt a sense of longing, and pouted as he opened his eyes.
He saw Gale smiling down at him, slowly chuckling as he stared at Ryan's pouting face. Gale lovingly pushed the hair from Ryan's eyes as he gazed down.
"I'm so glad." Gale whispered.
Ryan pushed himself up and pecked Gales lips before he leaned against his strong chest. "Me too."
YOU ARE READING
Dear Diary, Paradise Awaits
Short Story[BxB] It's been 3 years since the zombie apocalypse began, and Ryan has desperately been fighting for his survival. All of his family have already turned. His mom, dad, and even his sister. And now, he was all alone. Things changed however, when Ry...
