Not Just Charity

Care

Eve is lying in bed, half asleep, when she hears him enter. She sits bolt upright and wipes the sleep from her eyes. She waits, listening to him pad around the house. When she hears the medicine cabinet open though, she jumps out of bed and creeps to the kitchen. She sees him at the sink, washing red, a lot of it, down the drain.

"SHIT!" She exclaims, making him jump. "Did you murder someone?!?!"

He turns and she goes white with shock. His left cheek has a blooming bruise, there is a gash on his forehead, and his shirt is ripped, revealing a whole lot of blood. She's frozen. Can't move. Can't breathe. "Wha...?" His expression darkens.

"It's nothing." She lets out a strangled laugh.

"Bull shit! No way in hell will that EVER be nothing!!"

"I'm fine! It's not as bad as it looks! Really! Just go back to bed!"

"UHHH, NO! You are not fine, You are bleeding all over the place. You can barely stand. And I am sick and tired of people telling me to SLEEP!" She's waving her arms wildly, freaking out. "So I will stay awake for as long as I damn well please, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! And YOU, will sit your butt in a chair and let me fucking help you!!"

He sighs, but there's a small smile on his lips. He sits at the table and she walks over.

"Show me!" She demands.

"I'm ok!"

"Shut up! No you are not! Show me!" He lifts up his shirt, which was sticking to him from all the blood. She swallows a gasp.

Across his side are three gashes, not too deep, but they are letting out a lot of blood. "What happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't lie to me! I need to know what caused this so I know what I need to do to clean it! So quit trying to be heroic and just fucking tell me!!"

He looks up at her in surprise, but gratefully doesn't tell anymore lies. "It was a broken bottle."

She nods, doesn't ask anymore questions, and sets to cleaning it. When she's done with his side she moves to his forehead, and gives him ice for his cheek.

After he's fully bandaged and all the blood and mess has been cleaned up, they sit at the kitchen table. Him shirtless because his other one was ruined. The silence is heavy. The only sound the clock, ticking away as seconds pass.

Finally Danny breaks the tension.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" She is still pissed with him.

"Sorry for tricking you, and not listening, and going against your wishes."

"Thank you," she replies curtly. "But I'm still mad at you." She gets up to get water.

"I know." He follows her. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" He asks, his face questioning, but his eyes. His eyes have a glint them.

"Uhh... No?" She says hesitantly.

"Really?" He leans in close, placing his hands on either side of her on the counter. "Nothing?" His eyes keep going from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.

Her heart is racing, she's holding her breathe. "Well..."

She doesn't get a chance to finish, because at that moment he brings his mouth to hers. This kiss is different from their last one, deeper. More meaningful. He brings his hands to her hips and lifts her onto the counter. Her hands go to his muscled chest, still wanting to be mad, but not finding the energy. He lifts his hands to her face, his fingers tangling into her hair. She wraps her arms around him, pulling him to her. Wanting to be as close as possible.

SLAM!!!!!

They break apart. "What was that?" Danny asks looking around for the source of the sound.

"My mom's car." Eve says, sliding off the counter.

"Fuck!" He says, running a hand through his hair.

"C'mon!" She says, heading to the bedroom her mom still doesn't know they are sharing. "We should get to bed."

They shut the door just as her mom comes into the house. "Hun?" She asks, "You up?"

Danny's hand closes over her mouth.

"Don't make as sound. She'll know you're in here." They don't move, huddled together in the dark.

"Guess not," her mom says to herself, they listen as she walks around the kitchen, cleaning up her lunch stuff. When they finally hear her bedroom door shut they relax.

"That was close." Danny whispers.

"I'll say."

"You know, you're kinda cute when you're scared!" He smiles.

"Umm, thanks?"

He laughs and pulls her close. "You're welcome!"

They lay there, snuggled against each other. He wraps his arm around her, she rests her head on his chest, and they fall asleep like that. Wrapped in each other's arms.