I WILL FIND YOU.

Chapter 60: Morning

"Ugh..."

Minda lay limp in Kai's embrace groaning the moment he woke up. His body ached and he couldn't move even one finger. The pain wasn't a completely foreign feeling. He had suffered aches and pains in the past. The only new one was the one in a place he didn't want to talk about. He also had a pounding mind-numbing headache and felt nauseous.

Kai obviously noticed and wanted to help him. Thinking some water would help he moved to get some.

"Stop..." Minda sobbed the moment he did. Kai immediately froze.

"Tell me where it hurts."

"Everywhere." Minda said in an incredibly pitiful voice that stabbed at Kai's heart.

"Drink some water. You'll feel better." Kai suggested. He then tried to move again but Minda dug his nails into Kai's bare chest.

"Don't move." Minda demanded again. Every time Kai moved Minda felt his entire body scream out in pain.

"Okay, tell me what you need." Kai said as he lay perfectly still.

"... Will it always feel this terrible after making love?" Minda asked after a long moment of silence. Kai expected this question but still felt hurt when Minda asked him.

"It's the alcohol." Kai said with shifty eyes.

"The alcohol?"

"If you didn't drink so much wine you wouldn't be in pain like this." Kai said. He knew it was deceitful but he had decided to blame any pain or discomfort Minda might feel on the wine.

"Really? I understand how my nausea might be because of the wine by how can wine cause my headache?" Minda asked doubtfully.

"It's difficult to say exactly why but everyone experiences headaches if they drink a lot."

"You also drank wine. Does your head hurt?" Minda suspiciously asked.

"Yes." Kai immediately said. Minda had his doubts.

"Kai, be honest. My body hurts because of making love, right?"

"No. It's definitely because of the alcohol." Kai insisted.

"Really?"

"Yes. You drank too much and now you're body is suffering the consequences."

"What about the pain in my legs?"

"Definitely because of the wine."

"In my back?"

"Absolutely."

"Even my arms?"

"All of it."

"It's hard to believe the pain back there is because of drinking wine." Minda said.

"That might be a tiny bit because of making love."

"Only a tiny bit?"

"Yes, a very tiny bit."

"Will it always hurt like this?"

"Think of it like when you first started to ride a horse. It might leave you sore but that discomfort will fade the more we do it." Kai said.

"This hurts a lot more than riding a horse." Minda muttered.

"It's the alcohol. It makes everything worse." Kai continued to insist. Minda still had his doubts but tried to believe Kai about the wine.

...

They continued to lay in bed unmoving for a long time. Minda felt nauseous and Kai was careful not to move too much. But wanting to help, he slowly and carefully moved his hands and gently began to massage Minda's back.