AN: This chapter was originally going to be longer, but it felt like it naturally ended here. The next couple chapters will probably be this length and I don't know if I'll be able to update until Friday, so no chapter tomorrow. :( Sorry, but enjoy this!!
Ian and David woke up the next morning earlier than they normally would to flush the rest of Ian's morphine away before the rest of his family woke up. "Ian, tell me where you keep your pills, this way I can be sure it's all gone." David suggested with a stretch. Ian remembered the horrible nightmarish versions of his friends from last night as he handed over the bag he had hidden under his pillow. As he did it though he remembered what they had said. That it was his fault they died; while he knew this was impossible, he couldn't seem to push the thought out of his mind. Even if it wasn't his fault, last night wasn't the proper goodbye he wanted. Ian wanted something he could look back on years from now on the anniversary of the car accident that would give him reassurance that even after they died they still were there for Ian. That he did get to say goodbye to them, rather than receive a teary phone call from Anthony's mom saying that he needed to get to the hospital quickly.
David reached out and took the bag Ian handed him, then followed the instructions Ian gave him around the room, pulling little bags of pills from all sorts of drawers and cubbies in the room. "That's all of it," Ian replied as he stood up to walk to the bathroom. Before he made two steps David had him entrapped in a tight, reassuring hug.
"I know this isn't easy, but you're doing a really good job of staying strong.' David said into Ian's chest before separating and looking into Ian's eyes, "Thank you." He walked with Ian into the bathroom, carefully locked the door, and opened a bag of pills.
Ian grabbed the opened bag and dumped. The entire time he poured the pills out he tried to not thing of Matt and Anthony. It felt like he was dumping their friendship along with the pills. He gasped as the last pill dove into the water. He felt like he was going to start hyperventilating, his breaths were growing shorter and more difficult to take. David saw Ian slipping and reacted quickly; he stepped between Ian and the toilet so Ian couldn't watch the pills spiral away. He rested one hand on Ian's shoulder and the other on his chest. Not only was this meant to relax him, but also hold him back from jumping to save the pills.
Ian warmed to David's touch, but the moment he heard the flush his eyes grew wide and he crumbled to the floor, almost in tears. Anthony and Matt were really gone now, he couldn't just ask Mari for more pills, it had been two days since he got the ones that were now gone. David offered a hand down to Ian; Ian accepted, but rather than help him up David held his and crawled up next to him. While Ian was glad he had David to help his through this he still couldn't help but feel like he did nothing to deserve him. So many other people would be worthy of David and be able to give him the sober love he should have. All David would get out of Ian was a broken vase that would need to be painstakingly glued back together.
David just continued to try and relax Ian, who was still breathing heavily. David moved in front of Ian and pulled him into a soft, short kiss. This pulled Ian back to reality; he realized his parents would be awake soon and they had no idea that David had even spent the night. They quickly walked down the stairs and to the door. Ian and David shared another short kiss, but after they parted Ian held onto him for a few seconds to whisper "Thank you; for being here for me," before letting him go home to get dressed and ready for his first day of school. Ian returned to his room and quickly got dressed before returning down stairs to see his mother groggily spreading cream cheese on a bagel for Ian's breakfast.
"Thanks mom," Ian said before taking a bite, "you didn't have to make me breakfast; I was just going to grab a Poptart."
Before she could reply Ian saw David's car pull up from the corner of his eye. He waved as he hurried out the door. Once inside the car he felt like all the pain of last night and this morning felt like it was a distant memory. Ian promised himself that he'd do his best to be a person David deserved, no matter how hard it would be. He buckled up and leaned over to give David a peck on the cheek, his hand teasingly running across David's crotch.
David felt himself growing red as he pulled away and turn a corner as his pants grew slightly tighter.
