I Want To Paint Your Lips

Chapter 9

Delirious faltered when Evan took his seat across the table. It was the first time in the past three days he hadn’t perched on the edge of the furniture. Delirious liked it when he sat there; he was closer and easier to coax into kisses.

With a table in between, it made it far more difficult.

Still, he shook out his concerns and let a smile pull at his features again. “Hello Evan!” He beamed, eyes sparkling. Evan’s stayed on the table as he emptied his bag. He drew out the pills, gathering the correct ones and setting them aside while he retrieved Delirious’ breakfast.

“Good morning,” he said softly, eyes unfocused as he took his place on the edge of the table.

Delirious’ smile wasn’t as big as he swallowed the pills and ate his breakfast in silence. The moment he was done, Evan was returning to his seat on the other side. Delirious frowned, Evan didn’t make eye contact.

“How are you feeling, Del?” he asked, glancing at the man in question but not letting his gaze linger as he packed away the medication. He kept his eyes down and lips firmly closed. He didn’t smile.

Delirious’ brows furrowed. “What’s wrong, Evan?” he asked, firm and direct. The man didn’t react, zipping up his bag. “Did someone do something? Did someone hurt you?” The schizophrenic’s thoughts churned at the thought of someone laying a hand on Evan with ill intent. He felt his chest bubble.

“No, no, of course not. Nothing’s wrong, I’m just feeling a bit tired today,” the Asian man laughed and Delirious scrunched his nose up at the obvious lie. He didn’t say anything and shrunk back into his shell for the five minutes that Evan hung around for. When he was gone, Delirious was left by himself with frowning lips.

He sighed heavily.

The voices were back.

Evan sat down heavily in his seat, Tyler watching him with concern etched lightly into his frown. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Evan just groaned loudly, lightly dropping his head on the table.

Exhaustion was eating him up from inside his chest and filled his body with unbearable lead. He was just so goddamn tired. “I can’t sleep,” he muttered to the tabletop, closing his eyes tightly. “I can’t eat. I can’t think. I can’t function.”

“Is it Delirious?” Tyler asked and Evan raised his head a touch, glaring at him.

“No it is not!” he defended, insulted that he’d assumed he was getting so worked up about his patient. Tyler didn’t say anything, and Evan huffed a sigh. “Okay so maybe it is Delirious, what am I supposed to do about it?” Tyler chuckled. “It’s not funny!”

His friend watched him, head on his hand. “What’s wrong? Just talk to me.”

Always knew what to say.

“I want to kiss him,” he started simply, not caring to filter his thoughts or words as he tried to express himself. Tyler wouldn’t care. “I want him to kiss me. I love it when he kisses me. I want to let him out so he can hold me and kiss me and bite me. But I fucking can’t.”

Tyler shrugged. “Why not?”

Evan lifted his gaze, sitting back in his chair and staring at Tyler. “Because I’m getting too attached and then he’ll get too attached and he won’t understand why I won’t kiss him because he doesn’t understand that I shouldn’t. It’s not just kissing. It’s never just one cigarette when you crave it in every spare moment. It’s an addiction.”

Brian appeared behind Tyler, plonking himself down and grinning between them. “What’s an addiction?”

“Delirious’ kissing apparently.”