{ 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 }

30

Elio had his legs laid across Oliver's lap as he read from his book.

Oliver had been writing on his notebook when he looked up and stared off into the house.

"I uh," He cleared his throat as he closed the book, not bothering to mark the page as he caressed Elio's legs. "I was a spy on the border, trying to get information on the government of the Soviet Union."

Elio lowered his book and sat up, legs still over Oliver as he listened in.

"They had a shortage of spies since they kept getting killed or went missing, so they trained those they thought would be good enough to trust. So I was rookie, really." He sighed. "I was undercover at a small business that had an underground Soviet club. To prove yourself, you boxed."

"Boxed?" Elio frowned and put up his fists. "Like, boxing, fighting?"

"Yeah. It was pretty simple. They liked having an American looking fighter plus, I sucked at Russian so they just liked when I fought." Oliver leaned back onto the couch and looked at Elio. "I was doing really well. I had gotten so much information and I was ready to depart back to the U.S when they caught me stealing papers."

"Did they hurt you?"

Oliver nodded, to which Elio grabbed his hand. "They were a small club, they didn't really know what they were doing but..." He pointed down at his shirt. "All the small torture was still bad. A soldier rescued me but I got shot on my way out."

"Is that the injury you were talking about?" Elio looked around for a wound. "Where is it?"

Oliver pulled down the hem of his jeans slightly, right above his hip, there was a scar. Elio hadn't even noticed it when they bathed together. "It grazed me but I lost a lot of blood."

"And you fell into a coma? You said you were asleep for two months."

"They sedated me. From the torture and the bullet wound, the pain was too much." He sounded ticked off with his next statement. "I didn't want to be sedated but my commander wouldn't listen to me."

"But it's healed!" Elio smiled as he stroke it. "It's just a scar now and that was, what? Three months ago. They did the best job."

"I made you wait." He pulled his shirt down and sighed. "Had I been awake—"

"I prefer that you don't answer my letters and recover than write while pain makes you miserable." Elio smiled and kissed Oliver quickly, fearing his parents would come around the corner of the hallway. "As long as you are okay, I don't care."

Oliver smiled and pulled Elio close. "I'm sorry for keeping you awake last night."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I prefer being woken up to comfort you than keep sleeping in a nightmare."