The Afflicted Pretty Boy ~ Book 3 of the Pretty Boy trilogy

Chapter 15

Two nights later, I lay in my own bed, my body aching like I've been hit by the night bus.

It's around half ten when Colin walks into my room and crawls into bed with me. He gives me a weak smile and I slowly raise my arm to let him lay his head on my chest.

We lay there for a moment, before he asks "How are you feeling?" I grunt in response and he scoffs, softly, before kissing my chest, gingerly. After a moment, he asks "Where's Blaise?"

I think for a second, before telling him "Advanced Charms." He gives a short nod and I tell him "He's got Herbology after lunch."

"With you, normally?" I give a weak hum and he asks "Do you want you with the heavy lifting, tomorrow, during your volunteering period?"

I cock an eyebrow at him "I could bench you, right now, no problem!" He gives a doubting look and I ask "What are you? Eight stone?"

He takes a moment, before sigh "Seven..."

I furrow my brow "And what? Five foot two inches?"

He furrows his brow and corrects "Five foot two and a quarter!"

I furrow my brow and remark "You're a few pounds underwear! You can't even lift a bag of potting soil!"

He furrows his brow "Fine, I'll just talk to you and help you do whatever you need to do."

I give him a pleased smile and declare "Then I can tease you during your Herbology class." I narrow my gaze at him "She bakes me sweets, you know?"

He hums, before declaring "I know. Last week was Zucchini bread." I scoff, before he leans forward to give me a peck.

When he rolls out of bed, I give a playful smile "What are you doing?" He motions towards the lavatory and I watch him walk into it.

I take a long moment, before sitting up and grab a cigarette. As I light it, he walks in and remarks "My parents wouldn't like knowing that I'm seeing a smoker."

I stretch out, cracking my whole body in the process. When I'm done, I tell him "I'm a recovering alcoholic. Give me a while, before I drop these, too."

He hums, before I stand up and grab some clothes "Taking a shower?" When I nod, he asks "Are you hungry? I can run and get you something."

I hum, before kissing him softly "Thank you." He smiles and I ask "Have you eaten this morning?"

He shakes his head and tells me "I'm not really a breakfast guy."

I furrow my brow "We've got to fatten you up a little! Get you strong enough to lift a pot!"

He scoffs, before declaring "I can lift a pot, okay?"

I hum in sarcastic disbelief "Sure you can!"

~

As we eat, I can tell something concerns him. Eventually, I frown and ask "What's wrong?"

He sighs and digs into his jacket pocket, which lays on the bed "Dennis gave me a letter, from my parents... and I don't know if I want to open it."

I give a weak smile, before telling him "After my mother died, my father was..." he looks to me in guidance, before I clear my throat and look to my food "Not a nice man... I became his punching bag."

Colin gives me a sorry look, before I tell him "And after the Yule Ball... Parkinson's parents, her, me, and my father, sat down. And when she called me a faggot..."

I chuckle in the awkwardness "We'll, Lucius was out of his chair, so fast that I don't even remember seeing him get up."

I continue on only a moment later "And we rebuilt our relationship, after that." I give a weak smile, before declaring "And I've been a dick to him since I was bit."