My Heart | Book 4 of My Bodyguard

Chapter 5 | Orange

Julian POV

Irys watched Geralt's hands, trusting him enough to not watch him in his eyes. It was strange, this trust he had in a man he had not fully met before. He did a few times, sneaking out or accidentally going ahead and having an attack like, well, what caused these. 

He looked to Geralt's face for a split second, mainly to make sure that the other man was okay with what he was doing and what was happening. He saw nothing but an open Geralt which was strange, not often he saw that.

Irys stopped staring at Geralt's face no need to freak the poor man out. Instead, he looked to what Geralt was going and watched, taking in what he was doing. When Geralt put the towel to the side though he knew what was coming. He moved his hands, allowing them to conjoin in the air, lightly pressing against his upper abdomen as he looked down, watching what Geralt was going to do.

He held in a hiss, fingers nervously playing with each other as he watched the ointment being applied, it seems to sting more but also not as harsh as he knew what was happening instead of being pulled away from his thoughts to a painful feeling. 

The sting thankfully was just that, a sting and that was it. He gave a small flick of his fingers one last time before he parted his hands, the sting not making him want to distract himself anymore. He watched as Geralt finished it up and moves, standing up. 

Was he going to leave him here? Could he maybe ask fro that orange now? He really felt like one. He could get it himself but then again he wanted to make Geralt aware of what was happening in the household, after all, it was his house.

He looked to Geralt as he came back and received a nod, he felt the corner of his lips twitch up slightly as he lifted his head a little higher, looking to Geralt with a question burning in his eyes. He isn't a mind reader. Just ask, it isn't hard. He won't throw you out, he isn't like dad when you were younger. This is Geralt, Geralt is safe.

"U-um." He stared out, a bit unsure to ask. Fuck he had started now but he didn't ask if he could talk. How could he without talking? He slowly stood up properly and looked to Geralt, facing him fully now as he swallowed a bit nervously, hands going behind his back. Maybe he should compliment him before he asked for something from him, would that be rude to do that? Would it be rude not to? Oh lord.

Geralt POV

Geralt frowned slightly as Irys made a false start at speaking. Fuck, what had he done wrong? He had been warned that Irys was the shy one, but he hadn't exactly anticipated this. The others were far more verbally communicative, and he had grown used to that. Geralt was usually the one who spoke less. Having the situation appear to be reversed threw him off some. Still, he wasn't going anywhere.

He was more wary about touching Irys, especially given how the man had leaned away from him the first time he had done so to touch, rather than to fix the wrappings. "Hm," he said again, making the sound only to encourage any sort of conversation. Geralt was typically glad to work in silence, but he did prefer to have a read on people. Currently, he didn't.

But, if he had learned anything so far, it was that Irys was likely overthinking things right now. So Geralt simply reached gently for the man's arm. "C'mon," he muttered, and began to guide him towards the main room. The windows were closed and the curtains drawn, the lack of clothing was not going to offend anyone, for they were not going to see it.

Julian POV

Irys looked to Geralt, stuck with the words in his throat, he was damn well stuck. Once again, he could not manage to get out what was on the tip of his tongue. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he heard Geralt's small grunt. A signal to carry on and yet he failed at doing so.