What Doesn't Kill You

Everyone had a reason for their actions, right?
Todd had made the mistake of thinking he understood Black and using that knowledge against him. He'd compounded that mistake by underestimating him. But when he left the hospital, a little worse for wear, the only person willing to stand by him was Black.
It made no sense. It was in Black's best interest to walk away and never look back. Instead, he stuck close to Todd. Too close if he was honest. Proximity could breed all kinds of things Todd wasn't ready for.
He might have appreciated the care and consideration but when it moved beyond that, to something far more intimate, Todd had to figure out what he wanted before he was swept up in whatever game Black was playing. His life depended on it.

-Excerpt-
"It doesn't matter if I care or not. It matters that I'm here." He said with the same disinterest he showed in everything. "If you look around, you'll notice, there's nobody else here."
"So what? You'll make sure I'm comfortable before you smother me with a pillow?"
"Did it ever occur to you that if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead?"
"Yeah."
That's why none of this made any sense. It made me even more uncomfortable than my broken bones and bruised body. Leaving me floundering when he refused to offer any explanation.
Published: 23 January - 3 February 2023