Free Web NovelChapter 40: Chapter 40
Nael’s roommate was part of a trio who spent all of his time in his friends’ dorm room, leaving the entire space to Nael most of the time.
Nael was technically the same because he did spend a considerable amount of time in Vale and Audie’s shared room.
Fortunately, his roommate was out that night and they could have some much needed privacy.
"You should go to the infirmary too." Errol mumbled, stepping away from Nael when they got to the privacy of his dorm room.
Nael tracked him with amber eyes. "And you shouldn’t be moving around."
Errol ignored him, walking into the bathroom to get a bowl of water and a cloth to clean with like he could already predict that Nael wouldn’t go.
"Sit." He gestured at the bed, holding the bowl with shaky hands. When Nael didn’t make a move he walked up to him to clean him up even though the other Alpha wasn’t listening to him.
Nael stopped his hand when he brought the towel up to his face. "You don’t have to take care of me." He said, taking the bowl of water and towel from Errol’s hands.
"You sit." He countered Errol’s earlier directions, walking over to the basket he had plopped on the ground. "I want you to take care of yourself first and eat something." He added softly, placing the basket right on the table.
Before Errol could protest, Nael walked into his bathroom to properly clean up.
Fortunately, all he had gotten was a surface cut at the top of his head. He cleaned up, slapped a bandaid on and called it a night.
When he stepped back into the room, Errol sat up. "Please don’t tell Valentin."
Nael slowed down, pausing in the act of rolling up his sleeves to keep them from getting wet. "Fin..." He started to acquiesce.
"Or Audie, or Henri..." Errol trailed off, looking down at his hands.
He was seated criss-cross applesauce on the bed, the untouched food basket right in front of him. His night-blue dress shirt slipped down one shoulder, his strawberry blonde hair a mess.
Nael gave up on his sleeves. "I won’t, do you want to clean up? You can wear my clothes." He offered, ruffling his dark brown hair.
Errol quickly jumped on this offer, he needed to have a few minutes to himself.
Nael offered Errol clothes to change into and immediately went to put out the food. He didn’t turn to look at Errol again, busying himself with putting down a sheet so he could lay out the food.
Errol couldn’t bring himself to change right there, slipping into the bathroom with an armful of clothes.
The heated shower was not nearly hot enough for Errol but he found solace in the fact that he could replace Seton’s scent on him with Nael’s.
Nael had given him a cotton nightshirt as well as loose cotton pants, it was the most comfortable thing Errol had gotten to sleep in, in days.
It also hid most of his bruises, and although it didn’t make them go away, it was nice to not be reminded of what had become of his body everytime he looked down.
He stepped out to find Nael engrossed in arranging out food, he changed the position of a pan of pie enough times for Errol to find it humorous.
Nael looked up at this, straightening up when he saw that Errol was out of the bathroom.
He didn’t smile and while Errol avoided looking at himself in the mirror while he was in the bathroom, he could instinctively tell that the pained look in Nael’s eyes was mirrored in his.
"Are we having company?" He tried teasing but his flat tone didn’t convey the emotion fully.
Nael gave him a smile that didn’t touch the smoldering fire in his eyes. "Just eat as much as you like, I need to clean up."
Errol silently watched him head to the bathroom, standing awkwardly for a few minutes after the bathroom door clicked close.
He tentatively started for the laid out feast, slowly sitting on the empty space that had been left for him. Could he really eat as much as he wanted to?
He pushed back the long sleeves of Nael’s nightshirt and stared at his wrist, did his bones always protrude out that much?
He gingerly reached for the sandwiches, his stomach didn’t even rumble at the scent of food anymore, although he should be ravenously hungry.
After the first bite, eating came easier and soon he was gobbling down the food. If anyone was with him, they would have noticed something odd and tried to stop him or perhaps tell him to slow down.
By the time Nael came out of the bathroom, his wet hair slicked back, Errol had gone through most of the food laid out. The sight of this made a genuine smile slowly form on his face until Errol shot up from the makeshift picnic blanket. freewebnovёl.ƈom
Then horror set in as he saw his bulging cheeks and messy state, a hand slapped over his mouth.
"Errol?"
Errol didn’t slow down, hurrying past him to the bathroom, the sound of him violently throwing up coming right after.
Nael was frozen for a few seconds from shock as he tried to process what had just happened, then he broke out of it and went after Errol.
There was genuine terror on Nael’s face as he watched Errol try to gag up his heart. There was little he could do but gather up his hair and watch.
He had wanted to give Errol some privacy while he ate but clearly that had been a terrible idea. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Errol managed to stay on his feet till he rinsed out his mouth and face and then his legs gave out, Nael catching him before he could hit the tiled floor.
Errol hid his face in his hands, a fine tremor going through him. "I-I’m so-sorry..." He stammered out, flinching away.
Something about the image that Errol presented enraged Nael. If he could have his way, he would break into the infirmary, find Seton and continued from where he left off.
"It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize..." He murmured, gingerly holding Errol only for him to go limp in his arms.
Nael had to take a few seconds to practice his breathing. As he crouched on the cold tiles of his bathroom floor, Errol limply lying in his arms, Nael felt an overwhelming sadness.
He had never felt this broken before, not even when his mother had died in their burning house and his father neglected him to sink his entire being into work. All he did was forget how to smile.
But then he saw someone who smiled so easily, who smiled at everything. The world sure liked to take smiles away from those who were deserving of it the most.
Because he had seen the empty look in Errol’s eyes and it reminded him much of himself. He feared that he would never see Errol smile again.
Nael got up, gently cradling Errol. He had to change his nightshirt and then put him to bed.
He doubted that Errol had actually gotten any food in him, not when he lost it right away.
By the time he was done cleaning, Errol was already peacefully sleeping. Nael let him have his bed, taking his roommate’s bed instead.
He had no intention of getting any sleep, not because he didn’t want to but because he couldn’t. Instead, he settled in to stare at Errol, watching over him. He had no intention of letting him out of his sight again.
-*-
Cecil had never been more happy to see the dawn of a new day. As soon as the sky started lightening, he pried off Alois’ arm that had caged him in and hopped out of bed, glaring daggers at a sleeping Alois.
Cecil had had enough of the annoying Alpha, he jumped Cecil after dinner, insisting that they sleep together so that he would know if Cecil was up to no good again.
Cecil couldn’t argue this and offered to have their beds joined together, for more space but Alois didn’t want that. He just wanted Cecil in his bed.
Cecil reluctantly gave in, deciding to just go back to the safety of his own bed right after Alois fell asleep.
After waiting for hours for that to happen, Cecil quickly found that Alois’ arms were firmly locked around him even in sleep and trying to break free only roused him. What was he? Some kind of monster?
Thus he was forced to spend the entire night tightly held by Alois, it was the worst night he had ever had.
Now that he had finally broken free, he quickly cleaned up and got dressed, intending to flee the room before Alois could wake up.
He had no such luck, the moment he came out of his bathroom, still fiddling with the buttons of his sleeves, Alois was already waiting for him right in front of the door.
This meant that Cecil ran into him headfirst, yelping in pain at the impact, and then screaming again when he realized that Alois was awake and fully dressed.
"Are you hoping to go somewhere without me?"
