It's Wednesday! That means it's time for more Lost Inside. Yay!! I hope that you enjoy this week's update inspired by the prompt of someone tripping and falling. *smirks*
Lost Inside Chapter Thirteen
“So
do you live here?” Benny’s scent filled the living room, especially the couch
where they were sitting.
“Yeah.
I work in the bar downstairs. Dav—he’s Ellis’ mate, the Snake who came to the
hospital today—he owns the place.”
Yuri
swiped another glance around the room. He stuffed the last of his burger in his
mouth, then spoke around it. Cleara wasn’t there to nag him for once. “Is that
why it’s so blank?”
Benny
still had some of his burger left. Yuri eyed it, licking bbq sauce off his
fingertips.
“What’s
blank about it?”
“No
annoying thingies sitting out or pictures anywhere. There’s nothing in here but
what has to be.”
His
mate ran his hand over his face, grinding his palm between his eyes back and
forth. He took a deep, shuddery breath. Yuri pulled a leg up on the couch,
wrapping his arms around his shin.
“What
did I say?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit,”
Yuri snapped.
Benny
looked funny with his mouth wide open, but Yuri didn’t laugh. “I’m sick of
people hiding things I should know from me. I know I’m different, but I. Am.
Not. Stupid.” He dropped his feet to the floor and stood. He stomped over to
his shoes by the door. “I’m ready to go now.”
“Go
where?” Benny stood up, reaching for him even though they were across the room.
“I thought you were going to stay with me.”
Yuri
picked up his shoe to untie it. “When did you ask me to do that? You said we
were getting something to eat, that’s all. You didn’t ask if I was going to
stay. You didn’t ask me anything.”
Benny
didn’t say anything as he lowered his hand to his side. “I-I didn’t think about
it like that.”
“Sometimes
the younglings stay over at their friends, but mates stay at home. This isn’t
my home.”
“This
is my home.” Benny pointed at a door down a short hall. “That’s my bedroom. You
can sleep there.”
“This
isn’t very home-like.” Yuri’s claws snagged in the laces of his tennis shoes.
He cursed and shook out the stinging pain.
Benny
winced again, and his ears flattened. “What? What’s wrong?” cried Yuri. “Why won’t you tell me?” Why did everyone treat
him like he didn’t have a brain? He had one. The guy in the white coat had
taken a lot of pictures of it.
“I
don’t want to hurt you.”
Stupid.
“But you did. I can make my own decisions.”
“You
don’t pull any punches, do you?” Benny sighed and sank back down on the couch.
“I guess you probably have a lot of questions people don’t like answering.”
“Yes.
All the time I hear, ‘Yuri, you shouldn’t ask that.’ Well, how else am I going
to know?” Yuri twisted his shoe between his hands. “Are you gonna tell me
stuff? Even if I don’t remember it all?” He knew he forgot a lot. He couldn’t
help it, though.
“If
you really want me to. But, it’s not good stuff, Yuri.”
“But
it has to do with us, right? Mate stuff? Cause Cleara always gets mad at
Szorpin doesn’t wanna talk to her.”
Benny’s
smile was strained. “Just like you got mad at me.”
“I’m
not stupid. Everyone else just thinks too much. It’s easier not worrying about
what everyone else thinks about them all the time.”
“Wow.”
Benny blinked and slumped back against the couch. “That… that makes a lot of
sense. You’re not a kid, and you’re not stupid; you just don’t get wrapped up
in worrying about things.”
“Why
should I? So what if people look at me weird.” Yuri knew they did. “Life’s too
short.” Szorpin always said that. Cleara yelled when he said the bad words, but
she wasn’t here. Yuri kinda liked that she wasn’t.
“I
agree. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you about dinner, or coming over, or spending the
night.”
“I
like being alone with you.” Yuri dropped his shoe. He plopped down on the couch
again.
Benny
blinked. “I like being alone with you too.”
Yuri
yawned. “I’m kinda tired.”
“You
can sleep here, if you want, or we can go back to your room at the Falcon’s
house.” Benny rubbed his head. “You decide.”
Finally!
Yuri beamed. “I’d like to stay here.”
“I’ll
sleep on the couch.” Benny picked up the boxes from their dinner. Yuri grabbed
the soda cans and followed Benny into the kitchen. “You can have the bed.”
“Is
it a little bed?” His bed wasn’t too big. Sometimes Yuri even rolled off when
he was sleeping.
“No.”
Benny smiled at him. “You’ll fit.”
“Can
we both fit?” Yuri put the cans on the counter. He fiddled with the end of his
shirt. “Mates sleep together.”
Benny
groaned and his ears flattened.
“What?
Does your stomach hurt?” Yuri was so full his stomach felt stretched. He’d been
really hungry, but now he was tired. He yawned.
“Uhh,
no.” Benny took a deep breath. “Let’s go get ready for bed. I have some shorts
you can wear.”
It
was weird getting ready for bed in a different bathroom. He didn’t have his
toothbrush, and the toilet was on the wrong side. Yuri liked Benny’s bed
though. It was way bigger than his. When he got in while Benny took a turn in
the bathroom, he still had plenty of room to spread out. He rolled over. No
falling off! Yuri crawled back over to his side.
“Oh
shit!” Yuri heard a thud. He looked over his shoulder.
“Benny?”
His
mate cleared his throat. “Yeah?”
“What
are you doing on the floor?”
Benny
stared up at him. He was rubbing a knee. “Um. I tripped.”
“Why?”
A
red flush crept up Benny’s face. He opened his mouth and then shut it. “I’m
clumsy.”
“Do
you need me to kiss your knees better?”
Benny
groaned. “Um, no. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.
I like your bed.” Yuri bounced. “It’s bouncy!”
"Oh, god."
TBC
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Ya gotta love the unintentional tease. Yuri is just too cute.
ReplyDeleteI think Yuri is more aware than people think and is going to drive Benny crazy. You've got to love him. This was a lovely interlude and only makes me more wary about what might be coming.
ReplyDeleteYuri has such a feisty spirit, which will help him for his recovery. How sad to see how broken that spirit was by his father.
ReplyDelete