5. Skye

River seemed relieved when Anna left right after dinner. And if Skye was being honest, he was relieved, too. It had been a long ass day for both of them, and he could tell by looking at River that he was exhausted and in pain. He needed to get some sleep.

Skye's mattress called to him, too, but first, River. He would be sleeping sitting up on the couch for the next several weeks. It would make it easier on his ribs and help with his breathing.

"I'm gonna finish up in here, and then I'll go get your pillow and some blankets," he told River from the kitchen. River nodded from his spot on the sofa. He hadn't moved since they had gotten home.

Skye finished up with the dishes and dried his hands, then crossed through the living room and into River's bedroom. He came back with a pillow and two large blankets.

Just as Skye was about to drape the blankets over him, River said, "I need to use the bathroom, actually."

Skye smirked. "I'm not holding your dick for you, River, I have my limits."

River just rolled his eyes like he always did any time Skye made a dick joke. "Just help me up and hand me my crutches, please?"

So Skye did. "Are you going to need help once you get in there?" he asked as River slowly made his way through his bedroom to the attached master bath, letting out little grunts of pain as he went.

"No," he growled.

Skye was grinning a second later when he heard River calling his name with a resigned sigh.

"Yes?" he said, peeking his head into the bathroom and grinning slightly at the sight of River standing in front of the toilet. He had one hand on the wall and the other braced on the counter. He'd managed to get his crutches up against the wall at least but not being able to put any weight on his ankle or bend at all without being in pain was causing him problems. He glared at the toilet, as though it was somehow to blame. "Do you need help?" Skye asked with a grin.

He couldn't help chortling when River gave him his best bitch face. "Shut up and get over here," he retorted, a flush creeping up his cheeks. "I need help with my pants. It hurts my ribs too much and I don't have enough balance." His cheeks were flaming now and Skye bit his lip. He did feel sorry for his friend, but the fact that he was so flustered was kind of endearing.

"I'm gonna need your help getting them back on, too," River told him. Skye tried to spare him some dignity, as much as one can when they're taking their friend's pants off so they can piss, and just did his best not to make a big deal out of it. He reached his hands around River's slender hips and tugged the pants down and off, until they slid down River's legs and were draped over his one broken ankle that was still suspended in the air, and his other ankle resting on the floor.

"I'll give you some privacy," Skye told him, and walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Okay," River called a moment later, and Skye poked his head back in, before making his way over to him. He carefully pulled River's pants back up and then handed him his crutches.

"Thank you," River mumbled, not meeting Skye's gaze. A flush crept up his face yet again. "I think I should change into pants with an open fly so that you don't have to help me do that ever again."

Skye couldn't help laughing. "What if you have to take a shit?"

"I'll hold it."

"For six weeks?"

"Yep."

"You do that and we're gonna have a whole new set of problems."

"I'll figure it out."

Skye chuckled again. "Okay. Pajamas?"

River nodded.

"Which drawer?"

"Second."

"Do you care which ones?" he asked, rummaging through River's dresser as his roommate made his way back into the bedroom on his crutches.

"No." He winced, and Skye could tell it was taking every last ounce of his energy to stay upright. Moving around at all looked excruciating. Just bending over to use the crutches so he could keep the weight off of his ankle looked like it was making him miserable.

"Okay, let's get this done so you can get some sleep," he said, then pondered as he walked over to his friend. "How are we gonna do this if you can't put weight on your ankle?" He rested his hands on his hips and bit his lip. River just stood there, eyeing him.

"I have an idea. You're not going to like it, but roll with it."

"Okay," River said, skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Give me your crutches." Skye held out his hands.

"And what am I going to hold on to?" River asked, his eyebrow raising even further.

"Me," Skye told him. "Just for a second."

River hesitated, but then handed one crutch to Skye and steadied himself against the wall with one hand as Skye tossed the crutch onto the far end of the bed. Then Skye reached for the other crutch as he wrapped his arm around River's waist, supporting him.

"Skye, what the . . .?" River started.

"Just hang on." Skye tossed the other crutch aside, next to the first one, and then bending over, he scooped River into his arms. His roommate let out an astonished gasp, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Skye smiled. "Hey, there, gorgeous." He gave a playful wink as he carried River to the bed.

"Skye, what are you doing?" River's voice had risen considerably, that gorgeous flush returning to his handsome face.

"I'm putting you down on the bed, so you can keep the weight off your ankle and not hurt your ribs while I get your pants off." Skye gently lowered River onto the soft mattress and then started to undress him once again.

"Can you lift your hips at all?" he asked, gripping the waistband of River's athletic pants, making sure he had just his athletic pants and not his boxers as well. That would be all kinds of awkward.

"Not without it hurting a lot," River said. He gazed up at Skye with those beautiful sapphire eyes, and Skye's mouth went dry. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Okay, that's fine," he said. "I might just have to get more up close and personal then."

"Whatever," River sighed. "I don't think this could get any more awkward, Skye."

Skye started to pull River's pants down once again and felt a shiver run down his spine when his fingers brushed against River's hips.

He's my friend.

And even along his butt cheek a little.

He"s my friend.

And then along his thighs.

My very hot, very sweet, very injured, very straight, friend. God, what is wrong with me?Pull it together. Ice wall. Ice wall. Ice wall.

Until the pants were finally off far enough that he didn't have to worry about his hands coming in contact with River at all. "Skye?" he heard River say, snapping him out of his daze, and he only then realized that he was biting his lip and staring at his best friend.

"Hmm?"

"Pants?" River said. "I don't really want to lay here in my underwear, if you don't mind."

"Right." Skye flushed and then mentally slapped himself for being such an idiot, and getting so lost in thinking about River that he'd forgotten about him at the same time. He grabbed the pair of pajama pants he'd gotten out and tossed on the bed earlier. "We can do this one of two ways. You can stay laying down, but you'll have to lift your hips at least some, or you can sit for the first bit, and then stand for the second."

"Let's sit and then stand," River said. "I have to get up at some point anyway. You're gonna have to pick me up again, though. I can't sit up on my own."

Skye nodded, and felt the heat creeping up the back of his neck and shoulders. Now he was going to be holding River in his underwear. Perfect. But he bent down and scooped his roommate into his arms once again, and carried him just a few paces over to the foot of the bed before setting him down. His cheeks heated as he knelt in front of River and pulled his pajama pants on one foot, and then the other, and then slid them up his slender legs, and over his knees, just like they had done in the hospital earlier that day. Then he grabbed River's crutches for him so he would have support, and helped him get his pants the rest of the way up.

He was pretty sure there was an audible sigh on both their parts when the whole ordeal was finally over.

"Thank you," River said, crutches under his arms and his ankle raised again as he hobbled towards the door.

"You're welcome. Let's get you settled on the sofa."

River returned to his spot on the couch. Skye couldn't give him more meds yet but he set some by him on the side table. "You can have these in four hours. I'll leave my phone turned up so you can text if you need me."

He placed River's pillow behind his head. River rested back and Skye draped the blankets over him as the other man closed his eyes and sighed.

Skye bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to River's bandaged forehead. "Get some sleep, angel," he said softly. "Love you."

River didn't open his eyes but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Love you, too, Skye," he murmured. "Good night."