7. River

Before he knew it, Saturday evening had rolled around. River and Skye had spent the last five days together and Skye would be going back to work on Tuesday while River's aunt Jodi came to fill his place.

River couldn't help but notice that Skye had seemed a little off all week. He'd been a bit quiet, which wasn't like him, but the worst part was the sadness River had seen behind those gorgeous green eyes, and he wondered if maybe this week had been too much for his friend. If he missed his normal life, hanging out with Nick and Jenna, work, the night life he'd grown accustomed to, though he hadn't been going out to clubs nearly as much lately. River wondered what that was about.

Skye hadn't complained, not once, about being at home with him, taking care of him. But something was definitely bothering the other man and River couldn"t figure out what it could be other than that he was bored, and maybe a bit restless and tired of having just River for company. They hadn't exactly been living it up the past few days. If he could give Skye a break from everything maybe that would help.

That gave him an idea. A way for him to get help and for Skye to get a break. He picked up his phone and called Anna.

"Hey, Skye." River grinned at his roommate when he walked through the door, having just returned from his grocery run. "I just talked to Anna and she's gonna come over tonight, so if you want to go out, you can."

"Oh," Skye said. "Okay, sure. How long do you want me to be gone?"

River blinked. "I don't want you to be gone. I just thought you could use a break. You've been cooped up here for days. And I haven't seen Anna in a while, so I thought it would be a win win. But you don't have to go. You're welcome to stay here and hang out with us."

Skye gave him a soft smile, but it was a sad one, the brightness in his eyes dimmed.

"No, that's okay, Riv, you guys don't need a babysitter." He unloaded the groceries in silence while River sat there, wondering what on earth just happened? Did he just make things worse by suggesting Skye go out?

"I'll see what Jenna and Nick are up to. It would be nice to get out." Skye gave him another smile but River still wasn't convinced. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Are you okay, Skye?" he asked. It was barely noticeable, but River saw the other man tense. The way his shoulders drew up ever so slightly, the muscles in his neck tightening.

"I'm fine, Riv." His tone was gentle, but River knew better.

"Skye, we've known each other long enough to tell when the other person is lying. Be honest with me. Has taking care of me this past week been stressing you out? Has it been hard on you?"

Skye shook his head. "No, Riv, really. I haven't minded. I promise." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I think I'm just restless, like you said," he added. "A night out will be good for me."

"I've missed you," Anna said, sitting next to River as she handed him an ice pack for his ribs. There was another one already resting on his ankle.

Her long red hair was up in a ponytail and her green eyes flitted over his face as she took him in.

River put the pillow against his ribs, and then turned to his girlfriend. "I missed you, too," he said, and then pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. But it was short because he came to find that the effort it took to kiss made his ribs hurt more. He pulled away, wincing.

"Sorry. It's painful. Just breathing is painful."

"It's okay," Anna assured him. "I understand." She shifted a little and sidled her small frame up next to him, sliding her arm under his and intertwining their fingers together. She smelled like peaches, and for some reason it made River smile. And yet, he found himself craving the smell of bourbon and oak that he'd become accustomed to over the past five days. The past several years, really.

Skye.

How did he miss him already? His scent, his company, his care, his laughter. The way he made River feel so seen and heard, and valued. Like there was nothing that mattered to him more than River did.

Anna"s words pulled him from his thoughts. "I'm glad you asked me to come over. It's nice to have the place to ourselves. I think Skye felt a little bit like a third wheel the last time, poor guy." She stroked River's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "You guys have known each other for a while, huh?" she said, thoughtfully.

"Mmm," he mumbled, resting his head on hers. "Ten years."

"I can tell he really cares about you. You guys have something special. I see that when you're together."

"Yeah, he's pretty great," River said with a slight smile.

"You ready for him to go back to work?"

"For his sake, yeah. He needs it. I think being stuck at home is depressing him. That's why I made him get out tonight. He's been acting weird all week. And I feel kind of bad. I think I've made him feel uncomfortable with some of the stuff he's had to do for me. Helping me change and go to the bathroom I think has put our friendship to the test." He chuckled and so did Anna.

"I doubt that," she said.

"Yeah, me, too. I think it would take more than that for Skye to abandon me. For my sake, I'm gonna miss him when he goes back to work. My aunt Jodi is coming, and she's great, but it won"t be the same as having Skye. I just feel safe with him, you know? Comfortable. I always have. Like, I don't have to hide anything or be anything other than who I am. Like there's nothing he wouldn"t do for me. And he puts up with me. Even when I'm stubborn and sarcastic. He'll call me out if it gets to be too much, but he also gives me space, and he's patient, too." He paused for a moment. "I just feel…I don't know…" he trailed off, lost in thought, stroking Anna's hand with his thumb.

Anna tilted her head and met his gaze. "Loved?" she asked.

River looked at her for a moment. "Yeah, I guess."

Anna just nodded and rested her head against his shoulder again.

"I mean, my aunt loves me too, I know, and I enjoy her company. She's amazing honestly, but Skye's . . ."

"Special," Anna finished for him.

"Yeah. I guess I've always had a connection with him. I don't know. Guess that's what makes us such good friends."

Skye

"Hey, what's up, man?" Nick asked, bringing Skye in for a side hug and ruffling his hair. "I haven't seen you in forever."

Skye pushed his friend away and smirked as he fixed his blond waves. "Dude, it's been a week."

Nick frowned. "Yeah, but that's like seven weeks in bro weeks."

Skye couldn't help laughing as they took seats at the bar and ordered beers. He was not going to get drunk no matter how much he wanted to, because then he wouldn't be able to take care of River, and how selfish would that be? But one or two beers wouldn't hurt.

"Where's Jenna?" he asked, looking around. He let out a very undignified shriek seconds later when he felt something wet on his ear, and nearly jumped out of his seat. When he turned, Jenna was behind him, doubled over in laughter. Nick's laughter joined hers, his big body shaking so hard Skye was surprised he didn"t fall off of his stool.

"Very funny." Skye grabbed a napkin and wiped his ear where Jenna had licked it, then turned his attention to the beer he'd spilled on his button down shirt. "You guys are hilarious."

"We know," Jenna said, finally pulling herself together. She wiped at her eyes, before giving Nick a high five.

"Why don't we get a booth?" Skye suggested. The two hyenas agreed, and after ordering some burgers they headed over to the booth in the corner. The bar had an upbeat, relaxed atmosphere. Warm LED lanterns sat at all of the tables. The floors were a rich, dark wood, and the music was lively. Skye didn't miss how close Nick and Jenna sat next to each other as they took their seats.

Their meals came relatively quickly and they dug in.

"So, how is River?" Jenna asked, then took a sip of her coke, her red lipstick leaving a mark on the straw when she pulled away.

"He's okay. In a lot of pain still, but the meds and ice packs are helping. I think mostly he's pissed and bored. And it's only the first week, you know? He's got several more to go before he can get back to work. It's gonna drive him crazy. He's introverted but he still likes to be up doing things, feeling useful. Not being able to go to work sucks."

"That does suck," Nick said, taking a bite of his burger. "We should come over, if you think he's up for it. Maybe tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah, I think he would be. He can't visit for long periods of time because it hurts to talk, but I'm sure he'd love to see you guys for a short visit. Maybe do something that doesn't require a lot of talking."

They both raised their eyebrows at Skye and he rolled his eyes. "You guys are messed up. You know what I mean. Like watch a movie or something."

They chuckled and Nick spoke, his mouth half full of food and his cheek puffed out, making him look like a chipmunk. "I can kick his butt in Super Smash Bros."

"How are you doing?" Jenna asked, nibbling on a fry now.

Skye looked up from his own plate and met her warm gaze. Jenna could be very playful and tease a lot, but she was also very sincere and heartfelt when she needed to be.

He swallowed. "I'm okay. Just tired, I think." But Jenna wasn't fooled. She never was. He could tell by the way she looked at him that she knew there was something more going on. Still, she didn't press him.

As they ate, and talked, and laughed, Skye found himself being very grateful that River had forced him out of the house. Sometimes he didn't realize what he needed until he was getting it.

He"d been in a rut for the past several days and being out was reminding him just how blessed he was.

Good food, good music, good friends.

He had a lot to be thankful for.

River

"Hi, Skye," River heard his aunt Jodi say from his permanent spot on the sofa. It was Monday evening and she'd just arrived from Cincinnati. Skye had gone to greet her at the door since River was immobilized.

Aunt Jodi loved Skye like a son, too. She'd always been fond of him, and he of her. She was a special person. Feisty, fun, incredibly thoughtful, full of laughter, and she radiated kindness. It was rare to see her not smiling. Given that she was a cop, River always found it even more compelling that she managed to maintain such a positive disposition with all the crap she'd had to deal with, but she'd always told him that life was what you made of it, and she had learned early on that when things got tough, there was no shame in asking for help.

She'd seen some ugly stuff but she'd had some great therapists and awesome friends to help her deal, too. And she knew all too well that if you didn't find a way to handle your demons, you ended up taking out your grief and anger on the people you loved, and that wasn't fair to them, so she'd always advocated for counseling and mental health awareness. In her words, "Only the strongest people ask for help." She'd been River's anchor ever since he'd lost his parents, and when he'd been assaulted she was his strength and support, and probably the main reason for him being able to cope with and overcome his trauma. When he'd chosen not to report his assault she hadn't pressured him. He had felt so much shame and embarrassment, so much humiliation and grief, and he just couldn't stomach the thought of reliving the incident over and over, or standing up in court and trying to prove that he had been assaulted with his perpetrators right there in the room. The thing he had wanted most was to never see them again.

It had been after Jodi had received a phone call about River not being in school that she'd finally talked with him about his strange behavior and how concerned she was for him, and he'd broken down and sobbed in her arms as he told her his story. He had switched schools and started seeing his therapist, and Jodi had been there through all of his tears and heartache in the months and years that followed. He didn't know what he would do without her.

He heard her voice echoing from the other room. "My nephew didn't give you too bad of a time this past week, did he?"

"He was as charming as always," Skye replied, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and fondness that sort of made River's chest ache.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry," she said, and they laughed.

"You know I can hear everything you're saying," River called as he gave up and pushed himself up on his crutches, making his way very slowly into the other room.

"He can hear everything we're saying," Jodi whispered loudly. "So let's not say anything embarrassing. Like the time he?—"

"Very funny," River interrupted, entering the room. He smiled at his aunt and she gave him a hug even though he couldn't reciprocate it because of the crutches.

Skye glared at him. "You're supposed to be sitting down."

He stuck his tongue out at his roommate and Skye rolled his eyes. "Listen," he told Jodi, "we don't want you paying for a hotel for an entire week, so you can have my room. I sleep sitting up on the couch anyway because of my ribs, so it's really not a problem. You'll have your own bathroom and everything. Skye cleaned it for you even though he hates cleaning bathrooms." He smiled at his friend and was a little surprised when Skye flushed, then cleared his throat and ran his hand across the back of his neck.

"Well, thank you, Skye. I'm sorry you had to go through that," Jodi teased. "And thanks for taking care of River. I rested a lot easier knowing he had you here."

"Of course," Skye said, that flush still there. "I'll take your things to River's room." He reached behind Jodi and grabbed her suitcase and bag.

"You should sit, sweetheart," Jodi said, gesturing for River to move towards the sofa.

"Have you eaten dinner?" he asked as he made himself comfortable—well, as comfortable as he could be—on the couch. He winced slightly at the pain in his ribs.

"Want me to get you an ice pack?" Jodi asked.

"Sure." She entered the kitchen and came back with one, handing it to him.

"Dinner?" River asked again. "Skye's a great cook. I'm sure he could whip up something for you if you are hungry."

"I had fast food on the drive here," she said. "But thank you."

"‘Kay, got you all set up in River's room," Skye announced, returning to the living room. "Clean sheets and everything."

Jodi smiled at him. "Thank you. Anything I should know before you go to work tomorrow?"

"I think you already know everything," Skye said. "As long as you know where his ice packs and pain meds are, you should be good. Hopefully you won't have too much trouble helping him get up and down. He's heavier than he looks."

"I'm still right here," River said, eyeing both of them as he gestured to himself. "Literally right here." They laughed and Skye winked at him.

"I'm gonna crash," Skye said. "If I don"t see you in the morning, which I probably won't, then I'll see you when I get home."

"And when is that?" Jodi asked.

"Five-ish, usually. As far as food goes, if you can find it you can eat it, just make yourself at home. I'll plan to make dinner. And if River says anything about me that makes me sound less than perfect, he's lying."

Jodi grinned. "Got it. Goodnight, Skye."

"Goodnight. Goodnight, Riv." His eyes met River's and there was a sadness behind them that seemed to be lingering, despite the smile.

"Night, Skye," River said, and his roommate disappeared down the hall.

Jodi watched him walk away, then turned to River. "That boy is pretty special. He really cares about you, you know?"

River nodded. He did know. But why did people keep telling him, like they thought he didn't?