Chapter Seven

~ Xander ~

Wright had the worst case of cabin fever. He was agitated, picking small fights with Xander, and trying to do everything on his own. Xander had to work on the ranch during the day and he'd usually come back to Wright either trying to clean or doing something that he shouldn't be. They'd go over the same words, Xander reminding him that he had cracked ribs and moving around wouldn't heal them any faster. Wright would complain that leaving him in the house all day to ‘wither away' was cruel and unusual punishment. Xander would roll his eyes because he wasn't ‘trapped'. He could go outside, walk around a few minutes at a time, sit with Tracy in the main house. He just wasn't supposed to be doing any physical activity. It was the doctor's orders and having been part of the emergency services for years, he tended to follow those orders.

Despite all of that, over the last week since Wright arrived, they ended the night with Xander holding him against his side until they both fell asleep. Xander tried to tell himself it was because he didn't want Wright to roll over and sleep on his injuries. It was a weak argument, but one he tried to keep up. He fell asleep easily with Wright's body pressed against him, the smell of his shampoo filling his nose, the sound of his deep, even breaths. Every now and then, he would shift in his sleep, pressing closer to him or moving his leg so it was between Xander's. More than once, he woke up with morning wood. He'd slip out of bed and take care of it in the bathroom as quietly as he could.

Neither of them talked about what happened in the store. Xander had recognized the guy from the day before, pushing Wright so he was completely out of view before that man even had a chance to see him. It wasn't twenty-four hours since he'd hurt his own son and he was acting like Wright didn't even exist. He focused his attention on Wright, making sure he was okay and ignoring the part of his brain that was telling him to turn around and sock the guy one good time. Wright had been shaking, nearly crying. Xander called him gorgeous and sweetheart, hoping the endearments would make him smile. He heard the words the dickhead said, knew that Wright heard them too. He pushed further into Wright's body, his hand reaching up to brush away a stray tear. There was no space between them, passerbys would probably think they were having an intimate moment. He continued to do that, even a minute after he was sure the guy was gone. They didn't move until he called Patrick and they both escorted Wright to the registers to pay and then left. Xander didn't trust himself to be able to refrain from hitting the guy if they saw him again and he said something. Patrick could handle him while Xander took Wright to the truck. It didn't come to that, thankfully, but Wright was quiet most the night.

He'd never been attracted to smaller guys before. Maybe a hookup or two years ago, but his serious relationships had been with men similar to him in size. He didn't know what it was about Wright Taylor. There was just something. Xander worried about him, spent the hours on the ranch hoping that he was actually resting and not in pain. When they were together, he was constantly making sure he was good, that he didn't need anything. He loved every moment of it too.

"Earth to my little brother." Xander blinked and turned his head to look at the entrance of the barn. He was supposed to be brushing Luna, but her grunts and the way she bobbed her head side-to-side told him he'd stopped too long ago.

"Sorry, girl." He resumed his brushing while Patrick made his way to the grooming station. Patrick scratched between Luna's ears and then leaned against the stall wall.

"How's it going?" Patrick asked. He crossed his arms, his hat pulled low over his forehead. With the button up flannel and jeans and boots, his older brother was every bit the cliché rancher. Xander smiled to himself at that observation.

"Almost done here," Xander said. "I'm finishing up on Luna and then I'll feed all of them before going to clean up for supper. How was the cattle today?"

"Moody," Patrick said with a shake of his head. "I think there's a storm coming that we haven't heard of yet. They always get like that when there's a nasty one brewing."

"Sounds about right," Xander said. His brother didn't say another word while he finished up on Luna and started to lead her back to her stall for the night. "What did you really come in here for, Pat?"

"How's Wright doing? I see you two sitting on the porch most days after supper."

"He's stubborn as hell," Xander said. He tried to come off as annoyed, but even he could hear the adoration in his voice. He double checked that Luna's stall was locked and they both grabbed the stuff to feed all the horses for the night. "He keeps trying to do things on his own and then complains that he's hurting. We end up sitting outside or on the couch watching a movie."

"Are you sure he's not doing it on purpose?" Patrick laughed when Xander looked over at him. He was on the other side, feeding Raven and Willow. "I'm just saying. The way you two look at each other is something else."

"You're reading too much into it," Xander grumbled. He grabbed the water hose from the wall and turned it on to fill each of the buckets for the horses. "He's hurt and I'm just trying to make sure he follows the doctors' orders."

"It's okay if you're attracted to him," Patrick said. He was following him from stall to stall. "We got all his paperwork and filled out the forms to get him a new ID. He is nineteen. Birthday's in August, actually, so he's close to twenty."

"I wasn't worried about that," Xander said. "I trust him when he says he's over eighteen. That isn't what this is about."

"Then what is it?" Patrick asked. Xander moved back to roll the water hose back up and hang it on the wall. "I know your past, Alexander, and you're not one to keep your feelings to yourself."

"I don't want to talk about it," Xander said. His brother was pulling the older sibling card and he knew it. He also knew that in the week since Wright showed up, he'd been acting differently. He was still doing his work, still getting things done, but he wasn't volunteering to stay out later with the ranch hands to finish a job. Of course, Patrick would notice.

"I won't push it," Patrick said. "But Wright is a nice guy. I think he's been through enough and deserves a little happiness. Mom would have loved him."

Xander didn't say anything to that. Their parents passed within a year of each other. His mom was in a car accident and seven months later, his dad passed from a heart attack. He'd been having false heart attacks- Broken Heart syndrome, the cardiologist called it- but the last one hadn't been a false alarm. His parents were the true definition of love. It had been hard losing both of them so quickly. It would be six years this winter.

He walked out of the barn and headed toward the guest house. Toward his home and where Wright was. When he walked in, though, he was met with a scene no different than the last six days and sighed.

"No, okay. Don't give me the lecture again. I have a reason for this, Alexander."

Xander stopped short and stared at Wright. He'd never used his full name before. His slight agitation turned to curiosity. "What did you do?"

Wright stopped his movements. He wasn't even wearing his sling. He claimed yesterday that his shoulder was feeling better, but Xander knew he still needed to wear it, to not put so much work on it so soon. Even if the shoulder was healed, he still had bruising and the cut to worry about. It had to make his body feel stiff.

"Tracy said that her, Patrick, and the kids were all going into town for Victor's training or something. So she wasn't cooking dinner tonight. And I know you like to shower and then eat, so I figured I could get a recipe from Tracy and make you dinner here tonight."

Xander was torn between what to do. Thank him or fuss at him. He took his hat off and hung it on a hook just beside the front door. He grabbed a paper towel from the counter and wiped his forehead off. The late June heat was kicking his ass. He started unbuttoning his shirt, letting the cool air hit his skin.

"Thank you, but you should have waited for me. I would have helped you."

"That would defeat the whole purpose of me doing something nice for you," Wright argued back.

Xander stepped forward, shucking off the overshirt. He had a white tee underneath it, but he knew it was sweaty and he really needed a shower. Wright also knew that, from experience. His happy expression fell and he started backing up slowly. "No. Alexander Lawson. Don't get near me when you smell like horse poop."

"Poop? Really? You're nineteen, Wright. You are allowed to say shit."

"I'll say a lot more if you come any closer."

While Xander was still annoyed that he had been disregarding what he was supposed to do, he also liked the thought of coming home after a day and having a meal with just the two of them. He liked to cook himself, and his brain supplied a future moment of them working side-by-side in the kitchen.

"Ow, shit." Those words brought Xander back to the moment. And not in the way that he jokingly wanted to hear it. Xander straightened up and moved to stand by his side.

"What happened?"

"I just bumped my hip on the counter," Wright said. "It's nothing. Just give me a second."

"No, that's it. You're going to go lay down and I'll take a shower and finish cooking."

Xander held his elbow and led him down the hallway. He could see on Wright's face that he was in more pain than he was letting on. He had a smear of something against his cheek. He was wearing the same clothes he had on last night so at least he hadn't exerted himself with changing his clothes.

"Do you want to change? And where did you put the sling?"

Wright rolled his eyes at Xander's questions, but he could see the slight blush on his cheeks. Xander had been helping him change in and out of his clothes, not wanting him to bend or stretch. William brought him two boxes to go through, mostly easy, comfortable clothing. He figured jeans would be too rough against his skin. Xander knew from a side conversation that they had gone out and bought a few new items to mix in, to make sure things actually fit him. They'd torn the tags off to make it look normal. Out of the underwear they bought last week, Wright preferred to wear the black briefs, similar to the ones William had given him, but not as tight. He refused to let Xander help him with that or showering but let him do the rest.

"I need to shower first," Wright said. "I went back to sleep when you left and then spent the day reading. Time got away from me until Tracy came by with lunch and we got to talking. She told me they were leaving this evening and you don't have a lot of food in your fridge so she brought over some items. Before you say anything, she offered to help but I told her it would be okay."

"You are too stubborn for your own good," Xander said. He opened the door to the bedroom and led Wright to the bed. It was made up, like no one had been laying in it the night before. Xander wasn't sure if that was something he wanted to do or if it was drilled into him to keep things clean. He'd have to work on that, remind him that it was okay to leave a mess from time to time. "Are you still hurting?"

"A bit." Wright lifted his good hand to rub against his opposite shoulder. He winced and Xander dropped to his knees to scoot between Wright's knees. His hands found the hem of his shirt and lifted slowly, giving Wright time to protest. The bruises still looked fresh, hues of yellow, red, and purple mixing together. His finger glided gently across the discoloration, Wright's sharp intake of breath giving him everything he needed to know.

"You're in more than a bit of pain, Wright." Xander made him stay still while he took his shirt off. He moved his arm as little as possible to slide it through the shirt. "Lay back so I can get your pants off. You need to stop pushing yourself so much. No one is expecting you to do anything until you're healed. And you won't heal completely if you keep ignoring the pain and me telling you so."

"I'm sorry." Xander was so focused on getting his pants down his legs that he didn't realize how his voice had changed to mild irritation. Wright's voice was watery, he almost choked on his words. When Xander looked up his nearly naked body, Wright's head was turned away from him. His good hand was wiping against his cheek. "I just don't like feeling like a burden."

"Hey, hey." Xander dropped the sweats and moved to sit on the bed next to him. He took Wright's hand and squeezed it. He made sure to keep his voice soft again. "I'm sorry. I'm not frustrated with you. I just want you to be healthy and you not following the rules is keeping you from healing. I'm frustrated with myself mostly, that I can't be right here with you the entire time." Xander helped Wright sit back up and brushed his hair back from his face. His eye was healing a bit faster than the other bruises, but he still could barely open it. That in itself worried him if he was cooking or using a knife without him around. "I want you to get better and that means taking it easy and resting. How about I make you a deal? If you take this seriously and rest during the day, we'll go for walks in the evening. I'll show you around the ranch and we could pack some light foods and a blanket."

"Like a picnic?" Wright looked from his lap to Xander's eyes. His voice sounded hopeful. Xander smiled at him and nodded.

"Exactly like a picnic," Xander said. "But only if you promise me that you'll take it easy during the day. And you'll let me help you with the things you need help with. I don't want to think about you being in pain because you're scared to ask me to help, okay?"

Wright leaned against Xander's side and he wrapped his arm gently around his smaller frame. Wright's head was resting against his shoulder. He couldn't resist kissing the top of his head. He noticed white flecks in his hair, probably dried shampoo he couldn't rinse properly out of his hair.

"Thank you for making me supper, though. It smelled great when I came in."

"It's not as good as Tracy cooks," Wright mumbled.

"I bet it tastes just as good," Xander said. "Can I ask you something and you really give it a good thought before you answer?"

Wright pulled back and looked at Xander. He had a tear stain running down his cheek and his swollen eye was wet around the edges too. He couldn't wait until he was healed; he hated seeing him hurting. That constant reminder of what the asshole had done to him. "What is it?"

"I know you've been doing your best on your own, but will you let me help you with a shower?" He'd noticed a few times when Wright got out of the showers that he still had shampoo in his hair or he'd struggle to dry his back. Xander offered to help him towel dry his hair and would do his best to get the remaining soap out without Wright noticing. Wright had long since given up the pretense that he could get dressed on his own without hurting, although he always put his boxers on himself.

"I don't know," Wright said quietly.

Xander nodded. He wouldn't push him for it. He promised him that he'd never make him do something he didn't want to do. "If you change your mind, just let me know, okay? Are you going to be okay if I take a shower really quick?"

"I'll be fine," Wright said. "And thank you. For the offer, I mean. I promise I'll do my best to rest up. I want to get better too."

"And you will," Xander said. He stood up and slipped out of his shirt. He'd been shirtless around Wright before, and most nights he slept in just a pair of pajama pants. He tossed the clothes into the hamper in the corner of his room. They'd have to do laundry this weekend. "We're going to get through this together, okay?"

Wright stood up and Xander was well aware of how different they were. Wright's body was naturally slight with a slim waist. He told Xander about being the one to do the yard work growing up, which he was sure was where some of his muscles came from. Small muscles, but still there all the same. Xander could almost wrap his hand around his arm and touch his fingers. He could see his ribs. Xander had a smattering of hair across his chest and abdomen. It wasn't thick, but enough. A trail led below his navel and disappeared past his jeans. He wasn't ripped with abs, but keeping physical gave him a body he was proud of. Most of his muscles were in his arms and legs.

He moved his eyes away from Wright and turned to enter the bathroom. He turned the water on and stripped out of the rest of his clothes. The water felt great on his body after a long day. Patrick was right when he said the animals were acting strangely. Even the horses today were more antsy than usual. He reminded himself to check the weather report before bed.

He was soaping up his hair when there was a knock on the door. He slid the glass door open a few inches and stuck his head out to hear. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" Wright asked. He wasn't sure which door he was standing at. His voice was just loud enough to hear.

"Of course," Xander said. "If you need to use the bathroom, just don't flush. I'll get it when I'm done."

The door leading to the hallway creaked open and Wright stood there, looking at Xander. He was still in only his briefs. Xander noted that his skin looked flush and he wasn't sure what it was from. "Um, can I take you up on that offer? I put the dinner in the oven so it'll stay warm."

"Sure," Xander said quickly. He wiped the shampoo out of his eyes. He needed to rinse it out. "Are you okay with me being naked?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Wright didn't look at him when he said that. "Is it okay if I keep mine on?"

"Whatever you want," Xander said. "Come in whenever you're ready."

Xander left the sliding door slightly ajar and turned toward the water to rinse his hair. His back was to the door when Wright joined him, but he heard the door slide open and closed again. He gave Wright a couple seconds to change his mind before he turned around to face him. His hands were hugging his stomach and he looked very uncomfortable.

"Hey, it's okay." Xander didn't move closer to him and kept his voice even. The water wasn't too hot, but enough that steam was rising around them. The glass doors separating the shower from the rest of the room didn't reach to the ceiling, but it trapped enough of the warmth in. Wright's back was nearly pressed against the opposite wall. He looked much smaller now. "You're safe here."

"I want to believe that," Wright said. Xander stepped forward slightly just to keep the water on his back, so he could see Wright clearly. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall, looking toward the ceiling. "I just keep hearing his voice in the back of my mind any time I think of… something. I know it isn't wrong, but the bruises and pain are a constant reminder of what happened last time I took a chance to be myself."

"Let's just focus on the shower," Xander said.

Wright nodded and dropped his arms. Xander held out his hand and waited for Wright to take it so he could pull him under the spray of water. He turned him around and started massaging his fingers through his hair. "Let me know if you're uncomfortable, okay?"

"Mhmm." Wright didn't say anything else and Xander got to work on washing his hair. He bought his own shampoo and soap. It was a coconut and vanilla scent, as was the same brand body wash he bought. He turned them around to rinse his hair and then repeated the process with the conditioner. "Feels good. I haven't had anyone play with my hair before."

"Any time," Xander said. He smiled behind Wright, grateful that he was letting him do this. While the conditioner was setting in his hair, he grabbed the washcloth and poured a good amount of soap onto it. "I'm going to wash your body. If you're hurting or don't want me to touch anywhere, let me know."

Wright nodded and Xander brushed the cloth against his good shoulder first. The cut on the back of his shoulder was healed. Just a small scab left that would only need another few days to heal. Xander was careful to change his dressings and keep everything clean over the week. The stitches on his face were dissolvable and should clear up by next week. He moved the cloth from one shoulder to the other, then down his back. He was careful around his injuries, using just his hand instead of the cloth. He kept his breathing even, but being this close to Wright had his blood pooling to the last place he wanted it. He didn't want Wright to think he wanted something more.

"Can you turn around for me?" Xander asked when he reached the briefs. They were soaked, clinging to his skin, and leaving very little to the imagination. His ass filled out the fabric nicely. It was hard not to notice.

Wright turned around slowly. They adjusted themselves so the water was hitting Wright's back and rinsing the suds away. Xander started the same trail again. He used his fingertips to rub his own face cleanser onto Wright's nose and cheeks. He moved down to his shoulders, then his chest. He was careful around his ribs, knowing the cracks were toward the front. "Ow."

Xander stopped immediately and looked up at Wright's face. He'd been about to kneel down to clean his legs. "What's up?"

"No, it's fine. I just… um. I pinched my own skin a bit too hard."

"Why would you do that?" Xander looked down to see Wright's hand was pressed against his outer thigh. He moved his hand and saw a small red patch on his skin. "Are you not hurting enough as it is?"

Wright looked down between them. Just like his ass, the wet fabric left nothing to the imagination again. The outline was obvious, tenting the briefs. Xander looked back up at him and smiled. "It's okay, gorgeous. It's natural. You don't have to pinch yourself over it."

"I'm embarrassed." Wright looked up at Xander, his one good eye wide and serious. "I mean, I've only known you a week and you're just trying to help me. I just- I haven't had this type of attention on me and I don't want you to think I'm weird or something."

"I would never think that," Xander said. He decided to bite the bullet and get this conversation over. They'd been skirting around it all week, whether either of them wanted to admit it or not. "Wright, I know you haven't exactly been looking down for the last few minutes, but I'm struggling with the same thing. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you or coerce you into something you don't want. But it is natural. Gorgeous isn't just a name I call you because you like it."

"It wouldn't be taking advantage of me," Wright said a little too quickly. "I mean, I know I'm not experienced, but I wouldn't object to it."

"Turn around and let me rinse this out of your hair." Xander smiled at Wright and guided him to stand with his back to Xander's front. He started massaging his scalp again, making sure his hair was clear before moving down to rinse the suds off his body. His hands snaked around Wright's body, brushing gently up and down his skin as the water rinsed the conditioner and soap away. Xander stepped closer to him, his front pressing against Wright. He pressed his hips forward, his hard cock pressing against his lower back. He didn't sustain any bone bruising or internal injury from where his dad kicked him. "We'll talk about it later, okay? When you're healed up. I'm not doing anything while you're still hurting."

Wright whimpered, a soft sound that escaped without his knowledge. His head was resting against Xander's chest. His right hand was pressed against the front of his boxers. "It's frustrating," he said. "I wasn't lying when I said I'm dominantly left-handed, you know that. That goes for everything I'm used to doing with my left hand."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he meant. And he understood it. It seemed like a simple task, but Xander always used his dominant hand when he jacked off too. Using his other was fine, but it wasn't as good. Xander sighed, knowing that Wright was pushing him but going along with it. He bent down to press his lips against the shell of Wright's ear, his hands sliding down his stomach. "And have you tried to use your right hand? How did it go?"

"I haven't." Wright's voice hitched as Xander's finger dipped just below the waistband of his boxers and then disappeared altogether. "Please."

The single word was filled with begging, dragged out slightly with a breathy sigh. Xander nuzzled his nose against his neck. "Can I?"

Wright's hand moved quickly to pull the waistband of his boxers down just enough to pull himself out of the fabric. Xander was tall enough that he could look over his shoulder. He smiled, noting how eager Wright was for this. A small voice in the back of his mind was telling him that he was taking advantage of him, that he shouldn't be doing this while he was still hurt. But Wright's hand moved to his wrist and wrapped his fingers around it. He guided his hand to his dick.

"Please, Xander." Wright let his hand go. The boxers were pressed tight against him, his cock standing straight up against his stomach. He wasn't big, maybe five inches. He was right when he joked last week about being average. It didn't matter to Xander as he wrapped his fingers around him and started stroking slowly. Wright's whole body shook at the first touch. "That feels amazing."

Xander moved his hand, using just his fingertips to stroke him. His fingers trailed the vein, up and down, pressing his thumb against his slit. Wright shivered against Xander's body. His breathing was picking up. Xander kissed his neck as he brushed his fingers down again, dipping into his boxers to cup his balls. Wright's hands were squeezing Xander's thighs. He could see him shaking.

"Xander. I'm so close." He sounded out of breath but also like he was gritting his teeth.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Xander was genuinely concerned about that. He could see Wright breathing heavily and he wanted to make sure it wasn't because of pain. He kissed his shoulder when Wright shook his head. Xander watched over his shoulder and sped up his movements. He alternated between jacking him off and cupping his balls. He was letting out small noises that went straight to Xander's own length and leaking precum. He swiped his finger over the head again, collecting it and using it to make his glide easier. The water was starting to run cold; they only had a few minutes left. "Come for me, gorgeous. Let me see how pretty you look when you do."

Wright's whole body stiffened and he let out a high-pitched moan as he let his orgasm take over after a few more strokes. He shot up, hitting his chest. Xander was surprised at that; he wasn't expecting him to shoot that far. A second spurt landed on Xander's hand, washed away almost immediately by the water. He stroked him a few more times until Wright's moan turned to a whimper when he grew sensitive.

"Oh my god," Wright said. He turned his head to look at Xander. A smile was on his face, his good eye closer to Xander. He smiled back and kissed his temple. "That was so much better."

"You're telling me," Xander said. He stepped back and looked down at himself. He was still hard, but the water was getting cold now. He'd deal with it later. He reached around and turned off the shower. Neither of them moved to get out of the shower. "I wasn't expecting quite a show."

Wright's cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink. The water had washed away the evidence, but Xander traced his finger over his chest, enjoying the embarrassment on Wright's face for a moment. He had nothing to worry about; Xander found it impressive. "I've always been a bit of a shooter. When I, uh, started doing it and I got a phone, I looked it up to see if it was normal. I found a few videos and articles, but nothing that was consistent."

"You do that every time?" Xander was impressed. He knew it probably had to do with being young, but even at his age, Xander would typically only hit above his stomach. He refrained from saying what he was thinking; how he wanted to test that theory.

"Is that not normal?" Wright seemed genuinely concerned.

"I don't have experience with it," Xander said. "But it's hot. Nothing to worry about at all."

They got out of the shower and Wright let Xander towel dry his whole body. They dressed in their night clothes, Xander opting to leave his shirt off. Wright grumbled about it but let Xander put the sling back on his shoulder. Xander made him sit down at the table while he plated their food, chopping the chicken into bite sizes for Wright before he joined him.

Their conversation flowed easily for the rest of the night. Neither of them brought up what happened in the shower and Xander was okay with that. He didn't regret it. He hoped that Wright didn't either. They settled on a movie for the night, something light-hearted that he never would have watched if it wasn't for Wright. His dad hadn't let him watch a lot of movies. They didn't have any streaming services so he couldn't watch anything while his dad was away at work. He'd mentioned how he preferred music to watching TV, but Xander had a feeling that might have been because he only had the sports channel or very limited options without cable.

"Are you about ready for bed?" Xander asked halfway through the movie. It was the second time Wright had yawned. He'd had his pain meds with his dinner and knew he'd be out sooner than later.

"It's too early," Wright said. "What time is it?"

"It's past eight," Xander said. He stood up. "Come on, gorgeous. Bedtime."