Why was Michael more angry about Jeremy being captured than he was?
The first time it happened, Jeremy clamped his mouth shut and was taken to a dark room. He wondered if people knew about his connection to Michael’s other job.
“You really going to kill him, A?”
“My brother was a shoe-in for that part. He would’ve made it in if it weren’t for this-this fucking bastard!” She hissed. Jeremy was in a cooler of sorts. It was metal and it was like a tiny pod where he shrunk in on himself. He couldn’t hear too much. He couldn’t see anything due to the blindfold. Actually, even without it, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to do much of anything. Whatever they laced his drink or food or whatever with, it was potent. So potent that not even his unbridled fear could overpower it and ‘sober him up’.
They took his phone and saw that ‘Michael <3’ kept texting him about Apocalypse of the Damned.
“That guy is pissing me off,” the woman called A growled. Her real name was Annabelle.
So, before the torture party began, they made Jeremy open his phone for his boyfriend who liked to text Jeremy often. Thank God for that. They reviewed the message and didn’t end it with ‘honey’ or ‘babe’ like Jeremy normally did. Double thank God. If Jeremy didn’t end his messages like that, Michael would come running after him to make sure he was okay.
Jeremy’s skin crawled with goosebumps. Were they going to turn him into an ice cube? He was in one of those strait jackets that they used for mental health patients, so he could barely shake himself to get warmer. For the first time in a while, he was actually scared. Like, nearly pissing his pants scared.
What if Michael didn’t make it in time? What if they did something irreversible and sent him into a bleak murderous rage? Michael got angry, but he never hit or scared Jeremy. Only when he was yelling at other people did he get terrifying. He somewhat pitied the kidnappers. Jeremy was willing to bet that Michael had a tracking device in his phone, but he certainly wouldn’t be complaining about it.
Then, they turned down the temperature and Jeremy’s skin started burning. A drunken scream erupted from his lungs, a choked sound and his teeth chattered and it hurt so badly and all he could think about was Michael and how he needed to help and how he needed to come soon and how he just needed-
A door opened nearby. Jeremy prayed that it was his boyfriend. It was an unfamiliar voice. Jeremy continued to suffer silently. He counted the milliseconds and tried to distract himself by breathing faster in order to make his heart beat faster (was that how it worked? He hoped so) and prayed for Michael. As the cold crawled all over his summer wear, he wondered if Michael forgot about the code or was too distracted to notice the mistake. Oh, God, they were really going to kill him.
Minutes ticked into more minutes. Ten minutes must have passed? Or did the cold rob Jeremy’s sense of time, too? He couldn’t feel his legs or his fingers. He tried to shake his body in order to warm himself up, but it just made him colder, somehow.
“Michael…” he choked out. He felt something wet dampen the blindfold. It hurt so bad. It was like they took a million tiny knives and struck at his nerves with quick thrusts and everything roared with pain and then Jeremy was crying out help and-
Guns. Cocked guns. At least five or six. Were they seriously going to kill him execution style? It was better than freezing to death, he guessed, but-
“You let him go or after I kill you, I’m going to hunt down your families and kill them and then kill your family’s friends,” a crackly voice commanded. It was Michael’s voice modulator.
“Okay, okay, we will! Don’t shoot!” One of them yelled. The door opened and Jeremy’s body vibrated with the sudden burst of heat. Someone threw him over their shoulder and threw his likely bright red ears, listened to some of the threats made.
“-You ever heard of a forced hysterectomy?”
“-I will rip your arms off and beat your face in with them.”
“-I can choke you so hard that the blood vessels in your eyes will burst.”
“-I prefer the classics. A boulder attached to you in the ocean? Coughing up blood in salt water isn’t fun.”
“-I can probably find a horse to sodomize you.”
Jesus Christ. How awful did those things have to be for Jeremy to mutter the name of a religious figure that doesn’t exist in his religion?
Whoever was holding him changed their grip so that he was now being carried like a damsel in distress. That is to say, bridal style. They took off the blindfold and Jeremy recognized Michael’s bug mask .
It was modeled after his favorite book character, Skitter. It covered his entire head except for his soft hair.
“It’s a bi-bit ch-chilly?” Jeremy shuddered.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. You’re okay. You’ll be okay,” Michael murmured.
“D-Don’t ki-kill them,” Jeremy choked out.
Michael tilted his head. Jeremy rested a hand on his mask.
“D-Don’t.”
“Okay.”
Jeremy was surprised. He thought that he would have to continue arguing. He looked at his bright red hands and shut his eyes tight. That was going to take a while to fix.
“Plan B, everyone!” He shouted.
A few people groaned. Jeremy saw his three kidnappers on the ground with their hands in the air.
It was late at night in Manhattan, and Michael carried Jeremy to a garage. The man working there didn’t even bat an eye at Jeremy. No one else was around in the shoddy area with low lighting and grime on the walls.
“Full h-heat?”
“Definitely,” Michael nodded. He drove Jeremy to their apartment and when he looked a bit better, he helped him inside. Nicole was kind enough to offer to help after asking what happened (they said that Jeremy locked himself in a freezer) and opened doors for them. After getting inside their apartment (Jeremy moved in a month after Michael and him reunited), Michael helped him inside a bath.
“My person is vibrating. I hate the cold. Remember senior winter?” Jeremy asked. Michael must have seen him naked a thousand times by now. However, for those times, Michael was also naked.
“You were always sick. At some point, our parents let you stay over at my house for a week because I had to keep getting your shit!” Michael quietly laughed. He stopped after a few moments while Jeremy laughed for a little bit longer.
Jeremy stretched out a wet hand and pressed it to Michael’s cheek. “I’m fine, Michael.”
“I’m so unbelievably pissed right now that I don’t know how I’m not tearing up this place,” he admitted.
Jeremy scooted up and kissed Michael softly. “You came. You handled it exactly how I wanted you to. I’m so happy that you’re around.”
“What if they did something irreparable? What if you died? What if they faked your text message and I believed it?” Michael leaned closer and stared look into Jeremy’s dulled green eyes.
“They didn’t, though. Besides, they didn’t come after me because of you, right? One of them told your goons… assistants about the girl’s brother wanting to lay Ogie.” Jeremy felt like his mind was on autopilot and the words were just the first thoughts that managed to scrape their way to the front.
“Hell…” Michael murmured. He stripped off his suit and hugged Jeremy, getting his shirt wet.
“I’m okay, Micah. You have nothing to worry about anymore, okay?” Jeremy whispered.
“How the Hell are you more calm about this than I am?”
“Probably because it happened to me. You love me a lot. I don’t love myself as much. Don’t give me that look, I’m not having self-esteem issues. That came out wrong, anyway. I just meant that you’re very protective and loving and I would have to turn arrogant in order to out-love… me. I don’t think that makes sense.”
“It didn’t,” Michael chuckled. Jeremy saw the tears in his eyes. The crime lord quickly wiped them away.
“If you want to cry, you can cry. Fuck gender roles and being manly or whatever. You’re plenty manly to me.”
“It’s not that. Most of all, I’m just glad you’re here.”
Here, not okay.
“Michael, I’m telling you I’m fine. I’m not even stuttering anymore,” Jeremy said. Okay, he might have been lying about being completely fine. Either way, expressing his insecurities from that pod would lead to either murderous or ‘keeping tabs on Jeremy at all times’ Michael. Probably both.
“You need more hot water…?” He wondered, changing the subject. A dejected look on his face.
“Nah. I want to get out before I turn into a prune. You hate them,” Jeremy let out a breathy laugh.
Michael rolled his eyes. “They’re like old people smell but in food form. Like how sparkling water tastes like TV static.”
Jeremy dried himself off quickly and shuddered again.
“I know a better way to warm me up, anyway,” Jeremy whispered in his ear. Jeremy was a bit exhausted, but he wanted to be close to Michael and get his mind off the whole event.
Michael pulled Jeremy into a passionate kiss and led him to the bedroom.
Besides, it wasn’t like it would happen again, right?
-
Jeremy woke up in another dark room. All he could think was, “Fuck.”
“He looks pretty. How about the trade?” He exaggerated certain syllables. Probably to terrify him.
“Check his wallet. I’m curious about his name. And I think he’s waking up,” a salacious female voice chuckled. Her voice was deep yet filled with venom. Like a snake from Harry Potter.
One of their hands touched his face and trailed down his body. He shuddered away from their touch. Dear God, did they mean sex trafficking?
“Jeremiah Heere. Well, he won’t be-”
“Are you fucking with me?” The woman yelled. “Out of everyone on this goddamn planet, you-” she let out a string of unflattering names. Sodomite, Fudge Packer, and Mickey Mouse were somehow thrown in there.
“What’s the problem, you stuck up bitch?”
“Do you not know who Marley Apoladamn is?”
“Mar- don’t tell me this is a guy on the 'No Hit' list.”
“Hi,” Jeremy awkwardly greeted. Two criminals and a person with an ‘immune-from-kidnapping’ card walk into a dark room. While it sounded like the set-up of a bad joke, that was Jeremy’s reality. It should’ve been a hundred times more serious, but it played out like a joke in a South Park episode.
“Delta, I’d rather lose all of my assets than deal with him,” she hissed.
“Alright, alright, I’ll find a place to dump him!”
That was how Jeremy got drugged again. He found himself stuck in an instrument case. At least, some form of case.
“Uh, hey? Anyone?” Jeremy shouted. His phone was in his pocket. Somehow, he didn’t have any messages from Michael.
He called him.
“Hey, babe,” Jeremy awkwardly greeted.
“Hi, Jere. You alright?” Michael asked.
“Uh, that depends. God, this is going to be awkward to explain.”
So Jeremy explained everything. He was pretty sure he started crying at some point because he realized he could’ve been shipped off to some European to have older men and women use and abuse him. He didn’t let it show in his tone.
“And that’s how I ended up in an instrument case in the middle of nowhere. Can you tell me where I am? Please?” Jeremy asked.
“You’re at a pond in Central Park. What the Hell?” Michael muttered.
“Ah, thanks.”
Jeremy stopped moving. What if he fell into a pond and freaking died that way? That would be a really sad way to go. He’d be the laughing stock of the New York Times and get memed on by millions of people.
Twenty minutes later, Michael opened the suitcase and Jeremy popped out, hugging him tightly.
“About time!” Jeremy complained. “Now, is it time to go into the sex trafficking business?”
“Jeremy.”
Jeremy’s half-smile faded. “I don’t like it when you kill people. I understand they’re bad, and that I’m frustrating, but-”
“I already sent out orders,” Michael awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Jeremy facepalmed.
“Please retract them?” Jeremy asked.
“Jeremy, they nearly ruined your life,” Michael’s arms were shaking.
“Michael, please calm down,” Jeremy begged him. “I love you, and once again, I’m fine.”
“How can you possibly be fine?” Michael looked ready to explode with rage.
He wasn’t, truly. “I don’t know why I’m underreacting, but you shouldn’t be overreacting!”
“Believe it or not, this is me underreacting!”
“Michael, your name protects me.”
“Not always! What about those three guys from last time?” Michael argued.
“Okay, that’s true, but you still came and I ended up okay! Once again, it wasn’t my connection to you that got me kidnapped. They called me pretty. Gross, by the way.” Jeremy scrunched up his face.
“I don’t understand how you could not want them dead!”
“If I can let it go, so can you!”
“Wha-” Michael stopped hugging Jeremy. “I don’t understand you.”
“What? People react to bad situations in different ways. This is how I’m processing all this crap,” Jeremy told him. That was a lie. Jeremy knew how bad sex trafficking was for the people involved. He knew how broken they would end up. He was calm so Michael could be calmer. It was a bit annoying that he couldn’t express everything he felt, but he had to make sure Michael didn’t go on a rampage every time Jeremy got a papercut.
Scratch that, it was actually eating him up inside. Not only what happened, but feeling like he had to lie for Michael’s sake.
“Why are you so unresponsive to this stuff? I’m genuinely worried!” Michael facepalmed.
“I just am,” Jeremy cooly replied. “Michael, let’s just go home. I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that, but I don’t believe you.”
“Michael, I’m not a snivelling mess on the ground. I’m not panicking or freaking out or screaming or crying. What do I have to do to prove to you that I AM FINE!” Jeremy yelled.
“If you’re fine, you wouldn’t be yelling.”
“Your overprotective ass is making me yell at you! It’s not my fault that every time I get a booboo on my knee that you have to pull out a gun and shoot the pavement!” Jeremy thought he would go blue in the face from how much he yelled.
“This is not you falling! This is your life at stake! Of course I’m going to be angry and overprotective! That’s the normal reaction! I just don’t understand how you’re not reacting normally!”
“If I reacted normally, you would have ten bodyguards and five security cameras and restraining orders on every person in this world,” Jeremy scoffed. “Michael, not everyone is lucky like me to have someone that cares as much as you do, but your care goes too far. I don’t want you bringing nukes to knife fights! I don’t want wars fought in my name! I’m just unlucky, that’s it.”
“So you don’t want me getting angry whenever your life is at stake? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“I’m saying that I just want you to be a comforting and warming presence, not someone who makes me feel worse after like I have to take care of your feelings before mine!” Jeremy growled. He instantly clamped his mouth shut and covered it. “No… shit, no that's not it."
“I’m going home.”
Michael didn’t stomp off, but he did have a death grip on his own shirt. Jeremy facepalmed and sat down on the grass.
“I said exactly what shouldn’t have been said,” Jeremy slapped the ground. “I hate our species. Our stupid, emotional, ugly species. I’d like to say that I’m still right in this argument, but for some reason, I’d rather ‘win’ with Michael than ‘against’ him.”
The birds chirped outside. The sky was bright blue. People chattered and pointed and took picture with the usual happy-go-lucky smiles on their faces. Flowers bloomed. Water rippled. Nature was calm, and as if to counteract the world and act as a yang to its yin, Jeremy’s mind was a violent ocean or a raging volcano.
About an hour of brooding and self-deprecation went by. Jeremy ultimately decided that being edgy and listening to sad music and avoiding a problem wasn’t the best way to go about it. He and Michael were adults. They were supposed to talk.
Every footstep screamed with reluctance as he walked to a chocolate shop. He chose a box filled with caramel chocolates. Jeremy was neutral to them while Michael adored them.
Even if Jeremy was 100% right in that argument, that didn’t make him the better person by ignoring the issue and expecting the other to instantly agree with him. People held onto their beliefs firmly and were hard to change. Michael had strong convictions. Jeremy was one of them. He had to believe that the conviction wasn’t weak.
(Of course, there were certain exceptions, Jeremy thought. If Michael was racist or sexist or homophobic, that would mean Jeremy would leave without a regret, but the reality wasn’t as simple as that.)
Jeremy took a deep breath and continued to move towards his home. Their home. He gripped the chocolates tight and let out a shaky breath. They could work through this. It might’ve been hard, but they loved each other and listened.
“Hi, Nicole,” Jeremy said.
“It’s not my place to ask, but… is he okay?” She asked.
“We had a fight.”
“That makes sense. Michael’s in the gym. He likes to tire himself out when he’s angry.”
Michael would never hit him. He knew that Jeremy would leave instantly if that happened. As it turned out, he was just lifting weights instead of smacking a punching bag around. That was a bit surprising. He wished he could ogle his boyfriend, but the guilt made him look at his blank face and headphones in his ears. A guy Jeremy had never seen before was spotting him.
A few minutes later, he put down the dumbbell. Michael saw Jeremy and motioned for the guy to go away. He did so without question.
“You didn’t deserve that. It wasn’t true, either,” Jeremy said. “So, I’m really sorry.”
Michael sighed and took Jeremy’s smaller hand in his own.
“I… you’re not wrong about me. With so much power in my hands, it’s easy to get lost in anger and then use it with… disastrous results.” His eyes landed on Jeremy’s face.
“No, Michael. I should’ve known that no matter what, if you love me, you’re going to get angry and upset over my life being at risk. Any good boyfriend would be like that,” Jeremy said. Michael stood up and Jeremy pulled him into a tight hug. His heart was beating fast. “I just didn’t want you hurting anybody for me.”
“I get it,” he sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if all I can do is just hunt down people.”
“That’s not true. You promised me that I can talk to you about anything. I ignored that and diluted myself into thinking that you’re irrational. You’re not.”
Michael returned the hug. “I get so worried.”
“I know.”
“I want them to suffer like you did, though.”
“I get that they’re bad people, but I’d rather see them locked up and thrown away than killed. Then, I just want to go home with me in your arms and you hugging me for days without letting go,” Jeremy whispered.
“I can do that. I love you. I’ll do better.”
“I love you, too. You did nothing bad, though… okay, your intentions weren’t bad.” Jeremy didn’t like how weepy he was getting. “Fuck, I’m not a pretty crier.”
“Yeah, you’re not. But those pretty criers are just full of shit, anyway. No one cries like that,” Michael chuckled.
“I was scared. I thought you weren’t going to make it the first time. I kept thinking of how warm you are after,” Jeremy sighed.
“I know, I know. Let’s go upstairs.”
Michael let go briefly to put his shirt back on. He glared at anyone who stared at Jeremy for too long. He sat his boyfriend down on the couch and brought in as many snacks and drinks as he could.
“Movie, sweetheart?” Michael asked. Jeremy yawned.
“Maybe,” Jeremy kissed his cheek. “I might fall asleep.”
“That’s fine. My attention is all on you. I’m willing to just pass out if you’re tired, love,” Michael told him.
“You’re being unreasonably sappy with the nicknames. Whatever happened to anorexic freak, super sped, or meth junkie?” Jeremy asked.
“Too old for those shitty nicknames. Besides, the fact that you’re unconsciously shifting away from the nickname is funny,” Michael explained.
Jeremy gently pushed Michael on his back then he sat up. Jeremy got in his lap and started making out with him.
“I love you so freaking much,” Jeremy chuckled. “Never thought I’d say that to anything or anyone besides a dog, but it’s all good.”
“Pft. Loner,” Michael poked his nose. Jeremy scrunched up his face and tugged on Michael’s shirt again.
Michael didn’t leave Jeremy alone that night.
But two months later, Jeremy was alone again. He wanted to take shortcut through the alley and he ended up passing out in the middle of it.
And when he woke up, he found himself tied to a pole, his arms feeling like static. He struggled through the bonds and gritted his teeth when he felt a knife against his throat.
“Hello, collateral,” a cheerful voice came out of the man. Well, as childishly cheerful as a person with a knife to his throat could sound.
“Collateral for what?” Jeremy gulped. Okay, it was official. The Lord wanted to test him.
“Marley.”
“Who?” Jeremy played dumb.
“You don’t know? Shame. Explain who saved you from two kidnappings, then?”
“That guy?” Jeremy lied. “Guess he’s fixated on me.”
“You have to know who he is. If he’s so protective of you, then you have to know who he really is?” The guy poked the knife on Jeremy’s throat. The cut burned a bit.
Jeremy started laughing. “This is crazy. You’re insane. I don’t know who fucking Marley whatever-he-is-called is, so just let me go! I don’t know you!”
“Do not take me for an amateur with a pea-sized mind!” The man stabbed Jeremy in the side. He cried out in pain, but he choked down Michael’s name. Fuck him. There was no way he was going to destroy Michael.
His work was too important. While he would argue that Jeremy was more important, he was obviously unaware of how impactful he was. No, that was wrong. He probably just cared more about Jeremy since he loved him more. He loved him the most. Michael loved him. Still, Michael was needed. For other people. Jeremy was just whom Michael wanted.
“Why are you getting angry at me?” Jeremy coughed. “I don’t know who this Marley guy is!”
“Someone has to know! There is no way someone like him can remain so unknown for years!” The man jammed his finger in the cut. Jeremy let out a string of curse words.
“Ever watch ‘The Usual Suspects’ or something?” Jeremy wondered. “Keyser Soze was never figured out until he gave hints,” he growled. “Stop hurting me, I don’t know anything!”
“If you’re on his ‘No-Hit’ list, then you have to have an idea. Start naming the people you’re close with,” the man demanded.
“Fine, you want names?” Jeremy wondered. “Dean Hebert. John Mcguire. Lindsay Mcnamara. Heather Garcia. Emmett Woods-”
“That last one’s a Legally Blonde character! Don’t play games with me! My name is Dragon, and I will not be made out as a fool!”
“Why Dragon? Cause you’re greedy and vicious?” Jeremy wondered. The man slashed Jeremy’s face. He winced and cried out again. “Listen, if I’m on a ‘No-Hit’ list, then why are you hitting me?”
“Because this video is making way its around on the Dark Web. Marley will see it and if he doesn’t want you in pieces, then he’ll reveal himself and pay me kindly.”
Jeremy wanted to point out all the flaws, but then he saw his ‘Suspect Board’ in the distance. Jesus, how obsessed was this guy with Michael’s identity? He didn’t even have Michael as a suspect! That made Jeremy sigh quietly with relief. He obviously wasn’t as smart as he thought he was.
“Please don’t,” Jeremy tried.
“Tell me his identity.”
“Please. I don’t know him,” Jeremy begged. He tried to look as pathetic as possible.
“Even so, he’ll definitely know you. You might just be missing a few parts!” He put the knife in Jeremy’s shoe. Nothing got cut off, but that hurt like someone lit a match and jammed it inside his fucking foot.
“You fucking son of a bitch, OW, fuck, that, AGH!” Jeremy thrashed in his bindings. Goddammit, why didn’t he ever learn to escape the fucking binds? “Stop, holy shit!”
“I’ll stop when I figure out his identity. He isn’t all powerful. He has weaknesses, and you are obviously one of them. Make sure Marley gets this loud and clear! I’ll kill a member on his list!” He shouted into a camera.
Jeremy silently pleaded for Michael to help. Christ, where was he?
A split second later, Jeremy lost his pointerfinger. A clean cut right through his fucking finger made him scream, squeal, cry and shriek and beg for him to stop.
“Please, stop, I don’t know-!” Jeremy couldn’t even get the words out. He thought of how much Michael loved him and how he was going to save him and how there was the chance his finger could be reattached and how Michael was going to be there and how he was going to help.
“Tell me his name!”
Jeremy muttered something under his breath. It came out as shaky and unintelligible.
“What was that?” Dragon forced Jeremy’s chin up to face him.
He spat in his face.
“You’re asking for it. Ever been sodomized with a knife? It won’t be pretty.” He tapped the knife against Jeremy’s cheek. Jeremy forced his head away from it.
“Fuck off!” Jeremy started hyperventilating. Where was Michael? Hadn’t he noticed where Jeremy was on the tracker? Come on!
Guns. Cocked and loaded. A bunch of people burst inside the room, red dots all over Dragon’s body. They all wore suits along with bug masks. All the terrifying ones like wasps, spiders, oddly enough, scorpions, tarantulas, ants, beetles, etc…
Then, Michael with his familiar bug mask stepped in the room. He stared at Jeremy for a moment and Jeremy pretended to look confused. Jeremy had no idea what Michael’s expression was, but it was probably pissed to the extreme.
“Get him to the hospital,” Michael ordered. His voice was shaky and distorted.
“No you don’t!”
Dragon pressed the knife to Jeremy’s throat. If he inched that any closer, Jeremy’s airway would flood with blood.
“You’re going to die if you kill him.”
“Tell me your identity along with the whole world and I won’t do it.”
“Let me rephrase that; kill him, and you will spend the rest of your miserable life locked up and tortured to insanity. Anything you can even dream of, I will do and worse. Death would be too good for you. When I say there’s no one allowed to be hit, it goes.”
The dots on his body decreased. Other people had knives and other tools at the ready to throw.
“You will lose no matter what,” Michael said.
“If it means getting your identity revealed to the world, then it will be worth it.”
Jeremy wanted to shake his head, but that would be like saying, “I know who you are!” to Michael. He settled with a wide-eyed look.
Wait.
Jeremy noticed that his head could still move.
“I lied,” Jeremy said, choking back a scream. He really hoped he wouldn’t pass out.
Dragon’s head flicked to Jeremy’s face.
“Don’t do it,” one of the associates said.
“Jeremiah,” Michael said. Jeremy couldn’t make out his tone. He just hoped Michael would have faith in him.
“Marley is…” He took a deep breath. “Ge-teem Nao!”
“Getim n- what?” Dragon froze for a moment, the realization setting in. Jeremy moved his head back a bit and someone threw a knife in his kidnapper's arm, making him drop it.
“Get him to the hospital!” Michael repeated. Jeremy chose that moment to close his eyes and keep hyperventilating. Maybe the adrenaline of almost dying numbed the pain a bit, but it was back in full force. The multiple wound and loss of his finger and-
Jeremy blacked out.
-
And after what felt like forever of floating in an empty space, Jeremy woke up to white lights. He instantly shut his eyes, but he could feel a hand in his right hand. Michael’s. Had to be. Who else would be holding his hand?
“Mike…?” Jeremy muttered. His voice felt hoarse.
“Jeremy?” Michael jumped up from his seat and pressed his face close to Jeremy’s. Jeremy found it easier to look at Michael than the hospital.
“Finger?” Jeremy gulped. He couldn’t really feel his left hand.
“Attached,” Michael promised. Jeremy closed his eyes again and sighed a few times.
“Tired.”
“Go back to sleep, honey. You’re okay.”
“Smaug?” Jeremy felt woozy. He meant Dragon, but dragon somehow changed to the name of one from a movie. One Jeremy had never saw.
“Smaug? You mean-” Michael noticed that Jeremy wasn’t exactly responding. He couldn’t really blame him.
-
Not that Jeremy would know, but he woke up about thirteen hours later. It was eight at night. He found that he could actually look at things without the light blinding him, so he shuffled around and stared at the bandage around his finger. At least that was all good.
“Michael?” Jeremy called out softly. Perhaps he wasn’t here. For some reason, he felt like crying. He just wanted Michael around. He was like a comfort object.
“Michael?” Jeremy repeated. Where was he? Where was Michael?
“Michael?” It felt like being alone in the cold pod.
“Michael?” It was like being trapped in a band case.
“Michael?” It was like having a psychopath tie him up.
“Jeremy?” Michael ran into the room. He sat on the bed and thumbed away his tears. “Hey.”
“Michael?” Jeremy asked, albeit in a relieved way. He reached up to touch his face and Michael chuckled.
“How’s my favorite man?” Michael asked.
“Not great.”
“That’s fine.”
Michael told him about being able to go home soon. They had to test his use of his finger, but that should go smoothly.
“I’m so scared. I don’t want to die,” Jeremy sobbed.
Michael kissed his forehead. “I’ll teach you to protect yourself. I’ll help you build up resistances to drugs that make you pass out. No more of this bullshit, but even so, I’ll still respect your independence, and your… wishes to have people thrown in jail. Dragon isn’t coming out of prison.”
Jeremy nodded. He smiled at Michael and muttered an apology.
“Do you seriously think this is your fault? You didn’t do anything wrong. You are fantastic and brave and kind and amazing.” Michael wanted to hammer in nothing but good things in Jeremy’s head.
“Did… did you get scared when I tried that plan?” Jeremy tilted his head as best as he could.
“Completely. More for your safety than my identity. I wouldn’t hate you for revealing it.”
“I know, but you’re important,” Jeremy whispered.
“So are you.”
Jeremy shook his head. “You save people. I entertain sometimes. I know you love me so much, but you do so much good.”
“Even if you don’t get around to do anything world changing, you can still change someone else’s world.” Michael ran his fingers through his hair.
“...You mind if I get a therapist?”
“Not at all, love.”
“I feel like bullshit.”
“Can I help?"
Jeremy opened his mouth and his stomach rumbled. “Don’t let me starve?”
Michael hugged him once again and hesitantly left the room. Before he went into the hallway, he gave Jeremy a note.
Jeremy tilted his head again at the folded piece of paper. Some sort of sappy love note?
He opened it and smiled. It turned into a full-blown laugh. It felt like he just laughed for the first time in forever.
You are the light of my life.
It was nice, right?
It would’ve been if it wasn’t for the moth drawn underneath. Jeremy facepalmed and wondered just how he found someone so unique like Michael freaking Mell.
