Beauty in the Ashes

“I assure you, it’s the coffee.” My tone wasn’t very nice as I slid the coffee cup across the counter.

“Whatever makes you feel better,” he muttered under his breath.

He took the coffee and left.

While he was there I hadn’t noticed how my heart rate spiked and how sweat was sprinkled across my forehead. But I was aware of it now. I didn’t understand my reaction. Not one to over analyze, I pushed it out of my mind.

For now.

???

There was a homeless person sleeping outside my door.

Okay, upon closer inspection it was Caelan, but still.

I crouched down to wake him and found him unresponsive.

“Caelan?” I shook his shoulder as roughly as I could. “Caelan? Wake up!” Desperation laced my voice. I grew frantic, shaking him and slapping his cheeks in the hopes of getting a reaction. “Caelan! Please wake up!”

Eventually he uttered a groan and relief filled me. I’d feared he was dead. Puke stained his clothes, clung to his lips, and his skin had taken on a sickly grayish pallor.

I knew I needed to get him into my apartment and cleaned up, but I couldn’t move him on my own.

That left two options.

Cyrus and Frankie.

With Cyrus, I’d risk him hitting on me.

With Frankie, I’d risk the wrath of Jen.

I didn’t wait long to make a decision.

“Really, love?” Cyrus asked, his hair sticking up wildly around his head—the pieces that were once an electric green were now blue. “It’s…” He pretended to look at a watch, but his wrist was bare, “too fucking early in the morning for a wake up call…unless,” he smiled cockily, “you’d like to join me in bed.”

“Stop acting British,” I hissed with irritation. “And I will never in a million years get in your bed. I need help getting him into my apartment.”

Cyrus took one look at Caelan’s form and said, “No.”

He started to close the door, but I inserted my foot so that it wouldn’t latch.

Cyrus glared. “Move. Your. Foot.”

“Not until you help me.”

He muttered unintelligibly under his breath. “If he tries to break my fucking nose again, I’m dropping him on his head.”

“Thank you!” I cried in relief, slinging my arms around his neck in a hug. I then realized he was practically naked and pulled away awkwardly. “Oh…uh…sorry.”

He shook his head. “Let me get some pants on.”

“Yeah, that would probably be a good idea,” I concurred.

I stood in the doorway, in case he tried to go back to bed without helping me. He finally returned. “You owe me for this,” he muttered as he passed me. “I accept blowjobs as payment.” Upon settling his eyes on Caelan, his nose wrinkled. “Oh, fuck, he’s thrown up all over himself. Not cool. I didn’t sign up for this!” He glared at me.

I shrugged innocently. “I need someone’s help.”

“Ugh,” he groaned. “I need to fucking move so I don’t have to deal with this shit.”