“Head hurting again?” Cort said as he sat on the sofa beside Grey. His large hand wrapped around his neck and started massaging tense muscles. Some of the pain started to recede, and Grey sighed with relief. “Have there been any more changes to your vision lately?”
“Nothing much. Just varying degrees of shadows and light instead of pure darkness. I can’t actually make anything out, though.” He didn’t know whether to be excited or disappointed that his vision hadn’t changed more. Part of him was afraid that it would revert to pure darkness, but he was more afraid that this was as good as it was going to get. He was of no use to the Circle, and he was putting Cort in danger because he couldn’t protect him properly after dragging him into this life.
“Should we talk to Dane? Maybe he can help with the headaches,” Cort suggested.
Grey shook his head, though his heart warmed at Cort’s obvious concern. “I don’t want to tire Dane over a stupid headache. Wiley said the last ingredients for the healing spell were on their way. Once here, we’re going to try again. That spell drains Dane so much that it practically knocks him out.”
“You feel guilty,” Cort stated and a reluctant smirk toyed with Grey’s lips.
“I thought I was the mind reader.”
Cort ignored his quip and continued. “You feel guilty for using up so much of his energy. For potentially hurting him and putting him in danger despite the fact that he wants to help you and is honored by this duty that has fallen on his shoulders.”
“Ouch, Mr. Therapist. I thought you were supposed to be gentle with your clients.”
“Not when they’re being stubborn assholes, and you are so very good at that.”
Grey’s smile turned into a wide grin. He leaned toward Cort a little and the wonderful man took the hint, brushing a kiss across his lips.
“Kisses and sweet smiles are not going to distract me,” Cort teased.
“Then I need to try harder,” Grey murmured.
“What you need to do is get rid of this headache. It’s been three days, and I’m getting worried. Maybe we should call your doctor.”
Grey straightened when it was clear that he really couldn’t distract Cort. The man had a one-track mind when it came to his health and well-being. “I don’t know whether it’s related to my eyes or just stress. The past few days, we’ve all been walking around this place so tense, it’s starting to make my skin crawl.”
“You can feel the others?”
Grey nodded. “Nothing distinct. Just a cloud of tension and stress. I can’t spend too much time over there, or my headache grows worse.”
“You know, your doctor did write a prescription for you for a mild painkiller in case you got headaches or pain in your eyes. You’ve never filled that script,” Cort reminded him.
Grey nodded. He had forgotten about it. He’d felt no need to get it filled because Dane had done a great job of getting rid of the worst of the pain, and he wasn’t a fan of being on any kind of drugs. Simple ibuprofen had handled the initial headaches, but this time it wasn’t making a dent.
“You could always get it filled now. It might help.”
It was tempting. The pills would likely cut through the worst of the headache so he could finally relax, plus he’d be able to get away from the house for a little while. The tension in the house was nearly as bad as his headaches.
“Okay, but can I ask a favor?” Grey paused and licked his lips. “I’d like to go without you.”
Grey had clenched and prepared for it, but it hadn’t been enough. Pain and shock surged through Cort and slammed straight into Grey. Most of the time, Cort was an emotional blank with him, but strong emotions managed to leak through. And this was definitely strong.
They had been together nearly every second of the day for several days now. Before he moved in, they were together for hours. The idea that Grey wanted to do anything without Cort had to be a surprise. And now that they’d grown closer, the request was all the more hurtful.
“Yeah, ummm…of course—” Cort started, his words coming out a bit fractured.
Grey reached out and slid his hands up Cort’s chest to carefully cup his cheeks. Grey closed his eyes as he pressed their foreheads together. “This is not about you. I want to spend every second of every day with you. But I’m scared that I’m becoming too dependent on you. I need to know that you are this sexy man I’m dating, not a fucking crutch I depend on to get me through the day.”
The pain started to give way to warmth and maybe even a little joy. “Grey Ackles, you are the most stubborn man I’ve ever met, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve worked with people twice your age. I can’t imagine how you could be dependent on me.”