“Good. I’ve been good. Reading a lot. Knight showed me some tricks with electricity.” Laurent’s heart was thudding as hard as if it was him who was wounded.
Beast gave him a weak smile, flinching when Laurent didn’t notice that the door was too narrow for both of them and Beast ended up walking his injured arm into the doorframe. He hissed loudly, stiffening against Laurent, but then pushed inside, clearly intent on getting somewhere where he could rest. “I knew you two would have fun together.”
“Yes, Knight is very kind to me.” Laurent sighed deeply, more careful now that they walked down the corridor toward the common room. “And Hound goes on walks with me. And… I’ve missed you,” he added in the end. All his plans of being standoffish and waiting for Beast to apologize about the way he had left went out the window as soon as Laurent saw blood.
Beast glanced at him, smiling again, as if he didn’t care for pain as long as Laurent declared his affections so plainly. They finally reached the kitchen, and Knight quickly pulled everything off the counter before ducking to grab some bleach from the cupboard. The cleaning liquid smelled horribly, but cleanliness was apparently more important to keeping wounds in a good state than anything else. And considering how many old people there were in 2017, Laurent was certain modern medicine was right about a great many things.
“I have something for you,” Beast said and looked down. “Inner pocket of my cut.”
Laurent took a deep breath. He wanted to say it didn’t matter right now. That he didn’t need any gifts, but since Beast thought it important enough, Laurent reached into the pocket.
“You didn’t have to,” he still said, finding an elongated item made of plastic. He licked his lips, looking up into the pale face. Beast remembered how much he liked the material, but what could it be?”
He pulled out the item, and it caused a tightly spun cable to fall out to the floor. He didn’t know what the item was at first, but it was dark blue and pretty, with a small screen and a keyboard similar to the one on the TV remote control.
“So that we can stay in touch when I’m away,” Beast said.
Knight snorted. “You got him an old person’s phone?”
Laurent gasped and hugged the cell phone to his chest with tears itching his eyes. “I love it.”
“He doesn’t need a smartphone,” Beast said and leaned in to press a kiss to the top of Laurent’s head, leaning against the cleaned counter. “Messages and calls will be enough.”
Laurent gently rubbed the front of Beast’s body. “And you will teach me how to use it?”
“That’s why I got it for you,” Beast said patiently and grunted, pushing his body at Laurent’s. It became clear that with the one healthy arm busy keeping his weight up, he didn’t have the means to properly hug Laurent.
Laurent was quick to help him with that and wrapped his arms around Beast’s waist.
“Be careful, lovebird,” Knight said, watching Beast like a hawk.
“What happened?” Laurent asked and kissed Beast’s pec.
Beast’s chest rose when he took a deep breath, his heart, healthy and beating fast despite the wound, was music to Laurent’s ears. “Trouble during the run, but we dealt with it. Those people likely won’t be a problem anymore,” he said, briefly looking at Knight before glancing back at Laurent. “This is a secret, Laurent, but we move certain valuables for a friend of ours. And sometimes, people want to get those valuables off us.”
Laurent nodded, looking between Beast and Knight, since this was clearly a point of tension. “If anything, you know I can keep a secret,” he said, glad that he was finally considered trustworthy enough to be told even that scrap of information. “And that is what brings the Kings of Hell money?”
Beast nodded. “That’s what we do. It’s profitable enough and allows us to live how we choose. But Laurent, no one can know.”
Laurent squeezed Beast’s healthy hand. “There is always a price to pay for living a life of freedom. I for one, understand that clearly. There is no greater value. I will stand by you.”
Beast met his gaze with a wider smile and eventually rested his chin on top of Laurent’s head, practically curling up around him. The sensation was so pleasant Laurent closed his eyes and simply enjoyed it until someone’s footsteps alarmed him into looking back. A middle-aged man hurried their way with a large bag, and he looked so odd in the clubhouse in a dress shirt and pants made of soft cloth rather than denim, that Laurent immediately realized it was the doctor. He watched Knight help Beast strip his top half and lie down on the counter, but grabbed the healthy hand as soon as he felt it wouldn’t disturb the process.