Stephen brushed Adrian's hair, kissing him softly. "Shower is going to hurt, baby. We can take a bath and rinse off, but not on your back. It's going to hurt too much. Trust me, please."
He nodded. "Of course I will. I'm not a masochist; I only want to know you're all right, and I know I don't go back to sleep, but that's at six in the morning, not in the middle of the night. I promise that I'll go back to sleep and if it doesn't work out, we figure something else out."
Stephen laced their fingers together, squeezing them hard. "Let's not re-write history. You left, and I didn't bring it up to throw it in your face. I was just afraid that you weren't coming back, that's all I was saying, and I know now that it's not the case, but I didn't know then, and it's okay, though. You were a dick before leaving, I was a dick after you came back, and we finally figured things out. I didn't- I don't how much was because I was upset and how much because I was afraid that you were back only because there was no one else to help and that you'd leave again, and you don't have to tell me that I was wrong, because I know."