｡♥  BEAUTIFUL CREATURE  !

        Rocky sinks to the floor gracelessly, shapely legs giving way beneath him. Frank’s touch is gentle, caring, and Rocky is glad- selfishly, horribly glad. In spite of the danger, in spite of the fear, in spite of the pain, he’s GLAD, grateful that at least this horrorshow has gotten the man who made him to pay attention to him again, to treat him so gently, to speak to him so softly, to call him his only love. Why is it that this is what it takes? Was he not made to be perfect? Why, then, does he receive kindness such as this only when his perfection is marred?

        He grips Frank’s hand gratefully, his other arm wrapping around him, pulling him close to the heat of his battered chest even though it hurts to do so. He’s too muddled to even take inventory of his own injuries, but even that is brushed out of his mind when Frank turns to him- to HIM, half-brain, for answers. whatever will we DO?

        Rocky groans; words are still difficult- his pretty little head is swimming. He can’t- can’t -   he wipes tears from Frank’s face with one large, trembling hand, finds himself speaking, not his own words but words he remembers, a cracked mumble of an unfitted phrase.

        “Don’t… be upset…”

_{‘   up    –   UPSET    ?     ’     the creature’s words are a KNIFE twisting in the doctor’s heart,   the very same heart that knows nothing of love   &   somehow plenty of lust.   frank feels nothing   &   everything simultaneously,    a SENSATION not unlike the afterglow of empty,   thoughtless coitus.   mind buzzing,     he leans into rocky’s touch.      it’s all he can do,   for now :     he’s certain he owes rocky an apology of some sort, those two dreaded words creeping up his throat only to be swallowed by stubborn silence   &   quivering lips,   rubbed bare by chlorine.     ‘    i’m not upset.   ’}

_{not with rocky,    he isn’t.       frank fidgets,     turns slightly away,     gently shakes off the gentle hand that rests upon his cheek.    ‘     oh,     baby.     what’ve we gotten ourselves INTO    ?   what’ve      –       what’ve i gotten us into     ?     ’     quietly admitting his folly tastes nearly as FOUL as the evening itself.   stiffly,   he faces the creature once more.   ‘    let me see you.     where are you hurt     ?     ’}