by Kenovay
"Might as well. Not the fucking first time, is it?" Will reached over and grabbed Jack's hand. He held on, as tightly as he could.
"They're assholes, all right? All assholes."
"Yeah. I fucking attract assholes." Will tugged on the hand and pulled Jack a bit closer to him.
"Share the blankets. If I'm going to spend the night sitting watching TV in your apartment, I'm at least going to be warm."
"Bitch." But Jack wasn't angry. They played this ritual out every time, every time Jack came in with a black eye or mud over his clothes, vibrating with anger and fear. And those few times, God forbid, when he came home from the hospital, demanding pro bono work from Will and coddling from everyone around him. And Will always offered to stay, and Jack always let him.
They settled again, Jack twisted round slightly and leaning against Will. He was still trembling, four hours after the incident. "You sure you're going to stay all night?"
"Yeah." They both knew why. Because Will never got attacked, because Will could pass himself off as a straight man, because Will had visited Casualty maybe twice in his life, had about three black eyes, and had never seen the courtroom from the point of view of the witness box. And because he was glad about these things.
