| A Matter of Life or Death Part II |
| Slowly making his way toward consciousness, Luke realized something was very wrong. He ached all over, and everything felt muzzy. What was going on? Why did he feel like this? At first, he wasn�t even sure where he was. A soft moan of pain and fear escaped his throat. �Luke? You ok?� Bo�s voice came softly from the other side of the bed, as a long arm draped lightly over his chest. The beloved voice, the reassuring touch, told him it was all right, and he let himself slip back into slumber. In the pale moonlight, Bo looked over at his sleeping cousin. Something was different. Before, he had just laid there, seeming more unconscious than asleep. Now he seemed more relaxed, a natural sleep rather than the drug-induced stupor. A small smile chased at his lips from the reassurance that Bo was nearby. Bo smiled and skootched a little closer, lying on his side to keep Luke loosely in his grasp. Soon he too slept. The next time Luke awakened, it came a little easier. He still felt achy and kind of fuzzy, but the picture cleared a little quicker this time. Bo was cuddled close to him, holding him protectively. Luke had to smile at the thought that Bo was the protective one this time; that was usually his job. As he lay there, the events of the previous day came back to him. The picnic, and then the pain. Bee sting. He was allergic. He realized that Bo had somehow carried him up that hill to the General, gotten him home, given him the shot. A deep tenderness wrapped itself around his heart as he gazed at Bo, knowing his cousin had saved his life. He couldn�t stop the tears that stung at his eyes, tears of gratitude and love. Bo heard the small gasp as Luke tried to fight his tears, woke to see Luke crying. �Luke! Hey, it�s ok. You�re gonna be all right.� Bo gently shifted, pulling Luke close, holding him by his sides, trying not to touch the burns he knew covered Luke�s back. He rolled over onto his back, pulling Luke on top of him, ignoring the burns on his own backside. His fingers wove into Luke�s thick dark hair. �Easy, love, easy. It�s ok. Shh.� It didn�t take long for Luke�s sobs to ease up. �Sorry,� he mumbled softly into Bo�s shoulder, embarrassed by his display. Bo�s hands caressed his head. �Nothin� to be sorry about, cousin.� In fact, it had been kinda nice, holding Luke like this, being the strong one for a change. It made him feel all special inside. He gently kissed Luke�s cheek. �How ya� feelin�?� Luke paused, taking a mental inventory of the hurts. �Achy, sore, like I went 10 rounds with Mohammed Ali.� He suddenly realized Bo�s hands were avoiding his back, which made him notice a different kind of pain. �My back �? Bo, why are you avoiding touching my back?� Bo sighed and made a face. �Um, listen, Luke, that�s kind of my fault. I had to get you back here, to the medicine, and I didn�t really care about anything else. We was both naked, Luke, and the General�s got vinyl seats, and it was really hot yesterday �� Luke put the picture together and realized that the burning sensation on his back was exactly that � burns. He wondered how he�d managed to sleep so long on his back; at the moment the thought of rolling over frightened him. �Wait a minute, Bo. You said we was both naked � you ok?� Bo grimaced. �My back�s ok, I guess I leaned forward while I was drivin�. But my butt�s kinda toasty. Oh, hey, the Doc left some pain pills, and some cream. Let me up and I�ll get them, ok?� Luke nodded and slid off, ending up laying on Bo�s side of the bed, face down. The pillow smelled of Bo, which at the moment he found very soothing. He had almost started to drift off again when he felt someone sit down on the bed beside him. Bo spread the cooling cream over his burns with a gentle touch, trying hard not to hurt his lover. The cream had a mild anesthetic in it which numbed Bo�s fingers as well as Luke�s back. As he finished Luke, Bo stood up and rubbed the remaining cream over his backside, sighing with relief. He went into the bathroom to wash his hands, and returned with a pair of pills and a glass. He took one, then handed Luke the other one and the glass. As Luke took the pain pill, Bo glanced out the window; still fairly early in the morning, but Uncle Jesse must have let them sleep, not waking them for morning chores. Feeling guilty, he wondered if he could get into a pair of jeans. He reached down and lovingly ruffled Luke's hair. "Luke? I'm gonna get dressed, go out and help with chores if I can. You rest up now, ok?" Luke nodded, catching Bo's hand, kissing it, enjoying the way Bo blushed slightly at the gesture. His eyes followed his cousin as Bo carefully dressed, easing the soft cotton underwear over his still-stinging rump. Jeans followed, placed oh-so-carefully. It wasn't exactly what Bo considered comfortable, but it was tolerable. He grabbed a shirt, then came back and bent down to kiss Luke before heading out. Content, Luke buried his face deeper into Bo's pillow and soon drifted off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next couple of days dragged on, painfully slow, as Luke regained his strength. His body's battle with the bee venom had left him weak as a kitten. The burns on his back and bottom were much worse than Bo's; for two days, he couldn't even sit up to eat. Bo was there beside him, making sure he ate something, feeding him if necessary. Now, Luke didn't like being so helpless, and tended to get a bit grumpy. And Bo wasn't exactly known for being the most patient sort. It all kind of exploded on Friday night. Bo had quickly eaten dinner with the rest of the family, excusing himself as soon as possible to take a plate in to Luke. He didn't really realize it at the time, but Luke was actually feeling quite a bit better, and smelling the wonderful home cooking was making him very hungry. When Bo appeared with the plate, he snapped "What took you so long?" Bo put the plate down on the nightstand, frowning down at his cousin. "I got here as quick as I could, Luke. You know how Uncle Jesse is about the family coming to table �" Luke sighed. He knew, and the fact that he couldn't was part of what was bothering him. Grumbling, he pushed himself up, leaning on one of the big pillows from the sofa. Bo got him situated, then Luke roughly pushed him away. "I can handle it." Luke had been snapping at him all day, and Bo was just about at his limit. "Fine, then!" he snapped back, getting up and storming out of the room. Watching Bo leave, Luke's feelings were all jumbled up. Part of him was glad Bo was gone; he hated appearing so weak and helpless to his younger cousin, the one who had always looked up to him. But part of him felt abandoned; how could Bo walk away from him now? Didn't he care anymore? Now thoroughly miserable, Luke turned his attention to the chicken casserole in front of him. He'd lost some of his appetite, but still, it smelled good. But as he picked at it, he wasn't paying enough attention, and managed to tip it over, spilling good country gravy over the sheets. Frustrated beyond tolerance now, he picked up the bowl and threw it against the wall with a strangled scream. Bo had gone outside to the porch to cool off, figuratively, at least. Daisy had left for work, and Uncle Jesse had wisely decided that maybe the boys could use some private time and headed out himself. So he was by himself when he heard the crashing bowl and Luke's scream. Worried, he rushed back to their room. "Luke? You ok?" He found Luke sobbing into a pillow covered in gravy. Part of him was annoyed with Luke for making a mess, but seeing his older cousin break down like this touched something in his heart. Ignoring the mess for a moment, he sat down beside Luke, gently stroking his hair. "Easy, Luke. It's ok. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stormed out like that. You ok?" Bo's voice, his gentle touch, seeped into Luke's turbulent mind. He blinked back the tears, pushing himself up to look into deep blue eyes filled with concern and love. As he turned his face to look at Bo, Bo's hand gently cupped his cheek, his head bending down to tenderly kiss Luke's lips. The looked at each other for a long moment, then Bo grinned and suddenly licked a dollop of gravy off Luke's cheek. Suddenly both of them were laughing at the absurdity of it. "I'm sorry too, Bo � guess I've been a bit testy lately �" Bo just shrugged. "I'd say you've got a right to be." His eyes scanned the mess. "Think you're up to gettin' out of that bed, cousin? We need to change the sheets, and you could do with a shower �" Luke realized he'd somehow gotten gravy in his hair as well as just about everywhere else. He looked up at Bo. "If you'll help?" "Course I will!" came the affectionate reply. Bo reached down and pulled the covers off, taking a good look at Luke's burns. They looked to be healing nicely. Luke thought about it for a moment, knew he didn't want to sit up first. So instead he pushed himself up on hands and knees. The movement stretched the tender skin on his back, but the pain wasn't too bad. He moved one leg then the other to the floor, and felt Bo's hands supporting him under his arms, helping him to stand upright. He would have stumbled without the support, but Bo kept him stable. Luke realized that standing upright felt really good, despite the stinging in his back from the movement. He took a few tentative steps, but still felt really shaky. Bo caught him and helped him over by the dresser, which was tall enough for Luke to lean on. "Here, lean on this while I clean up a bit, ok? Then we'll get you into the shower." Bo's eyes sparkled with the thought of being able to touch his lover, even if it wasn't exactly sexual. Luke couldn't help grinning at the look in Bo's eyes. Funny, 10 minutes ago sex had been the farthest thing from his mind. But right now, he wanted to thank Bo for saving his life, and for putting up with him the past few days. He hoped he was up to it. He watched as Bo stripped the sheets from their bed, and disappeared down the hall as he took them out to the washing machine. Bo came back with some kitchen towels, and cleaned up the mess where the bowl had crashed into the wall. Luke felt really guilty watching him; it wasn't like him to do something so � temperamental. He guessed being laid up had affected him more than he'd thought. Once again, Bo disappeared with the dirty towels. This time Luke could hear the washer starting up. Daisy wouldn't have been happy to come home to that mess; Luke was grateful that Bo had taken care of it. It suddenly struck him that his little cousin really had grown up a lot lately. Bo would always have an almost child-like innocence about him, which was part of what Luke loved about him. But he seemed to be balancing it more and more with a surprising strength. Especially since they had become lovers; it was like he was somehow able to take the best of Luke's strength and make it part of himself. Finally, Bo had everything cleaned up and new sheets on the bed. He turned to his cousin to see a strange look in Luke's eyes; affectionate, but something else, too. He wasn't sure what it was, but he liked it. Smiling, he came over to Luke. More than anything, he wanted to take his lover into his arms, but he knew that wouldn�t be a good idea for Luke's back. Instead, he caught Luke's face in his hands, leaning in for a kiss. Luke responded, his arms wrapping around Bo, holding him close. The kiss was long and sweet, with just the first stirrings of passion. As Bo backed away, his hand slid into Luke's hair � and a glob of gravy. Laughing, he just shook his head. "Come on, let's get YOU cleaned up now." Bo helped him down the hall to the shower; fortunately with Jesse and Daisy gone, they didn't have to fuss with clothes. Bo reached in and turned on the shower, letting the water warm up while he undressed. Luke wasn't surprised to see that Bo was already partly aroused; he was beginning to feel some stirrings himself. And seeing his lover naked stirred some more. Bo checked the water temperature and nodded. He got in, standing right in the stream of the water. He remembered what it had felt like the first time those needle points of water had hit his burned backside; he didn't want Luke to have to go through that, so he used his own body to protect Luke. His hands supported Luke as he stepped over the side of the old bathtub, catching him as he lost his balance. "Whoa, I got ya, Luke." Bo's strong hands held his shoulders, steadying him. Luke smiled and let himself lean against Bo, trusting his lover completely. The warm water spilled over Bo's shoulders, falling on him much more gently. It felt wonderful. He felt Bo's hands disappear for a moment as he reached for the soap. Then they were back, one hand holding him while the other slid oh-so-gently over his abused back, cushioned by the foamy soap. Luke held on, enjoying Bo's gentle touches even though it did hurt a little. Bo shifted slightly, so that more of the water came over his shoulders, rinsing the suds away from Luke's back. Luke's face lifted from his shoulder, tilted up, just begging to be kissed. He eagerly complied, feeling Luke's body pressed tight against his, both their cocks swelling with desire. After days of inactivity, even though he was still weak, Luke felt the sudden rush of desire, a hunger burning inside him. He still didn't have much strength, but he put it all into that kiss, letting Bo feel his need. Luke's intensity surprised Bo. They kissed passionately as Luke pushed against Bo with all the strength he had left. Bo couldn't do much except steady Luke, literally holding him up. His pain momentarily forgotten in the rush of endorphins released by his arousal, Luke thrust against Bo's hardness, seeking release. When it came, he cried out, sagging limply against Bo's body. Fighting off the lethargy induced by his own climax, Bo gently eased Luke down onto his knees, letting his cousin continue to lean against him. Luke was breathing heavily, his head leaning against Bo's belly. Bo smiled down at him, his hands sliding into Luke's hair. Which reminded him of that glop of gravy, so he reached for the shampoo and gently worked it into Luke's hair. Luke was in a kind of warm, fuzzy state of mind. It was almost like being drunk. His body was exhausted; he was thankful he had Bo to lean against. His earlier passion had been replaced by an incredible feeling of well-being, despite his weakness and the pain that was slowly creeping back into his back. Bo's hands gently massaged his scalp, giving him a feeling of comfort and security. And then more warm water washed over him, gently rinsing away the shampoo. He was almost asleep when the sudden absence of the warm water made him shiver. Almost as if from a distance, he heard Bo's voice. "Come on, Luke. Time to get you back to bed. Can you stand up?" Luke blinked and took a deep breath. "Yeah," he breathed as Bo's hands grabbed his elbows, helping to pull him up. Once he got his feet under him, Bo held him for a moment until he was steady. When he was sure Luke could stand, he let go and reached out for a towel, which he wrapped over Luke's shoulders. As gently as possible, he dried Luke off, shivering until Luke was dry and he could apply the towel to himself. Luke wished he had the strength to grab a towel for himself; he hated seeing Bo shivering while taking care of him. But at the moment it was all he could do to remain standing. He balanced precariously when Bo let go to dry himself off, welcoming the support � and the warmth � of Bo's hands when he finished. They made their way slowly back to the bedroom, not bothering with clothes. Bo got Luke to lay down on his stomach and reached for the salve, gently rubbing it over the sore, tender skin that had been stretched by all that moving around. When he was finished, he got up and turned out the lights and crawled into the other side of the bed. Luke rolled slightly onto his side, half laying on top of Bo, one arm thrown possessively over his cousin's chest. Bo smiled, burying his fingers in the still-damp dark curls. "Love you, Luke," he murmured happily. Luke hugged him, nestling his head into Bo's shoulder. "You too, Bo �" came the sleepy response. Send me some feedback Back to the Dukes Home Back to Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |