In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Thirty-One

~Sunday 24th March 2013~

"You should be resting, bunny," Eden dragged his gaze from the sun rising over the horizon to Malcolm, who sat down next to him with his own blanket draped over his bare shoulders. He smiled weakly, resting his head on Malcolm's shoulder, trying to hide the sigh he couldn't quite quell. Malcolm wrapped an arm around Eden's waist, splaying his hand out over the boy's stomach and rubbing the tender flesh.

"How's your foot?" Eden lifted his leg a little, wiggling his toes, indicating it was completely healed under the bandage, which seemed to make Malcolm happy, "so if it's not the pain that woke you up so early, what is it?" Eden averted his eyes back to the lake, watching the reflection of the dawn sunlight glimmer on the rippling water surface. He hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to just lie to Malcolm, but knowing it wasn't healthy to do so in a relationship and the man was only trying to help.

"I feel like I ruined this trip," Eden admitted in a small voice, trying to bite back the tears that threatened to fall. Immediately his head was tilted back and his eyes met Malcolm, seeing a concerned frown darkening the man's face.

"Why would you think that, bunny? You haven't ruined anything."

"Yes, I have," Eden lamented sullenly, "I screwed up your plans for yesterday, I'm sorry," Eden turned his head away when he felt a tear streak down his cheek, not feeling very deserving of Malcolm's sympathy in that moment. He didn't feel deserving of Malcolm at all actually.

"Eden, look at me," Malcolm's firm tone and use of his full name reminded the boy of how Archer would speak to him when he lost it, the sudden flow of harsh memories not helping too much, "please?" the pain in Malcolm's tone was far worse than that in Eden's head, finally giving him the courage to look at his lover, "don't ever apologise to me for something like that, alright? What happened yesterday wasn't your fault, it was out of your hands and it was an accident. You didn't injure yourself on purpose, it's the fault of whoever left a smashed bottle in the fucking lake," Eden didn't like the twinge of anger in Malcolm's tone, it only made him feel a thousand times worse.

Malcolm sighed quietly when more tears began to roll down Eden's cheeks, lifting him onto his lap and rocking him gently. Eden wrapped his arms around Malcolm's neck, resting his head on his shoulder and trying desperately to stop crying. He hated crying, it was just too embarrassing. He didn't mind Malcolm babying him but he didn't want to actually feel like a kid again.

"Stop crying, bunny, OK? I'm not mad at you or anything like that. I love you more than anyone else in the world, Eden, I would never be mad at you for something like this," Eden nodded slowly, sniffling and wiping his eyes, "look at me, bunny," Eden lifted his head, meeting Malcolm's eye, not able to even consider mirror the small smile the man was adorning.

"I love you too," Eden whispered, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Malcolm's lips, one that didn't last very long but meant so much to him.

"I don't want you blaming yourself for what happened yesterday, that's in the past, OK? We can go hiking today, we have time. We can stay an extra day if you want, to make up for it," Eden smiled weakly, unsure of how successful he was in the end.

"What did you do yesterday?" Eden had been injured early in the morning and had been unconscious all the previous day, which Malcolm had been alone, and that made his guilt swell up within him again.

"Honestly?" Eden nodded, having not expected Malcolm to chuckle lowly, "I made sure you were pretty heavily sedated first then I went out and met up with the alpha of the pack in this territory. I thanked him for allowing us to stay up here and he offered me some of the deer his pack had caught as some compensation for what happened to you. I declined, I can't stand venison," a small giggle bubbled from within Eden, which immediately made light brighten in Malcolm's face.