Baby steps ∽『boy ✮ boy -EDITED

Tenth 👣-edited

What did Ryder have to do with my accident? I smashed my phone back on the nightstand, leaving the messages unanswered. I should have ignored them the first second I realized who the sender was but curiosity wouldn't let me live if I ignored Simon after he wrote me the first time since the accident. Last time I saw him was in hospital after I've woken up. I remember telling him to "kick his own butt out of my life". I didn't expect Simon to listen to me. I don't know if apologies and explications would have done me any better but I've honestly didn't expect him to agree so easily to leave me alone. The sweet boy I fell in love with wouldn't cause that accident and definitely wouldn't give up on me so easily... it was clear I didn't know him well enough so why should I listen to what he says now?

I scoffed, pulling my wheelchair closer to the bed and proceeding to climb in it when a strong palm captured my wrist in its grip. I turned to look at Ryder, seeing him stretch and reveal his hellishly well carved abs.

"Wait, let me help you." He said with a yawn, leaping out of the covers and walking around the bed in order to hold on my wheelchair.

"Thanks." I responded plainly, starting to push myself out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. When I was done with my morning routine I went to look for Kathy, finding her in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"Good morning!" I greeted huskily, being too caught up in my thoughts to see Tommy running in my direction and leaping in my arms. The boy supported his palms on my shoulders and his feet on my knees, standing up and bending over to peck my lips with a loud smooch. I didn't even have time to react when he jumped down on the floor and ran away in his room, closing the door behind him with a loud thud. Little rascal! "Hsbjsjs" were my exact thoughts at that moment.

"Morning." Kathy hissed in response, just now turning around to face me.

"Are you alright?" she asked, but her tone didn't match the politeness of the question. When I responded and asked her the same thing back, I realized it was actually just a pretext so she could start complaining.

Five minutes later and her mouth was still rambling.

"Sid's car won't start. Last night they said it was a mere scratch, but this morning its engine was dead and we'd all have to crowd in Greg's car to go to town."

I nodded my head, not really paying attention to what Kathy said. She continued talking and when Tommy came back into the kitchen she placed some bowls with cereals on the table. Then one by one she started filling the bowls with milk.

"Milk before cereals?" I smirked, watching Kathy turn to look at me with a scowl.

"Don't start this again, Carter! Better, make yourself useful and go call Ryder to eat breakfast."

I couldn't do anything but sigh and offer a lifeless "Fine" as answer. But I didn't go far when Tommy started crying for me to stay, going as far as to flip a bowl over and spill the milk into my lap. Good thing it wasn't too hot.

"Tommy! Look what you've done, silly boy!" Kathy "scolded" the boy, fussing over her "poor table and floor" instead of my milky lap. When I asked her for a towel it was also soaked wet so she ushered me to the bathroom to use the ones in there instead.

What normal family doesn't have paper towels in the kitchen?!

I made my way down the hall, cringing as the milk protruded through my trousers making them stick to my thighs. My cringing face soon died and was replaced by a hanged jaw and two burning cheeks when I opened the bathroom door and a naked Ryder revealed himself in front of my eyes.

"Good dammit, Ryder! You don't know how to lock the door when you pee?" I screamed in an overly pitched voice, slamming the door shut and turning my wheelchair to face the wall opposite the bathroom.

"Everyone in this house has seen a dick, Carter; there is no need to be ashamed." Greg's sudden voice startled me and when I looked up I saw him approaching me with a wide smirk plastered on his face.

Still shaken, I watched the man open the bathroom door and walk inside, making Ryder zip his already lifted pants quickly. The younger man exited the room, stopping in front of me and buckling his belt, more than surely traumatized by the previous events. I wasn't sure what his expression was though as I tried my best to avoid his gaze and erase the mental image tormenting my head.

"Ya'll Matveys are so against me peeing." Was the last thing I heard him grumble before Kathy called him to the kitchen.

✿

"So... there's a problem."

I looked at Sid's face with an annoyed glare, wishing he would already spill the beans so we could climb in the car and leave. We were already five minutes late for my appointment and Kathy was fuming with nerves, bursting in a fit of curses at each twenty seconds.

"Uhm, dad's car has Tommy's chair in it and so there will be only two free seats in the back. I will be driving and dad will be staying in the passenger seat... fact which means someone will have to sit in someone else's lap."

My eyes widened as everyone turned to look at me, Sid filled with more mischief than anyone else, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards before quickly going back down.

"No! No way I am siting in someone's lap nor the other way around! Ryder is big enough, he could cradle Tommy's chair in his arms! Or, he could stay in Kathy's lap or in the trunk. Or let's better tie him to the roof!"

I tried to chuckle my nerves away, but my dry humor was slapped away when Kathy's palm made contact with the back of my head.

"Behave, Carter!"

I winced; rubbing the place the devil burned her symbol on my skin. If I were bald, her palm would surely be imprinted on my head.

"That's animal abuse, mom!" Sid snickered, gaining a slap of his own on his nape. Tommy simply laughed, hitting his forehead with his palm and repeating his brother's words "Buse, buse!" I chuckled, wanting to teach the little boy direct his "buse" to his brother instead of himself... too bad Kathy was watching me with a deathly glare.

"Uhm..." Ryder's baritone voice suddenly broke the tension, making everyone's attention turn to him. He was half leaned over the driver seat of his truck.

"We are also out of gas so we can't use this car."

"Didn't you fill it yesterday?" I asked.

"Yes, but not enough it seems."

"OK, done!" Kathy was quick to end our discussion, "We're already very late. I have to get to work, Tommy should have been at the daycare already and you guys should have reached the hospital by now. Carter, you sit between Ryder's legs because you are a bit thinner. Now let's go before I propel you all into those seats. Andale!"

I opened my mouth to complain, but Kathy suddenly opened the door of Sid's car, pointing to the backside seats and barking, "EVERYONE INSIDE, NOW!!!"

Before realizing it, my wheelchair was placed in the trunk and I was sitting between Ryder's legs with my head leaned on the chair in front of me and Ryder fussing like a mad man against my butt.