Chapter 23

Steve felt Charlie become a dead weight in his arms as they emerged from the fireplace in the storeroom break room in Romania. He didn't waste a moment and laid his lover on the floor, while Bill left to fetch the reserve's on-call medic. The former military man tore off the wounded man's T-shirt when he saw a red stain on it, then undid the bandages - as he'd suspected, the wounds had reopened, the magical transports had undone what the mediwizards had done. He removed his own shirt and used it to compress the wounds. The pain created by his action brought Charlie back to him and made him groan in pain.

"Hey Cha, it's gonna be okay, okay? Your brother's gone to get a doctor, he'll get you back on your feet."

The dragon caretaker groaned again, but his eyes were already closing.

"No! Look at me Cha, look at me!"

The blue eyes landed on Steve, who smiled at him.

"It's okay, stay with me."

The truth was he was terrified, Charlie shouldn't feel this bad, otherwise the doctors at Honolulu Hospital wouldn't have given the okay for him to come out. The minutes that passed until Bill returned with Jackub, one of Charlie's friends whom Steve had met on several occasions, seemed like hours, but he kept talking to the injured man to keep him awake.

Jackub asked him to step aside and moved his wand over Charlie as Steve took his hand in his. Bill had taken out the potions donated by the hospital and was summarizing what he knew about his little brother's condition. The doctor ordered Steve to make Charlie drink some of the vials while he continued to cast healing spells. When he finally lowered his wand, he smiled reassuringly at the other two men.

"He'll be alright. Let him sleep, put him on a stretcher and levitate him home."

He then gave instructions on administering potions and changing bandages. Steve and Bill thanked him warmly before he left to fetch the stretcher.

"Put on a T-shirt," ordered Bill with a smile.

¨Why should I? Do you mind?" replied the dark-haired man as he walked away.

¨We're not in Hawaii anymore, people don't go shirtless here. Where are you going?¨

¨To wash my hands. I don't want to get blood everywhere. I love your brother, but not enough to dye my stuff with his blood.¨

¨Finally, some good news!"

Steve rolled his eyes with a smirk. He liked his brother-in-law's repartee. He came back with clean hands and took the T-shirt Bill had somehow pulled out of one of the reduced suitcases, and put it on just before Jackub returned. Jackub levitated the wounded man onto the stretcher and left Bill in charge of levitating the stretcher to Charlie's house. He informed them that he would come by the next day, once his shift would be over, to check on his condition.

The two men made the journey in silence, night was already falling and few people were on the streets, and were home in barely ten minutes. Bill laid Charlie on his bed, returned the suitcases to their normal size, pushed them into a corner of the room with a flick of his wand and announced that he was going to the international floo service to inform his parents of the situation. This type of floo didn't allow wizards to be transported, the distance was too great, but it did allow them to talk to each other.

"Expect my parents to arrive in the next few hours," Bill announced before leaving.

¨I'll go and take a shower then.¨

¨From the smell of it, you might take two!"

Steve simply smiled and went for a military shower. Once clean and dressed, he turned his attention to his man. He removed his shoes, jeans and socks and ran a washcloth over the exposed parts of his body before drying him off and folding the comforter over him.

The former soldier then lay down beside him and ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. He'd have never imagined that his mother would do this to him. What he'd found out about this woman hurt, hurt not to be loved by the woman who'd always been in his heart, hurt to see his soulmate in this state because of him, and he was afraid of the future. He had given up everything to protect Charlie from the only threat he hadn't seen coming, he hadn't prepared his departure, he had fled.

When he heard the front door slam an hour later, he placed a kiss on his dragon caretaker´s forehead and went downstairs defensively. He relaxed only when he recognized Bill's silhouette.

"My mother is worried sick, but my father should be able to calm her down. They'll arrive tomorrow by portoloin.¨

¨Okay.¨

¨I think I'll stay here for a few days.¨

¨What about your wife? What about your kids?¨

¨They know I'll be back as soon as Charlie's better.¨

¨Thanks."

Bill, who was making tea, stopped in his tracks to look at him, confused.

"Thanks for what?¨

¨For being there for him, for us, for not rehashing me, for accepting me into your family."

The wizard smiled and resumed what he was doing.

"You're his soulmate, he'll never be happy without you."

He handed Steve a cup and they drank for a moment in silence before he spoke again.

"When Charlie's recovered enough, I'll put protective runes with him on the house. You never know."

The former military man nodded, he was prepared to do a lot for Charlie's safety, it sounded silly, his lover worked with dragons, he'd survived a war, but it was all part of his magical world. He'd grown up in that world and knew its dangers, Steve still had a lot to learn about it, but above all Charlie knew little about the Muggle world and its dangers, and that was what frightened the former Seal. His lover might not see the danger coming.

Steve eventually asked Bill to tell him about his family, about Charlie and their childhood, and Bill had quite a few. They spent a good two hours chatting together, then went to bed. With a flick of his wand, the wizard made up a bed for himself in one of the guest rooms, and the Muggle joined his resting lover. He spent many long minutes watching his chest rise with his breathing, and finally fell asleep holding his hand, a duffel bag between them, to prevent himself from hurting him during the night by sticking to him.

Caresses on his hand woke him up the next morning and made him smile before he even opened his eyes. However, when he did, his gaze immediately fell into an ocean of love.

"How are you feeling?" whispered Steve.

¨I've been better.¨

¨I suspect so, but you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Not holding back any longer, the soldier straightened up, got on all fours over the injured man, being very careful not to touch him, and kissed him. Charlie immediately responded to the kiss, placing one of his hands on the back of Steve's neck to prolong it. Steve had to put an end to their pleasant exchange when he felt his erection becoming prominent. Charlie was in no condition for this kind of activity.

¨A problem?" teased the wounded man.

¨Mock me.¨

¨I wouldn't allow myself.¨

¨But of course, as soon as you're up to it I'll let you feel my problem.¨

¨I can't wait," breathed Charlie.

Steve got up and went for a cold shower before he was no longer able to keep his hands off his lover's muscular body. Calmed, he returned dressed and announced to his man that he was going to get him breakfast.

"I'll get it," replied the wounded man.

¨Are you looking to reopen your wounds or have me killed by your brother?"

They looked at each other and Charlie huffed. Steve guessed he didn't like being dependent on others like this, but here he'd scared them enough, he needed to keep quiet for a few days.

"Tea and scrambled eggs?" offered Charlie grudgingly.

¨I'll make that for you."

Steve went to prepare his meal and returned to the room accompanied by Bill, who was relieved to see him awake. Bill explained which potions he should take and made sure he did so before starting to eat. The three of them chatted for a while, until the eldest Weasley announced he had to go.

"The parents are arriving at the international apparition area in twenty minutes," he explained.

Charlie let his head fall back on the pillow with a sigh.

"You couldn't convince her I needed some peace and quiet time?¨

¨When did you think I could do that?¨

¨Mmm, see you later."

Steve waited until Bill had left with the lunch tray before speaking, while at the same time tackling Charlie's bandages, which needed changing.

"Would it be strategic for me to go shopping?¨

¨And you want to go shopping for how many days?¨

¨I'll set up in the freezers.¨

¨Of course! No, it's best if you stay with me.¨

¨Okay, you want to get dressed before they get here?¨

¨Absolutely not! I wouldn't mind a few kisses, though, it'll be more complicated afterwards."

Steve finished redoing the bandages and leaned over him with pleasure, putting the arrival of his in-laws at the back of his thoughts for a moment.