A Thin Line 7/?
Twenty minutes later Percy was standing in the tiny hospital bathroom, gripping Oliver’s wand and trying not to pass out from the pain radiating throughout his body. He took a deep breath and, placing the wand on the sink, began slowly undressing. Once the hospital gown was gone he began removing the bandages. He then turned to the full length mirror on the back of the door and nearly passed out from what he saw.
His face was swollen and bruised. His chest was covered in deep purple bruises and he could see the stitches from the incision they’d made to re-inflate his lung. He turned slowly and looked over his shoulder and choked on a sob. Angry, fist-shaped bruises covered his back. He suddenly felt dizzy. He sank down on the floor and began to cry. Great heaving sobs that sent pain shooting through his body but he didn’t care. He deserved it, it was all his fault. He’d let Marcus do this to him, all because he’d wanted to be loved. He’d been a stupid desperate fool and he deserved what he’d gotten. He should have let Marcus kill him.
This was how Oliver found him when he got back from speaking with Aubrey. It had been difficult to convince her to release Percy but once he’d explained that they could heal his injuries and there would be no health risk she’d agreed and signed the release papers. She’d given him Percy’s personal affects and he’d gone back to the room, sure Percy would be happy to have his trunk and his own clothes. When he’d entered the room though, he’d heard the muffled sobs coming from behind the bathroom door and had rushed in, fearing the worst.
Percy was lying on the floor nearly naked and crying. Oliver winced when he saw the bruises that covered his frail body. He moved into the room and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Percy flinched back violently, curling himself up in the corner.
“Leave me alone!” he cried.
“Percy, what’s wrong?”
“Just go away, don’t look at me, I’m disgusting!”
“Percy you are not. Please get up off the floor. Let me help heal you.”
“No! I deserve to be in pain. I deserve to be hurt. I let him do this, I let him beat me and rape me and I wish he’d killed me!”
“Don’t say that!”
“Why not? It’s the truth! I was stupid enough to think he loved me! Stupid enough to think anyone could love me! I don’t deserve love!”
“Yes you do! You deserve someone who treasures you, who only wants to make you happy. Someone who would never, ever, hurt you!”
“No one will ever love me! Even my own family hates me!”
“They don’t hate you Percy!”
“Oh really? Then why did they leave me behind when they went into hiding? I have no idea if they’re even still alive!”
“I’m sure they’re fine. Please Percy, stop this. Let me help you.”
“NO! I don’t need your pity! Just leave me alone!”
“No, I won’t! Now stop this nonsense and get up so I can heal you!”
“Why do you even care anyway?!”
“Because I’m in love with you!”
Silence settled in the small room then. The two of them just stared at each other, Percy with a look of shock on his face and Oliver looking like a deer caught in headlights. Percy was the first to break the silence.
“W…what?” he asked in a small voice.
Oliver ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn’t meant to say that. Now he’d probably scared him off. He sighed and knelt down on the floor next to Percy. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from the other man’s eyes. He smiled a bit when Percy didn’t pull away. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad.
“I love you. I have for a while now and I am so sorry I wasn’t brave enough to tell you sooner.”
Percy just stared up at him. He opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound came out. He didn’t know what to say. A million questions swirled through his mind. Could he be telling the truth, or was it just pity. Perhaps a ruse to get him off the floor. He’d said it had been for a while now. How long exactly? A memory popped into his head, of a moment long ago when they’d shared a kiss in a dingy Owlery back at school. Had he felt this way all this time? His body began to shake and fresh tears streamed down his face.
“Percy? Percy please...” Oliver was beginning to panic.
“He…he knew…….”Percy gasped out.
“What?” Oliver asked, confused.
“M…Marcus. He knew! He knew and he used it to get to me!”
“Percy, you’re not making any sense. “
Percy looked up at him, tears shining in his sapphire eyes.
“He told me you would never want me! That you would think I was a freak if you knew!”
Oliver frowned, trying to make sense of what Percy was saying. Then realization hit him like a bludger. Percy had wanted him too and Marcus had known. “It’s not her name you call out……” Oliver’s hands clenched into fists. He’d been manipulating Percy from that very first day!
Percy was still shaking. So many emotions were colliding inside of him. Shock, disbelief, hurt, anger, rage. He felt them all at once and it made him feel dizzy. He couldn’t believe he’d been so blind.
Oliver looked down at the trembling redhead and his anger was momentarily forgotten. He was overwhelmed with the need to hold the other man and never let go. He reached out and stroked Percy’s cheek, smiling when Percy leaned into his touch.
“Percy, please let me heal you. I’ll take you home and I’ll make sure no one will ever hurt you again. I promise.” He said, gently but firmly.
Percy looked up into his soft brown eyes. They were warm, loving eyes, not the cold, calculating eyes of his former lover. Where in Marcus’ eyes he had only ever seen cruelty and lust, in Oliver’s he saw only compassion, sincerity and perhaps love. He swallowed and, hoping he wasn’t making another mistake, slowly nodded.