Fic: Anniversary
They stared at each other, arms crossed, with varying expressions of discontent. Eric’s was mildly annoyed, but Sam’s was clearly the more disgruntled, as well as more pained.
From his reclined position on the little hospital bed, Sam continued to give voice to his anger. “I can’t believe this is how I’m going to spend my vacation . . . with a broken foot.”
“You don’t even know if it’s broken,” Eric countered with a roll of his eyes.
“Well it hurts too much to walk on. That says something, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe if you’d ever actually had a broken bone, you’d have something to accurately compare it to.”
Sam scowled at him. “This is just a . . . a stupid end to a stupid vacation. I told you I didn’t know how to ski, and you just left me out there . . .”
“You were on a beginner trail, Sam. Let’s not act like I deserted you on a black-diamond course. And you’re the one who told me I could go off by myself.”
“Could go off. You could have also chosen to stay with me, but that’s just a crazy idea, isn’t it?”
A doctor bustled into the room with a knowing smile. “Been married long, ay?”
“We’re not married,” they said in unison.
The doctor nodded with a little chuckle. “Well, all right then, Mr. Miller, I have some good news for you. The x-rays don’t show a break in the bone. Looks like it’s just a nasty sprain. You should keep it wrapped and use ice to help the swelling go down. And you’ll have to keep your weight off it for a while, so I’ll get you some crutches to use.”
He took off again, and Sam furrowed his brow even deeper at Eric’s mocking expression.
“Well, I can’t walk on it, so it’s just as bad as having it be broken,” he grumbled.
“Sure it is, Sam,” Eric laughed.
***
Sam let his bitterness travel with him all the way home. They chose to cut their ten-day vacation at the ski lodge short, since all Sam would have been able to do was sit around and drink hot cocoa. Not that the thought was entirely unappealing, but it would have gotten old pretty fast if he’d been doing it alone. Which he would have been, because Eric was not the type to drink cocoa around a fire for very long.
They arrived home after a tense drive in which only the bare minimum amount of conversation was exchanged. Sam knew he was holding a childish grudge, and that it wasn’t Eric’s fault he’d gotten hurt, but his attitude seemed justified in light of a bigger picture he just wasn’t willing to bring up.
So instead he continued to scowl as Eric watched him struggle to walk inside with his crutches.
“You have to get a rhythm going,” Eric informed him with bemusement.
Sam ignored the unwanted advice and hopped up the steps of their front porch, then went careening at an unsteady pace into the living room, where he quickly sank down onto the couch. He had a feeling it was about to become his semi-permanent resting place, because he had no desire to tackle the stairs any time soon.
“So,” Eric said, and they were back to crossed arms as they glared at each other. “Still mad, I take it.”
Sam puffed out an angry sigh.
“Well, if you really want to get into a blame game, you’re the one who wanted to go somewhere for our anniversary.”
Sam turned so that he could prop his leg up on the couch with a pillow. “I never said any such thing.”
“Well you dropped enough not-so-subtle hints that even I got the picture.”
“And in that picture you saw me enjoying a leisurely winter-ski, I take it,” Sam grumbled, frowning as the pillow he was attempting to fluff up with his uninjured leg toppled off the couch.
Eric bent over to pick it up and replace it under the sprained ankle. “I didn’t kidnap you. You went willingly. If you had a problem with it, you should have said something before we left.”
“Right. You offer to do something for our anniversary for the first time in four years, and I’m going to take issue with where you want to go.”
Some of the haughtiness in Eric’s expression drained away. “You never said you wanted to go anywhere before.”
Sam shook his head, the throbbing in his ankle somehow making its way up his body to pulse behind his eyes. “No, I know I didn’t. Nevermind.”
“Sam,” Eric sighed, sinking down into the chair across from him, “if you didn’t want to go there, why didn’t you just say something?”
Sam shrugged, feeling his cheeks flush slightly. “I don’t know . . . I guess I thought if we could get away . . . especially to someplace remote . . . that you’d be more comfortable. That you wouldn’t let other people make you doubt-“
Eric cut him off. “I don’t doubt anything about you.” He stood, raking a hand through his hair. “Sam . . . you know I’m not the romantic getaway type . . . but I really wasn’t trying to make you miserable. I didn’t mean to ruin our vacation.”
Sam sighed, knowing he’d be hard-pressed to hold onto the anger now that Eric’s eyes shone with contrition. “Yeah, I know. It’s all right. Just give me a day to get over feeling like a complete idiot for doing this to myself.”
Smiling with relief, Eric sat on the edge of the coffee table, gently rearranging a few of the pillows behind Sam’s head. “You’re not an idiot. You’re just not built for winter sports.”
Sam snorted and rolled his eyes, but a warm, pleasurable feeling began to override the remaining bitterness and pain as Eric fussed over him.
“Do you want some more ibuprofen? Do you want to put ice on it again?” Eric continued.
“No, no.” Sam shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. “I think it’s okay for now. I think I’d actually just like to go upstairs and get some rest.”
Eric nodded. “Okay. Think you can handle it on the crutches?”
Eying his crutches warily, Sam nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it can’t be all that hard.”
“Or I could carry you.”
Sam laughed. “Let’s not get ridiculous.”
“What? I could do it,” Eric replied defiantly. “Here, let me prove it.” He ducked down in front of Sam. “Put your arms around my shoulders and hop up on my back.”
“Eric, don’t be silly.”
“Now you’re just making me have to prove it even more. Get on.”
With a sneaking suspicion he was about to break or injure some other part of his body, Sam acquiesced. Eric stood carefully, grabbing Sam’s legs and pulling them around his waist as they took off for the stairs.
They ascended the steps slowly, but somehow Eric still managed to sway too far to the side and bang Sam’s head into the wall. In the middle of his profuse apology Sam began to chuckle, and by the time they reached the bedroom they were both shaking with amusement.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Eric gasped out, unceremoniously dumping Sam on the bed as they reined in the laughter. “I’m a lousy partner . . . but you know how I feel about you.”
“Yeah,” Sam agreed with a tender smile. “I know.”
“Can I get you anything? Something to drink?”
“A glass of wine might be nice.”
Eric stood abruptly, tucking a pillow under Sam’s leg on his way out. “Coming right up.”
Sam watched him go with a pleased grin. Maybe the vacation hadn’t been ruined after all.
***
While going away for their anniversary-or really, recognizing the timeframe at all-had been a first for them, there were still plenty more firsts Sam had to look forward to. On one morning several days after their arrival home, Eric surprised him with yet another.
Sam yawned and stretched, blinking away the sleep as Eric stood over him, holding a tray in his hands. “Breakfast in bed?” he asked wonderingly.
“Yeah, scrambled eggs and toast. One thing I can’t screw up.”
Sam smiled as Eric set the food down beside him, but Eric suddenly frowned.
“Crap, I forgot that juice you like. I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared and Sam grabbed his fork and began to eat. The eggs were a little salty, but he’d be able to wash them down with the pear juice when Eric came back up. It had been a really nice change of pace to have Eric taking care of him so generously while he recuperated from his injury.
Experimentally, Sam wiggled his toes, then his foot, then rolled his ankle. It didn’t really hurt much at all anymore.
But Eric didn’t have to know that just yet.
***