Storm looked at everything but Linus. “I happened to have some on me.”
Linus frowned. “You carry lemons on you?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
“Because... Uh, they make water taste good? And you can use them to clean stuff? And they’re useful in self-defense?”
“Self-defense?” Linus gaped.
“Once, I crushed a lemon in my fist and punched someone in the eye. They got fucking mad when the juice squirted between their eyelids.” Storm laughed.
He had a nice laugh.
Then the rest of his words sank in, and Linus’ mouth fell open. “You punched someone?” he squeaked. “With alemon?”
“They were talking crap about good people.” Storm shrugged. “Don’t get too twisted up about it. Plenty worse than punches where I came from.”
The next moment, he glanced at Linus warily, as though regretting what he had said. Was he worried that Linus would judge him?
Before Linus could say another word, Storm gave a quick smile and waved. “Anyway, you should stay in for today. Think about it. I better be going.”
“I’ll lock the door,” Linus said.
“It’s fine, I can—” Storm froze, his gaze darting back and forth as though he didn’t mean to say that? “I mean, you can lock the door, yes. But don’t overwork yourself getting there!”
He disappeared down the hallway. Half a minute later, the front door closed.
Linus pushed himself out of bed, wobbling a few steps in. He hadn’t realized that trying to walk would leave him feeling so breathless andweak.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe I need to take the day off.
He staggered to the front door, locked it, then took a detour to the bathroom. Oddly enough, he... kind of missed the strong hands that had held him up last night, promising that he wouldn’t fall.
How had Storm gotten into the apartment? Why had there been stew?
Linus crawled back into bed, gratefully eating the still-warm eggs.
He stayed awake long enough to tell his students he couldn’t make it to his classes today. Then he huddled back into bed, and fell asleep.
He woke up once,terribly thirsty and with his head pounding.
For a long while, Linus whimpered, dreading the long walk to the bathroom cabinet for his medications.
He eventually turned over and mustered enough strength to swing his legs out of bed.
Only to see the water glass on his nightstand, along with a small army of boxes—lozenges, pills for fevers and stuffed noses.
Linus froze. He hadnotretrieved those boxes in his sleep.
Had Storm moved them before he left? Linus didn’t think so, but... how else would they have gotten there?
Maybe his apartment was being weird again.
His head throbbed; he gave up trying to think. He fumbled open the boxes, popped his pills, and huddled back under his blankets.
In the evening,Linus woke up feeling a lot better. He was starving, too.
