Chapter 29

The island was the worst when it was raining. And it was a sign that the season was changing, which meant that soon, they wouldn’t be enjoying as many sunny days as before. He was inside the hut with Mouse, and they were fucking slowly. The others were just as trapped as they were, and, most probably, they were doing the same thing.

Mouse kissed him as Francesco finished inside his ass. He abandoned this lover’s warm arms to sit by the door and look outside.

“Not so much fun without television and internet and all that, right?” Mouse snickered behind him.

Francesco snorted. “That life’s so far away I’m wondering if I didn’t dream it or something.”

“Not long until you’ll get back to it.”

Francesco turned and gave Mouse a sharp look. The redhead shrugged. “What? It’s not forbidden to talk about it, right? You’re the one sensitive about it, Kekko, not me.”

“How will you even live here?”

“Hey, fucker, I’m the one keeping you all fed and everything. Without me, you would have been all dead in a week.”

There was no reason to contradict Mouse. Even if they could have found methods to survive, it was true that Mouse’s skills had come in handy a lot, making their lives a lot easier.

“It’s not only about food and how to make soap. There are horrible people on this island.”

“I know how to protect my hide, don’t you worry about that.”

Francesco walked over to Mouse and grabbed him by the shoulders. “How could I not worry? I’m not leaving you behind.”

“You’re not?” Mouse quirked his eyebrows.

“I don’t want to.”

Mouse caressed his face slowly. “I love you, Kekko. But once you get on that chopper, forget about me, okay?”

“What? The fuck you’re saying?” Francesco couldn’t hold his hurt in. He didn’t want to.

Mouse’s eyes were shiny and clear as he spoke. “Exactly what you just heard. Forget about me. Forget about this place. You belong there, not here. Not even with one single heartbeat, hear me?”

Francesco shook his head. He didn’t want to cry in front of Mouse like that, not when he was the one with chances of getting back home. Mouse embraced him and together they stood like that.

“What is it?”

It took him a moment to realize that Mouse wasn’t talking to him. He turned to see Karl in the door, the rain slushing down his wet clothes. There was something unreadable in his eyes. “Ty is sick. Mouse, come.”

He turned without another word. Francesco moved after Mouse without being told.

The small hut in which Anya and Ty lived was packed with the entire group. Ty was lying on the makeshift bed, his body shaking with frissons. His skin was flushed and he didn’t look good at all. Time and time again, he let out a hoarse, dry cough.

“Shit,” Francesco said. “How can we get him warm?”

Mouse seemed to know what he was doing. He was already murmuring something while engaged in deep conversation with Anya. “We don’t need everyone around here. You all just breathing his air.”

Was it something that could be transmitted? Francesco wondered. “Can’t we help?”

“I’ll let you know,” Mouse said. “Now go back, and we’ll see.”

Francesco sensed Karl following him through the rain and said nothing. He sat down and gestured for the other to join him.

“Why were you crying?” Karl asked.

“What?” Francesco shot back, pretending not to have heard that.

“Earlier. You were crying.”

Francesco chose to remain silent.

“It’s because of him, right?” Karl insisted. “You’re just not letting go.”

Francesco felt his stomach clenching. “What do you know?” he said through his teeth.

“I know enough. Dunno what you see in him. Is his ass that good?”

Francesco wasn’t in the mood for that conversation, but it looked like Karl wanted to have it anyway. “He’s giving me what you can’t,” he said.

“I can’t let you fuck me, no way,” Karl said harshly. “I’m the man.”

“So you are,” Francesco said tersely. “What do you want? A fucking medal?”

“No, Cesco. I want you to make up your fucking mind. Me or him?”

“What? Are you really asking me this?”

Karl faced him. He was leaning against the wall, but there was still enough light to see each other well enough. “Yeah, I am.”

Francesco shook his head. “No,” he said stubbornly.

“Well, you’ll have to, anyway. He’s here forever, you know?”

His head shot up at the cruelty. “I know,” he said through his teeth.

Karl didn’t appear surprised. “He told you? Of course he did. He knows you’re a freaking bleeding heart.”

Francesco closed his fists. There was no point to fight Karl. He rested his forehead against his knees and wrapped his arms around them.

“So, you’ll have to forget him, eventually,” Karl concluded.

Francesco couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You,” he hissed.

“What?”

“You can do something,” he said stubbornly.

“The fuck do you mean?”

Francesco raised his head and looked at Karl. “You can ask your dad for help.”

“What? For that slut? What kind of mushrooms have you been eating lately, Cesco?” Karl was staring at him in undisguised shock. “He whacked a dude. Do you think that’s something you can wash with a kitchen sponge or something?”

Francesco set his lips hard. “You can ask. You can make it happen.”

Karl snorted. “The fuck would I do that? I can’t stand the asshole.”

“Why? Because I love him? Fine. I won’t anymore. You can have me completely, I don’t care.” Francesco hated himself as the words poured out of his mouth, but he just couldn’t stop.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Karl started, as the gears in his head started to turn. “Don’t tell me...” His lips twisted into a sneer.