Chapter 13

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Charles cleaned himself and then tended to his lover. His lover. He liked that. He climbed back into the bed and settled his head on Harry’s chest. Those hard arms came about him and he closed his eyes.

“That was the most amazing…Christ, Charlie, I’m almost dead,” Harry said.

Charles just held him tighter.

“Did I hurt you? You must have been sore from last time; I should have thought…”

“Harry, I am fine. Truly.” It was the truth. He was. His body was perfectly fine but his emotions felt stripped raw and flayed.

“Oh, Charlie,” he murmured nuzzling his head. “Do you mind me calling you Charlie?”

Charles thought about it for a moment, trying to push back the feelings that the name evoked.

“Charlie is fine. It’s just…” he hesitated. “My sister used to call me Charlie.”

He felt Harry shift so that he could look down at him. “Used to?”

Charles stared at his chest, tracing a pattern with his finger. “Yes. She died.”