The Hero and the Hidden Royal - Renae Kaye Page 0,10

see very many people at all on a day-to-day basis, and even fewer of them saw him.

“I can feel you,” Sam said in wonder. “Your hand’s a little cold.”

“It’s the water from washing you.”

Sam ran his thumb over Derek’s knuckles, then turned Derek’s hand over to trace the invisible lines of his palms. “Your hands are soft.”

“Yes, I work with computers and books most of the day.”

“No rings.”

“No.” He didn’t want to discuss how hard it would be to size a ring in a store. Clothes he ordered on the internet, but jewelry you needed to go in person to see. You needed to try it on.

“I can’t believe it. There’s nothing there and yet I can feel you. You’re….”

Derek froze, wanting Sam to finish his sentence. How was he meant to work out what Sam thought of him if he didn’t say anything?

Sam’s touch moved up, encircling his forearm and squeezing slightly.

“You’re not very tall.”

“Sorry,” he apologized once again.

“Don’t. You don’t have to be sorry for being you. I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It’s just…. ” Sam’s words trailed off as he raised his hands to encircle Derek’s biceps. “You’re kinda small all over.”

“S—”

Derek tried to apologize once again, but was cut off.

“Small and yet you have this incredible gift. I’m bigger than you, stronger than you, but you’re… special. It makes me feel….”

Sam’s hands had reached Derek’s shoulders and Derek wanted to shout at him to finish his goddamn sentences. Sam was seated, so Derek was above him, but not by that much. When Sam’s finger stroked the skin on Derek’s cheek, he didn’t have to stretch that far. If Derek had been visible, Sam would’ve been able to see the alarm and excitement in Derek’s face at the touch, but Sam was almost lost in his own world. He was raptly watching his finger caress what appeared to be nothing, while his fingers registered flesh beneath it.

“No stubble,” Sam whispered as his fingers moved to Derek’s jaw and down to his chin. Suddenly Sam pulled away by an inch, freezing in mid-air.

“How old did you say you were?”

That made Derek chuckle. “I’m twenty-four. Don’t worry. No one will be accusing you of something illegal. Now, come on. I should put something on your head before the germs move in and make themselves at home. If you’re not weirded out by the man of nothing touching you, then I’ll doctor you up nicely.”

Sam’s hands lowered, and firmly placed themselves on Derek’s hips. “You are not a man of nothing. You feel very solid to me. And you feel very nice. Very nice indeed.” The last bit was said with a definite growl. The gay man inside Derek reacted to that growl in his core. “Very. Very. Nice.”

Derek’s shirt shimmered and became opaque for a few moments. Sam stared and put his hands on the flickering material, his large hand splayed on Derek’s stomach. “Sam?” Derek pleaded. “Your cut?”

“Go ahead,” Sam whispered, still watching the shirt in front of him.

Completely out of his depth, Derek decided to try to ignore what Sam was doing and fix the cut. Oh, of course he lied to himself when he thought he was ignoring Sam’s hands. The shimmer and flicker of his shirt attested to that. He picked up the disinfectant bottle, poured some on a cotton ball, and hesitated. “This will probably hurt.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Keeping in a derisive snort, Derek gently swiped at the first part of the cut. Sam flinched. “Dammit. Ow.”

“Told you.”

Sam made another growling sound in his throat. “You like causing me pain.”

“What?” Derek cried, shocked someone would say such a thing. “Of course I don’t.”

“Look,” Sam said pointing Derek’s chest. The shirt no longer was opaque but now a solid blue.

“That’s not enjoyment,” Derek muttered and swiped again. “That’s just the sympathy overriding the fear. I was concerned about you for a moment and wasn’t anxious about me. But don’t worry. I’m sure I’m over that now.” He poured more solution on the cotton ball and wiped the cut again. Sam hissed.

The first aid kit had some steri-strips, so Derek ripped open the packet and considered the cut in front of him.

“This might hurt. Sorry.”

Derek pressed the edges of the cut together in the middle and quickly stuck a strip over it. The cut threatened to burst open again, so he used three more strips to close it all. Once it was done, he checked the strips, making sure they were all sticking