Instead of taking you through what happened over the next few days in detail, from moving him so he could poop and shower and move around...while in pain, I'll take you to a month later when I woke up to find him in the kitchen having breakfast all by himself. Four weeks later and he was finally moving on his own, with a small limp from sore muscles, he had said.
'Good mor-ing.' He sat at the table in the oversized shirt and pants that I'd bought him, his body looking more humane than it had for the last several weeks and days...and he was finally clothed.
'You're hungry enough to move, I see.' I said when I knew he'd seen me, so he wouldn't react.
He smiled through a mouthful of oats, not getting any on the table as I would have if I were talking or smiling with my mouth full. 'And madly graceful for a pain ridden fugitive.' I added, walking over to the cabinet and grabbing my own bowl. I'd grown accustomed to teasing him and he'd probably gotten used to my sarcasm.
My mind on breakfast, I almost didn't see Pete. Almost. 'What's my dog doing?' I asked.
'Eating salad.' The weirdo said. 'Fogs like that don't they?' Not even a drop of spit hit the counter. His mouth was full again and he was a clean eater.
Sure enough, my dog was chewing on a carrot that looked freshly bought. I bought market items yesterday. 'No. He's not a rabbit or a goat or a pig. You can't just feed him carrots and leaves and cabbages and expect him to eat it and be okay.' I took Pete's bowl and emptied it into the sink with no trouble. Pete looked happier just seeing it gone. Of course dogs ate what they wanted but the site was weird.
'T was good stuff. Don't frow away.' The man said and I turned to yell at him about dog slobber before remembering that I didn't know his name. Yelling at someone, unable to call them by name... is frustrating. I paused and he sat there waiting as though he didn't know what I was waiting for. I'd been talking to him but his name hadn't seemed important.
'Eh...What's your name...exactly?' I asked and he grinned. I knew he was going to say something stupid just from the way his face looked. His skin was less purple and black and now a lighter shade of grey...if any of his colours made sense. The discoloration wasn't there to hide his mischievous looks anymore. He was a pain in the ass by his words as much as he had been by lack of mobility.
'Would you believe me if I said Romeo?' He asked chuckling and I thought he was joking.
'Would I be crazy if I did?' I sat down across from him.
'Probably as crazy as someone who drags an unconscious stranger into their house, not caring if they were a serial killer.' He shot the response at me smiling, his previously busted lip was now healed leaving a small scar, looking more normal than it had been when he'd hit it on the tub.
'Maybe I wasn't afraid because I was more deadly than him?' I shot back but he shook his head, knowing that I really wasn't.
I'd struggled the past few weeks with moving him but despite all my efforts, he put in most of the work. If he didn't take a step, we both fell. If he didn't push off the ground, I had to take ten minutes to get him out of the room. My home had been a morning, lunch time and evening gym.
'Bowl?' I asked waiting for him to hand it over. He sat there, having finished for over five minutes, staring into it like it held all his answers. 'Mars to Romeo?' I snapped my fingers in front of him testing his name out.
He smiled dully, looking up. 'Do you think this will be my life now?' He asked looking somewhat defeated. 'Stuck inside someone's place as a burden? Hiding...never able to leave unless I want to be killed?' He waited but I didn't have the answers for him.
We both knew that dark cars patrolled the roads daily, looking for fugitives...of the mafia. Rumors suggested that five men had been recaptured and two of them had been killed. It wasn't seen by anyone. No one knew who these men had been and how they'd been taken, yet the rumors all came back to my workers which I brought home to him.
The Ortellis still roamed the streets but they avoided the Grazianos who patrolled the streets more frequently. The Grazianos steered cleer of the Maarafis who seemed to pop up every other day. Some blended and some were obvious but they were constantly on patrol. No one could tell any of the three gangs apart but everyone kept their eyes and ears open.
'This is my reality now, isn't it?' He looked back into the bowl.
'Just for now. You'll be free soon. Free of me and this tiny place.' I patted his hair as he looked up.
'Why would I be free of you?' I realized that my words had sounded like I'd be getting rid of him and less like I wished him well. I hated the fact that I sounded this mean but I didn't know how to take it back.
'You don't want to stay here forever, do you?' I asked and realized that it didn't sound any better. 'What I mean is, I don't want you to have to keep hiding. I will help you find a way to get out of here. I'll help you as much as I can, until you're free of this place and far away from the men that hunt you.' I waited for him to nod or say okay but he just stared. 'Don't you want your freedom back?' I felt more confused than I had been the first night I'd heard the gunshots outside.
He held my gaze, his eyes dark by the shadows cast in the room from the half closed curtains. 'I don't want to be free of you.' He said almost sad and child-like. 'Can't you and the dog come with me?' He looked pitiful. To think that men were hunting down this massive nuisance with his sad eyes and lost gaze....was infuriating. What had he done to deserve this? What did he know that made him so precious to them?
'Romeo, oh Romeo.' I gave him the tone I gave to Carter, a kid who came every week asking to borrow more than the six book limit. 'We only just met, dear. I don't see us living together long term. What would I do? Find another library and we pretend to re-enact beauty and the beast in some fortress?' I really was mean to him. I wanted to stop but I really couldn't stop my mouth. 'I'm sorry...but we can't go with you.' I took his bowl gently and walked over to the sink.
I washed the dishes afraid to look back at him. If he asked again, I'd agree to leave with him. Not because I was stupid but because of who I was. It was my default. I could up and leave at any point and I'd be okay. Tell me you're helpless and prove it to me and I'll follow you or keep you. Spoil you too, if I can.
I didn't hear a sound. Turning off the tap, I dried my hands and turned, to be cornered, backed up against the counter and trapped between Romeo's arms...and himself.
My heart raced as I caught myself. Helping him, I'd forgotten he'd been this tall. Having him practice taking steps on his own, he'd never really stood over me like this. His covered chest was at my eye level. I looked up, meeting his eyes, darkness rolling in them. I was almost scared enough to start screaming as realization hit me. He was massive.
'Promise me you won't just leave me.' His voice was soft as he stared down at me. 'Don't leave me.' He said and I felt the longing in his voice. He was clingy...almost sounded as clingy as Pete would be. I felt my throat go dry as I kept his gaze. I couldn't see his eyes past the darkness but I knew that a deep stormy grey hid there. 'Tell me you won't leave me.' He prompted again.
I took in a quick breath, wetting my lips. I could feel his breathing above me, see his body moving slowly. 'I won't leave you.' My words came out soft and almost broken. I wasn't promising, yet, some part of my mind was. I expected him to say okay and step back but instead, he hugged me. He held me close and just stayed there, until the knocks came from the door.