TLI, AndyxJorma: We Found Love -6-

"Jorma!"


Andy's outburst from the hallway made Jorma snap his head away from the flat screen and get up from the couch immediately. Feeling a little concerned, he left the living room to join his lover.


Getting into the hallway, Jorma found Andy leaning his back against the wall beside the bathroom door, leaning on a crutch. His head was resting back, and he didn't look very amused.


"Andy? What is it?" Jorma asked and moved up to him.


Letting his head fall forwards, Andy looked at the floor.


"Will you help me?" he asked with a small, quiet voice, not meeting Jorma's eyes.


Jorma eyed the stream of light that came from the bathroom door and covered the floor beside Andy. Now he realized. They had just left the hospital the same morning, after all.


"Of course," he said gently before walking past his lover, entering the bathroom. Andy followed shortly afterwards, limping on the crutch.


"We'll take the shorts first, alright?" Jorma asked, looking at Andy who just simple nodded with a sound of agreement, and Jorma took his arm, placing the crutch just inside the door. He guided a limping Andy to sit down on the lid of the toilet.


Andy winced, just as his backside connected with the lid, and Jorma took notice of this.


"Are you in pain?" he asked, suddenly very concerned.


"My hip is sore, but it's nothing," Andy answered, briefly shaking his head. "It's just this cast... It's so freaking heavy." He was a little frustrated by the fact that his hip had been recovering from the accident, too, and now had to hurt again.


Jorma nodded understandingly.


"Are you able to lift a bit?" he asked while kneeling down in front of his lover.


Without a word, Andy placed a hand on each side of him on the lid and lifted himself, just as Jorma hurried to take a hold of his shorts, pulling them down. Andy sat down again, letting out a breath and started to unzip his hoodie, while Jorma worked off his shorts, pulling them down along his legs, along the blue-wrapped cast, and hooked them off his feet. Afterwards, he removed Andy's one sock from his right foot, catching a glimpse of Andy dropping his hoodie to the floor.


Jorma watched Andy tugging off his T-shirt, so the large not-completely-healed scar along his left side was left uncovered. When Andy had dropped his T-shirt on the floor as well, Jorma moved a hand up to gently touch his lover's side, running his fingertips across the scar. In a single snap, he recalled the night of the accident. How he had been so worried, so scared to lose Andy.


Andy watched his focused lover for a little while, fascinated by his concerned features. He slowly reached for Jorma's hand, holding it, and their eyes met briefly.


"I'll get the plastic," Jorma then said quickly, almost like a whisper, and got to his feet, letting go of Andy's hand and leaving the bathroom. He couldn't believe he had been so lost in thought.


Looking down, Andy fiddled with his fingers. He felt very low and hopeless, as he sat there like a cripple. He hated being vulnerable.


Jorma returned shortly afterwards with a roll of plastic to cover up the cast. He kneeled down in front of Andy once again, placing the roll down onto the floor, before looking up at his lover. He noticed his sad, shot-down eyes.


"'Something wrong?"


"You must think I'm so weak," Andy murmured without changing position.


Jorma felt his jaw dropping slightly.


"What? No! Andy, don't say that. You're not-"


"But I'm helpless." Andy still didn't move, his voice being a little clearer, though.


Jorma let out a sigh.


"Andy, I'll be happy to help you. It's no big deal." He talked with a gentle voice, as he leaned in and placed his hand on his lover's wrapped-up knee. "Before you'll know of it, you'll be able to do everything by yourself again."


Andy watched Jorma's hand on his knee, wishing he would have placed it on the other. But just as the thought crossed his mind, the hand moved up and stroked his cheek gently. He closed his eyes.


Jorma smiled a little.


"Come on," he said softly, "let's get you a shower."


Hesitating for a moment, Andy opened his eyes and looked at Jorma, nodding briefly.


"OK."


- -


After tugging a pillow beneath Andy's broken leg, Jorma moved along the bed and sat down on the edge. Andy had already closed his eyes and seemed very relaxed, as he lay on his back, his head tilting to the side slightly. The shower thing had left him almost exhausted. His healthy leg felt sore and a little tense after supporting all his weight.


Jorma reached for his lover's hand, and he felt how it held his own back.


Andy smiled softly, turned his head and opened his eyes, fixing with Jorma's.


"Thank you," he said and rubbed Jorma's hand with his thumb.


"Anytime, Andy," the smaller man said quietly, smiling, looking down at their hands.


Andy studied Jorma's face.


"What're you thinking about?" he whispered.


"Have you ever been close to losing someone you love?" Jorma asked after hesitating for a brief moment.


Andy cocked his head on the pillow.


"To see you," Jorma said before Andy could manage to answer, still looking down at their hands to avoid Andy's eyes, "right after the accident... I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life." He felt like a drama queen, but he wanted Andy to know.


Smiling sadly, Andy couldn't help feeling tears in his eyes. He removed his hand from Jorma's, placed it on Jorma's shoulder and pulled him closer.


Lowering down, Jorma cuddled up to his lover and closed his eyes, feeling a hand petting his hair.


"I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Jorm," Andy said in the dark and had to wipe his tears away.


"It wasn't your fault," Jorma murmured and opened his eyes staring into nothing. "And I can't even hate the other guy. 'Wonder who's grieving over his death."


Andy lingered on the thought for a moment but didn't say anything. Feeling his eyelids slide down slowly, he couldn't help drifting off to sleep.


Jorma didn't close his eyes, as he just lay there, enjoying the sound of Andy's relaxed breathing.


After a little while, being sure that Andy was asleep, Jorma sat up slowly, placing Andy's hand back down onto the sheeting, before he just watched his lover for a moment.


He smiled, leaned down to kiss Andy's forehead softly and got up from the bed carefully, moving out of the room and let the door stay ajar. He wanted to join Andy later. The fact that it was only a bit past 9 p.m. left him going to the living room, feeling happy to have his lover back home.