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his wrist and then quickly back up to his eyes.
    Shit.
    He looked warily into Jack's face, once again expecting to see revulsion and confusion at what he had done. He held his breath and waited for the bombardment of questions the older man must have.
    Instead, Jack sat there silently with a calm, thoughtful expression on his face. After a few moments, Elijah took another drink and handed the glass to Jack. The older man gave him a sweet smile and set it on a coaster on the coffee table in front of them.
    "Elijah, you look worn out. Why don't you rest for a while?" Jack put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It'll be a little while before supper is ready."
    Elijah nodded and closed his eyes.
    He heard Jack stand up and walk out of the room.
    For the first time in ages, Elijah knew he was safe and cared for.
    Maybe he would rest his eyes for a little while.
     
    ****
     
    Jackson grabbed the large container of frozen beef stew out of the freezer and set it on the counter. He tried to ignore the well of tears that blurred his vision. As he placed the sealed contained in a bath of hot water in the sink, his hands shook uncontrollably. He hastily wiped at a stray tear and tried to take a deep, calming breath before he starting bawling like some damn baby.
    Jackson cringed as he thought of the vertical scars on Elijah's wrists. It was hard to understand why his new friend had at one time actually tried to take his own life. Even though the scars didn't look real recent, they didn't look that old either.
    One hard lesson that he'd learned from Ben's untimely death was that life was short and every moment he had on Earth, whether good or bad, was truly precious.
    Jack had known Elijah for a short time, but he shuddered at the thought of this world without someone as sweet and sexy as Elijah in it.
    He took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions. The last thing the young man needed was Jackson turning into a basket case in front of him. Though there were many questions he wanted to ask, their budding friendship was still too new to broach such a subject. Maybe in time, Elijah would confide in him and tell him on his own.
    At least he hoped so.
    Jackson determinedly shook off his dark thoughts.
    Right now, Elijah needed a good friend and someone to look out for him.
    Being a friend to the younger man was something Jackson wanted to be. He was determined to fight his attraction for him and concentrate on building a close friendship instead.
    Now all Jackson had to do was to convince his besotted heart of it too.

Chapter Five
     
    "Elijah."
    The soft-spoken, masculine voice invaded Elijah's deep sleep. He frowned and tried to ignore it, preferring to stay safe in the slumbering darkness.
    "Elijah," the voice persisted. "Supper's ready, sleepyhead. It's time to wake up and eat, okay?"
    Elijah frowned and slit his eyes open. The bright light of the living room was a stark contrast to the comfortable darkness of sleep, making Elijah's eyes water as he fought to keep both open and focus on Jack's concerned green ones.
    "Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to sack out like that," he mumbled while trying to ignore the ache starting to pound relentlessly within his brain.
    "It's all right, Eli." Jack pitched his deep voice low while he pressed a cool hand to Elijah's forehead. "Honey, you're burning up. Why don't you get comfortable and lie down awhile? My guest bedroom is full of clutter right now, but my bed has clean sheets, and you can rest until you feel better."
    Although the thought of lying down in Jack's bed held a lot of appeal, there was no way Elijah was going to be an imposition to his new friend. "No, that's okay. I'll just go home and go to bed." Elijah stood on shaky legs, felt a sickening wave of nausea, and immediately sat back down.
    "Are you going to be sick?"
    Just as he gave Jack a quick nod, he was immediately swept up off of the couch and rushed down the hall into a large bathroom. Elijah kneeled in