CHAPTER 86: 86-WHEN I TAKE CARE OF MY BOYFRIEND.

Iris:

After the kids had freshened up, they urged me to let them stay awake for a moment.

They wanted to play a little with Kash near the fire before heading to bed.

At the same time, I sat next to Luca, noticing how he had been trying to scratch his back with a stick in his hand.

"You know you need to sanitize the scratches," I told Luca, giving him a look.

"No, it’s fine," Luca replied, gesturing at the stick and then at his back, reminding me that it was not easy for him to reach behind or take care of himself.

"Where is the aid kit?" I asked, watching him raise his eyebrow.

"Come on, tell me. Is it in the car?" I asked again, and he nodded faintly.

"Go to the tent. I will clean your wounds. You will feel better," I advised, not looking at him because I noticed the way he raised his eyebrow in confusion, probably wondering why I was being so considerate.

And also because he would tease me later for taking care of him.

I stepped away, reached the car, and opened the trunk. Suddenly, a hand slammed the trunk shut, jolting me into stepping back.

"Kash, what the fuck!" I groaned, shocked that he had followed me so quietly that I had not even realized he was behind me.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, not hiding his frustration.

"What do you think I am doing? I was getting the aid kit," I replied, trying to open the trunk again, but he refused to allow it.

"Are you –going to –take care of his—- wounds?" Kash asked, startling me with the way he stuttered so many times while asking that simple question.

"Duh," I replied, finally managing to open the trunk and pull the aid kit out.

"What is going on with you two? Is this some kind of fetish you have?" he remarked as I began to walk back.

When he followed me, I stopped at his words.

"Kash, we care for each other. As a couple, we do a lot more than tending to each other’s wounds, and I am sure you do too, so stop it," I hissed, reminding him that he had no right to question how I behaved toward my boyfriend.

I noticed the hurt look on his face, and if he thought I would stop to comfort him, he was very mistaken.

I continued walking even when he remained in place, waiting for me to give up on the idea.

But I reached the tent and stepped inside.

I made sure to glance back and see Scarlett playing with the kids, while Lara was busy taking selfies near the fire.

Once inside the tent, I realized it was going to be a little difficult.

Still, I had already fetched a bowl of warm water and placed it on the wooden table, setting a clean cloth beside it.

Luca had been waiting for me. He wandered around until he saw me, then stepped toward me and sat in a chair in front of me.

He turned his back to me, giving me a full view as he took off his shirt and exposed the red scratches across his skin.

The vines had dragged him and attacked him in a way that left harsh marks.

"It’s okay, you can start. It doesn’t hurt much," he remarked, probably after realizing I had been silent and frozen in place.

I stepped closer on the stool, dragging it next to his chair, and dipped the cloth in the water.

I felt the heat press into my fingers. It was warm. It would make him feel better.

I wrung it lightly and touched the first wound. His skin twitched, and I paused.

"Don’t worry, it’s not the pain. The water is hot," he replied instantly, trying to comfort me.

"Okay," I answered.

He straightened his posture again, and I pressed the cloth once more.

This time I made sure I was touching him with a gentler hand. There was dirt from the vines embedded in the scratches.

The dirt lifted slowly as I pressed more of the warm cloth along his skin.

Up close, the scratches looked worse.

I noticed small pieces of vines and thorns stuck near the edges, so I swept the cloth along each cut until the debris loosened.

"Why did you go in there?" I asked while pressing the cloth, then reached for a small bottle of alcohol and poured a little of it onto a new cloth.

"I wanted adventure," he replied, and I paused. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t believe him.

I remembered the way he went inside. He hadn’t seemed excited.

There had been urgency in his voice.

The sharp scent of alcohol rose into my nose. When I touched his back with the cloth, he inhaled sharply but didn’t move.

"You’re lying. What kind of adventure was it? You went in there unprepared," I remarked and continued.

The liquid ran along the wounds, and I followed it with the cloth, cleaning the trails until the skin looked clearer.

His muscles stretched every time I pressed a little harder. I knew it stung him, but it needed to be done.

"Well, I told you, I was curious. I went in there for adventure," he remarked again, and I rolled my eyes.

"Why? What do you think happened? Who do you think I went in there for?" he questioned, his voice lower than before. My breath hitched.

I reached for the ointment and uncapped it. My fingers gathered a small amount before I touched it to the deepest scratch.

The ointment spread easily and left a faint sheen along the cut.

He released a slow breath when my hand glided upward toward the next wound.

His warmth seeped into my palm, making the space between us feel smaller.

"I think I know what you wanted me to say," he whispered, and my spine tightened.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to make me uncomfortable with that tone and those words.

"Don’t do this, Luca, because if I start, I will make you more embarrassed," I retorted, and a chuckle came from him.