5 Damn Bloody Stitches in the Way

"You good like that or do you need anything?" Jon asked when Richie got in bed.
"Pretty good," Richie left room for Jon on the bed, "you gonna join me again?"
"You’re gonna keep your pants on?"
"I just didn’t want to stay standing. And you said you’d take them off for me." Richie waggled his eyesbrows suggestively.
"Yeah, yeah I know I did but if you don’t want to, fine by me, just want you to be comfortable."
"I would be better off without them on. they’re making the stitches itchy honestly."
"Don’t want that, okay, lemme help." Jon decided and moved Richie's gown up to grab the waistband of his pants.
Richie forced his eyes closed and tried to think of anything else to keep from getting hard.
Hesitating, Jon looked up. "I didn’t think this through."
"It’s fine, just hurry up." He looked up but avoided Jon
"No... I don’t really have any desire to see your wonderful cock..."
Richie groaned. "This would be a lot better if I didn't have stitches in said cock."

Jon let go of Richie's pants and sat up. Richie took the pants off himself and tossed them on the chair by the bed.

Jon felt stupid for even suggesting it. "Sorry."
But Richie smiled at him. "It's not your fault I think you're sexy as hell."
"Sure." Jon got off and sat down on the chair.
Richie's smile fell with disappointment. "It's not your fault at all." He lay back on the bed.
"It's fine."
He felt the loss of not having Jon cuddled against him. "I'm sorry."
Jon looked up. "For what?"
Richie turned away again. "For not keeping it to myself."
"No, I told you it's fine."
Richie merely shrugged.
"I'm glad you told me, we're best friends, we shouldn't have secrets."
"I know that, but... I was scared."
"Of what?" Jon asked curiously.
"Of losing our friendship if I acted out when I thought you wouldn't reciprocate."
"Our friendship is stronger than that."
"I know that, but still," Richie's voice became lower, "I was afraid to lose you."
"You're still my best friend."

"I know, I told you, I was just scared."
"Was? So you're not anymore?" Jon asked.
"I still am, just not as much as I was before. You're still here."
Jon frowned. "Where else would I go?"
"You could've left for Edmonton, you could've stayed at the hotel, you could've not come here."
"What kind of shitty, fucked up friend would I be then?" Jon took it personal.
"I never said I was thinking straight, ok?" Richie snapped a little, feeling stupid.

Jon didn't know what to say anymore and stayed quietly in his chair. In bed, Richie sighed and kept his vision away from Jon until he started to drift off to sleep. Quietly Jon got up and picked up Richie's sheets and tucked him in.

"Thanks."
"Anything for you." Jon said and sat back down.

Richie smiled softly and got comfortable in bed even though he wished Jon was in bed with him and left some room for him anyway.

"I'll be quiet so you can sleep." Jon said quietly.
"You know I could sleep anyway." Richie yawned and closed his eyes.

"Probably and you're on painkillers."
Richie chuckled. "Good ones too." And drifted off to sleep.

A few minutes Jon stayed with Richie, then he got dressed and went back to the hotel. Richie would need clean clothes to wear on the flight home, he couldn't exactly wear a hospital gown home.

At the hotel Jon went first to his own room to get clean clothes and then to Richie's room to pick out some sweat pants for him and a clean shirt.

He was back in time at the hospital to see Richie stir and starting to wake up. Jon was relieved they hadn't wasted too much time.

Richie yawned while he stretched and looked up at Jon with a smile, who was standing next to his bed a little unsure.

"Hope you didn’t get too bored while I was out." Richie said.
"No, just thought a bit, got you clothes."
"Don't think too much, you might hurt yourself." Richie teased him.
"Trying not to."
Richie smiled again and sat up in the bed. "You know you don’t have to give an answer right away, right?" He assumed that was what Jon was thinking about.
"Yeah, I know that but it's not fair to keep you wondering."
"It's not fair to push you into answering when I can wait."
"You're not pushing me."
"It's still a lot for you to think about, and I want you to be absolutely sure before you answer on what we'll do." Richie explained.
"I know that."

Richie didn't know what else to say but couldn't keep from admiring Jon.

"It’s fine you know... just some time right?"
Richie nodded. "We’ve got plenty of it."
"Yeah but let’s not use too much either, waste of time to just think... I should just do."
Richie smiled sadly. "Wish I'd thought of that back then, just doing."
"I should just do that now."
"But there's more people to think about now too. It's not just." Richie reminded him.
"It is just us right now." Jon clarified.
"Right here, right now it is." He looked at Jon with a gleam in his eye.
"Thought so." Without hesitation Jon took his pants off.

Richie moved to the side of the bed, indicating Jon to join him. Jon walked over to the bed and started lifting his shirt but when he noticed Richie groaning, he dropped his shirt again and got in the bed like that. Richie just wished fervently that he didn't have stitches in his dick and wrapped his arms around Jon, pulling him in for a kiss. Surprised, Jon tried to stay calm to let Richie kiss him. Richie kept the kiss gentle, not wanting to freak Jon out again. Jon wasn't exactly thrilled about the kiss but stayed relaxed and let Richie go ahead.

Not long afterwards, Richie pulled back and looked lovingly at Jon while Jon just stared back at him. Richie sat back, keeping his arm around Jon.

"Sorry, said I wasn't going to push it."
"No, no, it's fine." Jon said as he looked down at his boxers.
Richie pulled away completely, thinking all he's doing is only making it worse.
"I really must be bi..."
Richie glanced down and saw Jon's tented boxers. "I for one hope so."
"Doesn't that kinda prove it?"
"I should think so."
"So, I'm gay now?" Jon asked confused.
"You’re bisexual. That goes both ways. I’m the same, I just happen to lean more towards men is all, namely you."
"I never knew you were, you’re always hanging out with all those girls..." Jon thought.
"With all the homophobes around, you can’t really blame me for that. Besides, I still was with other guys, but the one I wanted most was and is you."
"Yeah I guess that’s true, but at least they’re legalizing gay marriage now."
"In the States anyway, did you know it’s been legal here for ages?" Richie asked, proud he knew something Jon probably didn't.
"Really? You never went for that?" Jon teased.
Richie shrugged. "I didn’t even know until the doc told me yesterday. Nice guy. Him and his husband have been married for 5 years."
"Seriously?" Jon was sure Richie was just messing about.
"Yeah, he told me last night after he brought me my supper. Said he couldn’t believe that everything we did on stage was just for show, then after he saw how we acted together before you left, he asked why I didn’t do anything sooner." Richie explained.
"He knows us?"
"Yeah, both him and his husband are huge fans of ours. He’s a nice guy. They were supposed to go to last nights show, but he couldn’t get time off work, but he couldn’t complain since he got to hang out with me instead now could he?"
"You really are serious." Jon said, still not entirely believing it.
"Yeah, that’s why he went along with it when I hit the call button, he’s more a fan of you than he is of me, but he’s cool anyway." Richie continued to explain.
"Greatness, so he knows all about it?" Jon said a little annoyed that the doctor knew about their situation.
"For the most part yeah he does. He’s not going to tell anyone about it though. The only person he’s allowed to tell anything to is you and that’s because I’ve already told you most of it anyway."
"I know but still... Do you think that door has a lock?" Jon wondered.
"I know for fact it does."
"Who have you tried locking up in here then?"
"I didn’t, I wanted to lock you in here with me so you didn’t have to leave today."
"How were you gonna do that? I’m still in the room, I can open the door you know." Jon laughed and got up.

Richie was faster than him and leaned over, wrapping his arm around Jon's waist and pulled him back.

"I didn't say it was a perfect plan now did I?"
"No you didn't because it was obviously a dumb plan." Jon teased. "Let me go."
Richie pouted. "But I don't wanna."
"You're gonna like it if you do." Jon promised.
"Is that a fact?"
"I promise that you'll like it." Jon promised again.
"I'm holding you to that promise." Richie said and kissed Jon's neck before letting him go.

Jon shivered involuntarily and got up to lock the door, then walked back to the bed and got back in.

"Any good?"
Richie smiled and held him close. "Very good."
"You’re not very patient when it comes to this kind of stuff are ya?" Jon asked teasingly
"I think that nearly 30 years is plenty of patience. I’m just happy to hold you."
"Yeah well... do you think you can let go of me?"
"I guess so." Richie said disappointed and with obvious reluctance let go of Jon.

When Richie let him go Jon started pulling his shirt up again. Richie couldn't take his eyes from him and mentally cursed the stitches in his dick.

Jon stopped and looked at Richie. "If you don't mind... I'd like to just test..."
"Test what exactly?" Richie asked curiously.
"How I feel about this, maybe if I can try a little, maybe I like it." Jon said unsure and let go of his shirt.
"You don’t have to be shy about it, we’re shirtless around each other all the time."
"It’s different now and we’re not in bed hardly wearing anything all the time." Jon argued.
"I know that, but it’s not like I can really do much myself. Just make yourself comfortable then"
"Maybe it’s good that you can't then, easier for me,"  Jon concluded, "and I still have this little problem going on..."
"Wish we had more time." Richie said sadly.
"Yeah me too, but we’re already cutting it close so we should get a move on with this..."
"What exactly is "this" though?"
"This... What we’re doing, seeing if I like this." Jon clarified.
"You know you don’t have to decide now."
"I know, I just don’t wanna think it to death anymore and just see if I like it or not, instead of just telling you no..." He confessed to Richie.
"Alright." Richie smiled at Jon, happy for the chance but very aware of the stitches he's still cursing mentally.
"Are you alright? I can just get up and leave." Jon suggested.
"I'm fine, I promise." Richie didn't want him to go.
"Okay," Jon agreed, relaxed and moved a little closer. "So eumh..."

Richie sat back and smiled encouragingly at Jon, letting him do what he wants.

"So when did you find out you like men too?" Jon asked.
"I did what any guy in his 20’s would do. I got drunk at a gay bar and went from there. It was New York and I was a kid, was the easiest thing to do."
"But before that you just liked girls? And why would you go into a gay bar and get drunk there?"
"Before that I had only been with women yeah, and why not? It was the first thing that came to mind when I realized I was checking out the guys just as much and I thought, well, where can I go to test this theory out the best and not be really judged for it? It just made sense to me, and as for getting drunk, well, look at me," Richie smirked, "I had a good number of drinks bought for me."
"That does make sense to try that out, I just get to try it all out with you." Jon said.
Richie smiled. "and you don’t have to worry about anything, because I’m going to let you go at your own pace."
"So you’re fine with me doing this and then make a stupid decision next week?" Jon asked, still unsure of what he was going to decide but it would be good to know if Richie would be okay with either decision.
"Why would your decision be stupid? I’m perfectly fine with this."
"Yeah? What if I decide I don’t want to do this?" Jon asked.
"Then we go back to just friends and be like we used to."
"You’re fine with that? That just wouldn’t be fair to you, to be friendzoned like that." Jon honestly didn't want to disappointed his friend.
"I’d move on eventually." Richie shrugged.
"No, I wouldn’t want to hurt you like that." Jon moved even closer.
"Then it’s good that you don’t have to decide just yet isn’t it?" Richie asked.
"Okay so you don’t mind this?" Jon put his head on Richie's chest and got comfy.
Richie smiled gently and put his arm around Jon, settling wit him there. "Not in the least."
"Good." Jon cuddled "Because this is nice too, you're..."
Richie was still cuddling. "I'm...?"
"I dunno, comfy I guess, different than with Dot but not bad different either, you know what I mean? Just kinda nice." Jon said.
"Hmm." Richie agreed. "We're just comfortable together."
"I’d be more comfortable if my hard on would just go away."
Richie chuckled. "I’d offer to help you out with that, but that would only make me worse I’m afraid."
"Think that would be a little weird to do."
"You can find out eventually." Richie hoped to God that Jon said he wanted to.
"Yeah maybe, but I’m here, shirtless and in my underwear, that’s gotta count for something right, I mean, you got more clothes on than I do." Jon teased.
Richie laughed. "That's counts for a lot, and not much more, I've just got a hospital gown on."
"It covers more up than what I'm wearing."
"Yeah it does, but yours is more comfortable." Richie said.
"Is yours uncomfortable then? want to take it off?" Jon realized too late that he had said that out loud.
"I’d love to, but then you’d have on more than me, unless you count the stitches and the bandage."
"No they don’t count... we could..." Jon felt dumber and dumber, digging his hole deeper.
Richie smiled encouragingly at him. "We could...?"
Jon thought it over for another minute, still feeling dumb and embarrassed, before saying really quickly. "You show me yours and I show you mine?"
"Well as you were looking at mine earlier when the Doc was checking my stitches, shouldn’t it be you showing me?" Richie teased and moved his gown anyway. "It’s not like we haven’t seen before anyway, all those showers after shows and you’re telling me you didn’t look?"
"No I don’t look and I told you, it’s different now and I really hope you haven’t seen mine like this."
"Then you can have your look, I’ll take a free look at yours too" Richie smirked, "but I won't lie, I looked every time."
Jon groaned. "Oh alright, we'll just do that... at the same time?"
"Now works for me."

Richie pulled up his hospital gown and Jon pushed down his boxers, then looked over at Richie as Richie bit back a groan as he watched Jon.

Right away Jon forgot he was embarrassed and just looked at Richie's dick, noticing he was starting to get hard, but the stitches were still there.

"Does it hurt?"
"With the stitches, it's pulling and kinda yeah." Richie bit his lip and looked away from Jon, trying to think of anything except the naked man beside him and willing his erection away.
"Guess I shouldn't ask if I can touch then... Wanna touch mine?" Jon asked insecure.
"I'd love to, but that wouldn't be good for me either. Just thinking about it..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence.
"Maybe we should just stop?" Jon suggested.
"Until I'm healed?"
"Don't want you to hurt yourself." He didn't want to make any promises just yet.
"And want to make it more worth it for you."

Jon was still looking at Richie's dick, he wasn't sure of what he should think of it. It was a penis, like he'd seen his own many times, so was Richie's, nothing different.

Richie reached out and lifted Jon's chin so Jon looked at him. "Eyes up here darling." He smiled and chuckled. "Or you'll get me in trouble."
Jon glanced back down, then back up at Richie. "Still doesn’t fix mine..." He carefully put his hand around his own dick.
Richie bit back another groan. "As much as I hate to say it, but if you’re going to do that, please go do that in the bathroom or take a shower or something. I don’t think I could handle it."
"Sorry." Jon said and in a hurry covered himself up again.
"Don't be sorry." He leaned over and kissed Jon. "Don't ever be sorry for that.

Jon couldn't help but glance down again, now embarrassed again. Richie put his gown back and simply held Jon close, glad Jon leaned into him a little, still looking down at Richie's crotch. Richie tried to comfort him and rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head.

Still, Jon couldn't stop watching Richie's crotch. "I should be sorry." He said after a minute.
"No you shouldn't be. Why would you be?"
"Cause you're bleeding." Jon said, trying not to panic and move away a little.
Richie looked down and pulled his gown back up. "Shit, I didn't even notice."
"Now would be the time to use your powers." Jon got up out of the bed and put his shirt back on, then went to unlock the door.
Richie waited for the door being unlocked and pressed the button. "It's a nice power to have."
"Stop joking." Jon scolded. "You're gonna need new stitches and clean clothes, what if they don't let you go home?" He couldn't stop the panic now.
"I'm sure they'll still let me, it'll be fine."
"I hope so." Jon sighed.