Love Means_. Freedom - Andrew Grey

he was dead and this was Heaven.
    When he woke again, there were other people in the room, but it was still dark. Huffing softly, he shifted, and the cocoon of warmth around him began to shift. The room quieted again, but now he was wide awake. Looking around, he saw a man sitting in a chair, running his fingers over the pages of a book.
    "I'm Robbie. Are you hungry?" He put the book carefully on the table next to the chair and got to his feet, walking to the sofa, reaching it, and Stone felt a hand glance along his leg. "There you are."

    "You're blind." The realization was surprising to Stone.
    "Last time I looked, yeah." Robbie laughed and Stone joined him. It felt good to laugh; he hadn't done it in a while. "Are you hungry?" Stone nodded and pushed back the blanket, his bare feet hitting the cool floor. "I can't hear your head moving. Nothing rattles." Stone saw Robbie's smile and knew he was playing with him.
    "Sorry, yes."
"Then come in the kitchen, I'm sure Adelle will have something hot for you." Stone watched as Robbie led the way, and he marveled at how easily he moved through the house. Robbie turned toward him and scowled. "Are you barefoot?"
    Stone felt his cheeks color with shame. "Yeah."
"Go on in the kitchen and I'll get you some socks." Stone watched as Robbie turned and made his way up the stairs.
    When he disappeared from view, Stone went into the kitchen and found Adelle working at the counter, humming to herself. "Was that you who stayed with me?"
    She stopped working and turned around. "I wanted to make sure you were all right." She motioned toward the table. "Sit down and I'll bring you some pancakes." She turned away, and Stone felt his mouth start to water, and he wondered what the hell was happening to him. These people barely knew his name, yet they were treating him so nice. He didn't know what to make of it, but he figured they'd want something from him eventually.
    A plate stacked high with hotcakes was placed in front of him, along with maple syrup and butter. The smell was almost too much, and he looked over at Adelle to make sure these were all for him, but she'd already gone back to work, so he poured syrup on the stack and ate until he thought he was going to burst, finally pushing back the empty plate. "Thank you, ma'am. That was delicious."
    "You want some more?" She looked down at the plate that looked like it had been vacuumed clean.
    "No, thank you." She took the plate and Stone pushed back from the table. Getting up, he went back into the living room and found his shoes, slipping them on his feet. Stone found his bag sitting on a chair along with his coat and even a pair of gloves. Stone slipped on his coat and swung his pack over his shoulder. He needed to get out of these nice peoples' way.
    "Are you going to leave without saying good-bye?"
Stone turned and saw the blind man looking at him, which was really strange.
    "I think it's best I get out of everyone's way. They don't need me mooching off them. Tell them thank you for me." Stone looked around the room. He wanted to remember this place. It wasn't often that people were as nice to him as these people had been, but he knew they definitely wouldn't want him around, not after everything.
    "Why don't you let them make that decision?"

    Stone stopped in his tracks and almost slipped the pack off his shoulder, almost. "They don't need me around. I'm no good for anybody." Stone heard a door bang shut, and then voices drifted in from the kitchen and got louder.

    "You're up." Stone looked over and saw Geoff--he thought it was Geoff, anyway--standing in the kitchen doorway.

    "Thanks for everything. I'll get out of your hair now." Stone moved toward the front door and opened it, stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind him. The cold bit into him almost as badly as it had the night before, and he hurried toward the street.

    "Do you think this is a smart idea?" Stone stopped and turned around, seeing Geoff standing on the front porch. "It isn't any warmer this morning than it was last night."

    Stone looked around, already starting to shiver. What in the hell was wrong with him?
    Slowly, he turned around and walked back toward the house and warmth. Geoff stepped aside and followed him back inside. Stone dropped his pack by the door, but left his coat on and followed Geoff into another room with a desk and a lot of strange machines that seemed to be turning out paper with bumps on them.
    "Would you like to tell me why