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Authors: Zachary O'Toole
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Speedos after all. They were snug enough to keep any reactions… private.
Chris’ face darkened. “No,” he snapped.
“Oh. It’s you.” Joe’s voice was icy. “I was invited. What’s your excuse?”
“I’ve been coming here since I was eleven,” Chris shot back.
“Guys, guys,” Steve said hastily. “Relax. Have a beer,” he said, handing out bottles of the beer Joe had brought.
Chris eyed it warily. “Imported beer?”
“Yeah,” said Joe. “Amazingly enough, they brew beer outside of the US. I know this comes as a shock, but it’s true.”
“Fuck you,” Chris spat.
“You should be so lucky.” That just slipped out. Honestly, if Chris had actually offered, and wasn’t such an ass, Joe would’ve been sorely tempted.
“GUYS!”
Joe and Chris both turned to look at Steve.
“Do you two need a time out?”
“What?” Joe asked.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Chris growled.
“Play nice or I’ll get the hose,” Steve threatened.
This wasn’t exactly what Steve had in mind. He’d hoped that getting Joe and Chris together would give Chris the kick in the ass he needed to ‘fess up to actually being Alex. Sure, Joe’d be mad, but Steve had seen the pictures and heard how Joe had talked about Alex. He’d get over it. And Chris had looked so damn happy.
Unfortunately it was definitely not working. He hadn’t expected a tearful confession or some girly touchy-feely moment, but he’d at least figured they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats.
“What’s going on?” demanded Chris.
“I invited him over. Got a problem with that, Gagnon?”
Chris looked at Joe and stalked over to the pool, drinking his beer as he went.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Joe muttered as he passed. Chris heard it, he could tell by the way his shoulders tensed.
“Okay, Steve, I mean, thanks for inviting me over, but maybe I better go.”
“No,” Steve said. He didn’t want Joe going. Crap first impression or not, he hoped that maybe they could salvage something. “My house, my invitation. Chris can cope or go home.”
Reluctantly Joe nodded. He didn’t want to come between Chris and Steve. They worked together and lived next to each other. Alex and Chris were clearly estranged. From what Joe could tell, Chris had no intention of changing that.
He had wanted to get in the pool, but with Chris there he thought better of it. Instead he went back to the table and sat down with Mike and Linda.
“Well, that was interesting,” Mike said.
“Oh? How, exactly?” Joe asked. He took a bite of the burger he’d left there. It was, not surprisingly, pretty good.
“Watching you and Chris.”
“He’s a jerk,” Joe said, a little petulantly. Which, while true, wasn’t the whole truth. Joe found the conflict a little exciting, too. He loved Alex, but while he was playful and happy and enthusiastic and sometimes a little needy, there were times he felt a little… thin. Like there was something missing, or something he was holding back. It was the one thing that had always stopped him before he said ‘I love you.’
Chris may have been holding something back, but it wasn’t how he felt about Joe. He was clear about that, and there had never been any question about his existence. He was as real as anyone Joe had ever met.
“Sometimes,” Mike cheerfully agreed. “That was pretty bad, even for him.”
“Guess I bring out his best,” Joe muttered. The thought that he actually did set Chris off hurt a little.
Mike watched Joe intently, trying to gage his feelings. There was something going on between Joe and Chris. Joe
Chris’ face darkened. “No,” he snapped.
“Oh. It’s you.” Joe’s voice was icy. “I was invited. What’s your excuse?”
“I’ve been coming here since I was eleven,” Chris shot back.
“Guys, guys,” Steve said hastily. “Relax. Have a beer,” he said, handing out bottles of the beer Joe had brought.
Chris eyed it warily. “Imported beer?”
“Yeah,” said Joe. “Amazingly enough, they brew beer outside of the US. I know this comes as a shock, but it’s true.”
“Fuck you,” Chris spat.
“You should be so lucky.” That just slipped out. Honestly, if Chris had actually offered, and wasn’t such an ass, Joe would’ve been sorely tempted.
“GUYS!”
Joe and Chris both turned to look at Steve.
“Do you two need a time out?”
“What?” Joe asked.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Chris growled.
“Play nice or I’ll get the hose,” Steve threatened.
This wasn’t exactly what Steve had in mind. He’d hoped that getting Joe and Chris together would give Chris the kick in the ass he needed to ‘fess up to actually being Alex. Sure, Joe’d be mad, but Steve had seen the pictures and heard how Joe had talked about Alex. He’d get over it. And Chris had looked so damn happy.
Unfortunately it was definitely not working. He hadn’t expected a tearful confession or some girly touchy-feely moment, but he’d at least figured they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats.
“What’s going on?” demanded Chris.
“I invited him over. Got a problem with that, Gagnon?”
Chris looked at Joe and stalked over to the pool, drinking his beer as he went.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Joe muttered as he passed. Chris heard it, he could tell by the way his shoulders tensed.
“Okay, Steve, I mean, thanks for inviting me over, but maybe I better go.”
“No,” Steve said. He didn’t want Joe going. Crap first impression or not, he hoped that maybe they could salvage something. “My house, my invitation. Chris can cope or go home.”
Reluctantly Joe nodded. He didn’t want to come between Chris and Steve. They worked together and lived next to each other. Alex and Chris were clearly estranged. From what Joe could tell, Chris had no intention of changing that.
He had wanted to get in the pool, but with Chris there he thought better of it. Instead he went back to the table and sat down with Mike and Linda.
“Well, that was interesting,” Mike said.
“Oh? How, exactly?” Joe asked. He took a bite of the burger he’d left there. It was, not surprisingly, pretty good.
“Watching you and Chris.”
“He’s a jerk,” Joe said, a little petulantly. Which, while true, wasn’t the whole truth. Joe found the conflict a little exciting, too. He loved Alex, but while he was playful and happy and enthusiastic and sometimes a little needy, there were times he felt a little… thin. Like there was something missing, or something he was holding back. It was the one thing that had always stopped him before he said ‘I love you.’
Chris may have been holding something back, but it wasn’t how he felt about Joe. He was clear about that, and there had never been any question about his existence. He was as real as anyone Joe had ever met.
“Sometimes,” Mike cheerfully agreed. “That was pretty bad, even for him.”
“Guess I bring out his best,” Joe muttered. The thought that he actually did set Chris off hurt a little.
Mike watched Joe intently, trying to gage his feelings. There was something going on between Joe and Chris. Joe
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