Read Online Raincheck by Sarah Madison - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Madison
Tags: Gay & Lesbian
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Rodney picked up each item, one at a time, and related its story, ever conscious of the lightening of the sky around them.
David picked up the copy of A Tale of Two Cities. It fell open to a marked page. David began to read aloud. “‘The night comes on dark. He moves more; he is beginning to revive, and to speak intelligibly; he thinks they are still together; he asks him, by his name, what he has in his hand. O pity us, kind Heaven, and help us! Look out, look out, and see if we are pursued’ . ” He looked up sharply when he’d finished, obviously struggling with a myriad of emotions. He set the book down and unfolded the bookmark. “You kept my note,” he said incredulously.
Rodney merely shrugged. David looked up at the sky, his mouth tightening, before he went back to his catalog of items again.
When he got to the crystal pendant, David frowned. He took the necklace from Rodney’s hand, turning it over carefully. “Where’d you say you found this?”
Rodney told him of the glitter that caught his eye on an evening so cold it took even Rodney’s breath away, beckoning him to come down from the sky and fish it out from the storm drain.
“Rodney,” David said slowly. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a very valuable diamond necklace that was reported stolen a few months ago.”
“It’s yours now.” Rodney drew a nonsensical pattern with one claw in the fine gravel dusting the rooftop. It was of no importance to him anymore.
David just gaped at him. Rodney smiled at his expression and, feeling the need to speak while he still could, plunged into a stilted confession. “It’s been a good life, you know? I got better than I expected. Better than I deserved. I want to thank you for that.”
David’s face folded in on itself, as though he’d received a physical blow. “Look, Rodney. Who’s to say what will happen next to you, right? It might not be as bad as you think.”
Rodney smiled indulgently at David. “At least let me say goodbye.”
“No.” David frowned. He dropped the necklace abruptly. “No,” he repeated. “Damn it, Rodney, this can’t be goodbye!”
David’s denial was amusing, comforting, and painful all at the same time. “But it is,” Rodney said gently. The sun was a thin, red sliver in the sky now; the clouds picked up its light and began to reflect it in great bands of color that washed across the sky.
He’d never truly watched the sun rise before. It was beautiful. He felt a touch on his arm, and he looked down to see David’s hand gripping his bicep. He smiled at David as the first beams of light crested over the building skyline and caressed his face.
He could feel the change coming over him, the nauseating twist inside his body, as though something were melting and withering away his strength. He couldn’t look at David anymore; he didn’t want his last thoughts to be filled with the sorrow on David’s face. He lifted his wings involuntarily, as if to fly away from what was happening to him, only to have them shudder and crumble into dust. He’d suspected all along that this was what would happen to him, but it broke his heart just the same.
“David,” he said suddenly, unable to be strong anymore. David closed his arms around him. His breath tickled in Rodney’s ear when he whispered, “It’s okay; I’ve got you.” It was worth it, all of it, just for this moment.
The moment passed, and Rodney shivered in the morning breeze. He lifted his head from David’s shoulder and stared down at his hands in disbelief. His skin was no longer green; his talons were gone. In their place were ordinary-looking human hands, a fine dusting of golden hair catching the light of the morning sun. Rodney gasped and squinted up at the sky. It was full-on daylight now, and he was still here.
David reacted to his movement by breaking off his hug and looking up into Rodney’s face. “Oh, wow,” he
David picked up the copy of A Tale of Two Cities. It fell open to a marked page. David began to read aloud. “‘The night comes on dark. He moves more; he is beginning to revive, and to speak intelligibly; he thinks they are still together; he asks him, by his name, what he has in his hand. O pity us, kind Heaven, and help us! Look out, look out, and see if we are pursued’ . ” He looked up sharply when he’d finished, obviously struggling with a myriad of emotions. He set the book down and unfolded the bookmark. “You kept my note,” he said incredulously.
Rodney merely shrugged. David looked up at the sky, his mouth tightening, before he went back to his catalog of items again.
When he got to the crystal pendant, David frowned. He took the necklace from Rodney’s hand, turning it over carefully. “Where’d you say you found this?”
Rodney told him of the glitter that caught his eye on an evening so cold it took even Rodney’s breath away, beckoning him to come down from the sky and fish it out from the storm drain.
“Rodney,” David said slowly. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a very valuable diamond necklace that was reported stolen a few months ago.”
“It’s yours now.” Rodney drew a nonsensical pattern with one claw in the fine gravel dusting the rooftop. It was of no importance to him anymore.
David just gaped at him. Rodney smiled at his expression and, feeling the need to speak while he still could, plunged into a stilted confession. “It’s been a good life, you know? I got better than I expected. Better than I deserved. I want to thank you for that.”
David’s face folded in on itself, as though he’d received a physical blow. “Look, Rodney. Who’s to say what will happen next to you, right? It might not be as bad as you think.”
Rodney smiled indulgently at David. “At least let me say goodbye.”
“No.” David frowned. He dropped the necklace abruptly. “No,” he repeated. “Damn it, Rodney, this can’t be goodbye!”
David’s denial was amusing, comforting, and painful all at the same time. “But it is,” Rodney said gently. The sun was a thin, red sliver in the sky now; the clouds picked up its light and began to reflect it in great bands of color that washed across the sky.
He’d never truly watched the sun rise before. It was beautiful. He felt a touch on his arm, and he looked down to see David’s hand gripping his bicep. He smiled at David as the first beams of light crested over the building skyline and caressed his face.
He could feel the change coming over him, the nauseating twist inside his body, as though something were melting and withering away his strength. He couldn’t look at David anymore; he didn’t want his last thoughts to be filled with the sorrow on David’s face. He lifted his wings involuntarily, as if to fly away from what was happening to him, only to have them shudder and crumble into dust. He’d suspected all along that this was what would happen to him, but it broke his heart just the same.
“David,” he said suddenly, unable to be strong anymore. David closed his arms around him. His breath tickled in Rodney’s ear when he whispered, “It’s okay; I’ve got you.” It was worth it, all of it, just for this moment.
The moment passed, and Rodney shivered in the morning breeze. He lifted his head from David’s shoulder and stared down at his hands in disbelief. His skin was no longer green; his talons were gone. In their place were ordinary-looking human hands, a fine dusting of golden hair catching the light of the morning sun. Rodney gasped and squinted up at the sky. It was full-on daylight now, and he was still here.
David reacted to his movement by breaking off his hug and looking up into Rodney’s face. “Oh, wow,” he
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