stood uncertainly inside the back gate.
"I wasn't sure I'd be able to come," he said, and his face lit up when he saw Dune.
"Welcome back, world traveler!" Jamie said, and thumped his back a few times. "How does it feel, being back on your native soil?"
"Um, soily," Micah said, expression bashful, and picked up a plate. "Feels just like normal. You know."
"It's good to have you back," Leo said, and gave him a gentle hug. "You'll have to tell us all about it."
"I wrote about it in my blog," Micah said, and now he was blushing. "I posted pictures there, too."
"You left a lot out of your blog, I think," said Leo. "Like what happened with your boyfriend, for example."
Micah gave Dune a pleading look, and Dune said, "Dad, let him get some food before you grill him about his trip. Come on, Micah, have some corn. It's really good." He picked up an ear by the stick it had been roasted on, and Micah took it gratefully.
"Thanks," he whispered. "If I don't want to talk about it --"
"You won't have to," Dune said gently, and kissed his forehead.
"Thanks, Dunie," Micah said again, and squeezed his hand.
A cell phone chirped and four different people checked to see if it was theirs. "It's me," Adam said and put down his plate. He walked into the house before he answered the phone, and everyone could hear him say, "Hi, you," in a pleased voice before he shut the door behind him.
Weird, thought Dune, and looked at Leo, whose face had gone completely blank. "Dad?"
"His editor," Leo said after a moment and smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm sure it is." He picked up a beer can and popped it open.
Dune thought, It's not an editor and you know who it is. He frowned and felt Micah's hand in his again. He squeezed it, grateful.
The back door opened and Dune looked over, expecting Adam; but while the face was familiar it was not his red-haired other father. It was Gavin, looking as confident and self-possessed as ever. His eyes scanned the party guests and then met Dune's, and Gavin almost smiled. He worked his way through the other people to where Dune was standing with Micah and stopped in front of them.
"Dune," he said simply.
"Gavin," Dune said, and was even more grateful for Micah's hand than before. Micah's fingers squeezed his again.
"You must be a friend of Dune's," Micah said cheerfully, holding out his other hand. "I'm Micah."
Gavin barely spared him a glance. "Hi. Dune, my God, it's so good to see you."
"It's been a long time," Dune said. "I heard you were moving back to the city."
Gavin laughed. "You've got to love how San Franciscans say that, as if no other city in the world exists."
"No other city does exist," Micah said, leaning his head against Dune's shoulder. He slipped his arm around Dune's waist and Gavin frowned. "San Francisco is the center of the universe, just like Jerusalem for Middle Ages people."
"Interesting allusion," Gavin said. "You must be Dune's new plaything."
"No," Micah said, sounding bright and casual. "I'm just Micah."
"I see. I'd better get some food or Laird will get insulted. Good to -- look at you, Dune. Nice to meet you, Micah." He ambled away, reminding Dune of a leopard on the Serengeti, made up of stealth and deceptively loose muscles.
Dune unwound himself from Micah and said, "I have to go," as he started for the garden gate.
"Dune," Micah said, and Leo called, "Dune!" to him, but he didn't turn around and didn't stop until he was out on the street. He thrust his hands into his hair and bent over, breathing deeply to keep himself from breathing too fast.
He felt hands on his shoulders and a cheek pressing against his back, and glanced behind him to see Micah. "Leave me alone, please."
"No. Not gonna. Who was he?"
"Nobody who matters."
"You wouldn't be upset if he was nobody."
Dune moved out from under his hands and sat down on the curb, his feet
"I wasn't sure I'd be able to come," he said, and his face lit up when he saw Dune.
"Welcome back, world traveler!" Jamie said, and thumped his back a few times. "How does it feel, being back on your native soil?"
"Um, soily," Micah said, expression bashful, and picked up a plate. "Feels just like normal. You know."
"It's good to have you back," Leo said, and gave him a gentle hug. "You'll have to tell us all about it."
"I wrote about it in my blog," Micah said, and now he was blushing. "I posted pictures there, too."
"You left a lot out of your blog, I think," said Leo. "Like what happened with your boyfriend, for example."
Micah gave Dune a pleading look, and Dune said, "Dad, let him get some food before you grill him about his trip. Come on, Micah, have some corn. It's really good." He picked up an ear by the stick it had been roasted on, and Micah took it gratefully.
"Thanks," he whispered. "If I don't want to talk about it --"
"You won't have to," Dune said gently, and kissed his forehead.
"Thanks, Dunie," Micah said again, and squeezed his hand.
A cell phone chirped and four different people checked to see if it was theirs. "It's me," Adam said and put down his plate. He walked into the house before he answered the phone, and everyone could hear him say, "Hi, you," in a pleased voice before he shut the door behind him.
Weird, thought Dune, and looked at Leo, whose face had gone completely blank. "Dad?"
"His editor," Leo said after a moment and smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm sure it is." He picked up a beer can and popped it open.
Dune thought, It's not an editor and you know who it is. He frowned and felt Micah's hand in his again. He squeezed it, grateful.
The back door opened and Dune looked over, expecting Adam; but while the face was familiar it was not his red-haired other father. It was Gavin, looking as confident and self-possessed as ever. His eyes scanned the party guests and then met Dune's, and Gavin almost smiled. He worked his way through the other people to where Dune was standing with Micah and stopped in front of them.
"Dune," he said simply.
"Gavin," Dune said, and was even more grateful for Micah's hand than before. Micah's fingers squeezed his again.
"You must be a friend of Dune's," Micah said cheerfully, holding out his other hand. "I'm Micah."
Gavin barely spared him a glance. "Hi. Dune, my God, it's so good to see you."
"It's been a long time," Dune said. "I heard you were moving back to the city."
Gavin laughed. "You've got to love how San Franciscans say that, as if no other city in the world exists."
"No other city does exist," Micah said, leaning his head against Dune's shoulder. He slipped his arm around Dune's waist and Gavin frowned. "San Francisco is the center of the universe, just like Jerusalem for Middle Ages people."
"Interesting allusion," Gavin said. "You must be Dune's new plaything."
"No," Micah said, sounding bright and casual. "I'm just Micah."
"I see. I'd better get some food or Laird will get insulted. Good to -- look at you, Dune. Nice to meet you, Micah." He ambled away, reminding Dune of a leopard on the Serengeti, made up of stealth and deceptively loose muscles.
Dune unwound himself from Micah and said, "I have to go," as he started for the garden gate.
"Dune," Micah said, and Leo called, "Dune!" to him, but he didn't turn around and didn't stop until he was out on the street. He thrust his hands into his hair and bent over, breathing deeply to keep himself from breathing too fast.
He felt hands on his shoulders and a cheek pressing against his back, and glanced behind him to see Micah. "Leave me alone, please."
"No. Not gonna. Who was he?"
"Nobody who matters."
"You wouldn't be upset if he was nobody."
Dune moved out from under his hands and sat down on the curb, his feet
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