What A Difference A Year Makes
Chapter 3
"You're what?!"
"I knew this was a bad idea." Hunter turned and started to walk away from Nick. "I'll take you home or back to the coffee shop. Wherever."
"No, wait! Hunter, you can't drop a bomb on me like this and not expect some sort of reaction."
Hunter looked into the softest set of brown eyes he had ever seen and prayed he wasn't making another mistake.
"Look, Nick, I'll explain, all of it, from the beginning but you have to let me get it out in my own way. Afterwards, I'll understand if you don't want to ever see me again."
"Why would I want to stop seeing you?"
"Because what I have to say isn't pretty or nice. It's down right shitty if you ask me. I'm just lucky I survived. And you're right; the Andersons are good people. If it wasn't for them and my family, I'd probably be dead by now."
"Shit! If I promise not to say a word, would you tell me everything from start to finish?"
Hunter nodded and proceeded to tell Nick everything. Everything from his mother pimping him out as a kid, Ben and Michael finding and adopting him. His miserable time in high school, running away, getting beat up and finding the Andersons. Their help and his work at the Farm. He even told Nick about his involvement in the Jason Kemp murder. Hunter spoke of Brian, Steve and Bill, how their faith in him helped Hunter to get his act together, finish school so he could get to junior college. And last but not least, about when he found out he was positive.
Hunter had paced the clearing while he told Nick his life's story. He was standing by the water's edge watching the water skim over the rocks. Hunter picked up a stone and threw it. It skipped four times.
"You're pretty good at that."
"Thanks."
"Where did a city boy like you learn how to skip stones?"
"Here, at this very spot. Bill taught me." Hunter and Nick were standing close, their shoulders almost touching.
"What's your major?"
"My what?"
"Your major, in school. I'm pre-med. What do you want to be when you grow up?" Nick grinned with a goofy smirk as he said the often used question.
"I want to be a counselor, like Bill. Help kids like me. Runaways, hustlers, kids that are positive. I want to be able to help them like Bill, the Andersons and the rest of my family helped me. I want them to know that they're not alone...like me. That they're worth loving."
Nick snaked his arm around Hunter's shoulder. "You're not alone."
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John and Bobby were preparing a simple meal to share in front of the fireplace. In the city, it was getting very warm, too warm for a fire. But here, in the Pennsylvania countryside, it would remain cool at night for several more weeks. They lit the fire then settled in on the sofa to enjoy their meal and each other.
"John, I spoke to Melanie the other day."
"About what?"
"I wanted her opinion regarding adoption and possibly hiring a surrogate."
John did his best to contain his excitement as Bobby recounted his conversation with Mel. "She'll help us in every way."
"How should we do this? I know you said adoption may not be easy for gay men. We could of course, adopt a child from another country. They don't care who adopts just as long as you have the money."
"John, that sounds like you want to buy a baby."
"I'd be willing to do it. But I'd rather go for a surrogate. That way the child would be related to one of us. We could mix our sperm and see what happens. We could always do DNA testing later on if necessary. I just want to make sure the surrogate doesn't show up on our doorstep one day demanding more money or the child back."
"I know what you mean. I said the same to Melanie. She said she'd make sure that wouldn't happen. Do you think Lindsay or Melanie would surrogate for us?"
"I'm not so sure I'd be comfortable with that. Personally, Melanie scares the hell out of me at times. And Lindsay...I don't think Brian would share Lindsay."
"Share Lindsay? What are you talking about? I know they're close. Lindsay wouldn't have asked Brian to be the sperm donor if they weren't good friends."
"Bobby, haven't you ever wondered why there was so much bad blood between Brian and Melanie?"
"I just thought it was because they're both assholes and both so stubborn."
"That's for sure. But the real reason is that Melanie is jealous of Brian."
"Jealous? What in God's name does Melanie have to be jealous about?"
"Brian and Lindsay knew each other in college before she met Mel."
"Yeah, so, I'm sure they knew lots of people when they were in college."
"No, Bobby. They KNEW each other."
"You mean they were...no, really? But Brian is so gay!" John looked at his partner as the silliness of Bobby's statement sunk in. They both burst out in hysterical laughter.
"You're serious, John. Brian and Lindsay were lovers?"
"For a brief time. I guess they wanted proof positive that they were gay but they never got over their love for one another. That's why she wanted Brian to be the father of her baby and why it took years for Melanie to get over it. Brian has a spot in Lindsay's heart that Melanie can't push out. Even now after all this time, Melanie gets twinges of jealousy. So I don't think I'd have the guts to get in between them."
"No, I wouldn't either. Much too dangerous. I'll ask Melanie to look into surrogates. We can set up interviews as soon as possible."
"You mean that?!"
"Yes, I do. By the time the baby comes, it'll be at least another year. I'll be sick of having you all to myself by then. I'll need a baby to occupy me."
"Why you little shit!" John pounced on his lover and they made love next to the fireplace all night long.
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"Oh sweet fucking shit!' Justin gasped as Brian did something with his tongue. It was stuck up his ass and he had never felt anything quite like that.
"Like that?" Brian smirked raising his head.
"You've been holding out on me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why haven't you done that before?"
"I just invented it," Brian smirked.
"You did not!"
"I did so. You bring out my creative side."
"Do it again."
"Okay," Brian smiled. He loved sending Justin into orgasmic ecstasy.
"Oh, oh, oh, yeah, right … there! Fuck!" Justin's dick shot its load without any help from him. He felt Brian release him and he turned over staring into Brian's face. "You're quite the lover tonight, Mr. Kinney."
"Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I aim to please."
"You know, I'm going to have to come home at least every other week so that I can have your tongue do that."
"I'm glad I'm good for something," Brian said suddenly feeling the old black mood descend upon him.
"What? That was a compliment," Justin tried to explain wondering what had triggered the ominous look on Brian's face.
"I know, but I … I want to be good for something more than sex."
"Isn't it you who always declares that there's nothing better than sex, that you can never get enough?"
Brian nodded. "All that's true, but sometimes… Never mind." Brian made to get up from the bed.
"No," Justin said holding onto Brian's arm and pulling him back down. "Tell me."
Brian sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what we'd have if sex wasn't involved."
"I can't imagine not having sex … with you," Justin said wondering where this was coming from.
"When I lost my ball, or rather sacrificed it so I could live, it made me think. There was that whole period when I couldn't get it up."
"And you kept pushing me away, refusing to tell me the truth."
Brian made a face. That had not been one of his finer moments. "I shouldn't have done that."
"You're fucking right you shouldn't have. You need to tell me the truth … no matter what."
"Yes, your highness," Brian smirked and Justin could see a little bit of the black mood lift.
"So, continue," Justin said waving his hand in a regal manner.
Brian grabbed it and kissed Justin's palm. "I'm not much if I can't fuck."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Justin demanded. "Fucking is just the icing on the cake. You're a brilliant businessman and a good father and the world's best partner."
Brian snorted. He knew that wasn't true, especially the last part, but he liked to hear Justin say it. Tonight he needed Justin to say it.
"Brian, you're a good man. Ask anybody."
"Yeah, I can just hear Gardner Vance singing my praises, or Jim Stockwell."
"They might hate you, but they also respect you. They know you beat them fair and square. Besides, I wasn't talking about business. I was referring to your friends."
Brian snorted again. "Yeah, they always have such charming evaluations of my character."
"Haven't you noticed that that has changed over the last couple of years? You've helped every one of them."
"Except Michael."
"You've helped Michael even if he's too pigheaded to realize it. Hunter's a lot better off because of you."
"I hoped we might get back to the way things used to be … after the wedding," Brian said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. He did miss his best friend.
"He hasn't called you?" Brian shook his head. "You could always call him." Brian shrugged. "I could help you string him up by his toes until he comes to his senses."
Brian chuckled. Justin had found the image of Michael hanging from a tree by his toes totally hilarious when Brian had told him about what he had done to Michael way back when. "I can do that by myself."
"Maybe it's time you took some drastic action with him."
"I can't make him forgive me or like me. He has to decide that for himself."
Just then Justin's stomach rumbled ominously.
"Hungry?" Brian asked.
Justin nodded. It was a long time since he had had the crackers and cheese at Babylon. "I could eat."
Brian laughed. "You can always eat."
"Are you going to cook again," Justin teased.
"Shit! I left the crackers and cheese at Babylon."
"You were too interested in getting me into your bed to care."
"So what would you like?"
"Hm, I'd love a great big, ooey, gooey pepperoni and mushroom pizza with double cheese." Justin knew he was pushing his luck but that's what he really felt like having.
"I'll order," Brian said getting up off the bed.
"What, no protest?"
"This is part of your surprise."
"Brian, thanks," Justin said with a little smile. "For tonight, for everything."
"You're welcome, Sunshine."
"Oh, and Brian, after you place the order, do you think you could do that thing with your tongue again?" Justin screwed up his face thinking of the sheer pleasure of it.
"I think that could be arranged," Brian smiled and went to make the call for pizza.
Justin enjoyed every bite of his pizza and Brian even helped him eat some of it. By the time it was gone they were both full and feeling mellow, thanks in part to the three or four beers they had had with the pizza. What was pizza without beer anyway?
"This is the best night we've spent together in … forever," Justin cooed his head resting on Brian's stomach.
Brian chuckled, jiggling Justin's head up and down on his body. Justin felt the vibration and smiled. It was good being connected to Brian in whatever way he could manage.
"That was a yummy pizza," Justin said letting out a loud belch.
"Glad it met with your ooey, gooey approval," Brian laughed.
They were laying on the futon in the living room. It was still one of their favorite places to be together and talk.
"What made you do all this tonight?" Justin asked. "It isn't even confirmed that I'm going to New York."
"We both know you're going," Brian said trying to keep the sadness out of his voice.
"Are you going to start tricking when I'm gone? It's okay, if you need to," Justin added hastily.
"I told you that I'm not."
"But it's a long time from weekend to weekend."
"Then you might find me on your doorstep on a Wednesday night."
Justin chuckled. That was the answer he wanted to hear. "That would be a nice surprise," Justin said rolling onto his side and looking up at Brian. "Maybe you could do that tongue thing for me."
"Right after I fuck you senseless."
"Deal," Justin said with a big grin.
Brian pulled his lover against him and they made love on the futon all night long.
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Hunter pulled up in front of Nick's house. He stopped and waited for Nick to get out. When Nick didn't move Hunter turned off the engine figuring Nick had something more to say about what Hunter had just revealed down by the stream. Although they had talked for a long time nothing had really been settled and Hunter wasn't sure if he would ever see Nick again after tonight.
"I guess I should go in," Nick said.
"Yeah."
"Hunter, I want to do some research about this."
"About HIV you mean?"
"Yeah."
"I'm not a lab rat. You can ask me."
"I know I can but I want to find out some things on my own."
"So, I guess I won't see you for a while," Hunter said with a false smile.
"Why do you think that?"
"Undoubtedly your research will take weeks, months even, and by then you'll be ready to go away to med school." Hunter couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"You know, you really are a shit sometimes."
"Me?" Hunter asked in amazement.
"Didn't that kiss we shared show you that I am definitely interested?" Nick asked.
"That was before I dropped the HIV bombshell, to say nothing of my glorious past exploits."
"Come here," Nick said softly grabbing Hunter's wrist and pulling the young man towards him. Their lips came crashing together and the kiss went on and on until they could hardly breathe and they were both so hard it hurt. "Did that convince you that I'm still interested?" Nick gasped
"Fuck yeah!" Hunter grinned.
"I'll call you tomorrow," Nick said getting out of the truck.
Hunter watched him walk up to the house and open the door. When it closed behind him, Hunter let out a long breath. That had gone better than he could have hoped for. Well, not better. Best would have been if they had ended up in bed together, but Hunter hoped that was still to come. He wanted Nick so much. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way about anyone. He had wanted Cally, but not with this intensity. He had wanted Brian but that was lust and everybody wanted Brian. He wanted Nick as a friend, a lover, a … soulmate. Maybe he was going to find out what Brian and blondie had. Maybe it was finally his turn to be happy.
Hunter started his truck and reluctantly pulled away. Some time soon he would spend the night with Nick. He could feel it. And they would make love all night long.