“I’m in the kitchen,” Sean called back, wiping his hands on a tea towel and throwing it back onto the kitchen counter.
Gareth grabbed Sean in an exuberant hug. “Oh my God! You should see the surprise I’ve got for you. Come on! Come on!” He started to pull Sean towards the doorway.
Sean grinned and gave him a playful swat. “Hang on a minute. Where are we going? I’ve got dinner on. I can’t just leave.” Sean indicated the gently bubbling pot and the oven heating for the bread.
Gareth flicked a hand. “Leave it. Just turn it off. This is so much better. Come on!” He gave Sean another tug.
Sean’s curiosity was definitely piqued, and he was interested to find out what was causing Gareth’s excitement, but at the same time disappointment surged through him—disappointment that his special plans for dinner were being derailed. He couldn’t keep the heaviness from his tone. “But I’ve planned a special dinner. It will be ruined if I just leave it.”
Gareth looked around, briefly glancing into the living area at the carefully set table before studying the pots on the stove. He walked closer, lifted a lid, and took a look in the saucepan. “What is it? It’s just spaghetti sauce, right? It’ll be fine reheated later. For God’s sake, Sean, what’s wrong with you? Just turn it off and come. We can have spaghetti anytime.” He shook his head and left the room.
Sean looked at his retreating back. His stomach clenched at the realisation that Gareth, the boyfriend he was planning a romantic celebratory meal for, was dismissing his efforts.The table, with the flowers and candles, should’ve been a dead giveaway, but maybe he doesn’t realise the trouble I’ve gone to, and he wouldn’t know how important tonight is to me.Sean tried to rationalise Gareth’s behaviour, giving him the benefit of the doubt, but the sense of hopelessness sat heavy. He turned off the flame under the pot, turned the knob on the oven, and grabbed his jacket on the way out.
It was Valentine’s Day, and he was determined to muster his excitement. He plastered on a grin and hurried down the path to catch up with Gareth. He came to an abrupt halt at the sight of him standing next to a motorcycle parked in the driveway. “What?” he stammered.
“Isn’t she a beauty?” Gareth grinned as he lovingly stroked the seat. “I just picked her up.”
“But… but… it’s a motorcycle!”
“Yeah, babe, it’s a bike. But not just any bike—”
“But Ihatebikes. You know that. Why would you bring it here? Whose is it?”
“She’s mine, Sean. Every piece; saved and paid for in full. I’ve been saving for years. I can’t wait for you to see her in action.”
Sean’s stomach was tight, he clenched his fists. “But you know how I feel about motorbikes. We’ve talked about this before. You know how much I hate them, what happened to my uncle. I can’t believe you went and got a bike without talking to me about it first! And what about the apartment? I thought we were saving for the deposit?” Sean’s voice got louder and louder.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Gareth suddenly snapped, his smile turning into a snarl. “Not everything’s about you. Can’t you just be happy for me? This is my dream, something I’ve always wanted. Is it asking too much for you to just support me?”
“Why didn’t you say anything before? We could have discussed it.”
Gareth ignored the question. He turned towards the bike, a huge gleaming beast of a thing, and started to pull the motorcycle helmet over his head. By the time he turned back to Sean, the helmet largely obscured his face, but his eyes flashed anger before he pulled down the visor.
Getting his voice back and the shock wearing off, Sean asked nervously, “Where are you going?”
“For a ride.” Gareth grabbed the bike by its handlebars and swung his leg over the seat before looking at Sean. “You’ve got a choice to make. You can get on the back now and be part of this, or we have some serious talking to do when I get back.”
Sean wiped his clammy hands on his jeans as his heart raced. He took a deep breath. He walked slowly to the motorbike on shaky legs.
It was only much, much later that Sean realised what a tremendous mistake he’d made. Obviously, the choice to get on the back of the bike was a bad one, as evidenced by the sickening accident, but it only served to highlight the mistake he’d made over the last couple of years—time spent thinking that Gareth returned his feelings and wanted the same things he did.
By the time Sean was ready to leave the hospital, with months of rehabilitation ahead of him, he had learned a hard lesson. Gareth’s silence and lack of visits were evidence of his lack of caring, and those god-awful scars on his thigh and ass were a reminder of the dangers of placing his trust in the wrong person. Sean was determined never to put himself in the same position again, never give away his heart, never allow himself to be hurt, and every day when he looked in the mirror, it served to reinforce that decision.
* * *
Jason gazedat the man in front of him, amazed and saddened by the story that Sean quietly told, but his heart full of joy, so glad that Sean could open up to him and share such a painful piece of his past. He leaned forward and gently cupped Sean’s jaw, tilting his face upward so he could look this very special man in the eye. Although he’d started out bravely, Sean had spent most of the story with downcast eyes, picking at the edge of the sheet.
As he looked up, his eyes now reflected hope, and Jason could see the relief in his expression.
“Sean,” he sighed, unable to form the sentences that would explain how he really felt.
Instead, he decided to show him. Jason softly pulled Sean forward, once again bringing their lips together before tugging him close. He wrapped Sean in his arms, holding him tightly as he kissed him passionately, pouring his thanks into the kiss.
Sean moaned, relaxing in his embrace enough so that Jason could flip their positions and turn Sean gently onto his back. He covered Sean’s lean body with his larger one, wanting to wrap him completely, to hold him tight and never let him go. But as the kiss went on and on, he needed to touch Sean, to feel his smooth skin against his own heated flesh. He could feel Sean’s excitement, his hard cock pressed firmly against his own equally hard dick but held back from grinding his hips. The effort to do so was immense, but Jason wanted to show Sean how special he was, to love him gently and completely. But even as he had the thought, Sean thrust up against him in an attempt to get some friction, groaning into his mouth. Jason pulled back and looked down at Sean. Sean stared back intently, his face flushed and lips red, and then simply nodded.
Slowly, one by one, Jason undid the buttons on Sean’s shirt, exposing his chest one tantalizing inch at a time. Sean’s skin was gorgeous, a golden colour, like pale toffee. Jason pushed the shirt back, exposing Sean’s smooth chest in all its glory. He couldn’t resist running his hand down Sean’s sternum and across his taut belly. Sean sucked in a breath as his muscles quivered. Jason bent his head and gently sucked his nipple, enjoying the immediate pebbling of the small bud under his tongue. He lavished his attention on it for only a moment before moving to the other bud and giving it the same treatment. Sean arched under his touch, pushing closer to Jason’s mouth. He moved downward, licking and sucking as he made his way towards Sean’s belly button, stopping to dip his tongue into the shallow depression. He loved the way Sean tasted—his glowing skin, mostly hairless, had a clean saltiness.
Jason shifted his hands to where Sean’s pants rode low on his hips. He wanted to go farther but needed to make sure Sean was entirely comfortable and would have no regrets. He moved back up and brought his mouth down to Sean’s once more, kissing him passionately. He felt Sean arch again, pressing his erection against Jason’s, thrusting against Jason in a way that indicated how turned on he was.
