by Talya Andor
"Irene, I…if I were to bring someone, I mean, if there was someone I wanted you and Dad to meet…" He stopped and swallowed, hard. The silence on the other end of the line had gained weight, somehow. The chopping had stopped.
"You want us to meet a girl?" Irene's tone was colored with surprise.
They had never formally met Shari, though they'd known Lucas had dated her. They had known of Stephen's existence and ignored the possibility of anything beyond subtext. It was only natural she be surprised. Lucas had never brought anyone to their attention before.
"No," Lucas said, "not a girl."
Pause. "Well, I don't really think it would be appropriate to bring one of your friends to a family dinner."
Lucas snorted. He couldn't help himself. "No, uh, I don't think you understand. I wouldn't ask to bring someone if they were just a friend."
Pause. It was a long one. "That…would be even more inappropriate. You must know how your father would feel about that sort of thing."
He knew she wasn't dense, so Lucas decided his step-mother was being deliberately obtuse. "I'm not gay, Irene."
"Lucas! I wasn't going to say anything, but now I really must object…"
"I'm…" Lucas raked his hair back. Why was it so hard to say it? I'm bisexual. I'm with a guy. "Look, this person I want you both to meet, he's very important to me. I think you ought to at least—"
"Look, Lucas," Irene said, and there was a hard quality to her voice Lucas had never heard before. "You're going to a reputable university. Whatever you're going through, get it out of your system, but don't drag it into our lives. You're a bright young man and you have a potentially great future ahead of you as long as you don't let yourself get confused. Do you understand me?"
"Just because you expect me to act a certain way doesn't mean—"
"I expect you to behave the way you were raised, and understand that behaving one way in life ensures you have a future. Behave another way, no matter how satisfying your little rebellion might be, and you'll likely be cut off."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm telling you that if you upset your father enough, he'd be more than likely to end your financial support. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly," Lucas said, vibrating with rage. "I'll make those reservations you asked."
"For three."
Pause. Lucas considered hurling his cell phone into the bushes, but satisfying though it might be, that was an empty gesture. "For three," he agreed, closing his eyes and thinking of Soren's face, soft with sleep in the morning. He could act one way, pretend this wasn't his, and live the normal life his parents wanted. Or he could throw money and backing away, strike out on his own. Be happy.
It was too soon.
He hung up on Irene without waiting to see if she would say something in triumphant conclusion. It wasn't what she'd said, so much, that made him angriest.
It was that she knew his father quite well, whether she openly shared the same views or not.
*~*~*
Lucas skipped his last class for the day, and though it was a short-term solution and didn't fix anything, by the late afternoon, he was feeling better about the world in general. Soren, or at least this feeling, seemed to have that kind of effect on him. He walked into the common area of the apartment with his phone, eager to call Soren and make plans. Before he brought his phone up, he turned and caught Lisa's sly grin as she tipped back and forth on her stool on the other side of the kitchen bar.
"Oh, what are you grinning at?" Lucas demanded, but he was smiling.
"He really does it for you, doesn't he?"
Lucas raked a hand through his hair, sweeping it back over his forehead where it would hopefully stay out of his face for a moment or two. "I…" He didn't want to get carried away, but his emotions had no controls right now and he thought he liked it that way.
"It's okay." Lisa took a bite of the carrot stick she'd been gnawing. "You don't have to say it, you look it."
He propped a hip against the counter. "I do, do I?" He shook his head.
Brandon padded into the kitchen in bare feet and gave them an expectant look. "Beer and pizza night, right?"
"Yeah," Lisa confirmed. "What else?"
"Alec went out to meet up with his brother and buy the beer," Lucas told him. "Said he was going to grab a couple of twenty-four packs."
"Holy shit." Brandon staggered. "Think it'll be enough?"
"The way Alec drinks, who knows," Lisa said with a shrug.
"Right, so I'll go get the movies," Brandon said, turning toward Lucas.
"I'm handling the pizza," Lucas said, spreading his hands. "I'll pay a couple of extra bucks for delivery, I don't care. Oh, I need to call Soren and make sure he can come."
"Please tell me Jack won't be around," Lisa said.
"He usually goes clubbing on Fridays," Brandon said, grimacing. "I don't think we need to worry—"
The front door slammed and they all looked up.
"Hey hey hey, something exciting going on tonight?" Jack sauntered into their field of vision just beyond the kitchen bar, coat slung over one arm, wearing a University-monogrammed sweatshirt.
"Beer and pizza night," Brandon said, propping a shoulder against the wall divider by the kitchen bar.
"Ah, boring." Jack came around into the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and scanning its contents. "No beer yet?"
"Not yet," Lucas said. He folded his arms. Jack had joined them on one occasion for beer and pizza night, early on when they had all begun rooming together, and Lucas's dislike for Jack had cemented at that time. It wasn't any one thing; rather it was the overall person he presented.
Jack turned with a nasty grin. "Not going clubbing tonight, huh? Guess you got tired of fooling around on your little boyfriend."
Lucas went rigid. "What the hell do you mean by that?"
"Oh, I saw you." Jack nodded, snagging himself a Coke and popping the tab before anyone could protest. "Grinding up against some girl on the floor, yeah, the two of you looked pretty cozy, especially when she kissed you."
Lucas felt the blood drain from his face. "You ass—"
"Wonder what your cute little boyfriend would think of that?" Jack eyed Lucas as he took a swig from the can.
The Coke went clattering out of his hand, spraying on the floor as Lucas grabbed Jack by the sweater, shaking him like a dog by the ruff, then slammed him against the counter. "You don't know a fucking thing about it," he growled, and felt Brandon's hands seizing him, prying him off Jack.
"Let it go. Let him go, man."
Lucas released him, letting Brandon drag him back a step, glaring at Jack who seemed shaken for an instant, but resumed his cocky expression once more.
Jack smoothed down his sweater, eyes flicking to the puddle of Coke collecting on the tile floor. "Better clean up your mess," he said, and stepped around it, departing the kitchen.
Lucas stood for a moment, seething with rage, then he was propelled into motion when he saw Brandon kneeling with a wad of paper towels in his hand. "Leave it," Lucas said, and knelt beside him. "Just let me. I'll take care of it." He took over, determinedly scrubbing carbonated syrup from the diamond-patterned tiles.
"What happened?" Lisa asked as Lucas disposed of the sodden towels. "Lucas…don't listen to Jack-ass. You should know better. He's baiting you." Her face was taut with anxiety.
Lucas rinsed his hands off and turned, tense at the uncomfortable looks on both their faces. "I guess neither of you saw, then."
Brandon gave him a little shrug. "I know that whatever happened wasn't the way he played it off to be."
"No." Lucas shook his head. "Shit. I ran into someone the other night, a girl I dated not too long ago. You might remember her. Kerri."
Lisa made a face.
"Yeah." Lucas laughed shortly. "I guess Jack just knows how to push my buttons. I'm not really angry, I'm feeling guilty for letting it get that far." With her. With Jack.
"Now you're just being st
upid," Brandon said. "Soren knows you're dead sexy. I'm sure he doesn't hold that against you."
Lucas grinned. "Very reassuring. Anyhow…I came in here meaning to call Soren, and I'd better make sure he can make it."
"Let him know it'll be big fun." Lisa leaned forward and gave him a quizzical little smile. "So let's settle on the movies, and put Jack-ass behind us for the night, 'kay?"
That wasn't the only thing Lucas wanted to put behind him. "Sounds good to me."
He walked over to the window to give himself the illusion of privacy, and dialed Soren's number. He would be out of work by now, but Lucas wasn't sure if he'd have his phone on. He was as bad about it as Lucas was.
After a couple of rings, Soren picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey," Lucas replied, his voice lower than he'd intended.
"Lucas? going on? Everything okay? I thought you'd still be in class."
"Decided to skip my last class." Lucas sniffed heavily. "Are you at school?"
"Yep, still here. I'm in between classes right now."
"Ah, damn. I should have waited on campus, I could have picked you up…"
"That's all right. Something going on?"
"Nothin' to worry about," Lucas said, and shifted into a more upbeat tone. "So, it's Friday, and we're gonna stay in and order some pizza and get some beer. Do you want to over?"
"Of course. I mean, I've got a lot of studying to do but it's only Friday, right? I've got tomorrow off."
"What a coincidence," Lucas said, lowering his voice. "So do I…" That made him a great deal happier after the conversation he'd had earlier.
"We'll have to see what we can do about that," Soren said, his voice roughening a touch. After a brief pause, he laughed.
"What's up?" Lucas asked him, amused.
"I'm wondering if I'm normal or whether I'm some kind of super freak."
"Why's that?" Lucas could hazard a guess. He was pretty sure he'd woken Soren's libido, if that low, rough tone was any indicator.
"I want…you know…all the time."
"Want what? I'm not sure I understand, Soren. You're being awfully cryptic."
"I want your cock," Soren said, surprising Lucas with his boldness. "I wanna be with you, in your bedroom. I want to touch it, lick it…suck it…"
Lucas's breathing quickened. "Want me to come pick you up, or are we gonna have some phone sex?"
"I'm in public!"
"My question stands."
"Is that normal?"
Lucas chuckled. "To be obsessed with cock?"
"Don't say it unless you're alone!"
"I'm alone," Lucas assured him, glancing over his shoulder. He'd heard a click, and as he'd expected, Brandon and Lisa had left the apartment.
"I'm serious," Soren said. "It's just about the only thing I can think about lately."
"It's perfectly natural. This is the first time you've ever really messed around with someone, you know? You're discovering it's way better with me than it is by yourself. It's like you're discovering your body all over again. It was like that with me too, when I…yeah. When I first really got started. And now you're getting me all fired up again."
"Maybe I like that."
"Maybe I'd like you to get your skinny butt over here. So, am I coming to get you?"
"It's okay, I need a few things at home, first. I'll have someone drop me off…oh, wait, hey, what about Sloane?"
"What about her?" Lucas asked. "We've been through this, and you're more my type…"
Soren laughed. "No, I mean, can I invite her to beer and pizza night? She's been after me that I haven't done enough with her lately outside work, and I'm never over at my place anymore."
"Hmm, true, isn't it? Yeah, that's fine. Sloane's cool."
"So I'll see you in a couple of hours. At the most."
"Yeah," Lucas said. He hesitated. "I miss you."
"I miss you too."
When they hung up, Lucas stowed his phone and gazed out the back window for a long moment. It was a little strange, how easily Soren fit into his life now, but it was good too.
*~*~*
The car had been purring on the curb for several minutes by the time Soren finally emerged from his house, a small duffel slung over his shoulder. As he slid into the passenger seat, Sloane gave him a cheeky grin.
"'Bout time, kid, you kept me waiting." Sloane greeted him. Her eyes widened. "You're staying the night at his place?"
Soren pulled a face. "Well, yes."
Sloane gave him a thumb's up and shifted into drive. "Your mom doesn't have something to say about that?"
Soren tensed. "She's got plenty to say about it, but my dad said it was my business if I wanted to spend the night over at my boyfriend's place."
"You are old enough, after all," Sloane said with a little chuckle. "You're going to have to give me directions, you know. I haven't the faintest idea where Lucas lives." She steered her car away from the curb.
"Sure. Well, turn right onto Willamette. Mom came into my room the other morning and gave me a lecture on how I shouldn't move too fast with Lucas. That was the gist of it, at any rate."
"Oh? And have you taken it to heart?"
A slow grin spread over Soren's face. He couldn't help his naughty reaction.
"Soren!" Sloane gasped. "And you a virgin, not so long ago."
"That's none of your business. And for all you know, I still am."
Sloane took a hand off the wheel to pinch him, and an impromptu fight ensued. "Stop…ah, stop it!" Soren fended her off, but he was terribly ticklish. "Sloane, keep your hands on the wheel!"
"I only need one to knuckle you under," Sloane said, feinting for a tender spot on his ribs as he slapped her hand away, then she pinched his waist.
They reached Lucas's apartment complex without undue incident, and thankfully Sloane changed the subject after a swerve and course correction. She regaled him with information on the internship she'd applied for, and the interview she had gone through.
"Absolutely terrifying. There was a panel of four people. I've never had to interview with that many people at one time!"
"Sounds like they were trying to intimidate you." Soren hated the thought of trying to prove himself in front of more than one person, let alone four.
"Nah, apparently they were all stakeholders, whatever that means."
They drove the rest of the way in silence, while Soren contemplated internships. He wondered if that was something the career center could help him with. That reminded him of his conversation with his mother, and how he'd promised he'd speak to Alan about career prospects. At last they arrived outside the apartment complex, and Soren roused from his introspection.
"Come on," Sloane wheedled, shoulder-bumping Soren on the way to the door. Soren staggered, off balance by the weight of his duffel and Sloane's push.
"What now?" Soren said, exasperated.
"When are you getting all of your studying in? I never see you anymore. Tonight is not a study session." She followed him up a flight of concrete steps that wound around the outside of the building, hemmed in by a black iron railing. They paused at the top of the stairs.
"Uh, here and there." He laughed at the look that crossed her face. "What! I get it done, my grades aren't going to drop."
"Fine, if you say so," Sloane said, a dubious look crossing her face.
"I'll make more time for it, from now on. Promise!"
The door was pulled open with a swiftness that made Soren blink. Lucas stood in the door and he sized Soren up, a pleased, distinctly sensual expression crossing his face before he said, "You're not the pizza, but you'll do," and hooked Soren with a hand, reeling him close to eat at his mouth.
"Hey, what about me?" Sloane protested.
Lucas unglued his mouth from Soren's and hauled him over the threshold, tipping the bag off his shoulder and keeping Soren close to his side. He appraised Sloane, and there was more of a teasing glint in his eyes now, not the heat that had been there as he'd raked Soren from fee
t to hairline. "Well, you're not pizza, either."
"I should hope not. I'm much cuter than your average delivery girl!"
"Come in, come in," Lucas said, drawing Soren along, taking the duffel from his unresisting hand. He pointed at Sloane. "You too. Welcome to our pad."
"Not bad."
"Come on, let's go put your stuff away," Lucas said to Soren, one arm hooked round his waist, and they moved deeper into the apartment. "I've really missed you." He led Soren back to his bedroom.
"Missed you too. Hey, it hasn't been that long," Soren said, looking over at Lucas. "We left Sloane out there with Brandon and Lisa."
"It's fine. They'll get along, introduce themselves," Lucas replied with a wave of his hand. "Wanted you to myself for a moment."
They went into the bedroom. Lucas dropped his duffle to one side and pulled Soren into his arms.
"Everything okay?" Soren asked, hugging Lucas more closely.
"Hmm. A lot's been going on, I guess."
"I know the feeling."
"I don't want to think about that right now." Lucas pulled back and kissed Soren. Their lips parted, met, and they pressed in closer for a more lingering taste.
When Soren drew back at last, the smile on his lips was matched by the one Lucas wore.
"Let's get back to the others," Soren said. He reached down and took Lucas's hand.
As they returned to the front area of the apartment, Soren could hear Lisa shrieking. They emerged to find Lisa and Brandon play-fighting. At least, Soren hoped it was play.
"Who's killing who out here?" Lucas demanded. "Shit, we can't leave you two unsupervised anymore."
"Brandon rented the Species movies," Lisa said, folding her arms and looking disgruntled.
"Ugh, why?" Soren groaned.
"Hey, I gave serious thought to Alien Resurrection, you know," Brandon said.
"You're not doing us any favors," Sloane said.
"Oh, fine!" Brandon threw up his hands, but his expression was good-natured. "Someone else can go out and get a couple of movies, you know."
The front door banged open, and Alec strode in. The next to stagger through the door under the weight of a 24-pack of beer was a taller man, older but looking a lot like Alec.