A Restored Man

by Jaime Reese

  "I don't know," Ty said, sounding more defeated than he had for the past few weeks.

  "That's right. You don't know. And you won't know until you give it a chance. Stop playing the victim. It's not good for your color," Jeff said, throwing a clean shirt at Ty. "I'm checking on the guys then I'm going home." He walked out, leaving Ty to dress.

  Ty put on the fresh T-shirt and dressed in a pair of work pants. It was so close to five, he knew it was pointless to try to get any more work done before the weekend officially started for his crew. He thought about returning to the service ticket he was working, but he wasn't ready to deal with Cole's rejection. Instead, he decided to leave the bays and walk across to the showroom. He opened the door and flipped the switch. The overhead lights illuminated in sequence, flooding the bay with light and showcasing the beautiful cars lined up on display. He sat on the floor, cross-legged in front of them against the opposite wall, mesmerized, watching the light reflect off the chrome accents and the flecks buried within the paint. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He rested his hands against his crossed legs and leaned his head back against the wall, trying to relax.

  After some time, he heard the sound of the door opening to his left. He guessed it was Stacie with her LoJack as Cole usually mocked. Instead, he heard the sound of booted steps approaching. His breath hitched and his chest tightened. He kept his eyes closed. Even if only for a few seconds more, he wanted to avoid the rejection he knew was imminent. He heard a shuffle to his right, guessing Cole had taken a seat next to him.

  "Do I have to poke you or something? I know you're alive so open your eyes and look at me," Cole said.

  Ty took a deep breath. He finally opened his eyes and pivoted his head in Cole's direction, still leaning against the wall.

  "Stacie called Drayton to tell him the rig was ready. He said he'd send a crew over tomorrow morning."

  Ty nodded.

  "I switched out the battery and cleaned up all the burnt and melted crap and finished up the ticket. Jeff looked at the battery and said something was wrong with the interior cabling on the plate. Anyways, I had Stacie call the owners for both cars to tell them they were ready. They came by right away," Cole said, tugging at the seam of his work pants. "I asked her to call the next two on your list to schedule them for Monday."

  Ty watched Cole fidget with the edge of his pant leg then tug at his beanie.

  "Say something," Cole finally said, returning his focus back to Ty. "I need to hear your voice."

  Ty's stomach churned. He wasn't ready for this, not this soon. He wanted more time with Cole, needed that laughter echoing in the bays just a little bit longer. He didn't have a clue what to say but he imagined Cole would have questions. He always did.

  "I need you to talk to me," Cole said. "Please."

  Ty just looked at him, and tried to control the simmering panic. The worry in Cole's expression gripped his heart.

  "I said please, dammit."

  Ty turned and faced forward, blindly staring at nothing in particular. He took slow, measured breaths, trying to control the panic stabbing the corners of his mind, mocking his helplessness. He needed to be alone. He didn't want Cole to see him breaking down.

  "I need to hear your voice Ty, please. It calms me. I can see you're hurting. I can't imagine what you've been through or what you're going through, but just talk to me," Cole said, his tone pleading.

  Ty looked over to Cole again. His body weakened by the pain he saw staring back at him. He rubbed his chest, unable to control the stab of remorse knowing he had stolen Cole's joy for even a minute.

  Cole's warm hand pressed against his cheek in a gentle caress. "I already know we can do the talking thing and we get along. What are you worried about?"

  Ty shrugged. "I'm broken," he finally said, almost in a whisper.

  "Everyone's broken in some way. Look at me, my eyes don't match and my mouth runs at a different speed than my brain."

  Ty looked away. Those qualities didn't make Cole broken, they added to his quirky personality and made him special.

  "What are you worried about? The physical stuff?"

  "I'm not the same," Ty said. He didn't want to talk about this, about any of this. He wanted to be alone. "How did you know I'd be here?"

  "It's where I'd go if I needed to clear my head." He reached over and held Ty's hand. "Okay. Aside from the burn scars, what else you got?"

  Ty looked over to him with a scowl.

  "Don't look at me like that. Talk. Tell me, because you obviously don't want to show me. I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Cole said and bumped Ty's shoulder.

  Ty chuckled. "You're impossible."

  "C'mon. You want to play twenty questions."

  "Not really."

  Cole tugged on his beanie and worried his lower lip. "Okay, if you don't want to tell me, then I'm forced to guess. Let's see…" he said, drumming the fingers of his other hand on his chin. "Any other burn scars?"

  Ty shook his head. "I've got a few scars from the surgeries."

  "I saw your back when you turned away from me in the office. What else?"

  Ty closed his eyes and swallowed heavily. Dammit. He'd been so worried to hide his torso from Cole he hadn't realized he'd shown him the scar that ran along his spine when he turned.

  "Ty?"

  Ty opened his eyes and wearily looked back at Cole.

  "It doesn't bother me. Just proves how strong you are. What other scars do you have?"

  Ty grimaced. How could Cole not be bothered? Ty avoided mirrors every chance he had because he couldn't stand the way he looked.

  "Stop overthinking," Cole said, snapping his attention back to the conversation. "Where else?"

  "Burns on torso, surgery scar on my back, and another along the length of my right leg," he mumbled.

  "Okay. Um…your dick still work?"

  Ty shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

  "Is that a no?" Cole asked, cocking his head.

  Ty's eyes rounded. "It works fine."

  "But you shook your head," Cole said, frowning.

  "You caught me off guard. I couldn't believe you had asked me that."

  "See. You need to talk. So answer my questions," Cole said with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

  "Yes, my dick is fine."

  "Okay, cool." Cole drummed his fingers on his chin. "Your ass too?"

  "Yes."

  Cole turned his head and lowered his brow then quickly glanced back at Ty. "You still have both balls?"

  Ty straightened. "Yes."

  Cole shrugged. "Okay. I knew a guy who had only one ball. That's a shame because they're fun to fuck around with so I'm sure he missed out."

  "Are you kidding me?" Ty said, staring incredulously.

  Cole sighed dramatically. "See where my mind goes when you don't just tell me what's going on? You know how they say guys think about sex twenty times a day and we only use like ten percent of our brains. It's bullshit. It's more like…"

  "It's like what?" Ty asked when Cole was lost in thought for a moment.

  Cole's eyes snapped back to Ty. "Huh?" He shook his head as if dispelling a thought. "Fuck. See what I mean?"

  Ty couldn't help the burst of laughter that shook his entire body. In the midst of all his own drama, of his spiraling thoughts, Cole somehow still managed to kick his ass out of his miserable thoughts. He looked over at Cole, the tension in his stomach loosening a little as he gazed into those mismatched eyes. "Jeff said you were as crazy as a two-peckered billy goat."

  Cole pursed his lips. "I'd say I'm as horny as one, that's for sure. I'm fricken twenty-four years old and I haven't gotten laid in more than two years. It doesn't help that you're hot as hell and—"

  "You think I'm hot?"

  "I'm going to get you a pair of those big, totally unattractive rubber boots."

  Ty chuckled. "Why?"

  "Because you like to fish for compliments too damn much."

  Ty chuckled softly.


  "So tell me. What else is there?"

  Ty sighed. He brushed his thumb along Cole's fingers. "I'd probably have a hard time going through a metal detector," he mumbled.

  "Metal rods?" Cole asked, squeezing Ty's hand.

  Ty nodded. "I have a few," he said then hesitated. He imagined Cole had tons of questions. "I was in a car accident a few years ago. Me and my parents. My parents died and I barely made it. The doctors thought I wouldn't walk again."

  Cole watched him, scrutinizing every word and action. "So you're my metal man," he said with a half smile. "My very own superhero. I'll have to come up with a name for you."

  Ty chuckled. "I think you're the only person on the face on this earth who would try to make light of all this."

  Cole exhaled a deep breath and lowered his brow. He chewed his lower lip and brushed his thumb back and forth along Ty's fingers. "Please don't think I'm making fun of you or that I'm not taking this seriously. I can't imagine what you've been through but I want you to tell me someday. I won't push you right now but that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Got it?"

  Ty nodded. "Thanks."

  Cole looked up at the wall clock. "I've got to go. I'm pretty sure Julian's outside waiting by now."

  "Okay," Ty said, looking down at their clasped hands, not ready to let go.

  "You can come by the house tomorrow any time after six. Dinner will be ready by seven."

  Ty jerked his head upward. "You still want to have our date?"

  Cole raised an eyebrow. "And people say I'm stubborn. I don't care about your scars. You're still just as hot to me."

  Ty smiled.

  Cole pointed a finger at him. "Stop fishing."

  Ty chuckled.

  Cole leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Ty's lips.

  Ty held the back of Cole's head, not wanting to let him escape so soon. He parted his lips, hoping Cole would accept the invitation, then inhaled sharply when Cole's tongue slipped into his mouth and slowly slid along his own. Cole withdrew from the kiss and leaned his forehead against Ty.

  "I've got one last question for you," Cole said, kissing the tip of Ty's nose.

  "Okay."

  "Do you prefer to top or bottom?"

  "I'm fine with either," Ty said, his cheeks heating. "But I'm not sleeping with you."

  "I top ninety-nine percent of the time so that works out," Cole said.

  Ty straightened when the stab of jealousy hit the pit of his stomach. "Who's the one percent for?"

  Cole smiled that wicked, teasing grin that always seemed to spike the desire within Ty. "That's for you if you get over this I'm not sleeping with you crap and want to switch it up."

  Ty snorted a quiet chuckle.

  "I've got to go," Cole said, finally standing and releasing Ty's hand. "Are you going to stay here for a while?"

  Ty nodded, already missing having Cole by his side. "I've got the key so Stacie can lock up when she leaves."

  "Okay. I'll let her know. One more thing."

  "Yeah?"

  Cole turned away as if trying to think of what to say. He finally looked back at Ty without a hint of humor in his expression. "I know you were going through a lot of shit back there and you were probably freaking out a bit, but don't ever yell at me like that again."

  Ty nodded. "Sorry about that," he said quietly.

  "See you tomorrow," Cole said, bending for a quick kiss before finally leaving the showroom.

  Ty leaned back against the wall again and stared at the cars in front of him. Even though he was in the one place that always seemed to settle his mind, the only thing that calmed him was knowing Cole still wanted to be with him. He replayed their conversation in his mind and let the relief course through his body.

  Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

  Ty arrived at the address he had for the halfway house. He stopped the car at the front of the house and wondered how a building squeezed in the middle of the obvious business district could look so welcoming. The earthy tones of the house, the barrel tile roof, the colorful landscaping, and the hand-carved wood sign that read "Halfway House" all combined to give a cozy feel, welcoming anyone who wanted to walk up to that door and knock. He put his car in gear and drove around to the rear of the building and parked next to the dark truck. He exited his car and stepped up to the back porch and knocked.

  He looked down and noticed his hands were shaking. He sighed, shoving them in his pockets to avoid running them through his hair.

  A dark-haired man with bright blue eyes opened the door and greeted him. "You must be Ty," he said, extending his hand in greeting. "Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet at the party over the weekend. I'm Matt. Come on in."

  "Hi," Ty said, walking into what looked like a living room area. The space was simple and spacious with a small loveseat facing him and an adjacent long couch. The light-wood-colored wall unit housed a large television facing the long couch and complemented the earthy tone of the walls and accents. A wooden staircase led to the second floor and a hallway of rooms reached the front entrance.

  Another man emerged from an opening to the left and met with them in the living room.

  "Hey, I'm Julian. I'm guessing you're Ty," the man said.

  Ty nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you both. Cole talks about you guys all the time. Well, he talks about a lot of things," he said, stopping once he realized he was starting to ramble.

  Julian half smiled. "Cole's right. You're not like your brother."

  Ty ducked his head and smiled. He shoved his hands in his pockets again to still them. He hated being the center of so much attention since the accident.

  "Cole's in the kitchen. He kicked me out of there but I'm guessing he'll let you take a peek," Julian said. He pointed over to the room on the left, the same from which he had exited.

  "Excuse me," Ty said, before making his way to the kitchen. He poked his head inside and saw Cole bent over on the left hand side, searching for, then finding, a pan in the bottom drawer of the cabinet. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips when he saw Spider-Man peeking out from the top of Cole's jeans.

  "I told you to get out. You're not fucking this up," Cole said, his back still turned to Ty.

  Ty smiled, leaned up against the doorframe, and waited.

  Cole looked over his shoulder, a huge smile immediately spreading across his face. "Hey, you," he said, straightening.

  Ty walked over to him and wrapped an arm around Cole's waist. He reached out and brushed his thumb against Cole's cheek, his hand finally steadying once he grazed Cole's warm skin.

  "That's a big smile," Cole said.

  "I saw Spider-Man," Ty said, chuckling.

  Cole raised an eyebrow and wrapped his arms around Ty's waist. "If I had known he turned you on that much, I would have worn a blue and red onesie to the shop under my work clothes."

  Ty bit back a smile. He tugged on Cole's T-shirt. "You look good out of your shop clothes."

  Cole pulled Ty closer. "I look good out of these clothes too," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

  Ty reached up and ran his finger along the edge of Cole's beanie. "Do you ever take this off?"

  "When you sleep with me, you can take it off."

  Ty looked into the mismatched eyes that held a wealth of mischief. "I'm not sleeping with you."

  Cole pulled Ty into a kiss, gripping his hair, guiding him exactly where he wanted Ty to be. Ty's heart pounded relentlessly against his chest, his body betraying his last spoken words and demanding more contact. His fingers twisted the edge of Cole's jeans, drawing him in, craving the closeness of Cole's thick, hard body.

  Cole withdrew, the desire unmistakably still burning in his eyes. "Yes, you will," he said. "You won't be able to resist this much awesomeness for long."

  Ty bit his lip, trying to hide a smile. He liked it when Cole got feisty.

  Cole ran the tip of his finger down Ty's neck, then tugged at the collar of Ty's polo shirt. "Aww, you didn't dress up for me," he sai
d with an exaggerated pout. "Will I ever see you in a suit?"

  "Why do you want to see me in a suit?"

  "Seriously? You'd look hot in a suit. I'd probably want to rip it off."

  "So what's the point of wearing the suit?" Ty asked, tugging Cole closer.

  "Foreplay."

  Ty burst into laughter and touched his forehead to Cole's. "You're impossible."

  "You should do that more often."

  "What's that? Foreplay?"

  "Laugh." Cole smiled. "And wear suits. But I would totally be on board with foreplay, too," he finished, waggling his eyebrows. His focus shifted to the doorway. Within seconds, he stilled and the smile slid off his face.

  Ty turned and saw Aidan standing there, watching them. His expression oddly void of any tell of what he was thinking except for one thing clearly screaming from his eyes…shock.

  He sighed. His first time outside of the shop to spend time with Cole and now he had to deal with his overprotective brother. He didn't want to let go of Cole, but under the circumstances, he thought it best to avoid another potential black eye. He tried to release his hold but Cole refused to allow him to pull away. Cole finally shifted his focus from Aidan back to Ty, his eyes burning with a determination that hadn't been there moments before.

  "Why don't the two of you get started on setting the table?" Cole said.

  Ty held Cole's gaze and wondered what the hell he was doing. No one pushed Aidan. Period.

  A hint of a smile ghosted across Cole's face then vanished. He leaned up and whispered, "It'll be fine."

  He didn't know what Cole was up to, but he was willing to play along—at least for a little while.

  * * * * *

  I haven't heard him laugh in almost two years.

  Aidan's words still haunted Cole. He wasn't going to kid himself, seeing those hazel eyes staring down at him freaked him the hell out. But something was different. Aidan's eyes didn't hold anger or aggravation toward him as they usually did. Instead, Aidan was surprised. Stupefied was probably more accurate. There was no way he could be that surprised at seeing Cole and Ty together, he had made it clear that first week how well they had gotten along—how they had joked and laughed.