by Andria Large
Griffin’s heart is thumping hard against his chest as they make their way toward baggage claim after disembarking the plane. He told Gunnar that Eva is picking them up, to which he replied with just a shrug and a “whatever.”
As soon as he spots her, he yanks Gunnar’s wheelchair to a halt and put the breaks on. She squeals and comes running. She crashes into Griffin and he immediately lifts her, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He twirls them around as they both laugh in delight. With her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, he grabs her face with both hands and crushes his lips against hers.
“Fuck, I missed you,” Griffin breathes, their lips brushing.
“I missed you, too, Baby.”
He holds her for a moment longer then places her on her feet. She smooths her hair back and straightens out her shirt, which had ridden up a little. She gives him a huge grin and laces her fingers with his. He peers down at Gunnar to find him watching them in complete boredom. He’s got one elbow resting on the arm of the wheelchair, his cheek resting on the heel of his palm, his expression one of absolute apathy.
Griffin can’t help the grin that curls his lips. That was a Gunnar expression if he’d ever seen one. He was never one for being overly lovey-dovey in public. A little PDA is okay, but what he and Eva just did was out of the question.
“Ya’ll done?” His tone is dryer than a desert.
“Not really, but I guess I better introduce you two. Gunnar, this is my girl, Eva Ballis. Eva, this is Sgt. Gunnar Erikson.”
Eva smiles and holds out her hand. “Hi, Gunnar. It’s nice to finally meet you. Griffin talks about you all the time.”
Gunnar gives her a tight smile as he shakes her hand. “Hi. Wish I could say the same, but I can’t remember if he talked about you or not.”
Eva’s smile softens as she waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. Griffin’s kept me updated on what’s been goin’ on with you. One day at a time, Gunnar.”
He gives her a curt nod. “Sure.”
“Let’s get our bags and get out of here. I’m fuckin’ starvin’. Ya’ll wanna stop for a bite?” Griffin asks.
“Yes! I’m so hungry,” Eva groans, holding her stomach.
“Gunnar?”
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbles, not seeming to care.
Griffin sighs as he unlocks the wheelchair so they can get moving again. He doesn’t know what Gunnar’s problem is, but he can tell this is going to be a long emotional rollercoaster.
***
“You really need to think about gettin’ someone to help with Gunnar during the day. I would do it if I weren’t workin’. I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be all alone while you go to work,” Eva says.
Griffin and Eva are standing outside in the driveway next to her car. After getting Gunnar settled into the spare room in his three-bedroom rancher, Eva thought it was time for her to head home to her apartment. She feels like Gunnar needs some time to adjust before she starts hanging around like she normally does.
“Yeah.” Griffin sighs heavily and rakes a hand through his hair. “But who?”
“What about your brother? He basically works from home, right? Can’t he work from here?” Eva suggests.
“Bowen? Shit, I don’t know if he’ll do it. He and Gunnar don't get along,” Griffin hedges.
“Why not?"
“They just clash. Gunnar is the exact opposite of him. I don’t know if Bowen can handle him.”
“Handle him? Griffin, he’d be comin’ over to sit with him in case he needs help. There's nothin’ to handle.”
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.” He sighs.
Griffin doesn't know what happened to make them despise each other, because when they first met, they got along. Then it was about six month later, and they all of a sudden disliked each other.
They are so different with Gunnar being very outgoing and Bowen being introverted. Bowen started out as a software programmer but switched over to video game developer. He’s worked on a few top selling games out on the market right now and is also working on developing his own video game. He kinda has a fascination with their Scottish heritage and zombies, so his game is about an elite group of Highland Warriors who are trying to save Scotland from the zombie masses that are ravaging it. What he’s shown Griffin so far is pretty awesome actually; a bunch of massive men in kilts killing zombies with swords and guns - it’s bad ass.
“What choice do you have, Babe?” Eva asks softly.
“My mom?”
She shakes her head. “No, neither one of your parents are strong enough to lift a grown man if he falls.”
“Dammit. All right...you’re right. I’ll call Bowen when I go back inside.”
She smiles then pushes up to her toes to kiss him.
“You sure you can’t stay?” he murmurs against her lips. “We haven’t had sex in over a month. I’m dying.”
She smiles. “Maybe we can sneak off after work tomorrow, okay?”
Griffin whines in disappointment but lets her get into her car. She blows him a kiss as she pulls out of the driveway. He waits until she turns off the street before heading back inside. Going straight to the room that he put Gunnar in, he lightly knocks and opens the door. He’s not surprised to find Gunnar passed the hell out. It was a long day, and with him being a stubborn jackass trying to do things on his own, he wore himself out.
He closes the door before making his way to the living room. Griffin tugs his phone out of his back pocket before flopping back onto the sofa. Scrolling through his contacts, because who the hell memorizes numbers anymore, he pulls up Bowen’s number and hits call. With a sigh, he lifts the phone to his ear and waits for his brother to answer. He picks up on the third ring.
“Hey,” he answers in his deep raspy voice with its southern drawl.
“Hey, Bro. How’s it goin’?”
“Fine. You still in Germany?” Bowen asks.
“No, just got home about twenty minutes ago.”
“That’s good. How’s Gunnar?” He sounds distracted, and Griffin can hear the clicking of a keyboard through the phone line.
“Do you think you can stop whatever you’re doin’? I’ve got to ask you a really important favor.”
The clicking stops. “Okay, I’m listenin’,” he says, sounding a bit annoyed.
“Look, I’m sorry to interrupt whatever you’re doin’, but I need your help.” Griffin says and scrubs a hand over his face. God, he’s tired.
“What do you need, Griff?” Bowen asks, less irritated this time.
“You know how I told you Gunnar has amnesia?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he's still struggling with it; hasn't remembered anything so far. He's got trouble rememberin' what things are called and he's also still very weak. There is no way I can leave him here alone during the day while I go to the shop. I have to get back to work though, so I need someone to come and hang here with him in case he needs help with things.”
A moment of silence follows, then, “Are you askin’ me to babysit?” Bowen’s dry tone lets Griffin know that he is not pleased.
“If that’s whatcha wanna call it,” he replies.
“I can't stand the guy.” He huffs.
“I know, Bowen, but I need your help. I can’t take any more time off from the shop and you work from a computer in your house. Can you please do this for me?” he begs.
Bowen makes an aggravated noise before agreeing. “Fine. But you owe me big time for this.”
“Yes! Anythin’ you want! Thank you so much, Bowen. I really appreciate it.”
“Mmm hmm. What time do you want me there by?” he grumbles.
“Nine a.m. please. You’re the best brother in the whole wide world,” Griffin coos, trying to suck up a bit.
He huffs out a breath. “See ya in the mornin’.”
The line clicks off before Griffin even gets a chance to say goodbye. He smiles and shakes his head as he ends the call on his sid
e. He’s going to get a lot of shit for this, he knows it. He grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns on the TV.
“Ahhh, it’s good to be home,” he murmurs to himself as he sinks back into the couch cushions.
He watches TV until he can’t keep his eyes open anymore. Shutting off the 52-inch flat screen, he drags his ass off the couch and shuffles sleepily down the hallway. He peeks in on Gunnar one last time then closes himself in his room. He sluggishly strips down to his underwear before crawling into bed. He hums in content. It feels awesome being back in his own bed. After setting his alarm for eight a.m., he snuggles down into his bed and pillows, wrapping his big blanket around him like a cocoon. Sleep comes quickly after that.
Chapter Four
BOWEN CAN'T believe he fucking agreed to this. Babysitting a grown fucking man. A grown fucking man that I can't stand to be in the same room with no less. He slams his car door shut after grabbing his laptop bag from the back seat. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, Bowen trudges up to Griffin’s front door. Using his index finger, he shoves his black-framed glasses up his nose.
His brother, Griffin - who is two years older than him - has done well for himself. He owns his own tattoo shop, and his ranch-style house is really nice with an all brick facade and a covered front porch that extends the entire length of the house. His front door is a steely blue color that Bowen loves. It goes perfectly with the brick face of the house too. Hiking the strap of his bag higher onto his shoulder, he opens the front door without knocking - something he’s always done. It’s his brother’s house; he knows he’s welcome.
The interior is just as nice as the outside. It’s modern with a bit of a farm house feel, which works out well. The floors are dark hardwood and the walls are muted blues and tans. He freaking loves it here. It always makes Bowen want to redesign his entire house.
The front door opens right into the great room/kitchen combo. The living room area is set up on the right, while the kitchen is on the left, separated by a large wrap-around island. The living room has a large L-shaped brown leather sectional that faces the back wall where there is a beautiful brick fireplace with a TV mounted above it. In the space between the kitchen and living room, there is a handmade barn-wood table set with a large decorative vase sitting in the center. He’s pretty sure the vase was Eva’s doing.
Just as Bowen sets his bag on the table, Griffin emerges from the hallway located on the right, just inside of the front door. He’s wearing a black T-shirt and worn jeans. His medium brown hair is still damp and shoved back from his forehead, and his full beard looks like it's just been trimmed. A large grin envelops Griffin’s face when he sees Bowen.
“Hey, bro!” he exclaims, giving Bowen a big bear hug.
Bowen hugs him back, giving him a couple good hard smacks to the back. “Hey, Griff.”
His dark brown eyes twinkle with humor when he steps back and props his hands on his hips, a small smile curling his lips.
“What?” Bowen ask suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at his brother as he adjusts his glasses; they slid down his nose a bit from the big hug.
“Nothin’! I’m just happy to see you.”
“Mmm hmm,” he replies dubiously. “So, where is he?”
“He’s comin’, he’s just gettin’ dressed. I’ll re-introduce you two, then I gotta go.”
Bowen nods in acknowledgment.
Griffin lowers his voice and steps a bit closer. “Listen, he’s being a real stubborn asshole. Don’t let him do too much. He’s still healin’ from his injuries and needs to take it easy.” His tone is solemn and his eyes tell Bowen that he’s honestly concerned for his friend.
“Okay.”
Movement behind Griffin catches his eye. Looking past his brother, he gets his first look at Gunnar in over a year. Griffin told him while he was away that Gunnar had lost a lot of muscle mass from being in a coma and in a hospital bed for so long. And holy shit, he wasn't kidding. Gunnar used to be stacked. This can't be the same guy. The T-shirt and sweatpants that he’s wearing are too big for him, but he knows they used to fit perfectly when he was more muscular. His dark hair is buzzed short and his face is scruffy from not shaving this morning. He’s moving very slowly and is using whatever he can as support. He also keeps stopping to catch his breath. Bowen frowns hard. Griffin wasn’t kidding when he said Gunnar needed someone here to help him. He thought maybe he was exaggerating, but apparently not.
Gunnar makes it to the sectional and leans heavily on the back of it, stopping once again to catch his breath. He closes his eyes and hangs his head, his arms visibly shaking as he struggles to hold his weight up. Bowen moves to walk past Griffin to go help him but Griffin catches his arm. When he looks back at his brother to ask what he’s doing, he shakes his head as if to tell Bowen “Don’t.”
Bowen turns back toward Gunnar to see that he’s moving again, the determination on his face unmistakable. Bowen's heart takes a swan dive. He's having a hard time seeing him so weak, when he's one of the strongest people he knows.
Gunnar works his way around the couch and drops down heavily onto the end, most likely because he couldn’t make it any farther. He tilts his head back against the cushion, again closes his eyes, and sucks air into his lungs. Bowen can see his nostrils flaring from the force of his breaths from where he’s standing. He looks at Griffin, brows furrowed. Griffin gives him a look that says, “I told you he’s stubborn,” before walking into the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and brings it to Gunnar.
“Here, G.”
Gunnar nods his thanks and he takes the bottle from him and cracks it open, taking a big swig. Griffin waves Bowen over. Stopping next to Griffin, he gets to see Gunnar a little more closely, and the guy is still seriously handsome. He’s got a naturally tanned complexion, dark hair, and gorgeous light hazel eyes, which are framed in long dark lashes and dark eyebrows. The only thing marring his otherwise perfect appearance is the large scar running along the left side of his head. Bowen swallows hard.
“Gunnar, I know you don't remember, but this is my brother, Bowen.” Griffin introduces, clapping Bowen on the shoulder when he says his name. Bowen met Gunnar before. He was very intimately involved with Gunnar a couple years ago. They actually dated for six months behind Griffin's back because Gunnar was so far in the closet. Gunnar refused to come out, and that's what eventually broke them up. It still tears Bowen apart when he has to be in the same room with him. He loved - still loves - Gunnar and thought that he was the one.
Gunnar looks at Bowen for the first time since walking into the room. There's not an ounce of recognition in his eyes and it breaks Bowen's heart. But Gunnar eyes him up and down, and something that looks a lot like sexual appraisal flashes in his eyes as he looks him over. That's what brought them together in the first place. They always had a hard time keeping their hands off of each other.
He holds out his hand. “Hey,” he murmurs, his deep voice sending a shiver a pleasure down Bowen's spine. He always loved his voice.
“Hi,” Bowen replies, shaking his hand. He can’t deny that when he touches Gunnar, the connection is still there, even if he doesn't remember.
“I told Gunnar that you’re here to help him out while I’m at work,” Griffin says to Bowen before turning to look down at his friend. “Please relax and let Bowen help you, okay?”
Gunnar rolls his eyes. “Yes, dad,” he mutters dryly.
Griffin smirks. “Dickhead. All right, I’ll see ya’ll later. Bowen, call me if you need anythin’.”
“Okay.”
***
After Griffin leaves, Bowen turns back to Gunnar. His eyes immediately land on the scar on the side of his head. He doesn’t realize that he’s staring until Gunnar makes an aggravated noise and runs his fingers over it.
“Man, I left my…my…the thing…” he struggles. “What the fuck is the thing called?!”
“What thing?”
“The thing! The thing that you wear on your h
ead!” he shouts angrily, his hands splayed out on the top of his head.
Brows furrowed in concern. “You mean a hat?” Bowen suggests.
“Yes! Fuck! I left my hat in the bedroom!”
“Do you want me to get it?” I ask hesitantly.
“Yes,” he barks, his breaths coming in harsh pants. “It’s on the dresser.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” he says calmly. Obviously, he is wound tighter than a rattlesnake ready to strike. Bowen guesses the amnesia is also affecting other aspects of his memory, like the ability to recall simple words or objects that he should know.
He grabs the plain white baseball cap off the dresser and immediately heads back into the living room. Gunnar is now leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Bowen’s heart twists a little in his chest. He can’t even begin to imagine what Gunnar’s going through.
“Here ya go, Gunnar.” He holds out the hat to him. Gunnar snatches it out of his hand and shoves it backward on his head, sending him a small glare out of the corner of his eye.
“I could do without you starin’ at me. I know the damn thing is ugly, you don’t need to remind me,” Gunnar grunts as he grabs the remote off the coffee table and switches on the TV.
“I wasn’t tryin’ to stare. I'm just not used to you having a scar,” Bowen tells him. “And it’s not ugly.”
He huffs out a non-humorous laugh. “Fuck you.”
Great. This is how shit is going to be, isn’t it? A broody asshat with self-esteem issues. Griffin owes him something huge for this.
“Do you want somethin’ to eat before I get started on my work?” he asks, ignoring Gunnar’s ‘Fuck you’ comment.
“I’ll get my own damn food when I’m good and ready. I don’t need you here like Griffin seems to think. I’m capable of taking care of myself, you know,” he snaps, shooting Bowen with an icy cold stare.