by Andria Large
“You look hot as fuck today,” Gunnar admits.
Bowen glances at him again. “So do you.”
Gunnar rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay.”
He grins. “What? You do. That shirt makes your eyes pop.”
A flush creeps up Gunnar’s cheeks. “Oh. Thanks,” he says, feeling a bit shy from the compliment.
Bowen squeezes his fingers as he reaches for the door to The Capital Grille. He pulls it open, but instead of letting Gunnar walk past him, he uses the hand that’s holding his to yank him in close so he can give Gunnar a quick, tender kiss on the lips. Gunnar’s heart flips and his stomach flutters. This guy is really doing crazy things to his emotions.
Chapter Sixteen
THE NEXT night, the sound of Bowen’s cell phone ringing wakes him. He squints at the clock, trying to see what time it is without putting on his glasses. Does that say two thirty-five? Who the hell is calling me at this time of night? He feels around on the nightstand for his phone, eventually finding it and swiping his thumb across the screen without looking to see who's calling.
"Hello?" he grunts, closing his eyes.
"Hey, Babe," Gunnar slurs.
"Gunnar? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Bowen grumbles.
"Not really."
"Well, it's the middle of the night. Have you been drinkin'?"
The drinking has been getting worse, and Bowen is beginning to worry that it's turning into something more than Gunnar just needing to forget for a little while.
"I've only had a couple," he mumbles.
Yeah, okay. Bowen doesn't believe that for one second.
"Is there a reason you're calling me at this time of night?"
"I...I just wanted to hear your voice. It makes me feel better."
Bowen sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Of course he's gotta go and say something like that and pull at Bowen's heart strings. "Okay, Babe."
"How'd I get so lucky to land a catch like you?"
Bowen scoffs. "I'm not a catch."
"Are you kiddin' me? You're a total catch. You're extremely handsome, you're smart, and funny and sweet and adorable...do I need to keep goin'?"
"No, please don't." Bowen chuckles.
"Now, me on the other hand. I'm a fuckin' disaster, and I don't know why you're with me," he says softly.
"Come on, Gunnar. You're not a disaster. And I can say all the same things about you - handsome, smart, funny, adorable..."
Gunnar makes a noise that tells Bowen that he doesn't buy it. "Yeah, don't think so."
"I wouldn't be with you if I didn't think you were all those things."
Gunnar remains quiet for a few seconds before saying, "All right. I'll let you get back to sleep. Sorry for wakin' you."
"It's okay. You should probably get some sleep, too," Bowen says.
"Yeah, I will after I finish this glass."
"Please don't drink anymore tonight."
"Okay, Babe."
"Thank you."
"Goodnight. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Goodnight."
They say goodbye and Bowen hangs up the phone. He rubs at the ache in his chest. Gunnar is really down on himself, and Bowen doesn't know what to do about it. He can say tons of uplifting things, but it's up to Gunnar to accept them, which he's not. And he's still refusing to see someone. Bowen puts his phone back on the nightstand and settles down into his pillow. Now is not the time to dwell on it. He'll worry about it in the morning. He can only hope that Gunnar keeps his word and goes to sleep…without finishing that drink.
***
A couple of days later, Bowen’s sitting in his home office when there is a knock on his front door. He quickly finishes typing the code that he’s working on then gets up to answer it. He swings it open and sees Gunnar standing there on his doorstep.
“Hey,” Bowen blurts, shocked to see him there.
His heart flips over at the sight of him in black gym shorts and a gray tank top. He’s been quickly building up his muscle mass. His shoulders and arms are all sinewy muscle, and his chest and abs are defined enough to see through his shirt.
He smiles brightly. “Hey, Babe.”
Bowen steps to the side and lets him in. “What are you doin’ here?”
“I got done working out and figured I’d come surprise you. Just wanted to see your face,” he says sheepishly.
Bowen grins brightly. “I missed you, too.” He lets Gunnar into the house and shuts the door behind him.
Gunnar gives him a peck on the lips. “I’m not interruptin’ your work, am I?”
“I’m due for a break anyway.” He waves dismissively.
“Okay.”
“Do you want to play the game?” Bowen asks, wagging his eyebrows. He knows how Gunnar feels about playing the game. He’s a nerd at heart, even if he won’t admit it.
“Hell yes!”
“Let me grab another chair and we can play two-player.”
Bowen brings a kitchen chair into his office and sets it down next to his chair. Gunnar sits in the kitchen chair while Bowen takes his desk chair. He gets the game set up and ready to play then hands Gunnar a controller. He’s practically vibrating next to Bowen.
Bowen has a whole gaming center in his office. He has two large monitors on his desk, along with a gaming keyboard and controllers. Anyone who sees it for the first time is usually in awe.
“Okay, we’re going to be on the same team, so don’t kill me.”
“Okay.” Gunnar chuckles.
The next two hours fly by. Gunnar is a very animated video game player. He moves all over the place, jumps out of his chair, ducks when things are thrown at him, and has a never ending slew of commentary. Bowen spent half of the time laughing instead of playing. When they eventually both get killed, Gunnar flops back in his chair with a heavy sigh. He rolls his head in Bowen’s direction and smiles.
“That was fuckin’ fun,” he says. “You are incredibly talented. I’m so damned proud of you.”
Bowen blushes and smiles shyly. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
Gunnar dives in for a quick, yet passionate kiss on the lips before he stands. “Let me get outta here so you can get back to work.”
“Okay.” Bowen stands and walks him to the door. “I’m glad you stopped by, Baby.”
Gunnar opens the front door and turns to face him. “So am I,” he says and places another kiss - this time softer - on his lips.
This is the Gunnar he’s fallen head over heels in love with. If they can just get past all the other things, this relationship has the potential to be perfect.
“I’ll see you soon, Darlin’.” Gunnar grins.
Bowen nods. “Yes, you will.”
“Work hard,” he says as he walks out the door and down the front steps.
Bowen watches him saunter to his car. He glances over his shoulder, sending Bowen a wink and a kiss. He can’t help but laugh at his antics. He can be so goofy sometimes. Even in the harder times, he can’t stop himself from loving him. Not that he wants to. Gunnar's fun-loving attitude sucks him right in. Now they just have to figure out how to fix the other part of him.
***
“Are you drunk again?” Bowen asks irritably.
He went to Gunnar’s house because they were going to watch a movie, but Gunnar is on the couch half-lit, sitting in only a pair of gym shorts, with a glass of some kind of alcohol in his hand.
“No. This is my first one. Shit, can’t a man have a drink?” Gunnar huffs, his glassy eyes lifting to look at Bowen.
“Every night, Gunnar? You need to have a drink every single night?” Bowen asks.
This has been going on for two weeks now. Ever since Gunnar regained his childhood memories, he’s been getting drunk every night and passing out on his couch. Fuck, he needs help.
“It’s not every night,” Gunnar argues.
“It sure as fuck is, Gunnar. You’re in denial,” Bowen snaps. “I think you need some professional
help, Babe. This is getting out of control. Not only is this drinking habit getting out of control, but you have PTSD issues that needs to be addressed.”
“Oh, fuck you. I don’t need help. I’m perfectly fine, Bowen. I’m just relaxing,” he grumbles then takes a sip of his drink. “Are you going to watch this movie with me or not?”
Bowen makes an irritated noise before going and sitting next to Gunnar on the couch. He crosses his arms over his chest and waits as Gunnar finds the movie they planned on watching On Demand and hits play. He polishes off his drink within the first fifteen minutes, and then five minutes later, he is out cold, snoring. Bowen shakes his head. There is definitely something wrong with his boyfriend, but what is he supposed to do when the guy doesn’t see it?
This is fucking ridiculous.
There’s no point in staying if he’s just going to sleep the entire time. Bowen grabs his stuff and walks toward the door. Glancing back, Gunnar hasn’t even stirred. He sighs and walks out, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.
***
It's Monday and Bowen’s decided to go surprise Gunnar after his physical therapy session. He would like to spend some time with him without him drinking, and the best time to catch him sober is early in the day. So, he packed them up a lunch and thought they could go to the local park and have a little picnic.
Bowen stands on the sidewalk outside the office and waits for Gunnar to come out. He walks out the door a couple minutes after his session ends. When he sees Bowen standing there, his eyes light up, and a big smile envelops his face. Bowen gets a warm, tingly feeling all over his body from that reaction. Gunnar’s happy to see him, and that’s more than he could have asked for.
“Hey, Babe! What are you doing here?” he asks as he gives Bowen a kiss hello.
“I thought I’d kidnap you for a little while.”
“Oh yeah? Does this kidnapping include restraining me?”
Bowen barks out a laugh. “I wasn’t planning on it, but we can always stop at the hardware store and grab some rope and duct tape if you want.”
Gunnar chuckles. “Kinky bastard.”
“Come on, hop in my car. I’ll bring you back to get yours when we’re done.”
“Okay. Where we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He gives Bowen a look. “Mmm, not really a fan of surprises, but okay.”
Bowen smiles. “You’ll like this one.”
They get into Bowen’s car, and he drives them to the park. He pulls into an empty spot in the lot and turns the car off. He glances over at Gunnar, who is giving him an expectant look.
“A park? Why are we at a park?” he asks.
Bowen points to the picnic tables set up on the edge of the creek that runs through the spot that they’re at. “See the tables. We’re going to have lunch.”
A small smile creeps across his face. “Okay. Did you bring food?”
“I did,” he replies proudly.
They get out of the car and Bowen goes to the trunk to grab the cooler with the food. Gunnar shakes his head as he tries but fails to fight off a grin.
“You’re so cute,” he murmurs.
He takes Bowen’s hand as they walk over to the tables. Bowen's surprised by the open affection Gunnar’s been giving him in public. He had been so adamant before about no PDA. They sit down next to each other and Bowen opens the cooler and begins to take out the food he brought. He got a roast beef sub for Gunnar and a salad for himself. He also brought grapes, apples, and iced tea for both of them.
“Wouldn’t happen to have a beer in that cooler, would ya?” Gunnar asks hopefully.
Bowen shoots him a displeased look. “No. Definitely not. We’re having a nice lunch. We’re not at a bar.”
Gunnar purses his lips and nods. “Okay. You’re right. Sorry.” Gunnar unwraps his sub and takes a big bite. He hums in pleasure and closes his eyes. “Mmm, this is really good.”
“Good. Glad you like it.”
Bowen opens his salad, which already has dressing on it, and shoves a forkful into his mouth. Delicious.
“How was physical therapy?”
Gunnar shrugs. “Fine. He showed me a couple of new exercises because I was starting to plateau.”
“That’s good. You’ve come a long way. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Yeah, I am,” he replies but doesn’t really sound too convinced of what he’s saying.
“I mean, shit, you’ve packed on like twenty pounds of muscle since you’ve been back. You’re buff as shit now.” Bowen nudges his arm with his elbow, making him smile.
Bowen loves his smile…and his laugh, which he doesn’t get to hear much anymore. In the past couple weeks, he’s noticed that Gunnar has been closing in on himself; plus, he’s been drinking a hell of a lot. Bowen is at a loss on what to do. Gunnar won't listen to him about getting help.
“How’s your game coming along?” Gunnar asks, obviously wanting to change the subject.
“It’s getting there. It’s practically done. I’m just fixing bugs and glitches right now.”
“That’s awesome. Can’t wait to play it when it’s done.” His grin reaches his eyes and Bowen loves the way they crinkle at the corners when he’s sincerely happy about something.
After they finish their main courses, Bowen pulls out the grapes for them to share. Gunnar throws his left leg over the bench so he can straddle it. He then takes Bowen’s leg and makes him do the same thing. Grabbing the backs of Bowen’s knees, he tugs him closer, and drapes Bowen’s legs over his thighs. Gunnar plucks a grape from the stem and feeds it to Bowen.
“Mmm, you’re being awfully lovey-dovey in public,” Bowen murmurs as he chews the grape.
“Yeah well, you make me want to be lovey-dovey in public. It’s too hard to keep my hands off of you,” he rasps and leans in to place a languid kiss on Bowen’s lips.
As soon as they separate, Bowen takes a grape and places it in Gunnar’s mouth. He smiles and winks as he chews. Bowen blushes and glances down at his hands. Man, the simplest things send his heart racing and his body heating.
“So what else should we do today?” Bowen asks, peeking up at him through his lashes.
“Wellll, your cock hasn’t been in my ass in about a week, so I think we need to remedy that,” he purrs, leaning in so that his lips brush against Bowen’s.
Bowen’s breath catches and his cock immediately starts to swell.
“What do you say we get outta here and go back to my place?” Gunnar murmurs.
Bowen nods and swallows hard. “Yeah, let’s.”
***
Panting heavily, Bowen glances over at Gunnar, who looks fully sated and satisfied. He is trying to catch his breath after a very rigorous round of sex.
“Damn, that was good,” he murmurs.
“Yes, it was.”
They clean up a bit before lying back down on Gunnar’s bed. Bowen wraps his arms around him and pulls Gunnar to him so that he has to drape half his body over Bowen’s.
Bowen kisses the top of his head. “So, what do you think about coming to Thanksgiving dinner at my parents’ house with me?” he asks after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
Gunnar lifts his head to look at Bowen. His expression looks like he’s caught off guard by the question. “Really?”
“Yeah, of course. You’re my boyfriend, and I want to spend the holiday with you. Unless you have other plans.”
“Other plans? Did you forget that I have no family?” He huffs and props his chin on Bowen’s chest, his eyes swinging away from his face. “Yes, I’ll come with you.”
“Good,” Bowen murmurs and lightly runs his fingers in circles on Gunnar’s back.
“I remembered some more of our relationship,” Gunnar whispers.
Bowen’s fingers pause for a second before continuing their circles. “Yeah?"
“I remembered why we broke up. Because I was an asshole and didn't want to come out. I was too afraid of what my other frie
nds would think. And I was afraid of what would happen if the Army found out. I didn't want to be treated differently."
“Mmm hmm.”
“I'm sorry.” He sighs. “I was such an ass. I feel horrible about it. If I hadn’t lost my memory, we'd still be broken up.”
“Probably."
After a quiet moment, Gunnar says. “Can you forgive me?"
“I wouldn't be with you if I didn't already.”
Gunnar nods his acceptance.
Gunnar scooches up his body until he can give him a kiss. “I love you, Bowen,” he breathes. “You mean so much to me.”
Bowen cups the side of his face, his heart now straight up galloping. “I love you, Gunnar.”
Gunnar pulls back enough to look him in the eyes. He smiles and gives him one more hard kiss before rolling off him so he can sit up at the edge of the bed. He stands and stretches out his naked body. Grabbing his underwear off the floor, he pulls them on and heads for the door.
“Where you going?”
“To get a drink. You want something?”
“I’m good. I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Gunnar exits the room and Bowen hears his footsteps get lighter as he descends the steps. Did he mean he wanted some water or a drink drink? Bowen finds his underwear amongst the clothes strewn all over the floor and yanks them on. He also pulls on his jeans before making his way downstairs to the kitchen. Gunnar is leaning against the counter next to the fridge with a bottle of beer in his hand. Goddammit.
“Really, Gunnar?” Bowen says in agitation.
His eyebrows lift. “What?” He looks down at the bottle in his hand. “It’s just a beer.”
“Are you havin’ just one? I’d like to spend some time with you without you being hammered.”
He jerks his chin back. “Hammered? I’m not always hammered.”
Bowen gives him a dubious look. “Why did you choose a beer and not somethin’ else like water or iced tea?”