Welcome to Beaconsfield

by DJ Manly

  “What money?” she demanded.

  “The money he paid me for sex,” Cory replied, meeting her eyes. He expected her to be shocked, but she wasn’t.

  “Oh, that money.”

  “You knew about that?” Cory gasped.

  “He told me.”

  “I kept it. I never used it. Kayla, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I love your brother.”

  “I believe you,” she replied. “I told him that already.” She walked to a chair and sat. Tears streamed down her cheek.

  “You did?”

  “Yes. You don’t hide it well,” she looked up at him. “You know what kills me is that he…if something happens to him,” she sniffed, “he deserves to be loved. He deserves…” she started to cry. She looked up a Cory. “He loves you. Don’t you know that?”

  “He left me,” Cory replied, tears running down his face.

  “Because he loved you,” she replied. “That’s why he stopped seeing you.” She was crying again, hard this time, then she looked up and said, “You were breaking his heart.”

  A wave of agony washed over him. “Why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t he just ask me to stop? I would have. I would have done anything for him,” Cory whispered, kneeling down beside her.

  “He didn’t ask you because he’s too proud and because he wanted you to show him you loved him by offering to give up that life. You need counselling, but he didn’t think you would do that.”

  “I understand everything now, just when I might lose him. We both waited for the other one to make the first move and neither one of us did.”

  Kayla wiped at her eyes again. “Go and be with him. He needs you, Cory. Dad, Mom and I…it’s not the same. He needs to know you love him.”

  “I can’t go in there…I…tried. They won’t let me,” Cory said, frustrated.

  “I’ll fix it. Stay here.”

  A few minutes later, she came back. “I convinced Mom and Dad to go to the cafeteria. I’ll go down, too. I’ll keep them there for an hour. They understand, at least a bit, but I’ll make them understand more.”

  Cory hugged her. “Thank you.”

  “I’m not doing this for you,” she said. “I’m doing this for my brother.”

  Cory walked slowly toward the intensive care. When he reached the door, he hesitated, afraid to go in. Then he took a breath and pushed open the door. He froze.

  Gian was lying there, still. There were machines everywhere, one that made a constant beeping sound.

  Cory came up beside him. He covered one of his hands with his own.

  His head was bandaged on one side and he looked like he was sleeping.

  Cory lowered his lips to his hand and kept them there, pressing his cheek against it. He didn’t know where all the tears were coming from, but they poured down his face now, dropping on the blanket. He felt his chest heave as he sobbed. Then he raised his head and looked at his face. He traced a finger across his jaw, then pressed his lips against his mouth. He smoothed back some of his hair, placing his face against his.

  “So,” Cory managed to say aloud, “this is how you repay me.” His voice shook. ‘‘Is this my punishment? Well, have to hand it to you, it’s a hell of a good one.” He licked his lips. “I was thinking about the first time we met today and how all the boys were making so much out of you. I saw you through the window and you looked so handsome in the sunlight with that stupid uniform on.” He laughed a little. “I never saw a guard look so sexy in those horrible brown uniforms. Bet you hated wearing that because you dress so well.”

  He stopped, taking a breath, his chest hurt from crying. “Anyway, if I never told you how grateful I am for all those times you protected my butt up at Beaconsfield and of course…this time, too….well, thank you.” He stopped talking, looking at the monitor. He closed his eyes. “And…ah…” he began again, his voice shaking so much he could hardly get the words out, “and ah…all that time we…spent together….I can’t believe you…well God…you must have known how much I…” He put his head down. “All I’ve ever wanted is you, Gian, and if I’m a screw up, I’ll try to do better. I’ll do what ever you want…just don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” He was crying on his hand.

  A very low and weak voice said, “Well, you can stop shaking my bed for starters.”

  Cory raised his head. Gian’s eyes were open. He was looking at him. Oh, those beautiful brown eyes. How happy he was to see them. Cory brushed his tears out of the way so he could look at him. “You’re awake!” Cory kissed his hand and then he began to laugh. He looked at the ceiling. “Thanks,” he said.

  “Shush, not so loud,” Gian said. “I don’t want them all in here poking and prodding me again. And who’s up there on the ceiling that you got to be thanking?”

  Cory started to laugh. “Never mind. How do you feel?”

  “How do you think I feel?” He lifted an eyebrow.

  Cory grinned. “Stupid question?”

  “Tell me about it,” he replied with a groan. Then he paused. “So, did you mean all that?”

  “You heard everything I said?”

  “Most of it. Think I woke up just about the time you tried to tell me that you loved me.”

  Cory laid his head beside his on the pillow for a minute. “Oh, well I do, I do, baby,” he whispered.

  Gian smiled. “And then there was that part about how you’d spent the rest of your life being my slave as punishment for—”

  “I don’t remember that!” Cory protested, laughing. “I never said such a thing.”

  “Ah…well, I guess I’ll have to pass out again,” he looked at him through one eye.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll do it,” Cory kissed his mouth. “Anything you want, just tell me you love me.”

  “I love me,” he teased.

  “Me!” Cory demanded.

  “I love you,” he said. “You’ll come and live with me now and no one gets to touch you, but me.”

  Cory nodded. “I’ve never wanted anyone, but you.”

  “We’ll find you something to do where you can’t get into trouble and I can keep an eye on you. And you will go for counselling.”

  “Yes, anything.” He pressed his lips to his temple. “I’m not going to mind you keeping an eye on me. I’m going to keep an eye on you, too. You’re no angel.”

  Gian grinned. “I can’t be anything else right now. Cory, about my job. You know that my job is a pain. I—”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll learn to fret over you and miss you, but I’ll never stop loving you, I promise you that. I know it won’t be easy sometimes.”

  Gian squeezed his hand. “Good enough,” he winked.

  “Now I think I should call in the doctor, okay?” Cory suggested.

  Gian nodded. “But don’t go anywhere.”

  “Try and make me,” Cory blew him a kiss.

  When the doctor came in, he smiled at Gian. “Looks like you’ve come back to the land of the living. You had us worried there for awhile, kid.”

  “Kid,” Gian mouthed, looking over at Cory.

  Cory burst into laughter.

  “I’ll go and tell your family,” Cory said. “I know they’re worried.”

  “Thanks,” Gian said, smiling at him.

  Cory ran down the hall and slid on his two feet right up to the door leading to the stairs. He was on top of the world. The nurses gave him an odd look, but he didn’t give a damn. He ran down six flights of stairs to the cafeteria. “He’s awake,” Cory said, out of breath. “He’s going to be all right.”

  They were all hugging.

  Kayla came over and looked at him. “What about his heart, is it in good shape now?”

  “It’s on the mend,” Cory nodded with a wink. “I’ve volunteered to nurse it back to health.”

  She laughed and hugged him. “Dad, Mom,” Kayla said, turning to Clint and Sam, “looks like we have a new addition to the family.

  Cory was shocked. He stood frozen, not sure what they wou
ld say.

  Clint smiled and patted him on the back. “Welcome, son,” he said.

  Sam put an arm around Cory’s shoulders. “Do you like fried chicken?”

  “I…I think so,” Cory smiled at her.

  “Good, you’ll fit right in.”

  “Especially if you like indigestion,” Kayla whispered which made Cory laugh. ‘‘And eh…you owe me.”

  They went upstairs together and, when Gian’s family walked into the room, Cory hesitated, remaining in the hall.

  It was Clint that came outside and grabbed his arm. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? If you’re part of this gang now, you’re going to have to listen to Gian’s bitching, too. We’re not doing it all alone.”

  * * * *

  Sam was fussing over Gian, but Cory saw her freeze as he came in.

  Sam nodded at Clint. “Come on, Clint,” she said, “let’s go home now.”

  Clint kissed Gian on the forehead. “Sounds good.”

  “Kayla?” Sam motioned to the door.

  Kayla laughed. “Okay.” She leaned down to kiss Gian’s cheek. “You owe me big time.”

  He laughed. “I’ll let you take my queen,” he said.

  “I already did that,” she threw back at him.

  He grinned, “Oh yeah,” he waved at her.

  She left without another word.

  * * * *

  Cory came closer. He pulled up a chair and sat close to the bed, taking Gian’s hand. Gian entwined his fingers with his. “I’m going for counselling,” Cory told him.

  Gian looked at him. “Good. It does help.”

  “Um, but you know what really helps me put all the past demons behind me?”

  “No, what?” Gian asked him softly.

  “Having a man like you who makes your heart race when he walks into the room, who’s loving and kind, passionate and sweet.”

  He laughed. “Oh,” he said. “Introduce me to that guy one day, he sounds like a winner.”

  Cory crawled up on the side of the bed and laid his head on his shoulder. He grinned, giving him a mild slap. “He is a winner.” Then he moved his hand over his chest and kissed his cheek.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah but you can’t have him because he belongs to me,” Cory’s voice sounded faint, sleepy.

  “You should go home and get some sleep, you know,” Gian suggested softly, running his hand over his hair.

  Cory yawned, settling down beside him. “I’m right where I want to be. I don’t ever want to sleep without you again.”

  Gian smiled and pulled him closer. “You won’t ever have to,” he whispered.

  About the Author

  I write not only for my own pleasure, but for the pleasure of my readers. I can’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t written and told stories. When I’m not writing, I’m dreaming about writing, doing something wild and adventurous, or trying to make the world a better and more open minded place to live in. I adore beautiful men, and I know I’m not alone in this! Eroticism between consenting adults, in all its many forms is the icing on the cake of life!

  D. J.’s website is located at:

  http://www.djmanly.com/