by D. J. Manly
"I'm sorry." Leo hugged him.
"For what? Falling in love?" Mark moved away. "God, I can't blame you for what I'm guilty of myself. It will be okay. I just need time and space. You were right all along. It wasn't good for me to stay here, hoping, living on dreams."
Leo felt in his pocket. "I have something for you," he said, taking out the paper Adrian had given him. "Here."
Mark took it, looked at it for a moment, then tucked it into his suitcase. "Thanks. The way I treated him, I doubt he'll ever look at me again, let alone--"
"He's in love with you," Leo told him.
Mark smiled. "Thanks. I have no idea why you're being so nice to me, Leo. I did everything I could to keep you and Reed apart. I even told him that you--"
"That doesn't matter anymore," Leo said. "You'll always be my best friend, Mark. Nothing will change that."
"Reed has changed that. He'll be your best friend now. He'll be your everything. And that's okay because you're the luckiest guy in the world, and so is he."
Leo nodded.
"Look, I stood in Reed's way once when he fell in love. I won't do it again. He deserves to be happy."
"And so do you."
Mark nodded. "I'm going to give it a try."
A little while later, Reed came in the front door to get Mark. He was going to drive him to the airport. "Ready?" he asked.
Leo got up and hugged his friend again. "Call me, okay? Promise?"
Mark nodded. "I will. Be happy," he said, then looked at Reed. "Both of you."
Reed picked up Mark's suitcase.
Leo went out on the porch and watched as Reed put his arm around Mark and hugged him close. He kissed the top of his head before he released him like one would to do to one's little brother.
Mark turned and waved to Leo before he got into the car. Meggy went running over to the car from where she'd been playing Frisbee with some of the guests and kissed Mark goodbye.
Tears stung Leo's eyes as he watched the car drive away.
Meggy came up on the porch. "Why'd he leave?"
"It was time."
"Is Reed leaving, too?"
Leo smiled. "No. He's coming back after he drops Mark off. Meggy, Reed and I are together now. We love each other." He started to laugh because it sounded like the most wonderful thing to ever come out of his mouth.
Meggy grinned and hugged him. "You think you deserve a big hunk like that?"
"No," he said, "I don't deserve him, but I'm keeping him anyway, so paws off." He cuffed her gently.
Later that night after Meggy had gone to sleep, Leo lay in Reed's arms upstairs in the room he'd occupied since he'd first come here. Reed didn't want to use the master bedroom, and that was fine with Leo. He could understand that. He felt a satisfaction he'd never known before as he lay in the dark, listening to Reed's steady breathing. They hadn't even made love yet, although he knew they would. It was enough at the moment to have Reed's strong arms wrapped around him.
"You were so tender with Mark today," Leo told him, tracing his jaw with his finger.
"I care about him, you know, in spite of everything. I want him to be happy, Leo. I just can't be his love."
"No," Leo sighed, "you can't be his love because you're my love."
He smiled at him. "Yes, I'm your love. And I have been since the moment I saw you."
Leo shook his head. "I never even sensed that."
"You were preoccupied with your own heartache, and you already thought you knew all about me."
"I know," he said softly. "And you are hard to figure out."
"Part of my charm." He chuckled.
Leo kissed him. "Are you worried about Mark?"
"A little. You?"
"Yeah. I hope he calls Adrian."
"I think he will. On the way to the airport we talked about Adrian. Mark does care about him. He regrets letting him go."
"Good."
"So now," Reed turned around in the bed and looked him in the eyes, "what should we do after we sell this place, baby?"
"I don't care. I'll follow you anywhere," Leo told him, crawling on top of him.
Reed grunted, laughing. "Oh yeah? Is that so?"
"Um, that's so, as long as you make love to me the way you do."
"That shouldn't be a problem."
Leo stroked his hair and kissed his mouth as Reed moved his hands over Leo's ass.
"What would you say if I bought Mark out, and we stayed right here, didn't go anywhere?"
Leo's eyes widened. He grinned. "You mean it?"
"I don't need to work anymore, and I've travelled enough. I like it here, it's quiet, and we--"
"Yes, yes," Leo yelped, wildly kissing him. "I dreaded you going away again to see the queen or whoever. I love it here. Oh, Reed, it's perfect. I can paint. We can go to the city when we want, and travel when it's low season and..." Leo rolled off of him. "We could remodel a little and change the colors in the--"
"Whoa!" Reed dragged him back down beside him. "You can do anything you like as long as you let me get a word in every once in awhile, and...you keep on loving me."
Leo paused and glanced down at him. "Oh, God, Reed, that's easy. I'll always love you." He slid down into his arms with a sigh and felt Reed's arms tighten around him. He closed his eyes as Reed's hand gently moved over his body, and finally, as he ceased to think any coherent thoughts, he understood only one thing...the meaning of forever.
D. J. Manly
D. J. Manly says, "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!"
To find out more about D. J., visit the author's website at http://www.djmanlyfiction.com.
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