Free Fiction Friday: Second Shot – The Senior Year – 43
Free Fiction Friday: January 16, 2015:
Second Shot – The Senior Year: Chapter 43
I started the year putting the links to the last five chapters before each post a couple weeks ago and I’ve noticed they’ve been used so I’m going to continue it for the time being. If nothing else it will make it easier for folks to find the last few chapters.
Chapter 38:
Chapter 39:
Chapter 40:
Chapter 41:
Chapter 42:
“A tie?” Darryl twisted the blue and red knot around the pale blue button down dress shirt. “They couldn’t pick somewhere that we could dress like normal people?”
Jason had worn ties often enough that it didn’t bother him as much as it bugged his best friend. Besides, getting dressed up meant Peter would have to as well. Seeing his boyfriend dressed up made it worth hearing Darryl whine. “For Pops, this is normal, D. You’ve been to their house. He wears a tie most days even if he’s not going out.”
“Yeah, well if I lived that mansion of theirs, I’d probably feel like I needed to dress that way too.” Darryl looked at himself in the mirror and made a last adjustment to his tie. “Is your grandfather sending the forty-eight to pick us up?”
“You wish.” His grandmother’s favorite car was the white 1948 Bentley that Peter had admired the previous Christmas. “I’m not sure what they drove here, but they’re not picking us up.”
“Huh?” Darryl looked like his best laid plans had been dashed before his eyes. “How do we get there?”
“We drive ourselves, doofus.” He threw a towel at his friend.
“Besides, Darryl.” They both turned toward the doorway where Peter stood. “We wouldn’t all fit in the back. You’d get stuck with me and Blake and the family would ride in the car.”
Jason stared at his boyfriend. He never got tired of seeing him in a shirt and tie. The concept seemed so weird because he didn’t particularly like them himself. Something about Peter dressed up sent a tingle through him—often with embarrassing results.
“Mhmm.” Darryl said. “Like the Henry’s would leave you to ride with me.”
Peter moved until he faced Jason. Reaching up, he buttoned the collar down over Jason tie. “You’re as much family to them as I am.”
Darryl slid past the pair. “Yeah, but someone has to drive Blake. He doesn’t have a car.”
“Hey,” Jason said when they were alone. “You look nice.”
Peter laughed and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “You say that every time I wear a jacket and tie.”
Before Jason could answer, Peter kissed him. Not a quick, touch their lips together and pull back, but a longer one that threated Jason’s control. Just as things were about to get hotter, Peter backed up.
“I think I need to ask my grandparent to visit and take us to dinner more often.”
“Next time I want a ride in the ’48.” Peter winked and reached for Jason’s hand. “C’mon. Let’s get Dean ready or we’ll be late.”
“How far away is this place?” Peter asked.
“We’re almost there.” At least Jason thought they were. He’d only been to his grandparent’s country club a few times and never coming from school. Once they found the exit, he knew it wasn’t far.
The ride had been nice—very nice actually. Blake told them he was going to ride with Dean and Darryl in the single guy’s car. At first it annoyed Jason, but Peter seemed to appreciate it. And it had been a while since he and Peter had time to themselves. Living in the ‘team’ house meant a lot of guests. Jason liked having his friends over, but sometimes it got a bit much.
On the other hand, this was the first time he’d gone to a family event with Darryl and they hadn’t driven together. Since they’d gotten their licenses, they’d been a team.
Peter placed his hand on Jason’s lap, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Hey, Soccer Boy. Why so quiet?”
Moving his hand off the stick, Jason placed it over his boyfriend’s. “I’m not sure I should mention it.”
“So there is something wrong?” He shifted in his seat so he could face Jason. “I just thought you were tired.”
“Not’s wrong, I was just thinking about something.”
The green overhead sign announced their exit in one mile and he flicked his blinker on to get in the right lane. He twisted quickly to be sure the way was clear, and caught a glimpse of Peter’s concerned expression as he returned his attention to the road.
“It’s nothing really, I’m just wondering if we made a mistake living with Dean and Darryl.” Glancing up he noticed Darryl had shifted lanes behind him. “I mean, we had SO much more time alone together when you had your own place.”
Laughter from his boyfriend wasn’t the response Jason expected. “Sorry, Jase. It’s just when we met you used to say you’d kill to be out to your friends, to do things as a couple and not have to spend our time together cooped up in my apartment. Now you are out and we do stuff with other people and you want to basically go back in the closet. There are tradeoffs to everything. You wanted to live with me and Darryl. There weren’t many other options that I could see.”
Listening to Peter’s explanation, Jason smiled at the truth behind the words. “I know. Maybe I’m just old already, but I liked hangin out, just the two of us at night. Now if it’s not Darryl and Dean arguing about who’s better at Grand Theft Auto, than it’s half the team coming by to hang out. And as much as I love seeing Ethan, having him and Blake stay with us every other weekend is going to get old fast. It’s like having two more roommates—two very horny and loud roommates.”
“We were once like that.”
“Were?” Jason hadn’t thought that part of their relationship had cooled. If anything sleeping with Peter every night led to more of that not less.
“That came out wrong didn’t it?” Jason nodded but they were getting off the interstate so he didn’t look over. “I didn’t mean we do…do that less. I meant we don’t have to plan it anymore. We have a lot more spur-of-the-moment moments than when we didn’t live together.”
“True, I certainly don’t miss trying to find excuses to be alone with you.”
“But…”
Jason sighed and tried to collect his thoughts. “I love D like a brother. In a lot of ways we’re closer than Dean and I, but there are times I’d like to curl up on the couch, just us, and watch a movie. Or not have to worry that my teammates will show up unannounced.”
They’d stopped at the end of the ramp and Jason paused to figure out which way. Since he’d only come from the other direction it took a moment to get his bearings. Flicking the blinker to the left “I hope this is right.”
Peter didn’t say anything as Jason searched for something familiar. A few seconds after the turn, he saw a billboard for Geller’s Antiques that he knew they’d past before. “Yeah, this is the right way.”
“So what’s really buggin you, Jase.”
Twisting his head slightly, Jason saw his boyfriend staring a hole in him. He considered brushing it off, but decided he might not get a better chance to have this conversation. “I’m worried I’m losing my best friend.”
“Totally not what I expected,” Peter said. “How’s that work?”
“It’s…well…I don’t know. I feel like before I met you I was just like Darryl. If you had told me I’d have a house my dad bought, living with Darryl and Dean and the guys were always stopping over, I’d have been, all over it. Just like he is. Now?” He shrugged.
Peter didn’t answer right away. As the silence lingered, Jason mentally reviewing their conversation, wondering if he’d said the wrong thing. Finally, just as he was about to ask, Peter spoke.
“Sounds more like you grew up faster. But the better question is, are you okay with that?”
“Yes and no.” Sensing where the conversation was going, he chose his words carefully. “Yes, because I like us. Being a couple is so much better than being like that. But no, because I feel like I’m drifting away from Darryl. I mean, I know we weren’t going to be in college and roommates forever, but the end is coming faster than I’d expected.”
“I get that.” Peter sat back and seemed to relax. “But it’s not end, just different.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah, your right.”
He didn’t really agree, but he realized Peter wasn’t the right person to have this conversation with. This was the beginning of the end for a lot of things; soccer, college, being roommates with Darryl, their close friendship and other things he’d gotten comfortable with.
In a few months life was going to take them in different directions and things wouldn’t be the same. Tonight was just the start.
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