HI ALL. THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. LET ME KNOW, BOTH THROUGH VOTES AND COMMENTS. I ENJOY BOTH. NOW, ON WITH DILLON AND SETH'S STORY.
At the sound of the front door opening, Dillon carefully put his glass down onto the table beside the couch. He nervously wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on the material covering his thighs as he fought to swallow his last sip of water.
The footsteps ascending the stairs could only belong to Seth. Dillon would recognize the energy behind them anywhere. It was muted a bit at the moment, but it would always be there. No matter what was happening in his life, Seth would still have a certain vitality that could never be stolen from him.
Then Seth was there. He stood in the doorway of the family room and Dillon scented him the way a wolf scents its mate. Seth's warmth seemed to reach out to Dillon across the room and enfold him. Dillon wasn't even sure if things could be salvaged between the two of them, but just being close to Seth again created a greater feeling of peace than Dillon could ever have imagined. Unseen by either man, Eric slipped quietly from the room so that they could be alone.
"Do you really love him?" the sound of Seth's voice was ragged and hoarse. The question was a cry from Seth's soul.
"Yes, as a friend, I do," Dillon replied. He could have denied it. He had even considered it for the briefest of moments. But what good was a relationship based on lies? It wouldn't last because it would have no true foundation. Dillon wanted them to have a relationship that stood the test of time, which meant the foundation needed to be rock solid.
"Even after he abandoned you?"
Dillon lowered his head. If he could have seen, he would have been staring at his hands. "When I gave Brad my friendship, I accepted him, all of him. That includes his flaws. He's not a strong or a brave man. I knew that, even if I never fully realized how weak he is.
"I won't ever depend on him again. It would be useless for me to do so, because I would only be disappointed. But I won't turn my back on him just because he's not as strong as I would like him to be."
"Do you give that loyalty, understanding, and forgiveness to all you love?" There was a note in Seth's voice that Dillon couldn't recognize. He would almost call it longing, but that wouldn't fit the conversation they were having.
"I hope I do," Dillon said. "I try to."
"Then, please Dillon, I'm in need of some of it now. Don't turn away from me because I was stupid enough to turn away from you. Forgive me for jumping to conclusions and walking out. I love you and need you so much!"
Hearing the tears in Seth's voice, Dillon rose and moved forward. He extended his hands, reaching out toward Seth. Just after his second step he felt his fingers meet Seth's, who had moved to meet him.
"You have more from me than anyone," Dillon said. "You have a love that no one else has. When I said I'd love you forever, I meant it."
He would have said more, meant to say more, but it was difficult to talk when your lips are pressed against those of someone else. After just a second in Seth's arms, any thought of speech was gone from Dillon's head. His whole body, mind, and soul were concentrated on Seth and the feel of Seth's body against his own.
Breathing, however, is a necessity of life. All too soon, it came down to a decision of whether to keep kissing Seth and die happily in his arms or pull back and replenish himself. Dillon might have opted for the first choice if he hadn't realized the second choice could lead to future occurrences of kissing and so much more.
They rested their foreheads together, sharing the air they sucked into their starving lungs. "I have to warn you that I'm a jealous man," Seth stated after he caught his breath. "I can handle your still being friends with Brad, but there will be times when I'll have trouble with the way he looks at you."
"How does he look at me?" Dillon asked, confused.
"Like you still belong to him," Seth explained. "Brad still thinks you're his and even if you don't feel that way about him, it's going to bug me some."
"I don't think you have to worry," Dillon assured Seth. "Brad knows that you're the man I love and that all I'll ever feel toward him is friendship."
A jaw-popping yawn suddenly emerged from Seth, surprising them both. "I'm sorry," Seth apologized. "I didn't realize I was tired."
"Tired and hungry, probably," Dillon responded. "It's been a long, hard day for having just come out of the hospital. I think I need to take care of my man."
"I like the sound of that," Seth murmured in a low voice, stroking his hands up and down Dillon's back. "I like being called your man and hearing that you want to care for me."
"I do. I always want us to care for each other," Dillon said, his own hands gliding up and down Seth's strong arms. "Unfortunately, though, I don't know where anything is here, so taking care of you is going to consist of my yelling for Eric,"
Seth laughed, the sound lighting up Dillon's heart. "Whatever works,"
**
An hour later Dillon sighed in contentment. Eric had provided a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The comfort of a warm, childhood lunch had hit exactly the right spot.
Now, he was snuggled down with Seth in bed. Seth's arms were wrapped around him as they spooned and the soft, even sound of Seth's breath told Dillon that Seth was deeply asleep.
Dillon snuggled back against Seth's chest, reveling in the feel of bare skin against bare skin. A very light coating of hair was tickling his back. Arms that were satiny skin encasing steely muscles banded around him. The light puff of Seth's breath against the back of his neck kept sending shivers racing down his spine.
He was tired. When they had come in here, Dillon had believed he would sleep along with Seth. Now, though, he just wanted to revel in the feel of being here with Seth.
Eventually, though, the overly emotional day got to him. Feeling safe, secure, and well loved, Dillon drifted off to sleep.