A lengthy intro to the relationship of David and Luke. For those of you with less patience or care into character build up, jump straight to page three or even wait until Chapter one pops up. This story is not meant to be an erotic tale, but rather a story of sweet romance starting to build between two sweethearts.
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Luke, his name is Luke. An army captain who lived in the hotel I worked in every time he's not deployed or in base. I had seen him drinking in my bar for two years now. I hadn't even dared to talk to him more than his drink orders. He's tall and bulky, making me look like a skinny teenager next to him. Bright blonde and silver eyed with sunkissed skin. His eyes were always sad and it melted my soul every time, and his cute downturned eye shape didn't help it. He had a ring on his finger, he often played with it uncomfortably, but he wouldn't be married. He wouldn't be staying there if he would have been, wouldn't he? Maybe widowed? Divorced?
The two years he'd been often picked up by Johns wife Kathrine. She's always in a suit, navy usually, and always had a duffle bag with her when she met up with him. She never said anything when she came to get him, just tapped him on the shoulder and walked off with Luke following her, to his room was what I believed. The only time I didn't see his eyes sad was if he happened to come down for a drink after that, then he looked, I don't know, relieved, relaxed?
But it didn't make sense that they'd be having an affair or at least I guess it wouldn't be considered an affair considering them two. John and I had been lovers a year or so ago and yes Kath knew about me, they both enjoy having lovers, although they mostly shared them.
Even considering that, it didn't really make me feel alright about "the affair" and broke it off soon, even though he was a spectacular lover and treated me wonderfully. He helped me through quite a few hard days at the time, like my first solo concert or some things from my past that I still really don't want to talk about. He was just so... charmingly emphatic and god, how precious and safe he made me feel with him.
We broke on friendly terms and agreed to go back to being just acquaintances, him never being a tiny bit more intimate with me than a regular customer at the bar. Honestly I have to admit that I fell in love with him, but I knew that was just a tiny part of him and I could never love who he fully was.
Once I saw John pick up Luke at the same time Kathrine usually did - always the day he got back around afternoon. He had the same duffel bag with him that she always did. John caught the look of hurt in my face that day - hurt that I had no right to, it wasn't like I'd ever even talked to Luke. He shook his head to me as they headed out, but I couldn't pick out whether he was hinting that I had no right to be hurt or if he was saying that there was nothing going on with them.
I didn't even know why I'd reacted like that. I'd seen Luke walk away with Kath multiple times, but seeing him with John got to me. Maybe because I hadn't dared to hope that Luke was into men and seeing him walk away John, who could literally make anyone fall in love with him, made me realise that I'd been pathetically shy.
Or that John had once told me about Kath, how she was a crazy over achiever, doing mostly restaurant managing and business development, but was a therapist and something else on the side. I'd hoped Luke was doing some sort of therapy with her, but John, John was a chef, just a chef, so it couldn't be that. Unless he was covering for her, but therapy didn't really work like that, did it?
One night when I hadn't seen Luke for months and I assumed he was away in deployment they both were at the bar again and I fought hard to build up the courage to ask them about Luke, but I couldn't decide which one to ask or both of them. All options seemed weird, asking John, my ex-lover, if his wife, and possibly he, were sleeping with a man I have developed an interest in? Asking Kathrine, the wife of my ex-lover, if she's bedding with a man I was curious for? Going up to the both of them? Not to mention that maybe Luke had already moved on with his life, he could be anywhere, doing anything.
I finally decided on asking Kathrine when John went to the bathroom. "Sorry, I know it's none of my business, but... uhm, you and Luke? You aren't lovers are you?" and cursed myself immediately as logic caught up with me over my months of pondering over them. Like it would matter if they were. Damn it. I needed to know if he was single, if he had any interest in men, if he's coming back and so on. Not if he had a freaking casual lover.
She gave me the coldest look I've ever seen in my life, scanning me up and down like she'd be choking my soul, finally saying "I've seen you look at him, wondering how and if to make your move. For almost two years you haven't. Why is that?"
"Is he...?"
"Not that I know of. No, he's not my, or our lover to answer your question. Now answer mine."
"He's, well, intimidating. And probably straight. And way out of my league." I answered as she eyed me down with her ice cold eyes, choking my soul for more answers "And I'm afraid that he'll turn me down or worse."
"David, you're a nice kid and you have no fucking idea who's in your league. There is no worse than not asking. No harm in a drink between two men. He's a sweetheart. You better be a gentleman if you go after him, he's been through enough pain." even as her words were nice, her voice was ice cold and like I'd be the one hurting him. He's superior to me in every possible way, not to mention that I'd actually have to get close to him to hurt him, which still at the moment seemed like mission impossible.
But her words sparked an opportunity in my head to find out what's their deal. "I only ever see him not sad after he sees you."
"He sees a lot of horrid things. I help him deal with them. Ask him out, tomorrow, after I see him." So, therapy it is. Though there's a million different therapies. Apparently sexual therapy was a therapy as well.
"He's back tomorrow? Could you find out-"
"Davi," she cut me off "Yes he'll be back and no, I will not get involved with his personal life as long as I'm not in his." her voice strict and icey.
"Sorry, of course." I ended the conversation abruptly, seeing John return. I don't know why, but I still struggled with the part he played in my life, like I could never in my lifetime repay him.
"David," she called my attention back and in an odd way I felt like a kid called to the front of the class to receive a scolding, "He doesn't drink here when you're not working." she said and gestured me to shoo.
I spent the rest of the evening distracted. The mention that he didn't sit at the bar when I wasn't there seemed reassuring, but why hadn't he talked to me if I was the reason he was there? Maybe it was just a coincidence.
The day after, I saw Luke sit in his usual spot as I arrived to work, he was the only one in the bar. He had usually come an hour or so after me, but he probably just got back from war, so I'd be drinking early too. He's a slow drinker, no more than a drink in half an hour. He looked especially sad that day, depressed even and I decided it's not a great day to ask him out. It wasn't like he'd be there for just one day. He played with his ring again, taking it off and putting back on, toying with it between his fingers, like it had some answers hidden in it.
He sat there in silence, pointing at his glass every time it ran empty, not saying a word for two hours. Suddenly he looked me in the eyes, something he'd never really done before. His bright eyes locking me to my spot. It felt like I could feel the pain in his soul as I looked back in his eyes.
"Do you think it's possible to just accept this world as it is, after seeing the things I have? Humans killing and hurting each other, for what? Some game of political chess?" he muttered as he dropped his gaze from me.
I was taken aback from his low, well pronounced, strong voice. Oh I loved deep sounds, almost the very reason I played the double bass. He sounded so warm even when his words were so cold and horrid. How can one ever help him deal with that pain?
I panicked as I had to answer, not able to formulate one. "You're eyes, they're always so sad." I said and punched myself in my mind, why did I say that of all the things? Like of all the things?!
"Sorry, I didn't mean to burden you." he said regretting his words.
"No-no, uhm, I'm David. But I guess you noticed that in the two years." I quickly quipped, realising that I was actually talking to him for the first time.
"Luke. Sorry again." he told me with a half smile, his eyes warming up for just a second.
"Don't be. I've always wondered what your story was." I asked, encouraged by our first light conversation.
"Not a story for telling." he said looking away, playing with his ring again.
"Of-of course, sorry." I stammered, noticing Kathrine step in. I tried to look busy, but remained in the listening range of them.
That day was different, she didn't just tap him to go, she stood next to him, gazing at him, clearly annoyed. Finally she snapped, tearing the ring he was playing with out of his hands and tossed it in his drink, hissing at him in her low voice "For the love of... leave it Luke."
In a second he was up and choking her from the throat. She didn't fight back or seem to fear him on any level, her ice cold stare for him solid, not even a flinch. He wasn't going to hurt her was he?
They stared each other down, it really felt to me that the biggest war of the century was happening between them in silence. Neither one of them moved for what seemed like minutes. He finally let her neck go, leaning on the bar with his elbows, his head between his hands, taking deep breaths. She tapped him on the shoulder as if nothing had happened and nudged him to follow her. He let out a good sigh and straightened himself, giving the ring in the glass a pained look as he went after her.
I could barely believe the situation that'd happened in front of my eyes. From the first moment I'd ever met Kath, I understood that I'd never met anyone that bold, direct and fearless, especially considering how unabashed she was about it. I mean it's even borderline rude - well that's sugarcoating it. But to not even flinch when a man like Luke is choking you? I might have even underestimated her game.
As they had left, I picked up his glass, his ring in it. I looked at the ring, it had "Forever yours, Kim Serene" engraved in it. Why did it have to be a unisex name? The man I'd known as Captain Luke S. suddenly turned to Luke Serene in my head. Luke the peaceful, an army captain, I laughed in my head over the irony. Divorced? Widowed? But certainly he wasn't at peace.
I worked as a robot for the next six hours, hoping to see him walk through the doors, happier hopefully. I wondered how she could possibly help a man like him for the hundredth time. Did she hypnose him, give obliviating massages? The good old lay down and talk? Alternative therapy of some sort? I really had no idea what kind of therapies were out there. God, therapy was a board term.
