The two men hurried as quickly as they could to dress in proper clothes. Once they were clean, and the washcloths rinsed off and tossed in the basket, they threw on jeans and t-shirts, but didn’t bother with shoes. AJ went over to the crate where Nina was lying, chew on one of her bones, and asked her if she needed to out. The dog recognized the word ‘out’ and bounded from her crate with an exultant howl. AJ chuckled and ruffled her fur affectionately before rising to his feet.
Brian couldn’t help the nerves that were eating at him. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. When AJ’s hand touched his shoulder he startled and looked up at him. “You should stay here until they get here.” AJ said gently. “The doctor said you should rest after activity, especially the kind we just did.”
“They shouldn’t be much longer.” Brian answered him. He brought a hand up and ran it over his face. Sleep sounded absolutely wonderful right at that moment but it wasn’t something he could indulge in. He rubbed his eyes to try to wake himself up slightly. “I should get something ready for them to drink when they get here.”
“I’ll get it after Niña does her business, baby.”
For some reason Brian found himself thinking about the way that AJ said Nina’s name. With that slight accent that went with the Spanish word. He shook his head lightly. He must be tired if that was what his brain was focusing on. “Fine, go ahead. I’ll go make a room’s ready for them. If they’re coming straight here, they’ll need someplace to sleep.”
When he was on his feet he found his face held between AJ’s warm hands. His lover kissed him gently before letting their foreheads rest against one another. “Everything will work out, Brian.”
“I wasn’t ready for this. I wanted to feel better before I talked to them.”
A corner of AJ’s mouth quirked upward. “You know how I felt about that. You should have let them here from the start.” He said as he pulled away. His half smile offset the censor in those words.
Wincing, Brian knew he was right. He really should have let his parents come out. The times he’d talked to them on the phone he’d been able to tell that they were upset with him for keeping them away. As his parents they had wanted to be by his side through this, not forced to get updates via Kevin. “I know. But I don’t know if I could have dealt with them at the time. Hell, I still don’t know if I can.”
Guilt wormed its way through Brian. He felt his cheeks flush. “This might get rough, AJ. I don’t know how they’ll react to all of this. They might, well, say some pretty nasty things. Worse than Kevin was.”
“Don’t worry, Bri. I’ll try to be on my best behavior.” AJ reassured him drolly.
Brian’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m not worried about that!” He hurried to tell his partner. “God, Age, give me some credit. I just don’t want them hurting you.”
“I love you, Brian. No matter what anyone says otherwise. Amazingly, you love me too. In the end, that’s all that matters.” With that parting comment AJ snapped his fingers for Nina and headed out of the room with her bouncing excitedly beside him.
Though they’d been together for almost nine months by then, and known each other for much longer than that, Brian realized that AJ could still surprise him. He had thought that AJ was going to be more stressed than he was, and yet here he was, yet again being the calm one, the strong one.
Brian moved down the hall, heading to the room at the opposite end of the hall from his own. As he set about turning the heater on to warm the room and checking that everything was ready for company, he smiled to himself. Somehow over the past few months AJ had become a rock for him. A pillar of strength beyond what Brian had ever seen anyone have before.
This thing with his heart had caused the both of them to grow and change in so many ways. Yet, at the same time, they had become so much closer because of it. He hadn’t thought it possible but their bond and their love was stronger than it had ever been. They’d been through a situation that would make or break a couple, and it had made them stronger.
He hard Nina’s playful howls and AJ’s laughter as he moved to check that the bathroom nearest the guestrooms was stocked and ready. Once that was done he slowly headed down the stairs. His parents should be arriving any minute now.
Almost as if his thoughts had summoned them, Brian heard the sound of a car coming up the driveway right as he reached the entryway. He flicked the porch light on and opened the door right as they were parking their car next to his new one.
A few days after Brian had come home from the hospital AJ had taken Howie into town with him and they had returned the rental car and AJ had bought one. It wasn’t flashy, because neither of them wanted to flash around town if they went anywhere. They liked to be able to park downtown and hit the little shops without drawing too much attention to themselves.
With that in mind, AJ had bought a Ford Explorer. It was normal enough not to draw too much attention, but one that AJ loved to drive. It had enough space for them, as well as Nina if she was going to come with them, and better yet in AJ’s eyes, plenty of room for things they bought. Brian had a feeling, though, that it wouldn’t be too long before there was a truck in the garage as well.
All thoughts fled from his mind when his parents climbed from their rental. “Mom! Dad!” He called out to them. He moved out the door to meet his parents halfway and wrapped his mother in a hug. She hugged him back tightly, yet careful to watch for his chest. “Oh, baby, it’s so good to see you!” she whispered happily in his ear.
When they let go, his dad stepped up next and wrapped him in a careful bear hug. Harold clung to his son for a moment before releasing him. “You’re looking good, son.” He said gruffly. Brian’s lips curved as he looked at his parents and allowed himself to feel only the joy at seeing them. “You too, Dad.”
A half howling, half barking sound interrupted them, and Brian turned in enough time to see Nina shoot out the front door and come running over to them. She jumped up by Brian’s legs before running circles around them and weaving between them all. She did the little howling, grumbling sound that Huskies use instead of their barks. AJ and Brian joked that she was ‘talking’ to them.
“Who is this beauty?” Jackie asked. She squatted down with a smile to pet Nina and was immediately licked. Her laughter echoed around them. “She’s so sweet!”
“This is Nina. She’s only five months old, so she’s still pretty energetic.” Brian explained. To attest to that fact, Nina tried to jump up and put her feet on Jackie’s shoulders, but only succeeded in sending Brian’s mother down to the ground on her bottom. Even as Jackie laughed, AJ’s voice called from the front door “¡Niña, vete aquí!”
Nina jumped away from Jackie and raced up to AJ. Once there she sat down and looked up at him, almost as if to say ‘See, I listened to you!’
Brian couldn’t resist chuckling as Harold helped Jackie to her feet. She stood up, wreathed in smiles, and instantly moved forward toward AJ, who stepped down out of the doorway to meet her. She wrapped him in a hug, pulling back to kiss his cheek. “You’re looking well. It’s good to see you!” she exclaimed. It took everything Brian had not to laugh when he saw the slight color steal into AJ’s cheeks. “Thank you, ma’am. It’s good to see you too.”
“Now, AJ, how many times have we been over this? Call me Jackie.”
His flush faded at the familiar teasing with her. “Sorry, m…Jackie. My Ma raised me to be respectful.”
“Denise did a wonderful job with you. How’s she doing, by the way? I haven’t spoken to her in so long!”
Just like that, Jackie had her arm through AJ’s and was walking into the house with him, chattering way about Denise and how she was doing, how AJ was doing, and everything else in between. Harold and Brian both shared a grin as they followed the two.
Knowing their preference, AJ was staring a kettle of water to boil on the stove as Jackie was busy telling him about their flight. Harold looked around the kitchen as they stepped inside. “Nice place you have here, Brian.” He said approvingly. “Not much furniture yet, though. You’ve been here for a few months and you haven’t managed to order some furniture?”
“It’s been a slow process. Some remodeling’s getting done, so it didn’t seem practical to put furniture in, then move it out of the way for the workers to come through. They just finished the kitchen countertops today, and that’s the last thing the kitchen needed done.” Brian explained as he grabbed cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. While he did that, AJ went and gathered the few folding chairs they had downstairs and brought them to the dining area of the kitchen. Though it wasn’t made to sit at, AJ set the chairs by the edge of the counter that separated the kitchen from the informal dining area.
Jackie and Harold gratefully sat down. AJ took over in the kitchen, gathering the little basket that held all of their tea and setting it on the counter in front of them, between their cups. He stepped over to the stove where the kettle was starting to whistle and shooed Brian away with a gesture of his hands. “Go sit.” He told him firmly. Brian didn’t bother to protest. He was starting to feel tired.
Grateful, he sank into one of the chairs and watched as his parents prepared their cups and AJ poured the water in for them. “So, how long can you guys stay for?” he asked them.
“We don’t really have a time limit.” Harold told him as he steeped his tea. “We didn’t really plan a certain amount of time. We just wanted to see you.” The words ‘since you wouldn’t let us before’ weren’t said, but Brian felt them. He blushed slightly.
“I am sorry. I just, there was a lot going on and I was scared. I know there’s no real excuse, but it just, it seemed best at the time.”
“We may not understand it, but we respect your decisions. You’re an adult.” Jackie said soothingly as she patted at his hand. “We’re just so glad to see you’re doing ok. Tell us everything.”
For the next half hour Brian told them about the surgery, leaving out the little scare that had happened in mid operation, and about the recovery phase. He told them his progress, and showed them his scar and how well it was healing. By the time he was done the tea had been drank and his parents were looking slightly tired at the edges.
“Why don’t we talk more in the morning?” Brian suggested. He stood, intending to take their cups to the sink, but AJ was already there, gathering them up. Brian read the look in his eyes and was grateful. “I’ll show you guys up to your room.”
It took him almost another half hour to get their bags upstairs and to get them settled in their room. His mother had to exclaim over the room, and how good a job he’d done renovating it. It had been one of the first ones that had been painted, and it’s walls were a mocha color. The bed that dominated the center of the room was made of dark wood, and its bedding was done in earthy browns and greens. It was a very natural looking room. With the curtains open it almost seemed as if the trees and nature from outside had bled into the room, which was exactly the effect he’d wanted.
By the time he was done with them, and their door was shut behind him, Brian was exhausted. He found AJ waiting for him in the hall and didn’t even have a chance to say anything. AJ whisked him off to their room, shutting the door once Nina was inside, and was undressing him for bed. In no time at all he had Brian in bed, the light off, and had climbed in beside him. Brian was so tired he barely managed to yawn out an “I love you” before he fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual, AJ was the first one up. He glanced at the clock they’d bought for the nightstand and sighed. It was only seven in the morning. With another sigh, followed by a yawn, he looked over to the side of the bed at what had woke him up. Nina stood there, her head resting on the bed, nudging at his leg. “All right, all right, I’m up.” He grumbled at her.
From his side of the bed Brian started to stir. “Alex?” he mumbled sleepily. One hand came up to rub at his eyes.
AJ stretched his head to give Brian a soft kiss. “It’s justNiña baby. I’ve got her.”
With a yawn Brian rolled his head and stretched his body. AJ stood up and moved to the closet. He grabbed the sweater he kept on a hook on the door and pulled it over his head. Once it was on, he saw that Brian had stood up and was heading toward the bathroom. It was part of their usual morning routine. Nina usually woke AJ up around this time, and while he took her out and had a morning smoke, Brian would grab his shower. By the time he was done and came downstairs, AJ had the coffee made and was getting breakfast ready. It was their routine, and they both enjoyed it.
“Ok, Niña, afuera.” Outside, he told her, which was one of her favorite words. She led the way downstairs, practically quivering with excitement. After pressing the button to start the pre-prepared coffee maker, AJ stepped onto the back porch, shutting the sliding door behind him. He took his usual place on the stairs and opened the milk jug full of water that he kept tucked out of sight alongside the stairs. Once it was set where he could use it without knocking it over, he lit a smoke and watched Nina romp through the backyard.
What the day was going to bring he had no idea. But one thing was for sure. It was going to be interesting. A part of him was worried about Harold and Jackie’s reactions when they realized that their son was in a relationship with AJ, but it wasn’t worry for himself. It was worry for what the stress was going to do to Brian’s heart. No matter what, he needed to try to make sure that the stress was as minimal as possible.
Once his smoke was done he called to Nina. She stopped her romping to look at him and whine. AJ grinned and told her to go play before he moved into the house. Their yard was completely fenced in, so there was no where she could go that she wasn’t allowed. It did her good to burn off energy. He left the glass door cracked just enough that she’d be able to nudge it open when she came back.
He had just poured two cups of coffee and finished adding the creamer when Brian came into the kitchen. Hair still wet from his shower, and dressed in jeans and a loose sweater, AJ thought that no one had ever had a better looking boyfriend. “Morning, snuggles.” He rasped as he handed Brian his coffee.
Brian took the cup and wrapped his hands around it. After that first sip he smiled. “Morning, tiger.”
Neither of them heard the couple that was coming down the staircase. Caught up in one another, they were oblivious to the sounds. Right as Jackie and Harold stepped around the corner and into the kitchen, Brian leaned in and gave AJ a good morning kiss.
It was the loud gasp that caught their attention. Both men spun toward the sound to find Jackie standing with a hand over her heart, and Harold gaping at them in shock. The kitchen was totally silent.
Nervously Brian chewed at his lip. “Morning, Mom, Dad.” He found himself saying.