Run Away Home Chapter 13
Title: Run Away Home
Chapter: 13/15
Prompt: Table 2, Prompt 51 (intrude)
Rating; T
Word Count: Approx 2100
Chapter Summary: Marcus comes to visit.
Jeff was released to go home Friday morning. His concussion was still causing extreme vertigo when he stood for too long, but as long as he could make it from his bed to the toilet and back by himself, which he could, the doctors didn’t need to keep him in the hospital anymore.
Being in his own bed was amazing. And since Byron didn’t watch Mallory’s kids on Fridays, he was able to spend the entire day with Jeff, leaving Sharon able to go into work.
Jeff was afraid that it would be boring for Byron. Jeff, after all, need to sleep several hours during the day. But if Byron was bored, he never showed it to Jeff.
The television hurt Jeff’s head, and so did looking at a phone for too long. For that matter, so did reading. So he and Byron chatted, and Jeff continued to get confused by things and had some trouble finding words, but Byron patiently repeated himself or waited for Jeff to find the words he needed.
At one point, Jeff told Byron he’d bought a new book on his Kindle and asked Byron to read it. “You want me to read out loud to you?” Byron asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” Jeff answered. “Mary Anne told me I should read...this guy…” Jeff couldn’t remember the author’s name.
Byron scrolled to the newest download, “Kurt Vonnegut?” he asked.
“Yeah. So whatever book of his that’s there. Can you read it to me?”
Byron looked amused but he agreed. He opened the book on the Kindle and cleared his throat, “Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut. Or, Goodbye Blue Monday.”
Jeff settled into his pillow and closed his eyes. Byron began reading the book. A few minutes into it, Jeff opened one eye and interrupted, “By,” he said.
Byron looked up from the Kindle, “yeah?”
“Lay with me.”
“What now?”
“Lay next to me while you read.”
“Why?”
“Dunno,” Jeff shrugged. “It feels like you’re a nurse, sitting in a chair next to me.”
Byron hesitated, “This is weird,” he confessed.
“Just do it.”
“Fine.” Byron kicked off his shoes as Jeff scooted over in the bed. It was cozy and Jeff felt only marginally guilty that he used his injury and Byron’s pity to get Byron into bed with him. “This all right?” he asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” Jeff nodded. He kept his eyes closed. “Keep reading.”
Byron paused for a moment before he picked up where he’d left off in the book. Jeff listened, but was having trouble concentrating. Instead he lay there, soaking in the feel of having Byron in bed next to him.
At some point, Jeff drifted off to sleep, but Byron didn’t want to wake him up so he stayed in bed and kept reading silently to himself. And then he, too, fell asleep.
Sharon got home from work and smiled to see Byron’s car in the driveway. She liked Byron, and while she would never push Jeff into something he didn’t want, she hoped that if anything good came from this week, it would be Byron and Jeff getting together. The house was silent as she walked in. She climbed the stairs and peeked into Jeff’s room. She saw Byron, asleep on his back with Jeff’s Kindle dangling precariously from his hand over the edge of the bed, and Jeff sleeping curled on his side, his legs pressed heavily into Byron’s.
______
Byron came over Saturday and spent the afternoon with Jeff, who was still mostly bed-ridden. And he came over Sunday too, when Jeff had decided he’d had enough of his bedroom and insisted on hanging out in the living room.
Sunday was different though. Jeff was agitated and quiet. Byron tried to get him involved in conversation, but he gave short, moody one word answers. The third time Byron asked if he was OK, Jeff even snapped at him. Byron looked stung, but Jeff couldn’t be bothered to care.
Jeff, for his part, couldn’t exactly put his finger on why he was acting this way. It had something to do with Marcus, he was sure of it. Marcus was supposed to come after lunch and visit Jeff. He’d emailed Jeff the night before and he was very clear that he wasn’t going to be able to stay long.
And Jeff wasn’t even sure if that’s what was bothering him - that Marcus couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) stay for long. Because Jeff didn’t know what to expect from this visit. What was Marcus’s intention in trying to see him? Pity after hearing about the accident? Just a friendly visit? Something more than friendly?
Maybe that’s what was pissing Jeff off. That it had been ten months since he’d last seen Marcus, and he’d finally gotten over him. And even the idea of having to see him again was making him feel like getting back together was a possibility. And thinking of that possibility completely stressed Jeff out. Because he was no longer denying (to himself anyway) his true feelings for Byron. But as the same time, he couldn’t deny all the history and the love between him and Marcus. And a small part of Jeff thought that maybe if Marcus wanted to get back together, picking up and moving back to California would be the best thing.
But Jeff hated even thinking of it at all, first of all because he was pretty sure Marcus didn’t want to get back together and he was getting way ahead of himself by even entertaining the thought. Second of all, he was still concussed and trying to do any amount of heavy thinking got him confused, and when he’d get too confused, he’d get frustrated and wind up with another headache.
“Do you want me to keep reading to you?” Byron asked, after a long silence.
Jeff shrugged, “Sure.”
Byron looked like he wanted to argue, or yell at Jeff for his shitty attitude, but instead sighed as he started up the steps to grab Jeff’s Kindle. He wasn’t about to argue with an injured man.
Byron continued reading the book and, as he’d done the two previous days, Jeff eventually nodded off. He awoke a short time later to find Marcus sitting in a chair next to him and Byron standing in the doorway openly scowling at the both of them.
“Hey,” Marcus said. He had a concerned look on his face as he gazed down at a just-woken and confused Jeff. “Your mom and your friend,” Marcus gestured toward Byron, who smiled tightly, “let me in.”
“Oh,” Jeff said. “Give me a minute.” Jeff tended to wake up in a confused state and it took him several moments to remember why Marcus was there and that he’d been expecting him.
Jeff looked at Marcus. He looked good. As handsome and well-dressed as ever. He’d given in to the early-balding genes and had shaved his head, Michael Jordan style. Jeff didn’t know if it was the concussion or his already foul mood, but he found himself annoyed that Marcus was even there. Marcus’ mere presence felt like an intrusion on Jeff’s new life in Stoneybrook.
“I’m going to head out, Jeff,” Byron said.
“Uh…” Jeff didn’t really want Byron to go, but was still grasping with being woken up. “OK. See you tomorrow.”
“No,” Byron corrected. “I start my new job tomorrow, remember?”
“Oh right,” Jeff nodded. “Good luck. Call me and let me know how it went, yeah?”
Byron paused to glance at Marcus before answering, “Yeah. Sure.” Even without a concussion, Jeff was sure he wouldn’t have been able to read Byron’s emotions.
Jeff and Marcus were silent until they heard the door slam as Byron left. “So,” Marcus began. “How are you feeling?”
“How do I look?” Jeff asked.
Marcus hesitated. “Honestly? You look awful.” He searched Jeff’s face sadly, noting the stitches, the bruising, and the missing teeth.
“I have a concussion,” Jeff said. “It makes me confused sometimes.” He liked to warn people of that, and just this morning Byron reminded him that he already knew - that he’d seen Jeff each of the last several days.
“I heard,” Marcus said. “Your friend told me before I woke you up.” Marcus paused, “Your friend? Boyfriend?”
Jeff shrugged, not wanting to get into it with Marcus. “I have a headache all the time,” he continued, answering Marcus’s question about how he was feeling instead of his answer about who Byron was to him. “I also broke my collarbone and some ribs, and my back constantly aches.”
Marcus frowned, “I’m sorry you’re going through this. Is insurance taking care of everything?”
Jeff smiled a little. Marcus was always one to worry about the practical things. “Yes. I have an open claim with the other guy’s insurance. They’re covering my medical. I was in a company car and at work, so I’m getting worker’s comp.”
Marcus looked relieved, “Everything that’s wrong...it’ll heal, right?”
“Yeah,” Jeff nodded. “You worried?”
Marcus looked a little chagrined. “Yes. I wasn’t sure about coming to see you anyway this weekend, but when I heard about the accident, I thought I definitely should.”
“Oh. So if I hadn’t been nearly killed and spent a day in a coma you would have been a train ride away from me but not taken the time to see me?”
Marcus shifted uncomfortably before answering honestly, “I don’t know. I hadn’t decided.”
Jeff shrugged and looked away. “Well. That doesn’t surprise me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marcus asked curiously.
“You moved only a few miles away from me when you left,” Jeff accused. “But when I got laid off and when my stepdad died, you didn’t bother to contact me.”
“I know,” Marcus said quietly. “I was afraid….I was afraid I’d feel sorry for you and would end up getting back together out of pity or something.”
“But now?”
“Getting back together isn’t an option,” Marcus explained flatly. “I’m seeing someone.”
Jeff tried to analyze his feelings for a moment. On one hand, given the opportunity, he’d get together with Byron so he couldn’t exactly be angry (or even annoyed) with Marcus. But on the other hand, Jeff was feeling very….replaceable. Finally he asked, “Anyone I know?”
“No,” Marcus shook his head. “He’s the cousin of a co-worker who set us up on a blind date a few months ago.”
Jeff thought briefly of Eduardo’s cousin Nelson, whom Eduardo had offered to set him up with those months ago. It might have been an interesting parallel that he and Marcus were in the same position and Marcus chose to go out on the date and Jeff chose not to.
Jeff must have been quiet for a long time, because Marcus asked, “You all right?”
“Yeah,” Jeff said. “I’m happy for you.”
Jeff might have been confused, and might not have been great at reading faces, but he thought Marcus looked pleased at Jeff’s response. Jeff wanted to be angry, and he wanted to care more that Marcus was seeing someone else. He wanted to stare at Marcus and remember that it had been less than a year since Marcus had made him feel like his heart was being ripped right out of his chest and stomped on.
But he just….he didn’t. He didn’t have it in him to care that much. He still had a lot of, maybe not love exactly, but definitely fondness for Marcus. They’d had a lot of good years together before things had grown bad and Jeff knew that was just as much his fault as Marcus’s. But that didn’t take away the good and it didn’t make him want to wish and ill will on Marcus.
They changed the subjects to their families. Marcus asked about Jacob and Joshua and admitted he still kept in occasional touch with Mary Anne, which is how he found out about the accident in the first place. Marcus told Jeff that his mom constantly asks about him, and to expect a birthday present from her the following week on his thirty-first birthday.
It was nice and it was friendly. But, as promised, Marcus stayed barely more than an hour and when it was up, he had to leave to get back to the train station. Jeff reflected on their visit and he decided that while it was fine that Marcus had come, he really would have preferred to spend the entire day with Byron. Maybe he could have gotten Byron to lay in bed with him a second time.
Chapter: 13/15
Prompt: Table 2, Prompt 51 (intrude)
Rating; T
Word Count: Approx 2100
Chapter Summary: Marcus comes to visit.
Jeff was released to go home Friday morning. His concussion was still causing extreme vertigo when he stood for too long, but as long as he could make it from his bed to the toilet and back by himself, which he could, the doctors didn’t need to keep him in the hospital anymore.
Being in his own bed was amazing. And since Byron didn’t watch Mallory’s kids on Fridays, he was able to spend the entire day with Jeff, leaving Sharon able to go into work.
Jeff was afraid that it would be boring for Byron. Jeff, after all, need to sleep several hours during the day. But if Byron was bored, he never showed it to Jeff.
The television hurt Jeff’s head, and so did looking at a phone for too long. For that matter, so did reading. So he and Byron chatted, and Jeff continued to get confused by things and had some trouble finding words, but Byron patiently repeated himself or waited for Jeff to find the words he needed.
At one point, Jeff told Byron he’d bought a new book on his Kindle and asked Byron to read it. “You want me to read out loud to you?” Byron asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” Jeff answered. “Mary Anne told me I should read...this guy…” Jeff couldn’t remember the author’s name.
Byron scrolled to the newest download, “Kurt Vonnegut?” he asked.
“Yeah. So whatever book of his that’s there. Can you read it to me?”
Byron looked amused but he agreed. He opened the book on the Kindle and cleared his throat, “Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut. Or, Goodbye Blue Monday.”
Jeff settled into his pillow and closed his eyes. Byron began reading the book. A few minutes into it, Jeff opened one eye and interrupted, “By,” he said.
Byron looked up from the Kindle, “yeah?”
“Lay with me.”
“What now?”
“Lay next to me while you read.”
“Why?”
“Dunno,” Jeff shrugged. “It feels like you’re a nurse, sitting in a chair next to me.”
Byron hesitated, “This is weird,” he confessed.
“Just do it.”
“Fine.” Byron kicked off his shoes as Jeff scooted over in the bed. It was cozy and Jeff felt only marginally guilty that he used his injury and Byron’s pity to get Byron into bed with him. “This all right?” he asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” Jeff nodded. He kept his eyes closed. “Keep reading.”
Byron paused for a moment before he picked up where he’d left off in the book. Jeff listened, but was having trouble concentrating. Instead he lay there, soaking in the feel of having Byron in bed next to him.
At some point, Jeff drifted off to sleep, but Byron didn’t want to wake him up so he stayed in bed and kept reading silently to himself. And then he, too, fell asleep.
Sharon got home from work and smiled to see Byron’s car in the driveway. She liked Byron, and while she would never push Jeff into something he didn’t want, she hoped that if anything good came from this week, it would be Byron and Jeff getting together. The house was silent as she walked in. She climbed the stairs and peeked into Jeff’s room. She saw Byron, asleep on his back with Jeff’s Kindle dangling precariously from his hand over the edge of the bed, and Jeff sleeping curled on his side, his legs pressed heavily into Byron’s.
______
Byron came over Saturday and spent the afternoon with Jeff, who was still mostly bed-ridden. And he came over Sunday too, when Jeff had decided he’d had enough of his bedroom and insisted on hanging out in the living room.
Sunday was different though. Jeff was agitated and quiet. Byron tried to get him involved in conversation, but he gave short, moody one word answers. The third time Byron asked if he was OK, Jeff even snapped at him. Byron looked stung, but Jeff couldn’t be bothered to care.
Jeff, for his part, couldn’t exactly put his finger on why he was acting this way. It had something to do with Marcus, he was sure of it. Marcus was supposed to come after lunch and visit Jeff. He’d emailed Jeff the night before and he was very clear that he wasn’t going to be able to stay long.
And Jeff wasn’t even sure if that’s what was bothering him - that Marcus couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) stay for long. Because Jeff didn’t know what to expect from this visit. What was Marcus’s intention in trying to see him? Pity after hearing about the accident? Just a friendly visit? Something more than friendly?
Maybe that’s what was pissing Jeff off. That it had been ten months since he’d last seen Marcus, and he’d finally gotten over him. And even the idea of having to see him again was making him feel like getting back together was a possibility. And thinking of that possibility completely stressed Jeff out. Because he was no longer denying (to himself anyway) his true feelings for Byron. But as the same time, he couldn’t deny all the history and the love between him and Marcus. And a small part of Jeff thought that maybe if Marcus wanted to get back together, picking up and moving back to California would be the best thing.
But Jeff hated even thinking of it at all, first of all because he was pretty sure Marcus didn’t want to get back together and he was getting way ahead of himself by even entertaining the thought. Second of all, he was still concussed and trying to do any amount of heavy thinking got him confused, and when he’d get too confused, he’d get frustrated and wind up with another headache.
“Do you want me to keep reading to you?” Byron asked, after a long silence.
Jeff shrugged, “Sure.”
Byron looked like he wanted to argue, or yell at Jeff for his shitty attitude, but instead sighed as he started up the steps to grab Jeff’s Kindle. He wasn’t about to argue with an injured man.
Byron continued reading the book and, as he’d done the two previous days, Jeff eventually nodded off. He awoke a short time later to find Marcus sitting in a chair next to him and Byron standing in the doorway openly scowling at the both of them.
“Hey,” Marcus said. He had a concerned look on his face as he gazed down at a just-woken and confused Jeff. “Your mom and your friend,” Marcus gestured toward Byron, who smiled tightly, “let me in.”
“Oh,” Jeff said. “Give me a minute.” Jeff tended to wake up in a confused state and it took him several moments to remember why Marcus was there and that he’d been expecting him.
Jeff looked at Marcus. He looked good. As handsome and well-dressed as ever. He’d given in to the early-balding genes and had shaved his head, Michael Jordan style. Jeff didn’t know if it was the concussion or his already foul mood, but he found himself annoyed that Marcus was even there. Marcus’ mere presence felt like an intrusion on Jeff’s new life in Stoneybrook.
“I’m going to head out, Jeff,” Byron said.
“Uh…” Jeff didn’t really want Byron to go, but was still grasping with being woken up. “OK. See you tomorrow.”
“No,” Byron corrected. “I start my new job tomorrow, remember?”
“Oh right,” Jeff nodded. “Good luck. Call me and let me know how it went, yeah?”
Byron paused to glance at Marcus before answering, “Yeah. Sure.” Even without a concussion, Jeff was sure he wouldn’t have been able to read Byron’s emotions.
Jeff and Marcus were silent until they heard the door slam as Byron left. “So,” Marcus began. “How are you feeling?”
“How do I look?” Jeff asked.
Marcus hesitated. “Honestly? You look awful.” He searched Jeff’s face sadly, noting the stitches, the bruising, and the missing teeth.
“I have a concussion,” Jeff said. “It makes me confused sometimes.” He liked to warn people of that, and just this morning Byron reminded him that he already knew - that he’d seen Jeff each of the last several days.
“I heard,” Marcus said. “Your friend told me before I woke you up.” Marcus paused, “Your friend? Boyfriend?”
Jeff shrugged, not wanting to get into it with Marcus. “I have a headache all the time,” he continued, answering Marcus’s question about how he was feeling instead of his answer about who Byron was to him. “I also broke my collarbone and some ribs, and my back constantly aches.”
Marcus frowned, “I’m sorry you’re going through this. Is insurance taking care of everything?”
Jeff smiled a little. Marcus was always one to worry about the practical things. “Yes. I have an open claim with the other guy’s insurance. They’re covering my medical. I was in a company car and at work, so I’m getting worker’s comp.”
Marcus looked relieved, “Everything that’s wrong...it’ll heal, right?”
“Yeah,” Jeff nodded. “You worried?”
Marcus looked a little chagrined. “Yes. I wasn’t sure about coming to see you anyway this weekend, but when I heard about the accident, I thought I definitely should.”
“Oh. So if I hadn’t been nearly killed and spent a day in a coma you would have been a train ride away from me but not taken the time to see me?”
Marcus shifted uncomfortably before answering honestly, “I don’t know. I hadn’t decided.”
Jeff shrugged and looked away. “Well. That doesn’t surprise me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marcus asked curiously.
“You moved only a few miles away from me when you left,” Jeff accused. “But when I got laid off and when my stepdad died, you didn’t bother to contact me.”
“I know,” Marcus said quietly. “I was afraid….I was afraid I’d feel sorry for you and would end up getting back together out of pity or something.”
“But now?”
“Getting back together isn’t an option,” Marcus explained flatly. “I’m seeing someone.”
Jeff tried to analyze his feelings for a moment. On one hand, given the opportunity, he’d get together with Byron so he couldn’t exactly be angry (or even annoyed) with Marcus. But on the other hand, Jeff was feeling very….replaceable. Finally he asked, “Anyone I know?”
“No,” Marcus shook his head. “He’s the cousin of a co-worker who set us up on a blind date a few months ago.”
Jeff thought briefly of Eduardo’s cousin Nelson, whom Eduardo had offered to set him up with those months ago. It might have been an interesting parallel that he and Marcus were in the same position and Marcus chose to go out on the date and Jeff chose not to.
Jeff must have been quiet for a long time, because Marcus asked, “You all right?”
“Yeah,” Jeff said. “I’m happy for you.”
Jeff might have been confused, and might not have been great at reading faces, but he thought Marcus looked pleased at Jeff’s response. Jeff wanted to be angry, and he wanted to care more that Marcus was seeing someone else. He wanted to stare at Marcus and remember that it had been less than a year since Marcus had made him feel like his heart was being ripped right out of his chest and stomped on.
But he just….he didn’t. He didn’t have it in him to care that much. He still had a lot of, maybe not love exactly, but definitely fondness for Marcus. They’d had a lot of good years together before things had grown bad and Jeff knew that was just as much his fault as Marcus’s. But that didn’t take away the good and it didn’t make him want to wish and ill will on Marcus.
They changed the subjects to their families. Marcus asked about Jacob and Joshua and admitted he still kept in occasional touch with Mary Anne, which is how he found out about the accident in the first place. Marcus told Jeff that his mom constantly asks about him, and to expect a birthday present from her the following week on his thirty-first birthday.
It was nice and it was friendly. But, as promised, Marcus stayed barely more than an hour and when it was up, he had to leave to get back to the train station. Jeff reflected on their visit and he decided that while it was fine that Marcus had come, he really would have preferred to spend the entire day with Byron. Maybe he could have gotten Byron to lay in bed with him a second time.