Fic: And Show Your World to Me; Modern!AU
Author: rivlee
Title: And Show Your World to Me
Rating: R
Characters/Pairing: Roe, Babe, Bill, Snafu, Eva, Alley, Paw-Paw. Babe/Roe.
Summary: Gene Roe wasn’t expecting a weekend like this one. Part of the Modern!AU.
Disclaimer: This is all fiction based off the characters as portrayed in the HBO mini-series. No disrespect or harm is meant or intended. Title and cut-text from Dave Matthews Band’s Crash Into Me.
A/N: Unbeated. Directly follows And Good Things Happen. Dear Nat, I am not always an utter tease.
October 2006
Gene and Bill had a history, a friendship built on going through an absolute moral hell while overseas, but it was nothing compared to what Bill had with Edward. It didn’t matter how close Gene and Bill were, he understood that right now, Bill very much saw him as a possible hostile force.
They were in the kitchen cleaning up the mess left over from dinner and the poker game. Everyone else was in the living room watching Die Hard at an ear-shattering level. Apparently John McClane brought the world together.
Bill broke their comfortable silence with a haggard sigh.
“Just say what you need to, Bill,” he said.
Bill nodded. “Gene, I say this with the upmost respect, but if you break Babe I will rip your balls out through your throat, you got it? It was only an act of government that kept me from putting a bullet in the last jackass who took him for granted. I really don’t want to hurt you, Doc, but some bonds go deeper.”
Gene patted his shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Wild Bill.” He looked out into the living room; caught Edward’s smiling profile covered in the television screen light. “I just hope he doesn’t break me.”
“He’ll be good for you,” Bill promised. “He’ll drive you crazy with worry and make you wonder how the hell he gets into half the trouble he finds, but he’s worth it. All of it.”
“I got to admit, I was surprised that he had your support for coming down here in the summer.”
It was a sentiment that confused Gene. Once Henry died Bill got extremely overprotective of everyone he called family. He had no problem cashing in favors and having them all watched over. It was one of those favors that had Edward sent to Roe’s ER that fateful night. It made him wonder just how often Bill had a dealing in seemingly innocuous events.
“You know how to protect what’s precious,” Bill said. “You got that lesson handed to you in hell and I know you don’t take anything lightly. Not anymore. There are few people on this goddamned planet I’d trust Spina and Babe with, but you’re at the top of that list, Doc.”
“Right behind, Frances, yes?”
“Oh hell no,” Bill said. “She’d destroy them in five seconds. Woman’s already got them trained.” His smile was wide. “God, I love her.”
Frances really was the perfect match for Bill. She supported him, even with his bad habits, and yet still managed to keep him controlled. Bill was emotional about everything, just how he was, an unrepentant passionate man who felt and lived to extremes. Fran had her own temper, her own stubbornness, but she knew when to give in and let it go. And Bill? He always needed to be forcibly stopped.
“I noticed you got some free rooms here,” Bill said.
Gene laughed. “I know what you’re planning and Edward already knows the door’s always open to him.”
Bill nodded. “Does he know-”
“Not yet,” Gene said.
Gene hadn’t told Edward the darkest parts of his past yet. It just didn’t do for the rare time they had together. It had to be a conversation done face-to-face; Gene needed to be able to watch the silent tells of Edward’s body. It wasn’t information he gladly shared with anyone, just what he did in the supposed name of progress and medicine in the Middle East. He wondered if this ever-biting guilt was what all his fellow doctors felt for administering vaccine that turned out to be poison. Apparently it wasn’t called biological warfare when it was given by someone wearing a red cross.
Bill gripped his shoulder, pulling him out of the past.
“Time enough for that,” Bill said. He cocked his head to the side. “I think the rest of the kitchen can wait until the morning. Let’s go join all the crazy kids.”
Gene nodded. “House hasn’t been this full in ages. Nice to have some company.”
“We’ll have to try and visit more often,” Bill said.
Gene threw an arm around his shoulder and steered them towards the couch. “Door is open to you too, Bill.”
***************
Gene woke up before his alarm. He normally slept straight through the night but he was hard pressed to miss a moment of Edward in his bed. It was an unexpected luxury he didn’t dream of seeing for months yet.
Edward’s nose twitched in his sleep; face scrunching up as if he felt the scrutiny. Gene gently ran a hand down his chest, pushing him back and calming him. He instinctively reached out, tugging on Gene’s hand and pulling him down. He couldn’t stop his own smile. It was foolish, falling so hard and so fast for someone who was still a stranger in so many ways, but it just felt right.
Gene didn’t believe in love-at-first-sight but he did put faith in fate and instinct. Even if Edward wasn’t meant for him, they were meant to be in each other’s lives. Gene would just hold on as long as he could, grateful to whoever watched over that he’d been granted this, no matter how short that time might be.
Edward shifted again, baring more of his bare chest to the night air. He didn’t seem to feel the chill of the room unlike Gene who had the comforter bunched around his feet. He studied Edward’s chest and arms, looking more with the eyes of a healer than a lover. There were some scars and bruises there, not all of them old. A few were the product of Gene’s own hand, it’d been far too long for either of them to be gentle tonight, but there were darker and deeper cuts there that no human hand could make. It made him wonder what Edward was getting up to back in Pennsport. He expected bruises from working the bar, full of heavy lifting and crowded spaces, but there shouldn’t have been jagged cuts on his shoulder or near the back of his neck. Broken beer bottles didn’t leave those types of marks.
“What are you getting up to, Edward,” he said, barely above a whisper.
He ran his fingers over the St. Christopher medallion tattoo all the Heffron children bore. It was a tradition for the family in their eighteenth year to receive the mark. It started with Maryann Heffron’s father back during World War II and carried on down the family line, varying in color, size, and placement, but all the same image. A simple necklace apparently didn’t do the trick. Edward’s was on his upper right arm, high enough to be hidden by a short-sleeve t-shirt, the same exact placement as both his older brothers, Joe and Jimmy. Gene could only wonder if Johnny would continue the tradition and where Maggie would place hers. He smiled. Knowing the stories, Margaret Heffron would most likely follow in the same path of all her brothers.
He wanted to meet them, all of them. He’d only spoken with them over the phone and through e-mails, seen the family pictures in Edward’s wallet and the galleries on Bill’s Facebook. He wondered if they all talked like Edward, had that same defiant and unyielding swagger that still seemed so innocent and welcoming.
“Christ, Gene, you’re thinking too loud,” Edward muttered.
“Sorry,” he said. He lowered himself fully down and curled up into Edward’s side.
“Don’t apologize, just sleep.”
“I need to be up in an hour.”
“Then you got some time,” Edward said, his words starting to slur as he drifted back to sleep.
Gene smiled. He knew better than to argue with a half-asleep Edward Heffron.
***************
Gene was in his office at the clinic sorting through stacks of grant applications when Raphael Spina decided to darken his door. Spina was quickly becoming one of his favorite people and most trusted employees. He hoped he could convince him to go to med school in the coming year, but if not, he’d gladly keep Spina as a Registered Nurse. He could always try to push him to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist anyway. Renée was already in the process of getting her graduate degree and she would gladly offer advice.
“Is there something you need, Spina?” he asked.
“Me and Shelton can clear out tonight if you and Babe want the house to yourselves.”
Babe. It was the name all of Edward’s friends and family used. Gene knew it was an odd quirk that he insisted on using his given name, but he never wanted to be everyone else. Edward, luckily, gladly indulged him.
“I think you need time with Edward just as much as I do. He came down here to see you.”
“Only because he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Babe can be a bit of a pessimist about that shit. I’ve got a lifetime of Babe, Gene. I’m going to see him when I go home for Thanksgiving. You can’t say when you’ll be together. Take it, please. Consider it an additional birthday gift to me. I won’t have to hear him bitch about what might have been.”
Gene laughed. “So, this is a selfish act then?”
Spina solemnly nodded. “It’s a hard thing to admit, but I am a completely selfish man. Remy wants to take us all out to some bar in Baton Rouge anyway and I’d like to have Babe not be there. He has a thing when going into a new bar.”
“Much like a medical professional going into a practice that’s not his own?” Gene asked.
Spina nodded. “We all think we do it better than anyone else.”
“I suppose there’s no other way to handle it then. I guess I’m going be the sacrifice,” he said.
Spina laughed. “Such a hardship for you, I’m sure.”
“These old bones take a beating from you young boys.”
Spina gagged. “I love you guys, but I don’t want to know any more.”
Gene laughed and waved at the door. “Get back to work, Raphael.”
“Of course, Bossman.”
Gene spent the rest of the workday organizing contacts for more funding and setting up next week’s shift schedule. He needed to hire more people, but it was hard as hell to scrape the money together to pay his employees now. It was all frustrating and stress-inducing, but he wouldn’t have his life any other way. He’d learned his lessons about life the hard way and he’d promised himself two years ago that he’d do everything in his power to live right by his people. He’d just barely started on the road to penance but it wasn’t in him to ever turn back, no matter how hard the way seemed.
Eva was the only one still in the clinic when he finally left his office.
“Why ain’t you home yet?” he asked.
“Needed to make sure you weren't going to sleep in your office again,” she said. She pulled her coat on. “Your new boo is back home. Why you wasting time here?”
“Job still has to get done. Edward understands,” he explained.
Eva shook her head, dark curls bouncing. “You best hold on to that boy with both hands and feet, Gene.”
He gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
He made sure she got into her car safely before climbing into his own.
It was completely dark by the time he got home. Edward was out on the porch, bare feet hanging over the edge, sipping on a beer bottle and looking at the stars. It was such a familiar sight from last summer that Gene couldn’t quell the rush of joy. He wanted this, coming home to Edward like it was something normal and not a rare gift.
“Must be hard, being you,” Gene said. He sat down beside Edward and swiped his beer, ignoring his half-assed protests.
“Don’t know how I manage to roll myself out of bed in the morning,” Edward joked. He rested his chin on Gene’s shoulder and nuzzled his neck. “Our friends cleared out.”
Gene smiled, leaning into Edward’s mouth. “Shouldn’t waste any time, then. Knowing Merl-Francis, he’s got something horrible planned for us.”
“Your best friend is a psycho.”
“And that I will not deny.”
He lightly pushed Edward off his shoulder and stood up. He held his hand out. “Come, let’s get some dinner,” he said.
Edward took his hand, a world of promise shining in his dark eyes and wide smile.
***************
The first time they did this it was a week into Edward’s first stay in St. Boniface. It was rushed, quick, far too good and far too fast, the end result of torturing and stopping themselves in Raleigh. That first time has been as much about getting off as anything else.
Now they had the luxury of time and enough knowledge of each other to linger.
They were both strong men, but Gene had tone where Edward had bulk. He love to press his hands into Edward’s back, feel the ripple of muscles borne out of years of working in bars. There was something soothing about it, the obvious health and liveliness in Edward’s very skin.
The air was getting heavy, Gene could feel the blood rushing, the sweat on their skin, as they met, push for push, thrust for thrust. Edward’s hair was getting damp, sticking to his forehead and curling around the nape of his neck. Gene rested his hand there, running his fingers through the mess, pulling him down into a harsh kiss to silence the sounds tumbling out of both their mouths.
They didn’t need this to feel complete with each other; that never left them, in bed or out. It was just a damn good way to re-connect.
Gene raised his hips and tightened his legs around Edward’s waist, urging him to go faster.
Edward laughed, low and dirty. “You challenging me, Gene?”
“You up to it?” he asked.
Edward pulled his head back and met Gene’s eyes, looking for something. He must’ve found what he wanted because he nodded and then leaned back, pulling tight on Gene’s hips with steady hands.
There would be bruises in the morning. Gene’s back would probably lock up tomorrow, bending over one of his patient’s bed, but right now, in this bed, with this man, he just wanted to feel.
****************
There was a soft tapping on his door in Morse code. Merl-Francis, had to be. Gene pulled himself out of bed, tucking the fresh sheets around Edward’s nude body, and fished around the floor for a pair of boxers. He quickly pulled them on and rushed to the door before Merl-Francis got any louder.
“What happened?” he asked.
Merl-Francis looked him over, eyes lingering on his collarbone, before meeting his eyes.
“Didn’t know your boy was a biter,” he said.
“Merl-Francis, I swear to God-”
He held up a hand to stop Gene’s rant. “You got a guest. I suggest you hurry, he’s bleeding all over the floor.”
“Merde,” he cursed. He ducked back into the room to grab a shirt and bounded down the stairs. Merl-Francis trailed after him.
“You going to help?” he asked.
“You going to need it,” he said.
James Alley was using the kitchen counter to hold up his body. His side and face were covered in blood, dried and fresh, and he smelled of explosives.
“I meant to call,” he stuttered out.
Gene shook his head and walked over to him, carefully checking to see if it was safe to move.
“Alley, you just nothing but bad luck,” he said.
“I know, Doc,” Alley answered.
“Let’s get you to to the laundry room. You’re making my kitchen all unhygienic, Moe.”
Alley tried to laugh and then stopped, catching his breath.
Merl-Francis had already cleared a spot for them in the laundry room. They’d had to do this more than once; it was getting so bad Gene was thinking about putting a hospital bed in here. That was the problem with owing Ron Speirs for life, when his boys got hurt doing a job in Louisiana, they came to see Gene as a first resort.
“Didn’t know you were a Phillies fan, Doc,” Alley said, looking at his borrowed boxers.
Merl-Francis scoffed. “Now that’s damn unhygienic.”
“Go get me some clean scrubs and more gauze. We’re going to need the back-up supplies,” he ordered.
“Bitch, bitch, bitch,” Merl-Francis said as he left, but he left just the same.
He turned back to Alley and carefully started to cut open his clothes. “What you done did?”
“Job went bad, had to take a beating,” Alley said.
“And blow something up?”
“I wouldn’t watch the morning news,” Alley said. “You’re going to want to keep that plausible deniability, Doc.”
“Christ, Moe.”
The head wound wasn’t too bad. It was mostly healed with just some dirt and debris. Infection would be the biggest worry there. Alley’s pupils weren’t blown, but they’d still need to keep him up for the rest of the night. He’d have to get Merl-Francis to drive Alley to the next safe house once they were done here.
The wound to his side was more worrying but didn’t appear to hit any major arteries. Alley, for all his talent of getting into trouble, was damn good at not getting himself killed. He still needed an x-ray at the very least, but Gene knew that would take an act of God to convince him to go.
“Shit, Alley, what’d you do?” Edward asked.
Gene turned to see Spina, Edward, and Merl-Francis in the doorway. There were all laden down with medical supplies and clean clothes.
“Don’t piss of the Macedonians,” Alley said. He was starting to go pale.
“Spina, come here and hold this gauze for me. I’m going to go change and wash my hands so we can get Alley here stitched up. Merl-Francis, help Spina. Edward? Go to the liquor cabinet and get me a bottle of vodka and one of bourbon.”
“One of these days we’ll learn to keep sterile instruments at home,” Merl-Francis said.
“One of these days I’ll have a week when the world doesn’t manage to go to shit,” he said.
He changed in the hallway between the laundry room and kitchen, listening to Spina use his soothing voice on Alley while Merl-Francis bitched about blood stains on his work shirt. Edward stopped next to him, holding a plastic tub full of vodka, three different types of whiskey, and four glasses.
“Alley can’t drink right now,” Gene said.
“This ain’t for him,” Edward said. “I figure we’re all going to need one before we go back to sleep.”
“Sorry Merl-Francis woke you up to this,” Gene said.
Edward shrugged. “Trust me, Gene, I’ve seen worst. At least there are three people who know what they’re doing here. Back in Pennsport, outside of Spina and my ma, we use sewing thread and duct tape.”
Gene laughed and felt some of the tension ease out of his shoulders.
“I wish I was joking,” Edward said. He took a deep breath and put on a goofy smile before going back into the room, joking with Alley about how Ron Speirs was going to fire him for this one.
Gene didn’t have time to linger over it then, but later he would shake his head in amazement over Edward Heffron. Any of the other men he’d brought home, outside of Speirs’ colleagues, would’ve run by now to call the cops. Clandestine laundry room surgery was a deal breaker under normal circumstances. Not that there was anything normal about their relationship or their friends.
Alley was getting tired, head resting against the wall, but he was still smiling as he watched Edward and Merl-Francis fight over the proper way to mix drinks. Gene pulled on a pair of latex gloves and joined Spina. They silently worked on Alley as the other two bantered in the background.
“Surgery and a show,” Alley said through gritted teeth. “I should stop by more often.”
“I don’t think your body can handle any more visits,” Spina said. “How many injuries is this?”
“Fuck if I know,” Alley said. “I’m not dead yet, that’s all that matters.”
“You need to consider a less stressful career,” Gene said.
“Like a stuntman,” Spina said.
Alley just shook his head and tried not to laugh.
***************
It was their last full morning together until God knew when. Edward would leave on Monday afternoon while Gene was at work. They’d followed the same Sunday morning routine they’d started during the summer. The schedule was mid-morning mass and brunch before settling down to watch the Saints play the Buccaneers.
Gene could’ve kissed Anna when she’d agreed to cover his shift.
The house smelled like fried chicken as Paw-Paw started to make dinner. His visit hadn’t been too much of a surprise, Merl-Francis had that evil look all morning that could only mean he’d gone and tattled.
Edward looked like he needed a valium, but he’d had yet to stutter so far. Paw-Paw looked too damned amused by it all. He always liked to see Gene’s dates squirm. They’d had a talk though; he wouldn’t have his Paw-Paw run Edward away.
“Be nice,” he admonished as he cut up a zucchini. “Edward ain’t here for you to torture.”
“Tee Gene, I know you not telling me how to behave.”
Gene glared at his Paw-Paw. He hated being called little, English or Cajun be damned.
Paw-Paw laughed. “So much of Abigail in you. She would’ve liked your Edward.”
Gene felt his lips twitch. Grandma would’ve kidnapped Edward, is what she would’ve done. She always had a thing for Irish boys, going back to Gene Kelly. She never could convince him he wasn’t named after the man.
“You’re looking happy,” Paw-Paw said. He went silent as the oil sizzled around the chicken. “I guess he can stay.”
“Hopefully he will, in the future,” Gene said.
“He say anything?”
Gene shook his head. “Not as much. Many of his friends are trying to get him to move. They all want him down here.” He laughed. “Apparently we’re good for each other.”
“You’re good for everyone,” Paw-Paw said.
Gene sighed. “I ain’t perfect and I know that. I got a lot to make up for, Paw-Paw. I may not be worthy of him, but I’m going to try.”
“Everyone’s worthy of a good love,” Paw-Paw said. His tone brooked no argument, so Gene didn’t even try.
“You biddies done yet?” Merl-Francis asked. “We getting hungry and the game’s going start soon.”
“Don’t rush food,” Paw-Paw said. He swatted at Merl-Francis’ head. “When is your boy going to come down here.”
“I don’t have one, Paw-Paw,” he said.
“Your friend Romus has a different opinion on that. I’ve been told you keep avoiding things. We can’t have that, Merl-Francis. It’s bad manners.”
Merl-Francis shrugged. “I’ll handle it.”
“You better,” Paw-Paw ordered. “Romus is giving me updates.”
Merl-Francis wrinkled his nose but didn’t bother bitching. There was no winning against Paw-Paw when he thought something was best for you.
They spent the next twenty minutes in companionable silence waiting for dinner while Spina and Edward hung back. It was still Spina’s birthday weekend after all and Edward had come down here for him.
It felt special to have them all around the table, holding hands and saying grace. He just needed Renée and Anna here to make it feel complete. God willing this would soon be a normal Sunday. Gene clutched Edward’s hand below the table and rested his fingers on the strong pulse of his wrist. Edward hung on, turning his head and smiling at him.
He didn’t expect this weekend to happen. He owed so many of their friends and was so very thankful for this time. He’d despaired over making a long-distance relationship work. It was hard to believe, at the very start, that he could feel so much for a young man after only three days. They’d learned each other’s personalities and histories through phone calls, e-mails, and the occasional surprise meet-up. The summer had confirmed that this relationship was something they both wanted to desperately hang on to.
Gene could take the distance in stride if this was their future. Weekends like this would have to sustain them until Edward decided where he wanted to go in life.
Gene prayed it would be with him by his side.
Title: And Show Your World to Me
Rating: R
Characters/Pairing: Roe, Babe, Bill, Snafu, Eva, Alley, Paw-Paw. Babe/Roe.
Summary: Gene Roe wasn’t expecting a weekend like this one. Part of the Modern!AU.
Disclaimer: This is all fiction based off the characters as portrayed in the HBO mini-series. No disrespect or harm is meant or intended. Title and cut-text from Dave Matthews Band’s Crash Into Me.
A/N: Unbeated. Directly follows And Good Things Happen. Dear Nat, I am not always an utter tease.
October 2006
Gene and Bill had a history, a friendship built on going through an absolute moral hell while overseas, but it was nothing compared to what Bill had with Edward. It didn’t matter how close Gene and Bill were, he understood that right now, Bill very much saw him as a possible hostile force.
They were in the kitchen cleaning up the mess left over from dinner and the poker game. Everyone else was in the living room watching Die Hard at an ear-shattering level. Apparently John McClane brought the world together.
Bill broke their comfortable silence with a haggard sigh.
“Just say what you need to, Bill,” he said.
Bill nodded. “Gene, I say this with the upmost respect, but if you break Babe I will rip your balls out through your throat, you got it? It was only an act of government that kept me from putting a bullet in the last jackass who took him for granted. I really don’t want to hurt you, Doc, but some bonds go deeper.”
Gene patted his shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Wild Bill.” He looked out into the living room; caught Edward’s smiling profile covered in the television screen light. “I just hope he doesn’t break me.”
“He’ll be good for you,” Bill promised. “He’ll drive you crazy with worry and make you wonder how the hell he gets into half the trouble he finds, but he’s worth it. All of it.”
“I got to admit, I was surprised that he had your support for coming down here in the summer.”
It was a sentiment that confused Gene. Once Henry died Bill got extremely overprotective of everyone he called family. He had no problem cashing in favors and having them all watched over. It was one of those favors that had Edward sent to Roe’s ER that fateful night. It made him wonder just how often Bill had a dealing in seemingly innocuous events.
“You know how to protect what’s precious,” Bill said. “You got that lesson handed to you in hell and I know you don’t take anything lightly. Not anymore. There are few people on this goddamned planet I’d trust Spina and Babe with, but you’re at the top of that list, Doc.”
“Right behind, Frances, yes?”
“Oh hell no,” Bill said. “She’d destroy them in five seconds. Woman’s already got them trained.” His smile was wide. “God, I love her.”
Frances really was the perfect match for Bill. She supported him, even with his bad habits, and yet still managed to keep him controlled. Bill was emotional about everything, just how he was, an unrepentant passionate man who felt and lived to extremes. Fran had her own temper, her own stubbornness, but she knew when to give in and let it go. And Bill? He always needed to be forcibly stopped.
“I noticed you got some free rooms here,” Bill said.
Gene laughed. “I know what you’re planning and Edward already knows the door’s always open to him.”
Bill nodded. “Does he know-”
“Not yet,” Gene said.
Gene hadn’t told Edward the darkest parts of his past yet. It just didn’t do for the rare time they had together. It had to be a conversation done face-to-face; Gene needed to be able to watch the silent tells of Edward’s body. It wasn’t information he gladly shared with anyone, just what he did in the supposed name of progress and medicine in the Middle East. He wondered if this ever-biting guilt was what all his fellow doctors felt for administering vaccine that turned out to be poison. Apparently it wasn’t called biological warfare when it was given by someone wearing a red cross.
Bill gripped his shoulder, pulling him out of the past.
“Time enough for that,” Bill said. He cocked his head to the side. “I think the rest of the kitchen can wait until the morning. Let’s go join all the crazy kids.”
Gene nodded. “House hasn’t been this full in ages. Nice to have some company.”
“We’ll have to try and visit more often,” Bill said.
Gene threw an arm around his shoulder and steered them towards the couch. “Door is open to you too, Bill.”
***************
Gene woke up before his alarm. He normally slept straight through the night but he was hard pressed to miss a moment of Edward in his bed. It was an unexpected luxury he didn’t dream of seeing for months yet.
Edward’s nose twitched in his sleep; face scrunching up as if he felt the scrutiny. Gene gently ran a hand down his chest, pushing him back and calming him. He instinctively reached out, tugging on Gene’s hand and pulling him down. He couldn’t stop his own smile. It was foolish, falling so hard and so fast for someone who was still a stranger in so many ways, but it just felt right.
Gene didn’t believe in love-at-first-sight but he did put faith in fate and instinct. Even if Edward wasn’t meant for him, they were meant to be in each other’s lives. Gene would just hold on as long as he could, grateful to whoever watched over that he’d been granted this, no matter how short that time might be.
Edward shifted again, baring more of his bare chest to the night air. He didn’t seem to feel the chill of the room unlike Gene who had the comforter bunched around his feet. He studied Edward’s chest and arms, looking more with the eyes of a healer than a lover. There were some scars and bruises there, not all of them old. A few were the product of Gene’s own hand, it’d been far too long for either of them to be gentle tonight, but there were darker and deeper cuts there that no human hand could make. It made him wonder what Edward was getting up to back in Pennsport. He expected bruises from working the bar, full of heavy lifting and crowded spaces, but there shouldn’t have been jagged cuts on his shoulder or near the back of his neck. Broken beer bottles didn’t leave those types of marks.
“What are you getting up to, Edward,” he said, barely above a whisper.
He ran his fingers over the St. Christopher medallion tattoo all the Heffron children bore. It was a tradition for the family in their eighteenth year to receive the mark. It started with Maryann Heffron’s father back during World War II and carried on down the family line, varying in color, size, and placement, but all the same image. A simple necklace apparently didn’t do the trick. Edward’s was on his upper right arm, high enough to be hidden by a short-sleeve t-shirt, the same exact placement as both his older brothers, Joe and Jimmy. Gene could only wonder if Johnny would continue the tradition and where Maggie would place hers. He smiled. Knowing the stories, Margaret Heffron would most likely follow in the same path of all her brothers.
He wanted to meet them, all of them. He’d only spoken with them over the phone and through e-mails, seen the family pictures in Edward’s wallet and the galleries on Bill’s Facebook. He wondered if they all talked like Edward, had that same defiant and unyielding swagger that still seemed so innocent and welcoming.
“Christ, Gene, you’re thinking too loud,” Edward muttered.
“Sorry,” he said. He lowered himself fully down and curled up into Edward’s side.
“Don’t apologize, just sleep.”
“I need to be up in an hour.”
“Then you got some time,” Edward said, his words starting to slur as he drifted back to sleep.
Gene smiled. He knew better than to argue with a half-asleep Edward Heffron.
***************
Gene was in his office at the clinic sorting through stacks of grant applications when Raphael Spina decided to darken his door. Spina was quickly becoming one of his favorite people and most trusted employees. He hoped he could convince him to go to med school in the coming year, but if not, he’d gladly keep Spina as a Registered Nurse. He could always try to push him to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist anyway. Renée was already in the process of getting her graduate degree and she would gladly offer advice.
“Is there something you need, Spina?” he asked.
“Me and Shelton can clear out tonight if you and Babe want the house to yourselves.”
Babe. It was the name all of Edward’s friends and family used. Gene knew it was an odd quirk that he insisted on using his given name, but he never wanted to be everyone else. Edward, luckily, gladly indulged him.
“I think you need time with Edward just as much as I do. He came down here to see you.”
“Only because he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Babe can be a bit of a pessimist about that shit. I’ve got a lifetime of Babe, Gene. I’m going to see him when I go home for Thanksgiving. You can’t say when you’ll be together. Take it, please. Consider it an additional birthday gift to me. I won’t have to hear him bitch about what might have been.”
Gene laughed. “So, this is a selfish act then?”
Spina solemnly nodded. “It’s a hard thing to admit, but I am a completely selfish man. Remy wants to take us all out to some bar in Baton Rouge anyway and I’d like to have Babe not be there. He has a thing when going into a new bar.”
“Much like a medical professional going into a practice that’s not his own?” Gene asked.
Spina nodded. “We all think we do it better than anyone else.”
“I suppose there’s no other way to handle it then. I guess I’m going be the sacrifice,” he said.
Spina laughed. “Such a hardship for you, I’m sure.”
“These old bones take a beating from you young boys.”
Spina gagged. “I love you guys, but I don’t want to know any more.”
Gene laughed and waved at the door. “Get back to work, Raphael.”
“Of course, Bossman.”
Gene spent the rest of the workday organizing contacts for more funding and setting up next week’s shift schedule. He needed to hire more people, but it was hard as hell to scrape the money together to pay his employees now. It was all frustrating and stress-inducing, but he wouldn’t have his life any other way. He’d learned his lessons about life the hard way and he’d promised himself two years ago that he’d do everything in his power to live right by his people. He’d just barely started on the road to penance but it wasn’t in him to ever turn back, no matter how hard the way seemed.
Eva was the only one still in the clinic when he finally left his office.
“Why ain’t you home yet?” he asked.
“Needed to make sure you weren't going to sleep in your office again,” she said. She pulled her coat on. “Your new boo is back home. Why you wasting time here?”
“Job still has to get done. Edward understands,” he explained.
Eva shook her head, dark curls bouncing. “You best hold on to that boy with both hands and feet, Gene.”
He gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
He made sure she got into her car safely before climbing into his own.
It was completely dark by the time he got home. Edward was out on the porch, bare feet hanging over the edge, sipping on a beer bottle and looking at the stars. It was such a familiar sight from last summer that Gene couldn’t quell the rush of joy. He wanted this, coming home to Edward like it was something normal and not a rare gift.
“Must be hard, being you,” Gene said. He sat down beside Edward and swiped his beer, ignoring his half-assed protests.
“Don’t know how I manage to roll myself out of bed in the morning,” Edward joked. He rested his chin on Gene’s shoulder and nuzzled his neck. “Our friends cleared out.”
Gene smiled, leaning into Edward’s mouth. “Shouldn’t waste any time, then. Knowing Merl-Francis, he’s got something horrible planned for us.”
“Your best friend is a psycho.”
“And that I will not deny.”
He lightly pushed Edward off his shoulder and stood up. He held his hand out. “Come, let’s get some dinner,” he said.
Edward took his hand, a world of promise shining in his dark eyes and wide smile.
***************
The first time they did this it was a week into Edward’s first stay in St. Boniface. It was rushed, quick, far too good and far too fast, the end result of torturing and stopping themselves in Raleigh. That first time has been as much about getting off as anything else.
Now they had the luxury of time and enough knowledge of each other to linger.
They were both strong men, but Gene had tone where Edward had bulk. He love to press his hands into Edward’s back, feel the ripple of muscles borne out of years of working in bars. There was something soothing about it, the obvious health and liveliness in Edward’s very skin.
The air was getting heavy, Gene could feel the blood rushing, the sweat on their skin, as they met, push for push, thrust for thrust. Edward’s hair was getting damp, sticking to his forehead and curling around the nape of his neck. Gene rested his hand there, running his fingers through the mess, pulling him down into a harsh kiss to silence the sounds tumbling out of both their mouths.
They didn’t need this to feel complete with each other; that never left them, in bed or out. It was just a damn good way to re-connect.
Gene raised his hips and tightened his legs around Edward’s waist, urging him to go faster.
Edward laughed, low and dirty. “You challenging me, Gene?”
“You up to it?” he asked.
Edward pulled his head back and met Gene’s eyes, looking for something. He must’ve found what he wanted because he nodded and then leaned back, pulling tight on Gene’s hips with steady hands.
There would be bruises in the morning. Gene’s back would probably lock up tomorrow, bending over one of his patient’s bed, but right now, in this bed, with this man, he just wanted to feel.
****************
There was a soft tapping on his door in Morse code. Merl-Francis, had to be. Gene pulled himself out of bed, tucking the fresh sheets around Edward’s nude body, and fished around the floor for a pair of boxers. He quickly pulled them on and rushed to the door before Merl-Francis got any louder.
“What happened?” he asked.
Merl-Francis looked him over, eyes lingering on his collarbone, before meeting his eyes.
“Didn’t know your boy was a biter,” he said.
“Merl-Francis, I swear to God-”
He held up a hand to stop Gene’s rant. “You got a guest. I suggest you hurry, he’s bleeding all over the floor.”
“Merde,” he cursed. He ducked back into the room to grab a shirt and bounded down the stairs. Merl-Francis trailed after him.
“You going to help?” he asked.
“You going to need it,” he said.
James Alley was using the kitchen counter to hold up his body. His side and face were covered in blood, dried and fresh, and he smelled of explosives.
“I meant to call,” he stuttered out.
Gene shook his head and walked over to him, carefully checking to see if it was safe to move.
“Alley, you just nothing but bad luck,” he said.
“I know, Doc,” Alley answered.
“Let’s get you to to the laundry room. You’re making my kitchen all unhygienic, Moe.”
Alley tried to laugh and then stopped, catching his breath.
Merl-Francis had already cleared a spot for them in the laundry room. They’d had to do this more than once; it was getting so bad Gene was thinking about putting a hospital bed in here. That was the problem with owing Ron Speirs for life, when his boys got hurt doing a job in Louisiana, they came to see Gene as a first resort.
“Didn’t know you were a Phillies fan, Doc,” Alley said, looking at his borrowed boxers.
Merl-Francis scoffed. “Now that’s damn unhygienic.”
“Go get me some clean scrubs and more gauze. We’re going to need the back-up supplies,” he ordered.
“Bitch, bitch, bitch,” Merl-Francis said as he left, but he left just the same.
He turned back to Alley and carefully started to cut open his clothes. “What you done did?”
“Job went bad, had to take a beating,” Alley said.
“And blow something up?”
“I wouldn’t watch the morning news,” Alley said. “You’re going to want to keep that plausible deniability, Doc.”
“Christ, Moe.”
The head wound wasn’t too bad. It was mostly healed with just some dirt and debris. Infection would be the biggest worry there. Alley’s pupils weren’t blown, but they’d still need to keep him up for the rest of the night. He’d have to get Merl-Francis to drive Alley to the next safe house once they were done here.
The wound to his side was more worrying but didn’t appear to hit any major arteries. Alley, for all his talent of getting into trouble, was damn good at not getting himself killed. He still needed an x-ray at the very least, but Gene knew that would take an act of God to convince him to go.
“Shit, Alley, what’d you do?” Edward asked.
Gene turned to see Spina, Edward, and Merl-Francis in the doorway. There were all laden down with medical supplies and clean clothes.
“Don’t piss of the Macedonians,” Alley said. He was starting to go pale.
“Spina, come here and hold this gauze for me. I’m going to go change and wash my hands so we can get Alley here stitched up. Merl-Francis, help Spina. Edward? Go to the liquor cabinet and get me a bottle of vodka and one of bourbon.”
“One of these days we’ll learn to keep sterile instruments at home,” Merl-Francis said.
“One of these days I’ll have a week when the world doesn’t manage to go to shit,” he said.
He changed in the hallway between the laundry room and kitchen, listening to Spina use his soothing voice on Alley while Merl-Francis bitched about blood stains on his work shirt. Edward stopped next to him, holding a plastic tub full of vodka, three different types of whiskey, and four glasses.
“Alley can’t drink right now,” Gene said.
“This ain’t for him,” Edward said. “I figure we’re all going to need one before we go back to sleep.”
“Sorry Merl-Francis woke you up to this,” Gene said.
Edward shrugged. “Trust me, Gene, I’ve seen worst. At least there are three people who know what they’re doing here. Back in Pennsport, outside of Spina and my ma, we use sewing thread and duct tape.”
Gene laughed and felt some of the tension ease out of his shoulders.
“I wish I was joking,” Edward said. He took a deep breath and put on a goofy smile before going back into the room, joking with Alley about how Ron Speirs was going to fire him for this one.
Gene didn’t have time to linger over it then, but later he would shake his head in amazement over Edward Heffron. Any of the other men he’d brought home, outside of Speirs’ colleagues, would’ve run by now to call the cops. Clandestine laundry room surgery was a deal breaker under normal circumstances. Not that there was anything normal about their relationship or their friends.
Alley was getting tired, head resting against the wall, but he was still smiling as he watched Edward and Merl-Francis fight over the proper way to mix drinks. Gene pulled on a pair of latex gloves and joined Spina. They silently worked on Alley as the other two bantered in the background.
“Surgery and a show,” Alley said through gritted teeth. “I should stop by more often.”
“I don’t think your body can handle any more visits,” Spina said. “How many injuries is this?”
“Fuck if I know,” Alley said. “I’m not dead yet, that’s all that matters.”
“You need to consider a less stressful career,” Gene said.
“Like a stuntman,” Spina said.
Alley just shook his head and tried not to laugh.
***************
It was their last full morning together until God knew when. Edward would leave on Monday afternoon while Gene was at work. They’d followed the same Sunday morning routine they’d started during the summer. The schedule was mid-morning mass and brunch before settling down to watch the Saints play the Buccaneers.
Gene could’ve kissed Anna when she’d agreed to cover his shift.
The house smelled like fried chicken as Paw-Paw started to make dinner. His visit hadn’t been too much of a surprise, Merl-Francis had that evil look all morning that could only mean he’d gone and tattled.
Edward looked like he needed a valium, but he’d had yet to stutter so far. Paw-Paw looked too damned amused by it all. He always liked to see Gene’s dates squirm. They’d had a talk though; he wouldn’t have his Paw-Paw run Edward away.
“Be nice,” he admonished as he cut up a zucchini. “Edward ain’t here for you to torture.”
“Tee Gene, I know you not telling me how to behave.”
Gene glared at his Paw-Paw. He hated being called little, English or Cajun be damned.
Paw-Paw laughed. “So much of Abigail in you. She would’ve liked your Edward.”
Gene felt his lips twitch. Grandma would’ve kidnapped Edward, is what she would’ve done. She always had a thing for Irish boys, going back to Gene Kelly. She never could convince him he wasn’t named after the man.
“You’re looking happy,” Paw-Paw said. He went silent as the oil sizzled around the chicken. “I guess he can stay.”
“Hopefully he will, in the future,” Gene said.
“He say anything?”
Gene shook his head. “Not as much. Many of his friends are trying to get him to move. They all want him down here.” He laughed. “Apparently we’re good for each other.”
“You’re good for everyone,” Paw-Paw said.
Gene sighed. “I ain’t perfect and I know that. I got a lot to make up for, Paw-Paw. I may not be worthy of him, but I’m going to try.”
“Everyone’s worthy of a good love,” Paw-Paw said. His tone brooked no argument, so Gene didn’t even try.
“You biddies done yet?” Merl-Francis asked. “We getting hungry and the game’s going start soon.”
“Don’t rush food,” Paw-Paw said. He swatted at Merl-Francis’ head. “When is your boy going to come down here.”
“I don’t have one, Paw-Paw,” he said.
“Your friend Romus has a different opinion on that. I’ve been told you keep avoiding things. We can’t have that, Merl-Francis. It’s bad manners.”
Merl-Francis shrugged. “I’ll handle it.”
“You better,” Paw-Paw ordered. “Romus is giving me updates.”
Merl-Francis wrinkled his nose but didn’t bother bitching. There was no winning against Paw-Paw when he thought something was best for you.
They spent the next twenty minutes in companionable silence waiting for dinner while Spina and Edward hung back. It was still Spina’s birthday weekend after all and Edward had come down here for him.
It felt special to have them all around the table, holding hands and saying grace. He just needed Renée and Anna here to make it feel complete. God willing this would soon be a normal Sunday. Gene clutched Edward’s hand below the table and rested his fingers on the strong pulse of his wrist. Edward hung on, turning his head and smiling at him.
He didn’t expect this weekend to happen. He owed so many of their friends and was so very thankful for this time. He’d despaired over making a long-distance relationship work. It was hard to believe, at the very start, that he could feel so much for a young man after only three days. They’d learned each other’s personalities and histories through phone calls, e-mails, and the occasional surprise meet-up. The summer had confirmed that this relationship was something they both wanted to desperately hang on to.
Gene could take the distance in stride if this was their future. Weekends like this would have to sustain them until Edward decided where he wanted to go in life.
Gene prayed it would be with him by his side.