Fanfic: It's not the destination... 5/5
It's not the destination... 5/5
By Marea67
About: Kevin/Scotty
Rating: G to NC-17
Disclaimer: B&S is not mine
Summary: AU - A 36-year old lawyer wants to go home, a 25-year drifter wants to escape his
*****
THREE YEARS LATER
*****
“Scotty! Scotty! I need you. Right now!” Tyler Altamirano storms in through the backdoor of “Café 429”, Scotty’s newly opened restaurant.
“Where’s the fire?” Scotty asks a little worried. He’s used to Tyler being the composed and calm hotel-manager and not acting like this panicky teenager.
“Justin. He has asked me to meet his family.” She nearly jumps up and down.
“Well, that’s great isn’t it…?” Scotty laughs. The relationship between her and Justin has been on for one whole month now - an eternity - but so far, Scotty hasn’t had a chance to meet the new boyfriend.
“Well, yes. I guess. It’s just… I’m terrified. What if they don’t like me?”
“They will. They’ll have to. You’re an amazing girl… woman…” Scotty corrects himself and Tyler grins.
“Will you come with me?” She asks.
“What? Isn’t it a bit late for your innocence for me to start chaperoning you?” Scotty laughs, wondering why she asks him.
“Oh, please, pretty please, the restaurant is closed tonight and you could come with me.”
“With “could” being the operative word here. I have work to do. Preparations.”
“Preparations? Yeah, right. You just want to search for more delicious ideas, but you can put that on hold for one night. Come on. Please.” She begs.
“I cannot invite myself over to the house of bunch of strangers.” Scotty protests.
“It’s an informal barbecue, Justin wants to keep it casual.”
“What am I supposed to do there?” Scotty likes the idea of a barbecue and the idea of not having to cook for himself.
“Eat. Drink. Be merry.” Tyler replies and adds: “…And hold my hand.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be Justin’s job?”
“I’m scared. I really, really like him.”
“And you really, really need me there?”
“I really, really do.” Tyler admits.
“Then I’ll really, really be there for you.” Scotty promises.
*****
“Wow, this is what one would call a house.” Scotty is in awe over the front-porch alone.
“According to Justin the house is big. It has 9 bedrooms.” Tyler tells him.
“Nine?”
“One for the parents. Five for the kids. One for their uncle. Two guest-rooms.”
“Their kids still live here?”
“No. From what I understand, all kids live on their own, with or without a partner. The uncle moved to Florida with his boyfriend. So there’s just the parents and 8 empty bedrooms.”
“They should start a hotel.”
“Don’t give them ideas.” Tyler laughs. “They’d expect me to work for them.” She rings the doorbell and when the door gets opened by a young man, who she immediately kisses, Scotty assumes rightfully that the young man is Justin.
“Hi, I’m Justin. You must be Scotty. Tyler said you’d be coming along for support.” Justin laughs. “Don’t worry, there’s enough food. When mom throws a party there’s always enough food to feed the family for months.” Scotty instantly likes Justin.
“You must a be Tyler. Hi, I’m Sarah Whedon, Justin's sister.” Sarah and Tyler shake hands.
Before Scotty can introduce himself, a couple of kids thunder down the stairs to almost run through them and disappear into a room where Scotty catches the glimpse of a large tv.
“No running in the hall! Don’t break anything! Grandma will kill you!” Sarah yells.
“No, she won’t! She loves me!” The young boy yells back.
“Wise-ass!” Sarah mumbles with a loving smile. “He’s right, you know. Mom would still love him, if he tore the house down.” She predicts and Scotty and Tyler can only laugh, assuming that it’s a joke and Scotty starts to like this family.
At that moment, Scotty notices a woman walk up to them.
“Hi, I’m Nora. Nora Walker.” She says, reaching out to Tyler to greet her and for a moment Scotty feels as if someone punched him. Nora Walker?! Then he quickly reprises himself.
It has to be a coincidence. There are a lot of Walkers in Los Angeles, he tells himself. He knows there are of lot of them, because he searched the name Walker, K. in the phonebook and found out that there are a lot of Walkers, and several with the letter K as their initial.
So, don’t panic. There has to be good chance that there would happen to be a second Nora Walker. Right? He tries to breathe as normal as he can. No one notices his confusion, because they are too focused on Tyler, who clearly starts to feel more comfortable around the family of her boyfriend.
A young, blonde woman walks up to them, she’s holding a baby on her arm.
“Hi, Tyler, I’m Julia Walker…”
“And this must be Elizabeth. She’s so pretty.” Tyler coos and Scotty has to agree, that the girl is very pretty, especially with all the little curls that frame her delicate face.
Curls. Scotty tries to ignore the ache he feels. He had worked too hard to let the memories of Kevin unsettle him again. His feelings towards Kevin have turned into love-hate. Kevin is the driving force behind his ambition to succeed. At the same time, there’s still the slumbering anger at being discarded.
And his feelings alternate between still being mad and still feeling butterflies in his stomach, whenever he thinks of Kevin. Sometimes he fantasizes that Kevin would come at Café 429. And then his fantasies range from completely ignoring Kevin - like he himself felt ignored - to having hot sex on one of the tables….
He focuses his attention back on the conversation, just in time to hear Julia say:
“….I know, Tommy is such a good father to his little girl….” Julia ruffles Elizabeth’s hair. Tommy? So, now there’s a Tommy Walker too? Scotty starts to feel a little wobbly in the knees. He needs to get out of here.
“Come on, let’s all go to the garden and get something to drink.” Justin suggests. Scotty takes Tyler’s hand and pulls her back, while the others go towards the garden.
“I have to go.” Scotty says.
“Scotty…. You promised.”
“I know, but that was before…. I didn’t know that Justin was a Walker…”
“I don’t get it.”
“Do you remember that I told you about how I got here? About that lawyer I drove up with and … who then ended up giving me money to get lost?”
“Yes…?” Tyler still doesn’t see the problem.
“He had a mother called Nora and a brother called Tommy…” Scotty adds. “His name was Kevin…” From the look on Tyler’s face he can see that his worst suspicions become real.
“Oh,…” Tyler says, connecting the dots. “... You’d better leave then. I’ll make up an excuse….”
However Justin chooses that same instant to return with someone else behind him.
“Tyler, this is Kevin, my favorite brother…”
“He’s just saying that…” One look at Kevin Walker and Tyler can see why Scotty fell head over heels in love with him.
Now that Kevin has said hello to Tyler, he focuses his attention to the man, who’s half hidden behind Tyler.
“That’s Scotty.” Justin says cheerfully and Scotty knows he has to face Kevin.
“Hi.” He says and with one glance at Kevin, he falls in love with him all over again.
Kevin is speechless. After all these years, Scotty suddenly stands before him and he doesn’t know what to say. He had known that somewhere, one of these days, he would run into him, one way or the other. He had played all sorts of scenarios in his head, but now he discovers that none of them actually apply.
“Kev! I want to introduce Tyler to dad. He’s in the study. Can you please get Scotty something to drink? Thanks!” Justin tells Kevin and Tyler feels a push in her back as Justin shows her the way to his dad’s study. She throws one last desperate glance at Scotty, but she can’t help him. Scotty is on his own.
“I'll leave…” Scotty says pointing at the door.
“Why?” Kevin asks.
“This must be awkward. For both of us.”
“Why? Because I gave you money and you just disappeared with it?”
“Well, if you’re worried about the money. I’m capable to pay you back. I would have sooner, if I had known where you were.”
“What? All you had to do was just call me. I was just a phone-call away.”
“Why would I bother to spend time on calling a number that is phony?”
He sees disbelief on Kevin’s face, but at that moment, Tommy and Nora enter the hall.
“Kevin, be nice and show Scotty around.”
“I was about to leave.” Scotty says as gently as he can. “Tyler was a bit nervous at first, but I assume she's safe here.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re going to stay here and join us for the barbecue.” Nora tells him and Scotty falls silent.
“The General doesn’t like to be disobeyed, so you’d better be there.” Tommy jokes.
“Kevin, show Scotty the house, will you?” Nora orders and she waves Kevin away.
“Want to see the rest of the house?” Kevin says resigned. Scotty takes a deep breath and nods. He doesn’t want to offend anyone, for fear of how it reflect on Tyler. He follows Kevin up the stairs and listens to Kevin’s explanation on how his father had built this house.
It sounds all as if Kevin is on automatic pilot.
“And this part of the house was originally designed by famous architect, Roger Grant, who… Did you really try to call me?” Kevin turns to Scotty so fast that Scotty nearly bumps into him.
“Yes. I called. And got this company on the phone. Some lady who told me that there was no Kevin Walker working there. So, that’s when I knew that you didn’t want me to seek contact with you. If you had, you would have given me your cell-phone number.” Scotty explains his doubts. Kevin gives him a sheepish look.
“My family advised against it, they thought that you … I don’t know what they thought, it made sense to me, at the time anyway, so there’s no reason blaming them… I wasn’t allowed to give the number of either my parents or one of my siblings. I didn’t know if I would stay here in LA and where I would stay…
That is why I gave you my number at work. It was the only place I could think of where your call would reach me…” Kevin looks miserable and Scotty doesn’t question Kevin’s logic at the time. Maybe it had not been the best choice, but at least he could see where it had come from and where it had led to.
“But…” Kevin, ever the lawyer, continues to object. “I’ve been in the news, with that oil-spill-case and all. You cannot have missed that. You were in LA. Why didn’t you contact me then?” It’s a logical answer and Scotty understands that he has an answer. One that had sounded logical to him all these years, but somehow now it no longer does.
“I thought you didn’t want me to talk to you….” He sighs, then he frowns. “Hang on. How do you know that I’ve been in LA all this time?”
“Charlotte told me. You left her restaurant to work at San Estephe and when it went broke, you and one of the other chefs, Angie, started your own restaurant. Café 429.”
“You know all of that?”
“Yes. I’ve been at San Estephe many times and I just love to eat at Café 429.”
“You never come there.”
“Always on Thursdays.”
“But that is when Angie works there.”
“I know. I figured that you wouldn’t want to see me there and be embarrassed or something. So, I go on the only day that I know you won’t be there.” Kevin explains. Scotty tries to process all the information he’s getting.
“So, what it comes down to is that we both thought that the other one didn’t want him.”
“Seems that way.” Kevin answers thoughtfully. They both just stand there, not knowing what to say, feeling a bit foolish and yet also more hopeful.
“Is any of these rooms yours?” Scotty eventually asks.
“The one at the end.” Kevin answers.
“Can I see it?”
“It’s just a boy’s room.”
“I’d love to see it.” Scotty insists with a sweet smile.
Kevin opens the door to his room. It is indeed nothing special. A standard boy’s room. School pennants on the wall, a large bed, a dresser with several drawers, a chair. Scotty looks around. The only personal aspect of the room is a large picture, of Kevin and John, on the dresser. Kevin closes the door behind him and leans against it.
“Nice.” Scotty says and he turns to Kevin, suddenly aware that Kevin’s room is the furthest away from the garden and the barbecue outside. It is very quiet in the room. The light is filtered by the half closed curtains and Scotty feels a tension rising in him, in the knowledge that he’s all alone with Kevin in a closed room, far away from anyone.
He’s not scared. He still trusts Kevin completely. It’s something else. With a shock he realizes that he’s getting aroused and he’s happy that his long t-shirt at least covers up any sign.
“I think it’s best, if we leave…” He says after clearing his throat, but when he approaches the door, and Kevin, he knows he doesn’t want to leave.
He can’t help it. He’s drawn to Kevin like a moth to a flame and now that he’s close again, and despite the fear of getting burned again, he lets his hands rest on Kevin’s hips. Under his touch he can feel a shiver run through Kevin and he can hear that Kevin stops breathing for a second or two.
“So, are you with someone now?” Scotty asks, his forehead close to Kevin’s.
“No. You?” Kevin asks, while he lets his hands almost casually rest on Scotty’s arms.
“Single and free…” Scotty answers. “...Have you dealt with the loss of John?” His mouth inches closer to Kevin’s, who doesn't back away.
“Yes. I have…” Kevin answers, closing his eyes. His lips part and he’s the one who eventually breeches the gap between them, to kiss Scotty with so much passion that it takes Scotty’s breath away. He sucks in Scotty’s tongue and pushes his body closer to Scotty’s. Scotty’s grip on him tightens.
“This is insane…” Scotty moans between two kisses. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Yeah, well, I hate you too…” Kevin answers, not very logically, before losing himself in another kiss.
“I want you…” Scotty pushes up Kevin’s t-shirt.
Kevin has to break the kiss to take off his shirt and then again when it’s Scotty’s turn to lose his. It lands on top of Kevin’s and it’s the sign for Kevin to push Scotty towards the bed. Scotty knows it’s inevitable. From the moment he had seen Kevin again, he had known that Kevin would get him this crazy all over again.
“Wait!” Scotty suddenly says, trying to at least regain some composure. He puts an arm-length of distance between them and he breathes heavily, aroused and willing as he has become within a few seconds. “I’m not… not interested in just casual sex, Kevin.”
“…I know…” Kevin reaches out to him and tries to get him to come back in his arms.
“No, I’m serious. I… I need to know that you’re … ready? That you’re over John?” Scotty asks hesitantly. For a moment Kevin wonders if he should tell Scotty that he had known that he was over John since their first kiss. But that he had been confused, because Scotty’s kiss had had the same profound impact on Kevin as John’s first kiss.
And that Kevin had been worried that he may have misinterpreted his feelings for John. How else could it be that John and Scotty would have had the same effect on him? He had started to doubt himself, his relationship with John and his memories. Basically… he was questioning his entire life and the choices he had made. .
But when he dated other men after Scotty he had never met another man who gave him the same ecstatic shock as either John or Scotty had. He stopped doubting his love for John. He had realized that he had made the right decision with him. And he had also found out that Scotty had been the new love of his life… But it had been too late… Until now anyway….
But one look at Scotty’s worried eyes and Kevin decides to keep his mouth shut for now. He cups Scotty’s face in his hands.
“I know I am ready. Are you?”
“Yes!” Scotty answers.
Their next kiss is soft and sensual, as if they are in the eye of the hurricane.
“Oh!” Kevin suddenly says.
“What?”
“I have no protection here. I mean… I never… Not in this room… Not under my father’s roof.”
“Don’t worry.” Scotty kisses Kevin’s lips. “We won’t need it. We’ll just do something else to be… how did you explain it again? … tired but satisfied?” Scotty teases.
“Anything you want…” Kevin sighs. “Just… I don’t want to lose you again.”
“You won’t.” Scotty promises and he kisses Kevin again.
*****
“What do you mean?” Justin glares at Tyler. “That friend of yours is that ungrateful creep who took Kevin’s money and ran?”
“No! Scotty is a nice guy. It was Kevin who thought that a bit money would make up for the nights where he had meaningless sex with Scotty.”
Justin opens his mouth, but Tyler continues:
“Whoever was wrong or right doesn’t matter. We need to find them before they get into a big fight.”
“I agree.” Justin nods.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asks, seeing that Tyler and Justin are rather agitated.
“That Scotty, who hurt Kevin a few years ago, is here.” Justin says.
“I’ll break his face if he hurts Kevin again.” Tommy threatens.
“He’s here?” Nora just heard the last few words.
“Who is?” Kitty now wants to know.
“That Scotty!” Justin answers.
“He’s here?” Sarah wonders how he could have the audacity.
“Last time I saw them, I sent them upstairs.” Nora remembers.
“Did you see them come back down?”
“No, Tyler, I didn’t.” Nora answers.
“I have a bad feeling about this…” But no one cares about Sarah’s bad feelings. One look at the stairs, makes both Justin and Tommy come into action.
They storm up the stairs, with Nora, Sarah, Kitty and Tyler behind them. Downstairs William, Cooper and Paige just enter the hall and wonder why everyone runs upstairs.
“I think we better have a look too.” William decides and at a slower pace, he and his grandkids go to the first floor.
Upstairs, Justin is the first to hear moans coming from Kevin’s room.
“My God! They’re fighting….” He slams open the door to Kevin’s room and yells; “Stop that immediately before….. Oh!” His hand covers his mouth in surprise and Tommy’s jaw drops.
Kevin manages just in time to pull up the blankets over himself and Scotty, so that the only persons catching a glimpse of his bare ass are Tommy and Justin, but he figures those two won’t be too shocked by the view.
“What the hell…?” Kevin demands to know.
Justin and Tommy get pushed forward as Kitty, Sarah and Nora try to find what is going on and Tyler is concerned about Scotty. Scotty tries to hide himself half behind Kevin, half under the blankets. There’s a little pushing and shoving as now William and the kids also enter the room.
Cooper and Paige manage to by-pass the grownups and reach the front. Everyone stares at the two naked men in bed, while they try to somehow get some dignity back.
“Why is uncle Kevin in bed? Is he sick? .... Can I have his hamburger?”
“Go find your father, Cooper.” Sarah orders.
“But…”
“Go, Cooper!” Sarah points at the door and after one last glance Cooper leaves the room, under protest.
“Is he uncle Kevin’s new boyfriend?” Paige now asks, somehow liking the beet-red Scotty even more.
“I don’t know, honey. Go help your brother find your father.” Sarah answers. Paige knows when it’s best not to contradict her mother.
“Well, seems like you two have talked things through.” Kitty manages to say without laughing at the absurd situation.
“We… we were … working out some of the …. details..” Kevin stammers.
“Oooooh, is that what they call it nowadays? In my time we’d call it just ‘having sex’.” Sarah grins.
“But then of course, you’re much older than I am.” Kevin immediately bites back.
He starts to see the humor of it all. Even Scotty has to hide his smile, when he sees Sarah, quite childishly, stick out her tongue at her brother. William takes a step forward.
“Alright, kids, show’s over. Let’s all go downstairs and gossip about it there and give the boys some time to … negotiate …”
Once the others have left the room, William turns to Kevin and Scotty.
“We have a party, in the garden. I’d like to see you both there… Dressed! As soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” Kevin answers, giving a salute. Scotty hardly dares to look up.
William closes the door behind him and Kevin lets himself fall backwards in the pillows.
“Alright. That was embarrassing.” He sighs.
“I’m sure that next year we’ll both laugh over this.” Scotty tries to cheer himself up.
“Don’t worry. My family will remind us of this. For generations to come.”
“Now what?”
“I suggest that we get dressed and join the party, like my father ordered. We get something to eat, get out of here and continue our… talk … either at your place or mine.”
“I’d like that… But seriously: we still have a lot to talk about….”
“I know.” Kevin acknowledges. “But I plan to take all the time in the world to convince you that I’m in love with you.”
“You are?” Scotty asks. Kevin nods. “Great! Because I think I’m in love with you as well…” He now confesses and he starts to kiss Kevin, realizing that this means, they will be late for the party.
END OF STORY
By Marea67
About: Kevin/Scotty
Rating: G to NC-17
Disclaimer: B&S is not mine
Summary: AU - A 36-year old lawyer wants to go home, a 25-year drifter wants to escape his
*****
THREE YEARS LATER
*****
“Scotty! Scotty! I need you. Right now!” Tyler Altamirano storms in through the backdoor of “Café 429”, Scotty’s newly opened restaurant.
“Where’s the fire?” Scotty asks a little worried. He’s used to Tyler being the composed and calm hotel-manager and not acting like this panicky teenager.
“Justin. He has asked me to meet his family.” She nearly jumps up and down.
“Well, that’s great isn’t it…?” Scotty laughs. The relationship between her and Justin has been on for one whole month now - an eternity - but so far, Scotty hasn’t had a chance to meet the new boyfriend.
“Well, yes. I guess. It’s just… I’m terrified. What if they don’t like me?”
“They will. They’ll have to. You’re an amazing girl… woman…” Scotty corrects himself and Tyler grins.
“Will you come with me?” She asks.
“What? Isn’t it a bit late for your innocence for me to start chaperoning you?” Scotty laughs, wondering why she asks him.
“Oh, please, pretty please, the restaurant is closed tonight and you could come with me.”
“With “could” being the operative word here. I have work to do. Preparations.”
“Preparations? Yeah, right. You just want to search for more delicious ideas, but you can put that on hold for one night. Come on. Please.” She begs.
“I cannot invite myself over to the house of bunch of strangers.” Scotty protests.
“It’s an informal barbecue, Justin wants to keep it casual.”
“What am I supposed to do there?” Scotty likes the idea of a barbecue and the idea of not having to cook for himself.
“Eat. Drink. Be merry.” Tyler replies and adds: “…And hold my hand.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be Justin’s job?”
“I’m scared. I really, really like him.”
“And you really, really need me there?”
“I really, really do.” Tyler admits.
“Then I’ll really, really be there for you.” Scotty promises.
*****
“Wow, this is what one would call a house.” Scotty is in awe over the front-porch alone.
“According to Justin the house is big. It has 9 bedrooms.” Tyler tells him.
“Nine?”
“One for the parents. Five for the kids. One for their uncle. Two guest-rooms.”
“Their kids still live here?”
“No. From what I understand, all kids live on their own, with or without a partner. The uncle moved to Florida with his boyfriend. So there’s just the parents and 8 empty bedrooms.”
“They should start a hotel.”
“Don’t give them ideas.” Tyler laughs. “They’d expect me to work for them.” She rings the doorbell and when the door gets opened by a young man, who she immediately kisses, Scotty assumes rightfully that the young man is Justin.
“Hi, I’m Justin. You must be Scotty. Tyler said you’d be coming along for support.” Justin laughs. “Don’t worry, there’s enough food. When mom throws a party there’s always enough food to feed the family for months.” Scotty instantly likes Justin.
“You must a be Tyler. Hi, I’m Sarah Whedon, Justin's sister.” Sarah and Tyler shake hands.
Before Scotty can introduce himself, a couple of kids thunder down the stairs to almost run through them and disappear into a room where Scotty catches the glimpse of a large tv.
“No running in the hall! Don’t break anything! Grandma will kill you!” Sarah yells.
“No, she won’t! She loves me!” The young boy yells back.
“Wise-ass!” Sarah mumbles with a loving smile. “He’s right, you know. Mom would still love him, if he tore the house down.” She predicts and Scotty and Tyler can only laugh, assuming that it’s a joke and Scotty starts to like this family.
At that moment, Scotty notices a woman walk up to them.
“Hi, I’m Nora. Nora Walker.” She says, reaching out to Tyler to greet her and for a moment Scotty feels as if someone punched him. Nora Walker?! Then he quickly reprises himself.
It has to be a coincidence. There are a lot of Walkers in Los Angeles, he tells himself. He knows there are of lot of them, because he searched the name Walker, K. in the phonebook and found out that there are a lot of Walkers, and several with the letter K as their initial.
So, don’t panic. There has to be good chance that there would happen to be a second Nora Walker. Right? He tries to breathe as normal as he can. No one notices his confusion, because they are too focused on Tyler, who clearly starts to feel more comfortable around the family of her boyfriend.
A young, blonde woman walks up to them, she’s holding a baby on her arm.
“Hi, Tyler, I’m Julia Walker…”
“And this must be Elizabeth. She’s so pretty.” Tyler coos and Scotty has to agree, that the girl is very pretty, especially with all the little curls that frame her delicate face.
Curls. Scotty tries to ignore the ache he feels. He had worked too hard to let the memories of Kevin unsettle him again. His feelings towards Kevin have turned into love-hate. Kevin is the driving force behind his ambition to succeed. At the same time, there’s still the slumbering anger at being discarded.
And his feelings alternate between still being mad and still feeling butterflies in his stomach, whenever he thinks of Kevin. Sometimes he fantasizes that Kevin would come at Café 429. And then his fantasies range from completely ignoring Kevin - like he himself felt ignored - to having hot sex on one of the tables….
He focuses his attention back on the conversation, just in time to hear Julia say:
“….I know, Tommy is such a good father to his little girl….” Julia ruffles Elizabeth’s hair. Tommy? So, now there’s a Tommy Walker too? Scotty starts to feel a little wobbly in the knees. He needs to get out of here.
“Come on, let’s all go to the garden and get something to drink.” Justin suggests. Scotty takes Tyler’s hand and pulls her back, while the others go towards the garden.
“I have to go.” Scotty says.
“Scotty…. You promised.”
“I know, but that was before…. I didn’t know that Justin was a Walker…”
“I don’t get it.”
“Do you remember that I told you about how I got here? About that lawyer I drove up with and … who then ended up giving me money to get lost?”
“Yes…?” Tyler still doesn’t see the problem.
“He had a mother called Nora and a brother called Tommy…” Scotty adds. “His name was Kevin…” From the look on Tyler’s face he can see that his worst suspicions become real.
“Oh,…” Tyler says, connecting the dots. “... You’d better leave then. I’ll make up an excuse….”
However Justin chooses that same instant to return with someone else behind him.
“Tyler, this is Kevin, my favorite brother…”
“He’s just saying that…” One look at Kevin Walker and Tyler can see why Scotty fell head over heels in love with him.
Now that Kevin has said hello to Tyler, he focuses his attention to the man, who’s half hidden behind Tyler.
“That’s Scotty.” Justin says cheerfully and Scotty knows he has to face Kevin.
“Hi.” He says and with one glance at Kevin, he falls in love with him all over again.
Kevin is speechless. After all these years, Scotty suddenly stands before him and he doesn’t know what to say. He had known that somewhere, one of these days, he would run into him, one way or the other. He had played all sorts of scenarios in his head, but now he discovers that none of them actually apply.
“Kev! I want to introduce Tyler to dad. He’s in the study. Can you please get Scotty something to drink? Thanks!” Justin tells Kevin and Tyler feels a push in her back as Justin shows her the way to his dad’s study. She throws one last desperate glance at Scotty, but she can’t help him. Scotty is on his own.
“I'll leave…” Scotty says pointing at the door.
“Why?” Kevin asks.
“This must be awkward. For both of us.”
“Why? Because I gave you money and you just disappeared with it?”
“Well, if you’re worried about the money. I’m capable to pay you back. I would have sooner, if I had known where you were.”
“What? All you had to do was just call me. I was just a phone-call away.”
“Why would I bother to spend time on calling a number that is phony?”
He sees disbelief on Kevin’s face, but at that moment, Tommy and Nora enter the hall.
“Kevin, be nice and show Scotty around.”
“I was about to leave.” Scotty says as gently as he can. “Tyler was a bit nervous at first, but I assume she's safe here.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re going to stay here and join us for the barbecue.” Nora tells him and Scotty falls silent.
“The General doesn’t like to be disobeyed, so you’d better be there.” Tommy jokes.
“Kevin, show Scotty the house, will you?” Nora orders and she waves Kevin away.
“Want to see the rest of the house?” Kevin says resigned. Scotty takes a deep breath and nods. He doesn’t want to offend anyone, for fear of how it reflect on Tyler. He follows Kevin up the stairs and listens to Kevin’s explanation on how his father had built this house.
It sounds all as if Kevin is on automatic pilot.
“And this part of the house was originally designed by famous architect, Roger Grant, who… Did you really try to call me?” Kevin turns to Scotty so fast that Scotty nearly bumps into him.
“Yes. I called. And got this company on the phone. Some lady who told me that there was no Kevin Walker working there. So, that’s when I knew that you didn’t want me to seek contact with you. If you had, you would have given me your cell-phone number.” Scotty explains his doubts. Kevin gives him a sheepish look.
“My family advised against it, they thought that you … I don’t know what they thought, it made sense to me, at the time anyway, so there’s no reason blaming them… I wasn’t allowed to give the number of either my parents or one of my siblings. I didn’t know if I would stay here in LA and where I would stay…
That is why I gave you my number at work. It was the only place I could think of where your call would reach me…” Kevin looks miserable and Scotty doesn’t question Kevin’s logic at the time. Maybe it had not been the best choice, but at least he could see where it had come from and where it had led to.
“But…” Kevin, ever the lawyer, continues to object. “I’ve been in the news, with that oil-spill-case and all. You cannot have missed that. You were in LA. Why didn’t you contact me then?” It’s a logical answer and Scotty understands that he has an answer. One that had sounded logical to him all these years, but somehow now it no longer does.
“I thought you didn’t want me to talk to you….” He sighs, then he frowns. “Hang on. How do you know that I’ve been in LA all this time?”
“Charlotte told me. You left her restaurant to work at San Estephe and when it went broke, you and one of the other chefs, Angie, started your own restaurant. Café 429.”
“You know all of that?”
“Yes. I’ve been at San Estephe many times and I just love to eat at Café 429.”
“You never come there.”
“Always on Thursdays.”
“But that is when Angie works there.”
“I know. I figured that you wouldn’t want to see me there and be embarrassed or something. So, I go on the only day that I know you won’t be there.” Kevin explains. Scotty tries to process all the information he’s getting.
“So, what it comes down to is that we both thought that the other one didn’t want him.”
“Seems that way.” Kevin answers thoughtfully. They both just stand there, not knowing what to say, feeling a bit foolish and yet also more hopeful.
“Is any of these rooms yours?” Scotty eventually asks.
“The one at the end.” Kevin answers.
“Can I see it?”
“It’s just a boy’s room.”
“I’d love to see it.” Scotty insists with a sweet smile.
Kevin opens the door to his room. It is indeed nothing special. A standard boy’s room. School pennants on the wall, a large bed, a dresser with several drawers, a chair. Scotty looks around. The only personal aspect of the room is a large picture, of Kevin and John, on the dresser. Kevin closes the door behind him and leans against it.
“Nice.” Scotty says and he turns to Kevin, suddenly aware that Kevin’s room is the furthest away from the garden and the barbecue outside. It is very quiet in the room. The light is filtered by the half closed curtains and Scotty feels a tension rising in him, in the knowledge that he’s all alone with Kevin in a closed room, far away from anyone.
He’s not scared. He still trusts Kevin completely. It’s something else. With a shock he realizes that he’s getting aroused and he’s happy that his long t-shirt at least covers up any sign.
“I think it’s best, if we leave…” He says after clearing his throat, but when he approaches the door, and Kevin, he knows he doesn’t want to leave.
He can’t help it. He’s drawn to Kevin like a moth to a flame and now that he’s close again, and despite the fear of getting burned again, he lets his hands rest on Kevin’s hips. Under his touch he can feel a shiver run through Kevin and he can hear that Kevin stops breathing for a second or two.
“So, are you with someone now?” Scotty asks, his forehead close to Kevin’s.
“No. You?” Kevin asks, while he lets his hands almost casually rest on Scotty’s arms.
“Single and free…” Scotty answers. “...Have you dealt with the loss of John?” His mouth inches closer to Kevin’s, who doesn't back away.
“Yes. I have…” Kevin answers, closing his eyes. His lips part and he’s the one who eventually breeches the gap between them, to kiss Scotty with so much passion that it takes Scotty’s breath away. He sucks in Scotty’s tongue and pushes his body closer to Scotty’s. Scotty’s grip on him tightens.
“This is insane…” Scotty moans between two kisses. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Yeah, well, I hate you too…” Kevin answers, not very logically, before losing himself in another kiss.
“I want you…” Scotty pushes up Kevin’s t-shirt.
Kevin has to break the kiss to take off his shirt and then again when it’s Scotty’s turn to lose his. It lands on top of Kevin’s and it’s the sign for Kevin to push Scotty towards the bed. Scotty knows it’s inevitable. From the moment he had seen Kevin again, he had known that Kevin would get him this crazy all over again.
“Wait!” Scotty suddenly says, trying to at least regain some composure. He puts an arm-length of distance between them and he breathes heavily, aroused and willing as he has become within a few seconds. “I’m not… not interested in just casual sex, Kevin.”
“…I know…” Kevin reaches out to him and tries to get him to come back in his arms.
“No, I’m serious. I… I need to know that you’re … ready? That you’re over John?” Scotty asks hesitantly. For a moment Kevin wonders if he should tell Scotty that he had known that he was over John since their first kiss. But that he had been confused, because Scotty’s kiss had had the same profound impact on Kevin as John’s first kiss.
And that Kevin had been worried that he may have misinterpreted his feelings for John. How else could it be that John and Scotty would have had the same effect on him? He had started to doubt himself, his relationship with John and his memories. Basically… he was questioning his entire life and the choices he had made. .
But when he dated other men after Scotty he had never met another man who gave him the same ecstatic shock as either John or Scotty had. He stopped doubting his love for John. He had realized that he had made the right decision with him. And he had also found out that Scotty had been the new love of his life… But it had been too late… Until now anyway….
But one look at Scotty’s worried eyes and Kevin decides to keep his mouth shut for now. He cups Scotty’s face in his hands.
“I know I am ready. Are you?”
“Yes!” Scotty answers.
Their next kiss is soft and sensual, as if they are in the eye of the hurricane.
“Oh!” Kevin suddenly says.
“What?”
“I have no protection here. I mean… I never… Not in this room… Not under my father’s roof.”
“Don’t worry.” Scotty kisses Kevin’s lips. “We won’t need it. We’ll just do something else to be… how did you explain it again? … tired but satisfied?” Scotty teases.
“Anything you want…” Kevin sighs. “Just… I don’t want to lose you again.”
“You won’t.” Scotty promises and he kisses Kevin again.
*****
“What do you mean?” Justin glares at Tyler. “That friend of yours is that ungrateful creep who took Kevin’s money and ran?”
“No! Scotty is a nice guy. It was Kevin who thought that a bit money would make up for the nights where he had meaningless sex with Scotty.”
Justin opens his mouth, but Tyler continues:
“Whoever was wrong or right doesn’t matter. We need to find them before they get into a big fight.”
“I agree.” Justin nods.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asks, seeing that Tyler and Justin are rather agitated.
“That Scotty, who hurt Kevin a few years ago, is here.” Justin says.
“I’ll break his face if he hurts Kevin again.” Tommy threatens.
“He’s here?” Nora just heard the last few words.
“Who is?” Kitty now wants to know.
“That Scotty!” Justin answers.
“He’s here?” Sarah wonders how he could have the audacity.
“Last time I saw them, I sent them upstairs.” Nora remembers.
“Did you see them come back down?”
“No, Tyler, I didn’t.” Nora answers.
“I have a bad feeling about this…” But no one cares about Sarah’s bad feelings. One look at the stairs, makes both Justin and Tommy come into action.
They storm up the stairs, with Nora, Sarah, Kitty and Tyler behind them. Downstairs William, Cooper and Paige just enter the hall and wonder why everyone runs upstairs.
“I think we better have a look too.” William decides and at a slower pace, he and his grandkids go to the first floor.
Upstairs, Justin is the first to hear moans coming from Kevin’s room.
“My God! They’re fighting….” He slams open the door to Kevin’s room and yells; “Stop that immediately before….. Oh!” His hand covers his mouth in surprise and Tommy’s jaw drops.
Kevin manages just in time to pull up the blankets over himself and Scotty, so that the only persons catching a glimpse of his bare ass are Tommy and Justin, but he figures those two won’t be too shocked by the view.
“What the hell…?” Kevin demands to know.
Justin and Tommy get pushed forward as Kitty, Sarah and Nora try to find what is going on and Tyler is concerned about Scotty. Scotty tries to hide himself half behind Kevin, half under the blankets. There’s a little pushing and shoving as now William and the kids also enter the room.
Cooper and Paige manage to by-pass the grownups and reach the front. Everyone stares at the two naked men in bed, while they try to somehow get some dignity back.
“Why is uncle Kevin in bed? Is he sick? .... Can I have his hamburger?”
“Go find your father, Cooper.” Sarah orders.
“But…”
“Go, Cooper!” Sarah points at the door and after one last glance Cooper leaves the room, under protest.
“Is he uncle Kevin’s new boyfriend?” Paige now asks, somehow liking the beet-red Scotty even more.
“I don’t know, honey. Go help your brother find your father.” Sarah answers. Paige knows when it’s best not to contradict her mother.
“Well, seems like you two have talked things through.” Kitty manages to say without laughing at the absurd situation.
“We… we were … working out some of the …. details..” Kevin stammers.
“Oooooh, is that what they call it nowadays? In my time we’d call it just ‘having sex’.” Sarah grins.
“But then of course, you’re much older than I am.” Kevin immediately bites back.
He starts to see the humor of it all. Even Scotty has to hide his smile, when he sees Sarah, quite childishly, stick out her tongue at her brother. William takes a step forward.
“Alright, kids, show’s over. Let’s all go downstairs and gossip about it there and give the boys some time to … negotiate …”
Once the others have left the room, William turns to Kevin and Scotty.
“We have a party, in the garden. I’d like to see you both there… Dressed! As soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” Kevin answers, giving a salute. Scotty hardly dares to look up.
William closes the door behind him and Kevin lets himself fall backwards in the pillows.
“Alright. That was embarrassing.” He sighs.
“I’m sure that next year we’ll both laugh over this.” Scotty tries to cheer himself up.
“Don’t worry. My family will remind us of this. For generations to come.”
“Now what?”
“I suggest that we get dressed and join the party, like my father ordered. We get something to eat, get out of here and continue our… talk … either at your place or mine.”
“I’d like that… But seriously: we still have a lot to talk about….”
“I know.” Kevin acknowledges. “But I plan to take all the time in the world to convince you that I’m in love with you.”
“You are?” Scotty asks. Kevin nods. “Great! Because I think I’m in love with you as well…” He now confesses and he starts to kiss Kevin, realizing that this means, they will be late for the party.
END OF STORY