Fic: Home (Kane RPS, Chris/Steve, PG-13)
Title: Home
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1906
Fandom: Kane RPS
Pairings: Chris/Steve
Warnings None
Disclaimer: I do not own these people, and the story within is just the fruit of my vivid imagination.
Summary: Steve comes home.
Notes: This is the sequel to Empty, though they could probably be read separately of each other. As promised, I made them happy and whole again after breaking their hearts last time. :D Written for kissbingo for the prompt “body: shoulder.”
The night air outside the club was balmy and still as Steve stood waiting for his date. The show, long since over, had gone pretty well, considering the chasm that still existed between him and Chris. To top the evening off, he’d managed to find a leggy blonde who was eager to let him take her home-though he wasn’t ashamed to admit he was feeling a little edgy about the whole thing. She would be his first lover since he’d ended his relationship with Chris, and it felt a lot… weirder than he had expected.
Chris.
Lately, Chris had been on his mind even more than usual. When he was eyeing an attractive guy or girl, Chris was the barometer by which Steve judged them. He thought about Chris when he was picking out clothes or jewelry or figuring out what he wanted to make for dinner. He had to fight down the impulse to call him just to hang out or to tell him a joke or a story he’d heard.
When Steve had first decided to end things with Chris, he’d told himself that it was the best thing for their friendship. Relationships had never gone well for either of them, and a few months after they’d started seeing each other, the old stressors that had caused problems with past lovers had started to surface. Panic had set in on Steve’s end, and he had convinced himself that the best way to preserve the bond they’d forged so many years ago was to walk away from each other before things got too serious.
But the problem, at least for Steve, was that he’d already gotten way too serious. If he were being honest with himself, he had already fallen completely in love with Chris.
After they had broken up, Chris had pulled away from him emotionally. He hadn’t called or texted other than to ask if Steve had had found a place to stay. And now that the band was officially starting to play a long list of dates, it was clear that Chris wasn’t his usual affectionate self on stage. Steve had expected-hoped for?-more of a fight from him, or at least more of an attempt to hash out what had gone down between them. Instead, all Chris had shown was complete resignation.
Steve knew he’d hurt Chris, and he knew it would take time for them to get back to the rhythm of their old friendship. But he was starting to realize that maybe he’d been kidding himself to think they could bounce back at all.
He let out a breath and kicked at a stray pebble. As he watched the pebble skid across the pavement, he felt someone glide up behind him. The smell of sweat and booze mixed with a sense of familiarity told Steve almost immediately that it was Chris. He caught his breath slightly as he felt a little tinge of excitement from Chris’s presence.
“Hey,” he said lightly. “Thought you already went home.” When he glanced over his shoulder, Steve had to fight back a smile at the sight that greeted him. Chris’s eyes were red from the alcohol he’d consumed throughout the night, and his head was a mass of untamed locks. “Where’s your hat?”
Chris patted the top of his head. “Dunno,” he said with a slur.
Grinning a little, Steve gazed out into the night. “Good show tonight.”
“Whatever, man.”
Steve folded his arms across his chest. “We can’t even make small talk?”
Chris muttered something under his breath and pushed Steve a little like he was trying to start a fight. But then he apparently lost the desire or the energy, because he just let his head drop onto Steve’s shoulder.
After a moment, Steve felt Chris lift his head and start to lightly nuzzle the exposed skin on his neck. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensation for a moment. He knew should turn around and say something to Chris, but he just couldn’t bring himself to put an end to the first genuine affection he’d gotten from Chris since the breakup. After a moment, he felt Chris’s lips against his shoulder-one soft, glancing peck followed by a firm press of lips against the fabric of his t-shirt.
Then Chris’s head slumped unceremoniously into the crook of Steve’s neck.
“Chris,” he said firmly. He tried to sneak a glance over his shoulder, but Chris’s body was starting to sprawl heavily against his, and it soon became clear to him that Chris had fallen asleep with his head on Steve’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but smile, as this was the first sign of the old rapport they had shared before their relationship had ended.
Right about then, the girl he was supposed to go home with walked up, flashed a grin, and mouthed an “aw” when she saw Chris slumped against Steve’s body.
Steve smiled apologetically, even as he tried to rearrange Chris’s limp form so that he better hold him up. “Listen, I’m gonna have to pass tonight,” he said, motioning at Chris. “I need to get Sleeping Beauty here home.”
She tugged on her bottom lip. “Doesn’t he have someone to drive him?”
“He does,” Steve said. “But… I should go with him.”
The woman smiled. “You could… always bring him along. I wouldn’t mind. If you think he’d be interested…”
Steve choked out a laugh. “No, I…no.”
She twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. “Too bad.” With a disappointed smile, she turned and walked toward her car.
Tightening his hold on Chris, Steve shook his head and gazed at the crumpled form in his arms. “I hope you’re happy, Kane,” he said.
***
The next morning, Steve was awakened by a pillow in his face.
“What are you doing here?” Chris was leaning over the back of the sofa, half-asleep and badly in need of a shave.
Steve lifted himself up on his elbows. “You fell asleep on my shoulder. You were fucking out of it.”
Chris bit his bottom lip. “Whatever.” He stood awkwardly staring down at Steve, squirming a little like he was trying to work of the nerve to say something. He looked so adorable that Steve had to force himself not to reach out and cuff him on the arm.
“Want me to make breakfast?” Steve asked when the silence finally got to him.
“Not your kitchen anymore,” Chris said. His body was stiff, and his arms were folded tightly across his chest. “You want breakfast, I’ll make it.”
Steve sat up and arched an eyebrow. “Ouch. But I guess I deserve that.”
“I guess you do.”
Steve winced inwardly at the rancor in Chris’s voice, but at least they were talking, which was more than he could have said twenty-four hours before. Swallowing, Steve motioned for Chris to sit down. “We haven’t really talked since… everything happened,” he said. “I think we need to.”
After a few seconds, Chris relaxed slightly, but his arms remained crossed even as he walked around the sofa and took a seat. “Talk,” he said quietly.
Steve licked his lips, and it suddenly occurred to him that everything he had rehearsed as he tossed and turned during the night had completely evaporated from his brain. He cleared his throat and shifted his body. “Umm…”
“Yeah,” Chris said, staring at the floor. “This is much easier than us just loving each other.”
“Chris… I do love you.”
“You said that before you walked out the door that night.”
“And I meant it. Love had nothing to do with me leaving.” Steve reached out to take Chris’s hand, but it was yanked away.
Chris stood up and physically distanced himself from Steve. “Well why don’t you fucking tell me why you left then?” His voiced started to crack a little. “Why don’t you just tell me what I did, so I can fix it.”
Steve gazed at Chris. “You? You didn’t do anything,” he said. “I left because… I was scared. Your friendship has been a constant in my life, and I didn’t want to see it fall apart. And let’s face it, we both suck at relationships.”
Running a hand through his tangled head of hair, Chris said, “I thought we were doing all right.”
“We were going in different directions half the time. I don’t know. I just got scared.”
Chris dropped back down onto the sofa. “I’m scared too, man,” he said. “I always fuck everything up. But I thought we were okay. I thought you understood me.”
Steve reached for Chris’s hand, and this time, Chris let him take it. “I do understand you,” he said. “I guess I just panicked. I kept thinking of every bad thing that could go wrong.”
Squeezing Steve’s hand, Chris shook his head. “I’m the one who’s supposed to do dumbass things like freak and run,” he said. “You’re supposed to be the rational one who keeps me in line.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’ve been walking around thinking I fucked up again.”
“That’s not what I wanted,” Steve said. He pulled Chris into his arms. “I just didn’t want to lose you, and… Ah fuck it. What we had felt more real than any relationship I’ve ever been in, and it scared the shit out me. I’m… in love with you.”
Chris’s jaw dropped slightly. “That’s… that’s the best thing I’ve heard all year,” he said. He hesitated a split second before leaning in and pressing his lips to Steve’s. “I love you too.”
***
A few minutes later, clothes stripped off and fluffy towels hanging ready, Chris and Steve stepped under the spray of hot water. They still had a lot of issues to hammer out, but right now, they were in both dire need of shower and a little affection.
Steve snatched up a bottle of shampoo, squeezed a dollop into the palm of his hand, and motioned for Chris to turn around. He complied, and Steve started to thread his fingers through Chris’s hair, working shampoo through the long locks and massaging his scalp as he went. Chris leaned into the touch, making little purring sounds as Steve’s fingers moved from his hairline down to his neck.
“I’ve missed this,” Chris murmured after a while. “Feels good.”
“Me too.” Steve nudged Chris’s head under the water and started to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. “Chris, I was an idiot to walk out that door.”
“A little. But you’re here now.” Chris turned around to face Steve. “Just promise me something. Next time you freak out… don’t run. Talk to me. We have to work on this if we want to make it.”
“Believe me,” Steve said. “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”
“That’s good. “Cause I’ll kick your ass next time.”
Grabbing a bar of soap from its holder, Steve lathered up his hands and rubbed them along Chris’s abdomen, arms, and back, exploring skin and muscles that used to be so familiar to him.
With a smile, Steve planted a kiss on the warm, wet skin of Chris’s shoulder. He licked along the muscle before he lightly bit down. When Chris muttered words of encouragement, Steve started to trail kisses along his neck and chest and biceps. “I love you,” he murmured against Chris’s skin.
It felt good to be home.
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1906
Fandom: Kane RPS
Pairings: Chris/Steve
Warnings None
Disclaimer: I do not own these people, and the story within is just the fruit of my vivid imagination.
Summary: Steve comes home.
Notes: This is the sequel to Empty, though they could probably be read separately of each other. As promised, I made them happy and whole again after breaking their hearts last time. :D Written for kissbingo for the prompt “body: shoulder.”
The night air outside the club was balmy and still as Steve stood waiting for his date. The show, long since over, had gone pretty well, considering the chasm that still existed between him and Chris. To top the evening off, he’d managed to find a leggy blonde who was eager to let him take her home-though he wasn’t ashamed to admit he was feeling a little edgy about the whole thing. She would be his first lover since he’d ended his relationship with Chris, and it felt a lot… weirder than he had expected.
Chris.
Lately, Chris had been on his mind even more than usual. When he was eyeing an attractive guy or girl, Chris was the barometer by which Steve judged them. He thought about Chris when he was picking out clothes or jewelry or figuring out what he wanted to make for dinner. He had to fight down the impulse to call him just to hang out or to tell him a joke or a story he’d heard.
When Steve had first decided to end things with Chris, he’d told himself that it was the best thing for their friendship. Relationships had never gone well for either of them, and a few months after they’d started seeing each other, the old stressors that had caused problems with past lovers had started to surface. Panic had set in on Steve’s end, and he had convinced himself that the best way to preserve the bond they’d forged so many years ago was to walk away from each other before things got too serious.
But the problem, at least for Steve, was that he’d already gotten way too serious. If he were being honest with himself, he had already fallen completely in love with Chris.
After they had broken up, Chris had pulled away from him emotionally. He hadn’t called or texted other than to ask if Steve had had found a place to stay. And now that the band was officially starting to play a long list of dates, it was clear that Chris wasn’t his usual affectionate self on stage. Steve had expected-hoped for?-more of a fight from him, or at least more of an attempt to hash out what had gone down between them. Instead, all Chris had shown was complete resignation.
Steve knew he’d hurt Chris, and he knew it would take time for them to get back to the rhythm of their old friendship. But he was starting to realize that maybe he’d been kidding himself to think they could bounce back at all.
He let out a breath and kicked at a stray pebble. As he watched the pebble skid across the pavement, he felt someone glide up behind him. The smell of sweat and booze mixed with a sense of familiarity told Steve almost immediately that it was Chris. He caught his breath slightly as he felt a little tinge of excitement from Chris’s presence.
“Hey,” he said lightly. “Thought you already went home.” When he glanced over his shoulder, Steve had to fight back a smile at the sight that greeted him. Chris’s eyes were red from the alcohol he’d consumed throughout the night, and his head was a mass of untamed locks. “Where’s your hat?”
Chris patted the top of his head. “Dunno,” he said with a slur.
Grinning a little, Steve gazed out into the night. “Good show tonight.”
“Whatever, man.”
Steve folded his arms across his chest. “We can’t even make small talk?”
Chris muttered something under his breath and pushed Steve a little like he was trying to start a fight. But then he apparently lost the desire or the energy, because he just let his head drop onto Steve’s shoulder.
After a moment, Steve felt Chris lift his head and start to lightly nuzzle the exposed skin on his neck. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensation for a moment. He knew should turn around and say something to Chris, but he just couldn’t bring himself to put an end to the first genuine affection he’d gotten from Chris since the breakup. After a moment, he felt Chris’s lips against his shoulder-one soft, glancing peck followed by a firm press of lips against the fabric of his t-shirt.
Then Chris’s head slumped unceremoniously into the crook of Steve’s neck.
“Chris,” he said firmly. He tried to sneak a glance over his shoulder, but Chris’s body was starting to sprawl heavily against his, and it soon became clear to him that Chris had fallen asleep with his head on Steve’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but smile, as this was the first sign of the old rapport they had shared before their relationship had ended.
Right about then, the girl he was supposed to go home with walked up, flashed a grin, and mouthed an “aw” when she saw Chris slumped against Steve’s body.
Steve smiled apologetically, even as he tried to rearrange Chris’s limp form so that he better hold him up. “Listen, I’m gonna have to pass tonight,” he said, motioning at Chris. “I need to get Sleeping Beauty here home.”
She tugged on her bottom lip. “Doesn’t he have someone to drive him?”
“He does,” Steve said. “But… I should go with him.”
The woman smiled. “You could… always bring him along. I wouldn’t mind. If you think he’d be interested…”
Steve choked out a laugh. “No, I…no.”
She twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. “Too bad.” With a disappointed smile, she turned and walked toward her car.
Tightening his hold on Chris, Steve shook his head and gazed at the crumpled form in his arms. “I hope you’re happy, Kane,” he said.
***
The next morning, Steve was awakened by a pillow in his face.
“What are you doing here?” Chris was leaning over the back of the sofa, half-asleep and badly in need of a shave.
Steve lifted himself up on his elbows. “You fell asleep on my shoulder. You were fucking out of it.”
Chris bit his bottom lip. “Whatever.” He stood awkwardly staring down at Steve, squirming a little like he was trying to work of the nerve to say something. He looked so adorable that Steve had to force himself not to reach out and cuff him on the arm.
“Want me to make breakfast?” Steve asked when the silence finally got to him.
“Not your kitchen anymore,” Chris said. His body was stiff, and his arms were folded tightly across his chest. “You want breakfast, I’ll make it.”
Steve sat up and arched an eyebrow. “Ouch. But I guess I deserve that.”
“I guess you do.”
Steve winced inwardly at the rancor in Chris’s voice, but at least they were talking, which was more than he could have said twenty-four hours before. Swallowing, Steve motioned for Chris to sit down. “We haven’t really talked since… everything happened,” he said. “I think we need to.”
After a few seconds, Chris relaxed slightly, but his arms remained crossed even as he walked around the sofa and took a seat. “Talk,” he said quietly.
Steve licked his lips, and it suddenly occurred to him that everything he had rehearsed as he tossed and turned during the night had completely evaporated from his brain. He cleared his throat and shifted his body. “Umm…”
“Yeah,” Chris said, staring at the floor. “This is much easier than us just loving each other.”
“Chris… I do love you.”
“You said that before you walked out the door that night.”
“And I meant it. Love had nothing to do with me leaving.” Steve reached out to take Chris’s hand, but it was yanked away.
Chris stood up and physically distanced himself from Steve. “Well why don’t you fucking tell me why you left then?” His voiced started to crack a little. “Why don’t you just tell me what I did, so I can fix it.”
Steve gazed at Chris. “You? You didn’t do anything,” he said. “I left because… I was scared. Your friendship has been a constant in my life, and I didn’t want to see it fall apart. And let’s face it, we both suck at relationships.”
Running a hand through his tangled head of hair, Chris said, “I thought we were doing all right.”
“We were going in different directions half the time. I don’t know. I just got scared.”
Chris dropped back down onto the sofa. “I’m scared too, man,” he said. “I always fuck everything up. But I thought we were okay. I thought you understood me.”
Steve reached for Chris’s hand, and this time, Chris let him take it. “I do understand you,” he said. “I guess I just panicked. I kept thinking of every bad thing that could go wrong.”
Squeezing Steve’s hand, Chris shook his head. “I’m the one who’s supposed to do dumbass things like freak and run,” he said. “You’re supposed to be the rational one who keeps me in line.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’ve been walking around thinking I fucked up again.”
“That’s not what I wanted,” Steve said. He pulled Chris into his arms. “I just didn’t want to lose you, and… Ah fuck it. What we had felt more real than any relationship I’ve ever been in, and it scared the shit out me. I’m… in love with you.”
Chris’s jaw dropped slightly. “That’s… that’s the best thing I’ve heard all year,” he said. He hesitated a split second before leaning in and pressing his lips to Steve’s. “I love you too.”
***
A few minutes later, clothes stripped off and fluffy towels hanging ready, Chris and Steve stepped under the spray of hot water. They still had a lot of issues to hammer out, but right now, they were in both dire need of shower and a little affection.
Steve snatched up a bottle of shampoo, squeezed a dollop into the palm of his hand, and motioned for Chris to turn around. He complied, and Steve started to thread his fingers through Chris’s hair, working shampoo through the long locks and massaging his scalp as he went. Chris leaned into the touch, making little purring sounds as Steve’s fingers moved from his hairline down to his neck.
“I’ve missed this,” Chris murmured after a while. “Feels good.”
“Me too.” Steve nudged Chris’s head under the water and started to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. “Chris, I was an idiot to walk out that door.”
“A little. But you’re here now.” Chris turned around to face Steve. “Just promise me something. Next time you freak out… don’t run. Talk to me. We have to work on this if we want to make it.”
“Believe me,” Steve said. “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”
“That’s good. “Cause I’ll kick your ass next time.”
Grabbing a bar of soap from its holder, Steve lathered up his hands and rubbed them along Chris’s abdomen, arms, and back, exploring skin and muscles that used to be so familiar to him.
With a smile, Steve planted a kiss on the warm, wet skin of Chris’s shoulder. He licked along the muscle before he lightly bit down. When Chris muttered words of encouragement, Steve started to trail kisses along his neck and chest and biceps. “I love you,” he murmured against Chris’s skin.
It felt good to be home.