20: fan fic { numb3rs } : "rebirthing [3/4]" [colby/charlie, colby/david]
title. rebirthing [3/4]
author. nv
fandom. numb3rs
characters. colby granger, charlie eppes, david sinclair (colby/charlie, colby/david)
genre. angst/drama
rating. nc-17
warnings. slash, language
word count. 2557
spoilers. "the janus list," "trust metric," up to current ep "primacy"
summary. colby makes a mistake.
previously. [ 1 | 2 ]
feedback. is the reason i do this
disclaimer. the characters and canon contained herein are the property of cheryl heuton and nicolas falacci, as well as any associated writers, producers, networks, and parent companies. the following was written by neur0 vanity. no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.
cross-posting. numb3rs_slash, red_gumballs, eppes_slash, savecolby, wolf_tickets
The weeks went by in a happy haze. Colby regained his place on the team, and everyone was warming back up to him. As for Charlie, Colby was happy. They’d go out for dinner, take hikes when Colby was free during the weekends, and watch the occasional game, Charlie enthusiastically yammering on about stats. Colby had to admit that he was thoroughly impressed with how knowledgeable Charlie was about the players on every team in nearly every sport.
Colby finally completed his apartment. It looked like something out of a design magazine. The white cabinets, counters, and appliances of the kitchen stood out against the bright, yellow walls. In the living room, the walls were robin’s egg blue with a brown, leather sectional and large bookcase containing his TV, books, and new movie collection. The bedroom was a minty green and toothpaste white with winter-fresh blue accenting. The lilac bathroom was decorated with aromatherapy products like vanilla candles and sandalwood incense sticks, sweetly-scented soaps, loofahs and scrubs, bottles of milk & honey body wash and amber shampoos and strawberry bubble bath. His freezer was filled with protein, his refrigerator full of vegetables and low-fat dairy, his pantry with whole wheat products.
Everything was perfect.
“Don’t push me,” Charlie said with a giggle, and he fell back onto the bed.
Colby’s hands immediately went to Charlie’s jeans, fingers quickly unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper. “I’ll do whatever I want.” He pulled Charlie’s pants and underwear to his ankles, and Charlie pulled his socked feet out of them. Colby removed Charlie’s socks and his shirt, Charlie’s arms falling down at his sides once they were free of the cotton. Naked on Colby’s silky, mint duvet pocketing the down comforter, Charlie reached for the buttons of Colby’s shirt. He stood and bent to kiss each new expanse of skin uncovered with each new button undone until the shirt was open and hanging off Colby’s shoulders, hanging at his elbows. Charlie helped him push the shirt the rest of the way off his body, and it fell to the floor. Next were Colby’s jeans, and just as Colby had done to Charlie, Charlie pushed them down with his underwear. Colby stepped his way out of the restricting clothing and pulled off his socks, then closed the gap between himself and Charlie.
Their lips met in a rough and hungry kiss, mouths open wide and tongues dancing together. Colby pinned Charlie down onto the bed and spread his body over the younger man’s. His hands wrapped around Charlie’s wrists and held them above his head.
“I’ll do whatever I want,” Colby repeated, and he slid down Charlie’s body and sucked his cock into his mouth. Colby fervently bobbed his head up and down Charlie’s cock, licking and sucking hard, one hand working the base while his other hand toyed with Charlie’s balls. Charlie sat up as best he could and grabbed Colby’s shoulders.
“Enough with the foreplay. I want you. I want you now.”
Their hard cocks lined up together. “What do you want, baby?”
“I want you to fuck me.”
Colby felt a bolt of electricity surge to his dick, making him impossibly harder. “Turn over, sweetheart.”
Charlie complied, twisting over onto all fours, his sweet ass in the air. Colby stepped over to the new nightstand and opened the top drawer. His fingers found the bottle of lube and pulled it out. Popping the cap and turning the bottle over, Colby drizzled a fair amount onto his fingers and pressed a slick, wet finger to Charlie’s hole. He pushed inside and rejoiced at the tightness, the warmth. He could only imagine what it would feel like to have his cock inside that slick, wet, tight, blissful heat. Colby added a second finger and crooked them to hit Charlie’s prostate; Charlie keened and shouted out. A third finger, and Charlie was finally stretched and ready.
Colby climbed onto the bed and took his place between Charlie’s spread thighs, and he pressed the head of his cock to Charlie’s hole. Slowly, he pressed inside and earned a desperate moan from Charlie.
“God, you feel so good.”
“You feel so good.”
Colby quickly began a fast pace with Charlie, needing more and more of this succulent, delicious, intoxicating pleasure. He pushed harder and faster, pounding his hips against Charlie’s ass, pounding his cock into Charlie’s hole, rubbing against Charlie’s sweet spot.
Charlie was keening, and Colby reached forward to take Charlie’s cock in his hand, pumping his lover’s dick with desperation. Charlie quickly came, shooting his cum onto the baby blue, satin sheets and Colby’s hand, and Colby quickly followed, the fluttering and clenching of Charlie’s body commanding his orgasm, and Colby let go into the condom inside Charlie’s incredible heat.
They tumbled onto the bed together, Colby’s cock falling free from Charlie’s ass.
“You’re amazing,” Colby whispered in exasperated awe.
All he heard for several moments was Charlie’s heavy breathing. “You, too,” Charlie finally sighed, and he heard Charlie swallowing hard.
“Can I get you some water?”
“Water, juice, whiskey, whatever.”
“You want alcohol?” Colby asked, feeling a little dismayed.
“Anything that might make this feeling last,” Charlie answered with a smile, sinking happily into the bed.
Colby smiled widely. “I’ve got some beer. Corona or Heineken?”
“Whatever’s easiest to grab.”
Colby reached out a hand and gripped Charlie’s ankle. “You’re the closest intoxicant.”
$$$
“Hey, partner,” David greeted and patted Colby on the shoulder. He rested against the edge of Colby’s desk.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“Did you catch the Lakers last night?”
Colby smiled widely. “Hell yeah, I did. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
David laughed. “I knew you’d say that. Kobe was on fire.”
“All those shots from the free-throw? Kinda makes you go ‘Shaq who?’”
“Right, right. You know they’re playing again tonight?”
“Yeah. The Knicks. Got Jack Nicholson in one seat and Spike Lee in the other.”
“Wanna go?” Colby’s face dropped as his heart stopped beating. David produced a pair of tickets from inside his suit jacket’s pocket. “I’ve got two. Need a buddy.”
Colby’s wide eyes stared at him. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” David answered with a smile. “Catch a good game, sip on some beers, nibble a little popcorn, then maybe grab a meal. I was thinking that Indian restaurant we went to a few months ago, the one with the beads and pillows and sitar player.”
Colby nodded his head. The restaurant that David and he had last gone to, the restaurant that had been the place of his first date with Charlie. What was he supposed to do? For months, he’d thought of nothing but David. He longed for David while he was in prison; he’d been crushed by David’s rejection, constantly praying that David would change his mind, come back to Colby, and they could be the way they were before. But now he had Charlie. Now he loved Charlie. What was he supposed to do? Colby eyed the tickets in David’s hand. “Maybe we can start with the game…”
David smiled widely. “Awesome. I’ll drive us there. I know what a crappy driver you are.”
“Hey, I am a damn good driver.”
David laughed, and Colby followed suit, but as David left, Colby’s laughter and smile faded. What was he doing? He was having a great time with Charlie, but now he was going on a date with David?
Colby told himself that it was just a game. It was just a harmless basketball game, partner and partner. Work partner and work partner. Nothing more.
$$$
“How did you get these seats?” Colby asked in awe as they sat down in their coveted section near the court. He could see actors and musicians and athletes around them.
“Friend of mine,” David answered nonchalantly.
“Is this friend on our side of the law?”
David smiled and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the box Colby held. “Yeah, remember that case with the pop singer two weeks ago?”
“How could I forget?” The rising star had chocolate skin, the perfect breasts, tiny body, and a mega-watt smile. Though Colby was gay, he could still admit to what a knockout she was.
“She gave the tickets to me.” David pushed the popcorn into his mouth and chewed on the salty, buttery snack.
“I did most of the footwork on that case; why didn’t she give them to me?”
“’Cause you’re not as cool as me,” David jabbed with his mouth full. He swallowed and continued, “Maybe if you were as smooth as me, she might have given you tickets to something.”
“Damn…”
“Oh, don’t you cry now.” David lightly punched Colby’s bicep and then threw his arms around him, smothering the younger agent. “You still get to reap the benefits of my coolness.”
Colby laughed against the bear hug that surrounded him and pushed David away. Their eyes locked, and Colby felt the sense of excitement and arousal that he always used to feel around David. Ignore it. It’s just your natural reaction to an old lover. You’re with Charlie now. Colby looked away, cleared his throat, smoothed his hands down the front of his jacket, and said, “Don’t get my suit wrinkled; I don’t have a drycleaner near me. I have to drive to get to one.”
“Can’t have that. We all know what a horror your driving is.”
“Damn it, Sinclair,” Colby slugged David’s arm,” I am a good driver!”
David rubbed at the spot where Colby hit him. “You hit like a girl. Didn’t they give you punching bags to practice on in prison?” Colby knew David was lying about the strength of his punch, and he raised his fist again. David recoiled. “Okay, okay. I give.” He reached for more popcorn and pushed it into his mouth.
“So did you hook up with the pop-tart?”
“Nah. She’s hot, but she’s got a vagina,” he said around his mouthful of food.
“What, you like ‘em pre-op?”
David started laughing and then was choking. Colby laughed harder until he realized that David really was choking on his popcorn and couldn’t breathe. There was shock and panic in David’s eyes as he turned to Colby, one hand around his throat and the other gripping Colby’s thigh. Colby’s heartbeat skyrocketed as adrenaline surged through him. He operated on autopilot like he had during combat in Afghanistan, standing up and pulling David to his feet, twirling him around, and reaching his arms around his partner. Hand over his fist, he pushed in under David’s ribs, memories of practicing the Heimlich Maneuver from years ago coming back to him in a rush. Nothing was happening, though; David continued choking, unable to breathe. Colby kept trying, thrusting his fist harder. David began to sag in his arms. Colby’s desperation grew.
“Don’t you die on me, David,” Colby begged. He was afraid he might break something, but a few broken ribs or a torn organ were worth making sure David didn’t die of suffocation on Colby’s watch.
A few more strong squeezes - Colby’s fist sure to leave a bruise - and the popcorn was dislodged, flying from David’s mouth and onto the back of Jack Nicholson’s head.
David fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing, and Colby ran a gentle hand over David’s smooth, shaved head. He heard applause around them, and Colby saw that the people nearby had been watching and were congratulating David and Colby - David for surviving and Colby for making it happen. Hands reached out and patted David and Colby on their backs, and Colby helped David to his feet.
“Say something, man,” Colby said, a hand on David’s shoulder.
David’s voice came out rough and breathy. “I do not like pre-op trannies.”
Colby smiled wide and laughed and pulled David into his arms. David hugged him back. It had been so long since they had held each other like this, and old feelings rushed back to the surface. Colby pulled away. “Thanks for not dying, man.”
“Thanks for being there to save me, idiot I am.”
“Well, that’s what we do for each other.”
Colby saw something that looked like guilt in David’s eyes. “I really am an idiot, you know.”
“I know.”
“No, seriously, Colby. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have let you go.” Colby’s mouth went slack. “You know how they say your life flashes before you’re eyes when you’re about to die?”
“Yeah…” Colby didn’t like where this was going.
“That’s a lot of hype. What happened, Colby, what happened is I thought of you. Of when we were together. We were so happy then. Weren’t we?”
“Yeah, we were,” Colby admitted. “But, David…”
“No, no, let me finish. I screwed up. I should have been able to understand that you were just doing your job. You keeping classified information from me… that wasn’t betrayal or you lying to me; you were just doing your job. I see that now. And if there’s a need for forgiveness to be given, then I forgive you, but I hope you can forgive me, too.”
“David, I - ”
“I love you, Granger. You’re a silly, clumsy ape of a man, but I love you. I’m still in love with you. I don’t think I ever stopped being in love with you.”
“Charlie…” Colby whispered when he looked to the side and saw his new lover standing in the aisle with his publicist. Charlie was staring at them, mouth wide, eyes full of confusion and… betrayal. That goddamn look of betrayal that Colby knew so well. “Charlie…”
Charlie turned on his heel and walked quickly towards the exit. Without a word, Colby pushed past David and followed after Charlie.
He caught up with him in the hallway outside the stadium where vendors sold hot dogs and beers. Colby grabbed Charlie’s arm and turned him around.
“Wait a minute, Charlie!”
“Working late, huh?” Charlie sounded hysterical as he pulled away from Colby’s hand. All around Colby, his world was crumbling after he’d worked so hard to build it back up.
“I should have - ”
“You couldn’t even tell me that you were going out with David. You lied to me. You lied to me about David. Why? Because you knew I wouldn’t like it? Because you had other intentions?”
“I had no other intentions.”
“Then why not tell me the truth?”
“Because I knew you would react like this!”
“React like this? You mean being pissed that my boyfriend stood me up to go to a basketball game with his ex who just professed his love after a near-death experience? You’re goddamn right I’d react like this!”
“Charlie…” Colby reached for Charlie again, and Charlie swatted his hand away.
“You might have been able to get away with lying to people and fucking them over when you were a spy, but it doesn’t work that way here. Not in relationships, not with me. Doing that shit for the government makes you a hero, but doing that to me just makes you cruel.”
“Damn it, Charlie, let me explain.” Colby’s heart was breaking into a million sharp, tiny pieces. How could this be happening to him again? He’d gotten what he’d wanted - David was his again - but he was losing the thing he realized he wanted the most - Charlie.
“No, Colby. We’re over.”
to be continued...
like it? watch whereismytalent
author. nv
fandom. numb3rs
characters. colby granger, charlie eppes, david sinclair (colby/charlie, colby/david)
genre. angst/drama
rating. nc-17
warnings. slash, language
word count. 2557
spoilers. "the janus list," "trust metric," up to current ep "primacy"
summary. colby makes a mistake.
previously. [ 1 | 2 ]
feedback. is the reason i do this
disclaimer. the characters and canon contained herein are the property of cheryl heuton and nicolas falacci, as well as any associated writers, producers, networks, and parent companies. the following was written by neur0 vanity. no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.
cross-posting. numb3rs_slash, red_gumballs, eppes_slash, savecolby, wolf_tickets
The weeks went by in a happy haze. Colby regained his place on the team, and everyone was warming back up to him. As for Charlie, Colby was happy. They’d go out for dinner, take hikes when Colby was free during the weekends, and watch the occasional game, Charlie enthusiastically yammering on about stats. Colby had to admit that he was thoroughly impressed with how knowledgeable Charlie was about the players on every team in nearly every sport.
Colby finally completed his apartment. It looked like something out of a design magazine. The white cabinets, counters, and appliances of the kitchen stood out against the bright, yellow walls. In the living room, the walls were robin’s egg blue with a brown, leather sectional and large bookcase containing his TV, books, and new movie collection. The bedroom was a minty green and toothpaste white with winter-fresh blue accenting. The lilac bathroom was decorated with aromatherapy products like vanilla candles and sandalwood incense sticks, sweetly-scented soaps, loofahs and scrubs, bottles of milk & honey body wash and amber shampoos and strawberry bubble bath. His freezer was filled with protein, his refrigerator full of vegetables and low-fat dairy, his pantry with whole wheat products.
Everything was perfect.
“Don’t push me,” Charlie said with a giggle, and he fell back onto the bed.
Colby’s hands immediately went to Charlie’s jeans, fingers quickly unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper. “I’ll do whatever I want.” He pulled Charlie’s pants and underwear to his ankles, and Charlie pulled his socked feet out of them. Colby removed Charlie’s socks and his shirt, Charlie’s arms falling down at his sides once they were free of the cotton. Naked on Colby’s silky, mint duvet pocketing the down comforter, Charlie reached for the buttons of Colby’s shirt. He stood and bent to kiss each new expanse of skin uncovered with each new button undone until the shirt was open and hanging off Colby’s shoulders, hanging at his elbows. Charlie helped him push the shirt the rest of the way off his body, and it fell to the floor. Next were Colby’s jeans, and just as Colby had done to Charlie, Charlie pushed them down with his underwear. Colby stepped his way out of the restricting clothing and pulled off his socks, then closed the gap between himself and Charlie.
Their lips met in a rough and hungry kiss, mouths open wide and tongues dancing together. Colby pinned Charlie down onto the bed and spread his body over the younger man’s. His hands wrapped around Charlie’s wrists and held them above his head.
“I’ll do whatever I want,” Colby repeated, and he slid down Charlie’s body and sucked his cock into his mouth. Colby fervently bobbed his head up and down Charlie’s cock, licking and sucking hard, one hand working the base while his other hand toyed with Charlie’s balls. Charlie sat up as best he could and grabbed Colby’s shoulders.
“Enough with the foreplay. I want you. I want you now.”
Their hard cocks lined up together. “What do you want, baby?”
“I want you to fuck me.”
Colby felt a bolt of electricity surge to his dick, making him impossibly harder. “Turn over, sweetheart.”
Charlie complied, twisting over onto all fours, his sweet ass in the air. Colby stepped over to the new nightstand and opened the top drawer. His fingers found the bottle of lube and pulled it out. Popping the cap and turning the bottle over, Colby drizzled a fair amount onto his fingers and pressed a slick, wet finger to Charlie’s hole. He pushed inside and rejoiced at the tightness, the warmth. He could only imagine what it would feel like to have his cock inside that slick, wet, tight, blissful heat. Colby added a second finger and crooked them to hit Charlie’s prostate; Charlie keened and shouted out. A third finger, and Charlie was finally stretched and ready.
Colby climbed onto the bed and took his place between Charlie’s spread thighs, and he pressed the head of his cock to Charlie’s hole. Slowly, he pressed inside and earned a desperate moan from Charlie.
“God, you feel so good.”
“You feel so good.”
Colby quickly began a fast pace with Charlie, needing more and more of this succulent, delicious, intoxicating pleasure. He pushed harder and faster, pounding his hips against Charlie’s ass, pounding his cock into Charlie’s hole, rubbing against Charlie’s sweet spot.
Charlie was keening, and Colby reached forward to take Charlie’s cock in his hand, pumping his lover’s dick with desperation. Charlie quickly came, shooting his cum onto the baby blue, satin sheets and Colby’s hand, and Colby quickly followed, the fluttering and clenching of Charlie’s body commanding his orgasm, and Colby let go into the condom inside Charlie’s incredible heat.
They tumbled onto the bed together, Colby’s cock falling free from Charlie’s ass.
“You’re amazing,” Colby whispered in exasperated awe.
All he heard for several moments was Charlie’s heavy breathing. “You, too,” Charlie finally sighed, and he heard Charlie swallowing hard.
“Can I get you some water?”
“Water, juice, whiskey, whatever.”
“You want alcohol?” Colby asked, feeling a little dismayed.
“Anything that might make this feeling last,” Charlie answered with a smile, sinking happily into the bed.
Colby smiled widely. “I’ve got some beer. Corona or Heineken?”
“Whatever’s easiest to grab.”
Colby reached out a hand and gripped Charlie’s ankle. “You’re the closest intoxicant.”
$$$
“Hey, partner,” David greeted and patted Colby on the shoulder. He rested against the edge of Colby’s desk.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“Did you catch the Lakers last night?”
Colby smiled widely. “Hell yeah, I did. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
David laughed. “I knew you’d say that. Kobe was on fire.”
“All those shots from the free-throw? Kinda makes you go ‘Shaq who?’”
“Right, right. You know they’re playing again tonight?”
“Yeah. The Knicks. Got Jack Nicholson in one seat and Spike Lee in the other.”
“Wanna go?” Colby’s face dropped as his heart stopped beating. David produced a pair of tickets from inside his suit jacket’s pocket. “I’ve got two. Need a buddy.”
Colby’s wide eyes stared at him. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” David answered with a smile. “Catch a good game, sip on some beers, nibble a little popcorn, then maybe grab a meal. I was thinking that Indian restaurant we went to a few months ago, the one with the beads and pillows and sitar player.”
Colby nodded his head. The restaurant that David and he had last gone to, the restaurant that had been the place of his first date with Charlie. What was he supposed to do? For months, he’d thought of nothing but David. He longed for David while he was in prison; he’d been crushed by David’s rejection, constantly praying that David would change his mind, come back to Colby, and they could be the way they were before. But now he had Charlie. Now he loved Charlie. What was he supposed to do? Colby eyed the tickets in David’s hand. “Maybe we can start with the game…”
David smiled widely. “Awesome. I’ll drive us there. I know what a crappy driver you are.”
“Hey, I am a damn good driver.”
David laughed, and Colby followed suit, but as David left, Colby’s laughter and smile faded. What was he doing? He was having a great time with Charlie, but now he was going on a date with David?
Colby told himself that it was just a game. It was just a harmless basketball game, partner and partner. Work partner and work partner. Nothing more.
$$$
“How did you get these seats?” Colby asked in awe as they sat down in their coveted section near the court. He could see actors and musicians and athletes around them.
“Friend of mine,” David answered nonchalantly.
“Is this friend on our side of the law?”
David smiled and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the box Colby held. “Yeah, remember that case with the pop singer two weeks ago?”
“How could I forget?” The rising star had chocolate skin, the perfect breasts, tiny body, and a mega-watt smile. Though Colby was gay, he could still admit to what a knockout she was.
“She gave the tickets to me.” David pushed the popcorn into his mouth and chewed on the salty, buttery snack.
“I did most of the footwork on that case; why didn’t she give them to me?”
“’Cause you’re not as cool as me,” David jabbed with his mouth full. He swallowed and continued, “Maybe if you were as smooth as me, she might have given you tickets to something.”
“Damn…”
“Oh, don’t you cry now.” David lightly punched Colby’s bicep and then threw his arms around him, smothering the younger agent. “You still get to reap the benefits of my coolness.”
Colby laughed against the bear hug that surrounded him and pushed David away. Their eyes locked, and Colby felt the sense of excitement and arousal that he always used to feel around David. Ignore it. It’s just your natural reaction to an old lover. You’re with Charlie now. Colby looked away, cleared his throat, smoothed his hands down the front of his jacket, and said, “Don’t get my suit wrinkled; I don’t have a drycleaner near me. I have to drive to get to one.”
“Can’t have that. We all know what a horror your driving is.”
“Damn it, Sinclair,” Colby slugged David’s arm,” I am a good driver!”
David rubbed at the spot where Colby hit him. “You hit like a girl. Didn’t they give you punching bags to practice on in prison?” Colby knew David was lying about the strength of his punch, and he raised his fist again. David recoiled. “Okay, okay. I give.” He reached for more popcorn and pushed it into his mouth.
“So did you hook up with the pop-tart?”
“Nah. She’s hot, but she’s got a vagina,” he said around his mouthful of food.
“What, you like ‘em pre-op?”
David started laughing and then was choking. Colby laughed harder until he realized that David really was choking on his popcorn and couldn’t breathe. There was shock and panic in David’s eyes as he turned to Colby, one hand around his throat and the other gripping Colby’s thigh. Colby’s heartbeat skyrocketed as adrenaline surged through him. He operated on autopilot like he had during combat in Afghanistan, standing up and pulling David to his feet, twirling him around, and reaching his arms around his partner. Hand over his fist, he pushed in under David’s ribs, memories of practicing the Heimlich Maneuver from years ago coming back to him in a rush. Nothing was happening, though; David continued choking, unable to breathe. Colby kept trying, thrusting his fist harder. David began to sag in his arms. Colby’s desperation grew.
“Don’t you die on me, David,” Colby begged. He was afraid he might break something, but a few broken ribs or a torn organ were worth making sure David didn’t die of suffocation on Colby’s watch.
A few more strong squeezes - Colby’s fist sure to leave a bruise - and the popcorn was dislodged, flying from David’s mouth and onto the back of Jack Nicholson’s head.
David fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing, and Colby ran a gentle hand over David’s smooth, shaved head. He heard applause around them, and Colby saw that the people nearby had been watching and were congratulating David and Colby - David for surviving and Colby for making it happen. Hands reached out and patted David and Colby on their backs, and Colby helped David to his feet.
“Say something, man,” Colby said, a hand on David’s shoulder.
David’s voice came out rough and breathy. “I do not like pre-op trannies.”
Colby smiled wide and laughed and pulled David into his arms. David hugged him back. It had been so long since they had held each other like this, and old feelings rushed back to the surface. Colby pulled away. “Thanks for not dying, man.”
“Thanks for being there to save me, idiot I am.”
“Well, that’s what we do for each other.”
Colby saw something that looked like guilt in David’s eyes. “I really am an idiot, you know.”
“I know.”
“No, seriously, Colby. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have let you go.” Colby’s mouth went slack. “You know how they say your life flashes before you’re eyes when you’re about to die?”
“Yeah…” Colby didn’t like where this was going.
“That’s a lot of hype. What happened, Colby, what happened is I thought of you. Of when we were together. We were so happy then. Weren’t we?”
“Yeah, we were,” Colby admitted. “But, David…”
“No, no, let me finish. I screwed up. I should have been able to understand that you were just doing your job. You keeping classified information from me… that wasn’t betrayal or you lying to me; you were just doing your job. I see that now. And if there’s a need for forgiveness to be given, then I forgive you, but I hope you can forgive me, too.”
“David, I - ”
“I love you, Granger. You’re a silly, clumsy ape of a man, but I love you. I’m still in love with you. I don’t think I ever stopped being in love with you.”
“Charlie…” Colby whispered when he looked to the side and saw his new lover standing in the aisle with his publicist. Charlie was staring at them, mouth wide, eyes full of confusion and… betrayal. That goddamn look of betrayal that Colby knew so well. “Charlie…”
Charlie turned on his heel and walked quickly towards the exit. Without a word, Colby pushed past David and followed after Charlie.
He caught up with him in the hallway outside the stadium where vendors sold hot dogs and beers. Colby grabbed Charlie’s arm and turned him around.
“Wait a minute, Charlie!”
“Working late, huh?” Charlie sounded hysterical as he pulled away from Colby’s hand. All around Colby, his world was crumbling after he’d worked so hard to build it back up.
“I should have - ”
“You couldn’t even tell me that you were going out with David. You lied to me. You lied to me about David. Why? Because you knew I wouldn’t like it? Because you had other intentions?”
“I had no other intentions.”
“Then why not tell me the truth?”
“Because I knew you would react like this!”
“React like this? You mean being pissed that my boyfriend stood me up to go to a basketball game with his ex who just professed his love after a near-death experience? You’re goddamn right I’d react like this!”
“Charlie…” Colby reached for Charlie again, and Charlie swatted his hand away.
“You might have been able to get away with lying to people and fucking them over when you were a spy, but it doesn’t work that way here. Not in relationships, not with me. Doing that shit for the government makes you a hero, but doing that to me just makes you cruel.”
“Damn it, Charlie, let me explain.” Colby’s heart was breaking into a million sharp, tiny pieces. How could this be happening to him again? He’d gotten what he’d wanted - David was his again - but he was losing the thing he realized he wanted the most - Charlie.
“No, Colby. We’re over.”
to be continued...
like it? watch whereismytalent