Behind the Net: Across the Distance (A Sequel) - Chapter 14
Title: Behind the Net: Across the Distance (A Sequel)
Author: shmorgenheigen
Chapter: Fourteen
Rating: R
Pairing: Pierre/David
Word Count: 3711
Summary: The continuation of the story Behind the Net, picking up right where the original story left off. David and Pierre explore their new relationship while navigating a long distance relationship. While Pierre is in Anchorage in his first year of college and playing college hockey, David is stuck back in Juneau to finish his senior year of high school. When an unlikely person from David’s past shows up and forces their way back into David’s life, things take a turn for the dramatic. Will David and Pierre be able to maintain their love for each other while separated and stave off those pesky feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and depression?
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't own, didn't happen!
Author's Note: When I started to re-write Behind the Net from Pierre’s perspective, I started to think about how much story there would be to tell when Pierre went off to college, leaving David alone in Juneau. I became obsessed with the idea of writing the next chapter in their story and now that it’s finished, I am absolutely in love with how it turned out and the original characters I added into the story! If anyone reads this, leave me a comment and let me know!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
It was finally the day he would get to see Pierre again, and every minute that passed felt like five. When he had woken up and gotten ready, when he had driven himself to the airport, when he had picked up his boarding pass, when he went through TSA, when he sat at his gate and waited to board, as he sat on the plane waiting for takeoff, the entire duration of the flight - it all felt like it was taking way longer than it should have. Even when the plane landed, even as it taxid on the runway, even as they were given permission to begin getting off of the plane, David had an anxious bounce and couldn't stop himself from fidgeting with his fingers, or tapping on his leg, and constantly he was checking the time on his phone. Would Pierre be there already waiting for him outside of TSA? Once he got off the plane he walked as fast as he could get away with, but his heart was beginning to race and his eyes were filling with tears at the very thought that soon he would be in Pierre’s arms again. As he pushed through the last door that separated ticket holding passengers from regular citizens, he saw him. Their eyes caught each other and immediately tears were pouring down David’s cheeks.
Unable to stop himself, not caring if he would get yelled at by some airport employee or security, not caring that there were people all around who would inevitably look at him, David ran forward, his bag dropping to the ground as soon as he was within three feet of Pierre, and he launched himself into Pierre’s embrace, his arms wrapping tight around his neck, his feet leaving the ground, his knees bending to wrap around his body, and clinging to the taller boy with everything he had. Pierre held David tightly, hugging him harder than he’d ever hugged him, his chest squeezing and his eyes closing tight. He breathed in David’s scent, held the back of his head with one hand and supported his weight with his other arm around his back, though David was clinging to him so hard he could have let go entirely and the smaller boy wouldn't have fallen.
They stayed like that for a minute before David pulled back just enough to bring their lips together, a hand reaching up to tangle in Pierre’s hair, crying into the kiss but unable to stop himself. Everything about Pierre felt exactly right; his warmth, his lips, his hands on his head and body, his scent - it was all perfect. The two parted for a second, both breathing hard, before the months of longing overwhelmed them and they kissed again, holding desperately to each other, lost in how deeply they loved each other and how much they had missed each other. They parted again and immediately David’s face was in Pierre’s neck, unable to stop his crying, or the way his entire body was shaking with the strangest combination of the most happiness he’d ever felt and all of the heartache he had felt over the last three months. The feel of Pierre’s soft hair slipping between his fingers, his strong arms holding him together, his warm skin against his face; it was all more than David could take.
“I love you so much,” Pierre breathed, his arms shaking with his own emotion, and though he felt a deep tearing feeling in his chest, he had no tears in his eyes. He hadn’t expected how painful and wonderful this moment would be. Wonderful, yes, but why did it hurt so much? Suddenly every moment of missing David he had experienced over the last three months was crashing over him, making him feel like he was drowning in just how much he loved the other boy, and how empty his days had felt without him no matter how busy he was, or how many new friends he made, or how many new experiences he got to enjoy; none of it really mattered without David there to share it with him.
“I love you so much,” David repeated his words, nuzzling his face in the older boy’s neck, wishing he could stay in this embrace forever and never let go.
They knew they couldn’t stay like that forever, however, and eventually Pierre lessened his grip on David, and moved his hand from the back of his head. As he did, David dropped his feet back to the ground and released his vice grip around Pierre’s neck, though as his feet met the ground again he still didn’t let go entirely and instead stood against the taller boy’s body, staring up at him with tears on his cheeks and glistening in his hazel eyes.
Pierre smiled weakly and reached a hand up, wiping away David’s tears and whispering, “No more of that,” the way he had several times throughout their relationship. David smiled at that and gave a quiet laugh though as he did fresh tears spilled from his eyes which Pierre simply wiped away again. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he continued gently, earning a quick nod from David. He took a step back, the sudden distance between their bodies feeling cold and painful, but quickly grabbed onto David’s hand and began to pull him outside.
Together they took a taxi back to Pierre’s campus dorm building, holding hands the whole ride, wishing instead that they were hugging and kissing each other still but knowing they needed to keep their taxi ride appropriate no matter how much it hurt or how difficult it felt. When they got out of the taxi, when they walked into Pierre’s dorm building, as they went down halls, and up an elevator, and walked past other students, they never once released their grip on the other’s hand. Pierre didn’t care who would see and recognize him, who he might run into, who would see that he was holding hands with another guy. Any fears he could have possibly had felt like nothing compared to his desperate need to touch David after all of that time apart, and he didn’t care who knew it.
As they stood outside his dorm, Pierre digging out his keys and working to unlock the door, David felt his nerves building up inside of himself. Would his roommate be there? Would they be alone? He honestly wasn’t sure which idea sounded scarier to him in that moment. The door opened and revealed a dark room and immediately David knew which it was; they were going to be completely alone. Pierre pulled him into the room, turned on the overhead light, and closed the door behind him. For a second David stood in the entrance, looking at the room and noticing how the sides mirrored each other, a bed, a desk and chair, and a dresser on each side. He wondered if it was always this clean or if Pierre had gone out of his way to make sure it would be presentable for him.
He felt his bag lifted out of his hand and he looked over, seeing Pierre watching him with a look of cautious desire in his eyes before tossing David’s bag at the foot of his bed. He looked like he was trying to keep himself under control, and that was exactly what Pierre was doing with all of the willpower he had in his body. He wanted to throw David down and strip him down and take him right then and there but it was 9:45 in the morning and he had plans to make the evening perfect that he didn’t want to throw away out of lust and desire. Still, he couldn’t stop the way his body moved slowly toward David, or the way his arm wrapped low around David’s body and pulled him up against him, or the way his hand cupped David’s jaw, never once breaking eye contact with him. David felt like his heart had slowed to a stop, and that his need to breathe decreased, and like the world around him ceased moving at the way Pierre was looking at him and the way he pulled him in. For a moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes, the moment thick and intense.
And then Pierre leaned forward to plant the most deep and emotion soaked kiss on David’s lips he’d ever given him and David felt his knees go weak and his body go a little limp in Pierre’s arms. He kissed him back, pouring all of his love and feelings into it, feeling that strong urge to cry again welling up inside of him. Nothing had ever felt so good and hurt so much at the same time and it overwhelmed every part of him, making him feel lost and found all at once, like he was flying and falling in the same moment. He wrapped his arms up around Pierre’s neck and pulled himself close again, allowing his feelings to take over him and not stopping himself from crying again. He had just missed him so much, he was a victim to how happy and sad he was all at once.
Their lips parted and tongues met and everything seemed to swirl that much more intensely around them, heating up but making David shiver at the same time. Pierre’s taste hadn’t changed and it felt like everything he had been missing over the past three months, everything that he had been longing for. Suddenly it was like none of the drama of the last several weeks had ever happened, like none of it had ever mattered. There was no one and nothing else but Pierre and his kiss, and his warm embrace, and his strength keeping David from falling to the floor. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed this, and how suddenly complete he felt now that he had it again. It made him realize how broken and empty and purposeless he’d been since Pierre had left. Now that the world was right again, it threw into perspective just how wrong it had been before. How had he managed to survive?
Their lips parted but they didn’t pull out of each other’s embrace; instead, Pierre leaned his forehead down and rested it against David’s, his eyes closed and his breathing hard. David nuzzled his forehead against Pierre’s gently, trying to stop his second round of tears but failing to do so. “I missed you,” David said, his voice coming out choked and weak.
The sound of his voice drew Piere’s eyes open and he pulled back, seeing that David was crying again. “Hey now,” he said quietly, earning a weak laugh from the smaller boy in embarrassment. “I said no more of that, didn’t I?”
“I can’t help it,” David said honestly, before hiding his face in Pierre’s neck and simply standing in his arms. “You smell so good,” he said, the thought sounding a little random but after having spent so long away from him, it suddenly smelled stronger to him and it was all he could notice.
“You’re crying because I smell good?” Pierre joked, hugging David’s body to his and cradling his head with a hand. He leaned his head down to connect with the top of David’s, smiling weakly to himself.
David laughed again and shook his head in the crook of Pierre’s neck, muttering, “Shut up, dummy.”
Pierre laughed again and didn’t say anything else, simply enjoying holding David in his arms for the time being. It felt like it wasn’t real after all of that time apart. After several more minutes, he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, giving a content sigh. “Are you hungry?” he asked quietly, and David shook his head.
“Not yet,” he said. “I need more before we try to go do anything, okay?” Pierre nodded, though he moved them over to his bed and gently pushed David down to sit on the edge. David looked up at him, feeling cold suddenly from the lack of contact, and his sadness showed on his face. Pierre just smiled at him and kicked off his shoes, before reaching down to pull David’s shoes off of his feet and throwing them toward the door to sit out of the way in a messy pile. Then he climbed into his bed and pulled David down with him. David’s eyes fell closed again and he rolled into Pierre’s body, both of his hands coming to rest against Pierre’s chest and enjoying the way Pierre laid on his back and pulled him so he was half laying on top of him. His strong arms wrapped around David’s arms and body and together they laid like that, not speaking, not kissing, just cuddling fully clothed on top of the blankets and soaking in each other’s embrace.
After a long while, thoughts started to run through David’s mind again in a way that he could comprehend them and suddenly he found himself noticing things he hadn’t noticed before. His fingers pressed into Pierre’s chest and it felt bigger and harder. He moved his hands and began to run his fingers delicately up Pierre’s chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, a flush creeping into his cheeks at the way his muscles seemed bigger and more defined than the last time he had seen him. It was as if any softness that had been there before was gone now, leaving nothing but a lean, toned, muscular body.
Pierre swallowed hard at the way David’s fingers were ghosting over his chest and arms, and again when he felt David’s fingers tuck under his shirt and begin to travel across the toned stomach muscles that were significantly more defined than they used to be. David felt his body heat up and he pushed himself up a little, leaning over Pierre and taking in his face fully for the first time, noticing the way the last of any remnants of adolescent softness were gone now. He thought Pierre hardly looked like a teenager anymore, and though it had only been three months, he thought he looked older and more adult. He stared into Pierre’s warm brown eyes, his lips parted slightly as he moved his hand from under Pierre’s shirt and instead began to trace his jaw, to his cheek bones, to his nose, to his eyebrows, and back down the side of his face again.
As Pierre looked over David, he thought he looked skinnier, like he had lost weight over the last few months that he hadn’t needed to lose. There was almost something frail about him, and he recognized suddenly how much David had been suffering. His skin was paler, his eyes looked sadder, his face was thinner, his hair was longer than he had seen it before, coming down to almost cover his eyebrows but still perfectly pitch black. He suddenly felt guilty that he had been thriving while David had clearly been falling apart. How had David hidden this from him so well? He felt like he had grown and David had diminished and he hated it more than he could fathom.
David registered the look of true sadness on Pierre’s face and worry took over. He placed his hand gently on Pierre’s cheek, tilting his head a little as he frowned down at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
Pierre reached up his own hand to hold David’s face, rubbing his thumb across his cheek in a tender manner. “I’m sorry this has been so hard on you,” he said, his voice so quiet and full of guilt that his words almost didn’t come out at all.
David bit down on his lip, knowing he couldn’t deny it, that this time he wouldn’t be able to let Pierre do the talking to distract from his heartache. He knew it wouldn’t work when Pierre could actually see his face and how weak and tired he’d gotten. Everything over the past three months, from not having Pierre there with him to everything with Hunter had just torn him down and left him feeling empty and broken. Rather than have to respond, he laid his head back down and hid under Pierre’s chin.
“If you think about it, we’re already a third of the way through his,” Pierre offered, though even as he said it he felt it somehow sounded much more daunting than he had intended.
David bit his lip and grabbed tighter to Pierre. “Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better. Two thirds still feels like a lifetime,” he admitted softly.
Pierre nodded against the top of David’s head and gave a sad sigh. “Sorry, it sounded better in my head,” he said quietly. David didn’t respond and Pierre found himself glancing down, wishing he could see his face. “Have you been eating?” he asked, his voice delicate and a little nervous.
“Yeah,” David said quietly, though his unfinished lunches and picked at dinners flashed through his mind, and without meaning to or realizing it he had stopped eating breakfast at all. “Kinda…”
Pierre knew that whatever David would admit to out loud wouldn’t even be a fraction of the reality, not wanting to make him worry, so his kinda said more than he even realized. Pierre sighed again, hugging David tighter to him. “David, I know it’s hard but you can’t let yourself waste away… You have to keep taking care of yourself, even if it feels impossible sometimes.” David nodded against his chest but still didn’t speak and Pierre reached his hands under David’s arms and pulled him easily up so they were face to face again. “Promise me you’re gonna at least make an effort to eat a normal amount, even if you have to start drinking a protein shake in the morning or something.”
David, feeling ashamed of himself and embarrassed at the way Pierre had seen this so easily, looked away. “Okay,” he said quietly.
“Look at me,” Pierre said, his voice gentle and sounding like much more of a request than the way Hunter ever said it to him. This kindness allowed David to ignore the request, his shame overwhelming him and making him want to hide. “Please,” Pierre continued in a whisper. The sound made David give in and he looked back into Pierre’s eyes, seeing a sad kind of desperation in them. “Please take care of yourself. I can’t be there to do it for you. I need you to love yourself as much as I do and keep yourself going.” He felt like he was practically begging but he didn’t care. If this was the state David was in after just three months, what was another six months going to do to him?
“‘I’m sorry. I’ll try,” David said sadly.
Suddenly Pierre found himself feeling irritated, thinking of Hunter and wanting to grab his stupid head and shake him. He got to see David every day, how could he let him get like this? If he actually loved him like Pierre was certain he did, how could he ever have let this happen? Didn’t he see it? Didn’t he see David withering away in front of his eyes? Didn’t he even care?
David saw as the look on Pierre’s face changed, showing frustration and anger. Mistaking the emotion as being directed toward him, fear suddenly gripped at him and he grabbed at Pierre more tightly. “I promise, okay? I’ll really try. I-I’ll start having breakfast again. I’ll drink protein shakes like you said. Just… don’t be mad at me, please. I’ve just been really struggling and I’ve missed you so much and I’ve felt so alone a-and-”
The look of frustration dropped from Pierre’s face and he shook his head quickly, grabbing the back of David’s head and pulling him back to his chest, cradling him against his body like he was the most precious thing he’d ever held. “No, I’m not mad at you at all,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about that idiot and wondering how he gets to see you every day and let you get to this point without doing anything about it,” he admitted, his frustration coloring his words.
David blushed and his eyes widened and suddenly he was glad he was held against Pierre’s chest so that he couldn’t see. “He’s not my parent,” David said quietly. “It’s not his job to make sure I’m eating…”
“No but he has feelings for you so you’d think he’d be paying attention and he’d try to help you,” Pierre said without being able to stop himself. David blushed harder but didn’t deny Pierre’s words, not wanting to lie. It seemed Pierre was just as aware as he was that Hunter had failed to keep his promise of getting over his feelings for David, though he truly hoped that Pirere didn’t realize the depth of those feelings he harbored for him. Pierre suddenly felt bad for his words and he sighed, his grip on David’s body becoming gentler. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just… been a long three months.”
David nodded slowly against Pierre’s chest and said, “It’s okay… it has been a long three months.”
After those words, the two allowed silence to fall between them and they just laid together, holding each other tight, enjoying the warmth and the comfort that they had been missing for all of those long weeks. Later they would get up. Later they would go out and get something to eat and Pierre would get to show David around his school, but they felt no rush to go out and do anything at all. In that moment, all they wanted was to feel and touch and experience each other again, to soak in the physical affection that had been absent from their relationship all that time, and to fully remind themselves of just how wonderful it was to be together the way that they should be, the way that it would be all the time in another six months. They needed it too badly to stop now.
Author: shmorgenheigen
Chapter: Fourteen
Rating: R
Pairing: Pierre/David
Word Count: 3711
Summary: The continuation of the story Behind the Net, picking up right where the original story left off. David and Pierre explore their new relationship while navigating a long distance relationship. While Pierre is in Anchorage in his first year of college and playing college hockey, David is stuck back in Juneau to finish his senior year of high school. When an unlikely person from David’s past shows up and forces their way back into David’s life, things take a turn for the dramatic. Will David and Pierre be able to maintain their love for each other while separated and stave off those pesky feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and depression?
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't own, didn't happen!
Author's Note: When I started to re-write Behind the Net from Pierre’s perspective, I started to think about how much story there would be to tell when Pierre went off to college, leaving David alone in Juneau. I became obsessed with the idea of writing the next chapter in their story and now that it’s finished, I am absolutely in love with how it turned out and the original characters I added into the story! If anyone reads this, leave me a comment and let me know!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
It was finally the day he would get to see Pierre again, and every minute that passed felt like five. When he had woken up and gotten ready, when he had driven himself to the airport, when he had picked up his boarding pass, when he went through TSA, when he sat at his gate and waited to board, as he sat on the plane waiting for takeoff, the entire duration of the flight - it all felt like it was taking way longer than it should have. Even when the plane landed, even as it taxid on the runway, even as they were given permission to begin getting off of the plane, David had an anxious bounce and couldn't stop himself from fidgeting with his fingers, or tapping on his leg, and constantly he was checking the time on his phone. Would Pierre be there already waiting for him outside of TSA? Once he got off the plane he walked as fast as he could get away with, but his heart was beginning to race and his eyes were filling with tears at the very thought that soon he would be in Pierre’s arms again. As he pushed through the last door that separated ticket holding passengers from regular citizens, he saw him. Their eyes caught each other and immediately tears were pouring down David’s cheeks.
Unable to stop himself, not caring if he would get yelled at by some airport employee or security, not caring that there were people all around who would inevitably look at him, David ran forward, his bag dropping to the ground as soon as he was within three feet of Pierre, and he launched himself into Pierre’s embrace, his arms wrapping tight around his neck, his feet leaving the ground, his knees bending to wrap around his body, and clinging to the taller boy with everything he had. Pierre held David tightly, hugging him harder than he’d ever hugged him, his chest squeezing and his eyes closing tight. He breathed in David’s scent, held the back of his head with one hand and supported his weight with his other arm around his back, though David was clinging to him so hard he could have let go entirely and the smaller boy wouldn't have fallen.
They stayed like that for a minute before David pulled back just enough to bring their lips together, a hand reaching up to tangle in Pierre’s hair, crying into the kiss but unable to stop himself. Everything about Pierre felt exactly right; his warmth, his lips, his hands on his head and body, his scent - it was all perfect. The two parted for a second, both breathing hard, before the months of longing overwhelmed them and they kissed again, holding desperately to each other, lost in how deeply they loved each other and how much they had missed each other. They parted again and immediately David’s face was in Pierre’s neck, unable to stop his crying, or the way his entire body was shaking with the strangest combination of the most happiness he’d ever felt and all of the heartache he had felt over the last three months. The feel of Pierre’s soft hair slipping between his fingers, his strong arms holding him together, his warm skin against his face; it was all more than David could take.
“I love you so much,” Pierre breathed, his arms shaking with his own emotion, and though he felt a deep tearing feeling in his chest, he had no tears in his eyes. He hadn’t expected how painful and wonderful this moment would be. Wonderful, yes, but why did it hurt so much? Suddenly every moment of missing David he had experienced over the last three months was crashing over him, making him feel like he was drowning in just how much he loved the other boy, and how empty his days had felt without him no matter how busy he was, or how many new friends he made, or how many new experiences he got to enjoy; none of it really mattered without David there to share it with him.
“I love you so much,” David repeated his words, nuzzling his face in the older boy’s neck, wishing he could stay in this embrace forever and never let go.
They knew they couldn’t stay like that forever, however, and eventually Pierre lessened his grip on David, and moved his hand from the back of his head. As he did, David dropped his feet back to the ground and released his vice grip around Pierre’s neck, though as his feet met the ground again he still didn’t let go entirely and instead stood against the taller boy’s body, staring up at him with tears on his cheeks and glistening in his hazel eyes.
Pierre smiled weakly and reached a hand up, wiping away David’s tears and whispering, “No more of that,” the way he had several times throughout their relationship. David smiled at that and gave a quiet laugh though as he did fresh tears spilled from his eyes which Pierre simply wiped away again. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he continued gently, earning a quick nod from David. He took a step back, the sudden distance between their bodies feeling cold and painful, but quickly grabbed onto David’s hand and began to pull him outside.
Together they took a taxi back to Pierre’s campus dorm building, holding hands the whole ride, wishing instead that they were hugging and kissing each other still but knowing they needed to keep their taxi ride appropriate no matter how much it hurt or how difficult it felt. When they got out of the taxi, when they walked into Pierre’s dorm building, as they went down halls, and up an elevator, and walked past other students, they never once released their grip on the other’s hand. Pierre didn’t care who would see and recognize him, who he might run into, who would see that he was holding hands with another guy. Any fears he could have possibly had felt like nothing compared to his desperate need to touch David after all of that time apart, and he didn’t care who knew it.
As they stood outside his dorm, Pierre digging out his keys and working to unlock the door, David felt his nerves building up inside of himself. Would his roommate be there? Would they be alone? He honestly wasn’t sure which idea sounded scarier to him in that moment. The door opened and revealed a dark room and immediately David knew which it was; they were going to be completely alone. Pierre pulled him into the room, turned on the overhead light, and closed the door behind him. For a second David stood in the entrance, looking at the room and noticing how the sides mirrored each other, a bed, a desk and chair, and a dresser on each side. He wondered if it was always this clean or if Pierre had gone out of his way to make sure it would be presentable for him.
He felt his bag lifted out of his hand and he looked over, seeing Pierre watching him with a look of cautious desire in his eyes before tossing David’s bag at the foot of his bed. He looked like he was trying to keep himself under control, and that was exactly what Pierre was doing with all of the willpower he had in his body. He wanted to throw David down and strip him down and take him right then and there but it was 9:45 in the morning and he had plans to make the evening perfect that he didn’t want to throw away out of lust and desire. Still, he couldn’t stop the way his body moved slowly toward David, or the way his arm wrapped low around David’s body and pulled him up against him, or the way his hand cupped David’s jaw, never once breaking eye contact with him. David felt like his heart had slowed to a stop, and that his need to breathe decreased, and like the world around him ceased moving at the way Pierre was looking at him and the way he pulled him in. For a moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes, the moment thick and intense.
And then Pierre leaned forward to plant the most deep and emotion soaked kiss on David’s lips he’d ever given him and David felt his knees go weak and his body go a little limp in Pierre’s arms. He kissed him back, pouring all of his love and feelings into it, feeling that strong urge to cry again welling up inside of him. Nothing had ever felt so good and hurt so much at the same time and it overwhelmed every part of him, making him feel lost and found all at once, like he was flying and falling in the same moment. He wrapped his arms up around Pierre’s neck and pulled himself close again, allowing his feelings to take over him and not stopping himself from crying again. He had just missed him so much, he was a victim to how happy and sad he was all at once.
Their lips parted and tongues met and everything seemed to swirl that much more intensely around them, heating up but making David shiver at the same time. Pierre’s taste hadn’t changed and it felt like everything he had been missing over the past three months, everything that he had been longing for. Suddenly it was like none of the drama of the last several weeks had ever happened, like none of it had ever mattered. There was no one and nothing else but Pierre and his kiss, and his warm embrace, and his strength keeping David from falling to the floor. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed this, and how suddenly complete he felt now that he had it again. It made him realize how broken and empty and purposeless he’d been since Pierre had left. Now that the world was right again, it threw into perspective just how wrong it had been before. How had he managed to survive?
Their lips parted but they didn’t pull out of each other’s embrace; instead, Pierre leaned his forehead down and rested it against David’s, his eyes closed and his breathing hard. David nuzzled his forehead against Pierre’s gently, trying to stop his second round of tears but failing to do so. “I missed you,” David said, his voice coming out choked and weak.
The sound of his voice drew Piere’s eyes open and he pulled back, seeing that David was crying again. “Hey now,” he said quietly, earning a weak laugh from the smaller boy in embarrassment. “I said no more of that, didn’t I?”
“I can’t help it,” David said honestly, before hiding his face in Pierre’s neck and simply standing in his arms. “You smell so good,” he said, the thought sounding a little random but after having spent so long away from him, it suddenly smelled stronger to him and it was all he could notice.
“You’re crying because I smell good?” Pierre joked, hugging David’s body to his and cradling his head with a hand. He leaned his head down to connect with the top of David’s, smiling weakly to himself.
David laughed again and shook his head in the crook of Pierre’s neck, muttering, “Shut up, dummy.”
Pierre laughed again and didn’t say anything else, simply enjoying holding David in his arms for the time being. It felt like it wasn’t real after all of that time apart. After several more minutes, he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, giving a content sigh. “Are you hungry?” he asked quietly, and David shook his head.
“Not yet,” he said. “I need more before we try to go do anything, okay?” Pierre nodded, though he moved them over to his bed and gently pushed David down to sit on the edge. David looked up at him, feeling cold suddenly from the lack of contact, and his sadness showed on his face. Pierre just smiled at him and kicked off his shoes, before reaching down to pull David’s shoes off of his feet and throwing them toward the door to sit out of the way in a messy pile. Then he climbed into his bed and pulled David down with him. David’s eyes fell closed again and he rolled into Pierre’s body, both of his hands coming to rest against Pierre’s chest and enjoying the way Pierre laid on his back and pulled him so he was half laying on top of him. His strong arms wrapped around David’s arms and body and together they laid like that, not speaking, not kissing, just cuddling fully clothed on top of the blankets and soaking in each other’s embrace.
After a long while, thoughts started to run through David’s mind again in a way that he could comprehend them and suddenly he found himself noticing things he hadn’t noticed before. His fingers pressed into Pierre’s chest and it felt bigger and harder. He moved his hands and began to run his fingers delicately up Pierre’s chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, a flush creeping into his cheeks at the way his muscles seemed bigger and more defined than the last time he had seen him. It was as if any softness that had been there before was gone now, leaving nothing but a lean, toned, muscular body.
Pierre swallowed hard at the way David’s fingers were ghosting over his chest and arms, and again when he felt David’s fingers tuck under his shirt and begin to travel across the toned stomach muscles that were significantly more defined than they used to be. David felt his body heat up and he pushed himself up a little, leaning over Pierre and taking in his face fully for the first time, noticing the way the last of any remnants of adolescent softness were gone now. He thought Pierre hardly looked like a teenager anymore, and though it had only been three months, he thought he looked older and more adult. He stared into Pierre’s warm brown eyes, his lips parted slightly as he moved his hand from under Pierre’s shirt and instead began to trace his jaw, to his cheek bones, to his nose, to his eyebrows, and back down the side of his face again.
As Pierre looked over David, he thought he looked skinnier, like he had lost weight over the last few months that he hadn’t needed to lose. There was almost something frail about him, and he recognized suddenly how much David had been suffering. His skin was paler, his eyes looked sadder, his face was thinner, his hair was longer than he had seen it before, coming down to almost cover his eyebrows but still perfectly pitch black. He suddenly felt guilty that he had been thriving while David had clearly been falling apart. How had David hidden this from him so well? He felt like he had grown and David had diminished and he hated it more than he could fathom.
David registered the look of true sadness on Pierre’s face and worry took over. He placed his hand gently on Pierre’s cheek, tilting his head a little as he frowned down at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
Pierre reached up his own hand to hold David’s face, rubbing his thumb across his cheek in a tender manner. “I’m sorry this has been so hard on you,” he said, his voice so quiet and full of guilt that his words almost didn’t come out at all.
David bit down on his lip, knowing he couldn’t deny it, that this time he wouldn’t be able to let Pierre do the talking to distract from his heartache. He knew it wouldn’t work when Pierre could actually see his face and how weak and tired he’d gotten. Everything over the past three months, from not having Pierre there with him to everything with Hunter had just torn him down and left him feeling empty and broken. Rather than have to respond, he laid his head back down and hid under Pierre’s chin.
“If you think about it, we’re already a third of the way through his,” Pierre offered, though even as he said it he felt it somehow sounded much more daunting than he had intended.
David bit his lip and grabbed tighter to Pierre. “Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better. Two thirds still feels like a lifetime,” he admitted softly.
Pierre nodded against the top of David’s head and gave a sad sigh. “Sorry, it sounded better in my head,” he said quietly. David didn’t respond and Pierre found himself glancing down, wishing he could see his face. “Have you been eating?” he asked, his voice delicate and a little nervous.
“Yeah,” David said quietly, though his unfinished lunches and picked at dinners flashed through his mind, and without meaning to or realizing it he had stopped eating breakfast at all. “Kinda…”
Pierre knew that whatever David would admit to out loud wouldn’t even be a fraction of the reality, not wanting to make him worry, so his kinda said more than he even realized. Pierre sighed again, hugging David tighter to him. “David, I know it’s hard but you can’t let yourself waste away… You have to keep taking care of yourself, even if it feels impossible sometimes.” David nodded against his chest but still didn’t speak and Pierre reached his hands under David’s arms and pulled him easily up so they were face to face again. “Promise me you’re gonna at least make an effort to eat a normal amount, even if you have to start drinking a protein shake in the morning or something.”
David, feeling ashamed of himself and embarrassed at the way Pierre had seen this so easily, looked away. “Okay,” he said quietly.
“Look at me,” Pierre said, his voice gentle and sounding like much more of a request than the way Hunter ever said it to him. This kindness allowed David to ignore the request, his shame overwhelming him and making him want to hide. “Please,” Pierre continued in a whisper. The sound made David give in and he looked back into Pierre’s eyes, seeing a sad kind of desperation in them. “Please take care of yourself. I can’t be there to do it for you. I need you to love yourself as much as I do and keep yourself going.” He felt like he was practically begging but he didn’t care. If this was the state David was in after just three months, what was another six months going to do to him?
“‘I’m sorry. I’ll try,” David said sadly.
Suddenly Pierre found himself feeling irritated, thinking of Hunter and wanting to grab his stupid head and shake him. He got to see David every day, how could he let him get like this? If he actually loved him like Pierre was certain he did, how could he ever have let this happen? Didn’t he see it? Didn’t he see David withering away in front of his eyes? Didn’t he even care?
David saw as the look on Pierre’s face changed, showing frustration and anger. Mistaking the emotion as being directed toward him, fear suddenly gripped at him and he grabbed at Pierre more tightly. “I promise, okay? I’ll really try. I-I’ll start having breakfast again. I’ll drink protein shakes like you said. Just… don’t be mad at me, please. I’ve just been really struggling and I’ve missed you so much and I’ve felt so alone a-and-”
The look of frustration dropped from Pierre’s face and he shook his head quickly, grabbing the back of David’s head and pulling him back to his chest, cradling him against his body like he was the most precious thing he’d ever held. “No, I’m not mad at you at all,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about that idiot and wondering how he gets to see you every day and let you get to this point without doing anything about it,” he admitted, his frustration coloring his words.
David blushed and his eyes widened and suddenly he was glad he was held against Pierre’s chest so that he couldn’t see. “He’s not my parent,” David said quietly. “It’s not his job to make sure I’m eating…”
“No but he has feelings for you so you’d think he’d be paying attention and he’d try to help you,” Pierre said without being able to stop himself. David blushed harder but didn’t deny Pierre’s words, not wanting to lie. It seemed Pierre was just as aware as he was that Hunter had failed to keep his promise of getting over his feelings for David, though he truly hoped that Pirere didn’t realize the depth of those feelings he harbored for him. Pierre suddenly felt bad for his words and he sighed, his grip on David’s body becoming gentler. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just… been a long three months.”
David nodded slowly against Pierre’s chest and said, “It’s okay… it has been a long three months.”
After those words, the two allowed silence to fall between them and they just laid together, holding each other tight, enjoying the warmth and the comfort that they had been missing for all of those long weeks. Later they would get up. Later they would go out and get something to eat and Pierre would get to show David around his school, but they felt no rush to go out and do anything at all. In that moment, all they wanted was to feel and touch and experience each other again, to soak in the physical affection that had been absent from their relationship all that time, and to fully remind themselves of just how wonderful it was to be together the way that they should be, the way that it would be all the time in another six months. They needed it too badly to stop now.