Ghosts that Watch Us

19

Sean sat up fast, mouth parting. Ellory was in a chair just a few feet away, bent over a folder and rifling through its pages, finally stopping and squinting at something with complicated schematics. Sean couldn't move his gaze away, couldn't help absorbing every detail about him, the straight back and shoulders, his long fingers flipping through the pages. They were very delicate, his hands, and beneath the sleeves of that jacket he wore Sean knew that the bones of his wrist were very fine. He’d held them down only a few days ago, the sensation of that lean body rising against him making his ears feel warm.

Ellory raised his eyes in a casual glance and batted them in surprise at seeing Sean sitting there, watching him.

Sean smiled and cleared his throat. He flicked his hand in greeting. "Hi."

Ellory frowned and returned to his papers, saying nothing. Sean noticed a purple bruise on his jaw, and realized it must have been from his fall down the hill. What other marks on his body were hidden from him beneath his clothes? What other marks had Sean caused with his own hands, gripping him so tightly in all their frustrated desperation?

Sean grabbed his bag and moved to sit beside Ellory, who side-eyed him, but otherwise made no protest.

"Where are you going?" Sean asked.

Ellory said nothing.

"Is that a church?"

"Do you always leave for spring break?"

"When's your flight?"

Ellory finally sighed and flipped the folder closed. "In three hours."

"Why are you here so early?"

Ellory turned away. "We always get here this early."

"We?"

"My graduate assistant and I. Only she was called home last minute. I'm here alone."

Sean stared at him, realizing he liked the way the professor's mouth moved when he talked, the small way his bottom lip dragged down for certain sounds.

"Listen, Ellory...about the other day..."

"You don't have to say anything, alright. I realize I was a right tit for falling like that. It was hilarious, I know it was. We can just forget about it."

“I wasn’t talking about that,” he said quietly, and Ellory blushed so lovely, eyes sinking.

“Well, I was.”

"But you were hurt," Sean hurried to say, wanting him to keep talking. "I would never laugh at you if I knew you were hurt."

Ellory's turned his gaze up at him, blue eyes appearing gray from the sleet outside. "Why not? That never stopped you before."

Sean had the good grace to look down.

Ellory smiled crookedly and sighed. "What does it matter. I make for good sport, don't I?" Sean started to shake his head when Ellory interrupted. "Anyway, where are you going?"

"Ah, I was headed to Cancun but it turns out my flight was just canceled."

"Shame," Ellory said, not sounding like it bothered him at all. Both were silent, no doubt remembering the last time they’d been together, wrapped up in an angry embrace, trousers and jeans torn open. After a moment, Ellory said, "I'm headed to Mexico.”

Sean snapped his head up with a grin. "Really? Staying on the beach? Drinking tequila?"

Ellory smiled tightly, coldly. "No. Excuse me." He gathered his folder and the bag at his feet and stood up. Sean could only watch him go, his eyes drifting down his backside, watching how he moved through the crowd. He remembered how that pert ass had felt in his hands, remembered the surprised inhale Ellory gave at his touch, the quivering moan just after.

Sean’s leg started a hurried bounce, tracking Ellory’s progress across the way. He went to stand in the queue for an airline different from the one Sean had originally booked with, and was helped by the woman behind the counter after a few minutes. Ellory handed her something, probably his graduate assistant's spare ticket. He must be returning it, Sean realized. Which meant there would be an empty seat on his flight. To Mexico. He wasn't sure where in Mexico Ellory was going, but it was probably close to somewhere with a beach, right? He could hop on his flight and then bus it to the closest body of water.

As the woman handed Ellory a paper, a receipt probably, she smiled and said something to him and Ellory laughed. He genuinely laughed, head tossed back, shoulders moving, so that Sean felt an ache roll through his chest at not being able to hear it, wondering what he would have to say to get Ellory to laugh like that with him. Ellory nodded his thanks, collected his bag and papers, and left toward the security checkpoint without another glance at where Sean was sitting.

Standing suddenly, Sean hurried to the counter and smiled at the woman, pulling out his own wallet and useless ticket to see if he could wrangle some luck his way.