Fault Lines Box Set

Chapter 4

Chapter 4Rory told himself that he wasn’t going to dwell on the fact that he probably shouldn’t be there. Or ask himself why he had even entertained the idea in the first place. Or how any good could possibly come from him being there. If he had let himself do any of those things, he would have been forced to come to terms with the fact that it was such a bad idea—such an awful, stupid, bad idea—that it had to be one of his worst, ever. Then he would have had to drive away.

It was poker night. Not for him, but for Gabe. It was something Gabe had started doing with the guys at the shop shortly after they moved to Sunridge. They all met at whoever’s home was the home of the week and they ate too much, drank too much, gambled away more than they should, and stayed out too late. Basically, they got to act like cavemen for the night. It was good for Gabe to get out. Everybody needed time away, so Rory tried not to hate the idea of being left at home with nothing to do and no one to do it with. At least, that’s how he had felt. Now he was wondering if being left alone might mean something entirely different. Because where he stood at that moment, looking through his windshield while considering his next move, was outside Danny’s apartment.

Rory had brought pizza—the good stuff, from the Italian’s place in town—loaded up with sausage and mushrooms and peppers. He’d brought beer, too, a six-pack of imports, and one of them already sat, open, in his cup holder. He wasn’t sure if Danny was home, but if not, he’d finish the beer and put the empty with the rest in the back of the car before he drove away. Drinking and driving was a bad idea, but drinking and parking was probably all right. The risk of getting caught if it wasn’t okay was relatively small, and it was a risk he was willing to take. Something had to drown the butterflies that were doing loop-de-loops in his guts and the beer was right there.

Rory sighed into the neck of his bottle. It all just seemed so f*****g sordid, even if he was telling himself that kissing wasn’t a big deal. Secrets were rude. Sneaking around was worse. s*x was intimate, and in the cases where it wasn’t, there should be some kind of mutual groundwork before it was considered. He’d never been the cheating kind. It didn’t agree with him. He’d always said that being gay didn’t make you any less moral or less committed.

Yet, there he was.

Again.

He tilted the bottle, took a long drink, and at that very moment, the door to the apartment stairwell opened. Danny stepped out and walked directly toward the car. Surprised, Rory began to choke. Rory was still coughing when Danny knocked on the window. He turned the key to engage the ignition and pressed the button to open it.

Danny smiled and leaned into the car. “So, are you planning on coming up or do I need to call my uncle and tell him I’m being stalked by some crazy guy in a…” Danny pulled back and looked in confusion at the car. “Well, whatever make and model this car is.”

Rory swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Uh, hi.”

“Because I was going to go downstairs to the bar so I could annoy Sid, but, you know, if there’s something else to do, something that might prove more fun than that, I could probably be dissuaded from my evil intentions.” He took a deep sniff. “Besides, your pizza smells awesome.”

Rory shook his head. He felt stupid—like a hiding child or peeping Tom. Worse for getting caught. “I…was just…sitting here. I guess.”

“All right then, if you say so.” Danny tapped the edge of the open window twice before standing and walking back to the open door of the stairwell. He shut the door behind him. Even the light beyond the door went out, blinking the tiny little window at the top of it into a dark triangle.

Rory stared at the door. He flicked the corner of the label on his beer. He waited for Danny to come back out, or turn on the light, or do something. Surely, he wouldn’t have just left Rory out there. Or maybe he should have—maybe it was a totally smart move.

After a full three minutes of watching the shut door, Rory dropped the open beer into the carry case and grabbed it. Then he plucked the keys out of the ignition and dragged the pizza box out behind him. A stupid grin had found its way to his face, and he was having trouble wiping it off, even though he had no idea why he was smiling. His steps were light as he jogged up to the building. He maneuvered the beer and pizza into one hand and reached for the door handle. He stared in surprise when it didn’t move. Locked? He jiggled the handle. Yep, it was definitely locked.

Frowning, Rory pressed the button beside the door. He heard the buzz, but no answering clicks from the intercom followed it. Instead, Rory heard the clip of footsteps coming down the stairs. It was too dark to see beyond the small window at the top of the door, but he heard Danny’s voice, “Helloooo?”

“Door’s locked. Can you open it?”

“Who is it?” Danny asked in a questioning falsetto.

“You know who it is.” Rory felt his smile growing, in spite of the fact he was standing outside the door, talking through it, and looking like an i***t. “Open the door.”

“Sorry, I missed that. It’s who?”

Rory shook the door handle. “It’s Rory, dumbass.”

“Oh. I don’t know a Rory Dumbass.”

Rory rolled his eyes, but he could hear the grin in his own voice. “How about Rory Open-The-Door-Or-I’m-Going-To-Freaking-Kill-You.”

Danny swung open the door, grinning widely, and flicked on the light above them at the same time. “Oh! That Rory.” He took the pizza box from Rory’s hand. “Is this for me?”

“For us. But wait until you get upstairs. I’ve seen you eat pizza, and I don’t want you to choke in the stairwell. It’s too hard to perform CPR in such a small spot.”

Danny started up the stairs. “Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled. “I bet you’d have no problem performing on these stairs. Besides, it takes a lot to make me choke.”

Rory watched Danny walk up the stairs, enjoying the view. Hungry thoughts were already swimming through his mind, like little sharks that got bigger the more they ate. As it turned out, they were eating well.

You knew what you were looking for when you came here, those sharks told him. Who orders sausage pizza without onions? Without garlic? A man who’s looking to do some kissing, that’s who. For that matter, the sharks continued, when was the last time you put a condom in your jacket pocket? Or were you planning on twisting up a balloon animal?

Danny was already on the couch, shoving pizza in his face when Rory walked through the door. “Ahh,” he groaned, “so good!”

Rory sat beside him. “Only the best. Want a beer?”

Danny tilted his head. “Weird beer?”

“Well, you didn’t seem to be too fond of what we were drinking at the bar so I thought you might like this. It’s lighter and has citrus something or other in it. Someone once told me it reminded them of ginger-ale.”

Gabe, the sharks spoke up again. Gabe told you that. Remember, he said if he wanted to drink soda then he’d drink soda, but if he was going to drink beer it damn well better taste like beer. Remember?

“Anyway…” Rory pulled one out of the case and popped the top with his keys. He handed it to Danny. “Try it.”

Danny took the beer and pushed the pizza box closer to Rory with his knee. “Eat food.”

Rory lifted his bottle and held it up until Danny clinked his against it. “Na Zdorovie.”

“Are you Russian or something?”

Rory laughed. “No. I just like the sound of it. You have to admit, it sounds so much cooler than cheers.”

“And you, sir, are the epitome of cool, right?”

“Right!”

They ate in silence for several minutes, the television screen once again alive with cartoons, until Danny looked over with a frown. “I’m actually kind of surprised to see you here again.”

“Oh?”

“You just seemed kind of—” Danny paused, as if searching for the right word “—weirded-out at the store.”

Rory dropped his pizza, his appetite disappearing like a puff of smoke in the wind. “I was. I am.” He frowned at Danny, desperately trying to impart a look of utmost sincerity. “I want you to know that I’m not the kind of guy that messes around. I’m really, really not.”

Danny grinned. “What you’re telling me is that you don’t” he finger-quoted “do this with all the boys?”

“I’m serious, Danny. It’s not a joke.”

“All right. No big deal. I’m only kidding anyway.” Danny watched Rory over a second slice of pizza. “So why are you here then?”

Rory sat back against the couch with a groan. “I don’t even know.”

“Hmm,” Danny mumbled, swallowing. “Maybe you like me.” Danny set down his beer and reached for the converter. Then he turned and slid along the cushions, resting the back of his head on the armrest, and lifting both legs onto the couch. He looked at Rory through his bent knees. “You want to watch a movie or something?”

Rory sighed. “How about or something?”

“Oh?”

“No. I’m kidding.” Rory shook his head and faked a laugh. “Let’s watch a mov…”

As he looked over at Danny, Rory’s words faded away. Danny sat up, onto his knees, and met Rory’s head-turn with both hands, pulling Rory’s face to his own. Danny’s mouth tasted like pizza and beer, but it wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest.

“Better,” Danny said. His voice was more like a sigh than actual speech and he tried to pull Rory with him as he moved to lay down.

“Nope.” Rory removed Danny’s hands and let him drop, albeit gently. “I was kidding. I really was. I’m confused as to why I’m even here, but it’s not for that.”

He ignored the shark in his head that added, probably.

“We cool?”

Danny sighed and flipped onto his side. He tucked his hand under his cheek. “I am always cool.”

“Yeah, I have no doubt.” Rory smiled and took another drink. He remembered that position, hand under cheek, legs tucked. He remembered it because Danny had looked so goddamn cute lying there in that exact position the last time Rory had been there. And again, just like last time, Rory would have to leave him there. Except this time, he would have to leave Danny untouched, unkissed, and unteased.

But he didn’t have to leave yet.

He grabbed the blanket Danny kept over the couch, stretched it out, and tucked it around Danny’s body. “So, what are we watching?”

Sometime within the first twenty minutes, Danny shut his eyes, but Rory didn’t mind. It didn’t feel nearly as lonely as sitting at home by himself would have. For that matter, and as depressing as the thought was, it didn’t feel nearly as lonely as sitting at home with Gabe most of the time. Something, somehow, had gone way off kilter in Rory’s universe. Worse yet, Rory was realizing, he wasn’t entirely convinced that he wanted it to level out again.

* * * *

An hour later, Danny was snoring like a puppy with a full belly, and Rory figured it was time to leave and let the man sleep. He put the unopened beers and the rest of the pizza in the fridge, but came back to the couch before he let himself out. What he really wanted to do was lean over and give Danny a kiss. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that he couldn’t/shouldn’t/wouldn’t do that, though. Kisses like that were emotional. They were goodbye baby, see you soon kisses.

Rory almost made it, too—all the way to the door and into the hallway before he turned around and gave Danny one anyway.