A/N:**This fiction is OC heavy, so if Original Characters aren't your thing, then this probably won't be your thing.**
Earlier this week I was bitten by a plot bunny so hard, that he still hasn't gone away. I know I have other fictions I should work on, and not starting a new one. HOWEVER, I have this one plotted out to the end! Yes folks, this has an end date. I have enlisted the help of two fellow writers to help keep me on point, so this fiction is subject to changes and edits at any time! I already have four chapters of this beast written, so expect a new chapter every Wednesday or Thursday, until the fic is finished. Please let me know what you think, I love getting feedback!
***This first chapter has been updated and betaed by the lovely TarmaHartley! Lots of thanks to her for taking the time to look this over!***
Chapter 1: Meeting
'Regrets collect like old friends,
Here to relive your darkest moments,
I can see no way, I can see no way,
And all the ghouls come out to play.'
'Shake it Off' by Florence + The Machine
Jason laughed at his wife's little anecdote as he draped his arm along the back of her chair, The couple they were sitting with laughed just as heartily. With his black hair and sultry blue eyes and height of 6'3, Jason was his wife's opposite: She was a petite five foot two, with long, sun-kissed, strawberry-blond hair and hazel eyes that sparkled when she smiled.
Her smile.
It was dazzling and one of the many things about her that caught his eye and others as well. Jason didn't mind; he caught glances from men and women alike. That suited him just fine as he enjoyed the male form as much as the female form.
His wife had surprised him with a confession after a year of dating; she was a swinger and was excited to introduce him to her circle of friends. He was nervous and hesitant at first; he had only been with one other man; Will. A friend in his college days that started a heated and torrid love affair that they had some how managed to hide from everyone.
While Carly had mentioned the men of the couples she swung with were open minded and easy to get along with, Jason never suspected that he would touch a man, or have any other man touch him the way that Will did.
Jason smiled, taking a drink of his wine to hide his giddy state. He hadn't thought of Will in a few years, not since their swinging days had come to a halt when his job took him to Chicago.
It wasn't that they couldn't find anyone – they knew a couple that lived in the city- but they had decided to focus on themselves as a couple. As far as Jason was concerned, it was one of the best decisions they made.
Now back from Chicago a month, they are just as close as a couple as they were when they married five years ago. They were sitting on the balcony of a little known cafe the other couple had told them about, nestled in the newer part of Angel Beach – a recovered and renewed part of Los Angles that the city council took initiative to rebuild after the deadly quake of 2018.
Jason observed the couple, who happened to be their neighbors, sitting across the table as he drank his wine. They were a good looking pair, each with their typical California tans and sun-kissed blond hair. Brad had green eyes, a rough complexion from too much sun and a surfers body while Julie was blond, blue eyed with all the right curves and a slight Southern accent.
Jason's eyes wandered over the beach, flickering back to the ocean, a soft smile on his face as he watched couples and families taking full advantage of the unusually warm evening. His eyes lit on one particular couple and he watched them with interest as they threw a Frisbee back and forth between them and a Border Collie ran excitedly trying to chase the Frisbee.
His thoughts immediately went to Will, whom always wanted a Border Collie. Jason thought of the stories that Will would tell about how they would go to the beach and toss the Frisbee and their dog would chase it. He sighed as he watched the dog and it's owners racing around the beach, laughter and barking echoing in the gathering twilight.
Jason's thoughtful gaze went back to the man whose back was to them and he noted, with gathering interest, that he was tall and fit and tanned a deep bronze, his auburn hair was sun-kissed, long and held back with a colorful rubber-band. For some reason he couldn't explain, he found this man fascinating and couldn't stop staring at him.
"Don't you think, Jason?" His wife's voice saying his name brought him back to their conversation.
"Um, yeah, sure," he smiled and nodded, taking a drink of his wine.
Carly chuckled, shaking her head. "You haven't heard a word we've said, have you?"
Jason ducked his head, his cheeks reddening slightly as he ran his fingertip around the lip of his wine glass. "No, sorry,"
"We were thinking of taking a walk along the beach to watch the sunset," Julie smiled as she placed a hand on his arm. It was warm and she smelled of coconut. The large diamond on her wedding band caught the sun and he resisted the urge to comment on it. Owning a gym must have a lot of benefits!
"Yes I think that's a perfect idea," Jason smiled and nodded.
"Cool." Brad's surfer accent was strong. "Tonight's sunset is supposed to be extraordinary."
"Good." he winked at Brad when he started to get his wallet out. "I'll get it this time. You grab the next one."
"Thanks, man!" Brad reached over and clapped Jason on the shoulder as Carly stood on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. He had leaned over for her and Julie gently squeezed his arm.
He stood when the others did and walked over to the bar, watching his new friends and wife walk down the wide wooden stairs, through the gate and onto the beach. No one had access to this beach unless you purchased something from the boardwalk first and if you wanted to return you had to purchase a wristband for a small amount that went to the upkeep of the beach itself. The business owners were held responsible for the beach as well. As a result of all of this, Angels Beach has held the title of most beautiful and cleanest beach for ten years in a row.
Jason told the bartender their servers name and the bartender called the server over their walkie system. Jason turned his attention back to the beach, back to the man playing Frisbee. There was something familiar in the way he moved...
"Jason? Jason Angel?" A voice with a slight accent interrupted his thoughts as he whirled around to face the owner of the velvety voice.
Jason's brow furrowed, trying to think of where he had seen this handsome blond-haired, ocean blue-eyed devil.
The man grinned at him. "It's Klavier. Klavier Gavin!"
The light bulb suddenly turned on and a wide smile broke out over Jason's face. Not only had he seen this guys face on billboards and in concerts across the country, he was a huge fan of the Gavinners and their lead singer. Plus, they went to elementary and middle school together.
"Oh crap, Klavier Gavin!" Jason said as he went for a handshake, Klavier going for a hug. "Ah, bring it here!" He wrapped his arms around the other man and clapped him hard on his back. "It's good to see you!"
"I can't remember the last time we saw each other?" Klavier joked when they parted.
Jason smiled and rubbed his chin, looking thoughtfully down at his shoes.
"I wanna say it was at that concert where your guitar caught on fire," Jason chuckled as he spoke, looking up in time to observe a cute brunette approaching them.
"Hmm... Ja, I believe you are right," Klavier winked roguishly at him and turned when the brunette touched his arm. "Fraulein! Meet an old friend, Jason! Jason this is my fiancée, Ema Skye."
"Nice to meet you, Jason," Ema held out her hand for Jason to shake it, however he surprised her when he grasped it gently, bringing it to his lips. She smelled of vanilla and something else he couldn't place. He smiled when her cheeks reddened and he couldn't help but wink at her.
"My pleasure, my dear."
"Klavier..." Ema whacked him on the arm playfully. "Why are all of your friends so sickeningly charming?"
Jason smirked as he watched her green eyes getting brighter and fiercer as she scolded Klavier.
"Fraulein, need I remind you whom you are marrying?" He flashed her a smile that dazzled even Jason as he chuckled while Ema merely rolled her eyes and snorted.
"Still charming the ladies, eh Gavin?" Jason asked as he looped his thumbs in the belt loops of his khaki shorts.
"It was worth it to find this gem," Klavier winked again as Jason smirked at Ema's reddening cheeks.
"Ugh, I'm going to find us a table," she said as she turned and looked at the gathering crowd.
"Ours is free once they clean it," Jason gestured as he spoke. "I would snag it. Looks like quite a crowd has shown up for this amazing sunset we're supposed to have."
"Thank you," Ema nodded graciously. She started to make her way to the table as she turned and said: "It was nice meeting you Jason."
"You as well, my lady," Jason waved.
He turned to see his wife and their neighbors standing a couple yards from the patio, watching him and Klavier with great interest. "Listen, Klavier, I should get going. It was nice to see you again."
"Ja, of course," Klavier brought out his phone. "Give me your number and we will get together and talk about life."
x
"Was that Klavier Gavin?" Julie asked when Jason joined them again, her eyes bright with excitement.
He put his arm around Carly, nodding. "Yeah, it was,"
"I didn't recognize him!" Brad exclaimed. "He used to crash on that prosecutors couch between concerts. I taught him and Daryan how to surf. Nice guys."
Jason nodded in agreement. "That would be him."
"I didn't know you knew him," Julie's face practically lit up. "I had the biggest crush on him in college. Gosh his voice was amazing."
"And he could play the guitar like nobody's business." Brad played an air guitar, his tongue hanging out as everyone broke out in laughter.
Carly placed a hand on Julie's arm, pointing to a little Italian Ice shop to their left. "Oh, Julie, lets get some gelato!"
Julie agreed and the ladies ran in the direction of the shop.
"This looks like the best view, dude," Brad said as he brushed it off.
"Good spy," Jason nodded as he ran his hand through his hair and sat with his rear on the top of the bench and his feet on the seat.
The two men sat in comfortable silence, breathing in the salty ocean air and listening to the waves crash on the rocky pier nearby.
A voice from his past jolted him out of his reverie just in time to see a Frisbee flying toward the bench. The disc landed in the sand before it hit anything and Jason jumped off his perch to retrieve it.
As soon as he straightened to hand the Frisbee to its owner, his world turned sideways when he saw who was standing before him. His breath knocked from his lungs from shock and he couldn't speak. The man standing in front of him didn't react, until he looked at Jason's face and started stuttering before he fell a step backward.
"J-Jason..." the words were barely a breath out of the man's mouth. "Jason A-Angel."
Jason opened his mouth to say something but the words never came; his brain unable to reconcile the image it was seeing with the voice and the memory he had of the man standing in front of him.
When Will left him, he was a broken man. Will was tired of sneaking around. He wanted to come out, but Jason wasn't ready to confront his own sexuality. In the end, Will followed his dreams and flew to Africa with his Fraternities advocacy group, helping several villages procure fresh water and food sources.
They wrote back and forth, but it wasn't the same and Will had tried to put Jason at the back of his mind. He kept resurfacing during the quiet times, the times where sleep and awake were a fine line, Jason's face would appear, smiling and trusting. Will stayed in Africa long after the Advocacy group had left and made friends and bonded with the villagers to block out the face and the memories.
His Visa was close to expiring and he flew back to L.A. Back to the one person he had run away from,the man who broke his heart, was standing in front of him. Will recognized the look in Jason's eyes: that look of longing with an underlying fear that he was going to be judged if he showed affection to another man in public.
The man standing in front of Jason now was a beautiful Da Vinci rendition of the man he met Freshman year. He was healthy and practically glowing, his auburn hair held back with a colorful band, showing off a chiseled face that the Gods would be jealous of. And those hazel eyes, ablaze with passion and waiting for someone to fan the flames.
"Will...William..." The name that rolled off of Jason's tongue encompassed passion, desire, sex, adventure and so much emotion. "I-Is it really you?"
Will's tongue felt like glue. "Jason, I- ,"
Hearing Will say his name again flooded his brain with all the images of their nights together, touching, kissing, laughing, joking, caressing...
Jason finally remembered to breath as he walked up to Will, taking him in his arms.
"Oh God, Will," Jason couldn't stop the flood of emotions. "I thought you were dead. I thought you died trying to find yourself. I thought you were dead." He was babbling but he didn't care, letting everything come out in a rushing tide.
Will froze at first and Jason started to pull away. Will hated that this man was so warm and his body was the same but different as before. He gave in to his heart and wrapped his arms around Jason's lithe, joggers body and sighed, thinking about the ways their bodies fit together
"No I am alive and kicking," Will snuggled his face into the crook of Jason's neck like he used to; it wasn't a perfect fit, like it was made for someone else now. But he still fit there, and he could feel tears prickling the backs of his eyes.
"Um, Jason...?"
Carly's voice startled Jason as he came to his senses, letting go of Will and stepping back before glancing over at Brad who looked back at them with an eyebrow lifted.
The moment only lasted a minute, but to Jason and Will, it felt so much more.
And Will understood why he didn't fit there anymore.
"Who is this, honey?"
Jason wiped his face and smiled while Will blinked and licked his lips, remembering the mask Jason was able to put on for everyone.
"Carly," Jason said after taking a deep breath and turning to his wife to put his arm around her. "Carly this is Will- William Greer, an old friend from college whom I never thought I'd see again because he decided to go off on adventures to Africa. Will, this is my wife, Carly."
"It's nice to meet you Will," Carly tried to keep a level head about the situation as she extended a hand to shake Will's.
Glancing over at Julie and Brad, she knew by their body language the hug was more than just casual.
"Nice to meet you, Carly," Will's smile lit up his whole face and Carly couldn't help but smile back.
"Huh, small world dudes!" Brad said with forced cheerfulness.
"Oh, gosh, we are rude," Carly said as she elbowed Jason. "Why are you so rude?"
Jason bit his lip, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. He had been so caught up in watching Will that he hadn't paid any attention to much of anything else. Somehow, he managed an introduction.
"Julie, Brad, this is Will," Jason gestured toward the couple who nodded in acknowledgment. "Will, these are our neighbors, Julie and Brad."
Everyone shook hands and exchanged pleasantries and Jason felt the tension in the air.
Julie was about to ask about his adventures when she was interrupted by a voice down the beach calling Will's name. They all turned and saw a brunette female version of Will waving at him as the sun started to set.
"Oh, hey, it was nice meeting you all," Will said as he started to back away. "If you don't mind I'm going to join my sister for the sunset. This is her last evening here before she heads back to Seattle."
Jason nodded. "Say hi to Wendy for me."
"I will. It was good to see you Jason," Will smiled as he turned and ran toward his sister, Jason's gaze never once leaving him.
Three of the foursome watched the sunset. The third watched as his past collide with his future.
