Chapter 2
Pushing the door open to his apartment, Chris toed off his shoes and stepped into the kitchen. He had managed to calm down on his way home. The man looked at the answering machine sitting a couple feet away from the sink. It sat on the counter nearest the door. He had managed to get an upper-scale apartment. His kitchen had black marble countertops and cherry wood cabinets with an island to match. Chris liked the darker colors because it could hide a mess better than white. It hid them well enough that if he spilled something he'd have to clean from corner to corner to make sure he got it all.
Jill would pick on Chris for still having a house phone, being that it was 2009 and most people had switched to cell phones by now. The landline served its purpose though; to keep certain people from calling his cell phone. There usually weren't messages on it, but this time there was one. He pushed play and listened.
"Hey Chris, I came back to your office and you weren't there, so I knew where you went. I'm sorry. If you need me I'm just a phone call away." Then the message was over. Chris thought to himself about how often Jill had been there for him. He was lucky to be able to call her his best friend.
The man went around to the other side of the kitchen, to the freezer. He opened the door and had to take a pick at what exactly he wanted. Getting shit-faced was something Chris had to plan because he knew which kind of alcohol did what to him. Vodka made him do stupid shit, tequila made him happy and whiskey made him guilty. Chris thought it to be a good idea to take the bottle of Southern Comfort from the door and crack it open.
Chris left the kitchen and went to the living room, which was only a bit larger than his kitchen. He emptied his pockets onto the coffee table: cell phone, wallet, keys and the letter. He glanced at the envelope, "I'm sorry." He spoke to it as if the blonde were actually there. He brought the bottle to his lips and began his drinking.
It had been a while since Chris had drank and seeing that he had been awake since early that morning, he was trashed about two-thirds into the bottle. He had already started to cry. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't help you. That was all I ever wanted." He repeated the last sentence over and over to himself as he took another swig from the bottle. The alcohol's burn was the cleansing Chris needed. The soldier had never got the chance to grieve over Albert. Over ten years of emotion were finally being let go.
There was a knock at his door, "Its open!" He slurred out. He heard the door open but made no effort to see who had entered his home. He heard the footsteps coming toward him and looked up from the bottle in his hand. Jill was standing next to him.
"You alright?" Chris shook his head, "Come on, we are gonna get you cleaned up." She spoke to him in a stern voice, but it didn't hold a negative tone. She took the bottle from her friend and set it on the table. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. There was no protest besides the fact that gravity wanted Chris to stay on the couch. "Let's go, we are gonna get you in the shower and into bed." She hated to see Chris cry. Jill could deal with a lot, but seeing her friends cry was something that wasn't on the list. She tried to move the tank of a man as quickly and safely as she could from point A to point B, the bathroom, in one piece.
Since Chris lived in a fancy apartment, the bathroom was huge. It also connected to his bedroom. Chris had begun to mumble and say things and all Jill did was nod or shake her head depending on the tone of his voice, "Jill, you're not even listenin' are you?" The man spoke more clearly, "I'm tryin' to let it all out an' you gotta juss listen okay?"
"Alright, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" She asked him as she closed the lid to the toilet and sat him down.
He looked down to the floor, "He was the only man I have ever been with. I'm straight, except Albert was the love of my life. And now he's gone." Even though he thought he cried himself dry, more tears welled in his eyes. Although he wished he could stop, every time he regained some control, more memories flooded his mind, "One time when we were in a fight, I told him I never wanted to see him again and that all he did was destroy everything he touched." He wiped his face while Jill pulled his socks off, "He told me that he was sorry for what he did and walked out the door." The sobbing, drunk mess that was Chris buried his face in his hands, "I didn't mean anything bad I ever said. I hope he knew that."
"He did know." Jill said softly to him as she pulled a towel from the cabinet behind her. She threw it on the rack and returned to getting her partner in the shower. She tugged his shirt over his head and had to step back to get his arms out. "Alright, stand up." She commanded after the shirt was discarded. Jill always thought that crying as much as he was would've sobered him up, but she was wrong. She unbuckled his pants and tugged them down. She made sure his underwear stayed up though. No matter how close the two were, she had no desire to see Chris naked. She guided his feet out of the pant-legs so she could move them out of the way. She walked over to the shower and turned it on. When she felt the water running over her fingers was a suitable temperature, she walked Chris over to the shower, "I'll be right outside if you need me, but try not to because I don't want to see you naked."
Chris waited until he heard the click of the door before he shed his final piece of clothing and stepped into the shower. The water was hot against his skin and it burned. The man did nothing to change the temperature though. He just leaned his head under the stream. The scalding water ran down through his hair and down his face. The man could feel his skin turning red from the heat, but he didn't care. He knew that the needed this. He never lost sight of his drunken-mission: let it all out. As he began to scrub and clean himself, another memory invaded his mind.
"I do believe taking a shower with you would only result in more sex." Albert's voice was smooth as ever and it only made Chris want to ask again. "But if that is what you desire, who am I to deny you?" He dropped his head to press his lips against his lover's.
It was the softer moments like these that sent Chris reeling. It only fueled the fire when Albert would kiss him or touch him in a comforting, soothing way. The two silently made their way to the bathroom and quickly jumped in the shower. The shitty apartment Chris lived in had the worst draft and it was January. The water was almost as hot as it could go and steam filled the bathroom.
Chris knew his boyfriend's body felt amazing, but since he never got the chance to admire Albert, he wanted to see how amazing it was. His eyes traced the other man's body. Albert's skin was smooth and nearly golden. He retained a light tan year-round. His strong legs and his waist that had the 'V'. His stomach was perfectly sculpted as well as his chest. His shoulders were broad and his arms were powerful. Albert's arms had kept him warm at night for almost six months. He loved how safe he felt whenever he was in his embrace. Chris looked up to his neck and finally up to the face that he enjoyed to see every day.
"What are you doing?" The blonde had a puzzled looked on his face. It was very slight, but there.
Chris couldn't help but smile, "I don't ever get the chance to enjoy you."
"Oh my Chris." Albert took the brunettes face in his hands and kissed him. There was no carnal desire, just a desire to be close to the other man. "Let's finish here so we can lie together for a while."
Chris smiled to himself as he let the water rinse the rest of the soap from his body. At the beginning Albert was cold and not open about anything. At first it started out that they would just fuck, but then when Chris asked the blonde about a relationship, he had no objections. He hadn't truly seen his boyfriend laugh or even smile for about a month. Albert didn't even try anything boyfriend-ish until after their first fight. In the end, it didn't matter to Chris. He shut the water off and reached for the towel. He dried off and picked up where the story left off.
They laid in bed together, quiet. Chris had taken to resting his head on the older man's chest while Albert snaked an arm around him. Chris drew imaginary lines all over the blonde's torso. Every once in a while the brunette would jokingly run a finger up to Albert's cheek. "It looks like I have chosen a crazy person to be in a relationship with," he teased the other. "Oh my Chris."
Chris couldn't help but get butterflies in his stomach when he heard Albert say that. He kissed the spot that lips already touched and closed his eyes.
The now clean soldier walked opened his bedroom door and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of shorts to wear to bed. He dressed himself and went out to see if Jill was still around. There was a note on the island in the kitchen, 'Sheva needed my help with some paperwork back at the office, if you need me call me.'
"Alright, well looks like it's time for bed." Chris tossed the note in the garbage and slowly made his way to the bedroom. On his nightstand sat a large glass of water. "She should do this for a living," He laughed to himself. As he arrived at his bedside he grabbed the cup and drank half of it in one breath. Jill had managed to grab the biggest cup the man owned. He glanced down to see what sat next to the cup: a picture. It was a picture of Albert and Chris together. It was Valentine's Day and Albert had showed up to Chris's apartment.
"I do find this a rather strange holiday." Albert stepped into his boyfriend's apartment and closed the door behind him, "Shall we have a bit of fun now? Or after dinner? Hell, I could certainly have you twice. You do look especially attractive tonight." He gave Chris a devious smile.
The brunette stepped up and pressed the older man against the door, "Well, I think," He pressed his lips to Albert's lightly, "you can do," he kissed him again, "whatever you want." Chris wanted tear the blonde's clothes off seeing what he wore. Albert wore a deep red button-up shirt and black denim pants. He left the top button open to tease Chris and it was working.
"How I enjoy teasing you." Albert snickered as he slid his hands around the other's waist, "It seems as though all it takes is a simple glance and you are itching to have sex. My Chris, you are exciting and kind, both things make me want you even more." He pulled Chris into him tighter, "I do love you, you know."
Chris smiled and hugged him, "I love you too." He rested his head against Albert's shoulder, "Happy Valentine's Day." The blonde removed a hand from around his waist and Chris looked up to see his arm extended. A bright light invaded his vision and nearly blinded him.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
Chris couldn't help but smile when he remembered that night. Albert was actually smiling too and the fact that he took the picture made it better. He set the glass down and grabbed the photograph next to it. He laid down on his bed and just looked at it. He smiled. That was when he reached his goal- keep smiling. "Thank you." He said softly to blonde man in the photo before opening the drawer on his nightstand and closing the picture in with it.
That was the last night he would let himself cry for Albert.
North American BSAA Headquarter- 2010…
Author's Note: Next chapter will have Piers in it, I think. I'm working on making these chapters much longer and more in depth. I have no idea what's in store for this story so I guess I'm waiting to see what happens too. Thank you, and please let me know what you guys think!
