The drizzle of rain had passed over and Solomon was awake, observing, admiring.
He felt a touch of heat in his skin, on his face, leaning over the front seat to spy upon the length sprawled across the entire back seat of the fall apart truck, shiny metal surrounded by garbage clutter in this junk graveyard.
Drew was an odd and unique sleeper, in every kind of flexible dozing position and more. Solomon occasionally wondered if the man did yoga and felt a stronger blush on each side of his face.
This one, this new man, mildly shorter hair curtaining his eyes, one arm flung across his torso, seatbelt style, other dragging the dusty floor, one leg up and bent, the other with its arm partner, foot bumping against the side door, this man he longed to keep and hoped he wouldn't suffer loss, defeat, another to rob him of Drew as S had before been robbed of his idol and raunchy god, Dean.
He refused to let go, Justin and Tyler could do without, S couldn't.
He stared out the stained window, glanced at the trash in huge teetering mountains, things once loved thrown away.
Much the same as his new beloved.
His treasure.
'I'm surprised he kept this from us.' Beth re-read the paper in disbelief. 'He's not that type.'
' Adam isn't a saint either, he HAS done wrong but we all have, the entire planet population, eventually.' Jay braked at the red light. 'However I haven't found anyone more decent and caring and DESERVING of this gift, if we do it right.'
'I want to.' Beth blurted. 'I'm GOING to, one way or another. This is the greatest...my relationship before was a bad joke and I'm the one who was laughed at and dumped on. Now I'm with someone who looks at me and treats me as though I'm the most gorgeous goddess...queen, ever. I can't leave somebody so sweet and kind.'
'I won't leave him either. The cheating I'll not forget but in our life together the good outnumbers the bad.'
'Cheating?'
'It's how he ended up sick. Contracting the virus. From one of those he cheated on me with.'
'Cheated...on you.'
''Mind a long dirt road drive? I've plenty to tell you about.'
Dirt road well traveled, small yet roomy car on the side, both people stepped out to stretch, to grab some fresh air, to smile and hunt for any signs of Spring.
'So you two are really married.'
'Yeah but not publicly recognized. So if you two decide...later on, it'll be okay. Even these days when people are usually more accepting, your wedding wouldn't be frowned upon as much as mine would.'
'I have no problem with it. You're brothers, friends,, family, MORE than family, stronger, that sort of love should never be given hatred ever.'
'Thank you for understanding.' Christian smiled, meant it through his heart, showed it with his mouth. 'Sister.'
Beth hugged him then, laughing and trembling with excitement. 'Are you ready to reveal our surprise?'
'If you are, I'll join you.'
'I'll wait. Valentine's is close enough I'll tell him then.'
'We both will.'
'Yes. You. Myself. Me and my brother.'
Closed to slits predator eyes, wolf eyes, fierce and furious, sorrow filled, watched the Rose that was Roman's thorn stuck in his heart, making it leak red tears.
He was polite, stayed calm through the inner tremors, the rage, wanting to yell and stomp and break inanimate objects, the bones of people.
Ground his teeth until his jaw pleaded for pity, at the sight, four women barely dressed and overkill makeup, body jewelry showing, clinging, two on each arm of this strange shaven thing that wasn't his Leo at all.
German Shepard on some nights, human feet on others, tracked and trailed them to every hot spot and nightclub.
Eyes that were clear, cool and staring at this horrible thing, dull and depressing, body thinner and some muscle tone gone, face bony and unattractive, the possibility of weight loss not only concerned Roman, it made him ache, as much as not being recognized had.
Same clear eyes, his eyes, his hair also, once his twin, his bizarre charming eccentric mentally disturbed fun and beautiful uce, lover, almost clone was gone.
He mourned the loss, only saw his reflection in the mirror, nothing more.
Didn't forgive or forget or let go and move on.
He'd wait for a fighting chance.
Chance it and fight.
Skateboarding on one rare sunny and dry day had started entertaining and left Johnny beaten down, nearly crushed, almost dead.
He hadn't expected the truck chasing him after he wheeled away from the skate park, he had wisely went through the wooded area instead of trapping himself in an alley.
The trees had saved him from the worst, their lives for his, being smashed and split, plowed over by the massive tires.
He'd took a bump once, enough to throw him airborne and slam into a tree, leg in great pain.
Johnny hobbled, amazed at nothing broken.
Though if he didn't start moving faster, all of him would be ground into powder, thanks to Skip.
One tire burst and slowly leaked, creating a squealing comical bodily function noise Johnny decided to bellow laughter at during a better time, one where a jealous giant WASN'T trying to slaughter him.
The foliage, dried and brittle, scraped his flesh when Skip scoop slammed him into it, glowering, sweaty.
'This is proof!' the scream of rage, cursing and shaking the out of the package action figures, along with mint on card ones. 'He should be with ME!'
'Because of toys?!' Johnny snapped back, stupidly brave enough to have a smart mouth and scared enough to come close to wetting his shorts. 'You'd better keep those, it's the closest you'll get to him.'
'Not when you're out of the picture, then I'll take your place.'
'He'd be upset then. and if you love somebody, you don't want to hurt them.'
'Him, no. You...yes.'
The boot smashed down, close by, giving an earlobe a bleeding buzz, that was going to puff and turn mixed paint colors same as his tear-making leg pain.
The police sirens cut through his dizziness, black spilling over his eyelids.
Fading out, Johnny saw the cuffs placed on Ryback, barely heard the furious yell of protest, could feel how cold it was, lying in mud and dead grass, probably bleeding to death, leg bent incorrectly.
It was growing darker as he was strapped to the gurney and with love as his instinct he picked up the one fallen figure, little plastic lover, and smiled giddily as the pain meds took strong affect, as he was placed into the ambulance.
Johnny laughed, a crazy chuckle. The trees were singing and swaying to his entrance theme.
And the sky was pink and gold.
He held his small action figure on his covered chest, held tight and close.
It made him happy, his peace and comfort, having his true love there, even if he was only in action figure form.
Small and plastic, his Jinder, on top of his heartbeat.
