Chapter 5 — Fleeting Moments
"Sage?" Someone was knocking on the door. It took a while for it to break through the haze Sage was in. He blinked, letting his vision clear. The clock said it was well past noon. Sage rolled over with a groan, maybe the pounding would stop. Maybe he'd wake up to see that last night was just a dream.
Someone knocked on the door again, louder and more urgent. "Sage!"
It was Rowen. "Alright, alright!" Sage snapped. He scooted out of the bed and padded over to the door and jerked it open. "What?"
Rowen faltered at the sharpness of Sage's reply. "Don't bite my head off. It's past noon and I was starting to worry about you guys. And—what's wrong? You look like you've been......... Oh, shit."
"He left me." Sage tried to say it without his voice breaking, he failed. "Christ." He tired to hold back the tears, but muffled sobs managed to escape.
"Ohhhh........come on, come on, let's get you back on the bed." Rowen managed to get the door shut, his arms wrapped around Sage, and herded him to the bed where he comforted Sage as he cried. Through Sage's muffled cries he got out the basic of what had transpired. That bitch! That ungrateful, self—centered bitch! How could he do this to Sage after all Sage has done for him in the past few years!" Rowen frowned as he listened to Sage's cries. He whispered comforting words, trying to sooth his friend's hurt. He himself was at a loss. They had been doing so well.......and this all of a sudden? It had to do with Casey coming back into the picture. And part of Rowen was happy. This wedge that was growing between Sage and Ryo was letting him get closer to Sage. Right where he wanted. Sage had not talked about Rowen's feeling towards him. It was something unsaid between them. Something left to the side. But it was waiting to spring free. And it would surface sooner or later. Rowen thought he could use this to get closer to Sage. Maybe, even show Sage that he loved him. And maybe, just maybe, he could have Sage's love in return. It all depended on Ryo.
Sage finally subsided. He rolled onto his back and threw an arm over his eyes. Rowen got up quickly to fetch tissues from the bathroom. Sage gave him a brief thanks before blowing his nose and wiping the tears off his face.
"Feel any better?"
"Not really." A brief pause. "But, Rowen, thanks."
"Don't mention it. What are you going to do?"
There was a long pause as if Sage hasn't considered the question before. He knew he wanted revenge. He wanted answers. There would be a confrontation. And it probably wouldn't be good. "I need.......to talk to him. BOTH of them. And see.....I don't want to talk about this."
"Sage." Rowen said softly. "You should. We're best friends. Can't we talk to each other? You know you can tell me anything."
"God, Rowen, I don't know anymore. Not about our friendship, but with Ryo. If I think to hard........I don't come up with a very peaceful solution."
"Such as?"
"I want to rip Casey's fucking face out." Sage said with utter conviction.
"Oh. Yes, that is a problem." Rowen said rather meekly.
Casey awoke, basking in the warmth of the sunlight as it streamed through the windows and in the warmth of having Ryo next to him. Ryo lay snuggled in his arms, still asleep. Casey enjoyed just watching him. His black hair shone like obsidian in the sunlight and Casey couldn't resist stroking it.
"Hmmmm?" Ryo murmured sleepily.
"Hey," Casey said softly. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
"S'ok." Ryo said, burrowing deeper against Casey.
Casey kissed his forehead and Ryo shifted, bringing their lips together for a perfect kiss. "I love you," he said, brushing Ryo's cheek with his hand.
"I love you too."
Casey hated to ask, but he had to be sure, or else it would tug on his heart forever: "Are you ok with this?"
"Yes, it feels to right to be wrong."
"I haven't felt like this since........" Ryo nodded, he understood. He lightly rubbed Casey's arms. "It's all so perfect." Casey whispered, almost afraid to be heard. It could break this magic spell.
They rose, took a shower together where passion found them again. They made love in the wet heat of spray. Casey had Ryo pressed up against the hot tiled wall where he was over him, in him. Over and over again until they thought their legs would give out and the water was cooling on their backs. They stumbled out, giddy, still trying to grasp one another. As if not touching, even for a moment, was pain. Casey marveled at the thought. To be apart of someone again. Not to be single, but to merge again. It was bliss.
It carried them through morning as they went outside and found a great little dinner to serve them breakfast of coffee, greasy eggs, toast, and even greasier bacon. They slid into the same side of the sticky rose colored vinyl booth, ignored the odds looks from the sleepy eyed clientele, and cuddled together, feeding each other breakfast.
They found they could not stop giggling. Like two silly school girls they sat there and whispered to one another. Plans were forming, the future was being made. Forever loomed out in front of them, invitingly.
They were still going off on the high when they walked back to the club. The sun was gleaming on the streets and the air was electric. They walked hand in hand and a bounce in their step; commenting about the displays in the windows, the shows that they watched, music that they listened to.
They were almost there when they stopped to notice that someone was standing alone outside the doors. An all too familiar stature. He was gazing off into the windows, trying to look in. But he turned when he heard their approach. Casey saw the world go into slow motion. Casey saw the world go back into black and white. For a moment, none of them moved. None of them even breathed. And then, with a look of sorrow and rejection, Sage turned from them and got back into the awaiting taxi.
Ryo looked from Casey to the retreating taxi. He hadn't even been able to utter a sing word. His mouth moved like he wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
Casey watched the retreating yellow cab and wondered, Where do we go from here?
"Sage?" Someone was knocking on the door. It took a while for it to break through the haze Sage was in. He blinked, letting his vision clear. The clock said it was well past noon. Sage rolled over with a groan, maybe the pounding would stop. Maybe he'd wake up to see that last night was just a dream.
Someone knocked on the door again, louder and more urgent. "Sage!"
It was Rowen. "Alright, alright!" Sage snapped. He scooted out of the bed and padded over to the door and jerked it open. "What?"
Rowen faltered at the sharpness of Sage's reply. "Don't bite my head off. It's past noon and I was starting to worry about you guys. And—what's wrong? You look like you've been......... Oh, shit."
"He left me." Sage tried to say it without his voice breaking, he failed. "Christ." He tired to hold back the tears, but muffled sobs managed to escape.
"Ohhhh........come on, come on, let's get you back on the bed." Rowen managed to get the door shut, his arms wrapped around Sage, and herded him to the bed where he comforted Sage as he cried. Through Sage's muffled cries he got out the basic of what had transpired. That bitch! That ungrateful, self—centered bitch! How could he do this to Sage after all Sage has done for him in the past few years!" Rowen frowned as he listened to Sage's cries. He whispered comforting words, trying to sooth his friend's hurt. He himself was at a loss. They had been doing so well.......and this all of a sudden? It had to do with Casey coming back into the picture. And part of Rowen was happy. This wedge that was growing between Sage and Ryo was letting him get closer to Sage. Right where he wanted. Sage had not talked about Rowen's feeling towards him. It was something unsaid between them. Something left to the side. But it was waiting to spring free. And it would surface sooner or later. Rowen thought he could use this to get closer to Sage. Maybe, even show Sage that he loved him. And maybe, just maybe, he could have Sage's love in return. It all depended on Ryo.
Sage finally subsided. He rolled onto his back and threw an arm over his eyes. Rowen got up quickly to fetch tissues from the bathroom. Sage gave him a brief thanks before blowing his nose and wiping the tears off his face.
"Feel any better?"
"Not really." A brief pause. "But, Rowen, thanks."
"Don't mention it. What are you going to do?"
There was a long pause as if Sage hasn't considered the question before. He knew he wanted revenge. He wanted answers. There would be a confrontation. And it probably wouldn't be good. "I need.......to talk to him. BOTH of them. And see.....I don't want to talk about this."
"Sage." Rowen said softly. "You should. We're best friends. Can't we talk to each other? You know you can tell me anything."
"God, Rowen, I don't know anymore. Not about our friendship, but with Ryo. If I think to hard........I don't come up with a very peaceful solution."
"Such as?"
"I want to rip Casey's fucking face out." Sage said with utter conviction.
"Oh. Yes, that is a problem." Rowen said rather meekly.
Casey awoke, basking in the warmth of the sunlight as it streamed through the windows and in the warmth of having Ryo next to him. Ryo lay snuggled in his arms, still asleep. Casey enjoyed just watching him. His black hair shone like obsidian in the sunlight and Casey couldn't resist stroking it.
"Hmmmm?" Ryo murmured sleepily.
"Hey," Casey said softly. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
"S'ok." Ryo said, burrowing deeper against Casey.
Casey kissed his forehead and Ryo shifted, bringing their lips together for a perfect kiss. "I love you," he said, brushing Ryo's cheek with his hand.
"I love you too."
Casey hated to ask, but he had to be sure, or else it would tug on his heart forever: "Are you ok with this?"
"Yes, it feels to right to be wrong."
"I haven't felt like this since........" Ryo nodded, he understood. He lightly rubbed Casey's arms. "It's all so perfect." Casey whispered, almost afraid to be heard. It could break this magic spell.
They rose, took a shower together where passion found them again. They made love in the wet heat of spray. Casey had Ryo pressed up against the hot tiled wall where he was over him, in him. Over and over again until they thought their legs would give out and the water was cooling on their backs. They stumbled out, giddy, still trying to grasp one another. As if not touching, even for a moment, was pain. Casey marveled at the thought. To be apart of someone again. Not to be single, but to merge again. It was bliss.
It carried them through morning as they went outside and found a great little dinner to serve them breakfast of coffee, greasy eggs, toast, and even greasier bacon. They slid into the same side of the sticky rose colored vinyl booth, ignored the odds looks from the sleepy eyed clientele, and cuddled together, feeding each other breakfast.
They found they could not stop giggling. Like two silly school girls they sat there and whispered to one another. Plans were forming, the future was being made. Forever loomed out in front of them, invitingly.
They were still going off on the high when they walked back to the club. The sun was gleaming on the streets and the air was electric. They walked hand in hand and a bounce in their step; commenting about the displays in the windows, the shows that they watched, music that they listened to.
They were almost there when they stopped to notice that someone was standing alone outside the doors. An all too familiar stature. He was gazing off into the windows, trying to look in. But he turned when he heard their approach. Casey saw the world go into slow motion. Casey saw the world go back into black and white. For a moment, none of them moved. None of them even breathed. And then, with a look of sorrow and rejection, Sage turned from them and got back into the awaiting taxi.
Ryo looked from Casey to the retreating taxi. He hadn't even been able to utter a sing word. His mouth moved like he wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
Casey watched the retreating yellow cab and wondered, Where do we go from here?
