Disclaimer: See part 1. Please enjoy!

Precariously Close
Part 2

It took a week for Bobby to decide what to do, although the decision itself had been easy. Gathering the courage to go through with it, on the other hand, was more difficult. He had been in a constant struggle with himself, caught between You have to do this and You have no right to interfere. The more he thought about it, the more his resolve would slip… and then he’d see David across the hall or talk to him in the break room, and the determination would return stronger than ever.

He supposed he would have never acted at all had Nick and David not walked into the bullet lab together. The lab was his friend in a way, his home, his sanctuary, and he wanted to tell them to get out. They had no permission to invade what was his, although they actually had every reason in the world to stroll right in. David was explaining something to Nick, something about chemicals and a flecky silver substance found on the suspect’s dress; they were just standing too close together for Bobby’s comfort, and the nagging voice in his head –the one that chanted Leave it alone, they’re happy, you have no right- was drowned out.

The timing was also a pretty critical component to what Bobby did next. The fact was this: David was busy, and he had the chance to say hello to Bobby, goodbye to Nick, and then get back to his work. He had left the bullet lab quickly, determined to get to the bottom of the evidence pile if it killed him (David feared it would, because there were more fibers and flecky things then usual) and Nick was standing right there, he and Bobby were alone, and Bobby had a feeling that this was the only time they’d ever get to have a private conversation within the next year.

“Hey Nick,” he said, smiling at the Texan from where he sat in front of a monitor. He expected to be nervous, but that anxiousness never came. As a matter of fact, he felt calmer than he had in quite a while.

“Hey Bobby,” Nick greeted in return, shooting Bobby one of his patented smiles. Bobby paused for a moment, fighting down the inner resentment. It was no wonder David fell so hard for this guy; Bobby briefly wondered if he worked to get his smile so bright and friendly that maybe David would fall for him too. Huh. For some reason, he just couldn’t see it happening. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk about David,” Bobby replied. He kept surprising himself. Usually he’d beat around the bush, but this was neither the time nor the place to lose his nerve.

Nick stopped what he was doing and turned to Bobby, giving the man his full attention. Bobby found it difficult to read his expression, although he could see a subtle mix of worry and trepidation on the CSI’s face.

“What about him? Did he say something?”

Bobby took a deep breath. It was now or never, all or nothing, and he couldn’t chicken out now.

“I’m one of his best friends,” Bobby started, momentarily wondering how long that title was going to last when David discovered what he’d done. “So you can understand that I’m… hesitant. I mean, we all want to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. And it’s not you specifically- this kind of applies to anyone. We- I want to make sure that you’re really serious about him.”

Nick’s eyes were slightly wide and Bobby was almost certain he'd take offense. To question one’s intentions was a big step, especially with someone Bobby was so friendly with.

“Bobby, of course I’m serious.”

“You understand where I’m coming from, right?”

Nick blinked, as though trying to wake from some bizarre dream. “I- yeah, sure. I totally understand.”

“You’re not still in love with Greg, are you?”

There was another pause, although this one was heavier and a little more hostile. Nick’s eyes focused, meeting Bobby’s for a moment.

“Beg your pardon?”

“Greg,” Bobby repeated. He didn’t look away from Nick’s near-angry expression. He knew what he was doing was risky business, knew his circle of lab rat friends were probably going to kill him. He’d hate if they got into his personal life, but what did they expect him to do? Sit and watch Nick and David fail from the sidelines? He had to stop it. He was risking everything; he knew that, and it still wasn’t enough for him to try and hide. He just wanted David to be happy, even if it wasn’t with him. David couldn’t possibly live happily ever after if Nick was still in love with someone else.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Nick replied, crossing his arms and frowning.

“It is if David’s involved. If you’re over Greg, then that’s great. That’s wonderful. But if all Greg has to do is smile in your direction and your knees get weak, then we’re going to have a problem.”

“Bobby-’’

“Please, Nick. Just think about it. Just make sure, okay?”

There was another pause; less hostile but equally as heavy.

“Bobby, I… you can’t just be doing this out of friendship, can you? Because not even Jacqui’s come up to me like this,” Nick slowly said, giving the tech an inquisitive look. Bobby swallowed before meeting Nick’s eyes once more. How did he recognize it? How did he see it? Did everyone see through him? Was that why Jacqui was trying to be so wise? Why Archie was so supportive? Why Ronnie had invited him to have dinner with his family three times that week? Was he really so transparent?

“I’m just looking out for him, Nick.”

Nick’s expression was one of understanding and Bobby fought not to throw up. “There’s a difference between protection and jealousy.”

“Please don’t tell him.”

“I’d never do that, Bobby,” Nick promised, giving him a small, reassuring smile. “But maybe you should. There’s only so long you can keep that inside.”

“You’re so lucky to have him.”

Nick’s face was somber. “I know that, Bobby. He’s a great guy, but have you…” He trailed off, unsure whether to continue. Bobby’s nod was all he needed to go on. “Have you ever felt there’s only one person that you’re supposed to be with?”

“Greg?” Bobby guessed.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was over him. I never considered- I wasn’t using David, if that’s what you’re asking. I didn’t know.”

“I know that, Nick. You’d never intentionally hurt anyone.”

Both were quiet for a moment, allowing the sounds of the lab to float between them. Nick finally looked up and gave Bobby a half smile. “How long have you been in love with him?” he asked, and Bobby considered playing dumb before realizing this was too important to try and dodge.

“I don’t know,” he confessed. “But that feeling you have, the one where you think there’s only one person in the whole world for you? I feel that way.”

Neither had to say anything, because they both knew how terrible of an experience that could be.

…

“What did you do?”

The question wasn’t angry or accusatory… it was icy, filled with loathing. Although Bobby had been expecting the query, he still couldn’t stop his inward flinch or the way his heart plummeted to his chest, a small, shriveled version of what it once was. He swallowed but didn’t turn from his microscope, hoping to play it off and act natural.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, but frowned when he heard no response and turned to see a stoic David Hodges standing in his bullet lab entrance. He should have known he couldn’t play dumb; he had never been able to pull the wool over David’s eyes before. Why did he think he could succeed this time?

“Don’t bullshit me, Bobby,” David snapped, his voice now tinged with fury but his eyes just as cold. “I saw you talking to him. What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Bobby whispered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t even know what you’re-’’

“The hell you didn’t!” David yelled, stalking towards him. “He broke up with me, Bobby. Today, in my own fucking lab! He told me some story about Greg and what he realized he was doing. He was using me?”

Bobby closed his eyes. What had he done, exactly? What did he hope he could have accomplished with his plan? Sure, Nick and Greg were on the road to happiness –he’d seen them in the parking lot just an hour ago, laughing as though nothing had changed- but where was David? Had Bobby been hoping that he could be rebound? That David could see something in him that he hadn’t seen in Nick?

“I just didn’t want-’’

“So you did do this! God damnit, Bobby, what the hell were you thinking? Did you realize all the loopholes I had to go around and the hoops I had to jump? Nick finally says yes and you tell him to scram? For what, so Greg could be happy? Because I don’t fucking deserve it?”

Bobby swallowed. There was an unfamiliar sheen in David’s eyes, as though he were fighting back tears of anger or frustration or hate. Perhaps all three.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice falling flat, his words lame. “I never meant… this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.”

“What was the hell was supposed to happen, Bobby? Did you expect your little plan to work in my favor?” David asked, infuriated and exasperated.

“I’m sor-’’

“I know you’re sorry, but what does that change? What were you trying to do?”

“David, I-’’

“Fuck, don’t even talk to me. I don’t know why I’m here,” David hissed, spinning around to leave again. Bobby’s heart was shriveling up as he groped for the right thing to say; without thinking, his arm shot out and he grabbed David’s shoulder. David turned at the contact, obviously angry and incensed words at the tip of his tongue, but Bobby spoke first.

“Why couldn’t it be me?”

“Why couldn’t what be you?”

“Why couldn’t you like me instead?” Bobby asked, his voice soft. “Did you honestly think that Nick didn’t love Greg? Or that you could make him forget that he loved him? I could see your relationship fail from miles away, David. It was inevitable. It was going to crash and burn and you didn’t see that. You didn’t want to see that. You completely ignored all the signs and I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

There was a silence between them before Bobby spoke again, taking note of David’s dazed expression with a small, bitter smile. “And you never saw me at all. I gave you all the signs. I tried everything I could think of, so I figured if you and Nicky split, I could… I don’t know. Be your rebound or something.”

For a moment, Bobby thought David wouldn’t respond. Finally, the other man was able to echo, “Rebound?”

“See, the thing is I’ll get you anyway I can. And if you were using me as rebound, even if I knew it, I’d still take it anyway, for however long you wanted me. Anything you’re willing to offer I would accept with open arms.”

David’s anger had seemingly melted away, replaced only by pure and utter shock. He took a step back, opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again, unable to speak.

He turned and quickly left the bullet lab, practically fleeing.

…

Now that Christmas was there, Bobby wasn’t in much of a festive mood. He bought the gifts, decorated the tree, and played the carols, but no amount of holiday cheer was going to help him. He was fairly certain the only thing that was going to get him out of his funk was 1) If David started talking to him again, or 2) If Jacqui made that delicious cherry pie she was famous for. But even the thought of baked goodness couldn’t change the fact that two miserable months had passed, and David was barely speaking to him. He wanted to be angry, but he was just angry with himself. Why couldn’t he control his feelings? He usually didn’t have a problem with it.

He wasn’t sure how things were going to go when he knocked on Jacqui’s door, armed with some extra napkins and a bottle of wine. He and David would be forced into the same room for at least two hours; they were going to have to talk or Jacqui was going to kill them. He preferred to stay alive, but it might not be an option by the end of the evening. He wanted to pretend that his stomach wasn’t churning or that it hadn’t taken him half an hour to decide on what to wear. What he did want was to turn back time so that he never stuck his nose where it didn’t belong, so that David would be happy, and so that Bobby would still be able to share Subway sandwiches with David while conspiring against whatever entity had tread on their bad side that night.

The door opened to a somewhat frazzled-looking Jacqui. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek by way of greeting.

“I brought wine and napkins.”

“Napkins? Bobby, you’re a saint,” she replied, quickly opening the door wider. “I swear if Greg spills one more thing-’’

To illustrate her complaint, a crash was heard in the kitchen. She cast a horrified look towards the sound before whispering, “I’m going to run out of plates before this mornings’s over with.”

“Aw, don’t worry. I’m sure Greg won’t mind eating off the floor.”

Jacqui quirked an eyebrow, giving Bobby the distinct impression that she wouldn’t give Greg a choice in the matter. “That’s not a bad idea, Bobby. See, you can think evilly. My influence is finally showing!”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Satan’s popping open a bottle of celebratory champagne as we speak, Jacq.”

“Hardy har har. You know, you’re starting to sound like David.”

Bobby paused at the name before sending her a pleading look. Even through all his mental preparation, nothing could seem to calm the war inside his chest. David was there, in that house, and Bobby didn’t know whether he had the guts to face him. “Is he here?” he softly asked. “I think I’d better go.”

“Get your ass in here, Dawson,” she ordered, glancing over her shoulder before dragging him through the doorway and towards her bedroom, quickly tossing the napkins and wine onto the couch. She stopped as they found themselves in the empty alcove, pinning him beneath an analyzing gaze while Archie and Ronnie’s laughter floated from the kitchen and throughout the house.

“So, you’ve made a mess of things,” she surmised, and Bobby gave a defeated sigh before flopping onto her bed. “You’re both acting like children. You can’t be in the same room without things getting weird, and neither of you will tell us what’s going on. Of course, two months of this gave us a pretty good idea.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

“You’re an incredible actor, Bobby,” she admitted. “I don’t know how you managed to hide your feelings so well.”

“Chalk it up to experience,” he muttered.

“Three years worth?”

“Does this have a point?”

She rounded on him, shooting the bullet tech an angry frown. “Of course it does! We used to be a tight-knit group, Bobby! We used to be able to tell each other everything, and now we can either spend our time with you or David, but not both. It’s hurting us, and it’s hurting you. You have to fix this.”

“How? How do I fix something irreparable?” he angrily snapped back. “I’ve screwed up, Jacqui. This can’t be patched up with an ‘I’m sorry’.”

“If you’re really the friends I think you are, then it isn’t irreparable. It’s messy and it’s complicated, sure, but it’s not impossible.”

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered. “I broke off his one good relationship. I piled all my feelings onto him. I made things unworkable for us, and now I’m hiding in your bedroom so I won’t have to see him on Christmas. This is way worse than a ‘think of something, Bobby’ speech can repair. I’m just so… selfish.”

“Bobby, wanting something doesn’t make you selfish. It makes you human.”

“Jacqui-’’

“No more excuses, Bobby,” she declared, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and dragging him towards the dining room (having dealt with men, she was highly skilled in the art of dragging people against their will), which led to the back porch. “You can make this right again, because we’re all best friends and that includes you two. And hey, here’s an idea: tell him how you feel. Discuss emotions. Talk.”

“Don’t you dare-’’

Instead of listening, she grabbed the sliding door handle that revealed access to her back porch. She yanked it open, shoved Bobby out onto the concrete patio, and quickly closed it again, making sure Bobby could hear the lock engage. He gave a dismayed sound.

“Jacqui Franco, you’d better open this door right this very inst-’’

“It’s no use,” came a voice, and Bobby turned to see David sitting on the steps and watching the beginnings of the sunrise. “I’ve been out here for the past fifteen minutes, and may I say you took your precious time getting here.”

Bobby swallowed and then banged his fist against the glass. No one came to let him back in.

“I don’t understand why my arrival time has anything to do with you being kicked out,” he replied, seething at the fact that they’d been locked out of the house. Traitors. They were all traitors.

“It’s Jacqui’s way of getting us to settle our differences.”

“She realizes we can just leave, right?”

“Leave?” David echoed, glancing up at him from his seat. “That would mean giving up, which would mean losing our group. I’m not going to let that happen. Are you?”

Bobby was dismayed for a moment, startled by David’s beautifully truthful words. He gave up his fruitless attempt of gaining access back into the house and made his way to the steps.

“No,” he conceded, finding a semi-comfortable place as far away from David as the stair width would allow. “I’m not either.”

“Good. I’d hate for you to start becoming selfish on me,” the other man replied, and Bobby felt the uncomfortable sting hit his chest. He deserved that, mainly because it was true. He’d never been so self-centered before and he wasn’t quite sure what drove him to it.

“Yeah,” Bobby softly agreed. He closed his eyes; they were sitting together, watching the sky begin to light, and he actually didn’t want to be there. Before the entire Nick catastrophe, Bobby would have paid with his own appendages for a moment like this, and now he wanted nothing more than to escape. He knew he could never have David and what use was there to amplify that pain? He gritted his teeth. He was so sick of guilt.

“I’d better go,” he announced, rising up from his seat. “Tell Jacqui I’ll see her at work.”

“You said you wouldn’t-’’

“Let this come between our friends? I won’t. David, I know I messed up. I ruined everything for you, and that’s unforgivable. But if you can still bear to hang out with me, then I think we’ll be okay. That’s all she wants, right? Is for us to be friends? You don’t have to feel genuine friendship towards me, but faking it while everyone’s around might make her happy. You’re a good actor.”

“What? Bobby, no-’’

“You’ll have to make it believable, of course, ‘cause she can see through most of our lies. I know she saw right through mine.”

“Bobby, shut up,” came the quick retort, although it didn’t hold the anger Bobby was expecting to hear. “We were both wrong. We both did things and said things that we aren’t proud of, but it’s not a stigma. We won’t have to carry this around forever. Everyone makes mistakes, and besides, you were right.”

“I was right about what?”

“About me and Nick. I knew he still loved Greg, but I… I don’t know. I guess I was hoping he’d forget and see me instead. I shouldn’t have. I was being an idiot.”

“So was I,” Bobby countered. “I knew talking to him about it would be the end of you two. This is a big mess.”

David let out a short, stark laugh and the nodded in agreement as he bundled his coat around him and glanced up at Bobby from his place on the porch steps. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. “You can say that again. It’s a nightmare, Bobby, and I still don’t understand why you would want… anything with someone like me.”

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times,” Bobby quietly replied, looking at the sun for himself; he was far too afraid to look anywhere else. “I love you. I would be with you for as long as you’d let me.”

“You never said anything.”

“You never said anything to Nick,” Bobby pointed out. “It took a Subway sandwich, a cup of coffee and my big mouth to get you two together.”

“But you’re different,” came the argument. “We’re friends. I’m supposed to know every secret of yours.”

“Do I know your every secret?”

“I don’t have any.”

Bobby scoffed. “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one, David Hodges.”

“I might have a few, but nothing like the one you were keeping.”

“It’s not a secret,” Bobby corrected, plopping back down on the step. “You just didn’t ask.”

“If we had to ask, where would we be? People have to figure stuff out, find out what their friends and family want. Other times we have to earn it, and then other times we just have to take it. We can’t ask for everything,” came the reply, and Bobby knew he was right. Civilizations didn’t progress with questions alone; if an army advanced towards a country’s border, that country didn’t ask the army to leave them alone. If there was a revolt, the King didn’t ask the people to please stop. If there was a new tax, the working class didn’t ask for the government to take it back. Progress came from questions, sure, but it also came with force and determination.

This theory applied to all things but one.

Because Bobby couldn’t force David to love him, but he could ask.

“Sometimes we can,” Bobby whispered, marginally leaning in. “If I were to ask you for a kiss, would you give it to me?” David turned his head slightly, and blue eyes met brown. “Just one?” Bobby continued, in hopes the tiny number would be some sort of incentive.

“Bobby, there are a lot more attractive people out there than me, I promise you. Why would you even want to…”

He trailed off when he caught sight of Bobby’s expression. It was a mixture of embarrassment and shame.

“You’re right,” Bobby muttered. “That was really inappropriate. I’m sorry I’m just throwing this all at you. You’d think I’d know better, right?” Bobby rose again, refusing to meet David’s eyes.

“Well, I think I’ll head home. It’s only a little while until shift starts again,” he said, the words sounding strange on his tongue. They were almost friendly, akin to what he would have said two months ago when he and David were still on best-friend terms. Bobby realized with a sickening jolt that he and David weren’t ever going to be like they were, and that made him nauseous and upset and hateful towards himself. He caused this foreign gap between them; it was his fault, and there was one no one else to blame.

He didn’t look back; he knew he couldn’t do it without stopping or apologizing again. All he wanted was to get away from the house, from Nick and Greg, from David. He had tried everything. He offered every opportunity. And after a while, after you’ve exhausted all your resources, wasn’t there a time you just gave up? His feet moved quickly over the ground, and he watched the sand and grass crunch beneath his shoes as he all but raced towards his truck. He hated surrendering. He loathed defeat. But he wasn’t stupid (well, maybe a little) and it was time to just let it go.

He’d tried.

He’d given it his best.

And that was all he could ask of himself and of David.

His hand was hovering over the truck's door handle when a hand clamped on his shoulder and spun him around. “Bobby, wait,” David gasped, leaning against Bobby’s SUV to regain his breath. “Christ, you move fast when you want to.”

“It’s a gift,” Bobby replied, eyebrows raised as he stood in front of the driver-side door, a bundle of keys in hand. He didn’t even remember what half of them went to anymore, but they, like books and records and old photos, just weren’t things he could manage to get rid of.

“Were you serious?”

Bobby blinked, not understanding the question. “About it being a gift?”

David rolled his eyes, and Bobby smiled at the familiar gesture. “No. The thing… what you said on the porch.”

Bobby didn’t have to be reminded about his request on the porch: one kiss. One simple kiss. He felt like such a teenager, awkward and clumsy, clamoring for David to accidentally touch his hand when they exchanged saltshakers or give him one tiny peck on the lips on Christmas.

Bobby smiled before looking away, hoping the violet sky dulled his blush. “What do you think?”

“I can’t guess, Bobby,” David replied, and his voice sounded so serious that Bobby looked back within the moment. He swallowed when he saw David standing right there, face tinted pink with cold, blue eyes puncturing and dark hair peppered with random streaks of silver. Still, when he smiled –rare but amazing- he looked so young and full of the life he had before he moved to L.A. “If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I can’t jump from one speculation to the next. You have to lay it out in black and white.”

Bobby swallowed again as he watched the Earth begin to spin around him like a Disney ride. “Of course I was serious, David. I don’t lie about these things.”

David was quiet for a moment before smiling derisively, as though berating himself for thinking such a thing. Bobby Dawson knew David Hodges inside and out, but that worked both ways. Bobby was the last man on the planet to manipulate or trick someone.

“No,” he finally agreed. “You don’t.” There was another pause, although it was tinged with hesitance this time. Finally, “Can I change my answer?”

“Answer?” Bobby asked, quickly squashing the growing hope that was rising in his chest. He couldn’t get his hopes dashed… again.

“You asked and I answered. Badly, may I add. Now I want to change my mind.”

“I… are you serious?”

“I don’t lie about these things,” David parroted, smiling slightly when Bobby gave a quick, nervous laugh. “But I’m not very good at it, so I’m giving you ample time to reconsider.”

“What, you’re not good at kissing?” Bobby asked, genuinely surprised. “With that tongue of yours? You've got to be kidding me.”

David scoffed. “Try me. I’ve lost more- hey!”

Bobby knew what David was going to say; as a matter of fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if David started on an entire tangent, avoiding his original purpose. Bobby wanted to cease that as quickly as he could. To solve this, he reached out, grabbed David’s shoulders, and spun them around, reversing their positions and pressing David’s back against the side of the car in a surprisingly swift move. He pressed his hands against either side of David’s head, framing the other man’s startled expression.

“I made up my mind,” Bobby said, answering the unspoken question of What the hell? with a simple response.

“Oh,” David managed to weakly reply. “I… don’t you think this is going to be weird?”

It was a logical question. Considering the man who was asking, Bobby wasn’t surprised. However, he couldn’t deny that this might possibly be an embarrassing, terrible kiss that would only complicate their relationship down the line. But Bobby was willing to take that chance, and considering David wasn’t shoving him away, Bobby was fairly certain David was too.

Bobby merely smiled and leaned in close. He heard David’s breath hitch in apprehension.

“Maybe,” Bobby replied, slightly amused that David, usually so prepared and impervious, would be so anxious at the thought of a first kiss.

Bobby didn’t give David the chance to respond; he merely closed the distance between them, barely touching their lips together, waiting for David to indicate whether he wanted to further things.

A terrifying moment passed where Bobby felt no pressure in return. He wanted to make David nervous with butterflies, not uncomfortable. It was, understandably, horrifying on Bobby’s end, not to mention disappointing. It’s what he had craved for quite a while; he didn’t blame David for not feeling the same way, but he couldn’t help but try to memorize this very moment. He was kissing the man he’d wanted for three years, a man he’d inadvertently fought for, a man whose life he’d made pretty miserable the past few months, and while Bobby felt the spark when their lips touched, David obviously didn’t.

There was nothing he could do.

“Sorry,” he whispered, breaking away, eyes glued to the sandy ground. There had been no response to the kiss, no indication of any sort, and Bobby just wished the ground would take pity on his pathetic life and swallow him up. He didn’t know why he was apologizing, although David could probably make a list a mile long. For breaking he and Nick up? For pursuing him so obviously? For piling on his feelings without asking David’s permission? For asking for a kiss that David obviously didn’t want to give? Yeah, those were all valid points, and Bobby knew it was about time he start considering them. If one plan didn’t work, you had to move to another one, and Bobby knew that’s what he had to do: move on. He’d gotten his quasi-kiss, David wasn’t punching his lights out, and if Bobby squinted at the situation, he knew he couldn’t complain about the outcome.

“What are you apologizing for?” came the whispered question. And before Bobby knew what was happening, David reached out, placed warm hands on the back of Bobby’s neck, and pulled him in for another kiss.

It was far more than a mere touch of lips this time. It was hot, tongues exploring with only a minimum amount of hesitation at the beginning. Bobby’s brain was becoming instantly fried. David tugged Bobby even closer, their bodies flush together.

Bobby felt elated, fighting off the numbness that threatened to stem. He was rebound; there was no other explanation of David’s reciprocation. Did that matter? Not on Bobby’s end. After all, he had told David that he’d take him any way he could, including second place to Nick. If they were together, that was all that mattered; it was what Bobby wanted, although it wasn’t what he wanted at all, and he could live with that.

As though David could read his mind, he broke the kiss.

Bobby’s first fear was that David had changed his mind, but the other man didn’t remove his hands from Bobby’s body and he didn’t push him away, either. As a matter of fact, his eyes met Bobby’s and he said, “This isn’t what you think.”

Bobby was instantly alarmed. What did he mean by that? This was as far as they would go? One kiss behind his truck? He was happy for the kiss, utterly grateful he was allowed the experience. That didn’t make the words any less terrifying.

“You aren’t rebound,” David clarified. “The last thing I want is to use you, Bobby.”

Bobby fought the nervousness that battled in his gut. “Oh. Then what am I?”

“You’re whatever you want to call yourself,” David replied, a small smile playing on his lips. “But you aren’t some second choice. You’ve just… you’ve made things very clear.”

“Is that good news for me?”

“Depends. If you consider dating me on a permanent basis good news, then yes it is.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then you’re up the river without a paddle. I’d suggest you make the best out of the situation.”

Bobby smiled, feeling light as he moved close to David, their foreheads touching, lips precariously close. “I think I can do that,” he murmured.

David smiled and kissed him as the sun rose.

You are here, so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you.

-I Only Have Eyes for You, Frank Sinatra

FIN.