The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

For The Love Of Beer Part 40

"When is he supposed to be here?" Tilly asked, eyeing the beer on the table.

"I don't know, do I?" Jackson snapped at her. Raymond was supposed to be home already. It had taken him exactly two months, when he called to say he was back. "He was supposed to be here a while ago.

"Well, can't you just call him?" Hector lay sprawled over the couch. Jackson had invited them to a wings and beer night to welcome Raymond back.

"That would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?" he looked at Hector in pity. Although he wanted to spend his first time with Raymond alone, he also knew he had to wait for him to move in first. So the next best thing to make him happy would be beer and wings. "Hands off the beer!" He snapped as Tilly was making a move toward the bottles on the table.

"Oh come on Jackson, just one before he comes? Please?" She begged him with sad eyes.

"Okay, you alcoholic, one beer." Tilly cheered and opened a beer for each of them.

"To beer!" They all raised their bottles in toast and took a deep swig each. In Raymond's absence, he'd invited Tilly and Hector over to help pass the time. They also reminded him of time spent with Raymond. He could see why they were so close to each other, after spending so much time with them.

Ringing the doorbell, Raymond waited expectantly for Jackson to open. This was going to be their first evening together since he'd gotten back and he was looking forward to some quality time with Jackson. Ringing the bell again, he wondered what was going on.

When the door opened, Jackson greeted him with, looking as if he was having a hard time focusing.

"My love!" He shouted, pulling Raymond into his arms.

"You've been drinking." Raymond could smell the beer on his breath. Was he drinking alone now? Have I turned this man into an alcoholic, he wondered, as Jackson pulled him into the living room, where Tilly and Hector were sitting, eating wings and beer.

"Ray!" They both shouted and got up to hug him. Tilly pulled him to the table and made him sit.

"You've got to make up for lost time," she said, pushing a beer in his hand. "It's no fun drinking with Jackson, he gets drunk after four beers!" she moaned rolling her eyes.

"Shut it, or I'll cut you off!" Jackson snapped at her. While pulling Raymond to sit next to him. "I've missed you." Jackson took hold of Raymond's face and slowly let his lips glide over Raymond's, pausing, before slowly starting to kiss him.

"Can you guys cut that out!" Hector called out. "Are we here to drink or smooch? Because I know which one I'm voting for!" he raised another bottle of beer in toast again.

Jackson laughed at him and sat contentedly next to Raymond, holding him close, not really believing that he was next to him. "Why do you have a cap on?" Jackson grabbed it off Raymond's head. "Cook, what?" He looked at Raymond with pitch black hair. Then he noticed that his clothes were also different. "Why do you look like an emo twink who's about to take acid?"

"I thought a change was good. Do you like it?" he diverted Jackson away from further questions.

Don't get me wrong, I would jump you right now, you look so damn good, but I still like you the way you were." Jackson kissed him again.

"You do remember that we are in the same room, right?" Hector piped up. "Anyway, that's not really weird, we've seen Ray in some crazy shit before. Remember?" he turned to Tilly.

"Oh yeah. This is mild Jackson, trust me. Just ride it out, it's a phase." she nodded in agreement.

"Since when do you drink beer?" he turned to Jackson who took a swig from his.

"Since you left him dummy!" Tilly filled in the gap. "He's been moping around and getting stupid drunk, so we decided to step in and teach him to do it with class." she smirked, "Like we do it."

"He was really pathetic, you should have seen him." Hector snorted with laughter. "We just redirected his drinking into a safer hobby."

"I don't know why I let you guys in, if you're going to be asses. That's it, I'm cutting both of you off." Jackson made to pull the beer away from them.

Raymond sat and watched their antics with a smile. He had never seen Jackson like this with others, let alone Tilly and Hector. Joking about and having a good time. He'd been taking the beer out of Jackson's hands as soon he picked one up, when it looked like he had no plan to stop.

"What are you doing?" Jackson whined, after Raymond had grabbed his beer for a third time. "That was mine you know?"

"I know, but you've had enough." 

"You're not the boss of me." Jackson said childishly. "Give it back!" he tried to make a grab for it.

"Okay, you obviously prefer your beer over me." Raymond handed it back to Jackson.

"Uh, no thanks. Tilly, Hector, you should go home now. Get out!" he tried to stand, but sank back down again. "This is better." he sighed, while the other two screamed in laughter.

"Shut up both of you!" Raymond snapped at them. "I'm taking him upstairs, you can stay in the guest room. I have a feeling you shouldn't be left alone." He started pulling Jackson up. "Come on, we're going to bed."

"To bed?" Jackson immediately perked up. "Good night guys." he called to the others, placing his arm around Raymond, walking up to their room, stumbling twice. "I've really missed you." Jackson said, sitting on the bed taking his shirt off. 

"Promise me?" Jackson asked as they were laying in bed, Raymond in his arms. 

"What should I promise?"

"Promise that you'll never leave me again? I don't think I could take another six months like this. It would kill me." he sighed against Raymond's head. "Promise me."

Raymond thought about it for a moment. He'd never really thought about what Jackson had gone through. He was so focused on his new career and new life and his own hurt, that he forgot that Jackson was also hurting. 

"I promise that I won't leave you again. You have my word, Jackson." he said in earnest. He felt at home here, safe in Jackson's arms. "No matter what I say or do, I won't leave you."

"Now go to sleep. I've got a surprise for you," he ordered. 

"Will you recite your poem for me? he pulled Raymond closer to him. Smiling, he started reciting. Jackson would often ask him to recite the poem, and those occasions he always seemed to sleep better. Raymond would often wonder about what he'd experienced during the kidnapping. But the more he thought about it, the more he puzzled over Jackson's story. It felt like was missing something, as if there was something that he wasn't seeing. Which is not a feeling he liked.

"I love you." Jackson sighed. He seemed to fade quickly after that. His rhythmic breathing indicating that he was lost to the world.