The Day We Met

Coming Back

Beam had only gotten texts from Forth. He assumed his boyfriend was occupied. He reasoned that it would have been the same if he had returned to his parents. Additionally, other family would come to the house for Thanksgiving, which would make it hectic. So he wasn't bothered.

However, especially since Forth had lost his own, texts weren't the most effective means to inform Forth that he had heard from his brother. One of the things they had in common was that. Now that Beam had his brother once more, Forth would never.

Beam got a call from Forth late Friday. "Hey."

"Hey, sorry I didn't call."

"It's all right. Busy?"

"Fuck, yes. My dad was waiting for me to return before asking me to rearrange some furniture for him. My mother has weak knees, and he has a poor back. Do you realize how difficult it is to lift a bed by yourself??"

"I haven't tried."

"It's fucking hard."

Beam smiled. "I'll take your word for it."

"That was my week. That and turkey and pie. What about you?"

Beam started to say something then stopped.

"Beam?" Forth sounded suspicious.

He had no intention of feeling envious. Or perhaps he was, but for another reason.

"Earlier this week, my brother called me."

With the exception of Forth's breathing, there was silence over the phone.

"Your brother?

"Yeah. We had Thanksgiving dinner together."

Then, after another pause, "How did it go?"

"Good. We talked a lot."

Beam didn't want to learn about some of it, including the fact that Phayu remained in foster care until he was 18 years old. Even though he didn't have a stable home or somebody to pay for his education expenses, he claimed that things weren't as awful as they could have been. He was fortunate to have been given the day off for Thanksgiving because it was a menial retail job.

However, some of it had been startling. There was a lot that Beam had forgotten until Phayu brought it up, and there was even more that Beam was still unaware of but was happy to learn about. They were stories from a different existence, one he wished he had clung to for more time.

Beam continued, "He's a wonderful guy. He claimed to have been looking for me for some time."

"And he found you."

"Yeah."

"That's great, Beam." Only Forth didn't sound enthusiastic about the news. " Will you be seeing him again? "

"Yeah .A few weeks from now."

This time Forth sounded honest, saying, "I'm extremely delighted he found you."

Beam realized it was time to change the subject and responded, "I am too. You must be returning on Sunday, right? "

"Sunday night. About 7:30, I believe. You'd like to wait for me? "

God, yes.

"Where?" Beam asked.

"I haven't been to your dorm yet..."

Beam felt his mouth split into a grin.

**

Beam quickly recognized he needed a greater diversion than getting ahead on his English reading because it was Sunday and about an hour before Forth was scheduled to return. It was best for everyone involved, including the book, which Beam frequently thought about throwing out.

So Starcraft it was, and when he heard a knock at his door, he was caught up in eliminating the zerg before they could overwhelm his base once night fell.

"Hold on!"

Beam closed his laptop after saving and quitting the game, then he went to the door. Beam hardly had time to open it before Forth kissed him. It was then that Beam noticed that now recognizable grin on his face.

Beam moved aside to make room for Forth to enter and prevent them from having an in-room and out-of-room encounter. Forth slammed the door behind him with a kick. After spending a considerable amount of time simply kissing and having Forth smooth Beam's hair, Beam placed his hands on Forth's shoulders and pulled him away.

"I missed you too." Beam's lips curled into a smile.

"You'd better have." Forth glanced behind Beam. "Let me guess. That's your bed." He nodded to the left.

It was clear how he had arrived at his conclusion. Even though it was far from pristine, the left half of the room was significantly cleaner than Kao's side.

"It is." Beam confirmed.

Forth didn't respond with anything. He did, however, grab Beam's leg and lift it over his own hip before grabbing Beam's ass and pushing him up. Just as the man put both hands on Forth and hauled him up, Beam wrapped his other leg over him.

Beam encircled Forth's shoulders with his arms. "A week of hauling furniture around and now you're picking me up?"

With one hand supporting Beam's back so he wouldn't fall, Forth led the two of them to the bed and helped them both lie back.

"Good warm up for a workout."

"You think I'm going to give you a workout?" Beam asked in a faint, mock innocent voice.

"I know you are." Before biting Beam's lip, Forth growled.

Long after they had finished with one another, Forth lay on top of Beam and began biting at his throat and collarbone.

"Good to be back?" Beam asked.

"Mm." Forth released Beam's skin from between his teeth. "Fucking obvious, isn't it?"

"You won't say that when we have finals."

Forth pushed himself up and looked at Beam. "I'll have you, won't I?" He smiled and kissed him.

Before they parted, Beam stroked his fingers through Forth's hair while hugging him close to himself.

"You will." They continued kissing, becoming deeper and harder by the second, until Beam came to a crucial realization. "What time is it?" He mumbled.

"Uh..." Forth looked up at the clock on Beam's desk. "Ten."

"Ten?" In order to check the time and peek over, Beam attempted to push Forth away from him.

He was aware that they had been thorough with one another, but for two and a half hours?

"Is that a problem?" Instead of taking a seat, Forth had begun rubbing his hand over Beam's chest, showing no sign of being willing to do so.

"My roommate's coming back at any moment."

"Coming?" Forth snorted.

"Forth, I'm serious. We need to get dressed and--"

"LITTLE MAN!"

Beam was ready to get a sheet to do the same without putting him in a more precarious situation when Forth pushed him back to cover him just as the lock turned. Beam wasn't convinced that this was the wisest course of action.

"I'm-- back--" Kao stared at them, then grinned. "And I see you're busy." He rolled his suitcase into the room, placed it by his bed, and nodded at them. "I'll come back in half an hour. Have fun."

Beam could only stare as he walked away. He placed his hand on his forehead after the door was shut.

With humor rather than shame, Forth said, "He handled that nicely."

Beam sighs, "Forth—huh, Never mind."

"So, we have another n30 minutes?"

With Beam's hip in his grasp, Forth lowered his hand. "What would you like to do with it? "

Beam didn't bother waiting for Forth to kiss him. He started it himself.

*** to be continued ***