On A Night Like This

Chapter Fifteen

-Dylan-

He woke up with Jayce's face pressed into his neck. As he lay there, tightening his arms around Jayce, he didn't think it was possible to be happier than he was right now. Someone liked him and wanted to be close to him - kiss him, even - and every morning he got to wake up with another warm body curled against his.

He could still remember the feeling of Jayce's weight on top of him and Jayce's hands in his hair. He wanted to be surrounded by Jayce again. He wanted to feel Jayce's lips against his and he couldn't stop thinking about how Jayce smiled at him, or how Jayce's pretty eyes reminded him of a deep blue summer sky. It didn't seem possible that an attractive guy like Jayce could see anything appealing about him.

As much as he wanted this to go on forever, he knew the end was coming. There was a break in the snowfall and it would be time to lead Jayce out of here so he could go home. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he didn't want Jayce to leave. Over the weeks he'd gotten used to Jayce's presence in the cabin and in his bed. Jayce had become more than a friend - he'd become a glimmer of hope, the sun peeking through the clouds after a storm. Jayce liked him despite his appearance and how awkward he was with people. He didn't want to let go of that.

But Jayce needed to get back to Seattle so he could find a new job and a place to live. Jayce couldn't put his life on hold to hang out with him. Besides, Jayce would be happy about getting out of the cold and getting back to civilization where he could have properly cleaned clothes, better food, and a real shower.

Dylan waited until Jayce was awake and they had eaten breakfast before bringing up the weather. He looked across the table at Jayce and cleared his throat. "So...I have good news," he said. "We're going to have sunny, clear days today and tomorrow. I can take you to the road and get you into town so you can find a way to get back home."

He expected a smile and some excitement from Jayce, but Jayce's expression remained neutral except for a slight furrow between his eyebrows.

"Oh," Jayce said. He sat there quietly for a moment before speaking. "I guess I thought it'd take a lot longer for the weather to clear up."

"Well, we got lucky. You're free to go back to Seattle."

Jayce appeared to be thinking something over. When he finally looked at Dylan, he had that determined expression Dylan had come to know well. "I don't want to leave. Not yet. I don't want you to be alone for Thanksgiving."

At first, he wasn't sure if he had heard Jayce correctly. "You...want to stay?"

"Yes."

"You don't have other plans?"

Jayce shook his head. "Not this year. Sometimes I have Thanksgiving with friends or whoever I'm dating. And sometimes my brother invites me to fly out to his house so I can have Thanksgiving with his family and our parents. It's different every year."

Dylan couldn't believe that Jayce wanted to stick around and spend the holiday with him. Even though Jayce wasn't as close with his family anymore, even that seemed like it'd be a better option. He wanted Jayce to stay, but he gave him a final chance to change his mind. "As long as I'm not taking you away from anything."

"You're not. What can we make here? Do you have anything that's considered Thanksgiving food?"

He hesitated, reluctant to tell Jayce another sad thing about his life. "I don't think so. I know people have turkey, mashed potatoes and pie, but I don't have a lot of experience with Thanksgiving. My parents didn't bother to celebrate any holidays. I've never had Thanksgiving with anyone."

The smile Jayce gave him was warm and comforting. "Well, I'm honored to be the first person you spend Thanksgiving with. Maybe you can hunt a grouse like you mentioned before? Any kind of bird will work."