Devil's House

Home Again

Mike was pacing the floors of LAX on Saturday morning as he waited on Chester and Jason's flight to arrive. He looked at his watch again and frowned. It's still ten minutes until they land, he whined mentally before he scratched at the back of his neck and then pushed his hair out of his face. I got here way too early. I just needed some space to think. Every time I looked at Ryan this morning I was thinking about last night, and I don't know how to tell Chester. Maybe I just won't.

He looked around the crowded airport guiltily, as though everyone around could read his thoughts. Secrets weren't supposed to be part of his marriage, and Mike knew that. But he was dreading telling Chester that he'd been making out with Ryan while his husband was away in Seattle. Maybe I can just tell him part of it. That we kissed a little. I don't have to tell him I was on my back in Ryan's bed, right?

The brief memory of how it had felt to have Ryan's body so close, almost completely on top of him, hit as Mike paused and looked out the airport window. His imagination hadn't tried to fill in the blanks of what could have happened, if he'd pulled Ryan all the way on top of him, until that moment. For years Mike hadn't thought of Ryan as anything but a rival, someone who came between him and Chester, but things had changed. The way they so freely shared with each other in the bedroom now had made both Ryan and Jason someone he could desire. It was confusing and exciting to think of what could have happened, and distressing to think of how Chester would perceive it all.

Mike blew out another breath and turned around to walk the aisle between gates again. No, I should tell him. Not just because Ryan will tell him, but because it's the right thing to do. I don't want to!

It was a back and forth struggle that continued clear up to the moment the flight from Seattle touched down. Mike could feel his heart racing as he waited and his thoughts bounced around, everything from kissing Chester to going home to what it would be like to confess and also whether it was even a big deal. Ryan had seemed casual about it that morning, but Mike had woken up feeling distressed, and that feeling had intensified as the morning wore on. He was certain Chester would know something was on his mind the moment they saw each other. Mike wasn't good at hiding his anxiety.

The flight home felt long to Chester. His seat was up front in first class with Forrest, and even though they'd spent the ride home talking about how the trip had gone and plans for Monday morning back at the office, Chester was antsy. He wanted to be off the plane, and back home with Mike and Cheese. And Ryan, he added as he followed Forrest off the aircraft. "I have to wait for Jason," he said, once they were standing inside LAX. Chester pointed back toward the narrow hallway they'd just walked through. "Mike's picking us both up."

"Very well," Forrest told Chester before patting him on the shoulder. "You did a fine job the last few days, handling all the reps and models, just like I knew you would. I'm sure Talinda will be all kinds of jealous when you tell her about it."

"Oh she will," Chester assured him, even as he kept glancing over at the line of people exiting the plane. "I've been texting with her every day we've been gone. She's going to be so happy when she can travel again."

Forrest nodded. "She's a business woman at heart. She always has been." He left out his next thought, that after giving birth, that might change for his loyal assistant. Now wasn't the time to even be thinking about Talinda and her career, though. Now it was time to go home, and Forrest could see the anxious excitement and impatience on Chester's face as he kept searching for Jasaon. "I'll leave you to it. Have a safe trip home, Chester, and I'll see you on Monday."

"You bet," Chester was quick to say before they said goodbye, and then his concentration was back on the string of people flooding from the plane. He had one hand on the strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder, as he danced from foot to foot and mentally ordered Jason to hurry up. I need to text Mike!