ODDS OF LOVE: Season Nine

Episode 30

Lyle Peters didn't make the habit of sleeping in. Even on Saturday mornings. Saturday mornings were usually reserved for the very boring of routine mundane activities that made up his life. He woke up. Usually by one of the dogs. He fed them. Then he fed himself. He walked them. Then he ran errands as heart inducing as picking up his dry cleaning and remembering his coupons for his grocery shopping.

But not that Saturday. That Saturday he was waking up in a bed that was starting to feel familiar but that his groggy self knew instinctively wasn't his own. He blinked his sleepy eyes as his ears heard Angel sitting up in bed next to him and talking on his cell. He sounded....... angry yet there was something else in his voice that Lyle couldn't quite put his finger on.

" I told you to stop calling me, Hank ," Angel shot out with frustration. And a sense of dread grew within his body. Who was Hank ? Why was he calling the man who had just declared himself to be his boyfriend in front of an old childhood friend? Lyle swallowed as he saw Angel slipping from the bed and leaving the room while still arguing on the phone. He sat up and felt sick. Was this Dave all over again? Was he basically setting himself up for the same type of hurt and possible betrayal? What the hell did he know about relationships anyway? What did he know about life ?

His mom had always warned him to be careful about what she called the dangers of life. She had always seen suspicious people every where they went and tried to teach him the same. Growing up he had two constants in his life. School and then back home to care for her , do his homework and watch television next to her as she knitted until her hands got too bad and he did it for her. That had been his routine, his life , until he had gone away on an academic scholarship to college. Until his junior year when his mom died and his sanity left him. He had had a nervous breakdown and left school for a six month stay in a mental hospital.  He sighed and ran his hands down his face. Maybe a relationship was not for him. If losing his mother could break his mind then what could losing this man do to him ? And yes he knew he would end up losing Angel Anderson one day. He knew this was not permanent. Guys like Angel didn't go for geeks like him.

Angel returned to the room with an embarrassed laugh, saying," Sorry if that woke you up. Telemarketers ! "

Lyle felt even sicker at the obvious lie. Just like Dave used to tell. That hadn't sounded like a telemarketer call to him.

Angel rubbed his eyes. " So what do you want to do today? Check out that movie we missed for the dance from hades ? Lunch at National Harbor? Your wish is my command, beautiful sir. "

Lyle smiled softly. He probably shouldn't but every moment he spent with Angel he was falling even more. " All? ," he teased wryly. Then he turned serious and said quietly," You used to have a lot of boyfriends? "

Angel furrowed his brow at him. " Yeah. I guess. Depends on what you see as a lot. I like clubbing. Sue me. " Then he looked at Lyle and his eyes softened. " But I only have one now. Until he changes his mind and kicks me to the corner. Which I hope he never does. "

There it was, Lyle thought. The final fall. He was completely in love with this man now. He coughed to clear his throat. " Let's get dressed and walk the dogs. "