How Can You Ease The Pain

I'm So Much Better When You're Around

Kris honestly didn't know how to react. He sat there stunned.

He'd never felt such an emotion when Tao kissed him.

And Tao didn't just kiss him. He kissed his scar, imploring the writer to trust him.

Kris stared at him, barely a finger's length away, eyes filled with tears and Kris broke.

Two men, two different walks of life, finding their way into each other's life.

Kris's tears fell down and he couldn't stop them.

He'd been holding so much in for so long, not having any emotional support simply because he'd become afraid.

Oh, how he hated to admit that.

He didn't know how to handle this. It was such a release for Kris, having finally told someone what happened. It was as if the weight of the world had been released, the floodgates opened, allowing for compassion to enter. Prior to Tao's bizarre entrance in his life, Kris had kept to himself, only seeking the outside company of his editor and manager, simply to keep himself alive. He made many new short stories, some blog spots, those contributions produced financial compensation thus enabling Kris to maintain his penthouse and to buy food. He also was paying for her treatment. That was something else that was weighing on his mind. His manager, not liking the idea at all, told Kris in no uncertain terms that he needed to stop. He dare he feel responsible for her care. Didn't he realize the enormity of her actions? "She almost killed you, Kris!! And you're paying for her fucking doctors. Maybe you need her doctor too. That's her family's responsibility, not yours!" Kris knew the man was right, but Kris was still wrapping his mind around all of this.

Tao was truly refreshing.

Strange, but refreshing.

He'd had many an idea go through that skull of his, and he was, for lack of a better word, embarrassed. Embarrassed that Tao witnessed his unraveling. That, of course, wasn't his intention. He figured that Tao would come in and perhaps they'd strike up some abysmal conversation. From what he gathered about the young man across from him, he loved to talk and talk even more so when he was nervous. Kris still didn't get why he just came out with it. It was a relief. While he still didn't tell Tao everything, the fact that he even muttered that, was more than enough. And Tao stayed. Kris was halfway expecting the young man to run for the hills, telling Kris to fuck off, that he didn't want this shit in his life. He cried for Kris and that touched Kris, more than he was willing to vocally admit.

They spend the rest of the afternoon staring at one another, it being a comfortable silence and Kris falling deeper and deeper in the pools of those beautiful orbs looking at him. Tao rather enjoyed the stare, the intensity did something to Tao and he was actually bewitched. Tao almost felt as if Kris were burning a thousand holes in him. The hairs on his arms stood at attention and his smirk stayed fixated on Kris. Was it comfortable? Perhaps not, but Tao didn't want Kris to stop. Nope. But he knew that he was, he had too, say something because this was quite embarrassing. It was obvious that something was happening here, something was happening between them and if the sudden tightness of Tao's pants were any indication, well he had to speak up now.

"I won't hurt you, Kris. I may talk too much, but I zipped up, remember? I am going to wait for you."

Deep down, Tao was truly ecstatic. He was granted an audience with Kris and he was rewarded. Tao felt truly special that Kris revealed that information to him, though it wasn't the entire story, it was enough to let Tao know that he meant something. Tao's heart swelled at the outpouring of emotion by Kris. He truly wasn't expecting it. Both men were on a confused path, neither man knowing what the other initially wanted. But Tao suspected that this whole thing, whatever it was that they were doing, it was hard for Kris. Tao was going to wait.