This story contains male-to-male consensual sexual relationships, so if this is illegal for you to read, please adhere to whatever laws you abide by.
This story follows a previous story of mine called Wade & Christian, which you can find in the 2004 high school section of this fine archive. I suggest you read it first. BUT, if teen angst and ultradrama romance is not your thing, this story does stand alone.
For my fans, this story is mighty different from Wade & Chris and The Prick, it is about a conflicting relationship and the power of true love. So, if you are looking for any of my previous stories regurgitated, you will be sorely disappointed. This story will run about 12 installments. It will also feature the characters of Wade & Christian quite prominently, so let's enjoy the ride, shall we?
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The difference in Mannie was astounding. From the way he stood, straight up with his head angled high to the way he wore his hair, he had grown it out long, the thick jet black locks were pulled back into a ponytail and he was dressed casually in a pair of low slung jeans and a blue US Marines t-shirt, the kind they all got after basic training.
He was standing on the porch in front of two guys, one in a red baseball hat, a real tall and buffed sort of guy and a slimmer guy in a bright orange smock with the words Taco Fiesta emblazoned across the front. Scott was within two feet of them before Mannie turned around, noticing the two guys looking pointedly behind him.
Mannie stared at the blond apparition in front of him, his heart down in his toes. He stared blankly for a moment before he recovered enough to open his mouth.
"What the fuck are you doing here, man?" Mannie asked, sliding a hand into the pocket of his jeans and flicking a ciggarette with the other. He stared hard at Scott.
Scott approached the steps nervously, then moved slowly up them until he was standing a hair's breadth away from Mannie.
"Just wanted to see you," Scott said and shrugged, then flashed an all-American smile, the kind that reminded Mannie vaguely of a toothpaste ad. God, the guy was cute.
"You wanted to see me?" Mannie asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. It didn't add up. Scott couldn't even look at him when they had been in the hospital together and now he had traveled halfway across the country to see him?
"Yeah," Scott said and with a flash of nervousness, "I missed you."
Just like that, Mannie knew. Scott had come back for him. Scott had come back to make amends for the things that had happened overseas. Scott had come because he wanted a chance with Mannie. Shit.
"Oh," Mannie said, then turned back to Wade and Jon to see that Jon's face had gone ashen and Wade was looking protective already. "Let me introduce you to the guys. Scott, this is Wade and Jon. Guys, this is Scott Edwards, we served in Iraq together."
"Hi," Scott said, holding out his hand and getting it shaked firmly by Wade and limply by Jon.
Mannie eyed the duffel bag on Scott's shoulder and stifled a groan.
"I thought I could crash with you for a few nights," Scott admitted at Mannie's look. "But if it's not cool, I can get a hotel room somewhere."
Wade interrupted quickly.
"No, it's cool, you can stay here," Wade told him. "There's an extra bedroom, its got a lot of boxes and papers in it, but we could make it comfortable tonight."
"Nah," Scott said slowly. "I can bunk down with Mannie. I'm sure his room is a lot more comfortable than some of the places we had to sleep." Scott laughed a little and there was a polite response from Wade, but Jon's face had gone gray and Mannie looked lost.
"Um - we can go for a walk and talk," Mannie said quickly. "I'll show you where you can leave your stuff."
Mannie led the way into the house and pointed out a neat little alcove where Scott dropped his duffel bag before they headed for the back door. Mannie quietly led the way through the backyard and across a few other lawns until they were on the street, Mannie's mind racing with what he would say to Scott.
Scott's arm came up and over his shoulder suddenly and Mannie tensed up. When was the last time that he had said no to a guy?
"What are you doing here, man?" Mannie repeated uncertainly, turning so that he was facing Scott. Scott kept his arm on Mannie's shoulder, getting closer to him.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you," Scott admitted. "The way...the way you fucked me and everything...it just stayed in my mind...and what you did for me out there, I'm sorry, man, that I couldn't tell you how I felt then. I was just so...so fucking confused about everything with my wife and two kids back home waiting for me and you were like a dream, an escape-"
"What about your wife?" Mannie asked. "Does she know that you're here?"
Scott nodded. "I told her...I told her everything about you. I told her that I didn't know if I could be a husband to her when I have these feelings about you, when I want to be with a man, you know?"
"You told her that?" Mannie asked slowly, incredulously. Scott nodded and smiled again, pressing closer to Mannie, his lips hovering near Mannie's. Kissing was the one thing that Mannie had never gotten Scott to fully embrace and now Scott was the intiator.
Jon peered quietly out into the darkness, straining for even a glimpse of Scott and Mannie, his heart going a mile a minute. It had been over a half hour since they had taken off together and he couldn't help it if he was a little agitated about what was going on between them.
Wade came back out onto the porch and took one look at Jon. "Man, don't you wanna go inside and get out of that stinky uniform?" Wade asked. Jon looked blankly at him for a second and then shook his head, going back to staring out into the darkness.
"Jon, man, you can't sit here waiting for them," Wade said quietly. "Mannie's got to come to his own decision."
Jon stared down at his knees.
"What if he decides he doesn't love me?" Jon almost mumbled.
Wade sat down on the top step, looking at his best friend quietly.
"Would that be such a bad thing, Jon?" Wade asked.
Jon stared at Wade silently, then looked away.
"I know that you don't like the fact that I feel this way about Mannie, Wade, but I can't help it," Jon informed him. "You, of all people, should know that you can't make yourself love someone or not love someone, you tried that with Chris, remember?"
Wade nodded. "Of course, I do, but Christian is a different guy than Mannie is," Wade reminded him. "Mannie has problems relating to people emotionally. He had problems committing. He might not be the best choice for you."
"I didn't choose him, Wade," Jon exclaimed shakily. "I don't have a choice. I-I've never felt this way...not ever, can you understand that? Not...not even Shannon, Wade. She didn't do this to me, tear up my insides like this...and I wanted to die with her...so...so what do you think I should do. Should I sit here and wait for him to come back quietly or should I get up and go after them?"
Wade stared at him silently for a long moment.
"Go after him," Wade said hoarsely.
Mannie placed his hands on Scott's shoulders and pushed him gently back a little.
"Scott, you never even let on that you might do something like this," Mannie told him. "And...even if you had, I still would have to tell you no."
Scott stared at him, incredulous.
"Are you saying no?" Scott asked and Mannie nodded.
"I'm saying no," Mannie stated and Scott pulled away from him.
"Why?" Scott exclaimed. "You almost got killed for me and now you want to tell me no?"
"You assumed too fucking much, Scott," Mannie informed him. "You assumed that I took that shrapnel just for you. That's not the truth at all, okay? I went over there knowing that if a situation arose, I was gonna be the one to put myself in danger because I was the one tht didn't have anybody to come home to. I mean, I care about you, man, but I've fucked a lot of guys, okay? Not once has one of them ever been special to me. Not even you. You barely even spoke to me in the light of day."
Scott was silent, so Mannie plodded on.
"And now I have found someone that I think is special and I wouldn't screw that up for anything," Mannie was emphatic.
"One of those guys on the porch?" Scott asked and Mannie nodded.
"Jon, the one in the orange uniform," Mannie admitted with a smile. "He's been there for me in ways I never even imagined. He makes me feel like I'm worth something."
"You are worth something," Scott told him quietly. "You always have been. I'm sorry about the way I acted over there. I was just...thoroughly confused, I guess I still am, but I wanted you to know that...from the the first time I saw you, I thought you were special...and it was about more than the size of your dick, I promise you that, man."
Mannie nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "That picture of your wife," Mannie started slowly, "she's beautiful, Scott. And your kids look like fucking angels. I can attest to the fact that they'll need their father. All of them need you more than I do. Think with your heart and not with your dick, man."
Scott laughed. "Easier said than done."
"You can spend the night in the guest room if you want to," Mannie offered after a moment, but Scott shook his head.
"Nah, I've got some thinking to do," Scott said and they both stopped when they spotted the orange smock coming towards them in the distance. Mannie grinned at the fierce expression on Jon's face, his heart doing a funny thing in his chest. Jon had come to fight for him.
Scott reached out and shook Jon's hand again when he was within a foot of them. "You've got yourself one helluva guy here, Jon," Scott told him and Jon nodded, hiding any confusion he felt. They all stood awkwardly for a moment before Scott ran a hand through his blonde hair and backed away.
"I'm gonna go get my bag and head out, then," Scott said. "I'll keep in touch and let you know what goes on with the wife and kids."
"I'd like that," Mannie agreed and Scott turned away from them, walking in the direction they had come. Mannie looked down at Jon's face as Jon watched Scott walking away.
"Ain't you proud of me?" Mannie asked with a wide grin.
"For what?" Jon asked.
"Saying no to a guy, its the first time, you know?" Mannie said.
"You said no to a guy that hot?" Jon exclaimed playfully. "All that blonde hair, those dreamy blue eyes, and all those muscles."
"I know a guy with dark hair and big, brown eyes like a puppy dog whose hotter," Mannie quipped and wrapped his arms around Jon when he came close to him.
Jon grinned up at him.
"You'd better," Jon laughed.
"Did you just say dreamy?" Mannie cracked. "You are so officially gay now, Jonathan." Jon laughed and Mannie squeezed him playfully.
Mannie tiptoed across the creaking hardwood floor until he stood in front of Jon's bedroom door. He pounded softly on it for a moment.
"Who is it?" was Jon's hoarse whisper.
"It's Mannie, can I come in?" Mannie asked in a stage whisper.
Mannie listened as the covers rustled and then the door creaked slowly open and a rumpled looking Jon in a t-shirt and boxers appeared, his hair all over his head.
"Can I sleep with you?" Mannie asked and Jon smiled, nodding.
Mannie moved quietly behind him, shutting the door and walking across the darkened room until they reached the bed. He and Jon climbed in, Jon's back to his chest. Mannie wrapped an arm around Jon's stomach. After a moment, Jon started laughing quietly.
"What?" Mannie asked, smiling in the darkness.
"This is the first time I've ever been the spoonee, I'm usually the spooner," Jon said.
"Do you like it?" Mannie asked quietly and Jon was silent. Jon nodded.
"I never want you to sleep anywhere else," Jon told him.
"Are you sure about this, Jon?" Mannie asked in the stillness, his face pressed against Jon's shoulder. "I'm falling for you...so hard and so fast, I don't think I could take it if this doesn't work out."
"Me either," Jon said slowly. "This is the first time since Shannon died that I've even felt like I should be breathing."
Mannie moved his long fingers under the bottom of Jon's t-shirt and touched the soft, bare skin there. He moved his fingers in slow swirls over the flesh, listening to Jon breathe and feeling his stomach muscles clench from time to time. After awhile, they were both asleep.
Sorry so slow, but its still coming! I know its taking a while but I love these characters and I will continue to write it until the story is done, so don't give up on me!
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