Chapter 6
Cassie was laughing at her boyfriend, who was ambling along beside her in a sort of daze. His Jedi robes were rumpled and rather askew, since they hadn‘t managed to get them all the way off before they’d hit the bed together. Derek’s goofy expression after sex always tickled her pink. Especially since SHE’D been the one responsible for it. On her part, she felt mellow and relaxed after rocking Derek’s universe once again. She glanced around idly, wondering where Parker and Chad had gotten to. She wanted to know what had happened after they’d left together; in spite of her general good mood, she was worried that the two men might have broken up or something. And that would be terrible. She loved Parker and Chad together. They made a great couple.
Suddenly she spotted a certain familiar tall figure, towering nearly head and shoulders over his boyfriend. “Hey, Chad! Parker!” she called, nudging Derek in the ribs to make him change course. He blinked and came out of his daze a bit, looking around. Cassie towed him over in the direction of their friends, who had stopped and were turning toward them.
“Hey, Cass,” Parker said, waving at her.
She stopped and looked them both over anxiously. “Are you guys all right?” she demanded, her eyes anxious.
Parker smiled at her reassuringly. “We’re just fine, Cass. Chad and I made up, and Chad’s going to move in with me after the Con.”
She squealed in delight and hugged first Chad(who blushed delgihtfully0, then Parker. “That is so great! I’m so happy for you guys!” she exclaimed. “Isn’t that amazing, Derek?”
Her boyfriend nodded. But then he frowned a little. “If Chad and Parker are moving in together…why don’t we?” he asked her, waving a hand first at himself then at her.
Cassie looked surprised. “Do you want to move in together?” she asked.
He shrugged uneasily. “Yeah, I think so,” he said slowly.
She snorted. “What a romantic, passionate reply,” she said dryly.
Derek glowered at her. “Well, I can never tell how you feel about me,” he snapped, startling her. “Sure you go out with me, and we have sex, but you’ve never said that you like me, let alone…something else. Sometimes I feel like I’m just your pet or something, not your real boyfriend.” he looked away, his shoulders stiff under his Jedi robes.
Cassie just stood there with her mouth open as Parker and Chad glanced uneasily at both of them. She felt guilt lance through her. How many times had she referred to Derek as her puppy? Or seen him as a project rather than a person that she was romantically involved with? “I’m sorry, Derek,” she said slowly after a moment. “You’re right. And it’s not fair to you for me to think of you that way. You’re NOT my pet or my project or anything but my boyfriend. And as for how I feel about you…” she paused as he looked back at her, his eyes full of uncertainty and unhappiness.
She met those eyes steadily. “I love you, Derek,” she said, making his jaw drop this time. “I really do. I guess I’m not good at expressing my feelings most of the time, but I should tell you that more often. And I promise that I’ll try. Just be patient with me, okay?”
He pulled himself together. “You really…love me?” he asked, studying her face.
She nodded. “Yes. I do.”
“Oh, man,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
“You know, the traditional response in this situation is to tell me that you love me, too,” Cassie pointed out in faint amusement.
He jumped. “Yeah!” he cried. “I do! I love you, Cass!”
She smiled, her heart fluttering in a most pleasant way in her chest. “That’s good. Since that’s the case, you’re right. We SHOULD move in together. My place or yours, Jedi Master?”
He grimaced. “My place is kind of a dump,” he said.
She giggled as Parker smiled widely at both of them and Chad got all dewy-eyed over his friends’ confessions of love. “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “So my place it is. And I won’t even object to you having porn on your computer - as long as we can watch it together.”
He grabbed her and picked her up in his arms, hugging her tightly to him. ’You’re the best, Cass,” her said into her hair.
“I know,” she replied. “And don’t you ever forget that, buddy.” but she kissed his ear to soften her stern words, and twined her arms around his neck.
Parker glanced at his lover, who looked like he was going to melt into a puddle on the carpet at any moment. This had been a really good Con so far, he mused to himself. Right on par with last year, when he’d met Chad. And Cassie had met Derek…he glanced at the happily embracing couple, and grinned to himself. It seemed that the Force was, indeed, with all of them.
Epilogue:
Chad sighed as he stowed his suitcase in the trunk of Parker’s car. He was sad that the Con was over for another year; they’d all had such a good time! Of course, that was partly because they’d all said ‘I love you’ to their respective partners, and had made plans to move in with each other once the Con was over. That had made everything else that they’d experienced this weekend seem just that much better, and he’d spent the last day of the Con in a haze of happiness.
A hand patted his ass, making him jump a little. “Don’t look so glum, Chad; there’s always next year,” Parker remarked to him.
He nodded. “I know. It was just such fun this year,” he said.
Parker nodded. “I agree. And we have the pictures to probe it,” he held up his digital camera, his eyes twinkling. “Including the ones of you in your Chewbacca costume. You make a very cute Chewbacca, by the way. You made Han have some dirty thoughts about his co-pilot that a space captain shouldn’t have about a Wookie,” he winked, making Chad blush a little but also laugh.
“Hey, guys! See you tomorrow! Lunch, remember?” they heard a familiar voice call, and both turned to wave at Cassie and Derek as their friends walked by, on their way to Cassie’s car.
“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Parker called to her. “Same bat time, same bat channel.”
Cassie and Derek laughed before continuing on their merry way. Parker looked at Chad. “So…Home, sir? Or at least to your apartment so that we can start packing you up to move into my place?”
He nodded, eagerly. But as they started to get into Parker’s car, they both heard a voice calling to them. They turned to see Jamie Gutterman strolling toward them, with that guy he’d identified as his boyfriend trailing along behind him. “Parker, Chad. I just wanted to say goodbye until next year, and thanks,” Jamie told them.
Parker’s brows shot up. “Thanks? For what?” he asked cautiously.
Jamie smiled as he stepped back and wound his arm over the other boy’s possessively. “Well, I say thanks to Chad for telling me the truth, no matter how brutal it was,” he said with a grin at Chad, who looked baffled. “And thanks to you for making me want to boast that I had a boyfriend, when I really didn’t,” he told Parker cheerfully. “Because Freddie here was nice enough to go along with the whole thing, and afterward…we decided to REALLY be boyfriends after all.” he threw a smiling, wicked glance at the guy standing beside him, who’d been silent until now. “Right, baby?”
The guy nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed, making Parker want to laugh. A man of few words…that was just up Jamie’s alley.
“Anyways, that’s all I wanted to say. See you later, alligators. Come on, Freddie; let’s go,” he tugged at his new boyfriend’s arm, and the phlegmatic Freddie allowed himself to be towed off without any protests at all.
Chad and Parker stood and watched them walk away for a moment. Jamie was giggling and draping himself all over his new boyfriend, and it was clear that the Freddie kid really liked the attention. “Wow. Looks like this Con was a great one for everybody,” Parker remarked dryly, shaking his head.
Chad nodded in agreement. “I don’t know how next year will ever top it,” he said aloud.
Parker shrugged. “I’ll just have to think of something really cool for our second anniversary,” he said with a grin. “For now, though, Chad, let’s hit the road. The quicker we get you packed up, the quicker we can move you into our apartment.”
When he said ‘our’ apartment, Chad felt warmth streak through him. “Yeah,” he agreed in shy pleasure. “Let’s go.”
The End
Cassie was laughing at her boyfriend, who was ambling along beside her in a sort of daze. His Jedi robes were rumpled and rather askew, since they hadn‘t managed to get them all the way off before they’d hit the bed together. Derek’s goofy expression after sex always tickled her pink. Especially since SHE’D been the one responsible for it. On her part, she felt mellow and relaxed after rocking Derek’s universe once again. She glanced around idly, wondering where Parker and Chad had gotten to. She wanted to know what had happened after they’d left together; in spite of her general good mood, she was worried that the two men might have broken up or something. And that would be terrible. She loved Parker and Chad together. They made a great couple.
Suddenly she spotted a certain familiar tall figure, towering nearly head and shoulders over his boyfriend. “Hey, Chad! Parker!” she called, nudging Derek in the ribs to make him change course. He blinked and came out of his daze a bit, looking around. Cassie towed him over in the direction of their friends, who had stopped and were turning toward them.
“Hey, Cass,” Parker said, waving at her.
She stopped and looked them both over anxiously. “Are you guys all right?” she demanded, her eyes anxious.
Parker smiled at her reassuringly. “We’re just fine, Cass. Chad and I made up, and Chad’s going to move in with me after the Con.”
She squealed in delight and hugged first Chad(who blushed delgihtfully0, then Parker. “That is so great! I’m so happy for you guys!” she exclaimed. “Isn’t that amazing, Derek?”
Her boyfriend nodded. But then he frowned a little. “If Chad and Parker are moving in together…why don’t we?” he asked her, waving a hand first at himself then at her.
Cassie looked surprised. “Do you want to move in together?” she asked.
He shrugged uneasily. “Yeah, I think so,” he said slowly.
She snorted. “What a romantic, passionate reply,” she said dryly.
Derek glowered at her. “Well, I can never tell how you feel about me,” he snapped, startling her. “Sure you go out with me, and we have sex, but you’ve never said that you like me, let alone…something else. Sometimes I feel like I’m just your pet or something, not your real boyfriend.” he looked away, his shoulders stiff under his Jedi robes.
Cassie just stood there with her mouth open as Parker and Chad glanced uneasily at both of them. She felt guilt lance through her. How many times had she referred to Derek as her puppy? Or seen him as a project rather than a person that she was romantically involved with? “I’m sorry, Derek,” she said slowly after a moment. “You’re right. And it’s not fair to you for me to think of you that way. You’re NOT my pet or my project or anything but my boyfriend. And as for how I feel about you…” she paused as he looked back at her, his eyes full of uncertainty and unhappiness.
She met those eyes steadily. “I love you, Derek,” she said, making his jaw drop this time. “I really do. I guess I’m not good at expressing my feelings most of the time, but I should tell you that more often. And I promise that I’ll try. Just be patient with me, okay?”
He pulled himself together. “You really…love me?” he asked, studying her face.
She nodded. “Yes. I do.”
“Oh, man,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
“You know, the traditional response in this situation is to tell me that you love me, too,” Cassie pointed out in faint amusement.
He jumped. “Yeah!” he cried. “I do! I love you, Cass!”
She smiled, her heart fluttering in a most pleasant way in her chest. “That’s good. Since that’s the case, you’re right. We SHOULD move in together. My place or yours, Jedi Master?”
He grimaced. “My place is kind of a dump,” he said.
She giggled as Parker smiled widely at both of them and Chad got all dewy-eyed over his friends’ confessions of love. “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “So my place it is. And I won’t even object to you having porn on your computer - as long as we can watch it together.”
He grabbed her and picked her up in his arms, hugging her tightly to him. ’You’re the best, Cass,” her said into her hair.
“I know,” she replied. “And don’t you ever forget that, buddy.” but she kissed his ear to soften her stern words, and twined her arms around his neck.
Parker glanced at his lover, who looked like he was going to melt into a puddle on the carpet at any moment. This had been a really good Con so far, he mused to himself. Right on par with last year, when he’d met Chad. And Cassie had met Derek…he glanced at the happily embracing couple, and grinned to himself. It seemed that the Force was, indeed, with all of them.
Epilogue:
Chad sighed as he stowed his suitcase in the trunk of Parker’s car. He was sad that the Con was over for another year; they’d all had such a good time! Of course, that was partly because they’d all said ‘I love you’ to their respective partners, and had made plans to move in with each other once the Con was over. That had made everything else that they’d experienced this weekend seem just that much better, and he’d spent the last day of the Con in a haze of happiness.
A hand patted his ass, making him jump a little. “Don’t look so glum, Chad; there’s always next year,” Parker remarked to him.
He nodded. “I know. It was just such fun this year,” he said.
Parker nodded. “I agree. And we have the pictures to probe it,” he held up his digital camera, his eyes twinkling. “Including the ones of you in your Chewbacca costume. You make a very cute Chewbacca, by the way. You made Han have some dirty thoughts about his co-pilot that a space captain shouldn’t have about a Wookie,” he winked, making Chad blush a little but also laugh.
“Hey, guys! See you tomorrow! Lunch, remember?” they heard a familiar voice call, and both turned to wave at Cassie and Derek as their friends walked by, on their way to Cassie’s car.
“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Parker called to her. “Same bat time, same bat channel.”
Cassie and Derek laughed before continuing on their merry way. Parker looked at Chad. “So…Home, sir? Or at least to your apartment so that we can start packing you up to move into my place?”
He nodded, eagerly. But as they started to get into Parker’s car, they both heard a voice calling to them. They turned to see Jamie Gutterman strolling toward them, with that guy he’d identified as his boyfriend trailing along behind him. “Parker, Chad. I just wanted to say goodbye until next year, and thanks,” Jamie told them.
Parker’s brows shot up. “Thanks? For what?” he asked cautiously.
Jamie smiled as he stepped back and wound his arm over the other boy’s possessively. “Well, I say thanks to Chad for telling me the truth, no matter how brutal it was,” he said with a grin at Chad, who looked baffled. “And thanks to you for making me want to boast that I had a boyfriend, when I really didn’t,” he told Parker cheerfully. “Because Freddie here was nice enough to go along with the whole thing, and afterward…we decided to REALLY be boyfriends after all.” he threw a smiling, wicked glance at the guy standing beside him, who’d been silent until now. “Right, baby?”
The guy nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed, making Parker want to laugh. A man of few words…that was just up Jamie’s alley.
“Anyways, that’s all I wanted to say. See you later, alligators. Come on, Freddie; let’s go,” he tugged at his new boyfriend’s arm, and the phlegmatic Freddie allowed himself to be towed off without any protests at all.
Chad and Parker stood and watched them walk away for a moment. Jamie was giggling and draping himself all over his new boyfriend, and it was clear that the Freddie kid really liked the attention. “Wow. Looks like this Con was a great one for everybody,” Parker remarked dryly, shaking his head.
Chad nodded in agreement. “I don’t know how next year will ever top it,” he said aloud.
Parker shrugged. “I’ll just have to think of something really cool for our second anniversary,” he said with a grin. “For now, though, Chad, let’s hit the road. The quicker we get you packed up, the quicker we can move you into our apartment.”
When he said ‘our’ apartment, Chad felt warmth streak through him. “Yeah,” he agreed in shy pleasure. “Let’s go.”
The End