A/N: Well, folks, this was the only story i felt like writing on this time, so here it is. The general malaise continues, so I write on whatever story I can actually think of a plot for. In this case, it was bed and breakfast. Slipped in a bit of a cliffie at the end there for ya... :P Enjoy, and please review. Thanks, DL
Chapter 9
“You’re awfully quiet tonight.”
Damien turned his head to meet Michael’s brown eyes. His head was currently resting on the handyman’s bare chest, and his fingers were lightly stroking through the dark hair around his lover’s nipples. “Am I?” he said softly.
“Yes. Is there anything wrong?” Michael asked him in concern.
Damien sighed. “I’m not sure if you’d call it something wrong,” he commented, rubbing his cheek against the handyman’s skin. “Daddy’s flying up here in a couple of days.”
Michael stiffened slightly at this news. “Why?” he asked warily.
“He called me earlier. He wants to look the place over, and if he’s satisfied with the job I’ve done with the B&B, he says…that I can come home.”
Silence, as Michael digested this news. His mouth thinned down to a grim line. “So, you’re going home,” he said quietly after a moment.
Damien growled and tugged at his chest hair. “Don’t sound so resigned, Michael! Damn it!” he added, sitting up abruptly in the bed. “He couldn’t have PICKED a worse time to decide that he was proud of me! Why couldn’t I have gone on being a pariah? Then I wouldn’t have to make any decisions about my life at all!”
Michael looked up at him. “Maybe it isn’t a bad thing at all that your father is coming here, Damien,” he said austerely.
Damien frowned down at him. “What do you mean?” he demanded.
Michael sat up as well, meeting Damien’s wary green eyes. “Because we - the people here at Sweet Springs - shouldn’t be just a booby prize for you. The life you had to pick because you had no alternatives. We should be the life you choose to live because this is where you want to be, and we’re the people you want to be with. If you do decide to go home after all, then you’ll know that’s where you truly belong. But if you decide to stay here, even though you can go home, you’ll know that this is the place you really want to be. And no matter what you decide, I’ll support it. Even if that means letting you go. Because I want you to be happy, Damien; as happy as you’ve made me for the last few weeks. And if it makes you happy to get to go home, then I’ll help you pack your bags.”
Damien blinked away a sudden sheen of tears. “Don’t be so damn selfless,” he grated, looking away. “Maybe I want a guy who’ll fight for me, did you ever think of that?” he added, his voice breaking a little.
Michael’s fingers closed over the back of his neck, rubbing the tense muscles there.” I want you to stay,” he said quietly. “But the choice has to be yours. It’s your life, Damien. You have to choose how to live it.”
He rubbed at his face, saying rather petulantly: “I suck at making decisions. You’ll be sorry that you didn’t just insist that I stay here with you, Michael…”
“No, I won’t. I trust you to figure out what’s best for you.” Michael cupped the side of his face, and forced Damien to look at him. “You’ve made plenty of good decisions since you got here,” he pointed out. “Maybe you’re not as bad at making them as you think.”
“And maybe I’m only bad at making them when they’re about my personal life,” Damien replied tautly. He leaned forward and kissed Michael aggressively, only pulling away to remark acidly: “I’m not sure that I like having somebody’s full support. I think I’d much rather you make my decisions for me, like Daddy does.”
“I’m not your father,” Michael pointed out, grimacing. “Nor do I want to be.”
Damien giggled suddenly. “And here I’ve always wanted a Daddy-man,” he said, shaking his head. “I feel gypped.”
“Well, I’m sorry about that. I’m afraid you’ll just have to settle for me as I am.”
“Hmm, I think I can handle that,” Damien remarked, twining his arms around Michael’s neck. “Now, Michael, give me more reasons to stay…” he added with a devilish light in his green eyes.
Michael was happy to do just that, and there was no more talking between them after that…
Damien was everywhere, supervising the staff to within an inch of their lives as they readied the B&B for the arrival of his father. He was annoying his staff, he knew that; but he couldn’t help himself. He was nervous about his father coming to Sweet Springs. This was the first time that he might actually gain his father’s approval, something that he’d craved for most of his life. Unfortunately, he just didn’t have what it took to gain his father’s approval most of the time. He’d dropped out of three colleges, partially because of low grades due to a mixture of heavy partying and a brain that wasn’t really designed for heavy studying or academics; he’d run wild for most of his teen years and young adulthood, refusing to hold down a job or learn the inner workings of his father’s company; and he was pretty flamboyantly gay and promiscuous. Far too often, he’d come under the disapproving gimlet stare and the dark scowl as his parent expressed his feelings about Damien’s behavior.
To actually be able to gain his father’s approval for once…it was a dream come true for him. So, that’s why he was flitting from room-to-room at the B&B, issuing orders and driving his staff crazy. He wanted everything to be perfect.
Michael was cleaning the gutters with the help of two of the assistant groundskeepers that Damien had hired. He wanted the lawn and gardens to be immaculate, and men were everywhere clipping hedges, weeding flowerbeds, and cutting the grass to within an inch of its life. There were so many of them that he’d felt free to commandeer two of them to help him clean out the gutters.
Michael scrubbed grimly at the length of pipe that he’d just cleaned out, his eyes dark. While he’d said that he trusted Damien, and that he was going to let his lover decide for himself what was best for him, at the same time the thought that Damien might leave had made a heavy weight settle in his chest. And it was a real possibility that Damien might decide that he’d had enough of work and responsibility, and that he might run back home to be pampered and spoiled in the lap of luxury like he was used to. If that were the case, there was nothing that he could do. He’d have to let Damien go.
Damien had laughingly remarked that he might kidnap Michael and drag him off with him to his father’s mansion, and make him live the life of a pampered concubine. But they both knew that that was impossible; he wouldn’t be happy in that sort of life. If Damien chose to leave, he’d leave alone. And Michael would go back to his empty existence, the one he’d had before the wild breeze that was Hurricane Damien had blown into the B&B and had turned his life upside down…
He sighed quietly, pushing even harder with the brush. Working helped to take his mind off of it, but couldn’t totally banish dark, anxious thoughts. It wasn’t just that he’d go back to being celibate that was depressing him, but that was a part of it. He’d gotten used to having sex again in the last few weeks. It wouldn’t be great to return to the no-sex limbo that he’d lived in before Damien had entered his life. But moreover, he’d also gotten used to having somebody to talk with, and having a person who would tease him to make him laugh. The threat of returning loneliness pressed on him as he worked away. If Damien chose to leave, this was going to be a very bleak winter indeed…
An exasperated Karlie stuck her head in the door and called out: “Damien! There’s a limo coming down the driveway! Your father’s here!”
Damien froze, turning away from the front desk to look at her. “Thanks, Karlie,” he said through lips that suddenly felt stiff.
He walked over to the door, going out on the front porch. She glanced at him as he stood straight and tall, his green eyes riveted on the sleek dark vehicle coming down the drive. It pulled up in front of the B&B, and Ross opened the door and got out of the back. Another man exited the limo on the other side, circling it. He was taller than Damien, and his face was a little more hawkish; but his green eyes were almost the same color as Damien’s, and he was a more masculine, less beautiful, older version of his offspring.
“Hello, Damien,” Thomas Burkley said.
“Hi, Daddy,” Damien replied. “Welcome to the Sweet Springs Bed and Breakfast.”
Thomas’ eyes scanned the building. “Very nice,” he remarked. “Much different than the photos of it that I saw before. Your doing, Damien?”
“That’s right. I personally supervised all the redecorating, down to the last couch cushion. Come inside and see.”
“Very well. Ross, have the driver bring our bags inside,” Thomas told his assistant.
“Of course, Sir,” Ross replied.
Thomas walked up onto the porch. He didn’t hug his son; he’d never been a very demonstrative man, or a hands-on parent for that matter. “Lead on, Damien,” he said, making a motion with his hand.
Damien nodded and led the way into the lobby. He was sweating from nervousness, but none of that showed in his face. He’d long ago learned to be able to conceal what he was feeling from his father. That had been a necessity when he’d been trying to hide his latest transgression from his parent’s too-sharp eyes. Thomas looked around at the light, airy, beautiful room half-full of late in the season guests. “I’ve gone over the books for this place; revenues have gone up at least 50 per cent,” he commented. “That’s partially because you advertised this as a place for gay people to come on vacation. That was a great idea, Damien.”
“Thanks,” he felt a streak of warmth shoot through him at the approval in his father’s voice. He couldn’t believe that this was happening! His father actually liked something he’d done!
He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head to see Michael standing in the doorway to the dining room. The handyman’s face was perfectly blank, his eyes shuttered. His whole body was rigid. Damien felt confusion. He glanced at his father, then his lover. Which would he choose? The past, or the present that he’d created for himself? He just didn’t know…
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Chapter 9
“You’re awfully quiet tonight.”
Damien turned his head to meet Michael’s brown eyes. His head was currently resting on the handyman’s bare chest, and his fingers were lightly stroking through the dark hair around his lover’s nipples. “Am I?” he said softly.
“Yes. Is there anything wrong?” Michael asked him in concern.
Damien sighed. “I’m not sure if you’d call it something wrong,” he commented, rubbing his cheek against the handyman’s skin. “Daddy’s flying up here in a couple of days.”
Michael stiffened slightly at this news. “Why?” he asked warily.
“He called me earlier. He wants to look the place over, and if he’s satisfied with the job I’ve done with the B&B, he says…that I can come home.”
Silence, as Michael digested this news. His mouth thinned down to a grim line. “So, you’re going home,” he said quietly after a moment.
Damien growled and tugged at his chest hair. “Don’t sound so resigned, Michael! Damn it!” he added, sitting up abruptly in the bed. “He couldn’t have PICKED a worse time to decide that he was proud of me! Why couldn’t I have gone on being a pariah? Then I wouldn’t have to make any decisions about my life at all!”
Michael looked up at him. “Maybe it isn’t a bad thing at all that your father is coming here, Damien,” he said austerely.
Damien frowned down at him. “What do you mean?” he demanded.
Michael sat up as well, meeting Damien’s wary green eyes. “Because we - the people here at Sweet Springs - shouldn’t be just a booby prize for you. The life you had to pick because you had no alternatives. We should be the life you choose to live because this is where you want to be, and we’re the people you want to be with. If you do decide to go home after all, then you’ll know that’s where you truly belong. But if you decide to stay here, even though you can go home, you’ll know that this is the place you really want to be. And no matter what you decide, I’ll support it. Even if that means letting you go. Because I want you to be happy, Damien; as happy as you’ve made me for the last few weeks. And if it makes you happy to get to go home, then I’ll help you pack your bags.”
Damien blinked away a sudden sheen of tears. “Don’t be so damn selfless,” he grated, looking away. “Maybe I want a guy who’ll fight for me, did you ever think of that?” he added, his voice breaking a little.
Michael’s fingers closed over the back of his neck, rubbing the tense muscles there.” I want you to stay,” he said quietly. “But the choice has to be yours. It’s your life, Damien. You have to choose how to live it.”
He rubbed at his face, saying rather petulantly: “I suck at making decisions. You’ll be sorry that you didn’t just insist that I stay here with you, Michael…”
“No, I won’t. I trust you to figure out what’s best for you.” Michael cupped the side of his face, and forced Damien to look at him. “You’ve made plenty of good decisions since you got here,” he pointed out. “Maybe you’re not as bad at making them as you think.”
“And maybe I’m only bad at making them when they’re about my personal life,” Damien replied tautly. He leaned forward and kissed Michael aggressively, only pulling away to remark acidly: “I’m not sure that I like having somebody’s full support. I think I’d much rather you make my decisions for me, like Daddy does.”
“I’m not your father,” Michael pointed out, grimacing. “Nor do I want to be.”
Damien giggled suddenly. “And here I’ve always wanted a Daddy-man,” he said, shaking his head. “I feel gypped.”
“Well, I’m sorry about that. I’m afraid you’ll just have to settle for me as I am.”
“Hmm, I think I can handle that,” Damien remarked, twining his arms around Michael’s neck. “Now, Michael, give me more reasons to stay…” he added with a devilish light in his green eyes.
Michael was happy to do just that, and there was no more talking between them after that…
Damien was everywhere, supervising the staff to within an inch of their lives as they readied the B&B for the arrival of his father. He was annoying his staff, he knew that; but he couldn’t help himself. He was nervous about his father coming to Sweet Springs. This was the first time that he might actually gain his father’s approval, something that he’d craved for most of his life. Unfortunately, he just didn’t have what it took to gain his father’s approval most of the time. He’d dropped out of three colleges, partially because of low grades due to a mixture of heavy partying and a brain that wasn’t really designed for heavy studying or academics; he’d run wild for most of his teen years and young adulthood, refusing to hold down a job or learn the inner workings of his father’s company; and he was pretty flamboyantly gay and promiscuous. Far too often, he’d come under the disapproving gimlet stare and the dark scowl as his parent expressed his feelings about Damien’s behavior.
To actually be able to gain his father’s approval for once…it was a dream come true for him. So, that’s why he was flitting from room-to-room at the B&B, issuing orders and driving his staff crazy. He wanted everything to be perfect.
Michael was cleaning the gutters with the help of two of the assistant groundskeepers that Damien had hired. He wanted the lawn and gardens to be immaculate, and men were everywhere clipping hedges, weeding flowerbeds, and cutting the grass to within an inch of its life. There were so many of them that he’d felt free to commandeer two of them to help him clean out the gutters.
Michael scrubbed grimly at the length of pipe that he’d just cleaned out, his eyes dark. While he’d said that he trusted Damien, and that he was going to let his lover decide for himself what was best for him, at the same time the thought that Damien might leave had made a heavy weight settle in his chest. And it was a real possibility that Damien might decide that he’d had enough of work and responsibility, and that he might run back home to be pampered and spoiled in the lap of luxury like he was used to. If that were the case, there was nothing that he could do. He’d have to let Damien go.
Damien had laughingly remarked that he might kidnap Michael and drag him off with him to his father’s mansion, and make him live the life of a pampered concubine. But they both knew that that was impossible; he wouldn’t be happy in that sort of life. If Damien chose to leave, he’d leave alone. And Michael would go back to his empty existence, the one he’d had before the wild breeze that was Hurricane Damien had blown into the B&B and had turned his life upside down…
He sighed quietly, pushing even harder with the brush. Working helped to take his mind off of it, but couldn’t totally banish dark, anxious thoughts. It wasn’t just that he’d go back to being celibate that was depressing him, but that was a part of it. He’d gotten used to having sex again in the last few weeks. It wouldn’t be great to return to the no-sex limbo that he’d lived in before Damien had entered his life. But moreover, he’d also gotten used to having somebody to talk with, and having a person who would tease him to make him laugh. The threat of returning loneliness pressed on him as he worked away. If Damien chose to leave, this was going to be a very bleak winter indeed…
An exasperated Karlie stuck her head in the door and called out: “Damien! There’s a limo coming down the driveway! Your father’s here!”
Damien froze, turning away from the front desk to look at her. “Thanks, Karlie,” he said through lips that suddenly felt stiff.
He walked over to the door, going out on the front porch. She glanced at him as he stood straight and tall, his green eyes riveted on the sleek dark vehicle coming down the drive. It pulled up in front of the B&B, and Ross opened the door and got out of the back. Another man exited the limo on the other side, circling it. He was taller than Damien, and his face was a little more hawkish; but his green eyes were almost the same color as Damien’s, and he was a more masculine, less beautiful, older version of his offspring.
“Hello, Damien,” Thomas Burkley said.
“Hi, Daddy,” Damien replied. “Welcome to the Sweet Springs Bed and Breakfast.”
Thomas’ eyes scanned the building. “Very nice,” he remarked. “Much different than the photos of it that I saw before. Your doing, Damien?”
“That’s right. I personally supervised all the redecorating, down to the last couch cushion. Come inside and see.”
“Very well. Ross, have the driver bring our bags inside,” Thomas told his assistant.
“Of course, Sir,” Ross replied.
Thomas walked up onto the porch. He didn’t hug his son; he’d never been a very demonstrative man, or a hands-on parent for that matter. “Lead on, Damien,” he said, making a motion with his hand.
Damien nodded and led the way into the lobby. He was sweating from nervousness, but none of that showed in his face. He’d long ago learned to be able to conceal what he was feeling from his father. That had been a necessity when he’d been trying to hide his latest transgression from his parent’s too-sharp eyes. Thomas looked around at the light, airy, beautiful room half-full of late in the season guests. “I’ve gone over the books for this place; revenues have gone up at least 50 per cent,” he commented. “That’s partially because you advertised this as a place for gay people to come on vacation. That was a great idea, Damien.”
“Thanks,” he felt a streak of warmth shoot through him at the approval in his father’s voice. He couldn’t believe that this was happening! His father actually liked something he’d done!
He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head to see Michael standing in the doorway to the dining room. The handyman’s face was perfectly blank, his eyes shuttered. His whole body was rigid. Damien felt confusion. He glanced at his father, then his lover. Which would he choose? The past, or the present that he’d created for himself? He just didn’t know…
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