Houston Knights, 3/?
Jul. 2nd, 2004 10:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gilascaveSee earlier parts for header.
part one
part two
Vortex
part three
On Sunday afternoon, Levon woke up to the sound of someone banging on his front door. He rolled over and looked at the clock: 2:30pm. He had to shake his head a bit to wake up, wondering if he'd been expecting someone.
He couldn't think of anyone, but he crawled out of bed and grabbed his robe, slipping it on as he headed for the door.
Levon grinned when he opened the door and found Joey standing there.
LaFiamma gave him a startled look. "I wake you up?"
Nodding, Levon stepped back and waved LaFiamma inside. "Got to bed around seven. Woulda been getting up soon, anyway."
"Uh..." LaFiamma glanced over his shoulder towards the barn, as he stepped inside. "Don't you have to get up early to feed Fooler?"
"Stay up," Levon explained, shaking his head. He headed towards the kitchen to start some coffee and LaFiamma followed him, still looking a little confused. Levon elaborated. "I get home around three or four in the morning, depending on how much clean up there is. It's easier to stay up til dawn and take care of Fooler then, than it is to go to sleep and wake up, then go back to sleep."
"Oh." LaFiamma paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Makes sense. Sorry; it didn't occur to me you'd be asleep."
Levon shrugged it off, and pulled out a mug. "You want some coffee?"
"No, thanks." LaFiamma leaned against the counter and watched him, as Levon proceeded to make his own cup. Halfway through doing so, the familiarity of it struck him. Not precisely this situation -- Levon had never slept til afternoon unless he was sick, until he started working nights. But just having Joe hanging around without any sort of reason for it was familiar.
It occured to him that he ought to be trying to carry a conversation, but the only question that came to mind was asking how work was. Levon wasn't sure he wanted to hear about it, though.
"You liking it there?" LaFiamma suddenly asked, as though he'd heard Levon thinking.
"Yeah, it's all right." Levon did enjoy working there -- but it wasn't what he'd wanted to do. It wasn't being a cop.
"But it isn't the same, is it?" LaFiamma looked like he understood. Maybe he did -- being a cop in Houston wasn't what Joe had wanted, either.
"I'm not likely to get fired for having sex with another man," Levon said, and he didn't realise he'd sound so bitter. He didn't try to cover for it.
"Yeah." LaFiama looked away, and Levon could see there was something troubling him.
Probably the idea that *he* could still get fired for having sex with another man. Suddenly the easy familiarity didn't feel quite so comfortable.
"Ramon's a good boss," Levon said quickly, to fill in the silence before either of them could say something he didn't want to think about. "Darrin's good to work with, and despite what you saw, Mark isn't all that bad neither. He just gets a little distracted when there's somebody cute to talk to. Which is just about every night, come to think of it."
He was relieved to see LaFiamma laugh at that. "I don't have to ask why *he* likes his job."
"Darrin says it's because he doesn't like waking up before noon."
LaFiamma's smile dimmed. "Sorry about that--"
"Don't apologise. I told you, I was getting up soon anyway."
LaFiamma shrugged, and the brief moment of levity was gone again. The look on LaFiamma's face was one of a man about to say he was sorry for a lot more than waking him up. Levon braced himself, knowing there was really no way to keep him from saying it.
"Levon...I don't know how good I'm going to be at this." LaFiamma stopped, and Levon waited. Finally LaFiamma looked him in the eye. Levon could see regret, there, and his mouth went dry. But Joe said, "I don't know how eager you are to stay in the closet, but I don't wanna risk losing my job, too. So we're gonna have to be real careful."
Surprised, Levon didn't answer right off. Very slowly, he smiled, and all he could think of to say, was, "Who has to know?"
All the regret and concern seemed to vanish from Joe's face, and he stepped closer to Levon. Right up close, and Levon was very aware of the fact he was wearing only a robe -- with nothing on underneath it.
When Joe kissed him, and their bodies touched, he reckoned that was probably a good thing.
end part three
part one
part two
Vortex
part three
On Sunday afternoon, Levon woke up to the sound of someone banging on his front door. He rolled over and looked at the clock: 2:30pm. He had to shake his head a bit to wake up, wondering if he'd been expecting someone.
He couldn't think of anyone, but he crawled out of bed and grabbed his robe, slipping it on as he headed for the door.
Levon grinned when he opened the door and found Joey standing there.
LaFiamma gave him a startled look. "I wake you up?"
Nodding, Levon stepped back and waved LaFiamma inside. "Got to bed around seven. Woulda been getting up soon, anyway."
"Uh..." LaFiamma glanced over his shoulder towards the barn, as he stepped inside. "Don't you have to get up early to feed Fooler?"
"Stay up," Levon explained, shaking his head. He headed towards the kitchen to start some coffee and LaFiamma followed him, still looking a little confused. Levon elaborated. "I get home around three or four in the morning, depending on how much clean up there is. It's easier to stay up til dawn and take care of Fooler then, than it is to go to sleep and wake up, then go back to sleep."
"Oh." LaFiamma paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Makes sense. Sorry; it didn't occur to me you'd be asleep."
Levon shrugged it off, and pulled out a mug. "You want some coffee?"
"No, thanks." LaFiamma leaned against the counter and watched him, as Levon proceeded to make his own cup. Halfway through doing so, the familiarity of it struck him. Not precisely this situation -- Levon had never slept til afternoon unless he was sick, until he started working nights. But just having Joe hanging around without any sort of reason for it was familiar.
It occured to him that he ought to be trying to carry a conversation, but the only question that came to mind was asking how work was. Levon wasn't sure he wanted to hear about it, though.
"You liking it there?" LaFiamma suddenly asked, as though he'd heard Levon thinking.
"Yeah, it's all right." Levon did enjoy working there -- but it wasn't what he'd wanted to do. It wasn't being a cop.
"But it isn't the same, is it?" LaFiamma looked like he understood. Maybe he did -- being a cop in Houston wasn't what Joe had wanted, either.
"I'm not likely to get fired for having sex with another man," Levon said, and he didn't realise he'd sound so bitter. He didn't try to cover for it.
"Yeah." LaFiama looked away, and Levon could see there was something troubling him.
Probably the idea that *he* could still get fired for having sex with another man. Suddenly the easy familiarity didn't feel quite so comfortable.
"Ramon's a good boss," Levon said quickly, to fill in the silence before either of them could say something he didn't want to think about. "Darrin's good to work with, and despite what you saw, Mark isn't all that bad neither. He just gets a little distracted when there's somebody cute to talk to. Which is just about every night, come to think of it."
He was relieved to see LaFiamma laugh at that. "I don't have to ask why *he* likes his job."
"Darrin says it's because he doesn't like waking up before noon."
LaFiamma's smile dimmed. "Sorry about that--"
"Don't apologise. I told you, I was getting up soon anyway."
LaFiamma shrugged, and the brief moment of levity was gone again. The look on LaFiamma's face was one of a man about to say he was sorry for a lot more than waking him up. Levon braced himself, knowing there was really no way to keep him from saying it.
"Levon...I don't know how good I'm going to be at this." LaFiamma stopped, and Levon waited. Finally LaFiamma looked him in the eye. Levon could see regret, there, and his mouth went dry. But Joe said, "I don't know how eager you are to stay in the closet, but I don't wanna risk losing my job, too. So we're gonna have to be real careful."
Surprised, Levon didn't answer right off. Very slowly, he smiled, and all he could think of to say, was, "Who has to know?"
All the regret and concern seemed to vanish from Joe's face, and he stepped closer to Levon. Right up close, and Levon was very aware of the fact he was wearing only a robe -- with nothing on underneath it.
When Joe kissed him, and their bodies touched, he reckoned that was probably a good thing.
end part three