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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Thwarted - 19. Chapter Nineteen

Prompt- Use: "more dead than alive"

“We seem to spend a lot of time in bed.” Mark chuckled and slipped into his jeans.

“Hell, we’re looking at a year of celibacy. I don’t think most people would condemn us.” Trey pulled his t-shirt over his head. He paused and looked at Mark but didn’t say anything else.
 
“What?” Mark wasn’t entirely sure he liked that look.
 
“Nothing.” Trey headed out of the bedroom with Mark hot on his heels.
 
“I call bullshit. What’s up?”” Mark moved past him to the kitchen. He popped the casserole dish containing their dinner into the microwave and grabbed a couple beers out of the fridge. He twisted the caps off before handing one to Trey. He leaned against the counter and raised an eyebrow. Something was obviously bothering Trey, he’d just have to be patient and hope that Trey would tell him what it was.
 
“Seriously, nothing.” Trey pulled out a chair and sat. “I was just trying to remember if that was something we’d talked about or if I’d just assumed.”
 
“I wouldn’t call that nothing.” Mark moved away from the counter and took the chair opposite Trey. “I’ve never been one to fuck around. When we agreed to give this thing between us a shot, I assumed that meant no one else.”
 
“So did I.” Trey smiled. “That mean we’re on the same page?”
 
“I think so.” The microwave beeped and Mark stood to get their dinner.
 
Trey stood at the same time and moved to the cupboard where Mark kept his plates. He grabbed silverware from the drawer and started setting the table. Mark smiled. He loved that Trey felt comfortable enough in his apartment to jump in and help.
 
“What time are you wanting to leave Friday?” Mark served their dinner before taking his seat. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was nervous about meeting Trey’s family. It didn’t help that he only had two more days to get used to the idea.
 
“Actually, they’re not expecting us until Saturday. I thought I’d come here Friday night and we can head out first thing in the morning.” Trey paused and forked up a bite of his dinner. He chewed, swallowed, and took a swallow of beer. “This is really good.”
 
“Thanks.” Mark picked at the food on his own plate. “So they know I’m coming with you then?”
 
“Oh yeah, I’ve told them about you. They’re both looking forward to meeting you.” Trey motioned to Mark’s plate. “Aren’t you hungry?”
 
“Not really.” Mark pushed his plate away. His appetite had fled as soon as he’d been reminded about their trip.
 
“You know, if you don’t want to go….”
 
Mark shook his head. He wasn’t about to give up any time he could spend with Trey before the other man left. He knew what Trey was going into and knew that there was always a risk that Trey might not come back. Mark sighed, his mind drifting to when he had come back. Physically he’d been fine, but there for a while, mentally he’d been more dead than alive. It had taken time, but eventually he’d worked through it.
 
“Mark? You okay?”
 
“Huh?” Mark looked up to see Trey watching him. “Sorry, I’m fine.”
 
“You sure?” Trey sounded doubtful.
 
“Yep, I’m good.” He’d already told Trey some of what had happened when he’d been deployed, there was no reason to go into it again.
 
“So, I’ll stay the night Friday night and then I’ll head out Saturday morning, if that’s okay?” Trey sounded upset and it took a moment for Mark to realize that he’d been left out of the trip.
 
It took a few extra seconds to understand that Trey had mistaken the shake of his head.
 
“Nope, it’s not.” Mark grinned and stood. He stepped over to where Trey was sitting and leaned down to brush his lips against the other man’s. “We’ll leave Saturday morning.”
 
Mark moved back to his chair and sat. He forced himself to pull his plate back to him and took a few bites. His stomach rolled as another thought came to him.
 
“By the way, where are we staying?”
 
Trey froze with the fork halfway to his mouth and Mark waited for him to confirm what he already suspected.
 
“I planned for us to stay at my parents, but we can get a hotel if you’d rather.”
 
“Nah, it’s good. I was just wondering.” The whole purpose of the trip was so that Trey could spend time with his parents. Staying at a hotel just because he was uncomfortable would be selfish and take that time away from them. He couldn’t do that.
 
“That was great.” Trey pushed his chair back and stood. “You want to watch a movie?”
 
“Sure.” Mark stood as well and picked up their plates. “I’ll get this cleaned up and put dinner away if you want to pick one and get it started.”
 
“Works for me. Any preference?”
 
“Nope, whatever you want to watch is good with me.”
 
“Okay.” By the time Mark joined Trey on the sofa, the previews were playing and Trey was laying on the couch waiting for him. Mark stretched out in front of him and Trey wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer. Mark sighed and relaxed into Trey’s embrace. He was still nervous about the upcoming week, but he’d get through it. He’d have to, because he wasn’t about to spend Trey’s last week home away from the man he was quickly falling for. Or rather, had already fallen for.
Thank you for reading, I'd love to know what you think about the chapter, so please leave a review! If you'd like to discuss the chapter more in length, please visit the discussion thread!
Copyright © 2016 Renee Stevens; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments

On 01/06/2014 09:12 PM, Suvitar said:
Lovely chapter :thumbup: It´s so sweet how cozy and relaxed they are together. But at the same time they are still getting used to each other and aren´t quite certain how the other person is thinking, it´s good that they are talking about things that bother them. Looking forward meeting Trey´s family.
Thanks for the review Suvitar! Glad you enjoyed the chapter and yeah, they are rather relaxed together. Sometimes I think maybe too relaxed, lol. I think my favorite thing about these two is that they don't let things fester, though with the short time they have together before Trey leaves, having everything out in the open is the only way to go :). As far as Trey's family, you and me both.
On 01/07/2014 05:04 AM, Daddydavek said:
Jitters about meeting the "out-laws" is normal and our hero has a bad case. However he is determined to get through it and be there for his man which is a good thing. I just hope Renee doesn't have some evil surprise waiting..... :o
The "out-laws" huh? I love it!!! And yes, he does have a bad case of the jitters, but he's pushing through. As for me having some evil surprise.... would I do that???
On 01/07/2014 07:23 AM, Lisa said:
I can see how nervous Mark would be at the prospect of meeting Trey's family. And then he also wants to spend every minute he can with Trey and if they're staying at Trey's folks' home, it'll be difficult to get any time alone.

 

Looking foward to meeting the family! :)

Thanks for the review! So, how'd you like how Trey just kind of dropped that little bomb on Mark? This could be an interesting visit...

The first time I've really felt like there needed to be more in the chapter. It sped past so fast, and I do think that the emotion of the jitters that Mark's feeling warranted a bit more. Meeting the parents is a huge step for most, even bigger for these two considering one is off to a war zone, and the other might well need to give or receive emotional support from these people he's about to meet.

So many things to go through Mark's mind that might give cause to concern, and he has to try cope with that, without making it seem it's too much for him and prompt Trey to leave him behind.

Yeah, its a complex web they face. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out when he does actually meet them...

:)

On 07/16/2014 03:55 PM, Yettie One said:
The first time I've really felt like there needed to be more in the chapter. It sped past so fast, and I do think that the emotion of the jitters that Mark's feeling warranted a bit more. Meeting the parents is a huge step for most, even bigger for these two considering one is off to a war zone, and the other might well need to give or receive emotional support from these people he's about to meet.

So many things to go through Mark's mind that might give cause to concern, and he has to try cope with that, without making it seem it's too much for him and prompt Trey to leave him behind.

Yeah, its a complex web they face. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out when he does actually meet them...

:)

Thank you for voicing your thoughts of feeling like there needed to be more. If I do decide to eventually clean this up a bit more and eBook it, that is something that I'll have to look at with this section and see what I come up with. This is one of those times that trying to stick to a word count created an issue. I even looked over the chapter again and I can certainly see what you mean, so I'm glad you pointed it out!
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