Sapphire Blue - 5. The Date and the Days

Love, sweet love.

Micheal lounged on the sofa watching one of his old Star Wars movies. Ian had this intriguing interest in science fiction films. He had recently made Micheal watch Megamind among his other interests. He watched Mega-freaking-mind with Ian last Saturday. 'Things I do for love,' Micheal thought to himself as he stretched and propped his legs on the coffee table.

He had a nice lunch of pasta with meatballs, and was quite full now and found himself drifting into sleep every now and then. Ian made a habit of cooking extra meals on Saturdays and leaving them in the fridge for his Sunday breakfasts and/or lunches. He sure wouldn't starve to death without Ian around.

Ian had been hot and cold ever since his confession. He would do the most adorable things and suddenly he would disappear a whole day to God knows where (mostly he seemed to have overwhelmed himself with work and tried to drown in it). It happened on Thursday, right after their picnic in the park, Micheal had panicked when he couldn't find Ian, at eleven had called Ian's friends for a search party. The man hadn't been answering his calls so he had a valid excuse to panic. Finally Mark had found him holed up in the office and Ian had told them that he hadn't noticed the time till Mark showed up.

After that Micheal never bothered Ian's friends, instead he stayed up for Ian. To his credit Ian always came home to him. He worried about his boyfriend, but Ian's friends didn't seem to worry. They seemed to find it perfectly normal for Ian.

“Darling! I'd worry if he crosses an international border. This is very Ian. Chill.” She had told him.

He had to find a way around this all by himself.

The door bell brought him out of his reverie and he paused the movie before he went to open the door. It was his mother.

“Mom!”

“Good God child, do you have to look so shocked?” Sherry teased as she waked into his apartment.

“ 'm not shocked,” he protested as he led her to the sofa. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Some juice would be nice if you have any.”

Micheal got some of the fresh orange juice Ian had made the previous day and poured two glasses.

“I actually stopped by to ask you a favor darling.” She said as he walked back with the juice.

“Yeah?”

“Uh huh, thank you.” She sipped at the juice. “This is delicious. So the reason I came is that you have to go on a date tonight. With the daughter of friend of mine.”

“What?” Micheal spluttered into his glass.

“There, there,” Sherry patted him on the back and offered him a tissue paper. “This girl, Sarah and her mother attend church with Dad and me. The Whitlocks. Everybody thinks that she would make a nice little wife for you. So, as the first step you are going on a date with Sarah tonight. Dress nicely.”

“Mom, how can you go and make plans like this for my life? This is my life,” Micheal fumed. “Why couldn't you ask me before you went ahead and arranged this. I thought you knew that I prefer men.”

“That is just a phase you are going through, not the way you are. Men fool around a bit when they are younger and once they find a nice woman to settle down with they give up such behavior. So I've found this woman for you.” She said in one breath without batting a lash.

“How dare you do this to me Mother, I...”

“Micheal Gabriel Grey! I will have no child of mine talking to me like that no matter how grown up they are.” She thundered. “Let me finish and then you can say your piece.”

“Okay Mom,” Micheal mumbled.

“That's what everybody says about you. Including your father. That man thinks that you will marry some petite blonde in designer clothing and give us a long line of grandchildren, as if the ones we already have are not enough. I can't just wake up one day and declare that my son indeed is gay and request everybody to present their sons as suitors for you now, can I?”

“No Ma’am, you can't.”

Sherry sighed and pushed Micheal's hair out of his eyes.

“So, for now I have to pretend and tag along with the others. I can't go making enemies with people over trivial things. I have to be nice to some people for Dad even if I can't stand it. It's just one date and then when you say no she won't press anymore. At least I hope she won't. It's not going to change till you introduce this certain someone as your partner in public, you know. I'm thinking black hair, very tall, quite handsome. Did I miss anything?” She teased.

Micheal's jaw dropped. 'How the hell did she find out?' He wondered.

“How? How?”

“No need to show me your wisdom teeth darling, close your mouth. I know you have them,” His jaw snapped shut. “It's quite obvious. Even your Dad noticed. Ian had been singing your praises at a party and Ian Randolph is not a man who goes into endless praises of somebody who just interns for him. He might be the youngest entrepreneur we know, but that is a man hard to please. Your father even asked me if he was talking about 'our Micheal'. And you really work in an office! That's not quite short of a miracle. The apartment. I'm not blind darling.”

“Well, we didn't want to advertise anything before we were sure of what we have.” He shrugged.

“Then he is not doing a good job at hiding things. He practically glows at just the mention of your name. He seems good for you by the way. It looks like you finally took your head out of that bloody cloud it was in. For all its worth I'm glad you grew out of those goth boys with pierced tongues. Gah, that's so unhygienic.”

Sherry shuddered and Micheal had to laugh at that. He had never really come out to his parents, but it had been obvious once he had started dating. His parents seemed not to care and ignored the matter entirely, which hurt a little. But now it was clear that they didn't want him to feel any different. He felt a surge of warmth towards them.

“Promise me that I don't have to meet further expectations from this girl.” He pleaded.

“That won't be a problem. Mrs. Whitlock asked for one date.”

“I'll do it for you then.” He told her and Sherry threw her arms around her youngest son.

“Thank you darling.”

“No, thank you Mommy.”

“What for?” Sherry pulled back from the embrace.

“For everything, you know.”

“I didn't do anything special, just what any mother would do. It's good to see you this happy. Mrs. Randolph thinks you are the best thing that's ever happened to Ian. You seem good for each other. But don't rush. You are just 23. You have plenty of time for big decisions, okay?”

“Sure,” he nodded.

“Now, lets go find something for you to wear tonight.” She got off the sofa and tried to pull him on to his feet and Micheal got up with a groan.

“Now, this is a surprise. Why are you taking me out to dinner?” Lola was her usual over enthusiastic self.

“Because,” Ian shrugged. “Do I need a reason to take you out?”

“No, but usually you don't do this.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts Lola.” He warned.

Lola looked around as they pulled up in front of a fancy restaurant. As he stopped the car at the valet he could see the reason he came here standing by the entrance, obviously reluctant. He got out and handed the keys over to the valet and joined Lola where she was waiting for him.

“Is that Micheal? Oh! Now I see why you were so enthusiastic about coming here.” She nodded towards the entrance and Ian smiled guiltily.

He sighed as the young man wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep warm most probably. It had become suddenly cold this evening and the young man was dressed only in a suit with a thin jacket. The woman with him chatted away unstoppable, oblivious that he was cold, and kept pointing around enthusiastically. He huffed in frustration. Ian knew for a fact that Micheal felt the cold a lot faster than anybody else he had ever known.

“He is cold, isn't he? Why aren't they going in?” Lola asked walking beside him as he started towards the couple.

“He shouldn't be out here freezing. He already had a little cold this morning when I left.”

He took off his jacket as he walked up to the young man and draped it over the tense shoulders, wrapping him up in his warmth. Startled, he turned to look at Ian, regarding him with those large blue eyes. Recognising Ian his face broke into this blinding smile, the smile Ian has started to love.

“Hey,” he murmured in greeting as he sank into Ian's embrace.

“What are you doing out here in the cold?” Ian scolded, rubbing his back.

“Micheal, you've caught a cold I think!” Lola exclaimed as she pushed Micheal's hair from his clammy forehead and peered at his face. “Your nose is red, and you are warm. You shouldn't be here in the cold. Ian, let's take him in.”

“Excuse me. Who are you? He is with me and if he has a cold I can look after him. It was just a couple of sneezes. If you don't mind we were leaving.”

“We do. Let's take him inside Ian.” Lola retaliated angrily. “You need some hot chocolate or coffee. You should sit in the warmth while we eat something, and then Ian can take you home.”

Ian looked down to see Micheal grinning his happy Cheshire grin as Lola mothered over him. 'Spoiled brat' Ian thought, watching him. Just as promised Lola ushered them inside and got them a booth instead of a table. She made sure that Ian sat next to Micheal, not with the strange woman accompanying him. He wondered if she had always been this protective of him, or anybody for that matter.

“I should introduce you guys.” Micheal spoke up. “Guys this is Sarah. Sarah, this is Ian and Lola.”

“Hello,” all three spoke at once and Micheal snickered.

“Micheal, I want to go home. We had a wonderful date and my mother told me that you were planning to show me your apartment tonight.” Sarah purred at Micheal from across the table and Ian grabbed the menu to keep from reacting.

Ever since he saw the text from Micheal, saying that he was going on a date with the daughter one of his mother's friends, he had been having murderous thoughts. He never took himself for the jealous type but the thought of Micheal on a date with somebody else, even if it was a woman, ate at him. Micheal had called him a couple of times, but he hadn't seen the text or the missed calls until he returned from dropping Alexei off. He had immediately called Lola and asked her to dinner and arrived at the restaurant Micheal had mentioned in record time. If he knew Micheal at all, he was sure the man must be miserable. Besides he had mentioned in the text that he had been sneezing all day. Micheal was the biggest baby anybody could be when he was sick. And now this woman wanted to go to Micheal's apartment with him.

He looked up from his menu when he felt a hand cover his tense fingers and rub soothingly. Micheal was watching him and smiled when their eyes met, then turned to the evil woman.

“I don't think I can drive safely while sneezing Sarah. Besides if I'm getting sick you shouldn't come with me or you will catch whatever I have too. I'm not the best patient either, mind you. So, I'll have the driver drop you off.” He turned to Ian and asked, “Can you give me a ride?”

Ian felt stupidly happy at Micheal's question.

“Of course, Baby.”

That earned him another one of those gorgeous smiles. He turned to look at the girls. It looked like Lola had borrowed Micheal's signature grin while Sarah gaped at the hand that was covering Ian's.

“You... you?” She seemed charmingly shocked.

“Sarah,” Ian called, and she snapped around. “Should we call a vehicle for you?”

He asked as he let go of the menu and turned his hand to hold Micheal's in his. The hand was clammy and warm. He shifted closer and pulled Micheal into his arms.

“So you ARE gay?” Sarah seemed to have finally found her voice.

“Duh!”

Micheal snickered at Lola's exclamation. The man surely wasn't feeling well, Ian was sure now because he had never heard Micheal snicker quite so much outside their bedroom.

“I'm sorry, I heard that you were gay. But when you agreed to this date I thought may be what I heard was wrong. God! I can't believe I was so stupid.” Sarah hid behind her hands.

Micheal shivered at the breeze as somebody swished past them and Ian tightened his arms around his lover. He couldn't spare time for Sarah, and had to take Micheal home. He waved off the server who came to take their orders and slid out of his seat. Micheal followed him, and Lola grumbled.

“I'll cook something for you at the apartment. But now I'm taking Micheal home. Sarah, what do you wanna do?”

She stared in response to his question.

“I can get the driver to drop you off.” Micheal offered.

“Can I come with you? I mean no trouble. Just hang out with you guys?” Micheal seemed at a loss for words.

“You can. I'll have somebody drop you off later.” Ian offered. He just wanted to have Micheal home, warm and safe in bed.

“Nice place.” Sarah murmured as they entered the apartment.

Ian led Micheal to the bathroom, not bothering with the girls and came back out to grab some sweats and a t-shirt for both of them. Micheal was leaning on the counter he when came back in. Ian closed the door and turned to him, opening his arms for the young man.

“Hey baby, how are you?” He asked, burying his nose in the younger man's hair.

“My head hurts and 'm cold. My nose won't stop running. Don't expect blow jobs anytime soon 'coz my throat hurts like a bitch.”

Ian chuckled and tightened his arms around the younger man as he nuzzled Ian's neck. Ian kissed the top of the brunette's head.

“Lets get you changed and into bed. You should rest," he ordered.

His fingers made short work of Micheal's shirt buttons. He stripped the man quickly and had him in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt within a few minutes. He changed out of his suit into a pair of cargo shorts and a cotton shirt. Micheal pressed himself to Ian's back and wrapped his arms around the man's waist.

“Please don't leave.” He murmured into his shoulder.

“Of course, I won't leave you like this tonight.” He turned his head to kiss the head on his shoulder.

“No. Not just tonight. Don't ever leave me Ian. I don't think I will ever be able to do this without you.” Micheal bunched his fingers on Ian's shirt.

He stilled at those words and cursed himself. He wanted to swear that he would stay forever, but that was a promise he couldn't keep.

“Do what?” He asked as he turned around to face Micheal and trapped the younger man's face in his large hands.

“Live.” Micheal didn't hesitate or look away as he answered.

“My heart will always be yours Micheal. I want you to remember that.” Ian insisted, whilst he said to himself, 'even when I leave you, remember, you will be my only one.

Micheal reached up and caught his lips in a fierce kiss. The kiss was as desperate as Ian felt. He returned the kiss, pouring all the emotion he couldn't speak out loud in to it. They both were panting when they broke apart and Micheal simply put his head on Ian's shoulder. Ian indulged in the warmth of his lover for a couple of minutes before taking him to bed.

When he got Micheal in bed he was already half asleep. He pried the fingers that bunched his shirt open and lowered Micheal into the bed to go in search of some soup and medicine for him.

“Hey, how is he?” Lola asked from her perch at the breakfast counter.

“I think he is coming down with the flu.” He told her as he opened the fridge to get some vegetables for Lola's dinner and for Micheal's soup. “I see you haven't killed each other.” He raised an eyebrow at Sarah.

“We didn't. You don't have to cook dinner for me, I ordered some food.”

He sighed in relief. He didn't want to cook for Lola right now. He just wanted to get in bed with Micheal, spend the night just holding him. He took only what he wanted for the soup and put the rest of the vegetables back in the fridge.

“Thanks Lola.”

“No problem big brother.” She replied and turned to Sarah and continued what with they had been talking about before he came in.

Ian turned around and tuned them out, putting the kettle on the stove to boil some water for tea and get started with the soup. He went through the motions as he let his mind wander. All his lovers in the past had been about his control over life. When they did what he wanted them to do, it gave him a sense of power and somewhere along the road he had become addicted to that power. He always controlled what happened in his flings. He couldn't call them relationships because most of them didn't last more than a night. After Alexei came into his life, it had always been one night stands and fucking some boy senseless. Then leaving them physically and psychologically hurting, some so broken that they were beyond repair, that had given him the thrill that kept his life going.

But when Micheal danced into his life with that attitude of his, he just stopped. Seeing Micheal hurt, with his eyes full of tears, he finally felt broken himself. Ever since then it had been just one thing leading to another, incidents and coincidences dancing in and out of their lives. He had finally learned what it was like to be in love. He felt a lot more powerful now even though it wasn't about that anymore. The way Micheal wanted to have him around all the time, the way that face lit up with a blinding smile whenever he entered the room, the way he just sank into Ian's warmth when Ian wrapped his arms around him made his heart melt and swell at the same time, with so much love that he couldn't express it.

Today, when he draped his jacket on those shoulders in front of a crowded restaurant, he thought that Micheal was going to get mad. Obviously Micheal hated it when things made him look weaker. Instead he had burrowed into Ian's warmth and given him all the power Ian could ever ask for, and in front of Sarah. This wasn't something that would wear off quickly, rather it surrounded him all the time like a charm. But how long could he hold on to this fantasy?

Sooner or later he had to give up this idyllic dream and do what was right by Alexei. He didn't want to do it now. He wanted to stay with Micheal. Earlier in the bathroom, he wanted to confess everything to Micheal and plead with him for an answer. But he had held himself back. He had to sort out his own mess. He sighed and turned to the stove as the kettle started whistling.

Micheal blinked a couple of times before he opened his eyes and pressed into Ian's warmth. He finally felt better waking up today after two days under Ian's vigilant care. He opened his eyes properly to look at the face in front of him. Ian looked angelic, the sunlight dancing on his face, with messed raven locks framing it. His eyes were open, as usual, watching him slowly wake up. Ian always woke up before him and watched him sleep. When he questioned this one time, Ian had told him that he looked so peaceful with his foul mouth closed. He smiled at those warm brown eyes and they returned the smile. It didn't matter that Ian wouldn't say the words to him, the man's whole body screamed it at him. Ian pulled him flush against his body and covered Micheal's lips with his own, kissing them oh-so-gently. Micheal moaned into his mouth and wriggled closer.

“Thank you.” He told the older man when they finally broke apart for air.

“What for?” He wrinkled his forehead.

“For looking after me.”

“Well, it was definitely nice to have you in my arms the whole day, even if you were feverish.” Ian smiled kindly at him. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” He stretched and burrowed back inside the sheets, putting his head on Ian's chest. “Are you going to work today?”

“No, I'm staying in with you. I'm actually taking the rest of the week off. It's Thursday today. There is no point of going to work now. Since we are staying home what do you want to do today?” He asked tracing warm patterns all over Micheal's back.

“Stay in bed? With you?” He asked timidly.

“Sure, we have till noon.” Ian kissed his temple.

“What is going to happen at noon? End of the world?”

“No, your mother will be here to have lunch with us. Okay, maybe you can call it the end of the world.” Ian said with a smirk.

Micheal laughed out loud despite himself.

“Well, how did this happen?”

“What?”

“My mother, coming here, for lunch. Are you cooking?” He ran his fingers through Ian's raven locks.

“Mmm, no she is bringing lunch. She called last night to check on you.” He pulled Micheal closer. “I was worried about you. You were so out of it for two whole days.” He murmured into the skin of Micheal's neck.

Micheal wrapped his arms around Ian and rolled so that Ian was on top of him, the weight of the man soothed him. Here, like this, tucked under his lover's chest he felt safe. Ever since he was young he had been a little claustrophobic and agoraphobic. He had hidden it very well for most of his life. He hadn't ever thought that it was quite so present in his life till he fell asleep in Ian's arms for the first time. That night, wrapped in Ian's arms he didn't feel the sense of encasement he usually felt when somebody wrapped their arms around him. He felt peaceful instead. The wide open room was not too large anymore in the cocoon of warmth those arms provided.

Ian held himself propped on his elbows to keep his weight off Micheal. He sighed in contentment and reached up to catch Ian's lips in a kiss. This must be what heaven must feel like; a constant state of euphoria.

“So... I'm throwing you a birthday party.” Ian told him when they broke the kiss.

“What?”

“A party. For your birthday. I'm throwing it on Friday for your friends and mine. Thursday you are getting a birthday date and on Friday the party. Invite anybody you want.”

“But I don't want a birthday party.” He tried to complain as Ian trailed kisses down his jaw to the column of his neck.

“You are getting one anyway.” Ian told the skin of his neck, the warm breath sending tingles down his neck and stealing his ability to think straight.

He tried to remember the reason he wanted to argue as Ian's hot mouth inched further down, kissing Micheal's collarbone, sucking at it hard enough to leave a mark.

“God! I missed you baby.” Ian murmured.

As Ian went lower he managed to take both their pants off somehow leaving a hot trail of kisses behind. When Ian finally wrapped those sinful lips around Micheal's hard length Micheal thought he would come right then. But Ian let go of him after a couple of minutes leaving him on the edge and traveled back up his body. Micheal whimpered in frustration and huffed at Ian's fleeting kisses on his body, writhing and trying to thrust his hips up to get some friction on his aching erection. But Ian held him down, trapped underneath his greater weight, and the strength Micheal had lost because of the illness left him completely unable to move underneath his man.

“I need you so badly right now, it hurts.” Ian whispered against his lips when he finally reached them.

“Please Ian, I want you.”

“Mmm.”

Ian reached for the bedside cupboard to retrieve the bottle of lube and sat back on Micheal's thighs, squeezing them between those strong legs. He poured the lube on Micheal and himself, stroking both of them. Micheal felt as if his nerve endings were on fire and he arched his body, trying to absorb the sensations coursing through him.

“I want you in me,” he told Ian through gritted teeth. “Now.”

“Do you now?”

Ian teased him and shuffled on his legs, sinking into his thighs with a drawn out moan. Ian wrapped his strong fingers around throbbing erection and Micheal arched into the touch. The feel of Ian against his sensitive thighs was itself enough to take him higher. This burning need he felt for this man was frightening, but it felt good too. It was just two days without sex and he was starved for Ian's touch. He even had the man in his bed for the most part of those two days, still he felt as if it had been eons since he'd last had him, skin against skin. Ian stroked him while he thrust into the burning warmth of Micheal's taut legs. Micheal could feel himself climbing higher and higher with every trust. He could feel every muscle of his body coiling for a moment before his orgasm exploded. His legs tightened around Ian, dragging him along into his own orgasm.

Ian collapsed on the bed next to him and wrapped an arm around Micheal, pulling him closer and burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“I... I had no idea 'that' could be so good.” Micheal managed between pants.

“Mmm,” Ian kissed his neck.

They laid together, catching their breath, sharing sweet touches – a soft touch, a lingering kiss – listening to their breathing finally slow down.

“Should I dress up?” He asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“For what?” Ian asked lazily and didn't move from where he latched on to Micheal's side.

“The party, of course. On Friday.”

“You will go with me? “

“Only if you make it up to me. You know, for the pain I would go through for something like a party. I'd accept an encore of this.” Micheal's said evilly tracing circles on their sticky legs.

Ian propped himself on an elbow and stared at him, surprised.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ian swept in, taking his mouth in a possessive, demanding kiss that caused excitement to race through his body. But his stomach growled and they broke apart, both of them giggling like school girls.

“Come on,” Ian sat up. “Let's get you bathed and fed.”

“So, this imaginary man of yours hasn't called you yet?” Nina asked.

“He is not imaginary!”

Nina and Jake were fighting over this guy whom Jake met at a club, a few months ago now, and it has started getting on Brian's and Micheal's nerves. It was weird enough that Jake hung on to this one night stand so tightly, but to make matters worse Nina fueled the fire by contradicting him every time, instead of ignoring the matter like Brian and Micheal did.

“You can't take a hint, can you? That guy didn't call you because he doesn't want anything to do with you.” Brian told him, exasperated.

“But you didn't see the passion in his eyes, that desire.” Jake sighed dreamily.

It was obvious that the only choice they had was to change the topic.

“I'm having a birthday party this weekend.”

That got the job done. Their heads snapped around to look at him.

“YOU are having a birthday party?” Brian questioned.

“Yeah, none of that fancy stuff though. Just you guys and a few other friends,” he shrugged.

“Where exactly is this party?” Jake asked looking around Micheal's apartment.

“Not here, of course. At some club. Ian told me the name, but I really don't remember it.”

“Ian?”

“Who is Ian?”

“Do you think your imaginary Ian is the only Ian in the world?”

“He is not imaginary!” Jake protested.

“Who is Ian?” Nina repeated.

“My boyfriend” Micheal replied.

“Your what?” Brian asked.

“'Your who,' Brian. Not what.” Nina told him and turned to Micheal. “You have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“Since when?” Jake asked him.

“Since a few months.”

“I need to see pictures, and you have to tell me everything about this guy,” Nina said. “Please tell me you haven't started daydreaming like Jake.” She almost pleaded.

“You will have to wait till Friday, sweetheart,” he grinned cheekily as he got up to get more drinks.

'This is going to be so much fun.' He decided.

I need your help with Micheal's birthday present. Suggestions please.