Divine Punishment - 10. Chapter 10

DIVINE PUNISHMENT

Chapter 10

So, there I was, at half past midnight, in front of the Hutchins residence. It was in one of those gated communities at the edge of town, with private security and high fences and fancy-looking, if cheaply made and almost identical houses. But like I said, they didn’t look bad, they had two stories and a nice pool, so I doubt anyone was complaining. The Hutchins home was set on a small rise, just enough to give them a nice view of the rest of the neighborhood and the mountains a few miles West from there, as well as part of the city to the East.

Justin parked in the 3-car garage, at that moment occupied by only one other vehicle, a slick looking BMW. But I’m not much of a car fan, so moving on…We entered the house and I found myself in the kitchen, almost walking into a tree trunk. Double-checking, I realized it was actually a man. All 6 foot 9 of him, with a shaved head, but thankfully no goatee. That’d have been a dead give-away of his evil nature, after all. It’s that whole mirror universe thing rule. Anyway, I had trouble imagining him as Justin’s dad, but that’s who it had to be. Again the eyes gave the connection away. It wasn’t just the color, but the shape, the lines at the corners, even if this man seemed to frown far more than Justin, who’s constantly smiling.

He peered way down his aquiline nose at me and sneered. It was about that time that I was on the verge of losing control of my bowels. “You must be Justin’s…special friend.” Oh, God, just what I feared. I’m gonna get killed because of something I’m not!

“None of your business..” Gabe put in , walking up behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder. “But isn’t he just adorable? I could eat him right up, preferably with cream on top.” Yes, Gabe, taunt the lion as he’s circling the prey. That always works out fine in the end.

His dad quirked an eyebrow at his son’s remark and opened his mouth to speak as Justin himself joined us. He closed his mouth with a fairly loud snap of his teeth. I turned around to face Gabe and Justin. Gabe was grinning broadly, while Justin just looked at each of us in turn and shook his head, sighing. “God, it’s too early…or too late for this. Come on, Xander…” he said, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me along out of the kitchen, into a foyer and up a set of stairs. We heard some arguing going on behind us and it was safe to assume that Gabe and his dad were going at it. Gabe had some balls, I’ll give him that.

We entered Justin’s bedroom. I know because it said so on the door. My jaw almost hit the floor as I walked in and looked around. It was a pretty normal room. Not too large, but big enough to accommodate a large bed in the center of it, the cream-colored headboard up against the opposite wall, a nightstand on each side, the same cream color. Under the large window a desk cluttered in papers and books, almost hiding away from view his computer and printer, the lamp covered in sticky notes, an empty plate sitting precariously on the edge of the desk, though probably not in too great a danger, due to the soft carpet covering the entire floor. The swivel chair covered by clothes that seemed to have been thrown there over the course of a few weeks. The tall and narrow maroon book case. The door to the connecting bathroom hung half-open and the light inside was on, while the door to what I assumed was his closet, with a full-length mirror on it, was closed. All fairly normal. But all over the walls, almost from floor to ceiling, there were dozens, no…HUNDREDS of posters and pictures of guys in various states of undress, some of them covered in unhealthy amounts of body oil. My mouth went dry. “Holy fuck!” Terry said. “No wonder his dad’s freaking out. This is somewhat of an overkill.”

“Err…Justin…Not to sound rude or anything, but…don’t you think you’re going overboard with…all of this?” I asked, gesturing around wildly at the room around me. I mean, the guys were hot, but it was fairly creepy, in a serial killer sort of way.

“What?” he asked, as he absent-mindedly kicked off his shoes and took off his jacket. “Oh, my harem? Yeah, they kinda are. Truth be told, they’re starting to creep me out a little, but I put ‘em all up within a couple of weeks of coming out to my dad, due to his reaction. Show ‘im I’m not joking, I’m not changing and I’m definitely not hiding anymore.”

“I’m here, I’m queer…?”

“Mhm.”

“Right. How’s that working out for ya?”

He grimaced before answering. “Not great, as you probably already figured out.”

“Yeah. Gabe seems to be giving your dad a piece of his mind, though.”

“Yes, that he is.” He said, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I wish he wouldn’t have to. I certainly wish he wouldn’t go through with his “gay for the weekend” plan. My dad idolizes Gabe. They’ve always gotten around great. I don’t want him to lose that relationship with dad because of me. And yet…I can’t express how much it means that he’d jeopardize it all for me. Does that make me selfish, that I’m willing to let him do that?”

“No, it makes you human. We all strive for acceptance, love and security. We want to have someone willing to fight for us, even if they might end up losing.” I also kicked off my shoes, not wanting to mess up his carpet and joined him on his queen-sized bed and we sat side by side for a few seconds, before I worked up the courage to put my arm around him and draw him in close, trying to comfort him. I felt like I was cheating on Jordan, but then I thought about how he just drove away like that, without a word. Without even letting me explain. Fuck him, I thought. If it’s over, maybe I should just forget about him. And if it’s not…well…Fuck, I couldn’t cheat on him. Besides, who’s to say Justin would even be interested?

“You’re a great guy, Xander. Too bad things aren’t different.” He mumbled into the crook of my neck. Uh-oh. Danger, Will Robinson, danger! I shuffled away from him a bit and patted him on the back awkwardly. “Sorry” he said, looking embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to…you know, put you on the spot or anything. I know you love Jordan. And you guys will be alright, I’m sure. I’d never try to get between you two or take advantage of the current situation. It’s just that…you are, you know. A great guy. Even without the superpowers.”

Now it was my turn to flush with embarrassment.

“Oy vey!” Terry exclaimed.

Gabe came in, looking none too pleased. He trudged over to the desk, swiped the clothes pile off the chair and sat down with a heavy sigh. “Sorry ‘bout that, guys. Especially you, Xander. I didn’t want that to be the first thing you saw when you walked into our home. I was expecting him to be asleep. I was hoping to avoid any confrontation until tomorrow, so we might have a pleasant night, as planned.” The same sad smile I had seen on his brother’s face only a few minutes before made its way unto Gabe’s features. He shook his head, as if to clear the whole thing from memory. Then he looked straight at me. “I know I said I wanted you to play Justin’s boyfriend, but I didn’t even bother asking you how you felt about it.”

“Well…” I began, but Justin put up his hand to stop me.

“I know the Jordan situation is awkward enough for you, but I realize just how intimidating my dad can be. So that’s another factor to consider. What I’m saying is that I told dad that you guys are friends and it wasn’t my business to pry into it anymore. We can leave it like that if you want.”

I took a minute to think it over. “Ah, what the hell?” I finally responded. “Yes, your dad scares the living shit out of me, but this should be fun. Besides, I’ve got friggin ghost powers. I should be able to handle your dad.” I tried to smile bravely, but judging by the skeptical look I was getting from him, Gabe really wasn’t buying it. “No, really, I’ll be fine. And I wanna help. I think your plan is crazy and you’re looking for trouble, but that seems to perfectly sum up my life for the past few weeks, so I’m in. If it helps Justin, that’s all the motivation I need.” I nodded gravely, trying to reassure both myself and the two brothers, then turned to Justin, smiling. His answering grin told me all I need to know – I was doing right by him.

“So…”I said, beaming and rubbing my hands together gleefully. “I remember being promised some pizza and strip poker.”

“I do believe that’s my cue to depart the premises.” Gabe said, getting up. Terry was already out the door. Prudes.

You’ll be happy to learn – or maybe sad, I dunno; depends on what type of person you are, really – that Justin and I only played Go Fish, and no clothes were shed, though we did end up having lots of fun and laughing like idiots. I didn’t even miss the pizza, since we decided it was too late for food. We had to watch our waist lines, after all. We went to sleep at around 5 AM, fully clothed, together in – or rather, on – Justin’s bed. I was awakened by the feeling of a thousand stinging bees attacking my whole front side...If you know what I mean. Wait, no, that was freezing cold water again. “Terry, you good for nothing son of a…” I started growling through clenched teeth, not yet opening my eyes.

“Easy, tiger, it wasn’t me this time.” Terry answered.

I opened one eye and over me stood Gabe, grinning like a fool. “Mornin’ sport.” He said. “It’s 10 AM. About time you got your lazy bum out of bed.”

“I don’t remember leaving word for a wake-up call, and certainly nothing like this.” I looked to my side, but Justin was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s up already. Since 8, I think. He never sleeps in during the weekend. He’s making breakfast, so let’s not keep the little missus waiting, huh?” I scowled at him. “And the water was because you were…shall we say, excited?”

“What?” I stared at him for a long beat. “Wait…You mean…”

“Yes, quite pronounced. I suppose big things come in small packages.”

I looked to Terry. “Sic ‘im, boy!” I said. Lot of good it did me. Terry just started laughing along with Gabe, as they both left me to get cleaned up.

“Get some shorts and a t-shirt from Justin’s closet, Xander!” Justin called as his voice was nothing more than an echo down the corridor.

Great, just great. Gabe’s Terry 2. Practical jokers. All I friggin need. I literally rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor with a thud. 5 hours of sleep would naturally be enough for me, but only if I actually go to sleep at a decent hour, not 5 fucking AM! I got up unto my hands and knees and shook myself. I imagine I wasn’t far off from the classic image of a dog shedding water off him. Which I suppose was exactly what I was doing. I finally stood up and ambled over to the closet. Yes, Justin’s a shopper. Good God, is he ever a shopper. Dozens of pairs of shoes and clothes of all shapes, materials and colors on hangers and neatly folded on shelves. I picked out some running shorts and a blue A&F shirt. I considered looking for some underwear to go with the ensemble, but realized just how disturbing that would be and quickly quashed the thought. I’d be going commando. Hell yeah! I noticed the nice fluffy white towels and decided I’d help myself to a hot shower. And so I did.

I came out smelling nice and feeling refreshed 10 minutes later, the towel wrapped around my waist, my still soaking clothes folded and tucked under my arm. I got dressed in Justin’s clothes quickly and made for the door, but I decided I’d check out the room some more. What, you never imagined yourself as James Bond, going through other people’s personal belongings, all in the interest of national security? Or because you’re a nosy bastard? I do it all the time. I ran my fingers through the mess that was Justin’s desk and imagined that for him, this is what made sense. Order in chaos. I peered at the sticky notes. “Look for math homework through the papers!!!” Okay, maybe it’s heavy on the chaos, with a small side-dish of order.

A tattered old book was on top of everything else. I picked it up and read the cover. The Forever War. Still holding the paperback, I moved to the book case and looked closely at the titles. Asimov, Philip K. Dick, John Scalzi, Joe Abercrombie, George R.R. Martin, Jim Butcher…Sci-fi and fantasy were most definitely prominent in his small book collection, and judging by the state of the books, they’d been read over and over. Don’t get me wrong, they were fairly well-maintained, but you could tell that the spine had been cracked more than once. So, Justin was a geek. Oh, how I loved it! I actually loved the whole room. It was…homey, naked pictures and all. It felt lived-in, unlike Jordan’s. God, there I go, thinking about Jordan again. Sterile room or not, overreacting jerk for driving away like that or not…I loved him.

How did I know I loved him? I just did. I think I first realized it one morning, waking up. I had dreamed about him. Nothing dirty, you perverts. Just…holding hands. Cuddling. Kissing gently, with affection, not lust. Falling asleep with our heads together on the couch, after watching Craig Ferguson and his sexy Scottish accent. That morning, I woke up with a feeling deep in my gut that I’d never experienced before. Tingling, fluttering…I dunno just how to describe it. A tightness that kept getting more and more constricting as I thought about Jordan, but in a pleasant way. I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. I loved him and not long after that I let him know. God, I missed him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” came a soft voice from behind me. But in my pensive mood, it might as well have been a shout. I was so startled that I jumped a foot forward and dropped the book. Justin started giggling as I turned to face him. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. But you looked so far away, lost in your thoughts…”

“Yeah, Jordan.” I sighed.

“Ah. Makes sense.” He said wistfully. “Must be nice, having someone you love and who loves you back.”

“Yeah, it is. But it sure as hell ain’t easy. Those you love can cut you deeply with a single action, a single word. They have control over you in a way you could never imagine. Their love sustains you. Their potential rejection can kill you…”

“Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.” He said, our eyes meeting for a fleeting second, before he looked away, blushing.

“Err…”

“Umm…”

He bent over to pick up the book I had dropped. He rolled it up in his right hand and hit the palm of his left with it, clearly uncomfortable.

“So…The Forever War, huh?”

“What? Oh, yeah. I like sci-fi and fantasy. Sue me.” He poked his tongue out at me.

“Hey, who am I to judge? I really like that book myself. Of course, the issue of homosexuality is what made me read it in the first place.”

“Yeah. To think that everyone would be gay in the future…It certainly holds a special appeal to gay guys.” We both laughed.

“I’m curious how they’ll handle the movie.” I said, hoping to keep this line of conversation going, thus passing over the awkwardness of just a few minutes before. Justin had feelings for me, I was sure.

“Yeah. I’m apprehensive about it. But you know what book series I’d really like to see turned into movies?” he walked to the bookcase and picked out another paperback.

“Old Man’s War.” We both exclaimed. “That’d be epic beyond belief.” He said.

“Oh, they’d just screw it up, I’m sure.” I said. And then conversation suddenly stopped again. This was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. I was close to breaking out the awkward turtle. I decided to just get to the point, put our cards on the table and hopefully move on.

“Listen, Justin. I know you have feelings for me…”

“No, I don’t.”

“Now, now, denial’s not just a river in Egypt.” I can’t believe I just used that line. I deserve to be beaten with a stick for that.

“No, seriously, I like you. You’re really terrific and, if you weren’t with Jordan and if I wasn’t in love with someone else, I’d be all over you.”

“Yeah, but…” I stared at him bewildered. “Someone else? What was all that stuff about knowing what it’s like to feel unrequited love?” Justin was silent and looked out the window as he nervously shuffled his feet. Then the light bulb went on with the intensity of a supernova. “For fuck’s sake, man! Not Ryan!”

“Umm…” Justin kept staring out the window as the sun moved towards its zenith across a clear blue sky.

“I thought it was like a crush. Something fueled by carnal desire. You pretty much said so yourself.”

“Well, how could I tell you the truth when I knew you’d react this way?” he shot back heatedly, this time not afraid to meet my eyes. “I really like him. It’s more than a physical thing. I can’t tell you what it is, okay? I just do. Maybe I like the bad boy attitude, even if he overdoes it sometimes. But I know he’s a sweet kid underneath it all. And maybe I’m the only one who sees it, but I do. And I’m drawn to him on a deeper level than a strictly physical one. And I know I’m an idiot, because he only goes for the jocks…”

“STRAIGHT jocks, in particular!” I amended.

“Even worse. And I know I don’t have a chance, but you can’t just turn off your feelings, can you?”

This time I looked away, thinking of Jordan. “No, you can’t.”

“That’s why I know he’ll be back, Xander. He loves you, I could tell that. You don’t just throw all that away so easily. And I can’t give up on Ryan so easily either. Not yet, anyway…”

We smiled at each other and stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Good talk. Now hug it out, bitches!” Terry said, poking his head through the closed door.

“Oh, you asshole! Did you listen to all of that? It was private!”

“You should’ve put up a sign, then.”

“Why do you insist on being an unpleasant individual, when I know you’re fully capable of being a decent human being…at least a dead human being, that is.”

“Because it’s fun, sweetie!” then he gave out a beep-beep and made like the Roadrunner.

“Sorry about that. Terry was spying on us.” I said to Justin.

“So I figured. No big deal. Who’s he gonna tell, anyway?”

“That’s…a really good point.” I replied, showing my teeth in a grin.

“I have my moments. Now, come on. I made waffles.” And so we raced each other down the stairs. He won. As I walked up behind him and he sat down, I noticed his dad, sitting across from him at the big island in the middle of the kitchen, sipping his coffee and glaring daggers at me.

“Good morning, Mr. Hutchins” I said, politely, after which I sniffed the air. “This smells delicious, honey” I went on, talking to Justin. And I wasn’t lying for his dad’s benefit either. It really smelled heavenly. “Good job. But keep this up and you’ll spoil me rotten. Next thing you know, I’ll want breakfast in bed." I planted a kiss on Justin’s cheek and he managed not to blush. His dad, however, didn’t manage not to choke and dribble his coffee all over the front of his shirt. He got up, mumbling and dabbing at the wet brown spot with paper towels and left the kitchen. Gabe came in and gave me a thumbs up.

“Nicely done, bro.” he said. “Nicely done.”

“What is our goal again?” I asked. “Get him so pissed off that he goes on a murderous rampage?”

“No, get him so pissed off that we’re all forced to sit down and talk things over together, properly. And either make it work or split. I won’t have Justin treated like a stranger in his own home. Being a parent means more than buying food and clothes for your kid out of some kind of obligation. If you can’t give him unconditional love, then let him get it from someone else.”

We heard heavy footsteps coming towards the kitchen and we all stopped talking, preferring to dig into our meals instead. Mr. Hutchins re-entered the room, complete with a fresh shirt, this one rumpled, not pressed neatly like the previous one. I guess he was expecting more shocking moments to come. He wasn’t wrong about that. The doorbell rang and Mr. Hutchins growled like a pissed-off bear ready to rip a clueless tourist’s head off. “Another one of your friends, Justin?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Gabe checked his watch and nodded, smiling. “No, I believe that’s for me. Xander, mind getting that?”

I went through the foyer and opened the door. In front of me stood a skinny guy of about six feet in height, though he slouched, so I couldn’t quite tell. Pale as snow, with fingernails painted black, pronounced cheek bones and long, straight nose, he had very dark eyes and VERY dark lashes – eyeliner, I guessed - and a wide forehead, his long jet-black hair brought back in a thin pony tail. He wore grey cargo pants, plain blue sneakers and a blue T-shirt with an image of a pint of beer encased in a red circle and crossed out by a diagonal line. Two rows of written words in small, white print underneath read “Beer removal team. Bottles, pints and kegs, no job is too small or too big for us. We’re up to the task.”

I just stared at him.

“Hey, little dude. You Justin?” I just shook my head in the negative. “Well, never mind, then. I’m Zach. Gabe’s roommate. Where is he?” I pointed towards the kitchen. “Okay, then.” He straightened himself out, ran his hand over his face, shook himself vigorously and started strolling through the house and into the kitchen. I remained riveted to the spot for a minute and by the time it occurred to me to follow him, I heard him talking. “Gabe, darling, baby, sweetie! I missed you so much!” Then the sound of breaking china and furious cursing, the likes of which would make a sailor blush. Drama, drama, drama…