Always - 13. Home Cooked Meals & Scary Movies

Jane came home to find that Drew and Luke had locked themselves in Drew’s room. Jane laughed as she knocked on the door.

"Boys, open the door,” she called.

Drew swung open the door and pulled Jane in.

"Would this have anything to do with the snake curled up in the garage?” Jane asked.

Luke and Drew looked at Jane with stunned expressions. Jane laughed until she had to sit down on the futon.

"Boys, it just a harmless scarlet king snake. The coral snake is the one to be afraid of. It looks nearly the same, but the stripes are different. My grandpa always said, ‘If red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow; if red touches black, you're all right, Jack.’ Although, I don’t know what one is doing here they are normally found in the southeast.”

"So you are saying we locked ourselves in here for nothing,” Drew said.

Jane nodded, “In fact I may make that little thing a pet. They do make wonderful pets; very easy to care for.”

"Mom, if that thing becomes a pet then I’m moving out.”

"Oh, it won’t hurt you. You probably scared the thing out of its mind. I can only imagine how you reacted when you saw it.”

"It was pretty humorous now that I think about it,” Luke said remembering Drew’s facial expressions.

"Hey, you were just as bad as me.” Drew knocked his voice up a couple octaves, “Drew, Drew! Come save me!”

Luke laughed, “I don’t sound like that.”

Jane gave a sigh, “Well, I hope you boys can fend for yourselves tonight. I’m too tired to cook. I think I’m going to get our new pet out there in the garage, and then I’m going to bed.”

"Yeah, we will be fine. I’ll fix us some snacks or something,” Drew said

"Alright, don’t make a mess.”

Jane smiled and walked out the door. Drew turned to Luke.

"So it’s only about six o’clock so what do you feel like eating?”

"I’m not really hungry. I’m actually really tired.”

"Alright, you get some rest. If you need me, just yell.”

Luke nodded and closed his eyes.

Luke slept through the night, unlike Drew who constantly tossed and turned on the futon. The fact that his mom had taken their unwelcome house guest in as a pet didn’t help much either. Luke found it humorous.

Later Drew woke to the sound of Luke’s light snoring, and stiffly he rolled off the futon before he made his way into the kitchen. There was a note on the table informing Drew and Luke that Jane had left for work. Drew glanced at the clock on the stove and was surprised at how early it was. The small clock read just after six a.m. He yawned deeply and decided to make coffee and breakfast. The growling in his stomach was just about to take over.

Drew had just cracked the eggs into the skillet when he heard someone enter in through the door behind him. He turned to find Luke standing in front of the swinging door. His hair was ruffled, and to Drew he looked positively cute standing there in his grey t-shit and red and blue striped boxers.

"God, how am I going to be able to live like this? He is too attractive,” Drew thought as he looked at Luke and his sheepish smile.

"Good morning,” Drew said, turning back to the eggs.

"Morning. Do you have my pain pills?” Luke asked.

"Yeah they are in the medicine cabinet, are you okay?”

"Kind of.”

Drew dumped the eggs into the plates, and walked over to the table.

"Eggs, bacon, and toast with strawberry jam. Orange juice to drink, or coffee?”

"Orange juice, please.”

Drew sat a cold glass of orange juice down in front of Luke, and then sat down in front of his own plate and cup of steamy coffee.

"You have to eat before you take your medicine. Now, tell me what’s wrong other than your obvious physical pain.”

"I had that dream again. The one where I was in the woods.”

Drew took a long drink of his coffee, and then sat down his mug.

"Are you okay?”

"Yeah,” Luke sighed.

Drew knew he wasn’t okay. He did not want to push him though. As they ate their breakfast they kept quiet. When they finished Drew put their dishes in the sink, and retrieved Luke’s medication from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

"Feel like watching some TV?” Drew asked as Luke downed the medicine and the remainder of his juice.

"Yeah, but I won’t promise that I’m not going to fall asleep.”

"Man, what have I told you? If you get tired, just sleep.”

Drew and Luke made their way into the living room and Drew switched on the television. There really wasn’t anything of interest on and so Drew set the channel on Spike and proceeded to watch UFC. Luke fell asleep after the first forty minutes or so. Drew switched off the television and found a book to read.

Drew was in chapter five of his mystery novel when he realized that Luke was having another nightmare.

"Drew!” Luke yelled, feverishly.

Drew tossed his book to the floor. Quickly, Drew kneeled down beside the couch, and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder.

"I’m here, wake up,” Drew said, squeezing Luke’s shoulder.

Luke’s eyes snapped open, and he reached up and put his hand on Drew’s arm. He gripped it tight and let out a relieved sigh as he closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?”

Luke didn’t reply. He closed his eyes tight, trying not to let the tears escape and turned his head to the side. Drew’s heart broke for him.

"Fuck it,” Drew thought as Luke began to sob. “I don’t give a shit anymore. He is to important to me.”

Drew sat on the edge of the couch.

"Luke, sit up.”

Luke slowly shifted himself into a sitting position, tears sliding down his cheeks. Drew carefully pulled him into his arms. Luke nestled his head into the side of Drew’s neck. Drew let his hands roam up and down Luke’s back, comforting him. After a few moments Drew pulled away just slightly, and kissed the top of Luke’s ear. Quickly, Luke pulled away from him and stared.

Drew just smiled and let one hand slide down Luke’s arm while the other trailed up his neck to cradle his face. He then let that same hand slide back to entangle his fingers in Luke’s strawberry hair. Luke closed his eyes and felt Drew’s lips brush against his own. He could feel Drew’s warm breath against his cheek as Drew’s lips traveled across his face to his forehead and then back to their original destination. Their lips moved in harmony together like waves crashing against the shore. Drew could feel his heart racing, and the blood pounding through his veins.

When their lips parted they opened their eyes to look at each other.

"What are we doing?” Luke’s voice was quiet and breathless.

"I don’t know. I just know that I want you with me.”

Luke pressed his lips to Drew’s, and let them linger for a moment before pressing his forehead to Drew’s.

"I like how I feel when I’m with you,” Luke said.

"I tried to ignore these feelings about you but I can’t. There is something about you; something I can’t explain. I feel drawn to you,” whispered Drew.

"I feel the same way about you. That’s why I helped you in the hall that first day. Normally, I would have never approached you, but I didn’t even think about it. Before I knew it I was helping you, and I saw your eyes. Drew, I need you to know something.”

"What?”

Luke pulled back to make eye contact with Drew.

"I’m gay.”

Drew was silent for a moment, and then decided there wasn’t anything left for him to deny. Not after what he had just felt. What he had just done. Not after the feeling that rushed through his mind and body.

"It didn’t hit me until we kissed at the hospital that I…that I can’t nor do I ever want to be away from you. I thought about it and even though I’ve had girlfriends I’ve never been attracted to them…not like I am to you. I have never had the desire or the need, which swallows me whole when I’m with you, for them. When we kissed that morning…I never felt like that with anyone else before,” Drew said before kissing him again.

"What are we going to do? Should we keep it to ourselves?” Luke asked after pulling his lips away from Drew’s.

"I don’t know how my mom will take it. I just realized I’m gay…I don’t think I’m ready to tell the whole world. Although, I think Jeff and Rose know.”

"They knew before we did,” Luke laughed, and grabbed at his ribs.

Drew smiled and kissed Luke’s bruised cheek.

"Careful,” Drew said.

"Aren’t I always?”

Drew rolled his eyes, and Luke curled up in Drew’s arms. At that moment neither of them could have been any happier. As the hours ticked by Drew and Luke talked.

Drew told Luke what he remembered of his father; his real father. He told him about camping trips they used to take together, the normal family dinners, and how his dad taught him how to throw his first punch. He also told him about the day they found out his dad had terminal cancer. Then he told him about the day he died. He explained how they weren’t able to pay the medical bills because Jane was still finishing medical school, and that the bank foreclosed their house. Then Drew told him about the day Jane met a wannabe politician.

"We had been staying with one of my Mom’s friends, and then one day she came in and told us that she had found someone to take care of us. The next thing I know were living in this big new house with new last names, and Jordan’s calling this drunken fool Dad. As the years dragged by I found myself being that typical popular high school rich kid. I was captain of the boxing team, popular, and known to everyone as Senator James Knight’s son. Then one day I came home early and found him hitting her. That’s when everything changed.”

Drew proceeded to tell him of the night Jordan was kidnapped, and the night they left Washington. Luke listened intently hanging on his every word. Drew’s voice became pained, when talking about Jordan and the night his mom was taken to the hospital.

He explained to Luke that he had been at work during the attack. Drew remembered climbing the creaky wooden stair to their floor of the apartment building and entering the hall only to find their apartment door cracked open. He told Luke about the panic that filled him and the hopelessness when he opened the door to find everything smashed and thrown about. Drew had frantically ran around looking for Jane and Jordan. He found Jane in the kitchen floor bloody and unmoving. Next to her was a note from his step father saying that he had taken Jordan.

Drew had dialed 911 and sat in shock beside his mother until the ambulance had arrived. He rode with them to the hospital where he was met by officers and a social worker. Jane had suffered a head injury along with a few broken ribs. She had fallen into a coma, and Drew was to be placed in care until she awoke, which the doctor had explain that she may not.

Drew’s voice had broken several times when he had been talking about that horrible night.

'In the last eight months I have lived in four different states, and been to four different schools. The first family was real nice, but I left due to the constant harassment of the press. The family didn’t want the publicity; same with the other two. The fourth family was good though. They lived just outside L.A. The father, Jack, taught me how to shoot. He was a police officer, and he thought I should learn. I got good at it while I was there. The part I liked most about them though was they would drive me up to see my mom. They thought me being there with her would help her wake up, and they were right. One day I was sitting by her bed telling her about my shooting lessons, and she just woke up.”

Drew wasn’t the only one who opened up about their past. Luke told Drew about how when he was little his father would come home drunk, and he would hide in the attic of his old house. When his father wasn’t drunk he hardly ever spoke to Luke, and when he did it was cold and distant. He also told him about his and David’s past friendship.

"When David and I were kids we were the best of friends. When my father beat me up I would run to David’s house, and he would let me sleep there for the night. Then when we got to high school he began dating Rose, who I had known since I was a toddler. Both he and I joined the football team, and he boxed for a while before he decided it wasn’t his thing.

"One day we were all at David’s house hanging out. I was talking to Rose in David‘s bedroom. David walked in and he accused me and Rose of being together. I never seen him more angry, and that’s when I told him I was gay. At the time he didn’t seem to mind, but that surprised me, because his father is the biggest bigot I knew of. David was okay with it though. Then after his party and Tyler’s death, David did a total one eighty. I don’t know if it was because I took Tyler’s side in the fight or because the fact that I was gay finally set in.”

"What do you mean?” Drew asked.

"David knew I was gay, but he had never seen me with a guy. Tyler was openly gay. That night when David lashed out at him I took his side. I was protecting Tyler and not him. I guess he felt betrayed. After, Tyler’s death was declared an accident and the case was closed. David told my father. I came in that day and he was drunk. He was holding a handgun. All I remember him saying is, ‘First you kill your mother by coming into this world and now this.’ He took a couple shots but he was so drunk the only thing he managed to shoot was the wall behind me. I was about to just let him kill me. Let everything be over, but something came over me. To this day I don’t know what it was. I lunged at him and before I knew it we were rolling around on the floor. That’s when the gun went off between us and I knew that he was dead. I didn’t pull the trigger. I didn’t want him to die! As much as he hated me, I loved him. He was the only thing I had left. He pulled the trigger, not me.”

Luke not only told him about David and his father, but he told him about his Uncle Ben as well. He told him that after the death of his father, Dr. McGowan had taken him in.

"I know that Uncle Ben wishes he had just let me go to a home. I guess that was the part that always got me. I can’t figure out why he would take me in if he knew he would regret it as much as he did. I know he wishes that Rose had never found me that night that David locked me in the trunk. I just wish he never had taken me in to begin with. Until I met you I wished for a long time that Rose hadn’t found me.”

"I don’t exactly know what my life would be like without you here with me,” Drew said.

"I wouldn’t be alive if I hadn’t met you.”

Just as Drew and Luke were about to kiss once more they heard a car door slam. As quickly as possible without hurting Luke, Drew scrambled over to the recliner and stretched out as if he had been there the entire time.

The door opened. Jane walked in with a box and a tired look on her face. She tossed her keys on the table with a sigh and sat the box down. She looked completely spent.

"Hey, Mom, how was your day?”

"Tiring. How about yours?”

"Pretty good,” Drew said as he looked over and smiled at Luke.

"Have you been in any pain today?” Jane said as she took the clip out of her curly red hair and let it fall around her shoulders.

"Just a little,” Luke said with a lazy smile.

"Mom, don’t let him lie.”

"Did you take your pain pill?” Jane asked, walking over to Luke to inspect his stab wound.

"Yeah, and it helped a lot,” Luke said grimacing as Jane push around his ribs.

"Well everything seems to be healing just fine. That kind of pain is normal with your injuries, but I want you to keep an eye on him,” Jane told Drew.

"Hey, you don’t need to tell me twice. I’m not letting him out of my sight.

"Well, I’m sure you won’t. Have you two eaten yet?”

They both shook their heads at her.

"Think you can handle dinner tonight?” Jane asked with a smile.

"Yeah, Mom.”

"Good,” Jane said with a yawn. “I’m going to go take a nap. These last couple of days have just tuckered me right out.”

"What’s in the box?” Luke asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot. That’s Coral’s new home,” Jane said as she walked over and took the tank out of the box.

"You’re seriously keeping it?” Drew whined.

"Yes,” Jane said, and then smiled. “Well, I’m going to put Coral in the tank, and then I’m off to sleep.”

"Kay,” Drew said.

Jane kissed Drew on the forehead.

"Sleep well, Dr. Knight,” Luke smiled.

"Hey, your family now. Call me Jane,” she said giving Luke an identical kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight Jane,” Luke said.

Jane trudged out of the living room and down the hall to her room. Drew got up and looked to make sure Jane was out of sight. With that was confirmed he walked back over to Luke and sat down next to his feet. He lifted them up and laid them in his lap.

"Well, its six o’clock. What do you feel like for supper?” Drew asked.

"Well, how good of a cook are you?” Luke asked, smiling.

"Oh, well, I make great lasagna.”

Luke looked at him, surprised.

"What?” Drew asked. “You think because I’m a jock I can’t possibly be able to cook something edible?”

"No, I just didn’t know you could cook.”

"Well. You’re about to find out. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Drew gave Luke a quick peck on the lips, and hurried into the kitchen.

“What do you think?” Drew asked Luke after he swallowed the first bite of Drew’s five cheese lasagna.

"It’s incredible,” Luke said shoveling in another bite as they both sat on the couch, enjoying their dinner.

"Really? I’m sure you have had better.”

Luke shook his head and looked down at his plate.

"What? What’s wrong?” Drew asked, with a smile.

"It’s just…I’ve never had a home cooked meal before. My dad, he didn’t ever cook so it was always TV dinners or fast food restaurants. The closest thing I have ever had to a home cooked meal is KFC fried chicken or Olive Garden. Unless you count the breakfast you made this morning.”

Drew stared at him in shock.

"Yeah, I know pathetic, huh?” Luke said, taking another bite.

"No, it’s not,” Drew said, reaching over and brushing Luke’s cheek with the back of his hand. “I promise, before you know it you will have had so many home cooked meals, you will be begging for a fast food cheeseburger.”

Luke smiled and took another bite before he felt Drew’s warm lips brush against his ear. He felt butterflies swarm in his stomach, and held his breath as Drew whispered in his ear. “You will always have a home with me.”

Drew sat back and resumed eating his dinner, but he too had those same butterflies that he couldn’t seem to ignore. He hoped Luke didn’t notice his quivering fork.

Luke finished his first home cooked meal and Drew placed their dishes in the sink. He was looking out the window of the kitchen and something told him to lock it. That’s just what he did. He locked all the rest of the windows in the house as well. When he returned into the living room and he found Luke smiling at him.

"Now who is paranoid,” he said.

"Hey, I’m just being safe. Anyhow it’s still early how do you feel about watching a movie?” Drew asked with a grin

"Sounds good to me. What are we watching?”

"What about One Missed Call? It’s in a box here somewhere.”

"Alright,” Luke said with a little anticipation in his voice.

Drew didn’t pay much attention to Luke’s reaction and went to rummage through the boxes in the corner of the room. He went through three moving boxes before he finally found what he was looking for.

"Found it!” he exclaimed as he went over and popped it into the DVD player. “You ever seen this before?” he asked as he put his arm around Luke and let him snuggle into his side.

"No, you?”

"Mom and Jordan watched it a long time ago but I never did.”

The movie began and both became very quiet. As the movie progressed Luke was a bit bored and Drew was actually scared shitless. Luke could tell it bothered him a bit and he couldn’t help but entangle his fingers with Drew’s.

Drew jumped a couple times during the movie and Luke couldn’t help but to poke fun at him.

"You mean to tell me you can take on David Davison but you’re scared of a movie?”

"Hey, I know I’m being stupid but I can’t help it. This kind of stuff just creeps me out.”

"I won’t let the movie hurt you. Scouts honor,” Luke teased.

"Yeah, go ahead make fun of me,” Drew said looking back to the television and grimacing.

Luke reached up and pulled Drew into his lips. What was meant to be a quick kiss turned out to be one filled with crazed passion as their lips crashed onto one another. Drew felt the butterflies in his stomach go crazy and somehow he managed to untangle their lips log enough for him to breathe. Luke began to feverishly kiss his neck and Drew began to let his hands wander over Luke’s body, but then he stopped himself. Pulling Luke away from his neck he said, “We can’t. Not while my mom is down the hall and definitely not while I feel like I’m going to have to rush you to the hospital any second because we ripped open your stitches or a rib punctures one of your lungs.”

"Fine. As much as I want you, I will admit my ribs are on fire.”

"That’s what I thought.” Drew looked over at the television and saw that the credits were rolling. “What do you say I carry you to bed and we hit the sack?”

"You know your mom never woke up.”

"I know, it’s normal for her. So you want to go to bed?”

"Sounds like a plan, but you don’t have to carry me.”

"Maybe not, but I’m not taking no for an answer.”

"You are going to hurt yourself.”

"I highly doubt that. Now, put your arms around my neck.”

Luke did as told and Drew carried him to his room. All the while Luke softly kissed Drew’s neck, which made Drew a bit weak in the knees. He laid him down on the bed and covered him up.

"When I carry you, you’re going to have to stop making me go weak in the knees. I nearly dropped to the ground with you kissing me like that.”

"Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Drew kissed him softly on the lips and then went to turn off the light. After doing so he crawled on the futon and tried not to punch it out of hatred.

"Afraid Jane might come in?” Luke asked, watching as Drew’s shape tried to get comfortable.

"Yeah and there is also the fact that I don’t think I can contain myself sleeping next to you. Although, when you get better you better believe I won’t be sleeping on this damn satanic piece of shit.”

"Night,” Luke laughed.

Drew huffed as he punched his pillow, “Night.”