A Tattoo for Lex - 13. Chapter 13

The aura that surrounded the two men entwined together on the bed slowly faded until it was just a steady soft glow in the background. Lex could only manage to stare in disbelief at the realization that Ian loved him and they were soulmates. He never in a million years thought that someone could see past his scars and his abuse and embrace the broken soul that he believed he was. Yet the colors didn’t lie. He saw the vibrant red hovering over Ian’s heart. The red that indicated love.

Ian breathed softly into Lex’s ear and admitted “Yes, yes I do love you. I’m not really sure when it happened, but it did. I think, maybe, I fell for you the moment I saw you. It took me by surprise, that’s for sure but my heart is yours. Completely and forever yours. ”

Lex’s own heart beat rapidly at the words softly spoken. He knew what he felt and knew that Ian was his. Looking into Ian’s eyes he handed over his own heart and confessed “ I think I fell for you when you first told me that my back was a beautiful canvas. You are the only one who has seen my back and not looked at me with pity or shock. I love you too.”

Ian laughed with joy and Lex joined in. Another soft kiss was shared. Ian held Lex close and in his deep husky voice said “Marry me.”

Lex jolted and his eyes widened “What?” he squeaked. Oh my God he squeaked. He actually squeaked.

Ian chuckled and said again “Marry me. I don’t care that we’ve only known each other a couple of months. The colors don’t lie Lex. You’ve said so yourself. I don’t need to see the auras to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are already my first and last thought every day. I want you in my bed every night. I want you by my side through all my ups and downs. You are it for me. Why should we wait? I really don’t care what other people think either. You are the only one for me. So…..marry me. Please?”

Lex’s brow furrowed and he knew what his answer was but he had to be honest with Ian. So taking a deep breath he said “I’ll give you an answer, but first there’s something else you need to know about me.”

Ian cocked his head to the side and remarked “You are just full of surprises aren’t you? You can tell me anything. Even if you’re an alien from a distant galaxy and have three kidneys and purple boogers. I’m still going to love you and I’m still going to marry you.”

Lex smiled and sat up. Ian pulled himself up and the two settled themselves against the headboard with their shoulders touching.

Lex took another deep breath and started “ I know I told you that my mom never told me who my father was and technically that’s true. She never verbally told me. Before she died she wrote me a whole bunch of letters and gave them to her lawyer to give to me at specific times. The first one I got right after she died. I never cried so hard before. She told me that she was so proud of me and how much she loved me. It’s ironic that she ended up being my biggest source of comfort right after her own death. There are other letters that I have gotten since. One on my 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays. I got the one meant for my high school graduation after I passed my GED. I got one when I received my college degree. All of them reiterated her pride and love. All of them were bittersweet. They were a part of her that I needed.

However there was one letter that I was supposed to get after her funeral that had somehow gotten misplaced, apparently it ended up in another client’s file at the lawyer’s office. They called me almost two and a half years ago to let me know and to apologize and they sent the letter over by courier. After I read it I was so angry, both at the attorney’s office and at my mom because if I had the information right after Mom’s funeral like I was supposed to, or if she had just told me herself, my life could have been so much different. At least I’d like to think so.

You see, in that letter, the one I should have had right after my mom died, she gave me the name of my father. She said they had conceived me when they were both 15. She never told him about me. She said she was going to but right before she did she found out something and changed her mind. She didn’t say what she found out. Apparently her parents went ballistic when she wouldn’t tell them who the father was. Her dad was so upset he stormed out of the house. He ended up crashing his car and was severely injured. He survived but needed intensive rehab and was placed at a rehab center for several months. My mom used that as an excuse to go and live outside of Seattle with her Aunt Brenda, telling everyone that her dad needed to recover and her mom needed to concentrate on him, so she left. Pretty abruptly from what I gathered.

Anyway, Aunt Brenda, who was my grandfather’s younger sister was a lot more understanding when my mom told her the whole situation. There was a pretty big age gap between her and her brother and they were never really that close. I think she was only eight or ten years older than my mom. She made all the arrangements for my mom to be home schooled and after I was born Mom got her GED. She ended up staying with her aunt in the Seattle area. That’s where I was raised. She worked and took classes part time at the local community college. Aunt Brenda got married to a career military guy and moved when I was around four. She let my mom stay in the house. With the money she was able to save by not having to pay rent or a mortgage and by sharing child care duties with Cassie’s mom and getting help from the Hansen’s she was able finish her nursing degree.

Ian interrupted Lex and said “You said that you didn’t have any other relatives that you knew of when your mom died. What happened to your aunt?”

Lex sighed and answered “American Airlines flight 11. September 11th, 2001. She and her husband had been visiting my grandparents and had boarded the flight to go home to Los Angeles. He was Air Force and was stationed at the base there. It shook my mom up pretty bad.

His parents held a memorial service for them in his hometown but we didn’t go and I have no idea if there was anything held for them here in Massachusetts. My mom still had no communication with her parents.

As a matter of fact, my mom had told the attorney who handled her will that her parents were dead so that’s why they never bothered to look for them. She must have figured I would get the letter on time and then use the attorney to find my father. Obviously that backfired.”

“So your mom was originally from Massachusetts? Ian questioned.

“Yes, born in Salem. Raised in Marblehead. On the water in a big ass mansion.” was the reply.

“Getting back to my father. Yeah, what a clusterfuck. So two and a half years ago I end up finding out the name of my biological dad. Ryan Christopher Carson. Born in Haverhill, moved to Marblehead at the age of 8. He didn't live in a big ass mansion but in a nice enough upper middle class neighborhood. Father, William Edward Carson, attorney at law. Mother, Kathryn Margaret O’Brien Carson, tenured Biology professor at Salem State College, now University. Both still living, unaware that they have a grandson wandering around aimlessly.

Cassie helped me research all the information. Ryan Carson now resides in Boston and is a senior partner at Carson, Marshall and Vinson specializing in family law. That’s as far as we dug. That was as much as I could handle back then.

I kinda panicked and I told Cassie that I was heading to Boston. It’s taken me just over two years to get there. From Seattle. Every time I pointed the bike east I ended up taking a detour. I think I’ve detoured through almost every state except Alaska and Hawaii. Oh, and Maine and New Hampshire. I made it as far as Connecticut and Rhode Island once but somehow got turned around and ended up in Texas. I finally made it this far when the bike broke down. I still don’t know if I would have made it all the way to Boston. The thought scares me.”

Lex paused and looked over at Ian, not knowing what he would see for a reaction. All he saw was concern. Ian was worried about him. Worried that he was stressing out too much. Which maybe he was. Lex needed to put Ian's at ease so he continued “I’m OK. I really am. I’m just hoping you will be when I drop the next bomb on you.”

Ian looked slightly amused and grinning he signalled, “Please, continue on. This is better than a soap opera.”

Lex rolled his eyes and did as he was told. “So, as you already know my mom had cut her parents out of her life when she was pregnant with me. They didn’t make any effort to contact us either, not even after our aunt died. I guess as the years went by and they got older they regretted what happened. Apparently when I was around 20 or 21 they decided to try to reconnect with my mom, not knowing that she was gone. They hired a private investigator who dug around and pieced together what had happened. It seemed that my grandmother had developed Alzheimer’s and my grandfather had stage IV lung cancer. That’s what years of smoking can do you you. By the time the investigator had managed to discover what had happened to us my grandfather was in hospice and was pretty much out of it. The investigator told him everything, not knowing if he understood or not. I’d like to think he did. My grandmother was in the same nursing facility and believe it or not she died in her sleep the same night he passed away.

As it turned out it was quite fortuitous that the private investigator located where I was. Several years earlier, shortly after my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s was diagnosed and she was still legally competent they revised their will and left everything in their estate to their only child, my mom. If it was discovered that she was no longer living then the estate would go to any of her children to be divided equally.

Well, I was it. The only child. As being such I found myself being contacted by an attorney and was told that at the ripe old age of 22 that I was the sole beneficiary of their estate. They came from old New England family money and my grandfather was a rather savvy investor as well as a well known attorney in his own right. I received their entire fortune. To the tune of three hundred and seventy million dollars. ”

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise and his jaw dropped. When he was able to find his voice he said “Well, that explains why you have a black Amex card.”

Lex looked incredulous and retorted “Is that all you can come up with?”

Ian trying to look serious said “So let me see if I have this straight. Your mom died when you were 12. Shit hit the fan when you were 14, you did rehab for your back and pretty much lost a year, moved in with Cassie and her mom, got your GED and then a degree in computer stuff, found out you were a multi-millionaire at 22, discovered who your biological father is at 24 and found me, the love of your life at what 26?”

Lex nodded his head and smiled saying “Yup, close enough, that about sums it up. Although when you say it, it seems a little mundane.”

Ian joked “Next time we go out for dinner you’re paying!” Then added “But seriously Lex, I don’t care if you have a bank account in the negative digits or if you can give Bill Gates a run for his money. It’s you I love and not how many dollar signs you have. I’m glad you’re being open and honest with me. I don’t ever want anything to come between us.”

Lex scooted up against Ian, taking comfort in his steady strength and said “You mean so much to me. I can’t keep secrets from you. I think it would tear me apart if I tried. Even if you never see another aura I have a feeling you would know. I’ve never felt this kind of connection. Not even with Cassie and she’s always been the person closest to me.”

Ian, needing to lighten the mood smiled and told him “Cassie will always be important to you. But do you let her do this?” and he grabbed Lex’s ribcage and proceeded to tickle him.

Lex wiggled under the assault, laughing. When he couldn’t take anymore he yelled “If you want your answer you better stop!” Ian immediately ceased and looked at Lex expectantly.

Lex couldn’t hold back his wide smile as he said “Yes”.

Ian was on cloud nine. He planted a searing kiss along Lex’s lips and it was returned with just as much intensity. Before they let things heat up again they broke apart. Ian slid off the bed and dragged Lex up with him. “Come on, I had pizza delivered earlier and all we need to do is heat it up and crack open a couple of beers. I don’t know about you but I’m starving!”

Lex found his briefs and pulled them on as Ian did the same. He thought about the sandwich that he had for lunch and realized it was eons ago and his stomach was growling.

They made their way into the kitchen where Ian uncovered the pizza and slid the box into the oven at set it to a low setting. Lex opened the fridge and grabbed two beers and twisted the caps off, handing one to Ian.

While they waited for the pizza to warm up Ian once more wrapped his arms around Lex and held him close. After several minutes of savoring the feeling of their embrace he said “If you want I’ll go with you to Boston when you’re ready.”

Lex pulled back slightly and looked at Ian. He was silent for a minute as he gathered his thoughts. Finally he replied “I’d love that. I think I’ll call his office on Monday and see if I can get an appointment with him. I can say that I have a custody matter or something that I need advice for. That way if he comes across as an asshole I just pretend to be interviewing him as lawyer or whatever and then can decline his services.”

Ian nodded and took a long pull of his beer. A few minutes later he pulled the warmed up pizza out of the oven and they dug into the food managing to devour all of it.

By the time they were done wiping up the crumbs and throwing the box and paper plates into the trash and the beer bottles were rinsed and put in the bin for returns both men were yawning. Somehow it had gotten to be close to midnight.

They both decided to shower before they turned in., the need to rinse of the residual stickiness from their earlier lovemaking was stronger than the need for sleep. The shower was just big enough for the two of them and as the hot water sluiced over their bodies they gently washed each other. It was intimate but not sexual. Ian sighed with delight as Lex’s hands, slick with soap glided over his skin. Lex softly groaned when Ian’s fingers gently massaged shampoo into his scalp. They traded kisses as lovers often do, the soft kisses of love rather than the hard kisses of desire. They let the water lull them into a relaxed state. Rinsing off all the soap they towelled each other dry and slid into the bed that they had made up with fresh sheets while the water was warming up. Ian rolled Lex into him taking up the big spoon position. Lex hummed softly, completely content and totally safe in his lover’s embrace and felt himself drift away.