Return of the Sun - 22. Chapter 22

Ben was laughing at him. Scott was not impressed; he was having enough difficulty trying to update a computer's drivers. He looked up and shook his head, "It's not that funny," he said a little testily.

"Yes it is," Ben responded, finishing up the latest batch of invoices. "If there was one person who would get caught trying to hide a policeman in his bedroom, it would be you."

"You're just jealous," Scott replied, following the endless links trying to download the particular driver he wanted; as usual he had to follow about a half-a-dozen different links only to find the driver he was looking for buried on a page loaded with pop-up advertising.

"Maybe," Ben replied, rubbing his temple absently as he inputted another sequence of numbers, looking over at Scott. "I was hoping to have you all to myself."

Scott's eyes shot up in surprise as he forgot about the computer in front of him for a moment, "Huh?"

"Gotcha," Ben replied with a grin as he continued to work. "But seriously though, if this Luke's a 'new recruit' to the Pink Militia you should probably try to avoid embarrassing situations with your relatives."

"He seemed to take it well," Scott replied defensively.

"He's a cop, right?" Ben asked. "Used to playing the tough guy, right?"

Scott shrugged, "I can't really picture him as your typical tough cop. He's, well, not that big, and not that tough. Though he likes to think he is." He grinned.

Ben gave him a serious glance, "Well that just proves my point even more; you should probably talk to him and make sure he is really as comfortable as he acts with all this. Ever think he may be putting on a show because he thinks it's what you want?"

Scott thought about that long and hard; if Ben was right and Luke was really uncomfortable then he had to talk to him. He felt responsible in a way for the situation the other day; he had been careless, and he should never have fallen asleep. He hadn't heard from Luke since, and he wondered if perhaps that had something to do with it? But it was the middle of the week, not exactly the most convenient time for either of them to get together.

"Raining again," Ben said, interrupting his thoughts and Scott looked up at the rain pelting the window. Typical for that time of the year, it flashed between dreary thunderstorms and torrential downpours to beautiful sunshine in an instant. And Scott stared at the storm and wondered at how complicated everything in his life was.

Luke was weighing heavily on his mind, how strong were his feelings? How far was he willing to take this? Or was he, as Ben had put it, just doing this because it made Scott happy? What made Scott happiest, was when Luke dropped all the acts and was just himself, those cold eyes that only warmed when they looked into his own.

The paper ball bounced off his head. "Your download's done," Ben said innocently as he smirked.

Scott picked up the ball and tossed it back at the Cannuck, "Sometimes I swear I'm working in a high school!"

Ben flashed his devilish grin, "Come on, you can admit you love me."

Scott shook his head, "Not going to happen; you're married, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Ben said smacking his forehead in mock realization. "It completely slipped my mind."

"One of these days you're going to wind up being pounced on, you know," Scott turned back to the computer and began to install the drivers.

"Oh, my wife bought me a chastity belt a long time ago," Ben shot back getting up and filing some papers. "But seriously, this policeman of yours has a lot of thinking to do, especially since this is his first relationship."

Scott nodded at his friend's sage advice, "Yeah, I'm worried about that as well, first relationships never work."

"Bullshit," Ben said sliding the file away. "I married my first girlfriend."

"Yeah but you're a closeted homosexual with something to prove," Scott said, looking over the monitor.

Ben stared at him with a long and considering look; crossing the office floor and grabbing Scott firmly by the shoulders, he spun him about and kissed him full on the lips. Scott stared in shock for a second as he felt Ben wriggling his tongue on his lips and he opened his mouth to accept the kiss. And what a kiss it was, the kind of mind-blowing kiss that came from nowhere, one that was so unexpected that his mind reeled from it...

Ben pulled back and licked his lips, nodding to himself, "Yep, that confirms it, not gay in the slightest." He patted Scott on the shoulder, "If I was I'd be all over you, but..." he shrugged and looked down, "not even a twitch, sorry dude."

Scott gaped a moment and leaned back, realizing that he was sitting on his stool a moment too late as he slid off landing with an undignified thump at Ben's feet. He quickly picked himself up and shook himself off, "That...but...no!" he said, raising a finger to ward Ben off while he tried to put his thoughts back in order. At the rate he was getting surprised lately it was a wonder old Doc Hanratti hadn't had him in for a bypass...

Ben grinned at him as he picked up Scott's mug, "More coffee?"

* * *

"He kissed you?" Serena asked, once again tucking happily into his lunch while he helped himself to her salad.

Scott gave her a nod; he had taken an early lunch and had walked to Serena's stationery shop to take her to the diner. She was looking harassed; stock inventory was apparently one of the things she hated the most about her job, and after a full morning at it, she had readily agreed to his impromptu rescue.

"Yeah," Scott said spearing a small cherry tomato and waving his fork at her, "but he was just proving he wasn't gay..."

"I thought we had agreed kissing a bloke was a way to prove you were?" Serena said with a grin. "I might add you still haven't fulfilled that requirement..."

"I kissed Luke..." he protested.

"Doesn't count unless I see it," she said firmly. She got up to refill her orange juice returning a few seconds later and sitting opposite him again, "Maybe the two of you could stage a demonstration or something..."

"Speaking about Allston boys," Scott said, deliberately changing the subject, "what about you and Dickie?"

Serena shook her head, her eyes growing sour, "He's avoiding me; he got what he wanted and now he's gone running back to Fleur. I only see him when he's out with his mates." She rested her chin on her hand and pouted, "Guess he's not the one..."

"Hey," Scott said offering her a smile of reassurance, "Mister Right's out there..."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Yeah? I've been going on dates since I was sixteen; he's a little late isn't he?"

Scott sighed at her, "You'll be fine and you know it. You're the strongest girl I know; there are plenty of men out there who would kill to go out with you."

"Yeah? Who's that, then?" she asked him. "Name one bloke that wants to date me."

"Darren," Scott said it almost without thinking it through. The moment it was out he regretted it, and he swallowed nervously.

Serena looked at him in surprise, "Griff?"

"Sure," Scott said with a shrug as he tugged her plate closer to him so that he could get at the pickled onions; if she was going to polish off his Shepherd's pie he was going to make damn sure he got the best part of her salad...

Serena shrugged, "Yeah he's fit and all, when he wants to be, but..." she gave him a lame shrug, "he's so... well..."

Scott rolled his eyes at the typical British class prejudices. It was as if anyone lower down the class scale was diseased, you didn't want to touch them in case you were infected with the dreaded disease called 'dead common'. He really disliked that mentality, and he gritted his teeth.

"You know full well Darren's a good guy," he said firmly. "And he works hard at what he does."

"Yeah but..." she screwed up her nose, "he smells like engine grease."

Scott looked at her in utter disbelief. "There's this wonderful invention," he said adopting a lecturing tone. "It's called soap, it does wonders on grease."

She whacked him on the shoulder, "Don't be a tosser," she grumbled. "Well, if he'd ever bother to ask me out I might say yes..." she said, sounding very non-committal.

He blew out a sigh of frustration. "Right, well I can see this is going to be an easy pairing," he murmured, getting up to pay the bill. The two friends emerged back into the rain, Serena struggling to put up a flowered umbrella as Scott huddled in his jacket getting steadily soaked.

She gave him a disparaging look, "Don't you own a rain coat?" she asked allowing him to join her under the small umbrella.

He shrugged at her, "I only brought the one jacket with me when I got on the plane, figured I didn't need the ski jacket any more."

"You figured wrong," she said sounding exceptionally motherly. "You need to buy a new coat..."

He looked down at his beloved varsity jacket that had been so much a part of his life in Brooklyn. That life seemed suddenly so very far away. He had left an American college student, and he had changed so much from that arrogant kid on an airplane writing a letter.

He'd given up little pieces of himself on the long journey to where he was, and he was suddenly loath to give up one last piece of his identity. He'd earned his jacket, been so happy when he had first put it on, and here he was in a country where its significance was meaningless. It just marked him as a foreigner.

"You okay?" Serena asked. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you."

Scott shook his head as he trudged through the rain letting it plaster his hair to his head, "I'm fine," he said softly as they reached the door to her shop.

She looked at him suspiciously and offered him the umbrella;"You can just run it back to me after work..."

He shook his head. "I'm fine, take care," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked back up the high street towards Ashley Gardens, leaving her watching him in concern standing on the doorstep of her shop.

He didn't turn around; he didn't feel much like it right then. He was suddenly riddled by doubts he thought he had managed to put behind him. He was better off now, he was in a stable job, he had a good home, and a man who loved him. How come then he didn't feel okay?

Was it just the same doubts that had set him on the plane in the first place finally finding him again? He had left school because it didn't interest him, he'd been bored with who he was. Trying to be that person that other people said he should be. Except now he'd changed, grown up. He had moved himself home and had begun to build a life for himself.

He smiled to himself as he crossed the main shopping precinct with the intent of cutting across the churchyard, just enjoying the rain. He was, after all, himself a little bit of both places. Something unique built from those experiences. Had he stayed in England he would have ended up like Dickie or Darren, stuck in their roles. And had he stayed in the States and finished university he would have only postponed life, hiding in school to avoid the real world in which he always knew he belonged.

He blinked at Travis standing in the door way of the church dressed in a smart black suit, no hint of makeup anywhere. Scott was actually so surprised that he almost collided with a bench. He scratched his damp head as he loped over to his gothic friend.

Travis smiled at him. "Damp out there?" he asked, grinning from the shelter of the church doorway.

"A tad," Scott grinned back. "Feels good though. What are you doing?"

"Working," Travis replied. "I got the job."

Travis the undertaker... that just sounded wrong. Scott nodded as he glanced up at the old stones of the church, easily one of the oldest buildings in the town, "That's great, you must be relieved..."

"I love it," Travis said with a mad glint in his eye, "and Kerry is glad for me."

"How is...Kerry?" Scott asked, being polite.

"She's good," Travis nodded in reply. "We're going to Medieval Festival next week, which is great since we missed last year's."

Scott grinned; somehow Travis and Kerry would fit right into a festival such as that, "Where's it being held?"

"Herstmonceaux Castle," Travis grinned back at him. "They go all out each year; you should come."

"I'll think about it," Scott replied with a smile, an idea beginning to form in his mind. Now if only he could convince Darren and Serena to go.