Page 49 of Mason's Run

ME: Fuck you. It wasn’t me. We ran into Nicki at a restaurant.

BISHOP: NICKI Nicki?

ME: Yep.

BISHOP: OMW

I sighed in relief. When I’d been deployed, Bishop and Kaine had become almost inseparable. I’d been a little surprised to hear from Kaine without Bishop today. Being adopted had let them share a bond that none of the rest of us could really touch.

It was almost five, so I figured I'd better head home. I’d left Mason a note earlier today and told him I’d be home by six.Shit. Mason. What was I going to do about Mason?

I sighed. I still didn’t know how to deal with this. Yes, I was attracted to him. I had been since I’d seen that picture of him years ago – something about his eyes had captured me back then. It had been strange even then, but I felt like we had some kind of connection. Something that made me feel like… he would understand a part of me that other people didn’t.

Connection or not, I also felt horribly guilty for what had happened, both last night and that night years ago. Even though I knew in my head that things would have happened anyway, that he might even have died if I hadn’t been there, another part of me wondered if he would have even been in that hotel room if there weren’t people like I had been, willing to pay money for sex.

The question was, was I ready to be honest about my past with him?

I turned on Sirius and listed to Imagine Dragons as I drove home, my skin soaking in the beat. Before I knew it, I was pulling into my own driveway. After I turned the car off, I sat there for a moment before walking to the front door. I knew I was stalling but I had a hard time getting my feet to move.

“Coward,” I murmured at myself angrily.

Key in the lock, I turned the handle and walked in. The first thing I noticed was an amazing garlic smell wafting its way through the house. I dropped my stuff on the floor of the entryway and walked into the kitchen. I spied Mason standing in front of the stove, one finger twisting in his hair, the other holding a spoon.

14

Mason

I sawthe surprise on his face when he walked in.

“Um, Hi,” I said, waving the slotted spoon at him that I’d been using to stir the spaghetti. I realized, belatedly, I must look like a fucking idiot.

“It smells great in here,” he said, smiling at me before I could consider seppuku with the slotted spoon. Smiles were good, right? Friends smiled at each other. Maybe I hadn’t fucked up as much as I thought I had. Maybe I could still salvage something from this.

“I, um, thought maybe I could make dinner…” I swallowed nervously and continued. “…by way of an apology.”

I saw Lee’s expression change, but I couldn’t let him stop me from saying what I needed to be said. I was such a fool.

“I mean, I know I was out of line, last night and I shouldn’t have done it and I’m so sorry. I mean, god, I feel awful, I shouldn’t have touched you like that and I didn’t mean to do that, and it was wrong and… and awful, and…”

The confusion and puzzlement apparent on Lee’s face finally stopped the babbling.

“Wait, what?” he asked.

I knew my face had to be bright red by now. Dammit, I hated whenI blushed! Lizzie and Everett both loved to tease me about it and I'd tried all kinds of things over the years to stop it. As I spotted my reflection in the stainless steel of the appliances in the kitchen, I realized those efforts had been in vain.

“Seriously?” I asked in exasperation. “You’re really going to make me repeat that verbal diarrhea?”

Lee bit back a bark of laughter at my peevishness.

“No, I mean, I just wasn’t expecting…” his hand waved at the kitchen and I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the meal, me, or what.

“Thatisthe whole point to a surprise,” I said. “If you’re expecting it, it’s nowhere near as fun,” I teased, my eyes catching on his full lips that were twitching as he tried not to smile. Just then I heard the hamburger pop and hiss.

“Shit!” I said, grabbing the spoon I’d been using to stir the hamburger and rushed to turn the heat down before it burned. No one liked crunchy hamburger in their spaghetti.

Lee walked into the kitchen and paused as he saw the sketches I’d drawn.

“Mason, these are… amazing!” he exclaimed. he started to reach out to touch the sketches before stopping and looking at me. “Do you mind…?” he asked questioningly.