Houseguest

Written By: LJ


TJ stood at the big picture window in their living room, looking down at the driveway on their side of the apartment building. He was practically bouncing with excitement.

“They’re late!” he complained yet again.

“Probably the traffic, love,” Glen responded patiently without taking his eyes of the magazine he was perusing.

“They should have been here half an hour ago,” TJ muttered. ‘Hmmm,’ was the only response he heard and he rolled his eyes in disgust.

“They’re here!” he shouted as he spotted Rowan’s car pulling into the parking lot. Heading for the front door, he tripped over a white cat sleeping in the sunlight shining through the large window. “Sorry, Miss. Muffin, but you shouldn’t be lying in the middle of the floor.”

“TJ, slow down and watch where you’re going.” Glen’s admonishment echoed throughout the room TJ had just vacated. Putting down his reading material, Glen followed his partner down the hall towards the elevators. He arrived just as the big metal doors were closing.

Several minutes later they opened and TJ reappeared with their guests in tow.

“What are you doing out here, Glen?” TJ asked the man leaning against the wall.

“Waiting patiently, which was something I expected you to do,” Glen responded with a smile as he reached out to take the extra piece of luggage from Rowan. “It is great to see you again, my friend!”

“Nice to finally arrive,” Rowan grumbled in a mixture of relief and exasperation. “An eight-hour drive with a fidgety companion is about seven and a half too long.” He smiled at Darby to let the younger man know he was teasing. “Actually, we had a good trip until we hit the Friday rush-hour in this fair city of yours,” he mildly complained.

“We probably would have missed the traffic if we hadn’t spent an hour sightseeing in Banff,” Darby reminded the older man. He smirked at Rowan over Glen’s shoulder as he returned his host’s welcoming hug.

“Still can’t pass that town without stopping, eh Row?” Glen laughed at his friend’s piqued expression and released Darby. “TJ will show you to your room, Darby.”

“Not that I for one blame you, Rowan,” TJ offered his support. “There is always so much to see and it is always changing.”

Darby grabbed up his duffel bag and briefcase; then followed TJ into the study that would now be a guest bedroom for the next month.

“The bathroom is just across the hall and it’s all yours. Glen and I have our own en suite,” TJ explained as he dropped the suitcase onto the bed. “Hope you’ll be comfortable here, Darb.”

“I’m sure I will, TJ. Thanks!” Darby looked around the spacious room and tried not to think about having it all to himself when Rowan left for home the day after tomorrow. “Just between you and me, TJ, I really enjoy any time Rowan and I spend in Banff. It holds a lot of special memories for us.”

“Gotcha; it’s where you two guys went for your honeymoon last year, isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh,” Darby nodded. He walked over to the large window behind Glen’s desk and looked out at the city below. He sighed at the thought of having to learn his way around over the next few days.

“So tell me about this job you got, Darb,” TJ requested, making himself comfortable in a recliner in the corner.

“Well, I applied for and was accepted for the position of back-up orchestra conductor for the month long production of Phantom of The Opera. Of course, now that I’m here, wouldn’t you know I’d be having second thoughts about it?”

“Why’s that?”

“Mostly being away from Rowan for so long; meeting a lot of new people; maybe a little afraid of failure; I don’t know…..” Darby’s voice faded and he shrugged his shoulders in confusion. “Please don’t say anything to Rowan. I don’t want to worry him. And after all, it is definitely a great opportunity as far as my career is concerned,” he quietly pleaded.

“Hey, mum’s the word, man!” TJ zealously promised.

************

“Hope you didn’t go to any trouble making a meal, Glen. Darby and I picked up a KFC picnic basket deal. Figured it would save time,” Rowan announced and gratefully accepted the cold beer handed him.

“Thanks, Rowan. I was just winging it until you guys got here,” Glen chuckled, took a long drink from the frosty bottle in his hand and settled back in his chair. “Do you think Darby is going to have any trouble adjusting to being here without you?”

“He may, but hopefully he’ll be too busy at first to miss me badly enough to act up.”

“What would be the warning signs?” Glen thought it important to learn all he could about the young man who would be staying in his home for the next month.

“Inattentiveness, loss of interest in anything other than his music, lack of appetite, sporadic sleeping habits; all passively assertive. In all likelihood, unless it is brought to his attention, he will not even be aware of exhibiting these symptoms.”

“You are planning to visit often over the next few weeks, are you not?”

“I will not be able to get back here every weekend, but I intend to do everything in my power to be here for as many as possible”

“I really don’t anticipate any problems, Rowan, especially if you are going to be joining us regularly during Darby’s stay.”

Glen sounded so confident and Rowan smiled in spite of himself. “You are probably quite right, Glen.” Rowan agreed while attempting to cover the smile on his face, hoping his friend’s prediction would prove spot on.

************

“It has been a great weekend, hasn’t it, Sweets?” Getting a somewhat unenthusiastic grunt in reply, Rowan looked up from packing his overnight bag and got a brief glimpse of the forlorn expression on his husband’s face a second before it vanished. Sitting down, he held open his arms and softly invited, “Come here, sweetheart.”

Darby settled into his favourite place and nuzzled his lover’s neck, deeply breathing in the familiar after shave.

“You are going to be fine, Darby,” Rowan offered his assurances with a tight hug. “We’ll call or IM each other as often as our schedules will allow and, if all goes smoothly with the C-check, we’ll be spending most weekends together.”

“I know, Rowan, but I still can’t help missing you. I already am and you haven’t even left yet,” Darby murmured as he gazed adoringly into deep blue eyes of his lover and lightly ran his finger tips over the handsome features of Rowan’s face.

“You’ll be so busy the time will pass before you know it.” Rowan smiled and gently kissed the palm of Darby’s hand. “God willing, I’ll see you in less than a week. In the meantime, I want you to work hard, have fun and enjoy your stay with Glen and TJ.”

Darby laid his head on Rowan’s broad shoulder and mentally re-examined his last conversation with Riley. His friend had thought a month out from under his partner’s watchful eye was the cat’s meow. Darby, however, did not share Riley’s point of view. While Riley considered it an excellent opportunity to do whatever he wanted, Darby concentrated more on the fact that he would not be within touching distance of the one he loved above all others.

“And you are going to be a considerate and deferential guest, aren’t you, Sweets?” Rowan’s deep voice penetrated the younger man’s pensive musings.

“I’ll be good, Row; honest.” Darby smiled up at his loving companion. “I really am looking forward to starting work tomorrow and TJ has promised to keep me involved with the vast array of entertainment provided by the Stampede. It starts in a few days you know.”

“Glad to hear it, Sweets. Now I better finish packing, say my goodbyes and hit the road if I want to make it home before midnight. The Sunday evening traffic is going to be murder and I have work in the morning.”

************

“Hey, Darby; what’s up?” TJ merrily inquired as he dropped his carryall on the floor, tossed his jacket over the back of the sofa and turned the stereo up on his way by.

“Huh, oh, not too much actually; I’m just going over this musical score. I’ll be conducting the whole show for the first time at the matinee tomorrow,” Darby shyly smiled up at his host. “I’m kinda nervous about it though,” he added, raising his voice slightly to enable TJ who had gone into the adjoining room, to hear.

“Bet you’ll do just fine. After all you’ve been at rehearsals for over a week now and even had a shot or two at leading the orchestra, haven’t you?” TJ asked, returning from the kitchen and handing Darby a glass of pop.

“Yeah, hope you’re right. Thanks, I needed that,” Darby said after taking a long drink and setting the glass on the coffee table. He shook his head at the offered bowl of chips. “Guess I needed the encouragement too,” he murmured his appreciation.

“You’re welcome for both. Glen should be home any minute now and he’s bringing Chinese take-out, but I can’t wait ‘cause I’m damn-near starving.” TJ sat back with the bowl of munchies on his lap and watched Darby neatly slide the sheets of music into his briefcase.

“Not me.” Darby quietly spoke more to himself that anyone else.

TJ overheard but chose to ignore it and think of something positive to cheer up his friend. “By the way, Darb, have you taken a close look at our working schedules?”

“No, I haven’t had time since marking my shifts on the calendar like Glen asked me to.”

“I’ll go get it,” TJ offered, pushing himself up off the sofa to get the calendar that was stuck on the front of the fridge. “Do you remember when your next day off is?”

“Yes; it’s two days from now. Why do you want to know?”

“Because Glen and I are also free that day; feel up to joining us for some Stampede fun?”

“Depends; is it the same kind of ‘fun’ as we supposedly had last Friday?” Darby smirked as he remembered how narrowly they escaped getting into trouble at the parade.

“Are you kidding? With Glen around it’s not likely.” TJ pretended to pout for about two seconds before both young men burst out laughing.

“But you’ll still have a good time,” Glen half-sternly commented, having come into the apartment unnoticed and overhearing the tail end of the conversation. He decided not to question their version of the so-called fun they’d had, thereby putting a damper on their good moods. Obviously nothing too serious had taken place or he would have found out about it as neither of these two Brats excelled at keeping things hidden for long. The change in their behaviour patterns usually gave them away.

“Hey, when did you get home?” TJ asked as he jumped up to greet his partner with a welcoming hug and a kiss.

“Only a moment or two ago; you would have heard me come in if you’d had your music turn down to a reasonable decibel,” Glen mildly scolded, tightening his embrace to let the younger man know he wasn’t too put out. “Help me get our supper on the table, love.”

“Know what, you guys? According to the different coloured check marks on this calendar, this Thursday is the last time we are all off on the same day for over two weeks,” TJ announced several minutes later. He was multi-tasking by perusing their working schedule, carrying on a conversation and eating concurrently. “That kinda sucks!”

“Then I recommend we make the most of the time we do have together,” Glen calmly suggested. Turning his attention to their guest, he explained, “Every year, TJ and I make a point of spending at least one entire day taking in the various activities at the Stampede, starting with breakfast in the Grandstand Courtyard and ending with the fireworks display. I’m glad you’ll be able to accompany us, Darby.”

“Sound like fun,” Darby didn’t even try to pretend he was excited about the prospect. He had been quiet throughout the meal while pushing his food around his plate instead of consuming it.

“Is something troubling you, Darby?” Glen softly inquired, making note of the young man’s lack of appetite and distant frame of mind. “I expect you to tell me if there is,” he insisted when a response was not immediately forthcoming.

“Rowan was supposed to be coming down this weekend but he can’t make it,” Darby mumbled unhappily. “That will make two weekends in a row he’s missed.”

“When did you find this out, sweetie?” Glen was saddened at his guest’s understandable disappointment.

“He called me earlier this afternoon. He had hoped to get the time off but they ran into more problems, this time with some parts delivery. It’s not just Rowan who’s been inconvenienced; his whole crew has to work if they hope to get the contract done as close to the deadline as possible. It’s not Rowan’s fault,” Darby adamantly, but unnecessarily, defended his partner. “It’s his job; he has to oversee all aspects of a C-check because he has to sign off on it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Darby. I know how badly you are missing Rowan,” Glen sympathized. He reached over and squeezed Darby’s hand, his heart going out to the younger man.

“I even requested permission for him to attend the performance I’m conducting on Sunday afternoon,” Darby murmured. He kept his head down as he blinked back tears.

“Now here’s a coincidence; I am kind of at loose ends this weekend, what with TJ working both days. Would it be all right it I went in Rowan’s stead?”

“You’d do that?” Darby looked up in surprise.

“Of course; I’ve always enjoyed Phantom of the Opera and being a friend of the conductor will make it even more special,” Glen assured him and was rewarded with a watery-eyed smile. “Now how about making an effort to eat what is on your plate instead of playing with it,” he lightly badgered.

“Look at this, Darby,” TJ exclaimed, stabbing his finger at the calendar. “We both have next Friday off. A few of the guys and I have planned a day at Bragg Creek Provincial Park and you’ll be able to come with us. We’re going to have a blast, man!”

“Thanks, TJ, I’d like that.”

Glen smiled at the improvement in Darby’s mood and was pleased with his partner’s attempts to entertain their guest. He determined to keep a closer eye on Darby’s behaviour patterns and watch out for signs of increased despondency.

************

“Yo, Darb, you gotta admit this is the life and that it doesn’t get much better,” TJ slurred as he threw down the empty beer can and reached into the cooler for another one.

“Well during this oppressing heat-wave, it sure beats staying in the sweltering city.”

The young men were relaxing on lawn chairs they had set up in the middle of the shallow water. The cold mountain run-off was swirling around their ankles and calves, providing much needed relief from the soaring temperature.

They had come up to Bragg Creek for the day with a large group of TJ’s friends. Darby was pacing himself. He had never been a heavy drinker and this late in the afternoon, he was one of the very few that was reasonably sober enough to be concerned about the trip home.

“Don’t you think it just about time to head back to where the vans are parked? Maybe it will make the climb easier if you guys do it while you are still able to stand up,” Darby teasingly suggested. He laughed at his friend as TJ staggered to his feet and immediately toppled face first into the water.

“Shit!” TJ exclaimed. “Some of the god-damn water got in my beer and ruined it,” he complained and then proceeded to quaff it down anyway. He didn’t even feel the discomfort of sitting in the rock-infested river.

The group slowly gathered up folding chairs, ice chests, articles of clothing and various items of debris, leaving the area as clean as they had found it. Then they began the upward trek along the winding trail through the woods to the top of hill.

It proved to be an almost impossible feat. The ten-minute climb took well over half an hour, but finally the last of the stragglers stumbled into the clearing a short distance from the parking lot. What a bedraggled lot they were; sweaty, filthy and not exactly unscathed by their adventure.

“God, I’m hotter than ever,” Darby exclaimed, dropping his armful on the ground. “How’s the knee, TJ? Has it stopped bleeding?”

“Huh?”

“Check out your leg, man. See where your pants are torn? You fell at least six times and a one point slid down the path and injured yourself.” Darby was trying to get TJ seated on a bench. “Man, are you ever shit-faced.”

“Let me look at your hands, Gordie,” Sally offered. “You certainly did a number on these; the palms are badly scraped and full of dirt particles. We better get this cleaned up.”

“Nah, it can wait ‘til I get home,” Gordie muttered. “Thanks anyway.” His inebriated state prevented him from feeling the burning pain the abrasions normally would have been causing.

“Hey, where the fuck are our vans?” Barry bellowed.

“The first bunch up got tired of waiting and left in two of them,” Mac replied. “Unfortunately they didn’t leave us a designated driver for the third vehicle.”

“Can I drive, Darb?” TJ asked, looking up through blurry eyes.

“Drive! Forget it; you can’t even walk.” Darby scoffed.

“Oooh; how about you then? Are you sober enough?” TJ didn’t really appear to give a damn one way or another.

“No, ’cause I’ve got a real good buzz on.”

“What about you, Sally” TJ turned towards one of his fellow employees.

“I can’t, TJ. I only got a learner’s permit and I think it expired a few days ago.”

“Oh, well, guess we’re stranded.” TJ giggled as he stretched out on the bench, only to roll off it. “Hmm, this is comfy,” he murmured from where he was lying in the dirt.

“Anyone got some beer left?” Joan asked, rooting through one of the coolers and coming up empty.

“Here’s one.” Mac tossed over a can. “Sorry,” he apologized when it sailed over Joan’s head.

“This is a neat fire circle,” Darby commented. He helped TJ up and got them settled on one of the benches surrounding the fire pit.

“Yeah, let’s light it up.” TJ’s drunken suggestion met with enthusiastic votes of agreement. “We can have some kind of a ceremony.”

“Isn’t there a fire band posted somewhere around here, guys?” Darby wondered out loud. Assured it was an older one he’d seen and had not yet been removed, he shrugged his shoulders and decided to go along with the rest of them.

************

“Hello, Rowan. Welcome back,” Glen greeted his friend and shut the door to the apartment. “You know where to toss your bag.”

“Glad to finally be here,” Rowan commented after dropping his overnight case on the Darby’s bed. “I didn’t tell Darby I was coming up this weekend in case my plans changed and I had to disappoint him once again.”

“I think he’ll rather like the surprise,” Glen commented. “He has certainly been missing you.”

“All and all, how’s he been?” Rowan asked, both men fully understanding what was left unsaid.

“Aside from mostly quiet and requiring a lot of encouragement to eat his meals, he’s been a great houseguest.”

“Where is he now?” Rowan settled on the sofa and glanced briefly at the TV, noting the start of the evening news.

“He and TJ are enjoying a day at Bragg Creek with a group of TJ’s friends. It’s about a forty minute drive from here. I’m expecting them home before too long, so should we wait to eat or are you hungry now?”

“No, I’m good. I had a snack at the airport while waiting for my flight. I could do with a cold drink though; bottled water would do fine.”

“I’ll get a couple out of the fridge,” Glen offered.

The men were relaxing and appraising one another of the happenings of the last three weeks, when something on the TV screen attracted Glen’s attention. “What the hell!” he exclaimed, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume.

“This is Larry Wells reporting. As you can see behind me, several young people are being escorted into the Cochrane police station. They have been arrested for starting a fire in an area of the Bragg Creek Provincial Park which is presently like most of southern Alberta, under a fire band. I’ll try to get close in the hopes of interviewing one or two of the mischief-makers.”

Glen’s eyes widened before narrowing dangerously as the camera zeroed in on his partner. TJ certainly appeared to be enjoying his moment of notoriety.

“Hey, Glen!” TJ called out. “I’m on TV, man. Hope you’re watching.” He flashed a big smile and waved as a nervous-looking Darby grabbed his arm and hustled him into the center of the group.

Glen groaned as he sank further into the back of the sofa and put his head down. “That Brat of mine is as drunk as a skunk and in shit up to his eyebrows,” he muttered through grinding teeth.

The two men continued to stare at the screen for several long moments as the small group of lawbreakers was herded into the building and out of sight.

“At least Darby made some attempt to maintain a low profile,” Rowan calmly commented as he worked on keeping his annoyance under control. “How long will it take us to get to them, Glen?”

“Forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic.” Glen sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes, still not wanting to accept what he’d just witnessed.

“Then we better get a move on,” Rowan resignedly suggested, getting to his feet and grabbing cell phones, keys and wallets.

************

The sergeant glared down at the bedraggled assembly of trouble-makers. “Oh, brother!” he huffed out in disgust. Then raising his voice, he sternly demanded, “All right, now; which one of you wants to act as spokesperson and offer an explanation as to just what you all thought you were doing?”

A moan from one of the miscreants attracted his attention. Taking in the pallor on one of the faces, the sergeant shouted, “Get this man to the washroom before he throws up all over the place. God Almighty, in this heat we’d never get rid of the stench.”

Once again, TJ felt an unfriendly hand clamp around his arm to roughly propelled him down a short corridor and into a much smaller room. He barely made it to the toilet before his stomach contents spewed forth.

Sometime later, he sidled up to Darby. “Did I miss much, Darb?” TJ whispered.

“Nothing good!” Darby despondently murmured.

“Where are the others?” TJ glanced around the room that seemed larger now that fewer people were crowded into it. Of their friends only Darby and Barry remained in the room. Barry appeared to be suffering the after-effects of an afternoon of over-indulging. “What happened to Sally, Joan, Gordie and Mac?”

“After the officer in charge took down a bunch of personal information and stuff, a policewoman took the girls to the ladies room to clean up; at least that’s what I think is happening. Mac is calling his brother and someone is taking care of the cuts and scrapes on Gordie’s hands. Want someone to look at your leg?”

“Naw, it’s nothing.”

“Hmm, you feeling any better, TJ? I mean, is your stomach okay?”

“Yeah, in fact I feel great. How about you?”

“I’m all right. Now that you’re back, we can call Glen. Then I think they’re going to make us wait it out in some kind of holding room.” Darby shuddered at the thought. “But I guess it beats a jail cell, huh?”

“Shit, I don’t want to call Glen.” TJ winced as his partner’s angry features came to mind. “Man, he is going to be so pissed off when he learns about this.”

“He’s not going to be any happier when he hears of the fines we’ve been given.” Darby felt like crying. He desperately wanted Rowan and yet at the same time was very apprehensive about facing his partner. Darby wrongfully assumed the older man would be deeply disappointment in him. Taking a deep breath and bravely squaring his shoulders, Darby insisted that TJ call his partner but was met with a stubborn refusal to do so.

“Just how much are the fines?” TJ asked no one in particular, a short time later as he stared out the window of the locked area they were being held in. It was not that he really cared; he just needed the conversation as a distraction to prevent him from concentrating on the impending arrival of his partner who, much against TJ’s wishes, had been notified of the day’s proceedings. To add to his discontent, his injured knee had been cleaned and bandaged despite all protests on his part.

“Five hundred dollars each!” Mac’s unpleasant announcement was accompanied by a low painful groan from Barry who was still dealing with an excruciating headache.

TJ gasped and abruptly turned to face the other six sprawled around the table in the center of the sparsely-furnished room. “Fuck!” he muttered and shook his head in disbelief.

“Yeah, and they had the audacity to say we got off lightly,” Gordie grossed, picking at the dressing on his left hand. “God, it’s gonna take me forever to pay it.”

“We have also been denied access to the provincial park for an entire year,” Joan bitterly complained. “Stop that!” she ordered, reaching over and slapping at Gordie’s fingers to persuade him to leave his damaged hands alone.

“There goes the car I was saving up for,” Sally forlornly injected and laid her forehead on the cool wood surface in front of her.

“Yeah, and there goes almost two weeks’ net pay, but it really could have been much worse,” Darby quietly added his two cents worth. ‘In fact, it’s going to get a hell of a lot worse when Rowan learns about it.’ He kept this thought to himself and squirmed uncomfortably on the hard wooden chair he was sitting on.

The door suddenly opened, startling more than one of the room’s occupants. The seven partners-in-crime were quickly ushered back to the main room where they found themselves once again facing a very irate sergeant.

Unprepared to deal with any more disparaging glares from the uniformed man behind the desk, TJ and Darby hung their heads and concentrated on controlling the urge to nervously shuffle their feet.

“Humph!” The sergeant cleared his throat in order to gain everyone’s attention. “Now that a few rather more responsible people have arrived to take you in tow, I am releasing all of you. You’ll be receiving formal notices of your fines in the mail within a week.” His ice-cold eyes moved from one to the other, stopping to look fiercely at each of them in turn. “I better not set eyes on any of you again in my capacity as a law enforcement officer. Got that?” he all but shouted.

‘Yes sir’ and ‘thank-you sir’ were repeated numerous times by the guilt-ridden young men and women to convince the sergeant of their understanding.

TJ and Darby glanced at each other, breathing out sighs of relief that they were free to go. Unfortunately, their relief was short-lived when they felt the heavy hands of their partners landing on their shoulders.

TJ was forcefully spun around until he was face to face with Glen’s unhidden expression of utter exasperation. The older man settled for giving his Brat a firm shake in lieu of landing a resounding swat on the seat of his pants which is exactly what his left hand was itching to do. But this was a public place and Glen would never embarrass the young man like that.

Darby, in the meantime, found himself gently turned and lovingly enfolded in Rowan’s strong arms. He clung on tight, buried his face in the soft fabric of his lover’s shirt and fought back the tears threatening to fall.

“Okay, Sweets?” Rowan whispered and after receiving a slight nod of affirmation, exchanged a silent message with Glen. The two older men then lead their somewhat traumatized Brats out of the building to begin the trip home.

************

A quick light supper was eaten upon their return; then TJ and Darby were sent to have showers and get ready for bed.

“Darby and I are going to have to discuss today’s fiasco. Putting it off is out of the question,” Rowan quietly informed his host.

“I understand, Rowan,’ Glen reluctantly agreed, “as I also have to talk things over with TJ. Prolonging the discussion will only make matters worse and I think both our Brats are stressed out enough.”

“We’ll see you in the morning then,” Rowan stated as he got up from the table and made his way to the room he and Darby had been given.

“Good night, Row,” Glen softly called out to his guest. He spent the next few minutes straightening out the kitchen area before heading for the master bedroom. He needed to be in the right frame of mind to impress upon his partner in no uncertain terms that the day’s events were never to be repeated.

Meanwhile, Rowan sat on the side of the bed and patiently waited for Darby to emerge from the bathroom. He looked up when the man consuming his every though at the moment, entered the room wearing no more than a towel around his waist. Rowan tenderly smiled at the love of his life and held out his arms. He breathed in the fresh clean scent of his lover as they cuddled and reconnected after being apart for almost three weeks.

“I-I’m so sorry, Row,” Darby began falteringly.

“Sssh, Sweets,” Rowan soothed. “Listen to me for a moment, please.”

“But, Rowan, I’ve missed you so much and now that we finally have a weekend together, I go and blow it by….” Darby’s words were cut off by a finger being pressed firmly against his lips.

“Are you listening?” Rowan asked, gazing determinedly at his partner.

“No, but…” Darby ceased to speak when Rowan’s eyebrow peaked.

“You have not ruined our weekend. True, what you did today was illegal and went beyond carelessness. In fact, it was down right dangerous. It is one thing to party and have a good time; it is quite another to put your safety and that of others in jeopardy. You know participating like you did was wrong, Darby. You had other options, difficult as they may have been. What do you think they were?”

“I could have left when no one would listen to me and things got out of hand. I guess I could have called Glen. But, Rowan, what about TJ? How could I have just turned my back and walked away on him?”

“TJ is a grown man and responsible for his own actions, as you are for yours. I know the right thing to do would have been hard but it was doable, wasn’t it?” Rowan voice contained a wealth of understanding of just how hard it would have been.

“Yes,” Darby responded in a small voice, ready to accept the consequences for his part in this afternoon’s inappropriate and unlawful behaviour.

“I see no need to discuss it into the ground, Sweets. You and I are going to take care of it, put it behind us and start fresh.” Rowan gently kissed his partner’s head. “In the morning, I am going to make wild, passionate love to you so you’ll know just how much I love you and missed you.”

Relying on the older man to provide him with absolution, Darby nodded and slowly got to his feet, letting the towel fall to the floor as he did so. In a heartbeat, he found himself face down over his husband’s strong thighs and his bottom clenched in anticipation of the first of many painful smacks.

************

“I am having a tough time coming to grips with what you did today, TJ. When I saw you on the television screen….” Glen was cut off by his partner’s squeal of delight.

“I was on TV? When? How come I didn’t know about it?” TJ excitedly hopped up from where he was sitting next to Glen on the side of their bed. He wondered for a split second if Glen had tape the moment but decided maybe now was not the most advantageous time to ask.

“You were on the early evening news; it is how Rowan and I first learned of our partners’ escapades. Sorry you were so drunk that you cannot remember the momentous event, but if your luck holds out they might air it again on the late night news and you can tape it then,” Glen sarcastically offered the false hope as if reading his partner’s mind.

TJ figured a repeat of that rather un-newsworthy event may not prove beneficial, especially for him. He sat back down and hung his head as shame for his earlier actions permeated his being. The emotional rollercoaster he had been on a greater part of the day, was beginning to take its’ toll. He jerked to attention as the sounds of a spanking and cries of pain filtered into their room from across the hall.

“Yes, Thomas Josiah,” Glen scolded. “You are partly to blame for your friend’s painful predicament. You were supposed to entertain Darby, not treat him to a drunken bash that ended up in your arrests.” He tried not to let his lover’s enticingly naked body divert him from the course of action needed to bring them closure.

“I’m so sorry, Glen,” TJ regretfully mumbled as tears filled his beautiful coffee-coloured eyes. “I know things really got out of hand and I have no explanation for what took place. I fully acknowledge that my behaviour was reprehensible and I’ll accept any punishment you deem necessary.”

“Thank you, TJ,” Glen lovingly responded. He tightened his arms around TJ’s shoulders and his stern stance softened in light of the younger man’s sincere admission of guilt and unspoken request for forgiveness “You’ll apologize to both Darby and Rowan tomorrow, right?” Getting an overzealous nod of agreement, Glen continued. “You will also be grounded for the next two weeks; hopefully it will help you better appreciate your next opportunity to party sensibly.”

TJ gazed into Glen’s serene blue eyes. There he found the commitment to love and care for him enough to correct him when required. He also saw the promise of additional punishment seconds before finding himself lying across a rock-hard lap with his bare bottom poised for retribution. He was sobbing convulsively long before the spanking ended.

It took a long time for TJ to settle down and succumb to the soothing rhythm of his partner’s caressing hands on his back and the calming litany of words being murmured against the wiry black curls on his head.

“It’s okay, baby; it’s over now. The slate has been wiped clean and we start anew,” Glen assured the well-chastened man in his arms. “I love you, TJ, with all my heart.”

************

“I want to thank you for your hospitality over the last few weeks, Glen. You too, TJ,” Darby said, smiling at his gracious hosts.

“It was a pleasure having you, Darby,” Glen sincerely assured his houseguest as he drew him into his arms for an affectionate hug.

“You are welcome anytime, Darb,” TJ enthusiastically added, thumping his friend on the back.

“I’m sorry for any inconveniences my being here has caused either of you,” Darby humbly apologized.

“You caused no problems whatsoever, Darby. You were the perfect guest,” Glen insisted, giving the younger man a slight shake.

“Then how come TJ and I have been grounded for the last two weeks of my stay?” Darby asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Well, okay, there was that one incident….” Glen surrendered, chuckling along with Rowan and their Brats.

“I really appreciate you having my partner here and giving him the opportunity to work in your lovely city,” Rowan said, hugging TJ and shaking hands with Glen. “The two of you will have to find some time to visit at the cabin before the summer is over,” he invited as he picked up the last two suitcases and headed out of the apartment.

“Yes, and if you come out the end of the month, you’ll meet up again with my kid brother, Skyy, and his partners. The three of them are coming out for the last ten days of August. Man, I can hardly wait,” Darby announced excitedly.

“We will certainly try and work it into our house-hunting schedule,” Glen promised, following them down the hall to the elevator.

Goodbyes were exchanged and promises to call at the end of their trip home were given. Then Glen and TJ’s guest were gone.

“You know, Glen, I love having visitors, but it is soooo nice to have our home to ourselves again. It sure bodes well for spontaneity, doesn’t it?” TJ grinned leeringly up at his partner as the older man locked and closed the door. “And right now I just wanna have hot, down and dirty sex,” he exclaimed, quickly stripping off his clothing.

“And just where do you wanna have this hot, down and dirty sex?” Glen teased. His eyes lit up as he hurriedly undressed, tossing his shirt and pants onto the armchair. “On our bed, the sofa, or would you prefer the dining room table?”

TJ threw himself at his lover, tackling him to the floor. “Right here on the carpet is fine!” he breathlessly stated while Miss. Muffin high-tailed it to safety.

The End.