More Than Friends And Brothers

Disclaimer: Not mine, not getting paid.
Note: In response to the PRSW22 challenge on Live Journal; themes #09, hallways and #15, peace. – Guess what? I'm finally done with this. Whew! I never meant to drag it out so long, but as the story developed in the writing, more and more issues cropped up that needed resolving before I can move on. Sorry! Also, my apologies for taking so long to update, but Eric and Wes got in the way, as well as my vacation at the beginning of this month; hope the extra length makes up for it! – Again, thanks go to Cmar for betaing parts of it. Enjoy, I hope, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out?

More Than Friends And Brothers
Chapter 21: Homecoming, Pt. 5

They arrived back in Reefside during late afternoon two days later, relaxed, tanned and bursting with curiosity.

"It looks great," Jason commented as he swept his gaze over the freshly-painted house. "I was a bit skeptical about the color, but I'm glad we didn't go for something brighter."

"It's not that different from before, but yeah," Tommy agreed. "I kinda liked the way it was, but you were right, it does look better."

"Told you so," Jason grinned, bounding out of the car. Rosicky and a couple of his men were in the process of loading the last of their tools into a van, and he came over to hand back the keys they'd left with him.

"We just finished the last wall an hour ago," the contractor grinned. "I bet you're dying to see what we've done on the inside. Go have a look; as soon as I'm done here, I'll come in and explain everything."

"Sure. Thanks, Paul!"

Leaving their camping gear in the trunk for now, Jason and Tommy entered the house and went past the kitchen, towards the living area – only to stop dead in their tracks. They'd expected a modest enlargement of their living room, with a wooden deck outside. What they found, however, was very different – and far more.

To their left, a perfect open-plan office big enough for two was now separated from the rest of the room by a waist-high wall, a double-sided wooden bookshelf on top providing additional privacy as well as shielding the entrance to the Dino Lair from view. The original wood paneling was still intact; only the kitchen wall had been opened up by inserting a thick, smoky glass panel between the countertops and the hanging cupboards. What used to be their living room was now shorter, ended in two shallow steps and was laid with gleaming wooden floorboards. It would make a perfect dining area. The new lower level was covered with flagstone-effect slate tiles that stretched past the wide fold-back glass doors that would open up the whole wall to the back yard. A sleek modern fireplace had been built onto the left wall, their flat-screen TV hung above it, and in the far corner of the now L-shaped, double-height room a winding staircase made out of brushed steel and dark wood led to the second floor of the extension, onto a narrow mezzanine lined with built-in bookshelves. They could see a couple of doors up there, presumably to the new bedroom and bath above the office/kitchen, and on one wall new radiators resembling metal sculptures were prominently displayed instead of hidden in unobtrusive corners. They matched both the stairs and the fireplace. Gone was the slightly rustic look; their living room now presented itself as a stylish loft-like bachelor pad, yet the colors and materials were blended skillfully with the slightly worn leather sofas and coffee table.

It was stunning, it was grand – and totally not what they'd commissioned.

"What is this, some fucking home makeover show?" Tommy blurted once he got over his shock, trying to take in everything at once. He walked forward until he stood in the middle of the large room, turned and looked at Jason who was still rooted to the spot as he, too, glanced around. He seemed every bit as surprised as Tommy – however, Tommy hadn't expected him to be quite so obviously shell-shocked. "Jase?"

Jason visibly shook himself and slowly went to join his lover. It took a visible effort for him to speak, and when he managed at last, the deep voice was unsteady. "Not a home makeover show, Tom – it's the house Dad designed for me when I graduated from college."

"What?!?"

Jason's eyes were suspiciously bright in a face that alternately paled and flushed. "Dad asked me once what kind of home I'd like to have one day, then drew up plans based on my dreams." He swallowed, his voice husky with emotion. "It's all there, Tommy – the split-level living room, open-plan kitchen/dining area, the divided office space, the slate floor, the brushed steel, the mezzanine … everything. And I bet that the upstairs bedroom has a walk-in shower, a dressing area, room for a big double bed – just the way Dad and I designed it together!"

Tommy listened silently to Jason, watched him wander around the room as he pointed out detail after detail. He didn't know what, or how to feel. One part of him was glad that his lover had attained his dream house; as far as he was concerned, Jason deserved a home every bit as grand as the Collins mansion. But another, insidious little voice in his mind was sulkily – and nastily – reminding him that Jason hadn't received this generous gift from him. No, it had been John Scott who had made that dream come true; the same man who had turned his back on his son because he'd dared to choose Tommy over his father, who hadn't said one civil word to him until barely a month ago, and even then only because Jason's mother had asked him to!

What was even worse, Tommy couldn't even say whether he liked the changes to what until recently had been his home, his achievement. Yes, he'd made room for Jason and done it gladly, hadn't hesitated to make them co-owners when it became obvious that some changes needed to be made and Jason insisted on paying for them. But they'd decided together on what form these changes should take, and to have someone step in and alter that form without even a 'by your leave', someone Tommy only ever thought about in terms of dislike and anger … that was nigh unbearable.

*How dare John go over our heads like that? This is not what we wanted! If he were here right now, I'd tell him to take his fucking building expertise and craftsmanship and money and whatever else he's stuffed down our throats and tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine!*

The rational part of his mind dryly informed Tommy that that was hardly possible; as gifts went, this one wasn't returnable unless they decided to abandon the house altogether and move out. 'And be honest, that'd be the absolute dumbest thing you could do. You'd be biting off your nose to spite your face!'

Fuming silently, Tommy had to concede the point, but perversely felt even worse because of it. His anger at Jason's father rose up afresh, fueled further by the changes made to the house without their knowledge or consent. His own preference in furnishings was more traditional, and while he didn't mind accommodating Jason's taste, this was just too much at once. He wanted to hate the alterations as much as he hated John Scott … and yet couldn't bring himself to do so. Their home was spectacular now, perfectly suited to their needs, and even through his churning emotions Tommy could see how they'd be able to combine his vintage belongings with Jason's more contemporary ones into a beautiful, pleasing whole.

*Jase has had so much shit dumped on him lately, he's earned a good turn … and he's over the moon about this, that his father has done it, for whatever twisted reason. If I tell Jase I hate it, would prefer to rip it all out and start over … he wouldn't understand, would be hurt. And I can't do that to him. Ever.*

Luckily, Paul Rosicky's entry saved him from having to comment right now; the man had done a great job, on time, too, and knew it, to judge by his ear-splitting grin.

"Well? What do you guys think?"

Jason looked at him with a rather dazed expression. "I … I'm speechless," he admitted. "You did a great job, Paul – thanks!"

Seeing that the contractor was looking at him expectantly, Tommy forced himself to smile and nod. "Yeah, it's … spectacular."

"So you like the changes?"

"Who wouldn't?" Jason murmured, still rather awed.

Tommy wasn't at all sure he did. "Whatever possessed you to alter the plans we agreed on to such a degree?" he asked, just managing to keep his tone light and fairly neutral.

Rosicky shrugged, his expression growing a tad sheepish. "Yeah, well … I was at the glazer's to look at windows when I ran into your father, Jason," he explained. "John seemed pleased that I'd taken the job, asked a few general questions about how I was planning to do it, then came by my office a couple of days later and showed me the designs for this." His gesture encompassed the whole remodeled section. "I tried to tell him that your budget hardly ran up to what his design demanded, and that we were on a very tight schedule as well, but he said not to worry – then talked me through all the changes and proved that I could do it by using a few … well, tricks here and there. Like, the floorboards? They look like oak, but are actually from some fast-growing tropical hardwood, stained and sanded to resemble oak – and the quality sure beats the laminate you'd chosen."

"Don't tell me all this didn't cost an arm and a leg," Tommy said rather sharply, but to his surprise, Rosicky shook his head.

"Nope. You gave me an additional $3,500 to cover unforeseen expenses, right? Well, thanks to John's help, his expertise and contacts to suppliers, the total came in at a little over $3,600 – I felt you wouldn't mind that little bit extra."

"We don't," Jason assured the builder, coming over and laying a hand on Tommy's arm. "We know that nothing ever comes in exactly to the cent, and only a hundred-plus is excellent, right, Bro?"

Tommy was in no mood to be pacified. "Just how involved was John in the build?"

"Aside from giving me the plans and showing me the ropes? Not at all, except for getting the permits in order, overseeing the kids you rounded up and teaching them to use power tools without cutting off their fingers, or worse. He did show up two or three times each week, sure, but that was all."

"Dad project-managed?" Jason wondered, feeling his heart beat faster. Was this the first sign that his father might finally be coming to terms with his choice – or more, that he was beginning to accept it? The thought was even more exciting than coming home to such a great surprise.

"Sorta. I'd rather call it advising," Rosicky smiled. "After all, he was redrawing his original design to fit your house pretty much as we went along; anyone with less experience than John couldn't have done it in a year of Sundays. And it was great that he could keep an eye on your students."

"And of course there was nothing in it for you, right?"

The contractor raised an eyebrow at Tommy's almost-sneered question, but shrugged it off. "Didn't say there wasn't. John said if I managed to pull it off, changes and all, he'd consider going into partnership with me. Since the monster attacks stopped hitting Angel Grove a few years ago and moved elsewhere along with the Power Rangers, most commercial properties that got damaged are now rebuilt, and people are starting to do home improvements again. There'll be enough work for builders for years, so working both construction and remodeling makes perfect sense. We're negotiating terms."

Both Tommy and Jason nearly flinched guiltily. During their time as Rangers they'd done their best to keep any Zord fights away from residential areas, but hadn't always succeeded. At least they'd managed to keep casualties to a minimum; property could be repaired or rebuilt, as Rosicky's words proved. Before Tommy could react to what he considered a kickback, however, Paul changed the subject back to their house.

"You're hardly interested in my business, though, right? – Let me give you a quick run-through of the technical stuff, and I'll be off." He did just that, explaining the heaters, motorized shutters and the security system; half an hour later, he left, promising to send them the final bill as soon as everything was tallied up. Jason and Tommy watched him drive off, then Tommy fished the car keys out of his pocket.

"I'll start unpacking," he muttered, pointedly not looking at Jason. "We've got tons of laundry."

Puzzled and a little hurt by his lack of enthusiasm, Jason nevertheless agreed. "Sure. I'll put the gear back into the shed. Want me to order in for dinner?"

"Whatever." Quickly, before he lost control of his still seething and conflicting emotions, Tommy unlocked the trunk and heaved out all four bags they'd packed, then disappeared back into the house. Shrugging, putting it down to surprise at both the unexpected grandeur and his father's involvement, Jason dealt with the tent, sleeping bags and the rest of their camping paraphernalia.

***

Having eaten, Tommy refused to linger over coffee or a drink as was their usual wont and immediately started cleaning up the kitchen, waving off Jason's offer to help. "Go see whether there's anything the way we wanted it to be," he suggested curtly and turned to load the dishwasher. Thus he didn't see his lover's confused look when Jason stayed a few moments to watch him handle plates and cutlery with uncharacteristic vehemence. Deciding that he'd give Tommy a little time to get over whatever was bugging him and talk later, Jason did just that, going back into the spacious living room that seemed strangely empty now.

*We'll have to rearrange the furniture,* he mused, smiling to himself at how enthusiastic he felt about the prospect. *Or maybe even buy some new stuff as soon as we can afford to.* But that would have to wait for another day; they could do with what they had for the time being. Opening half of the folding doors, he let the warm summer evening envelope him as he stepped outside and walked into the yard, wanting to see how everything looked from the back fence. Once there, he noted that the addition blended seamlessly with the rest of the house. Rosicky had skillfully integrated everything by using reclaimed wood; thus the new siding was virtually indistinguishable from the original weathered boards, both now painted a uniform light gray. Even the narrow white pillars supporting the new sun roof at the edge of the slate-tiled terrace fit perfectly with the white trim around windows and doors. He said as much to Tommy when he finally joined him in the garden.

"It'll be great to sit out there, don't you think? Especially with the terrace now roofed over; I like that a lot better than if we'd gone for a traditional awning. Now we can have the doors open even if it's raining."

"That's about the only thing that's remained from what Rosicky told us he'd do," Tommy grumbled, still not over his anger at seeing the house changed so dramatically – and at John Scott's involvement. "What the hell was he thinking, changing so much and using your father's design?"

"I'm sure he thought he was doing us a favor," Jason soothed, "especially when Dad could tell him in good conscience that this was exactly what I wanted."

"How about what I want?" The question came out much more sharply than Tommy intended, and he winced inwardly. It wasn't Jason's fault that his father had decided to meddle uninvited in their lives, but … he still resented the mere fact that he was beholden to John Scott now. He flushed uncomfortably when Jason stared at him with honest bewilderment.

"What's got you in such a twist, Bro? Don't you like it?"

Tommy drew a deep breath and rubbed his neck. "I'd like it better if this hadn't come so totally out of left field," he muttered, telling only half of the truth.

"Well, yeah. To be honest, I'd have preferred some advance warning myself," Jason smiled. "I nearly unhinged my jaw, it dropped so hard. But all things considered, I think Paul has done a terrific job blending the old with the new – and that it's a great deal like I wanted my future house to look like is just a bonus. Don't get me wrong, I liked things the way they were, except for the lack of space, but now our home really feels as if we've both put our stamp on it, not as if you've just made room for me somehow."

That particular observation hit a little too close to home for Tommy – mainly because that was precisely what they'd done. The only things Jason had brought from his old apartment were his personal belongings and his office furniture; most of the rest had gone to thrift shops or was stashed away because they didn't need it. It had made sense at the time since Tommy's house was fully equipped with everything they needed, but instead of calming him down, it made him even more irrationally angry. "When have I ever made you feel like that?!?"

"Never, but that doesn't mean that I haven't wanted to have a little more of 'me' in the house," Jason murmured. "Look, I know you've been floored by the whole thing; so have I. I never expected Dad to take more of a hand in the remodeling beyond recommending a contractor to us, but … " He paused and gave Tommy a beseeching look, then softly asked the question Tommy had seen coming … and dreaded. "Is it so wrong for me to hope that Dad just might be reaching out?"

"Jase, you've done the same thing when your mother was sick and you went to Angel Grove," Tommy sighed. "You can't have forgotten how that turned out. Haven't you had your hopes dashed enough? Your father has treated you little better than dirt since you told him about us; what makes you think he changed his mind all of a sudden just because construction work was involved? This partnership with Paul will only make him a lot of profit, especially once they put the pictures the guy took into their advertising portfolio!"

"No," Jason protested immediately. "Dad wouldn't do that – he never advertises with stuff he's done for family!"

"Yeah, right – like you've been so much 'family' for him these past four years! Even if this is supposed to be some kind of olive branch or whatever, how can you even think of accepting it after what he's done to you – to us?!? "

Jason went very still. He hadn't expected this reaction from Tommy at all; hadn't realized how deep his resentment ran. He knew that most of it was on his behalf and stemmed from Tommy's protective streak, which could be every bit as strong as his own, but he had honestly thought that if/when a chance at reconciliation was offered at last by his father, he'd support him in reaching back. That Tommy didn't, or maybe wouldn't, do so … hurt. He lowered his head to hide his dismay.

"Because he is my father, Tom," he whispered. "Dad rejected me, yes. But I never rejected him. I couldn't – not then, not now."

"That's what I can't understand," Tommy said vehemently. "Can't you see that your father may just be manipulating you, trying to … to buy you back with something he knows you've always wanted?"

"He wouldn't do that – and no, I can't," Jason denied, then shook his head, a sad and bitter smile forming around his mouth. "The only thing I can see is that you're letting some kind of prejudice get in the way. Granted, you have reason to mistrust Dad's motives; hell, we both have – but how about trusting me? My judgment, my knowledge of my father's character? What about that?"

"It wasn't so accurate when we came out, was it?" Tommy replied without thinking, then winced when Jason recoiled and blanched.

"You're right, it wasn't," Jason said hoarsely. "No wonder you believe I'd let myself be manipulated, or that I could be bought."

Tommy flinched; that wasn't what he'd meant at all! He'd only been trying to make sense of his jumbled emotions, but even in his current state of agitation it was easy to see how that might be misconstrued. *Bro, you should know better!* But before he could explain, Jason raised a hand in a warding-off gesture.

"Don't. Let's not say something either of us will regret afterwards." Stormy midnight eyes bore into Tommy's, but when he met only defiance and anger, Jason's shoulders slumped. "I can't talk about this now." With that he turned, walking off into the gathering darkness.

"Jase, wait!"

But the hand Tommy stretched out to hold his lover back fell back to his side without reaching its target; he couldn't tell whether he'd been just a fraction too slow or if Jason had deliberately moved out of the way before he could touch him. Neither mattered now. Stunned at the unexpected turn of events, Tommy stood helplessly as Jason disappeared into the forest beyond the yard.

***


After an hour or so, Jason returned, looking rather subdued. He hated being at odds with Tommy, and had left mainly to avoid letting things escalate into a real fight. He'd needed time by himself to acknowledge and accept Tommy's right to be angry … and most of all, to examine his own reactions to what his father had done with Rosicky's help. Tommy's unthinking accusation that perhaps he was letting himself be bought had stung more than he cared to admit, but after some serious thinking Jason could honestly say that he wasn't being swayed by the generosity of the gift. *I'd be just as ready to give Dad the benefit of the doubt if he'd done nothing more than send Paul our way and made sure he did a good job.*

It just wasn't in Jason's nature to hold a grudge, no matter how much someone had hurt him; his sometimes quick temper notwithstanding, he always was ready to forgive if he saw genuine regret in the person who'd done him wrong originally. *Tommy should know that much about me.*

To be fair, he probably did – but at the moment, Jason believed that Tommy was too angry to see clearly. *Small wonder, really – when Dad turned his back on me, he was also inherently rejecting Tommy, and that's something he's always had problems dealing with. Just look at how long it took him to be friends with Kimberly again!*

However, this was a problem better left for another day; what was important now was that they resolved the tension between them. Jason knew he might not be able to reconcile his lover completely to his father's actions, but they could at least clear the air between themselves.

The downstairs was already dark except for a small light in the hallway, so Jason shut and locked the glass doors, set the button to lower the automated blinds and slowly went upstairs to their old bedroom.

Tommy was already in bed, holding an open book on his stomach. Neither said a word while Jason stripped and slipped under the cover beside him, feeling the brown eyes follow his every move. For a minute, he was tempted to let matters lie, but the air between them was thick with emotion; Jason knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep a wink if he didn't try to diffuse the situation. So he rolled towards the middle, propped his head into his hand and fleetingly touched the leanly-muscled chest with the other.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

With a sigh, Tommy closed the book he hadn't been reading anyway and put it on the nightstand, together with his glasses. Only then did he shift towards his lover and returned the gesture. "Me, too. I'm just so pissed at your father, and the way he's been meddling … I shouldn't have taken it out on you, though."

Jason briefly closed his eyes, then gazed earnestly at Tommy. "What would you have me do, Tom? Ignore what Dad did for us? I can't do that – and it doesn't matter whether I think it's a great idea or whether it was intended as some kind of bribe. At the very least, I'll have to thank him – you know as well as I do that without his intervention we'd probably still be searching for a contractor," he murmured.

"Hmm, yeah," Tommy conceded reluctantly. "But what then? Are you just gonna pretend the last four years, or the crap he pulled when your mom was in hospital, didn't happen?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet," Jason admitted. "I guess it depends on how things go when I contact him." He started tracing the pattern on the bedspread with one finger, avoiding Tommy's eyes. "Believe me, you're not the only one who's got a problem with Dad's actions. He's hurt me pretty badly … shit, his attitude has caused a lot of pain to both of us. But what if letting Paul work off his design for me is his way to make amends, or at least a first step towards a reconciliation of some kind? If it is, how can I throw that back into his face?" He sighed, daring to look up at last. The genuine concern he could read in Tommy's expression despite his not-unreasonable reservations gave Jason the courage to voice his own insecurities. "I … I wish I could decide how I feel about this. If I only knew why Dad involved himself with the renovation at all!"

"Are you going to ask him?"

"I don't know that yet either."

Tommy pondered the guarded response for a moment, then shook his head. "Even if your dad wants to make up, why pick such an underhanded way of going about it? He really should've come to you first, asked if it was okay, not just waltzed in and taken over," he grumbled. "How can you possibly bring yourself to forgive him for all the shit he put you through?"

The dark eyes meeting his were very serious. "If I decide I can, it won't be all that hard."

"Just like that, all easy-like?" Tommy asked incredulously.

"Easy? How can you even think it'll be easy for me to forgive?" Jason replied, struggling not to raise his voice. "Tom, you were there – you know all about the shit I went through. I dragged you with me every step of the way! It's gonna be one of the hardest things I'll ever do, but I can't not forgive him, either!" Breathing heavily, Jason fought to compose himself. Succeeding at last, he continued more quietly. "I've never been able to hold a grudge against someone I love. You of all people should know that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked sharply, even as a hollow sensation started to fill the pit of his stomach.

"I managed to forgive you once … for trying to kill me," Jason murmured after a pause, lowering his eyelids. "Don't tell me you've forgotten."

Tommy felt as if he'd been punched in the gut as the deeply-suppressed memory exploded back into life. "The situation was hardly the same," he protested weakly. "Rita had me under a spell at the time!"

"I didn't know that when the Green Ranger abducted me, or after he trashed the Command Center."

Seeing his lover blanch guiltily and look away, Jason found a smile and patted Tommy's arm reassuringly. "Bro, you weren't responsible for what you did under Rita's orders; we all told you often enough. Yes, for a while I almost hated the Green Ranger, but everything changed once we discovered his identity. From the moment I realized it was you, I forgot all about what happened between us in the Dark Dimension and knew only that I had to save you. Thank God we succeeded."

Momentarily caught up in the past, Tommy shivered. Inwardly, he'd constantly been horrified at his actions, but that had never completely negated the things he'd been made to do so many years ago. "I never understood how you could reach out to me afterwards like you did at the beach," he whispered shamefacedly. "You're right, I did try to kill you. I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd sent me packing."

"Wasn't gonna happen," Jason replied promptly, his voice ringing with conviction. "We not only needed you on the team, I'd felt enough of a connection with you right from the start to want you with me. Everything that had gone on before, I knew we could work through together. And we did, didn't we?"

"Yeah …" There wasn't a time when Tommy hadn't felt gratitude for Jason's generous forgiveness and steadfast support back then – it had become the bedrock of their friendship and had grown exponentially during the days he was losing his first set of Powers for good. *I'd never have made it without you, Jase. Kim did her part, too, but knowing you were going to be there, no matter what happened to me, Ranger or no Ranger, was what really kept me going – and sane. And when Trini told me how hard you took it when I hid out up in the mountains, that you risked your life for me by going back to Rita's palace for the green candle, then did it all over again for the others … I think that was when I started loving you as more than my best friend.*

"Besides, you did the same for me when the tables were turned – after I came out of that lava pit on Maligore's island. If it hadn't been for Lerigot's magic …" Jason shuddered as he remembered the tendrils of pure evil invading, then strangling his soul.

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Tommy said softly. "Bro, if I wasn't responsible for nearly killing you in the Dark Dimension, then neither were you for what happened on Muranthias. Maligore made you do it. There's nothing to forgive." The two regarded each other seriously until they both managed to give the other a reassuring if rather shaky smile.

"Then why is it so difficult for you to understand why I'd want to forgive Dad, if and when things work out that way?"

"Maybe because you're a better man than I am," Tommy sighed after a moment's reflection. "Your father was never under an evil spell; he did what he did of his own accord. That's what's so hard for me to let go of." But no matter how deep his grudge, Tommy realized that it wasn't his place to tell Jason one way or another; whatever the outcome, the only thing he could do was to give his support. He drew a deep breath. "My feelings about this don't count, though. You're right, it has to be your decision, Jase. I may not understand the hows or whys, but I trust you to make the right choice."

"You were my right choice four years ago," Jason said, his expression growing soft. "And look how that turned out in the end."

"Point taken." Tommy replied with a small, sheepish grin. It was hard to argue with the happiness and contentment they'd found in each other every day since they'd started sharing their lives.

Suddenly exhausted, Jason lay back against his pillow. "Anyway, this could all be pure speculation. Whatever happens when I contact Dad, I'll just have to play it by ear. Tomorrow, or something." He yawned, turned his head and smiled at his best friend and lover. "Can you bear with me until then?"

"Of course." Tommy smiled back and leaned over to kiss Jason lightly. "Sleep well." He would've retreated to his own pillow, but Jason stayed him with a hand to his cheek and held Tommy's eyes with his own, warmth shining from the midnight depths once more.

"Do I really have to tell you that not even the Hearst mansion would be a big enough bribe, by Dad or anyone, to make me leave you? That's what your crack earlier was about, wasn't it?"

Slightly embarrassed at being caught out, Tommy shrugged and nuzzled the large palm. "Yes, it was, and no, you don't," he murmured. "I shouldn't have said that. Sorry."

"Just keep that in mind when I talk to Dad eventually," Jason replied sleepily and drew Tommy down for a lingering kiss before releasing him and shifting into his favorite sleeping position – on his right, one leg tucked between Tommy's and his head cradled on his lover's shoulder. "G'night." A minute later, soft snores told Tommy he was asleep.


***

"Well? How did it go?"

"Hell if I know," Jason sighed, sinking into one of the deck chairs Tommy had placed into the back yard to take advantage of the late-afternoon sun two days later. "Dad was polite enough when I got him on the phone, but he said was basically 'thanks for calling, don't do it again anytime soon'. I got a feeling he was kind of pleased that I did call to say thanks, but … shit, I'm really none the wiser."

"I'm sorry." Tommy had had some serious reservations about Jason contacting his father at all, but he couldn't very well refute the argument that at the very least good manners demanded a response. So he hadn't objected too strenuously when Jason announced that he was going to say his thanks by phone; he just hoped that it wouldn't result in another rejection. He regarded Jason with sympathy – this was as hard for him as being completely ignored by his father. "At least he didn't hang up on you."

"There's that, yeah – and maybe it is progress of sorts. Still, I really wish I knew what's going on," Jason murmured, toying with the glass of iced tea Tommy had poured for him. "Does he want a reconciliation, or doesn't he?"

"Could be he's waiting for you to, I dunno, come to him."

Jason snorted. "Yeah, right. If that's the case, he's gonna have a long wait. I'll be damned if I'm bending over backwards – he was the one to break things up, not me. I've done about all I'm willing to do."

"Good for you," Tommy approved, thinking that John Scott didn't even deserve that much from Jason. "So … nothing's really changed?"

"Not for the time being, no." Wearily, Jason passed a hand down his face, then shrugged fatalistically. "Anyway, the next move is definitely Dad's." The finality and determination in the deep voice were good to hear, and tallied perfectly with Tommy's own stance on the matter. The two gazed at each other, compassion in Tommy's eyes, which Jason acknowledged with a wry smile. "Can't blame a guy for trying, though," he murmured, drained his glass and abruptly changed the subject to something more pleasant.

"Okay, birthday boy, have you decided yet what we're going to do for your big day this year?"

"Turning thirty-five is hardly a 'big day'," Tommy acquiesced readily with a grin, "but yeah, I have – as it's on a Thursday, what do you say to just the two of us going out for dinner someplace nice on the day, then have a few folks come over on the Saturday right after? We could do a barbecue, or something."

"Sounds like a plan. How many people are we talking about?"

"Let's see – my folks, David and Karen, Hayley … maybe Anton? And if they can spare the time and don't mind the drive, Eric and Wes?"

Jason nodded. "Cool. We'll have to borrow or rent some more patio furniture, though."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Think we could set up a wading pool or something for David's kids if the weather holds? He mentioned they might bring them along this time."

"Can't find a sitter for the little hellions, can he?" Jason smirked. He liked Tommy's nephews, but they certainly could be a handful.

"Hey! Sam and Ross aren't that bad!"

"Like hell they aren't," Jason laughed. "They're twins, and they're five years old. Being hellions comes with the territory. Just ask Trini – you'd think she and Will ought to have produced kids as nice, gentle and quiet as they are, but remember her last email? Taylor's four, and she called him the 'terror of the sandpit'; the tantrum little Mai-Ling threw during our last phone call wasn't half-bad either, and she's only two!"

Tommy had to laugh as well. "Touché. Pity they can't come."

"Hardly likely, with Trini pregnant again."

"Yeah. But ten people is a nice, round number."


***


The number of guests turned out to be an even dozen; Kimberly and her husband Kevin Sorensen had come to California on business and dropped in unexpectedly, along with their two-year-old daughter Josie. They were a very welcome addition to the party, and Kim especially delighted in finally getting to meet two other Rangers. She hardly even blinked at being introduced to a former Bad Guy. Anton Mercer weathered her sharp look and subsequent teasing with good grace, but was nonetheless glad when Hayley took pity on him and gently but firmly distracted the petite erstwhile Pink Ranger.

At one point, everybody split up into smaller groups – Tommy's father was deep in conversation with Anton Mercer and Hayley, Rachel Oliver and Karen Trueheart were in the kitchen putting the last touches to the food while the grill heated up, and David and Kevin were at the lower end of the back yard, playing with the children. That left the five once-and-present Rangers to converse quietly on one side of the terrace.

Kim accepted the wine cooler Jason handed her with a grateful nod. "I've always meant to ask, Tommy – what did you tell your folks about how you're friends with two active Rangers? You haven't mentioned that mission to the moon to them, have you?"

"God forbid, no," Tommy shuddered, helping Jason refill everybody else's drinks. "They'd freak, although it's been years and safely over. David knows, so does Anton, but neither Karen nor my parents do."

"Kevin isn't aware of my Ranger past, either," Kimberly admitted softly. "Sometimes I wish I could tell him, but I can't bring myself to disregard Zordon's rule."

"If somebody asks, we can tell them quite honestly that Eric and I met in a bar in San Diego, when I was at college and went out to celebrate my twenty-first birthday," Jason said casually.

"Did you really?" Kim asked, surprised.

"Uh huh." It was the truth, after all – just not the whole truth.

"How come you never mentioned it when we learned about the Time Force team?"

"Long story, long forgotten," Jason shrugged, giving both Tommy and Wes a sly look. The one thing nobody needed to know were the exact circumstances of his and Eric's first meeting. "Anyway, we found out we share an interest in karate, one thing led to another and we reconnected when Anton asked me to train his security force. After all, he got that idea from Mr. Collins and the Silver Guardians."

"We can even prove that you consulted with us about a training program," Wes approved, banishing the uncomfortable twinge the reference to the one-night stand Jason and Eric had had with each other back in 2001 still managed to evoke sometimes. A certain curiosity about their rather unlikely friendship was inevitable, he supposed, but that didn't mean he was comfortable discussing it with strangers, fellow Ranger or not. He knew Eric and Jason rarely, if ever, thought about it these days and were absolutely faithful to him and Tommy, but …

"Stop beating the horse; it's not only dead, but buried halfway to Australia," Eric murmured softly, nudging him. Reluctantly, Wes nodded, then caught Tommy's wry grin and started to feel better. Just knowing that he wasn't alone with his feelings helped.

"What if they assume that you became friends because all four of you are in a same-sex relationship, though?" Kimberly fretted. She was glad that Jason and Tommy had found someone to relate to on more than just a casual level, and sensed that their friendship was genuine – maybe not as deep as among their old gang, but not far behind – and didn't want anyone to belittle that.

"So what? Let them," Tommy said. It had played a part in bringing them close, just not a very important one.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. There clearly was more to the story than she was being told, but she would respect their obvious wish not to explain further. *For now, anyway.*

Adroitly, she changed the subject. "So, are you guys going furniture shopping anytime soon?" she teased. "You do need some new stuff now to match the house, you know."

Wes laughed. "Hey, let them recover from remodeling first, Kim! We repainted Eric's house and redid the kitchen after I'd moved in, and that was bad enough on top of having to find room for what I'd brought from home! I think if we'd had to go shopping for anything more – besides the paint, a mattress and new curtains," he ticked off items on his fingers, winking at Eric, "Eric would've kicked me out again right away!" He snickered when his partner groaned and muttered something about trying to forget that period as soon as possible. "Well, it's true!" He then turned to their hosts. "Seriously, though, Kim's right. Your house looks great now, but you could do with a dining table, for starters."

"Maybe later," Tommy demurred, trying to keep calm. This was something of a sore point between him and Jason, but now was hardly the time to get into the reasons for that. *Provided Kim and my folks don't notice anything's amiss!* "As soon as we save up enough money." *There, that should do nicely. Happens to be true, too.*

Wes raised an eyebrow, then nodded as he belatedly remembered that teaching salaries were hardly on a par with the compensation he and Eric got for their high-risk jobs. "Well, whenever you're ready, give us a call," he said lightly. "I can probably get you a deal with the company that furnished Bio-Lab's executive dining room. And if we ever decide to do some major renovating ourselves, I just might ask you for your contractor's address."

"That'll be when hell freezes over," Eric quipped, only half joking.

Tommy's smile was rather pained as he replied. "Sure. Just make sure he does exactly what you tell him to do, not decides on his own to alter the plans you agreed on."

"What, you wanted something different?" Eric wondered.

"You have no idea," Tommy muttered darkly, only to be interrupted by Jason's long-suffering sigh.

"Let it go already, Bro. How many times do we have to rehash this?"

Slightly embarrassed, Tommy looked aside and mumbled an apology.

Jason nodded and turned towards Eric. "We'd originally planned something simpler, but Paul was unaware of the situation with my father; he thought he was doing us a favor and incorporated a design Dad gave him;."

"Ouch," Wes commented.

"No kidding," Tommy grumbled.

Because she knew them so well, Kim was able to pick up on the sudden strain between her friends and gave them a searching glance. "Is that why you've put off rearranging your furniture?" she asked curiously. "Like, it's as if you don't want to use all that extra space. Everything is so much bigger and better than what you had before – I can't understand why you're still using that cramped spare room for an office, or why you haven't moved into the new master bedroom."

*Oh shit. Do you have to be so perceptive, Kim?* "Sorta. It's … complicated," Jason admitted after a moment's pause.

"Complicated how?" she insisted. "I should think your dad managed to meet every need you have, Jase!"

"He has," Jason conceded with a small sigh. "Which is part of the problem."

"What problem?" Wes asked, picking up on the fact that Kim's remark brought certain undercurrents to light that he'd never sensed between Jason and Tommy before. Next to him, Eric leaned forward as well, focusing his attention on the other couple.

"It just doesn't feel right," Tommy said with a sigh of his own, then tried to tell their friends from Silver Hills with his eyes to let the matter rest. "Look, you guys know that we're having issues with Jason's dad …"

Unfortunately, his silent message didn't get across. Eric frowned. "Didn't you resolve 'em before you accepted his help?" Before either Jason or Tommy could answer, Kimberly suddenly sat up and lightly punched Jason's shoulder while giving him a stern glare.

"Speaking of which, I'm still mad at you for not telling any of us," she said, sounding rather annoyed. "How come you could tell Eric and Wes about your parents' attitude, and Trini and I had to hear it from Rocky? Years after the fact, too?" The friends had all been shocked to learn about the situation, and were understandably concerned … as well as miffed that they hadn't been kept informed.

"There was nothing any one of you could've done, Kim," Jason shrugged. "I know you all would've been concerned, but the last thing I needed or wanted was pity."

"There's a world of difference between compassion and pity, and you know that, Jase," Kim said reproachfully. "You'd have gotten lots of the first, none of the latter, I daresay. Besides, you told them!" She gestured at the Quantum and Time Force Rangers. "So why not us?"

"None of you were in quite the same position as we to understand, Kimberly," Wes interjected quietly. "My father wasn't very accepting of our relationship at first, either; that's why Tommy came to us for advice."

"None of you guys are gay," Eric added bluntly. "Or bi and living with a same-sex partner. No matter how much things may have changed in recent years, there're still a number of issues that remain more complicated for us than for straight folks." The four men exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Kim winced, blushing guiltily. Somehow, she had a hard time associating the problems same-sex couples often faced and which she only heard about in the media with her friends. In her mind, Jason and Tommy went together like coffee and cream, they were two halves of a whole … the way it had been from the start. It was natural that they loved each other. Instinctively, she applied the same reasoning to Eric and Wes. Neither couple fit into any kind of stereotype, and thus she found it easy to forget that their choice of life partners wasn't exactly mainstream.

"Oh. Right." She gave them all an apologetic smile. "No offense, okay? I just would've liked to help if I'd known." Then her eyes blazed briefly. "And if any one of you guys ever implicates again that my being straight would've kept me from understanding or offering what support I can, I'll deck you," she threatened. "That's got nothing whatsoever to do with it!"

Eric regarded her steadily for a few heartbeats before he nodded at last, conceding her right as a friend to be upset. Then he stage-whispered to Tommy. "You actually dated her?!?"

"Hey, give me a break. I was a teenager, I didn't know any better," Tommy promptly replied, dispelling the rather charged atmosphere with a Jason-style joke. Kimberly immediately swatted him.

"Don't even go there, Tommy!" she warned, fighting to suppress a giggle. "You know I don't get mad – I get even!"

"Do I ever," he groaned comically, rubbing his arm as the other three laughed.

"Hmph. That goes for you as well, Mister!" She glared impartially at Eric, who gave her a mock salute.

"Yes'm." He slanted a sideways glance at Wes. "Why do I get the feeling she'd get along swimmingly with Taylor? Both bossy, opinionated …"

"Hey, leave me out of this! I like living too much!" Wes threw up his hands in pretend horror, doubling everyone's mirth.

"I'll take the thought for deed, Kim," Jason comforted her once their combined chuckles died down. "But as Tommy said, it doesn't feel right to just accept what Dad did for us."

"I'd feel the same way," Eric agreed. "Man, I still have problems accepting the same kinds of birthday presents and stuff that Wes gets from his father each year – and that's even though I know he's okay with our relationship by now!"

"That's just it – as far as we know, Jase's dad still isn't okay with us. And as long as we have no idea what his motives were for getting involved, I for one am extremely uncomfortable about making use of everything," Tommy muttered, gratified that Eric at least nodded in agreement. He took Jason's hand, squeezing it in silent apology. "I'm sorry, Bro. You're right, this is hardly the time or place to get into all that stuff, and I will let it go – for now."

Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Despite their conversation right after the renovation was complete, they were still arguing, coming to the brink of a serious fight more than once. Intellectually, he understood Tommy's position, even shared it to some degree, but emotional acceptance was an entirely different kettle of fish for both of them. However, they really shouldn't drag this out in public today. Summoning a rather strained smile, he drew a deep breath and shrugged. "Fair enough."

A somewhat uncomfortable silence settled over the group, luckily broken by Kim's daughter who toddled up to Eric, tugged on his pants leg and held out a slightly mashed piece of bread to him. "Come eat, Unca Eric," she half-begged, half-ordered.

A panicked look entered the Quantum Ranger's eyes as he rather gingerly accepted the slice of toast, determinedly ignoring the others' grins and subdued snickers. He really had no idea why the little girl had taken such a shine to him; he dealt well enough with Sky Tate on their semi-regular visits to New Tech City, had enjoyed sharing the care of his birds with his former neighbors' daughter, but Josie was completely out of his league. He'd only met her a few hours ago, but already Eric couldn't resist her big brown eyes and sweet, engaging smile. So he got to his feet and took the toddler's hand. "Sure thing, honey." Daring Wes, Jason and Tommy to comment with a ferocious glare, Eric followed her enthusiastic tug towards the table.

"Oh my," Kim giggled. "I knew Josie usually has you and Jase wrapped around her grubby little pinky, Tommy, but I had no idea she could do it to Mr. Tough Guy, too!"

Wes laughed. "Don't tell him I said so, but deep down, Eric's a sucker for kids. Especially when he comes up against cuties like your daughter, Kim. I honestly think Eric would've made a great father. "

"Why, thank you!" Kim beamed.

Just then, Rachel Oliver called them over to help with the barbecue.

Tommy grinned and got up. "Anton and Dad are hopeless at grilling burgers," he smirked. "Kim, why don't you go rescue Eric before Josie tries to feed him? And you guys could help Kevin and David with the boys."

"Right," Jason groaned comically, stood as well and clapped Wes on the shoulder. "Come on, let's see if we can manage to stay dry when we try to fish them out of the kiddie pool!"

"Good idea," Wes agreed. "Just point me to the towels first. Then food; I'm starving!"

"You and everybody else, pal!"

***

Exhausted in the aftermath of their lovemaking, Jason was sleeping peacefully as Tommy quietly slipped out of bed and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, then left the room. He made his way downstairs in the darkness, reflecting that by all rights he should be just as tired, only – he wasn't.

Once outside on the terrace, he filled his lungs deeply with the fresh night air. Halloween was just around the corner and it was really too cold to be outside half-naked at night, but it would've taken too long to hunt for a shirt and might've woken his lover. Leaning against one of the pillars holding up the overhanging roof, Tommy sighed. Despite having shared an orgasm with Jason, he didn't feel sated. It was as if even having passionate sex could no longer break through the invisible barrier that seemed to be growing between him and Jason lately.

*I don't even have to look far for a reason,* Tommy thought morosely. *I know why I can no longer relax and enjoy what we have.*

Indeed, his current dissatisfaction with life in general was solely due to the simple fact that he couldn't get past John Scott's still-unexplained decision to intrude on their home – on them. He'd made the attempt, yes, but it had been half-hearted at best … and it was no longer good enough. Day by day, the chasm grew wider, and if something wasn't done soon, their relationship would suffer. He had to let go, only – how?

Everybody kept telling him that he should get over himself, that the house looked great, that it was perfect for him and Jason. Truthfully, it was – which somehow made everything worse instead of better. On his birthday, only Eric, of all people, seemed to understand his reservations. Not even his parents and brother grasped fully why he wasn't over the moon by the way the building project had turned out. Granted, Jason did, but Tommy strongly suspected that deep down he kept nursing a fresh hope that John's involvement just might lead to an eventual reconciliation.

*Not that I can really blame him.* He knew exactly how deeply Jason had been hurt, and he wanted him to find peace. But he still resented the way the older man had chosen to go about it. *John just waltzed in and gave Jase a gift that's worth a small fortune, way beyond what I – what we could've afforded. It might be worth even more if the motive behind it means something other than trying to manipulate Jase. The jerk never said why, why now, or even that he's sorry for the way he's treated him.*

An apology should have come beforehand, as well as a request for permission. That's the way things should have gone, Tommy believed, and that was what he couldn't forgive – on top of all the other things John had, or rather hadn't, done in the past four years. In principle Jason agreed with his partner, but he was willing to overlook a lot for the sake of a possible reunion.

*Why can he, the injured party, forgive his Dad, and I can't? I made peace with Kim; I've managed to let go of the memories of what Rita and Zedd did to me. Well, mostly, anyway, unless I'm having a nightmare. Shit, I'm even friends with Anton again; all of that was far worse for me than John getting involved in the renovation. Why is it so hard for me to get over it?*

Tommy had asked himself that very question a hundred times and more, and was no closer to an answer now, weeks later, than on that first night. Wearily, he stared across the moonlit lawn towards the forest, letting his mind go blank as he waited for he knew not what.

No sound or movement disturbed the quiet autumn night, and yet Tommy knew exactly when Jason stepped onto the terrace. Like him, he was only clad in loose-fitting pants; and although it was very much the wrong place and time to feel desire, the sight of the sculpted chest under the light of the crescent moon made his insides flutter.

"Jase," Tommy murmured, acknowledging his presence at last. As if the soft word had broken a holding spell, Jason came forward to join him, stopping just out of reach.

The deep voice was a mere whisper in the stillness surrounding them. "Why'd you get up again, Bro?"

Tommy just shrugged. "Not tired enough, I guess."

"You should be." Jason tilted his head. "I missed you."

"You were already asleep."

"Not that deeply. You could've woken me."

"Didn't want to. You need the rest."

"And you don't? Come on, Tommy, that's not the reason why you're down here instead of upstairs in bed, where we both should be this time of night," Jason chided him. "Or at least not the only one. My guess is you're upset because something was … well, off about our lovemaking just now. Am I right?"

Tommy stifled a groan. It came as no real surprise that Jason had picked up on the emptiness he had felt so shortly ago; they were too close, too attuned to each other for it to be just one-sided. And yet for once Tommy almost wished it were different … because then he would be spared the necessity of finding an explanation for something he wasn't sure he understood himself. Nevertheless he tried to avoid the issue.

"What are you talking about? Everything was great, as usual."

"Physically, it was," Jason agreed. "But how about emotionally?" When Tommy didn't answer, he continued after a few heartbeats. "Bro, we've been together for almost ten years; do you honestly believe I wouldn't notice that this time your heart wasn't really in it?"

"I-" Tommy started, only to be interrupted by Jason's stern look.

"Don't even think about denying it," Jason said evenly. "We know each other too well, and I'll get really pissed if you start lying to me." He inhaled deeply. "What's wrong?"

Defeated, Tommy closed his eyes. "Nothing, I – I mean, we – oh hell, I don't know," he sighed. "You're right, I couldn't completely let go."

There was no satisfaction in having his suspicions confirmed, Jason found. "Why not?"

"Beats me. I've been just so mixed up lately … I don't want to feel like this, but it's like everything has changed, like nothing is the way it used to be," Tommy whispered, cringing inwardly.

"Before Dad interfered with the remodeling, you mean?" Jason asked with a sudden flash of insight. At Tommy's hesitant nod, a shade of bitter sadness flitted briefly across his face. *How long are you gonna carry that around, Bro?* He forced himself to remain calm and kept his voice carefully neutral. "Tom, it's done; we can't unmake what he did. The only thing we can do is deal."

He received a half-defiant, half-skeptical look from his partner. "Can you?"

Wearily, Jason rubbed a hand across his chin and sighed before meeting the brown eyes with his own. "Most of the time. Some days are better than others, but on the whole … yeah, I'm dealing. Thanks to you, your folks … and our friends. Especially after Eric's 'lesson'. It was a hard thing to learn, but you guys made sure I did." Both Jason's voice and expression softened. "Tommy, you've let Dad's attitude become your problem instead of mine. Please stop."

Tommy winced at the astute assessment. The situation had long become personal, and he was no longer sure whether he was still angry solely on Jason's behalf, or his own. "That's not as easy as it sounds," he mumbled.

"No, it's not." Jason sighed, choosing his next words with care. "But Tom, we've done nothing wrong. It's taken me ages to fully realize it, but now I know that the fault, if any, lies with Dad. Not with you, not with me – with him. All we can do is accept the things we cannot change." He let the quiet statement sink in, then took a step closer, almost, but not quite close enough to touch. "What's really bugging you? I get the feeling that it's more than just my father's involvement in the remodeling. You've never held a grudge for so long, especially not over something neither one of us is responsible for."

Tommy had to look away. It was a difficult admission to make, but he no longer had a choice – Jason deserved an honest answer from him. "Mostly it's because the house is so different now," he murmured at last, daring to sneak a sideways peek at Jason from under his lashes to gauge his reaction. "It's dumb, I know, and I'm trying to get past it, but … sometimes I feel like it's not my home anymore."

"It's not exactly supposed to be," Jason reminded him gently. "We started the whole thing because we wanted to make it our home, remember?" Before Tommy could reply, he went on. "Are you sure you wouldn't feel the same if Paul had stuck to our original plans? The changes would've been pretty extensive anyway – just less grand."

"Could be," Tommy conceded reluctantly. "Told you it was dumb."

"Your feelings on the matter are hardly 'dumb' – especially not if they drive a wedge between us."

"Do they?"

He flinched at the short, humorless bark of laughter coming from Jason. "Shit, yeah. Tom, less than two hours ago we were as close as two guys can get with each other. But I could feel you weren't truly there, not even when you were taking me up the ass! You haven't been, not really, since we've come back from vacation and saw what Dad has done."

Tommy blushed uncomfortably, but couldn't deny the truth behind the blunt words. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Jason soothed, closing the remaining distance between them to touch Tommy's shoulder, then gave him a slight shake. "I was rather pissed myself once I got over my surprise, no matter how much I liked the result. But is it worth obsessing over for so long? It's been over two months, Bro." He regarded his best friend and lover with serious eyes. "If you're still doing this out of some urge to protect me … don't, okay? I've gone past that. As long as you're with me, I can handle everything."

Tommy opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. With startling accuracy Jason had laid his finger on the exact sore spot. It was in both their natures to protect the ones they loved, especially each other, but somehow he'd let his need to shield his lover from pain get out of hand. He'd lost sight of the fact that no matter what obstacles life threw at him, Jason was perfectly capable of managing his own life.

"I guess I got it into my head that I was responsible for your dad kicking you out," he admitted at last. "If it hadn't been for me, you might've found someone else to love, someone he could accept." Agitatedly, Tommy raked a hand through his hair. "Just look at what he gave you!" He gestured vaguely towards the remodeled living area. "If I wasn't in the picture, you could have so much more – more than I can ever give you!"

Jason rolled his eyes in exasperation as he interrupted him. "Haven't we been over that before? You think I give a shit about that stuff? You know me better than that, Tom. What exactly are you afraid of? That I'd stop loving you just because Dad suddenly chose to spend a load of money on me?"

The embarrassed silence and slow flush rising up Tommy's neck was answer enough, and Jason made a sound deep in his throat that was half sigh, half groan.

"Tommy, this isn't a contest. I love my father, and I always will – because he helped shape me into who I am today, because he used to be the best dad I could've wished for and because he was the most important person for a big part of my life. Nothing's going to change that. Then I fell in love with you – something else that's never going to change – and chose to act on my feelings. I got lucky; you love me back. Now you've become the best, the most important thing in my life. It was Dad's choice to reject me because of that. His, not mine. Do I regret what happened? Hell, yeah. But I'll never regret choosing you!"

Jason drew a calming breath before he continued with less vehemence. "Tommy, I've had to learn the hard way that I can live without my father. But I can't imagine living without you. Or not loving you." He paused, found a gentle smile. "If there ever was a contest, love, you've won it hands down years ago."

Tommy's shoulders sagged as tension he hadn't been aware of flowed from him all in one rush.

"Thanks," he whispered. He rubbed the back of his neck, then smiled rather sheepishly. "Rationally, I guess I knew all that, but I couldn't help thinking that if I hadn't talked you into moving in with me you wouldn't have had to go through all this shit."

Jason snorted. "You talked me into nothing, Bro," he stated firmly. "I've wanted to live with you just as much – longer even, remember? – and if you insist on playing the blame game, I could've kept my damned mouth shut ten years ago and never told you that I loved you more than just as my best friend or brother!" He quirked a wry grin. "By that reckoning, it'd all be my fault."

Tommy's head jerked up at that absurdity.

"That's bullshit!"

"No more than you feeling all guilty on my behalf, or inferior because you can't keep me in a mansion," Jason countered immediately. "Which I'd hate anyway. Both the house and the being kept!"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts. Truth."

Unable to protest, Tommy finally met his lover's eyes. They were calm, open – full of love and concern, and there was no way Tommy could miss the sincerity Jason was projecting. He felt his lips curve in a respondent grin.

"Truth, huh? So we're both to blame?"

"As much as any two people who fall in love with someone their families don't approve of," Jason nodded. "We've been so incredibly lucky to be accepted by everyone else we care about; even Rocky is coming to terms with us. And he has a better reason than most to disapprove."

"Yeah …"

Jason grasped both of Tommy's arms, his hands firm and warm on his chilled skin. "What am I, a broken record? Tom, I regret nothing. You are the best thing in my life, and I won't let my father destroy that. I love you. Nothing he can do or say will change that. Not then, not now. Not ever."

"I love you, too," Tommy sighed. "I guess I'm really being an idiot."

"Yes."

"Hey!" Tommy protested half-heartedly.


"Another truth," Jason smiled. "C'mere." He slid his hands around the trim waist.

A little sheepishly, Tommy complied, drawing the muscular body close until Jason could rest his forehead against his neck.

"That's better," he said quietly, his breath warm against Tommy's skin.

"Mmm." As they stood against the pillar, holding each other in a loose, comfortable embrace, Tommy finally felt the tension drain from his body and the hollow emptiness within himself fill once more with warmth and comfort. Basking in the familiar sensation, he tightened his hold around his lover. "Forgive me?"

"Always," Jason promised, then raised his head so that their eyes met. The look in the midnight depths took Tommy's breath away. "Now shut up and kiss me." Willingly, Tommy obeyed the husky command.

As soon as their mouths met, Jason's lips opened and Tommy slipped his tongue between them, letting it dance softly with its counterpart. They both felt the other relax in that gentle, undemanding embrace that somehow brought them closer than the more heated kisses they'd shared earlier. When they separated at last, Jason smiled into the chocolate-brown eyes.

"Welcome back."

"I wish I'd never left," Tommy sighed ruefully, staying within the apt metaphor. He had let outward considerations interfere with their relationship, creating a palpable distance that was as bad or worse than a 'real' separation. "But now that I'm back where I belong, what do you suggest we do?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with," Jason murmured against his lover's lips. To his delight, Tommy took it as an invitation for a second, deeper kiss that left them both slightly breathless.

*Comfortable? How can we be comfortable with the house still in shambles?* Tommy wondered, then caught himself. How had he made the leap from emotional unease to purely physical discomfort? If that was the only thing bothering him, it could be easily rectified. *Jase is right, we can't undo the changes to the house – and whatever motive John's had, it's no longer worth fighting over.* Once he arrived at that conclusion, it was surprisingly easy to let go of his lingering resentment – something he hadn't been able to so far. It felt … good.

"I guess we could start moving furniture," Tommy capitulated with a small smile.

"About time," Jason chuckled, his relief evident in the hug he bestowed on Tommy. "But not tonight."

"Uh, no. How does Saturday sound?" Tommy couldn't resist the softness of the warm mouth so close to his own, and gave a teasing lick. Jason gasped and tightened his hold, pressing himself against the smooth chest.

"Perfect."

Whatever else he might've been tempted to say was swallowed in yet another kiss that started innocently enough, but soon deepened when they moved into full body contact. It was electrifying for both men. Their hands started to roam almost simultaneously, warming their flesh. Tommy shuddered when Jason's thumb brushed against his left nipple, and he felt his cock harden. Since they both wore nothing but thin sweatpants, Jason couldn't help but be aware of his reaction and promptly cupped the tight buttocks, letting Tommy feel his own burgeoning arousal.

"It's after midnight," he remarked idly, trying in vain to control his already-ragged breathing.

"Uh huh. Way past bedtime," Tommy agreed breathlessly, nibbling down the throbbing vein in Jason's neck even as he slipped one hand underneath his waistband.

"It's a workday tomorrow," Jason panted, flexing his ass as he drew the nails of one hand down Tommy's spine, making him shiver.

"Yeah," Tommy groaned, pumping his groin against the corresponding hardness jutting from between Jason's thighs. "We'll be totally bushed if we don't go to sleep soon."

It really was the sensible thing to do. But spontaneous lust rarely cared about sense.

Deliberately losing the fight to desire, Jason reached for the straining cock with trembling fingers. "You know what? Sleep is overrated." He hooked his other hand around Tommy's neck and thrust his tongue between the willingly parted lips, taking his mouth in a hungry kiss.

"Bed. Now."

"Right."

Minutes later, they fell onto the mattress together. That night, they didn't sleep at all.

***

"You know what? I don't like this," Jason told Tommy two weeks later. They had just manhandled a chest-of-drawers into their new master bedroom and were catching their breaths before starting on the bed.

"Don't like what?" Tommy inquired, handing him a can of cold soda he had fetched from the kitchen.

"The wall paint. It's boring."

"It's white. What did you expect? Drama?"

There was a faint hiss as Jason popped the can's tab and thirstily chugged down half the content. "No – and before you ask, no purple polka dots, either. I just think we need something different," he said. "Something not quite so … stark."

"But the room is freshly painted," Tommy pointed out reasonably.

"So? Doesn't mean I have to like the color."

"I suppose not," Tommy conceded, secretly pleased that not all the contractor's choices (or Jason's father's; he no longer particularly cared whose) met Jason's unqualified approval. "Next time, make up your mind beforehand," he grumbled good-naturedly. "Gotta admit, though, you're right; it is rather bland. So now what?"

"Let's redo the whole thing," Jason shrugged. "It's not that much work, and we can do it ourselves. If we go to the DIY store now to pick a color we both like, we can have it done by tonight. What do you say?"

Grinning, Tommy finished his own soda and tossed the can into a garbage sack in the corner. "I say you're nuts, but what the hell – let's go for it!"

"Cool. We can grab lunch on the way."

*

"Y'know, I wasn't sure at first whether the color would really go with everything else, but now that we're done, I must say it does look better," Tommy admitted, glancing around the room as he tossed their rollers and brushes into a handy pail when they finished at sunset. The now light-gray walls blended well with the charcoal-gray carpet and the dark-stained oak of their furniture, and the deep red of their bedspread and lampshades would add a rich, sensuous touch. "I like it."

"I knew it," Jason grinned smugly, pulling off the bandanna he'd worn and wiped his sweaty face. "If we leave the window and door open, the smell should wear off overnight and we can move in tomorrow."

"Can't wait," Tommy said. "I'm sick of living out of boxes."

"You and me both. Come on, let's finish up here, have a bite to eat and crash in front of the TV; I'm not up for anything more."

"I really should work on my lesson plan for Monday, but … oh, screw it. I'll give the kids a pop quiz instead," Tommy decided, helping his lover collect their materials and trash. "TV sounds fine."

*

The next morning was spent dismantling their bed and carrying the parts from one room into the other. Reassembly was quick work, as was putting on fresh linens and moving in the rest of their furniture. By early afternoon, all that needed doing was sorting their clothes into drawers and the wall-to-wall closet – a simple yet ingenious affair of built-in shelves and hanging space covered by two large sliding doors that resembled Japanese shoji, only with larger panels. One whole length in the center had mirrors instead of opaque glass, and Jason was looking forward to being able to watch himself and Tommy making love. He suppressed the pleasant shiver the thought gave him with no little effort.

*Time enough for that when we get around to properly 'christen' the room,* he thought with a hidden smile, stashing various items into the nightstands. Their lube, wipes and other paraphernalia, including the butt plug, went into a drawer for easiest accessibility. *Pity we'll both be too tired again tonight – but I can't wait to try some of the new stuff!* His insides tightened. True to his promise, Tommy had joined him in picking out a few more toys, and their first order had arrived a couple of days ago. Just the memory of what just browsing the online catalogue together and discussing the various items had done to their lovemaking that night was enough to make him moan under his breath.

*Down, boy,* Jason told his hardening cock and quickly left the bedroom for another load. They still had work to do; he could indulge his fantasies later.

"Have you found the Black Hole in our old room yet?" Tommy grumbled as he passed Jason on the landing, both going back and forth with armloads of clothes. "I swear, half of my socks disappeared in one!"

"Yours, too? Personally, I think it's gremlins," Jason replied, grinning at his lover. "They're probably also responsible for eating holes in some of my t-shirts. I could've sworn they were fine the last time I wore them."

"Right now, I'm almost ready to believe anything. Man, I never realized we had so much stuff – didn't we both sort out a huge heap when you moved in?"

"Uh huh. Which was four years ago."

Tommy snorted. "Yeah, and things just multiplied when we weren't looking, huh?"

Jason laughed and kissed him. "Whatever. Come on, let's get this over with."

***

Taking advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend, the two were readying the property for winter on Friday when a tan sedan unexpectedly came up Valencia Road and stopped not far from the house. Recognizing the car, Jason caught his breath and froze with shock. Tommy immediately decided to ignore the visitors for the moment and turned towards him.

"Bro? What's wrong?"

"I don't know yet," Jason murmured hoarsely and took a hesitant step forward. "It's my parents."

"What?!?" Incredulously, Tommy took a closer look and saw John Scott helping his wife get out of the car. Without hesitation he moved to stand right behind Jason, silently lending him support.

Warily, he watched them come closer. Helen looked reasonably well for having been so ill not too long ago, he thought; she had obviously lost weight, was rather pale and her once chin-length hair was now cropped close to her head, more white than blonde. *Aftereffects of chemo and radiation therapy most likely,* the scientist's part of his brain commented, but right now Tommy couldn't care less about her state of health – all his attention, like Jason's, was focused on the man at her side. John was trying to look impassive, but a tic in his cheek gave away that he wasn't entirely succeeding. He was also looking anywhere but at Jason.

It was Helen who broke the uncomfortable silence by taking a few shaky steps and stretching out a hand towards her son.

"Jason!" she exclaimed with a smile. "I've so wanted to see you again!"

There was no way Jason could ignore his mother's greeting. "Hello, Mom," he murmured, went forward and caught her in a careful hug. "I thought you were still in rehab?"

Helen returned the embrace with more strength than he'd expected. "They let me out for good behavior," she grinned impishly. "Just to reward myself, I thought I'd come here first before going home."

Tommy couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard John mutter "more like nag until I agreed to the detour" under his breath, and hid a smirk. *She hen-pecked you into it, huh? Serves you right, old man!*

"Seriously, though, I'm done with most of the treatment; the rest can be done as an outpatient at Angel Grove Memorial." Helen either hadn't heard the remark or blithely chose to disregard it, not that it mattered.

"That's great news," Jason said sincerely, feeling a small lump of worry in his gut that had lodged there ever since his return from Angel Grove dissolving at last. "But shouldn't you go home as fast as possible, to rest?"

"I can do that once we've taken care of some unfinished business," Helen declared, her face settling into serious, determined lines. "Jason, your father has something to tell you."

Tommy bit back a scathing remark, waiting for Jason to reply. He could see that the muscles in the broad back tensed up and that Jason was balling one hand into a fist as if he was preparing to ward off a blow, but forced himself not to show any reaction. This was between Jason and his father.

"I'm listening," Jason said at last, his voice carefully neutral. Only someone who knew him well, like Tommy and Helen, could detect the faint quiver in the deep tone.

Clenching his jaw, John swallowed and cleared his throat several times, then visibly braced himself to meet the wary dark eyes so similar to his own. It took him a couple of attempts until he managed to bite out a few words.

"I was wrong."

Jason slowly released the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. "About what?"

The older man rubbed a hand down his chin, a mannerism that was also very familiar to Tommy. *I never realized that Jase has copied so many gestures from his dad!* He wrenched his attention back to the tableau before him. The next few minutes could be crucial to whatever relationship his lover was going to have with his father in the future; hardly the time to get distracted by irrelevancies.

John's shoulders sagged. "About you … and Tommy," he murmured finally. "I … I thought that getting involved with him had changed you – I couldn't understand why you chose him over … someone else." Tommy gave the man grudgingly credit for not saying what he obviously meant – a woman – but held his tongue, sensing that John wasn't finished. Indeed, after a small pause, he added, "But that's not all. I was angry, and hurt, that you chose him over me."

Slowly, Jason shook his head. "I never wanted to have to choose between you, Dad," he said quietly. "You made me."

"I can see that now." Resignedly, John closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Jason actually swayed as he heard those two little words, and instinctively Tommy laid a steadying hand on his shoulder. They may have come years late, but they were what Jason had been waiting to hear.

"Sorry for what?" Jason asked hoarsely, not daring to hope that all the anguish he'd felt since that day in Angel Grove could be over at last. He'd believed that the mere expression of regret would be enough, but now that it had come, he needed more.

His father spread his hands in a half-embarrassed shrug that also conveyed helplessness. "A ton of things. Ignoring you, not listening when I should have, closing my mind … seeing only myself, not you. Or your mother." He sighed. "You really shocked me when you told us about your … your orientation. For the longest time, I couldn't … I didn't want to believe that it was true. I thought I had lost you as my son; I didn't know you anymore, wasn't even sure I wanted to."

Jason glanced away, biting his lip. He'd always suspected that his father felt that way, but to have it spelled out like that hurt. Breathing hard, he faced John again. "Is that all?"

"No, but do you really want me to list every absurd idea I had about you and Tommy?"

Knowing his father and his sometimes rather parochial views, Jason shrugged. "I guess not."

"Thank you. Anyway, I … I've had a lot of time to think, and … and I just wanted to tell you that I've finally come to my senses. I made a mistake. A lot of mistakes," John amended. "About how I handled the situation, about how I saw you … I was wrong about a lot of things," he repeated. "I'd like to make things right again." The normally hearty, rather brash voice was gruff now and barely audible, but not even Tommy could miss the note of sincerity.

A few steps away, Helen smiled. She'd worked hard to make her husband understand that he had to take the first step, that their son had been hurt too deeply, had too much pride to do so – or accept anything less than a full apology. She decided to step in and help John get to the point. "We're asking you to forgive us, Jason. Do you think you can?"

"Maybe," he replied warily.

"Just tell us what you need us to do," she said promptly, noticing out of the corner of her eye that John nodded. "We'll do anything to have you back in our lives."

Jason stared at his feet for several seconds, then faced his father head-on. "What made you change your mind?" he asked intently. "What's different all of a sudden that you're now willing to accept me the way I am – the life and the partner I've chosen? Because I have to tell you, if you're not willing to do that, we have nothing more to say to each other." He drew a deep, shuddering breath. "It's all or nothing, Dad. If you really want me back, you'll only get me with Tommy. We're a package deal; I won't settle for anything less."

His father actually blushed a little. "I understand that. I'll be honest, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea yet, but I realize there's nothing I can do about it." He sighed resignedly before visibly gathering his thoughts. "As for those changes … I hadn't expected you to come visit your mom in the hospital, not after the way you left, but when you did anyway … it showed me that deep down you were still the same. You hadn't stopped caring."

"I never did."

"Yeah, I realized that after a couple of days. But when your mom went into crisis and Dr. Gonzales suggested that change in treatment to save her life – I really wanted to talk to you then. I didn't want to face the chance that your mother might die without knowing that we had mended our fences. Only, you'd already left and I couldn't find you."

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked sharply, remembering those painful moments only too clearly. "You kicked me out of Mom's room that day!"

"That's not true!" John protested.

"Oh yeah? 'I want to be alone with my wife' – isn't that what you said, word for word? Sure sounded like 'don't let the door hit you in the ass' to me!"

Helen clucked disapprovingly at Jason's tone and language, but both her husband and son ignored her.

"I don't remember, but if I did, I only meant for a few minutes – to say goodbye in private, just in case the worst happened!" The older man's face looked shocked and disbelieving. "I knew your mother wanted and needed you at her side, and I wasn't going to deny her something so important. Besides, you had a right to be there. I never thought you'd believe I didn't want you with her!"

"A misunderstanding," Tommy realized, tightening his hold on Jason's shoulders. "Jase, if you'd stayed, hadn't left the building …" He shook his head. How much pain had Jason caused himself that day by making such a wrong assumption? Not that he could blame him under the circumstances … nor John, to be honest. Both men had been incredibly stressed, neither had been thinking clearly, and it was no wonder they'd misread each other.

"Stubborn, proud idiots, both of you," Helen muttered disgustedly, making an impatient gesture. "John, stop beating around the bush – what else made you see reason at last?"

"How about you pointing out to me every day since Jason left how wrong I was?" John asked dryly, then turned back towards his son with a determined expression. "Your mother's justified nagging aside, there was one other thing," he continued. "Or rather several, to be exact." He blew out a long breath. "It was the kids."

A puzzled frown creased Jason's forehead. "Huh? What kids?"

"Your students, the ones helping on the building project." Jason was still looking mystified, so John elaborated. "I really hadn't planned on getting involved with your renovation; the only reason I showed up here was that I had to deliver a contract from one supplier that he needed to sign right away. While I was waiting for Paul to finish the paperwork, the kids showed up for work and Paul asked me to show them the proper way to handle a couple of tools, just so they didn't end up cutting off their fingers. It was a sensible request, so I stayed, got to talking with them, and … long story short, their attitude towards the two of you made me curious. So whenever I had the time, I came back to hear more, and …"

"You interrogated them about Tommy and me?!?" Jason interrupted incredulously.

"I wouldn't call it an interrogation, exactly," John muttered, squirming a little guiltily. "I only asked a few questions here and there, to see what they and the community thought about you and your relationship. Boy, did I get an earful!"

Both Tommy and Jason winced and blushed. Listening avidly, Helen hid a smug smile; she well remembered how much it used to embarrass her son and his best friend whenever someone sung their praise over anything – and how amazed her skeptical husband had been at every snippet of information he'd gleaned in these conversations. But John wasn't done with his explanation yet.

"To listen to your students, you two are among the best teachers ever; they not only like your classes, but also seem to think that you're the best adult friends they might ever have. Which was great to hear, but not what I really wanted to know," he admitted. "It took some rather fancy verbal footwork to get them to talk about your relationship without asking outright, but when they finally did … I still can't get over how easily they dealt with the situation. None of the kids seemed to find it odd that two of their teachers are living together – or that you're both men. In fact, I got the impression the boys found it more fascinating than anything else, and the girls thought it was both cool and a crying shame." He completely missed how the men in question blushed even harder. "Even the guys on Rosicky's crew handled it just as casually, and I realized then that I'd let my own prejudices get in the way of understanding.

"There's more, things I learned over the years, but those are the main reasons that made me see how wrong I was – and how sorry I am. About everything."

John swallowed hard, then held out his right hand. "Forgive me, Jason," he said roughly. "Please."

Feeling the redness in his cheeks subside rapidly, Jason stared at the blunt, work-roughened, capable fingers. That very hand had guided his first steps, had once taught him to throw a ball and steadied his first bike. All through his childhood and adolescence, the man it belonged to had used it to comfort him on some occasions and punish him on others, supported him when he'd had problems and slapped his back in triumph whenever he'd achieved a goal he'd set himself, be it victory at a karate tournament, acceptance to the Youth Peace Summit, or graduating first high school, then college with honors.

However, that same hand had also slammed the door to his family home in his face when Jason had confessed his love for Tommy.

The good definitely outweighed the bad, but this most recent memory was the most hurtful – and most prominent in Jason's mind. Torn between anger and pride on one side and the desire for peace and closure on the other, he tried to read his father's craggy, honest features. The dark eyes he'd inherited gazed at him steadily, waiting for his decision. He wanted to take it, to have his parents back, but could he really let bygones be bygones? Despite what he'd claimed not too long ago, Jason hesitated until he felt another hand, just as familiar, gently touch his arm from behind.

*Tommy.*

He looked over his shoulder and met another pair of brown eyes – not quite as dark, but full of love.

"It's your call, Bro. Whatever you decide, you know I'm with you every step of the way," Tommy murmured softly. "Do whatever your heart tells you. I don't think it's ever guided you wrong."

A fine tremor coursed through the muscular body, and Jason managed a rather shaky smile as he covered Tommy's fingers with his own in gratitude for the unstinting support. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

That one word, spoken with absolute trust and confidence in him, was enough for Jason to make his decision.

"Thanks, Bro," he whispered and turned back towards John who was still waiting, reaching out to him the way he'd hoped for so long. With a deep, shuddering breath, Jason took the first step on the road back home.

"I will, Dad," he promised huskily and laid his hand into his father's.

"Thank you, son."

***


Helen and Tommy watched them shake hands, then move into an awkward hug, and shared a smile, instinctively drawing close to each other as well.

Helen's eyes were misty as she suggested in a low voice, "Let's give them a little privacy, shall we? I'm sure they still have things to work out, and I'd like to sit down while they're doing it, if you don't mind."

His own composure none too steady at the emotional reunion he'd just witnessed, Tommy readily agreed. "Sure," he said just as quietly, offered her his arm and led her into the house. Neither Jason nor his father noticed.

Once they were out of earshot, Helen remarked, "Thank God that's over. Getting John here wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and I wasn't sure how Jason would react. Good thing it went as well as it did."

"Jase never gave up hope that his dad would eventually come round and relent," Tommy said simply. "I'm glad he finally got his wish."

Helen nodded. "You and me both." She looked hopefully up at Tommy as they entered the kitchen.

"You don't happen to have some coffee for a convalescent woman, do you?"

"Of course. Take a seat." He guided her towards the table, pulled out a chair and turned on the expensive Italian all-bells-and-whistles coffee maker he and Jason had invested in last Christmas. Very soon, the aroma of freshly-ground, steam-pumped coffee filled the room as he offered her the first cup.

"Fancy," Helen marveled at the large, brushed-chrome appliance, taking a sip with obvious appreciation. "But nice!"

Tommy smiled slightly as he sat down opposite her with his latte. "Yeah, well, one can't live with Jase and not learn to like really good java."

"That's an addiction he's inherited from me, I'm afraid," Helen apologized. "Of course, it really took hold when he was in Switzerland."

"So he told me."

Jason's mother drank another mouthful. "To be honest, I'd prefer a stiff drink after all that emotion. Isn't it Happy Hour somewhere in the world?" she asked with a slightly defiant grin.

Tommy grinned as well; he'd always liked Helen and her sometimes offbeat sense of humor. *Something else she's passed on to Jase.* He slid off his chair and went to a cabinet.

"I'm sure it must be. How about we at least pretend to be proper, though, and just give our coffee a little extra kick?" He showed her the bottle of Greek brandy they kept in the kitchen for after-dinner drinks.

"What an excellent idea!" Helen beamed, holding out her mug. Tommy poured a generous measure into it, helped himself to a smaller shot and sat back down. For a few moments, they both savored the fragrant mix in companionable silence, then Helen reached across the table to take his hand.

"Tommy?"

He looked up, wondering at her suddenly serious demeanor. "Yes?"

"Jason isn't the only one to whom we owed an apology," Helen said quietly. "You deserve one as well."

A few weeks ago, he would've had a hard time not to gloat with satisfaction; now it was just about the last thing Tommy expected to hear.

"You don't have to-" he started, but Helen shook her head, interrupting him.

"Yes, we do. Tommy, by treating Jason the way we did, we acted badly towards you as well – and that was plain wrong. It took us far too long to remember how glad we'd once been that Jason found such a good friend in you; you were the brother he always wanted, and had become almost a second son to us," she said. "Especially when Jason was away in Geneva … it was such a comfort to have you still with us at least! I'm sorry we ever forgot that."

"It doesn't matter," Tommy protested uncomfortably. It had hurt not to know for certain whether his gender was the only thing causing the elder Scott's rejection, or whether it was something about him as a person. To get an apology now was gratifying, but much to his surprise he discovered in that instant he no longer needed it. What mattered was Jason's peace of mind, and hopefully he'd have that from now on.

"I think it does," Helen contradicted him gently but firmly. "It's already been a very emotional day, and I think the four of us still have a lot of things to talk through in the near future, but I want you to know today that you were never the problem." She snorted lightly. "As I told John when I was still in hospital – if Jason were our daughter, we'd have been more than happy that he'd found someone like you. I can't imagine a better man as my son-in-law."

The term made Tommy's heart lurch slightly with longing; he knew that people like Alan Collins were working hard on changing the legislation to make unions as theirs legal, but that dream still belonged in the future. So he confined himself to a matter-of-fact reply. "But Jason's not a girl. Neither am I. We're both men."

"True. But I'm not wasting any more regrets on that than I already have; it's the one thing nobody can do anything about anyway."

"Er, no," he smiled somewhat grimly, receiving a rueful look in return.

"Quite. I believe John is getting there as well. I'll be honest with you, Tommy – he may have accepted your relationship at long last and won't do or say anything again that'll hurt Jason or you, but he still has a way to go before he'll be able to treat it completely naturally, the way it should be. Expect at least some awkwardness at times."

"Fair enough," he conceded after a moment's consideration. "My folks needed some time to adjust as well, so I suppose Jase and I can live with that."

"Thank you," Helen smiled gratefully. "That's all we're asking."

The silence settling over the kitchen table was comfortable as they finished their coffees. Tommy broke it at last as he remembered a detail of John's apology that had him puzzled. "Can I ask you something, Mrs. Scott?"

"Please, call me Helen; man or not, you're family now. And of course; what is it?"

"I've been wondering … what exactly did your husband mean when he said he'd been afraid Jase would change, or that he didn't know him anymore? We told you that day we'd been together for quite a while, and Jase was the same as before – or you would surely have noticed if he'd changed."

"You really should ask John."

"Well, yes, but …" He shrugged expressively, indicating that they had hardly reached a sufficient level of comfort yet, and Helen took the hint with wry grace.

"But. Yes. Okay, I'll try to explain how I see it."

"That'd be great, thanks." He stood to refill his coffee and gestured towards her cup. "Want some more?"

"Yes, please." As soon as their beverages were topped up, complete with a second splash of brandy, Helen began to talk. "To understand where John is coming from, you need to know he's very traditional. He grew up with strict, proper parents who cared a great deal about what other people thought. You worked hard to the best of your ability, you went to church, looked after and provided for your family, were charitable … and most importantly, you didn't stick out in any way. It's not a bad way to live, but John realized that in today's world, some allowances had to be made, especially in the way we raised our son. We wanted Jason to be honest, hard-working and responsible, yes, but not to accept things without questioning whether they were right or wrong. We wanted him to be open-minded and curious, to make his own decisions about the way he leads his life." Reflectively, Helen stared into her cup for a moment before glancing back up at Tommy.

"Overall, I like to think we succeeded. We just didn't imagine Jason would choose a lifestyle so radically different from what we expected it to be," she sighed. "But even before that … as Jason grew up, John discovered some things about his character that didn't fit with what he thought his son should be like."

"You can't be serious," Tommy sputtered. "There's nothing wrong with Jase's character; he is one of the finest people I know!"

She smiled and patted his arm. "Oh, I agree. Let's see, how do I explain it … I don't have to tell you that for all his strength and … well, I guess masculinity is a good word … Jason has a soft, sensitive side as well, do I?"

"Of course not. It's one of the things I love most about him."

"Thanks – so do I. But John didn't know how to deal with those traits, and that led to certain disappointments. He likes to hunt and was looking forward to take his son stalking; Jason can't stand guns, or killing for sport. John likes to watch wrestling, or boxing; Jason hates violence of any kind and prefers to go away from a fight if he can. Only when he took an interest in karate that John's expectations of his son were satisfied. It wasn't as macho as boxing, but at least he wasn't a sissy. There were other things, too – starting with his choice of friends."

Tommy groaned, half in exasperation and half in outrage on his partner's behalf. "Let me guess – a shy geek, a jokester and two girls weren't quite what he'd had in mind?"

Jason's mother snorted inelegantly. "Bingo. If it hadn't been for the fact that in every other aspect they were exactly the kind of nice, decent kids we wanted Jason to be friends with, and that Jason developed a keen interest in all sorts of athletics, John would've been rather unsympathetic if not downright disapproving. But he managed to convince himself that Jason's dislike of bullies and his need to protect someone John considered weak was an acceptable reason to befriend Billy; Kimberly and Trini could potentially become girlfriends if Jason would stop treating them like a big brother, and Zack … well, who can really dislike him?"

"I certainly couldn't," Tommy said with a reminiscent chuckle. Jason might have been his best friend from the start, but despite their relatively short acquaintance he hadn't hesitated to turn to friendly, gregarious Zack for dating advice.

They shared a brief laugh before Helen continued. "You were actually the first friend Jason brought home who had John's full approval – an athlete, kind of a tough guy and able to meet Jason on his own ground. The only thing about you he didn't like was your long hair," she grinned.

Self-consciously, Tommy rubbed the back of his neck like he used to when he still had his ponytail. "What, no allowances for a teenage rebel?" he pouted with a hint of self-mockery. He had initially grown his hair just to be different, to stand out.

"Why do you think he never mentioned it to you?" Helen replied dryly. "That's exactly what John said it was – and that you'd come to your senses eventually. Which you did, right?" She looked pointedly at his short, spiky haircut.

"Only because I hated having to wear a cap during lab work," he muttered. "But you said there was more?"

"Unfortunately. Jason's disinterest in the company, for example. I suppose it's natural for any father who owns a business to want his son to join in and take over eventually, but even John had to agree that it would be a shame to waste Jason's intelligence in construction when he could have a college education instead. Not that John was too pleased about his choice of career – like some people, John considers teaching to be more women's work – but at least he chose subjects John could relate to." Helen shrugged. "In his view, politics and sports are very much a guy's domain, which made it okay. I'm afraid John got in the habit of rationalizing the gentler aspects of Jason's character away like that."

"I don't get it – doesn't he realize that's at least half of what makes Jase unique?"

"Now he does. Reluctantly. His pretty house of cards collapsed all in one go when you two told us you loved each other and he had to face the fact that Jason was his own man, not a slightly-discolored copy of himself." Helen's blue eyes held a hint of sadness as she gazed at Tommy. "John isn't homophobic, or really prejudiced even. He's never judged strangers for their orientation, always said it was none of his business what people did behind closed doors or in their bedroom. But when it came to his son, he couldn't deal with it. To him, it was as if Jason, by being bisexual and having chosen a same-sex partner, rejected everything he believed in and stood for, what he had tried for over twenty years to teach to his son. He was wrong, of course, but that's the way he felt. Feelings are seldom logical."

"Trust me, I know that better than most," Tommy murmured, his eyes automatically drifting towards the window and Jason, who was still lost deep in conversation with his father.

"I thought you might," Helen smiled, following his gaze. "But back to John; what made the situation worse is that the only openly same-sex couple he's ever known outside of films or television were some drag queen customers; he couldn't stand the thought that Jason might act as flamboyant and, well, gay as he'd seen them do."

Tommy nearly choked on his latte. "D-drag queens? Jase and I?" he said weakly, torn between outrage and hysterical laughter. "With makeup, feathers, sequins and calling everybody 'dahlink'?"

"Something like that. Don't look at me; I tried to tell him hundreds of times that he needn't worry, that not every gay or bisexual person was like that, or how neither Jason nor you would ever fit that stereotype in a year of Sundays, but once that moronic idea was lodged in his brain, he couldn't let go of it," Helen muttered, obviously still disgusted at the very notion. "He only started to believe me once he'd observed Jason at the hospital, looking and acting completely normal – just like he used to. Then, after coming here and seeing for himself how ordinary your life really is, John finally admitted how wrong he'd been."

Shaking his head, Tommy leaned back. "Well, that explains a lot," he murmured. "Thanks for telling me."

"You had a right to know," Helen said quietly. "Of course, some of it is just guesswork on my part, but I'm reasonably sure most of it is fairly accurate." She sighed wearily. "Ever since my illness, John has wanted to reconcile with Jason, but he was afraid Jason might be too bitter because of the way he cut him off. When Jason told him a few weeks ago that he still loved us, despite everything we put him through – and when he realized at last that he'd rather have his son with a male partner than not at all – that was when he started looking for a way to make amends."

"Our renovation project?" *So Jase was right, after all – his dad was reaching out to him by giving those plans to Paul.*

"Yes. I thought it was a bad move to get involved without your knowledge, but John insisted to do it his way. Were you very shocked and angry?"

"At first, yes," Tommy admitted. "But it's cool now."

"That's very gracious of you."

"Well, we can hardly rip everything out again, can we? Especially not when it's really what we need and what we would've gone for if we thought we could afford it."

"As long as you don't think we were trying to buy your forgiveness," Helen said worriedly.

"The thought had crossed my mind," Tommy confessed, ruefully remembering his last argument with Jason. "But Jase convinced me it wasn't likely."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be; as I said, everything's cool."

"Thank you." Helen gave him a grateful look and held out her hand. Without hesitation, Tommy took it, enclosing the still-frail fingers with his own. Her lips curved, but the blue eyes were still shadowed. "Do you accept our apology then?" she pleaded. "It's sincerely given, and it would mean a great deal to both John and myself if you would."

He looked steadily back at her for several heartbeats, then nodded. "I'll have to," he replied quietly. "For Jason's sake – and for mine."

"Thanks," Helen sniffled, wiping her eyes surreptitiously.

"You're welcome." He waited until she'd composed herself. "Need a tissue?"

"Not anymore, but thanks for offering." Helen gave him a somewhat wobbly smile, then, in a move that reminded Tommy strongly of Jason, deliberately changed tack to lighten the atmosphere. "So, once more, welcome to the family, Tommy. Does that mean I can now go and brag about 'my son's partner, the doctor'?" she winked, startling him into laughter.

"Why not 'former Nascar driver', while you're at it?" he chuckled.

"Ooh, yes, I'd forgotten all about that! I can't wait to meet with my Ladies' Aid group now; they'll die of envy!"

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Tommy drained his cup. "You really should get together with my mother and compare notes," he suggested dryly. "Sometimes I get the feeling she's more proud of Jase's achievements than mine, the way she fusses over him."

"Rachel always was a very sensible, intelligent woman," Helen said, her tongue firmly planted in her cheek even as a pleased blush gave color to her pale cheeks. Changing the subject yet again, she pushed away from the table. "Shall we see what Jason and his father are up to? I think we've left them alone long enough."

"Sure." Gallantly, Tommy helped Jason's mother get up, then offered her his arm to walk outside. Through the window next to the door, they could see the two men standing a little to the side of the house, conversing quietly. He was just about to open the door when Helen stayed his hand. Surprised, he glanced down at her. "Something else on your mind, Mrs. Scott?"

She frowned. "Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"

"Sorry. Helen, then," he amended with a guilty grimace.

"Hmph. But to answer your question, yes, there is." She sighed a little. "When I was still in hospital, I asked Jason whether he was happy with you. The way he said yes … I knew in my heart that he was telling the truth." The smile returned, very soft now. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Tommy, is – thank you for doing that. For loving my son the way he deserves to be loved."

Tommy smiled back. "He's making it very easy for me," he murmured. "If Jase hadn't loved me first and hadn't had the guts to tell me, I don't know if I could ever be as happy with someone else as I am with him."

"Then you're both very lucky."

"I know."

The two exchanged a long look, each acknowledging silently the other's right to guard and watch over the heart of the man they both loved. At last, Helen straightened determinedly, breaking the rather solemn mood.

"Well then. Let's go join them?"

He laughed. "I thought you'd never ask!"

***

"Have a good trip home," Jason told his parents as he and Tommy walked them to the car by late afternoon. "Drive safely."

"Who's the parent here?" John Scott grumbled as he unlocked the doors. Jason chuckled, hearing the humor under the gruff complaint.

"Didn't you read the manual, Dad? Once your children are past thirty, they get to do all that 'be careful' stuff," he winked.

"Hmph."

"We will, don't worry," Helen laughed, hugging Jason first, then Tommy. "Will we see you at Christmas?"

"Tommy's parents have already invited us to Christmas dinner," Jason replied apologetically, "but if it's okay with you, we can spend Christmas Eve with you, can't we, Bro?"

Tommy shrugged. Despite the apologies and reconciliation, he wasn't exactly keen on spending part of the holiday in John's house, but if Jason wanted it … he certainly wasn't going to spoil his good mood by denying him something so simple. After all, it wasn't as if they planned to move back to Angel Grove permanently – he could deal with a few hours in the Scotts' company on December 24. So he said with a smile, "Sure. It shouldn't be a problem to change our hotel reservation to a day early."

"Wonderful," Helen beamed. "I'll cook something extra special," she promised, kissed Jason's cheek one last time, then climbed into the car.

John waited until she was seated and buckled in, then indicated with a tiny jerk of his head towards the trunk that the two younger men should join him there. Helen was watching them curiously in the rear-view mirror, so he turned his back towards the car, facing his son and his partner.

"Your mother isn't as well yet as she thinks she is," he started.

"Would you rather we stayed away?" Jason asked quickly. "We could invent an emergency, or something …"

"No – I only meant I don't want her to overdo it. No open house for the holidays this year, or a huge, complicated meal that has her in the kitchen all day."

Jason sighed with relief. "That's fine."

"Next spring though … you remember it'll be her sixty-fifth birthday in March, right?" Jason nodded, and John continued in a low voice. "Don't tell her, but I'm thinking of throwing a big, catered party for her. We canceled all our plans this year because of her illness, so I thought it would be a nice surprise for her if we invited all of the family, her friends and neighbors to celebrate both her birthday and that she's beaten cancer."

"She'll like that, I'm sure," Jason said, getting a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was his father telling him in a roundabout fashion not to show up on the day? It wasn't entirely unreasonable; the last thing his mother needed was new stress, and he'd do anything to ensure her well-being. He and Tommy didn't care much anyway about big affairs like John was apparently planning, but he'd hoped …

He needn't have worried. "Well – I think she's going to enjoy it even more if you're coming, too," John said, swallowed once, then looked fully at Tommy. "Both of you."

Jason caught his breath. He'd made it very clear to his father that he had no intention to hide his relationship with Tommy. John had to be aware that attending this party together meant everybody back home would learn that they were a couple. Inviting them regardless was as big a concession on his father's part as telling him he was sorry had been.

"Is that what you really want, Dad?" he asked anyway, just to be certain. John's expression was more wryly resigned than enthusiastic, but the look and nod he gave Jason was quite determined.

"I wouldn't have asked you if it wasn't," he stated firmly. "You're part of the family. You have more right than anyone else in the world to be at your mother's birthday." He drew a deep breath. "And that includes your partner, no matter who it is."

*It'll be the ultimate coming out. This might well mean that we have Dad's tacit approval at least – if not exactly his blessing. Yet.* Jason found that all of a sudden he wanted to attend that party … provided Tommy agreed. He looked beseechingly at his lover. "Tommy?"

There was only one answer Tommy could possibly give. "We'll be there," he said quietly, sending Jason a reassuring smile. "Just let us know the exact date in advance so we can clear our schedules."

"As soon as I've booked the restaurant," Jason's father promised. "Okay, now that's settled, we'd better be on our way. Have a good weekend."

"You, too, Dad."

The three men shook hands, Jason and his father exchanged a few words in private, then John got behind the wheel and drove off. As he cast one last look into the rear-view mirror before a bend in the road hid the house, he saw Tommy drape an arm around his son's shoulders as they both waved one last time. A few months ago, the gesture would have disturbed and angered him; today, he was only reminded of how often he'd seen a teenaged Tommy or Jason do the exact same thing … and how he used to take it as an expression of brotherly affection.

*How could I have guessed that they'd become something more than best friends and brothers?*

For the first time ever, the thought made John Scott smile.


***


Later that night, Tommy was already in bed, waiting for Jason to emerge from the bathroom. When he did so at last and started to undo his belt, Tommy saw a trace of white in the corner of his mouth.

"Toothpaste," he grinned, showing him the respective spot on his own face with the tip of his tongue.

"Oops." Grinning back, Jason wiped it off with his thumb, then proceeded to strip. Tommy smiled appreciatively as he watched him undress, enjoying the way the sculpted body moved around the bedroom. When Jason wore nothing more than tight black briefs, he went briefly back to the kitchen to return soon after with a glass of wine for each. He sat on the mattress next to his lover, handed him a glass and waited until they'd both had a drink.

"What's up, Bro?" Jason asked casually, stretching his legs.

"Nothing. Just enjoying the view," Tommy said innocently.

Jason chuckled. "Like you haven't seen me strip hundreds of times before? You've been watching me all evening. I was just wondering why." He sipped his wine, a drop of the ruby liquid glistening on his lips before he licked it off. A tiny flock of butterflies stirred in Tommy's gut at the sight. He raised one knee under the light duvet to hide his reaction.

"No particular reason," he hedged.

"Bullshit," Jason said softly, leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair off Tommy's forehead. "Tom, I've felt your eyes on me every time I so much as moved or went out of the room. The only other time you ever look at me that intently is when I'm performing for you." Over the years, Tommy had discovered that watching Jason masturbate was a major turn-on for him – and that doing so got Jason equally excited. It usually led to intense, heated all-night sex sessions. "Not that I mind, but … why tonight?"

Tommy gave him a small smile and shrugged. "You're giving off this incredible vibe," he explained. "It doesn't matter if I'm clear across the room, I can tell just from looking at you how you feel."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. You're happy, content … at peace." Tommy scooted upwards so that his back rested against the padded headboard and touched Jason's arm. "I know it's because you reconciled with your Dad; I guess I just expected you to be more euphoric, or something. Not so … serene."

"That's exactly how I feel, though," Jason murmured.

"Anyone would in your situation." Tommy started to stroke his arm soothingly from shoulder to wrist and back, liking the feel of hard muscles, soft skin and tiny hairs under his fingertips. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks." When those wandering fingers slid down to his wrist again, Jason twisted his hand and laced them with his own. He pensively stared at their joined hands for several moments. "I feel as if everything in my little corner of the universe has turned right-side up again after being tilted sideways," he said at last. "I know that it's not permanent; in a few days I'll be able to look at everything more rationally, but … right now it's as if I'm floating a foot off the ground."

"Enjoy it as long as you can, Bro," Tommy advised him, slightly bemused by the colorful image. "You've earned it."

"Mmhmm." Jason shifted on the mattress until he could rest his back against Tommy's raised knee and sipped reflectively on his wine. Tommy did the same, noticing the faraway expression in his eyes. It was similar to the one Jason had worn during the months when he had been struggling to come to terms with his father's rejection, but unlike then it didn't fill Tommy with dread and unease. As he'd said earlier, the peace Jason had found was almost palpable and Tommy knew that he was merely looking inward, quite likely reviewing what had passed between him and his father today.

"Did you have a good talk with him? After he apologized, I mean?" Tommy inquired gently at last.

"Yeah. Dad was very open with me about what he thought and felt; it's something he's never done before. I hadn't expected him to tell me everything he did, but … I think I'm closer to him now than I've ever been," Jason said, his deep voice laced with wonder and awe. "It's almost as if the last four years never happened. Only they did, and I won't forget them, but …" He gave Tommy a glance that was both slightly embarrassed and apologetic. "Somehow, it's as if I've finally come all the way home."

Tommy lightly squeezed the hand he was still holding. "I understand." He finished his wine and placed the glass on the floor beside the bed, to avoid knocking it over in case he needed to grope for his glasses … or something else … during the night. "So I take it you've forgiven him?"

Jason nodded. "Yes." He hesitated, twisting the stem of his wineglass between his fingers before looking anxiously at his lover. "What about you? You've been angry at Dad, too – sometimes more than me, it seemed. Dad told me you said some pretty harsh things to him when he dropped by to bring me Mom's address, plus the whole thing about the renovation … I'd hate to think that the two of you couldn't get along."

*And put me in the middle again, making me choose between you.* He left the thought unspoken.

However, Tommy knew him well enough to read between the lines; the thought had already crossed his mind. He realized he needed to do some forgiving of his own to prevent such a scenario from coming to pass. A part of him craved retaliation, but for Jason's sake, if not his own, he would have to curb any impulse to repay John for every bit of pain he'd caused them. Tommy definitely hadn't turned into the man's biggest fan, apology or not, but his conversation with Helen and her genuine regret over the past had helped to soften his disposition; so had John's demeanor towards him after his talk with Jason. They still had a long way to go, Tommy felt, until he could be as easy and comfortable with John like his father and David were with Jason – but he was reasonably certain it would happen in due time. Meanwhile, there was no way he'd be responsible for destroying Jason's regained peace of mind.

He reached up with his free hand and cupped Jason's cheek. "Jase … it may take me a while to really put everything behind me," he said slowly, wanting only honesty between them, "but I can forgive almost anything and anyone just for making you feel the way you do right now." He gazed warmly into the midnight eyes. "And yes, that includes your Dad."

Jason exhaled with relief, turned his head into Tommy's palm and kissed it.

"That's okay," he replied huskily, leaning forward to brush a fingertip across Tommy's lips. "I thought today couldn't get any better. Thanks for making everything perfect."

"My pleasure," Tommy answered softly, sliding his fingers through the short dark hair until they came to rest on Jason's neck. The subtle signal was clearly received when Jason smiled, emptied his own glass and put it next to Tommy's even as he let himself be drawn down into a gentle, whisper-soft kiss.


***

They nibbled at each other's lips without urgency or pressure until Tommy opened his mouth for Jason to slip his tongue between them. Tommy could taste the wine and a hint of toothpaste on his lover's breath as their kiss deepened. He brought up his other hand to hold Jason in position while his own tongue leisurely explored the warm, moist mouth, making Jason hum contentedly at the back of his throat. They parted at last, eyes bright with love, and Tommy let one hand trail down to the broad chest, feeling skin and muscles ripple in its wake.

"Come to bed?" he asked softly.

Jason said nothing, just nodded and rose from his perch on the mattress in one fluid motion. He went to the light switch near the door and flipped it, leaving the bedroom lit only by the reddish glow of one nightlight. He stripped off his briefs and, nude now, walked back to the bed, his cock already starting to fill and lengthen. With a low chuckle, Tommy sat up, threw back the cover and shimmied out of his own boxers, displaying a similar state of arousal. Jason stopped beside the bed to just look at Tommy for a few seconds until he lay down as well and bent over him to share a second, longer kiss.

"Mmm, yeah," Tommy moaned lightly, wrapped his arms around the broad back and gently stroked down Jason's spine. He loved holding him like this, skin to skin, their bodies pressed full-length together, legs entwined and their hardening cocks rubbing against each other between their bellies. They kept it slow and undemanding at first, letting anticipation build gradually as each tried to touch as much of the other's body as possible with tender caresses rather than give immediate rein to the passion growing between them. Even so, it didn't take long until they were both fully erect.

Ending yet another kiss, Jason nuzzled Tommy's throat, clasped him tightly and rolled them over, using his strength to lift Tommy until he came to rest on top of Jason. Laughing softly, Tommy allowed himself to be swept along, enjoying the feel of the smooth, hard chest against his own, the comparative softness of Jason's belly and the silk-over-steel hotness of the thick cock nudging against his balls. Large, warm hands wandered down towards his ass and began to knead the firm cheeks, causing Tommy's breath to catch as he instinctively began to pump his hips. He hissed as his cockhead inadvertently bumped into a bone.

"Right method, wrong location, Bro," Jason murmured against Tommy's lips, the deep voice laced with amusement. He spread his legs until his lover was cradled between his thighs. "Surely you haven't forgotten what goes where?"

"Smartass," Tommy replied, his eyes twinkling even as he adjusted his position so that their cocks were side by side and he started to rub himself sensually against Jason's groin. "No, I haven't forgotten what to do, but … are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, why?" Jason slid one hand upwards and between them until he reached Tommy's left nipple. He circled the sensitive nub a few times with his fingertips, then pinched gently.

"Things have been rather one-sided lately," Tommy gasped as delicious shudders raced from his chest directly into his throbbing shaft.

"So what? I already feel like I'm on top of the world; I don't need to be on top of you as well."

"Aw man, that's terrible," Tommy groaned, shaking with spontaneous laughter as he buried his face against Jason's neck and nipped his skin. "Even by your standards!"

"Whatever." Jason shrugged innocently, his eyes bright. He continued to play with the tight bud, increasing the pressure.

Tommy shivered with pleasure. A part of him wished Jason would kiss and suck him there – it always drove him wild with wanting – but another, more insistent part demanded he take care of a portion of his anatomy that needed to get sucked just as badly. Giving in to that need, he extricated himself reluctantly from their embrace.

"Are you really sure?" he asked again even as he switched position so that they lay side by side and head to foot, bringing his cock within easy reach of Jason's mouth and himself close enough to prepare the tight ass.

With a sensuous stretch of every limb, Jason lay back against the pillow and handed Tommy the bottle of lube. "Hell, yeah." Seeing a trace of doubt linger in the brown eyes, he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, Tom, just go ahead – trust me, you'll know when I want to fuck you."

Of that, Tommy had no doubt. Jason could be very direct when making his wishes known – and very inventive when it came to taking the dominant role. The memory of a certain special set of black sheets they'd bought recently, still lying wrapped and unused in their closet, sent a fresh surge of blood into his cock, making it twitch in anticipation.

*To be tied down right here on our bed, unable to move, waiting for Jase to do with me what he wants … aw, man!*

The idea was incredibly exciting and something definitely worth waiting for – while in the meantime, he had a willingly submissive lover waiting to be taken. So Tommy accepted the gift Jason was offering him with good grace and mounting desire.

"I'm sure I will."

With a practiced flick of his thumb, he opened the bottle lid and squirted a generous dollop on his fingers, then looked back up at Jason who was watching him with a heated look. "Suck me while I slick you up?"

A small flame flared in the dark eyes, and without hesitation Jason closed his lips around the smooth cockhead, drawing it deeper and deeper into his mouth while laving the full length slowly and expertly with his tongue. Tommy moaned in bliss. He let the sensations wash over him for a couple of minutes before he could bring himself to concentrate on his partner again. He carefully worked the lubricant into Jason's ass, circling and teasing the puckered opening until he could slip first one, then two fingers inside. Gradually adding more lube, he pumped them slowly in and out, preparing the way for his thicker and longer cock. Now and then he licked teasingly at the engorged prick so close to his own mouth. Briefly, Tommy played with the idea of having a sixty-nine, but decided against it – he really wanted to fuck his lover, and he didn't want to get distracted from loosening the tight channel as best he could.

Finally Jason was relaxed enough that Tommy could scissor his fingers inside the hot passage, and he groaned around the shaft he was still sucking. That low, hungry sound vibrated all the way into Tommy's balls, and he couldn't wait any longer. Slowly, he withdrew his cock from the skilled mouth, his fingers from the now-slick ass and sat up.

"Give me the pillow," he said roughly. Jason was already reaching for the firm, foam-filled bolster they kept for that very purpose, handed it over and Tommy quickly shoved it under Jason's hips, raising and tilting them to a near-perfect angle. He then moved to kneel between the corded thighs, spreading them even further apart with both hands. He gasped as Jason poured lube into his palm and applied it to his still-wet cock, but the coolness of the clear gel was almost instantly transformed into heat when, after only minimal resistance, his cockhead slid easily past the tight ring of muscle into the pliant body.

Both men moaned. Jason's chest rose and fell rapidly as he got used to the penetration, then he sent Tommy a lusty smile and hooked his hands under the backs of his knees, drawing them up against his chest to give him room to move. As always, Tommy felt a sense of both awe and victory in accepting this willing surrender, and he couldn't help a small, triumphant laugh. He bent forward, rested his weight on his hands to either side of the sculpted torso and slowly began to rock his hips back and forth, keeping his thrusts slow and shallow until he was completely buried within Jason.

"God, I love being in you," Tommy murmured huskily, looking down onto the flushed face of his lover as they both stilled.

Jason dragged his heavy eyelids open and gazed back up into Tommy's eyes. "Love having you in me," he panted, let go of his knees and crossed his ankles behind the straining back. With his hands free again, he reached for himself with one and sought Tommy's chest with the other. "Now fuck me – please?"

"Hell, yeah." The brief respite had been enough for both to adjust to the sense of filling/being filled by the other; Tommy let out a long breath and carefully withdrew, then pushed back in, relishing the grip Jason's sphincter had on his aching cock. Soon, he established a steady rhythm that Jason copied by sliding his fist up and down his own swollen shaft. Their bodies started to glisten with a light sheen of sweat, the scent and slickness heightening their pleasure. Every time Jason twisted or pinched one of Tommy's nipples, he gasped and snapped his hips in a sharp, staccato thrust that made Jason hiss and twist under him. Eventually Tommy changed the angle of penetration by pushing his knees against the pillow under the upturned ass so that nearly every thrust scraped along Jason's prostate. Jason's head trashed from side to side, and his breath started to come in short, heavy gasps.

"Fuck me harder … faster," he groaned, writhing frenziedly under the sensual assault. Tommy only grunted and complied, losing himself completely in the heat and friction around his pistoning cock. He was pushed over the edge when Jason simultaneously pinched both his nipples and clenched his ass, and with a hoarse cry he came deep within Jason's bowels.

Collapsing on the heaving chest, Tommy waited until the shuddering aftershocks of his climax subsided, then reluctantly withdrew from the hot channel. Jason hadn't come yet, and he wanted to bring him to the same state of satisfied exhaustion as soon as possible. With a feral smile, he leaned down and licked the pulsating shaft. The tip was already oozing precome onto Tommy's tongue, so he sucked briefly on the spongy head until Jason bucked his hips with a needy sound. Grinning to himself, Tommy consciously relaxed his throat muscles and began to work his way down the throbbing pole of flesh. Soon, his lips were stretched wide around the base of the thick cock, the coarse dark curls surrounding it tickling his nose.

Jason was shivering with lust as he watched Tommy go down on him through slitted eyes. He waited until he had swallowed him completely, then threaded both hands into Tommy's hair to hold him in place and began to fuck the wet mouth. He was too aroused to last long; the thorough reaming he'd received before had already brought him almost to the brink. The skilled tongue lashing his cock on every downstroke and Tommy's fingers rolling his balls soon combined to send waves of lust crashing over Jason's head. He arched off the bed and shouted Tommy's name as his orgasm hit with near-cataclysmic force.

***

They shared soft kisses and whispered endearments as they held each other during the afterglow, soothing overstimulated nerves with tender caresses while they waited for their bodies to cool. Afterwards, they got up and showered together, grumbling a little about the necessity, but loathe to sleep all sweaty and sticky with the inevitable mess of uninhibited sex.

This time it was Tommy who made a detour to the kitchen for wine before they were back in bed. They drank slowly, savoring the taste, laughing when an attempt by Jason to share the last mouthful from his glass with Tommy through a kiss nearly resulted in another trip to the bathroom. Tommy solved the problem by simply licking the spilled wine from Jason's chin and neck before it could drip onto the sheets. Then he firmly placed both glasses onto the floor, turned off the light and drew the duvet over both.

Chuckling contentedly, Jason draped one arm and leg over his lover and relaxed, shifting only now and then until they both were comfortable. Tommy kissed the dark head resting on his shoulder.

"Happy?"

"Very," Jason smiled, smothering his yawn against the warm skin. "Are you?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"I love you, Tom."

"Love you, too, Bro," Tommy replied softly.

Jason couldn't help it, he drew Tommy into a soft, languorous kiss that was reciprocated just as gently. Then he settled back into the warmth and comfort of Tommy's embrace and closed his eyes drowsily. There was much he still wanted to talk about, how they were going to handle their relationship with Jason's parents, how they would juggle doing justice to both their families on the upcoming holidays and a myriad of other things. There really was no better place than here, in the privacy and intimacy of their shared bed, both relaxed from making love. However, he was both physically and emotionally exhausted from the intensity of the day; despite his elation at being reconciled with his father, he felt too drained to start a discussion with Tommy now.

*To hell with it. The future will take care of itself; it usually does, one way or another. I don't have to deal with it now. Not when I've finally, truly come home.*

Minutes later, they were both asleep.


To Be Continued …