Page 111 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

Well, that was a punch to the gut. The music was still blaring on all sides, and everyone around them was still bouncing and grinding together, but Ben and Gavin had stopped moving, maybe even stopped breathing. Ben tightened his arms around Gavin, hugging him, wanting to carry him out of the club and into the fresh night air. Instead of doing that, he leaned in close and said against Gavin’s ear, “Maybe that’s because I’m always glad to see you.” He let himself breathe again, inhale the earthy scent of Gavin’s cologne, the smell of clean sweat, and something else… vodka? Who the hell knew. When Gavin didn’t have a comeback for him, Ben added, “Too glad, usually.”

Gavin still hadn’t said anything, and Ben started to wonder if he’d imagined it. Maybe Gavin had finally driven him insane, and he’d snapped, living in his own fantasy world where the two of them made sense, where wanting to be with a guy half his age didn’t make him some skeevy old perv but instead was perfectly natural. Wanting to take care of Gavin and take him home, not for one night, but for every night, meant he was finally there. Finally the guy he’d wanted to be. And Gavin was the guy he wanted to be that guy for. Or something like that.

He pulled back to see Gavin’s face, see if he’d heard him, see if he was ready to laugh now that Ben had finally called his bluff.

Lost for words? That was a first. Gavin looked like he was so stunned he couldn’t process anything. Ben couldn’t help the bark of laughter, and he especially couldn’t help hugging the kid and kissing his forehead. “C’mon,” he said finally, still laughing. “I got you something for your birthday. Walk me out so I can give it to you?” He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he reached for Gavin’s hand and pulled him toward the door.

Gavin

Tony looked just as surprised as Gavin felt as they passed him on the way to the exit. He still managed to give Gavin a thumbs-up and a grin, though.

Gavin could only nod and shrug.

The cold air outside tapped him like a slap on his hot cheeks. June was still a hit-and-miss month weather-wise. Even though it had been fairly warm earlier, as soon as the sun went down, the chill crept up from wherever it had hidden all day. Gavin was glad for the reality check. The nip in the air felt like an answer to his pinch me, I must be dreaming thought process.

Ben pulled him along and kept him close as they made their way around the building to the alley where Ben had parked his bike. He was scowling, and Gavin couldn’t figure out why until he glanced over his shoulder and saw two guys watching them. Gay bashers? Wouldn’t that fit right in with the rest of his life? Less than ten minutes after Ben tells him he’s always glad to see him, and then they end up in a pool of blood and broken bones. Fabulous.

But, no, they were just two guys trying to find some action for the night. The look on Ben’s face must have told them they were barking up the wrong trees because they turned in the other direction.

Gavin realized he still hadn’t said anything when Ben asked him, “You okay?”

His question was sort of offhanded as he turned and reached across his bike to open the saddlebag, but he glanced over his shoulder and searched Gavin’s face at the same time.

“Yeah, just… ears are still ringing, ya know?” Head still spinning would’ve been more accurate, but he couldn’t really tell Ben that, could he?

Ben only nodded as he faced Gavin and handed him a booklet and a small box wrapped in shiny blue paper—Gavin’s favorite color—with sparkly ribbon and little metallic stars hanging off it.

When Gavin started to pick at the paper, wanting to unwrap it, Ben said, “Open that one later.”

Gavin couldn’t help an exasperated huff, but he grinned at Ben. “Don’t want me to see what it is while you’re with me?”

Ben actually looked embarrassed, and that was better than whatever was in the box, Gavin was pretty sure.

“Something like that. But… just look at the college courses, okay?”

Glancing at the booklet, Gavin realized he had a catalog for the nearest community college in his hand. He and Ben had talked more than once about what he was going to do with himself after he got out of high school. Gavin’s plan had been to see what happened. Ben didn’t like that plan, apparently.

He must have seen something in Gavin’s expression because Ben said, “Look, don’t get shitty about it, okay? The fact that you managed to graduate at all while you were couch surfing for over a year, working, and partying too much… You’re a hell of a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for, Gav. Don’t waste it, ya know?”

Gavin nodded again—which seemed all he was capable of in the last half hour—and Ben took it as an invitation to add to his previous comment. “Maybe it’ll help you figure out what you want to—”

Before Ben could finish with be when you grow up, Gavin narrowed his eyes, ready to argue, which made Ben laugh and pull him into another hug. Every protest Gavin had prepared fell away as he buried his face against Ben’s chest and felt Ben’s breath against the top of his head.

“I was going to say it might help you figure out what you want to do with your life,” Ben said gently, a smile evident in his tone.

Gavin was pretty sure he knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life already. Most of it involved being somewhere naked with Ben, but he couldn’t say that. He knew Ben would push him away (not unkindly, but firmly) and tell him he was a kid. He’d gotten that same response the first time he’d tried anything with Ben. And the second. And the twentieth time, for that matter.

He pulled back just enough to meet Ben’s eyes. “Oh,” he said stupidly, feeling his cheeks heat again as he bit his lip around a smile. He still clutched the present in his hand between them, his other arm wrapped around Ben.

“You got a place to crash tonight?” Ben asked, his brow knitting together, concern of one kind or another. Invitation, maybe? Gavin wasn’t sure and couldn’t let himself get his hopes up.

“Steph said I could sleep in the office tonight, but she forgot to leave me the key. I was gonna ask Tony, but he was hoping to hook up with the DJ, so…” Everything came out in a breathless rush as Ben pulled back from him.

Without saying anything else, Ben popped the latch on the case mounted to the back of his bike. He grabbed his helmet and looked at Gavin for a beat before he finally spoke. “I only brought one helmet with me.” He shoved it down on Gavin’s head and grinned. “Your face is prettier than mine, so you get to wear it. But if I get a ticket tonight, you’re paying it.” After he hopped on and got the engine going, he turned to look at Gavin again. “Keep your hands above my waist this time. I nearly wrapped us around a telephone pole the last time I gave you a lift.”

Best birthday ever.

Ben

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