Take Me From This Pain, Brian's story
folder
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,697
Reviews:
80
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
39
Views:
8,697
Reviews:
80
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Where everybody knows your name
"Man, I never knew we had so much stuff!" Brian griped as he went about setting up the kitchen.
Matt chuckled from the other room and Brian knew he was thinking the same as he set up their entertainment center, which was good. Brian had no clue where the wires went and how to hook up the television, so if they wanted to watch anything, Matt was the one to make that happen.
The small blonde returned to his task, figuring out the best counter places for the microwave and toaster oven. He'd already cleaned the stovetop and regular oven when they got there earlier, not wanting to risk their food getting contaminated with the previous tenant's leftover crumbs. It still surprised him how he'd evolved from a skinny nothing to someone with a voracious appetite.
He was glad Virginia had bought him a set of cooking encyclopedias as a going away gift, as he wanted to make sure he and Matt were well fed. Apparently Cody had the same idea, as he'd sent a box of various cookbooks over as well. There was a note from the post office in their mail slot when they arrived. Everyone seemed to be assuming he would be in charge of this particular area of his and Matt's life in Boston, though he didn't mind at all. It made him feel like he was taking care of Matt in some small way. Okay, maybe not so small. Still an active young man, Matt ate like a horse, and Brian loved it.
The small boy hummed as he plugged in the coffee maker and set the clock. Matt would need this when midterms and finals were underway. He turned, about to start tackling the glass cabinet, when he ran straight into his grinning boyfriend, who caught him before he fell and pulled him against his firm, taut chest.
"Hey, baby," Matt purred as he tangled the fingers of one hand in Brian's long blonde hair. "What're you up to?"
"Just getting the mess hall together, Sarge," Brian quipped pulling himself up on his toes to catch Matt's mouth in a quick kiss. "How're you doing in there?"
"TV's ready. Don't sweat this room too much. We'll eat out tonight."
"On our first night here?" Brian pouted. "But I wanted to cook for you."
"But it's already seven," Matt argued gently. "And you know how we both get when we haven't eaten all day."
"Yeah. Grumpy."
"Look at this way. You'll have all day to pick out a recipe for tomorrow night. We can scout the nearby markets in the morning."
Brian mulled that idea over. He had to admit it did have possibilities. And he probably wouldn't be able to fix anything more fancy than a sandwich tonight anyway. Besides, one of Cody's cookbooks outlined meal plans for everyday dinners and special occasions, so he could take his time choosing.
"Okay," he finally agreed. "Did you have anywhere special in mind?"
"Well, this is our first night in Boston, so maybe we should do something touristy," Matt winked. "You know? Before the magic wears off."
Brian grinned as he followed Matt out to the living room to grab his jacket. Though it was August, he felt a chill in the air of the Northeast. It was probably also a result of his still-thin frame. Matt didn't seem to want his jacket, so they locked the door and left.
They walked around the city for a while trying to decide which seafood restaurant they would find their dinner when a familiar face rounded the corner. Both boys looked at each other and then back at the still-oblivious person who was engrossed in reading a map.
"Trent?" Brian called out softly as the other walked by him.
The boy stopped and looked up blankly from his map then grinned.
"Brian! Matt! I didn't think I would be seeing you two for a week or so."
"Uh, yeah," Matt replied warily pulling Brian closer to his side. "We didn't think you'd be here early either."
"My classes start on Monday," the brunette shrugged. "Plus, my family didn't seem to mind getting rid of me early."
"Your family or your sister?" Brian asked as he quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Kevin told you a lot about Tanya?"
"Enough," the small blonde smiled back warmly. "Don't worry though. She's not here and we're not like her."
Matt stood silently behind Brian but he wouldn't let go of his small boyfriend's arm. Trent just turned an amused smile his way.
"I won't be any trouble to you, man," he said. "Jason and I talked at length about Kevin's misguided plan and I wouldn't want anything to come between you two anyway."
"You wouldn't?" Matt asked skeptically.
"Nope. Brian obviously loves you and I can see you love him. I'm no home wrecker."
Matt finally smiled back as Brian looked nervously up at him. He'd promised his brother they would try to make friends with Trent so he didn't feel so alone. Cambridge and Boston were so close to each other that they wouldn't be far away, and Trent hadn't been able to live his own life back in Connecticut. Knowing a gay couple in the area would help him feel more comfortable, Kevin had explained. Brian had only worried about Matt's reaction, but he was relieved to see the tension pass.
"Glad to hear it," the blonde jock chuckled. "Hey, you eat yet?"
Trent shook his head and pointed to his map. "I was hoping to find a place I read about."
"What place?" Brian asked as he took the map from Trent's hands. "Legal Sea Foods? I think that's where we're going."
"Don't bother," the brunette replied. "I was there for lunch yesterday. The food's really good but overpriced. I wanted to check out Durgin-Park. It's pretty historic and it's supposed to have the best Boston baked beans."
"Sounds good to me," Matt shrugged. "Bri?"
"Baked beans?" Brian's mouth started to water. "I'm there!"
The other two boys laughed as he scoured the map.
"I just don't know where Faneuil Hall is from here," Trent grunted.
"It's back THIS way!" Brian chirped as he led the way, dragging Matt by his hand.
Trent laughed again as he followed the two. About fifteen minutes later the three were seated at one of the long picnic tables that ran the length of the room. Brian perused the menu excitedly while his two dinner companions watched in amusement.
"He eats a lot for a small guy," Trent said softly to Matt as Brian placed his order. "Kind of like Kevin."
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "But he and Brian were both half starved by their stepfather, so they need to put on a few pounds to get healthy."
"Hey, I'm healthy," Brian growled indignantly from his chair as he crossed his arms.
"What did you finally decide on?" Matt grinned down at him taking his hand under the table.
"A cup of fish chowder to start," Brian murmured with a reddened face.
"And?"
"Are you calling me a pig?" the small asked yanking back his hand and crossing his arms again.
Trent watched from across the table with laughter dancing in his hazel eyes.
"Not at all, sweetie," Matt cooed. "I just want to make sure you eat enough tonight. You didn't eat all day and you're still not up to a healthy weight according to the doctor."
"Who is also your mom, so she's probably biased," Brian grunted.
"No, she's not. She's just worried about you, like I am," Matt shot Trent a conspiratorial look as he continued to placate his small love. "Now, please tell me you ordered more than that."
"I did."
"I just want to make sure. Tell me what it was."
"All right," Brian sighed. "I also ordered a garden salad, the fresh baked Boston scrod, which comes with a potato and mixed vegetables, with a side of baked beans and a cola. Is that enough food?"
Trent blinked in astonishment, wondering if Brian would be able to finish all of it.
"Only if you eat it all," Matt grinned.
"I haven't eaten since breakfast," the small blond huffed. "Don't worry, it'll be gone before the waitress even sets it down."
Matt laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek catching a wistful look from their new friend.
"You okay?" he asked the brunette.
"Yeah," Trent shrugged. "It's just that I want a relationship of my own, you know? I haven't really had a serious one."
"Because of your family," Brian finished sadly for him. "Don't worry, Trent, you'll find someone here."
"Think so?"
"Yeah! Boston has a really great gay scene," Matt informed the other two. "I've been reading about it online. It's like New York. The gay lifestyle is accepted here."
"It is?" Trent asked in surprise.
"Sure! My dad got married in Massachusetts. And so far the state isn't following the rest of the country in banning gay marriage. So that's got to mean that the lifestyle is strong here. You'll definitely find someone."
"Well, I hope you're right."
"Oh, he usually is these days," Brian grinned. "He and Ryan always had me pegged."
"Ryan," Trent said absently. "That's your friend that's going to live near Jay and Kev now, right?"
"That's him," Matt sighed. "I'm going to miss our Saturday afternoon games."
"What did you guys do?"
"Well, since Cali's always seasonably warm, we could toss around a football whenever we wanted, really," Matt said. "But sometimes we would do other things."
"Like the batting cages," Brian finished for him. "Or field hockey."
"What about ice hockey?" Trent asked casually. This was one of his favorite activities, and he and Joey would meet at the rink a lot."
"I don't do that as much as I'd like, since one of the few rinks near my mom's place is about 45 minutes away."
"Ah, but you're in the Northeast now, my friend," Trent grinned widely. "Rinks are plentiful here and I'm hoping to convince you to join me in some regular practice."
"You're on," Matt readily accepted with a grin. This guy really wasn't bad after all.
Matt chuckled from the other room and Brian knew he was thinking the same as he set up their entertainment center, which was good. Brian had no clue where the wires went and how to hook up the television, so if they wanted to watch anything, Matt was the one to make that happen.
The small blonde returned to his task, figuring out the best counter places for the microwave and toaster oven. He'd already cleaned the stovetop and regular oven when they got there earlier, not wanting to risk their food getting contaminated with the previous tenant's leftover crumbs. It still surprised him how he'd evolved from a skinny nothing to someone with a voracious appetite.
He was glad Virginia had bought him a set of cooking encyclopedias as a going away gift, as he wanted to make sure he and Matt were well fed. Apparently Cody had the same idea, as he'd sent a box of various cookbooks over as well. There was a note from the post office in their mail slot when they arrived. Everyone seemed to be assuming he would be in charge of this particular area of his and Matt's life in Boston, though he didn't mind at all. It made him feel like he was taking care of Matt in some small way. Okay, maybe not so small. Still an active young man, Matt ate like a horse, and Brian loved it.
The small boy hummed as he plugged in the coffee maker and set the clock. Matt would need this when midterms and finals were underway. He turned, about to start tackling the glass cabinet, when he ran straight into his grinning boyfriend, who caught him before he fell and pulled him against his firm, taut chest.
"Hey, baby," Matt purred as he tangled the fingers of one hand in Brian's long blonde hair. "What're you up to?"
"Just getting the mess hall together, Sarge," Brian quipped pulling himself up on his toes to catch Matt's mouth in a quick kiss. "How're you doing in there?"
"TV's ready. Don't sweat this room too much. We'll eat out tonight."
"On our first night here?" Brian pouted. "But I wanted to cook for you."
"But it's already seven," Matt argued gently. "And you know how we both get when we haven't eaten all day."
"Yeah. Grumpy."
"Look at this way. You'll have all day to pick out a recipe for tomorrow night. We can scout the nearby markets in the morning."
Brian mulled that idea over. He had to admit it did have possibilities. And he probably wouldn't be able to fix anything more fancy than a sandwich tonight anyway. Besides, one of Cody's cookbooks outlined meal plans for everyday dinners and special occasions, so he could take his time choosing.
"Okay," he finally agreed. "Did you have anywhere special in mind?"
"Well, this is our first night in Boston, so maybe we should do something touristy," Matt winked. "You know? Before the magic wears off."
Brian grinned as he followed Matt out to the living room to grab his jacket. Though it was August, he felt a chill in the air of the Northeast. It was probably also a result of his still-thin frame. Matt didn't seem to want his jacket, so they locked the door and left.
They walked around the city for a while trying to decide which seafood restaurant they would find their dinner when a familiar face rounded the corner. Both boys looked at each other and then back at the still-oblivious person who was engrossed in reading a map.
"Trent?" Brian called out softly as the other walked by him.
The boy stopped and looked up blankly from his map then grinned.
"Brian! Matt! I didn't think I would be seeing you two for a week or so."
"Uh, yeah," Matt replied warily pulling Brian closer to his side. "We didn't think you'd be here early either."
"My classes start on Monday," the brunette shrugged. "Plus, my family didn't seem to mind getting rid of me early."
"Your family or your sister?" Brian asked as he quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Kevin told you a lot about Tanya?"
"Enough," the small blonde smiled back warmly. "Don't worry though. She's not here and we're not like her."
Matt stood silently behind Brian but he wouldn't let go of his small boyfriend's arm. Trent just turned an amused smile his way.
"I won't be any trouble to you, man," he said. "Jason and I talked at length about Kevin's misguided plan and I wouldn't want anything to come between you two anyway."
"You wouldn't?" Matt asked skeptically.
"Nope. Brian obviously loves you and I can see you love him. I'm no home wrecker."
Matt finally smiled back as Brian looked nervously up at him. He'd promised his brother they would try to make friends with Trent so he didn't feel so alone. Cambridge and Boston were so close to each other that they wouldn't be far away, and Trent hadn't been able to live his own life back in Connecticut. Knowing a gay couple in the area would help him feel more comfortable, Kevin had explained. Brian had only worried about Matt's reaction, but he was relieved to see the tension pass.
"Glad to hear it," the blonde jock chuckled. "Hey, you eat yet?"
Trent shook his head and pointed to his map. "I was hoping to find a place I read about."
"What place?" Brian asked as he took the map from Trent's hands. "Legal Sea Foods? I think that's where we're going."
"Don't bother," the brunette replied. "I was there for lunch yesterday. The food's really good but overpriced. I wanted to check out Durgin-Park. It's pretty historic and it's supposed to have the best Boston baked beans."
"Sounds good to me," Matt shrugged. "Bri?"
"Baked beans?" Brian's mouth started to water. "I'm there!"
The other two boys laughed as he scoured the map.
"I just don't know where Faneuil Hall is from here," Trent grunted.
"It's back THIS way!" Brian chirped as he led the way, dragging Matt by his hand.
Trent laughed again as he followed the two. About fifteen minutes later the three were seated at one of the long picnic tables that ran the length of the room. Brian perused the menu excitedly while his two dinner companions watched in amusement.
"He eats a lot for a small guy," Trent said softly to Matt as Brian placed his order. "Kind of like Kevin."
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "But he and Brian were both half starved by their stepfather, so they need to put on a few pounds to get healthy."
"Hey, I'm healthy," Brian growled indignantly from his chair as he crossed his arms.
"What did you finally decide on?" Matt grinned down at him taking his hand under the table.
"A cup of fish chowder to start," Brian murmured with a reddened face.
"And?"
"Are you calling me a pig?" the small asked yanking back his hand and crossing his arms again.
Trent watched from across the table with laughter dancing in his hazel eyes.
"Not at all, sweetie," Matt cooed. "I just want to make sure you eat enough tonight. You didn't eat all day and you're still not up to a healthy weight according to the doctor."
"Who is also your mom, so she's probably biased," Brian grunted.
"No, she's not. She's just worried about you, like I am," Matt shot Trent a conspiratorial look as he continued to placate his small love. "Now, please tell me you ordered more than that."
"I did."
"I just want to make sure. Tell me what it was."
"All right," Brian sighed. "I also ordered a garden salad, the fresh baked Boston scrod, which comes with a potato and mixed vegetables, with a side of baked beans and a cola. Is that enough food?"
Trent blinked in astonishment, wondering if Brian would be able to finish all of it.
"Only if you eat it all," Matt grinned.
"I haven't eaten since breakfast," the small blond huffed. "Don't worry, it'll be gone before the waitress even sets it down."
Matt laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek catching a wistful look from their new friend.
"You okay?" he asked the brunette.
"Yeah," Trent shrugged. "It's just that I want a relationship of my own, you know? I haven't really had a serious one."
"Because of your family," Brian finished sadly for him. "Don't worry, Trent, you'll find someone here."
"Think so?"
"Yeah! Boston has a really great gay scene," Matt informed the other two. "I've been reading about it online. It's like New York. The gay lifestyle is accepted here."
"It is?" Trent asked in surprise.
"Sure! My dad got married in Massachusetts. And so far the state isn't following the rest of the country in banning gay marriage. So that's got to mean that the lifestyle is strong here. You'll definitely find someone."
"Well, I hope you're right."
"Oh, he usually is these days," Brian grinned. "He and Ryan always had me pegged."
"Ryan," Trent said absently. "That's your friend that's going to live near Jay and Kev now, right?"
"That's him," Matt sighed. "I'm going to miss our Saturday afternoon games."
"What did you guys do?"
"Well, since Cali's always seasonably warm, we could toss around a football whenever we wanted, really," Matt said. "But sometimes we would do other things."
"Like the batting cages," Brian finished for him. "Or field hockey."
"What about ice hockey?" Trent asked casually. This was one of his favorite activities, and he and Joey would meet at the rink a lot."
"I don't do that as much as I'd like, since one of the few rinks near my mom's place is about 45 minutes away."
"Ah, but you're in the Northeast now, my friend," Trent grinned widely. "Rinks are plentiful here and I'm hoping to convince you to join me in some regular practice."
"You're on," Matt readily accepted with a grin. This guy really wasn't bad after all.