Calming Coffee

Thanks to my reviewers! I loved the comments. This one is short, but important, so I hope you all enjoy it!




Casey and Adam's conversation


Casey quietly opened the front door, and saw his uncle sleeping on the couch. Adam gestured to him to follow into the kitchen. Casey went in and Adam handed him a cup of coffee. They both sat in silence for a minute before Casey had to ask, “What happened man? I came as soon as I got your voicemail. Is he ok? Did someone hurt him?” Casey knew only a little of his uncle's past, but it was enough for him to be worried.

Adam looked up into the brown eyes that are so similar to James'. “Casey, dude, I don't know. We were in the parking lot, and he just froze. He was catatonic! I finally got him to respond to me and I drove him here. He said he thought he saw someone named Christian, a friend of his ex, and he told me a little but then I let him cry himself to sleep.”

Casey closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked out the kitchen window, away from Adam.

“Shit. It damn well better not have been that bastard. If he's a friend of Jason's then I'm sure he's done something to James.” Casey looked back at Adam, “Did he say what Christian did to him?”

Adam nodded, “He said that Jason gave him to Christian for a half hour and that he 'did things' to him. But that was it. What the hell is up with this Jason guy anyway?” Adam couldn't understand how anyone could hurt a person as kind as James.

“Look, don't tell James you know any of this, I don't even know the whole story. But after I moved to Boston for college, my uncle started seeing this guy, Jason. At first I was happy for him. You know after my parents died when I was 10, James took me in even though he was only 18. He worked his ass off to make sure I didn't want for anything, and put my parents money into a college fund instead of using any for himself. He used loans to get through college in order to support me. So after I left, yeah of course I was happy for him when I learned he had a boyfriend. I figured it was about time.

“But then he started being weird. He canceled a flight to come visit me and couldn't even give me a real excuse. Just something about Jason needing him. Then, every time I talked to him on the phone he sounded distracted and rushed, and wouldn't tell me anything about what he was up to.

"I called our neighbors to see if they could check in on him for me, and they said he stopped talking to them, or even acknowledging them and was always with Jason, and that he moved out. Why wouldn't he even tell me that he moved in with Jason? I called him, and the calls got shorter and shorter, until he just stopped answering.

“The final straw was when Jason answered his phone and when I asked for James he said 'my bitch doesn't have time for you. Get your own life and leave his sweet ass all to me.' I freaked. Remember when I borrowed that money from you to go to California? It was to see what the hell was going on. I got the new address from our landlord and went to find James. It was during break, so he was home instead of at work. He answered the door, but didn't even look to see who it was. He was only wearing boxers and a collar, a fucking dog collar, and just backed away and let me walk in.

“I was shocked. His body was covered in bruises, especially around his hips. He was thinner than I had ever seen him. I whispered his name, and he jumped about a foot, and finally looked at me. He started shaking and saying 'no no no no not real not real' and closed his eyes. He wouldn't, couldn't accept that I was real! I pulled him into a hug, and he just shook some more.

"I told him that I was really there, and that he was going to leave with me and come live with me in Boston. He looked at me and said, and I'll never forget his haunted voice, 'he won't let me. They won't let me. I belong to them now.' I stormed into the apartment, ignoring his cry to stop. Lucky for that bastard he wasn't there or he wouldn't still be alive.

"I found my uncle's things, packed them as he hovered in the corner. I threw clothes at him, took off that ridiculous collar, which started the trembling again, let him write a note to Jason, and took him to my hotel. We talked that night. He seemed more and more like himself, but still with that fearful look that I hate to see in his eyes.

“The next morning we left for Boston, and within a few days we found this place and moved in. He still won't tell me exactly what happened, but I sure as hell can guess. Those bastards would be in jail, but he convinced me not to press charges, said that he couldn't go to trial and face them again. I should have known better, but I was only 19! What did I know? It took him a while, but he got a new job, a new life. He still doesn't go out much, or at all really, but I thought he was getting better. I really thought so.”

The whole time Casey talked, he kept his eyes averted from Adam's. At the end he looked back at Adam, surprised to see the outrage on his face.

“Who could possibly do that to someone! To have gone through that, and still be the man he is today, it's almost unbelievable. Are there really people so evil that they can treat another person like that?”

Casey nodded, “You wouldn't believe how bad his nightmares were for the first few months. He won't admit it, but I think he's been taking sleeping pills in order to avoid nightmares. Jason really messed him up.”

They both sat in silence for a few minutes, absorbing all the new information. “I should go check on him now I guess.”
“Don't worry Casey, I'll go, just relax a minute, ok?” Just then they heard footsteps and turned to the entrance.

James stood with the blanket wrapped around him, tear tracks staining his cheeks, and dark brown hair a mess. He looked much younger than his 29 years. He gave a shaky smile. “Hi guys, can I have some more coffee?”