A Thousand Words

a/n: OMG. It’s fluff. Yes, it is. Enjoy the happiness!

Much love to all my readers and especially my reviewers. Without you guys, I wouldn’t work so hard to churn these out. Love!

Rating: T
Description: Ten years have passed and Torrance can’t forget. Luckily, it seems, neither can Joshua.
Warnings for fluff, slight language, mentions of het

A Thousand Words
Snapshot Five: Everytime We Touch

Keys clattered as Torrance tossed them atop a small end table, his wallet and cell phone quick to follow, but not before turning the latter off. The day was already long; he had no wish to extend it by answering any more business calls.

Rolling his shoulders to ease the ache in his upper back, Torrance dragged a hand over his tightly braided hair and let out a gusty sigh. Endless shot after shot, bright lights and direction after direction – tilt your head to the left, slide your foot out, purse your lips… After all these years, it grew tiresome. Ten years into this business and he wondered if perhaps now was the time to quit. He wasn’t getting any younger and he wasn’t enjoying his career anymore.

Torrance moved towards the kitchen, nearly tripping over something on the floor. Confused, he looked down, realizing that his mail was beneath his feet. Not that there was ever anything of worth in it. Coupons. Advertisements. Bills. And a strange, light-blue envelope with a familiar symbol in the left-hand corner.

He let the rest of the mail drop back to the floor – his housekeeper would clean it up tomorrow – and turned the blue envelope over and over in his hands. It was addressed to him, and the return address was Tacoma, Washington. His birth town.

Intrigued, Torrance slid a finger under the flap and opened the envelope, mindlessly wandering into the kitchen. The stark black and white décor greeted him, but Torrance was more interested in this unusual letter. A single sheet of thick, embossed paper fell into his hand and he quickly scanned the contents.

A sharp bark of laughter escaped his lips, echoing around the emptiness of his kitchen, before Torrance went back and re-read the paper, slower this time. It was an invitation to a high school class reunion – a ten year reunion to be more precise.

“Do people even go to these things anymore?” Torrance muttered to himself, amused. But he found himself tacking the paper to his refrigerator anyway, the paper stuck in place with a Felix the Cat magnet.

Yanking a beer out of the fridge, Torrance sat at the kitchen table and looked at the invitation again, thinking of high school. He’d never attended classes with the intention of learning anything. High school had been all about socializing. He’d been popular; he’d had a lot of friends. Torrance had loved high school.

He’d met Joshua there.

Even now, ten years later, Torrance couldn’t help the burst of warmth and longing inside of him at the mere thought of his former lover. Joshua had been ten years ago, a decade of circumstances ago, and Torrance hadn’t forgotten him. Not his kind smile or his clumsiness or the way his blue eyes would gleam behind the frames of his dorky glasses.

Propping his chin on the palm of his hand, Torrance felt the smile tugging at his lips. He sipped at his beer, but for the moment, he was more interested in the past. He and Joshua had dated for three years and they hadn’t had a falling out. They’d separated out of mutual understanding and maturity.

Torrance had been scouted by a prestigious modeling agency. It was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to turn down, not when he had no other prospects considering he was pants at both sports and schoolwork. All he’d ever had was his face. And the offer required that he leave Tacoma as soon as he graduated from high school, to start his training.

He and Joshua had separated because it made sense. It was a three-year long relationship, but at the time, it hadn’t felt like something that would last forever either. It was there and it was comfortable, a secret shared between the two of them. They never outed themselves publicly, but close friends had known. Looking back now, Torrance realized how lucky they had been to have such open-minded friends. It could have been worse. A lot worse.

Grey eyes moved back towards the invitation. The reunion was scheduled for the last Saturday in the month. As far as Torrance knew, he had that day free.

Tipping more of the beer into his mouth, Torrance felt himself smile. Why not? He deserved a break after all. And it would be interesting to see how everyone had changed over the last ten years. He wondered if Erica was still painting, or if Jeanine had ever moved on from her job at Safeway or if Arthur ever admitted his crush on Sindy.

More than that, Torrance wondered if Joshua remembered him.

Downing the last of his beer, Torrance dropped the empty bottle into the recycle bin and flicked off the lights in the kitchen, heading back to his bedroom. He’d inform his manager of the trip in the morning.

A quick shower and change of clothes later found Torrance lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, practically giddy with expectation. It was stupid, and quite silly, but he kept thinking of Joshua. His freckled face, his open smile, his hesitant touches. It would be great to see him again.

Rolling over, Torrance forced himself to go to sleep. The end of the month was still weeks away, even if it would be something to look forward to.

And if his dreams that night were a leap into the past, well, Torrance wasn’t going to complain one bit.

- - - -

Torrance hunched further into his jacket and flipped his coat collar up, anything to prevent the rain from slithering down his back. If there was one thing he hadn’t missed about Tacoma, it was the constant rain. Torrance had gotten so used to the languid warmth and constant sun of California. He even shivered, despite it being late spring. Clearly, his body was no longer used to the damp temperatures. Pity.

The coat served a second purpose however. Along with a pair of sunglasses and casual wear, Torrance was doing his best to look less like an easily recognized model and more like your everyday Joe. The last thing he needed was to be mobbed by fans when all he wanted to do was attend his class reunion in peace. The price of fame, he supposed, but Torrance wouldn’t throw it away for anything in the world either.

Standing in front of his old high school – they’d chosen to hold the reunion in the massive gymnasium – gave Torrance strong feelings of nostalgia. He felt seventeen years old again, laughing in the hallways, the sound of lockers slamming closed echoing around him. He drew in a breath, smelled the heavy scent of rain, but beneath it, he swore he could detect the mystery meat lunch and the over-steamed broccoli.

“Are you going to go inside?” A voice asked him, thick with amusement. “Or are you just going to stand there staring at it all day?”

Brows lifting, Torrance turned to see a tall man – he had a good six inches on Torrance who was already at an acceptable 5’11 – smiling down at him, bright red curls sticking in all directions from the top of his head. Intelligent brown eyes were vaguely familiar and Torrance’s brow drew together in thought.

He should know this man. Those curls were unmistakable…

His eyes widened. “Steve?” Torrance blurted out, unable to stop his amused chuckle. “Steve Tryon?”

Steve – if it was truly him – broke into a broad grin. “Wow, so I was remembered,” he said, lifting his broad shoulders in a helpless shrug. “And here I thought I was just the wallflower lingering in the back of the class.”

“Hard to be a wallflower with that kind of hair,” Torrance retorted with a snicker. Not to mention the height, but as far as he could remember, Steve had always been touchy about his tree-like status. So Torrance kept that comment to himself.

Steve laughed, loud and full. “Don’t remind me,” he said humorously, and peered down at him. “And I’m thinking… Torrance, right? Torrance Hughes?”

Lifting his sunglasses, Torrance pushed them to the top of his head and stuck out a hand in greeting. “Got it in one.”

“Kinda hard to miss a famous model when he returns to his humble origins,” Steve teased, grasping Torrance’s hand in a firm shake.

“Not that famous,” Torrance quipped. “And maybe not so humble either.” He sucked in a deep breath, turning back towards the school as Steve released his hand. “Man, this place hasn’t changed at all.”

Steve laughed, already moving past Torrance towards the ramp that led down to the gymnasium. Even from here, Torrance could see the huge banner hanging over the double doors, claiming “Welcome Class of 2000!” in sparkling glitter. Luckily, the overhang of the building prevented the rain from soaking it.

“Did you really expect it to?” Steve asked rhetorically, running a hand over his rain-dampened curls. “C’mon in. Unless you’d rather stand out here and get soaked.”

“Just like the old days,” Torrance said, and followed Steve down the ramp, the sound of voices and music becoming more and more apparent. The excitement tugged at Torrance’s insides again and he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

Steve put his hand on the latched door, which practically vibrated with music from a decade ago. “Well, ready to blast to the past?”

Torrance burst into laughter. “Lead on, my man.”

The doors clicked as Steve pushed them open, spilling out a wave of damp heat and amused laughter. Smells of party food floated to Torrance’s nose and he grinned, eagerly following Steve into the gymnasium.

Well, it hardly resembled a gymnasium at this point. Other than the banners declaring all of the school’s various sports victorious – not that there were many – and the unmistakable lines of a basketball court on the floor, Torrance couldn’t recognize a gymnasium. There were too many streamers and balloons, not to mention tables and chairs scattered all around the room, not unlike the arrangement for his junior and senior prom.

Steve struggled out of his jacket, hanging it on one of the many hooks set up just inside the doorway. “I’m going to go mingle. Catch me later and we’ll exchange numbers,” he called over his shoulder.

“Sure,” Torrance agreed. He hadn’t been close to Steve in high school, but he seemed like a nice guy. And it would be nice to talk to someone who didn’t look at him and see nothing but a well-known model and a pretty face.

He watched as Steve disappeared into the crowd standing in various clumps before turning to remove his own jacket. Beneath it, he wore a pair of jeans, Timberlands, and a button-up shirt. He hoped the casual, non-name brand clothing would be enough to put his old classmates at ease. Torrance didn’t want them to think he had really changed.

Coat safely stowed, Torrance moved into the crowd, heading first for a refreshments table. He was suddenly feeling quite parched. His gaze skipped over dozens of face, struggling to recognize them. The invitation had allowed for the presence of family members and friends, so that explained a good many of the unfamiliar faces. Torrance had graduated with one-hundred and fifty other students, surely he couldn’t be expected to remember them all.

Giggling attracted his attention and Torrance turned just in time to feel a small body attempt to bowl him over. Torrance grunted and caught the child by the shoulders, looking down at a huge pair of baby blue eyes perched above round, cherubic cheeks.

“Sorry!” the kid said cheekily, looking up and up at Torrance. “Didn’t mean to!”

“Derrick!”

A female’s voice rose over the crowd, and she pushed through a cluster of people only to appear in front of Torrance, hands reaching for the child. “You shouldn’t have run off like that!” the woman scolded, and Torrance peered at her.

He hazarded a guess. “Sally? Sally Upton?”

Long dark hair spilled over slim shoulders and the woman looked up at him, her brown eyes rounding in surprise. “Torrance? Is that you?” she laughed, one hand locking firmly around the little boy’s wrists. “Wow! I didn’t think you would make it!”

“How could I resist?” Torrance said, feeling the urge to laugh himself. Sally had been close to both him and Joshua. Unfortunately, they had also lost contact over the years. “I had to come point and laugh, didn’t I?”

“For some of us, I can see why,” Sally agreed with a chuckle. She straightened, the lines of her business-suit clinging tightly to her petite, shapely body. The deep navy complimented her soft nut-brown skin nicely. “You didn’t bring anyone with you?”

Torrance spread his hands. “No one to bring,” he admitted, and looked down at the little boy – who admittedly didn’t resemble Sally at all. “And you?”

“Oh! He’s not mine!” Sally said, her other hand ruffling the boy’s unruly brown curls. “In fact, he belongs to someone both you and I know very well.” She winked.

Torrance felt his breath catch in his throat. “… Joshua?”

“I always knew you were a smart one.”

“He’s married?”

Sally shook her head, sadness briefly dimming the light in her eyes. “Was. His wife died bringing this little terror into the world.” Her voice was fond however as she ruffled the boy’s hair again. “Come on, Derrick. Let’s see if we can find your daddy. He’s probably frantic by now.”

Derrick stared up at Torrance as though he’d never seen another man before, one finger shoved between his lips as he chewed on it. Now that Torrance looked at him, he could see a bit of Joshua in the boy. He certainly had Joshua’s eyes.

“You want to see him again, don’t you?” Sally said, scooping Derrick up and planting him on her hip. She tossed Torrance an expectant look.

Of course he did. But now, knowing that not only had Joshua married but he’d had a kid, Torrance wondered if he even should. Maybe it would just be a burden for them to meet again. What if Joshua didn’t remember him? What if Joshua regretted the past? What if Joshua would rather forget he had ever shared anything with Torrance?

Before he knew it, Torrance had taken an unconscious step backwards. “I don’t think--”

“Don’t be silly!” Sally said, and snagged his arm before he could get away. “I never took you for a coward, Tor’.”

“That was then; this is now,” Torrance mumbled as Sally – always more the Amazon than the shrinking violet – all but dragged him through the crowd.

She was drawing attention to them, and Torrance knew that it wouldn’t be long before people started to connect the dots. He cringed, trying to hide his face. He hadn’t wanted to announce his presence. He just wanted to mingle quietly, reconnect with a few familiar faces, and hopefully get through the evening without making an ass out of himself.

Sally had thrown his calculations to pieces.

“You need to meet my husband, too,” Sally added, throwing the words over her shoulder as she grinned deviously. “He’s going to love you.”

Torrance blinked in stunned surprise. “You consented to marry someone?” he said, and had to bite back a yelp when she squeezed his arm. He couldn’t imagine the sort of person who could manage to capture a woman like Sally, the type who built her own bridges and bulldozed all opposition in her path.

“Alright now. No insulting the woman who’s going to reunite you with your one true love.”

Swallowing thickly, Torrance licked his lips nervously. “It wasn’t like that,” he protested as they broke through the worst of the crowd, emerging where it was much thinner, closer to the double doors that led to the main hallway and deeper into the school.

“Wasn’t it?” Sally paused, refusing to relent her hold on him. Her gaze searched his face, never minding that Derrick watched the two of them with strange silence for a child. “Ten years and you’re still single? Don’t think me an idiot, Tor’.” She snorted.

“Maybe I just haven’t found the right person.”

“Or maybe you just left him behind here and hadn’t had the balls to come back yet.”

Torrance stared, unable to form a coherent response. True he hadn’t forgotten about Joshua over the years. And true he had, on occasion, found himself thinking about the other man. True he hadn’t had much of a serious relationship over the years. But that didn’t necessarily mean Sally was right either.

“Sally!”

The voice came from behind Torrance, achingly familiar, so familiar that it sent a shock of surprise and warmth through Torrance’s system. His heart picked up in rhythm before Torrance could regain control of himself and he felt – briefly – like he had been thrown back into the past. Part of him was afraid to turn around. Another part of him couldn’t wait to look.

“Oh, good. You found him,” Joshua said, his voice matured now, but carrying the same tenor Torrance had always known. He sounded relieved

He moved past Torrance, leaving a faint whiff of cologne in his wake – Curve. Joshua, however, had eyes for his son alone, quick to take Derrick from Sally’s hip and pull the boy into his arms.

“I can’t quite seem to break him of that bad habit of running off,” Joshua continued, apologies in his town. “Thanks for looking.”

Torrance, for his part, felt frozen in place, breath caught in his throat. He watched as Joshua looked his son over, hardly changed for the past ten years. Oh sure, he’d grown older. He must have had one last growth spurt after Torrance left because he was the same height as Torrance now. His shoulders had broadened, and he looked fantastic in his jeans and pale grey sweater, both complimenting his pale skin and cropped brown hair. Thin-rimmed glasses perched on a small nose dotted with tiny freckles, and bright blue eyes were surrounded by long lashes.

Torrance had always thought him beautiful, but he rarely said it because Joshua hated to be called beautiful.

“No problem,” Sally was saying, that mischievous smile still twisting her lips. “I found another lost puppy in my search, too. I seem to be good at that.” Her gaze pointedly slipped past Joshua, meeting Torrance’s with a saucy wink.

When Joshua turned, it seemed to be in slow motion, at least to Torrance. He held his breath as if it would pause time and Torrance could only stare as Joshua faced him, confusion quickly overrode by recognition.

“Torrance?” he said, and there was a bundle of emotions in the simple statement of his name. Half-whispered, half-uttered, Joshua sounded like he couldn’t believe his own eyes.

Torrace’s insides tightened, but he forced out a small smile. “So you do remember me. I worried I had been forgotten.” They weren’t the words he wanted to say, but the connection between his mouth and his brain seemed to have vanished. At any moment he would start to babble inanely.

They stared at each other, Joshua seemingly at a loss for words, Torrance unable to find any that didn’t sound undeniably sappy and gushing. His heart had stuttered at sight of Joshua, and it wasn’t just a twinge of nostalgia. For the first time, Torrance thought that maybe Sally was right. Maybe what he’d been looking for had always been right here in Tacoma.

“Daddy, I want some cookies.” Derrick tugged on his father’s shirt, trying to get Joshua’s attention, obviously annoyed by the lingering silence.

Joshua blinked as though coming out of a trance, looking down at his son. “I don’t think they have any cookies here, Derrick. Besides you shouldn’t spoil your dinner.”

“Oh, pshaw!” Sally interjected, waving a hand of dismissal. “You have to spoil him sometimes, Joshua.” She held out her hands to Derrick, wiggling them invitingly. “Why don’t you come with me, sweetie? We’ll see what goodies they splurged on.”

That was all the coercion Derrick needed to wriggle himself out of his father’s arms and into Sally’s, enticed by the thoughts of sugary sweets. Joshua sighed, the sound of a father long-suffering.

“Sally….”

She shook her head, cutting him off. “Why don’t you and Torrance have a little chat, hmm? I’ll just take Derrick over here.” Sally glanced at Torrance, giving him a knowing look that carried a hint of warning to it.

Don’t screw this up, that look seemed to say. Don’t you hurt him again.

Before Joshua could protest again, Sally whisked his son into the crowd, leaving Torrance and Joshua to stare at each other, the air heavy and expectant between them. Torrance felt he should be the first to break the ice, considering that Joshua sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. Joshua looked tired, strained even. Losing his wife must not have been easy on him.

“How old is he?” Torrance asked, figuring it was best to go with a neutral statement.

Joshua smiled lightly, enough to bring out the dimples in his cheeks. “Four,” he said, gaze softening at the thought of his son. “And he’s a handful.”

“He looks just like you,” Torrance said, and then paused, reconsidering. “Except for that hair.”

Laughing, Joshua inclined his head. “I haven’t figured out how to tame it, and my sisters keep saying he’s too adorable to cut it.” He looked at Torrance from the corner of his eyes. “He gets it from his mother.”

“I’m sorry to hear about her,” Torrance said quietly, with genuine sympathy in his tone. He knew nothing of Joshua’s wife, but he knew plenty about Joshua. If he had married a woman and had a child with her, no doubt Joshua loved her wholeheartedly. That was the kind of man Joshua was – completely honest, completely loyal, and completely devoted.

“She would have liked you,” Joshua commented, hands patting his pants before he put them in his pocket. “We… well, none of us really expected you to make it.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Torrance sighed, shoulders slumping. “I’m not a super model or anything. I can still go to the grocery store without getting mobbed.”

“Do you even buy groceries?”

“About as often as I cook,” Torrance replied, and felt his lips curving into a smile. His ability to ruin the simplest meal, going so far as to burn water, was practically legendary amongst their group of friends in high school.

Joshua laughed and Torrance swore that it was the best sound he had heard all day, making his heart skip another beat and his pulse pound through his body. He looked at Joshua again and he ached, wanting to say so much and fearing that the words would mean so little.

“I suppose that you can afford someone to cook for you now, right?” Joshua asked.

Torrance shrugged dismissively. “Take out works just as well. Though with all the flying around I do, it’s not like I spend much time at home.” He eyed Joshua’s wardrobe, insanely curious as to what has occupied him for the last ten years. “And you?”

A hint of red stained Joshua’s cheeks. “Writing a bit, here and there. I wanted to be there for Derrick so I’ve been writing columns from home.” He shifted, as though embarrassed. “I have a book coming out this fall.”

“Really?” Torrance’s eyes widened. “That’s amazing! What’s it about?”

He should have known. All through high school, he had found Joshua scribbling in one notebook or another, ideas pouring out of his brain so quickly he could hardly keep up. Joshua was always too embarrassed to share them, but it was clear that writing was a passion for him.

“Nothing exciting. It’s a history book, heavily researched and all. The sort of thing that excites college professors but doesn’t become a bestseller,” Joshua said dismissively, always one for modesty and content to hide in the shadows. It was like nothing had changed despite the long decade. “It’ll pay the bills, though. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Torrance ran a hand over his braids, anything to quell the nervous tension inside of him.

Joshua was here, barely two feet away, and he wanted nothing more than to close the distance and remind himself how Joshua felt in his arms. He wanted to press their lips together again, see if the passing years had only improved their skills. He wanted to hold Joshua so badly that it hurt and Torrance shifted uneasily.

Thoughts and words ran rampant through his mind, crowding over and under each other. He wanted to say something perfect, but Torrance felt tongue-tied. Imagine him, smooth-talking and completely flirtatious model, tongue-tied!

What did he have to lose? If Joshua dismissed him, told him that the past was just the past and nothing special lingered, then Torrance could return to California, courage intact. He could at least claimed to have tried.

Taking a deep breath, Torrance worked up his courage.

“Joshua--”

“Torrance--”

They looked at each other, amusement writ into their expressions. They had spoken at the same time, just like every cliché romance novel out there. And Torrance couldn’t help but dissolve into chuckling, must like Joshua was.

“We couldn’t have planned that,” Joshua commented, shaking his head. “It was too perfect.”

“I think Sally would agree.”

Joshua hummed low in his throat. “No, she’d probably knock us over the head and tell us to get over it. To just say what we mean.” Blue eyes focused on Torrance. “To just spit out what we’ve been trying to say instead of dancing around the issue.”

“Like how much I didn’t realize I missed you until I saw you here today?” Torrance said quietly, the words falling easier than he would have believed. “Or how much I wished we weren’t in a crowded room so we could reunite properly?”

Despite the dim lighting, Torrance could see Joshua’s pupils dilating at the prospect. “Yes, something like that.” Joshua took a step closer, near enough that they could touch, but still far enough that they wouldn’t attract too much attention. “I didn’t realize how much I loved you until you were gone.”

Torrance’s breath caught in his throat. “But you didn’t wait.”

“How could I? You never said you were coming back.” Joshua shook his head, his arms stiff at his sides as though he were holding himself back. “And then I met Shannon and fell in love with her. She gave me Derrick.” His eyes warmed. “I wouldn’t give Derrick up for anything in the world.”

The firmness in Joshua’s voice only made Torrance’s desire to kiss him stronger. He dragged his tongue over his lips, looking around for a dark corner, or a wall, or something to hide behind. He felt half-desperate and hungry, a feeling no one in the past decade or so had been able to evoke in him.

“Of course not. He’s your son,” Torrance said easily, surprised himself that he didn’t stumble over that truth. He lifted a hand, only to play it off by dragging it over his hair again. “Dammit, I wish we weren’t in public like this,” he muttered.

“We don’t have to be,” Joshua said and before Torrance could question what exactly he meant, Joshua was pulling him towards the nearest double doors. His grip on Torrance’s wrist was warm where his fingers wrapped around Torrance.

“What…?”

“I was on the committee,” Joshua explained as they burst through the doors and into the darkened hallway beyond them. “I helped organize this. So I knew these were unlocked. They had to be, for the sake of fire codes.”

Well, wasn’t that lucky? Torrance was practically giddy with delight, even as the familiar sight of the hallway lined with display cases and lockers surrounded them. It was dimly lit, with only the emergency lights on, dappling the white and grey tiled floor.

Torrance had all of a moment to reminisce on the past before he felt Joshua tighten his grip and swing him around. An aborted cry fell from Torrance’s lips and then his back collided with a locker. Joshua was suddenly there, pressed against him, their lips sealing together in a kiss that tasted of ten years past.

Hands cupped Torrance’s face, making room for Joshua to deepen the kiss, as their bodies collided. They were nearly the same height now and it showed as they fit together in all the right places. Torrance couldn’t hide his moan as Joshua’s tongue lapped across his lips before pushing between them, overwhelming Torrance with the unique taste of him.

It was different and it was the same and Torrance wanted nothing more than to make the moment last forever. His hands settled on Joshua’s hip, pulling him closer. Joshua smelled so damn good, a mixture of cologne and shampoo, and Torrance wanted him so badly that it hurt. He felt his cock swell in the confine of his jeans, making him hot all over.

Teeth nipped at his lips before Joshua drew back. But he didn’t go far. He rested his forehead against Torrance’s, their lips so close that Torrance could feel each puff of Joshua’s breath.

“Damn,” Torrance breathed, unconsciously rolling his hips forward. “Damn.”

Joshua chuckled as he gently rolled their foreheads together and Torrance felt the tickle of his hair against his skin. “That all you have to say?”

“No.” Torrance flexed his fingers against Joshua’s hips and forced his eyes open, meeting Joshua’s gaze openly. “But it’s a start,” he said, and closed the short distance between them, kissing Joshua again.

Their lips mashed and meshed, tongues sloppily tangling together. One of Joshua’s hands slipped from Torrance’s face to curl around his head as the other slid downwards, curving around Torrance’s waist. It was like they were trying to crawl into each other’s clothing, one of Joshua’s knees nudging between Torrance’s legs.

Ten years and it was like no time had passed at all. Torrance expected awkwardness. He expected a dance of words and gestures, of obvious hesitation. But he had been wrong. And damn but he was glad he was wrong.

His fingers pressed against Joshua’s spine, massaging and encouraging. He could feel his cock throbbing in its confines and Torrance dragged his mouth over Joshua’s jaw, where the beginning of stubble rasped his lips. The sensation made him shudder with need and he rubbed his head against Joshua’s, much like a cat seeking affection.

“I don’t want to let another ten years pass before I see you again,” Torrance murmured, suddenly holding tighter. “I was stupid to let you go the first time.”

“At least you see that now,” Joshua returned, though his voice was a breathy gasp. Torrance could feel the proof of Joshua’s interest throbbing against his inner thigh. “The fault is as much my own. For not even suggesting different.”

Torrance poked his nose into the hollow of Joshua’s neck, deeply inhaling Joshua’s scent. He mouthed the edge of a collarbone, peeking out from the collar of Joshua’s shirt. “Come back with me.”

He spoke before he actually thought the request through, but the more Torrance tossed the words around in his mind, the more he realized he wanted them to come true. He wanted Joshua by his side again. He wanted to wake up in the morning to Joshua’s drowsy smile and the feel of hairy legs tangling with his own.

“I have Derrick,” Joshua reminded him, as though Torrance had forgotten.

“He’s coming, too,” Torrance said, kissing the pale skin in front of him. So damned pale, such a contrast to the light brown of Torrance’s own skin.

“You don’t even like children.”

“What? You don’t remember how often I babysat my cousins?”

Joshua chuckled lightly, his fingers massaging Torrance’s scalp. “Those little hellions? Of course I do. But babysitting one is quite different from having a child constantly underfoot.”

Torrance drew back, just enough that he could see Joshua’s face. It was his turn to grip Joshua’s chin, to force Joshua to look him in the eyes and read the earnestness in his expression.

“I’m pretty damn sure I love you,” Torrance said, fiercely, strongly, without leaving room for doubt. “Why don’t you give me the chance to love him, too?”

Joshua made a strangled sound low in his throat. “You can decide that so easily? Ten years have passed. What makes you think things are that simple?”

“I don’t,” Torrance returned. “But I do know that I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I miss this opportunity. Don’t make me walk away again, Josh.”

Joshua didn’t answer. At least, not verbally. But Torrance assumed that the consuming kiss Joshua inflicted on him was all the answer Torrance would receive. He groaned, surrendering to the force of Joshua’s passion. Not that he had ever intended to fight in the first place.

All the little things could be worked out later. All the decisions and the choices and the introduction… Torrance would worry about those at another time. For right now, he just wanted to focus on the man in his arms, the man he had almost lost. And this time, Torrance refused to let go.

* * * *

a/n: Awww, how fluffy.

I can’t say how the next one will be, but rest assured, I’ll do my best to slip in some fluffy, happy ones now and then so the angst doesn’t overwhelm. Thanks for reading!

This series will continue with unrelated oneshots, but you will have to visit my website to find them as I am no longer updating on AFF. Thank you.