Month: February 2016

**Here’s another installment of Sean and Hunter’s story! You can find the buy links for Love at Roades End in the books page at the top. Enjoy!**

The couple checking in were two of my frequent flyer guests. Ever since the first time they’d stayed in the Red Room six months ago, they’d been back every six to eight weeks. They usually only booked for one night, but this time it was two. I loved seeing them show up because they were clearly so in love. They had an air about them, a familiarity, which spoke of a deep and long lasting relationship. I didn’t know how long they’d been together, but I would have placed my money on years. Probably from a young age. Seeing Travis and Noah return yet again made my heart happy.

I didn’t bother to show them to their room, just checked them in and handed over the key. Noah took it with a grateful smile while Travis tucked his credit card back in his wallet. Then they picked up their bags and headed up the stairs toward their room.

I was still gazing after them, with that contented feeling in the pit of my stomach, when suddenly Sean was filling my field of vision. His sudden appearance made me startle, and I started laughing before I caught sight of his face. When I did, the laugh died off. He was upset.

“Sean?” I asked tentatively. I glanced around, and saw there was no one lingering nearby. I knew all the guests who had pre-booked rooms were checked in. I stepped around the chest high desk, took his hand, and tugged him over to the wing back chairs in front of the window. “What’s wrong?”

“I saw the way you were looking at them.”

I blinked. Wait. This was about jealousy? Sean was jealous? How was that even possible? He knew he was my dream man. His looks, his personality, everything about him worked for me. How could he think I’d want anyone else? More than that, how could he think so little of me to think I’d stray?

“I wasn’t ‘looking’ at them,” I bristled. I didn’t even try to keep the irritation and hurt from my tone.

“No?” he asked, a bit of incredulity creeping in. He looked me right in the eye. “I saw the smiles and the staring and the…” he flailed about. “Swooning!”

I scowled. “I wasn’t swooning. I was admiring their love and their relationship.” I stood fast. “I can’t believe you would think I was…swooning!”

“Can you not say that word anymore?” he winced. I’d crossed the room and was behind the desk again. Sean got up and came closer. But I zeroed in my attention on my work and refused to look at him. How dare he?

“Come on, babe,” he pleaded, dropping his voice and leaning on the counter. “I’m sorry. It’s just that, they’re your type and I worried—”

“They are not my type!” I was indignant and my voice got loud. I cleared my throat, and I could feel myself turning red. I lowered my voice but I didn’t back down. “How can you even think that? You trust me so little?”

“No!” The denial came fast, and the sincerity in his eyes went a long way to soothing my irritation. “Hunter, I just…. The way you looked at them, and if you put them together and they are exactly your type. So I sat there, watching you watch them, and wondered if, you know, fantasy and all…”

He let that sentence peter out to nothing and I thought it was good he hadn’t said it out loud. I was pissed, but I could understand where he was coming from. At least in the abstract. We hadn’t had much interaction with other couples, other men. Our relationship, though solid, had thus far been played out in front of our family and friends, or in the confines of the Inn. I took a deep breath and tried not to let things get carried away.

“That’s ridiculous and don’t ever think it again” I snapped. Then sighed. So much for cool and collected. I was better than this. So I took deep breath, let it out slowly, and tried again. “I love you. I’m committed to you. And I have no intention of even thinking about someone else. All right?”

Sean took a second, then breathed out and looked at me with utter relief in his eyes. “Yes. Sorry. I let my imagination get the better of me. I love you.”

The way he always said it, like those were his favorite words, made my heart soften and he was easily forgiven. The kiss he gave me, when I allowed, felt like a physical manifestation of that love. So much feeling was packed into that joining of lips that I nearly melted right then and there. Sean wasn’t prone to jealousy in general, so this had simply been a little test. We passed with flying colors. I had no doubt we’d weather whatever life threw at us.

**Have you read Love at Roades End yet? If you’re looking for a sweet, quick Valentine’s romance, it might be just the thing. And this week’s flash fic takes place immediately following the story. Enjoy a little more Sean and Hunter!**

I’d been planning for our anniversary for weeks, analyzing and fretting. Waffling and second guessing. But I knew what I wanted and I was fairly certain Sean wanted it too. So I’d finally settled, and had gotten everything in place, when Mother Nature decided a snow storm was the way to celebrate the holiday instead of love. I was heartbroken to know he wouldn’t make it, but I’d rather be apart and him be safe, then for him to risk his life traveling in a blizzard.

I should have known the love of my life wouldn’t let something like the weather stop him from getting to me.

Having him slip into bed in the wee hours of the morning had been the best possible kiss, and I’d kissed him and wound him up, begging him to fuck me until he pounded me into the mattress. Sticky and sated, we fell asleep in each other’s arms. But now in the morning light, I remembered the present that I’d gotten ready for him and I nearly chickened out. My heart was pounding andI broke out in cold sweats.

It was early. The sun was barely up. I’d arranged for coverage, so I didn’t have to get out of bed. I could spent the entire morning with Sean. I should have been, by all accounts, be wrapped around him. But second guessing and a little bit of fear had me wide awake and watching him sleep.

“Hunter,” he mumbled, rolling over to grab my waist and tug me closer. “Too early for thinking.”

A laugh bubbled up. Even in sleep, Sean knew me so well. Why was I so worried? I knew he’d want this.

I leaned forward so I could trace my nose along his jaw, working my way up until I could kiss his ear. “I need you to get up with me.”

He ground his morning wood into my hip and growled, “Ohm I’m up with you.”

I laughed for real this time, and shoved him playfully. “Left myself open for that one, didn’t I?”

“You’re probably still open from last night.”

What was with him this morning? It was a good thing I loved him. “I’d forgotten sleep deprivation made you hear innuendo everywhere.” I kissed his cheek. “Come here for a minute, will you?”

“Sure,” he said, a little more awake now. He gave me a smile and proper kiss before pushing back the covers and sitting up. I scrambled out of bed and found his sweatpants before I pulled on a pair of my own. I also put on a shirt, but Sean didn’t bother. I took his hand and led him into the living room.

Where there was once an entertainment center, now sat a corner desk with a rolling fake leather chair. I’d moved the TV and DVD collection across the room, and pushed the couch to a different angle. Sean stopped dead when he saw it, and his jaw even dropped just a little.

“See,” I said softly, motioning to the set up. “There is plenty of room for two monitors, or even two whole PCs if you’d like. I believe you could work very comfortably here.”

Sean nodded slowly and took a few steps closer. “It’s really nice, babe.”

I could hear the confusion in his tone, so I did my best to try to clear that up. I’d prepared all sorts of speeches, ready to eloquently express what I wanted. In the end, none of it mattered. Looking at him, I just spoke from the heart.

“We’ve been together for a year now. Traveling back and forth. Mostly you. You have drawers in the bedroom, and shelves in the bathroom. You have a key. I have long since thought of this as our home, and not just mine.” I stopped, took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. “I would come to you if I could, if you wanted me to. But this place is not only my work, it’s in my blood. I would hate to leave it. So I’m asking you to uproot your life and…and well, replant your roots right here with me.”

Sean’s breath caught and for a second his mouth worked like a fish. Then he launched himself at me, pulling me into his arms, and kissing me until I couldn’t breathe.

“Holy shit. Hunter.” Sean’s grin was simply gorgeous. “I thought you’d never ask.

I was suddenly smiling so hard it hurt. “Happy anniversary, love.”

“I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Henry wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and kept his gaze fixed on the door. His untouched chai latte sat cooling on the table in front of him, and he couldn’t even think about eating the piece of pumpkin roll. His stomach was tied in nervous knots, so he didn’t eat. He just watched the door of the cafe and waited.

He was finally meeting wolverineX25. They met online for the first time six months ago when they joined the same raiding party on a popular MMORPG. After realizing the other gamers in the party were morons, Henry and wolverine split off. They began meeting up to complete missions together and an easy camaraderie turned into veiled flirting. It went on for months. Henry couldn’t wait to get home at the end of the day just so he could meet up with wolverine.

Eventually, wolverine suggested they also start talking through Hangouts. Henry had been all for that and eagerly said yes. And for the last several weeks, they spent all day everyday sending each other random tidbits of their day and generally sharing themselves with each other. When Henry had said something about a traffic snarl he got caught in, wolverine realized that they not only lived in the same city, but rather close to each other. They marveled over the coincidence of it, and then, tentatively, wolverine suggested they meet.

Henry had wanted to say yes immediately. But he let common sense prevail and put it off for another couple of weeks. He and wolverine kept talking, and wolverine never pushed. Other than an occasional wistful comment that he wished they could meet. Finally, Henry bit the bullet and suggested a well known local cafe for a neutral ground meet up. Wolverine quickly accepted. And now Henry was anxious and nervous, watching the door for his date to walk in.

The door opened again, and the man of his dreams entered. Henry swallowed hard. Or at least he used to be. Before he started flirting and building something with wolverine, Logan had been what fueled all of Henry’s fantasies. They worked on the same floor, just four cubicles apart. Henry had noticed Logan the minute he started, and he lusted after him. But they never had much occasion to talk. And Logan was probably straight anyway. When wolverine had come into the picture, Henry had pushed Logan out of his mind.

But now the man was walking into his favorite cafe, and when he caught sigh of Henry, Logan did a double take. His deep brown eyes got wide, and he looked surprised. Henry watched as Logan’s gaze swept the cafe, looking for something, before it finally settled back on Henry. And then, to Henry’s utter shock, Logan approached him.

“Hi, Henry,” Logan said in that low, soothing voice he had. “What are you doing here so early on a Saturday morning?”

Henry had to clear his throat and lick his lips before he could speak. “I’m meeting a friend.”

“Is that right?” Logan said, almost to himself.  He didn’t say anything for a second, and then he took a deep breath. “I notice you’re wearing a Captain America shirt.”

Henry looked down at himself, where Cap’s shield was plastered across his chest and then back up at Logan with a frown. “Yeah. Um, you’ve seen it before. I’ve worn it on dress down Friday…”

Henry had to chalk it up to nerves that his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. His eyes widened, and then he dropped his gaze to the Dr. Who shirt Logan was wearing. And then his brain finally put all the pieces together.

“Wolverine?” he asked, his voice coming out breathy. When Logan smiled and nodded, Henry let out a chuckle. “I totally get it now.”

Logan laughed too. “Yeah, well.” He looked around again, and then gave all his attention to Henry. “I had no idea SweetH17 was you.  I, um, should have put that together. Seeing as how I know your last name.”

Henry waved that away. “Nah. There was no way you could have known.”

Logan nodded and then things turned awkward. They both stared at each other for a long moment. Henry felt the blush creeping up his cheeks. This had been the man he’d been easily talking to for months. Falling in love with, really, but he wasn’t going to say that out loud. But now that he had the person in front of him, and knowing that Logan had been so close all along, Henry felt weird. Did their chemistry only work online? Now that Logan knew who Henry was, was he no longer attracted to him?

“You know,” Logan said softly, leaning forward into Henry’s space. “I never asked you out because I was lusting after this guy I had met online. We had a real connection, and I wanted to see where it went. I’m glad it was you, Henry. Surprised. But glad. Want to give this thing a try in the real world?”

Henry felt the grin stretching his lips. “Have a seat.”