• Lovin’ you is easy ‘cause you’re beautiful…

    The sounds of torrential rain falling on the over-saturated ground played background music to the soft Latin tango filling the room. Cole sat thoughtfully by the window, staring out at everything but seeing nothing in particular. His own waterlogged reflection gazed emptily back at him, the mirror image of his sea-green eyes too bright in comparison to the real thing.

    Alix had been gone for two weeks already, off on a photo shoot in Japan, and would be away for another week. Usually, Cole would have gone with him, but he had several photo shoots booked there in New York.

    Cole leaned his forehead against the window and sighed, watching as the rain stopped as suddenly as it started. The first week hadn’t been so bad. He’d called Alix almost every day, and kept himself busy with friends, parties, and work. But as a second Monday, and another Tuesday passed without Alix being a shout away, a small ache grew in Cole’s heart where Alix was supposed to be.

    Cole pressed a hand to the dull thud in his chest, trying to will the memories and the loneliness away. Everyone left him, sooner or later. His mother died in labor, his father became single parent to him and his older brother, James. Then, when Cole was seventeen and finally told his father he was gay, his father committed suicide, unable to stomach the idea of one of his sons being gay. He was moved from Maryland to live with an aunt and uncle in New York, leaving him isolated and alone at a new school.

    Three days later, his cat ran away.

    Yeah, Cole didn’t like being alone, and he thought he had pretty damn good reason.

    Just then, the phone rang, the sharp tone cutting through his reminiscing. Cole shook his head and wandered into the kitchen, snatching the phone off the hook before it could ring again.

    “Hello,” he answered dully.

    “Cole? Hey, sweetheart, how’re you doing?” Alix answered form the other end.

    Cole’s heart sped up at the sound of his love’s voice. “I’m doing lonely. Lonely and despondent. I want you to come home. Now,” he answered back, unable to keep a hint of petulance from his voice.

    “Well, I have some good news,” Alix continued, smiling to himself even though he knew Cole wouldn’t see it, “I might be able to come home early. The shoot went really well.”

    “Really? That’s great! How soon—hold on, someone’s at the door,” he said, bouncing over to the door with renewed energy. “So how soon—”

    The phone slipped from his hands and cracked on the tile in the hallway as Cole jumped Alix.

    “Jesus, Cole, I think you just broke the phone,” Alix said, grinning, catching the exuberant blonde in his arms.

    “You’re home! You’re back! Oh, I missed you soooo much!” Cole cried into Alix’s neck, peppering his face with kisses.

    Alix held Cole around the waist and spun him once before setting him back down. “How ‘bout we get my stuff in the apartment, then we’ll talk, okay?” he said.

    Once back inside, suitcases piled on the floor in the bedroom, Cole snuggled up to Alix on the couch. “I love you, I love you so much,” he whispered.

    Alix slowly stroked Cole’s hair, savoring the feel of Cole curled up next to him. Though he’d never admit it to Cole, he’d missed the silly little whore just as much as he’d missed Alix. “You really missed me, huh,” he said. “Or do I actually have to go away for two weeks for you to start professing undying love for me?”

    Cole shook his head, laughing playfully. “No, stupid. That’s easy.”

    Alix frowned. “Then why don’t you do it more often?”

    Cole punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Not that, loving you. Loving you is easy.”

    “How’s that?”

    “Loving you is easy ‘cause you’re beautiful.”