Chapter 8 – Chapter 8

–Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story. As always, comment, vote, love and laugh!–

Gabe woke up and blinked in the early morning light. He had to pee was his first thought. There's a man holding me was his second. He smiled before he turned his head and chuckled. Kyle's head was leaned back on the pillow, his mouth wide open and the snores the man made were enough to wake the dead. Gabe's bladder reminded him of urgent business and he tried to slip easily from Kyle's arms. This was not happening. Kyle's embrace was a heavy one and every time Gabe seemed to make some headway he was pulled back in. Finally, Gabe lifted one heavy arm and quickly made his escape. His movements should have woken Kyle but he just shifted and continued to snore.

Overcome with the relief of relieving himself in the morning, Gabe sighed as his stream fell into the toilet. It was the last peaceful thought he had as sudden and terrifying noise began blaring from the bedroom. Gabe was so startled he moved and pissed over the seat and around the bowl.

"Shit! Fuck!" He exclaimed and finished urinating.

"What's up, babe?" A sleepy Kyle asked from the doorway.

"What was that noise?! It scared me so bad I pissed all over the place." Gabe said as he looked for something to clean up his mess. Kyle chuckled.

"I'm a bit of a heavy sleeper. That was the alarm. Anything quieter and I'll sleep through it."

"That's your alarm? Do you go into a coma when you sleep?"

"Just about. It used to be really bad when I was a kid."

"I can't imagine how." Gabe said and stood up from cleaning to wash his hands. Kyle took his place in front of the toilet.

"You want some breakfast?"

"That sounds good. Eat in or go out?" Gabe asked.

"Considering Darren's going to call in four minutes to ask how last night went, why don't we just invite them out somewhere."

"Darren is not going to call in four minutes." Gabe said and heard his cell phone jingle. Kyle's raised an eyebrow in answer. "That wasn't four minutes."

"Hello?" Gabe said as he answered the phone.

"Bitch, you go out with the hottest stud in Dobbs Ferry, stay over his house and don't give me the courtesy of a three a.m. phone call so we can dish about it?!!!" Darren yelled over the phone.

"Good morning, Darren." Gabe said and grinned as Kyle flashed him an `I told you so' look.

"I hate you and I can't believe we're friends. I was up till four waiting for you to call!!"

"That's kinda stupid, isn't it?"

"I didn't say I wasn't doing other things while I was waiting."

"At least you made good use of your time."

"Whatever. Tell Kyle you're both on my shit list as of four fifteen this morning."

"Why don't you tell him yourself over breakfast? How about Maria's Kitchen in forty-five minutes?" Gabe asked and basically heard the wind go right out of Darren's argument.

"Fine. But this doesn't mean-."

"See you then Darren." Gabe said and hung up the phone.

"Forty-five minutes? That doesn't leave us much time for morning sex." Kyle said, kneeling on the bed.

"I guess we'll just have to take some creative shortcuts." Gabe said, as he met Kyle in the center of the bed.

"A creative accountant? Jesus, I lucked out!" Kyle smiled.

"We can be very creative when we need to be." Gabe said, had a brief thought that he would have to tell Paula he changed his mind about the creativity of accounting and was lost in Kyle's kiss.

Forty minutes later, Gabe ran downstairs dressed and ready for breakfast when he came to a quick stop at the bottom of the stairs. The front door stood slightly open. He thought back to last night and couldn't remember closing it but then he and Kyle had other things on their minds. He heard footsteps behind him and turned his head.

"What's up?" Kyle said as he came to the step where Gabe stood.

"Did we shut the front door?" Gabe asked and Kyle looked up and noticed the entrance.

"I'm not sure. I always do but I can't remember." He said as he made the rest of the way to the first floor. "Let me take a quick look around before we leave."

Gabe waited in the foyer for the few minutes it took Kyle to check the house. When he returned, he was shaking his head.

"Nothing obvious is missing or broken. We must have just forgotten."

"That's odd." Gabe said. "I wouldn't think we would have missed that."

"Well, I was pretty potent last night." Kyle said with a grin. "You were just thinking of my body."

"I guess that's it." Gabe laughed and they walked outside to Gabe's car.

Within minutes they were pulling into the little cafe they had suggested and sitting down at Darren and Phil's table.

"You're late." Darren started.

"Jesus, Darren. We're only a few minutes late." Kyle said.

"He made us get here early. We've been here since ten thirty. I had to stop him from calling you again four times." Phil said, rolling his eyes.

"You guys look happy. Are you happy? Cause you look happy." Darren said with a shit eating grin. Kyle and Gabe both smiled in response.

"Yeah, we're happy." Kyle added.

"Oh God. That's so sweet. You're both so sweet. Aren't they sweet, honey?" Darren gushed.

"You know he's going to be like this for at least another two weeks, right?" Phil said, resigned to the fact.

"Darren, we're just dating. Calm down. You're acting like a spaz." Gabe said.

"I have a right. I've known you since high school and I've known Kyle since he moved up here. I don't know too much about your early love life but lately you've been batting zero."

"Ouch, Darren." Gabe said, feeling hurt but could not argue the point.

"And Kyle's been with the longest string of losers I've ever seen. I actually thought he had a loser fetish."

"Shut up, Darren." Kyle warned.

"Wait, how many losers?" Gabe asked, then thought better of it. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It doesn't matter. Darren, what's with you today? You're acting like a freak."

"I just want you both to be happy and now that you've found each other I think you will be."

"All right," Kyle said. "Say that at our wedding but till then stay the fuck out of our relationship."

"A wedding? What wedding?" Darren perked up.

"Oh Jesus." Phil closed his eyes.

"It was a figure of speech, Darren." Gabe said carefully. Kyle just laughed. "We just had our first date last night, it was great and special. We're both very happy. Let's just leave it at that and eat some breakfast."

They discussed what they were going to eat, each happily changing the topic save for Darren who stared off whimsically. A small silence fell as they looked over the menu until it was broken by Darren.

"I'm thinking white Gucci tuxes for the wedding." He said and was promptly hit in the head with a jelly packet.

After breakfast Gabe drove Kyle home and parked in the driveway.

"It sucks you have to work on a Saturday."

"I know, but I do have to go in for a couple hours at least." Kyle smiled. "You know, you still haven't seen my house. How bad is it that my boyfriend has only seen the foyer and bedroom?"

"It's not ideal, if that's what you mean but as circumstances go I think I can live with it. As long as we get that remedied soon." Gabe answered and Kyle leaned in for a long kiss.

"How about tonight?" He asked as he pulled back a bit.

"Tonight? Sounds good. What do you have in mind?"

"Dinner. I'll cook. Some good Southern food."

"That sounds real good. Want me to bring anything? What kind of wine goes with pigs knuckles?"

"Still picking on the Rebel, huh? Well, I remember this Rebel conquering some feisty Yankee ass last night."

"If you don't know of Yankee resilience than you don't know us very well." Gabe smiled and took a nip of Kyle's lip.

"I'm counting on it." Kyle said and gave a final kiss. "Just bring yourself and an appetite."

"I will." Gabe said as Kyle got out of the car.

"See you later, baby."

"Bye, Tiger."

Gabe drove home, smiling and thinking of the most recent, happy and unexpected events of his life. He smiled as he drove and was half hard remembering last night. He never saw the car that ran him off the road.

Hours later, he pulled into Darren and Phil's driveway and shut the Saab off which shuttered a little worse for wear. He opened the door and walked another time around the car to see the damage once again. There was a scrape from the trunk of the car up to the passenger door where a cement pylon on the side of the road caught and kept the car from heading off the cliff. The police had come and taken a description of the car but Gabe hadn't seen the driver's face or the license plate. They said they'd do what they could but it would take some time if anything came of the investigation. Gabe sighed and walked inside.

"Hey kiddo." Phil said as Gabe came in. "I want to apologize for Darren. He was a little wired. He was so exhausted this morning I let him have one too many Red Bull."

"That's fine." Gabe said dismissively.

"You ok?"

"I just got ran off the road."

"Oh God! Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. The car's not so hot, but it's driveable or I would have called Kyle."

"Damn! People are fucking assholes anymore. Seriously, New Yorkers have gotten so bad at driving we're almost worse than Jersey." Phil said and went outside to check on the car.

"Was that Phil leaving?" Darren asked as he came from the back with a load of laundry.

"Yeah, he's out checking the car."

"Why?" Darren asked. Gabe explained. "Are you kidding me?! What a fucking asshole! He was in your lane?"

"It was worse than that. It seemed like he was almost aiming for the car. I had to pull as far over as I could and I just didn't see the railing or the cliff on the other side of it."

"Jesus! You could have died!"

"I'm all right. Just pretty shaken up."

Phil came in from outside.

"The car's pretty messed up, Gabe. Thank God, you survived."

"Yeah, I have it on good authority that I'm going to live to a ripe old age. Still, it scared the shit out of me."

"You should call Kyle, Gabe. He's gonna freak if he finds out later." Darren said and Gabe nodded.

"I know. I'll go do that now."

Gabe went upstairs and sat down on the bed. He took out his phone and called Kyle's shop.

"Hello, Ogden Motors."

"Kyle?"

"Hey babe. Miss me already?"

"Well yeah, but that's not why I'm calling."

"You do wonders for a guys ego, let me tell ya'."

"I got into an accident."

"What? Are you all right?" Kyle asked, the laughter gone from his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The car's a bit banged up though."

"Don't worry about that. Where are you?"

"I'm at Darren and Phil's."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Kyle hung up the phone and Gabe showered and changed from the clothes he still wore from last night.

When he came downstairs, Kyle was just pulling in driving a large tow truck. Gabe met him at the front door.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Kyle asked, touching Gabe's arm to reassure himself that he wasn't hurt.

"Yeah, I'm good. But the car, Kyle. Jesus!"

"Don't worry about it. You're dating a mechanic. I've got a guy who just does auto body work. He'll have that looking like new in no time."

"Lucky me." Gabe said and pulled Kyle in for a kiss.

Phil and Darren came in from the other room at that moment.

"Hey Kyle. Did you know you were dating Mr. Accident Prone?" Darren asked.

"I do now, but at least he's safe." Kyle said and squeezed Gabe a little tighter. "You guys will have to keep an eye on him for me."

"That'll be something. They can't keep an eye on anything but each other." Gabe said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"So what happened exactly?" Kyle asked, sitting next to him and Gabe told the whole story.

"How could the police not find anything?" Darren asked. "Isn't that their job?"

"There's not a lot to go on. It sounds like a late model domestic car and without the license plate or something else to identify the car it'd be impossible." Kyle answered.

"Well, I hope whoever it was gets pulled over and their license taken away. Probably some stupid bitch on a cell phone." Gabe muttered.

"Babe, if you're ok I'm gonna take the car back to the shop and see what we can do for it." Kyle leaned in and kissed Gabe's lips. "Still on for dinner tonight?"

"Of course! I've heard so much about chitlins' and okra that I'm dying to try it." Gabe smiled.

"Don't laugh. My grandmama makes a wicked chitlins' and okra." Kyle said as he left.

"Dinner tonight, huh?" Phil smiled.

"Yeah. He's cooking." Gabe said with a grin.

"Oh that's serious. I remember when Phil cooked for me. Tasted like shit but it was sweet as hell." Darren leaned his head on Phil's shoulder.

"I keep telling you, the broccoli rabe is supposed to taste that way."

Later that night, after a wonderful southern meal of spicy breaded filet of cod, dirty rice and okra Gabe and Kyle sat on the back porch enjoying the summer night air. Gabe sighed in contentment and snuggled a little closer into Kyle's side.

"Happy, baby?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah. I am. You?"

"Yeah. Really happy." Kyle took a swig of his beer. "You'll be happier to know that your car isn't that bad. It will need another passenger door but everything else can be fixed no problem."

"That's great. I thought I did something to the underside."

"Well, you did. But luckily we had another Saab with a good cv joint and there not hard to put in."

"And I always thought owning a car was a pain in the ass."

"It usually is for people who don't work on them."

"Ah, is that the secret?"

"Yeah, don't tell anybody."

"So how was work today?"

"Kinda weird. First my boyfriend calls me and tells me he's been in an accident, then Terry comes in and treats me like a hired hand."

"What do you mean?"

"Usually, he's all like `hey there stud', or `wanna check my fluids?', you know, flirting and shit. But today he just acted like I was one of the other mechanics."

Gabe reached over and took Kyle's beer and finished off the last little bit before getting up to get another.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah." Kyle laughed. "I never led him on, baby. Besides, I'm very happy with my boyfriend. It was just weird."

"I guess it is, but he always seemed like an odd little faggot."

"Don't hold back, babe. Tell me how you feel."

"He's a dirt bag and I'm glad you never slept with him."

"Me too!" Kyle said. "If he was that persistent when I never slept with him, imagine how bad he'd be if I had."

"Dick." Gabe said, and laughed.

"Speaking of…" Kyle turned and leaned into Gabe.

"Yes?"

"You wanna see mine?"

"And I always heard you southern men were so smooth."

"Not me, sir. This Rebel's a little rough around the edges. You mind?" Kyle said as he began nipping at Gabe's throat.

"No," Gabe whispered. "I think my Yankee constitution can handle it."

The couple spent the next few weeks learning and loving as much as they could about each other. Gabe found Kyle to be a solid force in his life, one that he seemed to grow more dependent upon every day. He was a great listener and often provided Gabe with a sounding board, objective viewpoint or reality check as the situation warranted. He had a fondness for coffee, beer, frito's and chess. They often played chess rather than watch t.v. and many games had ended with them making love on the floor of the living room. He made Gabe laugh and demonstrated his love in countless little ways that chipped away at Gabe's defenses faster than he would have liked to admit. It wasn't long before Gabe had come to the realization that he had fallen in love. He was terrified again of what that love might cost him this time.

Gabe still lived with Darren and Phil, technically but spent the majority of his time at Kyle's. A few times when the couples would double date, heading into the city to see a show or go to a club, Kyle would spend the night in Gabe's room. This night they had chosen to go to the opera, because Darren wanted everyone to get dressed up nice, and have a late dinner afterward. Phil and Kyle walked ahead as Darren and Gabe followed.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Gabe asked.

"Probably the central air conditioning. Phil doesn't understand that just because a person in mechanical he knows how to fix everything." Darren answered. "The most expensive thing in the world much be common sense."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause rich people just don't seem to have any."

"Well, they can afford not to."

"I guess. Anyway, I saw Tom Blackwell the other day. Remember him?"

"Um… sort of." Gabe tried to picture him and only remembered a fuzzy image of a man in a Hawaiian shirt at Darren and Phil's last party.

"Well, he was very disappointed that you had hooked up with Kyle. Apparently, he was interested in you himself."

"Really? He never said anything."

"He didn't think you noticed him."

"Well, he's got me there. Kyle kinda took first place when I first met him."

"You fought it for a while."

"I did." Gabe said with pleased resignation. "This Yankee has fallen."

"What?"

"Private joke."

"Have you told him yet?"

"Told who what?"

"Oh come on now." Darren said simply.

"No. I haven't. I feel like the moment I do the other shoe's going to drop and all hell will break loose."

"Yeah. I know that feeling."

"You had that with Phil?"

"No, not with Phil. Phil was sweet and kind and there for me. He wormed his way into my heart until all there was was him. When I told him, I had the feeling that things were just starting. It was a good day." Darren smiled.

"Great. You get Disney love, I get Stephen King."

"You're the author of your own life. You don't like how the story is going, change it."

"I'm an accountant. We don't write."

"You know what I'm saying. Jesus, you try to be a bit metaphorical and everyone takes you literally."

They came to the end of the block and caught up with Phil and Kyle just before the light turned to cross the avenue. As Gabe looked up, he saw they were in the center of Times Square. If all hell was going to break loose this seemed like as good a place as any.

"Darren, take Phil and give me some time alone with Kyle."

"You're going to do it here? In Times Square? Ballsy but sort of disgusting at the same time."

"We're not going to fuck, you ass. I'm going to tell him I love him."

"Oh, that's sweet. Yeah, let's see. I can take him into the Disney store. As you said, it's sort of our venue. Have fun and forget about Stephen King. That shit only happens in stories and books." Darren jogged a few paces and caught Phil by the arm. "Honey, I want to go to the Disney store."

"Seriously?" Phil asked surprised.

"Yeah. Let's go." Darren dragged a puzzled Phil behind him. "We'll only be a minute and we'll meet you back here."

"Wait, we'll come with you." Kyle offered and turned to Gabe. "You want to go?"

"No, I feel like staying here."

"Oh, ok. How did you like the opera?" Kyle asked.

"I did, very much. How did you?"

"It was ok."

"Which part? The part you snored through?"

"All right, it kinda sucked. But I'm glad you liked it." Kyle said and put his arms around Gabe. "You look really beautiful in all these lights, sir."

"Do I?" Gabe said as his heart beat a rapid tempo.

"You do."

"Kyle, when we met I was a mess. I was an emotional wreck and you helped me through it. You were there for me as a friend and then as a lover. I just want you to know that I'll never forget that."

"What's going on, Gabe?" Kyle asked, a little worried. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No, God no! I'm trying to tell you that I love you."

"Oh babe." Kyle smiled a smile which seemed brighter than any in Times Square. "I love you too."

"You do?" Gabe smiled back.

"Of course I do. Look who had the courage to say it first. I guess I underestimated Yankee grit."

"And I underestimated Rebel patience."

"But we both won, huh?" Kyle said and took Gabe's lips in his. They kissed standing in the center of Broadway and 7th Ave. in front of hundreds of people and God.

"No offense, but I kinda thought I would have to say it first. It's kinda nice that you did."

"It's always about your ego with you, isn't it?" Gabe laughed.

"Kyle!" A voice shouted from their side and both of the turned to see Terry standing just a few feet away. His face was mottled with rage.

"Terry? What are you doing here?" Kyle asked, still holding Gabe who suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What am I doing here? I'm following you and your whore! I can't believe you would do this to me."

"What the fuck are you talking about Terry? Do what to you?"

"Cheat on me." Terry said, advancing on them.

"Cheat on you? How am I cheating on you? We don't date. Never have and never will." Kyle said apparently not seeing anything wrong, but Gabe saw the sickness and anger in Terry's eyes.

"We will when he's gone." Terry said and lifted his arm, pointed the gun at Gabe and fired.

The pain that pierced Gabe was unbelievably hot and seemed to seer through his side like a hot fireplace stoker. Gabe felt shocked more than anything as he saw people running away from the three of them. Chaos ensued quickly as Kyle started for Terry and the gun. He didn't make it as another shot went off and Kyle fell to the ground. A policeman tackled Terry and pulled the weapon away from him as Gabe sank to his knees. A few people had returned after seeing the gunman taken down. One of them was the old man Gabe had met not long ago in a park. He looked down at them with kind eyes that held sympathy and love.

"Please. Help him." Gabe pleaded.

"Perhaps it's his time." God answered calmly.

"It's not. I know it's not. Please God, help him."

"Are you asking for a miracle, Gabriel? Are you asking God to change something that may need to happen?"

"Yes." Gabe took a ragged breath, feeling weak with the loss of blood. "Please save his life."

Gabe blacked out.

He awoke in a strange darkened room lit by a dim light. A beeping noise chimed next to him and he smelled the unique smell of layers of antiseptic. `A hospital' he thought. Then panic hit him. `What happened to Kyle?'. He felt a hand holding his on the side of the bed and glanced over to see Darren's concerned face.

"Nurse! He's awake!" Darren yelled and started stroking Gabe's hair.

Gabe tried to speak but started gagging from the intubation tube in his throat. A nurse came in and pressed buttons on the beeping machine before Gabe quickly fell back under.

The next time he woke it was day and he no longer had the tube helping him breath. He opened his eyes and saw Darren curled in a chair next to his bed. He tried to speak but found his throat was still a little raw and only coughed. Darren jerked awake and saw Gabe's eyes open.

"Oh honey. How are you? Are you in pain?"

"Kyle?"

"Are you in pain, Gabe?"

"Kyle!" Gabe forced the word out refusing to answer until he knew his love's fate.

"He's right over there, Gabe." Gabe turned his head and saw Kyle sleeping in the next bed. A tear of gratitude slipped out of his eye. "He's fine. You're both fine. Kyle was shot in the spleen but apparently you don't need it so he's ok. You were shot but the bullet missed everything important, thank God!"

"Thank you God." Gabe said.

They were released a few days later having recovered well enough to take care of themselves at home, despite Darren and Phil's promise to come over often to check on them. They made their way into the house and upstairs to their bedroom. The pain meds had them a little loopy and fatigue came quickly, so they lay down and rested in each other's arms.

"I thought I lost you." Gabe said. "I thought I was going to wake up and you wouldn't be there. I didn't want to wake up."

"I wanted to kill him. I would have if I had gotten to him. All I could think of was to protect you."

"I asked God to save your life."

"I'm glad He did. I'm glad He saved yours too. I wouldn't have wanted to wake up if you weren't there for me either."

"I love you, Gabriel."

"I love you, Kyle."

Epilogue…

Many years later, Gabe sat on a rocker on the porch of one of the last original Victorian houses left in the neighborhood. It had been his home for fifty years now and he wasn't going to leave it while he was alive. It was a hot summers day but even in the warmth of summer, Kyle was left feeling cold. His eighty second birthday had been yesterday and his family had remained to spend the week with him. His sons and daughter had all brought their children, and even some of them had brought their children. It still tickled him that he was a great-grandfather. It had tickled Kyle too who he had lost four years ago. The pain of not having him, not being able to talk to him still struck him hard.

"Grandpa Gabe?" Gabe looked over at his eldest great-grandson. He was seven and bore a remarkable likeness to Kyle.

"Yes, Ethan."

"Grandma Carol said to ask you if I could play with Great-grampa Kyle's chess set."

Gabe smiled at the memories the chess set held.

"Only if you give me a hug." Gabe said and felt the little arms wrap around his neck. "I love you, Ethan."

"I love you great-grampa." The boy yelled as he ran off to play. Gabe chuckled and sighed as a warm breeze blew over him.

"You seem happy, Gabriel." Gabe looked up and saw the old man from the park bench, the black woman from the rivers walk and the little boy from the shelter all standing next to him.

"I am. I've had a lot to be happy for in my life. I have a lot to be thankful to you for."

"You do, I suppose." Said the little boy.

"But you made your own choices. What joys and sorrows you've had in your life have been your own." Said the black woman.

"I told you once that when you were an old man you would thank me for not telling you the answer to the question that you asked me. Do you remember?" The old man asked.

"I do. Thank you." Gabe answered.

"Why are you thankful?" The little boy asked as he came to sit on Gabe's lap.

"I'm thankful because you let Kyle and I make our life on our own terms."

"Yes." The little boy smiled. "That's important."

"But you're ready for something else, aren't you?" The black woman asked.

"Yes." Gabe answered. "I'm tired."

"I know." The old man said. "It won't be long now."

"Good." Gabe said and sighed. He could almost feel his life slipping away and smiled. "Will Kyle be there? Where I'm going?"

"Kyle is here, Gabe." The black woman pointed. Gabe looked and saw Kyle as he looked the day they met, walking up the front path.

"Oh my God." A tear fell from Gabe's eye. "It's been so long since I've seen him."

"Hey babe." Kyle said and took Gabe's hand in his.

"How ya doing, Tiger?"

"I'm wonderful. I've been very patient." He chuckled.

"Yeah, you Rebel's are good at that, aren't you?"

"Still ragging on Rebel's, huh? You Yankees never change." Kyle smiled. "Come on, babe. It's time."

Gabe stood and felt the weight of the last eighty years slip so softly off his shoulders he was surprised it had even been there. He took Kyle's hand in his.

"I'm glad you waited."

"Of course I waited. I wasn't going to lose you after I just found you. I don't think fifty years with you was enough."

"I don't think so either." Gabe said and turned back to God. "What do we do now?"

"When you're ready, you can move on to your next life." The black woman answered.

"You'll know when that is." The old man said.

"You can go together if you like." The little boy added.

"I'd like that." Gabe smiled.

"Me too." Kyle grinned. "But this time, you get to be the Rebel."