by Amy Aislin
"Definitely no more Shreddies," Elias muttered, eyes going comically wide when Ty continued to cackle.
"Elias!" A yell from the ice rink's stands.
His entire family was here, not just his parents and siblings. There was also his in-laws and all of his nieces and nephews. He'd never seen this many people at one of Maddie's hockey games. Did nobody have anything better to do on a Tuesday night in February? Not that he should judge. He was here too, wasn't he?
"Man, I'm glad you're here," Jeremy said to Elias when he and Ty approached the Green posse, clumped together in a group. "I'm travelling to Boston next week for work. Ty mentioned you travel a lot, so I was wondering if you’ve ever been to Boston? Can you give me some tips on what to see and do and where to eat? Oh, hey Ty."
Ty snorted a laugh, not at all offended that his brother was ignoring him in favour of talking to Elias. In fact, he loved that half of his family greeted Elias first. Loved the kiss on the cheek Elias gave Ty's mom. Loved the shy smile Elias got from Ty's niece, Hannah. Loved the, "Hey, dude!" shot Elias's way from Matt. Loved how Elias sat between Jeremy and Jenn—which was about four people away from where Ty sat next to his dad—and that he felt comfortable doing so.
Loved him. Just loved him. It was that simple. And when Elias winked at Hannah when the five-year-old turned to smile at him again, Ty was done. Stick a fork in him, he was done. Every single part of him was Elias's, begging to be loved and held and wanted by the man for the rest of his life. It made him feel funny, as if his heart contained every possible good feeling in the world, about to burst like a popped balloon into heart-shaped confetti at Elias's feet, where Elias could either scoop them up so they didn't get stepped on and broken, or let them scatter into the wind.
Ty was banking on that first option, because he had a feeling that Elias felt the same, or was on his way to feeling the same. And for now, that was just as good.
By Friday Elias still hadn't shared anything about the email, and Ty was sick of waiting.
But he was also lying on his stomach on his bed, thoroughly blissed-out and satisfied, trying to stay awake after a mind-numbing orgasm that stole any desire to move.
Elias nuzzled his temple, beard scritching against his skin. "Don't fall asleep on me," he said, voice rumbly.
"Okay," Ty said, reaching out blindly to pat Elias's chest, having no intention of complying. He could already feel himself drifting into sleep.
"Ty." Elias kissed his nose. "Ty." Cheek. "Ty." Shoulder.
Ty couldn't help but laugh. "What?"
"Stay awake."
"Why?"
"Because I'm hungry and you don't have any food."
The pout in Elias's voice had Ty finally opening his eyes to take a good look at him. His boyfriend looked charmingly petulant.
"Well, yeah. I've been at your place all week," Ty said. "I told you we should've stopped at the store before coming here."
"But I couldn't fuck you in a grocery store," Elias explained. "There's nowhere for you to fall asleep after."
Ty laughed, remembering how handsy Elias had been on the drive from his condo to Ty's house in Puslinch. How Elias had talked dirty the whole time, describing how he was going to get Ty home and naked and stretched out underneath him, where he'd proceed to drive him crazy with his mouth and hands before he fucked him into the mattress.
And four seconds after walking in the door, he'd done exactly that. The memory had Ty's dick coming to life.
"I have cereal," he offered.
"Cereal's not dinner food," Elias protested, flopping onto his back.
Ty crawled closer and stretched himself out against Elias's gloriously cut brown body, head on his shoulder. Elias's arm came around him, hand squeezing his ass. Ty’s newly awakened cock poked Elias in the hip.
"Cereal's the best kind of dinner food," Ty argued.
Elias sighed deeply in what sounded more like satisfaction—their naked bodies were plastered together, after all—and less like acquiescence on the cereal issue. "Fine," he said. "But not Shreddies. Those made you loopy."
Chuckling, Ty snuggled closer, Elias's arm tightening around him. The man might be hungry, but he made no move to get up. Ty took advantage and ran one hand over Elias's defined abs, tracing the ridges under his fingers. Not to stimulate or jumpstart a second round; just to touch, to feel Elias breathe. To feel closer to him.
He didn't want to think that Elias was purposely hiding from him, but the fact that he hadn't talked to him about that email yet was troubling. He knew Elias, knew Elias would think it through until his brain started to hurt before he talked to anyone about it, but Ty liked to think he was different. They were a team. Hopefully Elias would discuss any major life changes with him, just like Ty had discussed the junior waste management position with the city of Guelph with him.
But he didn't like that he'd seen the email, and Elias didn't know he'd seen it. It made him feel guilty, like he was spying, even though it really wasn't his fault, and he didn't like having that between them.
Okay, it was maybe a little bit his fault.
Lifting up and propping his head on his hand, he bit his lip uncertainly before blurting, "Don't get mad."
The expression that crossed Elias's face was a mix of anxious and amused: narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow combined with lips titled into a half-smile. "That's not a great way to start a conversation."
Heaving himself up, Ty sat cross-legged on the bed next to Elias. He couldn't have a conversation with most of his body touching Elias's. It was too distracting.
"Is this a serious conversation?" Elias asked before Ty could continue.
"Um…yes?"
"Okay."
When Elias swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up, Ty's heart jumped into his throat before he realized Elias wasn't leaving. He slipped on his briefs and handed Ty his boxers.
"I can't have a serious conversation while naked," Elias explained. "Not with your dick staring me in the face."
Ty glanced down. Said dick was no longer semi-hard, probably because this conversation scared Ty a little, forcing a quick retreat from his dick. Rolling his eyes at himself, he put on his boxers as Elias sat across from him.
"What's going on?" Elias said.
Ty cleared his throat and played with a loose thread in his bedcover. "You remember on Tuesday, before Maddie's game? I was sitting in the kitchen eating dinner? Well, you got an email on your phone, and I checked it to make sure it wasn't anything urgent..."
"Okay," Elias said, clearly confused.
Ty forced himself to meet his gaze. "I saw it. The email, I mean. I didn't mean to, I swear! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something you had to deal with right away."
Elias shrugged. "Okay," he said again.
Ty blinked. "Okay?"
"Yeah." Elias's smile turned amused and relieved, as if he'd expected worse news. "You were only trying to help, right?"
"Right. Of course." Ty continued to blink at him. Waited for Elias to explain about the email. When nothing came, Ty said, "So what did you do about it?"
"About what?"
Was Elias being dense on purpose? "About the email." What else?
"Which email was it, baby? I get a lot of emails in one day, so you'll have to be more specific."
Light dawned. Of course, Elias wasn't upset he'd seen his email. Elias didn't even know which email he was referring to. He probably thought he'd seen some innocuous inter-office email about a potluck or next week's retirement party for the VP Elias had invited him to.
"Um…" Ty hesitated, because if anything was going to rock their comfortable boat, it was probably this—Elias's job. "It was from Martha Lloyd. Something about a Director of Photography position?"
Elias's face blanked before Ty finished speaking. That didn't bode well.
"Oh."
Elias looked out the window, but since it was dark out and they had the light on inside, it bounced their wavery reflections back at them. He ran
a hand through his hair. Ty waited some more.
"Okay."
Jesus, it was like pulling fucking teeth!
"That's all you have to say?" Ty asked. He knew his voice was incredulous, but he couldn't help himself. "Okay? Can you at least tell me… Who's Martha? Did you ever meet with her? Did you talk about the job? What is the job exactly? Who's it with? Did you take it?"
Elias snorted a darkly amused laugh. With an eyebrow raised he asked, "Anything else you want to know?"
Ty was not amused. This was huge! How could Elias sit there and act as if it wasn't a big deal?
"I… What did you… Are you…?" Ugh! He was so ticked off at the way Elias was treating his new job opportunity that the words backed up in his throat, threatening to choke him.
Taking pity on him, Elias took one of Ty's hands in both of his. "Martha and I went to Queen's together, and we worked on the school newspaper at the same time. We've kept in touch sporadically over the past ten years. She's the creative director at CanadaTravels, and she's been trying to bring me on as Director of Photography for the past few months. They've been having trouble finding somebody who fits, and she's convinced I'm the person for the job."
He goddamn was the person for the job. Holy crap! This was amazing!
But wait…
"For the past few months?" Ty said. "That means…you've been turning her down for months?"
It was official: His boyfriend was crazy.
"Did you at least meet with her like she asked?"
Elias nodded. "We met yesterday."
"That's great! And?"
He briefed Ty on the job, and the more he talked, the more Ty's eyes widened. Working with the art, editorial, and digital teams to come up with creative magazine concepts? Scheduling photo shoots and coordinating with freelance photographers? Occasional travel to take pictures himself? Overseeing staff? Tweaking images? Directing photo and video shoots?
It was all right up his alley. Ty grinned from ear to ear, but the best thing was, so was Elias. He was so clearly excited about this opportunity, yet Ty couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut.
"Did you take the job?" he interrupted Elias to ask, already knowing the answer.
Elias hesitated. Ty's heart sank.
"Ty, I'm this close—" Elias held his thumb and forefinger a centimetre apart. "—to getting the VP job at Top Line, and I've been with them for seven years, and—"
Ty groaned and fell back on the bed, rubbing his eyes with his palms. There it was again. That damn "seven years at Top Line" excuse. Why was that a good reason for Elias to stay in a job he hated?
He didn't realize he was mumbling under his breath, until Elias said, "Why are you mad?"
He was mad because his stupid, stubborn boyfriend couldn't see the opportunity dangling in front of his face with bright, neon Broadway lights! But he couldn't bring emotion into this conversation, not with Elias, Mr. Must Remain Calm and Logical Lest Anybody Realize I Have Actual Feelings. Ty took a deep breath and sat back up.
"Do you remember last weekend, when I applied for the Guelph job? You told me that maybe the reason I got hired with the city of Toronto was so that I could meet my current supervisor, who would recommend me for the job? Like it was all meant to happen this way?"
Elias nodded, though he didn't appear to have any clue where Ty was going with this train of thought.
"Maybe," Ty continued, "the fact that Martha and CanadaTravels have been trying to get you on board for the last few months is a sign that you're meant to make this change."
The skepticism on Elias's face wasn't unexpected, but still…
"Really?" Ty threw his hands in the air, unable to keep his emotions contained anymore. Screw Elias and his self-controlled detachment. "Why did that argument work when you said it, but not when I do?"
"Ty, it's not that." Elias took his hand again. "Don't get mad at me when I say this, okay? But seven years at Top Line—" Ty gritted his teeth. Elias squeezed his hand. "—means seven years of experience, seven years at the same organization, where I know what I'm doing and where I know all the players, where I've worked my way up, where everything is familiar, where I'm respected. To go from that to CanadaTravels where I'd be the new guy again, not knowing anything or anyone, having to start from scratch… It's…"
Scary was what it was. Ty was sort of going through the same thing.
As if he'd read Ty's mind, Elias continued. "You understand, right? I mean, you have an interview on Monday for the Guelph job. You've got to be at least a little anxious about starting somewhere new?"
The fight went out of Ty. Yeah, he understood exactly the dilemma Elias was facing. Sometimes sticking with the familiar was easier than making a change, even when a change might make your life better.
"I get it," Ty said. "I do. The difference is I like my job. You don't."
Elias avoided his gaze. "Why do you say that?"
"Because when you were listing the reasons for staying with Top Line, not once did you say 'I like my job.' You never do."
A ragged sigh from Elias. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, clearly rattled by Ty's words, as if maybe it was something he'd considered before but hadn't wanted to admit to himself. Ty's heart went out to him. He gave Elias's hand a squeeze.
"I just want you to be happy," he rasped.
"Ty." Elias's eyes caught his, the honesty and sincerity in them making it impossible for Ty to look away even if he'd wanted to. "I'm the happiest I've ever been," he whispered. "And that's because of you."
His heart was in his eyes, and Ty's breath caught at the love he saw there. The wonder he felt every time Elias opened up to him made him smile tremulously, and he scooted forward until their knees bumped. Elias might not be the best at expressing himself, but he knew how to make his words count when he did.
Ty glanced down at his hand, still clutched in both of Elias's. His own winter-light skin and Elias's light brown—a combination, Elias had once said, of his biological parents: a Middle Eastern mother and Scottish father. Ty loved how their skin slid together, how they looked next to each other, a contrast, light and dark, like the sky at noon versus twilight.
"Is it, um…" Ty had to pause to clear the lump from his throat. Not wanting to miss Elias’s reaction, he met his gaze. "Is it too soon to tell you I love you?"
Not if the smile on Elias's face was anything to go by. Elias pulled on Ty's hand. "Come here."
Ty went, straddling Elias's lap and burying his face in his neck. He squeezed tight, and was squeezed so tightly back he thought he could just stay cocooned in Elias's warmth and strength forever.
"I love you," Elias whispered into Ty's shoulder. Ty grinned hugely and laughed against Elias's neck. "What's funny?"
Ty shook his head. "Just happy."
"Happy enough to find me some food?" Elias's stomach rumbled as he asked. "Because fuck, I'm starving."
Ty hadn't been home since last week, and he tried to mentally catalogue what he had in his pantry besides cereal. He stifled a laugh when he realized…
"I think I only have Shreddies."
"Oh, good God," Elias said through a groan.
"But there's no milk." Ty delivered the news with all of the end-of-the-world somberness he could find.
"Are you kidding me?" Elias huffed.
Ty gave up the ghost and laughed his ass off all the way downstairs.
Happy Valentine's Day, Capricorn! If you don't have anyone special to celebrate with this year, not to worry: Venus is still visible to the naked eye for the next few days. Take advantage of the planet of love's energy and influence.
Everything was perfect. So perfect, in fact, that Elias kept holding his breath and tried to ignore that feeling of trepidation in his chest that signalled impending doom.
Ever since Elias had surprised Ty with a visit on his birthday in mid-January—God, he still couldn't believe he'd done that—they'd been living out of each other's pockets. They spent the work week at Elias's, since
they both worked downtown, and as a bonus, Ty didn't have to get up for work as early. Weekends were spent either at Elias's condo or at Ty's home in Puslinch.
They shared the grocery bill, fought over the last of the Saturday morning pancakes, kept clothes and toiletries at each other's places, continued to meet for coffee and hot chocolate every morning before Elias went to work, had each other's friends and family's contact information in their phones. In Ty's case he only had Kevin, whom Elias had introduced him to over video call a couple of weeks ago.
Things couldn't be better. Which meant they couldn't last. Nothing ever did. But he wasn't going to think about that tonight.
Elias powered down his computer and placed a couple of folders in his messenger bag. Took them back out. Fuck it, he removed his cell phone and house keys and put them in his coat pocket, planning to leave his entire bag at the office for once. It was Valentine's Day for fuck's sake. Ty was likely already waiting for him at home—probably napping on the couch. It wasn't like Elias was going to get any work done tonight.
He was waiting for the elevator—an hour early, but whatever—grocery bag in one hand, gift bag in the other, when Julie, the retiring VP, caught up to him, her soft-soled shoes noiseless on the linoleum.
"Elias, there you are." He'd recognize that British accent anywhere. "Do you have a few minutes to meet with John and me before you leave?"
Did he have time to meet with the VP as well as the president & CEO? Yeah, he had time. Although a little curl of resentment tightened his smile as he sat on the sofa in John's spacious office, Julie next to him and John seated on an office chair across from him. They were cutting into his time with Ty.
Julie and John couldn't have been more mismatched if they'd tried. John was dressed down in jeans and a checkered shirt—which meant he probably didn't have any meetings today—his white hair sticking up in every direction. Julie's plaid skirt and jacket, on the other hand, looked like they came from Medieval Scotland.
"Elias, thank you for joining us," said John. "Looks like you were on your way out. Sorry about that. This won't take long."
