Order (Tattoos and Ties 2)

“What?” Alec exclaimed, sounding like that was the most absurd suggestion he’d ever heard. He took a step backward as Keyes came forward. “I would never cheat on you. Why would you even ask such a thing?”

“I thought Janice knew you had a boyfriend,” he said and held his ground.

“No, you can’t divert me.” Alec shook his head, reaching for Keyes’s hand before pulling it under the cabinet lighting. “We’re not going there right now. You didn’t even clean the blood. It’s trailing down your hand and arm. What happened?”

“Alec, I’m sorry—”

Alec cut him off, throwing out an arm to block his retreat.

“Key, answer the question. What happened tonight? You can’t just go all willy-nilly anymore. It’s not just you you have to think about. What would happen to me if something happened to you? I wouldn’t even know if something happened to you until you didn’t come home and I had to search for you. I’m sick of the damn boundaries between us. You can trust me, tell me what happened.” Where Keyes had wanted to move away from Alec, Alec left him standing in the kitchen, pacing to the middle of the living room then spun around, squaring off with him. His guy was serious. The look etched on his face was a cross between anger and intense hurt. Alec folded his arms over his chest, his right leg bouncing. The only thing off was the Robin costume Alec still wore.

Keyes narrowed his eyes, trying to catch up. He took a couple of steps toward Alec who just tilted his head, his jaw tightened and one eyebrow cocked. He’d never been so effectively stopped in his tracks before.

“My father’s dyin’,” Keyes said after a deep exhale.

Silence held between them for several heartbeats.

“I can’t pretend to be sorry,” Alec blurted, his face going through a range of emotion. His unguarded words seemed to have startled him and his arms tightened over his chest. “I’m sorry I said it like that. What’s happened?”

“Lung cancer. He’s in hospice. He’s been there a few weeks, I guess. The party tonight was also a fundraiser for his medical bills.”

Alec didn’t lose his seriousness as Keyes took tentative steps closer.

“I’d been warrin’ over whether I should see him again. It’s been eatin’ at me, so I decided to go.”

“You were brave to do that to yourself,” Alec said, his gaze softening as he searched Keyes’s face. “So, you went. How did it go?”

“As expected. He hates me as much as I hate him, but he’s real sick—obviously. When he saw me, he somehow managed to get all agitated even doped up like he was,” he explained, slowly taking a few more steps toward Alec, encouraged when Alec didn’t move away. More than anything, he didn’t want to fight with Alec. He never wanted to fight with his guy. Alec was his solace in life.

“Then how did your knuckles get torn up like that?” Alec’s leg doubled time, the tap echoing in the silence between questions.

“The side of the house when I was leavin’. It wasn’t that big a deal. I didn’t even realize I’d drawn blood,” Keyes said, flexing and balling his hand. He looked down at his scarred, calloused hands. He’d fought his way through life. This was nothing but another day to him, at least the pain he’d felt had chased the numbness away.

“How did you feel?” Alec’s voice was softer now, causing him to look up and step forward again.

“I didn’t feel anything. I thought I’d feel differently.” Keyes placed his hand over his heart, the thump beneath his palm acknowledging the organ was there even with the complete lack of emotion he had about his old man. “Just emptiness. I was empty inside. Nothin’.”

“I’ve experienced some of that with my family.” Alec’s brow wrinkled, and he nodded like he was digesting that bit of information. Keyes waited for whatever question was coming next. “Then what made you punch the side of the house?”

“I don’t really know. I hated that man my whole fuckin’ life, but when I was starin’ down at him, that was all gone. I think because of you. It freaked me out how much that I didn’t care. None of that mattered anymore, and I couldn’t even hate him. And before you ask why, I don’t know. I just know it does, and I know you’re responsible for lessenin’ some of my hate. You’re a real good guy who makes me a better dude. That’s all I got, Alec. When I was leavin’, I thought about bein’ a kid and all the confusion and pain and humiliation I’d suffered at that house. I drove my fist through the sidin’, but the anger didn’t help and the old feelin’s that I was nothin’ came back. I came straight here because I feel better here.” Man, he hoped Alec understood because that was all he had by way of an explanation.