Promises Part 2 (Bounty Hunters 2)

“Where the hell is your coat?” Quick grumbled, turning down the volume of the Food Network. “You wanna get pneumonia?”

“It’s in the car,” Duke huffed, blowing on his hands. He flopped down on the couch, sparing a quick glance at the television before looking back at him. “It is getting cold as hell. What is it, forties tonight?”

“Yep. It’s like negative ten in Chicago and we’re complaining about forty degrees.”

“We’re spoiled. We’re not used to cold. We’re tropical now.” Duke smiled, still looking at Quick.

“I’m from Buffalo, Duke. I’m far from tropical,” Quick mumbled, staring back at the muted television as the chefs scrambled to get their dishes on the plates before time was up.

“This what you wanna talk about, bro? Geography. The climate.”

He tried to ignore Duke’s dark glare for as long as he could, but he knew why his friend was there and exactly what they were going to discuss.

“So. You gonna tell me?” Duke leaned back, draping one arm along the back of his couch.

“I could’ve told you on the phone. You didn’t have to waste time coming over here.”

Duke sat straight up. “Whoa, whoa. What the hell is all this ‘waste time’ bullshit? When have I not come over when you needed to talk?”

All Quick could do was shrug. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He didn’t want it to appear like he was whining. “You got Vaughan’s stuff to deal with now; you don’t need me adding—”

“First of all,” Duke cut him off. “Vaughan doesn’t have any stuff. Unlike us, he has his shit together. Probably always will. It’s usually me bringing my shit to him. So I’m wide open to accept yours.”

Quick believed what Duke said. His son had always had it together. He truly was one of the luckiest parents in the world. If it weren’t for his son always trying to impress Duke his whole young life, he wouldn’t have been as focused and determined to become such a great man. He guessed he owed that to his best friend. Vaughan didn’t do anything unless he thought Duke would approve and praise it. “You just seem….”

“In love.” Duke sat towards the end of the couch, looking hard at Quick. “That’s all, man. I’m in love, but I’m still your best friend, you idiot. Nothing could change that. Sure, I want to be around Vaughan a lot, but I miss your big, ugly face.” Duke smirked, picking up one of the small pillows and throwing it at Quick’s chest. “All these reservations you have about hanging around us are in your own head. I’ve always showed you respect when you’re around. I don’t grope your son in front of your face.”

“No you don’t, and I appreciate that.”

“Nope… I wait until he’s in my bed to do that.” Duke laughed hard when Quick threw the pillow back at him with significantly more force. “Just joking, man.”

Duke’s good mood was infectious. Quick was actually feeling lighter. This was the relationship he and Duke had. Have. And he’d been missing it. Maybe the hesitation was his own doing. They’d invited him over or out plenty of times where he’d refused, not wanting to feel like a third wheel. Maybe his friend had been missing him, too.

“Cayson was here,” Quick said, lower than he meant, but he was sure Duke still heard him.

“I’m not going to ask how it went, because your call clued me in on that, so tell me where it went south.”

Quick got up and started pacing. His ribs yelled at him to sit his big ass back down, but he ignored them. He didn’t need to worry about being overly careful anymore, since he was sure everything was okay in his old body. Thanks to my sweet doctor. “Heck if I know, man. He was smiling when I opened the door. I made sure I was smiling. I was surprised, but still happy to see him.”

“You were… happy?” Duke’s full lips rose in amusement.

“You know what I mean! I wasn’t mad, okay,” Quick barked, and Duke threw his hands up in apology, so he kept talking. “I um… I’d um… just finished… finished—”

“Finished what? Jerking one out?” Duke asked, confused.

Quick twisted his face up like he’d just sucked a lemon. “No, man! Jesus, Duke. I’d just finished showering, so I was a little underdressed.”

“You were naked.”

“No, not fully. I had on these pants, but they were slightly damp at the time and maybe a little see-through, but I didn’t have this shirt on. I thought he’d….”

“Get excited, again. Like last time.”

“Yeah, man,” Quick huffed, carefully sitting back in his chair.

“He got turned on by your chasing gear… the leather, remember. Not your nakedness. Maybe you intimidated him or something.”

“This is stupid, Duke. I’m not doing this anymore. He doesn’t like me, and all I do is make him mad whenever I’m around.”