Western Skies Ch. 06

What had I done? Or said to Luke? Things between us were done, but then...why had I done what I did? Full-on confusion and panic swarmed my skull, but a small voice in the back of my head soldiered through the cacophony, saying, "You did what you knew you wanted to do."

Being there, in the room with Luke right then, was more than my panicking brain could handle. Soundlessly, I crept out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans, flannel shirt, vest, and canvas jacket. Slipping on my boots, I tip-toed towards the door; I needed to put some distance between me and the source of my emotional tornado, find a cup of coffee, perhaps...

"Don't go."

I looked over my shoulder, startled. He was awake.

In the hazy half-light of the morning, the sun's soft golden rays reflected upon him, giving Luke a misty, angelic aura. He stared at me, completely focused, eyes narrowed and razor-sharp intensity etched into his features. It was like every muscle in his body was tense, trying to communicate to me what he felt. My stomach swooped, my heart fluttered, and I was unwillingly ensnared by his captivating visage, just like I had been months ago.

I stared back, noticing that the reflected sunlight brought out the tiny flecks of gold in his irises, sparkling like tiny gems amidst a backdrop of churning gray and blue. It was the first time in a long time that I'd seen his eyes sparkle like that, despite a month of inadvertent shared eye contact around school.

The whipped dog was gone, and the wolf was back.

Just like that, we stared at one another, locked and unmoving; unblinking, unflinching.

A cyclone of confused, conflicting emotions whirled inside me. "This was a mistake," I muttered, my voice cracking in obvious disagreement with the lie I'd forced it to speak.

Then Luke's mouth split into a small, tentative smile: the wolf sensed weakness, and it pounced. "I'm the one that makes mistakes, not you. And the biggest one I've made was making you feel like you weren't the most important person in my life." He winced, grinning wider. "A more recent mistake I've made was not bringing any lube, 'cause I am really fucking sore right now."

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, unable to resist his wit.

He slipped out from beneath the covers and crossed the room in a few lithe steps, standing an inch in front of me. My eyes automatically flicked up and down his familiar figure, once again taking in his lean, toned body in the light of day. His cock was soft; this moment was about more than just physical attraction, I realized. Memories and feelings rushed back, sweeping aside worries, doubt, and anger like they were only autumn leaves in a windstorm. A shiver ran down my spine and goosebumps erupted on my skin.

"Luke," I breathed, magnetically drawn to him. Then his arms were around me, pulling me into him from the small of my back. I tilted my chin up, looking again at his face. "I don't know how I made it two months...spite, maybe..." My voice trailed off, unsure.

His warm breath fell onto my face as he pressed his forehead down onto mine, embracing me even tighter. "Ever since New Year's it's felt like there's been a knife in my chest," he whispered, "twisting in deeper and cutting me apart. I'm so, so sorry for not standing up when I should have. Can you give me another chance?"

My lips pressed against his for a brief moment; a soft, tender kiss. Words hung upon my lips as resolve filled my heart, fueled by forces I could neither control nor dream to ever comprehend. Then I spoke: "When you love someone, you have to be able to forgive them."

Luke's body tensed and trembled against mine, and I felt his lungs breath sharply, gulping in air. "So that means--"

"Yeah, I love you too, dumbass."

***

There ya go friends, better than last chapter? Better hope nothing crazy happens in the next one, though...