Jason and Shaun Chapter 31

Author's Notes:

I want to thank my Readers. You guys are the best. Okay, these characters are not meant to resemble any living or dead persons. I make no apology to anyone who is offended by anything in this story. If you disagree with the idea of guys being in love, then find something else to read. Let me know what you think of the story by emailing me at

_Hnstskr4@aol.com_

Jason and Shaun

Chapter 31

New Jobs, New Home

The guys arrived in Salt Lake City a few days ago and are starting their jobs today. They feel like they haven't had a chance to relax in their new house. It's crazy to think that they came all this way to start new jobs in a new city. Jason has never lived outside of Indiana, and Shaun told himself that he would never return here. Funny how life has a way of changing plans. Jason is finally working in a zoo. Jason is finally an editor at a newspaper. Still, it feels like something is missing, and hopefully, they will eventually find it here. Shaun will be taking the bus to work, leaving Jason to drive the car up to the zoo. The guys are off to work for the day, and let's hope that everything goes well for them. They are hoping the same thing. The guys are not sure what the day will be like, but they can expect that all goes well.

***

Finally, their workday is done, and the guys are coming home to each other, and they can't wait to cuddle on the couch and talk about their days. Jason beats Shaun come tonight, and he's already changed out of his work clothes and showered. He's sitting on the ouch with the cats on his lap, waiting for his babe to come home to him. As much as he loves spending time with the cats, he hopes that Shaun gets home quickly. It just so happens that Shaun enters the house exactly 10 minutes later. Shaun immediately kisses Jason and then heads into the master bedroom to shower and to change3 into some new clothes. When he emerges from the shower, Shaun heads straight for the couch for a few minutes of relaxation alongside his babe.

"Hey Babe, how was your day?"

Shaun asks Jason as he gets ready to sit on the couch.

"It started with a meeting, then being introduced to the staff that I will be working, followed by meeting the animals that I'll be within the ambassador animal program. I was kind of thrown into it, but I'll be working with a slightly wilder mix of animals than I did back at Bowman's place. Right now, I want to hear about your day."

Shaun can see Jason's weary eyes, and he would tell him that it's time to go to bed. Jason just wants to hang with his boyfriend all night.

"So how did the new editor at the newspaper do on his first day at the job?"

Shaun just smiles at his better half.

"Well, I had my orientation today. I got all my computer stuff setup, and I can honestly say that I can see why the other guy or lady left. My boss seems to think too much of himself, but I think I will be okay apart from that. As long as the writers are competent., I'll be fine."

Jason hugs Shaun.

"So, are you going to get along with your boss?"

Jason asks as he releases Shaun from the hug.

"I think we'll get along okay. It's hard to tell, though. I mean, he liked me enough to hire me, right?"

Jason nods his head.

"So what animals are you excited to work with the most?"

Jason has to stop and think for a second before he answers this one.

"I have been assigned to the Rainforest Exhibit, so I'll be working with a ton of animals. You literally could spend all day in this exhibit. But I think I look forward to working around the jaguars. The zoo has three jaguars, two females in one exhibit and a male in another exhibit. I also can't wait to work around the giant otters. Now, I won't be doing the daily upkeep and the feeding of these animals. I'll be helping with training and talking with the public about our animals. Not to mention all the other animals that live in the exhibit. Especially those that are in the ambassador program. Today though, I spent the day trying to get a lay of the land, learning about safety protocols, and meeting people."

Shaun can see the excitement in his husband's face, but he also knows that Jason feels extremely tired and maybe just a little homesick. Truth be known, there are also a few animals that Jason is unsettled by because they are new to him, but he'll get past those feelings.

"Are you hungry, Jason?"

Jason is beginning to get hungry. Shaun is starting to feel the same way.

"What do you want to eat?"

Jason's husband asks as he gets up off the couch and into the kitchen. As Shaun enters the kitchen, Jason appears at the entryway.

"Do you want me to cook?"

Jason watches as Shaun opens the refrigerator. He eyes what's in the kitchen, and they decide on cheeseburgers. Jason gets busy shaping the burgers, and in no time, dinner is served complete with home-made French fries.

***

With help from Shaun, they get dinner on the table. As they are eating, Shaun looks at his husband with a tender look in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Shaun asks Jason with concern in his voice. Jason smiles back at him.

"I'm good, Shaun."

Shaun just looks at him.

"You say that you're good, but I can see something in your eyes that tells me otherwise. Would you like to be back in Indiana?"

Shaun asks Jason as he looks into his eyes. Jason puts his glass down on the table and then motions for Shaun's hands.

"I told you before we left Indiana that I would be happy as long as I was with you. I meant that, Shaun. I might get homesick every once in a while, and I'll miss you when you're at work and I'm at home. We got this, Shaun, we got this."

A tiny tear of happiness falls down Shaun's face. He knows that when Jason gets sincere like this, he means it.

"Thanks, Jason, I just...I hate doing this to you. Guess it's too late to change our minds. I miss being around our friends back in Indiana, but you're right. I've got you, and that is all I need, but we have my family if we need them to support us. I love you more than anything."

Shaun lets go of Jason's hands and blows him a kiss, which Jason gladly accepts. Indiana feels a million miles away right now, but these two guys will be okay. They just need time and each other. They feel a little lost now, but Jason said it best, as long as they have each other, they'll be happy. After dinner, they clean up the table and do the dishes. They decide to go for a walk and take in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is beautiful. Everyone takes good care of their lawns, and just about everyone has flowers in their yard. They spent fifteen minutes in their community before returning home and showering.

***

No one has come to the house since they arrived in Utah despite help from Shaun's family in moving into the house. It's not like when they moved into the neighborhood in Indiana. None of the neighbors showed up to welcome them, which made the guys a little sad. They got greeted by the family and representatives from their respected employers. Right now, the only good things about Utah are their jobs, Shaun's family, and each other. Everything else in Utah right now sort of sucks. Do they need to give it time?

***

Now the guys are showered and sitting in bed with their journals in hand. Jason caught the journaling bug from Shaun, and there is no turning back now.

"I think today was the slowest day in the history of my work experience. Maybe Mr. Bowman just made it exciting. I don't know if I'll ever get use to being there. I know things will get better given time. The people at work seemed distant, but they did help me out, and I look forward to whatever is coming up next in my zoo journey. Shaun mentioned that he missed Indiana, and I have to be honest, I miss Indiana too. I think what I miss most are the random calls or visits from either Mark or Sarah, not to mention the visits from Eric and Steve. I hope they are okay. Shaun seems to have had a pretty good day on his first day at work. I'm glad that he had a good day. I met some cool animals, and I can't wait to work with them. All I can say is that the building that I work in is huge."

Jason puts his pen away, and then he puts his journal away for the night. Shaun puts his pen away at the same time. Even though Shaun has already put his pen away, we are going to look at his journal entry too.

"Today, I worked for the first time as an editor. I don't think it was a horrible day. I had orientation today, but it was somewhat boring. I also had to go up to HR to fill out paperwork, and met some of the people on my floor, including the main editor. I found out that I might even get to do some opinions. I was glad to be out of there today and home to Jason."

He lays down next to his husband. They exchange a kiss, and then they end up falling asleep. The next day is getting up and starting the workday all over again.

***

The next day, Jason and Shaun both get up and head out for work. Jason's day begins with helping to feed the animals in his area of the rainforest exhibit. After feeding, he'll join one of the trainers to participate in training with some of the birds used in presentations. After training, he will be participating in a program on reptiles for the zoo's preschool program. It's a chance to do what he loves. Lunch follows the preschool program. After lunch, Jason will work at the "Education Platform" in the Asian section of the rainforest exhibit, answering questions about the exhibit itself, the animals and talking about some of the nature artifacts in the education department's Asian collection. He'll spend the rest of his day working in that position before moving to his next area. This is something he has been looking forward to. He will be watching and participating in training with the caimans in the exhibit's South American Rainforest. Shaun's day is filled with proofing articles, rewriting them if needed. He'll work until around noon and then grab lunch, and then it's back to the grind till around 5:00 pm. After work, Jason will get into his car and head home. Shaun will head out and grab the bus to stop and then walk home. Luckily, the stop isn't far from the house. Shaun was happy to have a stop close to the house. It didn't make sense for Shaun to drive the car when the bus stop was so close to the house. Their day is just beginning, though.

***

Shaun's day is spent tied to the computer and tied to his desk.

`I may need to find a way to work out at home or get a gym membership.'

Shaun knows that he's going to get out of shape pretty quickly if all he does is sit around all day and then eat. Maybe it's something that he can talk to Jason about and see if it's something he wants to do. Walking around the neighborhood will help a little, but they need more time. When it comes down to it, Shaun would love to be a stay-at-home husband. If they ever offer a stay-at-home position, he's going to jump on it; that way, at least he can be around the cats and maybe take breaks to work out. The deadlines look like they could be stressful, and his deadlines are based on the reporter's deadlines. Right now, it's not so bad, but things could go crazy at any time. It's weird as he is sitting there; he hears someone mention Indiana, it makes him want to be back in Indiana. A few texts at lunch confirm that his family is coming over for dinner tonight. Jason was okay with it so, it's happening. Sandy even said that would provide most of the meal if Shaun and Jason could give the beverage and a salad. At least, they don't have to cook the entire meal. They really won't have time to shop until the weekend, and that is if Jason doesn't have to work. Having his family provide the meal will help the pocketbook a little, and he's happy with that, and so is his husband. The bottom line, he can't wait for the day to be done.

***

Shaun gets home before Jason today. He wants to call Eric's house when Jason gets home. Jason texts Shaun about 15 minutes before he's due to be at home, just to let him know that he's on his way. Shaun is trying to pick up a little before Jason gets home so that he can have the house in good condition when his family gets here. Shaun isn't sure who is coming over exactly from his family. Sandy and his dad are coming for sure, but he's not sure who is coming to the house. There are also cat cuddles to be had while Shaun's husband is in transit to the house. The minute Jason gets home and both cats are at his feet wanting attention; however, it's Shaun's turn to get attention from Jason.

"Hi Babe, how was work?"

Shaun says as he gets up to give Jason a kiss and a hug. They want to take time to decompress after they both get home.

"You know it wasn't too bad compared with yesterday. How was your day?"

Shaun frowns a little bit as he looks at Jason.

"They threw me to the wolves today. No, it wasn't that bad. I started working on my first article, which by the way, is coming along nicely."

Shaun says as he takes Jason's hands and leads him to the couch.

"We are calling Sarah and family."

Jason gets a smile on his face. He's excited about the opportunity to speak with the crew. It feels like forever since they spoke with them. Shaun grabbed his phone and placed the call. Someone answered, but they haven't said anything yet.

"Sorry for the silence; I was feeding the baby."

Sarah apologized, which wasn't needed.

"Sarah, you know better than to apologize. How are you and the family holding up? I am going to switch over to speakerphone so that Jason can hear you and talk to you."

Shaun says to their friend. You can hear Sarah walk away from her phone and then call everyone in the house to let them know that Shaun and Jason are on the phone. It doesn't take long for everyone to come running to the phone. Eric is so happy to have a chance to speak with them.

"I thought I would let everyone share with you how they are doing tonight. We even have Steven us tonight."

Sarah tells the guys as everyone gathers around the phone.

"Eric's going to go first."

Sarah announces to everyone; however, she caught Eric off guard.

"Hey Jason and Shaun, I don't really have any huge news, but we have started finals, and so far, I think I'm doing okay on them."

Jason remembers what he was like during senior finals, so he hopes the guys don't lose track of what's important. Shaun knows that they have goals and that they are working towards them one day at a time.

"Do us a favor, Eric and Steve, keep following your dreams."

Jason tells the teens hoping that they are listening to him.

"I can't say add to what Jason has said, so I hope the best for you guys."

Shaun tells the two young men.

"Thanks, guys!"

Eric says as he takes Steven's hand."

"Don't worry; I'm not letting him slack off."

Steve says, making a promise to Jason and Shaun that he'll keep his boyfriend moving as far as Eric's goals are concerned.

"We're counting on you, Steve."

Shaun tells one of his adopted younger brothers. Sarah points to Steve.

"Well, guys, I got hired by Mr. Bowman to work for him during the summer. He was inspired to work with a teacher of a friend of mine to hire some of her students, and I was hired to work beside one of them. Her name is Ms. Browning, and she works with kids who have special challenges in their lives. One of my friends has a boyfriend who was hurt by their father and now lives with a disability, so this has become important to me. I am going to change my degree and go into special education."

Jason smiles, knowing what an amazing man Mr. Bowman is and how much he cares about the people who work for him. Steve is going to love working there.

"Steve, I think that is incredible. I learned so much from working with that man, and I think you will learn a lot by working with him and whoever you are paired up with him. Enjoy it, man! Best of luck!"

Jason does his best to encourage his adopted little brother.

"Thanks, Jason!"

`Call Mr. Bowman about this new program.'

Jason mentally adds that to his to-do list. It will have to be squeezed into his already lengthy list of things to do.

"We are thinking of getting a puppy. Mark wants to get a great dane, so we will see what happens."

It sounds like she isn't so sure about a puppy, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't want some other breed. She would rather have a German shepherd.

"Jason won't let me have a puppy. He says that we already have two cats."

Mark laughs at Shaun's comment.

"I never said that he couldn't have a dog, but I think Sasha might not be so keen on a puppy in the house."

Jason says in response to what his husband said. Dogs make great pets for kids.

"Hey, guys, Mark here. Everything is going great. I am loving being a dad to our little fellow, and I love being a step-dad to my brother in law too."

Mark does love the role he plays in Eric's life. He provides the male role model for his brother-in-law. It's hard for him to relate to Eric and even harder to some degree in advising his brother-in-law on sexuality or dating.

"We know you love that little guy, and there is no doubt that you love Eric."

"We are going to say goodbye. We love you all. Shaun and I are having dinner with his family tonight here at the house. We need to get busy. Good night."

Jason and Shaun take turns saying goodbye to everyone.

***

Jason and Shaun get busy working on the salad and the drink for tonight's dinner. Jason gets out the ingredients for his salad. He prepares the romaine lettuce and the spinach. Next, he prepares the tomatoes and the radishes. He also adds a cucumber into the mix. Then he prepares his favorite salad dressing; believe it or not, it has a mint in it. After all of that, Jason and Shaun prepare a virgin cocktail using lavender and lemon-ade. Their part of the meal is wrapped up.

***

Fifteen minutes later, there is a knock at the door. Shaun opens it and welcomes his family into the house.

"Come on in!"

Jason watches as Shaun's mom, dad, Erin, Josh, JJ, the little one, and Trent enter the house.

"Hey everyone, how is everyone?"

Jason says as he welcomes everyone into the house. One little person, in particular, is super excited to be here. JJ immediately breaks away from his dad's hand and runs to his Uncle Jason.

"Uncle Jason!"

JJ's arms are held out for a hug. Jason scoops him up into his arms and hugs him. While up in his uncle's arms, JJ looks around the room for the cats.

"Where are the kitties?"

Jason looks around the room too.

"I think they are hiding. Once everyone is eating, they'll come out of hiding."

Jason puts the little guy down, and then he eyes Erin. Shaun has already greeted his soon-to-be sister-in-law and is already holding his new niece. Before Jason can even attempt to hold the baby, he gets a chance to meet Josh's fiancée. He's met her via her facetime, but never in person before today.

"Erin, you are amazing. Thanks for making Joshua so happy, and thanks for making him a daddy, not once but twice. Shaun and I fell in love with JJ, and I can't wait to get to know Sabrina Snow Allen."

Erin smiles at Jason. She knows how much Jason and Shaun mean to Josh and JJ. She wants Sabrina to know her uncles as well.

"Thanks, Jason; I think you had better steal away that little girl before she gets back to her Daddy because then it's all over."

She looks right at Shaun and then her daughter as she says that, and Sabrina starts to get that I'm going to cry. She goes straight from the "I'm going to cry" face into full-blown tears. Shaun hands the crying little girl back to her mommy. Between Eric and Josh, they get Sabrina quieted down, and then Erin tries to hand the baby to Uncle Jason to see how she does with him.

"Hi Sabrina, aren't you just the sweetest little girl."

Jason tells his little niece. As she looks at his face, she tries to figure out what is going on with this guy. After a few minutes of talking to her, he seems to have won her over, and Erin is grateful that she's actually in someone else's arms for a bit. Shaun is helping Sandy get the food and plates ready for the table. Shaun and his mom are finishing up the work at getting the table set.

"Okay, everyone, time to sit down for dinner. If there isn't enough room on the table for you, you can sit in the living room, but don't make a mess."

Shaun tells everyone before they serve themselves food and get seated. Everyone gets their food and gets seated. Shaun looks at his dad and mom, knowing that they will want to say a prayer on the food, and he's okay with it. After prayer, the family starts acting like any other family. They start ribbing each other and laughing with one another. It's been forever since Shaun has been around his family like this, not since the wedding has he been around them, and tonight it feels fantastic to have them here.

"Are you guys settling in okay?"

Shaun's dad asks just before he puts a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"We are having a hard time getting adjusted to not having our friends around us. The jobs are taking a lot of getting used to, but Jason and I know that have to this place a chance."

Sandy listens to what Shaun has said and everything he hasn't said. She gets a little sad when she realizes that what he's is that they miss Indiana more than anything.

"Shaun, Jason, I know you miss your friends and especially Eric and Steve, but you could end up meeting someone here who will fill the gap that Eric's sister and husband left in your life. Give this place a chance!"

Sandy may be right. Utah might become a second home for Jason and Jason if they can get over the homesickness and the daily struggles.

"Mom, we know that we need time for Salt Lake City to feel like home. I hope that comes quickly for us."

Shaun says to Sandy. Life will hopefully slow down so they can enjoy life. Shaun's mom and dad nod their heads. From here, the conversations turn to what the guys' week is going to look like. After dinner, Shaun and Jason spend time getting to know Erin, their nephew, and their niece a little better. The day will come when things will improve, and they will have to deal with life until that day comes.

***

Time is on their side, and things can only get better, right? When they first met in Indiana, neither Shaun nor Jason knew that Salt Lake City was in their future. Up until a few months ago, they couldn't have imagined that they would be packing up their lives and saying goodbye to start a new life in a new city. Apart from Shaun's family and the people they work with, they know no one. At least, their house is starting to feel like a home. This structure is beginning to feel like a right and proper home. In large part, because they've taken time actually to enjoy the house.

***

The next day, the guys wake up and start work all over again. For Jason, it's going to be a busy day. He has three different presentations at three different schools. Luckily, they are all in the same school system. He and another speaker will be speaking at three different elementary schools. Jason is excited for the opportunity to be speaking in front of groups again. Hopefully, everything goes well for him. Shaun will work on his computer all day, finishing up a short article before moving on to another piece. This job may not be exactly what he envisioned, but it does come with health insurance and pay. It may stress him out a little, but at least it's a job that will help pay for their lives together. When this day is over, the guys will have a day off together, and they have plans as well.

***

It's their day off, and it starts with showering together, breakfast, and then they want to work on the yard. The shower goes incredible, and good times were had in the shower. Breakfast today was home-made biscuits with egg, cheese, and bacon with freshly made grapefruit juice. After brushing their teeth, they decide to look at the yard and plan what they want to do with it. All they want is a place in the yard where they can relax.

"Jason, what do you think of having a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder for the back corner?"

Shaun asks his husband as he looks over the yard. Jason pauses for a second as he looks at the yard. He tries to envision what the yard would look like with the feeders.

"Yes, let's add them."

Jason walks over to one of the backyard's raised beds.

"What about strawberries?"

He hasn't seen any around the yard, and they would be an excellent snack for later in the year or even for the next summer. Perhaps, he'll even share some with Shaun.

"Sounds good! I could eat some fresh berries."

Shaun looks around the yard and smiles when he sees something growing by their back fence.

"Hey Babe, do you see the raspberries over there?"

Jason doesn't see them at first but does when his husband walks over to the plants. It looks like a former owner of the house had planted at least five plants.

"It looks like they need some help, but I think they'll make it."

Shaun says as he examines the plants.

"I think we should get some fruits on them."

Shaun says as he looks at Jason.

"I would love to have a firepit like we did in Indiana. But I don't think they are allowed here."

Jason says out loud as more of a thought than anything else. Shaun gets out his phone to check to see the legality of it all.

"Hold on, I will check."

Sure enough, it looks like Jason was right.

"Yupe, it's not allowed. Sorry, Babe!"

Jason already misses the firepit back home. They do have a tall white fence in the back that could be used for a screen for the occasional movie night for a date night. They discuss it and then agree to make it a thing. Shaun can handle all the technical end of things, while Jason handles the rest. They also see some roses growing and blooming near the house, which gives the yard some color.

***

Today promises to be another busy for Jason once again; he has three presentations and Shaun as his work to do. The presentations today involve a mixed bag of creatures. They are talking about rainforest animals today. There are quite a few animals and a few props as well. Again, Jason is pretty happy that he gets to give another presentation. He is happiest when he gets the chance to speak with kids about animals. Unlike the other day, these presentations are spread out across the Salt Lake Valley. Shaun is busy with more articles. The guys are busy with work. Around 3:00 pm, a glitch hit the computers at the newspaper. It took a while to get the computers back to operations. Things were not perfect, so; they sent some of their staff home, including Shaun. Shaun was home about fifteen later. Arriving at home first, Shaun decides to cook dinner. Shaun doesn't cook much, but with Jason's help, he's become better at cooking. Tonight, he is cooking a recipe from his cookbook for two people. They have stuffed green peppers. While Shaun is starting dinner, Jason is still doing a presentation. The peppers are finishing up just as Jason entering the driveway. The house smells so good. When Jason enters the house, he is immediately overtaken by the smell that is filling the house.

"Thanks for cooking dinner! I am tired today."

Shaun is glad to have his husband home.

"Why don't you get cleaned up? We can eat when you're ready."

Jason is grateful for a husband who was willing to cook. Not to mention the fact that Shaun helps him relax too.

"I'm going to go shower. Be back with you shortly!"

Shaun kisses him, and then Jason heads off towards the bathroom. After fifteen minutes, Shaun decides to catch Jason as he steps out of the shower.

"Are you hungry?"

Jason seems a bit surprised by his husband being in the bathroom.

"Yeah, I am hungry, but can I get dressed first?"

Shaun chuckles a bit.

"We wouldn't want someone seeing my cock and my balls. Unless you want us to maybe eat naked at the table."

Jason tells Shaun, who then smiles and winks at his husband.

"No, you should get dressed first. I mean, you wouldn't want to get food on you."

It does make sense to get dressed first. Shaun watches as one article of clothing after another is placed on his husband's body. When he's dressed, he frowns and walks out of the bathroom.

"You know, you've ruined all my fun."

Jason frowns a little, but his frown quickly gives way to a smirk. Shaun follows closely behind him. He's enjoying the jeans and view in front of him.

"Sorry for ruining your fun."

Shaun quickly warms up the meal and then sits for dinner. They talk about Jason's day at work. Jason had a girl tell him that he is cute. She is only six years old. It made Jason's day. It even made Shaun smile. After dinner, they retire to their bedroom.

***

As they are laying in bed, Jason starts staring off into space. Shaun notices his husband's state of deep thought. He knows that Jason sometimes gets like this just before he begins writings in his journal. Jason turns to Shaun and starts to speak.

"Shaun, was it worth it? I mean, was it worth moving to Salt Lake City, I mean apart from our jobs?"

Shaun looks at Jason and wonders exactly what his husband is getting because they already agreed to move here.

"Jason, we agreed that this was the right choice."

They did agree to this move, and it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

"I love my job and everything about it, but my heart isn't always in it. I spent a lot of time working with the animals and the people at Bowman's company. I miss our training exercises and the relationships formed there.

Shaun wonders if they were too hasty in moving and accepting their jobs as he listens to his husband's lament. Maybe he should have tried harder to find something closer to home. Shaun hugs his husband.

"I know you miss the animals and the staff at Bowman's, but maybe you'll find your place here. Think of all the kids that you are making contact with and the animals that are impacting them. We got this, Babe."

They came here for a better life. Deep down, Jason knows that his partner is right, but it's not helping his feelings.

"Is it worth it?"

Jason asks.

Shaun smirks.

"Are we worth it?"

Jason asks.

Shaun reaches out and flicks one of Jason's nipples lightly.

"Sorry, not sorry!"

Shaun says, hoping that Jason will start to come around and smile. It works because Jason smiles.

"You are going to get it."

Jason says as he leans his face close to his husband's face.

"Now that I think about it, instead of you getting it. I want to remind you that I took it, and I own it."

As he says, "I took it," he points to Shaun's heart, and when he says, "I own it," he shows him the ring on his finger. Shaun gets a little tear in his eye.

"I don't know where I would be without you. I am so glad that you said yes."

Jason places a kiss on Shaun's lips that sends electricity coursing through his body. Jason's kiss sends a blast of energy into Shaun's body so powerful that it wakes Shaun's soldier. They block out the bad things of the day and find each other in that moment

***

The next workday has come and gone, and the guys are both back at home. It's been a week since the guys arrived, and they have been lucky to have accumulated a ton of dishes. One chore that needs to be done is the laundry. They did some laundry when they first arrived at the house, but more needs to be done. Shaun gets busy getting the laundry started in the washer. Jason gets things organized in the office. He checks emails and phone calls while he is in there. He works on setting up the supplies in his room. Jason moves into the kitchen to wash the few dishes that need to be cleaned and put away. As they at their respective chores, Eric is smiling on the outside, but inside not so much. He's missing his friends, struggling with some bullying occurring, and he's holding stuff inside. He can only hope that tomorrow is a better day. Isn't your senior year supposed to be the best year of high school? Tomorrow, he's going to put a call into Utah and hopefully get all of this off his chest. Jason and Shaun always knew what to say to counteract what the world is doing to him.

***

The next day and Eric has no school, and Jason and Shaun are at work. He's been suffering a little bit over the last few days. Steven has been gone checking out colleges in the area. He's had a few memories come crushing into him, and they aren't making him feel good about himself. He decided that it's time to call Shaun and or Jason.

"Hi, you've reached Jason; leave a message at the beep."

Eric is feeling a bit disappointed. He wanted to speak with one of the guys. He didn't leave a message. Instead, he ends the call and then hunts for the next number. With a finger, he places the call to Shaun. Again, his call goes unanswered, and again he doesn't leave a message. This time, however, it doesn't go unnoticed. Shaun sees the call come in from Eric. He just can't call him right now. Shaun makes a note to call Eric when he gets home. It troubles him to think that Eric might be hurting or in pain. This thought stays with him for the rest of his workday. When the workday is over, Shaun hopes the bus is quick tonight. He doesn't want to call him on the bus. It would be rude of him to spread Eric's problems all over Salt Lake City. Once he's home, he can talk all he wants too. Finally, the bus stops, and Shaun hurries home as fast as his legs can carry him. When he gets home, Shaun sits on the couch and gets on his phone.

`I hope he answers.'

At first, Eric doesn't answer, but he finally answers his phone after a couple more rings.

"Thanks for calling me, Shaun!"

Shaun can hear his friend's sadness and wonders what is going on back in Indiana to make Eric so upset.

"You're welcome; now tell me what is going on with you?"

Eric's glad that Shaun called him back. It gives him a chance to get his problems out in the open. Eric needs to let out his frustrations.

"There is just a lot going on right now. Steve is out of town, and I miss him."

It's easy to see why Eric would be sad.

"I'm sorry, Eric, where is Steve?"

Eric explains where Steve is at, and there is more pain behind that voice.

"He'll be back before you know it, but is this all about Steve being gone?"

Eric is quiet for a few seconds.

"No, Shaun, it's not just about Steve. You remember Vince?"

Shaun remembers that dweeb. The idiot would have destroyed Eric and ruined Eric's and Steve's relationship forever.

"Yeah, I remember him. He was a louse."

Eric bows his head, and a few tears come down his face. He remembers what he did, what he did to Steve.

"So what did Vince do now?"

Shaun is worried about his friend.

"Vince didn't do anything. Someone is emailing me pretending to be Vince. I know it's not him, and I'm feeling scared."

Immediately, Shaun goes into big brother mode.

"Listen to me, print off the emails, and then call the police. They can help more than I can. We miss you, buddy."

Eric immediately prints out the emails. He's thankful for everything that the guys have done for him.

"They'll listen to you, Eric."

Eric listens to every word Shaun says. He is glad that Shaun answered him and happy for the advice. As they are talking, Eric's phone alerts him to a call. It's Steve. He's home and wants to see Eric. Telling Shaun goodbye, he immediately ends the phone call. At least for now, Shaun and Eric can both relax at least until the police arrive at Eric's house.

***

It the start of the weekend, and this weekend only Jason is working. He has two presentations today; both are near the downtown area. The zoo is bringing out their most socialized animals to an old folks home. The second presentation is at a daycare center. They wanted animals who would behave correctly around people. Keep in mind they are still semi-wild animals; they are use to being around people, but the staff will tell anyone that these animals are still wild animals. It's true too. After the presentations are done, Shaun is meeting Jason downtown to look around and explore. They'll start at North Temple and walk past the LDS conference center, Temple Square, and the LDS church office building. They'll walk through City Creek Park, and then they'll head back to Jason's car and then head home from there. Dinner will be spent at home.

***

On Sunday, the guys are slow to get going, and this will be a good day. It starts with a call from Mark. Jason puts Mark on the speakerphone.

"Hey guys, I just wanted to call and ruin your Sunday. How are you doing?"

Jason and Shaun laugh.

"You can ruin our days anytime. You know, apart from work and feeling like we hardly see each other, life is pretty good."

Mark feels for the guys. There were times early on in his relationship with Sarah that they hardly saw each other. Course, things are a little different between Mark's friends.

"I'm sorry, guys. I hope life gets easier. New jobs are always stressful, especially when you are learning the job. Any plans for the evenings?"

Mark asks the guys, but they aren't sure how to answer the question.

"What are you and Sarah doing tonight?"

Mark smiles at their question.

"Grandma was nice enough to take our little one for the evening so that we could have some adult time."

She wouldn't' keep her grandson overnight despite Mark's attempt to get her to keep the little one till the morning. Jason can't wait till they have the opportunity to have little ones around the house.

"The reason I called was to thank you guys for keeping in contact with Eric. He's been down a little lately, and whatever Shaun said to him the other day seemed to cheer him up. Course, it helped that Steve came home. By the way, the police came today, and Eric turned over all the emails that he received, and they wasted no time in starting their hunt for this ignorant ass."
Jason and Shaun are glad that their little brother is feeling better. It had to be hard missing Steve and dealing with the cyberbullying.

"We're glad that he's doing better; I felt sorry for him. Being so far away, I couldn't just sit down with him and speak with him. I also couldn't wrap my arms around him or let him come over to waste some time."

Mark knows the guys would gladly give their organs if it meant that his family would be okay. Perhaps, it's been said already, but Jason and Shaun truly see Eric and Steve as their younger brothers. Shaun especially feels a connection with Eric. A large part of that comes from their shared background. Shaun and Eric have both felt the sting of being disowned. Hopefully, Shaun's birth mother will come around, but it's hard to know when that day may come.

"I'm going to let you guys go, so you enjoy your time together."

Mark tells the guys hoping that they treasure their day and each other.

"Bye Mark, give our love to the family!"

Jason says, knowing that his husband shares his words. With that, the call is over, and then Mark, Jason, and Shaun all go back to what they were doing before the market was made.

***

Later in the day, Sandy decided to bring over pizza to share with her sons. She leaves the rest of her family at the house and heads out. She takes a significant risk of them not being home, but it's a risk she is willing to take, especially if she can catch them at home. Shaun's birth mother may not want him in her life, but she can't wait for the day when Jason and Shaun decide it's time to have children and bring their son or daughter to visit or allow Grandma and Grandpa to babysit for them. After driving for a short while, she turns into their driveway and parks her car. As she gets out of her car, she grabs the pizzas and walks up to the house. She knocks on the door. Jason opens the door and smiles at her.

"I have pizzas, so I hope you didn't start dinner."

The guys had not even started to think about dinner; however, they are hungry. Shaun starts setting the table while Jason gets the filtered water out of the fridge. Sandy sets the pizza down on the stove. They enjoy their small talk for a little bit, and then it takes a turn. Sandy has worked hard to build a relationship with both Shaun and Jason. She has always enjoyed speaking with her son-in-law. He knows how to carry a conversation. Jason has gotten better with that since starting the whole public speaking career.

"So last time we talked, you were complaining that you haven't had a chance to make the house feel more home. Has it started to feel more like home?"

Jason looks at Shaun. He's hoping that his response echoes that of his husband.

"Yeah, I think it's starting to feel like home."

Jason answers as he looks back at his mother-in-law. Spending time in the house has helped; they have been trying to spend time at home versus being out and about a lot.

"We have been trying to spend time at home, and we are trying to figure out ways to make this house feel like home. The cats are still trying to figure out their places in the house."

Shaun answers Sandy's questions. Sasha has taken the heat vent in the living room as her own, but Nyx pretty much stays wherever the guys are at in the house.

"How is work going?"

Their jobs were stressing them out the last time that they spoke. She is hoping that things have gotten better now that they've had a chance to get accustomed to work.

"I've been trying 2 or 3 presentations every day that I work, on top of training the animals. They have been keeping me busy, but I feel better about the job, and I'm falling into the routine."

Jason did his best to answer her question.

"He seems happier when he gets home, that is for sure. A happy Jason is a happy Shaun."

Shaun answers and chuckles. Jason smirks at his husband's comment.

"Hmmm...based on Jason's smirk, I don't think I'll ask if you're finding time for yourselves."

Sandy says to the guys.

"I've been doing better since I've learned the computer programs better. I think I've found my pace at work, and it seems to work. I got told that I picked up the program pretty quickly."

Jason smiles at his best friend. He's glad that things are going good at work, as does his mother-in-law.

"I said that I wouldn't ask this question, but I'm going to anyway, are you guys finding time to be a couple?"

Jason looks at Shaun. Shaun looks at Jason, and somehow they manage to figure out who will answer Sandy's question.

"It was hard at first to figure out how to find time for "us" time. We were busy getting the house set up, figuring out work, finding a vet, finding a doctor, and all the other stuff, and we were too busy to try and come up with date nights. It was pretty easy back home because Jason was still in school and working with Mr. Bowman, so we would take time to have a date. Sometimes, I would meet him up at work and have lunch. Here, it's a little harder because I work downtown and, well, you know where Jason works, so I can't just go to him during my lunch breaks. For now, we look at our schedules and plan or dates a little bit, or we set aside one of our days off and turn it into a date day, and one of us will figure out the date."

Sandy finds herself wondering how date night went back in Indiana.

"Back in Indiana, did you take turns planning the dates?"

Jason answers this one.

"Sometimes, we would surprise each other with a date night, but not all the time. We did many movie nights at home with popcorn or got the okay from my boss to have Shaun over to help with training, which usually meant working with one of the parrots. We didn't have a lot of money all the time, so dates had to be sort of on the cheap side."

Shaun doesn't think that the dates were cheap. He enjoyed their dates.

"Sandy, I would not have changed anything about those dates. I loved them all, and being with Shaun made them even better. I would not change anything at all."

Jason remembers all the dates that they've had together. Jason's last comments made Shaun happy. The conversation takes a more relaxed tone. After an hour of relaxing, Sandy leaves, and the guys want to enjoy the rest of their night.

***

It's an hour after Sandy left, and the guys decide to enjoy their night. Tonight's enjoyment is going to be a movie night. Shaun is picking the movie, and Jason is making the popcorn. They cuddle on the couch and are soon joined by the cats. The guys snack on popcorn with garlic and parmesan cheese. By the end of the night, the guys are laughing and have kissed several times during the movie. The movie is over, and they continue their cuddling for just a little bit longer. They get up and head for the shower. They take the opportunity to enjoy the shower together.

***

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