Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:20:30 -0800 (PST)
From: Zare Scott <raspucin70@yahoo.com>
Subject: Rip Tide chapter 17

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction.  It depicts a romance between
two consenting adult males and may contain some descriptions of sexual act
between two consenting adult males.  If you are not of legal age to read
this kind of story, please leave now.  If you reside in area where reading
stories that include sexual situations between two consenting adult males
are illegal, please leave now.  This story is for entertainment purposes
only.  Any similarity to any person(s) living or dead is simply a
coincidence.  The author retains all rights to this story.  It cannot be
reproduced in any form without expressed written permission from the author
(me).  Please contact the author for any requests at raspucin70@yahoo.com.
Copyright © Zare Sott 2008


Ch 17: Meet the parents

(Hayden's point of view)


"So you are the Hayden that we hear so much about," said the man sitting at
the kitchen table. It must have been Matt's father; there was unmistakable
resemblance.

Matt stepped into the kitchen, letting go of my hand and making room for me
in the space that seemed to be rapidly shrinking. His father stood up,
eyeing me carefully.

"Dad, this is Hayden...Hayden, this is my dad, Jimmy," Matt introduced us.

"James," said his father, still not letting his eyes off from me. He had a
firm handshake, and his eyes were boring trough me. He was scrutinizing me,
examining me as you would examine someone who you just find in your house
hugging and kissing your son. And again, I became very conscious about my
appearance

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hartwell," I responded back. "I do apologize for the
way I look...I didn't have chance to change after my flight last night."

"So I see," he responded, not smiling at all.

"Dad! Stop giving him hard time!" Matt almost yelled at his father, only
adding to the tension in the room. Matt's dad gave me another long look and
than he shook his head:

"Kids...t-t-t. This is my wife, Donna; have a seat, Hayden, I think that
she is making coffee for all of us," he waved his hand towards Matt's
mother. I reached out with my hand. She had a nice, warm handshake.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Hartwell," I said, smiling.

"Oh, please call me Donna. Besides, we went through this introduction
already, several times," she smiled back at me, and pointed toward the
chair. I sat down, not missing the fact that Matt remained standing behind
me, since there were no more available chairs for him to sit.

"I know I want some coffee, but I'm not sure if my heart can take any more
excitement this morning," mumbled Matt's father, reopening the newspaper
and continuing, almost nonchalantly:

"So you drove here from the airport? Not a nice drive -- I guess there was
a lot of snow on the 135?" he asked me.

"Um, 135? No, I came from the highway 70," I answered.

Matt's dad placed the newspapers back on the table, and look at me again:

"Highway 70? You said that you drove from the airport -- and 70 does not
goes nowhere near the airport in Wichita, or the one over here." Now he was
eyeing me carefully, as if I said something that was my first mistake, and
first indication that I am not trustworthy. Matt's mother leaned on the
counter behind her, and crossed her hands, also appearing as someone who is
expecting an explanation. I could feel the tension in the room was rising.

"Um, I didn't came from Wichita airport...I drove from the one in
St. Louis," I said, looking at them.

There was a gasp from Matt's mother. I glanced over to her, noticing that
she brought her hand to her mouth in obvious surprise, shooting a shocked
look at her husband, than at Matt. A second later, I felt Matt's hand on my
shoulder, giving me much needed encouragement. I kept an eye contact with
Mr. Hartwell, who was staring at me now:

"Son, that's more than four hundred miles," he said, slowly.

"Four hundred and twenty-two," I nodded, shying my eyes from him, almost
embarrassed. Now the whole idea about finding where Matt lives, tracking
him down, and disturbing peaceful Christmas morning of this family seemed
disconcerting.

"Well, I guess you had a good reason," continued Matt's father after a long
pause, picking up the newspapers again, in seemingly laid-back motion. I
reached to my shoulder, and finding Matt's hand, I squeezed it lightly.

"A very good reason," I smiled.



(Matt's point of view)

I was still in total disbelief. The whole morning was so unreal, so
dreamlike that I was finding myself blinking as reassurance that I am not
dreaming about this. The fact that Hayden was sitting next to me at our
kitchen table, talking to my parents over coffee that was getting cold, was
incomprehensible to me.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him, as he was
enduring gentle inquisition from my parents. Or not so gentle from my dad,
if you like. I could see that Nicki was very tired, and his voice wasn't as
strong as usual. And it wasn't just the fact that he had a day old beard;
he looked exhausted, with a strange rasp in his voice.

"He just drove all night...no wonder he looks like that," I thought to
myself, and than I smiled: "He drove all night...to be with me." Now I was
grinning, listening to his story about how he ended up in our town. Both of
my parents were listening carefully, just asking questions about seemingly
non-important details. Luckily my mother had a sense to stop my dad from
further barraging Hayden with questions:

"You must me exhausted, Hayden. Jimmy, I think that you pestered our guest
just about enough," she said, clearing the table. My dad just waved his
hand in mock disobedience, trying to finish reading his newspapers.

"I bet that all you want right now is to take a shower and get some
rest. Matt, why don't you show him upstairs?" my mom asked me. The tone of
voice was familiar to me. She wasn't asking, she was telling me. In very
lovingly, ever so gentle way, she was telling me that I need to take care
of my visitor. And I was more than happy to oblige. Soon both of us were
climbing upstairs to my room. I showed Hayden around and gave him some of
my clothes after rummaging through my closet. I was shaking all over again,
from inner anxiety that was running trough me.

Hayden...here with me...in my room.

With my clothes in his hands, he turned to me, laying his tired eyes on me:

"Funny how the roles have changed," he said.

I reached with my hands behind his neck, caressing his hair:

"I like taking care of you," I said, locking my eyes on him. He leaned in
me, almost hesitantly. Our lips touched. The sensation of electrical charge
flared on my lips, once again, just as always when my lips would touch
his. He merely brushed his lips on mine, but I wanted more. I grabbed his
head and start kissing him more forcefully, and he was returning my
advances. The clothes that he was holding in his hands fell on the floor as
he grabbed me and fully locked our bodies together. I experienced
faintness, as I was giving my self to him. Hungrily, my mouth found his,
taking in that wonderful taste that was un describable, the fleshy and firm
taste of his lips, the incredible warmness of his mouth. Soon I was gasping
for air, but I didn't care. Having Nicki's lips on mine preceded that
need. It was simply more important to feel him exploring my mouth, just as
I was exploring his. We finally unlocked our lips, as he looked at me,
breathing coarsely. I placed my head on his chest while he was stroking my
back.

"I still cannot believe that you are here," I whispered. He coughed, trying
to chuckle.

 

"I want to stay here and be with you...but I really need to take a
shower. I stink," he said to me. I smiled at him:

"Okay, stinker," I said, raising my hand and grazing his chin, covered with
that light stubble that made him even more desirable. He reluctantly let go
of me and went to the bathroom. I listened the sound of shower for couple
minutes, leaned on the door. It was almost soothing, the way I knew that
that was him in there, only several feet away.

Some time later, he emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp, but
clean-shaven, wearing my sweat pants and sweatshirt. I was looking at him,
probably with most idiotic grin that was seen on this planet.

"What?" he smiled at me

"It's the clothes...its weird to see it on someone else," I found excuse to
have my eyes linger over him. Even in my baggy clothes, his body looked
amazing.

"Yeah, they are a tad small," he complained, shrugging his shoulders that
were stretching the sweatshirt.

"Well, I did have those since beginning of the college," I replied,
standing up and getting close to him. I couldn't not notice that his eyes
are still very red and that he still looks tired. Hayden embraced me,
reaching with one hand to brush over some of my hair that had fallen over
my eyes.

"Matt, I..." he started hesitantly, his voice being hoarse all of the
sudden. I pressed my finger on his lips. At this time, I didn't want to
talk, to spoil the moment with explanations and reasoning.

"Shhh...plenty of time for that. You need to rest. I have feeling that my
parents will continue with the interrogation as soon as you go back
downstairs."

He nodded, still just looking at me. Even tired, those eyes were carrying
so much energy that was coming into me. I felt the familiar blaze that was
coming from him, spreading from my face to my ears, leaving me short of
breath and weak.

"Do...do you want to sleep in my bed...for now?" I asked, hesitantly. I
still didn't know where is Nicki in this whole situation, despite that he
drove all that distance to find me, despite that he didn't mind kissing me
right in front of my mother, despite that he is holding me in his arms,
right here in my bedroom.

He nodded, slowly. I could see the battle that was going on in his eyes,
but he remained silent. We both sat on my bed, and I leaned into him,
giving him another brief kiss.

"Don't worry about things now. Get some sleep. Okay?" I looked at him, with
my hands clasped behind his neck. He nodded, his lips breaking into tired
smile:

"Okay," he said, finally relaxing. He laid slowly in the bed, pulling the
covers over him. I remained standing next to him, caressing his hair. I
could see that he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, just like a sleepy
puppy. I stood back and started to walk backward from the bed when I
realized something.

No. No way. I couldn't walk away from him. Not now, not ever.

I walked around the bed, and slid under the covers from the other side,
embracing him in a hug, my whole body resting against his. He tried to
shift himself, to say something, to protest, but I gently pushed him back.

"Shhh...rest now," I whispered in the back of his neck, enjoying the feel
of his strong body in my arms. Hayden relaxed, but it was a while until his
breathing slowed down into rhythmic motions telling me that he is
asleep. The sound of his even breathing was bringing incredible peace into
my whole body. I rested my head next to his shoulder, inhaling the familiar
scent of my own shampoo mixed with warmth of his body that was filling me
with quiet bliss and happiness.



(Hayden's point of view)



I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't. There were just too many things that
happened to me in the past few days that were too strenuous, and my body
was betraying me. Matt was holding me in his arms, and despite my desire to
stay awake and take in as much as I could, the sleep was taking over
me. The fact that I was in Matt's room, in his bed, with him embracing me,
was enough to calm me enough for me to drift into sleep. I felt that I
accomplished something major, very important, and that I can finally
relax. From the moment that I saw him on top of the stairs, dressed only in
pair of sleeping pants and t-shirt, the urgency from deep within me seized
to push me forward. It was the un describable force that was driving me to
be on the move ever since that I lay my eyes on the message that was barely
readable, in that small notebook left on my kitchen counter. My brain was
still echoing with image of Matt, standing on top of the stairs, looking at
me wide eyed. Matt, the boy that turned my whole life into disheveled
hurricane, the boy whose smile could light even the murkiest of the
days. The boy who had eyes I couldn't live without.

And the boy whose heart I broke.

I couldn't stand to look at him anymore. There was too much pain expressed
over his face for me to look at it. My chest cramped. I felt that this
whole voyage was for nothing, all that energy and pressure behind it was in
vain. I thought that I was too late.

But then he took one step downstairs, than another one. He looked as if he
was hypnotized, dazed, not taking his eyes off of me, as he was walking
downstairs toward me.

I don't remember how I got to him. One moment I was standing next to his
mother in the hallway, and the next I was holding him, his body unnaturally
stiff in my arms. And the familiar feeling churning in me again, the
feeling that I thought I would never experience ever again. The feeling of
tasting his lips, feeling his body relaxing next to mine, the feeling of
being complete, once again.

Drifting into the sleep, I remember one more thing and my lips broke into
sly smile: when I got out of bathroom, Matt was laying on the bed, wearing
the same sleeping pants and plain white t-shirt, just as he was when I
first saw him on the top of the stairs. And he was smiling, illuminating
the room with such radiance that I had to smile back at him. His eyes were
sparkling, almost covered with bangs of his hair, captivating me with those
remarkable shades of blue. Something in his eyes made me stop for a second
in the doorway. Once again I was convinced that I see desire in his
eyes. He was propped on his elbows, and one of his legs was folded up on
the bed, while other one was relaxed. He wasn't wearing socks, and again
the sight of his feet was something that was incredibly appealing to
me. And it was not just that. His whole posture was...sexy, for some
reason. Just the way he was sprawled on the bed, looking at me
inquisitively, made me look at him with different eyes. I forced my brain
to shift gears; a difficult task with him so close to me.

And than he stood up next to me, and asked me to get some rest...in his
bed. I was definitively not prepared for that; I was assuming that he is
going to show me into a guest bedroom. I reluctantly agreed, still not
feeling comfortable about whole situation. I was too tired to argue, so I
lay down and I closed my eyes. In a moment, I felt his hand on my forehead,
as he was gently stroking my hair. In a matter of seconds, I started to
drift to sleep. He moved away from me, leaving me in the pleasant coziness
of his bed.

And than, a moment later...I felt movement of the covers as he slid into
the bed with me. At first I almost jumped out, thinking about how awkward
would be for his parents to find us both in the same bed, but the relaxing
thought crossed my mind:

"Its okay, Hayden...they know."

Matt reached over with his hands over my body, nestling quietly next to
me. His hands were hugging me tightly, folded on my chest. I reached over
and took his hand in mine, caressing it. I just started to relax again,
when seconds later, Matt whispered something into my neck. His hot breath
fired up my skin, sending waves of disquieting messages throughout my whole
body. Last thing I remember, before sleep prevailed the fight with my
conscience, was strike of pure panic, already being muffled with darkness
of sleep that was consuming my mind. My treacherous body was disobeying me
once again, reacting to Matt's presence.

I was getting hard.



(Matt's point of view)

Reluctantly, I closed the door to my room, stealing one more glance at
sleeping Hayden. My whole body was filled with happiness, the exuberant joy
that almost made me skip down the stairs, just as would do when I was a
kid. I joined my parents in the living room. My mom gave me look that was a
mixture of question and relief as I sat down. We were just watching TV for
good half an hour, when my dad said, out of nowhere:

"So...are you two together or what?"

This time my mom didn't intervened. That was awkward - I almost never had
conversation with my dad about my personal life, it was mostly my mom who I
seek for an advices. Her, and Mary.

"Well...I guess so," I said, quietly. I still wasn't sure.

"Okay then," he responded still not taking his eyes of the TV. After
several moments of silence, I realize that was the end of conversation. I
shot a worried look to my mom, but she just smiled. I shook my head. Aren't
they going to ask me more about --

The knock on the front door interrupted my thoughts. I jumped on my feet
and got into the hallway. It was Mary, and I let her in. She stepped into
the hall, shaking her coat and boots that were covered with snow, and
fighting with a large bag that she was carrying in her hands.

"Wow -- its past noon, and you are still in your `jammies?" she looked at
me, wide eyed in honest surprise.

"Um, yeah. I decided to really let myself go," I replied, concealing my
embarrassment. True, I was still in my sleeping pants and t-shirt, as if
I'm a bum in my own home. The thought about changing was dismissed
instantly; going upstairs to my room would mean that I would probably wake
up Hayden, which simply was not an option now.

"You want to give me a hand with all this or what?" she lifted the bag in
her hand.

"Where's your whip, slave driver?" I mockingly snapped, taking the bulky
bag from her.

"Chivalry, oh where is thou," she rolled her eyes at me, taking her gloves
off.

I turned left and right, looking around:

"I don't see any ladies here...Do you? "I asked her in dead-pan face, only
to receive a glove straight to my nose.

"Behave!" she smiled at me, pushing me out of her way.

 "What is all this?" I asked, weighing the bag in my hand.

"Um, presents, silly. You do know its Christmas? Or you are gone completely
insane over there at that what-is-the-name-college, over you-know-who?" she
gave me stern look.

I couldn't hide a very smug smile on my face. She shoot me a confused look,
but I just carried the bag pass her. She greeted my parents, and started to
pull the packages from the bag.

"I even got something for you, brat, although I am not sure that you
deserve it," she handed me a small box, after she gave my parents each a
gift.

"Oh Mary, thank you sooo much! I love it!" I shouted, still quietly. I
hugged her, the brand-new sports watch in my hand awkwardly dangling in my
hand. I started to examine it immediately. It was expensive, and it had all
kind of gizmos and do-dads on it.

"There -- so that you can keep better watch on your life," she said,
looking at me seriously.

Even thought I did noticed the double meaning of her words, I still
couldn't erase sudden smugness from my face. This time she openly frowned
at me, with a question on her face.

"Wow. Thank you, Mary. I didn't have this color," I heard my dad's voice,
saving me from explaining my mischief. He was lifting a silk tie from a
box. My mother was just finished unwrapping hers, pulling a nice sweater
from the box.

"Very nice. Thank you," my mom nodded with gratitude, and than nodded
towards me:

"Matty, why don't you give Mary her present -- it should be under the
tree."

I went in the corner of the living room, and after brief search, I found
the package underneath the Christmas tree that had Mary's name on it. I
picked the one that my parents got for her, as well the one I got for her,
and I handed both to her, but she was looking at me instead at the
packages, with very confused expression on her face:

"You guys have not opened your presents yet? Since when Matt can resist
tearing up into the tree first thing in the morning?"

My parents glanced at each other, with sly smile on each other faces. Mary
turned to me, with bewildered look on her face.

"Oh, I already got my present...it came in this morning," I replied, this
time smile threatening to split my face in two.

There was a brief moment of silence. Mary raised her eyebrows, glanced at
my mother, who was also smiling conspicuously, not offering any explanation
either.

"Okay, I give up -- what is going on here?" Mary placed her hands on her
hips, in very demanding fashion.

I just continued to grin. Suddenly I wanted to enjoy my little victory, but
my father ruined it all for me.

"Oh, some guy showed up this morning on our doorstep, and he cannot erase
that stupid grin from his face since then," he said in very nonchalant
manner, like he was reading the smost boring stock report, not even taking
his eyes of the TV.

Mary's jaw threatened to hit the floor.

"No fre-ak-ing way..." she uttered, looking at me wide- eyed, her mouth
still open. I maniacally nodded, still grinning like idiot.

"No freaking way!" she shouted. I quickly shushed her:

"Shhh...he is upstairs, sleeping. C'mon, I'll show you," I grabbed her hand
and pulled her towards the hallway.

"Matt! He is not a puppy, for crying out loud!" my mother hissed angrily
behind us, looking bewildered, but Mary was already pushing me in front of
her.

Seconds later, I quietly cracked open the door from my room, just enough
for both of us to steal a look in. She still had astounded look on her face
after she peeked in. I was looking in, lovingly caressing the barely
visible outline of Nicki's face in the shadowy room.

"I still cannot believe!" she whispered, as I closed the door as quietly as
possible.

"You cannot believe? I still think that I'm dreaming all this," I whispered
back, shuffling quietly towards the staircase.

"You are as bad as him! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Both of you!"
the stern look from my mother greeted us at the bottom of the stairs. Now
she was the one that had her hands on her hips, shaking her head.

"We are sorry...we didn't woke him up," Mary shoot me a look that only
partners in crime could share in between themselves. I was still grinning,
despite the very irate look on my mother's face. I knew that she couldn't
be really mad at us.

After all, it was Christmas...and miracles do happen.



(Hayden's point of view)

Matt was right. Not even five minutes of my stepping into the living room,
his parents started the conversation. More precisely, his father. And he
was asking me a whole bunch of questions, like he wanted to know everything
about me in the shortest amount of time. Matt was gone to run some errands,
and Matt's mom went into the kitchen soon after greeting me, so I was left
alone with James.

"So, you drove all the way here to see Matt, huh? That is very..." he was
seeking the word in his mind, "- determined of you."

I couldn't shake the feeling that he meant to say "stupid" as his first
choice.

"Um, yes...sir. I couldn't get the flight out of St. Louis so I rented the
car," I continued.

"And than you just drove, for four hundred miles, just to talk to my
son. Boy, even I know how to use the phone," he shook his head, in not so
subtle disapproval of my actions.

"Well, its more than phone call can do...I needed to see him. We...there
was a lot left unsaid when he left," I continued carefully. I knew I needed
to tread lightly with this man.

"So you decided to just show up here, unannounced?" he looked at me.

I didn't know what to say. He was obviously disagreeing with me being here,
and being with Matt. I sighed. So let it be. I saw Matt, now I can
leave. Hopefully I could still talk to him when he comes back.

...That is, if he comes back.

James must realize what was going on through my head.

"Hayden...son, the only reason why I am giving you hard time is because I
only want to see good things for Matt. You have to understand that he had a
tough life, with not too many friends that could understand his
choice. This year is his first year away from home, really away from
home. And than he comes back after being away for only several months, all
messed up, confused and scared. I know my son. He has learned to deal with
his problems, and to see him like that really upsets not only me, but
everybody who knows him. Donna was crying last night, and I didn't know
what to say to her. All I know that Matt met you, and..." he hesitated, not
knowing what to say.

"...And he is not the same anymore," I finished for him. He nodded, looking
somewhere across the room, and than riveted my eyes on me again.

"Do you see where I'm going with this?" Matt's dad said slowly, boring me
with his eyes. I nodded. How could I say to him that it is not only Matt
who is messed up? That I cannot pick up my life ever since he stepped into
it?

"Mr. Hartwell...I can honestly say that what I feel for Matt I never felt
for anyone before in my life. He...means...a lot to me." I finished, choked
with emotions.

"Well, that's good, that's good...I'm glad to hear that. However, I must
say that in your age, relationships come and go, so I don't know did you
ever felt like this before with any of your previous boy -- um, boyfriends,
what you are feeling for Matt now," finished Matt's father.

I buried my eyesight in the floor.

"There were no...I did not have --" I swallowed a lump in my throat. Even
to me, what I was trying to say sounded really implausible.

"I never had any other boyfriends in my life before I met Matt," I managed
to finish, looking at Matt's father. He looked me in disbelief, craning his
head a little bit.

"None?" this time I heard Donna's voice behind me. I turned around. She was
standing in the living room doorframe, probably for a while.

I shook my head:

"No ma'm. I know this will sound very strange to both of you, but I was
dating girls until recently, until...until I met Matt," I finished,
blushing from embarrassment.

James' raised eyebrows spoke vividly about the stage of surprise that he
was in. Than he shook his head and...and smirked. And than he started to
laugh. Pretty soon, he was laughing so hard that he couldn't sit straight
anymore; he had to lean backward, trying to say something in between
laughs:

"Oh --...Oh my...Donna! Our son...our Matt...has...hahaha...has seduced --
has seduced a straight guy!"

Matt's mother burst into laughter herself, while Matt's dad was wiping his
eyes, still chuckling from his own joke. I politely smiled at him, knowing
that was not quite the truth, but I let him have his fun. After all, he
wasn't that far off, either. I looked over at Matt's mom: she just shrugged
her shoulders and shook her head, still laughing.



(Matt's point of view)

As soon as I stepped into the house, I tensed up. I could hear muffled
voices, one belonging to my father, and other one, belonging to another
male, arguing about something. And I knew that other voice very
well. Despite being hoarse and crackly, Hayden voice would still evoke same
tingling sensation in me as I would listen to it. I kicked my shoes off in
a hurry to get into the living room. I knew it. I was too late. I cursed
myself for leaving the house. I thought I could have couple hours to go and
grab a Christmas present for Hayden before he wakes up, but it was almost
nightfall when I came back home. Almost everything was closed, so I had to
walk through the whole town to find something for Nicki. Finally I bought
him a suitable present, but that obviously meant that he is taking a full
force of grilling from my dad without me being there to be by his side. I
cursed again, rushing trough the hallway.

"What is going on here?" I asked, bursting into the in the living room.

My dad and Hayden were sitting in front of the computer, and they both
turned around at the same time, looking at me. I took it all at once, the
happy look on my father's face, and quiet, contented look on Hayden's. He
smiled at me, telling me wordlessly that everything was fine.

"Matt? Where you been? Thankfully I have your friend here to give me some
major pointers! Come over!" my dad motioned me in. I took my jacket off, in
much calmer motion. Okay, so this is not the war zone that I heard from the
doorstep.

"Look! Hayden showed me site where it shows how to replace the ignition
from this Pontiac to Emmet's Impala!" my dad was one step away from being
ecstatic. I approached cautiously, still not being sure about this whole
deal. My dad and Hayden...are buddies, all of the sudden?

"Grampa's car? That thing hasn't run in years," I responded, glancing over
at the screen, and than diverting my eyes to Hayden. And he returned my
gaze, smiling. He looked much better, relaxed and comfortable sitting next
to my dad. This was odd, especially from this morning, when my dad was
barraging him with questions. I placed my hands on Nicki's shoulders,
resisting the urge to hug him properly...and kiss him properly...and take
him to my room properly...I diverted my eyes toward the computer screen; I
could feel blood rushing into my loins. Embarrassed, I gave my earnest try
to understand about ignition switches, spark plugs and other whatnots that
my dad was pointing to Hayden. I stayed for couple more minutes, and than I
gave up. I sat next to the Hayden, and hugged him. And my dad seemed okay
with it! It was a tremendous relief, to know that my Hayden, my Nicki, is
welcome here. I leaned my head on his shoulder, listening to their
conversation, enjoying in it, despite the fact that I couldn't understand
the word of it. Two of the most important men in my life were by my side,
chatting and arguing about some bizarre car parts, but I was feeling
nothing but blissful happiness. Hayden was still coughing occasionally,
worrying me, but I didn't want to interrupt the conversation in between him
and my father.

My mom entered the living room, and literarily hushed us into the dining
room, where she had set the whole big table by her self. Minutes later,
Mary knocked on the door, and soon we all sat down to have dinner
together. Despite it was day after actual Christmas, it felt more like
Christmas diner than the one that we had last night.  I looked down the
table, with my heart filled with delight: everybody that I cared the most
was here, at my sight. We dug into our food. My mom re-enacted the whole
new meal from leftovers, and we all enjoyed it fully. In the middle of the
dessert, Mary turned to Hayden:

"How did you guys meet in the first place? Did you have a class together or
something?"

"Well, he knocked me off my feet in the hall of the Chemistry building,"
Hayden answered over bite of cake that he was about to put in his mouth.

"Ohhh, that is sooo romantic," Mary swooned.

Hayden looked at her seriously, emphasizing his words even more: "No, he
literally did that -- knocked me off my feet; I was on the floor before I
even knew what happened."

I heard my dad chuckle from the other side.

"Matt knocked you over? This little scrawny guy here?" Mary's eyes widened,
glancing at me. "That's when you guys saw each for the first time?"

Hayden nodded, placing another bite of the cake in his mouth.

"Well, not quite," I chimed in. Mary looked at me, curiously, but I was
looking at Hayden now:

"First time I saw you was a day before that...you were walking down the
Second street. I was sitting at `La Cubanita', having a coffee when I saw
you on the other side of the street," I finished, feeling mixture of
embarrassment and superiority. Hayden looked at me, with his eyebrows
raised. I smiled, remembering my first impressions of that super-hot
looking guy, walking down the street, carrying his body with such
graciousness. And now that super-hot guy is sitting right next to me! I
sighed, still in disbelief, and squeezed Hayden's hand underneath the
table. He looked at me, smiling.

"I am so happy that I met you, Nicki" I could only say that, grinning from
ear to ear.

"Yeah, me too," he replied, looking at me with those deep eyes. Our eyes
locked, and stayed locked for a long time; only when Mary kicked me
underneath the table, I diverted my eyes toward her, in mock anger.

"What!' I yelled, provoking a giggle from her.

"Hey love bird...did you gave Hayden his present?" she asked me.

"Oh, I completely forgot! How could I be so dumb!" I jumped from the table,
provoking a disapproving look from my mother. I returned in a second,
almost jumping back into my chair. I was carrying a soft package, that I
wrapped in a hurry. I was very proud of my finding, since almost every
store was closed today, and I was sure this was appropriate for him.

"For me?" he looked at me, surprised. I nodded, smiling. "Thank you...but
your present...its not here --" he started, but I raised my hand to his
mouth, quieting him down. It stung a bit that he didn't have anything for
me, but it didn't matter. It really didn't.

"You being here with me, now, is the best present I ever had," I said,
looking at him seriously.

"...what I meant -- your present is in the car, silly. May I be excused for
a moment?" he asked politely my parents. My mother nodded, and he got up.

"See? Manners. Man-ners," Mary emphasized last word, looking sternly at
me. I rolled my eyes at her in fake insubordination. Hayden got something
for me? I was burning with anticipation.

Hayden returned, carrying a box with him. I craned my head in a
surprise. It was wrapped in a glossy paper of a -- magazine pages!

"Sorry...didn't had the wrapping paper with me," he apologized, and than
handed box of chocolates to my mom, and a bottle of wine to my dad. My dad
nodded in approval, still chewing on last bits of his desert.

"Manners," he mumbled towards me, in obvious keenness of the Nicki's
gesture. I felt as my heart is going to explode with pride. My Nicki is
scoring some major points with my dad today!

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Mary poised question in our general
direction.

I tore into my package first. As soon as I opened the lid from the box, I
gasped. A brand-new pair of running shoes! I screamed in delight and hugged
Hayden, who was still holding on his present. I examined the shoes -- they
were my favorite brand.

"How did you know -- even the size is prefect!" I asked, almost being
frantic.

"Well, I did have a chance to take shoes off from you that one night, so
--"

In the dead silence that consumed the kitchen I caught a glimpse of horror
in Hayden's eyes. I knew that I had to react quickly, even I was as stunned
as him. I cover my mouth, pretending that he said something about us.

"Oh, Nicki -- now they know!"

The look of embarrassment in his eyes was enough for me to drop it. I
became serious in a second.

"It's a joke, folks...nobody ever took my shoes off in that...um, sense," I
started to stammer.

"Yeah, um, we never...um..." Hayden was blushing profusely now, looking
carefully at folds of paper of the present in his hands.

"Oh my God! You guys are so cute!" Mary screamed in delight, defusing the
situation.

Hayden and I looked at each other, still too embarrassed to look at my
parents. And than he did something...he shot me that devilish smile of his,
a lopsided grin that bared half of his teeth, in obvious display what was
going on in his head at that moment! My mouth hung open. He lifted his
head, smiling. My dad shook his head, and lifted his hands in disarming
motion. I knew that everything was alright.

Hayden opened his present. For a moment he was just staring at it, not
saying a word. I looked at him, getting confused at first, than
worried. Did I pick something wrong?

He lifted the brand-name black workout t-shirt that I got for him from the
wrapper, and started to laugh. He quickly placed shirt on the table, and
looked at me, quieting down for a second.

"Look better in your box..." he said to me. I shot him a confused look,
than I dug into the box. From underneath the shoes, I pulled out the exact
same workout shirt, only in dark-blue. I placed it on the table, in salve
of laughter from everybody around it. I looked at Hayden, who smiled smugly
at me. This time I didn't hesitate for one second. I leaned into him and
planted deep, long kiss onto his lips.

"Thank you," I whispered into his mouth.

"No...thank you," he mouthed back into mine.

(Matt's point of view)

I was walking with Hayden down the sidewalk that was running alongside the
street where my parent's house was. I have walked that path million times,
in the summer and in the fall, through spring downpours and lazy summer
afternoons, on the bicycle or on foot. That path was my way to the school
and back, and I knew every crease and every corner on it. And yet, walking
on it now with Hayden was as if I never walked on this path before. Snow
was chirping under our feet as we were walking, holding each other in the
crisp December night. Neither of us spoke a word ever since we left the
house. I suggested the walk since the situation in the house was getting a
little to crowded and noisy -- my grandfather and some of family friends
stopped by, and after mandatory introductions, I felt the need to be alone
with Hayden. He readily agreed to be taken on the tour of the
neighborhood. The quietness of the evening walk was soothing. Ever since
this morning I felt scatterbrained and disoriented. Hayden's presence in my
home was utterly disturbing. I came here to run away from him. To run away
from all commotion and chaos that he inflicted on my life, to have a moment
of contemplation in the surroundings that are known to me. Just as a
wounded animal would retreat to its own domain I retreated to my home, to
my own cave, so I could lick my wounds. And that is why I felt so insecure
when he arrived. My cave, my safety house was breached this morning, as if
tornado went through it.

I squeezed Hayden even closer to me. He looked at me, still not saying a
word. I motioned him toward the side trail that was leading toward the
riverbank. After couple minutes we emerged on the paved path that was
running alongside of the river. It was dark and heavy, and it was running
almost silently underneath us. The walkway was usually the favorite place
to walk along or jog; but tonight it was almost empty. I let go of the
Hayden so I could turn around and look at the shadowy water. I felt two
hands coming over my sides and grabbing on the handrail of the fence. I
turned around, finding myself staring in those eyes. He was looking at me
intensively, affixing his eyes on mine. I felt as if he was looking
straight into my soul. I could feel the heat coming from him and rising
into my cheeks, as if I was standing in front of an open fire. He extended
his hand and touched gently side of my face with his hand. I closed my
eyes, leaning my head into the palm of his hand, into the warmness of his
touch. I slid my arms into his jacket, around his waist and looked back at
him. Our eyes locked, as he reached with his other hand and brushed a
strand of hair that fell over my eyes. It was an incredible feeling of
belonging that was coursing through me. I exhaled, watching as vapor
obscured my vision of his face for a brief moment. He was just caressing my
face, and I could see that he is fighting with something inside of
him. Finally, he spoke, his voice even more hoarse that it was all day
today.

(Hayden's point of view)

Matt and I were walking in the sleepy snowed streets for a while, and than
he lead us to the riverbank that was separating the town. I could see the
lights from the other side of the town reflecting in the dark water, as he
leaned onto the fence. It was very quiet and cold, and I couldn't think of
more perfect end to this chaotic day. He turned around, his eyes resting on
me, shaking his head lightly to brush away a strand of hair falling over
his forehead. I hugged him, and he reached inside of my jacket, cuddling
with me. We just stayed there for a moment, enjoying each other
presence. However, I still wasn't feeling peaceful.

"Matt...I cannot say how sorry I am," I spoke finally, my voice trembling
lightly.

Matt looked at me, surprised. I continued before he could say anything

"I don't know what exactly happened, and I still don't know why you
left. But after finding your note, I..." I couldn't finish.

The look in his eyes changed. Even in very sparse light that several lamp
post were casting, I could see that they became darker, more serious.

"My note? But...I took it with me," he whispered.

I reached into my pocket and pulled a notebook paper, shaded with a pencil,
revealing traces of his handwriting.  A familiar sting of pain phantomed
through my chest. Even I couldn't read it in this dim light, I remember
what it said.

"I don't know why are you doing this, but it hurts.  You don't want me in
your life, so I will -- "

The next few lines were furiously scratched, masking the writing; as if he
changed his mind before tearing the note completely out from the
notebook. I clenched my jaw, remembering that was still able to decipher
just portion of the last paragraph. And that line was still burning in
front of my eyes, painfully imprinting its message in my brain:

"...I never knew that love could hurt, until I met..."

The note was not finished. There was no need for it to be finished.

Matt buried his eyesight in the ground, and spoke, very quietly:

"I came to your place to look for you...and you...you told me to leave." He
became quiet for a second, and that spoke again, lifting his eyes full of
pain into mine:

"You told me to leave," he repeated, his voice trembling very slightly,
telling me how hard this was for him.

I gasped. I couldn't even respond to that.

"I -- I told you to leave?"

Matt nodded, looking at ground again.

This was not making any sense. He was looking for me? My nightmare echoed
through my mind.  Did my dream happen at the same time?

"Matt...I am so sorry...I don't remember any of that...if you were at my
place, I don't remember that. I would never say anything like that. It --
It must have been when I was running a fever -- I was dazed for the whole
day. I didn't even believe when doctor told me it was Wednesday when I went
to see him -- "

The look of surprise in Matt's eyes stopped me in my stammering.

"You...you were sick? You had a fever?"

"Nurse said that I was running hundred and three when I went there. They
prescribed me some meds...I'll be fine in couple days," I looked at him.

He shook his head, looking totally bewildered.

"That explains it...that's why you were chasing me out of your place! You
didn't want me to get sick! And idiot that I am, I didn't even realize
that!" Matt looked at me with expression in his eyes that was completely
different from the ones a minute ago. All of the sudden, he grabbed me so
tightly that he actually pulled me off my feet onto him, burying his head
onto my shoulder.

"Oh, Hayden...but I am the reason why you got sick...you waited for me that
night on my stairs, when it was freezing outside...oh, I am so sorry...you
got sick because of me...I am so sorry...I am so sorry..."

I thought that he was going to cry. He was clinging onto me like he never
wanted to let go of me. I was holding him, gently rubbing his back. He
lifted his head, and looked at me, with tremendous seriousness in his eyes.

"Hayden, I will never forgive myself for this...and all the stuff that you
did for me...I don't think I can ever repay this." His voice begun to
tremble: "And I cannot believe what idiot I was to believe that you would
say that you don't won't me near you. And to -- "

A tear escaped from the corner of his eye. I reached with my thumb and
gently wiped it off his face.

"Shhh...its okay now. I'm glad that we sorted this mess out. Don't worry
about me, I'll be fine in a day or so, " I smiled at him, but he was still
serious. I could see that he was shaken with what happened. I was relieved
that it was all a big misunderstanding, so I reached with both of my hands
and held his face, locking my eyes into his:

"Its okay. Don't worry about it," I leaned into him and kissed him very
gently. He returned the kiss, and than opened his eyes to meet mine.

"...And...I'm sorry I called you names...back at your place." I whispered,
diverting my eyes off of his in shame.

He gently pushed my chin up so I had to look at him again.

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you at yours," he said, seriously, but his eyes
were sparkling.

My lips broke up with a smile:

"I'm glad that you did."

He smiled, and than looked somewhere into my chest for a second. When his
eyes returned to mine, he was serious all over again:

"Nicki...I am very sorry that I hurt you," he said, in such a solemn voice
that I had to raise my eyebrows at him. But he remained serious; he meant
every word he said, every letter.

"I'm not that fragile...I was convinced that I was the one who hurt you! I
will -... I will never do something like that. I --"

He shut me up by grabbing my face, and planting his lips on me, giving
himself to me, pressing his whole body into mine. I held him by his hips,
feeling the wonderful warmth of his tongue exploring my mouth as he was
hungrily asking for more, moving me to the core. All the problems, all the
worries started to fade away, and I could calm down and let go, holding
what was most important in my life right now, right here in my arms.



(Matt's point of view)

When Hayden and I came back from our long walk, we were welcomed with a
pleasant surprise. My father had started the fire in the living room
fireplace, and now the whole place was harmonious oasis of comfort and
coziness. It was a perfect condition for my overworked mind. Both of my
parents greeted us, as we walked in, rubbing our hands that were tingling
from freezing air.

"Finally...I was getting worried," said my mother, putting down the book
that she was reading.

"We weren't out for that long...did we?" I shoot a look at Nicki, who just
shrugged his shoulders. The concept of time was forgotten by both of us. My
mom smiled mysteriously at me as she passed me on her way to the kitchen.

"Where did you guys go?" My dad chimed in.

"Oh, just by the river. It was nice and quiet there," I answered, sitting
down with Nicki on the sofa. "Thank you for starting the fire, dad...it's
nice in here,"

"Yes, I finally got him to turn the TV off," said my mother, walking back
in the room. She was carrying two cups of hot cocoa, and she handed them to
Nicki and me.

"Thank you," said Hayden, wrapping his hands around the mug and taking a
sip. "This really hits the spot," he nodded with gratitude.

"Well I have to do something to get you guys warm since my foolish son had
taken you both to see the penguins," my mom sighed, trying to sound
stern. I rolled my eyes at her and sipped my cocoa.

"Oh, it was actually quite nice out there," said Hayden." I like your
town."

My dad mumbled something in response, poking the fire. Two of them started
the conversation about the cars that shifted somehow onto the football and
than onto baseball. They might as well speak in some foreign language to
me. I was just sitting there, almost getting annoyed by the fact that I was
not able to participate in any part of the conversation, so I got up and
went to the kitchen to get more cocoa. My mom was there, tidying the
place. I sat on the bar stool next to the counter and placed my mug on it.

"Well, what are you going to do now?" my mom asked me.

"Um, go to bed, I guess," I responded to her, somewhat confused with her
question.

"No, with your school, silly," she shook her head.

I paused for a moment. I knew that she is asking me for both my dad and
her, and I didn't want to respond too hastingly. And besides that, I wanted
to be truthful to her as well as to me with my answer.

"I..." I paused, still ruminating thoughts in my head. I knew the answer,
but I wanted to be sure.

"I want to go back," I looked up at my mother. She nodded, not saying a
word and continued to put dishes away.

I relaxed in my seat, thinking about my decision. The more I thought about
it, the more it felt right. I smiled. A new semester, and a new
beginning. And I liked the looks of it.

My dad walked into the kitchen, followed by Hayden.

"Well, its getting late for me. I'm going to bed; its been a long day," he
exclaimed to no one in particular, but it was clear what he was saying.

"Yeah, I better be off to; its getting late," said Hayden, looking
somewhere aside. Not at my parents. And not at me.

Nervousness up surged in me: "You are...leaving?"

"Well, I need to find a hotel for tonight," he continued, this time
glancing at me, with something in his eyes that I couldn't read.

I shook my head, not able to form words. The things started to boil in my
head, insecurities that I thought that I buried deeper within me. The
moment from couple days ago reenacted in my head. The moment I woke alone
in my bed, realizing that Hayden choose to stay on the couch instead with
me, him chasing me away at his place, and his hesitation to be in my bed
with me from this morning -- all those thoughts were churning in a
confusion that was clouding my mind. I looked at him, still confused by his
words. Luckily, my mom jumped in:

"Hotel? That is completely out of question! You are our guest and there is
no way that I would allow you to go and sleep in hotel. And no, I won't
take no for an answer!" my mom scowled at Hayden.

"No, I don't want to be a burden, Ms. Hartwell...I have troubled you folks
enough and --"

My mom didn't let him finish: "You are really working hard to offend me,
don't you Hayden? You are staying here tonight, and that's final." My mom
finished with a tone of voice that didn't leave place for an argument.

"I wouldn't argue with her, Hayden," my dad said in half-voice, but loud
enough for everybody to hear. He leaned to Hayden, in a very conspiring
gesture and with a smirk on his face: "I've been married to her for twenty
years and she is the most stubborn, non-compromising woman --"

A kitchen towel hit my dad straight across the face, stopping him in mid of
his rant. I glanced at my mom, who was smiling at my dad:

"You better get going, mister. You just lost your morning coffee
privilege," she mockingly frowned at him.

"Well, I guess I better be off, before I lose any more privileges tonight,"
my dad winked at my mom.

"Will you two stop embarrassing me!" I yelled. I was still concern, not
knowing what was Hayden `s preference. My dad beckoned with his hand at us
in mock displease, walking away. I turned to Hayden, and said slowly,
looking him straight into his eyes:

"You can sleep wherever you want...but I would like if you stayed here." I
looked at him, earnestly.

He nodded. I placed my hands on his hips, still looking into his eyes. I
could see that he was relaxing.

"Okay...but I think I should stay on the couch. I don't think it would
be...appropriate for me to sleep in your room," he finished. I opened my
mouth to protest, but I realized that he was right. My parents were never
accustomed to something like that, so it was better to take it slowly. No
matter how painfully slowly that might be. Or how painfully slowly it felt
like. I nodded, and smiled. I leaned into him and placed my other hand on
his hip, bringing him closer to me. I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to kiss
him so badly!  But with my mom just few feet behind us, the situation was
somewhat awkward, so I reluctantly stayed away from those beautiful lips.

"Okay then, that's settled," my mom chimed in from behind me. "Jimmy, could
you get some linen for Hayden?" she addressed my dad, who was sorting
through the mail in the hallway.

"Thank you, mom," I half turned my head, still in Hayden's arms. "And thank
you...for staying here," I continued more quietly, looking back at him.

 He smiled at me, and without hesitation, he kissed me, right there, in
front of my mother. And I didn't care. I returned his brief kiss.

"Will you two stop embarrassing me?" I heard my dad's voice from the
stairs. I shook my head and looked upstairs, but he already disappeared
from the sight.

"I like your family...they are funny," Hayden smiled at me. I nodded,
smirking.



(Hayden's point of view)

I was sitting on the couch in the Matt's parent's living room, staring at
the fire that was dying in the fireplace. Everybody else went to bed, but
the sleep was not coming to me. Despite the fact that I was in Matt's
house, and him being in his room not far off, it felt as if he was too far
away. I wanted to sleep with him next to me, but at the same time, I knew
that would make everybody uncomfortable. "You just met his
parents...sleeping in his bed would be awkward," I mused. Rationalizing did
not help. I still missed him.

Badly.

Matt's dad brought me some blankets and a pillow before he went upstairs,
and than both Matt and his mom linger around for few minutes as well until
both of them said their goodnights to me. I was very grateful for the
invitation to stay; Matt's parent's house was a very inviting place, and I
felt very welcomed in here. Staring at the flames that were dancing slowly
around burned logs, a comical thought came up to me: "So you traveled
thousand miles...just to sleep alone again," I smiled silently. Still,
despite the fact that I was not physically with Matt at that moment, I felt
very peaceful. My quest was over, and my heart was still now. I nodded
slowly. The feeling of completion and inner peace was filling me with
warmth, just as I was still feeling a heath that was still coming from a
fireplace.

A light shuffle interrupted my thoughts. I turned around. To my surprise,
it was Donna who appeared in the living room.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, quietly. I shook my head.

"I guess that afternoon nap disrupted my clock," I smiled at her.

She came and sat next to me. For the next couple minutes, neither of us
spoke, just watching at the flames that were casting flickering light over
the room.

"This is the first time in years that we met one of Matt's friends. You
have to forgive to James and me for acting odd," she said.

"Oh, Ms. Hartwell...you are not acting odd at all. I thing that both of you
are great," I smiled at her.

She nodded, and continued to stare at the fire for several long moments. I
sensed that there was a reason for her pause, as well for her appearance
here so late. She sighed, and spoke, quietly:

"Matthew is our only child. Ever since he was born, we were very protective
about him. Especially after we found out...after he told us about his
choice. Both James and I knew that he would have exceptionally hard time in
his life because of that. And when he announced that he wants to go to
college so far away from home, we were...besides our selves. Me
especially." She became quiet again. I remained silent, just listening as
she spoke again:

"So when he mentioned that he met somebody there, I was glad...and
concerned at the same time. Matt is very closed, and to hear him describing
someone with such a fascination was --" she was seeking for word:
"...unusual. Then I started to hear more and more, and the more I was
hearing, the more worried I got. And than when he came back home, all that
I was fretting about...all that became true. Matt came back as a shadow of
himself. My boy was...gone. Physically, he came back, but he looked as if
he left his heart behind him."

Donna sighed again. I was still just staring at the fire, knowing exactly
how much pain I inflicted on this family.

"And little that I knew -- that was true. And for the first time in my
life, I couldn't find the words to console him." Matt's mother looked at
me, making me to look back at her.

"And then I open the door this morning, and I see a stranger...that I
actually knew." She smiled. "Honestly Hayden, when I saw you this morning
and I figured who you are, I was on the verge to send you back. But then
again, we all make mistakes, so I did let you in."

We both chuckled at her remark, noticing the double meaning of her
words. She quieted down again, making another long pause before she spoke
again, more quiet:

"Matthew is only thing James and I got on this world. To see him hurt as he
was...was unbearable. But at the same time, when I see him next to you, and
I see how happy he is -- how happy both of you are," she corrected herself
" makes me one very, very happy mother."

She looked at me again and than she extended her hand to caress the back of
my head in very motherly and loving way: "And I only hope that you two can
continue to bring happiness into my life," she finished.

My throat was constricted with emotions. I was so deeply moved with her
words that I couldn't find my own.

"Thank you, Donna...I -- I hope that that will be the case," I finally
managed to speak.

"I'm very glad that I met you and James. Now I know where Matt got his
manners and upbringing," I continued.

Matt's mom ruffled my hair in response:

"You better get some sleep. It's getting late," she said as she got
up. "Have a good night, Hayden," she smiled at me from the living room
doorway.

"Good night, Ms Hartwell," I replied, and added after a brief pause: "And
thank you for the cocoa."

She nodded at me, smiling, and went upstairs.

We both knew that it wasn't just a cocoa that I was thanking her for.



End of ch. 17.

As always, the Yahoo Group is always open for criticism and comments -- it
is there for you to vent about the storyline, long breaks in between the
chapters and updates.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rip_tide/

Take care

HF