***
Chris placed his head on the table and laughed when they disconnected the call. “Oh my God, that ‘extra hours’ part was hilarious.”
“You’re an idiot.” Shane chuckled. “Did you really have to explain the types of work?”
“I couldn’t resist.” Chris laughed.
“As I said, you’re an idiot. Call the guys.” Shane pushed the laptop towards Chris. “Whose house do you think they’re fooling around in today?”
“You should know better than I, dude.” Chris drawled. “It’s not like I’ve been hanging out with you guys of late.” He said quietly. “I don’t even think they would want to talk to me.” Chris suddenly sounded wistful.
“Hey,” Shane turned Chris’ head to face him. “Those guys are your family. Family doesn’t end in blood and doesn’t start there either. Family cares about you. Family is there for the good, bad…all of it. They’ve got your back even when it hurt. That’s family. Those guys love you no matter what you’ll do. Got that?”
Chris nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Now you better get back to your cheerful mode because if they get the slightest impression that you’re not happy, my arse is grass.” Shane looked so serious Chris’ eyes widened.
“Really? Did I miss something?” He asked with amusement glittering in his eyes.
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Shane growled. “If you throw me to the wolves, Chris Dono…”
“Relax.” Chris laughed. “It just feels good to know that those idiots threatened you on my behalf. You have no idea how protective they are of you. All the subtle threats they’ve given me…” Chris burst into laughter once again. “Who did the threatening exactly?” He looked so amused.
“All of them,” Shane said. “Well, except Tyron of course. Sometimes looks carry more weight than words. And the look in their eyes…” Shane was virtually talking to himself. “Aaron’s was the only non-threatening ones. But his was even worse.”
“Where was Tristan?” Chris asked, finally noticing just how shaken Shane was by whatever his friends had portrayed.
“He was out of town.”
“Thank God!” Chris gasped. “Tristan would’ve had a field day.”
“He wouldn’t have. Trust me.” Shane muttered.
“That bad huh?”
“Scary.” Shane tried very hard not to remember the scene when the guys were standing around his chopper with melancholic faces.
Chris left his chair to straddle Shane’s thighs, facing him. He lifted Shane’s chin with a finger and kissed him softly. “I’m sorry I put all of you through that.” He said softly.
“You’re apologizing to the wrong person.” Shane sighed, drawing Chris’ head down to kiss him softly. “Just don’t sign my death warrant with a sad face please.” He whispered, making Chris laugh.
“I promise I won’t,” Chris said, moving off Shane’s lap. Then he straddled Shane’s thighs again, facing the laptop this time. “Let’s try Matt.” He said, dialing Matt. But Matt didn’t pick up. “Okay, no response. Let’s see…if I’d been there, it would have been my turn today. Next person is…”
“Damon.” Shane chuckled.
“Fuck.” Chris muttered as he dialed Damon’s Skype link. He promptly groaned when Tristan’s face filled the screen.
“Well, well, well…look who we have here.” Tristan drawled. “Sober now?”
“Hello to you too, brat,” Chris growled whilst Shane laughed softly. “Where are the others?”
“In the den. Yo, Shane? Sup?” Tristan turned his attention to Shane. “It’s been a really long time.
“Hey, Tristan.” Shane laughed. “You were out of town when we were leaving.”
“You mean when you were carrying his arse out of town.” Tristan drawled, drawing a growl from Chris.
“I swear to God if you don’t take the laptop down to the…” Chris started.
“Okay, okay I’m going. Settle down cow… hey, what’s that on your finger?” Tristan gasped. “Chris? Did you guys…”
“Just…” Chris started to say but Tristan was making so much noise he decided not to waste his breath. He heard the guys asking Tristan what the problem was just before Kyle, Matt, and Michael’s faces filled the screen. They were sitting on the couch in the den, probably playing a video game. “Hey, guys,” Chris said.
All the guys started talking at the same time. Chris could see the joy and relief on their faces. He gave a sigh of relief. Shane was right. The guys didn’t look angry at all. They were his family and accepted his faults and mistakes.
“One at a time, assholes.” Chris laughed as he watched Aaron rush to sit on Kyle’s lap with a wide grin on his face. Then Damon and Cole appeared behind the couch so he could see them all. “I’ve missed you idiots so much.” Chris gushed.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Cole drawled but his eyes twinkled with delight. “Don’t you have chairs where you are? Why the fuck is Shane carrying your weight?”
Chris waited till the guys’ laughter settled down. “And why is Aaron sitting where he is right now?” Chris retorted.
“‘Cause I enjoy feeling my man’s rock-hard cock beneath my arse,” Aaron responded with mock innocence even as he wriggled his arse in Kyle’s lap. And at Kyle’s uncontrollable tortured groan, Matt drew Aaron off Kyle and into his lap.
“Now sit still,” Matt said sternly whilst the guys laughed their heads off.
“Where’s Dean?” Shane asked, shifting so that Chris wasn’t straddling him anymore but rather sitting across his thigh. He unconsciously coiled an arm around Chris’ waist, making Chris smile. The guys didn’t miss it.
“Kayla gave birth two days ago,” Matt said. “A cute baby girl.”
“Great.” Chris was thrilled. “I hope she looks like Kayla and not the asswipe. Okay, we have something to tell…”
“They got married,” Tristan shouted from somewhere in the den. Shane and Chris couldn’t even see him on the screen.
But Shane and Chris forgot about Tristan in the midst of the shouts and cheers and whistles. In the midst of all the noise, they heard a popping sound. Then Tristan appeared, handing out flutes to the guys and filling them with champagne.
“To the best news of the century,” Kyle shouted.
“And to the smartest, hunkiest, horniest, and all the ests couple ever,” Matt said.
“To Chris and Shane,” Damon added.
“May you fuck each other till it’s time to check out of this world,” Cole shouted.
“Yeah…on every surface and space…and every fucking restroom,” Michael added.
And even as the guys laughed uproariously and Chris flipped them off, he leaned down and took Shane’s lips in a heart-melting kiss. There was nothing as soul-lifting as having the support of your family when you take that plunge with your soul mate. And at that particular moment, Chris and Shane felt like the luckiest couple in the world and they knew that their serene bond and love would grow from strength to strength with each passing day. Theirs was indeed a bond that could never be broken.
THE END
‘WHEN TWO WHO HAVE SUFFERED FIND EACH OTHER, THE BOND IS LIKE STEEL. THEY BECOME EACH OTHERS’ SOUL MATES AND COMFORT FROM THE STORM OF LIFE.’