Page 20 of Friendly Skies
Doubtful that was possible and dubious about what kind of sense Rosa meant, Darius made his way through the living room and down that hall to the bedrooms.God. How many times had he done this exact same thing since he and Luis were eight? Coming over day after day, the two of them running through the house, begging Rosa for cookies and other treats, her half-hearted threats when they tracked dirt across her floors or foundsnakes to bring home. So many versions of Luis and himself accompanied him to the door of Luis’ bedroom.
“Chico?” Darius asked as he rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles. “I’m coming in.” He waited a moment, but when Luis didn’t tell him not to, he turned the knob and opened the door slowly.
The first thing he saw was Luis curled on his bed, and it hit him how much this reminded him of the night of Marissa’s party. Like that night twelve years before, the shades were drawn on the windows, and the room was dim. Luis lay on his side, his back to the door, but he moved over a bit to make space for Darius.
“What’s going on, chico?” Darius asked as he sat on the mattress. Luis scooted over a bit more, and Darius took it as an indication that he wanted Darius to lie down and hold him, something he was very willing to do. He gathered Luis into his arms and curved his larger body around Luis’ smaller one. It was a tighter fit than it used to be, but Darius didn’t mind the need to snuggle in close.
Luis took a deep breath as he settled against Darius’ chest. “How angry is she?” he asked, his voice dull.
“She’s more worried than angry. Confused, too.” Darius paused. “Just like I am. Are you going to tell me what you were arguing about?”
“Same old Andrés bullshit. I don’t get how the whole family is so blind. They all love him. Even if I told them about the money, they’d tell me that’s what family’s supposed to do. It’s frustrating. The fucking asshole drugged me!” Luis shuddered and shrank back against Darius as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible. “And I don’t know if they’d believe that if I told them that. They’d probably make up some bullshit excuse.”
Tightening his arms around his best friend, Darius kissed the top of his head. “Is that all it is?” he asked.
Darius didn’t miss the way Luis went rigid.
“Of course it is. God. I thought coming here would be nice and relaxing. Fun. We’d get a good meal. I’d let Ma fawn over me. I didn’t think it was going to be a shit visit. And Ricky…fuck, the first time he hangs out with us, and I flip out. He must think I’m an idiot.”
“I doubt that. He’s dealing with some of his own stuff right now, too.” Darius let Luis’ deflection go. He wasn’t going to push, even though he could tell Luis wasn’t telling him the whole truth. This wasn’t the first time it crossed his mind that Luis’ anger at Andrés was out of proportion for what had happened. Yes, it had been an asshole thing to do, and a betrayal, but Luis hadn’t gotten hurt, and as far as Darius knew, Andrés hadn’t pulled anything like that again. But all these years later, Luis couldn’t let it go.
“Why don’t we get your ma to pack up some leftovers and head home?”
A couple of hours later, they were back at the condo with only remnants of the picadillo con papas and arroz rojo left clinging to the containers Rosa had packed for them. As soon as they were done eating, Ricky retreated to his room. He hadn’t said much on the drive home. Neither had Luis, for that matter, leaving Darius to stew in his thoughts as he navigated the LA traffic back to West Hollywood.
Luis patted his stomach, then heaved himself off the couch. “I’m going to make margaritas,” he said as he headed for the kitchen. “Do you want one?”
With a sigh, Darius got off the couch and followed Luis. “Don’t you have an early flight tomorrow?” he asked.
Pausing as he reached for the margarita mix, Luis turned and all but glared at Darius. “I do. And?”
“Nothing.” Darius put his hands up. “Just a question.”
With a shake of his head, Luis turned back toward the counter and continued mixing his drink. “I can feel you staring at me.”
Darius walked over, put his arms around Luis’ waist, and rested his chin on Luis’ shoulder. “I’m concerned about you, chico.”
“Because I’m making margaritas? I do this all the time.”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
Luis nodded and stilled. “Can we not do this right now? Please?”
“Whatever you need as long as you promise you’re all right.”
“I am. I just…” The shudder that rippled through Luis’ body felt as if it carried all the way into Darius’ bones.
Darius turned Luis so they were now face-to-face, chest-to-chest. His arms were still draped around Luis’ neck, and he lowered his head to kiss Luis lightly on the lips. “I love you, chico. You’re my alma gemela, my soul twin. When you hurt, I hurt.”
Luis put his arms around Darius’ waist and gave him the first real smile he’d seen since returning home. “Thank you.”
They spent the rest of the evening watching a movie, and Darius was distracted by the feel of Luis leaning against him, the warmth of his body, the way his muscles shifted as he reached for his drink or found a more comfortable position. Luis had always been free with his body, always willing to snuggle, caress,kiss, even jerk off with Darius. But it wasn’t Luis’ body that Darius craved. He wanted Luis’ heart.
It was the bitterness of knowing he didn’t have it that kept their relationship firmly in the friend zone and made it possible for Darius to curl up on the couch with Luis and keep any feelings of arousal at bay. Even when Luis’ hand crept under his shirt and idly caressed the bare skin of his stomach, Darius didn’t flinch and kept his attention on the movie.
When Luis tried to stifle his third yawn in less than ten minutes, Darius knew it was time to get him to bed. Luis needed to wake up at five so he could get to LAX on time for his flight, and it was already past his bedtime. Darius suspected he was putting it off as long as he could and was probably going to plead his early morning to get out of explaining today’s meltdown. If that was how Luis wanted to play it, Darius was willing, but he’d much rather know what was going on with his friend.
A fourth yawn cracked Luis’s jaw, and Darius nudged him with a knee. “Come on, chico, time for sleep.”
