Page 4 of Homecoming

“See… what did I tell you? Too much damn aftershave,” Zak laughs.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Digby frowns, the pup smells odd; a bit like a coyote on a hot day, but despite her tainted scent, he cuddles her close. “What’s wrong with her eyes? She got some kinda problem?”

“Oh, you noticed that—that they’re gray. No, there’s nothing wrong with them. It’s just caused by a rare genetic disorder called uh… oh damn,” Riley snaps with a click of his fingers. “Sorry, I forget the name. Just wait, it’ll come back to me… Damn, my memory can still be so bad sometimes.”

“Alexandria’s Genesis.” Darius’s face is set in a stoic and pensive expression—a look of stunned silence rather than the muttering sound he makes under his breath.

“Yeah, that’s right. Have you heard of it before?”

“Not exactly. It was just something Kat told me about when she first arrived at the base.” Darius takes a breath and watches as the small pup settles in Digby’s arms. She’s here and is suddenly real, looking like a soft picnic blanket draped against Digby’s strong forearm. Her ears sit bent over, but unlike Kat’s bright green eyes, Evelyn’s are a solid shade of silver-gray.

“She’s beautiful.” The words escape Darius’ mouth and there’s the sound of a snigger from the guys behind him. The gushing tone of his words is something they’ve never heard from him before. “You’d better bring the pups inside. The air is turning cooler now the sun’s going down and she’ll get a chill.”

“Do you really think she’ll come back here?” Digby asks in questioning concern as he looks down at the tiny pup seeking reassurance in his arms.

“She will,” Marco smiles. “But let’s just go prep some bottles of milk, in case it’s not tonight. Diggs, I promise it’s gonna be fine. Katwillcome home, eventually.”

One week later

“Zak,Iswearifyou ask me one more time how long these damn steaks will be... You see these?” With his temper frayed and covered in a layer of sweat—a combination of high daytime temperature and barbecue heat—Bud picks up the large tongs used for turning the meat and slaps them shut with a vicious snap in front of Zak’s groin.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Zak raises his hands with a smile. “But what can I say? I’m hungry.”

Handing him a beer, QT pulls away from the grill and, as he does, Zak grabs his head and kisses him.

QT’s open, kind features, the gold of his hair, the earthy scent of his skin causes Zak’s bright blue eyes to widen and driven by lust, his lips pucker at the corners forming a huge grin. He’s filled by the warm lusting desire he has for QT, which is more than obvious as he leans in for another passionate kiss.

“So…” Digby smiles as he watches the pair continue to massage their lips over each other, “have you two set a date yet?”

“Uh-uh.” QT breaks from Zak’s grip and shakes his head as he lets out a long and resigned sigh. The afternoon sun and overindulgence of beer are making him heady and wrapped tightly around Zak’s waist, he takes a long drawn-out sniff of the cloying scent of Zak’s body odor. The smell fills his nostrils—a unique scent, like the smell of the sea on a stormy day. It’s not one he can pin down, but it definitely smells of Zak and QT can’t get enough of it. Zak is strong, confident, athletic in build and just being close to him makes QT act like a nervous puppy full of quivering energy.

“No,” Zak sneers. “Don’t go there cuz it’s kind of a touchy subject right now.” He purses his lips as QT gets called away.

“Why? What’s goin’ on?” Digby questions. “Is it not all rose petals in the wonderland bedroom right now? Hell, you two can’t leave each other alone most of the time, so what’s happened?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Zak sighs. “Just… Well, we can’t agree on a wedding date. I wanna wait until next year and have a midsummer ceremony; he wants Christmas eve.”

“Whoa… Christmas eve? Hell, that’s not far away. So what’s the problem? You’re not gettin’ cold feet, are you?”

Turning his back on the group behind them, Zak lowers his tone. “Diggs, do you think I’m cut out for bein’ married?” I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to, but it’s a big commitment, right?” He holds his arms tensely across his muscled chest as if the weight of his own words is heavy on his shoulders.

“You are… You’re gettin’ cold feet.” Zak’s words blow Digby away, but so does the realization that his best friend is actually considering calling the wedding off. “Hey, what the hell’s goin’ on with you? I thought you were ‘all-in’with QT. I thought he was exactly what you wanted?”

“Yeah, I know, and he is, but…” Zak’s mood changes and the happy-go-lucky kid is replaced by the earnest one. “What if it’s not right for us? I mean, how do you know if someone’sthe one? And how do I know that I’m the right one for him? I don’t wanna mess him around, but what if it is just a phase? You said it yourself. What if I decide I wanna go back to datin’ women again?” Zak’s thoughts are conflicted and he’s unsure of what to do next. It’s not that he doesn’t love him; QT’s a cornucopia of quirks, he’s luscious, he’s edible, he’s kind and Zak can’t take his eyes off him—or his dick. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t like being part of a couple, but I’m… I’m just not completely sure I wanna get married right now.”

“Zak, don’t talk stupid. Hell, you love him or am I missin’ somethin’ here? QT gives you everythin’ you want. He dotes on your dumb ass… God knows why, but he thinks you’re a fuckin’ Adonis. I’ve never seen any woman treat you the way QT does.” Digby smiles and sips his beer, watching as his friend’s face remains cold. “Zak, you alright?”

“Yeah, but… Diggs, what if I’m not good enough for him? I mean, he reads books and… man, he’s so fuckin’ intelligent. What if he gets bored with me or goes off me and I’ve gone and married him?”

Digby spits his beer and laughs. “Zak, when the hell did you get so deep?”

“Yeah see, laugh at me why dontcha. I’m serious. I don’t think I can go through with this. I mean, I love him… and yeah, he’s sexy as hell and gives me a hard-on every time he comes near me but…”

“Whoa, whoa…TMIman,TMI!” Digby sighs and places an arm on Zak’s shoulder. “Okay, so you need to tell him how you feel. Maybe just put the wedding off for a while—give yourself some time to be sure. Take some time-out to re-assess the whole thing.”

“And you think he’ll be okay with that? I mean all these wedding plans he’s been makin’, you think he’ll be okay to postpone it?”

“Yeah, of course he will. Zak, trust me, he’ll understand. I mean, he’s all ‘in-touch’ with his feelin’s, right? So he’ll get that you need more time. He’ll see you don’t mean to offend him and that it’s not that you don’t love him, just that you need time to be sure of how you feel. Hell, there’s no reason to rush things—you have all the time in the world. And so you postpone for a couple of months, who cares?”

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