Page 74 of Refraction

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They’d ordereda single plate of brisket, and between them, they still brought some home.

Tucker had been running his ass off for the last twenty-four hours, buying groceries, cleaning the house, pulling the paintings off the walls and storing them in the little air-conditioned room that Granny had used as a sewing room. Now he was finally bringing Calvin home.

The drive was peaceful, the day bright and warm, and it felt… right. Good.

Calvin was leaning against his arm, and Tucker wasn’t sure whether he was sleeping or not, but it didn’t matter. He could feel Calvin’s steady heartbeat.

“This is so nice. The drive and everything. Thank you for lunch.” Calvin sighed, sliding a hand over Tucker’s knee. “Tell me what you think I’m going to like best about your house.”

“The pool. That’s the best part.” Tucker spent hours out there. Hell, sometimes he slept in the pool, soaking up the sun.

“Oh, I can’t wait! I brought a bathing suit. It’s hot, tiger. You’re gonna love it.” The soft kiss on his neck made him shiver. “Although, can I wear a hot suit around you? I kinda need you to be paying attention so I don’t drown.”

“I would never let you drown.” He didn’t mention that he swam naked, because he wanted to see Calvin’s swimsuit. No one wore clothes better. Ever.

“Purely selfish motives, of course.” He loved how Calvin’s laughter filled the cab. He’d been worried at the way Calvin’s eyes looked when he got off the plane, tired and a little distant. And he’d worried at Calvin’s low energy too. The little spark Calvin usually had was there, but it wasn’t as bright. This, though, the easy laughter, was better. It sounded more like what he’d been missing.

Whatever happened, he would… what? What would he do? Stop painting? That couldn’t happen. He would just keep that in the barn where it belonged. The house and pool, he’d keep free from crazy.

“Do you just get used to all this… space? Everything all spread out? It feels weird.”

“I was born here, honey. It’s just home.” Tucker didn’t think about it much.

“I bet you thought about it in the city, though, huh? No wonder you didn’t like the subway. That’s gotta feel pretty closed in after all of this.”

“I don’t do well underground.”Tuck. Stop it. No crazy. Please.“Of course, we don’t even have basements here.”

“Well, I guess if you have this much space to spread out, you don’t need a basement anyway. Geez. Is everything a trip around here?” Calvin chucked again, vibrating against him. “Feels like the longest drive ever.”

“It is. I’m half hour from anything, really. I like it. It’s quiet. Dark.”Peaceful. Home.

Calvin nodded. “Dark is good. I haven’t had dark in a long time. Or much quiet, really, either. I appreciate you having me in your space. I know it’s probably strange for you.”

“No. You’ll never be strange. You fit in my space.”

“I hope so. I want that to be true. I don’t feel like I fit in my own right now.” He felt Calvin shrug against him.

He got that. He really did. Sometimes he didn’t remember fitting in anywhere, even though he knew better.

“Tell me… what you’ve been painting.”

He shook his head. “I’m working on a dark series. All horror. I’m not sure whether I’ll show it.”

They were hurt and shame, teeth and claws and tearing.

“Will you show it to me? How do you decide what you want to show and what you don’t?”

“Marge helps sometimes. Sometimes I just know. Sometimes the gallery has an idea. This is my road.” He turned onto a graded road that was as familiar as his own breath. “Hit the button on the visor, huh?”

“Hit the… button. Got it.” Calvin reached up and pushed the button for him and laughed. “Did I just launch a missile or something?”

He chuckled and pointed to the huge iron gate, the thing slowly pulling back.

“What?” Calvin sat up tall, jaw dropping. “Get. Out. No way.”

He chuckled. “Now you are on Body-Williams land. Welcome.”

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