City of Angels Ch. 04

"I gotcha, I gotcha," he said.

"Craig." Evan moaned. "Craig. Don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

"I won't baby, I won't. I'm here."

Evan sobbed into his arms knowing there was only one person, one person in the whole world who could help him right now, and that was his sweet angel, who was just as damaged and wounded as he. No one but Craig knew the pain of this loss. He'd lived it his whole life, and Evan had held him just like he was now. They knew each other and understood each other like no one else.

"It's ok. I'm here. I'm here. It's ok."

Evan clung to him as the only solid thing, the only reality. He held him and cried, his sobs turning into howls as he clutched at Craig's chest. "Don't leave me. I can't face this without you. Don't ever fuckin' leave me!"

In the heavy rain, Evan cried for his past. For Chad, for his father, for the love that was lacking between fathers and sons, for the unexpressed lust that had accompanied his every day and night.

From this moment forward, they were two men who would have to face a world without fathers, loving each other, helping each other, discovering for themselves what it meant to live as a couple, facing an unknown future but knowing it could be faced, as long as they had each other.

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Epilogue: 9 months later.

"Jesus, Craig, hurry up! They're almost here!"

Evan yelled to him from the lanai, where he was barbecuing and setting up drinks and snacks. Craig was doing god knows what in the bedroom, probably primping.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Ok, then, I guess I'll get it."

He opened it wide with a big smile on his face. "Hey, hey, guys. Glad you could make it!"

Andy stepped inside, holding hands with Chad.

"Aw, look at that apron. So domestic of you," said Chad.

"Yeah, well, this will be you in a few weeks. You guys find a place yet?"

"No," said Andy, glaring at Chad. "HE doesn't want to move from Silver Lake."

"I like it there, babe! I've told you! I like getting up into the hills."

"Aw, your first fight," said Evan. "Come on in. You want something to drink?"

Finally Craig emerged from his cave, looking stunning with an early summer tan and his trademark yellow shirt and jeans.

"Fuck, I do. A martini, please. Hi," he said, giving a quick kiss on the cheek to both Andy and Chad. "Good to see you."

There were smiles all around and quick laughter as the four friends relaxed. This had become nearly a weekly ritual for the last few months, around the time Andy and Chad started getting serious with each other. In no time, it seemed, they had formed a close unit, preferring to spend time with each over nearly all their other friends.

They were sitting outside laughing, buzzed, as the sun set. It was a beautiful, gorgeous, absolutely perfect evening in Los Angeles.

"I have an announcement," said Evan, in a slightly slurred voice.

"Oh, toast, toast!" said Chad, holding up his glass.

"Oh stop. I just want to point out, guys, that it was exactly one year ago today that I met Craig. Well, not exactly true. It was the first time I came up here. Remember that party, hon?"

Craig smiled at him. It seemed like an utter eternity ago that he'd watched the hot cop in the leather jacket pull into his driveway. Ages. Centuries. So much had happened. He—they—were so different!

"Of course, dummy. It was the first time we kissed."

Evan smiled at him. "Yeah. And here we are."

"Yes. Here we are."

Craig stood up to kiss him on the lips. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too. So here's to fucking Los Angeles highways. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be here now."

Under the table, Andy squeezed Chad's hand. He knew everything, the whole story. He wasn't jealous in the slightest, but he knew that Evan and Chad had their history. Chad stroked his thigh under the table, snaking it up to his cock. He had his man. He wouldn't change anything. It had all worked out for the best.

"Well I think Craig's parties have a special kind of magic, too. If it weren't for you, inviting me up here, I wouldn't have met Andy."

"And I'm so fucking glad you came," Andy said, leaning in to kiss him.

In time, they would be as close as a true family, spending birthdays and holidays together, taking vacations and being there for all the important milestones of their lives. Andy and Chad would forever adore them for bringing them together in the first place, and both Evan and Craig adored and appreciated their genuine love for each other, which was perhaps surpassed only by their own. It was not easy to find that in LA. Craig, especially, became very close to them both, almost adopting himself into their lives.

But none of them knew that, yet, not this night. This night was simply perfect and soft and young.

After Andy and Chad left, Evan stood on the lanai looking down into the ravine that sloped down to the ocean.

He could smell the jasmine once again blooming in the night sky. He listened to the sway of palm trees, and the swishing of the jacarandas. He thought of his father, but the grief no longer killed him. The rhythms of nature and time had slowly, achingly, but inevitably allowed him to heal—along with Craig's undying love and devotion. For the first time in a very long time Evan felt moved by the immense beauty before him, finally able to respond.

He was still standing there when he felt Craig come up behind him, and softly kiss his neck. They didn't speak, just held each other and gazed outwards, towards the valley and the desert beyond, as the ocean waves gently crashed against the shore.

Evan leaned back into his arms.

They were still getting used to it—being everything to each other. Facing life, together.

"You ever seriously think of leaving? Moving . . . I don't know . . . somewhere else?" Evan asked him.

It was peaceful now, but they knew their fragile city would be rocked again by violent storms, and that vast upheavals lurked just below the glittering surface.

"Nah . . . I kind of like it here." Craig whispered to him.

It wasn't perfect. It had "issues."

But oh, my love. My heart.

My city of angels.