Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 12:22:09 -0500
From: r m <sliders21@iname.com>
Subject: simple things 10 (adult-friends)

***************
Simple Things 10
***************

Note: I know this took a LONG time to be posted but I just recently got
back in the mood to write. I don't know if I'll be writing another series
but I do have some ideas in mind. Thanks to everyone who wrote to me and I
hope this ending isn't a disappointment.


***********
Jason's POV
***********

	"I envy you," Kyle said to me teasingly while we were taking a
break in the lounge area. "Who has been sending you three red roses
everyday? Is it that Ryan guy? I've noticed that he's been waiting for you
at the lobby everyday."

	"We just went out for a cup of coffee," I shrugged my shoulders
casually. The truth is, it was a lot more than a cup of coffee. We had
ended up having dinner these past three days now. But Ryan hasn't mentioned
anything about liking me or anything like that. And I was too damn cowardly
to actually ask him if we're a couple already or just two friends hanging
out. He gives me a hug and a slap on the back before I go in my building,
but that's about it.

	"Oh, come on," Kyle was grinning slyly now. "You think that the guy
would send you three red roses everyday if he just wants to have a cup of
coffee with you?"

	"Maybe he's just that kind of guy," I said with a laugh.

	"If you're not interested in him, give me his number," Kyle winked
at me. "I'd gladly take him off your hands." I just laughed again and
changed the topic. Somehow, the idea of Kyle and Ryan together made me a
little jealous.

***************

	"Hey, you look gorgeous in that tux," Ryan grinned at me as he
picked me up for dinner. I must have be insane to say yes when he asked me
to dinner over the phone earlier. I really don't want to put myself in a
position where someone can hurt me but I have this feeling that Ryan's not
gonna do that to me. I just need to be a little braver so that I can
finally be happy.

	"No one has ever said that about me before," I grinned back at
him. "Thanks."

	"I'm just telling the truth," Ryan escorted me to the elevator and
we took a cab to the French restaurant where we have reservation. Dinner
was nice. Heck, it was great. It would have been such a great night if not
for the fact that we bumped into Mark while we were waiting for a cab to
take us back home. I just had to look away from Mark's face as I saw the
hurt in his eyes. He didn't even say anything as he just turned around and
walked away from me.

**********
Ryan's POV
**********

	"So, how did the date go?" Sarah asked me teasingly. We were having
coffee in some small coffee shop in the Village after work the next
day. "Good?"

	"It was great," I can't help but gave her a goofy smile. "I really
think that he has forgiven me for that stupid stunt I pulled before. You
were right. I just needed to tell him the truth and he'll understand."

"I can't help but feel there's a but coming next," Sarah said slowly.

	"We bumped into some guy," I sighed out deeply.

	"What did he look like?" Sarah asked me quizzically. When she heard
my description of the guy, it seems like she knows him. "That must be
Ryan. He used to be Jason's best friend before."

	"Used to?" I can't help but be curious about that.

	"I shouldn't be telling you this but I got this feeling that Jason
used to have a crush on Mark but Mark was too damn stupid to admit to
himself that he's gay so he ended up marrying this girl in our town," Sarah
started to tell me the story. "Jason got hurt and he had always been pretty
detached from everyone since then. But maybe I am wrong, who knows?"

	AS I stirred my coffee, I felt a little jealous about this Mark
guy. I kinda knew something happened between him and Jason. I just hope
Jason's over him already like what Sarah said.

***********
Jason's POV
***********

	"I'm glad you called me up," Mark grinned broadly at me as he sat
down opposite me in the booth. I asked him for some coffee today because I
wanted to settle everything between us now.

	"Look Mark," I sighed out deeply. "You're gonna be living here now
and I assume we would be bumping into each other sometimes. We used to be
such good friends and I don't want us to end up hating each other."

	"Things are pretty screwed up, huh?" Mark gave me a half a
grin. "Maybe if I was just a little bit stringer before, we wouldn't---"

	"Don't," I cut him off quickly. "That's the problem Mark. You'll
just feel worse if you continue asking yourself what would have happened if
things were different. It's not bad to imagine what life would have been if
you could do things differently. But after the fantasy is over, you still
have to face reality. And more often than not, it's not as rosy and
pleasant as our fantasies. You'll just end up hating yourself and everyone
around you even more. I've been there before and it's really not
good. Believe me."

	Mark was silent for a couple of seconds. Then in a cracking voice
he said, "You're not gonna tell me you want me more than a friend, huh?"

	"I wish I could but...I'm a different person now and I want
something different," I whispered to him. "If we ended up together, I know
we could have been very happy. But I was a different person then. I don't
think I'd really be happy with you now."

	I watched Mark look at me deeply. Then he forced a smile and said,
"Fair enough. I really wished you still felt the same way about me Jason. I
really did miss you. I missed your smile and I missed your laugh. I missed
everything about you. But you are right. I really don't know anything about
you anymore and it's not fair to you and it's not fair to me if I continue
to hope that you're still my Jason because you are not."

	Things really got awkward from there. We both promised to remain
friends though I really doubt that if we could be as close as we were
before. I was on my third coffee when Ryan arrived. I quickly waved him
over and he ordered a cup of hot chocolate.

	As I stare at him, I sensed that he wanted to ask me something. But
I just gave him a smile. A smile that I thought I would never give
anyone. A smile that I was smiling just for him and no one else. Then he
smiled back at me the same way. All the fear and doubt in his eyes just
magically disappeared. I knew he wanted to ask me about Mark since he was
curious about what happened the other night during dinner. But he knows now
that all that matters to me is him. Not Mark, not Sarah, not my parents,
not Alecx, not my boss. Nobody. He knows from the smile I gave him than all
that matters to me is him. And I'm planning to smile like that for him
every day of our lives together.


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 T H E  E N D
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All comments are welcome at:   Sliders21@iname.com