Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:18:42 -0800 (PST)
From: Christos Kastellanos <christoskastellanos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Love's Promise/ Chapter Two/ Beginnings

Love's Promise

By

Christos Kastellanos

Edited by Ken King

Previously in chapter one:

The four men were cuddling comfortably together and sleeping in Sean and
Michael's king size bed when Michael suddenly sat up, having heard a loud,
blood curdling scream and saw the flames as they licked at the window.

"FIRE!" he screamed, causing Sean, Jason and Carl to bolt from the bed,
each seeking their own clothing before they raced from the room. Still
naked but clinging to they clothing, they hurried down the hall toward the
staircase, Sean suddenly stopped, seeing the first floor foyer ablaze and
black smoke was now filling the hall.

"We can't get out this way," he screamed, forcing the others to turn and
retreat the way that they had just come as the acrid black smoke filled the
hall, causing them to cough and choke.

"The servant stairs," Carl called out, remembering the back staircase that
lead down to the kitchen and thus, the back door.

They followed Carl as they raced to the end of the hall and again as they
made their way downstairs, they stopped when they saw the kitchen on fire
and the stairwell filled with smoke.

"We're trapped," Sean said in a panic and began crying
hysterically. Michael shook him hard but he refused to stop. Michael lifted
his hand to slap him, but Jason grabbed him by the wrist and stopped him.

"Never do you hit him," Jason said adamantly and struck Sean himself,
causing Sean to come back to his senses.

"The only place to go is the back bedroom that I use for my office," Sean
said, striving to curb his fear as he led the group to his office.

Michael looked out the window and saw that the flames had yet to reach this
side of the building.

"It's a long fucking drop, but a broken leg or arm is still better than
being burned alive," Michael said, picking up a chair and tossing it
through the window.

He and Jason worked feverishly to smash out the shards of glass that
remained in the window. "I'll go first and try to break the other's fall,"
Jason said as he climbed up onto the window's ledge.

"I hear sirens," Carl screamed, pulling Jason back into the room. "Wait
honey, wait for the fire department to get here," he asked, looking with
fear and love in his eyes at him.

Sean was insanely quiet as he stood at the door and watched the flames as
they began burning the carpet and walls at the other end of the hall.

"Awww guys...I don't think we have the luxury of waiting for the firemen to
get here," he said with a quivering voice.

The others turned around and saw how fast the flames were moving toward
them. Michael slammed the door shut and hurried back over to the window
where Jason was reasoning with Carl.

"We jump together sweetheart, because I don't want to live if you don't
make it," Carl said, clinging tightly to Jason.

"We are both going to make it baby," he said and turned, threw his clothes
out the window before positioning his body on the window's ledge once
again.

He let his body dangle from the ledge before he let go, dropping the two
stories down to the ground. Jason dropped to the ground which, thankfully,
was thick with snow. He instantly rolled to help soften his fall. Quickly
he rose to his feet and looked up at Carl, who was moving onto the window's
ledge.

"Hang on and let your body hang before you..." but Carl weren't listening
and just jumped.

He soared downward and Jason caught and rolled with him in the snow.

"Are you alright," Jason asked and Carl nodded, shivering and still
clinging tightly to his husband.

"Michael help us...we're going to burn to death," Sean screamed out,
Michael turned back toward the door and saw how the thick black smoke
poured in from under the door.

Sean began choking and coughing and staggered back from the door, falling
into Michael's arms and blacking out. Michael looked at the door and
noticed how the paint was bubbling, telling him that the fire was burning
its way through.

"I love you Sean," Michael said as he too surrendered to the darkness...

Chapter Two

Michael regained consciousness and hurried to his feet. He scooped up Sean
into his arms and carried him to the window. He choked and coughed as the
smoke threatened to reclaim him; it was stinging his eyes as he lifted Sean
unto the ledge.

"He's out cold," Michael yelled down to Jason and Carl.

"Hold him under his arms and let him drop, I'll catch him," Jason promised,
standing beneath the window with his arms held upward in preparation of
catching Sean.

Michael kissed Sean on his head and lowered him as far down as he could
before releasing him. Sean fell swiftly and, as promised, Jason and Carl
broke his fall, catching him and falling back into the snow.

Michael turned back toward the door and the flames were now consuming it
and entering the room as well. He maneuvered his body onto the ledge and
motioning to the men below to move, jumped. He knew how to land, having
been trained in the Marines as a parachutist. He hit the ground, wrapped
his arms and legs tightly to him and rolled.

"Michael," Carl screamed and rushed over to him, kneeling beside him as he
frantically searched him for broken bones.

"I'm fine Carl, and that is not a bone that can be broken," he said,
noticing how Carl's hand was gently massaging his manhood.

"Sorry, but I know that Sean would want it in working order," Carl mused,
hoping to lighten the growing tension surrounding the fire.

Michael hurried to his feet, staggering over to Sean and knelt down beside
him.

"It's below zero so we need to get dressed and get Sean over to our house
before hypothermia sets in," Jason warned, already pulling on his jeans.

Michael wasn't concerned about dressing, he grabbed Sean up into his arms
and began running as fast as his bare feet and snow would allow to Jason's
house. He had just come around the side of the burning house when a fireman
met him, taking Sean from him and carrying him to a waiting ambulance.

Another fireman threw a blanket around a naked Michael as he followed Sean
to the ambulance. Michael watched with an aching heart as an oxygen mask
was placed over Sean's nose and mouth.

"He's got a strong heart rhythm," the paramedic said, glancing over at
Michael who was sitting on a stretcher behind the paramedic and shivering.

Soon Sean began coughing and screaming out for Michael. Michael dashed over
to Sean's side, clutching tightly to the blanket, and placed his hand over
Sean's, assuring him that he and the others were fine.

"Are you sure Michael," he asked and then turned his eyes to the paramedic
who was trying desperately to keep the mask on Sean. "Check him and make
sure he's fine," Sean insisted, glancing at the paramedic.

"Baby, keep the mask in place so you can get the oxygen. You passed out
from smoke inhalation and need the oxygen," Michael warned as Jason and
Carl arrived at the ambulance.

"How is he?" Jason asked, holding Carl to him for warmth.

Both had blankets wrapped around them as they stood barefoot in the snow
looking into the ambulance.

"I'll live Jay, but how are you and Carl," Sean asked with great concern in
his voice.

"We're both fine sweetie," Carl said. "We're running home to get warm
clothes and boots on," he added before Jason pulled him away.

"I'll bring you some clothes and a coat," Jason yelled back to Michael, who
simply nodded.

The fire chief appeared at the ambulance door, a look of grief was on his
face as he moved closer to the ambulance door to talk to Michael.

"May I have a word with you," he asked Michael, softly, and Michael grabbed
the blanket tighter around him and moved to the door.

"Yes sir, what can I tell you?" he asked looking over at the house that was
now fully engulfed in flames.

"We found a badly burnt body on the front lawn," he said, looking directly
into Michael's eyes. "I suspect that it's the body of the arsonist," he
added.

"Someone set the fire," he asked, shocked by the revelation.

"Yes sir, there are several gas cans on the ground beside him," he held up
a can to show Michael and Michael knew that it had been started, but by
who, he wasn't sure.

"Is he identifiable?" he asked, shivering profusely as the wind picked up,
blowing directly at him.

"Yes sir, and I hesitate to say this, but we found a BMW parked just down
the road with New York plates on it," he stated, and instantly, Michael had
an idea as to who it was...Robert.

"Do the plates read," he paused, "Stallion," he added sadly.

"Yes sir... do you know who the car belongs to?" the chief asked.

Jason had returned with clothes, boots and a warm winter coat for
Michael. He handed them to him and Michael hurried into the clothes, boots
and then followed the chief to where the body laid.

"My God it's Robert," Jason said, having been the first to see him as his
charred, lifeless body laid still in the snow.

"How can you tell?" Michael asked.

"See that ring... Sean gave him it last Christmas," Jason said, noticing a
movement out of the corner of his eye.

Sean came running up behind them and before he could see Robert's body,
Michael grabbed him and turned him away, blocking his view with his own
body.

"Baby don't look...its Robert," Michael whispered, holding Sean tightly to
him.

"Robert?" he questioned, looking up into Michael's eyes and Michael
nodded. "Why... did he hate me so much that he would do this to me, to us?"
he asked as his tears began rolling down his cheeks.

"Sir please, we really should take you to the hospital and have you checked
out by a doctor," the paramedic stated, trying to convince Sean that he
needed medical help.

"Go Sean...please go to the hospital and I'll have Jason take me there," he
said, glancing over at a nodding Jason.

Reluctantly, Sean allowed the paramedic to walk him back to the
ambulance. Within seconds, the ambulance raced away, siren blaring and
lights flashing.

"It's all gone...the house and everything in it," Michael said looking up
as the building began falling into itself, with Jason standing quietly
beside him.

"But we all made it out safely," Jason assured him, "and Sean has insurance
to cover his losses."

"But still, there are memories that were in there that money cannot
replace," Michael assured him.

"True, but new memories can be made and the old won't be forgotten," Jason
said pulling him into his embrace and hugging him tightly. "Come on
Michael, let's get you to the hospital and see how Sean is doing," he
whispered, walking away toward his house.

"What about..."

"The chief has all the information he needs and will contact Sean through
us," Jason told him, as if having read his thoughts.

***

When Michael and Jason arrived at Cooley-Dickenson Hospital, they found
Sean resting in a room, wearing a blue set of hospital scrubs. His face had
been cleaned of the black soot from the smoke and he appeared to be
sleeping. When Michael placed Sean's hand in his, Sean's eyes opened.

"Sweetheart," he whispered softly, pulling Michael's hand to his lips and
kissing it. "It's all gone, isn't it," Sean asked and Michael nodded. "Is
Carl alright, Jason?"

"He's fine, but I'm afraid he twisted his ankle in the fall. But you know
my stubborn man, he refused to see a doctor about it," Jason confided,
shaking his head as he thought about Carl. "So how are you feeling,' he
asked.

"My lungs feel awful, but the doctor said it's from all the hot smoke I
breathed in and with time, they'll heal."

Sean's eyes began to tear and he looked from Jason to Michael with
questioning eyes.

"Why did he do it, could he have hated me so much that he wanted us dead?"
he asked of Michael.

"I don't think he ever got over you moving on with me after your split,"
Michael suggested. "I doubt that we'll ever know the real reason because he
is dead," he added and Sean turned his head toward the wall, shielding his
tears from Michael.

"I hated what he did to me, but I never would have wished this to happen to
him," Sean said and turned back to Michael.

"Jealousy can cause a person to do strange things," Jason said, patting
Sean's hand gently, while Michael looked at Jason and remembered how
jealous he had been of him and Sean's past together.

"Jason, I'm..."

"It's not necessary Michael, I would be also if Sean was my man," he said
with understanding, interrupting him. "Now you two spend some time together
while I got grab us a coffee," he said and left them alone.

"What now sweetheart, because everything that we owned was in the house,"
Sean asked, looking up at Michael. "We don't have a place to stay," he
added.

"Jason assured me that we are welcomed to stay with him and Carl until we
find another place of our own. You have insurance on the house and I have
money also, so we'll rebuild or just find another house," he suggested.

The doctor came in and assured Sean that he would be alright and that he
could go home. He gave Michael, Sean's paperwork and a prescription.  Sean
had just sat up when Jason returned with the coffee for them.

"The doctor said that he could go home," Michael said, accepting the two
coffees from Jason.

"I'll go warm the car and meet you outside the front door," Jason said,
giving Sean a warm smile before leaving the room.

"Jason really is a good man, Sean, and I was wrong to be jealous of him,"
Michael said, holding Sean to him.

"Listen to me darling," Sean said, pulling back and looking up at Michael's
blackened face. "What Jason and I had together is in the past. I love you
and I married you, not Jason. Yes he was my first lover and he'll always
have a special place in my heart, but it's you that owns this heart," he
said, tapping his chest over his heart.

"God how I love you," Michael said, kissing Sean long and passionately.

Hand in hand, they walked out of the hospital and got into Jason's car. On
the ride home, Jason assured them both that they could stay with him and
Carl for as long as they needed.

***

Jason turned his car onto the road that he lived on, as well as where
Sean's house had once stood; pausing long enough for Sean to see what was
left of his house.

"It's completely gone, Michael," Sean said, watching as a few firemen
poured water onto the smoldering remains of the once grand house.

Two lone chimneys stood like stoic guardians in the night, guarding what
was once a house. Sean gasped and turned his face away, asking Jason to
continue on.

"Oh sweetie, how are you," a worried Carl asked, hobbling toward the car as
they got out.

"I'm fine, but that is more than I can say for my house," Sean sadly said,
walking with Carl, who had his arm around Sean as he led him into the
house.

"You can rebuild it and it'll be grander than it ever was," he remarked,
but Sean slowly shook his head.

"I don't know if I will rebuild yet. Michael and I have much to talk about
before we make that decision," he confided to Carl. "But if I decide not to
build again on the land; I may just sell you and Jay the land. I would hate
strangers having it," he added.

"I understand sweetie, now you come on in and let me get you a hot cup of
tea," Carl hobbled around the kitchen, refusing to let others, as he
prepared tea and a bite to eat for the four of them.

"The coroner's office called while you were at the hospital and asked for
the next of kin for Robert," Carl said, now sitting at the table. "I told
him the only name that I knew, his brother Randy."

"You remembered Randy after only meeting him that one time at a summer
barbecue," Sean asked.

"How can I forget those eyes of his? Why I have never seen eyes such as his
on a man before."

"Violet, his eyes were a soft shade of violet," Sean said, remembering how
captivating Randy's eyes were.

"You would have been much happier had you taken that man as your lover and
not Robert," Carl said and then placed a hand to his mouth when his eyes
met those of Michael. "I'm so sorry Michael," he said apologetically,
flushing a bright red.

"Don't worry about it Carl, we all have a past," Michael said, and Sean
looked with questioning eyes at him. "Well we do baby cakes," he said
smiling and glancing over at Jason, who had a melancholic look on his own
face.

Michael knew that Jason and Sean had a torrid past, and that it once made
him jealous having listened to Sean as he related it to him. Even though he
was now his husband, Michael knew that Sean still held feelings for Jason,
just as Jason probably did for Sean.

"Ok, enough of this doom and gloom," Michael said standing and looking at
the surprised faces of those around the table. "If I remember right,
weren't we all together in one bed before... well we were so come on
gorgeous, lets continue where we left off," he said, taking Carl by the
hand and leading him from the room.

"Michael?" Sean said standing up and looking at him before Michael and Carl
were gone.

"We were going to swap partners this one time so..." Michael said.

"Michael, you were so jealous about me and Jason being together," Sean
reminded him.

"Were, being the key word baby boy," Michael said with a quick kiss. "I'm
good with this, but as I said before, lets not make a habit of it," and
then he and Carl were gone.

"You've got a good man there," Jason whispered as he came up and wrapped
his strong arms around Sean from behind.

Sean turned in his arms and looked up into his eyes, again seeing the love
that they had once knew together.

"Yes I do and so does Carl have a good man in you," Sean whispered back and
they pressed their mouths together in a kiss that was deep and passionate.

"Oh my God Michael, that cock will be a breeze after Jason's," Sean and
Jason heard Carl say as they walked past the bedroom that they were in.

"Are you sure about this, Sean," Jason asked, looking at Sean and how he
paused at the bedroom door, as if he wanted to go in.

Sean looked up at Jason and nodded, taking his hand again in his and
following him down the hall to the guest room. When Jason had closed the
door, he crossed the room with long sure strides, taking Sean into his arms
and kissing him.

Sean looked up at Jason, and smiled, for it felt different now being
together with Jason. They weren't sneaking away to share the love that they
had for each other, they had their partner's blessings and it somehow
changed things...it felt all wrong.

"It's not the same is it, knowing that our mates are in the other room
doing the same thing," Sean asked, brushing his fingers across the
weathered cheeks of Jason's face.

"I'll ask you again Sean, are you sure that this is what you really want to
do?" Jason asked, not sure if he did either.

"Would you be upset if I said that I wanted Michael," he asked.

"Not at all, for I was going to suggest it myself if you hadn't," Jason
said, he kissed Sean passionately and then led him from the room and down
to the bedroom where Michael and Carl were.

Jason knocked softly, waited a moment and then flung the door open. Sean
gasped when he saw Michael and Carl sitting fully dressed before the
fireplace, sharing a bottle of wine.

"I don't understand Michael...I thought that you... me..." he stammered as
he stood frozen in place, looking at Michael.

"He knew you would be coming for him," Carl said softly and got up, pulling
Jason with him and closing the door behind him, leaving Sean alone with
Michael.

"Didn't I ever tell you that I loved to gamble baby boy?" Michael asked. "I
took a gamble that you would not take Jason to bed, but that you would come
to me instead and I was right," he added, crossing the short distance to
Sean and taking him warmly into his arms.

"If you were so sure that I would do this, then why did you take Carl
upstairs first," he asked.

"I wanted you to know that I was no longer jealous of what you and Jason
once shared," he whispered, but a breath away from Sean's lips. "The fire
showed me what jealousy can do to a man, and I don't ever want you to feel
that I am jealous of you or that I don't trust you because of others before
me."

"Where have you been all my life," Sean asked, standing on his toes and
placing a hot, long kiss on Michael's lips.

As the kiss deepened, Sean's hands busied themselves with removing
Michael's borrowed clothes. He stood back and lifted his arms, allowing
Michael the pleasure of stripping him of his scrubs. Shadows and light
surrounded them as the night gave way to the rising sun, casting a rich
soft glow on the two lovers.

Michael kissed Sean deeply, long, and with all the love that his being
possessed as he carried Sean to the bed. He gently set him down and crawled
atop Sean, their mouths still locked in a feverish kiss.

"I love you Sean, and I want you to know that I trust you totally," Michael
whispered. "I will never be jealous of you ever again," he added before he
began to kiss his way down the length of Sean's neck.

Sean's fingers entwined through Michael's hair, as Michael made love to his
nipple, teasing it, biting it and sucking it savagely. Sean was delirious
with ecstasy as Michael moved between his two nipples, torturing them until
Sean was pleading for mercy.

"Make love to me babe," Sean begged, lifting his legs and wrapping them
around Michael.

Michael eased his cock slowly into Sean, locking their eyes together as he
impaled him. Sean's eyes closed and his head arched back when he felt
Michael's balls resting against his ass.

"Take your time sweetheart; I want this to last as long as we can," he
sighed, with his cheek lying against Michael's.

Michael's thrusts were slow and methodic as he made love to Sean. His hands
cupped Sean's face, kissing him as his sex moved effortlessly in and out of
the only man that he would ever love.

Sean's hips rose to meet each thrust and even though he wanted their love
making to last, he found that he could not hold back his climax. It had
been barely twenty minutes into their love making when he felt his balls
tighten and his semen begin to rise.

"Fuck me hard, deep and fast...I'm gonna cum," Sean cried out, pulling
Michael down to kiss him while his seed spewed forth from his cock.

Michael's thrusts bordered on violent as he pounded Sean's ass. His cock
felt the strangling sensation of climax as Sean shot his seed, plunging
Michael over his edge and into his own climax.

"Aaaagggghhhhh fuck...I'm cumming," Michael crowed and blasted Sean's
insides with liquid warmth.

As one thrust deeper, the other rose to meet that thrust as they moved in
unison, surrendering to their sweet afterglow. Michael, after a long while,
pulled his spent manhood from Sean, turned him and spooned Sean to him,
kissing his head before they drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning, Jason knocked softly on their bedroom door, arousing
Michael first, followed by Sean.

"Come in," Michael said, forgetting that they were uncovered and naked.

Jason paused, his eyes drank in the splendid beauty of their entwined
bodies and with a sigh he began talking.

"The fire marshal is downstairs and would like to talk to you, Sean," Jason
said, his eyes ever on the two men's bodies as they hurried from the bed.

"What does he want," Sean asked as he pulled on the scrubs from the night
before. "I really need to find something else to wear," he said as he and
Michael followed Jason downstairs.

"He didn't say, but he was adamant to speak to you and Michael," Jason said
over his shoulder as they descended the stairs.

They entered the foyer and found the fire marshal conversing with
Carl. They spoke generically about the past holiday and the fire. When they
saw Sean, Michael and Jason coming down the stairs, they both turned their
attention to them.

"Mr. Connolly, I'm Palmer Mathews, the fire marshal," he said in
introduction, looking directly at Sean, who nodded. "May I have word in
private with you," he asked.

"Of course, but you can say whatever need to be said in front of my friends
and husband," Sean said, motioning the man toward the living room.

"That's fine," he said, clearing his throat before continuing. "I just came
from your property and after sifting through the rubble," again he paused,
"I found another body in the basement," he said bluntly, causing all the
others to gasp.

"Another body...I don't know what you mean sir," Sean said, shocked by the
revelation.

"It's as I said, I found a man's body in what was the wine cellar," he
adamantly stated, locking eyes with Sean.

"But whose body could it be? I know that the arsonist was my ex-lover, but
I have no idea who this other man can be... do you," he asked, turning to
look at Michael.

"How the hell would I know who he is, I've been with you ever since our
wedding ceremony," Michael replied in disbelief of what he just heard.

"Although it appears that he has been dead long before the fire, he appears
to be a young man in his twenties, blond and what appears to have been
quite handsome."

"I really don't know who he could be or how he came to be in my wine
cellar," a shocked Sean said, fighting to remain upright.

He was helped to a chair by Michael, and Carl hurried to get him a brandy
to calm his nerves.

"Mr. Connolly, would you mind coming with me and see if you can identify
the young man?" he asked.

"Of course...let me grab my coat," Sean said, standing and moving toward
the foyer where his coat hung on a hook with his scarf.

"Ah...you might want to dress a bit warmer, a ferocious wind is blowing and
the wind chill is well below zero," Palmer added.

"I have some things upstairs that might fit you," Carl said, leading the
way as he and Sean hurried up the stairs to Carl's bedroom.

Sean moved as if in a trance as Carl helped him into a pair of jeans and
then a hooded sweatshirt.

"Have you any idea who the man could be," Carl asked as he fastened up the
jeans.

"No...and just when would someone have gotten into my house and died?" he
asked coldly.

"That the coroner will have to answer once he determines the time of
death," Palmer stated as he lead Sean and Michael over to where the body
waited.

The coroner was just about to zip up the body bag when they walked up.

"Mr. Connolly here would like to see the remains," Palmer said to the
coroner.

"Although he's still in relatively good condition from being in the cold
cellar, I'm afraid that the heat of the fire had caused some decomposition
to set in," the coroner said, pulling back the flap of the bag to reveal
the man's face.

Sean gasped and quickly turned his head away, fighting back the urge to be
sick from what he saw. Michael, being more accustomed to war and the
affects of the elements to a dead body, gave the man a long, hard look.

"Oh my God Sean, that's the young man that was with my brother, Jake,"
Michael said and then turned away also.

"Derek...do you really think that it's him," Sean asked, glancing quickly
at the dead man.

"Yes I do, I remember the cross earring that he wore in his right ear,"
Michael explained and they both looked again at Derek's body, noticing the
earring.

"His name is Derek Roberts, a local boy from town here," Sean said,
remembering back to when he and Derek had talked about where they had grown
up.

"That could very well be, Palmer, because my department received a missing
person report on him shortly after the New Year," Aaron Cooper, a local
policeman said. "I'll swing by his mother's house and ask her if she would
mind identifying him," he said and Sean gasped, shocked that the woman
would have to do such a thing.

"Can't you just ask for a hairbrush or something so that the DNA can be
compared to identify him," Sean asked.

"That would probably be the most humane thing to do, Aaron," Palmer agreed.

"If it is him, I can say without a doubt, that he was alive when I last
seen him on New Year's day. I said goodbye to him just before Michael and I
returned upstairs to shower," he added.

Michael, who had been quiet throughout most of this, looked at Sean with a
questioning look in his eyes. He remembered Sean being the last person to
go down to the wine cellar just after his brother's had left. He seemed
anxious about something and insisted that he go for a wine to accompany
dinner.

"What...why are you looking at me like that, Michael?" Sean asked, not sure
as to why Michael would look so suspiciously at him.

"Am I...I didn't realize that I was looking at you in any particular way,"
Michael said, wondering if Sean had had something to do with the man's
murder, if it really was a murder.

"Yes you are looking at me accusingly," Sean said, moving away from Michael
and over between Palmer and Aaron. "Jake was the last person that I saw
with Derek, so why are you looking at me like that. You, of all people, you
know that I have been with you ever since we said I do on New Year's Eve."

"As soon as I do my autopsy and determine the cause of death, I will also
be able to determine close to when he died," Palmer said, zipping up the
bag and nodding to his attendants to remove the body.

"Until we know more, I would suggest that you both remain here in town,"
Aaron said, giving both Michael and Sean a long, hard look. `Fags,' he
thought as he looked suspiciously at the two men.

"We are staying with our friends, which is where you found me earlier,"
Sean said to Palmer and to Aaron.

"Like I said, don't leave town and please be available if we have further
questions," Aaron said and watched as Sean and Michael walked off toward
Jason and Carl's house.

"Babe..."

"Don't you dare babe me, mister," Sean snapped, pulling away from Michael's
attempt to wrap his arm around him. "Your eyes accused me of killing
Derek," he spat out, glaring with hostility at Michael.

"I was not accusing you, I was remembering how adamant you were about
getting a bottle of wine from the cellar for dinner just after my brother's
left to go home," Michael said, his voice loud and sharp. "You acted like
you had something to hide," he added, grabbing Sean and turning him to face
him.

"I told you then and I'll tell you again, I have...well I did have, but
then I had wine in my cellar that was quite valuable and did not want you
to grab a bottle of it for dinner," he reminded him, pulling away from his
grasp and walking away. "The reason is not what matters, what does matter
is how you looked at me as if I were capable of murder," he added as he
hurried up the steps of the porch, opening the front door and slamming it
in Michael's face before he could enter.

Jason and Carl heard the door slamming and came out to see what the matter
was. Michael was just entering and Sean was hurrying up the stairs when
they stepped into the foyer.

"What the fuck is going on out here," Jason demanded to know.

"Ask him...he's the one that seems to think that I am capable of murder,"
Sean shouted from the top of the stairs, down at Jason and then disappeared
down the hall.

"Murder...Sean...will somebody tell me what the fuck is going on," Jason
demanded loudly.

Michael explained what had gone on over at the burnt out house sight and
about Derek's body having been the body that was found.

"And you think that Sean was the one that killed him?" a shocked Jason
asked.

"I didn't say he killed him Jason, he just took the way that I looked at
him as me accusing him," Michael explained. "I know that he didn't do it,
but I just found it suspicious how protective he was of the wine cellar,"
he added.

"Even Carl and I are not allowed down to his wine cellar," Jason said. "He
keeps a very well and expensive stock of wine."

Michael nodded and turned to head upstairs but Jason grabbed his arm and
stopped him. "Let me go talk to him first, I have my ways of soothing his
temper," Jason said and took off up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

***

Jason knocked softly on the door and when he got no reply, he slowly opened
the door, finding Sean naked and on the bed. He reached out with his arms
wide toward Jason, who stepped into the room, closed and locked the door
before hurrying over and falling atop Sean. Their lips met, their mouth's
opened and Jason's tongue invaded Sean's mouth. Sean's arms were wrapped
tightly around Jason's neck as their kiss deepened.

"I knew of all people to come up here, it would be you Jay," Sean whispered
against Jason's lips.

"You're just angry with Michael and we both know that this isn't right,"
Jason said, as he tried to reason with Sean, whose fingers were busy
working the buttons on Jason's shirt.

"I don't want to talk about him... make love to me, darling," Sean said as
he eased Jason's shirt over his shoulders and off.

Jason was straddling Sean's hips when the bedroom door shattered open. Both
men turned to find Michael standing in the doorway, tears rolling down his
face.

"So this is how you sooth the savage beast," Michael said angrily, turned
and left them both lying there in shock.

To be continued...

Remarks appreciated at christoskastellanos@yahoo.com
Thank you, Christos.