Please Be Mine

[Jen]

Epilogue

The sun is beaming through the window of the car, and Geoff is dosing off in the passenger’s seat. He’s got his head resting on the window, eyes closed, and just the hum of traffic as a lullaby. There’s a week’s worth of take away containers cluttering the back seat, empty cups of drive-through coffee litter the floor, but Aden can’t bring himself to care. He’s been wearing the same pair of jeans since they started driving, only had cold showers along the way, and after today’s efforts his got a five o’clock shadow. Somehow, all that stuff doesn’t really matter anymore. He looks over and smiles, Geoff sleeping next to him, face relaxed in such a way that it makes him look child-like, sunlight circling him like a halo.

He’s pulled up out the front of a small unit, as the sun begins to set over the horizon, bathing them both in orange light. Geoff stirs as Aden cuts the engine, pulling on the hand brake. He rubs his eyes sleepily and looks around, disoriented.

“Hey,” Aden says.

“We there?” Geoff asks, voice still thick with sleep.

“Yep,” Aden replies, watching as Geoff stares out the window at the building.

Geoff opens the door, stepping out and stretching, Aden can practically hear the bones in Geoff’s neck cracking. Aden smiles at him again as he rounds the car and stands beside him on the curb. Geoff’s got this red mark on his cheek from where he was leaning heavily on the window, and Aden just wants to kiss it. Kiss him. But not yet.

Geoff is gazing around in awe. It’s nothing amazing really. Just a small brick and tile house, awnings around the side, and white paint peeling away from the front windows. It has obviously been unoccupied for awhile. The lawn has started to yellow from the lack of water, a rose bush already dead. But none of that seems to phase Geoff. He just looks from the house to Aden, eyes wide.

“This is ours?”

He’s like a little kid on Christmas. As soon as Aden unlocked the door he started down the main passage, opening doors, looking in cupboards, flicking light switches, trying to take it all in. Aden just stands back, leaning against the counter top, putting on the kettle which he fished out of one of the boxes, the one marked ‘Kitchen’.

Geoff comes back a few minutes later, cheeks slightly flushed, scatter of freckles across his nose apparent. He stalls in the doorway between the kitchen-come-dining area, looking up at Aden. It’s like he’s suddenly realised that he’s on his own now, supposed to act responsible, can’t get giddily excited over the smallest of things. But Aden just smiles, enjoying Geoff’s newly found freedom.

“Sorry,” Geoff says, like he’s actually embarrassed.

“Don’t be,” Aden replies, he takes a step forward, away from the cupboards and counter. “I’m glad you like it. It’s not much, and will need a bit of fixing up, but the rent is reasonable and –”

“It’s perfect,” Geoff cuts him off, grinning. “You’re perfect.”

And then Aden can’t stand it anymore. He’s crowding Geoff against the wall, one hand firmly placed on his hip, the other on the horrid floral wallpaper, which he makes a mental note will one of the first things to go. But right now, he’s leaning in, Geoff’s tilting his head up and he’s kissing him. Prying his lips open with his tongue, feeling the wall beneath his palm, keeping him upright in the passage. Geoff is practically humming beneath him, letting out a little moan as Aden begins fingering at the button on Geoff’s jeans.

Aden pulls away, catching his breath. Geoff opens his eyes, staring at him, fingers stalling.

“We’ve got plenty of time,” Geoff says, voice low and hushed.

And he’s right.

-

Geoff wakes up on the morning of his first day of university with Aden beside him. He smiles, his heart still getting a bit fluttery every time he realises that he’s there, still there. That this is their bed, in their bedroom, of their house. He still has moments though. When he checks his mobile for messages only to find that neither Annie or Irene or anyone from their life in Summer Bay have called. Nicole had called once just to make sure they were okay. She was sad they never said goodbye, but was completely understanding about it too. She’d been reluctant to tell them about what had happened since they left, but they could both tell by the tone of her voice that most of the town now knew everything. Nicole had said she’d call again when they’d had a chance to properly unpack the boxes, even saying she wanted to come and visit, but.

But, then Geoff was choosing units and picking up textbooks, while Aden was finding a job and starting to re-plant the garden out the front, so they’d always miss each other. Nicole would call and leave a message, just saying hi and hoping they were both doing okay. They would ring back, but she’d be at the beach or the Diner or finishing her portfolio for a job interview, so couldn’t really talk.

So days became weeks and slowly the life that Geoff had previously known in Summer Bay was becoming nothing more than a faded memory. A new chapter was stretched out in front of him like a blank canvas, waiting for him to dip his brush in colour.

He misses the beach, just being able to grab his surfboard and walk until he was knee deep in ocean. Now, it’s an effort to pack up the car and actually drive to a stretch of water, where there is no guarantee the swell will be any good.

But then Aden stirs beside him, looking up at him sleepily, hair sticking out in all directions, and he forgets it all. He sits up so he’s resting on his elbow.

“Morning,” Geoff says.

“Morning,” Aden echoes. “Coffee?”

“Get it yourself,” Geoff replies, playfully swatting at Aden’s bare stomach.

“Well, if that’s how you’re going to be, I can throw you out, you know,” Aden says, lips twisting into a smirk.

Geoff just shakes his head, letting his blonde hair fall into his eyes. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Yeah,” Aden replies, voice going all soft and fond. “I wouldn’t do that.” He reaches out and gently pulls a piece of hair out of Geoff’s eyes. Geoff feels his heart swell inside his chest, blood rushing to his cheeks. He hates that he still gets like this when Aden is this close. You’d think he’d be used to it by now.

Aden leans in placing his lips on top of Geoff’s. Ignoring his morning breath and the fact that he hasn’t shaved, Geoff kisses him back.

“I’ve got a lecture,” Geoff mumbles into Aden’s neck.

“I can walk you there,” Aden offers, eyes still closed.

“Yeah?” It comes out like Geoff is still unsure Aden is offering. But there is something exciting, something in his voice that tells Aden he’s thrilled by it nonetheless.

It’s something they’ve never been able to do. Just walk down the street, they only live a couple of blocks away from the campus, and be able to hold hands. And no one looks at them twice. They are just like any other couple, blending easily into the crowd of young university students. It seems everyone has bigger things to worry about than two guys who live together, and sometimes kiss under the big oak tree on the edge of campus.

And this, Geoff thinks, is how he wants it to be.

The End

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A/N: Thank you so much for the comments Red Ranger and Carina, especially for sticking with this story from the beginning. (Even in the really obscure parts that shoudn't have even made it onto the page.) And a big thank you and cookies to Anaya for her constant flailing and cheering and dancing and squeeing via PM over this fic. I blame her for making me start and finish this . But it's been awesome.

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