After the Leaving

[TelephotoMarigold]

Story Title: After the Leaving

Type of story: One Shot

Main Characters: Geoff and Aden

BTTB rating: A (Slash Pairing)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Does story include spoilers: No

Warnings: Contains same sex pairing

Summary: It is 3 years since Aden Jefferies and Geoff Campbell left Summer Bay behind them to follow separate paths but what would happen if they met again? Would all that teen angst be gone? What would be there in it's place?

Summer Bay was a million miles away.

Well not really, but they had both left it behind. Aden Jefferiers looked along the bar searching for the eyes of the person he most wanted to see again. He was three years older now. His blonde hair seeming a shade darker without the constant sun on it but his eyes were a more piercing shade of blue for it. He gave a smile when he nervously touched his hands to his black jeans and he smoothed them down over his thighs before jamming his hands in his pockets and taking a step into the hotel bar. He found his heart was beating with nervousness and he frowned at the random thoughts going through his head.

Three years. Three lone lonely years without Belle or Nic. No Roman either. Ties with the other man falling away when he left Nicole. He sighed, thinking of the other woman because he remembered her smile more than the smile of his wife Belle. He’d thought that he’d never be able to forget the way her lips curved, or the way her velvet eyes lit up as she looked at him but grief was a funny thing. The loss of her spit dived his heart into ice and he’d spent so much time trying to forget her to not feel the all consuming loss that enveloped him and sucked his life away that now he had to look to at a photograph to remember her beautiful face.

Great, he murmured to himself, now he wasn’t nervous he was depressed. But still at least he’d made it. He looked at his watch and glanced around waiting, waiting, waiting.

“What can I get you sir?” The barman asked him when he’d finally perched himself on a barstool.

“Nothing.” Aden said quickly. He gave another look at his watch. “You know what I’ll have a beer.” He added changing his mind.

“You waiting for a date?” The barman asked him with a grin as he poured out a tall glass of ice cold beer.

“Whoa, no way. It’s an old friend.” Aden said quickly.

“Sorry Dude. You just seem kind of nervous.” The barman continued to talk as he served up the cold one in front of him.

“I am kinda.” Aden muttered reaching for a handful of peanuts from a little silver bowl nearby. “Been a long time since I’ve seem them.”

“It’s easy to get bogged down with other things.” The barman commented.

Aden nodded and found himself thinking back once more to his time spent in the Bay. He’d tried to keep in touch with Irene, needing the link with the past but the phones calls had died out and the emails went from every few months to Christmas and Belle’s birthday. Sadly, he’d even had to set a reminder for that last year.

“So you from around here?” The barman was back with another question. Aden looked at him and gave a half smile.

“Not really.” Aden answered before sipping form this glass.

He grew relieved when the barman disappeared to go serve someone else and he focused on drinking his beer. He looked the juxtaposition of the falling drops of condensation on the outside of the glass and the rising gold bubbles to the top and found himself tracing a drop of moisture as it raced down the glass.

“Anyone tell you that it’s a bad sign when you drink alone?” A voice asked from behind him.

Aden felt that nervous thump of his heart inside his chest before he turned around and looked at Geoff Campbell.

“Hello Bible boy.” Aden said the first words that came to his mind, well maybe not the first as he looked at the other man. Geoff had filled out. The hair that used to flop over his eyes was cropped short and he seemed to have a tan that would make a model jealous.

“That’s a relief.” Geoff said shucking off his bag, the kind with the strap that went across his body and put that on the bar top before tugging his t shirt back down over his washboard abs and eased on to a stool beside the other man.

“It is?” Aden asked with a dry mouth.

“Thought you were going to come up with something that involved the world missionary in it. Much more embarrassing.” Geoff said.

Aden felt his cheeks go red as his mind immediately sank into the gutter.

“Never thought I’d see the day that Aden Jefferies is lost for words.” Geoff said.

“I’m just dumbstruck that you can use a word like missionary without spontaneous combustion.” Aden said grinning at Geoff. He felt like the three years since they had seen each other had disappeared and they could have easily been in diner back in Summer Bay.

“If anyone is going to burst into flames it would be you.” Geoff shot back. “So what went on with you and Nic?”

“Three years and that is your first question?” Aden asked.

Geoff nodded before half turning and lifting his hand to summon the barman.

“Yes.” Geoff said turning and looking at him.

“Well.” Aden said before stopping as the barman came over.

Geoff ordered a beer for himself and turned expectantly to Aden.

“I’m good.” Aden told him and grinned at the look that Geoff shot in his direction.

The beer delivery gave Aden a few minutes to gather his thoughts and he took a sip from his own glass before he felt Geoff looking at him again.

“We split and I left.” Aden said simply.

“She’s got a kid now, did you know?” Geoff asked him.

“No. When?” Aden said in shock.

Geoff grinned.

“A few months after you left.” He murmured and laughed when Aden spat his beer out.

“What?” Aden said in a high pitched voice.

Geoff gave a chuckle.

“Don’t worry it wasn’t you.” He said letting Aden down gently.

“I’d like to think she’d would have got in touch…” Aden began.

“Pretty sure you didn’t leave a forwarding address when you left Aden.” Geoff pointed out.

“No.” Aden nodded. “It was complicated. So much happened in just a few months.” He added his voice sounding guilty. “Look do you want to get out of here, maybe grab some food.”

Geoff looked at him before looking at his beer. He nodded but picked up his glass and drained it before pulling out some money and dropping it on the bar to pay for the two drinks.

“Hey.” Aden protested.

“You can get the next one.” Geoff said picking up his bag and standing up.

Aden took a last drink from his glass and sprang up walking next to Geoff as they headed out of the bar.

“Where do you want to go?” Aden asked. “We’re not to far away from my place.”

The answers that sprang to Geoff’s mind at that moment would have made him sound like an extra from the show ‘Will and Grace’ so he kept his mouth shut and nodded.

Aden looked at him before he began leading them back to his place. He noticed that they had lapsed into silence but it was ok, it felt ok, in fact it felt pretty damn good and that made him smile.

“What’s got that smile on your face?” Geoff asked him.

“Just thinking back. Remember the time I was teaching you to drive the trawler?” Aden asked.

“God yes.” Geoff muttered a grin spreading on his face.

“That was intense.” Aden said with a nod. “My place is right around the corner.”

“Do you ever miss being out on the boat?” Geoff asked after a moment.

Aden turned and looked at him feeling a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Geoff Campbell. He remembered the feeling from long ago before burying it as he grieved for his wife and focused on living.

“Yes.” He said answering honestly.

“Me too.” Geoff said after a moment their eyes still fused hotly on each other.

Aden sucked in a breath before unconsciously stepping forward closer to Geoff. Close enough to inhale the musky scent of his aftershave.

“Aden.” Geoff said quietly.

Aden stepped back and took out his keys from his pocket and walked over to the security door of his apartment block. He unlocked it and stood to one side letting Geoff walk past him.

“It’s the second door.” Aden said huskily.

Geoff nodded and walked ahead of Aden stopping just outside the red door. He leant on the door jamb and waited for Aden to catch up with him.

“So what do we want to eat?” Aden asked moving to his door and putting the key in the lock.

“I don’t’ mind.” Geoff said softly his eyes fusing with Aden’s for the briefest of moments.

Aden shot him a grin and pushed open the door stepping inside. He tossed his keys into a blue ceramic bowl on a table by the door suddenly remembering seeing Roman do something similar when he came home and he grinned at the habit he’d picked up from the other man.

“Nice place.” Geoff commented looking at the long green sofa with a small circular table in front of it and the pale cream walls. A large print hung on one wall and Geoff moved over to look at it.

“It’s pretty good. Cheap too.” Aden said going over to the small kitchenette and taking out a couple of beers from the fridge. He snagged the takeaway menus and walked over to where Geoff was standing. He handed the man a beer and then looked at the menus.

“We have Chinese or….” He began.

“No offence but I want pizza.” Geoff said quickly. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted pizza? Not just any pizza but a big 12 inch, double cheese, meat feast with chillis? The sort that you know you are going to burn your mouth on the first slice but it will be worth it.”

“That would be pizza then.” Aden said with a grin watching intensely as Geoff licked his lips as he said the word pizza the other man’s pink tongue gliding along his full bottom lip. He knew he was starring and his mouth went dry before he dragged his mind back from the brink and spoke next. “Take a seat I’ll order.” Aden walked over to the kitchen area to put the menus back he dialled the number of the pizza place and spoke quietly into the phone making the order his eyes on the other man. Watching as Geoff nodded and dropped his bag to one side before slouching his frame on to the long sofa putting one leg straight out and the other over his knee.

“So how long you lived here?” Geoff asked breaking into the silence that had stretched between them.

“About a year. Travelled around a bit after I left the Bay.” Aden murmured. “But I haven’t asked about you. What have you been doing?”

“Working with a charity doing voluntary work. Mostly in Africa, some of it in Asia.” Geoff explained.

“So what are you doing back?” Aden asked and groaned at the way the question sounded. He say Geoff raise his eyebrows and look at him before taking a swig of beer.

“Needed a holiday and thought I would catch up with old friends.” Geoff said softly although Aden could swear there was an underlying meaning in the way Geoff had said the ‘old friends’ part.

“Seen your sister?” Aden asked trying to keep the conversation neutral. He had no idea what was wrong with him. The nervousness of earlier had morphed into something else inside of him but he couldn’t work out what that was. He kept noticing things about the other man. The way he held his head as he spoke, the movement of his lips. The way his fingers were long and tapered around the bottle of beer as he held the smooth glass. The flex of his arm muscles when he lifted the bottle and took a drink. All of it left a churning inside of him that was making him uneasy. Uneasy and at the same time aware. Confusion must have shown on his face because he came back to the present to find Geoff looking at him strangely.

“Er What?” Aden asked.

“The door.” Geoff said again.

“Oh yeah that would be the pizza.” Aden muttered standing up.

“That was quick.”

“Well the reason I got this place was that there was a pizza delivery service just round the corner.” Aden said with a laugh.

He moved out of the flat and over to the security door collecting the flat boxes before heading back into his place.

“I take it we’ll be dispensing with plates.” Aden murmured as he pushed the door shut behind him and headed over to the sofa.

Geoff laughed.

“Was I looking a bit ferocious?” Geoff asked laughing.

“Just a bit.” Aden grinned.

He placed the pizza boxes on the table before heading into the kitchen and grabbing more beers and a handful of kitchen towel.

“Mind if I…?” Geoff asked picking up the remote.

“Go ahead.” Aden told him sitting on the sofa once more.

Geoff clicked through channels and found a footy match. He grinned and dropped the remote back on the table.

“Here.” Aden said handing him the beer and then his pizza.

“Do you mind if I say Grace before we eat?” Geoff asked quietly.

“Er no…” Aden stuttered flushing.

Geoff laughed.

“You’ve gone all serious.” He told him. “What happened to the Aden comebacks?”

“Well…”

Aden looked at the other man and suddenly before he even knew he was going to do it he leaned over and kissed him, finding Geoff’s lips surprisingly soft and warm and then was shocked by the feel of stubble rubbing against his face.

“Oh god.” Aden cried out springing back and looking at the other man. He stood up and moved away from the sofa his hands shaking with the enormity of what had just happened.

“Well that was interesting.” Geoff said softly.

Aden paled and lifted his hand outstretched before wrapping both arms around himself.

“I don’t know….” He began to explain.

Geoff stood up and moved quickly towards him. He caught Aden’s face between his hands and looked into his eyes.

“Let’s try again shall we?” he asked his voice sounding calm and confident before he lowered his lips to Aden and kissed him.

Aden groaned against Geoff’s lips feeling the other man press gently on his own. He closed his eyes, thinking this isn’t happening. It’s a dream just like all those other confusing times I’ve dreamt about this, about Geoff kissing me and more.

Geoff eased back and looked at him.

“I remember the time we spent on the trawler and wanting to do this.” He murmured.

“Really?” Aden gasped.

Geoff nodded.

“But we are straight.” Aden gasped once more. “I’ve had girls. I mean I like girls. There was Nic.”

Geoff continued to look at him as he babbled.

“I’ve always been straight myself.” Geoff said softly. “But there is something here between us.”

Aden sighed realising that he’d been watching Geoff’s lips as he spoke wanting to kiss him again. He leant forward and just slowly, carefully traced the out line of Geoff’s lower lip with his tongue. Geoff responded by pulling Aden into his arms and kissing him furiously their tongues darting in each others mouths teasing and tasting each other before they broke apart and looked at each other each of them panting and heaving in deep breaths.

“Your pizza is going to get cold.” Aden said looking at him.

Geoff nodded.

“You should eat something.” Aden added and blushed.

“Yeah.” Geoff said trying not to smile at Aden’s discomfort and moving back to the sofa before picking up his box. He sat down and opened the box taking a slice out. “Why did you want to see me?” Aden asked going over and sitting next to him.

Geoff turned and looked at him.

“I missed you.” He said with simple honesty.

Aden sucked in a breath feeling that spark of excitement at the simple declaration grow and multiply inside of him.

“I missed you too.” Aden said quietly before picking up his pizza.

Neither of them asked what was going to happen next. If they were going to kiss again because the moment of sitting there with the future unwritten between them was too perfect to spoil. They could analyse what was happening or what it meant, what it would mean to others they knew but for now, for the just now Aden was sitting on the sofa next to Geoff and for the first time since leaving the Bay he was happy.

Comments