Escaping Reality Chapter 5: Swept Up
They were together for three glorious months, before reality came crashing down in the form of his mother showing up at the bookstore when Len was in class.
"Jimmy," she said quietly, and Jim just flipped the sign. He was 18 now, what in the hell was she doing here?
"Hi Winona." He was mutely satisfied by her flinch, and led her into the back, sitting behind his boss's desk. "What brings you to Oxford?"
"You. You need to come home, Jimmy."
"I'm a legal adult, and I like it here."
"Working in a bookstore for chump change? Taking night classes? What's not to like?" Winona replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice.
"I have a life here, Winona, which is a hell of a lot more than what I had there." He changed the subject. "You get rid of Barry yet?"
"No. He's worried about you, Jimmy, he - "
"He just wants his eye candy back and to have another chance at my ass. I'm not going back to Iowa, and there's no way you're making me." He stood, wondering why in the hell he'd indulged her enough to talk to her in the first place. "I'll show you out." He overrode her protests and led her to the door, letting her out and turning the sign back to 'open.' Len was due by to get him for lunch in a few minutes, and his boss should be back from the bank before that.
He had put Winona out of his head by the time Len came to pick him up, and pulled him into one of their usual kisses, which would have terrorized anyone on the street even 2 centuries before. "Hi, Len," he murmured before running around and jumping in the passenger seat.
"Hey, Jim. Who's that blonde lady?" Winona was standing outside the bookstore; he'd run right past her after hearing Len's honk, and she was staring in horror at the two of them.
"Just some old lady," he answered with nonchalance he didn't feel. "Let's go." Len raised an eyebrow, but obediently drove to the next town over, where they ate munch at some out of the way mom'n'pop, exchanging kisses along with their food. Jim again put Winona from his mind, grinning at Len, who was looking more relaxed than he had that morning.
"What?" Len asked, and he just smiled, grabbing Len's hand.
"So, did you pass your test?"
"With flying colors, as you predicted." Len looked down at his food, playing with it for a moment before tightening his grip on Jim's hand. Jim quirked his head, curious as to this display. "Jim, I already talked to Gloria; you want to go out to dinner tonight?"
"Fancy dinner? Not from Darla's?"
"No, I was thinking more along the line of Eve's Garden."
"Um... sure, Len. I'm always up for going out with you, you know that. I love you." Jim immediately shut his mouth and yanked his hand away. Why did I say that?' he thought to himself, bracing himself for Len's reaction.
"Jim... Jim, look at me." Len's tone was gentle, and he cautiously looked up at him, expecting the worst. What he was greeted with, however, was the best thing ever. Len's hazel eyes were wide, as was the unrepentant grin that stretched across his face. "I love you, too."
The rest of his day at the bookstore was spent on Cloud Nine, and he kissed Gloria, his boss, on the cheek before he went home to change. By the time Len got home from class to take a shower, he was happily putting the finishing touches on the suit that Len had insisted he get weeks before, 'just in case.' Twenty minutes later, they were on their way to Eve's Garden, the classiest restaurant in town.
They had an enjoyable meal, and Len even dragged him onto the floor for a few dances. By the time they ordered dessert, Jim noticed that the tension in Len's shoulders had grown, even though his face was about the most relaxed he'd ever seen it outside of sex.
"Len? What's wrong?" Len jumped as if he'd poked him, and sighed; at least the sigh wasn't angsty.
"Nothin', darlin'," he answered, even as dessert arrived. Nestled in with the piece of cake on his plate was a small box, the kind used for trinkets or jewelry.
"Len?" he asked slowly, looking up at his lover. Len was blushing, which under any other circumstances would have prompted teasing, since he didn't do it often, but the older man deftly plucked the box from Jim's plate. "Len?"
"Jim, I know we've only known each other a few months, but I'm in love with you, and I can't see my life without you. Will you marry me?" Jim was speechless.
"Len... You don't even know my name."
"I know you're Jim, and that you have a secret enjoyment for chick flicks and chocolate ice cream. I know that you have a little mole right under your collar line. I don't need your last name to know all of that. Names mean nothing, really, except something to call you, and I already have that."
"Len..." he choked out over the lump in his throat. What kind of luck did he have, to get this incredible man, and be practically begged to keep him to himself. "...Yes." Nothing else would come out, none of the logical arguments that cropped out, none of the explanations. He was crushed into a hug and held on just as tight, before kissing Len softly.
That night, after celebrating, Jim was curled up with Len when something was hyposprayed into his neck and he thrashed in alarm. Len didn't move at all, except to breathe, and as he was dragged under by the drugs flowing in his system, he tried to grab Len's hand. He had almost gotten hold when he lost consciousness.
(On to Chapter 6)
"Jimmy," she said quietly, and Jim just flipped the sign. He was 18 now, what in the hell was she doing here?
"Hi Winona." He was mutely satisfied by her flinch, and led her into the back, sitting behind his boss's desk. "What brings you to Oxford?"
"You. You need to come home, Jimmy."
"I'm a legal adult, and I like it here."
"Working in a bookstore for chump change? Taking night classes? What's not to like?" Winona replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice.
"I have a life here, Winona, which is a hell of a lot more than what I had there." He changed the subject. "You get rid of Barry yet?"
"No. He's worried about you, Jimmy, he - "
"He just wants his eye candy back and to have another chance at my ass. I'm not going back to Iowa, and there's no way you're making me." He stood, wondering why in the hell he'd indulged her enough to talk to her in the first place. "I'll show you out." He overrode her protests and led her to the door, letting her out and turning the sign back to 'open.' Len was due by to get him for lunch in a few minutes, and his boss should be back from the bank before that.
He had put Winona out of his head by the time Len came to pick him up, and pulled him into one of their usual kisses, which would have terrorized anyone on the street even 2 centuries before. "Hi, Len," he murmured before running around and jumping in the passenger seat.
"Hey, Jim. Who's that blonde lady?" Winona was standing outside the bookstore; he'd run right past her after hearing Len's honk, and she was staring in horror at the two of them.
"Just some old lady," he answered with nonchalance he didn't feel. "Let's go." Len raised an eyebrow, but obediently drove to the next town over, where they ate munch at some out of the way mom'n'pop, exchanging kisses along with their food. Jim again put Winona from his mind, grinning at Len, who was looking more relaxed than he had that morning.
"What?" Len asked, and he just smiled, grabbing Len's hand.
"So, did you pass your test?"
"With flying colors, as you predicted." Len looked down at his food, playing with it for a moment before tightening his grip on Jim's hand. Jim quirked his head, curious as to this display. "Jim, I already talked to Gloria; you want to go out to dinner tonight?"
"Fancy dinner? Not from Darla's?"
"No, I was thinking more along the line of Eve's Garden."
"Um... sure, Len. I'm always up for going out with you, you know that. I love you." Jim immediately shut his mouth and yanked his hand away. Why did I say that?' he thought to himself, bracing himself for Len's reaction.
"Jim... Jim, look at me." Len's tone was gentle, and he cautiously looked up at him, expecting the worst. What he was greeted with, however, was the best thing ever. Len's hazel eyes were wide, as was the unrepentant grin that stretched across his face. "I love you, too."
The rest of his day at the bookstore was spent on Cloud Nine, and he kissed Gloria, his boss, on the cheek before he went home to change. By the time Len got home from class to take a shower, he was happily putting the finishing touches on the suit that Len had insisted he get weeks before, 'just in case.' Twenty minutes later, they were on their way to Eve's Garden, the classiest restaurant in town.
They had an enjoyable meal, and Len even dragged him onto the floor for a few dances. By the time they ordered dessert, Jim noticed that the tension in Len's shoulders had grown, even though his face was about the most relaxed he'd ever seen it outside of sex.
"Len? What's wrong?" Len jumped as if he'd poked him, and sighed; at least the sigh wasn't angsty.
"Nothin', darlin'," he answered, even as dessert arrived. Nestled in with the piece of cake on his plate was a small box, the kind used for trinkets or jewelry.
"Len?" he asked slowly, looking up at his lover. Len was blushing, which under any other circumstances would have prompted teasing, since he didn't do it often, but the older man deftly plucked the box from Jim's plate. "Len?"
"Jim, I know we've only known each other a few months, but I'm in love with you, and I can't see my life without you. Will you marry me?" Jim was speechless.
"Len... You don't even know my name."
"I know you're Jim, and that you have a secret enjoyment for chick flicks and chocolate ice cream. I know that you have a little mole right under your collar line. I don't need your last name to know all of that. Names mean nothing, really, except something to call you, and I already have that."
"Len..." he choked out over the lump in his throat. What kind of luck did he have, to get this incredible man, and be practically begged to keep him to himself. "...Yes." Nothing else would come out, none of the logical arguments that cropped out, none of the explanations. He was crushed into a hug and held on just as tight, before kissing Len softly.
That night, after celebrating, Jim was curled up with Len when something was hyposprayed into his neck and he thrashed in alarm. Len didn't move at all, except to breathe, and as he was dragged under by the drugs flowing in his system, he tried to grab Len's hand. He had almost gotten hold when he lost consciousness.
(On to Chapter 6)