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Title: First Aid- Part 2 Disclaimer: This is only for fun. None of this is real nor
should any implication be made based on this manuscript that I have any insider
info on either of these two fine men. Complete:
you bet yer ass is it. First Aid- Part 2“It’s dark in here and And you said- Little longer? Randy sat down next to Gale again and shoved the extraneous bottle of water at him. Gale looked at it like he didn’t recognize what it was and then looked at Randy in mostly the same way. “No thanks,” he indicated the bottle still in his hand, “I’m good.” A long tense silence stretched between them that neither was accustomed to. Their friendship was deep and unshakable, bearing little resemblance to the falsity of most “Hollywood” relationships. It had always been real between them, despite the occasional on-set argument. But this quiet made them both itchy to end it and go back to the loving, close feelings they had come to depend on. “You’re not saying anything,” Gale mumbled, finally breaking the stillness. He was a whiz for stating the obvious. “I’m not sure what to say.” It was the only answer Randy had. “Oh.” Gale sounded disappointed. The silence descended again while the sun surrendered, leaving the room bathed in only the glow of the streetlamps outside. “Look,” Gale finally said, “You’re supposed to keep me awake. If you’re not gonna do your job I’m just going to take Granny’s blanket, lay down here and have myself a little snooze, deal?” He began to slide into a supine position. “No ya don’t, get up, big guy,” Randy demanded. “Don’t make this little vigil any harder on either of us than it needs to be.” Gale groaned in protest but sat up again, anyway. “Gale,” Randy’s hand found the back of his friend’s neck and began to massage absently, “how long have we known each other?” “Five years, 9 months and 11 days,” came the immediate response. “You made that up!” Randy exclaimed with a laugh. “Did not, you want it in hours?” “Hours?” “Yeah. Let’s see, we met when I came in for my first audition, which was about 6 PM that Friday night but we have to account for the time difference…” “Time difference?” “Yeah, Rands, three hours, this way.” Gale rolled his eyes like Randy was an idiot. “Huh?” Randy was getting confused. “We met in LA. We’re in New York now, Randy, remember? Sheesh,” he answered in his most condescending voice. “Ok, so add six hours because a day starts at midnight plus three hours for the time difference to five years, 9 months and 11 full days and you get…” “You can’t do that in your -” “… fifty thousand, six-hundred and seventy-three hours.” Gale finished. “Give or take ten minutes.” Randy was boggled. “You so made that up!” he repeated. “Do the math yourself,” Gale shrugged. “You’re a freak of nature,” Randy deadpanned. “Yeah,” Gale answered, “and I have a concussion, so imagine how it feels from in here.” “Pretty strange?” “Pret-ty straaaange,” Gale agreed and fell silent. Randy was even more at a loss for words now than before. He stared at Gale in wonder. The man had done higher math in his head, with a probable concussion no less, and Randy had trouble balancing a checkbook. “So that’s what you wanted to talk about?” Gale asked quietly. “How long we’ve known each other?” Randy shook his head to clear the scrambled eggs his brains had just become and suddenly remembered his question. “No!” he answered, “I was just wondering about something. If we’ve known each other five years, nine months and-“ “Eleven days,” Gale finished for him. “Right, eleven days,” Randy took a deep breath, “why did you wait until now to tell me how you feel about me?” “I know!” Gale enthused, as if he was agreeing, “What’s with that?” “I asked you!” Randy was about to start getting frustrated. “Yeah!” Gale agreed, nodding his head as if Randy had just said something insightful. First genius Gale and then stoner Gale? It was too big a leap to take in ten seconds. Randy studied him carefully a long moment. “Gale, are you sure you feel alright?” “I’ve been beaten up by a girl. I have a headache, Randy and I haven’t slept in I don’t even know how long. I finally get up the guts after five years, nine months and eleven days to tell you how I really feel about you and you respond by trying to shove a bottle of water at me that I don’t even need. How am I supposed to feel?” His sarcasm was like a physical pain in Randy’s heart. “I feel fucking great.” “I’m sorry,” Randy squeezed the back of Gale’s neck gently. “I only meant-“ “I know what you meant,” Gale snapped, suddenly irritated, “I have a concussion, I’m not stupid. My brain is fine. But look, let’s drop the whole ‘L’ subject, ok? I’m sorry, really. It was a mistake to tell you because now you have to let me down gently and you don’t know how since I’ve just suffered a major head injury and the loss of my primary relationship.” “No, please, I’m not let-“ Gale rushed on, ignoring Randy’s demurral, “The last thing I wanted was for this to become as awkward as it has, but I guess that was the dopey romantic in me. Anyway,” he started to rise, “I’m feeling a lot better, now. I should go and see if she’s left me a house to live in or if she burned the place down. Thanks for the first aid, Rands, really, I’m grateful you were here for me.” “No, Gale, no, wait!” Randy started to panic. He couldn’t let Gale get back in his car and drive all the way to Toronto tonight- he could kill himself in an accident and take others with him. He pulled on Gale’s arm, refusing to let go or allow the man stand. “I want to talk about it, I do! I just need to think about it, that’s all. You’ve had five years-“ “Nine months and eleven days-“ “Almost six years,” Randy agreed, trying to make Gale understand, “to get used to this idea. I’ve had what- twenty minutes? Give me some time to shift gears, ok?” Gale studied Randy’s face. His eyes were as honest and clear as the day they’d met. Randy wasn’t trying to blow him off- he really did need time to process everything. “Ok,” Gale capitulated, trying to put a cap on his fear of being rejected after he’d come this far- both physically and emotionally. “I guess that’s fair. I’m sorry.” “Would you stop apologizing?” Randy scolded softly. “Come here, lay your head in my lap. If you promise you won’t go to sleep, we’ll talk about this, ok?” Gale nodded and gratefully stretched his long form out, settling his head carefully in Randy’s lap. Randy tossed the afghan over him and began to stroke his hair, being mindful to avoid his wound. “It hasn’t been almost six years, anyway,” Gale told him. “No?” “No. That would have been love at first sight and I don’t believe in that.” “Then how long has it been?” Randy asked, his fingers skimming gently across Gale’s cheek below the bandage. “In hours?” Gale grinned, “Lemme calculate-“ Randy giggled, trying hard not to bounce Gale’s fragile skull in his lap. “It was about a year after we met. We were halfway through a shoot and we were sitting next to each other, off to the side, waiting for the cameramen to change the angles or something. You turned to me and spoke.” Gale’s eyes were distant as he remembered and a delicate smile seemed to bath his entire face. Watching him, Randy was captivated. “The look on your face, your eyes. I don’t know, Rands, you stole my breath away- and at the same moment you stole my heart, you little shit.” “Wow,” Randy breathed, “What could I have said that had such a profound effect on you?” “I’ll never forget it. You said, ‘I’m craving an orange; I wonder if there are any left on the craft table?’” Randy blinked and then suddenly bellowed laughter. “No way!” “I’m serious,” Gale was grinning again, “that’s what you said!” “And that made you fall in love with me?” “Yeah.” Gale licked his lips as if the memory carried taste- and was delicious. “Freak. Of. Nature.” Randy was still giggling in that way that drove his acting partner to luscious distraction. “Yeah,” Gale repeated, smiling. They fell silent a while, just looking at each other and enjoying the dark, and the quiet between them. Here, finally, was the familiar comfort they both relied upon. Gale let his eyes slip closed and took a deep breath for courage. “Randy, if I asked, would you make love with me tonight?” “Of course not!” Randy answered and then regretted it immediately when he saw a wave of pain cross Gale’s beautiful face. “Gale, it’s not what you think!” Randy palmed his cheek, “It’s not because of what you said. It’s your head, doofus, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to get… in a state… you know?” “Really?” Gale opened his eyes again. “That’s the only reason you don’t want to?” Randy was touched by Gale’s childlike need to be reassured but he wanted to be certain he knew his own heart before he answered. He studied Gale and considered opening himself to the possibility of a completely different life from the one he knew now, one that included this man in more than a professional capacity. It sent his mind reeling. He’d fallen pretty hard for Gale immediately upon meeting him and he was almost sure Gale had known it, too. He recalled with more than a little embarrassment a giggly interview he’d given in those first few months during which he’d been asked about Brian. He had gushed about what a beautiful, handsome man he was and how someone like Justin would naturally fall for him because of his unattainability. Randy’s smile while describing Justin’s paramour could have lit an entire metro area for weeks. Later, of course, after he’d forced himself to get over his puppy dog crush and had moved on, he’d recognized that he’d really been speaking about Gale, not Brian, and anyone who’d seen the interview, Gale included, could probably tell that it was Randy who was infatuated. Justin had just been along for the ride. But he had gotten over Gale. He’d had to- it was the only way to stay sane. He recalled the months of quiet heartbreak he’d suffered and how proud he’d been of himself at the end of the process that he’d managed to hide it from everyone until he hadn’t needed to hide anymore, until there wasn’t anything left to hide. Now he was being asked to recall those feelings, even rekindle them, and after five long years of emotional and professional growth he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that. Did his once all-consuming emotion, his ache for Gale, still exist in him somewhere? He looked down into Gale’s face. The man was waiting patiently for an answer but Randy would have been blind not to see, even in the dark, the hope behind his question. An image flashed into his mind, lightning-quick, of he and Gale lying together, wrapped tightly around one another, touching, kissing, fucking. He heard them- the soft sounds they’d elicit from each other, the sighs and moans, the whispered pleadings and demands and endearments. After years spent simulating sex with Gale, his memory muscle suddenly kicked in and he could taste Gale’s skin and feel the softness of his tongue as it pushed into his mouth. Oh the heels of his abruptly ravenous sexual desire came the love, pouring into him in a tremendous rush that shocked him. His thudding heart sped up, making him dizzy, and a flush bled into his face. Yeah, he could see it, now. He could feel all of it. It hadn’t been disposed of; it had only been dormant. How could he have gone all these years without knowing that? “Yes,” he finally admitted, bending close to press his lips to Gale’s forehead as he spoke, “that’s the only reason, Gale. You might not believe in love at first sight, but I do. I have ever since the day we met.” He sensed more than heard Gale’s sharp intake of surprised, happy breath. He suddenly felt like he’d go crazy waiting for Gale’s head to mend. There was so much to do, now. The End |