Peter & Austin (Chapter 5)

Austin

It seemed like our bodies were nocturnal, responding to the physical presence of having the other so close all night long.  Intermittent in dream and waking states, our limbs, heads, and hands met in every possible interaction.  At one point, we were nearly horizontal on the bed, and in seemingly the next moment, I was sure we'd fall to the floor.  I was roused as he shifted to face me, and our lips met blindly.  His body pressed against mine slowly, a rhythm emerged, and without wakeful presence, my body responded, pressing back in time.  We kissed, pulled and examined with palms, fingertips, and tongues.  My dreams, my subconsciousness, my hips; all were tangled energies that flowed in meter with his.
As our quickening heartbeats became conscious, lascivious moments befell us.  Our hands gripped each other amidst dreams wrought with reality, and together our breathing became murmurs, and our murmurs became cries, and afterwards we laid panting; drifting to dreamland without having opened our eyes.

When the sun shone in the room the next morning, I buried my face into his shoulder sleepily, and kissed his neck.  Our legs had become entangled, and our parts once so demanding, felt sated as we laid against each other.
"Mmm..." Peter muttered as he stretched and rested his arm over me gently, "Austin...did...last night...actually happen?"  He looked down at me, squinting of sleepiness with a satisfying smile.

"God, I hope so," I replied playfully; squeezing him to me.
"Well, it was maybe the best thing I've ever experienced."  He said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh yeah?"  I sat up, resting my chin on my hand as my other hand touched the hair on his head, "well I enjoyed it too...maybe we can make it happen again."
I grinned, and he laughed.
"Baby, I'm pretty sure you can count on it."  He pulled himself upright, with a yawn.  A long pause came between us and I yawned at his yawn.

"...Peter," I paused with a grin, unsure if I'd just heard him correctly, "Did you just call me 'baby'?"
A little grin spread over his face, as he thought about the words that had just slipped out.
"Yeah...I guess I did. Sorry...did it offend you?"  He looked at me with knitted brows, and concern.  He looked more like a pampered rock star than a medical technologist, sitting there in my designer bed with his thin build, half naked and surrounded by the fluffy white comforter and pillows.
"No, not at all, it's cute.  I like it...honey."  I grinned, and then laughed as he opened his mouth in protest and climbed over top of me.  His hands grabbed mine above my head.
"Okay, okay," he relented, "you can call me whatever you want in this bed, sweets, but we can't get too used to it anywhere else--except maybe my in my bed too..."  He looked at me, pretty seriously.  I felt the slightest sting of resentment towards the society we lived in.  Even with "progressive" shows like the L word, and Queer as Folk, it wasn't necessarily commonly tolerated.  Those shows were more about exploitation than anything.  I also knew that Peter was acutely aware of this, and that was exactly why he was suggesting it.  I'm sure it showed on my face, and his brows softened.
"...I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to make it about that,"  he leaned in to me, "I totally want to be free expressing ourselves...I like you and I want everyone to know it...but we should...I don't know...just watch where we say things because, you know, not everyone sees things like we do."
I blew air out of my mouth in frustration and nodded, sharing in his--I guess--concern.
"Yeah, I know what you're saying.  I just wish my personal life--and who I love, wasn't so damn political all the time--"  I looked away, feeling that sudden panic of tears begin welling behind my eyes.  I clenched my jaw, keeping them at bay.
"Anyway--"
"Austin," His fingers touch my jaw, "No, it shouldn't be...are those tears?"  He touched my eyebrow gently.
"Yeah...because it is...and hiding isn't going to help anything."  I said, with more vehemence than I'd meant.
"I'm not talking about hiding!" he looked at me with surprised exasperation.  I sat up, and he moved to sit in front of me,
"No, I know what you're saying.  I'm sorry,"  I said, wiping at my eyes, "I've just struggled with this so much...it's frustrating, but I won't let society or anyone tell me that I shouldn't kiss my boyfriend or hold his hand or tell him that I love him in public.  I'm not running around naked throwing rainbow glitter, but I do think it's only fair to be honest with ourselves."
He sat back in consideration, looking apologetic.
"Yeah, I do agree with that..and I don't want to censor myself, either.  God, I love your intensity...I'm sorry it came out like that."
"It's okay, " I paused, crawling onto him so that our foreheads almost touched, "I know it can seem scary and daunting...but it isn't if you trust yourself...and you've got me, I won't let anyone mess with my guy."
My hair brushed against his cheek, and as we kissed, I felt him smile.

"Hey, want to go get something to eat downtown?"  He asked, checking his watch, as we rode the elevator downstairs, "I'm starving."
"Yeah that sounds good...oh man, and some strong coffee..."  I groaned as the doors opened, welcoming us into the lobby where opera music was playing.
Peter smirked.
"Decaf!"  He sang, poking fun at me as we turned the corner towards the street.  Jonas the door man of maybe 45 or so smiled at us with more amusement than his usual polite smile let on, and I waved.
"See ya Jonas!"  I called out behind us.
"Have a good day, Mr. Hanason."  He called after us.
Peter's smirk turned into a laugh.  He thinks it's funny to comment on my--clearly non-related--last name.
"Mmmbop..." he crooned, elbowing me, "C'mon...are you sure you guys aren't cousins or something?"
"Seriously Peter.  I'm beginning to think you're obsessed with that band...you know they live here in the city...maybe we could find them and make sure.  Maybe the singer would make out with you."  I replied uninterestedly with a smirk.  I'd heard this joke from almost every person I met.  He knew it, too, and so he took amusement from asking every time my name was spoken.  The fact that I just naturally had blonde hair, blue eyes, and defined eyebrows did not make me related, or negate the extra syllable in my last name.
We stopped with the group of pedestrians at the cross street and waited for the signal to change.
"Aw, I'm kidding baby," He grinned at me, good naturedly.  I smiled back defeatedly as that last part filled me with a shivery excitement.

Peter

We'd stopped at the aptly named, Pete's, where we'd ordered bagels and coffee.  Austin was sipping on his decaf blissfully as I finished my bagel.
"Hey, are you sure you don't want a bagel or something?"  I questioned, eyeing his nearly empty fruit plate as our waitress came over.
"Yep, this coffee hit the spot,"  He grinned at me, then at the waitress, who raised her eyebrows and then quickly looked down at her notepad, scratched the total on it with her pen, and put it on the table.
"Thanks boys.  Come back and see us."  She said boredly with obligation.
I paid, and followed Austin out to the busy sidewalk.
"Well, wasn't she just a bundle of joy."  I kidded, pulling a knitted cap over my head.
Austin laughed, maybe at my cap, thanked me for breakfast, and suggested we keep walking for a while as the bitter cold had worn off in favor of just cold, with sunny skies.
"I love the excitement of this city," I began, "Have you always lived down here?"
"Yeah, well..since moving out of my parents' house when I was 18.  I'm close enough where I can help out my mom whenever she needs it, but close enough to the agency when they need me, too.  My sister moved to Brooklyn almost a year ago...she's studying photography."
"That's good, so she doesn't want to model like you?"
"Nah," he replied with laugh, "She uses me as her model sometimes though."
He looked down at the sidewalk, kicking at a balled up napkin with his shoe.
"Isn't that like, cheating?"  I kidded, glancing at him amusedly, "I mean look at you...it'd be really hard to not take a gorgeous shot."
He laughed a little, looking at me with that modest grin that made me want to rip his clothes off and lay him down right there.
"Well, she sure as hell never pays me for it,"  He laughed, "But nah, It's fair enough...I mean, it's good for both of us...we kind of network through each other in a way.  We should go visit her sometime."
I nodded, his sister seemed fun and interesting, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for that yet.  I still held the slightest bit of resentment towards her for making Austin feel like he'd ripped the family apart even though I knew that was kind of unreasonable as I'd not even met her yet.

The center of Manhattan was scurrying before us.  Business men rushed around with their briefcases, women clomped by in their heels, tourists clogged the walkway with their cameras, and bums dawdled aimlessly.  Taxis layed on their horns as tinted, black town cars whizzed by discreetly, carrying CEOs, beautiful starlets, and trashy wannabes.  Austin led the way, and we ended up at the front door of his modeling agency, Ford.

"Do you want to come up with me?  I just need to talk to my booker for a second."
"Um," I looked at him uncertainly.  I wanted to see him in action, but I wasn't sure how well I'd fit into the model atmosphere.  I imagined all these gazelle girls prancing around with long flowing hair, and intimidatingly dashing guys with chiseled features lounging around.  Austin looked at me expectantly, a mixture of both those stereotypes and honesty.  I searched his expression, quizzically.

He grabbed my hand with a grin.
"Oh c'mon," he said, pulling me inside with him.  I held his hand as the door man smiled at us, nodding hello to Austin, and said, in a knowing question,
"10th Floor?"
Austin nodded, and thanked him.
"It's sometimes hectic up here, but I'll introduce you.  It'll just take a minute."
"Okay...so do you know that guy at the door? I mean, he just knew where--"
He looked at me with that are-you-serious grin, and explained by squeezing my palm to his.
Oh god, I thought, how stereotypical.
The doors opened just then, and we walked into the office.  It wasn't what I'd expected.  Plain looking people buzzed about in and out in less than fashionable clothing, holding file folders, clipboards, cameras, and coffee cups.
"Austin's here!"  A bigger woman in a bright blue, egyptian looking shirt, and tightly curled, shoulder length hair ran up to us, wrapping him in a hug.
"It's been a few weeks!"  She said, looking him over approvingly.  "You're looking so happy and healthy...honey, you're radiant!  And who is this stunning fellow you're here with?"  She looked at me adoringly with an overzealous smile of ruby lipstick and mascara.  I smiled meekly, afraid she was going to try to hug me too.
"This is Peter,"  He said, putting a hand on my lower back admiringly, "Peter, my booker, Katie."
I stuck my hand out, and she shook it vigorously.
"Austin is just a legend here, it's nice to meet you...so handsome!"  She cooed, then winked at Austin, and motioned us to a hip, bright red room with mod, black, rounded couches and took out her calendar.
Austin cast an amused grin at me, biting his lip as we sat down next to each other.  Katie sat next to Austin and started listing off about 8 projects that they had lined up for him.  As she spoke, Austin's hand moved over mine on the sofa, and he squeezed in a we're-so-outta-here-in-a-second way.
"Oh--and here's the best for last...Alexander McQueen wants you for his fall collection!"  She squeaked.  I feared her head might pop off right then and there.
"Oh..my god,"  Austin coughed, sounding surprised. "Katie, this is amazing!  Do we know where they're shooting yet?"
My eyebrows shot up with amazement.  I really was dating a model...this wasn't just the commercial Target stuff he'd made it sound like.  I wondered how he could do a shoot like that and still work at the hospital.  I wondered how far he'd have to travel...or if he'd travel to take it at all.  I knew nothing about the business, and I was intrigued.  It was so much more of a business, business than I'd thought.

She and Austin stood up, and she gave him one more great, big suffocating hug as I joined them.
"Take care of our Austin, Peter, we're going to need him fresh!  It was wonderful meeting you!"  She said, shaking her head exuberantly.
You're going to need him fresh?  I thought, wondering what she was implying on my part.  I was pretty sure he'd wear me out with all the sex faster than I could wear him out.
Austin squeezed my hand and we headed for the elevator.  I felt his muscles relax, as the doors shut.  He leaned against me, and I could almost feel his head spinning.
"Peter,"  he hugged me, "I'm in for McQueen!  This is...amazing!"
"I know...Austin, I'm so proud of you!,"  I hugged him earnestly, "I had no idea you were such a big deal!"
He smirked as if to wave my words away.
"Oh come on...Katie gets excited...but man..."
"So...when do you go take the pictures?"  I asked, taking his hand very purposely, as we stepped out of the elevator.
"Well the shoot is not for another month or so, but I'm probably going to have to put my two weeks in at the hospital."  He frowned a bit.
"Austin, no...you do what you have to...I mean, we'll miss you...I'll miss you...but hopefully I'll get to see you every day anyway."  I offered, grinning at him.
"Peter...you know so."  The statement brought a mischievous grin to his lips, and our pace quickened as we walked hand in hand through after-holiday-sale shoppers.
"Hey, does this mean I'm going to have to be digging through swarms of admirers to hold you?"  I joked.
"Mm,"  He grinned, contemplating that with a serious look.
"Not any more than you are right now."
I laughed, as he squeezed my hand.
"Good."  I turned and kissed him, right there amidst the business people with their cases, the tourists with their cameras; the aimless bums, the wannabes, and the starlets.