Oliver sighed at yet another email from another vendor asking about a past due invoice for the third day in a row. This was getting out of hand. He printed it out, and called Jyri over.
“Yes?” Jyri asked.
“There’s another invoice that’s overdue. This is the fourth one this week. Isn’t it now your job to make sure they get paid on time?”
“No, that’s Jasper’s job.”
“Jasper’s job?”
“Yeah. He only wants me to give him the invoices, and log them on one of those spreadsheet things. He said he’d take care of the rest.”
Oliver sighed, and handed him over the invoice. “Well, have him take care of this one.”
“Okay.” Jyri walked away, and was quickly replaced by Shawn.
“What’s up?” Oliver tried not to look as happy as he felt by Shawn’s appearance.
“You know that abandoned building next door?”
“Yeah.”
“I keep seeing Faye go in there with food,” Shawn said. “And Jyri too, a couple times. But usually Faye.”
“You sure she isn’t eating her lunch in there?”
“I’ve seen her do it outside of her lunch hour.”
“Maybe she’s just trying to get away from Jasper,” Oliver said. “God knows what he has her doing.”
“That’s possible. But still weird. I have a feeling they’re hiding something in there.”
“Like what?”
Shawn shrugged. “Probably something to do with where they came from. Want to go investigate it with me?”
The offer sounded more appealing than reading emails demanding money from him. “Sure.”
After checking to make sure Faye was at her desk, Shawn and Oliver went to the abandoned building. It had a “For Lease” sign in the window. Two glass doors leading to the entrance of the building had been shattered. Shawn hesitantly opened one of the doors, and the two walked inside.
There wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary. It looked like the typical lobby. Except it lacked any furniture other than a large desk in front. It was also dark. The only light came through the shattered doors.
They walked over to the desk. Oliver looked behind it and found an old blanket spread out. An empty plate and a bowl of water sat next to it.
Shawn peered directly over his shoulder. “What the hell? Are they hiding a dog back here or something?”
“Maybe.” There was a sinking feeling in Oliver’s stomach that had nothing to do with Shawn’s chest brushing against his back. “Something doesn’t feel right. I think we should go.”
“We just got here.” Shawn focused his attention on the water bowl. “How fresh do you suppose that is?”
There was an open doorway in the back of the room. Oliver spotted something large and black moving around behind it. He tugged at Shawn’s arm. Shawn looked at him, and Oliver pointed to the doorway. “Something’s moving in there,” he whispered.
“Probably the animal they’re hiding.”
“It looks big.”
A loud, gurgling sound echoed throughout the room as a black creature stuck its horse-like head into the room. Or maybe it was dog-like? Oliver had no desire to stick around to figure it out. He shrieked and Shawn screamed. The two bolted out the doors, across the lawn, past the fountain, all the way to their office building. They didn’t stop until they were inside the lobby. There, Oliver fell to his knees, panting heavily. Shawn pushed a table in front of the doors. Where he got it from, Oliver didn’t know. But he was grateful for his quick thinking.
“What’s going on?” Faye frowned at them from her desk.
“Nothing!” Shawn and Oliver said quickly in unison. Before they could be questioned further, the two walked straight to Oliver’s cubicle. They paused outside it. Craig and Jyri were each in their own cubicles. In fact, just about everyone was in their cubicle. It would be hard to discuss what they just witnessed without being overheard. Then again, Oliver wasn’t sure he even wanted to talk about it. He wanted to forget the whole thing even happened.
Shawn appeared to have similar thoughts. “Want to come over to my place after work to try to forget what we saw? Valerie’s working late tonight and I’ve got plenty of beer.”
“Sounds good to me.”
After work, Oliver dropped Faye and Jyri off at home, then went straight to Shawn’s apartment. The front door opened into the family room, which had a couch, a coffee table, and a TV. A doorway into the kitchen was to the left. A short hallway in the back of the room led to the bathroom and one bedroom.
Shawn had changed out of his work clothes into plaid pajama bottoms and a plain white shirt. The sight left Oliver slightly breathless. After inviting him in, Shawn went to the kitchen, then came back with two cans of beer. He handed one to Oliver, and both men cracked them open. After a few minutes of silently drinking, Shawn spoke.
“Do we want to talk about what we saw?”
“The stuff of nightmares,” Oliver said. “It had me wondering… do you think Craig was right? That there was some… doghorse thing running around?”
Shawn snorted. “Doghorse.”
“I mean, I couldn’t tell if it’s head was a dog’s or a horse’s. I’ve never seen anything like it. What else are we supposed to call it?”
Shawn shook his head, and took a sip of his drink. “I was trying to look it up but I couldn’t find anything relevant. Whatever the hell it is, I have a strong feeling it came from wherever the hell Jyri and Faye came from.”
“If that’s the case, then where exactly are Faye and Jyri from?”
“I ask myself that question every day.” Shawn took a long sip of his drink, then set it down. “Do you want something to snack on? We’ve got Oreos.”
“Sure.”
Shawn got up and walked to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a pack of Oreos.
“Where were we?” Shawn asked as he sat down, setting the Oreos on the coffee table.
“Wondering where the hell Jyri and Faye are from.”
“Right.” Shawn grabbed a cookie, and turned to look at Oliver. “Let’s start with what we know already. They came here knowing nothing about modern technology.”
“They claim to be part of a cult in another country.” Oliver took a cookie for himself.
“They have Russian accents. Wait… Shit! Do you think they’re from Russia?”
“Russians know plenty about modern technology," Oliver said. "Besides, their accents sound more Scandinavian to me. Like, Finland or Norway.”
“All places with modern technology.” Shawn shook his head.
“They said they don’t know modern technology because of the cult they were in.”
“I’m not buying that cult theory for a minute. Forget the cult.”
“It’s the only logical explanation. Unless you’re suggesting time travel exists? And that they’re from the past?”
“I believe that more than I believe the cult.”
“You’re starting to sound like Craig.”
“No cult can explain that… thing… we saw. Because whatever the fuck that is doesn’t exist on our planet!”
“So, what? They’re aliens then?” Oliver asked.
“Possibly. It would explain Faye’s pointed ears.” Shawn shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth.
Given the vast size of the solar system, Oliver did believe in the possibility of aliens. He didn’t think they’d ever arrive on Earth, but he supposed it could be possible. More possible than time travel even. Something else stuck out though.
Oliver took a sip of his beer. “What about what Craig told us? About them appearing out of thin air? Or whatever?”
Shawn stroked his chin. “That’s right. Aliens don’t just appear out of thin air. They appear from space ships.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s just the media’s portrayal of aliens though. Maybe real aliens don’t need space ships.” Shawn snapped his fingers. “Jyri and Faye are aliens and whatever the fuck we saw is their pet they brought with them.”
Oliver watched Shawn down the remains of his can. It did seem to be the most likely explanation. “Mystery solved. Aliens!”
Shawn smiled. “I’m gonna get myself another beer. Want one?”
“I’m good. Maybe some water though.”
Shawn walked to the kitchen. Oliver took a sip of his beer as his eyes wandered around the room. It had been awhile since he’d last come over, but not much had changed, aside from the objects displayed on the shelves at the back wall. It used to be filled with Shawn’s unicorn collection. Those were gone and had been replaced with several framed photographs. Oliver walked over to investigate. They were all of people Oliver didn’t recognize. Except for one that was of Shawn and Valerie. There was also a random glass figurine of a poodle.
Shawn returned with a glass of water and a can of beer. He set them on the table, glancing over at Oliver.
“What happened to all your unicorns?” Oliver asked.
“Valerie didn’t like having them out here in the open, said she was embarrassed by them when her friends came over. So I put them away and she put pictures of her family there.”
“That sucks.” At the very least, there should be a couple pictures of Shawn’s family too.
“It’s not that big of a deal.” Shawn flopped down on the couch, laying with his head on the armrest and his legs stretched across the cushions. “Whatever makes her happy, you know?”
Oliver didn’t know, but nodded along anyway. He walked back to the couch, waiting for Shawn to move over. But Shawn just smirked at him. Oliver retaliated by sitting on his thighs. “Now what?”
“I guess we could watch something. I’d get the remote but you’re sitting on my legs.”
“Your fault for hogging the couch.” Oliver spotted the remote next to the TV, and got up to grab it. Shawn was kind enough to move his legs aside to give Oliver room to sit back down, then placed his legs over Oliver’s lap. None of this behavior was out of the ordinary. But this time, Oliver felt a flutter in his stomach over it.
“I don’t know how to work your TV.” Oliver handed the remote over to Shawn, who used it to open Net+.
“Anything in particular you want to watch?”
“I don’t care.” Oliver rubbed his hands over Shawn’s legs, feeling his firm calves under the soft fabric. He suppressed a smile.
Shawn scrolled through various titles, landing on an old R-rated movie. “Ah, man. Remember sneaking into the theaters to see this one, when we were 13?”
“Yeah.” It was the first R-rated film they had seen. They told the ticket-counter girl they were there for a PG movie. Once they got behind the ticket-checker, they slipped into the theater playing the R-rated film. “I still can’t believe you talked me into it. I thought for sure we’d get in trouble.”
“You were always so worried about getting in trouble.” Shawn glanced over at Oliver. “Probably a good thing. Who knows where I’d be if it weren’t for you holding me back.”
“And who knows where I’d be if it weren’t for you pushing me forward.” Oliver gazed at Shawn, eyes sweeping the curve of his neck to his shoulders, and his chest. His shirt clung to it nicely, accentuating normally-hidden features. How had he not noticed how pleasant his body was to look at? He felt a strong urge to lay on top of him.
Shawn held his arm out, as though inviting Oliver to do just that. But despite how natural body contact was for them, they’d never done anything quite like this.
Worse yet, were the feelings Shawn had been giving him lately. Oliver couldn’t deny that his platonic feelings had slowly developed into romantic feelings, ever since finding out Shawn was bi. And ever since that night at the bar, he had a hunch Shawn felt the same.
The corner of Shawn’s mouth twitched upwards. “Just gonna leave me hanging?”
“What about Valerie?”
“What about her? We’re only cuddling.”
Oliver laid on top of Shawn, one arm behind his neck, his other hand on his firm chest. Shawn wrapped his arm around Oliver’s waist. He reached out his other arm, holding the remote, and pressed play. Then, put the remote on the table, and wrapped his other arm around Oliver.
Oliver turned his head to the side to watch the movie, ear pressed against Shawn’s chest. He could hear his heart beating fast. It was the only sign Shawn was feeling anything about the situation. And so, he couldn’t tell if his rapid heartbeat was from anxiousness, nervousness, or excitement. Or a mix of all three.
Shawn absentmindedly rubbed Oliver’s back as they watched the movie. Despite his nerves, he felt safe and secure in Shawn’s arms. He turned his head to glance at Shawn to find him gazing back with longing in his eyes. Longing that Oliver shared.
“I never knew I’d enjoy cuddling you this much,” Shawn said softly. “Why haven’t we done anything like this before?”
“We never thought about it before.” The truth was, until recently, Oliver never felt any desire to do anything like this with Shawn. But now...
Shawn continued caressing Oliver’s back. “You are enjoying this, right?”
“Definitely.”
Shawn’s gray eyes lingered towards his lips. For a moment, Oliver thought Shawn would do the unthinkable. Even more so when Shawn slipped his hand under the back of Oliver’s shirt, stroking his bare skin as he gazed at him with a look of romantic love and lust. Now would be the perfect moment for them to kiss. Oliver would do it himself, but he didn’t want to put Shawn in that position. He felt like this intimate moment already crossed a line. They should stop, but Oliver wanted to remain in Shawn’s arms. He hadn’t felt such tenderness in years.
Shawn’s commitment to Valerie won in the end. Instead of kissing Oliver, he turned his attention back to the movie. But not before tightening his arms around Oliver, hand still under his shirt.
Despite his pounding heart, Oliver found his body relaxing, and he closed his eyes.
“What the hell is this!”
Oliver’s eyes popped open as Shawn jumped high enough to knock Oliver to the floor, his elbow knocking into the table on the way down. Oliver looked up to see Valerie glaring down at him. There was a light on in the room, but the rest of the apartment had gone dark. A different movie played on the TV. He rubbed his stinging elbow. How long had he been asleep?
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Shawn knelt down towards Oliver, reaching his hand out to help him up.
Valerie watched with narrowed eyes as Oliver got to his feet, Shawn’s steady hand on his back. “What were you two doing?”
Once certain Oliver was going to be alright, Shawn turned his attention to Valerie. “Drinking beer and watching movies. Didn’t you get my text?”
“Looks like you were doing more than that.” Her eyes landed below Shawn’s waistline. Shawn clasped his hands together, casually holding them in front of his crotch. Like he just so happened to move his hands there and not because he was hiding anything.
“We fell asleep,” Shawn explained.
“Holding each other?”
“As friends. Platonic cuddling is a thing, you know.”
“Your hand was up his shirt!”
Shawn’s pink face turned pinker. “That must’ve happened in my sleep. I’m sorry.”
“We really weren’t doing anything,” Oliver said. “Shawn’s loyal to you. He’d never-”
“What are you implying?” Valerie snapped. “That I’m not?”
“No!”
“Or that you’re trying to pull moves on him, but he won’t go along with any of them?” Valerie looked back to Shawn. “Did he put you up to this?”
Shawn gaped at her. “Of course not! I started it.”
Valerie raised an eyebrow at Shawn, who looked down at his feet. “You know, I really wonder about you sometimes.”
“What do you mean?” Shawn asked.
“Forget it.” Valerie dropped her purse onto the table. “I don’t suppose you made dinner?”
Shawn picked up the pack of Oreo’s and held it out. Valerie rolled her eyes and stormed off towards the bedroom.
Oliver helped himself to a cookie. “Guess I should go home?”
“Yeah. I’d offer to let you stay for dinner, but… you know.” Shawn scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t regret doing what we did. And I’d love to do it again sometime.”
“Me too.”
As Oliver left Shawn's apartment, he couldn't help but wonder if a breakup was on the horizon. There probably wasn't, but a guy could dream.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0m3wstPF3
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