On the third day of Nate’s visit, it’s sunny enough that the muddy ground has dried out. Nate wakes up late in Brad’s bed, the sun blazing into his eyes. The clock says 10:56 AM. Brad’s still asleep and Nate quietly edges out of the bed to put on shorts and running shoes. It’s about 65 degrees out, just enough wind to make it slightly cold—perfect for a run. The trees are ablaze with spring flowers and the house is surrounded by them. He finds himself grinning as he runs down Brad’s driveway towards the road.
He runs all the way into town and picks up a coffee at the Flying Goat, a place he heard Brad mention in passing. While he waits for it to brew, he looks out the window onto the street and sort of can’t believe he’s here. He finishes his coffee in the square. Everybody who passes says hello and good morning. He nods his head and smiles back. Brad fits in a place like this, with Ray, and his dogs, and the beautiful house. But at the same time he doesn’t. He’s got hard edges. Occasionally when they’re talking, Nate spears himself on them and worries he’s going to bleed out all over himself.
When the coffee’s gone, he tosses the cup and makes the run back. The sun is a little higher in the sky and by the time he reaches Brad’s place, he’s sweaty and sticky. He finds Brad in the kitchen, reading the San Francisco Chronicle in his pajama bottoms. Shadow lies prone, head pillowed on his paws in the sunshine, but when Nate walks into the room Fox is immediately upon him. Brad snorts with laughter.
“Good run?” he asks, looking up over the edge of the newsprint.
“Mmhm,” Nate replies, kneeling down to scratch behind Fox’s ears. He’s close enough to Brad that he can lay a playful kiss on his bicep without moving.
Brad flexes his arm and says, “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” Nate replies, getting to his feet.
There’s a manmade pond on the edge of Brad’s land. After Nate showers, Brad fixes a backpack full of food and hands Nate a blanket. They walk out in companionable silence to the pond to eat lunch in the sun.
Still More Winery AU, Part 1
He runs all the way into town and picks up a coffee at the Flying Goat, a place he heard Brad mention in passing. While he waits for it to brew, he looks out the window onto the street and sort of can’t believe he’s here. He finishes his coffee in the square. Everybody who passes says hello and good morning. He nods his head and smiles back. Brad fits in a place like this, with Ray, and his dogs, and the beautiful house. But at the same time he doesn’t. He’s got hard edges. Occasionally when they’re talking, Nate spears himself on them and worries he’s going to bleed out all over himself.
When the coffee’s gone, he tosses the cup and makes the run back. The sun is a little higher in the sky and by the time he reaches Brad’s place, he’s sweaty and sticky. He finds Brad in the kitchen, reading the San Francisco Chronicle in his pajama bottoms. Shadow lies prone, head pillowed on his paws in the sunshine, but when Nate walks into the room Fox is immediately upon him. Brad snorts with laughter.
“Good run?” he asks, looking up over the edge of the newsprint.
“Mmhm,” Nate replies, kneeling down to scratch behind Fox’s ears. He’s close enough to Brad that he can lay a playful kiss on his bicep without moving.
Brad flexes his arm and says, “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” Nate replies, getting to his feet.
There’s a manmade pond on the edge of Brad’s land. After Nate showers, Brad fixes a backpack full of food and hands Nate a blanket. They walk out in companionable silence to the pond to eat lunch in the sun.