Vic’s scent rose from the worn leather chair,enveloping Matt. On its own, his thumb found the redial button andpushed it. With the receiver in his lap, Matt heard the far awayring of a phone, tinny with distance. When Vic’s voicemailanswered, Matt hung up and hit redial again.
And again.
And again.
* * * *
At quarter after midnight, a familiar presence openedin Matt’s mind. Faint at first, it drew stronger as Vic approached.When Vic realized Matt could sense him, his mind touched Matt’sown. ::Hey, lover.::
Matt answered by closing his thoughts off from Vic,turning away almost, as relief and anger warred through him like acoin tossed head over tails in the air between them. At the moment,he wasn’t sure which emotion would prevail. Thank God Vic was allright, but Matt had spent the last several hours worrying, and thatfear wasn’t ready to disperse yet. Instead it rankled into rage,simmering just beneath the surface of Matt’s mind.
Vic touched on that rage and sighed. ::Matt,listen—::
::You could’ve called,:: Matt threw back athim. His anger began to bubble through his tough facade. ::I’vebeen worried sick. Don’t you answer your fucking phone?::
An image flashed in Matt’s mind—Vic’s cell phone inthe passenger seat of his car, the case cracked and broken, theservice light extinguished. Because he already had access to hislover’s thoughts and memories, Matt didn’t need to be told what hadhappened. He just knew; between the extreme heat of the fire andthe sub-arctic temperatures Vic exuded, the phone didn’t stand achance.
But Matt wasn’t ready to give in just yet. ::Everheard of a pay phone? I’ve been calling you—::
::I couldn’t get through.::
It was true. Vic couldn’t lie to Matt, not when hisevery thought lay bare before Matt’s own. His lover stood aside asMatt riffled through his memories as if going through a friend’s CDcollection. He picked up one and frowned at it—Vic ducking off thebus at an empty stop to use a nearby phone real quick. Dialinghome, getting a busy signal, trying again before he had to get backto work. Another memory showed Vic grabbing a bite to eat fordinner and stopping at the phone outside the McDonald’s on BroadStreet. Still busy. He tried once more at the garage after clockingout, then said the hell with it and raced home because he wasworried. ::See?::
Matt shoved the memories aside. Because he couldn’tthink of anything else to say that wasn’t conceding the fight, hesnapped, ::Where are you?::
::Almost home.:: Vic projected an image of thefront of their apartment building, and downstairs Matt heard thecrunch of tires as his lover pulled into his usual spot. Though heknew the answer already, Vic asked, ::Are you stillmad?::
Matt snorted in reply. Did Vic even have to ask?::This is far from over, mister.::
Vic’s weary sighed filled Matt. ::At least let meget inside.::
::You have two minutes,:: Matt warned. ::OrI’m locking the bedroom door and your icy ass can sleep on thecouch.:: A few seconds later, he pressed, ::Well? Have youeven gotten out of the car yet?::
Vic groaned in response.
* * * *
As it was, Matt didn’t wait for Vic to close the doorto their apartment before he started. “What possiblypossessed you to pull a stunt like that?” he asked as he surged tohis feet. Vic shrugged out of his work shirt and began kicking offhis boots, letting Matt’s tirade wash over him like the incomingtide. “You aren’t a fireman, Vic. You aren’t qualified to dothat shit. These guys train for years and here you gorushing in like it’s 9/11 all over again. What the hell—”
“There were kids inside.” Vic’s voice was low,forcing Matt to stop ranting long enough to listen to what hislover had to say. “Little kids, Matty. Before the fire truck evenarrived. I couldn’t hear them screaming in my head and just actlike nothing was going on.”
“Someone else would’ve saved them,” Matt argued. Hefelt heartless and cruel saying it, but the words came out beforehe could bite them back. “Why’s it always have to be you?”
“Who else do you know who could do it?” Vic wanted toknow.
Matt brandished the cordless phone in one hand as hetried to make his point. Why couldn’t Vic see how using the powersaffected them? Affected him? “Do you know what it feels liketo hear this shit on TV?” he asked. “Can you even imagine it?Sitting here eating dinner and all of a sudden there’s a news storyon about…I don’t know, a hostage situation at the gym, maybe. Or ashooting at the Y, or a fatal traffic accident on the road I takecoming home from work. The reporter has no information, but youknow I’m involved somehow, and you can’t get in touch with me tofind out what’s going on.” Matt paused to let that sink in. At thetroubled look Vic gave him, he knew his words had hit home. “I dieinside when I don’t know if you’re all right. You’re notindestructible, you know? These fucked up powers could disappear atany time and then what will you do?”
“Matt,” Vic started. Then he shook his head andsighed. He looked so worn out, so exhausted, and the acridsmell of smoke still clinging to him wafted towards Matt in wavesthat made him ill. With his work shirt off, the white undershirt hewore looked dingy and gray against the faded tattoos that coveredhis arms. Though Matt didn’t want to admit it, Vic looked olderthan he should have, world-weary and run down.
It took everything Matt had to not cross the distancebetween them and take the man in his arms, wrap himself around thatstolid bulk, and bury his head against Vic’s neck. “I love you,”Matt admitted. “I don’t want to lose you, hear me? I have soprecious little of you as it is. If something happens to youbecause of these powers—hell, because of me—I don’t know…Ican’t imagine—”
“Matt.” Vic’s low voice was intimate between them,canceling out the distance that kept their bodies apart. Matt tookan involuntary step closer, his hand reaching for Vic’s. When theirfingers clasped, Vic tugged Matt to him. Strong arms encircled hiswaist and his body melded against Vic’s, his defenses so easilyconquered, his
