Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Johnny sat in the church pew, listening to the organ and watching people file in.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been here, maybe for a Christmas or an Easter service, long before he’d left to join the fire academy.

He wouldn’t have come here again, if his aunt hadn’t called and all but insisted that he come.  Dale had been a friend, but not a close one, and Johnny hadn’t stayed in touch with him over the last ten years or so.  But this time was important, so his aunt told him.

She wouldn’t come out and say it, but the implication was clear.  Dale had killed himself, a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his parents needed all the support they could get.

Someone sat down in the pew next to him with a sigh, breaking him out of his thoughts.  Johnny turned to see who had taken the seat.  He thought he recognized the dark blond hair, but when the other man turned to face him, he immediately recognized the soft blue eyes, the ones Johnny had never really forgotten.

“Johnny.”  He nodded.

“Hey, Chris.”  Johnny answered, trying to be as casual as he could, considering the setting.  “Been a while.”

Chris managed a slight smile.  “Hell of a place for a reunion, huh?”

Memories rushed through Johnny’s head.  He and Chris had been close, probably closer than two boys should have been.  But they had found something with each other that they hadn’t found elsewhere, and at the time Johnny had thought it would last forever.

By the time they graduated, they were already going their separate ways, though they hadn’t realized it yet.  Prospects in this town were slim, and they were both trying to find their way out.

Eventually they had, with Chris going into the Army and Johnny heading for Los Angeles to join the fire academy.  Promises to stay in touch had gone unkept, a natural outcome of boys growing into men, of learning that nothing really lasted forever.

But now, with Chris sitting beside him, it was as if no time had passed at all.

The service itself was relatively short, and Johnny found Dale’s parents afterward, trying to find something to say that wouldn’t somehow make things worse.  From the hug that Dale’s mom had given him, he had apparently succeeded.

The gathering itself had turned into an impromptu high school reunion, and it struck Johnny just how different his own life was from his former classmates.  It was as if most of them had never really left high school behind, talking about past memories as if it was the greatest time of their lives.

While it hadn’t been the worst of times for Johnny, he was just as glad to leave it all behind.

He spotted Chris across the room, where he was leaning against the wall, seeming to take in the whole scene.  Chris had always been the quiet one, the observer, while Johnny had all but talked Chris’s ear off.  Even now, Johnny had trouble with long silences, saying anything and everything to fill them.

Now, as Johnny crossed the room to join him, he couldn’t think of a damn thing to say.

“Swear to God, these folks never left high school.”  Chris observed, echoing Johnny’s own thoughts.  “Now I remember why I don’t come back too often.”

Johnny couldn’t help letting out a short laugh.  “Where’d you end up, anyway?”

“Colorado.”  Chris answered.  “Got out of the Army and spent some time with one of my buddies out by Boulder.  Kind of liked it, so I stuck around.  You ever been?”

“Not yet.”  Johnny told him.  “Mostly I stick to anywhere within a couple hours drive of L.A.”

"You should come.”  Chris replied.  “I think you’d dig it.”

“One of these days.”  Johnny answered.  “Got to put the money together, you know?  Don’t exactly get wealthy working for the fire department.”

“True.”  Chris nodded in response before seeming to study Johnny.  “You wanna get out of here?  Seems like we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Johnny had planned on getting back to Los Angeles right after the funeral, but if Chris wanted to get together, he supposed he could put that plan on hold for a while.

And if Chris wanted to rekindle some old memories with him, that was more than okay with Johnny, too.

# # #

Chris pulled into the parking lot at the bar near the motel where he was staying, watching his rear view mirror to make sure Johnny was still behind him.

He still couldn’t quite believe his luck, running into Johnny here.  To say Chris was surprised was a bit of an understatement.  Dale had been more Chris’s friend than Johnny’s, though Chris had lost touch with both of them over the years.

He also understood all too well the darkness that had most likely taken over Dale, the darkness that had led him to take such a drastic step.  As a medic in Vietnam, Chris had seen the terrible effects of what horrors men could inflict on one another.  Those images still haunted him years later.  It could only have been worse for those actively involved in combat as Dale had been.

Chris wasn’t going to come.  He wanted nothing more to do with this town or anyone connected to it, and besides, he had a good life now, better than he could have imagined.  It wasn’t as if he had sworn never to return to that town in California, he just didn’t have a reason to.  But his mother had insisted, pointing out that Dale’s parents had wanted him there, and besides, didn’t he realize how long it had been since he’d been home?

What his mother couldn’t know was that Chris didn’t consider this place home anymore.  Home was back in Boulder, surrounded by mountains and rivers and wide expanses of land.  And then there were the people, the last of the hippies that had chosen the city and made it their own, bringing their own distinct groove that suited Chris.

In the end, Chris had finally come back, but hadn’t planned on staying much past the funeral.  After all, he had a job with the fire department to return to and a crew that was counting on him.  But now that he’d run into Johnny again, perhaps he could adjust that plan just a little.  If he showed up at the station on little sleep, well, it wouldn’t be the first time, nor would it be the last.  He’d manage.  He always did.

Besides, if there was a possibility of rekindling some old memories with Johnny, that alone would be worth any lost sleep.

Chris watched as Johnny pulled up beside him, hopping down from the Rover.  His suit jacket was already gone, and he was tugging at his tie, pulling it off and tossing that back into the vehicle before undoing a couple of buttons at the neck of his shirt, along with his cuffs, rolling them up past the elbows.

Johnny turned around, spotting Chris and nodding at him with that lopsided smile.  Did he have any idea what he was doing to Chris right now?  Probably not.  If he could get his hands on Johnny, he’d be more than happy to show him.

That is, if Johnny would let him.

Chris climbed out of his own vehicle, ditching his own jacket and tie and similarly unbuttoning his shirt before joining Johnny.

“Check us out.”  Johnny commented.  “Two peas in a pod, like my aunt used to say.”

Chris couldn’t help laughing at that.  Johnny’s various shades of brown were a stark contrast to Chris’s own blond hair and blue eyes.  They were of similar height, but where Johnny had been wiry, at times seeming like nothing but a collection of loosely connected limbs, Chris was broader, more muscular.

Johnny had filled out a little since Chris had last seen him, but not much.  He’d still bet money on Johnny being able to take him and pin him down, leveraging that wiry strength with a quickness that had taken Chris by complete surprise the first time it had happened.

Showing Johnny those wrestling moves had been both a blessing and a curse.  Mostly a blessing.

They entered the bar and took up a pair of stools at the counter, and Chris flagged down the bartender.  “Jack on the rocks for me and whatever this guy wants.”

“Beer’s fine.”  Johnny responded.

The two men soon both had their respective drinks, and Chris couldn’t help but notice the pensive expression on Johnny’s face as he played with the beer bottle.  He was remarkably quiet.  It was so unlike him.

“What do you suppose happened?”  Johnny finally asked.  “With Dale, I mean.”

Chris let out a short huff.  “You know he served, right?”

Johnny nodded.  “Yup, knew that.”

“An awful lot of those guys come home messed up.”  Chris continued.  “I was a medic and some of the shit I saw still gives me nightmares.  Can’t imagine what it must have been like for Dale.”

Johnny seemed to consider that as he took a long drink.  “My partner was a medic, too.  He doesn’t talk about it much, but you can tell, you know?  Sometimes we’ll be out on a call and it’s like he’s right back there.  Takes him a minute to snap out of it.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t go.”  Chris ventured.

“Nope.  Got lucky, I guess.  My number never came up.”  Johnny answered.  “And I was never gonna volunteer.”

“You have no idea how lucky you were.”  Chris responded, moving closer so that their knees were nearly touching. 

“I guess I have some idea.”  Johnny replied.  “Just a goddamn shame, you know?”

“Yeah.”  Chris took a drink from his own glass, feeling the whiskey burn its way down his throat.  “Suppose I should have been better about staying in touch with him.”

“People go their separate ways.”  Johnny shrugged.  “I didn’t exactly stay in touch with anyone from high school, either.”

“Guess there’s no point in regret, is there?”  Chris responded.  “Doesn’t change anything.  Besides, we’re here now.  Suppose you and me can start doing a little better about staying in touch with each other.”

Johnny nodded silently, and it was only then that Chris realized the other man’s foot was resting on the crossbar of his barstool, Johnny’s knee lightly touching his.

If Chris had been waiting for a signal, surely this was it.

Chris drained the remains of his glass, looking around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in toward Johnny.  “I’ve got a room at the motel if you want to…keep catching up.”

Johnny finished off his beer and signaled to the bartender, leaving cash on the bar before turning his attention back to Chris.  “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Just follow me.”

Once Chris gave Johnny his room number and climbed into his car for the short trip, he couldn’t help having second thoughts.  If this was going to be a one-time reunion, he wasn’t sure it was worth it.

Chris chided himself for even having the thought.  In any other circumstances, he wouldn’t have thought twice about taking advantage of an opportunity to get laid.  Why should this be any different?

But Chris already knew the answer to that.  He’d damn near been in love with Johnny all those years ago, even if he hadn’t understood it at the time.  Maybe he still was, and maybe, just maybe, Johnny felt the same. 

It was worth finding out, Chris decided. 

# # #

Johnny knocked on the motel room door, his nerves suddenly on edge.  He wasn’t having second thoughts, far from it.  But a lot had changed since they’d seen each other last.  Things might go very differently now than they had then.

Back then they’d had no idea what to do with each other.  They had figured it out eventually, but it had taken a whole lot of time and no small amount of frustration.

The move to Los Angeles had expanded Johnny’s horizons, and he had learned how to give and get pleasure from men.  Not that he still didn’t enjoy women, too, but that was an easier puzzle to solve.  The parts fit together in a way that made sense.  Men were a whole different story.

With any luck, Chris had learned a thing or two himself.

The door opened, Chris on the other side in a v-neck undershirt and his dress pants, shoes off.  He greeted Johnny with that familiar half smile, the one that Johnny had first managed to get out of him with some comment that Johnny had made back then, but couldn’t remember now.

He sure as hell remembered that smile, though, and he’d made it his mission to get that out of Chris as often as he could.  It was easily one of the most attractive things about him.

“Come on in.”  Chris told him.  “Take your shoes off, stay a while.”

Johnny closed the door behind him and undid the laces on his shoes before toeing them off and leaving them at the door.  Before he could consider whether to approach Chris first, the other man had him pinned up against the door, Johnny’s head hitting it with a solid thump.

Any pain Johnny felt was quickly forgotten the moment Chris’s mouth was on his, demanding entrance, and Johnny was only too happy to let him in, their tongues tangling up in a way that was both familiar and new.

Time hadn’t changed that part at all.

Johnny managed to slide his hands up the back of Chris’s shirt, thrilling to the little noises the other man made under his touch before Johnny dragged his fingertips down Chris’s back.

The move evoked a rough groan from Chris, and he broke away to whisper raggedly in Johnny’s ear.  “Goddammit, Johnny, you know what that does to me.”

“I know.”  Johnny managed to respond, tilting his head to allow Chris to work his way down his jaw and throat, his tongue darting out with each touch of his lips until he found that spot at the base, right between his collarbones. 

Johnny couldn’t get a word out, only some kind of strangled gasp, and he could hear Chris laugh ever so slightly as he undid the remaining buttons on Johnny’s shirt.

“What’s so damn funny?”  Johnny finally managed to get out.

Chris had gotten Johnny’s shirt off and was moving his hands up Johnny’s torso, taking his undershirt with them until that was off his body, tossed to parts unknown.  He gazed straight at Johnny, seeming to study him with those pale blue eyes.  “Just the way you react.  I’d forgotten all the weird sounds you make.”

“Oh, is that right?”  Johnny responded, stripping off Chris’s own undershirt before pulling him back in and kissing him hard, cutting off any further conversation.

Before long Chris was pulling him forward, moving toward what Johnny assumed was the bed.  With a few quick moves, they both managed to leave what was left of their clothes on the floor and climb up on the bed.

Chris was sprawled out across the bed, leaving him in the perfect position for Johnny to do whatever he wanted to him.  Johnny kneeled between Chris’s legs, tracing his fingertips along Chris’s inner thighs while he considered the possibilities.

He hadn’t come here prepared for much of anything beyond attending this funeral, so that eliminated one possibility.  But there were plenty of others, and he leaned over Chris, pressing his hands back up the other man’s thighs, up his torso as far as Johnny could reach before running his tongue along Chris’s entire length.

“What are you—oh shit.”  Chris let out a sharp gasp, grabbing a good handful of Johnny’s hair as Johnny continued to work at him.

Chris was squirming under him, making sounds Johnny couldn’t remember hearing from him before.  Then again, they’d never gotten this far back then.

But that was then, and this was now, and right now Chris seemed to be thoroughly enjoying what Johnny was doing to him.

He was so into it himself that he barely noticed that Chris was trying to get his attention until the other man nearly shoved his head away.

Johnny lifted his head.  “Something wrong?”

“Fuck, no.”  Chris laughed a little.  “Just trying to get you to swing around so I can give you the same.”

That was an easy enough fix, and they were soon rearranged and going at it again, though Johnny always found it a little difficult to split his attention.  The occasional stops and starts seemed to only build the tension until Johnny could no longer contain himself, coming completely undone in Chris’s mouth.

Chris wasn’t far behind, his fingers digging into Johnny’s back as he tensed up and let go, shooting hard and fast before finally relaxing his fingers, letting his hands rest on Johnny’s back.

Johnny rolled to his back, catching his own breath and letting himself recover a little.  From the other end of the bed, he heard Chris let out a long sigh, feeling his arm wrap around Johnny’s leg.

“Goddamn, Johnny.”  He spoke quietly.  “Goddamn.”

Johnny reached out, resting a hand on Chris’s thigh, lightly stroking with his thumb.  “You okay up there?”  He asked as casually as he could.

“Oh yeah.”  Chris answered, falling silent for a long moment before speaking again.  “I never should have let you go, Johnny.”

Johnny pushed himself up on his elbows.  “What are you talking about?”

Chris shifted so that he was sitting up, leaning against the headboard.  “I mean, when I went into the Army and you went to the fire academy.  All those promises we made to keep in touch.”

Johnny moved to sit up himself, joining Chris at the other end of the bed.  “I never held it against you.  Just figured we’d both moved on.”

“I guess I figured the same.”  Chris answered.  “By the time I got out, it felt like it was too late to try to find you again.”

Johnny reached for Chris’s hand.  “Well, you found me now.”

“Or we found each other.”

“However you wanna look at it.”

Chris glanced down at their intertwined fingers before looking back up at Johnny.  “You really should come out to Colorado.  See how you like it.”

Johnny was startled by the intensity in Chris’s voice.  “You’re serious.”

“Yeah, I’m serious.”  Chris replied.  “I already lost track of you once.  Don’t want that to happen again.”

This went far beyond reliving some old memories.  This was possibly rekindling something they had thought they had long left behind them.  Johnny had to admit, he was tempted by the possibility.  “I’ve got some vacation time.  I could come out and visit.”

“Well, yeah.”  Chris told him with a laugh.  “I wasn’t really expecting you to drop everything and run away with me.  Although, if it turns out you like it, Boulder’s fire department could use someone like you.”

“Tell you what,” Johnny replied, “I’ll start with a visit and go from there.”

“You’ve got it.”

Johnny ended up staying until late in the evening, and it was only because he had to be back on shift the next day that he left at all.  He left after exchanging phone numbers and addresses with Chris, and a promise from Chris to call as soon as he could figure out a good time for Johnny to come visit.

As Johnny started the Rover and left the town far behind him, he couldn’t help but wonder what would come of all this.  He just hoped he wasn’t doing something foolish, even by his standards.

Chapter Text

The events of the previous day were still on Johnny’s mind as he pulled into the station for his shift.  The whole day had unfolded in such a completely unexpected way that he still didn’t know how to describe it.

Who goes to a funeral and ends up getting laid?  It was the sort of thing that could only happen to Johnny.

But it had gone far beyond just the physical.  They had spent the better part of the afternoon and evening catching up on everything that had happened in their years apart, and had even talked about their high school years, how they had fumbled their way through feelings neither one of them could figure out at the time.

They had both dated girls, but whatever had gone on between them was special, Johnny realized that now in a way he hadn’t fully understood then.  Now he recognized it for what it was.

And he had to admit to himself that he was starting to feel that way about Chris now.

Right now, that feeling wasn’t enough for Johnny to drop everything and run off to Colorado.  For one thing, he’d never been there, though it had long been on his list of places to visit.  For another, both he and Chris had changed over the years, and they didn’t really know each other as they were now.

And finally, settling down just wasn’t in Johnny’s blood.  The idea of being with one person for the rest of his life scared him a little.  How would he know if he had found the right one?

Still, he wanted to see Chris again, and he definitely wanted to see Colorado.  That alone was worth putting in some vacation time when the time was right.

Shortly after roll call, the tones sounded, and he and Roy headed out on their first run of the shift.  It was only when they were on their way back to the station that Roy said anything to him.

“Everything go okay yesterday?”  Roy asked with a concerned tone.

“I think so.”  Johnny answered.  “Tough for his parents, though.  Guess he was in bad shape after he got back from Vietnam and never really recovered.”

Roy nodded solemnly.  “Happened to a lot of guys.  Been to my share of funerals just like that.”

Johnny couldn’t help but wonder if Roy’s own experiences affected him more than he let on.  He always seemed to shake things off with his usual calm demeanor, but witnessing a family’s pain firsthand had been tough, and Johnny could only imagine what it would be like for Joanne and the kids if Roy committed suicide.  He hated to even think about it.

His own concern must have shown, because Roy met it with his usual half smile and a shake of his head.  “You don’t have to worry about me, Junior.  I’m okay.”

Johnny was silent for a moment, considering just how to ask Roy.  Finally, he decided that the direct way was best.  “You’d tell me if you weren’t, right?”

“Right.”  Roy answered in a way that made Johnny a little unsure.  “Your concern is very touching.”

“I’m serious.”  Johnny replied a little more sharply than he intended.  “I don’t want to go to your funeral, not for that.  And I damn sure don’t want to have to sit with Joanne and the kids.  The kids wouldn’t get it, and we wouldn’t be able to explain it to them.”

Roy looked utterly baffled at Johnny’s sudden outburst, shaking his head as he backed the squad back into the bay.  “Relax.  I plan on living to a ripe old age.”

“Okay, good.”  Johnny knew he’d gone off on one of his weird tangents and hoped he could backtrack a little.  “I ran into an old high school friend at the funeral.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”  Roy seemed glad for the change of subject.

“Yeah, it was kinda like a high school reunion.  It was weird.”  Johnny continued.  “Anyway, he joined the Army around the time I moved down here to go to the fire academy.  We just kinda lost touch.”

“Uh-huh.”  Roy commented as they went into the day room, and Johnny grabbed a pair of mugs for Roy to fill with coffee.

“He was a medic over in Vietnam, too.  Got to talking about it a little bit.  You know, because of Dale.”

“And that’s why you were asking about me.”  Roy seemed to make a connection.  “Now it makes sense.”

“Oh.  Yeah, sorry.”  Johnny replied.  “Guess I should have started with that.”

Roy sighed patiently.  “So, about your friend.”

“Right.”  Johnny took a quick drink of his coffee.  “He lives out in Colorado now.  Wants me to come see him, maybe see if I like it there.”

“I see.”  Roy nodded.  “He’s that kind of friend.”

Johnny fell silent.  Roy didn’t need to know the details of what had gone on after the funeral.  “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

Now it was Roy’s turn to fall silent.  “Well, I might miss you if you go.  On the other hand, maybe I’d get a partner that wasn’t as crazy as you.”

Johnny merely rolled his eyes.  “I’m not going anywhere.  Just maybe going for a visit.  That’s it.  You’re stuck with me.”

“Great.”  Roy answered dryly.

The rest of the crew came in from the call, gathering around the table.  Chet came over to grab the coffee pot, disappointed to find it nearly empty.  “Why didn’t you guys start a fresh pot?”  He asked as he filled it with water and measured some coffee into the top.

“We just wanted to hear you complain.”  Johnny answered.  “God knows we don’t hear nearly enough of that.”

“Very funny, Johnny.”  Chet replied as he started the pot on the stove.

“We just got to talking, Chet.”  Roy broke in before the bickering could really get started.  “Johnny’s thinking about leaving us for Colorado.”

“What?”  Chet’s eyebrows shot straight up.  “You’d leave all of this?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”  Johnny huffed.  “Might be going to visit an old high school friend.”

“Ohhh.”  Chet’s expression changed to one of great interest.  “Is she cute?”

“I’d say he’s more handsome than cute.”  Johnny replied casually, waiting for Chet’s inevitable discomfort.

It wasn’t long in coming.  Chet started to say something but couldn’t seem to get the words out.  Instead he shook his head, muttered something, and returned to the table, picking up one of the sections of the newspaper.

“Someday you’re gonna learn to stop assuming things.”  Johnny told him, unable to resist needling him.

“Will you shut up, Johnny?”  Chet answered in an exasperated tone.  “I’m trying to read.”

Johnny crossed the room to lean over Chet’s shoulder.  “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.”

“Go away.”  Chet replied scornfully.  “Matter of fact, go all the way to Colorado.  Now.”

“Who’s going to Colorado?”  Cap asked as he entered the day room.

“Johnny.”  Chet answered.  “I’m going to kick his ass all the way there if he doesn’t leave me the hell alone.”

“Johnny, what did you do?”  Cap asked, his hands on his hips.

“Nothing.”  Johnny told him before taking a long drink of his coffee.  “Just told him about this old high school friend and he made assumptions.  And you know what they say when you assume.”

“Who wants coffee?”  Roy asked loudly.

Johnny poured a mug and set it near Chet.  “There you go, babe.”

“Stop flirting with me.”  Chet told him.  “You’re not my type.”

“How do you know?”  Johnny asked innocently.

“See, Cap?”  Chet told Cap.  “That’s why I’m kicking Johnny’s ass all the way to Colorado.”

Cap merely looked slightly pained, shaking his head.  “Great, fine.  Johnny, I hope you have a nice trip.”

Johnny was baffled.  “Thanks?”

The tones went off again, sending Johnny and Roy out on another call.  They climbed into the squad as Cap handed the address slip to Roy.  Roy handed it to Johnny, who scribbled a few notes on it before tucking it into the visor.

“You really need to lay off Chet.”  Roy told him.  “One of these days he’s going to haul off and punch you.”

“He’d have to catch me first.”  Johnny replied.  “Turn left.”

“I mean it.”  Roy’s tone was sharp.  “You know he gets uncomfortable with that stuff.”

“That’s his problem, not mine.”  Johnny responded.  “Left at the next light.”

“It’s about to become everyone’s problem if you don’t knock it off.”  Roy answered.  “Why can’t you just be normal?”

Johnny couldn’t help feeling a little hurt.  He’d thought that Roy had long since accepted Johnny as he was.  “No can do, Roy.”

“Well, can’t you at least be a little quieter about it?”

“Might as well ask me to stop breathing.”  Johnny told him.  “Pull up here.”

The two men climbed out of the squad and were immediately accosted by an older woman.  “Please hurry.  It’s my daughter.  She won’t wake up.”

Johnny and Roy followed the woman into the house and up the stairs to her daughter’s room, where a young woman was laying facedown on the floor, not moving.  Johnny started checking vitals while Roy set up the bio-phone.  “Rampart, this is Fifty-One, do you read?”

“Roy, BP’s seventy over twenty, pulse is forty, respirations about ten.”  Johnny turned and looked up at the older woman.  “Ma’am, is she taking any medications?”

“She’s supposed to be taking something for depression, but she quit taking it a while ago.”

“Okay, did she maybe take something she shouldn’t have?”  Johnny continued.  “Are there any other medications in the house?”

“I don’t think so.”

Roy rattled off the vitals to Rampart.  “Patient is unconscious, suspected drug overdose of unknown type.  No obvious injuries.”

Roy listened as Rampart gave instructions, then nodded.  “Ten-four, Rampart.”  He turned his attention to Johnny.  “Start an IV of Ringer’s and keep watch on her breathing.”

The ambulance arrived, and Johnny climbed in the back for the ride to Rampart.  Almost as soon as they got in the ambulance, the young woman started aspirating.  Johnny and the other attendant quickly got her on her side, and Johnny called into Rampart.  “Rampart, this is Fifty-One, do you read?”

“Go ahead, Fifty-One.”  Dixie answered crisply.

“Rampart, patient is aspirating.  Permission to start an airway.”

“Fifty-One, permission granted.”  Brackett broke in.  “Start the airway and transport as soon as possible.”

“Rampart, we’re in the ambulance now.  We’ll start the airway and be there, ETA about five minutes.”

“Ten-four, Fifty-One.”

Johnny hung up the bio-phone and placed the airway tube, attaching the breathing apparatus, watching as the patient stopped aspirating and moved in rhythm with the breathing apparatus.

Soon they were at Rampart, and Johnny jumped down to follow the gurney into a treatment room, hanging up the IV bag and helping move the patient onto the exam table.  “Need anything else, Brackett?”

“No.  Thanks, Johnny.”

Johnny returned to meet up with Roy at the desk, where he was chatting with Dixie.  “Johnny,” Dixie greeted him warmly.  “Roy here says you’re thinking about going to Colorado?”

“Just for a visit.”  Johnny was already tired of explaining.  “Friend of mine lives in Boulder and invited me to come out there.”

“Boulder’s a pretty interesting place, from what I’ve heard.”  Dixie commented.

“Sounds like Johnny’s kind of place.”  Roy’s voice had an edge to it, so much so that even Dixie seemed surprised.

There was a long, awkward silence until the handy-talkie crackled.  “Squad Fifty-One, please respond.”

Johnny picked up the handy-talkie to answer.  “Squad Fifty-One available.”

The dispatcher sent them out on another call, and the two men started down the hall, nodding a good-bye to Dixie.  “What is with you?”  Johnny demanded.

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“I said it was nothing.”  Roy seemed calmer now.  “Where are we headed?”

Johnny gave him the address, and they were off again.  With all the back-to-back calls, it was late afternoon before they started back to the station.

Roy backed the squad into the bay and shut off the engine, and Johnny started to open the door.

“Johnny, hold on.”  Roy’s voice stopped him.  He closed the door and waited for Roy to continue.

“Look, I was out of line earlier.”  Roy told him.  “You know, when I was telling you to just be normal.”

“Don’t worry about it.”  Johnny responded.

“No, I was wrong.”  Roy replied firmly.  “You’ve been this way ever since I’ve known you, and obviously before that.  It’s unfair for me to tell you to be any different.”

“Okay, so why is it bugging you now?”  Johnny asked.

“I don’t know.”  Roy admitted.  “Maybe because you’re talking about running off to be with him.  Sounds kind of serious.  Guess I expected you to get serious about a girl, not a guy.”

Johnny was baffled for a moment until he realized what Roy was really saying.  “Oh, so you figured I was just going through a phase, and when I did settle down, not saying I ever would, it would be with a girl.”

Roy let out a short huff.  “Well, when you put it that way…”

“Yeah, it does sound dumb, Roy.”  Johnny told him bluntly.  “Because it is dumb.  First of all, I’m not settling down with anyone.  Second of all, if I did, either is a possibility.  Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, good.”

Roy let out a short sigh.  “You really should quit needling Chet.  Seriously.”
“You’re really trying to ruin all my fun.”

“Won’t be much fun if he knocks your block off.”

Johnny huffed.  “Fine.  I’ll just find something else to pick on him about.”

Roy chuckled quietly.  “Your funeral.”

Johnny shrugged casually as he stepped down from the squad and followed Roy into the day room, where Chet was stirring something on the stove.  “Chili again?”  Johnny asked as he reached for the coffeepot.

“Yep, yep.”  Chet answered, eyeing Johnny skeptically.  “Chili today…”

“…hot tamale.” Came the chorus from around the room.

“You know, you’re lucky I like you guys.”  Chet told them.

“What are you gonna do, poison it?”  Johnny asked.

“Just yours, babe.”  Chet replied, the barest hint of a smile on his face.  “Just yours.”

Johnny couldn’t help laughing a little as he leaned against the sink, drinking his coffee.  There was no way he could leave these guys behind.  He’d miss this too much.

Chapter Text

Chris barely managed to make it to the station on time, all but racing into the locker room and changing into uniform just before roll call.  He earned a sharp look from his captain as he took his spot at the end of the line.

“Nice of you to join us, Schaffer.”

“I’m not late.”  Chris countered to a round of snickers from the rest of the crew.

Captain Richards took a deep breath before continuing the briefing, but Chris was only half-listening.  His mind was still back in California, occupied with a certain dark-haired, dark-eyed paramedic that probably wasn’t far from starting his own shift.

It was far from what Chris had expected when he had gone to that funeral.

He still wasn’t sure what he’d been thinking, inviting Johnny here.  Hell, he wasn’t entirely sure the guy was going to take him up on it.  Sure, maybe Johnny had agreed in the heat of the moment, but with some time and distance, he’d probably change his mind.

Chris wouldn’t blame him, not really.  One day spent in a motel room was hardly a basis for much of anything, and it was simply ridiculous to imagine otherwise.

But goddamn, what a day it had been.  It probably would have stretched out into a night if Johnny hadn’t needed to return to Los Angeles.

“Any questions?”  His captain’s sharp voice snapped Chris out of his thoughts as the rest of the crew murmured.  “Okay.  Let’s make it a great day.”

The crew broke up, and Chris made an immediate beeline to the coffeemaker, pouring himself a large mug.

“You’re looking pretty rough.”  His partner, Matt, commented.  “Everything okay?”

“Oh, sure.”  Chris answered as casually as he could.  “Just a long drive back on not much sleep.”

“You could have traded with someone, you know.”

“And leave you hanging?”  Chris replied.  “I couldn’t do that to you.”

“I would have survived.”  Matt smirked a little.  “I might have gotten paired up with that Kelly chick.”

“A fate worse than death…for her.”

Matt pretended to clutch his chest.  “You wound me.”

The tones went off before Chris could respond, and they were off on their first call of the day.  Matt took down the address while Chris pulled out of the station.

It had started to snow, just a few flakes, enough to remind Chris that he was back home instead of back in California.

“Hey, hey, eyes on the road, big guy.”  Matt’s voice broke into his thoughts.  “And turn left at the light.”

They soon arrived on scene, a small crowd gathered around the entrance of the grocery store, and the two men started gathering their equipment.  “Step aside, please.”  Matt called out in that booming voice of his, the small crowd quickly backing off, revealing an older woman lying on the sidewalk.

Chris kneeled down next to her to start checking her over.  She was conscious, which was a good start.  “Ma’am, can you tell me what happened?”

“Oh, I had just finished my shopping for the week and I suddenly got a little lightheaded.”  She explained.  “Next thing I know you handsome fellas showed up.”

Matt looked amused while Chris chuckled.  “Pulse is seventy, respirations thirty.  Hand me that BP cuff, Matt.”

Chris took the cuff Matt handed him, wrapped it around the woman’s arm, and started pumping.  “One-ten over seventy, Matt.”

“I’ll call it in.”  Matt set up the bio-phone.  “Foothills, this is Rescue Four, do you read?”

“This is Foothills.  Go ahead, Four.”

“Foothills, we have a woman, approximately seventy years old, fainted outside the grocery store.”

Chris found a bump on the back of the woman’s head, and his hand came back with a bit of blood on it.  “Matt, she has a contusion on the back of her head.  Must have hit it when she fainted.”

Matt nodded and continued.  “Foothills, patient has contusion with slight blood loss on the back of her head, BP one-ten over seventy, pulse is seventy, respirations are thirty.”

“Rescue Four, start an IV with Ringer’s and prepare for transport.”

Chris could hear the siren signaling the ambulance’s arrival.  Matt glanced up, then nodded.  “Ten-four, Foothills.  Ambulance has arrived on scene, ETA six minutes.”

Chris helped the ambulance attendants load the woman onto the gurney, and he climbed into the ambulance for the short ride.  The woman patted Chris’s hand as soon as the doors closed.  “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble, dear.”

“It’s no trouble.”  Chris assured her.  “All part of the job.”

“My daughter’s going to make such a fuss.”  She sighed.  “She treats me like a china doll.”

“You seem pretty tough to me, ma’am.”  Chris answered with a smile.

“You’re very kind, dear.”  The woman beamed at him.  “Very kind.”

They soon arrived at the hospital, and Chris followed the gurney down the hall and into a waiting treatment room, handing her off and returning to the base station to meet up with Matt.

Matt was already turning on the charm, Chris could see that before he even arrived.  “Beth, is this guy bothering you?”  Chris called out.

“No more than usual.”  Beth answered.  “I’m sorry about your friend.  Everything go okay?”

“Oh, I could think of better ways to spend a day off.”  Chris responded.

“I’m sure.”  Beth nodded sympathetically. 

Matt was still checking out Beth intently, but she didn’t seem to pay him any attention.  Finally, Chris cleared his throat, and Matt looked up.  He at least had the grace to look a little embarrassed.  “See you later, Beth.”

“Bye, guys.”

The two men returned to the rescue squad, and Chris started it up for the drive back to the station.  It was snowing a little harder now, just enough that Chris had to turn on the wipers.  “Were we supposed to get much snow today?”

“A couple inches, tops.”  Matt answered, his mind clearly elsewhere.  “Man, that Beth sure is something, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she is.”  Chris answered.  “Too bad she doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

“I’ll wear her down.”  Matt told him.  “Just gotta keep hitting her with that old Matt Ryder charm.”

“I don’t know.”  Chris laughed.  “She seems pretty immune to it so far.”

“Listen, one of these days she’s going to realize what she’s missing.”

“Oh, I think she already does.” 

Matt glared at him.  “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

“Yep, I know.”  Chris replied cheerfully.  “If you don’t like it, you can always transfer.  Maybe then I’d get to work with Kelly.”

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”  Matt countered.  “You two could talk about me all day long.”

“Man, you are full of yourself.”  Chris backed the rescue squad into the bay and shut it off.  “What makes you think we’d talk about you?”

“The real question is, why wouldn’t you?”  Matt argued as they climbed down and made their way to the day room.  “I’m amazing.”

“Ah yes, a legend in your own mind.”  Chris replied, picking up the now empty coffeepot.  “Dammit.  Who finished this off?”

Four hands pointed at Ross, who stopped just before he took a sip from his mug.  He looked a little guilty, turning toward Chris with a pleading expression.  “You know you make the best coffee on this shift.”

“No, I wouldn’t know.”  Chris answered, filling the basket with coffee before filling the carafe at the sink and pouring it into the reservoir, turning on the machine.  “You drink it all before I get any.  I’m surprised you ever sleep.”

“Sleep is for pussies.”  Ross told him.  “Like you.”

“That’s it.”  Chris laughed.  “You’re not getting any of this coffee.”

Ross pushed back his chair and crossed to where Chris stood, squeezing his shoulders.  “Aw, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean it.”

Chris involuntarily tensed a little at the other man’s hands on him.  After a moment, he shook it off and turned slightly.  “Fine.  I’ll share the coffee.  But I get the first cup.”

“Deal.”  Ross released his shoulders, letting his hands linger just a little before pulling back.

Chris let out a short sigh as he poured himself a mug of coffee.  Ross was none too subtle about his interest in Chris, and Chris had to admit he found the other man attractive.  In any other circumstances, he probably would have gone for it.

But Chris wasn’t one to shit where he slept.  That caused nothing but trouble. 

That being said, a little flirting never hurt anyone, he supposed.  It passed the time between calls.

The tones went off before Chris could get so much of a sip of his coffee, and he set the mug down with a sigh, following his crewmates out to the trucks.

Soon they were on the road, heading to a car accident.  Matt snorted derisively.  “We go three whole weeks without snow and these fuckers forget how to drive.”

“Let’s just hope it’s not too bad.”

They came upon the intersection, one vehicle crushed into the side of another, the smell of fuel heavy in the air.  This was going to be a nasty one.

“Jesus, how fast was that guy going?”  Matt asked, his tone incredulous.

Chris looked into the driver’s side window.  “Girl.”

Matt shook his head.  “I’ll go check the other car.”

Chris nodded before tapping on the window.  “Fire-Rescue.” 

She didn’t respond, and Chris tried the door.  It opened a few inches, enough for him to get in and start evaluating.  The steering wheel was nearly in her chest, her forehead bleeding profusely. 

When Chris applied a pressure bandage to the wound, the young woman started stirring.  Chris gently held her shoulders.  “Don’t move.  You’ve been in a collision.”

She blinked slowly, staring up at Chris in confusion.  “I…I don’t remember getting in the car…”

“It’s okay.”  Chris assured her.  “Just stay still.”

He managed to get a blood pressure cuff on her and take a reading.  Seventy over twenty.  She was going to be in deep shit if Chris didn’t get her out of there.

Chris looked around and waved down Captain Richards.  “Cap!  Need the jaws over here!”

His captain nodded and started shouting to the other members of the crew, and soon they were all working together, the metal creaking and groaning as the jaws pulled back the dashboard.

Chris could spot blood spurting from around one of the areas where the dashboard had pressed into the young woman’s leg.  “Stop!”

He grabbed more dressings and managed to squeeze in to wrap it around her lower leg, slowing the bleeding.  “Okay, keep going, but go slow.  And someone grab one of those blankets and the backboard.”

Soon they had her on the backboard, covered by another blanket, and she was shaking.  Whether it was from the cold or the injuries, Chris couldn’t tell immediately.

“How’s she doing?”  Matt suddenly appeared with the bio-phone and the drug box. 

“She’s going into shock.”  Chris told him.  “Forehead laceration, crush injury to her lower leg, probable internal injuries.  Doesn’t even remember getting in the damn car.”

“I’ll go grab the IV box while you call it in.”

Chris nodded and picked up the receiver.  “Foothills, this is Rescue Four, do you read?”

“Go ahead, Four.”

Chris rattled off his victim’s vitals.  “She’s going into shock, Foothills.”

“Start an IV with Ringer’s and transport as soon as possible.”

“Ten-four, Foothills.”

Matt soon returned with the IV box, and Chris started the IV.  “What about the others?”

“Pretty shaken up, but otherwise okay.”  Matt told him.  “Looked worse than it was.”

The ambulance soon showed up, and the two of them helped load her on the gurney.  “I’ll ride in.”  Matt offered.

Chris nodded and closed the ambulance doors with a smack of his open palm and returned to clean up the scene before climbing in the squad to catch up to the ambulance at the hospital.

It was only the middle of the day, but Chris was already beat.  That long drive was really catching up with him, not to mention, well, everything else.

He parked the squad truck and entered the emergency room, making mental note of everything he’d need to resupply.  “Hi, Beth.”

“Back again so soon?”  Beth smiled ever so slightly.

“Can’t get enough of the place.”  Chris answered as he filled out a supply form and handed it back to Beth.  “Mind topping us off?”

“Not at all.”

Beth took the form and started filling the empty box.  Soon Chris spotted Matt coming out of the treatment room where the young woman was taken, an uncharacteristically somber expression on his face.

“How’s she doing?”  Chris asked.

“Looking pretty bad.”  Matt answered quietly.  “I guess we’ll see.”

Chris nodded and picked up the box, and the two men returned to the squad truck.  “You look like shit.”  Matt commented.

“I told you, long drive, not much sleep.”  Chris answered.  “And I can’t even finish a cup of coffee.”

Matt managed a short laugh.  “Maybe Ross left you some.”

“Not going to count on it.”

They were both silent for a moment until Matt broke it.  “You know, I think he’s kind of got a thing for you.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Hey, just trying to help.”  Matt shrugged.

“I don’t need help.”  Chris told him.  “I’m fine.  Matter of fact, might have a little something going on already.”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up.  “Yeah?”

Chris wasn’t sure how much he wanted to tell.  “Ran into someone at the funeral.  Old high school friend.”

“Ah, nothing like a little high school reunion.”  Matt chuckled.

“Yeah, we went to a bar afterward and one thing kind of led to another.”  Chris continued as he turned out of the hospital parking lot and started toward the station. 

Matt turned toward Chris with a curious expression.  “Damn, man.  Only you.  Only you could go to a funeral and end up getting laid.  Hope it was worth it, whoever it was.”

There was a brief silence before Matt spoke again.  “So, which was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…was it a girl friend or a boy friend?”

Chris sighed.  “Does it matter?”

Matt shrugged and smiled ever so slightly.  “You tell me.”

Chris backed the squad truck into the bay and shut it off.  “I told him he should come out here.”

Matt let out a low whistle.  “Damn, that must have been some world class…whatever.”

Chris couldn’t help laughing at that.  “Yeah, I might have gotten a little caught up in the moment.  And anyway, he’s in L.A. and I’m here and it probably won’t come to anything.”

“You never know.”  Matt answered casually.  “Maybe it was as good for him as it was for you.”

Chris could only hope.

Chapter Text

Johnny looked out the window of the airplane as it started its descent into Denver.  He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting.  More mountain views, for sure.  Instead there seemed to be endless expanses of flat brown land, divided up into city streets and packed with houses and other buildings.

In that respect, it didn’t seem much different from L.A.  At least Chris would be here waiting for him.  He had that to look forward to.

It had taken a couple of months for he and Chris to finally work out this trip.  Normally Johnny would have driven, but he had limited vacation time and he was reluctant to spend too much of that time driving.  That was time he could be spending exploring unknown territory, and he intended to make the most of that time.

Finally, the plane landed, and Johnny followed the rest of the passengers into the terminal, making his way through the crowd in search of Chris.  It wasn’t long before he spotted the other man, looking far more rough and rugged than Johnny remembered.

It suited him, somehow.  And it damn sure did something to Johnny.  He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to keep his hands off Chris.

Chris seemed to spot Johnny, that half-smile lighting his face as he waited for Johnny to meet him.  Almost as soon as Johnny did, he felt Chris’s fingers brush against his.

“It’s good to see you.”  Chris told him quietly.

The touch, the voice, all of it quickly erased any doubts Johnny had about coming here.  It was all he could do to not grab Chris right there and then and…

Well, with any luck, there would be plenty of time for that.

Instead, the two men made small talk all the way to baggage claim and out to Chris’s Blazer.  It was only once everything was loaded and they were in the Blazer that Chris suddenly leaned over and captured Johnny’s mouth with his own, his thumb brushing along Johnny’s jawline before his hand came to rest on the back of Johnny’s neck.

Johnny could only respond in kind, letting his hand scrape across the stubble on Chris’s face on its way to the back of the other man’s neck, his fingers running up into Chris’s hair, fine and soft, still an unexpected sensation, but a welcome one.

Almost as soon as Chris had started, he pulled back, leaving one last brief kiss on Johnny’s lips before fixing him with that little half-smile and settling back into the driver’s side and starting up the Blazer.

Damn him, anyway.  It was going to be a long drive with the way Chris had left Johnny burning.

Finally, Johnny found his voice again.  “You know, it’s not nice to tease a guy.”  He told Chris casually.

“Who said I was teasing?”  Chris replied, glancing over at Johnny.  “Hell, that was just a sneak preview.”

The thought made Johnny shift in his seat a little, and he instead turned his attention to the changing landscape as they left Denver behind.  This was more of what Johnny had expected, the land slowly becoming greener, the mountains coming into view.

“Never gets old.”  Chris commented.  “Now do you see why I invited you out here?”

“Among other reasons.”  Johnny answered.

Chris let out a short laugh.  “Well yeah, that too.”

Soon they arrived in Boulder.  It seemed like a small town in comparison to L.A., almost quaint.  Johnny couldn’t tell much just from driving through, but there seemed to be an entirely different groove here from other small towns, more relaxed, somehow.

“This is where all the hippies ended up.”  Chris told him.  “Between the hippies and the college kids, it’s kind of a strange place.  I like it, though.  It’s pretty peaceful most of the time.”

“I see what you mean.”

“You don’t yet, but you will.”  Chris responded.

Chris pulled into the driveway of a large house and parked in the back.  If it was anything like Johnny’s place, it was probably divided up into a bunch of apartments.

“Go ahead and bring your stuff up.”  Chris told him.  “Figured you’d want to rest up a bit after your flight.”

Johnny wasn’t counting on getting much in the way of rest, but he wasn’t sure he really wanted it anyway.  What he really wanted was a little more of what Chris had given him back at the airport.

He followed Chris into the apartment house and up a flight of stairs.  The smell of both pot and cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air, no surprise given what Johnny had already seen of the town.

Chris turned to catch whatever expression Johnny must have shown, letting out another short laugh.  “Yeah, the hazards of living among college kids.  They do like to stink up the place.”

“I’ve been known to indulge myself.”  Johnny answered casually.

Chris looked almost relieved as he unlocked his apartment.  “And I might be one of the contributors to the smell.”

Johnny couldn’t help laughing a little at that.  This was shaping up to be a fine trip already.

He followed Chris inside and set his bags down.  It was a small space, somewhat cluttered, and Chris quickly started moving to tidy up.  “I haven’t been home much.  Been pulling some extra shifts.”

“Don’t worry about it.”  Johnny answered absently, already drawn to the view outside the living room window.  “Those the Flatirons?”

“Yep.”

“And you just have that outside your window every day.”  Johnny was more than a little awestruck.  “What the hell, man?  You didn’t tell me that.”

Chris chuckled at that.  “Yeah, it’s a hell of a view.  Part of what keeps me here.”

Johnny was starting to understand the appeal.

Suddenly Johnny felt hands on his hips, Chris’s body against his, Chris’s lips on his neck.  “Kind of fond of this view, myself.”  Chris’s voice was rough in Johnny’s ear.

Johnny leaned against Chris, surrendering to the sensation of the other man’s lips on the back of his neck, a sharp gasp escaping him as Chris found an especially sensitive spot.

It wasn’t long before Chris was tugging at Johnny’s shirt, his hands finding their way underneath, rough and warm against Johnny’s skin, and it was almost more than Johnny could take.  If Chris wanted to take him right there and then, Johnny was sure he wouldn’t be able to find it in himself to object.

Chris nudged him from behind, briefly snapping Johnny out of his thoughts.  “Come on, are you just going to give up that easily?”  He asked Johnny.

“I was considering it.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you.”  Chris told him.  “Might rough you up a little, though.”

“Fine with me.”

“Maybe not right here.”  Chris answered.  “How about I throw you down and have my way with you?”

Johnny couldn’t help but laugh at that image.  “I don’t know.  I think I could still take you down.”

“You’re more than welcome to try.”  Chris’s voice rumbled in his ear.

Johnny turned around, practically nose-to-nose with Chris.  Back when they were kids, Chris had shown him a few wrestling moves.  If he remembered right, he’d always somehow managed to take Chris down, despite Chris’s weight advantage, pinning him down and…

Well, they weren’t kids anymore, but that didn’t mean Johnny wasn’t willing to take Chris on again.

He shifted his weight just enough to throw Chris off balance, and Chris instantly responded.  Before Johnny knew it, they were both on the floor, a tangle of arms and legs, grabbing at whatever might give the other an advantage.

This was a hell of a lot harder than Johnny remembered it being.  He finally surrendered, lying flat on his back, breathing heavily while Chris straddled him, holding down his wrists and looking down with great amusement.

“Do you give?” He asked.

Johnny finally managed to catch his breath long enough to answer.  “Yeah, I give.  Christ, I can’t hardly breathe.”

“It’s the altitude.”  Chris told him.

Johnny had failed to take that into consideration.  “And you knew that.”

“Yep.”  Chris answered.  “Sure was a hell of a lot of fun, though.”

“That’s just unfair.”  Johnny replied.

“You get used to it.”  Chris told him before leaning over to kiss him, his tongue sliding easily into Johnny’s mouth and ending all discussion.

It wasn’t long before they were right back where they were, working at each other’s clothing and managing to strip it away, leaving nothing between them but the sensation of Chris’s body against his, hands and mouths going anywhere and everywhere they would reach.

Eventually Chris made his way down until he was between Johnny’s legs, slowly feeling around with one finger, almost as if he were teasing Johnny again.

Johnny pushed himself up on his elbows.  “Are you going to do something with that thing or not?”

Chris looked mildly surprised.  “I wasn’t sure you were serious.”

“What the—of course I’m serious.  Jesus.”  Johnny answered, equal parts exasperated and frustrated.  “You said you were going to rough me up a little.  Get on with it.”

“You’re awfully goddamn bossy.”  Chris answered.

Before Johnny could answer, Chris had him flipped over on to his stomach and at least two fingers deep inside him, working him, stretching him, and it was all he could do to hold on for dear life, anticipating what was coming next.

It wasn’t all that long in coming as Chris slowly pushed inside him as far as he could go, and Johnny let out some kind of sound at the sensation.  He could feel Chris’s hand on his lower back as he paused for a moment.  “Are you okay?”  He asked.

“Yeah, fine.”  Johnny managed to get out.  “Keep going.  Not my first time, you know.”

Chris soon started up again, his hand never leaving Johnny’s back, and Johnny lost himself in the all the sensations, the pain and the pleasure coming together in nearly equal measure, overwhelming Johnny’s senses.  He rode that wave for what felt like forever before he finally let go, Chris not far behind, slowly coming down and relaxing into the floor, closing his eyes and catching his breath.

He felt Chris’s hand slide up his back, and it took him a moment to notice that he was lying on the floor next to him. 

“You know, I never pictured you as the taking type.”  Chris told him.

Johnny managed a shrug.  “Either or, you know.”

“Good to know.”  Chris replied.

“What about you?”  Johnny asked.

“Usually take with guys.”  Chris explained.  “You know, kind of the opposite of what I do with women.”

Johnny figured now was as good a time as any to gauge where things were going.  “You seeing anyone right now?”

Chris shifted so that he was lying on his back.  “Not since I got back from the funeral.  I had a couple dates before that, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.  What about you?”

“Oh, a couple girls.  A guy.  Mostly one and done, you know?”  Johnny didn’t want to admit that Chris had been in the back of his mind ever since the funeral, even as he’d gone on as he always had, a couple of dates here, a one-night stand there.

He was starting to lose interest in the chase, and he didn’t know what to think about that.  It didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Did it?

A long silence had stretched out between them, and normally Johnny would have said almost anything to fill it.  For now, though, he was content to let things be.  It gave him a little time to think.

Chris suddenly let out a short sigh beside him.  “Suppose we’d best get going if we’re going to make it up to the cabin.  I didn’t plan on this kind of distraction.”

“That’s all I am?”  Johnny couldn’t help needling him.  “A distraction?”

Chris planted a quick kiss to Johnny’s forehead before getting up off the floor.  “Far from it.”

Johnny pushed himself to his knees.  Maybe there was more to this thing than either one of them were willing to admit.  There was still enough time on this trip to find out.

Chapter Text

It was late in the afternoon by the time Johnny and Chris made it up to the small mountain cabin, but Johnny was already entranced by the surroundings.

Now he was starting to understand what Chris saw in the place.  The landscape here was more like what Johnny had imagined it would be, and he couldn’t wait to get out and explore further.

But for the time being they needed to get the cabin set up, and the two of them worked together to get the place organized, and Chris soon had a pot bubbling on the stove, along with a pot of coffee.

“I’ve got a couple of trails mapped out to get us started.”  Chris told him, spreading out a trail map on the counter.  “They take us up into some mountain territory, and it’ll give you a bit of a chance to get acclimated to the altitude.”

“I appreciate that.”  The last thing Johnny needed was to pass out on the trail and be in need of rescue himself.

Chris smiled at that.  “Yeah, it’d be a little ironic to have to call out Mountain Rescue for you.”

“That mountain rescue part of the fire department?”

“No, it’s an all-volunteer group.”  Chris answered.  “I usually volunteer a couple days a month myself.  Might be something you’d be interested in doing.  If you come out here, that is.”

Johnny had to admit that Chris was making a pretty good case for a move.  Still, there were a few days left on this trip, and even then, it wasn’t as if he had to make a decision before he left.

There were just too damn many what-ifs to consider.  Johnny let out a short huff in irritation.

“Something bugging you?”  Chris asked.

“No.”

“Liar.” 

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are.”  Chris countered.  “You always made this weird face when you lied.  You’re making it right now.”

Johnny had heard that all his life, that his face always gave away what he was thinking, even as it contradicted his words.  “I don’t know.  Just a lot to think about, I guess.”

“Look, don’t think you have to make a decision right now.”  Chris assured him.  “Hell, you don’t have to make a decision at all if you don’t want to.”

Johnny was baffled.  “I don’t?”

“Nah.”  Chris answered.  “I mean, I think you’d like it out here, and yeah, I’d love having you a little closer, but if all you want to do is come out and visit every so often, that’s okay, too.”

He leaned over and gave Johnny a quick kiss before returning to the stove to stir the pot.

Johnny considered Chris’s words, watching as he worked in the small kitchen.  He supposed that was one way to handle this, to just keep coming out to visit.  Maybe he could even get Chris to come out and visit every so often. 

But more what-ifs crept into Johnny’s head at the thought.  If either of them met someone else, that could spell the end of these trips.  Johnny didn’t like the thought of that.

Unless neither one of them met someone else.  Then what?  Would they just keep visiting each other for the rest of their lives?

That Johnny was even considering the possibility was unusual.  He’d always bounced from one person to another, never settling in with one person for too long.  There had been a couple here and there that he’d spent a few months with, but the minute they had pushed for something more out of him, he’d bolted.

Johnny once again huffed irritably and flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  He was making too much of this, he knew that.  For all he knew, this trip could go all to hell, and he would return to California and the life he had there, never thinking of Chris again.

But what was there for him, really?  A job he loved, sure.  Good friends, some of whom he considered family.  Those were things he could have anywhere if he really wanted.

Besides, the guy in the kitchen of this small cabin was the one thing he didn’t have out in California.  And Johnny was already becoming increasingly reluctant to leave him.

Johnny rolled off the bed and made his way to the kitchen, coming up behind Chris and wrapping his arms around him, resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder.

Chris turned his head ever so slightly.  “Yes?”

“Still thinking, that’s all.”

Chris briefly kissed him on the cheek, patting his head before turning back to the stove.  “Why don’t you think about getting down some bowls and a couple of mugs?  Food’s almost ready.”

Johnny released him and did as directed, and he followed Chris outside to a small seating area.  The air was cooling off, but still comfortable, and the two men settled into the outdoor chairs with their respective meals and coffee.

“That’s good chili.”  Johnny commented. 

“My paramedic partner is big into hunting.”  Chris explained.  “Sometime he gets more than he has room for, so he gives me some.  So instead of beef this time around, I used elk.”

Johnny nodded.  “One of the guys at the station makes a good chili.  Got another that makes Irish stew.”

“And what about you?”

Johnny paused.  “I’m good at cleanup, let’s just put it that way.”

Chris looked amused.  “Good to know.  Guess what you’re doing after dinner?”

Johnny shrugged at that.  “Seems fair enough.”

The two men continued talking.  “So wait.  You’re telling me that the Irish guy makes the chili, and the Mexican guy makes the Irish stew?”

“Yep.”  Johnny nodded.  “And our engineer makes the best damn spaghetti you’ve ever had.  Caused one hell of a fight between my paramedic partner and his wife because he said Mike’s was better than hers.”

Chris started laughing, shaking his head.  “And I thought I had some crazy stories.”

Eventually the sun went down, taking any remaining warmth with it, and Johnny found himself shivering despite his heavy shirt.  “I think I’m going in.  Getting a little chilly out here for me.”

Chris rose to join him.  “You’ll get used to that, too.”

Johnny started to turn toward the cabin, but something stopped him.  Beyond the seating area was a clearing, and beyond that Johnny could just make out the mountains in the distance.

Above it all were a million stars, the likes of which Johnny rarely got to see unless he was well out of L.A.  This was an entirely different sight, though, and he stood for the longest time, watching as a few clouds occasionally obscured the view but never fully shut it out.

“Thought you were getting cold.”  Chris was suddenly beside him.

Johnny gestured outward.  “Got a little distracted.”

Chris nudged Johnny’s shoulder with his own.  “Bet you’ll never see that where you are.”

“Nope, too much smog.”  Johnny replied quietly.  “Can you see that from your apartment?”

“Sometimes.”  Chris answered.  “Not like this, though.”

They stood next to each other in silence for a long moment until Johnny broke it.  “Do you ever get tired of this?”

“Never.”

Another little shiver went through Johnny, and Chris nudged him once again.  “Come on.  I’ll get a fire started while you clean up.”

Johnny turned to follow Chris into the cabin, and both men started their respective tasks.  It all felt so oddly domestic, and Johnny didn’t quite know how to feel about that, either.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Chris squatting down by the fireplace, the glow highlighting the other man’s features.  Chris was obviously deep in thought, or so it appeared to Johnny.

Maybe he was going through some of the same what-ifs that Johnny was going through.  He could hardly blame him.  Johnny’s presence would probably disrupt Chris’s life to some degree, too.

And if, somehow, Johnny did get into the department, and they were assigned to the same station…

No, Johnny was definitely getting too far ahead of himself.  One thing at a time.

He finished cleaning up and joined Chris in front of the fireplace, soaking up some of the warmth as he glanced at Chris.

That familiar half-smile spread over his face.  “Yeah, I’m thinking, too.”

“About what?”  As if Johnny didn’t already know.

“Same as you, I guess.”  Chris answered, the smile fading.  “I’ve never been any good at settling down.  Kind of scares me, you know, what I felt for you then and…maybe what I feel for you now.”

“Scares the hell out of me.”

“I know.”  Chris chuckled ever so slightly.  “You know, I almost got married once.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”  Chris replied.  “I loved her, I really did.  We could have made it, I think.  And she knew how I was, so that wasn’t the problem.”

“So, what happened?”

“I just couldn’t do it.”  Chris answered softly.  “I knew I’d have to give up a part of myself, and in the end, I couldn’t do that.  Wouldn’t have been fair to her, either.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Anyway, she met someone else, got married, has two or three kids now.  Still run into her every so often.  She seems happy.”

Johnny shifted so that he was sitting on the floor.  “I haven’t gotten that far.  Just a couple of people who wanted more from me, and I wasn’t ready to give it to them.  Always think, what if it’s the wrong person, you know?  How does anyone know if they’ve met the right one?”

Chris smiled a little, joining Johnny on the floor.  “Who really knows? Anyone who’s sure is a damn fool.”

“My partner first met his wife when they were in fourth grade.”  Johnny told him.  “Fourth grade.  Can you imagine?”

“Well, how old were we when we met?”

“A lot older than that.”

“Fourteen.”  Chris replied.  “I had just turned fourteen and you were almost fifteen.”

“And I had just come to live with my aunt after my parents died.”

“And I ended up sitting next to you in math class.

“History class, actually.”

“Right.”  Chris nodded.  “History class.  You got pissed off because of how the teacher described Indians.”

“Kind of understandable, don’t you think?”

“It was.  I always admired that about you.  You were never afraid to speak your mind, even if people thought you were weird for it.”

“And then you made the wrestling team and showed off what you learned.”

Chris let out a short laugh.  “And immediately regretted it.  You always used those moves against me.”

“You let me.”

“I assure you that I did not.”  Chris told him firmly.  “You always pinned me fair and square.”

“How do you figure?”

Chris shrugged.  “I had the weight advantage, but you had the speed advantage.  You always got me before I had a chance to think about my move.”

“And that’s how a pair of weirdo teenage boys figured out they were horny for each other.”

“It was always more than that, Johnny.”  Chris scoffed.  “You know that.”

And it was more than that now.  Johnny knew that.  Now he just had to figure out what the hell to do about it.

He let out a heavy sigh, catching Chris’s attention.  The other man smiled a little and wrapped his hand around Johnny’s knee.  “We’ll figure this out, one way or another.  As long as we don’t lose track of each other again, I’ll be happy.  Anything else is just icing on the cake.”

“I like cake.”  Johnny answered lightly, hoping to ease the tension he felt.

Chris merely shook his head before leaning in, catching Johnny slightly off-guard with one of his slow, lingering kisses, the kind that always left Johnny burning.

Johnny almost immediately shifted, pushing Chris to the floor, trapping his body under his own, breaking away to start working his way down Chris’s neck, finding that spot in the hollow of his collarbone that Johnny knew would drive him nuts.

“See what I mean?”  Chris managed to get out.  “Pinned me fair and square.”

“Still think you let me.”  Johnny answered roughly as he moved to unbutton Chris’s shirt, spreading it open and continuing to leave a trail down Chris’s body.

“Doesn’t matter.”  Chris replied almost breathlessly.  “Just…don’t…ah, don’t stop.”

Johnny had no intention of doing so.

Before long their bodies were once again intertwined, nothing between them, and Johnny started slowly working on Chris until the other man was squirming under him before slowly pushing his way in.

Chris let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a gasp in response, his fingers curling into Johnny’s back.  “You okay?”  Johnny asked.

“Fuck, yes.”  Chris replied sharply.  “Not my first time either.”

Johnny couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped him, picking up right where he left off, losing himself in the sounds and sensations until Chris came undone under him shortly before Johnny unloaded himself, the two of them collapsing into a sweaty, sticky pile on the floor.

They lay there on the floor for a long moment, almost as if neither one wanted to say anything to break the mood.  All the talk prior of whatever deeper feelings they seemed to be starting to develop for each other made this time different.  There was some sense of intimacy that Johnny couldn’t recall feeling before.

He definitely had no idea what to do with that feeling.

“Hey, let me up.”  Chris’s voice broke into Johnny’s thoughts.

Johnny rolled away enough for Chris to rise to his feet, and the other man soon returned with a pair of towels, tossing one to Johnny.

After a quick clean up, Chris banked the fire, and the two men climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over themselves.  Johnny lay on his back until he heard Chris’s breathing even out as he fell asleep.  It was only then that Johnny dared to roll over, lying against him and draping an arm over him.

The feeling was at once familiar and strange, bringing to mind a memory of another time and place when he had felt the same for this man.

He wasn’t kidding when he had told Chris that it scared the hell out of him.

Finally, Johnny drew himself closer to Chris with a sigh.  He wished he was as sure as Chris that they would somehow figure this out.

Chapter Text

Chris led the way up the trail, checking back every so often to make sure Johnny was still behind him.  He was getting more acclimated by the day, and after three days out here, Chris thought Johnny would be ready for some serious climbing.

Today they had set out for one of Chris’s favorite climbing spots up in the Flatirons.  It was a somewhat challenging climb, and Chris figured Johnny would take to it like a duck to water.

He figured correctly.  They set up their equipment and the two men started off, slowly working their way up the rock face. 

“I thought you said this was going to be hard.”  Johnny called over to him. 

“I said it might be challenging.”  Chris responded.  “Obviously you’ve got a good handle on it.”

Johnny flashed him that crooked grin and started up again, and Chris could almost see the other man’s brain working, finding each foot hold and hand hold.  This was one of Chris’s favorite climbs, and he was thrilled to finally be able to share it with Johnny.

It brought to mind all those climbs they had done together when they were kids.  Nothing like this one, of course, but challenging in their own way, with the added bonus of camping out overnight before heading home the next day.

Those overnights spent either under the open sky or in that little tent brought to mind a whole different set of memories, ones he and Johnny were reliving this time around, too.

The whole trip so far had been a rousing success, in Chris’s mind.  As far as he could tell, he’d made a compelling case to Johnny as to why he should move here.  But the other man’s reluctance was understandable, despite what he possibly felt for Chris, and such a move would be a major undertaking.

But he was still considering it, peppering Chris with questions about the fire department as they spent their days hiking the surrounding area and their evenings in and around the cabin, ending either in front of the fire or in the bed.

No matter what happened from here, those nights were going to stick in Chris’s mind forever.

The way they were getting to know each other so intimately alternately thrilled and scared Chris.  They had fumbled and stumbled their way through back then, neither one of them knowing what the hell they were doing.  The years apart had changed that, and now both of them brought that knowledge to whatever this new thing was between them.

He was falling hard for Johnny, again, and it was just as powerful and intense as it had been back then.  Chris was getting the feeling, though Johnny hadn’t come out and said so, that the other man was doing the same. 

It showed in odd little ways, the way Johnny would touch him lightly at the small of his back, his waist, his shoulder, anywhere, really.  The way he’d flash that little crooked grin when Chris caught him staring at him. 

And the way he wrapped himself around Chris at night with a sigh when he thought Chris was asleep.

Chris had awakened that first night with a start, some half-remembered dream that had disturbed him, to find Johnny pressed tightly against him, his breath warm against Chris’s neck.  The minute Chris shifted, Johnny did too, rolling to his back, one arm thrown over his eyes.

He never mentioned it to Johnny, but waking up with that man wrapped around him was easily the best part of this whole damn trip.

“Hey!”  Johnny called down to him, immediately pulling him out of his thoughts.  “You daydreaming down there?”

Johnny had gotten pretty far ahead of Chris while he had been lost in his thoughts.  “Nope.  On my way.”

Johnny paused, waiting for Chris to catch up, and the two men continued on together until they reached the top of the craggy rock.  The view was incredible, and Chris could hardly wait for Johnny’s reaction.

“Wow.” Was all the other man could manage, staring out over the evergreens that covered the landscape, and the rock formations that stretched as far as the eye could see and then some.  “This is…breathtaking.  Literally.”

Chris couldn’t help laughing.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine.”  Johnny took in a long breath.  “Just took a little bit out of me, that’s all.  And I know, I’ll get used to it.”

Chris squeezed Johnny’s shoulder.  “You’re starting to get it.”

Johnny turned toward Chris.  “Thanks.  You know, for all of this.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”  Chris answered. 

That crooked grin immediately flashed.  “It’s not all yours.”

Chris leaned over and kissed Johnny hard, thrilling as the other man returned it with equal force before slowly pulling away with a sigh.

“You know I’m gonna be thinking about that all the way down, right?”  Johnny asked.

“Good.”

“And I’ll be thinking about what to do to you all the way down, too.”

“Even better.”  Chris answered.  “Just don’t get too distracted.  Wouldn’t want to have to radio in Mountain Rescue.”

Johnny suddenly looked thoughtful.  “You think maybe we could see a little more of Boulder before I go?  Might help me make a decision.”

Chris didn’t want to get his hopes up.  At the same time, if it would help, he was happy to do it.  “Sure.  It’s not that big a city, so we should be able to hit the highlights in a day.”

“Great.”  Johnny nodded, still looking thoughtful.

They talked a little more after that as they had lunch, and they finally packed up and started their descent.  Chris couldn’t help but admire how easily Johnny seemed to rappel down, as if he’d been doing it all his life.

Finally, they reached the bottom, packing up their equipment and heading back down the trail.  As had been their habit all those years ago, Johnny talked Chris’s ear off while Chris listened.  Chris loved hearing Johnny’s enthusiasm about the climb, the scenery, the whole thing.  It reinforced the thought that Chris had done the right thing by inviting Johnny here.

Now all he had to do was somehow convince Johnny that he belonged here with him, and that was still going to be a tough sell.  But Chris was sure it would be worth it.

# # #

The following day, Chris drove back from the cabin to the apartment.  There was always unpacking and cleanup to do after a trip, and this time was no different.  However, he supposed that could wait.

After all, he had promised Johnny a tour of Boulder, and he intended to make good on it.

Maybe they would even swing by the station.  It couldn’t hurt.

“Johnny, you ready?”  Chris called.

“Yeah.”  Johnny answered from the bathroom.  “Why didn’t you tell me I was so sunburned?”

Chris winced.  It hadn’t occurred to him to warn Johnny about that.  “Didn’t notice.  Is it bad?”

“Um, yeah.”  Johnny sounded unsure. 

Chris went into the bathroom.  Even he was surprised.  The only part that wasn’t bright red was around his eyes where he’d been wearing his sunglasses.  “Whoa.”

“Yeah, I know.”  Johnny frowned in the mirror.

“I should have warned you.”  Chris told him.  “Thin air plus full sun is a bad combination.”

Johnny seemed to study him.  “I see what you mean.  Looks like you got it worse than I did.”

Chris looked over Johnny’s shoulder into the mirror.  As Johnny had noted, his face was an even brighter red than Johnny’s.  “Guess I did.”

Johnny looked amused.  “Two peas in a pod.”

Chris found the jar of Noxzema he usually kept around for such things, spreading some on his own face before handing the jar to Johnny.  “Here, this should cool it off a little.”

Johnny took a whiff of the jar and made a face before handing it back to Chris.  “Think I’d rather not.”

“Suit yourself.”

They were soon on the road again, and Chris pointed out some of the major landmarks.  “CU’s the big one.  University of Colorado.  Probably a quarter of the population is college kids.  It gets a lot quieter in the summer when they’re not around.”

Johnny had what seemed like a million questions, his curiosity obviously piqued as they continued to drive around.  “You weren’t kidding when you said this is where all the hippies ended up.”

“It makes for an interesting groove, for sure.”  Chris answered.

Suddenly Johnny seemed to notice something.  “Chris, pull over.”

“Why, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but something doesn’t look right.”

Chris understood.  It seemed even when he was off duty, he was always ready to jump in and help where needed.  He pulled over to the curb, and Johnny immediately jumped out, trotting over to the man that was slumped over against the lamppost.

“Sir?”  Johnny asked.  “Sir, are you okay?”

The man stirred and mumbled, blinking as he looked up at the two men, turning his attention to Chris.  “Who’s the new guy?”

Chris was all too familiar with this man.  “Friend of mine.  He was worried about you.  How are you doing?”

“Not so good.”  The man slurred.

“Well, my friend and I are going to get you some help, okay?”

“’Kay.”

“Johnny, I’ll stay with him if you want to find someone to call the fire department.”

Johnny nodded and found a nearby business while Chris tended to the man.  “What did you take today?”

“Oh, the usual.”  The man answered.

“I’m going to need you to be more specific.”  Chris told him. 

Johnny suddenly reappeared.  “They’re on their way.”

“Good, thanks.”  Chris turned his attention back to the man.  “Now then.”

The man sighed.  “Just a little dope.  Same shit as always.”

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.”  Chris answered.  “You overdid it a little, huh?”

“Yeah.”  The man replied.  “Shit was stronger than usual.”

The sirens indicated the arrival of the rescue squad, and Chris was glad to see it was Matt and Kelly.  It looked like Matt had gotten his wish.

“Hey man, I thought you were still wandering around the mountains.”  Matt commented as he and Kelly started working on the man.  “What have we got?”

“Heroin OD.”  Chris answered.  “Johnny here spotted him.”

Matt glanced up at Johnny with a quick smile.  “So you’re the one Chris has been talking about.”

Johnny smiled a little and looked over at Chris.  “Is that right?”

“Yep.”  Matt answered as he wrapped a BP cuff around the man’s arm.  “Hasn’t shut up about you for two months.”

“That’s not true.”  Chris told Johnny.

“Kelly, you wanna call it in?”  Matt asked her.

Kelly opened the bio-phone.  “Foothills this is Rescue Four, do you read?”

“BP one hundred over twenty, pulse forty, respirations around twenty.”  Matt called out.

Kelly nodded.  “Foothills, we have a possible heroin OD, BP is one hundred over twenty, pulse is forty, respirations are twenty.”

She took down the instructions.  “Ten-four, Foothills.”  To Matt she relayed, “Start an IV with Ringer’s and watch his breathing to make sure he doesn’t aspirate.”

The ambulance soon arrived, and the man was loaded in for transport, with Kelly going along for the ride.  As soon as it took off, Johnny looked at both men, incredulous.  “You guys let girls join the department?”

“Yep.”  Matt answered.  “Started letting them in last year.  Got about five of them now.”

“Isn’t that something.”  Johnny murmured.  “And they just work right alongside the guys.”

“They kind of have their own space in the dorm.”  Chris explained.  “Matt’s normally my partner.  Kelly’s just filling in while I’m gone.  As you can tell, Matt’s thrilled.”

Matt flashed a quick smile as he cleaned up.  “Hey, she’s damn good.  And she’s nice to look at.  Sure doesn’t hurt.”

Johnny nodded.  “Yeah, I guess.”

Matt looked over at Chris.  “You should bring your friend by the station.  See how he likes it.”

“We were kind of headed that way, actually.”

Johnny merely looked amused.  “All part of his evil plan to get me to leave L.A.”

Matt shrugged a little.  “Boulder might not be as exciting as L.A., but it’s got its perks.”

“Yeah, I see that.”

Matt threw Chris a knowing look.  “See you around.”

“Bye, Matt.”  Chris told him.  “Say hi to Beth when you get to Foothills.”

Matt huffed and rolled his eyes as he cleaned up, climbed into the rescue squad, and took off.

Chris and Johnny climbed back into the Blazer and continued down the road.  They weren’t far from the station, and Chris soon pulled in. 

Johnny raised his eyebrows.  “You were serious.”

“Yep.”  Chris answered.  “Can’t hurt to get some info, right?”

Johnny narrowed his eyes a bit.  “No, I suppose not.”

Chris climbed down from the Blazer, with Johnny following close behind.  They were greeted by Ed, who was up on the engine checking equipment.  “Hey Chris.  Who’s your friend?”

“Hi, Ed.”  Chris responded.  “This is my friend Johnny.  He’s visiting from L.A.  Is Cap in his office?”

“Sure is.”  Ed answered.  “Why, you’ve got us a new recruit there?”

“Maybe a transfer.”  Chris told him.  “Johnny’s one of us.”

“Got it.”  Ed nodded, hopping down from the engine to extend a hand.  “Great to meet you, Johnny.  Hope you don’t find us too boring after L.A.”

“Not likely, thanks.”  Johnny replied.  “Good to meet you, too.”

Chris knocked on the captain’s door.

“Who’s that?”  The voice barked from the other side.

“It’s Chris.  Okay if I come in?”

Chris heard a heavy sigh.  “Sure.”

Chris opened the door to see Captain Richards at his desk, surrounded by paperwork.  “What the hell are you doing here, Schaffer?  You’re not due back until next week.”

“Friend of mine is thinking about joining the department.”  Chris replied.

“Tell him to sign up at the fire academy.”

Johnny and Chris looked at each other before Chris continued.  “Might be more of a transfer situation.”

Captain Richards glanced up.  “From where?”

Johnny cleared his throat.  “L.A., sir.”

The captain glared at Johnny.  “What kind of experience do you have?”

Johnny was clearly a little unnerved.  “Seven years in fire and rescue, three years as a paramedic.  Was part of one of the first training classes.”

“You guys have a hell of a program out there.”  Captain Richards replied.  “You good at what you do?”

“I like to think that I am, sir.”

Captain Richards let out a little harumph.  “Schaffer, get him some info.  And as for you…”

“Gage.”  Johnny quickly answered.  “John Gage.”

“Gage…”  Captain Richards fixed his glare on him.  “Get a damn haircut.”

Johnny managed to contain his amusement.  “Yes, sir.”

With that, they left the office, and Chris waved toward Ed.  “See you around, Ed.”

“Enjoy the rest of your time off.”  Ed answered.  “And nice to meet you, Johnny.”

Johnny waved back, following Chris back to the Blazer and climbing in.  “You’re relentless.”

“I’m just getting you some info.”  Chris replied smoothly.  “What you do with it is up to you.”

Johnny gave Chris a sideways glance before staring back out the windshield.  “I’ll think about it.”

“Seriously?”

Johnny looked thoughtful, then nodded.  “Seriously.”

“Good.”  Chris nodded, trying to temper his expectations.  “That’s good.”

Chris didn’t dare get his hopes up, but that Johnny was even thinking about it was a step closer than when he’d gotten here.  It was a step in the right direction.

Chapter Text

Johnny changed into uniform, glancing up at the pile of papers on the top shelf of his locker.  He’d been looking it over for weeks, ever since the fat envelope had shown up in the mail shortly after his trip to visit Chris.

All he had to do was fill out the application and mail it back to start the process, and yet, Johnny had found himself unable to do so.

It was overwhelming, the idea of leaving and starting a whole new life.  No wonder Johnny felt so stuck.  It had seemed so simple just a few short weeks ago, when he’d been riding high on the feeling of being in Colorado and with Chris.  He’d nearly been ready to make that leap.

Now, as time had passed, and he had settled back into his normal life, Johnny couldn’t help but wonder if what he felt there was real, whether it was enough to justify making such a drastic move.

He heard a sigh from behind his open locker door, and looked up to see Roy looking at him.  “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”  Johnny slammed his locker door shut and joined Roy on the way to the day room.

Johnny grabbed a pair of mugs, and Roy filled them, a ritual that had played out hundreds, if not thousands of times over the course of their partnership.  He had a hard time imagining developing that kind of partnership with anyone else, though he supposed that could eventually happen here, too.  Roy might finally decide to take a promotion the next time one came available, for all Johnny knew.

“You’re awfully quiet this morning.”  Roy observed.

“Just thinking.”

“That’s dangerous.”  Chet commented from the table, where he was scanning the newspaper.

Johnny rolled his eyes while Roy merely looked vaguely amused.  “He kind of has a point, Johnny.”

“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”  Johnny answered, taking a long drink of his coffee.

Chet looked up from his newspaper.  “This have something to do with your, uh, friend?”

“Mind your own business.”  Johnny told him sharply.

“You’ve made it our business, babe.”  Chet responded casually.  “It was all you talked about when you got back.”

“Yeah, what happened?”  Marco chimed in.  “You were all keyed up and then, nothing.”

“Nothing happened.”  Johnny answered.

Chet and Marco looked at each other knowingly.  “Marco, it appears the, uh, bloom has fallen off the rose.”

“Indeed.”  Marco intoned.  “Ah well, it was nice while it lasted, right?”

Johnny finished his coffee and set the mug aside.  “As usual, you guys have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The tones went off, sending Johnny and Roy out on their first call of the day, and they jumped in the squad.

It turned out to be a minor call, with no follow-up necessary, and the two men started back to the station.  Roy turned to Johnny as he drove.  “Okay, what’s bothering you?”

Johnny let out a sigh.  “Keep looking at that application.”

“And?”

“And what?”  Johnny huffed.  “That’s it.”

Roy chuckled.  “I know that’s not it.  You were all excited when you came back from Colorado.  Hell, you talked about nothing else for damn near two weeks.  What happened?”

“For once I’m not being stupid and impulsive and you’re giving me a hard time about it?”  Johnny challenged Roy.

“I’m not giving you a hard time.”  Roy replied patiently as he backed the squad into the bay and shut it off.  “Just wondering what happened, that’s all.”

Johnny had a hard time explaining it himself.  “I don’t know.  It’s not like I want to leave here.  I like it here.  But I like it there, too.  Nice town, beautiful views, lots of hiking and climbing and all that stuff.”

“Mm-hmm.” 

“And I could probably test in.”  Johnny continued.  “All I have to do is send in the application to get started.”

“So what’s stopping you?”

Johnny fell silent again, debating how much he wanted to share with Roy.  This was his best friend, his partner, the one he told everything to, even the stuff Roy didn’t want to hear.

But this was different.  This came down to a matter of the heart, and Johnny was reluctant to share that with Roy.  There was no way the other man would understand.

Finally, Johnny took in a deep breath and exhaled.  “I’m scared, Roy.”

Roy looked baffled.  “You?  You’re one of the bravest guys I know.  Hell, you jump into situations that would curl anyone else’s hair.  What the hell are you scared of?”

Johnny stole a glance at Roy.  “Let’s say I run off to be with Chris, and it doesn’t work out.  Then what?  I’ve gone all that way for nothing.”

Roy smiled a little.  “You said yourself it wasn’t just about Chris.”

“It’s mostly about him.”  Johnny answered quietly.  “Never really felt this way about anyone.  I don’t know how to handle it.”

Roy let out a short sigh.  “Johnny, just fill out the damn application.”

And with that Roy climbed down from the squad and closed the door, leaving Johnny sitting by himself.  Maybe he was tying himself in knots for nothing, and it was really that simple.

All he had to do was mail in the application.  Hell, maybe they wouldn’t even accept his application.  If that was the case, no harm, no foul.  He’d just continue to make the occasional visit out to Boulder.  That would be enough, wouldn’t it?

But Johnny knew deep down it wouldn’t be enough.  It had taken all of his resolve just to leave Chris at the airport for the trip home.  And Chris sure as hell hadn’t made it easy.

Johnny climbed down from the squad and made his way to his locker, opening it and pulling down the small pile of papers from the top shelf.  He picked up the application and looked it over for what seemed like the thousandth time before closing the locker door and heading toward Cap’s office.

“Hey, Cap.”  Johnny tried to sound casual.

Cap looked up from his work.  “Hey, Johnny.  Whatcha got there?”

Johnny took a deep breath.  “Application for Boulder Fire-Rescue.”

Cap’s eyebrows shot all the way up into his hair.  “Boulder?”

“Yeah, you know.  Where I went on vacation a few weeks ago.”

Cap leaned back in his chair.  “Right.  Your friend’s a firefighter out there.  I remember now.”

“Yeah.”  Johnny answered.  “He keeps bugging me to join him.  Been sitting on this application a while.”

Cap nodded.  “Well, we’d sure hate to lose you.  But our loss would be Boulder’s gain.”

Johnny was quiet for a moment.  “You suppose you’d be willing to be a reference?”

Cap’s face lit in a smile.  “I’d be glad to.  Not because I want to get rid of you, either.  You’ll be a great asset to them.”

Johnny straightened up a little at that.  “Thanks, Cap.”

He left the office and went into the day room, sitting down at the table, taking his pen out of his pocket and starting to fill out the application.

There was a shadow over his shoulder, and he looked over to see Chet leaning over him.  “What do you want, Chet?”

“Nothing.”  Chet answered, taking the chair next to Johnny.  “Finally filling out that application, huh?”

“Yeah.”  Johnny replied absently as he continued.

There was a long silence until Chet let out a sigh, his hand landing on Johnny’s shoulder as he rose from the chair.  “Well, good luck.  You’ll be missed.”

“I’m touched.”  Johnny answered sharply.

“I’m serious.”  Chet continued from where he was pouring himself another cup of coffee.

Johnny looked up to see Chet leaning against the sink.  The other man shrugged.  “Yeah, you’re kind of a pain in the ass, but I’ll tell you what, there’s no one I’d rather have saving my ass than you.”

Johnny was oddly touched.  “Thanks, Chet.”

“Don’t mention it.”  Chet replied.  “You’re really going to go be with this guy?  Like, really be with him?”

“That’s the plan.”

Chet shook his head.  “I don’t get it, but good luck with that too, I guess.”

Johnny couldn’t help smiling at that, finishing the application and shoving it in the envelope before going off in search of a stamp.

He found one in a book in one of the desk drawers in the office, and Cap’s voice stopped him again.  “All done, Johnny?”

“All done but the mailing.”

“Good luck.”

Johnny nodded and licked the back of the stamp, sticking it on the envelope before heading out to the mailbox.  He stood there for a long moment, having one last debate with himself.  Once he dropped that envelope in there, there would be no turning back.

He opened the door to the slot and dropped it in, letting the door close.  What was done was done, and there was nothing left now but to wait.

# # #

Weeks stretched into months, and Johnny hadn’t heard anything more about his application.  He was tired of everyone bugging him about it, and was starting to get short with anyone who dared ask, even with Chris.

“I don’t know.”  Johnny told Chris, who was in L.A. for a long weekend.  “I guess it was a long shot, anyway.”

“Don’t give up just yet.”  Chris answered.  “There just aren’t a lot of openings right now.  You’ll get that call.”

“Forget it.”  Johnny huffed.  “Think we’re just going to be stuck doing this long-distance thing forever.”

“You’re so dramatic.”  Chris laughed.

“It’s true.”  Johnny argued.  “Why can’t you just come here?  We always have openings.  Why do I have to come to you?”

Chris sighed.  “Don’t start.”

“I’m not starting anything.”  Johnny snapped.  “It’s just stupid for us to keep doing this.”

“It’s not stupid.”  Chris replied patiently.  “Just hang in there, please?  You’re a hell of a candidate, and they’d be stupid not to take you.”

Johnny huffed irritably.  He was trying to be patient.  It just wasn’t his strong suit.

The phone rang, breaking Johnny out of his thoughts, and he jumped up to answer.  “Hello?”

“Is this John Gage?”

“Speaking.”

“I’m calling regarding your application with Boulder Fire-Rescue.”  The man continued.  “We would like to schedule you for testing.”

Johnny’s heart started pounding in his chest.  “Okay, sure.”

He scribbled a few notes, asking more about the process to make sure he was going to have everything he needed.  The altitude was going to make a difference, he was told, but he had known that and was going to do his best to prepare.

Finally, he hung up the phone, standing there for a moment and letting it all sink in.  It was another step in the process, another step closer to leaving L.A.  He didn’t quite know what to think.

“Well?”  Chris’s voice behind him broke him out of his thoughts.

“I’ve got testing scheduled in a few weeks.”  Johnny told him.

Chris rose from where he sat, embracing Johnny.  “What did I tell you?”

Johnny returned the embrace, scarcely believing it himself.  “I’m not in yet.  Still have a few more hoops to jump through.”

“I know, I know.”  Chris stepped back, his hands drifting down Johnny’s arms.  “But you’re closer than you were.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Johnny took Chris’s hands in his.  “Look, about what I was saying earlier…”

“Forget it.”  Chris told him. 

“No.”  Johnny took a deep breath.  “I was being a jerk and we both know it.  Don’t blame you for not wanting to come here.  Hell, I’d rather be there, too.”

“And it looks like you’ll get your chance.”

“Kinda looks that way, yeah.”  Johnny felt a little better now.  “You know of any places to rent out there?”

“Sure.”  Chris replied.  “I’ll send you some listings when I get back.”

“Great, thanks.”  Johnny nodded before pausing briefly.  “You’re okay with me getting my own place, right?  If this all works out, that is.”

“Yeah, of course.”  Chris answered.  “You’ve seen my place.  It’s not exactly made for more than one person.”

Johnny took a deep breath, settling himself.  This whole this might actually come together.  It still didn’t feel quite real, and probably wouldn’t until a job offer came through.

It sure seemed to Johnny that he was on the verge of settling down, and that was something he’d never thought he’d do.  He and Chris would finally at least be in the same city, and that would be a start.

“Shit, this is really happening.”  Johnny suddenly blurted out.

Chris looked a little concerned.  “It’s not too late to back out.”

“That’s the thing.  I don’t want to.”  Johnny replied.  “I mean, I know absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder and all that, but this thing would be a hell of a lot easier if we’re in the same place, you know?”

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

Johnny tried to collect his scattered thoughts.  “I sat on that damn application for weeks.  Weeks.  Kept looking at it every time I opened my locker.  Just couldn’t seem to get it filled out, because I knew what it meant.  It meant leaving everything here behind and going to where you were, and that scared the hell out of me.  Still does, but I guess I’m willing to face it now.”

Chris had stepped back, folding his arms over his chest, looking somewhat amused.  “I assume you’re going to make your point eventually.”

Johnny huffed and threw his arms up.  “My point is, I think I love you.  No, no, I know I do.  I knew it when we were kids, I knew it after that funeral, and I know it now.  And for the longest time, I didn’t know if that was enough to make me leave.  But now, after doing all this back and forth…it’s enough.  It’s more than enough.”

Chris unfolded his arms and stepped forward, taking Johnny’s hands in his and leaning in for one of those long, slow kisses, and Johnny felt all the tension he’d been holding leave him.  The other man finally broke it off, pulling back to give Johnny a knowing look.  “You know, I knew that.  It’s good to hear you say it, though.”

“So you just let me ramble on and make a damn fool of myself.”  Johnny huffed irritably.  “Thanks a lot.”

“I don’t think you made a fool of yourself.”  Chris told him.  “Just said what was on your mind, that’s all.”

Johnny was quiet for a long moment.  “You remember when you said anyone who knows that they’ve met the right one was a damn fool?”

“Maybe?”

“Well, you can call me a damn fool, then.”  Johnny replied.  “Because I’m pretty sure now that you’re the right one.”

Chris smiled ever so slightly.  “Make that two damn fools.”

“Two peas in a pod.”

Chris let out a short laugh.  “Two peas in a pod.”

Chapter Text

Johnny changed into civilian clothes and folded his uniforms, setting them on the bench while he cleaned out his locker.  The Smokey poster was coming with him, and he planned on hanging that up on the inside of his new locker once he got there.

Station Two, A shift, Boulder, Colorado.  It was finally happening.

He took his uniforms into Cap’s office and set them on the desk along with his badge and his helmet.  “Think that’s everything, Cap.”

Cap rose from his desk.  “You left a forwarding address for the department to send your last paycheck?”

“Sure did.”

“I suppose that’s it, then.”  Cap extended a hand.  “Boulder’s lucky to have you.  We’ll sure miss you around here.”

Johnny took the extended hand and shook it firmly.  “Thanks, Cap.  I’m gonna miss it here, too.”

He left the office and made his way out to the Rover with the U-Haul attached.  The rest of the crew was out there waiting for him, and Johnny had to wonder if Chet had one last trick up his sleeve.  He wouldn’t put it past him.

“Go home.”  Johnny called out.

“Come on, Johnny.”  Chet answered.   “You didn’t think we’d let you leave without a proper goodbye, did you?”

Johnny checked inside the Rover.  “You didn’t leave any little gifts behind, did you?”

“Would I do that?”  Chet sounded mildly offended.

“Yes.”  Came the chorus.

“Well, I didn’t.”  Chet replied, throwing a glare to the rest of the crew.  “Just wanted to say goodbye and good luck.  Gonna miss not having you to pick on.”

“You’ll just have to find yourself a new pigeon.”  Johnny slung an arm around the other man’s shoulders.

“Already working on it.”  Chet smirked, clapping Johnny on the back.

“Boulder’s getting one of our best.”  Mike told him.  “Good luck, Johnny.  It’s been quite an adventure working with you.”

Marco nodded in agreement, extending a hand to Johnny.  “Gonna miss you.”

“Gonna miss you too, Marco.”  Johnny answered, shaking Marco’s extended hand.  “And that Irish stew.”

“I’ll send you the recipe.”

Finally, only Roy was left, leaning against his Porsche with an expression Johnny couldn’t quite decipher.  “Roy?”

Roy pushed himself off the Porsche and met Johnny where he stood, simply standing before him for a long moment before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Johnny, taking him completely by surprise.

Johnny could only respond in kind, emotion starting to come to the surface.  After Roy had all but hounded him to join the paramedic program, they had become partners, the unlikeliest of friends, and finally family.

He’d miss Roy most of all.

Finally, Roy pulled back, seeming a little embarrassed at such a display of emotion on his part.  “Call as soon as you get there.  You know Joanne’s gonna worry until you do.”

Sure, Joanne was going to worry.  “I will.”

“And you’d better come back for Christmas, at least.”  Roy continued.  “I’ll never hear the end of it otherwise.”

“I will.  Promise.”

Roy looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again.  “And bring Chris with you when you come.  We want to get to know him.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“All right.”  Roy nodded.  “Really gonna miss you, Junior.  But you’re gonna do well out there.  They’re lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Roy.  Gonna miss you, too.”  Johnny really wanted to get the hell out of here before his emotions got the better of him.

He finally climbed into the Rover and started it up, pushing a tape into the stereo and pulling out of the parking lot, starting down the road.

It was a strange thing, leaving somewhere he’d lived his entire life.  He hadn’t ever imagined leaving, not before that first trip out to Colorado back in the spring.

He’d fallen in love with the place and the man who lived there, and had fallen hard.  Now here he was, driving on to start a new life with that same man, near those mountains, all because he had gone to that funeral that his aunt had insisted he attend.

Johnny’s aunt hadn’t exactly been thrilled when he’d told her he was moving away.  She was even less thrilled when he told her why he was moving there, and had tried to talk him out of it.  But in the end, she realized Johnny would not be dissuaded, and had finally wished him well, even as she didn’t fully understand the nature of his and Chris’s relationship.  She hadn’t really understood back when he and Chris were kids, either, but then again, neither had Johnny.

But he understood it now, looking back.

Johnny drove on for the better part of the day, making stops every so often to fuel up both the Rover and himself.  He’d already planned to stay the night somewhere around the halfway point, and pulled off the highway in a small Utah town to find a place to stay and maybe call Chris to let him know he was on the way.

He found a motel and pulled in, making his way to the office, where he was greeted by an older man.  “Can I help you, son?”

“Just need a room for the night.”

The man found a key and handed it to Johnny.  “Just the one night?”

“Yes, sir.”  Johnny answered.  “Heading to Colorado in the morning.”

The man nodded.  “Sign here.”

Johnny handed him his credit card after the man gave him his total.  Transaction completed, Johnny found his room and entered, feeling the exhaustion of a day on the road overtaking him.

But first, a phone call.  He dialed the number and waited as it rang.  “Hello?”

“Hey, Chris.”  Johnny replied.

“Well, hey yourself.”  Chris’s tone turned affectionate.  “Where are you?”

“Uh, somewhere in Utah.”  Johnny told him.  “Staying the night.”

“Let me know when you’re on your way.”  Chris answered.  “I’ll have a whole crew waiting at your place to help unload.”

Johnny hadn’t counted on that.  “Great, thanks.”

They talked for a while longer, and Johnny realized just how much he missed the guy when they were apart.  It reinforced for Johnny that he was making the right move.  There was no way he and Chris could have done this long-distance thing for too much longer.  At some point, one of them would have had to make a decision, and Johnny already knew that Chris would never come back to California for a million reasons.

“I’m gonna let you go.”  Chris finally told him.  “You sound beat.”

“I am.”  Johnny answered, barely containing a yawn.  “I’ll call before I leave.  Love you.”

Chris laughed at that.  “Nice try, sneaking that in there.  And I love you, too.  See you tomorrow.”

Johnny smiled to himself as he hung up the phone and laid back on the bed.  Maybe he was still a little scared of settling down, but he was no longer so scared of how he felt for Chris.  One step at a time.

# # #

Johnny started out again the next morning after a quick phone call to Chris.  He stopped in at a gas station for some coffee and a fill-up, and then he was back on the highway, the morning sun nearly blinding him.

He found his sunglasses and shoved them on his face, popping another tape in the stereo and humming along as he drove.  It wouldn’t be long now, relatively speaking.

After a couple more stops, he was finally in Colorado.  The fall colors were in full bloom here under a bright blue sky, and Johnny could only marvel at the stark difference between here and L.A.  There, the only sense of seasonal change was the rainy season and a slight cool-off, and even that wasn’t guaranteed.  Johnny could recall working brush fires well into the winter months when there was a drought on.

But here, the seasons were more clearly defined.  He’d gotten his first taste of a Colorado spring on that first trip, alternating between sun and snow, heat and cold.  Then, when Chris had come to see him during the summer, the other man had told him about the sometimes extreme temperatures, on par with what Johnny had experienced in L.A.  “You’re not missing much.”  Chris had told him.

And now he had come here right in the middle of a Colorado autumn.  It was truly breathtaking, and Johnny couldn’t believe he got to live here to experience it.

Yeah, he’d definitely made the right move coming here.

Finally, he arrived in Boulder, finding his way through the small city to his new apartment house near the college campus.  The area was busy with activity, and Johnny figured there must be a football game going on.

It was sure going to be an interesting place to live with all of this going on.

Johnny pulled into the driveway and into the parking area behind the apartment house, his heart beating a little quicker when he spotted Chris leaning against his Blazer.  Matt was there, too, along with another guy that Johnny didn’t recognize.

Johnny immediately hopped down from the Rover and made a beeline to Chris, planting a kiss on him, letting it linger for what seemed like ages before pulling back.

God, he had missed this man.

“Hey now.”  Matt called out.  “That how you greet all your friends?”

“You’re next.”  Chris told him before turning back to Johnny.  “It’s okay.  They know.”

“Good.”  Johnny felt a little less embarrassed at his display.  “Hate making a fool of myself for no reason.”

Chris let out a short laugh before starting introductions.  “You already met Matt.  This guy is Kevin Chandler.  He’s going to be your partner at Two.”

Johnny backed off and nodded to a man that was standing off to the side.  “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kiss you.”

Kevin’s face broke out in a grin as he extended a hand.  “Good to meet you, John.  Looking forward to working with you.”

“Same to you.”  Johnny accepted the outstretched hand.

“Okay, let’s get started.”  Chris told everyone.  “There’s beer and pizza waiting afterward.”

“And maybe some smoke.”  Matt chimed in.  “That is, if you don’t mind, Johnny.”

“Nope.”  Johnny answered.  “I’ll probably be ready to partake myself.”

Johnny unlocked the U-Haul and the men got to work unloading and unpacking.  They made quick work of everything, and soon the place looked almost like it did when it was in L.A.

“Man, those are some nice photos.”  Matt commented after they had hung them up on the walls.  “Where’d you find those?”

“Picked those up at some little art fair.”  Johnny pointed toward two of the larger ones before pointing at the smaller ones.  “Those I took myself.  Those two are of Echo Cliffs, the other one’s from Joshua Tree.”

“Damn, man.”  Matt checked out the smaller ones.  “These are great.  Really beautiful work.  You know, you could probably sell these.”

Johnny shook his head.  “Not interested in that.  I just like taking pictures.”

He felt Chris’s fingers rub back and forth along the back of his shoulders.  “You’ll have all sorts of material here.”

The men got to talking over beer and pizza, and soon Matt pulled out a baggie and some rolling papers, handing them to Johnny.  “You want to do the honors?  Seeing as it’s your place.”

“Sure, thanks.”  Johnny took the baggie and the papers from Matt.

Matt flashed a little grin.  “Think of it as a housewarming present.”

Johnny acknowledged that with a little smile of his own as he rolled the joint and lit it, taking in a long hit before passing it on to Chris.  Soon enough it made its way around the room, and after a few hits, Johnny was feeling good and relaxed, stretching out on the couch with his head in Chris’s lap, listening to the others talk among themselves.

“You know, I’m real glad you moved out here, Johnny.”  Matt commented casually as he passed the joint to Johnny again.

“Why’s that?”  Johnny asked, taking a hit and passing it on.

“Because now I won’t have to listen to my partner bitch and moan about only being able to see you once in a blue fucking moon.”  Matt answered with a laugh.  “Man, when you got that job offer, you couldn’t wipe the smile off this idiot’s face.”

That earned a round of laughter from both Chris and Kevin, and Johnny felt Chris’s fingers running through his hair.  “Seems only fair after having to listen to you whine about how Beth won’t go out with you.”

“Ouch.”  Kevin laughed.  “Guess that Matt Ryder charm only goes so far, huh?”

“It worked on your mom.”  Matt shot back.

“Aw, don’t be sore.”  Kevin answered casually.  “You’ll find yours.”

“Yeah, then I can just shack up with her for the rest of our lives.”  Matt responded.  “When are you gonna marry that girl, anyway?”

“Why should we?”  Kevin replied.  “It’s just a ring and a piece of paper.”

“Shit.”  Matt snorted.  “Chris and Johnny are gonna get hitched before you and Mary Ann do.”

“Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”  Chris told him.  “You’re gonna send Johnny packing right back to California.”

“Not happening.”  Johnny managed to reply.  “Worked too goddamn hard to get here.  And if you think I’m letting this guy go, you’re crazy.”

“Ah, true love.”  Matt responded lightly.  “Ain’t it grand?”

The evening finally wound down, and Kevin called his girlfriend to come pick up him and Matt.  Mary Ann seemed to be a sweet girl, clearly used to dealing with this sort of thing, and they all soon left the apartment, leaving Chris and Johnny alone.

Something suddenly occurred to Johnny.  “Shit, I’ve gotta make a phone call.  Told Roy I’d call him when I got here.”

He found the phone and dialed the number, waiting as it rang.  Finally someone picked up.  “DeSoto residence.”

Johnny was slightly embarrassed to have gotten Joanne in his inebriated state.  “Hey Joanne.  Just wanted to let you and Roy know I made it to Boulder okay.  Sorry I didn’t call earlier.”

Joanne laughed softly.  “It sounds like you’re having a good time out there already.  Roy fell asleep watching the game, but I’ll let him know you called.”

“Thanks, Joanne.  Love you guys.  Miss you.”

“Aw, we miss you, too.”  Joanne responded warmly.  “We’ll talk to you soon.”

“’Kay, bye.”

Johnny hung up the phone and flopped back against the back of the couch, turning toward Chris.  “You wanna go to bed?”

“Sure, Johnny.”  Chris answered sleepily.

“I’m not gonna be good for much of anything.  I’m kinda tired and, uh, kinda wasted.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Soon they were in Johnny’s bed, and Johnny lay quietly, listening as Chris’s breathing started to even out.  He rolled to his side and lay against Chris, flopping one arm over his side and pulling in as close as he could.

“Ow.”  Chris murmured.

“Sorry.  Thought you were asleep.”

“Hmm, nope.”

Normally Johnny would have pulled away, but he didn’t really feel like moving.  He actually enjoyed this, being so close to Chris in the dark and the quiet.  It was something he could see himself doing for the rest of their lives.

The thought caught Johnny off guard.  It hadn’t been that long since he’d been too scared to consider such a thing.  “Chris?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you think about us getting our own place together?”

The other man didn’t respond right away, and Johnny was worried he’d said too much.  “We can talk about it sometime.”

He covered Johnny’s hand with his own.  “This feels like enough right now.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.”  Johnny replied quietly, lightly kissing the back of Chris’s neck.

This right here was more than Johnny had ever expected, and for now, he was with Chris.  This was more than enough.

For now.