Summary: It doesn't matter how, when or why -- the importance of quality time spent together is immeasurable.
Archive Date: 08 April 2006
The 5th edition of Rage had taken so long to get out; with Justin living in LA it was difficult for him and Michael to coordinate their efforts. Faxing of illustrations was not quite as effective as their ¡®brain storming' sessions that they had grown so fond of but it would have to do. Michael had put some really long hours into his writing of the comic and now that it was going to printing, he could take a breather. He only hoped he hadn't lost any ground with Ben and Hunter in the process.
Edition 4 saw Michael spending more and more time away from the house, holed up in his small office at the back of his store. Some nights he would come in after Ben was already asleep and then he would sleep until after Ben had left for Carnegie Mellon. They were losing quality time together and the household was suffering for it. Words were spoken and everyone agreed to be more considerate of each other. Hunter would help Ben out more when Michael was busy; Michael agreed to keep more sensible hours and Ben would try not to worry so much and be so grumpy. They each had a part to play.
Michael had tried to stick to his end of the bargain this time around but when he snuck out of the house at 4.00 this morning to get the final drafts off to the printer so Edition 5 could be on the stands by tomorrow's end, he had a feeling it would bring consequences.
It was 7.07am when Michael heard the bell tinkle on his door. He didn't open until 9.00 and he was hoping to lie down and catch some shut eye until then. He was sure he had locked the front door. He appeared in the doorway of his office and in the darkened store he saw a silhouette by the counter.
It was a familiar silhouette, tall, broad and muscular. His hair was just getting to the length that Michael preferred after a not-so-good trip to a barber. He was wearing his favourite blue jeans that held his athletic limbs and buttocks just so. He pushed his glasses back on his nose in his all-too familiar manner which brought a wide smile to Michael's face. Suddenly he didn't feel tired anymore. He leaned on the frame of his office doorway and just watched as his husband played with the stack of comics on his counter and then straightened them.
As though at that moment Ben sensed his presence, he turned to see Michael's form lurking a few feet away. The lamp light from his office placed a soft glow around him and Ben smiled at the sight. He began walking towards the haloed figure. When no words were exchanged, Michael wasn't sure if Ben had come into the store with an angry agenda; to berate him for sneaking out at a ridiculous hour or whether he had other things on his mind.
He didn't have to wait long to find out. Ben took one last step and his lips found Michael's. Michael could taste Ben's mouthwash and feel his newly shaven chin against his. It appeared his squeaky clean husband had stepped out of his usual daily routine, but for what reason?
"Good morning lover" Ben purred in Michael's ear.
With his body firmly against Michael's, Ben took him back inside the small office. He closed the door and snipped the lock.
"I re-locked the outer door when I came in; we won't be disturbed."
Ben slipped off his jacket and threw it on Michael's rickety office chair. Michael smiled coyly and said "What are you doing?"
"Having good-morning sex with my husband, what else would I be doing?"
Well, Michael was definitely up for that. His sweater was off in a flash, followed by t-shirt and shoes. Ben slowly began undressing and announced "Michael we have time, relax."
Michael was way too into the moment to relax; his imagination and expectations had already surpassed any longing moments held for much needed sleep. He tugged at his husband's jeans, wanting them off. Ben leaned against the door as he pulled one leg out at a time. Both in their shorts, they came together.
"Ben, I'm sorry I took...."
Ben's mouth claimed Michael's and silenced whatever it was that Michael was sorry about. With the early morning chill that hung in the air Michael welcomed Ben's hands on his back, stroking, kneading and caressing as Ben's mouth performed wondrously against his own. One hand slipped slower and took Michael's tight buttocks, bringing a raging fire to his belly in anticipation of what was to come. He could feel how aroused Ben was, with their shorts each doing their own merry dance in front as passion was heightened.
Fingers slipped beneath the red check silky fabric of Michael's boxers and Ben's tongue drove deep into his mouth as he felt Michael's body come alive against his own as though electricity was coursing through it. Ben's mouth left Michael's and after a moment or two when Michael realised that it wasn't returning, he opened his eyes to assess the situation. Ben's mouth had found his chest by this point. Michael fingers began weaving through Ben's still damp hair and he allowed his mind to cloud over and just revel in the sensation of Ben's mouth working its way down his torso. The red shorts slid down as Ben went to his final destination on his knees. He reached for his jacket pocket and produced everything he needed to ensure that this early morning sex-call was as safe as any other time he would be bringing pleasure to his husband.
Michael's fingers dug deep into Ben's shoulders as Ben brought him to the brink of never return and Ben felt every nerve ending tighten and shudder and then release as his husband was relieved of his overdue morning stiffy. He kissed each thigh tenderly as he came back up to meet Michael's face, a face which now held an afterglow. Ben kissed him tenderly and took him back into an embrace.
The tenderness and light embrace were quickly taken over by an emergence of time-reduced needs and urges that needed to be met. Ben practically scooped Michael and took him to the sofa bed where just 20 minutes ago Michael had been getting ready to take a well earned nap before opening the shop. Michael knelt and leaned into the corner of the sofa and licked his lips and felt his stomach muscles tighten as his husband's naked body encroached on his space. Ben had prepared himself and was ready to complete this early morning romantic, albeit lustful interlude.
As he entered Michael, a gasp sprang from Michael and his elbows grazed along the roughened fabric of the old sofa. Michael was well aware of how horny his husband was in the mornings and it wasn't surprising to him that Ben had a great urge that needed to be quelled, and quickly. Ben had always been a morning lover; whereas Michael was more the night owl so the two complimented one another. One way or another, they would enjoy passionate encounters nightly or first thing as a wake-up gesture.
The grunts and heat emanating from Ben and the fingers digging deep into his hips alerted Michael to the fact that his husband was about to meet the need that he had come prowling around in the dark in search of a short while ago. Michael's elbows and forearms held red, hot patches where they had taken a beating against the sofa in the heat of passion and as he sank down on the sofa with Ben as they both steadied their breathing Ben noted the redness.
He smiled "When we have the cash, we're getting you a new sofa and new carpet in here. My knees look like your forearms!"
"Who cares... it was worth every scrape and rasp! So.... You woke up feeling rather frisky huh?"
"I did... I felt around in the dark and you weren't there. I assumed you'd gotten up early to work but I when I didn't find you at the house I knew you had to be here. I remember waking up around 5.00 and wanted to cuddle but you weren't there, but I assumed you were in the bathroom then... What time did you sneak out?"
"It was around 4.00. I just got finished when you arrived; I was going to take a nap here."
Ben smiled "Well I hope what I offered was more enticing than a nap."
"Are you kidding me that was amazing? Ben, I'm sorry that my time has been eaten up by my work again... I did try to stick to normal hours."
"I know baby... that isn't what this was about. I just wanted to show my support and let you know that I do understand that this is your work and that it means a lot to you. I know I got all bent out of shape when the last issue of Rage took so much of your time away from me but you know what, last night I started to think about all the times I've sat in the living room marking papers or preparing lectures and asking you and Hunter to keep it down; or the times I asked you to back off when you felt frisky and I was too deep in taking notes for a lecture or when you needed to unwind from a stressful week and go clubbing and I was too tired from a long week and sent you out alone... it all added up Michael and I realised I had no right to be asking you to be more mindful of the fact that you were taking quality time away from us, if I wasn't heeding more own advice. So, I am sorry too that I have let my work interfere with us."
Michael just looked deep into the eyes that held so much wisdom and passion and slowly leaned in to kiss his husband gently. "I love you Ben."
"I love you too and you can count on more meetings like this if I feel that we need to touch base and just bring things back on track again. If you feel I'm being a bore and sticking my nose into too many books, you have my permission to toss the book across the room and just drag me off to the bedroom and have your way with me!"
"Yeah right... I can see you letting me do that!"
"Seriously baby, don't let me push you away. I know how enthralled I get in my books and notes and lectures but that's no excuse for ever letting you think I don't care enough about us that I can't put it aside for an hour or two." 6¦5"I don't ever think that Ben. You're always showing me how much you care, even when you don't realise it. I don't mean you have to swan in here and fuck my brains out the next time I have a dead-line to meet and our sex life has been pushed aside; I'm talking about the small gestures that you come up with... When you bring me coffee and a snack when you sense that I've probably worked through lunch again... that shows me that even with your busy schedule, I know you've been thinking about me and you take time out of your day to do something nice for me. When you call me here to let me know you're home from wherever; that shows me that you realise that I worry about you even though I'm not home to show it... those things mean the world to me Ben."
"I'm glad that you know all of that stuff, because I don't ever want you to think that I don't love you or that I ever get too caught up in my life to not think about what you might need or what Hunter needs and what our family needs are. Our family unit is and always will be the most important thing in my life above all else."
A loving soft kiss ensued and after their desperate love-making efforts, each was now comforted by knowing that love would always get them through and that no matter what, their love for one another would always be foremost in their minds.
As they cleaned up and got dressed Michael said with a silly grin "Imagine if we walked out there and found a shop full of people who had listened to our whole performance!"
Ben laughed "Yeah that would be embarrassing for sure! Luckily though, I did lock the door when I arrived, so that couldn't happen."
Michael just nodded with a chuckle and pulled the sticky door open. As he stepped into the store, he heard the doorbell tinkle ever so slightly and just saw the door close as he reached the counter. He quickly bolted for the door to see who had gone unnoticed and undetected but there was no sign of anyone. A million thoughts ran through his mind; what if Ben hadn't locked the door -- it could have been anyone, but what if Ben had locked the door -- that could mean only one thing.... His unseen visitor had to be his mother, his best friend Brian, Hunter or his close chums Emmett or Ted as they each had a copy of the key to the store. His mind swirled wondering which of them it had been but then a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he realised it didn't really matter which of them it had been, all that mattered was that he and Ben were as close as they ever were and that the person who has slipped out now knew that as well as he did.
He saw his husband off with a lingering last kiss and set about to enjoy his day with renewed vigour and a thirst for life.
End of "Good Morning Lover" by Jannine (greenbeltave@optusnet.com.au)