..the way he hurts (145 words)
May 2000
He paces the emergency room and counts the tiles on the floor. He tries to remember the feel of Josh's hand in his. He tries to remember the way it felt running through the rain, the feel of a wet brush against his lips. He doesn't cry.
February 2001
He has a sharp, cutting pain through his heart. It shows by the dark pain in his eyes and his drawn face. He isn't sleeping. He tells them, eventually, because he wears his pain on his sleeve. He doesn't cry.
May 2001
It's easier to hide it months later as he makes his way to his office. Easy to close his door and let his head drop as he wonders what he's doing there, what's his purpose, and why he was the last to know. When he raises his head, his newspaper is wet.
[end]
* * * * * * * * *
II.
...his desires(148 words)
The first time is when they meet. He finds Josh arrogant and self-centered He wonders, then, why he wants to kiss him until neither of them can breathe.
The second time is when they're working together. Long hours and endless headaches; Sam wants to smooth the crease that's formed on Josh's forehead with his tongue.
The third time, they're at a bar and Sam no longer sees Josh as an asshole. In fact, he knows he's falling hard, especially when Josh brushes up against his back on his way to the bathroom and Sam imagines the feel of those hands curling around his waist and a mouth on his neck.
The fourth time he goes for it. A clumsy kiss at his front door; Josh's Cherry Wheat flavored tongue mingling with his own. The next morning, he lies curled around Josh, wishing his internship didn't have to end.
[end]
Challenge II. "Sam's Departure from someone, someplace, or something."
Before He Goes (100 words)
When he looks back, he knows he'll never understand why he waited. Two months of flirting and tonight of all nights he made his move. Now, lying back on Josh's bed, Josh's frame fitting perfectly against his, their mouths meeting, tongues clashing, his body being blessed with frantic kisses, he doesn't want it to end; and he has to leave in the morning. Internship over and he'll never see this man again. This man who will probably forget he exists.
"Goodbye, he whispers softly; to himself.
Josh's eyes glance upward. "Hmm?"
"Nothing," he murmurs, and begins to memorize every moment.
[end]
