The breeze from the open window ruffled the curls sticking out from under Harvey's beret, as he leaned against the door frame. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his thoughts drifted to Nash, and how wonderful their week had been. He looked forward to when they could be alone together again. If he could make it through the day without killing Evan, that is.
"C'mon, Harve, tell me who she is." Evan was dying to find out all the details. Reaching over to nudge his partner, he asked, "How'd you meet her?"
Rolling his eyes with a sigh, Harvey replied, "After what you did this morning, I'm supposed to spill my guts to you. I don't think so."
"I said I was sorry, Harve. I just didn't think."
"There's an earth-shattering statement."
"Ha, ha. C'mon, you can tell me. I'm your best friend, man."
Harvey was saved from answering that one, when his cell phone rang. Digging it out of his pocket, he flipped it open. "Leek. Oh, hey."
He couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound of Nash's voice asking, "Have you killed him yet?"
"No. Not yet, anyway. I'm getting there."
"I didn't have a chance to tell you earlier, but Joe figured it out. He caught the way we looked at each other this morning."
The smile dropped from Harvey's face. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't-"
"Don't be sorry, Harve. We talked about it, and Joe's fine with it. He was just worried you were displacing him."
Harvey sighed with relief. "That's great. For a second there, I thought I'd screwed everything up."
"Harvey, you worry too much. But I love you anyway." Nash's laughter floated through the phone and made Harvey smile. "Have you told Evan?"
"Are you kidding? No."
"You might as well tell him, Harve. Joe already knows, and I know you don't want to keep such a big secret from Evan."
"I'm a little-" Scared, he thought, but said instead, "worried."
"Harvey, he'll find out sometime. Better he hears it from you. You may as well get it over with. No matter what happens, you know I love you."
Resting his head against the door frame, Harvey closed his eyes. He could feel Nash's love, even over the phone. "I know. Thanks, Nash. I'll see you later."
"That was Nash? What's got you so worried?"
Closing the phone with a sigh, Harvey slipped it back in his pocket. He felt a little queasy, thinking about all that could go wrong in the next few minutes. "Ev, why don't you pull into that lot over there. We've got a lot to talk about."
Pulling into the empty parking lot, Evan parked and put the truck in gear. He could tell by Harvey's voice that this was something serious. "Harvey?"
"Evan, you want to know who I slept with last night?" he started. Harvey shook his head and removed his beret, running a hand through his hair. "Man, I wish Nash was here to help me with this."
"Harve, you're starting to worry me." Evan had never seen his partner look so...lost.
"I'm in love with someone, Evan. Someone who loves me in return."
"And? Who is she?" Evan couldn't be happier for his partner. Harvey needed a good relationship, after what Bonnie had done to him.
"That's just it, Ev. It isn't a she." The silence that dragged out after that statement seemed to last an eternity to Harvey. He was afraid to even look at Evan, afraid of what he'd see. With a sigh, he decided he might as well drop the other shoe. "The person I've spent the last week with, fallen in love with, and hope to spend the
rest of my life with...is Nash."
You could have heard a pin drop.
A multitude of emotions swept through Evan as he tried to digest what his partner had just told him. He couldn't seem to grasp it. Harvey and Nash? Nash didn't have the best reputation when it came to relationships. Evan just couldn't seem to get around the thought of Nash sleeping with his partner. Then it hit him.
"The day he took you home, last week after you were shot, he seduced you didn't he?"
Harvey darted an amused glance in Evan's direction and looked away again. "Ev, I'm almost forty years old. I think that qualifies me as an adult. Besides, I've been in love with Nash for quite a while, now. I just didn't know the feeling was mutual until that night."
When the silence dragged on for several long minutes, Harvey dared to glance at his partner. The frown on Evan's face said enough. Rubbing a hand through his hair, Harvey whispered into the silence, "Just drive us back to the SIU, Evan. We can-we can figure this out later."
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One look at Harvey as he and Evan returned to the ferry, was enough for Nash to know it hadn't gone well. Evan was frowning, trailing several feet behind his partner. Harvey�well, Harvey hadn't looked that sad and depressed when he got the Dear John card from his ex-wife. Nash's heart went out to his lover, and wished he could get up
and take Harvey into his arms.
For his part, Evan studiously avoided Nash's eyes and went to sit down at his desk, ignoring the questioning look from Joe. Harvey paused for a second in front of Nash's desk, desperately wishing they could just go home, before continuing on to his own.
Nash tried to quell his anger at Evan. He couldn't understand how the young man could turn his back on his partner like that. There had to be some reason. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, now. He couldn't show any favoritism for Harvey. But, wouldn't he have tried to find out what was bothering Harvey before they ever got together? Did he talk to Evan about what happened? Would that make things better or worse?
His internal debate was getting him nowhere. Nash slid his chair back from his desk and turned around to say something to Harvey, only to see an empty desk. He looked to see if Evan knew where his partner went, but it was obvious Evan was dealing with own problems. Before Nash could make up his mind whether to go look for Harvey, Joe shook his head and stood.
"I'll go, Nash."
Nash sighed and nodded, whispering a grateful, "Thanks, bubba."
Joe found Harvey out on the fantail, sitting on a bench with his head down and hands clasped between his knees. Sitting next to the troubled man, Joe asked, "You okay, Harvey?"
"Not really, Joe." Harvey hadn't bothered to raise his head. He felt like his world had just been turned upside down, and didn't know how to right it again.
"You want me to talk to him? Maybe he'll tell me what his problem is."
After a moment's silence, Harvey sighed and gave a slight shake of his head. "No, I think he needs some time to deal with it. Thanks for the offer, though, I appreciate it."
When Joe dropped a comforting hand on Harvey's shoulder, he finally looked up and smiled sadly. "Thanks for being so understanding about the whole thing, Joe. I don't know what Nash would've done if you hadn't."
"Friends are forever, Harve. Thick or thin, good and bad. Evan will come around, you know. You just have to believe that."
Harvey's face clouded with worry. "What if he doesn't?"
Joe didn't have an answer.
He went back to his desk, shrugging and shaking his head slightly at Nash's questioning look. Ten minutes later, Harvey quietly returned to his own desk. Nash couldn't remember a time when they'd all been so tense with each other. It was a long day.
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Having left separately, Nash beat Harvey home. Hearing the elevator, he came out of the bedroom and met Harvey at the bottom of the steps, taking his devastated lover into his arms. "Harvey, he'll come around. I promise. Maybe it was just too much for him to take in all at once."
Nash, his arms wrapped tightly around Harvey, felt the huge sigh. "I think I just lost my partner, Nash."
Leaning back so he could look his lover in the eye, Nash frowned at the worried look on Harvey's face. What the hell was Evan thinking, anyway? "Harvey, it'll all work out. Trust me?"
"Actually, I do." And he did. Harvey tightened his arms around Nash, and rested his chin on the older man's shoulder. "I love you, you know."
"I know you do, Harve. The feeling's mutual." Stepping out of Harvey's embrace, Nash took him by the hand and gave a tug. "Come on. What's say we soak in the hot tub for a while?"
That sounded like a damn good idea to Harvey.
Nash slipped off the robe he'd been wearing and stepped into the hot water with a sigh of contentment. Sitting down on one of the wide benches lining the side, he watched as Harvey slowly stripped of his clothes. Harvey pulled off his boxers and shivered in the cold air, then slid into the hot water with Nash.
Reaching over, Nash pulled Harvey toward him so that his lover was sitting between his legs. Leaning back, Harvey rested his head against Nash's shoulder and felt his lover wrap his legs around his waist, keeping him from slipping off the edge of the bench.
Wrapping his arms around Harvey, Nash simply held him for a few moments. Once he felt Harvey starting to relax a little, he gently rubbed his lover's chest with soothing hands. He then gently massaged the tense muscles of Harvey's neck and shoulders, planting soft kisses on his lover's neck and ears.
"I think we've been in here long enough, Harve. I'm starting to wrinkle."
Eye's twinkling with mischief, Harvey bit back the retort that popped in his head, but Nash easily read his mind. "One word about wrinkles coming from old age, and you'll sleep on the couch."
Feigning innocence, Harvey stood and slapped a hand to his chest. "Me? Why, Nash, the thought never crossed my mind."
"Yeah, right. You're a horrible liar, Harve."
Harvey laughed and pulled Nash to his feet. He quickly stepped out of the hot tub, only to stand and shiver since he'd neglected to bring a towel. He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest in an effort to warm up, glanced down and frowned. "We better get inside soon, or that thing is going to shrink so much we'll never find it again."
Nash chuckled and picked up the robe he'd brought out for his lover. He helped Harvey into the soft garment, then reached out and stroked him to semi-hardness. "There, now we know where it is."
Laughing, Harvey pulled Nash in for a fierce hug, his laughter almost ending in a sob. Holding his lover close, Nash whispered in his ear, "I promise everything is going to be okay, Harve. I promise." He vowed that Evan wouldn't make a liar out of him.
They went inside and ate dinner, talking softly about anything and everything�except the problem with Evan. After doing the dishes, they jumped in the shower and took turns washing each other. Nash knew what Harvey needed that night was love, not raw sex, so he took his time and made everything a sweet, pleasurable experience.
Once they were dried off, they crawled in bed. They were both tired, Nash from lack of sleep and Harvey from stress. Spooning up behind Harvey, Nash once again soothed his lover with soft, gentle caresses and feather-light kisses. His hand eventually made its way to Harvey's nether regions, and he ran a finger lightly over his lover's
hardening penis. He kept his touches light and gentle, bringing them both to full hardness.
Harvey's breathing had changed as his passion increased and he twisted his head around to capture Nash's lips. As he felt the finger massaging his opening, Harvey moaned into Nash's mouth and broke the kiss to whisper, "Make love to me, Nash."
Rolling onto his back, Nash stretched out his arm to grab the lube from the nightstand and poured some onto his hand. He took a moment to warm the liquid then spread it liberally over his hard shaft and
Harvey's tight hole. Once again spooned behind his lover, Nash positioned himself and pushed. They both sighed softly as the head of Nash's cock slid past the guarding ring. Once he was all the way in, Nash set up a slow, easy rhythm.
It was the longest, most sensual love-making Nash had ever experienced. He continued to caress and kiss his lover as he angled his thrusts to give Harvey the most intense pleasure. Just when Nash thought they might fall asleep without having climaxed, he felt it shift. He picked up the pace and felt the chest under his roaming
hand start to move faster as Harvey's breathing increased.
As his own orgasm was about to hit, Nash felt the spasm of Harvey's anal muscles as his lover came from the stimulation of his prostate. That was enough to send him over the edge as well. They lay together like that for a few minutes, trying to bring their breathing under control.
Once he had the energy to move, Nash started to withdraw, only to stop at Harvey's desperate, "No, don't."
"Does it hurt, Harve?"
"No, I just want you to stay in me for a while."
Unable to resist the pleading look on his lover's face, Nash pressed closer to Harvey again and wrapped a hand around his chest. "Whatever you want, Harvey."
With a content smile, Harvey closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep with the wonderful feeling of having Nash buried inside his warmth, Harvey mumbled, "I love you."
Pulling the comforter over them, Nash began to tumble into dreamland himself. "I love you, too."
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When he awoke the next morning, Nash was surprised to note he was still connected to his lover. And he was hard again. The temptation to start that glorious in and out movement was almost too much. Clamping down on that urge, Nash withdrew slowly so he wouldn't wake Harvey. He padded off to take care of the problem with a cold shower.
He was sitting at the bar, reading the morning paper and enjoying a lazy Saturday morning, when he heard the sound of the elevator. He calmly sipped his coffee while he waited for their unexpected visitor. He wasn't exactly surprised when he heard Evan's tentative call. "Nash?"
"In here, Evan."
Evan shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way slowly into the kitchen. Stopping a few feet away from Nash, he looked around uncomfortably.
"What are you here for, Evan?" As if Nash didn't know.
Clearing his throat, Evan shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to talk to Harvey, but he's not home. I, uh, thought he might be here."
"He's here, but he's still asleep."
"Can I, uh, talk to him?"
Putting down his coffee cup, Nash gazed at Evan speculatively. "I'd rather let him sleep. While we're waiting for him to wake up, how 'bout you and I have a little chat?"
That didn't sound promising. "Sure, Nash."
Glancing over at the door to the bedroom, Nash gestured toward the balcony. "Let's step outside."
Once they were outside where they wouldn't disturb Harvey, Nash started the conversation. "So, what happened yesterday, bubba. I didn't have you figured for the fair-weathered friend thing."
"It's not like that, Nash," Evan protested. "I guess I was sort of surprised, and angry, and a little worried."
"Angry? At Harvey?"
"No�at you." Evan looked at his shoes, wondering how his boss would take that one.
Curious, Nash prodded, "Angry at me why?"
"I thought Harvey was just another conquest for you, I guess. I didn't want to see my partner getting hurt again." Pinning Nash with his eyes, Evan raised himself to his full height. "I don't think I could still work with you, if you hurt him."
"Point made." Nash fought the urge to smile at Evan's loyalty. "Let me assure you that I don't intend to hurt Harvey. I love him, Evan. And we're both professional enough that we wouldn't let anything that happens in our personal lives effect our professional ones. But, that wasn't all that bothered you, was it?"
Caught, Evan had no choice but to spill the rest of it. "I guess I was afraid Harve wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore, since he has you. That he wouldn't talk to me like he used to."
Shaking his head at how similar Evan's worries had been to Joe's, Nash assured, "Evan, Harvey will still come to you with things he won't tell me. He'll still want to hang out with you. You two are friends and partners. There's a bond, there. Trust me, because Harvey was really torn up when he thought you couldn't accept our relationship."
"I'll make it up to him, Nash."
"Just tell him what you told me." Looking over Evan's shoulders, through the window, Nash saw Harvey's tousled form wandering into the kitchen. He'd slipped on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, so at least he was decent. Nodding toward the window, Nash smiled and said, "Why don't you do that now, and I'll give you guys some
privacy."
Through the window, Nash watched as Evan walked over and got Harvey's attention. His lover's face went from surprised to worried, confused, and finally to joy. A huge smile lit up Nash's face when he saw the two partners embrace, slapping each other on the back.
They'd both survived yet another hurdle, and at least now there were no more secrets among them. They were going to be okay.
END
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