Insatiable (1/5)
By Rin
Summary: Drew comes to a decision in his life. Can Jeff take the steps necessary to rectify it?
Disclaimer: I do not know any of the members of 98°. I do not know their sexual orientation or preferences and what not. This is purely a work of fiction and any relation to real persons of events takes place in my demented little mind. ;)
Drew sits by the window staring out, watching the rain fall softly on the glass. The view is spectacular. Normally, Drew finds his breath taken away by the unending expanse of the ocean below. Even now, if he looked hard enough, he was sure that it would seem that he was staring into infinity. Sighing softly, he rests his head against the glass and lets the unshed tears fall down his cheeks in silent agony.
“Drew! I’m home!” Drew sat up quickly, wiping at his eyes. Jeff was home. He didn’t want him to see that he had been crying. “Drew? Where are you?”
Drawing a shuddering breath, Drew answered quickly. “Up here!” As soon as the words left his lips, he knew it had been a mistake. Jeff would come in and see that he had been crying. Reaching over, he grabbed a tissue from the box next to him and blew his nose softly.
“Drew? You in here?” He heard Jeff open the door and close it softly behind him. “There you are. Drew?”
Not answering him, Drew returned his gaze to the raining skies beyond the window. It was beginning to rain harder now. Looking further out, he could see lighting streak the sky, reflecting in the waves below. The storm was growing, and moving this way.
He could hear the soft pad of Jeff’s bare feet move across the plush carpet of the room. Jeff always took off his shoes when he came inside. He felt more comfortable barefoot. Drew had always teased him about it, usually when Jeff stubbed his toe on a table or something similar happened.
He jumped when Jeff rested his hand on his shoulder. “Drew? What’s wrong? Why are you…you’ve been crying. What’s wrong?” Drew could hear the alarm in his partner’s voice. Placing both hands on his shoulders, Jeff turned Drew to look at him. He drew back when he saw the tear stains and the red swollen eyes.
“What’s wrong? Has something happened? Lea? Is she all right?”
Drew smiled and looked down. Leave it to Jeff to try and get straight to the matter. At that moment, almost as if Jeff had read his thoughts he spoke softly, almost as if speaking to himself. “No, it’s us isn’t it?”
Looking up quickly, Drew locked his hazel gaze with Jeff’s blue one. Sighing, he reached up and ran a hand through his short hair. He noticed that there was rain still beading in Jeff’s hair. He resisted the urge to reach up and run his hand through the dark spikes, longing to feel the wet silk of his lover’s hair.
Looking back out the window, he sighed once more. “Yes, it’s us. I’m leaving.”
As he said the last part, he turned and looked at Jeff. He looked as if he had been slapped. He stood there, his mouth hanging open slightly, staring at Drew, disbelief evident on his face. “Leaving? Why?”
Drew shook his head softly and stood up. Casting one more glance out the window, he turned and walked past Jeff. Heading into the deep walk-in closet, he grabbed his jacket and a small suitcase. “I need to get out for a while.”
“What are you talking about? Drew, talk to me.” Jeff stood in the door, looking at him, pleading with his eyes, what he couldn’t put into words.
Sighing once again, Drew turned to face him. It was then that he was struck again at how beautiful Jeff truly was. It was no wonder this had happened. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I know you don’t feel the same that you did.”
Shaking his head, Jeff looked at him in confusion. “Drew, you’re not making sense. What on earth are you talking about?”
Turning back to his packing, he told Jeff his feelings. “You don’t love me the way you used to. I can tell. You don’t spend that much time at home anymore. You don’t even talk to me much. I feel like a stranger here.”
“I’ve been busy, helping Nick and Jess get moved into their new place. That’s why I haven’t been home. You know that. What do you mean about not talking to you anymore? I talk to you all the time.”
“Not like we used to talk. We used to talk about everything. Now, it’s just basic conversation. It is obvious that you don’t want this anymore. So, I am making the decision that you can’t. I’m leaving.”
Drew closed the suitcase and walked quickly past Jeff. Jeff didn’t reach for him. This confirmed everything that he had thought. Jeff didn’t love him anymore. “Drew! Wait! Can’t we talk about this? Please?”
“I’ll call you tomorrow to arrange to get the rest of my stuff.” He walked out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to the first floor. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he took a quick glance around the room. Here and there were all the small things that he and Jeff had done to make this building their home.
Shaking his head, he headed for the kitchen to retrieve his keys. He could hear Jeff coming down the stairs behind him. “Drew. Come on, come into the living room, I’ll put on some coffee and we can talk about this.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow about the rest of my stuff. Goodbye Jeff”
Walking out into the garage, Drew walked over and climbed into his truck. He looked up at the door and saw that it was still open but empty. Putting the truck into reverse, he backed out of the garage and drove down the drive and into the rain.
He didn’t look back. He never saw the outline of a body standing in the front window, watching him pull away, one hand pressing softly against the glass.