‘Yes. Right,’ Charles hesitated for a moment, but all his instincts were clawing at him and however much he might feel for Erik, he was, first and foremost, a sensible, rational man. ‘Erik,’ he said hesitantly. ‘Erik – you would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?’
Silence.
‘Of course,’ Erik said after a moment. ‘Why would you even ask that, Charles?
Charles grimaced and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand.
‘I don’t know,’ he said quietly. ‘You tell me.’
There was silence once again.
‘Charles,’ Erik’s voice was soft now. ‘I swear to you, there’s nothing wrong. It was always going to happen this way. The – the only thing that I hadn’t counted on was you. I never – I never expected to feel this way at all, let alone for someone I just met. I promise you Charles, and you can rely on this – I would never do anything to hurt you. I would much rather leave you behind and never see you again than let anything happen to you.’
Charles, for some reason he couldn’t quite tell, felt strangely reassured by this, even though he knew that there was something that Erik wasn’t quite telling him. Never mind, he thought. He was going to see Erik later that evening anyway. He would ask him then. Or maybe even sometime after that. They had the rest of their lives, after all.
‘Okay,’ he said, making his mind up. ‘Okay. I will be ready. I will see you tonight, Erik.’
‘Yes,’ Charles could tell that Erik was smiling now, his happiness clear even through the telephone. ‘Yes, tonight then. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to it.’
‘Me too,’ Charles said, unable to keep from smiling. ‘Come home soon, Erik.’
‘I will.’
‘And-’ Charles hesitated but something made him say it all the same. ‘And Erik?’
‘Yes, Charles?’
‘Be safe.’
There was a pause.
‘Always,’ Erik responded, his voice tight. ‘Always, Charles. Goodbye.’
Click.
Charles held onto the phone for a few seconds after Erik had ended the call.
Heat - Part 16c
‘Yes. Right,’ Charles hesitated for a moment, but all his instincts were clawing at him and however much he might feel for Erik, he was, first and foremost, a sensible, rational man. ‘Erik,’ he said hesitantly. ‘Erik – you would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?’
Silence.
‘Of course,’ Erik said after a moment. ‘Why would you even ask that, Charles?
Charles grimaced and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand.
‘I don’t know,’ he said quietly. ‘You tell me.’
There was silence once again.
‘Charles,’ Erik’s voice was soft now. ‘I swear to you, there’s nothing wrong. It was always going to happen this way. The – the only thing that I hadn’t counted on was you. I never – I never expected to feel this way at all, let alone for someone I just met. I promise you Charles, and you can rely on this – I would never do anything to hurt you. I would much rather leave you behind and never see you again than let anything happen to you.’
Charles, for some reason he couldn’t quite tell, felt strangely reassured by this, even though he knew that there was something that Erik wasn’t quite telling him. Never mind, he thought. He was going to see Erik later that evening anyway. He would ask him then. Or maybe even sometime after that. They had the rest of their lives, after all.
‘Okay,’ he said, making his mind up. ‘Okay. I will be ready. I will see you tonight, Erik.’
‘Yes,’ Charles could tell that Erik was smiling now, his happiness clear even through the telephone. ‘Yes, tonight then. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to it.’
‘Me too,’ Charles said, unable to keep from smiling. ‘Come home soon, Erik.’
‘I will.’
‘And-’ Charles hesitated but something made him say it all the same. ‘And Erik?’
‘Yes, Charles?’
‘Be safe.’
There was a pause.
‘Always,’ Erik responded, his voice tight. ‘Always, Charles. Goodbye.’
Click.
Charles held onto the phone for a few seconds after Erik had ended the call.
‘Goodbye,’ he said softly, before he too hung up.
*