Trucker and Pup

Chapter 1-2

Joey couldn’t sleep. Usually he was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. But there were too many things swimming round in his head. Sighing, he turned onto his left side and tried—yet again—to fall asleep.

“No, please, no! Please not again, I’ll be good, I’m sorry! Please don’t.” Joey then heard Kevin come out with a blood-curdling scream.

Joey shot up in bed, darted out of his bedroom, flew across the hallway and into Kevin’s room. He was relieved Kevin hadn’t opted to lock the door, he’d told him he could.

“Pup?” Joey said softly when he saw his guest sat bolt upright in the bed.

The moonlight, which shone through the windows, the curtains having not been drawn, bathed Kevin in a ghostly whiteness. Joey’s heart raced as he saw his friend’s wild and unfocused eyes.

“Pup?” he repeated a little louder.

Joey didn’t think he ought to touch Kevin, he might still be experiencing his nightmare.

Kevin seemed to suddenly snap into life, he looked at Joey, and began to cry with great wracking sobs.

Joey took this as his signal to act, he sat on the side of the bed, extended his arms towards Kevin, who gratefully sank into the embrace.

“You’re safe now, no one can hurt you.” Joey began to rub circles on Kevin’s back.

Kevin’s own arms had fastened themselves around Joey, holding on with a death grip.

“You need a glass of water or something?” Joey asked once Kevin had stopped crying. “Or do you want some cocoa or hot milk? I guess I could put a slug of something alcoholic in it.”

“Thanks, Cal would never let me drink alcohol.”

Joey tried not to get angry at the mention of Cal’s name. “Okay.”

“Sorry to be such a baby.”

“Don’t be silly.” Joey ruffled Kevin’s hair before getting off the bed.

Kevin followed, but as soon as he put weight on his damaged ankle, he crumpled to the floor.

“Come here.” Joey scooped Kevin up, their faces almost touching.

Joey silently asked if he could kiss Kevin, who answered by moving his lips to Joey’s.

Wow! Joey thought when they disengaged. It wasn’t exactly a passion-filled smooch, no tongues were involved, but to Joey it conveyed so much.

Joey’s head swam with alien emotions. He negotiated his way to the front room and carefully deposited Kevin on the settee.

After lighting the gas fire, he told Kevin he’d go and get him a quilt. “I don’t want you to get cold.”

As he made his way back to the bedroom, Joey didn’t know where all this tenderness was coming from, but one thing of which he was certain, it felt so bloody fantastic. Was he going all paternal? He knew he’d probably make a great dad, but did it go deeper than that? He didn’t know.

Before grabbing the quilt from his bed, Joey decided he ought to put some clothes on. Pulling a T-shirt over his head, Joey realised his shoulder was still damp from where Kevin had cried on it. He’d never had anyone cry on his shoulder before. The thought made him feel warm and tingly.

“Here we are.”

Joey spent a little longer than was necessary in tucking the feather quilt around Kevin. He wanted to lean down and kiss the man’s forehead, but thought better of it. s**t, none of this is doing anything for my macho reputation, he thought, entering the kitchen to make the cocoa.