Come For Me With Green Apples And Honey (MXM)

Chapter 3

Declan shut the door of his pick up truck and paused. There was a car he didn't recognized in Julian's driveway. If he had a guest maybe there'd be no time for their usual Friday night meeting. 'I guess I should at least say hi' he thought as he started up the winding path to Julian's front door whistling to himself. Just then, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure moving round the side of the house towards the backyard. 'What the hell?' he thought, caught mid-whistle. That was weird. He continued up the path, deciding it was best to tell Julian rather than skulking though his yard in the dark like a deranged stalker. It was probably nothing. Because nothing ever happened here.

He rang the bell and looked back towards the side of the house, just in case. There was a possibility it was a bear. he looked back as the door opened, preparing to tell Julian about the mysterious figure, only for the words to get stuck in his throat. His eyes fell on the most beautiful person he had ever seen. The beautiful stranger briefly looked at Declan's chest in confusion before brilliant olive green eyes met his gaze, stunning him. The man was sending shock waves through Declan just by looking at him. Declan's gaze wandered over pale porcelain skin, which covered a square jaw and high cheekbones and a straight nose with small nostrils, pretty pink and plump lips which were slightly parted. That only served to increase the voltage, sending Declan's thoughts flying in different, wildly inappropriate directions. Eventually, rational thought returned and Declan remembered what it was he was doing there. He stood confused, remembering the car in the driveway. He thought he might be at the wrong house but a quick glance at the house number hung on the mailbox dismissed that. 'Ok' he thought, feeling a bit more grounded 'Guess I should say something'.

"Hi" he said, and immediately high fived himself mentally for keeping a steady voice. The man at the door stared at him for a moment and blushed slightly, almost throwing Declan back into fantasy land, with the cute look of innocence on his face. Declan now desperately wanted to hear Angel Face's voice. Too bad he was disappointed as the man simply gave him a small smile and nodded for him to continue.

" Um... I'm looking for Julian LeRoux?" A bit peeved that Angel Face was probably now going to leave to get Julian and disappear into the house. He started trying to think of a way to keep Angel Face there when everything came to a screeching halt. Angel Face had lost his small smile and a tear was now cutting a course across his pale cheek. Declan panicked as a second tear made its way out of the other eye. "What's wrong?" he asked, extremely worried.

Angel Face frowned. 'Jesus save me. Even that's cute on him' Declan thought.

"What do you mean?" Angel Face was saying. He hadn't even noticed what was going on on his own face.

"Well, you're... Crying" Declan said, then realized, belatedly, that this was probably about Julian. His heart sunk and he really started to worry. "What the fuck happened?" he thought, his overactive mind started going to crazy places again. He focused back on Angel Face who was staring at a tear he caught and mumbling something. Declan struggled for a way to get him to get to the point. He settled on the indirect approach.

"I... I can... come back. You know... If-" he stuttered, trying reverse psychology, but he was cut off before he could finish his act.

"I'm really sorry for this awkwardness Mr...."

"Grehan. Declan Grehan." he completed for Angel Face simply. He didn't want to interrupt now that they were getting somewhere.

"Mr Grehan. I'm sorry for being so impolite" Angel face continued, sounding like Rosie from the Jetsons. "I'm Micah. Julian's older brother. Julian and his wife both... passed away last night. But... If you had some sort of business arrangement that's been-"

"Wait. Just wait a minute... What?" struggling to process the news. Then he put two and two together. Though Declan had only come back from his trip down to New Jersey hours ago, he knew Julian hadn't come to check on the café at Montpelier today. He wasn't at the store in town either. No one was. Which was strange. Then there was the burned out carcass of the Meuler house he passed on the way here. Julian had mentioned he and Natalie would be going there earlier in the week. Something about a dinner party. Was that where it happened? They died in a fire? Declan began feeling sick and inevitably whispered "Julian's... dead?", disbelieving. Just then, he broke free of his chaotic thoughts as he caught Angel Face flinching at his words out of the corner of his eye.