Unconditionally Bae

12

The year ended better than it had begun.

During the long holiday or what we were supposed to call long, Curtis spent a week at my home. Dad kept commenting on how well mannered Curtis was, just like his father. He even told him that he was a spitting image of him which was weird because I didn't think he even knew him. Adults.

My mother also complimented on his good manners and kind nature. I wondered if they would feel the same way about him if they knew about our relationship.

I did get to spend a week at his place. His sisters were great company but I liked the eldest more. She was smart, caring, authoritative and beautiful. If I was into women, I would definitely go for her or someone with her qualities.

During the week I spent there, I noticed that Curtis had spent less than two hours with his mom collectively. I knew better that to ask him why. She was paralysed from the waist down and only her left hand was working. She did have a slightly droopy face but she was very chatty.

His whole family was chatty maybe that's why he was a good listener. Curtis had an aura about him that felt secure. People often confided in him about their problems and he would listen attentively. The number of times I had to leave him behind because someone wanted to talk to him not seeking advice but just a listening ear was a lot. Most people thought he would pursue psychology since he had a knack for it but he surprised us all by choosing general surgery. Like a fool, I followed him.

If I was to be honest I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I just knew I didn't want to follow in my parents' footsteps. Fortunately, I was book smart so I could pursue whatever I put my mind to, be it passionately or otherwise. Having Curtis with me was the drive I needed to go through that headache they called education.

Many times I wanted to give up and choose something else but then I would picture Curtis and I doing the same shifts in the same hospital or going home together and that kept me going.

The third year had been fucked to say the least. I had to share his already limited free time with Fiona since we weren't living together. His new roommate was a first year business major but I could tell he also rarely saw him. C mostly spent his nights at my place but still I wanted to wake up next to him every morning but I guess that was too much to ask.

The reason he spent most nights at my place was because Ryan had hinted at introducing me to a friend of his since I was 'single'. I never knew Curtis had a possessive bone on his body until that day. He interrupted the date saying I had no business going on dates since we were together. That was the first time that he even acknowledged that we were together.

Ryan introduced me to a friend of his. A very feminine man and I could already tell that it wasn't going to go anywhere. I had a preference and that preference was Curtis. If I couldn't have him I wanted someone who had his traits both physical and otherwise.

I decided to just give it a try and we went out on a date only for C to show up mid dinner.

"What the fuck Shane?" Was the first thing he said when he got to our table.

"Is something wrong?" He looked at my date then back at me.

"Let's go,"

"Curtis, in case you haven't noticed, I have company," he turned towards my date.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience but Shane had a prior commitment that he supposedly forgot about,"

"Shane, you didn't tell me you had a fine looking friend," the guy shamelessly eyed Curtis from head to toe. I wanted to gorge his eyes out for looking at him with such lust in his eyes.

"I'm his boyfriend and he has no business being here," C blurted out defensively. The look on his face said that even he wasn't expecting that response but he straightened his back and cleared his throat, "if you'll excuse us,"

He dropped a few notes on the table before escorting me outside. None of us said a word until we got back to my place.

"What the fuck..."

"Did you mean it?" We both said simultaneously. "Did you mean it?" I asked again. "When you said I was your boyfriend, did you mean it?" He was silent and started scratching the back of his neck.

"What about you? Going out on dates with other guys,"

"You do that with Fiona, what's there to stop me from doing the same?"

"It's different with Fiona, I only do so to put up a front. I don't even kiss her anymore,"

"That's your choice and anyway, I want to know if my feelings for you are solely based on the fact that I've always had a crush on you and only ever been with you sexually," he was silent. He'd once told me the same thing when he started going out with Fiona.

"I've never slept with Fiona,"

"I wasn't going to sleep with him,"

"That's not how he was looking at you,"

"And how was he looking at me?"

"Like..." He cleared his throat, "like he wanted you to fuck him up on that table,"

"That's how he looked at you when you joined us,"

"Not the same thing,"

"What makes it different?"

"I'm the one only who's supposed to fuck you,"

"Yeah, but he was a bottom, I don't think there's anything wrong with that," he slowly stalked towards me and I could tell I had pushed it a little too far.

"I'm the only one you're supposed to fuck. Your body is mine, you are mine just as much as I am yours so don't go around giving out what's mine," he was directly in front of me before he grabbed me by the back of my neck and crashed our lips together.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't stupid, I knew that he got jealous and possessive because he thought he was going to lose me and that was enough for me. I understood his fear, we had been fucking for almost a year and he still claimed he wasn't gay but I could tell he knew even he wasn't buying it anymore.

His feelings for me were deep but he was at war with himself so I didn't pressure him into doing anything. He was still going out with Fiona but he'd promised me that he wouldn't sleep with her and I was okay with it.

From outside, my choices looked stupid. Ryan told me that to my face a few times. Neither he nor Timothy could understand my choice to be with someone who was just using me for sex, that's how they put it.

I knew better. It was in the way C would hold me after sex. Sometimes, during sex he would slow down and make eye contact while doing his strokes. He knew how much I liked physical affection and he would just sit next to me and cuddle me as we studied. He disliked physical affection but he would do it for me.

Curtis love language was his actions. I doubt if he ever even told his sisters that he loved them. Words weren't his strongest suit which was weird considering he grew up listening to four people who spoke more than seven thousand words a day. I doubted I would ever get to hear him ever confess those words to me. I mean who wouldn't want to hear the person they loved say those beautiful words and mean them?

I never got to hear them in the eight plus years we were together and I was content with it. He broke up with Fiona at the end of our third year with the excuse that he didn't have time to be dating since he would be busier than usual. Shitty excuse but it worked. Fiona had graduated so they split up amicably.

I got my wish when he moved in with me that same year.

To say that I had been very happy for thirteen good years of my life wouldn't be lying. They were thirteen years of gruesome learning but still I was happy. The six years I had spent reading through countless medical books and whatnot were all magical to me thanks to him. The seven more years training went by so fast. I guess it's true what they say; time flies when you're in love.