The Older Man (BoyxBoy)

Thirty: Epilogue

           Oliver

              I checked my reflection in the blank laptop screen, making sure my hair was fine before touching the mouse to wake it up and sign onto Skype. There were some problems before with my laptop and I wasn’t able to see him and he wasn’t able to see me so we had to use our phones, which sucked. But I finally got it fixed and now I’ll be able to see him properly. 

            Seconds after signing on my screen was ringing and I answered immediately, my heart pumping in my chest. Five years later and I still reacted the same way to seeing him even if on a computer screen.

            I saw him and I couldn’t stop the grin that covered my face. Ian looked the same. He took my breath away.

            “Hey, baby,” I breathed out, managing to find my voice.

            “Hey, love.”

            We both started talking at the same time. We laughed at each other then we stopped, waiting for the other to speak, then it was just quiet, until we both spoke again at the same time, until I told him to go and I stayed with my shut—smiling, but shut.

            “I won’t make it home tomorrow,” he said softly.

            “Why did you tell me to take two months off then? You were supposed to be home a week ago.”

            “I know, love, but, please, just listen to me for a minute before you get upset, okay?” I nodded. Ian always had a reason in a past so I shouldn’t start doubting him now.

            “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s been two weeks and two days. I’ve never been away from you this long and it’s killing me.” 

            I almost shut my laptop. I didn’t want him to see me like this nor did I want anything else that would hurt him to come out of my mouth.

            “We’re good at making up for lost times though, aren’t we?” I added. “So when are you coming home, then, so I can drive myself crazy with all the things I’m going to do to you.”

            Ian was quiet for too long. He was hurting. If I’m going by the myriad of “I miss you texts” I got daily then I knew just how much. And now I was putting pressure on him to come home because I couldn’t handle it.

            “Have you noticed we haven’t gone on a honeymoon?” I nodded. “I had a flight booked for both of us to go to…Bora Bora, I thought I would make it home in time to go but I had to cancel it. I haven’t canceled yours as though. If you want I’ll cancel it and re-plan for another time. There’s also the option where you could go without me, I’d get a tour guide for you until I got there. I’ll meet you in two days. You’ll be completely safe. I wouldn’t otherwise. We’ll spend a week there and then we’d visit other islands all over Europe for the remaining seven weeks.”

            Even after we renewed our vows on New Years Eve (with all our friends and family this time) we didn’t talk about it. He never mentioned it and it was a vague knowledge in the back of my mind that I didn’t pay attention to. It made sense now. He was always planning and surprising me. I didn’t want to go without him but the fact that he had planned to surprise with our honeymoon was enough to have me nodding my head. “Okay,” I said.

            “Okay? Okay you’ll go or okay cancel it? I know this is unfair but I really didn’t see this coming and I don’t want to send you somewhere by yourself but I know it’ll be worth it when we see each other.”