Blackbirds

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It had been another three days. Now there was only a month left until the championship game and he still couldn't hit as well as he needed too. He had been sprinting the yard for hours trying to get his speed and agility up to where it had been before but now he was exhausted. He sighed as he sat in the shade of the house on the back porch. He wondered how Chester was doing. Chester had been oddly quiet. He still snuggled up to him every night and he'd still say 'I love you' but it was quiet and awkward. Mike wondered what was hurting him now. He felt like he was pulling out Chester's job now. He was the one helping Chester with his problems. But he knew that it was just a tradeoff because Chester had kept him going when he thought for sure that he'd be wallowing in depression. He had helped him get back on his feet and now he was playing baseball again. He wiped the sweat off his face and walked inside to see Chester sitting at the table with a mug of coffee in his hand. He looked kind of tired but other than that....he seemed ok. He walked quietly up behind him and wrapped his arms around the other man's body. Chester jumped in his arms before relaxing.

"Oh.....hey," Chester whispered. Mike smiled softly and kissed him lightly.

"Good morning baby," he said softly. Chester smiled slightly and Mike noticed that his mug was empty. He must've finished it a little while ago.

​"I saw you running earlier today. You're doing very well," Chester said softly. Mike smiled at him.

"Thanks to you."

Chester smiled again and Mike realized that he loved seeing that smile on Chester's face. He leaned down and kissed Chester again and he felt the other man's lips moving gently against his own. He felt Chester move and then he was standing in front of him with his head tilted back so he could continue kissing him. Mike brought his hand up to the side of Chester's face and wrapped his other hand around Chester's waist. And right then, seeing Chester with that happiness on his face, Mike wanted him. He wanted to love Chester and he wanted to be the first one to make love to him. He slowly moved towards the hallway to go to the bedroom while keeping his lips against Chester's and his hands ran slowly over Chester's body. Chester whimpered into his mouth softly and then they were in the bedroom. Mike gently turned his body and then he was pushing Chester down on the bed. Chester gasped as he fell onto the bed. Mike landed gently on top of him.

"I love you so much Ches," Mike whispered as he kissed him again and stroked Chester's hair gently. He kept his touches soft so as to not scare Chester away. The other man was like a kitten, if you were gentle with him, he'd trust you, if you weren't, then he would keep his distance. He slowly let his fingers drag down Chester's chest and down to the waistband of his boxers. Chester hadn't said anything yet. He gently tugged at Chester's pants and pulled them off and then he was just clad in his tight fitting boxers. He moaned softly as he began to slowly stroke Chester through his boxers. Chester moved immediately. His hands gripped Mike tighter and his nails scratched desperately at his skin.

"Mike.....Mike...no," Chester gasped as he struggled underneath him. Mike kissed him gently.

"It'll be ok. Just relax baby," Mike whispered but Chester shook his head.

"No. No. No, Mike stop. Stop," Chester whimpered. Mike stroked his hair softly before leaning in and kissing him again.

"Just relax Ches."

"No. Get off me! Get off!" Chester cried and Mike sat back. Chester pulled away from him and huddled at the top of the bed. "I trusted you. I trusted you!"

"Ches....."

"I knew I couldn't. I knew it. He tried to tell me, he tried but I didn't listen. I should've listened. He's always right," Chester whimpered as Mike reached a hand out towards him.

"Ches......,"

Chester shook his head and bit his lip. He was scared again. Mike had scared him and Chester believed he couldn't trust him anymore. He sighed as he sat at the bottom of the bed. Chester didn't move from the top of the bed. He felt bad. He'd tried to push Chester too far. Chester was fragile. One push in the wrong direction could make him shatter. Mike looked down at the floor as he heard Chester sniffling at the top of the bed. It was dead silent.

"Ches...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't know that it would. I just wanted to love you."

Chester didn't respond. The two of them sat in silence for a long time before Chester finally moved a little bit. It was just a little shift of his body but it was something.

"M-Mike?" Chester whimpered.

"Yea?" Mike asked as he still looked away from him. He couldn't take looking at Chester.

"H-Hold me."

Mike turned around to see Chester staring at him with those sad brown eyes that could melt anyone's heart. He slowly held out his arms and Chester leapt into them before cuddling against his chest. Mike slowly rubbed his back, trying to make Chester more comfortable.

"Please don't scare me anymore. Please," Chester whispered. Mike nodded and kissed him softly.

"I love you baby. That's all that matters," he said. Chester buried his head into his chest and Mike felt tears in his eyes. Chester was so trusting of him even though he'd pushed him away and not cared about him so many times. He sighed softly and yawned. He fell back on the bed, bringing Chester with him and they laid there together.

"Your game is coming up," Chester said softly. Mike smiled slightly and nodded.

"Will you come watch?" Mike asked and he felt Chester nod.

"Course I will. I always loved watching you play."

"You never saw me play," Mike said looking away.

"I didn't have the money to buy a ticket. I hid out under the bleachers and smoked while I watched you. I......I never missed a game," Chester said, "I always loved watching you play."

Mike looked down at Chester who was smiling. He couldn't believe that Chester had come to every game in high school. Every single one of his games. That meant so much to him.

"You'd always walk up to the plate and then take a step back before getting in your stance. You'd always lean over your toes more than you should but it worked for you so the coach didn't say anything. You squinted your eyes if you weren't wearing those orange tinted sun glasses," Chester said with a laugh. Mike laughed as well. Chester really had come to his games.

"I've always loved watching you play."

"You have any pain today?"

Chester shook his head slightly, "Nothing too bad. I still miss not feeling pain but I'm glad I'm not dependent on it anymore."

Mike smiled and kissed Chester's head softly, "You know I love being here with you."

Chester laughed again, "I'm just glad that my best friend is back."

"You want to go out?"

"Out as in where?" Chester asked with a smile.

"Out as in a date," Mike smiled as he got up. Chester nodded and then grabbed Mike's hand.

"I have somewhere I want to take you but you have to close your eyes."

"The whole way?"

"Yea," Chester said with a smile. Mike shook his head but agreed. Chester led him to the door and into the car. They drove for a while and Mike was starting to wonder where Chester was taking him. It was really quiet and then they were out of the car and walking up some stairs and through doors and Mike was really worried that he was going to trip. He felt something strange under his feet and then dirt. He frowned and Chester snickered.

"You can open your eyes now," Chester whispered. Mike slowly opened his eyes and stared at where they were. He turned in a slow circle and took in the thousands of seats that surrounded him. He looked up at the score board that he'd seen so many times on television. They were in Dodgers' Stadium. Home of the L.A. Dodgers. One of his favorite baseball teams in the entire league.

"How did you get in here?"

"Being a therapist has some benefits. And it also allows me to take my patients to places I think may help them get better."

Mike smiled as he hugged Chester tightly, "You have no idea....can I....run?"

"Yea," Chester smiled and Mike stepped onto home plate. He pretended to swing a bat.

"And it's over the walls into the stands!" Chester yelled, "Mike Shinoda with the winning home run!"

Mike laughed as he tagged first and ran towards second. He watched his metal foot touch down on second and he couldn't believe that he was actually doing something like this again. He'd missed running the bases. Chester was waiting for him at home plate and he jumped on Mike when he got home.

"And he wins it once again!" Chester said as he hugged him.

"You're really amazing Ches," Mike said softly, "You're so amazing."

He couldn't believe he was standing in this stadium, running the bases, with Chester. There was no one better for him than Chester. He smiled as he kissed the other man softly.

"Thank you so much for helping me through this," he said and Chester nodded his head.

"You're my best friend, Mike. I'd do anything for you," Chester said as he took his hand, "You ready to go?"

Mike nodded slightly, "Yea let's go."

They drove back home through the dark of the night. Chester sighed as they pulled into their driveway. Mike got out of the car and smiled at Chester who gave him a tired smile in return. They walked in the house together and Chester fell onto the couch. He was out. Mike laughed softly as he heard quiet snores emit from the sleeping man on the couch. There hadn't been any pain flashes from him. He was slowly getting better. His game was in a month. One month left until he was going to be able to play again.

He walked over to Chester and lifted the thin man off the couch. He carried him into the bedroom and laid him down on the ground. Chester shifted and then cuddled under a blanket. Mike crawled in next to him and wrapped his arm around Chester. It was quiet since they were both tired. But what would happen to them once he could play again? He'd get signed back to a team wouldn't he? A major league team. What would happen between him and Chester then? He'd be traveling a lot of the time and they might even have to move out of California if he got drafted to a different state's team. What would happen to them?

"I don't want to hurt you any more Ches," Mike said softly as he brushed Chester's bangs out of his face, "But what else am I supposed to do? I'm a baseball player, I can't just quit."

Chester didn't answer but he didn't expect one. He sighed and nuzzled his face into Chester's hair and closed his eyes. Hopefully, he could figure all of this out before the big game. He had no idea what he was going to do.