Under The Mistletoe (John & Luke - Pt 2)

Chapter 15

"Hey, isn't that your dad and Bob?" Luke stepped around the bin piled high with $5 discount CD's and looked across the wide main hall of the mall to the men's shop directly opposite the music center.

"What?" John joined him and looked to where he was pointing. "It is." He shrugged and smiled. "Well, Bob did ask him to give him a tour of the penis mall."

Luke laughed. "True," he said. "You want to go over? If you're done here."

"Yeah," John sighed. "I'm not in the mood to buy music."

It wasn't easy pretending he didn't notice the change in John's mood since they left Cooper's pond. Luke had only been vaguely aware of the bruise on his ribs. At first, he'd felt it plenty, but his need to make love to John had pushed any lingering pain to the back of his mind and he had forgotten how visible it was. He was surprised John hadn't seen it sooner, but their sex had been urgent and hot since last night and they hadn't done a lot of exploring yet. And Luke had been topping, usually from behind—even in the shower, they hadn't taken the time to wash each other. They'd went right to fucking then quickly washed off and dressed.

Luke had hoped John would accept that the bruise came from being thrown against the car, but he was clearly skeptical. But Luke couldn't tell him the truth. Not right now, anyway. Why did he ever need to know?

He took John's hand and walked across the main hall to the men's store where Mitch and Bob stood out front looking at a suit hanging behind glass.

"Still drooling, huh, dad?" John smiled as they approached the two men. Mitch and Bob turned around.

"Drooling?" Luke asked.

John nodded. "Dad has been pining over this suit since I left for college."

"Just...admiring from afar," Mitch corrected with a grin.

"Why just admiring?" Luke wondered. "How much is it?"

Mitch chuffed. "Oh...only about two thousand dollars, give or take a hundred."

"Shit," Luke grimaced. "Okay, so I now understand your long distance love affair."

Mitch turned back and looked at the suit wistfully. "An Armani Collezioni. Always wanted an Italian suit. Don't know why."

"Can't beat Armani." Bob winked and fingered the lapel of his black overcoat. "In fact, my coat is a cousin to your suit."

Mitch cocked an eyebrow and looked him over. "Nice," he murmured with genuine appreciation.

A faint, pleased smile quirked the corner of Bob's lips as the man's eyes lingered briefly on Mitch's face. "You should try it on," Bob said.

"Oh no," Mitch chuckled and shook his head. "I think it's best I just continue to admire from afar."

"Why?" Bob asked.

Mitch sighed and gazed at the Italian suit. "It's like...falling in love with someone who is beyond your reach," he murmured. "And then getting one chance to kiss them—but only one—and then having to walk away knowing what you're missing." He sighed again. "I think I would rather never taste that 'kiss' and not know what I'm missing." His gaze shifted to Bob. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yes," Bob said quietly and Luke noted a distant rasp to his voice as he stared at Mitch. "It makes perfect sense."

"Good," Mitch chuckled softly. "I thought maybe I was being melodramatic."

"Not at all," Bob assured.

"So which one are you?" Mitch asked.

Bob frowned, confused. "Which one...?"