"Happy Anniversary"
by Beryll
Soft candle light, the intoxicating mix of scents from various excellent types of food, the unobtrusive sound of piano music, just loud enough to screen off the conversation from the next table, attentive waiters always hovering close - all these trappings for a perfect dinner were there, Karl thought, turning the long stemmed wine glass in his fingers restlessly. The only thing that was missing was his boyfriend.
Jared wasn't the most punctual person. At least not in his private life. When he was working - either on a movie or his music - he was obsessed with getting every detail perfect. But when he was not working he was making up for this by turning into a rather chaotic being. An extremely charming, chaotic being, Karl had to admit.
He had been warned by Jared's brother Shannon that the main reason why Jared's relationships never worked out in the long run was, that Jared just didn't seem to manage to keep an interest in only one person, that his attention constantly flitted from one to the next which a lover usually took as a personal insult, even if it hadn't been meant like that at all.
That had been when they had first been introduced, the evening after Karl had first met Jared.
Karl had been to LA to promote Riddick. On some party they had both been invited to they had somehow gotten to talk. Just a random chat among actors, no love at first sight, not even a meaningful glance or a sexual interest. Just chit chat. Jared had told Karl about a small gig his band was playing the next evening, Karl had accepted the flyer with the address, not even considering going there. The next evening he had been sitting in his hotel room, bored to tears and found the flyer again when he packed his stuff for his trip home. Having nothing better to do he went to the club and watched the second half of the show.
He didn't like the music much.
But he hadn't paid much attention to the music anyway. His eyes had been glued to the form of the slight actor he had met the evening before who had somehow transformed from 'just someone' to the most sensual, intense creature Karl had ever seen. He couldn't have said if Jared's performance was angelic or demonic, both would have fit. He just knew that he was lost.
In a daze he had gone backstage after the show, wanting to somehow express what he felt, what Jared had done to him. Faced with a happily bouncing Jared, all hyped on adrenaline and the applause from the crowd he was struck speechless yet again. Jared was radiating happiness on a level that was simply intoxicating, overwhelming. How he could change so rapidly and yet essentially stay the same man was incomprehensible to Karl.
Shannon had taken mercy on him, obviously used to people standing around awestruck when his brother was around. He had taken Karl aside, filled him up with some vodka and then delivered his warning.
"It will pass." Shannon had told him.
Karl had tried to believe that. He really had. He had talked some more with Shannon who turned out to be just the kind of guy Karl liked to hang out with - down to earth, sensible, practical. They had exchanged phone numbers, on the odd chance that they'd have a chance to meet again.
When Karl had left the club Jared had been curled up on a couch in the backstage area, tugged under a blanket that was too short so his naked feet poked out. His face relaxed but still with make up, his hair all messy he had managed to change yet again - into the sweetest thing on earth.
The next morning Karl had flown home.
It hadn't passed.
It had started with Karl hunting the internet for photos of Jared, trying to convince himself that it had just been some kind of apparition, that Jared couldn't possibly be that pretty, that perfect, that adorable. That had just worsened the situation.
Next he had gotten all of Jared's movies he could find. No help there either. They weren't especially good. But Jared was in them and by then that was all that mattered to Karl.
He had even found the right term for what was happening to him on the net - he was fangirling. It was quite embarrassing.
Like any good fangirl he would probably have continued admiring Jared from afar if fate hadn't intervened. He had known that Jared was in New Zealand to promote Alexander but he had carefully stayed away from any place he could run into Jared by accident. He had really tried to be sensible, to not behave like a moonstruck idiot.
So he had been shocked speechless when Jared had called him. He had stood in his living room motionless, listening to Jared animatedly chattering on his phone, telling him that Shannon had given him the number, that he was in town, had nothing to do for the afternoon and evening, asking if Karl would like to hang out, show off his home town. Of course Karl had agreed.
Somehow he had managed to make it through the afternoon without confessing his undying love in some utterly ridiculous, sentimental display of stupidity.
That had only happened after they had had a few drinks and had been walking back to Jared's hotel after Karl had managed to lose his car keys.
After that the world had turned upside down.
Neither did Jared walk away from the sick weirdo, nor did he return the confession with one of his own.
Instead he had carefully considered Karl and his love. With gentle insistence he had told Karl that he wasn't adverse to a quick fuck but that he thought that Karl was a good guy and that he deserved better than that.
Slightly drunk and madly in love as Karl was, he had agreed with Jared wholeheartedly. And had begged Jared to give them a chance. Karl still wasn't sure why Jared had agreed. But when he had been done with his promotion tour he had come back to New Zealand and stayed with Karl for more than a month, both of them living in Karl's small house, getting to know each other.
It had been the strangest way to start a relationship Karl had ever experienced. This careful dancing around each other. He had known more things about Jared than he knew about all his ex girlfriends and boyfriends combined before they had ever even kissed.
He had discovered that Jared was not perfect after all. That he had a shitload of odd quirks. That he was insufferable when wakened too early. That he drank the most disgusting brand of beer Karl had ever tasted. That he loved to watch mushy romance movies when he was depressed and wrote his best songs afterwards. That he cut his toenails at the kitchen table, when not expressly forbidden to do so. That he could spend hours in the bathroom 'preparing' when they were going out.
Karl loved him more for all his quirks.
Jared had taken his time. He had fallen in love slowly but more thoroughly than ever before.
One year had passed since they were 'officially together'.
Jared had yet to smile at some other boy or girl. Had yet to show even the slightest bit of interest in anyone but Karl. By now even Shannon was convinced that this time it was for good.
With a deep sigh Karl drained the last of his wine and watched as a waiter refilled it silently.
So where was Jared? He was half an hour late by now and Karl was starting to feel just a tiny bit annoyed. After all they wanted to celebrate their anniversary.
He could feel the polite pity of the waiter who must by now believe Karl had been stuck up by his date.
Karl wondered what exotic kind of excuse Jared would come up with this time. He was the kind of guy the oddest things happened to. Like the time when they had wanted to meet for a simple afternoon movie at the cinema and Jared had picked up a pregnant woman at the side of the road and taken her to a hospital.
Things like that never happened to anybody else Karl knew. They didn't happen to Karl either. Unless he was with Jared of course. Life with Jared was bloody exhilarating.
With another sigh Karl was about to signal the waiter to ask for a menu. He didn't doubt that Jared would show up eventually. He always did. But as it could either take a few more minutes or several hours he could just as well get himself some starters to nibble on while he waited.
But then his attention was drawn to the entrance. Just like the attention of most of the waiters and all the people seated close to the entrance.
Jared did that to people.
And he wasn't even doing it on purpose.
With a small smile Karl watched the mixed reactions of the fancy restaurant's patrons to his boyfriend.
Jared was his usual self; as he was not working dressed in the first clothes that had crossed his path this morning. Comfortable cargo pants of an indistinguishable mud color, skin-tight grey shirt with sleeves so long they covered most of his hands, a wide army jacket and moccasins. The outfit was completed by Jared unruly mop of hair hanging into his face, his black nail polish, his carefully applied eyeliner. He looked as out of place as one possibly could at a posh place like this.
And still only half of the guests looked unhappy with his appearance. The rest smiled stupidly as Jared was also wearing his most radiant smile. And all of his precious attention was directed at Karl who basked in his lover's presence, feeling like a black cat in the sun after a long, dreary winter.
Ignoring his admirers as much as the patrons scowling at him Jared strolled over to the table set into a small alcove where Karl was sitting and bend down, soundly kissing Karl on the mouth in greeting.
The fact that they had taken so much time in building their relationship had also given their management ample time to prepare for them to be 'officially together'. Neither of them had ever even considered keeping their relationship secret. Still Jared always made a point of showing his affection in public.
Karl had asked him about that once and had gotten the most satisfactory answer a man could ask for.
"I like people knowing that I belong to you." he had said.
Jared sat down opposite Karl, slumping into the chair in a perfect gesture of both feeling at ease and not giving a fuck about what people thought of him.
"I'm sorry I'm late." he said apologetically.
"What happened this time?" Karl asked, curious to hear the latest adventure of his lover.
Jared just shrugged. "Nothing really, I'm afraid. I fell asleep watching TV."
Karl stared at him incredulously. Then he had to laugh.
Jared smiled at him ruefully. "Doesn't make much of a story, does it?"
"No," Karl shook his head, "you are just so amazing, my love."
"Because I fall asleep and nearly miss our date?"
"Yes."
For a long moment they just smiled at each other. And Karl could feel himself falling head over heels yet again.
The waiter handing them the menus broke them from admiring each other. It didn't take them long to pick what they liked. They had chosen this restaurant for its selection of foods they both liked after all. And for the relative privacy the tables in the alcoves provided. It was nice to be able to talk and relax, even in public.
Still Karl nearly jumped out of his chair when he suddenly felt a gentle prodding against his shin that slowly crept upward from there. The table cloth hid the movement of what could only be his lover's foot but still it was simply... indecent, unthinkable.
But Jared's sleazy grin left no doubt in Karl's mind that his boyfriend was planning something one simply didn't do in public.
He opened his mouth to say something in that regard but the waiter chose that moment to reappear, bringing Jared's drink. So Karl could only sit there, desperately trying to keep his mouth shut as Jared's nimble foot reached his crotch and started to knead what he found there.
That Jared was thanking the waiter as if he wasn't doing anything at all was making the whole thing even hotter and Karl felt his traitorous body react to the combination of public location, extremely charming boyfriend and quite skilled foot. He was growing hard. Quickly.
Jared toasted him with his drink, smiling, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Jared..." Karl hissed, feeling slightly dizzy with the speed his blood was rushing through him to pool in his cock. "You..."
His lover just smiled as his toes massaged Karl. It was hot. Too hot. Way too hot.
Karl gripped the armrests of his chair tightly. He knew when he was defeated. He gritted his teeth against all the noises of appreciation that tried to escape him. All his senses focused on the feeling on his cock and on the sight of Jared right in front of him, smiling hungrily.
It was a sight that would burn itself into his brain, he was sure. A memory he would treasure for years to come. A memory he would wank to on lonely shoots. A memory to remind him why he was still madly in love.
Somehow he managed to keep it down to a low growl when he came hard.
With a gasp he slumped back into his own chair, watching in disbelief as Jared sat up straighter and his feet shuffled under the table, probably putting his shoe back on.
"You... you..." Karl stammered, trying to somehow get across how much he loved Jared and how impossible his lover was.
Jared just leaned forward, took one of his hands and placed a soft kiss on Karl's knuckles.
"Happy Anniversary, love."
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Beryll