The Hunt - Epilogue (Love, Again Side Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

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Epilogue

Billy rubbed away the sand from his eyes and looked around, feeling confused at first. That looked nothing like his room.

“Rise and shine, sleepy head,” Robert’s cheerful voice announced.

Billy groaned and covered his face. “Don’t wanna.”

“Aren’t you a kid now? Ah, I should have set an alarm somewhere. I’m sure you share a better love story with mechanical devices than with me.”

Billy dropped his hands. He opened just one eye. “Are you going to treat me to breakfast in bed?”

Robert snorted. “You wish. Come to the kitchen after you freshen up. I still haven’t learned what your favorite color is.”

“That’s classified information,” Billy warned but got out of the bed with a loud yawn and stretch.

He couldn’t help feeling giddy while brushing his teeth with the spare toothbrush Robert had indicated for him to use. After a short shower, he was on his way to the kitchen. Robert’s boxers and t-shirt were a bit too large for him, but not by much.

He snickered at the sight of the detective in an apron. A murderous look was his immediate compensation. Billy straddled a chair and assumed the position of a good kid waiting for breakfast to be served.

Robert placed one plate full of scrambled eggs in front of him and poured him a glass of orange juice. He got rid of his apron only after bringing another plate for himself to the table. “Dig in. I have a feeling you need to get your forces back.”

Billy took the challenge at face value. “You weren’t that much work, detective.”

The dark eyes lit up with amusement. “Really? Was I easy, then?”

Billy felt his throat getting suddenly dry. There was something so provocative in how Robert said every word that he needed to drink some more juice to make his stomach stop from pretending to be a world-class gymnast.

“Not at all,” he eventually replied. “By the way, this is really good. I’ve never had scrambled eggs this good.”

“Is that a way to change the subject?”

“Yes,” Billy offered promptly.

“Hmm, so are you shy about what happened last night?”

“No, not shy, just --” Billy stopped, feeling his cheeks on fire.

“Just… what?” Robert asked, his eyes set on him.

“You make me hot just by staring at me like this,” Billy shot the words like they were lava rocks on his tongue.

“Oh, I see. Let’s talk after we finish, okay?”

Billy nodded and buried his face into his plate. He was suddenly hungrier than ever in his life.

***

Robert could admit that he was a bit nervous about having a big talk with Billy, but he was the older one in their relationship, which meant that he had to be mature about the entire thing. What exactly that meant was not exactly known to him, but it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t try.

He washed the dishes, and Billy offered to dry them and put them back into the cabinet.

There was no more postponing, then. He sat back at the table, and Billy followed his example. Robert placed one hand on the table, the palm facing upward, and extended it toward the other. Billy understood and put his hand in his.

Robert looked at him and said the words from the heart, “I meant it about second chances. So, I don’t know how people do it these days since I haven’t been on the dating scene for decades, but will you be my partner?”

Billy smiled. “I think boyfriend has a nicer ring to it, detective.”

Robert nodded. “Okay, will you be my boyfriend?”

Billy shrugged. “Sure, why not? But wait, aren’t you supposed to learn more about me first? I could be a psychopath.”

“I see how your line of work could make you think such weird things, but I’ve spent enough time with you to know you’re far from being a psychopath. You’re on the same side with the good guys. So, Billy, you’re a good guy in my book.”

Billy exhaled. “That’s good to know. But before you jump in this boat with me, which by the way, I think it’s awesome, you should learn a few things about me.”

“Go ahead.” Robert didn’t let go of Billy’s hand. “I’m ready.”

“You remember how I told you I couldn’t join the force.”

“Something about not being capable to pass the exams, right?”

Billy nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t honest with you. The thing is I used to be a hacker, and, well, I got caught.”

Robert couldn’t say that he was shocked by that confession. Billy looked like he had street smarts, not only book smarts. “So?”

“So?” Billy’s eyes grew wide. “You’re a police detective. How getting hitched with an ex-criminal works for you?”

“Did anyone die because of your actions?” Robert went for the shock factor since Billy looked like he needed it.

“No. Just some rich people were a little less rich. I don’t know, they couldn’t afford a third yacht or something,” Billy said and moved his eyes away. “Not that it justifies what I did. It was a bad thing.”

“All right. I’m looking forward to hearing about your hacker days some more. But now, to the nitty-gritty. Is Billy Jackson your real name?”

“It is now. I changed my name after… everything.”

“You did hard time?” Robert asked directly.

Billy looked horrified by the idea. “No, nothing like that. The police people who caught me were understanding, seeing how I was young and all. I paid everything back… and, well, I helped those rich people get a little richer. For a while.”

“Ah, they afforded the third yacht, in the end.”

“Yeah. But I got out of that, and a friend from the force helped me disappear. I’ve been Billy Jackson ever since.”

“Billy Jackson, the master of disguise.”

“That’s me, all right.”

Robert measured Billy with his eyes, and he could see himself in love with the younger man, hacker or not. “And how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-seven.”

“You look a tiny bit younger. It probably depends on how you dress.”

Billy smirked. “I get that a lot.”

Robert’s smile grew wider. “And now, onto classified information. Favorite color?”

A snicker was the reply. “For that, you’ll have to cuff me and go hard on me, detective.”

Robert feigned a deep frown. “I think that can be arranged.”

“Not if I reach the bedroom first and lock the door.” Billy jumped to his feet, taking him by surprise.

Robert rushed after him, and together fell on the bed, this time with Billy underneath. The look they exchanged was intense. “There’s no getting away from me, as you see.”

“I’m not really running,” Billy offered, his eyes filled with mischief.

Robert kissed him deeply. That was good to know because he was tired of running from the world, and facing it together with someone dear to him sounded like a pretty good deal.

***

Several months later

Robert followed Billy with his eyes as he leaned over the pool table, while their lovely host faked an attempt at making him lose his concentration. Ever since he had been introduced to Rhys and Mason, he had had a strange nagging sensation at the back of his brain.

“Your husband has a wonderful voice,” he offered when Mason sat by his side and handed him a tumbler with whiskey on the rocks. “I assume he’s famous, but I apologize for not recognizing the name. I don’t listen to this type of alternative music much.”

Mason shook his head and smiled. “Until I met him, I was in the same situation. He changed my views on music, that’s for sure. And not only, of course.”

Robert swirled the ice cubes in his glass and stared at the amber liquid. “Can I ask you a really odd question, Mason?”

“Sure. Fire away. You would be surprised how many odd things I’ve already seen in my life.”

“Have you ever seen a ghost?”

It was a silly thing, but Robert couldn’t help feeling a little miffed over how Billy had tried to fool him with his ghost story that one time. He knew his partner to be quirky like that, but when Billy had said that story, he had looked really hurt that Robert hadn’t wanted to believe him.

Mason fell silent.

Robert knew what that meant. Either Mason and Rhys weren’t the protagonists of that strange story, or his host thought he was a bit off his rocker right now.

“So he told you.”

Robert moved his head so fast he heard bones and joints cracking. “For real?”

Mason nodded, and there was not one trace of a smile on his face. “Yes.”

Robert didn’t know what to say.

“I suppose you didn’t believe Billy when he talked to you about it,” Mason continued.

“You can bet,” Robert replied in one breath. “So, were you haunted… or how did that work?”

Mason sighed and scratched his head. “Haunted is hardly the right word. Rhys’s ex-lover chose to hang out with me for a while.”

Robert shook his head slowly. “Are you sure we’re not on one of those shows pranking people?”

Mason shrugged. “You asked. I had no idea you would.”

“The world is full of strange things,” Robert commented and took a sip from his drink.

“Yeah. Like Billy getting a boyfriend. A police detective, on top of it all.” Mason clinked his glass against Robert’s.

“Why is that strange?”

“Billy led us to believe he had a girlfriend while working with me and for Rhys. Undercover, of course.”

“A girlfriend, huh?”

“Yeah. We learned afterward that she didn’t exist. When he called to tell us that he’d pay us a visit with his boyfriend, we both called bullshit. But you’re here, in flesh and blood.”

“I guess I am.”

Mason hesitated for a moment. “You know, detective, I would have thought you would be more spooked by ghost stories.”

Robert leaned back in his chair. “Nah, I’ve learned a thing or two since I met Billy.”

“Like what?”

“Like learning to trust,” Robert admitted.

Billy turned to look at him at that exact moment. He waved and smiled, and Robert waved back. Even the ghost story was true.

Which meant that Billy must have said the truth last night about being in love with him.

THE END

Author's note: And this was Billy's story! Next week, we'll go back to Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs with more extras involving the guys!  I hope you will continue to enjoy my stories!