Part 101
Philip pushed the last box into the back of Jack’s overly stuffed truck then he slammed the door closed on his lifetime of belongings. As he tucked the keys into his front left pocket he turned to the man beside him.
"End of an era," he said quietly.
Graham forced a smile to his lips, nodded and then mumbled; "I'll say."
Both sighed then looked around, seemingly lost for words. Graham lifted his face to the gray sky above them that threatened rain all day but had never provided it. Night was settling in, fading the flame of orange streaks on the gray clouds to a dull smear.
Philip looked down at his feet and at the sludge he was standing in when he suddenly commented, brightly, "But it's not as if I'm miles away or anything.."
Graham was nodding and rocking on the balls of his feet. "Just a few streets away. I know," he cut in solemnly.
Again Philip caught his breath in a deep sigh then he shoved his hands into his coat pockets as he said, "You probably won't know what to do with yourself with all that room."
Again the older man nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty barren in there. I'm waiting for a tumbleweed to come by.."
Phil bowed his head as he laughed softly. "Are you telling me I took up more than my half of the apartment?"
With a genuine grin Graham shrugged. Both laughed quickly but went back to their distracted actions again. After a brief silence Graham added, "Thanks for leaving me all of that stuff-"
Philip had decided to leave all the white goods and the 'electricals' like the television, vcr and stereo in the apartment. He took only his own belongings, which greatly reduced the clutter in the shelves and around the living areas of the apartment. Anything that they'd shared, or considered shared, was left behind for the older brother. It went without saying that Philip had the means with which to replace anything he needed to, and because Jack's place was already so established he didn't need much anyway.
"No sweat." The younger man shrugged. They fell into another awkward silence, neither wanting to be the first one to officially end their years of co-habitation by saying 'good-bye'.
"Look, I know you have to get going because the moving van's about to go as well, but-" Graham sighed- "Let's not do this out here? Come back inside.."
Philip gave his brother a relieved smile. "Okay. I'll tell the guys to slow it down a little bit."
The older brother smiled with relief now. "I'll make you a cup of tea. Oh, you drink coffee these days, don't you?"
Philip nodded.
"Well, you can make the drinks anyway," Graham told him.
"True. The last one as a resident of the apartment. Next time I come over I'll be a guest, and you'll have to fetch for me.." he teased with a nudge of his shoulder against his brother's back.
Graham nudged him back just as hard. "That'll be the day!" Phil slapped his arm across the older man's shoulders and they headed upstairs together.
*
Jack was on the sofa when he saw the lights flash onto the hearth as his truck pulled up the drive. He gave a soft relieved sigh then stood, reached for the remote and killed the sound on the soccer match. He waited at the base of the steps until Philip entered - jostling a heavy box in his arms as he let himself into the house. Jack leapt up and took the box so that Philip could pull the keys out of the lock.
"Thanks," Phil murmured as he shut the door and tossed the keys onto the table beside them. "The van hasn't arrived yet?"
"Van? As in moving men?" Jack was surprised because Philip had only intended to go over there and grab the painting like he was requested to do and a few other items. Knowing that Graham wasn't going to be home he told Jack he wasn't going to stay too long. That was partly why the older man was glad to see the truck finally pull into the drive. Philip had been gone hours and he hadn't been in the best of moods when he left. Part of Jack expected the call to come that would tell him Philip had changed his mind and needed a few days to think things through. Despite being the one that proposed the living together arrangement Philip had a lot of history in that apartment, and with Graham, that Jack wasn't sure he was really that ready to give up - especially with all the other sudden and unexpected changes in his life over the past month.
Philip lowered his face as he brushed the back of his hand under his nose. "I called them in at the last minute. Decided I'd get the lot today instead of bothering Grae with it all. Basically I just took my personal belongings and left all the other stuff for him. The television, microwave, you know the stuff. I won't need any of it here and he certainly will... " His dark eyes lifted and Jack immediately saw how sad he was. Quickly the gaze darted down to the box in Jack's hands. "That's.. ah.. that's from my bedroom, I think.."
Jack looked at the box, then at him, and bent to put the box on the floor. He stepped over it as he caught Philip into his arms. "C'mere.." he said as he pressed his lips to the ebony brow.
The body in the grasp seemed to melt at the embrace and then Philip wrapped his arms around Jack's waist as he buried his face against his warm throat. Philip knew Jack understood his distress and knew that even though they were only a few streets away the life the brothers shared was greatly changed by this one small step.
Jack allowed Philip to pull back when he was ready and once he did, Jack told him, "I have a surprise for you."
Philip frowned with a smile. "Oh?"
"Come.." Jack took his hand and led him towards the basement stairs as he explained, "As soon as you left this morning I got up and started on this.." He pushed the door open and the once full, quite cluttered basement was now almost empty. Philip stepped down into it and his mouth dropped open.
"Where is everything?"
"Garage, or set out to be dumped."
"Wow!" Philip sighed loudly then put his hands on his head as he said, "Wow!" again. With a chuckle he admitted, "That's all I can say!"
In the corner the washer and dryer, plus a few boxes of items that needed to be kept on hand, like Christmas decorations and old paperwork and photos, remained but the rest of the room was bare.
"It's for you," Jack told him. Philip stopped stepping in a circle and stared at him.
"Me? You're kidding?"
Jack shrugged. "You need a studio.."
"Jack!" Philip laughed with utter disbelief as he threw himself into his arms. "Man, you're the best! Thank you!" He kissed his cheek hard then pulled back. Jack grinned happily.
"I remember you said something about always wanting a studio in a basement.."
"When did I say that?"
"The first time you came here."
Philip stepped back from him, his hand sliding down Jack's chest to rest there. "I did?"
Jack nodded then told him, "I remember a lot of the things you said to me that day." Philip wasn't sure he wanted to remember what he'd said back then, judging by the tone in Jack’s voice. "So we can refurbish the place together if you like. Make a few changes.."
The young artist frowned, shook his head and slipped his hand around Jack's neck again. "I like the place just as it is, actually." It wasn't as though Philip hadn't touched the rest of the house already in the time he did spend there with Jack before, but it never felt permanent.. not like now.
"Let's leave it open. Think about it maybe. No hurry."
Philip smiled as he tilted his face and kissed Jack's lips fully. "No hurry."
They kissed deeply for a few moments then as Philip pulled back he made a deep exhale and said, "All this, even after I was a bastard to you this morning." He kissed him gently again. "I'm sorry, hun."
Jack shrugged as he slipped his hands up and down the stretched out body, enjoying the feel of the toned muscles beneath the sweater. "You weren't feeling well...
"I had a huge headache," Philip defended himself.
"Exactly," Jack agreed.
"Still," Philip mumbled as he stared at Jack's lips then up into his eyes, "I was horrible to you.." His finger zig-zagged down Jack's cheek then onto his mouth, where it tugged the bottom lip down a fraction. "I'm sorry. It was our first morning together 'officially' and I was.. well, I wasn't nice."
Jack shook his head as he said, against the finger on his lips, "That wasn't our first official morning. Tomorrow morning will be."
The younger man grew brighter. "Oh, so I have a chance to make it up to you then?"
With a deep inhale Jack tilted his head, gave a soft groan and said, "Gee, I don't know..."
Philip smiled. "I'll surprise you! You know I enjoy surprises."
Jack arched his brow. "Knock yourself out - so long as you're not still sick."
"No, that was definitely a hang-over this morning," Philip said as he straightened up and stepped back from the firm body. "Remind me not to mix champagne and beer again!"
Jack smiled at the grimace on the handsome face. "Somehow, I don't think I'll need to."
Phil gave him a sheepish smile as he turned and stepped away from him. "You should have seen me at the apartment. Man, was I a mess! Probably just as well I was there and not here -" He looked over his shoulder to the man behind him. "I wasn't very nice to be around, if you know what I mean."
Jack stepped up behind him, sliding his arms around the young body and squeezing it against his chest. He sniffed him as he nudged his nose behind Phil's ear. "Smell good now though."
The young man moaned at the caress and the soft voice in his ear. "I showered, brushed my teeth and changed my clothes. You didn't notice?"
"Oh, yeah." Jack briefly looked at the black outfit. "This is your other set of black sweater and black jeans, isn't it?"
The young man chuckled. "I do have other clothes you know!"
"Yeah. I seem to recall another black sweater and let's not forget those baggier black jeans. Whew! I hardly recognize you when you dress up so differently in that outfit!"
Philip gave him a playful slap as he stepped away. Jack tugged his hand and pulled him back into the embrace, face on this time. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Out to the car to bring my things inside. I'll even let you help me."
"Wow, really?"
Philip laughed as he turned to go up the stairs. "Only if you're a good boy!"
"Oh I'm not! I'm very bad!" Jack gripped him by the hips and thumped his groin against Philip's butt while they climbed the stairs. The younger man chuckled as they stumbled on the top step together.
"Fine, make me sick by plying me with too much alcohol last night and now try to break my neck on the stairs! I see living with you is going to be a health hazard!"
Jack pulled him back against him again and said, "The best kind, baby!" Philip chuckled as he lowered his chin to his chest and enjoyed Jack nudging him behind his ear with his nose. Jack went on; "If you really were sick today, you should have called me. I'd have collected you."
Philip closed his eyes as he lolled his head back against Jack's shoulder while they continued to walk, slowly, to the front door. "I'm fine now and I really was better off alone, believe me!" Jack's breath was soft and warm against Phil's small ear and the closed cimmerian eyes fluttered at the touch of the lips to the tip of his ear - so soft that he heard it more than felt it. "Besides, how could you have? I had the car, remember?"
"Yes, I thought you said last night you wouldn't drive around in my phallic symbol..."
Philip chuckled. "I *was* slightly drunk."
"Slightly?"
"Besides-" Philip turned now to face him and wrapped his arms around Jack's waist- "As a phallic symbol it's lacking, in your case!"
Jack grinned wryly. "Sweet talk won't get you out of it now, baby!"
"How about head?"
The smile broadened slightly. Jack's voice dropped a tone as he asked, "Are you asking or offering?"
A quick tongue darted out to wet the dark pink lips then in a deep voice, designed to tweak Jack's interest, the young man said, "Offering, of course. Punishment for being a big-mouth."
The graying brow arched slightly. "Big mouth?"
Philip nipped Jack's chin gently and said in a soft voice, "I read it in a book once. It means speaking out-of-turn. Saying things when I shouldn't have.." He pressed a tender kiss to Jack's Adam's apple then allowed a moan to tremble his lips against the soft skin.
"Ah." The taller man nodded. "Big mouth."
"Ah huh. Let me show you just how big.." Phil breathed as he covered Jack's mouth with his own. They kissed slowly and tenderly; the slow gentleness aroused them both quickly, then Philip broke the kisses and moved down Jack's chin and throat with a rough eagerness.
Jack cupped the chin of the face moving south along his body. "The van might turn up."
"I'm paying them by the hour - they're probably taking their time." The head went back to its trail down the firm body.
Jack caught him under the chin again and lifted his face. "Then shouldn't we empty the truck first?"
Again Phil wet his lips as he lifted dilated eyes to meet Jack's gaze. "You tell me, Jack. Which phallic symbol should I empty first?"
Jack stared into the darkened eyes. Without a word he gripped Philip's hand and dragged him to the bedroom.
*
"So by about the time Norm and Ben had the van almost filled with my stuff Grae and Dan returned from their little shopping expedition. They'd managed to pick up nearly everything for Christmas! Can you believe that? I haven’t even started my shopping yet!”
It was now hours since Philip and Jack unloaded the truck and brought the boxes and belongings into the house. All of the gear was brought down to the basement so that Philip could unload it at his leisure and work out what was to remain down there in the 'studio' and what would be incorporated into Jack's current décor.
As they were unloading the truck the moving van finally arrived and the men inside looked a little concerned about their lateness. Norm, the older man who did all the driving and bossing about of the younger man, Ben, came out with some excuse about the tire blowing out and having to be replaced. Jack did notice that the rear left tire looked newer than the others. Philip dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand and insisted on paying them the full amount, despite the time taken to fix the flat. The men looked totally relieved and eagerly helped Jack and Philip with getting the items into the house then down into the basement.
Philip was now adjusting the clamp that held the lamp onto his drawing desk. Already the paintings from the living room wall of the apartment, the ones that left very large 'clean' spots on the wall underneath where they’d hung, were now propped into the corner of the room, slid in behind some shelving units. Philip had draped and tied a bed sheet over them so that the moving men were never aware of what the paintings were, but they did comment on the size of them. Now they faced against the wall, the bed sheet still draped over them and would probably remain that way until such a time that Philip was ready to paint over them or discard them altogether.
Jack had given up on helping the whirlwind he called a partner about an hour ago and sought the power of caffeine in his attempt to stay awake with his busy lover. It wasn't working though and as his eyelids drooped for the fourth time in the conversation he decided that the time had come for bed- despite Phil's manic need to set up his entire life in one night.
"You know-" the young man went on to say, unaware of his wiped out paramour - "Those two are so damn cute together! I'm so happy for Grae, that he's finally in love and that he's actually allowing himself to be in love!"
Jack arched his brow but gave no comment.
"He told me he wrote to Poppa yesterday," Philip went on.
"Oh?" Jack rubbed his tired eye with the knuckle of his finger.
"I don't think he'll be holding his breath for a response, put it that way!"
The gray-haired man nodded gravely. "No, I shouldn't think so." He finished his drink, reached back at a strange angle and balanced the cup on the already cluttered shelf behind him. "Do you want to look at cars tomorrow?"
The artist paused in his task of setting up the utensils along the flat top edge of the slanted desk. He scratched his brow with his thumb, sighed then said, "Actually, yeah. If you don't mind?"
Jack shook his head as he got to his feet. "Why would I mind?" Philip shrugged as he went back to setting up the equipment on the edge of the desk. Jack stepped in behind him and nuzzled his nose behind his ear. "Ready for bed?"
Distracted, Philip looked at the mess around him and said, "No, not really.." though as he turned he saw how tired Jack was and immediately put down the paintbrushes and pencils in his hand. "Sure, I'll just lock up."
Jack waited on the bottom step as Philip raced around and closed the windows in the room. He stepped up to Jack's side and felt a rush of contentment settle through him as Jack wrapped his arm around his shoulders and they walked up together, hip-to-hip.
*
It was late afternoon by the time Jack and Philip entered the last car yard on the list. The day had been bitterly cold but thankfully it hadn't snowed so taking cars for test runs was still possible. As Jack followed Philip around the Show Room he checked his watch, again. They'd been looking for hours at cars and he was really ready to head home, kick off his shoes and lie on his sofa while a game, any game, played on the television and he sipped a warming drink.
It had become painfully obvious over the past two days that Philip had no idea what kind of car he wanted, and after hours of looking, it seemed he never would. Jack watched with some trepidation as the salesman; an over-weight bald-headed man in a tight-fitting suit, headed their way. He smiled and his rotund face dimpled in both cheeks as he reached out his hand towards Jack.
"Miles O'Brady," he said with a firm handshake.
"Peter Pan," Jack mumbled in response. He'd had enough of Salesmen in the past two days as well. If the salesman picked up that it was just a joke name he wasn't letting on as he went on to show Jack the car they were standing beside.
"I see you were eyeing off this little beauty, Mr Pan. Might I just say.."
"Um, no. You can't say," Jack said, and then pointed to Philip who was leaning through the opened window of a low black sports model. O'Brady turned and looked over at him and at first only saw the neat little ass poking through a window and the long black hair. He shot Jack a smile then went over towards the car. Jack noticed the way O'Brady wiped his hand on his stomach as he headed in Philip's direction.
"This car has some grunt and might be a bit powerful...Oh!" He was stopped in mid-speech as Philip dragged himself backwards from the car and straightened up before him. It was painfully obvious to Jack, as he watched the round face drop to O'Brady's knees that the salesman had thought he was about to sell to some gorgeous woman.
"Sorry, you were saying?" The young man asked, unaware of the situation that had a huge grin planted across Jack's face at that moment.
The salesman gathered himself together quickly and held out his hand towards Philip. "Miles O'Brady."
Philip shook the proffered hand then introduced himself simply as "Philip."
"You're looking at quite a beautiful little speedster here, Philip," O'Brady went on with the usual sales pitch, the kind Philip had heard over and over in the past forty-eight hours. Another thing Philip had heard, too many times, was Jack being mistaken for his father. Unfortunately, it happened again.
"I was just telling your father.." O'Brady said. The young man rolled his eyes. How many more times would Jack be mistaken for his father? As they lay curled together on the sofa the night before Jack had told him it was a simple mistake. How often would young men bring an older 'friend' with them when looking at cars if not because said friend was their father, step-father, or an expert on cars and engines. As Jack kept out of the selling situation all together, it stood to reason that they assumed Jack to be the father who was tagging along as back up support only. Added to that, Jack reminded him, straight men didn't often assume two men spending time together were partners - usually the thought never crossed their minds actually - so unless Jack was there to talk 'cars' with the salesman, he had to be some other form of insipid back up. Begrudgingly Philip had accepted that reasoning then promptly went on to show Jack he was anything but insipid. That was last night. Today, after a morning of the mistake, he was testy.
"He's not my father!" He snapped as he stepped around the front of the car, taking in the emblem on the hood.
"No," Jack's voice surprised the artist and Philip looked up at him. Jack told O'Brady, "I'm just his father figure."
Phil bit back a smile and said, in a teasing tone, "My old man."
However he took that piece of information, the salesman didn't comment, in fact, it all seemed to go straight over his head. Instead he nodded, then pointed to the black vehicle as he steered the conversation onto a path he did understand - a well-rehearsed spiel about the car Philip was looking at.
In closing he said, "And we can arrange finance for you. How long have you been in your current position?"
"I don't have a job," Philip told him.
"Oh!" Once again O'Brady seemed crestfallen. With a rueful look at the shiny car he said, "Well, I'm not sure we can arrange finance without.."
"I don't need finance," the young man said. "I'll pay cash."
"Cash? Son, do you know how much this car is worth?"
"Yes, I passed elementary school so I can read." He tempered that with a polite smile. "And I'll be adding some extras too - *when* I decide on the car I want."
That news excited the fat man and his breath started to wheeze from his body. "I'm sure I can make any deal more handsome for you."
Philip eyed him skeptically, wondering if he could make *anything* more handsome, but he remained politely silent. He merely gave a faint nod.
"Why don't we step into my office!" O'Brady waddled off towards the room at the back.
Jack stepped up to Phil's shoulder and whispered, "Said the spider to the fly.."
"I'll say," Philip mumbled back to him.
<End of Part 101>
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.