Ellie
smiled widely as Charlie zoomed past, almost upturning Alan's coffee cup from
the table.
"And
how's Billy?" she asked finally, waiting for 'that' look to cloud his face.
"He's
fine," Alan Grant didn't look at her; instead, he stared into his cup,
maybe hoping to find the answers to all of his problems in its dark brown
depths.
"Does
he know yet?"
Struggling
with a smile, Alan glanced up at her, "Know what?"
"That
you're in love with him."
"Oh
that!"
Ellie
shifted irritably in her seat, "So the answer's no then?"
"Ellie,
it's not that simple..." he trailed off, a familiar blush working its way
into his cheeks.
"Yes,
Alan, it is that simple. You and I both know that the only reason Charlie here
isn't called 'Charlie Grant', is because you fell in love with one of your
students after we returned from Jurassic Park. I know I was hurt at the time,
and I might have said some pretty unpleasant things to you, especially after I
discovered that it was a young *guy* who'd stolen you away, but time has helped
me to see the bigger picture. If Billy is who you really want to be with, you
should *tell* him how you feel."
"He's
my student, it's unethical to even suggest a relationship."
"He's
not really your student any more."
"No,
maybe not, but he is my assistant, and more importantly, he's my friend."
Reaching
across the table, Ellie grasped Alan's hand. "Don't screw this up, Alan.
Billy deserves to know how much he means to you."
"And
if I tell him, he could walk out of the door in disgust."
"Somehow,
I don't think that's going to happen. I've seen you two together, he adores
you."
"As
a teacher, maybe. I've seen things in real life that he's only dreamt about.
It's probably a little hero worship, that's all."
With
a sigh, Ellie leaned back in her seat. "Sometimes I wonder how men became
the dominant species on this planet, being so stupid n'all!" she smiled.
A
genuinely affectionate smile creased the paleontologists face, "I've missed
you!" he grinned.
"And
I've missed you too. Tell him, Alan, he deserves to know. What if something
happened, and you'd never told him how much you loved him. How would you
feel?"
"What's
going to happen?"
"After
the events on Isla Nublar, you have to ask that?"
Alan
shook his head, "I only work with *dead* dinosaurs these days, the kind
that don't eat you."
"You're
evading the subject again," Ellie studied her old lovers face, knowing each
flicker of emotion intimately. "My point is that, we never know what the
future holds. Don't you think you deserve a little happiness? Or maybe even a
love life?"
The
faint coloring of his cheeks, turned into a raging flush at that suggestion.
"What we 'deserve' and what we get are usually very different things."
Holding
the check between his fingers, Alan couldn't help but feel a chill skitter down
his spine.
"Wow,
that baby is going to fund us for the next *two years*!" Billy Brennan
chuckled.
"Yeah,
well, I remember the last time I held a funding check from some big-shot rich
guy in my hand, I was almost eaten shortly afterwards." Alan sighed, only
too vividly remembering his arrival on Isla Nublar, and the subsequent adventure
that ensued.
Billy
threw his arm around Alan's shoulder and squeezed, "Oh come on, that shit
can't happen twice."
"Tell
Ian Malcom that," Alan laughed slightly.
"It's
going to be a breeze. You do the tour guide thing, and we get to continue our
research for the next two years without worrying about what we're going to eat,
and where we'll sleep. I can live sharing tents with the guys, but a real room,
with a real bed would be nice occasionally."
Alan
closed his eyes, and momentarily let his mind wrap around that thought. Billy;
lying in bed, his elfin face cracking into a wide, expectant smile, as his slim
body shivers slightly in anticipation. He slowly turns over, lifting his ass
invitingly. Smooth, soft skin beneath Alan's hands as he touches the upturned
cheeks, the action eliciting a low moan of pleasure, Billy's breathing hitching
at the touch...
"You
okay?" Billy's voice suddenly pierced Alan's messy little fantasy.
"Yes!
Yes, I guess I'm just a little tired. We should both get some rest if we're
going to make that flight tomorrow."
The
older man turned slightly, still reeling from the mental images of his assistant
naked and willing. "Mmmm?"
"Thanks
for taking me with you."
"It's
your damned fault, I wasn't letting you get out of this *that* easily,"
Alan laughed.
"Seriously,
I really appreciate it. I..." Billy suddenly chewed on his lip a little
nervously, "I guess I should get the hell out of here and let you
sleep!" He grinned, as he picked up his pack, raising his hand in a small
wave goodbye, and heading for the motel room next door.
Alan
watched as the door closed behind the younger man, and finally let out the
breath he'd been holding. "Goodnight, Billy."
The
motel room wasn't exactly pretty, but it was functional, and after spending the
last three months in a tent with three other men, it was delightfully private.
Billy
stepped into the shower, and gave a satisfied sigh, as the water cascaded down
his back.
He
couldn't believe that this was all happening to him. He was finally going to see
Isla Sorna, albeit from the air. Real dinosaurs, living in their own ecosystem,
thriving, breeding...it was incredible.
It
wasn't supposed to happen, they were genetically designed to die without a dose
of Lysine introduced into their diet by the scientists who created them, but
just as Ian Malcom had predicted 'nature will out', and they'd found a way to
adapt.
Most
importantly, he was going to spend this time with Alan Grant, away from the
dig... and the whispered rumors from their fellow scientists.
'Come
on, Brennan, we all know you take it up the ass. You trying to tell us you don't
take it from Grant?' Conner had slurred one night, after they'd smuggled a
couple of bottles of Jack Daniels back to the site.
He'd
gotten into a fight over that, ended up with a black eye, and a busted lip. When
Alan had asked what it was all about, he'd just shrugged and said that they were
guys and they were drunk; they didn't need a reason to fight.
It
wasn't easy being in love with Alan Grant.
The
guys at the dig could see it, the students at the university saw it, hell...even
his *mother* could see it, but Alan seemed to remain innocently oblivious to
him.
Funny
how all of those poems and songs devoted to love never really explain just how
much unrequited love *hurts*, isn't it?
Wandering
out of the shower, Billy tossed the damp towel onto the bed, and looked at
himself in the mirror.
'Maybe
I'm just not his type?' he thought a little sadly, glancing at his slim frame
and pale skin. "Yeah, you don't have breasts!' that annoying little voice
in his head taunted.
"Shit!"
He spat as he picked up the towel and hurled it at the mirror in frustration.
He
lay back on the bed, and tried to relax. It was going to be a long flight
tomorrow, and he needed some rest.
'When
we get back, I'm going to do something about this,' he vowed to himself, 'I
can't go on living this way. I have to tell him.'
As
sleep finally claimed him, the words 'I have to tell him.' Were still tumbling
from his lips.
Alan
Grant looked up at the aircraft with slight trepidation. He knew that this was
just going to be a simple 'look...*dinosaurs*!' trip, but he still couldn't help
the cold, nervous, trembling coiling in his belly.
When
Billy finally came into view, laden with bags, cameras and other assorted
sundries that he was sure they'd need, Alan felt a warmth spread through his
body at the sight of his assistant.
So
young and enthusiastic, and so very lovely.
'Tell
him, Alan. He deserves to know,' he heard Ellie's voice in his head. 'We never
know what the future holds.'
He
hated it when she was right. It was always the most irritating thing about her.
"Billy?"
he called over the noise.
The
younger man wandered towards him. His eyes were shining like a five year olds,
on his first trip to the zoo, and his smile could melt icebergs.
"When
we get back, I need to talk to you about something, before we go back to the dig
site."
Billy's
smile faltered slightly, "Is everything okay, Alan? What....am I getting
fired or something?" he tried to laugh, but he was clearly nervous.
"No,
nothing like that." Alan clapped his hand on Billy's shoulder. "It's
just something that I've been meaning to talk to you about for some time."
The
End?