Cherish

David sat in the specialty coffee shop and sipped at a cappuccino while reading a book he’d just purchased at the bookstore down the street. Despite his better sense he’d purchased a great book of poetry to art book for Viggo. Why had he bought it? Why was he gifting the man with something he’d put thought into when he was considering leaving the man? Or was he? Was this his way of telling himself that he wasn’t ready to end it? That he wanted to fight for something more between them?

With a sharply indrawn breath he pushed thoughts of Viggo from his mind, and re-read the same line for the fifth time before it sank in and he could continue onto the next paragraph. He would sit here and drink cappuccinos, nibble on cookies, read for the afternoon and not think of Viggo if it killed him.

“That’s a rather nasty scowl.”

Startled David’s head snapped up, and with a laugh he rose and hugged the newcomer. “Karl! What the hell brings you out this way?”

“Filming, what else?” Karl Urban laughed, giving the other man a healthy thump on the back as they embraced. Pulling back some he returned David’s broad smile. “It’s been a while. How are you?”

David motioned for him to sit and they both got comfortable. “I’m good. You? You cut your hair!”

Karl ran one hand over the buzz cut. “Had no choice, mate. It’ll grow back.”

“It’s definitely a different look,” David nodded. “I’ll bet the women don’t care how long or short it is.”

One dark brow rose, and one corner of Karl’s full lips tilted upwards. “They do tend to preach that size doesn’t matter.”

Flushing David shook his head. “Do they?”

Karl sat back and glanced out at the busy street. “I saw you in here, and you looked kind of troubled. I’m a good listeneHe sHe saw the other man look down, hesitate. “Look, don’t worry about it if you don’t want to talk, but if you do I’m here. So is the plan for the day? Overdose on caffeine and read?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” the redhead laughed.

“Wouldn’t you rather take a walk in the park, have a fantastic early dinner, and catch up with an old friend?”

It had a lot of appeal. “Know an old friend I can catch up with?”

Throwing his arms open slightly Karl flashed a bright smile. “You’re looking at him. What do you say? I’ll even spring for a few coffees to go.”

Suddenly David felt excited, and he nodded eagerly. “I say my preference is a double cappuccino, two sugars, and frothy skim milk. I have to watch my figure.”

“Why? Nothing wrong with it,” Karl told him as he stood. He noticed the flush that bloomed on the other man’s cheeks, and the glow that lit his blue eyes before he went to the counto puo put in an order.

David wet his lips and put the book away. His heart was pounding, and the air felt heated. Maybe he shouldn’t spend the afternoon with Karl. Clearly he found the man attractive, he recognized the symptoms. Rising he downed the rest of his cappuccino, and over the rim of the cup glanced at the dark haired Kiwi. Karl was tall, well built, and David now noticed what a great ass he had in a pair of Dockers. His compliment had warmed David to his toes. Karl was like that. He didn’t give out compliments unless he meant them, and if the truth was known David enjoyed hearing them, needed to hear them.

“Ready?”

Nodding David left a tip for the girl behind the counter and grabbed the bag with the books. They walked the six blocks to the park, and found a shaded spot beneath a tree overlooking a pond. The grass was cool and thick as they sat. Karl sipped at his coffee and cast the shorter man a sideways glance. “I have a question for you, and if I’m overstepping tell me, but I hope w clo close enough friends that you’ll feel comfortable enough to answer me.”

“You’re scaring me,” David forced a nervous chuckle. “So it’s a serious question.”

Not tearing his gaze off his friend Karl leaned back against the bole of the tree. “Do you take male lovers? I ask because the last time we were in New Zealand filming some extra scenes for The Return of The King I noticed something between you and Viggo Mortensen. It was almost…intimate the way you interacted.”

Glancing down at his drink Dachewchewed his bottom lip for a moment. “Would you be disgusted if I did?”

“I don’t judge people on their sexual preferences, and I would hope not to be judged on mine. I’ve had female and male lovers,” Karl admitted, and when the blue eyes lifted to his in surprise he nodded. “Oh yes, I have. So I wouldn’t be disgusted if you did. I’d be intrigued though.”

“Viggo and I are…”

“Yes?”

David inhaled deeply, and gritted his teeth for a moment. Meeting the piercing gaze of the other man he smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know what we are anymore. Over six months ago we started some kind of relationship.”

“Some kind of?”

“I can’t really call us lovers because in my opinion lovers do more than just screw around and then go about their business. They share…more of themselves.”

Karl slowly nodded. He got it now. “You want that, but Viggo doesn’t.”

“No. Two months ago I made the mistake of telling him I loved him during sex, and after a small speech on how he doesn’t reciprocate those feelings he didn’t touch me again for two days until I told him it had only been the heat of the moment and not a confession. I lied,” David admitted, shrugging.

The shrug wasn’t as nonchalant as the Aussie tried to make it, and Karl knew it. Even when they had first met in New Zealand for the filming of the Lord of The Rings trilogy he’d known that David was the kind of man who didn’t take sex lightly and wore hisrt ort on his sleeve. The poor guy had to be hurting to be keeping his feelings bottled up inside like that.

“David, you can’t go on pretending that your heart’s not involved. Do you really want to continue being nothing more than Viggo’s fuck-buddy?” The other man glanced down at his drink once more, and Karl reached out and placed his hand over the fisted one that rested on David’s thigh. “Don’t sell what you can offer someone short. And for God sakes, David, don’t settle for any less than what you want and deserve.”

Startled once more David’s gaze met and was trapped by Karl’s. “I don’t know what I want anymore. I keep going back to him, I can’t resist when he touches me.” A shaky laugh escaped him. “I’m so bloody pathetic. Here I am, a grown man, and I can’t even decide if what I really want is to leave a relationship that I’m obviously not very happy in.”

“Ian would be the first to tell you that age has nothing to do with being patc. Yc. You could be fifty or sixty and still be trapped by your heart. Thing is, David, a relationship extends beyond the bed. What you have with Viggo doesn’t sound like it’s a relationship, it sounds like it’s just plain ole fucking.” A rakish grin curled his lips, and a flirtatious twinkle entered his eyes. “Don’t get me wrong. Every now and then a good fuck is well worth the time and place, but man can’t live on fucking alone. Sometimes, though we may hate to admit it, many of us need the more tender and romantic side effects of being with someone.”

“Viggo doesn’t,” David snorted, and then felt guilty for saying it.

“I did say many of us, and not all of us. Now, it’s been a while since we saw each other. I don’t want to spend the day with someone who feels gloomy…”

“I never said you could feel me at all,” David quipped, flushing when Karl erupted into deep guffaws.

“Is that a challenge, or are you setting me straight from the get-go?” the Kiwi inquired.

“You don’t have to flirt with me to try to cheer me up,” the redhead flushed.

Karl shook his head. Did Viggo not realize that keeping David in a loveless relationship was eating away at his self-confidence? Viggo wasn’t a cruel man, but he was a determined one. And Karl suspected the older man had no idea that David would never survive a relationship without love and tenderness. “I’m a bloody bastard, David, and I never do something just to please someone else.”

“Now you’re a bloody liar too,” David snorted. Again Karl laughed.