The Jade Dragon, chapter 10

Never the Right Time
Summary: Vane makes his decision and works out to act on it. Complex and (some emotional) hide and seek.
Warnings: Emotional turmoil and a lot of character difficulty. What else is new?1

--2

Vane got back to his student apartment building late Sunday night, stepping carefully into his room through the oversized full length mirror in his armoire. He pushed the curtain covering it aside and shoved the armoire doors open, and he was back.3

Quick indeed and he mentally thanked his Aunt Beth for the nth time… but there was no way he was moving back to the Estate.4

Miguel; the name was on his mind, in his heart and flavoured his tongue. 5

It was time. 6

He didn’t bother with anything, just dropped his bag and made for the door, pausing only to lay his ear to the wood and listen out in the hall for any sound. Confirming there was no one there, he flung open the door and hurried out. Down the hall, jogging down the steps and to the door that stood as the final barrier to a confrontation he felt had suddenly become long overdue.7

Raising his hand to knock, Vane paused. What was he going to say? Would ‘I am an idiot and I beg your forgiveness’ cut it? Crap, and he didn’t know how to go about asking for or proposing what he wanted.8

What did he want, exactly?9

Swallowing nervously, aware of the dead silence of the night around him, Vane lowered his hand and shifted his weight foot to foot. It was nearly midnight and tomorrow was Monday and that would mean Miguel had classes in the morning and really, what was he thinking disturbing the guy like this? He needed Migs to listen and wasn’t it just selfish of him to come running when it was convenient for him and not Miguel? Did Miguel even want to listen anymore?10

He began to pace slowly, back and forth, just a few steps each way.11

No, no, no. The soonest was the best. The ‘right time’ never came along when you waited for it, you just had to jump in and say it.12

Right?13

Right.14

He raised his hand—15

Selfish. He was being selfish all over again! He made the guy wait and rejected his advances. Pain tightened in Vane’s chest. He himself had never dared to touch Leonora not just because she could probably wipe the floor with him but because he had never sensed she would accept it. And he had silently accepted Miguel’s touch, Miguel had said as much, and Vane had always sort of known it about himself, too.16

His hand lowered.17

And he had, for all intents and purposes, thrown it back in Miguel’s face. Had rejected Miguel time and time again, never mind that tacit welcome he’d unknowing broadcasted the entire time, that acceptance Miguel had picked up, the permission he’d somehow given before he’d ever realised it.18

Frustrated, Vane began to pace once more.19

Round and round his thoughts went until finally, Marcus’ words came back to him, ‘Are you brave enough?’20

He dashed to the door and knocked.21

--22

“What?” Marcus blinked.23

“He’s not there,” Vane repeated, slumping onto Marcus’ bed. “I knocked until Anthony opened up next door to tell me Miguel packed up some stuff and left Tuesday night last week.” He groaned, “The evening of our talk at my practice. He hasn’t been back since.” He covered his face, realising, “Shit, I’m too late.”24

“Is that what you think?” Marcus asked gently. “I mean, really?”25

With a sigh Vane replied, “I… no. I just don’t know how to find him.”26

“Come on,” Marcus prodded, “Is there no place, no way, you can think of to search him out?”27

“Shit, I’ll need to think on it.” Vane growled determinedly, “I’m going to find him.”28

“That’s the spirit.” Twirling in his chair Marcus added, “I’m proud of you, you know, if it means anything.”29

“Thanks.” Vane sat up, rubbed his head with frustration then got to his feet.30

“So what’s your plan?”31

“I’m going to skip a couple of classes, see if I can catch Miguel at his majors,” Vane replied as he headed for the door, tucking his hands into his pockets. “If I don’t find him at those then I’m going to see if I can track down his sister’s address. He sent me a letter once from there and I know there was a return address on the envelope.”32

Smiling, Marcus waved him off.33

Vane went straight to the courts. Monday afternoons meant basketball practice. So through the crowds he went and when he got there--34

“Hey, Nightroad!” called the Basketball Coach. “You know where Gutierrez has gone?”35

Startled the coach even knew his name, Vane stupidly stared, “Sir?”36

“Gutierrez,” the coach said slowly, amused. “Do you know where he…”37

Vane was shaking his head, “I came here to look for him, sir. I don’t know where he is yet.”38

“Yet,” the coach repeated, shaking a finger. “When you find him, tell him to call me.”39

“Did he not tell you he was leaving?” Vane asked, a touch of desperation making him blurt the question out without thinking.40

“He left a message with one of the secretaries, so he’s sort of got permission to be away.” The coach shook his head, “But he told me nothing himself.” Shrugging, “I would have wrung his neck and he probably knows it. In fact, I still will wring it when he gets back.”41

When the coach turned away, Vane dazedly left, wandering a little and not certain where to go now. With Miguel officially off from school, how was he to find the guy? He would try visiting the courts toward the end of practice and ask if maybe someone on the team knew anything. And he could ask a few classmates, too. He and some of Miguel’s classmates knew each other by face.42

It would be a bit of trouble but grimly he realised this was certainly his just deserts.43

--44

“Nothing,” Vane murmured. He dragged his feet to the beanbag on Marcus’ floor and dumped himself into it. “I turned my room upside down. I couldn’t find the letter. And I went home and looked there, too.”45

“Geez, Vane,” Marcus sighed. “You’re in a pinch.”46

“And not only that,” Vane sighed, “Do you recall I mentioned Miguel’s neighbour Anthony?” At Marcus’ nod he continued, “Turns out Anthony’s boyfriend Jamison shares classes with Miguel and they’re a little close…”47

“Let me guess, Jamie hates your guts?” Vane nodded. “Jamison’s room is right below here.” He tapped his foot for emphasis then sighed. “I’ve talked him often enough and we bump it each other regularly. I could try asking for you.”48

“If you would?” With a deep sigh, Vane went limp, eyes slipping shut. “Why do I keep ending up here?”49

“Moaning in my room?” Marcus supplied. “Beats me. Go talk to Imrad.”50

“Imz isn’t talking to me civilly,” Vane muttered dejectedly. When Marcus didn’t say anything, he lifted his head and glanced over at his cousin. “What?”51

“Hm. Just something I swore Imrad was thinking about yesterday,” Marcus frowned a little. “Didn’t think much of it until now.”52

“To do with Miguel?” Vane sat up hopefully.53

“I was telling him about the interference agreement I made with you and he thought something. Makes no sense to me but it might to you,” Marcus shrugged. “The thoughts were, South Lake until Saturday’s game. And I figure Saturday’s game means your finals—”54

“South Lake!” Jumping to his feet Vane pulled at his own hair, “That’s it!”55

“Geez,” Marcus blinked, “Do try to contain yourself.”56

“Marcus! I love you!” Vane dashed for the door.57

“Don’t let Imrad hear you say that,” came the laughing call after him.58

South Lake! Miguel’s family had a bungalow up near a river in the middle of nowhere not an hour away, how the hell had he forgotten? Miguel’s sister lived in almost precisely the same distance away from it as Miguel did from school and they would meet there sometimes just to hang out since Martina’s husband passed away. She’d bring her kids and Miguel would bring sweets and come back with pictures…59

Dashing for his room, Vane yanked out his sat-nav and punched in a search for the main South Lake area high road. Route planned, he shoved a change of clothes into a back pack and dashed for his bike. Shove it, Wednesday night or not, he wasn’t waiting another moment. He packed his bag into his top box, geared up and rode out.60

Not fifty minutes later, he arrived in the South Lake area and began asking around. It was a frustrating and dead-end waste of time, most people giving him strange looks or vague answers but he finally got an idea and rode for the most central Pizza Hut delivery outlet.61

“Yea, there’s a Gutierrez address,” confirmed the order-taker behind the counter and Vane barely managed to restrain a whoop of triumph. “What do you want sent?”62

“Large pepperoni feast cheesy-bites pizza and bottle of coca-cola.” He paid for it and asked for the receipt, the address clearly printed and got back to his bike. Inputting and saving the address into his sat-nav, he murmured, “You’re never going to escape me now, Migs.” 63

Well, not unless he ran to his sister’s…64

The bungalow was hidden off an old dirt path, winding away through the trees, about fifteen minutes from the main town area. It was dark, ten-forty two by his bike’s digital readout, and the trees cast shadows over the unpaved road. 65

Suddenly, the weight of the possibility that he might have found Miguel began to settle on him.66

Nearing the bottom of the road, he cut the engine and coasted the rest of the way down the decline. As he rounded the bend, there it was; brick and wood, old and worn, quaint and pretty, a small stream bubbling nearby. There shone a light in the kitchen and another in the living room. The front walk light was off, expecting no visitors. 67

Miguel’s silver Toyota Prius parked innocently in the drive. 68

Vane parked, pulled off his helmet and sat there, the cold Autumn night breeze tugging at his hair, cooling his face. He swallowed nervously, got off and secured his helmet, then stood to watch the place a little longer.69

Moment of truth, he realised, and the words were gone. All there was were emotions, tight in his chest and thick in his throat. He pulled out a cigarette and smoked it down then realised when he heard a motorcycle approaching that the pizza was here.70

He cringed at the sound of it, the high whine of a small engine, the idiot delivery man revving as he got down to the driveway.71

And then that was it, not that his luck had ever been anything worth mentioning. But standing there, still smoking, on one side the delivery man hopped off his bike with the goods in hand, nodding because he recognised Vane and behind Vane the door opened and there stood Miguel. 72

His luck really sucked sometimes.73

“Hi,” he waved to the astounded Miguel as casually as he could. He turned to the delivery man and accepted the goods, flicking his cigarette away, “Thanks.”74

He suffered standing there like an idiot until the delivery man had driven away, watching the tail-lights disappear, before he turned to the bungalow and the waiting young man there.75

“So.” Stupid. I’ve been stupid. Please just let me apologise and I swear you don’t have to say anything. “I brought dinner…?” Selfish and presumptuous, he realised. “I mean, unless you’ve already eaten then that’s okay.” What so now Migs needed permission? “Or whatever, you know, whatever you want.”76

“Vane?” Quiet, hesitant, disbelieving.77

“Yeah.” He’d come in the middle of the night uninvited. More than selfish, he was arrogant. “I’m sorry to disturb you. It’s just that I finally thought of where to find you and so I came straight over and…” Idiot. He was being an idiot and he couldn’t stop. “I can go, if you want. I didn’t mean to bother you.” And he would have turned away to leave with his tail between his legs except he still held the food and didn’t know what to do with it. “Um. I’m sorry.”78

“Vane.” Miguel stepped out, wearing cotton lounge trousers and a t-shirt but looking like he didn’t mind the cold, ignoring he wore carpet slippers and it was likely absorbing moisture from the wet ground. “Why are you here?”79

“I, uh… I came looking for you,” Vane replied, moving closer so Miguel wouldn’t have to come all the way out onto the wet paving. “Just needed to see you, as lame as that sounds.” He laughed sheepishly, humourlessly, “I know I sound and look like an idiot, it’s just that I… I have ten thousand things to say and I don’t know how to say them and—” Miguel was lifting the box and bottle from his hold and turning to quietly put them on the bench by the door. “—when I wanted to try and talk to you, you were gone and no where to be found. So I asked around, your coach is going to kill you by the way, but no one would talk to me. And then I tried to find your sister’s address but I couldn’t find the letter you sent that had the address, that avenue held no luck so—”80

He oofed, suddenly tightly enclosed in a crushing embrace.81

“You came to me,” Miguel murmured softly into Vane’s hair.82

Vane blinked, shocked by the hug but jolted right back out of it at the rough sound of Miguel’s voice. He hugged back, startled at how cold Miguel was already here outside having come from warm indoors, never mind the warmth of his body.83

“Dragon,” Miguel murmured, hold tightening a moment as though not really believing Vane was there, and Vane felt a little shiver run down his spine at the nick name.84

“Hey, you’re freezing out here,” he prodded, holding Miguel just as tightly, burying his nose into Migs’ neck and closing his eyes.85

Neither of them moved.86

TBC