With Caution

keep it turned off. I forgot last night after I called Jake.” He picked up his fork and took a bite of his eggs. Grabbing a piece of toast and bacon, he put them on his plate and went to get himself some coffee. He had a strange smirk on his face.
    Jake hung up the phone and handed it to Sterling, his mouth tight.
    “Everything okay?” Remi asked.
    Shaking his head, Jake took a drink of water and stood. “I have to go.” He kissed Remi’s head almost absently, then walked around and ruffled Sterling’s hair.
    Okay, that was strange. Remi watched him leave the kitchen. Something was up. Did it have to do with pack stuff?
    As if Jake heard his thoughts, he peeked back in the kitchen door, his helmet in hand and his saddlebags over his shoulder.
    “I’ll see you tonight. Meet me at my house at seven.” He glanced at Sterling, then back at Remi as if he wanted to say more. “Are you taking him home?”
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    With Caution
    Remi started to say yes, but Sterling looked up from his food. “Me? Nah, I called Mom. She’s going to pick me up after Dirk goes to work tonight.”
    Jake nodded and turned his attention to Remi. “I’ll tell you about it tonight.” Then he left.
    Remi stared at the empty doorway until the front door clicked shut and he heard Jake’s bike start. What had happened? He noticed Sterling smiling. “What?”
    Taking a bite of toast, Sterling smiled.
    “Did Rhys say anything to you? What were you talking about for so long?”
    Again Sterling shrugged. “I told him Jake said his bike was acting screwy and asked him if Gadget got it fixed. Then we started talking about football and motorcycles and…”
    Sterling went on about the things he’d talked about with Rhys, but Remi stopped listening.
    Remi grinned thinking about poor helpless Rhys stuck on the phone with Sterling.
    The poor man had looked absolutely pitiful the day they played football and Sterling followed him around talking. Rhys didn’t talk much himself. Then again, with Sterling around no one talked much. How could they? They couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
    “Are you listening to me?” Sterling waved his hands in front of Remi.
    “No.”
    “I’m telling you something important.”
    “I’m sorry, tell me again.” Remi picked up his coffee cup, still grinning as he took a sip.
    “I said I think I’m gay.”
    Remi dropped his cup. What? It felt like someone had stabbed him in the gut.
    Memories of Dirk calling him a faggot and kicking him in the face flashed through his mind. Then he saw Billy lying in a puddle of his own blood. Oh God. He was going to be sick. Using the heels of his hands, Remi rubbed his eyes.
    Jumping up, Sterling got a dishtowel and wiped the table off. “What’s wrong with you?” He tossed the towel at the sink and put his hands on the table, glaring at Remi.

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    Remi stood, pointing his finger in Sterling’s face. He gritted out each word to be sure Sterling heard him. Maybe if he said it slow, Sterling would realize it was the truth.
    “You. Are. Not. Gay.”
    “I think I am. And why the hell do you care? Obviously you are too.”
    “What? I am not! It’s a were—” Fuck, fuck, fuck. Remi slammed his fist on the table, making food jump off plates and Sterling’s coffee slosh onto the table. He’d almost said it was a werewolf thing.
    “Fine, bisexual. Whatever.” Sterling kicked his chair out of the way, sending it clattering to the floor, and stomped past Remi.
    Remi caught his arm on the way by.
    “Leave me alone.” Sterling tried to jerk his arm away.
    “I’m sorry.”
    Tears streamed down Sterling’s face. His lip trembled. It tore Remi’s heart out.
    Remi tugged him close, hugging him tight, his own eyes filling with tears. “I’m so sorry. I love you, I could never be mad at you for being who you are. I’m just…scared.”
    Nodding, Sterling hugged Remi back. They stood there for several minutes. Remi wanted everything Dirk had done to go away.
    “I thought you’d understand,” Sterling whispered in a shaky voice full of tears.
    Fuck, he wished Jake were still here. And how weird was that? Remi had never had a hard time expressing himself to Sterling, but he couldn’t tell Sterling how afraid he was.
    Or how Dirk may or may not have nearly killed Remi for the same damn thing Sterling was now confessing to.
    Oh God. He was gay and had been all along, but he’d never had the courage