seen him light
up quite like that. I’m starting to see some of his old self coming back.”
Mitch sighed. “But I don’t think he’ll ever be the way he was before and that’s
okay. He was a free-spirited party boy, but a little too much of a party boy.
Not that he would listen to anybody about it back then. Maybe now he’ll do
things differently.”
Temaru nodded, not sure what to say. He appreciated the
information, but just like when he’d searched for images of him online, he’d
rather have heard anything Ian’s past directly from him. He decided it’d be
best to not comment on what Mitch had said. “I’m happy he likes me. The feeling
is more than mutual. I’ve enjoyed the time we’re spending together.”
“I’m sure.” Mitch glanced at him. “Has he told you about
Aiden?”
Temaru took a deep breath. “Yes, he’s mentioned him.”
“Did he tell you how Aiden died?”
Temaru looked at him, locking his gaze with Mitch’s. “No, he
hasn’t. But I’d rather you didn’t, if that was your intention. I’d prefer for
Ian to tell me things about himself when he feels ready and comfortable.”
Mitch contemplated Temaru in silence for a long moment. He
looked back to Rodney and Ian, a slow smile spreading over his lips. “You’re
exactly what he needs.”
Temaru gave him a curious look, then focused back on Ian and
the shoot.
Rodney walked backward, camera raised. “Okay, lie on your
right side, propping yourself up on your elbow like you were before.”
Ian followed Rodney’s directions.
“And flip the left side of your shirt behind you.”
Ian didn’t move. “It’s fine the way it is.”
Rodney lowered the camera, a disapproving frown on his face.
“If it was fine the way it is, I wouldn’t have told you to move it.”
“I like it where it’s at.”
“Well I don’t.” Rodney marched through the sand toward him.
He grabbed the shirt and flipped it back, exposing Ian’s chest and abdomen. He
pointed a warning finger at Ian. “I know you haven’t forgotten modeling rule
number one. Don’t argue with the photographer!”
Ian huffed, but held his position and didn’t cover himself.
“Fine. If you want shots of my gut hanging out, go for it.”
Rodney faced him, lifting his camera again. “You, my dear,
have developed a very deluded self-image.”
“I’m not as fit as I used to be.”
“No, but you’re still beautiful. I know it and the camera
will show it. Now get that scowl off your face because that’s not
attractive.”
Ian laughed softly as Rodney started snapping shots.
Temaru looked to Mitch. “He’s a little hard on him, don’t
you think?”
Mitch shook his head. “Roddie can be a task master and a bit
on the demanding side, but he’s not bad. Not like some photogs I’ve seen. Being
blunt comes with the job, because if a shoot goes bad, the first one fingers
get pointed at is the photographer. But he and Ian have worked together a lot
and Roddie knows how to push him to get the best out of him. And as you can
see, how to get him to relax. It’s a natural gift he has.”
“How long have the two of you been together?”
Mitch blew out a long breath, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Let me think…I stopped counting after ten years.” He laughed with his last
statement and spoke while working out his thoughts. “I’m forty-three now, he’s
forty-one…we started dating when I was twenty-nine, so that’s fourteen years.
It’ll be fifteen this spring. That’s when we met.”
“It’s beautiful you’ve been together so long.”
“Yeah,” Mitch said, his gaze on Rodney. “I knew when I met
him he was going to be the one. But for as long as we’ve been together, we only
got married last year. Not because we didn’t want to get married sooner.
Because it’s taken that long for more of society to decide we had the right to
be treated equally.”
Temaru shook his head. “It’s sad, isn’t it, that so natural
of a right is
up quite like that. I’m starting to see some of his old self coming back.”
Mitch sighed. “But I don’t think he’ll ever be the way he was before and that’s
okay. He was a free-spirited party boy, but a little too much of a party boy.
Not that he would listen to anybody about it back then. Maybe now he’ll do
things differently.”
Temaru nodded, not sure what to say. He appreciated the
information, but just like when he’d searched for images of him online, he’d
rather have heard anything Ian’s past directly from him. He decided it’d be
best to not comment on what Mitch had said. “I’m happy he likes me. The feeling
is more than mutual. I’ve enjoyed the time we’re spending together.”
“I’m sure.” Mitch glanced at him. “Has he told you about
Aiden?”
Temaru took a deep breath. “Yes, he’s mentioned him.”
“Did he tell you how Aiden died?”
Temaru looked at him, locking his gaze with Mitch’s. “No, he
hasn’t. But I’d rather you didn’t, if that was your intention. I’d prefer for
Ian to tell me things about himself when he feels ready and comfortable.”
Mitch contemplated Temaru in silence for a long moment. He
looked back to Rodney and Ian, a slow smile spreading over his lips. “You’re
exactly what he needs.”
Temaru gave him a curious look, then focused back on Ian and
the shoot.
Rodney walked backward, camera raised. “Okay, lie on your
right side, propping yourself up on your elbow like you were before.”
Ian followed Rodney’s directions.
“And flip the left side of your shirt behind you.”
Ian didn’t move. “It’s fine the way it is.”
Rodney lowered the camera, a disapproving frown on his face.
“If it was fine the way it is, I wouldn’t have told you to move it.”
“I like it where it’s at.”
“Well I don’t.” Rodney marched through the sand toward him.
He grabbed the shirt and flipped it back, exposing Ian’s chest and abdomen. He
pointed a warning finger at Ian. “I know you haven’t forgotten modeling rule
number one. Don’t argue with the photographer!”
Ian huffed, but held his position and didn’t cover himself.
“Fine. If you want shots of my gut hanging out, go for it.”
Rodney faced him, lifting his camera again. “You, my dear,
have developed a very deluded self-image.”
“I’m not as fit as I used to be.”
“No, but you’re still beautiful. I know it and the camera
will show it. Now get that scowl off your face because that’s not
attractive.”
Ian laughed softly as Rodney started snapping shots.
Temaru looked to Mitch. “He’s a little hard on him, don’t
you think?”
Mitch shook his head. “Roddie can be a task master and a bit
on the demanding side, but he’s not bad. Not like some photogs I’ve seen. Being
blunt comes with the job, because if a shoot goes bad, the first one fingers
get pointed at is the photographer. But he and Ian have worked together a lot
and Roddie knows how to push him to get the best out of him. And as you can
see, how to get him to relax. It’s a natural gift he has.”
“How long have the two of you been together?”
Mitch blew out a long breath, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Let me think…I stopped counting after ten years.” He laughed with his last
statement and spoke while working out his thoughts. “I’m forty-three now, he’s
forty-one…we started dating when I was twenty-nine, so that’s fourteen years.
It’ll be fifteen this spring. That’s when we met.”
“It’s beautiful you’ve been together so long.”
“Yeah,” Mitch said, his gaze on Rodney. “I knew when I met
him he was going to be the one. But for as long as we’ve been together, we only
got married last year. Not because we didn’t want to get married sooner.
Because it’s taken that long for more of society to decide we had the right to
be treated equally.”
Temaru shook his head. “It’s sad, isn’t it, that so natural
of a right is
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