Dustin
Friday night, they pulled into the Rain Valley Rabbits Stadium early enough to meet their friends in the parking lot and walk in together.
As they sat in the truck and waited for the others to arrive, Dustin felt jittery, his nerves jangling through him.
“What’s wrong with you?” Raf asked, clasping his hand.
“This is a big step. Have we really thought this through, telling our friends? If we don’t work out, they might feel like they have to pick a side and I don’t—”
“Stop, Dusty. We’ve already promised each other that we’ll always be friends. And quit thinking about us not working out.” Raf squeezed his hand. “You may not have reached the same realization, but we’re in it for the long haul.”
Dustin’s mind quieted, all doubts instantly gone. This “relationship” thing was new to him and every once in a while he panicked. Raf always knew what to say. In it for the long haul…huh. A slow smile spread across his face. “So, basically you’re saying you’re crazy about me? Can’t live without me?”
Raf’s eyes flashed dark as he pulled him closer. “What do you think?” His lips crashed down, capturing Dustin’s in a bruising, claiming kiss. He licked the seam of Dustin’s lips, then his tongue swept in and Dustin moaned. He loved when Raf played rough, possessive, showing that his heart belonged to Dustin.
When they finally came up for air, they stared at each other, panting. Dustin’s heart pounded so hard he wondered if Raf could hear it.
A rap on the driver’s side window startled them. Caleb grinned at them like the veritable cat that caught the canary. Lucas wore a matching smile.
“Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh, Dusty?”
Dustin laughed. “Well, it saves us from having to make an announcement.”
Raf gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I have a feeling they’re going to be pretty merciless with the teasing.”
“As long as you’re by my side, I’m ready.”
“Always, Sunshine. Always.”
* * * *
The teasing wasn’t too bad—much less than Dustin had imagined. Everyone seemed genuinely happy for them. Of course, Caleb and Lucas wore knowing smiles, saying that for a long time they had expected them to get together.
Other than Matthew and Ian, their gang didn’t seem surprised. Dustin still couldn’t get over how long it had taken him to understand his own feelings, yet others had apparently known just by looking at him.
When the game started, the heat proved nearly unbearable and they soon used cheap cardboard rabbit-shaped cutouts with wooden handles to fan themselves. Once the sun finally started to set, it became a little more comfortable.
Dustin’s brother had spent the whole game entertaining the crowds while wearing the rabbit costume. The kids in the stands adored Jamie and he seemed to make a concerted effort to wave to as many of the youngest fans as possible. Although Dustin had worried about Jamie overheating inside that heavy, ridiculous costume—he looked like the Easter Bunny—nothing had stopped the kid.
Kid…huh. Jamie was twenty-one now. A man. That was hard for Dustin to believe at times. The little brother that used to follow him around like a shadow was a grown man. Jamie loved being the mascot, but it was only through the season, so he took other jobs over the winter. Once he’d shown interest in learning about Dustin’s furniture business, but they’d never pursued it. Dustin was doing well enough now that he’d been considering hiring Jamie, to help with some of the smaller projects, if his brother was still interested. But he’d need a lot of training.
During the game, Dustin brought it up to Raf, who seemed to think it was a great idea, so he had made a mental note to talk to his brother.
Jamie met up with them right after the game, just outside the stadium gates. He’d removed the costume, but looked haggard as he chugged from a water bottle. His normally shaggy brown hair was matted to his skull and his face was flushed.
His boyfriend, Austin, hovered nearby, clearly worried about him. They’d been together a couple of years and were cute as could be. They’d met when the high school team had trained one day with the Rabbits. Austin had been a senior and they’d clicked immediately.
Once the rest of the group took off, Dustin and Jamie talked. He invited the guys back to his house, but they declined—Jamie wanted to get home and take a shower.
When Dustin proposed bringing him into the business, Jamie seemed ecstatic and they decided to start as soon as baseball season ended. They still had a lot of things to iron out, but they planned to get together as soon as they could.
On the way home, Dustin couldn’t stop smiling. He had Raf, a brother who would be working with him, his own plane, and a dream trip coming up. And the most important thing? He was totally in love with Raf, and he planned to tell Raf as soon as he found the nerve.
* * * *
About a week later, Mac called, asking Dustin to come to the airport. He wanted to talk in person, which instantly worried Dustin. “I’ll explain when you get here,” he said, then hung up.
Dustin frowned. He had just started a new order for two buffets from the shop outside of Branson. It seemed everybody wanted things in gray stain recently, and he didn’t want to set aside the work and head to the airport when he had just begun making progress on the orders.
Since Raf was out shopping for more camping equipment, Dustin texted him. He wouldn’t dare go to the airport without him, since the man was just as invested in the plane as Dustin.
Dustin: Mac called. Wants us out there.
Rafael: Did it pass?
Dustin: Hope so. He didn’t say. Worried something is wrong.
Rafael: If there is, we’ll get it fixed.
Immediately he felt soothed. Raf had such a calming effect on him. He’d always gone at full speed—from happy to worried to sad to happy again in minutes. Growing up, he’d been a sea of wild emotions, allowing them to guide him, rather than he being in control. Over the years, he’d learned tools and felt like he had a handle on things most of the time. But now, when he did start to tumble out of control, Raf kept him steady—even long before they became a couple.
Dustin: You’re right. Thanks. Do you want to meet here or the airport?
Rafael: I’m leaving the store. Be at your place in 10.
Dustin: Great. I’ll be ready.
And he was. When Raf arrived, Dustin took some of the bags from his hands and kissed him. It appeared Raf had bought out the store, but Dustin would have to wait to look at the new purchases. They needed to see the plane and talk to Mac.
The closer they got to the airport, the more Dustin worried. The trip was in less than a week and he needed to take her up a few times. He felt confident in his piloting—once he’d starting lessons, flying had seemed like second nature—but he still needed time to get to know the Cessna. If something was wrong or defective, they may have to cancel the trip.
“Stop,” Raf said.
Dustin furrowed his brow. “What?”
“Stop worrying. If something needs to be fixed, we’ll fix it,” Raf reminded him. “It will be fine.”
Once again, Raf calmed his fears, and by the time they pulled into the airport, Dustin felt ready to deal with whatever Mac needed to tell them. They fell into step together as they made their way to the hangar holding his plane.
Mac stepped outside, a big smile on his face. “Hey, guys. Glad you could come out today.”
Dustin narrowed his eyes. The man didn’t look concerned. Maybe Dustin had panicked over nothing.
Mac led them to the last hangar door and stopped. He put his hands on his hips and grinned. “This is my favorite part—the big reveal.”
Dustin grabbed Raf’s hand and held tight as Mac raised the door. His heart nearly stopped when his gaze fell upon the gleaming plane, looking every bit as new as if she’d rolled off the assembly line in 1976. Tears sprang to his eyes and he brushed them away, laughing. “Oh, my God. Raf, look.”
“Come on,” Mac said, waving them inside, “let me show you what’s done. And yeah, she passed inspection with flying colors. You’ve got a great little plane, Dustin.”
Pride flooded through him and his heart nearly burst out of his chest. He chuckled. “I kind of feel like a new dad.”
Mac laughed. “I hear that a lot.”
Dustin walked around the plane, trailing his fingers along the metal, the shiny new paint job so bright it almost appeared wet. The burgundy and blue stripes looked brilliant against the white.
Raf whistled as he circled the plane and their gazes met when they reached the front again. Dustin gaped at the propeller. “This is new, Mac!”
“I wondered how long it would take you to notice that. It’s actually a vintage metal propeller that has never been used. Your plane was going to need one soon, so I jumped the gun and took care of it. I’d been holding onto it for just the right plane.”
“It’s beautiful.” Dustin felt like a kid at Christmas.
Raf looked just as excited, if his face-splitting grin meant anything. They let Mac take them through the repairs, showing them everything he and his mechanics had completed.
Dustin could barely stand still when Mac asked if he wanted to turn on the engine. “Damn straight,” he exclaimed and hurried to climb in. “Do you want to, Raf?”
“Do you want me to?” Raf asked hesitantly.
“Of course. Get in!”
Once settled inside, Mac handed Dustin the ignition key, which he inserted into the slot. He turned it and the engine roared to life, and suddenly he felt like a pilot. He was a pilot. He was a fucking pilot! He turned to Raf, who wore a matching grin, and shot up his fist.
Dustin wanted to stay in the plane all day, but he had to go over things with Mac and, of course, pay him, so he shut off the engine. Raf climbed out, but Dustin stayed a few more minutes, gazing in wonder upon the instrument panel and the interior of the plane. Everything looked so shiny and new. Paperwork sticking out of the pocket on the door panel caught his eye. He grinned at the Airworthiness Certificate, the Pilot Operating Handbook, and the registration. The old log book was still there and he had given the new one to Mac when he’d towed over the plane. He wanted to make sure everything was correct.
Dustin finally climbed out and joined Raf and Mac, who clammed up the second he arrived.
“What?” he asked, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Raf.
“Nothing. Just…nothing.”
Okay, his boyfriend sucked at lying, which was a good thing. Dustin wasn’t any good at it either, so they had that in common. He decided to let it go for the moment and followed Mac into a small office in the corner of the hangar so he could pay for everything and officially take possession of the plane. Raf stayed behind, chatting with one of Mac’s associates.
When Dustin finally reemerged, receipt in hand, Raf had disappeared.
“He ran out to his truck,” a man with a mustache too full for his age told him. “Said he’d be right back.”
Dustin waited, fiddling with the plane keys in his pocket. He couldn’t believe he was about to taxi the Cessna to its newly designated spot.
Raf walked back in. “Oh, didn’t know you’d be out already.”
Dustin narrowed his eyes. Something was up. “Anything you want to tell me?”
“Nope.” Of course, the grin didn’t help Raf’s case, but Dustin let it go.
“Want to ride with me to park the plane?”
Raf’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow. I didn’t even think about that. I’d assumed someone here did that.”
“No. Me. I’m the pilot, remember?”
“You don’t want to go up today?”
Dustin shook his head. “Tomorrow.” It was getting late and he wanted to start early and spend the day familiarizing himself with the plane.
“Okay. But I won’t ride with you tonight. You go ahead and I’ll take a video.”
Dustin smiled. “That would be awesome!”
Within a few minutes, Dustin guided the Cessna out of the hangar, while Raf filmed it with his phone. It took only a short time, but this task made everything feel so real. Once he parked, he set the brake and turned it off before jumping out and completing the tie-down procedure using strong chains.
He felt giddy as he turned to Raf and found him taking pictures.
“Stand by the plane so I can take one more,” Raf said.
Raf took several more pictures, rather than just one. Dustin certainly didn’t need to be told to smile, as this was one of the best days of his entire life. His face would probably hurt from smiling so much.