When Gary walked into the hospital ward, I was dressed and ready to go. My wound was dressed, my bag was packed, and I was dying to leave. I met him at the end of my bed, using a walking cane that was now mine.

“Look at you,” he whispered.

It took every ounce of willpower not to throw my arms around him right there in front of everyone. I wanted to kiss him for hours. I wanted to do all sorts of things to him, but mostly, I wanted to be in his arms.

But first I had to leave the hospital and leave my life in the army behind me. I was so ready for the horrors of the last year to be over, and for the next part of my life to begin. “Civilian clothes,” I said, holding my free hand out to the side. “It’s been a while.”

He grinned. “You ready?”

“I am so ready.”

He grabbed my duffle bag off the bed and I said goodbye to the guys on the ward, then I said goodbye to the nurses and the doctors on my way out, shook hands, kissed cheeks, waved them all off. They wanted me to leave in a wheelchair, but there was no way—no freaking way—I wasn’t walking out of there. It was more of a hobble, and it was slow and cautious, but I was damn well walking out.

I got to the front doors of the hospital and walked out into the sunshine. I stopped, stood there for a moment, and closed my eyes to the feel of the warmth on my face. Even in winter, the rays of sunshine were like heaven. When I opened my eyes again, Gary was watching me. “You good?” he asked, smiling.

“It’s like the first day of the rest of my life,” I answered. “No more war, no more hospital, no more hospital food.”

“And you can finally start living the life you were meant to live,” he said. “Your true life. Where you can be the real you.”

I nodded and blinked back tears. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry today.”

He laughed. “Deal. No crying.” He hailed a cab, and once we were both in the back seat, he fussed over my leg, asking if I was okay, if it hurt, did I need to sit in the front where there was more room. All I could do was shake my head. I let my pinkie rest against his on the seat between us where the driver couldn’t see. “Here is fine,” I said. There was no place else I wanted to be but right next to him.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Lindbergh airport,” Gary said. “But if you could go past a few tourist spots and a burger joint before we get to the airport, that’d be great. Richard here has been laid up in the hospital for months and hasn’t seen any of San Diego, so I’d like him to see the sights, if that’s okay.”

The driver nodded, and he took us to Coronado Beach, then through the Gaslamp district, then to a burger place called Hodad’s at the end of Santa Monica Avenue at Ocean Beach. Gary bought the driver a burger, so he stopped the meter while we ate. I’d never tasted food so good.

By the time we got to the airport, I had a belly full of food and was dog-tired. Walking through the airport was hard enough, but there were steps and narrow aisles on the plane I had to maneuver, and after getting in and out of the cab and all this walking, my leg was killing me. I tried not to let on, but Gary knew. “Have you got your pills?” he asked.

“They’re in my bag,” I replied. We’d checked my bag in at the check-in already. “I’ll be okay.”

He was worried but thankfully didn’t push. “Well, just let me know if it gets worse,” was all he said.

I gave him the best smile I could manage. “I just can’t wait to get home… Well, to your home. It’s a bit weird for me to call it that considering I’ve never been there.”

“You’ll love it. The apartment isn’t anything fancy,” he said. Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “But it’s private.”

I felt my face flame and warmth spread straight to my groin, making me shift in my seat.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried about my leg.

I cleared my throat. “It’s not my leg.”

It took him half a second to catch on and he laughed. “Not long to wait now,” he said.

The stewardess interrupted with a much-needed distraction as the plane taxied out. But I was asleep, my head resting on Gary’s shoulder before we made altitude.

Gary might have thought the apartment wasn’t anything fancy, but to me, it might as well have been the Hilton. I could have done without the single flight of stairs to get to it, but inside was clean, bright, and warm. There was a living room with brown carpet and white-and-orange curtains. There were two loveseats and a walnut console television. Gary noticed me staring at it. “Kat got it secondhand when we moved here. It’s a few years old, but it’s color and it works,” he said as he put my duffle bag on the sofa.

“My mom and dad have one just like it,” I said.

Gary frowned at that. “Did you want to call them?”

“Maybe tomorrow,” I replied.

“Okay. No rush.” Then he showed me the kitchen. The cabinets were oak. The counters were laminated orange. The linoleum floor was brown. The oven and fridge looked a little old but clean, functional.

“What do you think?” Gary asked.

“It’s perfect,” I said. “I’ve only ever lived with my parents or in a war zone or a hospital, so this is crazy cool.”

He grinned, then led me to the hall. “Bathroom here, and Kat’s bedroom, and… our bedroom.” He pushed open the door and stood aside. “No pressure. If you’d rather me take the couch for a bit, or whatever, you just need to say. I don’t want you to think you don’t have options.”

I stepped into the room. It was simple: a double bed, a small table at one side—Gary’s side of the bed. There stood a lamp, an alarm clock, and a book. There was a dresser and a chest of drawers. The shag carpet was brown, the wallpaper cream, and the curtains were the same as in the living room. The bedspread was blue.

The bed.

Suddenly my pulse took off and my pants grew a little tight. We were finally alone. It had been far too long.

“Where’s Kat?” I asked.

“She’s at work.” He looked at his watch. “She won’t be home until after five. So, two hours away. She was so excited for you to come home today.”

I could feel my cheeks heat with anticipation, with the mere thought of being alone with him. “So we’re alone?”

Gary, still standing at the doorway, clued in, and his smile pulled at one side of his lips. “We are. Is there anything you’d like to do while we’re alone?” Now he smirked.

“Plenty.” I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what my leg will let me do, but I reckon if you don’t come over here and touch me, I think I might pass out.”

He took a few slow and deliberate steps. “Just touching?”

“Touching, kissing, holding,” I whispered. “I need to feel you.”

He gently cupped my face and I immediately leaned into his hand. He put his thumb to my bottom lip and opened my mouth, so tenderly, before he crushed his lips to mine. He slid both his arms around me and held me, pulling me against him, holding me up, and he devoured me with his kiss. I dropped my cane and threw my arms around his neck, and we stood there and kissed until we needed air.

Then, still holding me, he walked me to the bed and laid me down. He made sure my leg was okay and I wasn’t in any pain, and he was fussing. “Do you want a pillow under your knee?”

“What are you doing?” I asked. “Gary, my leg isn’t my biggest concern right now.”

Smiling, he finally lay down next to me, his nose brushing mine. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then hold me. And kiss me,” I whispered. “Because if you don’t, I don’t know what—”

He cut my words off with his mouth, filling mine with his tongue while his arms gently pulled me close. We were on our sides now, my left leg on top. His arm was under my head, and our bodies melded together. The feel of his erection against mine almost did me in.

“It’s been so long,” I panted when we broke for air.

“For me too,” he replied. “Can I make you come?”

I shivered at his words. “God, yes, please.”

He popped my button fly and slid his hands down over my briefs, being careful of my leg. “Is that okay?”

“So good.” But the truth was, I couldn’t feel anything but his hand on my dick. I thrust against his palm and he gripped me, then crushed his mouth to mine once more, and just a few short strokes later, I came. I groaned as the pleasure only he could draw from me took me over the edge. I came all over his hand, between us, over us.

“Holy shit,” he mumbled, then quickly undid his own jeans. It took me a few brain-hazy moments to catch on, but I wrapped my hand around his length, relishing in the feel of him. Hot and hard and skin on skin, and he fucked my fist and trembled as he came.

After a year of hell, death, and pain, it was such a beautiful thing to witness, to be a part of.

As the high of my orgasm subsided, the ache in my leg came back. Gary grabbed my bag from the living room and handed me my pills and a glass of water. Then he came back with a warm, wet washcloth and cleaned us both up before he climbed back onto the bed, pulled me against him so my head was on his chest, and he held me until I fell asleep.

I was exhausted. The traveling, the walking, then sex was more than my body was used to. And he was one hundred percent warmth and comfort and safety, and he was my home. I felt like I’d spent my whole life adrift, like a bird with no nest, no branch to rest upon. Always in flight, too afraid to land.

Well, I’d just landed for the first time in my life. And I dozed in that half-awake, half-asleep state, tired but too overwhelmed to sleep. I didn’t want to miss a thing. I wanted to hold him, be close to him, touch him. I was now living with a man. A man whom I loved, who kept me sane when I was immersed in madness. A man who gave me hope when I had none.

“I love you, Gary,” I whispered.

He hummed contentedly and kissed my forehead, my cheek, my lips. “And I love you.”

“I’m finally here,” I mumbled.

“Where you belong.”

I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I could barely form words. “It doesn’t feel real. Like it’s too good to be true. Like if I fall asleep, I’ll wake up and it will have been a dream.”

He tightened his hold on me and kissed my temple. “Don’t fight sleep, baby,” he whispered. “I promise it’s not a dream.”

“Pretty sure your beard wouldn’t tickle me in a dream.”

He chuckled, and the sound reverberated against my ear. Then he rubbed circles on my back, and he stroked my hair, nuzzled into me, and I was lost to it.

Sleep. Him. Love.

All of it.

I woke up and it took me a few seconds to get my bearings. I wasn’t in Vietnam. I wasn’t in the hospital. The bed was soft and warm, and Gary’s coat hung over the door… His alarm clock, his book. His dresser, his smell. And I remembered; I was at Gary’s. I was safe and loved, and it made me smile.

Then I caught traces of something else. The smell of something cooking and soft voices coming from somewhere. I got myself up, and I noticed my walking cane propped against the bedside table. Gary must’ve thought to put it there.

That made me smile too.

I made myself as presentable as I could, followed my nose and found Gary and Kat in the kitchen. “Here he is!” Gary said, his face lighting up.

Kat was quick to give me a hug. “Oh my God, you’re finally here! It’s so good to see you out of the hospital. Gary’s been counting down like a kid waiting for Christmas.”

My face heated as embarrassment tinted my cheeks. “It’s good to be here,” I said. “Finally.”

“Well, you look great,” Kat said.

I held up the walking cane and gave a bit of a shrug. “I’ll have this for a while. Probably forever.”

“As long as you’re here, that’s all that matters,” Gary said, sliding his arm around my waist. It felt strange that we were free to do that, to be affectionate with one another, especially in front of other people. I knew it would take some getting used to.

Being together at Woodstock was different. That was like three days away from reality, away from the church and the government, who were opposed to people like us. But in the real world, it was still against the law to be homosexual, and although views and public perception were changing, the law was the law.

But in the privacy of this apartment, we were free to be our true selves. So when Gary put his arm around me, I leaned against him, relishing in the contact.

“Something smells great,” I said. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I thought I was on dinner duty.”

Kat laughed. “We’ll give you a day to get settled.” Then she checked the oven. “Gary made dinner tonight. Home-cooked casserole.”

I turned to him. “You cooked it?”

“Don’t look so surprised,” he said with a smile. “It’s my mom’s recipe. Not as good as the one she makes, but I wanted to do something special for your first night here. Home cooking and not hospital food.”

“Thank you. That means a lot,” I murmured into his chest. He was quick to rub my back and kiss the side of my head, which might have been such a small gesture to someone else, but to me, it meant the world.

Kat gave us a fond smile. “Well, it smells delicious.”

“It’s almost done,” he said. Then he pulled back so he could ask me, “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

A short time later, we had the table set and dinner served. I was a little slow, with my leg and all, but they were very patient and nothing was a problem. Kat asked us about our day and our flight from San Diego, Gary asked her about her day at work, and it was crazy how grown-up I felt. Sitting at the dining table having dinner and an adult conversation. I couldn’t help but marvel at how normal it was and how ridiculously wonderful that felt.

There was no talk about my parents’ farm, crops, or the weather. There were no discussions on my father’s church and how if I were a normal son, I would’ve found a wife by now. There was no talk of the war, of who was injured, and who wasn’t coming home.

“How does that sound?” Gary asked. “Richard?”

I blinked back to my senses. “I’m sorry, I was a million miles away. What was the question?”

“I was just telling Kat I thought on the weekend we might be able to go out and get a Christmas tree. There’s a guy selling them from an empty lot two blocks over. Just a small tree, and we can decorate it and start to make the place feel special.”

“Oh, sure, that sounds great,” I replied. “I’d really like that.”

“I have to go to work tomorrow,” Gary said.

I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my voice. “You do?”

He nodded. “And the day after, but then it’s the weekend. I kinda figured you could do with two days’ rest and maybe a few short walks to get your bearings.”

“True,” I conceded.

“But?” Gary prodded, reading me far too easily.

“But he’s gonna miss you,” Kat answered for me.

I laughed but felt my face go bright red. “I wasn’t going to say that.”

Gary chuckled, leaned over, and kissed my cheek, causing my blush to deepen. “Dinner’s really good, by the way,” I said, hoping to change the subject.

“I’ll miss you too,” he said.

I grinned at him, even though I was embarrassed, and Kat groaned. “Oh, you guys are going to kill me with lovey-dovey stuff.” There was no bite in her tone. She looked at us affectionately. “I’m really happy you’re here, Richard. Not as happy as Gary is, but still happy.” She winked at me.

“I am too,” I answered. “More than I can say.”

There was something I needed to tell them both, and I figured my first day here was the best time to do it. “If it weren’t for you both, I don’t know where I would’ve ended up. And I have a little money, and I’ll get my pension, which isn’t much. But I want you both to know I’ll look for work as soon as I’m able. I won’t be a burden, I promise.”

Gary took my hand. “You could never be a burden.”

“Richard,” Kat added. “We would never think of you like that. It won’t be easy, and we understand that.”

I gave her a quick smile but I avoided Gary’s eyes. “Hey,” he said, and I eventually looked at him. “You’re not a burden,” he repeated. “And what have I told you about speaking about the man I love like that?”

My heart banged against my ribs and my face burned so hot I thought it might catch fire. Gary laughed and scooted his chair closer so he could pull me against his chest. “I love the way he blushes.”

I hid my face in his neck. “You’re embarrassing me.”

He lifted my chin and kissed me right on the lips in front of Kat. “You better get used to me telling you how awesome you are.”

I bit my lip and glanced at Kat. “Sorry.”

Kat stood up. “I’ll do the dishes,” she said. I started to object—it was only right that I did them given I wasn’t paying rent—but she raised her hand to stop me. “This is a one-time offer,” she said with a smile. “It’s your first night here and I’m pretty sure Gary has other plans for you, more private plans, given he’s waited over a year for you to get here.”

Oh my God. She was implying she should clean up so Gary and I could be… sexual. My mouth fell open and Gary laughed. He pushed his chair out and helped me to my feet. He handed me my walking cane. “We better not disappoint her.”

Kat collected the plates and laughed as she walked into the kitchen. “Thank you for dinner, Gary,” she called out.

“You’re welcome, Kat,” he replied. Then, still grinning, he leaned and kissed me. “I do have more private plans, if that’s okay with you?” he murmured in a voice that went straight to my groin.

I nodded and he kissed me, making me feel warm all over. Then he took my hand and led me to his room.

Our room.

I didn’t have time to think about what that meant, because as soon as he’d closed the door behind us, he was undressing me.