joe

Your lips were made for mine, Beck. You are the reason I have a mouth, a heart.

Mum was determinate to crush my spirit and put a stop to my behavior once and for all and she beat me up so violently, so often, that I finally understood I must never question her or so much as look at her directly again.

It's interesting, isn't it? . . . the chandelier . . . it reminds me of mushroom soup.

Does it help?_ he asks. __he e-mailing.__he nods. __ tiny bit. It__ strange. You__e writing a letter to someone who__ never going to read it, so it kind of frees you up a bit.

Life equates to being fairly simple at times. Although we have the tendency and unbelievable ability to complicate things. So I suggest we go to the basics. Do unto others as you would have others do unto your children. Yes, your children. Because they are the ones that will be left behind to live their lives in the world that we have created.

I don't feel sorry for myself, Beck. Lots of people have shitty parents and roaches in the cabinets and stale, raw Pop-Tarts for dinner and a TV that barely works and a dad who doesn't care when his son doesn't come home during a national disaster. The thing is, I'm lucky. I had the bookstore.

I fold my hands under my head and tell the books all about you. They listen, Beck. I know it sounds crazy, but they do.

In the cage, you feel loved, not trapped. Just like me.

Joe!_ he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. __oe! Good ol_ Joe!___aptain, you__e drunk!_ Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his voice level. Blaine grinned at him lopsidedly and giggled, almost choking. He slapped the table, knocking his empty glass over.__e-ss, I am! Don__ ssup-pose you _ think I co-uld ssit here an_ calmly wait t__ie _ dýou? Weee-ll, not ssob-er anyway. Ha ha ha.__isgust and hopelessness were swelling inside him. He felt like punching that drunken face till it was either sober or unconscious.__amn it, Captain! We need you _ the crew needs you! You__e turning your back on them _ in our most desperate time!

Lou reluctantly drew back, still holding Joe, and placed his soft lips on Joe's own. Existence reacted to their reunion. Immediately, it was as if two halves became whole once again. The sky flashed colors overhead as they stood together: day to night, night to day. They stood motionless and kissing for so long a period that they might have been mistaken for part of the landscape, as vines climbed up their legs and grass grew around them; as dirt gathered and buried even more the scattered fragments of the abbey. Only the keepers of time knew that lifetimes did indeed pass, possibly entire eras. And yet it was but a scant moment to Joe and Lou. All of it but a simple, longed-for embrace neither time nor death could contain.

Yeah, you lose this attitude, I can help you work that hurt out.__ho was this man? He held onto his tragedy for seventeen fucking years, how could he stand there and tell mehe could help me work through mine?__eally, Joe? Like you helped me work out my grief at losing Tim?_ I asked sarcastically.__hat__ not what I was offerin_, buddy, but you want it like that I__l give it to you.___ou__e unbelievable,_ I snapped.____ yours.__hat socked me in the gut too, so hard it winded me and all I could do was stare up at him.Taking advantage, his face dipped close and his hands curled around both sides of my head.__irst fuckin_ time you smiled at me in my bed, that__ when it happened,_ he murmured.

Nothing can fill you up,_ she stated.__ope,_ he agreed again.__ou won__ let it.___arrel__ got a hole in the bottom, buddy, everything leaks out no matter how much you pour in.__he was silent a moment then she whispered, __ight.__he turned to the door and his hand gripped his bourbon so hard he had to focus everything on loosening his grip or the glass would shatter.Before she opened it, she turned back. __ou don__ know, Cal, you have no idea.You__e shut yourself up for so long in this fucking house with your tragic memories, you have no idea what__ about to walk out your door. Kate, Keira and me, we could have plugged that hole. We could have filled you so full, you__ be bursting. We would have loved that chance. We__ have given it everything we had, no matter the time that slid by, graduations, weddings, grandbabies, you__ have been a part of us and we__ have given everything we had to keep youso full, you__ be bursting.__al didn__ reply.__oe,_ she whispered, __ou let me walk out this door, you__l lose your chance.__al didn__ move.Vi waited.Cal stayed seated.

Whatsume'er the failings on his part, Remember reader he were that good in his hart.