Long Road Back

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Long Road Back

I

f there was one thing Yoo Lee Shin found comforting about living in Darwin, it was the weather. The climate of the northernmost Australian city was almost identical to that of his homeland, South Korea. It was familiar, unlike almost everything else about his new home. Shin sprawled on the sofa in the living room of his shared apartment, gazing with unseeing eyes out the window. It was mid-March and the weather was hot and wet; the humidity was such that Shin was positive he knew intimately what it felt like to be living in a fishbowl. The power flicked on and off as thunder rumbled ominously overhead. The air conditioner was out of action. Occasionally, it would come on, spurt cold air fitfully for ten or fifteen minutes, and then the power would go out and it would die once again. The humidity, the heat, and the near useless air conditioner made for an extremely unpleasant environment. Tisha, Shin’s flatmate, lay on her back on the polished wooden floor, groaning theatrically. Not that Shin could blame her—weather like this wasn’t unheard of for the Northern Territory, but it was never something that someone could easily enjoy. The heat sapped one’s energy, and the humidity made everything extremely uncomfortable—and damp.

2

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Thank God it’s the weekend,” Tisha said, and Shin raised an eyebrow at her, the only reaction he could muster up the energy for. “At least we don’t have to try to listen to lectures while we’re breathing in warm water in this disgusting heat.” As Shin raised his eyebrow once more, Tisha elaborated. “That’s what it feels like. Breathing warm water. I hate air that feels… chewy.” “You make a good point.” Shin closed his eyes and willed the air conditioner to magically start working and the power to stay on. “I do not think that will be a good reason to give for not getting an assignment done, however.” “The lack of power might be.” Tisha sat up, running a hand through her short dark hair. “I’m thirsty.” “I’m hot.” She grinned at him and he grinned back. “Everything’s too hard in this weather,” Shin added as he slowly got to his feet. “I do not know how you stand it. You have lived here all your life, and yet you have not melted. It somehow seems hotter and wetter than I remember Seoul ever being.” “Some days I feel like I’m melting, and it’s a mystery as to why I’m still in one piece.” Tisha let out a heavy sigh. “I hope it’s not so bad next weekend.” “The visit to your family’s home, yes?” Shin trudged into the kitchen and rummaged in the fridge, which was still, thankfully, cold. Blessedly so, in fact. Reluctantly, he closed the door and returned to the sofa, two cans of soft drink in hand.

3

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Tisha took one from him with a nod of thanks. “Yeah. You’re still coming, right?” “I said I would.” Shin took a sip of soft drink to try to hide the fact that the idea of visiting Tisha’s family for the first time made him more than a little nervous. Tisha, however, was good at reading him, and she tried her best to reassure him. “You don’t need to be so nervous,” Tisha said. “They don’t bite. They want to meet you, that’s all. They’ve heard all about the cool foreign student who shares the flat. That’d be you,” she added with a grin. “I do not feel very cool,” Shin deadpanned. “I feel very warm. And sticky.” “Don’t you get weather like this in Seoul?” “Yes, sometimes during monsoon season, it can be very humid.” Shin leaned back against the sofa, trying to get comfortable. “It does not seem as intense there, however. I do not know why.” “More high-rise buildings, maybe?” Tisha shrugged as he quirked an eyebrow at her once again. “I don’t know, I’m guessing.” She flopped back to lie on the floor with a gusty sigh. “I wish the humidity would buzz off. The heat’s one thing, but this is bloody disgusting and I hate it.” “I cannot argue with that.” Shin paused a moment. “What exactly did you tell your family about me, Tisha?” “That you’re cool, that you’re here as a foreign student visa guy, that your fam still live in South Korea, and you’re

4

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe studying engineering with me. That we met last year when we were lab partners in first year chemistry, and there was no way I was going to let you continue living in a Youth Hostel. That would be ridiculous for a uni student. I got you to move in to the second bedroom, which leaves the smallest room as our junk room and guest room and basic dumpstuff-into-it room. That you’ve applied for citizenship here, and your mum and dad are really proud of you.” “You told them all of that?” Shin blushed, feeling a slight pang. He did not know what to say that would not sound ungrateful, and he was very grateful to Tisha. “I do not know that I would go that far regarding my parents’ opinion, however,” he demurred. “I would. I’ve spoken to them when I’ve answered the phone, and they’re lovely.” Tisha sat up and smiled. “They told me they’re proud of you.” “They might not be if they knew I was gay,” Shin muttered, refusing to look at her. “They might surprise you, Shin.” Tisha took a long drink of soda. “People sometimes do what we least expect.” Shin firmly changed the subject. “Your family owns a farm; that is correct?” “A hobby farm, yeah. A few cows, horses, and sheep. Chooks. Mum grows herbs and veggies, and Dad’s gone nuts over growing mangoes. They took off there for their retirement.”

5

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “And chooks are chickens?” Privately, Shin thought it would be a miracle if he remembered the many and varied Australian slang words for things. “Yep.” Tisha’s smile broadened. “I will never learn all of your strange slang terms, Australian,” Shin teased. “Yes you will. They’ll imprint themselves on you, and you’ll speak Aussie as well as any of us. Anyway, Mum said she’ll make her Anzac biscuits, and they are fantastic. You’ll get addicted to them. Me and Craig are. I think the biscuits are what he misses the most when he’s away.” “Your brother,” Shin said. It wasn’t a question. “Older by a year.” Tisha waved a hand in a vague gesture at a framed photograph of a family of four on the mantelpiece. “He’s in the Army, joined up after school. I worked and travelled a bit before deciding to go to uni. He always knew what he wanted to do with his life—it took me a bit longer to work it out.” “That’s right, you told me before.” Shin didn’t add that he’d spent a long time gazing at the photo, staring at the handsome, smiling face of Craig Jones, Tisha’s older brother. “He’s the same age as you, twenty-six,” Tisha went on, “what with you having come over here after your military service and working and stuff. You guys can talk about that. Compare armies. Guns. Camo. Whatever Army blokes compare.”

6

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Camo?” Shin’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would we compare camouflage?” Tisha shrugged. “I don’t know, Shin, I’m not Army.” “I… don’t understand.” Shin wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger at that point—amusement or confusion, so he settled for mild bemusement. She nudged his calf with her foot. “Don’t think about it too much. Just put it down to my strange Australian ways.” “I’ll do that.” He grinned at her. “Though, I like your strange Australian ways.” “I should bloody hope so.” The smile faded from Tisha’s face. “Seriously, though, how are you finding second year?” Shin hummed as he let out a slow breath, more an exhale of air as he tried to get comfortable in an atmosphere where everything was damp and hot. “Good. There are some things that are confusing, but I am able to look them up to clarify the meaning. There is nothing that you need to worry about.” He smiled reassuringly at her. “I have my laptop, we have the internet here and at university, the Uni Library is enormous, and the staff are very helpful. And the lecturers and tutors this semester are very interesting. So, I will endure.” “Okay, good.” Tisha drained her soft drink and set the empty can on the coffee table. “I wish the humidity would go away,” she grumbled, returning to their original topic of conversation.

7

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

T

he thunderstorm that had hovered over Darwin for two days finally blew over, and the cyclone troughs that the weather reports had talked about moved farther west. As a result, by the end of the week, the weather was warm, the sky was clear and blue, and the sea that Shin could see from the window of his bedroom was a deep turquoise. It was still slightly humid, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. Shin was relieved that the cyclone season that was spoken of in hushed tones of grave concern by residents of Darwin and by weather reporters on the television had not been as bad as predicted. He was no stranger to such extreme weather. Growing up in South Korea with a climate very similar to Darwin’s had prepared him for the rain and some humidity. As he had said to Tisha, it had not, however, prepared him for just how intense the humidity was in Darwin. Tisha had decided they would drive down to her parents’ farm on Friday morning, and Shin wondered what clothing he should pack for four days in the bush. Although he wasn’t entirely sure where the farm was, because Tisha had told him very little about its exact location. He had researched the general area Tisha told him of—inland, south of Darwin a ways. The internet had showed him images of the bush and the outback, the sparsely populated stretches of land on the outskirts of Darwin’s suburbs, and the coastal farms and towns. Shin supposed it didn’t really matter in the long run—summer was summer after all. Darwin was approaching the Northern Territory’s version of winter, what the locals referred to as the dry season, and which Shin knew from his first year in the city to be warm to hot with

8

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe very little rain. It still felt strange, this reversal of the seasons. He knew his family in Seoul would be preparing for summer, and here he was thinking about the approaching winter. With a sigh, he stuffed T-shirts, shorts, and underwear into his backpack, followed by two carefully folded shirts and pairs of trousers. I’m overdoing it. You don’t need to pack for a month away, Shin, he thought in weary frustration. Socks, toiletries, his laptop and mobile phone were the last things to be packed, and when he lay down to sleep that night, he felt the faint twinge of returning nerves. He had no doubt that Tisha’s family were lovely people—everyone he’d met since coming here to begin his studies had been, and Tisha herself was one of the sweetest people he’d ever met—but he was worried about offending them. His last thought before drifting off to sleep was that he hoped Craig wasn’t around very often.

“T

his is the bush?” Shin looked out the car window as Tisha turned off the highway onto an unsealed dirt road.

“Sort of.” Tisha drove with the practiced skill of someone who was confident and familiar with their route. “Town’s not that far away, obviously, so it’s not really bush-bush. The bush is more remote, I’d guess you’d call it.” “So, it is the near-bush?”

9

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Tisha laughed. “I don’t think we call it anything, really, but okay, near-bush it is. It fits, after all. Mum and Dad’s house is up ahead.” Shin peered out the window, and almost on cue, a large, sprawling house came into his line of sight. There was a veranda that went all the way around the building, and the house itself was made of large red bricks, with a dark gray corrugated iron roof. There was a patch of grass out front, and lavender bushes, eucalyptus trees, and a wire chicken pen to one side. Lying on the stoop of the veranda was a black and white dog, tongue lolling out and tail thumping on the ground as Tisha drove up to the house. “Are you parking here?” Shin asked, more for something to say. The nervousness was back, and growing by the second. “For the mo.” She opened the car door. “I’ll park around the back in a bit. Oy, Mum! Dad! We’re here!” A man and a woman that Shin recognized from the family photo in the apartment back in Darwin came rushing out of the house. Their smiles were warm and welcoming, and Tisha rushed to them, hugging them tight. Slowly, Shin moved toward them, not wanting to impose and fighting the increasing urge to hide at the same time. He had always been shy, but right now his shyness was threatening to almost overwhelm him. “And you must be Shin.” Tisha’s mother moved to him and took his hand in both of hers. Her palms were warm and

10

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe soft, her fingers calloused, and she patted the back of his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you at last.” “It is an honor to meet you, too, Mrs. Jones,” Shin said, politely inclining his head. “Now, now, Mrs. Jones is my mum. Call me Mary.” Tisha’s mother smiled gently. “All right, Mary.” Shin smiled back as he let go of her hands. “This is my husband,” Mary went on, “Robert.” “Call me Bob, Shin,” Tisha’s father said as he took Shin’s hand and shook it firmly. “It is an honor to meet you, sir. Bob,” Shin hastily corrected himself as he shook Bob’s hand. “Sir, eh?” Bob chuckled. “I haven’t been called that since my son joined the Army. Tisha tells us you did military service back in Korea?” “Ah, yes.” Shin made a mental note to scold Tisha for not telling him that she’d told her family about that. “After I finished secondary school, I did compulsory military service, worked to save money for university study, then applied to study engineering here in Australia.” “And you want to be an Aussie citizen?” Bob asked. His voice was kind and friendly, and Shin felt his nervousness dissipate a little. Shin nodded. “Yes, I do.”

11

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Well, I hope you’re successful.” Bob released Shin’s hand and clapped his shoulder in a firm grip. “Come on inside and we’ll get you settled.” “Where’s Craig?” Tisha asked as they headed into the house. “Oh, he’s gone over to Riley’s to pick up a few things.” Mary smiled as she led the way through a large open-plan living and dining room and down a hallway. “This will be your room for the weekend, Shin.” “Thank you,” Shin said, half-bowing. The genuflection was an automatic response from years of acknowledging elders and respected individuals in that manner in South Korea, and so he didn’t even think about it. “We don’t stand on ceremony here,” Mary said gently, touching his cheek with her fingertips. “I’m sure you feel a bit nervous, but please, do make yourself at home. Any friend of our Tisha is welcome here, and she speaks highly of you, so you’re among friends.” Shin chuckled a little bashfully. “Thank you, Mary,” he said again. “I am nervous,” he admitted, “but I will get over it.” “I’ll leave you to get settled,” Mary stepped back. “Do come and join us in the living room when you’re ready.” Shin let out a slow breath as he walked into the room he’d been given, sitting down on the large, comfortable bed and setting his backpack down on the floor. He took several deep breaths, reminding himself that he was among friends, that he had nothing to worry about. Craig, Tisha’s handsome

12

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe brother, wasn’t home, and that was a good thing, too, because Shin was terrified of meeting this man whom he knew only from stories told by Tisha and her friends, who had grown up with her and Craig. Finally, he rubbed his face with both hands and shook his head at himself. He couldn’t hide forever, no matter how appealing that idea was. Shin squared his shoulders and stood up, gathered his courage and went to join Tisha and her parents in the living room. Shin was feeling a little more relaxed by the time they moved from the living room to the dining table. The warm inclusiveness of Tisha’s family had put him at ease far quicker than he had thought it would. He took his place at the table as Mary served lunch, a meal of mashed potatoes, cold roast beef, and a green salad. Bob brought soft drinks and beer to the table as Tisha brought fresh bread and a tub of margarine, and lunch began. “Where is that boy?” Bob grumbled as he speared a slice of the beef with his fork. “What was he getting from Riley’s?” Tisha asked. “Parts for his ute. He wants to go bush bashing on Saturday.” Bob shook his head. “Pardon, but what is bush bashing?” Shin asked before he could stop himself. “Hiking, riding, or driving along difficult trails in the bush,” Mary explained. “It’s literally ‘bashing’ the bush with your car or method of transport to get from point A to point B.”

13

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “I see.” Shin took a bite of the beef and smiled at her. The food was good. “Is he planning on doing this by himself?” Tisha demanded. “I mean, it’s not like we get to see him that often these days.” The sound of a car horn outside ended the conversation, and Mary smiled at her daughter. “You can ask him yourself, dear. I’m pretty sure that’s him now.” Shin steeled himself as he heard the sound of a door banging open and closed, and then the figure of Craig Jones appeared in the dining room, large as life, gorgeous, and utterly sexy. Shin gaped for one long moment at the tousled blond man wearing a tight black T-shirt and faded blue jeans, a silver chain and discs of military dog tags around his neck. Craig’s bright blue eyes were framed by sandy eyelashes, and he was grinning. “Hey Mum, Dad. Tish, I thought you’d be here tonight!” Craig bent down to plant a kiss onto the top of Tisha’s head. “Mum and Dad said I should come for lunch.” Tisha lightly swatted Craig’s arm. “Craig, this is Shin, my flatmate and best friend. Shin, this is Craig, my brother.” “Pleasure,” Craig said with a nod and a smile as he sat down at the table. Shin shot Tisha a warm look—he was beyond nervous now, but hearing himself called her best friend made the nervousness easier to ignore. Then he turned to nod at Craig, trying to keep his expression calm and friendly and not drool onto his plate.

14

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “It is a pleasure to meet you, too, Craig.” Craig leaned over to grab the plate of beef, the sleeve of his T-shirt riding up and revealing a well-muscled tattooed bicep. Shin swallowed hard and tried not to think about the fact that his cock was suddenly pressing against the front of his pants. “So, you two here until Monday?” Craig was asking, serving himself several slices of beef. “That’s the plan,” Tisha nodded. “Cool. Want to come bush bashing?” Craig spooned himself a messy serving of mashed potato and grabbed two slices of bread from the bread basket. “I was hoping you’d ask,” Tisha grinned. “How’s the ute?” “I need to fix up a few things, but it’s good. Bring the dog, too.” Craig ate a mouthful of potato, and Shin forced himself to blink and look away. He was well aware that staring at the man opposite him while he was eating would seem more than a little strange. “He won’t fit in with us three,” Tisha protested. “Of course he will. He can sit in the footwell; it’ll be fine. Totally bonza.” Craig grinned broadly at her. “Great, so whoever sits by the door gets to have dog drool on their clothes. Lovely.” Tisha pulled a face of mild disgust “Children,” remember.”

Mary

sighed,

“we

15

do

have

a

guest,

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Sorry, Mum,” Craig said cheerfully. “Tish, he’ll be all right. Everything’ll be fine, don’t worry. So,” he turned those bright blue eyes onto Shin, “how do you find Darwin then?” Pressing the heel of his left hand onto his cock so hard that it hurt, willing his erection to go down, Shin smiled shakily. “I like it. It is very small compared to Seoul, and it can be very humid, but it is very relaxed. I like that a lot.” “Yeah, wet season can be hell,” Craig agreed. “You’re flat out like a lizard drinking when it’s steamy and gross.” “Flat out like… pardon?” Shin focused on his confusion at the term, hoping that his arousal wouldn’t be quite so obvious. “Like a lizard drinking.” Craig laughed. “It means either really busy or really tired. In this case, it’s really tired.” “Oh. Then yes, I suppose that is how I felt during the last wet season.” “Before you three run off to have fun, Craig, I need your help with the fencing for the horses,” Bob put in, interrupting the conversation, much to Shin’s grateful relief. Craig’s attention shifted to his father, and Shin let out a quiet breath. He found it almost impossible to breathe at all with Craig’s attention focused on him. His first estimation of how this weekend would go was, he realized, the most accurate. It was going to be hell.

16

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

“Y

ou’ve got the hots for my brother.”

Shin gaped at Tisha as she joined him outside the house, beneath the veranda. He’d escaped there as soon as good manners allowed and had proceeded to spend several minutes berating himself. “How do you know that?” “Because I know you.” Tisha leaned against the wooden pole that supported that part of the veranda. “I approve, just so you know. Craig’s exes are all idiots. There was this one guy he was seeing who thought they’d run away to New York. Then there was that sheila… what was her name… oh yeah. Andrea. She thought he’d leave the Army for her and get married and have lots of pretty blond children.” “Wait a moment.” Shin looked at her in confusion. “Are you telling me that your brother is bisexual?” “I thought you knew that already.” Tisha’s expression was one of honest surprise. “Didn’t I tell you that?” “No!” Shin gaped at her. “I have been thinking… the worst imaginable things, and now you tell me that he is interested in both men and women?” “Wow, you really have got it bad. I bet it was his grin that did it. Or his baby-blue eyes, everyone loves those. Or wait, no. His muscles.” “Tisha, please!” Shin felt absolutely mortified.

17

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “I’m sorry.” She moved to him and hugged him. “I’m only teasing. Seriously, though, I think you two would be good together.” “Don’t you dare set us up on a date or anything,” Shin ordered. “Would I do that?” “Probably.” Shin groaned and leaned into her. “What am I going to do, Tisha?” “It’ll be fine,” she soothed. “How do you know?” “Because I know you and I know Craig. So it’ll all work itself out. It’ll be right.” Shin sighed. “I hope you are correct.” “Trust me.” He gently pulled back from her and ran a hand through his hair. “He probably thinks I am odd.” “I doubt it. He’s not dumb, Shin. He’s probably figured out that you’re painfully shy.” As Shin stared at her, Tisha smiled fondly. “It’s pretty obvious, once you get talking. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t worry about it.” Shin groaned and buried his face in his hands, blushing so hard that he felt as if his face up to the tips of his ears was burning. The sound of voices made him raise his head. Looking around, he saw Bob and Craig walking around the side of the house toward the paddock with the horses.

18

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe It wasn’t a large paddock, Shin realized, and there were only four horses in it. The post and rail fence was, to his uneducated eye, in good condition, and the horses were grazing calmly, their tails swishing every so often to keep the flies away. As Shin watched, Craig tugged off his T-shirt, dropping it carelessly into the tool box he carried and revealing a tanned, muscled back. “Breathe,” Tisha advised as Shin made a strangled noise. Shin was about to reply to her when Craig turned and he got an unimpeded view of Craig’s chest. He had a trim physique, washboard abs and a light trail of hair from his navel disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans. Shin made a quiet whimper and firmly closed his eyes. “Damn,” Tisha said with sympathy, her voice soft, “you’ve got it worse than I thought. Maybe we should go back to Darwin. I can tell Mum and Dad you’re not feeling well or something?” “No, no, I will be all right, Tisha.” Shin opened his eyes and smiled wanly at her. “I just… I am unaccustomed to seeing people so comfortable in their own skin. Especially when the person I am looking at is very handsome.” “He’s a bit vain,” Tisha said dryly, “I think that might shoot down your opinion of him just a bit.” “He has a right to be vain,” Shin said. “Good bloody hell,” Tisha rolled her eyes and Shin raised an eyebrow. “You really want to screw him, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

19

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Shin blushed crimson, feeling his cheeks grow hot. “Tisha!” “Forget I said it. I’ll be back in a sec.” She headed into the house, returning a few moments later with a can of beer. “Take that to him.” “What about your father?” “Dad’s coming inside,” she nodded at Bob who was heading toward the house. “So take that over to Craig and try not to drool into your shoes.” Shin frowned, but he couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse to refuse. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he started walking across the yard toward the fence, feeling as if he were about to face a firing squad. “Hello,” he said hesitantly, the word seeming to stick in his throat. Craig looked up from the fence and grinned. “Hi.” “I um. Brought you a beer.” Shin held the can of Darwin Bitter out, unable to meet Craig’s eyes. “Oh yeah? Thanks heaps!” Craig took the beer, his fingers brushing Shin’s, and Shin bit his lower lip. “So what are you doing?” Shin asked, trying desperately to initiate a conversation that didn’t sound forced. “Dad’s got me putting in new posts. He seems to think these ones aren’t cyclone proof, and you can never be too sure about the winds during the cyclone season.” Craig opened the can with ease and took a long drink of beer, then continued. “He’s right, but I think these are pretty good as

20

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe is. I don’t think he needs to replace them. They're set in concrete down in the dirt. There’s a very minimal chance a cyclone will rip them out and bash the horses or the house with them.” “That is good.” Shin nodded. “You study with Tish, yeah?” Craig asked, taking another swig of beer and changing the subject. “Yes. We are taking engineering together.” Shin smiled. “I met her last year in a lab.” “You’re older than her, though,” Craig pointed out. “Yes, I am twenty-six.” Shin paused a moment. He wasn’t sure what to tell this man, but something seemed to loosen his tongue, and he found himself elaborating before he could stop himself. “I did my twenty-one months of military service back in Korea—South Korea—along the border with North Korea, and then I applied to universities here in Australia. I hoped to be able to study here and become a citizen. There are many opportunities here that I would like to pursue.” Craig quirked an eyebrow. “You were Army?” “Yes.” Shin nodded. “It is compulsory in my country. Technically, the war between South and North Korea has not ended; it is a long cease fire, so we patrol the de-militarized zone there.” “That sounds like a tense post.” Craig smiled. “Loads more tense than any of my postings have been.”

21

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Where have you been deployed?” Shin asked, starting to relax. “East Timor, Christmas Island.” Craig shrugged. “Did a stint of formal duty in Canberra—that was pretty bloody boring. I prefer being out there helping people, you know? Not standing around holding a flag or a rifle in my dress uniform all day, every day.” “Where will you be posted next?” Shin tilted his head slightly, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the brightness of the sun. “No idea. Right now, I’ve got ten days R and R and then back to base. My battalion hasn’t got new orders yet, but I hope it’s not diplomatic military duty. There was talk about being deployed to one of the UN Peacekeeping Missions, which I’d like. That'd be a real opportunity to do some good.” Craig pulled a face. “Sorry, I’m rambling.” “You do not need to apologize.” Shin smiled again. “You enjoy your work. There is nothing to be ashamed of.” “A lot of people wouldn’t agree. Military isn’t viewed as a good choice of career, you know?” Craig ran a hand through his hair. “My mate Riley, he was on active deployment in Iraq. He’s retired now, he got injured in the line of duty, so him and his wife run a shop and servo—petrol station— along the highway. I know he misses it, the job. But him and his missus are happy, and he’s good to us who’re still ADF— sorry, Australian Defence Force. A lot of people are scared of us, too, I think. Or they reckon we’re fascist bastards or something.”

22

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “There is similar sentiment in Korea,” Shin said. “Although it is viewed that one is not a true man if he seeks to avoid doing his military service.” “What’s it like, living in Korea?” “Cramped.” Shin laughed softly. “There is not as much space as here in Australia. Your land is vast, Craig. Vast and beautiful and very hot.” Craig laughed. “Yeah, that’s the truth for sure. You did pick the state without a real winter to live in, too.” “Charles Darwin University was the first to accept my application.” Shin ducked his head as he spoke. “I accepted before waiting to see if there would be any other offers. I had saved up money from working before and after doing my military service, and my parents paid the difference for the fees. So now I work part time at the University Bookshop, Tisha has been very kind to me, giving me a place to live and asking only a minimal amount for rent.” “Mum and Dad’s flat in the city is pretty nice. Tish takes good care of it and only pays a token rent too, so there’s no way she’d ask you for an arm and a leg in rent money.” Craig nodded, taking another drink of beer. “Tish has a heart of gold, Shin. I bet she tried to tell you that you could stay rent free.” As Shin nodded, Craig grinned. “Yeah, figured. You two get along real well. I’m glad to see that. She's a bookworm otherwise. She needs more friends.” “We are both bookworms,” Shin said. “And things are expensive in Darwin.”

23

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Damn right they are.” Craig finished his beer. “Still, I wouldn’t live anywhere else. The Northern Territory’s home. Darwin’s as big a big city as I’d want to live in. So, are you married?” Blushing, Shin shook his head. “No. I am not… it is not something I have thought of.” “Huh. Girlfriend?” Shin shook his head again. “No.” “Really?” Craig looked surprised. “Yes. I am not….” Shin floundered, finally blurting out, “I am gay.” Craig’s expression became one of astonishment. “Forgive me,” Shin said, his cheeks on fire, feeling more awkward than he could remember having been in his life. “I should leave you to your work.” “No, no, wait a sec!” Craig caught Shin’s arm in a gentle grip. “I’m sorry I was so forward. It’s just how I am, which isn’t really an excuse, but anyway, sorry. I’m surprised, because I thought you’d have a girlfriend back home waiting for you to get citizenship and move here. And because I bet Tish told you I’m bi, and it’s rare to meet a bloke up here that’s comfortable enough with their sexuality to say it outright.” He wrinkled his nose. “It’s all beer and meat pies with sauce and sheilas in the pub and footy or cricket scores. Which is fine, don’t get me wrong, but I also like guys not in the pub. And I’m rambling again, so I’ll shut up.”

24

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Shin laughed softly, put much more at ease by Craig’s verbosity. “It is fine,” he assured Craig. “I like your rambling.” “Well, that’s good, because I’m going to be really forward again and ask if you’d like to go out with me tonight for a drink?” Now it was Shin’s turn to look astonished. “You are certain?” “Yeah, of course I am. You’re a good looking guy, Shin, and I’d like to get to know you better. So what do you say?” “I would be honored,” Shin said sincerely. “Goodo. Say, seven-thirty? I’ll take you to the local pub. It’s a pretty laid-back place, so don’t worry about getting all dressed up.” “All right.” All bemused, Shin nodded. “And Dad’s coming back, so I’ll tell him his bloody posts are just fine as they are.” Shin laughed in spite of himself. “As you say, then.” He turned and walked back to the veranda and Tisha, who was holding a can of Darwin Bitter and making faces of the most comical sort at him. “Is something wrong?” Shin pretended concern as he joined Tisha. He had a fairly good idea why she was making faces. “Are you unwell?” “No!” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a drongo. Tell me what he said!”

25

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “We talked of the posts for the fence,” Shin said very seriously. “And?” “And then we talked of Korea and Darwin.” “And?” “We talked about loved ones and life.” “Gah, this is painful. And then what?” Shin grinned at her. “He asked me to go with him for a drink this evening.” Tisha let out a loud whoop. “Yes! Bloody beauty! I knew it, I bloody knew it! I knew he’d like you,” she elaborated as Shin raised an eyebrow. "You planned this.” Shin frowned. “Well, yeah, you’re both lonely. No, don't argue with me. I know you are and he definitely is. The ADF don’t discriminate on sexuality, but even with that, it’s hard to meet someone who’s understanding about it and knows what it means when you get deployed on a moment’s notice. And you know what that’s like, the deployment thing. Don’t be mad, Shin,” she said. “He’s my brother and I love him and you’re my best friend. I want you two to be happy. Preferably with each other.” “Are you certain you are not Cupid?” Shin sighed a rueful little sigh and hugged her quickly. “You are devious, Tisha. I did not suspect a thing.”

26

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Craig probably did, but then, he’s known me longer.” Tisha beamed. “I hope you two get along really well, Shin.” “I would like to be his friend at the very least,” Shin admitted. “He seems to be a very warm person.” “He is.” Tisha nodded. “He’s the best brother ever, even if he does still call me Bunyip.” “Pardon, he calls you what?” “Bunyip.” She laughed at the expression of confusion on his face. “It’s a mythical beast, an Australian mythical beast. He calls me Bunyip or Chickadee. I like Bunyip better, but not in public.” “I see.” Shin smiled. “Then I should not call you Bunyip at uni?” “Please don’t.” Tisha made a face of utter horror at the suggestion. “All right.” “Thanks, I appreciate that.” She laughed and took a drink from her beer.

S

hin was so nervous that he wondered if Craig could see him shaking as they walked from the car park to the door of the pub. They had driven south, farther away from Darwin and deeper into the outback. Shin had spent the entire drive with his face almost plastered against the window, ogling the changing scenery

27

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe and asking Craig a bevy of questions about the plants, the desert, and the landscape. Craig, laughing, had offered to give Shin a book about the Northern Territory that would explain everything as they had pulled into the pub’s car park. Now, Craig held the door to the pub open for Shin, and, nodding his thanks, not yet daring to speak now that they were at their destination, Shin walked inside. It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the pub’s interior. The taproom was furnished with dark wooden tables and chairs, the bar made of roughhewn logs. The windows looked out over the desert, which in the light of the setting sun appeared to glow a deep orange and gold. It was almost empty, save for an old man in a corner with his dog and the bartender, who was stacking glasses. “I am surprised,” Shin said in an undertone to Craig. “I thought there would be more people.” “Most people around here have gone into Darwin or down to Alice Springs,” Craig said quietly. “There’s not a lot of people who live out this way. Jimbo, who owns the pub, doesn’t want to close it, though, so it’s like the private pub for those of us who live here.” He led the way to a table near one of the windows and sat down, Shin following him. “So what will you have to drink, Shin?” “What would you suggest?” “Beer.” Craig grinned, a boyish, irrepressible grin, and Shin grinned back. “We like our beer up here. There’s

28

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe probably wine, too, but to be honest, I don’t know much about wineries or what a good drop would be.” “Beer is fine.” Shin nodded as Craig stood up and went to get the drinks. When Craig returned, he took a sip of his beer and sat back, looking out the window. “You seem to really like the outback,” Craig observed. “Though we’re still not really outback. Go maybe five, ten clicks south and you’re right in the middle of it.” “Is that because it is still populated here?” “Yeah, pretty much.” Craig nodded as he took a sip of his beer. “You’ll hear lots of wild tales about the Australian outback. Some of them have a basis in fact, most don’t. Urban legends are urban legends because the truth of things gets expanded the more the stories are told. But it’s no lie that it can be dangerous out there.” “I believe you. It is beautiful to look at, but I am certain that there are dangers in the desert that people unfamiliar with it do not realize.” “Yeah, exactly.” Craig beamed. “Got it in one.” They talked for several hours, discussing all manner of subjects, everything from the weather and how the climate differed from coast to coast, to books, television shows, and music. Shin was pleased to learn that he and Craig had more in common than he had first thought. Craig was intelligent, quick witted, and had a sly sense of humor. He was gorgeous and sexy, and as the hours ticked by, Shin wanted to kiss him more and more.

29

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe At the end of a very pleasant evening spent in wonderful company, Craig drove them home to his parents’ farm. Parking the ute behind the house, he got out, and Shin followed suit. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Craig,” Shin said shyly. “So did I.” Craig bit his lower lip, looking a little embarrassed, and Shin wondered what was going through Craig’s mind. “Can I kiss you?” Craig asked in a low voice. The question took Shin by surprise, and he was made mute for a moment, unable to do anything but nod. Craig stepped close and cupped Shin’s cheek with one hand as Shin rested a hand on Craig’s hip, Craig leaned in, and kissed him. It was soft and slow, almost tentative. Shin was trembling again, shaking with a combination of shyness and desire. Craig slowly deepened the kiss, and Shin moved a little closer, both arms going around Craig’s waist. They kissed passionately for several moments, and when Craig ended it, Shin felt as if it had not lasted nearly long enough. “Maybe we could go on another date sometime,” Craig suggested. “I would like that very much.” Shin looked at Craig, shrouded in the shadows of the house. “Yeah?” Craig smiled, his teeth white in the darkness. “Fantastic.”

30

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Emboldened by Craig’s enthusiasm, Shin leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Craig’s lips. Craig kissed him back, and what was chaste grew quickly passionate. They were panting when the kiss ended. “Should go inside,” Craig said softly, slowly stepping back. “Don’t want to wake everyone up.” “I suppose you are right.” Shin took a deep breath. “Thank you.” “For what, Shin?” “Tonight. Everything.” Craig chuckled softly. “You’re very welcome. Thank you.” “You are welcome.” Shin smiled, positive that he would be unable to stop. As Craig took his hand, twining his fingers with Shin’s, Shin was unsure if he could remember another time that he had been so happy.

“H

ow’d it go?” Tisha sat down beside Shin the next morning and stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles. She wore faded blue jeans and scuffed work boots in contrast to Shin’s near-new jeans and polished shoes. “It was… good.” Shin smiled. “Very good.”

31

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Just good?” Tisha raised an eyebrow. “I know you’re a man of few words, Shin, but come on. Good or very good isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, you know.” Shin chuckled. “All right, it was wonderful. I just did not want to… pardon, what is the term… jink it?” “Jinx it.” Tisha corrected. “I told you it’d be okay and see? Everything’s okay. No jinxing going on. He’s had to go to base this morning, Mum told me, but he’ll be back to take us bush bashing later.” Shin nodded absently. “Is everything all right?” “Yeah, everything’s fine. Mum said he had to go back and grab something. I didn’t ask, ’cause I don’t think she knew. He doesn’t have to go back on duty for a few days yet, anyway.” She patted his knee. “I’m glad you had a good night last night.” “I did.” Shin turned his head to smile at her. “He is a wonderful man, your brother.” “I rather like him.” Tisha grinned. “I’ll keep him.” “That is fortunate,” Shin said. They looked at each other for a long moment and then burst out laughing. “So, you said that Craig joined the Army immediately after he finished school,” Shin said. Tisha nodded. “Yeah, he did. He didn’t ever want to do anything else with his life. Our mates, they wanted to be cops or nurses or park rangers or stuff like that, but not Craig. He always wanted to be in the Army.”

32

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “He is lucky to have the choice.” Shin leaned comfortably against the wall. “Back home we must all do our military service, and only afterwards are we given the choice to continue to seek a career in the military or to pursue other goals.” “You didn’t want to stay in the Army?” Tisha leaned forward, bending her legs and resting her cheek on her knees as she looked at him. “No. I wanted to be an engineer and attend a university in Australia. And so here I am. I am very lucky,” Shin mused, “I do not think that many others could do this. The fees alone would make it an impossible dream. They are not high,” he went on, as Tisha, frowning slightly, opened her mouth as if to ask a question. “It is the exchange rate between countries. What is reasonably priced for you here in Australia is a fortune in some parts of the world.” “Oh.” Tisha’s expression cleared. “I didn’t think of that. That makes a lot of sense.” Shin nodded. “I was fortunate that my family had a little money and that I could work and save up for this. Though I know there is no way I could have done it without the help of my parents. I am very lucky.” “And here we are, living and studying in Darwin.” Tisha grinned. “Indeed.” Shin chuckled. “It has turned into a very fortunate experience, and I am pleased to be here.”

33

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Plus”—Tisha’s grin grew cheeky—“we’ll be going bush bashing, and that’s something you have to try at least once while in Australia.” “I will take your word for it,” Shin said, although he thought that experiencing it once would be more than enough.

B

ush bashing turned out to be more of an adventure than Shin had expected. He sat in the front of the ute, sandwiched between Craig and Tisha, Max, the family dog, in the footwell at Tisha’s feet. Max’s front paws rested on the window, and he barked with excitement at every sharp turn that Craig took. Whether or not this was because Tisha would whoop loudly and Craig would laugh delightedly, Shin didn’t know. He was too busy trying not to slide around the seat and fall off into the footwell with Max. Clouds of sand and dust were everywhere, thrown up by the wheels of the ute as Craig drove with what seemed to Shin to be an alarming lack of concern for his passengers. When he wasn’t making random sharp turns, he pressed down on the accelerator and sped down a barely defined road marked by other drivers in the gravel and dirt, plowing through scrub and gorse. By the time Craig pulled the ute to a stop, Shin was certain that there must be something in the Jones family genes that gave them a death wish.

34

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “That was awesome!” Tisha leapt out of the ute, grabbing the leash of the dog and then bouncing up to the front of the vehicle. “Better than in the wet season,” Craig agreed, getting out and moving around to join her, ducking down to pat the dog. “Did you enjoy that, Max?” The dog barked enthusiastically. Shin slowly crawled out of the cab of the ute and stood, not sure his legs would hold him up. They felt like rubber, and the palms of his hands were sweaty. “Where are we?” “We’re cheerfully.

somewhere

in

the

Territory,”

Tisha

said

“About twenty clicks from Mum and Dad’s,” Craig added. “And that was bush bashing?” Shin ran a hand through his hair, making a slight face as the dust started to settle. “Yeah!” Tisha dived back into the cab of the ute and rummaged beneath the seat, pulling out a bottle of water. “Did you like it?” she asked as she emerged from the ute. “It was… interesting.” Shin didn’t trust himself to answer the question in more detail than that. “Puts hair on your chest,” Craig said, with a broad grin. He pulled Shin into a brief hug, kissing his cheek. “Seriously, though, it isn’t for everyone. I’m not going to be mad if you didn’t like it.”

35

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Shin smiled, feeling warm all over from the gruff affection that Craig showed him. “Perhaps not the journey, but the destination, so far, is very enjoyable,” he said. Craig winked and Shin laughed, unable to hold it back. He nodded his thanks as Tisha offered him the bottle of water and took a long drink. Handing the bottle to Craig, he looked around at what seemed to be miles and miles of nothing but desert and scrub. “So why are we here, exactly?” “Because the sunset is amazing,” Craig said, leaning back against the ute. “Seriously, wait until you see it. There’s nothing like an outback sunset.” “Except a beach sunset,” Tisha said, nodding. Shin leaned back beside Craig and smiled. “I shall take your word for it.” “You won’t have to for much longer, look.” Craig pointed at the horizon, and Shin turned his head dutifully, watching as the sun slowly began to set. The world seemed comprised of reds, yellows, and golds. The land lit up like fire, golden light glistening in the distance, the pale green of the scrub washed out to a dark orange, like burnt sienna. The outback Northern Territory seemed to glow like a live ruby, the many facets of the land colored in light and shadow and gleaming rich tones of red. “Wow,” Shin breathed as the light slowly darkened, red gradually turning to the inky black of late twilight and night.

36

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Amazing, right?” Craig moved to turn the headlights of the ute on so there was more than just the light of the stars to see by. He rejoined Shin at the front of the vehicle and leaned into him a little, gazing at him unblinkingly. “Yes.” Shin nodded, meeting Craig’s gaze, forgetting for a moment that Tisha was nearby, that the dog, Max, was with her. In that brief moment, there was only the desert, the night, and Craig. Craig’s lips brushed Shin’s own in the softest of kisses, and Shin reached up to cup Craig’s cheek. They kissed for several long, slow moments, until a bark and a whine from Max reminded Shin that they weren’t alone. With an embarrassed cough, he broke the kiss. “Remembered us now, huh?” Tisha grinned at them, her cheerful expression taking away any sting in her words. “We should get back soon anyway. I wasn’t going to say anything for another fifteen minutes, but muttonhead here,”—she patted the dog’s ears—“he couldn’t shut up.” “Okay, okay,” Craig said, laughing. “We’ll head back.” “Good plan.” Tisha and Max waited as Craig and Shin separated, getting into the cab of the ute. She followed a moment later, and Craig started the car and drove back to the farm—at a much more sedate pace, Shin was relieved to note. As Craig parked the ute at the back of the farmhouse, Shin wondered what the next day—their last visiting Tisha’s family—would hold.

37

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

A

s it turned out, the last day was quiet. Tisha’s parents had gone out, taking Tisha with them, and Shin was left alone with Craig. They wandered the property together, walking close, talking about anything and everything. Shin found himself opening up to Craig in a way that he had not opened up to anyone in years. Craig told him stories about his time in the Australian Defence Force, and Shin shared some of his own anecdotes about serving in the South Korean Army and working on the DMZ at the border of South and North Korea. They walked through the paddocks, petting the horses and watching the few sheep and cows graze. They fed the chickens, laughing as the birds pecked each other in a greedy frenzy to eat all the seed. They threw sticks for Max, who raced delightedly to fetch them and bring them back, barking and wagging his tail all the while. They had a light lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and sat on the porch, talking about the places they’d traveled and the people they’d met. Shin felt incredibly relaxed in Craig’s company, comfortable about being himself. Craig was very easy to talk to, and his stories were interesting. Shin felt that Craig was not just a man he could fall in love with; he was a man that Shin could call a best friend. It was early evening when Tisha and her parents returned, and good cheer reigned in the house. The brass oil lanterns were lit, swinging slowly from the chains that held them suspended to the roof of the veranda as everyone pitched in to lend a hand setting up for the outdoor evening

38

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe meal while Mary and Bob prepared food. Dinner was a roast chicken with all the trimmings and a coleslaw salad, soft white bread rolls with cold butter, and a large gravy boat full of rich dark gravy. Wine from the Barossa Valley in South Australia was served, and the conversation was warm and inclusive and further increased Shin’s feeling of being accepted by Tisha’s family. As the evening came to an end, knowing they would be leaving early the next morning, Shin wasn’t surprised when Craig drew him aside to bid him goodnight. “Thank you for today,” Shin said simply. “It was a wonderful day.” “You’re welcome.” Craig smiled. “I was wondering if you’d mind if I came up to Darwin to visit sometimes? Maybe… maybe I could take you out on a date or two?” Shin felt his cheeks grow warm as he blushed, and he smiled, nodding. “I would like that very much, Craig. Very much indeed.” Craig’s smile grew. “Great. That’s really great.” He coughed awkwardly and then leaned in and kissed Shin gently, a soft, tender kiss. “Goodnight, then,” Craig said as the kiss ended. “And I’ll see you in Darwin. Or I’ll call. I’ve got the number.” “Please do.” Shin nodded again. “I would really like that.” Craig nodded and stepped back. “Okay.” “Okay.” It took a force of Herculean will for Shin to move into his bedroom and close the door. As he did so, he took a

39

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe deep breath and looked around the simple room. The weekend had turned out far better than he could ever have imagined.

T

he first week back in Darwin was busy. Shin found he had extra shifts to work at the University Bookshop, and he had assignments due, so his free time was eaten up by study and working. He came home late, ate microwave mac and cheese or two-minute noodles, went to bed tired, and got up early, feeling sandy eyed. Tisha was no less busy. Her study load was as heavy as Shin’s, and she spent most of the time she was not in class in the library. In between, she spent time with one of her friends, a girl she had known from childhood, who was getting married and who had asked Tisha to be her maid of honor. Their busy schedules meant that they did not see much of each other, and by the end of the week, Shin was exhausted. Tisha was spending the weekend with her friend, and he had the apartment to himself. He sprawled on the sofa, books and notes strewn everywhere in the living room, some of them his, some of them Tisha’s. The windows were open, letting in a gentle breeze which rustled the papers, and Shin knew he should tidy up a little, but he couldn’t find the energy to get up and do so.

40

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe He was enjoying what Tisha called a long moment of “zoning out,” thinking of nothing, just gazing out the window at the view of Darwin and the sea with lazy contentment, when there came a knock at the door. Jolted out of his reverie, Shin answered the door and blinked in surprise at who was standing on the threshold. “So I was in town,” Craig said, “and I figured I’d call, but then I thought, nah, I’m close so I might as well just drop in and say hey. So. Hey.” Shin grinned and gestured for Craig to enter. “Hello.” Craig walked into the apartment, and Shin shut the door. He was about to say something, but Craig was looking at the piles of books and paper with a raised eyebrow. “It is not all mine,” Shin said. “Half of it is Tisha’s.” “I was going to say.” Craig chuckled, shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair. He turned and looked at Shin, his expression growing serious. “She here?” “No, she is at a friend’s house this weekend.” “Oh, okay. Well, that’s probably better anyway.” Craig took a deep breath. “I’ve got my marching orders. New deployment, we ship out tomorrow at ten-hundred hours.” Shin froze. “Where are you going?” “Afghanistan.” Craig shook his head. “It’s a bloody clusterfuck up there, Shin.” “I know.” Shin sighed. “How long are you gone for?”

41

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “My regiment is stationed there for nine months. So, we get back, all being well, late December. Just in time for Christmas.” “Oh.” Shin didn’t know what else to say. Finally, he said, “You will be careful?” “Yeah.” Craig hesitated a moment. “Will you write to me?” “Of course.” Shin didn’t have to think about it. “Thank you.” The relief was clear in Craig’s voice. He dug around in his pocket, pulled out a business card, and held it out to Shin. “That’s my postal address. E-mail, too, but I don’t know how often we’ll be able to check that. Snail mail’s probably the best bet.” “Of course,” Shin repeated, taking the card and pocketing it. “So, um, it’s all a bit sudden.” Craig looked as awkward as Shin felt. “But I just. I wanted to see you before I went.” Shin nodded. He still didn’t know what to say, so he acted. He took two quick steps forward, cupped Craig’s face between his hands, and kissed him. Craig kissed back with an eagerness that held a touch of desperation, and Shin whimpered softly, feeling that same eagerness and desperation. He had only just met this wonderful, intriguing, gorgeous man, and now he was being taken away by duty, to a part of the world that was anything other than safe or stable. Shin knew, however, how important duty was, and so he did not see any reason to

42

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe question the situation. Craig was a member of the Australian Army, and he was being deployed to Afghanistan for nine months. That was all there was to it. Craig’s arms wound around Shin’s waist, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. Thought scattered to the four winds as Shin felt that hard, strong body against his own, and he shivered with pleasure as Craig’s hand slipped beneath his T-shirt to caress his back. “Shin,” Craig murmured against Shin’s lips, “I really, really want you.” “Then you should have me,” Shin replied. They moved in a clumsy stumble to his bedroom, tugging at clothing and laughing a little breathlessly as they became tangled up in T-shirt sleeves and legs of jeans. Finally they were naked, still kissing each other hot and hungrily, touching one another with heavy-handed, feverish caresses, and they fell onto the bed, pressing close to each other. Shin arched into Craig as they rolled, Craig ending up on top of him. He groaned loudly as their cocks slid together, feeling Craig’s need as great as his own. Craig moaned, throwing his head back, and for several blissful moments, they rocked together, hardness rubbing against hardness, slick with precum. Shin’s fingers clutched at Craig’s ass, and Craig’s hands gripped Shin’s hips hard enough to bruise. Shin didn’t care. He wanted everything he could have of Craig before Craig had to leave.

43

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe There was a moment’s pause as Shin reached over to the nightstand for lube and a condom, followed by a rough chuckle as Craig grabbed it and Shin dropped it, their fingers made clumsy by their desire for each other. Finally, with a pillow shoved beneath his hips, thighs wrapped around Craig’s body, Shin let out a long, keening moan as Craig thrust into him, burying himself to the root inside him. It didn’t take long, not when their hunger for each other was so great. Not when they knew this would be the first and the last time they would be together like this for several months. Shin raked his nails down Craig’s back, eliciting a gasping moan, and as Craig’s calloused fingers wrapped around Shin’s cock and stroked him out of time with his hard thrusts, Shin cried out raggedly. The quickening pace of Craig’s thrusts, the sound of the moans pulled from him each time he was balls to ass inside Shin, all combined together to make Shin’s lust surge higher and higher, and before long, he came, Craig’s name on his lips. Several thrusts later, Craig arched, his back as taut as a bowstring, his eyes half-lidded and hazy with pleasure, his body shaking as he orgasmed. Craig was at that moment, Shin thought, the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen. They lay together, panting, basking in the afterglow, and finally, Craig sighed and sat up. “I’m afraid I have to go,” he said, shooting a dark look at the bedside clock. Shin nodded as he sat up as well. “I understand.” And he did, he understood all too well. “Be safe,” he said, kissing Craig’s cheek.

44

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “I will,” Craig said. “As safe as houses.” Shin smiled. “Hopefully safer than houses.” “Yeah.” Craig stood up and got dressed, making a face as his T-shirt clung to the sweat drying on his body. “You’ll write me?” “I promise.” Shin nodded, tugging on sweat pants and standing up. “Okay, good.” Craig took a deep breath, then kissed Shin fiercely and all too briefly. “I’ll see you in nine months.” “Definitely.” Shin couldn’t bring himself to say much more. “Good luck, Craig.” “Thanks.” Craig shot him a quick grin and quietly left the apartment. Shin walked slowly out of his bedroom, ignoring the fact that he was sticky with sweat and come. He sat on the sofa and sighed heavily, staring out the window at the now dark sky. Shin hoped that Tisha had heard from Craig herself— either by phone or text message—Shin did not want to be the one to tell her that her brother was being shipped out to Afghanistan in the morning. Although he was not a terribly religious man, Shin remembered the Buddhist ritual his mother had done for him when he had gone to the DMZ. Standing up, he went into the kitchen and found a plain white candle and some incense. It would do—for the moment. Shin murmured in Korean under his breath as he lit the candle and the incense and hoped that Craig would be kept safe and brought home in one piece and alive.

45

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

T

he months passed as they have a habit of doing, and Shin and Tisha spent as much of their time buried in study as possible. By an unspoken agreement, they did not talk about Craig’s deployment, but when they watched the news on television, Tisha gripped Shin’s hand tightly when the reports turned to Afghanistan. There were deaths of ADF personnel over there, deaths that made Tisha sob and Shin bite the inside of his cheek so hard that it bled. He did not know the men who died, but he could imagine the pain their loved ones would be feeling. Each report of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan was followed by a phone call to Tisha’s parents, inevitably on speaker phone so that the four of them—Tisha, Shin, and her mother and father—could console each other and reassure each other that yes, Craig was fine. Shin found himself making more calls than ever to speak to his own family back in Seoul. Now that he was the one waiting at home, he understood with stark clarity just how anxious the wait had been for his parents. They were thrilled to hear from him, and when he hesitantly admitted that he had fallen for someone, a man, and that man was currently deployed to a warzone, he was stunned by their acceptance of it. His father, a man that Shin remembered as being a serious workaholic, had said only that he was not surprised—Shin’s uncle was gay. Being a close family, Shin’s father said, he had recognized that his son might be gay too.

46

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe There were tears, of course, Shin confessing his worries and his understanding of how his family had felt when he had done the compulsory military service. Craig might be absent, Shin thought, but his absence had brought Shin closer to his own parents, and for that, Shin would always be grateful. He had never been distant from his parents, but now, with the shared experience of waiting for a loved one to return home from a warzone, Shin felt even closer to them than he ever had before. Time seemed to move both painfully slowly and surprisingly fast. While he was occupied with work, study, talking to his family, and spending time with Tisha, Shin found the days would go past quickly. However, there were long periods where he found himself at a loose end, gazing out the window of the living room or his bedroom and wishing that time would speed up and that the date of Craig’s return to Darwin would arrive quickly. He wrote long letters to Craig in between studying for his exams and working at the bookshop, and when he received a letter in reply, he read and reread it so often that he feared the paper might rip and tear. The letters were what kept him sane, Shin thought, as he and Tisha went through the stressful period of the exams that were required to pass second year engineering. As October slipped into November and the weather turned from warm and dry to warm and wet, Shin concluded that his second year in Australia had been the most unexpected and wonderful yet painful year he had ever had.

47

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe It had been a long road. The journey along that road had brought Shin highs and lows and closer to his parents, closer to Tisha and her family and, most importantly, brought Craig into his life and brought them closer. Even though he was partway around the world, serving his country, the letters Craig wrote gave Shin more of an insight into the man and made him fall for him just a little bit more with each sentence and line.

I

t was early December when Tisha brought up the subject of Christmas. Shin had not really considered the holiday or how to celebrate it, but when Tisha, wearing a blue summer dress, handed him a can of soft drink and broached the subject, Shin realized her first suggestion was the most welcome. “So, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you’re invited to our fam’s dinner.” Tisha tucked a leg beneath her as she sat on the sofa. “I usually go down to the farm for a fortnight and come back up to Darwin for New Year’s. Mum and Dad wanted to know if you were joining us this year. You are, right?” Shin smiled. “I would be honored,” he said sincerely. “I can think of nowhere else I would rather be.” She smiled a little sadly. “Craig will be back, too.” The unspoken “I hope” lingered in the air between them. “I know.” Shin took a sip of his soft drink. “I was thinking also of asking my parents to visit during the

48

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe January month’s holiday. I would like very much to introduce you and your family to them.” Tisha’s smile was like the sun coming up. “That would be great, Shin. They can stay here; we’ve got a guest room.” “That we use as a junk room,” Shin teased. “Hush, we can tidy it up. They can stay here, and then, if they like, spend a few days on the farm?” “I think they would enjoy that.” Shin nodded. “Thank you, Tisha.” “For what?” “You have been the best friend I could ever have wished for, and I fear I do not say often enough how much I appreciate everything that you have done for me. Everything that your family has done for me.” She smiled. “Don’t worry about it. You’re family now, so you’re stuck with us.” Shin smiled. “I am honored.” “So”—she stood up, smoothing down her dress—“we need to get a Christmas tree.” He blinked at her in surprise. “In Darwin? Are Christmas trees usually not pine trees?” “Yes, but we don’t have to stick to the traditional white Christmas, green pine tree type thing.” Tisha grinned. “Come on.” Bemused, he let her drag him from the apartment and outside onto the street. Like many of the streets in the

49

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe suburbs of Darwin, theirs was lined with eucalyptus trees, and the scent was heavy in the air. “Where are we going?” Shin asked. “The reserve,” Tisha said. The reserve was more of a family park than a nature reserve. There was an oval with goal posts for soccer and football games, Aussie Rules football being a popular sport. There was also a cricket pitch and picnic tables with barbeques made of neatly squared bricks nearby. Rubbish bins, a public toilet block that was covered in graffiti, and a small children’s playground completed the reserve. The place was ringed with eucalyptus trees, and Tisha moved through them slowly, peering at fallen branches lying on the ground and frowning thoughtfully. “What are you doing?” Shin asked, even more confused than before. “Picking a tree,” she replied, stopping by a large branch that had fallen from a tree only recently. The leaves were still green, and the bark was smooth and silver grey. “That one. It’s perfect.” “It’s a fallen branch, Tisha.” “Yeah, and it’s going to be our Christmas tree. Help me carry it home.” Tisha picked up one end of it. Doing as he was told, Shin shook his head. “Will we get into trouble for this?” “Only if we’re caught,” was the unhelpful reply, and Shin gave up asking questions.

50

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Getting the fallen branch—which was larger, heavier, and more awkward to carry than he had realized—up the stairs to the apartment took some doing, and after having grazed the skin of their hands and arms, they finally had it propped against the wall as Tisha unlocked the door of the apartment. “How are we going to keep it standing?” Shin looked up at the branch, calculating that it was probably close to eight feet high. “Shin, we’re studying to be engineers. Surely we can figure this out.” Tisha started to maneuver the branch into the apartment, and Shin sighed and helped her. “A bucket, I think,” he said, once they’d closed the door. “If we put rocks in the bottom of it, then sand, then stick this in the sand and weigh it down with more rocks, that should hold it reasonably steady.” “See?” Tisha grinned. “Problem solved. And if we put it in the corner there,” she pointed to the corner by the large window, opposite the television, “then it’s got those two walls for extra support.” “Now all we need is sand, rocks and a bucket.” Shin started laughing. “Would it not have been simpler to purchase a plastic tree?” “Probably, but not nearly so cool.” Tisha disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a red plastic bucket. “One bucket.” “I suppose now we are driving to the beach to collect sand and rocks?”

51

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Yes, yes we are.” Tisha grinned at him. “Isn’t this fun?” Shin paused to think about that for a moment. “Actually, yes. Yes it is.” “There we go. Come on.” They returned home from the beach via the late night supermarket and bought cheap decorations—baubles and tinsel and a plastic star. Laughing, the two of them put their impromptu Christmas tree together, and when they were finished, they stood back to admire their handiwork. “This? Is an awesome Christmas gum tree.”

tree,”

Tisha

declared.

“A

Shin laughed. “I must take photos to show my parents.” “And when Craig’s home next week, he can see it for himself.” Shin nodded, growing serious. “It will be a very slow week, I fear.” “I’m expecting it to be.” Tisha sighed. “We want it to be quick, but it’ll be as slow as a month of Sundays.” “Pardon?” “Never mind. It’ll be really slow, is what I mean.” “Oh. Yes.” Shin nodded. “I have some time to buy gifts, however, so that will make the week seem as if it is not long enough, I fear.” “Ah, a conundrum.” Tisha shrugged. “I’ve done my shopping. I’ll wrap my presents and put them under the tree so it doesn’t look so bare.”

52

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “All right. I will do the same when I am finished shopping.” Shin went to get his camera. When he returned, he said, “I like the tree.” “Me too,” Tisha agreed.

S

hopping for presents didn’t take as long as Shin had feared. The few things he had asked his parents to send him from Korea for Tisha and her parents had arrived in the post the previous week, so there really wasn’t much shopping he had left to do. The hardest thing had been finding something for Craig, but in the end, Shin had found the perfect gift at one of the craft markets. It was a thin, dark brown leather wrap-around bracelet, with sterling silver set with blue coral chips at irregular intervals along the leather strip. It fastened with a sterling silver clasp, and although the price had made Tisha blanch in horror, Shin didn’t care. It was perfect, as far as he was concerned. It was unique, for one thing, and it was very definitely masculine. Two things he felt that Craig was the embodiment of: Craig wasn’t like anyone Shin had ever met in his life. He was kind and outgoing, upbeat and positive. The way he managed to mangle the English language, peppering his sentences with Australian slang, had a great deal of charm. The leather was dark and appeared worn; it was strong, and the small embellishment of silver and coral were understated, not overly decorative. Just like Craig himself. And the blue coral was the same shade of blue as Craig’s eyes.

53

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe He was wrapping his presents for Tisha and her parents when Tisha’s mother called. Shin could hear Tisha’s voice clearly, and when she rushed into his bedroom, he had prudently thrown a sheet over the presents so she wouldn’t see what her gift was. “Your mother called,” Shin said as she opened her mouth. “Yeah. Craig’s back. Not back-back, but in the country. He’s being debriefed, and he’ll be home late tonight. Dad reckons around midnight, so too late to go up there and meet up with him, but I figure we’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning and drive up there.” “I think that is a perfect plan.” Shin nodded. “Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.” “Yeah. Oh Shin, I’m so glad he’s home.” Tisha let out a breath. “I can’t wait to see him.” “Nor can I.” Shin smiled. “I confess I may be too excited to get much sleep tonight.” She laughed and turned, leaving his room. At the door, she paused. “Merry Christmas, Shin.” “And to you,” he replied.

54

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

C

hristmas Eve dawned clear and calm, and Shin took that as a good sign. He was only a little nervous as he showered and got ready to go to Tisha’s family’s farm, carefully packing the presents he had for them into his backpack and tucking the present for Craig into his pocket. Tisha was full of good humor as she drove them out of Darwin and into the countryside, chatting about how much she was looking forward to seeing her brother. Shin made noises of agreement, happy to let her talk uninterrupted. They arrived as Tisha’s father walked out of the house, waving a greeting, and when the car was parked, Shin took a deep breath and got out, nodding his own greeting to Bob. “Craig’s inside,” Bob Jones said shrewdly. “I reckon he’ll be damn glad to see you two.” Tisha practically dragged Shin into the house. He followed her without any argument, for indeed he had none—his desire to see Craig was almost overwhelming. Craig was sitting on the sofa in the living room. He looked tired but happy, and Shin’s heart skipped a beat as he laid eyes on him. Craig was tanned, fit, and most importantly, alive. “Thank God,” Tisha said and rushed to hug her brother. Shin stood by the door, feeling awkward, and looked at Mary. Mary smiled fondly at him and patted his arm. “It’s good to have him home,” she said, and Shin nodded.

55

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Yes, it is,” he agreed. “It feels like forever since I last spoke to him.” “I know the feeling.” Tisha’s mother looked at her children with a warm smile on her face. “Go on, Shin dear. He’s been dying to see you since he got in last night.” With that, she left the room, and Shin took a deep breath and moved to sit down in the armchair opposite Tisha and Craig. “Hello,” he said, biting his lower lip as he looked into Craig’s bright blue eyes. “Hey.” Craig grinned, the expression lighting up his face, and Shin’s heart did a little flip flop inside his chest. “How are you?” “Not too bad. And yourself?” Tisha rolled her eyes. “You two, honestly. I’m going to help Mum so you two can pash.” “Pash?” Shin turned to give Tisha a look of utter bewilderment. “Kiss. Snog. Suck face. Whatever you want to call it.” She stood up, grinning impishly, and left the room. Blushing at her explanation, Shin looked down at his hands. “She’s got the right idea,” Craig said softly, and Shin started, looking up to see that Craig had moved close to him, kneeling on the carpet in front of him. “Oh?” “Yeah.” Craig moved closer. “I missed you, Shin,” he said softly. “More than I missed Vegemite.”

56

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Shin blinked and then burst out laughing. “I missed you too,” he said, cupping Craig’s face between his hands. “But I did not consider Vegemite as important.” “Hey, Vegemite’s very important.” Craig slid his arms around Shin’s waist, pulling him close. “I believe you.” Shin smiled. “Good.” Craig closed the small distance between them and kissed him. Everything melted away as those lips touched his, and Shin moved closer, kissing Craig hard. Craig’s arms tightened around his waist, and before Shin knew it, he’d slipped off the armchair and landed on the floor on his ass. “Ow,” Shin said, pulling a face and rubbing his backside as Craig stifled a laugh. “Well, can’t say we’re not glad to see each other.” Craig grinned broadly. “How’s your bum?” “Fine.” Shin smiled ruefully. “That was not terribly romantic.” “No, but it was adorable and funny, and I’m so glad I’m home.” Craig pulled Shin onto his lap in a tight hug. “I am glad you’re home too,” Shin said, his words muffled against Craig’s shoulder. They sat on the floor clutching each other tightly until Mary called them to lunch. They went to join the rest of Craig’s family walking very close together, almost but not quite holding hands.

57

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

A

fter the hushed and reflective day that had been Christmas Eve, Shin emerged from the bathroom after a shower and his morning ablutions on Christmas Day to find the Jones family farm in absolute chaos.

Mary was bellowing orders at Tisha and Bob, resembling a rather diminutive drill sergeant, and Shin paused in the doorway of the kitchen, watching in awe as his flatmate and her father rushed around in response to those orders. Max sat in the hallway, wagging his tail against the polished wooden floorboards, barking every so often, which earned him a loud scolding from Mary. Hesitant to interrupt the noise and chaos but unable to remain silent when he could offer to help, Shin coughed diffidently to announce his presence. “Good morning,” he began, “is there anything that I can do?” Behind Mary, Tisha was making comical gestures that Shin could only assume meant that his offer was a very bad idea and he was about to be drawn into the kitchen chaos. Bob shook his head and patted Tisha’s shoulder, and Shin felt the first stirrings of alarm. Mary huffed as if well aware of the antics of her daughter and husband behind her and turned to Shin with a warm smile. “No, dear, that’s fine. Tisha and Bob have things well under control.”

58

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Tisha made a noise that sounded remarkably like, “Bullshit,” but Mary ignored her. “Are you certain?” Shin asked, eyes darting from Mary to Tisha and Bob. “I’m positive, dear. Why don’t you help Craig lay the presents out under the tree and then go outside? Lunch will be ready at midday.” Mary patted his arm. “Off you go.” Fighting the urge to say, “Yes, ma’am,” Shin nodded and walked into the living room, to find Craig carefully arranging presents in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. Late in the night, Shin had snuck into the living room and placed his gifts for the family under the tree while everyone else was asleep. His gift for Craig was in his pocket, as Shin wanted to give it to him in private. “Does that look okay?” Craig turned, running a hand through his hair in agitation, smiling a half-smile at Shin. “Morning. Please tell me this looks like a bloody Christmas card. Mum’s driving me nuts.” Shin nodded. “It looks very… elegant.” “Thank God.” Craig stood up, and, making sure that his mother wasn’t in earshot, he whispered loudly, “Let’s go outside.” “Okay.” Shin was trying very hard not to laugh. Craig grabbed his hand and tugged him along outside and around to the side of the house, where they sat down, leaning against the wall.

59

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “I knew she’d go weird,” Craig remarked, sliding an arm around Shin’s shoulders, “but I wasn’t expecting this weird. She’s got some crazy idea about a full roast lunch. It’s hot! Do you want to eat roast beef? ’Cause I certainly don’t. Dad had the right idea with lobster and salads and stuff, but nooo, Mum wanted a traditional Christmas lunch. In Darwin. In summer.” “She loves you and is happy you are home,” Shin said as he leaned into Craig’s embrace. And because he wasn’t sure that he’d get a moment alone with Craig later, he dug into the pocket of his jeans and held out a small green suede pouch. “Merry Christmas.” Craig took the pouch, his expression confused. “You didn’t have to buy me anything,” he said, as he opened it. “I know. I wanted to.” Shin smiled a shy half-smile. “I hope you like it.” Shaking the bracelet out of the pouch and into his hand, Craig let out a soft, “Ohh.” Setting the pouch down on the grass, Craig unfastened the clasp and secured the bracelet around his left wrist. As Shin had known it would, the dark brown leather with the shine of the silver and the rich blue of the coral sat well against Craig’s skin, looking unique and masculine, just like Craig. “This is gorgeous,” Craig said quietly. “Thank you, Shin. I love it.” He was silent for several long moments, gazing at the leather and silver, running a finger over the pieces of blue coral, and then he turned and kissed Shin’s cheek. “I really, really love it.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I

60

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe hope you like what I got you.” Hesitantly, he dug into the pocket of his own jeans, pulled out a paper-wrapped object and held it out. Shin took it from him with a warm smile. “Thank you, Craig. I am sure that I will love it.” “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, Shin,” Craig said, leaning back against the wall of the house once more. Shin tore the paper off and stared at what was revealed. It was a duplicate set of Craig’s dog tags. He ran his index finger over the engraving of Craig’s name, rank, and serial number, and the solid ball chain that held them. “This is… thank you.” Swallowing several times against the lump in his throat, Shin put the dog tags around his neck and tucked them into his T-shirt. “Thank you,” he said again. “These are amazing. You are a wonderful man, Craig.” Craig blushed, looking a little awkward. “I didn’t know what to get you,” he began, “but I wanted it to be something original and special, because you’re original and special, and I didn’t want to get you something boring like a carton of beer, although a carton of beer’s a pretty good present— between mates. But we’re more than mates, I think. I hope. So I wanted you to have something nice, and wow, I need to stop talking.” Shin laughed softly and shifted, straddling Craig’s lap and looping his arms around Craig’s neck. “I love it,” he said with sincerity. Craig wrapped his arms around Shin’s waist. “I love the bracelet too,” he said. “I love that I’m home and I’ve got some

61

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe time off. So, after Christmas is over, I’d really like to spend that time off with you.” “I would like that very much.” Shin shifted, pressing a little closer. “My parents are coming in the second week of January. I would like you to meet them.” “Tisha mentioned that, yeah,” Craig nodded as he rested his forehead against Shin’s. “I’d love to meet them.” Shin smiled and gave Craig a soft, chaste kiss. “Merry Christmas.” “Merry Christmas to you too.” Craig smiled against Shin’s lips. “I think we should run away after lunch.” Shin burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. “Run away? Where to?” “Darwin. Your place.” Craig waggled his eyebrows and Shin chuckled, shaking his head. In a fond voice, Shin said, “If you wish, we could do that.” “I do wish. Mum can’t stop me. It's my Christmas wish, so she can just… grin and bear it.” Craig grinned. Tisha poked her head around the corner of the house at that point. “Lunch is nearly ready, you two.” She grinned. “Dad’s planning on getting Mum drunk.” “Good, then she won’t get tacky when Shin and me leave after lunch.” “Leave?” Tisha looked astonished as she came to stand facing them, her arms crossed. “Leave where?”

62

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “We’re going to Shin’s place. So, you know, if you hear a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’.” “Right, I’ll stay here tonight. Shin, you have a fantastic and sexy time. Just neither of you tell me about it.” With that, she turned on her heel and went back into the house. “She’s never liked hearing about my sex life,” Craig noted. “Mind you, I don’t like hearing about hers. I tend to go all caveman protective big brother.” “She probably feels she would go… how do you put it? ‘All cavewoman protective little sister.’” Shin smiled. “You two are very close—you are lucky to have such a good friendship with your sister.” Craig considered that for a moment. “You know? You’re right. I didn’t think of it like that. It is pretty damn awesome.” “Craig! Shin!” The sound of Mary calling their names made them both grin. “I think we should go indoors,” Shin noted. “She may come out here to chase us in if we do not go by ourselves.” “Right.” Craig let go of Shin, and with a soft sigh of regret, Shin stood up. Holding his hand out to Craig, Shin could feel his nervousness rising, but Craig took his hand as he stood up and did not let go. Hand in hand, they went into the house.

63

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

A

fter a delicious lunch came the exchange of presents. Shin sat beside Craig on the sofa, feeling more and more overwhelmed with each gift he received. From Tisha was a new laptop bag and a packet of fun-size candy bars; from Mary a chrome-finished bedside reading lamp; from Bob a bottle of Bokbunja ju, a Korean raspberry wine that Shin had not had since leaving Seoul. Overcome with gratitude, Shin thanked them all profusely and hoped they liked the presents he had bought for them. His gifts were simple, purchased for him by his mother and shipped to him in Darwin. Shin had wanted to give Tisha and her parents gifts from Korea. He was relieved that the family seemed to like them—Tisha insisting on putting the cloisonné and ebony hairpin into her hair immediately. Mary and Bob made delighted exclamations at the traditional wall scroll, mother of pearl inlaid dish, and embroidered fortune pouch hangings, as did Tisha, for Shin had given her one as well. It was midafternoon when Craig cleared his throat and stood up. “Shin and I are going,” he said. “All right, dear.” Mary smiled fondly. “Thank you again, Shin, these are lovely. And merry Christmas.” Shin gave a half-bow and smiled back. “Thank you, Mary. Bob and Tisha. It was a wonderful day, and these gifts are perfect. Merry Christmas to you all.” Craig grabbed Shin’s free hand as Shin carried the Bokbunja ju, lamp, and bag with the candy shoved hastily into it, and tugged him out of the house and to his ute.

64

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe “Bloody hell, I thought for a while there they wouldn’t let us leave.” Craig started the engine as Shin fastened his seatbelt, his presents piled haphazardly in his lap. “Your family is wonderful,” Shin said. “You are very lucky.” “I know I am.” Craig shot him a quick grin as he drove toward Darwin. “So, what’s that wine dad gave you?” “Oh!” Shin grinned. “It is a traditional fruit wine. We have several varieties in Korea. It is made from raspberries and is a sweet wine. It is also quite strong and, ah, is said by some to have aphrodisiac qualities. But I do not think your father knew that part.” Craig guffawed at that. “Dad would’ve been so bloody embarrassed if he knew. If he knew, he would’ve bought you something else.” “I appreciate the trouble and effort he went to. And the trouble and effort Mary and Tisha went to.” “Yeah, my fam are pretty cool,” Craig agreed. “Even cooler when they don’t mind me taking off with my boyfriend after lunch on Christmas day.” “I am very grateful for that as well.” Shin smiled and Craig grinned back.

65

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe

S

hin fumbled with his key as they stood together at the door to the apartment. Craig’s hands were on him, his mouth on Shin’s neck, and it made it very difficult for Shin to concentrate on such simple things as doors and locks and keys. Finally, he got the door open and rushed into the apartment with Craig hot on his heels. Closing the door and throwing the bolt, Shin took just enough time to put his presents on the sofa before turning to Craig. Craig was staring at the gum tree branch that was their makeshift Christmas tree with a raised eyebrow and a wide grin. “So, couldn’t afford a pine tree?” “No. Well yes, but Tisha wanted to have something more unique.” Shin shook his head in amusement. “It is a talking point.” “My oath it is.” Craig laughed. “I like the plastic angel on the top. Nice touch.” Shin laughed as well, moving closer. “Did you wish to spend time looking at the tree, Craig?” “Mm, not really, no.” Craig leaned in, his lips barely touching Shin’s. “I’d much rather spend time in bed with you.” “I confess I prefer that option as well.” Shin took Craig’s hand. “Come.” “Oh, I’m hoping to,” Craig said with a broad grin on his face, and Shin blushed, tugging Craig with him toward his bedroom.

66

Long Road Back • L.J. LaBarthe Inside the room, Craig’s arms slid around Shin’s waist, and he kissed Shin slowly, a deep, passionate kiss. When they finally parted for air, Shin was panting. He ran his hands up Craig’s arms and over his shoulders, ghosting over the base of his neck. “I am glad you are home,” Shin said in a soft voice. “So am I.” Craig touched Shin’s cheek with the fingers of one hand. “You have no idea how much. Or you probably do, considering you’ve done military duty in shitty places.” “Yes. Do you wish to talk of it?” “No.” Craig shook his head. “Not right now. Later. Right now, this is more important.” He kissed Shin again, and Shin’s arms wound around Craig’s neck as he kissed him back. As they kissed, moving back to the bed, Shin fuzzily thought that this really was the best Christmas—the best year—he had ever had. And as Craig’s hands slipped beneath his T-shirt, Shin hoped there would be many more such years and celebrations to come.

67

Come home for holiday romance. Get the whole package of stories at http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

About the Author

L.J. LABARTHE is an Australian woman living with disabilities and her cat. As a young child, she won a competition for drawing a picture of Australian Humpty Dumpty, complete with Aussie hat, corks hanging from strings dangling from the brim to keep the flies away. The drawing was accompanied by an adventure story with Humpty Dumpty she wrote set in Australia. From that moment on, she has not looked back. She spends her free time watching television, reads newspapers online for fun, and enjoys a good novel. She loves to cook and enjoys a snifter of absinthe from time to time. L.J. would like to take a moment to let her university professor in creative writing know that knowledge of iambic pentameter isn't necessary in order to be able to enjoy the craft of writing, no matter how much he may have screamed to the contrary.

More Daily Dose and Advent Calendar packages

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Copyright

Long Road Back ©Copyright L.J. LaBarthe, 2011 Published by Dreamspinner Press 382 NE 191st Street #88329 Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Art by Paul Richmond http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 382 NE 191st Street #88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America December 2011 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-294-7