Blind Man's Bluff - Chapter Two

by Nelson



Nelson was nodding as Vic finished filling him in on the doctor's report. "You'll stay here with him tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely," Vic said. "You know how upset he must be. There's no way I'm leaving him here alone."

"I don't blame you one bit. I'm glad he asked to talk to Zach… in spite of everything."

"I know. I asked Ben to try to make Zach feel a bit better. In my opinion, they were both fooling around and had no business doing it."

"I know," Nelson said with a heavy sigh. "It looked like Zach started it though. The guilt will kill him." Knowing he had to deal with that on top of the rest of the day's events wasn't a desirable prospect. But putting it off would not help Zach in the least. He said, "I hope Zach has calmed down after his visit with Ben. Hopefully, it didn't make things worse."

Vic turned his eyes from peering into his Styrofoam cup to the doorway. "It's a good sign he isn't back yet. I guess that means they haven't killed one another and they are at least talking."

"Nothing like a sudden emergency to bring people together, huh?" Nelson said, with a wry smile.

Vic looked back into his coffee and said, "I really want to get back in there, but I don't want to interrupt them. They need this time, I guess."

"That's gracious of you, Vic. I don't know if I could stay away from Zach that long. I know your heart stopped when Ben fell. God, mine did."

Vic shook his head with the memory. "Am I grey?" he asked, fingering the front of his dark hair.

Nelson laughed and said, "Not yet. If that didn't turn you grey, nothing will. I'd even bet against time on that one."

Vic smiled wearily. "I must have a strong heart, too. Otherwise, I'd be in the bed next to him, for sure. Or in a coffin. It's bad enough, but nothing we can't handle."

Nelson looked at his watch. "You should go back in there, Vic. I need to get Zach back to the condo and have a little chat. He's been in there 30 minutes."

"You're in a hurry to deal with that?" Vic asked as he polished off the last bit of coffee.

Nelson shook his head. "Not for me. For Zach. He'll be miserable until we talk about this. He'll probably still be upset afterward. But, it will make him feel somewhat better on the inside anyway."

Vic nodded understanding and stood from the little table in the break room. "You're right."

"Let's go take care of our partners," Nelson said, standing up to follow Vic.

Vic said as they walked down the hallway, "I can't believe he's still in there." He pushed Ben's door open and was surprised to see the room devoid of people except for his lover.

"Where's Zach?" Nelson asked.

"I heard him leave," Ben said.

"Do you know where he went?" Nelson asked, somewhat concerned.

Ben shook his head and said, "Bathroom, maybe?" Vic walked over to Ben and took a seat on the edge of his bed, gathering him under his arm. He kissed his head hard and Ben gripped Vic's hand when Vic interlaced his fingers with Ben's. Ben said, "I don't know where he went except he left my room."

Nelson said, "He's probably in the bathroom. His coat was still out there and I didn't see him anywhere else." He walked over to the bed and brushed back Ben's bangs, and kissed him on the forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Ben said.

"I'm sorry, Benji," Nelson said. "Head injuries are very dangerous, not to mention you could have broken your neck."

"Or, worse," Vic said.

Ben said, "That's what I keep hearing."

"And, you need to listen to it," Vic said. "I'm just glad you're in one piece." Vic squeezed him hard.

"Me, too," Nelson said. "Do you two need anything for the night? I need to gather Zach and get back to the condo."

"Would you mind bringing us our shaving kits?" Vic asked.

"Sure, no problem. Can you give me about an hour or so?" Nelson asked.

Understanding what Nelson had in front of him, Vic nodded and said, "That's fine. Just sometime before bedtime."

"I can do that," he said with a glance at his watch and found the minute hand almost on top of the twelve. "It's only 6:00 now."

"Great," Vic said. He looked out the window behind him. "Seems later. It's already getting dark."

"It's almost daylight saving time," Nelson said. "I need to get going. Feel better, Benji."

"I'll try," Ben said, and Nelson left the room.

He stepped into the empty corridor and was dismayed to see Zach was still nowhere in sight. He walked the short distance down the hallway to check the break room. No Zach. Perplexed, he found the bathroom, and the door was standing wide open, so he knew Zach wasn't in there. He walked back down the hall, noted Zach's coat was still on the chair, then went to the waiting area. The clerk looked up from her magazine when Nelson walked in. "Have you seen my partner? The guy who was with me earlier?"

"Oh, the other young man?" she asked. Nelson nodded and she said, "He left about, oh…" she thought as she tapped her chin. "Maybe a half-hour or 45 minutes ago? He seemed to be in a hurry."

Still upset, Nelson thought. "Thanks," he said, in a rush to get to his coat and find his lover. He shook his head as he picked up Zach's coat and the lone glove. "In the cold with no coat," Nelson said to himself. He noted the distance from the clinic to their condo and said, "He'll be a Popsicle when I find him." He pulled on his coat and threw Zach's over his arm, setting out to go to their condo. He had more than one thing to talk to Zach about, as if things weren't bad enough already.

Slightly out of breath from the altitude, the long walk, and the cold, Nelson entered an all-too-quiet condo. He raised his voice and called, "Zach? Are you upstairs?" The condo was dark on top of being quiet, and Nelson saw no signs of anyone being there other than him. He looked back at his watch. If the receptionist had been right about the time, Zach had been gone for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Without a coat.

Nelson started to feel anxious, knowing that Zach was more than likely upset after his visit with Ben. Nelson mentally berated himself for not staying closer by, knowing the situation. He decided to take the car and check a few places Zach might have gone, hoping to find him as quickly as possible.

He made a quick sweep of Buy the Bluffs and didn't find any sign of him in the pro shop. His next stop was the clubhouse, where he again came up empty. After thoroughly interrogating the clubhouse employees, Nelson decided to go back to the clinic. He struggled not to give in to the worry that was nagging him, but was beginning to entertain thoughts of involving the resort security. He walked into Ben's room, and Vic looked up somewhat surprised.

"That was quick," he said. Then he noticed the shaving kits were not in Nelson's hands. "What's wrong?" he asked seeing the concern in Nelson's face.

"I can't find Zach," he said.

"Oh, no," Vic said. "You didn't find him here?"

"Not here, not at the condo, not at the clubhouse… I have no idea where he is," Nelson said. He rubbed his fingers over his forehead. "As if today hasn't been stressful enough," Nelson said quietly.

Vic turned to Ben and said suspiciously, "How was he when he left here?"

"I don't know," Ben said dismissively. "It's not like I didn't have other things on my mind."

"Benjamin," Vic said evenly. "I know how hard today has been. But, Zach is missing."

"Without his coat," Nelson said absently.

"You have no idea how hard today has been," Ben said.

"Benjamin," Vic said gently. "Was he upset when he left here?" Ben turned on his side away from Vic, and Vic tried again. "Benjamin. Answer me." He reached out and took Ben's shoulder, rolling him over on his back again.

"Leave me alone. I want to go to sleep," Ben said. He turned back to the wall and Vic glanced at Nelson.

Vic pulled him over a second time and repeated the question. "Was he upset?"

Ben sighed and folded his arms. "What do you mean by 'upset'?"

"Benjamin David…" Vic said.

Not liking the tone he heard creeping into Vic's voice, Ben consented. He said quietly, "Yes, he was upset, okay?"

"And, you didn't think we needed to know that?" Vic asked.

"You didn't ask," Ben said. "And, after today, I thought he SHOULD be upset."

Nelson shook his head and turned quickly on his heel to find Zach, leaving Vic and Ben to themselves. He knew Zach must have gone out the front door for the receptionist to see him, so he went out that way and checked the snow for prints under the streetlamps. The snow was trampled all around the entrance, with not one set of prints but hundreds. Nelson gazed out across the parking lot and his eyes settled on a grouping of condos in the distance.

A fleeting feeling of relief surged through Nelson when he realized he was looking at the cluster of condos where Zach and Ben's friend was staying. He grabbed Zach's coat from the car and headed in that direction, hopeful that Zach went that way. He had no idea which condo was Joey's, but Nelson was not above knocking on every door until he found the right one. He felt his body slacken with relief when he hit paydirt at the fifth door he knocked on. One of the boys Nelson recognized as Joey's friend opened the door.

"Thank God," Nelson said. "I was hoping I could find you guys."

"How's it going?" the young man asked. "Are you looking for Zach?"

"Please tell me he's here," Nelson said.

The fellow nodded and said, "Yeah, he's around here somewhere. Come in and join the party!" He stepped back to let Nelson in, and Nelson's eyes wandered over the living room for Zach. He wasn't there.

Nelson went to Joey who stood to meet him. Beer cans littered the living room table and Nelson could see in Joey's eyes that the beer he held wasn't his first. "Where's Zach? Do you know?" Nelson asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"Hey. It's Nelson, right?"

"Sorry. Right. Is Zach here?"

"Yeah, he stepped outside. Too much to drink I think. Said he needed some air." He pointed toward the backdoor and Nelson went out, scanning the back area for his lover. He quickly spotted Zach backed up to a tree, resting his butt against the trunk with his hands on his knees.

Nelson walked over to him and said simply, "Zach."

Zach looked up at the sound of his partner's voice and shivered. Offering no explanation, Zach maintained his stooping position and focused on trying not to let his stomach win the argument over whether its contents stayed or went.

Nelson asked, "Are you going to be sick?"

"I'm trying not to be," Zach said. Nelson draped the coat over his shoulders, and pulled him upright by his arms.

"What's going on, Zach?" Nelson asked, wrapping Zach in a bear hug. "Why did you run off like that?"

Zach grimaced. The mild jostling from the hug was almost too much. "What did you expect me to do? How do you think I feel?" Zach asked against Nelson, his voice cracking.

Nelson stroked at Zach's chestnut waves and said, "I know you feel guilty. I know you feel bad. He's your friend."

"And, he's hurt because of me."

"Not true, Zach. It looked to me and Vic like BOTH of you were carrying on in front of us."

"But, I shoved him. Made him fall. Made him… made him…" the memory wasn't numbed in the least by the alcohol and Zach broke down in tears. "I hate myself for it!" he cried. "He already told me he was afraid of missing the seat. That makes it worse!"

Nelson said tenderly, "We can't change it." He knew he needed to deal with the situation and do so quickly, but seeing the state Zach was in, it would have to wait until morning. "Let's get your coat on and go to the condo."

Zach staggered a bit when Nelson let him go, and Nelson reached out to steady him by his elbow. "How much have you had?" he asked.

"Don't know," Zach said holding his stomach. The coat had begun to shift from his shoulders and Nelson took it off him to help him into it.

"You have no idea how many of those empty cans in there can be attributed to you?"

"No, sir. I don't have any idea," Zach said, and really couldn't care less at the moment. All he knew was that his stomach was less happy with him than Nelson was. "It can't have been many because I was only here… for…" he retched, pulling away from Nelson who was still trying to get a coat on him. Zach hurled the contents of his stomach onto the ground and Nelson stepped back just in time to not get spattered. He stepped to Zach's side and picked up a bit of snow, held it to Zach's neck, and waited out the episode. Zach spat onto the ground, trying to clear his mouth of the nasty bitterness.

"Are you okay?" Nelson asked.

"No," Zach replied in all honesty.

"Are you finished?"

Zach tried to judge the situation and decided he was done for the moment. "I think so."

"Then let's get back," Nelson said.

Joey laughed when he saw a slightly green Zach come back into the condo. "Woohoo, buddy! Four beers did that to you?"

"Four?" Nelson asked, with a questioning expression directed at his partner.

"That's about right," one of the other young men answered for him. "Can't hold your alcohol at this altitude, huh, buddy?"

"Apparently not," Zach said. He felt Nelson's hand press to the small of his back, encouraging him toward the door. He said as goodbye, "Thanks for the beers."

"You're leaving?" Joey asked. "Why don't you both stay?"

Nelson said, "No, thanks. We need to get back."

"Too bad," Joey said. "We're just getting started."

That was what Nelson was afraid of. "Thanks for the offer," Nelson said, then ushered Zach out into the night air.

"Can you walk to the clinic?" he asked, slipping his arm around Zach.

"How far?" Zach said, relishing the support from Nelson's hold around his waist.

Nelson tried to judge the distance, but he had been in such a rush to find Zach, he couldn't be sure. "I don't know. Ten minutes maybe?"

Looking around and seeing no alternative, Zach said, "I guess I have to."

"If you can't make it, you can stay here and I'll go get the car," Nelson offered. It wasn't his first choice after just having found Zach but he certainly didn't want Zach pushing it if he was sick.

Zach considered it but thought if they were moving, he would at least be somewhat warm. He was still plenty chilled from earlier. "No," he said. "I can make it."

"Are you sure?" Nelson asked appreciating Zach's condition.

Zach nodded then shook his head uncertain as to how things might play out. "I'll try it. I'll let you know if I need to stop."

They tromped together through the snow, and made it back to the clinic fairly quickly. In less time actually than Nelson's ten minute estimation. Nelson started the car to let it warm up, but surprised Zach by heading back in the clinic. "I don't want to go in," Zach said from outside of Ben's room.

"You don't have to go in," Nelson said. "I'm not even going in. I'm just going to stick my head in the door."

He rapped his knuckles on the door before opening it, and cracked it open when he heard Vic's okay to enter. He looked inside and saw Ben sleeping with Vic sitting in the chair beside the bed. Nelson whispered, "I found Zach. I'm going to take him home and get him settled. I'll be right back with your shaving kits."

Vic got up and went to the door to talk to Nelson. "Where was he?" Vic whispered.

"Joey's."

"Joey's?" Vic asked incredulously.

"Yes, they were apparently having some sort of party," Nelson said quietly. "I don't know the details yet."

"Great," Ben muttered, awake enough to catch the tail end of the conversation. "I'm nearly killed today and he goes out to party."

Vic and Nelson looked at each other, neither saying a thing in response. Nelson finally said, "I'm taking him home. I just wanted to give you the update."

"Thanks, Nelson," Vic said.

Nelson pulled the door closed and took Zach's hand. "Let's get you home."

"Make the earth stop spinning," Zach groaned.

Nelson opened the car door and said while Zach got in, "There's not a thing I can do about that."

Zach leaned his forehead against the cold window and closed his eyes against the waves of nausea. Nelson asked, "Are you okay?"

"I feel horrible," Zach said. He opened his eyes as he realized they would be going home alone. He knew there was no way in hell he would get out of the day's events without being punished, and Nelson wasn't one to put off the inevitable. With a wary look in Nelson's direction, Zach said, "Please tell me I'm not going to get spanked tonight."

Nelson glanced over at Zach. "You're not going to get spanked tonight." Zach breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his head back on the headrest.

"Thank God," Zach said.

"I want you sober when I do it," Nelson added. But of course, Zach thought. Nelson said, "We have a lot to talk about, Zachary, but you're in no shape to do it tonight. I want your undivided attention when we talk about today." Zach laid a hand on his stomach, and Nelson saw it. Nelson said, "You're getting showered and in bed. I'll give you something for your head, put a trashcan by the bed and hope you sleep tonight."

He pulled into their spot and turned off the engine. He looked Zach over in the dim light of the vehicle when he opened the door. "Do you think you're going to throw up anymore?"

"I have no idea," Zach said, climbing carefully out of the rental. "I'll let you know."

True to his word, Nelson put Zach immediately in the shower and stayed in the bathroom with him the entire time in case Zach needed anything. Zach could almost feel the guilt creeping in as the alcohol began to wear off, and the tears came in varying bursts of intensity while Zach showered. Nelson sat on the toilet lid, helpless to do anything to make Zach feel better that night. He gave Zach just enough time to finish, then he reached inside the curtain and turned off the water. Zach didn't have it in him to argue about a thing that night, and he let Nelson wrap him in a towel and lead him to their bedroom. Nelson situated Zach on the bed, while he gathered Zach's pajamas. Zach's towel had shifted around his hips until he was more naked than toweled, and Nelson removed it the rest of the way so Zach could put on his PJs. Nelson was thankful the floodgates had closed for the moment, and hoped it would last.

He tucked Zach in after a dose of Tylenol. "Try to get some sleep. Here's a trashcan in case you get sick and don't think you can make it to the bathroom," Nelson said. Zach's red eyes looked up at him and Nelson couldn't tell how much was from crying and how much was alcohol-related. He sat on the edge of the bed and ran the back of his hand down the side of Zach's face. "I'm going to take Vic and Ben their shaving kits. If you even THINK about leaving this condo for anything less than a fire, I'll wear you out when I find you. On the spot. Do you understand me?" Zach's eyes filled with tears and his throat knotted up all over again. He nodded at Nelson. "I can trust you not to run off again?" Nelson asked. Zach nodded and a tear ran down the side of his face toward his ear, and he noted the tickle as it trailed downward. Nelson brushed it away and said, "Out loud please."

Zach managed a strained, "yes, sir" against his tightened vocal chords. Nelson leaned down and kissed him. "I'll be right back. Do you need anything before I leave?"

Zach shook his head. Nelson sighed and stood up to go. He heard a tear-choked beckoning as he reached the bedroom door and he turned back to Zach. "What is it, sweetie?"

Zach started talking in a rush. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. For Ben… especially for Ben. And for tonight. Making you worry… and for…"

"Hey," Nelson said, quickly moving back to the bed. "Come here." He pulled Zach into a hug. "All I want you to do tonight," he said gently, "is to get some sleep. I know how to handle all the rest of it, and we'll do it tomorrow. Okay?"

He waited for an answer, but all he got were more tears. He pulled Zach away and looked at him for a response. Zach said, "That won't make it right."

Nelson frowned and said, "What do you mean?"

"No matter what you do to me, Ben still got hurt. I can't take that back, and no punishment in the world will make it right!"

Zach was so upset, there was no way Nelson could leave him at the moment. He repositioned himself so that Zach was lying against him. He rocked him in his arms, whispering reassurances to him. Zach cried until the well ran dry and he was left with hiccupping breaths.

"We're going to work this out," Nelson said. "You know what I think?"

"What?" Zach asked.

"I think the alcohol is making things seem worse right now." Zach didn't answer. Nelson craned his head to see Zach when he recognized the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He continued to hold him, making sure he was sound asleep before he got him settled back in bed. He made a beeline for the clinic, delivering the shaving kits as quickly as possible so he could return to Zach.

Zach moaned the next morning when the sunlight assaulted his eyes. They were sore from all the crying and no doubt from the beer as well. He looked over to Nelson's side of the bed and found it empty. No surprise. He saw the clock read 8:30 and knew Nelson had been awake long ago.

Zach flung the sheet over his head and it ballooned with the air under it, deflating as it fell over his body. Images from the day before flashed through his mind leaving him little desire to be conscious, much less awake. The thought of facing Nelson didn't help matters in the least. He thought of Ben lying in the hospital bed, unable to see, and almost afraid to uncover his eyes. Zach felt the tears coming again as guilt swept him away in a tidal wave of tsunami-like proportions. He didn't know Nelson was in the room until he felt the sheet being pulled away, uncovering his head. He looked up at Nelson through watery eyes and saw him setting a cup of coffee on the nightstand.

Nelson sat beside Zach and said, "Now, what's all this about? It can't be the alcohol this morning."

"It's all my fault!" Zach blurted, his voice cracking like a hormone-consumed teen. "I just want to go home. I don't want to see either of them."

"Sit up," Nelson said, and he waited for Zach to scoot into a sitting position. Nelson picked up the coffee to put it in Zach's hands. "Drink this."

"I don't want it," Zach said, arms folded in a most unwelcoming gesture to refuse the coffee.

"Drink it, I said," Nelson persisted. Zach bit back a sob and finally took the mug from Nelson when Nelson's eyebrows rose in surprise at the defiance to his authority. Zach further obliged with a sip to remove himself from the headlights glaring at him. Nelson shook out a couple Tylenol. "Take these," he said, and waited for Zach to accept them.

Zach used the coffee to wash them down. The coffee wasn't too hot, so Nelson must have fixed it for him a bit ago. "I don't want any more," he said, shoving the mug toward Nelson.

"Finish it," Nelson said. "It will help."

Knowing he was already into it up to his neck at the very least, he drank down the coffee quickly, setting the empty mug on the nightstand. "I want to go home," he repeated, folding his arms.

"We aren't going home," Nelson said. "We're going to take care of business then we'll go see Ben."

"But he won't see US!" Zach exclaimed. His throat tightened as he struggled to keep new tears at bay.

Nelson saw the tears welling up and asked, "What?"

Zach started to cry and Nelson pulled Zach to his chest. Zach was talking and it was all Nelson could do to make out the words. "What?" Nelson asked again.

Zach said, "He can't see us! It's all my fault!"

"Why can't he see us?" Nelson asked in confusion.

"He's BLIND, Nelson!" Zach said, looking incredulously at his dim partner. "Blind people can't usually SEE! It's all MY FAULT!" He slung himself forward against his partner but Nelson peeled him away immediately.

"Blind?" Nelson asked in surprise. "Ben is not blind, Zach."

"He is so! I heard the doctor talking about it and Ben said so, too!" Zach said.

Understanding began to dawn on why Zach had been so upset. He took Zach's face in his hands and spoke softly, hoping Zach would calm down to hear him. "Listen to me." Nelson paused and waited for Zach's attention. "Ben is NOT blind. He can see just as well as you and I can."

Zach blinked his swollen eyes and confusion clouded his face. "But… I heard the doctor…Ben said…" The clouds of confusion rolled away and Zach flared. "That son of a BITCH!" he screeched.

"Zachary!" Nelson said, but Zach never so much as paused.

"He LIED to me! He had NO right to make me think… I'll kill him!" Zach said, trying to push past Nelson to get out of bed. He wasn't getting very far in the tangled sheets, and Nelson halted what little progress he made with a hand on Zach's arm.

"Calm down. Calm down!" he said against Zach's struggles.

"How can you say for me to calm down! He made me think… I was so worried!" Zach's face was red with anger, which was a state Nelson rarely saw.

"Settle down," Nelson said sharply. "There is no reason for you to escalate this further. You will NOT retaliate, or try to argue with him over this."

"WHOSE side are you ON?!" Zach bellowed.

"Zachary!" Nelson said evenly.

Zach grabbed the empty coffee cup from the nightstand and drew back to sling it. Nelson got his hand on Zach's wrist just in time to stop the missile from being launched. "Ah, ah, ah…" he said with a warning look at his furious partner, whose blue eyes sparked with anger. "You do NOT throw things and it isn't something that you are going to start. Is that clear?" Zach continued to fume and his knuckles were white from holding the mug so tightly. "Put it down, Zach."

"I can't," he said through clenched teeth. "You have my wrist."

"Are you going to put it down if I let go?" Nelson asked.

"YES!" Zach growled.

"Zachary Adam," was all Nelson said.

"Yes. Sir," Zach said in short tones. Nelson cautiously released his grip on Zach's wrist and slowly took his hand away, his eyes never leaving Zach's. Zach's eyes screamed anger and the blue in his irises shone more brilliantly than normal. As soon as Nelson's hand was well out of the way, Zach zipped the mug across the room, shattering it against the wall.

He looked at Nelson with eyes that dared him to respond. Which Nelson did. Immediately. He pulled Zach out of the bed then positioned him across his lap with practiced ease. Zach was so angry he didn't even care…until he felt his pajama bottoms being pulled down - at which point he was really beginning to second-guess his decision. Nelson did not even lecture him, but went directly to spanking his bare rear end; there really was nothing to say. His hand fell often and accurately, reducing Zach to tears in a hurry. The emotion from the previous day coupled with the anger of the morning, made him break down almost immediately, despite his defiance when he had first found himself over Nelson's lap. Nelson knew Zach had been through a lot and his heart went out to him. It was a short, sharp spanking, but one that ended only after Nelson felt his point was made. He pulled Zach into his lap as soon as it was over.

Zach gulped around the tears and accused, "You don't care that he lied to me and upset me so badly."

Nelson closed his eyes and took a moment to wonder why on earth they thought this ski trip could be better than the last one. "I do care, Zach. You know I do."

"Then why aren't you going to let me say anything to Ben about his lies?"

Nelson sighed heavily. "Zach, has this trip not been bad enough already? I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to deal with another thing that doesn't involve simply skiing."

"But, he LIED to me!"

"Yes, he did. And, he made you very upset, and I don't like that one bit. I will make sure Vic knows about it and understands how I feel. Then it's up to him to rectify it, not you."

"But, it was ME he lied to, not Vic."

"Yes, and at some point, Ben will have to deal with whether or not you're willing to forgive him for that." Nelson said patiently, "But it's Vic's job to deal with what he did, not yours. I'm just saying you aren't to retaliate. Got it?"

"It's not fair," he muttered.

Nelson pulled him away and looked directly into his eyes. "Do you have any doubt that Ben would rather deal with you than Vic over this situation?"

Nelson's words hit home and the idea seeped in. "Oh," Zach said. He knew a spat with Ben would be much better to face than Nelson should the shoe be on the other foot. "I didn't think about it that way."

"No, I didn't think you did," Nelson said. "I fully expect you to feel hurt after what he did. I don't blame you, and I don't like it either. Vic is going to hear about it, I promise you that."

"I could knock him into next week," Zach said.

"I know. I know you're upset. Just like you were upset yesterday, only for different reasons."

Speaking of yesterday…"Are we square for yesterday now? Me and you? You aren't still mad, knowing how upset I was and that Ben lied to me, right?" Zach asked timidly.

"If you're wondering if you're still in trouble, the answer is 'yes'," Nelson pointed out bluntly.

Zach scooted off Nelson's lap, his pants still at his knees. He reached under his long t-shirt and cradled his backside for emphasis. Zach said, "But, you already spanked me! That should be enough!"

"Enough for throwing the mug after I told you not to. It didn't touch yesterday," Nelson said with an unwavering look at Zach.

Zach's mouth fell open and he huffed at Nelson. His expression of shock was almost too much and Nelson struggled to suppress a grin at yet another dramatic display from his partner. Zach exclaimed, "You can't spank me twice in one day!"

"Really? Is that in the rulebook?"

"If it isn't, it SHOULD be!" Zach said indignantly.

"It wasn't in my copy," Nelson said.

Zach stamped his foot as best he could with his pants bunched up around his knees. "But, WHY?!"

Nelson stood up and moved closer to Zach who was still holding his rear. Nelson bent down to help him out of his pajamas as he spoke. "Oh, we'll cover aaaall the whys. You'll have no doubt in your mind as to why by the time I deal with yesterday."

Zach placed his hands on Nelson's shoulders for balance and stepped out of his pajama bottoms as Nelson pulled them the rest of the way down. "But, I'll still be sore from this morning!" he protested.

"Probably." Nelson straightened up and threw the bottoms over his shoulder before he took the hem of Zach's t-shirt in his hands, pulling it over Zach's head. Nelson said, "And, that's the only reason I might decide not to use the belt." Zach's mouth fell open again, and he looked at Nelson with outright shock as his shirt was lifted away.

"The belt?! After what I went through, you'd seriously consider using the belt?"

"Yep," Nelson said casually. He patted Zach's behind, causing a squeak from Zach despite the lack of enthusiasm the pat was delivered with. Nelson said, "Get dressed. You need to clean up that mess, then we need to go check on Ben."

"The belt?!" Zach asked again before making a move to dress. Although the thought was far worse than the actual strapping, it still spoke volumes when Nelson used it.

"What happened was dangerous," Nelson said gravely. "Ben isn't seriously hurt, and he isn't blind, but he could have been badly injured. Then to run off like you did…"

"I was UPSET!" Zach said with his arms folded over his chest.

"Dress, Zach," Nelson said, unwilling to argue. "We'll go over all my talking points later today." Zach's lips tightened into a frown, which prompted an immediate warning from Nelson. "Unless you'd like me to pick up where I left off, and take care of it before we go see Ben like I planned to…"

Zach's mouth popped open again and he cupped his butt protectively. "NO, thank you!" Later would be bad enough, but right then? Absolutely not. He moved quickly to get dressed before Nelson decided to deal with things while his butt was still stinging.

"How are you feeling?" Vic asked. He leaned casually against the wall near the door and watched his lover sitting on the side of the bed, anxious to go home. Ben was already pulling on his socks from the day before.

"I'm fine, I told you. I just want to get out of here and hit the slopes again," Ben said.

"After all you've been through? You still want to ski?" Vic asked.

"You know what they say about getting back on the horse," Ben said. He slipped off the side of the bed and started to untie the revealing hospital gown, working his fingers against the string at the back of his neck.

His fingers stopped cold at Vic's words. "Isn't it going to be difficult to ski when you can't see? I don't think they have seeing eye dogs for ski slopes."

He turned slowly to face his partner and swallowed hard. "Wh..what do you mean? I can see just fine."

"I know you can. But, SOMEhow Zach got the impression you were blind as a bat yesterday. Any idea how that might have happened?" Vic asked. His brown eyes were fixed on Ben.

Ben shrugged. "Don't know," he said.

"You don't? You know, they're out in the hallway. Why don't I just get Zach in here to enlighten us?" he asked as he reached for the door handle.

"NO!" Ben said. He hurried toward Vic, his gown blowing open on the way. "You don't have to call him in."

"What happened?" Vic asked with folded arms.

Ben looked at the shiny clinic tile, which made it easier to talk than having to look at Vic. "The doctor was talking when Zach came in… he was telling me I could have gone blind…it was the doctor's fault, you see," Ben said, looking up slightly to judge Vic's expression.

"Is that a fact? And you had no idea that Zach misunderstood?" Vic asked. He looked hard at Ben who shrugged, tucking his head back down. "Answer me, Benjamin."

"I didn't say I was blind," he said.

Vic knew that Ben would not outright lie to him, not even to get out of trouble. He pressed, "That isn't what I asked you. Did you know Zach thought you were blind? And, did you let him think that?" Ben squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Benjamin, I'll turn you over my knee right now…"

Ben's head shot up at the threat and he stormed, "He's ALWAYS picking on me! Always trying to start something! I was just sick of it, okay? I was scared to death when I fell! Then to get stuck in here getting poked at… Yes, I let him believe it! He deserved it! He deserved every BIT of it!"

"Lower your voice," Vic said, glancing toward the door. It was closed but Ben still had enough volume that his voice would carry beyond it. "I don't disagree that Zach picks at you. I know he does and he thinks he's being funny. But that isn't for you to deal with."

"It's annoying!"

"I know that and I don't appreciate it either. But there are better ways of getting a point across than making a friend think you were blind. And to not tell us when you knew he had disappeared… Benjamin, I'm frankly surprised at you."

Hurt filled Ben's eyes and he looked at Vic like he was a traitor. "At me?! I could have been killed yesterday."

Vic stepped closer to him and hugged him. "I know. I can't tell you how scared I was. I know you were upset, I know you were mad, but Zach was upset all night."

"Good."

Vic rolled his eyes to the ceiling and counted to ten. "Benjamin. He has cried practically non-stop since this happened. Suppose I punished you that severely?" A pang of unwanted guilt struck Ben as thought about it. Vic pulled him away and looked at him. "Hmmm? How would you feel?"

"I'm not punishing him," Ben muttered.

Vic's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh, you don't think he feels punished? After the emotional torment he's dealt with since yesterday?"

Shit. Ben knew Vic was making sense, but he was far from being ready to admit it. "I just wanted to teach him a lesson!"

"I think you did," Vic said, nodding. "I just hope it's one he's willing to forget in the face of a long-standing friendship."

"He caused me to fall from a SKI LIFT!" Ben said defensively. His body was stiff with newly-ignited anger, fists clenched at his sides.

"I believe you BOTH have some forgiving to do… and some apologizing," Vic said.

Ben crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm not sorry. You can't make me say it."

"I'd like to think you'd say it on your own," Vic said.

"Well, I'm NOT."

Vic turned Ben around and finished untying his gown. "You will be when I'm done with you."

"What?!" Ben screeched. He turned around in a hurry to face Vic. "Why am *I* in trouble?"

Vic put his hands on his hips. "Do you honestly mean to tell me you don't know?"

Ben pointed an accusatory finger toward the door, and yelled, "For getting him back for nearly KILLING me? How is that punishable?"

"LOWER your voice," Vic reminded Ben. He took a meaningful pause to be sure he had Ben's attention, then Vic raised his hand and tapped forefinger to forefinger. "First, you lied to him…"

"I did NOT!" Ben said then he muttered, "I just didn't correct him."

"Same difference. Lying by omission is still lying, young man." Vic tapped his middle finger for point two. "You goofed off on the ski lift yesterday, contributing to your own accident. I saw you push him just like he pushed you."

"But, Zach did it first! AND he did it last!" Ben stormed.

"And, you pushed back, didn't you?" Ben dropped his eyes. Vic tapped a third finger and said, "Then you didn't bother to tell me or Nelson that Zach left here upset."

"You were outside my room. It's not my fault you and Nelson weren't paying attention," Ben grumbled.

Vic gave Ben a long look until Ben diverted his attention back to the floor. Vic said, "You knew he was upset. You knew why. As a friend, you should have told us."

"I don't even want to talk about friendship," Ben said vehemently. "When he learns how to treat me, maybe I'll learn how to treat him!"

"I expect you to treat anyone better than you did Zach yesterday. And, he's supposed to be your friend."

"Yeah, that's right. And he treats me like crap," Ben said.

"He picks at you in fun. He's rarely cruel about it and you know it." Ben said nothing. He crossed his arms and looked at the wall beyond Vic. Vic sighed to himself and decided to shelve the subject until they were back at the condo. "Okay. You get dressed and we'll talk about this more later."

"Fine," Ben said, "but I'm not going to be sorry."

"I beg to differ," Vic said.

"I'm NOT!"

"Benjamin, you are SO pushing it right now…" Vic warned.

"Well, I'm not," Ben said.

Vic took the opportunity to swat Ben's behind while it was uncovered in the back. "Watch your mouth, and get dressed," Vic said. Vic shook his head as Ben turned to get dressed and wondered how on earth he was going to make Ben see beyond his anger.

The four of them entered the condo after a horribly silent, but thankfully short, drive from the clinic. Nelson had an arm around Zach and said to Vic, "Where are you two going to settle?"

Vic understood that Nelson was looking for some privacy - as much as could be gained in the condo - and he said, "I thought I'd get Ben in the shower, then maybe we'll come down here?"

"Then we'll go upstairs," Nelson said. He slipped his arm down to Zach's waist and pushed him forward. Zach tried to push back against Nelson's hand until Nelson cleared his throat.

The two of them disappeared upstairs, then Vic said to Ben, "Let's get you in the shower." They followed Zach and Nelson upstairs and Vic ushered Ben into the bathroom. He left him only long enough to get him some fresh sweats then spent the rest of the time rushing Ben along so they could get downstairs as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Zach was staring at a corner while Nelson sat on the bed, flipping through a magazine, and watching the clock. He heard the shower turn off, and he slipped to the door, cracking it enough to listen for Ben and Vic. A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open and saw Ben heading for the stairs with Vic right behind him.

Nelson came back inside and closed the bedroom door. He went to his suitcase and opened the inside flap to find the paddle he had packed. His brows creased as his hand came up empty. He knew he had packed it, he was sure of it. He called to Zach in the corner, "Zach, where is the paddle?"

Crap. Zach shifted a bit where he stood and struggled to come up with an answer. "The… the paddle?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, the paddle. Small, flat piece of wood? Round with a handle? Does that help at all?"

"Um…" Zach said to the wall.

Nelson, becoming more suspicious by Zach's hesitation, got up and walked over behind him. "Where is it, Zach?"

Zach turned wide eyes to Nelson, and said to him over his shoulder, "At home?"

"At home? How did it come to be at home when I distinctly remember putting it in our bag?" Nelson said with his hands on his hips.

"Maybe I was being positive and thought we wouldn't need it?" Zach offered.

"You had better hope Vic has one," Nelson said with a disapproving glare at his partner. "Because if he doesn't, I'm taking off my belt." Nelson turned and strode with purpose toward the door.

Zach turned from the corner. "But, I didn't think we'd NEED it!"

Nelson said without looking back, "Turn around, Zachary." Zach turned back to the corner hoping for all he was worth that Vic packed a paddle.

Vic looked behind him from the sofa when he heard Nelson in the stairwell. Nelson asked from the bottommost riser, "Vic, do you have a paddle with you?"

"Yeah," Vic said, and Ben groaned, hoping he wouldn't be seeing it later that day. His stomach clenched thinking about it. Vic said, "It's in my bag. Front zipper pocket."

"Thanks," Nelson said, and disappeared back up the stairs. Ben started smiling in spite of himself, happy to know Zach was in trouble. He hoped he could hear every lick.

Vic saw the smile playing on Ben's lips and said, "What do you find so amusing? Is it going to be funny when it's your turn?"

"I'm not laughing at him," Ben said, his smile quickly fading. "It was something funny on TV."

"Um, hmm," Vic said, unconvinced.

Ben squirmed against Vic to hide his face that felt like it was on fire. "I shouldn't HAVE a turn. It's not right."

"We'll talk about it when we get upstairs." Several minutes passed before the muffled sounds of Zach's paddling drifted down to Ben and Vic, and Ben had second thoughts about wanting to hear it. Despite how mad he was, he didn't get the satisfaction he thought he would. Vic reached for the remote to turn the television up enough to drown out what little they could hear and Ben tried not to think about it.

After enduring a lecture on the inappropriateness of pushing friends from ski lifts and leaving without a word, Zach twisted over Nelson's knees for the second time that day. "Noooo!" he cried. He reached a hand back to cover his butt when his flailing legs did nothing to quench the fire. Nelson paused long enough to push Zach's hand out of the way, and as soon as he got the right one moved, Zach squeezed his left between his and Nelson's bodies, managing to get it over one cheek.

"Zachary, move your hand," Nelson said. When Zach made no effort to move, Nelson gripped both of Zach's hands at the small of his back.

"STOP! Nelson… please…" Zach cried. He couldn't care less that Ben and Vic could probably hear him. Nelson persisted and continued to deliver a steady paddling, watching both his brat's cheeks and his reactions to gauge how long he needed to spank. He was conscious of the fact that Zach was still tender from their earlier meeting, but that didn't mean he was going to stop prematurely. He needed to be sure he punished Zach sufficiently to purge his guilt, as well as teach him a lesson. When he was satisfied, he ended the paddling, and let Zach lie where he was to catch his breath.

Ben strained to hear whether the paddling was over upstairs, but with the volume of the television, he couldn't hear a thing. He looked over his shoulder toward the stairs until Vic said, "It's none of your business. Watch TV." Ben turned around to face the TV reluctantly but still kept an ear out.

Nelson helped Zach to his feet then pulled him into his lap, careful of his behind. As Zach's tears settled into hiccups, Nelson asked, "Have you already apologized to Ben?"

Zach nodded under Nelson's chin. "When he lied to me," Zach said. "It must not have mattered."

"Let Vic worry about that. I'm sure he won't ignore it," Nelson said, kissing Zach's head tenderly.

"It's not fair I got in trouble," Zach said. "Not after what he did to me."

"Sweet pea, you got in trouble for what?" Nelson asked.

Zach's fingers trailed up the front of Nelson's sweater, following the cable knit pattern. He felt the weight of Nelson's forearm lying heavily against his thigh where Nelson's arms encircled him in a loose embrace. Zach said, "I know."

"Tell me," Nelson said.

"We already talked about it," Zach said.

Nelson took Zach's hand and said, "I know we did, but if you're questioning why you got in trouble…"

God, Zach thought. He had already survived one round of lecturing, and he certainly didn't mean to beg for more. He scrambled and said, "I'm not questioning why." Zach rolled his eyes upward and leaned his head back to see Nelson. "It's because I pushed Ben and made him fall."

"And…?"

Zach sighed and leaned back against Nelson. "And, because I ran off after Ben lied to me and upset me more." Nelson chuckled and shook his head, causing Zach to look up at him. "Well, that's what happened," Zach said miserably.

"Zach, I know you want to blame all that on Ben," Nelson said. He held up a hand to stop Zach from arguing, then he continued, "but you should have come to me if you were upset. Not run off and gotten hammered."

"But it WAS Ben's fault!" Zach protested. "I wasn't thinking. I was upset!"

Nelson hugged him tight. "I know you were, sweet pea. You still shouldn't have run off without a word to me."

Zach tried to get his breath from the tight hug, and he pushed away from Nelson. He looked at him and said, "I didn't mean for things to get out of control. I just needed some time."

Nelson patted Zach's bare thigh, and quirked an eyebrow at Zach. "Two hours? You call that 'some time'?"

Zach glanced down and put his hand over Nelson's. "It slipped away," he said. He sniffed hard and Nelson pushed him off his lap with a pat to his shoulder.

"Let's go downstairs," Nelson said. "Pull your pants up."

"I don't want to," Zach said.

"You don't want to pull your pants up?" Nelson asked quizzically.

"Not particularly," Zach said with a grimace. "But, I meant I don't want to go downstairs. I don't want to SEE him, TALK to him, be anywhere NEAR him! OR give him the satisfaction of knowing I've been in trouble."

Zach folded his arms and looked at Nelson with anger in his eyes. Nelson said, "I'm sure you aren't the only one in trouble. And, I'm not going to try to make you do anything more than be civil with Ben."

"I don't know if I can be," Zach said.

"I have faith in you," Nelson said. Zach bent over and gingerly pulled his pants back into position.

"I'm glad you do," he said.

Vic looked up once again when he heard footsteps on the stair treads. He stood up when he saw Zach with Nelson, and grabbed Ben's hand. "Let's go upstairs," he said.

Ben remained seated, and looked up curiously at Vic. "What for?" he asked.

"Let's go," Vic prodded with a tug.

Ben stood up at Vic's urging and saw Zach with Nelson. Ben glared at Zach who glared right back even more mad at Ben since he had just been punished. "We're done upstairs for the time being," Nelson said.

"Thanks," Vic said as they passed.

Nelson snapped his fingers and looked back at Vic. "Oh. I put your paddle back where I got it," he said. Zach cringed at the mention of the paddle, but hoped Ben was on his way to get a taste of it. He would hate for Vic not to be able to find it if he needed it.

"Why are we going upstairs?" Ben asked Vic on the way. "Why?"

"We need to have a talk about lying," Vic said, never pausing.

"No, Vic!" Ben said. "He deserved it! I shouldn't be in trouble!" Vic steered Ben into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. "I shouldn't be in TROUBLE!" Ben repeated.

"Have a seat," Vic said. Ben continued to stand, meaning to maintain his ground. "SIT!" Vic said with a finger pointed to the bed.

Ben hesitated a moment longer then huffed and stomped to the bed. He sat down hard on the edge of the bed and folded his arms. "This isn't fair!" he declared. "He had it coming!"

"This isn't just about you lying to Zach, although it was cruel to put him through that since yesterday afternoon," Vic said. He paused and looked thoughtfully at his partner. "This is also about you putting yourself in danger by not behaving on the lift."

"HE pushed ME!" Ben said, jamming his forefinger to his chest.

"That's how you ultimately fell, yes. But you weren't exactly sitting there minding your own business before the second shove, now were you?"

"But, HE started it!"

Vic folded his arms over his chest and took a long look at his stubborn partner. Vic realized he was not getting anywhere with Ben in bringing him around to understanding. "Stand up," he said, finally. Ben paused then stood, nervously awaiting further instruction. Vic pointed a finger to the corner and said, "Now, go to the corner, calm down, and do some thinking about why you're in trouble."

"I can do that without standing in the corner," Ben replied defiantly.

"Move it, Ben," Vic stated, getting tired of the attitude in quick fashion.

Ben stomped over to the corner and said to the wall, "I shouldn't have to stand in the corner. I shouldn't be in trouble at all."

"I don't want to hear a word out of you right now, Benjamin. I'll tell you when I want to hear from you," Vic said.

"None of this was MY fault," Ben continued. "It was all Zach's fault. He got exactly what he deserved between Nelson and me."

"Benjamin! Quiet!"

"You can punish me all you like, but it won't change my opinion."

Vic walked to the corner and took Ben by the arm. Ben arched his back, knowing what was coming, and Vic swatted Ben once soundly. "I said to be quiet, and that's what I meant. Quiet," Vic repeated. Ben put his hand over the spot that got swatted, turned to the wall and waited out his time in silence.

Vic called to him after ten minutes had passed, and Ben came over to Vic still exuding anger. Vic pulled him into his lap, recognizing the signs. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Vic asked gently.

"Because it isn't right," Ben said with a thick voice.

Vic threw his head back and stared at the ceiling, gathering his strength for the moment. "We're going over this again, and we aren't leaving this room until we have come to an agreement," Vic said.

"You mean until I agree with you," Ben said petulantly.

Vic swatted Ben's thigh and said, "Stop it."

"Ow," Ben mumbled.

"Do you not want to be friends with Zach anymore?"

Ben was taken aback by the question. He didn't want to lose Zach as a friend. "No, I just want him to stop picking at me all the time."

"That's part of his personality."

"And so is my temper, but I don't get away with that," Ben said. "Nelson can't seem to get it right, and Zach keeps on doing things."

"Nelson wouldn't want to change Zach any more than I'd want to change you."

"Then why don't you let me be angry when I want to be?" Ben said. He sat on Vic's lap, uncomfortable with that particular closeness while he was trying so hard to be strong. It had an effect that made him feel vulnerable as well as secure.

"I have no problem with you getting angry. It's what you do as a result of your anger that I deal with," Vic said. He turned Ben's face to his own and waited for eye contact before continuing. "If you act out in anger, I will respond. Every time."

"I know it," Ben muttered.

"But we're off the topic. Why do you want to be friends with Zach?"

Ben shrugged. "I don't know."

"You have NO idea why? Is that what you want me to believe?"

Ben dropped his eyes and thought for a minute. "He's funny," Ben said. "But, not when he's poking fun at me."

"I understand that. Now, I'm going to ask you again: do you not want to be his friend anymore? Because if you don't, we'll pack up and leave today. I won't make you be friends."

Ben's head snapped up in surprise. "I don't want to go home!"

"Why not? You don't want to be around Zach, and Zach is here."

"It's not that…" Ben said. "It's just… it's… he makes me so MAD!"

"I know he does, but that doesn't give you the right to intentionally hurt him."

"When he deserves it, it does," Ben said. "He'd do it to me."

"Benjamin, I'm getting tired of going in circles here."

"Then leave me alone and don't punish me!"

"Benji, listen to me," Vic said. He kissed Ben's cheek and said, "Do you think I WANT to punish you?"

"Yes," Ben said with a pout.

Vic tipped his head at Ben and said, "You know that isn't the truth. I don't want to, but I sincerely believe I need to."

"Well, I don't," he said.

"All right. I'm going over this again. Point by point, and I want you to listen to me." Vic looked tenderly at his brat and said, "You were angry at Zach. I get that. But, that doesn't give you the right to allow him to believe a lie - a bad lie - and leave him upset like he was. He deserved to be punished, but that isn't your job."

Ben squirmed a bit to get more comfortable on Vic's knee and kept his eyes fixed on his hands in his lap. "It's Nelson's job, but he isn't getting it done," Ben said.

"You heard enough of what happened a little while ago. Did it sound like he wasn't getting it done?"

Ben remembered what little bit he heard of Zach's paddling. He knew it would have gotten it done for him, a paddling of any sort. Ben said, "No, but Zach's just hard-headed."

"Unlike you…" Vic said with a smile.

"I'm no more hard-headed than you are," Ben mumbled honestly, but without malice.

Vic laughed a little, and Ben looked at him, not seeing the humor in the situation. Vic said, "I know I'm thick-skulled, Ben, but I don't hesitate to say when I'm wrong."

"But, you're wrong now."

"I don't think so," Vic said. "Do you honestly think it was fair for Zach to have to suffer thinking he had caused you to go blind? He was already upset that he made you fall."

"I was mad…" Ben said.

"I know you were. You wanted to get back at him. You accomplished that," Vic said. "Nelson told me Zach cried most of the night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I don't think you've ever seen the day you were that upset after being punished."

Ben knew that was true. "I didn't mean for him to be so upset…"

"But, he was. And, why was that?"

"Because of me," Ben said.

"Because of you," Vic agreed. "And I'll be six feet under the day I let you get away with treating someone else that way, especially a friend."

"I don't want to get a spanking, though," Ben said.

"I know you don't." Vic hugged him tight. "But, I need to punish you for what you did. You know that."

"I don't want you to," Ben said. A tear snaked down his cheek and he quickly brushed it away.

"I have to. For how you treated Zach, and for screwing around on the ski lift. If the two of you hadn't been picking… at EACH OTHER… it would not have gotten out of hand to the point you fell. You're so lucky not to have been severely injured. You know better than to be clowning around from that high off the ground."

"I know…" Ben said.

"Are we clear now?"

Ben looked at Vic with hopeful eyes. "If I say 'no', does that mean you won't punish me?"

"No," Vic said without hesitation. "It means we'll keep talking until you get it."

"So, I'm going to get it either way…" he said miserably.

"Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

Ben nodded, the lump in his throat getting larger. Vic gently pushed him off his lap, and tugged Ben's sweats and underpants down. He pulled Ben across his lap and hurried along with the spanking. Ben choked out promises while trying to hold onto his tears, knowing that Zach and Nelson might hear as much as he had. By the time Vic had covered Ben's rear end a couple of times, Ben didn't care if half the resort heard him. He gave in and cried, never ceasing to try to get his hips out of the way. Vic stopped when he saw the shade of red he was working toward, with the color evenly distributed from the top of Ben's crack to the underside of his rump. He righted Ben and piled up against the pillows, pulling Ben to him, cuddling him until the tears stopped.

The rest of the day had been fairly quiet with the couples staying in the condo. Neither Zach nor Ben was in the mood to ski after being punished, and Ben was still stiff from the fall. He and Zach spoke to each other only when necessary, saying no more than they had to, aside from Ben's labored apology that Vic had insisted on.

The next morning, Vic wandered downstairs to start the coffee and saw Nelson already pouring some for himself in the kitchen. "Morning," Vic said. "That's a lovely sight," he said, indicating the fresh coffee.

Nelson reached into the cabinet before him and pulled out a mug for Vic. "Help yourself," he said. Nelson turned around and settled his hips against the counter, watching Vic pour his coffee. "Do you think they'll be speaking to each other today?"

Vic shook his head while he stirred the creamer and Sweet and Low in his mug. "I don't know. They have to get over this sometime. I just hope it's sooner rather than later."

"Me, too. I guess we'll try to ski today."

"Yeah. No need to spend all this money and stay in the room. Ben wants to go anyway."

"Go home?" Nelson asked.

"No, no," Vic said. He sipped his coffee and pulled out a kitchen chair. "He wants to ski."

Nelson nodded and pulled out a chair for himself. "Zach says he's still mad," he said.

"That sounds familiar," Vic said with a grimace. "I don't know about you, but I think they both want this to be over and back to normal."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Nelson said.

Vic said, "I don't know how to get them to talk."

"I don't know that we should. They need to work this out themselves."

Vic agreed. "I know. Maybe they'll talk today. We can hope."

Nelson looked up to see his sleepy lover coming through the kitchen entryway. "Morning, sweet pea," he said.

Zach silently went to Nelson and wrapped himself up in his lap, pushing his way between Nelson and the table. He mumbled against Nelson's neck, "Morning."

"Why are you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," Zach said. He had his eyes closed and his head nestled against Nelson's neck.

Nelson looked over at Vic with a worried expression and said to Zach, "Do you want some coffee?"

"Huh, uh," Zach said. Nelson sat his coffee on the table and cupped Zach's body with one arm, the other hand stroking Zach's pajama-covered thigh.

"Breakfast?"

"Noooo," Zach said. "I just want to sit here a minute."

Vic heard a sound and looked behind him. "Well, this is a first," he said, seeing Benji hovering at the entrance. "Both of you up before 8:00? Is the moon going to be full tonight?"

Ben hesitated to enter the kitchen seeing Zach cuddled up to Nelson. Zach looked over at him, then quickly turned away, scooted off Nelson's lap and said, "I'm going to shower." He pushed past Ben quickly and Ben relaxed with his exit, only then sitting at the table with Vic and Nelson. Vic got up and tipped Ben's face up to his for a good morning kiss.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"No," Ben said.

"What's the matter?" Vic asked.

"Strange bed, I guess," Ben offered.

Nelson gave Vic a knowing look and said, "Well, I'm going upstairs to get in the shower."

"But Zach's in the shower," Ben said curiously.

"Right," Nelson said with a wink.

"Thanks for the picture," Vic said, sarcastically, and he and Nelson laughed. Vic turned his attention back to Ben after Nelson left. He stood up to fix Ben a cup of coffee and asked on his way to the coffee pot, "What's the problem, sweetie?"

Ben sighed and studied his fingernails. He shrugged. "I don't know. Tired, I guess."

Vic sat down and put the mug of coffee in front of Ben. "You don't think this silent war of yours and Zach's is getting to you at all?" Ben shrugged again. "Benjamin, you can't keep this up if you want to be friends."

"He doesn't want to be my friend anymore. Not after what I did," Ben said. "Even though he deserved it."

Vic was grateful to see the stubbornness beginning to crack, if only a hairline fracture. "You should talk to him."

"He should talk to me first," Ben said.

"Now, why is that?" Vic asked, trying to keep his exasperation from being obvious.

"Because he started it! He pushed me and made me FALL! And he's ALWAYS picking at me. It was the last straw!"

"And that's Zach and he won't change. You can't retaliate every time he picks at you."

"I'm SICK of it! He needs to learn a lesson."

"Calm down, Ben. I know what happened. I was there. Just think about it," Vic said. He got up from the table and decided a change of subject might be a better course of action since Ben was reverting back to angry. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked.

"French toast?" Ben suggested, pleased in the subject change.

"French toast it is."

"I'm going to go rent more skis," Ben said to Vic while Vic finished dressing. "I'll be a bit because I'm sure I'll need to get the bindings adjusted, too."

"Okay. I'll be here when you get back and then we can hit the slopes." Ben left and Vic went downstairs after he finished dressing. He saw Nelson watching television and he sat down next to him. "Still quiet," he observed.

"Yep. I hope they warm up soon," Nelson said. "It's colder in here than it is outside." He pointed the remote at the television and started flipping through the channels.

They quietly watched the morning news for a while then Vic looked at his watch. "Where is Zach? I expect Ben will be back shortly."

"Zach left to buy more gloves. He lost one when Ben fell."

Light dawned on Vic and he said, "Oh, no…"

Nelson sat up on the sofa and said, "What? What 'oh, no'?"

"Did he go to the pro shop?"

"Yes… why?"

"Ben's there picking up another set of skis and getting the bindings adjusted."

Nelson leaned his head back on the edge of the sofa. "Do you think they'll kill each other?"

"I hope not," Vic said. "They've been brooding since the accident. I think they're more likely to ignore each other than fight." Sirens drew their attention and they jumped up from the sofa at the same time. "Oh, no," Vic said again. They grabbed their coats and headed out the door.

Zach walked into Buy the Bluffs to buy another set of gloves. He was barely inside when he heard a woman calling out for help just beside the display of ski suits. More out of curiosity than anything else, he went toward the voice and saw the lady kneeling beside a man on the floor, possibly her husband. She said in distress, "Someone help me! He isn't breathing!"

Ben was on the opposite side of the pro shop when he heard the call, and he rushed toward the voice to see if he could help. As he rounded a display of ski poles, he saw the thickening crowd and knew he was close. He pushed past other shoppers and heard various comments as he passed through.

"How long would it take rescue people to come?" one lady whispered to her companion.

Another asked, "Is he dying?"

Ben ignored the rubberneckers as he finally cleared through the throng. One young lady, who was wearing a Buy the Bluff's sweatshirt, stood helplessly nearby. She apparently worked in the store but seemed at a loss as to what to do.

As he broke through the circle of people, he glimpsed a figure bent over an elderly man, clearing the patient's airway. Without hesitating, Ben knelt down beside the young man, and placed his interlocked hands over the old man's chest. He looked over at his fellow rescuer, and he paused in surprise as his eyes locked with Zach's.

They both sat stunned to see the other, momentarily distracted from the emergency. Zach broke the silence. "Let's go," he said.

Ben pumped the man's heart three times, counting aloud. "One, two, three, breathe," he said. Zach sealed his lips against the man's and gave two short breaths. "One, two, three, breathe," Ben repeated.

Another man squatted beside them and Ben glanced over long enough to see he was another worker. The man said, "The emergency crew will be here in no time. They're close and on their way."

Ben nodded and tried to concentrate on their rhythm. He continued to count off and Zach breathed for the man.

At the fifth cycle, the man sputtered and coughed, blinking. "He's conscious!" Zach exclaimed. "Breathe, sir!"

"Thank God!" his female companion cried, clutching at his hand. "Breathe, Frank. Breathe," she encouraged him.

The man strained for breaths, but was able to do it on his own. His eyes darted around the unfamiliar faces gazing down on him, and finally settled on the woman at his side.

"Keep breathing, Frank. Just keep breathing," she said.

They became aware of the sirens, as the EMT from Ben's accident stepped into their space. Zach said, "Frank? You're going to be fine. They'll take good care of you."

"They will," Ben said, knowing they had been adept in his situation.

They scurried out of the way and let the pros take it from there, as they saw the same emergency crew from two days before.

"We've been doing CPR for a couple of minutes," Ben said filling them in. "He was unconscious and not breathing or responding when we started."

"He started breathing on his own just before you got here," Zach said.

One young lady who had attended after Ben's fall said, "I wouldn't have expected to see you here," she said with a smile, unwrapping the facemask for oxygen.

"Yeah," Ben said. "Thanks for the other day."

"It's what we're here for," she said, placing the mask over Frank's face. "And it looks like you repaid the favor for this gentleman."

They lifted him onto a stretcher and wheeled him out to the ambulance with his lady friend right beside him.

Watching intently as the EMTs loaded the man in the ambulance, Zach and Ben stood sheepishly beside each other. The man who had called the rescue team stood next to them and said, "Good job, you guys. You make a great team."

They looked at each other knowingly, and then Ben turned to the man and said, "Thanks. We took a class together not long ago on CPR. Guess it's paid off."

The man smiled appreciatively. "Guess it has. He was lucky you two were here."

After he left, Zach shoved his hands in his pockets and studied the floor intently. He said, "I um… I need to get some gloves. I lost one when… the other day. Lost and found didn't have it so…"

"Yeah," Ben said.

They looked uncomfortably around the store, watching the spectators return to their shopping since the drama was over. Zach finally glanced up and said, "Ben… I… I really am sorry about the other day. I felt horrible for pushing you after you said you were nervous. And, then when I thought you were blind…"

"That was mean of me. I was just upset, I guess. I just got sick of...of…"

"Sick of me teasing with you?" Zach asked intuitively.

Ben gave him a crooked smile. "Yeah. Very. It's getting old, Zach."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean anything by it. I'm just trying to be funny, and I know I go too far sometimes...like this week… I don't mean to."

"It's funny when it isn't directed at me," Ben said with a shrug.

"Sorry," Zach said, looking away uncomfortably. "I'll try to do better. I really will."

"It just hit me wrong. I was scared to death."

"I was, too!" Zach said with wide eyes. He reminded Ben that he wasn't totally innocent. He added softly, "But, I got scared two times, though…"

Ben looked at the floor. "I shouldn't have made you think what I did. I was fed up - beyond fed up. I mean, I had JUST told you how nervous those seats made me."

"I know. That made it worse," Zach said. "All I can say is 'I'm sorry' and I've said that. I can't take it back. And after everything this week, I'm sure I'll be more sensitive in the future." He searched Ben's face for the forgiveness he sought and saw a softening there

"And, I'm really sorry about the blind thing," Ben said. "I wasn't thinking about how upset you might get."

"Very upset," Zach said almost to himself as he thought back to how frightened he had been. "At least what I did was an accident…"

"You didn't push me accidentally," Ben said.

"No, but I didn't mean for you to fall."

"I know," Ben said quietly. "I'm sorry I scared you to get back."

Zach nodded acceptance of the apology. After a minute or so that felt like a lifetime, Zach asked, "So…can we get past this? I don't want to fight anymore."

Ben thought about it then he nodded and said, "Yeah. I'm tired of it, too."

Zach stuck out his hand and Ben clasped it then pulled his friend to him in a hug.

Still feeling slightly awkward after everything, Ben asked hesitantly, "What do we do now?"

"I don't know," Zach said. "Try to act like we would have if this never happened?

"Then," Ben offered, "Do you want to ski today? I mean, I was just going to ski with Vic, but…"

Zach's face lit up. "Definitely. We've already lost too much time as it is." They turned to the door when they heard the bell ring as their partners made an entrance. Nelson and Vic spotted them immediately and looked at the two uncertainly.

They walked over to Zach and Ben, and Zach greeted them with, "Hey. You guys ready to ski?"

"What's going on?" Nelson asked warily.

"Nothing," Zach said. "Skiing."

"Well, that, and we just saved a guy's life," Ben said with a grin.

"Saved a guy?" Vic asked.

"You should have seen us," Zach recounted, becoming his usual animated self. "We did it like we'd done it a thousand times."

"Did what?" Nelson asked suspiciously.

"CPR," Ben said.

"What did you think?" Zach asked.

Vic and Nelson looked at each other quizzically. "Sooo," Vic said. "You two are… speaking?"

Zach and Ben looked at each other then back at their partners. "Well, yeah," Zach said as if it were obvious. "Are we skiing or what?"

Nelson smiled at Vic and said, "Skiing. We're skiing, right?"

"We're skiing," Vic said. "Get your things, guys."

"I want to sit with Ben," Zach said shoving his way onto the plane.

"No, I want you to sit with me," Nelson said.

Zach felt the sleeve of his jacket being tugged by Nelson. "Why?"

"Don't argue, please. 5A and 5B, that's us."

"Come on, Nelson!" Zach protested, as Nelson pushed him gently into their aisle. Zach rolled his eyes at Ben as he and Vic passed them to sit in the row behind them.

Ben sat down in his seat by the window and reached for his seatbelt before being told to do so. "That was the best vacation," he said offhandedly to Vic.

Vic's mouth fell open and Nelson paused from putting his carry-on overhead to look incredulously at Ben. Zach turned around in his seat on one knee so he could see Ben and Vic. "It was! Are we coming back next year?" he asked.

Vic and Nelson's eyes met and Vic said, "Were we on the same trip?"

"Not hardly," Nelson said. He returned to pushing his bag in the little bin and Zach turned to him.

"What? It was fun!" he protested.

"If you consider near death experiences and spatting brats fun…" Nelson said, pulling a magazine from the seat pocket in front of him.

Ben leaned up and spoke through the crack between the seats. "It WAS fun. Just a slight problem that worked itself out," he said.

"A slight problem?" Vic asked with his brows raised. "A SLIGHT problem? It was hell for at least two days."

Zach peeked between the seats. "Don't be negative. Look at the good things."

"Turn around, Zach," Nelson said, flipping through his magazine.

"Well, it WAS a good trip."

"Whatever you say, Sweet pea," Nelson said with a grin.

"It WAS," Zach reiterated.

Ben looked at Vic and said, "It's all about perspective." He placed his fingertips to his chest and added, "I, personally, would rather not dwell on the bad parts of the trip."

"As long as you remember the important 'bad parts'," Vic said with a serious look.

"I WON'T forget that," Ben said, his face turning pink. He shifted in his seat a bit at the unwelcome memory. "But I'd rather remember the nights in the hot tub… and the bedroom…" he said with his blush deepening.

Vic winked at him and ran his hand along Ben's inner thigh. "Now, that part might help me forget the bad stuff."

Ben smiled at his partner and winked back.

The end.