David stood at the door of the house on the Frisco' bay. It wasn't quite the one that Joe had raved about when they were overseas but it was still his house.
David gripped the bouquet of flowers in his hand tight then he checked the small postcard in his hand. This was in fact the right house. Two years ago Joe sent the first letter once he'd arrived home. David sent one back. He didn't get one for another six month then he got a postcard from Joe telling him all about his new house. David had it in a frame on his desk till he graduated at Harvard. Now here he was, he didn't renew his lease at home and it was up in a month. Sure, it's wishful thinking of Web to hope Joe would take David in.
He'd miss the secret shared kisses, the quiet sex in the empty barracks or in the bathrooms at the bars.
Or his favorite, sitting a little too close to each other in foxholes or in trucks.
They didn't dare tell anyone or would they ever.
David finally wrapped his knuckles on the door twice and waited within seconds the door opened. A pretty young lady opened the door and smiled at Web.
"Can I help ya Mr?" She had blonde hair in loose curls resting on her shoulders, the rest pushed back behind her shoulders.
She had red lipstick on matching her dark red button up dress. Her eyes are about as blue as the ocean, just like Webs.
"Is Joe Liebgott here?" David's heart had jumped up to his chest. Was he too late? Should he have responded to the postcard, sure Joe would have sent him a letter if he'd move.
"Yeah hold on. Honey, someone's here to see you." She called in through the doorway. But hell? Who was this girl? Could it be one of Joe's sisters? But why would she have called him honey? Maybe it was a nickname? Maybe it was just a friend and they were close.
David actually felt his knees weaken as he saw the slim man in the hall.
"Cat who's at the door..." He mumbled the last part as he came up behind her and saw David standing there.
Joe was wearing khakis with a white shirt tucked into it, his dog tags hanging out with a yellow short sleeved button down open.
The dogtags were enough to send him into a gay panicked fluster. The way the metal would dangle in David's face as Joe would thrust in and out of him.
But his hair sent him way over the edge. It was still cut the same and it was still as fluffy as David remembering it being in 1945.
"Cat, this is my...old war buddy, David." Joe swallowed.
"Oh hello uh thank you for your service. I'm Catherine." She held her hand out for Web to shake.
"Oh uh thanks, I'm David Webster." He shook her hand.
"David why don't you come in? I'll make us some coffee." Catherine looked up at Joe then back at David.
"Oh I don't want to bother." David wanted out of this situation right now.
"No, I insist." She smiled, stepping out of the doorway and showing David in.
Catherine dashed to the kitchen. Joe shut the door behind Web and embraced David in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry," Joe whispered and gently kissed David on the cheek before they let go of the embrace and Joe walked him to the kitchen.
The three sat at the wooden circle table, David looked around mindfully and noticed the picture of Joe, David, Luz, and Skinny after getting their jump wings. It was framed and made that seem like it was a more simple time even with a war raging on.
"David, this is my girlfriend Catherine." Joe took a long sip of his coffee to let him get a word in.
"Wow, nice going." David plastered a fake smile looking between the two.
"Why'd you bring flowers David?" Catherine asked, kind of shocking the both with the sudden confrontation.
"Oh," David's heart skipped, "My mother always taught me to bring flowers to friends as a kind gesture."
David lied straight through his teeth. He was here to confess his love for Joe like he decided to do a year ago once he'd finished college.
"How nice," Catherine smiled that smile that was quickly raging David by the minute. Catherine picked up the flowers and walked over to the sink.
David looked at Joe with a desperate look, staring into Joe's eyes killed him.
This was it. He'd leave here and do touristy stuff till he was due to go back to Cambridge.
Joe stared back, his face faltering and turning into the frown he had while in Landsberg.
"Thank you for the coffee Catherine. It was great seeing you Joe but I gotta go check into my hotel before they charge me a late fee but it was nice seeing you both." David stood up and missed the opportunity for a hug. He picked up his satchel of belongings and walked out.
He walked fast down the sidewalk observing the ocean on the other side of the road. He booked his hotel a mile away from Joe's house, he didn't mind walking. He walked everywhere in Cambridge and he took far longer walks in the war.
A few days passed and a lot of tears had passed as well. On both parties. That night Joe walked down to the beach once Catherine had fallen asleep and cried through half a pack of cigarettes. David cried a bit everyday, He knew he shouldn't have got his hopes up that Joe would want a relationship.
Two days had passed and David sat in his hotel room writing in his journal about Frisco to probably pull out a random article for the local newspaper he worked with.
David jumped at the sound of a knock on his door. The only thing filling the noise of the room was the baseball radio station going. The Anaheim Angels playing against the Chicago Cubs.
David got up and opened the door and almost fell to his knees as Joe stood there with flowers in his hand.
"Let me explain." Joe started, David didn't let him finish and pulled him into the room and slammed the door pushing Joe up against it and kissing him.
"Wow someones become such a top." Joe giggled through the kiss as they pressed their foreheads together.
David took his hand and led Joe over to the bed not even hesitating to pick up the flowers that had fallen on the floor.
Joe sat across from David both of them with their legs crossed and knees touching holding both of their hands.
"I did it to keep up with the image and kind of fell in love on the way. Fuck. No I didn't. I think I fell in love with the fantasy I lived of her being you. Her eyes looked just like yours and I loved that. I was waiting for you to come find me and I was scared that this would happen but we fixed it. It's gonna be okay. Okay Web? It's just us now." Joe kissed David's knuckles.
"Okay," David nodded letting his eyes flutter shut and embracing the moment with the love of his life.