Chocolate
Lisa Martin
"Sam?"
Al peeked into
their office, squinting his eyes to get them accustomed to the darkness. When
he received no answer, he called out again. "Sam, you there?"
This time a
mumbling sound came from behind a computer terminal, a sound that Al identified
as 'Over here'. He moved forward cautiously, not wanting to bump into a desk or
something.
"Why are
you sitting in the dark like that?" he demanded as he neared the desk
where Sam was sitting.
"Felt like
it," Sam replied. Alarmbells went off in Al's mind, but only for a second.
Sam didn't sound depressed or sad, he sounded…giddy?
"Sam,
what's going on here?" Al reached for the desk lamp, but his hand was
grabbed before he could switch it on.
"Don't."
Sam's voice was rushed, but didn't loose that giddy tone.
Al yanked his
hand away from Sam's grip. There was something strange happening here. Very
strange. "Sam, what is this??"
"Nothing."
Sam's voice sounded muffled again, like was eating something.
"Well,
'nothing' sounds very strange to me. Whatcha eating?"
A deep sigh. A
moment of silence. Then, "Chocolate."
"You have
chocolate??" Again Al made a move to switch on the light and this time he
beat Sam to it. The vision that appeared before him made him burst out in
laughter. Sam was sitting at his desk, elbows resting on the desktop with a
face that was smeared with chocolate. He looked like a five-year-old. A five
year old that was grinning from ear to ear. "Sam, you look
ridiculous!!" Al gasped, surrendering to another bout of laughter.
Sam grabbed a
tissue and wiped his face. "Better?"
"Yeah,"
Al grinned. "Tell me Sam, why are you hiding in here eating
chocolate?"
Sam grinned
again, throwing the tissue in the thrash can beside his desk. "I think I'm
addicted to the stuff, Al." It was said with a great sense of melodrama,
eyes rolling upwards.
Al face became
very serious. "How bad is it, Sam?"
"Bad Al,
very bad. I can't get enough of it." Sam's voice matched Al's expression
in seriousness. "Want a piece?" he added, offering Al a large piece
of dark chocolate.
"And follow the same disastrous
route you're on? No thanks," Al replied, but took the offered piece
anyway.
Their eyes met, held for a moment,
then the sound of loud laughter echoed through the room.
"Oh boy!!" Sam gasped,
wiping his eyes. "God Al, it feels good to laugh like this."
"Ain't it just?" Al
chuckled. "Been far too long, kid."
"Yeah…" It came out as a
sigh, a very happy sigh. "But I am addicted to it. Ever since I came home,
I can't stop eating it."
"No wonder you put on so much
weight."
"I did not!!" Sam cried
out. "Have I?"
"Oh yeah. Those jeans fit even
tighter then they used to."
Sam looked at his jeans, then his
gaze returned to Al. "They still fit. I would have noticed if they…"
he trailed off, understanding dawning.
"Oh Sam, you're still not too
quick!!" Al laughed.
"Give me back that piece of
chocolate!" Sam demanded sternly. "You don't deserve it!"
"Get it if you can!" Al
jumped from his chair, slipping the chunk of chocolate in his pocket.
"I'm faster than you!" Sam
dashed after his friend, knocking over his chair in the process.
"Not anymore.." Al ran to
the door. He turned quickly and began tapping in the code that would open it,
but Sam was faster. His hand grabbed Al's and drew it away from the lock.
"Oh no, you don't!"
"Oh yes, I do!" Al tried
to free his hand and when that didn't work, he reached out with his other hand.
Again Sam was quicker. "Sam!" Al yelped, "Let me go!"
"No. Not until you give it
back!"
"I won't! You gave it to me and
I'm keeping it!"
A struggle followed, Sam trying to
grab the chocolate out of Al's jacket pocket, Al resisting as hard as he could.
Realizing that this wasn't going to work, Sam changed tactics. One hand crept
underneath Al's jacket and began a merciless tickle attack. Soon the older man
was squirming and begging Sam to stop.
"Give it back!"
"No!"
"Give it back now!!"
"No….Sam please
stop…Pleaaassssee…." Al was plastered against the wall, panting and
begging. His head was thrown back, his face flushed. Sam froze and stared. Then
suddenly he bent forward and covered Al's mouth with his.
Al felt like everything around him
froze, time included, the only thing remaining was the touch from those lips on
his. Slowly he became aware of the taste of chocolate and realized that this
was Sam. Kissing him! He jerked away, only to be hauled back. With force. And
conviction.
"Don’t tell me you’ve never
thought about this?" Sam’s voice was very close to his ear, the warm
breath tickling his neck.
"No," he answered in all
honesty.
Sam drew back a little. "No?"
"No, no, n-o." Al’s chin lifted,
looking at his friend with ‘challenge’ written all over his face.
"Oh….oh boy." Sam looked
confused. Al went in for the kill.
"The thought has never crossed
my mind, ever."
Confused became embarrassed,
horrified, then resigned. "Oh. Okay." Sam stepped away from Al,
releasing him.
"Why do you never let me finish
my sentences?" Al inquired, trying to sound pissed and, by the look of
Sam’s face, succeeding.
"I shouldn’t have done this,
I’m so…what did you say??"
"He’s not even listening!"
Al said to thin air. A low chuckle was heard. Al struggled to keep the remark
inside, no use arguing with Ziggy now.
"I was listening! And so was
Ziggy," Sam added, almost as an afterthought.
"You ‘start’ to listen, then
your mind wanders off. No big deal Sam, I’m used to it." Al watched Sam flinch
with just a hint of satisfaction, then decided it was enough. "What I said
was that the thought never crossed my mind, but I didn’t tell you what that
thought was."
"I thought…"
"That’s your problem, you think
too much. Now just listen." Al closed the distance between them, wrapping
his arms around Sam’s waist. "I never thought you liked guys." "Well….never really considered…." Sam
fell silent and Al could see the storm coming. Eyes that changed color from
hazel to bright green, narrowing to slits, mouth set, jaw locked. "You
devil!!"
"Got you there, didn’t I?"
Al said calmly.
Sam drew in a deep breath, letting
it out noisily. He stared at Al, and for once Al couldn’t read him. It made him
slightly uncomfortable. A hand sneaked under his jacket, pulling him even
closer. Just when Al’s mind decided it was time to relax, Sam took a swift step
back.
"Didn’t think you get away with
that, now didn’t you?" A wide grin split Sam’s face. With a quick move he
opened the door and stepped out, leaving an utterly stunned Admiral behind. A
second later, Sam’s head poked around the door. "Oh, if you want your
chocolate back, I’m in my quarters." The head disappeared. Vaguely Al
could hear his laughter down the corridor. His hand went into the pocket of his
jacket. Empty.
"Damn!"
The end.
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