Running away

Eric and Sinbad were sitting at a table in a tavern, a tavern that they had visited quite often in the past months. In the almost four years they had been together they had rarely picked the same tavern too often, both cause they had to travel a lot and in various directions and cause Eric wanted to rise no suspicion, but this tavern was in such a good position and nobody ever seemed to even notice them! Eric drank the last sip of his beer and then, still laughing at a joke SInbad just made, he stood up to pay both for the drinks and for a room.
He reached the counter where the innkeeper was serving a couple of other men, he waited patiently for her to finish but then, when she turned toward him, she was the first one to talk.
“Usual room?”
It was something in her tone, something in the way she looked at him… Eric understood before she finished to talk: she knew. No… no, gods, it couldn’t be true. Eric felt suddenly sick, a growing fear imprisoning his heart.
“Just the beers”
he replied flatly handing her the money: as always, his emotions didn’t explode, they imploded, leaving him numb, hurt, weak. As he paid what he had to, he rushed out of the tavern, instinctively directing himself toward the stables, toward his horse.
“Eric!”
Sinbad’s voice reached him before he could jump on his horse.
“What the fuck are you doing? What happened?”
Sinbad grabbed him by his shoulder, stopping him from getting on the horse, but Eric immediately wriggled away, much to Sinbad’s dismay.
“I can’t do this anymore”
“What?! What the hell are you talking about?”
“She knows, Sinbad, the innkeeper knows!” Eric looked like he was having a panic attack: he was pale, his eyes widened in fear… all for what? Because some stranger woman knew about them?
“So a perfect stranger knows about us, what’s the big deal?” Sinbad tried once again to touch him, to calm him down, even though the situation was getting on his nerves he was trying his best to be understanding, but once again Eric moved away from him
“How much time before someone else finds out? Uh? What then?”
“Why do you care so much?! It’s just an innkeeper!”
Eric bit his lower lip, passing a hand between his hair, a desperate look on his face
“I can’t.. I’m sorry, I just can’t…” He quickly jumped on the horse, looking down and keeping his eyes away from Sinbad’s
“What do you mean y-?”
“It’s over, Sinbad, I’m sorry, I can’t…” he interjected him, and in no time he was galloping away
“Eric! Wait!” Sinbad kept calling him but it was no use. Eric didn’t stop until he was back in castle black.

A month or so later Eric stopped at a tavern where he and SInbad had planned to meet each other, before he had run away. They always planned ahed at least 4 or 5 meetings, in case they couldn’t make it to one and needed to meet later. As Eric left his horse in the stables and approached the tavern e could feel is heart beating faster and faster. It wasn’t the first time something like that happened, it probably wasn’t going to be the last one, even if he didn’t want to think about that now. But every time something like that happened Sinbad got pissed, really pissed… not that he could blame him, but it was always hard for him facing his lover when he was so mad at him. And still and yet, he just couldn’t stay away. No matter how much he tried…
He sheepishly walked in the tavern: he and Sinbad didn’t look directly at one another, but they both noticed each other and they both knew they did. Sinbad was sitting at a table, drinking, but Eric didn’t go to him. Instead, he went to book a room and went upstairs, but instead of getting in the room he had just booked he entered the room he knew Sinbad had picked. He sat on the bed and waited. He knew Sinbad knew he was there. Still, he had to wait hours before the male decided to show up, and he didn’t have the braveness to leave the room and reach him downstairs.
“What do you want?” Sinbad asked sharply as he finally got in, closing the door behind him and staring at his lover with ice cold eyes.
Eric immediately lowered his glance, feeling horribly self conscious, his heart sinking in his chest
“I’m sorry…” he peeped in reply
“Oh, are you, now?” Sinbad asked sarcastically approaching Eric, his arms crossed on his chest. His look was to threatening that Eric had to fight against himself not to step back and away from SInbad, but he still shifted uncomfortably on his place, looking down
“Look at me.” he ordered coldly as he stopped in front of Eric. Eric obeyed, looking up with the same puppy eyes a dog would have after being scolded and beat by his master. f SInbad was impressed though, he didn’t show.
“Sinbad, please…” Eric peeped again
“Please what? What do you want Eric, why are you here?”
“I’m here for you…”
“For me? Didn’t you say it was over? -I said look at me.” He rumbled angrily, forcing Eric to look at him again as the boy looked down again.
“Please Sinbad… please don’t leave me…” he breathed fearfully
“Leave you? If I recall it correctly, you were the one who left me.” Sinbad’s voice was still harsh and his eyes still cold
“I was an idiot, I was wrong, please Sinbad… please…” Eric’s voice was getting almost whiney. Sinbad sighed, he didn’t want to break him. As he let go of his chin and his expression relaxed just a bit Eric knew he had been forgiven: without losing a moment, he wrapped his arms on SInbad and hugged him tight, hiding his face between his neck and his shoulder.
“You hurt me, you know? When you left me like that.” Sinbad spoked up again, flatly, still not hugging him back.
“I’m sorry, I panicked, I’m so sorry…” Eric tightened even more his grip on Sinbad. He never meant to hurt him, he never wanted to, but he was a mess and they both knew it: he looked so contrite, so fragile in that moment… with a new sigh, Sinbad finally hugged him back, caressing his hair with one hand.
“I missed you…” he whispered to his lover
“I missed you too…” Eric whispered back, hugging him even tighter
“Then will you just stop running away from me? I can even live with all your bullshits about secrecy, but if you keep pushing me away at every single little problem… we’ll have no future… I love you Eric, I do, but I’m tired of playing this game…”
Eric didn’t reply with words, he just didn’t know what to say, instead he lifted his head and kissed Sinbad with tenderness, tenderness that turned into wild passion s Sinbad reciprocated the kiss.
In no time they were both naked in the bed. Sinbad was rougher than usual, but Eric didn’t mind. It was SInbad’s way to get back at him for leaving him. They kept having sex until they were both absolutely spent and breathless, and then they fell asleep together, Eric resting hi head on Sinbad’s chest, his hand on the male’s chest and his leg wrapped on Sinbad’s leg, Sinbad tenderly and lovingly hugging the smaller male.
But as happy as Eric was in that moment, he couldn't shake that feeling of uneasiness, Sinbad's words stuck in his mind... was he playing with him? How much was he making him suffer? Would the male be happier without him? He tried to shake off those heavy thoughts, but week after week they started feel heavier and heavier.
Only a couple of months later Eric would have called it off for good with Sinbad.