Fandom: Houston Knights
Series: Other Stories
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Joe/Levon
Archive: Yes, so long as this header, the plain text e-mail tag, and all disclaimers are included.
Title: Old Lovers
Author: Starwinder
e-mail address: starwinder2of7@gmail.com

Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters who may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

Old Lovers
By Starwinder

Detective Sgt. Joseph LaFiamma stepped into the Eagle bar, and stood just inside the door letting his eyes adjust to the dim light inside. He didn't come here much anymore, not since he and his partner Levon Lundy had become lovers.

He walked over to the bar and signaled Sam to bring him a drink.

"Hello Joe," Sam said as he sat down the beer, "Haven't seen you around for a while."

"Yeah, well Levon and I have been keeping each other company, if you know what I mean."

"I think so. Glad to hear it. You two fit together."

"Sometimes."

"But not tonight?"

"Something like that. He's been seeing this woman off and on. Widow of a fellow officer. She's got a kid. Lundy's been sort of a surrogate father to the kid since his dad died. She moved up to Austin a while back so the kid don't get to see Levon much. He's got a long weekend this week and his mom called wanted to know if they could come down spend the weekend with Lundy ... "

"And he agreed."

"Yeah," Joe hesitated, he hated being jealous but he was, "He says, of course, that nothing's gonna happen, that she's just a friend now but ..."

Sam gave him a sympathetic look and prodded, "But ..."

"But I know he's slept with her before. Hell, I practically caught them in bed together one morning." He paused taking a sip of his beer, "And he's never told her about us. She don't know that he's involved with someone else. As far as she knows he's still 'available'."

"So did you just come here to commiserate or are you looking to get laid?" The question came from behind him, a voice he hadn't heard in years.

He looked up into the mirror behind the bar and a grin spread across his face. "John Ryan O'Neil!" He exclaimed, turning to greet the speaker. "It's been a while."

The big, hard-looking man smiled at him, it touched his eyes and softened them. "An eternity, Joe." He said softly.

Joe gestured to the stool beside him. "Are you still with 'the company'?" He asked quietly.

"Not officially."

"Unofficially then, huh?"

"I didn't say that."

"Oh, you are good at the game John R." Joe's grin had softened to a smile. "Never tell anybody anything that you don't have to. Not even an old partner... or an old lover."

"You're not old, Joe." He laid a hand on Joe's arm, "You'll never be old to me. I will always see the seventeen year old Marine that stepped off that chopper in the jungle all those years ago." He paused. "We had a good thing going, Joe. You never told me why you didn't re-up."

Joe drew back slightly, turning to face the bar, fiddling with his beer glass before saying, "I left ... because I loved you." He turned to look into John's eyes. "I left because you'll never quit. You'll run covert ops till you get killed ... end up buried in an unmarked grave in some god forsaken piece of shit country. I left because I couldn't stand the waiting, knowing it was coming and never knowing when."

"Is what you've got here any better?" the big man asked. "Your lover's off with a woman and her kid ..."

"Yeah, but he's still all I want."

"So, no fun and games for old times sake." The big man shrugged.

Sam couldn't help but think that he didn't look the type to take no for an answer, yet the way he looked at Joe made Sam wonder what had been between them. The two men talked for a while then the other man moved on leaving Joe to drink alone.

After he left, a progression of other men slid onto the stool at Joe's side, some were polite, some not so, all trying to persuade Joe into a quick trip to the back room. The last was a huge man, who insisted on buying Joe several drinks after Joe had already protested that he'd had enough. Soon Joe was beyond saying no or yes for that matter and the giant helped him up and started propelling him toward the back. Sam didn't like what was happening but knew that he didn't stand a chance of interfering with the man's plans. It was obvious that the giant could take him apart with one hand and the place was mostly empty now. Those who remained were either uninterested in helping or incapable.

Then out of no where the man Joe'd called O'Neil was there.

He stepped in front of the giant as he hauled Joe toward the back. "I think you've had a few too many, Joe. I'll take you home." He said quietly.

The giant snorted, "You and what army?"

John Ryan O'Neil smiled. It didn't touch his eyes. It wasn't a pretty sight. He reached out, tapped the giant in the middle of the chest and then gave him a slight push.

The giant tipped over and fell backward on to the floor, unconscious. O'Neil caught Joe, pulling him out of the falling man's clutches before he could be pulled to the floor with the giant.

Sam gaped at O'Neil. The man shrugged. "A butterfly can kill an man ..."

Joe finished the quote with a drunken slur, "... if it's knows where and how to land." He chuckled and leaned into O'Neil's embrace, planting a drunken kiss on the man's neck. "Coulda done that." He slurred, "Ain't forgot what you taught me, Colonel. My Colonel." He murmured clinging to the other man.

O'Neil sighed. Looking down at the drunken man in his arms, he shook his head slightly, then looked up at Sam. "This Lundy, you know where I can find him?"

"I ... uh," Sam hesitated. "Why?"

Joe had slumped against O'Neil, passed out. The larger man bent and scooped Joe up in his arms. "I could take him home, if you know where he lives, or I could take him home with me but either solution leaves me alone with him and to be honest I don't know if I can trust me alone with him. Better to take him to his friend."

"You love him." It was a statement.

"Enough to let him go ... again." All the pain in the world was in that simple statement.

For a long moment Sam just stared at him then he gave him Lundy's address and directions.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lundy awoke to someone banging on his door, banging loudly. It took him a minute to get oriented then he climbed out of bed, got his gun and stumbled to the door.

"Who's there?" He demanded, standing back and slightly to the side of the door.

"You Lundy?" the voice was hard but cautious.

"Yeah. Who wants to know?"

"Sam sent me. I brought your partner. He's passed out drunk."

"That don't sound like my partner." Lundy snapped.

"It's not like the Joe LaFiamma I knew in the Marines either but he's damned well drunk and getting heavy! Are you gonna let me in or do you want me to dump him on the porch and go on?" The voice was getting impatient.

Lundy turned to see Jamie and Eric standing at the edge of the hall wall. He made a decision. "Jamie, you and Eric go back to the back bedroom. Wait there. If everything's all right I'll let you know in a few minutes." He said quietly. He waited till they had retreated then spoke louder. "I'm opening the door."

He stepped forward, unlocked the door then swung it back keeping his gun up and pointed at the man holding Joe in his arms.

The tall, broad-shouldered man stepped across the threshold and walked over to the couch. He laid Joe on it and knelt beside him. "You can put the gun down. If I'd wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."

He reached up and pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and covered Joe with it. His touch was gentle. He drew one finger along Joe's cheek in a tender gesture. The look on his face was infinitely sad. Rising he turned to face Lundy. His eyes went hard and cold. His gaze swept over Lundy doing a quick, sure evaluation. His jaw tightened but he held back whatever he'd started to say, saying instead. "If this isn't where you want him, better say now. He's a little heavy for you to tote around. I can move him before I go." His ice blue eyes bored into Lundy's.

It only took Levon a second to decide. If Sam had told the man where to find Lundy then that meant he'd brought Joe from The Eagle and The Eagle was a gay bar. He looked the man over then gave a nod, "Bedroom's back here."

He led the way as the man picked Joe up and followed him. He pushed open the door to his bedroom and held it while the man entered with Joe, pushing it to so that Jamie wouldn't hear he said softly, "Other side's his."

Again the man laid Joe down gently, covered him up tenderly, then turning to Lundy he demanded, "What are you going to tell her?"

The fact that the man knew that there was a woman here surprised Lundy and it showed on his face.

"He mentioned that you had a woman out here, before he got too drunk to talk. I'd say it's what he was upset about."

"I told him, it wasn't nothing."

"It still hurt him. So, what are you going to tell her?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Anything that hurts Joe is my business!" He glared at Lundy then went on, "There was a man at the bar, a lot bigger than Joe and Joe was too drunk to say no. The man was dragging him to the back room when I stopped him. Sam couldn't handle the guy. Nobody else there could or would interfere. If I hadn't been there ..." He let it trail off then snapped, "Be damned glad you're not collecting him from a hospital emergency room!"

Lundy grabbed the back of a straight chair near the door, "Dear God!"

He felt his knees tremble as the shock at what could so easily have happened went through him. After a minute he straightened, walking to the head of the bed to holster his gun. "Reckon I ought to thank you. Don't even know your name ..."

"O'Neil. Colonel John Ryan O'Neil, USMC."

"Retired?"

"Not likely." He nodded toward the door.

They went out into the hall, Lundy gestured toward the back room, "Would you wait in the kitchen for me. I gotta tell Jamie ... somethin'." He finished lamely.

He stepped to the back bedroom's door and tapped, "Jamie, it's okay. Could you and Eric come to the kitchen for a few minutes?"

She opened the door, "Levon? Is everything all right? What ...?"

"We need to talk. Feel better doing it in the kitchen's all." He retreated to his bedroom and slipped a pair of jeans on under his flannel nightshirt. It made him feel a little better to have pants on. Not that what was to come was going to be easy.

Jamie was already making coffee when he got to the kitchen. O'Neil was standing to one side looking uncertain. Lundy made the introductions, "Colonel O'Neil, Jamie Kincaid, and her son Eric. Jamie, Eric, Colonel O'Neil. He knew Joe in the Marines."

"Wow!" Eric exclaimed. "You're a Marine?"

Jamie gave Levon a questioning look, "You never mentioned that Joe was ..."

Colonel O'Neil answered both questions, "Yes, I'm a Marine. So was Joe. I am and he was Covert Operations. He's not allowed to talk about what he did." He gave Eric a small smile, "And I'm afraid son, that I'm not allowed to talk about what I do. Sorry."

The coffee was ready and Lundy poured a cup, coming to sit at the table. He ran a hand through his hair. "This ain't how I planned to have this conversation with you, Jamie. Can't say as I had ever really figured out how I planned to have it. Been meaning to tell you for a while, then you moved up to Austin and I got to thinkin' I might not have to. Don't know how to say it. Don't know how you're gonna take it, but it's come down to gotta do it."

He took a deep breath and sat up straight, "Reason Joe's passed out drunk in my bed right now is that me'n him are lovers."

He looked up at her trying to gage the depth of the shock on her face. Then he plowed on, "He got real upset about you being here tonight and went out and got drunk in a gay bar."

He ran his hand through his hair again, "From what the Colonel tells me, so drunk that he was easy prey for the kind of man that takes advantage of other men when they're unable to resist."

He sprang to his feet slinging the coffee cup against he wall, causing every one in the room to jump. Jamie cringed.

"God dammit!" He yelled, "Joe was almost raped tonight! Because I didn't have the guts to tell you that I love him! Because I didn't make sure that he knew that he's the most important person in my life. If the Colonel hadn't been there ..."

He sagged grabbing hold of the counter to keep his feet, "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Joe. I know I could never forgive myself if he'd been raped because I left him alone, because I didn't make sure that he knew what he means to me."

He turned to face her. "You're a wonderful person, Jamie. Knowing you has helped me heal from losing Caroline. I think the world of you. I think the world of Eric. But I'm in love with Joe. I don't know what else to say to you ..." he trailed off. "I had to tell you. Had to make sure you know that we, that is you and I don't have a future together ... not as lovers or a couple. I value your friendship. I pray I don't lose it but ..." he straightened, looking her in the eyes, "If I have to chose between losing that or losing Joe, it's no contest. I love Joe."

Jamie stood staring at him in silence, clutching Eric by the shoulders as he stood in front of her.

After a long moment of silence, Eric spoke, a slight quiver in his voice, turning in her grasp to look up at her, "Mom? Are you gonna make me not visit Levon any more?"

"I... I don't know. I've never known a..." she trailed off. She raised her eyes to Levon, "But you... made lo--"

"I thought I loved you. Back then me'n Joe was just fooling around. I didn't know how much he was coming to mean to me. Didn't realize how deep my feelin's for him was. I never felt like this about a man before. Fooled around some 'fore I married Caroline, and some after she passed but ... I never loved anybody like I love Joe. Never wanted to be with another man forever. But that's what I want with Joe. Me'n him together, forever."

"Mooommm!" Eric turned to face his mother, his eyes pleading with her, "I thought you said that love was never wrong! If they love each other, it's okay isn't it? I can still come see Levon... and Joe if they're gonna be together."

Lundy felt his heart swell. He'd always known Eric was a good kid, had a good heart. If he could accept Levon's love for Joe then maybe....

Jamie remained silent for a long moment then she reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair out of Eric's eyes, before looking up at Levon, "I think I always knew that Joe was the one that held your heart. Even when you thought it was Caroline standing between us. It was Joe."

She sighed and looked down at Eric, "You're a good person, Levon, and Joe... Joe has always been the soul of kindness to me and to Eric. He helped you prove that Dave was working a case when he was killed, that meant the difference between keeping or losing the widows and orphans benefits. Without them... I wouldn't have the life that I have now."

She gave Eric a hug. "I have a new life in Austin. I won't try to hold you or cause trouble for you, and..." she stepped back to look into Eric's eyes, "I won't stop you from seeing Levon when ever you can."

"All right!" Eric cheered.

Jamie glanced at the clock. "You better get back to bed young man. It's the middle of the night. Go on. I'll be right behind you."

She stepped over to Levon, reaching out to caress his arm. "It's all right, Levon. Don't borrow trouble. It worked out. Joe's home safe and sound. You've got another chance to make sure that he knows how much you love him. Everything will be okay."

She gave him a small hug and a chaste kiss on the cheek before following Eric back down the hall.

O'Neil rose, "Quite a woman. I can see how you could have been torn between them." He hesitated, then said, "I'd better go."

"Colonel," Lundy hesitated, then went on, "I don't know how to thank you ..."

"Just take good care of Joe." O'Neil said softly.

"You're in love with him." Lundy blurted, "Why are you ...?"

"Letting him go?" The man stared past Lundy as if looking at something a thousand yards away. "I'm letting him go, because I love him." He brought his gaze back to Lundy's face, "I've been covert ops my entire adult life. I can't quit. Joe can't come back. He's lost the hard edge that he had as a kid. He'd be killed first time out, now. And waiting around somewhere for me to come home or for word that I was dead would destroy him."

He took a step closer to Lundy, "You love him. He loves you. Be happy, take care of him ... because if I ever find out you've hurt him, there won't be a place far enough for you to run to or a hole deep enough for you to hide in. I'll find you and I'll kill you."

"You and Uncle Mafia. Reckon if I ever do hurt him, I'd better just eat my gun and be done with it." He grinned a wry grin and held out his hand.

O'Neil took it and shook it.

The grip lingered just a moment longer than it might have. When Lundy stepped back he said, "Hope you find someone that can handle the kinda life you live."

"There's been someone for a while. Now that I know Joe has someone to take care of him, maybe I can let go and be happy with what I have."

Lundy walked him to the door.

When they reached it, O'Neil turned back, "Someday," he said almost casually, "I'll buy me a six foot by three foot farm, in some back water jungle. When I do, somebody will deliver a package to Joe. Be some pictures, a few mementos, some money and a plane ticket to Sicily. In all our travels we never got there. He always said he wanted to go see where his people came from. I'll make it two tickets. You take him. Make a honeymoon of it but don't mind if he weeps over an old soldier's bones a bit."

"I won't mind. Might shed a tear or two of my own. You're a good man, John Ryan O'Neil. A real good man. Been an honor to meet you." He held out his hand again.

"It's been a pleasure, Levon Lundy. You're a good man too." John Ryan took it and they shook hands again. Then he turned, walked across the porch, got in his truck and was gone.

Lundy stood on the porch for a few minutes, staring up at the stars, before going back into the house. He walked quietly into the bedroom, standing watching Joe sleep for a moment before stepping out of his pants and sliding into the bed, spooning up against Joe's back. He wrapped an arm around his lover and drifted off to sleep. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Joe awoke slowly with a blinding headache. He rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. The room spun crazily. Nausea clawed at him. He squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the covers, hanging on for dear life until the dizziness and nausea abated ... somewhat. After a long moment he pried his eyes back open and looked around. [Lundy's. Lundy's bedroom.] He almost smiled happily then remembered that Jamie was supposed to be here. [Oh God! How'd I get here?]

He groaned and tried to sit up then thought better of it as the room went into another spin. Moaning he fell back on the bed and curled up into a ball of misery. [Now I remember why I quit drinking. Hangover Hell.] The nausea claimed him and he rolled over trying to at least vomit in the floor rather than on the bed. It wasn't until after he threw up that he realized that someone had thoughtfully placed a pan beside the bed in just the right place for him to puke in it.

As he lay back on the bed, Jamie appeared in the doorway. He gasped and clutched at the covers, pulling them up over him.

She smiled at him.

He stared at her in utter confusion. [She's smiling at me! I'm in Lundy's bed, and she's smiling at me! What's going on?]

"Levon and Eric are out tending Fooler. I told him I'd listen out for you." She held out a glass of liquid, "Here, drink this. Levon says it's what you give him when he's hung over." She came and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Reaching out she smoothed the hair back from his forehead.

He flinched at the touch.

"It's all right, Joe. Levon told me about you two last night when your friend brought you home." She said quietly, reassuringly.

"What friend?" Joe asked. He had no memory of being brought home.

"Colonel O'Neil. You don't remember it. You were passed out."

"John Ryan? He came here? Brought me here?"

"Yes."

"Is Lundy okay?" Joe asked not sure how the cowboy and his former CO would have gotten on.

"He's fine. He and the Colonel talked a while after Eric and I went back to bed. I don't know what about." She paused.

After a long moment of silence she went on, "I think I always knew that Levon cared more about you than he did about me. Maybe it's for the best that it worked out this way. I'm not sure that I would be able to deal with being involved with a cop again. I spent nearly fourteen years of my life waiting for someone to come and tell me what you and Levon told me that day: that Dave was never coming home again. Fourteen years of worrying, of watching the man I loved walk out the door every morning and being afraid that I'd never see him alive again. It was almost a relief when the news came, when the waiting was over. I still loved him and it hurt, still hurts but ..."

"I think I know what you mean." Joe said softly. He took another swallow of the drink she'd brought him and went on. "A long time ago. The Colonel and I ... we were ... " he floundered.

"Lovers." Jamie offered.

"Yeah," He fiddled with the glass. "I loved him. I really loved him but.... John Ryan was born for covert ops. He's the best but sooner or later he's gonna get killed. Covert ops is dangerous work, worse than being a cop and he's been in the game for years. I mean it's a miracle that he's still alive. The odds against him living as long as he has are astronomical. I couldn't take the waiting, the worrying. I walked away, distanced myself from him. Shut him out of my life because I couldn't take it. I still care about him. I'll still grieve when he dies but it won't be like it would have been if I was still his lover."

"He still loves you." She said it softly, "I could see it in his eyes. Yet he brought you here, to Levon. I think, maybe he understands. I think I do... at least a bit. You and Levon, belong together. There's a connection between you that's almost visible. I think I could always see it. I just tried to ignore the fact that there was more to your relationship than being partners or friends." She reached up and smoothed his hair back again. "You're a good man, Joe. I know you'll take care of Levon. Maybe someday I'll find someone who will love me like you and Levon love each other."

"I hope so, Jamie. You deserve it." Joe said softly.

He had finished the drink and his stomach was settling a bit.

She took the empty glass. "I'll bring you some aspirin for that headache then I want you to go back to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake back up."

She went out and returned a moment later with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of orange juice. After he took them she pulled the curtains to dim the room and tucked the covers in around him before leaving and pulling the door closed behind her. OOOOO

She was fixing lunch when Levon and Eric came in. She smiled at them, telling Eric to go wash up. She turned to Levon, "Joe woke up a while ago. I gave him that hangover cure you mixed up and some aspirin. He should feel up to eating something when he wakes back up."

"Thanks, Jamie. You don't know what it means to me, to have you accept my loving Joe. I don't know who all we're gonna end up being able to trust with knowin' about us, but I'm glad that you're one of them. I'd trust Joanne with it on a personal level but as our boss she might have to take a different view. I'd 'preciate it if you didn't mention it to anybody. World at large ain't an understanding place. We're gonna hav'ta be right careful."

"I've already figured that out, Levon." She looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry. I wish that it didn't have to be that way. It's hard enough to maintain a relationship when you can tell the world that you love each other, trying to do it and keep it a secret has to be harder. I give you my word that I won't mention it to anyone ... and I'll explain to Eric that he can't tell anyone." She smiled and gave a sigh, "He won't understand why. Kids are so much more accepting than grown-ups. But I think he'll make the effort. He's really fond of you and he likes Joe, too."

"Surprised me a bit that he took it so well. He's a great kid." He turned to look down the hall, "I think I'll go look in on Joe."

She watched him as he moved off down the hall. The concern and love he felt for Joe was obvious now that she let herself see it. She sighed softly. Two wonderful men. Either of them would be a great catch but they only had eyes for each other.

Levon pushed the door to his bedroom open and slipped through, quietly closing it behind him. He moved to the side of the bed and looked down at his lover. Joe's eyes were closed and while he looked a little pale in the dim light of the room that was to be expected considering the hangover and his having vomited.

Joe's eyes fluttered open, almost as if he sensed Levon's presence. "Hey, Cowboy." He murmured and held out a hand to Lundy.

Taking the hand, Levon sank down to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. "Hey, yourself," he said with a smile. "How'ya feeling?"

"Better. Talked with Jamie a bit. She really okay with this?"

"I think so. Promised not to spread it around, let us decide who we can trust with it. Eric took it real well. Asked if he could still come visit me, that is us."

"She said that the Colonel brought me here..."

"Yeah. Good man. Loves you. Said he had somebody in his life now. Thinks maybe now that he knows you're happy he can be happy with what he's got."

"I'm glad he found someone. Wonder who..."

"He didn't say."

"Hope its Delaney." At the questioning look Levon gave him Joe explained. "Delaney was in the unit. Crazy in love with the Colonel, would do anything for him, even stand by and watch him make a fool of himself over me cause I was what John Ryan wanted. Whenever me and John Ryan would have a fight, he'd go to Delaney and Delaney would take him in, let him do whatever he wanted to do, accept whatever he dished out. Then when we'd get back together Delaney would just step aside, let me have John back. Much as I loved John Ryan back then I knew that him and Delaney were a better match."

"Don't reckon we'll ever know. I'm just glad that you're all right. Do you remember what happened last night?"

"No much. I went to The Eagle. Had a few drinks, ran into the Colonel. Remember some big dude wanting to go to the back room. Don't remember anything after that..." He trailed off and looked up at Lundy, "I didn't...?"

"No. The big guy was trying to drag you back there when the Colonel stopped him--"

Joe cut in, "Jeeeze! I hope he didn't kill the guy!"

"Didn't mention it if he did. Reckon I could check the crime reports and see if a giant was killed last night." He teased then his voice went serious again, "What I'm trying to say is, You were almost raped last night because I didn't make sure that you knew what you mean---"

Joe cut in again, "Levon, it wasn't your faul--"

"Will you shut up and let me talk! I love you. I want you, nobody else. I don't want a woman. I don't want another man. Just you. I want you to know this with absolute certainty. There is nobody else. There ain't ever gonna be anybody else. You're stuck with me. I know I ain't much, just a bull headed old cowboy, but I love you Joe LaFiamma. Love you more'n I know how to say or show you. I want you to know that and I need to know if you'll accept my love, be my love for as long as we live."

"Lundy, you know that I love you. Have for a long time. Always will. You're stuck with this obnoxious Yankee, Cowboy, for as long as we live."

Levon leaned down and kissed his love, gently tenderly.

"Lie with me a while." Joe murmured.

He slid over and Levon slipped under the covers with him. They snuggled together and soon were asleep. As he drifted off Lundy thought, [Reckon I ought to let Jamie know that I'm gonna miss lunch.] but he was too comfortable to get up.

When Levon didn't come back into the kitchen, Jamie walked down the hall and quietly opened the bedroom door. She smiled softly at the sight of Joe and Levon cuddled together under the covers. Closing the door she went back to have lunch with Eric.

The End.