Hunter: Glimpse

[Aardvark2]

Neil buzzed the door and waited, fidgeting nervously. He could hear movement inside the penthouse, he could hear another door inside open and close, and then the front door opened.

The man who answered was tall, muscled and unbelievably handsome. A total Greek God. He had a defined, square jaw with a slight cleft in it that was covered by a day?s stubble, as brown as his beautiful and slightly wet hair. High cheekbones and an intense brow framed gorgeous blue eyes, the color of a swimming pool. He didn?t wear a shirt and his large, gym-shaped pecs glistened with a light coat of water that dribbled down to the washboard abs. Veins lightly traversed his body, up and down pumped-up arms and around the waist of his jeans.

And when he smiled, he had two dimples in his cheeks that gave a dose of ?cute? to his ruggedly handsome face. It was a kind and caring smile, and very easygoing. ?Can I help you, man??

?Uhhh?I?did I catch you at a bad time??

?Eh, just got back from the gym and was getting out of the shower. Sorry about the state of undress.?

?I?m sorry, I was just looking for?for?? Neil choked back tears. His eyes welled up and the corners of his lips quivered uncontrollably. ??you. I?m looking for you. Look at you. You?re so grown up. You?re a man.?

?Excuse me??

?It?s me. Lachlan, it?s me. Your Dad. Your father.?

The man reared back in surprise. ?What the hell are you say?? And Neil could see him stare intently and the eyes glow with realization. ?Oh my God. Dad. Dad!?

Neil threw his arms around the broad shoulders of his son. Looking back into Lachlan?s eyes, he lightly touched the sharp cheeks that Lachlan had inherited from him. ?You?re so beautiful. LOOK at you. I can?t believe it. I can?t believe it?you?re so tall! And buff, man, I can barely get my arms around you.?

?Dad ? what happened to you? How old are you? And how?d you get in? You look just like?just like?? He stopped and blinked back tears of his own. ?Come inside.?

?I?m 29. I can?t explain how I got here, I just-?

Lachlan was locking the door. ?It was Uncle Hunter, right??

Neil blinked. ?How?d you know that??

?I just do. You?ll know how eventually. God, I can?t get over the resemblance. You?re like clones.?

?Me and who??

?You, Leighton and Landon.? Lachlan hesitated and opened the fridge. ?Or?shit. Do you know about Landon yet??man, I don?t know what I should tell you and what I shouldn?t.?

?Who?s Landon, Lucky?? Neil couldn?t stop staring at his son?s captivating physique, the perfect face, the musically deep voice. The questions that he was asking just spilled out of him, but he had trouble focusing at the sight of his adult son. ?And how old are you now?? He paused again. ?Landon?s my third son, isn?t he??

?I?m 25. And yes, Landon?s my little brother. In fact?wait, you?re 29??

?Yes.?

?So Leighton?s, what, two??

?Two. You?re seven.?

?That?s so weird. I just saw Leighton, and he?s NOT two,? Lachlan laughed. ?You might want to get Mom a pregnancy test. Landon?s born?lemme do the math here?about a month after Leighton?s third birthday.?

?Really? We haven?t even been trying?but Mel has been tired a lot.? Neil shook his head and looked around the huge apartment, absentmindedly talking to himself. ?I?ll get on that. Wow, you have two little brothers. Damn, look at this apartment.?

?Well, they?re not that little anymore. Beer, Dad??

?Your mother will kill me. I couldn?t drink in the house with you kids.?

?Eh, I?m legal now.? Lachlan handed Neil a bottle.

Neil raised an eyebrow and took a swig. ?You?re taking this very well, a 29-year-old version of your father showing up in your penthouse.?

?Well, you told me this happened, so I knew it was coming eventually.?

?No way.? Neil shook his head. ?This time-travel thing blows my mind. So?what do you do for a living??

Lachlan smiled the big white smile of his, slightly sheepish, and rubbed the whiskers dotting his square chin. ?What do you think I do, Dad??

?Well, you look about six-foot-two, you?ve got a fantastic body ? good genetics, huh? ? and that face of yours is like a painting come to life??

?Well, thank you, both for the compliment and the genes. People tell me I?m a 50-50 combination of you and Mom.?

?You do look like your mother, you lucky dog. Your voice is freaking me out. It?s so deep.?

Lachlan laughed and Neil was taken aback at the way it sounded like a male version of Mel?s. ?Of course it?s deep. Dad, I?m a 25-year-old man. I?m not the little boy you?re familiar with.?

?You?ll always be my little boy, no matter how handsome you become. So what do you do? Don?t make me guess, I?m a terrible guesser.?

Lachlan held up his arms in the air and smiled. ?Actor-model, of course.?

?Of course,? Neil said, rolling his eyes congenially. ?You learn all the tricks from Aunt Katie??

?She set me up with a bunch of contacts, definitely. Let?s see, what brands would you recognize? Uhh, I?ve done two Calvin Klein campaigns. Versace and Armani are still around, I?ve done a ton of stuff for them. The rest are all new designers. Lots of underwear stuff. For about five years, I was the hottest face on the market. My name ? well, your name too, being a Blue - helped out. Then I got a TV show, now I?m filming a couple movies. I think I?m gonna be a movie star, Dad. It?s all coming together better than I could even imagine. I?ve done so well that you haven?t had to support me since I was 17.?

Neil?s eyes sparkled. ?That?s wonderful. I?m so proud of you, son.?

Lachlan smirked. ?Well, thanks. Then I should tell you now that I posed naked a couple of times.?

Neil choked a little. ?Wh-wha??

?Yeah, you told me you reacted like this. Dad, it comes with the territory. You wanna model, you gotta be willing to take it all off once in a while.?

?What did your mother say??

?She was pissed.?

Neil laughed.

?She was more pissed about the sex scene in-?

?Okay, stop there and I?ll find this all out when I?m 46. I?m just, well?you?re still seven years old in my book. And you were so painfully shy up until Leighton was born?you?re really just breaking out of your shell back where I know you.?

Lachlan?s smile oozed charisma and raw sex. ?I forgot about how shy I was. People were so much bigger back then?? His fingers flicked toward his perfect stomach. ?I don?t think I?ll be surprising you when I say I grow out of that stage pretty quickly. You?re right, Leighton did help. I?m really protective of him.?

Lachlan saw his father?s whole face light up. ?Are you still?,? Neil asked softly.

?Yeah,? Lachlan replied with a smirk. ?Don?t get me wrong, he can be a real shithead sometimes. But that?s his job, the middle kid. Landon?s the baby and gets away with murder. I remember when he was born, that was just so incredible. Leighton just kind of appeared, but I loved him nonetheless.?

?That moment when you held him and told me that you loved him, that?s about the best moment of my life.?

Lachlan nodded with love and continued. ?With Landon, I was at that age when I was starting to understand that something that you and Mom did made a baby, and that baby was inside of Mom?and then, that baby was Landon. I just remember when you let me hold Leighton and Landon when they were newborns and how?unbelievable?that was. Landon was really the first time I understood life, and its importance. He was so tiny and I became obsessed with keeping him safe. I remember you telling me that I?d make a good Dad someday because I was so protective of my brothers.?

Neil looked into his son?s face and saw the cloud of cockiness lift to reveal a beautiful, tender soul. He was relieved to see that Lachlan?s familial instincts did not disappear with age. The last thing Neil Blue wanted was a son that was an asshole, and to see a sexy model slowly open up to reveal the sensitive, slightly shy boy he had once been was a wonderful thing for a father to witness. ?How old is Landon now??

?Landon just turned 17, and Leighton?s 20.?

?And they look like me??

?Just like you. You?re the blonds of the family. Leighton has your coloring exactly ? hair, skin, eyes. Landon?s a darker blond, but other than that pretty much the same, too. They don?t look exactly alike, you can tell they?re brothers but not twins or anything?.but they really do look like you. The coloring, but also the eyes and the mouth.? Lachlan cocked his head as he analyzed the younger features of his father. ?The mouth, definitely. When they smile and laugh, man, it?s crazy looking at you now. It?s funny trying to explain it. Mom and I are the darker ones.?

?You?ve got Romanian blood in your veins, son,? Neil smiled. He hesitated with another question on his lips - phrased like a question, but more statement than not. ?We never have a daughter, do we.?

?No, Dad.? Lachlan smiled and his eyes looked sad, for a moment. ?Mom wants one so badly, but it doesn?t happen. Three boys. I think it hurts her for a while, but it?s not like she ever told her sons that she wished one of us was a girl. I know she wouldn?t have minded a little gymnast girl. We?re all too tall to be gymnasts, all three of us have your height so we couldn?t get very far. Landon can really tumble, though. He flipped all over the house. It drove you absolutely crazy, you thought he was gonna break his neck and you didn?t know why Mom was so fine with it! I was home last weekend and he flipped over the couch, which is hilarious because he?s big now. Real big, in fact. Sorry?I?m rambling. I?m sorry Dad, you don?t have a little girl. But you get us.?

?Hey, that?s great, right? Who doesn?t want three sons? Three beautiful, incredible sons.? Neil sighed. ?And tall! I?I need to remember to be conscientious of your mother. I need to watch for when she?s sad. She even has a girl?s name picked out right now ? Lilia, after a friend of hers; she picked it out when she was pregnant with you and she?s still holding on to it. Lilia Blue, my nonexistent daughter. Poor Mel?I?m there for her, right? I try-?

?You?re always there for Mom, Dad. You?re a really amazing father. Very present and attentive, and completely supportive of everything we do. I?m not lying, you?you really do a great job. From what I saw, at least.?

Neil?s heart exploded with joy, but he tried to conceal his euphoria. ?We?re still married, I hope.?

?Yes. There are problems, but everyone has ?em. You and Mom fought a lot when I was in high school. I think you just got tired of each other. And I think that you began to think that Mom took you for granted, a little bit ? you just loved her so much and I think you felt that wasn?t always reciprocated, because Mom grew up beautiful and wealthy and it?s all she?s known, but you?you didn?t."

?No, I didn?t at all.?

?It all works out, though. When I was just home, you two were really affectionate.?

Neil grinned. ?We?ll have been married almost 25 years by then. My God. Do you have pictures of Leighton and Landon??

?Of course I do. I?m not going to show you, though.?

?Why not??

?A few years ago, you told me not to. It?s better to wait it out. It?s enough that you?ve seen me, right??

Neil looked at his son. Lachlan was incredible. A perfect 10, to be sure. Insanely, heart-stoppingly gorgeous ? nothing boyish or androgynous about his look, he was handsome and masculine and completely adult. ?Are your brothers as successful as you? Please, tell me they are.?

?Well, I?m the ugliest of the three of us,? Lachlan winked.

?Seriously? Oh man, I don?t have a lot of time to hear. Do you and Leighton fight a lot? Do you love each other? That?s all I want, for you two to love each other. That?s-?

?Dad, Leighton and Landon are my best friends. Of course we fought, we?re brothers. Leighton punched me in the face, literally square in the face, once; I thought you were going to tear his arm right off his body. He gave me a bloody nose, the little bastard, I was bleeding everywhere and Mom was freaking out?it?s actually really funny, in retrospect. Our age difference was a problem sometimes. Like, I was 17 when Leighton was 12, y?know, those are two very different times in life. But I love Leighton. I love watching him when he?? Lachlan took a long pause, then looked at his father.

??when he what? What do you watch Leighton do??

?I can?t tell you, but you?ll love it. You?ll love what he does. What they both do. You?ll never see Landon coming, the look of surprise on your face when he first starts?? A knowing smile crossed Lachlan?s lips and he didn?t finish his sentence. ?They?re both damn good at what they do. You?ll find out soon.?

?Oh, I know they are and I?m sure I will. I can?t wait to meet you in real time. To see you happen, you becoming you. I never thought I?d have sons, period, let alone ones that look like you.?

?I know that. You say that a lot.?

?I do??

Lachlan took another sip of beer. The way his eyes sparkled and his speech sped up as he got more intense reminded Neil of his own mannerisms. ?I know about Uncle Hunter, Dad, and I also know what he did to you. You really thought that that was going to stay hidden forever??

Neil?s eyes watered and he wiped them. ?Yeah, actually, I did. I thought maybe I?d tell your mother but I never wanted you to kn-?

?You saw me picking on an overweight kid when I was fifteen,? Lachlan interrupted. ?You came in the car to take me to a, uh?a thing. I?m not going to tell you where, don?t want to mess up the moment?but you got there early and I didn?t see you, and I kept nudging into this kid ? Houston ? saying things like I couldn?t avoid running into him, because he was too big, stuff like that.?

Lachlan stopped talking and looked at his father?s face; a mixture of recognition, sorrow and complete love made up Neil?s expression.

?I?ll never forget your face, Dad. I was saying something to Houston, really going for the jugular, and I was in mid-sentence and I remember seeing a tall person with blond hair in my peripheral vision. I just remember that feeling, how awful I felt immediately, because you?d told me a lot that I shouldn?t do that. Obviously, because I?m telling you now, you knew. You knew it was going to happen. You didn?t know when, but you knew. And I remember the complete disappointment in your eyes and in your voice. It was horrible, knowing I had just broken your heart. You?re so transparent ? I knew instantly. I had taken a baseball bat and smashed your heart into a million pieces.?

Neil didn?t respond but his eyes watered once more.

?And I remember thinking maybe I could run, but you?re so goddamn fast, Dad, you?re a lot faster than me. I have a good body but I?m not the most athletic one in the family; I just work out a lot,? Lachlan said with modesty. ?You could?ve got me in two strides and I would?ve been even more screwed. So I stood there as you walked toward me and I thought you were going to yell at me, but you got to me and put your hand around my shoulders ? at that point, I was about at chest level with you ? and you said, ?Lucky, I?m going to tell you a story,? and you told me everything. You cried a lot. I did too. It was weird for me, Dad.?

?I?m not looking forward to this, son.?

?But it?s one of the most indelible moments in my entire life, Dad. It really is. All three of us know how soft-hearted you are, but you didn?t cry a lot in front of us. There were just always things that really set you off and you would get so emotional and so frustrated with bad things we did. I knew about Uncle Hunter?s powers long before that day, but it never crossed my mind that you were part of it all, that he had changed you. So when you really broke down in front of me, and you held my hand in our car and begged me to please be kind, because not everyone is as blessed as me?it was life-changing. And you know what you made me do? You made me invite Houston over.?

Neil laughed. ?I?m such a sap. I was probably trying to re-create the bond that Hunter and I have.?

?It works.?

?Oh, it?it does??

?Yeah. I?ll never forget his face when he came into our house ? you build us a house after Landon is born, it?s so fuckin? awesome, I love that house! It has an indoor pool in the basement. And Houston, he just couldn?t believe it. You and Mom were so nice to him. And I got to know him, and found out that he was a really good kid. He just needed some friends and some influences to help him through his awkward stage. I got him involved in sports, he started losing weight?and gaining muscle?a lot of muscle. It was so great watching him realize his own potential. Houston?s a personal trainer now, he?s a big buff dude, he grew to be two inches taller than me. Fucker is six-four and his back is as wide as a house. And we?re still friends. We watch football together every Sunday.?

Neil smiled. ?I hope that happens just like you said it would, then. I can?t wait to meet Houston.?

?He?s a great guy, and an even greater friend.?

Neil was about to respond, but the sunlight bounced off of something and caught Neil?s eye. Lachlan quickly realized and put his hands behind his back.

Neil?s mouth dropped open. ?Son, you?re wearing a wedding band.?

?Uhhhhhh??

?Lachlan Hardy Blue, you heartbreaker. Who caught you in her net??

?I can?t tell you, Dad. I really can?t. I shouldn?t.?

?Where is she? Is she here? And it?s a she, right, you?re not??

Lachlan smiled Neil?s smile from behind Mel?s lips. ?Not gay, it?s a she, and she is in London at a shoot.?

?You?ve married a model. Wow.?

?She?s the most beautiful woman in America.?

?I?m sure she is.?

?No, literally, she is. She?s a former Miss USA. And not one of those gross fake-tan boob-job girls. She?s genuinely gorgeous, she?s perfect.?

Neil?s eyes sparkled. ?I can?t believe it. You?re married, my little boy is married to a model.?

?Hand to God. You?ll really freak when I tell you that she?s pregnant with twins.?

Neil sat and stared, completely dumbstruck. Several moments passed before Lachlan laughed. ?Okay, that?s a lie.?

Neil exhaled and collapsed onto the counter. ?You almost gave me a heart attack.?

?She?s not pregnant and probably won?t be for a while,? Lachlan admitted. ?We?ve only been married for two months. But I really am married to Miss USA. And I do want to be a father one day?to raise children with her. I think we?ll be great parents.?

Neil couldn?t process any more. He was slowly beginning to realize, with Lachlan?s prodding, that the future wasn?t something to have an encyclopedic knowledge of. Instead of asking more questions, he stood and wrapped his arms around Lachlan once more. ?I love you. I want you to know that.?

?You know I do. Now that I?m married, I appreciate how good you were ? are ? to Mom, and to me. To all of us,? Lachlan said quietly into Neil?s ear. ?For a man who never had a father himself, you do a great job. I want you to know that. You do a great job.?

Neil smiled through tears once more. ?You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that.?

?Oh no, I do. I very much do.? Lachlan lightly rested his cheek on Neil?s shoulder, like he would when he was a little boy and Neil would carry him to bed. ?I love you, Dad.?

?Oh, how I love you too. I love you more than life. But I have to go now, son.? Seeing the chiseled face resting on his shoulder, and hearing the day?s stubble rubbing on his t-shirt was all too much for Neil. Lachlan was handsome, intelligent, charismatic, but it was all too soon. Neil wanted his little boy back. The idea of Lachlan being married ? hell, the idea of him making love to a woman, or even living in his own apartment, was too much for Neil to bear. ?Only when you have children can you understand how much I love you. Especially you, my Lucky charm, my oldest. I love you all equally, but you?re the one who made me a father. I was just a kid myself until you were born, and then I became Dad. Your Dad. And I got to be the Dad that mine never had the chance to be.? The words rolled out so quickly with untempered truth ? Neil had never thought those thoughts before, but there they were, unabashed. It was Lachlan that had transformed a young man into a young father and completely changed every part of Neil?s world.

?You were so young when I was born. I hope I didn?t take away your twenties.?

?Don?t ever think that. Ever. I wanted you. Nothing in my life has been done by the book and I was never as proud of anything as I was to be your father.?

Neil stroked his son?s shiny hair and realized that Lachlan was crying into his shoulder. Lachlan?s arms wrapped tightly around his father?s young torso, and he stood there for a solid minute just crying, the oversexed fa?ade washing away with his tears. ?Thank you for being my Dad and for loving me unconditionally.?

?Be good to your brothers. Be good to your Mom. Be good to your wife, most importantly.?

?Dad, I?m always good.?

They both grinned, the smiles almost carbon-copies of each other.

--------

Hunter smiled as Neil emerged from his bedroom. ?You back??

Neil looked back, dazedly. ?I?m back,? he said, as if he was just realizing it himself.

?How was it??

Neil didn?t answer the question. ?Where?s Lachlan? Mel, honey?,? he shouted. ?Where?s Lucky??

?I?m here, Dad,? Lachlan responded, standing in the doorway to his bedroom, his small seven-year-old body clad in a t-shirt and athletic shorts.

Neil wordlessly ran over and scooped up his son in an iron-tight embrace, one large arm around Lachlan?s shoulders and the other around his waist. He had never felt such relief. Neil turned and looked at Hunter and Hunter saw his friend?s face slick with tears. Neil pressed his cheek up against Lachlan?s, reveling in the smoothness of the boyish, whisker-free skin.

?I love you so much, buddy. I love you, I love you, I love you.? Neil felt Lachlan?s arms wrap tighter around his neck, the same arms that minutes before had been far larger. ?I?m so glad I have you, Lucky.?

Hunter walked over. ?Was everything okay??

Neil?s tears were rolling into his son?s dark brown curls. ?Everything was fine, better than fine. Incredible. I?ll tell you about it, but I?m not ready for it to happen yet. I like being able to pick them up and watch them grow. My little boys.?

Lachlan maneuvered his head so that he could see his Dad. ?You okay, Dad??

?I?m fine, champ.? Neil locked eyes with Lachlan and saw the same blue pools he knew so well. He liked them at this age. He loved seeing his son?s face, youthful and round. He wasn?t ready for Lachlan to grow up yet. ?I?m just fine.?

[Aardvark2]

I acknowledge that this is a bit of a curveball, and probably won't receive as many comments due to its atypical nature. However, it's a lot of plot development, even if it may not seem that way right now...read it again and you may spot some throwaway lines that are more important than they seem. Trust me, interesting things are in store.

[Otaru_grower]

You continue to amaze me. This series is one of the best things about this website.

[memorex414]

I'll second Otaru_grower's comment.

[rextorres]

That was wonderful, Aardvark! I love the bond between Neil and Lachlan. You don't see that so often anymore; definitely not in real life. Great story!

[TKnTexas55]

Any story that touches me like yours do is a good story. And yours are up there to being the best. Keep bringing them out.

[nnnrg]

I don't know if I've told you how much I like this series.

I _really_ like this series.

[Mad Dog]

Houston, ehhh? |:3

But it's cool to see the handsome, muscular mega-successes continue. :3

[stiffreed]

As i've said before and Im sure I will say again, I LOVE this series especially Neil. This whole thing was quite powerful. Can't wait till we meet Houston again.

[cutlerfan]

Another Great installment! I loved it but I am a bit partial to time travel stories my self. Wonderful characters...wonderful writing!I can't wait until the next part! Peace!

[Aardvark2]

Wow, I did not expect the reception this has gotten so far. Thank you, all of you, for making my day. I'm thrilled people are liking (and keeping up with) this saga and the many unfolding characters within it. I hope all readers are enjoying it as much as the comments, so far, have indicated.

[Aardvark2]

...and hopefully I didn't kill this thread. Anybody else reading? Don't be bashful.

[philat99]

"...won't receive as many responses..." Ha! Everything you write deserves many, many responses - all very positive! It wasn't really atypical. Each of your stories is quite different and exhilarating.
Mike

And the "throwaway lines" are surefire story starters!

[Aardvark2]

Originally Posted by philat99

"...won't receive as many responses..." Ha! Everything you write deserves many, many responses - all very positive! It wasn't really atypical. Each of your stories is quite different and exhilarating.
Mike

And the "throwaway lines" are surefire story starters!

Thanks, Mike. I'm just stuck in the past when it comes to comments - I honestly used to not get any, and I'm still not accustomed to all this wonderful feedback. I'm glad to hear that you find the stories exhilarating, I truly try to keep them varied and entertaining while simultaneously moving the plot along. I look at my old stuff, and man, I wasn't really challenging myself...Hunter has taught me a lot.

Thanks for reading, everybody, and to all you lurkers: I know you're there! Don't be afraid