Title: Where's the Punch Line?

Rated: M

Genre: Angst/Drama

Summary: You cheated on me, knocked her up, and now I have to be tested for an STD. Oh God, where's the damn punch line to this horrible joke?

"How could you do this to me?"

The question was asked in a voice so low that he almost had to strain his ears to hear him. For once, his redheaded lover was not vivacious or obnoxious, he looked like the sad man he really was. His green eyes weren't so vibrant, they were a dull jade. His usually spiked hair was flat, he had just taken a shower and they were getting ready for bed when Elijah blurted out his confession.

The question still hung in the air around them. He refused to look at his lover; instead he stared at the balcony door which was a part of their hotel room. On the other side of the sliding glass doors was a busy city, still awake despite the time of night. How was he supposed to answer those seven words?

How could he do that to him?

How could he do that?

How could he?

Could he?

How?

Running a hand roughly through his shaggy black hair, his dark eyes closed and he let out a deep breath he had just realized he had been holding in. They've been together since sophomore year of college. It had been ten years. Ten years is a long time to be with someone.

No, that wasn't right. He loved Jason. He was in love with Jason. Jason was his other half, his soul mate. His everything, and Elijah wanted to kick himself in the ass for admitting his ugliest secret.

"I…" He let the sentence hang for moment. Wishing that they could go back to an hour ago, where the two of them were rolling around in the sheets, giving each other mess kisses and blinding white pleasure. Before he admitted his mistake.

How could he do that to him? It had been easy. Elijah was in another town on business, and he had always wondered about women, and she had been ascetically beautiful.

"I…" He stuttered again.

She had been round. Round hips, round breasts, it was different than anything he had ever experienced. She had been hot and wet and just…different. He hadn't minded it, but he doubted he ever wanted to do it again. Not when he had Jason. At least he had Jason, until his guilt nearly ate him alive and he admitted it.

"I don't, it just..." How the hell was he supposed to answer that damn question? Did he apologize? Would that only piss Jason off? He could imagine his lover, furious enough to strike at him? Not that Elijah would blame him. Elijah would never blame him for doing such a thing. Not when he deserved it.

Did it just happened? The truth was that it did. He hadn't thought about Jason while in the heat of the moment. Did that mean that he didn't really love Jason? They had been together for ten years! They lived together, they adopted a dog together. They had considered themselves married. Their names were always attached when people spoke of them.

Was Elijah even gay? What a stupid question! Oh God now was not the time to have an identity crisis. Not when Jason was staring up at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. Not when both were barely dressed, and it was late, and they were in a foreign city for Jason's sister's wedding.

"Did you use a condom?"

No, he hadn't. That's why he told Jason to begin with.

"She might be pregnant."

"Oh fuck." Jason laughed sarcastically, anything to cover up his hurt. His heart was a bleeding mess that Elijah felt he just kept stabbing into. He rubbed his face with his hands and laughed again, his voice taking a tinge of hysteria. "You cheated on me, knocked her up, and now I have to be tested for an STD. Oh God, where's the damn punch line to this horrible joke?"

The baby might not have been Elijah's. In fact it probably wasn't. He had no problem paying for a paternity test, but he knew it was too late, and time was impossible to turn backwards.

Jason stood up, throwing whatever of his belongings which were scattered around the hotel room into his duffle.

Elijah wanted to ask where he was going. Instead he let him go, not bothering to stop him.

Jason was gone, the slam of the hotel room signaling his exit. Covering his eyes, Elijah let out a shaky breath. He opened them and stared back out of the balcony, wondering what he was going to do now.

END

XIVZ: Cliché, so so so so so cliché. But I couldn't help it. I wanted something kind of angsty, but not so bad. And I wanted do something from the cheater's POV.

Please review, flames are welcome.