by T C Heffer
— CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR —
- Sunday, December 8th, 2013 -
The next morning, Jeremy gets another visit from Jess and James. He hasn't seen the other couple since they first got back into town earlier in the week, but he can't say he isn't happy to see them. After how well they'd taken the revelation of his and Pete's relationship, he's not nervous to be around them anymore and welcomes them inside the house with open arms and a smile on his face.
"What brings you by today?" he asks, taking them into the kitchen. Pete waves at Jess and James with a soapy hand and then goes back to washing their dishes from breakfast.
"Well, our flight back to New York is this afternoon, so I figured I'd spent a little extra time with my precious baby brother before then," Jess explains, messing up Jeremy's hair.
Jeremy squawks his disapproval and dodges out of the way. He fixes his hair as best he can without a mirror and glares at Pete when he hears the teenager giggling at him. This just sets Pete off even more, to the point where he ceases washing up altogether and accidentally gets some warm water all over the floor.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Jeremy grumbles. He steps up next to Pete, careful of the spill, and whispers in his ear. "Keep doing that and I'll have to spank you."
This has its intended effect, Pete's laughter cutting off suddenly and his cheeks pinking up. He looks at Jeremy with wide eyes, his pupils dilated with a sudden burst of arousal. Not wanting to actually embarrass his boy in front of Jess and James, Jeremy winks at him and then lets it go, turning back to his sister to engage her in conversation before she can notice Pete's current state and tease either of them about it. Unfortunately, Jess is quicker on the draw than he is, and her lips are already curled into a smirk that can only be called evil.
"Hey, Pete?" she calls, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the kitchen island.
"W-what?" the boy stammers, his pupils returning to normal now that the moment has passed.
Jess runs her eyes quickly up and down Pete's body, her smirk somehow stretching wider. "Nice PJs."
This makes Pete's eyes go wide all over again, but this time for an entirely different reason. He looks down at himself and swallows tightly, having forgotten that he's still dressed in his duck pyjamas from last night. Jeremy forgot too. It just seemed so natural to him to have his boy dressed like that first thing in the morning that it completely slipped his mind when Jess and James arrived.
Fuck, he's not being a very good Daddy this morning. He's well aware that Pete doesn't like the idea of anyone else knowing what goes on between the two of them, and he should have kept Jess and James in the living room while he sent his boy upstairs to get changed into regular clothes. He'll have to apologise later—after he gets his boy out of this situation.
Jeremy narrows his eyes at his sister, his disapproval real this time, and speaks hushed words to Pete. "How about you go up and change?" he suggests. "I'll keep her busy."
Pete swallows tightly, some kind of war happening behind his eyes. At first, Jeremy believes that Pete is going to do as he says and take the escape, but in the end, Pete doesn't. Jeremy watches, stunned, as his boy braces himself, holds his head high and then shakes it, choosing to stay.
"It's okay," Pete says. When he meets Jeremy's gaze, Jeremy can see that he's still unsettled, but he's not giving in to it. His brave boy. "I'm not about to shout it from the rooftops, but they've already seen, and they already know what we are."
After Pete has resumed washing the dishes like nothing out of the ordinary has just occurred, his movements slightly stiff, Jeremy blinks dumbly at his profile.
"C'mon, Jer, I don't care," Jess says, laying her mischief to rest after the exchange she just witnessed. "I think the PJs are actually pretty cute. They suit him. Right, James?"
Her husband simply nods, sensing that it's wise not to disagree.
Jeremy, unsure of how to proceed, says nothing.
"Anyway, I've got something to ask you," Jess apprises, her expression sobering.
Jeremy leans back against the counter next to the sink, sticking by his boy as a way of silently showing him support. "Sounds ominous."
"It's not. Or I don't think it is, anyway."
"Go on."
"Well, since it's my last day in town and I probably won't be back to visit you again for a while, given the baby and all, I wanted to ask you to come with me to the cemetery to see our family. I've been putting it off so far and have spent the past few days reconnecting with old friends instead, but I definitely want to do it before I leave. It'd feel like I'm disrespecting their memory if I don't." Jess walks around the island and puts her hand on Jeremy's arm. "Please?"
Jeremy is aware that the other two people in the room have stopped everything they're doing to await his response. He can feel Pete's eyes on the side of his face.
It's a tough call. He tries to go to his family's graves a few times a year, but it always brings up the pain of their passing all over again and gives him trouble sleeping afterwards. It sometimes lasts for weeks, depending on how long he stays there and which memories return to the forefront of his mind. Cowardice almost has Jeremy saying no, but peering into Jess's hopeful face, he can't deny her. Maybe it won't be so bad to go with the company of someone else—particularly since that someone went through the exact same thing he did.
"Okay," he assents, keeping his voice steady so as not to display his apprehension. "I'll go."
Jess hugs him. "Thanks, little brother. I really appreciate it."
Not too long after the tension passes, Pete finishes the dishes and Jeremy takes him upstairs so that they can both get changed into more appropriate clothing for a cemetery. Jeremy chooses a dark-grey henley and a pair of jeans for himself, and a yellow T-shirt and brown chinos for his boy. He decides to let Pete dress himself this time.
When they're both ready, Pete grabs Jeremy's wrist before he can go back out into the hallway. "Are you sure you're really okay doing this?" he asks carefully.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
Pete looks at him flatly, seeing through the act.
"It's not going to be the easiest thing in the world, I'll give you that," Jeremy concedes. "But it's about time I went anyway. Besides, I'll have Jess with me."
"And me."
This causes Jeremy to do a double-take. "What?"
"I'll be going too. As moral support."
"You don't have to do that," Jeremy tells him, even though he's touched.
"I know. But I lost my Mom and that was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I can't even imagine losing so many more loved ones in one fell swoop like you and Jess. I'm going too."
Yeah, Pete is definitely in a more adult mindset now, Jeremy muses. He's happy for it.
"Thanks," he says simply, taking Pete's hand.
Pete squeezes it. "No problem. You'd do the same for me at the drop of a hat, so don't even mention it. Yeah, you're my Daddy most of the time, but we're still equals and I still need to be there for you when you need me."
Jeremy admits that Pete has a point. Still holding hands, the pair go back downstairs and join Jess and James in the foyer. They slip on their shoes and leather jackets and head out the front door with the other couple, the somber mood hanging over all of their heads like a storm cloud. It says a lot about how seriously everyone is taking this that neither Jess nor Pete even attempts to crack a joke or make a teasing comment, as would be their wont at any other time.
"We'll meet you there, okay?" Jess says when they all reach Jeremy's Porsche in the driveway.
Jeremy nods. "Yeah, sure."
He watches as Jess and James walk down to the curb where they'd parked the car they'd rented after getting into town, and once they've driven off, he joins Pete in his own.
"Let's do this," he says, sticking his keys in the ignition.
Pete puts his hand on Jeremy's thigh as he backs out of the driveway. He doesn't let go for the whole ride.
* * *
> - Monday, December 9th, 2013 -
Pete jolts awake in the middle of the night to a pitch-black bedroom. He's disoriented at first, his brain sluggish as he wakes up properly, but when he turns over, searching for more sheets because he's cold, what woke him up becomes apparent and has him instantly alert. In the moonlight that shines in through the bedroom window, Pete can see Jeremy tossing and turning in bed next to him with sweat beading on his brow. He wears a deep frown and the sheets are a tangled mess around his waist and legs, which explains why Pete is cold.
"Jeremy?" Pete calls quietly. He's hesitant to reach out and touch his lover in case he wakes up violently, but when Jeremy whimpers again, it's such a broken sound that's uncharacteristic of him that Pete doesn't have a choice anymore.
"Jeremy, wake up. It's okay, it's just a nightmare," he soothes, tentatively touching Jeremy's bare shoulder.
"No…no…not them. Please…" Jeremy murmurs hoarsely.
Pete shakes him gently. "Jeremy, c'mon, you're okay."
He sucks in a sharp breath when Jeremy jackknifes up into a sitting position, his chest heaving as he looks wildly at his surroundings. When he realises that he's safe in his bedroom, he runs his fingers through his hair and then pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes scrunched shut as he calms himself down.
"D'you wanna talk about it?" Pete asks, sitting up as well and putting a hand on Jeremy's broad back. He can feel the tremors racking through him.
"Not yet," Jeremy croaks.
"Alright."
Pete waits patiently for the older man to gather himself, and once he has, he turns Jeremy's face toward his and cups his cheek, forcing their gazes to meet. He doesn't say anything yet, not willing to push Jeremy on something that's obviously so sensitive. He just strokes his thumb back and forth across Jeremy's bristly cheek and maintains eye contact, hoping that it will help him come back down from the unpleasant adrenaline high of whatever he dreamt about.
"Thanks for waking me up," Jeremy murmurs after a while. He kisses Pete's palm.
"No problem. It looked like a really bad one."
Jeremy makes a barely-there sound of distress. "It was."
Pete still doesn't request an explanation, leaving it entirely up to Jeremy. This patience pays off when Jeremy lies back down with a sigh and beckons him to do the same. They lie facing each other, their heads close together on the same pillow and their legs intertwined.
"I dreamed about my family." Jeremy reveals. "The night they…"
"The night of the break-in," Pete finishes for him. He's even more happy that he woke Jeremy up. It saved him from having to relive that horror a second longer.
Jeremy blinks his eyes rapidly, holding back tears. Pete has never seen the man like this before. Jeremy has always seemed so strong, like he has everything together, but every now and then Pete has seen glimpses of something more vulnerable. He's incredibly grateful to be witness to such things, that Jeremy trusts him enough to see him on the verge of breaking down like he is in this very moment.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Or if you can't," Pete reminds him. "I think I already know enough to piece it together."
With a sniffle, Jeremy gives Pete a wobbly smile. "It always happens like this."
Pete begins to rub his foot up and down one of Jeremy's calves. "What does?"
"After I go to see my family, it always triggers nightmares about that night again. Every single time. It's why I don't go that often."
"I wouldn't either," Pete says.
When he's sure that this is all he's going to get out of Jeremy tonight, Pete moves forward and kisses him, pouring into it every bit of tenderness and love he's capable of. Jeremy kisses him back for a few moments, wordlessly conveying that he appreciates Pete being there for him.
"D'you think you can get any more sleep tonight?" Pete asks when they break apart.
Jeremy shrugs one shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe."
With that answer, Pete shifts backwards slightly across the mattress and holds the sheets up, away from their bodies. "Turn around."
Jeremy looks at him bemusedly. "What?"
"Just turn around."
Eventually, Jeremy complies with Pete's wishes, turning over onto his other side so that his back is to Pete. With him in position, Pete moves closer again, drops the sheets and moulds the front of his body to Jeremy's back, spooning him. He enfolds Jeremy in his arms, the reverse of how they often sleep when they're in the same bed like this. The older man is tense at first, just as unused to it as Pete is.
"Just relax," Pete coaxes, his lips brushing over the back of Jeremy's neck. "We're not Daddy and boy right now. Just let me take care of you for tonight."
Jeremy fidgets a bit, getting more comfortable, but soon his muscles lose their tension. "It's been a long time since someone's held me like this."
Pete exhales a short breath of amusement through his nose. "It's nice, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Pete can't say how long they both lie there, but he guesses it takes just over an hour for him to sense a change in his bedmate. Jeremy's breathing becomes softer and more even as he falls back to sleep, and Pete is pleased with himself as he shuts his eyes with the intention of following him. It feels good to return the favour, to be there for Jeremy like Jeremy has consistently been there for him since they met just a few weeks ago. He prays that sleeping in his arms will stave off any further nightmares tonight, but if it doesn't, he'll still be right here to make his man forget about them.
— CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE —
- Monday, December 9th, 2013 -
When morning dawns, Jeremy opens his eyes and stares at the wall as memories of what occurred in the middle of the night return to him. He can still feel Pete's arms around him and soft breaths on the back of his neck, meaning that neither of them moved at all after their little talk. He's grateful, because after he fell back to sleep, he wasn't plunged right back into his awful nightmares. He didn't dream at all and he feels surprisingly rested, two very good things he's sure were caused by the subconscious knowledge that his young lover was right there with him all night, more than happy to soothe his raw nerves should he wake in a panic again.
Jeremy turns over and admires how Pete's usually animated face is relaxed in sleep and his lips are slightly parted as he breathes quietly. He runs his index finger down the centre of Pete's nose and smiles when it wrinkles at his touch and Pete makes a soft noise of annoyance.
"Wake up," Jeremy singsongs softly.
"Don't wanna…" Pete whines, tugging the sheets up over his head.
Jeremy allows him to hide for a few seconds, and then he pulls the sheets out of Pete's lax grip and pushes them down to their waists.
Pete pouts at Jeremy with his eyes only half open. "No fair…I'm still tired."
"It's nearly time for you to get up for school, so I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wake up now," Jeremy says.
"Ugh."
"I suppose I can let you get another few minutes…"
Pete shuts his eyes all the way again and snuggles into his pillow. "Thank you."
"But that means you'll miss out on your morning spanking," Jeremy finishes, knowing just what reaction this will elicit.
Sure enough, Pete snaps open his eyes again and sits up, alert. "God, mornings suck."
Jeremy sits up too, the sheets pooling in their laps. "They can. I like to think I make them a bit more bearable, though."
Pete nods. "You do. I did it, but before I had you to wake up to in the mornings, it was a real struggle to drag myself out of bed every weekday. It exasperated the shit out of my Dad."
"I can picture that. And what about when you sleep at home now?"
Pete nibbles on his bottom lip and looks down at his lap as he responds. "Now I get myself up anyway because you'd be disappointed in me if I didn't."
Jeremy reaches up and brushes Pete's blond curls back from his forehead. "Good boy."
They sit in content
ed silence for a few moments, neither one of them feeling the need to fill it with small talk. It's nice, but it gets Jeremy thinking again about the previous night. "I wanted to say thank you for what you did last night," he says, moving his hand from Pete's hair to rest on his shoulder, clasping it firmly.
Pete waves away the thanks. "It wasn't a big deal."
"It was," Jeremy insists. "It meant a lot."
"Well…I love you, so of course I'd help you," Pete says with a sweet smile.
Jeremy's heart does that fluttery thing at Pete's admission. He'll never tire of hearing those words. "I love you too, baby." He flings the sheets down to the foot of the bed and leans back against the pillows, freeing up some more space over his thick thighs. "Now come here. You've been so good this past week that I'll give you an extra long spanking as a reward. Your ass is more used to it now, so I think you'll be able to take it."
Pete willingly drapes himself over Jeremy's lap, his cute little butt raised up slightly so that it's in the perfect position for a spanking. As Jeremy tugs on the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, Pete grabs his teddy bear and holds it to his chest, sinking right back down into his little mindset. When his pale cheeks are exposed, Jeremy rubs his palms gently over them to help his boy relax even further and grins when he feels Pete's cock perking up against his crotch. It gets his own blood flowing south, and soon enough Pete grinds down onto him, rubbing their erections against each other.
"You ready?" Jeremy asks, stroking one last time across Pete's pale ass cheeks.
"Uh-huh. Please, Daddy," the boy begs, pushing up into Jeremy's hands.
How can Jeremy say no?
* * *
After they've both washed, dressed and eaten their breakfast, Pete walks with Jeremy into the foyer. He slips his leather jacket on over his red-and-brown flannel shirt, sits down on the stairs to put on his shoes and takes his time doing up his laces, his backpack nudging his right knee. He could easily say goodbye to Jeremy now, get in his car and drive himself to school, but there's something in him this morning that urges him to ask Jeremy to drive him.