“I figured you wanted me to put my best foot forward,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure what you want from me.”
“I want you to be happy, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to hold back.” I smiled. “My sister is used to me. If you think she’s being a jerk, call her on it. You’ll earn her love a lot quicker than you think.”
“Her love? Jonas, how serious is this?”
I thought about it for no more than a split second. “Very serious. I know we had a bit of a setback when I found out about Leo, but you make me happy."
I kissed him quickly, then smiled and shrugged. “Life isn’t always smooth sailing, and if I have to go through hard times, I want to do it with you by my side.”
“You mean that?” he asked, a little breathless, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I do.”
He kissed me and I chuckled, kissing him again when he pulled away. Then I heard someone clear their throat behind us, and turned to see my sister standing there, one hip to the side, a pie in each hand and a big smile on her face.
“I guess you’ve already had dessert,” she teased. “Oh well, more pie for me.”
And just like that, Arthur became part of our family, and I fell a little deeper in love.
17
Arthur
The sun was just setting Friday night when I pulled my Chevy Leaf into Jonas’s driveway and cut the engine. I tried to hide my nerves from Leo as I turned to look at him, putting on my stern, no-nonsense expression and hoping that he listened. “This is important, Leo. I need you to be on your best behavior.”
“You already said that once, Arthur." He rolled his eyes.
“I’m not messing around. We’re trusting you and Eddie to hang out alone while we go on a date. You mess up tonight, and it will be years before we trust you this much again.”
“Oooh,” Leo said, then laughed. “Chill out, all right? It’s gonna be fine. Eddie and I can handle this.”
“You better not bully him.”
“I won’t. I told you before, we have an understanding.”
“All right,” I said. “I want to believe that you’re making the progress I’m seeing, Leo. But I’m afraid that you’re trying too hard, and you’re going to get overwhelmed and regress.”
“Seriously, save the new-age parenting crap. Mrs. Granger is helping me a lot, and Eddie’s not so bad once you get past his dorkiness.”
“All right." I smiled. “I’m really proud of you.”
“Great. Can we go inside?”
“Sure.”
He got out of the car, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and hurried into the house. By the time I got to the door, he was already in Eddie’s room.
The door closed, and Jonas looked at me and shrugged. “This is better than last week,” he said with a laugh.
“I know. I just worry that Leo is overwhelming himself, trying to be so well-behaved.”
Jonas pulled me into his arms and kissed me until my legs shook and I couldn’t catch my breath. “Better?” he asked with a sheepish grin.
“Better.”
“Eddie can handle this. If there are any issues, he knows to text me or call.”
“I don’t live that far away.”
“Exactly. They’ll be fine.”
I laughed. “Isn’t it usually my job to convince you to relax?”
“It is,” he said. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
It took everything I had not to speed down the road to my house. By the time we got there, I was ready to rip his clothes off and take him right there in the car. But I forced myself to slow down, and when he reached out to take my hand and I saw the slightest shake of excitement, I knew Jonas needed an easy touch that night.
I led him up to my bedroom and dimmed the lights. His smile was almost shy as he looked around the room. “What?” I said.
“It’s not what I expected.”
“Were you thinking it was going to be a little more bohemian?”
He laughed nervously. “That’s a nice way to put it.”
“You know, I’m more than just my job.”
“I’m starting to see that,” he said. He took my hand and held it to his lips, kissing my palm. “It’s been a long time, Arthur.”
“For me, too. I’ll be gentle.”
“I know."
He tugged my hand and led me to my bed. I watched him undress slowly, leaving his clothes in a neat pile on the floor. I inhaled sharply when he stood in front of me, in all his naked glory, his body a map of tight muscles and taut skin.
“You’re beautiful,” I said, pulling him against me and holding him.
I ran my hands over his body, keenly aware that he was quaking beneath my touch. He stood there, completely naked, while I remained clothed, his nostrils flared with excitement as I ran my fingers over his broad chest and drank in every inch of his perfection.
“You’re so much more sure of yourself out there in the world,” I mused, kissing his shoulder, then working my way up to his neck. “I like this vulnerable side of you.”
He murmured something so softly I couldn’t hear him, but I was focused on his physical needs. It had been a long time since someone had gotten past Jonas’s defenses, and I was in no rush.
I used my phone to turn some slow jams on, then pulled him into my arms and swayed to the beat. I ran my hands over his back, cupping his taut ass and pulling him closer. His erection pressed against my thigh and my heart started racing.
Jonas wasn’t the only one excited.
By the time the song ended, Jonas was feeling friskier. I felt his hands tugging my shirt from the waistband of my pants. I let him, holding my arms up so he could pull the fabric over my head and toss it onto the floor.
The pile of clothes lost its order as Jonas slowly let go of his inhibitions. When I was naked, he stepped into my embrace again, and we danced around the room, just enjoying the heat of our skin touching.
“This is wonderful,” he said, his hand on my hip, body pressed so close to mine it was like we were one.
When he took the lead and danced me back over to the bed, I knew he was ready. I lowered him onto the bed, taking my time prepping him while he watched me.
My first finger slid inside him easily, but the second and third took a little more patience. He was on his back, legs resting on my thighs, his large, erect cock in my other hand. I moved my fingers inside him until his body stretched around them, then hovered over him while I slipped a condom on and grabbed his hips.
“You’ll like these,” I said. “Fire and ice, hot and cold all at once." I winked at him. “I bought them just for you.”
He moaned, raising his hips in a silent plea to quit teasing him. I chuckled, then pulled him closer to me so my cock brushed his tight opening. I held his gaze, sliding into him slowly, letting his body stretch around my erection before I thrust deeper.
Holding my weight on one arm, I used my other hand to stroke him. I squeezed and tugged, and before long he was pumping his hips, matching my rhythm. He pulled me close and wrapped his legs around my hips.
I held my weight on both hands now, and drove into him, going deeper with each thrust. Heat burned inside me, my own body desperate for release, but I forced myself to wait.
I was rewarded for my patience when Jonas froze, then began trembling as his orgasm overwhelmed him. His body flexed around my cock, and I lost what was left of my tenuous control.
I rode him hard while he bucked and writhed in ecstasy beneath me, bearing down with each thrust as my own climax built to a fever pitch. When the familiar wave of peace right before the fireworks washed over me, I gathered him into my arms more tightly and loved him until there wasn’t a drop left inside me.
We collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs, our breathing labored, hearts racing frantically, holding each other as we basked in the beauty of our coupling.
He was still breathing hard when he spoke, too excited to keep h
is thoughts to himself until he recovered. “That was better than I imagined it would be.”
I kissed him passionately, moaning when he hugged me so tightly our bodies connected on every inch. “Are you ready for round two?” he said with a laugh.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, biting his lip and tearing at my heartstrings. It would take every ounce of strength I had to say no to him. I laughed to myself. Why even try?
I answered by taking him again and again, until we fell against the mattress hours later, exhausted and completely spent.
* * *
Jonas pulled up to the house and parked beside my car, leaning in for one last kiss before he turned off the engine and got out. He took my hand and we walked up the driveway, a cool breeze blowing, the stars sparkling on the crisp, clear night.
“The house is still here, so that’s a good sign,” Jonas said, teasing me a little.
“I told you they could handle it.”
Jonas let us in the side door. He put his finger to his lips, smiling mischievously at the prospect of surprising the boys. We crept down the hall, but had only gone a few steps when Jonas froze and looked at me.
“I smell smoke,” he whispered, his smile gone.
I’d already smelled it, and I knew that he wasn’t smelling just any smoke. Apparently Leo had brought his vape pen with him. And from the strength of the odor, I had a feeling that for the first time in his life, Leo was happily sharing.
18
Eddie
“You want another piece of pizza?” I asked, eyeing the last two pieces.
“Naw, I’m good,” Leo said, focused on the video game. “You sure you don’t wanna play?”
I shook my head. “I’m not really into violent video games. I’d rather kill zombies, you know? Besides, we’ve been playing for almost an hour. How about we do something else?”
Leo looked at me and rolled his eyes dramatically. “No wonder you always get bullied. You’re super lame, just like your dad.”
“You’d better get used to it. It looks like they’re in it for the long haul, which means we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
“They won’t last. They never do. My dad will move on to bigger and better things, and your dad will be—”
I cut him off mid-sentence. He blinked, but he didn’t try to stop me. “I’m not going to let you bait me. And I don’t get bullied all the time. I get bullied by you. Now that I understand why you’re insecure, it’s easier to ignore your nonsense.”
His smile disappeared and a scowl replaced it. He glared at me without bothering to pause his game. “You know, lots of people talk about you having a gay dad. It’s not like I’m the one who started it.”
“People talk. That doesn’t mean I have to listen to them.”
“And what if I don’t want people talking about my dad? If they find out about us, they’re going to be even worse.”
“Why do you care? Who cares what they think?”
Leo threw his head back and laughed. “You’re such a loser.”
Then the screen flashed red as Leo’s character crumpled to the ground, and it was my turn to laugh as the screen flashed the word loser in his face. “Looks like I’m in good company.”
Leo tossed the controller at the gaming console, his aim so accurate that it bounced and landed almost exactly where I normally set the controllers when I was done playing. He looked at me, his smile different this time.
“Wanna try something new?" He pulled a vape pen out of his pocket and held it out. “It won’t get you high, it just takes the edge off.”
“Hard pass.”
“Oh, I forgot. The golden boy doesn’t have any stress to worry about. I guess you don’t need it."
He turned it on and took a hit, blowing the gray vapor at me, laughing when I waved my hand in front of my face to block it. “Is it painful to be this lame?”
“I’m not lame. I’m just not into smoking.”
“It’s vaping. Duh." He took another hit. “Just try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll never mention it again. Arthur went extra on this one, so it tastes like chocolate.”
“Chocolate?” I repeated, then sighed. “Fine, just wipe your germs off.”
“Only if you do, too. I don’t wanna catch the lame-o disease.”
He passed me the vape pen, and I took a deep breath and let it out. He grabbed it from me, shaking his head with an angry scowl on his face. “You’re wasting it. You have to do it like this, and hold it in for a few seconds before you let it out.”
He demonstrated, then handed the pen back, and I tried again. “That’s better. I can’t believe how bad you messed that up.”
“I’ve never smoked before,” I said.
“Shocking.”
I took another hit; this time, I could feel the calm begin to settle in. I looked him right in the eye and took one last hit before I handed it back. “You know, you could try not being a jerk. I know that seems impossible, but it really is just as much work to be nice as it is to be an asshole.”
He laughed, vapor spewing out of his nose and mouth like some sort of strung-out dragon, his eyes already lowering as he smiled. “Naw. I like being me. No one messes with me.”
“That’s because no one knows the real you. If you could just act like you do here, you could probably make a friend." I laughed. “Or maybe even two friends.”
“Funny,” he said, blowing vapor in my face again.
“We should put this away. I don’t want my dad catching me when they get home.”
His smile sent a chill down my spine, but it was nothing compared to the fear that gripped me when I heard my dad call out my name as he raced toward my room. “They’re already here,” Leo said, laughing.
“You did that on purpose!” I hissed. He must’ve seen them come back through the window. I frantically tried to figure out how to explain this to my dad. “You’re trying to get me in trouble!”
“Prove it, yo,” he said, then laughed again just as the door swung open. My father tripped over his feet as he skidded to a halt, his eyes landing on the vape pen. He looked up and pointed an accusing finger at Leo. “You brought this into my house? How dare you!”
“Chill, man. It’s not pot, just CBD." Leo rolled his eyes. “You were all about it when my dad was talking to your family. Were you fronting?”
“Was I what?” my dad sputtered; then he turned and gave Arthur a look. “I can’t deal with this right now. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Arthur nodded. “I understand." Then Arthur waved Leo out of the room, and they were gone.
“I can’t believe this, Eddie. You know better than that.”
“I seriously took one hit, and I didn’t even like it.”
Dad threw his hands up in the air, then kept pacing around my room. “Oh, that makes it so much better,” he said, eyes narrowed and his steps quick.
He’s pissed, I thought, but I stood my ground. “Look, Dad, I just wanted to try it. I’m sorry, but it’s not like I can go to the gym or just take off in my car when I’m stressed. I’m stuck here unless you take me somewhere, and you’ve been so into Arthur that you’ve barely been home.”
“So, you’re saying this is my fault?”
I shook my head angrily. “No. I’m saying that I’m stressed out, I miss being in school, and I don’t have a damn outlet for my anger. I’m trying my best to do everything right, but I’m human, and I can’t be perfect no matter how bad you want it.”
He stopped abruptly and spun around. I braced myself for his anger, but he looked sad. Almost broken. “You don’t have to be perfect, Eddie. I just want you to make better choices.”
“Dad, I make good choices all the time. I just wanted to see if it really would help me relax a little.”
“Did it?”
I shrugged. “Yes and no. I mean, I don’t feel very calm now, and I only got one good puff in before you came running. Now I just feel like a damn failure.”
�
�You’re not a failure. It’s Leo. He messes up everything he touches.”
“You can’t say things like that, Dad. Leo’s entire world is changing, and he’s gone through this before. Do you know why Leo’s mom lost her rights to him?”
“No.”
“Well, I do. Leo told me, and Dad, it’s awful. Big changes trigger him, because every time his mother moved them in with a new boyfriend, something bad happened.
“And all the big changes in his life have been things most of us have never experienced. He’s lived in group homes, foster families that were great, and some that were almost as bad as his mother and her boyfriends.
“And then Arthur came along. And even though he chose Leo, and Leo knows that Arthur loves him like his own, Leo still thinks that Arthur is going to wake up one day and realize that Leo is a pain in the ass.”
“He’s afraid he’s going to lose Arthur,” my dad interjected.
“He didn’t say it, but I think that’s what it is. And here we come, with our perfect-looking family, and you’re such a good dad, and I’m such a do-gooder. He feels like he can’t measure up.
“Jeez, Dad. This is what you do for a living. Why can’t you see what I see?”
He sighed. “Because it’s directed at you.” He plopped down on my bed and patted the space beside him. When I sat down, he put his arm around me and squeezed tight. “I can’t be coolheaded about it when it’s my own son.”
“I get it, but you have to change how you talk to Leo. He needs your style of parenting.”
He laughed. “You made it sound like being a perfectionist was bad.”
“It’s annoying, but Arthur is so easygoing that Leo needs someone like you to help balance him out.”
“Now you sound like them.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I challenged. “Can’t we be a little bit hippie and a little bit yuppie?”
“I don’t know about hippie, but we could stand to tone it down a little bit.”
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