“So, you guys are like serious or whatever, now?” Calvin asked, startling Patton from his sleepy state. He looked over and met Calvin’s eyes and the boy nicked his chin out at his brother. Wes stirred at the mild intrusion of his brother’s voice but settled as Patton petted him again, snuggling his hand up under Patton’s thigh.
Patton nodded. “Yeah, I’d say so. I mean, it’s only high school, and it’s not like we can stay together forever, but I definitely think it’s serious.”
Calvin stared into the fire and didn’t say anything for a minute. When he did, he looked up and met Patton’s eyes again. “He loves you, you know?”
Patton smiled softly and nodded, looking down at Wes’s profile.
“Everything he talks about has something to do with you. It’s all ‘Patton this’ or ‘Patton that.’ It’s honestly just as disgusting as it is cute.” They both snickered and Wes shifted slightly at the sound. “I’ve never seen him like this,” Calvin continued. “So googly-eyed over someone. I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew how much he loves you. It doesn’t seem like you’d be the type of person to hurt him, but I’m still glad to hear that you think it’s serious between you guys. I know it’s only been a little while, but if you guys ever break up, he’s going to be crushed.”
Patton ran a soothing hand down Wes’s shoulder and side. Whether he was soothing Wes or himself, he couldn’t say.
The future was something neither of them had really talked about all that much. Patton knew he wanted to become a master boat builder, but what did Wes see himself doing? What would things look like if they managed to stay together through high school? Would they just break up after graduation because they’d both be going their separate ways, or would they be able to find a place they could both go to school and study what they each wanted while still staying together? A year and a half was a long time for any relationship, but one in high school was like a Guinness world record or something. After that? Who knew. Once they reached the real world, everything would probably change.
“Do you know what he wants to study?” Patton asked Calvin, hoping to glean some possible insights into Wes’s future plans. “Or if he even wants to go to college? I’m not sure we’ve ever talked about that, and I hadn’t really thought too much about the future, you know?”
Calvin nodded. “I’m not sure either. He’s never really had a passion or anything that he was that good at that we were all just like, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s totally what you should do,’ you know? At least I’ve never heard Mom or Dad talking about anything like that with him. Aside from those gross-ass worms, he’s not really all that interested in money. He just does that for extra cash.”
Patton had helped Wes prepare his shed for the winter. Wes raised and sold worms for several of the local bait shacks around the area. He had a massive setup in the shed in their backyard, and in early October, Patton had helped him insulate the walls and the ceiling for the cold months ahead. Wes had said that business would slow down considerably, but he would still get occasional orders because of all the ice fishing in the area. He’d still needed to protect his investment over the winter, though, so all of his breeding stock wouldn’t die.
Unquestionably, worms had never been something Patton had given much thought to. But since he’d helped Wes with his business and learned more than he thought he ever would, or should, know about worms, he had to admit, for the amount of effort involved, the payout was decent. Aside from about ten or fifteen minutes a couple of times a week, the worms pretty much did all the work themselves just by growing.
“Hey, boys,” Janice said, interrupting Patton’s thoughts as she popped into the room. She gestured over her shoulder. “Dessert is ready.”
“What about the girls?” Taylor asked, looking up from her coloring with a pout on her face.
Janice grinned. “Sorry, ladies. I’m a mother of two boys so calling out for the boys is just what I do. How about, ladies and gentlemen? Would that be better?” Janice teased.
Taylor and Tallie both nodded excitedly and lept up from their projects in a whirl of feathers and crayon wrappers. They followed Janice back into the kitchen, and Calvin trailed behind with his eyes glued back on his phone.
Patton ran his hand down Wes’s side and up under the front of his shirt over his abs. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Wes’s temple. “Hey, baby. Time to wake up. Everyone is having dessert, and I need to pee.”
Wes grumbled lightly about the turkey making him sleepy and moved his arm up and over Patton’s thigh to hold on to him as he attempted to go back to sleep. They both noticed as Patton’s body responded to Wesley’s hand being so close to his crotch. Wes’s eyes popped open, and Patton felt embarrassment wash through him as he hardened right under Wes’s cheek.
He groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Wesley, you need to get up,” he mumbled through his hands.
Wes didn’t respond with words but grabbed Patton tighter around his inner thigh and nuzzled into Patton’s lap with his ear.
“Ugh. Baby, no. You know I can’t resist your hands anywhere near me.” Patton squirmed belatedly realizing that that was only making things worse for himself. Wesley took advantage and moved his hand up farther, giving Patton a firm squeeze through his jeans. He yelped and groaned at the same time, and Wes shushed him as he sat up quickly and kissed him.
“Tonight,” Wes whispered against his lips, and Patton shuddered as he squeezed him again.
Wes tugged his hand, and Patton grumbled as he was yanked off the sofa with an awkward pinch to things. He did his best to adjust and pulled Wes in close for a proper kiss before Wes headed off to the kitchen for pie and Patton headed to the bathroom.
It wasn’t until an hour later that they finally found themselves alone and locked in Patton’s bedroom.
They’d all had their apple and pumpkin pie and then bundled up for a short walk partway around the lake. After their earlier Turkey Trot 5K, Patton didn’t think he was up for more than a short walk and maybe some fooling around with his boyfriend after everyone had gone their own way to recover from their food hangovers.
Patton turned on his desk lamp and switched on the TV to some holiday movie, but his total and complete focus was on Wesley, who was seductively walking backward while teasing Patton with the removal of his long-sleeved shirt. And as much as he wanted to see where things would head once their shirts came off, he was more interested in watching Wes to see what he’d do with Patton’s eyes on him instead.
“Like what you see, sweet pea?” Wes drawled and lifted his hem just enough to expose his ribs but not his nipples. The smattering of hair Wes had that led below his belt was something that always drew Patton’s eyes as well.
“You know I do. God, you are so damn sexy. I was going to hang back and see what you would do if I just watched you, but now I need to touch you. After that little scene you pulled earlier and keeping me half-hard all day, now seeing you tease me like this… I wanted to see where things would go, but now I’m pretty sure they’re going dirty places.”
Wes groaned and immediately tugged his shirt off then came up, and without warning, kissed Patton and untucked his shirt, starting to unbutton it immediately. Patton gripped Wes’s hips and held him tight as they kissed, and when Wes finished the last button, he shoved the fabric back off Patton’s shoulders and trapped his wrists behind him. Their chests brushed together, and Wes used one hand to hold Patton’s hands captive, then brought his free hand back to fiddle with the button on Patton’s jeans.
Patton gasped and sucked in his stomach, but Wes used that opportunity to shove both his tongue into Patton’s mouth and his hand down the front of Patton’s pants.
They’d never ventured this far before and had only ever gotten off while kissing or grinding against each other. It was extremely bold for Wes to be making such a move, and Patton loved it. He’d been wondering when they might step things up a notch and get to so
me actual touching, but he was all for Wes making the first move. He hadn’t wanted to press things and have Wes not be ready for more so soon. Wes making the move definitely told him all he needed to know: that maybe them confessing that they loved each other had been the last step they’d needed to push things over the edge.
“Okay?” Wes murmured against his lips as Patton hardened completely and nodded while pressing himself into Wes’s grasping fingers. He could feel the material of his boxers straining against his skin and groaned when Wes gripped him and returned to kissing him in earnest.
Wes squeezed him a couple of times and shifted his hand to get a better grasp but eventually just pulled his hand back out of his pants and made quick work of getting Patton out of his tangled shirt.
Patton watched him, breathing hard, as Wes unbuttoned his own pants and pulled down his zipper. He paused and looked back at Patton. “Will you touch me? I want to touch you so bad, but I want you to touch me too. I’ve been dying to feel your hands on me for weeks, and I’m beyond ready for us to do more.”
Patton didn’t answer with words but placed his hands on Wes’s chest and watched himself touch his boyfriend. He smoothed his hands up over Wes’s collarbone onto his shoulders and then down over his pecs and ran his fingertips along his favorite place, Wes’s ribs and abs. Maybe it was because Wes was so thin that Patton found the area so enticing, but the ridges and valleys that were on display there had Patton tracing every curve and line with both eyes and hands. Whatever it was, Patton loved it and a quick glance lower told him Wes loved it too.
Quickly toeing out of his shoes, Patton kicked them aside and Wes followed his lead, watching him the whole time. God, he loved the power he felt when Wes looked at him that way. Like everything he did was something amazing and watching Wes respond to him made him feel bold in ways nothing else ever had.
Trying not to overthink anything, Patton caught Wes’s eyes and lowered his own zipper then dropped his jeans completely and kicked them to the side. He stood in just his socks and boxers in front of his boyfriend and tried not to tremble as Wes got his first almost complete view of him. There would have been absolutely no way he would have thought he’d be baring himself to anyone, let alone a boyfriend, just a few months ago, but the way Wes’s eyes caressed his skin and took in every detail, left no doubt in his mind that Wes found him more than appealing.
His pulse jumped when a door slammed down the hallway, but as they listened and nothing more came of it, Wes quickly and quietly discarded his jeans as well, and they stood in front of each other almost completely naked and extraordinarily aroused. The heightening of his senses at the feeling he might get caught left Patton nervous and giddy at the same time.
Wes’s tall, lean body was highlighted only by the flickering of the TV and the lamp from his desk, throwing Wes’s defined muscles into shadows of light and dark, and Patton had never seen anything more beautiful.
The tent in Wes’s briefs jumped and Patton’s eyes caught the movement. As he watched, they jumped again and that was all the invitation Patton needed. He threw himself at Wesley, immediately wrapping his guy up in a tight hold, kissing him, and sliding his hands down to cup Wes’s ass.
They lined up almost perfectly and when their dicks nudged each other, they both made a sound of approval as Patton pulled Wes in tighter. Wes wrapped Patton up just as tightly and took things up a notch by sliding one hand into Patton’s hair and the other down inside the elastic of his boxers to grip his butt.
Patton followed Wes’s lead and wasted no time in shoving both his hands inside the back of Wes’s briefs, grasping a cheek in each hand. Wes felt so good and warm against him. He loved the new feeling of their bodies rubbing together without all their heavy clothing in the way, and he punched his hips forward in rhythm with Wes as they almost frantically tried to touch all the skin they could reach.
It wasn’t long before Wes tore his mouth free and gasped, “Touch me! I need you so bad, baby. It won’t take much, but I want to come in your hand. Please…” He groaned and latched his lips back to Patton’s as Patton about came on the spot at hearing that sound. He immediately moved his right hand to the front of Wes’s briefs and fumbled a bit as the elastic restricted his movement. He finally managed to wrangle the elastic down, freeing Wes’s straining erection as Patton wrapped his hand around another dick for the first time.
Wes was so hard and hot but like velvet to the touch, and as Patton moved his hand up to the tip, he felt a bead of moisture and swiped at it with his thumb. Wes whimpered and moved his mouth to the side of Patton’s neck as he gasped in air and lavished his ear and throat with attention.
A sound Patton had never made before escaped his throat as Wes reciprocated and snuck his hand into Patton’s boxers. He gripped Patton in much the same way Patton held him and they were a panting, groping, frantic ball of lust as they touched and stroked and kissed each other until they both came gasping out curses and profanities to the heavens.
They somehow stumbled their way to the bed and used Patton’s bedside box of tissues to clean themselves up. They snuggled under the covers, making out until the movie was over, and when Patton finally walked Wesley out to his car a little before eleven, they held each other tight in the silent darkness of the night as little snowflakes fell gracefully from the sky.
Chapter 14
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” Wes asked as he sat in a corner of the boathouse wrapped up in a blanket reading but also watching Patton as he was working with the wood around the bow of his boat.
Patton looked up from where he’d been lost in thought and smiled. “Something your brother said the other day,” he replied and set down the wire cutters he’d been holding.
Wes frowned as he watched Patton come over to him. “What did he say? I’m sure it wasn’t anything to be thinking so hard over. Calvin’s a punk.”
Patton chuckled and kissed the furrow between his brows. “It wasn’t anything bad. He was actually kinda cute. He basically told me that I needed to treat you right and told me how much you liked me. He was worried that I didn’t feel the same way toward you and wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to rip your heart out and stomp all over it.”
Wes’s jaw dropped. It took him a moment to reply and Patton laughed again. “He did?”
Patton nodded. “He’s just looking out for you in his own way. He was glad to hear that I loved you too and that I have no intention of ripping any hearts out.”
All Wes could do was nod mutely. He never would have thought his brother would have anything to say on the matter either way. The fact that he’d spoken to his boyfriend about their relationship was both weird and kinda cool.
“See. Worth a second thought,” Patton said and plopped down next to Wes on the small bench. Wes shrugged and Patton continued. “But he also brought up something that we’ve never really talked about before. And I know that it’s far away and maybe we won’t even be together anymore, but what do you want to do with your life? Like, do you want to go to college? Trade school? I don’t even know what you would study or what you want to be when you get older, but I’ve never asked, and Calvin had no clue either.”
“When did you get so chummy with my little brother?” Wes grumbled but smiled as he pulled Patton closer, setting his book down and wrapping his blanket around the both of them. The first week in December was proving true to form and the temperature was already frigid. They’d rigged up a decent heating system for the small boathouse but it was still cool inside. Wes didn’t complain too much though because the cold weather gave him an excuse to snuggle with his guy a lot.
“So you guys were talking about me, huh? I guess I figured you’d end up hearing something embarrassing from my mom, but I didn’t expect you and my brother to hit it off,” Wes teased.
“We only talked for a few minutes while you were sleeping, and he just asked if I was as into you as you were into me. I said I was but that I couldn’t say what the futu
re would hold and had no idea what to expect after we graduated. Nevermind the fact that we even have to make it to graduation and still be together for any of that to matter.”
Wes squeezed Patton in closer. “I’ll still want to be together,” Wes declared. “I love you and have no plans on changing that. But on the subject of graduation and what I was thinking about afterward, I guess I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately too. You’ve kind of inspired me, and I think I’d like to become a teacher maybe.”
“Really?”
Wes nodded. “Maybe. A health teacher. Teaching high school kids, or something like that, about being healthy and how to make real changes in their lives. Plus, if I taught in high school I could be the track coach and that would be really cool. I could still run and teach kids how to get out and be active, and if I could get paid to do that, then why not? Plus, I’ve kind of already looked into schools in Maine, and there’s one along the coast that has a teaching program. Not sure how far it would be from where you’d be, but maybe we could live somewhere in between the two.”
Patton pulled out of Wes’s arm and looked at him like he’d lost his mind. It was actually kind of adorable on him. “What?” he asked, wondering why Patton was staring at him like that.
Patton opened and closed his mouth before finally blurting out, “You’re moving to Maine?”
“Well, isn’t that where you’re going? I figured you’d be taking some apprenticeship or going to boat school there or something. If you wanted to go somewhere else I could look into that. It doesn’t really matter to me where we go I guess, I just figured teaching programs were pretty universal, and I could go just about anywhere, but you’d need to go where the boats are, you know?”
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