Soldier

by AKM Miles

  “Oh, that’s probably Pee Wiggles, our new pup. I doubt if you can pry them away from him. He is a cutie.”

  “You name him, Soldier?” Daniel teased.

  “Not.” Soldier snorted. “Gom did. That’s what the pup did all over him first thing, so I guess he just figured he’d name him that. I didn’t question it.”

  “Well, I’ll be going. I’ll come by later this week, Daniel, and see you and check out the stuff on the kids. Nice to meet both of you. Take care.” The officer left by the seldom used front door. The three adults stood looking at each other until they heard him drive away.

  “Dill, are they gonna take me away...?” They heard the little voice and looked up to see Gom sitting on the top of the steps. There was a steady stream of tears on his face.

  “Come on down here, buddy,” Soldier went to the bottom of the stairs and waited. Before Gom got to the bottom, he launched himself at Soldier, who was ready, knowing what Gom would do. Gom did his limpet imitation and both arms and legs wrapped as far as they could around Soldier and clung for dear life.

  “It’s okay. You think I’d let anyone take you away from Dill?”

  Gom shook his head back and forth on Soldier but wouldn’t raise his head. It was clear that he felt safest right where he was. Soldier held on and let Gom absorb the strength he needed from him. Soldier had it to spare.

  “All right, any of you others just waiting up there? Come on... and you can bring the dogs down, too.” Dillon said. The room was full in seconds. Clearly, they’d all been waiting for permission to come down again. Everyone started talking at once.

  “Quiet!” Soldier snapped out and it became silent. “Thank you. Daniel, Dillon, can you all reassure these boys?”

  “Certainly. No one is going anywhere. We’ll all be together. I’m going to take steps to insure that this house stays as it is. We’ve been a part of the shelter... sort of. We have Soldier’s backing now, and his funding. We’ll look into what we need to do.” Dillon looked at all of them as he spoke. They all seemed to relax as he finished.

  Soldier looked at Daniel. “Can you stay for a bit? I have some questions.” At Daniel’s nod, Soldier looked at Dillon and said, “I think it’s time for ice cream sundaes. How glad am I that we bought that cooler? I still bet the ice cream’s a little soft.” That was the least of their worries now.

  “Sounds good,” Dillon agreed, readily.

  “Let’s go get the stuff we bought and send them up to put it away. We’ll get the treats ready. They’ll have a late night, but I think they need it right now. You?” Soldier wanted Dillon’s agreement with the plans he suggested.

  “Good ideas. Tommy and Daniel, will you all help me get the stuff out of the truck? Wait’ll you all see what we got for you.” Dillon shook his head, smiling, trying to get them all to lighten up. “Man, Soldier’s a spending machine. We’ll divide it up and, Tommy, I’m putting you in charge of getting them all into the right hands and so on. Any problems, we’ll sort out tomorrow. Everybody meet back here for treats, then bed.” He gestured for them all to get going.

  Things moved along according to plan and, before long, the kids were in their rooms. Who knew where the dogs ended up? Gom finally let go of Soldier when Pee Wiggles needed him. The mess was cleared up and the three men were sitting around the table with coffee, despite the Texas heat.

  “First, let me ask: Dillon, do you really have your foster parent license?” Soldier needed that cleared up.

  “No, but we’d talked about it and I’ve filled out the application. I’m just waiting to hear. There is no reason why I shouldn’t be approved, now.”

  “I’ll get my lawyers to check on it and see. I want to do the same. Now, what’s the possibility of our both being foster parents here together? Is it against the law?” Soldier hesitated at the next question, but it had to be asked. “Do we have to not be together in order to have these kids here? I don’t know the laws here. What kind of trouble are we going to encounter?”

  “Are you all a couple? I’ll check on the different ways the law looks at the situation.” Daniel seemed a little embarrassed. “I think you have a better chance if you’ve established that you’re a solid unit, uh, not just lovers, you know?” Daniel looked uncomfortable asking the personal question.

  “I think we more or less established ourselves as a couple today, a solid unit. Don’t you agree, Dillon?” Soldier looked over at the other half of his heart. “And I’m not just saying that to fit some kind of mold for the law to like.”

  “I agree. I’d like to talk more about it, but I can honestly say that I’d be happy to never say goodbye to you. Actually, I’d be happy to be right here in this house or one next door or in a tree-house out back, if you were there. How’s that for solid?” Dillon’s eyes never left Soldier’s as he made the statement.

  “I like it.” Soldier more than liked it. He just didn’t want to declare his feelings in front of someone else before he did so to Dillon first.

  Daniel said, “Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to check on the progress of Dillon’s application. I know someone in that office. I’ll get you an application and you can come by the shelter tomorrow, Soldier.” He looked from Soldier to Dillon and then back to Soldier.

  “Sure, I’ll be down.”

  “I doubt you’ll have a hard time getting approved, except for the home part. I know you have to have a job and a home that’s acceptable. This, with a little work, will work for one of you, but we have to do some checking on how it would work if both of you lived here,” Daniel said.

  “If I have to, I’ll live next door. We want to be together in the same house, if it can be worked out. If not, we’ll figure something out. Dillon has a paying job.” Soldier wanted to get that established right away. “He’s director of this house. He’ll have a salary as of sometime next week. I’ll have the lawyers draw up the papers and make it all nice and legal, so he has no trouble passing on any questions they come up with.” He glanced at Daniel for confirmation.

  “Sounds good.”

  “With you backing him and me funding him and the house, it should be clear. I’ll work on my own application and, in the meantime, be building something next door with an apartment for me, separate from the area for children.” Soldier got more and more excited about the idea and expanded on it. “We may even connect the two buildings somehow so that it’s like a compound. It all bears thinking about, but things are looking better. Agreed?”

  Both men nodded. Next question.

  “Are there papers somewhere on these kids? Is there someone looking for them? I mean, I know Gom was in the system and ran away, so aren’t they looking for him? Is he likely to be taken away if they find him?”

  “No, there’s no one out there looking for Gom.” Daniel said, and Dillon agreed with a shake of his head.

  “What about Tommy? Hell, what about all of them? Will we be allowed to keep them if we do get the approval for fostering?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll deal with whatever comes up.” Dillon said.

  “I know they’ve stayed hidden here. Was that for safety from outside or just to make them feel safe inside?” Soldier was afraid to think of losing them. He was amazed at the depth of emotion they’d brought out in him in such a short time.

  Daniel tried to explain." It started out some of both, but I’ve been working on it all along. We don’t just spirit them away and hide them.” He paused, then went on. “Well, in some cases we do. Tommy, for example. We do what we feel is necessary. Let’s just say I’ve been creative in some of my explanations to authorities as to where the boys are in some cases. We’ve been able to get by with it, so far, but we’re working on making it more acceptable.”

  Dillon broke in with, “Daniel knows just how to work the system to get what we need for these boys.”

  Daniel shrugged his shoulders as he explained. “They trust me, bless them, and I have paperwork on all of the ones in question. It’s
just that Dillon and I know that these particular boys can’t handle the whole regular foster care thing. They’ve been the family route, the mom and dad thing, and it’s blown up in their faces, damned near scarred them for life... uh...” Daniel said, then stopped suddenly, his eyes flicking back and forth between Soldier and Dillon.

  “Oh, please, don’t even act like you think I care that you said the word scarred. I’m a little thicker-skinned than that. You, Dillon?”

  “Yeah, yeah, yada yada, scarred for life. Go on.” Dillon smiled at Daniel to show he was teasing him.

  Daniel went on with is explanation, saying, “In some cases, it was the mom who traumatized them, but a lot of the times it was the father figure, or just a male in the household. They can’t handle some scenes and, when we know that, we set things up where they are listed as staying here, in a temporary foster setting, and I’m allowed to be in charge of their records and speak for them.”

  Soldier figured they weren’t really doing anything illegal, but they were toeing the line a little in some cases. But he deemed it worthwhile for the boys’ sakes. He listened as Daniel went on about the boys.

  “It started with one and then two and kind of grew out of hand before we could follow through on our set-up plans. Let’s meet again in a couple of days and see how far we’ve gotten. How’s that?”

  Daniel needed to get back to the shelter and had lots to get ready and figured out. So did the other two. They all said goodnight and Daniel left. Soldier looked at Dillon and smiled a little.

  ”Never a dull moment,” Soldier said, sighing.

  “Yeah. I didn’t mean to not tell you about the foster parent thing. I was just waiting to see if it came through. I wasn’t as sure of it as Daniel was. I wasn’t intentionally leaving you out of the loop. We’ve had so many other things going on, it slipped my mind. We haven’t been together that long, but we are a unit.”

  “So, Daniel thinks you’ll get it?”

  “I think it’ll have a better chance with all you say you’re setting up, but I wasn’t sure and I didn’t want to say anything. I was scared it wasn’t going to happen, and then I wouldn’t know what to do for the boys, but you came along and things just whirled into high gear. I’ve had a few other things on my mind.”

  “I’m going to check and see what the laws of Texas are about gay men as foster parents, both singly and as couples. I’m not at all knowledgeable about stuff like that. It may not even be a problem. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was just fine?” Soldier had another thought about what they’d talked about with Daniel here.

  “Too good to be true.” Dillon grinned at Soldier.

  “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot earlier.” Soldier knew he had a bad habit of doing things spur of the moment. “I tend to do things in a big hurry. I make up my mind and I do it. With you, I’ve made up my mind. You’re it. I don’t want to be your boyfriend. I want to be your partner, as in life-partner. Too soon?”

  “I... uh... Soldier, are you saying, do you mean... I don’t know if...”

  “Well now, Silver Tongue, are you trying to ask me my intentions?” Soldier loved the look on Dillon’s face, sort of a cross between delight and hope.

  Dillon blushed to the roots of his hair. “I guess so. It just seems funny to talk about being life partners when we haven’t even made any declarations.”

  “You look nervous. I don’t know if you want me to say yes or no.” Which kind of made Soldier nervous.

  “Let me make it easy for you. Soldier, I’m into you. I’ve never felt like I do now with anyone else. Granted, I’ve not had many opportunities, but I know what I feel. I don’t want there to be any doubts in your mind that I know what I’m saying. I’m not a kid and I’m not someone who isn’t sure of himself. I’d like to start a life with you.” Dillon’s face was open and his eyes clear as he declared his intentions to Soldier.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. I’m not that good with words, but I feel the same way, Dillon. I want to be yours. I want to live here and take care of these boys and others like them.” Soldier's voice was sure and steady. ”I want to make a life with you. And, uh, don’t situations like this usually end in a kiss?”

  “I love that you love to kiss. Just love that about you.” Dillon smiled at Soldier and added, “That, and a million other things. Think it’s safe to kiss here? Can we keep it at that?”

  “Maybe we could take it outside? But we just declared our love for each other and our hope for a future. If you think I’m going to bed without a kiss, think again.”

  “The kids are asleep. Laundry room?”

  “Good idea. Come on.”

  They were in and had the door closed and, of course, Dillon found himself pushed up against it.

  “Hmm mmm,” Dillon protested, before Soldier could take his mouth. “Wait. Let me get on top of the dryer. Put me on your level and then you won’t have to bend so much and...”

  Soldier picked him up and put him on the dryer.

  “Mmmm. Something else I love about you. You’re so strong... and big... and sexy... and a good kisser... show me...”

  Soldier laughed and complied. He pursed his lips and kissed Dillon, short sweet kisses, one right after the other. He never settled in and sank into a really good one.

  “What are you doing?” Dillon laughed into Soldier's mouth. He had his arms around Soldier, one hand rubbing his head, and the other squeezing the back of his neck.

  “I’m afraid to let go and kiss you like I want to. I don’t have a good history in here.” Dillon stated, ruefully.

  “Silly. Does the door have a lock on it?”

  Soldier leaned over and flipped it. That was all it took. Dillon didn’t even have time to take a good breath before his mouth was engulfed in Soldier’s. Soldier wanted to inhale him. Dillon seemed to want it just as much.

  ”Dillon?” Soldier pulled back, sensing that Dillon had something to say.

  “It just suddenly hit me. You love me. You are so much the man of my dreams and you love me. And you love my boys. I’m so happy. I suddenly felt like Gom, like it was just too much and I was gonna cry.”

  “I’m a broken down old soldier who scares people on the street.. I was a lost soul little more than a week ago. You love me? And you’re not going to cry. You’re going to kiss me.”

  ***

  “Bring it.” Dillon said, ready to kiss Soldier like he’d never been kissed. This called for something special. He put his hands on either side of Soldier’s face and looked him right in the eyes for a few seconds, until he had Soldier's attention. He let his feelings shine right through and leaned that little bit and set his mouth to Soldier’s. He tilted his head and let his tongue slide right in and meet the one eagerly awaiting it.

  They didn’t moan so much as they sighed. Pure, sweet happiness flowed from one to the other. It was sappy and mushy and so sweet it made their teeth ache, but it was the best kiss they’d ever shared. It went on seemingly forever. How long, neither knew.

  It changed from slow and sweet to hot and hard and they clung to each other like they were weathering a storm. They eased back down into calm, slow kissing with tongues out and touching then flowing across the other’s lips in soft, wet caresses. Their hands were surprisingly still. They were just getting off on sharing kisses.

  Sometimes, their eyes opened and they’d watch each other intently, solemnly. Then the kiss would change one way or another, and they’d close them to put all their senses into the feelings they were making with their mouths. By mutual, unspoken consent, they stopped and put their foreheads together. They opened their eyes and just gazed at each other.

  “Did we really just do that?” Soldier asked.

  “Whoever said a kiss is just a kiss was an idiot. That was not just a kiss. That was...” Dillon searched for a word, but couldn’t find one that fit how special it was.

  “A wedding?”

  “Oh.” Dillon’s heart turned over in his chest. This man of few words.
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  “Yeah, oh.” Soldier echoed Dillon’s awe at the importance of the moment.

  “You said you weren’t good with words. You may not rattle like I do, but you have good words. Yeah. That was an experience. I thought the kiss this afternoon was something, but this one will make it into my memory chest. I’d say we’re what you’d call a very solid unit.”

  Soldier just embraced him and held on tight. Dillon did the same, putting his legs up around Soldier’s middle and pulling him as tightly to himself as possible. He felt like that lady in the commercial wanting to shout, but just whispering quietly, “I love this man.”

  ***

  They had discussed whether Soldier should return to the suite but decided not to change their routine right now. It was important for the boys to feel that nothing had changed in their lives. So, later that night, Soldier was asleep in the chair when he heard a tiny whisper and a tentative touch on his arm.