Stay (Men of Hidden Creek )

by Avery Ford

  “He, um, mentioned an Eleanor,” Hale frowned. The conversation felt like it had happened a long time ago, and he couldn’t recall detail in the way he wanted to. “I don’t remember what he said about her, if he said anything at all.”

  “Shortly after he joined the Navy, he married this girl he just must—Eleanor. I’d told him not to do it, because she was the type who seemed to prey on uniforms like us. But he told me that he was in love, and that he was going to go for it, and so he did… and after he was hurt in the crash, she left him. The doctors said he might never regain functionality on one side of his body, and she didn’t even let a day go by before she served him divorce papers. She took half of everything he had and split. It was hard on him. He’d been loyal to her, and she stabbed him in the back.”

  Hale’s heart broke. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious. I found out through the grapevine, but… I kind of knew that it was going to happen. It was the kind of person she was, and we all knew it. The only one who didn’t see it was him.”

  “How is that supposed to make me feel better?” Hale asked, aghast.

  Michael chuckled. “Well, maybe it won’t… but the way I see it, even if something is obviously bad for him, Austin doesn’t give up on it. He’s tenacious, and he wants to make everything in his life work—even his mistakes. Now that he has someone like you? Someone’s who’s actually good for him, and who makes him smile all the damned time? You don’t have anything to worry about, Hale. Even if he’s hurting, and even if you fight, he’s not going to give up on you. He’s going to love you for the rest of his life if you let him do it.”

  Hale let a breath out from between his teeth. “You think he loves me?”

  “I know that he loves you. The way he acts proves it.”

  The blush burned in Hale’s cheeks hotter than ever. “I think I love him, too.”

  “Then you should tell him,” Michael suggested. “Get these feelings off your chest. Let him know everything you feel, and let him prove to you what a good man he is. He’s good for you, Hale, but you’re good for him, too. Don’t let this hold you back or cloud your thoughts anymore.”

  Hale nodded. He glanced up at Michael, grinning. “You know, for someone who’s been such a dick to me the last handful of years, you’re certainly changing your tune.”

  “Love does crazy things to people,” Michael replied with a smile. “I’m learning to love myself better, and it shows.”

  “It does. And… I’m happy for you.” Hale reached out and squeezed his hand. “After I finish drinking this coffee, I’m going to go find him.”

  “I hoped you would.” Michael lifted his mug of tea. “To love.”

  “To love,” Hale replied. He lifted his coffee, and they clinked glasses.

  He’d found hope that his teenage dream would never end.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Austin

  It wasn’t usual for there to be an unexpected knock at the door, but it rarely happened in the morning. Austin had been in the bathroom, deep cleaning the sink, when he heard the telltale knock on the door.

  Hale.

  He washed his hands and left the bathroom, then answered the door. Hale stood there, cheeks flushed like he’d just run, but his posture was nervous. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” Austin said. “Do you want to come in?”

  “If that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is.” Austin stepped back from the doorway. “I was just cleaning the bathroom, so I’m glad for the distraction. I’ve got to look into finding employment soon. I’m going crazy being at home all day.”

  Hale grinned. Some of his nervousness slipped away. “I don’t know… it’d be kind of hot to have a house boyfriend, you know? Come home to a hot meal, a clean house, lots of sex…”

  “You want me to be a trophy wife?” Austin lifted a brow. “Are you going to buy me a frilly apron?”

  “If you want one.” Hale winked. “And a maid uniform.”

  “I’m learning all kinds of things about you I never knew.”

  “I’m a mystery wrapped in an enigma,” Hale said dramatically. He closed the door after himself, then wrapped his arms round Austin’s neck. Austin instinctively wrapped his arms around Hale’s waist and pulled him close. “You’re never going to unravel me all the way.”

  Austin tilted his head and let their lips brush. Hale had just came in, but was already setting him on fire. “I don’t know about that. I’m pretty set on discovering everything about you, Hale. I don’t think you can hide it all from me forever.”

  “You’re right. You’re going to read me like a book in no time.” Hale drew back and looked into Austin’s eyes. It was rare that he backed down from seduction, especially when he was the one who initiated it. Austin blinked. “I kind of wanted to talk to you about something to do with that, actually.”

  “Sure. Do you want to sit down?” Austin released Hale, and Hale unwound his arms from around Austin’s neck. Something was going on, and Austin was starting to get a bad feeling about it. “I’m good with whatever you want.”

  “Sitting down is probably a good idea. Um. Do you want to do it in the bedroom? I feel like being someplace where we can easily cuddle is a good idea.”

  Austin wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he nodded. He took Hale’s hand in his and led him through the apartment, even though Hale was already well aware of where his bedroom was. They kicked off their shoes and socks and got settled, lying next to each other, but not touching.

  “So,” Austin asked softly. “What’s going on?”

  “I was just out with Michael today, and I realized that I need to be a better communicator, and let you know how I’m feeling,” Hale said. He frowned, looking guilty. “I know that it’s only been a little while, but… honesty is important from the very beginning of a relationship. I don’t want you to think that I’m withholding anything from you. I’m not.”

  “Okay,” Austin said, more nervous than before. “What is it that’s on your mind? You can talk to me about anything. I won’t judge you.”

  “I have this unfounded fear that I’m not good enough for you,” Hale murmured. The sorrow on his face hit Austin squarely in the gut, and he reached out to pull Hale closer to him, cuddling him to his chest. “I know that it’s stupid, and that you’d never do something like this, but I have this fear that you’re going to realize you’re not really gay, and that I’m not good enough for you; that you’d be happier with a woman… and I don’t know what to do about my feelings, because I know it’s my brain trying to sabotage my happiness and get me to close my heart off so I won’t get hurt, but… but I’m falling in love with you, Austin, and I don’t want to feel this way. I want to enjoy us, not worry about unfounded beliefs.”

  The roller coaster of emotion was almost too much to take. The gut-wrenching low was paired with a sky high that left Austin dizzy.

  “You love me?” he whispered.

  “I… yeah.” Hale pinched his lips together and glanced downward, as if ashamed. “I do. And I’m so scared of losing that. I’m so scared of losing you, and losing the happiness that we have, that—”

  He knew he should have waited, but he couldn’t help himself. Austin crushed their lips together, smothering Hale’s worries in a searing kiss. Hale gasped, then moaned into his mouth and kissed back. When there was no more air left in Austin’s lungs, he drew back and looked Hale in the eyes. “I’m not planning on leaving you. I’m not interested in women right now. You’re the only one who’s in my heart, and I don’t think that’s going to change unless you want it to. I am loyal, I am devoted, and I am stuck on you, Hale. No one has ever made me feel so loved or supported. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’re not just saying that?” Hale asked. His cheeks were so red that they had to hurt. Austin brushed the back of his hand down one of them, feeling how hot it was.

  “I’m not just saying that,” he promised. “I wouldn’t say things j
ust to placate you. I love you, Hale.”

  Hale’s eyelashes fluttered. It was damned cute, and Austin had to laugh.

  “What?”

  “You’re cute. That’s all.”

  “I’m cute?” Hale grinned. “You’re cute. Hearing you laugh is one of my favorite things in the world, did you know that? If I just have to be cute to get to hear it, then I’m gonna do my best to be goddamn adorable for the rest of my life.”

  “You could turn into one of those really cross deep sea fish and I’d still love you.” Austin paused. “… Maybe. I mean, as long as you were still Hale beneath the scales, and we could still talk. I don’t know what I’d do if you lost your humanity. You wouldn’t really be Hale anymore.”

  “Well, good news—I’m not planning on turning into a fish.” Hale laughed deeply. “I’m not planning into turning into anything other than your boyfriend… and maybe your live-in sex slave.”

  “Wait, I thought that was going to be my job.”

  “Live-in sex slave on the weekends,” Hale said with a cocky grin. “I’ll go earn those big bucks at my family’s sports equipment store, then I’ll come home to your house. Your house, your rules. After work and on weekends, my body’s yours.”

  “I’m liking this idea more and more. Go on.” Austin grinned. He pressed a quick kiss to Hale’s lips, and Hale chased him for more, but he didn’t let their lips touch again.

  “That’s kind of where the idea ends. I figure that we already have so much sex that it wouldn’t be a stretch that we take it to the next logical level—which is definitely spending every waking hour of the day outside of work hours fucking each other. That’s totally the next logical step, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  “There’s no in-between. Not at all.”

  “Nope.” Austin’s lips trembled until he couldn’t hold back his laugh any longer. He rolled them over so he was on top of Hale and looked down into his eyes. “You think you want to give it a test drive, see how sex slavery works out for you? Because I would much rather polish your knob than the ones on the bathroom sink.”

  “Mmm, you sure know how to get me hot,” Hale said with a half-laugh. “Yeah, I’ll try it on for size. Let’s pretend I just came home after a hard day earning us all the money and entered into your kingdom—the home you run for me. What do you do with my body?”

  “I’d be glad to show you,” Austin said with a wink.

  His heart was full to brimming, and it was all because of Hale. He didn’t think shared, goofy times like these would ever stop. It gave him hope for the future, and Hale’s confessions had only helped to back up his vision—Hale was invested in him to the point that he was afraid to lose what they had. He wouldn’t break Austin’s heart. For as long as their relationship remained healthy and they were happy with it, it would exist. Hale would never take it from him. One day, maybe they would share a home together, and Austin would take care of domestic chores while Hale focused on providing for their needs.

  One day.

  For now, Austin was happy with what they had. He wouldn’t rush things.

  But taking the future for a test drive was an awfully tempting idea, and with Hale looking so good beneath him, it was one Austin couldn’t pass up. This time, when they kissed again, Austin followed through. He was in love, and his primary goal was to make Hale happy.

  He’d give it his everything, and he would forevermore.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Hale

  They rolled together on the bed until Hale was face down on the mattress, and Austin was on top of him. Hale looked over his shoulder, grinning, to complain, when Austin kissed the corner of his mouth and melted his opposition away. He shuddered in pleasure and pressed back against Austin’s body. Austin’s cock was already hard, and it pressed against Hale’s ass, teasing him.

  “Are you never not horny for me?” Hale asked, pleased.

  “No.”

  “I guess that’s why I’m going to be spending all my time in bed, rewarding you for your hard work around the house.” Hale laughed. He started to move his hips, bumping backward against Austin to tease him. “Now, are you going to take off my clothes, or are we going to dry hump until you come? Because that’s actually kind of hot, but you know that I don’t like to waste cum like that.”

  “Fuck, can you be any hotter?” Austin laughed. He reached around and started to grope Hale through his pants, drawing a moan from Hale’s lips. He thrust against Austin’s hand. “I didn’t realize when I got involved with you that I’d be falling in love with a nymphomaniac.”

  “That’s not fair. I’m not debilitated by sex…” Hale grinned. “But I am definitely motivated by it. And sex with you? I don’t think I’ll ever need an external source of motivation ever again.”

  Austin’s hand tightened, and Hale moaned louder. He squirmed, seeking more friction, then gasped when Austin popped open his fly and slid his hand inside his pants, fondling him through his boxer-briefs. Hale pushed against him insistently, needing more, and Austin was happy to provide. Each bump of Austin’s cock against his ass was paired by a gentle squeeze, and it wasn’t long before Hale was drowning in pleasure.

  Hale’s pants found their way down his thighs by Austin’s hand, and it wasn’t long until his boxer-briefs joined them. He expected to feel the stiff denim of Austin’s pants press against his bare ass, but instead, there was skin. Somewhere along the way, Austin had dropped his own pants, too. Hale sucked in a breath, totally surprised.

  “Here’s your test run,” Austin whispered. There was a click of a cap as he opened their new bottle of lube, and Hale felt the cool, wet drizzle slide between his cheeks. “I love you, Hale.”

  “I love you, too,” Hale whispered. He couldn’t bring himself to speak any louder than that—he was overwhelmed with emotion.

  It was like a dream when Austin pushed inside of him. Hale’s body was used to him now, and there was no heavy resistance. They fit together so perfectly that it was hard to imagine he’d ever wanted anything else. Hale pushed back against him, wanting him deeper, and Austin obliged. They worked their bodies together, teasing each other while their need for each other grew. Hale knew he wouldn’t last for long. Having Austin inside of him was a dream come to life, and he still wasn’t used to it—just thinking about what they were doing made him want to shoot.

  “I’m so lucky that we found each other,” Austin whispered against the back of his ear. “I couldn’t imagine being where I am without your help. You’ve only been in my life a short time, but you’ve changed me.”

  It was what Hale wanted to hear. He closed his eyes and tried to stave off orgasm, but it was a losing battle. He didn’t think he’d be able to resist Austin’s magnetic pull much longer.

  “Austin,” he panted. Austin was moving in him, faster now than he had been before, hitting the spots he already knew made Hale crazy for him. “Oh my god, Austin… I love you. I love you so damn much.”

  “I love you.” Austin thrust into him, joining their bodies all the way before pulling out slowly and repeating the process all over. “I couldn’t have done this without you, Hale. I couldn’t be who I am without you.”

  Tears rolled down Hale’s cheeks. He didn’t think that he was all that impressive or inspirational, but the fact that Austin felt that way made him want to weep. He’d never felt so special or so loved his whole life.

  “I’m going to come inside of you,” Austin whispered. “Just like always.”

  “Just like always,” Hale echoed. He wanted it. He loved feeling Austin inside of him, knowing that even after they parted, there’d be a part of him that remained. He knew that it was risky even with a monogamous partner, but at this point, he didn’t care. Austin was the only one he wanted, and Austin was the one he would always strive to be with.

  They would build their future together—Hale knew it.

  He felt Austin release and heard his grunt as he spilled. It was all Hale needed to get off. Wi
th a cry, he bucked back against Austin and came on the sheets, panting to catch his breath. Austin pinned him to the mattress and kissed the back of his head and neck over and over, whispering sweet things in his ear that made Hale glad that he’d stuck it out—that somehow, Austin had felt the same way for him that he’d felt for Austin since they’d met.

  “I’m going to do everything in my power to make you happy,” Austin promised as they settled down.

  “And I’m going to do the same for you,” Hale promised.

  “You already have.”

  “Doesn’t mean I get to stop. I’m going to keep trying.” Hale smiled. “I love you, Austin. Thank you for taking a chance with me. You have no idea what it means.”

  “I think I might.” Austin kissed the back of his neck one more time. “You believed in me and supported me when no one else would. You’re the one who lifted me up. I’ll never be able to repay the kindness you showed me.”

  “Then it sounds like we’ll just have to be stuck with each other until we’ve repaid our emotional debts.” Hale laughed. “God… yes please. I don’t ever want you to go.”

  “That’s good, because I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

  Hale didn’t doubt it. Not anymore. Austin had showed him the depth of his love and been honest with him. He would never have to worry again.

  Epilogue

  Austin

  The key turned in the lock. Austin lifted his head from the vegetables he was chopping and leaned back so he could peer out the kitchen door. Hale let himself in, locked the door again, then yawned and craned his head to the side.

  “Long day at work?” Austin asked.

  “Mmhm. Glad to be home.” Hale kicked off his shoes and padded into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Austin from behind and rested his cheek against Austin’s back. “How about you? Did you have a good day?”