More Than A Manny: Gay Romance

by Trina Solet

  "You know why," Nate told him and ran his fingers through Brent's hair.

  "Because I'm afraid I'll lose you. But I won't, right?" Brent looked for reassurance and Nate gave it.

  "Never," Nate confirmed. "Feel better?"

  "Everything is better with you. When I'm in your arms, I have everything," Brent said and pulled Nate closer.

  "Same here. I never even knew I could be so happy," Nate said.

  Brent thought his heart might burst when he heard Nate say that. Brent gazed at him in wonder.

  "I think I've been waiting for you. I wanted to be happy. I just didn't want to start without you," Brent said.

  "Well, I'm here."

  "And you're staying." Brent wanted to confirm it.

  "Yes," Nate said.

  What a wonderful word.

  Nate and Brent gave the kids piggyback rides up to their rooms. They took turns sitting with the kids until they fell asleep. As he walked hand in hand with Brent to his room, Nate understood why Brent had trouble believing this was all real. It was sort of unreal to Nate too. It was strange to think that this could be his life. The thought made him kind of giddy. To spend his life with Brent and Ricky and Georgie, it would be an adventure. A life complete with a wonderful man and two great kids, that was something Nate hoped for and imagined some time in the future. And it was all here, his for the taking. Nate felt like he had won an incredible prize without even entering a contest. How could it be real? It seemed more like a dream. But between them, he and Brent were making it real.

  Maybe it was even too real. Nate hadn't realized what it would feel like. Even just sleeping in the same bed with Brent was addictive. He wanted to go to sleep with him every night and wake up next to him every morning. Love filled his heart till it hurt. The heart couldn't take it, but love didn't have any limits, it just kept growing. Brent must have known it. Maybe that's why he was scared of the kids. They were so small, and they ran down marble staircases and climbed big trees, like they were invulnerable. Love was terrifying. Maybe that's why neither of them had said the words, but Nate knew they were both close. The words were on the tips of their tongues.

  "I'm in a good mood. Speak up. What's your heart's desire?" Brent asked suddenly as they stood in his bedroom, like there was anything more that Nate could want.

  "You are," Nate said

  "Is it too soon to tell you I love you?" Brent asked.

  "You have something to say?" Nate said to challenge him and tease him.

  "Just say when," Brent told him.

  "I'll let you know," Nate said and turned away.

  "Now. I want to say it now," Brent demanded, then he backed off a little. "You don't have to say it back," he said to let him off the hook.

  "Who knows, maybe you'll say it so sweet, I'll want to say it back."

  "I'll put my whole heart into it. I've been worried that we were moving too fast, but I don't know how to slow down. I tried but I couldn't. I just want to be with you so much. I may not deserve you, but I love you."

  Nate kissed him because the best way to answer an I love you was with a kiss. But he had something to say too.

  "You're too easy to fall in love with. I never had a chance. I love you, Brent. But I love you more each second. I've passed the limit of what words can say. You'll just have to read the rest in my heart."

  "Oh, Nate," Brent said and threw himself into his arms so hard they fell on the bed. Kissing desperately, they were trying to hold on to each other tight then tighter still. They eased off, deciding it was good enough just to be in the circle of the other's arms for a while. Their kisses were less desperate, deeper and more intimate. If words couldn't express what they felt maybe their bodies could.

  Brent pushed up Nate's t-shirt and licked from his abs to his chest. Nate got rid of his clothes first, and Brent attacked him without removing his own. Brent was just too impatient. Now Nate had to struggle to remove his clothes while Brent kissed and fondled him, trying to be everywhere at once. Finally they were both naked, and Nate could run his hands all over Brent's body. As he did that, Brent was lying on top of him. He spread his fingers over Nate's chest, leaned in and licked his bottom lip. Nate's mouth opened, inviting a kiss. Nate didn't move though, and Brent held back, out of reach, teasing him. Nate laughed. Grabbing hold of Brent, Nate now ran his tongue over his bottom lip in retaliation. Now they were both dying to be kissed. Their mouths opened and came in contact. Silently, their lips and tongues spoke about love. They went at each other hungry and moaning, pulling at one another, groping roughly.

  Nate groaned and threw his head back as Brent played with his nipples.

  "You're wonderful," he said while locking his eyes on Nate's.

  Nate could hardly hear him. The sensation of Brent's lips and tongue, the feel of his body, the scent of his skin, his taste, followed by that burning look in his eyes – it was all too much. Nate felt drunk as Brent went back to showing his love with his tongue and teeth.

  Nate arched his back and rose toward that mouth which was now tugging at his nipple. Reaching his arms over his head, Nate stretched himself out as Brent kissed and licked his way down. Nate stayed like that and held on to the edge of the mattress. He would keep rising toward Brent forever. Brent pushed him down with the weight of his own body on top of him. Pinned in place, Nate had no choice but to enjoy the feeling of Brent running his hands from his outstretched arms then down all over his body while he kissed him.

  Moving past his abdomen, Brent used his mouth on his cock very lightly so Nate knew that a blowjob wasn't his goal. When he stopped, Nate still let out a moan muffled by Brent's mouth on his. He draped his body on top of Nate's. Nate loved the weight of his muscles pressing down. Very slowly, Nate ran his hands over the back of Brent's neck then lower over rippling muscles to that magnificent ass. Nate pulled Brent's thighs up toward him. Brent straightened until he was straddling him. More than ready, Nate grabbed the lube and handed the condom to Brent. He put it on Nate with his mouth.

  Reaching around to Brent's ass, Nate slipped a fingers in. With his head back, Brent opened up for him. He moaned then stopped Nate. His whole body on display for Nate, he lowered himself on those muscular legs until the head of Nate's cock was inside him. Brent pushed down hard while his ass gripped Nate's cock tightly. Nate slowed him down. He wanted to stop time, hold on to every second forever. He wanted to look at Brent as he sank down to surround him.

  "Like this?" Brent asked as he took in Nate's cock in slow motion.

  A moan deep in his throat was the answer as Brent arched. He rose and fell in ecstasy, starting to sweat. Nate ran his hands over his thighs and pushed up, wanting to be inside him, filling him. Time was speeding up. Brent rode him harder, and Nate's hips kept up pace. Straining, their muscles stood out, hard and strong, driving their bodies to slam together. Their fierce pounding ended in a burst of pleasure that swept them under, like they were drowning in each other.

  Chapter 30

  Nate was almost done with his work at Miss Pullman's. Now he was just making a final run through. With so little to do, he came home earlier than he had for a while. He was there just in time to see the kids grumbling over the hummus and pita chips Brent had served them for a snack. Nate grabbed some for himself with no hesitation. That pleased Brent and made the kids give them a chance too.

  Later, in the library, Nate told Ricky that he should always have a taste before he decided that he didn't like something.

  "My dad... I mean Brent," Ricky corrected himself.

  "You mean your dad," Nate said with a smile.

  "He makes weird food. We just want peanut butter," Ricky said speaking for himself and Georgie.

  Nate decided to leave the issue of snacks and focus on something else.

  "You know, you could just call him Dad sometimes, just to make him feel good. He would like that," Nate said to Ricky though he didn't want to push him.

  "Maybe," Ricky agreed tentatively then he added, "I wish me and G
eorgie had the same dad."

  "You do, and you know it."

  "I have another dad," Ricky reminded him.

  "That just means you have two. And one day, you might have three," Nate told him, trying not to smile.

  "How?" Ricky wanted to know.

  Nate tried to figure out how to phrase the answer. Then he fell back on his usual solution.

  "Ask your dad."

  Brent was texting in the sunroom when Ricky came in, looking for him. For a while he just stood in front of Brent, who waited for him to speak up.

  "Nate said I'll have three dads one day," Ricky said quietly, almost like he was talking to himself.

  Brent couldn't help but grin at his words.

  "If I'm lucky, you will," Brent told him.

  "How?" Ricky said looking at Brent curiously.

  "I'll get married to someone like Nate, and there you go, a third dad for you."

  "Nate?" Ricky said, his eyes growing big.

  "I didn't say it would be Nate," Brent claimed.

  "You said Nate," Ricky said with a very serious expression on his face.

  "That's because I was thinking of Nate. He's nice."

  "Yes," Ricky said fiercely. He had come close to Brent to stare at him. "Are you making jokes again?"

  "No," Brent assured him, but before he could say more Georgie ran in.

  "Are you playing without me?" she asked.

  "Yes. We had all kinds of fun with big balloons and everything," Brent told her.

  She looked around.

  "Where are the balloons?" Georgie asked.

  "We popped them all," Brent said, and Georgie jumped on him.

  "You can't pop balloons without me! It's not allowed!" she yelled into his face as he laughed.

  Behind her Ricky grumbled.

  All that talk about snacks made Nate hungry again. He made himself a quick ham and cheese sandwich. He was eating it when Brent came in.

  "So you want to get married?" he said.

  Nate gaped at him for a while.

  "You didn't just say that," Nate told him.

  "I promised Ricky I'd ask. So do you want to?"

  "That's how you're proposing to me, and over a half eaten sandwich, next to a sink of dirty dishes? Are you looking for a no?" Nate asked him.

  Brent sighed.

  "Fine, I'll do it right. It'll be all roses and candlelight and a ring hidden inside a cupcake."

  "Don't gross me out," Nate warned him.

  But Brent had gotten a look on his face. He leaned over the counter to say, "Tonight, I'll be doing this again, and you'll be saying yes so hard, I won't be able to sit for a week."

  "OK. You're on," Nate said and continued to eat his sandwich.

  "I can't believe you're making me want to get married," Brent said as he folded his arms.

  "Same to you. I was thinking I would be in my late thirties. Maybe even forties. Then there you are all gorgeous and irresistible." Nate smiled as Brent's soft brown eyes gazed into his.

  "Marriage is just another way of saying I want you forever," Brent said in a deep voice that reached right to Nate's heart. He wished he had said yes already.

  "Do this proposal right, and you can have me forever," Nate told him instead of rushing things.

  "That's almost a yes," Brent said then he looked over his shoulder. When he saw Ricky advancing on them, Brent ran away.

  "You said people didn't have to get married," Ricky whined to Nate. Either Brent had told him what he was planning or he had heard enough to figure out what was happening.

  "Sometimes they want to." Nate wondered if Ricky was really against the idea.

  "Is it because you love each other?" he asked, proving that he remembered what Nate told him before.

  "Yes, we love each other very much, and we love you and Georgie too," Nate said to him. "When Brent and I get married, we'll all be a family."

  Ricky frowned and sighed.

  "I guess it's OK if it's you," Ricky said with a little pout. Nate hugged him.

  From around the corner, Brent asked Nate, "Did you get his approval?" Then he poked his head out.

  "Get out here, you coward," Nate told him.

  Brent came forward and leaned down to peer at Ricky.

  "Is it OK?"

  "It's fine," Ricky said.

  "That's my Ricky!" Brent exclaimed. He hugged him and lifted him off the ground. As Brent kissed his pouting face noisily, Ricky tried not to smile.

  That evening Quin and John were there, ready to baby-sit. The two of them, plus Brent and the kids were waiting for Nate at the bottom of the stairs. Brent wore a black suit, white shirt, no tie. He paced then looked at Quin and John. Going over to them, he crossed their fingers for them and warned them, "Keep them crossed."

  "What for?" John grumbled. "You are rich. A yes is pretty much guaranteed."

  "He is going to say yes because he loves me, you cynic," Brent told him.

  He hugged the kids then picked up both of them for a spin. Once he put them down, he crossed the kids' fingers too.

  "I know how to cross my fingers," Ricky said.

  "It's a special occasion so let me do it," Brent told him.

  Ricky nodded. He knew something big was happening. Georgie just thought it was a game.

  "It's so your dad will have good luck," he told Ricky and Georgie.

  Nate came down in a nice shirt and slacks. Brent liked how he looked, but it wouldn't have killed him to put on a suit. Nate saw that everyone had their fingers crossed. He looked over at Brent, who impatiently told him, "Let's go." Nate took the time to hug everyone first.

  The Thunderbird was waiting in front. As they got in, Brent handed Nate a blindfold from the glove compartment.

  "You have to wear this."

  "You're not going to throw me in the trunk, are you?" Nate asked.

  "That's plan B."

  As they drove away, Nate hoped Brent hadn't gone overboard. The blindfold didn't reassure him about that.

  "Everyone is going to think you are kidnapping me," Nate said. Though he couldn't see, he knew other people might see him in the convertible with its top down.

  "I am kidnapping you," Brent said.

  "It's kind of exhilarating," Nate had to admit. With his head thrown back to enjoy the feel of the wind as it whipped around him, smiling as he felt his body speed along in this awesome car, Nate must have been quite a sight.

  "Since you like it so much, we can put that blindfold to a different use later," Brent proposed and squeezed his thigh.

  "You know I like looking at you. But save it for when you lose your looks," Nate told him. He ran his hand up Brent's arm to his chest, and wondered who could see him doing it.

  The drive took longer than Nate expected. They were going up and then they stopped, and Brent removed his blindfold. Nate blinked and took in the view. They were on a roadside spot overlooking the ocean. The sun was setting behind them turning the clouds orange and red and the ocean gold. It was beautiful and well worth the drive. He turned to Brent who was even more beautiful.

  "Don't get excited, we aren't there yet," Brent said after letting Nate kiss him for a while.

  They drove down toward a dock where only a handful of boats waited. Brent led the way to one of them. It was a nice boat with an open cabin, by no means a yacht. Two men disembarked and told Brent everything was ready. Brent led the way and Nate followed him on board.

  "Why not a sailboat?" Nate asked to tease him.

  "I don't know how to work one of those," Brent said. That meant that Brent would be at the controls, and they were going to be alone. Nate was glad as he watched him take off his jacket and go to stand at the wheel.

  "Make yourself comfortable and don't get seasick." Those were his instructions to Nate.

  "Aye aye, sir," Nate said as he took a seat aft. He could see a set of stairs leading down. Brent said a tiny kitchen and bathroom, and two bedrooms were below.

  Nate felt the boat start to move gently, th
en he felt it accelerate. As he watched Brent get them under way, Nate was surprised that he was so at ease on a boat considering what happened to his parents. Though he decided not to bring it up, Brent did.

  "Being on a boat actually brings back happy memories," Brent said. He had to shout a little over the noise of the engine.

  "The kind we're going to be making," Nate said with a smile.

  "That's the plan," Brent agreed.

  Holding on so he could stay upright, Nate moved closer to stand beside Brent at the controls. While looking toward the horizon, Brent talked.

  "We used to have a boat just like this one. Mom and Dad got me a captain's hat when I was little and told me I was the captain. They would salute me and everything. When I was older, they would tell me, 'You steer. We want to get drunk and smooch.' We'd drop anchor somewhere out there. They would be sleeping off the champagne, wrapped in one another's arms. I would sneak a few sips of champagne, watch the stars and watch over them. Once I saw a star fall, or I might have dreamed it. But I remember thinking that I didn't want to waste my wish. I wanted to save it for later, for when I needed it."

  Nate put his arm around him.

  "I want to make every one of your wishes come true," he told Brent.

  Brent turned to smile at him

  "You're about to."

  It was dark by the time they stopped. The darkening ocean was in every direction. Only a sliver of silvery light edged the horizon. The water shimmered with moonlight, blue-black like the sky. With its own lights, the boat floated inside a halo. Brent uncovered an icebox with champagne and some finger foods. After filling their glasses, he handed an oblong, wooden box to Nate.

  "It's kind of big for a ring box," Nate said then he opened it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He said a quiet "Wow. It's beautiful." It was a letter from a Revolutionary War soldier. The ink was faint but legible. The paper felt brittle in his hands. It was small and torn on three sides, possibly all a soldier could get his hands on. It read, "I have but a moment and only this scrap to let you know I am well. I thank you for your good wishes and patience. I too wait for the day of our union with hope for every happiness and joy in our life together. Thoughts of you sustain me through every hardship and give me strength. You are a blessing to me. Stay well." They were only a few simple sentiments but ringing with truth.