Epilogue Phoenix

" T his house really is beautiful," my mother said as I walked her and Ted out to their minivan. "I still can't believe you designed it all yourself."

"Charlie did most of it," I smiled. "If he hadn't stepped in, we'd be living in a giant box with a kitchen on one side and a bed on the other. All my creativity was used up for writing. But he added a lot of comfort to this place."

"Well, you both did a good job," Ted cut in. "And we're very proud of you."

"And it's nice to have you nearby," my mother reminded me. "So, we can expect you for dinner every Sunday."

I pushed her toward the car gently. "Let's make it every other Sunday until we get settled in. Charlie needs some time to adjust."

"How is he doing with all this?"

Both of them turned to look at me, the question burning in their eyes .

"We worry about him, you know. It's a big change. And after the fire and all that upheaval… well–"

"He's doing fine, Mom," I smiled, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Better than ever, actually. It seems all this change has been good for him. It's still hard some days, but most of the time he's just like he was back in high school, ready to go exploring with a bag of marshmallows in hand."

She grinned, hearing the happiness in my words. "He does look like he's put a little weight back on. I'm glad. He was way too skinny."

"Mom, do me a favor," I said, giving her a hug. "Don't ever say those words to a gay man as long as you live."

She opened her mouth to retort, but Ted cut her off.

"Alright, Laura. Let's let these boys get back to their lives." He nodded toward the house sitting at the top of the mountain, the rest of the valley splayed out below it like a map. "I can already see the smoke from the bonfire Charlie has going. They have plans tonight and we're holding them up." He held out his hand to me. "It was good to see you, Phoenix. And we're very proud of you."

I ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Dad."

Ted shuddered slightly at my words. He was prone to being emotional when I called him that. As he pulled away, he gave me a nod, helped my mother into the car like a gentleman, and the pair of them drove back down the mountain toward town.

I waved as they went, glancing down to the new Creekside far below. It was much shinier and well-constructed than the old one, but it was still the same town. After the fire most of the townspeople decided to rebuild. Only a few took their insurance money and moved away. Even Charlie had his old house rebuilt. Then, as soon as it was done, he sold it, hoping some new family would come to that sweet little town in the valley and build a life like we had together. He said that house deserved new memories to wash away the past.

All of Creekside rose from the ashes, as Charlie liked to remind me. He never let me forget those words I'd said so long ago, never knowing how much they'd come to mean to us in the future.

Grinning, I headed back toward the house. Instead of going inside, I went around the back, stepping onto the large patio where a fire ring had been placed in the center. All around it were Adirondack chairs, only one of them currently occupied. He looked up at me, those brown eyes flickering in the firelight as he smiled. I never got tired of seeing him like that, happy without a care in the world. It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.

"Why are you so handsome?" Charlie asked as I came up beside him.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." I leaned down, giving him a kiss before I plopped myself into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tightly, his body heat driving away the chill in the autumn air. "Sorry my parents were so full of questions tonight. I don't know what got into them."

"It's a new house," he shrugged. "I figured they'd want to know a few things."

"A few ?" I scoffed. "My mother yacked your ear off for an entire hour."

"It's fine." He smiled, kissing me on the forehead. "It's nice to have a mom again, even if she can be a bit much sometimes."

There was a twinge of melancholy before my heart filled with warmth. It was nice to hear Charlie talk about my family like that. Granted, we'd practically grown up in each other's houses, but it was nice, nonetheless. Having a united family like ours wasn't something a lot of people my age got. I counted myself lucky for what I had .

"So," I said, snuggling against his chest and looking up at him. "Are we roasting marshmallows tonight in the new fire pit?"

"We can." He glanced down at me, his grin turning mischievous. "Or, if you like… we could break in the house."

"What did you have in mind?"

I knew exactly what he had in mind, but I wanted to hear him say it.

"How about I take you to bed and ravish you?" he growled, his warm hands working their way under my shirt. "Or maybe we could do it right in the middle of the living room before the furniture gets here and just mark the place as our own."

A shiver ran through my entire body, my jeans tenting in a flash.

"Fuck I love it when you talk like that."

"And I love that look in your eyes when I say things like that," he replied, scooping me up in his arms. "You look so damn breedable …"

"Charlie Miller," I scoffed. "Are you calling me submissive and breedable ?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Maybe…"

"You need to spend less time on social media."

"But are you?"

I rolled my eyes, unable to even pretend I was upset with him. Kicking my legs out, I got to my feet, my cock fully erect and visible through my jeans. I held out my hand to him.

"Yes, I am," I sighed. "Now don't keep me waiting."

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking up at me with a grin. "Did you finish all your book stuff today?"

I sighed again, not letting my hand drop. "Yes, yes. I sent the edits to Tony already. He's delivering them tomorrow morning to the publisher."

"And you're sure they're gonna like them?"

"I don't give a rat's ass whether they like it or not," I shot back. "I've written an incredible book, and I sold over a million copies of the last one. The chances of this new one not making them a ridiculous amount of money is close to zero." I reached out, prying his hand away from his chest and pulled him to his feet. "Besides, they already paid me. My part in this is done."

"No more book signings?"

"Not unless I want to do them," I said, wrapping my hands around his waist. "I had Tony write that part out of the contract. They can't get me to do shit now unless I agree."

Charlie paused for a moment, looking me over. "And you're happy here? Up in the mountains with just the two of us?"

I reached up, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead affectionately. "Charlie, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. I have everything I've ever wanted."

"Money and a big house in the mountains?"

" You ," I said, pressing my forehead to his. "All the rest of it means nothing without you."

His face turned red as he smiled, his eyes darting downward for a moment. "You're just trying to butter me up so I'll fuck you."

I nodded. "Is it working?"

He looked me over, sighed, and nodded back. "Yep."

Before I could reply, Charlie scooped me up in his arms, his strength surprising me as he swept me off my feet. Without a backward glance, he carried me inside and up to our bedroom. There he placed me gently on the bed, kissing me as he crawled on top of me. My arms were locked around his neck as I kissed him back. I was never able to get enough of him and I never would be. I wanted him so badly. Even when we did this three times in a day, I still yearned for him. Something about being skin to skin with Charlie felt so right . Like it was the place I'd belonged my entire life.

And I needed it again.

But as much as I wanted Charlie to make me his, he was all gentleness. Even after two years of being side by side nearly every day, he hadn't grown tired of savoring my body. Piece by piece, he stripped off my clothing, laying them aside as he kissed my newly bare skin. My shirt went first as he kissed his way down my torso, making my skin break out in goosebumps. When he came up against my jeans, he popped the button, slid them off, and proceeded to kiss my legs, my hips, and anything in between.

My cock was straining against my underwear, and I breathed a sigh of relief as he freed me from my fabric prison. His left hand gently caressed my balls, a moan escaping my lips as he ran his tongue over the sensitive underside of my shaft. Being worshiped like this was a new sensation for me and one that I loved dearly. No man had treated me as good as Charlie did. And because of that, every touch of his was more vibrant and more intense than anything I'd ever felt.

A moment later, he took me into his mouth, my moans doubling in an instant. I couldn't help but buck forward, burying myself as far as I could go. His warmth enveloped me, and those soft lips drove me to the brink of oblivion all too quickly. With one hand wrapped around my shaft and the other rubbing a finger in slow circles around my needy hole, he had me cumming in his mouth in no time.

"Fuck!" I cried out, grabbing his hair and forcing my seed down his throat as I came .

Charlie drank it all greedily, continuing to suck until the overstimulation forced me to push him away.

"You're way too good at that," I panted, my cock spent, but still hard.

"I just know what you like," he grinned, licking his lips.

I returned the smile, pushing myself up and pulling him into a kiss. "Then I guess it's my turn to give you what I know you like."

I didn't give him a chance to respond before I tossed him onto his back. In a flash I had his shirt off, my tongue exploring everything from his neck to his navel. I gently removed the opal arrowhead he always wore, sitting it on the bedside table with reverence. At the same time my left hand fumbled with his jeans, popping the button so I could get to my prize. I wasn't surprised to find him rock hard, his cockhead poking out of the top of his underwear. Without ceremony, I took him into my mouth, sucking hungrily as his taste seeped over my tongue. I loved the taste and smell of Charlie. It was my favorite thing in the entire world.

However, unlike him, I wasn't trying to get him off. I was only trying to get him ready. The moment I deemed him rock hard and sufficiently covered in saliva, I crawled up and straddled his hips, leaning my ass back against his cock. With one hand I aimed him toward my needy hole, his warm cockhead coming to rest against my entrance. Thanks to my prep work, he was slick enough to slide inside with a little help. I'd grown so used to being his bottom that it didn't take much effort. My body knew exactly what to do.

The moment I sunk down on him, taking him all the way to the hilt, he let out a soft moan. I just smiled, my hands on his chest as I rocked my hips back and forth, grinding against his cock. Charlie's hands instinctively went to my waist, aiding my long smooth movements .

We didn't have to talk when we were like this, our gazes locked on one another. In those moments we were as one, our bodies intertwining in an intricate dance that only we understood. I could read his movements and the subtle shifts in pressure from his fingers. Meanwhile he could feel my body tensing around him, letting him know how close I was getting to orgasm once more. I controlled my movements, but Charlie shifted the angle, making sure my prostate got all the attention it deserved. He knew that if he played his cards just right, I'd cum all over his chest without ever touching myself.

And he was going to succeed.

Breaths grew heavy and sweat rolled down my back from the exertion. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as I rode him, feeling every bump, vein, and ridge of his beautiful cock. My body tensed around him, increasing the friction between us. I felt him thicken inside me and I knew he was close. His ridge thumped over my prostate, driving me closer to the edge. Pre-cum oozed out of me, adding a slickness to his belly as my cock ground against him. I wasn't sure if we continued that way for an hour, minutes, or merely seconds. All I knew was that we were both going over the edge together.

"Oh fuck…" I moaned, my fingers digging into his chest. "I…"

"Me too…" he muttered.

Three more strokes was all it took for Charlie to slam himself to the hilt inside me, his fingers digging into my waist. With a growl he came, the heat of his seed spreading inside me. At the same time, I arched back, my cock throbbing as I spent myself for the second time all over his stomach and chest.

The next moment we collapsed on top of one another, nothing but sweat, cum, and heaving chests between us. I wasn't sure how long we stayed that way, and I didn't care. Pure bliss pumped through my veins, and I knew Charlie felt the same. My entire body was a limp noodle, and I couldn't have moved even if I wanted to. The happiness was overwhelming and perfect at the same time.

Eventually we began to move, Charlie slipping out of me at last. However, the moment that silent elation was broken, I felt a sudden energy coursing through me. The house suddenly seemed too quiet and too empty to stay in much longer. I wanted to get out into the night air, to feel the moonlight on my skin. And I wanted Charlie to go with me.

I sat up on the edge of the bed, turning back to this beautiful perfect man that had just given me the ride of my life.

"Come on," I said, holding out my hand. "Let's go ride in the moonlight."

"On your motorcycle?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I haven't gotten to ride it since we got here."

I looked down, seeing the trepidation in his eyes and I forced myself to take a step back.

"You can say no," I added. "I won't mind. I promise. I know you've been dialing back the meds lately and there's been a lot of upheaval in our lives. You can take time to adjust if you need to."

He took a moment to think, his eyes flicking down to the bed. Then, when he finally looked up, I could see the resolve forming in his expression.

"No," he said, reaching up and taking my hand. "I want to go. It's kinda scary, but I want to go anyway. But thank you for being so thoughtful. I'm okay though. I promise."

"I'll take it easy, okay? No going ninety after dark in the mountains."

"Deal. "

I pulled him up out of bed, hugging him so that our naked bodies pressed together. I brought his lips to mine, enjoying the heat of him against me as we stood there in the dark.

"I love you so much, Charlie."

"I love you too."

"Will you stay with me forever?"

Charlie just reached up, cupping my cheek and smiled. "Forever. Hand in hand."