Chapter Thirteen

Rocky

It surprised Rocky that he'd been able to make it through the conversation about Seth. It had been needed and Rocky knew that even if it hadn't been, if he wanted to know about Aiden's past he should be willing to share his own. Rocky hadn't shared about Seth to anyone in four years, however, and it hadn't been an easy thing to talk about.

Rocky finished cooking and they ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts about the coming conversation. When Aiden set his utensils aside, Rocky spoke his first words since telling Aiden what a relationship with him would entail.

"You didn't eat your brussels sprouts."

Aiden visibly shuddered, a look of pure disgust distorting his beautiful features. Still, he attempted to be polite as he wrinkled his nose at the apparently offensive vegetable. "No, thank you. I'm full."

Bullshit. If Aiden was full after one serving, Rocky would eat an old pair of socks. Knowing what was coming, Rocky put steel in his tone and raised his eyebrow, "Don't lie to me. I know you aren't full. If you don't like brussels sprouts, then tell me. I will make you try a bite every time, but I won't force you to eat them. Not when I know you generally like veggies."

Aiden gave him a look of shock, like Rocky had said the sun didn't burn or the stars didn't glow. "You won't?" When Rocky simply shook his head, Aiden muttered, "But in all those books..." He shook his head as if he still couldn't understand.

"This isn't a book, is it? Now, sit down, try a bite and if you don't like them, I'll get you a second plate minus the brussels sprouts."

Aiden did as he was told and when he put the bit of the tiny cabbage-like vegetable into his mouth, his eyes almost rolled back in his head and a moan escaped his lips that had Rocky shifting in his chair for some relief. "Whadya pu-on-dees?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, baby. I can't understand you."

Aiden chewed and swallowed quickly before asking, "What did you put on these? They're delicious."

"Oh, it's Daddy's secret recipe." Rocky winked and held back a laugh as Aiden gobbled down every last piece and then two more helpings.

"I've honestly never done this before." Aiden's voice was so unsure, it broke Rocky's heart a bit.

"You've never had a boyfriend, or a Daddy?"

"I've had boyfriends. None of them lasted long, though. I've never had a Daddy."

That made little sense. How could any gay man turn away from someone like Aiden? He was all lean muscle, sculpted with a swimmer's form and that soft, dark hair that he let grow in the front so it settled over his brow. Rocky couldn't fathom any man not wanting Aiden but how in the hell could a Daddy see the little side of him and not melt? Rocky was thankful no one had snapped the boy up yet but he still didn't understand how it hadn't happened.

"It's pretty simple. We'll discuss what we're looking for in this relationship, what we don't want and what we do. I even have some papers for the two of us to fill out to make it easier on us." Rocky handed Aiden a limits form and a pen, "before we do these, though, I need to know." Rocky took a deep breath before addressing his revelations, "Have you thought about what I said earlier?'

"Yes, I have. I'm sorry you lost your husband. I know they're empty words but I am."

"Thank you. Do you want to back out?"

"You said if I accepted you, you'd never let me go. That's something I find hard to believe. There's never been someone who was unwilling to let me go." Rocky felt a growl forming in his throat at the thought of anyone finding this precious man disposable. "Maybe you meant it to be ominous or something, but it honestly sounded perfect to me." Rocky felt his heart start beating again and his breathing resumed as Aiden continued. "You said you'd hover too much and care too much about my safety like I would run from it. But for someone who's never been hovered over and never had anyone care what happened to him, I don't see how those could be bad things."

Rocky offered a half-smile to Aiden, "So, you aren't going to back out while you can?"

"No. I know what I'm getting into and I want you as my Daddy more than anything."

Every muscle in Rocky's body loosened at Aiden's declaration. He didn't realize how tense he'd been waiting for Aiden's verdict until all of the tension melted away. Rocky wasn't normally one to be unsure, but he had also never been an overly protective helicopter Daddy before either. If Aiden hadn't wanted to deal with it, Rocky would have understood. He'd have been torn up but he'd have completely gotten the reasoning. It was a happy twist of fate that Aiden would need the exact qualities that Rocky had been scared would drive him away. What else about them matched up so well? It was time to find out.

"Okay then, baby," Rocky held up the sheet in his hand as he spoke, "we'll fill in these forms then go over them together." Both were quiet as they worked and when they went over the results, they were as closely matched as any two people Rocky had ever seen.

Aiden

Aiden lay back in the bathtub. He wasn't really one to play with toys during a bath, but he loved to relax and let the texture and warmth of water lull him. It had been an eventful couple of days and Aiden needed the down time badly. He looked over to Rocky kneeling beside the tub. He wouldn't have imagined just two short days ago that he'd be here, about to be washed by the man that had fascinated him from the first glance. It was surreal in the best way possible.

Aiden had been so scared to have the conversation they'd just had. He'd fretted and worried that Rocky would change his mind, but he hadn't even blinked an eye when Aiden had informed him that there might be times he couldn't stand to be touched. Rocky hadn't balked when Aiden had told him he couldn't be ignored, and he hadn't even flinched when Aiden mentioned any of his other needs or hard limits. The conversation had worn Aiden out, but he'd come away from it with a slightly higher hope that Rocky might not walk away like so many before him had.

When Rocky had noticed how drained Aiden had become during the conversation, he'd asked Aiden what would help him the most. Aiden greatly appreciated the fact that Rocky hadn't assumed he'd know the answer, but had consulted Aiden about it. It wasn't that Aiden didn't want Rocky to take charge, but there were so many things Daddies tended to assume all Littles and Middles liked, and Aiden had quickly found out that many of them were things he couldn't stand. Bubble baths, however, did not fall into that category.

Aiden breathed deeply, taking in the scent of hibiscus and coconut. He wasn't one to enjoy the scent of bubblegum or strawberries, but the current fragrance filling the air was rich and soothing, bringing to mind sandy beaches and frozen drinks. He'd never been to Hawaii, but Aiden assumed the air smelled like the bubbles in his bath. One day, he planned to go there and find out if he was right.

"Okay, baby," Rocky said, breaking into Aiden's thoughts, "sit up a bit so I can wash your upper half."

Aiden immediately did as he was told, anticipating the feel of Rocky running the soapy cloth all over him. Aiden's cock stood at attention when he realized that if Rocky washed him all over, it would include the currently excited appendage. Rocky hadn't even seen Aiden fully naked yet, as he'd turned his back when Aiden had undressed and stepped into the tub. He'd made it clear, however, that Aiden should reconcile himself with the fact that it would be the last time that Rocky turned away from his boy's beautiful body .

Aiden guessed that meant Rocky would get a full show when Aiden exited the tub. Not that Aiden minded a single bit. Now that he'd accepted Rocky as his Daddy, he had no desire to hide. He would have even been okay with Rocky seeing him before he went into the water, but Rocky had decided to give him a bit more time. Aiden was okay with that as well. He wanted his Daddy to feel as comfortable as he felt.

Aiden let out a soft moan of pleasure when Rocky smoothed the sudsy cloth between his shoulder blades and up to his neck. When Rocky wrapped his cloth-covered hand around the back of Aiden's neck, Aiden couldn't muffle his sounds and his moan echoed off the walls of the bathroom. Rocky stopped for a moment and Aiden feared he might stop completely, but almost immediately the hand on his neck began squeezing and releasing again, loosening knots Aiden hadn't even realized were there.