Chapter 30

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ADAM

ADAM WOKE with a gasp as thunder boomed in the distance.

It had to be early since it was still dark out, only the soft glow of the moon coming through the curtains, the light mottled by the rain splattering the windows. They were having a freak summer storm, something that only occurred once every few years. Adam grinned. He loved it when that happened. It made for a nice break from the intense dryness and heat.

He hoped it would let up sometime that day, though. Even if only for a few minutes. Because he and John had plans.

The bed shifted, and John curled up behind him, spooning up against his body.

Adam gasped. His very naked body.

He snatched at the sheets, clutching them to his chest, only to remember that he didn't need to do that anymore.

"Shit," he whispered.

"You okay?" John asked.

"Yeah." Adam grabbed John's hand and dragged it up, pressing it right over his heart. He let out a little moan. "I still keep forgetting sometimes that they're gone."

John brushed a feather-light kiss along his shoulder. "You'll get used to it," he murmured, sounding perfectly confident.

"I thought I would be already."

"Well, you've only had a few weeks without them compared to almost thirty years–"

"Let's not go aging me now," Adam said, only half joking. "I'm only twenty-seven."

John chuckled. "You just need more time for your skin memory to correct itself. That's all." John brushed his thumb teasingly over Adam's right nipple. "And I'll be happy to help with that."

Adam's brain started to short-circuit with each pass of John's thumb. "Huh? Help with what?"

"With retraining your skin," John clarified in a husky murmur as he pressed up harder against him.

"Oh, fuck," Adam gasped, feeling John's cock stiffen against his ass. "Daddy," he begged.

"Christ," John swore, sounding like the word had been viciously torn out of him. He reached past Adam, opened the nightstand drawer, and dug around for a condom in the dark.

Adam rocked his hips impatiently. Ever since he'd gotten cleared for physical activity, he'd felt insatiable. Maybe it was just a matter of making up for lost time, for all the seemingly endless days they'd had to abstain. Or maybe he felt sexier and more desirable now that he wasn't constantly plagued with the tension of having to hide part of his body. Whatever it was, the one thing he did know was that John wasn't moving nearly fast enough.

"Daddy," he whined.

"Fuck." John crushed him into the mattress as he reached for the lamp. Adam winced when John clicked it on, then watched through squinted eyes as John managed to find a condom and snatch it out of the drawer. "Christ," John muttered. "Finally." He ripped the wrapper open, then shoved a hand down between their bodies.

"Yep, that's it," Adam said. "I'm gonna need more surgery."

John went still. "What? Why?"

"Because I want you to be able to just shove that thing inside me without having to fight for a condom."

John was silent for a moment. "Holy–" Adam glanced back and saw John squeeze his eyes shut while clamping a hand around the base of his cock. "Christ, baby."

"That sounds hot, right?"

Instead of answering with words, John lurched up, yanked Adam over onto his back and dove on top of him, using his knees to kick Adam's legs wide open.

"Oh fuck," Adam gasped, seeing the hunger in John's eyes, pinned by the intensity of his gaze. His brain seemed to stop working, losing all power over his own body, allowing John to take complete control.

John got up onto his knees, looming over Adam, looking suddenly huge, powerful, and irresistible. He grabbed his cock, dragging it up and down along Adam's slick flesh, then lined up and eased just the tip into Adam's body before he slammed home in one long, smooth thrust.

"Oh!" Adam gasped. His entire body trembled with need as John pulled back and slammed into him again. "Oh fuck. John. Daddy! Oh my god."

John rapidly picked up the pace, even grabbing Adam by the hips and lifting them off the bed. Adam tensed for a moment. He'd always craved this position but hated it because the brutal thrusts had made his chest move about, even despite the tight fit of his binders. But that feeling never came now. He looked down the flat planes of his naked body. A grin took over his face, and he felt all his resistance vanish.

"Oh my god," Adam cried. "Yes, yes, yes. Daddy, more! Harder!"

John grinned back and gave him exactly what he wanted.

Adam braced his hands against the headboard, but he couldn't even hold that for long. His entire body felt liquid. The white-hot pleasure shot through him, turning his muscles to useless mush and his brain into a haze in which the only clear thing was John.

John. John. John. Instead of all the noise that used to constantly torment him, Adam's mind was clear. Right then, all that existed was John. John's powerful body. His rock-hard dick slinging into him over and over. Those sexy-as-hell grunts and moans as he moved faster and faster and faster.

Then John suddenly stopped, dropping Adam's hips back onto the bed. John bent over him, gasping for breath, reaching up to lace their fingers together while he traced fleeting, open-mouthed kisses all over Adam's chest.

A moan tore out of Adam's throat. "Daddy," he gasped.

John lifted his head so that their noses almost touched, his gaze intense as he stared right into Adam's eyes. "I love you so much."

Adam blinked rapidly, feeling the sudden urge to cry. "I love you, too."

A grin slowly spread over John's face. The man tightened his grip on Adam's hands, then slowly rocked his hips back before slamming forward again.

"Oh fuck," Adam gasped. He felt riveted by John's gaze, pinned beneath his body. With John bent over him like that, wrapped around him so close, Adam felt trapped and cocooned and utterly, blissfully safe. "Daddy," he barely managed to get out before he sucked in a breath in surprise. "Oh my god. Right there. Right there!"

John's grin turned almost feral as the man pegged the same spot over and over, but the grin slowly slipped as a look of pure, animal pleasure took over his face. "Baby," he gasped.

Within another few thrusts, Adam screamed.

And John followed him a moment later, grunting in Adam's ear as his cock pulsed inside Adam's body. He collapsed on top of Adam, his head on Adam's chest.

Adam felt tears sting his eyes again. He yanked his hands free of John's hold so he could hug the man instead, needing him closer, needing as much pressure against his naked torso as he could get.

John gently rubbed his cheek against him. "I can feel your heartbeat," he murmured.

Adam grinned as tears slipped silently down his temples.

"Adam?" John asked, tipping his head back, looking up at him with worry.

"I'm okay," Adam said with a sniff. "I'm just so fucking happy."

John grinned. "Me, too, baby," he whispered. He gave Adam a quick, soft kiss before resting his head right back down over Adam's heart. "Me, too."

By the time they got disentangled from one another and cleaned up, John's coffee machine kicked on in the kitchen. Adam let John drag him out of bed, then shrugged on one of John's t-shirts, loving the way the oversized garment hung on him, teasing his skin, making him feel like a part of John was touching him everywhere.

"Fuck," John gasped, pausing in the middle of pulling on some lounge shorts. "I will never get tired of seeing you in my clothes."

Adam laughed. "Sure you don't wanna throw me back in bed?" he asked, turning around and lifting the hem of the shirt just enough to show off his bare ass.

John growled. "Later," he promised. "Give Daddy a few minutes to recover, at least."

Adam chuckled, giving his hips a little extra wiggle as he walked out of the room ahead of him.

They lingered over coffee and breakfast, then wound up back in bed when the storm suddenly raged harder outside. Eventually, the rain let up, and even though the sky was still completely dark with clouds, they decided to take the chance while they had it and head out to the vineyard.

There was one last thing they had to do to close the book on their grief and guilt for good.

John drove them across town in his brand-new pickup truck. Adam sat silently in the passenger seat, smiling softly to himself as he held his dad's urn in his lap. They left the city proper and headed down the country road that led to the vineyard, seeing hardly any traffic, thanks to the weather and it being a weekend.

They pulled into the vineyard, heading silently along, not even playing any music, as they circled the property until they reached the riesling fields.

John shut off the truck, took off his seatbelt, and turned to look at Adam. "You ready?"

Adam nodded without hesitation.

They got out and paused to survey the view. The charred vines had all been ripped out and taken away, leaving the land bare, the soil churned up and desolate. The majestic oak trees looked lonely with nothing to stand guard over, nothing to surround them but dirt and mud.

Adam glanced at John. There was a bittersweet smile on the man's face, but he didn't look broken by the sight before them. If anything, John looked contemplative. Even hopeful.

John tore his gaze away from the land and looked at Adam instead.

"Take all the time you need, baby," John murmured. "There's no rush."

Adam took a deep breath and nodded. He glanced down at the urn in his arms, then looked back at John. "Um. Where?"

John swept out a hand. "Wherever you want."

"Okay." Adam let out a shaky exhale, then paused before he took a step forward. The next step came easier. As did the one after that. Before he knew it, he was standing several feet away from John, right alongside a rut that showed where the vines once grew.

A sense of peace washed over him as he unscrewed the lid on the urn, bent down, and carefully poured his dad's ashes into the rut, stepping slowly as he went, not stopping until the urn was empty.

John walked over to join him. Facing one another, they gently kicked the dirt over the ashes, patting it down until Dad's remains were safely tucked away and at rest.

Adam sighed, feeling the last of the weight lift off his shoulders. "What happens now?"

"Now," John said, slipping an arm around his waist as he steered them back to the road along the fence line. They turned to survey the field, Adam's gaze focused on the spot where his dad's ashes were buried. "We let the land sit for a year or two. Let it heal. Then we'll pull out whatever weeds have grown, till the soil, and start planting again."

Adam smiled. "That sounds nice. I can't wait to see it."

"I can't wait to serve you the very first glass of the very first vintage that grows here again."

Adam's smile grew. "I'd like that, too." He set the empty urn back inside the truck, then gazed out at the field again. "I guess this is probably a first, huh?" he asked with a laugh.

"Actually, we do it more than you might think," John said. When Adam's eyes went wide, the man clarified, "Not human remains. Or, hell, maybe there are. It is private property, after all. But animals, though, for sure. The local vet clinics, when they cremate pets that have been put down, they bring the ashes to us to spread in the vineyards."

Adam blinked. "That's somehow both really sweet and really sad."

John nodded. "Speaking of that." He waved a hand, silently beckoning Adam to join him, and headed across the dirt road to the next section of the vineyard. John crouched down and pointed at a small sign screwed to the post at the end of one of the rows. "Aubbie," John read. "A Jack Russell whose ashes are spread here." He pointed along the rows. "And there are more down that way."

Adam glanced down the road. Sure enough, a few more end posts had those little signs attached to them.

John straightened up and started back for the empty riesling fields. "We've never had any for this section yet, but…" He stopped right where the end post would go for the row where Dad's ashes were spread, then pulled something out of his pocket and held it out.

Adam slowly took it, then gasped when he saw one of the little wooden signs, this one bearing his dad's name. "Oh my god. John…"

"I had that made, just in case you wanted it." John barely got those words out before Adam gasped.

"Yes!"

John grinned. "We'll keep it safe until the time comes. And then, once we start planting, I'll make sure you're here with me when the sign goes up."

Adam threw his arms around John, feeling at a loss for words, trying to tell him through the embrace alone just how grateful he was.

"I love you so much," he managed to choke out, his voice thick with emotion.

John kissed the top of his head. "I love you, too."

Adam pulled back and pressed the little sign to his chest, hugging it close, feeling like his dad was right there with him.

John put an arm around him again, and they stood there for several minutes, enjoying the silence and the peace that surrounded them. Adam couldn't help smiling even as tears kept slipping down his cheeks. He felt so happy and alive. So free.

And when he looked at John, he saw the same things written all over the man's face. The pain and fear and guilt were all gone.

A drop of rain landed on Adam's forehead.

"Uh oh." John laughed, looking up and around. "We should probably get going before it downpours again."

"Okay," Adam agreed. He started to head back to the truck, then paused and turned around, seeking out the place where his dad was finally at rest. "Love you, Dad," he whispered.

He turned away, but after a few steps, he realized John wasn't following him. Adam stopped and looked back again, seeing a serious expression cross John's face.

John slowly walked over to the tamped-down dirt. He stopped there, then lowered himself to a crouch, even reaching down to lightly brush his fingers over the earth.

"Hey, Frank," John murmured.

Adam hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should move away so he could give John privacy, but John wasn't trying to keep his voice down.

And Adam was too curious to hear what the man had to say.

John took a deep breath. "Thank you for raising such an amazing young man," he said. "Thank you for your message, even if I waited far too long to hear it. Thank you for everything you did for me after my own folks died. And thank you for offering us a chance to reconcile, even if I was too stupid to take it."

Adam sniffed and dashed more tears off his cheeks.

John swallowed hard, the movement of his throat visible from where Adam stood. "Frank, I'm going to ask your son to marry me."

Adam gasped.

"And I hope, somehow, wherever you are," John went on, glancing from the earth to the sky and back, "I'd have your blessing."

Just then, right above them, a beam of sunlight pierced through a tiny gap in the clouds.

Adam gasped again. "John. Look."

John looked up, and the two of them stared as a bright, glorious rainbow streaked across the sky.

Adam heard John's breath hitch, and tore his gaze away from the rainbow to see tears collect on John's eyelashes.

John slowly shook his head. "I don't normally believe in signs, but I'll take this one."

Adam grinned. "Me, too."

They gazed up at the sky for another moment, then left the field, hand-in-hand, the light of the rainbow lighting their future and guiding their way.

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