Chapter Twenty-One | Noah

I decided to take a turn behind the bar while I was there for the evening. Friday night and the pub was hopping. Liam was appreciative of my assistance. We fell into a familiar pattern moving around the bar and mixing drinks. Every time I moved past him, I could smell his cologne.

It was a scent that made me feel warm and cozy and loved. We had a slight reprieve, allowing us to catch up for a minute. It had been a few days since Liam had been over.

"I was thinking," Liam said.

"Always dangerous. Smells like burning tires."

"Ha. Ha. Fuck off. I was thinking that the gang needs to meet Brody properly. He's become such an important part of your life, we all want to get to know him."

Liam was right. My friends getting to know Brody was long overdue. The exchange of I love you was still so new and then there'd been Brody's accident. Now, it was time.

"Owen's Christmas barbeque, maybe?" I suggested.

"Perfect. I'll let Owen know." Liam put his hand on my shoulder. "I really like him." He smiled at me. "He's a bit odd at times. His words seemed very deliberate sometimes."

"He didn't want to say the wrong thing. He knows how important you are to me."

"Are you going to tell me what's up with him?"

"I'll talk to him about it." I knew we'd have to tell my friends about Brody being on the spectrum eventually, but it had to be Brody's decision .

When I got home, I found Brody in the kitchen, trying to make toast. He had a plate backed up and pinned against the microwave and fridge, the butter ready to be spread. He'd adapted as best as he could, employing some techniques to be as independent as he could be. His brother wasn't coming over anymore while I was at work, and I'd stretched my shifts to be four hours.

"Can I give you a hand?"

"No, I'm good."

"I brought dinner."

"I'm feeling a bit tired. Thought I'd just eat something light and go to bed."

"No worries, I can put the food in the fridge." And I did just that. Reorganized a few things and slid the meal containers in alongside a row of canned club soda. Brody liked to sip on it at night. He liked that it was zero calories and I appreciated that he took care of his sexy body.

The toast popped and Brody made a complete mess of buttering it, but I didn't interfere. I could clean the smeared butter off the fridge once he was in bed.

I followed him over to the kitchen table and let him fight with getting his leg cast beneath it. Once he huffed into a chair, I sat across from him.

"The gang wants to hang out with you. Get to know you better. Owen hasn't even met you yet. Liam and I were talking today. We have an annual Christmas barbeque and I'd love—"

"I'll go. Anything to get out of this damned house." He graced me with the most beautiful smile. "Plus, I'd like to meet Owen and get to know your friends better."

My heart filled with joy. I wanted Brody to be part of every aspect of my life. This, my friends, was an important one. There was only one more thing. "I'd like to tell them about your autism."

Brody frowned at his plate but then nodded .

"That makes sense."

"Liam already knows something's up."

He looked up at me. "Did I come off that bad when he was over?"

I touched his hand. "No, you were perfect. He really likes you."

Brody exhaled, his head bobbing, but didn't speak.

"The barbeque is a lot of fun. We've been doing it ever since Owen bought a house eight years ago. It's a great start to the Christmas season."

"When is it?"

"Next week. The twenty-first."

"And you actually barbeque?"

"Owen has a nice setup. Outdoor kitchen right off his regular one. He has a nice house. The front entry leads you past a dining room and straight to the kitchen. There's a bathroom along that hallway. Impossible to miss." Brody had told me how new spaces stressed him out. That he liked to get an image in his mind of where he was going. "We usually make ribs."

Brody smirked at me. "You don't have to cook anything, do you?"

"God, no. Owen and Ethan prepare the entire thing."

"For a second, I was terrified I was going to have to endure a salad made by you."

"Ha. Ha. I'll have you know, I can make a salad."

"From a prepared salad kit."

I laughed and rose from the table. "Still a salad. Now, eat your damned toast."

As Brody munched away, I turned down the bed and arranged the pillows so his casts would be supported away from his body. He could probably manage it himself, but he liked me to undress him every night. Doing so usually led to a blowjob. Tonight wasn't any different .

His cock was hard by the time I eased off his sweatpants and underwear. Once I had him arranged in bed, I slipped between his legs on my stomach and sucked him off.

I loved the taste of his release on my tongue. His cum belonged inside me. I never wanted this man to leave my side. The thought of one day moving back to my apartment was devastating.

This was home. Here with Brody.

As usual, the drinks were flowing for the Sunday meeting of the Salish Sea Society . Ethan and Liam were bickering about bottoming again. I had to agree with Ethan. There was nothing like being filled by your sexual partner. Having your prostate stimulated until you came hands-free.

Brody and I had been having plenty of sex.

There was something else I needed to share, though.

"I have something I need to talk about," I said loud enough to get everyone's attention.

The group hushed.

"Okay," I started. "As you all know, I'm bringing Brody to the barbeque. The poor man is going to have to endure you all. What I'm asking is that you keep the energy level under control."

Ethan tipped his head. "Why?"

Brody had given his permission. "Because Brody is on the autism spectrum, which means he can get overstimulated. He made it through the gala, so I'm expecting him to be all right. But he knows how much you all mean to me and that's making him overly anxious already."

"What do we need to know?" Owen asked. "We want him to feel comfortable."

"Just stay chill until he gets used to you. No loud exuberant debates. "

Liam screwed up his brow. "But he does fine at the pub and it's noisy in here."

"Like I said, hanging out with you all is important to him. It's put him on edge. When he's nervous like this, he can shut down a little. It's his way of protecting his mind. I need you to understand that his speaking may come across as curt. He doesn't mean anything by it. He wants to converse and get to know you. Just sometimes, his brain doesn't cooperate."

"I was over at their place a week ago," Liam said. "He opened up after a bit."

Their place .

That sounded nice. The thought made me grin. "You're going to love him once you get to know him."

"He makes you crazy happy," Owen said. "That's all I care."

"You still sworn off dating, Owen?" Ethan asked. "Noah found a good one."

"Brody literally targeted Noah in a busy pub. Can't see that happening for me."

"Yeah, that was kind of a creepy beginning, Noah," Ethan said.

"His autistic brain thought it was a good idea," I replied. "It worked out for the best."

Liam shoved me. "Now … you're living a life filled with bliss." I frowned. Liam rubbed my shoulder. "What did I say? Feels like I hit a nerve."

I needed to talk about it. "A little over a month from now, Brody will get his casts off and not need me anymore. I'll be moving back to my apartment."

"Brody is always going to need you," Ethan said.

"I know, but I've loved living with him. Initially, we had some issues. I'm not as organized as him. I messed up some of his systems. But we got through it. Plus, I love all the animals. My apartment is going to feel cold and empty when I move back to it. I don't want to go."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Owen asked.

I knew it was the sensible thing to do but I was scared. Scared that Brody might disagree with me moving in permanently. Our relationship had started slow and then suddenly sped up. The car accident and our falling in love had expedited things, but maybe we weren't ready for this next step in our relationship. Every night when I fell asleep in our bed, my desire to remain there as Brody's partner for the rest of my life overwhelmed me. Made me panic when I woke until I reoriented myself and my heart filled with relief that I was in the bed we shared.

"I should," I replied. "I know I should, but putting myself out there makes me nervous."

"You don't think he feels the same way?" Liam asked. "When I was over there, it felt like he did. You two moved in tandem. It felt like I was watching an old married couple. The way you cut up his food for him was absolutely precious. Almost made me want to drop my wayward ways."

"Wow," Ethan said. "Now, that's saying something. I think you should talk to him."

I took a page from Brody's book. "I'm done talking about this."

I glanced over at Brody as we sat in Owen's driveway. I kept the car and heat running. I wasn't sure how long Brody needed to sit and acclimate. He was stimming hard, his thumbs and forefingers rubbing fiercely enough to set his hands alight.

He abruptly stopped and placed his hand on the doorhandle .

"You ready?" I asked.

Brody simply nodded. I loved him for doing this, meeting the people who meant the most to me. Except for Frances, Sean, and Brody, the bulk of my heart was tied up with these guys.

We stood outside Owen's door. There was no need to knock. We walked right in.

Brody looked down at his one shoe. The other foot had a big woolen sock over the cast.

"We can leave our shoes on," I said. "We'll be outside in the back soon."

"It won't be too cold?"

"Owen has a bunch of heat lamps. We'll be fine. We'll eat inside at the island."

I led Brody in the direction of the kitchen toward the loud sounds of talking and teasing. As we stepped through the doorway, the gang gave us their attention.

"So … this is the infamous Brody," Owen said and held out his hand. "Welcome."

Brody dutifully shook his hand.

"I'm sure you've surmised I'm Owen. The last person to finally meet you."

"You have a beautiful home," Brody said. "Very spacious."

I threaded my arm through his. He was going to be fine.

Ethan and Liam chatted at us for a second, welcoming Brody. Then Brody was folded right into the group. Each of my friends made eye contact with him as they talked about their days.

"I have news," Ethan said, his face brightening. "I ran into Daniel at the grocery store."

"Ah, the elusive older man from your coffee shop," I said for Brody's benefit.

"Did you talk to him?" Liam asked .

"I did. Turns out his company moved him to a different office. That's why he hasn't been coming into my coffee shop. I dropped a hint that I was there on weekends as well."

"Do you think he'll show up?" Owen asked.

"His eyes certainly said yes ."

The obligatory cat calls ensued.

"Noah says we're having ribs," Brody said, changing the subject. He must be hungry. I hadn't made lunch for us today because I knew Owen and Ethan would make way too much food. I was proven correct as they both started unloading dish after dish of sides from one of Owen's fridges.

I hit the drink fridge under the counter and came back to Brody with two local IPAs. Brody took his and nearly drained it. He wasn't on anything other than Tylenol for pain now. He could drink as much as he wanted to if it made him feel more at ease.

Owen took the cooked marinated ribs out of a fridge and headed for the door outside. We all joined him, talking and laughing as we nursed our beers under the heat lamps. Owen fired up his massive grill and threw the ribs onto it. Brody listened mostly, sometimes interjecting, even laughing on occasion. He looked to be at ease. I was proud of him.

Proud to be with him.

He was my man, and I was never letting go of him.

After dinner, we retired to the family room, occupying every seat. Owen had a Christmas tree up and decorated with presents beneath. Every year, we all chipped in and bought one fun present for each of us. I counted the packages. There were five. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized what the guys had done. Without me knowing, they'd bought Brody a present as well.

Best friends ever.

Ethan handed out the presents. Brody hesitated, glancing at me for reassurance. I nudged him and nodded my head. He took the gift. Based on its shape, I had my suspicions what it was.

Brody laughed softly as he tore the wrapping away to reveal a very expensive boxed gin. Liam had been the one to suggest it because it was Brody's drink of choice at the pub.

"Thank you," he said to the room.

A chorus of your welcomes came back.

I opened my gift and burst out laughing.

"Assholes!" I shouted.

"Yup," Liam exclaimed. "That's what it's for."

"That's hilarious," Brody said quietly to me and surveyed the room. Everyone had gone back to talking with each other about the gag gifts each of them had opened.

Brody stroked my thigh. "And extremely hot."

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah?"

In my hands was a long and fat double-ended dildo. It hadn't even crossed my mind that Brody might be into having something up his ass. We'd never incorporated that into our playtime.

"I'm not against it," he whispered.

My cock immediately thickened.

"Jeezus, Brody. I think we need to go home now." I jumped to my feet. "We're leaving. Brody has had enough of you bunch and wants to go to bed."

Brody nudged me. "Sure. Blame me."

Liam laughed. "Nothing to do with your gift, huh?"

I smirked. "I may be washing the newness off some silicone when we get home."

"Enjoy!" Ethan leapt to his feet and launched himself at me, giving me a tight hug. "And Merry Christmas." He turned to Brody. "Can I give you a hug?"

Brody paused but then nodded. The hug looked heartfelt. I could feel it in my bones. My friends had accepted Brody. Knew how happy he made me. They'd be fierce with their support of us. After maneuvering Brody and his leg cast into the car, we headed for home. We held hands as I drove. "I have a question. Keeping in mind, you are under no obligation."

"Sounds ominous," Brody replied.

I chuckled. "Might be. My parents host a Christmas Eve dinner every year. It takes the place of the upcoming mandatory dinner. But I'm willing to skip it if you don't feel comfortable going."

"You wouldn't go on your own?"

I glanced over at him. His brow was drawn. "Of course not. We're together. We do things together. You're my boyfriend, remember? We are going to spend Christmas together ."

"You'll be mine for the holidays."

I squeezed his hand. "Always. I'll always be yours." I was about to blurt out my question about making our living accommodation permanent, but the words stuck in my throat.

"My family has dinner on Christmas Day," he said. "You'll come to that, right?"

"Of course. I'm serious. I'm not leaving your side."

The next time I glanced at Brody, the streetlights reflected off tears in his eyes. He sighed and started stimming with the fingers protruding from the cast on his right hand. He had told me the right was his dominant hand for soothing himself but that it made his fractured arm sore.

I wasn't sure what he was nervous about. Christmas Eve at my parents' house?

"I like that you put up a Christmas tree at home," he said.

"The cats love it too." I grinned. "Little bastards."

"All of the animals have taken to you."

"I love them all. Even Garret the Gecko recognizes my voice now."

"You feel good in my bed." Brody took a long deep breath. " Our bed. "

My fingers started to tingle.

"I know you have a life apart from me," Brody said. "You have the pub. You have your friends. And you have your own space to go back to."

"Brody—"

"I'll totally understand if the answer is no ."

"Brody—"

"In five weeks, my casts will come off, and I just—"

"Brody, stop." I pulled off to the side of the road and turned in my seat. "The answer is yes . Yes, I'll move in with you. Yes, I want to spend my life with you. Every single day of it."

Brody's brow dipped as he looked at me in the dim light. "You're sure?"

"Oh, my god, yes." I cupped his face and kissed him. Something I planned to do for the rest of my days. His lips and everything else about him were mine. "I love you so much. After these past few weeks, I can't imagine living anywhere else. Nowhere else would feel like home."

Brody simply bobbed his head. He was overwhelmed.

We drove in silence after that, both of us likely combing through the details of what this meant in our relationship. And in Brody's mind, the logistics of combining our lives, including all my stuff. Fortunately, I had very little in the way of things I wanted to keep. My mother had designed my apartment for me. Most items in my space held no significance and were expendable.

I liked Brody's townhouse the way it was. Warm and cozy—and filled with love. His furnishings were soft but functional. The shelving in his living room neat and organized. His kitchen streamlined down to the basics needed to cook. Our bedroom comfortable.

Our home .

Once I had him in the bedroom and pressed against the end of the bed, I started with a kiss designed to make his one good leg cave under the intensity of it.

He sat, his fingers threaded through my hair, keeping my lips on his. His mouth was hot and tasted like the beer we'd been drinking. We combined our shared essence. I leaned against him until he fell back on the mattress, then climbed on, straddling him. His cock was hard, constrained by his sweatpants. I ground my jean-covered length against his until we were both groaning.

I released his pink puffy lips. "Let's get you undressed."

Brody grunted his agreement.

I started with his sweatpants, stripping them off his legs. I ran my hands up his thighs and caressed his erection though his underwear. Brody moaned and thrust his hips up. I kneeled on the floor and ran my lips over his shaft and fat balls. I dragged my tongue up his cock then nuzzled my nose deep in his scent. I could live there forever surrounded by his warmth.

I slipped my fingers into the band of his underwear and peeled the material down his legs. His cock sprang free. Long and thick. And deliciously mine. I discarded the underwear as I licked a path around his glans. His slit was wet. I took my first taste of the night.

Mm. So good. So perfect.

"Sit up."

Brody struggled until he was seated again. I worked his shirt off over his head, messing up the dark curls piled on his head. I straightened them with my fingers. He was beautiful.

"Let's get you up in the bed."

Brody limped around to the side of the bed and positioned himself on top of the covers. I placed one pillow behind his head. We'd need to be laying flat for what I had planned.

"Give me a sec." I leaned down and kissed him .

I headed back downstairs, grabbed my gift, and hit the kitchen sink. I used the gentle natural soap in the soap dispenser and thoroughly washed the dildo then dried it with a fresh tea towel.

The look in Brody's eyes as I approached the bed with it was pure lust-filled hunger. He licked his lips then his mouth popped open and hung there, lips parted. He was breathing heavily.

"You like what you see?" I approached his side of the bed.

He nodded.

I set it on his chest, one thick end at his throat, and set about stripping off my clothes. Once I had everything off, I retook my favourite place, astride him. I lifted the dildo and licked one end. It tasted mildly of the soap I had used to clean it. I sucked on the tip. Brody's eyes widened.

I let it go with a slurp and poised it at Brody's lips. He lifted his head and stretched them around the girth of it, sucking on it. I fed him a significant length of it until it was riding his tongue, threatening to gag him, then removed it from his mouth and put it in mine.

I groaned and rocked my hips as I sucked on it. Brody used his good hand to caress my skin from my thigh up to my chest and pinch my nipple. My cock jerked.

I set the dildo back on his chest. After grabbing the lube off the bedside table where we had decided to permanently locate it, I slipped back until I was falling between his legs. Luckily, Brody could bend both knees or this was going to be even more difficult than I suspected it would be.

Positioned where I needed to be, I bent and spread Brody's legs. His gaze was fixed on me. There was apprehension in his eyes. "You've never had your hole touched before, have you?"

"Never needed it, but I want to with you."

My precious Brody .

"I'll go easy. If you don't want to go as far as the dildo, just say so."

If he told me to stop, I would do so without a second's pause. There were plenty of things I could do with the dildo on my own that would be fascinating for Brody to watch. It had been a while since I had been double penetrated, but I could make it work with enough preparation.

I dumped some lube into my hand and slicked up my fingers.

"You'll barely notice this first one." Brody clenched his ass. I stroked and kissed his knee to calm him. "But you'll need to relax for me."

Brody grunted and his gorgeous pink hole softened. I lay on my stomach so I could reach his cock with my mouth and passed my finger over his tight ring.

He hissed but stayed relaxed.

I was slow as I introduced my finger to his body. It was tight and warm inside him. His cock jumped as I pierced him up to my knuckle. As I withdrew, I placed a second finger to join the first then slid both into him. This time, his hole cinched tight.

I took his dick in my other hand and descended on it with my mouth, sucking and licking, distracting him. After pumping his hole a few times, I introduced a third finger.

Opening for me, Brody groaned, swore, and ground his ass into the bedding. His slit released a stream of saltiness onto my tongue. I bobbed my head on his cock as I fucked him with my fingers. A slight curve of my fingers and I hit his prostate. Brody almost launched off the bed.

"Fuck," he gasped. "Is that the prostate?"

"Yup. Pretty miraculous, hey?"

"Feels good."

I didn't spend too much time teasing it. I didn't want him to blow too early. I retrieved the dildo and lubed up his end. Easy and slow, I pressed the thick flared head against Brody's hole.

"I'm going to push it in now. This part is wide then it tapers off."

Brody grunted.

I took that as consent. His body accepted the intrusion like a dream. It was a beautiful sight to see, his ring closing around the dildo's head. Accompanying a guttural groan, his knees lifted, and his hand gripped the bedding, but he stayed steady and didn't clench.

"It's in. You did great."

"More."

"Absolutely." I fed him more of the dildo until his body was filled with a third of it. I let him adjust to being filled for a second then began pumping it in and out of his ass.

"Jeezus, that feels good," he moaned and grabbed his cock, jerking it.

"Not yet." I swatted his hand away from his tight erection. "My turn."

Working out the position in my head, I spun around and flipped onto my back, positioning my bent legs over Brody's, my outer thighs on his inner ones, our asses nearly touching, like a seductive set of interlocking puzzle pieces.

The dildo between us, I lubed up my end. I wasn't going to bother stretching myself. I felt like I needed to feel the burn tonight. I angled my hips up slightly, my heels digging into the bedding, and positioned the dildo at my hole. I fed it in slowly until my body consumed a good length.

I dropped my ass back onto the bed. Using my legs, I hauled my body closer to Brody's. My movement translated through the dildo because Brody groaned and gripped my ankle.

Now what ?

I improvised, reached between us, and grasped the small amount of exposed dildo spanning between us. I pulled it toward me, sinking the dildo further into my gut.

We both moaned and panted. I shifted it back in the other direction, filling Brody.

"Faster," Brody muttered.

"Throw me a pillow."

Brody released my ankle and tossed a pillow at me. I put it behind my head. My arm didn't have quite as far to stretch. "Ready?"

"Please, Noah … just do it."

Didn't have to ask me twice. I began moving the dildo back and forth between us, fucking us both. I grabbed for the lube and dumped a huge dollop on at both ends. The slickness made it difficult to hang onto the silicone. I whipped off my pillowcase and used it to stop my hand from slipping. Our groans filled the room. It was the most surreal experience, the man I loved and I sharing the same bottoming pleasure at the same time. It felt like a sublime bonding moment.

We both shouted each other's names and a string of obscenities, our voices echoing. Brody's grip on my ankle was tight as I fucked us until we were both writhing. His voice of desire was the most beautiful music. I wanted to listen to it forever. Be in this pleasure with him for all time.

Lights were popping behind my eyelids. I was damned close, but the angle wasn't quite right to cum hands-free. I released the dildo and started thrusting my hips instead, freeing up my hand to grab my cock. Brody spotted me and did the same with his.

I did an incredible crunch with my abs, squirted some lube on Brody's cock then into my hand, and fell back to concentrate on stroking my aching erection.

Brody lifted his ass and I felt him tense. A whole lot of gibberish erupted from his throat as he shot his load. Knowing he was coating himself in his cream had me pumping cum onto my chest and abs. It took us a while to slow down, our bodies twitching.

I sighed and laughed when my mind finally came back online. "Fuck. That was intense." I tapped Brody's shin. "What did you think?"

Brody squirmed. "I can see why you like having your hole filled."

"Goodness, Brody, do we have a versatile in the making?"

Brody chuckled. "Maybe." He squirmed again. "Can you take it out now?"

"Right. Sorry."

I pulled out the dildo, making us both hiss and untangled our limbs. I threw the dildo toward the end of the bed. After that mind-blowing experience, I needed to be snuggled up to my man.

We moved into our usual positions, me wrapped up in Brody's good arm, my head on his shoulder. I kissed his pec. He hummed as he held me.

"Love you, sweetness," Brody whispered and kissed my head.

It was the first time Brody had ever used a term of endearment with me. Tears collected in my eyes, my heart swelling with the new familiarity.

Sweetness .

"I love you too."

It wasn't as late as we normally went to bed, but the events of today had worn us out. Brody had hung out with my friends, successfully, and I was moving in with him permanently.

Plus, the laughable but fulfilling double-ended dildo experience.

I smiled as I drifted off on the man I loved.

It had been a good day.