Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

KC Hayles

We could reheat the food later. I couldn’t bring myself to wake them up.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and took a picture. Cam and Noa had their heads on Lucian’s chest, and they looked so peaceful together.

There. My new background photo in black and white. Perfect.

Leaving the takeout bag on the floor outside the bedroom, I pushed myself away from the doorframe and aimed for the bed. I let my cane drop on the carpet before I removed my pants and sweater. Then I carefully crawled into bed next to Noa, and he made a sleepy sound and gravitated toward me.

“Nap time, Daddy,” he mumbled.

“That’s right, baby.” I pulled him closer and let out a long breath.

We were finally heading in the right direction. I couldn’t fucking describe how relieved I was that Lucian had quit his job. At the same time…one thing kept gnawing at me. I wouldn’t be able to relax completely until we’d told Christine about us. We’d postponed that conversation for six damn months—with valid reasons—but enough was enough.

My goal was for the cat to be out of the bag before we went on the cruise. It wasn’t for my sake either. Noa was dreading it because he knew how his mother would react, and I got it. But I was done having him suffer so that Christine could live obliviously.

I closed my eyes and gently ran my fingers up and down Noa’s back.

“Mmmm…” He gusted out a breath and threw a leg over mine.

* * *

I’d considered canceling our so-called visiting hours for our patient, but now I was glad I hadn’t. Lucian needed to be reminded that the community cared for him.

After our nap, we’d moved downstairs to the den. Cam was cuddled up in my chair, and Lucian occupied the couch with almost as many blankets and pillows. And that was how our visitors greeted Mclean House’s ever-composed Master Lucian.

Kit wanted to make sure Lucian would recover and promised to research sugar-free sprinkles options. If there weren’t any, it was about damn time someone invented them—in his words.

“That’s very kind of you, little one.” Lucian humored the boy like a good Daddy should.

“He is allowed to have ice cream, right?” Kit glanced over at me.

“Sometimes.” I nodded.

Kit did not like the sound of “sometimes.” Sweet kid. He withdrew with a silent yikes and sat back with Lucas⁠—

“Okay, I bring extra chairs!” Noa returned to us with two chairs from the dining room.

Now we were ready for the arrival of Gael and Santiago. Any moment now.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I sat down on the armrest of the couch, and I yanked Noa to me. “What would I do without you?”

“Die!” he whispered.

I grinned. It was easy to tune out Lucas’s fussing over Lucian when I had my goofball right here.

“No, but I will sic Colt and Reese on you,” Lucas was saying.

All right, I was glad I didn’t tune that part out. A well-placed threat could be highly effective.

“Or maybe not, but you wouldn’t be very happy,” Noa amended.

“I’d be downright miserable.” I kissed him. Hell, I already knew what my life without him was like. “I need my freckles forever.”

He flashed an adorable smile so wide that he squinted. “Forever it is!”

Christ, the boy fucking owned me. Soon as those dimples came out, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him.

I squeezed him to me and listened on one ear as Lucas told Lucian he’d keep an eye on him, and if my man stepped out of line, the cavalry would show up.

Tempting to see that in real life, actually.

The doorbell rang, so Noa dragged me up from the armrest, and we headed for the hallway.

“Do you need help?” Cam called after us.

“You gotta rest, sicko!” Noa reminded. “These people, I swear,” he huffed. “Why don’t they nap more? Napping is awesome.”

He said that now. He sang a whole other tune when he had a fear of missing out. Then he’d walk around with wide eyes, as if that would fool us.

I gripped the cane a little tighter and unlocked the front door, and Noa pushed it open and beamed at the sight of Gael and Santiago.

“Hi! Mr. West and Kit are already here. Come on in.” Noa stepped aside and offered to take Santiago’s leather jacket.

“Hi, Noa.” Gael smiled widely and removed his jacket too. “Hello, Mister KC.”

“Hey, little one. Everything good?”

The boy nodded. “Oh yes, Sir. Master Dean wanted to make it also, but he couldn’t get away from work. And Daddy said maybe it was for the best, so we don’t overwhelm Master Lucian.”

Good thinking. “Daddy’s right,” I replied, meeting the man’s gaze.

Santiago was hot as fuck. The picture of a brooding, rugged PI, and yet…he loved to bend over for Tops with even more authority. Mainly Dean, with whom Santiago and Gael were in a triad. Recently, they’d started exploring group sex with men they trusted, and Noa and I had taken part the other week.

Santiago averted his gaze after a beat and cleared his throat, refocusing on Gael. “Okay, let’s go see the patient. Do you have your gift, sweetheart?”

“Right here!” Gael patted his left pants pocket and grinned. “Also, don’t forget you were gonna ask Mister KC something about after the Easter Egg Hunt.”

I lifted a brow.

Noa got curious too.

Santiago chuckled and ruffled Gael’s hair. “There’s time for that later. We’re here for Master Lucian.”

“But Master said—” Gael protested, before Santiago cut him off.

“I know what he said, and we’ll get there another time. Okay?” Was he trying to shut his boy up?

Color me intrigued. I could only assume it was about playtime if it took place after our next Game.

Noa scrunched his nose. “Are you keeping secrets? I don’t like secrets unless I know them.”

Santiago pressed forward with a veil of mirth, but I could tell he felt put on the spot. “It’s not a secret if you’re just choosing your timing, brat.”

I planted a hand on top of Noa’s head. “And even if it were a secret, you’re going to mind your own business.”

My boy huffed, then pouted. “Yes, Sir.”

Good.

“You can take Gael to Uncle Lucian,” I said. “Santiago and I will be there in a minute.”

My tone brooked no argument, and Noa knew better than to push me right now. Instead, he bit his tongue, grabbed Gael by the hand, and walked away.

There.

I turned back to Santiago. “How’s this for timing?”

He let out a chuckle and smirked. “For one, it’s easy to see who Noa takes after. For two…I guess it’s almost as if I chose the timing myself.”

I was helpful that way.

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Dean and Gael were discussing fantasies, and somehow I became the meat in a big Top sandwich. Specifically, with Dean, Walker, and you.”

“Sounds like a delicious sandwich,” I offered. Which was an understatement. Sign me the fuck up. “Will the boys be able to watch? I wouldn’t wanna rob Noa of that—and we’re a team for play outside our dynamic.”

“Yeah, no, of course,” he replied. “Anyone’s welcome to watch. Gael will be there. Macklin too. And I think his and Walker’s other two partners, Ty and Lane? Dean can add you to a group chat I’m not a part of.”

I nodded, making a mental note to ask Lucian and Cam as well. “And this is planned for after the Easter Game on Saturday?”

“If you’re able to,” he confirmed. “We thought it was easiest to pick a date we’re already at the house.”

Yeah, good call.

“I’m definitely able.” I smirked faintly and leaned in to drop a kiss at the corner of his mouth. He drew an unsteady breath. “It’ll be fun. We won’t go easy on you.”

“Good,” he exhaled.

I eased away again, and I nodded toward the kitchen. We could discuss limits later. But Saturday just got a lot more interesting.

We followed the sounds of three brats giggling to the den, and by then, I needed to sit down for a moment. Gael and Noa were attaching something to Lucian’s T-shirt, and Lucian pulled up his feet so I could share the couch with him. He was amused by whatever it was the boys were doing.

“That’s the perfect gift!” Noa exclaimed.

“Now everyone will know,” Kit chimed in.

Gael backed away, and I could finally see what it was. And, okay, I had to laugh too. The boy had given Lucian a pin that said, “Hello! I am stressed.”

“We won’t let you forget, man,” Santiago said.

“Not for a second,” Lucas agreed. “What a wonderful present, Gael.”

“Very,” I agreed.

“I have one too! See?” Gael pointed to his sweater. Only, his pin read, “Hello! I am socially awkward.”

I snorted softly and squeezed Lucian’s foot. He was damn lucky to have so many who cared for him. It looked like he was finally understanding that too. He thanked Gael and promised to wear the pin often as a reminder.

“Okay, time to see what Tate sent you.” Lucas picked up a bag from the floor and handed it to Lucian. “He couldn’t come out to see you, so I met up with Kingsley for lunch yesterday, and he gave me the care package.”

I leaned closer as a visibly humbled Lucian sifted through the contents, pulling them out one by one. A scented candle, a card, Lucian’s favorite Manchego cheese, and a container with what looked like homemade cookies, and the label read “no added sugar.”

“Christ. This is emotional sadism,” Lucian muttered.

I smiled.

* * *

Before the day was over, Macklin stopped by as well. He brought dinner for all of us, along with two extra lunches for Lucian that were low in sodium. With Cam feeling worse at the moment, Macklin took the liberty of placing the extra food in the fridge, and he gave us a rundown of the ingredients.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I hugged him to me and kissed the side of his head. “Tell your Master that you deserve a big treat.”

“Oh, I will,” he chuckled. “Speaking of big treats, did Santiago talk to you?”

I smirked. “He did.”

“About what, Daddy?” Noa demanded.

Desire lit Macklin’s gaze, and he bit his lip. “So you’re joining? Please say yes. Your sadism, combined with Master’s…? Fuck me. Santiago won’t know what hit him.”

I let out a laugh and draped an arm around Noa’s shoulders. “He’ll certainly feel it.”

“That’s a yes—fucking hell, I can’t wait,” Macklin got excited. And he evidently sensed Noa’s impatience, so he turned to the boy and told him his Daddy was gonna fuck the shit out of Santiago after the Easter Egg Hunt.

Very eloquently put.

“You, Uncle Lucian, and Cam are invited to watch,” I assured Noa. “It’ll be Dean, Walker, and me with Santiago.” And a few others…

Noa stiffened, his eyes widening. “Oh. My. Fucking. God. Yes!”

“I don’t know if I’m doing this right,” Lucian said.

I glanced over at him; he was trying to turn on the oven. Bless him. I walked over there and pointed at the knobs and buttons on the panel. “Temperature, what kind of heat—you want the symbol that brings heat from both top and bottom—and then you click here to preheat.”

“It’s like watching Master in our kitchen at home,” Macklin chuckled. “It means Cam and I are doing our jobs.”

Cam must’ve heard us from the den, because we heard him holler, “Owner, do you need help?”

Lucian certainly did, but our boy needed to rest. He’d definitely picked up a bug in Winchester.

“We have it covered, baby!” I called back.

“Unfortunately, I was useless in the kitchen even before Cam saved the day,” Lucian admitted.

“We all know Noa and I take the prize there,” I said. “I’ve just forced myself to learn how to reheat takeout.”

“Then why don’t you have a microwave, Sir?” Macklin asked. “People who don’t belong in a kitchen tend to nuke everything.”

“Cameron threw it out!” Noa answered. “Daddy and Uncle Lucian used to have one.”

It’d ended up being a great decision. Food tasted much better when it came out of an actual oven.

“Another reason we adore Cam.” Macklin smiled and ruffled Noa’s hair. “I gotta get home to Master, but I’ll see you all on Saturday?”

“Absolutely. Thank you again for the food, pet.” Lucian pulled Macklin in for a one-armed hug and kissed his temple. “Thank you for talking to Penelope as well.”

“My pleasure, Sir. As long as you take this seriously,” Macklin replied. “We want you around for a long time.”

I swallowed and pushed past mental images of how things could’ve gone. Worst-case scenarios. Finding him dead on the floor, hearing a doctor say they couldn’t save him…

Goddammit.

* * *

What could I say?

The wrong set of parents had died.

Not only had Lucian lost his mom a decade ago to some virus that attacked her brain, but now he’d lost his dad to cancer that he’d been battling for years.

It shouldn’t be Mr. Leroux in the grave we’d left earlier. He’d been nice, supportive, and funny.

I remembered the first time Lucian had brought me home, and Mr. Leroux had been all, “Oh, is this your boyfriend, son?”

Like, what the fuck? How could someone be so open and accepting?

Meanwhile, I couldn’t even bring Lucian home with me as a friend, ’cause my folks knew he was gay.

They should be in that fucking grave.

I cleared my throat and loosened my tie, pausing in the doorway to the living room. Some family members were leaving the memorial. I’d probably eaten too many finger sandwiches and whatever those cheese snacks were, but I didn’t know what the fuck else to do at a memorial. What I really wanted was to kidnap Lucian and take him someplace he didn’t have to hear another person go, “I’m so sorry for your loss, dear boy.”

I felt so fucking bad for Lucian. I had to be there for him somehow, ’cause he was always a good buddy to me.

He was different. He wasn’t like any of my other friends, especially those on the team. With Lucian, I could be more myself.

I glanced over to where Lucian was talking to three women—if I remembered correctly, one was an aunt. And he didn’t look like he was holding up well. So, fuck it, I could at least do something here.

I walked across the living room and then tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, we need you in the kitchen.”

“Oh.” He furrowed his brow and turned to the others. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.”

No, you won’t, dude. You need a break.

The ladies were understanding, thankfully. On the way back out, I passed one of the cater-waiters.

“I can grab that. Thanks.” One full silver tray of tiny-ass sandwiches. Score.

In the kitchen, I snatched two sodas from the fridge too, while Lucian gave me a confused look.

“What did you need me for?” he wondered.

“All kinds of shit, but let’s start with a breather.” I went for the kitchen door that led to the backyard. “Come on.”

Out here, it was just us and the April sun. Fresh air—it wasn’t that warm yet. It felt nice.

We took cover on the other side of Mr. Leroux’s toolshed so we could be alone.

“I thought you could use a break.” I held up the tray and handed him a soda.

His mouth twitched with a pinch of mirth, and I took comfort in the relief in his eyes. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” I spoke around a mouthful of food and gestured for him to dig in.

He looked older in a way today, and I didn’t like it. We were seventeen, for fuck’s sake. He shouldn’t be dealing with losing his folks, selling a damn house, and wondering if he could even finish high school where he was at, or if he’d have to change schools. I mean, I didn’t think he would…? Tuition was paid for. His grandmothers were doing a lot, but he was still on his own.

Before Mr. Leroux had passed, they’d gone through the process of having Lucian emancipated, and now he had a team of lawyers to talk to. It wasn’t fair.

“I, uh…” I scratched the side of my head, wondering how the fuck to say this without sounding like a lame-ass. “Just so you know, if you need anything—I’m here. Okay?”

He swallowed and nodded once. “I appreciate it.”

“I mean it. We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We can rent a bunch of movies and order pizza all the days of the week.”

He chuckled quietly. “I’m sure the coach would love that.”

Fuck the coach. Fuck parties and whatever too. I just wanted to be here with Lucian. For him.

“Lucian!”

“Lucian!”

I sucked in a breath and sat up in bed, disoriented, heart pounding. Had someone screamed⁠—

“Lucian!” It was Noa. This one came out as a whimper, and he scrambled out of bed and darted out of our bedroom. “Uncle Lucian!”

“Freckles?” I coughed to clear my throat from sleep and did my best to follow as fast as I could. I grabbed my cane and grunted as I rose from the bed.

“What’s wrong, Noa?” I heard Lucian ask groggily. “Calm down, sweetheart. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I had a bad dream,” Noa replied, sniffling.

Fuck. I blew out a breath and reached the doorway to Lucian and Cam’s room.

I met Lucian’s sleepy but troubled gaze in the dim light as he comforted our boy on his lap.

Hell, I felt I needed some comfort too. It was possible we had some fears to work through after this week’s clusterfuck.

“Wanna talk about it, baby?” He kissed the side of Noa’s head.

Noa shook his head hesitantly. “No…it was too horrible.”

A heavy unease settled around my heart, and I limped over to the bed and slumped down on the edge. Lucian immediately reached for my hand.

I threaded our fingers together and couldn’t form a word. Though I could guess what Noa’s nightmare had been about—or rather, what outcome reality had been distorted into—I’d had my own dream about Lucian that made me feel discombobulated. Except, mine was a memory of an awful time in both our lives.

Lucian had lost his last parent, and I’d hated going home after school. At seventeen, I’d just started having dreams about guys, and they’d terrified me. Not once had those dreams made me connect the dots in how Lucian and I were the same. Both gay. No, Lucian had been gay, and there’d just been something wrong with me.

As sad as it had been, our tragedies had brought us closer together. We’d chased distractions together at concerts, at the library, at Blockbuster, at the movies… Neither of us had wanted to talk much, but we’d known what was lurking underneath the surface. We’d been each other’s silent support. He’d known I’d despised my parents for many reasons. Their bigotry, their religious fundamentalism, their classism, their arrogance…the list went on.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m okay.” Whether Lucian was saying it to me or to Noa, I didn’t know. I guessed we both needed to hear it. “I think you and Daddy should stay here tonight.”

“Yeah,” Noa whimpered.

No argument from me.

It was a miracle Cam hadn’t woken up, though.

Noa and I got under the covers, and he wanted us to “sandwich me tight,” and that worked for me. The closer I got to Lucian, the better.

“Get some sleep.” He kissed Noa on the forehead, then dropped his head on the pillow, and he glanced at me. “Are you okay?” he mouthed.

Was I?

“Yeah. Just been a rough week.” It was technically true. I could analyze the unease tomorrow.

For now, with all four of us in the same bed, I could take a deep breath and relax.

* * *

Between more visitors coming for Lucian, his doctor’s appointment, Noa’s nightmares, Cam recovering from a brief but rough cold, and adjusting to all our changes, the days blurred together until I woke up on Saturday morning and realized it was Saturday morning.

Jesus.

It was the first time in months I didn’t feel like attending an event at Mclean.

At the same time, I believed it would do us good to get out of the house and see our friends.

After I’d completed my workout in the pool, Lucian had woken up too, and he looked to be at war with the coffee machine.

I tightened my towel around my hips. “Here.” I walked over to him, noticing the filter hadn’t been inserted properly. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” he muttered, kissing my jaw. “Mmm, chlorine.”

I smirked and switched on the machine. “Boys still asleep?”

He nodded. “I can’t help but worry about Noa.”

Same here. The nightmares would go away eventually, but I wished he’d talk about them. He’d told us enough that we knew he kept dreaming about Lucian having a heart attack, and it made the boy understandably clingy. The problem was that he kept his fears to himself and wandered aimlessly around the house with zero energy. He’d barely expressed any excitement about today’s Easter Egg Hunt, about seeing his friends, or about the playtime that would follow. I mean, seeing his Daddy go nuts on another Top was one of his biggest fantasies. Even Cam had been quick to say he wanted to watch.

“I think we should head over to the cabin soon,” I said. “We need a change of scenery. Noa needs to be around friends, you need to be as far away as possible from trying to find your work phone, and Cam⁠—”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lucian stiffened.

I lifted a brow. “You think I don’t know you’re looking for it?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Did you hide it?”

“Damn fucking right,” I replied bluntly. “I know you. You’ll say something like…you just wanna see if any of your old clients have tried to reach out—and if they have? What difference will it make? Except, it’ll give you more stress. You’ll feel guilty for leaving them without a word, which we both know isn’t true. They’ve known you’ve been intending to leave for a year.”

He frowned and cast a quick glance at the coffee machine. “Can I be part of this conversation, or are you gonna run it from start to finish, line by line?”

I shrugged. “Am I wrong?”

The scowl came out, but he couldn’t hold it. He knew I was right. And I understood him. Quitting cold turkey was never easy, and he’d taken his responsibilities at work more seriously than most. Trying to locate his work phone didn’t mean he wasn’t taking his recovery just as seriously; I probably would’ve wanted to inspect the damage too. But this was where I put my foot down. I wasn’t going to allow him to check those messages, because nothing could change. He wasn’t going back, and therefore, it was pointless.

“I’m not trying to get back to work, if that’s what you think,” he grumbled.

“I know you’re not.” I opened a cupboard to grab two mugs. “Habits are hard to break, that’s all.”

He sighed and leaned back against the counter. “Yeah. As stupid as it sounds, I suppose I wanted to see how many of my clients were cursing me to hell for abandoning them.”

“I’m sure there are a few of those. I’ve met some of the douchebags you worked with.” I poured us some coffee and handed him a mug. Just a few sips, and then I’d go shower.

“God,” he chuckled tiredly. “I sound like a masochist.”

Well.

I leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You’re my masochist.”

He quirked a smirk and side-eyed me. “Does that make you my Sadist?”

I’ll be your whatever you want.

Fuck, the words were right there on the tip of my tongue, about to fall out, but I stopped myself. Something was going on with me, and I didn’t know what. So I chuckled instead, and I said nothing on the matter. I chose to circle back to our previous topic about us heading over to the house earlier. And I went further.

“We need to let off some steam,” I said. “Have some drinks, let the boys get tipsy…”

Cam had gotten his first night of proper sleep yesterday, so he was finally on the mend. I didn’t know if he’d be up to participating in the event today, but he could do with a spiked hot drink and possibly more exciting food than chicken soup.

“Daddy!” I heard Noa yell upstairs.

“Yeah, baby?” I called back.

“Can I get waffles for breakfast?”

“Sure thing!” I had an easy-to-follow recipe that Cam had made me. I didn’t wanna wake him up. “What do you say—waffles after I’ve showered?” I took another swig of my coffee.

Lucian lifted his brows. “Am I allowed?”

I grinned. “Of course you are. You just can’t have them every day.”

“Oh.” He stood a little taller and smiled a little. “Fuck yeah, waffles.”

He could be so goddamn cute. It made me wanna drag him with me into the shower.

“Here’s an idea,” I said and leaned in. “Shower with me.” I kissed him briefly.

Warmth seeped into his expression, and he pulled me closer. “Okay. Downstairs bathroom.”

Of course. It was a little smaller than the one upstairs, but it had a comfier chair for me.

A couple minutes later, I was stepping into the shower, and Lucian dimmed the lighting a bit.

“Romantic,” I noted.

“Less hospital-like,” he corrected.

I chuckled and turned on the water before taking a seat in the corner. Our bathrooms had been renovated for more money than anything else in the house, including the pool area, and no fucking regrets. It was the one place I needed 100% comfort. From the imported tiles that I couldn’t slip and fall on my ass on, the best water pressure, comfortable seating, everything within reach, and I could come and go however I wanted, whether I was walking or I was in my wheelchair.

Lucian watched me through the glass as he removed what had become his stay-at-home uniform. Sweats and one of my college tees. And he turned a little pensive.

“I’ve been thinking about us a lot this week,” he admitted. “How far we’ve come, I mean.”

That made two of us. “So have I.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded and cranked up the heat of the water, and I reached for the shampoo bottle. “The other night, I had a dream about your old man’s memorial. Remember I dragged you out of there and we snuck those fun-sized sandwiches behind the shed?”

He stopped for a moment, thinking back, and then he chuckled and joined me in the shower. “I haven’t thought about that in years. Then we got drunk in my old tree house.”

Oh yeah, we fucking had. Good times. In retrospect, it’d been dangerous as fuck. A tetanus hazard, not to mention some of the boards of the tree house had been rotten.

He stepped under the spray and grabbed the shampoo bottle from me. “I had a bizarre dream too—and I think it’s because I’ve been thinking about Noa coming clean to his mother.”

Another thing that’d been on my mind a lot.

“What was the dream?” I asked.

He poured shampoo into his hand and began massaging it into my hair. “It started out with what happened back in the day—when you told me you’d met someone who had a kid.”

Talk about a bittersweet memory.

“I’ve, uh…I’ve been seeing someone. Her name’s Christine. She has a little boy—I think he’s seven or eight. I haven’t met him yet, but she wants to introduce me this weekend.”

I’d rambled, nervous as shit, because I hadn’t come out to Lucian yet, even though I’d been fairly certain he’d had his suspicions. And I’d worried that he would call me out.

He hadn’t, but he hadn’t reacted to my news with a whole lot of enthusiasm either. He’d been a bit reserved. Cautious and formal in his politeness.

Getting together with Christine had been the biggest act of self-betrayal on my part, and I’d known from the get-go that she was never going to be more than a cover to appease my parents. She’d landed an internship at the law firm where I’d worked at the time, while she was in school to become a paralegal. She’d fit the bill. Wholesome, nice enough, definitely interested in me, and she shared my father’s passion for landscape photography. Perfect icebreaker when I’d brought her home to meet them.

What a fucking farce.

Then, being introduced to Noa…? He’d shown me a path I’d never thought I wanted to walk.

Even though all my wildest dreams had come true in the end, I’d truly loved being his stepfather, and I could miss some of those aspects now. And back then, there’d been no confusion either. Obviously. I mean, he’d been a child. A sweet, goofy, wild child who’d hid spiders in glass jars under his bed, acted like every piece of furniture was a drum, and he was an adrenaline junkie like me. A ball of energy who wanted to try everything.

And his honesty… Whether it smacked me in the face or rolled over me a tad more gently, I could always count on him to give it to me straight.

I reckoned it was the parent in me who didn’t so much miss being his dad, but I could miss his childhood years. Partly because our relationship had been so pure. We’d gone to museums, to games, to the zoo, and we’d gone skiing, swimming, hiking…

“It’s weird how that time was both the toughest and the easiest for me,” I murmured.

Lucian’s fingers in my hair were making me drowsy.

“How do you mean?”

I let out a breath and stretched out my legs between his. “When I was Noa’s dad, I never felt like I was hiding my identity. With him, I wasn’t lying—if that makes sense. I mean, my sexuality wasn’t the slightest factor in what I had with him. But, you know—soon as we came home from whatever activity, I had to put my mask back on. I had to pretend every moment with Christine.”

He hummed and scratched my scalp. “You tried to pretend with me too, KC.”

Like an idiot.

“But I would’ve done the same thing if I’d had your parents,” he sighed. “Good riddance.”

Yeah. Their memorial had looked a lot different from Lucian’s father’s. I’d been shell-shocked and relieved, the most bizarre combination. Unbridled joy had mixed with pent-up anger and resentment. Plus, a pinch of guilt, because I couldn’t lie. Over the years, throughout my childhood, I’d wished for them to get killed in an accident or…fuck, get hit by a bus. And then they’d actually died in a car accident.

You didn’t need to be religious to think, Had I done this?

I cleared my throat. “Tell me about the rest of that dream.”

“Huh? Oh—right.” He switched off the rain function and took the showerhead, and I tilted my head back. “I guess we can say a nightmare took over, because I dreamed that Noa was on his way to tell his mother about you two, and when he shows up—I don’t know if I drove him there or how I was even there—you’re the one opening the door. And I’m suddenly right next to Noa.”

“Don’t fucking…” I frowned. I would’ve opened my eyes if he weren’t in the process of rinsing off the shampoo.

“Yes. You’d gotten back together with Christine.”

I scowled and kicked him in the leg. “The fuck would you dream something so stupid?”

“Ouch. It was hardly on purpose, so there’s no need to get violent.”

“I beg to differ.” I could finally open my eyes, and I glared up at him.

“Stop it.” There was zero hostility in his tone. If anything, he was all warmth, and he bent down and covered my mouth with his. “It was a dumb dream.”

Very dumb.

He was lucky he was an intoxicating kisser, or I would’ve put up a bigger fight. Now he was stealing the last of my annoyance with a deep, hungry, seductive kiss. Motherfucker. I had no choice but to kiss him back.

“This extra event tonight,” he murmured in between kisses. “Will you bottom for anyone?”

What?

“No…?” I swept the tip of my tongue around his and cupped the back of his neck.

“Good.” He slowed down and rested his forehead to mine.

I swallowed dryly and searched his eyes. Did he have something to say? Because that sounded like the start of a renegotiation of boundaries.

“Talk to me,” I murmured.

He let out a breath and dropped his gaze to my lap. “Okay. I would prefer it if you didn’t bottom for anyone outside our relationship.”

“Done,” I said automatically. Because I wasn’t much of a bottom to begin with, so it’d never happened with a casual partner, only Lucian and Noa. “Anything else? Honestly. If it bothers you that Noa and I play with oth⁠—”

“No.” He shook his head. “Not one bit. In fact, I’m looking forward to being a voyeur tonight—as long as you’re only a Top.”

“All right.” I swallowed, sensing that something was up, and I cupped his cheek and waited till he made eye contact again. But it wasn’t enough; I wanted to be at his level for this, so I asked him to help me up.

He complied wordlessly and pulled me to a stand, and I returned the showerhead to its mount and tugged him under the spray with me.

“What brought this on?” It was my turn to get my hands on him, so I reached for our body wash.

He scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, and his thinking wrinkle appeared along his forehead. “It’s possible I’ve started feeling more…possessive of you. Or less willing to share certain aspects.”

Don’t smile.

Oh, but I fucking wanted to.

“Is my ass one of those aspects?” I brought my hands to his chest and slowly rubbed in the body wash.

He sent me a little scowl. “Maybe.”

Okay, I smiled. I couldn’t help it. He was being so damn adorable—and it was fucking heartwarming to hear that his attachment to me continued to evolve, because clearly, so did mine. His almost dying on us had opened my eyes, and I was beginning to realize that something had to change.

“I think, uh…” I cleared my throat and lowered my gaze to his chest, where I could follow every movement of my hands. Over the hard planes of his chest, every muscle, every inch of flesh. “I think I’m done having our love story be some secondary character in our relationship. It deserves the same attention we’re giving our attachments to the boys.”

I saw the corners of his mouth twist upward a bit, and I met his gaze again.

“I was terrified I was gonna lose you this week,” I admitted. “It put things in perspective, I guess. How it’s mostly you and Cam or you and Noa, me and Noa, me and Cam… We sit on the sidelines for each other because we put them first—where I still want them, for the record. But I want us there too.”

He leaned in and rested our foreheads together again, and he grabbed the body wash. “I love it when you say the right things. It happens so rarely.”

I let out a laugh. Of course he had to get a dig in too. That was us. No matter how old we got, parts of us would always be fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…

We met in a kiss, and the air was suddenly easier to breathe, despite the heat and the humidity. It felt fucking good to have said what I’d said, and now I could put a finger on the changes we needed to make.

We needed time together, just the two of us.

Funnily enough, we’d had plenty of opportunities because Cam and Noa were still very protective of their own relationship. They went on dates and whatnot; they went clubbing with friends and had sleepovers with fellow brats and subs. And Lucian and I, we didn’t take a break from our responsibilities as their Owners. We could watch a movie together and keep our phones close in case the boys called. We were always on alert. And maybe it was time to multitask. When Cam and Noa went out, Lucian and I should tend to each other. Have dinner, fuck each other’s brains out, relax, perhaps do something, go out every now and then.

Before I knew it, washing each other became more a need to just touch and grab, and I deepened the kiss as my hunger grew.

“You have to tell me if you wanna include more limits,” I murmured.

“I will—but that’s the only thing I can think of.” He nipped at my bottom lip and covered my ass with his hands. “This is mine. You only bottom for me—and the boys when that mood strikes.”

I exhaled a groan as he slipped two fingers between my ass cheeks, and I locked my arms around his neck.

His hard cock pressed against my own.

“It feels like you need something.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask. I know you hate that.” With that said, he spun me around and held me steady, then pushed me up against the wall.

I sucked in a breath and planted my hands against the tiles.

My heart started pounding. Desire flowed through me, hot like lava, and I braced myself for his forcefulness.

Within seconds, he’d slicked himself up with the oil we kept here, and then I felt the head of his cock. He dragged it up and down between my cheeks as he dropped openmouthed kisses along my neck. I shivered violently and arched back.

He pushed in without a word, slowly for the first couple of inches, and then swiftly until he was buried balls deep. I gritted my teeth against the sharp burn and let out a growl-like sound and slapped the wall. Jesus fucking Christ. All of a sudden, my body came to life in a way it only did when pain was involved. Addictive fucking adrenaline, senses sharpened, lungs expanding with each deep breath, social conventions taking a fucking hike to make room for animalistic heat.

“I love you,” he whispered shallowly in my ear. “You drive me fucking crazy at times, but I can’t live without you.”

A shudder ripped through me, and I tilted my head back. He took the hint and kissed me hard, deeply, and started fucking me in short thrusts.

Next, he snaked an arm around me and stroked my cock, and I moaned into the kiss and swirled my tongue around his. Fuck me, he felt good. He knew just how to take me too. It was always the same for us; whenever we fucked, someone was taking pleasure from the other mercilessly, and it would never get old.

When we needed more space, we broke the kiss, and I faced forward. He gripped my hips and found the perfect angle for deep fucking. Long, hard thrusts that created a slapping sound against my ass cheeks.

“I might make Noa ask for my permission before he fucks his Daddy,” he said.

Jesus.

“Just so everyone’s clear that I own your ass,” he moaned.

I hauled in a ragged breath and clenched my jaw, mindfucked by his declaration because it sent me in two opposite directions. I reveled in his possessiveness—fuck, I wanted to swim around in it—and I saw my green light to act the same way with him. And…well, I didn’t do well with rules…

“As long as you’re prepared for my retaliation,” I gritted out.

“Always, baby. Fuck—always.”

Good. God, so good. I groaned and started meeting every thrust, and I stroked myself quickly, the pressure building up, the pleasure raging through me.

“Even if that means I’ll let the boys watch when I put the bossy Master in his place?”

He chuckled huskily and sank his teeth into my shoulder.

I hissed, the pain only fueling my excitement.

“I’m ready for that too,” he said eventually.

Perfect response. He was ready for me to be me, and then I’d be prepared for how he reacted in return.

Life was gonna get even more interesting from here on out.

We were lucky bastards.

When Lucian sped up, I could sense he needed to get off. He batted away my hand from my cock too, so I hoped he had plans to take care of me.

“Go on,” I whispered hoarsely. “Fill my ass. It’s yours.”

He let out a moan that bounced off the walls, and when I peered back at him, he was looking down. Down at where he was pounding into me. While biting his lip. Eyes hooded, dark desire written all over, jaw clenched.

I grabbed on to the handlebar so I could hold myself up a little easier. Less strain on my legs meant I could direct all my focus on his big cock pushing in and out of me. He was so goddamn hard—and there he goes. He cursed and dug his fingers into my hips, and then he was coming.

I clenched down around him, craving the sting and wanting to prolong his orgasm, and he groaned and rocked deeper into me. He stayed buried, and I could feel the effects of his climax throbbing through his cock. His lips touched my neck, and I shivered. I fucking needed. I couldn’t deal with ghosting touches now. I needed him to grab me roughly and preferably swallow my cock whole.

“Fuck,” he panted. “Jesus fuck, KC.” He kissed my neck, a long trail of wet kisses, sucking my skin, licking at it, while his hands roamed my body with greed lacing every movement.

Much fucking better.

I breathed out and covered his hand on my stomach with my own, and I guided it down to my cock.

“Mmm…my mouth is already watering.” He withdrew from my ass much slower than when he’d entered me, but then he was in motion. He turned me around and sank to his knees, and in a fluid movement, he sucked my cock down his throat.

I cursed and gripped the bar behind me with one hand, and with the other, I pushed my fingers through his hair.

“That’s it,” I exhaled. “Suck me for all you’re worth.”

He closed his eyes and redoubled his efforts, and his hands returned to my ass. One of his hands went between my legs, so I widened my stance. Unfortunately, it meant I had to use both hands to stay upright, but when he peered up at me, I knew I didn’t have to hold him in place. He had no intention of stalling or teasing me.

I tightened my grip on the handlebar as he sucked me harder, and my moans soon filled the air. He gave me everything I wanted. Perfect mouth on my cock, plus two fingers in my ass.

It wasn’t gonna be long.

“Christ, just like that,” I groaned. He swallowed around the head of me and twisted his fingers deep inside my ass.

Shivers upon shivers rolled through me, each one adding to the buildup. A tingling sensation began at the back of my neck, and it spread out my arms and down my back. My stomach tightened. My balls felt full and heavy.

Almost.

The way he swirled his tongue around me…

How he tightened his lips…

I tensed up and sucked in a breath, and I welcomed the euphoria.

I managed a quick nod before the pleasure exploded, and I started coming down his throat. To which he quickly pulled back a little; he gripped the base of my cock tightly, stroked it firmly, and sucked the top half as hard as he could. Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck. Just like that. I came hard, feeling each burst of come rush up my cock and coat the roof of his mouth.

My climax subsided, leaving me a panting mess, and Lucian kissed his way up my torso, then cupped my face in his hands and kissed me forcefully. A groan gusted out of me as he swept his tongue into my mouth and shared my come with me. I locked an arm around his neck and pressed myself against him, and we made out until we’d swallowed every drop.

“Fucking hell,” I rasped. “I love you.”

He smiled, out of breath. “I love you too.” He licked his lips and kissed me quickly. “We needed this.”

I nodded. Understatement.

We weren’t done making out yet. We continued kissing and feeling each other up as we got clean, and by then, we could hear the boys in the kitchen. And I needed to get my ass in my wheelchair. Given our plans for the day, it was best I remained seated for a few hours, and then I could do stretching exercises for an hour or so in our cabin right before the event, because I wanted to be on my feet for the egg hunt.

“Let’s get you some waffles.” I stole one more kiss, a deep, tongue-teasing kiss that earned me some good groping from him.

“Mmm, because waffles are very welcome in our love story.”

Huh?

I inched back and looked at him.

His eyes flashed with amusement and affection. “That was the term you used about us—love story. Which is so unlike you, and that’s why it’s fucking precious.”

Oh. I see. He was gonna mock my incredibly romantic ways?

“I haven’t decided whether I’m giving our love story a happy ending,” I told him. “I could strangle you. That’s an option too.”

He cracked up and hugged me tightly, and it earned him a light punch to his side. A very light punch.

“Christ—with the violence all the time,” he laughed. “Like son, like Daddy.”

Hilarious. I broke free and turned off the water.

“And you love accusing me of being a troll,” I scoffed.

“I’m not a troll.” He grinned and opened the shower door. “I’m just a man in a love story, teasing my bae.”

I coughed around a chuckle that I couldn’t suppress. Bastard! “Don’t ever use that term again. You learned that from Noa.”

“He keeps my vernacular up-to-date.”

Not to mention ridiculous.

I shook my head in amusement and walked out of the shower, and I grabbed us some towels. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“How cute?”

I threw the towel over his head. “Even cuter now.”

He snorted a laugh and yanked the towel forward, so that his hair pointed in every direction when he emerged with a stupid grin.

Fuck, how I loved him.

I knew it was way too soon to discuss progress, and yet I saw it clear as day. Happiness had returned to his eyes, and his smiles were no longer tinted with exhaustion.

That on its own brought me a fuck-ton of relief.

We finished drying off, and then Lucian went to get us clothes and my chair. In the meantime, I wrapped a towel around my hips and leaned on my cane on my way to the kitchen. The whole house smelled like waffles, so Noa had been spared my semi-okay version. Cam’s waffles were next level. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The secret, according to him, was the butter and baking powder ratio.

It would remain a secret because fuck if I understood.

“Morning, Daddy!” Noa lit up when he saw me. “Did you and Uncle Lucian canoodle the fuck out of each other in the shower?”

I chuckled and kissed the top of his head. “That’s one way of putting it.” I walked over to Cam by the counter and hugged him from behind. I felt his forehead too. “How are you feeling today, sweetheart?”

“Much better, Sir. I’m just tired.” He offered a sleepy smile and popped a kiss to my jaw.

I frowned and cupped his cheek. “Then no chores for you today either. I want you to rest until you⁠—”

“But, Daddy!” he protested with a mix of a pout and a frustrated look. Meanwhile, my Daddy heart soared, and I grinned like an idiot. “I’m so bored! I’ve rested forever—I feel great, but I miss my chores—and why are you smiling like that?!”

“Because you make me happy, little one,” I chuckled and gave him a big smooch. “You’ve called me Daddy more times this week than the past two months combined, and I love it.”

“Oh.” He scowled weakly and flushed, and he appeared to be struggling against his own smile. Instead, he fiddled with the edge of my towel and bit his lip.

Noa snickered behind us. “I think Cameron needs some Little time with Daddy and a diaper.”

Well, now. That wasn’t a bad idea at all.

“I think your brother might be right.” I combed my fingers through his hair, and he tried to hide his face from me. “Maybe you and I should sit on the sidelines today, and Lucian and Noa can hunt for Easter eggs.”

Sidelines was a stretch; I was definitely going to make sure none of us missed Noa’s loot of eggs, because I had a feeling he was one of those who’d regret his competitiveness today. Him, most likely Corey, possibly Shay—depending on how much Reese riled him up—and probably Kit too. But Noa and Corey were in another league.

Lucian joined us, as our new Captain Sweatpants, and he’d brought clothes for me too. And my chair. Good timing—we had plans to discuss and waffles to eat.