18. Walker

Walker

L andscaping is pretty slow during the colder months. We still have a couple of things here and there, but most of us collect unemployment during the winter months and occasionally get called in for snow removal, but that's usually the mowing crews, unless it gets really bad.

But it hasn't been awful, hanging out with my boyfriend—not at all. Normally, I get pretty bored in the offseason, but not this year. I run to find Dutton, who still has his lazy ass in bed, and I jump right next to him. "Dutton! Wake up!"

His sleepy eyes barely peel open to look at me, but then he immediately closes them. "Go away. I was having a great dream."

"Was I naked in it?"

"Yes. And blissfully quiet," he shoots back, and I laugh, grabbing the comforter he has pulled up to his chin and lower it, showing off his finely toned chest, and fuck... why was I in here again?

To get him out of bed?

That doesn't seem right.

"Go away," he grumbles and tries to pull the covers back over his head.

"Nope! Can't. It snowed. Like really snowed. Get your ass out of bed. I have to show you this."

He's still grumbling, but he gets out of bed, stretching those long limbs of his. Again, I wonder if snow is really important, but yes, he has to see this. He bundles up, and I grab my coat, tugging it on and pulling on my gray beanie, then grab a matching one for him and wait until he puts it on.

"I've seen snow before. I did a couple of weeks ago, remember?" His tone is starting to get a little lighter, so I'm going to take that as a win.

I open the front door, and we're hit with a cold wind. "Yeah, but that didn't count. It was just a dusting. This..." I sweep my hand out in front of me at the winter wonderland before us. "This is snow. And it's not even technically winter yet."

He chuckles, and it's light and warm as he steps outside and closes the door behind him. "This is beautiful. I need my camera."

"Just a second," I tell him and drag him toward the stairs, where he goes willingly. "Let's play first."

It's only about six inches, but it'll do. I crunch my way through the snow on the stairs, and Dutton follows before I tug on my gloves. "Where are yours?"

"Just a second," he says, teasing me with my own words. He reaches down and picks up a handful of snow, and I watch as he experiences it for the first time. "Holy shit. That's awesome."

"It won't be if you lose a hand. Put your gloves on," I say, tugging his beanie down a little more to cover his ears.

He laughs and balls up the snow, pulling his hand back, and I already know I'm getting nailed before he lets it fly and it hits me in the chest. "Oh, you're in trouble now," I breathe heavily because it's cold out here, and my lungs are already feeling it. "After you put on your damn gloves."

He chuckles and teases me about sounding like a dad before tugging his gloves on and showing me by holding them out and up for me to see. While he was doing that though, I spent my time crafting a perfect snowball, and I let it fly just as he lifts his hands, hitting him in the side.

He cackles, and that's how we spend the next thirty minutes, running around in the snow and chasing each other with snowballs. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect. Every second up until I declare my balls are going to freeze off, and we go inside the house, laughing and kissing. Our noses and faces are frozen, and my hands are cold, so I know his have to be.

"Hot chocolate," I say against his lips as we strip out of our coats.

"I can think of other ways to warm up," he says, but when his cold-as-ice hands drag under my shirt and over my abs, I yelp and pull back.

"Uh-uh, no way. Not until we warm up those hands."

He laughs at that, completely happy and carefree. We slip out of our shoes and socks, and I grab a blanket from the back of his couch, draping it over his shoulders before I pull him into the kitchen. I make us both hot chocolate, the cups warming our hands up as we drink.

"So that's snow, huh?"

"Yup. Kind of fun, right?"

"Yeah, but now I can't feel my toes, and I think my fingers might fall off," he jokes, taking another languid sip of his hot chocolate. My eyes fixate on his prominent Adam's apple moving in his throat. I want to lick it, but I also like this moment too as we cuddle up on the couch with mugs of hot cocoa in our hands.

"I used to love snow," I say, sinking into the feeling of his body against mine, both of us starting to warm up thanks to the hot cocoa and blanket. "Didn't think I did now though."

"And you do?"

I look into his eyes, feeling only warmth and happiness. "You made me love it again." I kiss him softly, both of us careful with our mugs full of the warm liquid. "You make me love a lot of things."

I really, really want to say it, but I'm chickening out again because he doesn't live here. This isn't permanent, even though it's the happiest I've ever been. Even though it feels pretty permanent. He's what I've been waiting for my whole life.

"I love you." Wait. I have to take a moment to process what just came out of his mouth. Was it just wishful thinking?

"W-what?" I breathe softly, my lips still close to his.

"I love you," he says it louder and firmer this time, his eyes boring into mine. "I know it's early..."

I cut him off with a hard, possessive kiss and force myself to pull back. "I've wanted to say that for what feels like a long time. Definitely not too early for me."

He's smiling, but he looks nervous, chewing on his bottom lip. "But you haven't said it."

"Did I forget that part?" I can't resist teasing him, and his lips turn pouty. I kiss him again. "I love you more than I ever thought was possible. Especially in only a few months, but I know that's what this is."

"It's still kind of complicated..." he starts, but I cut him off with a quick shake of my head.

"You know there are several principles to the art of landscaping?"

I pull back enough so I can see his face clearly, and he looks a little perplexed. "I didn't know that." He grins. "Tell me more."

He settles into the crook of my arm as we both get comfortable on the couch. He takes a sip of his hot chocolate as I continue, "There are several principles in landscaping design, and believe it or not, Oakley takes them all very seriously. It's an art, what we do. That's the first thing he said to me during my job interview."

I watch his lips twitch with that knowledge, "He's more complex than I first realized, isn't he?"

I chuckle at that but don't disagree. He loves to have a good time, but this is serious to him. "He said we have the power to make people's houses feel like a home. To change their mood by looking out their front windows."

He snuggles even closer and drinks a little more. "That's kind of beautiful."

I hum in agreement. "Anyway, there's balance and repetition. Rhythm. Proportion. Color. Contrast. Focalization." I list the ones I can remember off the top of my head. "But you know my favorite?" He shakes his head, and I answer, "Simplicity."

"And why is that?" he asks, that pretty smile on his lips.

"Because life doesn't have to be complicated, and neither does landscaping. Some of the prettiest things in the world are the most simple. Those mums on the porch, most think they're simple flowers, but with their natural color, they transformed the entire look of the house."

"They did," he agrees, and I feel a sense of pride.

"Some of the guys, they love flashy and over-the-top, which is great, but I'll take simple flowers and nice cut grass any day."

"So what does that have to do with us?" he asks carefully.

"I like simple. I love the simple life. I love it here, and loving you was the easiest thing I've done, even if I was afraid to admit how much I love you already."

He watches me very carefully now. He looks worried, but there's also a peace there. "I never expected to fall in love. I have trust issues, obviously." I smile sadly at him because of course he does. How could he not? "But you're right, it was the simplest thing... falling in love with you. I think I started to fall in love with you the second you told me about the street dance and the way your eyes lit up when I showed up there."

"I'll never forget that night."

"But I don't live here officially," he points out the elephant in the room. The thing we both try to avoid.

"I know."

"So, is it really that simple?"

I put my mug down on the coffee table and then reach for his, doing the same before I turn to face him, my hands moving to his face. "Love is simple. It's pure. At its core, love is just love, and it doesn't go away because of geography or where either of us call home."

His eyes are glassy. "I want to say I'm here. That my heart is totally here..."

"But you can't," I state because he's just not totally there yet.

"But I do love you. My heart is completely with you." He licks his lips nervously, and I nod before pressing a kiss to them.

"And mine is with you. No matter where you live. It's really that simple."

He still looks sad, and we didn't really solve anything other than finally admitting to each other how much we're in love, but it doesn't matter. Not now. I pull him up from the couch. "Come on. I'm still freezing, let's go shower and get warm."

He snickers at that and doesn't fight me in the least as we go back to his bathroom. I turn on the shower, letting it get nice and hot, steaming up the room as we both strip out of our damp clothes.

We walk into the shower and both take a minute to let the hot water pummel our cold skin, warming up before I steal his lips in a heated kiss. I kiss him hard, claiming him because he's mine.

And I'm his.

We kiss and kiss and kiss while lathering up and washing each other, both hard and aching but not in a huge hurry. He grabs the lube we now keep in here and slicks his fingers before sliding into my crease and finding my hole. He circles it, getting it nice and wet before sliding inside. I bite at his lips and neck, thrusting back onto his finger, and when he preps me just the right amount, he removes his fingers, spins me around, and sinks inside me with one sure thrust.

It's everything I need as I try and fail to cling to the wet marble of the shower wall.

He slides into me over and over, pegging my prostate as I push back against him, my toes going numb from the sheer pleasure. I'm close. So close, I almost lose it when he bites my ear lobe and growls, "If you hold out, you can finish inside me."

"Oh fuck." I love the sound of that. "Hurry," I gasp, my cock leaking like crazy and scraping against the smooth wall. "Please."

He strokes in and out a few more times before I feel him jerk hard inside me, unleashing and coming deep inside. My balls are heavy, pulled tight against my body as he milks every last drop, and my ass squeezes around his length to help him out.

I desperately need to come by the time he pulls out of my body. I can feel his cum sliding out of my used hole and nearly come when I feel his fingers pressing it back inside, teasing me.

"Fuck, I need you," I gasp and turn around, pulling him to me and kissing him hard, sucking on his tongue and thrusting my hard cock against his stomach.

I'm vaguely aware of the sound of the lube opening and closing, and then his slick hand is stroking over my cock, just enough to get it nice and slippery before he turns around. He plants his hands on the wall and presents that glorious round ass for me.

I run my hand down his muscled back to his crease, moaning when I feel he's wet and ready for me, somehow having prepped himself while we were kissing. Brilliant man.

I want to take my time, but my balls are aching with need, and I sink inside him, stilling as soon as I bottom out. He's panting, I'm sure still sensitive after coming, but it doesn't stop him from wiggling and trying to get me to move.

"Just a minute," I say, holding his hips still with my hand.

"Fuck me. I need it."

I can't help laughing because he's the one who already came, and yet, he sounds like he needs this just as badly as I do. It helps bring me back from the edge just enough, and I slowly stroke in and out of him.

I kiss the back of his neck and his back as I fuck into him over and over again, the sensations so great I have to close my eyes and just feel. It's not long before my pace increases, and I can no longer hold back. I stroke in and out of him, pummeling his prostate and reveling in his cries of pleasure.

I'm not sure who's more shocked, him or me, when he comes again. His entire body going tense, all his veins popping from the strain. He's so damn beautiful as I hold him to me and release inside his body as his cum dribbles from the tip of his cock.

"Holy shit."

When I pull out of him, he turns in my arms, the shower hitting his back, and he kisses me. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. It will work out," I say firmly, and he kisses me again like he can't talk about it.

I get it, but I also know deep in my soul that no matter what, we're going to make this work.

Because love really is that simple.