CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The kids still wanted to ride with Matty, so Antoni spent the silent drive home tapping his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel.

God, he could murder the Swansons for the shit they'd tried to pull.

Matty and the kids must have gotten home a few minutes before Antoni did, because they were already hanging up their gear in the heated garage. Antoni sent a mental thank you out to Charlie because he'd planned ahead and designed drying racks where the disgusting, sweaty gear could air out.

In the house, River shrieked with excitement when she saw Matty, running over so he could scoop her up and smother her face in kisses.

"So," Antoni said when they were done making a ruckus. "Alexis, Eli, chili's in the slow cooker and there's salad in the refrigerator. Tortilla chips are in the cupboard. You can eat before you shower or after, whichever you'd rather do."

Antoni couldn't even look at Matty right now.

"Want me to get River and Reese down?" Enzo asked.

"Could you, Dad?" Antoni asked, hopefully. "I hate to ask but I, uh, need to talk to Matty in private for a bit."

"Sure. Everything okay?"

"I'll tell you about it later, if that's alright," Antoni said.

His dad looked confused. "Yeah, of course."

"How's Mom?"

"She's okay. Mostly frustrated at having to rest so much. We video chatted for a bit so the kids could see her."

"Oh that was nice. We'll stop by this weekend if she's feeling up for company."

"She'd love that." Enzo scooped up Reese. "Okay, smelly baby. We need to get you changed and ready for bed."

Matty gently set down River with a final kiss and held his arms out. "Smelly or not, I need a quick snuggle with him before you put him down for the night."

Enzo smiled. "Sure thing."

Matty got in his cuddles with Reese, said goodnight to River, then Antoni jerked his head. "C'mon. Let's go in our bedroom."

"Sure," Matty said. A frown creased his forehead and he sounded really worried.

Antoni reached out and snagged his hand, his heart beating faster with every step they took toward the bedroom, his head swirling with images of Matty putting Bill in his place.

Antoni shut the door behind them, locking it, then towed Matty toward the bathroom, closing that door and locking it too. "I don't want them to overhear," he explained when Matty shot him a puzzled look.

Matty licked his lips. "God, I am so sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. I hope I didn't fuck anything up because—"

"Matty. Stop talking and come here." Antoni hooked his finger in Matty's chain and gently tugged.

Eyes wide, Matty allowed himself to be pulled forward.

Antoni threw his arms around Matty's neck and kissed him hard.

He made a surprised noise, then softened into it, his arms going around Matty's waist. "Shit, I thought you were mad at me," he mumbled against Antoni's mouth.

"Mad?" Antoni said, incredulous. "God, no, I wasn't mad."

"Yeah, but what if—"

"We can worry about that shit later," Antoni said. "Let me show you how fucking hot it gets me to see you defending us. Our family …"

He kissed Matty again and this time Matty immediately opened his mouth, allowing Antoni to slide his tongue inside. He kissed Matty with all of the pent-up fervor of missing him on the road trip and the way he'd claimed Antoni and the kids in front of Bill and Robin Swanson and the world.

Matty defending him and the kids against the Swansons was incredibly sexy and Antoni would be a liar if he said otherwise.

Matty groaned, reaching down to grip Antoni's ass, and Antoni shivered at the feel of Matty growing hard against his hip.

"You liked that?" Matty asked when Antoni drew back with a gasp.

"Oh my God." Antoni dropped to his knees, shoving at Matty's sweats, cursing when they got caught on his ass. "Fuck, that was so hot watching you go all overprotective Papa Bear there."

"Yeah?" Matty rasped, reaching out to stroke his hair.

"You have no idea. Charlie warned me that seeing you fight would get me horny but watching you fight for us, for our family …"

He shivered.

"You are mine, right?" Matty whispered. "I want that so bad."

"Yes, God, Matty." Antoni's eyes watered as he pulled Matty's cock out and stroked it. Shit, it was already flushed red at the tip and Antoni wanted it in him so fucking bad. "I'm yours. If you want me."

"Christ, Antoni, I do," Matty said and there was so much fervor in his voice it made Antoni's chest ache. "I want everything with you."

Antoni shivered and though he wanted to say something perfect and meaningful, all he could do was open his mouth wide, sinking down over Matty's cock. He'd find the words later but for now, he had to show Matty how he felt.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the stretch of Matty's cock as it filled his mouth.

Matty's big hands were so tender as he combed through Antoni's hair but although Antoni loved how sweet and gentle Matty could be, he wanted more, needed something a little more intense.

He grabbed Matty's hips and encouraged him to move, looking up through his lashes.

Matty made a noise like someone had punched him in the stomach, his hips stuttering, a question in his eyes before he groaned and rocked in and out of Antoni's mouth.

Pleased, Antoni sucked harder, reaching up to play with Matty's balls. He couldn't do any more than that, not with Matty's thick thighs held in place by the elastic of his sweats. But Matty made an encouraging noise and tugged a little on his hair.

Antoni groaned, suddenly aware of how hard his own cock was, pinned awkwardly in his jeans. He dropped the hand on Matty's hip to fumble with his button and zipper, sighing around Matty's cock when his own was finally free.

The air in the bathroom felt cool but his palm was warm, the dry strokes sending a shiver through him. He snuck a glance up at Matty and his expression was so loving but so intense Antoni moaned around his cock.

Matty pressed deeper and then they were off, finding a rhythm that lit up Antoni's skin and pushed him that much closer to release.

The sounds of Matty fucking his mouth and the dry rasp of Antoni's hand on his cock filled the quiet bathroom but it wasn't long before Matty staggered back, slapping his hand against the bathroom counter. "Shit. Shit. Antoni …"

Antoni retaliated by swallowing him to the root, choking a little. He pulled off long enough to breathe, then shoved his way down again.

He wanted every inch of Matty inside him and he couldn't get it fast enough.

Matty moaned helplessly. "Gonna … Antoni … I'm …"

Yes, come on, give it to me, Antoni thought. Give me everything.

He sucked harder, feeling Matty's cock jerk in his mouth, his balls tightening against his palm. Matty gasped and then he was coming in hard, long spurts, big thighs trembling.

"Antoni," Matty said with a gasp, his hands rough but tender against his face. "Antoni."

After Antoni swallowed every last drop and licked him clean, Matty stumbled a little, yanking up his sweats before he collapsed on the floor next to Antoni.

He immediately reached for him, coaxing him to lie back on the tiles, his touch eager as he wrapped his palm around Antoni's cock.

"Wanna make you feel good too," he mumbled and Antoni yanked him in for a kiss.

They kissed messily for a few minutes before Matty pulled away, licking his lips.

Antoni whined, protesting the loss, but Matty shifted away, sinking his mouth over Antoni's cock until his entire length was buried in wet heat.

Moaning, Antoni clutched at Matty's broad shoulders. It took an embarrassingly short amount of time before Antoni was coming, letting out big, heaving gasps as he clutched Matty's shoulder. "Coming," he managed. "God, Matty …"

But Matty didn't move away, choosing instead to swallow it all and Antoni's head spun by the time Matty finally drew back.

"Holy shit," he managed weakly. "C'mere, big guy. Kiss me."

Smiling, Matty shifted upward, on his hands and knees, hovering over Antoni's body.

Antoni pulled him in close, kissing him deeply, before Matty released a groan and collapsed beside him, head on Antoni's shoulder. "Shit, sorry my knees can't handle kneeling on tile for long."

"Sorry." Antoni clumsily patted Matty's face, too drained to manage anything else.

"Nah, it was good. Worth it." Matty kissed his cheek.

Sighing, Antoni smiled up at the ceiling. "Fuck, we're good at that."

"Yeah, we are." There was something serious in Matty's voice and Antoni turned to look, nearly cross-eyed for a moment as he tried to focus on Matty's face. Matty shifted away, propping his head on his hand, although one palm remained on Antoni's bare stomach, warm and heavy.

He looked way too upset for a guy who'd just gotten off.

"Hey, you okay?" Antoni asked, frowning.

Matty sighed heavily. "Worried that I caused a scene earlier. It's going to make it onto JockGossip."

Antoni winced. "Shit, and your coach is going to throw a fit, isn't he?"

Matty shrugged. "Sure. Probably. I'm not worried about that though."

"No?"

"Ehh, Gilly will strip me of the A if he really wants to make a point but I can handle that."

"Strip you of the A?" Antoni asked, confused.

"Remove me as alternate captain."

"Oh, like strip off the letter A on the jersey …" Antoni said, nodding. "Got it."

"I guess that's where that comes from." Matty shrugged. "But seriously, it's not the end of the world. Besides, I'm the only guy on the roster who can really fight. Even if he benches me, it won't be for that long."

"Still …"

"We'll worry about that later. What about the custody? That's what worries me."

Antoni sighed. "I'll call April and give her a heads-up. See what she says."

Matty hesitated. "Do you think she's a good lawyer?"

"I do."

"Because I'll pay for the best legal team in Ontario if you want," Matty said earnestly.

Antoni gave him a soft smile, touching his cheek. "I know. But I'm confident in April. She's—she's queer too. She gets what's at stake here. And I trust her."

"Okay. Well, whatever you think is best."

And Antoni melted a little because Matty was so good about that. So good at offering suggestions but letting Antoni say no. So good at being supportive and trusting his decisions.

"Thank you for sticking up for us tonight," he said, cupping Matty's cheek, rubbing his thumb across his beard.

"Always."

"I believe that," Antoni said and he meant it. "So don't feel bad. You didn't do anything wrong."

Matty swallowed, his voice sounding a little thick. "I hope not."

Antoni opened his mouth to say something else when Matty's stomach growled. He chuckled, deciding to shelve the rest of the conversation until later. "Okay, I'll take that as a sign that it's time to feed the bear."

Matty grinned. "That's Papa Bear to you."

Antoni grinned back, reaching down to tuck his dick away and fasten his jeans. "Besides, we should let my dad go home. He came here after a long day of work meetings and he's got to be exhausted."

"True." Matty stood with a groan and held out a hand to haul Antoni to his feet.

Once he was standing, Antoni sobered. "We should probably sit down and talk to Alexis and Eli tonight too. I'm sure they have some big feelings about what happened with their grandparents. Probably should have done that before we did this, actually but …"

"Ahh, it's alright," Matty said, patting his butt. "You blew off some steam and now you're relaxed and can go into the talk with a clear head."

"Truthfully, I want to faceplant on the bed and sleep next to you for about sixteen hours," Antoni admitted with a sigh. "But I guess I gotta do this parenting thing instead."

Matty took his hand. "We'll do it together, okay?"

"Yeah," Antoni said, his eyes stinging with unexpected tears. "Together sounds good."

Matty squeezed his hip.

Antoni rinsed his mouth with some mouthwash then made a half-hearted attempt to tame his wild hair, patting it down with a little water that would probably only make it frizz when it dried. There was no hiding the redness of his lips though.

He shrugged. Oh well, nothing he could do about that now.

Hand in hand, he and Matty left the room, turning out the lights as they went.

When Matty stepped into the kitchen, the kids were eating at the kitchen island, their hair wet, dressed in pajamas. Antoni's dad leaned against the counter nearby, doing something on his phone.

He looked up with a concerned expression that quickly melted into a smirk. "Good talk, eh?"

Embarrassed, Matty glanced over at Antoni who looked equally uncomfortable.

"Uhh, yeah. Very productive," Antoni said weakly.

Alexis glanced up, then made a face but kept shoveling three-bean chili into her mouth. Eli, thankfully, didn't even look up from their bowl.

"You can head out now if you want, Dad," Antoni offered. "Sorry you had to come over and stay later after a long day of meetings. I really appreciate it though."

"Eh, no prob," Enzo said with a shrug as he reached for his coat. "I love spending time with them. Bye, kids! Love you!"

"Bye, Uncle Enzo! Love you too!" they both chorused.

With kisses on the cheek or hair for the kids and hugs for Antoni and Matty, Enzo was off.

Matty turned back to see the kids filling their bowls again.

"Hey, are you gonna save any for us?" Matty teased, reaching for bowls for him and Antoni.

Alexis shrugged. "There's a bean or two still in there."

"Thanks. Generous of you." Matty ladled in some chili, then pulled out plates for their salads, heaping his high and giving Antoni a little less.

"Hey, so," Antoni said, clearing his throat. "Do you want to talk about what happened with your grandparents tonight?"

"I guess," Alexis said with a sigh, stirring her chili. "I hate them."

"That's fair," Antoni said. "They're kind of shitty people."

Eli shot him a surprised look and Antoni shrugged. "Look. They are. And I'm not going to pretend like they're not."

Matty hid a smile.

"It scared me," Eli said softly. "That they'd try to grab us and take us away."

"I don't think they'd resort to that," Antoni assured them. "But it's not a bad idea if you make sure there are always trusted adults around you in public."

"Grandma and Grandpa aren't on the pickup list at school or anything, right?" Alexis asked warily.

Matty held out a bowl and plate to Antoni.

"Absolutely not," Antoni said, taking the food. "Just me, Matty, Aunt Eliza, Uncle Enzo, Uncle Andrea, and Aunt Stephanie. And I'll call the school and the hockey program organizer and let them know that your grandparents are not allowed to speak to you under any circumstances."

"Good." Eli looked relieved. "I'm really glad you were there tonight, Matty."

Matty beamed. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You made me feel safe."

"Oh, kiddo." Matty set his bowl aside and crouched down to look them in the eye. "You are safe with us. We will both do everything we can to keep you that way too."

"I know." Eli's eyes swam with tears and Matty reached out to rub their back.

"Actually," Antoni said, clearing his throat. "That's something Matty and I have been wanting to talk about too. How would you feel about Matty adopting you guys? We wouldn't be able to do it until after the custody trial but we wanted to see what you thought about it."

"Woah, really?" Alexis asked, her spoon clattering on the counter.

"Really," Matty said, his stomach fluttering with nerves. "If you want it. If you don't, that's okay too."

"But what if you and Antoni break up?" Alexis asked. "You were married before, right, Matty?"

Antoni made a little sound of protest. "Alexis! You're being rude."

But Matty waved it off. "No, that's fair. I was married before, yeah. But Courtney wasn't the right person for me."

"Because she was a woman?"

Matty considered that for a moment. "No. Not that, really. Like, I think maybe relationships with guys are easier for me sometimes. But I don't want to totally ignore that part of me. The marriage was wrong because … because Courtney wasn't … she's not a nice person and she's not the kind of person Antoni is. She made me feel small, in a bad way, because she didn't treat me well. But Antoni, he makes me feel ten feet tall. Like I'm … I'm what he needs."

Matty glanced over to see Antoni smiling softly.

"He makes me feel like I'm enough. And that's—someday when you're dating, or you know, even with your friends—I want you to find people who make you feel like you're enough."

Alexis blinked. "That's really sweet."

Matty's ears went hot. "Well, I don't know about that but I do know that I'm in this for the long haul. I don't want things to end with Antoni. Ever. But if they did for some crazy reason, I'm gonna be here for all of you. If you want me to adopt you guys, I will. If you don't, I'll be bummed but that's okay because it's your choice. And it's not going to change a single thing about how much I'm around or how much I look out for you guys, okay? The only way I'll go away is if you tell me to. And, well, that involves a lot of legal hoops and stuff until you're an adult but I'm going to try to be the kind of parent who you never feel like you want to push away."

"I definitely don't want you to go away," Alexis whispered.

"Yeah?" Matty's heart filled with hope.

"Yeah. You're good for us. All of us. And—and I'd like you to adopt us."

"Really? That would be awesome. What about you, Eli?" Matty asked roughly.

Eli burst into tears and, alarmed, Matty looked at Antoni. "Uhh."

"Hey, what's going on, Eli?" Antoni asked softly.

They blinked and wiped their nose on their pajama sleeve. "I don't know. I have so many feelings right now," they wailed, dropping their head onto their arms where they rested on the counter.

"Oh, kiddo," Antoni said with a sigh as he walked over to rub Eli's back. "Trust me. I know what you're going through."

"You don't have to decide now," Matty added. "You can think about it."

"No, I want you to adopt us," Eli said, lifting their head, sniffling still. "Tonight's just been, like, a lot to think about. Can I ask you something though?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

"Can I—can I call you something else?"

Matty looked confused. "Like what?"

"Like, um, something other than Matty or Uncle Matty? Like … if you adopt us. You're not my dad but you'd be kinda like a dad and …"

"What about Papa?" Antoni asked, wiping away a tear on his cheek and damn it, Matty was about to cry too now. "Matty kinda reminded me about a papa bear earlier. All growly and protective."

Eli's face lit up, despite tear tracks on their face. "Yeah, that's perfect. Can I call you Papa, Matty?"

"You can call me whatever you want," Matty said roughly. "Except for late to supper."

Antoni rolled his eyes, his smile fond.

Matty gave him a sheepish grin. It was a family joke back in Oklahoma and well, this part of his family better get used to the dad jokes too.

Alexis chewed her lip. "Can I still call you Matty? Papa feels … weird to me."

"Sure," Matty said easily. "Whatever feels right."

"What about Antoni?" Eli asked. "What do we call him? He's more than Uncle Antoni, now."

Antoni blinked. "Oh. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it. Why don't we think some more on that, okay?"

"Okay," Eli said. "Can I tell you about the book I'm reading right now, uh, Papa Matty?"

"Yeah," Matty said thickly, leaning against the counter and grabbing his bowl. "Tell me all about it while I eat my chili."

Antoni settled beside him, their shoulders pressed together, and Matty let out a contented sigh.

This was it. This was the good stuff.