Chapter Eighteen James

Ilearned that night that Rowan and I had completely different reactions to getting off. While I had a tendency to get super sleepy, he got hyper. As I was trying in vain not to fall asleep on him, he was already up and getting warm washcloths to clean up with, fetching leftovers from the fridge, and putting on another movie.

?I did what I could to get cleaned up, although I wasn't really worried about it. A little spit never hurt anyone and being covered in cum was kind of a turn on for me. I liked the scent of it on my skin. It was like a little reminder of the hot times I'd had not long before.

?Once Rowan was done running around and finally back on the couch to watch the movie, I convinced him to stay naked and we both cuddled up under and oversize blanket to watch the movie. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what he turned on because I was out like a light within three minutes.

?When I woke up the next morning, I found I was back in Rowan's bed alone. I was happy to find that my foot was already feeling a thousand times better. Even flexing it felt fine, the flesh no longer swelled and pulled against the stitches. Thanks to Doc and Rowan, I was mending pretty quickly, and I figured I'd be on my feet in a matter of days.

I pushed the covers down, stretching my naked body out in a pool of warm sunshine streaming through the window. There were dark clouds on the distant horizon. It looked like there was going to be a thunderstorm in the next few hours. But that sounded fun to me. Watching storms come in over the lake was always good.

?However, my attention was pulled away as my nose caught a new scent and my stomach growled.

?Bacon.

?Like a cartoon character, I nearly floated up and off the bed following the scent toward the kitchen. The moment my feet hit the floor, Rowan was in the doorway.

?"Stay off that foot!" he growled, crossing the room and sweeping me up into his arms once more. "You have to tell me when you need to go somewhere, okay? I don't want you hurting yourself."

?I threw an arm around his neck. "Whatever you say, boss. I like it when you tell me what to do."

?He sighed, but I could tell it was just an act. The smirk pulling at his lips and the way he glanced down at my naked body told me all I needed to know.

?"Well, here's an order then. Get dressed and come eat breakfast."

?"That's gonna be a no to the clothes," I replied. "But a yes to the food."

?He rolled his eyes. "Fine…"

?"Don't pretend like you're mad," I laughed. "I can see you staring at my dick."

?"I'd rather stare at your ass," he grumbled.

?"How about this," I offered. "After my bath, I'll let you do more than just stare."

?His eyebrow lifted.

?"You like sucking my cock so much, you should try eating my ass."

?The sparkle in his eyes told me he was interested, but his hesitation told me that maybe that was a bit too much just yet.

?"We don't have to do that just yet," I giggled. "But I'm open to other ideas if you have any. And not just sex either, I don't want you to think I'm just using you. I'd say we could go out somewhere and find something to do, but it looks like it's gonna storm."

?"Maybe we can drive out to the beach and watch the storm come in?"

?"Actually," I nodded. "That sounds kind of fun."

?"You'll have to put clothes on for it."

?"Eh. I'll live I guess." I leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. "But I'm still eating breakfast naked."

?He let out a heavy sigh, carrying me out of the room and toward the kitchen. "You're going to be the death of me."

?"Look at it this way," I offered. "You've been fantasizing about stuff like this for years. I'm just helping you get caught up on the experience."

?"So you're doing me a favor?"

?I smiled. "Obviously."

?Rowan just shook his head as he took me out to the kitchen and sat me in one of the barstools at the island. It looked like he'd been up for a while cooking and my mouth was already watering from the scent. There were two plates already made, both had a stack of blueberry pancake topped with whipped cream and lemon zest with a small pile of bacon off to the side.

?"Wow…" I said, practically drooling all over the counter. "Are you a chef or something?"

?Rowan shook his head. "No. I just… well I don't get to cook that often and after yesterday I figured I should do something nice for you."

?"I get rewarded for letting you suck me off?" I laughed. "Fucking score."

?"I meant for being so patient with me and hearing me out after I blew up."

?"Oh. Well, it was just the right thing to do."

?"Yeah, but you didn't have to."

?"I wanted to," I corrected. "Back when I was figuring stuff out I didn't have someone to talk to that would actually listen. And nobody should have to go through that. It's hard enough to accept those things about yourself when you spend your whole life being told it's wrong. The least I could do was hear you out."

?"I appreciate it nonetheless." He paused for a moment. "And I'm sorry for being grumpy all the time. I'm just… still hurt I guess."

?"Don't worry about it. I think it's cute, anyway. As long as you don't hate me for smiling all the time."

?"It is annoying. I don't know how anyone can see the bright side as often as you do."

?"I have a job I love, I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I'm having breakfast with a cute boy. What more could I possibly ask for?"

?Rowan blushed as he pushed my plate toward me followed by a bottle of maple syrup. "Don't let it get cold," he said, averting his gaze so I couldn't see how surprised he was by my compliment.

?However, when he came around the island to sit next to me, I noticed his shorts were tented again. I took a mental note that he was voice activated and definitely had a praise kink whether he knew it or not. After we'd finished breakfast, I tested my theory. And sure enough, the guy popped a boner every time I told him he was good at something or told him he was beautiful. It was sort of funny to watch because he didn't know what to do with himself or how to react. And I'll admit, I found it quite entertaining watching him flounder.

?After a quick bath and a change of clothes, Rowan and I packed up and headed out to Hardwood Beach. We made a quick stop at one of the small corner stores for a few drinks and snacks. I was still full from breakfast, but if we were gonna hang out at the beach for a while, I'm sure I'd get snack-ish. That's why my bag always had extra granola bars rolling around in the bottom of it. I knew how I was and I made sure I was prepared at all times.

?"Back into the parking spot," I said as we arrived. "So the tailgate faces the lake."

?"Okay?" Rowan replied, not sure where I was going with it.

?Once he parked and I had him pop the hatch, I crawled back through and over the seats, finding a perfect place to perch so I could watch the lake in comfort. Rowan came around the other side, dropping out backpacks in the trunk and sitting next to me.

?"See? Now we can watch the storm come in and we won't get rained on!" I leaned back against the inside of the car, stretching my legs out in front of me. "And we can lay down if we want to." I glanced up at him. "Do you go out to watch storms a lot?"

?"I used to," he nodded. "Back in college. There was a bluff nearby that had a little park at the top of it. I used to drive out there and watch them roll in over the city."

?"Sounds romantic."

?"I always went alone," he replied.

?"You can do romantic things with yourself," I laughed. "I take myself on dates all the time. It's called self-care."

?"It sounds sad."

?I lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

?"I mean… not that there"s anything wrong with it… just that… I don't know… How can you do stuff like that by yourself? I'd feel weird if I went on a date alone. Everyone would just look at me and think I was pathetic or something, wouldn't they?"

?"Who cares?" I asked honestly. "Isn't it better to be nice to yourself than to worry about what other people think? If I spent my whole life worried about what others thought of me, I wouldn't be half the person I am today. I'd probably still be in the closet too."

?"I guess you're right," he sighed. "I just… I've never had to do date stuff alone I guess. Mia and I had been together since a little after college."

?"That's a long time to be with someone."

?"Leaving her made me realize how much I took for granted. I never had to eat alone, sleep alone, or go out alone. Now I feel like the entire world is staring at me when I go anywhere, like they know I'm just some sad single schmuck who couldn't keep his girl happy."

?"I don't think that's what they see."

?He glanced up at me. "Right…"

?I reached out, tracing my fingers over his jaw. "I can't speak for them, but I know what I see."

?"What's that?"

?"A cute boy that needs to be kissed and told that despite his past mistakes, he's still worthy of being loved, no matter what kind of person he chooses to find that in."

?Rowan looked like he wanted to respond, but his lip quivered and he just leaned forward, resting his head against my chest. I pulled him in tight, unable to stop smiling as he snuggled in. Sometimes I worried I pushed him too far, but as his arms wrapped around my waist, I realized that maybe this was exactly what he needed.

?And just as we found comfort in our mutual silence, the rain began to fall.