by Helena Stone
“I want you two to remember something.” Klaus made a point of focusing on each of them before continuing. “You don’t owe me anything. The two of you have done at least as much for me as you think I did for you.” His expression softened. “Don’t be strangers.”
Before either of them could react, Klaus turned and walked away in the direction of the library. Mitch and Cian slowly set off in the opposite direction.
“You know what we never asked Klaus?”
Mitch wondered what Cian meant. Are there any mysteries left? “What?”
“Wouldn’t you have liked an explanation for how the library just appeared and disappeared in the past?”
Mitch looked over his shoulder, just in time to see Klaus turn a corner and vanish from sight. “No. I don’t think I do.”
One glance at Cian told him that obviously wasn’t the answer he’d expected.
“Why not?”
Mitch shrugged, not sure if he knew how to explain himself. “Until today, I’ve thought about that as a miracle. Our miracle, as if Klaus and the library were only there to make us happen. I think I’d like to hang on to the magic.” Klaus, now apparently also helping Cormac, didn’t diminish that sentiment.
They walked in silence for a short distance. “Magic, hey?”
Mitch turned his head, and caught Cian’s bashful grin.
“Magic works for me. What do you want to do next?”
Mitch had been thinking about that. Given how they appeared to be on a sentimental journey, reliving past experiences, he was about to suggest a walk in the forest when a fat drop of rain landed on his nose.
“Let’s go home,” he said. “We might as well take advantage of the fact that we’ve got the place to ourselves until tomorrow.”
“I like the way you think.”
The gruff tone to Cian’s voice, combined with the heat smoldering in his eyes, lit a fire deep inside Mitch. It also set his heart racing. Being alone with Cian wouldn’t be new. Doing so in the house where he’d grown up, however, sent a swarm of butterflies to flight in Mitch’s stomach.
Chapter Four
Cian was lost in his thoughts. Memories of their lunchtime conversation and the things they’d learned alternated with fantasies about what he and Mitch might get up to once they were alone behind closed doors. He barely felt the rain as they walked and they’d turned into the street where Mitch lived before he noticed his boyfriend hadn’t said a word either.
As Mitch opened the front door, Cian studied him, noticing instantly the quick succession of expressions on his face, the quivering of his mouth suggesting he was torn between delight and concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked as soon as Mitch had closed the door behind them.
“Probably.”
Cian chuckled. “You aren’t sure?”
“This is weird.” Mitch walked into the hall, coming to a standstill when he had the stairs on his right and the living room door on his left. “What do you want to do?” He looked so lost Cian took pity on him.
“Whatever you want to do.” He approached Mitch. It had been a while since he’d seen this version of his boyfriend. Mitch had gained so much confidence since they’d started dating he now rarely resembled the timid, shy guy he’d been a year earlier. Cian wrapped his hand around the back of Mitch’s neck and kissed him, making sure to make the contact firm and unhurried.
Mitch relaxed under his touch. As the kiss went on, his body became less rigid and his mouth hungrier until he pressed closer to Cian, seeking contact.
“Come.” Mitch took Cian’s hand and pulled him up the stairs and into his bedroom.
Cian glanced at the bed and laughed.
“What?” Mitch asked.
“Remember the first time you came to stay with me?” Cian recalled the weekend vividly.
“For St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, I do.” Mitch sounded almost offended that Cian could think he’d forgotten.
“I was worried my bed wouldn’t be big enough for the two of us,” Cian confessed.
Mitch looked at his bed and chuckled. “Just as well we’re used to sharing now. This is going to be…cozy.”
“Cosy sounds just about perfect.” Cian slipped his hand underneath Mitch’s top and stroked across his back. “If we only have this one night before we go back to sleeping separately, we can’t get close enough for me. It will have to last me another five nights.”
Mitch gave him a quirky smile. “You know that doesn’t make sense, right? It’s not as if we knew we’d get this opportunity.”
Cian was done talking. He didn’t care about being right. He just wanted Mitch, and to make his intentions perfectly clear, he pulled Mitch’s hoodie over his head, leaving him bare-chested.
He loved Mitch’s body and couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of it. The soft skin under his hand, the way Mitch’s nipples turned stiff after just the merest teasing, and the enticing treasure trail that led the way to the delicious bulge in his jeans—none of those were things Cian would ever take for granted.
Locking gazes with Mitch, Cian slowly dropped to his knees. His mouth watered as he opened Mitch’s trousers. Mitch’s shaft jumped as soon as it was released, almost as if it was waving a welcome…an invitation Cian was only too happy to accept.
Mitch’s soft groan when Cian swallowed his dick in one swift move set his blood on fire, and he opened his own trousers to relief the pressure. He could wait…a little at least, but not while his own erection was trapped.
He took his time, not to tease Mitch, for once, but to make sure his boyfriend fully relaxed. Cian wanted him in a state where their surroundings became irrelevant and all Mitch knew was Cian’s mouth, Cian’s body, and the mind-blowing pleasure they could give each other.
When Mitch placed a hand on Cian’s head and moved his hips, Cian relaxed, allowing Mitch to take what he wanted while sucking, licking, and teasing for all he was worth.
“Enough.” Mitch pulled back, depriving Cian of his taste and the heady experience of reducing his partner to an inarticulate mess of need.
Mitch pulled him up and made quick work of stripping both of them out of their clothes, and Cian forgot why he’d objected to Mitch ending the blow job.
As soon as Mitch was fully naked too, he fell onto the bed, spreading his arms as if in invitation. Cian didn’t need to be asked twice. He draped himself over Mitch’s body, cherishing every inch of naked skin connecting with naked skin.
“We could always sleep like this,” he quipped before capturing Mitch’s mouth again and losing himself in the play of their tongues as it grew even more intense and demanding.
Mitch moved his hands over Cian’s back, stroking the skin from his shoulders to his rear before capturing both cheeks and pulling Cian’s groin closer to his own. Mitch squirmed beneath him, causing their cocks to rub together and forcing a whimper from Cian’s lips.
“I want you.” Mitch’s demand sounded more like a plea.
“Do we have lube?” For a horrifying moment, Cian feared they might be unprepared for this surprise opportunity. After all, since they’d be staying in different houses, it hadn’t occurred to Cian to put lube into his luggage.
“Over there.” Mitch indicated the small bedside cabinet with a shake of his head.
As Cian opened the drawer and grabbed what they needed, he was half tempted to ask if the tube had always been there or if Mitch had brought it, but the red-hot desire flowing through his veins made the question irrelevant. Only one thing mattered: to bring Mitch and himself to the release they so desperately needed.
Mitch shuddered as Cian trailed a slick finger through his arse crack, lingering over the puckered hole without trying to gain entry, just yet.
“Don’t tease.” Mitch lifted his hips a little, literally trying to force Cian’s hand.
“Impatient much?” But Cian wasn’t much better, and moments later, he pushed his hard shaft into Mitch, forcing himself to keep his eyes open and his gaze locked on Mitc
h. The way Mitch’s eyes widened and darkened enhanced Cian’s pleasure almost as much as his body’s tight grip on Cian’s dick did.
When he’d bottomed out, Cian captured Mitch’s mouth in a ferocious and demanding kiss. Everything about the moment was right. They fit together perfectly, as if Mitch had been created just for him. Cian’s heart overflowed with feelings he hadn’t been able to put into words yet, emotions that felt almost too big and yet filled him with a sense of completion.
He moved his hips slowly, his earlier sense of urgency replaced with a need to make the connection last, to treasure every second, and fully experience each lust-filled moment. One year together and none of it had become a routine. Every moment with Mitch, every intimacy was as magical now as they had been from the start. Familiarity certainly hadn’t bred contempt; far from it. The longer they were together, the closer they grew and the more his appreciation for Mitch deepened. He hadn’t found the courage to say the word yet, but Cian had no doubt this was love.
“More,” Mitch demanded, moving with Cian to stress his words.
The command turned a switch in Cian’s system, and his need to take it slow transformed into an irresistible urge to bring them both to their peak. He straightened his arms, giving himself more leverage, and allowed his heated blood to dictate a relentless pace.
Mitch met him, stroke for stroke. Sounds filled the room, a combination of moans, groans, half-formulated words, soft curses, and harsh breaths. The sight of Mitch tugging on his cock pushed Cian closer to the edge. Mitch’s arse muscles tightened around Cian’s cock, and he felt drops of cum landing on his belly.
So good. Too much.
“Fuck, yeah,” Cian roared as he released deep within Mitch in a climax that seemed to start in his toes and last forever. When eventually his body stilled, Cian had no choice but to lower himself onto Mitch again; dropping to the side would have left him on the floor.
“So good,” Mitch whispered before placing a kiss on Cian’s cheek. Then he laughed softly. “Man, were you loud.”
“Right. Whereas you were the soul of discretion,” Cian quipped. “Move over a little so I can lie next to you. We’re a bit sticky.”
Mitch shuffled over, and Cain lay next to him on his side because there was no room for both of them to stretch out on their backs. He trailed a finger through the goo on Mitch’s stomach before putting it in his mouth and treasuring the taste.
“Was it just me, or did it seem more intense to you too?” Mitch asked after they’d caught their breaths.
“That’s because it feels almost illicit, right?”
Mitch glanced to the side, studying the wall as if he’d never seen it before. “You’re not joking.”
“Maybe we should be grateful our parents insist that we stay with our own families.” Cian snickered. “If this is weird, imagine what it would be like if your mother was sleeping on the other side of that wall.”
Mitch’s wide-eyed, stricken expression set Cian off, and he burst out laughing. It took a few moments before Mitch joined him.
“We’re as bad as they are. They’re okay with it as long as it’s not in their face, and we are fine as long as the rest of our families aren’t within earshot.” Cian figured it was all part of their process. They’d had to learn almost everything from scratch since they first met, making it up as they went along and figuring out what worked best for each of them individually as well as for them as a couple.
He kissed Mitch. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
“What specifically?” Mitch asked.
“Everything. Us.”
Mitch stared at him, clearly unsure what Cian meant.
“I like that we’re discovering everything together.” Cian put his earlier thoughts into words. “I can’t imagine anything better than sharing all my firsts with you and being part of all of yours.”
Cian was certain they still had a lot of undiscovered territory to explore and couldn’t wait to see where that journey would lead.
Chapter Five
Mitch stared at the IKEA gift card before studying his mother’s face.
It was nine in the morning, and they were sitting in the living room. It was a tradition they’d started when Mitch was a toddler. They got up and had tea and presents before Christmas mass. Mitch had stopped going to church completely around the time of the marriage equality referendum when priests and bishops had been very vocal in their opposition to gay rights. Even his mother’s visits got fewer every year. But she did still go on Christmas morning, and the rest of their Christmas day routine remained set in stone too.
“As I told you,” she said with a smile. “I’m not a fool, and I know you’re going to need a bigger bed in your room.”
“Tell me about it.” Mitch laughed before slapping his hand over his mouth when he realized what he’d just said.
His mother cackled. “You could have moved into my room, you know.”
“What? No!” The idea was preposterous. He was as likely to have sex in front of his mother as he was inclined to use her bed for that purpose.
“That’s what they invented washing machines for.” She winked.
“Stop it.” Mitch didn’t know where to look or what to say. Then he chuckled. “If I wasn’t grateful for the gift when I opened it, what you just said made me appreciate it all the more.” He stood and walked to where she sat, wrapping his arms around his mother as soon as he reached her. “Thank you. You’re the best.”
Going back to the tree, Mitch picked up the small wrapped parcel he’d placed there the night before.
“Happy Christmas.” He handed his mother the gift, watching anxiously as she loosened the tape and removed the paper.
“This is gorgeous.” She stared from the open box in her hand at Mitch, then lowered her gaze again. “Where did you find this?”
Mitch’s smile was the result of a combination of relief and delight. For as long as he could remember, his mother had professed a deep love for daffodils. They were planted all over the garden and turned the area into a sea of yellow every spring. When Ro, one of the other members of UkeTunes, told him she made jewelry, he’d asked her to design something featuring his mother’s favorite flower.
“I had it made,” he said, suddenly shy. “It’s unique…just like you.”
“Oh, lad.” Her eyes were wide and a bit glassy when she looked at him. “It’s perfect.” She blinked, then grinned. “I guess I must have done something right over the past almost nineteen years. This can’t be down to luck alone.”
When she reached for him, Mitch willingly slipped into her hug while mentally crossing his fingers that the second piece he’d asked Ro to create would go down just as well later that day.
“When are you meeting Cian?”
For a moment Mitch wondered if she really could read his mind. He’d been convinced she had that power as a child, and moments like these reawakened that innocent youthful faith.
“At ten. In fact, I’ll walk with you as far as the church gates.” Mitch glanced through the window, happy to see a mostly clear sky and a weak sun trying its best to brighten the winter’s day.
“And you’ll be back for dinner at three.” It wasn’t a question.
“Probably earlier. Cian’s family eat at two.”
“I still don’t understand why you don’t invite him here, where it’s warm and comfortable.”
Mitch shrugged but said nothing. Going to the forest felt right. That’s where they’d gone on their first date a year earlier. To Mitch’s mind, that made it the perfect location for presenting Cian with his gift. Not that he wanted to tell his mother any of that.
When his mother went to her room to get ready for church, Mitch followed her up and slipped on a padded hoodie over his winter clothes. His mother was right about one thing; it was bound to be cold outside.
By the time his mother joined him at the front door with the daffodil brooch pinned to her dress, Mitch had his coat on, a scarf wrapped around his neck, an
d his hood up. He was so delighted she’d loved his gift enough to wear it straight away he almost missed it when she shook her head.
“Every time I think you grew up to be a sensible young man, you do something nonsensical like this. But you’re a big lad now. If you want to stay out in freezing temperatures, don’t let me stop you.” She smiled as she opened the door. “Let’s go.” As they walked along the road, she hooked her arm through his. “This is nice.”
The smile she sent Mitch’s way warmed his heart and made him wonder, for the first time since he’d moved out, if she wasn’t lonely on her own.
“I do miss you sometimes, you know.” She patted his arm.
“Only sometimes,” he joked weakly while trying to figure out how to ask her if she was okay without making the situation awkward for both of them.
His mother laughed, sounding fresh and happy and thus lifting some of his concern. “What? Did you think I spend my days pining for your company?” She stopped walking and faced him. “I’m fine, you know. I’ve got my job, my friends, my hobbies. I had my own life before you moved out, and I still have it now.” She sobered. “That’s part of what I meant when I said it might be better for you and Cian to not move in together so soon. It’s not healthy when your whole life revolves around someone else. You need to be okay on your own too.”
“I know,” Mitch said.
She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
“Really, I do. That’s part of the reason I started playing the uke.”
“Which I still haven’t heard or seen you do,” his mother added.
“I brought it with me,” Mitch confessed. He hadn’t been sure why he felt the need, but when he’d been getting his stuff ready for this visit, he’d added his ukulele.
They set off again toward the church, which was situated at the end of the street and already filling up with a steady stream of worshippers.
“Fabulous.” His mother beamed a bright smile at him. “We’ll have a bit of a session tomorrow.”
