by Trina Solet
"Don't include me. I don't know how much longer Julian is going to need me," Rob said. Saying that out loud was really painful, but he had to face reality.
"From what I've seen, Julian relies on you a lot," Mitch told him.
"Not as much as I thought," Rob told them. "His assistant at Upton Investments is handling most of the business stuff. She's a lot better with all that financial stuff than I am. Most of the time, I've been helping with Danny."
"So? That's the most important thing," Rico told him and Mitch agreed with a nod. Then Rico stared at Rob, looked him up and down and pointed a finger at him. "Dude. You're a manny."
"I am?" Rob said.
"Yup," Rico confirmed like the issue was settled.
"How do you feel about that job description?" Wyatt asked him.
Rob wasn't sure, whether he was an assistant or a manny, or both, the job would still only last until Julian and Danny settled in properly.
Their get-together spilled over from the dining room to the living room. It went on past the kids' bedtimes, but some of them didn't last. Gloria had fallen asleep curled up in Lara's lap. Noreen was reclined next to them swirling a glass of good scotch.
Riley, the most hyper of the kids, was stretched out across Wyatt and Sam's laps, a sleeping little pirate. The other kids were playing cards, three kids vs. three dogs.
"I can't believe Danny is still awake," Julian said.
"He doesn't want the day to end," Rob said and he knew just how the little guy felt. Every day spent with Julian and Danny was like that for him.
Now Rob was noticing what Mitch and Rico were doing. Music played softly and the two of them were slow dancing together, adoring each other. Rob was so jealous he could burst. Blindly he reached out for Julian, took his hand and led him to the center of the room.
"Are we...?" Julian started to ask then the answer became obvious.
Face to face with Julian, Rob inhaled then stepped close and took him in his arms. "We can't let them have all the fun," he said to Julian.
"I don't know how to dance," Julian whispered to him.
With Julian right up against him and his breath heating his skin, Rob didn't grasp what he was saying at first. He then laughed and told him, "You just hang on to me and move to the music. There's nothing to it."
"OK," Julian said. He had natural grace so he had no trouble with it.
"How come you don't know how to dance?" Rob asked though Julian was dancing just fine as far as he was concerned.
"They taught it at my boarding school, but I skipped out," Julian said.
Rob remembered that he went to an all boys school. "You skipped out on boys dancing together?"
"Hardly," Julian said with an ironic look. "They brought over girls from an all girls school."
"No wonder you skipped out," Rob said and they smiled at each other. There were some missteps as they danced, but Rob enjoyed those too. When Julian's steps faltered, it gave Rob an excuse to hold him tighter and bring them closer.
Rob even wondered if he should kiss him. If this job wasn't going to last much longer, why shouldn't he? It wasn't like he needed to safeguard their working relationship. He would be gone any day now.
Just as Rob was making up his mind, Julian looked away from him, and he saw why. Danny had his head down and he looked very unhappy. They went over to him where he was sitting with DJ and Sammy.
"What's the matter?" Julian asked as he crouched in front of him.
"I'm sad," Danny told him simply.
"Why are you sad?" Julian asked and pulled Danny over to lean against him.
"I can't be super strong little bee all the time," Danny said with a pout.
Hearing that it wasn't anything more serious, Julian looked relieved. He kissed the little bee's face. Sammy ran over to Mitch and Rico to be consoled as well. They picked up their fluffy, pink girl and held her between them.
Then DJ spoke up to set them straight. "Halloween is special. It's not like every day."
"My God, DJ is so sensible he puts to shame most of the adults in this room," Noreen said and singled out Lara, Wyatt and Rico in particular.
"DJ is right. Halloween is a special day, but tomorrow is going to be fun too," Rob said to Danny. "Tomorrow, you get to be Danny, and that's pretty cool." Rob held his little hand, and Danny nodded but stayed snuggled up against Julian.
"Who's a sleepy eyed, little bee?" Julian asked. "Let's take you to bed."
"You too, Lenny," Rob said and picked him up.
"It was a fun day, huh?" Julian said as they took them up.
The others were ready to take their kids home and to bed too. Rob helped Danny get ready, and Julian went down to say goodbye to everyone. When Julian got back, Danny was getting into bed and Rob had the Super Strong Little Bee in his hand.
"I guess that's what we're reading," Julian said as he went into Danny's room.
"Julian and Rob read it together," Danny said.
They sat down next to Danny's bed and passed the book back and forth. Sometimes their hands touched, sometimes Rob leaned over Julian's shoulder to read.
Rob had just read that super strong little bee had lifted a baobab tree to set it upright. When he looked up, he saw that Danny was asleep.
"I guess I read that to you," he whispered in Julian's ear.
"Lenny is still listening too. You have a good voice," Julian told him as they got up off the floor.
They left Lenny to watch over Danny and stepped out into the hall. For a moment, Rob just lingered there with Julian then he remembered what was waiting for him downstairs.
"There's clean-up to do," he realized.
"I guess that's what happens after a party," Julian said like he had never given one. Off Rob's look, he explained. "I only ever arranged a few business functions, had them catered and had a cleaning crew take care of cleaning up."
"You haven't lived until you have to pick out the empties from the tub and the toilet," Rob told him.
"The toilet?" Julian said and made a face.
Rob laughed and headed downstairs with Julian right behind him. He was surprised that Julian didn't just leave it to him, but he was right there with him sticking dishes in the dishwasher. There wasn't a big mess, but it still took some time.
"I'll have my hands full tomorrow taking down all the decorations," Rob said.
"I appreciate all your hard work. Danny had such a good time," Julian said as he dried his hands.
"You did too," Rob pointed out.
"Yes. I did. But I could have done without those costumes."
Rob shuddered at the memory. "Don't remind me. I'm trying to block that out."
"Rico has pictures," Julian said dashing his hopes of memory-holing the whole ordeal.
Done with clearing up, they ended up going upstairs together. Rob felt kind of funny about that, like they could just keep going and end up in the same bedroom, the same bed.
Of course that wasn't going to happen. But as Rob went into his room, Julian lingered there and said, "Thank you again."
"Sure." Rob almost told him good night, but he stopped himself. He didn't want to send Julian away by saying that. But having him standing just outside his room was unbearable. The moment was tense and unfinished, just waiting for one word from either of them to unravel it.
Hanging out in the doorway of his room, irresistibly gorgeous, Julian looked so young and bright-eyed. How could Rob not kiss him, not pull him into the room and shut the door?
Rob did it slowly. He first leaned in to capture his mouth, sliding from his lips over his furry chin to his neck so he could feel Julian's pulse flutter against his tongue. But the whole time he was so afraid that Julian would push him away, tell him never to do that again.
It didn't happen. There was only moaning and kissing and Julian's hands clutching at him desperately. With an arm around his waist, Rob pulled him in, getting him out of the way to shut the door. The sound of it closing, like a shot from a starters pistol, sent them
deeper into each other's arms, kissing urgently until Rob had Julian laid out flat on the floor.
Climbing on top of him, Rob didn't even take a moment to breathe. All he cared about was his lips on Julian, the taste and the feel of him.
Kissing him wasn't enough, not with Julian's legs hooked around his and his hands clutching fistfuls of his hair. Rob reached into the tight space between them, sliding his hand down over Julian's taut abs. Soon Julian's fly stood open, allowing Rob's hand to push inside.
Panting, dragging his hands down over Rob's back, Julian groped his ass and breathed his name. Julian's hips came up, and his cock was in Rob's hand, hot and hard.
Moaning against his neck, Rob closed his fist around the hardness of Julian's cock. As he pumped slowly, Rob felt Julian urgently pushing into his hand. Rob drew back to watch him. Julian's head was thrown back, his eyes wild with need, his lips swollen, parted, begging him, "Fuck me."
Rob couldn't deny him, couldn't breathe. He just kissed him hard and undid his own fly.
His cock was aching to sink into Julian, but more than anything Rob wanted to make him feel good, make it so he could never forget what they did, never forget him.
Off the floor in a flash, Rob had condoms and lube out if his nightstand drawer and he was back. He now kissed Julian even deeper than before and felt him moan into his mouth and suck on his tongue as his arms locked around his neck.
Julian then dropped back on the floor with a groan and let Rob pull his jeans and boxers to his knees. To help him out, Julian put his feet on his shoulders and pulled his knees to his chest. Folded up and exposed, Julian waited for him, and Rob was so turned on.
His hands shook as he gripped Julian's ass cheek with one hand and fingered him with the other. Once he had Julian lubed and ready, his needy, low moans made Rob forget all about taking it slow. All he wanted was to satisfy Julian right now.
But it wasn't just about him. Rob had to have him, possess him, even if it was for just one night, even if it was for right now that he was sinking into him, that he was inside him.
His need for Julian had been burning through him steadily, but with this beautiful man under him, the need consumed him and made him lose his mind. The only thoughts in his head were "more, deeper, harder."
On the floor, only half undressed, they fucked. Rob didn't know for how long. Then Julian stiffened underneath him and all around him. His teeth sank into Rob's shoulder and he felt Julian coming.
Julian's name on his lips harsh and broken, Rob was coming too. His voice was guttural, only a growl, but Julian still shut him up with a kiss and they collapsed to the floor together.
The door to his room was standing open. Barely awake, Rob saw it through half closed eyelids. For a second he thought Julian must have left it like that when he went to his own room. But the weight against his chest and hip told him that was wrong.
Julian was right there in his arms. Looking from Julian lying on top of him to the open door, Rob blinked in confusion.
"I opened it," Julian told him while lying on his chest. "In case Danny woke up and got scared."
"And if he found us like this?" Rob asked while at the same time trying to figure out the time. It was some time in the middle of the night.
"We're dressed," Julian said, but Rob was bare-chested. He remembered that he took off the sweatshirt that Julian had come all over when they fucked. Right now he would be cold if Julian wasn't keeping him warm, and he didn't show any signs of wanting to do anything else. Julian seemed contented to lie half on top of him with the door standing open.
Rob was shocked that he was so unconcerned. "So you would tell him we like to take naps on the floor like pre-schoolers?"
"Something like that," Julian said.
Rob chuckled then admitted, "I'm glad you're still here."
"I couldn't make myself leave. At first I just wanted to listen to you breathe and to your heart beating, only for a little bit. But it's not like waiting for a song to end. It went on and on and I couldn't stop listening."
For a few minutes, Rob couldn't think of anything to say so he just rubbed Julian's back. Julian had shocked him again. This other, relaxed and sexy side to him was a revelation to Rob. Then he started to wonder, "Does that mean you didn't sleep?"
"I think I did a little. Your heartbeat is soothing. I never stayed with anyone I fucked before. I didn't want to. They were strangers. Staying here with you just sort of happened, and it made me realize how nice it was." Julian's words were mumbled against the base of Rob's neck.
As he listened to what he was saying, Rob wondered if that was true. Was that the whole reason they were lying together like this, simply because Rob wasn't a complete stranger and nothing more?
It still felt good and Rob didn't want to move from the spot as long as Julian was willing to lie there with him on this hard, uncomfortable floor.
Chapter 17
All morning Rob had been taking down the Halloween decorations, and the whole time he had hardly seen Julian. He didn't even show for lunch. Now Julian was busy in his office, and Rob and Danny were in the library reading and watching Mitch working on the shutters. When Mitch opened a window, the cold draft sent something flying off a shelf. It was the paper plane made from the green paper that Rob had given Danny when they first met. Danny jumped up off the floor and chased after it.
"Better make sure Lenny doesn't get to the green plane first," Rob warned him. Lenny was already showing an interest in it before Danny picked it up.
"He did want to eat it," Danny confirmed then he told Lenny why the plane was special. "Rob gave me the paper, and Julian made the plane for me." He stood on his tiptoes and placed the green plane on the shelf on top of some smaller books.
It was sweet that the paper plane was so important to him, but that just made Rob think about having to leave. He was really dumb to have gotten so attached to Danny and Julian so fast. And last night... He had to stop thinking about that or he would drive himself crazy.
Rico had gone to pick up Sammy from preschool, and he brought her over to the house. She ran into the library with her backpack bouncing.
"Hi, Danny. Hi, Lenny. Hi, Rob," she said as Rico helped her off with her backpack. Then she ran off to hug her dad.
Julian came out of his office, and she greeted him too. "Hi, Danny's big brother," she said.
"You can call him Jules," Rico told her.
"No, but you can call me Julian," he told her.
"Is she babysitting?" Rob asked and Sammy's eyes went wide.
"Yes!" She jumped in place eagerly and shared the news with Danny. "I'm babysitting you."
Danny didn't object. "OK."
Rico pointed an accusing finger at Rob, "You did that. You. There is no stopping her now."
Sammy now turned to Julian and Rob. The look in her blue eyes dared them to challenge her authority. Then she got to it. "I have a letters game with pictures," Sammy said as she opened a box she pulled out of her purple, butterfly book bag along with paper and colored pencils.
"I know letters," Danny said.
"Me too. I'm in preschool," Sammy bragged. "We can teach Lenny too."
"But don't let him eat the letters. I was playing with this, but Lenny tried to eat it." Danny went to the shelf to get the paper plane. He brought it over and showed Sammy his treasure. Danny made it fly and Sammy was impressed. This time Danny was quick to grab it before Lenny could get to it.
"I want to fold an airplane, but I forgot how," Sammy said, looking up at Rico and her dad.
Rico was up to the challenge. "I'm on it. Watch this." As Sammy handed him a piece of paper, Rico rubbed his hands together. He started to fold an incredibly complicated aircraft. He wasn't even halfway through the construction process, and Mitch was already shaking his head.
Finally this marvel of paper engineering was ready for its test flight. Rico pulled his arm back and sent it flying. Inches from takeoff, the plane did a weird loop then nosedive to the floor.
Rob laughed at him. "Super plane. That thing dropped like a rock."
Sammy had a complaint of her own. "Rico, I want to make an airplane that knows how to fly."
Since Rico had failed them, Danny told her consolingly, "Julian can help us."
Julian showed them how to make a simple plane while Rico groused, "Look at him showing off."
Seeing his pout, Sammy ran over to him and put her arms out. "Don't worry, Rico. I still love you."
"Aww. You're the best," Rico said as he gave her a hug.
"And dad loves you too," she said. "Tell him, Daddy."
As Rico looked over at him expectantly, Mitch confirmed it. "Yes, I still love you." Mitch said it solemnly but in the next second, they we all smiling at each other, so happy.
The whole time, Rob had made sure to keep his eyes off Julian. That wasn't easy. Rob just wanted to go up to him, take him in his arms as proof that last night meant something.
Rob got snacks for the kids and came back to see them making airplanes. In the meantime, Julian had gone back to his office. Staring toward his office door, Rob wondered if he should go over there, see if he was needed. While he was trying to make up his mind, Rico came over to him.
"Why are you hovering over here? We can keep an eye on the kids. Get in there," Rico told him.
"You giving me orders?" Rob asked him.
Of course Rico said, "Yes."
The kids were sending their planes flying all over the library then chasing them down with Lenny's help. They didn't seem to need him at the moment, but that didn't mean he was going to take orders from Rico.
Rico tried again. "Fine. Call it advice, if you want. You were talking about Jules not needing you. Get in there and make sure he can't live without you."
"Why are you pushing me at Julian. I didn't know you were that fond of me," Rob said while eying him questioningly.
"You, pft. You need to stay here for those other two. I'm not dealing with a lonely, heartbroken Jules. I refuse to mop up after you. I have my own man to keep happy," Rico told him and then walked away. Every chance he got he bragged about him and Mitch.
