by Sean Michael
Don quickly wrapped his lips back around Jeff's cock, head bobbing, lips tight.
"Oh. Oh, babe. God, your mouth..." He arched, fingers gripping Don's thighs.
Don kept sucking, pulling him right into Don's throat. He pushed down, slipping in deep, taking Don's mouth. He lost all grace, everything but his need. Don just kept sucking and swallowing around his cock, hands hard on his ass.
"Please." He rolled, the tip of his cock sliding on Don's soft tongue and that was all he wrote.
Don took in his come, each swallow making him shudder, making his orgasm last. He moaned, forehead on Don's thigh. Don slowly let him go and then kissed his balls.
"Damn." He rolled off Don, thumping to the bed.
Don shifted and curled next to him, head on his shoulder. "Yeah, that was nice."
"Nice?" His heart was still beating in his chest.
Don laughed, almost giggled. "Really, really nice."
"When my brain starts working again, you're getting such a goosing."
Don laughed, the sound happy and bright.
"You mock. I will pinch your butt." Later.
"I thought you were going to goose me." Don snuggled in closer.
"Mmmhmm." He licked Don's lips. "Later."
"Okay, Boss."
He draped one arm around Don's waist. "Is it silly, to miss them?"
"I don't think it's silly at all -- they're a huge part of our life."
"Yeah." He kissed Don's shoulder, letting himself relax.
"You want me to put the alarm on my watch so we don't miss supper?"
"I'm not sleepy. Just lazy." Besides, he needed to call Samantha, make sure the kids were okay, calmed down.
"'Kay." Don snuggled in closer, eyes drifting closed.
He kissed Don's forehead, smiled.
Damn.
***
Don thought maybe this was the most decadent day he'd had in a long time. They'd woken up and made love, then gone down to breakfast followed by an easy wander through the woods around the B&B. Now they were sitting together on a porch swing, idly rocking. The weather was warm and pleasant, and there was no kiddie monitor.
If he was anymore relaxed, Don figured he'd be asleep. He thought Jeff might actually be dozing, eyes closed, lips parted.
They'd called Samantha and Mike last night before dinner to check up on the state of the kids. They were both fine, the tears having stemmed as soon as he and Jeff were out of sight.
He pushed with his feet, making them swing a tiny bit faster.
Jeff was a little in love with this place, Don thought. He'd oohed and aahed over the breakfast, over the grounds. It had been adorable.
He leaned his head on Jeff's shoulder. It was nice out here and the house had great personality. Even the damn grumpy rooster added to the charm.
"Mmm. I like it here, babe." Jeff murmured the words, settled against him.
"Yeah, I can see that. It is beautiful." Peaceful in a way that had nothing to do with the lack of noise or kids.
"You think the guys would let me bring the kids here?"
Donny smiled and nodded. "Ask them. The worst that happens is they say no."
"Yeah. Yeah, you know, I would have hated this, even a year ago. But..." Jeff shrugged.
"Do you think you changed just because you had to or do you think this was always inside you, just waiting to be drawn out?" Was Jeff going to eventually start chomping at the bit for his old life?
"I don't know." Jeff got them rocking again. "I had a certain responsibility to Mitch to keep up appearances. You know, Beth hated him. Hated him."
"Yeah? Was he good to you?" Donny still wasn't sure what Jeff had seen in that asshole.
"I thought so. He was handsome, smart; he gave elegant parties." Jeff sighed. "I don't think this whole thing was his fault. I found something besides cooking I loved more than him."
"A man who loved you would have tried to make your kids fit into his life." Donny couldn't figure out how anyone could not simply fall in love with Jeff's kids.
"I think he loved my ambition. To be able to say he had a chef as a partner."
Donny kept his mouth shut on the words that wanted out. Jeff knew Mitch was an asshole and didn't need him to rub it in, to point out how selfish Mitch had been long before the kids had come into Jeff's life.
"I'm sorry you got hurt." He couldn't be sorry Mitch had left, though, he just couldn't. Mitch's loss was most definitely his gain and he would not give his family up for anything.
"I don't know, Don. I don't know that I was all that hurt, to be honest. I was tired, missing Beth, overwhelmed."
He squeezed Jeff's leg. "Good. He's not worth your hurt." He just wished Mitch wasn't being an asshole now so Jeff could just draw a line on the past and forget about it.
"I just wish he'd fucking go away." Jeff pulled away a little bit. "Although that's not very fair, is it? It's not his fault that Beth died and that his world got upended."
"No, but it was his choice to leave you and he's being an utter asshole about things." He stroked his hand along Jeff's thigh this time. "I wish he'd just go away, too."
"Yeah." Jeff sighed. "You think I'm a shit, for finding someone else so soon? Someone I love?"
"No." He chuckled and kissed Jeff's cheek. "Could be I'm a little biased, but no, I don't think you're a shit."
"I'm not fickle. I just... Shit, Don. I want to feel like I'm not the bad guy because I'm happy with my life."
"Jeff, you were good to that man for a lot of years. Way better than he ever was to you. And then he dumped you. Not the other way around. You have every right to get on with your life, to be happy. To love again. To love me. You're not the bad guy here and you aren't a bad person. I wouldn't love you like I do if you were."
Jeff's fingers twined with his. "How do you love me, Don?"
"Let me count the ways?" He smiled. "You're hot. You're good. You cook like a dream. Your kids are cuter than you. You love me. You make love to me."
"You forgot my sense of humor and my incredibly studly bellybutton."
"Uh-huh. Your sensitive little nipples, your fat cock that you know what to do with. Your ass..."
"Listen to you..." Jeff's cheeks were pink and his lover leaned in close. "You perv."
He laughed softly. "The kids aren't here -- I'm allowed to be."
"You got that right. We might have to explore this later, this pervy side of you."
"Well, it's not like I'm suggesting whips and chains."
Jeff looked at him and started chuckling. "Please. True torture is making me eat McDonalds..."
"Oh, God, I'm going to remember that and let you deal with the kids when they want to start going there. And you know they're going to want to at least try it, because all their friends are gonna be eating there."
Jeff so wasn't the fast food type, though.
"Not my babies. Never. Not a single McNugget."
"That's definitely going to be your job." The kids probably weren't going to like the food any, not after eating as good as they would thanks to Jeff, but he'd bet they were going to want to at least try it.
"I'll just tell them how awful it is -- feed lots and grade G beef."
"Grade G? I don't even want to know." He made a face. Fast food and college students went together, and he'd definitely had his share of the stuff.
"Nope. It's foul." Jeff looked satisfied, almost smug.
"Food snob."
"Absolutely."
Laughing, he took a kiss. God, he was happy. Just really, really happy.
Jeff's head wrapped around the back of his head, holding him there a second as the kiss deepened. Moaning, he opened wide, letting Jeff in. Jeff explored his mouth, kissing him lazily, tongue dragging over his teeth. He touched Jeff's tongue with his own as he leaned against Jeff's heat.
"Yeah..." The soft moan pushed into his lips, Jeff smiling. At least until Jeff's phone rang, the ring tone unfamiliar, and Jeff sat up, frowned. "It's Mike."
Jeff flipped the phone open, frowned. "Hey. The kids okay?"
Donny sighed and stayed snuggled up. It was okay, though, that's what happened when you had kids. They'd had a lovely evening and day together and that was enough.
Jeff went stiff. "What? What the fuck are you talking about? When?"
Donny's eyes went wide, his heart starting to pound. Oh, God, what had happened to the kids?
Jeff stood up, the swing tilting wildly. "Okay. Okay, you... You just... Fuck, Mike. You stay. I'll go."
Donny jumped up and followed as Jeff headed up for their room. "What? What!"
"The house. I need to. I have to go. We have to go." Jeff started packing wildly.
"The house?" He went to the bathroom and grabbed their stuff. "Are the kids okay?"
"Yes. They're at Samantha's. Hurry up." Jeff was white as a ghost.
He dumped his stuff into the suitcase and grabbed Jeff's shoulders. "Tell me what happened."
"It's burning. Someone set it on fire."
Chapter Sixteen
It had been the longest drive of his life, and he'd floored it the entire way. Jeff hadn't said a word the whole time, if he'd opened his mouth, he'd start screaming and he wouldn't stop. Ever.
Cursed. He was cursed.
"It'll be okay," Don said quietly. "Nobody was at home."
"Don't. Just don't." It wasn't going to be okay. He'd seen Beth's house. He'd smelled it. Now his kids were homeless again. Nothing was going to be okay again.
"You have to focus on the good stuff, Jeff. Nobody was in the house."
They rounded the corner onto a disaster.
There were fire trucks and police, the entire road blocked off and he pulled to the side, sliding out of the car and running past the barricades. His home. God damn it.
"Oh, God." Don was on his heels. "Oh, God."
Someone stepped in front of him, hand on his chest. "I'm sorry, sir. You can't be here."
"That's my fucking house." He was going to hit someone. That was his fucking dream, right there.
"I'm sorry sir, but until the fire is contained and the area is cleared, you have to stay behind the line.
Don took his arm, tugged. "There's nothing you can do."
"That's my HOME!" He pulled out of Don's arm, just wild.
"Don't you mean our home?" The voice was sharp, mean, and totally unwelcome. "Guess you won't have to share now, you selfish bastard."
He spun around, hit Mitch square in the mouth. "You fucker. You did this." Jeff hit the man again, and then again.
"Jeff!" Don grabbed him around the waist and started pulling him back.
"Help! Police! Did you see that? He assaulted me!" Mitch was shrieking.
"He set the fire. You know he did."
The fireman looked at Mitch, looked at Jeff. "I didn't see a thing, man. You need to call your insurance company. Let us do our jobs." The fireman looked at Don. "Where there any pets we should... search for?"
Don shook his head. "The house was empty." Don's fingers wrapped around his arm again. "Come on. If he set the fire, the investigators will find out and they'll put him in jail."
"Where the fuck am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to tell my kids?" Enough. He'd had enough.
"We'll figure it out, Jeff. They're safe at Samantha and Mike's right now. It's going to be okay. I swear."
"Jeffy!" Jillian's voice could cut glass. "Jeffy!"
"Jellybean." He looked at her, and her arms opened and he collapsed, dissolving into tears.
"We'll get him, Jeffy. We'll tear his heart out and feed it to him." She squeezed him tight.
"What am I going to do?" He couldn't do this, not again. He couldn't function.
"First, where are the kids? Donny?"
Don chimed in with the answer to that. "I'm right here. And the kids are at Samantha and Mike's. I tried to tell him we were going to be okay, but I'm not sure he even knows I'm here."
"Okay. Okay." Jillian looked over at Don. "Thank God you were with him."
Jeff looked over at Don, heart sinking. "All your stuff, too. Yours. The babies'."
"It's just stuff, Jeff. It can all be replaced." Don touched his arm, smiled at him. "The rest is just details."
"Okay, I'm going to get on the phone to the insurance agent and get everyone coffees. Don, take Jeff to the car?" She handed Don a little box from her purse. "One of these for him now, one in an hour."
"Okay." Don looped their arms together and pulled him back toward the car.
He heard Jillian's voice as she screamed at Mitch, but Don didn't slow. Don pushed him into the passenger seat and leaned against him to grab the water bottle from the slot. "Take this."
"What is it?" He took it, knowing full well it was Valium.
"I'm guessing Valium. She's probably right -- you need this one."
He blinked at Don. "I can't do this. I can't do this again." He could still smell the smoke of Bethy's house. His babies' clothes were burned.
"No, its different this time. Nobody was hurt, and you're not in this alone."
"I..." He grabbed Don's hands, holding on tight, the world spinning. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Somebody help him.
***
Donny couldn't believe it.
He couldn't think of anything more cruel than to burn down Jeff's home. Thank God, nobody had been in the house. Had Mitch known that? He shuddered at the thought that maybe Mitch hadn't known that, maybe Mitch had expected him and the kids to be there while Jeff was at work. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He needed to be strong for Jeff.
Jeff was simply hysterical, not even able to make sense.
Don'd gotten him to a hotel, made sure the kids were okay to stay at least until tomorrow with their grandparents. He'd made a few calls, too, made sure the cops and firefighters knew where to find them to update.
Now he just... he didn't know what to do.
Luckily, Jillian kept calling. The insurance adjuster was there. A five thousand dollar check would be there in the morning. She had threatened to hit Mitch with a car. She'd called the restaurant. She'd said to give Jeff another Valium.
Jeff sat on the edge of the bed, eyes blank, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Don knelt between Jeff's legs, cupped the loved cheeks. "This isn't the end of the world."
"I." Jeff stared at him. "I don't know... Fuck."
"The kids are good, Jeff. They're just fine. And they don't care where we live." He pressed his forehead against Jeff's.
"But... all your things. I'm so sorry. What if you'd been there? What if I'd lost you guys? What if he goes to Mike's?"
"Stop that. My stuff is replaceable. I wasn't there. The kids weren't there. He doesn't know where Mike lives. You have to stop torturing yourself."
"I." Jeff sucked in a hitching breath. "I don't know what to do."
"I don't know. I don't think we have to decide tonight."
"I need to see the kids. I don't... What do I do with the kids?" Jeff stood, pacing. "What if Mitch tries to hurt them? God. Why did Beth leave them with me? I'm dangerous."
"Whoa, stop that!" He got up and got into Jeff's space. "Come on, Jeff. You are not dangerous and you love those kids. You're a good father."
God, Jeff was losing it.
"Don." Jeff grabbed him, held on. "Help me. Fuck. Please help me."
"Anything, Jeff. Whatever you need."
Jeff's knees gave out and Don walked them to the bed, put Jeff in it, pulled off his lover's shoes. "You need to sleep, okay?"
Jeff needed to get it together before they went and saw the kids; it would freak them out, especially Robin, to see Jeff like this.
"I can't. I have to..." Jeff started sobbing again and Don covered him up, hand on Jeff's shoulder.
He toed off his own shoes and slipped into the bed, wrapping Jeff up. "Let it all out. Let it all out now." He could only imagine the memories of Beth's death that this fire ha
d brought up.
Jeff's phone rang about the time Jeff fell into a restless sleep.
He grabbed it, answering it before it could wake his lover up. "Hello?"
"Don? How's he doing? I'm worried." Jillian. Again.
"He's finally asleep, but he's pretty wigged out." He got up and went to the bathroom, hoping Jeff would keep sleeping.
"Yeah, I bet. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just worried." About Jeff, about how the kids were going to take being uprooted again. Replacing everything was going to be a bitch, and where would they stay until they had a new house?
"Well, we have an appointment with the insurance adjuster at nine a.m. at the house. I mean. You do, but I can be there, to take notes, help." Jeff was lucky to have a sister like her, really.
"That would be great if you could come, Jillian. I'm not sure how much he's going to take in, and seeing the place again..."
"Yeah. It was his dream home, you know? He'd been planning it since our first foster home."
"I know." Donny sighed. "He can rebuild, though. And now he can make it his new dream home, the one that includes kiddies."
"Yeah, I guess." Jillian sighed, too, the sound so sad. "I don't know. Maybe he'll just get an apartment closer to the restaurant."
"No, the kids need a house. He'll do what's right for then. We don't need to decide right this minute, though." They had time. They'd figure it out.
"Yeah. I guess. I. What do you need from me, Donny? Food? Booze? A hug?"
"You're doing it. I wouldn't know where to start with the insurance and stuff."
"That I can do. Do you know how long Beth's parents can keep the kids?"
"They said as long as we need them to."
"That's nice of them." He heard a lighter, a long inhalation. "Did you call his boss?"
"No. He's got tomorrow off already, so I didn't think to."
"I'll call. It's going to be crazy. He may want to go in tomorrow. I don't know."
Donny heard a noise from the bedroom. "We'll figure it all out tomorrow. I have to go now."
"Okay. Call if you need me. I'll have the phone close."
"Thanks, Jillian."
He hung up the phone, had a half a glass of water and went back into the bedroom. Jeff had thrown the covers off, was muttering and flailing, still asleep.
