by Lily Love
When Jack approached, Hunter lifted his head. “Baby, hey.”
“What did I tell you about coming around here, Hunter?” Jack asked as he climbed the porch steps.
“No, it’s not like that.” Hunter sighed. “I mean, not like it was when you told me. You’ve been alone for the last little while, Jack. I noticed you and your boyfriend broke up. Did he decide he was straight again?”
“You need to leave,” Jack said.
“I don’t want to be alone for Christmas.” Hunter ignored him. “I don’t want you to be alone, either. I’m renting a little house on the outskirts of town. It’s got a big property. No neighbors, no eyes on us, no sound restrictions… we can have fun. A lot of fun. Like we used to.”
Jack recalled past Christmases spent with Hunter. Drunk off eggnog and curled up beneath the blankets, their ritual was to leave bed as little as possible. But Jack didn’t want sex. Sex was the cherry on top, but it was far from the whole dessert. What Jack wanted was a relationship, a family, and someone to care for. He wanted commitment. He remembered all the small moments he’d shared with Craig — nursing Isaac back to health, going out to the football game, and coaxing Craig into going grocery shopping — and it made him hungry for domesticity.
Jack wanted a simple life full of love, not a rocky relationship focused on sexual compatibility.
The fact that sex with Craig was so satisfying only made what they had better.
“No,” Jack said firmly. “I’m not interested. I wasn’t interested three months ago and I’m not interested now.”
“But you’re single,” Hunter objected. “Why the hell are you turning me down? We’re so hot together between the sheets, Jack. Even if you don’t want me forever, why don’t we just mess around through the next few weeks? No strings. We can welcome in the new year together.”
Jack couldn’t think of something he wanted less. He shook his head.
Hunter stood. His fists were clenched. A car crept down the street and parked not far from the property. Jack saw the headlights from the corner of his eyes. He was sure that it was Roman coming back from the studio at Lane’s insistence.
A little backup wasn’t all that bad. With Roman and Lane watching, Jack was safe.
The car door opened, then closed.
“No. Why can’t you get it into your head? No.”
“Why are you making such a big deal about this?” Hunter’s eyes were narrowed and his face was tight with irritation. “All I want is your dick, Jack. I want your dick in my ass. That’s all I want. I don’t care if you’re in love or if you’re still hurting from our breakup or whatever. I want sex. We could have a lot of really good sex for as long as it’s convenient for both of us. I don’t understand what’s so wrong with that.”
“And that’s why we could never make this work,” Jack said. He kept his anger from bubbling over, but he was pissed. “You don’t understand the first thing about love, Hunter. You don’t understand what it does to a man. I can’t be with you because I would never want to hurt the man I love, even if the man I love doesn’t love me back.”
There were footsteps on the stairs right behind Jack. A calm, familiar voice broke through the night. “Are you so sure that man doesn’t love you back, Jack?”
Craig.
Jack spun around, eyes wide. Craig stood behind him. Isaac slept cuddled in his arms, protected from the cold by blankets.
“Craig!” Jack gasped.
“Are you even serious?” Hunter grumbled.
“I’m back,” Craig said. The smile on his face was the best gift Jack could have asked for. The sadness Jack felt melted away all at once, leaving hope in its place. “If you’ll have me?”
There wasn’t any doubt in Jack’s mind when he said, “Yes!”
30
Craig
Craig swept Jack into his arms, mindful of Isaac. The cold nipped at his nose and bit at his cheeks, but he ignored it. If unsavory temperature was the price he paid for being somewhere he was loved, Craig would gladly pay it.
“You didn’t call,” Jack said, breathless. He spoke against the crook of Craig’s neck. “You didn’t even text to let me know you were coming out.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.”
After three months apart, Craig wasn’t sure how Jack would react. Attraction faded with time. Craig had braced himself for the worst. But now, held tight in Jack’s arms, he was blessed with the best.
And to pull up in front of Jack’s place to find Jack chewing Hunter’s ear off? To hear him declare his love when he thought Craig wasn’t there?
Craig felt even better about making the trip.
“So what?” Hunter snapped. “You’ll get back with him but you won’t get back with me? We were together for years, Jack. No one knows how to make you feel as good as I do.”
Jack lifted his head from Craig’s shoulder. Craig let him go. Deliberately, Jack turned to face Hunter.
“You think that you make me feel good?” Jack asked. “You think that years of gaslighting me made me feel good? That breaking up with me and then seducing me back into bed with you was kind?”
“You took me back,” Hunter said.
“And that’s my problem, I’ll admit it, but to think that you make me feel good is laughable.” Jack shook his head. Craig beamed. To see Jack stand up for himself like this made the trip worthwhile. “In all the years we were together, you never made me feel half as good as Craig was able to make me feel in a few short weeks. I don’t want you back. I know what love is now, and I’m not going to settle for anything else.”
Hunter looked between them. Craig watched from over Jack’s shoulder as his narrowed gaze bore through both of them in turn.
“You know what?” Hunter said at last. “I’m really not interested in this anymore. There is better cock out there. I thought maybe, since we had history, you might be interested in keeping me company, but I’m not so interested in you anymore.”
Hunter’s eyes locked on Craig’s. “And just so you know, because I doubt you have much experience, his cock is small and he’s boring as shit in bed. Enjoy your sloppy seconds.”
“Says the man who’s been showing up on my porch begging for me to come back to him for the last four months,” Jack shot back.
Hunter said nothing. He held his head high and pushed past Craig on the way down the stairs.
Craig snickered. “Do you think that’s the last of him?”
“I don’t know,” Craig admitted. “Probably not. I don’t care, though. The only thing I care about is that you’re here. We need to get inside for Isaac. Come on.”
Craig watched Jack as he opened the door and flicked on the inside light. Jack’s living room looked just the same as Craig remembered. He stepped through the door after Jack and breathed in deep. Craig didn’t know how to describe the smell of Jack’s house, but it was distinct. He loved it.
It smelled like home.
Jack shrugged off his coat and hung it by the door. He double-checked that the door was locked, then took Isaac from Craig’s arm while Craig took his coat off. He’d bought one before coming out east, and he was glad he’d had the foresight to do it.
“You need to tell me about everything,” Jack said. “Every little detail. Something big must have happened if you’re out here with Isaac. I know that Synthia wasn’t making it easy on you.”
“In a second,” Craig said. He hung his coat on the peg beside Jack’s. “Before I do anything else, there’s something I need to do.”
“Mm?” Jack blinked.
Craig stepped forward and kissed him. Jack whimpered into his mouth, then relaxed into the kiss and returned it. Isaac’s was still cradled in Jack’s arms, so Craig didn’t let the kiss grow too heated. Instead, he ended the kiss sweetly and drew back so they were nose to nose.
“I missed you,” Craig whispered. He meant it from the bottom of his heart. The time they’d spent apart was a reminder of how much he cared for Jack and how loved h
e felt when they were together. “God, did I miss you.”
“I missed you, too.” Jack’s lips brushed against his, promising a kiss he didn’t yet deliver. “I missed Isaac, and the time we spent together, and just… you. I missed you. I love you, Craig.”
“And you have no idea how much I love you.”
A pleasant, airy sensation swirled in Craig’s chest. Love. It was something he’d never felt for Synthia or Cecilia. It wasn’t like anything he’d felt before. It filled him up and made him whole. It made his anxiety over the situation with Isaac and the unstable nature of the future fade away. When Jack was there with him, there wasn’t anything to fear. They could get through anything as long as they were together.
“Are you hungry?” Jack asked. “Thirsty? Does Isaac need a change, or a bath, or something to eat? I don’t have any baby food, but I’ll run out if you need me to.”
Craig chuckled. He kissed Jack sweetly. “It’s okay. I’ve got it all handled. How about we relax and catch up? I’ve been getting fragments of your life through text, but it’s not the same.”
“And you have a lot to tell me, too,” Jack said. “You’re out of state with Isaac. That’s… well, I didn’t think you’d ever be able to do that.”
“For a while there, I was worried, too.” Craig was too happy to think about the struggles he’d been through. He’d fought as best he could and now he was reaping the rewards for his efforts. “Let’s sit. We’ve got loads to talk about, and after eight hours in the air, I need a couch badly.”
Jack laughed. “Sounds good to me.”
Craig stretched out his legs and stretched. Beside him, Jack played with Isaac. He held Isaac up in the air as Isaac smiled at him. His front two teeth were starting to come in.
“He has teeth now,” Jack declared. “Oh my god, look at that.”
“He’s starting to eat solids now, too,” Craig said. “Teething crackers have been a lifesaver.”
“Mm. Looks like you’ve been doing a little research since you left here, daddy.” Jack grinned impishly, shooting Craig a look. Craig tried to keep the words from going straight to his cock, but was unsuccessful.
“Let’s keep it PG,” Craig said. “At least until we’ve talked about what happened and put Isaac to bed.”
Jack laughed. Isaac cooed.
It’s funny how the simplest things can make me so damn happy.
“So, custody. What’s happening with that?” Jack asked.
“Synthia sued me for custody,” Craig said. The last three months were hellish, but he’d done his very best. “She was nasty about the whole thing, but I was always polite and civil. She wanted full custody. I requested fifty-fifty. She turned me down and we took it to court.”
“And you got fifty-fifty?” Jack asked. He lifted Isaac up, grinning at him.
“No. I got full custody.” Craig couldn’t hold back his grin.
Stunned, Jack set Isaac onto his lap. Their eyes met.
“What?” Jack asked in disbelief. “Full custody?”
“It turns out when Synthia checked herself out of rehab, it was on her own accord. None of her psychologists or doctors thought she was good to go. She’s relapsed since being out. In the last three months she was already stopped by the police for drinking while intoxicated. It turns out that when it comes to custody, substance abuse issues have a huge sway on the decision.”
“I could have told you that,” Jack said. He was grinning ear to ear.
“Synthia wasn’t happy,” Craig said. “I wasn’t happy, either. I don’t wish that on her. I don’t wish that on anybody. I told her that when she’s willing to work on her addiction that I’d be there for her to foot the bill. I want her to be in Isaac’s life. Eventually, I’d like for her to have custody, too. But only when she’s better.”
“I understand.” Jack’s expression softened. “That’s really a sweet thing of you to do. You’re a good man.”
“I’m starting to believe that a little more every day.” Craig ran a hand through Isaac’s hair. “So I wanted to make it clear, since all of this happened, that Isaac is my number one priority. He always is. And I love you, but he and I are a packaged deal. I need you to know that before we make anything between us official.”
It was strange to discuss making things official with a man, but Craig’s heart was invested. Jack was the one for him. He couldn’t deny it any longer.
“That’s what I want more than anything,” Jack replied. “You, me, and Isaac.”
Craig leaned forward. He kissed Jack again. “Then what do you say we put Isaac to bed and talk in bed about all that’s happened to you since I’ve been away?”
“My bed?” Jack asked.
“Our bed,” Craig clarified.
The blush on Jack’s cheeks was more satisfying than it should have been.
Craig’s life wasn’t stable. He was at peace with that. He had a good head on his shoulders and a fine man to call his own. He had a son he could be proud of, and he had the means to take care of his family for the rest of his life.
His happiness wasn’t conventional, but it was true. Craig didn’t care what others thought of him. Not anymore.
“The crib is in the garage,” Jack said. “Are you okay getting it?”
“Of course.” Craig kissed him on the nose, then rose. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”
“See you soon,” Jack said.
A son, a boyfriend, and a new start. As Craig got the crib from the garage, his heart brimmed over with joy. He and Jack had shed their pasts to embrace something new. Something worthwhile.
Love.
It was better than anything Craig could have imagined. He’d fight for it — for Jack and Isaac, his family — until the end.
Epilogue - Jack
“Synthia called,” Jack said as he wandered into the kitchen. Craig was washing dishes.
“Oh?” Craig looked over his shoulder. “What did she have to say?”
“She’s wondering if we wouldn’t mind keeping Isaac this summer, too,” Jack said. “I hope you don’t mind I told her yes.”
“Why would I mind?” Craig asked.
“Because—”
Isaac, two years old and a fully fledged terror, scampered into the kitchen, giggling. His shirt was missing. There was something glossy and wet coating his chest.
“Oh. Right.” Craig laughed. “Isaac, what did you get into?”
“Did you leave the baby gate open?” Jack asked. “I thought I heard him coming down the stairs, and if that’s the case…”
Craig went to grab Isaac as ran by, but Isaac slipped right out of his hands. Jack opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again and shook his head.
Craig made a face. “It’s lube.”
“Yeah. I thought so.”
Isaac sped through the kitchen and promptly ran face-first into the pantry door. Jack held back a laugh. He saw Craig do the same.
“Hey, bud?” Craig asked as Isaac fell on his butt. “Running into doors probably isn’t the best idea. I think it’s time we went and had a bath, don’t you think?”
“Bleh,” Isaac said. He remained seated on the floor. There was a fifty percent chance he’d burst into tears. Jack noticed that Isaac had begun to test his boundaries, and fake crying or overreacting to a situation was his favorite way to see what he could and couldn’t get away with.
To Jack’s delight, Isaac didn’t cry. Craig helped him stand and took his hand, then father and son walked toward the kitchen door. On his way past, Craig looked at Jack and whispered, “While we’re in the bath, do you want to go make sure we still have lube for later?”
“If we don’t, I’ll make a trip,” Jack promised.
Jack waited until Craig and Isaac made their way up the stairs before he followed. By the time he’d arrived on the top landing, the bathroom door was already closed. Jack braced himself for a mess and went to investigate the bedroom he shared with Craig.
Almost two years had passed since Craig had c
ome to stay. In those two years, Jack and Craig had grown closer than ever. What had started off as a friendship was now very firmly rooted in something more. Craig was the love of Jack’s life, and Jack felt blessed every morning to wake up next to him.
Jack opened the bedroom door. There was only a little mess on the floor. Jack was pleasantly surprised. He went into the hall closet to get a roll of paper towels and entered the bedroom again when he noticed there was something on the bed. Jack stopped in the doorway and squinted at it.
It was a tiny silk pouch.
“Weird,” Jack murmured. He knew it didn’t belong to Isaac, so it had to be Craig’s. Isaac must have tossed it around when he was looking for trouble.
Jack moved to the bedside and picked it up.
At first Jack thought the pouch was empty. It lay flat and didn’t have much weight. When he squeezed it, he knew better.
There was a ring inside.
Craig cleared his throat in the bedroom doorway. Jack spun around, heart fluttering.
“Well,” Craig said, looking sheepish. “I guess that secret’s out of the bag, huh?”
“No,” Jack said. “It’s definitely still in the bag.”
Craig laughed. “You know what I mean.”
Craig stepped into the room. Every step closer he got, Jack’s heart raced faster. He knew what was coming, but he couldn’t believe it was real.
“Since my son ruined the surprise, I guess I might as well ask you right now,” Craig said. He took Jack’s hand. The silk pouch was cushioned between their palms. “Will you marry me, Jack? I love you, and I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you.”
The ring was pressed between them, heated from either side by their bodies. A knot rose in Jack’s throat. “Of course I will.”
