Weight of Everything

by Anna Wineheart

  “I threw it in the trash,” Gage protested. Then he met Ulric’s eyes, looking apologetic. “I don’t remember who it was, actually. Couldn’t have been all that interested in them. And I scrubbed down your teddy, Wilkes.”

  “Teddy turned all splotchy after that,” Wilkie said. To Ulric, he added, “You probably don’t want Gage scrubbing you down, or you’ll end up with missing patches—”

  “Wilkes. I’m sorry about your teddy, but hush.” Gage flipped him off. “Anyway, this is Ulric. We’re really close friends.”

  Wilkie looked from Gage, to Ulric, and back to Gage. “Friends, huh?”

  Ulric’s neck heated. The things he did with Gage... those weren’t what regular friends engaged in. Not the kisses, not the cock-sucking, and definitely not any intimate touching in front of family.

  Gage met his eyes, looking as though there was more he wanted to say. In a regular movie, this was where Gage would introduce them as boyfriends.

  Except they weren’t.

  “So... you’re not boyfriends yet?” Wilkie asked. “Just alpha friends-with-benefits?”

  Ulric cringed. That sounded a lot worse than ‘friends’.

  “We’re still considering it,” Gage said, sliding his arm around Ulric’s waist. He looked wistful. “I don’t think we’re ready yet.”

  They’d probably never be, really.

  They waited until Wilkie left the kitchen. Gage pulled Ulric close, kissing him on the lips. “So... you still don’t wanna be more?” Gage murmured.

  Ulric’s heart skipped. “You still want to?”

  Gage gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah. I told you, I like all of you.”

  That sounded too good to be true. “It’s not... some kind of payment? For you living here?”

  Gage’s smile fell. “You think I’d do that to you?”

  Ulric bit his lip. He wanted to know what it was like to be Gage’s boyfriend. He wanted to be Gage’s, so much that his heart hurt. Every time Gage smiled at him, every time Gage told him he was perfect, Ulric’s defenses crumbled a little. And the wall around himself right now—it was almost paper-thin.

  “I’m still trying to look good enough for you,” Ulric mumbled.

  Gage pressed him against the counter. “You’re doing great with your diet. You’ve been getting really good with your cardio, too. But honestly? I just want you to be healthy so I can have you for a long time, babe. That’s all. I like your curves.”

  “But you’re a gym rat,” Ulric protested.

  Gage laughed. “Did I ever tell you why I got into this fitness thing?” Ulric shook his head. “I wasn’t gonna lose in a fight again. Going to the gym, getting stronger—all that became a habit. I enjoy it. But I don’t need you to do the same.”

  Ulric turned Gage’s words over in his mind, trying to look for a nugget of judgment that would prove that Ulric wasn’t good enough. But he couldn’t find it. Gage just smiled at him, looking fond.

  Ulric gulped. What if... Gage really thought he was perfect, and they could be more? “We’ll see,” he said.

  Gage squeezed his ass. “No rush.” He kissed Ulric on the lips. That sent tingles all the way to Ulric’s toes. “Anyway, I stink from all that moving. I’m gonna take a shower, and then we’ll watch a movie, all right?”

  Ulric nodded, smiling when Gage pressed a kiss to his temple.

  He leaned back against the kitchen counter, half-thinking that maybe all of this was a dream. Then he went to the fridge, craving a sweet snack.

  There were no sweets in the fridge—there hadn’t been for weeks. Ulric wanted a slice of cake, or maybe a fizzy drink. Or ice cream. Donuts. Muffins. Cookies. He checked every corner, and even the freezer. But he’d been thorough in purging all of those.

  He sighed and looked down at himself, wishing this diet would show some results more quickly. They never did. Eventually, he settled on an apple that Gage had bought, crunching through its crisp flesh.

  Ulric’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out—there was a new message from his mom. His heart sank. Was this the part where she told him she didn’t mind who he fell in love with?

  He held his breath and opened the message. Against the gray background, her text read, I’ll be in southern California this week for a business meeting. I’ll expect you to show me around the city while I’m there.

  Ulric sighed. He shouldn’t even have tried to hope. He had known how it would turn out.

  Sometimes, he wished that maybe she could just... love him. He’d tried asking her to. She never listened. And then Ulric wished he had one of those loving parents like the ones on TV. The sort who loved you regardless of anything.

  If Mom ever met Gage... would she convince Gage to see Ulric the way she did?

  Ulric’s stomach dropped. He closed the message and shoved the phone into his pocket. He wasn’t going to think about it.

  19

  The Surprise

  On his lunch break, Gage drove to the bakery downtown, where the best cakes in town were. He’d just received his paycheck. He wanted to do something nice for Ulric.

  The selection at Ben’s Buns was one of his favorites—whenever his mom or sister felt disheartened, Gage came here to get a treat for them. Ulric wasn’t unhappy, but over the past week, Gage had caught him staring listlessly into the fridge. He’d been eating healthily lately—Gage wanted to reward him with something nice.

  He stepped into the store, heading over to the refrigerated cakes. Individually-wrapped slices lined the top shelf—fruit cakes, chocolate cakes, strawberry cakes... His sister loved the Blackforest cake, and his mom, the tiramisu.

  “Hello,” Ben said cheerily behind the counter. “What would you like today?”

  “A slice of the coffee cake, please,” Gage said. After some consideration, he added, “And the tres leches.”

  Ulric loved coffee, Gage knew. So the coffee-cream cake was a good bet. The tres leches was Gage’s favorite—it was cake soaked through with three different kinds of milk: whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk, and it was topped with a layer of whipped cream. To Gage, it was pretty damn decadent. Would Ulric enjoy it, too?

  He paid at the register, about to leave when the door chimed behind him.

  “Gage?” Jesse asked. “Didn’t think I’d meet you here.”

  Gage turned to see his cousin at the store entrance, Jesse’s three-year-old toddling off to peek at the buns in the display cases. Jesse’s husband wasn’t with them—Dom was probably on duty at the fire station.

  But what caught his eye was the bulge of Jesse’s abdomen—instead of the gentle curve of a beer belly, the bump was a lot more pronounced. It looked... like an omega’s belly, a heavily pregnant one.

  Jesse was an alpha.

  “Uh,” Gage said, alarmed. “What the hell happened to you? Do you need to see a doctor?”

  A few patrons glanced over; Jesse turned so they weren’t facing the rest of the bakery. “What does it look like to you?”

  Gage stopped next to him, unable to help staring. This really did not look right.

  “Wanna touch it?” Jesse grinned, waving toward his belly.

  So Gage put his palm on it, half-expecting this to be some medical condition he’d never heard of.

  Somewhere in Jesse’s abdomen, something kicked against his palm. A child? Gage’s mouth fell open. “Fuck. How?”

  Jesse smiled wryly. “Long story. But the short version is that I had an organ implant.” He tugged his shirt up to reveal a long silver scar going down his abdomen, stark against the stretch marks and various other scars covering his skin.

  “So—so you’re pregnant,” Gage said, his mind going several different directions at once. Alphas could get pregnant. He was looking at a pregnant alpha right now. Could he get pregnant?

  “Yup, twins. After this, I’m gonna have the uterus removed,” Jesse said, looking pretty damn calm despite what he was telling Gage.

  Gage tried to digest all of this. “So, Owen...” />
  “He came from me, too.” Jesse grinned. “He looks like me and Dom, huh?”

  Gage stared at the kid running around the store, darting between patrons to return to his dad. Yeah, Owen was pretty cute. But he’d come from an alpha dad. Two alpha dads.

  “So you can just... walk into a hospital and ask for a uterus?” Gage asked.

  Jesse’s expression closed off. “No. But if you’re interested, I can dig up some contacts. It’s a long process.”

  Something wasn’t right there. Carefully, Gage asked, “You weren’t on board with the—the uterus? But you kept it anyway?”

  Jesse cracked a smile. “Some things are worth fighting for, Gage.”

  Gage thought on those words, watching as Jesse picked out a pile of chocolate donuts. Then Jesse called Owen over, and got a cheesy bun for him.

  What would Ulric say if he discovered that alphas could get pregnant, too? Not that they were even boyfriends, but... this was news that Gage couldn’t keep to himself.

  When Jesse was done paying for his donuts, Gage asked, “Can I take a pic of your belly? To, uh. To show a friend.”

  Jesse grinned. “That boyfriend of yours?”

  Gage’s face heated. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  Jesse snorted. “You smell like another alpha, Cuz.”

  That was because Gage had pulled Ulric close last night, and he’d dragged Ulric’s wrists all over himself. He sniffed at the honey oak scent on his skin, mixed in with his own pine. “We’re just really good friends.”

  “Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding.”

  “Fuck off,” Gage muttered under his breath. He might be willing to give a relationship a try, but marriage was so far off the table, Gage couldn’t even smell it.

  Jesse pulled his shirt back up, looking proud. And now Gage realized why Jesse had been defending his belly that time they’d play-wrestled—Jesse had been protecting his unborn babies back then.

  What did it feel like to be a dad?

  Gage snapped a quick picture with his phone, intending to show Ulric later tonight. “See you around,” Gage said. “Congrats. Sorry for trying to hit your belly that other time.”

  “It’s fine. You didn’t know.” Jesse waved. “And text me if you want to babysit. You’ve seen how many kids the team has.”

  Gage remembered the children running around during the barbecue party, the pair of snake-aficionados with their snake streamers fluttering in the breeze. “Can Ulric and I crash the next station party, too?”

  Jesse shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’ll text you.”

  They parted ways at the street, Gage returning to the gym, tucking his precious cakes into the staff pantry fridge.

  Then came the long wait—despite loving his job, time dragged all the way until he could clock off.

  In the middle of waiting, Gage got a text from his mom: Looks like we got an extra bill this month. I don’t want to tell Debbie. She’ll feel even more guilty.

  Mom had included a picture of the extra money owed—mid-four figures. Gage thought about the cakes he’d stashed in the fridge, and sighed. Maybe he needed that second job anyway.

  And he wasn’t going to tell Ulric about his financial troubles; he didn’t want Ulric feeling obliged to pay for anything.

  At 5PM, Gage checked out with his supervisor, grabbed his cakes, and set off.

  Ulric was typing at his computer when Gage got home. Gage hid the cakes in the fridge and went back upstairs, his heart skipping. “Hey, babe.”

  “Give me a minute.” Ulric finished with his reports—all the math and charts and graphs that Gage didn’t understand, and probably never would. Gage was content to pull up a chair next to him, and breathe in his scent.

  After some minutes, Ulric shut down his computer, sagging back into his seat. “That’s done. I’m off work now.”

  Gage grinned and pounced on him. “What do you want to do tonight?”

  Ulric smiled, not protesting when Gage tipped his face up and kissed him full on the lips. “I guess I should go work out before we eat.”

  Gage ran his hands down Ulric’s front, then his sides and his back, just touching him all over. It had been hours since he’d felt Ulric against him. “I’ll spot for you.”

  Ulric sighed, his eyelids fluttering shut. “I can manage it.”

  “Why don’t we try some back squats today?” Gage asked. “Builds your core.”

  “I don’t even know what back squats are.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

  Mostly, he just wanted to spot for Ulric. Back squats had a reputation for having one of the most awkward spotting positions—you had to spoon someone, all but cup their chest in case they needed help with the barbell.

  Gage was a professional at the gym, and he had no inclination to touch any of his clients more than he needed to. But Ulric was different. Gage wanted every excuse to touch him. And it just so happened that they had the privacy of their own little gym. “Go get dressed,” Gage murmured, kissing Ulric’s ear. “I’ll meet you in the exercise room.”

  Ulric shivered, his lips curving into a smile. Gage had the feeling it wasn’t a workout that Ulric was excited about.

  20

  So You Want A Baby?

  Gage suppressed the urge to ‘accidentally’ step into Ulric’s bedroom while he was changing. He had seen every part of Ulric now, but in stages—his back, his belly, his exquisite ass. He wanted to see all of Ulric at once, though.

  He was content to wait. Ulric knew that Gage would touch him all over, even with all his clothes on. And he enjoyed Gage’s touch. That was the best part.

  Some minutes later, Ulric stepped into the exercise room, clad in his usual T-shirt and pants. Gage set down the barbell he’d been doing reps with, pulling off some weights so it’d be more manageable for Ulric. “Get over here.”

  “I’m not some dog,” Ulric said, but he was smiling.

  They went through some stretches together, before Gage had Ulric pick up the barbell, resting it across his shoulder blades. “Comfortable?”

  Ulric nodded. So Gage stood behind him, holding his hands inches away from Ulric’s pecs. He followed Ulric through a squat, then another, barely any space between their bodies.

  Ulric’s ass bumped into Gage’s hips, his back slid against Gage’s pecs. Ulric huffed. “I see why you wanted to do this,” he rumbled.

  Gage grinned. “Just wanted to teach you a new exercise, was all.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “C’mon, do another five reps.”

  Ulric acquiesced, squatting with the barbell, breathing deeply with each rep. Gage gave up all pretenses and just held his chest, squatting with him, sometimes brushing his hips against Ulric’s curvy ass.

  “Best way to exercise,” Gage murmured.

  “Do you do this with everyone at the gym?” Ulric scowled over his shoulder.

  “Nope. Just you. Been waiting all day.” Gage kissed his nape. Then, while Ulric continued with the squats, Gage kept one hand against his chest, sliding his other palm down Ulric’s front, all the way to the bulge between his legs.

  It was so nice when Ulric squatted, his legs wide open, his cock hanging down for Gage to play with.

  “Gage Frost,” Ulric muttered, sounding amused.

  “Fucking sexy stud muffin,” Gage whispered, squeezing his cock. “‘Specially when your pants wedge between your asscheeks. Leaves nothing to the imagination, babe.”

  Ulric turned pink. “You’re checking out my ass?”

  “Amongst other things. All good.” Gage growled, trailing his wrist down Ulric’s body, marking him all over.

  “You didn’t do this while I was back at the gym,” Ulric said.

  Gage snorted. “More privacy here. It lets me do this.”

  He stroked down Ulric’s entire length, squeezing his tip. Ulric’s breath rushed out; he lost his balance and tipped forward. Gage hauled him back so their bodies pressed flush together, his
own bulge nestled between Ulric’s asscheeks. Then he continued stroking Ulric, until Ulric grew thick against his palm.

  “What kind of exercise is this?” Ulric hissed, his breaths coming sharper now.

  Gage laughed. “We’re pumping. Keep doing your squats.”

  He pulled Ulric’s cock out, angling it downward. When Ulric squatted again, his tip brushed the exercise mat—he swore at the friction.

  “It’s kissing the floor,” Gage murmured. “You’re forging a whole new relationship with the gym, Muffin.”

  “Fuck off,” Ulric muttered, but his cock jerked against Gage’s fingers. Gage rocked his own length against his alpha, just enjoying this intimacy, Ulric letting Gage play with his body. Then, on Ulric’s next squat, when Ulric’s ass was nice and spread, Gage fitted his cock flush against Ulric’s crack, Ulric’s cheeks squeezing around him when he stood back up.

  “Mm, fuck,” Gage growled.

  “You’re having way too much fun with this,” Ulric said, breathless.

  “I’m having way too much fun with you.” Gage grinned, kissing his shoulder. “Has working out ever been this much fun? For you, I mean.”

  “Well, no.” Ulric huffed. “Save for the time you spotted for me on the bench press—you damn near straddled my face. I could almost see your cock.”

  “I’ll let you see it the next time,” Gage promised. “I’ll even let it drag all over your face.”

  “Damn it,” Ulric groaned.

  “Consider it a reward.” Gage scooped Ulric’s balls out of his pants, squeezing them. He angled Ulric’s length so it pointed straight ahead, pumping it nice and slow, in time with Ulric’s squats.

  “You’ll drive me insane,” Ulric panted.

  “Are you close?”

  “No.”

  “Guess I’ll have to try harder. I want your come spraying everywhere, babe. Have you seen that one video? Where some guy sits on an exercise machine handle, and he fucks himself on it? He came so many times. I want to do that to you.”