Laramie

Laramie Chapter 15

If you enjoy long chapters, here's another. Nothing crazy insane but lengthy enough.

As always, thanks for your support of me, and for those of you who support the platform through donations, thank you for that.

As a reminder, the previous chapter ended right after Christmas 2022.

15

New Year's Eve 2022

Laramie Jenkins (33)
C.J. McCall (32)

C.J.

I think Spencer enjoyed dancing with Larry more than he did me. Still, it was nice of Larry to join my boyfriend and me for New Year's Eve. I wasn't a designated driver, but I had the least to drink so far.

The two of them came back from the dance floor.

"I'm so glad you could join us, Larry," Spencer said. "I've had a great time tonight."

"Don't mind me. I was just sitting here watching the drinks," I said mockingly.

Spencer gave me a quick kiss disguised in a chuckle.

"Actually, thanks for inviting me, guys," Larry said.

"Our pleasure," I said.

"Some of my staff invited me to join them, but I'm glad you had called."

"Abso-looly!" Spencer said ... or attempted to. "It's fuckin' New Year's Eve. You need to be out with gay people!"

I looked at my boyfriend knowing he didn't need any more alcohol.

"I've really enjoyed dancing with you guys tonight," Larry said.

"Me too," said Spencer, almost collapsing on Larry. "You are smoking hot tonight, man."

I pulled him back into my arms. "Sit a minute, sweetie." I looked at Larry and mouthed the word: "Sorry."

Spencer wriggled from my arms. "Oh, come on! We both know he's hot." He leaned on Larry again. "C.J. tells me you have a great cock."

"Spencer!" I yelled.

Larry tried to laugh it off. "From what I remember, C.J.'s is a little bigger than mine."

"Like size matters," Spence said. "Look at the body your dick is attached to."

I tried to pull my boyfriend back into my arms again. He whirled toward me. "We could do a three-way at midnight if we left right now!"

"Spencer, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

"Besides," said Larry, "I'm already in love with Cooper."

We both looked at him. "This is new," I said. "Why haven't you told us this tonight? That's kind of big."

"Yeeeaahh. He's in love with me too."

"That's wonderful. So why does it seem like there's something else?"

"Because he's in love with his last boyfriend too."

"The slut!" Spencer said.

"Larry, are you ... are you sure all this is a good idea?"

"Maybe not," he said. "But it doesn't matter. I'm in love with him."

"So now what? You just trade off nights? If that kind of thing works for you, then that's fine."

"Cooper said he would come to a decision by the end of the year," Larry explained.

I looked at my watch. "That's pretty much now."

Laramie

Yes, it was. Midnight was only twenty minutes away. Had Cooper thought about it? Was his decision made? I wasn't even sure how or when I would find out. I tried not to let my fears get a grip on me.

"So is Cooper with his other boyfriend tonight?" C.J. asked.

"No. He's with his son. Has been all week."

"Oh yeah. He has a kid." C.J. looked at me oddly. "Are you sure, Larry? God knows he's gorgeous, but ... are you two right for each other?"

"Says the man who didn't want to give me a third date a few years back," I said.

"I know. I was a prick. Aside from Spencer wanting to take your pants off right here, the two of us have found something special with each other."

Spencer had become quiet as alcohol had continued to affect him. I couldn't remember if he had had five drinks or six, but he was looking slightly out of it. "I'd let Larry fuck me," he muttered with eyes closed.

"We need to get you home," C.J. told his lover.

"Noooo," Spence whined. "We gotta stay `til midnight."

We spent the remaining time talking about Cooper. I told C.J. all the wonderful things about him. I wasn't as drunk as Spencer was, but I had a good buzz going. I'm glad I didn't drive.

Soon, midnight approached. The Black Stallion had a canopy of balloons suspended from the ceiling. Two of them allegedly had a hundred-dollar bill inside. There was an excitement building. As everyone began paying attention to the D.J., the countdown was on. As the crowd cheered in unison "... 4, 3, 2, 1 ... Happy New Year, many patrons were poised to capture a balloon or two. Others kissed. I loved seeing a room full of men kissing. Spencer and C.J. were pretty wet and sloppy.

They looked at me. "Happy New Year, Larry," C.J. said. He then kissed me.

"Happy New Ear," Spencer attempted. Then he kissed me. It was a long kiss. I felt his tongue touch mine. I figured Spence was trying to put his hands down my pants to feel my dick, but my jeans were too tight. He just groped my crotch.

"Down boy," I said.

"Okay, that's it. We need to get you into bed," C.J. said to Spencer. I was tired and ready myself.

As we worked our way to the door, we saw people scrambling for balloons. There was loud popping and shrieking and laughing. We were content to not be participants.

We screamed at how cold it was once we stepped outside. "Fuck!" C.J. yelled.

Once inside his car, we all grabbed our coats. We hadn't wanted to wear them inside, but we wanted them now.

As C.J. drove us home — and I was glad that I was not — I watched buildings go by outside my window. Houses with Christmas lights reminded me that the holidays would end tomorrow.

"Please choose me, Cooper," I whispered, my breath fogging up the glass.

New Year's Day 2023

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Cooper Snow (39)

Laramie

My head didn't hurt, but I could tell I shouldn't have had that last drink at The Black Stallion. As I stared at the clock — 9:14 — I was grateful that C.J. had driven.

I wanted coffee, but I didn't want to move my body from the bed. It was chilly beyond the covers. Plus, my body was exhausted from dancing and drinking.

Although I knew Cooper had to take Corey back to Natalie today, I hadn't really put much thought into when I would see him next. I'd call him tonight or in the morning.

I couldn't remember when I had actually purchased the frozen waffles in my freezer. Despite how old they could possibly have been, I popped two in the toaster. As it turned out, it was just the food I had needed. That and the coffee.

The store was closed today. It was still cold. I was looking forward to being a lazy heap for most of the day.

At 11:24, I heard a text come in. Instantly I hoped it was Cooper. It wasn't. It was not a number I had in my contacts.

"Larry, this is Spencer. I was kind of a dick last night. I'm sorry my behavior was so bad."

I chuckled.

"Happy New Year, Spencer. Hope you feel okay."

Ninety seconds later ... "I'm not at my best. We'll leave it at that."

Surprisingly, the waffles held me over until 1:00. I grabbed Taco Bell just because tacos sounded good. And fast. And easy. I dripped the hottest hot sauce on my five crunchy indulgences. I brushed my teeth after that.

I had very little holiday decorations, but I took a few minutes to store them away.

The afternoon provided a perfect opportunity for a nap. I slept for an hour and a half. When I awoke, I stared at the ceiling. I wasn't hungry. I wasn't sure what to do with myself for the evening. I was wondering if I should wait for Cooper to call me or if I should text him. Wondering if he had made a decision began to worry me.

Cooper

I piddled with putting away Christmas decorations. Natalie and I always hated doing that. It was so depressing. Once the final box was stored, there was something redeeming about everything being back in its place, but it also felt like something was gone. I hadn't been in the house long enough for things to feel like they were back in place.

Laramie's gift was on the end table. I lifted the sculpture and put it on the mantle. I liked it there. I couldn't think of anything that would more perfectly remind me of my son. One day Corey would be as tall or taller than me. The art would always bring back to me that he was my little boy, no matter how big he grew.

"Is it okay if I come by?" I texted.

"Totally," Laramie replied. "Want to get dinner?"

"I'm not hungry. I just want to come by."

I sat in his driveway for a minute, wanting this to go okay.

"Hey there," he said in the doorway. Laramie pulled me in for a kiss. "Happy New Year!"

"Same to you." We kissed again.

I saw a half-finished bottle of beer on the counter. Laramie noticed it and put it back in the fridge. He offered me a flavored soda and got one for himself.

For a couple of minutes, I answered his questions about my week with Corey.

"I put your gift up on the mantle this afternoon. I love it there."

"I'm glad," he said. "I still want to do that base for you."

"I also need to talk. About us."

Laramie's body language deflated. He feared the worst.

"I went to Mitchell's place this afternoon."

"Oh. I see."

"No. You probably don't. I ... I broke it off with him. Completely."

"Really?" he asked, his eyebrows looking hopeful.

"I did. He'll always be my first love." I buried my face in my hands for a moment. "But ... we're not right for each other. We love each other, but I really believe we each need different things."

"Does..." Laramie paused. "Does that mean ... us? Where are we in this scenario?"

I sighed.

"I love you too. I really do. Last night at midnight, all I could think about was wanting to kiss you."

His smile lit up.

"But, babe, I can't rush into this after breaking up with Mitchell," I said. "I need some time to process that. I hope ... you can be okay with giving me some space for a little bit."

"I understand."

"I love you so much. I want us to be good, I want us to be right. I – I – I just can't rush this. This is kind of a huge thing for me. I'm sorry to ask you to be patient, but once I know my head is on straight, we ... we can be us."

I had planned to just give him a kiss and then head home.

That kiss led to a second kiss. And a third.

"I've missed you so much this past week," he panted into my ear.

Laramie

Cooper said he needed space. I was willing to make sure we would start this new year off right. But with each kiss, we seemed to just exist in the moment. His hand slipped up underneath my T-shirt. I let my fingers slide through his buttons, loosening one so that I could caress his chest.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear.

"I want you," he whispered back.

Our clothes were left in the living room. Our naked bodies intertwined on my bed like Twizzlers.

My mouth was on his neck. My mouth was on his nipple. My mouth was on his lips. My mouth was on his ass. My mouth was on his balls. My mouth was on his forehead. My mouth was on his cock.

While we weren't technically quiet, our lovemaking was more tender than our most recent night. Breathing. Panting. Soft moans. Slight grunts. Our hands, however, were forceful. Our grip on each other's body parts told a new story.

He chose me.

I devoured his erection. He glided his fingers through my hair. I could smell the man I love. I could taste the man I loved. I could feel the man I loved.

He chose me.

"Come up here," he said.

Cooper maneuvered himself to my pillow. I straddled his chest and positioned my cock at his mouth. His grip on my ass cheek motioned me in. I grabbed the headboard and slowly thrust my rigid member into his mouth. In and out, my rod was stimulated with the ebb and flow of my movement. My moan was almost a whimper. I was so happy.

He chose me.

His hand left my ass. I could feel by the vibration that he had grasped his own cock and was stroking his own manhood. His other hand forced its way below my leg and felt up the surface of my chest. His touch roamed over my hairy torso. I worked my erection in and out more quickly. He hummed into my hard skin. I moaned into the wall behind my headboard. My heart was beating faster. I knew part of it was the sexual stimulation occurring, but part of it was that my heart was alive.

He chose me.

He chose ME!

Cooper's body began to gyrate and his moaning into my cock increased. My stiff flesh felt him grunting into it. The mattress moved as his body reacted to his orgasm. I reached back with one of my hands to feel a spot of his cum on his chest.

He fucking chose me! God, yes!

Cooper

Laramie groaned as he fiercely ejaculated into my throat. "Ohhhhhh," he called out, as if hearing encouraging news from a doctor. He pulled his shaft from my face and moved off his knees to lie beside me. His hand wiped through the cum on my chest and he fondled my dick with his slick, sticky grip.

"Okay, NOW I really do need some space for a while," I said with an air of sarcasm.

We both laughed.

Laramie turned toward me to look me in the face. I was a gooey mess, so I felt hesitant to roll on my side to face him.

"You've been great with all my baggage," I started. "I think you and I have a good chance of being something ... wonderful. I love you. But I don't want to rush into this while I'm feeling like crap over ending things with Mitch. Let me clear my head. Let me find me again. This last week was tough ... figuring it all out. Corey kept me sane, but I still unraveled on many levels."

"Okay," he said. "I can wait until you are re-raveled."

I laughed and rolled on my back further.

Laramie leaned up again and positioned his body to straddle my belly. He found another stream of cum and wiped it into his hand to grab both of our cocks and held them together in a messy huddle. His was bigger than mine, but not as big as Mitchell's. He kept them cupped while he looked down on me. I could tell his gaze was sincere. He wasn't trying to be sexual; I felt a sense of honesty.

"Cooper. I get where you are coming from. I'll be patient as long as I know you are coming back to me. You always worry about your baggage, but all I know is you are someone who has seen all my dark moments, and you're still here. You don't judge. You don't mock. You've seen everything I am. Everything that makes me ashamed doesn't faze you. You see me — all of me — and you're still here."

Laramie got off me. He walked to the bathroom to get us a warm washcloth. I saw him rub and clean his crotch. He returned to the bed and wiped my genitals and chest. As we allowed my skin to airdry, I said, "Give me two weeks, maybe three. It's okay to call or text, but just let me be ... just give me space so I can be the best man I can for you."

He kissed me deeply before walking away with the towel.

That Night

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Freddy Spaulding (34)

Freddy

My phone buzzed. I saw that it was Larry.

"Happy New Year, Larry bear," I answered.

"He chose me! It's going to be him and me. We're going to be us. He chose me! He loves me. He chose me!"

"What?! Slow down. What are you talking about?"

"Cooper! He chose me."

"What does that mean?" I said, trying to process Larry's excitement. "Is the other guy no longer in the picture?"

"No! He ended it with Mitch so that we could be together."

I was excited for Larry, but my initial instinct was that I wasn't 100 percent sure. Was this Cooper dude trading one piece of ass for another? He had a kid. How did all that fit in?

"Sooo... now what?"

Larry took a breath. "The two of us are ... well, I'm going to give him a moment to breathe. He says he wants us to be right. He doesn't want to just jump in without having time to process the breakup. He wants to get his head on straight."

"And do you think he does? You don't think he might change his mind?"

"The way we make love ... I don't think so. We love each other, Freddy. We LOVE each other."

I sighed. "Okay. Well, I hope it all works out wonderfully. I can tell you are super happy."

"Gloriously."

It was a new year. I needed new optimism. I would be happy for my best friend. If it didn't work out as he was thinking, I would help him pick up the pieces. That was what friends do.

"So, what did you and Josh do last night?"

"We fucked."

Larry laughed hard. "But you don't fuck."

"I don't get fucked. Never. I do him twice a year. On his birthday and New Year's Eve. We start at 11:30. We put a blanket in front of the Christmas tree and ... well, just have our celebration of intimacy."

"Have you done that before?"

"This was our third year. It's become a tradition. We try to time it to where we both come when the ball drops."

Larry laughed even harder. "And did you?!"

"He did. I came five minutes before him. Deep in his ass."

"Lord, we can tell each other anything."

I laughed at that. "We've never come together during the ball drop. I timed it well the first year. Last year we were done by 11:45. We're pitiful."

"Far from it, Larry bear. You two are in love — and that's all that matters. The fact that you have a romantic tradition is sweet."

"Fireworks one way or another."

I paused, hoping Larry and this Cooper guy would work out and that they could start some loving traditions themselves.

Laramie

I could picture Cooper and me doing something like that. Despite all his Christian upbringing and moral standards, Cooper was great in bed. Cooper expressed passion wonderfully. Cooper was good at loving someone. Cooper was exceptional at loving me. Cooper ... CHOSE ME. I couldn't get over that.

"I'm making a New Year's resolution, Freddy. I swear I will come see you this year."

"Well, bring this Cooper fella along with you," he said.

"That would be awesome."

"So, as owner of the store, how hard is to get away?"

"Hard."

"That's your New Year's resolution, my friend."

"Hmm. Maybe Cooper can help me look at my books."

"Well, he can't make you money, but perhaps he can help you look at staffing options."

"He's an accountant, not a miracle worker, but ... maybe. I'd love some freedom to travel. Regardless, I promise to come see you ... both of you."

"I'd love that. Happy New Year, Larry bear."

"Same to you, Freddy bear."

After I hung up, I went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Everything Freddy and I talked about stormed my brain. New York. Work. Travel. Mitchell. Cooper changing his mind. Fucking. Fireworks. Thoughts were all over the place, but nothing worried me. I took a big swig of beer.

My heart was still soaring, but I knew I was in a holding pattern for a while. How difficult was that going to be? As long as Cooper loved me, I'd do anything — anything — to make us work. This was going to be my year, even if I had to wait for a few weeks for it to truly materialize. I wasn't a religious person, but I found myself whispering a prayer of thanks to God. Cooper chose me.

Ten Days Later

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Grayson Jenkins (31)

Grayson

"Hey big brother! I just talked to you last week. What's up?" I answered.

"Don't know. Just felt like talking," Larry said.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just thought I'd give you a call. I attended something tonight."

"Oh?"

"Ha. That's what Dad says all the time. I think both of us have picked it up."

"So, what did you do?"

"I attended my first AA meeting."

I gasped on air. "What!? What do you mean? Larry, do you have a drinking problem?"

He chuckled. "No. Not me. Cooper received his two-year chip of sobriety tonight. I joined him for it. A lot of his friends attended and one of his sisters."

"Did it go okay?" I asked.

"It did! A lot of us went out afterward. While I was listening to all these people share ... I don't know, it was sort of therapeutic. These people had a common link. And they listen to each other and support each other. There's something kind of special there. It was new for a lot of us."

"Do you think you will go with him regularly?"

"No. I don't think he wants that or expects that. If he ever asked me to, I certainly would. I ask about it from time to time, and he appreciates that."

"Larry, will you give up drinking for him? Or do you drink in front of him?"

"Well, I no longer drink in front of him. When we were just friends, I did, but as a couple, I won't. But he has his house and I have mine, so I can grab a beer whenever I want."

"So now that you are a week in, what's it like being an official couple?" I asked.

He sighed. "An exercise in patience. We aren't officially a couple yet."

"I don't get it," I said, confused.

"Well, we are, or we are going to be. I'm giving him space to sort out everything with Mitch and process all that. He told me he wants to sit down with Corey this weekend. Mitch was part of Corey's life too. He wants his son to be in a good place with everything."

"Will his kid blame you for the breakup?"

"I don't think so. We've already bonded. He's a wonderful young man."

"You sound like a father."

Laramie

"Uck! I'd be a terrible father."

For a moment I pondered the notion. I never had a desire to have kids. Cooper came with one. I adored Corey, so that was no problem. We lived in separate houses, so I would never be an authority figure. I imagine Corey felt the same way about Daryl. In time, that might be a discussion that Cooper and I would possibly need to have.

"You seem to get along great with him. Don't sell yourself short," my little brother complimented.

"I'm not father material."

"You used to think you weren't boyfriend material, but now look," Gray said. "Cooper chose you."

"I still wake up every day in disbelief."

"I can tell. You really sound great, Lar'. Really happy."

"My employees could see it in me last week."

"Did you tell them?"

"Maria. She said, `Love looks good on you.'" I chuckled. "The guys ... do they really want to hear about the love between men?"

"If they care about you, they should be fine with it. You don't have to detail your sexual adventures."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'll spare them that. They all know I've been seeing Cooper."

"Have you ever introduced him?"

"We just kind of started last week, so not yet. And we are still in this holding pattern. I guess I should someday."

What would that look like? Would it be awkward for them? For Cooper? It shouldn't be. That was a worry I could put off until later.

"By the way, are you near a calendar?"

"Uhhhh, hold on," I said, walking to the kitchen. "I actually have a new one up."

"Good. Turn to September."

"Yeah."

"Can you pencil in the weekend after Labor Day?"

"For...?"

"I'm asking Miranda to marry me this weekend."

"You are!!! That's awesome. Why haven't you told me? And here I've been babbling on."

Grayson

"You knew I had been thinking it was time," I said.

"Think she suspects?" Laramie asked.

"I would have to assume she is smart enough to know it's coming."

"I'm so happy for you!"

"She hasn't said `yes' yet."

"You're living together. Like she's going to turn you down."

"So. I guess we should put a plus-one on the invitation, huh?" I grinned.

"Ohhh, Gray. I hope Cooper and I are still together then. He's `the one.' I love him so much."

"Don't get ahead of yourself now. You're less than a month into this. Don't smother him."

"I don't really even see him right now!"

I laughed. "It's all falling into place. You and he will be great. I'm happy for you."

"And I'm thrilled for you, Gray. Really!"

After we said goodbye, I thought about Larry's situation. It all seemed good, but it didn't seem to be across the finish line. What if Cooper's son was a problem? What if Cooper needed more time than Laramie could wait? What if he changed his mind and went back to his last boyfriend. Yikes. I crossed my fingers and said, "Please, please, please work out" to the ceiling. I couldn't bear to see my brother's heart broken again.

The Next Week

Cooper Snow (39)
Laramie Jenkins (33)

Cooper

"I'm glad you called," I said.

"I'm just checking on you," Laramie said.

"I'm good. Corey and I talked some this past weekend. I'm in a good place, and I believe he is there with me."

"Do you think he can be there with me?" he asked.

"Yes. I ... know he is. We talked. He likes you."

"But he loved Mitchell."

"He did. But he wants me to be happy more than anything."

"Sweet kid."

"He is a much better son than I deserve."

"Bullshit. You're a great dad."

"Can we do dinner later this week?"

"Your place or mine?"

"How about we go out?" I suggested.

"Oh." Laramie went silent. "I see. Just dinner."

"I thought we could talk through some things. Is that okay?"

"I think. Cooper, do you still love me?"

"Completely."

"Then that's all I need to know."

—

I felt silly and nervous and happy and excited all Thursday afternoon. I finally closed my door and found Ben Rector's "Brand New" online. I played it through my desktop and danced for a few minutes in my office. I felt more relaxed.

I changed out of my suit into something more casual. I pulled on my favorite jeans. I thought they flattered my legs well; they were just tight enough. A long sleeve T-shirt felt good. I was glad I wasn't dressy. We agreed to meet at Basil and Chianti at 7 o'clock. I was early. Ironically, so was Laramie. We hugged inside the restaurant.

"It's really nice to see you," he softly said before we let go. Then we let the hostess know it was just us two.

"Can I offer you two gentleman a drink?" our server asked. "A glass of wine, something from the bar?"

"I'll have iced tea, please," Laramie immediately said. I nodded the same.

We looked over our choices. I opted for a dish called Tuscan Chicken that had sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and wilted spinach. Laramie had a steak with habanero peppers in a cream sauce on top. I raised an eyebrow at his selection. After our server left, Laramie pointedly told me that since we weren't spending the night, he would be adventurous.

"Is it okay if we just ... talk and enjoy each other's company tonight?" I asked.

"Of course. I love our evenings together. I hope you know I fell in love with you long before we had sex."

"Me too. I probably wouldn't have gone to bed with you if I hadn't felt something."

"That sounds like you."

"Am I a prude?"

"You've swallowed my cum. Not really." I looked around. No one could hear us, thank heaven. "I love your moral standards. I love your gentlemanly character." I looked into Laramie's eyes and got lost. "Cooper, I love everything about you."

"I feel the same. Every minute we spend together is wonderful."

"Oh, give me time. I'm bound to mess something up," Laramie said in a self-deprecating manner.

"Well, I'm ready to take this ... us ... our relationship further. I want to see where it goes."

"And where do you see it going?" he asked.

"I love you; you love me. For now, that alone is glorious enough."

"You've seen the real me," Laramie said. "You know a relationship with me is going to have some rough spots."

"Like I don't?" I watched him take my hand in response. "Divorced. Kid. Alcoholic. Recent broken relationship."

"Fine, very fine, doesn't bother me, and I feel like the broken one," he replied.

"All I ask is that ... if we enter this, the two of us being a couple ... that we are exclusive. You can see my mind doesn't process cheating well. I tried to make it work with Mitchell, and it kept driving me away. Before we start, I need you to understand that. One hundred percent. If we're going to be right for each other, I feel we should establish that upfront."

"I'm in full agreement. You are the greatest thing to happen to me in years. I'm madly in love with you. I feel I don't deserve you, but since you gave me the chance, all I ever hope to do is make you happy."

"Look at us. We're almost saying wedding vows, and this is just our first dinner this year," I joked.

"I'm not the wedding type. Probably. I know your friends are married. I'm not sure where I land on that chart."

"With one divorce under my belt, I'm not sure I need to go down that road either," I admitted.

Such thoughts were for the future regardless. As our salads arrived, I smiled to myself that I pictured us in tuxedos for a moment. I reflected on Lance and Jakob's wedding. It was simple but lovely. Laramie would be a handsome husband.

"Did you and Mitchell ever talk ... marriage?"

"Not really. But let's not discuss him."

"Fair enough."

Laramie

I watched Cooper pour olive oil onto a saucer and drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top. He took a first piece of bread and dredged it in the Italian dip.

"It was nice meeting your ex last week," I said.

"You mean Natalie?" he asked.

"Yes. Ex-WIFE. Yes. She's pretty. It's no wonder Corey is such a good-looking kid."

"I thought she did well last week. Surrounded by gay men and alcoholics ... sort of intimidating for Ms. Perfect Baptist."

"I've never heard you say anything negative about her!"

"I didn't really mean that as negative. It's just who Nat is. I mean, I'll love her for who she is. I'm fine with her being a woman of faith. Still, part of me wants her and Daryl to rip each other's clothes off."

I howled. "Why??"

"I think she's tightly wound sometimes. But ... that's not her. She lives by the scriptures, so fornication isn't in her wheelhouse."

"Think Daryl is asking?"

"I don't know. He's pretty spiritual too."

"Surely they've done it."

Our server topped off our iced tea. Cooper thanked her.

"If tonight is just dinner, do we ... the two of us ..." I started.

"Have sex soon?"

I laughed out loud again. I almost choked and put my napkin over my mouth.

"Would you like to stay over this weekend at my place?" he offered.

"Friday or Saturday night?" I questioned.

"I'm open to both." His answer made me smile. "I'm kind of hard just thinking about my ex-wife having sex with another man. I can't wait to have you in my arms."

"Funny. I started getting hard from the second you invited me over. Sounds like we will both enjoy tomorrow night."

As we finished our salads, Cooper told me a touching story of Corey writing a song about him. He asked if I had a preference of what to be called by his son. I was fine with anything: Mr. Larry, Larry or Laramie. I told him that I thought Corey was wonderful and he and Natalie had done such a fine job.

Our entrees arrived. I asked for a couple of bread plates. Our served obliged. I then cut a portion of my steak and placed it on the saucer and asked him to do the same. I'm not sure why I wanted us to share our meals, but I liked the idea of sharing so many things as we moved forward. I loved being in love.

"Yum! This steak is wonderful," he said.

"I agree. I'm glad I ordered it."

"It's not as spicy as I expected."

"Habanero peppers aren't that bad. Your dish is excellent as well."

As we continued dinner, our conversation was so simple. And natural. And organic. And easy. Cooper and I fit. There were times I still thought the fact that he chose me was a dream. I knew I was fortunate that we found each other.

Cooper

Judith and Natalie became a topic. As he had met them both last week, he let me talk about my feelings toward them. It was encouraging to be able to talk about my sister in a more positive manner than in the past few years.

"She saw us kiss," I said.

"Oops. Is it a problem?"

"No. I was upfront about the decisions I had to make, and — even though difficult — the reasons why I did what I did." I looked into his eyes. "She understood why I chose you."

"She didn't think Mitch was better looking?"

"Pfff! I don't think she ever cared for Mitchell. I'm sure in her mind, she convinced herself that he turned me gay. I believe she realizes ... now ... that wasn't the case. From a standpoint of questions of faith, she understands me enough that she knows I didn't just `choose.' I think for her to get there is a breakthrough."

"I wish my family could be that way."

"Can they really be worse than mine?"

"C'mon, Cooper. Your family was really nice at Christmas."

"Because it wasn't clear you were gay."

"At least your family has a religious upbringing. They at least have a reason to hate you." His eyes darted to mine in a panic. "I'm sorry! They don't hate you. I didn't mean that. I meant ..."

"I get it. Go on."

"Mom went to church on Sundays, but Dad didn't. He just didn't want a gay son. It was quite clear that he was disgusted with who I was. Everything changed."

Laramie looked inward for a moment. His silence threw me. In some ways, we shared similar family dynamics, but I felt his were harder to accept.

Laramie

I felt so fortunate to be close to Grayson. He was the only family member that meant anything to me. I hated feeling that way as a son. I was a terrible son. But I also felt so much like an unloved son. Would I ever see them again? I would hate for it to be a funeral to make me go home.

"Maybe I will meet them one day," Cooper said.

That snapped me out of my mesmerized trance. "Huh??"

"Maybe we can go visit them one day. You don't have to do it alone. I can be with you."

I was shocked by that thought. He's seen so much negative crap in my life. My parents would just make it all worse.

"That's a horrible idea. I would never want to subject you to their ... bile. They are very cold people."

"Do you think they want to see you miserable?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Perhaps if they actually saw you happy — in love — they might warm up to everything."

"You don't know them."

"Maybe I will one day."

"I hate them."

"No, you don't. They're your parents. It's your family."

I threw my body weight into the back of my chair. I let out a huff just thinking of my parents looking at Cooper, looking at us — and saying something insensitive and cold. My entire attitude turned sour. My hands covered my face and then moved up to where the fingers combed through my hair. Just the sheer thought of them saying anything terrible to Cooper — my true love — caused my blood to boil. My gaze returned to Cooper, and I exhaled. That all went away. I breathed out again. Cooper was good for me.

"I told you so," I softly said. "It didn't take long for me to ruin this evening."

He reached for my hand and held it a moment. Then he moved to hold my finger. I smiled.

"Far from it," he assured.

"I hope you didn't make a mistake, Cooper."

"In terms of...?"

"Choosing me," I answered.

"What? Just because you have family issues? Is there anyone out there who doesn't? I love you. If I can make anything easier for you, of course I will want to do that."

I just stared at him. My eyes melted into his. He had no idea what he meant to me. A smile crossed my face. "You are so easy to love, Cooper Snow."

I grabbed his hands and leaned toward him. He leaned forward as well. We kissed over the table. It was a bit clumsy, but it continued. Our lips pulled apart for a mere second before we sealed them again into a longer kiss.

"You guys are so hot," our server said, standing there with a pitcher of tea. We turned to her and smiled. As she topped off our glasses, she added, "I hope that's okay for me to say."

"It was a compliment," Cooper said.

"How is everything? Did your meals come out okay?"

"Delicious," we both said.

"Good," she said. She asked if we needed anything, and we told her we were fine. "Super hot," she said as she turned to walk to one of her other tables. I turned back to Cooper and gave him a wink.

"Not to dwell on it, but ... do you talk to your parents at all?" he asked.

Gah. My family again. We were so dysfunctional, anything I'd say about them just made me feel worse.

"Mother's Day, Father's Day and their birthdays. Phone calls last about one minute."

"Not Christmas or anything?"

"I send a card," I said flatly. "And yeah, I call. I actually told them about you a few weeks ago."

"Really?"

"They were their normal selves. They didn't ask much."

"Maybe time will help heal those wounds. At least I know I'll be at your side."

Dear heavens, when the man said things like that, how could your heart not explode?

"Now you sound like were married again," I chuckled. "I thought your whole mindset was to take things slow."

Cooper

"At the `appropriate pace' is more accurate. But I want you to know that loving you is very easy. It came in baby steps. And then all of a sudden, I was in love with you."

"And Mitch," he said mischievously, knowing he was the victor.

"Ugh! Now it's me who should be asking if you didn't make the mistake."

"If so, it's the best mistake I ever made."

"You know, tonight was the first night I ever kissed anyone in a restaurant," I said.

"First man, you mean."

"No, Natalie and I didn't share a lot of affection in public. Never in a restaurant. Plus, having a kid in tow ... children suck the romance out of everything."

Once again, Laramie howled with laughter. I perhaps hadn't realized it before but being able to make someone laugh made me feel good. Everything about him made me like myself.

"So, had you?"

"Yes. Once I got to Jackson Bend, I intended to be my true self. I was in my 20s, and I would go out with my first boyfriend. We only lasted a few months, but we were pretty affectionate in the beginning."

"A story for you to tell me one day."

"One day." Laramie paused. "But you're wrong."

"Huh?"

"We kissed at Jalisco in November."

"Did we?" It was odd that I didn't really recall that. Everything with Laramie was so natural.

"Yep. Granted, it was a simple peck on the lips. Just here, now that was a kiss."

I chuckled. "Maybe a bit too much for public."

"It's not like we threw the dishes on the floor and made love on the table."

Laramie made me laugh again. "Want to hear something silly? I was nervous — well, and excited — before coming tonight. I locked my door at work and danced to `Brand New' to calm me down."

Laramie smiled at me. "Want to hear something even sillier? I have my own song for us."

"What?!"

"It's called `On My Way' by Jennifer Lopez." I shook my head, noting I was unfamiliar with it. "It was from her movie Marry Me."

"I didn't see it."

"I'll confess I have a soft spot for romcoms. Brace yourself," he said with a chuckle. "The song is about two people finding their way back to each other. And ... well, maybe that's us."

His eyes positively sparkled telling me that. How could I not love him?

I tipped our server nicely. I would try to remember her name, Kathryn, for the next time we dined here. It was with a K, like Jakob. Maybe that would help me remember. Laramie grumbled that I had solely taken care of the check, but I told him that I was the one who invited him.

We stood at his car for a few minutes. The parking lot was fairly empty; no other patrons seemed to be near us. I leaned in to kiss him, pressing his body against his car door. The feel of his arms around me was paradise.

"I've really missed you these past few weeks," he whispered into my ear.

"Me too," I panted into my next kiss. It was strong; it was deep. "I can't wait to make love to you tomorrow."

Laramie reached for my hand and pressed it against his hard erection within his jeans. It prompted me to do the same.

"I want that dick to fuck me tomorrow," I said.

"Why, Cooper Snow, such vulgar talk."

"Which you love when it's right." I went in for one final kiss. "If I didn't have an early international phone call meeting in the morning, I would almost take you in your car right now."

We laughed for a minute. Finally, I admitted I needed to go.

Not only were my feet not touching the ground, but my car also felt like it hovered above the pavement. Nothing lasts forever, but I wanted to cling to this feeling of being in love again for as long as I could.

As much as the house felt good as I sorted things out these past weeks, it oddly felt lonely as I pulled the sheet up. I was in my boxers, but my erection had hardly waned since getting home. I thought about Laramie all night. I fondled my anatomy through the cotton briefly. I would save any pleasure until tomorrow.

I grabbed my phone.

"Found the song you were talking about. I like it."

He texted back a thumbs up.

"I'm not sure if I said I love you tonight. Did I?" I followed.

"About six times."

"Is that it? I'm so sorry." Then I added a wink.

He didn't reply. Perhaps I was being too sentimental. Corey always accused me of being too "mushy." Was I pushing too strong? Then, a text came in. It was a picture. It was his bare torso with cum all over it.

"Couldn't stop thinking about you. This happened just a few seconds before you texted."

I snorted when I read that. I sent a final text. "Tomorrow seems years away. I love you."

The Next Night

Laramie

Cooper and I hadn't made love since New Year's Day. I was excited. I found myself humming at work during the day.

As the hot water washed bits of sawdust and sweat from me, I lathered all my hairy parts with my most aromatic shower gel. I wanted to smell good for him.

I texted some final information to Miles and Amos since I was taking Saturday off. I was trying to make good on my New Year's resolution.

They knew what was up. They texted me "Good luck" and a thumbs-up emoji.

I checked my appearance in the mirror one last time. He had just seen me last night, but I wanted to look good. I liked myself in dark shirts. I wore black for the evening. I unbuttoned another button; it exposed just a bit more chest hair. I knew Cooper liked that. Just thinking of his hands running through it made me get hard.

Last night he indicated he wanted me to fuck him. Maybe I misunderstood. I knew that wasn't his thing. He liked being a top.

Even in tight jeans, my dick jutted outward making it noticeable.

I played "our song" on the drive over to Cooper's house. I had only been in his home a few times in reality, but it still looked nice each time I drove up. He said to come at 7. I was right on time.

Cooper

I managed to stay somewhat focused on the call. As the day went on, I thought more and more about the upcoming weekend with Laramie. We were an official couple. I wanted it to go right. I listened to "our song" multiple times during the afternoon.

I raced home to make sure the house looked good. The bathroom was spotless; any clutter had been put away. The bedroom was prepared with candles, convenient lube, towels and freshly laundered sheets. While the linens tumbled in the dryer, I started on dinner.

I didn't expect Laramie until 7, so I had ingredients prepared and started the soup. Dinner would be simple. I wasn't trying to be impressive. I wanted "us" to be comfortable. We had moved past the stage where we didn't need to be pretentious. We loved who each of us was.

At a quarter `til 7, I put on some music through the house's sound system. I couldn't decide on the right playlist, so I just put on Pandora playing `90s country, Laramie's favorite. I felt ready.

It was 7 o'clock. Where was he?

It was 7:01. Where was he?

It was 7:02. Where was he?

The doorbell rang at 7:03. Thank God!

I pulled him into the foyer, slammed the door and planted a kiss on him. The man had barely been here for 30 seconds, and I was smothering him in affection. We kissed for a minute before he said, "Uh, my bag is still on the porch." I laughed and opened the door to retrieve it.

"Dinner smells great," he said, carrying the bag to the bedroom.

"Thanks. I make a killer tortilla soup. It seemed appropriate for the weather."

When he entered the kitchen, I saw him look at the table settings. It looked nice, but not over the top. I already had iced tea in glasses.

Laramie came up behind me as I assembled salad ingredients. His arms around me shifted my focus from the salad's presentation to the masculine limbs that somehow made my body both melt and feel electricity inexplicably at the same time. He kissed the back of my neck.

"I thought about you all day," he said.

"I thought about us, too."

"Thanks for making dinner."

"It's simple, but I think you'll like it."

The salad had dried cranberries, bleu cheese, candied pecans and cherry tomatoes on mixed greens. As we enjoyed the soup, we crumbled tortilla chips throughout the bowl.

"This soup is awesome," he told me, staring into its amber depths. "You made this from scratch?"

"Yes. Well, I use cans of chicken broth, but everything else. It's really a matter of cutting up veggies and sauteing the chicken."

"It's nice and spicy. With my track record, I'm surprised you went down that road."

I laughed. "There's only one jalapeno in the whole pot. It was a nice-sized one. Diced up." Then I thought more. "And chili powder. And hot sauce. Yeah, maybe not my smartest move."

"I think my stomach will behave," he smiled.

Once we were done, Laramie helped me clean up things in the kitchen. It wasn't a lot but having the two of us do it together almost made it enjoyable. I found him naturally kind.

I asked if he would be willing to watch the movie that he had told me about. He warned me Marry Me was silly, but if you just went with the premise, it was enjoyable. As we sat on the couch, we purposefully sat close. Shoes off, our legs overlapped on the coffee table. From time to time, we would hold hands, sometimes our fingers would just linger being adjacent or draped over the other's leg. It was romantic in its simplicity.

Seventy minutes into it, he paused the movie for me to fetch some ice cream. The carton only had about a third of its contents remaining. I felt it was enough for the two of us, but I opted not to get bowls. With two spoons, we handed the carton back and forth on the couch. I wasn't sure if he found the gesture silly or odd or cute. Once it was empty, he hopped up and carried the carton to the trash can. I could hear him place the spoons in the dishwasher. I glanced at him looking for a hand towel to dry his hands after rinsing them. He eventually found it hanging from the refrigerator door handle.

Laramie

I grabbed a pillow from the loveseat when I returned. Placing it on Cooper's crotch, I reclined on the couch with my head resting on his lap. When "our" song played, I reached for his hand. We really had found our way to each other. We spent the last fifteen minutes of the film with him gently caressing my chest or running his fingers through my hair. No matter where Cooper touched me, it was magic.

I loved him.

The movie's ending was predictable from the beginning, but Cooper seemed to enjoy it. We were both in a romantic mood.

He began turning out lights. I caught on that we were moving to the bedroom. He stepped into the kitchen. By the time he entered the bedroom, my jeans were on the floor. I was brushing my teeth in my shirt and boxers. He walked up behind me and clutched my ass cheeks. "Hey," I sputtered with a mouthful of foam. He took his final pee for the night and then began brushing his teeth as I was rinsing. He tossed all his clothes into the master closet. After turning out the light, Cooper walked back into the bedroom completely naked. One lamp was on; I was stretched on the bed in just my boxers.

"I like what I see," I said. Cooper wasn't particularly proud of his body since he wasn't hung, but I found him gorgeous and sexy and magnetic. It was still unbelievable to me that we were now a couple.

He moved onto the bed. We kissed. I put my hand on the back of his head and pressed our mouths into a stronger seal. Our tongues met. His hand moved down to feel the front of my boxers, and he found my cock was a lead pipe. I hummed as his fingers danced over the strained fabric, but my soul felt like singing. We were us. We were in love. We were about to enjoy each other sexually. Us.

"If I can be honest, I'm sort of nervous," he said.

"Really? Why? We've made love before."

"I ... I want you inside me tonight."

"You do? I thought you didn't like being a bottom," I said earnestly.

"It's not my favorite. On those rare occasions, it was ... special. Tonight, I want it to be special. I want you to know I am all in. I'm giving everything of myself to you."

Those words. Cooper was magnificent in conveying his love.

"Wow. I don't know what to say."

"Then let me say it." He moved his mouth close to my ear to whisper. "Fuck me, Laramie. I want your cock inside me."

"Cooper Snow, you filthy man," I said, lunging in for another kiss. I groped his cock as I did so and felt it stretching into its hardened state. "You know I love it when you talk racy during sex."

He maneuvered to pull my boxers off my body. Tossing them to my discarded clothing, his mouth plunged toward my erection. It was his for several heavenly minutes. He continued to slurp on my stiff hard-on. I reached for the lube and popped the lid open. My fingers graced over his beautiful butt. I teased the fine hair on his blond ass. My middle finger traced the length of his crack. He hadn't ceased sucking on my cock. A slick finger returned to his ass. It slowly wriggled into the tight pucker guarding his hole. He inhaled deeply at my intrusion, but still continued to taste my anatomy. My finger gyrated and pulsed and roamed. A second finger entered.

"Oh," he gasped, as he leaned upright.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Move it around some more."

He stretched the towel on the bed and placed his body down onto it, his face buried into his pillow. My two fingers returned to explore his offered ass. They penetrated Cooper for a minute helping to prepare Cooper for my impending thrusts. I worked his hole in hopes it would adjust.

"Do me, Laramie."

The sound of the lid popping open again announced my dick was being coated in a lubricated shine. My body positioned itself behind Cooper. I held myself up with one arm; my other hand aimed my erection at the target. The head of my cock entered his hole. He inhaled. I hoped I hadn't hurt him. I pushed in further and his body lurched. Damn, I knew it hurt. It was so kind of him to do this for me. I wanted to be very slow.

"Relax for me, babe," I said. He breathed in and out. His ass muscles pushed against my erection and then relaxed. He exhaled.

"That's it, baby," I softly said. Slowly, I moved more of my dick inside him.

"Oh. Oh yeah," he moaned.

I pushed all the way in. "Ohhh, Cooper. Fuck yes." I pulled out and pushed back in.

"Yeah. Oh, Laramie. Yeah. It feels good."

Making love this way was like the answer to every prayed I had made in my entire life. I was fucking the greatest man who had ever entered my life. My rhythm was steady but not forceful. It felt so good. It felt pleasurable for both of us. I let my body collapse onto him. my chest merged to his back. My mouth was at his ear, breathing the heat of our passion.

"I'm glad you let me do this. It feels really good, Coop."

"You feel good inside me too."

"I'm glad. I like fucking you." My cock churned inside him. It throbbed and pulsed and vibrated. "I love fucking you." My cock pushed harder.

"Fuck me, baby" he responded, as I breathed into his ear. I was panting. He lifted his head and we strained for a contorted kiss. I continued to shove my flesh into him.

I was fucking Cooper.

I was fucking Cooper.

I was fucking Cooper.

From there, all talk stopped. It became groaning and grunting and moaning and growling. Within the sexual volume was an occasional cry of each other's name. My hands moved below his chest. I gripped his pecs. Lust and love and passion and urge and admiration were one and the same. My mouth opened on his neck and tasted Cooper as we both had begun to perspire. We were hot. We were loud. We were men so connected sexually; I never wanted it to end. I continued thrusting my lover, impressed that my staying power was lasting. It was loving. It was forever.

"More," he whispered.

My waist pounded his ass harder. "Oh, God. Cooper. Yeah. Ohhh. Yes. Yes."

"Fuck me, Laramie. Shove that cock into me."

I lifted up on stiff arms and relentlessly assaulted his hole with my engorged organ. I screamed in my pleasure. His groan matched mine. I knew this pounding effort would bring me off.

"Cooper. Oh, Cooper. I'm getting close."

"Stop! Pull out."

That startled me. Fuck. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I don't want it to end." He flipped over. "Suck my cock a minute."

Bless him. He was making this last forever. I was so close to coming. I leaned over to consume his penis again. It regained its hardness. It felt so good to pleasure him. My tongue toyed with his stiff flesh, and Cooper's body writhed in my oral service.

"Here. Lay down," he said, moving out of the way. I understood what he wanted.

He reached for the lube and made my solid steel glisten once again. Closing the lid, he placed the bottle on the nightstand and straddled my body. He stretched his cheeks and lowered onto the steeple jutting below him. I guided my manhood into him. We both growled as I moved up inside him. Gyrating his hips, my cock throbbed within him.

"Fuck, yeah," I called out.

The two of us rocked and thrust and pushed and crashed and bounced and pounded. We pleasured ourselves in constant motion — all in the loudest volume two men could make. Our voices made it hotter.

Hotter.

Hotter.

I grasped his dick and started stroking his enflamed meat. He leaned back and craned his neck toward the ceiling.

"Laramie. Laramie! Ohhh, FUCK!"

"Yeah, babe." I began grunting while working his erection harder. I realized every cell in my body was being pleasured. Every sense was being stimulated. It was a utopia one could assume could only be created by drugs.

He took his cock from me and fiercely jerked on his flesh, screaming in all kinds of stimulation from without and within. Watching him above me took me to the finish line.

"I'm close, Coop."

He yanked his rigid flesh and cried out, "Fuck me. Fuck me. Come inside me, baby. Fuck me, Laramie."

I jackhammered his ass. We didn't come together as I felt he had wanted. I came first.

"OOOH FUCK!" I yelled, as my crotch crashed into his hole. He rode me like a bucking bronco. My body reverberated with each blast of cum that was sent deep within him. "Cooper. Cooper. Fuck yeah." He yelled one last scream. My orgasm was off the charts.

Then I was still. His arm continued stroking his erection like a powerhouse. We hadn't climaxed together, but he wasn't far off.

Cooper

It was the pure definition of making love. I loved Laramie so much. I loved him as a man, as a friend, as a lover. He was stimulating me in wonderful ways.

"Come on me, Coop. Come for me," Laramie coached.

I arched back on one arm and attacked my cock. My moans escalated into a crescendo announcing my orgasm.

"I'm there, honey. I'm there. Fuck yeah. Fuck yeah. YES!"

I sat up to watch. My dick pulsed stream after stream on his chin and neck and nipple and chest. I groaned through my entire climax. It was extreme.

I let go of my penis and placed my hands on his chest. I looked down on him. He looked up at me. We smiled.

"I want to kiss you, but if I move, your dick will leave me, and I want to feel it in me as long as I can."

He smiled bigger and pulled me to him. His penis escaped my entrapment. As we kissed, we pressed and smeared much of my cum on our chests. Our tongues battled, occasionally with tastes of my climax from his lip. Then I collapsed at his side.

"Man, oh man," I gasped. "That was hot."

"Fucking hot."

We rolled into each other and kissed some more. Once again, coming up for breath, we smiled with our noses touching. We softly laughed.

"We're a total mess," I chuckled.

"Isn't it magnificent?" he grinned.

After one more kiss, I got up to get a warm washcloth. Our bodies needed a lot of work. So did parts of the bed, as I commented that the towel could only protect so much. Once that endeavor was completed, we moved into each other's arms. The lamplight still allowed us to see other. Laramie had a huge smile on his face.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"You called me `honey.'"

"Uh oh. Is that bad? Do you not like that?"

"No man has ever called me that. I found it adorable."

"Oh. Well, ... good."

"You were kind of an animal, Coop."

"You said you like it when I cuss during sex."

"You were off the charts, babe. It was amazing. But ... being in your arms is even more wonderful." We stared at each other and went in for another kiss.

"I love you," we both said in unison.

I reached over to turn out the lamp. The room was dark, and I maneuvered into his arms for the night. His dick was pressed into my hip. His arm was across my chest. I moved my hand to hold his finger.

—

The emergence of sunlight filtered into the room. I became aware that it was morning. My hand was cupped on Laramie's ass cheek. I removed it and wrapped it around his body to where my fingers gently walked through his chest hair.

He stirred. "Mornin'," he mumbled as if in a foreign dialect.

I squeezed him tighter to me. We lay in silence for an elongated minute. I became cognizant of the warmth of his skin. I breathed in the almost-undetectable scent of his neck into my nostrils, but I wanted to memorize it. The stillness was almost perfection redefined.

My hand roamed downward to find his genitals. I wasn't sure if it was because of my morning embrace or simply morning wood, but his erection was at full attention. Gently, my fingers traced its contour. My thumb and forefinger rubbed loving circles into its stretched skin.

Laramie rolled toward me. "Mm. Don't get too many ideas. I have to pee." With a peck on my lips, he then strolled into the darkness of the bathroom. He didn't turn on any lights. I hoped the ambient light of the bedroom provided enough illumination for his aim to be accurate. It was silent a moment. If I had to make an assumption, he was letting his erection go down. Eventually I could hear his stream hit the bowl.

I moved my body from the bed to pull some pajama bottoms from the dresser.

The toilet flushed. I could hear him wash and dry his hands. When he returned to the bedroom, he saw me standing.

"Oh. We're getting dressed," he said blankly.

I crawled back into bed but left the pajamas on. My arms reached for him to rejoin me. He crawled into them naked. We held each other.

Laramie

Cooper had put on pajamas. The contradiction of my naked body to his still felt natural.

"You know, I don't think I own any pajamas," I said, trying to think of every piece of furniture in my bedroom. "Maybe an old pair in a drawer. Somewhere. Mmmm, but ... nope. Can't think of it."

"I love getting to find out all these things about you," he said, playfully kissing my forehead. His words were silly because I said nothing of interest.

"Yeah. Riveting."

"When's your birthday? I'll find you an attractive pair."

"Not until March 14. A couple of months. I'm not sure if I'm a pajamas kind of guy though."

"If Corey is here, you will be."

"Ah. Didn't think of that."

That made me take a harder look at being a couple. If I was going to fit into Cooper's life, there would be things that changed. I was okay with that. It almost seemed ... fun ... finding new ways to fit into his world. I rubbed the cotton against my leg, getting a sense of the feel of them. My hand moved to fondle his crotch. It caused his dick to rise. Cooper's hand petted my arm. I loved his touch on my body, no matter where it was. After a quiet moment, my hand slipped inside the waistband to grope his hardness, while I pressed mine into his leg.

"How's your butt?" I asked.

"In agony," he answered in frank honesty.

I bolted upright, ripping my hand from his pajamas. "Really??" I said sorrowfully.

"Yeah. It really hurts."

No. Fuck. I had hurt the man I loved. I felt terrible. I squeezed him tight. "Ohhh, babe. I'm sorry."

"I'll live. It was my decision. Besides, it lets me know we meant serious business."

I laughed out loud. He was right. Our sex last night was some of the wildest I had ever enjoyed. I leaned over and kissed his neck. "My poor baby."

"I'm sure I will cope by tonight."

My grip returned to his bulge. "Tonight? Someone seems up and around right now."

Quickly, I pulled his pajamas down and swallowed his cock whole. He jolted because it was unexpected. He moaned as I slurped on his wonderful body. After a couple of minutes, my tongue moved up to his navel up to a nipple up to his neck until it entered his mouth in a deep kiss.

"Shall I go on? Want me to make you come?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around me. "Actually, I'm good. You're very sweet though. I can wait until tonight." That made me pause. Was I coming on too strong? Hopefully Cooper thought there was more to me than hot sex. If that was it, our relationship was sure to fade in time. He noticed the crowbar jutting from my groin. "Oh. Is that okay? Want me to bring you off?"

I sighed. "I'm good. But it is okay if you hold it a while?"

He did. As we rested, his hand kept a gentle grip around my erection. That was tender; that was intimate. It was not sexual. His dick was still exposed with his pajamas pulled below his balls. Our day had no agenda, so just having this morning moment was a loving expression. He lightly gripped my hard-on.

My head turned toward Cooper's face. "You have Corey next week, so I guess I'll have to skip every other weekend, right?"

"Maybe, but not necessarily." He sat up and pulled his pajamas back over his crotch, although his penis didn't want to cooperate at first. His struggle made me smile, and I still appreciated the bulge. He looked down at me in all my nakedness. He sifted his fingers through my hair. I knew I had — and loved — a comfort level with Cooper that was enviable. "Corey likes you. I don't mind you being here. We've talked. He understands. How about I ask if he would prefer it to be just dad-and-son weekends or if he'd like you here. He's my top priority..."

"Right."

"... so, I feel I should follow his lead."

"I understand. Are there ground rules when he's here and I'm here?"

"Well, first, no nudity."

I howled. I came to realize that I loved how Cooper could make me laugh. "Thus pajamas."

"I have something I'm sure you can wear. Until your birthday," he teased.

"I assume sex is not in the cards those weekends."

"Would you want to stay over even if we didn't?"

"I'd still want to be here. I love you, Cooper. Not just sex with you. I've probably given you the wrong impression being all horny this morning."

"Rule 2: No loud sex. He's upstairs. Surely, we can manage. But nothing like last night."

"Sounds fair."

"Finally, no cussing in front of my son."

"I get it."

"In front of me I can handle, but I ask that you try not to use `God' and `Jesus.' Is that too much to ask?"

I looked at him. "It's all part of who you are. Which. I. Love."

He kissed me and then said, "I'll start coffee."

We agreed a bowl of cereal would be fine. I managed to put on his underwear to walk around the house, but at the same time, I knew this was a "free" weekend. Comfortable with it or not, I didn't want Cooper to think I was some nudist or something.

"Oh!" he called out, staring at the glass doors overlooking the back porch. I turned to see a huge snowfall begin. He sighed. "I'm kind of done with winter."

"Have you lit a fire in your home yet?" I asked.

"Actually, no."

"Want to go out before the roads get too heavy? We can pick up some firewood."

"Sounds cozy."

Cooper

We had a small bundle of wood in my trunk and ducked into a Chinese place for lunch nearby. As we ate, I talked about how Natalie and I would take Corey sledding when he was younger.

"We should do it," he said.

"It's supposed to be in the 40s next weekend."

"What about today?"

"Natalie has him this weekend."

"Can we all not go?"

I was dumbstruck by the simplicity of his suggestion. "I..." I pondered his question further. "I ... don't see why not. Of course, they may have plans."

"Want to?"

After further consideration, I agreed that I did. I pulled out my phone to dial.

"Hi, Cooper," Natalie answered. "What's up?"

"The morning snowfall is really beautiful."

"Yeah, I suppose. Yes. It is. It just sort of changed our plans for today. I'm not wild about getting out there and driving on it."

"We were talking and..."

"We?"

"Ah. Laramie and me. You remember. Laramie. Christmas. Corey being worried about him."

"Right. We've met."

"I was telling him about how you and I took Corey sledding when he was younger and ... we wondered if you might want to do that this afternoon."

"Ugh. Cooper, we're older now."

"Oh, please! What ... four ... five years? We had fun."

"Yes, we did."

"Is Daryl there? He can come too."

"He's not, but he is coming over for dinner." She went silent for a moment. "Are you wanting me to ask Corey?"

"It's your weekend, Nat. Whatever you feel. I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Mother Nature already took care of that. When?"

"Anytime this afternoon. I think the snow is going to be done by 2, but there are already a few inches on the ground."

"Let me get back to you."

—

Laramie's SUV pulled into Natalie's driveway at 1:30. The snow had lightened, but it was still falling. Corey opened the door for us. I noticed Daryl's car next to Natalie's, so I assumed he was joining us.

Everyone had met at some point, if at nothing else my recent AA meeting. Our group was all smiles. Corey seemed quite up for the idea. I'm not sure if it was more about the sledding or having fun with adults and his parents being together.

We had a two-person plastic Slippery Racer sled and something more traditional with rails. We put both in the back of Laramie's SUV. Natalie said she had made three thermoses of hot chocolate. I was perplexed why she would even own three, but some were probably pretty old. We threw a blanket in the back too.

It was about a fifteen-minute drive to the backwoods area that we used to take advantage of. We weren't alone. There was a small parking lot near the trail and there were four other cars there. The snow may have been four inches deep, but the snowfall was winding down. Random flakes fluttered before us, but it was barely enough to be considered light.

Taking turns, everyone trudged up the hill except Natalie. Corey came down each time. Sometimes it was solo, sometimes it was with a grownup behind him on the two-person Slippery Racer. The ten-minute walk up the hill was cold, and our feet eventually felt the wet chill. Natalie stayed under the blanket and guarded the hot chocolate, but she was all smiles each time we came down. Someone was there during every race to keep her company. Laramie asked to ride with Corey, and Daryl felt compelled to give the traditional sled a go. As I sat alone with Natalie, I sipped on my thermos. I felt I should update her on my love life.

"Just so you know, Laramie and I are ... now involved. He and I ... we're a couple. We're very in love."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Well, I can see it on your faces. But ... Corey told me."

"He did?"

"Well, not so much as `breaking news,' but he made mention of it over dinner recently."

"Can you tell how he feels about it? I mean, we talked about it, but ... did he say anything?"

"Nothing ... bad. He's quite taken with this Larry. But he liked Mitch too. He just wants you to be happy."

"He's a great kid."

"So ... Mitch. I thought you guys were trying to make it work. Want to talk about it?"

I sighed. "We tried. We loved each other, but ... that wasn't enough. I feel he was trying to be the perfect partner, but ... my defenses wouldn't let me buy all in. I had walls. Deep down I was afraid he would cheat again — one day. I couldn't live like that. Mitch deserved better than what I could give him."

"Wow. So how did you and Laramie ..."

"I was attracted to him for a couple of months. I tried to put it out of my mind, but there is no denying there was an attraction there. He had been in love with me from just us being friends. For me it was just ... baby steps. Last month ... I was in hell. I was in love with both of them. I had to make a decision." I gave a big exhale. "And I did."

"Rough."

"Yeah. I gave myself some space to make sure I was doing it right."

"And did you?"

I took my eyes off our ascending tobogganers. I looked Natalie in the eyes. "I did. I love Laramie. Huge. Everything with him is so natural and so simple and so ... right. We're still in the early stages, I guess, but ... he's everything I could ever want, and I think he feels the same. Wish us luck."

"I'm glad you're happy, Cooper."

We stood as our trio waved from the top. Both of us took our phones out to take yet more pictures. We laughed as they all screamed coming down. Seeing Laramie's arms around Corey made my heart soar. The fact that they bond made me incredibly pleased.

Laramie

We all waved from the top of the hill. Cooper and Natalie were at the bottom. They pulled out their phones.

Corey and I took the plastic sled. Although I was freezing, I admitted I may have been having more fun than he did. As I wrapped my arms around him — even bundled up — I felt connected to him. We were sharing an experience, and I was hoping he felt it was a bonding moment. If I was going to be a part of Cooper's life, I really needed him to accept me.

We took off. All three of us cheered. I loved hearing Corey shout. I knew my idea to go sledding resonated with him.

Daryl seemed to be flying on the traditional sled. His screams suddenly turned to words: "How do I stop!!?"

"Drag your feet!" Cooper screamed.

He sailed past them but was both laughing and screaming as his speed decreased. Corey and I were hoping to masterfully spin out in our finale. Instead, we crashed near Cooper and Natalie, laughing our asses off as we were sprawled all over the newly fallen snow.

Daryl walked up with sled in tow. "The plastic one is the one for me."

Corey and Daryl took the plastic sled the next round. Cooper opted to give the traditional one a go. Natalie and I remained behind. It was the first time that she and I had ever been simply the two of us.

As the men trudged up the hill once again, Natalie handed me the thermos Cooper and I had been sharing.

"Thanks for being willing to join us today," I told her.

"I'm somewhat cold and miserable," she started, and then turned to me. "But seeing those three boys have fun with each other ... it's a joy. I think they are really connecting."

"They are." I looked at the threesome. "Corey is having a ball," I noted.

"He is. He's always enjoyed the snow. I'm freezing."

"He's a great kid. You two are wonderful parents."

"Thank you. I'm proud of Cooper. I was really touched when ... we ... all of us ... you know, at AA when we all saw him get his two-year chip."

"Right."

"He's really pulled his life together."

It was heartwarming that Natalie had positive feelings for her ex-husband. I couldn't really picture what the two of them had gone through. Divorce itself had to be tough, but to find out your husband was a completely different person had to be incredibly shocking. I was pleased they both seemed to be in a good place. I felt they were very supportive of each other.

"I hope Cooper likes Daryl," Natalie said.

"Why does that matter to you?"

"Although we're not married anymore, Corey will always connect the two of us. Daryl and I ... I wonder. I think we are getting fairly serious and-"

"Like marriage serious?"

"We'll see. Quite possibly. It's nice having someone in my life."

"So ... madly in love?" I questioned.

"I do love him." She looked back at her boyfriend. "We tell each other that all the time. He's 40. I soon will be. Having someone stable ... it's a good thing. I'm not sure dragging our feet accomplishes anything."

"Watching him sled, he isn't really good at dragging his feet."

Natalie laughed at my joke.

"I wasn't sure I would ever love anyone again," she said, staring at the troop at the halfway point.

"Why would you say that?" I asked. I didn't understand. She seemed to be a kind, beautiful woman.

"After Cooper..." she sighed. "I just didn't think I would have a second chance."

"He feels horrible about hurting you."

"I was so mad at him for so many months. I just felt betrayed."

"But not now?"

"I'm ... sad ... for what happened. It took me about a year to realize how much he had been hurting. I'd hear `friends'..." she said, using air quotes, "... say such bad things about him. But deep down, I knew Cooper. He's a wonderful man. He just wasn't the man for ... me."

"I'm sorry," I said.

Natalie reached over to put her hand on my arm. I felt her touch and looked at her as she turned to me.

"Even though our marriage fell apart, I still care about Cooper. I want him to be happy."

"He feels the same."

"You ... you make him happy, Larry."

"Well, we're just starting out."

"I know. Please treat him right. If you do, you will..."

"I already feel like I hit the jackpot."

She chuckled. "Cooper is a kind man. Heaven knows he is so infuriatingly handsome too. While I know I might never find someone just like that again..."

"You're a kind, beautiful woman. Why would you say that?"

"I'm ... not like most women. Most women will jump into bed on the first date. My options are a little more limited. Most men wouldn't want ... to wait ..."

"Sounds like Daryl is a nice fit then. Does he make you happy?"

"He does. He's patient and nice. I do love him."

I wondered if she wanted to add the words: "But he's not Cooper." I hadn't seriously placed Cooper up against Freddy. Yet. We were still new. Freddy was so long ago. Cooper and Natalie just split a few years ago. If that.

"Love grows," I said. "You two have so much to look forward."

"I agree," she said with a smile. "As do you. Cooper was very happy with Mitchell. He was. But he just ... shines ... in your presence, Larry."

I laughed. "Ohh, I'm not sure about..."

"I am. I see it. He loves you so much. I truly hope you are the one for him."

"Wow. Thanks. Considering I'm gay, that's nice of you to say."

"I accept that Cooper is too. That's out of my hands. Anyone's hands, for that matter. I might wrestle with all those questions, but I can't help but smile seeing Cooper be his old self again."

"Corey enjoys spending time with the two of you together."

"I know," she sighed.

"Hopefully there will more times for that," I said. "As long as Daryl and I can be a part of it too, I think it could be a good thing."

Natale gripped my arm and leaned into me. "I think you're a good thing, Larry."

"Hey! You're not trying to make me cry, are you!?" I said, nudging into her.

She chuckled, but her comment touched me. Jackpot nothing. I had hit the super jackpot. The Mega-Millions. Had Cooper and I never crashed into each other, I would still be alone. None of these people would be in my life: Corey, Emory, Mike and Trent, Lance and Jakob, Brad ... Natalie. I wasn't a praying man, but I just silently said "Thank you" to anyone who might have listened.

From the top, the three of them waved. Natalie and I waved back at the bottom. They could see our cameras out. Cooper pushed the two of them off to give them extra speed. He jumped on the sled and took off behind them. His feet were in the air. He was adorable. I filmed the whole thing as he aimed for me. At the last minute, he dug his feet into the snow and came to a stop a few feet before us.

"Gold medal," I cheered.

"Yeah. Give me some hot chocolate."

Cooper

Laramie kissed me. I noticed Natalie and Daryl watching. Was that the first time she saw me kiss a man? Surely, I had kissed Mitch in front of her. But I couldn't remember a single time. She and I weren't in a good place at the beginning. I'm sure I would have been too self-conscious. Maybe this was. She tried not to react, but I could tell she was trying not to react.

"Mom, you have to do it at least one time!" Corey insisted.

"Oh, honey. I'm too old for all this."

"The guys are doing it."

"Because they're all children." We laughed as she threw shade our way.

"Please? I'll take the sled and you and Daryl can ride together."

"Nice!" said Daryl. "It's decided."

"It is?" my former spouse questioned.

"Your ex-wife is nice," Laramie said, taking one of the last gulps of cocoa.

"Oh? What did you two talk about?"

"You. Us. Corey. Snow. How we were both freezing."

"Oh my gosh. My dick hurts."

"I'll warm it up later."

Ten minutes later they waved to us from the top. I filmed while Laramie took pictures. Natalie screamed louder than anyone that had been there all afternoon. Corey laughed the whole way down as he kept pace aside them. Corey stopped well, but the duo wound up trying to spin to slow down. It was not graceful, but Natalie's laughter was uproarious.

"We have pictures and video," I said. "You'll have to share with your family."

As Natalie stood, she shook snow off her coat and pants. "Okay. Are we all good now?"

We agreed we were.

As we got back to the house, Laramie carried both sleds into the garage and placed them neatly away.

"Thanks for being open to this. It wasn't my weekend," I told Natalie.

"It was memorable," she said.

"Thanks for joining us, Daryl." I was going to reach out for a handshake, but he hugged me before I could do that.

Laramie joined us again. "Well, we'll let you guys warm up. It was fun."

"It was!" Corey exclaimed. "Love you, Dad. Love you, Mom. Love you, Daryl."

Daryl froze. His eyes widened. I knew it was the first time he had heard that. I could tell. Daryl leaned in for a hug, and Corey accepted it with no problem. It was a moment. I could tell. I felt good for having played a role in it.

"Thank you, Mr. Larry," Corey said, giving him a hug.

"I loved spending time with you, kiddo. But if you want, you can just call me Larry."

Corey pondered it. "Nah. Mom and Dad told me to respect adults. I feel it is polite to call you Mr. Larry, but I can use your first name because you're my friend."

"I sure am. You can call me anything you want. Unless it's dickhead."

"Laramie!!" I chided.

Laramie made a face of being caught. Corey laughed. I slapped my boyfriend on the butt to get into the vehicle. We waved through the windshield one last time.

—

I warmed up leftover soup as Laramie tended to the fire.

"You're so butch," I said, smiling toward the living room.

"You know it."

We both agreed hot soup was ideal after the cold afternoon.

Once dishes were put away, I asked what he would like to do for the evening.

"Is it okay if we just sit in front of the fire and talk?"

"Sounds nice."

We took our iced teas to the living room. I wondered if he would have preferred a beer. He had been very diligent about not drinking in front of me. It was a kind gesture we didn't talk about, but I did appreciate the effort behind it.

Laramie

I felt Cooper and I were to the point that we didn't have to do "something" all the time. Simply being together was okay. In fact, it was everything. I sat on the couch, and Cooper sat next to me, leaning his body into mine. He placed his head on my shoulder.

Our conversation was eclectic. The Oscars. Hatch Chili Peppers. Varnish. Lucille Ball. Superstitions. Chris Hemsworth vs. Chris Evans. This Is Us. Fishing. Stiletto high heels. Movie popcorn. Cheese popcorn vs. caramel popcorn. Sugar Pops cereal. Diet soda. EBITDA. Stereo speakers.

It was all trivial but at the same time magical because we just cuddled together in front of the crackle of the fire. The yellow-orange flames danced in our eyes. We were content to do nothing.

He grabbed a throw pillow and recreated my position from the night before. His head was in my lap staring up at me. I never failed to be hypnotized by his beautiful face.

"Tell me something about you that I don't know," he said.

"You know everything about me. I have no more secrets."

"Huh! Hardly."

I looked into the flames. What could I say? I had entrusted Cooper to all my past indiscretions. We had never discussed family financial backgrounds. I grew up on a farm. We had good years and so-so years. He probably came from more money than me, but then again, his parents' house was nice, but I didn't think it was as nice as Cooper's. He had probably traveled much more than me. "I've never been in the ocean," I offered.

"Really?"

"Nope. Never. Your turn."

"Hm." He thought for a moment. "I've never had sushi."

"I'm with you on that. I did it once and I had the willies for hours."

His body lurched in laughter. His head rebounded on my crotch almost causing my balls pain. Almost.

"I've only flown a few times. Growing up we didn't take vacations that didn't involve driving," I said. "I've never really even been that close to the ocean."

"Did you ever do a vacation trip with a boyfriend?"

"Not exactly. We did a weekend thing. We went to a concert a few hours away. Spent the night. No big deal."

I remember Micah and I making the drive. It was one of the best memories I had of our time. It was the only occasion for the two of us to be outside Jackson Bend.

"I'm sure you had a good time."

"We did." My hand slipped inside Cooper's shirt to gently caress his chest. "Maroon 5."

The fire crackled loudly. We let it take over the conversation for a moment. We listened in silence as the glowing wood shifted in the grate. Ashes fell, but there was still enough flame to make the fireplace hypnotic. His hand reached up to gently pet my arm as my fingers roamed his chest. I breathed in deeply accepting how much I loved his touch. His skin against my skin.

"If I can make a request," I started. I hoped he felt my idea wasn't stupid. "Can we ... strip down to our underwear and lie in front of the fire?"

"Sure."

"That's okay?"

He leaned up to look at me. "Why sure. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I thought it might have sounded silly."

"You in less clothes is not silly," he said giving me a quick peck.

Within a few minutes, we both pulled a pillow from the couch. I stretched out on the rug first. He placed his pillow in front of me. He moved into me so that we could spoon. My arm reached around him. Skin against skin ... the fire ... our bodies were wrapped in warmth. It was everything I pictured.

"I've loved today," I softly said.

The fire had less crackle. There was now more seething hiss, but flames still flickered.

"All we did is go sledding and sit in front of the fire," he said.

"Exactly. It was wonderful."

He turned to give me a quick kiss. Then he turned back to see the fire's embers glowing. My hand gently rubbed the backs of my fingers along his boxers. Cooper wasn't hard. Thirty seconds later, he was. My forefinger brushed over the bulge as if I was gently massaging its length.

"I can't believe you said dickhead in front of my son," he said.

"What made you think of that?"

"I wonder."

My hand moved inside the waistband to hold his erection. "He's in junior high. He'll be in high school next year. You know he hears that stuff all the time."

"I know. I know. I just like for adults to set an example around him." His cock felt natural in my grip, as if I was supposed to be holding it. It was if it was my role. I obliged. He accepted.

"I see. Dickhead is off-limits. Is `suck' a cuss word to you?"

"Not a cuss word per se, but I'm not wild about him saying it. I guess as questionable words go, it's on the milder end."

I leaned up causing him to lie on his back. "Noted." I pulled his boxers from his six-foot-one body. His magnificent body. My mouth hovered right over his dick. "I'll try..." I whispered. "...to not use the word..." My lips opened. "...suck." I consumed his shaft ..wet ... slow ... gentle. Cooper moaned. I gradually stroked my own dick while I sucked on him. The seething of the wood embers harmonized with the slow, slick, sucking sound on his hard-on. I hummed into his stiff erection. He moaned at my oral service.

"Laramie," he softly cooed.

Cooper

Laramie's hands roamed every inch of my body as his mouth continued to devour my male anatomy. I didn't have to move. I watched as my rod entered and exited his moustache and trimmed beard. The stimulation was exquisite. Several minutes transpired with me simply being tasted and consumed and licked and sucked. My fingers combed his short hair as his head bobbed up and down at my waist.

"Laramie," I softly approved. I didn't feel like cussing tonight. I just accepted this pleasure that lulled me into a sexual coma. "Laramie."

He continued with no hesitation.

Sucking.

Sucking.

Sucking.

The glow of the fire dimmed.

Sucking.

Sucking.

"Laramie."

I moaned.

Sucking.

Moaned.

Sucking.

"Babe. Oh, babe."

My hips lunged. My dick rammed up into his throat as it exploded. He hummed as he swallowed the release of my orgasm. I gasped more than groaned. I panted. "Laramie." Sucking.

I went limp. The fire crashed into its final ash heap going dark. We laughed at the comedic timing.

We kissed for a few minutes. I thought of when I told Natalie how happily in love I was. There was no doubt. I loved this man.

"How can I pleasure you, sir?" I whispered.

"Don't move."

Laramie darted into the bedroom and returned with lube. I was immediately alarmed. I knew my ass couldn't take a second night. He spread a sheen of lubricant on his cock.

"Don't move." Laramie spread his frame above mine. He leaned down to kiss me. Deeply.

As our tongues wrestled, I felt his dick press against my crotch. He rubbed it up and down by bucking his hips. And he kissed. And bucked. And rubbed. Kissed. Bucked. Kissed. Panted. Kissed. Moaned. Thrust. Bucked. Kissed. Groaned. He kept pressing his cock into my body. I loved it. I grabbed his butt and helped him push his lubricated skin into my groin. His arms held my sides as he frotted his dick against me again and again. I found myself erect again, much to my surprise. He pressed his cock into my cock. And kissed. Moaned. Thrust. His dick into my dick. Moaned. Panted. Kissed. Groaned.

I felt warm liquid around my bush and navel. He groaned more. I clutched his ass cheeks and pushed them into me. His cock slid with new slickness between us. We kissed. And bucked. And panted. And groaned.

And we stopped.

"That was nice," I softly said.

"I like doing that." His nose rubbed mine. "I guess we should clean up."

"Slide your cock around my chest some more."

In the darkness, Laramie moved his meaty flesh through his cum and wriggled it all over my skin.

"Bring it to my mouth."

He did. I swallowed the odd concoction of semen, lube and fireplace smoke. My tongue lapped up every inch of his organ.

He withdrew from me and placed his body aside mine. "The fire is gone," he said.

"We're too hot. It couldn't compete."

He chuckled at my remark.

It would have seemed logical to get up and clean ourselves. We didn't. We held each other in sticky adoration.

"If we took a trip, where would you want to go?" I asked him in the inky blackness of the room.

"Hm. I'm not sure. I wouldn't want to go anywhere until it warmed up."

"It's okay to look a few months down the road."

"I love it that you want to plan things for us. That you see us lasting."

"I don't have any concerns about that. Do you?" I asked.

"Not on my end." He hesitated. "I love you, Cooper. Don't let me do something dumb and ruin it."

"I see only good things for us."

We held each other. It seemed to get darker. He placed his head on my shoulder. We just breathed. My thoughts drifted of being in a far-off place with him. On a plane. At a beach. On an island. On a glacier. In a hammock.

I suddenly felt vilely sticky. "We should clean up."

After washing our affection from our bodies, we brushed our teeth and finished up for the night.

"Good night, babe."

"Good night, honey," I said. I turned out the light and found my way into his arms for the final time before floating away.

—

The Next Morning

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Emory Pike (65)

Emory

"Well, look who's here," I said, as Larry slid into the booth. Cooper sat next to him, and they both reached to hold each other's hand. "It's nice to see you two out and about as a couple. I guess things are all in place now?"

The pair looked at each other and smiled.

"I guess so. I haven't told my whole family, but I probably will very soon," Cooper said. "My sister Judith knows. Natalie and Corey are all on board."

"Well, good," I grinned. "I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks," said Larry, blushing. "I kind of am too. I'm not too lucky when it comes to love."

"A good-looking lug like you?" I asked in surprise.

"I don't know about that, but ... Cooper has managed to look past all my flaws."

"I found it easy to fall in love with you," Cooper said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Aw. Cute. But enough. Let's not get too nauseating so early on," I said sarcastically.

They chuckled.

Although my joke was appropriate for the situation, I knew I could have watched the two of them for hours. Two handsome men ... expressing affection ... being in love ... it was the inspiration I needed to urge me forward in my own decisions. Plus, I really was very happy for them.

"So how about you? Any progress on the dating front?" Cooper asked me.

"Oooo. Spill. Tell me everything," said Larry, perking up at the bit of news. He was not aware of Don.

"Donald. He's a few years older than me, but we sort of connected at a party a few weeks ago." I looked at Cooper to answer his question. "Yeah. We went out Friday night."

"When do we get to meet him? Bring him to coffee at 9 one week," he said.

"Now, don't rush me. We had an enjoyable evening Friday."

"Did you have an enjoyable night?" Laramie jumped in.

"Larimeeeee," Cooper chided.

"Not everyone jumps into bed immediately," I glared. "But we kissed goodnight. A few times. That was good for me."

I reflected on my years before Gene. I didn't sleep with someone as soon as I dated. I remembered the dark years where that caused me all sorts of pain. Reckless sex in my 20s ... it still ruined me. Once I realized I wanted something more, I was content to take my time. Nowadays, everything is different.

Brad brought Larry his cappuccino and then looked at me. "Good for you, sweetie." He winked at me.

Sweetie. What a goofball.

"What's next?" Cooper asked.

"He wants to go dancing. Can you believe it? At our age?"

"Where?"

"The Black Stallion."

"Ooo! Can we join you? I'm dying to see Laramie in his cowboy hat again," Cooper said.

Larry snorted.

"Really? I might feel more comfortable if you guys were there."

"We don't want to intrude, but ... I love the place," Larry said.

"Thursday night," I said.

"Oh, that's nice. Coop has Corey next weekend, so that will let us have some time together. If ... that works for you, Cooper."

"It does, babe."

I smiled at them again. "Babe. And here I remember a Cooper from a year ago who worried no one could love him. And they are being beaten off with a stick."

"I'm not beating anyone off ... okay, that sounds bad. I simply made a decision."

I was right though. I had briefly developed feelings for him. Mitchell was trying to make it work. Larry fell for him. Cooper didn't think he could break out of his odd duck mold, but he proved himself wrong. And now he has found real love again. I had high hopes for these two.

"I'll be honest. I owe a lot to this coffee shop," Cooper said in reflection.

"Yeah, you do," said Brad, four tables away.

Cooper chuckled. "His hearing is amazing."

"Yeah, it is," he said, five tables away.

"Who would have thought that spilled coffee could bring me such wonderful moments. I'm glad you two are in my life."

"Amen," I concurred.

"And me?" said Brad behind the counter.

"And you too, Brad!" Cooper called out. "I love you too."

Other patrons seemed to give us odd notice, slightly turning toward Brad to figure out what was going on, yet the moment of whimsy didn't present itself with any sense of importance or urgency.

Cooper got up to use the restroom.

I took the private moment to pry. "So. Is everything good?"

Laramie

"Meaning..." I responded to Emory's question.

"You two. No hiccups. The honeymoon is still intact?"

"Honeymoon, heh." I blustered out a burst of air. "I'm not the marrying type."

"I'm with you on that," Emory said.

"It never came up with you and Gene?"

"In our last years. When it was legal on a national level, we slightly talked about it, but we had been together so long that we just thought, `Why bother?' I had no desire to act like straight people."

I took a sip of my hot beverage. I wasn't sure if Emory was finished or not.

"But ... when Gene had his heart attack..." Emory paused and got caught in thoughts. He looked out the window. I hadn't intended to cause him pain. I reached to hold his wrist. "That night. It was just awful. There was so much legal crap ... and ... and I wasn't officially family. It was hard. I felt like an outsider. So ... yeah, I had a moment. God, what a horrible evening. I was devastated. Part of me ... through all the pain and shit ... part of me when I was accepting that he was ... gone ... in the back of my mind I sort of wished I could have said he was my husband. He was that important, so why had I resisted all that time, you know?" He picked up a napkin and blotted his eyes. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," I said. I took my hand off his wrist and moved it to momentarily hold his hand. He squeezed it and turned back to look at me.

"I thought I was done with love. My chance was over. But ... seeing you two. You guys give me hope. Maybe there could be hope for another chance for me."

"Well, of course there is." I took another sip and reflected on Emory's words. "You ... you didn't feel that way about Cooper and Mitch?"

"I wanted to. I saw Cooper's dedication and optimism, but I also saw his conflict. I knew it was going to be hard, but I hoped they could work it out."

"Are you sad he's with me now?"

"Hell no! I love you two together."

"Why's that?"

"Tell me, Larry. How does Cooper make you feel?"

"Seriously?! Like the whole world has illuminated and come into existence just for me. It's like ... air!"

"Yes. Love is air. That's why I love you two together. You belong together. You make each other happy. Mitch made Cooper distrustful. Don't get me wrong, I liked Mitch. Everyone can make a mistake. He just paid a hard price for his."

"Yeah."

"Don't ever do that to Cooper, or I swear I will slap you bald headed, Larry."

I laughed. "No chance there. He's the person I've been looking for my whole life. Nope. That's wrong. I wasn't looking. I was living in a cave. A cave of work and home improvement and self-doubt." I paused. "I don't deserve him, Emory."

"Bullshit. He loves you."

"And I love him. Every little thing is adorable. I went through my whole life hating my name. Someone made fun of it when I was a kid and ... I didn't like it. Cooper loves it. Every time he says, `Laramie,' it's okay. When he says it, it's ... magical."

We noticed Cooper exiting the bathroom. He stopped to say something to Brad at the counter.

"Well, you know the magic can't last forever," Emory said. "Eventually, you two will find ways to bug each other."

"I know," I conceded.

"But for now, LOVE it. I hope you two nauseate me every time you come in."

The two of laughed as Cooper headed our way.

Thursday Night

Laramie
Emory

Emory

I picked Don up at his home. He met me at the door with a kiss. A kiss. I had kissed men my whole life, but the last years ... not so much. It was nice to feel that romantic gesture again.

But I was nervous. Aside from my "lesson" with Cooper, I hadn't been romantic since Gene's passing. Damn, it had been years. Was I ready for intimacy again? Gene and I became such a couple that ... damn, I didn't know how to date anymore. I was stupidly nervous. What would I do if Don invited me in later tonight.

He distracted me from my thoughts.

"I like this look on you," he said.

"This?? I tried not to stick out too much. Country music isn't my thing," I replied.

Conversation of a recent but horrific car crash in town took us to the parking lot of The Black Stallion. As we entered, we scanned the place looking for Cooper and Larry. Thursday nights weren't as busy as the weekend. I hadn't been to this bar in years. We begin strolling through the club. Back in the corner were Cooper and Larry. They didn't see us. I motioned to Don that that was them. The two of them were meshed into a passionate lip lock. At some point I thought they had to come up for air. I wasn't used to seeing Cooper this way. To be honest, I could feel my dick get hard. That could be a good sign for later tonight. If.

"My," Donald said when they didn't stop.

"Should we find a different table?" I said walking up.

Larry and Cooper separated with a smile.

"Guys, this is Donald."

"Call me Don," my date said. Without trying to be obvious, they looked Don up and down. He had most of his hair, all gray with a small bald spot in the back, which I thought was cute. His gray beard and moustache made him look rather distinguished. Aside from his western shirt — pink! — huge belt buckle, jeans and cowboy boots, Don still had an air of sophistication about him.

Everyone shook hands, but Cooper gave me a hug.

The conversation was pleasant between the four of us.

Laramie

Don was very nice, and Emory seemed to light up in a way Cooper and I had never seen before. The two of them had beers, but I wouldn't drink when I was with Cooper. We both had Cokes.

When line dancing started, the four of us joined in. It was easy for Don and me, even if he was probably twice my age. Cooper laughed as he still wasn't that coordinated with the steps, but I appreciated him being by my side and trying again. Emory was as inexperienced as Cooper, but his moves were natural. He was probably a good dancer in his day. For about fifteen minutes, we had a wonderful time.

The two of them excused themselves to the restroom. I decided to sway to the music at our cocktail table. I was happy to be back in one of my favorite places. Cooper leaned back into me, locked in my arms. As our hips swayed back and forth, I pushed my erection into his butt to where I knew he would feel it. That's all it took. I just had to hold him, feel him, embrace him and I would get a raging hard-on.

"I wish you could fuck me right in the middle of the dance floor," I whispered in his ear.

"I feel I've caused enough grief for my son this week. Let's try to stay off the evening news."

I turned him around to look at me. "It's okay. You're okay. He's okay."

"I know." His eyes were locked on mine. He looked so innocent. "I hope."

Cooper had shared that Corey had been teased earlier in the week at school. Kids taunted him about his gay father. Kids sucked. They were cruel. Corey didn't deserve that. Neither did Cooper. I wished I could make him feel better.

"I love you, Cooper." I kissed him, and then our arms squeezed us tight, now looking into each other's eyes as we swayed. More than anything, I wanted to comfort him.

"I love you too."

Our friends returned and we got to know a little more about Don. He had retired from the university library seven years ago. Both his parents had passed, but he had a younger sister in Nashville. Since his retirement, he had traveled to four countries and 14 states. The only state he lacked in checking them all off was Alaska. He began attempts at talking Emory into an Alaskan cruise. Emory listened. I had never been to the ocean. I couldn't even contemplate a cruise.

A good two-step song came on.

"I know Emory is out on this one," Don said. "Cooper, would you be so kind to loan me your beau for a dance?"

Cooper smiled at me and nodded. The two of us skidded off to the dance floor.

"You and your boyfriend are the best-looking couple here," Don said.

"Flatterer." I quickly glanced around. "Cooper is totally beautiful, but ... I can see a lot of hunks in here. Those two guys over there ... the ones with beards ... totally hot."

"Yes, they are. Scrumptious." Don returned his look at me as we continued to be fucking amazing on the dance floor. "You're really good," he observed.

"So are you."

"Emory tells me you two are fairly new ... as a couple."

"About a month officially. We ... dated ... a bit before that. It – it- it was awkward."

"I'll leave it alone then."

"So. You and Emory." I wasn't sure what question to follow up with.

"I'm a bit taken with him. I hope he will give me a chance."

"I hope so too. His last partner ..."

"Gene."

"Then you know."

"Yes."

"Emory is a scrappy old guy, but he still has some tender spots. Treat him with care, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Then we shut up and really strutted our dance moves. Don and I noticed several people looking our way. Fuck yeah. Oddly, Cooper and Emory were not. Finally, we caught their attention again.

Emory

Cooper and I watched for a moment. We smiled at them.

"He's nice," Cooper said.

"Yeah. We're clicking very well." I continued to gaze at Don. "I think tonight we might ... you know."

"No, I have no idea. Please tell me, sir," I said with sarcasm.

Not taking his eyes off the dancing duo, I confided, "I'm nervous, Cooper. It's been so long. Hell, it's been so long just since you and I fucked." The statement made him cringe. "I just hope I do okay."

"Emory, I'm sure he feels the same way. You seemed fine when ... we ... did it."

Cooper's body language looked like he had been stabbed. I grinned at him. "You so regret that, don't you?"

"Yes. No. Well, not that it was you, but the fact that I ... I'm just not ... I don't sleep around. It made me feel like my morals had shifted off their axis." Cooper looked down when he said that. I knew he was embarrassed. He lifted his head to look at me directly. "However, it did change Mitch's and my sex life forever."

"There you go," I said with a wink.

"Just be yourself, Emory. Don likes you. Sex is just one small part of it. You both will find your way."

"If I can't get it up, I'll just picture you and Larry. You two made me hard just watching you make out."

"I will thank you to keep us out of your bedroom please, sir."

Saturday

Laramie
Cooper

Cooper

My mother was thrilled not only that Corey had called, but she was honored that he had selected her as the relative to write about for his class assignment. They talked for about 15 minutes, part of which was asking her to repeat some things so he could write them down.

At the end of the call, I left the room to talk to her privately. Corey continued on his paper.

"Is Dad home?"

She said he was, and I asked her to get him and put the phone on speaker.

I took a deep breath and gave it my all to muster my courage.

"Mom, Dad, you remember Larry from Christmas, right?"

"He was so nice," Mom said.

"We enjoyed his company. It was nice that Corey wanted to bring him," my father added.

"I'm – I'm glad you think so." I went silent.

"Cooper? Is that man okay?"

"Oh, yes. Yes! I ... I hate using this word, but he ... he is now my boyfriend. We love each other; we're a couple."

"Oh," they said in sync. It was quiet for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should say something or wait for them to respond further.

"Did you know he was gay at Christmas?"

I chuckled. "Yes, mom. I knew. In fact, I was falling in love with him all last month. Sadly, it was tearing me apart because I was struggling with my relationship with Mitchell and ... I let things spiral on me. But... we are in love. We are committed to being in a loving relationship. I – I just wanted you to know."

"I see," my father said. It was at that moment that I realized I used that phrase as well. Was I turning into my father? "Well, we liked him, I suppose."

"He's still the exact same person you enjoyed meeting." My heart was pounding very fast, but the beating thankfully began to subside to something more normal. "I just want you to be happy that I'm very much in love, and I'm very happy with him."

"What happened to Mitch?" Mom asked. "Are all three of you in this relationship?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Mother. I would love for us to eventually be friends again. I still care for him. But I knew we could not make it work as a couple."

My mother sighed. "I'm sure it is all beyond me. I never really fully understand." I rolled my eyes again in exasperation. "But Cooper, if you say you are happy, that's what matters to me the most. We like this Larry, so ... if you two are happy, then we can be too."

"Judith knows as well."

"Is he moving into the house with you?"

I chuckled. "That would be a bit fast. He has his own house."

"I see."

"I'm glad you know. I like being able to speak openly and honestly."

With a bit of strain, we all said we loved each other.

Two hours later, Laramie came over. He and my son hugged. We kissed in front of him. Corey made small talk of the dinner menu. Laramie conveyed that he was impressed with appropriate sincerity.

I had made some iced tea earlier, so I poured us a glass. Corey opted for Dr Pepper. We sat at the kitchen table and nibbled on some chips. That led to a mindless discussion, or more to the matter, a debate over which chip was the best. I briefly described Corey's English project and offered my son some praise for his work, even though he pointed out I hadn't read the finished product.

Laramie asked Corey if he still wanted to see his shop, and my son confirmed that he did. Corey had asked me earlier in the week if we could stop in.

We drove to Jenkins Mantle. The staff had worked a short shift until 3:00, so it was vacated for the most part. I was slightly concerned about how long this would hold the interest of a 14-year-old boy. I would hate for Corey to indirectly hurt Laramie's feelings. I needn't have worried. After a brief tour around the shop, Corey had a few questions. Laramie demonstrated how to use a few of his tools. Then he sat Corey down and the two of them started putting a cabinet together. Corey smiled at me when parts were successfully joined. There were moments when Laramie's arms were wrapped around Corey showing him how to do something. Corey in the middle almost looked like he was in the embrace of a father. I was confident that Laramie had never pictured himself as such a figure, but it was heartwarming to me, to say the least. When the four sides were attached, it was time to call it quits, but Corey had been quite engaged.

"That was fun. Thanks, Mr. Larry."

I had taken a picture of the two of them with the beginning of the cabinet. I texted it to my son.

Laramie

What was happening? I had never wanted kids. Teenagers are supposed to be the worst. And yet, my time with Corey seemed almost like ... a gift. He was Cooper's kid. I really didn't have anything to do with anything other than just be his friend. Helping him understand my work and the two of us working on that cabinet ... it surprised me in how touching it was. I could see why Mitchell loved Corey. Father and son, they were a very special package.

I leaned over to his ear and whispered, "That was fun. Thanks for taking an interest in what I do?" Then I kissed him on the top of his head. I was expecting some backlash for being mushy, but Corey said nothing.

I pointed out a few last things around the shop and a special clock project someone had ordered. I thought it was going to be spectacular.

—

It took Corey about 50 minutes to prepare dinner. He had come with a recipe in his weekend bag and Cooper and I enjoyed watching him work, that is until he shushed us out of the kitchen. Cooper and I just reclined on the couch together until the meal was ready.

Our meal started with a salad, nothing too exotic but slivered almonds made it look fancy. Hawaiian chicken was the main entrée, but edamame was an unusual side. The chicken was plated on a rice pilaf.

"Any weekend you don't want to come to your dad's, you can come stay at my place, kiddo," I said. "This is awesome. Nice job."

"Thanks," he said with a grin.

"Where did you learn to like edamame?" Cooper asked.

"I had dinner at Grace's house one night. They served it. I noticed it at a Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago. I like it. It's different."

"For our family, it sure is."

Cooper

Since Corey had mentioned Grace, we talked about her for a few minutes. For some reason, when it wasn't just me, he seemed to open up a bit more with Laramie in the room. We were adults, but I felt he really did think of Laramie as a friend, certainly in a respectful way.

It was interesting to see three men doing the dishes. The used plates and pots and pans were dealt with in no time.

Following dinner, Corey and I, finding out that Laramie had not seen the original Iron Man, pulled up the movie on a streaming service (even though he owned it at Natalie's house). Laramie probably would have enjoyed it more if my son and I weren't in the room because we interjected so many details and connections to the 20 movies that followed. Laramie played along well enough and resisted the urge to tell us to shut up.

I popped popcorn, and as I brought in three bowls to the living room, I glanced at the three of us in different states of "sitting" on the furniture. Legs hung over the side. Corey was leaning on the couch sitting on the floor. I brief flash of "family" overtook me. I felt flushed with a warmth that I happily accepted.

Laramie

I enjoyed the movie well enough. I wasn't sure I needed to hear how it worked into the ten years of films that followed, but the two of them didn't overwhelm me too much.

Just before bed, we all had a scoop of cookies and cream. Cooper told his son not to tell his mother how many snacks we were having. He then asked Corey to set his alarm for 7:45 so that we would be on time for coffee at 9. He agreed. We carried our small bowls to the sink and rinsed them. Cooper loaded them into the dishwasher.

"Don't stay up late," he told his son.

"I won't," Corey said, although that was probably subject to a kid's interpretation. "Good night, Dad. Good night, Mr. Larry." He hugged us both.

As he turned toward the staircase, Cooper said "Love you, son."

"Love you, too, Dad," he replied as he had taken two steps. "Love you, Larry," as he took another step.

My body jolted.

Had he said what I thought he did? Did he say he loved me? Holy shit holy shit. Bless his heart. Why would he love me? I loved him, but ... man. My mind swirled in a tornado of feelings. My heart exploded with too much emotion I wasn't prepared for. I had forgotten how to breathe.

I grabbed Cooper's wrist in shock. I pulled us to the bedroom door. I could tell by his expression that I was freaking him out. My mouth tried to form words. My eyes darted back and forth as they continued to well with tears trying to process feelings I wasn't used to.

"He ... I can't believe ... I don't ..." I failed at forming sentences. I then went into the bathroom and shut the door. It was quiet, but I bawled like a child. It was three words: "Love you, Larry." How had I let that overwhelm me? I got toilet paper to dab my eyes. Then I blew my nose into their dampness. I looked into the mirror. I looked terrible. I opened the door and went back into the bedroom. Cooper was somewhat concerned.

"Wow." I sat down at the edge of the bed. "That really hit me."

"You okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay! That was huge. I – I – I don't ... that was just the sweetest ..."

Sentences continued to fail me. He kissed me as a form of simple rescue.

We removed most of our clothes; our garments scattered on the floor on each side of the bed. We stretched our bodies, now clad in just underwear, to face each other.

"That comment from Corey really touched you, didn't it?"

"How could it not? He's never said that before."

"Are you fine with him saying that to you?"

"Absolutely." I rolled on my back and looked at the ceiling. "I ... I don't hear that word used much. With me, anyway."

"Hm?"

"My family almost never used it. My grandmother told me she loved me. I don't really recall my parents saying it so much. My old boyfriends ... we never really got that far; some, I suppose. My first love in college did. I said it to Micah, and he said it back. That was the longest boyfriend I ever had here in Jackson Bend."

"But you and I say it all the time. I tell you I love you."

"And I melt every single time you do." His hand fumbled for my hand as I went on. "It's not that I'm afraid of it ... or anything. I ... just haven't been lucky enough to find myself in the situation. I actually fell in love with you by accident."

"You are a wonderful man — kind, handsome, loving. How ... how have you not heard this your whole life?"

I wondered if it was normal for people to hear it often. Was my upbringing that unusual compared to most people? Did adults say it to each other?

"I'm such a dunce in relationships. I seem to foul it up before it gets too far." I turned to Cooper. "Please don't let me do that with you."

He pulled me into his arms. "Never. I love you, Laramie. Don't second guess it."

Cooper

I reflected on my words. I had second guessed everything last month. I had made a mess of my life, but once I made the decision to be with Laramie, life had found a new sense of calm. Love was really easy with him. Each day I missed Mitchell less. I didn't want my love for him to completely disappear. I owed him so much. But I felt God had led me to Laramie. I'm sure my family would disagree on that, but I felt we were brought together for a reason. I couldn't fathom my life without him.

He nuzzled his face into my chest near my nipple. I squeezed him tighter. He rested the back of his hand against the pouch of my underwear. His gentle touch caused my penis to stir.

"A year ago, I questioned who could possibly love me, and..."

"Cooper! You're beautiful. You're a kind and loving father. You are so easy to love. I just needed a friend, and you turned out to be the person I was looking for. Or hoped for. How could you ever possibly have doubted the man you are?"

"Mitch had shattered my self-esteem, and I felt so ill-equipped to fit into the gay world."

"You are attracted to men. What else was needed? But I get it. You and I have similar family dynamics." He moved his face into my armpit and kissed it gently. No one had ever done that before. "You are my Iron Man."

"Thanks for playing along with the movie, by the way," I said, pressing his head further into my chest.

His wrist rotated so that his fingers now cupped my stretching iron pole. After groping it with a feather touch for a moment, Laramie slipped his fingers below the waistband of my briefs. I pulled my knees up and just removed them. He did the same. We kissed in our nakedness.

"We had great sex Thursday night," Laramie said. "Do I take it with Corey here that's off limits?"

"Not necessarily," I said kissing his nose. "Maybe we can behave with quiet restraint."

"Maybe," he whispered into a kiss. "Did I ever tell you that the day you spilled coffee on me that I started going back to Joe just hoping to see you again?"

"Really? Did I ever tell you that you have my favorite penis ever?"

"Mine? It's pretty average," he debated.

"Hardly. Not that I've seen a lot in real life. Maybe ten. But yours ... I like its length and its girth and ..."

I sat up.

"It."

I leaned toward his crotch.

"Has."

I moved my hand near his organ.

"This."

I extended my pointer finger.

"Vein."

I touched it right at the rim of his head.

"That."

I traced the vein down to the end of his shaft.

"Totally."

My lips moved closer.

"Sends."

My tongue touched the vein.

"Me."

I traced it with my tongue to the base of his cock. I felt it stiffen as I slowly retraced it back. My mouth then swallowed all of his dick. Laramie inhaled.

Quietly I serviced my man as his fingers sifted through my hair. He surrendered his will to me as I licked and sucked and swallowed the magnificent feel and allure of his flesh. Minutes upon minutes of oral gratification on my part and energized stimulation on his part passed as if it were both a brief second and a surrealistic eternity.

Quietly.

His hips thrust ever so slightly, plunging his battering ram into my throat. My mouth kept it wet and lubricated. He whimpered in soft moans. My hands cupped his ass cheeks below him. He pulsated his cock in and out of my face.

Quietly.

His hips gyrated more. I worked a finger over to his crack and teased the pucker of his hole as I sucked his erection with my tongue flickering the underside of his cock like a snake. He panted as my mouth drove him further into erotic reverie.

Quietly.

My mouth sealed tight, and he shoved his shaft into me. His body lurched. He quickly gasped. He exploded in my mouth.

Quietly.

I hummed feeling the warm liquid burst inside me. His hands fiercely gripped my hair between his fingers. I swallowed. And swallowed. And swallowed.

Quietly.

"Holy fuck, Cooper. My God."

Suddenly, his posture changed. He pulled my face from his phallus and moved it to look at me.

"I'm sorry."

I looked at him confused.

Laramie

"You asked me not to use those religious cussing terms. I forgot. I'm sorry."

We kissed deeply.

"I'll just have to punish you," Cooper whispered.

I smiled.

"I'm kidding. Couldn't do that quietly." He moved up to my face and waved his hard dick in front of my mouth. Hell yeah. I opened wide. He plunged into my lips, and I took it all. Cooper's cock was easy to suck. It was just the size to make it comfortable and enjoyable and delicious.

Several minutes of him fucking my face caused my dick to stiffen again.

"That's it, babe. You're working my fucking cock just the way I like it," he softly called, knowing Corey couldn't hear us. "Suck me, Laramie. That's so good."

As the blowjob transpired, I looked up at Cooper above me. I watched his navel move forward and back as his hips thrust into my face. His chest bobbed. One of his hands steadied his body by touching the wall. The other massaged and rubbed his pec as I continued to stimulate him sexually. I was entranced in watching the man I love be pleasured by me. It made me feel a deep connection between us, not physically, but emotionally.

My tongue began to toy with his erection. He looked down at me and moaned louder than he should have.

"Baby, I'm almost there," he said, his voice soft again.

I grabbed his ass and shoved him into me as I felt Cooper fire shot after shot into my throat.

Quietly.

Cooper was panting as I made one last swallow, and he slowly slid his wet flesh from my mouth.

We moved into an embrace. We were all arms ... feeling, touching, holding, squeezing, loving. Our dicks touched. Our lips melded.

Once the lights were turned out and the room was dark, I placed my head on his chest again.

"I'm sorry that you didn't hear you were loved for much of your life. You're a wonderful man," he whispered. "I'll make it my life's mission for you to hear it as often as you need to. I love you."

"And Corey does too," I sniffed.

It was too much. My heart wanted to explode, which only gave way to fears. How long would it be until I ruined it all? But I pushed doubt away. I relished the moment — this moment of pure love.

February 14, 2023, Valentine's Day

Laramie
Cooper

Cooper

Laramie had agreed to celebrate Valentine's Day eating out at lunch instead of dinner. I planned to have a romantic evening at his place. We thought a big salad would be just fine. Crowds at restaurants on Valentine's Day were like Mother's Day. We wished to avoid them.

He texted me at work this morning asking if I could come by his store before heading to lunch. It seemed more practical just to meet at the restaurant, but I was willing to do so regardless.

The two of us agreed that we wouldn't exchange gifts. Neither of us had time to shop, nor did either of us really "need" anything. It seemed slightly sad not to do gifts, but both of us admitted we were relieved to have that pressure removed. His birthday wasn't far off anyway.

We wanted to make the day about "us." We were only six weeks into being an official couple. In that time, nothing had wavered. Our love seemed so strong and so passionate. We usually shared a bed twice a week. Often it was technically three days if he stayed both Friday and Saturday. I tried to be at his place at least one night mid-week.

I got him a card for when I arrived at this place. I imagined he would have one waiting for me. It took a bit of time, but there were a few good choices. I shouldn't be dependent on the wording printed inside, and so I added my own thoughts to what was stated. I thought he would be touched by both.

Because Valentine's Day was special, I was going to let him fuck me tonight. It had been a while. Although I didn't look forward to how much it would hurt tomorrow morning, I loved giving my all to him. I would do anything for Laramie. I didn't regret choosing him for even a second.

That made me think of Mitchell. I wondered what he was doing today. I'm sure he was hurting. Valentine's Day can be miserable if you are single. Or had just broken up. Or in love with someone you can't have. I sighed deeply. Bless his heart.

I contemplated sending him a message, but realized it wasn't a good idea. There was no way it would come off as thoughtful. I would just make matters worse.

I couldn't wait to tell Laramie about Daryl's call.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I quickly texted Natalie. I remembered hesitating to do so last year. But we were in such a good place now.

"Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day. Hope you and Daryl have a great..."

Hmm. A "great night" sounded like he would be spending the night — and I knew he wouldn't. "Dinner" just seemed odd. I decided to leave Daryl out of the message. I deleted some words.

"Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day. Hope..."

That didn't seem right.

"Wishing you two a Happy Valentine's Day. I'm glad we are in a place to where I can say I love you and that's okay."

Sent.

I hoped that was okay. Surely, she wouldn't show it to Daryl. Natalie would always have a place in my heart. As the mother of my son, she should always be in my life.

I locked the car and entered Jenkins Mantle.

Laramie

Maria came into the back area.

"Mr. Jenkins, there's a man to see you up front." She paused a second. "Boy, is he good looking."

I smiled.

I gathered all the workers from the back. Miles, Amos, my newest hire West and Kenton followed me to the front lobby. Cooper was a bit startled to see everyone walk out.

"So, everyone. I believe you have heard me talk about Cooper these past weeks. He's ... he's the most amazing person. He's the man I love and the most important person in my life. I ... wanted you to meet him."

"He's soooo beautiful," Maria said under her breath.

"Even I want to do him," Amos muttered back, which caused me to chuckle.

I introduced each one of them to Cooper, and he politely shook their hands. I mentioned there were a couple of other part-time workers who helped on Saturdays. I was very happy to introduce Mr. Shuppe as the previous owner.

"It's really nice to meet you, Cooper," Kenton said. "It's about time this numbskull put himself out there."

"I'm delighted he's in my life. He makes me very happy," Cooper graciously said.

I wasn't sure if my face was all flushed or if it just felt that way.

I explained the two of us were going to lunch but that I'd be back shortly. Because Cooper had to be back at work, we drove separately.

We pulled into McGee's at the same time. There were numerous open tables, so the hostess seated us immediately.

"For Valentine's Day, this isn't really a special place," I said. "Certainly not romantic."

"It's a very special place," my boyfriend said. "It's the first place the two of us ate out."

"Oh yeah." I reflected on that evening. "But ... it was just as friends, not as a couple."

"It doesn't matter. I enjoyed your company immediately. You were a fast friend. I enjoyed our evening and time with you from the first minute." He reached for my hand. "You became my best friend."

I stared into Cooper's eyes. I smiled at him. I knew Mitchell was his best friend, at least until he severed the trust. Cooper was everything to me, but I knew he felt the same. Sometimes the wonderfulness of everything scared me. I questioned if people were supposed to be this happy. Part of me was determined all those years in Kansas earned me a free pass. I was going to take the happiness and cherish it. I could dream it would last forever, but there are never guarantees.

"Thanks for coming by the store," I said.

"It was nice of you to introduce me. That ... it meant something that you wanted to do that."

"I did. I don't often talk about my personal life, but if I mention `Cooper,' I want them to know who I am talking about."

"I'm glad no one has an issue with..."

"The boss being gay?" I said, finishing his sentence.

"Yeah."

"I've been upfront since Day One, however, there really hasn't been much to tell. Those months with Micah were the only ones even close to being serious."

"If you want me to do the same, there are about 120 people in my building."

I laughed. "I'm fine."

"I have news," Cooper said.

The sudden change of topic seemed serious.

"Go on."

"I got a call from Daryl," he said.

"Uh oh. Anything wrong?"

"No. He's proposing to Natalie tonight!"

"And he ... called you?" I was perplexed. "Don't you ask the father for permission?"

Cooper laughed. "He didn't ask for my permission. We talked about Corey a bit. He also said some nice things to me. He said even when they are married — assuming she says `yes' — he still understands that I have a role in Corey's life and the family and that he accepts that. He wanted me to know that he likes me ... likes us."

"Us as in me??"

"Yeah. He likes us as a couple."

"That's sweet ... and kind of ... surprisingly gracious of someone religious."

"He has a gay uncle."

Patrice came to take our order. Cooper had requested her table. I ordered the Panhandler. He went with a bacon cheeseburger.

I wondered how he felt about Natalie marrying someone else. I couldn't fathom what feelings that might stir up.

Cooper

"So, how do you feel about your ex-wife getting remarried?" Laramie asked.

"Oh, I'm happy for them! I'm glad Nat will have someone in her life."

I paused to question the sincerity of my remark. I was sure. I did like Natalie finding someone. I had no ill feelings toward Daryl at all.

"You think Corey will have any issues with it?"

"I can't say with any certainty, but he's been very mature with the two of us. He likes Daryl ... or at least speaks kindly of him. I'm kind of surprised Daryl has waited this long."

"To propose or ... withhold having sex?"

"The last part. We're older than kids in their 20s like we were."

"Surely they've done it a couple of times," he said.

"I know Nat."

"Jeez, how can a man go so long without sex?"

"Didn't you?" I asked.

Laramie got lost in his thoughts. "Yeah. I guess I did have long stretches."

"Even married ... those last two years between Nat and me ... it was few and far between."

Patrice set down our iced teas.

"So, fellas. Major plans for the holiday?"

"You're it!" I said.

"Huh?"

"We had our first dinner here. It was what I wanted," I responded. "I imagine you will be busy tonight."

"Well, we're far from the Lawrence Creek clientele, but yeah, we'll be very busy. Lots of college kids for sure."

"We opted to do lunch instead," Laramie explained. "We'll just do a cozy dinner at home tonight."

"Yeah, you will," she winked. "You handsome hunks..." she said, walking away.

"Something tells me she thinks more than dinner will happen tonight," he said with a wink.

"She's not an idiot. Tonight, I want ..." I looked around. We were in a tall booth so no one could really hear us. "... I want you to ... do me tonight."

"Ooo ... another night I get to fuck Cooper."

I gave one last glance. No one was in earshot.

"Yeah. Fuck my brains out."

"Mercy me," said Laramie. "What happened to that moral, upstanding man I fell in love with? I do wonder if I've corrupted you."

I laughed. "I was with Mitch before you. I was hardly innocent."

He grabbed my hand. "I'm so happy we found each other. You're still the same wonderful man I found myself accidentally falling for."

"Ditto," I said, staring into his face.

I couldn't lean over the big table to kiss him. I went around to his side of the booth. We pressed our lips together. For a few minutes, we said nothing. We just kissed, and the seal we had on each other's face conveyed we meant it.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Love you more," he said.

"Love you tons," I returned.

"Love you 3,000."

I looked at him with a huge smile. "Did you just make an Iron Man reference?"

"Avengers: Endgame."

"Has Corey been slipping you DVDs?" I laughed.

"Some."

"I love that he cares for you."

"He told me he loved me weeks ago, remember?"

"And he does."

"And I love him. I hope you know that."

"We're sort of a package," I said.

"Different love for each."

"Goodness, I would hope so."

We kissed some more.

Not everyone can accept a partner coming with an automatic child. Daryl and Laramie had both been understanding. Thankfully Corey was a good kid; I'm proud that he can be so accepting and loving. My life would be exponentially more complicated if he wasn't. But he wasn't done being a teenager yet. I thanked God that Corey was forgiving during my drunk dad years. If I had ruined that, I would never forgive myself.

Laramie

"How is Corey, by the way?" I asked.

"You mean the voice-changing thing?"

"Yeah. I think it freaked him out a bit this past week."

"It's choir that is the biggest challenge. He was kind of overdue, I guess. Heaven knows he is really in a growth spurt."

"I imagine it is hard to think of him becoming an adult," I asked.

"Terrifying. He's going to go through the hormone thing. I cringe of him exploring sex. I feel fairly confident he is not tempted to do drugs, but high school still looms. Driving still scares me the most," Cooper said, his face wrecked with concern.

"Every parent goes through this Coop," I reassured. "You're never alone in all this either."

"Thanks. I fear Natalie will bear the brunt the most, but ... I appreciate knowing you will keep me grounded."

We resumed kissing. We heard someone make a comment after passing our table. We didn't care. We were caught up in our kiss.

After a minute or two, we heard two plates placed on the table. We opened our eyes and looked at Patrice.

"Don't let me interrupt, but lunch is served." She smiled and winked at both of us.

"Damn, I guess we should eat," I said.

"We have tonight." Cooper gave me a shit-eating-grin smile. "I can't wait for you to corrupt me," he said softly.

"I love you," we both said, and Cooper moved back to the other side of the booth.

* * * *

See more at the blog: timothylane414stories.blogspot.com The new post is "Sledding and Valentine's Day."

Email: timothylane414@gmail.com