17. Dexter
17
DEXTER
"So how's it going with Augie?" Ethan asked, nudging me with his elbow as we shot some pool in his basement.
I couldn't help grinning as I sank the eight ball and won the game. Again. We hadn’t been hanging out as often since Brayden came into his life, and now I usually spent every spare moment with Augie, but the boys were watching movies upstairs, so I had some time to open up to my friend. "Great. Really great. In fact, even though we haven’t been together long, I think we both know it’s real."
Ethan chuckled as he racked the balls. “Damn, you’re already whipped.”
"Shut up, man." I couldn't keep the grin off my face because it was true. I was head over heels for my boy.
"I'm just messing with you. Honestly, I'm happy for you, dude." Ethan clapped me on the back. "And if you're that into him, why aren’t you shacked up yet? I practically moved Brayden in after our first date."
I hadn't thought about it that way, but he had a point. I was still worrying about following arbitrary rules that didn’t mean anything to me or Augie. All that mattered was having more time with him. "I guess I just don't want to scare him off."
"Dude, if you're both feeling it, just ask. Life's too short to wait and wonder."
Ethan’s words stayed with me as I drove Augie back to his apartment. Ethan was right. I was tired of only seeing my boy after work and on weekends. I wanted to wake up with Augie every morning so I could take care of him in every way. Every day.
When Augie and I were curled up on the couch, watching Scooby-Doo reruns, I decided to grow a pair and do what Ethan suggested. I just needed to ask.
"Augie, sweetheart?" I paused the show to get his full attention as my heart thumped in my chest.
"Hmm?" He looked up at me with those big doe eyes, and I almost lost my nerve.
"I was thinking..." I took a deep breath and changed my words. "Well, hoping really, that maybe you'd want to move in with me." The words came out in a rush, and I held his gaze, carefully watching his facial expressions.
The room was silent for what felt like an eternity as his body tensed up in my arms. “You want me to move in with you? To your house?” Augie’s voice was barely above a whisper as he summarized my question.
I searched his face for any sign of what he was feeling. He looked both surprised and uncertain, and I wondered if I had been too presumptuous. “I mean, there’s no pressure if you’re not ready.” I ran my fingers through his hair to make sure he knew I wasn’t upset by his reaction. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately.”
Augie stared at me for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. “Of course I want to. I wanna be with you all the time, Daddy. But are you sure?”
I took a deep breath then raised his hand to my mouth and kissed it. “Being with you makes me so happy, sweetheart.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “And waking up with you every day would make me even happier.”
Augie leaned in and kissed me gently, erasing all the doubts and fears that had been growing in my mind.
“Can we start packing now?” He stood up and tugged at my hands. “Hurry, Daddy. We need to get home.”