Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Auggie went to the bookstore to pick up the books on the reading list for his class next semester.
He liked having them over the holidays so he could get ahead on his reading.
He never knew what might come up during the semester and he hated the feeling of being behind or having to rush through reading and papers, so he liked to get ahead.
He walked slowly back to his place, trying not to feel depressed, but he was definitely grumpy.
He hadn’t seen Thor since their night together and that had been over a week ago now.
Thor had had parties to go to, and Auggie hadn’t felt right attending them with Thor, plus Mrs. K got sick again and they needed him at the store almost every day.
He was trying hard not to get down on himself, but it was Christmas Eve in two days, and he’d had this little fantasy where he didn’t have to spend Christmas alone this year.
Only now it looked like he was going to.
He didn’t know why he was surprised, and really, it was his own fault for having hoped that maybe this time things would be different for him.
Maybe this time he was going to have a wonderful Christmas with the man he loved and then an even better new year.
He shouldn’t have let himself hope. Not that he’d be any less disappointed.
Thor was the most amazing man ever, and just one night was never going to be enough.
Auggie wasn’t sure one lifetime would be enough.
A car pulled up next to him. Auggie glanced over but kept going. The car moved with him. Auggie hurried a little.
“Auggie. Stop.”
He turned in surprise, seeing Thor with his head out of the back window of the now-stopped car.
“I didn’t know it was you.”
“I realized that. I probably should have called, but I thought I had work to do this evening and now I don’t. Come home with me?”
Auggie hesitated. Thor had said all this wonderful stuff to him and called him special and made him feel like just maybe he was, and then they hadn’t spoken other than a few texts for over a week. He didn’t want to get in any deeper than he was because as it stood, he was too into Thor.
“Please. I want you in my life, Auggie. And I’m sorry things have been so busy this week. I should have made a bigger effort to make time for you.”
“I was busy, too,” Auggie admitted, moving toward the car. He wanted nothing more than to get in and go home with Thor, and it was probably stupid not to do so. Who knew if it would hurt Thor or not, but it would definitely hurt him not to accept the offer.
Thor opened the door for him, and he climbed in, the warmth immediately soothing, and Thor’s arm around his shoulder, tugging him into Thor’s solid body was even more so.
“I’m so sorry, Auggie. I screwed up. I should have made you my priority and I didn’t.”
“You had important stuff to do.” Auggie knew he wasn’t the center of the world. He’d always known that, and it wasn’t fair for him to expect Thor to drop everything for him just because Thor had said some nice stuff.
“None of it was more important than you. My only excuse is that I got caught up in things, and I wanted to have everything done so we could spend the next couple of weeks together with no interruptions. And I wanted to tell you face-to-face, and then that didn’t happen and well, here we are. I promise that it won’t happen again.”
Auggie wriggled a little, not sure what to say. He loved to hear what Thor was saying, but was that fair? He couldn’t expect Thor to drop everything for him.
“What?” Thor asked softly.
“I didn’t say anything!” He knew he had a bad habit of just spitting out every thought that came into his head, especially for some reason with Thor, but he really hadn’t done that this time.
“I’ve told you before that I can read your face, and what I said made you feel some sort of way. And I don’t think it was very complimentary to yourself.”
“You don’t have to drop everything just to make me happy,” he answered, very quietly.
“I don’t have to do anything. But I want to.
I want you to know that you’re the number one person in my life.
You’re my boy and my priority, and that means if I have to tell Collin—my agent, by the way—that I’m not going to be able to make it to a holiday soiree, then so be it.
And if I’d had more than an hour’s notice, I would have invited you to come along. ”
The car pulled up in front of Thor’s big house and Auggie stared out, wanting nothing more than to go inside and have Thor take him in those wonderful, strong, safe arms.
“I want you to spend Christmas with me, Auggie. Come on in, please?”
“You’re sure?”
“I am. If you’re not, I’ll have the driver drop you back at your place, but I really hope you’ll come in and stay.”
“It isn’t Christmas Eve until the day after tomorrow.”
“Which gives us tomorrow to plan and to order everything we’ll need to make a feast together.”
Auggie was so tempted. He bit his lower lip. He was already in deep, and he could have this thing that he so wanted. He just needed to take it.
That little voice tried to tell him that it wasn’t real. Thor just didn’t want to be on his own over the holidays.
“I already have your present and everything,” Thor told him.
Auggie told the little voice to shut up. Even if this was just for the holidays, imagine the memories he could have to hold onto when it was over. He found himself nodding.
“Is there a problem?” the driver asked.
“No problem,” Thor told him.
Auggie nodded. “We’re good.” He followed Thor out of the car and let the man take his hand as they went up the front walk.
They went in, and as the door closed, Auggie took a deep breath. He loved the way the house made him feel, and he was pretty sure it was more because it smelled like Thor than anything else, but he wasn’t going to examine it too closely because he didn’t want to analyze the feeling away.
Thor took his bag of books. “Reading material?”
“For next semester’s class. I like getting a jump on the reading.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll try not to monopolize all your time.”
Frankly, Auggie hoped Thor would. That sounded way more fun than reading.
Thor set the bag on the bench seat in the hall, and Auggie realized all he had with him were those books and the clothes on his back.
“What?” Thor asked, that uncanny ability to read Auggie’s mind rearing its head again.
“I don’t have any clothes or anything with me.”
“Well, I have a washing machine and dryer, not to mention a very cozy extra robe, and we don’t have anywhere to actually go. Plus it’s only four o’clock. We can totally DoorDash anything you’ll need, like a toothbrush. Sound good? Or am I being too presumptuous?”
“I don’t know if you are or not, but it sounds great.” Auggie shut his mouth with a snap. He hadn’t even given himself a moment to see if that was what he wanted to come out of his mouth, but it was definitely what had been in his brain.
“Cool.” Thor tugged Auggie’s jacket off, then turned him so they were facing each other before cupping his face and bringing their mouths together.
Thor’s kiss was even better than Auggie remembered, and he melted against Thor, all the wonderful things about being with this man rushing to the forefront and proving to him that it hadn’t been his imagination.
He reached up, to cling to Thor’s shoulders, and Thor grabbed his ass and tugged him closer while deepening the kiss.
Auggie opened wide, letting Thor in, to his mouth, to his heart, into him.
They did nothing but hold each other and kiss in Thor’s front hall for the longest time, and Thor finally broke the kiss to rest their foreheads together.
Auggie couldn’t help the little noise of disappointment that left him.
“I know,” Thor murmured. “I could kiss you forever, but we should put that order in for you before it gets too late. And I’d rather continue this on a nice soft surface where we can get horizontal than here in my front hall.”
Auggie was impressed—he hadn’t been thinking about anything aside from how good kissing Thor felt. But he was also feeling warm inside because Thor’s first order of business was taking care of his needs first and having a soft surface to make-out on second.
Thor took his hand again and led Auggie back to the den with its comfy couch. Auggie really liked that couch.
“Shall I start a fire?” Thor asked. “I haven’t had one since you were here last…”
“I’d like that.” He sat on the couch, curling up in a cushy corner while he watched Thor scrape out the ashes from the last fire, then build up the kindling, tinder and wood for another. Thor had it lit and running in no time. Very studly.
Then Thor came back to him, looking around with a frown. “I don’t have anything decorated for Christmas. I didn’t see the point if I was going to be on my own.”
“That’s cool. I haven’t decorated my place, either.” He didn’t see much point to putting everything up just to have to take it down again.
“We’ll have to do something about that.” Thor sat next to him and opened up his DoorDash app. “Okay, we’ll start with Shoppers and everything you’re going to need to stay awhile. Toothbrush. What’s your favorite color.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Auggie protested.
“Of course it does. I need your favorite color, whether you want soft, medium, or hard. Do you want it to be one of the vibrating ones or a full-on electric one? It all matters.”
There was that warm, cared-for feeling again. “Blue. Soft, and I like the vibrating ones. The electric ones are too expensive.”
“But you don’t object to them for any moral or ethical reasons?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Then we’ll try you out on one.” Thor added one to his cart.
Auggie shook his head. “They’re too expensive!”
“Consider it an early Christmas gift. Now I have Crest complete. Is that okay because I can order any kind you like.”
“The Crest is fine.”
“You’re sure?”
“It’s just toothpaste—I’m sure.”
“Okay.” Thor nodded. “Brush for your hair?”
“Please. And no, I don’t have a preference,” he said, pre-empting Thor’s next question.
Thor gave him a grin. “Deodorant?”
“I usually use baby powder instead of deodorant. The kind with the vitamin e.” Did that make him seem like a baby? He hoped not, the actual deodorant usually made his skin break out.
“Oh yeah? Interesting.” Thor added that to the list. “Are we forgetting anything you need in the personal hygiene department?”
Auggie tried to think of the stuff he used every morning without even thinking about it. “Do you have shampoo?” he asked just as Thor said “Shampoo!” Auggie laughed. “The stuff you use smells good. I’m happy with that if you don’t mind sharing.”
“Cool. Razors?”
“I only shave about once a week.”
“I’ll get you some because I’m keeping you until at least New Year’s.”
“Oh.” His cheeks heated, but he was so pleased.
Thor kissed his nose, then went back to his lips. “Okay, that’s it from Shoppers. Next up, Canadian Tire for Christmas decorations.”
Thor wound up buying an artificial tree, indoor and outdoor lights, ornaments, and a few other decorations for around the house. Auggie’s eyes got wider and wider the longer Thor’s list got.
“I want to do it up right for you,” Thor insisted.
“I’m starting to feel really spoiled,” Auggie admitted.
“Good.”
He threw his arms around Thor and kissed him. It was the best way he could express how this pampering and Thor’s attitude made him feel.
After they were done ordering decorations, Thor got a grocery list going. “We might as well do it all tonight. Then tomorrow, we can concentrate on decorating and each other.”
The store had a fully loaded Turkey dinner with all the fixings, including aps and desserts. “Oh, this is tempting. Do you mind if we don’t actually cook ourselves and just reheat a ready-made dinner?”
“I think it’s a stupid amount of food, but I am very good at re-heating.” He was used to it after all, between meals from Mrs. K. and take-out leftovers.
“We don’t need to eat it all on Christmas. In fact, I love a turkey sandwich or five after Christmas.” Thor ordered the big meal, and then things like bread and cereal, checking with Auggie for what he liked before adding anything to the list.
“How much do I owe you?” Auggie asked when Thor was done and had announced it should all be arriving by ten tonight.
“Nothing.”
He opened his mouth, and Thor put a finger across his lips to silence his protest.
“Consider it an early Christmas gift.”
“You know that line’s only going to work for a couple more days.”
Thor shrugged, looking unconcerned. “It’s a Daddy’s privilege to indulge his boy.”
Auggie sighed and leaned against Thor. He had to admit, once Thor had explained that Daddy did not equate father, this whole thing had a strong appeal. He just felt so safe and cared for with Thor. And that was entirely new.
“Okay, but you have to let me get supper.”
“I can live with that. What do you feel like?”
Auggie shook his head. “This is my treat to you so you get to choose.”
“Do you like sushi?” Thor asked.
Auggie made a face before he could even think about keeping himself expressionless and Thor laughed.
“How about Mexican?” he suggested instead.
“Sorry, just raw fish, you know?” He couldn’t even say it without making a face, even though he was trying. “And I love a good taco.”
“Excellent. Give me your phone and I’ll bring up my favorite place.”
Thor did and they ordered enough food to try everything and have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It wasn’t cheap, but Auggie figured he didn’t have to buy food for the next week given everything Thor had ordered, so he didn’t have to worry about how much this was.
When he closed his phone, Thor took it from his hand. He blinked over and Thor smiled. “Let’s make out until our food gets here.”
Auggie thought that was a fantastic idea.