Chapter 30
thirty
*LEO*
Soren tells me over and over again that I definitely shouldn’t buy any special presents. That they are really not focusing on the gifts. It’s more about the gesture. “We usually buy something bigger for the birthdays,” he explains. “But not for Christmas.”
I decide to trust him and buy a cute little ostrich plushy for Robin.
For Soren, I duplicate the keys to my apartment, so he can come and go as he pleases, and a hand-drawn picture of him, Barkley and me, because I want him to have something personal as well.
It’s the three of us on our hike. As for Aspen, I have a special idea for him.
Our late grandfather was the only family member we really were close to, Aspen in particular.
When he died, I inherited some of his stuff or rather, my father dumped it on me.
Now that I have moved, I remembered it again.
There is an old pocket watch Grandpa used a lot.
It needs some work, so I take it to the town’s watchmaker first, and then handcraft a brand-new chain for it.
For the next couple of days, Soren and I are busy with shopping and preparing the desserts, plus decorating our own places for Christmas. We have decided to put up a Christmas tree at his place. Barkley and I will stay over for the holidays.
We might have gone a little overboard with everything, including the dessert, but I just wanted to try so many different things, and it feels like Soren wanted to indulge me in as many ways as possible.
“I think we are done,” Soren says when I put the last batch of cookies into a box and put the box into one of the baskets for tomorrow. We are going to head out tomorrow morning to be at Aspen’s place before lunch. “I have also packed a pair of ice skates for you. I think they should fit.”
“Thank you,” I beam. “You are the sweetest. Do we need anything else?”
“I think we are set,” Soren says, while I store away a few boxes with Christmas ornaments. Cracker is playing with the branches of the Christmas tree before clumsily staggering towards Barkley and resting between his huge paws.
“So,” I smile innocently. “I assume Cracker is here to stay?”
“Well—" Soren brushes his hair, looking flustered. “I guess I can’t part with him. And I figured one cat won’t make much difference, plus he gets along with Barkley.”
“I am happy he‘s staying,” I say, inwardly squealing when Barkley starts grooming the little kitten with his huge tongue. That’s so cute. “The more furbabies, the better. And don’t forget I still have that dream about one day having my own alpaca farm. A whole pack.”
Soren chuckles. “The last time we talked about this, you mentioned one alpaca. When did it become a whole pack?”
“Well, one alone would be lonely,” I say.
“Of course,” he snorts, hugging me from behind and squeezing me. “You are so cute. I am so lucky, I have my cat, and my pet-Leo.”
“Who are you calling a pet?” I complain.
“You are just so adorable.”
“Instead of comparing me to your cat, how about you tell me a joke? It’s been a while.”
“Oh!” Soren perks up visibly, and I turn around to look at him, my expectation rising at how confident he looks. “I got a new one, actually.”
“Awesome. Shoot.”
“Do you want to hear a joke about a construction site?”
“Sure,” I say.
“I am still working on it.” He looks at me expectantly, while I just stare at him. Eventually, I groan. “Took a while, huh?” he asks, sounding proud.
He can be such a doofus sometimes. Now that’s cute. I grab his face, pulling him into a kiss.
“How did I get rewarded with a kiss?” he asks, nuzzling his nose into my hair.
I smile. “I just felt like it.”
Soren pulls me a little closer. I am about to close my eyes and lean into his kiss when he turns his head away and sneezes, and then again. I wish I could laugh, but instead I feel the urge to sneeze myself. After a minute of both of us sneezing, we laugh.
“Okay, too much dust in the room after we set everything up,” I chuckle.
“Yeah, and too much flour in our hair. In yours at least,” Soren says. “But I doubt mine is any better. Let’s take a shower. You can go first. I will carry the boxes into the basement meanwhile. Good thing we cleaned everything else up… everything but us.”
“Are you okay on your own?”
“Yes, there are only a few boxes left anyway.” He grabs my shoulders and pushes me into the bathroom. I let him, secretly glad that I don’t need to carry any more boxes. My arms feel mushy, and Soren is right, I am covered in flour, dust, and whatever else was on those Christmas ornaments.
I wash it all off me in a steaming hot shower.
It’s just the best feeling to be clean after having worked a whole day.
I wrap myself in a towel and walk into Soren’s bedroom.
For a moment, I contemplate my options, then I take off my towel and sit down on his bed.
Soren’s footsteps can be heard again, and the door to the basement closes.
“Leo, I am heading straight to the bathroom.” He yells through the house.
“Go ahead, I am in the bedroom. Looking for clothes.” That’s not true. I am very much sitting around here naked, but he doesn’t need to know it yet.
The door to the bathroom opens. Before it closes again, I can hear Soren calling towards me. “Hey, Leo, what’s red and smells like blue paint?”
I sit up straighter, grinning. I wish I’d have an answer to this type of funny-unfunny question, but I never have. I am just not witty enough. “I have no idea.”
“Red paint,” he says, and closes the door behind him.
I laugh. “You are so silly.”
I lie down on the bed, stretching my limbs and taking in a lungful of Soren’s scent.
There is something so comforting about his scent.
In the distance, I can hear the shower being turned off, then it’s quiet.
Eventually, I hear Soren’s footsteps coming closer.
“I was thinking, we could watch a movie and—" He opens the door, already clad in his pajamas. Once he sees me, he halts.
I push myself up on my elbow, looking at him. I have no idea how to flirt or seduce anyone. I doubt I even look particularly sexy.
“Forget what I said,” he says, taking off his pajama top.
Yes, it worked!
It worked almost too well. So much so that Soren doesn’t waste any time, he climbs onto the bed, straddling my hips while I push backwards a little.
He grabs me by the back of my head, pulling me forward into a bruising kiss.
His lips are soft and rough at the same time, his tongue pushing past my lips demanding entrance, and I just let him.
I love when he is like that. It’s so hot.
Soren moves his lips to my ear. “Turn over,” he whispers, voice hoarse.
I decide it’s fine to be swept along, and have him do all the work, quite literally, especially when his voice is so sexy. I follow his command, hearing some rustling before I spy his pants being tossed to the side.
There is the sound of a bottle being opened, before Soren pours cold lube over my ass. He gathers the liquid, his fingers moving between the cleft of my ass before he pushes one finger into me without further warning. He knows me well enough by now to find that soft spot immediately.
“Fuck,” I groan.
Soren’s hand is on my back, pushing me down, while he still straddles my legs. I can barely move. I should probably feel anxious, but instead, I feel freaking turned on by how much control he has. He is three fingers deep inside me soon, making me moan, my hips rocking against the bed.
“Fuck, you are so hot,” Soren groans, moving back slightly, and yanking me up a little, so I am on my knees. “Keep your knees together,” he commands, his lips brushing over my shoulder.
I want to ask why, but then feel Soren’s dick push into me. The friction is so much more intense in that position. It’s fucking hot. My cock is caught between my stomach and my legs, with every time Soren thrusts into me, I feel it rub against my skin.
“Are you good?” Soren whispers, licking over my neck.
“Are you kidding? It’s fucking amazing.”
“Do you want more?”
“Yes!”
Soren bites into my shoulder before sucking the spot, his hips snapping against my ass now, with every thrust burying his cock deep inside me. I can feel him shift slightly, the next time he slams inside me, he pushes against my soft spot again, making me whimper.
He keeps up the pace, making me moan and gape, unable to say anything coherently. Whenever I want to move my hand underneath my body to touch my cock, Soren picks up his pace. He presses my legs further together, and fuck, I think I am going to come like that. “Soren,” I moan.
“It’s fine,” he reassures me.
The pressure in my balls is so intense, I just want to feel my release. “I don’t think I can…”
His tongue licks a trail down my back before he shifts his angle once more. “So beautiful,” he whispers. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I don’t know what it is. The genuine praise in his voice, the way his cock keeps penetrating my prostate, the position, or my own cock being caught between my leg and stomach.
I feel a shudder going down my spine, and then another one.
My muscles squeeze around Soren’s cock, before all the built-up tension inside me suddenly lets loose.
I allow myself to be swept away by that feeling, letting go of any control I have.
Soren says something, but his voice sounds muffled to my ears.
Closing my eyes, I rock out my orgasm for as long as I can, feeling my cum against my stomach and legs.
It’s so intense, I can barely grasp what’s happening.
When I open my eyes again, I am actually on my back, my head resting against Soren’s arm. “Okay, not to boost your ego,” I say. “But that was insane.”
Soren grins. “That just did boost my ego, so you know.”
“It’s fine, you are not particularly arrogant,” I say. “A little ego boost is okay.”
Soren touches my face softly. “I have bad sides, Leo. I am not all good. I want you to know that. I can be jealous and insecure, like you noticed recently. I tend to get possessive and maybe overbearing.”
“I know that,” I reassure him. “I am not perfect either. I still have an insane amount of baggage. But I feel like when I am with you, things are easier, you know? The baggage is not as heavy as it used to be.”
“If only you knew how happy it makes me to hear you say that,” Soren admits. “So, if I ever get too overbearing or jealous, just tell me. Or call Robin, and he will tell me.”
I laugh. “He would totally do that, wouldn’t he?”
Soren kisses my forehead. “Everyone here will have your back.”
“I want them to have your back, too,” I say.
“They will.” Soren grins. “Don’t forget I am their only vet.”
“Good,” I say. “You know, it’s the first time I‘ve experienced this. Being in a place where people take me the way I am, where I am accepted, where people don’t mind my sexuality, and don’t mind that I am being… Leo.”
“I know how that feels,” Soren says. “I barely have any family left, either. We can be each other’s family instead.”
I nod. “I’d like that.”