Chapter 8 A Hard-Won Homecoming #2
Colin exhaled slowly, his fingers tracing idle circles against Joshua’s back.
The fire crackled, wrapping the room in quiet warmth.
He let his eyes drift shut for a moment, feeling the steady rhythm of Joshua’s breath against him, the quiet hum of life settling back into its proper place.
Everything right… everything where it belonged.
Joshua shifted just enough to press a lingering kiss to Colin’s shoulder, then whispered, “Let’s stay like this forever.”
Colin smiled, his grip tightening. “Well, I’m certainly in favor of that, bud. However…” His arm tightened as he drew Joshua closer. “The kind of welcome home I plan to give you tonight might require that we take this beautiful evening upstairs. See if our bed is still as comfy as we remember it.”
Joshua laughed softly, brushing his lips against Colin’s jaw. “I’m ready when you are.”
Colin stood, tugging Joshua up with him, and without breaking their closeness, led him toward the stairs.
The firelight flickered behind them, casting long shadows as they moved.
Halfway up the steps, Joshua caught Colin’s hand and pulled him into a deep, slow kiss, one that smoldered with the promise of everything the night had in store.
“Welcome home, my love,” Joshua murmured against Colin’s lips.
Colin’s answering smile was filled with warmth, mischief, and something more profound—something unshakable. “Best damn welcome home I could ask for.”
Fingers entwined, they disappeared into the darkness of their room. Colin headed straight for the closet, dropping his clothes on the floor as he walked. Once there, he tugged his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on top of them.
After a moment, Joshua moved to his side and leaned against his arm, gazing up into his eyes as his fingers moved in a slow circle over Colin’s bare chest. “You’ll have to excuse me for a few minutes, my darling. A night like this one requires a bit of preparation.”
Colin breathed out a quick laugh, following Joshua with his eyes as he moved to the bathroom.
A low sound escaped him as he climbed into bed and slid his hand over the cool sheets, anticipation thrumming beneath his skin.
He heard the whisper of the shower and smiled, then stretched out, his eyes drifting to the ceiling.
His hand inched toward the length of his burgeoning erection but pulled away.
“No, no, no,” he whispered. “Save it for Josh. He won’t be long. ”
Minutes later, Joshua emerged from the shower, naked and glistening with damp heat. He eased onto the bed and began a slow, sensuous lip-walk up the length of Colin’s body. His mouth brushing over Colin’s skin in a deliberate upward glide.
“Oh my god, you are on fire tonight,” Colin moaned, his breath hitching as he arched toward Joshua’s teasing mouth, the ache in him beyond words—beyond thought—his need, burning and raw.
Joshua’s lips lingered at the base of Colin’s throat, his breath ghosting over sensitive skin.
He trailed kisses higher, each one a spark against Colin’s overheated flesh, and Colin whimpered, his fingers twisting into the sheets beneath him.
His heart pounded, each beat echoing in his ears as he trembled, every breath a gasp.
He moaned as his mouth devoured Colin’s throat, their bodies undulating in a wanton dance of heat and friction, skin sliding against skin, driving them both to the edge.
“Please,” Colin gasped, his body arching into Joshua’s touch as though pulled by an unseen force. “Josh—I need you.”
Joshua grabbed the lubricant, slicking them both with a shaking handful of the slippery substance. Then, with a low, broken growl, he sank onto Colin’s rigid length, his cry piercing the air—pain and pleasure colliding as he took Colin deep inside.
“Josh… Josh… Josh…” Colin whispered, his voice a breathless prayer as Joshua rocked above him, crying out with every shuddering breath. Joshua moved in a sensual rhythm, feeling every inch of Colin’s length stroke him from within, sending pleasure scorching through his veins.
He groaned in ecstatic agony, then cried out as Colin’s big hand wrapped around him, strong and sure, stroking him to the edge.
The world shattered as he tumbled into release, collapsing onto Colin’s heaving chest, feeling his husband shudder with the force of his climax—his name a broken cry in the darkness.
For several minutes, neither of them could speak.
The only sound in the room was that of their deep, shuddering gasps.
Joshua had collapsed on top of Colin’s body, shaking all over.
His face pressed against the damp skin of Colin’s throat, the pulse throbbing against his lips, grounded him in the here and now.
Colin’s hand came to rest in Joshua’s curls, fingers threading slowly through the sweat-damp strands.
Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. It wasn’t silence born of awkwardness or uncertainty—it was a stillness born of reverence. The kind of stillness that flowed from something sacred.
At last, Joshua whispered, his voice raw and hoarse, “I’d die without this.”
Colin’s fingers stilled, then tightened ever so slightly.
He turned his head, pressing a kiss to Joshua’s temple.
“That’s the last thing you ever need to worry about.
” He drew in several deep, relaxing breaths, then tugged gently on Joshua’s curls, urging him to lift his head until their eyes met.
“Um, we probably need to hit the shower, my love.”
“Are you suggesting…” Joshua began, still snuggling against Colin’s naked body.
“That we’re covered with sweat and—using a term a gay romance author might appreciate—love juice?
Joshua’s whole body shook with soft laughter. “Well, when you put it like that!”
Colin gently nudged him, and Joshua eased himself to his knees, wincing as he breathed out a soft moan.
“Problem?”
Joshua shot him a quick, teasing glance beneath narrowed brows. “Now, now. Not nice to brag.”
Colin snickered, then eased himself to his feet and took Joshua’s arm, helping him clamber off the bed. “Hey,” he muttered as he drew Joshua toward the bathroom. “This one was all you.”
The following morning, Joshua woke to the familiar hum of home.
Colin’s breathing was steady beside him, a quiet reassurance in the stillness.
Drawn by the thought of coffee, he slipped from the bed and padded downstairs, bare feet whispering on the steps.
In the kitchen, he put the coffee on to brew, then eased the few items they’d carted to the Omni back into their proper places.
A soft sigh escaped as he gazed out the window toward the backyard.
For a moment, everything felt exactly as it should.
Then his nose wrinkled, the contentment broken. “Smells stale in here.”
He moved to the back porch, ducked around Colin’s stationary bike, and grabbed a can of Lysol. He was happily spraying the lower level of the house with disinfectant when Colin stumbled down the stairs, waving his hands in front of his face. “My god, Josh! Is there another pandemic?”
“You want our house to smell like stale fish?”
Colin laughed and ruffled Joshua’s hair before rounding the corner into the kitchen. “All I want right now is coffee! Ah! And there it is!”
Joshua gazed down at the spray can and then sniffed the air, wrinkling his nose.
“He may have a point.” He trailed Colin into the kitchen and slid both arms around him from behind.
“You want breakfast?” he asked, his right hand sliding down the front of Colin’s sweatpants to cup him with unmistakable intent. “Or… maybe something else?”
Colin burst into laughter, then grabbed Joshua’s hand and lifted it to his lips as he turned to face him. “Can I, maybe, wake up first? My god, you’re a cock hound!” He wound an arm around Joshua’s neck and drew him close, sipping his coffee as they stood together, bodies pressed tight.
Joshua gave a soft, contented whimper as he nestled his face against Colin’s chest. “Not a cock hound,” he grumbled, then leaned back and met Colin’s eyes. “Why did last night feel so different from when we made love at the hotel?”
Colin set his coffee mug on the counter and brought both arms around Joshua, holding him with deliberate tenderness.
“Because this is home,” he said softly. “A hotel could never give us that. Last night, we weren’t just trying to feel good—we were back in a sacred place.
Letting it sink into our bones that we had our life back. ”
Joshua’s arms tightened around him. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it—not just the house, but… us. Here. Like this.”
Colin’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Me too, bud.” He pulled back, meeting Joshua’s eyes. “We could be anywhere, and as long as we’re together, I’m OK.”
Joshua smiled and nodded, his fingers brushing the edge of Colin’s jaw.
Colin bent his head, kissing him slow and soft, a kiss that tasted like morning coffee and quiet devotion.
“But this?” He gestured around them, shaking his head in a kind of wonder.
“This will always be different. It’s the home we built together.
It’s everything we are. Everything we love. Being here will always be special.”
Outside, sunlight filtered through the window, casting gold streaks across the kitchen floor. Inside, wrapped in each other’s arms, they stood still just for a bit longer. No courtrooms. No counseling sessions. No threats. Just the hum of the house, the rhythm of two hearts finding peace.
Together. Home again.