Chapter 23 #2
“It’s fine. We had a discussion about how everyone is an adult and living their own lives now.” Charles offered him a smile. “Did you know that Ryder’s younger brothers are coming for a visit?”
Ryder’s younger brothers. Who were also Roper’s younger brothers, but he didn’t make a thing of it. “No, I wasn’t aware. How nice.” He glanced over at Roper.
Roper was staring at Ryder, eyes wide, and the twins were both shaking their heads.
Hm. He glanced back at Charles. “Did Ryder know that the twins were coming for a visit?”
“We just found out when we got back into town.”
Roper was shaking with laughter now, his boy barely holding it together.
“And they’re staying with you, I presume?” He didn’t know much about Roper’s younger brothers, but he knew enough to understand that it was going to be an…eventful visit.
“Yes, for two weeks.”
Roper was bouncing, Ryder was blushing, and both boys had their hands filled with glasses.
“Come on, boys, sit down.” He waved them over. “Before you drop something.”
Roper winked at him and sat, smiling like the Cheshire cat.
He’d experienced twin-speak with his sister, but he’d never seen it with other people until now. “Are you going to fill us in, or just sit there grinning?”
“Oh, I’m going to sit here and grin.” Roper winked at him. “And Ryder’s going to sit there and try to figure out what he’s going to do with the babies for two weeks.”
“We can take them sightseeing, out on the boat, do some hiking,” Charles suggested.
He was thinking exactly what Roper was. Better them than us.
“You should come see them too, Roper. There’s plenty of room, and I’m sure they’d love to see you.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m taking a few leveling classes, and I need to study, but I hope you guys have a ton of fun.” Roper beamed. “A ton.”
Ryder tilted his head. “Classes?”
“Yeah. Classes.”
Taking classes. He snorted. “You’re not taking classes.” He looked at Ryder. “He’s not ‘taking classes’. He’s fully enrolled at NanoBioNYC and is going to earn his PhD in Biomimicry. Roper’s wanted to do this for some time.”
Ryder’s eyes went wide. “A doctorate? You? Really? You’re retiring?”
Roper shook his head. “I’m retired. I announced a week ago.”
Ironic that if Ryder and Charles hadn’t spent that extra week in Paris, Ryder would have been around for the announcement.
“The last few months have been full of big decisions and life changes. I’m proud of Roper.” He took Roper’s hand to prove it.
“I will say, the boy—” Charles shook his head and smiled. “The man sitting here has come a long way from the one who was staying with us. I can see why you’re proud. You’ve obviously worked hard with him.”
He grinned at Roper. “It was a collaborative thing.”
Roper stuck his tongue out at him, covering it by biting and smiling. “You know it.”
Charles chuckled. “I’d heard about Roper’s challenges from his former Dom. The one that sent Ryder to me? I’m happy for you both.”
Roper gave Charles a nod, even as he gave Toby’s hand a fierce squeeze.
They didn’t need to discuss that, he knew. He changed the subject. “So, Ryder, how did you like London?”
“It was amazing. Really. I loved it—we had so much fun exploring.”
“Good deal.” Roper nodded to Ryder. “You’ll have to share pics.”
“I’ve been,” Toby said. “I spent a lot of time in bars, and I saw some shows. Did the obligatory touristy stuff. It’s a neat city.” This felt so much like awkward small talk. The brothers were just so different. But they seemed to be getting along okay.
Roper grinned at him. “I bet you’re fun to tourist with. I’ll have to try at some point.”
He smiled at his boy. “We’d travel so well together.” Paris. Amsterdam. Berlin. They’d have a blast.
Roper’s eyes were focused on him and him alone. “Yes, Professor. There’s nothing I’d like more.”
Well, that was a plan. They just needed to find the time. “We’re here to talk things out with your brother, boy. So talk.”
“Nothing to say. He’s fine, aren’t you Ry?”
Ryder blinked at Roper. “I…guess so.”
Toby glanced at Charles doubtfully. He knew better, but he wasn’t sure what was happening here. “He’s fine?”
“He’s fine. He has a life with china teacups and homemade stews and first-class tickets. I have a life with school and pizza and a Professor who loves to teach my happy ass lessons. He’s never going to get nipple rings, and I’m never going to get a ribbon for being sweet.”
Ryder tilted his head. “Well, I can attest to that, yes.”
“Can the two of you agree to respect all of that about each other, then? Ryder? Do you have questions?” If that was all this was, he wasn’t sure why they were here. Roper and Ryder could have had that conversation on the phone.
“Yeah. Are you going to stop being a cowboy?”
Roper’s eyebrow shot up so fast the boy was going to get whiplash. “Pardon me?”
“Can you do that?” The question just popped out of Toby’s mouth. “Did you stop being a cowboy?”
“I didn’t go out in public in tiny shorts and all…kinky. Bubba, that’s…intense.”
Roper waggled his eyebrows. “Yep. Wait until you show up to the club one day and we’re doing a spanking exhibition. You’ll cry.”
“Boy,” he said in an admonishing tone, but he had every intention of following up on that thought later. “That’s enough.” Roper was testing his brother, the way he tested everyone. Waiting to see if Ryder would just reject him outright.
He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Ryder, Roper and I have different tastes and a different lifestyle than you do. No one is suggesting that you have to approve, he doesn’t need that.
But he does need you to accept that this is his life now, just as you have yours.
You have what you want, and now, finally, Roper has found what he wants. ”
“And you’re happy?” Ryder asked Roper, who nodded.
“Of course I am. This is my man. This is my home. I’m a member of our club. I’m happy.”
He picked up their clasped hands and kissed Roper’s knuckles.
“That’s what matters most to Ryder.” Charles put a hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “That Roper is safe and happy. I told him, but he needed to hear it from his brother.”
“I’m solid.” Roper winked at his brother. “Can we please eat lunch now?”
“Classless shit for brains.”
Roper beamed at his brother. “Be sweet, Ry. You’re going to get your mouth washed out with soap.”
“You would know.” Ryder grinned right back and pointed. “That’s his job.”
“Just make sure you rinse good before you suck him off, though. Soap stings.”
“Okay. That’s one more for your tally, and enough of that talk.” He snorted. “Are we good here then? I’m hungry, and I bet this place has a fancy menu.”
“You know it. I bet you can even get lobster macaroni with gold flecks on it.” Roper was just on a roll.
“It’s excellent, but sans the gold flecks, I’m afraid.” Charles didn’t even crack a smile.
Roper fluttered his eyelashes. “Oh, bummer. It’s no fun without the sparkle.”
He picked up his iced tea. “Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing plenty of sparkles later. I’ll see to it.”
Ryder would be planning a nice home-cooked meal, and Roper would be bent over the kitchen counter.
Hm.
“Ryder, do you prefer the old-fashioned wooden spoons, or the silicone ones?”
“I’m absolutely a wooden spoon type, although periodically I use the silicone…”
“Me too.” He nodded and shot Roper a grin. “Me too.”
Roper stuck his tongue out at him. “Listen to you.”
“Are you? What a beautiful and rare occurrence.” Ryder snorted a laugh as he picked up his menu.
“Uh-huh.” Roper leaned in, pointing out the lobster mac and cheese. “This is the one—the non-sparkly one. I want the burger with the million-dollar bun.”
“Sounds great.” He leaned a little to, speaking softly. “I hear it comes with three-thousand-year-old cheese aged in a sarcophagus.”
“Ooh…mummified cheese, that melts my butter.”
The urge to put Roper over his thighs right now was getting bigger every second.
He glanced up to find Ryder watching them and smiled. “Don’t worry. He’s perfect.”
Ryder snorted. “I’m glad you think so.”
He blinked at Ryder, then laughed out loud. Charles joined him, grinning at his boy.
“We really can’t ask for more than that, can we?”
He shook his head. “We cannot.”
Roper rolled his eyes, then winked at his brother. “You think we’re going to make it, brother?”
“Maybe.”
Toby shrugged. “I think you have a good chance. Assuming you survive the twins’ visit.”
“I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Roper beamed at Charles. “Y’all are going to have a blast.”
Charles gave Roper a dubious look. “We’ll keep them busy, and if they want to visit the city? We’ll send them right to you.”
“Nope. We have no room. None. Zip. The boys need space to run around and tire themselves out.” Butter wouldn’t melt in Roper’s mouth.
He chuckled. He’d heard enough. “We’ll come visit for a day or two if you need a break, Charles, but Roper really does have class and so do I for that matter.”
“Oh, he’s good.” Ryder winked at Roper. “And we’d love to see you both. You know that.”
“I do.”
Ryder grinned at him. “I love you, shithead.”
Roper stuck his tongue out at his brother. “I love you more.”
Huzzah. Mission accomplished.
Now he could enjoy a fancy lunch and look forward to a rewarding decompression scene tonight.
No wooden spoon though. He hated doing dishes.