Chapter Twelve
Anders
I led Bastian upstairs and kissed him slowly, stripping off his clothes as soon as we got into the bedroom. I shut the door behind us because the last thing we needed was a nosy cat coming to investigate and trying to get involved.
April rain pattered against the window as I laid Bastian out on the sheets, kissing every inch of him.
I wanted him to feel just how much he meant to me.
Being away from each other for two days had made me realise that, even though it was impossible, I never wanted us to be apart again.
If we had to be, I wanted him to always come back because Bastian belonged here with me.
I shed my clothes and reached for the lube, sucking his cock into my mouth as I prepped him.
Bastian’s fingers grasped at my hair as he writhed on the bed, bucking his hips up into my mouth.
I took everything he gave me. When he was ready, I moved over him and kissed him deeply as my cock pushed inside him.
Bastian’s arms wrapped around my shoulders and his legs around my hips, pulling me deeper into him.
He moaned and gasped as we rocked together, his mouth finding mine in an endless series of kisses.
He was everything to me, and I wanted to give him the world.
Bastian slipped a hand between us to grip his cock, working it slowly until he cried out my name and shuddered through his release, painting our skin with his cum. That was all I needed to pull me over the edge and send me hurtling into oblivion.
When we eventually pulled apart, we did our best to clean up with a couple of tissues before sliding under the duvet. Bastian snuggled deep into my side, resting his hand on my chest and running his fingers through my chest hair.
“Can I ask you something?” he said eventually, not looking at me but continuing to play with my chest.
“Of course.”
“What do you want to do now?”
I frowned, wondering where this was going.
“Now? I was thinking we could have lunch in a bit… then you can tell me about the wedding.” Bastian chuckled softly, and I got the feeling I’d totally misread the question.
He looked up at me with fond eyes and soft lips.
He was so fucking handsome, and I knew I’d never meet anyone as beautiful.
“No, I mean, it’s been three weeks. What do you want… with us?”
Fuck. I was such an idiot. No wonder Bastian had laughed.
It was a good question, though, because we’d never really talked about where this was going beyond my initial come and stay and we’ll see.
That was a mistake, I realised. I should have told him on the first day he arrived that I never wanted him to leave.
I should have told him then that I loved him. I’d known from the moment he’d left for the first time that the pain I felt could only be love.
“I want you to stay,” I said. “Forever.”
“Forever is a long time,” Bastian said as he gazed at me.
“I know, but what I feel for you isn’t going to change. I love you, Bastian, and I don’t want to live in a world without you in it. You are everything to me.”
“I love you too.” He slid up the bed towards me until he was hovering above me and looking down at me with eyes full of emotion. “I never thought I’d get to have this,” he said. “I never felt like I belonged anywhere until I met you. And now… I feel like I have a home.”
I tilted my head up to kiss him in the hope I could take away any of the remaining fears he felt. I never wanted him to be afraid or feel anything but loved.
“This will always be your home.”
Later that afternoon, we walked down into town.
The rain had cleared, leaving behind a pale blue sky littered with clouds.
The tide was in, leaving only a thin strip of beach to walk along.
I took Bastian down the front, waiting patiently while he explored all the little shops there and carrying any bags he reappeared with.
Afterwards, we went to The Sleeping Goose because I knew Soren would be apoplectic if I didn’t introduce him to Bastian soon.
His texts were getting more and more demanding, and his threats to just turn up at the house were becoming more realistic by the day.
I knew Colin could only hold him off so long, and three weeks was an eternity to Soren.
I knew I should have brought Bastian along sooner since we’d been all over town, but I’d wanted to keep him to myself for just a little bit.
“You’re alive!” Soren exclaimed loudly from behind the bar when we strolled in.
“The prodigal son returns from his writing cave.” A couple of the regulars laughed, and I had no doubt Soren had spent the past three weeks talking their ears off about the situation.
At least he’d said writing cave instead of bedroom.
Soren knew where the line was, even if he pushed it occasionally.
“Asshole,” I muttered, very tempted to turn around and leave again.
“You must be Soren,” Bastian said, appearing beside me with his customary grin as he put a hole in my plan to leave. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“It’s probably all lies,” Soren said as he waved a bar towel around dramatically. “I’m sure Anders has described me as a good-for-nothing cat thief, even if the last time I saw Fish she sank her claws into my thigh.”
Bastian chuckled wryly. “Something like that.”
“I knew it.” Soren shot me a look. “I’m glad you’re real though. I was worried my brother was making you up.”
“Don’t be a dick,” I said as I leant on the bar. “You knew he was real.”
Soren waved his hand. “Like fifty-fifty.”
“Who the fuck else do you think took that photo?”
“That could have been anyone! Literally anyone. That has no bearing on this,” he said, gesturing between the two of us. “Oh wait, Colin needs to meet you too! Babe, come here! You have to meet Anders’s boyfriend.”
Colin appeared two seconds later with a frown on his face like he also didn’t believe what he was hearing. I wondered what my brother had told him and why it was so impossible to believe I had managed to find someone.
“Boyfriend?” Colin asked as he looked at Bastian.
“Boyfriend,” Bastian said, introducing himself.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Colin said. “Are you just here for the weekend?”
“Er… no, a bit longer than that.”
Soren looked between the two of us and frowned. Then he pointed a bar towel at me. “I’m not driving a moving van, and I’m not moving any of your bastard bookcases.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you to!” A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth because I knew that if that was where Soren’s mind had gone, we’d be fine.
He wasn’t going to say it was too soon or ask if we’d thought things through or any of the annoying questions I’d been anticipating.
He didn’t need to worry about the bookcases either.
I’d already started to clear the clutter out of the other bedroom.
We just needed to get Bastian a suitable desk, a couple of shelves, and whatever other stuff he wanted.
And maybe give the walls a lick of paint considering they were currently a faded beige colour.
Bastian laughed, the sound lighting up the bar. “It’s fine. I don’t have many worldly possessions. Not unless my brother decides to foist some excess furniture off on us.”
“Tell him we don’t have room,” I said as my grin widened.
“That will make literally no difference. August will find room.”
“Not if I bolt the bloody door.”
We chatted at the bar for a while before ordering some drinks and food—at Soren’s insistence—before heading for my favourite table in the corner.
Soren joined us for a little bit when he brought out our meal, and Colin dropped in and out as he passed.
It was a fun way to spend the rest of the afternoon, and Soren made us promise to come back for one of the quiz nights despite my protestations that I didn’t know enough people to make a team.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find you some people,” Soren said. “It’d be good for you to socialise more.”
I wanted to disagree, but he might have been right, and it would be good for Bastian to meet people.
He’d moved here for me, and I didn’t want him to get lonely.
Doing a quiz night wouldn’t kill me. Apparently the next one they were running was a themed one on the Jurassic Park movies, which I had to admit sounded fun.
Afterwards, we strolled back towards the beach, hand in hand.
The tide was going out, so Bastian led me down to the sand.
We paused halfway along to look out across the bay, and I wrapped my arms around him to pull him against me, his back resting against my chest as I kissed the back of his head. Bastian sighed.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I am. I don’t think I could be any happier. Everything is so beautiful here. It’s exactly like I pictured when you first mentioned it.”
“I’m glad.” I squeezed him a little tighter. “Do you want to go home or stay here for a bit?”
“Let’s stay,” he said. “I want to remember this feeling forever.”