Chapter 7
Archer
"That's it, little one. You're doing so well."
Archer relaxed and let Romilly in. Romilly's voice rolled over Archer's body, taunting and teasing and promising in ways Archer loved.
He was coming undone, being torn apart in the best way, and he could feel his body climbing toward an orgasm.
He wanted to speak up, to let Romilly know, but it was like his voice was frozen in his throat.
Romilly pulled Archer up, his hand moving around Archer's smaller frame to press against his chest until they were pressed together and perfectly aligned. Romilly didn't stop thrusting, didn't stop giving Archer everything he had.
Romilly's hand wrapped around Archer's cock, and he jolted at the touch.
He blinked a few times, realizing everything that had just happened was a dream and that the hand wrapped around him was his own. He should have stopped. This wasn't right. He was abusing the kindness Romilly had shown him.
But his hand was still moving, and his body was still tight and there was no stopping it. He came with a whimper, his body jolting as he shook from his release.
Archer fought to catch his breath, overwhelmed at how strong his desire was and how real it had felt.
The day before, Romilly had looked at him like he wanted to kiss Archer, like he wanted to devour him.
Archer's heart had beat so fast, and his mind had gone to visions of them pressed against one another, like the brief moments they'd shared in the shower.
But something had changed Romilly's mind, and instead of planting his lips on Archer's, he'd kissed his forehead and left him there to fall asleep.
Archer was confused by it all. He didn't think he'd made it seem like he didn't want to be kissed.
Maybe he had. Maybe his own perception was twisted.
All he knew was that he had gone to bed aching and woken up with his own hand around himself.
Talk about being in deep. His emotions were all over the place, and though he knew he should hold back, he also knew it was only a matter of time before he let it slip how he felt about Romilly.
Before he could dig any deeper into his thoughts, there was a knock at his door and then it was pushed open. Archer tensed, realizing he couldn't move. All it would take was someone seeing his hand to understand what he'd been doing. And of course it was Romilly who walked through the door.
The big man strolled inside with a smile on his face, but he froze. His nose lifted into the air and Archer blanched at the thought that his release had a scent to it. Was that even a thing? And if so, how keen did someone's senses have to be to pick that up?
Romilly didn't say anything, though he did appear stiffer as he finished walking toward Archer.
His gaze moved over the blanket, and Archer was thankful nothing was visibly off and that his body had settled.
Though if Romilly kept staring at him, he knew it would only be a matter of time before that changed. The man's gaze was potent.
"Good morning," Romilly said.
"Morning," Archer rushed out. "Is everything okay?"
Romilly rubbed a hand over his mouth, stroking his mustache on the way down. Archer had never had a thing for men with mustaches since a lot of times they came across as off-putting. Amazingly, it worked on Romilly.
It worked very well.
Archer waited for the other man to speak, and when he did, he wanted to curse his luck. "You need to get dressed and eat. I figured I would come assist."
Archer didn't know what to say. He did need the help, but at the same time he needed to clean up the mess he'd made, and he couldn't exactly expect Romilly to leave him alone to do that, could he?
As if he could read Archer's mind, Romilly cleared his throat and said, "I'll go see about getting you some clothes. Why don't you take your shirt off so you can get ready?" He left in a rush, and Archer breathed a sigh of relief.
That was easier than expected. It didn't mean he was entirely off the hook, but it gave him just enough time to clean up and straighten himself out before pulling his underwear back into place.
When Romilly came back into the room, he had a bundle of clothes in his hand. The soft, cozy outfit was one Archer appreciated. He didn't want to be dressed up in a suit or anything. Not only would it disrupt his bandages, but he'd never really liked that sort of thing anyway.
Romilly moved slowly, giving Archer plenty of time to stop him as he grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it down.
Romilly's nose twitched and he sucked in a breath, though he didn't say a word.
It wasn't an issue, because Romilly had Archer changed and into the new clothes before it could become one.
The minute he was dressed, Romilly scooped Archer into his arms and settled him on his hip.
Archer held on tight and leaned his head on Romilly's shoulder as they made their way to the dining area.
He was getting used to being carried around.
It would be hard in his future, trying to navigate relationships where he wasn't spoiled the way Romilly was spoiling him.
He'd have to try to be a good partner instead of a pouting mess, wishing that others were more like someone else.
Not that he was even dating Romilly. This was just different. He didn't have words for it.
In the dining room, the rest of the family was already seated at the table, food laid out for everyone. "Good morning, sweetheart. It's so good to see you," Mira called out as soon as she saw him.
Archer smiled and waved. "It's good to see you too."
Silas nodded, smiling around his cup of coffee. Hadrian and Eden were quiet, though Archer suspected it had nothing to do with him. They were focused entirely on the food in front of them, shoveling it in like they couldn't get enough.
Romilly eased Archer down into his chair carefully, making sure he was steady before pulling back and sitting down beside him. He shifted his chair over a bit so they were closer together, and Archer had to duck his head to hide the smile that came over him.
"How did you sleep?" Mira asked when no one else spoke.
"Good," he said quickly. "I feel better. Honestly, there hasn't been much pain at all."
Hadrian spoke then. "I imagine so. The healer was very clear that things should be fine with you."
Archer nodded as if he understood what the healer had actually done to him. In reality, he was as confused as ever. Who called doctors healers? And he still wondered why everyone deferred to Romilly?
He had a billion questions and no chance of getting answers… yet.
The food was delicious, as it had been the night before. Archer held back from moaning since it had caused such a stir before. Instead, he worked to savor every single bite, noting the different flavors and how they made him feel.
By the time he finished, the others were done and talking amongst themselves. Archer had zoned out, not wanting to be a bother, but also because the food had simply distracted him. Now that he was back in the moment, he tried to catch up on the conversation.
"I swear, if he doesn't come back with good news, I'm going to be so frustrated," Silas said, addressing Mira.
She clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"I'm sure it will all be fine, Father," Romilly said. "They sounded in good spirits. Besides, it's nice if we can come back with good news."
Eden snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'm good at changing people's minds."
The family made various noises of doubt in unison, which made Archer irrationally happy.
This family was healthy and happy. They loved one another.
While he wished he'd had something similar growing up, he could admit that being welcomed into one now made him appreciate it more than he might have otherwise.
The helpers came around and cleared everyone's plates from the table. "Would you like any coffee, little one?" Romilly whispered.
Archer bit his lip and shook his head. He'd been drinking water, but what he really wanted was milk. Romilly watched him carefully, clearly sensing there was more.
"What is it you want?" he asked. "Anything. It's yours."
"Milk?" Archer said, the question evident in his voice.
Romilly smiled, then waved for one of the helpers to come over. "Can you get him some milk, please? In a glass with a straw."
Archer was surprised at the specifics. He loved straws. They were fun to use. But he wouldn't have thought to ask for one here at this table. It seemed childish when everyone else was being an adult.
Then again, not everyone was. Eden had a mug with a lid and a spout on it. Archer thought it was a sippy cup. The table was too large for him to get a close enough look.
Within seconds, a glass of milk was placed in front of him with a curled straw.
It wasn't quite a silly straw, but it still made Archer smile.
He wiggled side to side, then sipped at the drink.
Romilly rubbed his back, thankfully not judging him.
The big man just let him enjoy the happiness of the moment.
As he drank, he continued to listen and realized they were talking about various things, from the other sibling coming home to plans for upcoming trips that might need to be taken.
When Archer finished his drink, he pushed it away and sat back, rubbing his belly. He was full and he'd had a deliciously cold glass of milk. It was the perfect way to start his day, so long as he didn't think about the whole incident with Romilly walking in on him.
Hadrian and Eden left the table with Silas, the three of them talking amongst themselves. Mira stayed, her eyes trained on Romilly like she was looking for something. A few minutes later, Shea stepped into the room, and everyone took notice.
"Oh look, it's time for you to work. My apologies, son. I'll see you later." Mira blew both men a kiss as she went over to Shea and spoke with her in a low voice.
Archer knew that with Romilly going to work, it meant he would be brought back to the bedroom to sit and wait. He should have been happy about it. A big soft luxurious bed with a television and everything he could want available to him.
Everything except Romilly's closeness.
Simply being beside the man made him stupidly happy. It was like the best antidepressant he'd ever encountered.
"What's bothering you, little one?" Romilly said, pulling Archer from his thoughts.
"I was just wondering," he said slowly, "if maybe I could spend the day with you instead of being in the room."
"You want to spend the day with me," Romilly repeated.
"Yeah. It's just… being up there is nice and all, but I've got a bit of cabin fever."
Romilly's eyes widened and he lifted his hand, pressing it against Archer's forehead. "You have a fever? Why did you not say something sooner? We could have given you some medicine or called the healer."
His voice took on a panicked edge. It was somewhat amusing. Or it would have been if not for the fact that Romilly was genuinely getting worked up. Archer didn't want to upset the other man who had already been so generous with his time and home.
Archer reached up and grabbed his hand, shaking his head. "No, no. Cabin fever means that being stuck in the room is making me anxious. I feel like getting up and doing something so I don't feel so useless."
Romilly laced their fingers together and stared at Archer as if he didn't quite believe the words.
"I promise," Archer said. "It's nothing like what you're thinking."
"In that case, you can come with me. I don't mind, and you're not a burden of any sort, so don't think that."
Archer bit his lip, because he had been thinking it, even if only for a moment. "You sure I won't be in your way?"
"Yes, it will be fine."
Romilly stood and lifted Archer into his arms. Archer wrapped around him again, the same as they had been doing over and over.
They went to the office with Shea close on their heels.
Inside, Archer found himself placed in the big chair behind the desk.
Romilly opened a drawer and pulled out paper and a pack of crayons.
"Here, little one. Why don't you draw while I talk to Shea about the day's plans? I'll see how much I can get done from here since I don't want to move you around."
Archer opened the crayons and began to draw on the page, no idea what he was planning, just scribbling along. He relaxed, allowing Romilly to take care of things.
He was safe.
He had a full belly.
He was happy.
With all his needs met, there was nothing more he could ask for.