7. Chapter 7
Theo
I didn't expect I would be able to sleep after telling Onyx about Myra, but somehow, in talking about her, a weight released from me. The ache of her loss was still there, but her name didn't clog in my throat and suffocate me. Hearing her name come from Onyx, that someone else acknowledged her, meant a lot to me, too.
I was very rarely touchy with people. Marley hugged me on occasion, though I was often unprepared and stiff when it happened. But holding Onyx in my arms... I didn’t realize how much I needed it. Needed that closeness and to have someone to share that moment with. It cracked open something I had been suppressing for a long time. As much as I thought I was fine on my own, I... maybe wasn’t.
As soon as they had insisted we share the bed, I’d been tense, certain I would be awake all night in an effort not to disturb them or make them feel uncomfortable, but it turned out the discomfort was mostly on my side. They seemed completely unbothered to be sharing the space. And, well, I had to admit, it was nice to have them there. Especially after telling them about Myra.
I wasn’t sure how long Onyx’s head had been on my shoulder, or how long my arms had been folded around them, but it was soothing in a way I didn’t know I needed. Eventually, I even climbed under the blankets, no longer feeling the need to create a barrier between us. And I slept. I couldn’t believe how deeply I slept. Even more so than I usually did when I was here by myself.
The tightness in my chest that always came when thinking of Myra released, and feeling Onyx’s presence beside me, allowed me to relax completely. Onyx didn’t simply take up space in the bed, but in my mind as well. I found myself dreaming of long, silky black hair—not the short brunette curls of my wife. A delicious tropical scent filled my nose, taking me back to the reaction I’d had in the shower.
In a dream, they were there, their long body in my bed, and my arm wrapped around them. The silkiness of their tank top beneath my touch, and my hand slid up, gliding over a soft swell lined with lace. I could feel their nipple harden beneath my touch, and cupped them, loving the way it felt in the palm of my hand.
My cock hardened and searched for friction, and my hips arched forward. I nuzzled into the black ponytail, inhaling their scent as my hips ground against their ass. The dream was more tangible, more real than anything I’d experienced in a long time. In this unconscious state, I wanted to dwell in it, to live in the fantasy. Fantasies had been denied me for years, too clogged up with emotion. And now, in the comfort of sleep, perhaps I could allow myself the pleasure.
I squeezed the breast in my hand and a moan slipped from my lips. No... not from my lips. The moan came from beyond me. Ice filled my veins as my eyes flung open to find my face buried in the silky hair I’d dreamt of. But not just dreamt... because I was pressed against Onyx and my hand was on their chest.
“Oh, fuck!” I immediately tried to pull my hand back and put some space between us.
Onyx held my arm in place and spoke with a sleepy, airy voice. “It’s okay, Theo.”
“Shit! I’m sorry, Onyx. I didn’t mean for that to happen.” I could feel my face flame hot. I was so ashamed. How did I not realize I was spooning them? Of course, I wasn’t used to there being a body in bed with me. No wonder the dream felt so real—because it was. For all my trying to keep them comfortable, here I was fully groping and humping them in their sleep.
Onyx twined their fingers around mine, and slid our hands to rest on their stomach, instead of their breast, but they kept their grip firm, not letting me back away or jump out of the bed like I desperately needed to. “Relax, Theo. Everything is fine. Just stay like this with me for a minute. It feels really nice.”
I let out a heavy sigh, trying to force myself to relax. “Okay.”
Despite my panic in the realization I was not dreaming, I couldn’t do anything about the state of my dick. It was still hard and pressed between their ass cheeks in a position that was damn near impossible to ignore. To my horror, my cock twitched, and there was no way Onyx didn’t feel that. “Uh, sorry about that.”
Onyx chuckled but rolled their ass back, grinding over me, and eliciting a sharp gasp from me. “Nothing to be sorry about.”
They took my hand and lowered it down their body, making my heart jump to my throat, until I felt something I didn’t expect. It wasn’t that they had a dick that surprised me, but that they were just as hard as I was. And, yeah... even through layers of clothing, brushing against a cock that wasn’t mine was new to me. Onyx held my hand in place and said, “See? Same boat.”
As soon as they let me, I moved my hand away and rolled onto my back with a loud huff. I was torn between wanting to explore more and needing to get a hold of myself. I was horny as hell, and... curious , but mostly mortified that I let it get to that point.
With my arm folded over my eyes, I whispered, “Shit, I’m sorry, Onyx. I was dreaming, I didn’t realize.”
Unable to look at them if I had any hope of getting out of that bed with a modicum of dignity, I kept my face covered as I felt them turn over. A soft hand landed on my shoulder. “You don’t have to be sorry. Really. I’m a grown person and I could have stopped you if I wanted to. So don’t go thinking you did something to me because you didn’t. Well, except turn me the fuck on, because that was a really hot way to wake up.”
I moved my arm just enough to peek out from under it and saw them staring down at me with their ponytail hanging over their shoulder. When our eyes connected, they smiled, looking like a bright ray of sunshine breaking through the night. Damn , they really were stunning. My heart gave a little jump in my chest. “You’re really okay?”
Onyx rolled their eyes and smacked me with a pillow. “Yes, I’m okay. We are okay. So get out of that gorgeous head of yours.”
My arm fell away, and I gave a quick nod. “I’ll try.”
“Good, that’s all I can ask. And for the record, I would have let you do a whole lot more to me.” They winked and got up, and I could see the front of their silky pajamas was tented. I tried to be subtle, but the image held my attention. I’d been curious in the past, but then I’d found Myra and never had to think about it again, at least not enough to do something about it. Onyx walked to the bathroom with confidence, and I found them sexier than ever. There was something about seeing a physical reaction and knowing they were affected as much as I had been that was incredibly arousing.
As soon as they disappeared behind the closed door, I slid my hand into my pajama pants and gripped my still-hard cock. At this rate, the problem wasn’t going to go away on its own. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this horny. I slid a glance to the door that stood between us, hoping they might have a morning routine like they did at night. With the feel of their body against mine still ghosting over my skin, I closed my eyes and sank into the vision.
I stroked my hand over my shaft and had to bite back the cry that crawled up my throat at the sensation. My cock throbbed, desperate for more. Powered by a need that was years in the making, and spurred on through the urgency of the situation, my hand moved rapidly. The tension felt like it would rip me in two. Picturing Onyx leaning over me and smiling at me was the image that sent me over the edge. I came hard. Hard enough, it nearly knocked the wind out of me.
The shower turned on and I sighed with relief, knowing they wouldn’t come back out and find me with my dick in my hand and cum all over me. My chest was rising and falling rapidly with the release. After a minute of catching my breath, I took my shirt off to clean the mess I’d made. Getting out of bed, I threw the covers in place to hide the evidence that anything had happened.
Feeling both relieved and uncomfortable about using Onyx to get off, I quickly changed into jeans and a different shirt, tucking my dirty clothes into my laundry like I was trying to hide my shame. I went to the kitchen, washed my hands, and got the coffee pot going.
With my elbows on the counter, my head fell in my hands. What the fuck just happened? I felt like a teen, trying not to get caught by my parents. I half-wondered what might have happened if I hadn’t rolled away from Onyx. Them saying they would have let me do more was a mind-fuck. How much more? Did I want that? Was I ready for something physical?
A few days ago, that answer would have been loud and clear: I wasn’t ready . But now... they had felt so good in my arms. It was something that once had been part of my daily life. I wanted it again. I wanted them . This line of thought was not helping the horny situation, despite the big orgasm I’d just had. It was all moot at this point, anyway.
Fuck! I slammed my hand on the counter. Onyx would be leaving. The thought made my heart sink. I was used to being alone; I had been for years. So, why was the idea of them not being here hitting so hard? It had been two nights, well... one night together, but it was enough to make me realize how much I missed having a warm body in bed with me.
Trying to get out of my head, I began pulling out ingredients to cook breakfast. If it was their last meal in my home, the least I could do was make it a good one. And a good day... I could do that, I hoped.
By the time Onyx came into the kitchen, bringing that enticing scent with them, I had ham and cheese omelets and fried potatoes dished up and ready for us.
Onyx came up to my side, their hand trailing over my back, leaving a ripple of heat behind. “This looks fantastic. You sure do know how to spoil a person. I wasn't expecting a full breakfast, so I hope you don't mind, but I brought my laptop. I figured I should try to see if I can get a hold of the rental company. I admit I got so caught up in writing it slipped my mind.”
“No, that's fine, I understand.” I sat down across from them, just as we had been sitting last night.
Onyx moved their plate to the side to make room for their computer. Once it was open, they looked over it and met my gaze with a sweet smile. “Thank you, Theo.”
Damn . I would give pretty much anything to have their smile directed at me. I coughed to clear my throat. “You’re welcome.” I immediately shoved a bite of food in my mouth and looked away.
Onyx took a bite and groaned in a way that went straight to my cock, then started clicking on the laptop. It was all I could do to try not to stare as they concentrated on the screen. “I have the confirmation email and my payment info, but the link in the rental agreement comes up with an error code on it, which is just great.”
I was a captive audience as they talked through every step they could think of, but with their voice and how cute they looked when they were concentrating, I could listen to them read an instruction manual and still find them fascinating.
Onyx closed their computer and rested their head in their hands. “It’s all dead ends. I can't believe I was such a fool. Why didn't I investigate more before driving up here?”
“You're not a fool, Onyx. They’re scammers who have clearly done this before, and they knew exactly how to make it look legit. Have you figured out where to report it?”
“I think so, and I hope they track those fuckers down. At least I can call my bank and have them flag the payment.”
“Can I ask how much you paid?” Not that I had any interest in renting my cabin, but I was curious what something like this might cost, and how much they had lost to the scammer.
“Five-thousand for the month,” Onyx said in a nonchalant tone before popping a potato in their mouth.
My eyes rounded with surprise. “Five thousand?”
“Right? Like, I should have known it was too good to be true.” Onyx shook their head.
“That’s... that's a lot of money.” Especially at their age. At least, when Myra and I were in our twenties, we wouldn't have been able to drop five grand without it setting us way back. “I, uh, have some savings I could dip into if you need any help.”
“What?” Onyx stretched their hand out to me and I gladly took it. “No, Theo, God, that is so sweet of you, but no. It's not about the money—I'll be fine—it's the principle, more than anything. If this happened to me, who's to say it won't happen to someone else? And not everyone will be as lucky as me to end up on the doorstep of a sexy and thoughtful mountain man.” They winked at me and my fingers tightened around theirs, not wanting to let go.
Onyx broke the connection as their head fell back with a loud laugh. “Wow! Listen to me, I'm all... ‘ five-thousand dollars is no big deal.’ If me from two years ago could hear me now, I would probably slap myself silly.”
“What happened two years ago?” I asked, enjoying their amusement despite not understanding what they meant.
“Two years ago? I was still a struggling musician, surviving on instant ramen and boxed macaroni.”
“And then what happened?”
Onyx shrugged, but a smile betrayed their casual reaction. “I got lucky.”
“I heard it was that you had worked your ass off,” I echoed what they told me before.
Onyx pointed a finger at me and said, “Damn straight I did. Well, maybe not all of it; I still have plenty left to work with, don't you think?” They stood up and twisted, slapping their ass, and giving me a view of how luscious it looked hugged by pleather leggings. My eyes locked on, remembering how perfect that ass felt, cradling my cock. A wave of heart rolled through me and I longed to be able to slide my hand over them.
Forcing my gaze upward, Onyx clearly noticed where my attention had lingered, which was probably their intention. Their brows bounced suggestively, and they said, “Well? What say you?”
I cleared my throat and shifted my legs wider, trying to allow room for my hardening dick. “Yeah... it's a good one.”
Onyx grinned, seemingly pleased by my admission, awkward though it was. “Anyway, all that to say my current situation means I don't have to worry about the financial side of things so much.”
“That’s good.” My response might have lacked enthusiasm, but I was too distracted by the stunning, confident person before me. They slid back into their chair, the shoulder of their cardigan falling down enough to reveal a black bra strap. The sight of it had me thinking of the way my hand cupped them in sleep. Fuck , I really needed to get out of here.
Standing up abruptly, I scrubbed a hand over my beard. “So, I was thinking we could drive into town and visit a couple of the local realtors that deal with cabin rentals. But, uh... if you're interested, we could maybe see some of the shops, too.”
Onyx's hazel eyes brightened, and they looked up at me. “That sounds perfect! Are you sure you don't mind driving me around? I could order an Uber or something.”
And miss spending whatever time we might have left together? I shook my head at the thought. “I don't mind.”
Onyx crossed the room, stopping right in front of me. My heart sped up at their nearness. It still amazed and excited me that their height nearly matched my own, and I didn't have to tilt my head to connect eye-to-eye. Myra had been nearly a foot shorter than me. They placed their hands on my waist, making me freeze with anticipation. I didn't even dare breathe. Their expression turned serious, immediately shutting down the thrill I felt at having their hands on me.
“Just to be clear, since this is your hometown, and I know small towns are prone to gossip. Are you sure you're comfortable being seen with someone like me? Because I'm not one to tone things down for the sake of others.”
Shock at their question rippled through me. “What? Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? And why should you have to... ‘ tone things down ?’”
They offered me a half smile. “You’re very sweet, Theo, but you know I'm not a woman, right?”
“Well... yeah, I mean, this morning...” I shut my mouth before I mentioned feeling their dick. Though I knew enough that body parts didn't define a person.
Onyx's half smile stretched a little wider. “Mmhmm, this morning?” they asked with a tease as they grabbed my hand and slid it up their chest until I could feel the cup of their bra beneath it. I sucked in a sharp breath, torn between pulling my hand back and exploring more.
“So you know I'm not a man, either.”
I nodded, trying hard to keep my gaze focused on their face and not lowering to where they kept my hand in place, sitting above their heart.
“I'm nonbinary, Theo.”
Again, I nodded, because that seemed the only part of my body I currently had any control over. They waited, a silent plea in their eyes for me to say something. “Yeah, yes. I figured, or assumed... which I know I shouldn't, but I guessed by the way you introduced yourself.”
A breath whooshed out of me when they moved my hand to rest on their hip and their posture softened.
“And?” Onyx prompted.
“And... what?”
Onyx's brow arched up. “What do you think about that?”
I wasn't quite sure what they were looking for, so I went with the only thing that came to mind when I looked at them. “I think you're... beautiful.”
Onyx pursed their lips and their eyes twinkled, making them look like they lit up from within. It was a look that made my heart leap in my chest and brought a surge of life and courage into me. “You are, Onyx. And I would be happy to have anyone see us together, gossip or not.”
They grinned widely before leaning forward and brushing their lips against my cheek. The simple gesture made my skin sizzle with heat.
“You're such a sweet man, Theo. Thank you. And you know what?”
I was certain I didn’t know a single damn thing at the moment. All thoughts were gone with the feathering of their lips on my cheek still present. “ Hmm ?”
“I think I like you.” They winked and patted my chest before walking off and leaving me without an opportunity to respond. It was probably good they did, too, because I wasn't sure I would have been able to respond. A goofy grin tugged at my lips as I cleaned the dishes from our breakfast. Their words echoed in my head, and I felt lighter than I had in a long time.
After I finished, I went to the room to brush my teeth and apply deodorant, since I'd gotten dressed in a hurry earlier, and I found Onyx standing with their hands on their hips, surveying the room.
“I guess I should pack all my stuff.”
I stood behind them and looked at the vast array of luggage and clothes, feeling a strange sort of attachment to seeing them already. What would it be like to have my room return to the same empty state it had been in before Onyx showed up? “Why don’t you leave it and we'll take care of it once we get you settled with a rental?”
They looked over their shoulder at me, hitting me with their freshly painted face. Striking liner around their eyes and a golden shimmer above them, along with a deep burgundy lip color that matched their sweater. Fuck ! They really were beautiful.
“You don't mind?”
I probably wouldn't mind anything they did, but it would be weird to admit that. “Nope.”
They let out a sigh. “Thank God because I am not ready to tackle that job. I am dying to see your town, though. From the quick glimpse I had on the way up, it looked super cute.”
“I don’t usually go into town unless I need to, but I think you’ll like it.” I tended to hit the hardware store, the post office, and the market, but that was about it. Aside from the occasional unveiling ceremony or commission piece, I really didn’t wander from shop to shop. I had no need to. But now, with Onyx, I was looking forward to spending time with them and would be happy to walk into every single store they wanted to, if only to prolong their inevitable departure.
Onyx grabbed a suitcase and plopped it on the bed. They opened it, revealing it was full of shoes and boots. Some furry, some leather, some with heels, sneakers, and sandals. It was a fascinating sight. Myra had never been much of an accessory kind of person. She’d had dress shoes for work but lived in running shoes outside of that. I watched with fascination as Onyx moved shoes aside to pull out a pair of tall, black boots with two-inch heels.
They pulled the boots over their leggings and zipped them closed. The boots were mid-calf height and when they stood, the heels made Onyx taller than me. I didn’t expect the way it would make my heart race or how fucking hot I would find it.
Onyx caught me staring and smirked. “I know they aren’t fuzzy slippers, but I think they’ll do. What about you?”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah. They look... good.”
They chuckled and linked their arm through mine. “All right. Let’s go.”