Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
L eo sat on one of the benches with Owen and watched as Gabe walked around the track with both of the dogs.
“They both seem to be a pretty good match with him.” Owen noticed.
Leo snorted. “Yeah, Torres wants both of them, Artax, to make sure Gabe feels safe at home and Falkor in public.”
Owen smiled widely. “That’s awesome. They’re both amazing animals and deserve a loving home.”
Leo chuckled. “Yeah, Torres is a softy, so if we could start the paperwork and figure out what we need to get for the boys, that’d be awesome.”
Owen grinned, patting his thigh as he stood. “Sounds good to me.”
“Hey Gabe, you ready to head back?” Leo shouted.
“Yeah,” Gabe shouted back as he headed back over to the bench with his faithful sidekicks. “Are we taking them with us?” He asked hopefully.
Leo snickered. “Yeah, buddy, let’s go fill out the paperwork,” he ruffled Gabe’s hair as they started the walk back.
“Alright, let me go print out the contracts, but I’ll need to speak with Torres before you guys leave.” Owen said as they got back to his house and he left them in the meeting yard.
“What ya think, bud?” Leo asked Gabe.
Gabe grinned hugely at Leo. “I love them.” His smile faded. “Are you sure I can take both?”
Leo smiled warmly at the boy. “Yeah, I think it’ll make your dad feel better knowing you have the help you need.”
“I hurt him, didn’t I?” Gabe asked uneasily, wringing his hands.
“No, buddy, you didn’t, but he’s been very worried about you.” Leo said, but before he could touch the boy, Falkor was licking the boy’s fingers and Gabe was smiling softly as he pet his silky fur. “Your daddy feels the same way you do most days, and he doesn’t want you to feel that way.”
“He does?” Gabe’s bottom lip wobbled.
Leo nodded. “Yeah, buddy, he’s seen a lot of scary things in his life, so has Kade. It’s ok to feel this way, Gabe and the whole reason for these babies is to help you not feel that way.”
“What helps my dad? I don’t want him to feel this way, Leo, it really sucks.” Tears made streaks down his cheeks.
“We do.” Leo said easily, knocking his shoulder gently into Gabe’s. “Me and you, we make your dad very happy and that helps him to be able to process what he’s feeling.”
“So he doesn’t feel bad all the time?” Gabe asked, looking at Leo as if the kid was waiting for him to lie to him.
Leo smiled as he shook his head. “No, not all the time, but sometimes he smiles through feeling bad, and that’s ok too. Sometimes all you can do is feel bad.” He shrugged. He didn’t really want to lie to the kid, but he didn’t want to be too blunt, either.
“Hey, baby,” Torres said, breathing hard as he jogged up to them, hugging Leo to one side and Gabe to the other.
“Where’d you go, Dad?” Gabe asked, hugging his waist.
“I went to meet your dad at the courthouse. You’re coming home with me and Leo.” Torres met Leo’s eyes and smiled.
“Really?” Gabe asked excitedly. “For how long?”
“Well, permanently, at this point, you will be staying with me and Leo and will live with us full-time. Now there will be times you’ll go and spend the night with your mother.” Torres told him before he could get too happy.
“That’s ok, can Artax and Falkor stay in my room?” Gabe asked excitedly. He loved staying with his dad.
“Yeah, buddy. We’ll need to get them some crates though when we leave the house and they have to stay, ok?” Torres told Gabe, kneeling in front of his son.
“I agree, it’s best to crate a dog when you’re not home. It’s the safest place for them, also with Artax, he can get destructive if he’s left alone and is out in the home freely.” Owen piped up. “I have a special crate for him, one that he can’t get out of,” Owen shrugged sheepishly. “He’s a handful, but it’s for the best. Unless you have an area where he can be contained outside then you can do that when the weather is nice. Both boys are still intact, I will not make you get them fixed as I know Leo and his family, both are pure-bred, well-bred dogs and are registered through AKC so I may call you one day and use them to breed them in the future.”
Leo grinned. “Aw, little crossed eyed hellions.”
Owen snorted. “Yes, well, the health testing has to come back clear on them as well. They are good dogs, but both of them require a job, so just keep that in mind.”
Torres nodded. “Ok, thanks, man. He’ll definitely get enough exercise and stimulation living with us.”
Owen grinned happily. “That’s all I can ask for. Here’s the contract.” He handed over the pack of paper, then handed Leo another set. “And that is a list of all the commands both boys know. Each one is color coded so you know which ones are which. While you fill those out, I will go get all their stuff and Artax’s crate ready. Are you in a big enough car to take all of it?”
“Yeah, Paul, let me borrow his truck. He’s taking my car back to the house and we’ll meet them there.” Torres gestured to the truck as he focused on the paperwork.
“Awesome. I’ll get all the stuff ready.” Owen patted Leo on the shoulder as he passed.
Torres read through the paperwork and signed his name where it was required. “Hey, Gabe, you wanna sign this with me?” He shook the papers at his son.
“Yeah,” Gabe jumped up, and let Torres help him sign his name on the lines next to his dads. It wasn’t as pretty as his dad’s, but he was so excited the pups were officially his! “Thank you so much, Dad!” Gabe screamed as he threw himself against Torres’ legs.
Torres laughed, bending down to hug his son back. “You’re welcome, buddy, now let’s get the boys loaded up and head back to the house your dad is waiting on us. He can’t wait to see your new babies.”
“Yes,” Gabe fist-pumped the air and ran towards the truck, both his faithful companions at his side.
Leo chuckled as he snuggled into Torres’ side. “Way to go, Daddy.” He teased.
Torres snorted. “Thanks, baby.” He gently kissed Leo’s upturned lips, then chuckled at Gabe’s exasperated yell for them to hurry the hell up. He easily got both dogs loaded into the back seat with Gabe making sure to buckle them in their harnesses and made sure the truck was loaded before hopping in the driver’s seat.
“Thank you so much, Owen.” Leo hugged the man hard.
Owen smiled softly. “You’re welcome. I really hope they can help him, and make sure you call me if you need anything, ok?”
Leo nodded. “I promise I’ll talk to you later. Be prepared for a million pictures.”
Owen grinned. “I would love that.”
The ride back to his house was filled with laughter and smiles, and Torres couldn’t be happier.
“Dad, look what I got!” Gabe screeched as he hurled himself from the truck and ran into Paul’s arms, squealing when the man raised him high over his head.
Torres chuckled as he unbuckled the boys, who were trying desperately to pull themselves free, and sat back as he watched his brother bond with the kid he raised.
“Good day, huh?” Leo asked smugly as he leaned against the truck, his shoulder brushing Torres’.
“Oh, yeah.” Torres tossed an arm over Leo’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “Thank you so much for your help today. It really meant a lot to me.”
Leo kissed his cheek. “It was such a hardship, baby.”
Torres rolled his eyes. “I think we should see other people.”
“Never,” Leo hissed in his ear as he followed Torres into the house. Gabe’s excited rambling bounced off the walls and Leo’s heart melted. This was the beginning for the boy and he was so excited and honored to be a part of watching him grow up.
By the time Torres got Gabe down to sleep later that night, he was worn out. Gabe was still fighting sleep, but having his two guardians seemed to allow the boy to relax enough that he couldn’t fight it anymore. Torres slumped onto the couch next to Leo. “Hey, baby,” he grunted, rolling over and laying his head on Leo’s lap.
“Hey, is he finally out?” Leo asked, putting his book down and threading his fingers through Torres’ hair.
“Yup,” Torres said through a yawn. “We’ll see how long he stays that way, but I’m hopeful, but I also know it won’t happen overnight.”
Leo hummed in agreement as he felt Torres sink into the couch and his breathing evened out. He smiled as he picked up his book. He’d let the man sleep for a while, then he’d wake him up. He had a present for his man that he hoped Torres would love.
Torres jerked awake about an hour later, his head foggy and his mouth dry. “Fuck.” He grumbled as he groaned, sitting up.
Leo chuckled. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”
“Why’d you let me fall asleep?” Torres whined.
Leo snickered. “Because you needed it, baby, you were dead on your feet.”
Torres grunted, smacking his lips as he heaved himself off the couch to go look for something to drink. “It was a stressful day.” He murmured, pulling out a Root Beer. He was gonna splurge.
Leo grinned as he followed him into the kitchen. “I have something for you.”
Torres met Leo’s happy eyes over the rim of his can as he took in a deep swallow. “Oh yeah,” he burped. “What is it?”
Leo raised a brow. “You not gonna guess what it is?”
“Unless it’s you naked in our bed, then no.” Torres grumbled, drinking more of his prize.
Leo snorted. “No, it’s not that. That can come later though, but here.” He handed Torres a wrapped box and waited anxiously to see the man’s reaction.
Torres raised a brow and set his drink down as he tore into the box. “Oh my fucking god, you did not!” He shouted, looking up, shocked. In the box was Leo’s new book. The cover was amazing, done in dark tones, showing a man who looked a lot like him in knight’s armor protecting a man who looked a lot like Leo with a sword from a fire-breathing dragon. He quickly ripped the book out of the box and opened it. He wanted to read it so bad but the inscription caught his eye.
To my beloved Vince, you have always been my knight in shining armor. Thank you so much for loving me. This book is my dedication to you, and I really hope you enjoyed our wild adventures that are to come. I love you My Heart.
“Fuck, Leo,” Torres said around a wet laugh. “I love you so much.” He yanked Leo into his arms and kissed the breath out of him before shoving him back a few steps. “Now, leave me alone so I can read this.”
Leo laughed as Torres held the book close like it was his precious and scampered into the other room. He shook his head, grinning as he sat back on the couch. The mummy was on and he loved watching it. He would give his man some time to read it and then he’d grill him like a piece of steak on what he thought about it.
“Hey, baby,” Torres said, softly kissing Leo’s neck, making the man jump.
“Hey,” Leo turned and smiled at Torres. “What did you think?”
“I think that I want you to wear my ring and move in.” Torres said nonchalantly. He grinned at Leo’s shocked expression.
When he was able to pick his jaw up off the floor, Leo cleared his throat. “Really?” He hated that his voice sounded so unsure.
“Yeah, baby, you’re it for me and I’m not letting you go anywhere. Say yes.” Torres demanded, leaning down to kiss him.
Leo chuckled. “Yes to both.”
“Good, because I want to try out that sex scene.” He smiled at Leo’s laugh as he threw him over his shoulder and headed for their bedroom. He’d done it. Despite everything he’d been through as a child, he’d found where he belonged. He set Leo on his feet at the end of the bed and rushed to his dresser to grab a little black box. He cleared his throat as he got down on one knee. “Leonardo Emerson Willis, will you marry me?” He kept it short and sweet, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back for long.
Leo gasped at the ring. It was custom, the little carvings of books, a plume, and dragons around the silver band made his breath catch. It was perfect, with blue undertones he couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “Yes, yes, I will marry you.” He stuck his hand out in a silent demand that Torres put the ring on him right fucking now and gave a watery laugh as he watched it dance in the low lights of the side table lamps.
Torres rose back to his full height. “I expect a matching ring now.”
Leo laughed, throwing his arms around Torres’ neck as he kissed the man hard. “Absolutely! I love you, Vince.”
Torres held him tightly. “I love you too, baby.”