Chapter 18 #2
James hugged Lyle to him. “I’d really like that. But you and I just met a few weeks ago. Why don’t we see how things go, and at the end of the term we can sit down and see if that’s still something you’d like to do. You and I have plenty of time, and we don’t need to rush into anything.”
Lyle hummed and grew quiet, resting his head on his chest. “I get it.”
“No, you don’t. I’m not saying no. I’m just saying that we need to give things a little time.
You know what I’m saying. I love you and I love the dogs, but we can take our time and just get to know one another.
There doesn’t need to be any additional pressure.
Moving in together is a big step, and what if you find out that you can’t live with the way I leave my towels on the bathroom floor or how I squeeze the toothpaste? ” He smiled, and Lyle chuckled.
“But you have three roommates now,” Lyle said.
James nodded. “And they’re just people I live with.
I’m not in love with any of them. I know them and we respect each other’s space.
I have my room, and they each have theirs.
We keep the common area clean and tidy because that’s what we all agreed to.
But this isn’t how things would be if I lived here.
You and I would be sharing the same spaces and the same bed.
You’d make room for me in your closet and your dresser. Those are all big things.”
Lyle made a scoffing noise and bounded out of bed, his tight butt bouncing as he moved to his dresser.
He pulled open the second drawer. “See, I already made room for you. And as for my closet….” He hurried over to it.
“How many clothes do you think I have?” He pulled open the door to show the space was only half used.
“There’s also a closet in the other room if you want to have one of your own.
” He closed the door again. “There’s plenty of room for you here…
and here.” He placed his hands over the center of his chest and James swallowed hard.
James hadn’t expected this at all and was more than a little surprised.
“You really want this?” James asked as Lyle bounded back into bed, pulling up the covers because it was “cold out there.”
“Yeah. But if you’re not ready for it, I can be patient.
Like I said, I know you have commitments with the school and your roommates, and I don’t want to come between them.
But I have room here and I like it when you sleep in my bed.
I don’t rest as well when you’re not here, and when you’re gone, the dogs keep looking for you. ”
James rolled his eyes. “That’s pretty low, using the dogs.”
“I’m serious. But like I said, you don’t have to make any changes now. I’m not giving you an ultimatum or anything. It was just something I’ve been thinking about.”
“Okay.” James sat up. “But what if things don’t work out? What if I move in and you find out that you don’t want me around or that… I don’t know.”
“We break up?” Lyle said and James nodded. “Then you could move into the other bedroom. I use it as sort of a home office, but mostly it’s made up and sits empty with the door closed. I thought that you could use it as a study room of your own when you need it.”
Jesus, Lyle not only had thought about this, but he’d made plans and really thought about him and what he’d need.
That was pretty amazing, and he was tempted to say yes.
He really was. It was clear how Lyle felt about him, and it warmed James’s heart.
Lyle was willing… no, excited to make room for him in his home and his life.
James tried to think of the last time someone had done that, and he pretty much came up blank.
Almost as soon as he’d moved out for college, his mother had redone his bedroom as a craft room for herself.
When he came home at Christmas, he found his things boxed up in the garage, and he spent the holiday sleeping on a daybed among his mother’s fabric and beads.
It had been a real wake-up call as to just how much she had wanted him out of the house.
“You’re really sure about this?” James asked again.
“Sure. You can move in once the semester is over and you can give your roommates a chance to find someone else. You can have your study time in the living room if you want, just don’t expect me to cook for everyone.” He grinned.
“Okay. We can see how things go,” James agreed.
“Really?” Lyle asked.
“Sure.”
Lyle shook his head. “Then what was all that trepidation about? Are you one of those people who takes the other side just to be contrary and talks in circles?”
James smiled and shrugged. “I’m a lawyer.
Of course I take the other side and talk in circles.
They even have a special class for that in law school.
How to be an ass and drive everyone in your life crazy 101.
” He snuggled under the covers and pulled Lyle to him.
The dogs all jumped up on the bed and found spots around them.
“We are never going to sleep in a bed that’s just you and me, are we?” James asked. “We are always going to have a bed full of dogs.”
Lyle scooched closer. “Look at it this way. We will always be warm, and our bed will be filled with love.” He looked deep into James’s eyes.
“I love you and you love me, and let me tell you, those dogs love both of us. We haven’t talked about kids…
,” Lyle continued, and James shuddered. “Okay, well then, we don’t have to worry about that.
But these dogs will be our family. They’ll love us and be excited when we come home. ”
James made room for Dash next to him. “I know, and I love the dogs as much as you do. But there are times when I’d like to be able to roll over and not get a set of dog nails pressed to my butt or a growl from Daisy when you bump her in the night.” He was teasing and tugged Lyle into a kiss.
“Are you really upset, or is this one of those pain-in-the-ass lawyer moments?” Lyle asked, and James laughed.
“You know me so well,” James told him and kissed Lyle again. They had time and they took it, holding each other and enjoying the glow of being in love and surrounded by a family of their own. The more James thought about it, the more he knew that he already had what he truly wanted.