Chapter 25
Paxton
Pops was adamant that he couldn’t tell me what was for dinner before Grizzly arrived. Any other time I would have argued the man down, but I kind of liked the idea of not being in the know. It gave me and Grizzly something to bond over.
It would be the first time Pops and Grizzly were together since Pops found out about Grizzly’s diagnosis.
Knowing my father, he wouldn't say anything about it.
I had no doubt he would be observant, though.
He'd want to keep his eyes open for anything Grizzly might need.
While I never wanted to think of my pops as kinky, he had all the makings of a proper Daddy.
Grizzly arrived right on time. I pulled him close, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my lips to his. He melted against me, giving me some of his weight, and I loved it. I was strong; built to keep up with a grueling sport. It was nothing to take on some of him.
My boy buried his face in my neck. I shivered as my cock hardened.
It took everything I had to pull myself away.
I could have stayed buried against him for hours, but my pops's singing in the kitchen picked up a notch, his voice going slightly off-key.
Part of me wondered if maybe he'd come in to check on us, caught the tender moment, and decided to make himself known.
I wouldn't strip Grizzly bare and take him right there at the front door. I had some self-control. Then again, I was passionate.
Shaking my head, I pulled back and pressed one last kiss to my boy's forehead before leading him deeper inside.
I watched as he took in the interior of my home.
He'd never been inside. Seeing him notice all the little quirks of mine and Pops's life was interesting.
He appreciated the things I expected him to—all the small figurines and the soft blankets on the couch.
Those were fairly new. The minute I understood he preferred fluffy and comforting materials, I went a little overboard, both for him and for myself.
Pops didn't mind. He thought it was cute that I kept my “boyfriend's blanket” on the couch.
"Pops, Grizzly's here," I called out, even though I was sure he'd heard the doorbell.
Pops's singing cut off, and he shuffled through the doorway of the kitchen. His smile grew as he tossed his dish towel over his shoulder and spread his arms. "Grizzly, my boy, come here and give me a hug."
Grizzly peered over at me, eyes wide. I smiled, nodding softly. "Go ahead, baby. He means it. If you don't go to him, he'll come to you."
He shuffled right on over into Pops's arms. Watching the two of them hug was a treat.
Grizzly closed his eyes, though he didn't sink against Pops the same way he did with me.
Pops, for his part, squeezed him tight, head leaning against Grizzly's.
I could see his lips moving as he whispered something I couldn't make out.
I didn't need to worry. Pops was probably reassuring him that he was happy he'd come for dinner, and maybe even making a joke about me.
Sure enough, in the next second, my boy's shoulders shook as he giggled softly. How precious.
Ugh. I needed to get myself together. No crying at dinner. I could save that for later, when I was alone and didn't have my pops’s teasing or Grizzly's concern. My boy would probably panic if I started crying, even if they were happy tears.
"Are you finally going to tell us what we're eating?" I asked when the two pulled apart.
Pops smirked. "I'm surprised you haven't picked up on the scent. Usually your nose is better than this."
I closed my eyes, doing as he suggested and taking in the aroma coming from the kitchen. It took only a moment to pinpoint it. I guess I'd been too in my head about Grizzly coming over for it to register.
"Spaghetti tacos," I murmured.
"Spaghetti tacos?" Grizzly repeated.
Pops threw an arm over his shoulders. "Yep. A family favorite. My wife came up with the idea one night after seeing it on a show. We tried it out, and the rest is history."
He shimmied his shoulders, which made Grizzly laugh even more. The way my boy's entire body dropped, like the stress of the day left him all at once, made every corny joke worth it. I'd listen to a million more of them so long as Grizzly was happy.
We went into the kitchen, where Pops unveiled his pots full of meatballs and pasta with a homemade sauce. I knew from experience that it was pretty spicy. Thankfully my boy didn't seem to mind. In all the meals we'd eaten together, he'd always been fine.
I helped make Grizzly's plate while Pops got his drink in order.
Pops gave him a sports water bottle to drink out of and nearly had me falling over. It was the adult-size equivalent of a bottle. Whether Grizzly realized it or not was anyone's guess, but he lit up the moment he had it in hand and began gulping it down like he hadn't had anything to drink in days.
Pops didn't laugh, though his smile told me he was quite tickled. Same, Dad. Same.
Once we were all plated up and at the table, Pops did what he did best—he talked.
In the time it took us to eat our tacos, I learned even more about my boy than I had known when he arrived.
His favorite movie and musical were at the top of the list, because those things were important to Pops.
My old man even managed to get details about Grizzly's family, a feat I hadn't explored much beyond the surface level.
As Grizzly explained how his parents were distant, how they had judged him his whole life, and how he never managed to fit what they expected, my heart broke. His voice trembled as he spoke.
Pops was just as frustrated as I was, because the minute Grizzly finished and his eyes welled with tears, Pops raised his fist in the air. "Fuck them," he shouted.
Grizzly choked on a sob and quickly covered his mouth. I threw my head back and let out a booming laugh. "That's it, Pops. You tell them."
"I'm serious, son. Fuck them. These people are obviously morons.
The lowest of the low. How could someone treat a child that way?
Much less someone as amazing as you, Grizzly.
I've only known you a short time, and I can already see that your heart is big and pure.
They should have cultivated that. Should have loved you unconditionally. "
Grizzly swallowed, nodding slowly. There were times he accepted praise easily, but more often than not, he struggled with it because of the things his parents had said. Pops's words got through to him, though. It was clear in the way he set his shoulders and wiped away his tears.
"I've never had anyone else besides Paxton say that," he forced out.
I tilted my head. "How many people have you been completely honest with, baby? I have a feeling a lot of your friends don't know, and the ones that do probably don't have the whole picture."
He ducked his head, giving me my answer.
Pops reached across the table, one long finger poking me in the chest. "You be nice to your boy. He's already got enough in his life. You are no longer allowed to be anything but sweet. If I hear you're treating him poorly, I’ll put you in time-out myself."
Grizzly's head popped up, his voice filled with laughter. "You would put him in time-out?"
I leaned back in my chair, away from Pops's pointy finger. "Oh, he absolutely would. He'd get a kick out of it, too. The man lives to taunt me."
Pops smiled, his chin lifting like a peacock preening for an audience. "I do quite enjoy teasing my son."
There was more laughter around the table, and the night shifted into lighter topics. Pops carried most of it, sharing stories about what I was like as a teenager. We all weighed in on where we saw the sports world heading in the next few years.
Pops refused to let Grizzly lift a finger during cleanup since he was the guest of honor. That meant I was on duty while the others gave me tips on how to load things up.
Once the dishwasher was running, Pops clapped his hands together. "Well, I've enjoyed tonight, but I have a date to get to."
That got my attention. "A date?"
He shrugged. "I mean, it's not technically a date—it's my buddy—but saying I'm going to go chill with a dude sounds like frat bro mentality. Not really into that."
I stared at this man in front of me, wondering where the hell my father had gone. "So you're leaving? How long will you be gone? Where are you going? Are you drinking? Will you be safe?"
He could tell I’d shifted into teasing. He clapped me on the shoulder.
"I'm going to do whatever the hell I feel like, son.
As should you. Don't expect me back for at least three or four hours.
I'm going to take a quick shower, and then I'll go.
Why don't you boys put on a movie? Do something fun and relaxing. You've got the place to yourselves."
Pops pointed to the living room, and when Grizzly's head turned, he winked at me.
Oh, that troublemaker.
I hadn't planned on getting any intimate time with Grizzly tonight. It just wasn't part of the agenda. But it seemed like Pops wanted to give us room, should we want it.
In far too short a time, Pops was showered and dressed in notably nice clothes to go out. Once again, I wondered exactly who he was seeing and where. Buddies didn't typically meet up in button-ups and slacks.
Then again, if he did have a date—with a woman or a man—it wasn't any of my business until he deemed it so. I'd support him no matter what, just as he supported me.
As his car pulled away, leaving us alone together, I pulled Grizzly down onto the couch. "What does my baby want? We can watch a movie, I can read us a book, or we can just cuddle and relax."
Instead of leaning against me when we sat down, he’d kept himself upright. He wrung his hands together, looking from me to the door and back before biting his lip and staring down. I didn't like the quiet that had settled over him, the way he'd turned reserved.
"Baby," I said, putting a finger under his chin to turn his face my way. "What's wrong?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, then blinked them open. I was about to tell him it was okay if he didn't want to share, but then he spoke.
"I want us to have sex."
I couldn’t hold back the moan that ripped out of me, nor could I slow the way my cock came to life, tenting my pants in an obvious way. My boy licked his lips as he stared at it.
"You want to have sex?" I said, to confirm.
His head bobbed quickly. "I do. I wasn't sure how to bring it up, and I didn't plan for it to be tonight, but then your dad left, and I—"
I placed a finger over his mouth to stop the rambling.
He didn't need to explain himself. He'd told me what he wanted, and I would provide it.
We'd discussed limits and safe words before.
My boy had also been very clear that he liked to bottom.
I was more than ready to sink inside him, to press against his big, hard body and worship him.
I took his hand and stood. "Come with me, baby. We're not doing this out in the open. I don't care what my pops said about not coming back soon. I want to lay you out and take my time."
Grizzly gulped but did as I instructed. As I led him out of the living room, I knew this was another shift coming for us. I struggled to hold myself together until we reached the bedroom.
The second I closed and locked the door behind us though, it was over.
I ripped my shirt over my head, then reached for his.
With his chest bared, I ran my hands over him, admiring that hair I loved so much and the muscles I thirsted over.
Then I squeezed his thick pecs and buried my face between them. We groaned in unison.
This was going to be the best sex of my life.
Grizzly was the best everything of my life.