Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
When JP woke up, there was a hint of light coming from around the blinds. Early morning, then. He’d slept hard, and it took him a moment to realize he was still upstairs in Ian’s bed.
And another moment to realize the warmth against his side was Ian himself. He smiled. No wonder he’d slept so well. He’d always had a better night when he shared a bed with Ian.
This was certainly the best night he’d had since he’d been back, but maybe since he’d gone to Florida…
He turned his head and put a soft kiss on the top of Ian’s.
Ian smiled softly, nuzzling into his side. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Chou,” he whispered. He wished he was whole again. That he could make love to Ian, make them both feel good.
Still, there was something special about being close, about having to work their shit out with words and actions, not sex. They’d always been really good at the sex part. Not as much with the words, which having spent three years apart proved.
He closed his eyes again, simply enjoying lying in this extremely comfortable bed with Ian.
The door creaked open, two little faces peering in.
“Daddy?”
He’d forgotten how the kids were early birds, coming downstairs fairly early each morning. “He’s asleep,” he said quietly.
“Oh. Can we watch cartoons with you?” Tori smiled at him, eyebrows gyrating wildly.
He couldn’t help but grin in response. “I think that might wake Daddy up.”
“Oh, we will be VERY quiet. Right, brother?”
Petey nodded.
What the hell, right?
“Very quiet.” He looked over to the side table. Bingo, that was where he’d put the remote for the TV, which Ian had given him yesterday.
They came up to the edge of the bed, Petey holding his arms up to be lifted.
“Let me see if I can figure out how to make this thing sit me up.” He grabbed one of the other remotes and examined it. That wasn’t helpful. He’d figured it out last night, but it still was confusing, and he’d have to ask later how to do it.
So he put the remote back and leaned over, hauling Petey up. “Careful of my leg.”
“You want to sit up, Dad?” Petey asked.
“I do.” It would be easier with the kids sharing.
Peter grabbed the remote and sat him up, no problem. “Ta-da!”
“What a smart boy!” He hoped that the new angle wasn’t hurting Ian any, the man still snuggled up against him.
“Up, Dad. Me too.” Tori made grabby hands as Petey turned on the television.
He reached over and helped Tori up, the two of them sitting against him, leaving him with Ian on one side, the kids on the other. It felt good, having everyone together like this.
The twins settled in, snuggly and quiet. He thought Tori might fall back to sleep, even. His whole family was together. Enjoying their morning.
It was weird and wonderful at the same time.
He intended to lose the weirdness. He wanted this to be familiar and right.
He had no idea what they were watching, but the kids were fascinated, and he let his eyes drift closed again. He might have even fallen asleep a bit.
“Don’t bother Dad’s leg. What should we make for breakfast today?” Ian’s voice was soft and warm.
“Bacons!”
“Eggies!”
“Oats!”
“Yay!”
He blinked and chuckled. “Does that mean we’re having all three?”
“I think so. Oats to start and then eggs and bacon for protein.” Ian winked at him. “Were they good for you?”
“I fell asleep so I’m guessing the answer is yes.” Or they would have kept him up. He wasn’t even sure how long they’d been in bed with him.
“Excellent. I’m glad they were amazing. I’m proud. Thanks for letting me sleep.”
He wasn’t sure he deserved that. He’d helped them up and then fallen asleep again.
“We all snuggled,” Petey explained. “And watched tooners.”
“Did you?” Ian chuckled and shook his head. “Good deal.”
“Just don’t ask me what we actually watched.” He hoped they were allowed to watch whatever they’d landed on. It had seemed innocuous enough before he’d dozed off.
“Disney Jr. We like that channel. It’s easy.” Ian stretched carefully. “Do you want breakfast up here, love?”
Given how comfortable the bed was, he felt selfish enough to say, “That would be great, Chou. Thanks.”
“I’ll bring you some oats in a few. Come on, babies. Let’s go have breakfast. Daddy needs—”
“Coffees!” they cheered.
“Still a coffee fiend, eh?”
“Forever. I’ll bring you a cup of tea and a milk when I come up.”
“You’re the best.” And adorable, all sleep rumpled, eyes bright and happy this morning.
“That’s the rumor, old man.” Ian scooted the kids down the stairs, the happy chatter fading away.
He’d actually let all this go for three years. What an idiot. If he had to do it again, he would have insisted that Ian follow him to wherever he got traded. He would have told Ian being separated wasn’t an option.
Then he would have given Ian a happy life. Support. Joy.
That sterile condo he owned in Orlando would be filled with toys and laughter instead of art that he bought as investments, not because he liked it.
He sighed and carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He needed to get to the bathroom.
He slowly made his way there, did his business then made his way back to Ian’s decadent bed.
Ian was coming in with a tray that held tea and milk and a bowl of oatmeal fixed just like he liked it. “I have a tray table in here. I’ll bring up your bacon and eggs in a few. I have to get Frick and Frack through breakfast and into clothes. I promised them a walk to the park and lunch out.”
He got a smile. “Do you want to go? We can use the wheelchair or the motorized scooter. It’s a pretty day.”
It would be the first time he’d gone out other than to get in and out of the car for appointments or to sit on the porch in the back for a few minutes, and it was a scary prospect, going out in public, in either the wheelchair or scooter. But he wanted to spend the time with Ian, so he nodded.
“I’d like that. Maybe the scooter so you don’t have to worry about pushing me around as well as dealing with the kids.”
“We’d love that. It’s charged and everything. Eat up, hmm? I’ll bring you eggs and clothes up.”
“Thanks, Chou. Just don’t get them mixed up, eh?” He gave Ian a look.
“Right, bacon goes in your mouth. Clothes go on your pretty butt.” Ian winked at him. “Then we’ll get you down the stairs, and you can rest for a bit before we get ready to go. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.” His Chou went out of his way to do things for him. It sort of blew his mind.
He didn’t deserve a single second of it, but he would take it.
His oatmeal was delicious, and the bacon and eggs after were even better. Ian getting him into his sweats was better than even all that.
“How can I help you with the stairs? The installer comes in two days with the lift. That will expand your exploring ability a ton.”
“Well, and now that I’ve had a night in the good bed upstairs, I don’t want to go back to the hospital bed downstairs.” He got up. “Let me get started on the stairs and see how you can help.”
He went over to them and looked. He even went to take a step but shook his head and turned around.
“I think I’m going to try going backward. Can you make sure I’m trying to step on the actual stairs and not air?”
“Of course. I have your back.” Ian stood behind him, hands clenching the railings on both sides.
“Thanks, Chou. I’ll do my best not to send us both down the stairs head first.” He started down carefully – the chair lift would be a godsend, really.
“I’ve got you. Don’t worry. The chair lift is going to be amazing. It’ll let you have more independence.”
“It should, yeah. It should help you out, as well. Because I can be more help, I mean.”
“Totally. And you’ll be more comfortable upstairs in our bedroom. It’ll feel less like a hospital room.”
He nodded. “And more like being home.” He smiled, even though Ian couldn’t see him.
“Do you miss your other place? Is it nice?”
He shrugged. “I don’t miss it at all. It was… magazine cover worthy and sterile and just a place where I laid my head to sleep, where I could work out and eat and have downtime in front of a huge TV.” It had been the place where he lived; it had not been home.
“Well, now you can have snuggles with kids over morning cartoons.”
That was vastly superior, and it made him feel like a real boy, like his life was amazing.
“I’ll take it.” He got to the bottom of the stairs with minimal pain and without killing either of them. He was taking that as a win too.
“Dad! You did the stairs!” Tori cheered and Petey clapped for him.
“He did. Dad is so brave!”
“Sure, but Daddy is even braver. He made sure I didn’t die coming down these stairs. Go Daddy.” He gave Ian a grin.
Ian shook his head the barest bit, and Peter stared.
“Are you gonna die?”
Tori blinked. “NO! No, Dad. You can’t.”
Ian immediately went to the kids. “Hey. Hey, breathe. He meant fall. It’s okay.”
He winced. “Oh, man. I’m sorry. I did mean fall. I was exaggerating, you know? I’m sorry.”
“Zagering? What’s zagering?” Tori asked.
“That’s like when you say you’re starving when you’re just hungry, sweetie.” Ian smiled for her.
“We’re all good,” JP promised. “And soon there will be a chair to help me get safely up and down the stairs.”
“Us too?” Petey asked, and Ian shook his head.
“No, sir. It is not a toy. We do not play with it. It is Dad’s.”
“Sorry, buddy, but we’re only getting it because I’m hurt. And when I’m better we’ll pack it away again.” Until they were old and decrepit.
“It’ll be great, because they’re going to create a closet here under the stairs where we can move the seat and lock the door. Then it’s here when we need it.” Ian smiled at him, obviously pleased. “Kids, did you finish your breakfast? I have to run get Dad’s tray and then have a quick bite.”
“You haven’t eaten yet?” JP growled a little. “You’re too busy helping everyone else that you aren’t taking care of yourself, Chou.”
“No, I haven’t had time, yet. Let me grab your walker.”
“And then you’re going to eat.”
“Mmhmm.” Ian headed upstairs, and he smiled at the kids, who were watching him closely.
“Was your breakfast good?” he asked, feeling like he was being judged.
“Uh-huh.” Petey nodded and smiled. “Was yous?”
“It was delicious. Daddy makes good food.”
Tori nodded. “I love Daddy food.”
He smiled at Ian as the man came back down with his tray. “Were your ears burning, Chou?”
Tori twisted her lips. “You want to go to the park with us?”
“He is coming with us. Let’s get you sat down so you can rest a second.” Ian hurried to put the tray in the kitchen.
He shook his head. Ian had too much on his plate.
And all this was with the house cleaner.
Still, it made him feel so loved.
Ian came back with his walker. “Thanks, Chou. Now it’s time for you to get yourself breakfast.”
“Yeah. Have a seat.” Ian kissed his cheek and wandered off to the kitchen table, the sound of dishes clinking clear.
He followed slowly but surely, and sat at the table, the kids coming along and climbing up into their chairs. “So you guys like the park, eh?”
“Uh-huh.” Tori smiled at him and nodded. “I like to run so fast!”
“I like to swing.” Petey waved his arms in the air. “Whee!”
So Peter did like something active and thrilling. He’d been wondering.
“Does it have a slide? That was always my favorite.”
“A bumpy slide!” Tori stared at him, so intense. “It bounces your butt.”
He tilted his head. “On purpose?” Just the thought made him rub his butt.
“Uh-huh. It’s blue.”
He wasn’t sure what blue had to do with a bouncy butt, exactly.
“Do you like sliding down it?”
She nodded and bounced in her chair. “Boing, boing, boing!”
Peter started giggling.
They were so damn cute.
He glanced over at Ian, who was finally sitting down with a plate of eggs and some toast.
“Can we have a toes, Daddy?” Peter asked, and Ian shared his toast with the kids.
“You want another piece, Chou? I could make it for you.”
“Hmm? No, I made myself an extra piece. I know how these two bread monsters are.”
“You’re so organized. You know what everyone’s going to need and make it happen before we know it.”
“I’ve had to practice. You’ll have it down in no time.”
“I don’t know, Chou. I like to watch you move.” He gave Ian a wink.
“Moi?” Ian fluttered his eyelashes.
“Mmmhmmm. Oui, Chou.” His Ian was a beautiful man.
Ian’s cheeks went bright red. “I’m so glad.”
“Good.” He wanted Ian to appreciate his admiration. He wanted Ian to want him to admire. To want him, period.
Ian reached out under the table, stroked his thigh.
He hummed, focus on Ian. He wanted to be well enough to be able to do naughty things with him.
He thought, maybe, he could make Ian feel good tonight. Just to say thank you, and I love you and rest well.
He’d like to try, anyway. It was well past time he started pitching in with more than just money.