Yeah, Spencer didn’t mind the wait.
An hour (?!) later, all fall decor was on display, cluttering shelves and window sills. Bursts of red, orange, hazy yellow, and cranberry popped on pieces of furniture. Fall had officially exploded in Patrick’s apartment.
And it was nice.
Spencer felt a surge of warmth spread through him as he admired the coziness and rich colors enveloping the space. It reminded him of buying school supplies and biking down the streets of his neighborhood as a crisp fall breeze swept crinkling leaves across the pavement. Fall might not have been a holiday, but it had a spirit.
Patrick stood in the middle of his apartment, grinning from ear to ear, marveling in his creation. Spencer imagined his friends laughing at him, but he got it. Being an adult was hard. Everyone needed a happy place, those traditions that reminded them of better, simpler times.
“What do you think?”
Spencer limped to him and wrapped his arms around his lithe frame, smelling the fresh Patrick-y scent on his skin that instantly got him stiff. He kissed Patrick on the spot where he neck met his shoulder, but he wasn’t trying to turn this into sex. He found himself with a deep desire to hold him.
“That good?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah.” Spencer couldn’t find the sarcasm to respond. He had fallen under fall’s spell. And maybe Patrick’s, too. “You missed one.”
He pointed his boot at the Yankee Candle bag, where one candle remained. Falling Leaves.
“I can’t believe I missed one.” Patrick plucked it from the bag and scanned his apartment. Spencer did the same and could not find a flat surface that wasn’t already bursting with fall.
“You’ll find a spot for it,” Spencer said.
“You take it.” Patrick held it out to him. “Your apartment could use a little fall magic.”
Spencer felt surprisingly touched by the gesture. To his credit, Patrick had never tried to push his fall decor on Spencer’s apartment. He kept his crazy contained to his own space. “Are you sure?”
Patrick nodded.
Spencer took the candle, and it had hefty weight - not just physical. It was as if Patrick were leaving a toothbrush at his place, and that was all right with him.
“Thanks.” Spencer smiled at the candle, picturing all the places it could go.
Patrick wrapped his arms around Spencer.
“Now, there’s something we need to do to really celebrate the start of fall.”
Spencer’s cock hardened in his shorts. “And what’s that?”
“Drink our first Pumpkin Spiced Lattes of the season!”
Spencer’s cock had misread the moment.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Starbucks on the corner. While everyone around them were ordering iced coffees and blended frappuccinos, Patrick proudly asked for two PSLs.
They waited at the pickup station until the barista hesitantly shouted Patrick’s name, in disbelief that someone had dared to order this drink on the final summer weekend.
“PSLs technically come out toward the end of August,” Patrick explained as he held open the door for Spencer and led them to an outdoor table.
“And you resisted until now to order one?” Spencer felt himself sweating just holding the hot beverage.
“I haven’t in the past. Usually, I’d be in line the first day they were in stock. I would literally count down the days when I lived in California. It let me forget about how much of a shitshow the rest of my life was.” Patrick had a far-off look, but Spencer wouldn’t let him plunge back into the misery of his horrible ex and whatever life he left behind on the West Coast.
He rubbed his thumb over Patrick’s hand that was clutching his PSL.
“Hey.” He made Patrick meet his eyes. “It’s all in the past, babe.”
Spencer didn’t know where babe came from, but it slipped off his lips like the most natural thing in the world.
