Theo nodded.“Right.You really don’t have a cleaning person?I was wondering about that.Rich people usually have people who do their cleaning for them.”
“I don’t.For one thing, I don’t think a housekeeper would have enough to do, for another, I prefer my privacy.And picking up after themselves never hurt anyone.”Peter looked around the room.“I’ll put some lighting in here in case you ever want to peruse.”
Theo unglued his eyes from the collection.“You don’t have to do that.”
“No, I don’t.But I’ll do it all the same.Should we go watch this now?”He held up the movie for Theo to see the cover.
Theo had a certain look about him when he was keeping his thoughts to himself.It rather undermined the purpose, but Peter wasn’t about to point that out to Theo, not least because the facial tell suggested that he, Peter, was hopefully worming his way into Theo’s head, his confidence, his heart.Peter, after all, had already been in Theo’s pants several times and had enjoyed it there.Those other places he was still craving, hard.
“Sure,” Theo said.
Peter stayed still so Theo felt safe leaving the room ahead of him.The basement beyond really was a bit dark for human eyes, but a few strategic LEDs would fix that.Peter could place an order online tonight and get everything set up tomorrow, no problem.
Theo took a seat on the couch and started on his food while Peter pulled down the screen and put the DVD in the machine.
He let the movie start, then got the remote from the storage shelf, along with the blanket he’d brought down for Theo.He put the blanket on the leftmost armrest of the couch.
Theo looked over his shoulder, watching Peter putting batteries in the remote, then went back to eating.He really doesn’t like not seeing what’s going on behind his back.I’ll have to chat with Bernard about that.Maybe while I show him how the blood eagle is done.
Peter sat down on Theo’s left, leaving about an inch of space between their bodies.While the events in Santa Mira began to unfold on the screen, Peter’s attention was focused on Theo.
Theo was more relaxed than he normally was.Peter would attempt to lure Theo into his basement for a screening on a regular basis, because seeing Theo like this—engrossed and without a care—made Peter forget the lingering grumpiness that had been haunting him along with Bernard’s low-quality stalking.
Theo put his tray on the floor after he was done with his food and absentmindedly pulled his legs up onto the couch.He froze before settling back and turned to Peter.
“Do you mind if I have my feet up?”
“Very much.”Peter patted his lap.“I think you should put them here instead.”
Theo snorted but relaxed.“So you have a foot fetish.Should’ve known when you changed my socks the other day.”
“I did that because you were trembling all over.Still, your feet are not too bad.”Peter reached for the blanket, unfolded it, and put it around Theo.“Let’s keep them and the rest of you from freezing.”
Theo didn’t say anything.He let Peter wrap him in the blanket.He was blushing too, Peter noticed.That something as simple as a blanket gets him to look shy is a surprise, but I’ll take it.Ah, the bother of figuring out what it takes to please him.
Theo went back to his brooding face.Peter was reasonably sure his attention was only partially on the events unfolding on screen.There was a stillness in Theo’s body that Peter recognized as insecurity or self-consciousness, maybe even the fear of rejection.
Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Theo’s cheeks redden all over again before he purposefully sagged sideways against Peter’s body.Peter’s heart jumped in his chest, but he kept calm as he slowly lifted his arm and put it around Theo’s shoulders.
This is a movie date cliché, isn’t it?I never thought I’d be doing any such thing, but he’s so warm, so very soft.
Theo made no move to escape this physical closeness, this intimacy that was of a whole different nature than what they’d shared at the Boudoir.Peter knew better than to ruin it with words or by starting to get greedy.He did his utmost to provide Theo with a perfectly accommodating vampiric cushion and nothing else.
Peter’s reward for being so patient came around the point in the movie at which the doctor discovered the pods and the pod people hatching in bubbly, foamy-frothy yuckiness.
Theo was slowly dozing off and sagging further against Peter.Peter knew what it meant to let oneself fall asleep next to a person: it was trust on a basic level, and it said Theo knew instinctively that he was safe with Peter, safe enough to let himself be this vulnerable so close to him.Considering Theo had unfailingly locked his bedroom door ever since his first night in the house, Peter considered this quite the step.
The movie kept on playing until finally the credits rolled.Theo had slipped fully into sleep some time before that.Peter debated whether to wake him or just let him spend the night down here, but that wouldn’t do.Even in summer, the basement was too cold, and it got only colder at night.Peter didn’t want Theo waking up freezing under nothing but that blanket.
In the end, Peter decided to bundle Theo up in his arms, hopefully without waking him.That proved easier than expected.Theo was a deep sleeper.Peter made it all the way out of the basement with Theo in his arms before his eyes opened.
“Wha’s happenin’?”he asked, eyes heavy-lidded and slow, body soft and warm.
“You fell asleep, and I’m taking you to bed.”
“Huh?”Theo looked around and seemed to realize he was being carried.That pulled him awake and pushed him close to a panicky rush, though not quite into it.“What the hell?”
Theo wiggled under the blanket, but just a little, so Peter kicked the basement door shut behind him and kept moving toward the stairs.
