“What is it?”Ernest asked, seriously thinking he was missing something.“Is everything alright?”He noted the boxes.There wasn’t much left.Toby had been packing bits up every night to take back to Ernest’s house throughout the week.“If you’re worried we can’t move this all in one go, I’ve put the seats down.I’m sure there’ll be room for your chair and your dresser.If there’s anything else, you know we can always make a second trip.”
“No, that’s not it.I’m sure it’ll all fit.”Toby came running over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.“Morty and Niall just wanted to give us a moving present.”
“A cake?”Ernest loved Morty’s baking.
“Yes, it’s a cake, but we’re not eating it here, guys.This is for me to take home with Ernest.”When Niall and Morty collapsed into giggles again, Ernest started moving the boxes.The first two he picked up weren’t too heavy—mostly books, and the last of Toby’s clothes.
Taking them out to the truck, Ernest put them into the back from the side door, then went back inside to pick up the chair.Toby was whispering furiously with Morty and Niall, but they all stopped talking when Ernest walked back in.
Ignoring them, Ernest picked up the chair and walked back out.This time, as he went past them, Niall wolf-whistled and waved his hand in front of his face.“I do like to see a man working his muscles,” he stated.
His cheeks flaming, even though Ernest knew Niall was only teasing, he carried the chair outside.He did hear a slap.Clearly, Toby wasn’t keen on somebody eyeing his mate.“What?I ogle Hector all the time.I don’t want Ernest to feel left out.”
Still blushing, Ernest went back to pick up the dresser.In a short time everything was packed away, Toby hugged his friends, and then hurried around to the passenger side of the vehicle, clutching a large cake box.
“Did you want me to put that in the back with the furniture?”Ernest asked.“It would be safe on the chair.”
“No, I’ve got it,” Toby said with a huge grin.“This is our housewarming present.I can carry it.”
That was sweet of Toby’s friends to do something like that, even if Ernest had been living in his house for years.He nodded at Niall and Morty, who were now huddled by the door leading into the back of the kitchen, waving madly as Toby waved at them.Morty might have been crying, but Ernest didn’t see the point in prolonging a goodbye when Toby would be back at the café on Monday morning.
Toby was quiet on the drive home, though.“Are you happy about this?”he asked, wondering if he needed to turn the truck around.
“Definitely.I want to be with you.It’s just…” Toby looked down at the box on his knee.“I really hope you don’t mind my friends’ sense of humor.”
“I don’t see why I wouldn’t.I like your friends.They’re really sweet guys.I know how much you care about them.I’m not taking you away forever.It’s just I couldn’t sleep on your bed in a small place.”
Toby burst out laughing.“I’m so glad we left that bed in the apartment.Hector and Morty said they could use it for overnight guests, so they can deal with it.”
“Like family?Hector mentioned the other night at dinner that you have a big family.”
“Yep, I sure do.It’s great that you’ve got a big porch because when Mom finds out I’ve moved, then she’s going to be visiting, and she doesn’t travel alone.”Toby was still chuckling when they pulled into the driveway.
Between the two of them, it only took about twenty minutes to empty the back of the truck.Ernest put the furniture pieces into the spaces he’d made and then stacked the boxes Toby hadn’t unpacked yet into the spare room.Toby could work out where he wanted to put his bits and pieces in his own time.Ernest had already said—at least a dozen times—that if anything of his was in the way, then Toby could move it.
Going back into the kitchen, Ernest was thrilled to see Toby had made him a cup of coffee.“Hmm, just the way I like it,” he said, leaning in and giving Toby a kiss.“Thank you.”
Toby had put the overlarge cake box on the kitchen table.“Did Morty make us something special to have as our first celebratory lunch?”he asked as his stomach rumbled.It was hungry work moving stuff.
“He did.”Toby’s hands were flat on the top of the box.“They were just having some fun.I didn’t want you to get upset.”
In Ernest’s experience, if someone told him they didn’t want him to get upset, that was usually a cue that they were going to be upset.But the sense coming through their bond seemed more of embarrassment.
“If it’s one of Morty’s cakes, I don’t care what it looks like.I’m going to want to eat it, anyway.Your friend is an amazing baker.”
“I’m so glad you said that,” Toby said as he flipped open the lid of the box.
“Uh, what am I looking at?”Ernest peered into the box.“That looks like a map of Italy.Sort of.”
“Oh no, it’s the wrong way around.”Toby spun the box around and then stepped back so Ernest could see.
He swallowed hard and took another look.“Is that meant to be a penis?Did Morty make us a penis cake?”The coloring’s interesting.
Toby nodded, his lips twitching.“Morty and Niall took guesses on the size of your anatomy.They claimed it was life-size.”
Ernest looked back in the box again, and a chuckle escaped his lips.“Between you and me, I think they overestimated just a little bit,” he admitted.“Perhaps your friends need glasses.But hey, because they’ve been so generous, at least it means there’s more cake for us.Look, it’s even got the cum coming down the side of it.It’s lovely how your friend pays attention to all the little details,” he finished tongue-in-cheek.
“You’re not upset?”
