As we devoured the sandwiches, Henry started making funny faces, and soon enough, all three of us were in a goofy face-making contest. At some point, my eyes met Michael’s, and the world seemed to stop for a second. Something in his gaze spoke of gratitude, trust, and a depth I’d only begun to fathom.
We spent the afternoon playing catch and exploring the trails around the lake. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this alive, this right. We found a secluded spot with an incredible view and just stood there, taking it all in.
As we packed up, Michael turned to me, his eyes softer than I'd ever seen. “Today’s been amazing. Thank you.”
My heart skipped a beat. “It’s just the beginning,” I whispered. It was the type of moment that begged for a kiss but we had the little man with us, so I refrained. We needed to sort out what we were doing quick, because I wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer before the urge to touch him overwhelmed me.
Henry was all but done; his eyes heavy, and leaning against Michael, he was fighting sleep. I scooped him into my arms, and he immediately rested his head on my shoulder. He was sound asleep before we got back to our picnic spot. Michael gathered our stuff as I headed for the parking lot to deposit a sleeping Henry into his seat.
As we loaded the car, I fumbled for my phone and called my mom. “Hey, Mom. Could you do me a huge favor and watch Henry tonight?”
“Of course, dear! Is everything okay with Michael?” Her voice was always so cheerful, but now it held a slight hint of concern.
“He’s fine, just needs to learn how to take some time for himself every once in a while,” I vaguely replied, my eyes sneaking a glance at Michael.
“That’s fine, just bring him by whenever you're ready,” she said warmly.
I hung up, my heart pounding like a drum solo. “My mom’s gonna watch Henry tonight,” I said to Michael, my voice almost betraying my excitement. I glanced through the window to make sure Henry was still out. “And I’m going to show you what you’ve done to me.”
His eyes widened, and he swallowed. The air between us was electric. We both knew that tonight was going to be an exploration, a revelation.
I took a step closer, resting a hand on Michael’s hip. I leaned in close, nipping his ear lobe. “If you’ve changed your mind, you need to tell me now. Otherwise, you’re mine as soon as we get him to my mom’s.”
“Are you sure she doesn’t mind?” His voice was thready, his chest rising and falling with his ragged breaths.
“She’s raised four boys. I’m sure she won’t mind taking care of Henry for the night,” I assured him. “Hell, we’re the ones who should be scared. She’s already got a raging case of baby fever because none of us have had the decency to get married and give her grandkids. Poor Henry might be about to get himself adopted.”
Michael’s expression faltered for a split second. That was all it took for me to realize what I’d just said. Henry, the little boy who was the very reason Michael had split up with my baby brother, letting Danny think it was about falling out of love rather than not wanting to force parenting on him. Danny, my brother who’d been talking with his husband recently about adopting and even more recently asked me about fostering.
Fuck. I was starting to see just how tangled up whatever this was between us could be.
I took another step toward Michael, stuffing my hands in his back pockets. There was no one around to see us, but even if there had been, he needed the comfort. “Hey, at some point you have to stop playing the what-if game. What will it take for you to understand my family doesn’t hate you?”
“They should.”
“No, they shouldn’t.” When Michael lowered his gaze, I tucked a finger under his chin, forcing him to look up at me. “What happened between the two of you sucked. I’m not going to deny that. But Mom always raised us to believe everything happens for a reason. Danny’s where he’s meant to be. He never would have met Blake if he hadn’t needed to get away from home. And the two of you weren’t good together. I know that hurts to hear, but it’s the truth.”
Michael stared blankly over my shoulder. I half expected him to offer some sort of protest. It showed growth on his part that he said nothing. Next, we could work on getting him past this ridiculous guilt he still carried around with him.
Until then, distraction was my plan.
I could feel the tension in Michael’s body radiating off of him as his gaze met mine. I slowly pulled his body to mine, leaning in to nip at his neck and feeling his arms wrap around my waist as a shudder ran through him.
The heat of his breath warmed my neck as he nuzzled against me. I kissed my way across his jaw, catching his lower lip between my teeth and pressing into him.
Michael moaned into the kiss, the sound sending a thrill straight to my dick. Our tongues tangled together, tasting each other as our hands explored each other’s bodies. His hand snuck up under my shirt and I gasped, arching into him as he caressed my skin.
We broke apart after what felt like an eternity, both of us panting for breath and grinning like fools. As much as it pained me, we had to stop before someone caught us and reported us for lewd behavior.
“Let’s go home.” Michael pressed his lips to mine one last time before getting into the car.
I nodded, still a bit dazed from the kiss. The drive home was mostly silent, save for the gentle hum of the car and Henry’s soft snoring in the back seat. We were both lost in our thoughts, processing the enormity of what was happening between us.
“We need to swing by the house and pick up a change of clothes for Henry,” I said when the quiet got to be too much to take. “Mom will probably want to take him to church in the morning if he's staying over. Will that be a problem?”
“They go to the Methodist church still?”
“Yeah. Mom wouldn't go anywhere her boys aren't welcome.” I parroted the words we'd all heard her promise so often.
