Wayward Son (26 page)

Well, at school, anyway. He’d already figured that out about his personal life.

“W
ELL
,
THAT
was an adventure!”

Mikey had heard the door open, but he hadn’t expected Cory’s outburst, which sounded happy and not frustrated, so he didn’t worry. “I’m in here,” he called from where he was curled up in the living room with his notebook, and a few moments later, Cory bustled in and flopped down onto the sofa next to him. Mikey laughed and leaned against his side. “Good meeting?”

“Hail the conquering hero,” he replied. “Lord. I knew I had good people there, but I had no idea. They were treating me like a rock star today. I felt like Sally Field up there. ‘You like me, you really like me!’”

Mikey grinned and planted a kiss on Cory’s jaw. “And they haven’t even met Coco, have they?”

“No, but I have a feeling some of them will be seeing her soon.” He didn’t elaborate, just shifted around to sit up straighter and curled his arm around Mikey’s shoulder. “It’s all good. All of them were, like, ‘You’ve earned this! We’ve got your back!’ And a couple of ‘Go get your boys!’ comments, bless their hearts.”

Mikey snuggled in closer, his notes lying abandoned on his lap. “Well, you’ve got one of us right here,” he murmured. “And you’ll have the other tomorrow night.”

Cory kissed his temple. “I’ve got both of you all the time, no matter where we are. That’s the best part of all this. The only part that really matters.”

He leaned down farther to press a soft kiss to Mikey’s lips, and Mikey opened to him, accepting his tongue and his taste, the warmth of Cory’s touch spreading through his body. He loved that feeling. Arousal, yes, but more than that, this was about acceptance and caring. About love, he knew, though they hadn’t yet used that word.

Eventually Cory ended the gentle kiss and gave Mikey a smile. “How goes the schoolwork?”

Mikey grimaced. “Boring as usual.” He laid a hand on his notebook, which was in danger of tipping right off his lap. “I’ve been going over my notes again, trying to absorb some more of this.” He shrugged one shoulder. “There’s a reason I’m majoring in animation and not art history.”

“Awwww.” Cory kissed his temple again. “Gotta get the foundation stuff too, though. I hated my management classes in college, but they definitely helped in the end. Proof’s in the pudding, with the way my staff’s so loyal.”

Mikey nuzzled against his neck like a cat. “I think that’s more about you just being an awesome person.”

“I like you,” Cory said, laughter in his voice. “You’re good for my ego. I think I’m gonna keep you around.” He sighed then and sat back. “But if this whole ‘scaling back’ thing is gonna work, I do have some stuff I need to take care of so we can leave tomorrow night.”

Mikey sat up too. “You’re still taking your laptop with you, right?” That had been part of the reason they’d been able to plan to leave Thursday night instead of waiting until Friday. The long weekend—they planned to stay through Wednesday morning—would be a test of how well Cory’s plans to telework more would, well, work.

“Yeah, I’ll have it, but I’d rather not need it.” Cory reached out a hand to run his fingers down Mikey’s cheek. “I’d like to have Friday to spend with my gorgeous lovers.”

Mikey flushed from the compliment and the spark of heat from Cory’s touch. “I’d like that too,” he murmured.

Cory held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a giant sigh. “Ugh. As much as I’d like to stay right here and cuddle, I do need to get some work done. And you, boy, have studying to do.” He pushed himself up off the sofa. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything, or if you just get lonely.” He flashed a wicked grin back over his shoulder. “Or just want to come sit on my lap for a while. Clothing optional.”

Mikey laughed even as that spark flashed into flame and images of the things he and Cory had done over the previous few weeks flashed through his mind. So far they’d stuck with Cory and Jimmy’s longstanding agreement not to have intercourse without each other, but that still left Mikey and Cory all sorts of interesting things to do. Just the night before, Cory had spent a good half hour rimming Mikey into a puddle of goo before jerking them off together with a well-lubed hand. And a few days before that, Mikey really had sat in Cory’s lap in his office, legs spread wide for Cory’s talented hands, with Jimmy participating via speakerphone while a threesome porn scene played on the computer.

Yeah, Cory’s plan to work from home more often had benefits Mikey had never even considered before.

Shaking off the sexual haze that threatened to descend, Mikey turned back to his review of everything about art from the Paleolithic Era through the Middle Ages. The only truly good thing he could think of to say about this class was that it was almost over.

I
T
WAS
after midnight Thursday—technically Friday morning—when Cory pulled into the parking spot next to the resort office and killed the engine. “Home sweet second home,” he said, his voice gravelly with the late hour.

“Mmm-hmm.” Mikey didn’t move for long moments before reaching for his seat belt. “Longest short week ever.”

“You said it, honey.”

Cory unfastened his seat belt, and they reached for their doors at the same time. They got their bags—Mikey’s school backpack, Cory’s laptop case, and a small suitcase each—and locked up the car before heading toward the door. On their last visit, they’d gone ahead and brought doubles of their daily toiletries and left a couple of changes of clothes, underwear, and swimsuits so they wouldn’t need to shuttle a full complement of their belongings back and forth every time. Mikey imagined this was what it would be like to have a weekend home, which, when he considered, was how things were turning out.

Inside they shuffled into the living room and dropped off their bags before heading down the hallway to the bedroom. Jimmy’d had a migraine when Cory called to tell him they were on the way, and Cory had told him to go ahead to bed and not worry about them. “We know the way, baby,” he’d said. “You take care of you.”

The softness in his voice had made Mikey’s heart ache, and he’d wanted to blurt out the full extent of his feelings then, but he’d held his tongue. He was hesitant enough as it was, but even if he did say those three little words, he’d want to say it to them both at once.

In the bedroom Jimmy’s deep, even breathing showed he was sound asleep, so Mikey followed Cory’s example and undressed down to underwear. Jimmy had left a light on in the bathroom, so they weren’t stumbling around in total darkness, and when Cory climbed carefully onto the bed without even a nod at going to brush his teeth, Mikey followed suit. The tension and then release of his final exam had left him with a bone-deep exhaustion that superseded the need for washing up. He’d probably wake up needing to pee in an hour, but at that moment he didn’t really care.

He settled into the mattress, his lovers’ bodies warm on either side, and in minutes he was asleep.

“W
HAT
DO
you think, babe?”

Mikey peered over the edge of his coffee mug at the sketch Jimmy had drawn. Jimmy seemed to be good at everything he tried, and while his drawing was far from professional, it was clear and precise. “Legally Queer,” the words read in a blocky type reminiscent of a stencil style, with the tagline “Equality is the New Black” below.

Jimmy had decided a few weeks earlier to get back into the legal field, focusing specifically on issues related to same-sex relationships. Even with same-sex marriage becoming a reality, gay couples still faced pushback from disapproving family members, and issues like adoption could be hairy. Jimmy wanted to help, and Mikey adored that about him.

“Hmmm.” Jimmy pulled the drawing back toward him and squinted. “Rainbow colors would be the obvious, but sometimes obvious is good. Maybe just a rainbow line in between?”

Mikey tilted his head. “That could work. Or maybe to the left of the first word so Legally Queer is the logo, and you can use the tagline or not, depending.”

Jimmy flashed him a grin and reached for his own coffee mug. “I knew it would be handy dating an artsy type.”

“You know I’ll draw it if you want me to.”

Jimmy leaned in to kiss him. “I would love you forever for that.”

Heat flashed through Mikey, and he almost said “I love you too,” even though Jimmy’s words weren’t exactly a declaration. But something still held him back. He knew what he felt, even though he’d never been in love and had only known Cory and Jimmy for a couple of months. Heck, he’d be hard pressed to understand how anyone could not fall in love with these two.

Saying the words out loud, though, was a different story. That wasn’t something he could take back.

“Speaking of work.” Jimmy pushed back from the table and gave a knowing smile. “I have a surprise for you two.”

“Oh Lord. Now what’s he up to?” Cory pulled out the chair between them, but before he could sit, Jimmy held out a hand.

“Nope.” He stood and beckoned to Mikey. “Gotta show off the goods. And not
those
goods,” he emphasized when Cory opened his mouth to cut in. “No hints. Let’s go see.”

Mikey rose from his seat, and Jimmy grabbed his hand and led him out of his living area and across the walkway into the office.

Shaun waved as they passed by. “Ready to show off, boss?”

“You got it, ace!” Jimmy grinned and kept going, pulling Mikey behind him, Cory close at his heels. They walked down a hallway toward the room Jimmy used for his massage studio. He stopped short of that, though, at a doorway to a room Mikey hadn’t been in yet.

“Don’t tell me,” Cory said. “You finally organized that mess you used to call an office.”

Jimmy’s grin grew even wider. “You could say that,” he said, and he opened the door and led them inside.

The room was long and narrow, with soft-gray walls and lots of natural light from the expansive windows stretching down the outside walls. The space held three desks, two of them side by side at the far end, the other directly opposite the doorway, all in a gleaming cherrywood finish. A small drawing table with a tall stool beside it was tucked into the corner next to the twin desks. Bookshelves and filing cabinets covered most of the empty wall space, but not enough to make the room feel crowded.

“James Earl Black.” The gobsmacked tone of Cory’s voice drew Mikey’s attention. “What in the goddamned hell have you gone and done?”

Jimmy threw his head back and laughed. “I have goddamned hell given you even more reason to get your ass out here.” He waved an arm. “I have built you an office from which you can telecommute to your little heart’s content. No more trying to keep up with stuff from the kitchen table.” He squeezed Mikey’s hand. “And space for your assistant, including a ministudio so he can
draw
to his little heart’s content.”

Mikey felt like Cory looked: stunned. The space felt light and airy, not too bright or too dark, and the work areas fit together like pieces of a puzzle. The desk he understood—it would give him a place to do his work for Cory—but a drawing table too? He didn’t need anything like that, not yet. But he felt it pulling him in.

Jimmy’s hand fell away as Mikey walked toward the corner. A small framed print hung above the table, and as he drew closer, he realized it showed Tigger, balanced on the end of his bouncy tail, arms outspread in his inimitably exuberant way. Then Mikey realized it wasn’t a print. It was an animation cel. And from the way it looked….

He whirled around and stared at Jimmy. “Is that an original?” Jimmy nodded, and Mikey’s mouth worked silently. He didn’t know where to begin.
How do you thank someone for handing you something you didn’t even know you wanted until you saw it? How do you thank someone for loving you that much?

Mikey didn’t think. He just acted. He took the few strides necessary to launch himself into Jimmy’s strong arms.

“Oh my God,” he murmured into the side of Jimmy’s neck. “I love you so fucking much.”

At that point he couldn’t bring himself to care if it was too soon or that he couldn’t take it back. He couldn’t not say it. It burst out of him like an explosion, his heart and body throbbing with the strength of his emotions.

Jimmy chuckled softly into his ear. “I know, honey,” he murmured. “We love you too. I mean, how could we not? In case you didn’t know, you’re pretty damn awesome.”

“Cute too,” Cory chimed in. He wrapped his arms around them both. “I hope it’s okay if I join in the lovefest. Starting to feel a little left out over here.”

Mikey choked out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh and turned his head to find Cory’s mouth and press their lips together. “I love you so fucking much too,” he said, his voice cracking, and Cory kissed him again.

“Love you lots, baby doll,” he said. He turned his head to kiss Jimmy. “And you too, old man.”

“Hey!” Jimmy nudged Cory with one hip. “Who you callin’ old?”

“You.” Cory stuck out his tongue and then grinned. “All right, enough of this stuff. I fixed up my whole life just so I could spend more time with my boyfriends, so that’s what we’re gonna do. I vote for pool time.”

“Sounds good to me.” Jimmy winked at Mikey. “I vote for naked pool time!”

Cory snorted. “You vote for naked anything time.”

Jimmy didn’t deny it. “Let’s get out there.” He reached for Mikey’s hand again and squeezed it tight. “We’ll have plenty of time to get the office set up later. We’d better enjoy the alone time while we can.”

Mikey smiled and held out his free hand to Cory, who grabbed it and lifted his to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back. “You ready for all of this?”

Mikey nodded. “I’m ready.”

After everything that had happened, he knew it was finally the truth.