Page 94 of His Reluctant Savior

He climbed off me, stood, and gave me his hand. I took it, and he lifted me. “Come on. Let’s take a shower before said package gets home.”

“Home?” I asked. We hadn’t really discussed whether I was staying here indefinitely or what was to become of my old house.

While I missed my house, and I hated to let go of all the memories I’d made there, perhaps it was time to start fresh. My memories weren’t going anywhere.

Sid pulled me against him. “You don’t think I’m letting you leave, do you? I thought I was pretty clear about my obsession with you.”

“Clear as a bell.”

“Excellent! We’ll make this place ours. Even Owen will have a say. Then, after the holidays, we need to find him a new school. A private school where we can keep a close eye on him. He’s been tutored long enough. Plus, he misses having friends.”

I smirked at him and rested my hands on his chest. “Look at you being a dad.”

“Psh… as if it’s hard,” he said.

“Oh, I look forward to the day you question your sanity when he’s an obnoxious teen.”

“That will never happen. Owen is a perfect angel. Besides, I’ve fought off murderers, stopped evil politicians, and got you tofall in love with me. If I can handle that, I can handle an unruly teen.”

I chuckled. “If you say so.”

“I do. Now, let’s bathe, get one more quick blow job in, and await the Prince.”

Right Before Christmas

I sipped on spiked eggnog, watching Dalton and Owen decorate a Christmas tree, which was my first. Perhaps I had them as a kid, but I couldn’t remember. It felt weird and oddly domestic, but I knew what I was getting myself into with Dalton.

A weird sense of melancholy filled me, not realizing I had missed something I’d never had, things like a happy family growing up or, hell, any sort of normality. Those oldinsecurities and jealousies from when I was a teen tried to punch through, but I wouldn’t let them. Dalton was mine now, and surprisingly, I made him happy in return. Who would’ve thought?

White lights twinkled as Dalton showed Owen where to put certain ornaments since the kid wanted to put them all in one spot. He tried to get Easton involved, but it was too awkward and boring for him, so he sat stiffly next to me.

Well, once they wrapped up the tree, it would get even more awkward for the young man because we had plans for his birthday tonight.

“This is… weird,” he said.

I chuckled. “It is a little, but it’s nice, too. Look at how happy they are.”

He looked back at father and son. “I suppose.”

“I realize we never really did anything for Christmas at The District. When you deal with so much death, you wonder what the point of everything is. But now that I’ve found someone, it changes your perspective and gives you hope that there’s goodness in the world, too.”

Easton looked at me with large, dark eyes. “You’re happy, then?”

“I am.”

“Sometimes I wonder what that feels like. I see the smiles and I understand reactions, but I will never experience what you all feel. There’s only a concept of love and happiness. I know what it’s supposed to look like, but… I’ll never have that in my life.”

Those feelings and experiences weren’t Easton’s fault. He’d suffered, starting at an incredibly young age, and his mind did what it could to protect itself, which manifested into antisocialpersonality disorder. On top of it, I was certain he was on the spectrum. He excelled at masking himself and projecting other personalities, but he chose to be himself with me for some reason. Allowing him to be exposed like that must have benefitted him in some way.

“You’ve formed relationships with other people, such as yours truly.”

“Not like my relationship with you. Like…”

“Like what I have with Dalton?”

“Yes.”

“You can have that. Granted, it’s not easy, but there’s always a chance you’ll find someone who understands you and appreciates you. Maybe someone oblivious, and just loves you for you.”

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