Page 41 of The Jock
Milo blinked at him and his cheeks colored. “Sorry, I thought you were… Well, it’s natural to wonder why I like the things I like.”
Colby snorted. “It’s not, though. No one wonders why I like CrossFit, or sweatpants, or backwards hats.” Colby plucked his hat off the dresser and shoved it on. “I was wondering what other kinds of things you like to wear, or if you have a favorite color. I was kind of sad that you came over in the dark and I didn’t get a good look at you in them. Are you staying for breakfast?”
Milo wrinkled his nose. “That depends entirely on what you’re making. Because if you tell me it’s a protein anything, the answer is no, thank you.”
Colby laughed. “I usually have a shake, but I can whip up an omelet for us.”
“You shouldn’t change what you do just for me.” Milo tried to backtrack. “That’s not what I meant. Not what I wanted. You should do things the way you like, not do things differently just because I made a comment.”
Milo’s babble was almost frantic, like he was scared, or worried, or some other emotion that Colby wasn’t used to seeing on him.
“Hey, it’s fine.” Colby took the bundle of clothes from Milo and tossed them onto the bed before pulling him into a hug. “I promise I like breakfast food for breakfast, but I get lazy when I’m by myself, so I usually default to a shake. It will be nice to eat real food. Hell, one day I’ll take you to the diner and Taylor can cook us a real breakfast.”
Colby didn’t bring his dates to the diner. It opened up too many questions from his family, but he found that he wanted to bring Milo there, questions or no questions. Of course he’d instruct his family to behave, but he wanted to show Milo all the different parts of himself, of his life.
“You okay?” Colby asked when he realized they’d both gotten quiet, lost in their own heads.
“Yeah, I just feel dumb.”
“It’s okay, Milo.” Colby kissed the side of his head. “I’ll make us breakfast and a coffee.”
“God, yes. Coffee would be fantastic.”
Milo perched on the far end of the counter and kicked his feet back and forth as Colby moved around the space, starting coffee and cooking eggs. They made small talk, but it wasn’t painful the way most small talk was. They shared little things about whatthey were doing with their day. Milo asked about Taylor and Colby was happy to tell him all about how well it had gone with their dad.
“I didn’t mean to get all weird,” Milo said. It wasn’t out of nowhere, though. Colby could tell that he’d been trying to work up to something. “My ex.”
“Ah, the douche. Yes, I remember him.”
“He, uh… We were together for a while and I used to do all these things, right. Like drag and getting my nails done and stuff. But we got together and it started small with things like what we ate or did. He chipped away at me, taking one little thing after another. He’s the reason I stopped doing drag. I stopped wearing makeup too. I stopped doing a lot of things because he didn’t like them, or he only liked them on his terms, not mine. It was easier to give them up than to fight him on it or to give him up. And in the end, he wasn’t even faithful to me. It—” Milo shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.
Patiently, Colby waited for Milo to continue, or to change the subject. He wasn’t sure which direction Milo was going to go. After another sip of his coffee, he lifted his gaze to meet Colby’s. “I know it’s just breakfast, and it’s stupid to be upset, but I don’t want to be like him. I don’t want to make other people feel like they have to change to suit me.”
Colby set his plate aside and stepped in closer, slotting himself between Milo’s legs. “I’m sorry you went through that, but I promise you, not all change is bad. Slowing down to eat a proper breakfast, especially with a man as gorgeous as you, is hardly a bad change to make to my schedule.”
“But—”
Colby put his finger to Milo’s lips. “It’s okay, Milo. You’re allowed to have preferences. You’re allowed to want eggs instead of protein shakes and panties instead of briefs, and you don’t owe anyone an explanation or an apology for those things.”
Milo scoffed. “You’re so perfect, it’s almost revolting.” He seemed to grow more relaxed.
“No one is perfect. I probably have a few flaws if you get real close and look hard enough. They’re in there somewhere. Maybe.”
Milo rolled his eyes. “He’s humble too.”
“Hey, you’re the one who called me perfect.”
“I also said it was revolting.”
Colby leaned in, his mouth a fraction of an inch from Milo’s. “Too revolting to kiss?”
Milo didn’t dignify that with an answer. He simply wrapped his arms around Colby’s neck and reeled him in, closing that last bit of distance.
Colby might not be perfect, but this morning with Milo had certainly felt that way.
CHAPTER 18
MILO
