Harmless(100)

"Us?"

"Me and Liam."

"Of course I'll go."

The fact that Seg agreed without any thought eased some of the tension where Roan's father was concerned.

"He's not a hockey fan," Roan noted, his attempt at lightening the mood.

"Not a problem. I have other charms."

"Do you? Like those that you've used on me?"

"Which ones do you prefer?" Seg shifted so that Roan was flat on his back, Seg hovering over him.

"All of them," he admitted, his voice choked by emotion. "Every single one."

"Well, I have to say, those particular charms are for you and you only." Seg's hand slid down his cheek and Roan leaned into the touch.

"You won't hear me complaining."

Roan could feel the intensity of Seg's stare.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About wanting to spend every night with me?"




 

 

"Yeah."

Seg's kiss was soft, soothing. "Good."

"How do you propose we make that happen?" Roan hadn't thought that far ahead, so he was hoping Seg had.

"It doesn't have to happen immediately, you know. We can take things slowly."

"I'm thinking that a year and a half of this has been relatively slow, huh?"

Seg chuckled. "We did manage to make up for some serious lost time, eh?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure we made up for all of it."

"I can fix that," Seg told him.

Roan took the opportunity to kiss Seg. Just kiss him. He ran his hands over the smooth skin of Seg's back, feeling the flex of his muscles as he moved closer. This was what he'd wanted for so long. Something real, steady. A promise of years to come.

It was what all his friends had recently found, what Roan thought would never be available to him. Who would've thought that a one-night stand all those months ago would've resulted in this?

Love.

"Which one of us is gonna have to commute to work?" Roan asked when they broke for air.

"Me," Seg said instantly. "Liam needs to be close to your friends so they can help when we need it. I have friends who would help out in a pinch, but they're not as close as you are with your friends. Plus, I can manage the daily drive."

"What if we bought a house somewhere in the middle? Share the drive. It would allow me to be close enough to the marina, to Cam and everyone, but also limit the amount of time you have to spend driving."

Seg lifted his head and smiled. "I'd like that. The idea of buying a house that's ours … "

Roan liked the idea, too.

Then again, if it involved sharing a life with Seg, he more than liked it.



"NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THAT settled," Seg prompted as he eased onto his back and pulled Roan closer, "tell me all I need to know for tomorrow night."

"Like?"

Seg turned his head to look at Roan. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming with details about your family. What does your dad do? Your stepmom? How long have they been married?"

"My dad works as an electrician. He's semi-retired though. My stepmother works at a bank. They got married when I was twenty-two, so  …  twelve years."

"Does she have kids of her own?"

"No. I'm not sure why that is either. Maybe she can't have them. I've never asked."

"Semi-retired and your dad wants to take on the task of raising another child? Sounds backwards to me."

"It is." Roan shifted. "I honestly don't think my dad wants to raise Liam. However, Lydia can be pretty persuasive." 

"And her issue with you being gay?"

Roan sighed. "She always claimed it wasn't an issue. Not until Cassie died. Then she voiced her opinion of a child being raised in a gay household."

"You think maybe it's just a knee-jerk reaction? If they didn't know about Liam, maybe she's disappointed Cassie never came to them?"

"No. I mean, sure, I get that they could be upset, but you have to understand the relationship they have with my sisters. Cassie was a wild child from about thirteen. She acted out in school, and she ran with the wrong crowd. They dealt with her drinking when she was in high school, but my dad pretty much washed his hands of her when she left home. Cassie didn't like Lydia for whatever reason."

Based on what Seg knew of Lydia, that didn't surprise him. He didn't even know the woman and he wasn't a fan.

"Do you think they would've wanted guardianship?" Seg asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. It sure seems that way, but I don't think they're in it for the right reasons."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up getting guardianship?"

Roan sighed again. "When Cassie was in the hospital, after she had Liam, Child Protective Services paid her a visit."