Looking for Trouble(73)

On those nights they wanted to hang out and Clay didn’t, he stayed home, and the past four months, Dylan had come home to him.

Clay flipped the meat over on the grill. They were having a barbecue at their place, with Troy, Elijah, Gideon, William, Scott, Renée, and her fiancé, Cliff. It was the first time they’d had this many people over at once, but Clay knew it wouldn’t be the last. He was enjoying himself too much…and he was thankful to have friends in his life again. They were an eclectic group of people, but Clay wouldn’t trade any of them for the world.

“We playing poker next weekend?” William asked. It had become a tradition. They played once a month and alternated between Dylan and Clay’s place, and William and Scott’s.

“Yep. And just so you know, I plan to kick your ass again,” Clay said.

“Keep dreaming,” William replied.

“But I always win.”

“No, your boy usually wins. Christ, he’s good.”

Clay looked over at his partner. Dylan was joking around with Troy and trying to help Gideon at the same time. “Yeah, he is.”

Dylan hadn’t played poker before, but he was a natural. And William was right. He typically swept the floor with all of them.

It had taken a while for things to get settled in. It hadn’t been easy. It was an adjustment—he and Dylan living apart, each working on their own personal demons, building their relationship together. Clay had stayed with Renée, which, yeah, had been awkward in some ways. At the same time, he and Dylan were having a house built and arguing over what went where, and Dylan’s new sewing room, but it had all worked out.

He would never forget the day they moved into the house together…fucking Dylan in every room, helping him get his website up and running for his underwear designs. It hadn’t taken off overnight, but he got orders in from time to time, and he was enjoying what he was doing. Clay had no doubt Dylan would excel at it. He was also still working at the Dancing Unicorn. He was a manager now, and ran their craft programs for kids once a month.

Clay finished the food, and they ate together outside by the water. They had a few beers and lots of laughs, and when the sun went down, Clay built a fire in the new firepit they’d had installed. They roasted marshmallows, and Dylan sat on his lap, making Clay suck all the sticky marshmallow off his fingers.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Clay teased.

“I don’t like to be sticky!” Dylan replied. “Well…except with…”

“Don’t you say it!” Clay shushed him playfully, and Dylan pretended to pout.

“You’re no fun.”

Renée smiled. “And on that note…I think it’s time for us to go home.”

“Sorry. He just makes me so frisky.” Dylan winked at her, and she laughed.

Everyone else stood to leave too. They said their goodbyes to their friends, and Clay safely put the fire out and went inside. He joined Dylan in the shower, and then they climbed into bed together.

Their new room was bigger, the whole square footage of the house was. It didn’t feel like the home he’d shared with Gordon, and that was okay. Clay had loved Gordon, he always would in some ways, but he’d had to move on. He’d moved on with the man he loved, the one he couldn’t imagine his life without, and knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

“That was fun,” Dylan said as he wrapped himself around Clay the way he always did. He rubbed his cheek against Clay’s chest hair.

“It was.” Clay ran his hand up and down Dylan’s back. Every day was fun with Dylan.

“I still can’t believe this is my life sometimes.” Dylan snuggled in.

“Me neither. But Christ, I’m glad it is. And we deserve it.”

Dylan climbed over him, straddled him. “Yes, we do…even when my friends call you Daddy?” he teased, and Clay laughed.

“Even then. I think I’m enjoying this older-man thing. Especially since I get to spend it with you.”

“Aww. You’re so sweet…and sappy.” Dylan winked at him, then leaned over and kissed him. Clay held his ass, dug his fingers in as he allowed Dylan to lead the kiss. When he pulled away, Dylan said, “I have everything I never knew I needed…everything I never thought I’d have. I love you so much, Clay.”

Clay had spent most of his life just trying to get by. Trying not to make too many waves. But what he hadn’t realized was that he needed a little trouble. He might not have known it, but he’d been looking for trouble…looking for Dylan. “I love you too.”

And he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life doing just that.