Walk A Different Path 🤍 Jaa/First

Chapter 9 ~ one day at a time ~

"my mom hangs the clothes up here see, it has the heat from the chimney breast and ventilation, of course in summer she hangs outside.

"cool idea" Sam said as Maskwa lowered the clothes drying racks that used a pulley system, there were two, one on either side of the loft then there was a free standing drying rack beside the loft window.

Sam quickly draped the laundry across the wooden poles and Maskwa pulled the airers back up and secured them.

"there, that's one job out of the way" Sam said smiling happily.

"it feels so weird being here with nothing to do" Sam said.

"you should use the opportunity to have a break" Maska suggested.

"I intend to but I also want to help you with the things that you have to do" Sam replied.

"sure but I don't have anything to do until later when I take care of the chickens and horses" Maskwa replied.

"then we could relax together" Sam smiled.

"really, what did you have in mind" Maskwa smiled back.

"not what I think you're thinking" Sam replied.

"I should really chop some wood for the fire" Maskwa said looking out of the kitchen window at the wood pile which was getting low.

"can I help?" Sam asked.

"no, I don't want you hurting yourself or getting blisters on your pretty hands, you stay in the house where it's warm" Maskwa said as he went to pull on his boots and grabbed his coat.

"see you later baby" Maskwa said as he went out into the back yard and began chopping wood.

Sam watched him for a while and felt guilty being in the house while he was out in the cold so he decided to make some soup, it would be ready for when Maskwa came back inside and he would serve it in a mug to warm him.

He looked through the cupboards and found what he needed then began finely chopping the vegetables and when everything was ready he began to cook it up.

The whole scene was one of domesticity and Sam couldn't help but imagine it was real, for them to be in a committed relationship and living together but then he remembered that this was just temporary, a couple of weeks tops.

An hour later, Sam had kept the soup simmering and reducing and Maskwa was just finishing up in the yard before gathering an armful of logs to bring inside. Sam watched as he walked by the kitchen window then came to the kitchen door and as he walked inside he kicked off his boots before continuing through to the other room to place the logs down by the fire.

"I made some soup to warm you up" Sam said.

"that sounds lovely, just give me a minute to wash up a little and then I'll have some" Maskwa smiled.

Ten minutes later they were both sat at the kitchen table sipping on steaming mugs of home made seasonal vegetable soup.

"how is it?" Sam asked.

"it's good and there you were saying that you couldn't do anything and yet you made this" Maskwa said.

"but this is nothing, it's just soup" Sam said.

"we all have our strengths and weaknesses, that's why it's important to find someone who compliments you that way, I don't need someone who is as strong as me or can ride or hunt as well as I can, I don't want to live my life competing with my partner, I need someone who can do the things I'm not so great at so that together we are unbreakable" Maskwa said.

"wise words indeed" Sam replied then they both finished their soup silently.

Later that day, Maskwa took Sam outside and showed him how to feed the chickens and gather eggs then he showed him how to feed the horses and give them fresh water.

Later that night they both settled down to watch the third episode of the drama they had started to watch and it seemed that Maskwa was enjoying it, Sam was too until he remembered the kissing scene that was coming up so he tried to make excuses to leave the room.

"I thought you wanted to watch this baby?" Maskwa asked.

"I do, I just need to pop up to my room" Sam replied.

"but it's getting good, I don't want you to miss anything" Maskwa said.

"I've seen it before" Sam said.

"oh come on, it'll be finished soon ..." Maskwa said pulling Sam across the sofa and into his arms.

Sam decided the best thing was to just grin and bear it and before long the two mains had their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

"well hot damn" Maskwa said as he stared at the screen.

"baby ... baby ... I know you're not asleep" Maskwa said to the man in his arms.

"mmm what's up?" Sam asked pretending to be half asleep,

"you'd be surprised after that kissing scene" Maskwa replied smirking.

' huh, wait until you see tomorrow's episode' Sam thought to himself.

"I'm really quite tired, I think I'll go up if that's ok.

"you don't have to ask me baby in fact hang on, I'll come with you" Maskwa said.

"are you sleepy as well?" Sam asked him.

"a little but mostly I just want to hold you" Maskwa replied.

Sam didn't know how he was going to get through these next few days, all alone in a house with Maskwa ... he would just have to take one day at a time.

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