"There you are," Eli spotted the serpentine belt's frayed edge as soon as he got his mirror in the right place. "But how did you get like this? You're too new to be so broken."
The words hung in the air as he studied what he could see from his vantage point under the hood of Adam's car. It was exactly what he expected when the car started squealing every time they drove it, but that didn't mean the problem made any sense.
"I guess someone could say the same thing about me," Adam's answer startled Eli into dropping the dentist's mirror he used to look at the belt. Eli spun to look at Adam. "So now what?"
"Now I take it off," Eli's mouth felt a little dry as he studied the look on Adam's face. Adam had sounded a little sad but his expression didn't seem sad at all. "Figure out why it's coming apart. You should have gotten another 100,000 miles out of this at least."
"Do you need help?"
"No, you can go do, uh, whatever," Eli shrugged. Adam tilted his head, his eyes running down Eli's body.
"And what if I just want to sit here and watch?"
"It's going to be at least an hour."
"I'll come back."
"Alright," Eli turned back to the car once Adam was gone. He took a slow breath to calm down.
Almost a week had passed since the day he moved into Adam's bedroom. So far they'd done their best to take things slow, but Eli knew it was just a matter of time before they stopped holding back. They'd talked a little about boundaries but for the most part the only thing stopping them was how much fun it was to wait.
Sometimes Adam still seemed lost in thought or distant, and he did find him crying sometimes, but Eli could see how much happier he was after just a week of being together. It helped him believe they were making the right choice, no matter how fast it felt sometimes.
After working a little over an hour, Eli had replaced the belt and fixed the leaky oil valve that created the mess in the first place. He'd changed the oil while he was at it and was topping off the wiper fluid when Adam came back outside.
"Are you...oh wow," Adam raised his eyebrows as he looked Eli over. "You're almost done, right?"
"Yep, you need your car?" Eli put the lid back on and closed the hood. He didn't have to hear Adam's answer to know that Adam had no plans to go anywhere.
"What I need," Adam stepped into the garage and pulled his shirt off. "Is standing right in front of me."
"Careful, I'm pretty filthy," Eli warned as Adam got closer.
"That's why I'm taking my clothes off," Adam stepped out of his shorts, setting his clothes on the only thing close to a clean surface in the garage. He reached for Eli's hips. "I'm done holding back."
"Oh, really?"
"Really," Adam kissed Eli hard. "Can I touch you?"
"Please," Eli nodded, his eyes still closed. He had to fight back a laugh when he remembered his brother warning him about exactly that very scenario when Eli first learned how to fix cars. But Adam wasn't very patient and stripped Eli's shirt off a minute later.
"Oh my god," Adam groaned. "Your body is perfect."
"Stop."
"I'm serious, Eli," Adam ran his hands over Eli's stomach. "You're so sexy I can't stand it. Look at these lines."
"I worked hard for those."
"It definitely paid off," Adam sighed and reached for Eli's shorts. "Can I see the rest?"
"Yes, I'm all yours," Eli took a deep breath in the hopes that he wouldn't cum too fast and end up looking like an overeager teenager in front of Adam. Sharing a room made it hard to jack off as much as he would have needed to be able to stay in control so Eli already felt pretty pent up.
He thought Adam would pull his shorts down and go back to looking but Adam never stood up, he just took Eli's cock in his mouth making Eli instantly hard. The sensation combined with all the excitement that they were finally touching each other was almost too much to handle.
"Your moans are so hot," Adam told Eli between licks. "I'm already leaking like crazy."
"Fuck," Eli reached down to run his hands through Adam's hair. He hadn't styled it that day so it felt as soft and clean as it looked and was definitely out of place in the messy garage that smelled like motor oil. "I may not last much longer."
"Mm, let me have it," Adam's frosty blue eyes met Eli's again. "Shoot it down my throat, Eli."
Adam swallowed Eli's dick, just like that, his fingers digging into Eli's ass cheeks as he controlled their speed. Right when Eli thought he couldn't possibly get any deeper into Adam's mouth, Adam swallowed and Eli went right over the edge. He came hard, harder than he'd expected, vision going just a little blurry.
"Holy shit, Adam," Eli reached for the hood of the car just in case he passed out. "You just....that was...."
"So fucking hot," Adam stood up. "Kiss me, quick."
"Mm," Eli kissed him, fighting to catch his breath. He was dizzy but reached between them to find Adam's hard cock and rubbed it through the tight boxer briefs. It felt bigger than he'd remembered and suddenly Eli forgot to worry that he might not be good enough at sex to make Adam happy. All he wanted was to see for himself.
"Yes, please," Adam gasped when Eli got on his knees. Eli almost got hit in the face when he pulled Adam's boxers down and couldn't keep himself from laughing.
"This thing should come with a warning label," Eli saw Adam laugh too.
"Consider this your warning," Adam's eyes fluttered shut as Eli ran his fingers along the shaft. "This is just the beginning."
"Oh wow," Eli smeared Adam's pre-cum over his lips, earning another gasp. "And you taste good too. How is that fair?"
"Eli, please, you're making me so crazy."
Eli knew before he'd even closed his mouth around Adam's cock that he would have to practice before he could take it anywhere near as deep as he wanted. And then it got bigger as it got harder and Eli almost did pass out. Just the thought of having it inside him one day was enough to make Eli desperate to cum again. He reached down to stroke himself while he worked.
"So fucking hot," Adam was watching. "I'm gonna cum so hard."
"Mmm," Eli didn't want to stop what he was doing to speak. The sounds he and Adam made were so hot that when he looked up and saw Adam's face, Eli came for the second time.
"Fuck," Adam moaned and Eli felt his cock jerk, the taste of Adam's cum flooding his mouth. "That was so hot, fuck."
"That...was...." Eli couldn't form a sentence. He made it back to his feet but when Adam started kissing him he felt too weak to do much else.
"Shower, come on," Adam bent down and lifted Eli off the ground, one arm under his knees and the other under Eli's shoulders.
"What are you -"
"I told you I had goals. This was one of them," Adam carried Eli into the house as if he weighed nothing. "To be able to carry you up the stairs and not get out of breath."
"Why are you the best at everything?" Eli put his head against Adam's shoulder. "I've seriously never had a blowjob wreck me like that."
"I'm not the best at everything, but I'm pretty good at sex," Adam kissed Eli's forehead. "And I've been holding back a while so you'd better just get used to it."
"If you think that's just pretty good then I'm afraid of what perfect would do to me," Eli closed his eyes. He pushed back the little voice that tried to tell him Adam was probably not impressed by his pitiful lack of skills. That was not something he wanted to think about, not right then.
"Guess we should keep practicing so you can find out."
"That's definitely okay with me."
After that afternoon, Eli felt like Adam couldn't keep his hands to himself. It was a wonderful feeling to be so wanted and the last thing Eli wanted to do was complain but there was still a little voice in the back of his head that kept making him nervous. What if he couldn't keep up?
On the other hand, Eli reminded himself that if Adam was all over him all the time that he couldn't be too disappointed by Eli's lack of sex skills. It wasn't like he even had to try to get Adam hard and it definitely wasn't a fight to make him cum.
Then again, their relationship was still pretty new so maybe Adam just hadn't had a chance to get bored yet. Only time would tell. Eli just hoped he could learn fast enough to keep Adam happy.
------------------------------------
"Are you awake?" Eli whispered.
"It's a little hard to sleep when someone keeps grinding his dick into me," Adam grinned. He turned over to face Eli. "You?"
"Sorry," Eli gave him a little pout. "It's just impossible not to get hard when you rub your ass all over me."
"I wasn't," Adam gasped.
"You were."
"I was asleep!" Adam really hadn't done it on purpose.
"I'm sure," Eli laughed. "Any chance you want to apologize for what you've done?"
"Maybe," Adam's cock tensed at the suggestion. "How exactly do you want me to apologize?"
"You're a clever boy," Eli raised his eyebrow and Adam knew even if he'd thought of protesting he would have given into that look. "I'm sure you'll think of something."
"Oh, you're very right about that," Adam nodded and kissed him. He loved kissing Eli. Maybe because he'd tried so many times before Eli finally let it happen. Their first kiss was still one of Adam's new favorite memories.
As he kissed his way down Eli's chest, Adam ran his fingers over the soft skin there. He was learning more every time he had a chance to touch Eli, discovering where his tan faded away to creamy white and which spots made him gasp. Adam looked up at Eli's face as he moved and reminded himself again that this was all his.
"Adam, please," Eli whispered. Adam grinned and moved up so he could look Eli in the eyes.
"What was that?" Adam asked. "I couldn't hear you," he teased.
"Unh," Eli fussed.
"I can't wait," Adam kissed him and slid his hand down Eli's stomach and into his shorts to start stroking him. "Until I know your body as well as my own. Every freckle and scar and tattoo."
"Mm," Eli smiled and kissed him. He started moving his hips against Adam's motions.
"Aww, you must need this real bad," Adam laughed. "Here, let me make it better," he said and moved back down so he could take Eli into his mouth.
"Oh, yes," Eli moaned. "Adam, that mouth."
Adam smiled though he knew Eli couldn't see it and just kept working. They'd waited so long to be able to touch each other that Adam couldn't imagine a time when he'd get tired of going down on Eli and hearing his moans or watching his whole body react as he came.
After years of wondering about the way Eli smelled, Adam finally had his answers. The combination of Eli's soap, deodorant and sweat mixing together formed that aroma Adam loved so much. It was strongest when he had Eli's cock buried in his mouth and could taste the pre-cum on Eli's skin. Adam suspected it would be stronger still whenever he was allowed inside Eli, a line they hadn't yet crossed. As Eli shuddered and released a remarkable amount of cum down his throat Adam decided he could wait as long as Eli wanted if he got to watch Eli kept giving him that stunned look after every blowjob.
"So was that enough of an apology?"
"Yes," Eli gasped, out of breath. "Could you have done anything better?"
"Well," Adam licked his lips and laughed a little.
"Okay, well, I guess you could," Eli nodded, pulling Adam's arm so he had to move up. Eli kissed his lips and wrapped his hand around Adam's cock. "I'm dying to feel this in me, you know that, but-"
"I know," Adam interrupted. All he wanted to think about was the way Eli was stroking him and the way it felt when Eli looked at him that way.
They curled up together again after Adam came in Eli's mouth, Eli not wasting a single drop of his cum. It was another thing Adam loved. Eli was clingy after sex, like even after they'd both gotten off he still didn't want to let go. Adam felt so certain in Eli's arms, safe and steady. With Cole it had felt like Adam was trying to hold onto something that would never stay in one place.
Adam woke up, startled, when he heard the door to Clay's room open about an hour later. After all those months he still wasn't used to having a child in the house. He could hear Clay's tiny footsteps padding along the hall and then bumping down the stairs.
Careful not to wake Eli, Adam slipped out of his arms and got up. Flower - who'd hidden under the bed while he and Eli were messing around - jumped off the end of the bed, following him to the bathroom and then downstairs, happy to do anything Adam was doing.
"Oops," Clay said as Adam caught him climbing the pantry shelf to reach his cereal.
"Here," Adam picked up the box and held it while Clay got down.
"Almost got it," Clay insisted.
"Someday you won't need help," Adam smiled. "How about a bowl?"
"Yeah, okay," Clay carried his box to the table and waited for Adam to get him a bowl and some milk.
"What are we going to do while Papa is at school?"
"Eat. And then go play. Maybe see Hannah."
"Hannah has school too," Adam reminded him. "We could visit Colin."
"No, Chloe will be there. She's okay."
"Yeah, she's fun too," Adam looked in the fridge at all the tupperwares of food. Between Maddox and Clara their fridge and freezer were still almost full of prepared meals. "Do you think your Papa would want lasagna for breakfast?"
"No," Clay made a face. "He's fat so he can only eat salad."
"That's not right," Adam said to himself as he tried not to laugh. He knew Clay was just repeating something Eli said. "This looks like egg something," he found a container and pulled it out to heat it up.
"Adam, how come you're not my Daddy?"
Adam froze. He'd never expected a question like that.
"What do you mean, Clay?" Adam tried to avoid giving him an answer. What the hell was he supposed to say?
"I have Papa and I had a Daddy but he's not coming home," Clay explained. "But you sleep in Papa's bed like Daddy used to so why can't you be my Daddy now?"
"Daddy is just a name, Clay," Adam felt like he might start sweating. Why hadn't he just woken Eli up to take care of Clay so he wouldn't have to have this conversation? "You call me Adam but I'm still here for you like your Papa is."
"Yeah, but Papa is called Eli," Clay pointed out. "You don't have anodder name?"
"No, just Adam," Adam shrugged and sat down at the table with Clay. "Do you want me to have another name?"
"I don't know," Clay wouldn't look at Adam for a few seconds, his voice getting really soft. "Are you my mommy?"
"No, I'm not your mommy," Adam laughed. Clay didn't laugh or even smile. He actually looked more upset than when they'd started talking.
"Adam, do you love me?" Clay was biting his lip.
"Of course I love you!" Adam leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "What kind of question is that, silly boy?"
"I don't know," Clay shrugged. "I love you."
"Aw, Clay," Adam hugged him, feeling a lot lighter suddenly.
"Don't go away, okay?" Clay held on tight. "Everyone leaves."
"Not me," Adam promised. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Okay," Clay let go. "Hi Papa."
"Hi Clay," Eli's voice sounded rough and when Adam turned to look at him he realized Eli was all choked up.
"Morning," Adam smiled, suddenly nervous. How much had Eli heard? Had he said the right thing? What if he'd messed up and confused Clay?
"I, uh," Eli cleared his throat. "Hug me."
"Okay," Adam went to hug him, still wondering if he should had said something different.
"Thank you," Eli whispered, holding him just as tight as Clay had. "That was everything, Adam."
"Did I say the right thing?"
"You always do. You're making it really hard not to fall in love with you."
"Oh," Adam smiled, his heart pounding then for a different reason. "I think I just promised myself to Clay, you might have to fight him for me."
"I can take him," Eli grinned as he let go. He kissed Adam.
"I made breakfast," Adam gestured to the oven.
"You cooked?" Eli looked nervous.
"I reheated," Adam corrected. "It's safe to eat."
"Thank you," Eli smiled. "I'm, uh, actually going to go running this morning. So I'll eat when I get back."
"Oh, really?" Adam laughed. Eli had finally admitted to Adam that he'd taken up running and why. "You don't need to do that."
"No?" Eli raised his eyebrow, giving Adam a look that made him feel weak. "Why not?"
"Cause you look great."
"Really?" Eli turned and went to the cabinet to get a mug. "You think so?"
"Yeah," Adam nodded as Eli leaned forward, sticking his ass out. Clay giggled.
"You like Papa's butt," Clay didn't miss a thing.
"I sure do," Adam laughed with him.
"Adam!" Eli scolded but he was laughing. "Boundaries."
"Sorry," Adam apologized immediately.
"Clay, why don't you call Adam Dad?" Eli suggested. The word made perfect sense but it made Adam's heart do little jumping jacks anyway.
"Dad?" Clay repeated, his face lighting up. "Adam is my Dad?"
"If you want him to be," Eli reached over to brush the hair out of Clay's eyes. "If it's okay with Adam."
"I want a Dad," Clay nodded. "Adam can be my dad."
"Is that okay?" Eli bit his lip as he looked at Adam.
"Yeah," Adam hadn't expected it but a smile was starting to spread across his face. "I would like that."
"Me too," Eli lifted his chin to kiss Adam. "So much for baby steps."
"Yeah, I'm really not good at baby steps," Adam shook his head.
Adam spent the rest of the morning thinking about that conversation. Dad. The word was so weird to hear, especially used to describe him. He knew that was what he wanted to be to Clay and he loved hearing Eli talk about falling in love. But could he really do it?
That worry ate into his morning workout, making him feel completely useless. He called it a day after just a few sets and went to the shower. Clay was busy "reading" to himself so Adam had a few minutes to get himself together.
"Adam, if you're my dad now will you come see my school?" Clay asked as they were getting in the car to go spend the day with Brent and his kids.
"Yeah, of course," Adam was happy Clay started with an easy question.
"Are we going there now?"
"No, school doesn't start until next week."
"Next week?"
"Yes."
"Oh," Clay looked out the window. "Do we have to go see that baby? Can't we do something fun?"
"Colin?" Adam guessed. "Hannah and Chloe's little brother?"
"Yeah," Clay sighed. "I want to go swimming."
"Do you want to stay here and swim in our pool?"
"No, I want to go to someone else's pool."
"Alright," Adam took a deep breath. He knew Eli would probably tell Clay he could either go to Brent and Dax's house or stay home, but Adam had another thought. "Do you want to go visit my Dad?"
"You have a dad?" Clay's face lit up. "Please? Can we go today?"
"Yeah, let me text and make sure they're home," Adam shot Monroe a quick text. He just smiled when Monroe texted back immediately and promised to be home by the time Adam got there. It only made him feel a little guilty that Monroe would drop everything to be there. They hadn't talked much since Adam got back from Arizona but Adam planned to fix that.
"Tell them to say yes!"
"They said yes," Adam laughed. "Let's go."
Clay cheered, as if Adam had offered to take him somewhere as exciting as Disney world. He asked almost a thousand questions before they finished the 10 minute drive.
"This is your dad's house?" Clay asked when they pulled into the driveway. "Are they gonna like me?"
"Of course they will," Adam wasn't actually sure how Monroe would react or if Jeff was even home but he knew they wouldn't let Clay catch on.
"I can still go swimming here, right?"
"Yep, do you want to ring-"
"I'll ring the bell!"
"Thanks," Adam took a deep breath as they waited for Monroe to open the door. Jeff opened it just a second later, a worried expression on his face. Monroe was right behind him, looking every bit as worried.
"Hi," Jeff and Monroe both looked at Clay and then back up at Adam. Clay was silent for a second, staring at them and then he tugged on Adam's shorts.
"Um, Dad, what do I call them?" he whispered so loudly it probably could have been heard across the street. The look on Jeff and Monroe's faces was priceless.
"Clay, this is Jeff and Monroe. They're my parents," Adam explained.
"Hi Clay," Monroe waved.
"Hi," Clay was still staring. "This is Adam, my new dad. I still have Papa too but he's at school."
"Come in," Monroe pulled Jeff out of the way. "It sounds like we have lots to talk about."
"Is this when I say I told you so or do I have to wait?" Jeff asked quietly as Adam guided Clay into the house. Monroe shushed him.
"I promised Clay he could go swimming," Adam pretended he hadn't heard but he was already starting to relax. Leave it to Jeff and Monroe to put all the pieces together.
"That sounds perfect! We'll get some towels and meet you out there," Monroe dragged Jeff off to the laundry room where they kept all the beach towels. Adam could only imagine the conversation but he tried not to let it bother him.
"Whoa, this pool is so fancy," Clay announced when they got outside. "There's a fountain in the middle!"
"Yeah, it's really nice isn't it?" Adam agreed. "Let's put some sunscreen on and then you can get in."
"I hate this part," Clay protested but he let Adam slather him in sunscreen. "Don't come in, I can do it myself."
"Why don't I sit on the side?" Adam suggested, finding a spot where he could reach Clay pretty easily no matter where he swam.
"If you have to," Clay sighed. He went to the stairs and walked in, waiting until Adam was sitting down to start actually swimming.
"Well, this is not at all what I expected today," Monroe announced when he and Jeff came out of the house with towels a few minutes later.
"So you knew?" Adam looked at Jeff.
"It seemed pretty obvious to me," Jeff was watching Clay and didn't make eye contact with Adam. "Monroe didn't believe it, but when I saw Eli get out of the car at the funeral I knew."
"He called you Dad, Adam, do you ever do anything slow?" Monroe trampled right on past the easy part of the conversation. "I mean, Cole hasn't even been gone a year."
"This is what Cole wanted from the beginning," Adam shrugged. "I know it seems fast, I really do, but Eli and I have been together for a while now."
"What Cole wanted and what you need may be two different things," Monroe shook his head.
"Maybe. But it sounds more like what you want and what I need are the two different things," Adam countered. Monroe was quiet for a minute, watching Clay play in the pool.
"He's a strong swimmer," Jeff was the first one to speak. "Did he take lessons?"
"Yes, Clara, uh, Dax's Mom, has someone come to the house and teach all the kids since they're so close to the water," Adam explained.
"You leave this child with Clara Cartwright?" Monroe's eyes widened. "How often?"
"Um, I think she goes by Bieber," Adam wasn't sure why Monroe was freaking out but he guessed Cartwright was Clara's maiden name. "She's watched Clay his whole life. Anytime Eli or I can't be with him."
"Roe," Jeff warned.
"Well that's just not fair!" Monroe huffed. "If I'm going to have a grandchild I should get first dibs on watching him."
"You know that's not up to Adam."
"I don't care, I'll tell Eli myself."
"Maybe you should come to dinner," Adam suggested. "I, um, have to talk to Eli and set it up, but-"
"We'll be there," Monroe insisted. "So when is the wedding?"
"We haven't talked about that," Adam couldn't make eye contact.
"Adam!"
"What?"
"Clay's already calling you Dad and you haven't even set a wedding date?" Monroe groaned.
"Why are you surprised?" Jeff snorted. "Come on, Roe. Adam never does anything in order."
"Hey, can you just let me have this?" Adam protested. "I've been through enough already and I might finally have a chance at lasting happiness. Just please, don't tell me it's not real because it didn't happen the way you wanted it."
"We wanted all of this, Adam," Monroe threw his arms around Adam, hugging him too tight. "We do. It's just happening fast and I'm scared you're going to get hurt more than you already are."
"Me too, but," Adam looked at Clay again. "It's worth it to me."
"Hey, um, Adam's Dad, can you play with me?" Clay swam to their side of the pool.
"Roe, you're up," Jeff grinned. "Grandpa."
"Whoa, we need to talk about these names," Monroe protested. He pulled his shirt off and slid into the water. "I don't think I like being called Grandpa."
"You too odder Grandpa!" Clay insisted, reaching for Jeff. "Play with me!"
"My name is Jeff," Jeff corrected. "Let me talk to your dad a second and then I'll come play."
"Grand-Jeff!" Clay giggled
"Yaaaaaasssssss" Monroe laughed.
"Oh okay, Grand-Roe," Jeff rolled his eyes. "Just give us a few minutes."
"Okay, but we are gonna be sharks," Clay insisted. "Come on, Grand-Roe, I'll show you the shark cave."
"We have a shark cave now? I better not see a bill for that," Jeff snorted. He waited until Monroe and Clay were on the other side of the pool.
"He's got a pretty big imagination," Adam knew Jeff didn't want to talk about Clay. Not really.
"I can tell. So I'm guessing you're not ready to make this official?"
"No, not yet," Adam sighed. "But if we could get everyone to stop thinking Eli works for me that would be good too."
"Right," Jeff cracked a smile. "I'm happy for you, Adam. I had a feeling there was something going on between you and Eli but I didn't know he was getting divorced until I saw that post on Instagram."
"Thanks, yeah," Adam had forgotten about Eli talking about the divorce on his Instagram account. He started to tell Jeff the story of Hunter cheating and ended up telling the whole story - how he and Eli got close, how he'd watched while Hunter hurt him again and again and then how Cole pushed them to be together. As he talked, he noticed Monroe inching closer and closer, keeping Clay busy enough that he wasn't paying attention to the conversation.
"It's seriously been going on all this time?" Monroe finally broke in. He glanced at Clay and dropped his voice. "And you haven't had sex yet?"
"That's personal," Adam glared. "I mean, we've done stuff."
"Don't mind him, he has no self control," Jeff rolled his eyes and took his shirt off when he saw Clay coming their way. "Look out below!" he shouted and cannonballed into the pool.
Adam watched them all playing for a few minutes before he decided to join in. Before he did, he sent a picture to Eli and one to Brent because he knew they'd both want to talk about it later.
----------------------
"Okay, we have a dinner reservation, I changed the sheets and bought new lube," Eli went over his list one more time. "Clay will be taken care of, I got my hair cut, my outfit is picked out. What am I forgetting?"
"Maybe to breathe?" Brent suggested.
"I'm breathing," Eli insisted. They'd been running for 30 minutes, he could barely think about anything other than breathing. Breathing and his extra special date night with Adam. And how good it would feel when he stopped running.
"I mean about tonight," Brent smiled. "Just relax, it's going to be perfect cause you'll be together. That's all you need."
"Should I get him the flowers?" Eli ignored Brent's words. Brent was right, of course, but if he thought that way too long he knew he'd get all emotional and forget something. His heart was already working hard enough, he didn't need to add to it.
"He'd love that. You know his favorite flowers are-"
"Oleanders. I just don't know if it's too soon," Eli sighed. "Ugh, this hill."
"Come on, just breathe through it," Brent coached. "It's all downhill after this."
"Okay. Why didn't I just stop running when Adam said I could? Ugh."
"You like it," Brent grinned, barely sweating. "I can tell."
"I like what it did to my butt," Eli corrected him.
"You're not the only one," Brent laughed. "Adam likes it too."
"Shh," Eli had to smile. "Ugh, tonight has to be perfect. I will actually die from horniness."
"You're such a whiner. You act like you're not getting off together every chance you get already. But Adam said something a lot like that so you probably don't have anything to worry about."
"What else did Adam say?" Eli asked, not sure he wanted to know but dying to know all at once. "Is there anything I should or shouldn't do?"
"Yeah, stop worrying so much," Brent stopped running at the very top of the hill. "Seriously, Eli, just fucking chill. You two love each other, just go with it."
"I mean," Eli tried to catch his breath so Brent couldn't see how much he was struggling. "We haven't said that."
"Oh," Brent raised his eyebrows. "I just thought, cause I heard Clay call him Dad, I figured..."
"Well, Clay was worried that Adam might leave," Eli sighed. "And Adam was so cute with him and he promised not to go, I just," he cringed. It all sounded really stupid now that he thought about it. "It feels so natural, like we're not working so hard all the time just to be happy. I know marriage is work but with Hunter sometimes it was like a lot of work and now I kind of feel like we were forcing it. Now that I see how it is with Adam, like we're working together instead of against each other. And I guess I should have protected Clay better, it was stupid to rush into this, wasn't it?"
"No, wait," Brent put his hand on Eli's shoulder. "What just happened? You were just saying everything is so perfect."
"That means something bad will happen, right?" Eli put his hand on his chest, not sure if his heart was aching from the running or from the emotional blender he'd just put it through. "Everything that goes up has to come down."
"Eli," Brent shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Do I have to remind you of all the really shitty things that have happened in your life? In Adam's life? Did you ever think maybe you had the bad before the good?"
"Well, no."
"I know you and Dax like to overthink everything, but maybe just this once don't think your way out of happy. You and Adam do love each other. Maybe you haven't said it yet, but we can all see it. You will too. So just for tonight stop using this so much," Brent tapped Eli's head. "Start thinking with this," he poked Eli's chest. "Or maybe just think with this," he grinned and flicked Eli's crotch.
"Ow, fuck!" Eli gasped. "Asshole, come here," Eli chased after him.
"Nope, bye!" Brent laughed as he ran down the hill.
"I need that, it better not be damaged," Eli laughed. The breeze on his face as he ran made him feel like he was flying. Or maybe it was Brent's talk. Maybe he really did need to let go a little more.
All of that went out of his mind as soon as he was getting dressed that night. He'd taken his clothes down the hall to get ready, thinking he wanted to be surprised when he saw Adam but once he was looking at himself in the mirror he felt stupid for doing it. Was he making it into more than it needed to be? Did Adam think he was being weird?
Eli took one last look at himself and turned the light off before he went downstairs. He'd decided not to get the flowers. It seemed like it was too much and like it might make Adam think of Cole. That just meant he had nothing to do until he heard Adam coming down the stairs.
As much as he tried to relax, he could still feel butterflies in his stomach when he looked up and saw Adam. He'd put on a bright blue shirt that made his eyes stand out like Eli had never seen them before.
"Hey gorgeous," Adam was smiling.
"Um, hi," Eli couldn't keep from smiling back. "You look amazing."
"Thanks, I had to make sure I looked like I deserve you," Adam came right in for a kiss.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you. You really look great."
"So do you. Hang on, I got you something," he squeezed Eli's hand before he let go.
"Oh," Eli watched Adam go into the kitchen. He came back a few seconds later with a bouquet of white flowers. "But those are oleanders."
"My favorite," Adam smiled. "It sounds kind of stupid now, but I went to get you flowers and when I saw them I thought of how much I love them and how I want to give myself to you tonight so it seemed like, I don't know, it's dumb," his face was all pink.
"No, it's perfect," Eli kissed him. The flowers were already in a vase with water. "I'm going to put them in our room when we get back, but for now," he put them on the table by the door. "I almost got these for you, I'm so glad I didn't."
"Me too," Adam laughed. He didn't look quite as nervous anymore. "I have to admit I maybe haven't eaten much in a few days so I would look extra good for tonight but, um, I'm starving now so I might eat like way too much at dinner."
"You should," Eli took his hand and kissed it. "You'll need your strength for later."
"When you look at me like that it makes me want to skip dinner and go right upstairs."
"Don't think I didn't consider it," Eli laughed. "Come on, let's try to do this one thing right."
Dinner might have been amazing but Eli knew he'd never remember it. All he could think about was the smile on Adam's face and how his eyes were shining in the candlelight. It was just like he'd told Brent earlier that day. Being with Adam felt easy, like breathing.
Eli's hands were shaking by the time they reached the front door of Adam's house. Their house. Their home. He didn't want Adam to realize how nervous he was so as soon as they were through the door Eli started kissing him.
"Hey, slow down," Adam laughed.
"Shh," Eli shook his head and kissed him again, holding Adam's face in both hands. "This is it."
"Exactly," Adam took Eli's hands. "We're going to do this right. Come to bed with me."
"Okay," Eli had to smile as Adam started backing away from him, moving toward the stairs.
He knew it would be amazing, but as soon as he saw their bed Eli had butterflies anyway. The door wasn't even shut behind him before Adam's lips were on his again. Then Adam grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him over to the bed.
"You okay?" Adam kissed his neck as he unbuttoned Eli's shirt.
"More than okay," Eli nodded. Adam pushed Eli's shirt off his shoulders and then took off his own shirt. "You do look good," Eli smiled. "But don't torture yourself for me."
"The things I'd do for you," Adam grinned. "And to you," he laughed but the look in his eyes had Eli curious to find out.
"Show me," Eli raised his eyebrow.
He was on his back in less than a second, Adam holding his wrists over his head and kissing his way down Eli's neck and chest. By the time Adam stopped to pull his pants off Eli was so hard he felt like he might cum immediately.
"You're so fucking sexy," Adam shook his head, smiling as he looked over Eli's body. "I can't believe you're all mine."
"All yours," Eli nodded. He had to start stroking himself, it was impossible not to. Adam smacked his hand, sending a different kind of rush through Eli's body.
"Oh no, that's mine too. Only I can touch that. And only when I want."
"But-" Eli started to protest but Adam was pushing his legs out of the way. Anything Eli thought he might say vanished when he realized Adam wasn't going to suck his cock after all and instead went right for his ass. "Oh shit," Eli grabbed his knees.
They'd never really talked about where the boundaries were but they both knew when to stop and as far as Eli could tell, Adam was going right for the things they'd never done before. He sure wasn't complaining though he wondered if he might cum just from a rim job for the first time in his life.
"I knew your ass was perfect," Adam pulled back. He kissed the back of Eli's thigh and stood up. Eli could see Adam was just as hard as he was even through his pants.
"Hang on," Eli scooted forward. He grabbed Adam's belt and unhooked it, pulling it out of his pants and getting more excited each time he heard it pass through another loop. "Let's be fair."
"Mmm, okay," Adam closed his eyes when Eli started stroking him through his briefs. "See what you do to me?"
"I want to see it better," Eli grinned up at him and yanked the last piece of clothing off Adam. Adam's cock was already leaking pre-cum. "Oh my god, yes."
"You like that?" Adam laughed, brushing his hand through Eli's hair.
"I'm gonna like it even more when I've got every inch of it in me," Eli leaned forward to kiss Adam's cock.
"Yeah, I can't wait," Adam pushed Eli away before he could do anything else. Adam leaned over and got out the bottle of lube and the condoms. "On your back."
"I want to su-" Eli started to protest and again, Adam had him on his back before he knew what was happening. No one had ever taken charge like that with Eli before, no matter how many times he'd asked. It was shocking to realize Adam had that side.
"That's it," Adam knelt on the bed, pulling Eli's legs up. "Let's see how bad you really want this."
"Mmm, Adam," Eli could have melted when he felt Adam work his finger into him. "Kiss me."
"Always," Adam bent to kiss him. "You feel amazing already, I can't wait to get in here."
"Me neither," Eli moaned. He'd almost forgotten how incredible it felt. Every day they'd waited was already worth it and they weren't close to finished yet.
Eli was surprised he hadn't accidentally cum by the time Adam finished getting him ready. His entire body seemed to be on fire. And yet as much as he wanted to give in to the desperating wanting that pulsed through his whole being he also didn't want it to be over.
"Come here," Adam sat down facing him on the bed. Eli scooted closer to him, not quite on his lap but close enough that Adam was able to reach down and stroke both their dicks at once. "I know you're ready, but are you completely sure you want to do this tonight?"
"I am. Without a doubt," Eli kissed him.
The house was quiet aside from their soft moans. Eli couldn't see anything but Adam. Perfect, incredible Adam. Those blue eyes of his never left Eli's once he'd slipped a condom on. He was gentle as he pulled Eli closer.
"Take your time," Adam whispered as Eli started to lower down onto him. "It's bigger than it looks even."
"It's perfect," Eli moaned. How long had he been dreaming of that moment? "Oh, god, Adam," Eli gasped. He closed his eyes, almost afraid to open them and find out it was a dream.
"Eli, fuck," Adam breathed. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Eli nodded, kissing him. He took the rest of Adam in and sat there, kissing him while he adjusted to the feeling of being so full. "Finally," Eli whispered.
"Finally," Adam whispered back.
Though Eli worried about how long he would last, it wasn't over before he was really ready. He knew he would see that night in his memory forever and wished he could step outside himself to see it completely. Did it look as incredible as it felt to be wrapped in Adam's arms?
"I want to see you cum," Adam whispered. "Can you cum for me?"
"Yeah, go slow," Eli nodded. He kissed Adam as they moved together. "That's it, just like that."
"I'm so close."
"Me too," Eli pushed his forehead to Adam's "So good. Don't stop."
"Oh, yes," Adam grinned, stroking Eli as he started to cum. Eli gasped, crying out as his cum flew everywhere, hitting himself in the forehead and then ending up all over his chest. "That was so hot, I'm cumming," Adam kissed Eli as he stopped moving and his eyes fluttered shut.
"That was everything," Eli said as he and Adam pulled apart,
"Yes it was," Adam kissed him. "You made such a mess."
"I know, it's just been so long."
"Guess what," Adam grinned. "You don't have to go without it anymore."
"You make me so happy. You have for a while but having all of you like this is exactly what I want."
"It's what I want too. You were worth waiting for."
"Definitely," Eli was about to wipe his hair out of his face but remembered he was covered in his own cum. "Gross, I need to get this off."
"Yeah, I'm not going to lick it out of your hair," Adam laughed.
Eli got up and went for a washcloth to clean up with. Adam followed him into their bathroom and watched, kissing his shoulder while he wiped off his chest and stomach.
"Ugh, I can't even see where it all went," Eli squinted at the mirror as he tried to clean his forehead.
"Here," Adam laughed and took the washcloth from Eli. He put his hand under Eli's chin and wiped his hair for him. "I think that's all of it."
"Thanks," Eli smiled. He realized as Adam started to pull his hand away there was something missing from his ring finger. Eli took Adam's hand and traced the white band of skin there.
"It's here," Adam showed Eli his right hand where the ring Cole gave him was safely on his finger. "It doesn't feel right to wear it anymore but I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet. I was thinking I could have it made into something else."
"Whatever you want," Eli nodded, but his heart was soaring. He wished he could think of something to say, the exact right thing that would let Adam know how much it meant to him but there weren't words. He settled for kissing Adam instead and trying not to smile too much.
"Mm, your phone."
"Not even going to look."
"It might be Clay."
"Are you going to worry if I don't look?" Eli asked. Adam nodded. "Okay, but if it's not about Clay I promise not to answer tonight."
"I don't mind," Adam shrugged.
"I do. Tonight is for us," Eli held Adam's hand and went to pick up his phone. There was a text from Maddox. "Hm, if you see this in the next 20 minutes and aren't busy can you call?" Eli read it outloud.
"Just call," Adam insisted. Eli smiled and and hit the button to call Dax.
"Please tell me you didn't stop whatever you were doing just to call," Maddox sounded like he was cringing.
"No, we were just um," Eli wanted to tell Maddox it had finally happened but he didn't want to be stupid about it. "Cleaning up. So we could sleep."
"So...it was a good night?" Maddox definitely got it.
"You have no idea," Eli grinned.
"Aww, Eli," Maddox sounded like he was smiling. Brent asked something that Eli couldn't hear. "Yeah, they totally did," Maddox said to Brent. "Anyway, I just texted because Clay had a bad dream and he asked for Adam."
"He wants Adam?" Eli wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Yeah," Maddox was still smiling. "He said "I want Dad to sing to me.""
"Oh my god," Eli had to sit down. To his great surprise, his eyes started burning. Was he going to cry? Seriously? "Is he still awake?"
"Yes, hang on a second," Maddox said. "Clay, Papa's on the phone."
"Really?" Clay didn't sound very upset so Eli could relax.
"You're on speaker now," Maddox told him.
"Hi big guy," Eli hoped he didn't sound as emotional as he felt. "I heard you had a bad dream."
"Yeah, it was scary," Clay sounded so much younger on the phone. "But Uncle Brent looked around and showed me there was nothing to be scared of."
"Good," Eli smiled. "Uncle Dax said you want your Dad to sing to you," Eli was definitely all choked up. He looked at Adam and knew he'd remember the look on Adam's face forever.
"Please?"
"Of course," Adam was blinking a little too much and Eli knew he was fighting back some feelings too. "Are you all tucked in?"
"Yeah," Clay answered.
Eli fought to get control of his emotions while he listened to Adam singing. For more than a year he'd worried every single day about how the divorce would impact Clay, how Clay might feel about losing Hunter, how he might feel about moving to a new house and living with Cole and Adam and then how it might impact Clay to lose Cole and see everyone mourning over losing Cole. On top of that, Eli worried that he was making the wrong choice by starting a relationship with Adam before Cole was gone and involving Adam in Clay's life before he knew for sure they would work out.
But just like that, with one simple question after another, Clay kept showing Eli that he was okay. That even with the tears and the frustration over not understanding sometimes, he was happy to accept this new life. More than that, he already loved Adam and trusted him.
He couldn't help but think back to the conversation he and Brent had that morning. Eli knew he wasn't ready to tell Adam he loved him. Not because he didn't but because saying those words, giving anyone that power again, was terrifying. Deep down, Eli had a feeling Adam felt the same way. After what they'd been through, it seemed like falling in love meant there was much further to fall.
The thing Eli realized as he watched Adam's face while he sang to Clay and how happy he'd been to find out Clay was asking for him was that maybe they didn't need to say the words to know how they felt about each other. It was enough to see Adam move his ring and hear Clay call him Dad. Eventually Eli knew he'd work past his fear but for a little while they'd found other words to say the same thing.
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A/N: <3 you. I'm only a day late this time :) Thanks for reading!!