The Half of Us (Family 4)

“Yeah.” Jason opened his eyes and met Abe’s concerned gaze. “Your turn,” he said as he reached between them for the hard bulge behind Abe’s zipper.

Shaking his head, Abe said, “Later.” He wrapped his slender arms around Jason’s waist and pulled him close. “You look tired. Let’s eat. I made steaks and potatoes.”

“Steak?” Jason said.

“Mmm-hmm.” Abe brushed his hand through Jason’s hair soothingly. “After the last couple of weeks you’ve had, you deserve to indulge, so I made red meat. We can have chicken and fish the rest of the weekend to make up for it.” He kissed Jason’s neck.

“Dinner’s already made?” Jason asked as his brain cleared from the pleasant haze of sexual satisfaction.

“Yeah. I had everything ready and I was waiting for your call to put the steaks on. They’re nice and hot.”

“So you were already here making me dinner when I called?” Jason trailed his fingers down the side of Abe’s face.

“Uh-huh.” Abe turned and kissed Jason’s palm. “I went shopping after work and stocked up for the weekend. Then I got my stuff and came here to put dinner together.”

“Are you going to tell me I was out of line for yelling at you?”

“Nope.” Abe put his hands on Jason’s shoulders and dug into the muscle, massaging him.

“Why not?”

Sighing, Abe tipped his head back and met Jason’s gaze. “Because you already know.”

If that wasn’t a punch to the gut, Jason didn’t know what was.

“Plus,” Abe continued, “I’m pretty sure I know why you were upset when you called me.” Big blue eyes searched his. “Do you?”

Shrugging, Jason said, “I was horny.”

“You’re always horny,” Abe pointed out.

“Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle,” Jason said.

“It wasn’t an insult.” Abe smiled, and the last part of the knot in Jason’s gut disintegrated. “But I think there was more to it than that.”

“What do you mean?” Jason furrowed his brow.

“Let’s eat while the food’s warm.” Abe took Jason’s hand in his and walked out of the room. “We can talk afterward, in the bath.”

“We’re taking a bath?”

“Yup. You have that big whirlpool tub you never use, and I bet you’ll enjoy relaxing in the jets. I even bought bubble bath.”

“I don’t use it because baths make no sense. Who wants to soak in their own filth and call that getting clean?”

“Soak in their own filth?” Abe repeated slowly as he turned around.

“Yeah. Think about it. You’re washing your face with the same water you’re using to wash your balls.”

“Hmm,” Abe said. “So you’re saying taking a bath with you is like cleaning your balls with my mouth? Because I have to tell you, I like doing that. I like it a lot.”

“I know you do.” Jason squeezed Abe’s hand. “But taking a bath to get clean is like licking my own balls, which is much less appealing.”

“What if we shower first so we’re squeaky clean? I’ll even throw in a massage.”

“Deal,” Jason said.

“Good.” Abe turned around and leaned against the peninsula. “We’ll eat dinner and then we can get in the bath and talk.”

“Talk?”

Abe threw back his head and laughed.

“What?”

“We suck at this,” he said. “Both of us.”

Jason arched his eyebrows and curled one side of his lips up. “Oh, we both suck plenty.”

“Cut it out.” Abe chuckled and lightly smacked Jason’s shoulder.

“Sorry.” Jason cleared his throat and tried to look serious. “What do we suck at?”

“Talking.”

He reared back. “We talk.”

“We do,” Abe agreed. “But not about everything we should.”

“Fine.” Jason sighed dramatically. “If you feed me and get naked and wet with me, I’m willing to suffer through a conversation.”

“You really are a giver,” Abe said sarcastically.

Jason arched his eyebrows, brought his fist to his mouth, and coughed.

Abe shook his head. “Is there anything you can’t turn into a sexual innuendo?”

“Is there anything you can say that isn’t a sexual innuendo?”

“Apparently not,” Abe conceded. He ran one finger down Jason’s chest, over his stomach, and across his groin. “My subconscious must see you and think sex, so everything gets tainted.”

“Aww, baby, you say the sweetest things,” Jason said as he stepped closer.

Abe rolled his eyes.

“You do,” Jason insisted, his voice full of humor.

Abe shook his head and snorted.

Jason was amazed at how much better he felt. Less than an hour earlier, he had wanted to put his hand through a wall; now he was calm and happy. He snaked his arm around Abe’s waist and brought their chests together, trapping Abe against the counter. “You do,” he whispered into Abe’s ear.

Trembling, Abe turned his face into Jason’s neck and said, “You really do it for me.”

“I know,” Jason said. Abe was too earnest to play games and too inexperienced to effectively hide his emotions. His eagerness to be with Jason was evident in his every expression and action, which Jason cherished because the feeling was mutual even if he wasn’t always great at showing it. “Like I said.” He cupped Abe’s chin, tilted his head up, and then dipped down and brushed their lips together. “The sweetest things.”