Painted On My Heart

“Kellus, wake up.” Arik rolled Kellus to his back and placed his lips over Kellus’s and kissed him again. This time his desire drove the kiss. Kellus’s mouth opened and his lover drank him in slow and unhurried.

Arik broke from the kiss. “Kellus, baby, wake up, please.” He watched his lover’s eyes flutter open, and he was met with a beautiful, sleepy blue stare. Kel’s lips were still red and glistening from their kiss. Arik swore his heart was going to pound out of his chest. This man, this sweet, soft-hearted, and loyal man loved him.

“What is it?” Kellus’s brows knitted in confusion.

“Marry me.”

“Uh-huh,” Kellus murmured.

Arik smiled as Kellus closed his eyes. Arik carefully untangled himself and rolled from the bed. Kellus needed to sleep, and he had too much to make right. There was no way his head would leave him alone tonight for even a minute of rest.

Dressing quickly, Arik went for a blank piece of paper, scribbling out a quick message. He opted for the bathroom sink to place the note before leaving, driving straight to his office.

~?~

The drugged feeling lingered as Kellus stumbled his way to the bathroom. He usually never took anything to help sleep. It knocked him out for hours, made his memory extremely fuzzy, and kept him groggy for most of the next day. He’d slept until ten forty-five this morning and he had just woken. With the lights still off and his eyes barely open, Kellus almost missed the note that fluttered into the sink as he turned the water on. Sluggishly, he lifted the wet note and reached for the light switch. His blurry vision adjusted to the bright light as he read Arik’s simple note.

Baby,

Come home as soon as you can after lunch. I’m exhausted. I need hot make-up sex and then a few good hours of sleep. I require you for both.

I’m holding you to your word.

Love,

A

Kellus re-read the note, and the smile grew on his lips. Arik had been there. He could vaguely remember the kiss and how he’d wanted more. It hadn’t been a dream. His brain was a little fuzzy about the conversation, and he couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly when Arik had arrived, or left, but that didn’t matter. Arik had come back to him.

He hurried through his shower, dressed quickly, and then went for the tub of cottage cheese in his refrigerator, wolfing several bites down before taking his medication. He managed to turn off the lights, grab his keys and cell phone before hitting the front door at almost a run. Lunch meant noon, and he didn’t want to waste one single minute of alone time with Arik.

He stopped short when he opened the door to find John’s mother standing on the other side. Shit, he hadn’t even considered John today. He’d not even come to his mind. Fuck.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I missed you at the facility this morning. They gave me the paperwork on where you had him moved. When I couldn’t find you there, I thought I’d try you here at home.”

Kellus blinked at her several times, playing her words back until he decided they still made no sense. “I’m confused, Mrs. Nickerson.”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure. It’s messy. I’ve had a rough couple of days,” Kellus said, walking in ahead of her, quickly gathering the things he’d never bothered to put away from before. “Please, have a seat.” He rushed to his room to dump those on his bed and came back out to Mrs. Nickerson still standing in the entry, wringing her hands, looking worried.

“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Kellus said, staring a little helplessly at her. “Come in. Sit down. You look…tired.”

Her face crinkled as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it escape in a deep sigh. “Son, I’ve always loved you. I had hoped John might have learned some of your goodness.”

Kellus reached for her forearm, trying to bring her farther into the house to have a seat; she didn’t look well. Her words stopped him in his tracks. He actually took a full step backward, away from her. He’d always been respectful of Lisa and Casey. John kept them at a distance after the fated night they had cast him out over ten years ago. Before she’d uttered that last sentence, he’d have sworn Mrs. Nickerson thought he was a heathen, bound to hell for his sinful lifestyle.

“I love my boy. I’m not sure you can believe that, but I do. He was just a great disappointment to us.”

That was more in line with what he had expected to hear from her. “Mrs. Nickerson, please, I’m kind of at my emotional limit,” Kellus started, but she lifted a hand and spoke forcefully to him, cutting him off.

“You must hear me out, Kellus. This is important for you to understand. Getting John in that new facility was an incredibly generous thing to do. I see you’re selling your house. I’m sure it’s to pay for his care. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done, but, Kellus, you need to move on with your life.”