Gage’s soft snores jarred him from his thoughts. He lifted up and moved a little to look at Gage while he slept. His features softened in sleep, those sexy lips relaxed. Even though they’d only known each other a short time, their fates had collided, and Gage had truly become everything to him. Trent had never allowed another man in this room before tonight. After a few minutes of watching, he snuggled Gage up to him a little more, and laid his head back down on the pillow, falling asleep.
****
Gage woke with a start when the phone vibrated under his pillow. It took a second for him to figure out where he was and another second to remember he needed to get the heck out of Trent’s house before the kids woke.
Trent still slept in his arms, but they had shifted positions, with Trent’s back pressed against his chest. Gage’s arms were wrapped around Trent, a leg thrown across him to keep him close. He’d never voluntarily slept with another person. One too many drinks may have helped him pass out in another’s bed, but he never woke touching anyone, ever. Now it was like his arms refused to leave Trent.
While he worked he would occasionally interview grieving spouses or parents. They would say thing like my arms ached to hold my husband or my child. Gage hadn’t understood the sentiment as completely as he did in this moment.
He stayed there a few minutes more, listening to Trent sleep. It wasn’t a snore necessarily, but a deep breathing like before, and he leaned his head in, running his nose along Trent’s hair breathing him in. He wore masculine scented cologne, a spicy musk. The fragrance appealed to Gage just like the soft ends of Trent’s hair brushing against his face. When he came back from finalizing this story, he planned to aggressively pursue Trent. Flowers, hearts, love poems… Whatever it took, he would do it all until enough time passed when he could legally make Trent his. Gage wanted it all now. He wanted the soul mate for life, the happily ever after. Maybe they could add a couple of other children, giving Em and Hunter a big family to pull from as they got older.
A smile tugged at his lips as he watched the clock blink five forty-five. He promised Trent he would leave before the kids saw him, but he couldn’t help but to hold out until the last possible minute. With a sigh, he pulled himself silently from the bed, choosing not to wake Trent. His clothes still lay under Trent’s, and he carefully watched his sleeping boyfriend as he quietly pulled on his pants and then shrugged on his shirt. He only buttoned one button of his shirt before grabbing his jacket and shoes. He lifted them with two fingers and silently walked over to the door.
The lock was set, but he’d been in the position of sneaking out so many times he knew how to release the mechanism without making noise. He held the lock button with his thumb and turned the knob. The release gave way without a loud click, and he slowly lifted his thumb. He opened the door, slid out, and shut it behind him. The house was quiet, but not quite as dark with the sun just beginning to make its presence known. He tiptoed down the hall, made it to the front entryway, opening the door quietly like he had Trent’s bedroom door.
“Hi, Gage,” Hunter said. It startled him and he jerked back around to see the little boy standing in the entryway, his Spider-man pajamas on, just staring at him.
“Hey, Hunter,” Gage whispered back. “What are you doing up?
“I had to get a drink of water,” Hunter said, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Daddy’s sleeping, should I go wake him up?”
“No, don’t wake him. I… I just… I just thought I would surprise him and make breakfast for you all,” Gage said, and he groaned internally as his mind rejected the stupid lie. Even a child wouldn’t believe that silly gesture. Why couldn’t he come up with something better?
“Can I help?” Hunter asked, the sleep leaving his face, replaced by excitement. Gage watched him closely for any sign that the boy thought something was up. Score! He was in the clear.
“Sure, I would like for you to, but we have to be quiet to make it a surprise,” Gage said, softly shutting the door back as though he’d just arrived.
“Can Em help? She likes to cook,” Hunter asked.
“I guess so. Go wake her up and be super quiet for me.”
“Okay.” Hunter headed off to rouse Em.
Gage prayed Trent would be okay with this turn of events. He weighed his options. He could call out for breakfast, but then the kids couldn’t help. He could try to pull together something. Maybe scrambled eggs and bacon, if Trent had bacon… But he so wasn’t a cook! Deciding it would be fastest to just try to put together a breakfast, he went into the kitchen and began rummaging through the refrigerator. He got a little lost digging through the different things on the shelf. He never cooked for himself unless there was no other choice, and generally only after starving for a full twenty-four hours beforehand. Those situations happened rarely, usually during a campout in some remote part of the world.
“Hi, Gage,” Em said through the middle of a big yawn. He dug through the refrigerator, pulling things out, and looked around the door to see her standing there. Her long hair a braided tangled mess, and her eyes barely open. The pink pajamas with princess characters on them fit her personality perfectly. Hunter stood behind her.
“Hi, honey, you wanna help?” he asked.
“Yes, please,” she said on another yawn.
“Good. I’m thinking scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast,” he said, pulling the eggs out last.
“Daddy likes coffee,” Hunter said.
“Okay, we’ll make coffee, too,” Gage said.
“I like chocolate milk,” Em said.
“We don’t have any chocolate milk, Em,” Hunter said, walking around her into the kitchen to get his stool.