Fixer-Upper (8 page)

Jake couldn’t tell who leaned in first, all he knew was that a minute later, his lips were touching Dakota’s lips, and his heart felt like it was going to explode. Their knees bumped as Jake tried to scoot closer, the urge to crawl into Dakota’s lap a strong one. Dakota kept one hand on Jake’s waist, the other on the side of his face. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, their noses brushing, his breath rushing over Jake’s lips as he released a heavy sigh.

There was a little whimper, and in the back of his mind, Jake registered that the noise came from him. He probably should have been embarrassed, but he was too busy focusing on just how good Dakota’s lips felt against his. His hands were in Dakota’s long dark hair, finally getting to feel just how silky the strands really were. He pushed himself up a little, breathing heavy into their kiss. He nipped at Dakota’s lips, smiling when he felt more than heard Dakota laugh.

He didn’t know how long they kissed for, just that he would have been completely fine if they’d never stopped. He scowled up at Dakota when he pulled away, tried to tug him back down by the grip in his hair. Dakota ducked down for a brief kiss, one that lasted all of a second before he pulled away again.

“I like you,” said Dakota, putting a hand to Jake’s chest to keep him in place. The other hand, the one cupping his cheek, didn’t move. “I like you quite a lot. Didn’t really think I was being subtle about it, but okay.” His thumb swiped over Jake’s cheekbone. “Will you let me take you out?”

HE TOOK
him to the zoo. They left early on Saturday morning, both of them quiet with nerves, and headed into the city. Dakota drove, his fingers tapping the wheel along to the music on the radio. Jake sat silent beside him, thinking of a million things to say and saying none of them.

Halfway through the drive, Dakota’s free hand grasped Jake’s, twining their fingers together and resting their hands on the shift. His large hand completely enveloped Jake’s like a warm blanket. They still didn’t speak, but Jake took a deep breath and relaxed into his seat.

Dakota paid for them both when they got there, slipping the maps into his back pocket and once more claiming Jake’s hand as they headed into the zoo. They started at the front and worked their way around, fingers remaining entwined, shoulders bumping as they perused. Gradually they began to make comments, pointing out facts on the little information boards that they found particularly intriguing and animal actions they found endearing.

It was in the butterfly garden that Dakota became chattier, pointing out the different flowers to Jake and explaining where they came from. He took photos on his phone of the landscaping. For future reference, he said. Jake wouldn’t be surprised if some part of his yard ended up vaguely resembling this garden.

He loved seeing Dakota like this. His face was wrinkled with his smile lines, his hair was curling at the ends from the humidity, and strands were popping free from his topknot. His clothes weren’t dirt stained and were more formfitting. Jake didn’t think he’d ever seen him looking so clean and neat. He looked like he belonged on some calendar’s June or July section.

Jake pointed to a blue and white flower with a bright red butterfly hovering over it. “Tell me about this one.”

Dakota turned his attention from a fancy bench and the stonework behind it, squatting to get a closer look at the flower. He reeled off a list of facts, few of which Jake knew he would actually remember, but that wasn’t the point. Dakota’s voice was buoyant, filled with genuine interest and passion. Jake knelt next to him, able to see what Dakota was pointing at better from his new position. He hummed along, his smile never leaving his face as he listened to Dakota talk.

Eventually they moved on from the gardens, resuming their hand holding as they wandered through the rainforest, the arctic, and on into Africa. Jake dragged them to the elephant enclosure, pressing up to the wooden railing and gazing out at the magnificent, giant creatures. Two of them slowly meandered their way over the grass, long trunks swinging in the air.

Jake reclaimed his hand long enough to snap several pictures before tucking his phone away and sliding his fingers around Dakota’s once more. They were pressed together from shoulder to ankle, and they stood there for several minutes, neither of them speaking. As they watched, the elephant on the left butted into the one on the right, trunks intertwining for the briefest of seconds. Their giant ears flapped.

“One day I’m going to get to pet one,” said Jake. “Just once, and it’s going to be the best thing ever.”

“Oh, yeah?” laughed Dakota. He nudged him. “Maybe you should become a zookeeper.”

Jake nudged him back. “Your suggestions for my future career path keep getting more and more ludicrous.” He thought he should probably mind, maybe feel like Dakota was pushing him to figure it out, but he knew Dakota wasn’t pushing. It had become more of a joke between them than anything else.

The big cat enclosures were next, and they lingered there for some time, watching the tigers prowl around the border of their cage and the leopards play fight, grumbling yowls filling the air as they pounced and rolled. Jake went a bit camera happy, snapping an excessive amount of pictures, but who could blame him? The cats were gorgeous and in a playful mood. Everything they did was adorable.

There wasn’t much to look at after that, so they headed for the exit. “Do you want me to get you a souvenir?” asked Dakota.

“No,” laughed Jake, tucking himself in against Dakota’s side. Impulsively he kissed his cheek. “I’m good.”

On the way home, they stopped for food at a tiny Italian place, splitting a pizza and a basket of garlic bread. Talk flowed freely between them, and their legs tangled beneath the table. Jake spilled sauce down his chin and blushed as Dakota swiped it away with his thumb.

“I had a great time,” Jake said, not wanting to leave the car when Dakota finally pulled into his drive.

“I did too.”

Jake wondered if he should ask Dakota in, who was supposed to kiss who, should he get out of the car? He hadn’t done this in so long he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

Thankfully Dakota didn’t have that problem.

Dakota pulled him close by the front of his shirt, tilting his head as their lips brushed together. He deepened the kiss slowly, flicking his tongue against Jake’s front teeth, which had the odd reaction of making Jake laugh. He tried to pull back, but Jake sank his hand into Dakota’s shirt and kept him in place. “No,” he said, “it’s good.”

And it was.

Jake wanted to crawl across the console and right into Dakota’s lap. It had been so long since he’d had this, this feeling in his stomach and the silence in his head. He wasn’t thinking about the list of things he needed to do; he was thinking of the way Dakota’s lips felt against his and the way Dakota’s jaw flexed beneath the touch of his hand. He was fully aware of the heat of Dakota’s body next to his, and the barely there scrape of Dakota’s teeth over his tongue. Everything was heat and wet and good.

When they pulled apart, it was because they needed to breathe, and Jake’s mouth was stretched in the widest of goofy smiles. He leaned back in almost immediately, took tiny kisses, feeling giddy. Dakota laughed against him, returned the favor with sharp nips to Jake’s bottom lip and soft kisses to soothe.

“I’m not coming in,” he said, after this went on for some time. “I want to do this right.”

Jake nodded, a little disappointed but at the same time not. Some things were better if you didn’t rush them.

WHEN DAKOTA
said he wanted to do it right, he meant he wanted to drive Jake insane. At least, that’s what Jake came to believe. He’d waited an entire week before taking Jake on a second date. An entire week where he’d treated Jake like he always did, except sometimes when Jake looked at him, Dakota would sidle forward and drop a quick kiss on his lips before walking away with a satisfied smile.

Their second date had involved dinner and a movie. Dinner went smoothly, conversation coming easily to them by this point and any initial awkwardness having been dispersed by the first date and subsequent gap. The movie was another matter. Jake felt like someone had plugged him into a light socket, buzzing with anticipation and nerves. He was painfully aware of Dakota right next to him, of their arms brushing, their hands bumping as they reached for the popcorn at the same time. Halfway through the movie, Dakota put his hand on Jake’s thigh and left it there. Jake couldn’t really say what happened in the movie after that; he was too busy focusing on the heat of Dakota’s hand and just what it was so close to.

But once again Dakota didn’t come in when he dropped Jake off. He stopped his car in the driveway, and he kissed him till he couldn’t breathe properly, and he was painfully hard in his fancy dress jeans, and then Dakota sent him on his way with a “good night” and one last quick peck to his lips.

Now, after yet another week’s painful gap, they were on their third date, and Jake was hoping beyond hope that this was the one. He didn’t think he could take waiting any longer.

“Where are you getting these date ideas?” he asked him, tearing off a piece of cotton candy and popping it into his mouth. “Not that I’m complaining, ’cause I’m not,” he added when he was done chewing.

This date was taking place at the local fair, and Jake felt twenty again. It was a surprisingly pleasant feeling. He hadn’t done anything like this in ages. The last time he’d been to a fair was before he’d even started to date Kevin. He didn’t think he’d even known him at the time.

Dakota shrugged, reaching out to tear off a chunk of cotton candy for himself. “Jasper, my mom, my sister.”

“Tell them kudos,” said Jake, leaning across the picnic table to steal a cotton candy-flavored kiss.

Dakota looked smug when Jake pulled away. “I will.” He knocked their ankles together beneath the table. “Want me to win you a stuffed animal?”

“Those games are rigged,” said Jake. “But you can try.”

“I’m going to win you the biggest, most obnoxious stuffed animal,” said Dakota, rising to the challenge. “And maybe some goldfish.”

Jake stood, linking his hand with Dakota’s as he tugged him toward the games. “I was thinking about a fish tank in the house.”

“I thought you’d decided on a dog.”

“I could have fish and a dog,” reasoned Jake.

“Then I’ll try and win you some goldfish, but first: the stuffed animal!”

He won Jake a Beanie Baby-sized penguin at one of the “knock the milk bottles down” games. At a game that required he race others by shooting water at a target, he won Jake a stuffed version of the Classified wolf from
Penguins of Madagascar
.

“One more,” said Dakota. “I’m going to get you a big one.”

“You don’t have to,” said Jake, realizing perhaps a bit too late that he’d really hit Dakota’s competitive bone.

Dakota stopped them at a basketball game, handing over three dollars to the carny. Jake expected him to make maybe one basket, end up with another small prize. He watched in surprise as Dakota made every single basket.

“Which one do you want?” asked the carny.

“That one,” said Dakota, pointing to a Tweety Bird the size of Jake. He turned to Jake while the guy got it down. “I told you,” he said. “Never doubt my ability.”

“You’re ridiculous,” laughed Jake.

“I’m awesome,” countered Dakota. He tugged Jake close, brushing a quick kiss over his lips. “Now, time to win you some goldfish.”

DAKOTA WALKED
him to the door of Matt’s house, and Jake decided to ask him in. His palms were sweating, his heart thudding, and his stomach squirming. He didn’t think he’d ever been so nervous. He might have felt a little less ridiculous if he hadn’t had Tweety Bird clasped in his arms. Dakota held his fish. All five of them.

“Do you want to come in?” he asked.

“I’d love to,” said Dakota, a big smile on his face.

Matt was not home, much to Jake’s relief. He stopped in the living room, nibbled on his bottom lip. “Do you want something to drink?” He put Tweety Bird down on the couch, arranging him like he was a person sitting there. Maybe it would scare Matt when he finally came home.

“Sure,” said Dakota. “And we should probably do something with the fish.”

Jake stared at said fish. “Right.” He thought about where he could put them. “Do cups work? I don’t think we have fish bowls.”

“Do you have any type of larger bowl? Or vases. Anything like that will work.”

While Jake searched for something to stick his fish in, Dakota helped himself to a beer. He hitched himself up on the counter, a smile quirking his lips as he watched Jake search for, find, and then prepare to release the fish into the bowl.

He stopped him before he could.

“You’ve got to let the bags float in the water for a little first. Give it like an hour, and then you need to let them out.”

He had to find another bowl in order to fit all the bags in the water.

He turned from completing his task to see Dakota approaching. Dakota crowded him against the cabinets, and Jake tilted his head back, holding his breath. His fingers gripped the counter top behind him, the edge pressing along his back. Big hands framed his face, and then he was being kissed. It was slow and lovely, Dakota tilting his head to get a better angle. Jake brought his arms up, wrapping them around Dakota, pressing into his space. His eyes slid closed, and he focused on the heat building in his belly, the urge to climb Dakota and wrap himself around him.

“I’ve been waiting all night to do that,” husked Dakota, pulling away till the tips of their noses brushed. “Should we move it to the bedroom?”

Jake nodded eagerly and reluctantly disengaged from Dakota long enough to get them to the bedroom. They kicked their shoes off, and Jake scooted up on the bed, Dakota draping his long body over him a moment later. He loved the pressure, being able to feel every inch of Dakota against him. His legs bracketed Dakota’s hips, one foot sliding up to tuck into the space behind his knee and rub.