Henry's End (23 page)

“You’re thinking about Holly and Zac, aren’t you?”

“Yeah and how good you were with him. That little bugger has got his mother’s winning personality,” Henry remarked facetiously.

Laughing, Quinn shook his head. “I think he’s a pretty cool little guy, but he’s definitely going to be a handful.”

“So what is it you’ve been thinking?” This was the deepest they’d ever gotten into the conversation, without one or both of them storming out of the room. “Adopting internationally? Or one or both of us actually fathering a child?” As he said it, a yearning for a baby of Quinn’s took root in his soul, appearing literally out of nowhere and firmly planting its seed.

“I’m open.” The look on Quinn’s face said it all. They may not have an insta-family tomorrow or in six months or a year, but someday, not too far off on the horizon, they would have a family. They would be a family.

“I’m going to have to keep the PTA bitches off you.” Henry shook his head. “You’re going to be the hottest daddy in the school. Especially on career day.”

With that, Henry abruptly stopped the glider, lurching them both forward and grabbed Quinn by the hand, pulling him toward their bedroom.

The doorbell ringing at 6:15 P.M. could only mean one thing. Quinn was keyless.
So what else is new
? thought Henry, as he saved the work on his laptop to go answer the door.

“What’s this?” Henry laughed at the sight of Quinn standing in the doorway with a big box that said
Oregon Scientific.

Leaning in for a kiss, Quinn smiled his white-toothed beautiful smile and with shining eyes announced, “This is going to educate us on where we’re going to travel.”

Putting the box down on the kitchen table, he grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and a knife to start cutting away the packing tape on the box.

“Oh yeah? What’s in there?” Henry was curious.

“Ah, you shall see.” Quinn was enjoying the suspense. Finally, he had the tape removed from the top of the brown box, and opened it. Reaching in, he pulled out a second, slightly smaller box with a picture of a globe and bold letters stating this was the
Oregon Scientific Smart Globe.

“Check this out.” Quinn’s excitement was contagious.

Moving closer to read the box, Henry started checking out all the functions.
Facts. World News. Population. Time. Currency. History. Language. Capital. Weather.
The list of the
Smart
Globe’s features went on and on.

“What kind of batteries does it take?” Henry got up from the table.

“Looks like four double A’s. We should have plenty. I just put some in the corner drawer.” He pointed to the far end of the kitchen. Laughing, “It even plays the national anthems from countries all over the world.”

Returning with the batteries, Henry sat down next to Quinn and handed them to him. Quinn inserted them and looked around the globe. “How do we make it talk?”

Henry looked it over. No on/off switch. He touched all the little labels on the base, including volume, still nothing.

“Ahh,” said Quinn, looking satisfied as he pulled out a little panel in the front, but all it revealed was a map of the fifty states. Looking at Henry, “So, it appears the
Smart Globe
is not for dumb adults.”

“Here’s a novel thought,” Henry laughed, “maybe we should actually read the instructions.”

Leveling a dirty look at Henry, Quinn shook his head. “That would be like stopping to ask someone for directions.”

Picking up the connected stylus-type pen apparatus, Henry touched it to different spots on the globe. Nothing. He touched it to the labels on the base. Nothing.

“This is why we need a kid.” Quinn surmised, sitting back with his beer.

Henry laughed, “We need to get better at this or we are seriously going to embarrass a kid.” Henry looked at the stylus in his hand and tried pressing a round area with the Oregon Scientific logo. He tried touching it to the globe again. Nothing. And then he hit this little rectangle on the stylus that he thought might or might not be a button.

Loud music blared from speakers on the base of the globe, “Welcome to Oregon Scientific’s Smart Globe.” Both men jumped, startled by the sound and quickly descended into laughter.

“Oh my God, you are brilliant. You found the start button.” Quinn was practically in tears, he was laughing so hard at their joint ineptitude.

“How hot am I now?” Henry laughed.

“Seriously fuckable.” He reached over, giving Henry’s package a squeeze. “But now that we’ve got it working, let’s play with this big ball first.” Spinning the globe and smiling, Quinn took the stylus from Henry and stabbed it down onto the globe. “First stop, the Seychelles.”

Quinn was spooning him from behind, their legs tangled. “That was really fun learning about all of those countries. I’ll definitely pick up the form for my passport next week.”

“How long do you think you’ll be able to get away for?” Henry snuggled into Quinn a little tighter, feeling the beginnings of Quinn’s stirrings.

“I’m going to ask for three weeks, I know I’ll definitely be able to get at least two off.”

“There are so many places I want to go with you. We need months off.”

“Tell me where you want me to take you?” Quinn’s lips gently brushed his ear before trailing to his neck. With each kiss, his cock hardened against Henry’s ass. “Because I know exactly where I’d like to take you.”

“You going to ride me there?” Henry was moaning with every twitch of Quinn’s cock.

“I’m going to ride you hard until I’m all done.” Quinn’s arms were wrapped around Henry’s chest.

“It’s going to be different this time.” Henry turned his face back and Quinn reached for his chin, pulling his mouth to him, his tongue immediately beginning its deep exploration.

Finally letting go of his chin, Quinn let his hand trail down to explore the effects of his kiss. “Mmm,” he moaned seductively as his hand wrapped tightly around Henry’s erect cock and began stroking him from base to tip.

Henry took Quinn’s hand off his cock and brought it up to his mouth. With his face turned so that Quinn could see him, he slowly licked Quinn’s palm from heel to fingertips, sucking his fingers into his mouth. He then placed Quinn’s now slick hand around his hard cock again and hand over hand set the rhythm of Quinn’s strokes.

“It’s going to be even better.” Quinn nipped at his ear lobe.

With well over two years’ worth of clean AIDS tests and a dedicated monogamous relationship, they had finally made the decision to forego protection with a conversation that went, “I thought you wanted to keep using it,” “I thought you did,” “No, it was just habit more than anything else,” “Think you can kick the habit?” “Consider it kicked.”

“You have amazing self-control,” Henry commented. “If I were in your position, I would have been plowing into you by now.”

Laughing, Quinn tightened his grip around Henry, squeezing with his thumb as he stroked him. “Yeah, but you’re not in my position.” Henry hardened even more with his stroke.

“Oh God, Quinn, do you want to hear me beg you to fuck me. Because I will beg you,” he groaned.

“How bad do you want me inside you?” Quinn whispered, clearly enjoying how worked up he’d gotten his lover.

“Oh God, I don’t think I can last another minute. Fuck me already, damn it,” Henry was whimpering as Quinn continued to relentlessly stroke him.

“You sure you’re ready to really let me have you? That’s my ass, Henry. Mine.”

“Oh God, Quinn.”

“Tell me, Henry.” He slowed down the pace of his stroking.

“It’s yours, Quinn. I’m yours.”

Letting go of Henry, he rolled away and grabbed a bottle of KY liquid from his nightstand. Just rubbing it on himself, he thought he’d explode in anticipation. Even after two years, the significance of this night was huge. It was the final level of trust amongst gay men, and although it had been there between him and Henry almost from the moment they met, it was the final vow in a bond that they both knew meant forever.

Squirting some of the liquid into his fingers, he gently massaged it into Henry. “I love you,” he whispered.

Turning his head to look into Quinn’s eyes, “Show me how much.”

Quinn grabbed Henry’s thigh, lifting it and with one forceful drive, breached the tight ring of his ass. Both men moaned, synchronized in perfect unison.

“Fuck, you feel good,” Quinn’s voice was gruff, as he lay still for a moment as if acclimating himself to his new home. And then without warning, he began pounding into Henry’s ass, lost in the new sensation. Needing more, greedy for his own release in the warmth that was now forever his. Forever more.

“Oh God, Quinn. God, Quinn.” Henry’s cries exposed the brink upon which he was teetering, the pleasure of pain eclipsing all other input from his senses. Turning his head, his voice a raspy cry, “Oh God, Quinn. I love you.”

With a final thrust, Quinn consummated their bond, holding Henry tightly against him, and staying within him long after they were done.

Quinn was out on the
deck doing maintenance on the bikes when he got home from work. Heading to the bedroom to change out of his suit, Henry threw on a tee-shirt and shorts, before grabbing two cold bottles of water and heading out to the deck.

Sitting down on the glider and tossing a bottle to Quinn, he looked at his handsome partner with a smile, “So, I’ve got some news.”

Quinn stopped what he was doing and looked up, “Good news?”

Smiling, Henry nodded. “They announced 4
^th
quarter and year-end sales numbers today.”

“And?” Quinn was already smiling in anticipation of the answer.

“You’re looking at him. Number one for the quarter and number one for the year.”

Quinn got up from where he was sitting on the deck to envelop Henry in a bear hug. “You’re a fucking rock star.”

“It gets better,” Henry was bursting at the seams. “Seventy-five thousand dollar bonus.”

“Are you shitting me?” Quinn’s mouth was hanging open.

Henry was shaking his head, “No. Seventy-five K. How’s that for mind blowing. They based it on earnings and those just came out.”

“Holy shit, Henry.”

Henry’s violet eyes were wide, “I know,” he laughed, “and that’s not all. Turns out the awards ceremony is out here this year, it’s going to be at The Marine Room in La Jolla. So, I am officially asking you to be my date.”

“Are you sure?” As much as Quinn wanted to be there to see Henry accepting his accolades, the thought of potentially harming him in a corporate environment was not anything he wanted to do.

“Fuck, yeah, I’m sure. I’ve never hid my sexuality at work.”

“Not hiding it and throwing it in people’s faces are two very different things and you know that.”

“I’m their top sales guy, Quinn. Trust me, they’re not getting rid of me anytime soon. Any other person who was number one for the year would be bringing their significant other without thinking twice and I’m not going to think twice either about bringing you. I want you by my side. Where you belong.”

Trailing his fore and middle finger down Henry’s cheek, the look in his eyes was a mixture of pride, love and triumph. “I’m so proud of you and I’d be honored to accompany you.” When his fingers reached Henry’s jaw, his hand slid to the back of his neck and he pulled his lover in for a long, slow kiss. When their lips finally separated, Quinn shook his head, “A seventy-five thousand dollar bonus?” He still couldn’t believe it.