Special Needs (38 page)

Ryan looked up at him in the dark, completely mesmerized. “That’s better,” he muttered.

“I know, right?” Liam smiled, but reached out towards Ryan’s legs. “Um... do you need them laying in a certain way?”

“You know, as long as you’re not crushing them or blocking the blood flow, it’s all fine.” Ryan wrapped his arms around his partner's neck, and played with the wet hair.

“All right.” Liam rested his head on Ryan’s arm.

“I think it’s gonna be a while till I can do it again.” Ryan hugged him as if he was a massive teddy bear.

“Yeah, like eight hours.” Liam yawned, adjusting his neck.

“So... We’ll see each other in the morning?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

Ryan poked his arm.

“What?” Liam groaned, burying his face in the crook of Ryan’s neck.

“I need you to... go.”
This is awkward.

That got Liam’s attention. He lifted his head to look at him with a frown.

“It’s kinda embarrassing, but you can’t stay,” Ryan said, even though his boyfriend was such a wonderful weight to have on top of himself. Liam rose slowly, sitting up with his face towards the window.

“What did I do?”

“It’s not you!” Ryan hugged him from behind, putting his cheek on that muscular back. He would gladly fall asleep spooning Liam. “It’s about my legs. I don’t wanna sleep in braces and if I don’t, they spasm at night.” He hated that lie the moment he said it, but he couldn’t let Liam stay. It was too much risk. He didn't have any control over his muscles in his sleep, and he couldn't let Liam know the truth.

Liam groaned. “Still embarrassed?”

“I’m not comfortable with it,” Ryan whispered and kissed one of Liam's vertebrae.

His lover scratched the back of his head, before slipping out of Ryan’s embrace and walking over to where he dropped his clothes. “Okay.”

“You’re amazing, Liam.” Ryan smiled, already missing his hot, strong body.

“Uhm.” Liam gathered all of his things into a neat ball and made his way through the room and towards the door. With the window as background, the contours of his toned body seemed even more impressive.

“Goodnight,” Ryan said into the darkness.

“Night.” Liam lingered by the door for the longest moment before closing it behind himself.

Chapter 18

Liam got up early for a barefoot run along the beach. Moving and sweating always took his mind off unpleasant things. Such as Ryan throwing him out of bed. Because his legs
twitched
. Fucking hell.

The forty minute run cleared his mind and after a quick shower, Liam entered the kitchen to prepare a nice breakfast for just the two of them. Maybe Ryan was afraid to fall asleep with a guy because of the whole Stuart thing, because the rest of the evening had been glorious. Maybe he should send Kyle a basket of penis-shaped shortbreads as a thank you for his stupid-ass, but oh-so-effective intervention?

He looked out the window and squinted to shield his eyes from the light reflected by water. It was great to live by the ocean. He wouldn’t be able to afford a room in a house like this without working here. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone with a smile. Cole would certainly be up, the early bird. Taking out the ingredients needed for a healthy batch of pancakes, he called his brother, a wide smile never leaving his face.

It didn't take Cole long to pick up. “Hey there, what’s up? You’re up early after a night out.”

“We’re together and I’m not quitting my job,” blurted out Liam, his hand tightening on the bottle of buttermilk.

“Uhm... okay. Good morning to you too. I just reserve the right to the words: ‘I told you so’.”

“Spare me.” Holding the cell with his shoulder against his ear, Liam swiftly put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. The supermarket pancake mix would forever stay forgotten in the far end of the cupboard. He wouldn’t let Ryan eat some ready-to-make shit. “It’s been great, and if I didn’t pretend disinterest, he wouldn’t have fallen prey to that pervert. It’s been a shit idea.”

“Nope, now he’s falling prey to another pervert.” Cole laughed, apparently not taking the conversation seriously.

“Well, yeah, but I’m the good kind of pervert who makes him breakfast in bed and shit.” Liam trashed the egg shells and reached into the cupboard to get his mixer.

“Aww, such a good employee.” Clear mocking.

“Hey, I’m fucking him as an employee, the breakfast’s a bonus.” Liam let out a laugh, before telling his brother to hold on just for enough time to blend the mix.

“So where do you think it’s all going?” Cole asked, when Liam switched the mixer off.

“Oh, you know, we’ll see, but he’s cute and smart. I think you’d like him.” Liam started frying the first batch of pancakes and moved around, trying to remember where he left the lap table. In the end, he just decided to put the phone on speaker mode, to make things easier. There was no one there at this hour anyway.

“Oh yeah? So, suppose it goes off the rails, what happens then?”

“I guess everything goes back to the way it’s been. He’s not like those other guys.” Liam smiled at that thought, finally putting the cutlery on the recovered tray. He enjoyed the gentle prickling of the oil and the warm, mouth watering smell of breakfast.

“No? What makes him different? Not a power junkie?”

“No, he’s cute and gentle.” Liam swallowed, his eyes fixed on the frying pancakes. “He’s the one with more to lose, I think.”

“Just please Liam, don’t mess up a guy in a wheelchair, okay?” His brother sighed, making the line crackle.

“Why would I mess him up? I’m not a predator, just... you know... an eager stag or some shit like that.” He smiled, and switched on the coffee machine before sliding finished pancakes off the pan to make another batch.

“‘Stag’?” Cole snorted. “I’m just saying you like to fuck around a lot. Often with more than one person.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to. It’s not like I’m an addict.”

“I sure hope so. Have you ever considered you might be?”

Liam frowned, watching the dough spilling down from the ladle to pool in the hot oil. “Err... why? It’s unhealthy to deny yourself sex when you’re so good looking and young,” reasoned Liam. He got two mugs from the cupboard and put them next to the buzzing coffee machine.

Cole cleared his throat. “So... How does it work with him? Does he have... you know, feeling down there?”

“Erm... yeah, he does. He’s very responsive, actually.” Liam grinned at the fridge, remembering how Ryan came without him even touching his cock. That was grand. He was so sexy when helplessly sprawled on the floor.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough info!” Cole laughed. “You know, as long as you’re happy. And if worst comes to worse, there is always my couch.”

“Yeah.” Liam felt his lips stretch into a somewhat sad smile. “Florida it would be for me.” No one would give him a serious job around San Diego anyway after the series of affairs he’s had.

“Be positive. There’s always Disney World here!”

“Great, I could be making those Mikey-head shaped pizzas for the masses.”

“Yep. But wouldn't that be too easy for a gourmet chef like you?”

“Perfect. I’d have enough time to write a memoir.” Liam murmured sourly, turning the pancakes in the pan.

“About how you fucked every boss on your way to Disney World. Shit! If you worked there, wouldn’t you have to fuck the princes or something?”

“If I worked there, I’d gladly fuck Captain Jack Sparrow.”

Liam turned around with a plate full of pancakes, but froze in place when he noticed Fay was sitting at the table with an empty plate and that trademark grin of hers.

“Call you back, Cole,” muttered Liam and turned the call off without even waiting for an answer from his brother.

“So, Liam, you wanna tell me something?” She raised her eyebrows and held out her empty plate in his direction in a silent demand.

“Uh.” He frowned. “You’re an eavesdropping sneak?”

“Me? Never.” She gave him an exaggerated, pseudo-innocent blink. “I just thought you might want to tell me something.”

Liam’s breath rasped and he stiffly put the plate of pancakes in front of her. “Don’t tell Rod yet,” he whispered, clenching his hands into fists.

Fay’s lips formed into an ‘o’. “Oops. I’ve already texted him. Sorry!” She didn’t sound sorry in the slightest, as she loaded her plate with pancakes.

“Doesn’t it fucking occur to you that if I keep something to myself, it’s private kind of shit?” He knocked his fist into his chest, irritated by her behavior.

“Oh.” This time she did stop grinning. “I kinda... are you so deep in the closet? You don’t have to be with us, honey.” Fay stroked his forearm.

“That’s not it.” He shook his head. “But me and Ryan are literally yesterday’s news, okay?”

“You and Ryan?”
Now
her eyes went wide. “I only heard the bit about fucking Jack Sparrow.”

Liam looked at her for the longest, most blanked out moment, and eventually banged his forehead into the table. “I’m such a fucktard.”

“What? What? Liam’s gay and he hasn’t hit on me?” Rod barged into the kitchen, sounding offended.

Liam slowly rolled his head on the tabletop to look at the door, where Rodney stood in his full dog costume. He even had the mask on.

“He’s fucking Ryan, so go figure why,” said Fay and Liam could only groan.

“Oh. Okay, that makes me feel better.” Rodney sat at the table and lifted his mask to steal a pancake. “But... aww, little Ryan’s getting some?”

“Yes, he is, stop talking about it.” Liam straightened his back and tried to change the topic. “Do you have a guy over?”

“He’s coming in an hour, I got over excited and already changed.” Rodney munched on the pancake.

“Good dog!” Fay laughed and patted his head. “Don’t think you’re off the hook though.” She looked back at Liam. “Why did you hide it if you’re not in the closet?”

Liam shook his head at the disappearing breakfast and turned back toward the cooker to make more pancakes. “He liked me, I liked him, and I didn’t want to sleep with my boss.”

“This is so cool, I can now talk about dick with you.” Rodney beamed at Liam, and Liam half imagined him wagging his leather tail.

“That’s unbelievably sweet, Liam. Ryan was crushing on you so hard, I thought he’s just gonna fall apart one day, like a cracked teapot.” Fay poured maple syrup onto her plate.

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he just ducked into the cupboard like a fucking ostrich.

Liam excused himself as soon as he was done with the second batch of pancakes. He didn't want to tell Ryan yet that their secret was out. At least not on an empty stomach. He was sure Ryan would appreciate his effort though. He liked to cook, even more so for the people he cared about. He knocked on the door with his foot, as both his hands were busy with the lap table.

“May I come in?”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence and when Liam was already thinking Ryan was still asleep, there finally was a reply.

“Yes! Yes!” Ryan sounded as excited as a puppy ready to chew on its owner’s favorite pair of slippers. It lit Liam’s heart, chasing all worries away. It was hard to open the door without spilling the coffee, but eventually he managed and walked in with the huge tray.

“Bet you’re hungry.”

Ryan beamed at him from bed, where he was laying under a thin blanket. “That’s for me? You’re, like, the most amazing boyfriend in the history of boyfriends.” He looked adorable without the makeup and with his hair clipped back.

“For us,” Liam replied, placing the table in Ryan’s lap. He leaned closer for a small kiss that made his knees go weak.

“Are you saying I’m not allowed to eat all the pancakes I want?” Ryan held the table with one hand and reached out to touch Liam’s arm with the other, starting a tremor that ran all the way to his legs. Liam could still remember how those fingers felt on his cock, on his back, on his ballsack, and chest.