The Geek and His Artist (35 page)

“I get it!” Simon buried his hot face in Jimmy’s chest. “Some thanks. I wake you with a blow job and you embarrass me.”

Jimmy kissed him on the top of his head. “Not trying to embarrass you. Thank you. That was amazing.”

Simon peeked up at his boyfriend and sat up again when he saw Jimmy smiling at him. “I’m glad you think so.” Now he
did
blush, but it was his own fault. “I like doing that for you.”

“Well, I’m not about to turn it down,” Jimmy said with a chuckle, dropping a kiss on each red cheek. “Though, I’m a little more anxious for the real present.”

“That wasn’t real?” Simon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Ha. Ha. Come on, I can smell pancakes, and after that, I’m hungry.”

“I’m not. Had plenty of protein already,” Simon quipped, lips twitching.

Jimmy laughed and kissed him again. “Well, I didn’t have any, so I need to get fed.”

“Well, I’m young, but even I need a bit of recovery time.”

“God, you’re going to kill me,” Jimmy said in a choked voice.

“Not today. I’ll wait until tomorrow.” Simon dropped a kiss on Jimmy’s chest, then started climbing out of bed. He grunted when pain shot through his foot.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy was at his side a few seconds later.

Simon held up a hand. “Nothing a bit more physical therapy won’t help. Foot’s still hurting after being in that cast so long.”

“Can I help?”

Simon looked up and smiled. “I could use clothes?” Even after a month, it still took him time to ask for help with things. Sometimes he managed to remember before it became an issue, like this one. He sat back on the side of the bed as Jimmy retrieved underwear, pajama bottoms, and a T-shirt and brought them over.

“Do you need help getting them on?”

Simon shook his head. “No, I can handle that. Besides, if I watch you naked for much longer, you
will
miss those pancakes.”

Jimmy grinned and dropped a kiss on Simon’s forehead. “Baby, if I ever truly choose pancakes over sex with you, I need to have my head examined.”

“Well, don’t want that. It is seriously
not
fun,” Simon grumbled. He’d only been to a couple of sessions with his new counselor so far. The intake hadn’t been nearly what he’d worried about. They’d asked him a bunch of questions that hadn’t actually caused him to get upset like he thought. They’d gone over his medical history and a bunch of other things, but he hadn’t had to actually start talking yet.

No, that happened when he met his counselor the following week. And the two sessions since had been… well, difficult was an understatement. He was immensely grateful Jimmy was there afterward. Simon could admit he wasn’t a psychologist—and didn’t want to be—but he didn’t see how reliving the nightmare his life had been the last several years was going to help. He wanted to put it behind him.

But he guessed that freaking out when he broke a simple glass jar said he needed something. And since Jimmy’s mom—his mom, now—insisted it would help, he went. He’d try to work with the counselor, reserve further judgment, and just be glad Jimmy was there for him when it was over.

He could also admit he’d only reacted once more like he had over the glass jar. He was getting more and more comfortable with the idea that he wasn’t going to get “punished” for minor things. He knew if he did something big—like, stealing from them or getting into trouble at school or with the cops—then he’d be punished, but he had no interest in any of that, didn’t like the idea of disappointing his new mom and dad, so none of that was even an issue.

The only other time he had reacted had even been different, though. It hadn’t been as bad, not nearly as terrifying as the first time. And this time, he’d managed to remember
not
to push Jimmy away. It had still taken Mom to remind him he wouldn’t be punished, but when she’d stepped away, he’d turned to Jimmy for comfort. When the warmth enveloped him, he started feeling better and
knew
it was right.

“Hey, baby?”

Jimmy’s voice pulled Simon from his musings. “Sorry,” he mumbled, cheeks turning red.

“You okay?” Jimmy asked and Simon sighed, reaching out and brushing his fingers over Jimmy’s cheek.

“Yes, sorry. Just started thinking about the counseling and stuff. But I don’t want to, not today.” He took a deep breath.

“It’s okay, you know. This stuff isn’t going to go away in a few weeks.”

Simon frowned. “I know that. I just… I wish it would. I wish I could just put it behind me.” He shook his head. “And I’ve said that before.”

“I know, baby, I know.” Jimmy kissed his forehead. “I wish it worked that way too. I don’t like to see you put through that stuff.”

Simon managed to pull out a real smile. “I know. That helps. Come on, let’s get those pancakes. Apparently, you’re not enough to fill my stomach after all.”

Jimmy smirked and Simon was relieved he let it go. “If you didn’t drain me so often—”

“I’m sorry I said anything,” Simon groaned, getting to his feet. He winced when he put weight on his foot, but he knew it was important to use it. He thought of something he could give Jimmy. “Do you want to help me down the stairs?”

Jimmy’s lips spread into a grin. “I’d love to.”

He’d never stopped wanting to carry Simon around. Simon thought it’d get old after a while, but every time he caught Simon scooting down the steps on his butt, Jimmy had nearly demanded Simon let him carry him the rest of the way. Simon
did
feel ridiculous, scooting like a three-year-old. But even so, it was a way for him to do for himself.

Once Simon was seated at the table, painkillers taken, coffee in front of him, Mom delivered a big plate of pancakes. Simon waited, too happy watching Jimmy practically dive into his plate. He slathered butter over it, then drowned it in blackberry syrup.

“Do you even taste the pancakes?” Simon asked, smirking.

Jimmy nodded. “Of course I do,” he said with his mouth full.

“James Robert Bennet!” Mom called from the kitchen.

Jimmy winced, finished chewing, and, red-faced, said, “Sorry, Mom.”

“I taught you better manners than that.”

“It’s my birthday?” Jimmy said, turning an innocent expression on his mom.

Mom snorted. “Yeah, you’re officially an adult today. All the more reason to act like you have manners.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes and pointedly went back to his pancakes.

Once the rest of them had their plates, Dad pushed a flat box across the table wrapped in Sunday comics. “I figure you’ll be too involved with your friends later, so we wanted to give this to you now.”

Jimmy raised his eyebrows and put his fork down, then picked up the box. “What is it?”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Open it. What’s the point of wrapping it if we tell you what it is, goofball?”

Simon snickered, and Jimmy shot him a mock glare but started opening the gift. Simon raised his eyebrows when he saw the Samsung logo on the side.

“Dude! A Galaxy? Cool!” He flipped over the box and Simon leaned forward.

“Galaxy?” Simon asked, peering at the box.

Jimmy held it up. “Tablet. Ten-point-five-inch screen. This is great!” He started to set the box down, and Mom rolled her eyes.

“Open it!”

“But….” He paused at the glare she gave him, then shrugged and opened the box. Inside, the tablet sat with the screen cover and protective bag around it. Jimmy pulled the tablet out, and a piece of paper came with it. He frowned at the paper, opened it, and read.

As he did, his eyes widened and mouth dropped open. He looked up at his parents, then back at the paper, then up at his parents again before turning to Simon and handing him the paper with a shaking hand.

Simon raised his eyebrows but looked down at the paper. It was a printout from a travel agency, and it took Simon a long moment to figure out what, exactly, it was. But finally, about halfway down the paper, he got it.

Seven Day Western Caribbean

Ship: Carnival Dream

Departure port: New Orleans, LA.

July 11, 2015, 4:00 pm

Ports of call: Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico

Ocean View stateroom (Free Upgrade!), Riviera Deck, Stateroom 1305

Passengers: 2

S
IMON
STOPPED
reading. His eyes widened and heart started pounding. Could it be…? Did they mean…? He cleared his throat. “A… cruise? It… for two?”

Mom rolled her eyes and Dad grinned. “Of course, for two, silly. We’re not about to send Jimmy without you.”

Dad laughed and put a hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Each of the kids gets a trip—a cruise—for their eighteenth birthday and graduation. We would have asked you separately for your birthday, but we kind of figured the two of you would want to go together. Unless… you don’t like water?”

Simon shook his head to clear it. “Of course I want to go! I wouldn’t have… I can’t… wow,” he finished lamely.

Jimmy laughed. “I’d forgotten about that! It’s been so long since Amy graduated. Where did she go?”

“She spent the whole time in Mexico, but I figured you’d want to see more.” Mom sipped at her coffee.

Jimmy grinned. “Oh yeah. I can’t
wait
!” He turned to Simon, who knew he still looked stunned. Jimmy’s smile faded a little. “Are you okay, baby?”

Simon was seriously fighting the urge to cry. He called them “Mom” and “Dad.” He’d worked himself up to the point of not freaking out when they bought his favorite cereal, or when the sweet cream he liked for his coffee started showing up in the refrigerator. He hadn’t even argued when they took him shopping again for more clothes—though he still didn’t think he needed more.

But that wasn’t the same as this. They really did consider him part of the family, and it was a little overwhelming. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked up at Jimmy again.

“Hey, hey, we didn’t mean to make you cry,” Mom said, coming around the table. She wrapped her arms around Simon’s shoulders.

“It’s… it’s okay. I just… it’s… shit,” he muttered.

She gently tugged a lock of hair. “Language, dear.”

That succeeded in unsticking him, causing him to blush. “Thank you. This is… amazing.”

She kissed him on the temple and went back to her seat. “I know it’s a lot, but just so you know… this means you probably won’t get a lot for your birthday,” she said with a smirk.

After the rest, it was too much. Simon burst out laughing. The rest of the Bennets joined him, and it took him a while to calm down.

“Why’d you pick one in July?” Jimmy asked before forking up more pancake.

“We wanted to wait until after Simon’s birthday,” Mom said, waving a hand at Simon. “That should give us time to get his passport and everything too.”

“Duh, yeah, I forgot we need them for this now.” Jimmy took another bite. “I’ve always wanted to see the Caribbean. The water is just
so blue
.”

Simon nodded. “The colors are so vibrant. I’d love to paint them! I used to dream about it. When I was little, I thought I could run away and stow away on a pirate ship.” He chuckled. “Of course… I was imagining the
Pirates of the Caribbean
… not quite the same thing now.”

The other three laughed. “God, no. Not quite.” Mom shook her head.

“I used to want to be a pirate,” Jimmy said, chuckling. “I wanted to be
Captain
Jack Sparrow.” He raised one eyebrow, holding his hands up, and swayed. “But when I got a little older, I realized I didn’t want to drink the rum it would take to be him.”

Simon snorted, almost getting syrup in his nose. He coughed to clear it, then ended up laughing. When he finally managed to calm down, he shook his head. “Well, now I
really
can’t wait for school to be over.”

“Me either,” Jimmy said, grinning and looking at the paper again. “The guys are going to be
so
jealous.”

Simon grinned. “Can’t wait to tell them.”

“They’ll hate us!” Jimmy said, grin turning wicked.

“
Really
hate us,” Simon agreed.

“So… is it two yet? I want to see their faces,” Jimmy said, forking up more pancake.

S
IMON
CHEWED
hard on his lips and paced—painfully—in front of the bed. His gift for Jimmy lay on it, wrapped in more Sunday comics, not that Jimmy wouldn’t be able to figure out what it was at a glance. Well, he’d know
generally
what it was. The package was quite obviously a painting of some sort, but Simon had covered the art itself.

Jimmy said he’d be right up a few moments ago, and Simon wanted to give the gift to him before their friends got there. He didn’t think the guys would give him any real shit for it, but they’d definitely make comments, and he just didn’t want to deal with that.

He went over to the door and pulled it open, intending to go downstairs and find out what was keeping Jimmy. But just as he got to the top of the steps, he heard voices. Jimmy and Mom.

He knew he should turn around and go back into their room or even into the bathroom, but when he heard his name mentioned, he couldn’t resist listening.

“I just thought, later on, we’ll do something bigger,” Mom said, sounding unhappy.

“Mom,
I’m
not unhappy, so why should you be?”

Mom sighed. “It’s your eighteenth birthday. You only turn eighteen once.”

“Mom, I only ever turn
any
age once. Well, until I get old like you and pretend to stop.”

Simon heard the sound of a light slap and figured Mom had swatted Jimmy. Simon still had to get used to that, that it wasn’t abuse but just in fun. He noticed they were careful not to do it to him or even around him very much.

“I’m not old. Thirty-nine isn’t old.”

Jimmy snorted. “Mom, if you’re thirty-nine, then you were fifteen when Amy was born.”