you’re still the one 13/19

I lay with my head on Cody’s shoulder. His hand stroked my bare back. Shivers ran down my spine where he touched me and I moved closer to him. The heat of his skin and the sweat from our exertion made it a sticky affair, but I didn’t care. Everything sticky between us was the result of the amazing sex that we had had. This was all new and yet, it was familiar too. I felt home. Finally. A couple of weeks had passed since we had that long talk. Cody came over every evening after work. If my shift wasn’t over yet, he took care of Ava and played with her. They were cute together and Cody began to understand her needs more and more. She wasn’t content to be trapped and strapped against my body all day long anymore and sometimes it felt as if she was waiting for Cody to come and rescue her. I still remember the evening I came up to my apartment and Ava was sleeping on – and drooling all over Cody’s chest, who was snoring lightly too. He had one arm around her and a hand on her head. It was a protective position and they looked so much like a unity that I had to take a picture. The flash woke Cody. Before he even looked at me, he stroked Ava’s head and her back and kissed her hair, then he blinked up at me.

“Sorry, fell asleep,” he mumbled. I smiled and leaned in to kiss him. Cody rubbed his eyes and I took Ava up in my own arms. She didn’t wake up. I was disappointed and not. It proved that she felt safe with Cody.

I took Ava to her bed and met Cody in the kitchen.

“We need to talk.” Cody started and I felt myself becoming weak. I had to support myself on the counter in front of me. Every talk that had ever started that way had left me heart-broken. I wasn’t sure if I could let Cody break my heart again. My mouth was too dry to form any words and to be honest, I had no clue what to say anyway.

He moved closer to me and took both of my hands in his. His green eyes locked with mine and I saw him take a deep breath. The moment was there. The moment when he would say that he couldn’t take care of Ava and it was all too much and that I was not the man he had hoped I was. Or maybe he would say nothing like that and just admit that he had fallen in love with someone else. After all, we had never said the words. Okay, yes, he had told me that he still loved me, but he had been drunk back then. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

“Move in with me, Noel Baker. I know this is fast and too soon and – but, please? Would you consider it?” I was so relieved that I threw myself in his arms with a shaky breath. By his reaction I could tell that he had not anticipated my strong reaction. He kissed my forehead and I grabbed him tighter.

“Is that a yes?” I looked at him and took a step back. Acting as unaffected as possible, I folded my arms across my chest.

“Sure,” I shrugged “but I need to talk it through with Ava first.” I cracked and smiled brightly. Cody laughed too.

“Of course. I asked her already, she said she needed to consult you first too.”

“Is that so?” I asked in a seductive voice.

I wanted him. I needed him. Cody nodded and I moved closer to him again. I couldn’t be without touching him or tasting him or smelling him any longer. Our breaths mingled and I kissed him with such ferocity, I was afraid I might leave broken teeth in the wake. We moved to my bedroom, where we had the necessary supplies.

****

Sex with Cody was amazing. We clicked in a way I had never clicked with anyone before. He knew exactly how to touch me and how much pressure I needed, he knew when to slow down and when to pick up speed. It was mind-blowing. And it had nothing to do with mimicking the porn we had watched as kids.

Again I lay in his arms, for the second time that day. Sweaty and exhausted, but happy. Cody kissed my hair. He turned to his side and slid down until we were at eye-level. His hand lay on my cheek, fondling my beard. His eyes were so full of love and affection, it was close to overwhelming. To think that I had almost been too stubborn to let him love me. He kissed my lips lightly and grinned.

“Noel, I…” that was all he could say, because Ava cried in her room. I wanted to dart straight out of bed, but he held me back with his hand on my wrist my wrist and shook his head. “I’ll go,” he said. Stunned I watched as he put his boxers up over his naked ass and left my bedroom. I heard Ava babble with him and he sang to her. I wanted to go and see this scene, but I didn’t. Something told me to trust Cody with my Princess and I did. I heard commotion in the kitchen and after a while, everything was silent. Except for the patting noise Cody’s naked feet made on the hardwood floor.

“Move over, daddy.” Cody nudged me with his knee and balanced himself on the bed with my girl and her nightly bottle.

“Hello Ava…” I sang to her and she let go of the teat to laugh out loud. That sound. It made my heart melt. I stroked her hair and she drank the rest of her meal. Her eyes drooped and Cody took the bottle away. Ava lay between us on the sheet. I had my hand on her chest and Cody’s hand lay on my naked butt. He leaned over Ava and kissed me tenderly.

“Good night” he empathized it with a yawn. I watched as Cody fell asleep with a grin on his lips. He looked as peaceful as Ava. The fact that he wasn’t shy to be with her made him all the more appealing to me and I knew that he would make a great dad someday too.

I didn’t need any longer to think about it. It was set. Ava and I, we would move in with Cody. And we would be just like a family.