Triton
“Oh, honey, come on.”
Numbly, he looked at Miles.
Triton turned and flung himself back against the pillows, struggling with his tears. Miles had stayed with him last night, and they’d curled up in his bed and slept after he was done pouring out his sorrow.
He’d cried for lost hopes and dreams and the life he’d wanted with Diesel. One thing was for certain. He would never love again.
This morning, he was still crying.
“Triton, it’s okay sweetie.”
“I should have known.” He dashed at his eyes.
“Known what?”
“That he doesn’t love me.”
“Oh, that man loves you,” Miles hissed fiercely. “He just needs a frying pan to the side of his head.”
He laughed through his tears even though he was dying inside. “He doesn’t. Trust me.”
“You’re blind and he’s…well, he’s stupid.”
Miles hugged him and where last night he couldn’t talk, this morning, Triton found himself talking.
He told Miles about everything, and when he was done, he was exhausted but felt much lighter.
“So, there you have it.” He rolled his shoulders and glanced over at Miles, who was sitting cross legged beside him.
“Oh my god, Triton.” Miles leaned over and gave him a hug.
Sharing his life with Miles had been a relief. “I feel stronger now. Being around Diesel has made me see things differently.”
Mile retuned his smile. “I feel the same way about Ted.”
“See? That’s how it’s supposed to be.” He sighed and plucked at the comforter. “Diesel makes me want to be a better person. He guides me, and then I know what to do. I never had that before. A Dom. Diesel gets me. That’s why I got so mad at him. He understands what I need just like I understand his needs.”
“He’ll come around. I think he’s sorry already.” Miles nodded to their empty dinner plates. “You saw his face when he delivered those.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “The last thing I want is to make him feel bad, but he needs to understand that I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want anyone else.”
“Maybe he needs you to make a stand,” Miles said.
“Yeah?” He sounded hopeful.
“Yeah. So, are you ready to go brave the front room?” Miles slid from the bed.
“Yes, I think I am. I need to get some more wood first to build up the fire, and then Diesel and I are going to have a talk.”
“Come on, I’ll help you.”
He shoved on a sweater and darted out of his room on the heels of Miles only to be trapped in the hallway by Diesel’s big body.
“What?” He poked out his lip. “We’re going to go get wood for the fire.”
“Baby.”
His heart melted, but he stayed strong. “What?” He crossed his arms, chin tilted up.
“Talk to me, please.”
He wavered. Because really, who was he fooling? He wanted to talk to Diesel and work it out. This was the longest he’d ever stayed angry with someone and he knew it was because he’d invested everything into Diesel.
Miles smiled. “I’ll wait for you. You stay here and talk.”
Miles pushed him toward Diesel and darted down the hallway to the front room.
Triton sighed. “Okay,” he said, and he waited on Diesel. While he wanted to work it out, something inside stayed hurt and angry.
“In here.” Diesel guided him into Zane’s study.
“Where’s Ted?”
“He’s dozing on the couch. Still recovering.”
He nodded and wandered to the window to look out at the side of the house and the hillside.
“I’m sorry.”
He turned and stared at Diesel. “I want to be in your life, but only if you want me there.” The words felt strong, they felt right.
“I do. It still bothers me being older than you.” Diesel held up a hand, cutting off his argument. “But that’s because it’s my age that bothers me more than yours, boy.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not that you’re too young like I said. It’s because I feel like I’m too old. You’re just starting your life, and I’m looking at retiring, baby.”
Triton could see the worry and fear in Diesel’s eyes, and it tugged at his heart.
“Oh, Diesel, it doesn’t matter. Not really. We may not have as many years together as other couples do, or we may have more. But if we keep putting this off waiting for me to grow older, we are just wasting time. I wanted you yesterday, I want you now, and even when I’m older, I’ll still want you.”
“Come here, baby.” Diesel held out his arms.
Triton flew into them and wrapped his arms tightly around Diesel’s neck. His eyes stung, but they were from happy tears.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Diesel, so darned much.”
Triton pressed his lips to Diesel’s, and they kissed with such tenderness that his heart lurched.
A soft rap sounded on the partially open door.
Triton gasped and yanked his mouth from Diesel’s. Diesel smirked and Triton giggled.
“Hey, Triton? I started the casserole in the fridge. I’m going out for more wood.” Miles laughed.
A moment later, the back door closed and Triton smiled up at Diesel.
Diesel set him on his feet.
“I better go help.”
Diesel kissed him one more time and released him.
Triton slid on his boots and pulled on his jacket. “No, Molly, you already went out. Your feet are still wet,” he told the dog when she whined.
He was so damned happy, he barely felt the cold as he followed Miles’ footsteps down the path toward the woodshed.
Diesel
Instead of the front room, he flipped around and headed back to the office and dialed a number he’d been wanting to call.
“Hey, Diesel, how have you been?” Colonel Liam Cobalt answered his personal cell on the first ring.
“Been good.”
The silence went on a little too long.
‘You’re not coming back, are you?”
His smile grew along with his plans of a life with Triton. Triton was what he wanted. He didn’t want to return to war, he wanted to make a life here with his boy.
“I can’t come back. I’m officially pulling out.”
“Congratulations,” Liam said. “You’ll be missed, but I’m sure we will all make time to come and visit.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He made his way back into his room and pulled open the bedside table drawer. While Triton had been safely tucked away at Miles and Ted’s house last week, Diesel had made a trip to town for supplies. He’d stopped at the jewelry store to purchase a silver collar. It wasn’t a traditional one, more of a chain, but he had thought of giving it to Triton.
He bought it before he had gotten all mixed up and decided like a lunatic that Triton would be better off without him. If Triton didn’t like the collar, they could pick out something together.
He headed back to the living room where Molly was whining.