Chapter Thirty-one - Happiness Practice
Was Aron already back? He wondered, as he climbed the stairs two by two, with Taz happily prancing after him. He definitely hoped so, but stopped in front of the door to catch his breath. Aron was going to ask him why he had rushed up the stairs. He had no alternative reply for that.
"It looks like for a while you'll have two daddies," Carter scratched Taz's ears, just to buy some time.
Taz barked in reply and Carter had to shush him since he didn't want the neighbors scandalized on Sunday afternoon by a loud dog.
The door opened suddenly.
"You guys back already? Great! That means you'll help unpacking!" Aron said brightly.
Carter stood up straight. Aron in the door was a sight to behold. Not because he was different from how he usually was, but simply because he was. Aron waiting in the door. For him. To come home. It seemed like something from a dream he must have had a long time ago, one that he could not clearly remember, but was still lingering at the edge of his memories. He could identify the feeling, though, as something pleasant and warm settling right in the center of his chest.
"Do you have a lot of luggage?" Carter questioned, this time a bit worried that they weren't going to find enough room for Aron's stuff.
"Just the necessary. But I don't want to step on your toes and take over your domain," Aron laughed. "So I need you to tell me where to put everything."
"Don't worry," Carter waved. "My home is yours."
I'm all yours.
I dare you to say that out loud.
No way. Too soon.
Aron made way for him to enter and Taz was happy with the attention he received right away.
"Who's a good boy?" Aron began playing with Taz.
I'm definitely a good boy. Play with me, too.
Could you give it a rest? You should behave at least like a half-decent person. Otherwise, he will run away.
Point taken.
Aron eventually followed him to the bedroom, and Carter opened wide his closet. Now it was a good thing that he didn't have many clothes. He hoped there was plenty of room for Aron's.
"You can put all your clothes here," he said.
He turned to find Aron watching him from the other side of the bed. It was a bit odd, but the first thing he thought was how familiar the entire scene seemed. Like this was normal. Just another day in their lives. Completely how it was supposed to be.
"And I have spares. I mean, like toothbrushes and stuff," he added quickly.
"Thank you," Aron replied, but his voice was low and a bit strange for some reason.
If someone could have asked him later, he would have said, in all honesty, that he had no idea what the hell happened, but he practically jumped on the bed, rushing straight into Aron's arms. Or was it Aron who made the first move?
The only thing that mattered was that they were kissing, stumbling on the bed, making a mess of Aron's clothes that had been just earlier neatly arranged on the coverlet. It took them a minute, or maybe two, to come to their senses.
"What are we doing?" Aron wondered, pressing his forehead against Carter's, his hands firm on the other's biceps.
"I think we're ruining your clothes," Carter replied promptly.
Aron chuckled.
"Good point. And a good thing I left the suits on the sofa. I won't need to do ironing all day long."
"You know how to do that?" Carter mumbled.
He only had clothes that could not wrinkle. Much. For everything else, he used local services. But Aron ironing? Somehow, that was possible. The man had always been so self-sufficient. Or at least he had been before meeting Alex and deciding he suddenly needed a husband.
Ouch. Back to reality.
"Do you, um, think about, you know, getting back with your husband?" he asked, his voice meek.
Aron squeezed his arms briefly and let go.
"No," came the prompt reply. "For a little while, he behaved like he was my husband, for real. And then he just took everything back. I felt cheated."
"Because he was cheating?" Carter let the words flow from his mouth. "With that guy Simon?"
"I don't mean that. As I told you, I hold a bit of hope that he respected our marriage while we were still together. But I felt cheated out of my happiness. We could be happy together. For a little while, he showed me everything we could have. And then he even had the nerve to tell me that he could not see why I was upset with him when he got back to being ... Well, himself, I guess. Yeah, now that I think about it, him being so ... my husband," Aron chuckled, "was somehow out of character. And of course he said that I was suffocating him. No one controls what I feel," Aron said, looking down, a frown darkening his face. "I was honest with him. And all he did was take, and use that as he saw fit."
"Wow, so you just ... walked away? Was it a spur of the moment thing?"
Aron sighed.
"He actually told me to go away."
"He kicked you out?"
"It's a way of saying. No, it wasn't a spur of the moment thing. As I see things now, much clearer, I think I just went against myself like an idiot trying to love someone who didn't want to be loved. I should feel ... regret. But no, I don't feel that. Because if everything was a game for him, he doesn't deserve my love."
"I'm sorry, man," Carter put a hand on Aron's shoulder and squeezed in sympathy.
"It's okay," Aron placed his own over Carter's. "I really have no regrets. Except maybe for the lost time. But I'm decided to make up for it."
"You are?" Carter asked.
"Yeah," Aron whispered and leaned in to place another kiss on Carter's lips.
"So will the fuck buddy arrangement continue?" Carter asked when Aron drew away.
"Of course," Aron smiled. "I would not have it any other way. Plus, we'll share the bed. So, you know, things might ... no, will happen," the man laughed.
Ah, great.
Yeah, I was scared there for like a moment or so.
"And let's settle you in," Carter offered. "I can't do the ironing, but at least I'll make sure to keep things in order. A little. Not much. I'm afraid."
Okay, so he was babbling again. It was slowly dawning on him what Aron had just told him. Things would happen. On the bed. They were on the bed. Oh, did that mean ...?
"Don't worry. In exchange for your generous offer of letting me stay with you, I'll take care of everything. I'll keep the house clean, and I'll cook. And I'll pay the bills," Aron added.
