Love the One You're With (15/16)
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Sarah handed the tape dispenser back to the teacher’s aide. They had just hung up the signs for Paige’s bakery and now Scotty, Paige and Cooper were organizing the goodies on the table.
"Wow, Sarah. I’m impressed," a voice behind her said.
Sarah turned. It was two of Paige’s classmates’ moms. Or as Sarah liked to call them, Mommy Job 1 and Mommy Job 2. She shrugged.
"It’s just some cookies and stuff."
Mommy Job 1 turned to look at the table across the room, holding her glass of punch up by her face. She took a drink before saying, "I’m talking about that other tasty morsel."
Mommy Job 2 nodded. "You definitely traded Joe in for a younger model. He must hate him."
Sarah laughed. "Well, Joe hasn’t seen Scotty in a while, but they got along OK, I guess."
Mommy Job 1 turned back to Sarah. "‘A while?’ How long have you been seeing this guy?"
Mommy Job 2 interrupted before Sarah could explain. "Forget about that. Come on Sarah, what’s he like in bed?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I don’t know. You’d have to ask my brother Kevin."
Mommy Job 2 looked back at Scotty. "Damn."
"I don’t know. It almost makes him hotter," Mommy Job 1 argued.
Sarah saw Kevin come into the gymnasium, and she left the other women without a word.
***
"Hey. Did you get your Bobcat Bucks?"
"Yeah," Kevin said as he nodded at Sarah and looked around the room. "Bobcat bucks?"
"It’s the mascot. You’re supposed to buy stuff from the kids."
"Got it."
"It’s a pretty good turn-out so far. Mom and Kitty are going to come later, too."
"Uh-huh," came Kevin’s noncommittal reply. Sarah followed his line of sight and realized he had found and was now focused on Scotty.
Sarah smiled. "And at the end of the night, I’m going to get up on the table and dance."
"Sounds good."
Sarah’s smile turned into a grin. "Oh, just go talk to him."
***
"Hi," Kevin said, walking up to the table.
"Hi, Uncle Kevin!" Paige and Cooper said before they returned to their argument over where to put the brownies.
Scotty was kneeling by the table, writing prices on the menu. He stood up with a smile. "Hi, mister."
And the way he said it threw Kevin back into the memory of Valentine’s Day and the amazing thing Scotty had done with his tongue that night. And how he had left the next morning, hurt but clearly still concerned about Kevin’s well-being. That was it, Kevin decided. He didn’t care if Scotty had a boyfriend; he didn’t care if he was dating the entire Los Angeles symphony. That night, he was going to tell Scotty how he felt.
***
Kevin and Scotty were strolling around the gymnasium, looking at the other tables. They had bought a few things out of kindness for the other children, but they were saving most of their Bobcat Bucks for Paige’s company.
Stopping next to a very serious-looking kid, Scotty stuck his booklet on bike safety into his back pocket and transferred his cup of punch to his left hand. He picked up one of the travel-size first aid kits the boy had made.
"This is cool," he said. The kid smiled.
Kevin leaned in closer to Scotty to take a look. "How much?" he asked.
"Five," the boy said quietly.
Kevin handed him some paper money and smiled at Scotty. "Don’t say I never buy you anything."
Scotty laughed, shaking his head at Kevin.
"Are you Paige’s uncle?" The boy asked as he handed Kevin his change.
"I am."
He looked over at Paige’s table before turning back to Kevin. "Here. She can have one for free."
Scotty turned away, biting his cheek so he wouldn’t laugh and embarrass the kid. Kevin thanked the boy, and as they walked away, he turned to Scotty with a grin.
"Not a very shrewd businessman."
Scotty looked behind them and then back at Kevin. "No, but he’s pretty damn smooth."
"Better not tell Sarah," Kevin said with a laugh. "She’ll castrate the kid."
***
Scotty refilled his punch cup and returned to the table.
"Hey, those cupcakes went fast. We just took them out."
Paige nodded. "I just sold the last one to Uncle Kevin. For ten bucks."
Scotty looked over to Kevin, who was unwrapping the cupcake. "Ten?" he asked incredulously.
"Supply and demand!" Paige informed him.
Kevin looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "Worth every penny."
Scotty smiled.
***
"Kevin, what is it?" Scotty asked as the other man dragged him down a dark hallway near the gym. "What’s going on?"
Kevin stopped and turned to face him. "I was going to say something at the end of the night, but...I don’t want to wait." He took a deep breath. "I realize I have the worst timing, and I know I have absolutely no right, and if you want to punch me, go ahead. I deserve it."
"Kevin?"
"I love you."
"What?"
"I’m completely, completely in love with you. I even love the things about you that I hate." Kevin looked down at his feet. "I know you’re with Mark, but - "
"No, I’m not," Scotty interrupted quickly.
Kevin raised his head. "What?"
"We broke up. I just...didn’t know how to tell you."
"So - you’re single?"
Scotty laughed nervously. "Hopefully, not for long."
Kevin made a strangled noise. His eyes moved quickly from side to side as he looked into Scotty’s. Then he leaned forward and kissed him.
Scotty moaned. What started out as an intense, if relatively chaste, closed-mouth kiss soon turned into something much more. Scotty gasped for breath just before Kevin kissed him again, deeper and more passionately. Kevin pressed into him, and Scotty could feel him growing hard against his thigh.
Scotty lifted his hands to Kevin’s chest, pushing him slightly backwards.
"Kevin, we can’t do this." Scotty said apologetically, but the death grip he maintained on Kevin’s tie prevented the other man from pulling too far away and belied his words.
"What? Why not?" Kevin asked, confused.
"We’re in an elementary school," Scotty explained breathlessly.
"Oh," Kevin muttered. "Right. I just - " His eyelids fluttered, and he swayed towards Scotty’s lips again.
Scotty released Kevin’s tie, smoothing it out and resting his hand on Kevin’s chest. "It’s OK," he whispered. "There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere."
Kevin looked up at him, his eyes expressing his love even more than his words had. "Come home tonight," he said quietly.
Scotty held a hand up to Kevin’s cheek and smiled. "You’re addled," he murmured. "The phrase is come home with me tonight."
Kevin shook his head slowly. "No. I meant what I said." Kevin lifted a hand, placing it at the juncture of Scotty’s neck and shoulder. "Come home tonight," he repeated.
Scotty stared back at him for a moment. Then he moved his hand to the back of Kevin’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss.
Epilogue
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Sarah handed the tape dispenser back to the teacher’s aide. They had just hung up the signs for Paige’s bakery and now Scotty, Paige and Cooper were organizing the goodies on the table.
"Wow, Sarah. I’m impressed," a voice behind her said.
Sarah turned. It was two of Paige’s classmates’ moms. Or as Sarah liked to call them, Mommy Job 1 and Mommy Job 2. She shrugged.
"It’s just some cookies and stuff."
Mommy Job 1 turned to look at the table across the room, holding her glass of punch up by her face. She took a drink before saying, "I’m talking about that other tasty morsel."
Mommy Job 2 nodded. "You definitely traded Joe in for a younger model. He must hate him."
Sarah laughed. "Well, Joe hasn’t seen Scotty in a while, but they got along OK, I guess."
Mommy Job 1 turned back to Sarah. "‘A while?’ How long have you been seeing this guy?"
Mommy Job 2 interrupted before Sarah could explain. "Forget about that. Come on Sarah, what’s he like in bed?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I don’t know. You’d have to ask my brother Kevin."
Mommy Job 2 looked back at Scotty. "Damn."
"I don’t know. It almost makes him hotter," Mommy Job 1 argued.
Sarah saw Kevin come into the gymnasium, and she left the other women without a word.
***
"Hey. Did you get your Bobcat Bucks?"
"Yeah," Kevin said as he nodded at Sarah and looked around the room. "Bobcat bucks?"
"It’s the mascot. You’re supposed to buy stuff from the kids."
"Got it."
"It’s a pretty good turn-out so far. Mom and Kitty are going to come later, too."
"Uh-huh," came Kevin’s noncommittal reply. Sarah followed his line of sight and realized he had found and was now focused on Scotty.
Sarah smiled. "And at the end of the night, I’m going to get up on the table and dance."
"Sounds good."
Sarah’s smile turned into a grin. "Oh, just go talk to him."
***
"Hi," Kevin said, walking up to the table.
"Hi, Uncle Kevin!" Paige and Cooper said before they returned to their argument over where to put the brownies.
Scotty was kneeling by the table, writing prices on the menu. He stood up with a smile. "Hi, mister."
And the way he said it threw Kevin back into the memory of Valentine’s Day and the amazing thing Scotty had done with his tongue that night. And how he had left the next morning, hurt but clearly still concerned about Kevin’s well-being. That was it, Kevin decided. He didn’t care if Scotty had a boyfriend; he didn’t care if he was dating the entire Los Angeles symphony. That night, he was going to tell Scotty how he felt.
***
Kevin and Scotty were strolling around the gymnasium, looking at the other tables. They had bought a few things out of kindness for the other children, but they were saving most of their Bobcat Bucks for Paige’s company.
Stopping next to a very serious-looking kid, Scotty stuck his booklet on bike safety into his back pocket and transferred his cup of punch to his left hand. He picked up one of the travel-size first aid kits the boy had made.
"This is cool," he said. The kid smiled.
Kevin leaned in closer to Scotty to take a look. "How much?" he asked.
"Five," the boy said quietly.
Kevin handed him some paper money and smiled at Scotty. "Don’t say I never buy you anything."
Scotty laughed, shaking his head at Kevin.
"Are you Paige’s uncle?" The boy asked as he handed Kevin his change.
"I am."
He looked over at Paige’s table before turning back to Kevin. "Here. She can have one for free."
Scotty turned away, biting his cheek so he wouldn’t laugh and embarrass the kid. Kevin thanked the boy, and as they walked away, he turned to Scotty with a grin.
"Not a very shrewd businessman."
Scotty looked behind them and then back at Kevin. "No, but he’s pretty damn smooth."
"Better not tell Sarah," Kevin said with a laugh. "She’ll castrate the kid."
***
Scotty refilled his punch cup and returned to the table.
"Hey, those cupcakes went fast. We just took them out."
Paige nodded. "I just sold the last one to Uncle Kevin. For ten bucks."
Scotty looked over to Kevin, who was unwrapping the cupcake. "Ten?" he asked incredulously.
"Supply and demand!" Paige informed him.
Kevin looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "Worth every penny."
Scotty smiled.
***
"Kevin, what is it?" Scotty asked as the other man dragged him down a dark hallway near the gym. "What’s going on?"
Kevin stopped and turned to face him. "I was going to say something at the end of the night, but...I don’t want to wait." He took a deep breath. "I realize I have the worst timing, and I know I have absolutely no right, and if you want to punch me, go ahead. I deserve it."
"Kevin?"
"I love you."
"What?"
"I’m completely, completely in love with you. I even love the things about you that I hate." Kevin looked down at his feet. "I know you’re with Mark, but - "
"No, I’m not," Scotty interrupted quickly.
Kevin raised his head. "What?"
"We broke up. I just...didn’t know how to tell you."
"So - you’re single?"
Scotty laughed nervously. "Hopefully, not for long."
Kevin made a strangled noise. His eyes moved quickly from side to side as he looked into Scotty’s. Then he leaned forward and kissed him.
Scotty moaned. What started out as an intense, if relatively chaste, closed-mouth kiss soon turned into something much more. Scotty gasped for breath just before Kevin kissed him again, deeper and more passionately. Kevin pressed into him, and Scotty could feel him growing hard against his thigh.
Scotty lifted his hands to Kevin’s chest, pushing him slightly backwards.
"Kevin, we can’t do this." Scotty said apologetically, but the death grip he maintained on Kevin’s tie prevented the other man from pulling too far away and belied his words.
"What? Why not?" Kevin asked, confused.
"We’re in an elementary school," Scotty explained breathlessly.
"Oh," Kevin muttered. "Right. I just - " His eyelids fluttered, and he swayed towards Scotty’s lips again.
Scotty released Kevin’s tie, smoothing it out and resting his hand on Kevin’s chest. "It’s OK," he whispered. "There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere."
Kevin looked up at him, his eyes expressing his love even more than his words had. "Come home tonight," he said quietly.
Scotty held a hand up to Kevin’s cheek and smiled. "You’re addled," he murmured. "The phrase is come home with me tonight."
Kevin shook his head slowly. "No. I meant what I said." Kevin lifted a hand, placing it at the juncture of Scotty’s neck and shoulder. "Come home tonight," he repeated.
Scotty stared back at him for a moment. Then he moved his hand to the back of Kevin’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss.
Epilogue
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