Coop and Matthew
“Move it two inches to the east,” Matthew repeated into his walkie-talkie.
The view on his monitor changed ever so slightly but now it included the rear entrance and the entire northeast side of the building.
“Perfect,” he confirmed. “Bolt it in.”
Matthew flipped to another screen before rechecking if the camera was in the right position. Out of the over one hundred cameras they were installing, they’d had to adjust only two. He’d take that as a victory. Months of preparation to secure Haven was finally coming to fruition, and Matthew couldn’t have been happier with the results.
It meant something knowing that in any small way he had helped to make the people coming to the Haven safe. He rubbed the small scar on his right cheek, a constant reminder that evil did exist. Matthew pushed those thoughts far away and concentrated on the systems in front of him. He clicked to the cameras in the pool area, which were still being positioned, to find the sexiest man Matthew had ever seen, Coop.
His man was helping move bags of concrete over to the mixer as the crew worked on the finishing details of the pool. When they weren’t away on missions, the Sentinel team had been pitching in around the new center. Matthew couldn’t help himself and zoomed in on his partner. He watched as Coop’s muscles flexed and bulged with every move he made. Matthew liked to joke that Coop was built like a Greek god, but in truth he absolutely was, no joke.
Matthew picked up his cellphone and pushed the button with Coop’s handsome face on it. He watched as Coop pulled out his phone and smiled wide, giving Matthew a bird’s-eye view into how happy Coop was when Matthew called. That left a warm feeling in his chest, and while he knew the big guy loved him, there was no harm in being reassured.
“Hi, beautiful. What’s up?” Coop’s deep voice touched him like an actual caress.
“Finishing confirming the cameras are in the correct locations and then I found something I couldn’t take my eyes off of,” Matthew teased as Coop began looking around until he found the camera and stared straight at him.
“You little peeping Tom you.” Coop laughed as he waved at the camera Matthew was using.
“You can’t blame me when the view is this good.”
The system was so accurate that Matthew could see Coop’s cheeks turning red. “You almost done up there?”
“I’ll be another hour tops.”
“Okay, we can stop at the diner on our way home,” Coop suggested. “I heard some of the contractors mentioning that Travis had fried chicken on the menu as today’s special.”
Travis made the best chicken in town. Matthew didn’t know what it was that the man did differently, but whatever it was he, like the rest of the town, hoped Travis kept doing it. “Can we take it to go?”
Matthew watched as Coop’s smile widened. “You want to have a picnic?”
“Definitely. I’ll come find you when I’m done, but can you do me one favor?”
“Of course, beautiful. What do you need?”
“For you to turn around slowly and show me that gorgeous ass of yours.” Matthew would not forego the opportunity to zoom into that perfect peach-shaped tush. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.”
Coop laughed as he turned around anyway and gave Matthew a little shake before saying, “Love you, you pervert.”
“Love you too, Coop,” Matthew replied before hanging up and switching to another camera.
As he continued his triple check of the completed systems, Matthew couldn’t help but think how much his life had changed. Without Coop, he’d still be in his one-bedroom condo in San Diego working behind the scenes on whatever mission he’d chosen, or working on munitions he was busy creating. Never out in the open or part of a team.
Now he was a Sentinel, contract and all, and not simply because he was with Coop. He’d travelled further than he ever thought he’d go, learned how to defend himself and to get control over his clumsy self. Although, on occasion he was known to trip over air, those instances were now rare. Well, if you didn’t count the lip of the shower on Tuesday, or the potted plant on Friday.
Once he was done with his camera check, he left and locked the security room before heading in search of the man who’d laid claim to his heart, not to mention body. He walked along a path surrounded by flowers and trees. Jesse had said he wanted this place to feel homey and loved, so now gardens could be found everywhere. A noise caught his attention, causing Matthew to stop and listen more closely.
Snip…snip… Matthew followed the sound down a side path until he came face-to-back with Tommy. Tommy was one of the three young men freed from the conversion therapy center and had been brought to Haven. He was using small pruning shears on a shrub that stood about three feet tall. Even from where Matthew was standing, he could make out the shape of a birdbath.
“Hello, Tommy, what are you up to today?” Matthew asked, causing the poor man to jump in surprise. At least he hadn’t screamed. That would have brought the cavalry running. “It’s okay, it’s only me.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Whitton, I didn’t hear you coming.” Tommy hid the shears behind his leg as if what he was doing could get him into trouble.
“Tommy, what’s up? Is something wrong?” ’Cause if there was Matthew would fix it or have Coop do it. Since his arrival, Tommy had been kind and courteous to everyone.
The young man brought the shears back out and showed Matthew. “I promise I didn’t steal them.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Matthew assured.
“I borrowed them from the garden shed. I would have put them right back.”
Matthew’s heart broke for what this poor man had been through to fear everything and everyone. “Come sit with me, let’s talk,” he said before leading Tommy to a nearby concrete bench.
“I know you wouldn’t steal them. I believe you.”
Tommy looked shocked but he did his best to hide it. “You believe me?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“But you don’t even really know me.”
“From what I have seen so far, I have no reason not to trust you,” Matthew explained. “Now, tell me what you’re creating?”
Tommy lowered his head before answering. “A mess.”
“I don’t know about that. Is it going to be a birdbath?”
Tommy’s eyes lit up. “It is.”
“Were you always interested in art?”
“Art?”
“Yeah, topiary. Living sculpture.”
“I didn’t know it was a form of art, but I used to do it with my mother when I was small, before she left.”
Matthew refused to let the sadness he felt inside for the young man show. Poor guy, working alone to keep his memories of his mother alive was heartbreaking. “Well, I have a good friend named Sam who does this as well. Here, I’ll show you some pictures.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell, and opened his phone’s photo file. One by one, he flipped through the pictures of the topiaries surrounding the old Victorian house at the compound. Tommy looked on in complete fascination.
There was no way Matthew could simply let this go, that wasn’t his style. “I could bring you out sometime to see them if you want.”
“Really?” Tommy couldn’t hide his excitement, making Matthew smile.
“Sure, and maybe I could ask Sam to be there when you visit. It would be good to get two artists together to talk over things. Me, I don’t have a clue other than they’re beautiful.” Matthew’s heart went out to Tommy, alone in the world, knowing he was tossed aside without a care for his safety. Matthew knew what that felt like. He had no doubt Sam would want to help as well.
“That would be awesome. Thank you.” The change from when Matthew first saw Tommy to now would make someone believe he’d given him something priceless. All Matthew wanted to do was make the young man smile.
“Okay. I’ll be here at Haven often and we’ll work out a good time for everyone to visit.” He stood and turned to the soon to be birdbath and said, “You can show him this when you’re finished. Have a good day, Tommy.”
“Thank you, Mr. Whitton.”
Matthew retraced his steps until he was back on the original path and found Coop waiting there for him. His lover wrapped those muscled arms around him and lifted Matthew into the air. “There you are,” he muttered before taking Matthew’s lips in a passionate kiss, wiping away any residual sadness he was still carrying.
Matthew knew how lucky he was to have a life with this amazing man.
***
Coop knew how lucky he was to have a life with this beautiful man.
They stopped by the diner on their way home and picked up two fried chicken dinners. Mrs. Walker had the evening off so the team had to fend for themselves. The moment they walked through the door Matthew ran to find Sam. Coop had heard about Tommy, and was sure Matthew wouldn’t let the young man down. Coop’s man always kept his promises. After Matthew had shared, he shut it down. Coop had learned his partner preferred doing things without praise. Matthew had told him a ton of times that what Matthew did was simple acts of kindness that everyone should engage in, nothing to be thanked for.
Matthew was one of a kind, like his multicolored eyes, and Coop had no idea what he did before this man had come into his life. Well, other than the fact that he’d been a love ’em and leave ’em kinda guy, but once he met Matthew, those days were over.
Coop had placed their food into an insulated bag to keep it warm while he quickly stripped and jumped into the shower. The steam floated around him, fogging up the glass. He sensed the moment he was no longer alone and waited for his man to join him. He didn’t have to wait long.
Matthew’s hands explored Coop’s back before wrapping around him from behind. Coop loved having Matthew close and twisted in his arms so that he was now facing his man.
“Hi there, lover. Want me to scrub your back?” Coop asked.
“And my sides and we can’t forget about my front. I need your personal attention.” Matthew played along.
“Hmmm, I’ll have to see what I can do for you, beautiful,” Coop teased as he pulled Matthew even closer before claiming his lips.
After a few moments, he had Matthew moaning into the kiss while rubbing his hard cock against Coop’s leg. This was how he loved to see his partner, wet and needy. Coop could definitely work with this. He reached down, covered Matthew’s ass cheeks with large hands, and squeezed before lifting his love so that they were now eye-to-eye.
Matthew wiggled, desperately trying to find any friction on his cock. Coop worked his way down his lover’s neck, licking and sucking hard enough to leave marks as he went. The feel of Matthew’s hard cock and balls rubbing up and down his abdomen made his own swollen balls throb with need.
“That’s it, beautiful, take what you need from me,” Coop groaned as he reached for the waterproof lube.
Moments later, he was circling Matthew’s tight hole, loosening the muscles enough to allow him in. His first finger slid in deep and Matthew’s moans grew louder in the tiled enclosure. Coop pressed Matthew’s back against the wall and sunk another finger in beside the first.
The stunning man in his arms began to cry out and soon Coop had three fingers in, making sure his lover was stretched.
“Ready, baby?” Coop growled. He was barely holding on at this point and needed to bury himself deep inside Matthew.
“Please hurry.”
That was all the assurance Coop needed as he lined the sensitive head of his cock up with Matthew’s waiting hole. Slowly and with great care he pushed forward until his balls were snug to his lover’s ass. He groaned at the tight heat squeezing his cock as muscles spasmed around him.
Coop took Matthew’s red, swollen lips in another deep kiss, desperate to show his man how much he loved him. Wanting to give him everything, wanting him to know every part of Coop belonged to Matthew. He no longer feared love, now he felt more secure and solid with it than without. Matthew had given this to him.
He flexed his hips, driving a bit deeper before pulling out. On his way back in he made sure to rub Matthew’s prostate until his lover began babbling between moans. Coop loved it when he was able to drive Matthew to the point of pure bliss.
“I-I’m… come,” Matthew moaned.
Coop immediately took hold of his partner’s cock and began pumping him long and hard. With a dip of his nail into his lover’s slit, Coop felt Matthew’s muscles tighten before he cried out and painted Coop’s stomach in warm come. The feel of Matthew coming apart in Coop’s arms did nothing for his stamina, but he pushed on until several moments later Coop came deep inside the man who had made his life whole.
Matthew clung to him as they both fought to catch their breath. Coop had braced himself against the tile, never wanting his beauty to slip out of his arms. Once he was sure Matthew could stand on his own two feet again, Coop set him down and began washing him. The dreamy smile on his partner’s face never ceased to fill Coop with a smug pride. He’d put that smile there.
“How are you feeling?” Coop asked as he began rinsing off Matthew.
“Happy, relaxed, loved…there’s more but you get the gist.” Matthew punctuated every emotion with a kiss to Coop’s chest.
“Perfect. Right where I want you.” Coop finished washing himself before leading his partner out of the shower and drying him off.
They put on their matching robes, a gift from Matthew, and headed back into the bedroom to unpack their picnic. Shadow laid a blanket on the floor in front of the gas fireplace before turning it on. The glow from the flames made everything more intimate. Matthew set out the plates and cutlery while he dug the takeout containers from the insulated bag. Thankfully, everything was still warm.
Matthew pulled a bottle of wine out of their new wine fridge they’d installed in their bedroom. Private picnics had been their thing since the beginning. The two would sit cuddled together on their ever growing stack of pillows in front of the fire with a glass of wine a few times a week to wind down and share the day’s events. Coop reached into the bottom dresser drawer for the last and most important piece of what he wanted to discuss with Matthew this evening. He hoped he wasn’t pushing their relationship too quickly, but couldn’t help wanting to move forward.
“What do you have there?” Matthew asked as Coop set the cardboard tube on the floor beside his plate.
“A question.”
That got Matthew’s interest. “A question in a tube?”
“Yeah, but I thought we should wait until after we’ve eaten.”
“Not a chance, big guy. I’m not waiting. What’s your question?”
Coop thought about it for a moment before agreeing it might be best to get this out of the way first. He opened the lid on the tube and slid the rolled-up paper out and onto the floor in front of Matthew. With one final curious look at Coop, Matthew unrolled the papers and got his first look at a dream close to Coop’s heart.
He didn’t say a word, he simply allowed Matthew to look through the pages without his commentary. His lover took his time reviewing each page until he came to the end and looked up at Coop.
“How long have you had these drawings?”
“Years. I drew them up quite a while ago.”
“And what do you wish to do with them?”
“What I want us to do with these blueprints is build it. You know, once you’ve had a chance to look over it and make any changes you want.”
“You want to build a house with me?”
“No, I want to build a home with you. More than anything. There’s a beautiful plot of land I want to take you to see and—”
Whatever else he was going to say was cut off when Matthew dove into Coop’s arms, repeating the same word over and over again between kisses.
“Yes.”