They were able to move in to their new house before the start of the school year after all, in part because it didn’t take very long to find the place. By mid-August, they were the proud owners of a single-story, three bedroom home. David approved of the kitchen and was practically ready to move in once he saw the spacious living room with giant windows on two sides. Jake loved the master bedroom, which in addition to being big enough for their new king bed also boasted a master bathroom with a two-person Jacuzzi.
It was four miles from Jake’s old apartment, in a good school district and a pleasant neighborhood, and had a lawn big enough to enjoy but not so large it would take an entire afternoon to mow. One half of the basement was finished and could, their Realtor pointed out, make another bedroom or playroom for kids. The two-car garage was more than they needed and thus provided extra storage space. All in all, it was nearly perfect, except the price, which was higher than Jake wanted even though they negotiated it down a bit. His parents liked the place a lot and reminded him they took home $8 million so he didn’t need to quibble over an extra $40,000. Jake suspected his mom had decided this was an excellent place for her future grandchildren to grow up.
Once the house was theirs, Jake hired a team to strip the hideous maroon-striped wallpaper from the master bedroom and pull up the matching carpet. Then they painted the walls light green and had silvery-grey carpet put down, making their bedroom about a hundred times nicer. The main bathroom got a makeover as well, going from blinding yellow walls to a paler tint.
Eventually they wanted to redo the two smaller bedrooms, both of which suffered from ugly wallpaper. Those didn’t need immediate attention and anyway both Jake and David were excited to move into their new home. McLaughlin had taken a plea deal and was behind bars in the state prison, but Jake wasn’t one to take chances and he had a quality home security system installed before moving in.
Waking up the first morning was disorienting for a minute, until Jake remembered they were in the new house and smiled. He had plans to test out the Jacuzzi.
There was plenty to be done, as they’d only gotten as far as unpacking the bedroom. Nevertheless, Jake was content to return to bed after a quick trip to the bathroom. It was nice to lay in bed enjoying their new bedroom, and moreover he hadn’t yet gotten tired of watching David wake up.
As unexpected as their relationship had been, David fit very well into Jake’s life, enriching it many times over in ways that had nothing to do with the sex (though the sex was great, too). Even common activities were nicer. Simply watching a movie on the couch was a more enjoyable experience curled up with David than it had been alone. Recently, Jake had been spending his mornings getting ready for the new school year, and coming home to David was delightful.
Making David happy, Jake learned, was just as fulfilling as protecting and taking care of him. After his first writers’ group meeting, David was almost glowing in a way that made Jake happy by association. Jake didn’t understand the jerk alphas at all. The previous week he’d been testing out a potential new lab activity when P.E. teacher/basketball coach Derek Zimmerman strode into his classroom, asking, “I heard you claimed an omega. What’s it like to fuck one? He basically has to do whatever you want, right?”
Jake had to restrain himself from giving Zimmerman a broken nose. “I never want to hear you talk about my mate with such disrespect again. Now get the hell out of my classroom.”
David was so much more than his omega biology. Yes, the sex was phenomenal, outside his heat which was more frantic than hot, but Jake could find sex if he went looking. David was wonderful as a person. He was a smart, inquisitive guy, who embraced life with contagious enthusiasm. After a year and a half of not getting out of his aunt and uncle’s house very often, he took great delight in every excursion, so Jake made sure they went out frequently, even if it was just walking around the park or swimming at the Y. On their outings he learned how deep David’s compassion ran and that his mate had a talent for making anyone, even complete strangers, smile. In short, David had a beautiful soul.
Sure, they were still in the honeymoon phase and Jake was nowhere near naïve enough to expect they wouldn’t have disagreements and challenges in the future. Every couple did. Nevertheless, he was confident they would get through the more difficult times just fine.
Now, watching as David started moving in bed the way that signaled he’d wake up soon, Jake’s heart burst open and overflowed with love. It was the kind of quiet recognition that didn’t seem momentous because he’d already been aware on some level. Of course he loved David. How could he not?
David yawned and opened his eyes momentarily before closing them again. He never really woke up all at once unless it was out of a nightmare. Half-asleep, he scooted over to press himself against Jake, a very endearing habit of his. It seemed like he could never get enough physical contact with Jake.
Not that Jake minded. He put an arm around David, thinking leisurely morning snuggling was a good way to start their first day in the new house.
A couple minutes later David started to wake up. Jake kissed his forehead and said, “Morning, sweetheart.”
“Morning.”
“New bed pass muster?”
“Mmm-hmm. Nice and soft. And you’re in it.”
“I think we should try out the Jacuzzi this morning.”
“I’ve been looking forward to that,” said David. “We’ll have to get out of bed eventually, though. We have a lot to unpack.”
“If it helps, I’m thinking once we’re unpacked in a couple days we could go to the animal shelter and see if there’s a cat you like.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“I want an inside cat, one that likes people.”
That sounded right. It would be good for David to have a companion while Jake worked, plus his therapist had mentioned the therapeutic value of pets. “We can do that. Litterbox duty is all you, though.”
“That’s fine.”
They lay in comfortable silence, in no hurry to get up and face the world. In that moment Jake figured his life was basically perfect. “I love you, David.”
That got him an intense, awed look. “You—you do?”
“I really do.”
“I’m so…” kiss, “glad, Jake…” kiss, “you have no idea…” kiss, “how happy…” kiss, “that makes me.”
“I think I’m starting to get one.”
“I was just talking about it with Lori the other day. How I felt, and that even in my head I think to myself that I love you, that I hoped someday you’d love me, too. Now…I’m just so happy.”
“Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too.” By some strange stroke of fortune, getting kidnapped had put him in exactly the right place at the right time. Jake wouldn’t have his life any other way.
THE END