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“Morning,” Michael said. “I wanted to get back here before you woke up.”
“Well, you did bring food so I guess I can forgive you for me waking up alone on the morning after.” He pretended to pout.
It worked perfectly. Michael tugged the covers down and manhandled Josiah onto his lap in a new position both strange and intimate. Josiah looped his arms around Michael’s neck and relaxed into his hold, barely aware of being nearly naked while Michael wore sweatpants and a T-shirt.
“How are you this morning?” Michael asked.
“I feel great. I was a little discombobulated when I woke up, but I think that’s because I slept like a rock. I don’t usually sleep so heavily.”
“Probably a combination of an endorphin crash and maybe feeling safe?”
“I definitely felt safe.” He kissed the side of Michael’s neck, and Michael’s early morning scruff abraded his lips in a pleasant way. “Thank you for helping me experience something amazing last night. I am very glad we took that step.”
“You are more than welcome. I’m grateful I was able to give you a safe place to explore something you wanted to try. And if you aren’t completely sure how you felt about it, I am very much down with giving it a second try.”
Josiah laughed at the perfectly innocent tone of Michael’s voice. A cartoon halo practically glowed above his head. “I think a second try is very likely to happen in the near future, but I definitely need coffee first.”
“Absolutely.” Michael slid the tray onto the bed and handed Josiah one of the mugs. “As you like it, Mr. Sheridan. Black with a teaspoon of sugar.”
“Perfect.” Josiah balanced the mug on his blanket-covered knee so he could study the toast. Instead of just white bread and butter, the toasted triangles had something brown sprinkled on top. “What is that?”
“Cinnamon toast. It was something Mom used to make for breakfast on special occasions, even though it’s probably one of the simplest things in the world. Just toast with butter, cinnamon, and sugar on top.”
“I love that. I don’t have any specific food memories of my mother. Most of the life I remember with my parents was about survival.” He picked up a piece of the toast and inhaled the warm, comforting scent of cinnamon. “Although Mom had a way of making cheap white bread and margarine feel like a gourmet meal.”
“Because she loved you, and that love was in the buttered bread.”
“Yeah.”
They feasted on the simplest, loveliest of breakfasts, sipping bitter coffee in between bites of the sweet toast. Josiah had never eaten a better, more satisfying breakfast in his life, and he couldn’t imagine a better person with which to share it. Michael fed him bites of toast, and Josiah took great delight in licking bits of crumb and butter from his fingertips. The finger licking seemed to amp Michael up, but before anything could get started his cell rang.
Michael grabbed his phone off the side table. “House number.” He answered. “Hey, Dad. Yeah, I’ll be down soon.” He tossed the phone to the foot of the bed. “Dad’s ready to get up, so I guess this is where I have to be an adult, put my hormones in a box, and go take care of him when all I want to do is smother you into the bed and never let you go.”
“As wonderful as being smothered by you sounds, go take care of Elmer. I’ll bring our dishes down to the kitchen.” He glanced at the dregs of his coffee. “Um, are you going to tell him about us?”
“I’m not sure I’ll have to, to be honest. But if he asks directly, do I have your permission to tell him? That we’re together?”
Josiah worried his bottom lip with his teeth for less than three seconds. “Yes, you do. I don’t see your dad being against us in theory, but I’m a touch worried what he’ll think about us pursuing this while we’re employer/employee. He’s a little old-fashioned about some things.”
“He can be, yes. I also think he’s realized recently that it’s more important to embrace what’s in front of us rather than cling to what’s old and familiar. To take the now instead of the comfortable. We both existed in our own anger for two decades, and it just ended up hurting both of us.” Michael kissed him, his lips tasting of sugar and spice. “I love my dad, and I want him to accept all of me. Not just me being gay, which he’s known for half my life, but who I choose to date. Who I choose to fall in love with.”
The weight of those final three words punched Josiah right in the solar plexus, and he had trouble taking a full breath. They crushed him beneath their significance, and he wasn’t sure how to surface again so he could breathe right. For all Josiah wanted to admit some variation of the statement, he couldn’t find the words, so he went with what his brain could manage in that moment. “He will. Accept all of you, I mean. All of us both.”
“From your mouth to the universe’s ears.” Michael gave him one more kiss, then left the room.
Josiah took a quick shower, dressed, and then carried the tray of empty dishes downstairs. Elmer was settled on the love seat with the TV on, and he waved a polite hello as Josiah passed. He didn’t seem surprised at all by Josiah walking down the stairs with a tray of coffee mugs in his hands, and that simple thing buoyed his confidence.
Michael was in front of the stove stirring something in a pan. A quick glance showed scrambled eggs. “Can you press down the toaster for me?” Michael asked.
“Sure.” Josiah put his dishes in the sink, then pushed the button on two slices of wheat bread. “How did your dad seem this morning? He didn’t say a word to me.”
“He seemed fine. He’s not usually a subtle person, so maybe he’s waiting for us to say or do something first and, if you’ll pardon the expression, come out to him.”
“Could be.” Josiah rested his chin on Michael’s shoulder and watched him stir the eggs. It stretched his neck a tad but the slight discomfort was worth it to be close to Michael while he cooked a simple, healthy breakfast for his father. “I almost feel guilty for liking this as much as I do.”
“Liking what specifically?”
“All of this. You bringing me coffee in bed. Making breakfast. Just being together as a couple instead of friends.”
