Precious - Roe Horvat Page 0,54
and swollen pucker, trickling down the crease. Travis gathered it with his fingers and gently rubbed the creamy liquid into the sore skin around Micah’s opening as if he were smearing it with lotion.
“Hold me?” Micah asked.
Travis climbed up his body and gathered him close, tucking Micah’s head under his chin.
“The cum feels nice. Like balm,” Micah whispered.
“Yeah.”
“It’s over, isn’t it?” His tone turned melancholy.
“Based on how sore you are and that you came without craving to be penetrated…yeah. The heat’s over.”
Micah burrowed closer but said nothing.
“Dad, I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch.”
“I figured you were busy. How are you?”
Where to start? So much has changed over the past few days. Travis didn’t even recognize himself anymore. He took a deep breath and went with the simple truth. “Not okay.”
“What happened? Is the man still with you?”
“His name is Micah, and yes, he’s here. The heat has ended. And I don’t know what to do.”
“Start from the beginning, Travis.”
Travis relayed some of Micah’s history and the encounter with Micah’s father. He even roughly described Peter’s attempted rape, not going into detail, but he was sure his dad could fill in the gaps. And then he talked about Micah. The color of his eyes, his smile, the mischief in his voice, his English major, his cooking skills, his love for nature and long hikes…
“You’re in love with him,” his dad concluded, and Travis sighed with relief, hearing someone else say it.
“Yes.”
“And you want him to stay.”
“Yes.”
“How does he feel about it?”
“Dad, he’s just out of his first heat. How can he know?”
“So what? Based on what you’ve told me about him, he’s an intelligent young man. For the thousandth time, Travis, omegas in heat do not mysteriously lose their brains.”
“I’m sorry, Dad, I didn’t mean it that way. But I was so high sometimes. Shit, is there a good word to describe it? I didn’t know if what I felt was real or not.”
“But you do know.”
“I think so. Yeah.”
“Maybe he does too?”
“I asked him to stay a few days ago. And he said he’d think about it.”
“Where is he now?”
“Taking a shower.”
“Talk to him, Travis. Why does it have to be so difficult? Tell him you want him to stay and ask if he wants the same.”
“If he doesn’t?”
“Then you send him on his way and deal with it.”
Travis squeezed his eyes shut. His dad was right, of course. There wasn’t anything more to it. He needed to talk to Micah.
“He let me breed him, Dad.”
His father was quiet for a moment, and Travis got a vague notion he’d done something wrong, so he began to babble. “Dad, I haven’t felt like this before. Not even with Andrew. Honestly, I’m terrified of losing him. He’s already a part of me. It’s like I’m being slapped in the face by the fated mates legends I used to scoff at. You’d love him. He’s a fan of yours. He’s so bright, generous, and honest—”
“He’ll stay, Travis,” his dad said, his voice firm.
“How can you know?”
“Happiness is out there for you. A man can’t be as kind, intelligent, and handsome as you and not find happiness. That would be unnatural.”
Travis chuckled, feeling like a small boy being praised for his clumsy drawings, but it comforted him all the same.
“I think you’ve found it already, Travis. You say his name is Micah. I like it. Sounds gentle and sweet. You need someone gentle. I’ll come and visit you when he’s settled in.”
“You’re sure, then?”
“In your heart, you know it too.”
Fourteen
Micah
Sore and frustrated, Micah dragged the sweats up his naked legs. He liked wearing Travis’s clothes. They were soft and comfortable, even though he always had to cinch the sweats ridiculously. He brushed his teeth and shivered a little, his skin overheated from the shower. Wrapping himself in a hoodie Travis had given him, he left the bathroom and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. His asshole burned with every step. Hell. After more than a week of giddy pleasure, he felt like he’d been kicked in his stomach and doused with a bucket of ice. The thought of ever having sex again made him shudder. He knew it would pass in a week, but damn, he’d climbed so high during his heat, experiencing some of the happiest moments of his life, the fall was frightening and the impact brutal.
He found Travis by the coffee maker. One cup, with milk, was already in Micah’s usual place. Staring at the hard chair, Micah grimaced.