Page 32 of A Little Christmas! 4: Song

As he spoke, Gage guided Cooper into a better position and leaned in to murmur in his ear, trailing fingers down his back until Cooper shivered and blew out a long breath. “Relax. You’re thinking too hard; just breathe and turn it loose at the end of your swing.”

This time, when Cooper threw the ball, it didn’t smack the rails, and while it didn’t carve a straight path over the wood, its curved, wobbling path still allowed him to knock down three of the pins before vanishing into the depths.

“Much better,” Gage praised.

“It felt different that time.”

“Because you didn’t twist your wrist as much when you threw it,” Gage explained. “Just keep working on straightening it, and you’ll see a big difference.”

Nodding, Cooper went back to his seat as Gage picked up his ball and got nine with the first throw, cleaned up the final pin with his second.

As the game progressed, it quickly became apparent that Song was already catching on with Zachy’s gentle coaching, which was as flirty as the way Gage worked with Cooper. Their celebrations were positively adorable, especially when Song came super close to a strike, taking out nine pins with the ball in the eighth frame. He might have missed the last pin, but it was by inches, as the stubborn thing wobbled but didn’t fall.

“Oh my gosh, I love this!” Song declared, hugging Zachy and shimmying with him. “We get to play another game, right?”

“I think so,” Zachy said, turning to look at Cooper and Gage with those puppy dog eyes that always melted Gage’s heart, especially when he folded his hands beneath his chin and cocked his head, only to have Song do it to.

Talk about doubling the effect, damn. Those two were a force to be reckoned with as they batted their eyes and smiled brightly.

“As many as you’d like,” Cooper said before Gage could say anything. “But I think we’d better get some treats between games to keep us fueled, don’t you?”

“Cheesecake, cheesecake!” Song and Zachy sang.

“There will definitely be cheesecake bites, but there will also be real food too,” Cooper told them, his tone gentle but firm.

“Could I have yummies that aren’t fried?” Song asked without hesitation. “I loved the ones we had the other night, but sometimes all the breading can be too greasy for me.”

Cooper’s face lit up at Song’s request. “Of course you can; let me grab a menu so you can choose some things that will work better for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Always,” Cooper said as he slid an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Gage watched Song snuggle into his embrace, as comfortable and at ease with expressing his needs to him as Zachy was. It pleased Gage to see that and to watch as Cooper gave Song the positive reinforcement needed to ensure that Song would continue to speak up whenever he needed to.

Song and Zachy rolled their final frames while Cooper hunted up a menu. When he returned with it, Zachy sat beside Song while he studied it, leaving Cooper and Gage to finish their final frames.

“I’ve been watching you today,” Gage murmured, sliding an arm around Cooper’s waist and tugging him close.

“No shit, I’ve felt your eyes boring holes through my jeans every time I’ve bent to throw the ball.

“True, but so not what I meant in this instance,” Gage remarked, giving his thigh a pinch that made him yelp.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gage saw two heads pop up, gazes zeroing in on Cooper, eyes bright as they giggled before turning their attention back to the menu.

“I was talking about the way you’ve been with the boys, not just today, but ever since we got snowed in,” Gage said. “You can stop worrying about not being able to handle two of them. The way you’ve been dialed into their needs and the shifts in their moods has been on point every step of the way.”

When Cooper opened his mouth, Gage was certain he was going to protest or offer some excuse about how it only seemed that way because he was off from work at the time, but his partner surprised him in the most pleasant way.

“I guess it’s kind of like what you’ve been telling me about bowling,” Cooper replied. “When I stop overthinking, I don’t get in my own way. It felt good to have Song ask for what he needed, even when it was such a simple thing as to see the menu so he could look for options that were better suited for him.”

“It’s those simple things that build the trust they need to come to us with the big ones,” Gage reminded him. “Each time their needs are met in such a positive and nurturing way, it boosts their faith in us and makes it easier for them to speak up the next time.”

Cooper nodded. “Building blocks.”

“Exactly.”

“Create a solid foundation, and it will withstand a major upset,” Cooper reasoned, turning his ball in his hand.