Page 109 of By Rude Strength

“Yes, but of course, we just say it’s a neighborhood.” Cass chuckled as he gave LA a gentle hug from behind. “Are you ready for your bath?”

“Fuck yeah.” LA followed Cass into a large bathroom.

Again, it looked much like his own home except everything was built for beings of Cass’s impressive size. It was colorfully decorated with—what else—rainbows, from the shower curtain to the little rug on the floor.

Cass got the water going and poured in a generous amount of bubble bath. He turned to LA with a gentle smile. “Ready to get in?”

“Yeah. Just one sec.” LA stripped off his clothes, appreciating how Cass’s eyes roamed over him. He smirked as he took Cass’s paw to step up over the high side of the tub. It was like wading into a small pool and as he sat down, he realized the water would easily come up to his chest. “Ohhh, fuck, this is nice.”

“Good?” Cass purred.

“Uh-huh.” LA groaned, leaning back and stretching out his legs. The hot water felt fantastic and the bubbles smelled like oranges and vanilla. “This is fucking awesome.”

“You can stay in here as long as you’d like.” Cass leaned over to pet LA’s hair.

“Thank you.” LA groaned again, realizing he could actually float a little and it alleviated some of the pressure in his back and hips. “How about forever? Can we do forever?”

Cass chuckled. “I’m afraid you’d be quite wrinkly, but I think we could make it work.”

LA’s heart thumped and he took Cass’s paw. “Yeah?”

“I could bring you your meals in here, change the water out whenever it gets cold…” Cass blinked. “Wait, or were you talking about a different kind of forever? Like, uh, the being together forever kind of forever?”

LA smiled warmly, certain that his face mirrored the hopeful look on Cass’s. “I think that’s something we can work on. I mean, we are on a big journey together, right?”

“That we are.”

“Working on rebuilding my strength, my confidence, and all that.”

“Indeed.”

“Might take a while.” LA squeezed Cass’s paw. “Maybe even forever. So, uh, you’re gonna have to stick around and date me. Like, so hard.”

Cass purred and lifted LA’s hand to kiss it. “I cannot wait.”

LA grinned. “You’re pretty amazing, Cassander Imp.”

“So are you, LA Holmes.” Cass chuckled softly. “You do know that’s not my last name, right?”

LA laughed. “Shit, that’s right. You tried to tell me that day with Brandon, but I couldn’t hear you. What was it? Yucky? Lucky? Something like that?”

“Duckey.”

“Your last name is Duckey?” LA snickered. “You know, somehow that’s fucking perfect for you.”

“Is it?”

“You’re really cute and you squeak.” LA wagged his brows. “Plus, you know there’s a rubber duck that vibrates.”

Cass blinked. “Really? Why?”

LA smirked.

“Oh.” Cass giggled. “That’s naughty.”

“Just a little bit.”

“Well, after your bath, we are going to be extra naughty and take a nap for as long as you want. We can watch TV, we can snuggle, and then I’ll cook dinner for us. After that, more snuggling! You need lots of rest for your interview, you know.”