Page 64 of Resilience on Canvas

Chapter Thirty-One

Henry

Hours later, Henry was sitting beside his father in the Model A truck, every inch of him humming with barely contained excitement.

He’d done it. He’d secured a position with the Federal Art Project!

Every week from now on, he would be expected to produce a piece of artwork, sometimes by himself, like a painting that could be hung in a federal building, or sometimes with other folks, like a combined effort to paint a mural somewhere in the city. He had gotten the job!

When Henry’s father turned onto Henry and Robert’s street, Henry began shifting in his seat, and the moment his house came into view, he sucked in a long breath.

Every second of the ride had been torture.

Because there was nothing more that Henry wanted than to be home so he could wait for Robert, even though Robert probably wouldn’t even be home for several hours yet.

Henry’s father pulled up in front of the house, and before the car could even roll to a stop, Henry reached for the handle. His father let out a chuckle.

“Looking forward to telling Robert the news?” he said. “Don’t you even want to say bye?”

Henry let his hand fall from the handle .

“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I can’t wait to see Robert’s face when I tell him. Goodness, he’ll be so proud.”

Henry’s father smiled warmly. “He would have been proud of you either way.”

“I know,” Henry said, his cheeks warming.

“Do you know what made me come see you this morning?” Henry’s father asked.

Henry shook his head. “Last week, I overheard you and Robert in the kitchen after the two of us had that fight. I heard him say how proud he was of you.” He let out a breath.

“It sort of made me realize that I ought to have been supporting you like that. You’re my son, Henry.

And I hope the funding for this program lasts a long time.

Because this city needs that talent of yours. ”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes. I do.”

Henry took a moment to sit with those wonderful words. His father was proud of him. His father supported him. Most importantly, his father loved him. Henry was sure of it now.

“Thanks,” Henry said, his entire body now not only buzzing from excitement but also tingling from the most wonderful warmth, too. His eyes flitted over to the door handle. “So... can I...?”

“Go on,” his father said with a teasing shake of his head.

Henry flung open the door. Without even waving, he bounded toward the house, tripping once on the way.

Once he was inside, he kicked off his shoes, not even bothering to untie them first, and then headed toward his and Robert’s bedroom, figuring that maybe he could start painting something before Robert came home.

Something that he could use to surprise Robert with the news.

Maybe he could set to work on a new version of the sapling painting, only in this one, the sapling wouldn’t be no flimsy thing, but a whole thriving tree .

Because the future that him and Robert wanted, it was finally theirs.

When Henry reached the third floor, Robert poked his head out of their bedroom. Henry staggered back a step as his heart practically flew out of his chest. Robert’s face broke into the biggest smile Henry had ever seen.

“I-I thought you went to the fields to work,” Henry spluttered.

“Nah, I hopped in the truck with Joe, but then I had him turn back when we reached the edge of the city. I realized that I ought to be home when you got back instead.” Henry’s stomach fluttered.

What a perfect husband Robert was! Robert tilted his head.

“So, what’d they say? Did they like yer work?

” Henry nodded eagerly. Robert’s eyes lit up. “Yeah? Did they hire you?”

Henry nodded against the lump in his throat a few more times as excitement, pride, shock, and unbridled, over-the-moon happiness came rushing to the surface, bringing tears to his eyes. Good Lord, he was so stinking overwhelmed that he couldn’t even speak.

“Really?!” Robert said, his eyes filling with tears, too, as he met Henry in the middle of the hall. “Goddamn son of a bitch, that’s incredible! How much will they be payin’ you?”

Henry’s muscles started to shake, and a couple of tears escaped. Robert took Henry by the shoulders, steadying him, but Henry still couldn’t form the words.

“How much, Hen?” Robert repeated.

More tears fell from Henry’s eyes.

He inhaled a slow, shaky breath. “T-tw-twenty-three,” he choked out. “Twenty-three dollars and sixty cents a week.”

Robert’s eyes widened as one of his hands flew to his mouth. He stood there in shock for what felt like forever while Henry continued to cry, and the second Robert finally removed his hand, a whole stream of tears started to fall from his eyes.

“What?!” he said through a sob. “Twenty-three a week?! ”

Henry nodded, now sobbing in earnest too. It was more than enough for them to take care of their family. More than enough for them to live on. Heck, it was more money than Henry had ever even dared to dream of.

“Oh my God!” Robert exclaimed, placing his hands on Henry’s shoulders.

Letting out one more happy sob, Robert fell to his knees, taking Henry with him, and then they began crying in each other’s arms. Every single horrible thing that they had each endured over the past few months—or, hell, years —had led them to this moment.

All of those trials and tribulations had led them to their life together here, to the fantastical future that was now theirs to have.

Good Lord, they had really made it. Together.

Henry was still crying when Robert caught his mouth in a kiss.

“I’m so proud of you, little wolf,” he said between kisses. “So proud.”

“I know,” Henry said, his chest tingling with warmth as his heart fluttered with unparalleled happiness. “I’m proud of me, too.”

Again and again, they kissed each other, and Henry slowly fell into a blissful haze, thunderstruck by the realization of what the salary would mean for him and Robert’s life together. It hadn’t even hit him, really, before seeing Robert’s hopeful, tear-filled eyes.

At first, their kisses were soft and sweet—little tender touches of love—but as Henry internalized the truth of his own words—how proud he was of himself—he began kissing Robert with more urgency, exchanging the sweet softness for searing passion.

Soon, Henry found himself pushing Robert backward, and he then climbed on top of him.

All it took was one forceful rock of the hips for his soul to catch fire with a yearning, unleashing the wolf he now knew he possessed within himself .

“Robert,” he breathed between lustful kisses. “I-I want to fuck you. Please let me.” Henry continued to massage his hardening cock against Robert’s thigh. “Lord, I want it so bad.”

“Jesus Christ, Hen,” Robert gasped. “Really? Because I’ve been thinkin’ that maybe that wasn’t somethin’ you wanted. I thought maybe you only wanted me to—”

“No, I want it,” Henry said, urgency in his voice. “I wasn’t really ready to try it before, but I’m ready now.” He shifted his hips once more. “More than ready. I really, really want to. If you’ll let me. God, Robert, please say you’ll let me.”

“Of course I’ll let you.” Chuckling, Robert placed his hands on Henry’s hips, stopping him from thrusting, and raised a teasing eyebrow. “But maybe not out here in the hall?”

Laughing, Henry leaned forward and kissed Robert on every inch of his face.

“Sweet Jesus, I’ll take you wherever you want. Bedroom. Hallway. Anywhere.”

Still laughing, Robert lowered his hands to Henry’s backside and squeezed.

“Come on, little wolf, let’s head to the bedroom.”

Henry practically leapt off of him. The moment Robert was on his feet, Henry took him by the hand and pulled him into the bedroom.

Robert cackled as Henry yanked him through the threshold and then toward the bed.

When the back of Henry’s legs bumped the bedframe, he pulled Robert in for a kiss and began unbuttoning his own shirt.

Robert started unfastening the buttons of his shirt, too.

They made short work of their clothes, continuing to kiss while they undressed, and as soon as they were both naked, Henry shoved Robert backward onto the mattress.

He wasted no time climbing on top of his man.

Catching Robert’s mouth in another searing kiss, Henry shifted so their cocks were pressed up against each other.

He rocked his hips and moaned into Robert’s mouth, becoming lost in the soon-to-be realized fantasy of finally unleashing his inner wolf.

His lips felt swollen from the violent passion of their kisses. But good God, he couldn’t stop.

Once Henry’s cock was throbbing and both of their stomachs were wet from precum, Henry managed to break away.

“Are you ready to try?” he rasped.

In response, Robert shoved Henry off of him and sat up.

He began fumbling in the nightstand for the Vaseline as Henry looked on with wonder.

Holy hell, it was really happening. While Henry had loved every second of Robert taking care of him over the last few weeks, he had often found himself hoping that he would soon feel both confident enough and comfortable enough for them to swap positions.

But there had always been something holding him back. Until now.

“Here,” Robert said, handing Henry the Vaseline before falling back onto the mattress. He lifted his legs up high, hooking his hands behind his knees, and revealed what had to be the most perfect-looking pucker in the history of human existence. “Get me ready.”

Time temporarily slowed while Robert’s words hung between them, muddling Henry’s brain. It wasn’t like Henry wasn’t aware of what needed to happen. Only he hadn’t let himself imagine this part before.

Robert prodded Henry by poking him in the shoulder with a toe.

“Hello?” he teased.