Page 10

Chapter Ten

S kippy had cum everywhere. It was in places it shouldn't have been. Falling asleep right after coming was their mistake. Not that he was complaining.

He turned on the shower, adjusting the water temperature before taking a piss.

The door opened right as he flushed the toilet. He smiled, expecting Yael to come through the door. It seemed a little too soon for them to see each other use the toilet, but Skippy didn't care very much. He expected Yael would think so, though.

When Eryn came through the door, he took one look at Skippy with his green eyes big and horrified and said, "Whoa. Holy shit." He shut the door and then yelled an apology. "This is what I get for getting up on time for a change."

Skippy chuckled and got into the shower. "A good deed doesn't go unpunished, kid."

"It's not like it was hardship. Nice bod, dude." Eryn yelled through the door. "Are you in the shower? I gotta pee, and this is our only bathroom."

"Yep. Come on in." The shampoo smelled like Yael's hair. Between the lovemaking session and the shampoo, he'd smell like Yael all day. Since he couldn’t be with him, it was the next best thing.

"This is kinda weird. Don't listen to me pee." Eryn said when he came in.

"It's going to sound like the shower." Sheesh. Like Skippy cared about the kid's urine stream.

There was a soft knock on the door right before it opened. "Simon?"

Skippy had woken up before Yael, intending to take a quick shower and making him breakfast. He shut off the alarm, wanting to wake Yael himself. But it appeared he'd only be able to do one thing that morning.

"Oh. Sorry, Eryn. I thought Simon was in here."

"I am." Seemed like his shower was turning into family time with the Josephs.

At the same time Skippy spoke, so did Eryn. "We need a bigger house if he's going to stay over."

The toilet flushed, which made the water get a little warmer, but it wasn't so warm that it scalded him.

Yael mumbled how Skippy didn't stay over.

Eryn snorted. "Liar. Hurry in the shower. I gotta get in there next. And don't fuck in it."

"Language, Eryn." Yael's scolding fell on deaf ears because the door clicked shut.

"Can I get in with you?" That Yael wanted to was surprising given Eryn's presence in the house. But Eryn was nearly an adult, so maybe Yael was ready to treat him like one in certain situations. Saying something about his word usage notwithstanding.

"You sure can, baby." Like Skippy would turn down a chance to get naked with Yael again.

The shower curtain opened, and Yael stepped inside. He immediately went into Skippy's arms, hugging him. "I thought you might have left."

"Not without saying goodbye first. And making sure you eat breakfast." Skippy held him in his arms. He turned so Yael could get under the spray.

Yael was on the taller side but still shorter than most Dragon Shifters. He fit under the shower head just fine. Unlike Skippy, who had to duck.

"You got up early to make sure I ate breakfast?"

They fit together. Fate got it right. They might be opposites in every other way, but their bodies were meant to be close. Skippy's body knew Yael's. "You're my boy. I want to take care of you."

Yael met his gaze, smiling. And snuggled in again. "I'd like that."

"While I'm away, I'll call you in the morning and right before you go to bed. And I'll give you a key to my house. If you want, you can stay there. It's safe."

Yael scowled. "It's safe here too."

"I know. I'll just worry, is all."

"Don't go then." Yael's hold tightened. "We just met and you're already leaving."

"I already took the contract, baby." Skippy didn't want to go. He would much rather stay with Yael and get to know his body better. Bonding would be a part of that.

"What kind of contract?" Here it came. The moment when Yael's judginess would rear its head and they'd argue about Skippy's lifestyle. Again.

"I'm taking out a bad guy." Skippy didn't enjoy lying to Yael, so he told him the absolute truth. Most of the time, the truth had harsher results.

Yael pulled out of his arms.

Skippy backed up so Yael could stand under the water again. He didn't want Yael to get cold. Yael began washing himself, starting with his hair. He had little time before he'd have to drive Eryn to school and then head to Gavin's house for work.

Skippy grabbed the soap and the cloth and washed himself. Since they weren't talking anymore, he might as well finish his shower, too.

Yael tried to move to give Skippy room to get under the water, but the tub wasn't big enough.

Skippy ended up wrapping an arm around Yael and turning them.

Yael sighed. "Tell me about this bad guy."

"He raped his stepdaughter and three other girls. He confessed to the crime, but because the cops didn't read him his Maranda rights, he escaped the charge." Skippy couldn't stomach it. A guy like that walking around free in the world, able to hurt someone else. Guys like that deserved worse than death. Skippy would make sure that’s what he received.

"He's free? Even though he confessed?"

"The girls were all teenagers. They all know each other through church, which the rapist also attends."

Yael's face turned pale, and then he growled. "They went to church with him. So, they’re all human, then."

Most paranormals didn't believe in a singular god. And that was if they believed at all. Religion didn't factor into their lives, but spirituality sometimes did. Skippy fell into the not spiritual at all category. He didn't think about the gods very much.

"So, you're going to kill him? Who hired you?" Yael hugged Skippy around the middle again.

Skippy flipped them, let Yael get under the spray. "The cops who fucked up and the city commissioner. They don’t want him running around their city hurting people anymore. And I don’t intend to kill him. He’ll just wish for death."

Yael sucked in a breath. "The police."

"I've been hired by judges and attorneys in the past, too. Sometimes our justice system doesn't work and when it doesn't, they call people like me."

Yael finished his shower. It wasn't until they were drying off before he spoke again. "I don't know how to feel about all this."

Skippy shrugged. "Your feelings won't change anything. I'm going to help the girls and their families. End of story."

Yael's expression hardened. "I don't expect that. But I would think my opinion matters to you on some level. All I'm saying is I need time to sort out how I feel."

"I'll get back tomorrow night. We'll talk about it then."

Yael sighed. "That's fair. I guess."

"You guess." Skippy kissed Yael.

"Maybe we can talk about it over dinner at that place in Barnaby. The Italian place." Yael bit his lip as he met Skippy's gaze.

"Do you want to go on a date, baby?" Skippy would wine and dine Yael until his heart was content if it made him happy. He just wished he would have thought of it first.

Yael shrugged. "We don't have to if you'd rather not. It's just that I've been wanting to go there for a while."

"I want to. I just don't want our first date ruined by difficult discussions. Why don't we put those off until date two, which could be at my house? I'll make you and Eryn dinner." And he'd talk them into spending the night. But he had to get through the next couple of days of separation first.

"That's a better plan." Yael smiled as if he were shy, which was funny because they’d been naked in the shower together. Shyness shouldn't have been a thing for Yael as of last night when their dicks notched together. It gave Skippy a big clue what Yael needed from Skippy. He needed a daddy. He just didn't need one to take care of him in the traditional sense. Making his meals and tucking him into bed every night would probably irritate him at some point.

What he couldn't give himself was a little romance and off the charts lovemaking sessions. Flowers in between all that and maybe some other gifts. Skippy had no clue what to get him yet, but he'd figure it out. He would even try to bring Yael something back from his trip.

They both wore towels around their waist when they entered the hall. Eryn stood at the hall entrance, waiting. Either for the bathroom or for Yael, Skippy wasn't sure, but he shoved an envelope at Yael's chest before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Yael crumpled up the envelope in his hand as they walked to his bedroom.

Skippy raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t ask questions. Instead, he let Yael work through whatever he needed to. He wasn't sure if not asking about the envelope was the right approach, given how stressed it made Yael.

As soon as they got dressed, he pulled Yael into a hug and said, "Whatever it is, it will be okay. I promise."

Yael said nothing. He just held onto Skippy as if his life depended on it.