Page 21 of Twisted Chassis (Foggy Basin)

Negotiation and Two-Hour Delays

“So let me get this straight, an anonymous source told you that it was a jacked-up midnight blue pickup truck with a black grille guard, partial plate 76AX that committed the hit and runs?”

“That’s what I just said.”

“And your source couldn’t be bothered to call the proper tipline with this information?”

“Does it really matter what number he called?” Maddox growled. “You have the information, now find the blue truck.”

With that he jabbed the red phone icon and tossed his phone on the table, only to receive a raised eyebrow from Haven when it skidded off and hit the floor.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” Haven muttered but before he could retrieve it, the pup picked it up in his mouth and with a clack of his toes on concrete, carried it back over to Maddox.

“Awe, good boy, thank you,” Maddox said as he rubbed his ears and that floofy tail kicked up fluff as he wagged it happily.

“What are you gonna name him?”

“I don’t have a clue yet. I think I might need you to help me come up with something.”

“I can do that.”

“I know you can,” Maddox said as he took in the big crack running through the middle of the screen protector before he set it back down on the table a lot more cautiously this time around.

“Yeah, you fucked that up good.”

Maddox shrugged and stroked over the dog’s spiky ruff, making a mental note to get him a good brush in the morning. “Oh well, I’ve been thinking about upgrading anyway.”

“I hope you pay for an awesome protection plan.”

“It may have come in handy over the years.”

“I bet.”

Chuckling, Maddox wedged his fingernail beneath the half-displaced screen protector and popped it the rest of the way up before throwing it away.

“Was that really wise?”

“Are you sassing your Daddy.”

“Yup.”

Snorting, Maddox just ran his fingers through his hair and fought down the urge to smile and encourage him further. “At least you’re honest about it.”

Haven’s only reply was to yawn and sprawl forward to rest his head on the table.

“You need to get some more sleep.”

Grumbling, Haven looked at the clock then back at him. “Maybe a twenty-minute power nap, we open in less than an hour and I still need a shower and some coffee.”

“Then we’d better take off so you can get a little rest before you start working with tools and wiring and shit.”

“Or you could come upstairs with me,” Haven offered. “He can come too. We’ll bring the pillow and blanket and make him a spot in my room. I bet we can find him something to eat, too, River and I made burgers You look as worn out as I feel.”

“In hindsight it might not have been the best idea to spend half the night running around trying to dig up information. I’m going to regret that later.”

“Or you could ask Archer to man your shop for the day while you get some rest. You look like you really need it and at your age, it probably isn’t wise to go without.”

“My age huh? Are you trying to imply that your Daddy is old?”

“If the gray streaks fit…” Haven hedged, giggling as Maddox narrowed his eyes at him. “And you do have an awful lot of them.”

“Oh, so it’s like that?”

Haven licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah, now are you coming upstairs or not?”

“I’ll come up under one condition.”

“What’s that.”

“You push back opening for two hours so you can get better than a twenty-minute power nap,” Maddox said. “And after that, you let me help organize the files and purchase orders you’ve been complaining about. You’re right, Archer can handle our store for the day. It’s time for me to bite the bullet and go talk to a realtor about looking at some houses. This big boy here is going to need some space to run, and I’d like a proper bedroom, one where my boy and I can have a little fun after a long day at work. I’ll pick us up some food when I go out too. Maybe something from The Blue Star Diner.”

He winked at Haven when he said that, just waiting to see what his boy would do.

The tip of Haven’s pink tongue flicked out and he got that mischievous little grin in his eyes that Maddox was coming to thoroughly love seeing. “Please tell me you’re bringing back burgers.”

Maddox flicked his tongue out at him and grinned. “With extra, extra sauce.”

“I really wish you had your own place already.”

“You’ve got a lock on your door, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then that’s all we need,” Maddox replied. “That and the sauce, anyway.”

When the tip of Haven’s pink tongue poked out a second time and his breathing picked up, Maddox knew the night was going to be an interesting one. Of course, there was no reason they couldn’t kick things off early with a bit of morning fun to see to it that Haven really did sleep once they were in bed. After everything he’d revealed to him and River about Archer being coerced into that fight with threats against his family and Andy being forced to fight to keep his mother safe, there had been a lot for everyone to digest. The only thing Maddox hadn’t worked out yet was how Archer had gotten Andy to agree to say it had been Haven that had hurt him.

He wished his protégé had thought to mention the trouble he’d gotten into when he’d lived here last. Now that he’d learned of the conversation between Archer and Haven, and Archer’s desire to make things right with his siblings and be there for them the way he hadn’t been in the past, Maddox had a good idea of the real reason Archer had chosen Foggy Basin to be site of their new store. He knew he should be upset about the manipulation involved but he’d let it slide this time, knowing it was done with the best of intentions and to right a wrong he’d committed six years before. It felt good being right about Haven though. Once his boy had started opening up and filling in the gaps with the missing bits of information, it was far easier for Maddox to reconcile himself with the decision he’d made to keep himself, Haven and the rest of their family out of it moving forward. He’d informed River and Haven of the conversations he’d had tonight with Chaos and with his stepfather and been relieved to learn that Chaos had given Haven roughly the same instruction Maddox had. To live his life, enjoy his freedom, catch up with old friends, and leave the desolation of the gambling ring and it’s fight club to people more well versed in dismantling that sort of thing.

Across the table from him, Haven slowly began eating a Twinkie he’d pulled from the box on the table.

“Wish I had some coffee to go with this,” Haven muttered, punctuating his words with a wide yawn before he plunged his tongue into the creamy filling and lapped up a glob of it.

He managed to smear it on his upper lip too, but before Maddox could kiss it away, he licked the frosting again, cleaning out the center before taking another bite. Maddox stared transfixed as Haven repeated the process, hollowing out a section with his tongue, then nibbling the spongy cake until the entire treat was gone.

“Upstairs, now!” Maddox growled, careful to keep his voice low so he didn’t upset his dog, who was definitely going to need a name soon.

“Fine, I’ll grab your clothes so we can throw them in the dryer,” Haven said as he scrambled backward, nearly overturned his chair in his haste to leave the room, “You get his pillow and blanket.”

Maddox scooped up the blanket and pillow, while Haven cursed himself for not wringing out Maddox’s wet clothes before he’d picked them up. Maddox looked over to see the wet cloth splatted against his chest and water running down it. All that did was feed into Maddox’s fantasies about getting into the shower with him. Hot on his heels, Maddox barely remembered where the light switch was so he could shut it off. With the pup jogging along beside him, they hurried up the back stairs. The look on River’s face as they strode past him while he sipped what smelled like coffee, was positively priceless, especially when he laughed and called out to them.

“I guess the shop isn’t opening on time.”

“Two-hour delay. Think of it like school when the roads got washed out,” Haven called back as he pointed Maddox to his room while he paused in a little alcove beside the doorway to deal with the laundry.

Maddox heard River laughing from the kitchen, and Haven’s voice asking him not to finish off the burgers they’d made. When he stepped into the room, he was carrying a bowl of chopped up burgers and another bowl filled with water. He passed both to Maddox before closing the door and locking it for good measure. When Maddox straightened up from arranging a sleeping space for the pup, it was to see Haven sitting on the edge of his bed, taking his Oscar the Grouch slippers off, the wall behind it covered with animated movie posters and dirt bike riders soaring through the air. There, perched on Haven’s pillow, was the aromatherapy lemur Maddox had given him. The moment his boy slid beneath the sheet and inched over to the side closest to the wall, Maddox slipped into bed beside him, chuckling as Haven carefully moved the lemur and sat him on the end table where the lamp glowed.

“Let’s see about getting you some sleep,” Maddox murmured as Haven turned off the lamp and wiggled a little lower on the pillow.

Maddox spooned up behind him, just wanting to make sure he was relaxed and at ease. He’d seen the levels of nervousness and anxiety Haven had displayed both times he was telling his story. River had picked up on it too, which might have been the only thing that had gotten him to settle down and listen, rather than planning what he intended to say when he confronted Archer.

It needed to happen. Maddox fully agreed with his stepfather’s assessment about the siblings needing to clear the air before they could move forward. He’d been pleased to hear River say that he’d wait until he was in a better frame of mind to sit down with Archer, and that he’d listen, instead of going off on him and then walking away. It was something at least, and while he knew it would be a difficult healing process for all of them, he’d already gotten a glimpse of the strength of their bond and felt that it would only grow stronger once they were back on the same page.

For those first few minutes, Maddox just lay with his hand splayed over Haven’s abs, rubbing small circles as Haven’s body grew more relaxed.

“We’re going to have fun figuring out the best ways to ensure that you get a good nights sleep every night from here on out,” Maddox murmured, nipping lightly at his shoulder until Haven let out a little moan.

“Does that mean you plan to sleep here every night?”

“When I can,” Maddox replied. “When I can’t we’ll have ourselves a little video chat. Maybe you’ll even get it in your head to strip for me and give me a little show. If you want, I can read you a bedtime story, or we can pull up the same movie and watch it together. I can always talk dirty to you if you want to rub one out without needing porn. I’ve been told that the sound of my voice can be a bit of a turn on, especially when I get growly.”

“Saying it’s a bit of a turn-on is like saying the sun is a little bright,” Haven said, his voice having grown a little breathy the longer Maddox caressed his midsection and occasionally stroked his chest.

“Really?” Maddox growled, loving the way Haven shivered in his arms.

“You’ll tell me if I’m taking up too much of your time, right?” Haven asked. “You won’t just get sick of me and end things without giving me a chance to do better?”

“I’d never do that to you,” Maddox said. “I wouldn’t do it to any partner. It isn’t fair. If a problem arises then we’ll talk about it and I can’t see ever having a problem with getting to spend more time with you, whatever the means. Communication is one of the most important parts of a relationship. We have to have these conversations. I’m proud of you for voicing your fears. That was a very mature approach to take. You just gave me a gift without even knowing it.”

Haven yawned, then sighed before asking, “How?”

“You trusted me.”

“Can I trust you with something else?”

“Always.”

“I really, really, really want you to fuckin’ touch me and make me cum,” Haven blurted, trying to roll, only Maddox pinned him in place and lightly nibbled his ear.

“Then I need you to stay just like that.”

“But…”

“Are you questioning your Daddy?”

“N...no sir.”

“That’s right. You asked for something, and I am going to give it to you, and you are going to take it the way I want you too, understood?” Maddox said. “I know you want to touch me, but right now you need rest more than you need sex. I just want to make you feel good enough to relax and sink into every sensation. Close your eyes. That’s it. Gonna make you squirm for me a little.”

As he spoke, he danced his fingers down Haven’s happy trail, then over the cloth covering his hip before letting his hand drift to his thigh. Despite wanting Haven to get rest he wasn’t going to rush this opportunity to give his boy pleasure.

“Have you been feeling a little needy?” Maddox murmured.

“Yeah.”

“So have I. I’ve been desperate to get my hands on you since the night you licked sauce off my finger when I was feeding you pizza. I bet you don’t have a clue about how hot that was. Well let me tell you something, you’ve been the star of some seriously x rated fantasies every night since then.”

“Just at night?”

“Hmm, there may have been a few daydreams that left my zipper feeling tight.”

“Wish I fell asleep long enough to dream,” Haven said. “I’d totally have one about you bending me over and fingering me until I came.”

Growling, Maddox rocked against him, letting him feel how into the idea he was. “I promise to make that a reality as soon as possible.”

A little whine escaped Haven who squirmed against him as Maddox slipped his hand through the slit in Haven’s boxers. His cock was warm and twitched when Maddox stroked with just his fingertip. Haven moaned, and Maddox hooked one leg over his to pin him in place a little better. He could still move, but he couldn’t go wild and try to speed things along. Taking his time, Maddox caressed his cock, stroked his balls, rubbed his thigh and drew lazy patterns across his abs before drifting down again. The point wasn’t to rush to get Haven off. An orgasm would probably get him to crash for a little while, but Maddox wanted him to experience a more drawn-out level of intensity.

He didn’t have to tell him not to hold back his moans. They poured from his throat in a steady stream that only grew in intensity the longer Maddox touched him, until he arched and groaned and choked out Daddy as his climax tore through him. The way he writhed as Maddox stroked him through it, then came a little more several minutes later, this time with a wild cry that drew a sharp woof from the pup in the corner, was hot as hell. Groaning, Haven whimpered for him as Maddox milked him until he was wrung out, limp and plastered to his side with the sweat from their bodies, his breathing harsh but his body loose and languid.

“That’s it. You just go to sleep now. Daddy will be right here when you wake up.” Maddox encouraged as he light peppered Haven’s shoulder and neck with kisses.

Haven said nothing as he struggled to catch his breath, and by the time it was steady again, he was deadweight against Maddox and completely unconscious. Hopefully that lasted until the alarm went off. Maddox’s last conscious thought before he gave in to the pull of slumber, was that he should have negotiated for a three-hour delay.