What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

Now it was almost midnight again and they were standing in front of the Hawkins’ Senior and Youth Center. Laine still didn’t know why Miriam wanted to bless it. He’d asked and she’d just told him she did as she was told to. That was good enough for him. After last night, he wouldn’t doubt Miriam’s power again.

“It’s about to start,” Rogelio said. “Laine?” The kid held out his hand.

Sev poked Laine in the ribs and snickered, but Laine ignored him. He let Rogelio hold his hand as they formed a circle and throughout the blessing chant. Laine did, however, draw the line at dancing with the kid when Vincent started banging on some kind of drum. The sound it made was loud and primal and went straight to Laine’s dick. No way was he letting the kid feel that.

“Ready to go home?” Sev asked. “I promised Alma I’d have Rogelio back at the motel before two a.m.”

Laine looked over to where Rogelio was dancing with…no one. No one alive, that was.

“I think Conner likes the kid. He seems to have a soft spot for them, with the way he took to Stefan and now Rogelio.”

“Yeah,” Laine agreed, “he always wanted kids and told me he’d resigned himself to not having any. Maybe this makes up for him missing out on being a parent.”

Sev called Rogelio over and received a pinch from Conner for it. “Cut it out, Conner. You can follow him back to the motel, just don’t scare the sh—” Sev glanced at Rogelio. “Don’t scare the stuffing out of Alma. She’s making us that big dinner she promised us tomorrow. I don’t know when we’ll be seeing her again, or eating her wonderful dinners, but I do not want Alma and her family leaving any sooner than they’d planned.”

“We’re your family too,” Rogelio said, “yours and Uncle Laine’s both. You should remember that.”

“You should remember it and quit trying to move in on my man.”

Rogelio laughed and looked at Laine through his lashes. “I know Uncle Laine will always love you, Uncle Sev. That’s why I’m brave enough to ogle him, ‘cause he won’t ever do anything about it, except maybe tell me to cut it out now and then.”

“But he’s family,” Sev pointed out.

“Yeah, like an in-law, so it’s not incestuous or anything, sheesh.”

Laine was ready for this whole conversation to end. “All right, y’all have traumatised me enough. Let’s go.”

Rogelio leaned over and whispered something in Sev’s ear that made the man grin so big it looked painful. Laine didn’t ask. He was afraid to.

They dropped Rogelio off, Sev walking him to the motel room and giving him a hug. Sev came back to the truck and got in still wearing that big grin.

Maybe Laine did want to know after all. But Sev was having too much fun shooting him smug little glances. Laine would give the man time to spill. He doubted Sev would be able to hold in much longer whatever it was that was damn near making him glow.

He made it all the way home, though. Laine was impressed. Sev still didn’t tell him what he was so happy about, not even when they were both naked and eyeballing each other appreciatively.

More than appreciatively, Laine corrected. He wanted to eat Sev up with a spoon.

Laine finally broke when Sev dove for the bed, leaving him standing and therefore responsible for turning off the light. He did, then he walked over and got in bed, dropping down on top of Sev and tickling his ribs.

Sev squealed and kicked, nearly taking out Laine’s balls. He wedged in between the man’s legs and growled as he teasingly bit at Sev’s neck.

“Ohmygod! Stop!”

Laine took another couple of nips and tickles then he rolled over and turned on the lamp. He reached over and tugged Sev on top of him. “All right, spill it.”

“It’s nothing, really.” But Sev’s grin didn’t dim a bit.

“Sev…” Laine rumbled. He smoothed his hand down Sev’s back and popped one round cheek.

“Hey!” Sev’s grin turned into a frown as he glared at Laine. “That isn’t going to make me tell you!”

“Huh.” Laine considered his options and settled on the one he liked best. “How ‘bout this?” He cupped the back of Sev’s head and drew him down for a scorching kiss. At the same time, Laine spread his legs so Sev settled between them. Laine humped against Sev, making it clear what he wanted.

“Oh,” Sev whispered when Laine finally let go of the man’s sinfully gorgeous lips. “Yeah, that’ll do it.”

Laine almost couldn’t remember what he was trying to do. Sev slid down and bumped his dick against Laine’s hole.

“Mm,” was about all Laine could get out. He wanted Sev’s cock inside him more than he wanted his next breath.

“Rogelio told me Alma asked him and his sibs if they’d like to go to school here.”

Sev’s happiness bled through to his voice. It wrapped around Laine and sank into his being. “S’good. Maybe they’ll move here.” He lifted his head enough to get a good look at Sev. “Now will you fuck me?”

Sev snickered and levered himself up. “Horndog. Of course I will.”

Laine wondered if Sev would do that whole going down on his ass after coming in him. He didn’t want to ask in case Sev didn’t want to…or thought Laine might want to do it in return. He might try it one day, but as for now, it wasn’t something he thought he could do. Therefore, he’d never ask Sev to do it to him.

But he could hope.

“Spread for me,” Sev ordered.

Laine arched an eyebrow at him and sat up. “Why don’t you lie down and let me ride you?”

Sev’s jaw dropped open but he nodded vigorously then flopped back gracelessly. Or maybe it was shamelessly. Either way, Laine was just glad he did it.

Laine plucked the lube from Sev’s hand. He straddled Sev’s legs then reconsidered and changed positions, still straddling Sev but facing away. “Give