Moving On - 21. Chapter 21 - Confronting Demons

Among the four adults, we quickly made a plan of attack for the rest of the day. Tom and I would go through Steve's office and remove the furniture so that it could become Zach's permanent bedroom. Noah would rent a small truck and start packing up his apartment, and I would join him when I had finished. Sarah had the job we all wanted. She was forced to spend the rest of the afternoon playing with Zach.

I kissed Noah goodbye, and he left to take care of his tasks – only after repeatedly reassuring Zach that he'd be back. Zach was distracted by his toys and didn't seem to really care too much, but his tantrum earlier reminded us that we'd have to make sure we told him we'd be back until he began to assume we would.

After grabbing several empty boxes and trash bags, Tom and I began to empty Steve’s office. While being in the room hadn't been too difficult, going though Steve's things was. Up to this point, I hadn't actually gone through anything of his possessions yet, and it was much tougher than either Tom or I expected it to be.

Several times throughout the process, one – or both – of us broke down, usually after uncovering something trivial that brought back memories. The first time for Tom was when he found a T-ball participation trophy from when they were six. Steve hadn't really wanted it, and tried to return it to his parents several times, but they would just wait a month or so and then ship it back. Finally, he gave up and added it to his curio collection.

I just held Tom while he sobbed. After he regained some composure, I told him to keep it, which caused him to laugh a little.

"Why would I want this? Because it has his name on it? I have one of my own."

"Well, you broke down when you saw it. I figured it had some emotional significance or something."
"Not really. Although I remember how proud he was when he was given it. It was as if he had just won the World Series. He was awful at T-ball. I played baseball for a few years after that, but Mom and Dad didn't even ask if he was interested. He wouldn't have been, though. It was one of the few things growing up that we didn't do together. I think both of us liked that. When you're a twin, you don't often feel 'special', because there's another person exactly like you. When your parents continually push you to do the all the same activities, it gets even harder to have your own identity."

"I'd never really thought about that. Steve never mentioned anything about the trophy, other than the fact that he didn't really care about it. At the same time, he refused to throw it away. If you don't want it, then we should give it back to your parents and make them decide what to do with it."

As we got back to work, the hardest part was throwing things away. It was stupid, but part of me felt like I was throwing a part of Steve away. To be fair, most of the stuff we decided to discard were things like doodle-covered scrap paper, and knickknacks that neither of us could remember any significance to that also seemed to be damaged or broken. There were several things in there that neither of us knew of a reason to keep, but hated to throw away, so we put those in a box for me to donate.

Surprisingly, the hardest part for me was going through all of Steve's legal papers. It was like I was finally admitting he was gone. I had never touched them, nor had a desire to. We just boxed them up as neatly as we could to take to Richard.

I found Steve's old journals on one of the bookshelves. I knew his most recent one was tucked neatly into the drawer on his dresser, but I never thought about what he had done with the previous ones. For a moment, I considered reading through them, knowing that they were a detailed chronology of his life since he began writing them in high school. A sense of guilt set in immediately, however. Granted, I had never actually asked to read them, but he'd never allowed me to read them. I briefly wondered if some dark secrets were hidden among the pages, but quickly realized that I was being ridiculous. Besides, even if there were, I'd never be able to make out his chicken-scratch, anyway.

Even though there were a lot of emotions involved going through Steve's things, it really didn't feel like I was giving up my connection to Steve. If anything, I felt closer to him than I had in a while. I knew that I would never forget Steve, but he wasn't here anymore, and the room would be better served for Zach. I wasn't losing my connection with my husband. I was gaining a son. None of the emotions that going through the stuff could summon irrational concerns great enough to undermine my desire to make a place for Zach in my life.

Although Steve had worked from home for the most part, he was marginally a partner in his father's law firm. The job wasn’t glamorous, but Steve found a passion for tax law while in law school, although I think he was trying to prove something to his father, as well. It always struck me as odd that he would basically telecommute as a lawyer, but he did meet with clients regularly.

For his part, Tom kept almost nothing. I kept all the photos, most of the curios, and, of course, the journals, but we did have a surprising amount to donate from a single room. I decided to get rid of most of the furniture, as well, since I had no need for a work table, or seven book cases. I kept the desk in case Noah would need it when he went back to school, as well as one bookcase.

I quickly took pictures of the furniture, and posted it on Freecycle. All of the furniture was the cheap pre-fabricated stuff, but it was all in good condition. After posting it, we carried all the furniture we were getting rid of to the yard, then took the desk and remaining bookshelf into Noah's new room. For the time being, Tom and I just put them in the corner, unsure where Noah would actually want them to end up. We removed the remaining boxes of stuff, and called it finished.

I checked my email, and all the stuff had already been claimed, so I wrote names on pieces of paper and attached them to the appropriate items before heading over to Noah's. I made it clear to Zach that I would be back soon, but he was heavily engrossed in whatever game he and Sarah had made up, so I just left them to it. Tom seemed a bit bewildered, but I knew he'd be playing along in no time.

I pulled up to the address that Noah gave me and parked next to the rental truck. I entered the building, and as I approached Noah's apartment, I heard voices from inside the apartment. The door was open. I couldn't help but listen in, feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked. Apparently, I'd arrived just after the mystery person.

"Actually, I just came to leave a note. I didn't expect you to be back yet from visiting Zach. Also, I didn't see your car." It was Will's voice now emanating from the apartment, making me feel even guiltier about listening in. Not that it stopped me, of course, and I crept a little closer so that I could hear better.

"That's because I came in the truck outside."

"You're moving? Why?"

"I got custody of Zach," Noah responded tersely.

It dawned on me just how short Noah was being towards Will. As much as I didn't like the guy, he was still Noah's best friend. I hoped that they'd be able to repair the friendship, even if I could never bring myself to trust him again.

"That's great! Where is he?" Will asked, completely oblivious to the tension coming from Noah.

"At Scott's. That's where I'm going, too."

"Oh," Will said sadly. "Isn't that a bit soon? I mean, you've only begin together a couple weeks."

Noah sighed. "Look, Will, you lost the ability to give me advice when you actively tried to break the two of us up, by using my son, who I hadn't figured out how to bring up to Scott yet.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're taking it slow. I'm moving into one of the guest rooms, and Scott's getting a bedroom ready for Zach right now. We're serious about this relationship, and want to try to do things right, but life keeps messing that up, and we're adjusting as we go."

"That's good to hear, I guess," Will responded, but it almost sounded like he was holding back tears to me. I couldn't tell if that was actually the case or not, though.

"I just came by to give you this note. Basically, it just says that I'm sorry for all of the hurtful things I've done recently, and how I've betrayed your trust. I just… fuck, this is why I wanted to just leave a note. It's harder to actually say these things out loud. Scott's such an amazing person. I know he was never interested in me, but I couldn't help it."

"Help what? Trying to destroy our relationship?" Noah said, his voice rising a little in anger.

"I fell in love with him," Will said so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

"I know he never felt like that towards me at all. Originally, I'd hoped that sex with him would be the spark needed to ignite a relationship, which obviously backfired. I just got blinded by me feelings. When the two of you hit it off, I started getting jealous and irrational. When I saw you at the coffee shop on karaoke night, I decided I had to try to break you two up. Even when I was talking to Scott, I felt horrible about it, but I couldn't help myself. I'm not sure why I came to that conclusion. I guess it's like Oscar Wilde once wrote, 'each man destroys the thing he loves most'."

Noah chuckled, "At least quote the man correctly, 'Yet each man kills the thing he loves most.' although the meaning is relatively the same, I'm sure you'd agree that the implications behind the quote are much darker than even you intended."

Glumly, Will conceded, "Yeah, I guess you're correct." After a pause, he added, "You really do love him, don't you?"

"Like you said, he's an amazing person. He's funny, charming – especially when he's not trying to be – sweet, sensitive, and caring. Hell, he's almost a better father to Zach than I am. I've never felt like this about anyone in my life. I love him."

"Will you ever be able to forgive me for what I tried to do?" At this point, there was no mistaking the fact that Will was on the verge of tears. His voice kept cracking and wavering.

Again, Noah sighed. "I don't know, Will. In time, I'm sure I can. But you did a lot of damage with your actions. You told me you wouldn't make a move on the mystery guy you were interested in, but you did. Now that I know that it's Scott you hurt, I can't help but be angry at you for it. You promised me you wouldn't go to karaoke, but you went. You swore you wouldn't mention Zach until I figured out how to broach the subject, but you did. You didn't even bother with the truth. You made it sound like I had a secret long-distance relationship or something." Noah took a breath, his anger clearly rising.

"Sorry, I'm trying really hard not to get angry. Will, you're my best friend. You're supposed to have my back. I don't know where the relationship with Scott is going, as you said it's early. I do know that I love him, and even though he hasn't said it back, I think he loves me. Please, I want you to be happy for me. I know you have feelings for him, too, but you've ruined any chance you had, and even you admit that you know you never had a chance to begin with."

"I want you to be happy, I really do. Had I actually thought about what I was doing, I wouldn't have done any of it, if only for the fact that you were collateral damage."

I decided to use this moment to make my presence known. I knocked on the open door and walked in.

Noah rushed over, and made a big show of giving me a hug and a kiss.

"Hi, babe," he said emphatically. I guess he was trying to make a point to Will.

"Hi, yourself. Hi, Will."

"Um, Hello. Look I'll get out of your hair," Will said, suddenly very flustered.

"Scott, I know I ruined any chance at a friendship with you by my actions. I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me for being such an asshole, but I'll understand if you can't. Just please take good care of my friend."

"I will," I responded. "For as long as he lets me."

"Noah, call me and we can talk more. If you want to, that is," Will said cautiously before walking quickly out the door, leaving just Noah and I in the small one-room apartment.

"So how long were you out there?" Noah asked after a moment.

"Pretty much the whole time, I guess. I heard you ask what he was doing here, so I assume that was when he first came in. Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in; I just didn't feel right walking into it."

"No reason to apologize. Even if you hadn't heard any of it, I would've told you the whole thing." Noah sighed. "Well, I guess that explains why he's been acting like such a little shithead."

"Yeah. I guess it seems obvious in hindsight. You know that I never had any feelings for him, right?"

"I do. Everyone did, including Will. Love just makes us do crazy things sometimes. Like this:" Noah said as he picked me up and tossed me on the bed, lying on top of me.

I giggled. "I see what you mean."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

"Like that, too," I said, a little flustered, and more than a little aroused.

"Oh yeah?" Noah asked, his voice huskier than normal, so I could only assume he enjoyed the kiss as much as I did.

"Yeah," I said, blushing a little.

"I'm so happy with everything you've been doing. I mean, you rearranged your entire life for not only me, but for my son as well. You have no idea how much that means to me. I don't know how to repay you."

I pulled him down into another kiss. This was shorter and less passionate, but much more loving.

"Consider that your down payment. Just stick to the payment plan, and you'll be paid off in no time. Now get off me, you big oaf! We have an apartment to pack."

Noah climbed off of me, and then helped me off the bed. I tackled the kitchen while Noah finished up the living area. It didn't take long, and I had a feeling that most of the stuff would either be going into storage or would be donated.

"What do you want to do with the non-bedroom furniture, and the kitchen stuff?" I asked him.

"I don't know. I didn't have a chance to think that far, yet. Why?"

"Well, my house is already furnished. No offense, but my stuff is nicer than yours. I wasn't paying attention, but you may have some kitchen gadgets that I don't, but otherwise, we don't need any of this stuff in the house."

An upset look flashed across Noah's face.

"I'm not saying you have to get rid of it," I quickly amended. "If you want, I'll replace any of my stuff with yours. I'm not trying to say you have to make a decision today, either. Hell, your life is being uprooted as much as Zach's is. At least with Zach, he didn't have a choice but to part with most of his things."

"No. You're 'stuff', as you so dismissively put it, is far nicer than anything I have. Most of these are things I've found dumpster diving or at yard sales. There are a few mementos and decorations that I'd like to keep, if that's ok with you, but otherwise, I'm fine doing whatever with the rest of it."

"It's your home now, too. You can do whatever you what. Within reason, that is. And as far as anything that you don't need, we can put it in the basement, or get a storage unit for it, at least for now. I don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me because you have to buy all new furniture and all that."

"That's just silly. If we break up, I'll just sue you for alimony, and take you for every penny. Then I can buy new furniture that will put yours to shame. Of course I'll get the house, so you'll have to move, and it won't really matter, but still," He said, struggling to keep a straight face, but failing miserably at the end when he broke into laughter. I joined in, releasing the little bit of tension that had been in the air when the conversation grew more serious.

"Actually," Noah said, "I would like to keep the couch and end tables. They're nothing special, but I like the idea of holding on to part of my life before you. Hey, I know! Your bedroom is large enough. Can we put them in there? We can get a slipcover or something so it matches. It'd be like having our own sitting room! Well, whenever we get to that point. Until then, you'd have your own sitting room."

"Got a little ahead of yourself there, huh?" I said, teasingly. "Actually, that's a great idea."

We finished dumping things into boxes, and began to load up the truck. It didn't take long after getting the furniture in, and soon we were heading back to the house. We arrived to an empty house, but found a note that Tom and Sarah had taken Zach shopping for bedroom accessories.

We dumped the boxes in what would become Noah's room then carried the dresser into Zach's new room, along with the bed frame. We had just gotten the mattress in place when the others returned home.

As per usual, we all had to sit down and listen to Zach detail their actions. Basically, they'd picked out sheets, pajamas, and a couple posters, but Zach had to tell us about every single option, and how he'd made his choices. He had gotten Pokémon sheets and Spider-Man pajamas (because he would look exactly like Spider-Man. He even pulled down his pants and showed us the superhero emblazoned across his butt as if we needed proof). The posters were of cute dogs, because he really liked dogs and not cats, as he was quick to remind us.

I immediately started the sheets and pajamas in the washer while Noah hung up Zach's new posters. Zach instantly fell in love with his new room and began to bounce on the bed happily.

We ate dinner, the five of us all together for the first time since Zach and Noah moved in. It was nothing special, just something I threw together from what I had on hand. Everyone but Zach seemed to love it. He ate it without too much complaining, but I could tell that I would need to update my repertoire with more kid-friendly dishes in the future.

Tom volunteered to clean up, so Noah, Sarah, and I played with Zach for a while. We played hide and seek, where Noah was supposed to find everyone. Once Zach hid, Sarah and I stopped trying. Noah, expecting this to be easy, started looking for little feet or a head sticking out from behind something. After about ten minutes, he began to get a little worried, so we all started looking. Finally, we found him. Somehow he had managed to squeeze underneath the couch. He was certainly right about being good at playing 'hide'!

Unfortunately, he'd also fallen asleep while waiting. In the end, Noah and I ended up lifting up the couch enough for Sarah to reach under and scoop up the sleeping tyke. The dryer's buzzer went off, so Sarah laid Zach on Noah's bed while we put his brand new Pokémon sheets on his own. Once that was accomplished, Noah took on the challenge of stripping and redressing the sleeping boy without waking him.

With Zach was tucked into his new bed in his new bedroom, Noah and I stood in the doorway for several minutes, just watching the small body sleeping peacefully in the bed. Zach looked so content laying there. He looked just like a little angel – or at least an angel of destruction whose batteries had died.

"Scott, I can't tell you how happy I am now," Noah said, wrapping his arms around me. "I have my son with me for the first time in my life, and I'm now living with you in what is quickly becoming OUR home. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us and where this relationship is going."

"I love you, too." I said, without realizing that he hadn't actually said it.

"Really?"

I just nodded before turning around in his arms and wrapping mine around his neck. "It's hard for me to say that, since I've only ever told it to Steve before, but after today I'm sure. I knew I cared about you more than anyone else except for Steve, but that wasn't entirely true. Going through Steve's office confirmed to me that I could make room for you and have you in my life without ever forgetting Steve or pushing him out of my life. And I want – no need – you to be a part of my future. I love you, Noah Abrams, and I love our son, too."

"Oh, Scott, you have no idea what that means to me."

Noah leaned in and kissed me gently, I returned the kiss with a little passion, before breaking it.

"Now, you need to unpack still. C'mon, I'll help."

I didn't really do too much helping. Instead, I mostly just sat on the bed, chatting with Noah while he went through his stuff. He struggled to find places to put the decorations he wanted to keep in the room, until I reminded him that he could put them anywhere he wanted throughout the house.

"Are you sure about that? I don't want to feel like I'm intruding," Noah confessed.

"Of course I'm sure, silly. You live here too now. I don't want you feeling like you only have one room. Granted, I may object to some placements, but that doesn't mean you don't have a say, you just have to convince me."

It turns out that I didn't have to be convinced of anything. Quickly, Noah's belongings were arranged around the house. I really felt like it improved the overall vibe of the house, making everything feel a little homier.

We returned to Noah's room, and sat on the bed as we continued to talk. Eventually, it led to a guilty confession on my part.

I began with a sigh. "I just wanted you to know that a part of me feels guilty for talking and thinking about Steve now that we're together."
"I don't think you should. After all, you two were together for nearly a decade, whereas you and I have only been together a few weeks. It's been a crazy two weeks, but it's only been a brief time. I know he has a special place here," placing his hand over my heart, "but I know you. You have such a large heart that I know there's room in there for both of us.

"To be fair, there is a part of me that's jealous of Steve. You and him were far more intimate than you and I are. I know it's irrational, because it's early, but it's there. I'm coping with it as best as I can."

"I'm sorry, Noah, but I'm just not sure that I'm quite ready for that level of intimacy in our relationship yet. Please be patient and give me time," I said, saddened a little frustrated, because he seemed a little frustrated that I wasn't yet ready to add sex into our relationship.

Noah just chuckled in response. "No, silly, I'm not talking about sex. I know you're not ready for that yet. Hell, I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. There's nothing I want to do than to rip off your clothes and fuck you until you can't walk straight right this instant and for you to do the same to me. However, I want our first time to be special, magical, even."

I could feel my cheeks flush as my pants constricted suddenly at the thought.

"I'm talking about the kind of intimacy that comes with being in a long-term relationship," he continued. "You had plans, you had goals. You had a future."

Tears began to threaten my eyes and I could feel myself choking up a little. Noah immediately wrapped his arm around me and pulled tight against him as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, shit happened. There's nothing that anyone can say or do to lessen your pain. And I feel a little guilty, because part of me is happy that it happened. Only because it brought you into my life," he confessed.

"It's only natural that the plans you had made will continue to come up in the future, the goals you two had made together, and other things that I can't even think of at the moment. All I can do is be there and hope that you'll continue to love me. Before long, we'll have our own plans, goals, and a future. You and me. Well, Zach, too, obviously," he added as an afterthought.

I just sat there, my head still on Noah's shoulder as he rubbed my back soothingly, and absorbed everything he had just said. He was right about everything. Possibly the reason I was so quick to take to Zach was the fact that Steve and I had planned on adopting. I definitely wasn't glad that Steve had died, obviously, but I could see where he was coming from. I was, however, glad that Noah had come along and managed to get me to turn my life around again, even if he didn't realize he was doing it. Just his presence had brought me out of the funk I'd been in for a year. His kindness, his support, and his love had rekindled many emotions that I thought I'd never be able feel again.

"I know," I said, finally. My voice was weak and shaky, but strong in sentiment, "and I look forward to doing all that with you, too. But the part that bothers me, and I'm worried it will really bother you, is that I can't help but think about him sometimes when I'm with you, almost like I'm comparing the two of you."

"What do you mean?" He asked soothingly. "Are you ranking us, or something?"

He said it as if it was in jest, but I could tell it was a serious question.

"No, nothing like that. What I mean is that it's more like I'm comparing and contrasting the differences. You're a few inches taller than me, while he was a few shorter; he had black hair, while yours is a rich chestnut; his eyes were brown, yours are the most gorgeous hazel eyes I've ever seen. They almost seem to sparkle with gold when you're happy. I regularly find myself lost in your eyes."

"I've noticed," Noah interjected with a laugh. I smacked his stomach playfully for interrupting me.

"It's more than that though. I've sat next to Steve countless times in this same position. This feels very different. I can't compare the two more than that. I love sitting like this with you just as much as I did with Steve, but it's different. Or like this:" I said, suddenly lifting my head from his shoulder and giving him a deep kiss.

Noah was shocked by the suddenness of it, but quickly gave in as my tongue briefly explored his mouth.

"Wow," I said, momentarily stunned. I cleared my head for a moment, before getting back to my point. "Ok, it's like this: you don't kiss the same way that Steve did. At all. You're an amazing kisser, as was he, but they're just different. I wish I could explain it better than that."

"I think I understand now, but I do have one question. Where you thinking of Steve while we were kissing?"

"No, only afterwards when I reflected on how he kissed versus how you kissed. When we were kissing, I was thinking only of you."

"Well, that's the part that's most important to me. Honestly, I was a little worried as we began to explore our relationship further that you might be thinking of him, even though you were with me."

"I don't even think I could do that. It'd be like I was cheating on him with you, while simultaneously cheating on you with him. I guess that's part of the reason I'm not ready for too much sexiness in our relationship yet. I know I love you, but I'm still getting used to everything and sorting things out in my mind."
"I know you are, and I don't mind waiting. I've never felt this satisfied with every single facet of my life. It's almost like you've opened me up to a whole new world, and I know that it's all because of you. I've said it before, but I have to reiterate that it's possible that I may get jealous if plans you discussed with Steve come up in the future. I'll always try to react reasonably, but I can't make any guarantees."

"I know that, but I'm not worried about that. You're always quick to bring up any concerns you have, and even when you've been upset so far, you always listen to what I have to say. By the way, that's another way you're different. When Steve got angry, there was no room for discussion. That's one aspect of you that I like much more than Steve," I added with a giggle.

"Well, so far, the only time you've made me anything bordering on angry was when I began to feel like I was going to become a kept man. Even then, it was largely tempered by the fact that I didn't want to react around Zach. I'm sure I'll lose my cool from time to time, as will you. It's the unfortunate downside of being in a relationship, but definitely worth it in the long run."

"And that's part of the reason I love you. You're constantly grounded with a level of rationality, but it never seems to get to a point that's overwhelming. Reason doesn't drive you, but you always use it to help you choose your path.

"Ok, this conversation has been too serious for too long," I said suddenly after a brief period of silence enveloped us. "Let's just cuddle."

I pushed Noah gently back on the bed, before lying next to him, placing my head on his chest. I could feel his strong muscles underneath my cheek, emanating warmth. He wrapped one of his big arms around me and held me firmly against him.

We lay like that, occasionally talking, but mostly just basking in each other's presence.

After a while, I lifted my head and gently kissed Noah's lips. He kissed me back, and I gently parted his lips with my tongue, tracing the contour of them with the tip until his tongue intercepted. We began slowly making out, and I rolled on top of him to continue the exchange, wrapping my arms around his neck as we probed each other's mouths.

Needless to say, I quickly could feel my erection growing down the side of my leg, and I began gently thrusting it against Noah, moaning softly into his mouth, which only led to our kisses becoming more frenzied.

Noah's hands began rubbing up and down my back, almost massaging my muscles and pulling me deeper into his muscular body. I could clearly feel his erection straining in his shorts, and it felt big. I began to lose myself to abandon and started thrusting my cock against his through our clothing, Noah's moans joined mine as we made out, sloppily exchanging saliva.

His right hand cupped my ass and began squeezing and caressing it, sending me out of this world. Fleetingly, I had the thought that I was glad I had returned to the gym, as my ass was much firmer than it would have been only a few weeks ago. Noah's left hand began snaking up under my shirt, firmly pressing, kneading, and exploring.

With my left hand, I began to run my fingers through his hair, occasionally pulling softly, while my right began to explore his defined chest through his shirt. I found his nipple and pinched it gently, causing him to thrust his hard cock against mine with a new fervor.

His hand began to slowly track down my back. As I felt his fingers slowly slip underneath the waistband of my underwear, I froze. I guess I just wasn't quite ready for that yet.

"Noah, I'm sorry," I gasped, flustered and more than a little upset. It didn't help that I was out of breath.

"No," he responded, sounding a little frustrated. "I lost control. I'm so sorry, Scott. When things started to heat up, I was going to just let you set the pace, but I didn't do that. I pushed too hard. Damn it!" Noah added, almost angrily.

I rolled off of him and pulled him against me, swapping places in the same position we had been cuddling in before. We lay like that in silence for a minute.

"Don't be mad at yourself. We both just got a little carried away," I said finally. "That was…just…" I trailed off, unable to figure out the right word to complete my thought.

"Awesome," Noah said, completing it for me.

"Yeah," I responded.

We continued to lay there for several minutes before I broke the silence again. "Just give me some more time. Keep being patient with me, but rest assured that you obviously know how to really get me going."

"I'll say. I'm surprised you didn't cause Tom and Sarah to run in to make sure everything was ok with your moaning," Noah said with a grin, adding to the new-found levity.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself as well, mister." I giggled and smacked his back.

"Eh. It was alright."

"Liar," I replied, poking him in the side and causing him to jerk away and laugh.

If it weren't for the fact that he reminded me that Zach was asleep, it probably would have escalated into a full-on tickle fight. Instead, we cozied up against each other again for a while, completely relaxed in each other's arms.

Eventually, it was Noah who broke the serenity.

"I'm sorry, but we have to untangle."

"Why? This is comfy."

"It doesn't matter how comfy we are, because I really have to piss like a race horse. If the inside of your pants is pushing your limits, my guess is that water sports are completely off the table!"

"That they are, and for so many reasons," I said with a laugh, extracting myself from Noah's limbs.

When Noah returned, he looked a little downtrodden.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned. I briefly considered jokingly asking if he'd had an accident, but he didn't look like he was in the mood for jokes.

"It's just that this evening has been wonderful, but I'm getting really tired. I just don't want it to end."

"If you want, I can stay in here and we can cuddle the night away. You want to be big spoon or little spoon?" I asked, suggestively.

"You are just too much for me, Scott Hudgins," Noah responded, shaking his head with amusement. "As much as I'd love that, I think we need to sleep in our own beds tonight. Besides, the fact I spent last night on the couch is beginning to catch up with me, especially after all the chaos of this weekend. If we shared a bed, I have a feeling we'd have a very sleepless night. That's if we managed to behave, which I'm not sure I'd be able to."

"You claim that I'm always right, yet here you go again," I said with a chuckle. I got up from the bed and embraced Noah, once again pressing my lips against his.

"I love you Noah Abrams," I said between kisses.

"Mmm," he moaned softly, enjoying the pleasure of our kisses. "I love you, too. Now leave before I lose control again!" Noah added, breaking the embrace and swatting me playfully on my ass.

After one kiss, or possibly a few more, I went back to my bedroom and got ready for bed. I fell onto my side of the bed and pulled the sheets over me. Before I knew it, I was asleep.