Good Guys Don't Date Bad Boys - 43. Just Derpy Things

Chapter Forty-Three – Just Derpy Things

Jonathan was as silent as a cat as he slunk along the wall and then raised his hand to knock softly on Maddox’s door. Without waiting to be invited in, he turned the doorknob and snuck inside, all the while making sure that no one was roaming the hallways at that hour. He gasped in surprise as he found himself face to face with Maddox, who must have gotten close without him realizing it, as busy as he had been with getting inside the room undetected.

“You scared me,” he said in an accusatory tone, but he smiled broadly as Maddox leaned in and kissed him.

“Hamilton, you’re sneaky,” Maddox teased him. “What would your parents say if they saw you visiting me at night like this?”

Jonathan snorted and dropped his head against the door. That only left him open for Maddox to attack the side of his neck with a hungry kiss. It was just getting really good, when Maddox pulled away. “As much as I want to jump your bones, there’s something I want more.”

“Um, what?” Jonathan asked and continued to rest against the door, while he watched Maddox walk around the room in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. It was quite difficult for him to think of anything but one thing while taking in his boyfriend’s naked chest and the treasure trail leading to that place that could make him crazy with pleasure.

“My eyes are up here,” Maddox teased him again. “We have to talk, Jonathan.”

“Do we?” Jonathan murmured softly. “I thought I was here for some serious bareback riding.”

The giddy laugh from Maddox confirmed that at least he wasn’t the only one desiring such things.

“You’re not wearing your riding boots.”

“Well, it would have been a pain to sneak around in them, don’t you think? Plus, an even bigger pain to explain them if I was caught.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Maddox said, all good-naturedly. “It just makes my job easier.”

“All right,” Jonathan said and crossed his arms. “But put on a t-shirt or something. This is all a bit too distracting.”

Maddox winked at him and grabbed a tee from his duffel bag. The way the fabric clung to each perfect mound of muscle did nothing for Jonathan’s nerves, though. Maybe this was a good time to teach himself some self-restraint.

“Babe,” Maddox started, and this time he didn’t appear to be saying the word in jest or playfully. He ran one hand through his hair and pursed his lips. “I have no better way of saying this. You need to come back to Sunny Hill once the winter break is up.”

Jonathan frowned slightly and sighed. “Maddox,” he said quietly, “I don’t think a couple of weeks are enough for Xpress to forget about me. They will just go public with that video.”

Maddox began to pace the room. “I know, I know, but really… it feels like we’re just letting them win, doesn’t it?”

Jonathan felt his shoulders slump as they seemed to get heavier. “I don’t think… I mean, I don’t want to live through the same thing again. At my old school, well, they really milked it for all it was worth, if you know what I mean.”

“I won’t allow that to happen,” Maddox said and clenched his fists.

“What can you do? I appreciate that you care, Maddox, I really do, but this isn’t the kind of thing that anyone could stop. Even my parents offered to hire some PI to deal with it. It’s just the type of thing that never ends. Huzzah, long live the internet,” Jonathan added with a defeated grimace.

“Exactly.” Maddox walked over to him and grabbed his shoulders. “Are you going to live in fear for the rest of your life? Let anyone who’s disgusting enough to use such a thing to blackmail you any time they want? It could go on forever, you know that, right?”

Jonathan closed his eyes to shut out the hope in Maddox’s eyes for a while. “It’s not really that much of a choice,” he murmured. “I… just can’t deal with it.” He made a move as if to get away from Maddox, but his boyfriend must have anticipated that because he hugged him fiercely and didn’t let him go.

“Jonathan, I’m sure that I cannot stop Xpress from publishing that thing, but I’m damn sure I can beat the crap out of anyone who dares to say anything to you because of it.”

Jonathan allowed Maddox to hug him and hugged him back. He caressed the short hair at the back of Maddox’s head. “Are you trying to tell me that you’re going to live up to your Mad Dawg persona?”

“Why not? It’s for a good cause.”

They pulled away only so that they could look at each other. “I appreciate every supportive word and good intention you have for me, Maddox. But how patient are you going to be with me each time I feel the need to run and hide?”

“As often as I need to for as long as it takes,” Maddox promised. “Come on, babe, you wrote me a seven-page love letter. Are you telling me that we’re planning for a long-distance relationship?”

Jonathan pursed his lips. “That’s something I didn’t think about,” he said. “I mean, of course, I’ll be here, and you’ll be… at Sunny Hill.”

“See?” Maddox let go of his shoulders only so that he could grab Jonathan’s hands and place them on his pecs. “Are you sure you can stay away from all this for so long?”

“You’re driving a hard bargain here,” Jonathan admitted.

“Oh, babe, you don’t even know how hard.”

They burst into laughter at the same time. It took Jonathan a few moments to realize that they were being a bit loud. He put one finger against Maddox’s lips. “I really don’t know what to tell you. I want to be with you. I want to continue to room with Ray and ply him with food, and play board games with him and Hanna. I want to hear about Rusty’s latest adventures straight from the horse’s mouth--”

“Horse, right. Just tell that to him and we won’t hear the end of it,” Maddox interrupted him with a snort. “Jonathan, if you don’t come back, you’ll regret it forever. And the professors all love you, I know it. So does everyone else. What else are you going to do for school? Go back to that horrible place?”

“No, definitely not.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t really like the idea of transferring there.”

Jonathan laughed softly and caressed Maddox’s cheeks. “I have no idea what to do right now. I’m giving up on my studies for a while, I guess.”

“No shit,” Maddox countered. “For real? And what do your mom and dad say? Aren’t they all about striving for excellence?”

“Maybe I’ll excel at procrastination,” Jonathan said with a forced smile.

Maddox pursed his lips and shook his head. “No way, there’s absolutely no way. You love studying. I’ve never seen anyone cover himself in books like they’re some cozy blanket the way you do.”

“I can still read,” Jonathan pointed out.

“Nope, you’re not going to bail on me like this. And seriously, this castle is a bit cold.” Maddox shivered as if he had just felt a draft. “What if you catch pneumonia and die? I would never forgive you, just for the record.”

Jonathan looked away. He only had to close his eyes and everything rushed back to him, the way it had all happened. He had run away without looking back. But was it going to be easy to stay away now? To leave behind true friends and a real boyfriend on top of everything else was not the same as before, now was it?

“I’ll… I guess I’ll think about it.”

Maddox smooched him loudly on the lips. “Thanks, babe. And, in the meantime, I’ll think of something. Does anyone else know? I mean, I get it that you told your parents, since you mentioned the PI.”

“Ray knows. I just couldn’t lie to him, I swear.”

“I know. He should work for the FBI,” Maddox said matter-of-factly. “He’s like a scary hamster.”

“I won’t let him know you said that.”

“Then I should talk to him. Two heads are better than one.”

“What for?” Jonathan asked.

“To come up with a plan to make sure that Sunny Hill doesn’t turn into some shit show for you. A lot of people are good people there, but we have our weeds too, I guess. Or else, a stupid thing like Xpress wouldn’t exist.”

Jonathan remained quiet for a while. Ray didn’t judge him, and Maddox didn’t, either. They were good people, indeed. “Maddox, you know, if you think it’s all right, I have no qualms with you telling your friends about the blackmail. I mean, they know me, and I know them, and if this remains a secret, I think they’ll blame me for manipulating you for some obscure purpose.”

“Are you sure?” Maddox asked.

Jonathan nodded, even though he felt the same familiar squeeze on his heart. “I don’t trust Xpress not to release the video even if I do what they say. So, I don’t want it to be an unpleasant surprise for them.”

“All right,” Maddox said. “That’s very courageous of you, just saying.” He kissed Jonathan’s temple.

***

Maddox had been surprised to hear Jonathan’s wish to let more people know about the blackmail, but that didn’t make him less happy. If there was anyone he trusted without reservation, it was his friends. He knew for a fact that they wouldn’t judge Jonathan, either, because they were all good people. “I’m sure Dex can ask his dads for some advice. And Kane’s dad is a big shot executive, so he must know lawyers and all that.”

“At least, we don’t have to worry about lawyers with my parents knowing what’s going on,” Jonathan said and offered Maddox an unsure smile. “They know a lot of lawyers, too. Only I don’t want it to come to that. Even if this scandal is nipped in the bud, another will resurface when I least expect it. That video is out there, no matter how much of a problem it is for me. It’s not something that can be changed. So, maybe I don’t want my parents involved too much,” he said.

“Duly noted,” Maddox said promptly.

Jonathan couldn’t suppress a smile as he brushed Maddox’s hair out of his gorgeous eyes. “You’re sexy when you get all worked up like that.”

That was a cue if he knew anything about cues. He leaned into Jonathan’s touch. “You’re not getting away from me, just so you know. And mom’s really dreaming about that title.”

“Ah, the title. I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint everyone in that regard. Apparently, I’m the proud descendant of a long line of bricklayers.”

Maddox stopped and stared at his boyfriend’s face in disbelief. “Are you pulling my leg?”

“I just found out today myself. So, as you can see, we’re very much alike.”

“Hmm, that’s great news. No drinking tea with the pinky raised, right?”

“Unless you want to. For the record, I was eavesdropping on my parents when I heard about it. Let’s keep it our secret.”

“Hey, it’s going to be my family, too, soon, and I’m all for keeping up appearances,” Maddox joked. “What else did you find out?”

“Aren’t you the curious one?” Jonathan teased.

Maddox grinned and snuck his hands underneath Jonathan’s soft shirt. “You know me.”

“Well,” Jonathan sucked in a breath, “they agreed that I’m not going to change my mind about you, and that’s good. The not so good part is that my mom expects my dad to put you through the wringer, whatever that means. On the bright side, my mom really thinks Rusty’s voice is special. She even called him a wunderkind.”

“Let’s not tell him that. It might go to his head,” Maddox said. “He needs a challenge in his life, and your mom just raised the bar. I’m telling you, we might see a different Rusty Parker because of her.”

“Then, that’s settled. Ah, and I know you talked about Dex and Kane, but I just want you to know that I’m all right with letting Rusty know about the whole scandal brewing thing.” Jonathan cleared his throat slightly, like it was difficult for him to talk about it.

Maddox understood as much. “Rusty may be an airhead and a kinkster most of the time, but I’m willing to bet that if there’s someone who’s going to take the situation you’re in to heart the most, it’s him.”

“I got to know him a little during Thanksgiving break.” Jonathan bit his bottom lip and looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“Hey, I was stupid, okay?” Maddox said quietly and moved his hands up to Jonathan’s shoulders and squeezed in apology. “I guess I was surprised by my own jealousy. I don’t think I had ever experienced it in my life before that moment.”

“So, you’re over it now? Completely?” Jonathan teased him with a smirk.

“Completely. If I ever get jealous again, the only thing I need to do is re-read your love letter, and I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to tease me about that forever, aren’t you?” Jonathan moaned and let his head fall back in feigned exasperation.

“Of course,” Maddox confirmed brightly. “Now, what should I expect from your dad? Is he going to challenge me to a chess game? I hope I don’t have to demonstrate my prowess in riding horses, because I don’t know anything about that. Also, no trivia outside my school curriculum,” he joked.

“Be yourself,” Jonathan said. “Always remember that even if you don’t win him over, that doesn’t mean that you haven’t won me already. And I’d rather you don’t get stressed by this whole thing. We’ve barely survived our finals, right?”

Maddox shook his head and then took Jonathan’s hand. “That totally went out of my mind. Finals have nothing on meeting your parents.”

“I haven’t asked you… what do you think of them?”

Maddox stopped for a moment. “Wait, do you want to know if I like them?” He pointed at his chest in disbelief.

Jonathan shrugged. “It would be nice if you did, but it’s not a requirement.”

“Well, they’re scary, as Rusty said, but your mom is really amazing, and your dad looks so dignified. Mom and dad are going to be over the moon once they meet them. No one in that neighborhood is ever going to hear the end of it. And I’m happy I met them. However, it’s you I want, so let’s stop with the serious talk for a bit, what do you think?”

Jonathan nodded in agreement. Maddox pulled him toward the bed, and they lay down on their sides, facing each other.

“Do you know when I realized that I’m really in love with you?” Maddox asked, taking in his boyfriend’s beautiful eyes, nose, and lips. He caressed Jonathan’s jawline before going lower, moving his fingers over a nice pec and resting on the quick to harden pebble of flesh beneath his touch.

“When?” Jonathan asked, as his breath began to shorten.

“When I realized that I could sit like this with you, watch you, listen to you, without wanting to have sex.”

“Oh,” Jonathan said, his lips curling in a disappointed smile.

Maddox snickered. “Why the long face? Don’t you want me to want you for more than just your gorgeous body?”

Jonathan grinned and grabbed Maddox’s chest fast. “Well, if you put it like that...” He began kneading the flesh in earnest, earning a grunt from Maddox.

“You’re putting me to the test here, when all I want is to be romantic for a change,” Maddox complained.

“I think you proved that plenty when you landed on my doorsteps with Rusty in tow. Wait, did you drive here? I just realized--”

Maddox brought Jonathan’s words to a halt with a kiss. “Do you think there’s a chance for a shotgun wedding if you sleep here until morning?”

“Nice try, Kingsley. Sorry, in mom’s and dad’s backyard, we need to play by their rules.”

“I see. So, it’s high time for a quickie, then?”

Jonathan agreed with a kiss. Maddox didn’t waste any time and rolled him on his back, stealing kisses and teasing Jonathan by dodging his whenever he felt like it. As his boyfriend’s frustration grew, Maddox’s delight in torturing him just went higher. Suddenly, he dropped lower and pulled Jonathan’s silk pajama bottoms down over his slender hips. For a moment, he laughed as a very high sprung cock hit him in the face but made quick work of swallowing it halfway and making Jonathan gasp and beg for mercy with his next breath.

“Missed this,” he said as he took a moment before diving further down. “A lot.”

“Then stop dallying,” Jonathan ordered and pushed his head down.

Yes, that was a part of his boyfriend he liked so much, among many others, the demanding and somewhat domineering side. His own cock got painfully hard and he ground it against the bed as he took Jonathan’s deeper. No way could he do the amazing stuff Jonathan was capable of when he had a cock in his mouth, but he was determined to blow the other’s mind away.

Jonathan moaned and fucked his mouth, his hips rising off the bed in a strained effort to get more. Maddox pushed back, holding him down, his mouth helping win the battle for dominance. Who would have thought he would like it so much, to be held in that position by a strong hand while burning eyes watched him from above? There was so much pure abandonment in those amber eyes that he only felt motivated to do and be more so that Jonathan would continue to look at him like that forever.

Jonathan grunted his warning and threw his head back, pulling him out of his trance. He accepted it all, no, more than that, he was mad about it. He licked the head while pulling back, making Jonathan shudder and moan a soft protest.

“Awesome, babe,” he teased and moved upward until he could reach the slightly parted lips and shared the tasty release.

Jonathan snuck his tongue inside his mouth, making it dirtier and hornier than it should have been after blowing off like that. Maddox couldn’t help but groan helplessly as his neglected cock rubbed against Jonathan’s thigh. Then, his ass was unceremoniously grabbed by eager hands, and he needed to protest. “Hey, you’re killing me here.”

Jonathan didn’t say a word and just flipped him over to return the favor. Maddox didn’t mind at all when Jonathan pushed his sweatpants down completely and forced him to spread his legs wide. After that, it was as if a full-fledged buffet with the tastiest morsels had opened in front of his boyfriend. Jonathan made a meal out of licking Maddox’s balls, reaching naughtily to the tender flesh right under them and dragging moan after moan out of him.

“I know you’re good,” Maddox protested, “but do you think you could go for the main course already?”

“But I really,” Jonathan said through slurps and licks, “really want to do this.”

No time was given for him to ask what his lover meant by that. When Jonathan’s deft tongue reached inside his ass, without as little as an introduction, all he could do was moan. “Oh, gawd, fucking yes, that’s so good.”

The devilish smile thrown his way made him understand that he was not going to be let off the hook that easily. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the thorough rimming, and then the one finger sneaking inside and probing him everywhere. Jonathan went for two and made him squirm in mind-blowing pleasure, and only after that, his poor cock got what it deserved.

Jonathan was pumping him at both ends, penetrating him with his wet fingers, and sucking him down to the hilt. Maddox didn’t exactly know where pleasure started and where it ended. He lived through a cycle of impossible sensations, tears welling in his eyes, drool coating his lips, his entire body taut and building toward release.

He didn’t know if he cried out or not. What he could tell, through the endless spasms of his cock inside Jonathan’s mouth, was that this had to be the most glorious blowjob of his life. “Babe,” he drawled as soon as he was able to speak, “you fucking blew my mind.”

Jonathan snickered and kissed his cheek loudly. “Don’t let your friends hear you calling me ‘babe’. They’ll torture you for all eternity.”

Maddox sighed contentedly. Not even the prospect of his friends making fun of him for being head over heels could take away from the pleasure seeping into his bones right now. “Hey, what’s your pet name for me? You didn’t give me one.”

“Babe’s not exactly a pet name.”

“But you’re a total babe,” Maddox drawled in a phony accent. “It fits you. Now, come on, give me a pet name, or I won’t let you go back to your room.”

Jonathan lay on his back and put his hands behind his head. It looked like he was using the ceiling as a reference on pet names for boyfriends. “Hmm, how about Ace?”

“Ace?” Maddox asked. “How did you come up with that? Wait a minute, I hope it’s not some dude you used to have a crush on or something.”

Jonathan laughed, which only made him get up on one elbow and stare his boyfriend down.

“No, I can assure you that I didn’t have a crush on him.”

Maddox blinked, still unsure why Jonathan was smirking all slyly like that. “Well?” he insisted.

“But he did have the most awesome hair, all black,” Jonathan said. “Not a speck of white. And he was nothing but a pack of muscles, they used to say. And he could hunt like no one else.”

“Hmm, is that like one of your forefathers, or something? ‘Cause that would be so totally weird.”

“And he also had the wettest nose…”

Maddox deftly grabbed a pillow and hit Jonathan in the face. “You’re talking about a dog!”

“Not just any dog!” Jonathan tried to dodge and bat the pillow away. “He earned enough medals to fill a wall. I can show you pictures.”

“I cannot believe you.” Maddox continued to attack his boyfriend. “I’m calling you an endearing name, and you’re thinking of me like I’m some dog.”

“Well, I can always call you Mad Dawg, but that’s a mouthful.”

“You can bet your sweet lips I’m a mouthful.”

“Ace is much better. Plus, as much as he was a killer on the hunting grounds, he was a totally derpy dog when indoors.”

“Derpy dog? Clearly, you’re spending too much time with Rusty. And what of me makes you think that I’m like that dog?”

“Hmm, I could list a few reasons.” Jonathan was quick to grab the pillow and turn the tables by rolling Maddox over and pinning him underneath. “According to family legend, he was loyal, stubborn, and a very handsome creature. Do those things sound familiar?”

“How about the derpy stuff?”

“Well, he liked to play a lot. My late grandfather always said that Ace had a human heart. He even knew how to play pranks on his grandfather. And he was very intelligent, you know?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but all right, call me Ace,” Maddox said. “But not in front of the others, okay? They’ll want to know why, and that’s the kind of thing they might use to tease me forever.”

“We’ll never tell them why,” Jonathan said promptly. “We’re just going to say that I call you Ace, because you’re an ace at everything.”

“Like they’ll believe that,” Maddox said with a snort. “They’re so going to smell blood.”

“Do you want to bet on it? I’ll convince them.”

Maddox groaned and closed his eyes. “Any other ideas for a pet name?”

“I could always call you ‘pup’, but the next thing we know Rusty is going to be asking if I intend to put you on a leash and in one of those masks with a muzzle.”

“Ugh, right. We’ll be heading toward Derpy Town sooner than we can blink.”

“I thought so, too. So… Ace?”

“Yeah?”

“Ha, you answered. Clearly, that’s your pet name.”

“Jonathan Hamilton, you’re a damn sneaky bastard.”

***

With everyone gathered around the Christmas tree, all that was left was for them to open their gifts. Jonathan stole knowing glances in Maddox’s direction and winked at Rusty when the troublemaker looked at him and shrugged.

“We didn’t bring any gifts,” Rusty said.

“You are our guests,” Jonathan’s mom said promptly. “We are the ones who ought to apologize since we didn’t have the time to acquire more thoughtful gifts given such short notice.”

Like that would ever happen. Jonathan knew for a fact that his parents had been quite busy during the last two days just to make this occasion special. While holidays had always been cheerful in the family, despite their required strict decorum, this time, Jonathan could tell things were different in a good way.

For one, he could tell that his parents could barely wait for everyone to open their presents, all packaged neatly with bows on top. He couldn’t blame them, as he was in exactly the same boat and wanted to see their special guests’ reactions to his choices in gifts.

“Maddox, please, everyone’s waiting,” Jonathan’s dad said. “Break the ice.”

Maddox smiled and picked what looked like a very voluminous package. He grunted theatrically while he hiked it up and gestured for Rusty to help him. The fast unwrapping revealed what appeared to be a huge collection of books. Maddox turned toward Jonathan’s parents. “Wow, I think this covers everything there is to know about economics,” he joked as he looked through a few while Rusty held the huge box for him.

“No, just what you would need in case you’re considering a PhD,” Jonathan’s dad said promptly.

“I’ll think about it,” Maddox promised with a quirky smile. “If not, they’ll look impressive on my bookshelves.”

“Don’t let them gather dust,” Jonathan’s mom warned, wagging a finger at him.

Jonathan caught Maddox’s arm as he tried to reach for the small package that was from him. “Leave that for later,” he whispered, and then louder, “Let’s see what Rusty got.”

Rusty was giddy like a kid, and for some reason that made everyone around smile, too, infected by his enthusiasm. He dropped the box of books in Maddox’s arms and then grabbed one of the gifts, the larger one, which seemed to have stolen his attention. Rusty stared at the sweater a bit confused and then at Jonathan, with a bit of guilt. There was someone who also still felt a little guilty over the incident that had landed them both in hot water for no reason other than being a bit foolish.

“Read the note,” Jonathan encouraged him. “And it’s a new sweater, in case you were wondering.”

Rusty nodded and picked up the note. “Nice people deserve nice things,” he read and then smiled broadly and pressed the sweater against his chest. “How do I look? Can I wear it now?”

“Go ahead,” Jonathan said with shrug. “I’m sure you’ll look awesome in it.”

“Leave that for later,” Jonathan’s mom said in a tone that brooked no contradiction. “Open the one from us.”

Rusty didn’t comment, as it appeared that he was willing to listen to everything she said. He opened the small flat package with care, without tearing through the wrapping like before. “Meryl Mayweather,” he read slowly, “vocal coach.” He didn’t continue, and his smile faded. “I can’t take this,” he said and pushed the card toward Francine while looking away.

“Why not?” Francine asked, without hiding her surprise.

“Not now. I mean, I need to finish college. And play basketball.”

Everyone fell silent. Jonathan could tell his mom was debating whether she should berate Rusty for choosing basketball over getting proper training for his voice.

“Very well. It’s not time-sensitive,” Francine said with a wave. “Now, let’s just take this to the dining room.”

Jonathan could tell that Rusty’s rejection of her gift did get to her, but it wasn’t like Francine Hamilton to admit defeat just like that. Before walking away, she turned toward Rusty. “You’ll sing after. I’ll play the piano.”

So, orders had been given. Rusty stood there, holding the card and didn’t move until Maddox squeezed his shoulder.

Jonathan rushed to the rescue. “Rusty, you don’t have to--”

“I’ll keep it,” Rusty said decisively and slid the card into the back pocket of his jeans. “Just tell your mom not to hate me too much.”

“She doesn’t hate you. But don’t be sure that you escaped her clutches. She forced me through French for an entire summer when I was twelve. According to some people, I speak as well as a Parisian.”

“Shit,” Rusty said under his breath. “I’m your bestie, Maddox, but you got me into some serious trouble here.”

Maddox laughed wholeheartedly. “You did that to yourself.”

“True,” Rusty admitted. “Hey, I need to change into that sweater, though.”

***

“Wow, your mom can really play the piano,” Maddox said as soon as they were alone.

“And Rusty can sing. So far, it looks like he’s the only one who’s getting put through the wringer after all that talk,” Jonathan replied and hugged him from behind.

“You think? I have to read one million pages about research in economics or something. And I feel like that’s only the first test of many,” Maddox said and leaned back into his boyfriend’s hug. “Now, is it finally a good time to open your gift?”

“Yes, it is.” Jonathan kissed him on the cheek.

In all honesty, Maddox had felt on pins and needles while waiting for the Christmas dinner and entertainment afterward to be over so he could see what Jonathan had chosen as a gift for him. He turned to face Jonathan and began unwrapping the small package. Jonathan watched him closely, so Maddox felt like he had trouble opening the stylish box finally revealed. He took out the bracelet and stared at it for a moment. “It looks expensive,” he said after looking at it for a while.

“Never mind that,” Jonathan said and turned the bracelet so that Maddox could see the inside of the flat plate.

“For Maddox, Love, Jonathan.” Maddox remained baffled for a few more seconds. “Wow. I mean, how did you manage to get it engraved so fast?”

“There are perks to belonging to this family.” Jonathan snickered. “Do you like it? I mean, if it’s too much--”

“No way.” Maddox shook off his initial surprise at the costly gift and put the bracelet on his left wrist. “Do I look owned already?” he joked.

“Hopefully, yes. That was my plan all along, you know?”

“Thank you. It’s really awesome. I bet everyone’s going to envy me, now.”

“I’m happy you like it.”

“And I didn’t get you anything.”

“Really?” Jonathan smirked as he rested his arms on Maddox’s shoulders. “You brought yourself. And you know what I wanted the most for Christmas?”

Maddox groaned and rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to sing that, I hope.”

“We’ve had enough singing, I believe, to last us until next year.” Jonathan stopped for a moment. “I really mean it, Maddox,” he said, this time in a serious tone. “You coming here is the best gift I could hope for.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, because compared to all this,” Maddox gestured around, “I’m a poor boy.”

“Don’t think that. And it doesn’t matter anyway. If we’re still on with that engagement, you won’t be poor for long.”

They both burst into laughter at the same time. Maddox kissed Jonathan on the lips. “You know what’s overdue?”

“Hmm,” Jonathan barely managed, still leaning in for more kissing.

“That bareback riding,” Maddox said with a sly grin and grabbed Jonathan promptly by his shapely ass.

“Then let’s not keep you waiting,” Jonathan said in a breathless voice.

TBC