Unforgivable - 25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Move in with me.” Corey knew he’d shocked his boyfriend when the man's wide blue eyes met his.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious.” They’d been dating for months now and spent as much time at each other's houses as their own. To Corey, this seemed like a natural progression. "We practically live together now; we just pay for two different places."

“Are you sure you're ready for this? It’s a huge step.” Jason’s expression had turned from surprised to concerned.

"I’ve wanted this for… wait… do you not want to move in with me?" Cory felt his stomach flip as nerves kicked in. This wasn’t the way he’d envisioned this conversation going. Maybe he’d jumped the gun, and Jason didn’t want to give up his own space.

"No, no, babe… that's not it at all. I just don't want you to feel like you have to make the offer. When I mentioned my lease was coming up for renewal, it was a statement of fact. I wasn’t trying to pressure you. Don’t rush into something you’re not sure about. I can look for another place, or see if I can sign on where I am for another year. Things have been great between us, so I’d understand if you want to keep things the way they are right now.”

Corey smiled warmly at his boyfriend. Shifting in his seat on the couch, he moved to straddle Jason's lap. Immediately, big hands went to his hips.

"Trust me, this request is for purely selfish reasons. I want you here. I love that you’re the last thing I see when I close my eyes and the first thing I see when I wake up. Hell, I sleep better when you’re wrapped around me. I know this seems fast, since we’ve really only been technically dating for five months, but we’ve known each other for most of our lives. I love you, and I trust you. I want this....” Corey paused to take a fortifying breath. “Will you move in with me?”

Jason studied him for a moment before his face lit up with a smile. “I would love to live with you.”

Corey fist-pumped, making both of them laugh.

“Thank you,” Corey said when the laughter died down.

“No. Thank you for trusting me… trusting us enough to take this leap.”

Their gazes met, and the joy in Jason’s eyes made Corey’s heart beat a little faster. It was obvious how much the man loved him, and Corey loved him just as much. Leaning in, he kissed his man, earning a groan from the big blonde as his tongue flicked against Jason’s lips. He could feel his boyfriend hardening beneath him as he ground against the denim covered cock.

“Babe,” Jason panted, rutting up against him. “If we don’t take this to the bedroom we might be giving your neighbors a show.”

Corey glanced back at the window. Sure enough, the curtains were wide open.

“Well, come on then,” Corey said as he dragged Jason to his feet. “Let’s take this celebration to our bedroom.”

Deep laughter followed Corey as he hurried out of the room, leaving Jason to give chase.

“Babe, where do you want me to put this?”

Corey looked over his shoulder and saw Jason with a computer monitor and keyboard. “In the office.” He indicated a room down the hall with his chin. “We can clear those boxes off of the desks and get that room put together when we’re done out here.”

Everything had come together quickly once Jason agreed to live with him. The lawyer had given his notice, and they started the process of transferring his things over. The first order of business had been to walk through both homes and decide what they wanted to keep and what they should get rid of. His boyfriend’s sixty inch television was at the top of Corey’s “keep” list, much to Jason’s amusement. Some things, like a new bed, and a desk Jason could use when he worked from home, were purchased together, adding to their shared space. It took some rearranging, but their lives were meshing together pretty seamlessly. In his sappier moments, Corey felt like they were meant to live together, in this house.

While unpacking the kitchenware he heard a phone ringing from somewhere in the house. It wasn’t his ringtone, so assumed it must be Jason’s.

“Good morning, Mom.” Jason walked by with his cell cradled between his ear and shoulder, and a heavy-looking box in his arms. Corey took the carton from him, and peered inside. More computer gadgets. His boyfriend was a geek. He indicated he was going to take the package to the other room, and received a thankful smile. Only half paying attention to the conversation, Corey had just set the box down beside his desk when Jason’s words drew his attention.

“You and Dad want to come for a visit next week?”

Curious, Corey immediately turned and walked back to the kitchen. The Sedor’s were coming to town? Jason’s surprised gaze met his for a moment as Corey stopped at his side.

“All right. I’ll let Corey know. Of course, Mom. I love you too. See you guys next week.”

Corey raised an eyebrow, and knew his expression was a mix of amusement and curiosity. “The in-laws are coming to visit?”

Jason chuckled. “It would seem so. Mom wants to see the house, and I think she’s dying to see you.”

Although Corey hadn’t seen Jason and Drew’s parents since they started dating, he’d spoken to Ruth Sedor several times. As Drew predicted, she was thrilled they were together, and couldn’t wait to see him again. Apparently she decided now was a good time.

“They’re going to rent a room at the Marriott.”

“They don’t want to stay here?”

“Mom wanted to make it a getaway for her and Dad, as well as a quasi-housewarming. It’s better this way anyways. We only have the two bedrooms, and one of them is our office now.”

It was true, the house was on the smaller side, but Corey loved it… as did Jason. At Jason’s insistence, he paid Corey fifty percent of the value of the house before he let Corey add him to the title of the property. Corey thought it was overkill, and would have happily added him without the money, but his lawyer lover wanted him protected. It was practical, and shouldn’t have been romantic, but the thought of Jason trying to take care of him again made him love the man even more.

“We’re going to have a busy few weeks,” Corey mused. “Your parents will be here next week and we’re off to Pierre and David’s on the twenty-third.”

Jason pulled him into his arms. “Has Pierre stopped emailing you draft itineraries yet?”

Corey laughed and shook his head. “I haven’t checked my email today. The last I heard, he wanted to take us on a boat tour in the canal. I keep trying to tell him we’ve been to Ottawa before.”

Jason chuckled with him. “He’s just excited to have you on his turf.”

Corey rested his temple against the big blonde’s chest. “I know he is, but I’m exhausted already.”

“Come on.” Jason tapped the brunette on the butt. “Let’s get the rest of this stuff put away, then we can wash the grime off of each other.”

“Mmm, I like the way you think,” Corey responded with a grin.

With the proper motivation, they hurried through the rest of the unpacking.

“What’s this?” Corey asked as he picked up a small, unmarked metal box. Jason looked over, and a blush worked up his neck to stain his cheeks. Curious, he shook the package gently, feeling something shift inside. He looked up when Jason’s shadow fell across the floor where he sat. With a bashful look, Jason sat beside him and held out his hands. Handing over the box, an intrigued Corey waiting to see what his boyfriend would say.

Clearing his throat, Jason slid the lid off and put it aside. “It’s nothing much. Just a few things I’ve kept over the years. Memories I didn’t want to forget.” Taking out the first item he passed it to the brunette, not quite meeting his eyes. "This was one of my favorites." Corey looked at what Jason put in his hand… a concert ticket stub.

“This is from the Tragically Hip concert in Toronto,” Corey said, stroking his finger over the cardstock. A flood of memories came back to him. It was the first real concert he’d ever attended, and was an amazing night. “All of us went out for dinner before the show… and you bought me a concert tee.”

“I did.”

Corey looked up to see a wistful smile on his boyfriend’s face, as if he was remembering the night as well. “The concert was a fourteenth birthday gift for Drew, wasn’t it?”

Jason nodded in agreement. “He begged for months when he heard the Hip would be in Toronto. I think Mom finally got sick of the whining.” Corey laughed remember how persistent his best friend had been.

“Even with the crowds, it was cold that night.”

“And you forgot your jacket in the car,” Jason said softly, running his palm over Corey’s arm.

Corey thought back to that evening, waiting in line, chatting happily with the two brothers. “You gave me yours,” he said suddenly, remembering the much too big leather that smelled so good.

“You were shivering. I couldn’t let you freeze.”

“God, I had such a crush on you back then.” Corey’s laugh was self-deprecating. “When you gave me your coat, I was over the moon, and then you bought me the t-shirt… even though I knew it was because my wallet was in the car with my jacket, I was a goner.”

“I have no idea what you saw in me.”

Corey shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? You were a hot, older guy who treated me like a friend… an equal. Even better, you were openly gay. You were everything I wanted, and what I wanted to be.”

Jason blushed, either in embarrassment or pleasure, and reached up to cup the brunette’s cheek with his large hand. “How long?”

“How long did I have a crush on you?” When Jason nodded, Corey thought for a moment before answering. “I knew for sure in the eighth grade. I was probably deep in puppy love long before then, but I was confused. I had no frame of reference, and didn’t have a clue what my feelings meant. It was different than what I felt for Drew, but it took time to realize what I was experiencing wasn’t friendship or brotherly affection.”

“I didn’t know until you were in grade ten,” Jason murmured, rubbing his thumb over Corey’s lower lip. “I cared about you, but it wasn’t until you started seeing Alain that I knew I felt something more.”

“Alain?" Corey’s brow furrowed. “But I only went out with him for a few weeks.” The charming young man had drawn his attention, but Corey quickly realized the boy was far more experienced, and wanted more from him than he was prepared to give. “Why didn’t you say anything after we broke up?”

“For essentially the same reason... Alain.”

“What did Alain have to do with it?” Corey felt his frustration rising when he thought about the time they could have had. “We could have been together years ago. If you had said something….”

“I would have hurt you, Cor.” Jason’s voice was so soft it was barely audible. “I may have wanted you, but I wasn’t ready for anything serious. When you told us what happened, why you ended it… I knew I wasn’t what you needed. You wanted… needed serious. You deserved it.”

Corey was touched. He always knew Jason was protective of him, but he didn’t expect this. “I guess neither of us was ready for the other,” he replied, leaning in to Jason’s touch. “We both had to grow up.”

“I needed time to realize how much I wanted this.” Jason waved a hand between them. “Time to deserve you.”

“You’re too hard on yourself. You’ve always deserved someone who loves you, Jase. What you needed was time to figure out what you wanted.”

“Even though I regret how things ended with Luc, at least he showed me I was ready to commit myself to someone… to you.”

“I may hate that he hurt you, but part of me will always be grateful, because it brought you back into my life.”

Jason kissed him again. It was hungry and almost desperate. Corey held onto his larger boyfriend’s shoulders, letting the other man set the pace. After a few minutes of deep, wet kisses, the big blonde rested his forehead against Corey’s. “God, I love you. I have since we were kids. I’m sorry it took so long for me to figure things out.”

“I think things worked out the way they were meant to,” Corey said, running his fingers through his boyfriend’s soft blonde hair. “We’re together and happy now… that’s what matters.” He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the comfort of Jason’s touch. “Okay, enough of this. The past is the past. Let’s finish unpacking so we can finally enjoy our first night in our home.”

Corey looked around the bedroom and smiled. Although there weren’t many obvious pieces, seeing Jason’s things in their bedroom gave him a warm, content feeling. Strong arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him back into a muscular body.

“Are you happy?” Jason’s deep voice whispered against the shell of his ear, making him shiver.

“Very.” He turned and slipped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. Corey tilted his head back so he could look up at the taller man. Their arms tightened as both mens’ bodies responded to their proximity.

“I think it’s time for that shower,” Jason said, nibbling along Corey’s jaw. “Then we can see how sex in a bed we own together compares.”

“You’re full of good ideas lately.”

“I’m glad you think so, because I have a few ideas about that desk too.”

A big that you to my friend and editor, Gary.     Thank you to everyone who reads and supports this story.
I hope you enjoyed the boys' talk