Death & Tequila [mxm]

30. Moscato

Jaiden's internal clock woke him, and he opened his eyes to be greeted by the warm light of the sunrise. Part of it seemed unreal, unsure of what came over him the night before. As much as he hated Xavier, perhaps he was somewhat grateful the asshole decided to stop by.

Was he still afraid of opening himself up? Was he afraid of losing Toni? It was like he was on the edge of a panic attack. There was more that he wanted to share with Toni. He wanted to be completely honest and transparent with him, showing him some of his darker sides. He had seen glimpses. He has seen the sadness and the loss. But he needed to know how he fell into an abyss. It may not have been the most impactful part of his history, but it was the period that he was most ashamed of.

Toni said he wanted to know his past, so Jaiden wanted to share it—even if it frightened him.

"Mi sol. You're awake?" Toni's heavy voice was like someone plucked a guitar string. It reverberated inside of him, and any lingering anxiety soothed.

Jaiden turned his head and looked into the dark eyes that held immeasurable affection. 

"Good morning." He whispered and rolled over into his arms, his cheek pressed into his chest.

Toni held him close. "Te amo."

Jaiden nearly melted when he heard this. He would have bolted if he had listened to any man say something like this in the past. But coming from Toni, it was the nectar that comforted him.

Jaiden smiled and nuzzled Toni. "I should run to the apartment before work.  I still have some items I should bring over."

Toni smirked. "Just bring everything."

Jaiden laughed and climbed out of bed without any clothes. "I would like to see that on my motorcycle."

"I can take you in the car or borrow my sister's truck."

Jaiden gave him a wry look, thinking Toni was fully invested in his joke. "I'm only bringing a couple of things, not moving in."

Toni's smirk only became more prominent. "Yet."

Jaiden laughed. "I'm not moving in yet." He corrected himself and walked into the bathroom to shower. He had technically slept here every night for almost two months. He was practically living here, to the point that Toni had made space in his closet for him.

He didn't have that much to move anymore if he wanted to.  He bit his lip and wondered if Toni was serious about his offer. Although he had already called this place home, he liked the idea of making it official.

He wondered if it would be moving too fast but laughed at himself. Their relationship hadn't been following the traditional sequence of events. It was different from the norm; Jaiden was out of his element. This relationship was unknown territory for him - like he was driving down an unfamiliar. What stops were on the way? Where will he end up?

But somehow, that created more excitement than reluctance, which was another surprise for Jaiden.

When he got out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and noticed that Toni had left the bedroom. But he was greeted by the smell of coffee wafting through the house. He moaned with pleasure. He needed a few cups after their rigorous night.

He followed the heavenly scent to the kitchen and saw Toni shirtless with joggers hanging low on his hips. He was on the phone while facing away from Jaiden, so he didn't know he had entered.

Jaiden picked up the conversation halfway through while leaning against the wall. His eyes never left Toni, and he savored the sound of his early morning voice.