Dreams at Retail

Dreams at Retail 7

Chapter 7:

I wake up first the next morning. I look over at the alarm clock; 5:44 a.m., and then look at the sweet man lying next to me. He's on his back, his left leg cocked at forty-five degrees and his right leg straight out. His brother was right; he does snore. I giggle to myself and then lay my hand on his chest and start making little circles around his nipple. When I notice the first signs of the grin edging the corner of his lips I lean over and kiss the side of his face.

"Good morning..."

The grin grows a little. "Good morning, sexy. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. And now I'm gonna have to get up soon and get ready for work. I have to be there at seven."

"Awwwwww. That doesn't leave us much cuddling time, does it?"

"Well we can make the best use of the time available to us; turn to your left and back into me."

He giggles. "Where have I heard that before?"

"Well not from me yet. Maybe Javier's told you to do that before."  I smirk and laugh.

He reaches over him and smacks me in the side. "Hey now, I thought you said you were going to be nice?"

"That expired yesterday at midnight. Now get your cute your little ass over here and I'll cuddle your brains out."

He laughs and then snuggles into me, his ass pressing into my crotch a lot harder than what was probably necessary; not that I mind one bit. I bring my arm around him and pull him tightly against me, kissing the back of his head. I sniff his hair and kiss him again.

"You taste and smell soooo good. I was thinking of something right when I woke up. You didn't get to do your homework last night. Is that going to be a big problem in class today?"

"Not a big problem. I still have time to read one of the chapters before class starts at nine. I can do the work during lunch and then finish it off tonight. I'm sorry, but we won't get to play for a long time tonight; I'll have two days' worth of homework."

"I was thinking you might. It's okay, Mijo; school comes first. We'll have plenty of time to play when you don't have to study or do homework."

"What time do you usually get home from work?"

"Anywhere from five to six; depending on how busy we are. We close at six, so that's a given. When's your last class today?"

"At three; I'll be home by four-thirty. I wish I knew how to cook, baby; I'd have dinner waiting for you."

I kiss the back of his head again. "Awwww, see, you're just as adorable as you say I am. Don't worry about it though; I'll throw something together when I get home."

"Do you always just throw something together when you get home?"

"No, I usually prep some things on Sunday and then freeze `em. I either put them in the slow cooker before I leave or nuke `em when I get home. It makes for a little more variety that way."

"Hey, that's a good idea. I guess we both got a little off track yesterday. I don't care though; it's worth it a thousand times over to be lying right here this morning."

I squeeze him tighter and kiss his head again. "It sure is. I wouldn't give up this for anything."

We spend another ten or fifteen minutes just cuddling and holding; me kissing his neck from time to time and him running his fingers along my arm. I guess the only thing that convinces us to get up is our bladders. I know mine is screaming for release. After sharing the toilet for a pee, both of us checking the other out and then giggling about it, we try to find the underwear we threw across the room. I put his precum soaked, though now dry ones on and he puts on the ones I was wearing. We both get hard almost immediately and then laugh about it. Once we're finally dressed, with me in my jeans and uniform shirt he whistles at me and grins.

"You look very sexy in your work clothes."

I grin. "You look sexy in everything; and in nothing at all."

He smiles, finishes tying his shoes and stands up. He's wearing his usual jeans, t-shirt and black Nike's, and looking as good as always. He walks over to me, pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. I bring my arms around him and pull him against me, my head resting next to his. I whisper in his ear.

"I'm sure glad you like to hug and cuddle; they're two of my favorite things in life."

He sighs contentedly. "Mine too. I love to be held. And I love holding you; you feel soooo good."

After a good two minute hug, I release him, kiss his nose and then his mouth and then smile at him.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

He grins. "You. I was actually gonna wake you up with a good morning blow job, but you woke up first and then I really liked the idea of cuddling with you some more."

I smile. "Well I'll happily take a rain check on the blow job, but yeah, I love to cuddle when I wake up. So other than me, what would you like for breakfast?"

He smiles. "I guess if I have to eat real food, I'll just have whatever you're having."

"Well I normally just have cereal and toast; is that good?"

He smiles big. "It's the exact same thing I always have; it's perfect."

We share a breakfast of Raisin Bran and toast, and a couple of glasses of orange juice each. I get the dishes rinsed off and loaded in the dishwasher while he puts things away. I look at my watch and frown a little; it's 6:40. I walk up behind him, pull him into my arms and whisper in his ear.

"You have no idea how much I'd like to call in sick and just stay here with you, but I really have to get going."

He sighs. "I know what you mean; I'd love to do the same. But yeah, you need to get going. I'm really gonna miss you all day."

"I'm gonna miss you too. I'll try to get home as soon as I can though. And remember, this is your home now; make yourself comfortable and if you need to use anything of mine, then feel free."

"Thank you for saying that; especially the this is my home now part. I'm sooooo happy, Brody. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. Thank you too, Mijo. I'm very, very happy too. Now kiss me and let me get going; I don't wanna be late."

He turns in my arms, kisses me deeply and then just holds me for several seconds, sighing against my head. I kiss his ear, slowly pull back from him and then kiss his nose and smile at him.

"Have a great day at school. Call or text me during your lunch if you can."

He smiles. "Have a great day at work; and I will."

I kiss his nose again and then turn to get my coat, putting it on while he watches me, smiling. He walks with me to the garage door, pats my ass as I'm about to open it and then grins at me. I wink at him, smile and open the door, walking out to the car. He watches me back out of the driveway and then waves to me and closes the garage door. I never expected to feel so strongly about someone in such a short span of time, but my heart feels really heavy as I'm driving away. I guess heavy isn't the right word; I'm way too happy for that. Maybe longing would be a better description.

I still managed to arrive at work by 6:55, and there's only one other vehicle in the parking lot; which is a little different because it's usually fairly busy on a Monday morning. I get inside and see my boss working at the computer. He looks up at me.

"Thank God; at least you showed up. I've had three calls already claiming they're sick and can't make it in. I hope Gary shows up; we need someone in the yard."

"Well I can work the yard too if he doesn't. If you'll take care of the front I can take care of the yard."

He smiles. "Sounds like a plan. I hope we don't get slammed today."

"I hope so too."

Thankfully Gary does come in and I'm saved from having to work two jobs today. I don't mind working the yard, but not really crazy about it when it's only thirty degrees outside. It's about nine when I get a text from A.J. He says he's at school and managed to get two chapters read this morning. He also says he misses me like crazy and can't wait until I get home tonight. I text him back and tell him I miss him like crazy too and I might not get home until after six because we're really short-handed. We're texting back and forth when I hear the bell on the door. I look up and see Alejandro walking in. I tell A.J. I gotta go and look up at Alejandro, smiling. He smiles back and walks up to the counter.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon, but I need to rent a compacter; ours died."

"Sure. We have like six available. Just the one?"

"Eh, make it two; we'll get it kicked out faster."

"Sure thing." I get the paperwork started.

"I'm guessing that was my son you were texting when I walked in."

"Yeah, it was. He was telling me he made it to school okay."

"Good. I don't want his grades to suffer any, Brody."

"I told him the same thing; that school comes first."

"Good; it does. So did you have a chance to find out about buying the house?"

I blush a little. "Uh, no, not yet; I'll do it this evening."

He laughs. "The blush just told me you were busy with other things."

I blush again and he laughs again. "Uh, yeah, we still went on our date."

He rolls his eyes and grins. "Yeah, I'm sure you did. It's not that I ever want to hear any details, but I'm not dumb; I know what it's like when you're twenty-one and can do whatever you want."

I grin at him. "It doesn't change when you're in your thirties. I'll check on the house while he's doing homework tonight."

He laughs again. "Changing the subject?"

I grin. "Yup. Talking to you about that with your son isn't exactly comfortable for me."

He grins. "I guess I see your point. And I promise this is the last time I'll say it, but don't hurt him, Brody."

"I couldn't if I wanted to, Alejandro. He's the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met and I will never hurt him."

He smiles. "Good. Believe it or not, he gets the sweet and kind thing from his mother."

We both laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure he does. Speaking of, is she still out to eighty-six me?"

He laughs. "Well I wouldn't come to the house over the next few days, but no, she's not out to get you. We talked for a long time last night, as expected, and I think I finally got through to her that it's time to let him grow up. I kinda feel bad for Javier now; he's locked on her radar."

"She's feeling empty nest syndrome and isn't ready to let them go yet. I can understand that."

"I can too, but you have to let them grow up and find their own way in life too. Hopefully she finally sees that and learns to let all of them grow up."

"I hope so too. And I doubt she'll forgive me anytime soon, but I really hope she forgives A.J. and talks to him soon. He hasn't said it, but I know he's hurting about all of this."

"She will. They always work things out. They're both very stubborn but they love each other deeply; they'll work it out."

"Good. My new goal in life is to see that he's always happy; and that includes all aspects of his life."

He smiles. "That's good to hear, Brody." He grins a little. "Are you in love with A.J.?"

I sigh and then grin a little. "I'm not a hundred percent sure but I'm really, really close. My heart is there, it's my head that screams out that's it's only been two days and a few hours; it's too soon to know for sure."

He grins. "Well I'll tell you the same thing I'll tell him; don't lead with your heart; use your head too. There's no rush, is there? You're both young; give it some time. You'll know when it's real."

I smile at him. "Of all people, I never expected to hear you say that. Thanks, Alejandro."

He grins. "Like you, my goal is to see my son happy. If you make him happy then I'm behind you both a hundred percent. Hopefully, some day his mother will see that you make him happy too and give you her blessing. Give her some time, Brody."

"I will; I'm in no rush to push her or piss her off any more than I already have."

"Eh, she's not really mad at you specifically; she's just mad that this is happening before she's ready for it."

"It's hard to let go. It would be next to impossible to let him go."

He grins again. "Face it, you love him."

I smile. "I do love him. I'm just not sure about the in-love part."

He smiles. "You're leading with your heart. Take your time."

"I'm trying..."

I hand the invoice to him and he signs it and then looks at me, smiling. "Have a good day, Brody. And tell my son to call or text me this afternoon when you talk to him."

I smile. "I will. You have a good day too, Alejandro. You know the drill; Gary will get the compacters loaded in your truck."

"Yup. Thanks again. Hopefully I can get these back tomorrow. I hate having to rent stuff; it's too expensive."

"Oh sure, put me out of a job now that I have two mouths to feed." I grin at him.

He laughs. "Hey, you took him in willingly; you can feed him now. And he eats like a starving man so be prepared."

"Now you tell me."

He laughs and walks to the door, waving over his shoulder. I turn around and catch a glimpse of Gary as he's walking to the back door. I don't think much of it and just shove my copy of the invoice in the rack.

We've had four more customers since Alejandro left and I'm finally getting some time to catch up on inventory. I'm standing at the counter, inputting inventory numbers into the computer. About two minutes later, Gary is standing about two feet away from me. I don't even notice him until he speaks.

"So let me get this. You're a fag and you're bumpin' dicks with a fuckin' Mexican?"

I turn and stare him down. "Excuse me?"

He sneers at me. "You heard me. Or maybe you got too much jizz in your ears."

"Fuck you, redneck. First of all, my personal life is none of your fucking business. Secondly, if you ever call him a `fucking Mexican' again I'll kick your ass."

"Yeah, right, faggot. You gonna hit me with your purse?"

"I wouldn't waste the time finding it, redneck. I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get a grip before you find yourself on your ass. And who knows, I might just wanna fuck it while it's down there."

"Fuck you, faggot. My ass doesn't take cock like yours does; I'm a real man."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, whatever..."

Just then my boss walks in from his office. "What the hell is going on out here? I've heard fucking this and fucking that for the last minute. This is a place of business and I expect you both to conduct yourselves like it is!"

Gary looks at him. "Boss, we have a faggot here. Not only that, he's bumpin' dicks with that fuckin' Mexican's son who was just here. So he's a fag and a child molester. I guess it's true; they all are."

I turn back to Gary. "You utter one more word and you're goin' down, asswipe!"

After making the threat I look him over a little. He's about 5' 9" and maybe 150 pounds. He's also fifty-three years old and has a two pack a day smoking habit. He may get a few in but his endurance will leave him on his ass with me standing over him. I've only ever been in two fights; for the same reason oddly enough, but I stood my ground in both.

He sneers at me again. "Just try it, cocksucker; you'll be eatin' from the floor."

My boss steps in. "That's enough!" He looks at Gary. "You! Go out back and have a fucking smoke." He turns to me. "You! Go out front and cool off. I won't have you two slugging it out in my fucking store. Now get out!"

Gary sneers at me again. "Fuckin' faggot!" He turns and walks out through the back door. I just turn and walk out through the front door.

This is not how I wanted my week to start. I had such a great, incredible, wonderful weekend and now this. I've never really talked much to Gary and had no idea he was so homophobic. I wonder how the other three are going to be; if they're just as dense and dumb as he is. This could prove to be a really interesting week if they are.

I've been pacing back and forth in the parking lot for a few minutes, trying to calm down a little. I know better than to have a war of words with a moron but I let him get to me when he called A.J. a fuckin' Mexican. I guess maybe Regina was right about that part; it could be bad when dealing with ignorant rednecks. I'm looking at the street in front when I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and see Gary standing there holding a knife by his side. I look at the knife in his hands; it's about six inches long and maybe an inch wide; probably a hunting knife. I look at his face and smirk.

"So is this really worth going to prison for? Think about it; you'll be surrounded by those big bubbas who'll take your ass."

He sneers again. "I might end up in prison, but I'll be the bubba there. And yeah, there'll be one less faggot roaming the streets."

I shake my head. "You're even dumber than I gave you credit for."

"Fuck you, cocksucker. At least I'm smart enough to know you're supposed to fuck pussy and not boy ass."

I smirk again. "Well we need guys like you to keep makin' boys for us. Good job, fucktard."

He brings the knife up and lunges at me. I react immediately and kick the knife out of his hand. Once the knife is on the ground I bring my arm back and fire one right at his face, connecting with a loud crack. My hand hurts like hell but the satisfaction of hearing it was worth it. He staggers back a few inches and then lunges at me again, his fist heading for my gut. I turn a little and he misses that one but brings his other hand up and connects with my jaw. I shake my head a little to clear the stars out of my eyes and then bring my knee up, connecting with his balls. He howls and then grabs his nuts. While he's holding the boys I slam into his jaw using my right fist. He stumbles a little but recovers while holding his nuts with one hand; his face with the other. He tries to kick me in the nuts but I jump back and he misses. He stumbles forward and brings his left fist to the side of my head, connecting with a loud crack of his own. I shake my head again and just start whaling on his ass, my fists connecting with his head, face and gut. Within seconds I have him down on his knees, his hands trying to protect his face. I kick him in the nuts again as hard as I can and he's finished. He's lying on the ground, screaming and howling, holding his balls and coughing up blood. We're both panting and sucking in air like we can't get enough but he sounds like he's about to stroke out. I just stand over him, sneering at him.

"Got your stupid ass kicked by a faggot, didn't ya, redneck?"

He mumbles out a fuck you and coughs some more.

"You feel free to tell all your butt buddies at the lodge that a cocksucker took your ass down."

The next thing I know there's a cop car pulling into the parking lot, its lights flashing. The officer gets out of his car, his gun drawn and yells at me to get on the ground and put my hands behind my back. I comply immediately and I'm smelling the oil from the asphalt. He puts his knee in my back and then puts the handcuffs on me. He looks over at Gary.

"Are you gonna be okay? You need me to call the EMT's?"

"Yeah, call `em; I'm having a really hard time catching my breath. That cocksucker tried to kill me, officer."

I yell out. "Hey! I was defending myself. You came at me with a fucking knife!"

The officer looks at Gary again. "Is that true? Did you pull a knife on him?"

"Yeah, but not until he took the first swing, officer."

"Bullshit! I was just standing out here and you lunged at me with that knife!"

"Fuck you, cocksucker; I did not!"

Just then my boss comes out of the store, looking at all three of us and shaking his head. The cop looks at him.

"Did you see what happened, sir?"

"Yes, I was watching the whole thing on the monitor in my office." He points to the roof. "There's a security camera in that corner, officer. Brody is telling you the truth; Gary pulled a knife on him and lunged at him. He was just defending himself."

"Did you get it on tape, sir?"

"Just on the hard drive right now, but I can burn a DVD for you."

"Please do, sir. And I'd like to see the footage before you do. Do you know what started this whole thing?"

"Yes sir, Gary found out Brody is gay and was talking shit to him in the store. I told them both to go outside and cool off. Gary went to the back and Brody came out here."

Just then three more cop cars pull up. I guess if something's happening they don't like feeling left out of the fun. The first officer leans down and removes my handcuffs and then helps me stand up. He turns to the three who just arrived.

"This is an apparent assault and self-defense. The man on the ground lunged at this guy with a knife and he defended himself. The other one might need an EMT though; he can't seem to catch his breath." He turns back to me. "Do you know where the knife went?"

I point to the parking curb three spaces over. "It's over there; next to the curb. I kicked it out of his hand."

One of the three new ones walks over to get the knife while the one next to me turns back to my boss.

"I'd like to see that footage now, sir." He turns to one of his cohorts. "Keep an eye on that one until the paramedics arrive."

He walks into the store with my boss while I'm left just standing there wondering what the hell happens next. Talk about a bad Monday... Just then my phone churps. I pull it out of my pants pocket and look; it's a text from A.J. saying he misses me and is on his way to his next class. I tell him to have a great class and I miss him too. I don't want to stress him out so I don't say anything about what's happening with me. A few minutes later the cop and my boss walk out of the store, the cop holding a DVD case in his right hand. The next twenty minutes are filled with me giving a statement to them and signing forms saying I refuse medical treatment. A few bruises and cuts are hardly worth the time of going to the hospital.

Once the fun is over and the paramedics have cleared dipshit to breathe on his own, it was a great feeling of satisfaction to see him get handcuffed and shoved into the back of a police car. It's almost worth the pain in my jaw. The constabulary leave, followed by the EMTs and I turn to my boss, shaking my head.

"I even asked him if this was worth going to prison for. He said it was because there'd be one less faggot on the streets. What a moron." I shake my head again.

My boss just looks at me. "He never was very bright. Uh... If you can I need you to finish out the day; you're the only help I have right now." He pauses again, looking at the ground and then back to me. "You won't need to come in tomorrow though; or after that."

I look at him, aghast. "You're joking, right? You're firing me for defending myself?"

"No, not for defending yourself; you had every right to defend yourself. But I can't have this happening all the time, and you know it will when the other three get back."

I shake my head again, scowling at him. "You don't know that. Admit it; you don't like it either and this is your supposedly nice way of getting rid of me."

"No, I don't like it, but that has nothing to do with it. This will happen again with all three of them and I can't have this kind of thing going on in my store. It's bad for business."

"Then I guess you can run your business by yourself today; I'm outta here. Thanks for nothing."

I turn and walk to my car, getting in and slamming the door shut. I start the car and screech out of the parking lot, heading home. Fuck all of `em. I look at the clock on the radio as I'm pulling into the driveway; 10:42 a.m. What a morning! The first thing I do when I get inside is to check myself out in the mirror. I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror on the way home and it wasn't pretty. I get myself cleaned up as well as I can, putting some antibiotic ointment on the cuts. There's no way to hide it either, and I know A.J. is going to have a stroke when he sees me like this. I walk into the kitchen, get a Ziplok bag and put some ice in it. I then wrap the bag in a washcloth, take a couple of Alieve and go lie on our bed. I hope by the time he gets home the ice will counteract any swelling and my face won't look quite so bad. As soon as I lie down and my face is close to his pillow I smell his scent on it. I smile to myself. Even though he's not even in the house right now, just being able to smell him makes me feel better. I grab his pillow and pull it against me, hugging it.

I don't know when I fell asleep, or even how long I've slept but the next thing I know, I hear A.J.'s voice coming from the kitchen.

"Brody? Where are you?"

I kinda croak out an answer. "In the bedroom."

"You sound different." He walks in the room and sees me on the bed. "Oh my God! What happened!? Are you okay, baby?"

I smile at him. "Much better now; you're here. And don't worry, Mijo; it probably looks worse than it really is."

He drops his backpack on the floor, lies on the bed next to me and pulls me into him, holding me. "What happened? Did you get in a car wreck?"

I chuckle. "No, my face just looks like one."

"It's not funny, Brody. Tell me what happened."

"I was in a fight at work. If it helps at all, I won."

"Oh my God... Who were you in a fight with?"

I tell him the whole story, including getting fired. By the time I have it all out he's crying and holding my face in his hands. I try to reach up to wipe his tears but his arms are in the way. I smile at him.

"Please stop crying, Mijo. It's really not as bad as it sounds. I'll be just fine; don't worry about me."

"How can you say it'll be just fine? Some dirty motherfucker pulls a knife on you and then you lose your job. How's that just fine?"

I grin at him. "Language, boy..." He rolls his eyes. "Really, baby, I'll be okay. Please don't feel bad or worry about me."

"I am worried about you. I'm scared for you."

I rub his side and smile at him. "There's nothing to be afraid of; it's over and done with. As far as the job, I'll just get a different one. Please don't make this more than it is."

His wet eyes are searching mine, looking for truth or assurance or maybe just trust; I don't know. I smile at him and then pull him into me, holding him tightly. He sniffles once and holds on tight, wrapping his arms and legs around me. While we're holding each other I happen to look at the clock on the night table; it's only 2:30 in the afternoon. I thought he said he had a class at three. I whisper in his ear.

"Why are you home early? I thought you said you'd be home around 4:30."

"I texted and you never answered. Then I called and your voicemail picked up. I got worried and came home."

"I'm so sorry, A.J.; I didn't mean to worry you. I passed out on the bed after I got the ice pack and never heard my phone. I wish you hadn't skipped your last class; now you'll have to make it up."

"I don't care about that. I needed to know what was going on."

"I'm still sorry I worried you and made you come home."

"Stop saying that. You have nothing to be sorry about. And now that I'm home I can take care of you."

I smile into his neck. "That makes my new look worth it then."

"Please stop making jokes about it; it's not the least bit funny."

"Okay, I'll be a good boy now. Thank you for taking care of me."

He just nods his head once and hugs me tighter.

We've been holding each other for about ten minutes when he's trying to break the embrace. He grins at me.

"With all the excitement I forgot I had to pee really, really bad when I walked in the door. Sorry, but if I don't get in there we're gonna have a water bed."

I laugh and let him out of the hug. "Go pee, sexy!"

He kisses my nose and darts for the bathroom. I'm lying there listening to him pee. It's a wonder he made it this long; it sounds like he's pissing a few gallons. I decide to get out of bed while he's in there. I don't need to spend the day cuddling in bed; no matter how good it sounds. I walk in the bathroom while he's shaking off and watch him for a second, making both of us grin. I wink at him and turn to look at my mug in the mirror again. Oh wow. No wonder he freaked out. The ice didn't do a damn thing; my face is swollen and looks like I went a few rounds at The Garden. He flushes, stands next to me to wash his hands and looks at both of us in the mirror. I grin at him. He rolls his eyes and grins back. I blow him a kiss in the mirror and he smiles.

"That's what I wanted to see, baby. I love to see you smile."

"Well it's hard to smile when I know you got in a fight and got hurt."

"I'll be okay. It looks much worse than it feels. And think of it this way... Now you have a boyfriend with battle scars. I've heard they're kinda sexy." I grin at him in the mirror again.

He smirks and grins. "You were perfectly sexy without `em." He reaches across me to dry his hands on the towel and then kisses my good cheek. "You did fight for my honor though, and that's pretty damn awesome. Thank you, Papi."

He kisses my cheek again, pats my ass and turns to leave the bathroom. I put some more anti-biotic cream on my face, wash my hands and go join him in the living room. He's on his phone so I just keep going towards the kitchen. I grab both of us a bottle of water out of the fridge and then stand at the kitchen window, looking out. I'm guessing he's talking to his dad; he's speaking Spanish and trying to avoid eye contact with me. Something about that kind of bugs me. I wait for him to end his call and then walk over to him, hand him the bottle of water and look him in the eyes.

"Was that Alejandro Sr.?"

He nods. "Yeah. I wanted to tell him what happened to you. He's on his way over. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind, A.J. This is your home and you have every right to talk to anyone you want and have anyone here. I would only ask one thing from you. Please don't try and hide things from me by speaking Spanish when you know I'm within earshot. If you need to have a private conversation with someone then just tell me and I'll leave the room and let you have your privacy. It makes me feel like you don't trust me when you did that."

He looks like he's about to cry again. "No... No, baby, I do trust you. I'm sorry. I didn't think anything like that; I just started speaking Spanish when he answered the phone in Spanish. Please, you have to know I would never disrespect you by talking behind your back; in either language. And I would never hide anything from you."

I reach up and touch his face, rubbing his cheek with my thumb. "I'm sorry; I had no right to accuse you of anything like that. Please forgive me. I guess I'm just a little on edge and I overthought that. I had a job once doing construction with a mostly Mexican crew and I was always sure they were talking about me because they'd look at me while talking and then laugh. I guess it brought back bad memories. I'm truly sorry, Mijo."

"I understand where you were coming from and I forgive you; don't worry about it. And honestly, they probably were talking about you behind your back in Spanish. I've heard the same things in school several times when there's only one white person in the room. How they assume that person doesn't speak fluent Spanish is dumb on their part, but they do. If you want, I'd be really happy to teach you more Spanish, baby." He grins a little. "You'd understand what I'm babbling about while you're fucking me."

I chuckle. "I did get the general idea last night. Thank you though; I'd love some Spanish lessons with you. I'd love anything with you. Again, I'm truly sorry for assuming that."

He smiles. "Apology accepted. Now let's move forward with something more important; your job. You know you can file a wrongful termination suit, right? He fired you for being gay basically and it's illegal."

"I know... I don't know if it's worth the effort for a fourteen an hour job though; it's not like it was my career."

"It doesn't matter if you only made two dollars an hour; he was wrong to fire you. You have to fight back."

"Well it's not like I want that job back, baby; my life would be hell there now. I'll just go job hunting tomorrow and hopefully get a better job."

"That's not the point though. I would rather you had a better job where people treat you with respect too. But why let him get away with firing you for being who you are?"

"I really do understand and agree with what you're saying. But courts and lawsuits take money and I don't have the money to spare right now. We have about $6,000 in savings and we're going to live on that until I find a new job. We simply can't afford it right now."

He grins a little. "I love how you always say we and our when talking about things. Okay, so for right now we just survive the best way we can and worry about him later. Once you're working again we can talk to a lawyer about it; see if you even have a case."

I kiss his nose and smile at him. "I say that because we are a we and an us. So other than roasting the man at the stake, what would you like to do? I can get dinner started. At least we'll have something better than just thrown together."

He giggles. "I don't wanna roast him at the stake; just set him straight. I'll make a deal with you though. I'll teach you Spanish if you teach me how to cook."

I smile big. "No deals required; I'd love to cook with you. So have you ever cooked anything other than microwave stuff?"

He grins. "Nope. Mama would never let the men into the kitchen; it's her territory. I have nuked stuff but that's about it. So what are we having for dinner, sexy Papi?" He grins at me again.

"Cereal and toast. Get to work."

He laughs. "We had that already; think of something new."

"How about broiled chicken breast, roasted potatoes and a veggie?"

"Sounds yummy. Do you have all of that in the fridge?"

"We need to thaw the chicken, but yeah, we have all of that."

He blushes a little and smiles. "Sorry, I'll remember to say we and not you when I ask things. So let's get going; I'm hungry."

"Well we have to thaw the chicken first; it'll be awhile before we start on the rest. You'll see the chicken in the freezer, on the right side, top shelf. Please get it while I get the sink filled with water; it'll speed the thaw a little."

"Why not just nuke it?"

"Do you want chicken that tastes like a tire?"

He laughs. "Nooooooo."

While we're getting the chicken into its bath the doorbell rings and he runs over to answer it. He lets Alejandro in and brings him to the kitchen. I'm just turning away from the sink when he steps in. He whistles low.

"Damn... Your face looks like a meatloaf."

I laugh. "Gee thanks. Nice to see you too."

He laughs. "Sorry. I hope he looks worse than you do."

I grin. "He always did. But yeah, he may not see his balls for weeks and his face resembles mine."

"Glad to hear it. I never did like that prick; he's always so condescending to me. I hope he's enjoying his night in jail."

"I hope he enjoys years there. And even better and more fitting would be if he becomes Big Bubbas new prison bitch during his stay."

They both laugh and A.J. looks at me. "You have a dark side." He grins.

I laugh. "No, just a redemptive side. What better redemption than a homophobe living life as some huge guy's bitch?"

A.J. grins again. "I see your point. I was just kidding anyway, baby." Alejandro smirks and A.J. turns to look at him. "What?"

He smiles. "Nothing. I just never heard you call anyone baby before and it sounded strange."

"Because he's a man?"

"No, not because he's a man, A.J. Down, boy; you know better than that. I would have the same response if it'd been a woman. It's just something I never heard before. Calm down."

"I am calm, Papa. I just don't see the need to smirk and laugh when I call my boyfriend baby. I call him Papi too; is that less funny?"

Alejandro shakes his head. "No, just weird. I don't care what you call each other, A.J. It was just an automatic response to hearing you say baby. If you want to get into a pissing contest with me, then feel free. You haven't won one yet though."

A.J. frowns a little. "No, I don't wanna get into a pissing contest. I'm sorry, Papa. I'm just stressed out about all of this. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

"I'm a father; it's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last. Don't worry about it, A.J." He turns to me. "So the cranky old bastard actually fired you, huh?"

"He sure did. He even had the balls to ask me to finish the day because I was the only one there and then told me not to bother coming in tomorrow or anytime afterwards. I just got in my car and left."

"I don't blame ya; I would've too. I guess this means you won't be buying the house anytime soon. Do you have another job lined up yet?"

"Not yet. I'll hit the pavement tomorrow and see what I can scare up. In the meantime we'll be okay. Well at least for two or three months anyway."

A.J. turns to his father. "Maybe he can come and work for you. You know he's done construction before."

I jump in. "That's not necessary you guys. I really appreciate the idea but it would be too weird for me to work for my boyfriend's father. I'll find something, A.J.; please don't worry."

"What's so weird about it? You'd have a good job with a great company and a really cool boss."

Alejandro laughs. "Thank you, son, but I understand what he's saying. How would you feel having to work for his father?"

A.J. thinks about it for a few seconds. "Yeah, okay, it might be a little weird at first, but you'd get past it. I'm not really worried about money; I'm just worried about you. I can see if I can go full time at Walmart until you find something."

His dad and I jump in at the same moment. "No!" I grin at Alejandro and continue. "No, baby; school comes first. Always. We have six thousand to live on for a while and we'll be just fine. I'll find something and things will work out. I know I'm not within my rights to say this, but you're not changing your school schedule and going full time at Walmart. School is the priority."

Alejandro looks at him, grinning. "I am within my rights to say it; what he said. You cannot change your school to work full time; I won't allow it."

"So much for being an adult, I guess." A.J. turns to me. "I just wanna help however I can."

"I know, and I appreciate that more than you realize. But we'll be fine. If things get too tight I can get help from my parents until we're back on track. Please don't do anything to mess with your education. Besides, it's way too early to start worrying about any of that; it's only been a few hours since I got fired. Have faith in me."

He smiles. "I have great faith in you; I know you'll do whatever you have to."

Alejandro looks at him. "And it's not like I'd let you starve to death. I've been feeding that mug of yours for the last twenty-one years; why stop now?" He laughs and looks at me, grinning. "Wow, it was just this morning I told you he's all yours to feed now and good luck with that. Who knew?" He laughs again.

A.J. looks at him, grinning. "Hey, I'm not the one who eats like a ravenous pig, afraid their food will get taken away; that's you and Javier."

"Says the man who takes twenty dollars a week in groceries up to his room to snack on. I know you too well, son; don't even try to get outta this one." He grins at him and winks.

A.J. laughs and rolls his eyes. "It's okay, he gets to feed me now, and I love his food."

Alejandro laughs loudly and looks at both of us. "I'm not touching that one with a ten foot fence pole."

A.J. thinks about it for a second and then blushes furiously, looking down at his shoes and grinning a little. I just shake my head and smile while Alejandro laughs again that A.J. just clued in to what he'd said. He looks at his son, smirking and grinning.

"I haven't seen you that color since you were twelve years old and I busted you jerking off."

I laugh and A.J. looks over at me, grinning. "What made it worse is he told me to use hand lotion or something to keep from getting sore. Talk about embarrassing."

I grin at him. "Kinda like now, huh?"

He laughs. "Shut up, mister."

"Make me." I smile at him.

He rolls his eyes and smiles at me. "I don't want your face any more messed up."

Alejandro laughs and then looks at both of us. "Well I better get home now. I just wanted to see the mugshot and find out how you did. I'm glad to hear you kicked his ass; he needed a good ass kicking." He turns and walks towards the front door, A.J. and I tagging along behind him. He turns to A.J. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Papa, I love you too. Please give Mama and the rest of them my love when you get home."

"I will, hijo. I love you too." He turns to me and grins. "I don't love you. But I do like and respect you a lot. Good luck with the job hunt, Brody." He holds his hand to me and I shake it, smiling at him.

"Thanks, Alejandro, I like and respect you a lot too."

He opens the front door and walks out, yelling adios over his shoulder. We both tell him adios and close the door. I turn to A.J. and grin.

"It's nice to see it runs in the family and lasts for so long."

He looks confused. "What does?"

I grin. "Your dad has a great ass too."

He looks shocked and then starts laughing. "Oh my God! You did not just say that!"

I start laughing and run towards the kitchen, yelling behind me. "I was joking! I was only joking, Mijo!"

He runs after me, laughing and yelling out. "I'm gonna finish your beating, mister! You can run but you can't hide!"

I bypass the kitchen and keep running to his bedroom, ducking in and closing the door. He gets there before I have it latched and shoves it open, then pushes me backwards until I fall onto the bed behind me. He lands on top of me and starts to tickle me in the ribs. I'm laughing hysterically and thrashing around on the bed and trying to catch his hands or arms. He keeps getting away from my hands and manages to tickle me until I can't take anymore. I'm laughing my ass off and looking up at him.

"Uncle! Uncle! I give up! Tio, dammit; I give up!"

He laughs louder. "Spanish will get you nowhere, mister; your ass is mine."

"My ass is yours anytime you want it, but stop making me laugh. I'm gonna piss myself and all over your bed."

He grins. "Piss away; I don't sleep here."

He's stopped tickling me and is just sitting up on my lap, looking down at me and smiling from ear to ear. I can't resist him; I pull him down on top of me and kiss him deeply. I'm smiling again when I break the kiss, and I have no idea what came over me but I spit out those three words I'd been afraid to think about.

"God I love you. You're everything I ever wanted."

He stops smiling and just looks at me, his eyes getting a little wet. His lower lip quivers a little.

"I love you too. You're my dream come true."