Roman - Part 6

All characters involved in sexual scenes are 18+

"This tastes like ass" I whispered, still trying to force myself to drink the wine as Alex lay sleeping against Roman's arm, controller still in hand.

"You're just uncultured" he teased, and I could see that he was staying statue still so he didn't wake my brother.

"It suits you" I told him with a grin, "being a dad".

He scoffed, but it was easy to tell that he was good with kids. Alex loved him, and had been melting his brain with Fortnite facts since we arrived home, by midnight, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes open.

"Here" I said, "I'll give you your arm back".

I gently lifted Alex's floppy head and lay him down in his own bed. The room was dark, the rain continued to pound the window, and now Roman and I sat next to each other on my bed.

"Must be fun to share a room" he sniggered quietly.

"Oh yeah" I nodded, "living the dream".

He laughed and stared out the window.

"I always wanted a little brother or sister" he sighed, and the evidence of the wine was now becoming clear to hear in his voice.

"You can have him if you want" I joked, but the truth was, I couldn't have hand picked a better little guy to call my brother.

Damn, maybe this wine was doing something to me.

We both sat in silence for a moment, but there was nothing awkward about it. It was quite nice actually, and it became even nicer when he took me under his arm again. I was beginning to get used to this new position of being quite literally under his wing. I felt protected with him, despite how corny it may have sounded.

"Can I ask you a question?" I whispered as I listened to the sound of his beating heart.

Roman caressed my arm with his thumb, but he didn't answer me. I considered dropping it, but the alcohol had given me a new sense of confidence.

"Are you gay?"

The silence continued, as did his wandering hand.

"It's complicated"

I looked up at him, but his eyes remained on the window. What did he mean by that?

"Remember the guy I told you about in England?" He asked, "Harry?"

I nodded.

"Well, Harry and I used to sit up all night talking about all sorts of things" he explained, and I could see the sorrow in his eyes. "We'd talk about sports, cars, girls, all those things that boys talk about".

I snuggled back into him as he spoke, feeling his low voice vibrate through his muscular body.

"Then one night, after learning how to be so confident because of him, I kissed him".

My eyes widened a little.

"The funny thing was" he scoffed sadly, "he kissed me back".

As stupid as it was, I felt a small pang of jealousy until I remembered that they were kids.

"For a few months we'd get so damn excited to rush back to the dorm room after school and kiss!" He laughed, "honestly, having someone like Harry there really helped me get through all the bad shit that was going on, and then one day we all left for Christmas break, and I never saw Harry again".

I gawped at him. Now I was invested.

"What?! Why?"

Roman shrugged. "I didn't know" he told me, "and nobody would tell me, not even the teachers. I was broken hearted, and then about a year later when I'd finally come to terms with the fact that he was gone, I got a letter in the mail".

I wasn't sure where the story was going, but judging by the shakiness of his usually strong voice, I was sure it wasn't good.

"It was from Harry" he smiled, "I recognised the handwriting instantly, and I swear I've never ripped open a letter as quick!"

I laughed with him.

"And then I read it, and my heart shattered into a million pieces all over again".

My mouth fell open.

"It must have been bugging him" he told me, "eating away at him or something, but Harry wanted to make it crystal clear that what had happened between us was a mistake. A disgusting, sinful, nasty little mistake, and it had been my fault for forcing him into it".

"That's bullshit!" I snapped, and Alex stirred in his bed, "that's bullshit!" I whispered.

"I tried writing back to explain that we could still be friends, but the teachers refused to mail it for me, and by the time I got the chance to do it myself, I'd gotten so angry with him that I decided that I never wanted to hear from him again".

The hurt in Roman's voice was physically painful to listen to. They were only kids, yet the aftermath had clearly been devastating. I hugged him, and he rubbed my back as though he was consoling me.

"After that, I stuck to girls" he chuckled, "call me cruel, but I was never able to build any connection with girls, so it was easier when the time came to end it".

It was strange to hear. Roman appeared so knowledgeable about everything, yet his view on this was completely warped.

"I better get going" he whispered, squeezing my arm, "and let you get some sleep".

I could have stayed awake forever like that, just listening as the man of my dreams spoke, but it was clear that Roman had a very difficult childhood, and now all I wanted to do was hold him.

He stood up and I did, too. The light outside the house illuminated us both through the window, casting a big rainy shadow on the wall behind us as we faced each other. His hand reached up for my face, his fingers trailing my cheeks, and all I could do was stare at him.

"Goodnight, Davey" he whispered and leaned forward as my heart began to explode in my chest.

Before he reached me, Roman stopped himself. He was so close that his sweet aroma filled me, but just as I expected to feel his perfect lips on mine, he backed away.

"See you tomorrow" he smiled, and just like that, he was gone.

I can't describe the feeling. Part of me wanted to scream, the other part wanted to chase him across the yard and... I took a glance out the window as I heard the front door open and close quietly, and made a decision.

I rushed from my bedroom, my bare feet pattering across the wood as I took the stairs two at a time. Outside, the rain came down in sheets, soaking me to the skin almost instantly. As cold and wet as it was, I rushed across the muddy lawn, and just as Roman reached his house, I called him.

"Wait!" I yelled, and the handsome young man turned to me, his eyes full of surprise.

"Davey? What are you doing, you're not wearing sho–"

My arms wrapped around his neck, my lips pressed against his, silencing him instantly, and inside my body a flurry of fireworks began to explode.

Roman froze for a second, his solid body becoming stiff as I kissed him, and after a moment of brief hesitation, I felt him laugh before picking me up and walking to the property line as our tongues met in the middle.

There was no shelter here. We were completely and utterly exposed, and as we kissed with a passion I had never known, my legs wrapped around his waist and his strong hands held my face.

I wanted it to continue forever. This feeling was better than any I had felt before. It was like I'd awoken something inside myself, and now I never wanted to put it back. It was more than a kiss, it was a feeling of release. A statement, a big Fuck You to all the assholes who made fun of me. It was a thank you, an appreciation, an I love you.

My bare feet squelched on the wet, muddy grass beneath us as Roman lowered me down and our magical kiss ended. His hands still held me, and all I could do was stare into his stunning eyes as we became soaked together.

"Well, Davey" he laughed, "that was certainly very confident of you".

I shook my head.

"You said confidence isn't worrying if they'll like me, it's knowing I'll be fine if they don't" I repeated back to him, and he watched me curiously. "I won't be fine if you don't".

A smile broke across his beautiful face, revealing his brilliant white teeth before he leaned in and kissed me, and I felt like melting.

"In that case" he whispered, our noses pressed together, "you have nothing to worry about".

His hand slid through my soaking hair as he tussled it and shoved me playfully backwards. "Now get your ass home before you get pneumonia or The Plague or something".

I laughed loudly as Roman walked backwards toward his house, his eyes not leaving me for a second as I stood under the storm.

"Goodnight, Davey" he said for the second time, and then he was gone.

I never thought I'd fall in love. For a while, I didn't think I had the capacity for love. Plus, what was the point in it? Everybody always seemed to be out for themselves, so why bother? I'd gotten this far without feeling it, and I'd always believed that I'd continue through my entire life in the same manner. But now I knew why people loved love.

My heart felt as though it was soaring. Every hair on my body stood to attention, prickling and tickling, sending goosebumps through me as I tried to drag myself back toward my house. There wasn't an angry bone in my body, nor a stressed one, nor anxious, nor anything even remotely negative. Roman was quite literally like a drug, and I wondered how on earth someone could tick every box that had ever existed.

I remained rooted in place, unwilling to end what had been the most magical experience of my life. I wanted to bottle the feeling and keep it with me forever, but I could quite literally feel my underwear become soggy with rain, and just as I decided to call it a night, I felt a large towel being draped over my shoulders.

"Are you ready to come home, Prince Charming?" My dad whispered from behind me, wrapping the towel around me.

I felt like I was walking on a cloud, and as much as my dad probably thought I was a freak, he certainly didn't say as much, and a few minutes later, he stood me in the kitchen with a grin on his face and a steaming cup of hot cocoa on the table.

"That was... Romantic" he gleamed, pushing the cup toward me.

I felt my cheeks burn, but I didn't care. I felt too good to care. I took the hot cup in my cold hands and blew on it.

"You saw?" I cringed, but continued to smile.

"Oh yeah" he nodded, "your mom thought someone was breaking in, she'll be quite glad to know that it was only her son sneaking out for a midnight kiss".

I laughed and took a gulp of the hot, sweet cocoa.

"Does it always feel like this?" I asked him, and he looked up for a moment before shaking his head.

"No" he said simply, "there'll be times when you want to scream at him. There'll be times when you will scream at him, and he'll scream back. There'll be times when he makes you cry, and you make him cry, and there'll be times when you come running back to me or your mom and wonder if you've made the right decision".

I gulped. Suddenly the cocoa didn't taste as sweet anymore.

"And then you'll remember this feeling" he said, and took my cold hand in his big warm ones, "and you'll know that it's all worth it because even when you aren't feeling warm and bubbly inside, you know that that feeling is just around the corner".

I stared at my dad as he spoke, but he wasn't looking back at me. His eyes were on a point behind me, and when I turned, my mom was stood in the doorway with her gown around her, and her eyes wet.

"And there's me thinking you'd gotten too old to be romantic" she said, and I watched as the two of them embraced in a kiss.

There was a time not so long ago when the sight of my parents passionately kissing would have made me barf, but now I appreciated just how amazing it was.

"So" my mom said eventually, stealing my hot cocoa, "are you two... You know... Official?" She beamed.

I considered it for a moment and smiled back.

"It's complicated".