DreamALittleDream (8 page)

Aiden frowned. “Cael, this whole time have you been waiting for the price of our hospitality?”

Cael shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Back in the foster homes, there was always a price; some worse than others. A lot of the time it was really hard chores, like manual labor. Other times it was favors. Some wanted to know things they weren‘t supposed to...” He shuddered, not saying what it was people wanted to know, but Aiden wasn’t going to interrupt him. “I’ve never met anyone who was nice for no reason.”

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“That’s a horrible way to live, Cael, and I’m sorry you had to experience that,” Aiden sighed. “But you need to know that Jake and I would never make you do anything you don’t want. We may ask you to help do things around the house, but it’s not an obligation. Like the cooking, we don’t want you to feel forced into doing that. If you don’t want to one night, tell us. I can do soup and sandwiches better than anyone, and Jake is the master of the grill. We don’t mind, honest. Okay?”

Cael just shrugged and looked down.

Aiden sighed. He didn’t feel like he was getting through to the kid. What kind of life had Cael had where he didn’t think people could just be nice? Sure, Jake and Aiden were attracted to him, but that was a free offer of love, not a condition on Cael staying with them. It was very sad.

Aiden took Cael’s face in his hands and gently made the kid look at him. It was moments like this where Cael seemed so fragile and young.

“Cael, we want you here with us because you’re a smart, kind, generous, and beautiful soul. You fit, here with us.

When you’re happy, we’re happy. When you’re sad, we’re sad. There are no strings or hidden motives; just us. We want you because you’re you.” Leaning close, he placed a chaste kiss on Cael’s trembling forehead. “We want you,” he whispered against the baby soft skin.

Pulling back, he nearly knocked flat by the look of longing etched on Cael’s face. The desire to give in and kiss the kid was nearly overwhelming. He actually
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leaned closer before Cael’s eyes flickered to behind him and Cael pulled back.

Looking behind him, Aiden could see Jake watching with an indescribable look on his face. Aiden wasn’t sure what it meant. He watched as Jake physically shook himself, then shrugged at the questioning look on Aiden’s face.

Turning back to the kid, he could see Cael was blushing hard. His fair skin always made it so easy.

“Sorry,” he whispered. The poor guy looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

“No, I’m sorry. That’s another discussion we’ll have when you feel more comfortable with us,” Aiden said gently. Cael studied him for a moment, before looking over his shoulder to Jake. Whatever he saw there must have been reassuring, because he relaxed almost immediately.

“Okay, sorry about freaking out on you guys…”

“No worries,” Jake replied. “It happens to us all.”

Aiden smiled. “You ready for cake and pizza now?”

Cael nodded eagerly, becoming happy and relaxed again. Opening a pizza box, Aiden made a mental note that he needed to have another talk with Jake when they went to bed that night.

***

Later that night, Aiden cornered Jake in their room. His lover had seemed distracted all night since Cael’s breakdown and the near kiss. Aiden wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was going to find out.

“Hey,” he said as he entered the room, closing the door softly behind him and leaning against it. “Everything okay?”

Jake shrugged. “Sure, why?”

Aiden sighed. It was going to be like pulling teeth to get a straight answer out of Jake when he was in this type of mood.

“You’ve been quiet since Cael was upset, and I know when something’s bothering you.” Jake just shrugged, not confirming or denying Aiden’s assumption. Aiden hunched down, sighing in misery.

“Was it because I nearly kissed him?” he asked softly.

“Did it make you mad? Jealous?”

Aiden looked up, watching Jake who stood facing him, hands on his hips and eyes on the floor. Finally, Jake sighed and his shoulders slumped.

“I was jealous, but not for the reason you think.” He sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. Aiden just waited as patiently as he could, not wanting to push.

“You were doing all the comforting, the soothing. I wanted to help, but didn’t know how. I got angry with myself. I don’t like being useless, Aiden. I hate it. Then when you almost kissed him, I felt left out. We know
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Cael likes you, but I don’t know that he likes me. I want him, too, but I don’t want him to feel pressured, you know? I just don’t know what to do.”

“Oh, Jake,” Aiden said, crossing the room to sit next to his lover.

“Jake, I don’t think it’s you. Cael definitely wants you, just as much as he wants me. You can see it every time he doesn’t realize we’re looking. The longing and need.

I think he’s confused, though. He knows we're together and doesn’t want to be the one to break us up. He’s very insecure, but also very headstrong. I don’t think he sees that we want him as more that just someone to play around with. He’s scared and confused and fighting the attraction he feels with everything he has.”

“But how do we make him see that he’s more than a fuck buddy?” Jake asked, clearly frustrated.

“I don’t know, Jake. We’re going to have to keep showing him and telling him the way we have; through unconditional affection and adoration. He needs it, so we provide it. Eventually he’ll realize how much we need him, too. Until then, we wait.”

Aiden sighed. “There is something he’s not telling us; something important he’s holding back. All my training and instincts are screaming at me about it. It’s not medical, but something else; something he probably feels we’ll condemn him for. We won’t, but we can’t pressure him into telling us. He’s got to learn to trust us on his own.”

“I know, I’ve been feeling the same way,” Jake said,
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running a hand through his dark hair. “It’s just hard.”

“I know, love. But we’ll get through it. Now,” Aiden said, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Maybe I can help distract you from your troublesome thoughts, hmm?”

Jake raised a brow. “You got a treatment for me, Doc?”

“Yep,” Aiden said with a grin, running his hands down Jake’s chest. “It involves lube; lots and lots of lube…”

***

God, he was such an idiot, freaking out on them the way he did. They’d been so nice, giving him a birthday cake and even presents. The others never gave him stuff for his birthday. They didn’t care. No one cared about one miserable orphan in foster care; no one but Jake and Aiden.

And what had he done? Practically accused them of having ulterior motives.

Stupid, stupid boy. Bad, stupid boy. He should just be happy with what he had now, before it was gone. The dreams would make them go away, ’cause they wouldn’t believe him. The dreams would make them mean. The dreams always did.

Cael didn’t want to believe that about Aiden and Jake, but he hadn’t wanted to believe that about Sam either.

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And look how that turned out.

He shuddered, pushing those bad thoughts away. He wouldn’t think about Sam or the things he had made Cael do; the things about Sam he had seen.

But Aiden and Jake wanted him. The dreams said so.

What they didn’t say is if they would still want him when they found out about the dreams, and they would eventually. They always did.

Cael froze when he heard a moan come from the other room.

Oh, they were doing it again. Cael heard them since the first night he had come to stay in their house, listening to them as they loved each other. He shouldn’t listen, he knew, but he just couldn’t stop. He wanted them so much. They made such beautiful sounds.

Jake moaned again, and Cael shivered. He knew it was Jake; his moans were deep and long. Aiden’s were higher pitched and more breathy. So different, yet so wonderful. The sounds of them being together; they always made him achy and hard.

He let his hand drift down his chest and stomach, ’til it reached where he throbbed with want. Wrapping his hand around the straining shaft, he whimpered softly. He shouldn’t be doing this; it was bad…so very bad, but he couldn’t stop. The sounds always did this to him.

Cael imagined that he was in their bed with them, letting them love on him and touch him; just like they did to each other when they didn’t know that he was there.

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Gasping, he pulled harder. Listening to the delicious sounds they made.

It felt so good; so dirty, but so very good.

He’d wanted Aiden to kiss him so bad earlier. He could almost feel the press of those warm, soft lips on his; he’d gotten hard so fast he hurt. Then he’d looked up and seen Jake looking kind of mad, and pushed down the want. Maybe it was going to take Jake more time to want him; that was okay. He’d be patient. He’d wait until Jake wanted him, too.

He just wanted them both so bad. They were both so big and strong. He wanted to feel them inside him, one then the other, maybe both at the same time. Feeling them move together, so much pleasure. A circle of desire; a fire that would consume them all until there wasn’t anything left but ashes.

It would feel so good; so dirty, but so very good.

Bracing his feet on the bed, he thrust up into his fist, helplessly lost in a whirlwind of desire and need. He couldn’t imagine how it would feel when one of them did this to him. Or when one of them sucked him off. Or when he sucked one of them off. Or when they fucked him. Cael whimpered at the thought.

He loved sucking. It always made him feel so good, knowing that he was wanted and needed; when he drove a lover to the breaking point and they let go, giving him all their yummy, salty goodness.

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Just the thought pushed him over the edge. He came hard, biting his lower lip until he tasted blood to keep from crying out as shot after shot of warm come pulsed out of him. In the other room, he could hear their cries of completion. He wondered who had bottomed this time. They always took turns.

So good, it was all so good.

So dirty, but so very good.

Smiling, Cael drifted off, letting the dreams come.

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When Jake walked into the house, he could hear the sound of music coming from the kitchen and a soft, lilting voice singing along. He knew Aiden had run to his office to grab a few case files on some patients, so it had to be Cael.

He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, just watching.

Cael had his easel set up in the kitchen, radio playing low as he painted. He looked so cute sitting there: blond hair disheveled, paint on his hands and clothes, a smear of green on his cheek. His eyes were bright and happy, and as he reached up with another stroke of his brush, he gave a small smile.

Jake couldn’t see what it was Cael was painting, the angle was wrong from the doorway, but the way Cael was looking at it, a mixture of longing and want on his blushing face, Jake was almost sure it was something naughty. He waited until Cael stopped painting, then cleared his throat.

“Are you done?” Jake asked. Cael jumped up with a squeak, clutching his brush tightly to his chest, leaving a smear of purple and red on his gray t-shirt.

“Y-your home early,” he stammered. Jake smiled.

“That I am,” he said. He motioned toward the easel.

“Are you done with it?”

“Oh, um, yes…but…” Cael hovered over the easel nervously.

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Jake quirked a brow. “You don’t want me to look?” he asked.

Cael flushed. “I-it’s just very personal, you…you may not like it.”

Jake grinned. “You don’t have to show me if you don’t want too, but I’d like to see.”

Cael took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. “Just don’t be mad, okay?” Cael stepped out from behind the easel, wringing his hands nervously.

Jake stepped close, looking directly into Cael’s eyes, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Breathe, Cael.” he said. Cael took a shuddering breath, then expelled it slowly. He forced a smile, but it fell sort of short. Jake wasn’t going to mention it.

“I don’t have to look,” Jake reminded.

Cael shook his head. “No, I-I want you to…I’m just afraid it will change things too soon,” he whispered.

Jake wasn’t sure what Cael meant by that, so he decided to just look at the painting and figure it out later.

Stepping around the easel, Jake shot one last smile at the worried kid, then looked down at the easel.

And froze.

It was him, but it wasn’t him. It was his face, his body, but how it might have looked a hundred years ago, back when his Native American ancestry would have been
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frowned upon and dismissed as second class.

He was painted as a warrior, wearing buckskin clothes and boots and holding a bow and arrow in the ready position. An invisible wind blew his hair back from his face, exposing his strong jaw and cheekbones. Behind him was the sunset, in colors of gold, purple and blue, all used to accent the russet color of his skin. He looked strong and invincible; it made Jake wonder if that was how Cael truly saw him.

“Cael, this is…fantastic.”

***

“Y-you like it?” he asked. Jake hadn’t stopped staring at the painting, eyes wide with amazement as he stared at the daring depiction of himself.

It had taken Cael almost three days of working on it in secret in his room, pretty much constantly unless he had to eat or use the restroom, before he had been comfortable enough to set it out in the bright light of the kitchen to add the small details. He’d tried to wait until no one else was home, but hadn’t expected Jake to show up so early.