Aiden searched Rocky’s gaze as if he was trying to determine if what Rocky said was really the truth. Rocky saw the moment that Aiden accepted it. Aiden’s gaze softened and the tightness in his features loosened up. A small smile graced his lips and he drew in a deep breath, letting it out in a whoosh of air that tickled Rocky's cheek.
Rocky relaxed and rose up from his bent position, heading to chop tomatoes for the sauce he was making when Aiden let out one last bombshell that Rocky suspected but wasn't prepared to hear spoken aloud.
"One last thing you should know." He said with such nonchalance that he might as well be talking about the weather, "I'm gay."
Rocky sucked in a breath through his teeth and every muscle in his being tightened. There it was. The confirmation that what Rocky had suspected was indeed truth.
Rocky had always assumed there was only one Little for him. He'd always been sure that Seth was the only soulmate for him and there'd be no other. But as soon as the words left Aiden's lips, Rocky knew he'd been wrong.
There was a second Little out there for him, and he was sitting in Rocky's kitchen right that minute. Was Rocky ready to have another Little? Could he handle the terror he already felt creeping into him? Fate had been cruel in taking Seth from him and part of Rocky was waiting for Fate to rip another chunk out of his heart.
He was already wanting to wrap Aiden in bubble wrap to keep him from taking even the smallest chance at getting hurt. Did Aiden deserve to be saddled with a helicopter Daddy that would be over-the-top anal about safety and health?
He'd been gifted another Little boy meant just for him, but Rocky wasn't sure he was ready to accept the gift.
Chapter Five
Aiden
Aiden waited anxiously for Rocky's reaction. He fidgeted in his seat and tapped his finger on the countertop in a steady pattern. What Aiden really wanted to do was pace but he didn't want to give away how scared he was for the rejection he was sure was coming. Aiden had never had both parts of himself accepted at once by a single person in his life. He wasn't expecting Rocky to be any different.
Aiden wasn't even sure why he'd blurted it out to Rocky except he was tired of hiding. His mask was wearing thin and he needed one person, just one that he could be himself with. Authentically and completely himself, like his friend Jane. He just wanted one person he could relax around. Rocky was in the lifestyle and everyone talked about how Rocky was gay himself, so if anyone in this world would accept the whole of him, Aiden figured Rocky was his best hope.
When Rocky finally relaxed again and said in a choked voice, "Me too," as if Aiden hadn't just taken his largest leap of faith and that being a gay Middle was the very definition of normal, the breath that Aiden had been holding escaped with a gale force and he sucked in new oxygen to counteract the lightness in his head.
It was no big deal. He wasn't a Daddy and he was gay and Rocky treated it as no big deal. Aiden felt he'd stepped into an alternate universe but if he had, he never wanted to leave.
Rocky had given Aiden a snack of grapes with cheese while he cooked dinner. He'd initially tried feeding Aiden some black olives but just the thought of those nasty black balls of ickiness had made Aiden gag. So, Rocky had eaten the olives and given Aiden some juicy purple grapes instead. Aiden still hadn't figured out why they were called red grapes. They weren't red, they were purple and no matter how hard Aiden tried, his brain absolutely would not allow him to call the grapes a color that they weren't, so to Aiden they were purple grapes, no matter what the packaging said.
When the food was finished, Rocky plated it up and set the table. Aiden noticed that Rocky kept everything on his plate separate, using a compartmented plate to be sure nothing touched. Aiden wasn't sure how Rocky was aware of his quirk about food touching but somehow, he knew that Aiden couldn't even put sauce on his noodles. Something about it seemed to cause a twitchy feeling in him and unsettled him.
Aiden sat in his spot and reached for his fork. He was silently reciting in his mind so he almost missed the fact that Rocky was speaking his exact thoughts out loud.
"God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands, we are fed. Thank you for our daily bread. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen."
Aiden's heart skipped a beat as he gawked at Rocky, noticing him pressing a finger to his forehead, his chest and each shoulder. Rocky was Catholic? Seeming to realize Aiden was staring, Rocky actually blushed and apologized.
"Sorry, baby. It's a habit. I do it for every meal."
Aiden rushed to assure Rocky, "Don't apologize. I'm Catholic, too. I say it every meal as well, even if it is just in my head."
Rocky smiled at Aiden. A full genuine smile that almost completely masked the lingering grief in his eyes. That smile took Rocky from hot as hell to absolutely glorious. Aiden marveled at the beauty before him. A gentle giant with a heart of gold and a physique meant to be chiseled in stone.
As Aiden's mind ran rampant and turned into areas that were completely inappropriate and making his cock so hard he wondered if he'd have indentations from his zipper, Rocky used his fork to cut off a piece of a meatball and held it up to Aiden's lips. His command of, "open," pulled Aiden from his head and he automatically parted his lips.
The meat hit his taste buds and Aiden couldn't have stopped the moan of pleasure if he’d been told to at gunpoint. Garlic and oregano and basil blended with a flavor he couldn't place but it was honestly the best thing he'd ever tasted. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped in his chair as he chewed slowly savoring every nuance.
When Aiden regained control of himself, he found Rocky wincing as he adjusted the front of his pants. Aiden did his best to stop the blush and pretend he hadn't seen anything, but it was nearly impossible. He knew Rocky had caught him staring but he couldn't help it. Apparently, everything about Rocky D'Angelo was proportionately massive.
Suddenly, Aiden’s mouth was watering again. This time it was for something other than food.
"You can sleep in here. I should warn you that I'll be in and out as the night goes on, checking on you."
Aiden looked over the room. It was bare other than the simple furnishings. He wondered how long Rocky had lived here. There wasn't anything as far as personal touches. No decorations, no pictures on the walls, no knick knacks or flower arrangements. There was absolutely nothing to reflect who Rocky was. Aiden found that sad.
"You can put your things in here and I’ll show you where the bathroom and my room are, in case you need me."
Aiden stepped in and, pulling Octavia from his bag, placed her on the bed tucking her tentacles under the covers and fluffing the pillow beneath her head. His octopus friend had a tendency to get cold easily so he always covered her up when she wasn't on adventures.