A Wealth of Unsaid Words (21 page)

then he moved forward when Alex"s fingers slid through his

hair, one by one until he was cupping the back of his head.

Alex knew the air was freezing, but he was hot,
they
were

hot. His thoughts were racing, spinning around and around

one thing—he had Everett. He thought Everett had a similar

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problem. Everett had him, and for that Alex had to kiss him

again.

“My whole life,” Everett panted at him in the second

their mouths were apart. “I wanted you in high school, and I

wanted to take care of you at the same time, and that wasn"t

anything compared to how confused I was when I was away

from you in school. I got it then.” He gulped and then his

mouth was wet against Alex"s as he spoke. “I thought you

didn"t, but then I just wanted you to be okay, to be alive, and

I didn"t care about the rest. I didn"t want to hope.”

“I"m alive, Everett.” Alex opened his eyes and stopped.

He had a hand at the back of Everett"s neck and Everett

breathing harshly against his cheek, and he was very much

alive and very grateful to be so. “I"m alive.” His blood was

rushing through him, heavy in his lap, but when Everett

gasped against his chin, he felt calm. His thoughts, for one

moment, paused for quiet, clear reflection. “I"m alive, and I"m

here.”

Everett"s hands tightened on him, and then he bent his

head and spoke into Alex"s shoulder.

“A mystery, but mine?” It was enough to leave Alex"s

mouth open. Everett tossed his head in disbelief.

“How could you know what I felt?” His voice rasped. “I"ve

never really had you, Alex, but you were always mine. We

were always special. Then you never showed me the poems. I

had to buy the book, and I still could not stop reading them,

touching the pages, every line. That"s us, isn"t it, Alex?”

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“Us?” Alex was just as hoarse, just as quiet. “No.” Alex"s

hands could not stop touching Everett. “It"s you, Everett. I"m

sorry.”

Everett turned his head up, not quite letting their

mouths touch before he moved again. His fingers traced

Alex"s cheek and then his lips.

“You"re very beautiful, Alex,” he admitted it like it hurt,

and Alex was lost for a moment, not sure he had ever heard

Everett speak of him in that way before. “You"re sexy and

talented and famous, and it was… easier… to wait when I

thought you just didn"t want me. Not like this.”

Alex pulled back and knew he was staring. Everett was

darkly flushed and wet-mouthed and incredible to behold,

and yet he would say such a thing to him.

“Not want you?” His voice was rough. “Everett, I"d lay

you down right now in this thin blanket of snow and take

you.” Everett"s eyes widened, but Alex"s mind was racing, the

images coming at him too quick for him to hold them back.

“The cold air would touch you and then my mouth.” He

moved back into Everett"s space, and Everett groaned. “My

hands. Naked, Everett. I could bite your long limbs and lick

the grace from your words and shock the neighbors with

what obscenities I"d drive from your lips.”

He could feel Everett"s reaction to that and had no

shame in kissing him again and repeating himself in breathy

whispers until Everett believed him and nodded eagerly

against his neck like the wicked creature he truly was. Alex

was all heat and pulled his hands away to yank at Everett"s

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clothes, to push him toward the bench if not the ground, and

Everett was asking him to, murmuring greedy instructions

when Alex shoved his shirt up to bare his chest.

“Don"t think I won"t turn the hose on you two just

because it"s cold out there!”

George"s shout was far more effective than a stream of

water could have ever been. Alex jerked and raised his head,

letting Everett"s shirt fall, though Everett didn"t move, not for

what felt like several minutes. He was breathing hard,

shaking, and Alex felt the echo of need shoot through him.

But Everett finally sat up, not looking at Alex before he

turned to his father. George was leaning out of the kitchen

door and could quite obviously see them and what they"d

been doing. Alex might not have cared about the neighbors

watching, but George Faraday was another matter.

George shook his head. “Now get your butts in here so

we can finish opening presents,” he finished in a tone that

would brook no arguments, and then disappeared back

inside.

Everett turned back to Alex, staring for a moment,

swallowing, but then, unbelievably, rolled his eyes and stood

up. Alex had a feeling he was frowning. He knew he was

blushing as well, apparently still able to feel embarrassment

even after everything he"d done in his younger years. But

then they
had
just been caught by Everett"s father.

That George hadn"t seemed to mind anything more than

unopened presents was something to think about later when

he wasn"t hard and aching for Everett.

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“I think he"s been steeling himself to see that for years

now,” Everett remarked calmly, albeit with a husky voice,

and extended his hand. “Though that doesn"t mean he

especially wants to. Or to have the neighbors see it for that

matter.” He rolled his shoulders. “Come on, if we stay out

here much longer, they"ll send the kids to get us.”

Alex swore softly, because it was true, and also because

he"d promised Ally he would help set the table later, but took

Everett"s hand to be pulled to his feet. Everett was flushed,

and his mouth was swollen. His eyes were luminous.

“Everett.” Alex felt the old urge to warn Everett away,

though he bit the rest of the sentence back. He was very

aware that he had not released Everett"s hand. Everett was

too. He used that to tug Alex closer to him.

“Alex.” Everett spoke softly and very slowly, just a brief

hint of anger in his tone. “Still want to know what I asked

for?” he asked casually as he started to walk again, and Alex

bumped into him when he unexpectedly turned. He looked at

Alex through his eyelashes, and Alex could not look away.

“You can find out if you want. If you want to come up to

my room after the presents are all opened.” Everett was hot

and giving and everything Alex had ever wanted. “If you want

to come up.”

“I….” Alex tried to swallow and couldn"t. He was

speechless again. Everett had probably done that on

purpose. He put a hand up, but it slid back to Everett"s skin

on its own, aware, as Alex was just starting to fully realize,

that it was now free to do so. Everett was his, officially, in

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more than just his mind, and Alex could touch him enough

to put any Faraday to shame. He nodded.

Everett"s breath caught, and then he stepped back

toward him to eliminate the space between them. Alex

realized he was shivering and pressed forward, letting his

hands slide under Everett"s coat, smooth over skin.

“I"m serious,” George yelled from inside the house,

startling them both, though neither of them pulled apart this

time. “Get your goddamn asses in here!”

“
Language
!” Rachel immediately echoed, followed by

what sounded like drums that some cruel person must have

bought for one of the children.

Everett sighed, but when he started to walk slowly back

inside, Alex walked with him. He still couldn"t speak, but

that was okay. It could be said later, after Alex had opened

the last of his presents and they"d eaten the dinner Molly

and Robert had worked hard on and Everett had helped

wash the dishes, later, in the dark of Everett"s room the way

it probably should have been said years ago. But he didn"t

think Everett minded, not when he glanced over with that

look that meant one thing.

“Christmas,” Alex said out loud, letting the word mean