Escape is Only Temporary [boyxboy]

Chapter XXVIII

 ~Sunday 24th July 2016~

"Did you ever want more kids?" Reece opened his eyes, blinded by shades of green glimmering in the afternoon sun. He tilted his head to the right, finding Shepherd knelt a few feet away from him, back to the wolf laid in the grass. They had opted to go into the forest together that day, spend time alone, away from their kids and the pack. Really, Reece was supposed to be helping Shepherd search for more cuttings for his greenhouse, however, he couldn't ignore the temptation of the sun blazing above for too long.

It was still early in the day, yet Reece was tired. He found himself exhausted more often than not in the present day. Before, he could have run for hours on end. Now? Everything just seemed laborious. Shepherd assured him nothing was wrong. That was simply the plague of being a parent. The constant worrying, the skewed thoughts, that was a part of his life now. In reality, he didn't mind. For the sake of his pups, he was willing to move heaven and earth. A little bit of fatigue was nothing.

"I barely know the ones I have now," reaching out, Reece's fingertips barely skimmed Shepherd's back. The man was shirtless, wearing only a pair of battered and torn jeans. His flesh glittered like polished obsidian stretched over bones that stuck out in some places, particularly his spine. Reece found himself worrying more often than not that Shepherd was underweight. He wasn't gaunt, he couldn't ever look like that, not with such a healthy complexion to his face, however, he was frail. His body was more than slender, it was fragile. No matter the strength of the man, the flesh was still weak.

"I know, I just wondered if you'd envisioned a big family in your future or something," although he remained focused on his work, Shepherd shuffled back slightly, allowing Reece's hand to splay over the base of his base. Fingers roamed the beauty before him, dipping into the shallow crevasses and gliding over the peaks. Shepherd would forever be the picture of perfection, crafted by the gods in the image of pure enchantment, but maybe that was why Reece worried so much. After everything the warlock had been through, it wouldn't be too far a stretch for him to still be punishing himself. He'd already tried to end it swiftly, Reece feared that he might be taking a slower option.

"I gave up on the idea," Reece admitted hesitantly, soothing his worries when he felt the muscles twitch under Shepherd's flesh. He had a lean form, one that had endured so much, some people were just naturally more trim than others. Shepherd was dealing with his grief, he was talking to Reece, there was no need for the man to be so concerned with his appearance. It wasn't as though he had suddenly lost the weight, and Reece had never heard Shepherd mention any nervousness when it came to keeping his figure. He would tell Reece if he was struggling. The man just had to trust him.

"What?" Shepherd turned, peering over his shoulder with a frown lining his face. Reece's hand fell back limply onto the grass, still outstretched toward the man but no longer touching him. It was an open invitation, a temptation for the warlock to take a break from his work and lay down with his mate. There couldn't be a better day for it.

"I've known I was gay, or at least preferred men, since I was a kid. I knew, if I wanted to be happy, I'd be with a man. Pups didn't factor into that. It was one or the other," happiness had always been something that Reece strived for but never quite reached. He saw others around him, men and women his age, finding their mates and having pups together for years. He lost friends to their mates, to families that he could only ever dream of, living lives that were nothing more than figments of his imagination. It seemed impossible for so many years.

"Never considered adoption?" Shepherd caved, settling down beside Reece and resting his head on the man's bicep. There was always distance between them, especially on days like that. The sun provided enough warmth, Shepherd would only complain if he was swathed in Reece's heat too. The simple contact of his head on the man's arm was enough. It was the winter months that the man couldn't wait for. Then, in those fleeting times of snow and ice, Shepherd would cling to him constantly, he knew he would. Reece couldn't wait.