I was, after all, just a bad dream [+18]

V

TW: In this chapter, Pete is having an intimate moment with a man other than Vegas. If this is not to your liking, feel free to skip it. (Spoiler: They don't go all the way, but it might still be unsettling for some readers.)

For my TamPete shippers, well, I hope you'll enjoy, eheh! 😊

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The night was beautiful. I know it sounds cliché—especially now that I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth—but it's the truth. I spent five years missing out on this kind of beauty, too busy being stuck in the shadows of my past.

Learning to appreciate fleeting moments like this again? That was a victory. Yet, there was still that annoying little voice in the back of my head reminding me of what was to come with the man who had me blindfolded for years. But, somehow, the weight on my chest felt a bit lighter that night.

Maybe it had something to do with the other man walking beside me, silently, as the smell of cooling asphalt and earth filled the air, a lukewarm breeze gently brushing against my face and my bare arms. Maybe —just maybe— it wasn't just the night that was beautiful.

The warmth of that hand holding mine. The warmth of that skin—actual human skin, the softness wrapping around my fingers. It was just a touch, something so small, so common, most people wouldn't even notice. But for me? It was like someone flipped the switch on my heart, igniting sparks I hadn't felt in five long years.

The simple intimacy of another body touching yours, whether it's a gentle hug feeling like a safe and cozy blanket or strong arms wrapping around you holding you like he owns you. A quick peck on the cheek or the intense touch of wet lips on your temple. The sound of his breathing quickening just a bit as he tightens his embrace, right there in the crook of your neck.

How he tries—and fails—to keep things under control as you drift in and out of sleep on the couch, in front of that movie you don't even remember the name of, spooned by this huge guy who's probably praying you don't notice his growing desire down there.

But I did. I felt his desire, his arousal, and had to fight not to let my body feel and respond. I wasn't ready—not sure I am even now. It had been so long, I'd almost forgotten what that kind of want feels like—until Tam showed me. Who knew I could still be desired, even as a single dad, inching toward 35? Even though it's been so long, I'm half-worried I'd need a YouTube tutorial to remember how it's done. But maybe it's like riding a bike—you just have to get back on and hope your body remembers how to pedal.

"Did you eat enough?" Tam asked, his brows furrowing in that adorably distracted way of his. "I mean, it was good and all, but the portions were way smaller than they looked in the picture. Maybe we should have—"

"Let's spend the night at your place."

"—ordered dessert? Wait, what?!" Tam blinked, completely caught off guard as he turned around to look at me, so fast he almost lost his balance.

Well, I was taken aback by myself too, to be honest. It wasn't planned or calculated. It just... felt right. In that moment, it was exactly what I wanted to do. The first step, finally stopping this game of hide and seek, even if it was something fun and exciting and new between the two of us. But it also felt like stepping off a cliff, hoping there's something soft for me to land on and not just a freefall to the ground where I would probably hurt myself once again.

"I said, let's spend the night at your place," I repeated, clearing my throat, trying to put a bit more confidence in my words this time. Well, at least I tried. "Unless you don't want to—"

"No! No, I want to! I mean, yes, of course I want to!" Tam stammered, his cheeks flushing like he'd just been caught his hand in the cookie jar. "But what about Venice? If he doesn't see you tomorrow morning, he might start wondering where you are, and we don't want him to worry or, worse, start asking questions about—"