My Stepbrother the Firefighter and Our Dog [mxm]

Dec 14th - Ian - Man In The House

Ewwwww - domestic bliss!! And between two guys!!! And they are all sweet with each other. So, think twice before you read!

"Hey, Ced, sorry for calling, but is there anything to eat in the fridge? Just came off shift and am damn hungry. If there is nothing anymore, I can bring take out."

"Oh, well, hello," Cedric, said, sounding a bit flustered. "I hope you don't mind, but I actually took the liberty to cook something for dinner."

Over the last few days they had created a routine, living together in Ian's flat. And sleeping in his bed together every night.

"Again?" Ian asked incredulously.

"Sorry, I hoped..." Cedric started and sounded so insecure and like he was going to apologize again for everything.

"No, mate, I'm just blown away you are doing it all the time. You seriously don't have to. I can cook sometimes or bring something home. You have so much on your plate at the moment."

Cedric was all over town, meeting with his insurance regularly, going through his stuff to see if there was anything that could be saved, searching for his sister, avoiding his mother.

Ian was glad that Cedric was able to take a week off from work to get his things sorted out. And he very much hoped that he would be able to convince Cedric to stop looking for other housing possibilities.

"Well, it sort of calms me down after a stressful day," Cedric said, sounding a bit shy again. "And your shifts were brutal in the last few days. It's important for you to eat healthy."

Two days ago a giant depot had burned to the ground after a fire started in the room where empty cartons had been stored. 

And today a boy had been stuck in a tree growing in a small space behind a house. It had been a matter of four and a half hours to get the kid down again. All the screaming and tears from both mother and child had nearly snapped Ian's nerves.

After taking a hot shower, they sat down for yellow rice spiced with curry and a pan of Italian veggies. Ian had wrinkled his nose the first moment, but the tastes went together well. A dessert of two sorts of ice cream they shared on the sofa, watching James Bond's "Skyfall" even calmed his hunger for proteins. Well, Ced ate a few spoonful of both and Ian gorged on the rest.

Cedric knew exactly how to make him one happy fireman.

The dog had fallen asleep on the couch again, so they tip toed into the bedroom.

One after the other they ducked into the bathroom, getting ready for bed. 

When they were cuddling under the blankets, Cedric said, "I found my sister today."

"Tell me," Ian demanded with a kiss to Ced's cheek, wrapping his arms more firmly around him.

"She left my house a week before I got back and lives together with two friends in a flat in Camden Market in London," he sighed. "Now it's clear it was breaking and entering that preceded the fire. Good for me because now I know I will get my insurance money."

"I'm so glad to hear that!" Ian let out a giant breath of relieve. He had been very worried that Ced's sister might have started the fire through carelessness, costing him his insurance.

"But I need to find something to live in soon," Cedric started again in a worried voice. "I can't impose on you for much longer."

Ian kissed Cedric who's hands had cooled with the rising worry against Ian's chest. He cradled both hands in his.

"I have a second bedroom here and am looking for a flatmate," he said for what felt to him like the hundredth time. "I would love to spend so much more time with you. You can furnish the second room with a bed and all if you want to sleep alone one of these days." Ian said it because he knew that this could be a possibility. But it hurt in his heart. He never wanted to sleep another night without Cedric's warm weight beside him to touch and snuggle up against. "And then you can take your sweet time to look into another house." Or decide to stay with me, Ian thought, hope biting its little tooth into his heart.

"It were such unfortunate circumstances we met under," Cedric said quietly, lowering his eyelids. "I'm a burden to you and I would like you to have some space to think about everything before... I just don't want you to have to regret rash decisions."

Ian touched him lightly under the chin until they looked each other in the eyes again.

"You cook for me, you clean my flat, you take Fuzzy everywhere, teaching him how to behave while talking to your insurance manager, you are here when I get home, you make me coffee when I have to leave at ungodly hours... If anyone has a really bad conscience here, it's me, Cedric," Ian said softly. "I want to have you near, because I have a lot of spoiling you to catch up with after the last few days. And I would love to take you out tomorrow," he went on, unable to hide his hopeful smile. "Indian food, maybe? So you can't cook, because it would go to waist because I'm feeding you. I gave up on trying to cook for you while you are sooner at home than me."

Cedric's eyes where searching his, such sweet incredulousness in them that Ian couldn't resist to caress his cheek with his thumb while holing his face in both hands.

"This flat feels finally like home since you and the furball are around," Ian confessed. "I'm so happy to be around you two."

"But...," Cedric's eyes filled with tears. "How can we live together when your parents are married to each other? That's simply..."

Ian crushed Cedric to his chest, feeling hot tears on his naked skin.

"Because we have no idea if they won't divorce in like five months," Ian huffed in good humor. "I'm thirty and you are thirty three, so there is no sense in wasting time waiting around what these two will make of each other. We don't have to tell them. But you living with me is now the most natural thing ever. We met, we talked, I had a room open, you needed a place to stay. Being there for each other, that is what family should be about. So please," he whispered into Cedric's hair, tenderness for the man in his arms nearly overwhelming him, "please think about staying with me. And going out with me. And leaving me somethings I can spoil you with."

In stead of calming his lover, it made the sobs only worse and Ian had no idea what to do but hold him and caress his hair, and back, and shoulders.

"I love you," Cedric hiccuped into Ian's shoulder.

And then they kissed and it was unbelievably awkward because Ian was laughing with pure joy and happiness and Cedric was still crying but laughing too, but they managed. Somehow.

"I love you too," Ian whispered against Cedric's wonderful thin but soft and so sensual lips.

When they were already half asleep, exhausted from their days and the emotions taking them on a roller coaster, Cedric whispered into the darkness, "then I will stay."

Ian wasn't able to say another word, so he just wrapped himself around Cedric as tight as he could before finally falling asleep.

Have a great day, everyone!
For the dog "Blaze" was suggested. What do you think?
Till tomorrow :-)