Their first kiss was a little awkward. It was clear that Josey had never kissed anyone before, but he was a quick learner and so the second kiss was pretty good. By the third kiss Tor was certain he’d never want to kiss any other person ever again. He gathered Josey in his arms as they kissed each other into a blissful delirium. They were mostly chaste kisses, but then Josey learned he could put his tongue into Tor’s mouth and things heated up quickly from there. Tor had to pull away with a groan before he went too far.

“Hold your horses, dude,” he gasped. “I’m definitely not ready for all of that yet.”

“Sorry,” Josey replied, flushing. “It just feels really good!”

“Yeah,” Tor agreed, grinning. “But let’s take our time, OK? There’s no need to rush…I’m not going anywhere.”

Josey’s eyes lifted hopefully. “Really?”

“Really,” Tor said, and he kissed the corner of Josey’s mouth. “As long as you’ll want me.”

“Tor, if I haven’t made it perfectly clear by now that I want you…” Josey started to say, but Tor kissed him again and it was several minutes before either was able to speak again.

“Are you hungry?” Tor asked. “I feel kind of hungry after all that crying.”

Josey nodded, and they went to the kitchen where they finished off the box of Cocoa Puffs. It was more delicious than Tor remembered and he ate two bowls while Josey laughed at him. Afterwards they went back to the couch and cuddled as they watched cartoons. Tor was so content to have Josey’s warmth pressing against his chest that he actually dozed off for a minute, but he woke up to Josey’s kiss against his forehead.

“I’m hungry again,” the younger man said. “Are you up to cooking?”

Tor groaned. He wanted to eat something more nutritious than Cocoa Puffs, but he felt as worn out as if he’d run a marathon and a ten-mile hike in the same day.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Don’t be,” Josey grinned. “Pizza it is!”

They discussed pizza toppings for a minute (thank goodness both of them had NORMAL taste in pizza) and placed an order before cuddling on the couch some more. Tor reluctantly released Josey so he could answer the door when the food arrived and they ate while watching an old black-and-white movie. By the time the movie ended, Tor could barely keep his eyes open.

“What a day!” he yawned as he stretched. “This morning feels as though it happened a million years ago.”

“I think it turned out alright in the end, though,” Josey replied.

Tor smiled. “Yes, it did.”

Josey stood up and held out his hand to him.

“Come to bed?” he asked.

Tor raised an eyebrow. “No funny business?”

Josey shrugged. “Do you want there to be?”

Tor considered it, then shook his head. “No. We’re not rushing things, remember?”

If Josey was disappointed, he didn’t show it. He said, “I remember. Now come to bed – no funny business.”

Tor was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. It was the first time that he could remember having good dreams – he and Josey were walking down the street, holding hands, and everything was black-and-white except for the red string that bound their hands together. He wouldn’t have wanted it to end, except that when he woke up Josey was nestled against his chest and Tor decided that was even better than the dream. 

He lay there for a long while, watching Josey slowly blink his eyes open in the growing dawn light. Apparently the light wasn’t the only thing growing, though, because Josey briefly glanced down and then he grinned at Tor.

“At ease, soldier,” he said sleepily.

Tor groaned and shifted so that his arousal wasn’t so apparent.

“Sorry,” he said. “You’re just so damn cute in the mornings.”

Josey flushed and buried his face in the pillow to mumble something. Tor laughed and pulled away the pillow so that he could see his soulmate’s face again.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I’m glad that you’re attracted to me too,” Josey replied. “I was worried that it was just me…”

Tor leant forward and kissed him deeply.

“I hope that eases your worries,” he said when they broke apart. “And if the kiss didn’t, perhaps this will.”

He wiggled his hips so that things moved under the bedcovers and Josey giggled hysterically.

“As much as I’d like to try that right now, I just realized we don’t have any of the necessary supplies,” he said once he’d calmed down.

“Maybe we can go on another shopping trip today,” Tor suggested, and Josey nodded eagerly. “But until then…would you like to take a shower together? You can show me the peephole?”

“Who knew you were the pervert all along?” Josey laughed, but he kissed Tor and Tor felt his excitement at the idea of sharing the shower. They stumbled from the bed and fumbled out of their clothes while the water warmed up. Josey’s body was smaller and smoother than Tor’s, but when he pressed up against Tor to kiss the scars that covered his torso, it was all Tor could do not to shoot off right there. He tugged Josey into the stream of water and carefully touched him, stroking the younger man into a noisy climax.

“Sorry,” Josey apologized afterwards. “That was embarrassingly fast.”

“No worries,” Tor replied. “You can work on me until you’re ready again.”

It didn’t take many tugs at Tor before Josey was fully aroused once more. They finished together, Tor stroking both of them with one large hand as they panted and kissed. They stood kissing in the water until it started to run cool, so they hurriedly scrubbed down and got out to dress.

After a breakfast of eggs and toast, they decided to walk to a pharmacy a few blocks away. They were holding hands just like in Tor’s dream and it was pure bliss. That is, until it started to rain and they had to run the rest of the way to the pharmacy.

“Ugh, this is going to turn into one of those days where we’re trapped at home,” Josey said, squinting at the sky.

“That won’t be too bad, will it?” Tor asked, and he tapped a box of condoms against Josey’s cheek. The younger man flushed bright red as he snatched the box out of his hand, but he didn’t stop grinning. They got a bottle of fancy lube, an umbrella, and a bunch of gummi candies (Josey’s doing) before they paid and left, leaving behind a chuckling store clerk who knew exactly how they were spending the rainy day.

Back in the apartment, they kissed and touched each other as they peeled out of their wet clothes. Somehow they made their way to the bedroom. Tor knew it was Josey’s first time doing anything like this and he was determined to make it enjoyable, so he used his hands and mouth on his lover’s body until Josey was loose and relaxed all over. The moment Tor moved into him, Josey let out a cry and clutched at his arms, but soon their breaths mingled in pleasured rapture and their movements fell into a natural rhythm of give and take. Tor’s mind went blank as he came and it was all he could do not to collapse onto Josey as the aftershocks rolled through him. He rolled beside him on the bed and panted, his body boneless as a glowing Josey wrapped his arms around him.

“Are you OK?” Tor asked as they shared slow, languid kisses. “Did I hurt you?”

“Mmm, no,” Josey replied. “It feels strange, but not unpleasant. I could definitely get used to it with some more practice!”

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Tor laughed.

“Give me a chance to catch my breath, Green!” he panted. “I’m not in the same shape I used to be – I need a minute before round two!”

There wasn’t a moment for the rest of that rainy day they weren’t touching one another. Whether it was holding each other in bed or exploring the pleasures of their bodies, Tor and Josey couldn’t bear to be apart for a single minute. Even though Josey was the inexperienced one, Tor felt that HE was the one having all the firsts today: he’d never felt this intimately close to another person and it heightened all his senses, making the pleasure even more pleasurable. He’d never laughed or smiled so much in his life and as the rain pattered against the windows, he almost wished that the sun wouldn’t ever come out so that he’d have an excuse to stay in bed with Josey for the rest of time (not that they’d limited themselves to the bed).

“How are you doing?” Josey asked him when they relaxed on the couch in front of the TV that evening eating the gummi candies. “I mean, after yesterday’s emotional ‘sharing session’.”

Tor stroked his hand up and down Josey’s back as he thought.

“I’m OK,” he answered truthfully. “Those feelings of guilt are still there, deep down, and I’m probably going to have them for a while. Maybe always. But I don’t want to let them get in the way of enjoying moments like this.”

Josey smiled and kissed him.

“Kristy keeps trying to get me to go to a therapist,” he admitted. “I put her off by telling her that I don’t have time for doctor’s appointments, but I know she’s right. I need to find a healthy way to deal with all of my past and now that I have you, I feel that I have a reason to make the time. Is…is that something you might be interested in too?”

“Therapy?” Tor frowned. “I tried it while I was going through physical rehab after my hospital stay. It helped a little while I was being active, but after I left rehabilitation I didn’t see any point in keeping up with it. But yeah, you’re right…it’s not fair for me to rely on you as my sole confidant for my mental health. If you go to therapy, I’ll go too.”

Josey squeezed his hand. “I’m glad.”

Tor nodded, then sighed. “Of course, I’ll need some sort of health insurance to cover that cost, which means getting a job.”

Josey traced a finger through his lover’s chest hair.

“If you want,” he said slowly, “I could get you on my plan as a dependent. I mean, if you really want to stay with me, it covers partners…or whatever you want to call us.”

He blushed and Tor felt a rush of warmth towards him. Josey had said before that he wanted Tor to stay, but the idea of becoming someone who actually belonged to Josey was beyond his wildest imaginings. 

“’Partner’ is good…for now,” Tor answered. “But I’d like something more permanent one day. Sooner rather than later.”

Josey’s blush grew even brighter and he pressed his warm face into Tor’s shoulder.

“I’d really like that too,” he said, “but are we moving too fast? I mean, this is unreal! We haven’t even been together two weeks!”

“And yet I feel like I’ve known you forever,” Tor replied. “I don’t want anyone else, Josey. We don’t have to nail the details down until you’re ready…but please know that I’m not going to change my mind. I’m in for the long haul.”

Josey beamed with that beautiful smile of his and kissed Tor deeply.

“Me too,” he said. “And as for you getting a job, I had an idea about that as well…but only if you’re interested. It’s just an idea.”

“Hit me with it, Green,” Tor said.

“Well,” Josey let out a breath, “how would you feel about working at the deli? Etta and Sam have been talking about hiring more staff now that they’re getting older. Etta has knee trouble and being on her feet all day isn’t helping, plus Sam doesn’t have the same energy levels from when he was younger. Kristy wants to take over the business one day, but for now she’s still in school and even after she graduates, she can’t do everything herself. They could use some reliable help and if you want something to do while you get yourself sorted, I’m almost certain they’d take you on. You’ve got the knife skills and everything!”

Tor laughed and pulled Josey on top of him. 

“Seriously?” he asked. “You think I could do that?”

Josey nodded, the most serious as Tor had ever seen him.

“I do, Tor,” he said, but he was more playful as he added, “Plus, they close at 3 in the afternoon, which means we’d have the entire evening together to do…stuff.”

“You nasty pervert,” Tor said, but they were both laughing as they kissed. “Yeah, I think I’d like that. I mean, could we ask them and see what they say?”

“We’ll go tomorrow,” Josey promised, and he settled comfortably in Tor’s arms.

“Tomorrow,” Tor repeated.

He was so glad that there would be a tomorrow.