Sweep Me Off My Feet Ch. 07

Brinxton faltered a moment at the look on Zayne's face, then blurted out, "I love you too. I have since I met you and I'm so sorry that my commitment issues put you in this position."

The trepidation on Zayne's face went away as his expression blossomed into something more like awe. "You..." He stopped and took a shaky breath, and then laughed weakly. "Well, that certainly changes things then, doesn't it? I thought if I told you how I felt, you'd...I don't know, be upset with me, maybe? Like I was ruining all of your well laid plans for life."

Brinxton looked a little confused about that, "Plans? I wasn't making plans. I was just existing before I met you. Living in Limbo without even the wherewithal to stand up to my family about the bare minimum of respect about my identity and life."

"You kissed me in front of your family," Zayne commented and then frowned. "But then that same night you acted like we were just buddies when your friends showed up. It was confusing."

"I know. I am sorry about that. I don't even know what I was thinking," Brinxton apologized.

Zayne chewed on his lower lip for a moment, thinking that over, but he looked hopeful. "And if your family and friends think I'm not good enough for you because...well, because I'm not able bodied?"

"Well," Brinxton said thoughtfully, "We know that's not true in Brielle's case, but if the rest of them turn out to be ableist asshats we don't have to have anything to do with them. Because I choose you. All of you. The good and the bad and everything in between."

Zayne couldn't help but smile at that, and now he moved forward with his hands on the walls for stability until he could throw them around Brinxton, clinging to him like he was afraid Brinxton would disappear at any moment. Brinxton clung to him in much the same way. They parted eventually, looking each other in the eyes before they both leaned forward to kiss each other. It was easily the best kiss Zayne had ever had.

When they broke apart again, Zayne looked past Brinxton's shoulder to the living room and his entire face turned red as he remembered what it looked like. He quickly hid his face in Brinxton's shoulder, as if that could help protect him from the embarrassment. Brinxton noticed, of course, and chuckled for the first time in weeks. "I love it when your face matches your hair and... is that a beard?" Brinxton affectionately growled deep in his throat.

Zayne laughed and looked at Brinxton. "This is tame compared to what it was. I shaved it again like two days ago because Jessie told me I looked like a mountain man. Why? Do you like it? I can always keep it this length."

Brinxton shrugged. "It's up to you! I like it, but I understand they can get itchy. I wouldn't want for you to feel obligated because I like something."

Zayne scratched his face at that. "It is a little bit, but I've barely been noticing it to be honest. I've been...busy, as I'm sure you saw. I must look like some obsessed stalker or something."

Brinxton held his hand out horizontally and waggled it back and forth to indicate that perhaps there was a small chance. "It's okay, you're adorable."

Zayne hid his face again, this time against Brinxton's neck, both out of embarrassment and wanting to have Brinxton near. He had missed that scent and the feel of their bodies together. Brinxton startled as if remembering something. "Your, um, brother is in the garage. He drove me up here. We should probably let him know the coast is clear."

"You mean we shouldn't make him sleep out there?" Zayne asked sardonically before he went back into the room to get in his wheelchair. He wheeled back down the hallway and to the garage door where he opened it up and flipped the lights on and off a couple of times.

Zach came in not too long after with his and Brinxton's bags. He stopped to look closely at his twin and shook his head. "I'm more than happy to sleep way upstairs to give you two plenty of time to celebrate being together, but first I really think you both need food. I'm afraid you two will waste away before you can celebrate properly."

Before either of them could comment, Zach whisked past them and into the kitchen to look through what Jessie had stocked the place with. He settled on making a beef stew, filled with carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. Zayne organized his work a little better so the paintings weren't everywhere, leaving only the ones still drying out before he came back to lock the wheels on his chair and move onto the love seat with Brinxton.

Zayne ran his hand along Brinxton's jaw and cheek. "You've lost weight."

"Food lost its taste, life lost all meaning. I never understood poets before this experience. Now all I can do is stare at you," Brinxton said.

"Yeah, I may understand Van Gogh a lot better now too, though I'm not quite to cutting my ear off level yet," Zayne joked and then he leaned in to kiss Brinxton again. "I love you."

Brinxton kissed him back, just as passionately. "I love you, too, Zayne."

Zach smiled as he watched them kiss again before filling up three big bowls of stew. He pretended to make a gagging sound as he brought the bowls over to the table, drawing a muffled laugh out of Zayne. Despite his joking, and feeling a little like the odd man out without any sort of relationship, Zach was happy for his twin.

He made sure both of them ate a fair helping of the stew before he cleaned up and put the leftovers away. Once he had done that, he disappeared upstairs so they could be alone again. Zayne led Brinxton back to the bedroom and practically sighed in relief when he could feel Brinxton's skin on his again. It was all of the things he had missed physically; the feel of Brinxton's skin, his warmth, his scent, the safety and security of being in his arms.

Brinxton happily took Zayne into his arms and snuggled close to him, taking comfort from his presence at long last. It felt like the first sip of water after trekking alone through the desert for a long time. It was how Zayne felt about it too, like he couldn't get enough now that he finally had the chance to quench the thirst.

"I'm glad you came after me," Zayne admitted quietly. "Honestly, even if given a year, I don't think I could have gotten over you."

Brinxton sighed contentedly, still anxious about screwing everything up, but taking courage from Zayne's responses. "I tried my best to give you your space, but the longer you were gone, the less I could stand it."

"I kept looking through all of our photos, and painting, and even when sleeping you were in my dreams," Zayne replied. "I know we eventually have to get back to normal life, but I kind of hate the idea of you going back to your house once we get back after all of this."

Brinxton nodded. "That wouldn't make any sense. My lease was up yesterday and I didn't renew it. The landlady gave me 30 days to move out."

Zayne looked at Brinxton curiously, considering the timing of that in his head. It was before he had come out here, but at the same time, he was here now. "Planning to go somewhere? Or did you have a homey, completely accessible place with a hot guy to crash or live forever?"

"I hoped for the latter, but decided I was moving far, far away if you were no longer interested," Brinxton said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm definitely interested, so no moving far away," Zayne ordered. "On that latter part, I happen to have an empty side of my very big bed, and a shower that easily fits two people."

"Back in my grandfather's day they had a song about a bicycle built for two. A shower built for two sounds way better!" Brinxton said.

Zayne smiled at that and nestled his face close to Brinxton's neck. "Then it's settled. We'll get you moved in once we get back and then we just have to deal with whatever reaction from everyone there is."

They didn't have sex that night, because both were too emotionally exhausted to even think about it, but they did spend many days laying in bed coming down from their climaxes with each other during the rest of their stay in the cabin. It felt right, and like being home again. Zayne hadn't realized just how badly he had needed Brinxton physically as well, but now he was able to bask in every good part he could get of them being together.

They switched liberally between who was topping, feeling like not only were they finally making love properly, but could feel like they were claiming the other as well. This time, whether Zayne was on top and feeling Brinxton flood into him, or if Brinxton was vulnerable under Zayne's movements and thrusts, they could both openly say how much they loved each other, and always would.