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Home's where the heart is

And my heart is with Ethan

Therefore, he's my home

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"Thank you for coming here to see me, Ma." I smile, playing with my hair.

Mom kisses my forehead. "Of course I came to help you go home." Her eyes run over Ethan. "And I definitely wanted to meet this boyfriend of yours."

Ethan smiles and rests a gentle hand on her upper arm. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. King."

She smiles and her green eyes brighten. "The pleasure's all mine. Planning on giving me grandchildren?" She smiles mischievously.

I stutter. "N-I can't get pregnant and I'm— We're in college."

Ethan blushes and wraps his arm around my waist. "Maybe in ten years." He smiles lovingly at me.

"Ten years."

"That's an awfully long time to make your poor mother wait, don't you think?" Mom giggles and adjusts her blouse before looking around the hospital room. "I don't want to be here again."

"I doubt anyone wants that." Ethan assures her.

She smiles and holds my hand and walks us out of the hospital, already having checked us out before stopping at Ethan's bike.

"You just dropped it. Why didn't you properly park it?" I ask.

"Oh shit, I forgot." He scratches behind his head and picks it up, kicking out the kickstand. "I was scared, Charlie. I was really scared."

"I'll pay to get the paint job fixed." I rub the bike before putting Ethan's helmet on him.

"You don't have to do that." Ethan adjusts the helmet.

"Drive safely. Stay by us, okay?"

"I will." He promises.

Mom takes us to the old house and I grab Ethan's hand and pull him into the house all the way to my old bedroom and see our daughter. "Momo!" I whisper excitedly.

"Momo." His eyes water.

"Why are you crying, Ethan?" I ask, squeezing his hand.

"'Cause I get to come home. 'Cause I get to see her again, see you again, for the rest of my life." He rests his forehead against mine. "I love you."

"I love you too." I pick her up and kiss her. "What do you think of my childhood room?"

Ethan nuzzles her then looks around the room. It's not as full, but it hasn't been cleared out by anyone else. My old, full-size bed is pushed up against the corner and my old writing desk still has old stories I never finished in a stack. There are a few stuffed animals, but mostly pictures and poetry that I won awards for. It's basically like how everything I have is now, black, gray, white, and purple.

"It's cute, really cute. Comfy." He sits on the bed. "I like it. Feels very you."

"Thanks you." I hand him Momo. I grab my older Polaroid camera and check the film and grin, taking a picture of him and letting it develop before putting it up on the wall as well, my eyes lingering on a picture of MJ.

Ethan smiles and pets Momo gently, whispering to her how much he's missed her and how sorry he is for leaving her.

I touch the picture and blink before shaking my head and crawling in bed with Ethan.

Ethan puts his arm around my shoulders. "You don't have to forget them."

"I just don't want to take it down. I just put yours up." I blush. "You're not a replacement. You're just mine."

He kisses my temple. "I understand."

"We should fuck here one day."

He smirks. "I'd love to."

My heart rate increases. "I'm glad."

"Maybe one Thanksgiving or Christmas we could sneak off and have some fun." He whispers.

"Or Valentine's Day. That way we don't have to wait~"

"Will you be ready by then?" He rubs my back soothingly.

"I'll try... I mean, you're my boyfriend and it's Valentine's, so..."

"I want to wait until you're ready, Charlie." Ethan tells me seriously. "We can just have a date night and cuddle."

"I want to." I bury my face in his neck.

"Okay." He kisses my forehead. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah. I'll call a cab."

"Your mom doesn't want to come see the place?"

"Her and Dad helped pick it out. She does. I just like, don't want her to wait on me. She's my mom, not my maid."

"Ah, gotcha." He ruffles my hair and stands, putting Momo back in her home.

I grab all of her belongings and exhale shakily, adjusting my backpack and heading downstairs.

"Going back to the apartment?" Mom asks.

"Yeah. Bye. I love you." I kiss her forehead and hug her with my right arm after setting Momo down. "I'm sorry."

She wraps her arms around me. "Can I take you home?"

"I— You're very busy. I couldn't..."

"Charlie, honey, you were just in the hospital. You were lonely. And I miss you all the time. I at least get to see Xander around the house sometimes, but you're all the way at college. I miss my boy."

"Okay. Thank you." I squeeze her hand. "I'd love to drive with you."

She pushes some of her curly red hair behind her ear and smiles contently, making me feel light. Mom grabs Momo and smiles at Ethan as she makes her way to the car for another drive.

♥︎ • ♦︎ • ♣︎ • ♠︎

"Your apartment is so cute," Mom compliments me, looking at my decor. "It's like your bedroom at home, but more grown up. My baby is so old now." She grabs me and hugs me.

I take in my mother's warmth and curl up on the couch as Ethan returns Momo to her rightful place. Cuddling into my mom makes me feel small and protected again. I've missed her. I've also missed Dad and seeing him at the hospital those few times made me really happy. I love him so much and I'm just so happy that he is proud of me and loves me so much. When I was younger and came out, I was terrified that he'd disown me or something. It's Texas for goodness sake and his parents were hardcore Catholics growing up. But he was really supportive. He even took me to the salon to get rainbow peekaboos in my hair so that when I styled my hair different ways, you'd see different colors hidden under my top layers of dirty blond hair.

My family really is amazing.

Ethan returns and sits in his chair, watching fondly. "Thank you for raising such an amazing young man." Ethan tells my mom.

She giggles. "'Young man'."

Ethan blushes.

"You're adorable." She smiles, moving her hair behind her ear.

Ethan shakes his head bashfully. "Your family, man."

"Is there a problem with them?" I ask.

"No, quite the opposite. They're amazing."

"Hopefully soon we'll be your family too." Mom smiles.

He smiles brightly. "I'd like that."

"Me too." I grin widely.

Mom starts messing with the curls in my hair, twirling them around her fingers. My eyes fall closed and I hum, stretching out my arms to open and close my hands.

"You're so cute." Ethan coos fondly.

"No, come." I open and close my hands like a child asking for something.

Ethan chuckles and stands, coming to sit down in my lap and curling up against me.

I wrap my arms around him and bask in the company of two of my all time favorite people. I feel safe.

Ethan closes his eyes contently and I know he feels similarly in my arms.

We stay like this until my mom sighs.

"I have to go to work. I'm sorry."

"Mm, it's okay." I kiss her temple. "Love you. Drive safely."

"I will. Same goes for Ethan." She puts her hands on her hips sassily, flipping her hair.

Ethan smiles and waves. "Till next time, Mrs. King."

"Until we meet again." She waves before leaving.

"I love her." I smile brightly.

"I love her too." Ethan chuckles.

"Yeah, she's pretty." I nudge him.

"Not like that." He rolls his eyes. "But yeah, she is."

"I love you too." I kiss his neck.

"I love you too too." He leans into me.

"We're home." I whisper into his neck.

"It feels good." He rubs my back.

I push Ethan off of me and into a lying down position before climbing over him and bringing my lips to his.

Ethan wraps his arms around me and kisses me sensually. "What are you doing, babe?"

"I just want you to touch me." I breathe.

He rubs his hands up my sides. "Where?"

"I don't know." I bring my teeth to his neck and start working on a hickey. "I'll tell you what I don't want right now."

He moans quietly. "Okay, tell me."

"I can't have sex like normal right now, but I want you really badly." I run my hands under his shirt. "I just want to feel that you're here."

"I can take my clothes off if you want." He offers.

"Yes." I nod. "I want them off." I bring my hands to his pants and start to undo them.

Ethan pulls his shirt off and throws it aside, bringing on hand to my cheek while the other helps me get his pants off.

Biting my lip, I get the pants off and stare at his briefs, debating. "I-I can still blow you."

"No, you don't have to do that baby." He rubs his fingers through my hair. "I'm not with you for sex, Charlie. I will stay without it."

"Stay," I repeat.

"Stay. I'm here, Charlie. Forever." He promises, looking deep into my eyes.

My eyes start watering. "Forever." I bring my lips to his chest.

He continues petting me. "I love you."

"I love you too." My mouth explores his body as I kiss him all over.

He lets out soft, quiet sounds of satisfaction. "I'm yours."

"You're beautiful," I remind him before kissing his lips again.

"Thank you." He blushes and kisses back. "You're exquisite."

"Mmm. Nice diction." I smile, making more hickeys on places that can be covered up.

"You did say you like smart guys." He smirks. "You can mark me, Charlie. Anywhere, everywhere, I'd be proud to show them."

"It's just that I already made one on your neck." I blush.

"You could bruise my whole neck and I'd love it." He chuckles fondly, his eyes shining.

"You like it, right?" I ask.

"Yes, baby, I do, I love it."

I bring my mouth to his neck one last time and make another hickey that I'm proud of before rubbing his sides. "You still haven't made one on me that I can show off."

He knits his eyebrows. "You told me you didn't like them."

"It wasn't just us then."

Understanding dawns on his face. "So, do you want them now?"

"Yes, and they feel good." I bite my lip.

"Mmm, yeah they do." Ethan pulls me down for a kiss, moving to kiss down my jaw and eventually to my neck.

My eyes flutter closed and I grip him, craving his touch.

Ethan sucks on my neck for the next minute, his hands running up and down my back. When he pulls away he licks the spot before taking my mouth again.

Moaning, I tangle my hands into his hair and kiss deeper, tasting him as my hands settle on his chest.

Ethan's tongue tangles with mine as he maps out my mouth. "It feels so right to be with you again." He whispers huskily.

"I feel the same. I've missed this, I've missed you so much." I pant.

"I've missed you too, Charlie, more than I've ever missed anybody."

Lying on his chest, I sigh. "You don't need to be so careful with me." I yawn.

"I'm not being careful."

"Just warning you because you're a protective teddy bear." I yawn again. "I wanna sleep in our bed."

Ethan nods and picks me up before carrying me to my room. He sets me down on the bed and climbs in next to me, pulling the covers over both of us.

I rub his chest. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He pulls me close and relaxes.

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