Love At Last [Be My Valentine]

Chapter Two

Aden, Toby - Love At Last (Be My Valentine) [Avidbook, Contemporary (M/M, Gay) Romance] Chapter Two

Josh

“Mom, guys. I can take it from here. Really.”

I protested as my mom set about unpacking my stuff and rearranging everything to her satisfaction. It was my second semester away from home and family. You’d think after going through this process last semester, they’d choose to forgo it this time, but no. They were dead set on seeing me settled in before they chose to leave.

“The room is too small dear and I don’t want you sharing it with some bad kid who will lead you amok.”

I rolled my eyes as I listened to her yammer away. It was a dorm so of cause it was small, barely fitting two desks and two beds and without leaving much space for anything else. “I seriously can’t believe you just said the word ‘amok’. This is college for crying out loud and I had the same room last semester which you saw then.”

“My point exactly, son. Who knows the kind of bad crowds you could fall in with?” my mom exclaimed, straightening out the bed and admiring her handiwork with the room.

Sighing exasperatedly, I turned to face my dad, who was an older version of me. Among all my other siblings, I took after dad the most. I had his blond hair and build but I had my mom’s green eyes. Three of my brothers were the exact opposite of me, taking after mom with their auburn hair and dad’s baby blue eyes whilst my other three siblings took completely after our mom.

“Tell her dad.” I said, seeking his help.

He shook his head discreetly with a smile behind my mom’ back whilst winking. “Listen to your mother, son.”

I sighed, hitting my forehead with my palm as I held in the laughter ready to burst out of me. “Okay. I think I’ve now been sufficiently warned off turning into a bad boy. Anyways, I need to get settled in so have a safe trip back home.”

Mom gave me a frown which was completely spoiled by the twitch at the corner of her lips. “Alright, alright, mi hijo. We get the message,” she moved forward and gave me a hug, patting me on the cheek. “My baby’s all grown up.”

“Mooom…” I drawled, my cheek heating up as she started getting sentimental.

“Alright. Visit often and don’t live off of those terrible fast foods.”

Being Mexican by blood, my parents considered takeout and every meal not homemade terrible foods. It was amusing but I wasn’t about to tell her that pizza, wings and beer were about to become my next best friends. Not if I valued my independence and didn’t want them dropping by too often for my liking.

Sighing, I gave her a hug and went to do the same to my dad. “I promise to come over whenever I can.”

They left soon and I flopped back onto my bed, excited to finally pick up the new chapter of adulthood in my life from where I left off last semester. I was even more excited to meet the friends from the soccer team I’d made. Soccer was my life and it was one of the reasons I’d picked this school in the first place. That and the scholarship which gave me a full ride through college.

Feeling suddenly gross with my sweaty body, I got up and packed my towel, suddenly in dire need of a shower. In the shared bathroom, I entered a stall and washed myself and with my head bowed and a hand on the tiles, I let the water fall on me, washing away sweat and I soon began feeling refreshed. After spending a while under the steamy water to soothe my tired muscles, I turned it off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist and making my way back to the dorm room.

I tossed the wet towel onto my bed, grabbed a hand towel and began wiping water away from my face and hair. Suddenly, a gasp drew my attention, and I immediately turned around to regard the intruder or possible roommate who stood unmoving at the door with raised brows.

A smirk crossed my lips as I watched the guy trace deep chocolate brown eyes down my naked body. Now was probably not the time to make crude jokes with the way he started blushing but I was sorely tempted to do so. In fact, I turned to face him fully, letting him look his fill.

Gorgeous didn’t even begin to describe what the redhead guy looked like. If this was going to be my new roommate, it was going to be a very long year especially if I had to keep my hands off his lean delicious body.

Something in the way he looked at me though made me think he might be a virgin or this might be his first time seeing a naked dude and my c**k rose to the occasion, waving his attention hello. It was arrogant of me but I preened under his appreciative glance, enjoying the fact that the guy obviously liked what he saw even as my gaze traced his tongue which came out to lick his pink lips.

Too bad I couldn’t keep myself from chuckling and drawing his attention back to me. “Like what you see?”

A flush spread through his body, heating up his cheek and blooming into a full on blush. It was totally adorable to watch. “I-I uh…” he stammered as his eyes dropped back down to stare at my c**k once more.

“I’m up here mate,” I announced in an amused voice.

Taking pity on him, I pulled on my favorite black boxer briefs, smirking unrepentantly as he gazed back at me, blushing furiously.

“I-I-I uh… that is… s**t,” He stammered, and I was sure there was a bit of a moan in there. Wishful thinking on my part, maybe. But I could have sworn I heard him moan. Then he said, “You’re f*****g beautiful.”

Raising a brow, I was tempted to address that but though better of it when he looked as though he would explode on the spot if I made fun of him. Noticing he hadn’t moved an inch from the doorway, I asked “Aren’t you coming in?”

“What?” he asked, his voice belaying his confusion.

Nodding towards his luggage, I questioned, a bit hopefully to be honest. “You’re my roommate, aren’t you? Or do you just walk into random rooms and stare at other people?”

The gorgeous redhaired nodded frantically, shook his head then nodded again. I could practically see the nervousness oozing out of his pores. Taking pity on him, I began pulling on faded jeans then directed a crooked smile at him.

“I don’t bite. At least unless you ask,” I said with a wink.

I watched him out of the corner of my eyes as he cautiously stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He then walked towards the other unoccupied bed in the room and sat gingerly on it.

“I uh didn’t mean to stare or make you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t.” Once I had finished pulling a black shirt on, I turned to regard him silently, settling down onto my own bed. “I’m Josh Avery by the way.”

“Cory Newman,” he offered, inclining his head at me.

“It’s okay if you’re gay.” I’m not sure what made me blurt this out but I could see that he instantly stiffened, wary eyes searching mine for something. Wanting to ease any discomfort he might feel, I added. “I’m gay too. I don’t advertise it but I don’t deny it either.”

Trying to make myself less threatening, I flopped back onto the bed behind me resting on my elbow as I waited to see what Cory would do next.

“I’m gay.”

What he did do was something even I wasn’t sure he’d admit out loud and though I had to strain a bit to hear him. He’d said the words out loud even looking a bit freaked out and I could tell that it was new for him, saying those words to someone else.

His admission caused something in me to react. That he’d put his trust in me, a practical stranger was both refreshing and reassuring.

“Cool. So where are you from?” I asked, wanting to divert attention from him panicking.

“LA born and bred,” Cory said, “You?”

“Family’s originally from Mexico but I’m Chicago born.” I said then went further to explain. “My family migrated here a long time ago and we’ve been here ever since.” I responded with a grin.

“Wow. You speak Spanish then?”

“Perfectamente. ¿Habla español?” I asked with a grin on my face. “Wow! And I’m lost. I’m not really a language kind of guy. Can’t learn it no matter what.” He responded with a shrug. “Got any siblings?” he asked, getting up to put his things away.

“A whole house full. I have two older brother, two younger ones and two sisters.”

Apparently, I must have shocked him. He reacted like everyone else did when they heard how many we were in my family. “Seven kids? Your parents had seven kids?”

Grinning broadly, “Crazy huh. They drive me crazy too not to mention all the cousins. Lots and lots of them. Trust me, it’s a very big family.”

“Wow. I’ve never had large family. I’m an only child,” settling back on the bed, he gazed at me, his chin on his palm as though enthralled by what I had to say. “What’s it like growing up in a big family?”

With him being an only child, I understood that he must not know how the dynamics of having a crazy, loud and large family worked but trust me, it wasn’t all it was cracked to be. “Exhausting, loud, crazy, total chaos, take your pick. But I wouldn’t trade them for anything the world either.” and wasn’t that just the very truth?