“Don’t blame me; love made me crazy. If it doesn’t, you ain’t doin’ it right. Lord, save me; my drug is my baby. I’ll be usin’ for the rest of my life.”
-Taylor Swift (Don’t Blame Me)
“You betrayed me. And I know that you’ll never feel sorry for the way I hurt. Yeah, you talked to her when we were together. Loved you at your worst, but that didn’t matter. It took you two weeks to go off and date her. Guess you didn’t cheat, but you’re still a traitor.”
-Olivia Rodrigo (Traitor)
February 2026
Everyone was quiet. It was the most prolonged era of silence in the Montgomery house ever. Matthew, Ishmael, MJ, and Noah all stared at one another. No one was willing to make the first move. Noah felt like he made the move by inviting them into his home. Ishmael didn’t think it was fitting for him to speak first. He was a guest in all of this. MJ had already decided that he wanted nothing to do with Matthew. Matthew felt like he made the first move by showing up. Everyone had thoughts, but no one wanted to express them.
MJ grunted, “I’m over this.” He quickly jumped to his feet to leave.
“Sit down,” Noah firmly stated.
MJ groaned, “This is bullshit.” He flopped down in the seat. Noah gave him a stern look.
MJ defended himself, “Dad, you said I could cuss. It’s a healthy way to express my emotions.”
Noah smirked, “For some reason, I didn’t think you were gonna take me up on that offer.”
Ishmael finally spoke, “Greg, he looks just like you. It’s like looking at a younger version of you.”
“I’m not him,” MJ fired off.
“I know. I’m just speechless,” Ishmael said, baffled.
“Why,” MJ asked.
Matthew interjected, “He wants kids, and I don’t. We keep clashing about it.”
“You married someone who doesn’t want kids? You and Dad have a lot in common,” MJ mumbled.
“MJ, you have a right to feel how you feel. Don’t be an ass, though. I raised you better than that.” Noah understood why MJ felt the way he did. He just didn’t want him to be disrespectful.
“I don’t understand,” Ishmael said as he looked around, confused, “Why is he behaving this way? Your father is alive. Why aren’t you happy?”
“MJ doesn’t know Matthew. Mat never wanted kids. They have never met. I’m the only father MJ has known his entire life, and he is my son. Always,” Noah said as he grabbed his son’s hand and smiled at him.
MJ felt safe. He knew Noah had his back despite the love of his life being back from the dead. Noah wanted MJ to feel safe and protected. He wanted him to know that no matter what, he would support his decision on how MJ felt about Matthew.
“Can you tell me what happened? How did I get a son if I didn’t want kids,” Matthew asked.
“Dad, can I be excused while you tell this story? I don’t need to hear it,” MJ asked.
Noah allowed his son to leave, and so began the story of how MJ came to be.
Christmas Eve 2008
Noah and Matthew finally made it back to the room. The second they entered the master bedroom, they started kissing and undressing one another. It felt good to have their hands all over each other. Noah removed Matthew’s shirt, and he admired that gorgeous chest. He traced his fingers around Matthew’s nipples. They became erect, and Noah kissed each one.
Matthew ripped Noah’s shirt off. He ran his hands over Noah’s firm pecs and across his smooth abs. Matthew loved Noah’s body. He had to taste him, so he ran his tongue along the side of Noah’s neck. Sweet moans flowed from his lover.
As Matthew sucked on his neck, Noah pulled Matthew’s pants down. He stroked his growing erection through his underwear. He had forgotten just how big his penis was. Matthew’s underwear came down, and his fierce cock flopped out.
“I’ve missed you so much, Mateo,” Noah said as he stroked Matthew’s cock.
“I’ve missed you too. We have so much making up to do, Matthew whispered.
Noah dropped to his knees and took Matthew’s cock in his hand. It looked fatter than he last remembered. Noah engulfed the entire penis in his mouth. Matthew let out a deep moan. Noah slowly worked his lips up and down the shaft as he fondled Matthew’s heavy, hairless balls.
He licked his tongue up and down the shaft. Then he sucked on those heavy balls. He made sure to lick and suck on each one equally. He ran his tongue from Matthew’s balls to the base of his cock. His tongue ran from the base right up the shaft and around the head.
He took his cock back into his warm mouth. He sucked on the head and stroked the throbbing shaft with his warm hands. The entire time, Matthew watched him in awe. The sensations Noah was giving his cock were top-tier. Sex with Noah was always the best. No one could ever make Matthew feel the way Noah did. Noah knew his body and soul way too well.
Matthew pulled Noah to his feet. They stared at one another passionately, and then they kissed. Matthew lifted Noah and placed him on the bed. They wrestled around playfully before Matthew ended up on his back.
Noah sat on his face. Matthew pulled his fat cheeks apart and ran his tongue across his tight rosebud. Noah moaned and rolled his glutes around. Matthew buried his face in his crack. His tongue moved in and out of Noah.
Noah made his cakes bounce on Matthew’s face. The tongue invaded his depths like a ship on a quest for gold. His tongue flickered back and forth across Noah’s taint. Then it slid inside his warm cave and twisted around and stroked his tight walls.
Matthew enjoyed eating Noah. His taste was the sweetest thing ever. Noah’s tone when his tongue went in him always made him smile. He loved making Noah feel good, and they loved making each other feel good. Noah moved onto his hands and knees and looked back over his shoulder at Matthew.
“Fuck me, Mateo,” he said.
Matthew flashed him that brilliant smile and moved behind him. He lined his cock up with Noah’s perfect tight ring. Slowly he pushed his cock inside of him. Noah gasped and smiled at the same time. Matthew was finally home where he belonged. He slid his dick in with ease. Then, he began to move slowly in and out of Noah.
“Fuck I missed this ass, baby,” Matthew exclaimed.
Noah started bouncing his ass back and forth on Matthew’s cock. Matthew was just beginning to tap Noah’s second hole when someone started banging at the front door. They quickly jumped off the bed.
“You expecting someone,” Matthew asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No,” Noah said, offended by the question.
“Matthew, open the door,” Luka screamed.
“Luka?” Matthew was shocked to hear her voice.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Noah said with a roll of his eye.
Matthew quickly got dressed. Noah knew right away that Matthew wasn’t telling him something. He could read him like a book. Matthew ran and opened the door for her.
Luka was pretty. She was slender with a narrow face. Her hair was styled in a pixie cut, and she had bright, radiant olive skin. She smiled the moment her eyes landed on her man.
“Luka, what are you doing here?” Matthew asked, completely shocked to see her.
“Well, when you told me you couldn’t get a flight out of here, I checked to see if I could at least get a flight. I didn’t want us to miss spending Christmas together,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Matthew chuckled nervously. The color drained from his face. He suddenly appeared sheepish. She tried to kiss him, but he backed away. She quickly noticed he seemed different. Noah stepped out of the bedroom.
Luka and Noah locked eyes. He could see the appeal in her. She could see the appeal in Noah. She disliked him based on the things Matthew had told her. The thing, though, was that she was brilliant, and she could smell bullshit miles away.
She stepped back from Matthew, “You couldn’t break up with me first? You owed me that much.”
Matthew sighed, “I’m sorry. I thought it would be you, Luka.”
She slapped him with the power of God, “Bastard!”
All you could hear was a whistle from Noah in the background. It was one of those “damn” kinds of whistles. He knew not to interfere. This was not his battle.
The slap stung! Matthew rubbed his face. He knew he deserved that.
“I deserved that,” he said.
“You deserve a lot more. I asked you a million times if you still had feelings for him. Each time, you looked me in the eyes and lied. Well, the joke is on you. I couldn’t wait till Christmas morning to tell you that you’re going to be a father,” she said through tears.
“What?” Matthew was dumbfounded.
“Congrats, Noah, you hit the jackpot. You got the dick plus the baby mama,” she said.
“I’ll pay for the procedure," Matthew uttered.
“What did you say,” she asked.
“I’ll take care of the cost. We can go somewhere in town the day after Christmas and get it done. No one has to know, Luka.”
“I know. I will know. I can’t believe you right now. Are you fucking serious,” she screamed.
Matthew yelled, “I don’t want a child. Not now! Not ever!”
“Well, you should have thought about that before you decided to fuck without a rubber,” She screamed.
“You said you were on the pill! I told you from the jump how I felt about kids. Luka.”
“You also told me you didn’t want Noah anymore,” she snapped.
“I am sorry about that. I will always want him. I tried to fight it. I wanted to love you. I promise I did, but Noah and I have this beautiful, messy, magical, consuming, heart-stopping thing. I can’t escape him, and I don’t want to. He has my whole heart in his hands, and he won’t give it back. Honestly, I don’t want him to give it back. I was wrong for not ending things with you first, and that’s my cross to bear. But, we can’t bring a child into this chaos,”
Luka rolled her neck. “Well, at least there’s something you know you want. I’m having this baby, and you can do whatever the hell you want.”
She stormed off. Matthew slammed the door. He turned to face Noah. Noah was speechless.
“Say something,” Matthew said.
“Are you okay,” Noah asked.
“I made up my mind a while back that I didn’t want kids. I told her that. That’s why she was taking the pill. I just need a moment, Monty.”
“I understand.”
Matthew went into the other room and slammed the door. Noah loved Matthew and figured that one day, he may want a relationship with his child. He left the room and found Luka sitting at a table by the window in the lobby.
“Noah, if you’ve come here to try and plead Matthew’s case, forget it. I don’t need a lecture from the guy who stole my man,” she said with a hand raised.
Noah chuckled, “First of all, he wasn’t your man. I loaned him to you. Second, I’m not here to plead his case. I want to help you with the baby. At some point, Matthew will regret not being there, and I want to make sure I can fill him in on all the memories. I want to be there for it all. I know this is unconventional, but we have to be the mature ones for the child. Clearly, Matthew isn’t going to be mature anytime soon.”
She looked at Noah with a deep distrust. She waited for the gag or punchline, but there was none. Noah was being genuine.
She asked, “Are you willing to risk your relationship with him to be part of his child’s life?”
“I love him just that much. I want to help you as much as you will let me,” Noah said.
Luka looked away from him. She stared out the window for a few minutes. Noah turned and began walking away, fearing she didn’t want his help.”
“I have an appointment after the first of the year. If you can make it, that would be good,” she said.
Noah smiled, “I can make it.”
That was the start of a beautiful and complicated relationship between Luka and Noah. Noah attended every appointment with Luka. When MJ was born, Noah was in the room. He visited on birthdays and sent Christmas presents. In time, Luka grew to appreciate having Noah around.
Noah found Matthew soaking in the tub. He could tell his mind was racing with all types of thoughts, and he wanted to help him feel at ease.
“You still want to be with me, Monty?” Matthew asked as he sank lower into the tub.
“Always,” Noah said as he stripped out of his clothing.
He walked over to Matthew. His cock had quickly grown erect. Matthew smiled and ran his tongue over the pretty pink head of Noah’s cock. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed all of Noah’s cock. Quickly, he began to move his head back and forth.
Matthew got on his knees in the tub and sucked Noah with deep affection. The cock felt good in his mouth. Noah sighed, and Matthew began to jerk him as he sucked him off. Noah ran his hands down Matthew’s firm back and grabbed hold of his round cakes. He massaged them in his hands and ran his index finger over Matthew’s tight hole.
Matthew moaned around the cock as Noah played with his anus. The pressure applied to his tight ring felt amazing. Noah was pushing all the right buttons. Matthew had forgotten how good it felt to have his ass played with. He stood up in the tub, and the two passionately kissed.
“Let me see that pretty ass of yours,” Noah said.
Matthew smiled, turned around, and bent slightly over. His round glutes parted slightly, and Noah spread his cheeks and gazed upon his smooth rosebud. Then he kissed his entryway and began running his tongue across it and up and down his split.
Matthew let out soft moans of pleasure. Noah pushed his tongue in and out of Matthew’s tightness. His tongue filled him with joy. It reached deep inside him. His toes curled, and his leg shook. Noah gripped those cheeks and spread them further.
His tongue ran circles inside of Matthew’s anus. He pushed him past the point of no return. Matthew cried out for more, and Noah gave him more than he could have imagined. His tongue filled his depths.
Noah got over in the tub with Matthew. He took his swollen member and ran it up and down Matthew’s split. Matthew braced his hands on the wall. He knew what was coming, and he longed for it. Noah moaned as his cock slid inside the hottest and tightest piece of ass he had ever been in.
“Fuck. You’re big, babe,” Matthew groaned.
Matthew’s walls gripped that cock and didn’t let it go. He bounced back on Noah’s long slick dick. He was instantly filled with joy and happiness. Noah stroked him perfectly. He made Matthew’s cheeks clap and bounce.
Noah was deep inside of Matthew. His walls gripped his cock and milked it right out the gate. Passion, desire, and lust radiated from them. Noah took him over and over again. His cock touched new depths each time he bottomed out in him.
Matthew felt himself trying to grip and climb the walls of the bathroom. Noah was deep in him and showing no signs of slowing down. His cock banged his insides deep and well. He kept changing his pace from fast to slow and then sensual. The strokes kept Matthew’s cock erect the entire time.
Noah lifted Matthew’s leg, and his cock went even deeper. The new angle gave them both more pleasure than they thought was possible. Noah watched in awe as Matthew’s checks bounced and rippled like ocean waves.
“Fuck, you got some good ass,” Noah groaned.
“You’re fucking me so good,” Matthew cried.
Noah took a seat on the edge of the tub, and Matthew began to bounce up and down on Noah’s cock. He could feel Noah’s balls pounding against him. The cock was deep inside his anus and making him cream. He could feel his juices leaking. His hard cock bounced and slapped his stomach repeatedly.
Noah could feel Matthew’s ass become wet. His dick moved easier and easier in and out of him. Mathew’s anus walls had become slick, and Noah’s balls were covered in cream. Noah’s cock drove deeper into him, and he could feel the cum bubbling in the shaft of his cock. He couldn’t fight it. He screamed, and his cock exploded inside of Matthew’s freshly fucked ass. Matthew slid off Noah’s cock. They shared a hot, nasty kiss.
“So, do we have to find a new special place for us,” Matthew asked.
Noah shook his head, “No, this is our special place. I need some water.”
Noah walked out, and Matthew watched as his ass bounced with each step. Matthew hopped out of the tub and ran after him. He tackled Noah to the sofa.
Noah giggled, “What are you doing?”
“I didn’t cum yet,” he said as he slowly fed Noah his cock.
“Fuck,” Noah moaned out.
Matthew slowly moved his cock in and out of Noah’s tight warm tunnel. His cock instantly rubbed the right places deep in Noah. He stroked him long and deep. His heavy balls repeatedly made contact with Noah’s balls.
Noah’s cock quickly returned to a full erection. Matthew was tapping his G-spot with every stroke he gave. The cock pushed deep into his cave down into a new place. He could feel it pressing his second hole.
Matthew felt his cock slide into Noah’s second hole when he bottomed out in him. The walls of his anus squeezed his cock like a python does its prey. He rolled them so Noah could ride him in a reverse cowgirl position. He watched Noah’s cheeks bounce up and down on his cock. It made him fuck him harder and deeper.
Noah rode Matthew’s cock like a professional. He bounced up and down, then moved his hips round and round. His anus creamed Matthew’s cock. He moved back and forth and took him deeper inside his anus.
“Fuck I love the way you ride me, Monty,” Matthew shouted.
Noah rolled onto his back and Matthew began to slam his cock in out of him. He went deep inside him. Noah began to moan loudly. He stroked his cock as Matthew dug deeper into him. Matthew pounded him into the sofa and folded his legs. Noah cried out as his cock erupted again.
Matthew pulled out and sat on Noah’s chest. He quickly stroked his cock. Just as he started to cum, Noah took the head of his cock into his mouth. Matthew’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as Noah swallowed and sucked his load right out of him.
“Holy shit. What the fuck? That was so good. Merry Christmas to me,” Matthew said, exhausted.
“We still have to break in the hot tub,” Noah giggled.
Matthew stood, picked Noah up, and tossed him over his shoulder.
“To the hot tub and beyond,” he said like a superhero.
Noah slapped him on the arse as he carried him. They made love well into Christmas morning. They had a lot of time to make up for.
February 2026
The room was silent as Noah finished telling the story.
“So, you never told me about MJ,” Matthew asked.
“No, you would shut it down whenever I brought him up. I never knew why you didn’t want a kid. I kept visiting him behind your back. When MJ turned five, he asked Luka if I was his dad. He was crying about the other kids having a dad, but he didn’t. She panicked and told him I was his father,” Noah said as he sipped his wine.
“Wow,” Ishmael sighed. “Where is Luka now?”
Noah’s expression changed. His eyes watered.
“She got sick. About two months after we thought Matthew had died, she showed up here. She wanted me to raise him. She signed over her rights. Doctors had given up on her. MJ was seven, and she wanted him to be with the person he thought was his dad. We both decided that he needed a family; honestly, he was the only thing keeping me going. He looked just like Matthew. Luka didn’t want us lonely. So, she gave us both one final gift.”
“What was that,” Matthew asked.
“Her embryos. I got a surrogate, and now MJ has a biological sister in the event something were to happen to him. I have a biological child of my own. Her name is Lola. She’s nine and a handful,” Noah said as he smiled at the thought of her. “Luka had stage 4 metastatic melanoma; there was nothing that could be done. She just wanted MJ safe.”
MJ was in the basement, playing on his keyboard, when Matthew entered. MJ instantly stopped playing because he didn’t want Matthew there.
“That was beautiful. Why’d you stop,” Matthew asked.
“Why are you down here? Dad designed this space for me,” MJ said.
“Your dad really loves you. I’m sorry, MJ. I wasn’t there for you, and I didn’t want you. You’re all grown up, and there’s not anything I can do to change that. I would like to get to know you, though. I’m just asking for a chance to see what it would be like,” Matthew pleaded.
“I was playing Taylor Swift when you came in. I’m a Swiftie. Dad’s a huge Rihanna fan.”
“That’s cool. I’m part of the BeyHive,” Matthew said proudly.
MJ smirked, “That tracks. What’s Ishmael into?”
Matthew thought, “He’s not really into any one person. He just listens to whatever. Who does Lola like?”
MJ chuckled, “Harry Styles. She’s a die-hard fan. She has no idea what he’s singing about, but she likes him.”
“Would you mind playing that song you were playing for me?” Matthew wanted to bond with MJ and finally get to know his son.
MJ started to play “Don’t Blame Me.” Upstairs, Noah smiled when he heard the MJ playing his keyboard.
“He’s good,” Ishmael said.
“He is. He plays piano, sings, dances, and acts. He’s gifted. I had to buy him a piano for his fourteenth birthday. It’s on the second level. It’s beautiful,” Noah with a smile so bright it could blind you.
“The more you tell him about his past, the more he will fall in love with you. I don’t want to lose my husband. I love him. You have taken him from two women, one of whom was having his child. Don’t take him from me, Noah.”
“I can’t just walk away, Ishmael. If there’s a chance that he wants me with or without his memory, I’m going to fight for him. I won’t play dirty or sleep with him again, but I will stand firm on my love for him.” Noah was honest about his intentions.
“I know that’s why I think we should look into a polyamorous relationship with the three of us,” Ishmael stated.
Noah raised an eyebrow, “A what?”
Ishmael walked over, wrapped his arms around Noah, and pulled him into a kiss. In his mind, he was in a battle that had been proven to always go Noah’s way. He figured if you can’t beat them, then join them. So, he made his intentions clear with a kiss—a kiss that was sure to have some serious consequences.
They say the purpose of death is to help us realize the beauty in the mundane, to find solace in the smallest victories as often as we celebrate the grand ones. It represents the soul’s elevation to a higher level, a bittersweet opportunity for growth. Yet, it all becomes lost in the overwhelming sea of grief, a storm that engulfs everything in its path.
Noah sat at the table across from his mother and stepdad in the house; she tried to make a home for him after his father died. Now, some twenty years later, history was starting to repeat itself.
Noah had returned to Alabama, his heart a mix of anticipation and anxiety, to celebrate Rosa’s birthday. This would also be the first time Matthew, his long-lost husband, would meet his mother and sister. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, yet a cloud of uncertainty hung in the air. He watched, his breath held, as Cliff, his stepdad, placed a hand on top of his mother’s hand.
Noah exhaled, “I think you should get a second opinion.”
Vivian sighed, “Noah, baby-”
“Noah, your mom has had three world-class oncologists look at her case,” Cliff said, trying to reason with Noah.
“Stay out of this, Cliff. This is my mother we’re talking about. Mom, please,” Noah said through steady sobs.
“Son, I’m tired. I don’t want to fight anymore. I beat it once, but I’m older now, and I’ve made peace,” she said with a peaceful smile.
“You’re the only parent I have left. You leave, and I don’t have anybody else. You can’t leave me yet. I don’t want to do this again,” Noah professed as he wiped his tears.
Vivian walked around and brought her only child in for a warm embrace. The love and bond between them had gotten stronger and deeper. Vivian’s first battle with cancer in 2009 looked grim, but Noah and Matthew were there for her every step of the way. That was when she met Cliff and got her second chance at love.
“You won’t be alone. You have my beautiful grandchildren to be strong for. I want you to give your heart a chance to love again. I know Matthew is alive, and that’s great, but he’s with someone else. I want to see you happy again and in love again before I’m gone,” she said as she stroked his face.
Noah shook his head. “It’s not fair, Mom. It’s not fair. First, Dad, then Uncle Bobby and Matthew, and now you. I feel cursed.”
“You’re not cursed, Noah. All roads lead to death. Some of us get there faster than others, but you have to stop fighting it. It hurts, but you have to keep living. There’s so much love in you dying to burst forward. It’s time to live. Now, about my grandbabies. I want to spend the summer with my grandkids. I’m thinking of a summer in Italy.”
Matthew was full of anxiety and fear. The last three months had been a rollercoaster of emotions for him. The day he picked up the novel First Love, he felt connected to the story. Never in a million years did he think the story was about his life.
That fateful winter night in Boston, he had changed his mind several times about attending the book signing. How could he have known that night would change his entire life? There were positive and negative changes, but he was grateful, nevertheless.
Ishmael and Matthew sat in the car outside of the house where Matthew spent his childhood. The home didn’t look familiar, but a feeling in his heart told him it was home.
“Are you ready for this,” Ishmael asked.
“I’m ready,” he answered.
The second the doorbell rang, Ashlyn almost broke her neck trying to get to the door. She was so excited to see her big brother again. For ten long years, she had felt nothing but grief in her heart for Matthew. She opened the door, and there he stood. He looked almost entirely the same.
She gasped, “Mat,”
Matthew smiled at her and waved his hand. Her heart burst with joy. She pulled him into a hug. A hug she had prayed to God for years she wished she could give her big brother. Matthew instantly felt safe with her. His fears and anxiety calmed. He was finally home!
Ashlyn quickly brought them into the house. The first person Matthew spotted in the crowded sitting area was Noah and then his son, MJ. He could tell that something was off with Noah. His heart pulled for him to go and be near him, but he fought the urge. He had to be a good husband to Ishmael.
Sitting in a wheelchair in the middle of the room was his mother. Rosa, much like Vivian, had aged. She was also plagued with health concerns, but none of that mattered. Her firstborn had come back to her.
“My boy is alive. Oh, Matty,” she exclaimed.
The room was filled with silence. Matthew took in her appearance. He felt her warmth radiate from her soul. He searched her eyes, but he didn’t find his own. She smiled at him, and he saw his smile in hers. He knew who she was.
He smiled, “Mom. I’m home.”
Matthew gave her a warm embrace. The room was filled with wonder, and he was beyond thrilled to reconnect with them. The evening was full of magic. Ashlyn, Rosa, and so many others filled Matthew in on his life as a kid. Their stories warmed his heart and brought him joy.
Ishmael felt left out. He listened for hours as Ashlyn told all these stories about Noah and Matthew’s adventures in New York. She was clearly hoping her brother would find himself back in Noah’s arms. Ishmael found himself looking around the room for Noah.
He spotted Noah in the background. He was off to himself. He didn’t appear to be enjoying the party. Ishmael excused himself from the crowd. They weren’t paying him any attention. Their focus was on Matthew, and rightfully so.
“Are you okay, Noah,” Ishmael asked.
“Just tired, is all. I’m sorry I haven’t called since that night,” Noah said.
Ishmael chuckled, “I should apologize for that. I was feeling overwhelmed and desperate.”
“Trust me, I get it. Matthew has that effect on people,” Noah said as he stared briefly at Matthew.
“Well, are you interested in my offer? I know the kiss wasn’t bad, Noah,” Ishmael said.
Before Noah could say anything, Matthew stood up and said he wanted to make an announcement. He asked Ishmael to join him. The two lovebirds held hands before everyone.
“The last eight years of my life have been so great and mysterious. Ish has been my rock. He’s never asked for anything but my love and a family of our own. I was afraid to do that. I had fears because I didn’t know my history, so I didn’t know what I was risking. After sitting here with all of you and hearing all these stories, I know there is nothing to fear. So, I want to say in front of all of you that I swear to my husband, Ishmael, the love of my life, that I’m ready to start a family with you. I love you, babe,” Matthew declared.
Shocked, Ishmael asked, “Are you serious?”
“I am. Let’s have a baby,” Matthew said as he kissed him.
Everyone started clapping and cheering for them. Ashlyn walked over and hugged Noah.
She said, “I’m sorry, Noah.”
“Don’t be. I have a very high tolerance for Matthew’s pain. How can I be mad? He’s happy. I love him so much that I’m willing to let him go if it means he’s safe and happy. Life is too short for anything other than happiness.”
“Aunt Ashlyn, can I talk to my dad alone,” MJ asked from behind.
She nodded and kissed MJ on the head. She walked away.
“What’s up, kid,” Noah asked.
“I was wondering if it’d be cool for me to stay here tonight. Greg wants to play video games and bond. I’m trying to give him a chance,” MJ said.
“MJ, you don’t have to explain wanting to hang out with your dad,” Noah said with a caring smile.
"Okay,” MJ turned to walk away, but then he stopped and hugged Noah. “Greg is my dad, but you’ll always be my father.”
Noah kissed MJ’s forehead. He loved the boy so much. He collected his things and quietly disappeared from the house. The night was about Greg/Matthew, and he didn’t need to take the focus away.
In the months that followed, Matthew and MJ grew close. Ishmael and Matthew started their search for a surrogate, but the road was not easy. The one surrogate they liked was struggling to become pregnant.
Noah and the kids spent their summer with Vivian and Cliff in Italy. Everyone returned to the States at the end of summer, but Noah stayed overseas an extra month. He went to Barcelona to celebrate his birthday in a grown and sexy way.
September 2026
Matthew and Ishmael had just returned home from another disappointing doctor’s appointment. Their surrogate was still not with child. The process was starting to have a negative effect on them.
“Maybe we should put a pause on the surrogate and look at adopting,” Ishmael suggested.
“I don’t want to adopt. I want a kid that’s mine, Ish,” Matthew said.
“It’ll still be your kid, Greg,” Ishmael tried to reason.
“No, you don’t understand. He raised my child without me. I want to raise my child, Ishmael. My own flesh and blood,” Matthew shouted.
Ishmael chuckled, “That’s what this is about. You’re jealous of Noah. Noah still has his memory. Noah raised your child, and your sister loves him. All roads lead to Noah. It never ends. Noah is a selfish fuck. Okay? I offered us to him. I love you so fucking much that I kissed him. Just to get him to be in a relationship with us,” Ishmael screamed.
“You kissed, Noah? When was this,” Matthew asked.
The information was not lost on Matthew. Hearing that the two of them had kissed made his blood boil. He wanted to scream and wreck the place.
“The night you met MJ for the first time,” Ismael groaned. I put myself out there, and he rejected me—he rejected us.”
Ishmael saw nothing wrong with what he did. He did it for love. He thought Matthew would understand that. How could he not understand?
“Are you serious? You kissed him, and you kept it to yourself for seven months,” Matthew yelled.
“I did it for us. I could see you falling for him. I didn’t want to lose you. I’d take a kiss over one of us fucking him any day, or did you forget that?” Ishmael was determined not to look like the villain.
“I told you the same night it happened. We promised no more secrets. You betrayed me, Ish.”
“The only person standing in the room betraying people is you. You don’t want a kid because you love me; you want one because of Noah. So, which one of us is the real Judas?” Ishmael asked.
Matthew felt blindsided and betrayed by Ishmael. He didn’t want to be near him. He collected his things and left the house without saying a word. He decided to go back home to Alabama. Ishmael tried calling him, but he rejected every call.
That night, Matthew ventured into a bar in downtown Birmingham for a drink. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor” was playing in the bar. He was finishing his third beer when someone came and sat next to him.
“I heard you were back from the dead. Guess the rumors are true,” the guy said.
“You’re gonna have to tell me who you are; I have memory issues,” Matthew said as he sipped his beer.
The guy chuckled, “I’m Cooper.”
Matthew looked up and down, “The same Cooper who took Noah’s virginity?”
Cooper chuckled, “My reputation proceeds me. I was straight until I messed around with him. How about I buy you another round?”
Matthew gave him a head nod. Cooper had changed since that day he fought with Matthew.
Noah was sitting on the beach, staring at the beautiful men. He was lost in his thoughts when a figure stood above him and blocked out his sunlight.
“I was wondering if you could sign my book, Heartbreaker,” the person said.
That voice and that name could only come from one person. Noah looked over his shoulder, smiling down at him; it was indeed Blair. He was still beautiful. Life had been good to the man.
“Oh my God, Blair,” Noah exclaimed.
He jumped up and hugged Blair. It had been years and years since they had last seen one another. Life had gotten in the way, and their friendship had died. One thing remained: Blair still had feelings for Noah that never seemed to go away. Blair had been living in Spain for the last eight years.
Noah sat on the bed in his underwear in front of Blair. The two began to kiss. Their kisses turned sensual. Noah undid Blair’s pants and stripped him naked. Blair’s cock was at full mast. He had waited over twenty years for this moment.
“I waited for this moment my whole life,” Blair said.
“What moment,” Noah asked.
“To make love to someone,” Blair exclaimed.
Noah took Blair’s cock into his watery mouth. Blair’s knees buckled under the pleasure of Noah’s mouth. Those soft, fat lips felt good around his member. Blair ran his hands across Noah’s body and then over his throbbing erection.
Blair wanted to feel and taste every part of Noah. He had wanted him since the day he met him at the lake all those years ago. He pulled Noah’s underwear off. He smiled when he saw Noah’s throbbing cock. It was like a dream come true.
They got in a 69 position. Blair ran his tongue across the head of Noah’s cock, and then he took it into his mouth. Noah would have moaned had he not had a mouth full of Blair’s cock.
They expressed the deep affection and love they had for one another through their oral skills. Blair slowly moved his cock in and out of Noah’s mouth. Their hands touched each other in their most intimate places.
Noah felt free. Blair was paying so much attention to his man parts. Then Blair shocked him by running his tongue down his taint and licking his ass. Blair wanted more. He moved behind Noah and spanked his ass.
Blair smiled, “Oh my God. It’s so beautiful. I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long.”
He gripped Noah’s fat cakes and buried his face in between them. He sucked his hole into his mouth. He made out with Noah’s anus with passion and skill. His tongue moved in and out of him. Occasionally, he would remove his tongue and then press his thumb on the puckered hole.
Noah moaned and panted. He couldn’t believe it was finally happening after all this time. Part of him wished they had done it sooner. Blair was paying so much attention to his every need. He ate him longer than any man had ever eaten him before.
Blair moved his tongue like a snake inside of Noah. He wanted him to feel the passion and the love. He worshipped Noah’s body until he had him on the brink of an orgasm.
Blair removed his tongue, and he placed his swollen member on Noah’s entrance. They smiled at one another. The moment they both secretly thought about for decades had arrived. Blair slowly slid his cock into Noah.
Noah groaned, and Blair gasped. Noah’s walls wrapped themselves around Blair’s long cock and sucked him in. The dark-haired stud pushed his dick deep inside of him. He slowly began to make love to Noah. He moved his dick in and out of him.
“Oh my God,” Noah moaned.
“I’m inside of you, baby, finally,” Blair groaned.
The spark between them finally ignited, and a flame burst forward. Blair moved his dick in and out of Noah at a steady pace. He pounded him deep. Noah spread his legs and let Blair fill him with his love and passion.
Blair’s cock stroked the inside of his anus like a string on a guitar. Noah took the opportunity to explore the stud’s body. He ran his soft hands over his abs and then his chest and pinched his nipples. Blair’s body felt smooth and right in his hands.
Noah rolled Blair on his back. He rolled his tongue across his chest, up his neck, and then over his chin. He could taste every secret, desire, and fantasy in Blair.
Noah asked, “You wanna see it bounce while I ride it?”
Blair smiled and nodded, “Fuck yes.”
With his back towards Blair, Noah eased down on the thick dick. It spread him like warm butter on toasted bread. He started to bounce up and down on the dick. He leaned back and kissed Blair, then moved faster up and down. Blair was amazed by the skill and the show.
Noah’s hard cock flopped around as he rode Blair. His fat ass cheeks moved like a tidal wave. Over and over again, he made Blair’s cock disappear and reappear. His ass was like a magician, and the assistant was Blair’s cock.
Blair groaned, “Your ass feels amazing. Where did you learn that?”
Noah giggled, and Blair rolled them on their side. He lifted Noah’s leg and took over the fucking. He moved his cock deep and fast. His soft balls tapped Noah’s taint, like whispers in an ear. Each stroke made his thick, warm, and tight hole wet.
Soft moans filled the space between them. Noah stroked his cock as Blair laid claim to him. He clapped his cheeks with a desperation and excitement that he had never felt before. The heat between them was reaching a fever pitch. Noah wanted to scream. Blair wanted to hide him away so he could never leave. Their moans grew louder.
“Yes, let it out. Let me know you love it, Noah. Talk to me, baby,” Blair groaned.
Noah screamed, “Fuck, it’s so good. You’re fucking me so good, Blair.”
The intensity from the fucking only grew. Blair fucked his hole with slow and deep strokes. Each one tapped Noah’s G-spot. The pressure had Noah squirming across the bed. Blair rolled him onto his stomach.
Noah was powerless. Blair pounded him into the bed. Noah was flat on his stomach, and Blair had his chest on his back. He quickly worked his hips. He drove his cock deeper with each thrust. Noah screamed and moaned. Blair’s cock forced his hole to relax and submit to his cock.
Noah’s warm tunnel milked Blair’s cock. The walls hugged him and worked him over. He couldn’t pull his cock out. It was stuck in Noah. The only way out was to cum. Blair moved faster and faster. Noah let out a scream, and his cock erupted. The muscles in his ass danced along the shaft of Blair’s penis. That sent Blair over the edge. He groaned and flooded Noah’s insides with his cum.
The two men were exhausted. They shared a sensual kiss. Both of them were beyond happy with what had occurred. They had no regrets.
“That was amazing and so worth the wait,” Blair laughed.
“Round two,” Noah asked.
“And three,” Blair said with a kiss.
Round two put Blair into a deep slumber. As he slept, Noah watched him. Blair had such a peaceful energy about himself. Noah smiled, and for the first time in a long time, he felt himself actually breathe again, and that’s when it hit him. He quickly jumped out of bed and opened his laptop.
The knocking at the bedroom door woke Matthew up. He climbed out of bed and slipped on some pants. Cooper was asleep in the bed. He opened the door to find MJ standing there.
MJ handed him a gift, “Dad told me to make sure I gave this to you on your birthday. So, happy birthday, Greg.”
“Your dad got me a gift,” Matthew said, groggy.
Matthew quickly ripped it open. It was a copy of Noah’s book. He opened it, and inside, Noah had signed it. He smiled because he had never gotten a signed copy that night at the bookstore. It read: Greg, may your second love be as great as your first love. Love always, Monty.
“There’s one more thing. Dad gave this to me. He said it was yours. I want you to have it back as a gift from me,” MJ said as he pulled a necklace hidden under his shirt.
It was the locket that Noah had given Matthew on his 18th birthday. Matthew took it and admired the beauty of it. He opened it, and inside was still the same picture of Matthew and his dad. Then he saw his eyes in his father’s eyes. He suddenly remembered it was his favorite picture of his dad.
Matthew smiled, and then his life suddenly flashed before his eyes. Everything he had ever forgotten came rushing back to him. He could feel Noah's love in his heart and soul and all the memories of them together. He remembered Bev, Terrick, Cooper, Zane, Nick, Crispin, and Luka. He remembered his life. He dropped the locket, and he groaned.
“You okay? Greg, are you okay,” MJ asked.
Matthew took a deep breath and said, “MJ, I remember everything.”
“Holy shit. Are you serious,” MJ asked.
Matthew smiled and then hugged his son. Just as he got his memories, Noah sat at the laptop and began typing: First Love: Breathe Again. Blair had helped him find his second wind, and he was ready to move head-on with Blair.
His first love had died, and as I said, the purpose of death is to help us realize the beauty in the mundane, to find solace in the smallest victories as often as we celebrate the grand ones. Death represents the soul’s elevation to a higher level, a bittersweet opportunity for growth. It also represents the chance for us to love again, and the only way to do that is to open our minds, hearts, and souls and just breathe again.
