A Wealth of Unsaid Words by R. Cooper Page B
Authors: R. Cooper
Tags: Romance MM, erotic MM
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bunny slippers he"d found in some little shop. “For
the children you"re going to have someday” was what he
believed he"d written in the note he"d sent with them. She"d
been in school and not seeing anyone then, but it had made
sense to him at the time.
It was a joke between them now. She"d say, “I"m two
bunnies down,” or “I"m working on that other bunny,”
whenever she"d see him.
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A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Nonetheless, he could not be still, and walked, barefoot
and cursing himself, out to the tree and the bench, and sat
down to get frostbite while he awaited his fate.
The world was very quiet Christmas morning, the noise
contained inside thousands of houses for a while until all
that childish glee would burst out and life would go on. The
colored lights were still on around the windows and gutters,
bright but subdued in the morning light, as if aware that
their time was nearly over.
Alex"s stomach growled, wrecking his attempt to fall into
the familiar embrace of his melancholy. It was Christmas,
and the tension in him was rising so high he almost felt
giddy. Everything in him but his stomach was strung out
like a bowstring, humming in the wind, waiting to snap. He
was trembling uncontrollably. He had come this far and
could go no further, at least not without shoes or a snack.
As if on cue, Everett came out the kitchen door, the
delay in his arrival explained by his slippers and coat. He
had what looked like another pair of slippers in his pocket
and a mug in his hand. He did not have the plain cinnamon
roll, but even Everett couldn"t be perfect, it seemed.
Alex accepted the slippers eagerly and the mug
cautiously. He sniffed it and then looked up.
“Santa"s Little Helper? This early?” His voice came out
strained in the quiet of the world around them. Everett
narrowed his eyes, but answered with a brief, sideways
smile.
“It"s good for nerves.”
96
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Alex took a drink. He was a man in need of a little
courage, whatever the variety. Just the same, he looked up
again. “Everett, need I remind you that you"re talking to
someone who"s been arrested on more than one occasion?
Someone who has won more than his share of fights with the
vicious thugs that passed for our high school football team?”
“Someone who climbed up through my window more
than once shaking and bleeding from those fights, which
were, by the way, usually with boys who"d said something
about obviously faggy me?” Everett countered immediately as
though he"d been storing that answer for just this moment,
perhaps for years. “Someone who"s called me from heights I
can"t imagine to describe every single thing he saw that day
and how it made him think of me, and who then admitted in
a rush that he was worried I would leave him?”
Alex dropped his gaze to the ground, but Everett didn"t
stop there.
“Alex, you… I"ve gone to see you at your worst depths
and had you tell me….” Everett finally stopped, but only for a
moment when his voice cracked. Alex swung his eyes up.
Everett was clenching and unclenching his hands. “You told
me I ought to leave because you were too horrible for
someone like me to be around. You told me to leave you,” he
repeated, the words, everything about him like the truth,
harsh and raw. “You said I"d be better off without you. I don"t
think I will ever really forgive you for that.”
Alex closed his hands around the mug. Someone must
have reheated the cocoa since the cup was hot. Alex was
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A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
shivering anyway. “You"re a surprisingly hard man at times,
Everett.”
Everett exhaled and took a moment to focus. “I don"t
know why it"s taken you so long to realize how strong I am.
My job isn"t exactly a walk in the park.”
If those boys were anything at all like Alex had been at
their age, then Alex agreed, that job would be difficult
the children you"re going to have someday” was what he
believed he"d written in the note he"d sent with them. She"d
been in school and not seeing anyone then, but it had made
sense to him at the time.
It was a joke between them now. She"d say, “I"m two
bunnies down,” or “I"m working on that other bunny,”
whenever she"d see him.
95
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Nonetheless, he could not be still, and walked, barefoot
and cursing himself, out to the tree and the bench, and sat
down to get frostbite while he awaited his fate.
The world was very quiet Christmas morning, the noise
contained inside thousands of houses for a while until all
that childish glee would burst out and life would go on. The
colored lights were still on around the windows and gutters,
bright but subdued in the morning light, as if aware that
their time was nearly over.
Alex"s stomach growled, wrecking his attempt to fall into
the familiar embrace of his melancholy. It was Christmas,
and the tension in him was rising so high he almost felt
giddy. Everything in him but his stomach was strung out
like a bowstring, humming in the wind, waiting to snap. He
was trembling uncontrollably. He had come this far and
could go no further, at least not without shoes or a snack.
As if on cue, Everett came out the kitchen door, the
delay in his arrival explained by his slippers and coat. He
had what looked like another pair of slippers in his pocket
and a mug in his hand. He did not have the plain cinnamon
roll, but even Everett couldn"t be perfect, it seemed.
Alex accepted the slippers eagerly and the mug
cautiously. He sniffed it and then looked up.
“Santa"s Little Helper? This early?” His voice came out
strained in the quiet of the world around them. Everett
narrowed his eyes, but answered with a brief, sideways
smile.
“It"s good for nerves.”
96
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
Alex took a drink. He was a man in need of a little
courage, whatever the variety. Just the same, he looked up
again. “Everett, need I remind you that you"re talking to
someone who"s been arrested on more than one occasion?
Someone who has won more than his share of fights with the
vicious thugs that passed for our high school football team?”
“Someone who climbed up through my window more
than once shaking and bleeding from those fights, which
were, by the way, usually with boys who"d said something
about obviously faggy me?” Everett countered immediately as
though he"d been storing that answer for just this moment,
perhaps for years. “Someone who"s called me from heights I
can"t imagine to describe every single thing he saw that day
and how it made him think of me, and who then admitted in
a rush that he was worried I would leave him?”
Alex dropped his gaze to the ground, but Everett didn"t
stop there.
“Alex, you… I"ve gone to see you at your worst depths
and had you tell me….” Everett finally stopped, but only for a
moment when his voice cracked. Alex swung his eyes up.
Everett was clenching and unclenching his hands. “You told
me I ought to leave because you were too horrible for
someone like me to be around. You told me to leave you,” he
repeated, the words, everything about him like the truth,
harsh and raw. “You said I"d be better off without you. I don"t
think I will ever really forgive you for that.”
Alex closed his hands around the mug. Someone must
have reheated the cocoa since the cup was hot. Alex was
97
A Wealth of Unsaid Words • R. Cooper
shivering anyway. “You"re a surprisingly hard man at times,
Everett.”
Everett exhaled and took a moment to focus. “I don"t
know why it"s taken you so long to realize how strong I am.
My job isn"t exactly a walk in the park.”
If those boys were anything at all like Alex had been at
their age, then Alex agreed, that job would be difficult
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