Page 30 of Tides of Love

The first deep breath was sweetest.

Filled with the floral scent of soap and burning with the steam still coming off the water. He dug his palms into his eyes. There were no tears left to cry, there was no reason to cry. With every passing second, his to-do list grew. And yet he could hardly drag himself from bed, let alone buckle down and get to work.

Slumping against the side of the tub, Lucky rested his head on the cold tile wall. Antonio couldn’t have come at a better time. He needed this. As much as he loved Jack he just… He needed a place to hide from the memories.

When he finally stood up, the water had turned tepid and his fingertips were entirely wrinkled. The bubbles had dissipated but he still rinsed off with the shower head before stepping onto the fluffy bathmat. He used the towel hanging from the hook, breathing in Antonio’s comforting scent. He felt safe.

There was so much to unpack in that single thought.

Home was safe. His brother and dad were safe. And now, Antonio ranked amongst them. In a short time, this alpha had wormed his way in and left Lucky’s heart fluttering with emotions he didn’t dare name.

The robe was soft. It took the chill from his skin and felt like a hug. In the mirror, he looked a mess. Errant curls wet and still in need of a truly good scrub, dark circles beneath his eyes, and chapped lips made him look sickly. He should be embarrassed. He should be… But he wasn’t. Antonio had picked him up and took him home despite his appearance, despite this emotional lapse that continued to cling like fishing hooks caught on flesh.

Somehow, he pieced himself together. Fingers picked apart wet curls until they looked somewhat managed, he used the same spare toothbrush he’d used the last time he visited to freshen his breath, and he stole Antonio’s deodorant before braving the rest of the house.

Antonio’s bedroom was lit by a lamp with a warm yellow bulb by the bedside, but the other lights were left off. The curtains were pulled back to reveal open balcony doors. He could hear something moving around out there but the alpha was nowhere to be seen.

“Antonio?” He called.

“Hold on, coming!” He heard from above. As he stepped onto the balcony, he was surprised to see Antonio slide down a metal ladder bolted into the wall beside the glass doors. “Was the bath good?” Antonio’s forehead was beaded with sweat.

“Yeah… Thank you, it was really nice. What are you doing?” Lucky cocked his head to the side.

“Ah, well, I thought maybe we could use a little escape.” Antonio ran a hand through his hair. “I had a long week, you’ve got a lot on your mind, I figure… Maybe something quiet, maybe a bit of sitting and just feeling the world around us.”

There was something frantic in Antonio’s words, like he was waiting for Lucky to tell him it was stupid or bad.

“So… what’s up there, then?” Lucky prompted, offering a small smile of encouragement.

“It’s probably easier if you just come up…” Antonio tilted his head, looking Lucky over, “Let me grab you a shirt and some shorts.”

Lucky followed him back inside, accepting a t-shirt that fell to midthigh and a pair of swim trunks. Everything was loose on him, but it was functional. The last time he changed in front of Antonio, everything felt charged. It was flirty, teasing, erotic… Now, there was just a companionable silence as the alpha waited.

“Alright, am I appropriately dressed for your surprise?” Lucky arched a brow.

“Hah, yes… you look perfect.” Antonio smiled. The compliment in the face of how terrible he knew he looked could have been condescending but somehow, it just felt sweet. Like Antonio really didn’t mind that he was a mess. Like the man was just happy to have him there…

“Show me, then.” Lucky motioned back to the balcony.

Antonio motioned for Lucky to go up the ladder, opting to wait at the bottom. It wasn’t a long ladder. The ten rungs to the top were well maintained and had an anti-slip tape wrapped around them. Lucky couldn’t help the rush of fondness. It was warm and made his eyes prickle like he wanted to cry. Antonio was so… everything he did, even in his own home, showed his care and affection for those in his life. Considering his job, Antonio was likely confident enough to zip up and down a ladder with ease. But he still put the tape to make sure no one hurt themselves.

He felt silly for getting emotional over tape, rushing up the remaining rungs to cover up the lapse.

What awaited him erased the embarrassment entirely.

The roof was flat, with half walls that wrapped around it like the top of a castle. In the center was a lounge created from patio furniture. Antonio had shoved everything together until it formed a bed. Blankets, including his blanket, were arranged like a nest. Two bottles of wine with two matching glasses already filled sat on a low table nearby.

“This is…” Words stuck in his throat.

“I thought we could just… relax a bit, if you wanted? Watch the stars, talk, drink the wine and just… exist.” Antonio pulled himself onto the roof. His expression was cautiously hopeful.

“Antonio, this isn’t ‘just’ anything… this is…” When his voice failed, Lucky resorted to throwing himself into the alpha’s arms and hugging him fiercely. “Thank you.”

Antonio pressed a kiss to the top of his head, “De nada…”

There was so much he wanted to say but nothing would come out. So, he just held on until the storm in his chest calmed. When he finally let go, Antonio guided him to the bedding. They took a second to get comfortable, shifting around on the blankets. Lucky fell back against the pillows and pulled his mother’s knitted blanket over his lap.

“Mm, exactly what I need.” He grinned as Antonio passed him a glass of wine, taking a long sip. It was red and bold and perfect. “Sometimes you just need a strong wine to ease the knot in your chest.”