Decadent (23 page)

The next morning Cormag woke up with a smile. He didn't know what put it there exactly, only that it had something to do with a dream he'd been having, which he typically couldn't remember once he opened his eyes.

“Morning,” Lachlan whispered, as fingers reached out and brushed against his jaw. He blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings and found Lachlan far closer than he expected him to be.

“Morning.” He returned the greeting and remembered that it was his day off. He closed his eyes for a second, contemplating going back to sleep, but before he could make the suggestion or get closer to Lachlan he felt the telltale signs of him getting out of bed. He felt the cool rush of air entering their cocoon and then the return of heat as Lachlan climbed back in beside him.

“Happy anniversary,” h
e said, a touch louder than before. Cormag opened his eyes and found a wrapped parcel sitting on the bed between them. He couldn't help but laugh. Lachlan was already sitting up, his legs folded in the lotus position as he watched him carefully. With a sigh he pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes as he sat back against the headboard.

“What's this?” h
e wondered, since they had never actually discussed an anniversary of any sort.

Lachlan blushed and shrugged.
“A gift. Technically this is our one year anniversary. It's one year today since we met,” he said, with a shy smile that said he wasn't certain how his gift would be received.

Lachlan
was never normally uncertain about those things, so he lifted the gift and gave it a little shake. Something moved inside, but it didn't sound big or loud, just a little tap.

“I'm glad you th
ink so. I got you something too,” Cormag confessed because he could tell that Lachlan was suddenly nervous that he'd done the wrong thing. He reached down to the drawer underneath his side of the bed and pulled out the cardboard tube he'd 'borrowed' from work. He handed it over and watched his eyes shine. He clearly hadn't expected to get a gift in return.

Normally he would wonder if that meant he was a terrible boyfriend who didn't seem to care or notice the small details, but his confidence in himself had gone up considerably since he started dating Lachlan. Now he knew that Lachlan was too selfless to even expect to get anything in return for a gift that came from his heart.

He watched and waited to see his reaction as he opened the tube. He peeked inside before frowning at him, obviously unhappy that he couldn't guess before he saw it. He was gentle and careful as he reached inside and slid out the piece of rolled up paper.

“It's nothing big. Just a
little something from me to you,” he warned him. It wasn't expensive or extravagant, but something from the heart. As Lachlan's gift would be too. He unrolled the paper to find a hand drawn, detailed portrait of them together, like he'd mentioned wanting a few months ago.

Lachlan had been enjoying one of his favourite past times, lying on the library floor and staring up at the painted ceiling, when he suddenly came out with it. He thought he was a talented artist and he wanted something that was only for the two of them, if he had the time. There had been such a tender, genuine need that he couldn't refuse him. He'd gone to work that week, spending every lunch hour working on it.

“It's perfect,” Lachlan claimed, beaming in joy as he kissed his lips in gratitude. “Now open yours,” he insisted.

Cormag was already suspicious about the solid gift in his hand. He guessed it was a book of some sort, from the hard cover, the shape and the way the wrapping paper sagged a little on three sides. He was careful as he unwrapped it, in case he was wrong. He wasn't. The book, however, wasn't one of Lachlan's usual gifts. Normally he gave war related biographies or adventure novels as gifts, trying to stop him from reading Dracula so much, he suspected. This was an advanced hardback copy of Lachlan's first published book.

He couldn't help but laugh in disbelief as he opened the cover to find the front page blank and then a dedication page. '
For Cormag. My love, my inspiration, my everything.
' Was written at the top in printed ink, which meant it would be the dedication that everyone saw when they bought it. Then below, in Lachlan's surprisingly legible writing was a second note.

'
You are my other half. You make me complete. Love, Lachlan.
' It said. Which only reminded him of their conversation the previous day. He'd talked about Plato and the story about how they were two halves of the one being, but he had never realised how right he was until he saw that small, heartfelt note in his gift.

“Re
ad it,” Lachlan encouraged him, nodding to the book. Cormag was suspicious about that; he never usually liked letting him read his work. He'd presumed the hardback book was a symbolic gift, something to sit on the library shelf and remind them of his major achievement. But he did as he'd been asked and turned the page to find that there was a six by four inch hole cut into the book, right back to the back cover.

He looked up at him, about to complain that he wanted to read the book when he held up his hands and rushed out his next words in explanation. “It's only sacrilegi
ous if it's someone else's book,” he teased.

Cormag frowned in disapproval as he began flicking through the pages to find out why he had destroyed his own creation with a massive cut out. He had to go all the way to the back of the book to find what was inside that gap. A little powder blue ribbon, tied into a neat bow, caught his eye. He squinted at Lachlan curiously as he pulled the ribbon. It unravelled and finally he felt a little tug that said it wouldn't float on up out of the book. He gave it a tug and out popped the end of the ribbon, tied around a ring, that sat on the printed pages, winking at him in the morning sun.

Cormag wondered if he was hallucinating as he stared at the little round band. He looked up at Lachlan, surprised to see him biting the corner of his bottom lip and looking nervous.

“How about it?” h
e asked cheekily, cupping his face in his hand. “Are you going to make an honest man out of me?” he wondered with a teasing tone, while leaning in to kiss him.

Cormag was so stunned that he only reacted when lips met his. He kissed back, bringing both hands up to cup Lachlan's face.
“Yes. Absolutely,” he admitted, beaming at him as he realised that this was happening.

Lachlan was proposing to him. Marriage. Actual marriage, with a house and a future and a family and everything he had told him he had ever wanted.

“I can't take it back,” he teased, taking the ribbon from the book. He handed it over, rather unromantically, after all the trouble he'd gone to with the book. “I had it inscribed,” he said, holding it at an angle that when he looked down he could see the writing.

“Thank God for cheap vodka…” h
e read, laughing to himself as he realised what it meant.

Lachlan was gazing at him with bedroom eyes that said he had never been happier.

He couldn't help but kiss him, lingering a little longer this time. “Damned right…thank God for that,” he agreed, kissing him again quickly.

“I have to go call my mum,
” Lachlan said, suddenly, pulling away from him.

He didn't dare stop him; he could barely think
, never mind move. His boyfriend – no, his fiancé – put his feet on the floor and then thought better of it. He turned back and took his left hand in his, smiling as he slipped the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly. “You have no idea how sneaky I had to be to find out what size you were,” he claimed, before leaving the bed this time and heading for the chair in the corner of the room.

Cormag stared at the ring on his finger in shock. He never thought this day would ever come. All of his relationships until Lachlan had been disastrous, having a brutal effect on his mental and sometimes physical health. He had never even contemplated having a future with anyone until he sat in Matteo's bar staring at the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen.

“I don't have one for you,” he realised, frowning to himself as he thought about how and when they would have to get one.

Lachlan turned back with a guilty smile and his jeans from the day before in his hand. He reached into the front pocket and removed a small black pouch before walking back over to the bed and showing him an identical ring to the one that was on his finger.

“I got matching ones,” he admitted with a shrug, handing it over. Cormag laughed at the very fact that he was surprised. Of course he bought matching ones; Lachlan was as serious about marriage as he was. Once you got married that was it, in their minds. You never did it twice, so you had to get it right first time round.

“…and break up
s,” he read, nodding to himself at how perfect it was. He was right and it felt right to have that memorialised on their engagement rings.

“W
ithout them we'd never have met,” Lachlan explained nervously.

Cormag shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't get over how utterly perfect he was or the fact that he agreed, wholeheartedly, with this desire to keep a constant reminder on their rings. They had found each other through a set of circumstances not of their making and he would never forget that. He was grateful for every moment he had with Lachlan. But that one, as he took his left hand and placed the ring onto his ring finger, was by far the most precious.

“And that would be a crime,” he agreed, his heart swelling with love when Lachlan smiled at him. He ducked down to kiss him and then left the room for a whole minute before returning and planting himself back in his spot on the bed, with his phone in his hand.

Cormag sat back against the headboard, taking Lachlan's left hand in his and spent the next few minutes staring at the rings as they clasped hands. Lachlan used his right hand to press the first speed dial option, for his parent's house, and then shuffled back into his arms.

“Mum…yeah, I know…no, we didn't leave anything,” he said, shaking his head as he began the conversation.

Cormag knew what that meant; Stella was always paranoid whenever Lachlan was at the house now, that he had left some important story idea or notes on a napkin and would never find them again. “No, I'm calling for something imp
ortant, Mum. Will you shut up?” He laughed into the phone, while nudging his head into his arm. He knew what that meant too. He lifted his arm, smiling as Lachlan slid into the space right beside him and held his arm around his waist. He never once let go of his hand to do it.

“Thank y
ou. I asked him…and he said yes,” he explained excitedly, surprising him all over again.

Was there ever a chance that he might say no? Cormag looked down at Lachlan, smiling in wonder when he pulled the phone away from his ear.

“She's screaming,” he said, as if he couldn't hear it for himself.

“She knew?” h
e asked, since he hadn't actually explained that they were now engaged.

“She went with me to buy the rings. I didn't tell
her when I was going to ask you,” he admitted casually, putting the phone back to his ear. “Yeah, I know it's great. Do you want me to tell Dad? Okay, don't scream at him. I'll talk to you tomorrow,” he promised, before hanging up. “She's going to 'take care' of Dad. Whatever that means.”

“I'm sensing it won't be good.” Cormag was still unsure of whether or not Ron liked him. He talked about rugby a lot and liked his job, as well as the fact that he used to be a volunteer fire fighter. But there was always that steely look in his eyes that said if Lachlan ever showed up in tears he would be the first one blamed.

“He's not that bad. I think he's getting better,” he said, with a shrug.

“Give me
your phone and I'll call Harper,” he asked, holding his hand out as he contemplated how to have this conversation. Harper was the one he was most excited to tell because he was the one who knew all the bad shit that he'd gone through. Monroe was too young and innocent to know and he didn't dare tell his parents. Thankfully his mother had the flu when Westin went on his tirade and she'd been doped up on meds so she didn't remember anything of that night. He couldn't have been more grateful for that.

Lachlan handed over the phone and stole a kiss before snuggling into his arms. Cormag was still a little stunned by the whole thing, but he managed to accept what was happening and that it was real for the moment. He would deal with the real moment of clarity later. He pressed the third speed dial button and waited as the phone rang.

“Harper, hey…is Monroe there with you?” he asked, as soon as the phone was picked up. He could hear a soft male voice cooing to baby Jonas in the background.

“Yeah, why?” h
is brother asked, sounding rather groggy.

“Put me on speaker phone,” h
e asked. While he did that he held his hand over the mouthpiece. “We need to babysit soon. He sounds like shit,” he decided.

Lachlan nodded and cuddled in tighter.
“How about this weekend?” he offered.

It was a lot quicker than he'd expected, but he hummed in agreement, as he heard the click that said he was now on speaker phone.

“You're on,” Harper told him, only to yawn.