Shaking his head as his inner horse snorted from exhaustion, Heian rubbed at his eyes and stifled a yawn. It had been a long day. He hadn't expected things to progress so quickly with his ex wife's court case, but the judge seemed to have been more than happy to expedite things.

"Thank you so much for everything," the prosecutor said as he walked over and shook Heian's hand.

The case had adjourned about an hour ago, but he'd stayed for a while longer because several of the people involved in the case had wanted to speak with Toshi. He only let a few people near the boy, though. Being on the stand earlier was already enough stress, so the only people who were allowed to speak with him were the court-appointed psychiatrist and the prosecutor.

The psychiatrist helped calm the boy down several times throughout the trial and Toshi had come to trust the woman. She was sweet and very well mannered. The prosecutor was also a pretty nice guy and even bought Toshi a small donut from next door on their break from questioning, brightening the boy's day quite a bit.

"Thank you for making yourself available for this case, and for assisting me in finding the correct authorities to begin the adoption process for Toshi," Heian replied as he firmly shook the man's hand.

He still had a while before he could officially adopt the little boy, but he was a very patient man and as long as Toshi was well cared for, he was okay with most decisions regarding him. As it were for the moment, the boy was still permitted to live at his home and there were weekly check-ins with child services, but now that his ex's trial had concluded with a guilty verdict and jail sentence, it was looking like Toshi was one step closer to being his.

They still needed to try his father, but the man was known to be an alcoholic and had agreed to the abandonment, and admitted it during his first round of interrogation. Things were looking up and he was hopeful that it would all turn out well for Toshi.

"Ready to go, bud?" he finally asked once the psychiatrist had finished speaking with him, then turned and held out her card to Heian.

"Please give me a call next week so that I can check up on him," she said curtly but with an honest, professional smile.

Heian took the card and tucked it into his pant's pocket, then nodded respectfully.

"I will call you Monday. Take care of yourselves, Mrs. Mendez and Mr. Barron."

With all the formalities finally done for the day, Heian leaned over and picked up his sleepy son. Papers or not, he considered Toshi his already.

He calmly carried the dozing boy out of the courthouse and to the car before getting him buckled into his car-seat. Once he was sure he was comfortable but also safe, Heian gently closed his door and walked around to the other side, then dropped down into his own seat.

So tired.

He wasn't a huge fan of other people. At least, not for such a long time and while concerning such a stressful situation. Honestly, he felt like Toshi had managed the whole thing better than he, himself, had, but at the same time, the kid had gotten a free donut out of it.

Now I want one.

He began heading home, knowing that he really shouldn't have a bunch of sugar, but when he slowed to a stop at a light, he realized something.

I'm an adult and I have two kids and a cat to feed. Surely Nia deserves a donut for being good and staying with Ranger today, and my sweet kitten also deserves treats. Toshi could also use another one... or two.

Soon, he was carrying a still-sleeping Toshi into a small donut shop that was somehow still open around three in the afternoon. It actually looked like it was about to close so he quickly scooped up the remaining nine donuts and got a black coffee as well to keep himself awake on the drive home.

Once back in the car, he got Toshi settled again, then took a few sips from his drink and finally relaxed a little.

"Alright, back home to my baby girl and kitten," he said quietly as he got them headed that way.

It took a little over an hour and a half, since they lived quite a ways into the countryside, but it was at least an enjoyable drive with minimal traffic.

By the time he got home he was ready to devour the donuts he'd left untouched in the passenger seat beside him. Right as he pulled into his driveway he could sense excitement surge through his bond with his daughter and grinned.

Ignoring the donuts for the time being, Heian got out of his car and stretched for a moment, then turned toward the pasture.

Oh?

He honestly expected Ranger to be in his human form, but when he saw the two approaching, he was a bit surprised.

She's sitting on his cat.

As they got closer, he furrowed his brow and did his best to bite back a grin... and failed miserably.

"Hello, my sweet, dirty loves," he said as he reached forward as Ranger brought Nia closer.

She wanted to go for a ride, Ranger thought to him as Heian lifted his daughter from his back and settled her on his hip, not minding in the least that she was now getting his nice suit dirty.

"Did you have fun with your father while I was gone?" he asked as he reached down with his free hand to pat Ranger's fur.

Nia quickly nodded as her smile widened.

Father took me for a ride but we got dirt kicked on us!

Heian gave a quiet chuckle as he walked to the other side of his car and gently woke Toshi up, then helped him out of his seat. The boy had woken up pretty quickly once he'd realized that they were finally home.

He gladly accepted the box of donuts to hold as Heian locked up the car, then got them all heading toward the house. Of course, he could hear heavy paws following right behind them, and he had no doubt that Ranger's cat wanted some more attention after babysitting all day. Thankfully, he'd gotten pretty good at managing his inner beast over the past month and could now have it out without too much trouble. A few well-placed kicks from Nia and Toshi's horses had helped quite a bit, too.

The donuts were an instant hit, even though it was technically just-barely dinner time. Or really, late lunch time.

She didn't want to eat until you came home but I got her to drink some water.

Heian had torn apart one of the donuts, splitting it between the two kids.

"I'm going to make a quick early dinner, then you guys can have a full donut later for dessert, alright?" he said as he got an immediate nod from Toshi and a grin from Nia.

Yay, another donut for dessert, Ranger thought to him after being handed his own whole one. It vanished in moments.

You know you're going to help me eat most of them, right? Heian thought to him as he got busy making grilled cheese and the kids got situated watching a cartoon while snuggled up to Ranger's big cat.

He honestly wanted to take a picture of them together, but he knew that Nia wasn't a fan of having her picture taken and it would often sour her mood quite a bit, so he just decided to be happy that everyone was happy and leave it at that.

Soon there were six grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches ready. He delivered one to each kid, then split another in half if either of them were still hungry. Nia never really ate a whole lot, but sometimes Toshi had a decent appetite.

He then got the remaining sandwiches and sat down against the couch beside them.

Ranger immediately settled his big fuzzy head in his lap, ignoring the sandwiches as everyone else ate.

You okay, love? he asked as he finished his first sandwich. He felt Ranger's cat nuzzle against his lap, but to his surprise, its eyes were closed.

Did my little girl wear you out?

Ranger took a few moments to respond, but his one-word response had him feeling more warm and fuzzy than Ranger, himself, currently was.

Mine.

Lifting his left hand, Heian began gently running his fingers through Ranger's soft fur as the man rested.

She is. They both are.

Ranger's ears flicked.

You too.

Heian bit back a chuckle.

Oh yes, you've made that clear every single night, love.

He was just about to say something else when he noticed that both of the kids were getting sleepy already.

Want to help me with a bath, then maybe we can enjoy some quiet time together?

Ranger carefully but quickly got to his paws and hurried up the stairs. The kids took note of him even through their sleepy minds and turned in the direction he had gone.

"Toshi, want to go take a nap? I need to give Nia a bath since she got dirty with Ranger, then she'll be in to rest, too," he said since they shared a room during naps.

Toshi had been offered his own, and while he did sleep there at night, whenever they were just lying down to rest, he preferred to use the spare little bed in Nia's room.

"Okay," the boy replied calmly as he got himself up, then went to retrieve Nia's walker nearby.

Toshi helped her up without a single problem, then the two walked over to the stairs. Heian hurried over to them to help, but to his surprise, Toshi was already helping Nia up them one step at a time.

She's... actually walking up the stairs?

Heian made sure that he was right behind them, just in case, but he forced himself not to help. Nia had never been able to ascend the stairs on her own, and just barely managed with his help the few times she'd even wanted to try.

His heart welled with pride as they finally made it to the top. With both kids safe, Heian quickly ran back down and grabbed Nia's walker, then brought it up so that she could walk to the bathroom if she wanted to, instead of being carried. Unsurprisingly, she did, even though it was obvious that the stairs had taken quite a bit of energy out of her.

My daughter is amazing.

To his surprise, Ranger was already in the bathroom, sitting in the tub in a pair of shorts.

Good idea, you're a dirty boy, too.

He really was. The guy had thankfully taken most of the dirt and dust that had been kicked at them. He honestly did, kind of, like the look, though.

We can play outside tomorrow, hubby. Just be good for right now, Ranger replied with a wink as Heian gently helped Nia into the tub, rolling his eyes internally. While Ranger was definitely a pervert, he loved to poke fun back at him for his own hidden desires. His kids would never find out, but he was also a massive pervert when it came to his husband.

Hell, he'd been infatuated with the man the second he'd seen him years ago.

To his surprise, Nia didn't crawl right into Ranger's lap. Nor did she wait for him to help undress.

She's being surprisingly self-sufficient today.

She actually had been getting more and more interested in handling her own situations since Toshi had begun staying with them. He still rarely heard her talk to his thoughts, but somehow, she couldn't stop talking to Toshi's day in and day out.

"Do you want to try doing everything today?" he asked as she finished taking off the clothing she wished to, which was just her shirt and socks.

When Nia nodded and carefully grabbed the bottle of shampoo with shaky hands, Heian nervously lifted a hand toward it. Except, Ranger had beaten him to it and just kept a hand beneath the full bottle so that it wouldn't fall on her if she accidentally dropped it. Which she did, three times. It was all perfectly alright, though, because Ranger caught it easily each time, and Nia kept her focus on her tasks until, one by one, she managed to wash her hair, upper body, feet, and face.

My baby is doing things for herself!

He was so damn proud. Of course, he would always be there to help with anything she would ever need, but to see her choose to try things for herself far more often than usual has made him so unbelievably proud of her.

She's doing very well. You're a fantastic dad, Ranger replied with a smile.

Heian couldn't help but blush slightly at the compliment as he helped his daughter out of the tub once she was finished with what she wanted to do. Ranger dried himself off in an instant, then grabbed her towel and made sure to be ready to catch Nia if she faltered at all, but their little girl was determined and didn't so much as sway until she finished drying herself... then intentionally fell right into Ranger's arms.

Not my arms, hmm?

Pushing aside his teeny tiny bit of jealousy, Heian walked with Ranger as he carried their daughter back to her room. Toshi was already asleep when they stepped inside, so they made sure to be quiet as they helped Nia change out of the wet clothing she hadn't wanted to remove during her bath, then put on some pajamas. Once that was done and she was all tucked in for a good nap, they slipped out the door.

The moment the door was closed Heian grabbed Ranger's hand and tugged him back to their own room. He released the man's hand to shut the door, then turned around... only to be quietly shoved up against the door as Ranger's hot mouth quickly covered his own.

Their bodies were glued to each others' in seconds, and the chill from Ranger's wet shorts sent an eager shiver down his spine. He allowed his husband to kiss him until he was breathless, then smirked and nipped the man's lip.

"As much as I want to get right down to business, my love... You are still a very dirty boy."

His tone of voice, his words, and the starved expression he knew was on his face had Ranger clearly a little confused, but as Heian intentionally looked down at his soaked shorts, then at his dirty upper chest, he seemed to realize what he meant. He really was dirty, since he hadn't bathed at all after Nia had finished.

Instead of simply hurrying to the bathroom so that he could rinse off the dirt before they got too distracted to do so, Ranger took a small step back and grinned mischievously.

"Will my handsome husband help me clean up?" he asked sweetly.

This man...

He knew what he was trying to do.

"You won't say no tonight," Ranger said with a determined look that had Heian holding back a grin of his own.

Sure I won't, love. Just like I haven't said no every other time you've asked since you had hurt yourself by trying to get yourself used to my size far too quickly.

Ranger had tried using some rather large toys before they got married to try and get used to his size, but instead of being careful and going slow, the guy had practically hurt himself to the point of being unable to walk for a short while.

He would humor him, though. Just like he did every time. Ranger tried to get him to top him nearly every time they had any reasonable amount of time to enjoy each other, but thankfully, he never argued when he finally told him no for the evening.

It's just going to end the same way, but I can't deny that I love seeing him try.

It also drove his horse crazy not being allowed to top, but Heian didn't mind it much at all. The only thing he wanted from Ranger was his love. Besides, he was perfectly happy being a bottom. His inner animal could just get over its frustration with a nice long run through the fields.

Shaking his head slowly, Heian gave a quiet chuckle, then leaned forward and nonchalantly scooped his husband up into his arms.

The first time he'd carried his love, the man had thrown a bit of a fit. Now, however, he was more than content to be in his arms. In fact, he didn't hesitate to begin undoing Heian's tie and dress shirt as he was carried into the bathroom, then set down on the counter.

"You're getting faster at that, love," Heian said as Ranger finished unbuttoning his shirt in a flash, then removed his alert necklace and gently set it down on the counter.

The man's clothing wasn't treated nearly as nicely. His fancy suit-jacket was immediately dropped to the floor, but to his surprise, the tie had stayed.

Ranger matched Heian's smirk as he reached back up and grabbed that undone tie, then pulled it closer until Heian was forced to lean forward, making their lips meet for the briefest of moments.

"I'm going to win tonight. You're going to enjoy yourself so much that you'll be begging me for it over and over aga—" Ranger's words were cut off by another kiss. This one, however, was initiated by Heian.

He broke it almost as soon as it had started, but both of them were already panting by that time.

"Rain, I will beg for you every single day of my life, for as long as you'll have me," Heian said honestly, making Ranger's cocky expression dissipate abruptly as a blush began to color his cheeks.

Taking the initiative while his love was caught off-guard, Heian gently undid his hand from his tie, then gifted the item to his love before walking over to get the shower going.

It was no surprise when he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind a few moments later, then begin undoing the belt holding up his pants.

"You've lost more weight," Ranger said, his tone suddenly worried.

Heian couldn't help but be happy with his worry as he settled his hands over his husband's.

"I'll eat more now that the trial is over. I was just a bit too stressed to feed myself properly," he replied as he squeezed those warm hands.

He felt Ranger press his forehead against his back in response, making his smile widen even more.

"I promise I'll be more careful from now on," he added before reaching forward and testing the water.

Perfect.

He was just about to step aside so that Ranger could wash up, but the man clearly had other plans as his hand sank into the front of Heian's open pants and grabbed hold of his length without a single ounce of hesitation.

"Kitten?" he questioned as he looked over his shoulder, trying to see his love.

The other man tucked his head farther, making Heian raise an eyebrow.

"I know that we're just going to get dirty again Rain, but you really do need to rinse that dirt off first," Heian said gently as he grasped the wrist of the hand still situated within his pants, but didn't try to remove it yet.

He did love it whenever his husband touched him in such a way, so it was kind of hard to keep his mind far enough out of the gutter to complete the action he'd intended.

"Shower with me, Heian?" Ranger asked after a few moments of silence.

As he spoke, his fingers were gently massaging Heian's length, making it incredibly hard to keep himself under control.

When he didn't answer for sometime, Ranger nudged him forward the slightest amount.

"You're wasting water, my beautiful husband."

Oh... I don't like wasting water.

Before he could reconsider his decision, Heian was walking into the shower with Ranger right behind him. As soon as he heard the frosted glass door slide closed he headed for the built-in seat he'd had made in the back for Nia recently, and a bit for himself when he was exhausted from a long day of work. The moment he sat down, however, he felt a hand firmly but carefully wrap around his wrist.

"I'll clean off the dirt," Ranger said as he continued to hold his wrist lightly.

If he wanted to pull his hand out of his grasp, he could do so with no effort at all.

Heian swallowed as he looked up, then down when something caught his eye.

How did he get those wet shorts off so fast?

The man's length was standing at full attention, too, but he knew better than to take that bait. No matter how delicious it looked...

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Heian reached up and pressed his fingers to his forehead as he turned to the side. He might have still been wearing pants, but the water had already dampened them, and after Ranger's firm attention, it was more than obvious that he was struggling to keep his hands to himself.

He expected his love to jump him at any moment, but when he felt Ranger suddenly release him, then began to smell the scent of the body wash they now shared, he chanced a brief glance toward the other man.

Ranger had relented and gotten busy quickly scrubbing his body. It honestly only took a few minutes for him to get squeaky clean, which just made Heian scowl.

You could have just done that right from the beginning!

He let himself get lost in a bit of frustration for a moment... which was his own mistake. When he realized that he'd let himself get distracted, it was already too late.

Ranger had dropped to his knees and gently but firmly grabbed his length in both hands. They just-barely managed to hold it all.

"Rain..." he rasped as his heartbeats began to quicken within his chest, making his breathing hasten as his eyes dilated slightly.

They liked what they saw.

His husband was on his knees, holding him with both hands while staring up at him with pleading, hungry eyes. The moisture all over his body was also a gorgeous addition to the scene.

"May I?" Ranger asked in his own rough, delicious tone.

That was his love. No matter how many times they did something, if he showed any kind of hesitation, he would make sure to ask if it was okay to continue.

How did I get so lucky to find you?

Heian slowly nodded, then replied audibly, because gestures didn't sit all that well with him when asking for specific permissions. Especially in such situations.

"Yes, please," he said right before Ranger went down on him, not waiting a single second after being given permission.

Heian was used to the man's chaotic love-making, but his body somehow wasn't. It always became startled awake like a car being jumped back to life the second Ranger got his mouth around him.

Groaning loudly, Heian leaned his head back against the wall and adjusted himself a bit to face forward again, then spread his legs wide so that his love had plenty of room to take care of him.

He just-barely managed to hold himself back from digging his fingers into the man's tempting hair. That was the one thing that hadn't worked well between them. Ranger hadn't minded it at first, but the more Heian got into the man's attention, the more he pulled. Unfortunately, his love had a sensitive scalp and it had hurt him quite badly so they'd agreed not to do that any longer.

Thus, he simply gripped the edges of the seat tightly and hung on as his body began to shiver and his breathing picked up further.

I love you, babe.

Hearing those words from his husband, Heian forced himself out of his haze of lust and slowly lowered his gaze until he could see the man with his length in his mouth, staring straight up at him.

"Hot..." he whispered, unable to find any other words in his mind right then.

Ranger smirked as he slowly leaned away until Heian's length popped free of his mouth.

I want that mouth on mine.

Evidently, his body agreed with him, because he quickly leaned forward and down, grabbing Ranger's jaw with both hands before pressing their lips together.

Their kiss grew feverish quickly as Ranger's hands returned to kneed at his length playfully. Heian could barely keep up, but he refused to be outdone and managed to keep pace just well enough to make it until Ranger retreated, breaking their kiss after two full minutes.

"Mm, you're getting better and better at that," Ranger cooed as he scooted away a little bit, making Heian's fuzzy mind confused and nervous.

Not wanting his love to leave him, he instinctively slid from the seat and dropped to his knees before following Ranger closer toward the front of the shower. His husband seemed to think it was funny, because he had a growing smirk on his face before he reached up and turned off the spray of the water.

"You don't like wasting water, but I want to be in here for quite a while," he said, making Heian realize that Ranger had just been moving away to turn off the water.

"It's okay, babe, I love seeing you on your hands and knees," Ranger said as he hurried to close the distance between them again, then gently nudged Heian until he was leaning back against the side wall.

Before Heian could get in a word, or really figure out what one he would even say, Ranger was straddling his lap and already had his hands on his length again.

There was a word he really should have been saying right then, but it kept slipping his mind as Ranger massaged him vigorously.

"Relax, love. Let me give you the best night of your life," Ranger said as he reached up with one hand and gently guided Heian's head forward until their mouths could meet.

The kiss was a lot more gentle this time, but that was likely because Ranger was so focused on moving his lower body into position. When he finally began to sink down onto him, Ranger surprisingly stopped kissing him and leaned away just enough so that they could look into each other's eyes.

He was giving him a chance to clear his mind and tell him to stop. Even though he'd said that he would finally win and get to switch their positions, and had worked quite hard to make him an absolute mess of desire, he'd still somehow managed to stop himself right before they could do the deed so that he could have a chance to make the final decision.

Heian licked his trembling lips as he looked down to the space where their bodies were just-barely connected.

I want more.

His inner animal was going insane, literally begging him to claim what was his. Normally, he was very good at pushing it aside, but this one time he wasn't sure that he wanted to. He liked what he saw. He liked that his husband was straddling his lap, his lips red and swollen from being around him. His eyes were focused and hungry, but also calm and determined.

After several tense moments, Heian swallowed down his remaining few nerves and reached forward. One of his hands went to Ranger's backside while the other settled on his hip. Both then gripped his skin firmly but carefully before hesitantly beginning to guide him downward.

It had been far too long since he'd been inside of someone else. His body shivered and tensed with each centimeter the man descended upon him. He eventually found his face buried in his lover's neck as he held him in shaking arms.

"Mm, sorry, I knew I wouldn't be able to get it all," Ranger said in a breathless voice as he adjusted himself here and there, doing his best to get comfortable.

Heian hurried to help support his backside, not wanting him to accidentally hurt himself or slip on the water while on his knees.

"Thank you," Ranger rasped, immediately using Heian's help to take some of the strain off his knees.

Once he finally seemed content with the situation, he looked back up at Heian with a full-faced grin.

"Do I feel good?"

It was clear as day that his love was in pain, but that smile on his face forced Heian to bite his tongue.

"You feel absolutely amazing, sweetheart," he said honestly as he leaned forward for a quick kiss.

When they broke apart again, Ranger wiggled his hips, making Heian nearly swallow his tongue as he felt a strong need pulse between his legs!

"Sorry, um, are you ready?" he asked.

Heian frowned and furrowed his brows.

"Ready?" he asked, confused.

Surely they weren't going to do anything else besides a few gentle bumps of his hips...

Evidently Ranger hadn't gotten that memo, because he was soon leaning to the side and backwards, making Heian hurry to follow him until they were lying down on the cooling shower floor. He would have honestly slid himself out immediately with the position change, but Ranger had clearly thought ahead and grabbed his length, holding it inside of him as they transitioned.

"Rain..." Heian rasped, just about ready to say the word that would halt the entire situation immediately.

He was actually just opening his mouth to do just that when Ranger tilted his head against the damp tile and smiled.

"Just a little, please? Don't go in all the way, cause I definitely can't do that yet, but I worked really hard and I want to finally please my husband this way," he said, making Heian hesitate as his heart thumped hard in his chest.

Heian slowly closed his slightly-parted lips and squeezed the right side of Ranger's backside where his let hand still held it. After a moment he let that hand slowly slide inward until it bumped into his own length, firmly situated within Ranger's opening.

It was only about three-quarters of the way inside, but it still felt amazing.

Swallowing, he moved his hand to his love's waist and gripped firmly but carefully.

"Don't hold anything back," he finally said as he slowly inched himself out of his husband's backside, then, gently, pressed forward, nudging himself back inside until he had returned his length to the exact spot it had been moments before.

That one simple set of actions had him nearly exploding right then, making heat rush to his already-warm face.

"That felt good, love. More, please?" Ranger said with a smile that touched his beautiful eyes.

He's... really okay?

Heian nervously moved his other hand and grabbed the other side of Ranger's hips, then gently adjusted the man as he leaned forward. The hard surface of the damp tile beneath him bit into his knees a bit, but he barely felt anything as he carefully began to make love to his beautiful husband.

They got into a gentle rhythm as time went on, each of them making sure not to get carried away. They were both extremely aware of the others' limits and were equally careful not to overdo it. They still managed to enjoy themselves quite a bit, if Ranger's excessively-loud orgasm was any proof of that. Heian even had to cover his mouth just in case, but unfortunately that just made Ranger tighten up around him, squeezing his own orgasm out of his quivering body.

He hadn't really intended to release inside of Ranger, either, but the man had snuck a hand back between their legs right before he'd cum, making it impossible for his muddled mind to figure out how to pull out.

With his own stifled moan, Heian lowered his head and felt himself empty into his lover. He wanted to immediately apologize once his mind began to clear, but the content look on Ranger's face made him swallow those words immediately.

He looks like... a content cat.

With shaky hands, Heian carefully but gently removed Ranger's hand from around his length, then slowly removed himself from his lovers body. He honestly, truly, expected the man to be bleeding after what had happened the first time he'd tried to prep himself to have sex with him, but to his surprise, there was absolutely no damage.

"I told you I worked on it. The right way, this time," Ranger said as he slowly sat up, seemingly drunk on pleasure as he swayed a bit, then yawned wide.

Heian's mind immediately went back to the memory of that hot mouth wrapped around his length and felt a jolt of pleasure shoot straight down to his groin.

Not again yet, behave, he thought to himself as he quickly stood up, then turned and got the shower going again.

He loved making love, but he wasn't a huge fan of the scent that lingered afterward. Most shifters liked it, but not him. Instead of washing himself first, Heian grabbed the soap and sat down in front of Ranger.

To his surprise, the man hurried into his lap and snuggled right up against him, nuzzling at his chest like the feline that he was.

"Alright, sweetheart. I'll take care of you as thanks for the most amazing time of my life," he said with complete honesty.

Sure, he'd only gotten about three-fourths of himself inside, and they'd both cum rather quickly, but that situation had been the most important sexual one of his life. There had been a lot of trust that went into it, as well as a lot of honest and careful effort on Ranger's part. His love hadn't had to use toys to try and open himself better so that he could bottom for him. He would have been happy playing that role for Ranger for the rest of his life, but his love had wanted to do it in order to please him and had, after quite a lot of effort, succeeded spectacularly.

While the other few partners he'd had in his life had not had much of a problem with his size, they had had a problem with communication and understanding. Most of them thought that he just wanted to have sex whenever they felt like it, and the few times he'd voiced his disagreement, like after an exhausting day of work or when things were getting to a breaking point with Nia, they had never considered that when he said I'm not interested tonight, that he actually meant it.

Ranger, however, had constantly accepted no, or any clear similar word of phrase, without a single argument when he'd been declined again and again to try and bottom.

"Mm, want to go another round, love?" Ranger asked with a hint of perversion left in his tired eyes.

If he had been with anyone from his past right then, he would have felt pressured to keep going until they were satisfied, but his new love was different and understanding.

Smiling, Heian nuzzled into the crook of Ranger's neck and pressed a kissed to his moist skin.

"I'd love to cuddle with my handsome husband in bed instead, if that's alright?" he asked before leaning back a little, evidentially, just in time to get a quick kiss on his lips.

"That sounds great, too. Let's do that," Ranger replied without an ounce of hesitation as he carefully got himself up, then turned and helped Heian back to his feet.

They calmly but quickly finished washing and rinsing themselves, then stepped out and dried off together. Ranger insisted on drying him after taking care of his own body faster than Heian could even comprehend. He didn't mind it, though. Any attention his husband gave him was more than welcome. The fact that Ranger was still being respectful and not trying to arouse him again made it even more sweet.

The man even helped him brush out his long hair, then tied it up for him perfectly. He'd honestly considered cutting it a few times, but Ranger's cat loved playing with it and his horse also really liked its beautiful mane. He just couldn't get rid of it.

Feeling a tug on his hand, Heian snapped himself out of his wandering thoughts and smiled as he allowed himself to be pulled forward. He snagged his alert necklace for Nia as they walked past the counter, then slipped it on before tugging on a pair of shorts and climbing into bed. Ranger hurried ahead of him after pulling on a pair of boxers, then tugged back the covers with a sleepy smile before getting situated against the pillows with his arms reaching out toward him. Even though Heian was a bit bigger than his love, he gladly snuggled into those arms with a content hum... and even allowed his horse to give a quiet huff of contentment through his human mouth, too.

"I love you, Heian," Ranger whispered against his hair before yawning again.

Heian gave a quiet sound of acknowledgement in response as he snuggled in more, already close to being asleep.

"You had a long day, let's get some rest before the kids wake up from their nap," Ranger said as he pressed a kiss to Heian's forehead.

Soon enough they were both out cold, snuggled up contently beneath the blankets, wrapped in each others' arms.