Page 86 of Resilience on Canvas

Henry and Rose and Joe all erupted with laughter, and Robert couldn’t help but chuckle too. Thank God Henry was feeling better now. Hopefully Robert could keep Henry’s spirits up for the rest of the trip. Because they were so very close to finally realizing their shared fantasy of building a life together. So. Goddamn. Close.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Robert

Laterthatevening,oncethe sun was starting to dip below the horizon, Robert and Henry were cuddled together in the bed of Henry’s truck, their heads resting on a shared pillow while Henry shyly held up one of his spiral-bound sketchbooks, one he hadn’t yet opened. Henry blew out a nervous-sounding breath.

“What are you so worried about?” Robert whispered. “Do you really think I’ll criticize you? I can barely even read my own handwritin’.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s... I should probably tell you that the, uhm, the subject of some of my—”

Robert snatched the book. “Lemme see.”

He opened to a random page, and before Robert could even make out what—orwho—was thesubjectof the work, Henry turned to smush his face into the pillow.

“Good God, it’s the most humiliatin’ one,” Henry said, his voice muffled.

Robert snorted. He wasn’t sure what Henry was saying because the drawing was nothing short of spectacular. It was of a shirtless man standing in a lush field swinging a mowing scythe. Maybe Henry was feeling bashful because the man’s muscles were clearlymeant to be the focus of the piece. But it wasn’t no surprise to Robert that Henry found the male form exciting. So, then, why was Henry being like this?

Just then, Robert noticed the unmistakable mole on the man’s upper left shoulder.

Laughing warmly, Robert said, “Hey, this is supposed to be me, ain’t it?”

Henry simply groaned into the pillow. Robert’s smile broadened. Pride and elation flared to life in his chest, both feelings intensifying as he studied the picture some more.

After spending a few more seconds admiring that first drawing, Robert started to flip through the book, and though there were sketches of other things, too—farmhouses and plants and even food—many were of him.

“Hen, this is... wow,” Robert said, continuing to flip through. “What a talented son of a bitch you are.”

Henry turned to kiss Robert’s clothed shoulder.

“Don’t you think it’s strange of me to have been obsessin’ over you like that?”

Robert shut the book and set it aside. He rolled over to face Henry.

“Strange?! Of course not. It’s flatterin’.” He touched their lips together. “Really. I love it. Did you really think of me that much?”

“Gosh, constantly.” Henry squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s embarrassin’ how much time I spent thinkin’ of you. Even that first picture you saw took me hours to draw. Hours I spent by myself in my room... thinkin’ of you... imaginin’ you workin’ on your farm... rememberin’ that I saw you without no shirt on...”

Henry shifted his hips forward, pressing his hardness to Robert’s thigh as he hitched a breath. Robert’s stomach tumbled.

“Jesus Christ, Hen.” He felt himself becoming hard now too. “Did you touch yerself? While you wereworkin’ on that one?”

“Uh-huh,” Henry said, rolling his hips some more. “More than... more than once, too.”

Robert mumbled a soft “fuck” before catching Henry’s mouth in a passionate kiss. He scrambled to unfasten Henry’s belt. Henry’s hands found Robert’s belt, too, his previously shallow breathing becoming fast and ragged. In only seconds, they were yanking each other’s pants to their knees, followed by their briefs.

Robert took Henry’s hardness in his hand, and Henry let out a moan into Robert’s mouth. Slowly, Robert began to stroke him, enjoying the feel of moving Henry’s foreskin over his precum-moistened head. Robert’s own cock started to weep, begging to be touched.

“What if someone sees us?” Henry wondered between kisses, his fingers brushing Robert’s shaft.

“It’ll be night soon,” Robert said, tilting back to look at the sky, which was awash in pinks and purples and blues. It would be completely black before long, except for the splash of stars. “Besides, we’re far enough from the road.”

Well, he had to hope that was true. Still, not one Goddamn thing could have stopped him from enjoying Henry’s company inexactlythe way he wanted to right then. Him and Henry had been keeping things innocent enough for the last few weeks. Robert was ready for them to touch each other some more.

Or, Christ Almighty, maybe . . .

All of a sudden, the image of Henry sucking on Robert’s finger flitted into Robert’s mind. Excitement shot through him, and he kissed Henry more forcefully, letting the feral need he felt to have that strange fantasy fulfilled take over. He began pumping his fist faster, his strokes becoming rough, and when that beautiful, sinful image flashed in his head once more, he took Henry’s tongue into his mouth and sucked. Fuck, how he wanted them to taste each other.

---