Page 28 of As I Am
"I will. I just haven't found the right project yet." Carson caressed Ky's thigh.
Ky was fascinated to learn that Carson enjoyed working on cars so much. Learning the little things about him made him feel more like he could pull off this boyfriend thing. The more he knew, the easier it would be for people to believe they really were dating.
"What about you, Ky? Do you have any hobbies?"
Ky shook his head. "Not really. I left most of them behind when I left Idaho. I used to go horseback riding a lot. Since I've moved to the city, I don't really do much."
"That's a shame. Everyone needs something to do to keep them relaxed." Gladius sat down beside her husband. "We garden."
"Carson was telling me. I used to have a nice garden in Idaho. I loved working in the dirt." Ky smiled at the approving look Gladius gave him.
"You need to come see ours. We're quite proud of it." Gladius stood.
"Here we go." Carson sighed, but smiled as he stood, reaching for Ky's hand.
"You hush up. Carson never came to enjoy our gardening, but that's his loss." Richard stood and followed his wife outside.
Carson leaned in close. "You holding up okay?"
"Yeah, I love your parents. They're great. I'm really okay going out to see what they've done. I don't mind a bit." Ky liked the way Carson's breath warmed his cheek.
"Okay, but after we can escape to my room. I still need to pack. Mom will insist we eat before we catch our flight, so I need to get everything ready." Carson kissed him softly.
Ky resisted the urge to wrap his arms around Carson. This wasn't the place. He smiled as Carson pulled back. "Let's make your parents happy, then I can help you finish packing."
Carson nodded and led him outside. As they walked across the yard, Ky was amazed at how huge the garden area was. It would be a lot of work to keep it going and weed free. He'd thought his old gardens in Idaho were big, but this one took up more than half of the backyard, and from the looks of it, had almost anything they could grow in the climate.
"Wow." Ky stopped at the edge. "This is amazing."
Carson's parents looked on proudly.
"Don't encourage them." Carson wrapped and arm around Ky's waist. "They will pull you in and never let you go. You'll end up sprouting leaves and swaying in the wind."
Gladius rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He just doesn't understand. He should be thanking us for the natural, healthy diet we gave him growing up. Not that he continued with it once he left home. I swear all he keeps around his place is Cheetos."
"I like Cheetos too." Ky tried to help defend Carson.
"Well, you're dating the right man. I keep expecting him to have turned orange each time he shows up." Richard winked at them.
"Okay, enough teasing me." Carson kissed Ky's temple. "If it's okay for me to steal my boyfriend back, we're going to go finish packing my stuff."
"I guess you can have him, but if you get bored, Ky, you're welcome to come back and join us." Richard smiled from where he was pulling a cherry tomato from a plant.
"I'll do that." Ky waved as he let Carson lead him back to the house. He followed him through the kitchen and down a short hallway to a bedroom at the end of the hall.
Carson pushed the door open and waved gestured Ky inside. "Welcome to my room."
"Well, when you say it like that." Ky grinned as he stepped inside. He was surprised to find a room looking like it belonged to someone much younger than Carson. An assortment of books sat on a large bookshelf against one wall, a twin bed sat beneath the window. There was a small desk beside the dresser, and on a shelf on the wall was an assortment of trophies. Ky walked over to the books first, looking at the titles. "I used to love to read." He ran his fingers over the row of books.
"You're welcome to borrow any. They are mostly Fantasy, but there are other things there." Carson came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him as he pulled him back against his chest.
"Thanks. I haven't read a book in years. I would find magazines sometimes and read those, but a book would be amazing."
"Pick a couple to take with us. You can read on the plane or when I'm doing stupid pre-concert stuff." Carson kissed Ky's neck. "I can show you my favorites."
Ky arched his neck, enjoying the kisses. It was strange to be held like he was. It was something he could easily grow used to. "What are the trophies for?"
"Mostly soccer, some rugby. I used to play in high school. I was never very good, but I had fun. I was lucky to have a team of guys that were good so I got all those." He pulled back. "That is one thing I miss more than anything, just getting together with a group of friends and playing soccer or something."
