Foiled

[Mikko Ashby]

Damnit.

Mik and Rip barely got home when Aunt Shel arrived too, startling Mik who was in the process of 'showing Rip the bed' in the spare bedroom. He heard her car pulling into the driveway, let out a sound of pure frustration and had to make a run for his own bedroom before she caught him. No sex tonight, he couldn't risk getting caught by his aunt! He'd told her that Rip was staying with them for the foreseeable future, and she was fine with putting him up in the spare room--the one all the way at the other end of the house from Mik's own bedroom...

What she was not fine with was the kiss she witnessed, over which she and Mik had A Talk. Aunt Shel wanted to protect him, he knew that. She didn't want to see him being taken advantage of; she didn't want him to come to harm. And coming from a place of love and caring about him, Mik knew that she only had his best interests in mind. Her point about Rip being that much older than him, and that the age gap posed certain compatibility issues, was well-taken. This wasn't the first time an older guy tried to hit up Mik.

A year ago, he'd been pursued quite aggressively by a guy called Ryan who worked at the shelter. At first it was flattering that an older man was paying him that much attention but it rapidly went downhill. The guy wouldn't leave him alone; there were calls at all hours of the night, texts checking up on him, and Mik swore he was even stalked. He had to take out a restraining order, something he never thought he'd have to do! Mik didn't think he was that amazing for anyone to become obsessed over him, but apparently he was wrong.

So yeah, he understood his aunt's concerns. She definitely didn't want Rip to turn out to be another creep but the thing was, Rip was nothing like Ryan! Aunt Shel didn't know Rip--she hadn't spent enough time with him to see what Mik saw. Which, again, wasn't her fault but now that Rip was living with them, Mik was sure that eventually she would come around to his point of view. Rip was a dear, sweet man. He was oddly shy in some moments, oddly bold in others, and despite his assertions that he wanted to be seen as a man by Mik, he still had so much innocence to him.

He was a little seed, just like Lieve said. Kept in isolation, he only knew what Keith taught him--and Keith was a freaking asshole who kept Rip like a sex slave. Small wonder Rip knew how to touch Mik, how to seduce him, but then when it came to things like kittens and fishies, he was like a child seeing everything for the first time. But now that he was out and free, Mik was sure that he would grow into a strong man and come into himself. Rip was not going to be a replicate of Jack! He just wasn't, that wasn't possible.

But!

But.

Mik didn't see him as a baby or a child. Those were pet names; he couldn't help himself when Rip was so cute. Rip didn't even act cute, he was cute. He was so cute and so sexy. Some people might have issues coming to terms with it--Mik didn't. He was cute and sexy too, so it took one to know one~

Now he just had to convince Aunt Shel that Rip wasn't a creepy stalker, and make sure Rip's soul grew out right. As devastating as it was on a personal level to know that he couldn't do it for Rip, he liked that there was at least someone out there who could. And it was like Mik said--Rip might choose him in the end. Rip might come to realize that even if his soul mate was with Jack, his partner could still be Mik.

It... wouldn't really be the same but it was still good. It could still work out! They were together now, and things were going well! Mik was optimistic and hopeful; he saw a bright future regardless of how stormy the skies were now.

Laying in bed, he smiled into his pillow. Lieve even said there was a chance that Rip's soul could recognize him as its mate... Well maybe if he made enough of an impression on Rip, he could be his new soul mate!

And

AND

If he could grow a whole soul out of a little seed and turn that soul into his soul mate, maybe--just maybe--his efforts would inspire certain best friends to stop being silly and ask certain other best friends out! Because if Mik could do all this for Rip, Lieve could certainly get a date with the guy he had genuine feelings for!

Orrr Mik could do a little prodding and poking on his own. He probably would.

He would definitely do it.

Grabbing his phone from the bedside table, he fired off a text to Cori.

Oh yeah, this thing was going down whether Lieve wanted it to or not!