Steam Punk Goggles and Ink Stained Hands

DREW’S POV

~

Hours later - when Shane was in deep sleep - I was waking up again, struggling to get my eyes fully open and trying to get my them to adjust to the dark. The red flashing numbers on my bedside alarm clock read seven past one am and the only noises to be heard in the otherwise silent house was the light snoring coming from my wonderful boyfriend.

We’d grown so much closer after the last few days and I’d noticed changes that seemed insignificant but actually meant a lot. For example, since I’d met him I’d called him Barrone but lately, I’ve been calling him by his real name. It just felt so much more personal.

The world knew him as Barrone, only I called him Shane (apart from his mother, but I’d effectively cut her out the picture in my head).

Earlier that day had been simply amazing. Once we’d shed our clothes, we’d scrambled upstairs and became one under my sheets, exploring each other’s bodies and experiencing feelings of pleasure we’d never even dreamt of.

It was perfect.

Now, Shane was curled up in my bed, still without clothes, his breathing steady and quietening as his snoring eased. He was so adorable and deserved so much more than the life he had.

Thinking back to all that happened earlier with his dad, I realised there was a good chance they could build a relationship if I could just track down his father.

I loved him so much and I knew if I could make that a reality that it would be such an amazing change in his life; it was with the intention to make that reality that I was waking up now, firing up my laptop and dimming the screen so I could search the internet without waking him.

Facebook, Twitter, the online Yellow Pages, 123 people, Google – I searched the last name Sumner on them all, checking for nearby results that could have information about where his dad could be, even if it was just a name. Eventually, I got more than I ever hoped for.

Not just a name, but a phone number and an address.

What I’d come across was a website for a guitar shop about twenty five minutes from here that had contact details for the shop’s owner – Mr James Sumner.

I couldn’t know for sure whether it was Shane’s dad, but it was definitely a place to start and from the last name, the fact he was nearby and the link to guitars, I had a feeling it could be him.

Tomorrow morning, I would set out to the shop and talk to the man alone; I couldn’t tell Shane about this because if it turned out it wasn’t his dad, I would have gotten Shane’s hopes up for nothing.

I couldn’t hurt him like that.

So, the next day (or later today, technically) I would be taking a bus downtown in the hope of finding someone who could change Shane’s life for the better. I just hoped that when I got there I would, a, know what to say and not appear to be a babbling moron and, b, that he would actually want to have something to do with Shane if it was him.

For now, all I could do was write down the address and slip the paper into my wallet before lying back down next to Shane again. Once my laptop was safely away, the room went pitch black again - save for the red lights on my alarm clock – and I curled up against Shane, wrapping my arm around his waist.

Hopefully, I could change his life for him tomorrow.

*****

Waking up the next morning with Shane by my side was blissful, if a little awkward. Well, not for me, but when he woke up and realised he was still naked, he flushed red and pulled the covers around his waist.

“Morning, honey” I chuckled, shuffling over and wrapping an arm around his still exposed torso. Neither of us had put clothes on after our fun last night and the skin to skin feeling was still amazing to me, even if our activities weren’t sexual anymore.

“Morning, Drew” he cooed, seeming to remember that I’d now seen him naked and there was no reason for him to be shy.

Sliding an arm around my waist, he pulled me onto his lap under the covers and kissed my forehead, nuzzling into my hair with his nose.

“What are we up to today, baby?” he asked, gently running his fingers along my side and making me let out an embarrassing giggle.

“Um, I’m not sure. I’ve got something to do, so I’ll be out for about an hour or so but apart from that I’m not sure. Though I know my mum wants to have a chat with you, loves a chat, that woman. She practically considers you family now and no doubt wants to know all about you” I rolled my eyes affectionately and smiled softly as I thought of my mother. “Maybe you two could get to know each other while I’m out?” making that suggestion seemed like a very good idea as it allowed me to go and see this man without Shane getting suspicious. All I could do was hope he wouldn’t ask questions.

“That sounds good; she seems like a really nice woman, I’d love to get to know her better” he agreed, kissing me gently on the lips this time before gently sliding me off of his lap.

“Time to get up me thinks; though I’d like to stay in bed with you forever, there are things to be done” I giggled, traipsing over to my set of drawers and retrieving some boxers. Slipping them on, I couldn’t help but turn round to glance at Shane and hit the jackpot when I saw him doing the same thing.

He really was beautiful.

Since we’d both taken a shower (together, thank you very much!) after our fun last night, I didn’t need to have one yet and yanked on some black skinny jeans and a Weezer band shirt before heading off to the bathroom.

Hating the feeling of having unclean teeth, I made my way straight over to the sink and retrieved my toothbrush from the shelf.

After my mouth felt clean, I ran a brush through my hair, ringed my eyes with eyeliner and even dusted on some eye-shadow. This potentially was the first time I’d be meeting Shane’s dad – I wanted to make a good impression and look my best (but not like I was trying to hard; I wasn’t exactly going to march into a guitar store in a full suit and tie, was I?).

Returning back to my bedroom where my beloved boyfriend – who was currently trying to work out how to turn my straighteners on – was.

“Click the button on the side once, sweetie, then click the plus button until the screen reads 235°C” I explained, finding his confusion utterly adorably.

“Thankies” he replied, his neologism just adding to his cuteness.

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was just gone twelve – bloody hell, we’d slept in!

Thank God for the half term holidays, right?

“Baby, I’m gonna get going, quicker I go, quicker I get back, you know?” I chuckled as I shot a wink Shane’s way, crossing the floor to engulf him in a hug and smother him in butterfly kisses before letting him go of him again.

“Quite done?” the look on his face was of amusement but also of adoration, even from his eyes I could tell that the love for him that resided so strongly within me was something he also felt in return.

“Yush! Now, imma see you later, honey!” With one last kiss, I bounced out the room, grabbing my wallet from the side as I did so I had money for bus fare and the all-important address paper.

Now, off to that guitar store! I just hoped the man was Shane’s dad and that this whole journey wasn’t going to be pointless.