I dress and watch him. He’s stretching, enjoying the sun on his skin. We’re a little late this morning. We had some quick sex before a shower. He’s glowing and energetic. Ready to face his work – letting the chickens out, gathering eggs, feeding the horse, and getting the newspaper. He’ll make breakfast. I’ll make the bed, put in laundry, make tea, and we’ll eat together. Then I’ll head into my office in the backyard to work, he’ll go into his ceramics studio, and we’ll regroup for a game of badminton before lunch.
He finishes his stretches and moves to head out.
“Reggie?” I say, catching him mid-step.
“Yessir?”
“Are you happy here? I mean, do you miss the city at all? Your previous lifestyle?”
Reginald raises an eyebrow. “Where did that come from?”
“Cause like you make me so happy I feel sick sometimes, and I just can’t help but feel a bit guilty my happiness may come at expense of your own.”
Reginald smiles. “It doesn’t matter where I am as long as I’m with you, Sir.”
A lump forms in my throat. “But you have to miss things a little bit…”
Reggie thinks. “I miss take out. And I miss the convenience of popping to the store for things. And the clubs. But then I remember I have my own horse, and I can walk around naked without the neighbors complaining, and I’m eating veg from my garden. I can always go to the clubs on a city visit, like we did last month-” he points at me. I nod. “But at the end, I like coming home here. To our home.”
“Ah. Well that’s good.” I manage to choke that out around the growing lump.
“Just good?” Reginald teases me.
“Very good. Great – it’s, it’s great. Better than uh, great.”
Reginald giggles. He walks back up to give me a hug. I sigh in contentment as his bare body presses against mine. I embrace him back tight. He’s even warmer than this morning.
“I love you,” Reggie says.
“I love you too.” I reply
He squeezes my arm and flashes a little smile. “Better not keep the chickens waiting or they will be cross if they’re not let out.” I wave him off. He kisses the corner of my mouth and floats off. I sigh. I stare at the void he left in the room with wistfulness.
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Captions are fictional.