V: The V in Valor

by Snyder, J. M.

  The hand in his lap gave him a gentle pat. When Vic looked at Matt, a thoughtful expression had fallen over his lover’s face, glazing his eyes and forcing him to chew slowly. Even without the telepathic ability they shared, Vic knew what was going on behind that vacant stare. “No.”

  With a shake, Matt tore his gaze from the cat to frown at Vic. “No, what?”

  “No,” Vic said again. “No pets.”

  A slight pout made Matt’s chin tremble. “But what about—”

  “No.” Vic shook his head, adamant. “Be reasonable, Matty. Both of us work full-time, and it wouldn’t be fair to any animal to be left locked up in this small apartment all day long. We’d have to feed it, take it to the vet’s, take it on walks—”

  “Cats don’t go on walks.” A sparkle lit up Matt’s bright green eyes, twinkling them. “But a dog…now that might be fun.”

  But Vic just turned back to his plate, unmoved. “No. We don’t have a yard for it to run around in, and neither of us really have the time. A pet is a lot of responsibility and you know it. They’re like kids, almost. Kids with fur.”

  Matt leaned closer to rest his chin on Vic’s shoulder. Pursing his lips, he blew gently into his lover’s ear, a gesture that did wicked things to Vic below the cinched belt of his robe. When his dick jumped in interest, it brushed against Matt’s fingertips, causing his lover to push it down playfully. “You like kids,” he purred.

  “No, I don’t,” Vic corrected.

  “They like you.” Matt lay his head on Vic’s shoulder and snuggled up to him as he watched Mrs. K’s cat. The salmon had disappeared—all that remained was a circle of half-chewed, discarded pieces that ringed the plate. Bits stuck in the fur on the cat’s chin and chest. Licking its lips, the cat abandoned its empty plate and turned its attention to Vic’s instead. Without hesitation it approached Vic’s arm, then butted its head against his wrist in a show of affection that ended with it stretched out beside him, covering half the newspaper Vic had been trying to read. The glare Vic threw its way went ignored as the cat began to groom itself, noisily licking one paw several times before brushing it back over one ear, then repeating the process.

  With a snicker, Matt added, “Animals like you, too. Must be your charming personality.”

  Vic gave him a deadly scowl that Matt just laughed away. “It’s just something to think about,” he said, kissing Vic’s cheek. “I’m not saying let’s run out and buy something today. I’m saying let’s not write it off just yet, that’s all. Don’t say no until we talk it through and decide on it together.”

  “My noes always turn to yeses around you,” Vic grumbled.

  That earned him a heady kiss, this one on the lips, with a hint of tongue that promised so much more.

  * * * *

  After breakfast, Matt cleared away the plates while Vic fought a silent battle of wills with the cat, who stretched out across the open newspaper, making it impossible to turn the page. Vic tried anyway, covering the cat with the sheet of newsprint, but he hadn’t begun to read the story on the other side when the cat began chewing at the paper. “Get off my table,” Vic admonished, slapping the table near the cat’s tail.

  The cat stared at him, unperturbed, then resumed washing itself.

  Matt laughed as he sidled up to Vic’s chair. “Is the big, bad kitty cat bothering you?” he teased, easing an arm around Vic’s shoulders in a half-hug.

  “The big, bad kitty cat’s going to find his furry ass dumped on the floor in a minute,” Vic growled.

  The cat ignored his threat and sat up a little to begin licking its belly. One graceful hind leg rose in the air, and the faint slurping sounds the cat made as it cleaned itself sounded gross. But when Vic made a move to pick up the cat, its muffled purr turned to a low growl that ended in a hiss seconds before Vic pulled his hands back.

  With a look of resignation at his lover, Vic asked Matt, “See what you started?”

  “Leave it alone,” Matt said, tugging on Vic’s robe. “We were heading back to bed, weren’t we? Unless you have something else in mind. The shower, perhaps? Or hey, how about here?”

  His hand rubbed down the front of Vic’s chest to fist around the knotted tie that held his robe together. Deft fingers worked the fabric free, then delved beneath the flannel panels to tickle over Vic’s muscled belly. Vic sat back in the chair as Matt’s hand danced across his stomach and chest, tweaking one nipple when his finger caught on the hoop pierced through it. Leaning against his lover, Vic wrapped an arm around Matt’s denim-clad thigh and his hand angled between Matt’s legs to press up against the seat of his ass. As Matt bent down to claim a kiss, Vic murmured, “You know it’s watching us.”

  Matt snickered. “It’s a cat. What, do you think it’s going to tell Mrs. K everything it sees once she gets back?”

  Vic didn’t answer and Matt leaned into their kiss, pinning Vic back to the chair. His hand dipped down over the slight paunch at Vic’s abdomen and below his smooth pubic mound to grasp at the semi-erect length between his legs. Vic’s meaty cock jumped into Matt’s hand, and his lover moaned into their kiss as Matt massaged his firm length. ::Here’s fine,:: Vic admitted, sinking down in his seat and spreading his legs to allow Matt access to his most intimate spot.

  But when Matt cupped his balls, Vic froze. Matt’s mouth brushed against the side of his lover’s face as Vic turned away. “What?”

  A furrow creased Vic’s brow. “Mrs. K.”

  With a bark of laughter, Matt stood and leaned back against the kitchen table, his hand still lost in the folds of Vic’s robe. “Way to spoil the mood, Romeo. She’s not exactly on my mind when we’re getting it on. Is this about the cat? Because we can still go to the bedroom if you want.”

  Vic shook his head. Extracting Matt’s hand from between his legs, he raised it to his lips and kissed his lover’s knuckles. “No, I mean she’s headed back. I just picked up on her thoughts as she turned onto the street.”

  Matt sighed. “Which means now I have to wait.”

  Every Saturday, their landlady went grocery shopping. Before Matt had come into Vic’s life, Mrs. K used to leave the groceries in her car and stop at Vic’s door to ask if he’d help her. Now with Vic’s telepathic ability, he anticipated her arrival and met her at the curb to help carry her groceries up the stairs to her third floor apartment. His super strength made it easy—no matter how many groceries she had, he always carried them up in one trip. No matter how tired he might be, or how grumpy he was after waking, Vic never complained.

  And Matt loved him for it.

  “Five minutes,” Vic promised. “You can deliver her cat while I carry the bags, and we’ll pick up where we left off once she’s in.”

  With a stretch Vic stood, and Matt stole one last, lingering kiss as he recinched the belt on his lover’s robe. Holding onto the loose end of the ties, he let Vic lead the way into the kitchen. At the sink, Matt stopped and tugged on the belt, bringing Vic back to him for another kiss. “Make it quick,” he murmured against Vic’s lips. “I hate waiting.”

  While Vic dressed, Matt rinsed the breakfast dishes and deposited them into the dishwasher. He was bent over, tucking the dishes into the lower rack, when Vic came back, dressed in jeans and a crisp white undershirt. With the flat of his hand, he smacked Matt’s ass playfully. “Don’t forget to bring the cat,” he said, heading for the front door.

  “I didn’t think you’d let me.” Matt wiped his hands on a dishtowel, then scooped the cat off the dining room table.

  It began to purr the moment he touched it, and in his arms, it rubbed its head underneath his chin as if it’d known him for years. “Good kitty,” he murmured, scratching it behind the ears. His voice took on a childish quality, as if he were talking to a baby. “I don’t know why Vic won’t like you. You’re so soft, so pretty. Such a good kitty, aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

  In his mind, his lover’s gruff voice spoke up through the telepathic bond they shared. ::If this is the way you
talk to all animals,:: Vic threatened, ::we’re never getting a pet.::

  Ignoring him, Matt made kissy noises as he cuddled the cat. “Don’t listen to him, Tibbles. He’s just jealous I’m loving on you right now and not on him.”

  Matt laughed at the groan his lover directed his way. ::You’ll be petted and cuddled soon enough,:: he promised. ::You’re not the only one with a spoiled pet.::

  ::I didn’t mean it like that,:: Vic answered. He stood outside on the curb; leaving the door to their apartment open, Matt wandered out to the landing and could just see the gleam of sunlight off the top of Vic’s bald head through the window above the outside door. ::I meant—::

  But whatever he planned to say disappeared as a late model white Cadillac slid to a stop in front of their building. With the cat in his arms, Matt waited at the top of the stairs as Vic helped Mrs. K with her groceries. Well, “help” was exactly the word for it—the landlady was in her seventies, and probably couldn’t lift the first bag. So all she did was open the trunk; Vic carried everything himself. She stood on the stoop and waited for him, then held the door open as he stepped inside their building.

  Before Vic could start up the stairs, however, Mrs. K slipped in front of him to lead the way. She took the steps one at a time, leaning heavily on the railing as she hoisted herself up. Only once both feet were on the step would she advance to the next. And the next. And the next. Vic glowered up at Matt as he trailed slowly behind her, frustration darkening his eyes. Matt buried his face against the cat’s neck so their landlady wouldn’t see his smirk.

  Step by shuffling step, Mrs. K neared the landing where Matt stood, but she didn’t look up to see him until she reached the top step. “Marvin!” she said, smiling not at him but at the cat he held. “I see you found Tibbles.”

  “It’s Matt,” he answered gently. She always got his name wrong. Did he look like a Marvin to her?

  With a frown, Mrs. K pushed her thick glasses up on her thin nose and peered at the cat. “No, that’s Tibbles,” she announced. “I’m sure of it.”

  Behind her, Vic coughed to cover his laugh.

  Narrowing his eyes at his lover, Matt threatened, “Do you want to carry the cat?”

  Vic shrugged, rustling the paper grocery bags he held in both hands. “My hands are full.”

  Nodding at the cat, Mrs. K asked, “Be a dear and bring him up for me, will you?”

  Without waiting for an answer, she started for the next flight of stairs. This time Vic managed to get in front of her and, with his long strides, reached the door to her apartment well before she even started up the steps. But Matt wasn’t so lucky—he had to trail behind, the cat growing restless in his arms, as she slowly ascended. More than once he let out an annoyed sigh, but it didn’t seem to make Mrs. K move any faster. At the top of the stairs, Vic had deposited the groceries in front of the door and now leaned over the railing, smirking, as Matt glared at him. ::Hurry up, slowpoke,:: Vic teased.

  There was no way to edge around the landlady without knocking her down. ::Next time carry her up with the groceries,:: Matt told his lover. ::This can take all day.::

  Vic’s eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter. ::You can’t rush an old lady.::

  Finally Matt reached the landing. As Mrs. K shuffled to her door, jingling her keys to find the right one, Matt stepped up to Vic and foisted the cat off onto his lover. Vic tried to back away and couldn’t—the railing creaked beneath his weight. The cat clawed at the front of his shirt as he grappled with it. “Matty, what…”

  “Your turn.” Matt waited until Mrs. K ducked into her apartment before he planted a quick kiss on Vic’s cheek. “Ask her if we can have pets.”

  “What?” Vic juggled the cat in his arms, trying unsuccessfully to hold onto it. After a few wiggly moments, it leapt out of Vic’s embrace and bolted for the open door. Brushing off the cat hair left behind, Vic said, “I’m not asking her that. We don’t need a pet.”

  For a long moment, Matt just stared at Vic, the look on his face neutral. He didn’t have to pout or beg to get his way—after a minute or two, Vic sighed and ran a hand over his scalp, as if smoothing back hair he no longer had. “No.”

  Matt didn’t answer.

  Turning his attention to the groceries, Vic gathered the bags in his arms and followed Mrs. K into her apartment. As he passed through the doorway, he stuck out one foot to keep another adventurous feline from slipping out into the hall. Inside, he set the bags down and reached behind him to close the door, and his gaze found Matt’s once again.

  A low growl tickled the back of Vic’s throat. “Spoiled,” he said, his voice gruff. He closed the door, shutting Matt out in the hall, but through the thin wood, Matt heard his lover call out, “Mrs. K? We had a question about our lease.”

  Slowly, Matt grinned.

  * * * *

  Matt didn’t bring up the question of a pet again. He didn’t have to—he had Vic thinking about it, and he knew Vic would give him what he wanted in the end. And to be honest, Matt wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted was a pet. His lover’s immediate refusal upon seeing Mrs. K’s cat sprawled out on their kitchen table had been the only reason Matt pressed his point in the first place. If they got a pet, he wanted it to be a mutual decision, not a knee-jerk reaction. So Vic didn’t like cats; so what? There were other animals they could keep if they chose.

  By Monday morning, getting a pet was the last thing on Matt’s mind when he woke. His arms were still tight around Vic’s waist, his nude body pressed against his lover’s, in a pale imitation of the way they had held onto each other while making love the night before. Then Vic had been on his stomach, his thick cock throbbing between himself and the mattress, his pillow tucked under his head and gripped in both arms. Matt had straddled him from behind, and each hard thrust that drove his dick into Vic’s ass was matched with a lusty moan deep in the back of Vic’s throat. His lover bit at the pillow in his arms and raised his hips off the bed to meet Matt as they fucked. Just before Matt had come, he’d lain down above Vic, covering his lover’s body with his own, and shoved in as far as he could go. His arms had eased beneath Vic’s shoulders and their fingers laced together. At the last possible moment, Vic had turned to kiss Matt, and Matt’s orgasm tore through them both, triggering Vic’s own.

  In the early morning stillness, it took Matt a moment to extract himself from Vic, both physically and mentally. As quietly as he could, he showered and dressed, then ate a quick breakfast of frozen waffles that he washed down with a cup of strong coffee. Leaving the coffeemaker on to keep the rest of the java warm, Matt ducked back into the bedroom for his gym bag. In the darkness, Vic was nothing but an indistinct shape on the bed, his nakedness buried under the blankets.

  Matt stopped by his lover’s side and pulled the top cover back just enough to expose Vic’s tattooed and pierced brow. Kissing his forehead, Matt murmured, “Love you, big guy. Have a good day, you hear?”

  Vic groaned and rolled toward the sound of Matt’s voice. Through the blanket, Matt felt hidden hands rub over his lower back. Before they could catch hold of him, though, he stood and laughed. ::Much as I’d love to,:: he told Vic silently, ::I’ll never hear the end of it from Roxie if I’m late again. She says I’m lying when I tell her it’s your fault. Says no one can have sex as much as I claim we do.::

  Despite all appearances, Vic’s mind was more alert than his body at this hour. ::No wonder she’s always thinking of dick when she sees me,:: he groused. ::Is that all you two talk about?::

  ::Your dick,:: Matt admitted. He reached out and tickled Vic through the blanket, hoping his hand was in close proximity to his lover’s genitalia. By the way Vic shifted and the sudden surge of desire that colored his thoughts, Matt suspected his aim was true. ::It’s one of my favorite topics of conversation.::

  ::At work?:: Vic shifted again, trying to catch Matt’s hand between his legs.

  Matt pulled it back in time. ::Anywhere. Love you.::

  Another kiss,
this one on the bridge of Vic’s nose, and a third when his lover pulled the blanket down and puckered up. “Tastes like syrup,” he muttered. “Now I want pancakes.”

  “There are waffles in the fridge.” Matt smoothed a hand over Vic’s brow, reluctant to leave. The rumpled sheets made the bed look so inviting, and he knew just how warm and cozy it’d be to strip down and tuck himself in next to his lover…

  But he was running late for work. “See you tonight,” he called out, pulling the bedroom door shut behind him to keep out the light from the hall.

  ::Love you,:: came Vic’s mental reply. His thoughts were tinged with exhaustion, and by the time Matt locked the front door to their apartment behind him and headed down the stairs, Vic had fallen back to sleep.

  At the gym, Roxie was already behind the reception counter when Matt entered. “What did you do, spend the night?” he joked as he swiped his key card to enter the employee’s area.

  The button that buzzed the door open was under Roxie’s desk; she hit it as he swiped his card, effectively canceling his request for entry. The door stayed shut when Matt hit it with his elbow. “Roxie, come on. I’m just kidding.”

  “You walked me to my car yesterday,” she muttered. “You know I went home.”

  Matt shrugged. “You could’ve snuck back in after I drove off, I don’t know. Let me in.”

  “Stop picking on me then.”

  He waited until her attention was diverted to her computer and tried his card a second time. No dice. She probably had a knee pressed up against the button, keeping him out. “Roxie,” he whined.

  She shook her head, her dyed red hair flipping from one shoulder to the other. “That might work for your man of steel,” she joked, “but your superhuman powers of persuasion are lost on me. How is Vic doing, anyway?”

  “I left him asleep in the bed,” Matt admitted. He jiggled the door handle, as if that would help. “And if you don’t open up, I’ll head back home and join him.”

  Roxie laughed. “You guys rut like rabbits. How he manages to sit in the driver’s seat all day after that, I can’t imagine.”