by Jerry Cole
And Finn always enjoyed seeing him and Zac bond too. They were so close that one might guess they had known each other their whole lives, which only made Finn feel more confident in his standing with Austin. Yes, he had done the wrong thing. But that was in the past. Now, Finn could look forward to the future.
And speaking of looking forward to the future, Finn could not wait until he had Austin alone. He hadn’t been with his boyfriend in over a month and could hardly stand it. This was such the case that he had even organized for them to have dinner before arriving at the hotel. That way he could send Zac off to bed early, under the guise of having a big day tomorrow, and thus have Austin all to himself. Which he did.
“Alone at last.” Finn entered the hotel room after Austin, closing the door behind the two and locking it.
“It would appear so.” Austin spun on the spot, a wry smile on his face as he looked the hotel up and down. “Romantic.”
“The Western Hotel is known for romance,” Finn joked as he indicated to the room in general. It was nothing special either, just a budget hotel room with a bathroom, a small TV and most importantly, a double bed.
Austin nodded his agreement as if he were serious. “I heard that Tim Haines and Maggie Rogers are thinking of making it the central component to their next movie.”
“Ah, yes.” Finn slowly traipsed his way across the room toward Austin. “You’ve Got Western, it’s called.”
“I’ll see it.” Austin started toward Finn too. As he did, he licked his lips and looked Finn up and down. “But I’m a sucker for romance.”
“I think first we need to give the room a test run.” Finn was just about at Austin now. He didn’t know if he should undo his own pants or go for Austin’s. All he knew was that he wanted him. “Really try it out before deciding.”
A mere foot from one another, Finn could smell Austin; from his warm breath to the same deodorant brand he’d been wearing since they first met. “Fine. If we must.”
“First stop?” Finn slowly reached out and started stroking at Austin’s belt buckle.
“The bed. That just makes—” Austin never did finish his thought.
Standing this close, alone, finally, Finn could wait no longer. Without thought, care or concern, he threw himself at Austin with the pent-up lust of a man that had been craving his partner for over a month, and took him the only way he knew how.
The intention was to have rough, filthy, almost animalistic sex. Finn had been thinking about this for over a month and he had known that when he did finally get a chance to sleep with his boyfriend again, he was going to fuck him so hard that he wouldn’t be able to walk for a week... but that wasn’t what happened.
Instead, the two started with soft and gentle kissing. It wasn’t on purpose, but it felt right. They lay down on the bed, Finn on his back and Austin on top and just kissed for a while; slowly, passionately, full of desire and want. It was sensual and sweet and Finn could have done that all night.
From there, it was Austin who slowly undid and removed Finn’s pants. Finn was already rock hard, so Austin licked his hand and started to stroke Finn’s piece. Long, gentle strokes that didn’t speak to a desire to make Finn cum. It was more like Austin was just trying to tease Finn a little, to remind him what he had been missing.
Next, Finn removed Austin’s pants. With Austin still on top and stroking his cock, Finn ran his finger around Austin’s butthole. He felt his boyfriend shake as he did this, and moan and nibble at his ear in pleasure. It felt so good that Finn didn’t want it to stop. They were like two teenagers hooking up for the first time, too scared to progress to the next level.
When they did move on, Finn had to ask if it was okay. He was nervous for some reason, even hesitant. Neither made to suck one another’s cock, or lick their balls or any of the stuff they knew they both liked. Instead, Austin lay on his back and made intense eye contact with Finn. Finn then mounted Austin, keeping that same eye contact. Austin’s legs went up and wrapped around Finn’s waist and Finn, very slowly, moved himself inside of Austin.
It was slow. It was full of passion. It was sensual. It was sexual. It was intense sex the likes of which the two men had never known. Nothing was said. There was little to no moaning or howling or any of that nonsense. It was full eye contact kissing only and long, deep thrusts in time to Austin’s breathing.
Finn had been nervous about what he had done, and how Austin was going to react. He had predicted fights, break-ups and the world ending. But this here and now, how incredibly close and intimate their sex was... Finn was certain that any chance the two had of fighting was well and truly gone. Honestly, Finn had never felt closer with his boyfriend.
When Finn was ready to cum, he whispered so in Austin’s ear. Austin nodded and prepared himself and then Finn came inside of Austin. As he did, he shoved his face into his boyfriend’s neck and groaned his pleasure. Austin held his head there, nice and tight, wrapped his legs around Finn’s waist and didn’t let go until Finn stopped spasming. And even then, the two just lay there for some time, Finn inside of Austin, two men as one.
Finn had never made love before that night. He had heard the term thrown around, but had never really known what it meant. Well, now he knew.
Once they were finished, they remained silent as they climbed into bed. Austin, as always was the little spoon which allowed for Finn to wrap himself around Austin and pull him in close. He didn’t even realize how much he had missed this until now. It just felt so right that he didn’t know how he had lasted the previous month without him.
And then, when the two men were holding one another and starting to drift off to sleep, Finn leaned a little closer and whispered into Austin’s ear, “I love you.”
It was the first time he’d ever said those words. Finn had always assumed Austin would be the first and then he’d follow suit. But it seemed that Finn loved Austin so much that it didn’t even matter. He just had to let him know.
And as for Austin? Did he respond in kind? Finn wasn’t even sure. Almost as soon as he said the words, he drifted off to sleep; the deep slumber of a man who was finally happy and content with everything in life. It had been a rough six months for Finn, but now it was over. All he had to look forward to from here on out was a lifetime of happiness.
At least that was what he hoped. Things had never felt so right.
Chapter Twenty-One
Austin was furious with Finn, even if his lying-ass boyfriend didn’t realize it. But then again, how could have he? Austin had, after all, made it his mission to pretend that everything was okay. Really, he’d had no choice.
He had wanted to speak with Finn right away, before Zac arrived, before they left, long before they were on the road. He had hoped if he asked Finn directly, straight up, that Finn would crack, that they would talk about it, and then hopefully they’d been able to move on. After all, it wasn’t like Finn had cheated. He’d just been an asshole. And if he came right out and told Austin why, he was sure they’d be able to get over it together. But none of that ended in happening.
It was Austin’s fucking jet lag. Firstly, it had kept him up until about two in the morning. Then, he was so darn zonked that he slept right through his alarm. By the time he woke up, he was already late. And then when he had arrived at Finn’s, Zac was already there waiting. He had tried to pull Finn aside, determined to go through with his plan. But Zac was impatient, and Finn was acting... well, he was acting normally.
The turnaround from the previous day was unbelievable. Gone was the anxious, awkward, guilty Finn of the airport pick-up, and back was the boyfriend he so lovingly remembered. With the rush they were in, Zac shouting from the car, and Finn in a glorious mood, Austin made the choice then and there to put the fight on the backburner and enjoy the holiday. The ‘talk’ would come after.
But that didn’t mean Austin wasn’t still mad with Finn. He most certainly was that. It annoyed him that Finn could act so casually, like nothing had happened. And it frust
rated him that he had given in to his urges and made love to Finn, even when he told himself he would not.
He had meant to not give in too. He had meant to say no! Truly, he had. But the moment they were alone, in that cheap hotel room, after a month of not being with on another... Austin was only human. And the sex had been unreal too. Maybe the best ever. But again, this only annoyed him further.
But he was going to get through the rest of the trip. That’s all he had to do. Smile, laugh, be himself and then when they were home and settled, he could have the talk. Whatever the fuck that would be.
It was lucky that the three men were visiting Movie World of all places, as it made pretending to be happy that much easier. The theme park really was spectacular too, and although it was designed more for people Zac’s age, Austin was wont to admit he probably liked it even more than them.
Wild World was a theme park owned by Four Brothers Studio. Roughly the size of four football stadium, the majority of the rides were rollercoasters named after and inspired by films. In today’s day and age too, what that meant was superheroes. Almost every ride there, from the Superman Rollercoaster, to the Batman Sling Shot, was based around a recent super-hero movie franchise. Most of them were DC, and a few were Marvel. But really, it didn’t matter. Once the three tourists stepped through the entrance and bore witness to the inside of the park, all they cared about was riding as many rollercoasters as they could, as many times as they could... and a little more than that!
“Superman first!” Zac declared as he pulled both Austin and Finn through the crowds toward the largest, fastest of the rollercoasters. “We can do that one twice! And then I want to check out the Batmobile – apparently, it’s 4D... whatever that means. If that’s good, we can do it a few times. But then—”
“Zac,” Finn interrupted with a chuckle, only to quickly try and mask it with a serious tone. “Aren’t you going to ask what me and Austin want to ride first? We did drive you here.”
Zac didn’t even bother turning around. “No.”
The first three hours of the day were even better than Austin could have hoped. Zac was excitable. Finn was fun. And the rollercoasters were unreal. As demanded, they did the Superman rollercoaster first. Then the Batmobile. Then the Green Lantern Ride. Then an older one called Lethal Weapon Two, followed by the Batman Sling Shot. It was all so fast and exhilarating and nonstop that there was no time to worry about anything other than what the next ride was going to be.
For those three hours, Austin was able to forget everything and just live in the moment. For those three hours, everything was perfect. And then the phone calls started to come in.
Despite Zac’s protests, they stopped for a quick lunch. Just hamburgers, bought premade, with no sitting down for chit-chat. All Zac allowed them was a seat at a random bench on the way to the next ride. And it was just as they were stopping that Austin felt his phone ring.
“Do I have your permission?” he jokingly asked Zac when he felt his phone start to hum. His burger was unwrapped and half-way toward his mouth when he asked. A large part of him wanted to just let the thing ring out so he could eat.
“One minute only,” Zac said seriously. He then held a single finger up as if to emphasize the point.
The call was from Michael, so Austin answered without thinking. “Michael?” he asked as he stood, took a few hurried steps away and bit into his burger. “What’s up – I can’t really talk. I’m at Wild—”
“I just want to let you know.” Michael spoke quickly and in a whisper. “The publishers are currently discussing a deal to sign you for two more books – with very generous payments in advance, mind you. Very generous. I nearly shat myself.”
Austin nearly dropped his hamburger. “Seriously?”
“Would I call otherwise?”
“What do you know – what are they saying?” Austin glanced in the direction of Finn, who was watching him with what looked like a scowl. Zac was also looking impatient, but that was to be expected.
“Not much yet. But I just wanted to let you know. Transparency and all that,” Michael said. “I’ll call you back the second I hear anything.”
“The moment.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I don’t — just call.” Austin quickly hung up, pocketed the phone and hurried back to Finn and Zac. “Sorry about that,” he grimaced and then shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth as if to act casual. “Michael just wanted... to see if I had his hair gel.”
“So, it was emergency?” Finn asked plainly... maybe even a little angrily.
“Can we go?” Zac begged. He grabbed at Finn’s arm and started to pull on it. “We’ve only got three more hours and—”
“Right, sorry.” Austin grabbed Zac by the hand and then held his other out for Finn. “Ready?”
Finn eyed the hand skeptically, like expecting a trap. But then he blinked his eyes, shook his head and wrapped his warm hand around it. “Born it, baby.”
Even if Finn’s reaction had been a little strange, Austin barely noticed. He was far too focused on that call.
A new two-book deal?! That was more than Austin could have possibly dreamed. With the success of his first book, Austin and Michael had both expected a one book deal, and maybe a holding fee of some kind. But two books, and with cash upfront? That was, as Michael had said, unbelievable.
Needless to say, Austin had a hard time concentrating on much else after that call. The ride they went on immediately after the call, Austin barely even remembered. And then Michael rang when they lined back up to ride it a second time, so he excused himself and said he’d meet them after. The call was just a small update, but Austin didn’t regret taking it.
Over the next hour, Michael called two more times, both of which had Austin excusing himself so that they could talk. He told Finn that the calls were either work related, or to do with something Michael was missing, but never specified. He didn’t want to say anything until it was real, lest he jinx it. But this vagueness only seemed to annoy Finn.
“Is everything all right?” Austin made sure to ask after taking the second call. He knew Finn well enough to sense the man was on edge. Best to try and defuse it early.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Finn responded coolly and shrugged.
“No reason...”
It was the third time that Michael called, about an hour before the day was at an end, when Finn finally spoke his mind. They were taking a short breather after the Batman Sling Shot winded Finn more than he was willing to admit, when Austin felt his phone vibrate.
“Oh shit.” He went for the phone. “Do you mind...?” He grimaced and indicated the ringing phone, now in his hand.
“Again?” Finn groaned. He was leaning against a light post, but had his arms crossed, and had he rolled his eyes any higher, they might have disappeared into the back of his skull.
“Is that a problem?” Austin snapped before he could stop himself.
“No problem,” Finn shrugged. “Only...”
“Say it.” Austin’s face was blank, and his tone was neutral, but inside he was beginning to seethe. He knew exactly where Finn was going with this, but hoped desperately that he wouldn’t.
Finn pushed himself up straight and held his hands up in defense. “All I’m saying is that this is Zac’s first time at Wild World. It might be his last, and—”
“Dad, it’s fine.” Zac grabbed at his father’s hand to stop him, but Finn powered on.
“No, it’s not. We only have an hour left here, and you want to take phone calls that can wait, rather than spend it with us. What's this, the fifth one you’ve taken now? The world must be ending right?”
Austin bit into his lip, but did all he could to try and keep himself calm. “Is that it?” He could feel his leg begin to shake, and his breathing start to increase. He was getting angry. “Nothing else you want to say? Nothing else on your mind?”
“Dad...” Zac pulled on his dad’s hand again as Finn stepped forwar
d. “Please...”
“That’s all,” Finn shrugged and attempted to laugh it off. “Maybe just text the douchebag instead and tell him to try and fuck you in his own time. Thanks.”
And then, Austin saw red.
He had been mad that Finn was able to pretend so easily that he had done nothing wrong. And he had been angry that Finn was giving him attitude about taking work calls rather than being in the moment. But for Finn to have the audacity to call Austin out or cheating... like Austin was the bad guy here... that was truly unforgivable.
“I fucking knew it!” Austin barked louder than he'd meant to. He sucked through his teeth and then hissed, “You and your fucking jealousy – you are pathetic.”
“Me?!” Finn pushed Zac back and behind him, as if for protection. “You’re the one that’s been in zombie-land all day, looking at that phone like it has nude pics or something! In case you’ve forgotten, we’re at Wild World, Austin! We’ve been planning this for months. At least try and pretend to be having a good time!”
“A good time?!” Austin ground his teeth so hard he thought they might turn to dust. “You’ve made that kind of hard, haven’t you? Not that you would realize it, you’re so fucking in love with yourself.”
Finn balked, but then recovered. “And what does that mean?”
Austin hesitated. They were standing out in the open, with hundreds of strangers walking right by. None had stopped to watch or anything like that. But a few were certainly glancing at the commotion as they moved around them. A little more shouting and a one or two might even start recording.
And Austin wouldn’t have cared either. In fact, he was about to shout right in Finn’s face that he knew what he had done. He was going to explode with everything he had been thinking over the past two days. And there was a lot too. But then he saw Zac, standing behind Finn, looking completely mortified by the two arguing in public. His cheeks were red, his face was bawled up, and he was on the verge of tears. Right now, Austin wanted to hurt Finn more than anything... but not Zac.
