by L. A. Witt
Matt put the car in park, but didn’t let go of the wheel. Slowly, he pulled in a deep breath. “Okay. Here we are.”
Jon put a hand on his leg. “We can leave any time you want. Just say the word, and we’re gone. I promise.”
“Thank you.” Matt squeezed Jon’s hand. “Hopefully it won’t come to that, but . . . thanks.”
They got out of the car. The dogs were losing their minds, so Matt stopped at the fence to visit them. They bonked heads and slurped each other as they excitedly tried to sniff and lick Matt’s hands.
“Easy, guys,” he laughed. “Settle down before you give yourselves heart attacks.”
Jon chuckled as he held a hand over the fence for the dogs to sniff. “Vicious, aren’t they?”
“Oh yeah. Regular Cujos, every one of them.”
“So I see.”
The dogs were beside themselves with not only seeing Matt, but seeing someone new, too. Jon ended up putting both arms over the fence so he could keep up with scratching ears and letting them lick his hands.
And Matt . . . had to stare for a second. He’d never had any reason to believe Jon disliked animals or wouldn’t be friendly to them. But seeing him taking their enthusiasm in stride—hell, he seemed as happy to see them as they did him—was enough to make Matt smile. Women who went nuts over animals had always been a weakness of his. Apparently the same held true for men.
The front door opened. “Matthew? You out there?”
“Be right there, Mom,” he called toward the porch. “Just had to say hi to the dogs.”
Footsteps came down the porch stairs, and he kept smiling despite the growing knot in his gut.
His mom beamed and held out her arms. “Oh honey, it’s so good to see you!” She hugged him and kissed his cheek. As she let him go, she said, “And this is your friend?”
Friend. Something like that.
As Jon turned away from the dogs, wiping his hands on his jeans, Matt gestured at him. “Yeah. This is . . . this is Jon.”
Jon started to extend a hand, but hesitated. “I, uh . . .” He nodded toward the dogs.
“Oh, don’t worry about them.” Mom gestured dismissively. “Besides, we hug in this family.” She hugged Jon, and he didn’t seem to mind. “It’s nice to meet you, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Mom let him go. “So how do you two know each other?”
In the Biblical sense.
Matt’s own thought nearly made him choke, and he cleared his throat to mask it. “Through a friend.”
“I see. And what do you do, Jon?”
“I’m a pilot,” he said. “I’m stationed at Oceana. So, pretty close to Matt’s shop.”
“A pilot?” Her eyebrows rose. “Well that’s quite an interesting job. Come on in, boys. Your brothers just went ran into town to pick up your sister, but they’ll be back shortly.” She glanced down the driveway. “In fact, here they come now.”
Matt turned. His oldest brother’s minivan up dust as it rolled along the gravel, and Matt’s heart sped up. Great. The whole family was here. All three siblings, and probably Alex and Natalie’s significant others. Yay?
Mom herded him and Jon inside. As she did, she exchanged glances with Matt. Her eyes darted toward Jon, then back to him. She smiled, but there was a crease in her forehead that only showed up when she was confused. Matt had an odd feeling he wouldn’t be waiting until dinner to make his big announcement.
In the house, the smells of a Thanksgiving dinner were thick and mouthwatering. Mom put Matt to work getting a couple of drinks for himself and Jon while she checked on the food, and Jon stayed in the doorway where he wasn’t underfoot.
“Wow.” He took in a deep breath. “Everything smells amazing.”
“Just wait till you try Mom’s cornbread stuffing.” Matt’s stomach grumbled just thinking about it. He handed Jon a soda. “You will never be able to eat store-bought stuffing again.”
“I don’t know,” Jon said without even trying to hide the sarcasm. “Those Navy buffets are a tough act to follow.”
“Are they as bad as they were thirty years ago?” Mom laughed as she lifted a lid and stirred something. “Matthew’s father and I used to go out for burgers after every Navy event.”
“That’s a great idea. The food is terrible.” Jon looked at Matt. “And you didn’t tell me your dad was Navy.”
Matt shrugged as he popped the tab on his own soda. “My dad was Navy.”
Jon rolled his eyes.
“He only did four years,” Mom went on. “Back before the kids were born. Did one deployment on a ship and decided that was enough.” She paused. “How often do you deploy, Jon?”
“Not as often as the guys who are ship’s company. My squadron just came back a few months ago, so we’re not going anywhere for a while.”
Matt probably shouldn’t have been as relieved by that as he was. Deployments were inevitable, but he liked the idea of Jon sticking around as long as possible.
And he must’ve been pondering that idea for longer than he’d realized—and more obviously than he’d intended—because Mom was giving him another of those puzzled looks. Her eyes darted toward Jon again. Matt gulped.
She opened her mouth to speak, but a second later, Matt’s siblings came piling in through the front door. Everyone crowded into the kitchen, and Matt introduced Jon to his brothers and sisters. Natalie and Mom exchanged glances that made Matt’s stomach somersault. He definitely wasn’t going to be able to chicken out of this today, because it looked like Mom and his sister were catching on. Or at least had some kind of suspicion.
They all moved into the living room and took whatever seats they could find. Jon and Matt ended up on the sofa together, sitting far enough apart to still appear platonic, but close enough to allow Alex and his girlfriend to fit as well.
Conversation bounced from topic to topic. His siblings were fascinated that Jon was a fighter pilot. When Jon found out Natalie was working on getting tenured at his alma mater, they both dropped a few names to see if they knew any of the same professors. His major had been in a different department, though, so they hadn’t crossed paths with many of the same people. Except the grizzled dean who was apparently older than the hills.
In between topics, Mom and Alex made trips to the kitchen to check on dinner, and at one point, Matt went to get sodas to replace the ones he and Jon had finished.
As Matt handed off the Coke, they held each other’s gazes for a couple of seconds. Jon smiled, and Matt couldn’t help returning it.
He sat beside Jon and looked around the room.
Natalie was staring at him, her eyebrows quirked.
Oh, shit.
Busted.
She cleared her throat and held his gaze from across the room, and it was one of those looks that said she was about to say something serious. “I have a question, Matt.”
“Okay?”
She gestured at Jon, then at him. “Are you two dating?”
Matt’s throat constricted. His sister wasn’t usually that direct. And she was usually a hell of a lot more discreet. Everyone in the room was completely silent. Jon didn’t move a muscle. Matt’s siblings stared, eyes wide with anticipation.
He finally got some air moving and slipped his hand into Jon’s, as much for moral support as to answer his sister’s question.
“Yeah.” His heart was beating like mad. “We’re dating.”
Mom swallowed. “So, you’re gay.”
“Bi. I’m . . .” He took a deep breath. “I’m bi.”
“Oh my God. Finally.” Natalie exhaled hard. “I thought you’d never come out.”
Matt blinked. “Huh?”
Mom laughed, shaking her head. “Honey, we’ve been waiting for you to accept that for years. I didn’t want to ask, but I’ve had a feeling for a long time.”
“We all have,” Natalie said, and Matt’s brothers nodded. Even Alex’s girlfriend, who’d only known Matt for like three years.
Alex shrugged. “We figured you’d come out when you were ready.”
“Yep,” Natalie said. “But I mean, didn’t you think we knew about you and Troy?”
Matt blinked. “Me and Troy?”
“Uh, yeah?” She quirked an eyebrow. “You guys lived together for how long?”
“He was my roommate. Just because I lived with a gay guy doesn’t mean we were dating.”
“Well, no,” Natalie said. “But you were so close. I mean . . . I just figured you didn’t want to say anything, so I never asked, but I thought when he moved out, it was because you broke up.”
Matt flinched. It had kind of felt like a breakup, hadn’t it? Damn, he really did need to hunt Troy down and clear the air with the poor guy. “For the record, no.” He swallowed. “I never dated Troy. I . . .” His eyes flicked toward Jon, who gave him an encouraging nod. Heart pounding, Matt gripped Jon’s hand tighter. “He’s the first man I’ve ever dated.”
Even though we’re not actually dating. Not in a way I want to explain to my family.
Jon’s thumb made slow, soft arcs on Matt’s hand, and Matt’s pulse went haywire again.
At least, I don’t think we’re actually dating.
He glanced at him, and there was that reassuring smile again.
Oh. Right. Jon was just playing his role. Being the “boyfriend” to help Matt’s family accept that he was queer. Which apparently he hadn’t needed to worry about because they’d all known longer than he had.
Yeah, maybe he hadn’t needed Jon. Maybe he could have come here alone and done this by himself. He had to admit, though, he was glad Jon was here.
And not just for the moral support he hadn’t needed after all.
* * *
It was well after nine when Jon and Matt left the house and got back in the car.
Matt started the engine, then let his head fall back as he released a breath. He was exhausted, and not from gorging himself on food. In fact, he hadn’t really eaten that much, all things considered. He’d been so worked up about coming out, and then so relieved when his family had rolled with it, he’d been a little queasy most of the night.
Jon squeezed his thigh. “I’m going to guess that went better than you expected?”
A laugh burst out of Matt, and he was almost surprised it didn’t turn into a relieved sob. “My God, yeah. Would’ve been nice if they’d told me.”
“Yeah, but that would’ve ruined the surprise.”
Their eyes met, and they both kept straight faces for all of two seconds before they burst out laughing.
Then Matt leaned across the console. “Thank you again.” He pressed his lips to Jon’s. “It was a lot easier knowing someone had my back.”
Jon touched his face and smiled. “Didn’t look like you needed it.”
“In the end, no. But I didn’t know that until it was over. So . . . thank you.” He kissed him again, letting it linger for a moment.
Jon’s thumb traced Matt’s cheekbone. “Any time. I’m glad it went well.” He drew back and met his gaze in the dim blue glow of the dashboard lights. “And I actually had a really good time, too. Your family’s great.”
“Yeah. They are.” He stole another kiss, fully intending to settle back into the driver’s seat, but . . . maybe not quite yet. Sliding his fingers up into Jon’s hair, he moved in for another.
Jon obviously didn’t mind. He wrapped his arms around Matt and opened to his kiss.
Of course they wouldn’t spend the whole night making out in his mother’s driveway. And they’d both eaten far too much to even think about any bedroom acrobatics any time soon.
But Matt was relieved that his apprehension had been for nothing. He was relaxed in a way he hadn’t been since he’d first begun to make sense of his sexuality. And even though he knew it was just an act and an illusion, right now he felt closer to Jon than he had to anyone in a long time. With the holiday over, they’d go back to being casual fuck buddies like they’d been from the start.
For just a few minutes, though, Matt had this.
And he loved every second of it.
Chapter 21
Jon’s alarm was an inconsiderate bastard. It jarred him out of a sound sleep and some dreams he couldn’t remember, but thought he’d been enjoying. Grumbling, he silenced the stupid thing, then buried his face in the pillow again. This was just the first of four alarms. As long as he didn’t sleep through the last one, he’d be good.
As it was supposed to, though, the first alarm had brought him out of unconsciousness. Nowhere near awake enough to get into a cockpit, but inching in that direction.
Warmth and slow, steady breathing nearby reminded him he wasn’t alone, and he smiled sleepily. He and Matt always drifted apart during the night. He liked it that way. Trying to stay cuddled up close for eight hours looked good on paper, but in practice? It wasn’t comfortable. Too hot. Too many knees and elbows trying to fit into not enough space. Plus his spine took enough of a beating in the bird—he didn’t need to wake up with a crick in his neck or a cramp in his back after contorting around someone else all night.
And besides, if they woke up in tangles, then Jon didn’t get to enjoy his favorite part of the morning—coming back together.
Moving slowly, feeling everything they’d done last night, he slid closer. Matt was facing away from him, partway on his stomach with his arm tucked up under the pillow. Perfect. Jon molded himself to Matt, closing his eyes and savoring the warmth of skin and the scent of the man who’d fucked him a few hours ago.
It had been three nights since they’d gone to Matt’s mom’s place for Thanksgiving. They’d come home late that evening and collapsed into food comas, and they’d slept in the next morning, lounging between the sheets until Matt finally had to get up and go to the shop. Saturday and yesterday, same thing. Jon could’ve gotten used to spending every morning like that—just enjoying a slow, lazy wakeup next to this gorgeous, insatiable man.
But of course they couldn’t spend every morning like that. It was Monday. Back to the real world. Being the assholes they were, the Navy actually expected its personnel to adhere to a schedule of sorts, and he had to be shaved, presentable, and in uniform by fucking 0700.
The alarm screeched again. Jon gave himself two seconds to wish for a convenient telekinesis mutation to suddenly come to life. When it didn’t, he pried himself away from Matt, shut off the alarm—and the one due to go off in fifteen minutes—and returned to where he’d been so comfortably lying. There was still an alarm set, and as long as he didn’t ignore that one, he’d be fine.
For now . . .
He cuddled closer to Matt’s warm body and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. Matt murmured something into the pillow and arched back against him. The slow, steady breathing said Matt was still mostly asleep.
Jon kissed the base of Matt’s neck, and was rewarded with a shiver and a little hitch of breath. Maybe he wasn’t asleep after all, so Jon did it again. He didn’t want to inflict his morning breath on Matt, and anyway, he loved this. He loved the soft heat of Matt’s skin against his lips, the tickle where his hairline started and the scratchiness when he grazed the sharp, unshaven jawline. Judging by the little hitches in Matt’s breath, the way he squirmed against Jon, and how he pressed into the pillow so he could stretch his neck and expose more skin to Jon? Yeah, he liked it too.
“I should get to work,” he murmured into Matt’s ear. “But I don’t want to leave.”
Matt groaned, the low, throaty sound doing nothing to improve the state of Jon’s work ethic. “You don’t have to leave right this second, do you?”
“No, but—”
Matt pressed back, rubbing his ass against Jon’s dick. “I could do something about that before you go.”
“Oh God . .
.” Jon buried his face in Matt’s neck. He reached between them and angled his cock so it slid between Matt’s legs. As soon as Jon started rocking his hips, fucking into those strong thighs, Matt mirrored him, falling into the same lazy, steady rhythm.
Matt felt around and found Jon’s hand, and he guided it to his erection. As soon as Jon closed his fingers around it, Matt exhaled, and he put his hand on top of Jon’s like he was afraid he’d stop. Not a chance. Not until they were both soaked in cum and completely satisfied.
Kissing up and down Matt’s neck, Jon moved his hips in time with his hand, fucking into Matt’s thighs while he pumped his dick. Neither of them made much noise. Just harsh breaths and the occasional throaty moan. The bed filled in the quiet, creaking and rustling with Jon’s increasingly urgent thrusts.
Matt shuddered. He tightened his grip on Jon’s hand, in turn tightening Jon’s grip on his dick, and rocked his hips to urge him on. Jon pumped him harder, thrust harder, and the harsh breaths turned to sharp gasps and whispered curses.
Jon’s eyes watered. He held his breath, head spinning as his orgasm closed in, and just at the right moment, Matt squeezed his thighs together, and Jon shuddered as he burrowed against Matt’s hairline. Cum slicked Matt’s inner thighs, and then he arched and swore, and came on Jon’s hand and his own.
They relaxed in a heap, still holding onto each other.
“And good morning to you too,” Matt slurred.
“Always a good morning with you.” Jon kissed the back of Matt’s shoulder. His eyelids were getting heavy, and if he stayed like this for another minute or two, he’d fall asleep again. Reluctantly, he loosened his embrace. “I need to take a shower.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”
They rolled out of bed, Jon pausing to shit off his last alarm, and trudged into the bathroom. Once the water was good and hot, they stepped into the shower, but they didn’t get frisky again. Matt was still bleary-eyed—he didn’t function this early—and Jon really did need to get going soon. So aside from a few playful touches and some kisses, this was just a shower.
