by G. R. Lyons
“It's clean, I swear,” Zac blurted, “just…messy.”
Adrian gave a nod and slowly sat, looking remarkably out of place in the untidy room. It wasn't until that moment that Zac really noticed just how well put-together Adrian always was, his clothes clearly expensive and fitting perfectly, the pants and shirt pressed and everything neatly coordinated from the sweater vest to the dress shoes. And all that was just a bonus on top of the perfect control Adrian always exercised. He looked like a king sitting in the middle of a slum.
Zac shook off the thought. He was poor, certainly, but not a beggar. Sure, his apartment wasn't the best, but it was clean and secure, and all his.
Though he certainly could stand to be a bit more tidy, especially if Adrian was going to be coming around now. He could only imagine how immaculate and precise Adrian's place must be. The guy was probably just as much a total neat freak at home as he was in class.
Zac was definitely going to have to put in a little more effort.
But that would have to wait. He kicked aside a few more random items and joined Adrian on the couch, pushing some books and papers off the makeshift coffee table and onto the floor, making room for their texts and notebooks so they could get started.
“So,” Zac said, rubbing his hands together, his leg bouncing as he sat there, looking at Adrian. “What first?”
Adrian hunched down a bit as he slowly pulled a sheet of paper out of his bag. “I started an outline,” he mumbled.
Zac took the paper, flashing Adrian a grin. “Oooh, he came prepared. I love that in a man.”
Adrian blushed and looked away.
Grinning, Zac looked over the outline. Holy shit. Prepared was right. The man had just plowed right into the project and given them one hell of a head-start.
Plowed right in…
Zac groaned.
“What?” Adrian asked, looking from Zac to the paper and back. “Something wrong?”
Besides the crowding in my pants? Zac shook his head. “Not at all.”
Adrian frowned. “Is it too much? It's too much, isn't it? Did I overdo it? Make it too difficult? I–”
“No, no. Not difficult. Just…very, very hard,” Zac told him with a smirk.
Adrian frowned, studying his eyes for a moment, then finally caught on and blushed again. He glanced down at Zac's crotch before quickly looking away and making himself look busy flipping through his textbook.
But not quick enough that Zac didn't see the flash of heat in Adrian's eyes.
“Yeah, real hard,” Zac murmured. “Like, you just might have to keep me up all night, drilling this into me.”
Adrian fidgeted, shifting in his seat.
“Yeah, all-nighter, definitely,” Zac went on. “Might get pretty heated.”
Adrian squirmed. “Stop that,” he mumbled.
“All those long, hard hours,” Zac purred. “Just the two of us.”
A tiny whimper escaped Adrian's mouth. Zac grinned to himself, then pulled his own book toward him and opened it up. Maybe he'd give Adrian a small break from the flirting. Let him come down a bit before he went at it again.
By the time Adrian had to leave, they hadn't gotten much done, but Zac didn't care. The outline really had given them a good start, and they did manage to flesh out a couple of key points…
Flesh out. Zac moaned, then shook his head. He needed to stay focused.
But Adrian must have heard the moan because he was blushing again as he grabbed his bag.
“I'll see you in class,” Zac said, giving Adrian a flirtatious grin.
Adrian barely nodded in response and walked out the door, turning away quickly as he stepped into the hallway, but not quickly enough to hide the fact that he had a definite hard-on in his pants.
Zac shut the door and let out a sigh. Adrian was clearly turned on, but hadn't flirted back in the slightest. Had barely shown the tiniest break in his self-control, other than the incessant blushing and the boner.
Zac shrugged to himself. He'd just have to keep trying the next time they were together. His own aching cock was depending on it.
He went back to the coffee table and started stuffing things into his bag, only to get interrupted by his phone ringing. Zac dug around through his mess until he found it hidden beneath a stack of sheet music with no idea of how the thing could have wound up there.
“Hello?”
“Yo, Blaze,” Smitty's voice came over the line. “Grab your strings and meet us at the tavern. We've got a gig.”
Zac blinked. “Now?”
“Yeah. Last-minute cancellation. We're on in twenty.”
Shit. Zac scrambled to the washroom to check how he looked. Was he ready for a show? “Dude, I'm not sure I can–”
“The pay's five hundred for each of us,” Smitty said.
Zac darted back into the living room and grabbed his boots. “I'll be right there.”
He dropped his phone, grabbed his guitar and his car keys, and rushed out the door. Five hundred? He could fake being ready for five hundred.
Even if it was last-minute. And in a noisy bar. And on a school night.
He'd just have to deal. Five hundred would mean he could eat for the rest of the school term without having to worry about it. Maybe even have some leftover to give to Mom and Dad for Dad's surgery.
Zac ran through some vocal drills during the drive, his voice not quite warm but good enough for one show by the time he got there. Inferno did one of their usual sets, keeping the bar hoping right up until midnight.
They packed up their things as the bar's DJ took over.
“Come on, man,” Kade said, grabbing Zac by the shoulders. “Groupie time.”
Zac stifled a groan. How much longer could he keep this up?
He rolled his eyes at himself. Speaking of up. He was still all wound up from flirting with Adrian. His cock was begging for attention, but the last place he wanted to get that from was some random woman.
The thought left him nauseated.
But he had to at least try to keep up the act for now. Not to mention, he could just close his eyes and pretend, and still get some release out of it.
Forcing on a smile, he followed the guys out of the bar, with several girls—already in various stages of inebriation—clinging to the three of them as they made their way to their cars. They all headed straight over to the house, the party starting the moment they walked through the door.
Music blared. Bottles of alcohol appeared out of nowhere. Cigarette smoke filled the air, combined with the smoke and stench of all sorts of other drugs that Zac absolutely refused to touch.
He stuck with alcohol, chugging back a few shots to take the edge off and make pretending easier. With his head a bit fuzzy, he snatched up a condom and followed the first girl to get her hands on him, ducking into an empty stretch of hallway so he could press her up against the wall and fuck her from behind, closing his eyes through the whole thing.
The release was a welcome relief on his aching balls, but the smell of makeup and perfume combined with the high-pitched moans of a voice that obviously belonged to a woman only made his stomach turn.
Zac discarded the condom, zipped up his pants, and walked away, thankful the girl was too drunk to really notice his departure.
Maybe it made him an asshole, but he couldn't help it. His patience and self-control only ran so far while he fought to keep his mask from slipping.
Smitty and Kade caught up with him, both dragging him into the kitchen where they poured a fresh round of shots. Zac tossed his in the sink when the guys weren't looking. He needed to sober up so he could get home.
“Dude,” Kade slurred, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Did you seriously just bang Cyndi?”
Zac blinked. Was that who that was? He had no idea, so he played it off with a shrug.
His bandmates roared with laughter and gave one another a high-five right in front of Zac's face. He winced and took a step back.
“Dude, that c
hick is such a slut,” Smitty said, holding his belly as he bent over, laughing.
“Fucking whore, more like,” Kade added.
“I'm not sure I'd even touch that,” Smitty went on. “Bitch probably has every disease known to man.”
Zac felt the blood drain from his face, but neither of his bandmates noticed. Granted, he'd used a condom, but that wasn't exactly foolproof. Shit.
He waved a hand dismissively, trying to play it off. “She can pay for my treatment if she gave me anything.”
“Oh, dude!” Kade gave him a high-five, stumbling at the last moment so his hand missed. “Why didn't I ever think of that?”
Zac rolled his eyes. Kade was sloppy drunk already, but both he and Smitty tossed back another round of shots. They'd be passed out any minute.
Time to escape.
Before Zac could say anything, a group of girls spilled into the kitchen, clamoring for more drinks, more drugs, and making out with Kade and Smitty, giving Zac just the distraction he needed. He extricated himself from a tangle of girls who were trying to strip him, and made a run for it.
Zac glanced back when he reached the front door. No one had followed him. They were all too lost in the drunken haze to notice he'd left. Thank gods. Zac let out a sigh of relief and headed outside.
He watched his feet as he walked to his car. He was too buzzed to drive, so he'd have to use the autopilot to get home, but first he wanted to sit and rest. Just for a moment. Just a moment not to move, not to think. He got in the car, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes.
It only took a few seconds for thoughts of what he'd just done to creep in. Zac shivered and sat up straight, taking deep breaths. Bad enough he'd had sex with a woman again, but if Kade and Smitty were right about the girl…
He checked the time. He wasn't going to be getting much sleep as it was, but he didn't think he could wait until the end of the day tomorrow to go get tested. That meant getting up and going in the morning, before his first class. Unless he skipped lunch and went between classes.
Fuck. He slumped back with a groan, and closed his eyes again.
The next thing he knew, Zac woke to find the suns just peeking over the horizon. He jerked upright in his seat and looked around. His car was still parked on Kade's street. He'd never even gone home.
Groaning, Zac rubbed his face to try to wake up, then checked his reflection. He looked like shit. Yesterday's makeup around his eyes, teeth not brushed, hair mussed from sleep, still wearing yesterday's clothes and smelling of smoke and sex.
He threw the door open and leaned out, sure he was going to be sick, but his stomach held. As soon as he was sure he wasn't going to vomit up everything from the day before, Zac slammed the door shut, started the car, and headed straight to the clinic. He was awake, so he might as well get it over with.
Then he could go home and shower. Wash off all the filth and the memories of what he'd done.
* * *
ADRIAN WALKED into his last class of the day and came to a stop. Zac wasn't there. The table they shared was empty. The sight was almost enough to send him running away.
And wasn't that unusual? The man was an insufferable flirt, a huge distraction, but also the reason Adrian felt close to his true self for the first time. He'd only known Zac for a few days, but the man had already become a familiar piece of his life. Not having the buffer of his presence was going to make getting through one more class that much more difficult, especially at the end of the day when his meds were starting to wear off.
Frowning, Adrian crossed the room and took his seat, carefully laying out his things. He straightened his notebook several times, the alignment not feeling quite right without Zac sitting beside him, where he ought to be.
A moment after the professor arrived, Zac breezed into the room, darting between tables and throwing himself into his chair with a breathless sigh.
“Glad you could join us,” the professor said, eyeing Zac as he thumbed through his lecture notes.
“Sorry, sir,” Zac panted.
Adrian stifled a groan. Sir. Gods, how he'd love to hear Zac call him that.
He shoved the thought away. Wrong place, wrong time. He couldn't be thinking about such things right then. He needed to focus.
While the professor began his lecture, Zac frantically unpacked his things, scattering pens and scraps of paper all over their shared table. Adrian stiffened, put off by the chaos. He glanced down, trying to keep himself contained in the midst of the mess creeping toward him.
That was when he noticed the clinic receipt lying beside his notebook. Adrian blinked, reading it just before Zac managed to scoop up all the mess and shove it unceremoniously into his bag, leaving just a notebook and a pen in front of him.
Adrian snuck a look at Zac, then looked at the professor, trying to pay attention.
Zac had gotten an STD test that morning? Adrian swallowed hard. He'd suspected Zac was probably sexually active—hells, probably every single person in the room was, except for him—but seeing the proof of it was unsettling.
He wanted Zac all to himself, gods damn it all, even if he knew that was an impossible dream.
Adrian shook his head and returned his focus to the class, where it belonged. There was no point in dreaming when nothing would come of it. He'd just need to keep his concentration on his studies so that he could graduate and get his trust fund. That was all that mattered. The rest was a fanciful waste of time.
Even if his entire body was begging for it.
He managed to keep his mind on the lecture for the rest of class, but as soon as the professor released them for the day, he felt Zac lean toward him, flooding him with sensations he'd been trying to keep at bay.
Zac's arm, just an inch away from his own, seemed to be radiating heat, making Adrian desperate to touch him. Then came the scent of the man, fresh and clean, like he'd just taken a shower.
“Ade,” Zac whispered.
Adrian gave in to temptation and turned to look. Zac wasn't even wearing his makeup, leaving his face clear of the usual black smudges around his eyes. Adrian blinked, finally noticing those eyes. He could see them now, not distracted by the black eyeliner, the grey irises being taken over by his blown pupils.
Zac held his gaze, then let out a whimper and sat back. Adrian jerked at the sound, recalling where they were. He looked around quickly, then huffed out a sigh of relief when he found the room otherwise empty. Thank gods. That was close.
“You wanna come by my place?” Zac asked, his tone full of suggestion.
Adrian swallowed hard. “I…um…”
“We could get more done on our partner project,” Zac said, then smirked at him and added, “I'm free all night.”
Adrian turned away, taking slow, measured breaths, then mechanically went through the process of packing up his things.
“Or we could practice for next week's quiz,” Zac suggested. “You know, drill each other.”
Adrian blushed, hearing the innuendo in Zac's words. He shook his head tightly, wanting so badly to say yes even though he knew it was a bad idea. Zac was sexually active, but flirting with him. Maybe the man was just a slut. Not the kind of guy Adrian needed in his life.
“I should get home,” Adrian mumbled, but hesitated before standing, knowing Zac was sure to see the outline of his hard cock in his pants.
“I could help you with that,” Zac murmured, reaching over to trail his fingers along the outside of Adrian's thigh.
Adrian jerked away, almost falling out of his seat. He caught his balance, hesitated a moment, then pushed his chair in, grabbed his bag, and left the room, not letting himself look back as he walked away.
He heard his phone chirp a notification, but he ignored it. It wasn't a phone call, and his father never texted, which meant it was something from Zac. That would have to wait until he got home. There was no way he was checking to see what the man had to say while Adrian was concentrating on just managing one step at a time through the foot and
car traffic between campus and his apartment building, his meds wearing off more and more all along the way.
His phone chirped again.
Adrian made it home, locked his door, set down his bag, and immediately checked his phone, too tempted by thoughts of Zac to even consider putting it off until he'd gotten his homework done.
Your ass looks so good in those pants.
Adrian blushed, staring at the text, then glanced down at his clothes. Same as he always wore. Just a nice shirt and dress pants, as usual. What he was expected to wear.
Did he actually look…good?
It was something he'd never bothered to consider. With such a constant, desperate need to hide away from people, whether he was attractive or not had never been a point of concern for him, except to the extent his father was sufficiently satisfied with his appearance when at a meeting or a social function. From a personal standpoint, it had never mattered. If anything, he didn't want to be attractive because that would mean having others' attention, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Except, now, maybe, he did want it. From one man, anyway.
And Zac thought he looked good?
He blushed even more and checked the next message.
I'd be willing to bet it looks even better out of them.
Adrian moaned, then slapped a hand over his mouth. Zac couldn't be serious, could he? Either way, Adrian's mind was flooded with images of the two of them, naked, tangled up, doing all sorts of filthy things that Adrian had only read about or imagined.
Two more messages came through.
And if your cock is as big as it looks under all that fabric…
Adrian sucked in a breath, holding it as he stared at the screen, the ellipsis tormenting him. His finger hovered there above the words while he bit his lip, hesitating. He knew the texting app was showing Zac a timestamp as he read each message, so Zac would know just as soon as Adrian scrolled down and read whatever followed.
He blew out one breath, sucked in another, and slowly inched the feed up, revealing the last message sent.
…I'm gonna have to start practicing with a bigger dildo. ;)
Adrian dropped the phone and ran for the washroom. He yanked open a drawer, dug around for his razor, then stilled, blinking slowly as his gaze went unfocused.
