Set Ablaze

by KC Burn

  Jez explored him right back, hands smoothing over muscles and stroking along his belly. Then Jez dipped his fingers under Hayden’s belt, signaling it was time to ditch the rest of the clothes.

  Getting rid of Jez’s stretchy yoga pants would take no time at all, and despite Hayden’s desperation to see how closely Jez’s cock resembled any of his fevered fantasies, he waited for Jez to work on his fly and belt. It gave Jez some difficulty, so he looked down, intending to take over, but Jez dropped to his knees with a wicked grin and cupped Hayden’s balls through his pants, massaging them and kissing his hard cock through his clothes.

  Fucking hell. This was ballbusting of the sort he wholeheartedly approved of. Almost before Hayden could register it, Jez unbuckled his belt, unzipped his fly, and sent his pants sliding down his hips to the floor, all with Jez grinning up at him. Once his cock was out, practically reaching for Jez, Jez dropped his gaze to focus on the cock. He kissed the tip, then slid his tongue all over the head. Hayden groaned and clenched his fists, waiting to see what else Jez had in store.

  Jez licked up the underside of his cock, looking up at Hayden, Hayden’s heavy cock lying on his beautiful face.

  “Jez. More. Please.”

  Jez smiled, then wrapped his lips around the sensitive head of Hayden’s cock, tongue dipping into the slit, teasing out drops of precum. Hayden slid his hands gently around Jez’s head, coaxing ever so slightly. Jez allowed the pressure and started bobbing, each time taking a little more of Hayden’s length into his mouth.

  God. Men should be worshipping Jez’s mouth. Hayden was ready to, but he also needed to return the favor. He pulled away and followed Jez to the floor, where he coaxed Jez to his back, then shucked off the yoga pants. Jez lay there, glowing in the sunlight that bathed the room, cock stiff against his belly.

  Slender, uncut, just the right length, with…. He closed his eyes and moaned before he reached out and touched the suedelike skin of hairless balls. His fucking favorite. Jez wasn’t completely bare, but he didn’t have a lot of hair. It took a good deal of manscaping for Hayden to look similar, and he was too much of a coward to wax his balls, but he loved the sensation.

  He gently jacked Jez’s length while he nuzzled those soft balls, drinking in the sounds of Jez’s pleasure. He slid the fingers of one hand below, massaging as he went, and Jez’s legs drifted apart. When he hit Jez’s hole, he rubbed more but didn’t push inside. He wanted to. One day. But they had no supplies down here, and Hayden didn’t want anything to jar them out of this wonderful, dreamlike moment. Besides, he’d been on edge for so many days, he wasn’t sure he was going to last now that he had Jez in his arms. Judging from the precum slicking his hand and the hitched, breathy moans, Jez was getting close too.

  No, he couldn’t wait any longer. Hayden shifted, Jez moving with him so they lay on their sides, facing each other, cocks nestled perfectly. Hayden wrapped both of their lengths in his hand and jacked them. Jez moaned and Hayden stretched, just a bit, to capture Jez’s lips.

  They kissed with the same frenzy as before, a bit sloppier, gusting moans over each other’s lips. Hayden moved his hand faster and ate at Jez’s mouth, so close, so close. Then Jez yanked his head back and howled, pulsing cum over Hayden’s hand and dick, the warmth and slickness shoving him into his own climax. He groaned and jerked, body stiff, as he spurted his pleasure over their bellies.

  When they both slumped, breathing hard, Hayden kept his hand clasped over their softening dicks. He smiled at Jez and kissed him gently. Jez smiled back, eyes warm and showing no regrets. For which Hayden was grateful, because he wanted more of this.

  Jez yelped and jerked, his eyes wide. “Holy fuck, cold nose in my back!”

  Hayden lifted his head to see Fang’s sweet, wrinkly face behind Jez. He laughed. “No joining in on this fun, Fang.”

  “Ugh. No.” Jez shuddered. “I guess we should clean up.” His gaze darted around the room and Hayden became all too aware of the cum cooling on his hand. When it happened—sexy as fuck. Now—kinda getting gross.

  “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.” Jez’s eyes became wary. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled it did. This was not a mistake.” Hayden didn’t think he’d ever done anything so right. “But I didn’t come down here planning to seduce you or anything. If I had, I might have also brought condoms and lube.”

  Jez chuckled. “Makes sense. Let’s use my T-shirt, since I was just going to throw it in the laundry anyway.”

  They wiped up as best they could. On their way upstairs, both of them naked, Jez dumped his workout gear in the washing machine.

  “Mind if I clean up in your bathroom?” Hayden wasn’t ready for them to separate. He was afraid the minute he lost sight of Jez, their connection would disappear. “I don’t think I need another shower, just some water and a washcloth.”

  “That’s fine. So long as you don’t mind if I shower.”

  “Uh. No. That’s good.” Or bad, considering how many times he’d dreamed about Jez in the shower. He didn’t want to miss out on time together, but he did also have to go to work soon.

  Jez started the shower and Hayden rummaged for a washcloth in the linen closet. Standing in front of the sink, he watched Jez in the mirror. God. He might never get tired of looking at that man. He took a deep breath. “Jez, I don’t want that to be a one-off. I know yesterday was fucked-up. I’m going to do what I can to fix it, but I… I want to see where this goes.”

  Poised to step into the shower, Jez twisted about to stare at Hayden via the mirror. If anything, he looked startled. “You mean like… date?”

  Hayden shrugged. “Sure. Date. More.”

  “More.” Jez squinted at him. “Relationship?”

  “I want to try, yes. I think.” Hayden had done all the hooking up he’d ever need. But having Jez in his house, in his space, only illustrated how fucking lonely he’d been before. He’d wanted to share his life with someone. Someone who knew and accepted all of him. But he hadn’t known how to go about finding that someone. Then, like a miracle, someone he was crazy about, despite the vegan diet and inability to clean up properly, dropped in his lap. Who was he to question the fates?

  “I’m not saying no. I think… I think we could be good together.” A wobble in Jez’s voice spoke of fear.

  Maybe Jez did have fears, ones that were more pronounced than worrying what would happen when friends who knew you were gay had to confront the reality of a boyfriend. Hayden had the impression Jez’s last relationship had ended badly. While he wanted to reassure Jez, Hayden didn’t know how to be a good boyfriend. Jez was going to have to keep him in line, guide him through it, and maybe that was too much to ask.

  “I want to be good together.”

  Jez smiled and stepped into the shower but left the curtain partially open so they could still talk and look at each other. Hayden worked on cleaning himself up while Jez spoke.

  “Here’s the thing. Sexual attraction is not enough. We need to have more than that if we’re going to have a relationship. That’s why people date before they start living together. This is a bit backwards in our case, obviously. There are some things you need to know about me before we start this. We also need to talk more. It’ll be tempting to skip that, since we’re here with easy access to beds and showers.”

  “And floors,” Hayden interjected.

  Jez smiled. “True. But we can’t let those temptations allow us to spend all of our time fucking and none of it talking.”

  Hayden wondered what made Jez so wise beyond his years. He was the novice when it came to swimming these waters. “That sounds acceptable. Necessary even.”

  Jez nodded as he stepped under the showerhead to wet his hair. When he stepped back into view, trickles of water sluicing down face and body, Hayden had to bite back a whimper. At least Jez hadn’t said they couldn’t have sex at all while they were getting to know each other.

  “Stop it,” Jez teased and waggled a finger at him. “I can
see what you’re thinking.” The teasing air evaporated in the wake of Jez’s return to seriousness. “We need to get to know each other. I swore to myself I wouldn’t get involved again until I knew the person well. We’ve got a good foundation. But we need to talk before we even decide to do this, and I don’t want to rush through before you have to go to work.”

  “I’ll be home right after my shift tomorrow.” Hayden didn’t want to let this chance slip away. “Will that work for you?”

  Jez smiled again, but with underlying tension. “Yes, I’ll be here.”

  Hayden didn’t think anything Jez told him would change his mind.

  Jez bit his lip. “I think I know why you didn’t want Miguel to know about uh… the kiss. And maybe we don’t tell him about the sex either. Not yet.”

  “Yes. Good idea. I may not know much about being in a relationship, but I know having sex with your best friend’s baby brother is maybe not the smartest. But if we can make this work, he’ll be happy for us.”

  Jez didn’t respond, just started soaping up.

  Hayden wanted to kiss Jez goodbye but didn’t think a face full of suds would be a good look for work. Instead he pressed a finger to Jez’s lips, and Jez pursed his lips, just a bit.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  Flying high on the confidence that tomorrow would see them on their way to a relationship, Hayden fairly bounced into work.

  Chapter 6

  THE TWIN pleasures of an orgasm and the potential of a boyfriend buoyed Hayden through the first few hours of his shift until he ended up in the kitchen alone, making a pot of coffee, and Jordan walked in with his cup, waiting for the brew to finish.

  “You’re in a good mood. The princess get over his hissy fit and put out?”

  Shit. Now that Jez had opened his eyes, Hayden could hear it. The contempt. The sneering. Jez was right. The second Hayden stopped appearing like a sexless straight man, the knives would come out.

  “What are you talking about?” Jordan had one chance to walk that statement back.

  “What do you mean? That’s the thing about average fags. So fucking emotional and gagging for the cock. Could have had him sucking all of us off, took his mind off that stupid PC crap.”

  Hayden tightened his grip around his coffee cup, trying to find the patience not to slam it into Jordan’s grinning fucking face. Not only had Jordan not walked it back, he’d doubled down on his original statement.

  “Jordan. My office, now.”

  Neither of them had heard the captain come into the kitchen, but Hayden never knocked karma. That was some powerful shit. Jordan scowled and slowly set his mug on the counter before turning and following the captain.

  Jordan had been called on the carpet before for offensive language at work, about women that time, and the women on the crew were not impressed. He’d railed frequently about the politically correct gag order when they were at the bar, and Hayden hadn’t ever paid attention. But basic decency didn’t require a gag order, just one simple tenet: don’t be an asshole. Somehow, Hayden had lived with Jordan the asshole and Vic, maybe even a bigger asshole, as he’d coasted along, not wanting to disrupt the status quo. But this status quo needed some serious fucking with. Hayden had been wrong for letting this go on. Every time Jordan or Vic opened their mouth in public, who had overheard those many unkind words and been hurt by them? While Hayden closed his ears, deliberately oblivious.

  When the coffee finished, Hayden poured himself a cup and sat at the table, but he didn’t drink. The whole reason he’d pushed the issue with his parents and gotten kicked out was because he hadn’t wanted to stay in the mold they’d defined, and yet somehow he’d ended up forcing himself into another cramped mold instead of finding people who fit with the man he truly was.

  “Hey. You okay?” Kevin walked tentatively into the kitchen. “Cap really laid into Jordan. Couldn’t hear the specifics, but it wasn’t good. Pretty sure he got suspended from work for today at least, maybe longer.”

  An evil grin tugged at Hayden’s lips. “Good.”

  Kevin’s eyes widened. “Shit. What did he say?” He grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and popped open the top.

  “No need to repeat it. But I will say I’m done hanging out with him. And I had a hard time not slugging him.”

  An equally vicious grin appeared on Kevin’s face. “It’s about fucking time.”

  Hayden blinked at him. “Really?”

  “Dude. I like you. But just because you, me, and Jordan joined the crew around the same time does not mean we need to be friends with him until the end of time. That guy is just fucking toxic.”

  “Then you’re okay still hanging out with the gay guy?” He had to ask, even if he was afraid to hear the answer.

  “Yes, I am.” Kevin punched him lightly on the shoulder. The enormous relief almost made Hayden start giggling.

  “I’m cutting off Miguel too, unless he stops inviting Vic.”

  “Oh thank fuck.” Kevin sank into the chair across from Hayden. “He’s maybe even worse than Jordan, but at least we don’t have to work with him. What brought this on?”

  Hayden shrugged. “Time to make some changes. Grow up.” Maybe Jordan hadn’t always been so bad. Maybe the changes had been incremental, getting worse and worse over time. Regardless, Jordan was now intolerable, and it was time to cut that cord.

  Kevin smiled. “Yeah. Happens to the best of us. Maybe you and Jez could meet up with me and Maria sometime for dinner.”

  Hayden’s cheeks heated. Guess the reasons he was taking a stand were obvious, but Kevin’s assumption pleased him. He had a good feeling about it now that he’d made the first step.

  Kevin drained half the can, then stood. “So, pretty much the whole crew knows you were at least peripherally involved in whatever happened. No one’s upset or anything, but just giving you a heads-up.” He sauntered out of the kitchen.

  Hayden’s coffee was still hot, so he drank it slowly, preparing for the gossip gauntlet. He’d stall longer, but now he needed to take a leak, so he might as well get it over with.

  He washed out his mug, put it on the dish rack, then walked out into the common room.

  Usually when someone got suspended for a conduct issue, it put everyone on edge, not just because of being a crew member short. It upset the balance. Firefighting was dangerous, and everyone needed to rely on their fellow firefighters. This time, though? It was like a black cloud had lifted. A black cloud no one had realized was hanging overhead. The laughter was brighter, the smiles were bigger, and while no one gave him the thumbs-up or anything, he felt more welcome. Not that he’d ever felt unwelcome, but more like… his own personal mold was fitting in just fine without conforming to anyone’s standards of what a gay man—a gay firefighter—should be.

  Shit. Jordan was fucking toxic. Jordan might be a dangerous element if he couldn’t control his mouth around the station when he got back.

  After Hayden took a leak, the captain waved him into his office. Shit.

  “Have a seat, Hurst.”

  The captain waited until Hayden’s butt hit the chair—barely. “You may have figured out I suspended Jordan. Three shifts.”

  Three shifts? That was some serious shit. “Yes, sir.”

  The captain sighed, scrubbed a hand through his steel gray hair. “This is all in confidence, you understand?”

  Hayden nodded. “Of course.”

  “I’ve warned Jordan before. And what I heard him say to you was unacceptable. You may have thought he was joking, because I understand you’re friends?” The captain sounded incredulous. Hayden was apparently an oblivious idiot. “But I don’t think he was. I… I’m concerned for you. Abusive relationships aren’t always just with domestic partners or family members, you know.”

  Hayden closed his eyes. Had he been in an abusive friendship? “Yes, sir, I’ve recently… figured that out. I mean, that he’s not my friend. Not really. I hadn’t considered it was potentially abusive.”

  B
ut he saw the results of domestic abuse all the time. When people called 911, more than just cops showed up, especially if someone was hurt. They’d had seminars, professional development courses, for fuck’s sake, for recognizing symptoms of emotional and physical abuse. And yet it had taken one beautiful man and his dog to come crashing into Hayden’s life, lifting the blinders he’d worn since he’d come out to his parents.

  “Well, that’s a step in the right direction. But you may want to consider some additional help. It’s not a sign of weakness, you know.” The captain handed him a card. Hayden tucked it in a pocket without looking at it. It was either a therapist’s card or a number for their insurance, where he could get a referral to one.

  “Yes, sir. I’ll seriously consider it.” His world had undergone some upheaval, and getting a professional opinion might set him on more stable ground. He couldn’t make Jez do that for him.

  “Good. And don’t forget, you can submit a complaint against him through your union rep.”

  “Oh. Do you think I should?” Hayden didn’t know if he was ready for that.

  The captain held up his hands. “Think about it. Discuss it with your rep. That’s the best advice I can give, but—and remember this is still confidential—I’m hoping a shift change will improve the situation. When Jordan returns, he’ll be on C crew instead.”

  Hayden shouldn’t feel so relieved, but he did. “Thank you, sir.”

  WHEN HAYDEN got home on Tuesday after his shift, it was too bright and sunny to discuss any heavy topics, and Jez wasn’t ready to bring them both down. Hayden took his cues from Jez, and they confined their conversation to small talk. A couple of times Jez opened his mouth to tell Hayden about the appalling apartments, but just as quickly, he bit back the words. It wasn’t like it was a secret, but neither did he want to hear Hayden say anything encouraging about him moving out. He wanted to enjoy his time with Hayden for now, because he wasn’t sure this was wise and he wasn’t sure Hayden would even want to continue, despite what he’d said.