by Anyta Sunday
“Or onions.”
“Why not. Garlic’s the best—and you’ve never complained about it before.”
“Yeah, but—”
Heath must have clicked, because that cheeky smirk came back. He took the phone off him and dialed a number.
“What’re you doing?” Will asked, but Heath left the room motioning him to stay put. At the end of his order, he came back in, looking at Will with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, that’s correct. And throw in a garlic bread on the side.”
Will scowled. “Bastard.”
When dinner arrived, he made it first to the door and paid the delivery man. Heath laughed as Will hurried to the table and unpacked everything. There was a salad, with dressing in a separate container, some mashed potato, chicken legs, and the garlic bread.
“None of it has garlic or onions,” Heath said. “Well, except the bread, obviously. I won’t eat it, but”—he leaned over and kissed him—“I don’t care if you do. So, still a bastard?”
“Yep. You still made me think you’d ordered us every garlic item on the menu.”
Heath huffed. “Next time I will just.”
Will took about one bite of everything before he ditched his plate and swept all the leftovers into the fridge. Heath didn’t bother to ask what he was doing. He was more than smart enough to guess. And judging by the way he leapt off his chair and hurriedly rinsed their barely-used plates, he wanted to get to it just as much as Will did.
Heath dragged him into the bedroom and shut the door. “I want you out of these clothes,” he said, pressing heavy hands on Will’s shoulders and dragging them over his chest to the edge of his pullover, knuckles grazing his skin.
Will’s breath hitched and a shiver ran through him. He helped Heath strip him down to his briefs.
“Now your turn.” He took off Heath’s t-shirt and rolled one nipple between his fingers and thumb. Heath gave a sharp intake of breath at the touch.
“Wow, you have cold fingers,” Heath said and clutched Will’s hands between his and blew gently. Warm breath breezed over their fingers. “That’s better.”
The act had been so simple and yet so intimate. He pressed himself against Heath, feeling the surge of desire between them and kissed him hard.
Heath hooked his thumbs in Will’s briefs, drew them down slowly and eased them over his hips and erection. Their gazes locked as Heath’s hands glided down over his legs removing the last of Will’s clothing. “You won’t be needing those for a while.”
Will pushed him back just enough to snap open Heath’s jeans. “The only thing I want covering you, is me.”
Heath claimed his lips, plunging his tongue into his mouth and pushing him back against the mattress. The possessiveness and haste of the kiss left him breathless; he had never aroused such passion in anyone before. He gave as good as he got, leaving no part of Heath’s mouth unexplored. “Bet you’re glad we didn’t have garlic now.”
Heath pulled back just enough and started biting his neck, his lips and teeth trailing towards his chest. “Babe, you could eat all the garlic and onions you wanted. I’d still fuck your beautiful mouth with my tongue.”
A bolt of erotic current sliced through him, and he arched into Heath, pressing their hot bodies together, trapping their hard erections against each other. Heath groaned and lowered his weight onto him, sliding down slowly to bite, suck, and tease his nipples.
It took all his effort to roll Heath over to give him the same treatment. Only, instead of teasing his nipples, Will worked his way up his inner thighs, biting, sucking, until, just at the Holy Grail, Heath pulled him up. “You do crazy things to me, Will. But damn, I don’t think I could last long if you used that magical mouth of yours on me. Not this time around.”
And wham, he was back under Heath.
“I do remember promising to slobber all over you,” he said.
Will laughed, taken out of the moment. “That sounds so disgusting.”
But he wasn’t laughing for long. Damn! Heath ran his tongue in swirls, circles and lines over the ‘v’ at his hips. He whispered, hot breath taunting the wet trails over his skin. “Turn over.”
He was about ready to melt—no—to shatter into ribbons of come, so he was glad they were finally getting down to business. He turned over onto his knees, reaching for the lube and condoms and passing them back. Heath took them and they landed next to them on the bed. “Not yet.”
“Do you want me to beg?”
Heath slapped his ass and then kissed it. “Let me service you a little more first. Warm you up some.”
“If I get any hotter, you’ll need sunscreen—”
But his thought was lost in a burst of sensation as Heath spread his cheeks and licked him, flicking his tongue against his ring before plunging into him.
The intensity built up, his body responding to the sweet caress of his tongue. God, at this rate he wouldn’t last much longer.
It came as a relief to hear the condom pack ripping. Drops landed on the back of his thighs as Heath prepared the lube, the coolness a welcome relief to the heat of their bodies.
Heath pulled Will’s hair and Will pushed himself back, eager to feel Heath inside him, but Heath stilled him. “I’ll come right away if you do that.”
He groaned and finally Heath brought his cock to his entrance, nudging him. Each small thrust teased him and he struggled not to move. Slowly, Heath sunk deep into him. His body received him, complaining only briefly at the intrusion. Heath held himself still, took Will’s cock in hand and pumped him as he bit into his shoulder. The sparks of pain morphed into pleasure. He felt owned, worshipped, and he loved it.
“Perfect,” Heath said, kissing the spot he’d sunk his teeth into before drawing out and entering him again.
They moved together in sync. Will pushed back into him, demanding, greedy for more. Heath pressed in deep, withdrew, did it again, and again.
And oh fuck yes, again!
Each pump built up inside of him until he couldn’t see or hear anything. He had no idea what he was saying. All he could concentrate on was the feel of their bodies moving together. It felt so damn good. They were so right together.
Heath tightened his grip on Will’s cock and it tipped him over the edge. He stilled and cried out as he came. Heath thrust once more and came too, then collapsed on him, kissing his neck and shoulder and smoothing the hair he’d pulled. Will smiled. He could stay like this forever.
Heath began slipping out, and rolled off him. “Still a bastard?”
“I’ll upgrade you to hell-sexy bastard.”
Heath grinned. “You were amazing.”
Will moved off the wet patch on the sheets, he hadn’t come so hard in—well—maybe ever. “Wish it wasn’t quite so messy, though. Or noisy,” he added, flushing, when trapped air gurgled its way out of him. “I hate this part of sex.” He got up and hobbled out to the bathroom, trying to hold the rest of it in.
Heath’s laugh followed him. And so did he, apparently, because suddenly Heath was speaking to him through the bathroom door. “I thought we had this conversation. You don’t need to be embarrassed. It happens. So what? I don’t care.”
Flushing the toilet, he used the sound to let the rest of the air out. He didn’t care how cool Heath was with it. It was going to take him a little time to let things just flow freely. He washed his hands and yanked open the door to a stunningly naked Heath.
“If you prefer,” Heath said, sliding his hands up the door frame and leering, “it can be me it only happens to, and I’ll deal with it.”
Will’s hands twitched to touch him, grab him, rein him in. He could almost go again. Well, soon, anyway. “No, I like you fucking me, so it damn well better happen again. Just because I hate the clean up, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.” He found himself slinking closer to Heath until they were meshed together again. Yeah, that felt right. “And what you did to me. That was so worth it.”
After taking a shower together and exploring
each other more, they finally headed to bed.
“T-shirts are in the drawers over there,” he said to Heath while he stripped the bed and changed the sheets. Glancing at the bedside clock, he noted it was ten to twelve. Their Cinderella hour had approached. Good thing they were both exhausted. Benny and James left for work around seven thirty in the morning—the perfect amount of time to recharge.
“Huh,” Heath said, pulling out and checking all his drawers. “You don’t have many clothes here.”
“Not much point in accumulating,” he said, the thought crashing him down from his high. “Can only take fifty pounds in the suitcase.”
“Oh, okay,” Heath continued to rummage until he’d found two shirts they could wear to bed.
Oh, okay? That was all he got? Will yanked up the sheet, pulling taut until there were no creases.
“What are your plans after you finish your degree?” he said—blurted, perhaps.
“Whoa, where’d that come from?”
He snatched the shirt Heath had set out for him and pulled it on. “I was just”—trying to make you think about the future. About us and the future. God he was pushy. He chastised himself and tried to change his tone—“thinking about it. . . . I’m curious. Would you do a Masters?” Could you see yourself in a serious relationship? Would you pick your life up and move if you met The One?
Because he was beginning to think he would. He’d give up everything to be there at the end of the world with him.
And that scared him. Because how did he know this time it was right? How’d he know it wouldn’t be Karl all over again?
“So, do you have any idea?”
Heath shook his head, and his next words hurt: “Guess I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
He should accept it and move on. Only his big mouth was running away from his control again. “You don’t ever think about your future?”
Heath sighed and climbed into the freshly made bed. He pulled Will in too, and wrapped him up, close to his chest. “The last couple of years have been about living day-by-day,” he kissed his neck, “only now I’m starting to look in terms of the next semester. But any further than that is too far.”
Will shoved down a sigh, which even to him would’ve sounded petulant. What he had with Heath was great, he should—and would—enjoy it. He’d back off a bit with talks of the future, and give the guy time. His mind wandered to a cheese commercial he’d seen on television, and he relaxed, feeling secure and comforted in Heath’s arms again.
Good things take time.
Yeah. He’d give it the time it needed to be good. Really, really good.
* * *
He ditched a lot of work the next couple of days, and there was little to no clothing between them until Monday morning came, and he knew he had to get back to reality.
Find some type of work-sex life balance.
He was half-way across campus when it started to pour. He’d never understand New Zealand weather. It was right as rain—er, it was summer-like one moment, than in the next, it was back to winter.
Ahead he caught Candice shaking her Mickey Mouse umbrella.
“Need a hand there?” he asked coming up to her.
“It broke. Right when I needed it.”
He herded her toward the Link to keep from getting too wet, though somehow Candice looked like she’d caught the worst of it.
“I reckon we need some coffee,” he said, “what do you say? My shout.”
“You’re like the best coffee machine I ever had. You should really consider doing your doctorate here.”
“Just so you don’t run out of coffee?”
“I’m that selfish.”
With their coffees, they decided to brave the weather and race to the Commerce building. Only once they’d hit the elevators, it hit him that in all the drama, he’d completely forgotten to tell Candice they had a flat she could move into as soon as Benny and James left to explore the big bad world.
“So you can finally get out of your current place,” he said as the elevators dinged and he and Candice emerged on the eleventh floor, Mickey Mouse Monstrosity in his hand between them.
Sig, in his Monday wizarding attire, looked up at them as they came in, his smile growing when he took in Candice and her wet hair. She placed her coffee on the corner of the desk and motioned with her bad arm for him to drop the umbrella in the bin. “It broke,” she said to Sig’s unspoken question.
Will said a silent good bye to the Monstrosity and let it clatter into the bin. Heath’ll be shattered.
Candice swung back to him. “This is great news, Will. I can’t wait.”
“Can’t wait for what?” Eric asked, coming in soaked behind them.
Wringing her hair over the bin, Candice continued, “It works out really well too, because Rory doesn’t seem happy, either.” At Rory’s name, Eric froze a second, before hurrying to his desk. “He never goes to classes anymore and seems to sleep all day until his shift at Macaroons. He stopped drinking, though. He mentioned something about maybe moving back home for a bit. And Doug is going on an overseas exchange. The landlord wants to rent out to international students anyway. So, yeah. A place to move into would work. Awesome.”
“No.” The word was loud and adamant, and Sig stood as he said it.
“No?” Candice repeated, letting go of her hair.
“That’s right. No.”
“You’ll have to explain yourself more than that,” she said as he strode over to them.
“I don’t want you moving in with Will.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with me?” He plunked himself into his desk chair.
“Where would we start with that?” Eric threw at him.
“Guys, cut it,” Candice growled at them. “Sig?”
“I don’t want you moving in with Will, because I want you to move in with me. Please?”
It looked like Candice wanted to throw her arms around Sig and laugh and cry, but instead, she bounced on the balls of her feet, struggling to bite back a smile. “Isn’t that jumping the gun a bit?”
“I want to jump this gun.”
Her arms started swinging. Any moment now . . .
“Why?” she asked.
“That’s something I’d rather not answer with these big ears around.”
“Hey! They’re not that big,” Will scoffed.
Candice cocked her head. “Why?”
Sig met her gaze, tenderly, filled with warmth. “Because I love you.”
Whoosh! She was on him, legs wrapping around his waist, opening Sig’s robe, and arms around his neck.
Will turned away, but caught their reflection in the window. It was bad, but he couldn’t help feeling a little resentful at how quickly and easily the ‘L’ word came up between them.
Sig spun Candice and gently brought her feet to the ground.
He blinked and tried to look past them to the world outside. There were so many relationships in the world, and each was different. It didn’t mean he and Heath had to say the word already. Even if he did feel it.
Crazy speak! It was fine for Candice and Sig. They’d know each other for years.
He’d known Heath only months.
Months.
And Heath didn’t plan any further into the future than finishing his degree.
Good things take time, he said to himself.
He just had to remember it.
16 Leash
And he did remember it, on the whole, mostly, in the months that followed.
But he’d given up keeping in the ‘L’ word to himself. At night, when Heath was as dead as a doorknob next to him, he’d say the words, feather-soft against his hair at the nape of his neck. A little part of him fantasized Heath would actually hear him, snap open his eyes and his arms, pull him into him and say the words back to him.
A little part? Who was he kidding?
Water streamed over him, washing away the foam of his and Heath’s shower gel. They shared now. Ever since the day Vicky ki
cked him out of the hut. When she’d done it, Heath hadn’t even been marginally upset. Seemed he’d been ready as well.
It’d just been time . . .
“It’s a good thing you have so few clothes with you,” Heath said, “Now there’s room in these drawers for the both of us.”
There was no discussion. Heath simply trundled into the house, his stuff already packed in the Commodore, turned to James and said: “You’re leaving in a week. You won’t have to pretend to hate me too long. I know how taxing that is for you.” Then he’d winked at Benny. “You don’t mind if I move in, do you? It’ll be more money you can splurge on lover boy there overseas.”
Though cocky as he was, he still waited for James’s ‘okay’ before he shoved his stuff into Will’s room.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Will’d hid his enthusiasm as best as he could by bracing his hands either side of his bedroom doorway and staring Heath down. “I don’t know if I want you moving in so soon.”
“Babe, I thought there weren’t going to be anymore lies between us?” He took his hand and tugged him forward. “Let’s start this again shall we?” His stubble grazed over Will’s cheek until Heath’s lips were poised at his ear. “I’m moving in. How do you feel about that?”And Will shivered, feeling Heath’s lips as they lifted at the edges. “Yeah. I thought so.”
Despite the rivulets of hot water, Will shivered at the memory and the subsequent love-making that had followed. He snapped off the faucet, and, as he began toweling off, Heath barged into the bathroom.
“Dying for a piss,” he said, before he unzipped and let out a sigh as he relieved himself. Heath glanced over at him drying between his toes and holding back for once with the commentary. See, he was getting better at controlling that mouth of his.
“It’s taking everything you have not to tell me to sit, isn’t it?” Heath chuckled.
But he was wrong. It wasn’t taking all of his energy.
Not all of it.
Heath shook himself dry, and boom, Will lost it. “Well it wouldn’t hurt to sit. Keeps everything cleaner that way.”
Heath washed his hands and came over and snatched up a corner of his towel to dry up. “Have I ever made a mess?”
