by E. M. Leya
"I can see how that would get annoying after a while." Axel walked into the living room and looked around. "Yeah, this makes me really want a new place."
"Maybe we should trade." Les grinned as he headed down the hallway. "Let me grab a shirt and shoes and we can go."
Axel took in the couch and matching loveseat. The coffee table looked newer and even the walls had nice paintings on them. Not what he expected from two bachelors living together. He liked it. Liked it a lot. Someday he'd have his college loans paid off and could afford a nicer place.
"Ready?" Les came in carrying a lockbox and a hoodie.
"Yep. That your gun?" He nodded to the box.
"Yeah."
"You can toss it in my trunk when we go down. I picked mine up from my parents' yesterday."
"You have no idea how cool it is that you're willing to do this with me. I was starting to question why I bought the damn thing."
"Never question buying a gun. It's always a good investment." Axel headed for the door.
"Jeff, I'm leaving with Axel. Won't be home 'till late," Les called.
In response, they heard laughter, then a muffled, "have a good time."
Axel rolled his eyes as they headed out the door. "You can call me Ax. All my friends do. Only my mom calls me Axel, and only when she's really mad."
"Well, I'm glad you consider me a friend then." Les followed him down to the parking lot to a red Camaro. "Nice car."
"Thanks. It's the one thing I do spend more money on than I should, but I love her." Ax ran his fingers over the trunk as he popped it open for Les to put his gun inside. "Guess being a mechanic, my ride means more than anything."
"Can't blame you for that. I'd love to get something like it. My little car is to the point I don't know how many more miles I'll get out of it."
They both climbed into the car and Ax cranked the air conditioning. "Anything wrong I might be able to fix?"
"Not really. Just age. It's got over two hundred thousand miles on it. I just hate the thought of a car payment on top of everything else."
"I hear you there. Once I get my student loans paid off, I'll do okay, but until then…" He shook his head as he cranked the radio on some classic rock station. "This okay?"
"Yep, just don't play any opera and I'll be good." Les hooked the seatbelt into place.
"Damn, and I was going to see if you were free tonight to see one." Ax grinned. "You don't have to worry there. I saw two operas in school when I was a kid, and that was enough. My sister goes to them all the time, but it's not my thing."
"Yeah, I've only seen one. Something my mom dragged me to. Never again."
A comfortable silence settled in as Ax drove to the gun range. He liked how easy it was between them. They seemed to share a lot in common, and so far, Les hadn't shown any issue with his gender differences. Maybe because he was a male today. He wondered if the easy-going feeling would still be there between them if he'd shown up in a dress. He hoped so. He really liked hanging out with Les and hoped he could handle being around him no matter how he looked.
"So, did you go out last night?" Les asked.
"Nah. I stayed home and caught up on laundry. Wasn't in the mood to drink. Did you go?"
"Yeah, Jeff and I ended up at Cruisers, but I left early." A slight blush tinged Les's cheeks.
"Alone?" Ax assumed the blush meant he'd met someone.
"Yeah, alone. Jeff met… Hell, I don't even know the guy's name." He shrugged. "I tried to get in the mood and pick up some girl, but I just wasn't feeling it. She was hot and everything, but every time I thought about bringing her home, I felt guilty. I knew it would be a one-time thing. I couldn't do it."
Les sounded guilty for feeling that way. Ax reached over and put his hand on his knee. "It's not a bad thing that you don't want to do the casual thing. It's kinda cool. Someday you'll meet a woman who feels the same way. You'll be a perfect match." He pulled his hand back before he made Les uncomfortable.
"Yeah, maybe. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doomed to eternal bachelorhood."
"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing either." Ax glanced over at him. "Though, I do want someone to grow old with. I hate the thought of living alone the rest of my life."
"Yeah, me too." Les laid his head back against the seat. "I don't know what I want anymore. I looked around the bar last night and there wasn't a single girl that I thought, wow, I want to get to know her."
"Maybe you're looking in all the wrong places."
"Where else is there to look?"
"I don't know, join a bowling league or a reading club. Hell, go to church. Your soulmate has to be out there somewhere."
"Probably in some small village in Cambodia." Les laughed.
"Looks like you need to grab a passport then." Ax glanced at him as he parked the car. "Today, none of that matters. We are going to work off some stress and have fun, not worry about girls, love, or loud roommates." Ax gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Come on, let's get inside and have some fun."
*****
Les watched as Ax took a shot, again coming close to a perfect bullseye. He bit his lip in jealousy. His own target looked like he was cutting lines around the edge. He had so much to learn.
He tried to focus the way Ax told him. To hold the gun and even breathe a certain way, but still, he struggled to even hit the mark. With his own gun, he did better than with Ax's. And man did Ax have some cool guns. He couldn't believe it when Ax pulled open his duffle bag and started pulling stuff out. He'd brought six with him, but said he had more.
It was a rush shooting the bigger guns, and Les was hooked. He wanted to buy a couple more of his own, but they cost a ton, so that was going to have to be marked under his, 'in the future, when I'm rich and can afford shit' list.
"Here, give it a try." Ax handed him the rifle.
Les took it and stepped up, his heart pounding.
"Just relax." Ax came up behind him. He used his foot to force Les's legs a bit farther apart, then gently bent forward, pressing his chest to his back. "Focus on your breathing."
Les let Ax walk him through the steps, but his distraction didn't come from the gun, it came from Ax. His warm body pressed against him, increasing Les's already hot temperature. Sweat dripped down his back as he sucked in a breath. Was that cologne, or was it just Ax's scent? He flared his nostrils, trying to catch the smell again.
Fuck!
What was wrong with him? Why was this happening? Never before had any man affected him this way. He took another deep breath, his eyes on the target and shot, missing the bullseye by several inches.
"Good. You'll get it. The bigger guns are harder. We'll keep coming to practice. The more you shoot, the better you'll get." Ax took the gun from him. "We can do a couple more rounds with the revolver if you want."
It was already mid-afternoon, and the sun was blaring down on them as it started its descent. Les ran his fingers through his hair and stepped back. "Will you be mad if we call it a day? At least for shooting? I still want to get dinner."
"Sure, no problem. We've been at it for hours." Ax glanced at the sky. "Didn't think it would be so damn hot. We should have gone fishing instead."
"Ah, don't mention water. Makes me think of swimming." Les laughed. "I haven't used the pool at the apartment this summer, but this heat makes it tempting."
"Let's get packed up and go grab food." Ax started to put things in his duffle.
Les secured his gun and locked the box. He tried not to think about how Ax felt pressed up close behind him. It had to be a case of just being sexually frustrated. His mind and body saw the female he'd met at the bar, even though, now, standing beside him, there was a strong man.
"You okay?" Ax put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, just thirsty." Les smiled as he picked up his stuff. He lifted the hoodie he'd brought with him off the ground. "Guess they got the 'chance of rain' wrong in the forecast today."
"You never know. With the way the weather is around here, it could be a dow
npour in an hour. Always best to be prepared." Ax slung the duffle over his shoulder.
As they made their way to the car, Les glanced over at Ax, getting a good look at the man. Gone were the long nails, and any other sign of being female. Somehow, he needed to get his mind off the female Ax and remember he was male. No matter how good someone looked dressed up, it didn't change his sexual organs. Ax was male where it mattered, and that alone should be enough to deter his mind from going places it shouldn't.
*****
Ax sensed a shift in Les's mood, but he wasn't sure why. He didn't want to push, but the fun, carefree mood was dulled and everything seemed a bit tense. Normally this happened when he was dressed as a female, and right before the person called him a freak and took off, but he didn't see Les being that way. Les didn't seem uncomfortable with him being gender fluid. There had to be something more.
It was hopefully nothing more than him having to deal with a disrespectful roommate or something that happened in his personal life, but they didn't really know each other that well yet so it didn’t feel comfortable for him to push Les to talk.
Hopeful dinner would go better and the mood would improve, Ax parked out front of The Pitt. He could smell the ribs as he stepped out of the car. "Ah, that smells so good. I'm going to eat a ton."
Les nodded as they met at the back of the car. "Me too. Nothing better than a cold beer and barbecue."
Ax loved to eat, lucky that nothing stuck to his bones so he never had to worry about how much he consumed. Even when he tried to gain weight, he couldn't. His body was destined to be thin, but he liked it that way. It gave him the slender frame he wanted as a female.
He glanced at Les, taking in his larger body. Nowhere near fat, but he wasn't frail by any means. He was just the kind of guy Ax liked in bed. He loved someone strong, with enough body to hold on to. He never went for the thinner men. Too bad Les was straight, or as well as the two of them got along, they might have a chance at a good relationship.
Just his luck. The guys he liked the most either weren't gay or couldn't deal with his desire to be a girl some of the time. As they walked into the restaurant, he reminded himself of what he'd told Les. Somewhere out there was the right person for him. He just needed to find them.
"Ah, it's like a sports bar." Les grinned as they slid into the booth. "I think I could grow to love this place."
"If the food's as good as it looks…" Ax grinned. "We might have to make this a weekly thing."
"Just in time for basketball season."
"I imagine the place is packed on game nights." Ax sat back as the waiter came for their order.
Once alone again, Les sat forward, folding his hands on the table. "Not sure if I should ask, because this question has ruined friendships for years, but who's your team?"
Ax laughed. It was a dangerous question. One that was as serious as religion or political standing. "You sure you want to know?"
"I'll have to find out soon—"
"Ax, sweetheart. I haven't seen you in months."
Ax smiled and stood as his ex-boyfriend came to a stop at the table. "Jessie, good to see you." He hugged him tightly. "Jessie, this is Les. Les, this is Jessie."
Les offered his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Ah, the new boyfriend?" Jessie grinned at Les.
"Actually, just friends." Les smiled.
"Really?" Jessie frowned at Ax. "What is wrong with you? He's gorgeous."
Glad that Les was very okay with being around gay men, Ax shook his head. "He might be gorgeous, but he is straight."
"Oh, what a shame." Jessie pouted his lips.
Les shrugged. "Can't all be perfect."
"Oh, I like him." Jessie tousled Les's hair before looking back at Ax. "So, my sister keeps trying to get me to call you. She said she has something for you. I don't ask. You know how it is, but do you still have her number?"
"Tina's? Of course, I do." Ax sat back down.
"Well, give her a call. She said she had something to make you even more beautiful. I told her that wasn't possible, and she gave me a hard time for breaking up with you."
"I love your sister."
"Yeah, well it seems she loves you more than me." Jessie grinned. "Call her so she gets off my ass."
"I will. I promise."
"Good. Well, you two have a good dinner. And Les, if you ever decide to change your ways, give me a call."
Ax slapped Jessie's hand playfully. "Play nice."
"Do I ever play any other way?" Jessie bent down and brushed his lips over Ax's cheek. "Don't be a stranger." He waved at them as he hurried off.
"Sorry about that." Ax tried to gauge Les's reaction to the whole conversation. He seemed okay with being flirted with. "He can be a bit much."
"He seems great. So, you two dated?"
"For almost a year. Then he met 'the one', and I was suddenly single again."
"He cheated on you?" Les actually looked angry.
"No, he told me before they did anything. Said he'd met someone with a connection he couldn't resist and he didn't want to hurt me. I understood. Jessie and I had fun, but we were never meant to be a forever thing. They got married a few months ago. I have no hard feelings."
"That can't be easy."
"It is when you know going into a relationship that it won't be anything serious. Jessie and I had fun, we had good sex, but he isn't my type."
"What is your type?" Les sat back, his gaze locked with Ax's.
Ax smiled, unable to ignore the connection between them, but forcing himself not to act on it. "Honestly? You. You are exactly what I like in a man. Well, with one major difference, you'd need to like men."
Les grinned. "Yeah, that does make it a bit harder. So, you don't like the little, skinny guys like Jessie?"
"No, he's fun, but I don't do the flamboyant thing. He lets everyone he meets know without a doubt, he's gay. He meets someone and he might as well say, 'hi, I'm Jessie and I'm gay'. I'm a bit more low-key."
"I'm glad you are." Les smiled across the table at him. "Jeff is somewhere in between, so I guess I'm used to a bit of both. Some of Jeff's friends are a lot more flamboyant than Jessie. I don't mind being around them in short spurts, but it can get a bit much."
"I like my men bigger, thicker. I like to have someone wrap me in their arms and feel like I'm safe. I've dated both types, but I like men like you more."
"So, when you came over to me at the bar, were you hoping for more?"
"Yes and no. I wasn't sure what to make of you. You didn't watch the other men like you were interested, so I wasn't sure if you were gay or not. I honestly just wanted someone to pass the time with while I waited for Carl. You looked bored." Ax shrugged. "It would have been a bonus if you were gay and interested, but I think I gained a good friend either way."
Les blushed. "I'm glad you came over too. It's been great having someone to hang out with. Most of the people I know are either Jeff's friends or guys from work. I get along with them, but we really don't have a ton in common."
Dinner came and silence fell over them as they ate. Ax tried not to watch as Les repeatedly licked the sauce from his lips, but those thick, pouty lips were so attractive, he found it hard not to. He might not be able to touch, but he sure would enjoy the view while he could.
"Dessert?" Les asked as the waiter took their plates.
"Oh no. I can't, but thanks. We'll have to come back here another time. There is so much I want to try."
"I'm game." Les nodded to one of the televisions. "We will have to get a schedule and come in on game nights."
"It's a date." Ax winked with a teasing smile. He needed to be careful. He enjoyed Les's company more than he had anyone's in a long time. Les was straight, and he needed to remember that before he started allowing himself to feel more than he had any right to.
CHAPTER SIX
Les stared at his computer and tried to focus on his work, but his mind was anywhere but where it should be. The week was long, and he w
as ready to just go home and be lazy. The thought of curling up in front of the TV and catching up on his favorite shows sounded perfect. Problem was, it was Jeff's weekend to pick a place to go out. Which meant another long night of sitting alone in some club and nursing a drink he really didn't even want.
He tried several times to talk to Jeff about changing up their nights out. There really was no point in Les going when Jeff was finding someone to hook up with and going off on his own. Jeff disagreed, determined not to leave Les behind.
The ring of his phone gave him the excuse to look away from the computer monitor. "Hello?"
"Hey, honey. How are you?" His mother's always cheerful voice greeted him.
"Hi, Mom, I'm good. Just about ready to leave work. What's up?"
"We wanted to invite you over for dinner Sunday." There was a slight shake to her voice, telling him something was up.
"Sure, I'd love to. Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah, we just haven't seen you in a while."
Les wasn't going to push. They obviously had something they wanted to discuss, but didn't want to do it over the phone. He tried to ignore the worry that it was something bad. "Okay, what time?"
"Can you be here by five?"
"Yep, do you need me to bring anything?"
"Just your sweet smile."
"I love you, Mom." He grinned.
"I love you too, Baby. We'll see you Sunday."
He hung up, wondering what was going on. They never invited him to dinner. The only time he went over for a meal was holidays or birthdays. There had to be something wrong, and there was no stopping his mind from going wild and thinking the worst.
Work wasn't going to get done, so he shut off his computer. As he glanced at the clock, deciding to cut out a half an hour early wasn't a hard choice.
The ten-minute drive home took twenty, due to an accident, and it just pushed his mood farther into the dark. He rolled his shoulders as he finally got home, hoping he could get a couple hours' rest before Jeff forced him to go out.
Luck finally on his side, he found the apartment empty. He kicked off his shoes and pulled some leftover pizza out of the fridge before slumping on the couch and turning on the TV.
