“Yes, fuck me,” Blake panted.
When Deke held up a condom, Blake couldn’t help but blurt, “Do you have a magic hat or something? I’m afraid that you’re going to pull a rabbit out of something very embarrassing next.”
Deke laughed. “No, I was just hopeful and stashed them under the pillows before we left the room this morning.”
“I was just checking. I’ve read how kinky you Hollywood guys can get.”
“Says the guy who draws cats having sex.”
“They’re alien space shifters and they always do it in man form,” Blake countered with a chuckle.
“Well, let’s see if we can manage some of the positions I’ve seen your characters in before.”
Deke tore open the wrapper and slipped the condom over his cock and suddenly, the mood grew serious again. When Blake hooked his fingers behind his knees and pulled his legs back to expose himself more to Deke, he got a nod of approval. “That’s a good start.”
Blake automatically began to give the polite response of ‘thank you’, only to have it come out as a stuttered pant as Deke slowly sank inside him.
Bliss. There was no other word for it. Sure, there was always a bit of a burn, but that was always there as a promise that the fun was just beginning. It also let Blake know that, at long last, his dream had finally come true.
Then Deke began to move, slowly at first, a sensual rhythm that soon picked up speed as sweat slicked over their bodies and their combined pleasure built. Not wanting to miss the look of pure bliss on Deke’s face, Blake tried to keep his eyes open, soon became too much and he gave into them closing.
There was still the combined scent of their lovemaking, the sounds of their bodies slapping together and the wonderful sensation of Deke’s hard stomach rubbing over Blake’s cock.
“I can’t believe that I was missing out on this all this time. Damn, was I stupid back then,” Deke groaned.
That comment shocked Blake enough for him to open his eyes and the look of raw emotion of Deke’s face was his undoing. Shouting out, “Eric!” once more, Blake came, hot ropes of sticky semen splashing over both of them.
“Yes, just like that. I’ll always be that for you,” Deke replied.
He then gave one last hard thrust before his cock pulsated as he found his own release. The entire time Blake forced himself to keep his eyes open, wanting to burn the memory of how beautiful Deke looked at that moment. More importantly, how at peace Deke…no, Eric, looked, because it had been Blake who had made him feel that way.
Blake almost ruined the moment by blurting out his love right then. He bit his bottom lip to hold the declaration in. For, while he’d been mooning after Eric for years, in all actuality Deke had hardly remembered Blake existed before the other day.
Eric carefully lowered Blake’s legs, then rolled to the side. They had made a pretty good mess of the bed, since it was now stained with cum and lube, but Blake just didn’t have it in him at the moment to care. Besides, he had a feeling they’d just be messing the bed up at least one more time before the night was over.
Eric turned toward him, giving him that smile that had never changed from when they’d been kids. “Hey, why don’t we catch a quick shower and then we can order in some food?”
Running his fingers up his sticky stomach, Blake grunted, “I thought I saw a hot tub in the bathroom, too?”
“Yeah, we’ll use that later. Right after we eat and then you fuck me.”
Now that was a plan Blake could get into. Holding up his hand, he allowed Eric to tug him into the bathroom.
Chapter Five
It was the fifth day of the convention and they’d managed to sneak up to Deke’s room to have a private lunch, which had been no easy feat. Ever since the pictures of him kissing Blake had been blasted all over the internet, Deke’s agent and the show’s producers had been onto him to make some kind of official statement to the press.
Damn it, why couldn’t they just leave his private life alone and separate from his work? Just because he worked for a popular television show shouldn’t mean that his whole life was up for grabs. Yet, it was and he’d even been the one who’d opened up the door that first day by calling all the attention to Blake.
Sure, it had all been to help Blake out and it had helped too—Blake barely had anything left to sell and he was already taking orders to mail out once he got back home—but at the same time Deke had inadvertently thrust his lover into the spotlight and he just hoped that Blake didn’t end up resenting him for it.
They were both lying on their stomachs, naked, while they ate pizza. Deke was using Blake’s back as a plate because it was so much fun to lick the sauce away. They had just finished up when Blake’s cell phone rang.
Deke reached over and snagged it off the nightstand. It was an older model and looked to be one of those pay-as-you-go kinds and it reminded Deke just how much Blake struggled. It made Deke want to take the man under his wing and help him out. In fact, it was something he’d been thinking of a lot in the past few days.
It would be so easy to take Blake back to LA with him. Lord knows Deke had more than enough room and it sounded like Blake wasn’t happy where he was. Plus, once he was in LA, then maybe Blake could make some contacts to further his career or Deke could convince him to go back to college. Sure, Deke would have to pay for it, but he didn’t mind.
Deke let out a sigh. Shit, why didn’t he at least man up and admit it to himself? He wanted more than to shelter Blake. Somehow, even as jaded as he’d become over the past couple of years, he was falling in love with Blake.
It wasn’t one of those love at first sight things, either, because the more time he spent in Blake’s presence, the more Deke remembered the shy, awkward teen Blake had been. Each and every memory that had come back to Deke had only made him fall deeper for Blake, too.
He recalled the time Blake had drawn a sketch of him in the role of Puck. Why he hadn’t remembered it until just then was a true testament at how airheaded Deke had been. It had only been a crude, pencil thing, but even back then it had been so beautiful and shown such promise. Deke had just been about to compliment Blake on it when he had quickly shut the book and ran from the room as some of the other cast members burst in.
How Deke wished he’d chased Blake down and encouraged him to speak up. Maybe then they wouldn’t have lost all that time. But Deke had been so self-centred back then, he’d been too stupid to realise he’d just lost out on the biggest opportunity of his life.
The sound of Blake’s voice drew him out of his musings. Even though Blake had the phone pressed to his ear, his mom’s voice was pretty loud, so Deke could hear both ends of the conversation.
“There were more pictures of you and that zombie guy up on the gossip shows today. I even saw one of them on those magazines in the supermarket stand. He had you against the wall of the elevator and looked like he was trying to suck your brains out of your mouth.”
A blush covered Blake’s face as he rolled his eyes. “We were just kissing, Ma.”
“Yeah, that’s all I said I was doing with your dad and then, boom, up shows a baby Blake nine months later.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue in this case.”
“So, when are you coming home?” she asked.
Deke felt his gut clench as he waited for the response. Damn it, call him selfish, reckless or just stupid-with-love but he didn’t want Blake to go anywhere but back to LA with him.
Blake let out a sigh. “My flight leaves day after tomorrow.”
“The basement’s going to be a bit more crowded when you get back.”
Deke felt Blake tense. “Why is that?”
“I found another stray cat and this one just had a whole bunch of babies last night.”
Somehow, Blake managed to grow tenser. His voice even warbled a bit when he asked, “Where was she when she gave birth to the kittens?”
“On your bed.”
When Blake let out a sou
nd that was equal parts whimper and groan, Deke felt his heart going out to the guy. “That was the only piece of furniture I managed to get out of my apartment. Now I have nothing.”
“It was just a ratty futon. I can put a blanket on it and you won’t even notice the stain. The smell just blends in with everything else down there,” she barked.
When Blake didn’t argue back, it made Deke wonder just how awful the guy’s living arrangements were. It also made him wonder what in the hell kind of a mother would make her kid live like that?
But it seemed that she had one last zinger saved up—“Well, we wouldn’t have been in this situation if your father had stayed, but I kicked him out for not accepting you as you are.”
It was at that moment that Deke heard it. It was something that he’d picked up quickly from his time living in LA, the underlying tone of voice that showed she was hiding something. And not just something small either, but a big thing that would probably change everything to her disadvantage if Blake were to ever find out what it was.
Deke had to bite his tongue to hold back his anger as he heard Blake rush out an apology to his mother. By the time he’d hung up, he even agreed to be the one to scrub up the mess when he got home.
Blake snapped the phone closed and tossed it to the side. “Sorry about that. My mom really gets dramatic when it comes to her cats sometimes.”
“Has she always been that way?” Deke asked, carefully.
“What? Obsessed with cats? Yeah, she would collect a whole bunch of them and always throw such a fit when Dad would finally get pissed and make her get rid of them. Then she would hide out in their bedroom for a week, refusing to talk to anybody until he allowed her to start bringing them home again.”
“How many times did that happen?”
Obviously uneasy with the subject, Blake got up and pulled his pants back on, grabbing a nearby towel to awkwardly wipe off his back. “I don’t know. It happened so often I lost count. It’d been going on since I was a little kid.”
Deke’s suspicions grew. “When was the last time you spoke to your father?”
“When I came out and he told me he wasn’t surprised I ended up that way after the way my mother raised me. He then apologised for not taking me and leaving years ago when he still could have made a real man out of me.”
Blake pulled his shirt on with short, jerky movements. “Look, I know they may not sound like the best parents, but I owe it to them.”
“Owe them what?”
Now fully dressed, Blake wrapped his arms around his stomach and at that moment, he looked so lost, so broken and so hopeless that Deke wanted to protect him more than ever. “What do you mean? I ruined their marriage.”
Deke took a deep breath and decided to be brutally honest and only hoped that it didn’t come back to bitch slap him. “From the sounds of things, their marriage was long over and they both just used you as an excuse to end it. Which, in my way of thinking, is a real shitty thing for them to do to you.”
Deke expected Blake to deny the accusation, or worse, lash out in anger. Instead he seemed to fold into himself even more. “I know, but I still feel like I have to fix it.”
“You need to get away and make a life for yourself. You’re so talented. I know you can go far if you just try.”
Blake glanced up, his gaze empty of all hope. “And just how am I supposed to do that? Sure I had a great week, but once the convention is over I’ll just go back to obscurity and become another one of my mother’s basement dwellers.”
“Come to LA with me,” Deke blurted.
The air in the room seemed to freeze as they stared at each other, Deke holding his breath in anticipation, while Blake’s face was an unreadable mask.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Blake gave him a sad smile. “I wish I could, but then I would just be proving my father right. He said that I’d never make it as an author and if I move in with you and let you take care of me like some kind of gay version of a trophy wife, I’ll just be proving him right. I appreciate the offer and you have no idea how much I wish I could take you up on it, but it’s just not possible.”
Then, before Deke could think up of any further argument, Blake left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Dismayed and at a loss as to what he should do, Deke flopped back on the bed with a moan.
Well, that could have gone much, much better. Shit, why was he always fucking things up as far as Blake was concerned? Deke stayed in that position for a while, wallowing in self-pity until his own cell began to ring, reminding him of his obligations.
Several hours later, Deke was in no better spirits. While he’d been going through the moves, signing autographs, posing for pictures and talking to fans, he couldn’t get the issue of Blake off his mind.
There had to be some way for them to be together and keep Blake from feeling bad about leaving. Damn it, if there was anybody who deserved a happily-ever-after it was Blake. He had worked so hard and was so caring that it was time for life to cut the kid a break, if only for once.
“What is up with you?” Linda whispered.
Even though he knew she could be a blabbermouth, Deke needed to unload on somebody, so he spilled the whole story out for her. For once, Linda didn’t act shallow or privileged. Her eyes even watered up a bit as he explained the confrontation with Blake.
“You can’t let him go back and sleep in cat afterbirth,” she gasped, once Deke was finished.
“First off, eww…what a way to put that, and second, I thought you said he was just some comic book nerd.”
“That was before I knew he was your nerd. Besides, I can tell how much you like him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this much before.”
Maybe so, but at that moment Deke’s heart felt like it was being eaten by a zombie, especially when he glanced over and saw the dejected expression on Blake’s face.
“Oh…my…God…You love him!” Linda accused, like Deke had just committed a capital crime.
“Shhh…” he hissed, glancing around at the press. “Yes, I do.”
“Does he love you?”
Deke thought about that… Did Blake love him or was it just a puppy crush that he’d harboured for years? Then Deke recalled all the shared whispers, caresses and moans over the past few days and he knew that what Blake felt for him was just as strong. “Yes, I think he does.”
“Then you better not fuck it up,” she snapped.
He blinked, surprised at her ferocity and language. “I didn’t know my personal life meant so much to you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please, you’re the only one in the cast who doesn’t resent me for who my parents are and you treat me like just another crew member. That means more to me than you will ever know.”
Deke found himself at a loss for words, while he’d always known the animosity had been there, he’d always assumed that she’d been too shallow to realise it. A wave of guilt came over him as he became painfully aware of how, once again, he’d missed something great that had been standing in front of him. Only this time it had been a true friend.
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How many days do we have until he leaves?”
“Two.”
She smiled that wicked grin of hers that always let Deke know she had some plan cooking. “That’s plenty of time for me to work my magic. Leave everything up to your fairy godmother. I will make sure your pumpkin turns into a coach.”
“You have been watching way too many fairy tale movies lately,” Deke teased.
“Of course I have. That way I can imagine I’m the princess in them,” she replied with a flick of her hair.
Despite himself, Deke felt a smidgen of hope and thanks to Linda of all people. It just showed that a person really couldn’t judge another by a first impression. A mistake that Deke had made twice, but was determined to never make again.
Chapter Six
It was the last day and Deke felt a painful sensation in his chest grow
with each passing second. For what had to be the hundredth time that day, he glanced at the clock, his stomach dropping when he realised he had only half an hour before the convention finally ended. There would be a going-away party, but Blake wouldn’t be attending because he’d booked an earlier flight.
Linda had been absent most of the day, and Deke found himself jumping to her defence more than once when another cast member grumbled over her receiving preferential treatment.
Looking over at where Blake’s table had been, Deke found only an empty space, much like his hopes were becoming. Blake had left a while before to pack and get ready to leave. To return to his emotionally abusive mother, a gaggle of cats, and that god-forsaken futon.
Then a horrible thought seized him as Deke realised why Blake had left a few minutes early.
Damn it all, but he’s trying to avoid saying goodbye. By leaving without seeing him again, Blake was trying to avoid the whole I love you but we can’t ever be together spiel.
“Fuck that,” Deke said as he shot to his feet.
When he bounded from the stage, he heard some cast members calling his name, but he didn’t look back. They could sic every assistant, zombie and paparazzi on his ass, but there was no way he was going back.
He rushed to the entrance just in time to see that his suspicions had been correct. Blake stood at the front door, his tattered duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
“Where are you going?” Deke shouted, attracting the attention of just about everybody in the vicinity.
Blake jerked his head up, his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like Deke felt, so torn and lost. He still managed to give Deke a ghost of a smile. “I figured I’d get to the airport early, so I don’t miss my flight.”
Desperate for more time, Deke took a step forward. “Don’t go. Please.”
The smile slipped from Blake’s lips as his face crumpled a brief moment. Ever the trooper, he quickly composed himself and ran a hand through his hair, messing up the red and black spikes.
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