by Con Riley
Maybe it should have been weird talking to a new lover about his previous partner. Perhaps that worry flickered across Theo’s face. Morgan’s voice was calm and certain.
“I would have told you that I was jealous, and I would have told you that you were lucky, Theo. So lucky. I love that you didn’t break up. I love that you made a real life together. It makes me want to believe that good luck happens sometimes.” They kissed for a while before he added, “I particularly like that you’re such an easy lay.”
Theo had looked across at Morgan and told him then that he should stay. It had been that easy. They lay in bed, fingers tangled, and decided to be together.
Standing just inside the doorway of Morgan’s apartment, watching as he turned slowly around, holding the few things that mattered to him with a face as pale as the paintwork, Theo wondered exactly what he’d done to deserve getting so lucky twice.
MORGAN was loading his belongings into the trunk of Theo’s car when his phone rang. Theo’s chimed at almost the same time.
“It’s Evan,” Theo said.
“Joel.” Morgan looked at his cell phone, then answered, “Hey, Joel,” maintaining eye contact with Theo the whole time. Theo took Evan’s call, noticing the shadows under Morgan’s eyes. They hadn’t slept much. He wondered if he would need much persuading to take a nap when they got home. Crawling back into bed seemed like a great plan. Evan’s voice dragged him out of the moment.
“Give Joel his job back.” Theo could picture Evan’s expression: Deadly serious—all sharp angles and narrowed eyes.
“Hi, Evan, how pleasant to hear from you,” he teased.
“Oh, quit it. Just give him his job back already.” His voice softened as he added, “We get it. We understand you thought Joel did something wrong, but he didn’t, did he? Are you with Adam right now?”
Theo sighed. Joel had done everything right.
“Yes, we’re together. I need to talk to Joel, I guess.”
Evan agreed. Theo could half hear Joel in the background talking with Morgan, who leaned against Theo’s car, nodding and smiling as he listened. “This would all be so much easier in person. Where are you right now?” After a quick discussion, they agreed to meet at Theo’s place.
Morgan slid into the passenger seat, leaning over for a kiss, asking, “How long do we have?” His smile made Theo’s chest feel tight.
“Probably not long enough.” He guessed they were both thinking about the same thing.
Morgan had woken Theo at around 5 a.m., kissing him into consciousness, sucking his way across his shoulders. He’d kept his eyes shut for a while, thinking he must be dreaming. Where he was more used to cool, empty sheets, Morgan was all solid warmth, his hot erection pressed firmly up against Theo’s ass.
Turning over and wrapping his arms around him had been easy, and that’s how their first slow, still-sleepy sex had turned out. What could have been tense and fraught with first-time nerves had actually been slow and smooth and so easy between them. Morgan had whimpered against his neck, leg hitched over Theo’s hip as Theo slowly touched him, fingers slick with lube he’d applied in the dim pre-dawn light. Morgan had hitched his leg a little higher, pushing down as Theo slid a finger in. They sighed into each other’s mouths as they lay on their sides while Theo pressed and stroked Morgan into a shoulder-clutching mess.
Morgan’s voice had been hoarse as he urged, “I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready,” and he rolled onto his other side while Theo gloved up. This time Morgan lifted his leg and hooked his hand behind his own knee, making space, thrusting back as Theo slipped into position. When he whispered, “Do it,” Theo did, arm wrapping around Morgan’s chest, holding him close, feeling his heart race after the first slow, almost awkward, too-tight shove in. Theo gasped, while Morgan let out a long, low groan.
“Tell me when.” Theo pressed kisses everywhere he could reach, licking salt from Morgan’s shoulders, holding on tight, trying not to thrust when thrusting was all he wanted to do. Feeling the shake in Morgan’s raised leg, he guided it back to lie along his own, and Morgan leaned against him, slipping his foot behind Theo’s calf, letting him take his weight.
Theo pulled back a little after Morgan let out a breathless, “Okay, okay, I’m good.” And his first full fuck into Morgan was slow and hot and the sweetest constriction he ever remembered feeling. Morgan grunted—a deep, guttural noise that rumbled through the palm Theo pressed over his chest. When Theo hesitated, Morgan turned, neck awkwardly twisted, ass pushing back.
“Do that again.”
Theo did. Morgan’s body held onto his cock as he pulled back some, then gave, yielded, relaxed around him as he pushed in.
“And again.”
They took it easy at the start. Theo was shaking, sweat beading his forehead as he followed Morgan’s excruciatingly slow lead.
“Just there, again. Yeah, yeah. Like that. Just like that.”
Soon Morgan was struggling into a different position, reaching back and clamping one hand on Theo’s ass, pulling him with him as he sprawled on his front. His pillow-muffled “Faster, do me faster” made Theo nudge Morgan’s legs open wider. In the thin, pale light of dawn, he could just make out his own constant, surging hip roll reflected in the mirrored closet door, as well as Morgan’s hand gripping the mattress edge, his knuckles almost luminous white.
When Theo pulled up on Morgan’s hips, he rose willingly, shoving himself back on Theo’s cock, making the kind of sounds that set off sparks somewhere inside Theo.
“My dick…. Hold my dick.” Theo reached around. He curved his hips lower, the change in angle making Morgan yelp, the sound sharp and desperate. His cock was a hot, heavy weight in Theo’s firm grip, and he buried his face in the pillows as Theo let him go to plow him, over and over and over. When Morgan came, it was sudden, one moment fucking as much as getting fucked, the next shouting, “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”
Theo fucked him through it, eyes clamped shut, hands biting into Morgan’s hips as he hung on desperately. When he couldn’t hang on any longer, and came—blinded and voiceless—Morgan reached back and held onto the back of his thigh, grounding him. They ended up slumped, chests heaving, hands searching for each other’s, then holding on tight.
“Yeah,” Theo sighed almost in synchrony with Morgan as they looked across at each other. He put the car in gear, thinking that there was no way in hell they had time for doing that again before his interns arrived.
When Morgan spoke, he echoed Theo’s own thoughts perfectly.
“Some things are too good to rush.”
IT WAS only awkward for a while when Joel and Evan arrived, bearing beer and chips. Theo guided Joel into the kitchen, while Evan headed into the living room, following the sound of sports fans cheering.
Theo put their beer in the refrigerator, pulling two out for his guests and grabbing some water for himself and Morgan. When he turned around, Joel stood just inside the kitchen door, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. For a moment, Theo caught a glimpse of how he’d look as a much older man. His gaze was direct, his jaw firm. Instead of his usual combination of plain with a hint of cute, he looked straightforwardly handsome. His focus was very attractive, if not a little intimidating.
Theo felt all of twelve years old, just like he had the one and only time he attempted to lie his way out of trouble in front of his father. It had been such a dumb thing to lie about, a kid thing so inconsequential that he couldn’t even recall the details. He just remembered his dad’s direct stare and utter, complete, protracted silence. He learned from that experience that sometimes it was better to admit right away when he was in the wrong.
“I’m sorry I fired you. I hope you know that, Joel.”
Joel nodded slowly.
“I was in a bad place, which had absolutely nothing to do with you at all.”
Joel nodded again, almost unblinking.
“I thought, mistakenly it turned out, that Morgan was your age. We had become ve
ry close. We built a real friendship. I guess I imagined him as my age, so that came as quite a shock.”
Joel frowned.
“It’s not that there’s anything wrong with your age. No, not at all. I just had a different mental picture, and age gaps haven’t worked out so well for me in the past….”
“How old is he exactly? What do you know about him? What does he do?” Joel interrupted.
“He’s twenty-eight. He translates things—documents, books, legal stuff—whatever people pay him to do.” Theo frowned, adding, “I thought you’d know that already.” Joel pursed his lips, frowning right back at him.
“Our paths only crossed at the shelter a few times.” Joel leaned back on the kitchen door, forcing it shut with a firm click.
“But you knew him well enough to go skating?” Morgan had mentioned that he didn’t know Joel all that well, but he guessed they must have been fairly comfortable with each other to share their leisure time.
“He helped me out with Evan. We got chatting one day about how people hide behind perceptions. A lot of people who come through the shelter do that. They’re just the drunk, the addict, the business failure. We all do it, I guess, when it suits us.” He sat on one of the stools at the counter. “Those Daly boys are the good sons.” He made air quotes as he said it. “Adam… sorry, Morgan had a lot to say about the subject.”
Joel looked at the counter for a minute before accepting the beer Theo passed his way.
“Did you know that Evan would only come out with us if Heather pretended to be his date?” He nodded at Theo’s incredulous expression. “It’s true. Adam was right on the money. I told him about the way Evan was—half encouraging me, half pushing me away—and he bet me that Evan was trying to fit someone else’s perception. He thinks people do that if they’re really scared. That’s the worst thing about working at the shelter: knowing people’s secrets. Sometimes you can even see them on their skin, but you can’t help them until they ask.”
Theo couldn’t imagine Evan being scared of much; he was small but so fucking feisty.
“I asked Evan out a hundred times before he told me that he couldn’t let his mom down. How fucked up is that? Aiden’s just the same.”
“Aiden’s gay?” Theo was only half surprised. He’d been almost too overwhelmed with Evan’s fashion advice to acknowledge the speculative nature of the taller Daly’s interest when they first met at his store. The second time he’d been so pissed with Theo, he’d been frightening.
“I have no idea what Aiden is or isn’t. He’s an enigma, all right. I just know that they are terrified of letting her down. We all have issues, I guess.” He took a long pull from his bottle before adding, “So you thought Adam… Morgan was older? Then you thought he was younger? Turns out he’s somewhere in the middle, right? Maybe you should figure out if you have any other preconceptions about him, Theo. Just because you knew each other online doesn’t mean you truly know each other, right?” Joel stood, then headed for the door before turning back.
“Can I come back to work on Monday?” Theo blinked at him, trying to take in what he just said. “I promise not to make out in the archive room again.” His smile was pure Joel—huge and infectious. Theo nodded, and Joel crossed the kitchen quickly, shaking his hand before saying, “I’m sorry you were upset. If I’d known what the problem was, I would have helped you two hook up earlier. Just take it easy, Theo. People come to the shelter for lots of different reasons….” He shrugged. “Maybe you should ask Morgan about his reasons.”
Theo thought about that as he wiped away the condensation ring left by Joel’s beer bottle and emptied chips into a bowl. He didn’t really need to ask Morgan what he was doing at the shelter. He knew enough about his belief in walking a mile in other people’s shoes. It made complete sense that he’d reach out to people in need. The man might be an Internet debate-forum nightmare but he had a huge heart in real life.
Huge.
He headed to the living room, ignoring Morgan’s bags and carton scattered by the front door, nearly tripping over his shoes, grateful instead for his steadying hand on his hip and quick assistance as Morgan took the bowl from him. Evan got up from his spot on the couch, where he’d been talking with Morgan, and headed to where Joel sat, perching on the arm of his chair. Morgan’s hand was warm when it rested casually on Theo’s thigh.
He sat back, listening as Evan quizzed Morgan—interrogated might have been a more apt descriptor—about his occupation, with particular interest in his work doing verbal translations.
“I mostly do written translation work, but I do verbal stuff also. It’s just harder to bill, so I avoid it. I’m on the list of translators for student welfare at WSU and at Seattle Children’s Hospital. If they get inquiries or emergencies, I get called. It just depends on the language and the issue. I’m not interested in talking business in any language, to be honest, but if someone’s in trouble, it’s cool to be able to help.”
That summed Morgan up. He would help anyone if he could. Theo felt badly for not volunteering to help others himself. He and Ben had been pretty wrapped up with each other and their close friends, he guessed. Maybe that was something he could learn from Morgan. He slipped his hand over Morgan’s, lacing their fingers together.
As they chatted some more, Evan asked if Morgan would talk with his brother. He constantly had issues with foreign suppliers, Evan said. Maybe Morgan could point him in the direction of a service that could help him? When he asked which languages Morgan spoke, Theo listened carefully. They still had such huge gaps in what they knew about each other.
“Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French are the languages I work in. My Cantonese is pretty much verbal only, and the same goes for German.” He shrugged. “I have no idea why people find that impressive. Some people play a lot of instruments. It just means I can argue about shit in lots of different countries.” Theo squeezed his hand. “And I get paid to spend all day lazing in bed with my laptop.” He stretched hugely, extravagantly, yawning and sliding his arm around Theo.
Joel’s laughter rang out. “Smooth move, dude. We can take a hint. Come on, babe.” He pulled Evan into his lap, catching him by surprise, kissing him quickly before standing. “I’ll see you tomorrow, boss?”
Theo nodded, smiling, grateful for yet another second chance.
His interns smiled right back.
They said goodbye, Theo seeing them out, then watching from the living room window with Morgan right beside him as they crossed the lot. Joel’s hand was constantly on Evan—his shoulder, his ass, the small of his back—while they walked. When they got to Evan’s car, he looked around before wrapping his hand around Joel’s neck. His kiss was quick, fierce, and dirty.
Morgan’s voice was a low, warm rumble in his ear. “It’s wrong how hot that was, right?”
Theo nodded. “Yes, very wrong.” They watched as Evan opened the car door and climbed in, leaving Joel blinking and looking dazed. Theo shut his own eyes at the first slick slide of Morgan’s tongue on his neck.
Blinking and dazed: Theo knew exactly how Joel felt.
Chapter 19
THEO’S commute seemed easier than usual on Monday. Every stoplight turned green as he approached, and for once even the office elevator stood empty and waiting for him. He’d left Morgan in bed, and nothing seemed weird about leaving someone he’d only known for a few days—in real life at least—alone in his home. He’d returned to his bedroom after eating breakfast, spare set of keys in hand, to find Morgan with his face burrowed into the rumpled white cotton of Theo’s pillowcase, hugging it like he’d hugged Theo just half an hour before.
Theo knelt at the side of the bed, asking, “Are you really sniffing my pillow?”
Morgan’s “Yeah” had been muffled—soft and breathy—so completely unlike his usual voice that Theo leaned in a little closer.
“Are you asleep?”
“Oh, yeah.” This time Morgan turned and stretched like some exotic wildcat—all conca
ve stomach, arched back, and lean grace, before rolling back over Theo’s pillow again, leg hitched. Theo pulled the sheet—reluctantly—over his ass, then slid his hands across Morgan’s back, making him almost purr. Against the stark white cotton, his skin looked creamy. It was hard to believe that it had been marred by bruises the first time he saw Morgan at the shelter. That seemed like a lifetime ago.
Morgan’s eyelashes looked too heavy to lift. They barely opened as he mumbled, “See you later?” Theo nodded as he kissed him good-bye. He hadn’t even left for work yet, and already he couldn’t wait to come home.
He drove to his office thinking how right it felt leaving Morgan at home sprawled across his bed, snoring softly as he quietly shut the bedroom door. He guessed that a more rational person—Maggie, for example—might have a lot to say about how dumb it was to leave his house open to someone he hardly knew. But he just felt calm, as if the tension he’d carried for over a year was slowly but surely unwinding from around his ribs.
He wasn’t entirely naïve; he didn’t expect everything to go smoothly between them. He still clearly remembered aspects of transitioning into his first serious relationship with Ben. Some of that shit had been tough, catching him by surprise, making him question his twenty-something judgment at the time.
Theo’s first year with Ben—which had been a blur of organizing Ben’s immigration, finishing up grad school, relocating back up to Seattle, and settling into his new job—had been so busy that simple things about their new life together often surprised him. He’d step out of the shower sometimes, still half asleep, and be startled to find Ben brushing his teeth. Things that became dear and familiar the longer they were together, like the curve of Ben’s spine as he bent over the basin, seemed foreign and unfamiliar then.
Sometimes he’d felt a little awkward, shy even. Ben already had an adult history. He’d already had a live-in partner. Everything that was brand-new to Theo seemed to come so easily to Ben because he’d done most things already. Ben made the everyday adjustments of learning to live together seem like a comfortable coat he was shrugging back into, approaching problems with gentle amusement rather than frustration or bad temper.
