A Royal Secret

by Jerry Cole

  Steve shrugged. “Not really. There’s always someone with us, or we end up just having coffee on campus. I mean a real, proper date.”

  “All right,” Bobby said, even though Steve could see a touch of hesitation on his face.

  “You don’t have to,” Steve said. “I don’t want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable.”

  Bobby shifted so he could rest his chin on Steve’s chest, brow furrowed, and he sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It just…I’ve never been one for that kind of stuff, you know? I want to spend time with you, just us. I know maybe you want that.”

  Steve pressed a finger to Bobby’s lips, hand brushing through Bobby’s hair. He scratched at the crown of Bobby’s head, trying to find the right words. “I just want you, Bobby, however you want to be with me.”

  Bobby’s smile was worth not getting to show him off in public, and Steve immediately tugged him down for another kiss, hand sliding across the back of Bobby’s head, tangling his fingers into the strands of hair. Steve could feel Bobby’s body shifting, and Steve opened his legs enough for Bobby to settle against him. Bobby groaned in the back of his throat, hands fisting in Steve’s shirt. There was a lot of tongue, the clash of teeth, and soft noises and moans.

  It could have moved onto something more, and Steve would have been happy to do so, but Bobby didn’t seem inclined to do anything more than make out. Steve smiled against Bobby’s mouth, hand sliding up under Bobby’s shirt, tracing the knobs of his spine, the curve of his back. Bobby moaned, eyes sliding closed as his teeth grazed Steve’s bottom lip, tugging and nipping.

  Steve was getting into it, hips rolling slowly up against Bobby’s, and Bobby huffed a laugh.

  “You thinking of getting hot and heavy right now?”

  “Nope,” Steve said slowly, scratching lightly at Bobby’s scalp.

  Bobby ducked back in for another kiss, only for the door to slam open, and Jamie, Sam, Helena and Noah to tumble into the house.

  “What the fuck,” Sam said. “On the couch?”

  Bobby groaned, dropping his head to Steve’s chest. “We’re just making out.”

  “Gross,” Helena said primly, dropping onto the floor in front of the couch. She had a bag in her hands, and she tipped out a load of chocolate and popcorn onto the floor.

  “Seriously? Did someone organize movie night and not tell me?” Bobby sat back, shifting over Steve’s lap, and looking put out.

  Noah was squinting at him. “What did you say?”

  “Turn your hearing aid on, idiot,” Jamie said, kicking his ankle.

  “Hey,” Noah pouted. “I had to turn it off because someone was singing terribly in the car.”

  “That was Sam,” Helena pointed out.

  “Sorry, did you say you were responsible?” Noah asked, but he was fiddling with the hearing aids anyway.

  Steve rolled his eyes. His friend group had extended to include Noah and Helena, and it was a good thing; now that he knew Jamie and Helena were dating, he could see why. Helena was extremely standoffish, unless she was around Jamie or Bobby, in which case Steve could see the softness about her. Jamie had a romantic and adorable streak a mile wide, and Steve was enjoying teasing him about it.

  “We also got more soda,” Jamie said, holding up the bottles.

  Steve sighed, resigned to not making out with Bobby anymore. He and Bobby moved around each other, sitting side by side on the couch, Steve with an arm over Bobby’s shoulders, both of them slouched against each other. “Suppose we’ll be ordering pizza as well?”

  There was a chorus of agreements, and Bobby leaned in, voice pitched low. “Guess it’s a good idea we didn’t plan to go out.”

  Steve hummed, non-committal. It still would have been nice to go out, and maybe if their friends knew, they would be apologetic and let them go, but Steve was already content with his relationship, and he would honor what Bobby wanted—and that was to spend time with Steve and Steve alone.

  “So,” Sam said, sitting in the chair next to the couch. He kicked Steve in the shin, and Steve glared in return. “Are you gonna be taking pictures of us tonight?”

  “Fuck off,” Steve said good-naturedly. “I already told you, Bobby is my only subject.”

  Noah shrugged. “Just means we have to continually hang out with Bobby.”

  Bobby made a dissatisfied noise, and Steve made sure they all knew exactly how he felt about that. Jamie was laughing at them, but Helena socked him in the arm.

  “I don’t think I could handle that, actually,” she said, tipping her head back to blow Bobby a kiss.

  Bobby pretended to accept it but stuck his tongue out at the back of her head.

  “Childish,” Helena said, her voice more song than tone.

  They lapsed into gentle ribbing and joking as they sorted out pizza toppings, snacks, and drinks. Noah and Jamie argued over which movie they were going to watch, and Sam and Helena fought with the microwave, something Steve had been meaning to replace for ages.

  “Well this is fun,” Steve said sarcastically.

  “Sorry,” Bobby muttered, pressing a kiss to Steve’s jaw. “I know this isn’t what we planned.”

  Steve shrugged, smiling gently. “I’m here with you, that makes it worth it.”

  The softness on Bobby’s face had Steve’s heart clenching and he breathed out slowly. Bobby’s hand touched his face, drawing him in and kissing him slowly. Steve closed his eyes, mindful of their friends in the same room, but Bobby didn’t care.

  “Five minutes,” Helena muttered.

  “Fuck you,” Bobby said, against Steve’s mouth, and then dived right back in for another kiss.

  “I have to find a girlfriend,” Sam said.

  “You and me both, man,” Noah sighed.

  “Good luck with that.” Jamie yelled as he avoided the kick Sam aimed at his ass and shuffled around to start a stupid fight that would no doubt spill into everyone else.

  “Why do we have friends like this?” Steve asked, pressing his forehead against Bobby’s.

  Bobby laughed, shrugging, “Dunno. Maybe we should reconsider.”

  “Neither of you would have anywhere to live,” Noah pointed out helpfully.

  “Point.” Steve sat back in the couch, tugging out his cell phone and calling through to the pizza parlor. “I’m ordering pizza. Stop fighting.”

  With the pizza order given, and everyone settled on the floor, Steve tugged the money out of his pocket and shoved it at Jamie, their designated tipper. Bobby was hovering over Helena’s phone, pointing at something on the screen, and as Steve sat back against him, he rested a hand at the base of Bobby’s spine, stroking gently. Bobby reached behind him, tugging on Steve’s wrist until he could get his hand in Steve’s.

  It was dumb, something small and ridiculous that shouldn’t have Steve grinning like an idiot, but apparently, he wasn’t beyond the little things making him ridiculously happy.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Professor Taylor’s office was always busy, but Steve managed to get a slot with him on a Wednesday afternoon. It meant cutting his coffee date with Bobby short, but when he’d confessed as much, Bobby had kissed him, told him college was more important, and stole a promise from Steve to meet up after classes instead.

  The apartment was empty—definitely empty, Steve wasn’t making that mistake again—and Steve was looking forward to a night of lavishing attention on Bobby, and maybe even getting some sex out of it.

  Shaking those thoughts off, because Steve didn’t want to be sitting outside his professor’s office with a hardon. The appointments were running over, and Steve’s coffee had been drained a while ago. The clock on the wall was going torturously slowly, but eventually the door to Taylor’s office opened and the previous student came out. She had tears on her face, and Steve felt bad for cursing her ten minutes before. Her issues were clearly worse than Steve’s.

  “Come and see me if you need to, Lisa.” Taylor turned to Steve. “Steve, plea
se come in.”

  Collecting his sketchbook and portfolio, Steve entered the small, cluttered office and took the seat opposite Taylor’s desk.

  “I’m glad you agreed to do the show,” Taylor said, sitting in his chair. It looked a hell of a lot more comfortable than the ones Steve had sat in for the last half an hour. “I think we’ll have a great turnout.”

  “I wish I had as much confidence as you,” Steve said wryly.

  Professor Taylor rolled his eyes. “You’d think after two years, you’d have some regard for how good your work is. Your friends seem inclined to let me know at every opportunity.”

  What?

  “Um,” Steve said. “I didn’t realize they’d been speaking to you.”

  Taylor shuffled some of the papers on his desk and peered at Steve over the top of his glasses. “A Bobby and a Jamie both came to see me. Together, I think, and told me I should try harder to convince you to agree to the show.”

  Steve groaned. “I’m so sorry about that, sir.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Taylor said immediately. “You should be glad you have friends who view your work the same way I do. Of course, I can’t pressure you.”

  “They wore me down,” Steve admitted. “And Bobby’s decided as my main subject, that he gets to tell everyone he can about it.”

  Taylor laughed. “I’d noticed all of your sketches were of the same person, and I thought I recognized him. It’s not every day you get students who have nothing to do with your major requesting a meeting.”

  Steve ducked his head. “I wanted to talk to you about my sketches, actually. Professor Heller told me yesterday she thought one of my photographs was good enough to be used in the pamphlet you give out to prospective students?”

  “Ah, yes,” Taylor sat back in his chair, hand to his chin. “The Engineering Department are heralding Mr. Connors as one of their brightest students. They want his photo in the pamphlet, and your photo happened to cross their desk.”

  Happened, Steve thought. Sure. “I wasn’t sure if it was allowed, given I had already sketched it for your class?”

  “It’s perfectly fine,” Taylor said with a shrug. “It shouldn’t harm the final show, and might draw people in, actually.”

  “Oh.” Steve still wasn’t sure he wanted his photos in the pamphlet so soon, especially because the shot they wanted was one of his more private ones. Bobby had been putting shit together in his apartment, and Steve had only dropped in for an hour or two, but he hadn’t been able to resist taking the photo.

  Taylor seemed to pick up on his predicament, because he leaned on the desk, folding his hands together. “Steve, you don’t have to continue with us. I was in the same situation as you once. I know it can be difficult to put your work on display, but none of this would be happening if your work wasn’t phenomenal.”

  “Thanks,” Steve said quietly. “All right. I think I’ll let Professor Heller do it. I appreciate you seeing me.”

  “Anytime, and I mean that.” Taylor stood to see him out of the room, and though Steve still had some reservations, he allowed himself to be ushered out, knowing that at least he had made one decision about his work.

  Bobby was waiting outside of the faculty building, and Steve grinned. “You done with classes?”

  “Nope,” Bobby said, leaning in for a kiss. “I have a break between lectures, and I thought I’d come and see what my talented boyfriend decided?”

  Steve huffed a laugh and rested his portfolio between his legs. “I’m gonna email Heller and tell her to put the photo in.”

  Bobby laughed, delighted, and leaned in for a kiss. “My picture will be in the campus pamphlet after all.”

  “I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Steve said, pretending to think about it. “Stoking that ego wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “Pity.” Bobby checked his watch and sighed. “I wish I had more time to debate it, gorgeous, but I don’t. I’ll see you at the fountain after classes.”

  Steve nodded, kissing Bobby once more before he jogged off across the campus. It was a long walk back to the subway, and a pain in the ass with his sketchbook and portfolio, so Steve decided to sit outside. It was a nice enough day that he could commandeer one of the benches for himself.

  The sketchbook called to him before too long, and he set it on his knees, pencils by his side, and started drawing. It wouldn’t hurt to have some work that wasn’t Bobby orientated, and besides, it had always been the best way to pass the time.

  Deep into the sketchbook, Steve was distracted enough he didn’t notice Bobby coming up behind him until he felt Bobby’s hands on his shoulders. Jumping, Steve blew out a breath, and Bobby sighed.

  “Sorry, babe,” Bobby said, sliding onto the bench next to him. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Steve grinned, shuffling the sketchbook closer onto his lap. “It’s fine. Classes all right?”

  Bobby peered over Steve’s arm to look at the sketchbook, and Steve didn’t bother to hide it. He always showed Bobby his sketches, and besides, the look of awe and appreciation on Bobby’s face was always worth the nervousness.

  “Wow, babe, that’s amazing.”

  Steve swallowed and shrugged, trying to hide his face a little. “It’s all right.”

  “More than,” Bobby pressed. He leaned over Steve, chin nestled on Steve’s shoulder, eyes on the sketchbook. “You’re a natural at this drawing thing.”

  “Almost as natural as you with engineering?”

  Bobby laughed self-deprecatingly. “Sure.”

  “If I have to accept compliments,” Steve said, turning to kiss Bobby on his cheek, “then so do you.”

  It took a moment for Bobby to shrug and agree, but eventually he did, wrapping an arm around Steve’s shoulder and hanging there, while Steve finished off his sketch. He seemed content to wait, even though Steve was hungry, so he could assume Bobby was as well.

  “That looks amazing,” Bobby said, when Steve was done. “If people don’t appreciate your sketching and photographs at your show, I’ll have to have words.

  Steve shut the sketchbook, tipping his head back against Bobby’s shoulder. Bobby brushed a hand through his hair. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get dinner and cuddle on the couch.”

  The subway was as packed as Steve thought it would be, but with Bobby next to him, it was slightly more bearable. The portfolio was between them, propped up against Steve’s legs, and a couple of people almost knocked into it. When Bobby glared at them, Steve smothered his laugh in Bobby’s neck.

  “What’s so funny?” Bobby said.

  “So protective of my work,” Steve said.

  Bobby shrugged. “If they respected personal space as well as property, we’d all be fine.”

  He said the last a little louder than necessary and Steve winced. God, they were going to get punched or kicked off or something. Bobby rolled his eyes when Steve said as much. “Relax, we’re good.”

  They were; with no more incidents, Steve and Bobby made it back to Steve’s apartment. They dumped their stuff, and Bobby yelled something about a shower, and would Steve join him? Steve would, but he needed to order dinner first. They had nothing in the apartment thanks to having to feed more than just three mouths most days, but when he slipped into the shower, he grinned at the sight of a naked Bobby, glistening wet, hair slicked back against his forehead.

  “Hi,” Bobby said, eyes closed but smiling.

  “Hi,” Steve said, darting in for a kiss before grabbing the shampoo. Bobby would never say so aloud, but he always loved having someone wash his hair. The first time they’d showered together, Steve had started by accident, brushing his hands through Bobby’s hair, and Bobby had moaned so hard Steve had discovered Bobby’s love of having his hair played with.

  Massaging Bobby’s scalp, Steve wasn’t surprised when Bobby leaned against him, making soft noises in the back of his throat, hands loose at Steve’s waist. “How are you so good at that?”

  “You just think I am,�
� Steve offered, making sure Bobby’s hair was shampooed well. “When you love the feel of this, anything would be good.”

  “Nope,” Bobby slurred, obediently tipping his head back when Steve guided him into the water. “Only works when it’s you.”

  Shit. Steve swallowed down whatever words he might have said, concentrated on washing out the suds and rinsing Bobby’s hair clean. “There.”

  “I love you,” Bobby said, leaning in for a kiss.

  “Love you too,” Steve said.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “The pamphlet came!” Jamie yelled as he came into the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

  Steve winced. He was sure their neighbors were going to start getting pissed off at them if they continued to be so loud.

  Jamie tossed the pamphlet in his lap, and Steve flicked through it until he got to the Engineering Department section. There, center page, was Steve’s picture of Bobby. There was a small blurb he assumed Bobby had written, and all in all, it wasn’t a bad spread.

  “Look who’s famous,” Sam said, leaning over his shoulder to look. “That’s actually a pretty good picture.”

  “Thanks,” Steve said, shaking his head. He wondered whether Bobby had seen it yet. As if summoned, Steve’s phone started to vibrate against the arm of the couch, and Steve wasn’t surprised to see Bobby’s name on the screen. “Hey.”

  “Look at you, photographs in official print,” Bobby said immediately, sounding proud. Steve hated that he couldn’t see Bobby’s face but felt satisfied that he knew him well enough to hear the different tones in his voice.

  Sam looked at him. “Is that Bobby? Looking handsome, man!”

  Steve shoved Sam away, but could hear Bobby laughing on the end of the line. “Thanks, Sam.”

  “He says thanks,” Steve snapped, and then sighed. “It’s all right.”

  “Do I have to come over there?” Bobby muttered something and then louder, “Helena says she’ll kick your ass.”

  Steve snorted. “I appreciate my own work.”

  “Good,” Bobby said, sounding satisfied, and Steve could hear Helena’s bright laughter in the background. “Hard to believe you’ll be famous.”