by Max Hudson
“Sorry,” Noah said quickly. “You smell nice. I didn't mean to just shove my nose into you.”
“Believe me, I don't mind at all, you shoving your nose into me.”
“Sorry, I just...” He chuckled and shrugged. “What is it?”
“Señuelo del Dragón. It's the lure of the dragon. Do you like it?”
“That's a silly question.”
Ari smirked. “I just wanted to confirm.”
“Well, I do. I like it a lot. It suits you.”
“It reminds me of the dry earth of the graveyard I used to wander in during my youth.”
Noah chuckled. “You were just the most typical sort of Goth kid, huh?”
“Am I meeting your expectations?”
“Oh, you've far exceeded them.”
Ari grinned. “How delightful.”
“Do you see any you like?”
“Oh, I see plenty.”
Noah laughed, his nostrils flaring as he huffed bashfully and turned to point his reddening cheeks in a different direction. The patch sprouted with activity, families roaming up and down the extended rows of pumpkins as well as groups of teenagers flocking toward the hayride.
When he turned back to Ari, he was still red in the face, but feeling more confident about showing it.
“You're cute,” he said. “But I meant the pumpkins.”
“Right, the pumpkins.”
“Do you like any of them?”
Ari shrugged. “I like all of them, especially the ones that don't appear like most typical pumpkins.”
“You mean ones that aren't normal?”
“You know I detest such filthy language.”
Noah cackled as he took Ari's hand, tugging Ari toward another group of pumpkins growing nearby. He lifted a miniature pumpkin that fit perfectly in both of his hands. He raised it up for Ari to inspect, prickling with excitement when Ari cupped his hands.
The warmth growing between their fingers shocked Noah, alerted him to Ari's proximity, shocked him in ways he wasn't sure were excitement or pure terror.
What else is affection made of but bits of pleasure and fear? he considered. I haven't been touched by a man in years. This is the first time I'm really getting to know someone new. It's scary. And if I told him about it, he would probably say he understands.
“Are you alright?”
He lifted his brows, realizing his vision had gone hazy in his poorly timed reflection.
“Sorry,” he sighed. “I do that sometimes.”
“You don't have to be sorry for being yourself.”
He smirked. “Thanks.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Oh, just...stuff.”
“That's usually code word for 'secret.'”
Noah chuckled. “Yeah, it's just stuff.”
“I understand. You don't have to tell me.”
“You're so sweet. It's ridiculous.”
Ari laughed. “Am I supposed to be any other way?”
“Well, I suppose it goes back to my earlier statement of you exceeding my expectations.”
“It sounds like you're used to a certain type of man.”
Noah shrugged lightly. “In a way, yeah.”
“Oh, hey—look.”
Ari pointed to a set of bushes that appeared to shroud a secret path. His eyes were sparkling as he glanced back at Noah, his smirk posing his question before he could.
Noah returned the smile. “I would love an adventure.”
“Let's check it out.”
Static buzzed in Noah's gut as he followed Ari to the shrubs, part of it tangled by a briar patch. Ari carefully parted the jagged branches, the leaves rustling together and the stems crackling slightly as he made a path for Noah to pass. Noah slipped into the shadows. He blinked until his eyes adjusted to the lower light, focusing on a few circular patches of moonlight that trickled through the crowded trees.
The path wound away from the farm, leading to a pocket-sized clearing with an oval-shaped pond occupying most of the area. Noah followed the line of trees around the clearing with his eyes, noting the thickness and extravagance of the branches concealing them from prying eyes. He turned his smirk to Ari who gestured to a space of dirt located just in front of the pond.
Ripples of moonlight danced over the murky surface. Nearby, the sound of the late-night revelers could be heard, but Noah knew he and Ari were alone. He could feel the sensational tingle crawling up his spine of this knowledge, the sudden cool awareness that he had this space solely to himself with Ari.
“Here...” Ari offered his sweater to the chilly earth. “You don't want to ruin your jeans.”
“I don't care if I do.”
Ari focused on Noah, his eyes wide as Noah drew close. Noah snaked his arm around the back of Ari's neck and drew Ari into him. He parted his lips to taste Ari, moaning with soft satisfaction as Ari's kiss tickled him from his lips down to the patch of skin just beneath his naval. A deep urge to drag Ari down to the ground overwhelmed him and he found himself doing just that.
There were no witnesses to prompt his hesitation. He fused his fingers with Ari's hair, exploring the complex strands that were as soft as Ari's lips. The gentle nudge of Ari's thigh against his budding erection inspired the tingle in his gut to shift into a sharp ache. It throttled him into action, causing his shaking hands to slither down Ari's shirt to find the zipper of Ari's jeans.
As he fumbled in the moon-speckled darkness, he felt Ari shift. Ari dragged curious fingers down his jawline only to pause at his chin. He felt Ari's lips dip to the curve of his throat and sighed, arching his back as Ari's hand dipped south to hem of his sweater.
He shivered when Ari's cool fingers met the warm skin of his right side. Goosebumps developed in the wake of Ari's touch, fingers like silky electrical bolts jolting him into a state of bliss. He echoed Ari's moans and took Ari's hand to encourage Ari's journey south.
When Ari paused at the waistband of Noah's jeans, he lifted his mouth from the crook of Noah's throat and searched Noah's lustful eyes. Noah nodded. Ari proceeded to shift Noah's clothes, removing the barrier separating him from gripping Noah's cock.
All at once, the world blurred around Noah. His heart hammered against his rib cage as Ari stroked his shaft, causing his eyes to roll back and his mouth to widen. Ari muffled his moans with a perfectly timed kiss. He whimpered as Ari pumped diligently, doubling the ache in his gut to a painful and urgent longing.
A few short, sweeping strokes later, Noah turned into a squirming and throbbing mess. His long inhalations became heated gasps for air. He pressed his nose into Ari's shoulder, inviting Ari's cologne deep into his lungs. The scent only furthered his desire to burst. He struggled to slip his hand beneath Ari's jeans, to search for Ari's twitching cock, to bring Ari the same pleasure he was receiving.
When Noah gripped Ari's shaft, Ari uttered a low growl, his black hair creating a curtain to hide their dueling lips. His hand danced over Noah's shaft and gently squeezed the head of Noah's cock, liquid seeping from the tip and lubricating his hand. He expressed his affection with every silky stroke. As his hips began to respond, he dragged his lips to Noah's ear.
“Sit up with me.”
Noah obeyed. He shot up from the ground with Ari, draping his legs over Ari's thighs and scooting as close as humanly possible. His stomach rippled and twitched as Ari continued pumping him, giving him room to do the same. Excitement swelled in his gut, expanding into his chest as he harmonized his strokes to match that of his date.
A breeze lifted the hair on the back of his neck and he shivered. But he could have easily been responding to Ari. He lazily fused his forehead to Ari's and struggled to keep his eyes open, hoping to capture the look of pleasure he knew would soon cross Ari's face. He waited with bated breath and pumped his hand over Ari's cock with every intention of releasing Ari from the bonds of lust.
Ari overwhelmed Noah with every flex of his fingers. The faster the strokes, the harder his breath ca
me, echoing in short waves that burst over Noah's lips. His eyelids fluttered as he reflected the same clumsy attempt to hold Noah's gaze.
A smirk took Noah's lips as his breath hitched. “F-fuck...”
“We can do that, too.”
“Please.”
Ari moved with a frenzied urgency to remove his jeans. He lifted the hem of his shirt up to his shoulder, exposing his thin frame and smooth stomach. Noah lovingly traced the faint outline of muscles decorating Ari's torso. As his fingers dipped back down to Ari's cock, he responded enthusiastically to Ari guiding him back to the ground. He lay flat, legs open and ready for Ari to position between.
His tongue danced behind his teeth, throat tightening as his breath hitched with every new motion from Ari. He listened as Ari spat generously on his entrance, the warm droplets caressing his skin and inspiring another round of desirous moans. As Ari traced his entrance in circular motions, he bucked, an uncontrollable response to the pleasure being provided.
He met Ari's gaze that pierced him through the darkness. Moonlight outlined Ari's head, creating a supernatural halo that darkened Ari's features. But despite the cloud of shadows, he knew Ari was just as hungry as he was. He could feel it spark the air between them. Ari leaned over and took his entrance, slowly and gently easing into him. The warm meeting of Ari's cock to his hole sent a groan from his belly up to his throat.
Ari slipped his thumb into Noah's mouth. “Shh...”
“Sorry, I...”
Ari gave a breathy chuckle. He slid his thumb from Noah's mouth, replacing it with his generous lips as he slipped even deeper into Noah. He expanded Noah's entrance while his tongue darted into Noah's mouth.
The pressure of Ari's mouth somewhat silenced Noah, guarding his whimpering moans. He fondled Ari's bottom, tugging Ari deeper and surprising them both into heated gasps. As he lifted his knees, he encouraged Ari to hold up his legs, offering himself to Ari as a quivering tribute.
His thoughts steadily cycled from intense excitement to anticipatory fear.
What if I come too soon? What if I seem too much like a novice? What if I can't keep going? What if he—
“Noah.” Ari had drawn close to Noah's ear again, had paused his generous thrusting in favor of grabbing Noah's cock. He stroked slowly and firmly as he whispered, “Are you alright?”
“I'm alright. I'm here.”
“Nervous?”
Noah licked his lips with a throaty chuckle. “Slightly.”
“I can go easy. Or I can stop.”
Noah gripped Ari's bottom. “Please, don't stop.”
He tugged Ari deep again, arching into his rhythmic humping as Ari continued stroking him. Soft moans reverberated from him while Ari traced a path back up to his mouth. He accepted Ari's thumb, smirking crookedly as Ari's pace lifted. He closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and focused on the coil in his gut. He was near completion. Each thrust threatened to pierce through him entirely, to bury him beneath waves of bliss.
“I'm...I'm close.”
Ari growled, “Go ahead.”
That's all Noah needed to erupt. He huffed as his body took over, his response not of his own making. Hot and cold waves traveled over his shoulders, down his chest, and into the very pit of his stomach. He came hard, feverishly bucking as Ari reciprocated with frantic thrusts.
Ari soon collapsed, matching Noah's breathing rhythm as his hand slowed around Noah's cock. His warm lips sought Noah's neck and repeatedly nudged Noah's twitching skin. Above them, Noah observed the waxing crescent moon, the sliver appearing as though bitten by a rather desperate mouth.
As a cloud passed over the moon to blanket them almost entirely in darkness, Ari lifted his head. He focused on Noah with a drunken gaze.
“Would you care to accompany me to a party on Friday?”
Noah laughed. “It would be my pleasure.”
“We could shop for costumes on Wednesday.”
“What about the pumpkins?”
Ari sniffed curiously, turning his gaze to the treeline. He shrugged and dismounted, diving to Noah's stomach to lap up the mess he had created.
Noah folded his lips together as he groaned. A satisfied smile took his lips then as he gladly relinquished control to Ari's tongue. The moon remained their only witness until the clouds came again, blanketing them with a curtain of shadows.
Chapter Seven
Ari
Wednesday produced a slew of shoppers that spilled over the sidewalk, minnows of people that maneuvered easily around Ari as he stood on his toes on the sidewalk. Behind him was his favorite seasonal boutique, a store that held every potential costume one could try to imagine. He bounced on his toes when he noticed a familiar vehicle rolling to a halt in a parallel space just across the street.
He reduced his dazzled expression to a warm grin as he listened to the smack of the driver's side door echo between the shops. Noah safely crossed the road and lunged into his arms, reciprocating the satisfied chuckle that danced from his lips.
He nuzzled his nose into Noah's sweater and sighed. “It's good to see you.”
“I thought Wednesday would never come.”
“Didn't you say that on Monday night?”
Noah drew back with flushed cheeks and coughed nervously, eyes flitting over Ari's shoulder.
He nodded toward the shop. “I've never been here before.”
“Oh, this will be a delightful experience for you.”
“Do they have any cowboy outfits?”
Ari furrowed his brows. “Please, don't ask me to be your accompanying horse.”
“A horse? Of course...not. I would never put you in such a position.”
“That's fitting considering it seems I'm the one who does the positioning.”
Noah flushed again as he swept past Ari to open the door of the boutique. Ari stepped past Noah, smiling much wider than usual as he stepped into the aromatic shop. The scent of synthetic wigs and factory cast latex masks greeted his nostrils, causing him to sniff his way curiously across the room. He followed his nose, disappearing down an aisle thick with frightened, ghoulish faces, hollow eyes, and twisted grins.
He paused to observe a sadistic clown with blood splattered across its cheeks. As he raised it up, Noah approached his right side, poking the eyes of the clown.
“Hard no.”
Ari laughed. “Are you afraid of clowns?”
“Well, I haven't quite figured that out yet.”
“You don't know?”
Noah shrugged. “I never enjoyed the way their smiles were so wide. Even in regular makeup, clowns give me a strange feeling.”
“Do you know the lore behind clowns?”
“I didn't know there was any lore behind clowns.”
Ari smirked as he set the mask back in its place. He motioned to a rack of cheap costumes on the other side of the aisle. As he moved in that direction, he spoke in Noah's direction.
“They were originally tricksters,” he explained. “And they changed over the years to match the times. Clowns can be traced back to the royal courts of Europe, even to Egypt.”
“How do you know so much about them?”
“Because it's strange.”
Noah smirked. “And you're strange, is that it?”
“Do I look strange to you?”
“Do you want me to answer that honestly?”
Ari chuckled as he swept his hands over the costumes hanging from the rack. A collection of them sprinkled glitter on the ground which he frowned at, moving his hand to the silky robes just to the left.
“I would love nothing more,” he admitted. “But you can answer as you see fit.”
“I like your strangeness. It's hot.”
Ari winked as he held up a lobster costume. “Care to be a crustacean creation?”
Noah guffawed, shaking his head ever so slightly as he wiped a jovial tear that had escaped the corner of his eye. His laughter faded and he lifted a foamy white outfit from the other side of the circular rack.
“Would you like to be the salt to my pepper?”
Ari cringed. “Couples costumes are so overrated.”
“Aw, no matching outfits? Really?”
“Only if you ask nicely.”
Noah batted his eyelashes dramatically, putting on his sweetest smile as he sidled up to Ari, nudging Ari playfully with his elbow. “We could be superheroes, darling. You've certainly captured my heart with your fiery lasso.”
“Is it possible to get nauseous from flirting?”
“Am I really that bad?”
Ari smirked. “No, I'm enjoying it.”
Noah slipped his arm around Ari's waist as he thumbed through another set of outfits. He plucked a skimpy dress from the array of choices, holding it up to reveal the sheer fabric.
“We could go in drag,” he proposed. “As...” He squinted at the dress with a look of confusion that faded into an expression of concern. “I think these are supposed to be maids.”
“Well, if you want to see me exposed, you could simply ask.”
“That's what I like about you. You're simple.”
Ari chuckled as he kissed Noah's cheek. “And yet so complex in so many ways.”
“I appreciate that about you.”
“What say you we appear as clowns? Maybe then you could figure out whether you fear them or not.”
Noah groaned. “Not that. Anything but that.”
Ari wandered toward a display on the other side of the rack. He lifted a white shirt with a bustling collar, complete with ruffled sleeves and matching dark slacks. The royal blue coat that hung nearby sported a gold trim that rounded the length of the hem up to the collar. He arched his brow as he turned with all three pieces, holding them up to his chest.
“How about a masquerade?”
Noah perked up, floating with interest toward the available jackets and shirts in various colors and styles. He lifted a blue shirt that matched the coat Ari had chosen and a white jacket to contrast it. As he sifted through the selection of masks, he hummed to himself, sticking his tongue out on the edge of his lower lip.
Ari stroked Noah's chin, commanding Noah's attention.
“What?”
