Petrichor

by L. J. Hamlin

  “My asshole boss. He wants me to work a twelve-hour shift tomorrow, even though I asked for it off over a month ago. I swear he has it in for me. I’d quit, but I can’t afford to be out of work for God knows how long.” Hunter flops down on the couch next to Jamie.

  The scent of his aftershave mixed with his own scent catches Jamie, and he has to resist doing something creepy, like leaning in for a sniff. He’s no Hannibal Lecter, after all.

  “Take the day off. If he fires you, I’ll cover your rent till you get a new job,” Jamie offers. Before he can explain how he can afford it, Hunter is shaking his head, but he reaches out and cups the back of Jamie’s neck, his hand big and broad, strong. It could be intimidating if he didn’t know Hunter so well, if the casual affection wasn’t so obvious.

  “I can’t ask that of you, Jamie. You’ve been getting me out of jams since we met. I want us to be equals.” Hunter sounds frustrated.

  “We are equals, don’t be silly.” Jamie’s glad he’s sitting because he thinks if he were on his feet and Hunter kept up this grip on his neck, his knees would have gone weak by now, as shaky as a teen at whatever pop stars are in with the kids now show.

  “I appreciate everything you do for me, have done for me, but I want it to be a two-way street. If I’m going to keep things remotely fair, I can’t ask you to pay my rent, not even a loan. So, I’ll have to keep my crappy job till I find something else. I’m sorry I won’t be around tomorrow. I know I’m not the only person you had plans with, but us real Irish boys need to stick together.” Hunter takes his hand back to rub it over his face, and Jamie kind of misses its warmth.

  “Don’t worry about me going to bars. Like you said, all of our friends made plans with us, too. I won’t be alone. I just don’t want you to miss out.” Jamie tries to think of some way to change things.

  “I don’t want to miss out, either. I swear he’s doing it just to spite me. He heard me talking about having plans. He’s had it out for me since…” Hunter breaks off.

  “Since when? You said he’s always been an asshole, but I know it’s only been a short time since he started aiming it at you. What happened? You’ve never told me.” Jamie hasn’t pushed before, but he thinks he needs to now. This man is hurting Hunter. He comes home every day looking tired and unhappy. He takes a good hour to unwind and become himself again.

  “He came on to me a little bit ago. I shut him down. He’s been a jerk since,” Hunter admits.

  “Have you reported him?” Jamie asks.

  “No. No one else saw or heard. I have no way to prove it. It’d just be my word against his, and he’s my manager. They’ll take his word.” Hunter groans.

  “What if I get you a job at my place, just for now, till you find another job? They’re looking for more people. If I ask, they’ll say yes,” Jamie says, thoughtfully.

  “I don’t want you to pull strings to get me a job. If I screwed up after that, it’d reflect badly on you. I don’t want that. I guess if you gave me the number, I could try and get an interview without your help?” Hunter suggests.

  “Okay, but first, I have an idea that’s going to make you think I’m nuts.” Jamie grabs his bag and finds the four-leaf clover where he zipped it up carefully. “Take this and keep it with you while you call.” Jamie holds it out. It looks pretty ordinary, if still freshly picked, instead of plucked from the grass hours ago and carried around in a backpack the rest of the day.

  “A four-leaf clover?” Hunter takes it.

  Jamie swears he feels a tingle, but Hunter doesn’t seem to react.

  He finds the number in his phone and gives it to Hunter, who types it into his own cell. He keeps the four-leaf clover in his hand as he asks for the owner and gets connected.

  “Hi, my name’s Hunter Masters. I heard you were looking for new employees, and I was wondering if I could get an interview,” Hunter starts.

  “A few questions? Of course.” Hunter gives Jamie a small thumbs up.

  Jamie gets up and goes to get some pizza for them both. He comes back to a grinning Hunter.

  “Get an interview?” Jamie asks, putting the plates of pizza on the coffee table.

  “Got a trial job. A month’s trial. Even if this doesn’t stick, that’s a month getting paid while I look for another job,” Hunter says happily.

  “That’s awesome. You can maybe use the time to look for something that’d make you happy. The call center never did.” Jamie knows Hunter hasn’t found his dream job yet, but talking to people on the phone wasn’t perfect for Hunter. He’s a people person, but more so face-to-face.

  “And now I get to quit!” Hunter says happily, then he stops. “Where did you get the pizza?”

  “Long story. Call your boss and then enjoy the free food,” Jamie replies.

  Hunter calls his boss and calmly makes it clear he won’t be returning to work. When he hangs up, he grabs Jamie and hugs him hard.

  It makes Jamie’s heart race.

  “This night is looking up. Do you want this back?” Hunter asks, offering the four-leaf clover.

  “No, you keep it, I think you need the luck more than I do right now,” Jamie decides. He’s loved his freaky luck today, but he’d like Hunter to have it more.

  “Really? Cool.” Hunter holds the four-leaf clover up, and it glows again, a shimmering, emerald green.

  “Did you just see that?” Hunter asks.

  “It did that when I picked it. I thought I was going crazy.” Jamie explains what’s happened to him since, and then he shows Hunter the gold.

  “Holy shit! You can’t give me the clover. It’s magic, real magic. And it’s brought you so much already.” Hunter tries to give it back to Jamie, but Jamie refuses to take it.

  “I want you to have it. I’ve had a great afternoon: I got a raise at a job I like, and I have enough money to make things easier for a while. I don’t need more. It’ll make me happy to see you have a day like that. Who knows how long the luck will last, anyway? Take it, okay?” Jamie says firmly.

  “For real?” Hunter asks. He looks stunned.

  “For real. Put it in your pocket tomorrow and have an amazing St. Patrick’s Day,” Jamie says firmly.

  “Okay,” Hunter says softly, putting it in the cover of his cell phone.

  “Now, let’s eat our pizza and have a good night, get ready to party tomorrow,” Jamie suggests.

  Hunter doesn’t answer, at least not with words. Hunter reaches out, cups Jamie’s face, and kisses him on the lips.

  Jamie pulls back, startled. He’s imagined Hunter kissing him a thousand times or more, but he never thought it would happen—not more than a friendly peck on the cheek. This kiss was on the lips, and it felt like it had intent.

  “What was that?” Jamie asks, his face flushing.

  “I’m sorry. I crossed a line, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to. I mean, I did. It’s not like I tripped and fell on your face. What I mean is, I wanted to, and I didn’t plan to act on it, but it felt so right in that moment.” Hunter fidgets as he talks, looking uncertain.

  “Did you just do it because you were grateful that I gave you a magic clover?” Jamie asks. He doesn’t want that, for Hunter to just be so excited about the magic he’d kiss anybody.

  “I’m grateful that you’d give me such a special, magical gift. And it’s just another reminder of the kind of guy you are. You’re sweet and so giving. And I’m sorry, but that makes me want to kiss you. I’m sorry. I don’t want it to mess things up between us. That’s why I’ve held back, but I slipped up because I was happy,” Hunter says in a rush.

  “You’re attracted to me?” Jamie asks, stunned.

  “Yeah. I have been for a long time. You don’t seem to get how amazing you are. You’re so handsome, just really fucking cute, and kind as a saint. I can’t help it. But you don’t have to feel weird about it. We can still be roommates, best friends. I won’t come on to you again.”

  “I always thought I was hardly good enough to be your friend, let alo
ne more. I’ve seen the guys you date. They’re white as funeral lilies. I’m mixed. I have dark eyes and hair. I’m Irish, but I’m Asian, too, and I’m proud of that, but I know not all guys like Asian men. You should see all the ‘no Asian’ comments on Grindr.” Jamie’s never felt bad about his looks, not really, and he is proud of his mixed heritage, but he’s gotten used to people reacting badly to it.

  In high school, he got called names, and it hurt, but Jamie’s grown out of his high school years. He’s been to college. He’s worked in the real world. He’s learned to love the blood running through his veins, to be proud of the history he gets from each of his parents.

  But his pride doesn’t change the fact that a lot of people are still racist.

  “I don’t date guys that look like you because it felt wrong,” Hunter replies. “It felt like I was trying to pretend they were you, which is using them and not fair to anyone. I don’t have a kink for Asian men either. I wouldn’t date a man just because he was Chinese. It’s about the whole package; I like everything about you.”

  “Ever notice I don’t date redheads?” Jamie asks.

  “I try not to focus on the guys you date. I always hate them before they’ve even had a chance to do something wrong,” Hunter admits.

  “I don’t date them for the same reason. I wouldn’t be able to take a guy who looked like you to bed without imagining he was you. Sometimes it happens anyway, but I try to be loyal to the person I’m with. But you’re in my head, under my skin,” Jamie says, softly.

  “Are you saying you want me, too?” Hunter sounds hopeful.

  “I do, but I don’t want it to be one night and then we try and get back to normal, and things turn weird and it fucks everything up.” Jamie sighs. It would break his heart to lose his best friend.

  “I’d want more than one night, too. I want to date you, Jamie. I have for a long time,” Hunter replies.

  Jamie reaches out and slides his fingers into the back of Hunter’s red hair, and then he moves closer so he can kiss Hunter. For the first time in his life, he really, truly kisses his best friend. It’s exciting, exhilarating.

  His heart is racing, afraid this will all be some kind of dream, all of it—the gold, the job, Hunter. But it doesn’t feel anything but real when Hunter pulls Jamie into his lap, arms wrapped around him, kissing him deeply, his thighs warm and solid.

  “Um, sorry about just picking you up. I’m kind of take-charge when I want someone,” Hunter says, drawing back just enough to talk, his breath warming Jamie’s lips.

  “I kind of like it. Who am I kidding? I really liked it. Feel free to go as caveman as you want,” Jamie says, leaning in to steal a quick kiss.

  They resume making out, Jamie in Hunter’s lap, hands sliding under clothing. Hunter pauses just long enough to strip Jamie of his shirt, tossing it aside and running his hands all over Jamie’s now naked skin.

  Jamie presses closer, shoving Hunter’s shirt up, wanting to feel skin against his. He gets caught at their chins when he forgets to stop kissing, but Hunter pulls back before Jamie makes too big a mess of things. Hunter’s shirt is soon off, tossed somewhere, and Jamie gets to see and touch all he likes.

  Jamie can feel the hardness of Hunter’s cock through his cargo shorts, and wants to feel more of it. Hunter can’t be comfortable, stuck in his clothes with a body on top of his cock, trapping it. So Jamie stands up, breaking the kiss.

  “We’re stopping?” Hunter asks, not quite pouting.

  “No, we’re going to my bed and getting naked,” Jamie says, firmly.

  “I like the idea of naked, but why your bed?” Hunter asks.

  “I like my bed, and I never get complaints from the downstairs neighbors about noise when I have sex. You do,” Jamie replies, because they have both had partners since living in this apartment.

  “Maybe I’m just louder.” Hunter smirks.

  “Maybe your bed is louder. Come on. My bed, now,” Jamie says, taking Hunter’s hand and tugging.

  “Okay,” Hunter agrees, standing up and following Jamie to his bedroom.

  Jamie draws the blind on his bedroom window and turns to find Hunter standing there awkwardly, like he hasn’t been in Jamie’s room a million times before.

  “What’s up?” Jamie asks, going over to where Hunter is standing. He hooks his hands in the front of Hunter’s shorts, his knuckles pressing against Hunter’s toned lower stomach and the few red hairs there.

  “Just feels a little weird, knowing what we’ve come here to do.”

  “We don’t have to do anything if this is too weird,” Jamie says, trying to hide his disappointment.

  “It’s weird, but it’s a good weird. I don’t want to stop.” Hunter leans in and feathers kisses over Jamie’s jaw to his lips.

  They stand there kissing for a while when Hunter’s hands slide down and cup Jamie’s ass, pulling their groins closer together. Jamie moans as his hard cock is pressed against Hunter’s hip. Hunter pushes and pulls to get Jamie moving, and somehow, without breaking their kiss, they end up on Jamie’s bed.

  “Where do you keep your condoms? And lube?” Hunter asks, leaning down to suck a mark into Jamie’s neck.

  “In the drawer in the cabinet next to us. Ignore the dildo. It was a gag gift.” Jamie warns.

  Hunter stays between Jamie’s legs, half on top of him, as he reaches out and opens the drawer. He lets out an honest to God giggle.

  “When you say gag…” Hunter trails off.

  “Shut up.” Jamie swats Hunter’s thigh, thinking of the huge, pink, glittery rubber dildo he’d been given. The thing is the size of his arm!

  “I’ll have to show you my toys sometime. I think you’ll like them better than that thing,” Hunter says with a grin that’s just plain sexy.

  “I’d like that.” Jamie also likes the fact that Hunter’s thinking of the future, that he’s thinking of doing this again before they’ve even been together once.

  Jamie watches as Hunter drops condoms and lube onto the pillow near Jamie’s head.

  Hunter kisses him sweetly, but the heat soon builds. Jamie gets sick of taking his time, and he strips off his own shorts and underwear. Hunter follows Jamie’s lead, and finally they’re both completely naked, bodies pressing together.

  They kiss, exploring each other’s skin, legs tangling. Jamie reaches down between them, finds Hunter’s cock. He wraps his hand around it and strokes.

  “Damn, I want to fuck you. Is that okay? Can I?” Hunter asks.

  “Yeah, definitely. How do you want to do it, like, position?”

  “I don’t care. I like everything. As long as it’s with you,” Hunter says softly.

  “I’d like to do it face-to-face, so I can see you, like this,” Jamie says, sliding his arms up Hunter’s back, cradling Hunter between his legs.

  Hunter takes the lube from where it’s rolled between the pillows while they were kissing. He’s gentle as he takes hold of Jamie’s legs and pushes them up toward his chest. He has big hands, big fingers, and Jamie’s a little worried that it’ll hurt to start. It’s been a while since he felt more than his own fingers inside him, or the toy he actually uses—one that isn’t glittery and doesn’t look like it was based on a horse.

  But Hunter’s gentle, and he uses a lot of lube, and those broad fingers feel nothing but perfect inside him. Hunter fucks Jamie with his fingers until his toes are curling. It feels so good.

  “Fuck me,” Jamie demands.

  “Are you ready?” Hunter asks.

  “If I get any more ready, I’m going to come over my own stomach before you get inside of me.” Jamie moans.

  “That’s so hot. We have to do that sometime, but not this time. I want to be inside you when you come,” Hunter says. Grabbing a condom, he rolls it on, then lines up, pressing slowly into Jamie, almost folding him in half in the process.

  Jamie moans, loving every inch. They start moving together, slowly. Bodies like liquid; it just flows. It feels perfect. He’s getting f
ucked by his best friend for the first time, and it feels right in a way sex never has before.

  Jamie’s not going to last long, not this time. It feels too good. He’s wanted it for too long. He holds on tight, babbling nonsense about how good it feels, how he’s going to come. Hunter kisses him hard.

  “Come. I want you to. I want to feel it. I always want to be the one who makes you come,” Hunter pants.

  A few more thrusts, hitting his spot every time, and Jamie is doing what Hunter asks. He comes between them, looking Hunter in the eyes for as long as he can before he has to shut them as the pleasure surges through him.

  He tries not to go boneless after, holding on to Hunter as his thrusts speed up, burying his face in Hunter’s neck and sucking kisses there.

  Hunter’s orgasm hits him not long after Jamie’s, and he holds Hunter as he shakes.

  Jamie is half afraid something will go wrong now, that Hunter will regret it. He waits, and Hunter deals with the condom, getting up to put it in Jamie’s trash. But then he comes back over to the bed, naked and beautiful, and he offers a hand to Jamie.

  “I was thinking we could grab a shower, clean up, and then eat that pizza?” Hunter suggests.

  “Sounds good to me.” Jamie takes his hand.

  They go shower, and when they’re done and drying off, they notice they have hickeys on their necks.

  “They look kind of like clovers, like shamrocks,” Hunter laughs.

  Jamie grins and tells Hunter about the homeless man and his dog, Shamrock.

  “You’re a good man,” Hunter says, pressing a kiss to Jamie’s cheek, then the corner of his mouth.

  They warm up some pizza and take it over to the couch. Jamie notices a square white card on the table that he hadn’t left there and a fresh, green four-leaf clover.

  “Is yours still in your phone?” Jamie asks.

  Hunter opens his phone cover and holds up his four-leaf clover.

  As they watch, words start to appear on the card in gold:

  An Irish blessing from the fey,

  to help celebrate Saint Patrick’s day.