Sucker
Copyright
Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex
Pairings: Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC/O-Town
Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC,
and O-Town are their own people. The author has not met anyone here
described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way
in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money
from this venture.
“Can I call you Alex?”
The
fork didn’t even pause on its way to AJ’s mouth. “No.”
“I won’t do it in front of other people,” Justin said.
“You won’t do it at all,” AJ said, chewing.
Justin
tapped his fork against the rim of his plate. “Kevin does it.”
AJ didn’t bother to reply.
He
mouthed the name to himself a few times. It felt good. It probably sounded
sexy in bed. “Did Joey call you Alex?”
A quick, flirtatious smile. “Joey called me a lot of things.”
Joey wandered into the room. Nick was still on the computer. He started to leave again.
“You okay?” Nick asked.
“Yeah.”
“You sure?” Nick asked.
“Yeah.” He paused in the doorway, turning. “Why, what’s up?”
“You’ve been kind of weird all day. You can’t sit still, you can’t find anything to do, you’re all over the place but not getting shit done.”
Joey waited for the irony to sink in. “You’re like that seventy percent of the time.”
Looking up from the monitor, Nick grinned. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it.”
Right. Coming back into the room, Joey sat on the sofa against the wall. “Do you have a couple of minutes?”
“Yeah, give me a second.”
Joey waited while Nick finished sending an e-mail, then came over and sat beside him. “What’s up?” Nick asked, leaning against him familiarly.
“You’re supposed to be my boyfriend,” he began.
“I am your boyfriend,” Nick corrected him.
“You’re my boyfriend,” Joey said. “And you’re in love with me.”
“Can you blame me?” Nick asked, slouching back against the armrest, planting his naked feet in Joey’s lap.
“I wouldn’t have a boyfriend I’m not fucking,” Joey said. “Of course I’m,” he gestured, “in love with you-”
“Of course,” Nick said, grinning.
“-but if I can’t fuck you, I’m breaking up with you. Or, I would, if this were a real relationship.”
“This is a real relationship,” Nick said.
“Then
I should be fucking you.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed.
“Ashley wants to come between us,” Joey said, switching arguments. “He knows me, he knows how much I love to fuck. He’s going to wonder why I’m not fucking you.”
“Because I don’t do that,” Nick said. He sounded almost normal, but capable of becoming pissed off if Joey said the wrong thing. But Joey was used to walking AJ’s minefields; Nick’s were nothing in comparison.
“That means that he can offer me something that you can’t,” Joey said. “If he can give me something that you aren’t giving, he has an edge. He’ll never buy that I’m happy in a relationship where,” how would Ashley phrase it, “my needs aren’t being met.”
Nick’s nostrils flared. He was displeased, but thinking.
Joey massaged his foot during the wait.
“I don’t bottom.” Nick’s voice was firm.
“You’ve never done it?” He rubbed between Nick’s toes.
“Guess.”
Was
that supposed to be an answer? “I’m good. I know what I’m doing. We don’t
have to do it twice a day, it just has to be often enough that I know my dick
still works.”
“You get it from Ashley whenever you want it.”
“It’s not smart to give him an edge.” That wasn’t Joey’s main problem. It was a great argument to use on Nick, and he was glad as hell that he’d thought of it. But his main problem was that he wasn’t about to be Nick’s ass boy. He didn’t roll over like that for anyone.
Nick wiggled his toes. “I’ll think about it.”
“Great.”
“AJ thinks you’re good. I guess you can’t suck. Ashley loves it.”
He’d been the best AJ had ever had. Before.
“You don’t have weird hang-ups, do you?” Nick asked. “We talk about what a whore Ashley is, but that’s because he gives it up too easy, not because he’s a bottom. I don’t put crap on who gives it and who takes it. JC’s a hard-core bottom, and I love that about him.”
“You just don’t love him,” Joey said. It was easier to jump onto that train of thought than to discuss Nick’s real point.
“Way to avoid the subject.”
“You think I have hang-ups, and you won’t even admit whether you’ve done it or not?”
“Okay, never mind.” Nick scratched his knee. “Oh, I forgot to tell you.”
This couldn’t be good. “What?”
Nick grinned. “We’re going to Vegas.”
The mirror was back. It looked immaculate, like it had never been touched. Justin stared at it for a minute, wondering if he’d somehow imagined the whole thing. Then he called, “AJ?”
“What?” AJ asked from down the hall.
“What
happened to the mirror?”
“You broke it,” AJ said.
“But
it’s not broken anymore.”
“I took care of it.”
But… “It’s the exact same mirror. How’d you-”
“I took care of it,” AJ repeated.
Mystified, Justin touched it. “It looks great.” With a twinge of guilt, he added, “Thanks.”
While Jacob had been upstairs, Brian and Trevor had decided to watch a movie. Jacob joined them on the couch, and then Ashley sat down, and Erik wandered in and out a few times. Jacob might have preferred spending time with Brian alone, but he kind of liked seeing everyone get along for once. Brian, unlike most of the other guys’ new friends, wasn’t a disruptive force.
When there were other people around for comparison, Jacob could see for himself that Brian was different with him. Brian was genuinely happy talking to the other guys, smiling at Ashley, laughing with Trevor, but when Brian’s eyes met his, that happiness visibly increased by about one hundred percent. Smiles were brighter, laughter was brighter, and the sparkle in Brian’s eyes was so bright, Jacob could feel it, could feel the warmth, the glow, the love.
No one loved like Brian did.
Dinner was delicious. The setting was intimate; Howie had cleared out what had used to be the sun room and brought in a small, wrought-iron table and chairs. A few carefully placed lamps provided gentle lighting; the patio doors were open to the night, and slow, soft R&B set the mood.
One of Howie’s most enchanting qualities was his attentiveness. He listened. He paid attention. He nodded and agreed and made encouraging noises. JC’s friends had been understandably distracted lately; Erik paid JC a lot of attention, but Erik also wanted to get laid. Howie’s attention was respectful, like he really was interested in what JC had to say and not just how fast his fly opened.
JC found himself sharing everything, about Erik and everything else: missing Howie, worrying about his friends, being videotaped, hating Ashley. Howie commiserated and offered support, offered advice.
“We’re a team,” Howie said. “We’re partners in this, JC. As long as this game lasts, any problems you have, I have, too. If I can help you with anything, I will.”
“Right now, I need a friend,” JC said. “I need a support system.” There was so much happening that he felt, almost…
“You must feel overwhelmed,” Howie said. “There’s a lot going on. Not that you can’t handle it,” he added. “But there’s a lot happening. Nick’s around, now you have conflicts with Joey and Lance, Chris and Justin need you, they’re all so busy that no one can put you first.”
“I haven’t put them first, either,” JC said, to be fair.
“That’s why Joey has Nick and Lance has Brian,” Howie said. “And that’s why you have me. To be there for you. All of my attention right now is on you.”
“And on Erik,” JC added.
“And on Erik,” Howie added with a bit of reluctance.
“Dealing with him is going to be one hundred percent easier with you than by myself,” JC said. “Having someone there to share the burden is great. He has so much energy, he demands so much attention, he’s so annoying.”
“In bed and out of it,” Howie said with a smile. “I know that we’ll have to deal with him, but let’s forget about him tonight. We can deal with all of that tomorrow.”
“I’d love to take a break,” JC said, relieved by the thought.
“I don’t want him to be a burden for you,” Howie said. “I don’t want anything to be a burden. Think of Erik as a project. A work in progress. A game.”
“A game we’re going to win,” JC said.
Howie smiled. “A game he’s going to lose.”
During a commercial break, Brian excused himself to visit the bathroom. He told Jacob to guard his seat for him, then hurried off. He went straight to the guest house, letting himself into Jacob’s room.
“Just
me, it’s just me,” he said, closing the door behind himself and greeting Lance
with a quick embrace. “How’s it going?”
“Well, you scared the shit out of me,” Lance said. “Other than that, everything seems fine.”
Running his hand over Lance’s back, he looked around the room. “You put one in the closet?”
“Yeah,
right here,” Lance said, showing him the tiny bug. “And the other one’s in the
corner.”
Studying its position, Brian nodded. “That looks perfect. We should get a
clear shot of the room. We should have good sound, too, right?”
“According to the instructions, we’ll hear a pin drop,” Lance said.
“This
was a great idea,” Brian said, giving him a smile. “This could really work.”
“As long as he doesn’t see the bugs, we’ll be fine,” Lance said. “If he does, he wouldn’t think to blame you, anyway.”
“I’d better get back,” Brian said, glancing over his shoulder. “I love seeing you here,” he said, giving Lance a hug. “This thirty seconds has been the best conversation I’ve had in hours.”
“I’ll check on everything when I get home,” Lance said, and kissed him.
“I’ll call you to find out how it works,” Brian said, taking another kiss.
“Okay,” Lance said. He gathered up everything; Brian helped him out of the window. Another kiss, and he was gone.
Jogging through the night, Lance reached his truck, parked a few streets over from the Townhouse. Getting in, he leaned back in his seat, breathless, almost giddy.
He’d done it. They’d pulled it off without a hitch. They’d bugged Jacob’s room. Lance couldn’t wait to get home and check on the monitor, to find out if they’d set everything up right. He couldn’t wait to sit in his own home with an unobstructed view of the hypocritical little prick’s pathetic version of what passed for a life.
He’d have a personal view of everything that went on in that room. They’d catch it all on tape. What Jacob thought were the most private of moments could be, at Lance’s whim, exposed to the world.
It felt good to smile.
Joey loved Vegas. “I love Vegas!”
“I know you do.”
“I
love Vegas.” He’d have to find his phone numbers. “When are we going?”
“In a few days. I’m performing at the Onyx. I thought it’d be good for us to go, hang out, do shit, fuck around.”
“This is a you and me trip?” he asked. “You think you can keep up with me?”
Nick laughed. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about. I rock Vegas.”
“You’ve never rocked Vegas,” Joey said. “But that’s okay. Stick with me. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
“Ha!” Laughing again, Nick rolled his eyes. “You talk so big.”
“I talk huge,” Joey said, lifting Nick’s feet from his lap, leaning forward into Nick’s face. The playful delight in Nick’s expression made him smile. “I’m enormous in Vegas.”
Raising his knees around Joey’s hips, Nick hooked his fingers in Joey’s waistband and kissed him, looking up at him with a smile. “You’re going to show me a good time?”
Joey kissed back. “I’m going to show you an incredible time.”
Maybe JC had been away too long, but Howie was different, that night. His kisses were filled with a different kind of passion, a new kind of hunger. He made more noise than usual, moaning without reservation, saying, “Yes, yes, oh, I’ve missed this, I’ve missed your body, I’ve missed you,” while riding JC down to the mattress.
Howie’s hands found JC’s underwear first; his fingers stroked inquisitively before he pulled back, tugging JC’s clothes off and taking a good look. “Mmm, this is perfect,” he said, stroking, cupping. “Only you could wear this, only you could make me feel like this,” he promised, his fingers caressing JC and teasing the edges of the fabric, his kisses sensual, intoxicating. “Only you, JC,” he whispered, “only you.”
They didn’t have any chocolate, but Howie kissed JC from head to toe. Caressed him everywhere. Responded to JC’s every touch.
Restless, Erik wandered the house aimlessly. Ending up back in his room for the eighteenth time, he closed the door and flopped across his bed, landing on his stomach.
How was dinner going? What were Howie and JC talking about? Were they going to get back together?
What if they didn’t make up? What if JC left and they stayed separated? What was he going to do? How could he make them wake up and see how great they were together?
What if they’d already made up? What if they were already fucking? What if they’d skipped dinner and gone right for the good stuff?
What if they didn’t need him anymore?
They’d still be his friends. They weren’t going to ditch him with no warning. But they might back off, might cut him out sexually. He couldn’t blame them for it; they had a right to define their own relationship. If that relationship was in trouble, if they really wanted to reconnect, it would make sense to simplify things and keep it just between the two of them.
Could he handle that? Could he be okay with regular friendship?
It might make things easier. It would cut down a whole hell of a lot on his sexual confusion, which would be great. He’d really prefer not to worry about being bi or gay or perverted or whatever he was. But seeing them and hanging out with them and not being allowed to touch, not being able to be more, uh, intimate, would he crack under the pressure?
He really, really, really wanted them. He’d already screwed over the guys to be with them. He’d practically been murdered in his own swimming pool. They wouldn’t ditch him now, would they?
Yawning, Brian sat on the bed. “I don’t know why I’m this sleepy.”
“Because I’m a boring host?” Jacob suggested, sitting beside him, brushing his silky bangs back from his forehead.
“Or
maybe because it’s late,” Brian pointed out, giving Jacob an amused look. He
yawned again, rubbing his face. “That’s it, I’m finished, I’m going to bed.”
Kicking off his shoes, he dropped onto his back, opening his fly. He paused
there, one hand lingering just above the blue-gray of his half-exposed
boxer-briefs, one hand rising to rub at his eyes. “I like the way you play your
guitar.”
“Thanks,” Jacob said, greatly distracted by the urge to lower his head and kiss Brian’s knuckles, lick between Brian’s fingers until he met that soft cotton. His gut clenched at the thought of making Brian hard. He could do it, he knew that he could.
“Mmm.” Scratching his stomach, pushing his shirt up a few inches to do it, Brian shifted idly, eyes slipping shut. “I love your energy,” he murmured.
Boldly, daring to do it, needing to do it, Jacob slid his hand over Brian’s stomach, resting it right there, on smooth, bare skin.
Familiarly, comfortably, Brian’s hand covered his, Brian’s fingers rubbing over the back of his hand for a moment.
The intimacy of the moment, Brian’s automatic acceptance of his caress, spurred Jacob onward. “I love you,” he said. “We share something so special, there’s nothing else like it in my life.”
“There’s no one like you,” Brian said, his voice drowsy. “You make me feel so…”
Waiting, hearing nothing, Jacob squeezed Brian’s hand. “So what?” Silence.
“Brian?”
“Mmm.” Asleep, Brian rolled onto his side, taking Jacob’s hand with him.
“Brian,” Jacob whispered, gazing at him, already so close yet yearning to be closer. His heart spasmed. “I love you.”
Yes, oh, this, this, just like this. On his side, twisted forward, JC jacked himself rhythmically, pumping his dick in time to Howie’s smooth, quick thrusts. Behind him, over him, Howie stroked his body, heating his flesh, making him burn. “Oh, ah…” Close to orgasm now, feeling it rise, JC couldn’t hold back the moans as Howie’s hand took over, fingers circling his dick. “Howie, oohh, uuhh, yes, yes…”
Howie had lifted him to sexual bliss, then taken him through writhing, burning ecstasy. JC hadn’t been able to release this much passion, feel this much emotion during sex in far too long. He was coming apart, and he had to trust Howie to put him back together.
“Are you going to come?” Howie whispered, kissing his neck, licking gently, so sweet in contrast to the wicked thrusts surging into his body and the rapid stroke of Howie’s hand over his rigid erection. “Do you want to come?”
Tilting his head back until he felt Howie’s cheek against his, JC groaned, “Oh, god, yes,” as Howie’s dick went deep and Howie’s thumb rubbed across the head. Coming, just like that, JC closed his eyes, exploding inside as Howie kissed his neck and whispered, “JC, JC,” like it meant something.
Peacefully relaxed, JC moved easily when Howie shifted him, rolling loosely onto his back and bringing his legs up as Howie moved over him again. Closing his eyes, he let out a satisfied, “Mmm,” as Howie slid back in. Yes, “Oh,” that felt good, that was, “yeah,” nice, he, “yeah,” oh, “Howie,” god. Groaning, he drew his knees in, bringing Howie closer, running his fingers through Howie’s hair, down Howie’s back. “Come for me,” he said, opening his eyes, “come for me,” because he couldn’t take a lot more of this, but he hadn’t been prepared for the look in Howie’s eyes, either, hadn’t been ready to see the love there, the burning shimmering love like something unleashed, and when their gazes locked, Howie came, whispering his name again, stroking his flesh.
“Oh, love,” Brian whispered. Asleep, Jacob curled forward, tucking into himself slightly, lips parting softly. Brian’s heart pounded with love; it meant everything to be with Jacob again. In Jacob’s bed. With Jacob deliciously, wonderfully vulnerable to him.
His beautiful love had wanted more from him tonight. Had wanted to make this night special. He knew it.
But tonight was special for other reasons. Reasons Jacob might understand someday.
With regret, Brian slid back, leaving the bed.
He’d set up the receiving equipment in the small guest room upstairs, where no one else would normally be. He could even lock the door if he wanted, just in case.
Hurrying into the room, flipping on the light, Lance turned on the first TV, crossing his fingers, holding his breath.
The first thing he saw onscreen was the bed. Jacob’s bed. Jacob’s room. They’d done it. It had worked! He turned on the second TV. Same room, different angle. The bed, the dresser, the damned seafood on the wall, it was all there.
“Holy shit,” Lance whispered, grinning widely. Backing up, he sat heavily on the foot of the bed. “Holy shit!”
He was watching Jacob’s room.
He was taping Jacob’s activity.
Of course, at the moment, the son-of-a-bitch was only sleeping.
On the second screen, the bathroom door opened. The bathroom light flicked off; Brian stepped out.
Lance grinned.
Picking up something from the floor near the bed, Brian walked over to the camera in the closet. He’d gotten his phone; he dialed. The tiny beeps as Brian pushed the buttons made Lance laugh; they had great sound.
In his pocket, Lance’s cell phone rang.
He answered with a smile. “You look great tonight.”
Brian held up his hand. “How many fingers?”
He couldn’t stop smiling. “Three.”
“We’re live?” Brian asked, his voice quiet, his smile wide.
“Your eyes have never looked bluer.”
A soft chuckle. “You’re set up on both shots? Do I need to find a better angle?”
“No,
everything’s great. Nothing but two clear views.” He was pretty proud of his
positioning.
“You were terrific tonight. I just wish that you could come back. I wish that I could be with you tonight.”
“Too bad you can’t ditch him and come over here.” Lance leaned back on one elbow, stretching out his legs.
“It was great to see you tonight.” A familiar blush stained Brian’s cheeks. “I’m glad that we got a chance to work together, even if it was only for a second. It was great to be a team tonight.”
“I know what you mean.” He’d liked it, too. “I should probably let you go before he wakes up.”
Brian cast a look over his shoulder at the bed, then said, reluctantly, “All right. Good-bye.”
“Bye,” Lance said. He hung up.
Onscreen, Brian hung up. Glanced at the bed again, looked at the camera. “I love you,” he whispered. A quick smile. “Good night.”
Lance watched Brian click off the lamp and cross the room. He got into bed, sliding in beside Jacob. “Good night,” Lance said. The room was still.
Howie examined the light blue spandex dangling from one finger. “This is interesting.”
Comfortable in bed against him, JC laughed. “Erik chose it.”
“Erik?” Howie asked, surprised. “Well, I knew he had good taste,” sweet kiss to JC’s cheek, “but I didn’t know that he had any fashion sense. Every time I see him, he’s either in jeans and a bad T-shirt, or bad jeans and a jersey.”
“I wouldn’t send him down a runway,” JC admitted. “For multiple reasons,” he added, giving the subject more thought. “But he knows what looks good on my ass.”
“You have a gorgeous ass,” Howie murmured, stroking it. They shared a slow, lingering kiss. With a soft-soft, pleased sound, Howie pulled away. “JC,” another kiss, “was wearing this…uncomfortable?”
“No.” A little more snug than he was used to, but he hadn’t minded.
“Mmm.” Howie tucked his hair behind one ear. “Then you wouldn’t mind wearing it again?”
JC grinned. “You want me to wear it again?”
“I want you to wear it every day,” Howie said, kissing him gently, slowly, stroking his hip.
Something spiked suddenly in the back of JC’s brain, and his heart pounded. Trying not to tense, he reminded himself that this was not Nick. Howie was not Nick. Words coming from Howie’s mouth were suggestions, ideas, theories, not orders. Howie was voicing a preference, not giving a subtle but definite command. He didn’t have to do it if he didn’t want to.
“Are you all right?” Howie’s gaze was concerned.
To buy himself time, JC ran his hand over Howie’s back. The feel of it made him smile. “It’s nice to be in bed with someone who takes care of himself again,” he admitted. “You have a gorgeous body.”
“That’s funny, coming from you,” Howie said with a laugh. “Look at you, look at this,” he said, stroking JC’s arm, squeezing his biceps. “Even if I didn’t care about you, I’d still love making love to you.”
Laughing, JC hauled Howie closer, rolling on top of him. “Erik has no idea how in over his head he is.”
“We aren’t supposed to talk about him,” Howie reminded him, hands sliding over his waist.
“Then what do you want to talk about?” JC asked with a knowing smile, tugging on a curl behind Howie’s ear.
“We don’t really have to talk at all,” Howie murmured, drawing him in for a kiss.
Chris
had slept surprisingly well, but now it was morning, and he knew that he
couldn’t cling to Kevin forever. Staying home alone wasn’t an option; he’d go
fetal in the first two minutes. “Maybe I should go play with Trevor today.”
“He’d like that,” Kevin said, lounging naked beside him in bed.
Yeah. He’d go see Trevor. JC and Joey were probably busy. And other than them, he didn’t have anyone else to go to.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kevin asked, stroking his ear.
“Yeah.”
“If you’re not okay, call me,” Kevin said. “I don’t want you falling apart. If you need help, call me. I’ll take care of it.” His touch was gentle, his voice firm. “I’ll take care of you.”
Lance frowned. Sitting up in bed, he glanced around, wondering.
He must’ve been imagining things. It must have been part of his dream.
Getting up, he went to the guest room, checking the monitor. Jacob didn’t seem to have moved an inch since last night; Brian slept beside him.
It was surreal, to watch them sleep. To know that Jacob had no idea what they’d done. It gave him an odd kind of power over Jacob, to have access to private information without Jacob’s knowledge or permission.
He liked that. He felt powerless in his own life, frustrated, unable to help his friends. It was nice to feel like he was in control of something, for once, even if that something was only mangy Jacob Underwood.
Nick grinned. “You like it, don’t you?”
“It tastes like crap,” Joey said. “Dry, burnt, crispy, crap.” He was getting used to it, though. “Can you sleep in and let me make my own breakfast tomorrow? Why did you get up so early, anyway?”
“We have stuff to get done,” Nick said.
“We?” Joey repeated. “Stuff?”
“Errands and shit,” Nick said. “Before we go to Vegas.”
“Errands.” When was Nick going to grasp the concept that they weren’t actually boyfriends?
“I was wondering, since you’re straight, why you’re after AJ’s ass,” Nick said, eyeing him speculatively.
“Because it’s AJ.” He wasn’t going to explain further than that.
“Why are you after Ashley’s ass?”
Joey snorted, finishing his orange juice. “Because it’s available.”
The top of Nick’s foot stroked up his shin under the table. “Why are you after mine?”
Because he couldn’t have it. Because it wasn’t available. Because Nick was a challenge. Because he wasn’t willing to be part of a one-way sexual relationship with a man. Because Nick was burning hot in bed. Because Nick’s ass was one fuckable set of curves. “Because of the game.”
“Oh, it’s for the game,” Nick said. “Right.” A grin; Nick wasn’t buying it. “That’s why I get in bed with you, too. For the game.”
Joey couldn’t help but grin back. “The way we went at it last night was all about the game.”
Nick licked his lips. “Totally.”
Yawning, Jacob rolled onto his back, stretching in the sunlight. Brian slept beside him; he heard splashing from the pool. Pushing himself up onto one elbow, he stroked Brian’s eyebrows, smiling. “Good morning.” He gently rubbed the inside of Brian’s right eyebrow, then trailed his fingers down Brian’s nose.
Brian’s nose twitched.
“You want breakfast?” Jacob asked. “I’ll make pancakes.”
“Mmm.”
Brian slid one hand forward until it met Jacob’s chest. His eyes opened; he
tugged lightly at Jacob’s shirt, smiling. “What are you doing today?”
“Hanging out with you,” Jacob said.
“Great.” His eyes twinkled softly. “Let’s get started.”
Surfacing in the deep end, Trevor wiped water from his eyes, noticing Erik in the doorway. “What’s up?”
“Just seeing who else is awake.”
Something was weird about the way Erik hung back. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Erik backed up. “I was going to make some eggs, if you want an omelet or something. I’m not trying to get fancy, though, so don’t get excited.”
Suddenly connecting the dots, Trevor said, “Erik-Michael.”
Waiting, Erik asked, “Yeah?”
Now that he’d figured out the problem, he didn’t know how to address it. “You’re not, you don’t, you know the pool’s safe.”
“Yeah,” Erik said. “I know.” He went into the house.
Cursing under his breath, Trevor wondered what the hell to do. Leave it alone? Follow Erik and push the issue? Wait for it to come up again? Tell Dan and let Dan take care of it?
What the fuck was wrong with AJ that he tried to drown people?
Chris was kind of early, but he didn’t think that Trevor would mind. Trevor welcomed him under all circumstances, like he was such an integral part of Trevor’s life that there wasn’t a time he didn’t belong.
As he pulled into the driveway, he saw Brian’s car sitting right there.
Brian.
He’d upset Brian yesterday. He’d offended Brian. He’d hurt Brian’s feelings.
He had to apologize, before he did anything else.
Backing out of the driveway again, he drove down the road a bit, and parked.
Drifting from particularly pleasant dreams, Howie wakened slowly, tightening his arm around JC and turning his forehead against JC’s shoulder. Last night had gone very well.
He smiled to himself, remembering. Very, very well.
Today, he and JC would take Erik on together.
The poor bastard had no idea.
While Trevor coaxed Dan into the pool to lighten him up, Brian and Jacob went to the kitchen. Erik was at the counter, scrambling eggs. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Jacob said, opening the fridge.
“Good morning,” Brian said. “Would you guys mind if I sat in on rehearsal this morning?”
“Of course not,” Jacob said. “You know that you don’t have to ask.”
“You don’t live alone,” Brian said. “I want to be respectful of everyone else’s space.”
“Don’t bother,” Jacob said, measuring milk for the batter.
Brian glanced at Erik, raising his eyebrows. Erik shrugged. “It’s fine with me. Trevor and Jacob would love it.”
“What are we cooking?” Ashley asked, walking in, ruffling his hair.
“We?” Jacob repeated.
“Ashley,” Brian said. “Could I talk to you about something? In private?”
“Uh, yeah,” Ashley said, surprised. “Sure.”
“Would you mind if we borrowed your room?” Brian asked Jacob.
“What’s mine is yours,” Jacob said, turning on the flame beneath the skillet.
Erik watched Brian and Ashley leave the kitchen. “What’s that about?”
“Nick, probably,” Jacob said.
Sliding smoothly against JC’s lean, firm body, Howie ran his fingers over the stubble on JC’s cheeks. “JC,” he whispered, kissing JC’s chin. “Josh,” he whispered, kissing JC’s neck, brushing his lips over JC’s collarbone, licking gently downward. “JC.” The delicate, aroused shift of JC’s hips, the arch of JC’s back, made him smile. “Do you want to make breakfast?” he asked, kissing JC’s small, hard nipple. “Or do you want,” he flicked his tongue over it, “to make love?”
“Mmm…” Running his hand over Howie’s shoulder, JC made a few pleased sounds, lifting a knee. “Guess.”
Ashley walked into Jacob’s room, turning as Brian closed the door on Trevor and Dan’s talking and splashing. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to hear from you, one on one,” Brian said.
“About what?” Ashley asked, although he could already guess.
“About Nick and Joey.”
Preferring to avoid a confrontation but also not willing to open up his personal life for another debate, Ashley said, “Maybe you should ask them about that.”
“I want your side,” Brian said. “You and I haven’t gotten time
to talk alone, and I want to understand.”
“I don’t…” Swallowing, Ashley went ahead and said it. “I don’t think that it’s necessarily any of your business. Nick’s your friend,” he was quick to add, “and I know that you care about him, but this is between me and Joey.”
“You, Joey, and Nick,” Brian said. He smiled. It was a small smile, but there was an edge to it, like something sick pleased him. “You, Joey, and Nick,” he repeated slowly, wandering over to the dresser and picking up one of Jacob’s bandannas, twisting it in his hands.
“Yeah,” Ashley said, unsure of what was going on. “I-”
“Have you ever had sex with two people at the same time?” Brian asked, glancing over at him.
What? “What?” Ashley asked, startled. Since when did Brian ask questions like that?
“Have you ever had sex with two people at the same time?” Brian was smiling again, his eyes bright with curiosity.
Ashley hesitated to answer, but it was a simple enough question, right? Maybe a little unexpected, but a lot of guys bonded by bullshitting about sex. “Yeah,” he said. Brian was between him and the door. Ashley took a few steps around the bed.
“Yeah?” Brian asked, grinning at him knowingly, like they were conspirators in something dirty. “I guess that sweet little innocence is all an act.” Brian’s voice sounded approving. “Men or women?” Brian was coming closer now, casually closing the feet between them, and Ashley moved back as normally as possible. A sick leer. “Or both?”
Shit, what the hell was happening? “Men,” Ashley said. “I’m gay, so…”
“That’s your excuse? I knew you’d give it up for any dick that crossed your path,” Brian said, stepping closer with a contemptuous once-over. “Whores like you wouldn’t say no to sex if you already had twenty guys lined up. You’d just mumble yes around the dicks already in your mouth.”
This didn’t sound like Brian. Not only did the words not match, but his voice sounded like someone entirely different. Colder, darker. Ashley stared in open-mouthed shock, trying to figure out what could possibly-
“I bet you’d love to be on your knees for it right now,” Brian said, disgust in his eyes as he squeezed Ashley’s package in a quick cupping, rolling motion.
“What the fuck?!” Ashley demanded, jerking back, bumping into the wall.
“You live for dick and you know it. You live for it, you lie for it, you’d trade your soul and sell out your friends to get more of it. You’re sick and you’re desperate and you’re a filthy dirty lying cunt, you little bitch, and you aren’t even smart enough to hide it. If you’re smart enough to understand anything, then understand this: I know what you really are.” Brian’s eyes looked right through Ashley, into him, for what seemed like an eternity. Ashley had never felt more exposed in his life. Then Brian blinked and instantly his eyes filled with pure hatred. “Get a clue, bitch,” he said, already turning away. “The only thing worse than a whore is a stupid whore.”
Continue
on to part eighty-two
matthew@matthewtime.com
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