by Rowan Shaw
"I don't give a flying fuck about Dad's election. Okay? If you're tired of people gossiping about you, then move the fuck out of that shithole you live in and leave me the fuck alone! I don't want you, and I don't need you in my life. Not anymore. You hear me? I don't need you! Leave me alone, and never call me again!"
I slammed the receiver down. My shoulders slouched as the anger built and burst, leaving me in tears. My cheeks were wet against my will. Tried as I might to stop, the damn sobs came choking me with all the self-hatred, all the shame, all the pain my family had forced upon me.
"Florian?"
Enzo's voice startled me from behind my back. I tried to wipe my tears and pretend nothing was going on, but it was too late. When I turned toward him, he was standing right there by the door, staring at me with a look of horror on his face.
"I heard everything," he signed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It's just you were yelling, and—"
I walked up to him without thinking and fell into his arms before he could even finish. I needed him more than I had in years. I needed his support more than I could phrase. Besides Raphaël and Héloïse, Enzo was the only one who truly understood me.
I tried hard to swallow down my sobs, but I couldn't squelch them as I gripped his shirt and let myself go, my face against his neck where I cried uncontrollably. I fucking hated myself.
"I'm right here," he whispered against my ear. "I'm here for you. What she said...she was wrong." He grabbed my face and looked me in the eyes. "All those years...I never knew. I never understood what it was like for you at home. Even when you kept telling me we had to hide. I didn't understand why you were so scared of your own family. But I do now. I understand. And I'm here for you."
He pulled me into a kiss so desperate and passionate, it shot shivers all the way down my spine.
I was so broken. So ashamed of not being straight. And yet, I still wanted him so damn much.
I pushed him against the door when he pulled at my tie to bring me closer and deepen the kiss as I searched my back pocket for a condom in my wallet.
I took Enzo's belt off while devouring his mouth and found him already hard for me. We couldn't get enough of each other, and that was exactly how I wanted things to be. I was ass-naked within seconds, sheathing myself and licking my fingers to rub saliva all over my cock. I didn't have any lube. This would have to do. I pushed one of Enzo's legs up and didn't wait to penetrate him. He winced upon the intrusion, making me pause.
"Don't stop," he pleaded.
He didn't need to ask me twice. I slid all the way in with one hard thrust, tearing a yelp out of him, and I fucked him right there against the door, so damn hard he shouted upon every move. I pounded inside him so fast, we didn't last more than ten minutes. His orgasm came with a deep cry of my name, bringing mine along. I rode the waves of pleasure and found my release.
I didn't give a shit what people thought anymore. I was right where I belonged, deep inside Enzo. This was my home, where I was always meant to be.
My mother was dead wrong if she thought I was done talking about what had happened to me, my business, and Enzo. This was just the beginning. When the fundraiser happened a month from now, I would raise hell so damn loud, people would hear me all the way down to the south of France. I wanted every queer out there to know they weren't alone. I wanted the fundraiser to be a success. I wanted my business to grow, so I could teach every gay kid I met that nothing and no one could stop us. We belonged in this world.
If anything, my mom's hateful words had given me the incentive I needed to finalize my coming out. I wasn't going down without a fight. And I sure as hell wasn't going back in that damn closet.
Chapter 52
ENZO
I was nervous about seeing Raphael again. He was like family to Florian. Granted, family he had slept with more often than I cared to think about. But family still. The only family Florian had.
When the door opened, I froze. Raphaël was a lot taller than he used to be, and so handsome. With short-cropped black hair, straight features, and dark bronze skin, he was the quintessence of gorgeousness. My insides flipped when his light hazel eyes landed on Florian. His plump mouth expanded into a warm smile illuminating his entire face, digging two dimples into his cheeks as he extended his arms and pulled Florian into a tight hug.
"Man, it's so good to see you," he exclaimed, patting Florian on the back.
Florian relaxed against him and tapped his shoulders, then pulled back to introduce me. "This is Enzo, my—"
"Enzo!" Raphaël's eyes bulged when they landed on me. "Enzo Chevalier?"
"Yes," Florian said.
"Well, I'll be damned." Raphaël's gaze shifted between the two of us. "I missed a serious chapter here. What's going on?"
Florian bit his lower lip and scratched the back of his head. "I ran into Enzo at that new gay club back in town. And...yeah...so...I hope it's okay I brought him along."
Raphaël looked at us in turn. "You're together?" He widened his eyes. "I mean, for good?"
"Oui."
"Wow, that's...I'm so happy for you, man."
In spite of what I had thought, Raphaël seemed genuinely elated. He couldn't stop smiling. That was all the confirmation I needed that there was no sexual tension left between them. Seeing them together actually put me at ease.
"Come on in." Raphaël gestured for us to follow him.
When he closed the door and took us to the living room, I gaped at the size of it. The apartment was a lot bigger than mine, and this was Paris—the fourteenth arrondissement no less. Raphaël was still a student working on his Ph.D. How could he even afford this place? His family must have been more loaded than I thought, though I remembered Florian telling me they were middle-class.
"I had your dad on the phone the other day," Florian said as we took a seat on Raphaël's black leather couch. I tried not to cringe or touch the skin with my hands while Raphaël sat in the armchair next to us.
"Yeah? He's going back to Senegal next month. My uncle needs him to go over some paperwork for some property they share."
While they were catching up, I took the time to survey the forty-square-meter living room. The couch was facing a glass coffee table and a huge flat-screen TV hung over a large dresser. Everything here was modern and yet pricey, with crown molding on the ceiling and a fireplace on the left. There were paintings on every wall. All modern art. The kind with large colorful splashes of paint over white canvas. There were charcoal drawings up as well, all of them representing naked men or women, most of them entangled in carnal pleasure. I couldn't stop staring. It was so indecent, I couldn't believe Raphaël felt comfortable exposing them for all to see. The art was gorgeous, though. It must have cost a bundle.
"I really like your place," I said.
Raphaël whipped his head toward me, his eyes wide. "Wait. Enzo can talk?" he asked Florian.
"I can hear you too, so you can talk to me directly."
Raphaël's gaze traced the deep scar on my cheek and landed on my processor.
"I have a cochlear implant," I explained, pointing at my ear.
Raphaël nodded but didn't ask anything more about it, for which I was thankful. He reverted to his normal self and talked to me as if nothing was going on. I could see why Florian was friends with him. He was easy-going, almost peaceful to be around.
"How can you afford this place?" Florian asked with a quick look around.
"I pay about six hundred euros a month. I had to get a part-time job at the bakery down the street and the tutoring job at the university plus my scholarship. This place was all I could find, though."
Florian narrowed his eyes, probably thinking the same thing I did: there was no way the rent for this apartment was that low.
"Does the apartment belong to your roommate?" I asked.
"No. Adrien was renting it before I moved here."
I squinted my eyes. I assumed Adrien was nouveau riche, probably one of those guys whose family w
as loaded with more money than he knew what to do with. His share of the rent had to be much larger than Raphaël's.
"They didn't have a room on campus for you?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't find me too curious.
"No, not here," he replied then changed the subject. "So how long have you two been back together?"
I looked at Florian.
"A little while," he replied. "I've... There've been issues with my business recently."
Raphaël sat up straight in his leather armchair. "What issues?"
"Someone outed me. That's why your dad called me, actually. Someone spray-painted my façade. The news spread around the city. Your dad wanted to make sure I was okay."
"What the hell? Did you find out who it was?"
Florian's shoulders slumped. "It was Guy."
"Guy?" Raphaël exclaimed.
"I told you I found him fucking Marlène. She kicked me out. That's when I ran into Enzo."
"What the fuck?!"
"I don't really wanna talk about it."
"I did tell you not to date her. She's always been a snake."
"Thanks, man. Not helping."
Raphaël shook his head. "Are you okay?"
Florian shrugged. "Been better. But I appreciate you inviting me to visit. I needed a break."
"Of course, anytime! So you guys are spending the night, right?"
I'd seen four doors adjacent to the living room, so there should be enough space.
As if reading my mind, Raphaël said, "There are only two bedrooms. You guys can have mine. I'll sleep on the couch."
"You don't have to," I protested.
"It's not a problem, really. Adrien isn't always home anyway. Not sure you'll even see him."
Chapter 53
FLORIAN
When I still couldn't sleep at two A.M., I rolled around and spooned Enzo. I tried not to wake him, but I was horny as fuck. I needed a release so bad, my balls hurt. Another loud groan poured in through the wall, making me want to bang my head against the headboard.
"Fuck me harder! Yeah, right there. You're gonna make me come."
I pressed my palms against my ears to drown out Raphaël's shouts. He and Adrien had been going at it for two hours straight. Two hours, damn it! With barely an interruption.
"Deeper. Just like that. I'm almost there," Raphaël exclaimed before letting out a cry of ecstasy soon followed by Adrien's groan. I hadn't even met the guy, but I could already identify him by the sounds of his orgasms alone.
I shifted on my back and slipped my hand in my briefs. Fuck it, I had to shoot a load. I was so damn hard, I couldn't sleep. Enzo was so lucky he could snooze through their racket.
I grabbed my dick and started tugging on it, but I must have moved too much because Enzo shifted to his side and whispered, half-asleep, "You're awake?"
I couldn't answer him in the dark. He couldn't hear me. I grabbed his hand and placed it on my cock.
Enzo let out a tiny laugh. "It's not polite to have sex in your host's bed. I can't help you if you're aroused, sorry."
I reached for the light on the nightstand table and turned it on, only to blink against the glare. Enzo rubbed his eyes with his fists and stared at me with one lid open.
"What's going on?"
"They've been fucking for two hours straight," I signed.
We sat up in bed with our backs to the board, and I reached for my glasses.
"Who?" he asked.
"Raphaël and Adrien."
Enzo scrunched his face, puzzled. "I thought they were just roommates."
"Roommates who like to fuck, apparently."
Enzo let out a snort. He was about to sign again when I stopped him with a motion of my hand. It sounded like the door to Adrien's room had just opened, his footsteps followed by Raphaël's. It was like the walls were made of paper in this damn joint. So much for it being so posh and all. I could almost hear them breathing. They opened another door, and the soothing silence was soon replaced by sounds of pouring water and mumbled words.
"I think they're taking a shower."
"Together?" Enzo asked, his eyes wide.
"Well, at this point, I don't think it matters," I signed with a small laugh.
I heard the water running for a while, then Raphaël chuckled at something Adrien said before another familiar noise pierced through the wall, making me groan and slam the back of my head against the headboard.
"Not again!"
"What?"
"Turn on your processor," I signed.
Enzo looked at me for a second and reached for it. Even in the dim light, I could see his cheeks burn a deep red when he could finally hear what was going on.
"Yeah, like that. Come on, I know you can take it all in," Adrien growled. "Your mouth feels so fucking good."
Enzo rounded his eyes at me and bit his lower lip not to laugh. He covered his mouth with his hand and let out another snort.
"I'm so damn horny," I signed. "I've had to listen to this shit for two hours. I'm gonna burst."
Enzo stifled a chuckle, then signed at me, "You're not jealous?"
"Yes, I'm jealous they've been fucking like animals while I've had to sit here with the biggest hard-on in history."
Enzo bit his lip again. "I meant you're not jealous Raphaël's having sex with someone else?"
I shook my head. "He and I were together a long time ago." I looked at our bedroom door. "I just wanna sleep. Some warning on his part would have been nice."
Adrien let out a growl as he reached his peak. Like a fool, I thought they were done. I sighed in relief. But no. Adrien's gasp was quickly followed by deeper moans when Raphaël croaked, "My turn to take you. I'm gonna fuck you until you come on my cock."
"How damn fast can Adrien get it up again after he comes?" I groaned to myself. I knew from experience Raphaël could last a while, but damn, that was pushing it even for him. "It's like a fucking porno movie!"
My cock twitched the louder the moans grew, and I let out a curse.
Enzo grabbed my hand. "Just lie down. I'll release you."
I shook my head, but he turned off his processor and signed, "I don't have to hear them. I can sleep easily. But you're too aroused to go to sleep."
His eyes glinted in the light as his lips curled up on one side. He didn't need to ask me twice. I stood to my feet and took off my briefs, then lay down next to him.
"Spread your legs for me, my love."
I did as he asked, and he settled between my knees, then bent over and took me whole in his mouth. I could barely stifle my groan. Before I could stop myself, I was thrusting my hips toward his lips, my pleasure enhanced by the sounds across the hall of Raphaël fucking Adrien all the way to heaven and back.
Chapter 54
ENZO
When we woke up the next day, I turned on my processor, my senses greeted with some loud classic rock.
"Is that Guns N' Roses?" I asked Florian, who was already awake.
He made a face, none too happy. "Yeah, it's been playing for an hour."
I looked at the clock. "It's 7 A.M.!"
I'd fallen asleep right after going down on him last night, but he signed at me to let me know Adrien and Raphaël went at it until at least four. He didn't doze off until after they were finished. Ouch!
"You're sure you're up for visiting places today?" I lay on my stomach, running circles between his pecs with my index finger. "We can rest if you're tired."
"In this racket? I don't think so." He pursed his lips. "This is the last time I let Raphaël convince me to sleep at his place, ever."
I nodded but couldn't help smiling. "I'm enjoying my time with you, though."
"Yeah?" He wrapped his hand around my neck to pull me into a kiss. His bare chest was warm against mine, the hair of his torso tickling my skin. "You're sure we can't have sex? I've had to listen to them shaking the bed all night. I'm still horny as fuck."
I gave him a tiny smile. "All right. But only because you asked nicely."
&nbs
p; Florian laughed against my neck. "You're so fucking adorable. I love you so damn much."
I froze on the spot, unsure I'd heard him correctly. It was his first time saying it—well the first time since we'd met again. The last time he'd said it was on the day of the attack.
Florian pulled away to search my eyes. "I mean it, Enzo."
I squeezed his hand and gave him a peck on the lips. "I love you too."
"You do?"
"I've been falling in love with you again for a while now," I acknowledged. "I tried to stop, but it didn't work."
"Please don't stop."
I leaned into him, rubbing my temple against his chest, then I read his lips when he asked, "So can we have sex?"
I let out a soft chuckle.
"Let's do it in the shower," he added. "Two birds, one stone."
"What if they hear us?"
"You sure do get loud," he commented. "But at this point, I don't really care what they think. They didn't try to keep quiet last night."
Chapter 55
FLORIAN
"Maybe we should visit Vaux-le-Vicomte," I suggested as we crossed the street toward the Luxembourg Gardens. "I've never been to that castle."
After our shower this morning, Enzo and I had breakfast with Raphaël. We didn't get to meet Adrien, though the music in the apartment was definitely his. He was cooped up in one of the rooms doing who knows what.
"What about the Orangerie?" Enzo signed. "I thought we were supposed to look at paintings today."
"What do you prefer?"
"Vaux-le-Vicomte, definitely."
"Vaux-le-Vicomte it is, then."
His dark eyes twinkled. "Can we eat there, too?" He steepled his hands in front of his mouth. "Please."
I stroked the scar on his cheek with the back of my hand. "Whatever you want."
His beautiful smile spread. "How are we getting there?"
"They have bus tours. They have one in..." I looked at my watch. "One hour. If we hurry, we can see if they have any tickets left."
Enzo never stopped beaming. "I've always wanted to see Vatel's kitchen!"