Sacred Skin

by Terra Sinclair

  I laughed. “Thanks. It’s kind of a new thing for me.” I admitted.

  Christie smiled. “So, you have a boyfriend then? Cause if you don’t, I totally know a bunch of cute guys who would be DTF.”

  “That’s very nice of you, but I’m good,” I told her. “No boyfriend yet but I’m working on something.”

  “Whoever he is, he’s a lucky guy. You’re a total catch!” Christie gushed I felt my cheeks ache from smiling so much at the thought of Leo. He was the catch and I was the lucky one.

  Home time rolled around a few hours later and Marlena herded up Frankie and I down to a local dive bar we liked to hang out at. I sat in the booth with Frankie while Marlena fetched up a jug of beer, making shop talk and wondering how exactly I was going to phrase to two of my closest friends that I was seeing another guy.

  It was a relief to know that neither of them would care but it wasn’t a hateful reaction I was worried about. I worried that there would be some hostility, maybe even some resentment. As much as I saw it from my point of view, I could see it from there’s too. Marlena and I told each other almost everything. Frankie and I regularly talked about attractive women and did the whole straight-bro-talk thing. I was about to reveal that it had all been a lie and the person they thought I was, wasn’t really ever there. That was the hard part about all of this.

  Marlena placed an oversized jug of beer on the table and laid out three glasses before scooting into the half circle booth beside me. Great. I was sandwiched between the two of them with no possible way of escaping, unless I wanted to jump over the table. I picked up the beer jug and poured us out a glass.

  “Feels like forever since we’ve got together out of work. What’s new?” Frankie asked. Frankie and I had only met when I set up Sacred Skin. I needed someone to share the space with to help with costs and he’d come by interested in renting out a spot. We were instant friends and I trusted his character but I knew I’d been standoffish the last few weeks. He didn’t deserve that.

  “Same old for me,” Marlena said. “Single, and not interested in mingling. If I’m not at work, I’m home with my cats watching Charmed reruns and drinking wine like a true spinster.”

  Frankie laughed. “That’s not too far off my own life. Just Bruno and I and a lot of Call of Duty.” Bruno was Frankie’s beagle.

  “Gosh, we’re sad,” Marlena croaked, chugging on her beer. “What about you, Brooks? You do seem to have a spring in your step these days and I’m gonna guess that has to do with a certain lady friend who you haven’t told us about yet.” She narrowed her eyes at me.

  “I’ve noticed it too,” Frankie joined in. “At least one of us is getting some action.”

  On that note, my body started to tense. Okay, so I had already processed the fact that I was about to come out to them but now Frankie was mentioning action. I didn’t want the two of them picturing Leo and I getting down and dirty. Even if it was a damn fine image.

  “Yeah. Actually, I do have something I wanted to tell you guys,” I said. My leg was nervously bobbing under the table.

  “It’s Christie, isn’t it?” Marlena said. “I knew it! She’s been trying to get with you for years and today she seemed so happy when she left the shop. I couldn’t help picking up on something.” Marlena raised an eyebrow at me.

  “What? No. It’s not Christie,” I sighed.

  “Hey, if you’re not interested man, I totally am. Christie’s a goddamn babe,” Frankie said.

  “Okay, so it’s not Christie then who is it? I know you never go out, so if it’s no one you’ve met through the shop, then you must be doing the whole app dating thing!” Marlena’s eyes widened. She was doing a really good job at stopping me from getting the words out.

  “Would you quit with the guessing and let me tell you what’s up?” I said, laughing at her. “I’m not on Hubble or whatever that apps called. I did actually meet someone through work but it’s probably not who you think…” I sighed, trying to gather the right words to say it.

  “Oh?” Marlena asked, then her eyes went wide. “Ohhhh.”

  “You know?” I asked her, seeing the cogs working away in her pretty head.

  She nodded and looked at Frankie who was thoroughly confused. I didn’t blame the guy.

  “Sorry, could you fill me in here? I’m a little out of the loop it seems.”

  I fumbled with my hands in front of me. “I’m… I’m actually not into women.” I finally said.

  Frankie nodded slowly, looking like he was trying to figure things out. “Oh. So. That biker guy who keeps coming by the shop?”

  Marlena burst out laughing. “Pyro?”

  I couldn’t help joining her on that one. The idea of Pyro and myself in a romantic situation was both humorous and horrifying. “Dude. No,” I laughed. “Not Pyro. Leo.”

  “That cute blond guy? Nice,” Frankie said, raising his beer glass to me. I knocked mine against his. This was going better than I’d expected, even though I knew they would be cool with it.

  “Yeah. We just kind of hit it off,” I said, thinking back to the first tattoo session I’d had with Leo.

  “Well I feel like a total idiot,” Marlena said. “I’ve known you like seven years and I honestly had no clue. Why didn’t you tell me? You know I wouldn’t have ever cared.”

  I shrugged. “I dunno. It’s just… not something I ever felt like saying out loud. I guess part of me was never really certain either. Leo made me realize just how much of myself I was hiding. And maybe there was some fear of what other people thought as well.”

  “Aww,” Marlena gushed. “You really like him, don’t you?” she put her hand on mine.

  “I do,” I smiled. More than liked him. I was falling hard and fast and I knew there was nothing I could do to stop myself.

  “I think it’s great, dude,” Frankie said. “Fuck what anyone else thinks. Life’s too damn short.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Marlena said, refilling our glasses the holding hers up in the air. The three of us knocked our glasses together and the subject changed to a million other things as we drank our way through the evening. I was lucky to have friends like Frankie and Marlena.

  17 Leo

  Brooks sat at the breakfast bar of his kitchen with a glass of wine as I made my way around the place, looking for various utensils. I’d insisted on coming over and cooking him dinner but it was only now that I was in Brooks’ kitchen that I realized how intimate it was. This was not the kind of thing you did for a guy you weren’t seriously interested in being involved with. I was still in denial about that. Even after the things that had happened between us over the last couple of weeks. We’d been on dates, slept together and I’d ever stopped by Sacred Skin to meet him on his lunch break. As I chopped the mushrooms for the risotto, Brooks dropped a bombshell on me.

  “I told Marlena and Frankie about us,” He said, casually.

  I stopped the chopping and looked back at him. Brooks was only just starting to feel comfortable with his sexuality and I hadn’t expected him to start coming out to people so soon. This was huge.

  “Wow. Congratulations. How did it go?” I asked. I decided to walk over and sit next to him. This conversation was more important than dinner.

  “It went really well,” Brooks said. “I knew they’d be cool with it but it was even better than I’d expected. I didn’t feel like there was this instant rift between us. That was the main thing that worried me. Like suddenly I’d be a different person to them. It’s such a relief to get it off my chest.”

  I had thought Brooks looked relaxed and glow-y when I’d arrived at his place so all of this made sense. I was happy for him.

  “That’s great,” I told him, putting my hand on his. Brooks enveloped my hand, squeezing it gently.

  “It’s because of you. I just… want you to know that I couldn’t have done this if I didn’t have you by my side,” He smiled at me. “I know that’s corny as fuck but it’s true, Leo.”

  I grinned at him
. “It’s not corny. It’s actually pretty sweet. I’m glad you feel that way.” Glad was an understatement. This was everything I’d ever wanted. Brooks was everything I ever wanted. “So now you’re out?” I asked, not sure if it was going to be a universal thing or restricted just to those close to him.

  “I’d like to be. Completely,” Brooks sighed. “Telling my parents is going to be kind of tough. My mom, she’s sweet I think and my stepdad is a laid back dude. It doesn’t feel any easier though. My mom will probably freak out about not having grandchildren or something and make it all about her.” He laughed and I went along with him.

  “Well you won’t be the first gay dude to get that speech from their mom, trust me on that.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” he snorted. “There’s always options with that kind of stuff anyway.”

  Brooks looked like he had been thinking really hard about this stuff. Did he want kids one day? I wasn’t ready to ask him those kinds of questions. Not because I wasn’t curious, I was more afraid of the things it would make me feel. Caden had said he wanted to get married and settle down which couldn’t have been further from reality. That sort of talk scared the shit out of me.

  “Of course there are. There’s also dogs,” I laughed, hoping my humor was well-received.

  Brooks laughed along with me before leaning in. I could feel the heat of his mouth before it took mine. The kiss was sweet and slow. Full of feelings we hadn’t yet discussed. Full of promises. I was tired of the angel and devil on my shoulders. The voices in my head that told me to give in, no, to run the fuck away. I wanted to be with Brooks, it was that pure and simple and I was so tired of my past pain getting in the way. I kissed Brooks back, deep and aggressive. I wanted him so badly, I wanted his whole body to engulf me. To press me into the mattress until I disappeared.

  “Take me to bed,” I told him. “Food can wait.”

  Brooks groaned. “Anything you say,” he said, pulling me into him. We stood up and in a swift and surprising movement, Brooks had me in his arms as he carried me across the living room.

  I was full of empty spaces that needed to be filled. I needed Brooks to fill the parts of me that I couldn’t seem to ever feel content with. He lay me down on his bed and began undressing me. It wasn’t rushed, it was done so lovingly that I almost wanted to cry. When I was laid bare, my body naked and my erection exposed, Brooks just stood there and looked at me.

  “What?” I asked sheepishly, wanting to hide my body. I’d never been particularly confident in my appearance. I was too thin, too bony, all elbows. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I flushed hard under his gaze. Brooks’ eyes flashed silver at me and when I looked into them it was almost like I could see the whole universe.

  “Because you’re a fucking vision, Leo Cooper,” Brooks said, his voice grainy.

  I didn’t say anything. I was too speechless. Suddenly, I felt raw. I felt too paralyzed to move. Too scared that if I did anything, the moment would pass and I would lose it forever. That I’d lose Brooks. I watched as he removed his clothes. He teased me, slow and deliberate, showing off his impressive body. What Brooks saw in me was a mystery. He could have had anyone he wanted.

  Brooks crawled onto the bed, his body hovering above me. I expected him to kiss my lips but instead, he lowered his mouth to my body. He trailed kisses across my clavicle, down my chest, his tongue flicking over my nipple in a teasing way. A moan escaped my lips but his mouth moved again, leaving me wanting more. His lips continued trailing down my arm until he reached the mash of tattooed scars. I sucked in a breath as he kissed me there, over and over. Part of me wanted him to stop. It felt too real.

  “Is this okay?” he asked me, looking up with half-lidded silver moons. “I just want to take all of you, Leo.”

  I nodded. How he knew just what I needed was strange but then again, there was nothing normal about what Brooks and I had. He had come into my life, a whirlwind, and swept me off my feet so suddenly that I’d barely had time to catch my breath. I whimpered.

  “Shh,” Brooks said, moving up to my face. “I’m here, baby.” He captured my mouth in a hot and desperate kiss.

  My whole body ignited beneath Brooks’ body. I reached my hands up, caressing his muscles, my fingers finding the silver rings in his nipples and gently tugging at them. Brooks groaned loudly, biting his lips as he looked down at me. I didn’t really know what to do with them. The first time we’d slept together, I left them alone, unsure on how I should approach them. It seemed like this was the perfect way. I sat up a little as Brooks held himself up on his arms, my mouth opening over his nipple and my tongue playing with the piercing. Brooks cursed.

  “Is that what you like?” I asked him. “Fucking hell, you’re hot.”

  Brooks nodded. “There just for show really but god, when you do that, I swear I can feel it in my cock.”

  I looked down at his erection, rock hard and gleaming with pre-cum. The man was fucking gorgeous. As much as I wanted him to be inside me. To fuck me into a mindless mess. I had this strong urge suddenly to pleasure him.

  “Get on your back,” I told him. Brooks grinned, nodded and did what I said immediately. He fell beside me, still naked, still hard.

  I crawled to my knees and moved between his legs, spreading them wider. If Brooks was worried, he didn’t show it. We hadn’t talked about his ass and what he liked but I wasn’t going to do anything crazy. I just wanted to taste him. To show him how good it felt to be taken care of. First, I teased his cock, my hand gripping around its thick base as I stroked him slowly. Brooks eyes closed and his breathing halted for a moment before becoming slow and labored. I lowered my mouth, teasing the tip with a swirl of my tongue. He tasted like salt.

  “Oh, fuck Leo,” Brooks moaned. “Yes. Please.”

  I opened my mouth and took him in, all the way to the back of my throat. Brooks’ hands gripped at the bedsheets, his body tensing. I kept my mouth working him, slowly, just enough to get him worked up and frantic. I wanted him to be turned on like crazy before I did what I was about to do. My hands massaged at Brooks’ thighs, travelling around to his backside where I kneaded the globes of his ass. He was all muscle there. Two perfect sculpted humps. He let out an unintelligible noise as I spread him open, his dick still in my mouth. It might have seemed like I knew what I was doing, but I was just as lost as Brooks was in his moaning quivering state.

  I released him from my mouth, and moved down to his balls. My tongue worked at them clumsily and wet as I tried to lift Brooks up. It was no use, given his weight on me but Brooks eventually figured out what I was trying to do and lifted his legs. My tongue flicked across his crease.

  18 Brooks

  The sensation was unlike anything I’d experienced before and I was overwhelmed. Leo’s beautiful face was buried between my legs, his tongue warm and wet in the most sensitive of areas. I was trying hard to contain the sounds that wanted to escape me. The cursing, the trembling, the moans that my neighbors would definitely be able to hear. I felt so fucking vulnerable. So exposed. And it was the hottest thing that I’d ever experienced.

  Without prompting, I lifted my legs up further, holding my thighs in my hands so my ass was just… there. When I’d tried out rimming Leo for the first time the other day, his reaction had made me curious to see how it felt for myself. Now that I knew just how amazing it felt, I understood why Leo had come completely undone. It was amazing.

  I looked down at Leo, his eyes flashing a thousand different shades of blue as he looked up at me, his tongue skilfully teasing my entrance.

  “Touch yourself,” he told me. “I want you to come with my tongue in your ass.”

  How could I say no to that? The thought alone was almost enough to send me over the edge. I released my legs from my hands, still holding them up with their strength and moved my hand to my cock. I fisted my length, working it in time to the laps of Leo’s tongue. The whole time, I kept thinking what all of this meant. Sure, in a way this might just have been
sex but it didn’t feel that way. It felt like so much more. It felt like… making love. Which scared me and made me feel like a total pussy. I couldn’t help the way my heart got tangled up in the pleasure though. Just one look at Leo and the hollow ache inside me was suddenly warm. I was suddenly right where I needed to be.

  Leo’s hands spread me open and his tongue continued to work me into a frenzy. I stroked myself in rhythm, so close to the edge. I was slick, straining in my hand, desperate to come but at the same time, not wanting the glorious feeling to ever end. My hips buckled as I felt Leo’s tongue go deeper, white-hot pleasure erupting inside me. I was no longer in control of anything, my hand working to a mind of its own as it pumped my cock. As though an earthquake had just struck, my body erupted and shook as pleasure coursed through me, heat exploding from my cock and covering my abdomen in a white mess.

  I was a sack of potatoes, unable to do anything but lie there, heavy and panting. Leo disappeared to the bathroom, coming back a moment later with a warm wash cloth. He wipes the mess off my belly. Once he was done, his head rested on my chest and we lay there in silence with so much warmth between us.

  I opened my eyes, unsure of how long I’d dozed off but Leo was no longer there. At first, I panicked, worrying he’d left me but I could both hear the sizzle of a pan in the kitchen and the smell of something delicious filled my nostrils. I rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from my dresser before making my way to find my beautiful man.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” Leo said, as I walked in to the kitchen to find him plating up two bowls of dreamy looking mushroom risotto. My stomach growled in anticipation.

  “Sex is tiring stuff,” I joked. “You should have woken me.”

  Leo shrugged. “You looked so peaceful. Didn’t want to disturb that. How are you feeling?”

  “Hungry,” I admitted. “And thoroughly relaxed. That was… amazing.”

  “You’re in luck then,” Leo said, handing me a plate he’d just finished grating parmesan over.