Player

by Sean Ashcroft

  Isaac chuckled. “Thanks, mom,” he said, flipping open the lids of both pizza boxes.

  Julian claimed a slice of pizza immediately, remembering that he had to be quick if he wanted to get his share. Even with two pizzas between them.

  He made a soft, happy sound at the first mouthful, sitting back and letting his whole body melt into the couch cushions.

  He was always tired at the end of the day, but it was nice to have a friend around. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d been getting increasingly lonely over the last few months, spending too much time in his own company.

  And then Isaac had shown up, as if on cue, to drag him out of it.

  No wonder his teenage crush on the guy had surged back to full force pretty much instantly.

  “So is this where I ask about your day?” Isaac asked, working his way through a second slice of pizza already.

  “Not much to tell. My boring office job continues to be boring. Fraud analysis sounds way cooler than it actually is.”

  “Hey, I’ve never had a boring office job. Sometimes I fantasize about that,” Isaac said. “A simple life of watercooler gossip and stealing office supplies.”

  “We tend not to have supplies worth stealing, but we do have a pretty great coffee machine,” Julian said. “I mean… I’m sure we could organize a tour, if you’re really curious.”

  “Bring your boyfriend to work day?” Isaac grinned at him.

  Julian snorted. “Something like that,” he said, doubting that Isaac was actually that interested.

  He believed that Isaac’s interest in his happiness was sincere. He just didn’t believe that anyone’s interest in office jobs went past laughing at jokes about them.

  Including people who actually had them, or at least, definitely including Julian.

  “What about you?” Julian asked. “Anything exciting going on?”

  “Not much,” Isaac said, still eating steadily. They probably wouldn’t get through both pizzas, but they were definitely going to put a dent in them.

  That meant leftovers, which was never a bad thing.

  “I feel like I’m getting somewhere, though. I mean, I’m still waking up sore, but…”

  “That’s what you get for exercising,” Julian teased, finishing his last slice of pizza and sitting back, sated for the moment.

  Isaac chuckled, sitting back as well. Between them they’d managed about one and a half pizzas, which wasn’t bad even for two grown men.

  This was more or less exactly what they’d been like as teenagers, and a happy glow was growing in Julian’s chest at the simple joy of Isaac’s company.

  “Oh, the bruise cream,” Isaac said after a moment, standing up. “I almost forgot, and that’s the whole reason I came here.”

  Julian watched him rifle through the pockets of his coat, eventually retrieving a small plastic pot.

  “Mom didn’t have any left, so you get a brand new one,” Isaac said, holding the pot out to Julian in offering.

  Julian took it, trying to ignore the spark he felt as his fingers brushed against Isaac’s.

  “I could, uh…” Isaac gestured at Julian’s eye. “Apply it for you, if you want?”

  Despite knowing he should probably have refused, Julian found himself nodding eagerly.

  If Isaac wanted to touch him, there was no way he was going to stop that. He wasn’t strong enough to refuse the attention he so desperately wanted.

  Isaac sat down opposite him on the coffee table, moving the empty pizza box out of the way to make room. He peeled the wrapping off the pot, setting it aside and twisting the top open.

  Julian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs so Isaac wouldn’t have to reach out too far.

  “Fair warning, this stuff’s meant to feel cold.”

  As Isaac’s hand got closer, Julian closed his eyes instinctively, sighing at the first light brush of Isaac’s fingers against his skin. The touch was feather-light, the cream soft enough not to put any pressure on the healing bruise.

  It really wasn’t that bad. A couple of people had teased him about it at work, but otherwise it hadn’t bothered Julian since he’d taken the hit that caused it.

  All the same, he wasn’t about to stop Isaac from taking care of him. It felt too good to pass up.

  He could feel Isaac’s warmth close to him now, and the need to see him overrode his better judgement.

  Julian opened his eyes, finding Isaac’s face just inches away, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed in concentration.

  Julian’s heart thundered in his chest, the unexpected closeness making him feel exposed, vulnerable. Like any move he made could give away how much closer he wanted to be.

  How desperately he wished Isaac had kissed him the other night, when he’d so clearly wanted to.

  No matter how many times Julian tried to convince himself that Isaac hadn’t been about to kiss him, that there was another explanation for him swooping in, and then being spooked by the car driving past, he knew the truth. Isaac had, for whatever reason, wanted to kiss him.

  Even if it was only for a moment.

  That was enough to make hope swell in Julian’s chest, make him think that maybe, maybe he’d get his chance.

  It wasn’t a secret that Isaac was using this as a chance to experiment, feel out the borders of his sexuality. Even if Isaac didn’t quite know that yet, Julian wasn’t stupid. He’d seen the spark of curiosity in his eyes. More than once now.

  What he wanted most of all was for Isaac to just get it over with, put him out of his misery. He was happy to be Isaac’s safe, experimental sex toy if that was what he wanted.

  But Isaac had to make the first move. Anything else would ruin everything.

  As Isaac leaned back, screwing the top back on the pot of cream, Julian felt his skin tingle with anticipation.

  There was so much tension in the air between them that it was a little hard to breathe.

  “Feeling any better?” Isaac asked, his voice odd, deeper than usual.

  Julian nodded, biting his lip. Dammit, he wanted Isaac.

  And he was finally convinced that Isaac wanted him, too. He could see the way his eyes burned, the barely-hidden tension in his body. He was practically vibrating with nerves, inches away from Julian.

  Julian’s heart skipped as Isaac reached out to touch his face again, fingers trembling. He expected them to touch the bruise, check for soreness, wipe some excess cream off, but instead they landed on his cheek.

  Eyes wide, Julian stared at Isaac.

  Please kiss me, he thought, silently begging Isaac to read this situation the way it was, to see how eager and willing Julian would have been.

  Isaac moved so fast that Julian barely saw it, their lips crashing together before he could brace himself. His mouth was open just a little, and Isaac didn’t waste any time taking advantage of it, swiping his tongue along Julian’s lower lip teasingly.

  This was more like it.

  Julian moaned into the kiss, shifting forward on the couch, reaching out to curl his hand around the back of Isaac’s head, holding him in place so he could explore his mouth.

  Warm arousal bloomed in his stomach, tension already starting to pool lower down.

  He’d wanted this for so long. Almost given up hope. Could barely keep a coherent thought in his head as Isaac parted his lips, kissing Julian hot and eager, nipping at his lower lip, pressing their noses together, moving forward and pushing him back, sitting down on top of his hips.

  Julian was pinned in place, arousal flooding to his belly with every beat of his heart, every movement of Isaac’s body against his. His cock stirred in his pants, his thighs already tight with the urge to buck and thrust up against Isaac, grind against him until they both came panting.

  “Want you,” Isaac said against Julian’s kiss-swollen lips, his voice ragged, his breaths harsh. He rocked his hips, as if to illustrate exactly how he wanted Julian.

  Julian’s head spun, the room swaying for a moment.
r />   Yes. Hell yes.

  He nodded eagerly, tightening his grip on the back of Isaac’s head, and pulling him in for another kiss.

  He planned on enjoying this.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Isaac gasped as he rocked his hips against Julian’s, a wave of arousal rolling through him as he felt the other man’s answering hardness through his work pants.

  This was… wow.

  Wow.

  It was new, and exciting, and it felt as though he’d been waiting a lifetime for it. As though his entire time knowing Julian had been leading up to this moment.

  Isaac swallowed, backing off as Julian squeezed his waist. He looked down at him, at his kiss-swollen lips and mussed hair, and his heart swelled.

  This felt good. He’d been nervous before, afraid of what might happen if he made a move, but now…

  Julian licked his lips, looking up at Isaac with dark, glazed eyes.

  He wanted this, too, and man that felt good. Isaac was used to being wanted, but not by Julian.

  “You sure you want this?” Julian asked. “Because you can’t take it back.”

  Some part of Isaac knew that wasn’t true. If they did this, and he asked never to talk about it again later, Julian would go along with it. Like he went along with everything else.

  That was cruel, though, and Isaac wasn’t planning on cruelty.

  “I want this if you want this,” he murmured, reaching out to cup Julian’s jaw. “And I think… I think you do,” he added, voice breaking.

  After a moment, Julian nodded.

  Isaac’s stomach swooped as he pulled him into another kiss, curling his hand around the back of Julian’s neck to keep him in place. His other hand gripped the back of the couch, for balance, and the whole thing made him feel like a teenager again.

  He’d imagined this, when they were teenagers. Just a time or two, and he’d dismissed it as an idle thought, the wandering of a permanently horny mind, but now…

  Maybe it was something else.

  Isaac rocked his hips again, seeking the delicious friction he’d felt against Julian’s hard cock. A jolt of arousal went directly to the pit of his stomach as he found it, a tiny, soft grunt escaping him as his hips bucked, still looking for more.

  Without losing another moment, Isaac moved to push Julian down onto the couch, covering his best friend’s body with his own. Julian went without protest, looking up at Isaac like he was feeling all the same things.

  That look was enough to make Isaac’s heart leap into his throat. Julian wanted him, just as much as he wanted Julian.

  Isaac kissed him again. It was hard not to, when his lips were just there, and he wasn’t telling Isaac to stop, and Isaac wanted this with every fiber of his being.

  His hand moved to the front of Julian’s pants, grabbing and tugging at his belt until he managed to unbuckle it. He growled in frustration as he fumbled with it, and practically tore Julian’s fly open to make up for lost time.

  His fingers brushing Julian’s cock through the fabric of his underwear sent sparks skittering up his arm and pooling in his belly, arousal growing there.

  Isaac could barely process how much he wanted this. How desperately he needed to touch Julian, how good it felt that he was allowed.

  He leaned in to kiss Julian again, wanting everything he could get from this. Everything Julian would give him. The warmth of his mouth, the faint scratch of stubble against his jaw, the way Julian gave and gave and gave, making soft, needy little noises as Isaac took, not complaining once.

  Julian’s hands worked their way under his t-shirt, fingers trailing along his sides and leaving Isaac’s skin burning in their wake. Isaac’s stomach bottomed out as a wave of arousal rolled over him, his thighs tensing with the urge to rock against Julian, seek out more friction.

  His hands went to his own pants this time, fumbling to get them open, eager to feel the warmth of Julian’s body against his. He might never have done this before, but he knew what he wanted.

  Julian. Every part of him, right now.

  A broken moan escaped him as he finally got his jeans open, relief washing over him.

  “You okay?” Julian asked, the first words he’d spoken in a solid few minutes.

  The softness of his voice made Isaac’s heart twinge. Julian was one of the few people in the world who truly cared about him.

  Maybe it wasn’t so weird to want him, after all.

  “I’m fine,” Isaac said, and he was. He was completely okay with this.

  Whatever that said about him… he could worry about it later.

  The way Julian looked up at him made his heart ache. There was so much kindness in his eyes, his face open and happy and…

  He still looked like he wanted this. That was one hell of a relief.

  “Is this, uh… working for you?” Isaac asked, unsure what Julian was expecting from him.

  He had to make this good. Acceptable, at least, if he wanted to do it again. And right now, he honestly didn’t know if he did, but he didn’t want to close off the possibility if he didn’t have to.

  Julian laughed, shoving his hands inside Isaac’s jeans and gripping his ass firmly, fingers digging deep into the flesh. He pulled Isaac’s hips down, and then rocked his own up, a long, slow grind that brought both of their cocks together, the lengths catching on each other through the soft, thin fabric of their underwear.

  The friction went straight to Isaac’s gut, a hot spike of pleasure, making him gasp as Julian dragged against him.

  “Got your answer?” Julian asked, gazing up at Isaac with warm, dark eyes.

  Isaac nodded, his throat too dry to say anything.

  Julian grinned up at him, rocking his hips again, keeping the movement between them slow. He gasped softly at the top of the motion, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back, exposing his neck to Isaac.

  Isaac’s stomach bottomed out, a rush of arousal flooding down his spine and settling in his balls, making them feel tight and heavy.

  It was obviously a show meant for his benefit, but it was definitely working for him.

  Need welled up in Isaac’s chest as he leaned in, pressing his lips to Julian’s soft, intensely tempting throat. Julian gasped under him, squirming as Isaac nuzzled him, running his nose down to the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.

  He needed both hands to steady himself, but he desperately wanted to undo the rest of the buttons, strip Julian bare, take in all the lines and curves of his body.

  This was new, and Isaac wanted all of it, but he didn’t want to risk losing what he had right now by stopping. Everything between them felt so fragile, like the slightest false move could bring it all crashing down, and that was the last thing he planned on doing.

  He wanted to hear Julian gasp and sigh under him, moan and beg for more.

  “Harder,” Julian demanded as though he’d read Isaac’s thoughts, grinding up against him, gripping his ass to pull him closer.

  Isaac rocked his hips in response, hissing at the electric sparks of pleasure as he dragged his hard cock against Julian’s, even with two layers of fabric between them.

  This was perfect. He didn’t want to fuck Julian as though he was just someone he’d picked up, someone whose name he might not even remember in a few days.

  He wanted the sweetness and care Julian had always shown him. He wanted the perfect, hesitant, exploratory first time they both deserved. It had seemed sudden at first, a strange new obsession with his best friend after getting the barest taste of what it might have been like to be with a man, but…

  That wasn’t it at all. It’d been a long time coming. In the privacy of his own mind, Isaac could admit that he’d wanted Julian since they were teenagers, but he’d been so afraid of the thought that he’d buried it deep.

  He swallowed, turning his attention back to Julian’s neck, nuzzling his way up to his ear as he rocked his hips, pleasure building in the pit of his stomach. The way Julian gasped as Isaac kissed him sent shocks of
pleasure skittering down his spine, curling up in his belly, making his hips grind harder in a desperate quest for more.

  It felt so damned good to do this that Isaac couldn’t help wanting to draw it out, but he could only go so long. He was exhausted, and this was overwhelming, and Julian felt amazing under him.

  “Isaac,” Julian murmured breathlessly, the word going straight to Isaac’s gut. He wondered if Julian had ever thought about this, ever come in his own hand with Isaac’s name on his lips before.

  Heat rushed to his cock, his thighs tight with the urge to thrust harder, but Isaac held back. Everything about this was so sweet, so perfect, he didn’t want to ruin it by speeding things up. The low, slow build of his orgasm made every touch, every shift of fabric against skin too much, and not enough at the same time.

  Isaac closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Julian’s, rocking his hips just the tiniest bit harder, pushing him deeper into the couch cushions.

  Every breath was an effort, and the only sounds Isaac could hear were the ragged gasps for air between them, the couch creaking under them, and the rush of blood in his ears.

  He’d never had sex like this before. He’d had plenty of sex, but it had never felt like this, and he’d never wanted to hold back for so long, savor it so much.

  He could feel himself about to come, heat and tension building behind his balls, need driving his hips harder, making him grunt with the effort of every thrust. He could feel Julian tensing up, too, his hips faltering, starting to buck and writhe under him.

  Isaac sealed his lips over Julian’s with a desperate gasp, wanting to kiss him while he came, needing to make the fantasy complete. He groaned into Julian’s mouth, screwing his eyes shut as the pressure behind his balls suddenly peaked to a bright burst of pleasure, his hips jerking against Julian’s, his cock twitching as he started to come.

  Isaac couldn’t stop himself speeding up as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through him, his body riding out his orgasm eagerly, dragging every last ounce of sensation it could from Julian.

  Just as he thought it was over, Julian’s answering groan set him off again, another ripple of pleasure starting at the top of his spine and rushing through him, leaving him shuddering as the last of his orgasm faded.