by K. Sterling
“No,” Wal said firmly and Bill raised his hands soothingly.
“Fine. Go with your gut but fix things with Marco too. Do that now because he needs all the love and support he can get, if this was a cry for help,” he added cautiously then shushed Wal when he started to protest. “I think we’d know if Marco was using his shop to move drugs and stolen goods or if he was involved with any of the gangs or the mafia. Aside from some big, mysterious debt or a stalker, I can’t think of a reason someone would attack Marco. Have you seen a sign of either?” He asked and Wal shook his head.
“None of it makes sense. Marco wasn’t suicidal and no one had any motive to attack him but the crime wasn’t random. Someone targeted him and put a lot of effort into making it look like he wanted to destroy his office and kill himself,” he said and Bill’s lips tightened.
“One seems a little less likely than the other, Jack,” he replied heavily and Wal shut his eyes. “Settle things with Marco and see what happens if the two of you open up. I’m hoping this kills two birds with one stone and saves both of you,” he said and Wal nodded.
“I’ll talk to him,” he promised then looked down at his pocket as his phone vibrated. It was the hospital. “I need to get Marco. I’m keeping him at my place until I figure this out,” he stated and Bill cringed.
“Now I’m really worried,” he said and Wal glared.
“I’ve fixed it,” he muttered and Bill still looked concerned.
“It’s not that your place is messy… You just need a lot of help. Maybe Marco can do something about it,” he suggested and Wal pushed out a hard breath.
“It’s fine now but Marco can do whatever he wants,” he stated flatly and Bill chuckled as he turned Wal.
“That’s the attitude. I’m already feeling better,” he declared and Wal vowed to never let anyone else into his apartment ever again.
Chapter 12
“I can walk, Wal!” Marco laughed as he got out of the truck on his own and stepped around him. “Stop acting like I’m fragile. I’m fine now,” he insisted. He was a little looped from the cocktail of drugs they had him on but Marco was mostly happy to be alive and out of the hospital. His father drove into the city to sit with him in the hospital but Marco was grateful his mother was still in Florida, she would have been unbearable. She was already on her way back in a few days and he forbid her from changing her reservations and coming home earlier. He was praying she’d be over the worst of it before she got her hands on him. But he had days to mentally gird himself. He had days. And Wal.
Marco knew he was safe in the hospital. Wal made sure an officer stayed nearby and Marco’s dad refused to leave his side until Wal got back. But Marco wasn’t prepared for the bone melting relief he felt when the elevator opened and Wal walked out. Marco was grateful they made him stay in a wheelchair and he started crying, he was so happy to see Wal. He must have looked pathetic because there was a brief shimmer in Wal’s eyes as his father briefed him and handed Marco over to his care. He noticed his father’s relief when Wal said he was investigating and offered to take Marco in and keep an eye on him. There was no one else his father would trust and Marco’s mother would already be on a plane if he hadn’t told her Wal was taking care of him. She would bless Wal every time she shut her eyes for the rest of her life. But she might never forgive Marco for letting Wal go.
“I’m sorry. You still look terrible,” Wal murmured as he opened the door to the apartment’s lobby and held it for Marco.
“It’s fine,” Marco laughed as they headed for the elevator. “And it’s probably these scrubs,” he joked as he looked down at himself. One of the nurses offered him his pick of spares and he immediately grabbed a set in a lovely shade of lilac purple but he didn’t think it was doing much for his ashen complexion. He caught sight of his reflection a few times and he looked grey and his eyes were sunken in and there were dark smudges beneath them. And he was in desperate need of a shave. And underwear. “I’m going to take a massive nap and then I’m ordering new clothes and underwear. I’m sure I’m going to miss a million things once the shock wears off but right now, I just want to take a hot shower, put on a decent pair of underwear and my sweats and let the whole world fuck off for as long as possible,” he stated as the elevator opened and they stepped in. Marco winced as Wal pushed the button for the fourth floor. “I am a little concerned about what I’m getting myself into here,” he said and Wal’s head jerked around.
“Why?” He asked quickly as his eyes poured into Marco’s, searching and uncertain. “Because of…” His eyes widened slightly and his jaw twitched. “Us,” he added quietly and Marco’s cheeks puffed out as he shook his head before he laughed nervously.
“No. I was kidding about your apartment but I don’t have any concerns about us,” he said a little too brightly then made it worse with a weirdly large grin. Marco had very serious concerns but he was too tired and his brain was muffled and being squeezed by the meds. Every five minutes or so he’d feel flashes of the panic he felt in his shop, when he realized he wasn’t alone and couldn’t stop whatever was about to happen, just before a bright bolt of pain made everything dark. He’d feel panicked then remember finally breathing again and knowing Wal had him, that he was safe. Marco couldn’t open his eyes and he still felt like he was suffocating but he could sense the world coming back and he felt Wal pulling him free. Marco didn’t lose anything he couldn’t get back but he realized the only thing he needed was Wal. He didn’t know how he’d fix things with Wal or how it would work but he had to try. When he didn’t feel like a cracked egg and in danger of losing his yolk or ready to collapse from exhaustion.
“Good,” Wal said as the doors opened but he didn’t move. “Because I wanted to tell you…” He stopped and pulled in a long, shuddering breath and Marco braced himself. He wasn’t ready for anything from either end of the emotional spectrum and Wal could either overwhelm him with an incredible revelation or level Marco by reminding him they were better as friends. For once, Marco found himself crossing his fingers and hoping for one of Wal’s usual vague retreats. Wal clenched his fists and bit down on his lips and Marco leaned back as his nerves twisted before he sighed. “You don’t need to be concerned,” Wal said and it was more of a weary grumble but Marco almost whistled loudly. Thank God.
“I know,” Marco insisted and offered him a gentle, encouraging smile. Wal nodded then waved Marco out and followed him into the hall as he dug his keys out of his pocket. Marco felt optimistic as he waited for Wal to unlock the door. Wal’s place was…weird but Marco could use all the time he was bound to have on his hands to make it less like a storage room/cell and more of a home. Marco had no idea how bad his shop and apartment looked but he was sure he’d need a distraction. It was a good time for a project and fixing Wal’s apartment and getting things right with him would keep Marco busy while he was waiting to get his shop back. And it made the fact that he was hiding at Wal’s because someone clearly didn’t want him alive less terrible. Wal pushed the door open and Marco’s eyes widened in shock as he followed him in. It was years since he was last in Wal’s apartment, since they broke up, and things were dramatically different. “What happened?” He asked as he turned and leaned. It was still pretty bare but the boxes and stacks of books were gone. There were curtains on the windows and throw pillows on the couch. Two pillows, a set of sheets and a comforter were stacked on the coffee table but it didn’t look like Wal lived on the couch anymore. Marco never liked that Wal didn’t go to bed and sleep properly. The only time Wal slept in a bed when they dated was when they were together, after sex. If Marco wasn’t with him, Wal would crash on the couch with one of his textbooks and used his bed for his piles of suits. There was always a stack to go out and a stack of fresh suits in their dry cleaners’ bags.
“What do you mean?” Wal asked as he slid out of his coat and hung it on the back of a chair and Marco’s hand flailed.
“Where are all the boxes?” He asked as Wal took off his
holster and left it on the table. Wal raised a shoulder as he reached for the stack of mail and opened a large envelope. He removed a comic book and carefully opened it and glanced at a page.
“I moved them,” he said simply then turned and headed for his spare bedroom. Marco followed him then gasped as he took in the neat stacks of clear plastic bins. Wal went to a shelf and found a protective sleeve for the comic book. He carefully sheathed the comic then crossed the room and his fingers trailed through the air as he found the right bin. Wal put the new comic book in the proper place and Marco laughed in disbelief. There’d been boxes and boxes of comic books clogging the living room, spare room and halls. Wal always had some sort of system but he didn’t care that it was making his place uninhabitable because he didn’t do anything but sleep and change his clothes when he was home. He didn’t even eat or cook. At all. He didn’t like the smell of trash and spoiled food so he rarely brought any food into his apartment.
“When?” Marco asked as his shock deepened at the sight of a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter as they made their way back into the living room and Wal shrugged again.
“I don’t know. After,” he said absently as he went into the kitchen and pointed at the fridge. “I got some groceries. I wasn’t sure what you’d feel like eating but I tried to get enough for a few days. Make a list and I’ll get whatever you want tomorrow,” he said and Marco’s brow rose in confusion.
“Could you pinch me?” He asked. He hoped he was dreaming. If not, his brain was a lot more damaged than the doctor lead him to believe. Wal’s only other fault as a boyfriend, aside from his inability to clock out and leave work at the office, was the way he lived. Marco never admitted it because it felt a little shallow but he worried it would be impossible to live with Wal, if they ever got that far.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Wal said dismissively as he pushed his hands into his pockets and Marco snorted.
“You have throw pillows, Wal. That’s kind of huge. You should have told me,” he said then laughed softly to himself. It didn’t seem so impossible now. It seemed kind of wonderful, actually. Which was super confusing, in combination with the fear and fatigue. “Speaking of, I think I’ll test them out. I’m not getting off the couch until this is over. Just drop off my mail and throw me a pizza now and then,” he declared as he strode across the room and was about to crash onto it when Wal cut him off.
“No! I’ll take the couch!” He said as he turned Marco toward the other hall. “You can sleep in my room,” he urged and Marco shook his head as Wal quickly pushed him down the hall and into his room.
“You don’t need to…” He stopped and blinked at navy velvet bedding and the lamp glowing invitingly on the bedside table. His eyes caught on his sketchbook and Marco’s chest exploded as a laugh and tears burst from him. “What did you do?” He cried as he rushed to it. It smelled like smoke and fumes but Marco was devastated as he hugged it against his chest and looked at Wal. Marco’s sketchbook was full of his dreams. All of them. He’d pasted in his favorite sketches from the pages of his childhood notebooks and plotted out his fantasies and biggest projects. It was where he saved his best ideas and documented his failures. He thought it was lost and convinced himself it had all come from his soul and would always be there, even if the book wasn’t but he couldn’t put into words what Wal did when he saved it. He went back for it. Marco’s lips and hands began to tremble as their eyes touched. “What did you do?” He whispered as tears spilled down his cheeks.
“Don’t!” Wal pleaded hoarsely as he pushed away from the door and reached for Marco’s face. He stopped and his chest heaved as his body shook and Marco realized Wal was afraid to touch him. “I had to get it for you, if I could,” he panted and Marco’s heart couldn’t take it, how much he needed Wal as everything became clear. Wal went back and risked his life for a sketchbook because he loved Marco.
“I don’t know what’s happening but I need you,” he admitted as he tossed the book on the bedside table and looked at Wal hopefully then jumped as he was pulled into his arms.
“I thought I lost you and it was like everything was gone. I can’t live without you, Marco. I love you,” Wal rasped as his hand curved around Marco’s jaw.
“Oh, fuck… Wal!” Marco sobbed as his arms wound around him. Wal hushed him as their lips collided.
“I’ve tried to change but I’ll do anything you want. Let me try again, please. I won’t mess it up this time,” Wal vowed and Marco stopped him with his lips and kissed him as deeply as he could. He pushed every bit of “I’m sorry”, “I love you” and “I don’t give a fuck about anything else” into it as he could muster and was glad Wal didn’t fight back as he pushed them onto the bed.
“Just try. I don’t care if you fail a thousand times and we have to fight about the same thing every day, I’m never letting you go again,” Marco declared as he attacked Wal’s lips. They tasted like tears and like Wal and Marco never wanted to leave. His hands slid into Wal’s hair as his legs wound around his waist and thigh and they moaned and gasped in ecstatic bliss.
“I missed you! Every minute of every day, Marco,” Wal breathed as his lips trailed along Marco’s cheek. His hands slid under Marco’s top and under the waist of his pants and he shivered as Wal’s fingers dug and pulled possessively. Heat and desire spread under Marco’s skin as Wal’s teeth, tongue and lips lapped, nibbled and sucked at his jaw.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Marco complained weakly then moaned as Wal dropped his head into the corner of his neck and licked hungrily.
“I couldn’t,” Wal growled. “I tried to show you but I couldn’t tell you I changed and I wanted another chance,” he admitted and he made a frustrated sound as his lips found Marco’s again. “I don’t need to have sex right now but I need to touch you and feel you. Please, I need to feel you in my arms,” he begged as his fingers pushed and pulled at the scrubs frantically and Marco shook his head.
“No, you definitely need to fuck me right now,” Marco ordered as he clawed at Wal’s tie and the buttons on his shirt.
“Ok,” Wal agreed quickly as his hand swatted at the bedside table. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?” He asked but he threw the drawer opened then slammed it shut a second later and Marco laughed shakily as he sucked on Wal’s lip.
“I’m so damn tired, I can’t see straight but I could be on my deathbed and I’d still be up for it. You have no idea how bad I want you. All the time, Wal. It’s been hell,” Marco confided as he pushed Wal’s shirt over his shoulders. Wal rose on his knees and flung it away then yanked his belt and fly open before he fell forward.
“You don’t have to do anything, let me take care of you. Tonight. Forever,” Wal whispered against Marco’s skin as his lips glided up his neck and along his jaw. “Forever, Marco,” he pleaded as he pushed his trousers and boxers down his thighs and Marco nodded drunkenly as every nerve in his body thrummed with heat and desire. Anticipation swelled in his chest and the joy was so intense as Marco held on and used his hands, lips and legs to taste and feel more of Wal as their bodies tangled. Marco heard the click as Wal opened a tube of lube then gasped as slick fingers traced his hole.
“Yes!” He cried as goosebumps rushed down his back and arms. “Now!” Marco commanded but it was definitely a whimper. Wal nodded as he shifted and Marco’s eyes became huge and wide as he felt the head of Wal’s cock nudge his hole. “Wait!” Marco hissed as he pushed against Wal’s hip and rose on an elbow so he could see between them. Holy shit. I forgot how perfect his cock looks, Marco thought then shook his head to clear it. Wal’s very large, hard unsheathed erection throbbed and strained as he stared down at Marco in confusion.
“You said now,” he huffed and Marco’s jaw fell as he looked up at Wal. Marco gave Wal a very pointed look before his eyes and head dropped even more pointedly to his bare, leaking hard-on as it rested in the cleft of Marco’s ass.
“You’re just going to…?” He asked and Wal blinked a few
times before he shrugged and fell onto his elbow.
“I’m clean, Marco. I’ve got the last two years’ worth of test results in the other room, if you want them,” he said then kissed Marco as his finger pressed into his ass and golden heat spilled down his legs.
“Fuck… I know,” Marco babbled and writhed beneath Wal as his fingers stretched and teased before hard driving heat filled Marco’s passage as Wal slowly rolled his hips. A gasp burst from Marco’s lips as his head fell back. “But you don’t know if I’m…” he mumbled drunkenly as Wal rocked deep and smooth.
“I know you’re clean but it doesn’t matter. There’s never been anyone else. I’ll never be able to touch anyone else,” he said and Marco’s eyes rolled as his body became waves of pleasure and joy and the pressure in his ass and cock became unbearable.
“I tried to move on and forget how good this was but I couldn’t. It’s never been this good,” Marco gasped as sweat pushed from his pores and heat spread under his skin. Wal snorted wryly as he hooked Marco’s leg around his thigh, locking him against his groin before he drove deeper and faster.
“I couldn’t move on. There’s never been anyone else,” he ground out as his hands spread around Marco’s face and their lips fused. Marco groaned as his fingers twisted in Wal’s hair. He’d always assumed Wal was doing his own thing but was too shy and private to mention it. It never occurred to Marco that Wal wouldn’t at least have someone regular on the side. They had a lot of sex when they were together because Wal was insatiable and demanding. Marco could never be sure if Wal would show up for dinner or a movie, if they made plans. But Wal would turn up whenever he could get away and lock the shop’s door or push Marco into bed and take whatever he wanted. Wal was quiet and almost supernaturally calm and still but he was ruthless and explosive in bed. “Marco!” Wal sobbed hoarsely as his hands wrapped around his ass. Marco heard two years’ worth of need and loneliness in it and his soul burned with regret as he pulled Wal deeper into his body.