The Sweetest Thing

by E. M. Denning

  “And even on your vacation you can’t get away from work. How are the renovations coming?” Tod swung and missed. “Fuck. I should’ve had that.”

  “They’re coming along. Better than I expected.”

  “Maybe you can wrap up early.”

  Maybe he could. Then he’d have more free time with Scotty. Nathan smashed the bat into a ball, and he grinned, the words home run, flashing in his head. Feeling a little emboldened with a layer of chain link between them, Nathan asked the question that had been on his mind for days.

  “Are you still pissed about me and Scotty?”

  Tod stiffened and took a strike on the next ball. “Fuck.” He didn’t step away from the plate or look at Nathan. “What if I was?”

  “I don’t want things to be weird between us, but I’m curious about something.”

  Tod didn’t miss a beat. He swung for the next ball. A viscous crack answered Nathan before Tod did. “What are you curious about Nate?”

  “Why don’t you ever talk about him?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” Tod readied himself for another swing.

  “Dude. Come on. He did a total one eighty from when we were kids and you didn’t say a word.”

  Tod turned and shot Nathan a look over his shoulder. “Because you were such a fan of his? Come on Nate, you ignored him and his ridiculous crush all his life.”

  Nathan frowned at Tod. “What?”

  Tod dropped his shoulders. “You seriously never noticed?”

  Nathan thought back over all the memories he had with Tod. And sure. Scotty was in a few, but he was always this entity in the background. This other person who was only connected to his life through Tod. Someone not important at the time. “You’re joking.”

  Tod rolled his eyes. “Please. You’re the reason my family knew Scotty was gay long before he came out. Felt bad for him. By the time he worked up the courage to tell us, we all knew. It was like he was the last to know.” Tod lifted his bat and got ready to swing again.

  Nathan watched Tod go back to swinging and he watched him. Could Tod be pulling his leg? Or was he telling the truth? Nathan thought Scotty might have said something important, something that meant more now than it had at the time, but he struggled to remember the exact phrasing. I wanted to fuck you back before I knew what fucking was. Scotty’s voice sang in his head.

  Nathan looked at Tod again, then went back to swinging. Scotty had crushed on him and Nathan had pointedly ignored his existence. Scotty’s family knew he was gay because of his apparently obvious crush on Nathan. Did Scotty still have a crush on him?

  There was so much Nathan didn’t know about Scotty, but Tod didn’t seem very open to the idea of talking about him. And he didn’t want to be the guy who ran around collecting secondhand information.

  Nathan dropped his arms to his sides as the pitching machine ran out of balls. “Are you seriously mad that Scotty and I… hooked up?”

  Tod sighed. “Dude. If you fuck Scotty and then you two decide to spit up, I know I won’t see you again. This is the first time I’ve seen you in years and then I find out you fucked my brother basically the moment your ass rolled into town.” Tod took a deep breath and approached the chain link separating them. “And look, Scotty is a pain in the ass, but I don’t want to see him hurt.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Good. Then stay away from him.” Tod turned and stalked out of the cage. Nathan followed and before he could say anything, Tod had changed the subject. “Are you coming out tonight? We’re going to The Red Onion for drinks.”

  “Yeah, I can stop by for a drink.” Nathan wanted to see Scotty and get him to tell him everything. But what if Tod was right and Scotty had crushed on Nathan all these years? Would seeing him for the scant weeks he’d be in town be a bit of fun like it was supposed to be, or would it mean more to Scotty than he’d let on?

  Nathan took a deep breath and with a ton of instant regret, he sent a text to Scotty, canceling their plans for later. He didn’t elaborate on the reason he couldn’t make it. He wanted to explain, but he didn’t know how.

  Nathan half expected Scotty to ask why, but he didn’t. The text he got back told him to have fun and it had half a dozen smiling emojis attached. Nathan frowned at his cellphone, then tucked it away. Did he want Scotty to be angry? It only took a microsecond for him to decide he didn’t. Somehow, Scotty had walked into Nathan’s life and scrambled his circuits. He’d never felt so torn before because of wanting someone.

  It was usually straightforward. He liked someone, he spent time with them until one, or both of them decided not to. Scotty’s relationship to Tod made it difficult. Couple it with the revelation that Scotty had, at least at one point, liked Nathan... He understood why Tod didn’t want him with Scotty. He wasn’t here for a long time. In a handful of weeks, he’d be gone.

  Staying away from Scotty was the right thing to do. No matter how much it sucked. Nathan pushed Scotty out of his mind and threw himself into enjoying what time he had with Tod. They grabbed dinner together at some burger place Nathan remembered. He also recalled the food used to be a lot better.

  They went their separate ways afterward, both in need of showers and Nathan wanted to check on his Grandpa. He found him in the living room watching Jeopardy.

  “How’s your day been?” Nathan took a seat on the couch adjacent to the recliner where his Grandpa sat.

  “Your mother called.” His grandpa paused the television and gave Nathan a look. “She means well but she drives me nuts.”

  “She can’t still be on about Spruce Grove?” Nathan furrowed his brow. Part of him thought his mom was right, his grandpa’s health should be monitored better. But another part of him agreed with his grandpa, he should be able to stay in his home so long as some renovations were made to make things easier for him.

  “Of course, she’s still on about it.” His grandpa rolled his eyes, then gave Nathan a strange look. “You look as if you’ve been drinking lemon juice.”

  Nathan blinked. “What?”

  “You’ve got a sour look on your face.”

  “It’s nothing to worry about Grandpa.”

  His grandpa harrumphed and turned his attention back to the television. “Fine. Don’t tell your problems to an old man. It’s not like he has life experience or anything.”

  Nathan stood and patted his grandpa on the shoulder. “It’s nothing.”

  “Okay, fine. But the other day you had a spring in your step, and now this mysterious nothing comes along and you look like you ate a rotten egg.”

  “I’m fine, Grandpa.”

  “Bah.” His grandpa waved a hand at him, dismissing him. “You think you know so much.”

  Nathan went upstairs and showered and when he slipped out again an hour later, his Grandpa was still watching Jeopardy.

  The bar was packed when Nathan arrived, but he spotted Tod immediately. He stood at the bar and by the look of the way he leaned toward the girl next to him, he was already trying to get lucky. Nathan grinned when the girl smiled at him, said something, then walked away.

  Nathan approached Tod and clapped him on the back. “Better luck next time.”

  Tod shot him a withering glare. “That’s what she said.” They burst out laughing, then Tod handed Nathan a beer. “You’re going to be my wingman tonight.”

  Nathan drank half the beer in one long swallow. “I thought you wanted to hang out with your best friend, not pick up girls.”

  Tod knocked their shoulders together. “I’m pulling your leg. I wasn’t even hitting on that girl. She’s one of Linda’s friends. She wanted an update on Linda and Mason.”

  “And, how are they?”

  “Better now. It was a bit of a shock when the dad up and fucked off, but we’ve all got her back.”

  Nathan had heard about it during one of his phone calls to Tod. It was big news, but the family rallied around Linda and saw her through the worst of it. Nathan drank the rest of his beer, then order
ed another and searched the crowd, half hoping to see Scotty.

  Three beer later, Tod had found a girl who seemed interested in him and they’d spent the past forty-five minutes huddled together at a table. Nathan had made himself scarce, like a good friend, but he was tipsy and bored.

  He went up to the table and tapped on Tod’s shoulder. “I’m heading out.”

  “Grab an uber,” Tod said. “Or I’ll kick your ass.”

  Nathan grinned and clapped him on the back. “I’ll walk. It’s not far. See you later.”

  Tod wished him a good night and went back to chatting up the brunette whose name Nathan couldn’t remember. The only thing he could think of was Scotty and that was how he found himself knocking on Scotty’s door close to midnight.

  He knocked again, but there was no answer. Nathan put his forehead on the door and sighed. “Fuck.” Nathan exhaled, then settled down to the floor to wait.

  Chapter Eight

  Scotty

  Scotty dipped the brush in the dye, then carefully smoothed it down the separated chunk of hair. Kate wanted to go rainbow again and because Scotty’s schedule suddenly opened up, he had time to help her out.

  They’d been friends since Scotty started in the salon, and over the course of the past couple years, they’d become best friends. Practically inseparable.

  “So, let me see if I have this straight.” Kate scrolled through her phone looking at nail designs. She was forever indecisive about it and often made Scotty choose. “You’ve had a crush on Hottie McOblivious since the beginning of time, and you fuck his brains out, fully knowing he’s only here for a few weeks. And you’re expecting to not get your heart broken?”

  “I doubt I’ll see him again. The reason you’re getting unicorn hair is because he blew me off.”

  “My gain.” Kate held up her cellphone. “What about those?”

  Scotty glanced down. “You hate teal.”

  “On you. I hate teal on you. It does something weird to your complexion. Are you sure he’s done with you though? He seems confused. One minute he’s angry, then he’s at your door freshly showered. Now he’s blowing you off after making plans and I know you, Scotty, you’re going to give this guy everything, and he’s going to leave. You’re breaking your own fucking heart and you’re making me watch.”

  Scotty folded the tinfoil carefully. “At least you get pretty hair and front row seats.”

  “Oh my god, you’re not funny.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Said the lying liar who lies.”

  “Need I remind you who is in control of the dye?”

  “So, the teal nails, then.”

  “Definitely the teal.”

  Scotty climbed the stairs to his apartment at almost one in the morning. Kate tried to get him to stay over, but he wanted his own bed because he could pretend it still smelled like Nathan.

  When he got to his floor, he reached into his pocket for his keys, but came to an abrupt halt at the end of the hallway. Leaning against his door, legs outstretched in front of him, chin on his chest, was Nathan. Scotty stared at him for a minute before moving closer. He nudged Nathan’s foot with his and Nathan’s head whipped up. He stared at Scotty and blinked a few times before reality set in.

  Nathan climbed awkwardly to his feet. “Hi.”

  Scotty’s heart did funny things in his chest. He was happy to see Nathan, stupidly happy and he realized with absolute horror he was going to let Nathan into his apartment. Kate was right. Scotty was on a collision course to heartbreak, but he was dumb enough to do absolutely nothing to stop it.

  “Are you coming in?” Scotty reached past Nathan and unlocked his door. “I think we should talk.”

  Nathan nodded. “Yeah. I think so too.”

  Scotty wrinkled his nose. “You’re not drunk, are you?”

  “Had a few beers. Just enough that I had to leave my truck at the bar.”

  Scotty let Nathan into his apartment. He locked the door and kicked his shoes off.

  “About blowing you off… Scotty, I’m sorry.”

  Scotty looked at him and did his best to keep his emotions in check. He didn’t want to read anything into the apology. People blew people off all the time. The decent thing to do was apologize. It didn’t mean anything. “It’s no big deal.”

  “You sound like it is.” Nathan frowned and started to move closer but thought better of it.

  “It’s been a long day.”

  “I jerked you around.”

  Scotty shrugged, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, Nathan, I thought we were doing this while you were here, but plans change. It happens.”

  “I still want to see you while I’m here. If that’s what you want.”

  “You’re leaving in a few weeks. We’d need to keep it casual.”

  “I can do casual.”

  Scotty didn’t know if he could keep it under control. For him it already felt like they’d crossed the line beyond casual, but maybe Scotty could dial it back a bit. Maybe spending time with Nathan would point out his flaws and Scotty could unfuck himself and the situation he’d gotten himself into.

  “Okay.” Scotty agreed. “Then we do casual.”

  Nathan moved toward Scotty and drew him into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around Scotty, and it felt like Nathan was trying to do more than simply get Scotty into bed. It wasn’t the kiss of someone looking for a quick fuck. The way Nathan kissed him made Scotty think Nathan wanted something more than three weeks.

  Scotty pulled away and shoved his stupid wishful thinking aside. “Not tonight, Nathan. I’m exhausted and you need to sleep it off. We can talk in the morning.”

  Nathan laced his fingers with Scotty’s.

  Scotty smiled at Nathan. He was so royally fucked, but he wasn’t sure he cared if his heart got broken so long as Nathan did the breaking. He’d had a crush on him for so long it felt even more crazy and stupid to not take what he could get. It was almost safer, in a twisted way, that he entered the affair knowing it had an expiration date. Nathan wouldn’t be around forever, and it prevented Scotty from pretending they had any shot at a future together. Besides, maybe he’d end up hating Nathan’s guts by the end of his stay.

  Nathan turned and the look on his face instantly proved Scotty wrong. There was no way he’d ever hate Nathan.

  They peeled out of their clothes and climbed into Scotty’s bed. Nathan curled up against Scotty, turning himself into the little spoon.

  “Thanks for letting me crash.”

  “I could’ve let you sleep in the hallway.”

  “I would’ve.”

  “Go to sleep, Nathan.” Scotty closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Nathan. “I didn’t take you for a little spoon kind of guy.”

  “Everyone likes to be cuddled.” Nathan’s voice was thick and sleepy sounding and it was only moments later that his breathing evened out.

  Scotty closed his eyes. He knew he was probably the dumbest guy on the planet. He should’ve told Nathan to leave. Probably the first time he showed up at his door, but he couldn’t. If Scotty had one shot, he’d go for it. His life had only ever been improved by him embracing his gut instinct and rolling with it. The storms he’d had to weather to get to where he was had been worth it every time before and he couldn’t see a single reason why it wouldn’t be worth it this time.

  Scotty wondered as he fell asleep if he’d feel the same way when it was time for Nathan to leave.

  Scotty woke the next morning after Nathan, who had already wriggled under the blankets and was currently treating Scotty’s balls to a series of gentle kisses. Scotty moaned and spread his legs a little, giving Nathan more access. Nathan licked a trail up the underside of Scotty’s cock.

  He fucking ached to have his dick inside Nathan again. He wanted to lock them both in this room and stay here forever, exploring each other in an endless cycle of ecstasy. He let Nathan suck him for a minute or two, basking in the way Nathan’s mouth felt hot and perfect ar
ound his cock.

  Then he sighed and tapped Nathan on the head. “As amazing as that feels, it’s hard to talk with a dick in your mouth, Nathan.”

  Nathan stopped and emerged from under the covers, his face red with embarrassment. Scotty pulled him in for a kiss. “I’m not upset. That was a great way to wake up, but we should talk first.” Nathan relaxed a little with Scotty’s reassurance. He ran a hand through Nathan’s dark hair.

  “I’m sorry I blew you off.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I had a great night with my friend, you had a great night with your friend. We got to snuggle. It wasn’t a total waste.”

  “What did you want to talk about then?”

  Scotty wet his lips. He didn’t know what he wanted to tell Nathan. There was so much he could say, but there was so much he couldn’t say.

  “Is this about Tod? We don’t have to tell him.”

  Scott laughed. “God no. I don’t care what Tod thinks. I want to be sure we’re both on the page.”

  “Which is?”

  “Casual sex with a what… three-week expiration date.”

  Nathan stared at Scotty for a minute and eventually he answered. “Sure,” though he sounded anything but.

  Scotty kissed him quickly, then wriggled out from under him and climbed out of bed. “You’re welcome to hang out and shower if you want to clean up before you go home, but I have somewhere to be and I need to get ready.”

  “What are you doing today?”

  Scotty cast a look over his shoulder. “Later? You, if you play your cards right.”

  “No, I mean, now.” Nathan climbed out of bed and it was all Scotty could do to resist shoving him back into bed and fucking him again.

  “Now, I have plans. And so do you. Go fix your grandpa’s house.” Scotty went into the bathroom and Nathan followed him.

  “I can still see you later, right?”

  Scotty let out a breath and turned to face Nathan. He looked pouty and depressed, with his bottom lip sticking out and his hair sticking out in all directions from sleeping. “If you’re a good boy and get all your chores done, maybe I’ll let you finish that blowjob.” He wrapped his arms around Nathan’s neck and kissed him.