Hale relished the first several times Justin ran into him, and he into Justin.
After what seemed like the fiftieth time, he was ready to call uncle.
“Maybe we should wrap it up for today?” Hale said between heavy breaths. “It’s getting kind of late.” He actually had no idea how much time had passed, but he didn’t want to admit he was getting worn out.
Justin wasn’t breathing as heavily, but along the sides of his head his hair was slicked back with sweat. He glanced around the sky; Hale guessed he was judging to see where the sun was.
“Just a little bit longer?” Justin asked. “I’m really starting to get into it.”
Hale put his hands on his knees and glared at Justin. “Not that I’m getting tired or anything, because I’m not, but if I get too many more bruises on the right side of my body from you slamming into me, I’m not going to be able to move tomorrow.” Not to mention this wasn’t the kind of body contact that gave him incentive to keep going. Perhaps if they were working on submission holds, he’d be more inclined to stick it out.
Even so, the look of disappointment on Justin’s face had Hale questioning his decision. “How ’bout this?” Hale offered finally. “Let’s sit down for a few minutes. If I’m not numb and turning purple, we can practice a bit longer. I could hydrate a bit anyway.”
Hale walked over to a tree and picked up a water bottle he’d brought along. “Sit with me?” he asked, lowering himself to the ground. He took a drink and then extended the water to Justin.
Justin didn’t hesitate. He came and took the bottle from Hale before turning to sit. He groaned very audibly as he sat down and held his side.
“See!” Hale said. “I knew you couldn’t be invincible. This shit hurts, man. We gotta take it easy, you know? Don’t want to overdo it before the next Fray. Any word yet on your next one?”
“No.” Justin settled next to Hale, shoulder to shoulder—much closer than they had started off yesterday. Friendly-like. “No word yet. You think it’ll come soon?”
“Probably,” Hale said. “Typically every four to six weeks when the demand is high and people want to see you. Sometimes they’ll crunch it up to make it interesting, sort of like they did for you last time. They probably want to give you a rest. Me too. That last Fray was killer. So epic. We earned a little break.”
“Epic? Really?” Justin was naturally flushed from the workout, so Hale couldn’t tell if he was blushing.
“Really,” Hale assured him, patting his knee. Friendly-like, right? Hopefully he wasn’t going too far.
To his utter shock, Justin reached down and put his hand on Hale’s. Justin’s fingers curled down for a firmer grip. And there their two hands lay. Together. On Justin’s knee.
Hale’s heart was thundering. Warm from the workout, his skin grew even hotter.
“Can I tell you something?” Justin asked.
“Of course.” He gave Justin’s knee a squeeze. God, those legs. He wanted to move his hand up to touch those deliciously thick quads.
“I’m sore as hell. The only reason I didn’t want to leave is… well, I was waiting for a drone to come by, but there haven’t been any today. I thought if we stayed a little longer….”
Hale felt his eyes widen. He tried to look Justin in the eyes, but Justin was looking down at their hands. Was Justin really saying what Hale hoped he was saying?
He tentatively stroked Justin’s knee with his thumb. He moved his hand a little higher to cradle the inside of Justin’s leg. Was this a dream? If so, Justin was enjoying it too, because he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.
Hale moved his hand up Justin’s thigh. The cotton under his hand was slightly damp but very soft. Justin breathed out deeply—it was a sigh, but completely different than those Hale had heard earlier.
Justin’s hand moved to Hale’s leg and mirrored Hale’s motions, stroking up the inside of his thigh. Within the span of five seconds, Hale was hard. He leaned into Justin so they were temple to temple. He could feel the dampness of Justin’s hair and smell the clean sweat evaporating from his body.
This was really going to happen.
“Justin?” Hale asked softly. Justin opened his eyes and turned to look at him, his expression uncertain. Hale looked up into the sky, smiling. “I think I hear a drone.”
Justin laughed. It was the only sound around. Even the birds were silent.
Hale took Justin’s hand and stood up, pulling Justin to his feet. They were both moving a little gingerly, sore and very hard. “You think we should go into the blind?” asked Hale, unable to control his wide, eager smile.
“Yeah, we probably should.” So Justin was playing along. His smile was nervous, but his eyes shone with excitement, and that hard-on proved it, didn’t it?
Hale’s dick seemed to lead the way, pointing like a divining rod to where he would finally get lucky, complete with the twitch. Hell, he’d be happy to throw Justin down on the forest floor and take him in the broad daylight. Still, the dimness of the blind was comforting. He didn’t want to scare Justin off, so Hale was more than happy to do this his way.
He carefully raised and then lowered the lid of the blind to keep from getting showered with dirt. His heartbeat stuttered as he wondered how things would start. But much like yesterday, he and Justin were cock to cock, lying on their sides, facing each other.
It was Justin who said, “Maybe we can continue where we left off?” He was gyrating his hips, brushing the tip of his cock against Hale’s through their sweatpants.
Hale inhaled sharply, audibly, and put his hand on Justin’s bicep. “God, you’re a tease. And it feels so damn good.” Hale looked into Justin’s eyes, a little darker brown in the dim light but shining and playful. He moved his hand up to Justin’s face and felt the soft, bristled texture of his cheek. It looked so smooth in the half-light, he marveled at the slight roughness of the touch. Reveled in it. Justin was right—he wasn’t a kid at all. He was all man.
Hale glanced down to Justin’s bottom lip, then ran his thumb across it. He wanted to feel those lips. He leaned his head in closer for a kiss….
But suddenly Justin lowered his chin, showing Hale the top of his head. Hale tried not to be disappointed, and instead inhaled the scent of Justin’s hair—sweat and leaves and dirt. Unexpectedly, Justin grabbed him, his fist circling Hale’s cock firmly through the cotton pants. Hale groaned and pulled him in closer, thoughts of the kiss almost forgotten—postponed, Hale assured himself. Just postponed.
If he couldn’t have Justin’s mouth, he wanted his cock. Hale moved his hand down Justin’s body, letting it linger on his hip before ducking it under the band of his sweatpants. He slid his hand down to cup Justin’s balls. He could feel a dampness, along with sparse hair. Hale found himself unable to play at any type of seduction. He wanted Justin badly, wanted to feel him. He slid his hand up over Justin’s naked cock.
Justin paused in his orchestrations, his breath hitching. Hale marveled at the thickness of Justin’s cock. He was more than a handful, and Hale could tell as he grabbed him that he was uncut. He slid his hand up, bringing the skin up on the head, before letting it fall back down. He fingered the tip briefly, running his thumb over the sensitive triangle on the underside as Justin inhaled sharply again.
Hale loved this. He loved to see Justin emote and take pleasure. He only wished he could see his face, that he wasn’t looking downward. If he couldn’t look at his face, though, he would look at that fat cock. Bringing his hand up, he grabbed Justin’s waistband and shoved it down. Justin had to help a little within the confines of the blind. Hale watched as Justin’s dick rose up to rest against the black hair below his navel. The cock was thick and gorgeous, the head rising up completely from the surrounding foreskin.
“God, you’re beautiful,” Hale said, placing his hand around it again. Justin didn’t speak but made small sounds, vocalizations with his breathing, almost like a hum. Sounds of pleasure. It was music to Hale’s ears.
Justin used his own hands to pull his sweats down a little farther, and then reached over to grab Hale’s pants. Hale lifted his hips, his erection springing free as Justin pulled down the material, the cool air adding to the freedom he felt.
He had a moment of self-conscious thought as Justin examined him. Slowly, Justin reached his hand down and slid it along Hale’s naked length. “If I’m beautiful,” Justin said, “then you’re fuckin’ gorgeous.” Hale’s cock flexed involuntarily at the compliment, a bead of precome appearing at the tip.
Hale looked down at their cocks—Hale’s longer but Justin’s thicker, and both straight as rods. He wanted to burn that image in his mind. He’d never seen anything so hot in his life.
They each used one hand and began working in tandem, somewhat awkwardly at first. Reaching across each other’s arms wasn’t exactly the most convenient, but it worked. Beautifully, in its own way.
Justin stroked him roughly, his grip strong, his skin toughened from frequent use of his hands. Hale had never experienced anything like it. Nothing compared to this.
It was hard to concentrate, and he didn’t give much thought to technique as he worked Justin’s cock. Justin was slicker than Hale, the fact that he was uncut aiding in the smoothness of Hale’s motions. Hale made sure to run his finger along the underside of the head to give Justin the experience of the roughness he was so enjoying, and heard him hum again.
Sweet music. Hale loved it. Needed more. He hated religion, but still the ingrained thought came, unbidden. Please God, let this happen again.
His and Justin’s movements became more frantic, their hips shifting deeper to push into each other’s hands.
Hale spoke softly, words like whispers. “Justin, God, you feel so good.” Either Justin’s hand on his cock or his hand on Justin’s cock? Both, really. No need to explain.
“Look at me, please,” Hale found himself almost begging. Please, look up at me.
Justin raised his head, eyes fierce. That one look was enough to let Hale know Justin was here with him. Hale leaned his forehead against Justin’s. They were very close, breathing the same air. It wasn’t a kiss, but it was enough.
Justin tensed against him. “Let me see you come,” Hale breathed, his words so very close to Justin’s mouth.
Justin’s hand stopped moving on Hale’s cock, and Hale could sense the orgasm beginning. Justin didn’t speak or scream, but the sound he made was nonetheless unrestrained, even if it was quiet. Hale watched as come surged from Justin’s cock, hitting the dried leaves between them. He gripped Justin’s dick harder, continuing his motions with a single downward stroke for each spurt that came from him.
Justin buried his face in Hale’s neck, and Hale felt the warm, wet breath against his skin. Damn, that was sexy.
Justin’s hand found its way to Hale’s cock again, his strokes determined. Hale was starting to feel a little pain at the head of his cock from the rough play. He was gonna be a little chafed. He could spit, or use Justin’s come to lubricate himself—but no, he liked it like this. He loved the feeling of Justin’s rough hands on him, liked the slight burn on his skin.
As though a switch had flipped, Hale was coming. He grabbed Justin’s bicep and gave a couple pronounced thrusts of his hips into Justin’s hand.
“Fuck,” he said, feeling the come coursing up. It shot out over Justin’s hand, landing on Justin’s forearm and spurting into the leaves where Justin had spent himself moments before. Hale buried his head into Justin’s hair, his mouth open, teeth bared as his body continued to spasm and spend.
Gradually the intense sensations left his body to be replaced by his heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat. “Fuck,” he said again.
“You say the most romantic things.”
Hale laughed. “Did you just crack a joke?”
“I don’t do jokes,” Justin said, but his smile was wide.
“But God, what you do to me.” Hale embraced him. It wasn’t cuddling exactly, but it would do… until next time.
Justin returned the embrace, and Hale had the urge to say something. He wanted Justin to know what he was feeling. But what was he feeling, exactly? Whatever it was, it was hella strong. Hale loved having Justin pressed against him, their spent cocks touching, Hale’s still sensitive.
Before he could formulate any words, Justin spoke. “I suppose we should get back to work.”
Hale sighed. “Yeah. I suppose we should.” Talk about romantic.
He wanted to stay here, holding Justin and being held. Soon, Hale promised himself. After all, he wasn’t one to give up without a fight.
Chapter 21
LOOKING AT Hale, Justin saw the sun through the driver’s-side window as it inched lower toward the horizon. It lit Hale from behind, giving his features a soft glow, a golden hue to his brown hair. Justin almost wished for more time in the truck. Turns out talking wasn’t so bad, even after the line they’d crossed this morning. In fact, it was kind of like… a date? Not exactly like an old movie, but that’s what it felt like. An old movie, where people talk fast and everything that comes out of someone’s mouth is the perfect thing to say.
Hale was easy to talk with, and things in the truck today were so much better than yesterday and the day before. No awkwardness at all. Justin was finding it pretty easy to explain about the truck, the routes, and the business end of things.
“See those double-tire skids?” Justin asked, sitting in the passenger seat. “You pass them on the freeway all the time. Ever consider why a huge semi would have to put on the brakes so hard?”
“I’ve seen it happen,” replied Hale with a smile. He’d been driving since the rest stop, and Justin had to admit, he was impressed with Hale’s comfort behind the wheel. “Those are what’s left after the air brakes fail. The emergency brakes kick in, the wheels lock up, and you have to steer her off the road. Scary thing to see when you’re behind one on a bike.”
“I’ll bet it would be. Scary thing when you’re behind the wheel of the truck too.”
“Thankfully I have pretty good reflexes. Wanna stop back at the rest area? I can give you a demonstration.”
Justin felt his face getting hot remembering their morning tryst, and he couldn’t help the smile. “You tryin’ to get a rise out of me?”
“In more ways than one. Is it working?”
“In more ways than one,” he agreed, visibly adjusting himself to put his hardening dick in an “up” position to avoid tenting out in his sweats. Talk about a semi.
He looked over to see Hale staring at him intently. “Eyes on the road,” he taunted Hale. “That was a test. You’re failing miserably.”
Hale looked back to the road. Rather reluctantly, it appeared. “Can’t help it,” Hale said more softly. “You make me want to do things to you that I ain’t never done before.”
The heat spread through Justin’s body. He was probably still blushing too, but so what? He was okay with that. He just had to envision their talk like a fight. If Hale got him to blush, that was like a hit. Justin had to figure out a way to counter. He smiled a silent chuckle. Adjusting his cock was a very effective counter.
The rest stop was only ten minutes ahead, but since it wasn’t quite evening, Justin figured their truck would be a little more conspicuous, especially if it was parked there twice in the same day. But still, to do it just one day wouldn’t hurt.
God, was he actually considering this? Twice in the same day? Yes, he was. What had happened to him? This morning had been a revelation, and the more Justin thought about it, the more he wanted to do it again—and then some.
“It’s still pretty early,” Justin said. “We have a couple stops to make coming back into the city, but fifteen minutes to stretch our legs wouldn’t hurt.”
Hale’s mouth fell open. “You’re serious?” he asked, excitement plain on his face.
“I think I am,” Justin said. “Unless, of course, you don’t want to….”
“Fuck that!” Hale sai
d. He leaned over, and Justin could barely hear his next words. “Can’t stop thinkin’ about it. Want your hands on me again so bad.”
“Eyes on the road,” Justin reminded him, laughing. Truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking about it either. And not in a bad way—in a very good way. He still had reservations, but his dick was taking precedence over the voices in his head. Still, they’d have to keep the innuendos to a minimum. There better be some way to secure the truck, because when it came to Hale, Justin wasn’t sure he could hold himself in check. Not anymore.
Thinking back to the morning, Justin kept returning to the sound of come hitting dry leaves. That first release. Had his eyes been closed, and that’s why that sound reverberated in his mind? Something that would seem inconsequential had him hardening at the memory. That sound was like a thunderbolt, electricity striking to his core. It was going to be a very long autumn if every time he heard leaves rustling his mind was going to take him back to that spot—back to their first time.
So, yes. Justin did want a second time today. And many more times after that.
So what, if the thought was also a little scary? It actually felt freeing to answer questions that had been weighing on him. Was he ever really into girls? He had always tried to deny a part of himself. He never thought it should be any other way—every guy was like that. They had urges that were part of the environment, urges that were the result of the world being so screwed up. It was okay to have those urges, but you shut them away. He compartmentalized them into one of those damn little boxes in his head.
Because you fought it. You didn’t let the world beat you.
What did it mean that he kept thinking about kissing Hale, feeling his scruffy face under his hands as their lips and tongues met? Was he bent?
People had been gay before. Who’s to say that if Justin hadn’t lived a hundred years ago, he wouldn’t have been gay? Maybe the world hadn’t made him bent. Maybe he was how he was supposed to be. But how did you know?
Those thoughts were for a later time. He wasn’t afraid of thinking them. He liked to live in his own head, liked to think. He didn’t know what it would mean if his suspicions were true, didn’t know if that would make things any easier. He still had to live in this world, even if it wasn’t what made him.
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