by Avery Ford
He knew he’d been in the wrong to go to him to ask about the source of Caleb’s injuries, but that was behind them now. At this point, Henry realized he didn’t care if he found out what had happened to Caleb or not. Just like Henry’s past didn’t define him, Caleb’s past didn’t matter. The person he was now was what was important.
“Ugh. Doesn’t she know I’ve been sick?” Caleb frowned. “I’d imagine that word would have spread. Every other rumor in Blue Mountain spreads fast.”
“Mm, don’t know.” Henry shrugged. He settled onto the couch next to Caleb and pulled one of the blankets from his nest across his lap. The last week they’d become increasingly comfortable with one another. Caleb trusted Henry to see his pressure garments and his bare chest, and Henry in turn felt more comfortable being close to Caleb. They shared blankets without thinking twice about it. “I told her you weren’t feeling well, but you know how it is with rumors. Even if the person already heard the news, they’ll pretend they haven’t if you confront them with it directly.” He shrugged. “Mrs. Turner seemed like she didn’t know.”
“Oh, she knew,” Caleb insisted. He reached forward and opened the box of pizza, tearing a slice free. “But I’m feeling better now. I’ll walk over tomorrow and see her. I’m supposed to be getting regular exercise, anyway. Improves blood flow.”
“Right.” Henry took a slice of pizza and settled in. There was something playing on the television, an old horror movie, by the looks of it. He didn’t pay it much attention. Mentioning Kota distracted him, and he relived the scene on the doorstep all over again. It had happened a week ago, but Henry still felt the emotions clearly.
First, confusion, fear, and irritation. Then, admiration and joy. Caleb had stepped in to defend him against his own best friend. Henry had never had someone stand up for him like that before. Pritchard would likely have been the one talking down to him, and Henry’s parents were too concerned with their own image to cause a scene.
Caleb wasn’t afraid to sully his reputation when he saw an obvious injustice.
“The other week, what happened with Kota?” Henry asked carefully. The pizza dangled from his fingertips. “I mean, you’re his best friend, and I figured maybe you might have more insight into what happened. I don’t understand why he’d go off like that.”
Henry didn’t receive an answer. He turned his head to look at Caleb, and as he did, Caleb reached for him and gently took the slice of pizza from his hand. He set it on the lid of the box, and put his own slice beside it. He adjusted his position on the couch to face Henry, very serious.
“I want to be clear about my actions so that you never doubt them again,” Caleb said. He spoke evenly, each word weighted with the same importance. “How I’ve acted with you since you moved in has been a great disservice. I was a jerk, even though you were nothing but nice to me. There’s no excuse for my behavior, and I’m not going to try to make one. But what I can’t tolerate is someone who insinuates things that aren’t true. I’m not sure why Kota jumped to the conclusions he did as quickly as he did, but I wasn’t going to stand by and let him talk about you like that when you have been nothing but good to me. Even if there’s nothing at all between us, I want you to understand that I appreciate you and everything you do for me. No one else has ever been so kind, not even the people who allegedly had feelings for me.”
Henry listened, absorbing each word. He was stunned by the message, and his pulse raced as the atmosphere grew thick between them. The heavy, syrupy feel of the air bound him to Caleb, and Henry’s soul burned with longing for him.
Henry had told himself that the attraction he had for Caleb was purely physical, and that he wasn’t willing to jeopardize his mental wellbeing for a man who was so quick to anger. Once before, Henry had ignored the warning signs and followed his heart.
This time was different.
He knew his heart wanted Caleb, but he’d held back out of respect for himself. As closed off and troubled as Caleb was, he wasn’t good for Henry.
Henry had reason to believe that had changed.
Caleb opened up for him. He spoke his mind, and he engaged in conversation. When he lost his temper, he apologized and didn’t deflect the blame. When Henry had confused him with the kiss, he hadn’t lost his temper or given Henry a rough time over leading him on.
He laughed. He smiled. He expressed his feelings, and he made his thoughts clear.
Henry had been worried that Caleb was just like Pritchard, but he’d been wrong. Every day, Caleb proved that he was an outstanding man, and that his calloused personality was just a mask he used to keep himself safe from the rest of the world.
Henry was able to see beyond it because he wasn’t caught up on Caleb’s disfigurement. He showed Caleb respect, and now that Caleb knew he could be trusted, he showed Henry the same respect in return.
“What if there were feelings involved?” Henry asked quietly. If Caleb was being honest with him, he needed to be honest back.
Caleb leaned forward. The blankets tumbled onto the couch between them, showing off his t-shirt and the pressure garment he wore beneath to treat his scarring. He reached out, and as he did, Henry watched the shirt tighten across his chest. Since Henry had seen him naked from the waist up, Caleb didn’t bother hiding his figure anymore.
Caleb’s fingers curled beneath Henry’s chin, and instead of answering with words, he closed the distance between their lips and kissed him gently. Henry sighed dreamily into the kiss and closed his eyes, sparks lighting him up from the inside and plunging down the length of his spine. Somehow, this kiss was better than the last one they shared.
Caleb’s lips didn’t pause, and although the kiss remained delicate, it awoke arousal in Henry’s groin and made him stiffen. He leaned into Caleb’s touch, desperate for more. His hands found their way to Caleb’s thighs, and he braced himself against Caleb as the kiss continued.
It stole the breath from Henry’s lungs and plucked the thoughts from his head. When it came to Caleb, he was helpless.
Caleb was the one who ended the kiss, and when he drew back, Henry was too enchanted to move. The air between them remained thick and heavy, like they could drown in it if they weren’t careful. The slow, forceful beat of Henry’s heart counted the moments before Caleb next spoke.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship,” Caleb said honestly. “And I’m not convinced that you are, either. I know you’ve been sending in resumes to businesses in other cities. Between my medical visits and all the bills piling up, and the uncertainty of your future…”
“I understand,” Henry whispered. His heart ached, but he refused to let it hold him down. By rejecting him, Caleb was doing the kindest thing he could ever do. The future was uncertain, but Henry was sure it would take him anywhere but Blue Mountain.
“But that doesn’t mean we have to deny what we feel for each other,” Caleb whispered. The words ghosted across Henry’s lips and his broken heart pieced itself back together. “As long as you’re aware I’m not tying you down, and you’re not tying me down, we can still enjoy…” Caleb’s thumb stroked Henry’s cheek tenderly. “… this.”
Henry didn’t have to think about his answer. He sprang forward and pushed Caleb down onto the couch, conscientious of the right side of his body.
The heated kiss they shared was better than any yes from Henry’s lips.
Caleb
Caleb remembered the dream. Henry, sitting on crossed legs at the end of his bed, seducing him. Caleb had never been more aroused before, but the difference between the dream and reality was that in the dream, Caleb didn’t have scars to worry about.
Now, as he pushed Henry onto his bed and dove after him to continue their heated kiss, he panicked.
There was no way he could hide the rest of his body from Henry. Henry would see every red, raw, irritated burn mark and all the patches of skin set amongst them from his skin graft.
Caleb had no idea what he was going to do.
&n
bsp; Instinctively, he kissed Henry until his lips ached. What his body wanted and what his mind wanted were in total discord. The urge to roll Henry onto his stomach, lift his hips, and claim him roughly from behind was overshadowed by the panic he felt about exposing himself.
There was no clear way out.
“Caleb,” Henry gasped against his lips. The breathy way Henry’s words hitched clenched low in Caleb’s gut, and he shuddered. The sound of Henry’s voice alone was enough to drive his instincts. Caleb had been pining over him since the beginning, and now it was time to claim the beautiful young man who’d captured his attention from their first hello at the diner.
Caleb wasn’t ready to be bare in front of him.
He broke away from the kiss and wormed his way down Henry’s body. Caleb tugged at Henry’s zipper, and Henry gasped and twisted his head to the side as Caleb yanked the zip down.
“Caleb…” Henry breathed. “God…”
Caleb nosed at the bulge beneath Henry’s boxers, taking pride in the fact that Henry was hard for him. A dot of precum soaked through the cotton of his boxers and darkened the material. Caleb ran his tongue over it and tasted Henry for the first time as Henry panted and arched his hips.
He was so good.
“Caleb, it feels so good,” Henry choked. He reached down to tangle his fingers gently in Caleb’s hair, and Caleb nosed against him again. Henry was leaking his juices in abundance — the taste of precum grew stronger as Caleb lapped at the wet spot again. “S-so sensitive…”
Caleb’s teeth hooked into Henry’s boxers, careful not to snag any skin. He tugged them down until Henry’s hardened cock bounced free, then he rose back up to hover over it. It was even better than he imagined. A little thicker than average and long enough to be impressive, Henry’s physique was glorious. Full, heavy balls hung beneath, begging for Caleb’s attention.
How long would it be before Henry couldn’t resist him anymore and gave in to his release? Caleb wanted to suck him dry, then toy with him until he was ready to go over again. He didn’t waste another second.
Caleb dipped his head and ran his tongue over Henry’s crown. The precum smeared there was heavenly, and he closed his eyes and reveled in it as Henry gasped. His tongue circled and swirled, sometimes dipping low, and other times only playing with Henry’s slit. He never moved beyond the dip of his head, though, keeping himself limited until Henry was nothing more than a quivering mess beneath him.
“Caleb, please…” he begged, words broken by passion. “I need more. Please. Please.”
Caleb wouldn’t deny him what he wanted. He took Henry by the base to hold him steady, then let his tongue trail down the length of Henry’s cock. Henry let out a shuddering sigh and twitched, like he was strung out on his own pleasure. Caleb adored the fact that he was the one causing Henry to act like he did. He wanted to see Henry completely lose control.
Caleb drew his tongue back up and flicked at Henry’s slit once more, then looked up from his crotch to find Henry watching him with bedroom eyes. Caleb’s heart throbbed powerfully in his chest, and his cock stiffened instantly. The urge to bury himself in Henry’s body and buck wildly almost overtook him.
“You taste so fucking good,” Caleb whispered to him. He made sure the heat of his breath traveled across the wet surface of Henry’s cock. “Never wanna stop…”
“Then don’t stop,” Henry pleaded. “Never stop.”
Henry was lost to his pleasure, and Caleb loved it. He went back to work, letting his tongue dip down Henry’s length. When the game grew old, he kissed Henry’s crown and sank his mouth down over his cock.
Henry cried out, his voice surprisingly shrill. Caleb choked as he lifted his hips and buried himself the rest of the way in Caleb’s mouth. His cock was big enough that it was uncomfortable, and Caleb knew that he’d start to choke if he didn’t draw back. Henry had nothing to be ashamed about.
“Feels so good,” Henry panted. He thrust his hips slowly, working himself in Caleb’s mouth even though Caleb was the one on top of him. “Oh my god, Caleb. Suck me.”
Caleb did not stop. From time to time, he had to draw back and catch his breath. The gravelly feeling in his throat and lungs made it hard to hold his breath for long, and he regretted he couldn’t give Henry the deep penetration it seemed Henry wanted so badly. Caleb made up for it by using his lips and tongue to his advantage. As he bobbed over Caleb, he licked and swirled with his tongue and adjusted the pressure of his lips.
By the sound of it, Henry didn’t care Caleb couldn’t keep him deep inside for long. Henry’s moans echoed in the bedroom. The delicate young man Caleb once knew was gone.
In bed, Henry was unafraid to put on a show.
“Caleb!” Henry uttered. The sharp inflection in his voice gave Caleb pause. “Caleb, I’m gonna… I’m gonna…”
Caleb noticed that Henry’s balls had drawn up, and he knew his new lover was about to shoot. Reluctantly, Caleb drew back and lapped at Henry’s slit one last time.
“What are you doing?” Henry asked, breathless. “Caleb, I’m so close. I’m so close. Please, please keep going.”
Caleb had wanted to bring him over the edge, but now his goals had shifted. He could live the rest of his life afraid of exposing the rest of his scars to the world, or he could trust in Henry and believe that the damage beyond the belt wouldn’t frighten him away.
“I don’t want this to end,” Caleb said heavily. He sat back on his legs and stripped his shirt off from over his head, then the pressure garment beneath it. He wasn’t supposed to be without his wrapping for too long, but in a situation like this, it needed to be taken off.
If Caleb had his way, he was going to be sweating.
Henry watched with wide eyes as Caleb stripped off his shirt, and Caleb was pleased to see his erection didn’t wane. In fact, Henry reached down and grasped his own shaft. He pumped slowly, but steadily, as Caleb hitched his thumbs into the elastic waistband of his pajama pants and started to tease them down his body.
Caleb couldn’t believe he was doing this. After his accident, he’d assumed his sex life was over. The burns on his body ruined his good looks, and he knew that the type of guys he hooked up with were too superficial to look beyond the surface and see who he really was. Yet here was Henry, mousy and timid but hauntingly beautiful, who looked him in the eyes and never stared at his injuries. Henry, who never made him feel like he was any different from any other person. Henry, who was pumping his cock as Caleb exposed more of his body.
I feel like the happiest man in the world.
There was an understanding between them, always unspoken, that they were who they were, and nothing else. Physical deformities or mental hang-ups didn’t matter. All that mattered were their souls.
Caleb tugged his pants from his hips to reveal the pressure garments beneath. The skin-colored, heavy-duty tights hugged his figure. He hitched his thumbs into the waistband and lowered them. Beneath, he wore a tight pair of briefs, but nothing more. Henry was able to see first-hand the damage done to his right thigh.
The scars were the worst there. The outside of Caleb’s leg had been chewed up by the fire and melted down almost to the bone. The surgeons had done their best to reconstruct the lost muscle and graft back together his skin, but there were still visible dips where his thighs should have been straight. All of Caleb’s hair had been singed off, and while it regrew on his left leg, the follicles in his left leg had been permanently damaged. Not only that, but skin for his multiple skin grafts had been grown from his right thigh. There was scarring from where the flesh had been removed.
Henry didn’t flinch.
Caleb hesitated once his pants were off. The damage to his thighs was substantial, but it wasn’t the worst of his losses. He took a steadying breath and pulled free his briefs.
The fire had claimed his right testicle.
Henry’s eyes flitted down only for a second. Caleb watched him take in his thick, curved length.
“
It doesn’t bother me,” Henry said as his gaze returned to Caleb’s face. “It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Caleb blinked back the start of tears and nodded. Henry propped himself up on his elbows, stripped his shirt off, then reached up and took hold of Caleb’s shoulder. He guided him onto the bed, and they tumbled together onto the mattress, their chests flush. Both of them were bare, and Caleb felt Henry’s cock rub against his. The slick juices of their precum rubbed together, and Caleb’s cock pulsed with desire.
He wanted Henry not only because Henry was gorgeous and willing, but because he understood Caleb on a deeper level. Caleb knew that there was nothing more between them, and that they were falling into bed together as a fling that could never be something real, but his heart was convinced otherwise.
He had feelings for Henry whether he liked it or not, and it sounded like Henry had feelings for him as well.
They kissed, teeth clacking and tongues meeting. Henry’s mouth was sweet, and Caleb couldn’t get enough of it. It felt like they’d been made for each other, and he loved it. Henry fit perfectly in his arms, and his mouth was shaped just right for Caleb’s lips. His skin was as soft as velvet.
Henry lifted his hips and rubbed his erection against Caleb’s cock as they kissed, and Caleb moaned into Henry’s mouth in response. His hips replied automatically, and he thrust them down against Henry as their shafts rubbed and caressed. Caleb had bedded plenty of men during his wild years, but none of them had made him feel so good or so whole. Henry’s body was driving him insane with lust, and he needed to act on it.
Caleb’s hand formed a tight ring around their cocks, and he jacked them together. Henry’s lips parted from his only so he could moan, but then the kiss resumed with more intensity than before. Henry bucked into his hand greedily, precum leaking down Caleb’s hand. He loved it. Seeing Henry so taken by his desire turned Caleb the hell on.