Pins and Needles

by A. J. Thomas

  “I don’t want to stop.”

  Nate ran his hands over Sean’s arms and shoulders, then down to his waist. “Can I take your shirt off?”

  Sean nodded and shifted enough for Nate to rid him of his T-shirt. He didn’t wait for Sean to panic, but dove toward him, claiming his mouth again. He kept running his hand over Sean’s chest, tracing the winding tentacles. He focused on the kiss, on keeping Sean’s attention on him, as he reached for the button of Sean’s jeans.

  Nate didn’t try to shove Sean’s jeans down, instead reaching inside his boxers and stroking his hard cock. He pulled away from Sean’s lips, eager to memorize his reaction. Sean rocked into his fist, his eyes half-shut.

  Every inch of Sean’s body was defined and gorgeous, including a long perfect cock that was standing at full attention. And almost every inch of skin was covered in long swatches of blue, silver, black, and gray. He was a living work of art.

  “You’re so perfect,” Nate whispered. “I don’t know if I want you to fuck me, let me fuck you, or just lick every inch of ink on your body.”

  “You want me to fuck you?” Sean asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

  “Yes.” Nate reached for the waistband of Sean’s jeans. “Can I take these off?” he asked.

  “I….” Sean swallowed hard. “Let me.” He shifted off the bed, pushed his pants and boxers down, then sat down on the bed and worked the loose jeans over the socket of his prosthetic and over the bulk of his right leg. He stared at the neoprene, his expression hard.

  “Do you want to take that off?” Nate asked, daring to trail his fingers over the skin on Sean’s left thigh.

  Sean shook his head quickly. “This is one of those things that I figured I’d freak out about. After I took it off Monday, everything was sensitive. Not in a good way, either. I replaced the liner when I grabbed pills from the shop, and my leg was swollen enough that it was uncomfortable putting it back on. Once the prosthetic was back on, though, my stump wasn’t as tender. I know it’s plastic and titanium, but the socket is kind of like a giant ACE bandage for me.”

  “Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Nate assured him, kissing his shoulder.

  “I’d be more comfortable if I weren’t the only one undressed.”

  “Guess I should be fair, huh?” Nate slipped out of his slacks and briefs and tossed them across the room, adding them to a pile with his rumpled suit jacket.

  In an instant, Sean’s hands and lips were on him, cupping his jaw and kissing him so deep and hard the force pulled him onto the mattress. He was only too happy to surrender to the kiss, his hands constantly moving over Sean’s skin and relishing the contact. Sean gasped against his mouth as Nate tweaked one nipple and then the other. “I was almost expecting these to be pierced,” he said, chuckling. “I’m not sure I’d have the courage to play with them if they were.” Nate rolled both nipples until they were hard.

  “I’m not enough of a masochist to get my dick or nipples pierced,” Sean said, squirming as Nate ducked his head down to lick one and then the other. He only stayed there for a moment, then began to lick his way down Sean’s chest, following one of the lines of ink that wrapped around Sean’s body. Where the tattoo looped up over Sean’s hip, Nate paused, noting the way Sean’s entire body quaked as he ran his tongue over a raised section of skin.

  “You are so beautiful,” Nate said, kissing the concealed scar gently. “I know you’ve been self-conscious since you got hurt, but you have no idea how grateful I am that I get to see you like this. Touch you like this.” Nate abandoned the line of ink that looped its way above Sean’s navel. He used the tip of his tongue to carefully trace the lines of a faded Celtic knot, then moved lower still.

  When Nate licked his tongue around the head of Sean’s cock and took him deep inside his mouth, Sean groaned and dropped his head back onto the bed. “Oh, fuck,” he said, tangling his hands in Nate’s hair. Nate bobbed up and down on Sean’s cock, working the head with his tongue each time he withdrew. He kept his hands moving too, cupping Sean’s sac and tugging just enough make Sean’s breath catch in his throat. Nate kept his eyes glued on Sean, thrilled by the way Sean responded to his touch. Knowing that Sean wanted him, that Sean enjoyed it when Nate touched him, turned him on more than he’d thought possible.

  “I thought you wanted—fuck, you’ve got to stop if you want to do anything else.”

  For all his enthusiasm, Nate withdrew quickly and reached for the lube. He rolled to the side, smeared a bit of lube onto his fingers, and reached back to stretch himself.

  “No.” Sean caught his wrist. “Not that I don’t want to be inside you, I do, but it’s been a while, and I’d rather go first.”

  Nate hesitated, just in case. “Are you sure? Because I am totally up for it. Or we could just hold off on that.”

  Being with Sean at all had been nothing more than a fantasy a week ago, and as much as he’d daydreamed about fucking Sean, he never wanted to do anything that caused him pain.

  “I’ve always preferred it,” Sean said openly.

  Seeing the blush on Sean’s cheeks left Nate reeling. He stretched out behind Sean, his chest flush against Sean’s back. He added a bit more lube to the dab on his fingers and gently slipped a finger inside Sean, trying to memorize the sound of every gasp and moan.

  Sean passed him a condom package he’d ripped open. Nate spared a moment to roll it on, then went back to plunging his finger in and out of Sean’s ass. “What position is best for you?” he asked.

  Sean trembled. “Behind,” he said, his voice in a whisper. “I like it from behind.”

  Nate leaned down and nuzzled his neck and collarbone, nipping at the tender skin. “Are you comfortable like this?”

  Sean seemed to considered it. He was on his right side, his arm stretched above his head. “This is weird,” he said, chuckling as he buried his face in Nate’s pillow.

  “We can figure out ‘weird.’ I could just use my hands,” he offered, slipping a fingertip inside him.

  “You said whatever I want,” Sean reminded him. “I want you.”

  Sean shifted his prosthetic leg forward a bit, bending his knee and giving Nate ample room to explore Sean’s body.

  “Is this all right?” Nate asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Nate went back to kissing and sucking on the nape of Sean’s neck while he stretched him a little at a time, pausing to get more lube and to roll Sean’s sac in his palm. Soon the constant stimulation made Sean’s body twitch. When Nate still just kept using his hands, Sean shoved his hips back. “Are you just going to tease me all day?”

  Nate chuckled against his ear. “It’s tempting.”

  Sean shoved his ass back again. Nate finally worked another finger inside him, reaching deep enough to find Sean’s prostate and torturing him with a soft, constant pressure that was enough to make him whimper.

  “I wonder if I can push you over the edge like this.”

  “You’re welcome to try next time,” Sean groaned.

  Nate set his forehead against Sean’s shoulder and added more lube to the condom. “Next time, then,” he promised, lining himself up and pressing inside with deliberate patience. He eased into Sean, relishing the way it felt to be inside him. Beyond the sticky heat and pressure, he felt entwined with Sean in a way he hadn’t realized he’d longed for. Listening to Sean’s pulse race in time with his, Nate realized that he wanted so much more than a single orgasm, he wanted to hold Sean in his arms and stay wrapped around him forever. He wasn’t sure when or how Sean had become so essential to him, but Nate didn’t know if he would ever be able to let him go.

  He also wanted to ensure Sean never doubted how much Nate cared about him, how much Nate wanted him. He needed to show Sean how beautiful he was, to spend so much time worshipping his body that Sean would never be left in any doubt about whether or not Nate could find him attractive.

  Sean tried to shove himself back, to drive Nate deeper inside him, but Nate set h
is hand on Sean’s hip to hold him still. “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he said, rocking into Sean, stretching him little by little until his thighs tapped gently against Sean’s ass. “Fuck,” he hissed. “I wanted to make this last, but I don’t know how well that’s going to work. The way you squirm back like that….”

  Sean pushed his hips back again, silently urging Nate to move.

  Nate thrust into him, sending spikes of pleasure through his body. He set an easy rhythm, pulling Sean’s hips back each time he pistoned forward. The sensation multiplied until the pleasure coiled around his spine, consuming him. In the tiny portion of his brain that was still capable of rational thought, he wanted to make this as good for Sean as possible, even though dragging it out was proving to be a challenge. He slipped his arm around Sean’s waist and began to pump his cock with the same maddeningly slow pace, making Sean cry out in time with the rhythm he’d set. He tried to hold on until Sean finished, but his orgasm hit like a tsunami, crushing him under a wave of pleasure that left him adrift in an empty, perfect oblivion.

  He barely had time to grunt a half-worded curse before he spurted into the condom, driving himself into Sean’s body as he came. He rode out the shock waves with his hand wrapped around Sean’s cock, only becoming aware of the cum slipping over his palm when he’d come down.

  Panting, he worked the fluid around Sean’s slit, dragging out the aftershocks of Sean’s orgasm and watching him with rapt attention. When Sean grabbed his wrist, stopping him, Nate set his forehead against Sean’s shoulder and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I like making you tremble.”

  “You’ve….” Sean laughed. “That….”

  “Does leaving you speechless mean we can do this again?” he asked. He kissed Sean’s neck and wrapped his arms around him.

  “Maybe, after some rest.”

  “And food. I know you and Hawk do pizza for Thanksgiving, but that was my plan for tonight.”

  “Pizza sounds great. Don’t you have company coming, though? Should we order extra for your brother?”

  “Nope. He brought his fiancée home, and they’re spending the week hanging out with my mom and dad.” He kissed Sean’s neck again. “Would it be weird if I suggested we spend Thanksgiving just like this?”

  “No,” Sean said, laughing. “It’d only be weird if we actually tried it. We can hang out, but we can’t fuck the entire day.”

  “Are you expressing a preference or issuing a challenge?”

  “Stating a fact.”

  “That means I have to move eventually,” he grumbled.

  “Yes, you have to move.” Sean glared at him over his shoulder. “Trust me, if you ask a pizza guy to bring us food like this, you’re going to end up on their ‘do not deliver’ list, and there’s no coming back from that.”

  “Fine. No traumatizing the straight pizza guy, I promise. Will you take a shower with me?”

  “No,” Sean said immediately, stiffening in Nate’s arms. “I’m sorry, but that’s a no.”

  “Okay,” Nate said, careful to keep his tone neutral.

  “Huh? You don’t care?”

  “I’m already freaking out about whether I’ve pushed you into something you’re uncomfortable with. I’ve got no intention of blowing this by arguing about not getting to grope you in the shower.” Nate planted a close-mouthed kiss on Sean’s lips and then carefully slipped out of his body.

  “You didn’t.”

  “Huh?”

  “Push me into anything. You didn’t. But with the liner and the prosthetic, it doesn’t really feel like I’m sitting here naked, you know?”

  “No, not really.” He reached down and tugged up the throw blanket that had gotten kicked onto the floor. He pulled it over both of them, draping it over Sean’s waist. “Better?”

  “I’m just being stupid,” Sean insisted.

  “If a blanket makes you comfortable, I’ve got plenty. How does it stay on?”

  “What?”

  “Your leg. How does it stay on?”

  Sean rolled over so they were facing each other, bringing the blanket with him. “Suction,” he explained.

  “Suction?”

  “I made that same face,” Sean said, waving a finger at him. “But I did the math, and it’s actually a stronger holding force than you might expect. There are two neoprene liners. One stays on my stump—the other is attached to the leg. I put the stump into the socket and pull the second liner up over mine. It seals tight and makes a vacuum.”

  “Is it stable?”

  “Yeah, it is. I’m still getting used to it, and the balance is a little unpredictable. Some liners have a bolt on the end, and the leg just screws on, but the suction ones are supposed to be more comfortable.”

  Nate’s hand slid onto Sean’s waist, then rubbed small circles over his lower back. He traced Sean’s spine to his shoulders and roamed up over Sean’s chest again. “I get that you’re uncomfortable. I do. But I’d like a chance to convince you that you don’t need to be. I love everything about you. You have eyes I could spent the next fifty years staring at, hair I’ve been itching to grab on to since that first day we went out for lunch, and a body that makes me crazy. I know you work out so much so you can be independent, but….” He ran his fingertips over the hills and valleys of defined muscle packed onto Sean’s arms. “That makes me sound incredibly superficial, doesn’t it? If I add ‘brilliant, funny, and amazing,’ would I be able to turn this around?” Nate asked, kissing him softly.

  “I’m not complaining.”

  “Good. You know you’re naked right now, right? Naked and in bed with me,” he continued.

  Sean groaned and pinched the hem of the blanket. “Not quite.”

  “Naked under the blanket, I mean.”

  “That’s like saying everyone is naked under their clothes. It’s cute, but it’s not actually contributing much to the conversation.”

  “Who’s trying to contribute?” he chuckled. “I’m trying to distract you until we’re both ready to go again.” He trailed a line of soft kisses along Sean’s jaw to his ear.

  Sean tilted his head to the side, giving Nate free access to his skin. “You are one hell of a distraction.”

  One large pizza later, Nate couldn’t stop smiling as he relaxed on his couch with Sean leaning against him. Between dinner and music, he’d enjoyed the chance to kiss Sean as much as he wanted, relishing the physical contact he couldn’t stop craving. When the constant flow of jokes and conversation faded, he realized Sean had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and he couldn’t bring himself to move. He thought about trying to grab his laptop to get some research done while Sean was resting, but the slow rhythm of Sean’s breathing lulled him to sleep before he even managed to get his laptop out of his briefcase.

  When Sean’s phone woke them both up, the house was dark around them.

  Sean fumbled for his phone, then dropped his head down onto Nate’s lap. “Hello?” he answered with a sleepy yawn. “Yeah, I’m good.” After a moment, Sean closed his eyes again. “Just hanging out with Nate…. No, we had pizza, thanks, though.”

  Nate couldn’t quite make out the words, but he recognized Hawk’s voice. “Tonya doing any better?” he asked, running his fingers through Sean’s hair.

  Sean covered the cell phone’s microphone. “One second,” he whispered. Focusing on the phone again, he hummed. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. They’re really going to discharge her tomorrow?” He listened for a moment more. “Uh… how?” Sean laughed. “I know there’s enough space. I meant how would we cook it? You can’t microwave a turkey…. Okay, you shouldn’t microwave a turkey.” Sean’s eyes bulged. “Really? Yes! Can I invite someone?” Now Sean blushed, and Nate couldn’t help smiling. “He was planning on the whole leftover pizza thing too, so… yeah.”

  “I’m fine with leftover pizza if you’re busy,” Nate said, running his hand across Sean’s stomach and slipping it under his waistband shamelessly.

  “Yeah, I’ll proba
bly be home in an hour or so. See you then.” Sean ended the call quickly and dropped his legs apart, giving Nate almost unfettered access to his half-stiff cock. “You…,” he gasped, arching up into Nate’s hand.

  “I need to take you home, don’t I?” Nate asked, working Sean back to a full erection.

  “I can’t stay. I don’t mind borrowing your clothes, but I need—oh God, that’s not fair.”

  “It’s fine,” Nate said quickly. “Just seemed like a good way to wake you up.”

  Sean rolled toward him, his gaze shifting between Nate’s eyes and the shorts he’d pulled on when he had to pay the pizza guy.

  “I’m definitely awake,” he said with a smirk. “But I was going to invite you over for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”

  “I’m willing. Although I totally agree about the microwaved turkey thing. That’s all kinds of wrong.”

  “Hawk figured since Tonya’s parents are in town, and she can only get out of the hospital if she promises to rest, we should do dinner for them.”

  “By ‘we,’ do you mean you and me, or you and Hawk?”

  “His girlfriend heard about the accident and suggested it. She volunteered to cook if me and Hawk helped with side dishes and stuff.”

  “Something close to an actual holiday dinner, or leftover pizza on my own while the only family who actually cares about me pretends I don’t exist to avoid offending my sister-in-law…. Where at, and what can I bring?”

  Sean’s serious express made Nate want to smack himself.

  “Sorry,” he said, forcing a smile.

  “You don’t need to apologize. But I reserve the right to call them assholes when they’re not around.”

  “Matt is an asshole. That’s fair. But my folks aren’t. It could be worse. Like I said, they didn’t kick me out.”

  “Do you think the fact that someone might have gotten killed in an oil-rig accident makes me feel better about losing my leg? Or that knowing people get killed in car accidents mean Tonya’s got less of a concussion?”

  “You were listening to Steve at the hospital, huh?”