Ryan’s words startled him, and it took a couple of seconds for Matt to focus. “Sorry, I’m knackered all of a sudden.”
“It’s been an eventful start to the day.”
“True.” Matt sat up and leant his elbows on his knees, in an effort to wake himself up. “They’re moving him to another ward, emergency admission, I think. Mum’s gone with him. She suggested I go home to change and get something to eat.” His stomach growled in agreement.
They both laughed, then looked down at their running gear. Ryan met his gaze again. “She has a point. On both counts.”
“Yeah.” Matt stood and fished his keys out of his pocket. “Let’s go back, and I’ll make you some lunch. As a thank you.” He turned and headed towards the double doors, Ryan right behind him.
“You don’t have to, you know.” He drew up alongside Matt as they walked back to the carpet. “Cook me lunch, that is.” Two spots of pink appeared on his cheeks. “I didn’t really do anything.”
A quick glance around showed no one in their immediate vicinity. Matt looped his fingers with Ryan’s and squeezed. “You did. And I want to make you lunch, okay? You must be starving by now.”
Ryan looked at him, smiling when their gazes met. “Okay.”
“Good.” He gave Ryan’s fingers another squeeze, then reluctantly let go.
Chapter Thirteen
Ryan almost salivated when Matt set the plate in front of him. The chocolate muffin and bag of crisps from that morning hadn’t been all that filling. “Thanks. They look great.”
Matt settled on the stool next to him, with a huff of laughter. “They’re just chicken sandwiches.”
They were chicken, watercress, rocket, tomato, and cucumber sandwiches to be exact. Made with granary bread. Ryan picked up one half of his and took a big bite, moaning as he chewed and swallowed. “They are quite possibly the best chicken sarnies I’ve ever eaten.”
“Mhmm.” Matt eyed him as he ate. “That’s probably because you’re so hungry. Anything would taste great.”
While that was also true, they were still awesome. He shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He snickered when Matt elbowed him in the side.
Once they’d finished, Matt cleared their plates away and leant on the sink. Weariness clung to him, and for a second Ryan remembered endless days spent at the hospital with his dad. He shook his head to dispel them and stood, pushing his stool back.
Matt watched him, expression curious as Ryan walked around the breakfast bar to stand in front of him. A small smile curved the edges of his mouth, and he reached out, both hands settling on Ryan’s waist to urge him closer. “Thank you.”
Ryan smiled back, slotting a thigh between Matt’s and pressing close. “You already thanked me.”
“I know, but I wanted to say it again. You didn’t have to come over there with me, and you certainly didn’t have to wait three hours for me. But you did.”
An uncomfortable feeling rose in Ryan’s chest. The way Matt was looking at him—full of warmth and affection—wasn’t the way friends looked at each other, was it? Even if they were fucking. Did Josh ever look at him like that? He didn’t think so, but regardless, the intensity in his eyes threatened to stir up feelings Ryan had worked hard to suppress. At Matt’s request.
Breaking eye contact, he rolled his hips, hoping to distract them both from whatever kind of moment they were having. “What are friends for?” The words felt forced, and Ryan struggled to get everything back under control. Matt had looked so lost on the phone to his mum, shaken, and Ryan’s first instinct had been to help. That was why he’d offered to go with him, and that was why he’d stayed at the hospital for all that time. He wanted to make Matt feel better, offer comfort, and not once had he stopped to wonder why that might be.
Was Josh right? Was he repeating his past mistake?
No. He’d learnt his lesson.
Leaning in a little, he brushed his lips against Matt’s, the barest touch sending a jolt of desire through him. That was more like it. “I can take your mind off things for a bit if you want?” He kissed Matt again, moaning softly when Matt opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Sliding his hands up Matt’s stomach and chest let him feel the rapid beat of Matt’s heart. He let his hand linger over the spot.
Matt placed his hand over Ryan’s and curled their fingers together. “As tempted as I am, I promised Mum I’d go back to the hospital later.”
Fuck, of course. Guilt quickly washed away arousal, and Ryan stepped back. Matt’s grip on his hand and waist stopped him from going far. Glancing up, he met Matt’s gaze—filled with the same warmth from before.
“Maybe tomorrow, though?” He slid a hand down to cup Ryan’s arse. “Hopefully they’ll only keep my dad in overnight. We can maybe go for a run in the afternoon, and then….”
Despite himself, Ryan grinned. “And then?”
Squeezing Ryan’s arse cheek, Matt grinned back at him. “I was thinking I might fuck you, or you could fuck me, whichever works.” He said it with a shrug of one shoulder, as though casually discussing the weather, when his words had sent the majority of Ryan’s blood rushing straight to his cock.
Either of those options was equally appealing, and for a second it was all Ryan could think about.
Matt leant in close to whisper in his ear. “Maybe both.” Then he was sliding out from where Ryan had him wedged against the sink. The sudden loss of body heat jolted Ryan out of his thoughts.
“Christ.” His shorts did nothing to hide the bulge of his erection. Since there was no ignoring it, he reached down and adjusted his cock to a more comfortable position, that one touch not nearly enough. “I hate you.”
Laughing, Matt gestured to his own shorts and leggings, where he had a matching bulge on display. “I’m in the same boat.” He gestured down the hall in the direction of his bedroom. “I have to get changed and head back to the hospital, but I’ll text you later about tomorrow. Yeah?”
“Yeah. And let me know how your dad’s doing.”
Matt’s soft smile made Ryan’s stomach flutter. “Will do.”
Ryan spent all of Sunday morning trying not to constantly check his phone, but the promise of sex—of fucking Matt and possibly getting fucked in return—kept his gaze drifting back to it. When it eventually rang at eleven forty-five, he snatched it up and answered, not even checking who it was.
“Hey.” Matt’s voice brought an instant smile to his face.
“Hey. How’s your dad?” The text Matt had sent last night said his dad was breathing a little easier, and Ryan hoped that hadn’t changed overnight.
“He’s grumpy, wanting to go home already, so that’s a good sign.” Matt sighed, and Ryan got the feeling their plans for the afternoon were about to change. “We’ve got to wait for the doctor to come round and discharge him and give him his prescription for the antibiotics. Apparently, that’ll be around two thirty. Then I’ve got to take Mum and Dad home, and I don’t want to rush off.”
His voice was full of apology and disappointment, and Ryan didn’t want him to feel bad about taking care of his parents, for fuck’s sake. “Look, it’s absolutely fine, don’t worry about it. I’m sure I can manage a run on my own, and we can do all the other stuff another time.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Ryan smiled into his phone and pitched his voice a little lower. “Good. I’ve been thinking about it all morning.”
Matt’s breathing faltered a little, and Ryan’s smile widened. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.” Glancing over his shoulder, he backed up a couple of paces and sank onto the sofa, getting comfy. Still wearing just his pyjama bottoms, it took no effort to slide his free hand underneath the waistband and palm his cock. “I’m thinking about it right now.” Closing his eyes, Ryan imagined Matt straddling his lap and slowly sinking down onto his hard cock. The thought alone sent a jolt of heat to his groin, and he let out a soft moan.
“Are you… fuck.” Matt lowered his voice to a
whisper. “What are you doing right now?”
Ryan wondered whereabouts in the hospital Matt was calling from. “I’m sat on the sofa with a hand on my cock.”
“Are you hard?”
He hadn’t been to start with, but with Matt’s now husky voice in his ear that was changing rapidly. “Getting there. Keep talking.” He leisurely stroked his hand up and down, getting back to his fantasy of Matt riding him.
“I want to join you,” Matt whispered. “I’d take off my jeans and underwear and climb into your lap.” Yes. Ryan bit at his lip. “Have you wrap your hand around both of us, and—”
“Matthew, dear, I’m going to get a coffee and—”
Ryan fumbled the phone and almost dropped it at the sound of Mrs Thomas’s voice. So not what he wanted to hear when he was having a wank. The voices on the other end of the call were now muffled, and Ryan grinned as he imagined Matt clutching the phone to his chest as he tried to talk to his mum and not look like he was in the middle of having phone sex. Or rather in the middle of getting Ryan off, because he doubted Matt had his hand down his trousers in the hospital. Although that would be hot.
The unfortunate interruption had left his erection flagging a little, and Ryan debated trying to rescue it or give it up as a lost cause. Another slow pull told him it could go either way.
“Shit, sorry about that.” Matt sounded a little out of breath, and Ryan’s dick perked up with interest. “I’m outside now, round the corner from the entrance, so we should be fine for a few minutes.”
A few minutes? Ryan could work with that. “Where were we?”
Matt’s low, throaty chuckle had Ryan closing his eyes again and settling back into the slow rhythm he had going before. “I think I was straddling your lap, and you were jacking us both off.”
“Yeah….” Ryan licked his lips, picturing Matt ducking down to kiss him as he stroked his hand up and down. “I’d use lube, make it nice and slippery.”
“You’d be so hard for me. I’d lift up onto my knees, get you to hold your cock steady, and then slowly sink down.”
“Fuck.” Ryan’s balls drew up tight, his grip firm as he fucked into his fist. “Close,” he muttered, needing a little more to push him over the edge.
“I’d ride you hard, grip your shoulders to get the angle right, and make you wank me off until I came all over your stomach and you’d feel me clench around you—”
Ryan didn’t hear anything else. The phone slipped out of his hand, his orgasm rushing through him, making his back arch, and a low groan escape.
Fucking hell.
He took a second to get his breath back, then wiped his hand on his pyjama bottoms and grabbed his phone again. “Matt?”
“Yeah, still here.”
Ryan didn’t think he imagined the strain in Matt’s voice. “That was….” Great, awesome, a little unexpected. “Thank you.”
Soft laughter on the other end had him smiling into the phone again. “You’re welcome. Although I’m going to have to stay out here until my hard-on goes away.”
“Sorry about that.” He wasn’t sorry in the slightest.
“Yeah, you sound it.”
Ryan laughed and let his head fall back against the cushions. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” What sounded like the crunch of gravel followed, then the swoosh of automatic doors.
“You recovered already? How disappointing.” He found the idea of Matt stuck there, all turned on and thinking of him, very appealing.
“Not quite. I’ve re-arranged, and thankfully my T-shirt covers most of it.”
Ryan snickered, liking the sound of that. A lot. There was something to be said about seeing the hard outline of a cock through denim.
“Anyway, I have to go.”
“Okay. Text me later, let me know how it all goes.” Ryan yawned and covered his mouth with a hand. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
Josh stopped by on Sunday night, armed with a takeaway curry and beer.
Ryan opened the door and frowned. “You might not be at work tomorrow, but I am.” He stepped back and moved aside, allowing Josh to squeeze past.
“I’ve only brought four. Two beers won’t kill you.” He headed for the kitchen and Ryan followed. “Besides, you sounded all woe is me since lover boy cancelled. Thought you might need it.” Setting the bags and beer on the worktop, Josh then turned and leant against it.
“Thanks for bringing all this.” Ryan gestured to the food and beer with a smile. “I’m starving, but I am not all bloody woe is me. And Matt didn’t cancel; he’s taking his dad home from hospital.”
“Oh.” Josh looked contrite. “Sorry. Is his dad okay?”
“I think so. He fell and cut his head yesterday, but they took him in for his breathing difficulties. Matt said he’s got the start of pneumonia, but they caught it in time before it developed.” When Ryan glanced up, Josh was staring at him, eyebrows raised. “What?”
“You seem to be awfully well informed.”
“I went over to Matt’s mum and dad’s with him, then to the hospital afterwards.”
“Did you, now?”
“Yes. And stop looking at me like that.”
Josh smirked. “Like what?”
“Calculating.” Ryan could practically see the gears turning in his brain, putting everything together and coming up with something that wasn't true.
Turning and busying himself with unpacking their food, Josh didn't say anything for what seemed like forever. Then he glanced back over his shoulder. “You two still just friends then?”
He sounded casual enough, but Ryan eyed him warily. “Yeah.”
“Friends who have sex.”
“Yeah.” Ryan repeated. “But not all the time.” Josh made it sound as though that was all they did together.
“Evidently.”
Ryan stared at Josh’s back as he started to take the lids off the cartons of food, debating whether to carry on this conversation or change the subject. He knew Josh thought he was playing with fire. Yes, he’d got burned last time he tried this sort of arrangement, but he’d been naive enough to think Neal would change his mind. Ryan didn’t have any such illusions with Matt. And he was fine with that, as long as he kept reminding himself of it. “I’m going to say this once more, and then you need to drop it, okay?”
Josh stopped what he was doing and turned to face him, arms crossed over his chest. “Go on.”
“Matt and I are friends. Good friends, I hope, or at least headed that way. Yes, I like him, but he’s made it quite clear that he doesn’t want anything long term. We have sex when the mood takes us, but that’s all. If I start to want more, then I’ll end that side of it and go back to being friends only.”
“You think it’s that simple?”
Sighing, Ryan closed his eyes for a second. “I’m trying to make it that simple.” He met Josh’s gaze. “I’m having fun. The second that changes, then I’ll talk to him. It might be a little awkward at first, but we’re adults. It’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” He smiled, and thankfully Josh smiled back. “Now let’s dish that lot up and eat.”
Chapter Fourteen
Matt walked through the door of Sam’s shop on Friday night and glanced at the clock as Sam looked over at him.
“I know, sorry.” Sam was in the middle of cutting some young guy’s hair and spoke as he snipped away at the long strands on top. “Nick went home sick this afternoon, so I offered to do his shift.” He gestured with his scissors at the empty waiting area and huffed out a laugh. “Not that I’m overrun with customers. Typical. I’ll make it up to you next week.”
“It’s fine. I’m knackered anyway. Just thought I’d pop in and say hi.” Matt wandered over to the empty chairs and took a seat. He watched Sam chat to the guy in front of him, snipping away with his scissors as he made him laugh. After about five minutes, Sam finished up, and his latest satisfied customer
left with a smile.
“God, I’m knackered.” Sam came over and slumped in the chair opposite Matt. He sniffed, then eyed Matt suspiciously. “I can smell food. Please tell me you didn’t eat already and then come here empty-handed?”
Matt pulled a brown paper bag out from under his chair. “What sort of friend do you take me for?” He handed the McDonald’s bag over and Sam grabbed it, beaming at him. “I know it’s not as good as our usual Friday night fare but—”
“It’s perfect. I could kiss you right now.” Pulling open the bag, Sam grabbed a few fries and shoved them in his mouth with a moan. “I missed lunch, and I’m so hungry I’d eat anything.” He ate quickly, probably trying to finish it before any more customers came in. Matt passed him the Coke he'd brought as well, and Sam took it gratefully. “Thanks.” After a long drink, he sat back in his chair and patted his belly. “God, that’s better. So, what’s new with you and lover boy? And how’s your dad doing?”
Matt slumped back in his seat and rested his head against the wall with a sigh. The week had been long and tiring. “Dad’s doing a lot better. The antibiotics have done their thing. Mum says he’s sleeping better too, so fingers crossed he’s on the mend. And his back doesn’t seem to have suffered any setbacks after the fall.”
“That’s great. You must all be relieved.”
“Yeah.” That was an understatement.
“And Ryan?”
Matt sighed. “I’ve not seen him much this week. We went for a run Wednesday night, but nothing more. Liz came up Monday morning, so I’ve been at Mum and Dad’s all week. He’s coming round tomorrow night, though.”
Sam was quiet for so long, Matt nudged him with his knee. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Mhmm.” Matt didn’t believe him for a second. “Just spit it out.”
“I know you insist on saying you don’t want more out of this thing with Ryan, but as someone watching from the outside, you seem pretty invested already. It seems different this time. You seem different, and I know you don’t—”
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