CB Conwy

by Alphabet Soup [Torquere] (epub)

  Andy just lay there, breathing hard and staring up at CK.

  CK wiped his hand on his thigh and reached down to release the cuffs.

  Andy couldn’t move, and he just let CK hold his head gently, his boyfriend’s little kisses slowly bringing him back down until his breathing was almost normal. He couldn’t tear his eyes off CK. The man’s eyes were shining as CK was staring at him.

  Then CK opened his mouth to speak.

  “I lo...”

  “No!” Andy interrupted him.

  CK blinked, a look of surprise going over his face. Then he sat up, the hurt in his eyes quickly replaced by a closed-off expression as he scrambled off the table.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t...” CK didn’t look at him.

  “No. You don’t get it.” Andy sat up, wincing a bit at the ache in his sore shoulders. CK automatically reached out to steady him, and Andy took a firm grip of CK’s arm, not allowing his boyfriend to let go.

  “It’s not like you think. Let me explain this, okay?” Andy never took his eyes off CK’s, willing the man to stay with him.

  CK slowly nodded without saying anything. He still looked hurt, but at least he seemed willing to listen.

  “When I was with Bryce...”

  CK frowned and tried to pull back.

  “No, listen. It’s important.” He wasn’t going to let CK go, least of all now. “When I was with Bryce, he used to say ‘I love you’ when he wanted me to do something for him that I didn’t want to do.” Even saying the words himself made him cringe inside.

  “You know what he did to me, right?”

  CK nodded.

  “And he used those words to manipulate me into it. So every time I heard them, I knew something really bad was coming up, and in the end, those words made me feel sick every fucking time he said them.”

  “Jesus, baby.”

  Andy didn’t know how to continue, but he didn’t have to; CK’s hands were around his face as his boyfriend gently kissed him.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

  The kiss went on and on, soft, undemanding lips on his until Andy finally felt like he could breathe again.

  “I’m sorry, but I had to tell you.” Andy couldn’t seem to let go of CK’s shoulders. CK didn’t seem to mind, though, keeping a gentle hold of his head.

  “It’s okay. I get it. But...” CK looked away for a moment, and then those gray eyes were on his again. “I like you.” There was no doubt what those words meant.

  Andy stared at him. “I... I like you, too.” Then he laughed, so happy. “I like you.”

  CK started laughing, too, hugging him and pulling him up until he was standing up, fully buried in CK’s embrace. His boyfriend’s body was shaking with laughter, and it felt so good to stand like this that Andy never wanted to let go.

  Finally, CK pulled back, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.

  “We’re so weird, you know that?” Andy shook his head in disbelief.

  “We’re not. And it works for us.”

  Andy snorted.

  “And you look so good.”

  “You’re not going to let that one go, are you?” Again, Andy didn’t do exasperated well.

  “Nope.”

  Andy sighed. He guessed he had to get used to it. After all, CK liked him.

  Epilogue

  Andy walked down the hallway toward CK’s door, humming to himself. The letter in the inside pocket of his jacket almost felt as if it were alive, so full of promises and change and energy. Or maybe that was just him.

  Andy smiled to himself. Nothing was decided yet, but the people at the think tank had been very optimistic about the possibility of funding his scholarship. Someone there had actually read his senior honors thesis; he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around that. And the article he had published last month was what had gotten him the interview. Now he couldn’t wait to discuss everything with CK.

  Mm. CK.

  Andy was just about to lose himself in daydreaming about CK’s last “lesson” when the door next to CK’s opened. He almost collided with the blonde girl coming out of it when they both aimed for CK’s door.

  “Oh! Sorry. I didn’t mean to run you down. Are you 4E? It seems that I’ve stolen your mail.” She smiled and handed him a stack of mail.

  “That’s okay; I’m not seriously wounded.” He smiled at her. “And no, I’m not, but I’ll give it to him.”

  “Great, thanks.” She was gone before Andy could respond.

  Andy was still smiling when he knocked at CK’s door, and the smile didn’t get any smaller when he finally saw his boyfriend.

  “Andy! Come on in.” There was always that happy smile on CK’s face when he opened the door. The kiss against the wall was completely in keeping with tradition, too. You’d think it would get old, but Andy was out of breath and more than half hard when CK finally pulled back.

  “Wow. You haven’t lost your touch, have you?”

  CK grinned. “I hope not. Are you taking revenge for the jacket?”

  Andy stared at him; he didn’t have a clue as to what CK meant.

  “You’re scattering mail all over my nice floor. I thought you might be feeling vengeful.” CK didn’t look especially put out, though. That teasing glint in his eyes promised more of those kisses. Soon.

  “Oh! Sorry. Your neighbor got your mail by accident and she gave it to me.” Andy bent down and picked up the envelopes, putting them on the table inside the door.

  Then his eyes caught one of them and he picked it back up.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus, no.” CK grabbed the officially looking letter from the bank out of Andy’s hands, but it was too late. Andy slowly looked up at him, blinking.

  “Your name is Clark Kensington?” Andy tried really hard not to laugh.

  CK groaned out loud. “See, now I have to kill you. Or emigrate, but I like this apartment, so I’ll have to kill you.”

  “What were your parents thinking?” Andy didn’t manage to keep his snicker back.

  “They were comic book illiterate, okay? And stay here, please; I’ll just go get a knife.” CK looked mortified.

  “Shut up.” Andy pulled him in close, kissing him until the tension disappeared from CK’s shoulders. “I won’t tell anybody, okay?” He couldn’t help the twitch of his lip, but otherwise he managed to stay serious.

  “Yeah? Really?”

  “Really. Your secret is safe with me.”

  There was a look of profound relief on CK’s face when Andy kissed him one last time before dragging him into the living room, still smiling.

  He could keep a secret. After all, it wasn’t every day you found out you had your very own Superman.

  End.