I didn’t get any time alone with Casper that morning. The next time I saw him was when he was heaving his bag into the boot and hopping into the passenger seat, whilst Katie stretched out along the backseat in a pair of cut-off jeans and a loose tank top. Her hair was set in loose waves and her sunglasses obscured most of her face. Casper, for his part, was wearing a pair of dark blue jean quarter-lengths, converses, a striped t-shirt and a pair of large black sunglasses. It looked good on him. I’d opted for a light tank top under a plaid shirt, jean quarter-lengths and my own set of scuffed converses. Unlike the other two, I didn’t want to wear sunglasses whilst driving. I was nervous enough about heading down the motorway as it was.
Pulling out of the driveway, watching Dad grow smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror, I felt the knot in my chest loosen. As we gradually left the suburban areas Katie leaned forward in her seat, stretching her seatbelt out to the full, and fiddled with the radio stations. She finally settled on one before reclining into the backseat and relaxing as she let her hand sail up and down through the window.
We drove along in silence, the music from the radio filling the air around us and eliminating the need to talk until we pulled out onto a long stretch of road leading away from London entirely. The sun beat down on us through the windows and the further I got away from my mum the calmer I felt.
“Oh wow I love this song! I haven’t heard it in years!” Katie gushed as my speakers suddenly started vibrating with the bubbly sound of ‘Here in Your Arms’. My stomach flipped as I cast a glance over at Casper in the passenger seat. He had his usual stoic expression on his face and was too busy gazing out of the window. I mean, where else could you see a beautiful stretch of motorway? I refocused my attention ahead; we’d be in Brighton within the next three miles. Good, I was starting to get hungry after eating practically none of my breakfast.
A glint caught my eye but I refused to look. Casper was looking at me and I could feel the weight of his gaze. It made my skin tingle.
None too soon we were cruising through the roads of Brighton and making our way in the direction of our Uncle’s house. I knew the way fairly well despite not seeing him for a few years. The one great thing about Brighton was that the lay-out didn’t change. By the time we were pulling up into his driveway he was already standing in the door, arms crossed over his chest and a wide smile on his face. He grinned as I stepped up to him; my bag slung over my shoulder, and gave him a hug.
He patted me loudly on the back before looking at me, “You need to stop growing kid otherwise you’ll be able to see my bald spot soon.”
I rolled my eyes. Brian had always had a thick head of hair, whether it was his original sandy colour or the now silvery colour that was scraped back into a ponytail of wild curls. He hugged Katie and she grinned as he told her that there was a toffee pie on the counter with her name on it. I hadn’t seen her move so fast in ages. I snickered as she disappeared down the hall and turned my attention to Casper. He’d hung back a little, no doubt feeling awkward as he mounted the concrete steps to the front door. His expression was a little more guarded as Brian eyed him up and down before extending his hand with a grin.
“I’m Brian Fletcher, pleased to meet you …?” he trailed off, hoping Casper would fill the gap.
“Casper,” he said, his eyes dropping down to stare at the extended hand. I was just about to tell him he didn’t need to when he reached up and gave a swift shake. If Brian was a little offended he didn’t show it. He merely grinned and stepped aside for us to come in.
“Casper? Unusual name these days. Still I suppose it’s better than whatever those hipster teens name their children.” If there was one thing I loved Uncle Brian for, it was for banishing the feeling of awkwardness from his house.
We wandered through into the kitchen where Katie was sat at the counter, already eating her second slice of pie. “Wha-?” she asked through a mouthful of crust before returning her attention to the treat.
I rolled my eyes at her before turning to Brian, “I’ll just show Casper around a little. Won’t take long.”
“Sure, sure. Make yourself at home.”
led Casper up to the first landing and entered the first spare room. “This is where you and I will be staying. He only has three bedrooms and one is his so … is that okay?”
“What, suddenly sharing a bed with me isn’t good enough?” he asked dryly as he went over to the double bed and settled on the left side, away from the window.
I closed the door behind us, “No, it’s just … we haven’t really spoken a lot recently and I didn’t want you to feel obligated.”
He reached up and dragged his sunglasses down low enough for me to see his eyes, “It’s your birthday, Fletcher, I’m not about to ruin it for you.”
I was about to protest that mum had already done a pretty good job of it, but decided to change tactics. “Want to see the rest of the house?”
He tipped his head back to gaze around the room we were in; it was light and airy with a double bed in the middle of the room, a wardrobe in the corner beside the large windows and a chest-of-drawers facing his side of the bed. Inspection complete, he said, “Sure, let’s go.”
Showing Casper the rest of the house didn’t take too long; he was mildly impressed by the size of the bathroom on our floor that we’d be sharing with Brian, and he seemed to like the fact that you could get an ocean view from about three quarters of the house. I’d always loved it; it had a calming effect on me to know that I was so far away from home.
I led him up the stairs to the attic which had been converted fin to a spare room with an en-suite bathroom. This would be Katie’s room since she was the only girl and needed her privacy. The walls were a soft creamy colour and it had splashes of plum in the bedcovers, the fuzzy rug on the hardwood floors and the curtains that were pulled back to let the sun in to warm the room. It was more feminine than our own room’s colour scheme which consisted of various accents of blue.
As we came downstairs I heard Brian’s laughter drifting in from the back garden. Leading the way outside, I couldn’t help but laugh at what he’d done; there was a chocolate birthday cake on the table surrounded by bowls of nibbles and a ‘HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY’ banner hung over the doorway. Even my parents hadn’t made an effort for me. Katie was beaming from ear-to-ear and she hugged me on my way around the table. Casper settled in a chair next to me and actually shifted it closer. He seemed a little more relaxed as he reached out and linked our pinkies together. My heart soared as I gave it a squeeze. Brian chuckled from where he was standing over the barbeque, roasting chicken and beef burgers over the grille.
“So what’s this then Avery? You not telling me about your boyfriend here? I’m insulted!” he wiggled the meat tongs at me and winked.
“When exactly was I supposed to tell you?” I countered, grinning. “I thought it was better you met face-to-face.”
“I can see why,” he left the burgers to sizzle for a little while as he planted himself in one of the chairs. He cast a challenging look at Casper who returned it in kind. “So Casper, what are your intentions with my little nephew here?”
“Brian!” I cried out.
To my surprise and Katie’s delight, Casper chuckled and in a low voice replied, “Oh I only plan to corrupt him in every way possible and make him enjoy every moment of it.”
Brian blinked before his face split into a wide grin. “Good answer. I like this kid,” he stated to me before returning to dish up the burgers for us.
I turned to Casper and without warning, kissed him. Instead of lurching away he leaned into the kiss, his tongue leaving a burning trail over my mouth. He broke away and sucked on his bottom lip, an almost shy look on his face as Brian whistled. Katie was giggling to herself as Brian dished out a burger each and poured us all drinks. As we started to dig into the food, Brian turned to me and asked, “So how did you two meet? And don’t say ‘school’ because I already know that.”
I rolled my eyes, “Knowing my
luck you’ve already heard most of it from Katie.”
“Like you two tell me shit anyways!” she protested.
Brian snorted to himself before raising his bushy eyebrows, “Well?”
“We got put on a music project together and he couldn’t help but fall for my charm,” I gloated with a grin as Casper flicked at my bare knee. “What?” I laughed, “You couldn’t resist, eventually. It just took about three months for it to actually happen.”
Casper rolled his eyes, “Not to mention this one went into self-destruct mode so I had to mother him.”
“Did you change his nappy too?” Brian quipped.
“Hey!”
“Oh no he was potty-trained before I intervened, thankfully.” This time it was Casper’s turn to smirk at me.
“I hate you both,” I grumbled as I balled my fist under my chin and stabbed my burger with a knife. Casper snickered. Ketchup ran down the side of his chin and I couldn’t resist reaching up and swiping it away. He watched me out of the corner of his eye as I sucked the blob off my thumb.
We ate the rest of the lunch with casual conversation about Katie’s school and her friends, what we were doing for the few days we were there, and what we’d planned to do after graduation. After we’d all helped clear the things away, Katie told us she was going upstairs to get some homework done as well as shower before tonight. Brian told us that we were going out for my birthday and even though I’d protested, he’d told me that the reservation was non-refundable so we had to go. Not that I minded. It was sort of nice having someone make a fuss over my birthday for a change.
Whilst everyone else was off doing their own thing, Casper and I were left to our own devices. As soon as the bedroom door closed behind us, Casper tossed his sunglasses aside and grabbed the front of my shirt. Our mouths collided, hot and wet. I didn’t hesitate to let my hand thread through his hair whilst the other delved into his trousers and squeezed his arse. He grunted into my mouth before he nipped down my jaw and started to suck on the sweet spot at my throat. I felt my knees go weak as his teeth grazed my skin and the wetness of his tongue made me grow hard. I panted as his cool hands run up my back and smooth over my muscles. My body quivered as Casper moved back to press kisses along my jaw and forced his tongue in my mouth. I groaned loudly as he backed me up to the bed. We grunted as his weight landed on top of me but I didn’t make to move. I wanted that weight on me, the feeling of his hard-on rubbing against my own through thick layers of denim and making me ache so much that my eyes misted over. His hand pushed my shirt up and tugged it over my head before his lips were on mine again, slower this time. He made me so hard and I couldn’t help but rock my hips against his.
“God you’re so hot!” I growled as he straddled my hips and tore his shirt over his head.
I watched his skin glow like cream in the sunlight, his sharp hipbones creating soft shadows and his slim muscles feeling hard under my palm. I smoothed my hand down from his collarbone to the bulge in his jeans and he gasped out. The clink of metal on metal made me frown and then a tug at my waist. Glancing down I saw that he was unfastening the buttons of my jeans. Snatching at his wrists, he looked up at me and frowned.
“W-What’re you doing?” I panted.
“Stop thinking,” he hushed out as he reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand. He stroked a thumb down my cheek and I felt my muscles quiver at his touch. “Just let me do this for you. Let me show you just how amazing you are.”
I opened my mouth to protest but all that came out was a loud, “Jesus Christ!” as his cool fingers wrapped around the base of my erection.
“That’s not my name,” he growled, “but I’ll take it.”
It had been so long since someone else had touched my dick. Now that it was happening, I was scared in case it ended too soon. I gripped the bed cover as I felt Casper’s hand stroke me, slowly at first, and then gradually building up to a steady rhythm. My body was flushed as I choked back my moans, watching Casper through the haze that was flooding my mind. It felt so good!
I arched my hips and rocked into his palm and almost cried out when he swallowed me down. Stars exploded in front of my eyes. I remained still as he slowly teased the slit with his tongue, making me whimper and writhe underneath him. He was devilish with that thing!
Covering my face with my hands, I groaned and felt my body quake as he slid his mouth further down until I felt his breath on my hip. I could feel myself drawing closer to the brink as he bobbed his head up and down in my lap.
Every muscles was on fire and singing with the sheer will to make it last a little longer. As he gently sucked on me I felt my breath escape from my lungs. I felt my body vibrate as he swallowed me deeper and moaned low in his throat.
The feeling stimulated me even more.
I could feel myself quivering as his head of dark hair bobbed up and down in my lap, making me feel madder and madder, especially when his fingers dug into my hips and made them rise up. He looked so beautiful with the lamp behind him; he glowed like an angel as he eased my legs further apart so he could fondle me. My brain was running blank except for three basic facts; I was lying on my back with Casper between my legs, he was sucking me off and I was like putty in his hands and last but not least…
“Jesus Christ C-Casper –I’m coming! I’m –Ugh!”
My vision exploded, my muscles tensed up and I jerked several times in quick succession as I came. He didn’t even stop, he swallowed, his thumb coming up to stroke that sensitive spot. I let out a strangled cry as one final spasm wracked my body and I was left to collapse back against the mattress.
Through my blurry gaze I watched as Casper swallowed my load, pulled a face and then shuddered. I huffed a laugh, my eyelids feeling incredibly heavy as I reclined against the bed. I felt the mattress dip underneath me as Casper crawled up so that he could lie down on his side next to me. Humming, I turned into the warmth of his body, a little surprised at the back of my mind as he looped an arm over my shoulder and tucked my head under his chin. I inhaled the cooling scent of hot skin and shower gel. His warm, strong muscles felt like a barrier against the rest of the world, the beating of his heartbeat turning everything else to white noise. Pressing a small kiss to his chest I vaguely remember mumbling, “Love you …” before I slipped into sleep.
*
Casper hadn’t been there when I woke up, but he had draped a blanket over my naked legs. I couldn’t help but smile at the warmth that flooded through me as I dragged myself out of bed. As the glow of the sun slipped out of the sky and after stuffing another two slices of chocolate cake into my mouth, I went to shower before going out for dinner. On my way back up the stairs, I paused before reaching the landing. Casper was just walking out of my Uncle’s room with something tucked away in his hand. I couldn’t see what it was, but I did see that he ducked into our own room to put whatever it was away. As he came out of the door, I mounted the last few steps and couldn’t find the words to describe how my heart stopped beating whenever his smooth, grey eyes looked up at me. My breath hitched as he leaned up and pressed a kiss to my jaw before slipping past me to head down stairs. I turned and ducked into the bathroom.
As I scrubbed my body clean I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered what Casper had done. Even the memory of it sent a pleasant shiver running down my spine. As soon as I was toweled off and had dried my hair into a spiky red forest, I dressed in dark jeans and an emerald green button down shirt. It was so light and silky it made me shiver. I chewed on my lip before adjusting the necklace Katie had given me so that it could be seen through the open top buttons. I styled my fringe to fall into my eyes and debated on asking Katie to borrow her eyeliner. I mounted the stairs and knocked on her door.
“Who is it?” she called out.
“It’s me!” A few moments later her door swung open and my mouth fell open. She was standing in a silvery white dress with a flared, floaty skirt and strappy sandals. “Wow …you look amazing!” was all I could say. Sh
e grinned and did a little twirl for me.
“Thanks. Mum got me the dress last Christmas but I’ve never had a reason to wear it until now.”
Affection ran through me as I edged into her room and watched her bend over the dressing table to put in a pair of earrings. “I was wondering if you have some eyeliner I could borrow?”
“Really?” she cocked an eyebrow. “Trying to impress someone?”
I scoffed. “I just want to try something new, is that so bad?”
Chuckling to herself she shifted away from the mirror and beckoned for me to sit down on the stool. I obliged as she dug around in her make-up bag. Turning to me, she pulled uncapped the pencil. “This is going to feel weird, but don’t you dare blink!” she warned before I felt the glossy tip run along my waterline. It tickled and I felt my eyelids flutter a little. A flick on my cheek made me grin as she did the other eye and then stepped back with a frown. “Hmmm close your eyes. Let me do a little line at the top.”
“Really?”.
“Yes really. Got to look good for your boyfriend,” she stressed the word.
“Fuck you.”
“There, all done!” she leaned away as I opened my eyes and turned to the mirror. My jaw fell slack. I had no idea a simple bit of eyeliner would make my eyes ‘pop’ so much.
“You think he’ll like it?” I murmured.
“Aves, he’s going to love it! Just you wait.”
We walked down together and met Brian and Casper in the hallway, both ready to go. Casper looked so sexy in a fitted dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tight black jeans fitted to his legs and black eyeliner. I could have melted into a puddle right there and then, if Katie hadn’t been holding my arm. She let go with a kiss to my cheek and hurried on ahead to the car as Brian ducked out to start the engine. Casper sauntered over to me, thumbs hooked in his pockets and leather bracelets hiding the scars on his pale arms. He smirked softly before reaching up to brush my fringe aside, “You should wear make-up more often,” he murmured quietly, “You look so fucking hot like that.”
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