The Hands

by Andrea Speed, A. B. Gayle, Jessie Blackwood, J. J Levesque, Katisha Moreish

  Flynn looked through the crowd at the muscle queen’s muscle queen ex, and pointed at him. “Wanna join him? Keep it up. Otherwise sit down, shut the fuck up, and stop mainlining HGH, ‘cause your neck looks like a pot roast.” Since people were now looking at him, he felt like doing his beauty queen wave (turn at the wrist only), but decided that might be a bit much. He had to wait for the crowd to be drunker before that would work. A glance at the bar showed Aiden was no longer there. Where had he gone? He hoped he hadn’t scared him off. Shit.

  The table he was sitting at was bumped and he glared in the direction of the person who walked off. No one he knew. Some of his beer had sloshed onto the table and he picked it up and sipped. It wasn’t bad, so he downed some more and continued to look around the room for someone he knew.

  “Aiden! Shit, there you are. I thought I scared you off,” Flynn said, finally finding the table Aiden was sitting at. Was he trying to hide? It seemed like it.

  Aiden smiled. “No, you didn’t scare me off.” He patted the seat next to him. “Have a seat, I found a table.” He took another sip of the beer. It was starting effect him or something, because he felt better. More at ease.

  Flynn knew he should probably take his seat at the bar, but figured fuck it. He could hear if there was trouble, and see a lot of the club from here. He sat down, and wondered what time it was. There were no available clocks, and he still had yet to get a watch. (To be kinder to Aiden, he supposed he should buy one instead of ripping one off.) “So when does the school year end around this place? You always seem to be working.”

  “The last day of the month. Thankfully. Just a few more weeks and we’re out.” Was it getting hot in there? He felt like he was getting warmer. Aiden tugged at the collar of his t-shirt.

  Flynn peered at him curiously. HIs face was flushing again, but it wasn’t a blush. He saw it creeping up his neck, like an animated fungus. “You okay?”

  “It’s getting hot in here. And I don’t mean like that song,” he added, tossing him a look. “So I’m not taking off my clothes.” But his shirt... well, a few guys had taken their shirts off. Why not him?

  Flynn watched as Aiden peeled his shirt off over his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t like seeing him half-naked - he had a nice chest for a guy who spent most of his time with snot nosed kids - but this was so out of character for his Little Red Riding Hood. “Is this a joke?”

  “A joke?” Aiden glanced at him, frowning. “Why do you think it’s a joke? I’m hot.” He took a final drink from the beer and set it on the table. That gone, he shifted closer to Flynn, despite being so warm.

  Flynn stared at him. He was radiating heat like a furnace, so Flynn put a hand on his forehead to see if he had a fever. “Are you feeling okay? I think you might be sick.”

  “I feel... really good. Besides being too hot.” He tossed a smile at Flynn along with his shirt, which landed in his lap.

  “Uh ...” Was there a sense of deja vu in all of this? Suddenly it occurred to him: Burning Man. Or it was the rip off of Burning Man that a bunch of indie bands put on in the Mojave Desert. Jesse talked him into dropping Ecstasy, although he made sure Jesse took it first and didn’t die before he took it. “Did you ... are you rolling?”

  “Am I what? Rolling?” Aiden wasn’t sure why, but he thought that was pretty funny and giggled a little, then covered his mouth with a hand. “I don’t even know what that means.”

  “High on Ecstasy.” He looked closer, judging the size of his pupils. “Holy shit, you’re wasted, aren’t you?”

  “Ecstasy? I’m a teacher, Flynn. I don’t do that shit. I could lose my job. And I’ve only had one beer. I’m not that much of a lightweight.” He wrapped his arms around Flynn’s neck and smiled. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because you’re high as fuck.” Shit! He could call him a cab, but could he trust Aiden to go straight home in this condition? Probably not. X made you want to party.

  “I am not high. Though I would like to...” He leaned heavily onto Flynn and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  Flynn sighed, stroking Aiden’s suddenly sweaty hair. “I’m sure you want to fuck everyone in this club. But it’s not worth it, trust me.” After a pause, he asked, “Where did you get the stuff?”

  Fuck everyone? Aiden glanced around. Well, there were a few hot guys, but his body definitely wanted Flynn. He was so close and felt so good. “Get what? I told you, I don’t do that stuff. I just had a drink. What you got me.”

  Serlena wouldn’t have slipped him a mickey. But someone else could have. In fact, anyone else. He looked around suspiciously, but no one jumped out as a wannabe date rapist. “Have you ever felt this way after one beer in your life?”

  Aiden frowned as he thought back. “Maybe after my first beer ever...”

  “Really? Was it ninety proof?” Flynn thought his first beer tasted like piss, therefore he never finished it.

  “Hey, I was a little smaller then.” Aiden was about to pout, but then thought of something even better to do with his lips. He shifted so that his body was pressed to Flynn’s from chest to thigh and kissed his neck. “But you taste better than the beer here.”

  “Wow, so not the time for this,” he said, as Aiden’s hand slid right over his crotch. He wanted Aiden to be aggressive, but did it have to be while he was working? “Aiden, you need to chill.” He grabbed his arms, and it was an effort of will to push him back. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”

  “I’m... grabbing you?” What was so hard to understand about that? He tried to shake off Flynn’s hands and move closer again. “Let’s go somewhere, okay?” That sounded like a great idea to him, so he grinned.

  “I’m working ‘til two.” Would his buzz last that long? Because while it was nice that Aiden was randy, it was kind of distressing that he was dropping X without telling him. And without knowing it? How did that happen? “Maybe we should get you home, huh?”

  “Don’t want to go home.” He got out of Flynn’s hands and lunged at him. It wasn’t as graceful as he wanted, but it got him in Flynn’s arms, which was where he wanted to be. “Come on, take a break.” Aiden didn’t let him get any words out before pressing his lips - which felt like they were burning - to Flynn’s much cooler lips.

  Aiden’s aggressiveness continued, as he forced his tongue into his mouth and, frustrated at finding a way into his jumpsuit, settled for snaking a hand around him and grabbing as much of his ass as he could. Why did the universe continue to mock him? Was he really so horrible a person? Flynn managed to pry Aiden off him, and said, “Dude! Knock it off!”

  “Knock what off? Why? We had sex the other day, I know you like it.” Aiden reached up and brushed the sweat from his forehead. Really, would it be too much to ask for them to turn the heater off? He felt mildly dizzy, but he could deal with that. It was probably just from the heat.

  “That isn’t the point. Yeah, I love sex, what man doesn’t? But not at work. How would you feel if I showed up in your classroom one day and threw you over your desk?”

  “That would be bad... I’d get fired.” He nodded. “But that sounds hot... I have a desk at home. Let’s go home.”

  Aiden stood and since he was holding on to Flynn’s arm, tried to pull him to his feet. He almost succeeded, but Flynn yanked him down instead. “I need you to stay here. I’m gonna get you some water, okay? Don’t move.” He got up and was able to move around him, but not before Aiden grabbed one of his butt cheeks and gave it a squeeze. Goddamn it.

  With Flynn gone, he looked around for someone he knew. No one stood out, but that didn’t really matter, did it? Part of him - the brain - told him that yes, it mattered. However, his body rejected that idea. He was hot and he wanted a body pressed against him. He spotted a guy that looked pretty good just a few tables away, so he got up and managed to make his way over to him. When he got closer, he gave him what he hoped was a flirtatious smile and claimed the seat next to him.

  When Flynn returned from the bar
with a bottle of water, his heart seized in panic as he realized Aiden was gone. But before he freaked out, he found him at the center of a disagreement. Aiden wasn’t disagreeing, he was draped all over some blond pretty boy with overly moussed hair and a muscle shirt two sizes too small for him. His companion, a muscle queen who had a chest about the width of a chest of drawers, grabbed Aiden by the neck and all but lifted him off the blond. “Get your fucking hands off my boyfriend!” the New Age Frankenstein shouted.

  “I was just -” Aiden began, but Flynn grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

  “He’s leaving,” Flynn told him, hoping to defuse the tension. He shoved the bottle of water in Aiden’s hands, and he just barely hung on to it. Flynn spun him towards the door and started walking, dragging Aiden with him.

  “Good, we going home now?” Aiden asked.

  “You are.” Flynn knew he shouldn’t be mad at Aiden, he’d probably gotten himself dosed by some asshole who wanted to get into his pants, but considering he could barely stand and yet he was still trying to grab his dick, it was hard not to be annoyed at him. “I need you to drink some water and try and sleep it off until I get home, okay? I’ll be there soon, just wait for me.”

  “Why do we have to wait? We could go now.”

  Flynn had been hoping the cool night air would shock some sobriety into Aiden, but if the loud music didn’t do it, why did he think this would? There were taxis lined up at the curb in front of the club, as obviously word had gotten out about the party, and the smart cabbies knew there was money to be made taking drunks home.

  Something must have been going his way, as after a couple of careful scans, he found a female cabbie. There’d be no chance Aiden would molest her. He opened the back door and shoved Aiden inside, although Aiden grabbed his arm and tried to pull him in. Flynn managed to resist, and told him, “I need you to go home and get the desk ready, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “The desk?” A slow smile crept across Aiden’s face, his eyes still glassy and slightly unfocused.

  “Yeah. We’ll have fun.” He pulled away and closed the door, and opened the driver’s passenger side door to hand the driver a wad of cash. Probably too much for a short trip, but he wanted to guarantee good service. After giving her Aiden’s address, he added, “Make sure he gets inside the house before you go, okay?”

  The female cabbie glanced at the bills he’d just handed her, and said, “Yeah, sure.”

  Flynn stood back on the sidewalk and watched the cab drive off, wondering who dosed him and why. What was the point of that? Well, beyond getting into his pants. There were so many hot guys in the club, why single him out?

  Flynn had no idea. All he knew was this had been a truly shitty first night on the job.

  Haven Falls #163 - New Ground

  Carter ‘Gil’ Gillespie and Lyle Ashley Tate

  ________________________________

  Lyle made sure of holding Gil’s hand as they walked from the Renegade Steele towards his home. He was intrigued to see what the place would look like. Over dinner Gil had mentioned that it was just a small flat, and that he was looking for a better place. Apparently Miles might be willing to make space for Gil at his place, though Lyle was not sure how good an idea that might be. He wasn’t too sure if his judgement on that might be coloured by his own interest in Gil, though.

  Lyle was edgy, excited, but desperate not to freak Gil out by being too over the top. Their date had gone surprisingly well, despite the sniping from Flynn and the upset Miles seemed to have caused Gil. He’d half expected Gil to go off with Miles, but to Lyle’s surprise he had come back. Gil was giving Lyle a lot of surprises and even more ‘firsts’ tonight.

  It’s a crying shame, Lyle thought, Gil’s been hurt badly enough by his ex- to be thoroughly set against relationships now. He wished it wasn’t the case, but at least Gil had made it plain where he stood. He would do his best not to feel too much for the handsome paramedic, not to get unreasonably attached. It was going to take effort, though.

  Gil kept glancing at the man beside him. He couldn’t think of him as anything but a him, no matter how hard he tried. Never having been with anyone in Lyle’s situation before, Gil had no idea what might happen, but he was more than willing to find out. Out of work, the mortician was far from the formal, straight-laced and seemingly uptight persona he wore during the day. He was relaxed, happy even, which gave him a cuteness Gil found appealing. Gil smiled, he couldn’t help himself, he wanted to make the guy’s night.

  It wasn’t long before Gil was putting his key in the lock of his apartment to let them both inside. “Sorry, its not much. The agency who dealt with the work exchange hired it for me. Nothing belongs to me, apart from the photos and the laptop, which is why I’m thinking of moving. So, make yourself at home.”

  Lyle could see what Gil meant about the apartment, it was tiny, though the furnishings were pretty new and nice and clean. “You got here about the same time as me, didn’t you? It feels like ages ago, though it’s only been a week for me.”

  “Been a fortnight for me and it seems like years...” It really does feel like years, Gil thought, chagrined. Two weeks? Was that all it was? He had a whole year of this, unless he bottled it and went home early. Trouble was, although he was finding it hard at times to get into the way of life in Haven Falls, he was beginning to like it, with all its weirdness. He was having fun, out from under.... everyone really. His parents, his partner....ex-partner, he corrected himself. Friends were slow to come—he had to slap himself at the thoughts that little gem inspired—but they would appear in time. Lyle was turning into one, even if they didn’t get further than tonight. He picked up the kettle. “How about a good old fashioned cuppa?”

  “That’d be great, even if we are playing into the English stereotype.” Lyle smiled, feeling at ease in Gil’s company.

  “Mum sent me a food parcel, arrived yesterday. Teabags and chocolate, like yours.”

  The bridge of taking tea and chatting a little was welcome as far as Lyle was concerned. He watched Gil moving about the kitchen area, admiring his strong frame and the graceful ease with which he moved. Lyle shivered, imagining what it was going to be like to take that strong body in his arms and to feel Gil’s arms around him in return. It wasn’t the only image his brain was supplying him with either.

  Gil showed Lyle through to what passed for his living area, a picture window looking out over the rooftops towards the sea. He drew the blinds, shutting out the night, and switched on the table lamps. Not too many table lamps though, he wanted the mood romantic and restful. He offered Lyle a seat and flopped onto the couch to drink his tea. “Well, what did you think? Not a bad club, but a bit...” Gil paused, searching for the right words.

  “Yeah, definitely a bit...” Lyle huffed a laugh, “Gaudy? Ostentatious? Self-important?”

  “Probably very fashionable over here. Cannot help thinking he’d be eaten for breakfast over our way...”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was okay. The dance floor and the music were passable, but if that is what amounts to tasteful and classy in this town I look forward to seeing what they’d call trashy.”

  “Ouch...better not let that slip, we’ll be banned for life.” Both men shared a glance that said they might not consider it too much of a hardship, and laughed. Gil patted the couch next to him, silently inviting Lyle to move closer.

  Lyle was liking this. Gil seemed very comfortable with him, despite knowing the truth of his current physical state. The spot at his side looked very inviting, so Lyle took him up on the offer. There was a brief but slightly awkward scuffle as the difference in their heights caused them a problem finding a comfortable position, resolved when Gil eventually settled with his arm around Lyle’s shoulders. They simply sat together for a while, warm and content. No need to rush things, Gil thought. They had all night.

  Lyle sipped his tea as they sat there. Gil had somehow managed to make him the perfect cuppa without having
asked him his preferences. He was lost in thought when Gil suddenly took him by surprise, leaning in to press a bruising kiss to his lips. Lyle moaned softly and let him in, their tongues dancing against each other. He grabbed at the nape of Gil’s neck and pulled him all the way in. When finally they took a breath, Lyle saw Gil’s dark eyes were lust-filled and his mouth, oh that mouth, was curved into a seductive smile.

  The reality of the situation suddenly came crashing down on Lyle. All his carefully engineered bravado abruptly left him. Off balance, he freed himself from their clinch. “Sorry, I need to use your bathroom.” Even to Lyle’s own ears it sounded too much like his former voice, too high for comfort. He had no idea where the toilet was in Gil’s apartment. He recalled passing a likely doorway on the way in, and headed there as fast as he could. He had to put space between them, he needed time to regain his equilibrium.

  “Lyle...not running out on me, are you? Did I do anything wrong?” Gil had followed him, his voice was loaded with concern. Damn, Gil probably thought he was making a dash for the door.

  “No, not at all.” Lyle tried to sound light and unconcerned but it didn’t sound convincing. He pulled the door open and found... a box room. Ironically, he had considered making a break for it.

  “The bathroom is beside the bedroom,” Gil pointed, “that way.”

  “This place has an odd layout.” Lyle murmured, trying not to look as embarrassed as he felt.

  Gil was waiting between Lyle and the door when he came out, almost as if he expected him to make another break for it. “Honestly, I wasn’t trying to escape.” Lyle offered. “Its just...its all new...a bit unknown.”

  Gil regarded Lyle with a warm smile. His brown eyes had remained dark with passion and desire. Stepping close, he slipped a hand up to cup Lyle’s face and drew him in for a gentle kiss.

  “Lyle...”

  “What?”

  A hand slipped down to the small of his back and pulled him close. “Just let go.” Gil’s arousal was evident. “Won’t let you fall.”