by Willa Okati
Adriano laughed uproariously, weak from relief but honestly pleased. “Which do you think, clown?” He slumped back against the wall, pulling Rick tightly to him. “Forever today,” he mused, thrusting his hands through Rick’s wet hair. “Benne. I have changed my mind, oh my heart. Fuck me first. Fuck me now.” He tilted his lips mischievously up. “Do I have to say ‘please’?”
“No,” Rick replied after a stunned beat. Second chances for the win, he thought. What a wonderful world. He cleared his throat but still rasped when he said, “Turn around. Face the wall.”
“I want to see you.”
“Don’t question me. Easier on you like this. Turn!”
Adriano stole a kiss before he obeyed, and bless his natural instincts, raised his hands to brace himself on the tiles while planting his feet firmly far apart. “Like this?”
Rick pressed a hard, rough kiss to the back of Adriano’s neck in response. He left him only long enough to tear open a condom, slick it on, and retrieve the bottle of lube to open it with a shaking hand.
“Put them in me,” Adriano urged, pushing his arse toward Rick. “Hurry.”
Rick growled. He head-butted Adriano’s back and slapped his arse, startled by how much he liked the sight of his own rising, red handprint. Even more did he find he savagely enjoyed watching Adriano fall apart as he fingered the man open, starting slow with one, making him beg for two, and be reduced to incoherent snarls for three. He’d have taken more if Rick had let him, or if Rick hadn’t known this would all be over if he didn’t get himself inside that tight, slick heat right the fuck away.
He squeezed an extra-healthy dollop of lube over his aching cock and gritted his teeth with an effort to keep from coming as he spread the gel evenly. “Hold still,” he ground out, carefully lining his cock up with Adriano’s stretched entrance. “Breathe for me, love. Breathe.”
Adriano gasped, his back arching when Rick entered him with excruciating slowness. Rick crooned and coaxed him through it, knowing how at first it would be too much, too intense to feel good at all. He stroked Adriano’s side and circled his waist with one arm, holding his steady all through the slow, balls-deep slide, stopping with a great effort to let the man adjust.
Rick considered he’d shown the patience of a saint by the time Adriano finally sucked in a steady breath and nodded. He humped back, grinding his arse to Rick’s groin. “All right,” he said. “Yes.”
Dragging hair out of his eyes, Rick kissed Adriano’s shoulder blade hard and withdrew. He groaned from the pleasure; he’d never thought anything could be better than being on the receiving end of a good hard fucking, but if he’d known it felt this good on the giving side…God.
Dimly, Rick was aware of hanging on to Adriano for dear life, and of hearing Adriano’s breathy moans turning to shouts and demands for more and faster and harder. He paid them no mind, being far too busy fucking, driving in with harsh friction and out with a sucking backward drag that drove him mad. He tasted Adriano’s clean skin beneath his tongue, bit and tasted faint copper when he broke the skin.
When Adriano whined angrily and fumbled for Rick’s hand, he remembered to reach around at last and got to making a proper job of it. Insanely proud of himself, he was, insofar as he was capable of thought, when he got the timing just right, stripping Adriano’s cock down while he thrust in, and dragging his fist back up as he pulled out.
Adriano’s legs began to shiver, then to shake, and soon Rick had to hang on for Adriano’s sake to keep him from falling. Adriano beat at the tiles with his fist, almost sobbing.
“Close,” he said between chattering teeth. “So close. Adriano, come with me, love, can you?”
His lover jerked his head. “Bite,” he snapped. “Bite again.”
Rick clamped down on the back of Adriano’s neck, worrying him. Adriano howled, his silky internal muscles tightening in spasms around Rick’s cock; he came over Rick’s fingers, heavy gouts of semen dribbling down his wrist. Rick squeezed his eyes tightly shut and followed seconds later, emptying his balls deep inside Adriano, flooding the condom as if he’d not climaxed twice already that day and…ach, who cared? He couldn’t be bothered.
He rolled his forehead against Adriano’s back and fought to catch his breath. If this lasted forever, it could never get better, no, it couldn’t. “I could die happy right now,” Rick mumbled.
“But I would rather you lived to do this again another day,” Adriano murmured back, sounding drunk on his sexual satisfaction. He shuddered one final time and turned his head as far as he could toward Rick, giving Rick a glimpse of lust-dazed brown iris and wide, black pupil. “My love. This is home.”
Rick could find no words, and licked along the tripping pulse in Adriano’s throat instead. Home, he thought, dizzy with the power of the word. Welcome home.
Chapter Twelve
“Mind yourself, now,” Rick said as he guided Adriano through the bedroom door. Tall as he was and bonelessly clumsy as he’d become from coming like a champ not once but twice in the shower, once with Rick on his knees between those strong legs, thigh muscles a-quiver around his face and toes curling on the slippery tile ‑‑ anyway, if he didn’t lend Adriano a hand, Adriano’d bash his head on the lintel and wouldn’t that be a fine state of affairs?
“Mmm?” Adriano hummed in reply, proving conclusively to Rick that he’d been reduced to a puddle of satisfaction.
Rick took a moment to be proud. For one, he’d done this to Adriano. Him. For another, apparently he himself won in the coherency-post orgasm contest.
Actually, that might not be a good thing.
“Watch you don’t trip over something,” Rick clarified, though he was pretty certain he could have told Adriano “look out for the flying moose” and Adriano would have dozily agreed to be careful of antlers. Bless his heart, but he was adorable when he was drowsy, now.
“I have no fear,” Adriano mumbled, allowing Rick to lead him around the piles of their clothes on the floor, and Hamish, who only cracked one sleepy eye open and whined at them rather that attacking their naked bollocks. Adriano turned a bright smile at Rick and tucked his head down against Rick’s. “If I was in danger of falling, you would catch me. This I know.”
Rick’s face heated; his eyes prickled; he had to look away and clear his throat. “Right. Well. Bed now, love.”
“I have never heard a sweeter word,” Adriano said, punctuating himself with a yawn as they reached the bed. “Even if you are romantic enough to put an American Valentine’s Day card to shame.” He pulled away from Rick to flop on his back, honeyed limbs splayed with a casual, or not-so-casual, glorious display of nudity.
“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you. And are you complaining?” Rick crawled in after him, snagging the quilt to pull up over both of them.
“Not at all. I had hoped you would take advantage of me to either prove me wrong with a manly display, or prove me right by ‑‑ by ‑‑” Adriano yawned again, stretching his jaw fit to cracking.
Rick chuckled. “Could have done, yeah.” He faked his own yawn. “Thing is, I’m tired.” He could have gone all night what with the leftover adrenaline from the day, but only a fool would have permitted Adriano to push even further still than he already had. The poor man needed a rest before he short-circuited his brain altogether. He threw a careless arm over Adriano’s chest and tucked his calf between Adriano’s. “So you’ll have to give me a rain check.”
“Spineless English,” Adriano murmured, dark eyelashes brushing his cheek, already almost asleep. “I will give you a run for your money in the morning…” The last of his challenge trailed off in even breathing.
Rick snorted softly, brushing a strand of shower-wet hair out of Adriano’s eyes. “I’ve no doubt you will. Sleep well, love. And if that makes me the soppiest old bastard who ever sopped, I won’t complain too much. Not if I have you.”
He kissed Adriano’s temple and laid his head on the pillow, happily prepared to rest.
*
* * * *
Which meant, Rick reflected, that of course he’d only gone and doomed himself to a sleepless night. He didn’t mind. He’d never had the chance to simply lie at Adriano’s side and look his fill at the man while he rested. Hell, he’d have had to get an instant replay to see the man sleep, back in his day of power naps that were only the briefest of breaks between carouses.
He seemed…peaceful, in a way Adriano had never been before, and younger, too. Less worn down by the never-ending revels.
Rick figured there’d be no harm in indulging his cornier desires and laid his head over Adriano’s heart, listening to the strong, regular beat. Whatever else he’d done to himself, he’d not damaged that, nor his lungs, which sounded clear as twin bells, the rising and falling of his chest providing a nicely soothing sensation of dozing in a boat on the ocean.
He crooned nonsense words he’d have been ashamed of in the daylight, if he had a drop of shame left to him, and stroked Adriano’s chest. Is it bad of me to hope this lasts forever, what’s happened to him? he mused. Am I a terrible man to think I’d like him this gentle-natured and peaceable and, right, openly wanton, for the rest of his ‑‑ our ‑‑ days?
Maybe so. He couldn’t be bothered to feel the least bit guilty about it. Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at me. Dunno; perhaps if he ever puts the pieces back together he’ll remember this, too, and could be he’ll understand how he loved me as much I do him, maybe even more, and that’ll keep him on course.
A pretty thought, and who’s to say it won’t come true? Sighing contentedly, Rick settled down to listen to Adriano’s heart beating.
His close proximity to Adriano’s heart gave him, then, the first clue that Adriano’s dreams were nowhere near as peaceful as his laxity of body belied.
“Tomas, no,” Adriano slurred, chest hitching in a sudden gasp. “I don’ wan’…non, signor, no more…”
Rick raised his head, attention fixed on Adriano. He didn’t like the sound of that. “Love?” He prodded Adriano gently.
Adriano tossed his head, but didn’t wake. Beneath his eyelids, his eyes moved rapidly to and fro; his lips curled down unhappily; his breathing sped up. “Signor, per favore, no. Hurts. Hurts!”
Definitely worried now, Rick abandoned caution in favor of a good hard shake. “Adriano, wake up,” he ordered.
Stubborn as ever, Adriano slept on, caught in his nightmare, which sounded more and more ghastly with each whimper and half-uttered plea. “Signor, signor…no, don’t go…hurts…leaving me, leaving me…don’t, no! Come back, please come back…”
“Adriano,” Rick barked, sitting up. He took Adriano by the shoulders and jostled him. “Come on, now, my heart can’t take this.”
Adriano cried out, a sad and broken sound. “Cold, so cold. Help me?” He shuddered. “Rick. Rick? Kind hands. Rick? Where, where? Rick!”
“Love, I hope you’ll forget this or forgive me for it,” Rick muttered. He drew back and delivered a good hard slap, the print of his fingers rising almost instantly as Adriano drew in a deep, shocked breath and, thank fuck, snapped open his eyes. The terror in them held sway for only a moment before clarity returned. Then, strong if shaky arms seized Rick and dragged him down.
Rick allowed himself to be manhandled, Adriano clutching at him from stem to stern with bruising force. He knew Adriano was only reassuring himself that he was awake in truth, and with his Rick, not left to perish on the side of an unfamiliar road.
“Shh, shh,” he crooned as best he could when his nose was being flattened into Adriano’s chest. “No one’s going to hurt you, not any more. I’m ‑‑ oof ‑‑ here.”
“Si. Si.” Adriano relaxed his grasp just short of actually puncturing the skin, or so it felt like, and settled back on the pillows ‑‑ where, to Rick’s dismay, he blinked at him, apprehension creeping into his eyes.
Rick swallowed down his frustration and placed his hands on either side of Adriano’s head, stroking his cheeks. “You’ve had a bad dream, that’s all. Don’t worry. Your Rick’s here to take care of you, as he always has and always will. Right?”
“Rick?” Adriano queried, doubtful, reaching up to touch Rick’s unfortunately tousled bed hair. “I have searched for Rick. Are you…?”
“Of course I am.” Rick brushed his lips over Adriano’s, pleased at how Adriano instinctively returned the light kiss. “See? You remember. You’re a clever fellow. Everyone’s a bit foggy when they wake up from a bad dream, so don’t you fret.”
Adriano’s smile, when it came, was like the breaking of the dawn over a cloudy sky. “Rick!” He dragged Rick to him, kissing with considerably more enthusiasm than before, licking at Rick’s lips and trying to coax his way inside.
Rick held out against the temptation for a good three seconds, and was proud of himself for lasting that long. Come on! With a tasty dish like Adriano in his arms, writhing eagerly beneath him, cock already rising nicely full and firm, who’d be able to resist? Neither monk nor priest, and Rick was happy to be neither.
He returned Adriano’s embraces with double fervor, laughing when their teeth clashed together from the force of the kiss ‑‑ after he’d finished wincing ‑‑ and biting along the underside of Adriano’s jaw. Finding his way between their bodies, he took Adriano in hand and thumbed the head of his cock. The way Adriano groaned and arched up slightly was more than enough incentive to keep going.
And so Rick did. Adriano needed this to ground him, and there was nothing like a good hard fuck to make you forget your worries, at least for a short span of time. Besides, his own cock had grown rigid and demanded its due, thanks ever so.
Between kiss and kiss, Rick decided he wanted something else ‑‑ and who knew? It might help Adriano all the more.
“Get on top of me,” he breathed into Adriano’s parted lips. “It seems as if it’s been a year since I had your cock, and I want it now.”
“Rick?” Adriano seemed dazed, though he got with the program quickly enough and brightened in a sort of wonder that was humbling to see. “Do you mean ‑‑?”
Rick thrust his foot beneath Adriano’s leg and heaved, tugging with his arms, well-pleased at the deftness with which he flipped them both over. “That’s more like it,” he said, looking up at Adriano rather than down, the delicious pressure of Adriano’s cock sliding along the angle of his hipbone. “I do mean, yes. Fuck me.”
Adriano took his mouth in a ravenous kiss. “Yes, oh, yes. You have ‑‑?”
“Far ahead of you.” Doing himself proud yet again, Rick managed to snag the lube and condoms from his bed stand with the minimum of fumbling; hallelujah, for once in his life Hamish only snored on and ignored the foolish humans. He slapped the supplies in Adriano’s hand and rocked up, pushing their swollen cocks together, well-pleased by Adriano’s grunt of need, though not half as much as he was by the hot spark of excitement that made his cock twitch. “Best hurry,” he teased, his voice gone thin and reedy with need.
“No.” Adriano kissed him hard. “Must make you ready first.”
“No,” Rick retorted in turn, sharp. He took Adriano by the back of the head, tugging on his hair. “I can take you as you are. I’m a whore for your cock, don’t you remember?”
Adriano laughed in mixed disbelief and delight. He shook his head. “I refuse to hurt you.”
“I’ll hurt you, you great ox, if you don’t take me now.” Rick helped matters along by hitching his thighs up Adriano’s legs and drawing his knees in the direction of his chest, opening himself up just so for ‑‑ ahh, yes ‑‑ for the slippery head of Adriano’s cock to bump his hole. “Slick your own cock up, if you’re so worried.” He’d never done this before; he wasn’t that daft. Now, though, he craved the edgy bite and burn of being taken raw. Needed it.
He scratched at Adriano’s back. “Hurry.”
Adriano swore darkly under his breath and did as he’d been told. His fingers shook, flipping open the lube’s cap with difficulty, but then, ah, then, the gorgeo
us slick sounds of fist around cock and then, even better, the blunt pressure of Adriano’s cock prodding his arse. Adriano lined himself up, held steady, and had the cheek to look questioningly at Rick.
Rick growled and bucked down, as if he could force Adriano’s cock inside him. Adriano looked first startled, then threw his head back and laughed, a rollicking sound that ended on a mutual hiss as he forced his way in. Lord love the man; he didn’t stop till he’d gone as far as he could go, his heavy balls flush to Rick’s arse, though it had to hurt him too.
“Don’t you fucking dare ask me if I’m all right,” Rick warned, amazed at his ability to speak.
Adriano didn’t care for that either. He stole Rick’s words and his breath by crushing their mouths together, eating at Rick’s lips with sharp teeth and eagerly stroking tongue while he found his rhythm. By the time he’d gone from terrifying strong, deep strokes and begun to shake, thrusting choppy and shallow, sweat dripping from his hair, Rick had gone well past the point of being able to think. He clutched mindlessly at Adriano, their mouths moving uselessly together in a not-kiss, sharing and tasting breath. His heart pounded fit to burst and he couldn’t have held still for his life’s worth, using the strength in his legs to pull Adriano tight and hold him deep.
“I love you so,” Adriano gasped, driving in one last time. “Rick!” He dug his fingers painfully into Rick’s upper arms and lost it. Them who said you couldn’t feel a man coming inside you, those fantastic spurts of heat painting your insides? Liars, all. Rick shuddered, clenching down involuntarily around Adriano’s cock, barely caring that he hadn’t made it there yet.
Fortunately for him, Adriano bit down on the juncture of throat and shoulder, a savage growl escaping his throat, and that did the trick for Rick. He inhaled with shock and exhaled in a loud shudder, his cock spasming between them and emptying itself over his belly, sticky warmth that spattered Adriano’s hard chest more than his own.