Mister Plum

by Sue Brown

  The huge smirk on Kai’s face faded quickly as he looked at Dave. Without even asking, he pushed a large, steaming black coffee toward him.

  “It didn’t go so well?” he asked, as he took Dave’s money.

  “You could say that,” agreed Dave. “It might have done, if he’d actually turned up.” He knew he was being bitchy, but honestly, he didn’t care.

  “He didn’t even phone?” Kai looked outraged for him, which made Dave feel slightly better, but he knew the expression that followed. Dave gritted his teeth. He really didn’t need the pity.

  “It’s not important, Kai.” Dave noticed Kai didn’t make any suggestions about taking one for Tom. Shame, really, he would been happy to buy the largest mocha available and dump it over Tom’s head.

  “Whatever you say,” agreed Kai as he greeted the woman behind with, “Tea, madam or will it be hot chocolate today?”

  Dave said goodbye and went out to wait for his train. Tom wasn’t on the platform and, by the time the train appeared, there was still no sign of him. It was inevitable really. The man was hardly going to turn up, all smiles, when he’d stood Dave up on Saturday night.

  He managed to get through the day, although his colleagues mentioned he seemed a little distracted. Dave apologised and tried to drag his attention back to the schematics in front of him. By the time Dave got home, there was still no call from Tom and he’d had enough of Monday. He’d hardly slept Saturday or Sunday night, despite drinking enough to fell an ox.

  Kai looked a little puzzled on Tuesday. “He didn’t get the train yesterday, and I haven’t seen him today,” he informed Dave.

  The little knot of worry settled in Dave’s stomach again but he pushed aside. “I’m sure he’s fine,” he said, his tone clearly that of someone ending the conversation.

  He couldn’t help wondering though. Tom still had to work. It was worrying that he hadn’t turned up at all.

  ***

  The laundrette was almost empty on Saturday morning. Most people came in later after a lie-in. It suited Dave to get the chore out of the way. Not that he had anything else to do today. There was a local rugby game that he might go to later in the day, but he wasn’t that enthusiastic.

  It didn’t take long to wash his shirts and underwear. He read his latest find from the local charity shop as the machine spun around. Dave had a passion for old paperback classics and the charity shops were a great hunting ground. When the cycle was complete, he emptied the machine, transferring his clothes to the dryer. After another wait, he emptied the machine, carefully folding the shirts. He was doing the same to his boxers when the door to the laundrette opened.

  “I might have known you’d have purple boxers,” Tom chuckled from behind him.

  Dave didn’t bother to turn around. “They’re plum,” he corrected and carried on folding them.

  “Of course they are,” Tom agreed and was silent, waiting until Dave had finished before he moved any closer, only to sit on the wooden bench in the middle of the laundrette. Dave didn’t look at him. “I’m sorry,” Tom said quietly.

  Tom did a lot of quiet, Dave thought snarkily, a whole week’s worth.

  “I know you must be pissed off with me,” Tom said suddenly.

  “You think?” Dave asked. He didn’t want to lose it. Not yet. He wanted the explanation before he punched Tom in the face.

  “There is a reason I couldn’t show on Saturday night,” Tom insisted.

  “And a reason you couldn’t call -- for an entire week?”

  “Actually yes.” His tone made Dave look at Tom for the first time. He looked awful. Not as bad as when he was mugged but still wan under the olive-tinted skin, dark smudges under his eyes.

  Dave sat down beside Tom. “You don’t look too good,” he said eventually. “What happened this time?”

  Running fingers through his hair, Tom sighed. “I’m not ill, but it’s been a shit week.”

  “What happened?” Resisting the urge to thread his fingers through Tom’s, Dave clasped his hands loosely in his lap. Out of the corner of his eye, Dave could see Tom’s hand twitch as if he too wanted to hold hands.

  “We all got made redundant Saturday morning. I got a phone call at eight in the morning insisting I come into work. The firm wanted to let the staff know before the business papers got hold of it on Monday. Some old-fashioned sense of morality. Looking after the staff before they shaft us.” Tom’s lips twisted wryly. “It turns out we weren’t doing as well as the partners were telling us. They’d been covering up the state of things for the last couple of years.”

  “God!” Dave stared at him open-mouthed. “That’s awful. Why didn’t you call me? I wouldn’t have minded if you’d wanted to take a raincheck.”

  “Pretty awful,” Tom agreed. “But they took my phone and my laptop, saying they were company property. I couldn’t call you because your number was on my company phone and I didn’t know your address.”

  At least that part was true. They hadn’t exchanged addresses. And hell, Dave could forgive the man for missing their date. But Tom knew where he was every weekday morning. He said as much.

  Tom nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I do, but Sunday and Monday I was in shock. I didn’t even manage to get out of bed. Tuesday I was at the job centre, and the rest of the days I was trying to decide what to do next.”

  “So why bother now and how the hell did you know I’d be here?” Dave was tempted to refold his laundry just for something to do with his hands. He felt strangely restless and exposed standing so close to Tom.

  “You told me, remember?”

  Dave vaguely remembered telling Tom that he always spent Saturday morning in the laundrette in one of their chitchats.

  “I wanted to tell you why I didn’t show up, so I’ve been hanging around here all morning until I saw you. Then I’d drunk so much coffee I needed a pee.”

  “I’ve been in here for over an hour.” Dave said, andfelt stupid.

  “Yeah, well, it took me nearly an hour to get through the door,” admitted Tom, color staining his cheekbones. He wouldn’t meet Dave’s eyes. “I wanted to talk to you, but I was scared you were going to tell me to fuck off.”

  “I want to,” Dave agreed. “I don’t care about last Saturday, but it’s been a whole week. I had no idea if you were alive, dead, or just avoiding me.”

  Tom angled himself so that he was facing Dave, tucking his leg in front of him. It occurred to Dave that it was the first time he’d seen Tom in anything other than a suit and tie. The jeans he was wearing looked old and faded, but they fitted him really well. Part of Dave wanted Tom to stand up so that he could see what the man’s arse looked like molded by the denim. Tomwas also wearing a tight-fitting green sweater under his coat. For the first time, Dave caught sight of a few dark hairs poking over the v-neck and that lovely throat, making him drool inwardly. Then he got angry with himself for thinking with his dick instead of his head.

  “I’m sorry for being so lame and not meeting you. I just didn’t want to have this conversation on the platform, or worse, the coffee shop in front of Kai and the whole damned station. And there was no point in me buying a ticket when I didn’t have anywhere to go.” Tom huffed impatiently. “Jesus Christ, I haven’t even kissed you yet and we’re already having a make-up conversation.”

  Dave concealed a smile. Tom could obviously only be penitent for so long. “You could do something about that,” he suggested.

  “About what?” Tom frowned at him, clearly not understanding.

  “About the not kissing.”

  For the first time there was a glimmer of hope in Tom’s eyes. “You’ve forgiven me enough to kiss and make-up?” he asked, leaning forward a little.

  Dave’s eyes flickered over to the doorway. There was still no one else here and the street outside was pretty empty. “We could try and I’ll think about it.�
�� He felt a thrill as Tom’s eyes darkened.

  If Dave was expecting a quick, chaste make-up kiss in public he was sadly mistaken. There was nothing quick, certainly nothing chaste, and if the public were watching Tom obviously didn’t give a hoot.

  Tom took his time, deciding what angle to take, his eyes totally focused on Dave’s mouth. Nervous, Dave’s tongue flickered out to wet his dry lips.

  “God!”

  A single curse came from Tom and he wrapped a hand around Dave’s head, pulling him closer. Tom set his mouth on Dave’s mouth, hard and frantic initially, as if he were worried there was only going to be the one kiss. His lips gentled as Dave responded, their mouths opening to each other, tongues tangling and exploring. Tom tasted of mocha and faintly of toothpaste. Dave wanted to lick the coffee out of his mouth until all he could taste was the man underneath. His hands gripped Tom’s jacket and he wasn’t about to let go, not until Tom had apologised with his mouth, for giving Dave such a shitty week.

  Finally they broke for air, resting their foreheads against each other as they gasped for breath. Tom bit down gently on Dave’s bottom lip. “Fuck,” he murmured.

  “You can come home with me to do that,” Dave said, hoping it didn’t sound too much like begging.

  Chuckling a little, Tom’s hands tightened around Dave. “I really, really hoped you were going to say that.”

  It seemed like an eternity, but in reality it wasn’t more than half an hour before they were in Dave’s flat, Dave not caring for once as the bag of washing was dropped untidily in a corner in favour of frantic kisses as he tried to steer them over to the bed in the corner. Dave had pushed Tom’s coat off his shoulders, hands were busy finding the warm skin under Tom’s sweater. Tom didn’t seem to have any objection to Dave’s plan and was trying to be helpful by holding his arms up for Dave to push the soft green wool over his head.

  The second it was out the way, Dave was busy kissing Tom’s neck and throat while his hands were running over Tom’s back and sides, pinching Tom’s nipples through the mat of dark chest hair and generally trying to taste and touch every part of the man in front of him. Dave remembered that moment on the train when he had caught a glimpse of Tom’s neck. Now he had it in front of him to explore, to rub his cheek against the roughened skin until his own was raw.

  “Fuck, need to see you as well,” Tom growled out as he shoved his leg between Dave’s, giving out noises of approval as they mindlessly rutted against each other, gasping in approval at the pressure.

  “Naked,” Dave managed, his powers of speech drastically affected by trying to calm the need to come right the hell now.

  Tom didn’t seem much better off, but he let go of Dave long enough to attack his button and zipper. Both men were back in each other’s arms the second the last sock went flying across the room to land on top of the CD rack.

  They fit together, despite Dave being a few inches shorter. He was well muscled and able to manhandle Tom onto the bed. Judging from Tom’s wild expression as Dave straddled his hips, he didn’t seem to mind being held down.

  Dave couldn’t believe that he finally had this man under him, writhing and thrusting up as Dave aligned their cocks together. He was stilled by Tom’s hands on his hips.

  “I seem to remember the first part of the deal was for you to blow me,” Tom pointed out, with a nod in the direction of his cock, already leaving a sticky trail on his belly.

  “I can do that,” Dave agreed and slid down Tom’s body, smirking at the loud groan his movement elicited.

  Settling himself between Tom’s legs, Dave pressed his face against the blood-warm skin of Tom’s inner thigh. He could smell Tom, shower-gel and musk, and his tongue flicked out to lick a stripe up Tom’s thigh. Tom petted Dave’s hair, clutching and relaxing his fingers as Dave got closer to where Tom needed him to go.

  “Please, Dave, please.” Tom was begging and trying to direct him, but Dave was in no rush, taking his time to suck light hickeys into his thighs. Dave supposed he should have asked if Tom minded, but from the way Tom was pressing into his mouth the answer was probably no.

  “Dave, please,” Tom sounded strained as he curled a hand around his own cock.

  “Nope, hands on the headboard,” Dave ordered.

  “You’re killing me,” Tom moaned, but he did as he was told.

  It was a close call not to come right then as Dave watched the play of muscles under Tom’s gorgeous skin.

  Kiss by kiss, Dave inched up Tom’s thighs until he could lap at his balls, rolling them into his mouth, tugging on them gently, one at a time. He wanted to push Tom’s thighs above his head and tongue the man until he was a senseless, begging mess but not everybody liked being rimmed. Next time, though, next time Dave would find out if he was allowed to do that.

  He nearly broke his resolve when Tom spread his legs wider, giving him a much better view of his goal. Dave was a second away from flipping Tom over and burying his face in Tom’s rounded arse when Tom made his own wants perfectly clear.

  “Blow me, then fuck me. Now!” he said succinctly.

  Dave saluted and did as he was told, sinking his mouth around Tom’s cock without further preamble, discovering Tom was loud when he was getting a blowjob. Really loud. Urging Dave on with cursing and pleading, Tom wasn’t quiet about telling Dave exactly what he wanted. Hoping his neighbours were already awake because he wasn’t about to stop Tom now, Dave pulled back with a messy slurp.

  “Don’t stop, please don’t stop, baby.” Tom begged, pushing his hips up toward Dave’s face. He didn’t move his arms though.

  “Shh,” Dave soothed and pushed him back down, going back to the task at hand. “You’ve got a beautiful cock,” he said before he sucked lightly on the head. And it was, thicker than Dave’s, dark and flushed plum. Dave smiled around the head, his tongue explored the slit, the taste stronger there. The taste was hardwired directly to Dave’s own arousal and he had to resist the urge to hump his way to orgasm. A fuck Tom asked for, and a fuck he was going to get.

  Tom was babbling incoherently as Dave took his time to suck, lick and bite him. As the muscles in Tom’s thighs started to quiver, he took the prick deep in his throat.

  “Oh fuck, oh fuck,” Tom chanted, his hands tugging painfully on Dave’s hair.

  Dave just took him in deeper, feeling Tom’s cock pulse in his mouth. Dave pulled back to taste him, sucking and licking Tom as he shuddered his way to a noisy orgasm. Pulling off, Dave looked up at Tom as he licked his lips.

  “Get up here,” Tom ordered gruffly, tugging on Dave’s shoulder. Crawling up beside him, Dave went to move off, but Tom stopped him. “Kiss me and then fuck me hard.”

  They kissed again, Dave lying on Tom, his erection rubbing against Tom’s half-hard cock, Tom’s arms and legs holding him close as they exchanged long kisses. Tom was unfocused and sloppy but seemed determined to lick every last taste of himself out of Dave’s mouth. Unable to stop himself, Dave rocked against Tom, trying to get some pressure on his own unsatisfied cock. Tom had been lying with his eyes closed but at Dave’s movement he opened them a crack.

  “Give me a minute, baby, then my arse is all yours.”

  “You’re very free with these babys,” Dave observed as he buried his face in Tom’s sweaty neck.

  Tom ran a hand down Dave’s spine, cupping his arse and squeezing lightly. “Got a problem with that?”

  Dave thought about it for a minute. He was just about to fuck the man, he couldn’t summon up the energy to worry about an endearment. “Nah, I don’t care as long as I can stick my dick in you soon.”

  Chuckling at his admission, Tom rolled them both onto their sides. “How do you want me?”

  Thinking about it for a minute, Dave said, “As I’ve just sucked your brains out you can lie on your back this time. As long as the next time we do this, I can take you on your hands and knees.”<
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  Smirking as Tom shuddered, Dave leaned over him to the bedside table, taking out the lube and the condoms.

  “We look good together,” Tom said, and Dave followed his lover’s gaze to where his arm lay across Tom’s chest. Tom was right. His skin was lighter than Tom’s, but they did look good together.

  It didn’t take long to prepare Tom. Within minutes he was bearing down on Dave’s fingers and demanding that Dave get on with it.

  “You’re a bloody noisy bastard,” Dave said fondly, as Tom let out another low moan.

  “Shut up and get in me,” Tom grated out, his fingers pinching Dave’s skin.

  Pushing him onto his back, Dave gave Tom the lube and condom. “Do something useful and get me ready.”

  “With pleasure,” Tom agreed huskily. “Come here.” Tom tugged Dave further up so that he was straddling Tom’s chest.

  Confused Dave said, “I thought you wanted to fuck me, not suck me off.”

  “I do, but you need the condom on you.” Bending forward, he slid the condom over Dave’s cock with his mouth, smoothing it out in one easy movement.

  “Jesus Christ.” Dave bit his bottom lip. Tom’s mouth around him was so bloody hot.

  Mouth still holding him, Tom gave Dave a mischievous wink and slid off, fumbling for the lube. Tom’s hands were just as talented as they spread the lube and Dave had to pull away, too close to coming before the main event.

  He settled himself between Tom’s legs, pushing in slowly, obeying Tom’s hissed request that he needed time to adjust. This wasn’t going to be a long fuck, Dave was too close to the edge, but he could wait. Bending down to kiss Tom, he sucked the taste of latex out of his lover’s mouth.

  “Okay, now.” Tom said.

  Dave pushed Tom’s legs back as he slid in fully. “Hold on, baby,” he told Tom.

  “Fuck,” Tom swore and grabbed Dave around his biceps.

  Pulling back until the head of his cock was stretching the rim of Tom’s hole, Dave waited, ignoring the growl of protest from the man underneath him. He waited until the screaming need in him couldn’t be denied any longer and he snapped his hips forward. Tom cursed and shuddered, his nails digging into Dave’s arms. It was fast and furious, not much in the way of finesse or rhythm as his balls drew up hard and tight and Dave’s need to come overrode every other concern. Noisy again, Tom closed his hand around his own hardened dick, wanking himself as Dave thrust in harder.