Stumble Forward

by Alex Jane

  Alec pointed out the irony of that as they lay naked in Jack’s bed, sweat-soaked and biting at each other’s necks and chests while they took turns using their hands to stroke each other to completion for the second time that night. He smeared the splatters of come across Jack’s hard stomach with his palm before leaning down to lick the flat of his tongue over the golden skin, making Jack stutter and stumble over his words as he tried to explain that Alicia wasn’t all that observant when she was on night shift.

  “It stinks of us in here, Jack.”

  “I’ll open a window. I wanna put my fingers inside you, Alec. Can I? Will you let me?”

  “I haven’t—I mean I’ve never—”

  “Don’t worry. Trust me, it feels good. And I’ll go so slow, you’ll be begging me to fuck you.”

  Alec rolled his eyes but Jack just smiled that wicked smile and pulled Alec close, kissing him deep and dirty. And he was right. An hour later, Alec was pleading with Jack to put his dick in him, practically sobbing it as Jack licked around where his fingers disappeared inside him. Jack didn’t fuck him but he made damn sure that Alec would be thinking of nothing else until he did.

  Mostly Alec’s days were spent trying to prepare for his interview. The job wasn’t very different than anything that he’d done before but he felt like he’d been out of the loop since moving back home, subsisting on his freelance tech support jobs. Alec wanted to be sure that he was fully up to date with all the latest systems. The communications package that Matt had mentioned they used was new to him so he wanted to familiarize himself with that. Or at least be prepared enough to bluff his way through any questions until he had time to properly understand it.

  It probably shouldn’t have been taking him so long to study the information Matt had emailed him but whenever he settled down to work, his cell would flash yet another text from Jack and as much as he tried, he couldn’t ignore it. And before he knew it the doorbell would sound and he would have to pound down the stairs to get to the door before his mother, trying to smuggle six foot five of muscle on steel-toed boots up to his room without her noticing. Jack would pin him up against the door as soon as it shut, the pair of them clutching at each other, fisting handfuls of jacket and shirt and hair, rutting hard and desperate, foreheads pressed together and eyes tightly closed, panting into each other’s mouths, kissing hard to stifle the groans as they came, soaking dark patches into their jeans.

  Then the long moments after, sprawling on Alec’s bed, talking and laughing, making out like teenagers slow and gentle, hands creeping up under fabric to pinch nipples and cup shoulder blades, until they couldn’t put off facing the day any longer.

  By the time the interview rolled around, Alec was already thinking of ways to cut his trip short, even if he didn’t like to admit it to himself. He was only going away for two nights but everything below his neck rebelled at the idea of being away from Jack for that long. Everything above it wasn’t that keen either.

  The morning finally arrived, and Alec set off after breakfast. The drive was long but he stopped a couple of times for coffee to keep his concentration up, and just let the landscape pass him by. He arrived at the small hotel in Austin that Matt had booked for him, and once he had checked-in and grabbed a late lunch, he headed back to his room to call Jack.

  The phone rang twice before Jack picked up. Alec couldn’t help himself and asked, “What are you wearing?”

  He could hear the smirk in Jack’s voice. “I’m completely naked.”

  The sound of the radio playing in the background was momentarily obliterated by the buzz of a pneumatic torque wrench and a voice yelling out indistinguishable words, as something metallic clattered to the ground.

  “Well, I hope Mike’s paying you extra for that.”

  “I’d happily pay him to do it today. Air-con is on the fritz again.”

  “Ouch. Well, just try not to damage any of your equipment flapping it about near all that pointy stuff. I’m going to need that when I get back.”

  “And when will that be exactly?”

  “About four on Friday, depending on traffic.”

  “Not tomorrow then.”

  Alec smiled. Jack was trying to sound off-hand about it, but the disappointment in his voice mirrored how Alec was feeling too. “No. I thought I could swing it but apparently some new finance guy they’re bringing in isn’t getting here until late tomorrow, so Matt has scheduled a breakfast meeting for Friday. For some reason, they want us to meet before they can offer me the position. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon enough. You’ll be sick of the sight of me in no time.”

  Alec expected a glimmer of amusement from the other end of the line but all he could hear was the sound of the workshop. “Jack?”

  “Well, I’m glad you got there safe. I better get back to work.”

  “Oh—of course. Well, I guess I’ll call you later?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, then”

  “Alec!”

  “Yeah?”

  “Give me the name of the hotel so I can get hold of you there if I need to. Y’know, if your cell runs out of charge or something.”

  He smiled and recited the name and room number a couple of times when Jack insisted he didn’t need to write it down, and hung up.

  Alec stood in the shower and fantasized about Jack stripping off his overalls in the overheated workshop, the way the beads of sweat would travel down his exposed skin, finding their way to the crack of his ass and the thatch of dark hair around his dick. Alec came hard, one hand on his cock and the other reaching back, fingers punching up inside himself, imagining they were Jack’s until his body started to shake and he pulled them out to brace himself under the flow of water as he spilt into the swirling drain; the ghost of Jack on his tongue.

  After, he lay on the stiff white sheets of the hotel bed and thought long and hard about the void that followed him around whenever Jack wasn’t there, filling it with his smile and his touch and his clever words and mouth. He wondered if this could be more than a stupid crush, a lust driven fling, and remembered the tiny word that had popped into his head when Ethan had asked him how he felt about Jack. Suddenly Alec felt quite nervous about the prospect of being near Jack again. Because if it was that—if it was love —then that would change everything.

  <•••>

  Alec had a couple of hours in the morning to kill before heading over to Matt’s office, so he spent them on breakfast in a coffee shop, scanning the property pages a local paper, getting a feel for the rental market, and taking some time just driving around, trying to get his bearings. He found the office building easy enough. The company’s rooms were modest but in a good location and set up sparsely as they’d just moved in, but the place was comfortable, and instantly put him at ease. The entire workforce, all five of them, had a front seat view when Alec walked through the door, and Matt launched himself at his friend, hugging him so hard he thought he heard something crack.

  Matt had given him the impression that this would be an interview when they spoke on the phone but made it pretty clear that the job was his and they expected him to take it, contingent on tomorrow’s meeting with the other potential new member of the team. Alec spent most of the day with Matt going through the day-to-day aspects of the business and reminiscing on their college days. The first meeting with Matt’s business partner, David, was similarly informal, although with less hugging, and Alec liked the guy immediately.

  By the time Alec was pulling out his keycard to open his hotel room door, his cheeks were aching from smiling so much. He had a good feeling about the whole situation. It would be a new start for him, the one he’d been waiting for, new town, good job, nice people. All the happy excited thoughts swirling around in his head distracted him enough that it took him a few seconds to notice Jack standing next to his bed.

  When he did, he jumped, his hand going to clutch at his chest as his heart went into overdrive, and a rather unmanly squeak escaped his throat.
<
br />   Jack smiled sheepishly and gave a timid wave. “Surprise?” It sounded more like an apology than anything else.

  “Fuck! Jack! What the hell are you doing here?”

  Jack’s face fell “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come. I just wanted to surprise you. I didn’t mean to—I’ll go. I’m sorry.” He took a step towards the door but Alec was on him, grabbing his face and kissing him rough and desperate, pressing his body against him, like a drowning man gasping for oxygen.

  Jack was stunned for a moment but wrapped his long arms around Alec and pulled him close, half-dragging, half-walking him back towards the bed as Alec devoured him.

  In an embarrassingly short amount of time, they fell apart onto their backs, their naked skin shimmering with the sheen of sweat and come.

  Jack turned on his side to face Alec and ran his hand over his freckled shoulder, before leaning over and kissing it. “I’m sorry I scared you. I meant it to be a surprise, not give you a heart attack.”

  Alec laughed. “Well, I was most certainly surprised!” He turned to look at Jack who was watching him through sweat-wet bangs. “I still can’t believe you came all this way. How did you even get here?”

  Jack smiled and shrugged. “Hired a car. Told Allie I was staying at Mike’s. I thought it would be fun and—I wanted to—y’know—” He shifted and looked away, watching his hand trail down over Alec’s flushed chest and through the slick on his belly.

  “Make a grand romantic gesture?” Alec said, his tone teasing but appreciative.

  Jack laughed. “ Well, I was going to say ‘stick my cock in your ass’ but sure, that other thing too.”

  Alec swallowed and shifted round to look at him. “Really? You want to—?”

  Jack’s hand skimmed over the line of Alec’s hip, pulling so Alec rolled onto his side, then smoothing back over the round of his ass. His fingers dipped into the crease and teased along the length of it, making Alec shudder every time they skimmed his hole. Jack leaned forward and nuzzled under Alec’s jaw, scratching teeth over the skin of his throat and murmuring, “I want to. I really want to—” over and over.

  Jack, it turned out, hadn’t been entirely joking about coming to Austin to fuck Alec.

  Alec raised his eyebrows when Jack pulled the lube and condoms from his overnight bag. Jack smiled, somewhat abashed but Alec grinned, pulled him down onto the bed, pulled up his knees and opened his legs.

  Jack worked Alec open. He took his time, slowly at first, letting one finger dip in and out of the ring of muscle so gently, just like the first time. Jack inched gradually in, until he finally reached his second knuckle, then pulling all the way out, started the process again adding another finger. He pressed deep and more, corkscrewing his fingers in and out, varying the depth and speed, kissing the inside of Alec’s thighs, his other hand stroking Alec’s cock, rolling his balls and telling him how beautiful he was like this and a thousand variations of it until Alec felt like he might genuinely lose his mind.

  Then Jack rolled him over, gently lifting his hips, placing a pillow under them, and making sure Alec was as comfortable and relaxed as possible. And then finally, Alec felt the head of Jack’s cock pressing firmly against him, and breach him; the sting of it so intense at first but gradually fading as Alec’s body became accustomed to the intrusion. Jack moved slowly, sliding forward, inch-by-inch, until Alec felt him bottom out. Jack loomed over him, covering Alec’s body, hips snug against his ass, kissing the back of his neck, panting hard with the effort of trying not to pound straight into him.

  “I wish I could see you,” Alec gasped, “kiss you. I wanna feel you in my mouth too.”

  Jack groaned and bent forward. He used one hand to turn Alec’s head towards him and licked at his mouth, slipping his fingers between Alec’s lips. Alec started sucking them, biting down and Jack started to move his hips, slow and shallow at first, getting faster and deeper, Alec still sucking at his fingers, flicking his tongue between them and groaning. Jack yanked them free, and placed the flat of his hand between Alec’s shoulder blades, bracing himself and fucking harder, asking breathy, “Yes?” over and over, and only getting oh God and fuck yes and more and Jack in reply, until there was an Oh My God and Alec’s orgasm exploded out of him. The sensation of Jack pounding him, filling him, and the friction of the sheet below pushed Alec over the edge. Then Jack was coming, twice thrusting too hard into Alec, making him yelp before slowly dragging in and out, his cock pulsing until Jack had nothing left to give and collapsed over Alec’s back.

  They both lay there, breathing heavy, limbs heavier, Jack sprawled half-off Alec so as not to crush him, until Alec’s body started to shake.

  “Alec?” Jack raised himself up. “Are you okay?” He caught the condom as he pulled out of Alec and quickly dealt with it, as Alec wasn’t moving, other than his shoulders vibrating as he lay face-down. “Oh God, Baby, did I hurt you? I’m so sorry. Alec? Say something.”

  Slowly, Alec raised himself up and turned. His face was flushed and sweaty and he was giggling like an idiot. “Ow,” he said and started laughing again.

  Jack smiled with relief and pushed at his shoulder. “You fuck! I thought I’d hurt you! Don’t do that!”

  Alec tried to pull himself together but was having trouble keeping the smile off his face. “I’m sorry but you just totally fucked me in the ass! I think I’m allowed an ‘Ow.’”

  Jack cupped his face and kissed him. “Oh God, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

  He was interrupted by Alec laughing out, “Don’t be sorry, Jesus! Really. I never thought it could be like that—Oh no—” His face went suddenly serious and Jack’s eyes went wide. “You just totally took my virginity.” He stared at Jack for a split second and then collapsed into another fit of chuckling, face down in the pillow.

  Jack smiled, utterly bemused and kissed Alec hard on the neck. “Come on, you fuck-drunk idiot,” he said, rolling off the side of the bed. “Let’s get cleaned up and get some dinner. I’m starving.”

  They showered, or rather stood under a stream of water and kissed until their mouths were sore, Jack’s hands unconsciously drawn to Alec’s puffy rim. He seemed to delight in the way he could just slip inside with no resistance and Alec moaning every time one of Jack’s fingers dipped inside him. Eventually, the sound of Jack’s stomach rumbling became louder than the sounds of their pleasure.

  They were all but dressed, Jack lacing his sneakers as Alec pulled a black tee-shirt over his head, when there was a knock at the door.

  Alec looked at Jack. “Did you order room service?”

  Jack shrugged a ‘no’, walked over and opened the door as Alec hurriedly buttoned his jeans.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Oh I’m sorry, I must have the wrong room.” Alec’s heart leapt at the familiar voice and stepped forward to look around Jack, who was blocking his view of the door. “Or not!” the voice said.

  Alec smiled sheepishly and walked forward. “Matt. What are you doing here?”

  Matt smiled and shook his head. “Don’t you think you should introduce me to your friend first?”

  Alec huffed out a laugh. “Of course, of course, sorry. Jack, this is my old friend and probably new boss, Matt.” He waved his hand between them awkwardly as they shook hands. “Matt, this is my—” The sentence died on Alec’s tongue as he realized he didn’t know how to finish it.

  Jack and Matt both looked at him, eyebrows raised in anticipation. Then Alec smiled softly, took a step towards Jack, put a hand on the small of his back and standing close enough to him to make his meaning clear, said, “This is Jack.”

  Matt stared at Alec for a moment, the surprise evident on his face, then took a breath and let it out. He looked up at Jack and smiled, “Very nice to meet you, Jack!” Jack let out the breath he had been holding and smiled with relief. Matt turned back to Alec and shifted his weight. “Well, if we’re doing surprises—I brought one of my own.”

  Alec stepped sli
ghtly away from Jack and smiled. “Hit me.”

  Matt huffed out a laugh and muttered, “Yeah that might be a bad choice of words.” He shook his head at Alec’s questioning look and went on, “So you know the new finance guy we wanted you to meet tomorrow? Well, he arrived early and we thought maybe we could go for a drink, maybe dinner if you haven’t already eaten?”

  Alec furrowed his brow. “Sure, I guess that would be okay but I don’t see why you just didn’t—” He was going to say ‘call’, but then a figure appeared around the doorframe, looking worried but with a veneer of calm over the surface, and Alec thought his heart stopped.

  Alec stared at him for the longest moment. “Phil?”

  Phil smiled. “Hey, Al. Long time. How are you?”

  Alec huffed out a breath, more in relief than in humor. “Yeah. Yeah, a long time. I’m good. Really good.” And two seconds later the two men threw their arms around each other in a hearty embrace.

  “And also gay, apparently!” Matt chirped over their heads, and shot a wide smile at Jack who was standing there, not knowing quite what to do with himself.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Seriously, I can’t believe you fell for it twice!” Jack laughed and then remembered himself, lowering his voice as Alec flicked on the light of the hotel room. “Once maybe, but twice!”

  Alec was smiling but looked embarrassed. “I still can’t believe they told you that story.” He threw the keycard, his wallet and change down on the bedside cabinet and sat down heavily on the edge of the mattress. He watched Jack toeing off his shoes by the door and removing his jacket, and asked, “So you like them then?”

  Jack smiled, genuine and warm, making his dimples deepen. “I do. I really do. And not just because they didn’t seem to have a problem with, y’know—” He made a vague hand gesture between the two of them. “ Us.”

  Alec smirked and started to untie his shoes. “Why would they? I mean after the initial, ‘We’ve known you for eight years and now suddenly you’re with a guy?’ thing, it’s hardly a big deal anymore.”