2. Stitch
He was tall and lanky, with a dark mop of hair so unruly Vince nearly mistook it for a hat. He was a shambles, but he had the kind of aristocratic features that made it work. He looked like a prince who’d just switched gear with a pauper, and he was staring at Vince. Usually, if a guy in a pub was staring at Vince, he was either looking for a fight or a form of ID, but this guy looked hungry.
Vince was pretty sure he was about to get pulled.
He tried to look natural as the man crossed the room.
“Forgive me for staring,” the man said. “Are you related to Pete Sweet?”
“That’s a terrible opening line,” Vince teased. “As if Pete Sweet were a real name.”
The man stared at Vince until he couldn’t help but fidget.
“Pete Sweet is my best mate,” the man said quietly. “I’m called Stitch.”
“Buy me a drink, Stitch.”
Xxx
Stitch bought Vince several drinks. He didn’t say much, but he listened to Vince with rapt attention. As with Rosey, Vince knew he was a canvas for Stitch to project his feelings for another man, but it was fun. Vince had never had someone pay so much attention to him. Every time he gave Stitch a casual touch, the man’s eyes would darken and he’d suddenly look a bit feral and dangerous. Vince put his hand on Stitch’s thigh and left it there.
Xxx
Vince was stumbling, but Stitch held him up. Stitch held him with one arm, while he fumbled to get the key in the lock to his flat.
“Don’t be nervous,” Vince giggled. “I’m not really him.”
Stitch’s face hardened, but he relaxed when Vince stroked his cheeks.
“Sorry, Stitch. I’m just pissed and stupid.”
Stitch kissed Vince on the nose.
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen and a half.”
“We’re not in the pub anymore, Vince. What’s your real age?”
“I just turned seventeen,” Vince said honestly. “I’m legal. For this, anyway. I still need the fake I.D. for the pub.”
Vince had kissed a couple of people, but Stitch was by far the most skilled. Every time he felt Stitch’s tongue against his teeth, Vince’s knees went weak. He was nervous about what would happen on the other side of the door, but eager. He clapped his hands in excitement when Stitch managed to get the door open and he found himself being dragged bodily into the flat and kissed against the quickly closed door.
“You are such a good kisser, Stitch. How do you do it?”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Vince’s stomach did a flip as Stitch slipped his hands under Vince’s shirt and stroked his chest. When he pulled Vince’s shirt off, Vince was hit by the reality of what was about to happen. His only experience was sitting still while Rosey had given him a handjob. He hadn’t done anything in return.
Stitch’s bedroom was cluttered with books and records. Stitch had to pick up a bunch of records off of his bed before they could lie down. Vince didn’t recognize any of the artists, so Stitch was either very smart or very cool. Maybe both.
“I have a thing for vinyl,” Stitch admitted with a shy smile.
“Me too! I love listening to Bowie and hearing the snaps and cracks, and I can imagine I’m in the seventies and hearing the album for the first time, and how it would have blown my mind…”
Vince felt embarrassed by his little speech, but Stitch smiled. Then he put “Hunky Dory” on the record player. Vince stripped off what was left of his clothes and jumped onto Stitch’s bed.
“This is perfect,” Vince squealed. The lager was making him talk too much, but Stitch seemed to enjoy the running commentary.
Stitch crawled on top of Vince and kissed him. His corduroys rubbed against Vince’s hard cock, and it felt like it could be over at any moment.
“I don’t have a lot of experience,” Vince explained. “I’m probably going to come way too soon.”
Stitch seemed to take it as a challenge. He ground his hips into Vince’s as they snogged, until he couldn’t hold back any longer. Vince dug his fingers into Stitch’s shoulders and came on the near-stranger’s dark brown cords.
Stitch didn’t seem bothered; rather, he used some of Vince’s semen to work a finger inside of Vince’s arse. In the post-orgasmic clarity, Vince had some concerns about letting a strange man fuck him, but he loved the way Stitch was looking at him. He was so brooding and intense-the complete opposite of Vince.
When Stitch’s finger slid inside, it felt good, but Vince was not prepared for the feeling of having his prostate touched. That was electrifying.
“That is genius, Stitch,” Vince moaned. “You should keep doing that, ‘cause that is just… That is genius.”
By the time Stitch put on a johnny, Vince felt ready. He was starting to get hard again, and he wanted something bigger and thicker and smoother than Stitch’s fingers.
“I can’t wait to have you inside me,” Vince whispered. “It’s going to be so amazing.”
Stitch laughed and gave Vince a gentle kiss before he lined himself up and worked his cock inside. Vince was dimly aware of Stitch talking, but he couldn’t hear words. He was totally overwhelmed by the feeling of being stretched, and every time Stitch hit that spot, he saw stars.
“Fuck me harder,” Vince whined. “It’s so good. Fuck me harder.”
Vince put his hand above his head to keep it from banging against the headboard as Stitch got lost in the moment. When Stitch noticed, he apologized and yanked Vince down towards the middle of the bed before putting Vince’s legs over his shoulders and folding him in half. In their new position, Vince had no leverage at all and just had to give himself over to Stitch’s movements. Fortunately, Stitch did not let him down.
The second time he came, it wasn’t nearly as strong, but it left him feeling completely worn out. He could barely hang on to Stitch as the bigger man continued his vigorous thrusts. He heard Stitch moan “Pete” as he came, but he was too tired to care. His eyelids felt like lead. He mumbled, “Thank you,” before passing out.
xxx
In the cold light of day, Vince did not regret the sex, but he very much regretted not putting on some clothes before falling asleep. He did not want to walk around in front of Stitch while naked. They barely knew one another.
As soon as Stitch went into the bathroom, Vince scrambled around and got himself dressed. Stitch came out wearing a towel, and they stood awkwardly for a few moments before Vince broke the silence.
“Should I give you my number?”
Stitch hesitated, and Vince wished he had more clothes to put on. Maybe a nice parka he could hide in.
“I just meant ‘cause this was nice. I’m not trying to make this something it isn’t.” Vince felt foolish, but the more he looked at Stitch, the more he wanted to see him again. Stitch was handsome and sweet, and he was an absolutely amazing lover.
“I don’t want to mislead you, Vince. You’re very sweet.” Stitch said it so gently, it didn’t feel like a brush-off.
“I know you’re in love with someone else,” Vince said. “I just meant maybe…”
“It would be very easy to fall in love with you, Vince.”
Vince watched Stitch twitch and shift his weight, and it made him smile.
“Can you try not to fall in love with me for another hour or so?” Vince asked as he moved closer and put his hands on Stitch’s slim hips.
An hour and a half later, a freshly showered Vince headed home with a not-quite-promise that Stitch would call him.
Xxx
Vince tried very hard not to get his hopes up, but when Stitch finally called, he did an actual cartwheel. Howard noticed his excited mood and asked if he’d gotten a new hairdryer.
The sex only got better with experience. Stitch was the perfect teacher. He made Vince feel sexy and confident, so that Vince wasn’t afraid to ask questions like, “Would it be gross if I…?” and “Is this supposed to hurt?” with Stitch. Most people made Vince feel stupid, but Stitch listened to every word he said, like it was important. When he told Stitch what he wanted and what he liked, Stitch paid close attention and followed through. If Stitch ever got a leg over with his Pete Sweet, Pete would owe Vince, big time.
Vince wondered if Stitch ever would get together with Pete. When they were together and Stitch was being so tender and sweet, Vince could easily imagine them as a real couple, but Stitch had rules. He didn’t even like ordering takeaway during their hook-ups, because he didn’t want to drift into “date territory.” Stitch thought he could control feelings with rules, and Vince thought it was cute, if a bit deranged.
When Howard asked Vince about his evenings, Vince said he was in a band called the Ladder Coins. He described gigs where he rode into the club on the back of a camel, while Howard laughed himself silly. As long as his stories were silly enough, Howard didn’t dig deeper, and since Howard was the only person who actually cared what Vince got up to, it made life easier.
As long as Vince could make Howard laugh, he was safe from his supervisor’s scrutiny. He didn’t tell Howard a thing about Stitch until it was over.
“Your hair is all flat and sad-looking,” Howard observed. “Is it ill? Did a bird land on it?”
“This is the new look,” Vince explained. “Everyone is doing the sad tramp look. You’re about to be fashionable, Howard.”
“What happened, Little Man?”
Howard only pulled out that nickname when he was trying to do his mental voodoo on Vince. Vince had to stay strong.
“I was on my way to work, and you’ll never believe it. I saw this Leprechaun…”
“I’ll put a kettle on, and you can tell me all about it. Believe me, Vince, Howard Moon is no stranger to tales of heartache.”
Vince sat at the table in the Keeper Hut and wondered where he’d gone wrong.
Vince tried to avoid pronouns, but ultimately he had to acknowledge that it was a man who had broken his heart, however unintentionally. Howard accepted the news with a nod.
“He’s still in love with the other fella?” Howard asked.
Vince smiled at the word ‘fella.’
“He really loves him. He thinks about him all the time. They’re best mates, Howard! They spend every day together. How can Pete not notice Stitch is in love with him?”
Howard looked thoughtful.
“It sounds like Stitch is good at hiding his feelings. Maybe he’s too good.”
“But wouldn’t you know if someone was in love with you?” Vince asked. “You’d have to feel it.”
Howard shook his head. “People see what they want to see and what they expect to see. Maybe Pete sees that Stitch loves him, but not… He might only see the part he’s expecting to see.”
Vince could see the wisdom in Howard’s words. Stitch was good at hiding his feelings. Vince never knew what he was thinking.
“And Stitch decided to end things?” Howard asked gently.
Vince stared at his tea and tried to be a bit like Stitch.
“I ended it.”
Howard sat quietly, which was alarming enough to force Vince to keep speaking.
“He’s never going to love me, and I… I was getting feelings.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Vince said no, and then thought about it and said no again.
“I like him so much. So, so much, but I’m not in love. I just think… I could imagine it happening, and that would have been awful.”
“Because he didn’t love you back?”
“Because it was all for someone else,” Vince explained. “Everything he was doing to make me want to love him was for someone else.”
“It sounds like you made the right choice,” Howard said as he stared into his own cup. Vince wondered if he was thinking about someone he’d loved, but they didn’t have that kind of relationship. Howard didn’t answer personal questions. What he revealed, he revealed through grandiose speeches.
“He’s so handsome and so nice…” Vince hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but the truth was leaking out of him. “He might be the best person I ever go out with, and he wasn’t even going out with me.”
Howard smiled, and his eyes crinkled in the corners. Sometimes Vince wondered what Howard looked like when he was young, before he got all his wrinkles and lines. Maybe there had been a time when Howard was younger and fitter, but Vince wouldn’t have wanted to see a Howard without laugh lines.
“There will be lots of people lining up to go out with you, Vince. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks, Howard. I know this isn’t part of your job description…”
“Actually, it is,” Howard said in a solemn tone. “Bob Fossil has put some pretty weird things into the job descriptions.”
Vince was pretty sure he was about to get pulled.
He tried to look natural as the man crossed the room.
“Forgive me for staring,” the man said. “Are you related to Pete Sweet?”
“That’s a terrible opening line,” Vince teased. “As if Pete Sweet were a real name.”
The man stared at Vince until he couldn’t help but fidget.
“Pete Sweet is my best mate,” the man said quietly. “I’m called Stitch.”
“Buy me a drink, Stitch.”
Xxx
Stitch bought Vince several drinks. He didn’t say much, but he listened to Vince with rapt attention. As with Rosey, Vince knew he was a canvas for Stitch to project his feelings for another man, but it was fun. Vince had never had someone pay so much attention to him. Every time he gave Stitch a casual touch, the man’s eyes would darken and he’d suddenly look a bit feral and dangerous. Vince put his hand on Stitch’s thigh and left it there.
Xxx
Vince was stumbling, but Stitch held him up. Stitch held him with one arm, while he fumbled to get the key in the lock to his flat.
“Don’t be nervous,” Vince giggled. “I’m not really him.”
Stitch’s face hardened, but he relaxed when Vince stroked his cheeks.
“Sorry, Stitch. I’m just pissed and stupid.”
Stitch kissed Vince on the nose.
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen and a half.”
“We’re not in the pub anymore, Vince. What’s your real age?”
“I just turned seventeen,” Vince said honestly. “I’m legal. For this, anyway. I still need the fake I.D. for the pub.”
Vince had kissed a couple of people, but Stitch was by far the most skilled. Every time he felt Stitch’s tongue against his teeth, Vince’s knees went weak. He was nervous about what would happen on the other side of the door, but eager. He clapped his hands in excitement when Stitch managed to get the door open and he found himself being dragged bodily into the flat and kissed against the quickly closed door.
“You are such a good kisser, Stitch. How do you do it?”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Vince’s stomach did a flip as Stitch slipped his hands under Vince’s shirt and stroked his chest. When he pulled Vince’s shirt off, Vince was hit by the reality of what was about to happen. His only experience was sitting still while Rosey had given him a handjob. He hadn’t done anything in return.
Stitch’s bedroom was cluttered with books and records. Stitch had to pick up a bunch of records off of his bed before they could lie down. Vince didn’t recognize any of the artists, so Stitch was either very smart or very cool. Maybe both.
“I have a thing for vinyl,” Stitch admitted with a shy smile.
“Me too! I love listening to Bowie and hearing the snaps and cracks, and I can imagine I’m in the seventies and hearing the album for the first time, and how it would have blown my mind…”
Vince felt embarrassed by his little speech, but Stitch smiled. Then he put “Hunky Dory” on the record player. Vince stripped off what was left of his clothes and jumped onto Stitch’s bed.
“This is perfect,” Vince squealed. The lager was making him talk too much, but Stitch seemed to enjoy the running commentary.
Stitch crawled on top of Vince and kissed him. His corduroys rubbed against Vince’s hard cock, and it felt like it could be over at any moment.
“I don’t have a lot of experience,” Vince explained. “I’m probably going to come way too soon.”
Stitch seemed to take it as a challenge. He ground his hips into Vince’s as they snogged, until he couldn’t hold back any longer. Vince dug his fingers into Stitch’s shoulders and came on the near-stranger’s dark brown cords.
Stitch didn’t seem bothered; rather, he used some of Vince’s semen to work a finger inside of Vince’s arse. In the post-orgasmic clarity, Vince had some concerns about letting a strange man fuck him, but he loved the way Stitch was looking at him. He was so brooding and intense-the complete opposite of Vince.
When Stitch’s finger slid inside, it felt good, but Vince was not prepared for the feeling of having his prostate touched. That was electrifying.
“That is genius, Stitch,” Vince moaned. “You should keep doing that, ‘cause that is just… That is genius.”
By the time Stitch put on a johnny, Vince felt ready. He was starting to get hard again, and he wanted something bigger and thicker and smoother than Stitch’s fingers.
“I can’t wait to have you inside me,” Vince whispered. “It’s going to be so amazing.”
Stitch laughed and gave Vince a gentle kiss before he lined himself up and worked his cock inside. Vince was dimly aware of Stitch talking, but he couldn’t hear words. He was totally overwhelmed by the feeling of being stretched, and every time Stitch hit that spot, he saw stars.
“Fuck me harder,” Vince whined. “It’s so good. Fuck me harder.”
Vince put his hand above his head to keep it from banging against the headboard as Stitch got lost in the moment. When Stitch noticed, he apologized and yanked Vince down towards the middle of the bed before putting Vince’s legs over his shoulders and folding him in half. In their new position, Vince had no leverage at all and just had to give himself over to Stitch’s movements. Fortunately, Stitch did not let him down.
The second time he came, it wasn’t nearly as strong, but it left him feeling completely worn out. He could barely hang on to Stitch as the bigger man continued his vigorous thrusts. He heard Stitch moan “Pete” as he came, but he was too tired to care. His eyelids felt like lead. He mumbled, “Thank you,” before passing out.
xxx
In the cold light of day, Vince did not regret the sex, but he very much regretted not putting on some clothes before falling asleep. He did not want to walk around in front of Stitch while naked. They barely knew one another.
As soon as Stitch went into the bathroom, Vince scrambled around and got himself dressed. Stitch came out wearing a towel, and they stood awkwardly for a few moments before Vince broke the silence.
“Should I give you my number?”
Stitch hesitated, and Vince wished he had more clothes to put on. Maybe a nice parka he could hide in.
“I just meant ‘cause this was nice. I’m not trying to make this something it isn’t.” Vince felt foolish, but the more he looked at Stitch, the more he wanted to see him again. Stitch was handsome and sweet, and he was an absolutely amazing lover.
“I don’t want to mislead you, Vince. You’re very sweet.” Stitch said it so gently, it didn’t feel like a brush-off.
“I know you’re in love with someone else,” Vince said. “I just meant maybe…”
“It would be very easy to fall in love with you, Vince.”
Vince watched Stitch twitch and shift his weight, and it made him smile.
“Can you try not to fall in love with me for another hour or so?” Vince asked as he moved closer and put his hands on Stitch’s slim hips.
An hour and a half later, a freshly showered Vince headed home with a not-quite-promise that Stitch would call him.
Xxx
Vince tried very hard not to get his hopes up, but when Stitch finally called, he did an actual cartwheel. Howard noticed his excited mood and asked if he’d gotten a new hairdryer.
The sex only got better with experience. Stitch was the perfect teacher. He made Vince feel sexy and confident, so that Vince wasn’t afraid to ask questions like, “Would it be gross if I…?” and “Is this supposed to hurt?” with Stitch. Most people made Vince feel stupid, but Stitch listened to every word he said, like it was important. When he told Stitch what he wanted and what he liked, Stitch paid close attention and followed through. If Stitch ever got a leg over with his Pete Sweet, Pete would owe Vince, big time.
Vince wondered if Stitch ever would get together with Pete. When they were together and Stitch was being so tender and sweet, Vince could easily imagine them as a real couple, but Stitch had rules. He didn’t even like ordering takeaway during their hook-ups, because he didn’t want to drift into “date territory.” Stitch thought he could control feelings with rules, and Vince thought it was cute, if a bit deranged.
When Howard asked Vince about his evenings, Vince said he was in a band called the Ladder Coins. He described gigs where he rode into the club on the back of a camel, while Howard laughed himself silly. As long as his stories were silly enough, Howard didn’t dig deeper, and since Howard was the only person who actually cared what Vince got up to, it made life easier.
As long as Vince could make Howard laugh, he was safe from his supervisor’s scrutiny. He didn’t tell Howard a thing about Stitch until it was over.
“Your hair is all flat and sad-looking,” Howard observed. “Is it ill? Did a bird land on it?”
“This is the new look,” Vince explained. “Everyone is doing the sad tramp look. You’re about to be fashionable, Howard.”
“What happened, Little Man?”
Howard only pulled out that nickname when he was trying to do his mental voodoo on Vince. Vince had to stay strong.
“I was on my way to work, and you’ll never believe it. I saw this Leprechaun…”
“I’ll put a kettle on, and you can tell me all about it. Believe me, Vince, Howard Moon is no stranger to tales of heartache.”
Vince sat at the table in the Keeper Hut and wondered where he’d gone wrong.
Vince tried to avoid pronouns, but ultimately he had to acknowledge that it was a man who had broken his heart, however unintentionally. Howard accepted the news with a nod.
“He’s still in love with the other fella?” Howard asked.
Vince smiled at the word ‘fella.’
“He really loves him. He thinks about him all the time. They’re best mates, Howard! They spend every day together. How can Pete not notice Stitch is in love with him?”
Howard looked thoughtful.
“It sounds like Stitch is good at hiding his feelings. Maybe he’s too good.”
“But wouldn’t you know if someone was in love with you?” Vince asked. “You’d have to feel it.”
Howard shook his head. “People see what they want to see and what they expect to see. Maybe Pete sees that Stitch loves him, but not… He might only see the part he’s expecting to see.”
Vince could see the wisdom in Howard’s words. Stitch was good at hiding his feelings. Vince never knew what he was thinking.
“And Stitch decided to end things?” Howard asked gently.
Vince stared at his tea and tried to be a bit like Stitch.
“I ended it.”
Howard sat quietly, which was alarming enough to force Vince to keep speaking.
“He’s never going to love me, and I… I was getting feelings.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Vince said no, and then thought about it and said no again.
“I like him so much. So, so much, but I’m not in love. I just think… I could imagine it happening, and that would have been awful.”
“Because he didn’t love you back?”
“Because it was all for someone else,” Vince explained. “Everything he was doing to make me want to love him was for someone else.”
“It sounds like you made the right choice,” Howard said as he stared into his own cup. Vince wondered if he was thinking about someone he’d loved, but they didn’t have that kind of relationship. Howard didn’t answer personal questions. What he revealed, he revealed through grandiose speeches.
“He’s so handsome and so nice…” Vince hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but the truth was leaking out of him. “He might be the best person I ever go out with, and he wasn’t even going out with me.”
Howard smiled, and his eyes crinkled in the corners. Sometimes Vince wondered what Howard looked like when he was young, before he got all his wrinkles and lines. Maybe there had been a time when Howard was younger and fitter, but Vince wouldn’t have wanted to see a Howard without laugh lines.
“There will be lots of people lining up to go out with you, Vince. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks, Howard. I know this isn’t part of your job description…”
“Actually, it is,” Howard said in a solemn tone. “Bob Fossil has put some pretty weird things into the job descriptions.”