Baseball Fever (89/91): Charlie and Don struggle with a logic puzzle
Title: Baseball Fever (89/91)
Summary of the story (only updated through chap 42)
Full Chapter List (up to date)
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing/characters: Don Eppes/Charlie Eppes
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Charlie discovers some unexpected things about his sexy older brother.
Part 89: Charlie and Don struggle with a logic puzzle
Charlie looks at a series of facts and reaches a hazardous conclusion. Later, Don and Charlie compare baseball kinks.
Word Count: 7203
Notes/Warnings: (Spoilers) Sibling incest
Part 89: Charlie and Don struggle with a logic puzzle
Don was surprised to find himself humming as he drove home from the baseball game. He listened to himself and learned it was 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', the classic song played at all baseball games. It had been a great game - he'd gotten two hits, turned one spectacular double-play, and the FBI team had won. The only thing clouding the game had been that Charlie hadn't been there. Normally, nothing would keep Charlie from watching Don play baseball, but Charlie had picked up a stomach bug that was going around Cal-Sci campus and was home in bed.
Don started humming again. There was even a silver lining to Charlie's illness - that Charlie had been back to teaching to get any germ going around campus. It was four, almost five months after that confrontation with their father and their lives had changed a great deal.
Once Alan had decided he was going to move out, he'd acted quickly. In just a few weeks, he had been packing his stuff and determining which furniture he was going to take for his new condo. Penny had come to help him pack. There had been the predictable awkwardness when she first arrived, knowing what she did about Don and Charlie's relationship. She'd cracked a stupid joke, they'd all laughed too hard, and then things had gone back to normal. Alan was now a happy retiree in Santa Barbara. They hadn't been down to visit since helping him move in, though, and he hadn't been back to see them… Don shrugged mentally. They'd been too busy setting up their own new household.
Alan had taken all his master bedroom furniture, which served Don and Charlie fine. They'd bought a new king-sized bed, some dressers and side tables and set things up just like they wanted. Don had never shared a bedroom with Charlie in his life, and it was quite a change, but being able to sleep with Charlie in a big bed every night was worth the adjustments. Don smiled, thinking of that bed. Most mornings started with Charlie giving him a blowjob or hand job and most days ended with Charlie fucking him, and there was often sex in between. And Don slept so much better with Charlie in his arms.
Charlie's health seemed to have fully recovered, though Charlie still complained that his short-term memory had been damaged. Don just reminded him that he'd always been scatter-brained about everything but numbers, and Charlie grumbled but looked relieved.
Cal-Sci had been thrilled to get their math star back, so much so that Charlie had been able to shut down any inquiries into what had put him on medical leave. He was already up to teaching his full set of classes and picked up his competition with Professor Masterson like he'd never left. What had started as Masterson addressing Charlie's Number Theory class while Charlie was taking care of the injured Don had grown into a serious rivalry. Their published papers and rebuttals on K-theory were becoming the stuff of legends in the Math world and had brought a lot of interest - and dollars - to the department. Charlie had gotten back to working with Don's team at the FBI as well. Don loved seeing Charlie running on all cylinders again. It had been terrifying to see him debilitated and numberless.
Don parked his car in the driveway of their home and grabbed his gear. If Charlie was awake, he'd seen Don arrive. Their house was now ringed with security cameras that gave them warning anytime someone approached. Their home was now a haven for their relationship. They'd justified the cameras because of recent death threats that Don had received. Don suspected that the death threats were coming from Ross Boyette, the former ATF agent who had broken Don's ribs. Don had never asked the details, but somehow Don's FBI team had dug up enough dirt on Ross to get him kicked out of the ATF. Don was sure his team hadn't needed to manufacture anything or reveal Don's own experience - a federal agent with those kind of anger issues likely would have stepped over the line in his day job as well.
Don waved to the front door camera and unlocked the door.
"Hey, Charlie, I'm home!" he called as he let himself into the house.
He waited a beat but there was no response. He shook off a prickle of unease. Charlie was probably asleep in bed.
Don set his stuff down on the entrance table and headed upstairs. He'd check on Charlie then take a shower. He'd changed out of his cleats after the game but was wearing the rest of his uniform. He still found it unbearable to shower in a locker room when anyone else was around, and he didn't want to take the time today to run laps until everyone else left.
He passed by the upstairs bathroom then backtracked a few steps. Underneath the smell of a cleaner there was the unmistakable smell of vomit. Charlie's stomach bug must be worse than he thought. He went to the bedroom.
The bedroom was empty.
Don stood in the doorway and stared for a moment, unable to process what he was seeing. The bed was rumpled but there was no Charlie, resting and getting better.
The unease he'd felt earlier returned full force. "Charlie?" he called.
No answer.
He went through the house, calling Charlie's name. He checked the garage and backyard as well.
Standing in the front entrance, he dialed Charlie's cellphone. It rang behind him. Don spun around and spotted the phone on the dining room table.
With a feeling of dread, he checked the shoes near the front door.
Charlie's walking shoes were gone.
"No, no, no…" Don groaned. Charlie's stomach problems had returned? But things were going so well!
He sat on the front porch, gripped his hands together … and waited.
A long twenty-one minutes later, Don finally saw Charlie heading up the driveway. He looked pale but nothing like the terrible time that Don had first seen Charlie's deterioration.
Don hopped to his feet. "Charlie, what's going on?"
Charlie looked startled. "I thought you'd still be at the game!"
"It was a fast game," Don said. "And I came straight home to see how you were. I thought you had a stomach bug!"
"Well," Charlie said, but didn't say anything more. He walked past Don and let himself into the house.
Don followed Charlie through the door and into the kitchen. Charlie poured himself a glass of water then stood there, staring at it.
"Drink it," Don said. "Then talk to me."
Charlie slowly drank the glass of water. He put the empty glass on the counter but didn't turn to face Don.
"Charlie, what's going on? Are you having those stomach pains again?"
In a low voice, Charlie said, "It's okay. I understand."
"I don't! I thought we were good!"
"We are good," Charlie said, his voice still quiet. "I didn't mean for you to see this. I miscalculated what time you'd get home. I'm sorry."
"You're sor-" Don stepped closer to Charlie but didn't touch him. "Charlie, do you think I'm seeing someone else? Because I'm not!"
"I understand," Charlie said again. "It was inevitable. I will work on doing better."
"Charlie!" Don took Charlie's hand and turned him to face him. "Buddy, look at me!"
Charlie's eyes when they met Don's were sad but determined. "I'm not going to let it get bad like last time. I'll manage it better."
"Why are you letting it get bad at all?" Don demanded. He paused and gripped Charlie's hand. "Is something else wrong? Did you get bad news?"
"No, no news."
Don blew out his breath and tried to keep his voice calm. He took Charlie's face in his hands. "Charlie Eppes, I am not having sex with anyone but you. I am completely yours. You do not need to be throwing up !"
Charlie flinched.
Don said, "Sorry, sorry." He took another deep breath. "Buddy, why would you think that I'm messing around on you?"
In a voice just above a whisper, Charlie said, "You have a high sex drive. I know you rarely masturbate. So if you're not having sex with me, then you must be having it with someone else."
"What do you mean?" Don sputtered. "We have sex all the time!"
"Not in the last six days."
"What?"
"We went from the average of 2.1 times per day to a total of 3 times in the last 6 days, dropping our average to 0.5 times per day. That's a decline of-"
"Last six days?" Don interrupted. "God, Charlie, it's just been-"
Don cut himself off. His voice had gotten loud and Charlie was shrinking from him.
"Let's go sit on the couch, okay?"
Charlie nodded and allowed himself to be led into the front room. Don sat down on the couch and pulled Charlie down next to him. Don put an around Charlie's shoulders.
"I've just been really busy this week," Don said. "Don't you remember? Liz is gone with that LAPD task force and Vicente is busy with his undercover training. Nikki, David, and I have been run ragged with the double hit of those bomb threats and the LA Rivers Foundation money laundering, plus everything else that comes across our desks. We were supposed to get someone from the San Diego office to help but didn't. They're too busy, too.
"I've been rushing out the door as soon as I can in the morning so no morning fun. When I do get home, I'm just tired and want to sleep. Our team actually tried to cancel the game tonight, but LAPD made such a big stink that we said we'd play tonight if they give us Liz back by the end of the week. So I wrapped-up the…"
Don trailed off as he realized that Charlie wasn't listening.
"Charlie?"
"You've been busy at work before," Charlie said quietly. "You still found time then."
Don opened his mouth to protest then closed it again as he realized Charlie was right. In the past, he would have found the time for sex, regardless of how tired or busy he was.
Charlie's quiet relentless voice continued. "I know you're only with me because I offer you safe, reliable sex. If you have found another man that you prefer, I am not going to stand in your way. I will still be here and will have sex with you as often as you want me to. Or if you've found a woman who you want to be with, I will fuck you whenever you need it and make no demands otherwise. I saw you sitting next to Amita after last game. She would be a good partner."
Don stared at him, horrified. "But I haven't been with anyone else! I haven't!"
"Then how can you account for the decline?"
"Charlie, I'm not lying to you. Not after what we've been through together."
Charlie grimaced in obvious disbelief.
Don sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Why would you believe me? You know how much of a whore I am, and whores… whore. I wouldn't believe me either."
There was a strained silence.
"Wait," Don said. "I have a surprise for you, a gift. Well for me, for us. I was going to wait another week to share…"
Don stood up and started stripping off his baseball jersey. Charlie flinched at the sudden movement.
"I know I said…" Charlie protested, "But can we wait an hour or so? I'm not feeling that great and-"
Don sat back down on the couch, his naked back towards Charlie. "Take it off."
"What?"
Don pointed with his left hand to a spot on his back, low on his right shoulder. There was a gauze pad that Don had changed before the baseball game. "I told you that I was using that bandage to cover a burn but it's kind of a self-inflected wound. Take it off."
"The gauze?" Charlie said, sounding confused and a little uneasy.
"Yeah. I wanted it to look good before I shared it with you, but now seems like the right time."
Charlie still wasn't moving.
"Please?"
Charlie put his fingers on the tape and slowly peeled back the gauze.
Don heard Charlie's gasp.
Don asked, "Do you like it?"
Charlie stammered, "Is that a tattoo?"
"Yeah, I got it seven--no eight days ago. It's from an original drawing from an artist, do you like it?" Don craned his neck around, as if he could see the new tattoo himself. He'd looked at it in the mirror before, of course. It was about two by three inches and based on a pencil drawing of a baseball glove with a ball in it and a baseball bat behind it. The drawing was detailed, with stitches on the glove and ball, and woodgrain on the bat.
Don turned slightly to see Charlie's face. He looked frozen, staring at Don's back.
"It'll look better when all the scabs are gone. That'll take a few more weeks." Don chattered nervously in Charlie's silence. "I've had to clean and moisturize it every day and that's been a pain, as you can imagine. Can't wear a rifle strap over that shoulder right now. It's for baseball, you know, how we both have this baseball kink and no one is going to ask why I have a baseball tattoo, when it's really a symbol for you and me, but I couldn't exactly get 'Charlie' written on my back."
He turned fully around. "Charlie, say something."
"You got a tattoo?"
"I really hope you like it because it's permanent. You know, like us."
"Like us?" Charlie echoed.
"Yeah." Don put his hands on Charlie's cheeks and turned his face to meet Don's gaze. "There is no one else. I haven't been messing around on you."
Charlie stared into Don's eyes. "No… Nobody else?"
"Nope."
Charlie's eyes abruptly filled with tears and he reached for Don.
Don closed the space between them and kissed Charlie tenderly. Charlie kissed him back harder.
After a long kiss, Don pulled back. "Believe me now?"
Charlie nodded, his lashes wet. "It… it's beautiful."
Don slumped in relief. "You like it? 'Cause there's nothing I can do about it now."
"I love it," Charlie said with a smile. "And I love you."
"I'm glad," Don said, matching Charlie's smile. He felt that familiar twinge of guilt when Charlie told him he loved him. It wasn't fair that Charlie loved someone who couldn't love him back, but Don tried to make it up to him in other ways. "Good thing you like it, because you're going to be helping me take care of it from now on."
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Do you have a treatment plan? Have you been eating right, hydrating?"
"Hold on there, Nurse Charlie. First, we have to get you back to health."
Charlie shrugged. "I'm okay. I hadn't thrown up until today."
"Oh good," Don said. "I had been wondering how I could have missed you throwing up for almost a week." Don stood up. "But still, you need some apple juice and crackers."
"Noo…" Charlie groaned, but Don could tell his heart wasn't in it.
"Let me get you a glass and plate then I'll go take a shower while you eat."
"Do you…do you need to take a shower?"
"Of course!" Don said. "You know I stink after a game."
Charlie took a deep sniff. "I think you smell wonderful."
Don laughed in surprise.
Charlie said, "Maybe you could leave your uniform on and I'll have some juice and crackers and rest a little then maybe we could…explore our mutual baseball kink some more?"
Don chuckled. "Sure, yeah. As long as you feel up to it."
"Not yet," Charlie smiled. "But soon. Now bring me my invalid food."
"Absolutely."
Don sat on the couch, Charlie snoring against his shoulder.
Charlie had put cream and a bandage on Don's healing tattoo then Charlie had eaten his 'invalid food'. He'd drifted off, watching a baseball game on TV, holding Don's hand. Don was staring at the TV, but he wasn't watching it. He was thinking about the things Charlie had said.
Once again, he was in a relationship that he thought was going well until he was blindsided by the other person.
Did he really have nothing to offer Charlie other than sex? So that Charlie would fall apart when there wasn't regular sex?
No, that wasn't fair. He looked at Charlie's hand in his. Charlie had fallen apart because he thought that Don was cheating on him. It was reasonable that Charlie would think that. After all, Don had never been in a relationship where he hadn't cheated on the other person. Even with Alexei, he'd been regularly reliving in his mind the sex with Charlie, which was cheating in a way. Alexei had said that Don wouldn't let Alexei love him.
Charlie loved him regardless of what Don would or wouldn't do.
But why hadn't Don noticed less sex this week? It made no sense. Was he ill? Was he just getting old and losing his drive? Then why would it have happened between one week and the next? He was going to have to talk to Sandy about this, but what would he say? That Charlie had remembered that whores couldn't be trusted?
Charlie snorted and shifted and blinked. "Waz the scorre?"
Don had to focus on the TV to find out. "Uh, Three to one, Dodgers ahead. Bottom of seventh inning, two outs."
"Hmm, slept through three and one third innings."
"How are you feeling?"
Charlie blinked a few more times and straightened up. "Better."
"Good! Do you want to watch the rest of the game or…"
Charlie grinned. "Let's go upstairs and play our own game."
At Charlie's eager expression, Don's worries were pushed aside, and his body began to warm. "Yeah, let's."
They stood up from the couch and Don went to pick up his sports bag that he'd dumped on the entrance table.
"Still got your cup?" Charlie called.
"Charlie…" Don groaned. "It's uncomfortable even when I'm not hard and-"
"Then you better put in on quick!"
Grumbling, Don waved for Charlie to go ahead and go upstairs. When he was out of sight, Don sighed, then got out the hard plastic protector and wrestled it into position over his cock and balls. He had a lot of experience putting it on over an erection.
As he settled it inside his tight baseball pants, his eyes passed over the rest of his baseball equipment. He froze, suddenly remembering a fantasy he had for years.
Just how far did Charlie's baseball kink go?
Charlie sat on the king-sized bed in the room he shared with Don. He still churned with conflicting emotions - had Don not been cheating on him? Charlie had followed all the logic that said Don had to be, but…
That tattoo. It was going to be beautiful once it was healed. And Don did it for him. For them. That didn't sound like someone who had gotten bored with Charlie and found another lover. But the logic…
Charlie's circular thoughts vanished as Don stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. This was the Don of his lifetime of fantasies - dressed in his baseball uniform and smiling at him, sexual anticipation in his eyes.
Charlie had to swallow twice before he could speak. "Can…can you get into your batting stance?"
Chuckling, Don put on his baseball cap, tossed his bag aside, and gripped his baseball bat. He settled into the batting-box position that Charlie had brought to his mind so many times. But instead of pitching him a ball, Charlie slid to the floor.
"Can I touch you?" Charlie whispered.
"I'll be disappointed if you didn't."
Charlie put his hands on Don's left foot then ran them up his leg, following the uniform's stripes like he'd always wanted to. Then he did the same to Don's right leg. He could feel the strength and readiness in his legs. His lips followed his hands up the tempting trails. Don smelled sweaty, dirty, musky - heavenly.
Against Don's legs, Charlie murmured, "I love watching you in the batting box, whether it's in a game, at batting practice, or in the batting cages. It's not as much the hitting, though I like that too, but I love that moment before the ball arrives."
Charlie skipped over Don's inviting ass and groin area for the moment, moving on to his back and shoulders. With his mouth and hands, he followed Don's arms down to his wrists. He continued, "I can feel the tension in your body, the coiled spring ready to unwind, to bring the bat around to meet the baseball, smashing it into the bleachers." Charlie explored what he could reach of Don's chest, then his neck and up to his hair under his baseball cap. "Sweet anticipation, like the moment before an orgasm."
Don silently stood as Charlie's hands and mouth moved over him, though Charlie could tell by his breathing that Don was finding this arousing as well.
Charlie came around to Don's front and ran his hands eagerly over Don's groin. The cup was a hard plastic shape under the fabric and his fingers found every ridge and edge. He rubbed his crotch against the cup. He got down on his knees and rubbed his face against the hard cup. "So much time trying not to stare as men's groins, your groin, on the baseball diamond. Society says to ignore the bulges, but I never could."
And though he'd seen Don's cock many times, it still felt like a mystery, hidden behind that protective shell.
Finally, Charlie stood and allowed himself to turn his attention to Don's glorious ass. Standing, he kneaded the ass cheeks, feeling the coiled strength in those muscles as well. He pressed himself against Don's ass, rubbing his hard cock against that perfect swell of muscle in tight baseball pants. Don's breath grew more ragged, his body trembling. Charlie knelt before that ass and put his face between the cheeks, inhaling deeply. Don smelled like baseball and sex and it was almost too much for Charlie to handle. He pulled his face back, gulping in fresh air, and told his throbbing cock to calm down.
When he had his voice under control, Charlie said, "May I undress you a little?"
"How little?" Don asked, his voice husky and low.
"Just enough," Charlie said. "You can put the bat down though."
Charlie kept his hands on Don's ass as Don set the bat on the nearby dresser.
"Now what?" Don asked.
Charlie came around to Don's front, pushed up the bill of Don's cap, and leaned in to kiss him. Don kissed him back eagerly, pulling Charlie against his body. Charlie moaned against Don's lips as he felt Don's cup press against his groin. The cup in Don's pants was rigid and unforgiving, but Charlie had stared at it so many times...
"Charlie," Don gasped. "That hurts."
"Sorry," Charlie mumbled, pulling back a little. He focused on Don's chest. "I always stared at the T-shirt just peeking out the collar of your jersey. I always wanted to slip aside those big buttons…" He unbuttoned Don's jersey, tugging the tail out of his waistband. He ran his hands over the sweaty T-shirt underneath.
Charlie glanced at Don to see him smiling. Six months ago, Don would have been grumbling for him to hurry it up, but maybe he was learning to enjoy the buildup too.
Smiling himself, Charlie began to unbuckle Don's belt. He released the buckle and slid the belt out, loop by loop. He then unbuttoned and unzipped Don's pants, revealing black underwear underneath.
He pulled out Don's waistband and reached into the groin pouch to slide out the plastic cup. Don gave a relieved sigh as Charlie wiggled it out and tossed it aside. Charlie pushed Don's fly open wider and had to swallow a sudden rush of drool. Don was wearing a jock strap - which was just a groin pouch, an elastic waistband, and two strips of elastic going from the bottom of the groin pouch between his legs and up each hip. "I don't know if I could have survived if I'd known this is what you had underneath your pants."
With an almost ecstatic anticipation, Charlie pushed down Don's pants to his thighs and turned him around.
"Oh god…" Charlie said, taking in the vision of Don's ass framed by the straps, his asshole accessible.
Charlie leaned over and reverently pressed his lips to Don's ass. Don's skin was salty with sweat.
"Do you always wear a jock strap with your uniform?" Charlie murmured against Don's ass.
"Usually," Don said. "You like it?"
"Don't have the words…" Charlie replied, hoping his voice and lips were showing Don his appreciation.
Don gave a warm chuckle and Charlie knew the message had been received.
"Lean over the bed," Charlie said. Don did immediately and Charlie felt a pang of guilt that he'd been ordering Don instead of asking him.
But all higher thinking vanished as Don leaned over and his asshole came into view. Charlie shifted forward and licked that inviting pucker.
Then Charlie pushed Don farther forward and he was ravishing Don's asshole with his tongue and lips and even a little teeth.
Don gasped and tried to spread his legs wider but was hampered by the pants around his thighs.
For a long blissful moment, Charlie enjoyed the ass that had tantalized him for so many years and he still couldn't get enough of.
Finally, he pulled back and wiped his mouth. He and Don were both panting heavily.
Wobbly, Charlie got to his feet and staggered to the bathroom. He rinsed out his mouth and grabbed one of the bottles of lube that they had stashed all over the house.
Coming back into the bedroom, he had to pause to take in the vision of Don still bent over the bed, wearing his baseball shirt and cap, his pants around his thighs, his wet asshole framed by the black bands of his jock strap.
Charlie quickly lubed his fingers and begin to stretch Don's asshole. Don grunted in encouragement, but he didn't say anything more. Don continued to be passive in sex, though Charlie thought he was improving.
Charlie unzipped his own jeans and pulled out his cock. It was almost fully hard, though it hadn't been touched yet. Charlie rubbed it between Don's ass cheeks and soon it was ready for business.
He added lube to his cock then pressed the head against Don's ready asshole. He still felt very privileged that he got to do this, that Don wanted him to do this. He settled himself inside, took hold of the elastic straps and begin to work Don's ass the way they both liked it.
Don gave a low groan and gripped the mattress in front of him.
"So many times I fantasized about this," Charlie said, stroking smoothly and deeply. "Just like this, though I usually pictured it in the locker room."
Don tensed, and Charlie realized that was a stupid thing to say.
Trying to keep his voice light, Charlie said, "This is better though. And I'm going to think of this jock strap every time I see you at bat. I'm going to remember running my hands and my mouth over your whole uniform and I'll hope you've got an erection in your cup, thinking of me."
Don didn't reply but seemed to relax again.
Charlie sighed happily. "Best ass in a uniform ever. Best ass ever. You feel so much better than I ever imagined. All those hours watching you, wanting you. The smells and sights of baseball mixed all up in wanting you…"
He slowed down with his cock inside Don, leaned over, and reached around Don's hip. Charlie slid his hand into the pouch of Don's jock strap. His cock was ready for him and Charlie stroked it for a moment.
"Do you think--" Don started then stopped.
"Think what?" Charlie asked, removing his hand and trying to sound casual, as if Don spoke up during sex all the time.
"I was… Umm."
"Yes?"
"…never mind."
"No, no," Charlie said and reluctantly pulled out of Don. "What were you going to say?"
"Nothing, never mind."
Charlie shifted to the side and leaned over the bed until his face was next to Don's. "Do I do something wrong? Did I… hurt you?"
"Never," Don said with a dry chuckle. "I just had this weird… thing that you made me think of, when you were talking about baseball, and sex."
"Ooh," Charlie said eagerly. "You have an idea, a kinky baseball idea. I like it already."
Don eyed him then nodded. He straightened up, shuffled over to grab his gear bag, and slung it onto the bed. Reaching inside, he pulled out his long wooden baseball bat.
"Uhh…" Charlie said, a preposterous idea forming in his mind.
"Yeah," Don said, his face flushed. "I've wondered what it would be like…"
Charlie swallowed, then whispered, "You want me to fuck you with your bat?"
Don bit his lip and nodded.
"Now?"
Don's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously.
"Good." Charlie blew out a breath. "That is going to require serious training and prep. I've never even fisted a man before and this would be…"
Then the rest of his brain caught up with him. The image of Don on all fours, Charlie slowly pushing a bat into his ass burst like a firework behind his eyes.
"Hooohhh…" Charlie said. His heart was pounding, his cock was throbbing. "Whoa…"
Don gave him a questioning smile.
"Hell, yeah," Charlie panted. "That is so… Yes, we will do that."
"You don't think it's too…"
"It's definitely too." Charlie said, feeling a huge smile on his face. "I never thought anyone would be as kinky about baseball as I am."
Don looked relieved - and eager. "Good. And I think I'm going to enjoy the 'training.'"
"Yeah," Charlie said, then he suddenly felt uneasy. "I've got to be a toothpick next to what you really want."
"No," Don said firmly. "It's not like that, there's nothing like a… there's nothing like your cock."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, absolutely."
Charlie smiled in relief. "Good, because I don't want to give that up."
"Never. Right now?"
"Yeah," Charlie grinned. He started to put the baseball bat back in the gear bag. "Hey, you aren't wearing your cleats."
"Of course not. Should I take off my pants?"
"Yes! No, wait."
Don paused in pushing down his pants and raised his eyebrows.
Charlie was cheered by this sign of defiance, however small. A month ago, Don would have just stood there, awaiting instructions.
"Ok," Charlie said. "Take off all your clothes but your cap and socks, then put your jersey back on without the shirt underneath it, then put on your cleats. Then on your back."
"Mom was very clear about no cleats in the house," Don said with a chuckle, but returned to taking off his clothes.
Charlie dug the cleats out of the bag, set them on the bed, then moved the gear bag out of the way on the floor. He put the wooden bat back in the bag, eyeing it with anticipation. He was looking forward to working with Don until he could take that in his lovely ass. Charlie took off his clothes slowly, thinking about logistics. When he turned back to the bed, all thoughts fled at the vision there.
Don was laying on his back, his jersey open to his fine chest, his baseball cap over his dark hair. He had on his tall baseball socks and his cleats. His knees were up and to the side, exposing his waiting asshole. Don played in the infield, so the bottom of his cleats had sharp metal tabs that glinted in the light.
"Oh my god," Charlie said fervently.
Don grinned at Charlie's expression. Charlie hoped he wasn't actively drooling.
"We have got to get a bigger mirror in here," Charlie said hoarsely. "So you can see how beautiful you are. You are the maximal intersection of baseball and sex."
Don moved his knees wider in invitation. Charlie grabbed the lube bottle and relubed his cock. It was hard and pulsing in his hand. He added more lube to Don's ass, then climbed onto the bed, positioning himself in between those cleats. Charlie had to close his eyes and breathe as he was afraid that he was going to hyperventilate with arousal.
Opening his eyes again, Charlie fixed his gaze on Don's grinning face. By feel, Charlie pressed his cock into Don's asshole and leaned forward. He braced his hands on both sides of Don's chest and began to thrust slowly.
With every thrust, Charlie felt the heavy cleats waving in the air next to his back. He tried to make himself breathe smoothly, give this vision of baseball glory his due. However, Charlie's usual techniques for stamina weren't helping and he began to speed up, thrusting hard enough that the cleats bounced against his back.
"Ow," Charlie said, glad for the pain to bring him back from the edge. It would have been awful to end this so quickly.
"Sorry," Don said, "I'm trying to keep them steady."
"It's okay." Charlie straightened up and pulled out of Don. "I may not be ready to handle the cleats just yet."
Don gave a surprised chuckle.
Charlie stepped back so Don could lower his legs. "Maybe try them again some other day, when I'm more mentally prepared."
"Whatever you say, Chuck," Don said, sounding amused. He sat up and took off his cleats.
"Take off everything but your socks."
Don smiled and took off his cap and jersey as well. He then crawled onto the bed, his face down into the blanket and his ass in the air.
Charlie grimaced, knowing that Don couldn't see him. Charlie used to like that position with men, until he learned that it was the position Colby always demanded of Don.
Still, Don's ass was now glorious and accessible, and Charlie could see those familiar baseball socks. He climbed up onto the bed between Don's spread knees. Before anything else, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Don, breathing deep in the sweaty dirty grassy smell left behind by his jersey. Then he straightened up and pushed his cock back into Don's ass. Slowly, he began to move again.
This time Charlie was able to keep control.
He began his breathing-calculating technique and steadily fucked that perfect ass. Closing his eyes, he saw again Don in his baseball uniform, ready for his touch. Time faded as his world became only the thrust and the pleasure and the sound of Don's panting breath.
Some unknown period later, Charlie felt the trajectory of his orgasm began its inevitable rise.
Charlie tugged at Don's shoulders until Don moved up to his hands and knees. Charlie shifted and was now able to lay against Don's back, his body pressed in a curve around Don's. He rocked his pelvis, thrusting with all the smoothness he had left.
"You are so amazing," he murmured. "So wonderful." He didn't know if Don could hear him, but hoped his admiration sunk through Don's skin, bypassing his conscious mind and settling directly into his bones.
Charlie reached around Don's hip and took hold of his cock. It quickly hardened in his hand and soon he could tell that Don's trajectory was rising as well. Charlie begin to move again, adjusting himself minutely, trying to match their arcs together.
He almost felt the click as their trajectories joined. It was like when the math was flowing and building towards a golden inevitable answer.
They moved in perfect synchrony, pushing towards orgasm together, soft moans and grunts twining between them. Charlie wanted to both stay in this moment and race with Don towards the impending finale.
They reached the top together, flying, surging, launching. Don cried out something wordless, Charlie moaned fragments of Don's name. A long glorious apex then the slow glorious drop back towards earth.
Finally, they sank together to the bed, bodies still joined.
"Love you, love you," Charlie whispered into Don's skin. He throbbed with pleasure, and he wanted to exist forever in this space, merged in thought and body with Don, free of doubt and confusion.
He held onto Don as his mind and muscles turned soft and melty. He felt good from head to toe and out to his fingertips. No one had ever made him feel as good as Don did. He began to drift into a satisfied doze.
Don murmured, "Yeah… I got the right spot."
"Mmm?" Charlie managed.
"Where your face is resting against my back. You have a spot you like to go to afterwards."
"Iydoo?" Charlie wrangled a few brain cells into use and discovered that his cheek was laying against the gauze on Don's back.
"Shorrry," Charlie started to shift but Don put his hand on Charlie's leg to stop him.
"That's why I got the tattoo right there," Don said, squeezing Charlie's leg.
"Coolll," Charlie said, settling back against the gauze. Soon he'd be able to rest his cheek directly on Don's beautiful tattoo, the tattoo Don had gotten as a symbol of their relationship. Charlie smiled and snuggled closer.
Charlie had almost dozed off again when Don said, "I've never told anyone before."
"Wha?"
"I've never even hinted."
"About what?"
"That I wanted to… take a baseball bat."
Charlie blinked himself awake. "Been wanting to for a long time?"
Don paused, then said, "There were some guys, joking around in the locker room after a game. One of them said he'd heard about a guy that took a bat up the ass, called him 'a real bottom.' Then they both turned and looked at me."
Charlie shifted uneasily, wishing he could see Don's face.
After a moment, Don continued, "Don't know if they meant for me to bend over and take it right then. I was already walking out of the locker room, my ass on fire from being ridden hard, so I kept on going. I avoided being alone with them for a few weeks after that, and they never mentioned it again. Though I found myself thinking about how amazing it could be."
Charlie swallowed hard, angry all over again at Don's mistreatment in those locker rooms. Carefully, he asked, "Why didn't you want them to do it?"
Don shook his head. "I didn't trust them not to rip me up."
"And you trust me?"
Don shifted, moving out from underneath Charlie. He shuffled them both around until they were laying face to face. "Yeah, buddy. I trust you, more than anyone else in the world."
"Really?" Charlie felt a warm flush. "More than… Dad or Sandy or David and Liz?"
"Yes." Don leaned over and kissed him softly. "More than anyone, ever."
Charlie smiled and kissed him back. It wasn't love, but he'd take it.
Pulling back, Don watched his face. Charlie smiled harder to make sure there was no hint of sadness in his smile.
Don brushed Charlie's hair from his face. "I was thinking about why I didn't notice the less sex this week."
Charlie knew his smile slipped, but he couldn't help it. His stomach gave a light spasm.
Don said, "Maybe, maybe, I don't need it so much because I've got you."
Quietly, Charlie said, "You mean you know you can get sex whenever you want it from me."
Don grimaced. "Yes, no, I mean… It's true I used to spend a great deal of time and energy on making sure the next sex happened - being the perfect boyfriend to a girl or presenting myself the right way to a guy. And now I don't have to worry about that, since I know you are available and interested." He cupped Charlie's cheek. "But it's more than that. Sandy calls me a connection junkie and I am. I am addicted to, gotta have, connection. For me that's always meant sex. I have this killer sex drive and-Do you know why I never masturbate?"
"Umm," Charlie said. "Never?"
"Well, I've tried it, of course, and it feels good, I guess, but it doesn't do anything to take the edge off my need for sex."
With dawning understanding, Charlie said, "Because your sex drive is really a connection drive."
"Mm, mostly. I really really like sex, too."
"I can't complain."
"But," Don said, reaching out for Charlie's hand. "Waking up in bed with you, pressing my knee against yours while eating supper, when I'm sitting watching a game and you're working on something at the table across the room and we look up at each other at the same time. It's connection too, and I think it's…satisfying me some - not as much as sex does but more than anything else but sex ever has. So I don't notice it as much when there's less sex for a few days. I've done those things with other people before, you know, but they haven't counted until you."
Charlie forced a smile onto his face and bit down hard on what he wanted to say. Bursting out with 'But why don't you love me?' would definitely ruin the mood.
Don wasn't fooled. "What's wrong?"
Charlie managed a quick lie. "You know me, I don't do well when my logical conclusions fail." He frowned as he realized there was some truth in the statement. "How am I supposed to know if you…decide to look for connection elsewhere?"
Don gave him a sideways smile. "When you hear I'm dead."
"Don!" Charlie said. "Don't say that!"
"Sorry." Don reached out and pulled him close. "I don't know, Charlie. I don't know. I hope it will never happen. I know I'm untrustworthy so I'm not going to ask you to trust me."
Muffled against Don's shoulder, Charlie said, "I trust you."
"Do you?"
Charlie thought for a moment. "I guess I demonstrated today that I don't."
"Yeah."
"I think… I think that it's just going to take time, for both of us."
Don squeezed him. "I hope so."
"You are worthy of trust and worthy of love."
Don gave a sigh that Charlie only noticed because he was pressed against him. "Thanks, buddy."
They lay for a moment in silence. Charlie wracked his still-sex-addled brain for anything that could convince Don - and himself - that Don was redeemable.
A picture formed in his mind, a gamble. He didn't know if Don was ready, or would ever be ready, or if it would completely backfire. Don was working with Sandy now and Charlie probably shouldn't jeopardize his progress, but…
He was going to take it back to the beginning.