The Mechanics of Love, Part Four: Karl/Eric fic
Title: The Mechanics of Love, Part Four
Characters: Karl Urban/Eric Bana
Rating: NC-17 for this part
Beta: The always generous kitty_trio
Word Count: 2894 words this part
Disclaimer: Never happened; I make no money from this story
Summary: This is an AU set in NZ, with Eric aged about 25 and Karl about 21. They are both mechanics, working for a small outfit in West Auckland.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay - had meant to have this up earlier, but due to circumstances beyond my control, blah blah, blah… anyway, here it is now.
Dedication: Continuing this one for lookingglassf1, who always wants more E/K. *smooches*
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
As soon as Eric got Karl in his room and the door shut, he found himself pushed up hard against the door and a tongue shoved forcefully into his mouth. Surprised, but unresisting, he kissed Karl back. After a few minutes, they both drew away, panting, although Karl didn’t lose contact with his body and Eric could feel his need clearly enough.
“Keen, huh?” Eric managed.
Karl didn’t answer in words, but he smirked knowingly and attacked Eric’s mouth again. Eric wasn’t complaining though, and pulled Karl closer; his hands digging into the back of Karl’s jeans and seeking the heated skin there.
The kiss was wet and sloppy, teeth clashing occasionally, but the needy strength of it was all Eric wanted. Well, that and to get inside Karl’s pants. Pushing the other man backwards after savouring the inside of his mouth a little longer, Eric angled Karl towards his bed, smiling into dancing hazel eyes when the back of Karl’s legs finally hit the bed and he sprawled backwards onto it.
Eric followed him far enough to attack his belt buckle and drag the zip down on Karl’s jeans. Heat radiated outward from the man’s groin, and Eric’s fingers hovered over it as he pushed up Karl’s t-shirt with his other hand. Knowing he was teasing, he moved the fingers away before he touched properly, and used both hands to rid Karl of his shirt.
Karl’s muscled, slightly hairy chest was more incredible than he’d imagined; well-defined, and the torso sloped deliciously from shoulder down to slim waist. Unable to help himself, Eric dropped down and licked across one hard nipple and then shifted downward and kissed at his treasure trail. Karl let out a tiny moan at the action, and Eric did it again, finding the man's hips with warm hands at the same time and beginning to push Karl’s pants downward.
Karl dug into the bed, lifting his hips enough to help the trouser removal, and hissed as Eric’s lips moved lower.
“Beautiful,” Eric murmured, his lips still touching the rippling muscles. "You have no idea…"
"…how long you've wanted this?" Karl finished, his voice breathy.
"Yeah," Eric agreed, smiling up at him.
Finally, all of Karl's clothes were off, and Eric stood to remove his own, toeing his boots off as he stripped his upper half. God! It was amazing to have this man spread out under him like this when he'd tried so hard for so long not to think about him naked. Getting his pants out of the way quickly, Eric let his lip quirk up at one side as Karl's expressive dark eyes strayed over his form.
"C'mere," was all Karl said, but it was enough.
Eric covered Karl, pressing his hardness into him and seeking the inside of Karl's mouth once more. He couldn't get enough, and the heat generated between them had him wondering if it was possible to come just like this. Ripping his mouth away eventually, Eric groaned; he didn't want to lose it that quickly. He'd waited long enough, and it needed to be more than just a mutual wank.
"What d'you like?" he asked, shifting to kiss at Karl's neck.
"Uh… oh God, do that again!" Karl growled, bucking under him.
"This?" Eric asked, mock-innocently, and found the same spot under Karl's ear. He kissed it and then worried at it with teeth and tongue, grinning against the skin when Karl writhed more.
"Shit… how'd you know so quickly? Fuck, I'm gonna lose it if we don't…" Karl's voice disappeared in a groan, and then he was pushing at Eric, managing to flip him onto his back as he sought a similar place on Eric.
His mouth moved all over Eric's neck and face, and then, since he seemed unable to elicit quite the response he wanted, he moved lower, licking towards Eric's nipple as he turned a deeply erotic look back up to Eric's face.
The sensation was incredible, and Eric could feel the goose bumps rising as Karl's mouth neared his nipple. His cock throbbed, and he wasn't sure what was more exciting, the touches to his body or the expression in Karl's eyes. It felt too good to let him stop. Karl swirled his tongue around Eric's nipple and then flicked it across the nub, and Eric let out a breathy sigh.
Karl smirked, then shifted across to Eric's other nipple, before slowly lowering himself down Eric's chest, placing tiny kisses every couple of inches. His smoldering eyes held Eric's the whole way, and Eric felt taut with anticipation.
Lifting himself at the last minute, Karl adjusted himself between Eric's legs, and then…Oh God! His lips gently surrounded the burning head of Eric's cock and his tongue swept damply over the tip. Karl shifted again, smiling at Eric, who almost couldn't breathe. He'd been hoping for this for so long, but the reality was so much better than all his imagination could conjure up. Karl went back, his mouth slipping further over Eric's length, and it was all Eric could do not to thrust into the perfect warmth of Karl's wet mouth.
In the end, he barely needed to; Karl evidently knew what he was doing, and while he wasn't in any hurry, it surely wasn't going to take too long at this rate. Eric plucked at his hair, warning him when he was close, and for a moment he thought Karl was going to draw off, and he held himself back, unwilling to put his new lover off. But it seemed Karl wanted to taste, as he simply drew back enough to let Eric's come fill his mouth when it happened, raising his eyebrows in assent when Eric started scrabbling. It was too late by then, in any case, and Eric gave in to the overwhelming feeling, jerking hard as Karl licked and sucked at his spurting cock.
"Fuck!" was all Eric managed as his heart threatened to escape his chest, and flopped back hard against the bed.
Karl clambered up and lay on his side next to Eric, grinning down at him and stroking a comforting hand across Eric's broad chest.
"You taste like…" Karl screwed up his eyes as if thinking, licking around the inside of his mouth and lips, his pink tongue just poking out. "Like… garlic, but in a good way," he decided, grinning broadly once more.
"That'd be the garlic sausages I had for tea last night," Eric managed, his voice still hoarse.
He offered Karl a tired smile, but when Karl leaned over to kiss him, he put a couple of fingers to the other man's lips and shook his head. "I ate them last night. I'd rather check out what you taste like, ya know? My turn now."
Pushing Karl backwards, Eric rose over him, glancing down to where Karl's still hard prick stood up between them. It bobbed as if aware of the scrutiny, and Eric sent a heated look at Karl's face before backing slowly down the bed. Once he reached Karl's groin, he sat back on his heels over his friend's thighs and stroked his fingertips through the curling hairs at the base of Karl's cock.
"Jesus, Eric…" Karl whined, reaching his hands upwards.
"Uh-uh," Eric shook his head. "I want to savour this moment. It's not often I get to check under the hood of such a magnificent specimen." He tried to keep a straight face, but it was impossible not to let at least part of a grin surface.
It was a magnificent specimen, Eric had to admit. It was hard not to compare, and its size wasn't that different from his. He'd never had any complaints anyway, and he doubted Karl would either. But Karl was getting restless, and Eric wasn't sure he was ready to be turned over and shoved into unceremoniously, so he finally wrapped a hand around the monster, making Karl gasp.
"Oh, he likes that," Eric teased, stroking unevenly.
"Oh yeah," Karl said breathily.
Eric's smile increased at the way Karl's stomach muscles moved when he was turned on, and he shimmied back a bit so he could lean down over the heated erection he was still caressing with less intensity than Karl probably wanted, going by the way he was reacting. Eric breathed on the silky head, and at Karl's whimper, licked across it. Karl whimpered again, so Eric took pity on him, keeping hold around its base and enveloping the whole head inside his damp mouth.
It was slightly salty, but not unpleasant, and Eric suckled lightly as he turned his eyes up to watch every reaction on Karl's face. Karl had stuffed a pillow under his head so it was raised enough to see what Eric was doing.
Eager little hip movements and desperation in Karl's eyes drove Eric on. Taking the hot length in as far as he could before it got to the gagging stage, he pressed his tongue hard against the underside, sucking firmly as he drew back again. Letting his tongue tickle around the ridges surrounding the head, he let his saliva build up, and then suckled delicately at what he'd learned was the frenulum, just underneath the head. It was very sensitive there and he knew how crazy he went when he was sucked like that.
Karl didn't disappoint him as he began to writhe and beg. "Please, please? Shit, Eric, please?"
Eric moved his mouth off for a moment, offering Karl an evil smile before he went back to licking across the smooth glans. While Karl was distracted with that, Eric let some saliva trickle out of his mouth onto his fingers, and as he surrounded Karl's cock with his lips, his fingers slid wetly down Karl's crease.
"Holy Fuck!" Karl let out as Eric's mouth moved more firmly over his erection and simultaneously his damp finger breached Karl's asshole.
Christ! It was hot and tight, and Eric imagined how it would feel with his cock in there. He stroked in and out with the one finger as his mouth got more insistent, and Karl's hips rocked under him.
"Holy fucking Jesus Christ," Karl mumbled, his fingers tightening in the bedding, and then with a hard jerk, emptied himself down Eric's throat.
Eric kept moving the finger, seeking the sweet spot to give Karl one last pulse of deliciousness as he licked and sucked his way off the diminishing cock. Karl's internal muscles squeezed rhythmically on Eric's finger and he groaned at the thought of that action on his cock. A burst of need spread warmly around his belly, and he decided it probably wouldn't be long before he was ready to go again. He just hoped Karl would go for more than just the finger next time.
As Karl shifted, Eric's finger slid out, and he reached for some tissues to wipe away the dampness still there. Flicking the wad at the bin after, he climbed back up Karl and offered him a hard kiss. "That was good."
"No fucking kidding," Karl breathed, eyes shut and smirk wide.
Karl's eyes fluttered open and Eric couldn't help but admire his long lashes and wonderfully dilated dark eyes. He still couldn't decide if they were green or brown. Shades of both swirled inside, and a kind of wonder in their expression made Eric ask, "What?"
"That thing with the finger; fuck, that was something else. I…" Karl blushed, biting at his lip and flicking his eyes away from Eric's curious gaze. "I never did that before."
"Really?" Eric wondered. He hadn't flinched when Eric had tried it, but then… having your cock sucked was a bit distracting. "You liked it though? You mean you never… not ever?"
"Yeah, it was…" Karl was still pink, but he turned back to meet Eric's eyes at last, "pretty darned good. And no, I never did. I've never…" he waved a hand, his blush deepening again.
Eric wrinkled his brow, trying to work it out. Karl came across as pretty confident, and he'd obviously been to bed with guys before; he couldn't mean that. But he was only twenty-one; perhaps his experience was limited. "You mean you've never gone all the way? What have you done? I mean… I'm not trying to embarrass you; we all started somewhere. It's no biggie, Karl."
"Uh… you know: hands, blow jobs; that's pretty much it." Karl still looked embarrassed, but at least he wasn't looking away now.
"You come across like someone who knows it all," Eric smirked, "but I'm kinda glad you don't."
"Why's that?" Karl asked, his blush receding now.
"Because I'm tired of guys who are all technique and no bloody personality. Not that I ever thought you didn't have personality," he said, his face serious. "Stay here tonight?"
Karl looked at him as they lay there, like he wasn't sure what Eric meant by any of it. Eric didn't speak, his heart thumping, waiting to see what Karl would say. He didn't normally invite guys to stay on the rare occasions when he did bring them home, and most were long gone before morning.
This time, it didn't seem to matter that Craig and Carmen might be about when they got up, and Eric hoped he wasn't making a mistake.
"Okay," Karl finally agreed, then added with a grin, "but I'm not sleeping in the wet spot!"
Eric laughed. There wasn't a wet spot; swallowing had taken care of that, but it broke the seriousness that seemed to be encircling them. It was too soon to be talking serious.
Pulling at the blankets, they managed to get in without leaving the bed, and Eric lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as Karl wriggled around like he was getting comfortable.
"What's up there that's better than in here?" Karl asked, and Eric turned his head, offering a slow smile.
"Just wondering if you're a cuddler," Eric teased.
"Just getting settled," Karl shrugged, wriggling more and only ending up closer.
Eric tried to stifle his smile at that, and turned towards him.
Kissing Karl softly, Eric drew him against his still-tingling body. It felt amazing to be able to touch like this, and the warmth of Karl's steady heartbeat against his own was the most comforting thing he'd felt since he arrived in New Zealand. He reached a long arm out to flick off the lamp, and then tightened his arms around Karl.
"Thanks," Karl murmured, lips tickling the hairs on Eric's neck, "This is good. That was good; really good. I haven't felt so relaxed in ages."
"Me neither," Eric said, "I enjoyed it too. Feels like forever since it was that good."
"You regularly go around having bad sex?"
Eric huffed in the darkness and kissed at Karl's forehead, which was the closest part of him to Eric's lips. Karl sighed softly.
"No, just haven't done it much recently, and it's usually not someone I know as well as you."
"You're into casual sex?" Karl's voice sounded tight and he stiffened in Eric's arms. "Should we have used condoms? I shouldn't have swallowed, should I?"
Eric reached to turn the lights on again as Karl shifted away from him. He made sure Karl met his eyes as he put as much honesty into them as he could.
"Karl… I… Look, it's not like that. I don't do it very often; maybe every few…" he hesitated to say exactly how often and decided 'weeks' and exactly how many other guys was probably a bit much for Karl to take right now, "…months or so, but… I'm careful; really careful. My last experience with someone I knew was… shit, it wasn't even sex. The rest of it just… it didn't work out and I didn't feel inclined to go through all that shit again. But I've only been with a few guys; it's not like I pick them up every other day."
"Oh," Karl nodded, "Okay. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that." He bowed his head and picked at something on the bedding. "It's just… I only ever… I've never done it with a stranger."
"And that's a good thing, Karl," Eric tried to reassure him, "I probably wouldn't have either if there was an easy way to meet guys and not be ridiculed or abused for my sexuality. It's just not been easy, you know?"
"Yeah; tell me about it." Karl sounded very bitter, and it made Eric feel annoyed that Karl had had to put up with so much shit from his family and friends for being who he was.
"I'm sorry, Karl. If I'd known about you… ah shit, who knows? Let's just… see where this goes, eh?" He scrubbed a hand through his hair and frowned at Karl. It shouldn't have to be this hard; life was so damned unfair!
"Yeah, you're right." Karl let a small smile surface. "I'm just jealous 'cause you've actually had more than one experience before. Uh…" he blushed again, his eyes widening, realizing what he'd just given away. "Fuck, I'm such a stupid wanker."
"No, you're not," Eric said, settling lower in the bed and indicating Karl should move closer again. "At least, not all the time."
They both laughed, and Eric turned the light off. It didn't seem all that difficult to move into each other's arms again, despite the brief exchange. They didn't say anything else, and the soft kisses and gentle caresses they exchanged then seemed to reaffirm that this was right.
Sleep wasn't long in following.
~//~//~
Part Five
Last Minute Airfare
Characters: Karl Urban/Eric Bana
Rating: NC-17 for this part
Beta: The always generous kitty_trio
Word Count: 2894 words this part
Disclaimer: Never happened; I make no money from this story
Summary: This is an AU set in NZ, with Eric aged about 25 and Karl about 21. They are both mechanics, working for a small outfit in West Auckland.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay - had meant to have this up earlier, but due to circumstances beyond my control, blah blah, blah… anyway, here it is now.
Dedication: Continuing this one for lookingglassf1, who always wants more E/K. *smooches*
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
As soon as Eric got Karl in his room and the door shut, he found himself pushed up hard against the door and a tongue shoved forcefully into his mouth. Surprised, but unresisting, he kissed Karl back. After a few minutes, they both drew away, panting, although Karl didn’t lose contact with his body and Eric could feel his need clearly enough.
“Keen, huh?” Eric managed.
Karl didn’t answer in words, but he smirked knowingly and attacked Eric’s mouth again. Eric wasn’t complaining though, and pulled Karl closer; his hands digging into the back of Karl’s jeans and seeking the heated skin there.
The kiss was wet and sloppy, teeth clashing occasionally, but the needy strength of it was all Eric wanted. Well, that and to get inside Karl’s pants. Pushing the other man backwards after savouring the inside of his mouth a little longer, Eric angled Karl towards his bed, smiling into dancing hazel eyes when the back of Karl’s legs finally hit the bed and he sprawled backwards onto it.
Eric followed him far enough to attack his belt buckle and drag the zip down on Karl’s jeans. Heat radiated outward from the man’s groin, and Eric’s fingers hovered over it as he pushed up Karl’s t-shirt with his other hand. Knowing he was teasing, he moved the fingers away before he touched properly, and used both hands to rid Karl of his shirt.
Karl’s muscled, slightly hairy chest was more incredible than he’d imagined; well-defined, and the torso sloped deliciously from shoulder down to slim waist. Unable to help himself, Eric dropped down and licked across one hard nipple and then shifted downward and kissed at his treasure trail. Karl let out a tiny moan at the action, and Eric did it again, finding the man's hips with warm hands at the same time and beginning to push Karl’s pants downward.
Karl dug into the bed, lifting his hips enough to help the trouser removal, and hissed as Eric’s lips moved lower.
“Beautiful,” Eric murmured, his lips still touching the rippling muscles. "You have no idea…"
"…how long you've wanted this?" Karl finished, his voice breathy.
"Yeah," Eric agreed, smiling up at him.
Finally, all of Karl's clothes were off, and Eric stood to remove his own, toeing his boots off as he stripped his upper half. God! It was amazing to have this man spread out under him like this when he'd tried so hard for so long not to think about him naked. Getting his pants out of the way quickly, Eric let his lip quirk up at one side as Karl's expressive dark eyes strayed over his form.
"C'mere," was all Karl said, but it was enough.
Eric covered Karl, pressing his hardness into him and seeking the inside of Karl's mouth once more. He couldn't get enough, and the heat generated between them had him wondering if it was possible to come just like this. Ripping his mouth away eventually, Eric groaned; he didn't want to lose it that quickly. He'd waited long enough, and it needed to be more than just a mutual wank.
"What d'you like?" he asked, shifting to kiss at Karl's neck.
"Uh… oh God, do that again!" Karl growled, bucking under him.
"This?" Eric asked, mock-innocently, and found the same spot under Karl's ear. He kissed it and then worried at it with teeth and tongue, grinning against the skin when Karl writhed more.
"Shit… how'd you know so quickly? Fuck, I'm gonna lose it if we don't…" Karl's voice disappeared in a groan, and then he was pushing at Eric, managing to flip him onto his back as he sought a similar place on Eric.
His mouth moved all over Eric's neck and face, and then, since he seemed unable to elicit quite the response he wanted, he moved lower, licking towards Eric's nipple as he turned a deeply erotic look back up to Eric's face.
The sensation was incredible, and Eric could feel the goose bumps rising as Karl's mouth neared his nipple. His cock throbbed, and he wasn't sure what was more exciting, the touches to his body or the expression in Karl's eyes. It felt too good to let him stop. Karl swirled his tongue around Eric's nipple and then flicked it across the nub, and Eric let out a breathy sigh.
Karl smirked, then shifted across to Eric's other nipple, before slowly lowering himself down Eric's chest, placing tiny kisses every couple of inches. His smoldering eyes held Eric's the whole way, and Eric felt taut with anticipation.
Lifting himself at the last minute, Karl adjusted himself between Eric's legs, and then…Oh God! His lips gently surrounded the burning head of Eric's cock and his tongue swept damply over the tip. Karl shifted again, smiling at Eric, who almost couldn't breathe. He'd been hoping for this for so long, but the reality was so much better than all his imagination could conjure up. Karl went back, his mouth slipping further over Eric's length, and it was all Eric could do not to thrust into the perfect warmth of Karl's wet mouth.
In the end, he barely needed to; Karl evidently knew what he was doing, and while he wasn't in any hurry, it surely wasn't going to take too long at this rate. Eric plucked at his hair, warning him when he was close, and for a moment he thought Karl was going to draw off, and he held himself back, unwilling to put his new lover off. But it seemed Karl wanted to taste, as he simply drew back enough to let Eric's come fill his mouth when it happened, raising his eyebrows in assent when Eric started scrabbling. It was too late by then, in any case, and Eric gave in to the overwhelming feeling, jerking hard as Karl licked and sucked at his spurting cock.
"Fuck!" was all Eric managed as his heart threatened to escape his chest, and flopped back hard against the bed.
Karl clambered up and lay on his side next to Eric, grinning down at him and stroking a comforting hand across Eric's broad chest.
"You taste like…" Karl screwed up his eyes as if thinking, licking around the inside of his mouth and lips, his pink tongue just poking out. "Like… garlic, but in a good way," he decided, grinning broadly once more.
"That'd be the garlic sausages I had for tea last night," Eric managed, his voice still hoarse.
He offered Karl a tired smile, but when Karl leaned over to kiss him, he put a couple of fingers to the other man's lips and shook his head. "I ate them last night. I'd rather check out what you taste like, ya know? My turn now."
Pushing Karl backwards, Eric rose over him, glancing down to where Karl's still hard prick stood up between them. It bobbed as if aware of the scrutiny, and Eric sent a heated look at Karl's face before backing slowly down the bed. Once he reached Karl's groin, he sat back on his heels over his friend's thighs and stroked his fingertips through the curling hairs at the base of Karl's cock.
"Jesus, Eric…" Karl whined, reaching his hands upwards.
"Uh-uh," Eric shook his head. "I want to savour this moment. It's not often I get to check under the hood of such a magnificent specimen." He tried to keep a straight face, but it was impossible not to let at least part of a grin surface.
It was a magnificent specimen, Eric had to admit. It was hard not to compare, and its size wasn't that different from his. He'd never had any complaints anyway, and he doubted Karl would either. But Karl was getting restless, and Eric wasn't sure he was ready to be turned over and shoved into unceremoniously, so he finally wrapped a hand around the monster, making Karl gasp.
"Oh, he likes that," Eric teased, stroking unevenly.
"Oh yeah," Karl said breathily.
Eric's smile increased at the way Karl's stomach muscles moved when he was turned on, and he shimmied back a bit so he could lean down over the heated erection he was still caressing with less intensity than Karl probably wanted, going by the way he was reacting. Eric breathed on the silky head, and at Karl's whimper, licked across it. Karl whimpered again, so Eric took pity on him, keeping hold around its base and enveloping the whole head inside his damp mouth.
It was slightly salty, but not unpleasant, and Eric suckled lightly as he turned his eyes up to watch every reaction on Karl's face. Karl had stuffed a pillow under his head so it was raised enough to see what Eric was doing.
Eager little hip movements and desperation in Karl's eyes drove Eric on. Taking the hot length in as far as he could before it got to the gagging stage, he pressed his tongue hard against the underside, sucking firmly as he drew back again. Letting his tongue tickle around the ridges surrounding the head, he let his saliva build up, and then suckled delicately at what he'd learned was the frenulum, just underneath the head. It was very sensitive there and he knew how crazy he went when he was sucked like that.
Karl didn't disappoint him as he began to writhe and beg. "Please, please? Shit, Eric, please?"
Eric moved his mouth off for a moment, offering Karl an evil smile before he went back to licking across the smooth glans. While Karl was distracted with that, Eric let some saliva trickle out of his mouth onto his fingers, and as he surrounded Karl's cock with his lips, his fingers slid wetly down Karl's crease.
"Holy Fuck!" Karl let out as Eric's mouth moved more firmly over his erection and simultaneously his damp finger breached Karl's asshole.
Christ! It was hot and tight, and Eric imagined how it would feel with his cock in there. He stroked in and out with the one finger as his mouth got more insistent, and Karl's hips rocked under him.
"Holy fucking Jesus Christ," Karl mumbled, his fingers tightening in the bedding, and then with a hard jerk, emptied himself down Eric's throat.
Eric kept moving the finger, seeking the sweet spot to give Karl one last pulse of deliciousness as he licked and sucked his way off the diminishing cock. Karl's internal muscles squeezed rhythmically on Eric's finger and he groaned at the thought of that action on his cock. A burst of need spread warmly around his belly, and he decided it probably wouldn't be long before he was ready to go again. He just hoped Karl would go for more than just the finger next time.
As Karl shifted, Eric's finger slid out, and he reached for some tissues to wipe away the dampness still there. Flicking the wad at the bin after, he climbed back up Karl and offered him a hard kiss. "That was good."
"No fucking kidding," Karl breathed, eyes shut and smirk wide.
Karl's eyes fluttered open and Eric couldn't help but admire his long lashes and wonderfully dilated dark eyes. He still couldn't decide if they were green or brown. Shades of both swirled inside, and a kind of wonder in their expression made Eric ask, "What?"
"That thing with the finger; fuck, that was something else. I…" Karl blushed, biting at his lip and flicking his eyes away from Eric's curious gaze. "I never did that before."
"Really?" Eric wondered. He hadn't flinched when Eric had tried it, but then… having your cock sucked was a bit distracting. "You liked it though? You mean you never… not ever?"
"Yeah, it was…" Karl was still pink, but he turned back to meet Eric's eyes at last, "pretty darned good. And no, I never did. I've never…" he waved a hand, his blush deepening again.
Eric wrinkled his brow, trying to work it out. Karl came across as pretty confident, and he'd obviously been to bed with guys before; he couldn't mean that. But he was only twenty-one; perhaps his experience was limited. "You mean you've never gone all the way? What have you done? I mean… I'm not trying to embarrass you; we all started somewhere. It's no biggie, Karl."
"Uh… you know: hands, blow jobs; that's pretty much it." Karl still looked embarrassed, but at least he wasn't looking away now.
"You come across like someone who knows it all," Eric smirked, "but I'm kinda glad you don't."
"Why's that?" Karl asked, his blush receding now.
"Because I'm tired of guys who are all technique and no bloody personality. Not that I ever thought you didn't have personality," he said, his face serious. "Stay here tonight?"
Karl looked at him as they lay there, like he wasn't sure what Eric meant by any of it. Eric didn't speak, his heart thumping, waiting to see what Karl would say. He didn't normally invite guys to stay on the rare occasions when he did bring them home, and most were long gone before morning.
This time, it didn't seem to matter that Craig and Carmen might be about when they got up, and Eric hoped he wasn't making a mistake.
"Okay," Karl finally agreed, then added with a grin, "but I'm not sleeping in the wet spot!"
Eric laughed. There wasn't a wet spot; swallowing had taken care of that, but it broke the seriousness that seemed to be encircling them. It was too soon to be talking serious.
Pulling at the blankets, they managed to get in without leaving the bed, and Eric lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as Karl wriggled around like he was getting comfortable.
"What's up there that's better than in here?" Karl asked, and Eric turned his head, offering a slow smile.
"Just wondering if you're a cuddler," Eric teased.
"Just getting settled," Karl shrugged, wriggling more and only ending up closer.
Eric tried to stifle his smile at that, and turned towards him.
Kissing Karl softly, Eric drew him against his still-tingling body. It felt amazing to be able to touch like this, and the warmth of Karl's steady heartbeat against his own was the most comforting thing he'd felt since he arrived in New Zealand. He reached a long arm out to flick off the lamp, and then tightened his arms around Karl.
"Thanks," Karl murmured, lips tickling the hairs on Eric's neck, "This is good. That was good; really good. I haven't felt so relaxed in ages."
"Me neither," Eric said, "I enjoyed it too. Feels like forever since it was that good."
"You regularly go around having bad sex?"
Eric huffed in the darkness and kissed at Karl's forehead, which was the closest part of him to Eric's lips. Karl sighed softly.
"No, just haven't done it much recently, and it's usually not someone I know as well as you."
"You're into casual sex?" Karl's voice sounded tight and he stiffened in Eric's arms. "Should we have used condoms? I shouldn't have swallowed, should I?"
Eric reached to turn the lights on again as Karl shifted away from him. He made sure Karl met his eyes as he put as much honesty into them as he could.
"Karl… I… Look, it's not like that. I don't do it very often; maybe every few…" he hesitated to say exactly how often and decided 'weeks' and exactly how many other guys was probably a bit much for Karl to take right now, "…months or so, but… I'm careful; really careful. My last experience with someone I knew was… shit, it wasn't even sex. The rest of it just… it didn't work out and I didn't feel inclined to go through all that shit again. But I've only been with a few guys; it's not like I pick them up every other day."
"Oh," Karl nodded, "Okay. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that." He bowed his head and picked at something on the bedding. "It's just… I only ever… I've never done it with a stranger."
"And that's a good thing, Karl," Eric tried to reassure him, "I probably wouldn't have either if there was an easy way to meet guys and not be ridiculed or abused for my sexuality. It's just not been easy, you know?"
"Yeah; tell me about it." Karl sounded very bitter, and it made Eric feel annoyed that Karl had had to put up with so much shit from his family and friends for being who he was.
"I'm sorry, Karl. If I'd known about you… ah shit, who knows? Let's just… see where this goes, eh?" He scrubbed a hand through his hair and frowned at Karl. It shouldn't have to be this hard; life was so damned unfair!
"Yeah, you're right." Karl let a small smile surface. "I'm just jealous 'cause you've actually had more than one experience before. Uh…" he blushed again, his eyes widening, realizing what he'd just given away. "Fuck, I'm such a stupid wanker."
"No, you're not," Eric said, settling lower in the bed and indicating Karl should move closer again. "At least, not all the time."
They both laughed, and Eric turned the light off. It didn't seem all that difficult to move into each other's arms again, despite the brief exchange. They didn't say anything else, and the soft kisses and gentle caresses they exchanged then seemed to reaffirm that this was right.
Sleep wasn't long in following.
~//~//~
Part Five
Last Minute Airfare