Ch20. UniformedBoyz
Title: The Masquerade Series X2 - #20 "UniformedBoyz"
Authors: catlover2x and fred_bear aka jennybel75
Chapter: 20 of many.
Rating: NC17
Pairings: Nick/ Greg
Disclaimers: We don't own them, it'd be nice if we did - we really wouldn't get any sleep then!
Summary: Everyone loves a man in Uniform! Some H/C.
This is a series of Role Plays and Fantasies between the boys. Each will have two parts, 1 for Greg and 1 for Nick, their fantasy being fulfilled by the other. There will be as many parts as we have ideas for. Enjoy!
A/N: Just to let ya'll know we're still having much fun with this, we love each other and have pledged never to date a man born on 9/11 again!
Part A: Nick
The part he hadn’t liked about being a cop was the chain of command. Nick had always had a little problem with authority, maybe because of his relationship with his father. Whatever. Now that he was a P.I. though, he thought he had the best of both worlds; the opportunity to work on his own, and being hired by the police department when they needed an extra set of eyes.
So even though he was an agency guy, tonight he was working undercover for the cops. He understood; you could only work vice so long before you were recognized. They needed a guy, he was available, so blam, here he was, walking through the door of the hottest gay club in Vegas, Nexxus.
He kept his own sexuality tightly under wraps, but he had been here before and was familiar with the dance floor, the bathrooms and the seedy back hall, where people met to fuck and suck or be fucked or sucked. Usually the hall leading to the bathroom was lined with twinks, looking for someone to get off with. The dance floor was crowded and a long bar wrapped sinuously around the walls, providing another meeting place for the young and desperate.
Nick had never picked anyone up here; there was a sinister undercurrent to the club that kept him wary and on edge. He’d come here to dance, to have a drink and relax in the company of other gay people, but he’d never hooked up. Never would.
Tonight, he was wearing a tight red t-shirt tucked into tight black jeans over black cowboy boots and his black leather jacket. He knew the cops would have other undercover officers there tonight, but he was the lure. It was his job to make himself irresistible to the predators.
He’d been given instructions on how to act and what to say tonight in order to get the attention of the right people. He wasn’t wired; that alone made him just a little bit more alert, although it was entirely possible that he might spend the whole night there and not see or hear anything. He got a beer and stood to survey the crowd dancing, flirting, slipping away to the back hall.
There was a second-story loft, open but with curtained booths, and although there was plenty of activity up there, Nick didn’t sense that there was anything criminal going on. Just to be sure, he went up the stairs and prowled around, but other than some indecent exposure and public sex, it just didn’t have the right feel. After being a cop for years, one got a sense of these things. No, the heartbeat of evil was downstairs.
Nick leaned up against the end of the bar and watched, nursing his beer.
“Not finding what you want?”
Nick turned and found one of the bartenders was speaking to him.
“Why do you ask?” he asked with a charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Not all the merchandise is on display out here,” the bartender suggested.
“What’s available?”
“What do you want?”
“Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll?” Nick asked. “Just make a request and my order is filled?”
“Maybe not the music,” the bartender replied with a smile. “But if you can pay, you can get pretty much whatever else you want.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nick smiled and turned his back, his face impassive but his mind racing. He wasn’t quite sure why this guy had just dangled this offer in front of him but he decided that if he jumped at the offer, he would look too eager. He finished his beer and wandered off, patrolling the back hall and the bathroom.
He found more indecent exposure and exhibitionism, but nothing out of the ordinary for a club that catered to gay men. Underneath it all, however, he knew there was something elusive that he did not have the key to. It was almost like catching a movement with your peripheral vision, but when you turn your head it’s no longer there. After a frustrating evening, he went home.
The next day he talked at length with his contact in the police department. He got the green light to go back to club, with back up. The detective he was working with said the back up would be where he least expected it. Nick wasn’t totally comfortable with that; how would he signal for help if he didn’t know who he was signalling to?
Nick searched the bar for the man who’d waited on him the night before and went over to him, ordering a beer. He turned his back again, watching the crowd.
“You’re back.”
Nick half turned and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Didn’t find what you wanted yesterday?”
“Not exactly.”
“Talk to me, my man, tell me what you want.”
Nick laughed. “Why, you got a wire under there?”
The man looked hurt but laughed when he saw Nick wasn’t buying it. “Nah, man, I’m just the scout. You interested, I get you in for a little fee.”
Nick smiled at him and hid a folded bill in his hand. “What’s the secret password?”
“Shit, man, no password. Just go down that hall, past the bathroom, unmarked door at the end. Two knocks. Tell them Stephen sent you.”
Nick nodded and passed the bill over. He lingered until he finished his beer and set the empty mug on the bar. He walked down the hall, looking over the twinks gathered there. There were one or two that were kind of cute, but their air of desperation was off putting.
He knocked twice on the unmarked door. He had the feeling he was being observed, but didn’t see a peephole. Probably a more high-tech method of surveillance, he mused. When the door opened, the room was dark, he could see nothing but slipped inside anyway, hoping that someone on his team knew where he was.
He heard the click of the lock and the lights came on. Two men sat at the desk, one dark and one fair, and a larger, bulky man, obviously the muscle. The men behind the desk looked like professional men, managers of a successful club.
Nick smiled and waited.
“So you’re looking for something different.”
“Maybe.”
“Pretty cagey.”
“So are you.”
“Well, first before we show you the menu, we have to find out if you’re a cop.”
Nick gave a sarcastic snort. “Right.”
“Well, are you?”
“If I were, would I tell you?”
“Most of the customers lie, so we have a little litmus test.” The blonde nodded to the ’roid muncher. “Grab a twink out of the back hall.”
Nick must have looked surprised because the two men smirked at him but didn’t explain. The door opened and a slender young man was shoved into the room by the muscle. The young man had streaked, spiky hair and his dark eyes were surrounded by smudged black eyeliner. He was wearing a mesh shirt that revealed his smooth chest hanging loose over black leather pants. One of his nipples was pierced with a bar, visible through the shirt.
Nick was shocked; it was Greg something or other. He knew the guy, he was a cop and a good one. Either he was gay or he was part of the backup team; Nick was voting back up.
Bored, the blonde man leaned back in his chair and pointed at the ground, ordering the twink, “Suck him off!”
Nick started backing away. The blonde said, “Un uh, no blow job, no business.”
The darker man chimed in, “Vice can’t do shit like this. It’s our litmus test.”
Nick met Greg’s eyes; the young cop looked a bit shell shocked, but he dropped to his knees immediately, his hands going to Nick’s zipper. Nick caught his hands before they touched him.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
Greg pouted up at Nick. The older man was the only one who could see that his eyes were sending an urgent message. “What’s the matter, stud? Don’t you like me? My feelings will be hurt if you don’t want a suck.”
“I mean it-” Nick began.
“Relax and enjoy,” Greg said and started to unzip the older man’s jeans.
Nick appreciated that Greg was handling him discreetly, shielding his cock from the other men’s view as he took it out and rubbed along the shaft. Nick was shocked to realise that he was getting hard. He knew he didn’t have much of a kink for exhibitionism, but the young man kneeling in front of him was definitely to his taste. The weirdness of the entire situation, the imminent danger and the unaccustomed experience of being watched made Nick’s cock get harder.
He gave an almost imperceptible nod and Greg lowered his eyes, giving Nick a view of his long lashes lying against his pale cheeks. Nick bit back a moan as he watched the pink curved lips stretch around his cock and then he felt the warm wet mouth enveloping him. It was obvious that Greg had done this before, his tongue was clever, sliding over the head of Nick’s cock, sucking him to complete hardness.
Nick was wracked with guilt and pleasure; he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Greg’s hands were firm, holding him in place as he stroked and sucked. Nick was amazed that he was able to stay hard but there was a fierce urgency to Greg’s efforts that added to the sharp edge of danger that shivered up Nick’s spine.
The only sounds were his own laboured breathing and the little slurping, smacking sounds as Greg blew him. Nick slid his hands through the spiky hair, finding it surprisingly silky, and gripped it with tense fingers. The ’roid muncher didn’t bother to look and the two men behind the desk watched without prurient interest.
It seemed like a very short time before Greg brought Nick to the edge, licking and sucking along the length of his cock. The gentle scrape of teeth under the ridge over the sensitive vein sent him over. Nick tugged at the younger man’s hair and warned him, “I’m going to shoot,” trying to pull away, but Greg held his butt with a vicelike grip, forcing him to leave his cock inside his mouth.
Nick gave a strangled grunt and thrust forward harder than he planned, unloading a flood into the hot mouth. Greg kept his mouth open, gentling Nick through the aftershocks until his hips stopped moving. He released the older man, licking his lips and looking up with a cocky grin. Carefully, he put Nick back together, zipping up his pants, giving him a gentle pat. The older man felt grateful, realising that, although he had just performed an intimate sex act with a man he barely knew, Greg had managed it all so that he hadn’t really been exposed to the other men in the room watching.
Slowly Nick uncurled his cramped hands from Greg’s hair and offered the slender young man a hand, pulling him to his feet.
The young man gave him another cocky grin, belied by the grim look in his eyes. “Can I give you my number?”
Nick still felt a bit shattered but managed to grin back. “I should give you mine, baby. That was great.”
The blonde man at the desk laughed. “Hey, guy, we’re not running a dating service here.” He got up and walked toward the two men, cupping Greg’s chin in his hand. “Run along, cutie, you’ve had your dessert. Wait outside.”
Greg turned to go and the blonde slapped his ass. Only Nick caught the flicker of rage in the young man’s eyes as he stalked silently toward the door.
“Have a seat, bro,” the blonde invited him.
Nick sat down.
~*~
Nick walked out the front door and took a shaky breath of the crisp night air, watching the mist of his warm exhalation dissipate quickly. He strode to his truck. For a couple of minutes there, he hadn’t been entirely confident that he would be leaving by the front door, let alone with his skin intact. He hadn’t seen Greg again on his way out and he was worried about the younger man.
He drove around the block and parked to call in reinforcements. He’d cut a deal with the two guys in the backroom and they said he would be able to take delivery in three hours. After making the arrangements with the cops, he ran his fingers through his hair.
It was only then that he realised he was shaking. He’d been a cop for a long time before he opened his own agency and he’d seen a lot, but he was still shocked at the depths of soulless depravity the two men displayed. They weren’t kidding when they said they could supply anything; drugs, guns, other weapons, mercenaries, hookers. They were a one-stop shop for vice.
When the time came, he started his truck and drove back to the now deserted parking lot. He was beginning to see why they’d set the time after closing; if he didn’t come back alone, it would be pretty easy to spot. He parked near the entrance and tried the door. It swung open easily and he stepped inside the now deserted club. At this hour, he would have expected the clean up crew to be at work, but the place was darkened and deserted, except for the light gleaming from the back hallway.
Nick wished he had his gun, but at least he was now wearing a wire. It made him feel a lot safer. He knew that his contact said there would be cops close by, but because he didn’t know just where they would be, he was nervous. He edged his way toward the office. The door stood open.
He froze, horrified to see that Greg was sitting on a chair, his cheek bruised, but otherwise looking fine. He wasn’t restrained, just sitting quietly, his eyes turned toward the door. Nick saw Greg’s eyes flicker when he caught sight of him, but other than that, he made no move.
Nick walked in. The two men were there, sitting at their desk where they had been earlier. There were a couple of guns on the desk but neither of them was holding one.
“So, where’s the merchandise?”
“Bernie is bringing it up, be here in a moment. Bring the money?”
Nick put a small attaché case on the desk. The blonde, who seemed to be the brains of the operation, opened the case, looking at the money without touching it.
“Okay, got your stuff coming up.”
The dark haired man put a brick of snow, wrapped in plastic, on the desk. He bent to retrieve a plain corrugated cardboard box and planted it on the desk, opening it to reveal some automatic weapons. Nick picked one up and looked it over.
Bernie, the ’roid muncher, came in the door, leading two youngsters in hand cuffs. They were both clearly under the age of 18, slender and pretty, and obviously terrified. The blonde man threw the keys to the cuffs on the desk.
“How old are they?” Nick asked, hoping the outrage in his voice might be taken for lust.
“Sixteen and they’re both virgins,” the dark one said and the blonde laughed immoderately.
“So why’s he here?” Nick pointed his chin toward Greg.
The dark man got up and jerked Greg out of the chair, shoving him into Nick. “A little tip. We saw how you enjoyed him. Use him, then kill him if you want. There’s plenty more where he came from.”
There was a sound from the hall and Nick hit the ground, covering Greg’s body with his own as the room was filled with cops. The men at the desk were taken by surprise; they reached for their guns but didn’t make it. However the ’roid muncher showed his lack of smarts and caught two bullets for his trouble, one in the knee and one in the neck.
Nick rolled off Greg to find the young man glaring at him. “I had a gun in an ankle holster, if you hadn’t fallen on me I could have gotten some action.”
Nick giggled, the release of tension making him punchy. “Didn’t I give you enough action before?”
Greg’s expression changed, he giggled faintly and then blushed hotly. He jumped up and said, “Um, gotta go report in. Later.”
Nick sighed and watched him go, feeling he understood the source of the young officer’s embarrassment.
Three hours later, as the sun was lightening the sky outside, the initial investigation was being wrapped up. EMTs and social services had been summoned to deal with the frightened teens and the wounded ’roid muncher had been packed off to the hospital.
The wire Nick’d been wearing had done its job, but it was an unexpected coup that the criminals themselves had unknowingly invited an officer to sit in as a witness. Greg had told his story over and over, skimming quickly over the sexual encounter earlier in the evening. He didn’t exactly lie, but gave no real details. From the sympathetic glances his fellow officers were giving them both, Nick didn’t think he’d be taking too much guff about it except from the ever present homophobes that could be found everywhere.
He was frustrated, he wanted nothing more than to have an opportunity to talk to the younger man. He didn’t know his last name, didn’t have his phone number and although he was sure he could track him down, he didn’t want to make more gossip for him to face. So he stayed on the alert and when Greg turned to go, he followed him.
He waited till Greg was outside the club before he closed the distance between them, pushing the young man against the brick façade.
“What the fuck?” Greg’s fists came up until he saw who it was. “Nick.”
“Greg?”
“Yeah?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Blow me. Earlier. That’s not force policy. And you’ve done it before, you’re too fucking good at it.” For some reason Nick was angry, he was almost interrogating the younger man and he wasn’t sure why.
Greg sighed with fatigue. “Nick, two of our fellow officers have died for refusing a blow job. I know you used to be on the job and I was damned if I was going to see that happen to another cop. The undercover guys who went in there never came out and then a snitch told us about their little ‘litmus test.’”
“So, what, your captain told you to get in there and suck?”
“Of course not, you fucker,” Greg hissed. “Look, I’m gay. And when I saw you go in there, I could have let that asshole snag another twink out of the hallway. But I wasn’t sure you’d go along with it and also,” he chuckled, “It wasn’t exactly a hardship to blow you.”
Nick laughed comfortably back.
An officer stopped a little distance away and seemed to recognize Greg. “Everything okay here, sir?”
Greg held up his badge, which now hung around his neck. “Everything’s fine, thanks.”
Nick backed off, aware that he’d been holding Greg in place a bit more firmly than was absolutely necessary.
“I’m gay, too.”
Greg’s smile became much bigger at this and then he yawned, opening his mouth hugely with the unconcern of a cat.
Nick held out his hand. “Nick Stokes.”
“Greg Sanders,” Greg said and kissed Nick square on the lips.
~*~
“So are you into the whole exhibitionist, watching thing?” Nick asked carefully.
“No! Wait, let me think. I guess maybe doing it somewhere that we might get caught could be a thrill,” Greg said thoughtfully. “But the goal would be not to get caught.”
“Just come close,” Nick laughed.
“Yeah, but as for inviting someone to watch us or play, ewwwwww.” Greg wrinkled his nose. “Not my thing.”
“But would you do it to keep me alive like this?”
“Of course,” Greg said simply. “Thank God our jobs don’t require it.”
Nick laughed. “I can see it now, Grissom comes in and says, ‘Nick, you made a mistake on that calculation. Get in the lab and give Greg a blow job or you’re fired.’”
“I didn’t say you shouldn’t do it, I just said I wouldn’t do it,” Greg said smugly.
“So if I came in the lab and got under your desk…?” Nick looked at Greg suggestively.
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“Okay, let’s pretend we’re at work and this is your desk,” Nick whispered in Greg’s ear, feeling him shiver. “And now…”
Part Deux: Nick again, whaddya know? Gotta keep you on your toes people!
Nick had a thing for men in uniform. Working as a CSI ruled out cops, so when he went out on the prowl he looked for men in the armed forces, firemen, pilots, hell, he’d even done a UPS man. Not much of a uniform but sometimes one had to make do.
Seeing as he didn’t kiss and didn’t bottom, and ran like hell from any possible emotional attachment Nick had a close personal relationship with his hand. He would jack off for months without giving a thought to being with an actual person and then suddenly it would come over him, he had to fuck, had to have that human contact.
And then it was out to the bars. Men in the armed forces were great, especially those who were just passing through. Nellis Air Force base had yielded many a hot fuck and Nick didn’t have to worry about phone calls or dates.
So after work, he showered, put on his basic black prowl uniform and headed for the bars. Four hours later he was sadly concluding that tonight wasn’t his night. He sipped his last beer while idly watching a table where five men were laughing and drinking. They weren’t in uniform but there were three that he wouldn’t have kicked out of bed. Most of them had wedding rings but Nick hadn’t found that to be an insurmountable obstacle in his hunts.
One man stood out from the rest. He was slender with that lithe, toned kind of body that got Nick hot. His arms were slim but there was a definite tricep dimple that Nick thought was so sexy. His skin was pale and his eyes were huge and dark with seductively long lashes. He laughed a great deal with his mates, but there was something about him that just set him apart from them.
Nick was finishing his beer when the four men with wedding rings got up to go. He hadn’t noticed until they stood, but they were firefighters. Their bulky Kevlar pants were dark and he hadn’t noticed them in the gloom until the yellow reflective strips caught the light. They shrugged into their suspenders and bid the slender man good night before heading off.
One last chance, a cute guy and, even better, in uniform. Nick caught the younger man’s eye; he looked startled and dropped his eyes before sneaking another look. Nick smiled his charming, “I want to fuck you so bad I can taste it” smile and a small answering smile gave him hope. He picked up his beer and moved to the other table.
The young guy’s name was Greg and he was wearing the same protective pants as his friends. He had been a firefighter for six years. Nick wondered how such a skinny guy could carry someone out of a fire, but Greg assured him that if you couldn’t pass the physical you didn’t go on the runs. Nick turned up the charm; this guy was really cute, smart and funny too. They flirted and shared some laughs and finally decided to head out to Greg’s place.
One of Nick’s rules was to never let his pick ups know where he lived, so he was more than content to follow Greg to his place. He lived in an apartment, second floor and it was obvious that he lived alone. His place was very neat and had none of the black leather furniture men seemed to find necessary to proclaim their masculinity.
Oddly, the young man’s confidence seemed to turn to nervous energy as soon as he closed the door behind them. He offered Nick a beer and a snack, but the older man was ready to get down to business. When Greg turned away from the refrigerator he found Nick right behind him.
Nick lifted his hand to touch the smooth skin of the younger man’s face, noticing the deep brown eyes were almost frightened. He pulled Greg by his suspenders into the living room, tugging him over to the couch. He fumbled with the fastening of Greg’s pants and finally undid them, pushing the suspenders off his broad shoulders. The pants dropped, revealing Greg’s worn plaid boxers. Nick smirked; obviously he hadn’t dressed to go out and pick someone up.
Nick leaned in to smell Greg, scenting him like a wolf scents his mate. Cologne, acrid smoke and under it all a faint sweetness. He pushed up Greg’s t-shirt and took one tender pink nipple in his mouth, biting down gently on it. He felt Greg’s hands on his shoulders, trembling as he licked and sucked. He moved lower kissing the warm skin, feeling the muscle rippling under the living velvet and yanked at the waistband of the boxers with his teeth. He succeeded in pulling them down Greg’s hips, finishing the job with his hands.
He licked his lips at the sight of the red, swollen cock, wondering just how long it had been for Greg. Surely this was more arousal than just a small amount of petting would warrant.
He knelt in front of Greg and licked over the dripping tip, tasting him, enjoying the flavour after so long without. Greg arched his back, pushing his hips forward, urging his cock into Nick’s mouth, moaning as he felt the warmth close around him.
Nick swirled his tongue over the head before sucking the shaft in, savouring the texture of a hard and silky cock. Nick relaxed his throat, taking Greg as deeply as he could. Just because he was here to take his own pleasure didn’t mean he had no interest in pleasing his partner. He ducked his head as he felt Greg slide his fingers through his hair; the gesture was a little too intimate for him. To regain his edge, he released the younger man’s cock with a final lick and pushed him down on the couch.
He pulled the pants and boxers off Greg’s slender legs, noticing the thick white socks. “Got any lube?” Greg nodded and got onto his knees to reach into the drawer of the table next to the couch. Nick planted his hand in the middle of Greg’s back, urging him toward the arm of the couch, keeping him in place.
He took the tube and slicked up his fingers, sliding them in the alluring cleft of the rounded ass, finding the entrance and working the lube inside. He couldn’t wait to be inside the tight channel. He quickly stripped his jeans and underwear, finding a condom in his pocket. He knelt between Greg’s legs, rolling the condom on and grabbed Greg’s hips, holding him in place as he slid inside, feeling the hot sheath clutch him, pulling him deeper. He felt like he wanted to come instantly and like he never wanted to leave; he just wanted to be buried inside this man forever.
Usually this was the time his partners would squirm and complain about his size but Greg just groaned, pushing back to meet him with equal strength. He was relaxed and hungry, taking Nick’s hard length confidently. Nick pushed harder and heard the discordant scrape as the end table moved across the floor. Greg’s hands slipped from it and he braced himself on the floor as Nick moved faster, driving into him forcefully, hands gripping tightly enough to bruise.
Nick angled his hips differently and felt the jerk as he hit the sweet spot. Greg’s head came up and he uttered an inarticulate cry of pleasure. Each thrust was faster, harder until Nick was driving home almost ferociously, willing Greg to come. His hands were stiff, aching with the force with which he was holding the slim hips in place.
Greg braced himself over the arm of the couch, the feeling of Nick’s hard shaft inside him, filling him was overwhelming and he moaned passionately. It didn’t happen to him often but he felt himself tumble over the edge, the steely heat inside him stoked the fires that he’d banked down and he felt that agonizing moment right before he came, bursting in relief as his cum shot over his stomach.
Nick felt the muscles clamping around him and let go, exploding with each deep final thrust until he was draped limply over the other man’s heaving back. Greg’s t-shirt was wet with sweat and he still wore his white socks.
Weakly Nick pulled out, collapsing back onto the couch. Slowly Greg started to move, flopping down on the couch next to Nick. Their eyes met and they both started to laugh shakily. Nick loved the flush that coloured the younger man’s pale skin; he looked like he was freshly fucked and loving it. He skimmed a finger up the sleek, long leg watching as Greg stretched them out in front.
Nick flinched as he felt Greg’s hand on his face. He could read the intention in the soft dark eyes and jerked his chin out of the hand cupping it. Greg’s eyes showed his uncertainty and Nick stood, searching for his clothes.
This was just sex and he wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. Kissing was out. Mumbling his excuses, Nick fumbled his way into his clothes. He saw a wall go up on/ across Greg’s face and his eyes shut down. He wore a small frozen smile as he grabbed his boxers.
Nick said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah,” Greg replied. “Sure. Thanks for the fuck.” He walked Nick to the door and let him out.
Nick almost ran to his car. This was the awkward moment, the time when he wanted to get away, to forget what had just happened. Usually he would have some kind of vague statement, designed to disguise the fact that this was just sex for him, but there was something about Greg’s eyes. He didn’t want to lie to him, but he had to get out.
He sighed in relief when he got home, heading directly for the shower to clean the scent of sex and sweat and Greg from his skin. He tossed his clothes on the floor and stood under the stream of hot water for a long time. His cock rose, hard and unyielding as if he hadn’t just fucked his brains out. Reluctantly, he stroked himself to climax, his mind awash with a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells. As much as he wanted to deny it, he’d felt a connection with Greg and it made him uneasy. Reaffirming how much easier life was with just a series of casual fucks, he banished Greg from his mind and went to bed.
~*~
Over the next couple of days, Nick found himself thinking Greg a lot. He would be concentrating on work and something would trigger a sense memory, a scent, a touch, a taste and instantly he’d be hard, his breath coming a little faster. He was disturbed by it, usually his pickups were a blur of anonymous asses, cocks and balls, chests with hair, chests without hair. It was rare that he remembered the person, usually the fuck was the thing. But there was some connection with this particular man that sent him unwillingly back to the bar where they first met.
Of course Greg wasn’t there. And Nick knew nothing about him, other than his first name, the fact that he was a firefighter and where he lived. And that he was completely and utterly hot.
Night after night he would swing by the bar. Once or twice he thought he recognized one of the men who’d been with Greg when he first saw him but he couldn’t be sure and what would he say anyway? I can’t get your friend out of my mind and could I have his phone number please?
He even began to think about watching Greg’s apartment, trying to identify which mailbox was his so he could get his last name. He knew he could drive by, get his plate numbers, and run them but he didn’t want to turn into some kind of sick stalker.
There was something different about Greg, something that haunted him. It wasn’t as if he was ready to buy rings and settle down, he just thought that if he could fuck him again, get his hands on that ass once more, it would get Greg out of his system and he could forget him. He kept his eyes open for other young men in uniform, hoping he would find some gorgeous guy that would drive Greg out of his head, but somehow everyone just seemed flat by comparison.
In the end, it wasn’t at the bar where they met. It was unexpected and at the last place he would ever have thought. Nick was learnedly perusing the contents of a can of chili at the market near work when a light voice said, “Well, hi.”
He looked up in surprise, his brilliant smile flashing warmly as he recognized Greg. “Hi, yourself. What are you doing here?” he asked brilliantly.
Greg’s lips quirked in an irrepressible smile and he giggled. “Well, I’m washing my car, see.”
Nick laughed nervously. “Duh. Serves me right. It’s nice to see you… again.”
“Nice to see you too,” Greg nodded and made as if to pass Nick with his cart.
“Wait!” Nick put his hand on Greg’s where it rested on the handle. Greg looked at his hand and then up at Nick, who pulled his hand away, ashamed at the veiled pain in the dark eyes. “Um, I was thinking… that um, maybe we could… get together again.”
A brief struggle in those expressive eyes ended when Greg smiled and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’d like that.”
“When?” Nick urged, not realising how desperate he sounded.
There was a flash of satisfaction and something else in Greg’s eyes and then he said, “Well, I was planning on going straight home after this. Would you like-”
“I’ll follow you,” Nick said firmly. Greg looked slightly bewildered but continued his shopping with the older man at his heels. Nick was so nervous he couldn’t even make conversation; he was determined not to let Greg get away until he could bed him again.
He was at Greg’s apartment before the other man showed up and helped him carry his bags inside. Greg offered him a drink while he put his groceries away and Nick accepted just to have something in his hands to keep him from grabbing the other man and ripping his clothes off. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d desired someone so much.
Greg didn’t seem nervous this time. When he finished with his groceries, he took Nick by the hand and led him straight into the bedroom. He stripped without ceremony, standing unselfconsciously in front of Nick, closing the curtains and flopping onto the bed to wait for him.
Nick fumbled with his clothing, eagerness making him clumsy and slow. He knelt on the bed, shocked as Greg rolled over to him and immediately plunged down to take Nick’s cock into his mouth. Greg’s mouth moved ceaselessly until Nick pushed him away, not wanting to come too soon.
Nick gasped for air and Greg hooked a leg out from under him, pushing him onto his back. The younger man took charge, finding a condom in the drawer and rolling it onto Nick’s hard length. He rubbed lube onto him with a light touch, watching with amusement as Nick groaned and bucked his hips.
He warmed more lube in his hands and Nick had trouble breathing as he watched Greg’s hands go to his opening, his fingers disappearing as he stretched himself. Greg straddled Nick, grabbing behind himself to align the older man’s cock and he sank down, impaling himself with a look of pained pleasure on his face.
Nick drew his knees up and Greg leaned back against them as he strove to accommodate the other man’s girth. As his muscles eased, he leaned forward, planting his hands on Nick’s chest and angled to kiss the older man. Nick turned his head slightly, hoping to reject the move subtly. After a couple of tries, Greg clearly took the hint and nuzzled Nick’s throat instead, kissing his way to the toned chest, taking a nipple between his teeth and tugging gently. Nick groaned and moved his hips.
Greg pushed himself up and arched back against Nick’s legs, starting to ride the older man’s cock. His hands roamed over his own torso, pinching and twisting his nipples, watching Nick through half closed eyes. The desire in Nick’s eyes inspired him to put on a little show and as he rode the older man, he arched his back, moaning and clenching his muscles.
Nick reached for Greg’s ass, digging his fingers into the luxuriant swells. The creamy skin was so smooth in his hands, but no smoother than the satin lined sheath gripping him tightly. He watched Greg until he could bear it no longer. He held him tightly and flipped them over without losing contact. He wanted more, more connection, more skin and groaned as their chests came together. He grabbed Greg’s ankles and put them over his shoulders, sighing as he felt the younger man lock them behind his neck.
It was rare that Nick faced someone he fucked but he was enjoying watching the emotion chase openly over Greg’s face so much that all he wanted was to see him when he came. He was humbled that, after he’d been such a bastard, Greg would not only invite him over again but also be willing to show what he felt. He felt uneasily that he didn’t deserve someone like this and resolved to make it as good for Greg as he could.
He braced himself so he could get a hand on Greg’s cock, thick and rigid between their bellies. He set a slow pace, pulling out until only the tip of his cock remained inside, sliding in to his full length, making sure to massage Greg’s prostate with each stroke. Nick watched as Greg gasped for air, little moans escaping his lips as he felt himself being filled over and over. Passion flowered on the beautiful face as Nick triggered his orgasm and his essence was hot as fire as it spilled over Nick’s hand.
It took all his effort but Nick remained motionless until Greg opened his fathomless eyes and smiled. Nick started to move again, fucking hard and fast, rubbing his skin against Greg’s until he came, crying out hoarsely as he spent himself.
He lowered himself carefully, staying inside Greg, something he rarely did, but he didn’t want to break the tenuous connection between them. Finally his limp cock slid out and he rolled onto his back, bringing Greg with him. Unwanted feelings welled inside him, he felt tender, protective and held the slender body close. Tears welled in his eyes as he felt tiny kisses along his neck and the hollow of his throat. He stroked Greg’s back, feeling the roughness of the skin for the first time.
As if he’d heard the unspoken question, Greg said, “Scars. Burns.”
Nick sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it. Although he couldn’t tell whether the scarred skin hurt, he could feel a tiny shiver when he brushed his fingers over it.
“Does it hurt?”
“No. Parts of it feel a little weird. It’s nothing.”
Nick floated in an oddly contemplative place. He felt sad and ashamed that he couldn’t give Greg what he wanted. He pushed it aside.
“So, you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Why don’t you?”
“I asked first.”
“I had a boyfriend. He cheated on me. With a woman.”
“Fuck,” Nick breathed.
“I found them… in our bed. That was it.” Greg flipped a hand.
“How long ago?”
“Three years.”
“You haven’t been with anyone in three years?” Nick was outraged. This guy was just so great. He could see the depths of warmth and emotion in his eyes. Even though it wasn’t something he wanted for himself, he was almost angry that Greg was keeping this from the world. “You have so much to give. How can you just shut yourself away?”
“It’s kind of easier, considering my job. How many firefighters you figure are going to be comfortable showering in front of me if they knew I was gay?” Greg asked casually as if this was no big deal.
Nick nodded. He knew the feeling; he wasn’t out at work either. Sometimes he found it tiring to maintain the fiction of being a ladies’ man to explain why he’d never married.
“So why are you alone?” Greg asked, looking up at the square jaw and strong neck.
“Same deal, I guess. It’s just easier.” Nick shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to this much touching and now that he had Greg wrapped securely in his arms, he was wondering how to get out of this. As if he could read Nick’s thoughts, Greg stirred, pushing himself away from Nick.
“I better clean up,” he said and rolled out of bed. Without a backward glance he walked out of the room to the bathroom. Nick nervously got out of bed and dressed himself. He was so anxious, he realised he hadn’t even looked at Greg’s back as he walked away.
He waited for a moment but Greg didn’t reappear. Muffled splashing noises came from the bathroom as Nick tiptoed by and let himself out quietly.
As he drove away, he realised he still didn’t know Greg’s last name or phone number but it was probably for the best.
~*~
The next few weeks at work were busy and Nick volunteered for every extra hour he could get. Anything to stop himself from thinking. He worked until he was exhausted but nothing seemed to stop him from needing release when he got home. He jacked off every morning and evening to images of Greg’s angular slim shoulders, his long legs, his eyes so warm and glowing, his gasps and cries as he took Nick into his body.
Nick’s fingers twitched with his craving to touch that soft, silky skin again. He could have kicked himself when he recalled how he’d had Greg in his arms and couldn’t wait to leave. Now he would give anything to touch him again. He doubted that he would run into Greg again. Much more likely was that if the other man spotted him first, he would run in the other direction. Fair enough too, Nick had made it only too clear that he was only interested in a quick fuck.
He fell asleep sad with regret. He was terrified that he would never see Greg again, never have a chance to kiss him. He dreamed of his scent, that subtle smell of smoke that clung to him and his clothing. He awoke choking and realised his room really was full of smoke. Dimly he remembered the annoying sound of his smoke alarm when the battery ran down and how he’d pulled it out, forgetting to replace it.
He rolled out of bed and crawled along the floor, keeping his face low. His last conscious thought was that he saw an angel, clad in firefighter yellow as he felt himself hoisted up.
Nick came to with a mask over his face, looking up at the stars. An EMT was crouched by his side smiling as he blinked.
“Take it easy, fella. You’re okay, everything’s okay.”
Nick’s eyes went to his house. Firefighters still had a hose trained on the structure while white smoke billowed from the back.
A friendly firefighter came over, his jacket off, his face smudged and dirty. He put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Sorry, man. We managed to save most of it, but the bedroom is pretty much trashed. We have a clean-up crew coming. Looks like faulty wiring as far as we can tell. You are a lucky man.”
Feebly, Nick pushed the mask away. “What happened?”
“We got to you in time, that’s the main thing. Maybe a little smoke inhalation but you should be good as new in a couple days. Sorry about your house.” The firefighter turned his head and yelled, “Hey, G? Sanders! Your baby’s awake.”
He laughed at the startled look on Nick’s face. “That what we call it when we carry out a live one. You’ll be okay.” He clapped Nick’s shoulder and stood. Nick pushed himself up to sit and the EMT brought him a blanket, wrapping it around him as he sat, looking at the crowd of firefighters milling by the truck.
Finally two guys came closer, pushing a reluctant figure over to Nick. “Come on, you gotta shake hands with him.”
Reluctantly Greg met his eyes. “Hey,” he said awkwardly. His buddies pushed his arm forward and he shook hands with Nick, trying to ignore the sparks when their skin touched. “Are you okay?” he asked anxiously, unable to read the emotion in the older man’s eyes.
“Did you carry me out?” Greg had his jacket off and he looked so skinny to Nick, he couldn’t imagine being carried by such a slender guy.
One of Greg’s mates grabbed him around the shoulder. “He’s stronger than he looks,” he laughed and turned away.
Nick realised he was still holding Greg’s hand. “Thank you. I don’t know what to say, but I… I really wanted to… to call… or something…”
Greg pulled his hand away. “Don’t worry about it, part of my job.” He wanted to go but the lost, stunned look in Nick’s eyes disarmed him. “Do you have someplace to stay? Anyone you want me to call?”
Nick thought fleetingly of Warrick, but he didn’t want to call him, to have to explain. As close as they seemed at work, they really didn’t hang out together in their off hours. In fact, Nick was beginning to see that his solitary hunter lifestyle had ensured that he truly was alone.
Greg shifted on his feet and sighed. Finally he dropped to the grass next to Nick. “It’s a shock when your stuff burns, you know. But you’re okay and that’s the main thing.”
“I don’t have any clothes,” Nick said stupidly.
Greg laughed and patted his hand sympathetically. “Personally I think you look great without them,” he said softly. As if fighting his own instincts, he added, “If you need to, you could stay with me a couple of days till you get things sorted out. The damage is fixable, so you’ll be back here before you know it.”
Nick eyes lit up and he nodded as if he feared that Greg would think better of his offer and renege. Greg patted his arm. “Where do you keep your keys?”
“On the table inside the front door.”
“Hang on a minute, I’ll get them for you.” Greg rose gracefully and walked over to his captain and had a few words with him. He donned his jacket, mask and air tank and walked around to the back of the house. A few minutes later, he came back to Nick, dripping wet and dropped the ring of keys into his hand. “You know where I live,” he said simply. “There’s a spare key hidden under the roof tile with the bird’s nest in it. Let yourself in, take a shower. There’s some sweats in the bottom drawer of my dresser. They should fit you.”
~*~
Several hours later, Greg let himself into his apartment. He’d thought Nick would be well asleep by now but he was huddled on the couch in the same blanket the EMT had wrapped around him. He smelled like smoke and he looked lost.
“Hey,” Greg said with concern. He sat next to Nick and put his arm around him. “You should get some rest.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“Well, I’m here now,” Greg said soothingly. “It’ll be okay, you’re alive, you’re not hurt. You just need some rest.”
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Nick said. “I thought I might never see you again and I just wanted to kick myself. I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t forgive me, I was such an ass.”
Greg smiled, a warm, genuine smile full of hope. “You’re right.”
“About what?”
“You’re an ass.”
For the first time in weeks, Nick laughed. “All I could think about was that I had to get out so I could find you and tell you I love you.”
“What?” Greg said faintly. “Isn’t that kind of sudden from fuck me to I love you?”
“No,” Nick said firmly. “I felt it the moment I saw you, I’ve just been denying it to myself. Too goddamn scared.”
“You wouldn’t even kiss me,” Greg protested and went to get up, but Nick lunged toward him, holding him tightly.
“I want to kiss you… so badly,” Nick whispered and for the first time in years, brushed his lips against another man’s. He choked back a sob as he felt Greg’s mouth open and he delved into the warmth, exploring gently. He felt Greg’s body relax and pushed him down on the couch as he continued to kiss. Breathlessly he said, “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of kissing you.”
Greg’s face lit and he smiled. He looked so beautiful to Nick. “I need to take a shower, Nick. And so do you.” He wrinkled his nose as he sniffed the older man. “I kind of rushed off after work. I wanted to know if you were really here.”
He wriggled out from under Nick and pulled him up, leading him to the bathroom. He turned on the water and stripped himself, shyly facing Nick. Nick pushed his boxers off and they stepped into the shower.
Greg handled Nick gently, washing him thoroughly, even behind his ears. “Smoke really clings,” he said. He shampooed Nick’s hair, massaging his scalp luxuriously and holding him while he rinsed him. Nick allowed Greg to tend to him, accepting his ministrations gratefully. He felt a little numb after the events of the day. He watched as Greg washed himself, the water coursing over his slender body shining in the light.
Greg turned off the water and helped Nick out of the shower, drying him with a big soft towel. He dried himself and vanished, coming back with drawstring pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt. He gave Nick a new toothbrush.
Greg was wearing plaid boxers and putting new sheets on the bed. “I only have the one bed, so if you don’t mind sleeping-”
“Stay with me,” Nick pleaded. He moved forward and took Greg in his arms, kissing him again.
Greg nodded and kissed him back. Nick pushed him down on the bed, kissing him over and over. He rubbed against Greg, so happy to be holding him again. He pushed the boxers down Greg’s legs, sliding his groin over the erection of the man beneath him. He reached for the lube and rubbed it onto Greg with trembling hands. He slid into him, never once releasing his lips. He moved inside him, rolling and swivelling his hips, trying to bring his lover the greatest pleasure.
Greg arched up under Nick, his legs parted and drawn up. He clasped them around Nick’s waist, wholly given over to the feeling of the male hardness driving inside him. He clenched his muscles around the dick impaling him, there was something about that feeling that made him go all weak and wobbly inside, like he was helpless before the masculine assault. He just wanted more. The moment when Nick’s cock hit that spot deep inside him set off a cascade of sparks, setting him on fire until he was ready to explode.
Blindly he found his own cock, stroking the shaft, rubbing his thumb over the head. The pleasure deep inside him filled him with warmth and the stimulation made him even harder, panting for release.
Nick felt his own orgasm building fast. His declaration seemed to release something inside Greg, he was whimpering and moaning, his half opened eyes unseeing as he clung to Nick, urging him deeper by digging his heels into his back.
The older man struggled to hold off his own climax til Greg exploded between them, crying Nick’s name as he came. Nick had never heard a sweeter sound. He moved faster, gyrating his hips until he lost himself in his own ecstasy.
“God, love you, love you so much,” he gasped as he came. He rested his head on Greg’s chest, panting for breath, slick with sweat and cum.
“Tell me,” he demanded, when he could speak, “Tell me you love me.”
“Pretty ballsy for a guy who wouldn’t kiss,” Greg grumbled beneath him.
“Tell me,” Nick pleaded.
“I love you,” Greg said softly.
Nick started to cry. “I could have lost you, I could have lost you,” was all he could say.
Greg just held him, letting him cry. Nick was grateful; he hated crying but he hated even more when people said, “Don’t cry, it’ll be all right.” He clutched at Greg, not wanting to let him go.
When his sobs trailed off, Greg said, “Nick? My hips are getting sore…”
“Sorry, sorry,” Nick said and pulled out a little too quickly. Greg winced and let his legs fall to the bed.
“I want you to make love to me,” Nick said. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“Have you ever done that before?” Greg looked up and him and yawned widely. “Sorry,” he grinned apologetically. “Busy shift.”
“No, I’ve never done it,” Nick said humbly. “I never wanted to; I’ve never trusted anyone, but I want to give myself to you.”
“You want to do this right now?”
“Are you up for it?”
Greg laughed. “Oh, yeah, I’d love to fuck you. I think I’ll be able to handle it.” He saw the anxiety flicker in Nick’s eyes. “Take it easy, it’s better if you relax.”
Nick nodded. He didn’t know what to do, he was always in control, the one who drove the action and he felt awkward. He rolled onto his stomach when Greg pushed him.
“You need to relax,” Greg repeated softly. His hands started rubbing at the tension knotting Nick’s shoulders. Nick rested his head on his hands and started to relax as the soothing caress went on. He felt Greg’s hands skimming over his back, massaging lower and lower.
Greg shifted to kneel between Nick’s legs, feeling the older man tense again as if he suspected that Greg would just ram himself in.
“Take it easy, baby,” he crooned, rubbing over the backs of Nick’s thighs. He ran his hands over the round, muscular globes of Nick’s ass.
Nick liked the feeling, he had no idea that there were so many pleasure receptors back there. He gasped as fingers dipped into the cleft and he felt hot lips kissing one of his cheeks. He wiggled in response. He felt Greg’s mouth skimming over his ass and his hips started moving. He jumped when he felt Greg’s tongue, setting off a million electrical tingles as he lapped and kissed the sensitive flesh. He wondered why he’d never done this. He heard his own voice, begging Greg not to stop.
As Nick moved he felt the first slippery finger, sliding up and down his crack. He pushed back. He was so ready, so relaxed, he wanted Greg inside him so badly. When he felt the first finger enter him, it burned a bit, but didn’t feel too bad. It didn’t explain how Greg acted when he was fucking him though. And then the fingers brushed over a spot that made him arch and groan, tingles spread from deep inside him, up his spine and into his cock, making him harder than he ever thought possible. Suddenly he knew what people felt when he was inside them, he understood all the writhing and moaning, because that’s how he felt. And it was wonderful.
He felt Greg’s cock at his opening. He felt like Greg was teasing him, circling and brushing over his entrance. He felt Greg’s muscles tense with the strain of trying to penetrate Nick with care and control. Nick relaxed as he felt Greg’s cock inch inside him and then every nerve was sizzling and popping as he was completely filled.
“Okay?” Greg asked breathlessly. “Can I move?”
Nick moaned his assent and Greg began rocking his hips, pulling out slowly and pushing back in, moving side to side, changing to an orbital rotation, trying to mix things up and keep Nick’s body guessing. Nick felt his orgasm start to build; Greg’s cock massaged his prostate with every stroke while the friction of the movement caused his cock to rub against the sheets. Between the two sources of stimulation Nick was gasping, incoherent as he tried to beg for more. Greg reached for Nick’s cock, rubbing gently over the tip with his thumb, gripping the shaft firmly.
Greg felt the beginning of his climax as Nick convulsed around him and thrust harder, and felt Nick’s cum spill over his hands. His hips moved faster and drove hard until he screamed with each spasm as he came. He lowered himself carefully onto Nick and ran his hands over Nick’s arms.
“That was incredible,” Nick said softly. “I didn’t know what I was missing.”
“And now you’ll want to do it all the time,” Greg replied. He moved to pull out and get rid of the condom. Nick rolled onto his back and pulled Greg close, wrapping him in his arms.
“Only with you, baby.” Nick kissed the side of Greg’s head and the younger man slid away from him, taking care of the condom. He saw Greg turn away as if to leave and grabbed him.
“I know this sounds weird, but I really do love you,” Nick said bravely. “I want forever with you.”
Greg smiled but the pain in his eyes broke Nick’s heart. “Look, I see this all the time. You’ve had a shock today, you lost part of your world. You want to hang onto something. You picked me. Don’t make any promises…”
“I won’t, I’ll just love you till you believe,” Nick smiled. He pulled Greg closer to snuggle against him.
“Okay, I guess I can put up with that,” Greg said with a chuckle.
Nick wrapped his arms around Greg. He had the rest of his life to touch him and love him and he never wanted to let go.
~*~*~*~
“You know this started out about my hang ups and somehow it wandered away,” Nick said into Greg’s ear. “Roll on your stomach, I want to return the massage.”
“Mmmmm,” Greg moaned as he lay face down and Nick started to rub his shoulders.
“I can’t believe you managed to pick me up and carry me,” Nick continued.
“I’m stronger than I look,” Greg smirked.
“Did you ever want to be a fireman?”
“When I was younger. I went through a whole fireman, policeman, superhero period,” Greg said.
“You wanted to save me.” Nick felt the younger man stiffen under his hands. Greg rolled over and Nick’s heart broke when he saw the look in the younger man’s eyes.
“I guess you’re right,” Greg said hesitantly.
“This is about the explosion.”
Greg sighed.
“You’re having nightmares again.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s not about that, Greg.” Nick looked at him. “I would have saved you if I could have. You know that.”
“I know, Nicky,” Greg said softly. Suddenly he closed his eyes and put his arm over his face. He rolled onto his stomach again, his face turned away from Nick. “Sometimes I don’t have any problem with it. But seeing that woman, all burned, still alive…”
“I could kick myself for all the crap I put you through before the explosion. If we’d been together…”
“Don’t, Nick. We needed to go through that. I really believe we wouldn’t be together now if the whole thing didn’t happen.”
Silently Nick rubbed Greg’s back. “I do regret it. I regret that I left you. I regret that hurt you, that I didn’t realise how much I loved you.”
“You took care of me… after…” Greg said. “I don’t know if I ever would have been able to show someone my scars. But you saw me before and somehow… it makes it better.”
He rolled over when he heard a stifled sob from Nick. “Early on, before the explosion, you were asleep one day and I was trying to memorize every mole on your body. And I don’t remember how many there were on your back.”
Greg wanted to cry. “I don’t know. I never looked at my back.”
Nick smiled through his tears. “I figured out a way to fix that.” He stood up and walked to the dresser, where he took out an envelope. He handed it to Greg. “I wrote to your Papa Olaf and asked if he had any pictures of you that showed your back. He sent these.”
Greg sat up and took the envelope with trembling fingers. He laughed as several old photographs slid out. One showed him when he was seven, with a missing tooth and a big grin. Another showed him looking over his shoulder, wearing swim trunks. His back was clearly visible, showing every mole. Another photo showed him at 13, with long ironed hair, shaved on one side, make up and baggy pants, held up around his slim hips with a belt that was way too long. Part of his back showed. Despite the punky look and carefully sullen expression, there was still something joyous and funny about him.
“You were so cute,” Nick crooned tenderly, looking over his shoulder.
“Thanks, I think.” Greg laughed. “I didn’t know he even took these.”
“He made copies, he said we could keep them,” Nick said. He snatched the one that showed Greg’s full back. “And now I have a road map. I can kiss every place where there was a mole.” He pushed Greg flat and started kissing the scars. He felt the tension drain out of Greg’s back. He understood. Sometimes his own fears and insecurities weighed him down and sometimes he just felt like he could fly, mostly when he was alone with Greg. There was something about the younger man that made their bond into something that was so right, so inevitable. If he had to kiss Greg’s scars everyday he would do it. It was a small price to pay.
Authors: catlover2x and fred_bear aka jennybel75
Chapter: 20 of many.
Rating: NC17
Pairings: Nick/ Greg
Disclaimers: We don't own them, it'd be nice if we did - we really wouldn't get any sleep then!
Summary: Everyone loves a man in Uniform! Some H/C.
This is a series of Role Plays and Fantasies between the boys. Each will have two parts, 1 for Greg and 1 for Nick, their fantasy being fulfilled by the other. There will be as many parts as we have ideas for. Enjoy!
A/N: Just to let ya'll know we're still having much fun with this, we love each other and have pledged never to date a man born on 9/11 again!
Part A: Nick
The part he hadn’t liked about being a cop was the chain of command. Nick had always had a little problem with authority, maybe because of his relationship with his father. Whatever. Now that he was a P.I. though, he thought he had the best of both worlds; the opportunity to work on his own, and being hired by the police department when they needed an extra set of eyes.
So even though he was an agency guy, tonight he was working undercover for the cops. He understood; you could only work vice so long before you were recognized. They needed a guy, he was available, so blam, here he was, walking through the door of the hottest gay club in Vegas, Nexxus.
He kept his own sexuality tightly under wraps, but he had been here before and was familiar with the dance floor, the bathrooms and the seedy back hall, where people met to fuck and suck or be fucked or sucked. Usually the hall leading to the bathroom was lined with twinks, looking for someone to get off with. The dance floor was crowded and a long bar wrapped sinuously around the walls, providing another meeting place for the young and desperate.
Nick had never picked anyone up here; there was a sinister undercurrent to the club that kept him wary and on edge. He’d come here to dance, to have a drink and relax in the company of other gay people, but he’d never hooked up. Never would.
Tonight, he was wearing a tight red t-shirt tucked into tight black jeans over black cowboy boots and his black leather jacket. He knew the cops would have other undercover officers there tonight, but he was the lure. It was his job to make himself irresistible to the predators.
He’d been given instructions on how to act and what to say tonight in order to get the attention of the right people. He wasn’t wired; that alone made him just a little bit more alert, although it was entirely possible that he might spend the whole night there and not see or hear anything. He got a beer and stood to survey the crowd dancing, flirting, slipping away to the back hall.
There was a second-story loft, open but with curtained booths, and although there was plenty of activity up there, Nick didn’t sense that there was anything criminal going on. Just to be sure, he went up the stairs and prowled around, but other than some indecent exposure and public sex, it just didn’t have the right feel. After being a cop for years, one got a sense of these things. No, the heartbeat of evil was downstairs.
Nick leaned up against the end of the bar and watched, nursing his beer.
“Not finding what you want?”
Nick turned and found one of the bartenders was speaking to him.
“Why do you ask?” he asked with a charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Not all the merchandise is on display out here,” the bartender suggested.
“What’s available?”
“What do you want?”
“Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll?” Nick asked. “Just make a request and my order is filled?”
“Maybe not the music,” the bartender replied with a smile. “But if you can pay, you can get pretty much whatever else you want.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nick smiled and turned his back, his face impassive but his mind racing. He wasn’t quite sure why this guy had just dangled this offer in front of him but he decided that if he jumped at the offer, he would look too eager. He finished his beer and wandered off, patrolling the back hall and the bathroom.
He found more indecent exposure and exhibitionism, but nothing out of the ordinary for a club that catered to gay men. Underneath it all, however, he knew there was something elusive that he did not have the key to. It was almost like catching a movement with your peripheral vision, but when you turn your head it’s no longer there. After a frustrating evening, he went home.
The next day he talked at length with his contact in the police department. He got the green light to go back to club, with back up. The detective he was working with said the back up would be where he least expected it. Nick wasn’t totally comfortable with that; how would he signal for help if he didn’t know who he was signalling to?
Nick searched the bar for the man who’d waited on him the night before and went over to him, ordering a beer. He turned his back again, watching the crowd.
“You’re back.”
Nick half turned and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Didn’t find what you wanted yesterday?”
“Not exactly.”
“Talk to me, my man, tell me what you want.”
Nick laughed. “Why, you got a wire under there?”
The man looked hurt but laughed when he saw Nick wasn’t buying it. “Nah, man, I’m just the scout. You interested, I get you in for a little fee.”
Nick smiled at him and hid a folded bill in his hand. “What’s the secret password?”
“Shit, man, no password. Just go down that hall, past the bathroom, unmarked door at the end. Two knocks. Tell them Stephen sent you.”
Nick nodded and passed the bill over. He lingered until he finished his beer and set the empty mug on the bar. He walked down the hall, looking over the twinks gathered there. There were one or two that were kind of cute, but their air of desperation was off putting.
He knocked twice on the unmarked door. He had the feeling he was being observed, but didn’t see a peephole. Probably a more high-tech method of surveillance, he mused. When the door opened, the room was dark, he could see nothing but slipped inside anyway, hoping that someone on his team knew where he was.
He heard the click of the lock and the lights came on. Two men sat at the desk, one dark and one fair, and a larger, bulky man, obviously the muscle. The men behind the desk looked like professional men, managers of a successful club.
Nick smiled and waited.
“So you’re looking for something different.”
“Maybe.”
“Pretty cagey.”
“So are you.”
“Well, first before we show you the menu, we have to find out if you’re a cop.”
Nick gave a sarcastic snort. “Right.”
“Well, are you?”
“If I were, would I tell you?”
“Most of the customers lie, so we have a little litmus test.” The blonde nodded to the ’roid muncher. “Grab a twink out of the back hall.”
Nick must have looked surprised because the two men smirked at him but didn’t explain. The door opened and a slender young man was shoved into the room by the muscle. The young man had streaked, spiky hair and his dark eyes were surrounded by smudged black eyeliner. He was wearing a mesh shirt that revealed his smooth chest hanging loose over black leather pants. One of his nipples was pierced with a bar, visible through the shirt.
Nick was shocked; it was Greg something or other. He knew the guy, he was a cop and a good one. Either he was gay or he was part of the backup team; Nick was voting back up.
Bored, the blonde man leaned back in his chair and pointed at the ground, ordering the twink, “Suck him off!”
Nick started backing away. The blonde said, “Un uh, no blow job, no business.”
The darker man chimed in, “Vice can’t do shit like this. It’s our litmus test.”
Nick met Greg’s eyes; the young cop looked a bit shell shocked, but he dropped to his knees immediately, his hands going to Nick’s zipper. Nick caught his hands before they touched him.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
Greg pouted up at Nick. The older man was the only one who could see that his eyes were sending an urgent message. “What’s the matter, stud? Don’t you like me? My feelings will be hurt if you don’t want a suck.”
“I mean it-” Nick began.
“Relax and enjoy,” Greg said and started to unzip the older man’s jeans.
Nick appreciated that Greg was handling him discreetly, shielding his cock from the other men’s view as he took it out and rubbed along the shaft. Nick was shocked to realise that he was getting hard. He knew he didn’t have much of a kink for exhibitionism, but the young man kneeling in front of him was definitely to his taste. The weirdness of the entire situation, the imminent danger and the unaccustomed experience of being watched made Nick’s cock get harder.
He gave an almost imperceptible nod and Greg lowered his eyes, giving Nick a view of his long lashes lying against his pale cheeks. Nick bit back a moan as he watched the pink curved lips stretch around his cock and then he felt the warm wet mouth enveloping him. It was obvious that Greg had done this before, his tongue was clever, sliding over the head of Nick’s cock, sucking him to complete hardness.
Nick was wracked with guilt and pleasure; he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Greg’s hands were firm, holding him in place as he stroked and sucked. Nick was amazed that he was able to stay hard but there was a fierce urgency to Greg’s efforts that added to the sharp edge of danger that shivered up Nick’s spine.
The only sounds were his own laboured breathing and the little slurping, smacking sounds as Greg blew him. Nick slid his hands through the spiky hair, finding it surprisingly silky, and gripped it with tense fingers. The ’roid muncher didn’t bother to look and the two men behind the desk watched without prurient interest.
It seemed like a very short time before Greg brought Nick to the edge, licking and sucking along the length of his cock. The gentle scrape of teeth under the ridge over the sensitive vein sent him over. Nick tugged at the younger man’s hair and warned him, “I’m going to shoot,” trying to pull away, but Greg held his butt with a vicelike grip, forcing him to leave his cock inside his mouth.
Nick gave a strangled grunt and thrust forward harder than he planned, unloading a flood into the hot mouth. Greg kept his mouth open, gentling Nick through the aftershocks until his hips stopped moving. He released the older man, licking his lips and looking up with a cocky grin. Carefully, he put Nick back together, zipping up his pants, giving him a gentle pat. The older man felt grateful, realising that, although he had just performed an intimate sex act with a man he barely knew, Greg had managed it all so that he hadn’t really been exposed to the other men in the room watching.
Slowly Nick uncurled his cramped hands from Greg’s hair and offered the slender young man a hand, pulling him to his feet.
The young man gave him another cocky grin, belied by the grim look in his eyes. “Can I give you my number?”
Nick still felt a bit shattered but managed to grin back. “I should give you mine, baby. That was great.”
The blonde man at the desk laughed. “Hey, guy, we’re not running a dating service here.” He got up and walked toward the two men, cupping Greg’s chin in his hand. “Run along, cutie, you’ve had your dessert. Wait outside.”
Greg turned to go and the blonde slapped his ass. Only Nick caught the flicker of rage in the young man’s eyes as he stalked silently toward the door.
“Have a seat, bro,” the blonde invited him.
Nick sat down.
~*~
Nick walked out the front door and took a shaky breath of the crisp night air, watching the mist of his warm exhalation dissipate quickly. He strode to his truck. For a couple of minutes there, he hadn’t been entirely confident that he would be leaving by the front door, let alone with his skin intact. He hadn’t seen Greg again on his way out and he was worried about the younger man.
He drove around the block and parked to call in reinforcements. He’d cut a deal with the two guys in the backroom and they said he would be able to take delivery in three hours. After making the arrangements with the cops, he ran his fingers through his hair.
It was only then that he realised he was shaking. He’d been a cop for a long time before he opened his own agency and he’d seen a lot, but he was still shocked at the depths of soulless depravity the two men displayed. They weren’t kidding when they said they could supply anything; drugs, guns, other weapons, mercenaries, hookers. They were a one-stop shop for vice.
When the time came, he started his truck and drove back to the now deserted parking lot. He was beginning to see why they’d set the time after closing; if he didn’t come back alone, it would be pretty easy to spot. He parked near the entrance and tried the door. It swung open easily and he stepped inside the now deserted club. At this hour, he would have expected the clean up crew to be at work, but the place was darkened and deserted, except for the light gleaming from the back hallway.
Nick wished he had his gun, but at least he was now wearing a wire. It made him feel a lot safer. He knew that his contact said there would be cops close by, but because he didn’t know just where they would be, he was nervous. He edged his way toward the office. The door stood open.
He froze, horrified to see that Greg was sitting on a chair, his cheek bruised, but otherwise looking fine. He wasn’t restrained, just sitting quietly, his eyes turned toward the door. Nick saw Greg’s eyes flicker when he caught sight of him, but other than that, he made no move.
Nick walked in. The two men were there, sitting at their desk where they had been earlier. There were a couple of guns on the desk but neither of them was holding one.
“So, where’s the merchandise?”
“Bernie is bringing it up, be here in a moment. Bring the money?”
Nick put a small attaché case on the desk. The blonde, who seemed to be the brains of the operation, opened the case, looking at the money without touching it.
“Okay, got your stuff coming up.”
The dark haired man put a brick of snow, wrapped in plastic, on the desk. He bent to retrieve a plain corrugated cardboard box and planted it on the desk, opening it to reveal some automatic weapons. Nick picked one up and looked it over.
Bernie, the ’roid muncher, came in the door, leading two youngsters in hand cuffs. They were both clearly under the age of 18, slender and pretty, and obviously terrified. The blonde man threw the keys to the cuffs on the desk.
“How old are they?” Nick asked, hoping the outrage in his voice might be taken for lust.
“Sixteen and they’re both virgins,” the dark one said and the blonde laughed immoderately.
“So why’s he here?” Nick pointed his chin toward Greg.
The dark man got up and jerked Greg out of the chair, shoving him into Nick. “A little tip. We saw how you enjoyed him. Use him, then kill him if you want. There’s plenty more where he came from.”
There was a sound from the hall and Nick hit the ground, covering Greg’s body with his own as the room was filled with cops. The men at the desk were taken by surprise; they reached for their guns but didn’t make it. However the ’roid muncher showed his lack of smarts and caught two bullets for his trouble, one in the knee and one in the neck.
Nick rolled off Greg to find the young man glaring at him. “I had a gun in an ankle holster, if you hadn’t fallen on me I could have gotten some action.”
Nick giggled, the release of tension making him punchy. “Didn’t I give you enough action before?”
Greg’s expression changed, he giggled faintly and then blushed hotly. He jumped up and said, “Um, gotta go report in. Later.”
Nick sighed and watched him go, feeling he understood the source of the young officer’s embarrassment.
Three hours later, as the sun was lightening the sky outside, the initial investigation was being wrapped up. EMTs and social services had been summoned to deal with the frightened teens and the wounded ’roid muncher had been packed off to the hospital.
The wire Nick’d been wearing had done its job, but it was an unexpected coup that the criminals themselves had unknowingly invited an officer to sit in as a witness. Greg had told his story over and over, skimming quickly over the sexual encounter earlier in the evening. He didn’t exactly lie, but gave no real details. From the sympathetic glances his fellow officers were giving them both, Nick didn’t think he’d be taking too much guff about it except from the ever present homophobes that could be found everywhere.
He was frustrated, he wanted nothing more than to have an opportunity to talk to the younger man. He didn’t know his last name, didn’t have his phone number and although he was sure he could track him down, he didn’t want to make more gossip for him to face. So he stayed on the alert and when Greg turned to go, he followed him.
He waited till Greg was outside the club before he closed the distance between them, pushing the young man against the brick façade.
“What the fuck?” Greg’s fists came up until he saw who it was. “Nick.”
“Greg?”
“Yeah?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Blow me. Earlier. That’s not force policy. And you’ve done it before, you’re too fucking good at it.” For some reason Nick was angry, he was almost interrogating the younger man and he wasn’t sure why.
Greg sighed with fatigue. “Nick, two of our fellow officers have died for refusing a blow job. I know you used to be on the job and I was damned if I was going to see that happen to another cop. The undercover guys who went in there never came out and then a snitch told us about their little ‘litmus test.’”
“So, what, your captain told you to get in there and suck?”
“Of course not, you fucker,” Greg hissed. “Look, I’m gay. And when I saw you go in there, I could have let that asshole snag another twink out of the hallway. But I wasn’t sure you’d go along with it and also,” he chuckled, “It wasn’t exactly a hardship to blow you.”
Nick laughed comfortably back.
An officer stopped a little distance away and seemed to recognize Greg. “Everything okay here, sir?”
Greg held up his badge, which now hung around his neck. “Everything’s fine, thanks.”
Nick backed off, aware that he’d been holding Greg in place a bit more firmly than was absolutely necessary.
“I’m gay, too.”
Greg’s smile became much bigger at this and then he yawned, opening his mouth hugely with the unconcern of a cat.
Nick held out his hand. “Nick Stokes.”
“Greg Sanders,” Greg said and kissed Nick square on the lips.
~*~
“So are you into the whole exhibitionist, watching thing?” Nick asked carefully.
“No! Wait, let me think. I guess maybe doing it somewhere that we might get caught could be a thrill,” Greg said thoughtfully. “But the goal would be not to get caught.”
“Just come close,” Nick laughed.
“Yeah, but as for inviting someone to watch us or play, ewwwwww.” Greg wrinkled his nose. “Not my thing.”
“But would you do it to keep me alive like this?”
“Of course,” Greg said simply. “Thank God our jobs don’t require it.”
Nick laughed. “I can see it now, Grissom comes in and says, ‘Nick, you made a mistake on that calculation. Get in the lab and give Greg a blow job or you’re fired.’”
“I didn’t say you shouldn’t do it, I just said I wouldn’t do it,” Greg said smugly.
“So if I came in the lab and got under your desk…?” Nick looked at Greg suggestively.
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“Okay, let’s pretend we’re at work and this is your desk,” Nick whispered in Greg’s ear, feeling him shiver. “And now…”
Part Deux: Nick again, whaddya know? Gotta keep you on your toes people!
Nick had a thing for men in uniform. Working as a CSI ruled out cops, so when he went out on the prowl he looked for men in the armed forces, firemen, pilots, hell, he’d even done a UPS man. Not much of a uniform but sometimes one had to make do.
Seeing as he didn’t kiss and didn’t bottom, and ran like hell from any possible emotional attachment Nick had a close personal relationship with his hand. He would jack off for months without giving a thought to being with an actual person and then suddenly it would come over him, he had to fuck, had to have that human contact.
And then it was out to the bars. Men in the armed forces were great, especially those who were just passing through. Nellis Air Force base had yielded many a hot fuck and Nick didn’t have to worry about phone calls or dates.
So after work, he showered, put on his basic black prowl uniform and headed for the bars. Four hours later he was sadly concluding that tonight wasn’t his night. He sipped his last beer while idly watching a table where five men were laughing and drinking. They weren’t in uniform but there were three that he wouldn’t have kicked out of bed. Most of them had wedding rings but Nick hadn’t found that to be an insurmountable obstacle in his hunts.
One man stood out from the rest. He was slender with that lithe, toned kind of body that got Nick hot. His arms were slim but there was a definite tricep dimple that Nick thought was so sexy. His skin was pale and his eyes were huge and dark with seductively long lashes. He laughed a great deal with his mates, but there was something about him that just set him apart from them.
Nick was finishing his beer when the four men with wedding rings got up to go. He hadn’t noticed until they stood, but they were firefighters. Their bulky Kevlar pants were dark and he hadn’t noticed them in the gloom until the yellow reflective strips caught the light. They shrugged into their suspenders and bid the slender man good night before heading off.
One last chance, a cute guy and, even better, in uniform. Nick caught the younger man’s eye; he looked startled and dropped his eyes before sneaking another look. Nick smiled his charming, “I want to fuck you so bad I can taste it” smile and a small answering smile gave him hope. He picked up his beer and moved to the other table.
The young guy’s name was Greg and he was wearing the same protective pants as his friends. He had been a firefighter for six years. Nick wondered how such a skinny guy could carry someone out of a fire, but Greg assured him that if you couldn’t pass the physical you didn’t go on the runs. Nick turned up the charm; this guy was really cute, smart and funny too. They flirted and shared some laughs and finally decided to head out to Greg’s place.
One of Nick’s rules was to never let his pick ups know where he lived, so he was more than content to follow Greg to his place. He lived in an apartment, second floor and it was obvious that he lived alone. His place was very neat and had none of the black leather furniture men seemed to find necessary to proclaim their masculinity.
Oddly, the young man’s confidence seemed to turn to nervous energy as soon as he closed the door behind them. He offered Nick a beer and a snack, but the older man was ready to get down to business. When Greg turned away from the refrigerator he found Nick right behind him.
Nick lifted his hand to touch the smooth skin of the younger man’s face, noticing the deep brown eyes were almost frightened. He pulled Greg by his suspenders into the living room, tugging him over to the couch. He fumbled with the fastening of Greg’s pants and finally undid them, pushing the suspenders off his broad shoulders. The pants dropped, revealing Greg’s worn plaid boxers. Nick smirked; obviously he hadn’t dressed to go out and pick someone up.
Nick leaned in to smell Greg, scenting him like a wolf scents his mate. Cologne, acrid smoke and under it all a faint sweetness. He pushed up Greg’s t-shirt and took one tender pink nipple in his mouth, biting down gently on it. He felt Greg’s hands on his shoulders, trembling as he licked and sucked. He moved lower kissing the warm skin, feeling the muscle rippling under the living velvet and yanked at the waistband of the boxers with his teeth. He succeeded in pulling them down Greg’s hips, finishing the job with his hands.
He licked his lips at the sight of the red, swollen cock, wondering just how long it had been for Greg. Surely this was more arousal than just a small amount of petting would warrant.
He knelt in front of Greg and licked over the dripping tip, tasting him, enjoying the flavour after so long without. Greg arched his back, pushing his hips forward, urging his cock into Nick’s mouth, moaning as he felt the warmth close around him.
Nick swirled his tongue over the head before sucking the shaft in, savouring the texture of a hard and silky cock. Nick relaxed his throat, taking Greg as deeply as he could. Just because he was here to take his own pleasure didn’t mean he had no interest in pleasing his partner. He ducked his head as he felt Greg slide his fingers through his hair; the gesture was a little too intimate for him. To regain his edge, he released the younger man’s cock with a final lick and pushed him down on the couch.
He pulled the pants and boxers off Greg’s slender legs, noticing the thick white socks. “Got any lube?” Greg nodded and got onto his knees to reach into the drawer of the table next to the couch. Nick planted his hand in the middle of Greg’s back, urging him toward the arm of the couch, keeping him in place.
He took the tube and slicked up his fingers, sliding them in the alluring cleft of the rounded ass, finding the entrance and working the lube inside. He couldn’t wait to be inside the tight channel. He quickly stripped his jeans and underwear, finding a condom in his pocket. He knelt between Greg’s legs, rolling the condom on and grabbed Greg’s hips, holding him in place as he slid inside, feeling the hot sheath clutch him, pulling him deeper. He felt like he wanted to come instantly and like he never wanted to leave; he just wanted to be buried inside this man forever.
Usually this was the time his partners would squirm and complain about his size but Greg just groaned, pushing back to meet him with equal strength. He was relaxed and hungry, taking Nick’s hard length confidently. Nick pushed harder and heard the discordant scrape as the end table moved across the floor. Greg’s hands slipped from it and he braced himself on the floor as Nick moved faster, driving into him forcefully, hands gripping tightly enough to bruise.
Nick angled his hips differently and felt the jerk as he hit the sweet spot. Greg’s head came up and he uttered an inarticulate cry of pleasure. Each thrust was faster, harder until Nick was driving home almost ferociously, willing Greg to come. His hands were stiff, aching with the force with which he was holding the slim hips in place.
Greg braced himself over the arm of the couch, the feeling of Nick’s hard shaft inside him, filling him was overwhelming and he moaned passionately. It didn’t happen to him often but he felt himself tumble over the edge, the steely heat inside him stoked the fires that he’d banked down and he felt that agonizing moment right before he came, bursting in relief as his cum shot over his stomach.
Nick felt the muscles clamping around him and let go, exploding with each deep final thrust until he was draped limply over the other man’s heaving back. Greg’s t-shirt was wet with sweat and he still wore his white socks.
Weakly Nick pulled out, collapsing back onto the couch. Slowly Greg started to move, flopping down on the couch next to Nick. Their eyes met and they both started to laugh shakily. Nick loved the flush that coloured the younger man’s pale skin; he looked like he was freshly fucked and loving it. He skimmed a finger up the sleek, long leg watching as Greg stretched them out in front.
Nick flinched as he felt Greg’s hand on his face. He could read the intention in the soft dark eyes and jerked his chin out of the hand cupping it. Greg’s eyes showed his uncertainty and Nick stood, searching for his clothes.
This was just sex and he wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. Kissing was out. Mumbling his excuses, Nick fumbled his way into his clothes. He saw a wall go up on/ across Greg’s face and his eyes shut down. He wore a small frozen smile as he grabbed his boxers.
Nick said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah,” Greg replied. “Sure. Thanks for the fuck.” He walked Nick to the door and let him out.
Nick almost ran to his car. This was the awkward moment, the time when he wanted to get away, to forget what had just happened. Usually he would have some kind of vague statement, designed to disguise the fact that this was just sex for him, but there was something about Greg’s eyes. He didn’t want to lie to him, but he had to get out.
He sighed in relief when he got home, heading directly for the shower to clean the scent of sex and sweat and Greg from his skin. He tossed his clothes on the floor and stood under the stream of hot water for a long time. His cock rose, hard and unyielding as if he hadn’t just fucked his brains out. Reluctantly, he stroked himself to climax, his mind awash with a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells. As much as he wanted to deny it, he’d felt a connection with Greg and it made him uneasy. Reaffirming how much easier life was with just a series of casual fucks, he banished Greg from his mind and went to bed.
~*~
Over the next couple of days, Nick found himself thinking Greg a lot. He would be concentrating on work and something would trigger a sense memory, a scent, a touch, a taste and instantly he’d be hard, his breath coming a little faster. He was disturbed by it, usually his pickups were a blur of anonymous asses, cocks and balls, chests with hair, chests without hair. It was rare that he remembered the person, usually the fuck was the thing. But there was some connection with this particular man that sent him unwillingly back to the bar where they first met.
Of course Greg wasn’t there. And Nick knew nothing about him, other than his first name, the fact that he was a firefighter and where he lived. And that he was completely and utterly hot.
Night after night he would swing by the bar. Once or twice he thought he recognized one of the men who’d been with Greg when he first saw him but he couldn’t be sure and what would he say anyway? I can’t get your friend out of my mind and could I have his phone number please?
He even began to think about watching Greg’s apartment, trying to identify which mailbox was his so he could get his last name. He knew he could drive by, get his plate numbers, and run them but he didn’t want to turn into some kind of sick stalker.
There was something different about Greg, something that haunted him. It wasn’t as if he was ready to buy rings and settle down, he just thought that if he could fuck him again, get his hands on that ass once more, it would get Greg out of his system and he could forget him. He kept his eyes open for other young men in uniform, hoping he would find some gorgeous guy that would drive Greg out of his head, but somehow everyone just seemed flat by comparison.
In the end, it wasn’t at the bar where they met. It was unexpected and at the last place he would ever have thought. Nick was learnedly perusing the contents of a can of chili at the market near work when a light voice said, “Well, hi.”
He looked up in surprise, his brilliant smile flashing warmly as he recognized Greg. “Hi, yourself. What are you doing here?” he asked brilliantly.
Greg’s lips quirked in an irrepressible smile and he giggled. “Well, I’m washing my car, see.”
Nick laughed nervously. “Duh. Serves me right. It’s nice to see you… again.”
“Nice to see you too,” Greg nodded and made as if to pass Nick with his cart.
“Wait!” Nick put his hand on Greg’s where it rested on the handle. Greg looked at his hand and then up at Nick, who pulled his hand away, ashamed at the veiled pain in the dark eyes. “Um, I was thinking… that um, maybe we could… get together again.”
A brief struggle in those expressive eyes ended when Greg smiled and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’d like that.”
“When?” Nick urged, not realising how desperate he sounded.
There was a flash of satisfaction and something else in Greg’s eyes and then he said, “Well, I was planning on going straight home after this. Would you like-”
“I’ll follow you,” Nick said firmly. Greg looked slightly bewildered but continued his shopping with the older man at his heels. Nick was so nervous he couldn’t even make conversation; he was determined not to let Greg get away until he could bed him again.
He was at Greg’s apartment before the other man showed up and helped him carry his bags inside. Greg offered him a drink while he put his groceries away and Nick accepted just to have something in his hands to keep him from grabbing the other man and ripping his clothes off. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d desired someone so much.
Greg didn’t seem nervous this time. When he finished with his groceries, he took Nick by the hand and led him straight into the bedroom. He stripped without ceremony, standing unselfconsciously in front of Nick, closing the curtains and flopping onto the bed to wait for him.
Nick fumbled with his clothing, eagerness making him clumsy and slow. He knelt on the bed, shocked as Greg rolled over to him and immediately plunged down to take Nick’s cock into his mouth. Greg’s mouth moved ceaselessly until Nick pushed him away, not wanting to come too soon.
Nick gasped for air and Greg hooked a leg out from under him, pushing him onto his back. The younger man took charge, finding a condom in the drawer and rolling it onto Nick’s hard length. He rubbed lube onto him with a light touch, watching with amusement as Nick groaned and bucked his hips.
He warmed more lube in his hands and Nick had trouble breathing as he watched Greg’s hands go to his opening, his fingers disappearing as he stretched himself. Greg straddled Nick, grabbing behind himself to align the older man’s cock and he sank down, impaling himself with a look of pained pleasure on his face.
Nick drew his knees up and Greg leaned back against them as he strove to accommodate the other man’s girth. As his muscles eased, he leaned forward, planting his hands on Nick’s chest and angled to kiss the older man. Nick turned his head slightly, hoping to reject the move subtly. After a couple of tries, Greg clearly took the hint and nuzzled Nick’s throat instead, kissing his way to the toned chest, taking a nipple between his teeth and tugging gently. Nick groaned and moved his hips.
Greg pushed himself up and arched back against Nick’s legs, starting to ride the older man’s cock. His hands roamed over his own torso, pinching and twisting his nipples, watching Nick through half closed eyes. The desire in Nick’s eyes inspired him to put on a little show and as he rode the older man, he arched his back, moaning and clenching his muscles.
Nick reached for Greg’s ass, digging his fingers into the luxuriant swells. The creamy skin was so smooth in his hands, but no smoother than the satin lined sheath gripping him tightly. He watched Greg until he could bear it no longer. He held him tightly and flipped them over without losing contact. He wanted more, more connection, more skin and groaned as their chests came together. He grabbed Greg’s ankles and put them over his shoulders, sighing as he felt the younger man lock them behind his neck.
It was rare that Nick faced someone he fucked but he was enjoying watching the emotion chase openly over Greg’s face so much that all he wanted was to see him when he came. He was humbled that, after he’d been such a bastard, Greg would not only invite him over again but also be willing to show what he felt. He felt uneasily that he didn’t deserve someone like this and resolved to make it as good for Greg as he could.
He braced himself so he could get a hand on Greg’s cock, thick and rigid between their bellies. He set a slow pace, pulling out until only the tip of his cock remained inside, sliding in to his full length, making sure to massage Greg’s prostate with each stroke. Nick watched as Greg gasped for air, little moans escaping his lips as he felt himself being filled over and over. Passion flowered on the beautiful face as Nick triggered his orgasm and his essence was hot as fire as it spilled over Nick’s hand.
It took all his effort but Nick remained motionless until Greg opened his fathomless eyes and smiled. Nick started to move again, fucking hard and fast, rubbing his skin against Greg’s until he came, crying out hoarsely as he spent himself.
He lowered himself carefully, staying inside Greg, something he rarely did, but he didn’t want to break the tenuous connection between them. Finally his limp cock slid out and he rolled onto his back, bringing Greg with him. Unwanted feelings welled inside him, he felt tender, protective and held the slender body close. Tears welled in his eyes as he felt tiny kisses along his neck and the hollow of his throat. He stroked Greg’s back, feeling the roughness of the skin for the first time.
As if he’d heard the unspoken question, Greg said, “Scars. Burns.”
Nick sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it. Although he couldn’t tell whether the scarred skin hurt, he could feel a tiny shiver when he brushed his fingers over it.
“Does it hurt?”
“No. Parts of it feel a little weird. It’s nothing.”
Nick floated in an oddly contemplative place. He felt sad and ashamed that he couldn’t give Greg what he wanted. He pushed it aside.
“So, you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Why don’t you?”
“I asked first.”
“I had a boyfriend. He cheated on me. With a woman.”
“Fuck,” Nick breathed.
“I found them… in our bed. That was it.” Greg flipped a hand.
“How long ago?”
“Three years.”
“You haven’t been with anyone in three years?” Nick was outraged. This guy was just so great. He could see the depths of warmth and emotion in his eyes. Even though it wasn’t something he wanted for himself, he was almost angry that Greg was keeping this from the world. “You have so much to give. How can you just shut yourself away?”
“It’s kind of easier, considering my job. How many firefighters you figure are going to be comfortable showering in front of me if they knew I was gay?” Greg asked casually as if this was no big deal.
Nick nodded. He knew the feeling; he wasn’t out at work either. Sometimes he found it tiring to maintain the fiction of being a ladies’ man to explain why he’d never married.
“So why are you alone?” Greg asked, looking up at the square jaw and strong neck.
“Same deal, I guess. It’s just easier.” Nick shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to this much touching and now that he had Greg wrapped securely in his arms, he was wondering how to get out of this. As if he could read Nick’s thoughts, Greg stirred, pushing himself away from Nick.
“I better clean up,” he said and rolled out of bed. Without a backward glance he walked out of the room to the bathroom. Nick nervously got out of bed and dressed himself. He was so anxious, he realised he hadn’t even looked at Greg’s back as he walked away.
He waited for a moment but Greg didn’t reappear. Muffled splashing noises came from the bathroom as Nick tiptoed by and let himself out quietly.
As he drove away, he realised he still didn’t know Greg’s last name or phone number but it was probably for the best.
~*~
The next few weeks at work were busy and Nick volunteered for every extra hour he could get. Anything to stop himself from thinking. He worked until he was exhausted but nothing seemed to stop him from needing release when he got home. He jacked off every morning and evening to images of Greg’s angular slim shoulders, his long legs, his eyes so warm and glowing, his gasps and cries as he took Nick into his body.
Nick’s fingers twitched with his craving to touch that soft, silky skin again. He could have kicked himself when he recalled how he’d had Greg in his arms and couldn’t wait to leave. Now he would give anything to touch him again. He doubted that he would run into Greg again. Much more likely was that if the other man spotted him first, he would run in the other direction. Fair enough too, Nick had made it only too clear that he was only interested in a quick fuck.
He fell asleep sad with regret. He was terrified that he would never see Greg again, never have a chance to kiss him. He dreamed of his scent, that subtle smell of smoke that clung to him and his clothing. He awoke choking and realised his room really was full of smoke. Dimly he remembered the annoying sound of his smoke alarm when the battery ran down and how he’d pulled it out, forgetting to replace it.
He rolled out of bed and crawled along the floor, keeping his face low. His last conscious thought was that he saw an angel, clad in firefighter yellow as he felt himself hoisted up.
Nick came to with a mask over his face, looking up at the stars. An EMT was crouched by his side smiling as he blinked.
“Take it easy, fella. You’re okay, everything’s okay.”
Nick’s eyes went to his house. Firefighters still had a hose trained on the structure while white smoke billowed from the back.
A friendly firefighter came over, his jacket off, his face smudged and dirty. He put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Sorry, man. We managed to save most of it, but the bedroom is pretty much trashed. We have a clean-up crew coming. Looks like faulty wiring as far as we can tell. You are a lucky man.”
Feebly, Nick pushed the mask away. “What happened?”
“We got to you in time, that’s the main thing. Maybe a little smoke inhalation but you should be good as new in a couple days. Sorry about your house.” The firefighter turned his head and yelled, “Hey, G? Sanders! Your baby’s awake.”
He laughed at the startled look on Nick’s face. “That what we call it when we carry out a live one. You’ll be okay.” He clapped Nick’s shoulder and stood. Nick pushed himself up to sit and the EMT brought him a blanket, wrapping it around him as he sat, looking at the crowd of firefighters milling by the truck.
Finally two guys came closer, pushing a reluctant figure over to Nick. “Come on, you gotta shake hands with him.”
Reluctantly Greg met his eyes. “Hey,” he said awkwardly. His buddies pushed his arm forward and he shook hands with Nick, trying to ignore the sparks when their skin touched. “Are you okay?” he asked anxiously, unable to read the emotion in the older man’s eyes.
“Did you carry me out?” Greg had his jacket off and he looked so skinny to Nick, he couldn’t imagine being carried by such a slender guy.
One of Greg’s mates grabbed him around the shoulder. “He’s stronger than he looks,” he laughed and turned away.
Nick realised he was still holding Greg’s hand. “Thank you. I don’t know what to say, but I… I really wanted to… to call… or something…”
Greg pulled his hand away. “Don’t worry about it, part of my job.” He wanted to go but the lost, stunned look in Nick’s eyes disarmed him. “Do you have someplace to stay? Anyone you want me to call?”
Nick thought fleetingly of Warrick, but he didn’t want to call him, to have to explain. As close as they seemed at work, they really didn’t hang out together in their off hours. In fact, Nick was beginning to see that his solitary hunter lifestyle had ensured that he truly was alone.
Greg shifted on his feet and sighed. Finally he dropped to the grass next to Nick. “It’s a shock when your stuff burns, you know. But you’re okay and that’s the main thing.”
“I don’t have any clothes,” Nick said stupidly.
Greg laughed and patted his hand sympathetically. “Personally I think you look great without them,” he said softly. As if fighting his own instincts, he added, “If you need to, you could stay with me a couple of days till you get things sorted out. The damage is fixable, so you’ll be back here before you know it.”
Nick eyes lit up and he nodded as if he feared that Greg would think better of his offer and renege. Greg patted his arm. “Where do you keep your keys?”
“On the table inside the front door.”
“Hang on a minute, I’ll get them for you.” Greg rose gracefully and walked over to his captain and had a few words with him. He donned his jacket, mask and air tank and walked around to the back of the house. A few minutes later, he came back to Nick, dripping wet and dropped the ring of keys into his hand. “You know where I live,” he said simply. “There’s a spare key hidden under the roof tile with the bird’s nest in it. Let yourself in, take a shower. There’s some sweats in the bottom drawer of my dresser. They should fit you.”
~*~
Several hours later, Greg let himself into his apartment. He’d thought Nick would be well asleep by now but he was huddled on the couch in the same blanket the EMT had wrapped around him. He smelled like smoke and he looked lost.
“Hey,” Greg said with concern. He sat next to Nick and put his arm around him. “You should get some rest.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“Well, I’m here now,” Greg said soothingly. “It’ll be okay, you’re alive, you’re not hurt. You just need some rest.”
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Nick said. “I thought I might never see you again and I just wanted to kick myself. I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t forgive me, I was such an ass.”
Greg smiled, a warm, genuine smile full of hope. “You’re right.”
“About what?”
“You’re an ass.”
For the first time in weeks, Nick laughed. “All I could think about was that I had to get out so I could find you and tell you I love you.”
“What?” Greg said faintly. “Isn’t that kind of sudden from fuck me to I love you?”
“No,” Nick said firmly. “I felt it the moment I saw you, I’ve just been denying it to myself. Too goddamn scared.”
“You wouldn’t even kiss me,” Greg protested and went to get up, but Nick lunged toward him, holding him tightly.
“I want to kiss you… so badly,” Nick whispered and for the first time in years, brushed his lips against another man’s. He choked back a sob as he felt Greg’s mouth open and he delved into the warmth, exploring gently. He felt Greg’s body relax and pushed him down on the couch as he continued to kiss. Breathlessly he said, “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of kissing you.”
Greg’s face lit and he smiled. He looked so beautiful to Nick. “I need to take a shower, Nick. And so do you.” He wrinkled his nose as he sniffed the older man. “I kind of rushed off after work. I wanted to know if you were really here.”
He wriggled out from under Nick and pulled him up, leading him to the bathroom. He turned on the water and stripped himself, shyly facing Nick. Nick pushed his boxers off and they stepped into the shower.
Greg handled Nick gently, washing him thoroughly, even behind his ears. “Smoke really clings,” he said. He shampooed Nick’s hair, massaging his scalp luxuriously and holding him while he rinsed him. Nick allowed Greg to tend to him, accepting his ministrations gratefully. He felt a little numb after the events of the day. He watched as Greg washed himself, the water coursing over his slender body shining in the light.
Greg turned off the water and helped Nick out of the shower, drying him with a big soft towel. He dried himself and vanished, coming back with drawstring pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt. He gave Nick a new toothbrush.
Greg was wearing plaid boxers and putting new sheets on the bed. “I only have the one bed, so if you don’t mind sleeping-”
“Stay with me,” Nick pleaded. He moved forward and took Greg in his arms, kissing him again.
Greg nodded and kissed him back. Nick pushed him down on the bed, kissing him over and over. He rubbed against Greg, so happy to be holding him again. He pushed the boxers down Greg’s legs, sliding his groin over the erection of the man beneath him. He reached for the lube and rubbed it onto Greg with trembling hands. He slid into him, never once releasing his lips. He moved inside him, rolling and swivelling his hips, trying to bring his lover the greatest pleasure.
Greg arched up under Nick, his legs parted and drawn up. He clasped them around Nick’s waist, wholly given over to the feeling of the male hardness driving inside him. He clenched his muscles around the dick impaling him, there was something about that feeling that made him go all weak and wobbly inside, like he was helpless before the masculine assault. He just wanted more. The moment when Nick’s cock hit that spot deep inside him set off a cascade of sparks, setting him on fire until he was ready to explode.
Blindly he found his own cock, stroking the shaft, rubbing his thumb over the head. The pleasure deep inside him filled him with warmth and the stimulation made him even harder, panting for release.
Nick felt his own orgasm building fast. His declaration seemed to release something inside Greg, he was whimpering and moaning, his half opened eyes unseeing as he clung to Nick, urging him deeper by digging his heels into his back.
The older man struggled to hold off his own climax til Greg exploded between them, crying Nick’s name as he came. Nick had never heard a sweeter sound. He moved faster, gyrating his hips until he lost himself in his own ecstasy.
“God, love you, love you so much,” he gasped as he came. He rested his head on Greg’s chest, panting for breath, slick with sweat and cum.
“Tell me,” he demanded, when he could speak, “Tell me you love me.”
“Pretty ballsy for a guy who wouldn’t kiss,” Greg grumbled beneath him.
“Tell me,” Nick pleaded.
“I love you,” Greg said softly.
Nick started to cry. “I could have lost you, I could have lost you,” was all he could say.
Greg just held him, letting him cry. Nick was grateful; he hated crying but he hated even more when people said, “Don’t cry, it’ll be all right.” He clutched at Greg, not wanting to let him go.
When his sobs trailed off, Greg said, “Nick? My hips are getting sore…”
“Sorry, sorry,” Nick said and pulled out a little too quickly. Greg winced and let his legs fall to the bed.
“I want you to make love to me,” Nick said. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“Have you ever done that before?” Greg looked up and him and yawned widely. “Sorry,” he grinned apologetically. “Busy shift.”
“No, I’ve never done it,” Nick said humbly. “I never wanted to; I’ve never trusted anyone, but I want to give myself to you.”
“You want to do this right now?”
“Are you up for it?”
Greg laughed. “Oh, yeah, I’d love to fuck you. I think I’ll be able to handle it.” He saw the anxiety flicker in Nick’s eyes. “Take it easy, it’s better if you relax.”
Nick nodded. He didn’t know what to do, he was always in control, the one who drove the action and he felt awkward. He rolled onto his stomach when Greg pushed him.
“You need to relax,” Greg repeated softly. His hands started rubbing at the tension knotting Nick’s shoulders. Nick rested his head on his hands and started to relax as the soothing caress went on. He felt Greg’s hands skimming over his back, massaging lower and lower.
Greg shifted to kneel between Nick’s legs, feeling the older man tense again as if he suspected that Greg would just ram himself in.
“Take it easy, baby,” he crooned, rubbing over the backs of Nick’s thighs. He ran his hands over the round, muscular globes of Nick’s ass.
Nick liked the feeling, he had no idea that there were so many pleasure receptors back there. He gasped as fingers dipped into the cleft and he felt hot lips kissing one of his cheeks. He wiggled in response. He felt Greg’s mouth skimming over his ass and his hips started moving. He jumped when he felt Greg’s tongue, setting off a million electrical tingles as he lapped and kissed the sensitive flesh. He wondered why he’d never done this. He heard his own voice, begging Greg not to stop.
As Nick moved he felt the first slippery finger, sliding up and down his crack. He pushed back. He was so ready, so relaxed, he wanted Greg inside him so badly. When he felt the first finger enter him, it burned a bit, but didn’t feel too bad. It didn’t explain how Greg acted when he was fucking him though. And then the fingers brushed over a spot that made him arch and groan, tingles spread from deep inside him, up his spine and into his cock, making him harder than he ever thought possible. Suddenly he knew what people felt when he was inside them, he understood all the writhing and moaning, because that’s how he felt. And it was wonderful.
He felt Greg’s cock at his opening. He felt like Greg was teasing him, circling and brushing over his entrance. He felt Greg’s muscles tense with the strain of trying to penetrate Nick with care and control. Nick relaxed as he felt Greg’s cock inch inside him and then every nerve was sizzling and popping as he was completely filled.
“Okay?” Greg asked breathlessly. “Can I move?”
Nick moaned his assent and Greg began rocking his hips, pulling out slowly and pushing back in, moving side to side, changing to an orbital rotation, trying to mix things up and keep Nick’s body guessing. Nick felt his orgasm start to build; Greg’s cock massaged his prostate with every stroke while the friction of the movement caused his cock to rub against the sheets. Between the two sources of stimulation Nick was gasping, incoherent as he tried to beg for more. Greg reached for Nick’s cock, rubbing gently over the tip with his thumb, gripping the shaft firmly.
Greg felt the beginning of his climax as Nick convulsed around him and thrust harder, and felt Nick’s cum spill over his hands. His hips moved faster and drove hard until he screamed with each spasm as he came. He lowered himself carefully onto Nick and ran his hands over Nick’s arms.
“That was incredible,” Nick said softly. “I didn’t know what I was missing.”
“And now you’ll want to do it all the time,” Greg replied. He moved to pull out and get rid of the condom. Nick rolled onto his back and pulled Greg close, wrapping him in his arms.
“Only with you, baby.” Nick kissed the side of Greg’s head and the younger man slid away from him, taking care of the condom. He saw Greg turn away as if to leave and grabbed him.
“I know this sounds weird, but I really do love you,” Nick said bravely. “I want forever with you.”
Greg smiled but the pain in his eyes broke Nick’s heart. “Look, I see this all the time. You’ve had a shock today, you lost part of your world. You want to hang onto something. You picked me. Don’t make any promises…”
“I won’t, I’ll just love you till you believe,” Nick smiled. He pulled Greg closer to snuggle against him.
“Okay, I guess I can put up with that,” Greg said with a chuckle.
Nick wrapped his arms around Greg. He had the rest of his life to touch him and love him and he never wanted to let go.
~*~*~*~
“You know this started out about my hang ups and somehow it wandered away,” Nick said into Greg’s ear. “Roll on your stomach, I want to return the massage.”
“Mmmmm,” Greg moaned as he lay face down and Nick started to rub his shoulders.
“I can’t believe you managed to pick me up and carry me,” Nick continued.
“I’m stronger than I look,” Greg smirked.
“Did you ever want to be a fireman?”
“When I was younger. I went through a whole fireman, policeman, superhero period,” Greg said.
“You wanted to save me.” Nick felt the younger man stiffen under his hands. Greg rolled over and Nick’s heart broke when he saw the look in the younger man’s eyes.
“I guess you’re right,” Greg said hesitantly.
“This is about the explosion.”
Greg sighed.
“You’re having nightmares again.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s not about that, Greg.” Nick looked at him. “I would have saved you if I could have. You know that.”
“I know, Nicky,” Greg said softly. Suddenly he closed his eyes and put his arm over his face. He rolled onto his stomach again, his face turned away from Nick. “Sometimes I don’t have any problem with it. But seeing that woman, all burned, still alive…”
“I could kick myself for all the crap I put you through before the explosion. If we’d been together…”
“Don’t, Nick. We needed to go through that. I really believe we wouldn’t be together now if the whole thing didn’t happen.”
Silently Nick rubbed Greg’s back. “I do regret it. I regret that I left you. I regret that hurt you, that I didn’t realise how much I loved you.”
“You took care of me… after…” Greg said. “I don’t know if I ever would have been able to show someone my scars. But you saw me before and somehow… it makes it better.”
He rolled over when he heard a stifled sob from Nick. “Early on, before the explosion, you were asleep one day and I was trying to memorize every mole on your body. And I don’t remember how many there were on your back.”
Greg wanted to cry. “I don’t know. I never looked at my back.”
Nick smiled through his tears. “I figured out a way to fix that.” He stood up and walked to the dresser, where he took out an envelope. He handed it to Greg. “I wrote to your Papa Olaf and asked if he had any pictures of you that showed your back. He sent these.”
Greg sat up and took the envelope with trembling fingers. He laughed as several old photographs slid out. One showed him when he was seven, with a missing tooth and a big grin. Another showed him looking over his shoulder, wearing swim trunks. His back was clearly visible, showing every mole. Another photo showed him at 13, with long ironed hair, shaved on one side, make up and baggy pants, held up around his slim hips with a belt that was way too long. Part of his back showed. Despite the punky look and carefully sullen expression, there was still something joyous and funny about him.
“You were so cute,” Nick crooned tenderly, looking over his shoulder.
“Thanks, I think.” Greg laughed. “I didn’t know he even took these.”
“He made copies, he said we could keep them,” Nick said. He snatched the one that showed Greg’s full back. “And now I have a road map. I can kiss every place where there was a mole.” He pushed Greg flat and started kissing the scars. He felt the tension drain out of Greg’s back. He understood. Sometimes his own fears and insecurities weighed him down and sometimes he just felt like he could fly, mostly when he was alone with Greg. There was something about the younger man that made their bond into something that was so right, so inevitable. If he had to kiss Greg’s scars everyday he would do it. It was a small price to pay.