Chapter Nine #2
“God,” John-Francis said with a long groan. “I love y’too, feck I’m gonna come.”
He buried his cock deep inside me and when he stilled, I knew it was over.
I held him tightly as he came, pinning his body to mine.
We kissed for a long moment, both of us coming down from the height of our pleasure.
When John-Francis pushed himself up on his arms, his cock slipped free from my body, and yet to my surprise, he lowered his face to my chest and began licking the remnants of my cum off me.
“Feck,” I laughed, stroking my hand through his hair. “Y’too much, y’know that, aye? How’d I get t’ be so lucky?”
“Mm,” John-Francis hummed between licks. “No’ so sure y’the lucky one, now. Y’taste so feckin’ good, like.”
I lay back, enjoying the wet, warmth of his mouth as he cleaned up the mess I’d made of myself.
When he’d eventually had his fill of me, John-Francis leant over the side of the bed, snatching up a pair of boxers – whether they were his or mine, I couldn’t tell but it didn’t matter – and wiped the worst off his own chest before laying back down in the bed beside me.
“What y’got on f’today, like?” I asked, stretching my back out.
“I’d be tellin’ ya Tess has agreed t’ help me an’ Dec shake someone down, aye?”
I nodded. It wasn’t my favourite plan, but I’d seen the mess Declan had made of Darragh that afternoon when the police had shown up, and that had only been a brief scuffle. I knew he had what it took to see that job through.
“Well, Declan thinks tonight would be a good night to give it a go, like,” John-Francis continued.
“Makes sense on a weekend.” I nodded, tucking my arms behind my head. “I’d be surprised Tess was up f’it, like.”
“Aye, ya an’ me both,” John-Francis chuckled. “She’s a good girl, now. Can’t be faultin’ her. Declan got lucky wi’ that wee buffer, f’sure.”
“Y’need help wi’ any o’ it?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Nah, y’grand f’offerin’ but we got it in hand, now.”
“Ya’d rather take the wee buffer girl than me, aye?” I teased with a grin. “What y’gettin’ at?”
To my surprise, John-Francis heaved himself up and rolled his weight on top of me, pinning me beneath him.
“Ya matter more t’ me than any wee buffer, like,” he murmured, gazing into my eyes. “I’d be keepin’ y’outta trouble. Y’don’t need t’ be involved in the shite me an’ Declan be doin’, now.”
I hummed reluctantly. I had to admit that was a sweet answer. John-Francis leant in and kissed me softly, but when he pulled away, he had a handsome grin on his face once more.
“‘Sides, ya ma scares the shite outta me. Can y’imagine what she’d be doin’ t’ me if I got y’hurt or banged up, like?”
“Jaysus,” I laughed. “Doesn’t bear thinkin’ on, fella.”
After a little while longer spent lounging in bed, eventually John-Francis and I had to accept it was time to get up and dressed for our day ahead.
We were both in dire need of a shower after our passionate morning.
Whilst the weather had thawed, the mornings were still bitter and after bundling ourselves up in our coats, we grabbed our shower caddies and made our way across the camp to the toilet block.
It was a real point of contention for me that John-Francis and I were never able to shower together, though of course I understood why and agreed it was best not to tempt fate.
Even during quiet hours there were folks back and forth here constantly and I didn’t like to think about what would happen if the wrong person discovered us.
So I suffered another shower, lamenting the tiled wall between John-Francis and I and trying to wash off before the warm water dwindled too much.
The summer months were far easier for us traveller folks – no one minded a cool shower when the heat of the sun was beating down on you, but when it was chilly like this? It was fucking awful.
I was first to finish up, hurrying from my shower and scrubbing myself dry as quickly as I could. I was just stepping into my jeans when John-Francis appeared, casting me a grin as he eyed my bare chest. There was an old fella still in one of the shower cubicles, but otherwise we were alone.
“Y’lookin’ a wee bit perky there, like,” he murmured, nodding his head at me. “Cold?”
I glanced down with a chuckle, already well aware that my nipples were so hard they’d cut glass.
“Aye, laugh it up. It’s feckin’ baltic in here,” I replied, snatching up my clothes and eagerly dragging my long-sleeved shirt over my head.
“Ain’t really in a position t’ be teasin’ ya. Think me cock has shrunk back up inside me. Gone from a twelve t’ a two, now.”
At that I laughed aloud. “Y’don’t think it’s a wee bit late f’the exaggerations, aye? I’d already be knowin’ what y’workin’ with, like.”
John-Francis simply smirked at me, deliberately turning his back as he dropped his towel.
I was helpless but to stare at his arse, resisting the urge to sink my teeth into it.
Mercifully, he was in just as much of a hurry as I was to get warm and dry, and his delicious wee arse was hidden from view in no time.
John-Francis’s wee job wasn’t due to start until the evening, and unfortunately that rolled around far too quickly. After spending the day loitering around with Ma and Darragh, it was soon dark out and time to say our farewells.
I couldn’t deny that I was always on edge whenever John-Francis and Declan went out on a job together.
I knew they had one another’s backs one hundred percent, and yet I couldn’t help myself.
I was no stranger to dodgy jobs that fell on the wrong side of the law, but the part of me that loved John-Francis would remain tense and uneasy until he returned to me.
God, I was such a fucking sap…
John-Francis said goodbye to Ma and Darragh, and as always, I found a reason to follow him outside. In the privacy of the dark night, he kissed me goodbye and I watched him disappear across the camp.
Temperatures had plummeted and as I sighed, plumes of hot air clouded before my eyes. I turned on my heel, climbing back up inside the warmth of the caravan. Ma loved nothing better than to crank up the heating and the place was like a furnace.
“John-Francis is away, now?” she asked, looking up from playing a card game with Darragh.
“Aye.” I took a seat next to my cousin. “Deal me in on the next hand, now?”
Darragh nodded, not taking his eyes off his cards. “No bother.”
There was a moment of comfortable silence before my ma spoke. “So, I’d be meanin’ talk t’ ya both.”
“Oh, shite. What’s this, now?” Darragh replied with a smirk. “I hate it when y’be sayin’ that.”
“Wee Florence is doin’ much better. Her daughter’d be makin’ her way over from Cork t’ take care o’ her. I’d put me money on her leavin’ wi’ her.”
“Aye,” I said with a shrug. “And?”
“An’ I’m just sayin’ that there’d be no reason f’us t’ be hangin’ ‘bout Appleby no more.”
I fought to keep my composure whilst my heart pounded in my chest, palms sweaty. I stared at the cards laid on the table in front of me, mind buzzing with thoughts and yet none of them made any sense. Leaving Appleby meant leaving John-Francis.
I could feel both Ma and Darragh’s eyes on me, but I kept my attention fixed on the cards, refusing to acknowledge them. After a moment of tense silence, Darragh cleared his throat.
“I dunno, like. I’d be alright hangin’ ‘bout a wee bit longer.”
I jumped in quickly, trying not to sound too keen. “Aye, I’m in no rush t’ be movin’ on neither.”
“A’right, well, that’s that then, eh?” Ma smiled. “Just wanted t’ be checkin’ in. I appreciate y’boys hangin’ ‘bout whilst I looked after me pal, now.”
Darragh and I both muttered, acknowledging Ma’s thanks, eager to return our attention back to the card game. I should have known my ma wasn’t about to let things go that easily.
“I suppose John-Francis is reason enough t’ hang ‘bout, eh?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose whilst Darragh sighed heavily. We both spoke over one another simultaneously.
“Ma, leave it out.”
“Jaysus, Ma…”
Ma cackled, laying down a few cards. “Gin.”
“Y’crafty feckin’—” Darragh scowled with a laugh, throwing down the cards in his hands.
“Ah, ah, ah – don’t y’be talkin’ back t’ ya ma, now.” Her eyes jumped to me with a grin. “Y’joinin’ next game, aye?”
“Depends,” I laughed. “Y’gonna be playin’ dirty all night, like?”
“Ah, y’know I gotta try!”
“C’mon then, y’feckin’ wee chancer. Deal ‘em out.”
Though I did my best to put it out of my mind, playing round after round of Gin with my family, Ma’s words rebounded in my head.
There was no reason to stay in Appleby besides John-Francis.
I felt guilty knowing I was the one keeping us here.
When Ma had been busying about looking after her wee pal, it had felt like more than enough reason to be going against our usual way of life and halting up for an extended period of time, but now?
Now I was forced to accept we were here for my sake.
It had been easy to ignore the fragility of my relationship with John-Francis, and I was suddenly faced with the very real possibility that what we had wasn’t to last. I felt nauseous.
As the wee hours of the morning crept around, my anxiety to hear from John-Francis increased. I knew I was failing at being subtle every time I checked my phone. How was his job going? What if something had gone wrong? It made me itchy with worry.
When my ma won the third game on the trot, I decided enough was enough.
“Ah, this game’s rigged, like,” I teased, throwing down my hand and grinning at her. “I’d be needin’ some fresh air. It’s hot as all hell in here, Ma.”
“Ah, y’always were a wee sore loser, aye!” she jeered with a wink. Ma turned her attention to Darragh. “What says yourself? Another go, now?”
Darragh glanced up at me. I wasn’t sure if my tension was palpable, but if he’d had any idea of following me, he quickly changed his mind.
“Aye, go on. See y’later, aye?” he said to me as he gathered the cards up from the table.
I wasn’t going to admit it aloud, but everyone knew where I was headed. I wasn’t sure if that was a relief or not.
I grabbed a jacket and shrugged it on, shouting my farewells and jumping down into the night.
It was surprisingly brisk out and I shivered, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets as I made my way over to John-Francis’s place.
A wee while back he’d given me a spare key so I could come and go with ease, and I’d never been so grateful as I was that night.
I unlocked his door and hoisted myself up inside, locking it behind myself before drawing the curtains and flicking on the lights.
It was just as we’d left it that morning and that made me suddenly sad.
I shrugged out of my jacket, hanging it up before throwing myself down into John-Francis’s bed, bouncing against the springs.
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. I could smell him on the sheets, and it rocked me to my core how instantly my body responded to that.
I felt like my heart was three times too big for my chest as it pounded against my ribs.
God, I fucking loved John-Francis, more than I’d ever loved anyone before.
The strength of the emotions made me physically ache, the pain increasing tenfold as I imagined having to leave all of this behind.
No. No, I refused to get carried away with that train of thought.
Darragh and Ma seemed happy enough here, they clearly knew how important John-Francis was to me…
I knew they wouldn’t push to leave on a whim, but I couldn’t shake the fear that something big could potentially rip this little slice of nirvana to shreds.
Once I’d dragged myself out of my feelings, I undressed, hit the lights and dived into John-Francis’s bed. I lay back against the pillows, watching shite on the telly, awaiting John-Francis’s return.
I hadn’t even been aware that I’d fallen asleep until I was jolting awake, cold hands stroking my chest as a body slipped in behind me.
“Jaysus feckin’ Christ,” I gasped. “Y’feckin’ freezin’, like.”
John-Francis chuckled at my ear, pressing a kiss to my cheekbone. “Aye, sorry. I’d been hidin’ in a feckin’ hedge f’the last hour or more.”
My stomach churned and I glanced back at him from the corner of my eye. “Y’alright?”
“Aye, all good. Got the job done. Got chased off by another group o’ fellas an’ split up from Dec and Tess, but it’s all sorted, now.”
“Shite, sounds a wee mess.”
He chuckled. “It coulda been smoother, but we got what we needed, like. Those other fellas didn’t catch up t’ us – not sure they’d have liked the outcome even if they had, eh?”
“I bet.” I paused. “Glad y’back in one piece, like.”
“Mm, me too. I don’t mind tellin’ ya, it was a nice wee surprise t’ find ya waitin’ f’me in me bed.”
I smile curved my lips even as a strange sadness opened up inside my chest. “Just missed ya, like.”
“Wee feckin’ softie,” John-Francis admonished playfully. “I’d be missin’ ya too, now.”
Nothing more needed to be said. I let John-Francis wrap his arms around my body, hugging me tightly and I swiftly lost myself to sleep, all the more soundly for having the fella I loved at my back.