Friendly Skies (Blue Skies #2)

12. Darius

Chapter twelve

Darius

Darius stepped out of the bedroom clutching his cell phone in his hand, as he made his way to where Luis was sitting at the table.

“Ry wants to talk to you,” he said, holding the phone out for Luis.

“Me?” Luis swallowed hard. “Right now?”

“Better now than later. It’s okay. He just needs to know what I’ve said to you about the incident so he knows what to expect if you’re called in for a deposition, that’s all.”

“Okay.” Luis held his hand out for the phone and took it from Darius as if he were expecting it to bite him. “Hello?” he asked as he raised the phone to his ear, his voice as timid and unsure as Darius had ever heard it. He winced as Ry’s greeting came over the speaker to introduce himself.

Luis got up from the table and headed for the bedroom while Darius took his place at the table.

“You doing all right?” Greg asked.

“Define all right.” Darius shook his head and picked up Luis’ unfinished slice. “I might have whiplash from the fucking roller coaster the past twenty-four hours have been. My head is spinning with the conversation I just had with a lawyer. I’m crazy about my best friend, and my dreams about us being together just came true. And I’m scared out of my wits that all of it is going to turn into a nightmare because what I’ve been accused of is a crime by someone I was trying to help and protect. I don’t even think I’m in the same area code as all right.”

“I can understand that. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.”

“It’s unreal. My mom’s trying to get me to come down to San Diego until this blows over, which I can’t do even if I wanted to.” Darius took a bite of pizza, then made a face and put it back on the plate. “I’m also concerned about Luis and how this is going to affect him. Did he talk to you about what’s going on?”

Greg nodded. “He’s worried about you.”

“I hate that,” Darius said. “I wish I could keep this shit away from him because I don’t know how to protect him from it.”

“You know beneath that twink veneer, he’s tough as nails, right?”

“I do, but he doesn’t.”

“And protecting him all the time isn’t going to help him figure it out.”

Darius glared at Greg. “This isn’t the time for me to tell him he’s got to deal with shit on his own.”

“I’m not saying it is, but I am saying maybe you should give him a chance to be the one you lean on for a while instead of the other way around.”

Still glaring at the other man, Darius shook his head. “It fucking sucks having roommates who know you so well.”

Greg drained his beer and grinned at Darius. “Then thank God we’ve got Ricky.” He stood up and waved his empty at Darius. “You want one?”

“Only if it’s got something in it.”

Darius sat at the table while Greg got them another round of beers and picked at his pizza. They’d finished off less than half of it, but Darius supposed it was because neither he nor Luis were very hungry at the moment. He could only imagine what was going on in the bedroom between Ry and Luis and what Luis was going to be like when he emerged.

His own call with Ry had been equal parts hopeful and frustrating, not to mention scary. The worst-case scenario was that the woman’s accusations would result in criminal charges being filed against him. Federal charges because the incident had taken place on a plane. Ry had told him it was fortunate that the woman hadn’t made these accusations until a few days later because that meant the FBI hadn’t been waiting alongside the LAPD, which meant Darius would have his own lawyer present when he was questioned. But Ry also thought it was likely the case wouldn’t go anywhere.

“The videos don’t show anything except you doing your job under hazardous circumstances. And those were likely taken by the passengers with the best view, so I can’t imagine there’s going to be anyone who can corroborate her story. Plus, let’s face it, there wouldn’t be because you didn’t do anything, and that’s what you have to remember. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But there’s always the possibility that I did touch her,” Darius said. “It was so bumpy, and I was completely focused on getting her back into a seat it might have happened.”

“It’s a question of intent, Darius. She has to prove that you intentionally touched her.”

“I would never do that.”

“Exactly.”

The sound of the bottle sliding across the table roused Darius from his thoughts, and he took hold of the cool glass and gave Greg his thanks. They clinked bottles.

“I know it doesn’t do any good to tell you not to worry,” Greg said, and Darius offered him a wan smile. “Yeah. I didn’t think so. Shit, man, I hate that you’re going through this. But, seriously, tell me how it’s going with Luis.”

Even though he was still worried sick, Darius couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “It’s amazing,” he said. “Better than I could ever have imagined. He’s…shit, he’s everything.”

“Well, you made Jenna really happy and a few hundred richer.”

“A few hun…there was a pool?”

“Absolutely. Been one for years, actually. It got updated whenever we ran out of guesses.”

“We? You were in on this, too?”

“Of course I was. You’d think, being your housemate, I’d have had an inside track, but nope, because no one had this fucking scenario on their bingo cards to speed things along.”

“I guess that’s one silver lining to this whole mess.”

Greg held his bottle up, and Darius clinked his against it again. “Absolutely,” Greg said. His phone buzzed with a call, and he got a goofy grin on his face when he looked at the caller ID. “It’s Holden. You mind if I…?”

Darius waved his hand toward the bedrooms. “Be my guest.”

“Thanks, man.” Greg stood and pressed the button to receive the call. “Hey, baby,” he said as he put the phone to his ear and headed down the hall. “How are you doing?”

The door to Greg’s room opened and then gave a soft snick as it closed again, leaving Darius alone with his thoughts. Fortunately, he didn’t have long to sit there and think before Luis emerged from their bedroom. He tried to gauge Luis’ mood from his expression, but for the first time in his life, he wasn’t able to and watched silently as Luis crossed the room to him. Pushing back from the table, Darius reached for Luis’ hands, and Luis came forward, then straddled him so they were sitting face-to-face, Luis’ arms around his neck, his hands resting on Luis’ waist.

“How are you doing, chico?” Darius asked as Luis laid his head on Darius’ shoulder and settled against him.

“I’m as good as you could expect. Scared for you but glad you’ve got a lawyer on your side. That helps.”

“Yeah. So does this.”

“Mm-hm.”

They rested against each other for several minutes without speaking while Darius thought about Greg suggesting he lean on Luis rather than always being the strong one. While he recognized the validity of what Greg said, it wouldn’t be the easiest thing to give up that role. But then, he reminded himself, he’d never thought of Luis as being weak just because he needed Darius’ support.

Darius picked his head up, then tilted Luis’ face to meet his gaze. “This was exactly what I needed, chico,” he said. “Thank you.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. I love you.”

“I love you, too, cari?o.” Luis closed the distance between their mouths and kissed Darius.

It wasn’t a heated kiss, one that promised to lead them back into the bedroom, but a kiss of comfort and love, adoration and security. It was a kiss that said I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be here if you need me, I trust you . All of those things and more passed between them.

“That was nice,” Luis said as he settled back against Darius’ chest. “Would it be weird if we went out tonight?”

“Out as in a club?”

“Yeah. My head is spinning so much with everything that I kind of want to forget about it all for a while.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Darius said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Especially if I get to call you my boyfriend and tell all the other guys that you’re taken.”

Luis’ smile was radiant. “I think I’d like that.”

***

Greg opted to stay home and FaceTime with Holden, so it was just Luis and Darius walking into Neon that night. It was still early, and the place wasn’t nearly as packed as they usually found it, but that didn’t mean anything to Darius. The club could have been completely empty tonight or filled to the brim with the most gorgeous men he’d ever seen, and he wouldn’t have cared because he was out with Luis. Not as friends, but as boyfriends. Partners. Lovers. Whatever they wanted to call it didn’t matter as long as Darius got to call Luis his. Fully, one hundred percent, his.

They still hadn’t really discussed labels beyond that quick moment earlier in the kitchen nor had they had a discussion about what their future together would look like, but none of that mattered either because he’d had his arm around Luis, and damn! did Luis look amazing. He was wearing a fluffy pink bolero top with nothing underneath, pink metallic shorts, and strappy pink sandals with stiletto heels. Glitter adorned his cheeks, long lashes fluttered on his eyelids, and his lips were shiny with gloss.

“You are a dream come to life,” Darius murmured in Luis’ ear as they stood at the bar to get their first round of drinks.

Luis ducked his head and smiled shyly. “Thank you, cari?o.”

Darius snuck a finger under Luis’ chin and raised it so he could have a kiss. When they’d gotten ready at home, Luis’ first thought had been to match Darius’ black jeans, white T-shirt, and short leather jacket, but Darius had quickly nixed that idea. “Chico, you never dress to be hidden,” he’d said. “That doesn’t change just because you’re mine now. I love how you dress. The more outrageous, the better.”

“I don’t want anyone to think I’m looking for something,” Luis had said.

“I know you aren’t. And if anyone asks, we’ll tell them we’re off the market. It’s okay to tell someone no if you’re not interested.”

Luis had nodded while biting his lower lip, then went to change into his current outfit, which was definitely getting a lot of appreciative attention, though no one approached him. Neon was their go-to club, and they were known by most of the regulars. It wasn’t until they had their drinks and were standing at a high-top that someone came up to them. Only it wasn’t to flirt, it was to congratulate them on finally getting together.

“How did he know?” Luis asked after the guy walked away.

“Chico, I haven’t taken my hands off you since we walked in the door. Or my eyes. Or stopped kissing you every chance I get.” To demonstrate his point, Darius pulled Luis closer and brought their mouths together. As soon as their lips touched, Luis melted against Darius. It was a new thing, the way he went so pliant and soft in Darius’ arms, and it absolutely delighted him. It meant that, however much Luis and he knew each other, they were still going to discover things together. “Everyone here knows you’re mine now and that I’m yours.”

Luis hummed against Darius’ lips. “I always have been,” he said, then opened his mouth to Darius, who wasted no time delving inside.

Luis had opted for a lavender Cosmo, and the taste of it, combined with his natural flavor, was more intoxicating than any alcohol. Darius’ head spun as he ran his hands over Luis’ bare torso, brushed his fingers against Luis’ nipples—which made Luis squeak—then snuck around to stroke his back and tease at the waistband of his shorts.

“Do you have any idea how sexy you are, chico?” Darius asked.

“Maybe,” Luis answered as he lifted a leg and hooked it over Darius’ thigh. “Why don’t you show me?”

Darius let his hands drift lower until they cupped Luis’ ass and lifted him off his feet. Arms and legs immediately encircled his body as Luis’ mouth descended on his. In that moment, all sound, all scent, all thought ceased to exist for Darius. The only thing he was aware of was the feel of Luis in his arms, the taste of Luis in his mouth, the sound of Luis’ mews in his ears, the scent of him filling his lungs. If he could have borne the sight of Luis without exploding, he would have opened his eyes, but he worried it would just be too much for him, so he kept them shut and let all his other senses take over. Nothing else existed. Not the sound of the music, the people around them, not even the entirety of West Hollywood pulsing with the hearts and desires of a thousand gay men or the incessant chaos of the LA basin and all its beautiful, perfect people.

When the kiss slowed, Darius gently lowered Luis to the floor without letting go of his sensual mouth and sinful tongue. He finally opened his eyes, finding Luis’ open as well. How many times had he met Luis’ eyes when they’d shared a joke or smiled at each other? It was hopeless to even contemplate the total, but it was enough that he thought he knew the depths of those dark eyes. That he understood their complexity and warmth. Their passion and emotion. It turned out he knew nothing.

“You are so much more than I ever imagined,” Darius said.

“I know,” Luis said, then smiled and laughed. “I mean, you are, too. For me.”

“I can’t decide if I want to get you out on the dance floor or go back home and fuck you.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a better offer.”

“Which one?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

And then they were kissing again, spurred on by the beat of the music and the sounds of the men around them.

Eventually, they made their way onto the dance floor to grind and frot against each other. Luis’ shorts did nothing to hide how hard he was, and it nearly drove Darius out of his mind when Luis got behind him, bent him over, and started rubbing his dick against Darius’ ass. Groaning deep in his throat, he rocked back against Luis, undulating his hips and imagining that they were already in bed. Would Luis top him? Darius wasn’t sure, but now that the idea was in his head, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Especially when Luis slapped his ass and met him thrust for thrust.

One song melded into another. They took a break for another drink, then got back to dancing. Darius’ body throbbed with the beat of the music, the pulse of his blood rushing through his veins, his cock keeping time as Luis wrapped himself around Darius and pulled him in for a kiss.

At one point, Ash swept by, joined them for a moment, then nodded at Darius. “Told ya,” he said. “Congratulations.” He disappeared into the crowd, and Darius watched him go with a curious pang. It wasn’t because he wanted to be with Ash, more that he realized how desperately he’d been trying to replace Luis in his heart and how foolish that now seemed.

“All those guys…” Darius said.

“What about them?”

“They were only a substitute for you, chico. I thought I was looking for someone to love me when all along, you were the only one I wanted to.”

“And I always did.”

“I know that now.”

They moved closer, but before they could fall into another kiss, a nearby commotion caught Darius’ attention. Instinctively, he moved in front of Luis and caught sight of several women—one of whom was wearing a “Bride-to-be” sash—pointing in his direction. It wasn’t unusual for bridal showers to show up at the WeHo clubs, and these women weren’t significantly more inebriated than others Darius had seen, but something about them made the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Why come to a gay club if you’re going to make a scene?” someone next to Darius said.

“Chico, I think we—”

“It’s him!” one of the women screamed. “The guy from the plane videos. The flight attendant.”

Maybe it was because she was shouting over the music, but Darius caught a distinctly unfriendly tone in her voice, something threatening underlying her words. He had a split second to make up his mind and opted for caution. Taking hold of Luis’ hand, he tried to lead him toward the exit, but Luis balked. When Darius turned around, Luis’ eyes snapped fire at him.

“They are not running us out of here,” he said.

“Chico—” Darius glanced over his shoulder to see a couple of the women advancing.

“No, Dar. This is our first time out as a couple, and I am not letting these bitches ruin our night.”

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

The woman was at his back, a fingernail poking hard enough into his shoulder blade Darius felt it through his leather jacket. When he turned, she poked him in the chest.

“Melanie, come on.” One of her friends tugged on her arm. “Leave him alone.”

“Do you know what he did?” the first woman asked, then turned back to Darius. “You’re supposed to help people.”

“Oh, my God,” her friend said looking toward Darius with her hands up. “I’m sorry about her. She’s had too much to drink.” Again, she tried to pull her friend away, but it was no use.

Darius was aware they were the center of everyone’s attention and phones were being raised. Shit. Shit. Shit. This was not what he needed right now. From behind him, he heard Luis suck in a sharp breath as the woman poked at him again, and all he could think of was getting Luis out of this situation.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” she screamed at him.

“I—” Darius barely got a sound out of his mouth before she was yelling at him again.

“You’re a fucking predator and—”

“Hey! Enough!”

Darius did a double take as Luis stepped out from around him and right into the woman’s face.

“He is a fucking hero,” Luis spat, every inch of his five-foot-five frame tight with anger. “That woman put everyone on that plane in danger, including herself.”

“Well, he—”

“No, he fucking did not!”

It seemed as if Luis’ voice filled the entire club, a roar of sound coming from that small body, and it made the woman rock back on her heels.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be out of your seat in turbulence like that?” Luis asked. “That woman could have been killed if the plane lost altitude suddenly. She could have lost her balance and smacked into the ceiling. He could have been killed getting out of his seat to help her. She might not have known the danger, but he certainly did. And he got up anyway.”

“Luis—” Darius tugged on his arm, trying to get him to retreat.

“No.” Luis’ eyes blazed at Darius and halted him in his tracks. “You’re a fucking hero, and they need to know that.”

The bouncers’ arrival seemed to make the woman reconsider, and she swayed on her feet as they got between her and Luis.

“Is there a problem here?” one of them asked, looking first at the woman, then at Luis and Darius, and then at the crowd that had formed around them. “Anyone need to be escorted out?”

The woman’s friend took hold of her arm. “We’ll be going,” she said. “Sorry for my friend’s bad manners.”

“Oh, fuck off, Janice. You know what he did.”

“Not really, and neither do you. So, let’s go.”

After a few more exchanges, the women left the dance floor to applause from the men who surrounded Luis and Darius. They offered their sympathy and support, but Darius barely heard them. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Luis, whose temper was still up.

“You okay?” Luis asked, and Darius nodded. “Want to get another drink?” Again, Darius nodded, and Luis led him toward the bar.

Along the way, people who’d witnessed the incident clapped Darius on the shoulder and told him they were on his side, which was comforting in a way, but by the fourth or fifth person, Darius began wondering why there was any side to take. While the accusation was having a profound effect on his life and might have very real, lasting consequences, he had to believe the woman had made those accusations because she honestly thought he’d touched her on purpose in an inappropriate place. To think otherwise was unfathomable to him because he couldn’t imagine deliberately causing harm to someone.

“That was kind of wild, huh?” Luis asked while they waited for the bartender to make their drinks.

“You were amazing,” Darius said as he found his tongue. He slipped an arm around Luis’ waist and pulled him close. “My hero.”

“You’re the hero. She was way out of line. I can’t imagine anyone thinking you would… do that. I mean, it’s not about sex. It’s about power and being able to make someone else feel small and weak. It’s about taking something from someone. You’ve never done that. Not to me. Not to anyone. It’s not who you are.”

“I know, chico,” Darius said, but something about Luis’ declaration hit him strangely, and he knew Luis wasn’t just responding to his situation or the encounter with the bridal party. Even in the club’s dim light and the music overwhelming the nuances of Luis’ voice, Darius could still tell. It was in Luis’ expression, the tension in his body, the way he worried at his fingers. Something struck Darius as familiar, though he couldn’t name exactly what that was. But now was not the time to figure it out.

They got their drinks and sipped at them while standing on the edge of the dance floor. The distraction from the bridal party had waned, and everyone was back to having a good time, looking for a hookup, or finding a willing body for a quickie in the bathroom. Darius and Luis were just another couple of guys, and Darius hoped the social media storm would blow over just as quickly. He was already tired of this thing hanging over his head, and it was going to suck when Luis had to leave for his next flight while Darius was still suspended because then he’d be alone with his thoughts and missing Luis.

They leaned against a wall, sipping at their drinks as they watched the men around them.

“See anyone you like, chico?” Darius asked.

Luis turned, and the heat in his gaze nearly set Darius on fire. “Absolutely,” he said. “Finish up, and let’s get back out there.”

Which was exactly what they did, giving their empty glasses to a passing waiter, then making their way into the middle of the dance floor, where the crowd would keep them pressed against each other. Not that they needed a reason to get as close as they could, but Darius felt safer in the middle of the group, and the brush of other bodies against his own was familiar, even if the only body he cared about was the one pressing its ass against his cock.

Darius leaned forward, wrapped his arms around Luis’ waist, and pulled him closer so he could lean down and whisper-shout in his ear, “You are so fucking sexy, chico. I love you.”

In response, Luis looped his arms around Darius’ neck, getting as much of Darius’ body in contact with his and writhing against him. They danced for another hour, then left Neon and took a Lyft back to the condo, which was dark and quiet, giving no clue whether they had one, two, or no roommates in residence.

“This is getting really complicated,” Luis said as they crept toward their bedroom.

“I know, but I don’t think either Greg nor Ricky know when they’re going to be here at this point.”

“Fair,” Luis said as he opened the door to their room.

As soon as they were inside, Darius pulled Luis into his arms. “Maybe it’s time to not have roommates anymore.”

“You mean, have it be just the two of us?”

“Yeah. So I can kiss you whenever I want, wherever I want, and it will only be us and our schedules we have to worry about.”

“I like that,” Luis said, his voice growing husky and his pink booty shorts doing nothing to hide his growing arousal. “Would we only be kissing? Because I don’t think we’d scandalize anyone if they found us making out on the couch.”

“Not just kissing, no.” Darius put his hands on Luis’ ass and pulled him close so their cocks could get friendly. “There might be blow jobs in the living room, sex on the table, maybe in the kitchen, definitely in the shower.” He leaned down and punctuated his words with kisses along Luis’ jawline.

“Our bed will get lonely.” Luis leaned his head back against the wall, and Darius took immediate advantage of the greater access to his neck.

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” Darius said with a low chuckle as his hands circled Luis’ waist, his fingers teasing at the dimples above Luis’ ass, then dipping lower to flirt with his crack. “Now that you’re mine, I don’t have to keep my hands off you anymore.” Another trail of kisses up Luis’ neck to his jaw to the corner of his mouth, where Darius flicked his tongue against those sweet, plush lips. “I don’t know how I managed to sleep next to you all those years without losing my mind, because now that I can have you, I want you all the time.”

Luis groaned. “Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah. All. The. Time.” Another kiss. “I can’t get enough of you, chico.”

The sound that came from Luis’ throat was close to a wail. “I want you so much, too. I’m going out of my mind with it.”

Luis raised his hands and took hold of Darius’ face, then brought their mouths together. As usual, Darius was lost in a wave of Luis’ taste and the sensual feel of his tongue as it teased and twisted around his. Coupled with the past several hours on the dance floor, Darius was on the edge in the blink of an eye and had to break the kiss to calm himself down. He rested his forehead against Luis’ and dodged Luis’ hand as it went to his zipper.

“Not yet, chico,” he gasped and laughed as Luis tried again with his other hand.

“Come on, Dar, I want to taste you.”

“Give me a minute, or else this is going to be the quickest I’ve ever gone off.”

With a giggle, Luis wriggled like he was trying to get out of the grip Darius had on both his hands. “I don’t see why that would be a big deal,” he teased. “Maybe I want to top you for a change.”

Darius’ dick nearly ripped through his jeans in its eagerness to cast its vote in favor of that plan, and he closed his eyes as he fought his body for control. When he opened them again, he was met by Luis’ heated gaze, those dark eyes almost completely black in the dim light, but Darius could still see the heat in them, feel it in Luis’ hands, hear it in his shallow breaths.

“You want to do that, chico?” Darius asked.

Luis licked his lips as his chest rose on a deep inhale, his eyes still fixed on Darius’. “You know I haven’t ever…” He paused to clear his throat. “Yeah. I do. I really do. Would you like that?”

“You have no idea how much,” Darius gave out a strangled cry as his cock tried once more to break free from its confines, and he had to let go of Luis to grab hold of himself and stave off a climax. “So fucking much. Just thinking about it has me so fucking hard. Are you sure?”

“No. But I want to do it with you. It’ll be a first we can share.”

Darius raised his hands and cupped Luis’ face between them, staring into his eyes. “You don’t have to do that, chico. I’m first in your heart, and that’s what matters to me.”

“You are, but I’m greedy, and that’s why I want this.”

This kiss wasn’t gentle at all. It was bruising and demanding, as if both Luis and Darius were trying to crawl inside one another or merge into one being. Darius wasn’t sure who made what sounds, but the combination of what came from both of them was the most glorious harmony he’d ever heard.

Too soon, Darius had to break away from Luis. “I’m never going to last long enough for you to get inside me,” he panted.

“Then I’ll have to do something about that.”

Without another word, Luis sank to his knees and raised his hands to the button on Darius’ jeans.

“Chico,” Darius said as Luis undid the button and drew down the zipper. “That’s only going to make things worse.”

Luis tilted his head back and fixed Darius with a seductive fire in his gaze and a sly smile on his lips. “Trust me, cari?o. You can go more than once in a night. I know you can.”

With that, Luis pulled those skinny jeans over Darius’ hips and down his legs, peeling them all the way to the floor, and then he slowly did the same to Darius’ briefs, pausing to nuzzle the damp spot where Darius’ cock had rested.

“You smell so good,” Luis groaned. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

“Fuck,” Darius whispered. “You’re killing me, chico.”

“Can’t have that, can we?”

Luis let the briefs fall to the floor, then nosed his way up Darius’ inner thighs, the tickle of his stubble on that tender skin making Darius squirm. When Luis’ tongue brushed against Darius’ sac, he let out a strangled curse and dove his fingers into Luis’ hair, trying to hold himself steady as Luis mouthed him, then blew air across his damp skin. The sensation confused him, the mixture of heat and cold flowing over this most sensitive spot, making him leak as a jolt of lightning shot through his core. His hips thrust forward of their own accord, his cock grazing across Luis’ soft lips and leaving a trail of precum in its wake.

When Luis fixed him with a molten gaze and licked his lips clean, Darius’ hips thrust forward again, and Luis laughed.

“A bit eager?” he asked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe, chico. Can we go to the bed, please? I don’t think my legs are gonna be able to keep me standing.”

Instead of answering, Luis opened his mouth and swallowed Darius’ cock to the back of his throat.

“Fuck!” Darius shouted as Luis set a punishing rhythm and began to work him relentlessly. The feeling was so overwhelming Darius couldn’t figure out what Luis was doing, and after a few moments, he gave up and let himself be carried away by the rising tide of arousal that had his balls drawing up in record time. “Oh, fuck, chico, I’m gonna…I’m…gon—”

Words failed Darius as he came on a cry and a shout, his cock halfway down Luis’ throat, enveloped by the tight heat of Luis’ mouth. His orgasm rolled through him in waves, cum searing as it left his body, Luis’ throat tightening around his cock as he swallowed over and over again. Luis’ groans were music to Darius’ ears, the sound pure pleasure and delight that made him soar even as his climax ebbed and faded.

He nearly collapsed when Luis slid his mouth free, lingering at the tip of Darius’ cock to lap at his slit and gather the last bits of cum as he gazed up at Darius with a satisfied grin.

“Now we can go to the bed.” He rose to his feet and held out a hand for Darius.

“That is a very good idea, chico,” Darius said as he freed himself from the jeans and briefs that had puddled at his feet and let Luis lead him toward the bed.

Our bed . The thought hit him as he lowered himself to the mattress and stretched out. It always had been, hadn’t it? But for some reason, Darius realized he’d never thought of it in those terms before. Not in the sense of a bed shared by a couple . Yes, he’d thought of it as his bed and Luis’ bed as their bed, but now, it was no longer simply the shared place where they slept. Now it meant a space that was held in common by their connection.

Luis lay down next to him. He’d stripped out of his clothes while Darius’ cum-drunk brain had been deep in existential thought, but as he felt Luis’ silky skin connect with his own, those thoughts faded. They couldn’t compete with what Darius knew was happening next. In his wildest dreams, he’d never imagined that Luis would top him, but here they were. He was going to have Luis’ dick inside him. His alma gemela was going to fuck him.

“Whatever you’re thinking, cari?o, it’s getting you hard again,” Luis said.

“I’m thinking about you, chico, and how much I want you inside me.” Darius rolled over so he was facing Luis and reached out a hand so he could caress Luis’ face. “I was also thinking how many years we’ve been sleeping together in this bed, and I never thought about it as our bed until right now. I don’t know how I managed to sleep next to you for so long without going crazy, chico. How did I not have a hard-on all the fucking time?”

Luis’ laugh was sultry, a dirty chuckle that went right to Darius’ dick.

“Oh, chico,” Darius breathed as Luis closed the distance between them.

Just before Luis’ lips touched his, he murmured, “I guess we stopped repressing our feelings.” Then he kissed Darius until they were both moaning and writhing against each other.

Somehow, the lube made it into Luis’ hands, though Darius had no awareness of either of them reaching for it or breaking off the kiss. All he knew was that Luis shifted positions slightly, and then slick fingers were gliding between his ass cheeks. He opened his legs to give Luis access to his hole and sighed at the press of Luis’ fingertips against his opening. Desperation and need rode him, and it took every ounce of control Darius had not to bear down on that pressure to get something, anything of Luis inside him. It was Luis’ first time doing any of this, so he needed to be patient.

“I want you so much,” Darius murmured. “And I’m not trying to rush you or anything, but—”

“Dar,” Luis interrupted.

“Yeah?” Darius gasped out as Luis tapped against his entrance. Each touch sent another jolt of desire racing through his body.

“Stop trying to top from the bottom, okay? I got this. Trust me.”

“I’m trying.” Darius gritted his teeth against the need to move closer to those clever fingers, to get them inside him. Even if it was just the barest fraction of an inch, he wanted it. He couldn’t remember ever being so desperate before, but maybe, as Luis had said, this was what happened when you’d buried all those feelings and emotions deep inside. Once let loose, they were overwhelming. “But, God, chico, you’re making it difficult.”

Luis hummed and circled a fingertip around Darius’ hole again, lighting up all those nerve endings and making Darius shake with need. And then, there it was, the feeling of being breached, of glorious and welcome intrusion as Luis pressed harder and Darius’ body yielded to let him inside. They both sighed at the same time, and then Darius gasped as Luis began to slide that finger deeper, then withdrew only to press forward with two.

In all honesty, Darius didn’t need that much prep, but he wasn’t going to stop Luis or rush him. Not when it felt so good. And when Luis brushed over his prostate? Darius nearly lifted off the mattress at the pleasure that flowed through his body. Waves of endorphins rolled over him as Luis continued to play. Every time he thought it couldn’t feel better, Luis tagged that bundle of nerves and sent him soaring all over again.

By the time Luis rose up on his knees and reached for the lube, Darius was so turned on he could barely remember his own name. He watched Luis slick up his cock through eyes hazy with naked lust and couldn’t stop from thrusting his hips upward, as if Luis were already buried balls-deep inside him. And when Luis placed Darius’ legs on his shoulder and a steadying hand on his belly, Darius nearly wept with relief.

“I feel so empty, chico,” he begged. “Fill me, please?”

“I will, cari?o, I promise.”

Luis used his free hand to line his cock up with Darius’ hole and pressed forward, slowly breaching him and sliding inside. Spanish words fell from Luis’ lips, whispered and too fast for Darius to catch all of it, but he understood what Luis was saying, and he felt just the same. Fucking Luis had felt unreal, but being fucked by him? Darius thought he was going to go out of his mind.

His body vibrated with energy, every nerve ending alive and aware, and his skin nearly crackled as he shifted slightly and pulled his legs tighter against his chest.

“You okay, chico?” Darius asked, then smiled at Luis’ wide-eyed head nod. “Feel good?”

“Oh my God. I had no idea. I’m afraid to move because I might come.”

Darius chuckled and lifted his head for a kiss. The movement made Luis’ cock slide deeper another precious centimeter. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Luis to cry out. He muffled the sound with Darius’ lips, then thrust forward a little more before withdrawing and then surging forward. Darius rocked his hips and tangled his tongue with Luis’. He ran his fingers up and down Luis’ back and played with the dimples above his ass.

“Not helping, Dar,” Luis grumbled against his mouth.

“Just fuck me, chico. I don’t care how long it lasts. I need to feel you as deep in me as you can, and I need it now.”

Instead of doing as Darius asked, Luis withdrew again, sliding all the way out, which elicited a growl from Darius and then a shout as Luis returned and slid all the way home. He gave a few shallow thrusts and then began to fuck Darius in earnest. They found a rhythm, Darius rising to meet Luis, Luis’ strong, lithe body pushing him to the edge, then slowing to back him away from it. Luis was edging him to perfection, and Darius cursed and praised that Luis knew his signs so well.

If he could, he’d have stopped moving, stopped making sounds so Luis wouldn’t know how close he was, but it simply wasn’t possible. Luis knew him, knew his body too well, and this moment had taken too long to come to fruition.

As Luis’ movements grew more frantic, their rhythm went to hell, but it didn’t matter. Both of them roared as they came, and Darius felt Luis’ cum as it flooded him, branding him from the inside out.

“I’m yours,” Darius gasped out. “Always yours.”

“Always,” Luis echoed.

Luis held himself above Darius on trembling arms, so Darius wrapped his legs around Luis’ waist, his arms around Luis’ neck, and drew him down until he lay against Darius’ chest.

“That was crazy intense,” Luis said. “Do you think it’s always going to be like this?”

“Maybe. We’ve got years to make up for,” Darius replied. “What you said before? Holding back from each other? Keeping all our feelings in check? I’ve always wanted you, chico, always loved you. I don’t think that’s going to change. I think it’s only going to get better now that everything’s out in the open.”

“Good.” Luis laid his head over Darius’ heart, his breathing slowing as he softened and slid from Darius’ body. “Is it okay if I don’t move for a bit?”

“You take all the time you need, chico. I’m not going anywhere.”

At some point, Darius left Luis dozing and retrieved a washcloth from the bathroom so he could clean them both up. As gently as possible, he maneuvered Luis under the covers and crawled in beside him, the dull ache in his ass a very pleasant reminder of how hard Luis had worked him once he let go. He gathered Luis in his arms and whispered, “Sweet dreams, chico.” before drifting off himself.

Luis’ scream launched Darius from the bed. Naked, his heart thundering in his chest, he watched Luis thrash under the covers, still mumbling and pushing at an invisible monster.

Frightened, Darius climbed back into the bed and attempted to wrap his arms around Luis in order to soothe him. Luis wasn’t having any of it. Still asleep, he shuddered, then pushed Darius away, hands flailing wildly. A fist struck Darius’ chin, fingernails scratched at his neck, and he pulled back, assessing the situation like he would at work. How best to help Luis if he couldn’t touch him?

As he considered his options, Luis screamed again, and this time it was a name Darius never wanted to hear again, especially when Luis curled over on himself and sobbed out the word “No.”