Chapter Sixteen #2
“I know. That’s okay. Just let me hear you.”
“Oh fuck… Tryin’ to do both things at once, but I kinda just wanna keep fucking myself here. Feels almost as good as you in me.”
Scott let his imagination provide him with the visuals. He could picture the way Kip was stretched around his toy, arm muscles straining as he moved it in and out. He could see Kip’s thumb working the slick head of his cock, and the way his mouth was probably hanging open, face slack and euphoric.
“So good, Kip. I’ll bet you look so beautiful right now.”
Kip wasn’t talking anymore. He was just making gorgeous, needy sounds, and Scott drank them in.
“Come on, baby. Finish it. However you need to. Wanna hear you.”
“Okay, fuck. I wish I could hear you too. Wish I could—Ah. I’m so close. I’m so—”
Scott was on fire, everywhere. If he so much as brushed his cock, he was going to erupt. “Come for me. Come on. I love you so much.”
He heard Kip start to reply, “I lo—” but he broke off with a strangled cry.
Scott’s own mouth fell open. Relief washed over him as if he was somehow sharing Kip’s orgasm.
“Oh wow. Fuck,” Kip panted after he’d had time to come back to himself. “That was… Holy shit. I was not expecting any of that.”
Scott laughed. “Me neither. I thought we’d just have a nice chat.”
“I’m a real fucking mess over here.”
“Mm. I’ll bet you look incredible.”
“You must be hurting, though. You sure you can’t—”
“I’ll take care of myself. Later. As soon as fucking possible.”
“Wish I could help.”
“You did. I’ll be thinking of you, don’t worry.”
Kip exhaled loudly. “I love you.”
“I love you. Can’t believe the things you make me do.”
He chuckled. “I’m all sleepy now.”
“Go get cleaned up and go to bed,” Scott said. “I should get out of this room anyway.”
“You gonna be able to get back to your hotel room? Without poking someone’s eye out?”
“I’ll be fine,” Scott said tersely. “Go to bed.”
“All right,” Kip yawned. “Well, thanks for the phone call.”
They both laughed.
“Goodnight.” Scott hung up and did his best to conceal the erection that was not flagging at all before making a beeline for his hotel room. He acknowledged his roommate with a quick nod and went straight into the bathroom.
It only took a few strokes with his hand braced against the shower wall and the memory of Kip’s moans filling his ears. He pulled his hand away from the wall and bit his fist as he came so hard he nearly lost his balance, panting hard as his release swirled down the drain.
Jesus Christ, Kip. What are you doing to me?
* * *
Kip checked his email when he got back to Scott’s after work the next day. There was one from the Museum of the City of New York.
This is it!
But as he read the first lines of the email, his heart sank.
Thank you for your interest in the position of Assistant Educator. We enjoyed meeting with you. Unfortunately, we have decided…
Kip swore and closed his laptop. “Of course,” he muttered.
Fuck.
He called Elena at work. He normally wouldn’t call, but this was an emergency. “I didn’t get the job.”
“What? Why not?”
“They went with someone who has their master’s degree.”
“Sorry. That sucks,” she said. “You should get your master’s degree.”
Kip snorted. “How? I’m still paying off the last useless degree.”
“It’s not useless, and you can figure it out. People do it.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll think about it,” Kip said glumly.
He heard Elena sigh. “I am sorry, Kip. I was really hoping that would work out for you.”
“I know. Thanks.”
After they ended the call, Kip opened his laptop again. Just for fun, he went to the NYU website and looked at their graduate admissions page.
I could apply. No harm in trying.
He closed the laptop again. Maybe.
He slumped on the couch and flipped around television stations.
Hanging around Scott’s apartment by himself was nice, but it was also pretty boring.
His boredom, paired with the aftermath of the disappointing email, brought on a sudden surge of panic.
What if this was it? Obviously there were worse hardships than dating a superstar athlete, especially one he was so madly in love with, but what if he was always Scott’s secret?
What if that’s all he ever was? What if he never went back to school and never got a better job and just stayed in Scott’s apartment, hidden away until Scott had time for him?
Scott wouldn’t do that. He just needs time.
Right?
Surely Kip wasn’t looking at a life of attending events together, but arriving separately and pretending not to know each other. Was Scott going to keep letting the world believe that he was a confirmed bachelor? Or worse, would he marry a woman for appearances and keep Kip on the side?
No. Come on. What the hell would give you that idea?
What if Kip was just convenient for Scott right now?
What if Scott thought he was in love because it was the first time he’d let himself be with a man for more than one night?
What if he just needed to take this first step and then he’d feel free to date other men?
Better men. Men who were in his league, or at least adjacent to his league. Kip was nobody.
Scott would realize it eventually, and if Kip put all of his eggs in this basket, he’d be left with nothing.
There was suddenly a lump in his throat. This was absurd. Where were these thoughts coming from?
He wanted to talk to Scott, but he wasn’t even sure where he was right now. He wasn’t playing tonight. A plane? Or maybe at a practice.
He didn’t want to be needy. And he probably was just depressed about that fucking email. And Elena had a point—he should at least try to do his master’s degree. Either that or find a better service industry job, and that prospect was beyond depressing.
Maybe he could do his Bachelor of Education. Be a teacher like his parents. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? Respectable career.
Fuck, this apartment was lonely.
He sent Scott a text. Just a simple hi to let him know he was thinking of him.
Scott didn’t reply. Kip turned off the television and flopped over onto his side on the couch. He kind of wanted to get drunk, but that was a terrible idea.
He loved Scott so much.
How could he ever be good enough for him?
He was feeling really fucking low. And Scott wasn’t texting him back. And maybe Scott was realizing right now that he could be dating, like, a gay movie star or something.
He had been moping on the couch for almost an hour when Scott texted back. Hi! Can I call you?
Scott didn’t even wait for a reply. Kip answered the call. “Hey.”
“Kip! I just landed in Toronto! I have to tell you the funny thing that happened at the airport…”
Kip grinned and sat up. He listened to Scott’s long, animated story, and by the end of it they were both laughing and he felt a lot better. Scott had been on a plane waiting to call Kip so he could tell him all about his day.
“How was your day?” Scott asked when he was done.
Kip’s heart thumped happily in his chest.
“Better now.”