Blaine
BLAINE
He woke to almost total darkness. His dreams had been restless, but he felt more rested than he had after waking up in the hospital. Warmth pressed against his back, making him open his eyes and peer over his shoulder. Eric lay curled beside him, back-to-back.
smiled, glancing at the clock on the bedside table, and realized it was the middle of the night. There was a small note next to the bed. Picking it up, read Eric’s neat scrawl in the light of the clock, informing him that there was food in the fridge if he woke up hungry. It was followed, in typical Eric fashion, with a demand that get up and eat something.
As much as he wanted to roll over and curl around Eric, he knew better than to disobey an order. Eric was trying to take care of him, whether wanted him to or not, and a worried Eric was not a kind one. It didn’t stop him from basking in the warmth of Eric’s body against his or savoring the ache in his chest as he remembered the nights they spent together, wrapped around one another peacefully as they slept.
Soon, he told himself.
Knowing he couldn’t behave himself if he stayed in bed, gently eased himself off. It was new, and the springs were reluctant to give without a fuss. winced as he banged his side against the edge. Eyes watering, he glanced at Eric, who continued to sleep peacefully. From what remembered, the man slept like a rock, but he knew all too well how time and experience could change that.
Smiling, he bent over and gently kissed Eric’s cheek. Before he could do more, he backed up and left the bedroom. Flicking the kitchen light on, he blinked at the loaf of bread and the bagels beside it. Frowning, he opened the fridge to find an assortment of food and drink that hadn’t been there before.
“Damn it, Eric,” he muttered, taking the sandwich that had been left for him.
Sighing, he booted the door closed and bit into the sandwich. The bread had gone a little stiff, but he chewed happily. His appetite came alive as he walked into the living room, consuming half the sandwich before plopping on the couch. Halfway through the second half, he looked down at the coffee table, chewing thoughtfully.
The ring was gone.
set the plate aside, leaning over to look under the coffee table in case it had fallen off. Looking between the cushions came next, and while he found a few bits of change and crumbs, there was no ring. Looking under the couch required more bending, earning him another sharp jolt from his cracked ribs.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Eric’s irritated voice brought up. His dark hair ruffled from sleep, Eric glared at him through sleepy eyes.
“Uh,” began, not sure how to explain what he was doing.
“You’ve got three broken ribs. You shouldn’t be...what the hell is wrong with you?” Eric asked.
“They’re cracked, not broken,” corrected.
“Not the point.”
“Was looking for the uh...remote.”
Eric sighed, motioning to the couch. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you should stick to telling the truth because you’re absolute shit at lying.”
sighed, wincing as he pushed himself to his feet. “Okay, I wasn’t looking for the remote.”
Eric huffed. “I know you weren’t.”
“I just,” said, unsure how to explain that he’d had the ring, had kept it all that time.
Eric’s eyes fell on the plate. “Done?”
“Yeah,” murmured.
“Then come here,” Eric said, motioning back toward the bedroom.
“I’m not tired. I just woke up,” muttered.
His complaints didn’t stop him from following Eric back to the bedroom. He reached down beside the bed and pulled up the box that had once held the letters had written for him. Eric’s face was in shadow, and he reached out, turning on the bedside lamp to illuminate his nervous features.
“Hey,” said, gently touching Eric’s elbow. “What’s wrong?”
Eric took a deep breath. “Just been...doing a lot of thinking, is all. Driving myself crazy, and I shouldn’t be, not about this.”
“This?” asked, heart skipping a beat in hope.
Eric nodded, opening the box and reaching into it. From it, he drew out the class ring. “Found this earlier when I was cleaning up. I know it’s yours, but I couldn’t...I carried it around with me today when I went shopping and did a couple of...errands.”
’s smile felt goofy and too broad on his face. “You did?”
Eric nodded. “Yeah.”
“I know it’s a little silly,” admitted. “Since it’s supposed to be for high school kids and all, but...I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the idea of you carrying that around with you. It was the closest thing I had to a real ring.”
Eric looked up, eyes wide and a little wet. “Real?”
laid his hand over Eric’s and the ring. “I know I didn’t say it then, but I was thinking it. I was hoping that I could replace this ring with an engagement ring once we got out and got our lives together.”
“Seriously?” Eric asked, voice shaky.
smiled, squeezing Eric’s hand. “Even when we were just friends, Eric, you were all I wanted in my life. Then I had you in just about every way a person can have another, and I knew, I just knew, I was never going to want anyone else at my side.”
Eric’s head bowed. “I hated you so much.”
“I know,” whispered.
“Sean was...Sean was my brother, my parent, the anchor I needed not to go spinning off into the dark,” Eric said softly, his fingers curling around the ring. “But you, you were the sun. It didn’t matter how shitty I felt or how low I was. You were always there, ready to lift me up and warm me. You were always so good at finding me, seeing me.”
“I still do,” said, running his fingers through Eric’s hair.
“And the one time you needed me to be there for you, I threw it back in your face,” Eric choked out.
’s heart sank. “I made mistakes too, Eric. I should have never dropped it on you. I should have talked to you beforehand, but I didn’t. I was scared.”
“I made you scared,” Eric said savagely.
sighed, leaning forward to press his forehead against Eric’s. “We can sit here and blame ourselves, blame Sean, and try to find out who’s the most at fault. But...I don’t want that.”
“What do you want?” Eric asked, shivering.
“You,” whispered. “It’s always been you, and it always will be.”
Eric pulled his head up, eyes swimming with tears as he pressed his lips to ’s. Gently, cupped the back of Eric’s head, pulling him closer. He heard someone sigh contentedly and realized it was him as Eric’s arm wound around his waist and gripped him tight.
“I’m sorry,” Eric murmured.
“So am I,” told him.
“You shouldn’t be.”
“But I am.”
“Then stop.”
“You stop.”
Eric huffed. “Stubborn.”
“I don’t want to live in the past anymore, Eric,” told him, taking the box to set it on the table. “I want to focus on us, on the present. I want to try to do now what we wanted back then.”
Eric leaned into him, body going loose. “I was getting so pissed, how you always seemed to know me so well, how I always wanted to just...give in to you.”
“And?” asked softly, wrapping Eric tight in his arms.
Eric sighed. “You said we needed to stop living in the past. Easier to say I should stop kicking myself for being a melodramatic, selfish asshole.”
“You’re not,” told him.
“You said it yourself!”
“I said you could be. There’s a difference.”
“Thanks, .”
smiled at the not-so-subtle sarcasm. “I know you, Eric. What few things you let close to you, you love with a burning passion and defend like it’s your life on the line. You put so much thought into everything you do and don’t let the world back you into a corner without a fight. And yeah, sometimes you’re an absolute bastard. You can overreact and be selfish, push too hard, and sometimes you need to ease up on people.”
“I really hope there’s a ‘but’ somewhere in there,” Eric grumbled.
took Eric’s face between his hands, holding it gently. “But, I can’t imagine loving anyone but you. I say all the pretty words that are what I feel, say all the things about you I know are true, but at the end of the day, it’s you, always you. I love you, and I’m never going to stop. I didn’t before, and I’m not going to stop now.”
When Eric kissed him again, felt the fire in his chest burst to life. A shiver ran through him as fingers clutched Eric, pulling him in for a desperate, feverish kiss. They moved backward, the back of Eric’s knees hitting the bed and sending them tumbling onto the mattress. fought the wince as his ribs were jarred, earning a whispered apology from Eric.
didn’t care, silencing Eric with another kiss. They rolled, on his back, pulling at Eric’s clothes. There was a need in his movements, but he tempered it, wanting it to be good, to be slow. Eric’s chest and stomach were covered in dark hair, which ran his fingers through as he traced Eric’s body. Undoing his jeans, gripped his hips, grinding up into him.
Eric gasped against his lips, trying to remove ’s clothes without breaking the kiss for too long. They adjusted and kicked, removing every last shred of clothing. Eric’s body was warm and taut against him, his cock pressing firmly against ’s stomach as their tongues danced over one another.
It was so much like the last time they’d had one another, wanted one another, and yet completely different. They were both bigger, older, wiser, but it was still Eric. still shivered when Eric nibbled the pulse point on his neck, and Eric still shivered when held tight to his hips.
Rolling Eric onto his back, laid a trail of kisses down his neck, over his shoulders, and down the line of his chest. Eric’s stomach muscles jumped as ’s ministrations reached lower. Letting out a soft moan, he wrapped his hands around Eric’s cock, stroking it gently.
Eric gasped, arching into the touch. grinned, wrapping his lips around the leaking tip, earning himself a whimper. With Eric distracted, reached out to root through the drawer beside the bed and pull out the bottle of lube. Eric slid deeper into his throat as popped open the bottle.
With a strangled yelp, Eric’s hands slapped down onto the bed, gripping the sheet tight as ’s fingers slid into him. A sound that might have been an attempt at ’s name came from Eric, his cock throbbing against ’s tongue. Humming contentedly, he added another finger, stomach twisting in delight at the squeeze around his fingers and the desperate groan from the other man.
“Tease,” Eric managed around another rattling breath. “Just..., , please .”
As much as had loved the fire and vigor of Eric in their shared moment in the alley, he had always loved when Eric became pliant and needy. He gazed down at Eric, pupils blown, cheeks red, lips parted as he panted for breath. He wasn’t going to demand, but he sure as hell was willing to plead for what he wanted.
grinned, sliding up Eric’s body and claiming his lips. Eric raised his hips, wrapping his legs around ’s waist and pulling him close. Slipping a hand between them, slid his slick hand over the length of his own cock, making sure to coat it thoroughly. He had to force the other man’s hips down onto the bed to keep him still enough to aim, jutting the head of his cock against Eric’s hole.
“Yeah?” asked, looking down at his bare cock.
“Yes,” Eric hissed.
With a push, they both groaned as spread the other man open. Shuddering, he pushed down into him, taking deep breaths to keep himself in control. It had been so long since he’d last felt this, Eric’s body beneath him, wrapped around his cock, legs quivering as they held tight to ’s waist. No one had ever felt as good or right as Eric, and as he sank the last inch into him, he knew no one ever would.
Cradling the back of Eric’s head, shifted, drawing a low groan from his partner. It was all the encouragement he needed to begin rocking his hips. Each thrust pulled back a little further and buried into him a little harder. Sweat began to shine on Eric’s forehead and chest, his mouth hanging open, and his eyes locked on ’s face.
curled down against Eric as he pistoned his hips, driving himself into the other man with growing abandon. Eric clutched to him, pushing his face into ’s neck, murmuring and moaning softly. Fingernails dug into ’s back, twisting the pain into pleasure as the bed shook beneath them.
Sensation melded perfectly with memory. Eric’s grip on him was both familiar and somehow new. Eric pulled him closer, using his thighs with more confidence than he ever had in the years before, and he was far freer with his cries of pleasure. It was the same Eric, though, the same man had given his heart to years ago. Despite the time apart, they found their rhythm together in no time, pushing and pulling at the same time, rocking together as they worked themselves to their peak.
When it came, ’s hips stuttered, motions slow as Eric cried out. The grip around his cock tightened, and ’s orgasm flooded through him. With a final thrust, he buried himself to the hilt, breath stolen from him. Arms shaking, he bent himself around Eric, holding him tight as pleasure shivered and shook through him.
“You good?” asked softly when it was over, and he could ease himself out of Eric.
Eric gave a faint noise that could have been a breathless chuckle. His eyes were closed, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. As far as could see, there wasn’t an ounce of tension.
“Should be asking you that,” Eric murmured, touching ’s side carefully.
“I’ll feel it, but I think I’ll manage,” said, lying on his good side beside Eric.
Without skipping a beat, Eric rolled toward him, facing his chest. blinked and softened as he wrapped a protective arm around Eric’s waist and held him. Eric tucked his arms between their bodies, allowing to cradle him gently.
If there was any remaining doubt about whether or not Eric had meant what he said, that little gesture would have washed it away in an instant. It was a show that Eric was content, comfortable, and feeling completely safe. The gesture was something had only seen a handful of times in the past, and to see it again after so many years brought a dull but welcome ache to his chest.
“I love you,” murmured, pulling a pillow under each of their heads.
“Love you too,” Eric whispered, voice faint and heavy with sleep.
And that was enough for .