Chapter 18
Eighteen
So far, Milo’s first week as Elio’s boyfriend was going remarkably well.
The news had spread quickly in just a few days and most of Milo’s coworkers had quietly congratulated him.
A few had asked if Elio was as scary outside of Starlight and Milo had assured them that beneath all the tattoos and dark scowls was a sensitive, charming, chivalrous soul.
They didn’t seem to believe him and Milo was hearing whispers about how brave he was and that Elio was the lucky one, having found someone who was willing to put up with his unruly behavior.
But Elio was behaving like a gentleman and Milo had even caught him smiling at Carmen in the cantina.
Even more shocking, Elio was coming into work on time!
Milo found him waiting in the Olympia’s lobby every morning and they rode the train home together after work.
They were making progress on their P versus NP research and that should have been a sign that things had been a little too calm and Milo should have been prepared for a stunt or a surprise out of Elio.
It came shortly after lunch on Thursday.
“We need to be in Hector’s office in…” Elio checked his watch. “Two minutes.”
“Two minutes?” Milo asked, alarmed as he set down his tablet. “Why?”
Elio shrugged. “Secret meeting. I forgot that Hector wanted to see us all at 2:00.”
“About what?”
“It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, would it?” Elio asked as he got the door and gestured for Milo to hurry.
“Is it a good secret or a bad secret? Can you at least tell me that so I’m not going in blind?” Milo asked and Elio halted them.
“It’s nothing bad. For you,” he qualified. “I’m a bit hacked off and it’s bound to lead to jackassery, but I’m ‘making the best of it.’” He curled his fingers sarcastically, then steered Milo through the lounge.
“Okay,” Milo laughed and shook his head, now curious to see why Elio was so annoyed. He had his first inkling when he saw the Mean Guys filing into Hector’s office. “This can’t be good,” Milo whispered to Elio out of the side of his mouth.
“I pulled some strings but a certain board member didn’t want his son to miss out,” Elio whispered back, his lip curling as he nodded at Hector.
“Come in, come in! Everyone take a seat!” Hector made sure everyone had found a place to sit or lean before closing the door.
Milo stayed in the back by the bookcase as the Mean Guys fought over the two armchairs and the loveseat. He was surprised when Elio sat on the edge of Hector’s desk, as if he was in trouble and facing the class.
“Great news, gang!” Hector said cheerfully while Elio dragged his hands down his face, grumbling about bloody entitled brats under his breath. “von Hessen pulled some strings and is going on a private tour of Brookhaven tomorrow night and he’s allowed to bring eight guests!”
“Allowed,” Elio snorted and rolled his eyes as he slouched next to Hector.
“The only way they’ll let me on the Brookhaven campus is if Starlight guarantees I’ll behave and the only way Starlight will green light this is if Hector goes to supervise and we take Brad with us,” he said and made a vulgar hand gesture.
Hector laughed and waved it off. “We’ll take one of the Starlight vans and I’ll drive.”
Someone would have to because neither Milo nor Elio could drive and Brookhaven National Laboratory was two-and-a-half hours away. The destination had Milo’s stomach souring and cramping as he considered the consequences.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Milo asked, raising his hand and widening his eyes at Elio suggestively.
Brad snorted as he turned in his seat. “Who asked you and what’s your problem, Mild? It’s up to von Hessen and we already know you’ll do whatever he says.”
“The heavy-ion collider and the synchrotron are my problem but you sound jealous, Brad,” Milo snapped back and disregarded him, turning his attention to Hector. “How can you guarantee anything with this group?” he asked and Hector spluttered for a moment, then laughed.
“What could possibly go wrong? We’re going on a field trip!” he said excitedly, making Elio look even more miserable.
“We’re going on a field trip,” he confirmed.
“So much could go wrong.” Milo rubbed his temple as his head started to ache.
“Let’s keep this our secret!” Hector said as he moved towards the door, signaling that the meeting was over. “We wouldn’t want anyone to feel left out.”
“Can I switch spots with someone?” Milo asked under his breath as Elio joined him and then followed the others out.
“Come on! This will be fun!” Elio said, elbowing Milo excitedly.
Milo groaned, picturing the iconic dome of the nuclear research facility’s High Flux Beam Reactor. “Fun? No offense, but what about the entire Eastern Seaboard? I don’t want to see it turned into a massive crater. Not that I’d be around to see it…”
“Do you think I’d put us in that kind of danger?”
“Knowingly? No…” Milo conceded but winced as he considered why Elio had set up this “field trip.” “I know you want to get a look at that collider and schmooze so we can go back later, but it’s too risky.”
“Shhhh! I promise I will not take us anywhere near that collider,” Elio said when they reached his office and he got the door for Milo.
“You promise?” he verified but raised a skeptical brow.
“Because if we ever do solve time, we’ll need a collider to test our theory and the closest one is at Brookhaven.
” Elio shushed Milo again and grabbed his wrist and reeled him in.
“What are you doing?” Milo asked, checking to see if anyone outside the office was watching.
Elio groaned as he ducked and brushed his lips against Milo’s. “We have to go.”
“Go?”
“To Muriel’s. I need you, Milo.”
“Umm… Now?” Milo gulped and blinked at Elio cluelessly. They’d had sex three times since their date on the terrace and each time had been even more phenomenal than the last but now? “It’s not even three,” he noted as he checked his watch.
“I know, but the way you handled Brad back there was hot and you’re incredibly sexy when you’re stern.”
“I am?” Milo leaned away, dubious and wary. “Are you trying to distract me from the potential calamity at Brookhaven?”
Elio shook his head, toying with the zipper on Milo’s hoodie. He unzipped a few inches, revealing the top of Einstein’s head on Milo’s T-shirt. “No! I need to be alone with you now, in the dirtiest and roughest way possible.”
“Dirty? Rough?” Milo echoed, not sure what that would involve but not entirely opposed. “Now?”
“As close to now as possible,” Elio said and attempted to tow Milo to the door but he pulled back and locked his feet.
“Wait! It’s too early to go home and I was on to something here, before you made me go to that meeting.”
“That’s great, but—!” Elio widened his eyes. “I need you and I was hoping you might…”
Milo blinked, waiting for Elio to finish one of those sentences because he had no idea what he was implying. His neck craned. “I might what?” he whispered, making Elio whimper as he bit a knuckle.
“You know…” he answered and cleared his throat.
Milo frowned. “No, I don’t.”
There was a muffled swear as Elio stepped closer. “I want you to fuck me, Milo. If you think you’d enjoy that,” he added tightly.
“Oh.” Milo mouthed as all the heat in his body spilled into his boxers. “I’ve never…”
“I know but I want more of what I saw in Hector’s office. You were so hot and the way you saw through me and called me on my shite was amazing.”
“It was pretty good, wasn’t it,” Milo agreed as he recalled Brad’s shocked speechlessness and grinned. “I was too worried to notice but I actually said the right thing this time instead of wimping out.”
“I thought about clapping but I didn’t want to kill the moment or steal your thunder,” Elio said with a soft chuckle but Milo rolled his eyes.
“Calm down, it’s not like I punched him in the face.”
“Baby steps!” Elio said and swung his head towards the door. “Let’s go! I’m already rubbing off on you and I want to see how bad you can be!” He had issued a dare and Elio’s eyes twinkled as he waited to see if Milo would take it.
Milo glanced over Elio’s shoulder at the lounge beyond the office’s glass walls, then at the bathroom to his right. “What if we didn’t ditch work and just…did it here?” he said and tilted his head towards the bathroom.
“Milo!” Elio gasped and looked scandalized. “Here?” he said but his lips curved into a grin.
“Couldn’t we?” Milo asked, somewhat unsure about the logistics. “It would save us time and I could get back to this when we’re done,” he said with a weak wave at the touchscreen.
Elio hummed as he backed towards the bathroom, pulling Milo with him. “We could! It’s a brilliant idea, I just wasn’t expecting you to be the one to suggest it.” He pressed on the panel behind him, pushing the invisible door in the chalkboard wall open.
“It is kind of…naughty,” Milo noted and his face was warm as he took one last look to make sure no one was watching in the lounge, then closed the door behind him.
“Very naughty. I love it,” Elio growled as he gathered Milo in his arms and kissed him hungrily.
Their tongues twirled and tangled as they unbuttoned and unzipped their jeans but Elio turned Milo away from the sofa and steered them to the sink.
“I want you to be as stern and as rough as you want and I want to watch.” He fell back against the sink and pulled a packet of lube from the pocket of his jacket, daring Milo again.
Milo took the packet, biting his lip. “It’ll probably be rough because I’ve never…” He squeezed his eyes shut, his face burning with embarrassment.
“That’s alright!” Elio said with an encouraging chuckle. “Trust me, the rougher the better. Bathroom quickies are supposed to be rough and clumsy.”
“A bathroom quickie?” Milo whispered to himself, awed that it was happening to him and that he had been the one to suggest it. “What’s gotten into me?”