Chapter 3 #2
This is as good a time as any. “You okay there?”
Will sharply turns around, making his feet tangle and sending him down on his ass. He hisses, “Fuck.”
Nate holds back a laugh and closes the distance, stopping at the foot of the stairs where Will is sitting. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw you drinking like a sailor at Rodie’s and thought to make sure you’d make it home safely.”
Will pushes himself up. “I’m home, and I’m fine. Good night.”
“You don’t seem fine.” Nate climbs up the stairs as Will fumbles with his keys. There used to be a time when most people didn’t bother locking their homes, but with all the junkies popping up, the streets are less safe, even in peaceful Van Buren. “Let me help you inside.”
“I’m fine, Nate.”
“You can’t even find the right key. Let me help.”
Will sighs and meets Nate’s eyes. A sharper Will might have seen through Nate’s innocent act, but this current Will doesn’t. He hands Nate the keys, their fingers brushing.
Nate must be more nervous than he realized, because now he’s the one who struggles to open the door. But he manages and opens the door for Will to enter. Before he can be told to leave, Nate steps inside and closes the door behind him, locking it with both the key and the deadbolt.
Will turns on the light in the small but homey living room. “You’re still here?”
“Just doing my duty as a man of the law.”
“You don’t give a shit about the law. Go home.”
“Are you always rude to your guests? Sit down. I’ll bring you water.”
“Nate—”
But he’s already exiting the living room and going into the kitchen. He takes a glass and pours water into it. Once done, he spits inside, liking the thought of his fluids sliding down Will’s throat.
“Here you go, buddy.” He hands Will the glass and sits next to him on the couch.
He used to sleep on this couch from time to time, back when he, Will, and Joel would finish a night out.
He’d lie awake while listening to them trying to have quiet sex, and sometimes he’d even put his ear against their door.
If he tries, he can still hear Will’s deep, intimate moans.
Will takes a few sips before placing the glass on the table, where a few magazines of furniture and construction are scattered. Where’s the gay porn, Will? There must be something here, since he never hooks up with anyone, as far as Nate is aware.
Will rubs his face, shaking his head as if he’s trying to wake up. He’s wearing an open green flannel shirt and a white undershirt.
“How’s work?” Nate asks, leaning back on the couch and making himself comfortable.
“Fine. Busy.” He rubs his face. His cheeks are flushed, and his eyes are puffy.
“It’s great that you have your own business now. I remember when you first started working for old Dale before he retired. You bought the business from him, right?” Nate knows all that, but he needs to give the drug more time to work.
“Yeah, he sold me his equipment. I’m still paying him back.
Shit, that last drink was too much. I really need to call it a night.
” He begins to rise, but Nate pulls him back, and Will slumps down with no resistance.
The drug is fulfilling its purpose. The idea wasn’t to make Will pass out, just to make him less sharp and easier to handle.
“You must be happy now that spring’s here.”
“Yeah, people point that out to me.” He shakes his head again, blinking like there’s light in his eyes.
“How’s your love life?” Nate asks, sliding an inch closer.
Will sighs. “I’m not looking for conversation, especially not about that, and definitely not with you.”
Nate can understand that. He was a fool to make a pass on Will shortly after Joel’s death, but he knew his best shot was taking advantage of Will’s grief and the chaos surrounding Joel’s death.
Nate was willing to be the ally Will needed when everyone turned against him, but he bluntly refused.
Nate doubts that waiting a few more weeks would have changed the outcome, since men like Will Thomas don’t end up with someone like Nate.
“Remember how you helped me when those kids wanted to kick my ass?”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Yeah, twenty years ago. I was nine, and you were ten. They called me a freak when I was walking back from school. They shoved me around, and then you showed up and stopped it.”
“Nate—”
“You fought them off for me.”
“They were assholes to many kids back then.”
Don’t say it wasn’t about helping me. Don’t fucking dare.
“Anyway, I don’t know why you can’t talk about your love life with me,” Nate says and casually rests his palm on Will’s knee. “We were friends.”
“Some friend you were.”
“Oh, come on. I was grieving too. Not everyone grieves the same.”
Will glances at his watch as a way to send a hint, but Nate is very selective about the hints he’s willing to follow.
“So, what about sex? Any fun experiences lately?”
“Enough.”
Before Will can lose his cool, Nate reminds himself of his initial reason for being here—his assignment from the sheriff. He doesn’t think he’ll get anything out of Will, but he should at least follow through with his promise to investigate.
“How’s your uncle?”
“Ray?”
“No, Elvis.”
Will shrugs. “He’s fine.”
“You see him often?”
Will tenses, avoiding Nate’s eyes. “No.”
That’s a lie, William. Why would you lie about that? You were there a few nights ago, weren’t you?
“Does he ever speak with you about his work?”
“His work? I don’t give a damn about his work.”
It sounds like the truth. Nate stops himself from saying that he wasn’t talking about the mayor’s official work.
“I drove by his street a few nights ago,” he says casually. “Saw a bunch of people there. Was he having a party?”
Will makes a sound Nate can’t quite decipher, but it’s not a happy sound. “Stop asking me dumb questions.”
“What’s dumb about them?”
Will opens his mouth to answer but ends up saying, “You need to leave.” He sounds spent, meaning that Nate doesn’t need to do anything he doesn’t want to.
He slips his hand higher on Will’s leg.
“Don’t,” Will hisses, but he doesn’t try to stop him.
“Why not? You don’t hook up with anyone, right? What’s the harm in me touching you?”
“I don’t want you to.”
“But I do.”
Anger lights up in Will’s green eyes, but his hands remain next to his body.
If the guy who sold Nate the drug was correct, Will’s limbs should feel like they weigh a ton by now, leaving him without a real chance of putting up a fight.
But Nate isn’t going to force himself on the man, just test how far he can push his luck.
He strokes up and down Will’s strong thigh, showing him that a little bit of touch isn’t the end of the world. When he grows more confident, he says, “Let me suck your cock.”
Will shakes his head. “No. Leave.”
“Nah, I think I’m gonna stay. Just relax, okay?” Nate holds his breath as he puts his hand on Will’s crotch. He expects an outburst of anger, but that doesn’t happen, though Will does send daggers with his eyes.
Dear Lord, am I going to pull this off?
Nate wants badly to kiss Will’s lush lips, but that will be a harder sell than a blowjob.
He continues to stroke Will’s crotch instead, firmer and firmer, until the flaccid cock finally begins to harden inside his jeans.
Will shuts his eyes, his lips slightly parted.
Before something like an earthquake can sabotage this moment, Nate pulls down Will’s zipper, then carefully pulls down his pants, worried that any sharp movement might break the spell.
Will remains with his eyes shut. He still hasn’t asked Nate to stop again, maybe because he’s rock hard inside his black boxers.
That poor cock is all locked up inside the tight fabric.
Nate says a silent prayer before pulling the boxers down to Will’s ankles.
He can do nothing but stare, taking in the length, the thickness, and the large balls that rest against Will’s strong thighs.
In truth, this is the second time he’s seeing Will’s beautiful cock.
The first time was years ago, when Nate slept over on this couch.
Joel woke him up and put a finger to his lips.
He had a small and wicked smile, the kind that keeps you on your toes.
He signaled Nate to follow him into the bedroom, where Will was sleeping under the blanket. The only light in the room came from the moon, making Will’s skin seem silvery.
Not understanding what was happening, Nate followed Joel until he reached the side of the bed. Joel carefully climbed to lie next to Will, and with his eyes locked with Nate, he slowly removed the blanket, leaving Will fully exposed.
Nate remembers thinking he was dreaming.
He never told Joel about his desires toward Will, both because he knew it would lead to nothing and because he worried Joel might kick his ass or stop being his friend.
But it seemed that Joel knew, or at least suspected.
He reached out to take Nate’s hand, then brought it closer to Will, who was still sleeping peacefully.
Nate almost fainted when his fingers touched skin.
With Joel guiding his hand, he stroked gently, terrified of waking Will up, even though it wasn’t Nate who had sneaked into the bedroom of his own accord.
He held his breath as Joel moved his hand close to Will’s cock, but right before he could touch it, Joel’s hold tightened, on the verge of being painful.
Nate looked up to meet his eyes. Without saying a word, Joel shook his head, crushing Nate’s desire before it could further blossom. Allowing him to touch Will wasn’t a prize but a warning.
Stay away from what’s mine.
Not knowing what to do, he gave a stiff nod, then left the bedroom.
“This is a bad idea,” Will says and opens his eyes. His pupils are dilated, his breathing uneven.