16. Titus
Julian hasn’t shut up about Wren since she came in the door two days ago. Even now, as he yaps, he’s still on top of his game as the sound of our sabers clashing over and over rings around the room.
Fencing isn’t my thing, but I’ve been training with Julian for a while now. The team had an odd number of people, and I have no issue giving up my little bit of downtime to be here.
I’d never admit it out loud, but I’d do almost anything he asked of me, something he’s all too aware of. I didn’t hate spending time with him, though. Watching him in his element, so confident and in control…
Well, it’s hot as fuck.
Julian is the best of the team, effortlessly.
We all have our things, but Julian is the only one who never worries he’ll be outdone; it’s yet to happen. Most don’t even come close.
If only he could say the same about his actual assignments and grades.
He gets by well enough now, enough to pass, but for a little while, we weren’t sure if they would let him in.
It was a close call.
“And that’s five,” Julian says as he reaches up to pull off his mask, and I hear the smirk on his face even before I see it. “Are you even trying, Snookums?”
With a huff, I pull off my own mask and glare at him.
“Your little girlfriend might let you call her whatever the hell you want, but save that for her.”
His smile turns impossibly wider as he advances toward me, and I see the flash of excitement in his eyes.
“Aw, baby, you sound a little…” He stops before me, hooking his finger under my chin and forcing my head up so that our eyes meet. He’s not much taller than me, just a few inches, but in times like these, it feels like a lot more.
“Green,” he all but purrs.
His eyes search mine, and I’m not sure what he’s looking for or if I want him to find it.
I never know with Julian; he’s such a wild card, always leaving me guessing.
“I’m not green.” I bat his hand away but fail to keep the husk from my voice, not that it matters; he knows what he’s doing. That’s why he’s doing it. “I just think that nickname is stupid.”
He barks a laugh, taking my mask and saber, walking them back to the bench before he tosses me my water and gulps down his own.
I watch, unable to look away, as he chugs it so quickly that some escapes the sides of his mouth, running down his neck and soaking the top of his shirt.
His smile doesn’t waver as he wipes his mouth with his arm, and I see the heat in his eyes.
“Keep looking at me like that, and we can head into the closet.” He wiggles his brows at me as he stalks back toward me. I’m stuck, frozen, and at his mercy just like always.
“I can bend you over and remind you who owns that ass, baby,” he breathes the words hot and heavy in my ear, and if anyone has a gift for better hearing, there’s no way they missed it, but I couldn’t care less.
I’ve never been ashamed of who I am, only afraid he wouldn’t like me the same way. That fear went out the window years ago, though, and I’ve never looked back.
Julian likes girls, too, and that’s never been a problem—until Wren.
I said I wasn’t green, and I really don’t give a shit about the stupid nickname, but something about them together does grate at me. I thought it had just been all the time they were spending together, but even now, with just the two of us, the thought of her irks me.
Julian walks around the gym, observing everyone's form and offering pointers where he can. He’s not in charge of the class, but again, he’s the best, so they listen, sometimes too good. Even though most of them know or suspect our relationship, they still flirt and throw themselves at him.
“Alright, everyone is looking good. Jessica, you and Tylor pair up next week to work on those blind spots, but other than that, I think we’re looking good for next month's first tournament.”
With a loud clap of his hands, Coach dismisses everyone, and they scramble to grab their things and leave, having better things to do.
“Come on, my shamrock baby,” Julian says, linking his arm with mine and pulling me out the door. All our things are loaded in his bag, and I shake my head but don’t fight this time.
It’s still a stupid nickname, but it beats the hell out of snookums.
I only make it a few steps before I nearly trip over myself, and Julian releases me with a chuckle to walk beside him.
I miss his touch the moment it's gone and reach for his hand.
He laces his fingers with mine without hesitation, and I get that weird weightless feeling in my stomach that only he can make me feel.
It’s later now, and while there are still some students milling around, the halls are much emptier than they were when we came down here. I take a moment to breathe, enjoying the quiet calm that I feel has been missing since that tiny girl showed up at our door.
“Where are we going?” I ask when we walk right past the stairs we need to get up to the dorm. It’s not unlike Julian to space out, so I need to check whether there’s a reason we’re going this way.
“I ordered something, and it got delivered earlier.”
He looks back over his shoulder at me as he drags me behind him suddenly, in a hurry. The smile on his face is genuine and happy, none of his usual mischief.
He’s fucking perfect, and somehow he’s mine; he chose me.
We make it to the mailroom, and he quickly pulls out a box no bigger than a basketball. He’s damn near vibrating in place as he rips into it like a kid on Christmas morning.
A camera…
“Since when do you care about photography?” I ask, confused as to when that happened. It’s not crazy; he’s gone all in on a random hobby before, but this one seems kind of out of the blue.
He looks at the box a little more before he nods and turns to face me, catching his bottom lip between his teeth.
Wren.
He doesn’t need to tell me; I know that’s what it is.
What is it about her that has him so all in? I’ve never seen him like this with anyone, not a girl, not even me.
Old fears creep in, but I shake them away. He chose me, and even if he likes her too, that doesn’t make what we have less… Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll be able to make myself believe it.
“Tell me this isn’t for her?” I ask, nearly beg, but I know it is even without his answer.
Snatching the box from him, I turn it over in my hands a few times before I pull out my phone and quickly type in the name.
“Seven hundred dollars?” I shout, unable to keep my shock to myself.
He has the decency to look embarrassed, but money isn’t a big deal to him the way it is to me. I grew up well off, but when I hit sixteen, that money became my father's, and I had to work for everything I have.
Julian’s parents are happily married and smart, and he’s their only child. He gets a $5,000 monthly allowance that he usually goes through pretty easily.
It’s not like he needs all that or is hurting, but seven hundred dollars on a girl he just met feels crazy, well, crazier than his usual behavior at least.
“Yeah, so when I was showing her around yesterday, she was really into the Wisteria tree. You should have seen the way she lit up. I asked her about it, and she said she zoned out thinking about shooting some of it. I offered for us to swing back and grab her camera, but she shut down. The look on her face made my chest hurt, Tee.” He grabs at his shirt, pinching his eyes closed, and I hate that I feel bad for her because of him.
But I wasn’t joking when I said I would do anything for him.
I click through a few of the reviews.
“At least it's a good one, I suppose,” I tell him, handing the box back to him and breathing a sigh of relief when that pained look melts off his face.
“Do you think she’ll like it?” His eyes are pleading, and his lip has the slightest pout as he moves closer, and I shake my head.
“I think she’s going to love it,” I tell him, closing the distance between us and pressing my lips to his. “She better.”
He laughs, and I wrap a hand around his waist, pulling him in closer, craving more.
I’ll never have enough of him.
“Most expensive flavor of the week, though. That’s for sure.” I can’t help but sass as we head out, and he throws his head back and laughs.
“I don’t know, Tee. This might be a long ass week.”
I was afraid of that.
I groan, and that only makes him laugh harder, which in turn makes me laugh harder.
I’ve been hard since he whispered in my ear earlier, but now, well, my self-control has just run out.
I snag his hand and fling open a door to one of the utility closets before shoving him in, slamming the door closed behind us. It’s not until the light of the hall is gone that I realize how dark it really is in here.
Thank the gods for good vision.
“You know, for a proud gay man, we spend an awful lot of time hiding in closets.” I hear his cheeky grin, but his words drip with a sass that begs me to punish him.
“Shhh.” Wrapping my fingers around his neck, I drag him toward me, smashing our lips together in a punishing kiss that I know will leave our lips red and puffy.
Good.
“Remind me what else that mouth is good at,” I tell him, pushing him down to his knees, and I hear his breath catch.
Julian might love chaos, but he loves being told what to do even more.
It’s just as well his bratty ass deserves it sometimes.
Though right now he’s not a brat at all.
No, he drops to his knees like a good boy and has my slacks unbuttoned and my cock out in record time.
The first touch of his lips to the sensitive skin has me hissing a breath through my teeth, and when he sinks down to the base, I almost lose it right there.
He knows me so well, knows just how I like, well, everything. I’ve only ever been with him, and I fucking love that I got to give him every first and find myself with him.
I fist my fingers in his hair and fuck into his mouth a few times before I can’t take it anymore. Pulling away is hard. I’d love nothing more than to shoot my cum down his throat and watch him swallow it the way he always does, but right now I want to feel his body mold to mine.
I help him to his feet, and he’s already turning, shoving his pants down as he goes, and is that…
I reach down, my finger gliding over the cold metal that sits between his ass cheeks.
“Did you have this in all day?” My cock throbs, cum leaking from the tip at just the thought of him going through the whole day like that.
He lets out the most adorable whimper when I touch it, and I can’t help but do it again.
“Fuck, babe, if you want me to answer you, you've got to stop doing that,” he pants, his voice hardly more than a whisper.
I pause, but don’t pull away; I can’t.
He seems to understand that’s the best he’s going to get and talks.
“I had to do something. Between you and her…” He’s panting, and I know I should feel jealous; I have all day for much less, but how can I with him like this for me?
Slowly, I pull the plug free, sliding it into my blazer jacket pocket. I don’t give him a second to breathe before my cock replaces it, though. Our loud groans of ecstasy fill the room. Someone down the hall could probably hear them, but right now I couldn’t care less.
Not with the way he’s gripping my cock and moaning my name.
I reach around him, gripping his throbbing erection so that he fucks into my hand with every harsh thrust of my hips, unwilling to leave him wanting. He falls over the edge in no time, and I thank the universe as I pump him full of cum because I couldn’t have lasted another second.
“Fuck, I love you, you grumpy asshole,” he pants, heaving in the air as he turns to press a kiss to my cheek before moving to my lips, clearly unable to see.
“I love you too, Snookums.”