Chapter Nine
Bryce unlocked the front door and pushed it open. The apartment felt warmer than the hall, and Bryce shrugged his coat off and hung it up. Closing the front door, he slid the chain on, then turned and watched Sage as he hung his own coat up. He saw Sage swallow as he closed his eyes.
“Still good?” Bryce asked.
Opening his eyes, Sage nodded. “Still good.”
They stood there for a minute, then Bryce tipped his head toward the couch. “Wanna sit?”
“Yeah,” Sage said.
They crossed the room together, and Bryce turned the small lamp on.
The soft pool of light caught the edge of the coffee table and the arm of the couch they’d worn smooth over three years.
Same furniture but now different, which seemed strange to Bryce but also not because things had changed between him and Sage. He shook his head at his own thoughts.
Bryce sat first, and Sage dropped down next to him, close enough for their knees to brush. Bryce kept his hands in his lap for a second so he wouldn’t reach for Sage even though he wanted to.
After a minute or so of silence, Bryce spoke. “I keep thinking about earlier. The walk back. The part where you didn’t let go of my hand.
Sage’s mouth tugged. “I didn’t want to let go.”
“Me either.”
Bryce turned, letting his knee press into Sage’s. “Okay if I—”
“Yeah,” Sage said.
Bryce leaned in slowly, giving Sage the chance to pull away if he wanted to, but he didn’t.
Sage met him there. One of Sage’s hands settled at Bryce’s side, warm through the shirt, fingers spreading and holding.
He kept his palm at Sage’s jaw, thumb finding the rough edge where the razor had missed.
His other hand found Sage’s hip and stayed.
They kissed, lips brushing, tongues touching. Sage shifted to face him more. Bryce moved closer, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
“Still okay?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah,” Sage said, low. “You?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I make it easier?” Bryce asked. “Shirt off?”
Sage nodded. “Yeah.”
They didn’t make a show of it. They took their shirts off, and Bryce stared at Sage’s chest. He’d seen it before, but never like this. Bryce put his hand on Sage’s shoulder and drew a slow line to his ribs with his fingertips. He felt the shiver under his palm and had to breathe through his own.
“Okay?” Sage asked.
“Yeah,” Bryce said. His voice came out rougher than he meant.
The next kiss felt deeper now that they had no shirts on. Sage’s hand slipped up Bryce’s back and stopped under his shoulder blade, gentle pressure that kept him there without pulling. Bryce’s palm stayed at Sage’s ribs before sliding up his chest, his fingers skimming over one of Sage’s nipples.
Bryce pulled his hand back, swallowed before murmuring, “I don’t want to rush, but I want more.”
“We won’t rush,” Sage said. “We’ll go at a pace that fits us.”
“Stop means stop.”
“Always.”
They kept kissing as their hands slowly moved over warm skin. Bryce let his mouth drift over Sage’s cheek, jaw, the hinge where Sage tensed when he focused. He pressed a soft kiss there and felt Sage’s breath catch, his fingers dig into Bryce’s skin.
Sage’s hand slid to Bryce’s neck, fingers tugging on the hair there. “Tell me what you want.”
Bryce swallowed. “I want to take care of you.”
Sage’s eyes were darker around the edges now. He searched Bryce’s face. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” Bryce said. “If you’re good.”
“I’m good,” Sage said.
Bryce nodded. He eased them down and back along the couch until Sage lay on it and Bryce could lean over him. He kissed Sage again, moved lower, kissing over his chin, throat and then back to Sage’s mouth to give him another deep kiss.
“Okay?” Bryce asked.
Sage’s fingers tightened on Bryce’s shoulder. “Okay.”
Bryce trailed another kiss lower, then looked up. “Stop?”
“No,” Sage said, quiet and sure. “Don’t stop.”
Bryce’s breath hitched. He smiled once and pressed his forehead to Sage’s for a moment. “Tell me if you need me to stop.”
“I will.” Sage kissed Bryce, who moaned in response. “I don’t want you to stop.”
Bryce moved lower, kissing Sage’s skin. He reached his nipples, and paused, looking up at Sage, who watched, his eyes wide.
He had his bottom lip between his teeth, and when Bryce licked over one of his nipples, Sage gasped.
Bryce licked the nipple again, feeling the soft nub harden like a woman’s would.
He blew on it, feeling Sage shudder beneath him.
“Bryce,” Sage moaned
Bryce lifted his head. “Too much?”
Sage shook his head. “No. Just…I’m here.”
“Me too,” Bryce said.
Bryce moved up and kissed Sage, hearing Sage’s soft moan as the kiss deepened. Bryce slowed the kiss and then moved back to Sage’s nipples and stared at them. He wanted to touch Sage, his dick hard in his jeans as he sucked one of Sage’s nipples. Sage arched up, his hands sliding over Bryce’s skin.
Bryce sat back and stared down at Sage, then reached out and pulled the zipper down on his jeans. He paused when he could see the thick, rigid outline of Sage’s dick. He glanced up at Sage, seeing his eyes focused on him, and he smiled as he ran the back of his fingers over Sage’s shaft.
Sage gasped and groaned, his hips lifting up. “Bryce…”
“Lift your hips.” Bryce grabbed Sage’s jeans and underwear, and when Sage lifted up, he pulled them down, revealing Sage’s cock. Bryce stopped, his eyes focused on Sage’s arousal. “Wow,” he whispered.
“You don’t have to. We can stop.”
“No, I want to. It’s just I never expected… I want this.” Bryce ran his fingers over the soft skin. “I want you.”
Bryce wrapped his fingers around Sage’s shaft, feeling the warm, silky soft skin. So like his own, but not. Sage was longer than he was but not as thick, and as Bryce slowly stroked, he watched the red head appear and then disappear.
“Bryce,” Sage murmured.
“Good?”
Sage swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, but tighter.”
Bryce tightened his grip on Sage’s cock. “Like this?”
Sage trembled, groaning harshly. “Yeah. Shit.”
Bryce continued to stroke Sage, watching his hand slide up and down and occasionally glancing up to see Sage biting his lip, his eyes closed. Bryce could smell him, all musky and male, and he licked his lips, then took a deep breath and licked over the head.
“Bryce!” Sage called his name. “You don’t have to…”
“I know,” Bryce murmured as he licked the head again. Warm and wet and soft, his tongue moved over, then around the glans before licking the slit. Swallowing, he whispered, “I think I like it.”
Sage’s hand found Bryce’s hair and held on, fingers tugging on the ends. Bryce closed his eyes for a second and breathed before taking the head into his mouth and sucking softly. Sage’s hips surged up, and Bryce leaned back, coughing slightly.
“Shit. Sorry,” Sage panted. “I’ll try not to move.”
“I like knowing I make you react that way, but I don’t think I’m ready to deep throat you.” Bryce licked over the head, then sucked it again, feeling the spongy flesh slide into his mouth. He slid his tongue around it as he tasted Sage. Different from a woman but Bryce found he liked it.
Stroking his cock, Bryce slowly took more into his mouth, sucking and bobbing his head. Sage’s dick stretched his lips like he hadn’t experienced before, but it didn’t bother him because it was Sage and because Bryce wanted to do this.
Sage’s fingers tugged on his hair, his gasps and moans filling the air. “Bryce. So good.”
Bryce moaned and sucked harder, hearing Sage cry out. “You like that?”
“Fuck yeah.”
Bryce did it again, feeling Sage’s hips move up before dropping down. “What else do you like?”
“My balls being played with.”
Bryce grinned as he licked over the head. “Me too.”
“I’ll do it when it’s my turn.”
Bryce moved up and kissed Sage, groaning when Sage thrust his tongue into his mouth. Sage licked and kissed, his hands holding Bryce close. “I want to make you come.” Bryce stroked Sage’s cock as they kissed, feeling it twitch in his hand. “I want you to come. I want to see what you look like.”
“Bryce,” Sage groaned, his body shuddering. “I’m close.”
“Yeah? Come for me then.” Bryce kissed Sage again, then moved down his body and sucked the head back into his mouth. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Sage to come in his mouth or not. Maybe it was too soon for that, but he knew he wanted Sage to come, and he wanted to watch it happen.
Sage shuddered, moaned, his hips moving. “Close.”
Bryce kept sucking Sage, feeling his dick jerk in his mouth.
Sage tensed, then cried out, and Bryce felt the first spurt of come hit his tongue.
His eyes went wide, and he leaned back, seeing more come shoot from Sage’s slit.
He swallowed what had been in his mouth, licking his lips at the salty bitter taste that strangely didn’t bother him. Maybe it was because it was Sage.
When Sage sank back down, Bryce came back up the same way he’d gone down. Soft kisses, licks, and gentle bites. Sage caught his face and kissed him, murmuring his name before tangling their tongues together in a kiss that left Bryce breathless.
“You okay?” Bryce asked.
Sage nodded, swallowed. “I am. Are you? I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Yeah.” Bryce kissed him, long and deep, groaning when Sage’s hands gripped his ass. “I wanted to do it. I know we said slow—”
“It felt right,” Sage interrupted him. “I was concerned about you doing—”
“I wanted to.”
Bryce kissed him again, then let his cheek rest on Sage’s chest. Sage’s hand settled at the back of Bryce’s neck, his other on Bryce’s lower back. He could hear Sage’s heart slow and turned to kiss him.
“Bed?” Sage asked after a minute.
“Yeah,” Bryce murmured.
Bryce stood and offered his hand. Sage took it and let Bryce lead him into the bedroom. Once there, they stripped to their underwear and then got under the blanket and faced each other in the dark, like last night. Sage put his palm on Bryce’s chest, and Bryce covered it with his own hand.
“It wasn’t too much?” Bryce asked, suddenly feeling like he’d done something he shouldn’t have.
“No. What guy doesn’t like having his dick sucked?” Sage chuckled softly. “I want to do it to you soon.”
“Soon.” Bryce yawned and cuddled into Sage.
Sage stroked his fingers through Bryce’s hair until Bryce fell asleep.