7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Drew
Holy shit. Wow. It was like magic. It actually—god, it actually felt like magic. Zach was smiling at him, laughing lightly along with Drew, and his mind was just racing, spinning, tumbling. God, all he could think of was how he wanted more, more of whatever this amazing, intoxicating, thrilling feeling was. He felt like he was lit up from the inside, sparks of magic and threads of arousal spreading throughout his body like he’d never felt before. It was phenomenal. Breathtaking.
“We—we should... talk?” Zach said tentatively, still slightly breathless, as was Drew.
“I... don’t want to? I mean, yes, but—God, if that was even half as good for you as it was for me”—Zach was nodding—“then, uh, talking seems like... not fun?” Drew huffed out a breath. “Ah, sorry, um, I don’t even know what I’m saying... I’m not sure I’m capable of higher thought right now.”
“Me neither.” Zach chuckled and shook his head. God, his eyes were so perfectly blue and distracting as hell.
Drew splayed his hands out on the table top and was now acutely aware of the arms of both their chairs and the edges of the table and how they separated him from Zach more than he would have liked. He glanced around at the rest of the expansive living space. “Um, do you want— Should we move to the couch with our tea?” Drew suggested.
“Yeah, yeah, that sounds good,” Zach agreed.
Together, they wrapped up the food they wanted to keep for later and put it in the small fridge, a slightly nervous but charged energy jumping between them the entire time. Drew was still reeling with all of these new, amazing feelings. Sparks and butterflies and all that shit that only ever happened in the movies, never in real life. Never to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew for certain that if he examined this too closely, the magic would disappear in an instant, but not for any reasons that were good or logical.
Not that any of this felt logical.
Grabbing their mugs, they headed for the closest couch, and Drew toed off his shoes while he waited for Zach to drag a lightweight side table over so they had a place to set their tea. Zach took his shoes off too, pushing them to the side with his foot, and they both put their tea on the table.
Still, it seemed like Zach was hesitating to sit just as much as Drew was. And it made sense, though it was ridiculous. It was just sitting. On a couch. How hard was that? Apparently much too hard for two awkward thirty-somethings with little to no experience in these things. How close should they sit? Were they supposed to talk? Or keep kissing? Or some third thing his racing heart and libido were not letting him think of?
He’d been the one to suggest they move to the couch so he could be closer to Zach, right? And he assumed, hoped that Zach was in agreement about that being closer part, and the kissing part too. He could assume that much, right?
Zach looked over at him with those stunning blue eyes and started saying... something... something that Drew missed entirely, and it wasn’t until he saw Zach staring at him expectantly that he realized Zach had probably asked a question. Shit.
Drew cleared his throat. “Sorry, sorry. I-I, uh, missed what you said. I was so completely lost in your eyes, they’re so gorgeous.” He was feeling almost hypnotized, even more so when a blush crept over Zach’s cheeks and he let out a nervous laugh. “Shit. I, uh, said the quiet part out loud...”
Zach laughed again and nodded, ducking his head slightly and still blushing.
God, would he ruin the mood if he doubled down about Zach’s eyes, how perfectly blue they were? And how the fact that he bore a striking resemblance to Clark Kent just made Drew’s heart beat that much faster? Drew couldn’t stop staring, couldn’t stop marveling at the fact that the man standing right in front of him made him feel so... alive. So light. So breathless. And what was more, Zach seemed to be just as affected, his eyes darkened slightly and his breathing shallower than it had been a moment before. Drew’s eyes flitted down to Zach’s lips.
“C-can I kiss you again?” Drew asked.
“Please . . .” Zach breathed.
In an instant, the short distance between them disappeared as Drew crushed his lips to Zach’s, his hands finding Zach’s hips, his fingers flexing, pressing gently. Zach’s mouth was warm against his own, and Drew’s skin tingled where Zach’s fingers were tracing little circles at the back of his neck. A jolt of arousal shot through him, making him inhale sharply. He tried to press his lips to Zach’s once more, but he somehow missed the mark a little, and their noses bumped together.
They laughed a bit breathlessly as they both pulled away, and then Zach said, “Shit, I’m so glad you’re just as inexperienced as me at this. But god”—Zach closed his eyes and released a warm huff of air—“it still feels amazing. It’s not supposed to feel this amazing if we’re doing it wrong, right?”
“I... have no idea.” Drew laughed, but then he glanced over at the couch next to them. “Should we... sit and talk?”
Zach shook his head, and for half a second, Drew’s heart hung suspended. “I kinda... I want to sit and, um, practice? Practice kissing? God, does that sound half as stupid as I think it does? Because it sounds really, really—”
“That sounds like an amazing idea,” Drew cut in, grinning while his heart raced with desire and this inexplicably strong affection for Zach. Reluctant to move his hands from Zach’s hips but eager to be both comfortable and kissing him, Drew let his hands fall back to his sides and sat down, sinking into the plush cushions.
Zach joined him quickly, sitting and then eagerly turning toward him. “Hi...” Zach’s voice was rough and slightly breathy.
“Hey . . .”
There was a charged silence as they stared at one another, Drew’s pulse still racing as he let his gaze wander over every inch of Zach’s beautiful face. Then he leaned in, Zach following suit, and their lips met briefly before he pulled back again, frowning. The kiss was still amazing, still magical. But the strain on his neck at this angle was not.
“Um, I... It’s, ah, an awkward position...” Drew said haltingly as he shifted his body a bit sideways, and Zach shifted too. “Maybe now?”
At Zach’s nod, Drew leaned forward again, their mouths meeting and their lips pressing together. It was amazing and incredible, and he immediately found himself lost in the warmth and the feel. He still had no clue what he was doing, but his free hand seemed to know exactly what he wanted as it settled on Zach’s thigh, his thumb dragging an arc over the slightly rough material of Zach’s cargo pants. Zach made the most intoxicating whimper against Drew’s lips, and a second later, Drew felt Zach’s hand taking a similar path up his thigh, its warmth and weight sending a pulse of arousal straight to Drew’s groin. He had to pull his lips away for a second to breathe.
“Think we’re getting better?” Drew managed to say after a moment, barely giving Zach time to nod before his lips were back on Zach’s. He wanted more, although he wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. All he knew was he had this feeling heating up inside of him that just made him want to be even closer to Zach, and he tried tentatively pressing his tongue against Zach’s lips. Somehow, Zach knew what he wanted or was just feeling the same because he opened his mouth, and then their tongues awkwardly bumped together. And then again.
They parted slightly, both huffing with light laughter. Zach grinned. “I think we need a lot more practice.”
“I think so too,” Drew said, almost surprised at the huskiness he heard in his own voice. He pressed his fingers gently against Zach’s inner thigh, which won him another intoxicating sound from Zach—a light moan. As Zach’s fingers made a similar advance on Drew’s thigh, Drew found himself moaning slightly too, though he was suddenly wishing he hadn’t worn jeans today so he could feel everything more intensely.
Zach was leaning in for another kiss when he startled, his other leg twitching slightly. Then he groaned, which wasn’t as intoxicating a sound. “Text message. Ignore it,” he said in a rush, and he continued his advance, recapturing Drew’s lips.
Drew moaned softly as Zach’s lips moved against his, a moist heat tugging at his lower lip. Zach sucked gently, and his hand slid farther up along Drew’s inner thigh, making Drew’s whole body flush with heat and his dick throb with arousal. Shit, this was intense. But then there was another startle and twitch, and Zach gave a whimpering groan against Drew’s lips .
“Do... you... need to... get that?” Drew said between kisses, neither of them willing to pull all the way apart just yet.
“Mmm . . . in a min . . . I want . . . more . . .” Zach murmured, then reclaimed Drew’s lips and tested with his tongue, pressing lightly against Drew’s mouth.
Drew opened eagerly, keeping his tongue back this time to let Zach’s sweep through his mouth. Oh god.
He could feel Zach smiling against his mouth before he swept his tongue through again. Eager to try it too, Drew leaned in, adding just a touch of pressure to his kiss and letting his tongue peek out slightly first. When Zach’s exploration stopped, Drew’s began, and he tested and tasted, and somehow the wonder of kissing Zach more deeply had him feeling even more connected to Zach. God, he wanted to do this forever, have these amazing feelings never ever stop.
But then Zach was pulling away, groaning. “Ugh, she’s calling now,” he grumbled.
Trying to focus on Zach’s words and breathe at the same time was a challenge. “Y-you... should... get that?”
Zach’s hand slipped back all the way to Drew’s knee as he sat back against the couch with a huff. It made it a bit easier to think, but god, he didn’t want to stop.
“Yeah,” Zach said hesitantly. “She’ll just keep calling. She worries.”
“It’s okay! Really,” Drew assured him, trying to make his smile just as reassuring even though his whole body was still reeling and dazed. “Answer.”
Zach took a deep breath as he dug his phone out of his cargo pants, hit the answer button, and brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Jen. ”
Drew couldn’t hear what exactly was being said this time, but he definitely heard her voice and her tone—slightly loud and clearly worried.
“I know, sorry. Things were... Yeah, all the flights were canceled, just like you saw on the news. I... we... There’s a hotel inside the airport... Yeah, I... have a room for the night... Yep, he... does too... I’m not sounding cagey! Okay, okay, hang on.” Zach looked over at Drew, a nervous grimace on his face, and said, “She wants to talk to you.”
“Oh, okay, um . . .”
“God, I’m sorry, she’s just... No! I wasn’t about to say that! Hang on... Yeah, okay... hang on!” Zach’s brow furrowed in some adorably apologetic way, and despite the knot now forming in his stomach and the fact that it didn’t really sound like Jen was giving them a choice, Drew nodded.
Drew was fully expecting to take the phone from Zach, but instead, he watched with anxious eyes as Zach pressed the button to convert it to a video call. And without more warning than that, he was greeted by a brunette with wide green eyes and a squarish face.
“Holy FUCK, he’s hot!”
“JEN!!” Zach hissed at her.
Drew felt his face flood with heat and saw his cheeks go deep pink on the image at the bottom right of the screen. “H-hi...” he said, possibly without squeaking, but he really couldn’t be sure at the moment.
“Oh my god, Jen, just... stop staring.” Zach looked at Drew and mouthed, “I’m so sorry!”
His heart raced with something quite different than desire this time as he shifted his eyes back to the phone screen. God, someone else knew now. Another someone besides his family and Zach. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He would live through this. He would.
“Drew, right?” Jen asked, making Drew feel like he was in the hot seat on one of those prime-time interview shows.
Drew nodded.
“You promise me you’re not a serial killer and you won’t kill my friend?”
Drew looked at her in horror. “No? GOD, I mean yes! Yes, I promise you I’m not a serial killer, and no, I won’t kill your friend.”
“JEN!!!” Zach hissed again.
“Hush, I’m just looking out for you!” she directed at Zach, then shifted her gaze back to Drew, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head this way and that as though she was fully appraising the truth of his answer. “Okay, I believe you,” she said matter-of-factly with a quick nod of her head. “Zach, text me when you have your flight info, alright?”
Zach turned the phone back fully on himself. “Yep, will do,” he said, and it was almost like Drew could feel the tension and embarrassment coming off of Zach. Or shit, that was probably just Drew’s own.
“Love you,” Jen said.
“Love you too even though I low-key hate you right now,” Zach said.
Drew bit back a laugh.
“Later!” Jen said.
Zach thumbed the button to end the call and then tossed the phone toward the end of the couch. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, his next words coming out mumbled. “Kill me now.”
“I literally just promised Jen that I wouldn’t!”
Zach looked up, meeting Drew’s eyes for only a second before they both burst into laughter. It was only when he needed to breathe minutes later that Drew was finally able to calm himself. He glanced over at Zach beside him, and his heart stuttered. God, Zach’s eyes... They glistened with tears and sparkled with something that looked a whole lot like joy...
Drew wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline and anxiety the call had brought on. Or the kissing and the arousal and the attraction. Or the tug of sympathy he’d felt for Zach’s embarrassment. Or the way he’d just laughed harder than he ever had in his whole life. Or the rhythm of his heart beating in his chest—a rhythm that seemed like it was just for Zach.
But Drew thought he might fucking be in love.