Nothing but Smoke (Fire and Rain) (12 page)

Michael cleared the dishes while Nicky got his mom ready for bed in the living room. She surprised Nicky by mentioning, once he was tucking her in, what a nice man Michael was.

He kissed her forehead and went into the bathroom to wash his hands. Michael had finished up in the kitchen and was fussing with the countertops and reorganizing the refrigerator.

“Thanks for cleaning.” Nicky came up behind him, wanting to give Michael a hug but not knowing whether Michael would accept it after so much forced “just friends” behavior.

“No worries.” Michael turned so his back was to the counter and reached for Nicky’s hand. Pulling Nicky close, he pecked a kiss on Nicky’s cheek. “Your mom’s nice.”

Nicky went into his embrace. “Yeah. Well, she’s my mom.” There’d been times as a kid he’d shouted at her, or as a teen when he’d stormed upstairs and slammed his door. In adulthood, he’d let himself blame her sometimes for his confusion over his sexuality. But when it came down to it, she’d always made sure he had food to eat and clothes to wear. She’d put Band-Aids on his scraped knees and baked him white cake with chocolate icing just how he liked on his birthday.

It was hard to take seriously those times when she’d lost her temper and yelled, or slapped him, in light of everything. Now that he was losing her, none of that mattered. She’d been his everything when he was small. Soon he wouldn’t have her, not even to blame.

“Yeah. I know.” Michael hugged Nicky, breath ruffling in his ear, strong arms making sure Nicky was safe.

“Man, this is the worst date ever. I’m sorry I made you come.” Nicky tried to laugh off his discomfort. There was no point in getting dragged into depression. He had tomorrow for that, and the next day.

“Nah. It’s fine.” Michael rubbed Nicky’s arms, setting him back so they could both get themselves together. “Do you want me to go now, or stick around for a while? We could watch a movie or something.”

Nicky considered it. “Yeah. I guess.” It wasn’t ten yet, and he certainly didn’t plan to go to sleep in the next couple hours. “Unless you have to be somewhere early tomorrow.”

“I don’t have to be at work until eleven.”

“Cool.” Even if his mother hadn’t been asleep in the living room, Nicky couldn’t have watched TV in there. Despite the hundreds of channels on its TV, that room had become his mom’s long ago. “You mind watching something upstairs? It’d have to be on my computer, but I have a few DVDs.”

“That would be fine. Or we could use mine.” Michael nodded over to his messenger bag, where Nicky guessed he had a laptop stored.

Nicky grinned. “You brought a computer on a date?” Nicky shouldn’t even be calling it that, considering they’d just had dinner with his mother, but it still struck Nicky as funny.

“That and a toothbrush.” Though Michael’s wink as well as the toothbrush comment were suggestive, Nicky found Michael’s preparedness endearing.

He’d bet Michael had lube and condoms stored in that hefty-looking bag as well. Along with tissues, antibacterial soap and quite possibly a Swiss army knife. “What’s your screen size?”

“Fifteen inches,” Michael said with enough pride that Nicky might have thought he was boasting about something more private. “How about yours?”

Nicky’s cheeks got hot. No way was he getting into that kind of pissing match, so he opted to say, “Yours is probably newer anyway. Let’s go up to my room.”

Tiptoeing might have been a strong word for how they climbed the stairs to the second floor, but Nicky didn’t want to wake his mother. He and Michael crammed into Nicky’s small space, Michael landing on Nicky’s bed immediately since there wasn’t anywhere else to sit.

“Is it okay that I’m up here?” Michael folded one clean and manicured foot under him. Nicky had never thought he’d be attracted to a man’s feet, but he could imagine kissing each of Michael’s toes.

“Yeah. It’s fine.” His mother had never minded who Nicky had in his room, even in high school when he’d tried to be interested in girls. “As long as we don’t watch too loud.”

He eyed the bed, unsure where to sit, but that only lasted for a second because there were no other options.

“So.” Nicky dropped onto his mattress, gathering his legs up.

“What kind of things do you like to watch?” Michael pulled a sleek MacBook out of his bag and opened it. Considering that the car Michael normally drove was a hunk of junk, Nicky was surprised Michael had such a drool-worthy piece of tech hidden in his bag.

He opened a browser and then Netflix, and the list of recommendations included every one of
The Fast and the Furious
movies.

“Oh, man. You like those too?” Nicky leaned forward to better see the titles. He loved the movies, though the tragedy with the film’s star cast a dark shadow. “Can you believe about Paul Walker? So messed up.”

Michael rubbed Nicky’s shoulder. “Sorry. I’ll look for a comedy.” He reached to click the keys, but Nicky urged his hand away.

“Nah. It’s okay. I mean, it’s too bad, but I still like the movies.” He shoved away the hint of sadness he felt. No need to let a Hollywood tragedy get in the way of watching high-speed car chases. “You know, I never saw the fifth one of these.” Nicky pointed to the icon. “You interested?”

Michael grabbed a handful of Nicky’s ass and gave it a playful squeeze. “Of course.” He brushed a kiss across Nicky’s jaw before turning back to the computer. “We can watch anything you want.” The movie started up and Michael set it on the dresser across from the bed.

Nicky stacked his pillows against the headrest, and for the opening scene he and Michael tried to sit shoulder to shoulder, but it quickly became apparent that they were too cramped.

“Hey, move like this…” Michael pushed Nicky in front of him, which Nicky would have thought would block Michael’s view until Michael urged Nicky to lie against his chest.

“I’m going to crush you.” Nicky looked behind him in concern.

“We’ll change positions if it gets uncomfortable.” Michael pulled Nicky back so he sat in the cradle of Michael’s splayed legs. He rested his chin on Nicky’s shoulder and his arms around Nicky’s waist.

Truth be told, it wasn’t the most comfortable position, and Nicky was pretty sure he was in fact crushing Michael, but it felt so good to be close together that Nicky stayed like that through the beginning of the movie.

As with all of the movies in this franchise, revving engines and accelerating cars dominated practically every scene. Nicky had a stiffie within the first ten minutes, especially since at every spinout Michael squeezed like they were leaning into a turn.

When Nicky bent forward to give Michael a chance to stretch, Michael massaged Nicky’s shoulders.

Maybe Michael was doing it as a foray into something physical, but Nicky couldn’t bring himself to call Michael on it. Those long-fingered hands felt too good. Nicky still exercised most days, but limited gym time meant he hadn’t stretched in a week. His muscles felt like too-taut strings on a guitar, being plucked and played under Michael’s fingertips.

“Hey, take off your shirt.” Michael urged the fabric up Nicky’s back.

“I knew you were trying to make a move.” Nicky wasn’t mad. If anything, he couldn’t stop smiling as he pulled his shirt off and leaned forward in a blatant request for more massage.

“Hey, now. I’m just being nice.” Michael was a liar, since he took his own shirt off as well. He stroked and rubbed Nicky’s back, hard enough to get into the fibers and loosen Nicky’s nerves.

“Gugnh.” Nicky grunted. “Fuck, can I fall in love with you now?” Nicky shouldn’t have said that. But shit, right then he would have given a lot for him and Michael to be on the same page with their feelings, on wanting to spend more time together.

“Who could blame you?” Michael asked in a cheeky voice. He scooted forward until he was flush against Nicky’s back.

Michael’s erection was an unmistakable suggestion, one that made Nicky’s cock pulse with fullness.

“Don’t you want to keep watching the movie?” Nicky held his breath as he waited for the answer. Nicky needed Michael to touch him and make him feel good, but the last thing in the world he’d do was say it out loud and risk scaring Michael off.

Michael drifted his touch up Nicky’s sides, and then around to his nipples to tweak. In the background, engines screamed. Nicky’s breath rushed out in a low, almost silent growl.

“We can watch and do other things.” To prove his point, Michael reached between Nicky’s legs.

“Yeah?” Normally the two of them negotiated ahead of time, and with his mom downstairs, it seemed like exactly the type of situation where Nicky should put down limits.

But the weirdest thing was Nicky didn’t want to. He wanted Michael to lead, so Nicky wouldn’t have to think.

“Come over here.” With a gentle push, Michael got Nicky lying on his side and spooned him.

Michael’s knees fit right behind Nicky’s and their hips lined up so Nicky could feel the heat radiating off Michael’s stiffness even through however many layers of fabric. With arms around Nicky’s waist and lips on Nicky’s neck, Michael ground tight, his cock riding the crease of Nicky’s ass.

“Oh God,” Nicky whispered. Michael’s hand had found its way between Nicky’s legs. Not stroking so much as squeezing and pressing. Adding the same pressure Nicky could feel on his tailbone.

For minute after long minute, Michael rolled them like that. Deep friction and nothing more. Nicky’s skin tingled everywhere it touched Michael’s, and he shivered from the feel of Michael’s sparse chest hair between his shoulder blades. But with him wearing jeans, and Michael in some kind of thick camping material, it felt like they were trapped in a vise from the waist down.

“You want to try this with less clothes?” Michael’s murmur shivered down Nicky’s neck, over his chest and to the place where he was trapped humping helplessly into Michael’s palm.

“I’d feel weird getting all the way naked.” Nicky rushed for his belt, though. If they were doing this, it had to be fast. Quick and hot, and too rushed for him to worry that his mom might wake up and need his attention.

“That’s fine.” Michael fumbled with his pants, and Nicky pushed his own down. Michael got them right where they were before, Michael riding his crease, but this time Michael’s bare cock met nothing but skin.

“Mmm…” Michael’s quiet moan said everything Nicky was thinking.

Nicky could feel Michael’s precome between the cheeks of his ass, Michael’s cock sliding deeper and deeper until it was right…there. Friction right above Nicky’s asshole. How had Nicky not realized having a thick weight pressed there would feel so good?

He arched his back, trying to get more.

“Can I get some lube out?” Michael reached behind him for his messenger bag.

Nicky didn’t care if Michael fucked him. Everything he did with Michael was better than Nicky expected. Michael clicked the light off next to the bed as he cuddled once again against Nicky’s back.

“Hey.” Michael craned his head around, landing a kiss close enough to Nicky’s mouth that Nicky got the hint and reciprocated.

The kiss was furtive but full of the smile he could feel on Michael’s lips. A wet hand covered Nicky’s dick, smooth and warm, and Nicky bit his lip so he wouldn’t gasp.

“I’m not going to fuck you, okay?”

Nicky might have voiced disagreement over that if he wasn’t shocked into silence by the feel of lube being slicked all along his crack. Michael’s fingers were quick, teasing. Oh God, they were…he was touching… Nicky squirmed, not sure whether he was trying to get closer or farther away. That probing fingertip was stroking, tapping, dipping into the center just far enough for Nicky to feel a twinge of totally unfamiliar sensation.

Nicky whispered every curse word he could imagine and some that weren’t words at all. Without a doubt, Nicky wanted those fingers inside him.

“You like?” Michael settled his cock into that slick furrow he’d created. He pressed kisses into Nicky’s shoulder, pulling back before pushing forward. Michael changed his position so he thrust his cock head into the space below Nicky’s balls. “Oh yeah.” Michael drew out, then thrust into that space, creating friction and heat and a tightness even Nicky could feel since his thighs were trapped by his shorts. “This is okay, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Nicky bit his lip to stop himself from saying the words on his mind.
Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me…
The chorus sang through his mind, but Nicky knew enough from his research to realize Michael couldn’t just slip inside him. There’d be preparation, and probably getting out a condom, and Nicky didn’t want any of that. He needed Michael to keep holding him close, whispering in his ear.

“Yeah?” Michael slowed what he was doing, as if he was listening very carefully for what Nicky might want.

“Could you do it the other way again?” Nicky tried to figure out a way to describe it without having to resort to either hand gestures or saying out loud
between the cheeks of my ass instead of between my legs
. “Can you get off that way?”

“You mean like this?” Michael shifted his hips, until he was back so the base of him rubbed along Nicky’s crack.

Nicky hoped his sigh wasn’t too obvious. “Yeah. Like that. Can you?”

“I think so.” Michael rolled them so Nicky was underneath and Michael was laid out on top.