As far as things were going, with a few drinks in his system, Nicolai was proving to be more than pleasant company. Lucas hadn’t thought that some stranger in a hotel bar would last long sitting with him, considering his track record with people. He was proven wrong as the hours passed and eventually, he found himself enjoying yet another drink in the friendly man’s room. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, and he was still chatting happily with Nicolai, or Nic, as he preferred to be called.

“I don’t wanna pry,” Nic said. “But you were pretty vague about how you ended up sitting at the bar, looking like someone turned you down for a dance.”

Lucas snorted audibly, almost devolving into a full-fledged giggle. He didn’t drink as often as Shaun did, but he was nowhere near what you’d call a lightweight. He’d still been on his first drink by the time Nic had joined him, but more had been consumed as time passed. Lucas had done his best to pace himself, but eventually found he was lost in the casual conversation and stopped paying as much attention to how much he was drinking. Now he was feeling light-headed and giddy, but more relaxed than he’d felt in a while.

“You remember me telling you about my partner, right? We aren’t getting along at the moment.”

“Big guy, lot of brawn, but probably not much in the way of brain. What’s he done?”

Lucas frowned at him. “You be nice. He’s plenty smart and a good guy.”

Nic raised a hand in what Lucas took to be an apology. “Okay, so big guy with some brains, and a good person, got it. So why aren’t you two getting along?”

Not wanting to dump everything in some stranger’s lap, Lucas shrugged. “He and I just don’t always see eye to eye on things is all. Got into it about something that happened last year. I did something behind his back and didn’t tell him, now he’s mad because he found out when he overheard me telling someone else about it.”

Nic raised a brow. “Did you do a bad thing? Is that the issue?”

“Well, he certainly believes it was a bad thing, but I do not. That is where the issue between us lies: our, uh, difference of opinion.”

Nic got up, bringing the bottle of liquor with him. “Okay, so you guys aren’t getting along because you did something you thought was right, and he thinks was wrong. What, did you kill someone?”

Lucas squinted at him, hesitating before allowing him to refill his glass. “Who just automatically assumes murder? No, I didn’t kill anyone.”

The man laughed, the sound almost wild enough to be a wicked cackle. “Alright. So did you hide it because you wanted to save yourself the trouble, or because you knew he would freak out no matter what?”

That was the same question that had been running through Lucas’ mind since he’d sat down at the bar by himself. He and Shaun had come a long way since their rough beginning, and part of that progress had been made by being more honest with one another. That and learning how and when to bring something to the other partner’s attention. This marked the first time Lucas had ever willingly kept something from Shaun, with no intention of telling him in the future. Had he been keeping it from him because he wanted to spare himself the trouble of defending himself? Or was it simply because he knew Shaun would never understand and there was no point in stirring the pot?

Nic sat next to him on the plush couch, eyeing him with a frown. “Sorry, did I hit a sore spot?”

“No,” Lucas shook his head, smiling reassuringly. “It’s just a really good question. It really wouldn’t have mattered when I told him, he would still have been pretty mad. In truth, he was only as angry as he was because I kept it from him.”

“You guys sound like you’re pretty close.”

“We’ve worked together for years, so I would certainly hope so.”

Nic snorted. “Then it sounds like you probably made the right choice in keeping it from him. Sounds like he’s got a temper, and you seem to have a good head on your shoulders.”

“Temper or not, I probably shouldn’t have kept it from him.”

“Look, I don’t know what this thing you did was, but even just talking to you for a couple of hours tells me that you aren’t the type to go behind your partner’s back without a good reason. And keeping it from him sounds like it was a smart idea. Sometimes keeping shit from the people you care about is the best thing you can do for them, especially if all it’s gonna do is upset shit. So it sucks that he found out, but what’s worse is that he’s not even stopping to think about how you might be feeling about all of this. Sounds like you tried to do what you thought was right, and it’s shitty that he made you feel like you had to keep it a secret in the first place.”

There was a logic to Nic’s rapidly spoken speech that appealed to Lucas, it was almost too appealing. It made it easy to justify hiding what he had done, rather than having to deal with the idea that he had willingly hidden something from his partner. He wasn’t all that fond of taking the easy road, but he had to admit it still made sense. If it wasn’t for Shaun’s stubborn refusal to consider any alternative but killing, Lucas might have been willing to talk to him. Maybe if he could have trusted Shaun to react like a rational human being, instead of a warrior out for blood, he might have even included Shaun in the discussion before saving that woman.

“I’m probably just talking out of my ass here,” Nic continued hurriedly, sounding nervous now. “Since I don’t know what actually happened. It just sounds like I’ve got this really nice guy here, who has a good head on his shoulders, worrying about having done something behind his partner’s back. The same partner who freaked out over it instead of just stopping to wonder why you might do something like that, because it doesn’t sound like it’s something you would normally do.”

Lucas bit his bottom lip, shaking his head. “It’s not. I’ve never…kept anything like this from him before. Our work requires us to have complete trust in one another, and I wouldn’t want to do anything that would break or even shake that level of trust.”

“Well then, there you go. You wouldn’t normally hide something from him, but the way you knew he would act is what made you want to hide it, right?”

It was reluctant, but Lucas nodded. “Perhaps if he had been more reasonable, I might have…”

He let that thought trail off, not wanting to finish it in front of Nic. It was partly because this man was a stranger, and Lucas, even with alcohol in his system, wasn’t fond of the idea of airing his private business too readily with someone he didn’t know. It was also the fact that he hadn’t wanted to lay his problems at the feet of someone who shouldn’t have to put up with his whining. It had been nice of Nic to indulge him this much, but if he went any further, he would end up feeling disgusted with himself.

“You didn’t call me up here to listen to me moan and whine on about my problems,” Lucas told him, taking another deep drink from his glass.

“Oh? Then what did I call you up here for?” Nic asked, suddenly looking mischievous.

Lucas looked at Nic, his gaze searching the man’s eyes. “You have, by far, the most interesting eyes that I have ever seen.”

Genuine surprise flashed across Nic’s face at Lucas’ warm tone. “I-oh?”

Lucas wanted to reach across the space between them, just to brush his fingers along the man’s jaw. It was a small thing, but for someone who was normally as unaffectionate as Lucas was, it was significant. His rare need to touch another person was generally assuaged by Shaun. It wasn’t just sex with Shaun, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly it was. What he could say was that it normally fulfilled his desire for occasional, intimate, human contact.

Nic looked at him with a puzzled expression, apparently reading the shift of emotion in Lucas’ face. “Are you okay?”

Lucas nodded. “I’m fine, but would you think it odd if I said I wanted to touch you?”

“Well, I kinda figured that’s one reason you came up here, and why I started off thinking about bringing you up here.”

“Started off?”

Nic shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Guess it started off with you being hot, and me wanting to see you out of your clothes. Then we talked and I was enjoying it.”

“And now wanting to see me naked doesn’t fit into your plans anymore?” Lucas asked, ruefully amused.

Nic grinned, standing up to move toward Lucas. “Oh, it’s definitely part of the plan.”

Showing the type of forwardness that Lucas appreciated, Nic stopped between Lucas’ legs. With measured, patient movements, he reached forward to take hold of Lucas’ glass and place it on a nearby side table. The eyes that Lucas still found mesmerizing turned on him, evaluating him with quick, precise movements. He was suddenly struck by the idea that for all his sensory abilities, it was possible this almost unknown man could see more than he could. He already felt naked, and he hadn’t even taken his shoes off yet.

As Nic leaned forward, Lucas tilted his head back to press their lips together. There was none of the familiar aggression he and Shaun shared. Nic wasn’t tentative though, just patient as he slowly explored their shared kiss. Lucas hoped he didn’t taste too strongly of alcohol, but if he did, Nic certainly didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. His tongue pushed against Lucas’, his hands going around the back of his neck and head as he slid forward into Lucas’ lap.

Lucas moaned as their mouths worked together, quickly relaxing into the kiss. He couldn’t blame the alcohol, since he never relaxed this easily even on the few drunken hookups he’d had in the past. The same gift Nic had that relaxed Lucas during their conversation seemed to translate to the physical, as well. Lucas reached forward to grab hold of Nic’s hips, pulling him further onto his lap.

Heat lit up within Lucas’ chest as Nic ground down. His cock strained against the tight fabric of his jeans as he pushed up into the motion. Lucas tightened his hold, pulling Nic down as he pushed up once more. Nic gasped into his mouth, the sound transforming into a low groan that echoed right down to the pit of Lucas’ stomach.

Their exploration of each other became more strident, desperate, and demanding in the way their hands pushed and pulled against one another. Lucas was so used to having the other person take control, it was refreshing to have someone work with him instead of against him. Not that he didn’t like it when Shaun grabbed hold of him and held him down, but he was enjoying how much he and Nic spent time building one another up first. One would take the next step, waiting until the other reached that same point as well.

Nic’s warm fingers found their way beneath Lucas’ shirt, pulling at his shirt. Lucas broke their kiss long enough to let his shirt be pulled over his head before returning his mouth to Nic’s. He frantically worked at the button of Nic’s pants, unzipping them before swiftly moving onto his shirt. Their kiss broke once more with a faint noise from the both of them. Hot skin pressed against hot skin as Nic dove back in, his fingers digging into Lucas’ shoulder as he yanked him back into their kiss.

“Wait,” Lucas gasped against his mouth, a sudden thought breaking his stride. “How far is this going to go, because I don’t…”

Nic chuckled, the noise low and suggestive, “I got us covered, don’t worry about it. We’ll get a condom on you before you fuck me.”

How long had it been since he had last been inside someone? Shaun had never offered and Lucas hadn’t pushed it. The thought of being inside Nic, feeling the hot grip of him had his cock straining all the more against his pants.

His teeth sank into the warm skin of Nic’s neck, drawing another purring moan from him. Nic’s fingers fought with Lucas’ pants as he pushed against Lucas’ mouth and just like that, Lucas wanted to be as naked as they could get, as quickly as they could manage it. Nic had barely undone his pants before Lucas was twisting around to push him onto the couch cushions. The other man had only just settled himself before Lucas was grabbing hold of his pants and underwear, yanking them off as carefully as he could manage in his haste to get at what was inside. Nic lifted his hips, eyes glittering as his freed cock slapped against the tight expanse of his stomach.

Nic wasted no time, shoving his hand down past the elastic of Lucas’ underwear and grabbing hold of his cock. Lucas pushed against his hand, biting his bottom lip as Nic’s thumb slid across the sensitive head. The man’s digit slid easily, Lucas already leaking in his excitement as he rutted up against Nic’s grip.

“Someone’s a little pent up,” Nic noted, grinning wickedly.

“Been a while since I was the one on top,” Lucas admitted, now fighting to get his pants off as quickly as he could.

“Well, why don’t you get the lube and condom out of the table behind you? And we’ll change that right now.”

Lucas didn’t have to be told twice. He pushed himself up to his knees to twist around and open the drawer. His fingers found the bottle just in time to feel Nic’s mouth wrap around the head of his cock. Lucas’ hips jerked, his other hand leaving the back of the couch to plunge into the thick tangle of Nic’s hair. He gripped hard as he rummaged around for the foil packaging of the condom, slamming the drawer shut after yanking it out along with the bottle of lube.

He looked down in time to see Nic’s mouth sinking further onto the length of his cock. Pleasure rippled through him as he dropped the condom and lube to steady himself by holding on to Nic’s shoulder. Nic hummed happily as he slid Lucas’ cock slowly over his tongue and into his throat. Lucas swore under his breath as he watched the whole of his cock disappear into the slick warmth of Nic’s mouth, his throat muscles rhythmically squeezing and sliding over the head.

Nic grabbed hold of Lucas’ hips, pushing them back and then pulling them forward. Lucas took the hint and began to rhythmically pump his hips. Those peculiar eyes stared up at him with a burning intensity as Lucas began to experimentally fuck Nic’s mouth. There wasn’t a hint of struggle or discomfort coming from him and Lucas watched, half in amazement, and half in growing lust, as Nic’s throat took Lucas’ cock over and over again.

Not wanting to lose it at the sight of Nic so expertly sucking him off, Lucas pulled his cock free. Nic didn’t look any happier about it than Lucas felt, but quickly smirked as he lay back on the couch. He stretched himself out, pulling his legs up to pull playfully at Lucas’ back. He looked amazing, stretched out and happy to be on display as he waited for Lucas to finish what they had started.

Carefully opening the package, Lucas slid the condom out and rolled it over his cock. Nic snatched up the lube, opening it to spread some over his fingers as Lucas positioned himself. He froze as he watched the man slide a couple of fingers into his own hole, moaning softly as he stared up at Lucas. It was like watching a damn porn show, as Nic’s other hand came up to stroke Lucas’ covered cock.

“Keep going like that and we’re not going to get far,” Lucas breathed, mesmerized by the sheer sexuality rolling off Nic.

“Doesn’t take much to get me off when someone’s inside of me anyway,” Nic told him, arching his hips up as he finally slid his fingers free.

It was probably as close as he was going to get to an invitation so Lucas grabbed hold of Nic’s hips. Nic stilled himself, eyes flicking up and down the expanse of Lucas’ body as he waited patiently. It hadn’t been so long that Lucas had forgotten what he was supposed to do, but nervousness fluttered around in his stomach as he directed his cock to Nic’s ass. Ignoring the nerves, he pushed his hips forward, meeting the expected resistance.

Before Lucas could slowly apply more pressure, Nic shoved his hips toward Lucas. Heat and pressure pushed around Lucas’ cock as Nic settled himself back once more, with a smirk. Lucas’ bottom lip found its way between his teeth as he hissed in pleasure. Even with the condom between them, the inside of Nic was warmer than he could have imagined. It felt as if the other man’s body was drawing him in, just as eager to have Lucas completely inside of him as Lucas himself wanted to be there.

“Demanding,” Lucas commented, knowing that he was no better when he was in the mood. If anything, the idea that Nic was as demanding a bottom as he himself could be was erotic. He knew how to work with that since it was exactly what he tried to get out of Shaun. Even as he pushed forward, he could see the same mixture of faint pain and desire that crept its way across Nic’s face. He wanted it. As surely as it burned, he wanted it.

When he reached the last inch or so, Lucas snapped his hips forward to bury the rest of his cock into Nic. The man who had started out so controlled groaned, his hips lifting further off the couch. Lucas couldn’t help but grin wickedly, mirroring the expression Nic had on his face earlier. He gave him a moment to recover before beginning to move his hips. It was slow at first, giving them both a chance to get into the rhythm of moving together. It was also a thrill to feel his cock inside the other man, the slow build of pleasure already beginning at the base of his groin.

“Damn, I have missed this,” he said, more to himself, but earning a throaty chuckle from Nic all the same.

He couldn’t have asked for a better partner for being reminded what topping another man was like. Nic was eager, pushing his hips up into each of Lucas’ thrusts. Strong hands held onto Lucas’ middle, arms tensing with each shared movement between them. Lucas hadn’t been wrong in thinking that the sight of Nic as he fucked him would be a good one. There was a flush across his face and chest as Lucas began to pick up the pace, his mouth dropped open slightly each time he moaned. His neck was exposed as he tilted his head back, his body stretching out bit by bit as Lucas began to thrust in earnest.

Their bodies met, and their voices mingled. Lucas could feel the rhythm taking him over, even as he approached his orgasm. He took the opportunity to wrap his hand around Nic’s cock, pumping it in tandem with his thrusts. The muscles around his cock tightened at the sudden contact, Nic’s gasps echoing his body’s reaction.

“Do that, and I’m going to cum,” Nic warned him, voice strained and clearly on the edge.

“That’s the point,” Lucas informed him, shoving his hips forward and meeting Nic’s ass with a sharp slapping noise.

Nic’s cock pulsed in his hand as the man’s body stiffened with each thrust. Nic seemed to draw down into himself, getting tighter around Lucas’ cock. Lucas was barely managing to keep himself in check, trying to make his thrusts deeper and harder. Just like himself, Nic responded to deep thrusts, making little noises as Lucas buried himself inside him more with each thrust.

The cock in his hand jumped once more, this time accompanied by a loud moan. His body stretched out suddenly, pushing his hips down into Lucas to hold him deep inside him. Lucas swore as he felt the warmth of Nic’s load spill out onto his hand, jetting up to coat the both of them. His swearing was choked off as the tight, warm grip around his cock drew him into the orgasm he had barely been holding off. Groaning, he pushed forward, shoving Nic’s body down into the cushions as he came hard. It seemed like he could feel his own cock jumping with every spurt.

“Holy hell,” Nic gasped finally, reaching up to cup Lucas face. “You’re fun.”

Lucas snorted, struggling to hold his body up on shaky arms. “I think I could say the same of you.”

Nic grinned wide. “Think when we can breathe again, I can have a turn?”

Lucas eyed the bottle of lube on the ground in front of the couch. “Can I have a glass of water before that, too?”

“Deal.”