Freddie felt the mood change the second the front door opened and Luke stepped in. A shiver swept down his spine, and he looked up from the cupcakes he was decorating to find Luke standing in the doorway, holding himself differently than he had before. There was a haunted look in his eyes.

Freddie dropped his piping bag on the counter and stepped forward. He said nothing. Instead, he slipped his hand into Luke’s and led him from the kitchen. They made their way to the bedroom, and Freddie closed the door behind them. The curtains were drawn, casting a somber light.

Freddie led Luke to the bed. He pushed him down so Luke was sitting, then guided his shirt over his head. Luke looked at him with hazy eyes, his lips slightly parted. Freddie had no idea what was wrong, but he knew that Luke needed comfort, and doing this with him felt right. Reagan Ann and Princess had gone to visit Aaron overnight, and she wasn’t due back until the afternoon. They were alone, and Freddie wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

Luke lifted his hips. Freddie guided his pants down, then the boxer-briefs beneath. Luke’s firm, toned body was bare now, his cock at half-mast without so much as a word exchanged between them.

Freddie stripped, too. He took off his own pants and boxer-briefs, leaving them discarded on the floor. He was still wet from playing with himself that morning, hoping that maybe this very thing would happen — he just hadn’t expected these circumstances. Luke’s face told him that he was in need to forget, so that was what Freddie would do.

He pushed Luke down onto the bed, then straddled his hips so he was on top of him. Their thighs brushed, the sensation of Luke’s bare skin on his electric. Button by button, he undid his shirt, then slid it from his shoulders. It was the last piece of clothing that separated them. It fell to the floor, forgotten.

“Do you remember when I took you?” Freddie asked in a hot whisper. He leaned down so he was nose to nose with Luke, then tilted his head and let their lips brush as he spoke. “Do you remember melting for me? Giving me everything so that I could keep you safe?”

“Yes,” Luke uttered breathlessly. The sound of his voice turned Freddie on like nothing else. He was already hard.

“I want to return the favor,” Freddie whispered. He stole a single, lingering kiss that made Luke chase after his lips. Freddie set his hands on Luke’s shoulders to hold him back. “I want to give you everything. My body is your playground — whatever you want is yours. All you have to do is take it.”

Luke’s hands held Freddie’s hips. He pulled Freddie down onto his lap, and Freddie ground against his cock, teasing him.

“So,” Freddie whispered. “It’s time for you to let me know, Luke... what do you want me to do?”

“Let me take you,” Luke uttered. He pushed up against Freddie, his cock sliding between Freddie’s cheeks. “Please, please, let me take you...”

“Then take me.” Freddie lifted himself up and angled their bodies, then let Luke’s cock hit exactly where it needed to. Luke let out a puff of air and thrust his hips, and all at once, they were joined. The union left Freddie breathless, and he rocked his hips desperately as Luke slid inside of him.

They rocked together, building their pleasure in tandem. Freddie did most of the work, riding Luke while he read the signs of his body until he found the speed Luke wanted. The slick sounds of their bodies and the grunts and moans that rolled from both their lips was intoxicating. Freddie hung his head and struggled to catch his breath. Physically, what they were doing was no different than any other time, but emotionally, it was unlike anything Freddie had ever encountered. Luke’s energy was different. He was upset, but he didn’t embody negativity. He was hopeful, yearning, eager... and Freddie fed off that energy and returned it to him, giving Luke control of his body as he never had before.

Luke’s fingers sank into the flesh of Freddie’s ass. He pulled him down over and over, forcing Freddie to take his full length. When it wasn’t enough, he slapped Freddie’s ass, and Freddie cried out into their quiet bedroom.

“I want you to want this,” Luke uttered. “I want you to crave my cock. I want you to be addicted to it.”

“I am.” Freddie sucked in a breath and ground down on Luke’s lap again, wanting more. “F-Fuck, Luke, I’m addicted to you.”

Another spank. Freddie threw his head back, the searing pain on his ass complementing his pleasure. He moved his hips faster, wanting more.

“I’m going to come,” Luke told him. “Where do you want it? On your ass? Your stomach? Your face?”

“Inside me.” Freddie’s primal need had built, and he couldn’t bear the thought of letting Luke out of him prematurely. “Come inside me. Fuck me until you can’t anymore. I need it.”

“F-Fuck.” Luke’s voice was breathless. He grabbed Freddie and turned them over so he was on top and Freddie’s back was pressed against the bed. “Fuck yes, I’ll come in you.”

Luke’s hips moved faster, pushing hard and deep into Freddie’s body. Freddie loved it. He pushed back against him as best he could, trying to force Luke deeper inside.

“Sh-Shit,” Luke uttered. His arms tightened, and his rhythm changed suddenly. “I’m coming. I’m coming inside you, Freddie. I love you so goddamn much.”

Freddie felt it. Luke’s cock twitched inside him, and he knew exactly what was happening. He squeezed his eyes shut and rocked against Luke, wanting more. It wasn’t right that one man could be so hot. He hadn’t even touched himself, but the thought that Luke was coming inside of him — claiming him in an indisputable way — sent him over the edge. He came hard, exhausting himself in the process.

Luke dropped down over him, still thrusting lazily. Freddie wished he could keep going forever. It felt way too good.

But good times couldn’t last forever, and Freddie knew that now that he’d calmed Luke down, he needed to figure out what was wrong.

“What’s got you upset?” Freddie asked. “Is it something at work?”

“No,” Luke said. He laughed dryly and pressed a kiss to Freddie’s jaw. “Nothing’s wrong at all. In fact, even though things aren’t great, they’re better than they’ve been in a long time. I made a choice, and I’ve chosen you and Reagan Ann. You are my first priority. That’s all you need to know.”

Freddie didn’t push for more. They cuddled for a handful of minutes, during which Luke rolled over to lay by his side. Luke fell asleep not all that long afterward, and Freddie got up to shower and continue his day. He didn’t know what had happened, but he was content to know that whatever it was, it wouldn’t keep Luke down for long. They were a team now — partners in everything they did — and he would keep Luke safe and loved even through the harshest storms.

Just like Luke would do for him.

Circumstances were bad, but Freddie had hope that together, they could see them through. He spent the rest of the work day smiling. They were going to get past this and be even stronger for it — it wasn’t a matter of if, just a matter of when.