Phoenix
Trying to concentrate before Ace arrived had been difficult. Now, it was impossible. No matter how hard he attempted to focus on the canvas in front of him, all he could think of was their conversation. Ace was gay. Interested in men. Sexually interested in men. Phoenix was a man.
He never let his mind get any further than that. Because no matter how much he wanted to imagine Ace would ever find him attractive, he knew it could never work for a number of reasons. Ace would want someone who wasn’t as…odd. Someone he didn’t have to worry about touching or taking out on a date.
Phoenix didn’t dislike the fact that he was different very often—in fact, most of the time it proved beneficial—but here and now, he was definitely struggling. Things had been so much easier when Ace was unattainable. Some fantasy in his head. Knowing now that Ace was gay threw everything off. He didn’t know how to process it.
After a few hours, Phoenix gave up trying to work. He set his charcoals to the side and wiped his hand across his face. Checking his watch, he realized it was past lunch again.
“Did you eat?” he asked, without looking over at Ace.
He’d been hesitant to look in Ace’s direction before, fearing that somehow, his attraction would be apparent. Knowing that Ace was gay only made the fear worse.
“Yeah, I ate about an hour ago.”
Phoenix nodded, searching for the right thing to say. He didn’t want to be too obvious, but he really did enjoy spending time with Ace.
He swallowed hard, then asked, “Would you like some coffee?”
“I would love some.”
Ace’s voice was different than normal, and Phoenix glanced up just briefly to find that he was smiling. Some of the tension eased from his stomach.
“Okay,” he said with a nod. “Let me get this cleaned up.”
He grabbed his charcoals and placed them back in their case, then wiped his hands on a towel as an afterthought. It didn’t make much of a difference—the stains remained—but it gave him something to do with his hands. There was a rustle to his left, and he froze as he realized Ace was standing right beside him.
“Here,” Ace said. “You have a bit of charcoal on your face.”
Phoenix tensed, expecting an unpleasant, tingly feeling. It never came. Where most people’s touch was far too light, Ace’s was just fine. He wiped the towel across Phoenix’s forehead, then froze, seeming to realize his mistake.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, pulling the towel away. “We literally talked about how you don’t like touches and I went and touched you anyway.”
He sounded so genuinely remorseful and Phoenix couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s okay,” he assured. “Most of the time, touches like that aren’t good, but that…that was fine.”
It was better than fine. Even with that brief touch, his body had started to react. He cleared his throat and pushed his hair back, tugging gently to get his mind off his dick.
“Good. I just didn’t want you to think I did it on purpose. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Ace said.
“That’s very kind of you, but you didn’t. Trust me, I would have told you otherwise.”
He’d done his best to learn how to be tactful over the years, but when it came to things like people touching him, Phoenix found he didn’t always act with the most grace. It was something he’d been working on, but by now, everyone he interacted with was used to it. That didn’t excuse his behavior, he knew, but it helped to know no one would take it personally.
“So, is the offer for coffee still open, or did I ruin that?” Ace asked.
“Oh, right. Yes, it is. You didn’t ruin anything.”
Phoenix walked around from behind the desk and headed toward the house with Ace and Lucy in tow. He’d straightened up the living room the night before, wanting to make a good impression on Ace. After all, he didn’t want him thinking he lived like a slob all the time.
“I meant to tell you,” Ace said as they walked inside, “you have a beautiful home. How long have you lived here?”
“About three years. It was my first big purchase. I’d been saving up since I started selling my art, because my landlord wasn’t a fan of having charcoal dust everywhere, and as soon as I found this place, I knew I wanted it.”
Elijah had been the one to show him the listing. It was small enough that it wasn’t overwhelming to take care of, far enough away from town that he wouldn’t have to interact with people if he didn’t want to, and he could even hire the small lawn to be mowed. It was everything he could have hoped for.
“It’s really nice. I love all the woodwork and detailing.”
Phoenix nodded. “Me too. It was one of the things that drew me to it.”
While he had never worked with wood carving, he appreciated the artistic details about the house.
They walked through into the kitchen, and Phoenix headed over to the coffee maker to get it going. He expected Ace to sit at the bar again, but instead, he followed Phoenix.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.
Phoenix wanted to say no. He had a routine, and Ace involving himself would only mess it up But Ace wanted to help, and Phoenix wanted Ace to feel welcome in his home. So instead, he pointed to the cabinet by the fridge. “Mugs are in there.”
Ace walked over to the cabinet while Phoenix reached up for the coffee. He turned for a spoon, only to find Ace right there, holding the mugs. Their chests brushed together, and a tingle coursed through Phoenix’s body. It wasn’t the same bug-crawling feeling he got when people normally touched him. This was different—as though electricity were coursing through him. The feeling was surprisingly nice.
And then he realized Ace wasn’t moving. He dragged his gaze up to look at him. Ace’s lips were parted, and he had a strange look on his face. Slowly, he set the mugs down on the counter beside him.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
Phoenix wasn’t entirely sure how to answer. He wasn’t even positive he would be able to form a coherent sentence. His heart was beating a rapid tattoo in his chest, and his stomach was in knots. But one thing was for certain—he was absolutely okay with what was happening. Swallowing hard, he nodded, unable to believe this was real.
Reaching up, Ace cupped his cheek. The touch wasn’t too light, but it wasn’t too firm either. Ace seemed to know exactly what he was doing. That made one of them.
“Can I kiss you?” Ace asked.
Phoenix licked his lips. How many times had he dreamed of this scenario? For Ace Sherridan to show up at his house, confess his feelings and sweep him off his feet with a kiss. Of course, at the time he’d been dreaming of it, he had been sure Ace was straight.
He realized he hadn’t given an answer and quickly nodded, though words still eluded him. Tilting his head, Ace leaned down and pressed their lips together. Phoenix wasn’t sure what he had been expecting with the kiss. He’d seen people do it before, and it had always looked so invasive. But this wasn’t invasive at all. Ace’s lips were soft and supple, and Phoenix wanted more. He wrapped an arm around Ace’s waist, shivering as he felt the muscles roll underneath his fingers.
When Ace broke the kiss and pulled away, Phoenix let out a small noise of protest, chasing the kiss. Ace smiled and pressed a quick peck to his lips.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I showed up to interview you,” he said.
Phoenix blinked. “Y-you have?”
Ace nodded. “I didn’t think it would be too professional.”
A slow smile spread across Phoenix’s lips, which still felt tingly. He took a step back and ran his thumb across the bottom one. “I wouldn’t have said no. I’ve wanted you to do that since high school.”
“Really?” Ace’s brows raised.
“Yes. But you were dating other people and I didn’t think you would ever be interested in me.”
“Well that explains why you knew my dating history.”
Phoenix felt his cheeks heat. He hadn’t meant to remember it, much less say it out loud. “I hoped you wouldn’t notice that.”
Ace shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. Just a quirk of yours.”
That wasn’t what most people said, but Phoenix liked this better than the alternative. He took one of the mugs and filled it with coffee, just to give himself something to do.
“Hey, if I asked you out on a date, would you say yes?”
Phoenix froze, his breath shallow. Dates presented a whole host of problems he wasn’t sure he was ready for. But he liked Ace, and this was his one chance to actually do something about it. Slowly, he nodded.
It was worth it to see Ace smile the way he did. “Great,” he said, taking the cup of coffee. “Um, would you like to go out with me on Friday, then?”
Forcing himself to take a deep breath in, Phoenix let it out slowly. “Yes.”
“Good. So it’s a date then.”
That it would be—as long as Phoenix didn’t allow his fears to get the better of him.