Ruxs went upstairs and pulled down his large duffle bag that was in his closet. Wait. This isn’t my closet. I don’t live here. This isn’t my place. This isn’t my fuckin’ bed. This isn’t my fuckin’ dresser. All the liquor he’d consumed at the rundown bar around the corner from his mom’s house was still coursing through his system, but unfortunately he was no longer numb. He felt the full impact every fuckin’ pain he had, from the throbbing at the back of his head, to the clutch of his heart at seeing Green with a woman.

Ruxs yanked open the first drawer and dug his hand in to yank out the shirts he had in there. The first one he pulled out was brand new, still with the tag on it. He blinked a couple times, trying to remember buying a new shirt. He unfolded the soft cotton material and saw it was the exact same black AC/DC shirt that he’d ruined at his mom’s house when he was washing dishes. Obviously, Green had immediately ordered him another one. Fuck. Ruxs plopped down on the bed clutching the shirt in his hand. Ruxs groaned. “Why does he have to be straight?”

“Who said I was?” Green’s smooth voice wafted over him like a warm blanket. Is that supposed to be another joke? Ruxs closed his eyes, wishing things could be different.

Ruxs tensed as he heard Green’s footsteps come closer. He felt him standing in front of him, but he couldn’t look at him. Ruxs was humiliated again. He should’ve just admitted to himself that he wasn’t good enough for a man like Green, even if he was gay. He’d been halfway beat to death by his own goddamn mother. Now he had busted into his house a huge, drunken mess. No one —.

“Shut up.” Green’s voice was dark and stern. “You’re actually gonna sit here and have a fuckin’ pity party for yourself. That’s not the man—”

Ruxs cut Green off, jumping to his feet, barking in his partner’s face. “Fine! Then I won’t st —”

“Sit your fuckin’ ass down!” Green yelled back louder, bumping his chest, making Ruxs fall back down on the bed. Ruxs grunted at the pain in his back, in his head… in his heart.

He didn’t quite know what to do when Green stepped in between his legs. Ruxs didn’t know why he was breathing so hard either… he just was. He felt a strong hand grip his face, tilting his head up. He stared into Green’s dark eyes. Beautiful eyes. Green looked at him like he was the most important thing in the world. God, Ruxs would do anything for this man to want him back as much as he wanted him. Green stroked the cheek with the bruise and Ruxs flinched lightly. Green didn’t talk, he just manipulated his head, turning him left and right, surveying his injuries. Then Green did something that had Ruxs’ last reserve cracking. He gently cupped the back of his head and brought him forward until Ruxs cheek was resting on his hard stomach. “Hold me back,” Green whispered.

Ruxs’ arms felt like they weighed a ton. He managed to put both arms around the man in front of him, and when he did his whole world crashed down around him. Everything that had been weighing him down the last few weeks. All the pain of wanting something permanent in his life. The hurt of losing his mom forever. He squeezed Green to him, held on to him for dear life. Held him like he’d die if he let go. And Green held him right back, whispering quietly, “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay now. I’ve got you. I never meant to hurt you. I swear. I didn’t know. I promise you I didn’t. I never would’ve gone out with her. Why didn’t you just tell me? Damn you.”

Ruxs finally calmed after several minutes and looked up at him. “What are you saying, Chris?”

Green went down on his knees so he was eye level with him. “I’m saying: Why didn’t you talk to me, Mark? How long have you been feeling like this?”

“Long enough to drive me crazy.” Ruxs laughed humorlessly.

Green stared at him. He put his hands on Ruxs cheeks. “Com’ere,” he whispered.

Ruxs’ eyes widened slightly, his voice a hushed murmur, “Are you gay?”

Green smirked. “Are you? Just shut up and come here.”

Ruxs leaned forward and let Green close the rest of the distance. He ignored the constant throb in his head, now more focused on the pulsing in his cock. Green’s lips were soft and supple. He couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him. Finally. This is what he’d been fantasizing about for weeks. Ruxs opened his legs wider inviting Green in. When he was close enough, Ruxs tilted his head, wanting to deepen the kiss. The shallow pecks he was receiving now just weren’t cutting it. But Green pulled back, rubbing his face against the cheek that wasn’t cut. His hands rubbing up and down Ruxs’ arms, and oh god it was wonderful. Different than how he usually touched him. Green placed a soft kiss on his cheek, his jaw, dragging his mouth back up to his ear. “Tell me,” he whispered. “Tell me how you feel about me.”

Ruxs just barely cracked his heavy eyelids. His voice was so ragged, so pained when he responded. “I can’t.” 

“I’m not going any further until you say it.” Green licked lightly at his ear and Ruxs groaned at the pleasure. Damn, he didn’t want Green to stop, he wasn’t even close to getting his fill. He had to take his chance now. He leaned forward, his forehead resting against Green’s chest. He inhaled deeply and a surge of anger shot through him more powerful than anything he’d ever felt. He bolted up to his feet, pulling Green up with him. The shocked look on his partner’s face was little consolation. Ruxs pushed his chest flat up against Green’s, his fist clenched in his nice button-up shirt. He propelled them backwards until Green slammed into the wall so hard that the framed picture of the 1965 Shelby that hung on the wall came crashing down to the floor. Ruxs ignored it, staring into Green’s wide eyes.

“Mark what the fuck, man?”

Ruxs leaned in, his lips ghosting over his partners. He growled low, his voice harsh and angry, “You smell like her. That’s not how you smell.”

Green had the same hard grip on his waist as Ruxs had on his shirt. “Nothing fuckin’ happened. I didn’t even get to second base.”

Ruxs bunched the shirt up tighter. “Oh, but you wanted to, didn’t you?”

“Don’t do that. Nothing matters but from this point on,” Green hissed back.

Ruxs didn’t know why he was acting this crazy. Probably because he loved Green’s scent. He’d been enjoying it every day for years, now he smelled foreign to him, and he hated it. Ruxs buried his nose in Green’s throat, the prickly stubble tickling his senses while he searched for that scent that had driven him crazy the last few days. He didn’t smell it at the base of his throat. He showed Green his disapproval by sucking hard on his tan skin. The grunt Green gave him made him even crazier, made him anxious to find that smell. Green’s hands were on his back pressing him in closer. Ruxs moved in deeper under Green’s jaw, he nipped him there too. His chest rose and fell as he anxiously sought out his want. He ran his nose down under his earlobe, under his collar. “There you are.” He moaned. Ruxs let go of the shirt rumpled up in his fist and smoothed his arms up Green’s hard chest, gripping his throat. He pushed his head up so he could have full access to that fragrance. Green rubbed small circles on his back while Ruxs kissed and licked that wonderful scent. “You’ve been driving me in-fuckin-sane with this new cologne for days. You’ve been driving me crazy period. I want you, want you like I’ve never wanted anything. I don’t want to just be your best friend, I want that and a whole lot more.” Ruxs brought Green’s mouth back to his and kissed him with all the passion that had been bound up inside him. His partner opened and surrendered to his kiss, kissing him back with an intensity he’d only dreamed about.

When Green brought his hands up to his neck, Ruxs jerked back hissing at the pain of the little cuts that littered the back of his head. Green frowned. “Oh shit. I’m sorry. I got kind of lost for a moment.”

“Does this mean —” Ruxs started.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. More of that can wait.” Green went to move but Ruxs stopped him.

“No it can’t.” He sealed his mouth back over those soft lips, pushing to be let back in. Green licked at him a little more, his humor evident, chuckling in his mouth.

“Wouldn’t you rather continue this in my room, in my bed, under the covers and warm?” Green said quietly.

Ruxs’ pelvis reacted to that suggestion all on its own. His cock was solid steel as he thrust forward. “Fuck.” He felt dizzy. Probably more so from his drunken state, but he was also drunk from Green’s kisses.

Green pushed until Ruxs was no longer pressing him into the wall. Jesus H. Christ. Green had to try to gather himself. He felt like a character in the Wizard of Oz. Everything was so simple one minute, his world in black and white. Then in rushes a storm, next thing you know he was being swirled and whipped in a million different directions and dropped down into an imaginary world of color and excitement. Ruxs was so wonderful in his eyes. Full of magic and power. Green felt so alive when he’d been yanked up to his feet, pushed up against a wall and kissed like he’d never been kissed before. Ruxs growling and biting at him, all because he didn’t like him smelling like someone else. It was hot and erotic. He hated that Ruxs felt so insignificant. His mom always did a head job on him. He’d leave her feeling worthless and pathetic and Green was fucking over it.  He was going to make that bitch pay for doing this to him.

Green wanted nothing more right now than to get Ruxs in his bed and show him that he was far from nothing special to him. He was everything. But first he had to find out exactly what happened tonight. Ruxs had come to him drunk and crazed. He needed to make sure that there wasn’t damage control to do before any word got back to their lieutenants.

He held Ruxs’ hand and led him to the master bath off his bedroom. Ruxs sat on the toilet lid while Green got out the first aid kit. “Start talkin’”

While Green was pulling supplies out of his medicine cabinet, Ruxs got up and came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing his still hard cock into his ass. Green closed his eyes. He didn’t even want to think of how long it’d been since he’d been filled so full the burn turned to ecstasy.

“I don’t want to talk about that. I can think of so many other things we could do,” Ruxs mumbled against the back of his neck.

Green turned around, ignoring the ache in his own balls and the clenching of his ass. He pointed at the toilet lid. “Sit and talk. Now.”

Ruxs dropped back down and started with what happened as soon as he got to his mom’s. Green worked carefully on cleaning up his cuts, trying hard not to curse and throw something the further Ruxs got in his re-telling of the evening’s horrors. Fuckin bitch. Replayed in his head over and over. When Ruxs finally got to the part where his mom was getting ready to bash his head in with a solid glass ashtray, his voice had changed. Green threw away the bloody gauze and put the peroxide and bacitracin back in the cabinet.

“Am I done?” Ruxs whispered, his chin resting on his chest.

“Yes.” Green was done patching him up. He really didn’t know what to say to make this better. There were just no words invented. How do you console someone whose mom tried to kill them over drugs? All that Ruxs had done for her. Green just stood close to Ruxs, letting him know he was there. After a story like that, needless to say the sexual mood had been killed.

“I’m going to shower,” Ruxs murmured, getting up and walking past him.

Green heard his door close and after a few minutes the shower in guest bath was running. He pulled off his own clothes, needing to shower himself. When Ruxs came back, he didn’t want to still have Cynthia’s perfume on him. He did his business in the bathroom and bathed quickly. With a towel wrapped around him he went to his nightstand and picked up his phone. He called their office. It was late but Ronowski and a couple other detectives were usually there over night. As soon as Ro picked up the phone, Green told him everything that happened. He needed Ro to double-check the police report filed and find out exactly what Ruxs’ mom was being charged with and which DA had been assigned to the case. His partner would want those answers in the morning.

Green put on a pair of black boxer briefs and settled into his bed. His television the only light in the dark room. It’d been over an hour and Ruxs hadn’t come back to him. He was just getting ready to get up in search for him when he saw his door opening slowly. Green raised up on one elbow, watching his partner. He had on a pair of plaid cotton pajama pants, bare feet, and no shirt. His hair was wet from the top of his head to his broad chest. Again, Green was mesmerized by the sexy, silky hair spread across those defined muscles. Ruxs looked unsure as he inched slowly towards him.

“I thought you might’ve been sleep. I didn’t want to wake you, but I was lying there in bed and I just didn’t want to keep thinking about tonight, about my mom sitting in a jail cell,” Ruxs said, his voice pain-filled.

Green didn’t say anything; he just pulled the covers back.

“Are you sure?” Ruxs said quietly.

“Get your ass over here.” Green smiled warmly. “How does your head feel?”

“Better. I took some aspirin. You know I’m used to bumps and bruises.” Ruxs slid under the covers and Green pressed his body up against his side. Ruxs turned and buried his head in his neck breathing in his fresh, clean scent.

“You’re so warm, smell so good,” Ruxs whispered against the side of his face.

Green chuckled lightly, rubbing his hand up and down Ruxs’ arm. He felt him pull back from him and look into his eyes, his expression serious.

“Am I just making a fool of myself here?” Ruxs snapped at him.

He hated how insecure Ruxs became anytime he left from his mom’s house. He hoped she served the maximum time allowed for her charges. Green couldn’t put into words how much Ruxs meant to him, he’d have to show him. Green rolled Ruxs to his back and positioned himself on top of all that manliness.

“Oh god.” Ruxs groaned. He immediately brought his hands up to get a good grip on Green’s waist.

“Is this better? Because, lately you seem to be having a hard time believing what I say. That stops now. You’ve known me a long time. You know that: One: I don’t lie, Two: I’ve never bullshitted you, Three: if I say or do something, it’s because I want to. Why can’t you see how important you are to me? After all this time.”

“Maybe because you were just about to fuck someone else before I got here,” Ruxs said dryly.

Green gritted his teeth. “Maybe if you wouldn’t have been such a pussy and just talked to me like a man, then maybe I would’ve been here about to fuck you instead of her.”

Ruxs’ gorgeous, pale green eyes flashed emerald with anger right before Green was aggressively flipped over. Ruxs rolled on top of him, gripping his wrists in a punishing hold and slamming them above his head. Ruxs didn’t say anything, his nostrils flaring with his fury. Green’s cock hardened to the point of pain. He didn’t mind being handled like this, it turned him on in the most delicious way. Ruxs was so big, all those hard muscles pressed up against his own. He didn’t have to be careful with Ruxs, gentle or delicate, and Ruxs could do what he pleased to him. They stayed in that position, panting, letting their arousal build until one of them detonated. Green smirked at his partner and spread his legs wide so he could fall in between them. The lustful groan Ruxs let loose was enough for Green to take action. He gripped Ruxs chin, way more powerfully than he did Cynthia’s and pulled his face down to his. Their lips met in a powerful connection. Green squeezed Ruxs to him, as if he couldn’t get him close enough even though their bodies were molded together from mouth to feet. Ruxs’ hands came up and weaved through his hair; pulling him in the direction he wanted him. His head was slanted back to left and Ruxs slammed his mouth over his, his tongue delving in deeper. Green thrust his hard cock into his and sucked Ruxs tongue like he wanted to suck on that hard dick pressing into his.

Ruxs pulled back, completely out of breath. “Fuck.”

Green pulled Ruxs back to him, kissing and biting at his strong jaw. Showing him that he was just as turned on as him. Showing him that he’d fantasized too, but he was also too much a pussy to confront those feelings. Scared of ruining a good thing, because honestly, he’d take Ruxs whatever way he could get him. And if that meant best friends only, he was willing to accept it. The noises that Ruxs made were obscene and nasty. He cursed and groaned in his mouth, in his ear. Green didn’t know just how far to take this. If it was up to him, he’d pull out Ruxs’ dick and sheathe him so he could ride him the rest of the night, but he doubted he was ready for that. He realized he had little information on how these feelings arose in his partner. Because, he was all but sure that Ruxs had never been with a man.

Green stopped kissing and stilled Ruxs hips that had begun to grind against him. “Wait. We need to stop. We gotta talk,” he said breathlessly.

Ruxs looked back at him, his own face flushed and glistening with perspiration. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me? You want to talk now. Right at this moment.” Ruxs accentuated his words by pressing his stiff cock harder into his thigh.

“Jesus.” Green panted. “No and yes. I need to know what all this means. Are you just curious? Are we going to fully do this or what? I just don’t want to be caught off guard.”

Ruxs stopped moving and stared down at him, his expression more serious. He gently stroked Green’s cheek. “Damn. I never realized how beautiful you are.” Ruxs bent down and kissed his chin. “I can’t fully tell you exactly how and why. I just know that you are the one thing in my life that means the most to me. The only person I can turn to. The only one who has been there for me. And something changed. Maybe it was the touching and rubbing and caressing that eventually turned less friendly and more sensual. I started getting…”

“What?” Green rubbed his back in encouragement. “Tell me.”

“I started to get turned on. I wanted your hands everywhere. Not just on my shoulders or my back.” Ruxs barked out a laugh. “Damn, man. I’ll tell ya. That last massage you gave me almost had me throwing you down and taking you on the floor in my room. I came as soon as you left.”

Green couldn’t help but smile broadly at that confession.

“Don’t you dare fuckin’ laugh.” Ruxs chuckled, vibrating his chest.

“I have to.” Green released his own deep laugh. “Because my dick was in my hand before I even got to my room.”

They both looked at each other and busted out laughing. When they finally relaxed, Green turned Ruxs’ face back to his. “Have you ever been with a man, Mark?”

Ruxs cast his eyes down, shaking his head no. “Have you?”

“Yes.”

Ruxs’ head snapped up at his answer. “What? When?”

“It’s been a long time. A very long time. But I always liked it. I’ve considered myself bisexual since I was a teenager.”

“How come I didn’t know this?” Ruxs said, looking slightly upset.

Green lifted and kissed him gently. “It wasn’t something I’d acted on in a long time. I didn’t think it was important. I knew you wouldn’t have thought anything of it. I wasn’t afraid to tell you. You’re not homophobic, look who we work for.” Green saw that Ruxs didn’t look convinced. “Think about it, Mark. Was there ever a time that I should’ve blurted out, ‘Oh by the way, I’ve slept with men before’? That part of me has been dormant so long, I didn’t think about it. I haven’t found a man I’ve been attracted to in a long time, until…”

Ruxs’ interest peaked immediately and Green couldn’t help but give him his classic grin.

“Until what?” Ruxs said, his voice and eyes full of hope.

“Until I met God.” Green laughed hard when Ruxs bent down and bit him angrily on his neck.

“Fuck you.” Ruxs laughed with him.

Green calmed and looked more seriously at his best friend. “I hadn’t been attracted to anyone, mind, body, everything. Until I met… you.”

“You’re not just saying that because I’m a pathetic mess right now?”

“I’m saying that because I love you.” Green didn’t crack a smile or even hint at a smirk. He needed Ruxs to see he was for real. “I have loved you for a long time. And if we do this, be together; more than just partners at work, but partners at home too? It won’t be long before I’m in love with you.”

Green pulled a stunned Ruxs back to him kissing him passionately. He rolled until he was on top of him. Now it was time to put up or shut up. He rose up on his elbows, grinding his growing cock against Ruxs’ thigh before nudging his leg apart. He broke from the kiss to take a much-needed breath. He looked down at their joined pelvises, toying with the waistband of Ruxs’ pants. “What do you want to do, babe?”

Ruxs thrust up into him. His hands frantically clawing at his body. He knew Ruxs needed relief, needing something to make him forget about the night’s events.

“Just do something, Chris. Please.” Ruxs moaned against his cheek.

“Do you trust me?”

“More than anyone in the world,” Ruxs answered without hesitation.

Green leaned over to his nightstand and pulled on a small tube of lube. Ruxs eyes widened but he didn’t question him. Green pushed his own boxers down under his balls, Ruxs watching his every move. His hard cock sprang free and his partner sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh my god.”

Green smirked at him, “You okay?”

Ruxs nodded his head frantically, and Green began to work his pajama pants down too. As soon as that thick cock hit the cool air, Ruxs hissed and thrust up higher seeking any kind of friction. He should’ve known their cocks would be about the same size; everything else on them was. He squeezed some lube in his palm and gripped Ruxs’ dick in a tight fist, leisurely stroking him. Keeping it light for now.

“Oh fuck. That feels good.”

“I’m just getting started, babe.”

Ruxs’ eyes were closed as Green continued to slowly jerk them. “Open your eyes.”

Ruxs’ looked back at him. His eyes heavy with desire. After Green had them nice and slick he wrapped his large hand around both of their cocks, lowered back down and started to pump his hips in a lazy rhythm. He wanted to savor this, work them up until neither of them could hold off on their release one more second. He licked up Ruxs’ neck, his beard scratchy against his tongue, until he reached his mouth. He slanted his lips over his, swallowing the needy moans that Ruxs released into him. He could feel Ruxs’ body vibrating beneath him, and he thought maybe this wasn’t going to last as long as he’d hoped. “Damn you feel so fuckin’ good. You got a nice thick cock.”

Ruxs moaned a slutty sound, his hips speeding up and Green eagerly matched him. “Soon I’m going to put that pretty cock in my mouth and suck you until you explode down my throat,” he said, licking the shell of Ruxs’ ear.

“Chris,” Ruxs hissed. “I’m not gonna last.”

Green could feel his own balls tightening. It’d been too long since he’d had something besides his toys and his hand to pleasure him. Ruxs’ cock was hot and heavy against his. Pulsing greedily. “You like me talking to you like that?” Green squeezed his fist tighter, making sure to flick the cap of Ruxs’ bulging head with every stroke. “Answer me.” He bent down and bit Ruxs’ nipple, making him jerk so hard he almost fell off of him.

“Shit!” Ruxs yelled.

Green slowed his movement and raised his head. “Well, look what I found.”

“You talk too damn much.” Ruxs gripped his head and lowered him back to his nipple.

Green chuckled lightly, sticking his tongue out and running the flat of it along the firm bud, already perking up at his touch. Ruxs’ hips moved desperately, his moans getting louder. Even if Green wanted to move his head he couldn’t. Ruxs kept him immobile, kept him where he wanted him to be. He bit him harder, quickly licking away the sting.

“Ahh, yes! Bite it harder. Harder,” Ruxs pleaded. His eyes glistened with his desire. Green was in awe at seeing his friend like this.

He struggled to get to Ruxs’ other nipple, his hair held in a punishing grip. He dragged his tongue along the silky hair between Ruxs’ pecs until he got to his right nipple. He wasted no time sucking it hard into his mouth. His fist flew up and down on their cocks, as their abs tightened and veins strained on their large forearms.

“Fuck!” Ruxs was flicking his left nipple while Green punished the other one. “I’m gonna come. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Green pulled off Ruxs’ nipple with a loud pop. He stroked hard and fast, both of them rutting against each other with wild abandon. “Yes. Come. Let me see it.” Ruxs’ gripped both his nipples, squeezing so hard Green winced. “You sexy, bastard. Come for me.”

Ruxs threw his head back and let go a bottomless, throaty shout as his first jet of come shot up between them, landing on Ruxs’ neck. Green dropped down and licked the warm come, moaning at the sweet, salty taste of his friend. Ruxs jerked hard beneath him, another stream of come coating his stomach. Green was so fired up, mesmerized by Ruxs coming on him that his own orgasm caught him off guard, ripping through his body like a storm.

“Oh fuck!” Green yelled. He pumped his hips hard. His come shooting and joining with Ruxs’. They brought their foreheads together, looking down, watching in amazement. He locked eyes with him, riding out the last stimulating waves of their orgasm. They kissed again, tender touches of their swollen lips, tranquil and languid, enjoying the last tremors and aftershocks of a release so powerful, and Green believed it couldn’t get any better, but he knew somehow it would.