Chapter Twelve
Xavier
Everett opened the door and launched himself into Xavier’s arms. He wrapped his arms around Everett and kicked the door shut. Everett looked like hell but felt like heaven.
“You’re here.” Everett mumbled into his neck.
“Of course, I am. I told you I was knocking off early.”
“You shouldn’t do that. You just started. What did you tell your boss?”
Xavier laughed. “The truth. I told him that I started seeing my big brother’s best friend and my new boyfriend got the pleasure of breaking the news, but things had gone less than spectacular, and my boyfriend needed me.”
“You told him all that?”
Xavier could almost hear Everett’s eyebrows arching to match the incredulous tone to his voice. “Yeah, I did. Honesty’s the best policy, right?”
Everett snorted. “Yeah. Ugh. Today sucked.” Everett tightened his grip on Xavier.
Xavier could tell the encounter shook Everett. “How bad was it? How mad is he?”
Exhaustion made Everett’s voice sound small. “Can we sit down?” Everett untangled himself from Xavier as Xavier toed out of his shoes. Everett let Xavier grab his hand and tug him into the living room. Xavier stretched out on the couch and pulled Everett down on top of him. He wrapped an arm around Everett and brought the other one up to play with his hair.
“Okay. Spill.”
Everett took a deep breath, then relayed everything Andrew said. Xavier tried to keep calm when Everett told him about all the shitty things Andrew said about him. He made him sound like a man-whore and a party animal, neither of which were the truth.
Xavier kept his cool. He concentrated on the low timbre of Everett’s voice and the way his hair felt when it slid through Xavier’s fingers.
“I wasn’t scared of him, it’s just…I was nervous and upset, and he was upset, and he took a step toward me and the old panic set in and backed away from him. He was gutted, Xavier. Totally gutted. I know he’d never hurt me, but I couldn’t help it. He’s huge, and I’m not. I know he’d never hurt me, especially knowing what he knows. He was there after I was assaulted. He helped me through it, and I flinched away from him.” Everett paused and took a breath. “I still stand by my decision not to fill him in on the fact that I’m a submissive. My sex life is my business, and he doesn’t have a right to know things I’m not willing to share with him, best friend or not.”
Xavier bent his head and kissed the top of Everett’s head. “He’ll get over it, Ev. You’re his best friend. He’s not used to not knowing things about you, but he doesn’t get to lay claim to all your secrets. You’re allowed to keep things hidden from him.” Xavier took a deep breath. “Man, I wish I could’ve seen his face when he spotted your little dungeon.”
Xavier jumped when Everett stabbed a bony finger into his side. “It’s not funny. And you left one of the toy drawers open.”
It wasn't possible to stop the laugh that bubbled out. “Oh, please tell me he saw your collection of dildos and butt plugs.”
Everett poked Xavier in the side again. “It’s not funny.” Everett insisted, and Xavier wanted to stop laughing, but he couldn’t. He could either laugh at the image of Andrew coming face to face with Everett’s secrets, or he could be livid with the way Andrew had handled the situation. It hurt Xavier that Andrew thought so little of him.
Once his laughter died down, Xavier was quiet. He closed his eyes and relished the way Everett felt on top of him. Everett’s fingers traced patterns on Xavier’s chest. Xavier felt content as if he were a cat and Everett was the perfect patch of sunlight.
Everett shifted in his Xavier’s arms so their chests pressed together. Xavier examined Everett. The hint of sadness in Everett’s eyes stabbed a knife in his gut. If he hadn’t pursued this, Everett wouldn’t be sad. He wouldn’t have had that awful confrontation with Andrew and Andrew wouldn’t be hurt either.
“Stop.” Everett whispered. He stroked a finger across Xavier’s cheek. “It’s okay.”
Xavier slid his hands down and cupped the cheeks of Everett’s ass. “Shouldn’t I be comforting you? You’re the one who had to break the news to your best friend.”
When Everett kissed him sweetly on the lips, Xavier’s eyes fluttered shut. “We can be there for each other.” Everett raised his eyebrow and a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “That’s what boyfriends do, isn’t it? And, if I recall correctly, you did call me your boyfriend when you showed up. Didn’t you?”
He lifted his head and kissed Everett. Their lips moved together, long and slow, Xavier licked his way inside Everett’s mouth. His right hand stayed on Everett’s ass while his left travelled up Everett’s side. Every bit of muscle, every bone, every curve, the way Everett’s body heat radiated through his clothing got mapped. Xavier’s fingers grazed Everett’s arm. Then, Everett’s hand slid down Xavier’s arm until his hand found Xavier’s. He twined their fingers together and pinned Xavier’s hand to the couch above his head.
Xavier grinned against Everett’s mouth. “Mmm. Neat trick. Now that I’m trapped, what do you plan to do to me?”
Everett rocked his hips against Xavier, grinding their cocks together through layers of obstructive fabric and gave Xavier a throaty laugh that made his dick twitch. “Whatever you want.”
Xavier squeezed a handful of Everett’s perky ass and thrust his hips upward, trapping their erections together. “That’s a dangerous thing to say, Pet. I want a lot of things, from you, with you, for you.”
Everett’s lips brushed across Xavier’s offering the barest of tastes. “Whatever you want, I want it, too.”
“Bed.” Xavier said even as he sat up, his arm still wrapped around Everett, their hands still tangled together. They tried to kiss and walk at the same time, which resulted in what looked like drunken stumbling, but the only thing Xavier was drunk on was Everett.
They stopped trying to kiss and walk and Xavier let Everett tow him to his bedroom. Once inside, Xavier grabbed Everett by the waist. “Don’t move.”
Everett licked his lips, and not once did he look away. Xavier gripped the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head. After it got tossed aside, he stripped Everett out of his shirt. He reached for Everett’s jeans and undid the fly. Everett stood still while Xavier pushed his pants and briefs down to his ankles. Everett placed a hand on Xavier’s shoulder to steady himself while Xavier carefully lifted his foot and yanked the jeans the rest of the way off.
Xavier stood. “Get on the bed.”
Everett climbed on the bed and stretched out on his back. His hand wrapped around his cock. Everett shot him a cocky grin and gave it a lazy pump.
Xavier undid his pants. “What if I told you not to touch that?” Xavier flicked his gaze to Everett’s cock. Everett’s fingers, one by one, let go and he slowly put his hands down by his sides.
Xavier shoved his pants down and wiggled out of them. He kneeled on the bed and crawled up to Everett, straddling him. Before things went anywhere, Xavier snagged a condom and a bottle of lube from the box on the nightstand. He tossed the items on the empty pillow and winked at Everett. “We’ll need those later.”
He grinned down at Everett and watched Everett’s Adams apple slide low as he swallowed. Xavier leaned down. His nose brushed against Everett’s exposed throat. He poked his tongue out between his teeth and licked a trail from Everett’s throat, up the side of his jaw and to his ear. Xavier’s hands found Everett’s cuffed wrists. He wrapped his fingers around the leather.
“I love that you wear these.” Xavier raised Everett’s arms above his head and pinned his wrists there. He kept his hands wrapped around Everett’s cuffs when he spoke. Xavier’s hard cock rested against Everett’s, but neither of them moved.
Xavier pressed Everett’s wrists into the mattress. “Keep your hands up here, Pet.” Xavier leaned down and brushed his lips over Everett’s. He’d intended to offer him the barest of kisses, but instead he found himself desperate for Everett. Xavier’s tongue licked at the seam of Everett’s mouth and demanded entry.
Everett sighed. Opened. Submitted. He melted into Xavier. His back arched like a bow string and Xavier pulled away.
Everett pinned his lower lip between his teeth and Xavier growled. “You’re so fucking sexy. You have no idea what you do to me.”
As Everett glanced down, his thick lashes fanned against his cheeks. “I have some idea.” Everett quipped as he bucked his hips.
Xavier added pressure to Everett’s wrists and stared down at him. “Behave, Pet.” Xavier swooped down. He licked the shell of Everett’s ear, then his tongue flicked the lobe. Lips latched onto the soft skin of Everett’s neck.
A hiss left Everett's mouth. He whimpered. And Xavier stifled a smile as he wiggled his hips and left his love-bite on Everett’s pale skin. He pulled away and admired his work.
“I like putting my mark on you.” Xavier kissed the small patch of purplish skin. “Don’t worry. I know your livelihood depends on being able to film. I won’t mark you up too much.
Everett whimpered. “I have concealer. We can cover the marks.”
Xavier kissed his way down to Everett’s chest. He flicked Everett’s nipple with his tongue, then caught it between his teeth and gently pulled, scraping the sensitive skin over his teeth. He loved the sounds he pulled out of Everett with the barest of touches. A kiss in the right place made him hiss. A tongue made him moan. Teeth made him whimper. Every sound Everett made sang to Xavier’s soul. He could spend eternity making Everett sing.
He released Everett’s wrists and kissed a trail down his chest. Xavier’s breath washed over Everett’s stomach and he smiled at the way Everett’s muscles shuddered, desperate to move, determined to remain still.
Xavier dragged his hands down Everett’s chest, relishing the way Everett arched up into his touch as desperation broke through his resolve. Xavier’s hands held Everett’s waist as he kissed lower, avoiding the short thatch of hair around Everett’s cock. He looked up at Everett. Heat flashed in Everett’s gaze as Xavier kissed the crease of Everett’s leg.
Xavier kissed lower. He tickled Everett’s sides. Everett flinched and hissed but didn’t squeal. Xavier kissed lower. Down the inside of Everett’s thigh. Down the side of his knees. He moved back and forth from one leg to the other. Xavier’s hands moved over every inch of Everett’s body he could reach. He mapped him. Memorized him. Every bit of skin. Every blemish. Every bit of Everett was beautiful. And his.
“Turn over.” Xavier licked his lips and watched as Everett rolled over onto his stomach. He put his hands above his head again, in the same position they were before. Xavier grabbed Everett’s ankles, then slid his hands up the back of Everett’s legs.
Xavier kissed his way up the backs of Everett’s legs. Every muscle in Everett’s body screamed with tension. He knew Everett wanted more, more kissing, more touching. Harder. Deeper. Faster. More. More. More. More. More. It was a song their souls sang to each other. Xavier nipped at Everett’s perfect porcelain ass cheek before pushing Everett’s legs apart. His fingers groped at Everett’s ass and slid along Everett’s crease. Xavier leaned in and licked a trail up Everett’s crease without delving into it. Everett whimpered at the blatant denial. Xavier glanced up in time to see Everett’s arms tense as he gripped handfuls of blanket.
Everett had a beautiful back. Smooth, firm muscles, currently tense with lust. Xavier kissed his way up Everett’s spine. Everett breathed shallow and sharp. Xavier kissed his way up to the back of Everett’s neck and he turned his head to the side. His cheek pressed into the mattress. The expression on his face was beautiful, a heady mixture of pleasure and anticipation.
Xavier grabbed the lube off the pillow and slicked up his fingers. He reached down, and without tearing his gaze away from Everett’s face, he slid a finger inside Everett’s ass.
“Ah.” Everett gasped. His eyes squeezed shut even tighter. His lips parted and as Xavier worked his finger in an out, Everett panted.
Xavier added a second finger. Everett arched his back and chased Xavier’s fingers.
“Holy shit, Ev.” Xavier pulled his fingers out and reached for the condom.
He took a breath to steady himself, then tore the wrapper open and rolled it on. After lubing up, he shifted into position. The base of his cock gripped tight in his hand, Xavier pressed the head against Everett’s tight entrance. And he sank deeper.
Everett moaned, then pressed back against Xavier and took his entire cock in one long, slow, thrust. Xavier laid down on top of Everett. He slid his hands under Everett’s chest, then up and wrapped his fingers around Everett’s shoulders. He kissed the back of Everett’s neck at the base of his hairline then snapped his hips, thrusting hard and deep. “Gonna ditch the condoms one day and take you bare.”
“Uh. Fuck, yes.” Everett groaned, and Xavier felt every bit of tension flood out of Everett’s body. Xavier gripped Everett’s shoulders and fucked him hard. Slammed into him again and again. Harder and harder. Then Xavier stilled and kissed the back of Everett’s neck again.
He let go of Everett’s shoulders and ran his hands up Everett’s arms until he found his hands. Xavier twined their fingers together, then fucked Everett with long slow strokes. Back arched, Xavier pressed Everett’s hands into the mattress.
Xavier panted. Everett’s back flushed pink. The back of Everett’s ear turned bright red. Xavier flattened himself down on top of Everett. He let go of one hand, shoved his arm under Everett and gripped the opposite shoulder. He brought his free hand down to his mouth and kissed Everett’s knuckles, then he fucked him. Hard. Deep. Relentless. His muscles ached from exertion. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Gonna fuck you bare. Come inside you. Eat you after. Make you kiss me. Make you lick your taste off my tongue.”
Everett shuddered and keened. His ass clamped around Xavier’s dick, then he came. Hard. He buried his face in the crook of Everett’s neck as his hips jerked and snapped in a haphazard non-rhythm.
“We are so doing that without condoms one day.” Everett mumbled as Xavier exhaled against him.
Xavier carefully slid out, ditched the condom, then rolled over onto his side and tugged Everett against him. Everett turned over and buried his face against Xavier’s chest. Xavier traced his hands up and down Everett’s back. He knew he’d have to face Andrew himself, soon, and he’d be a liar if he said he looked forward to it. He never intended to cause friction between Everett and his best friend, and so far, that had been the only thing Xavier regretted.
“I needed that. Needed you. Thank you.” Everett said as he burrowed closer to Xavier.
Xavier reached down and cupped the cheek of Everett’s ass. “You okay?”
Everett shrugged. Xavier didn’t push. He’d planned to avoid Andrew for as long as possible, but it suddenly didn’t seem as if it were a wise course of action to give his brother time to stew and get even more upset. He’d face him in the morning.
“Xavier?” Everett said in a timid tone.
“Yeah, baby? What is it?”
Everett started to talk, then paused. “Baby?” Everett snorted. “Next thing I know, you’ll want me to call you Daddy.”
Xavier grinned and yanked Everett closer. “Do it. Call me Daddy.”
Everett looked up at him and wrinkled his nose. “What? No. That’s fucked, X.”
A thrill shot through Xavier. He liked that Everett called him X. No one else did and it felt as if it Everett marked him as his own. “Why is it fucked?” Xavier held back a laugh and schooled his expression. He had no real desire for Everett to call him Daddy but seeing the incredulous look on Everett’s face had been too good to pass up.
“Because we're both twinks, well, I'm an aged out twink, but still, we're twinky as fuck and you're like...seven years younger than me.”
“So. I'm an inch taller, if that helps.”
“It doesn't.”
Xavier narrowed his eyes. “Call me Daddy.”
Everett sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Daddy.”
Xavier’s lips quivered, then they both burst out laughing. When the laughter died away, Everett rested his head against Xavier’s chest. Their legs tangled up together and Xavier remembered the timid way Everett had spoken his name earlier.
“What were you going to say a few minutes ago, Ev?”
Everett took a deep breath. “Could you…could you go check on Drew? I know he’s probably pissed at both of us, but I don’t know who else to ask.”
Xavier didn’t want to. He’d much rather stay there with Everett in the comfort of his bed and feel the warmth of his body as it pressed tight against his. He’d rather have a million stupid conversations with Everett than one very serious one with Andrew. “Yeah. I can do that for you, babe.”
***
Prying himself away from Everett had been hell. They kissed and touched while Xavier got dressed. They stole glances and even more touches on the way to the door. Then Xavier stood at the door and kissed Everett goodbye. Now, outside the door to the apartment he shared with Andrew, he wanted to be anywhere else; back at Everett’s especially. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to curl up next to Everett on the couch and play video games. Everett had let him have a little corner of his life, a little taste of himself and it made Xavier greedy for more.
Reluctantly, Xavier opened the door and stepped inside the apartment. It hadn’t felt like home before and it certainly didn’t now. In the living room, Xavier could see the glow of the television, but the volume was too low for Xavier to make out what Andrew was watching.
Xavier shut the door and took a breath. What should he say? Was he supposed to walk into the living room and shout surprise? He opted for the more casual approach. Hands stuffed deep in his pockets, Xavier tiptoed to the entrance of the living room and leaned against the wall.
Drew sat in the recliner. Feet kicked up on the coffee table. Ankles crossed. A beer dangled from his fingers.
“Hey, Drew.” Xavier’s greeting was met by silence. Xavier took a deep breath. “Everett wanted me to make sure you’re okay. I know I’m the last person you want to talk to right now, but,” Drew grunted, turned up the volume on the television and took a swig of his beer. This annoyed Xavier. Maybe because it was ignorant of Andrew, or maybe because Andrew’s pain weighed so heavily on Everett, either way, Xavier wasn’t going to let Andrew sit there and ignore him.
“Drew, come on, man. You’re not seriously pissed about this are you?”
Drew kept his gaze focused on the television. Xavier stalked over, snatched the remote out of his hand and turned the television off. Xavier whirled around in time to see Andrew rise out of the chair and stalk toward his bedroom.
Xavier was faster. He ducked around Andrew and stood in the doorway of his room. “Come on, Drew. Talk to me.”
Andrew scoffed. “That’s rich. Now you want to talk. Now, after you started fucking around with my best friend.” Andrew raked a hand through his hair and stared down at Xavier. Andrew’s eyes were red and slightly puffy. The evidence of Andrew’s dismay shoved a hot knife in Xavier’s chest. Andrew’s shoulders slumped.
“Drew, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d take it this hard.”
“Did you think of me at all?” Andrew said in a tight voice. He lifted the beer to his lips and drained it. Andrew turned and headed for the kitchen. Xavier followed.
“I did. Believe it or not, I did. But Drew, I really, really, like him.”
Andrew slammed the empty on the counter then wrenched the fridge door open. “Good for you. Glad it’s working out for the two of you.”
Xavier took a breath. He didn’t want to lose his shit with Andrew. Andrew’s hands were the size of Xavier’s skull. He imagined Andrew could place a hand on top of Xavier’s head, then crush his skull like a grape. Okay, maybe not, and Xavier wasn’t intimidated by Andrew, but he’d clearly had a rough day and he didn’t want to make it worse.
“Drew, talk to me. Tell me what’s got you so knotted up about this. It’s not the end of the world.”
Andrew cracked open a new beer and chucked the bottle cap on the counter. “I don’t have to explain shit to you, Xavier. I don’t owe anything.” Andrew shot him a dark look. “But you owe me about three month's rent.”
Xavier took a step back. His chest tightened. If Andrew had punched him in the face, it would’ve been kinder. “You said I didn’t have to start paying until I started working.”
Andrew shrugged. “You started.”
“Yeah, like…just started. I haven’t even got my first paycheck yet.”
“Okay, then you can pay up then.”
Xavier scowled at Andrew. He yanked his hands out of his pockets and wrapped his arms around his torso. “So this is how it’s gonna be? I date your best friend, you get pissy and change the fucking rules on me? We talked about the money thing before I moved in. You said the money would be nice, but you didn’t need it to make ends meet. You made this big long speech about how you wanted to see me succeed. You wanted me to get on my feet.”
Andrew didn’t respond. He took a long drink of his beer and refused to look directly at Xavier. Xavier watched the way his brother clenched his jaw.
“Fine.” Xavier squeaked out. Rage slammed around inside him and he couldn’t contain it. “If that’s how you want to play it. Fine. I’ll get your money, or I’ll move out. And don’t worry, I won’t bother Mom with this.” Xavier shook and forced himself to take a deep breath. He tried to stop the words, but anger and hurt loosened his tongue and they poured out. “I don’t know why I expected you to help me. It’s not like you’ve never bailed on me before.”
“The fuck are you talking about?” Andrew’s eyebrows slammed down, and he glared at Xavier.
“All that hot shit talk about what a great big brother you were, but you fucking left, Drew. You fucking left me with Mom, who was never fucking home and the shit-tastic kids at school who decided I was the perfect target. Yeah, I went through a lot of rounds of punch the queer, and you can guess who the queer was.”
“Yeah, I fucking left, Xavier. I graduated, I went to college. I got a fucking job.”
How could Xavier explain it to him that his best friend had helped him cope more than he ever had? Xavier felt as though dominance had saved him. Xavier dropped his arms and let them dangle at his sides. “Drew, I like him. I’ve liked him for years. I can’t explain how we got together, but we did. I know you said I was a dumb-shit kid who still wanted to party it up and fuck around, but you know you’re full of shit. You know because the moment I walked through that door I dedicated myself to finding a job and I didn’t give up until I had one. I didn’t fuck around. I didn’t party. I didn’t go clubbing. I pounded the pavement and I looked for work.” Xavier shoved his hands in his pockets and fisted his keys. “I get what I want, Drew. I want Everett, so I got him, and I’m keeping him.”
“It doesn’t matter to you that he was mine first?”
Xavier laughed. “Yours? He’s still your friend, Drew. If you want to hang with him without me around, that’s cool, I get it. You guys have your friendship and its separate from my relationship with Everett. And I’m cool with it. I don’t mind.”
Andrew took a drink of his beer and Xavier wondered how many he’d poured down his throat. Andrew’s cheeks were red, and he had glassy eyes. If he wasn’t drunk already, he was well on his way.
Andrew snagged another beer out of the fridge. “Do what you want, Xavier. I don’t give a shit. Tell Everett not to bother worrying about me. Neither one of you gave a fuck before you jumped into bed together. Don’t start caring now.”
Andrew stalked down the hallway. Xavier flinched when his door slammed.
It doesn’t matter to you that he was mine first?
Something in Andrews words sent Xavier’s head spinning. Had his brother been crushing on his best friend? Had Andrew been in love with Everett? Xavier shook his head and decided not to dwell on it. If Andrew harboured secret feelings, he’d done a good job of keeping them under lock and key. Xavier would never have suspected that Andrew had a thing for Everett. Xavier had witnessed many unrequited crushes. Andrew never stared at Everett when he thought Everett wasn’t looking. He never gave a single indication, other than his strange jealousy when Everett took Xavier clubbing, that he felt anything but friendship for Everett.
Xavier went to his room and pulled out his phone. He wouldn’t tell Everett everything Andrew said. Everett didn’t need to hear how bad it went, he already felt like shit. Xavier tapped out a text, erased it, then called Everett, and if they talked on the phone all night, that would be okay. That’s what coffee had been invented for.