Detroit was cold as hell.
Not that it had been particularly warm anywhere Scott had been lately, but Detroit was unreasonably cold.
It ruined his plan of going for an evening stroll while he called Kip. His roommate seemed to be settled in for the night in their hotel room, and the lobby was oddly busy due to some kind of business conference. He didn’t want to go anywhere too public, like a coffee shop, because Detroit was a hockey town and he would almost certainly get recognized.
He decided to play the fame card.
He went to the front desk and gave them his best Scott Hunter smile. “Excuse me. I was hoping you might be able to help me.”
The young man behind the desk looked very excited. “Of course, sir!”
“I need to make a phone call and I was hoping for some privacy. But my roommate is asleep and...”
The young man smiled at him as if he were about to do a very big favor for him. “Come with me,” he said. “I know where you can go.”
He led Scott to a door that said Meeting Room #3 on it. He unlocked the door and turned on the light. “Stay as long as you need,” he said. “The door will lock behind you.”
“Thank you,” Scott said, glancing at his name tag, “Michael.” He handed him a twenty-dollar bill, and Michael took it, beaming. He thanked Scott twice before leaving the room.
Scott sat in one of the meeting-room chairs and called Kip, who picked up right away.
“Two wins. Nice job,” Kip said.
“Yeah, thanks. I’m proud of the guys.”
“I love watching you play.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mm. It’s sexy.”
Scott grinned. “Where are you?”
“I’m in your bedroom. Where are you?”
“A hotel meeting room in Detroit.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, sorry. Not tonight.”
“That’s okay. I’m snooping around your apartment.”
“Snooping?”
“Yeah. Looking in your drawers.” There was a pause. “Oh my god. Scott, do you keep your gold medal in your underwear drawer?”
“It sounds like you already know the answer.”
“Why isn’t it on display?”
“Like where?”
“I don’t think I’d keep a gold medal in my underwear drawer if I had one.”
“Where would you keep it?”
“I don’t know. I’d probably wear it all the time!”
Scott laughed. “It goes with everything.” Then, “So you’re staying at my place tonight?”
“Yeah. If that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay. It was my idea!”
“I know. It just...seems generous.”
“Kip,” Scott sighed, “you’re my boyfriend. I’m in love with you. You can stay at my place whenever you want.”
“Okay. I love you.”
Scott smiled. “I like hearing you say that.”
“I like saying it.”
“I can’t wait to be back home with you.”
“Still got a lot of games to go there, Hunter.”
“I know.”
“You win ’em all and then come home to me. I’ll give you whatever you need when you get back.”
Kip’s voice had gotten lower, and Scott shivered a bit. “Whatever I need, eh?”
“Mm. You think about it.”
“I will.” He exhaled. “Fuck, I wish I had my own room tonight.”
“Me too. Coulda put on a show for you.”
“I want to do that,” Scott said. “For you.”
“You ever done that before?” Kip asked. “Just let someone watch you get yourself off?”
“No. Never,” Scott breathed. “But I want to. For you.”
“I’d like that. Fuck, I’d really like that. Now I’m picturing you, all laid out...”
“Kip,” Scott warned. “Don’t. I can’t get all turned on.”
“But you are, aren’t you? I’ll bet you’re getting hard right now.”
Scott swore under his breath because Kip wasn’t wrong.
“I am too,” Kip purred. “Tell me what you’d like to do to me.”
“No. Stop it.”
“Fine. I’ll just lie back on your bed here and we can talk about whatever you want.”
“Thank you,” Scott said. “Are you naked?”
Kip laughed. “Knew you wouldn’t be able to drop it. Almost, yeah. Still have my briefs on.”
Scott swore again. He was abso-fucking-lutely not going to jerk off in this hotel meeting room. He wasn’t that creepy. “I really can’t do this right now.”
“That’s okay,” Kip said. “I can.”
“Kip...”
“Shh... Just talk to me,” he said, his tone drifting a little. “Love your voice, Scott. Tell me what to do.”
Scott loved and hated this plan. He loved it because it was fucking hot. He hated it because he was going to be left with a very uncomfortable hard-on.
He glanced at the meeting-room door, then lowered his voice. “You touching yourself?”
“Yeah. I’m real fucking hard. Tell me what to do,” Kip drawled, “sweetheart.”
“Jesus.” Scott adjusted himself through his sweatpants. “All right. Go slow. Don’t take the shorts off. Not yet.”
He could tell Kip was smiling when he replied. “Gonna be like that, huh? All right. I’m just rubbing myself real gentle. It feels nice.”
Scott could picture Kip’s thick cock straining against the fabric. He could picture Kip, nearly naked, sprawled out on his bed, eyes closed and thinking of Scott.
“You imagining it’s me touching you?” Scott asked.
“Yeah. God, I wish it really was.”
“Me too. Keep going.”
Kip sighed and made breathy little moans that made Scott’s dick twitch in agony. He cupped it with his hand to relieve some pressure.
“My shorts are getting wet,” Kip said. “I’m leaking already. Can I take them off?”
“Not yet,” Scott said, surprising himself with how much he was enjoying this control.
“Fuck, Scott.”
“Are you cold?”
“Getting warmer.”
“Your nipples must be hard.” Kip had perfect, dark nipples that always stiffened into delicious little peaks.
“Mm. Yeah. Want me to touch them?”
“Yeah. Let go of your dick. Play with your nipples for a bit.”
He heard Kip inhale sharply as his fingers made contact with his sensitive nipples.
“If I was there,” Scott said, “I’d lick them and bite them until you were begging me to suck your dick.”
“Fuck. Fuck.”
“Are you still holding the phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Put me on speaker and put the phone beside you so you have both hands.”
“Okay.” He heard rustling, and then Kip was back. “Both hands are free, Hunter. What should I do with them?”
Scott smiled and considered the question. “Take off your briefs. But don’t touch your dick yet.”
“Jesus, you’re cruel.”
“Tough but fair.”
“I like this side of you,” Kip said. “Okay, my shorts are off.”
“Get the lube.”
There was more rustling, then, “Got it.”
“I want you to finger yourself. Open yourself up as if I was gonna fuck you.”
“Okay. Okay. Shit. All right.”
“Don’t touch your dick,” Scott reminded him.
“I won’t. I won’t. Okay, I’m, ahh, I’m—”
“Just relax.”
Kip let out a long, slow breath. “Okay.”
Scott imagined him with his knees bent, his slick fingers circling that tight ring of muscle. He swallowed hard and adjusted himself again.
“Please tell me you’re gonna surprise me by walking through that door in a second,” Kip said.
“I wish. Believe me.”
Kip moaned and gasped as he worked himself open. Scott chewed his lip and resisted the urge to stroke himself under the harsh florescent lights of the hotel meeting room.
“Tell me when you’re ready,” he said.
“Ready for what?”
“You’ll see. Pretend you’re getting ready for me.”
Kip blew out a breath. “Okay. Keep talking to me.”
Scott glanced at the door again. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. “If I was there I’d be opening you up with my mouth. Real slow.”
“Scott, god.”
“Wish I could see you right now. You feel good?”
“Better...” Kip gritted out. “Better when you let me stroke myself.”
“Soon, baby.” Baby? “Tell me when you’ve got three fingers in you.”
“Yeah...yeah. Almost. I’m... Oh fuck. I feel like I could come just from this. With your voice and imagining your fingers in me...”
Scott moaned. He almost wanted to let that happen. Just see if Kip could get himself off with his own fingers.
But he had other plans.
“Okay. I’m ready,” Kip said. “What’s next?”
“Open the nightstand drawer. There’s a box at the back.”
“All right. I see it. I’ve got it.”
“Open it.”
He waited a moment. Then Kip said, “Christ. Yes.”
Scott knew the item well. A large black dildo that, for about a year now, had been his most reliable romantic partner.
“I want you to fuck yourself with that. Pretend it’s me. God, I wish it was me.”
“Me too. For the record, though, this is really fucking hot.”
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath, his heart racing like he’d just run a mile.
“You must be in agony,” Kip said. “How are you doing there?”
“Hard as a fucking rock. But don’t worry about me. Get that in you. When it’s all the way in, you can touch your dick.”
“Shit. Okay.”
Scott leaned back in his desk chair, legs spread wide, and closed his eyes as he listened to Kip work the toy inside himself. Every gasp and moan was going straight to Scott’s dick, but he still wouldn’t touch himself.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Good. It’s...it’s big.”
“I know. But you can take it.”
“Yeah...yeah,” Kip panted.
“You got it in?”
“Almost. Almost. Fuck.”
Scott wished he had a glass of water or something. His mouth was bone-dry and he felt dizzy, probably from all the blood rushing directly to his cock. He gripped the edge of the table with his free hand, determined not to give in to the temptation to jerk off to Kip’s moans.
“Okay. It’s in. It’s... Fuck, it’s so good, Scott.”
“Pull it out and push it back in. Fuck yourself.”
“I am. I’m—Oh wow. It really hits that spot, huh? Fuck.”
Scott knew exactly how well it hit that spot. He remembered using it on himself not that long ago, back when Kip had just been a fantasy—when he had just been the cute guy working at the smoothie shop and Scott had never in a million years thought he would actually have him in his arms and in his bed. He’d fucked himself with the toy, imagining it was Kip who was penetrating him. And, god, the thrill of having Kip use the same toy on himself now was intoxicating.
“You can touch yourself whenever you want now,” Scott said, “but tell me what you’re doing.”
“Thank Christ. Okay, I’m—Ah! Mm. Finally. Fuck. I’m just gripping it. Running my thumb over the slit and—Fuck. I’m gushing over here.”
Scott groaned. This was fucking torture. “Get a rhythm. Pretend I’m fucking you.”
“I’m gonna go off fast, Scott.”
“I know. That’s okay. Just let me hear you.”
“Oh fuck... Tryin’ to do both things at once, but I kinda just wanna keep fucking myself here. Feels almost as good as you in me.”
Scott let his imagination provide him with the visuals. He could picture the way Kip was stretched around his toy, arm muscles straining as he moved it in and out. He could see Kip’s thumb working the slick head of his cock, and the way his mouth was probably hanging open, face slack and euphoric.
“So good, Kip. I’ll bet you look so beautiful right now.”
Kip wasn’t talking anymore. He was just making gorgeous, needy sounds, and Scott drank them in.
“Come on, baby. Finish it. However you need to. Wanna hear you.”
“Okay, fuck. I wish I could hear you too. Wish I could—Ah. I’m so close. I’m so—”
Scott was on fire, everywhere. If he so much as brushed his cock, he was going to erupt. “Come for me. Come on. I love you so much.”
He heard Kip start to reply, “I lo—” but he broke off with a strangled cry.
Scott’s own mouth fell open. Relief washed over him as if he was somehow sharing Kip’s orgasm.
“Oh wow. Fuck,” Kip panted after he’d had time to come back to himself. “That was... Holy shit. I was not expecting any of that.”
Scott laughed. “Me neither. I thought we’d just have a nice chat.”
“I’m a real fucking mess over here.”
“Mm. I’ll bet you look incredible.”
“You must be hurting, though. You sure you can’t—”
“I’ll take care of myself. Later. As soon as fucking possible.”
“Wish I could help.”
“You did. I’ll be thinking of you, don’t worry.”
Kip exhaled loudly. “I love you.”
“I love you. Can’t believe the things you make me do.”
He chuckled. “I’m all sleepy now.”
“Go get cleaned up and go to bed,” Scott said. “I should get out of this room anyway.”
“You gonna be able to get back to your hotel room? Without poking someone’s eye out?”
“I’ll be fine,” Scott said tersely. “Go to bed.”
“All right,” Kip yawned. “Well, thanks for the phone call.”
They both laughed.
“Goodnight.” Scott hung up and did his best to conceal the erection that was not flagging at all before making a beeline for his hotel room. He acknowledged his roommate with a quick nod and went straight into the bathroom.
It only took a few strokes with his hand braced against the shower wall and the memory of Kip’s moans filling his ears. He pulled his hand away from the wall and bit his fist as he came so hard he nearly lost his balance, panting hard as his release swirled down the drain.
Jesus Christ, Kip. What are you doing to me?
* * *
Kip checked his email when he got back to Scott’s after work the next day. There was one from the Museum of the City of New York.
But as he read the first lines of the email, his heart sank.
Thank you for your interest in the position of Assistant Educator. We enjoyed meeting with you. Unfortunately, we have decided...
Kip swore and closed his laptop. “Of course,” he muttered.
Fuck.
He called Elena at work. He normally wouldn’t call, but this was an emergency. “I didn’t get the job.”
“They went with someone who has their master’s degree.”
“Sorry. That sucks,” she said. “You should get your master’s degree.”
Kip snorted. “How? I’m still paying off the last useless degree.”
“It’s not useless, and you can figure it out. People do it.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll think about it,” Kip said glumly.
He heard Elena sigh. “I am sorry, Kip. I was really hoping that would work out for you.”
“I know. Thanks.”
After they ended the call, Kip opened his laptop again. Just for fun, he went to the NYU website and looked at their graduate admissions page.
I could apply. No harm in trying.
He closed the laptop again. Maybe.
He slumped on the couch and flipped around television stations. Hanging around Scott’s apartment by himself was nice, but it was also pretty boring. His boredom, paired with the aftermath of the disappointing email, brought on a sudden surge of panic. What if this was it? Obviously there were worse hardships than dating a superstar athlete, especially one he was so madly in love with, but what if he was always Scott’s secret? What if that’s all he ever was? What if he never went back to school and never got a better job and just stayed in Scott’s apartment, hidden away until Scott had time for him?
Scott wouldn’t do that. He just needs time.
Right?
Surely Kip wasn’t looking at a life of attending events together, but arriving separately and pretending not to know each other. Was Scott going to keep letting the world believe that he was a confirmed bachelor? Or worse, would he marry a woman for appearances and keep Kip on the side?
No. Come on. What the hell would give you that idea?
What if Kip was just convenient for Scott right now? What if Scott thought he was in love because it was the first time he’d let himself be with a man for more than one night? What if he just needed to take this first step and then he’d feel free to date other men? Better men. Men who were in his league, or at least adjacent to his league. Kip was nobody.
Scott would realize it eventually, and if Kip put all of his eggs in this basket, he’d be left with nothing.
There was suddenly a lump in his throat. This was absurd. Where were these thoughts coming from?
He wanted to talk to Scott, but he wasn’t even sure where he was right now. He wasn’t playing tonight. A plane? Or maybe at a practice.
He didn’t want to be needy. And he probably was just depressed about that fucking email. And Elena had a point—he should at least try to do his master’s degree. Either that or find a better service industry job, and that prospect was beyond depressing.
Maybe he could do his Bachelor of Education. Be a teacher like his parents. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? Respectable career.
Fuck, this apartment was lonely.
He sent Scott a text. Just a simple hi to let him know he was thinking of him.
Scott didn’t reply. Kip turned off the television and flopped over onto his side on the couch. He kind of wanted to get drunk, but that was a terrible idea.
He loved Scott so much.
How could he ever be good enough for him?
He was feeling really fucking low. And Scott wasn’t texting him back. And maybe Scott was realizing right now that he could be dating, like, a gay movie star or something.
He had been moping on the couch for almost an hour when Scott texted back. Hi! Can I call you?
Scott didn’t even wait for a reply. Kip answered the call. “Hey.”
“Kip! I just landed in Toronto! I have to tell you the funny thing that happened at the airport...”
Kip grinned and sat up. He listened to Scott’s long, animated story, and by the end of it they were both laughing and he felt a lot better. Scott had been on a plane waiting to call Kip so he could tell him all about his day.
“How was your day?” Scott asked when he was done.
Kip’s heart thumped happily in his chest.
“Better now.”