Chapter Twenty-Three

The rest of the week was a whirlwind. Cam came back to rehearsals and everyone was grateful, especially Danielle, who gave him a big hug, and also a punch on the arm for good measure. Katherine was still working on Jeff’s case and awaiting answers from several important individuals within the Charleston public school system. The woman worked tirelessly, only stopping for reality TV and microwavable meals. Suddenly, having seen her work process in person, his sister’s life in the big city didn’t seem all that glamorous after all.

Jeff had yet to really do anything about it, but he couldn’t get what Cam had said about Luke being miserable without him out of his head. He desperately wanted to call and confirm this assertion, but Jeff was scared. He didn’t really know why. Maybe it was because of how quickly they’d gotten together, or the fact that he was still worried that Luke wasn’t sad about not having Jeff in his life, but for being outed against his will. Whatever the case was, Jeff decided to hold off on calling for a little while longer. No matter how sad, anxious, and unsettled it made him.

He wasn’t going to let any of those feelings interfere with Cam’s tutoring though. A promise was a promise. On Saturday Jeff took up his usual spot across from Cameron at Cam and Luke’s dining room table. He may have still been banned from teaching at Apollo, but Saturday school was officially back in session. Jeff couldn’t deny how good it felt to be useful in this way again.

“So, you’re going to want to sketch the graph and then use your calculator to confirm. From there you can decide if the limit exists or not.”

Cam nodded and continued working through his backlogged pre-calc worksheets. He was getting pretty good at math nowadays. Jeff was starting to think that if performing arts didn’t work out for him, Cam might make a pretty good engineer, or maybe even an aeronautical mechanic like his father.

Jeff left Cam to his graphing and got to work reading over Cam’s essay about the spread of Ebola across the African continent. That was how Luke found them when he got home from work, both of his boys working in companionable silence. Jeff noticed Luke standing there, but he didn’t want to acknowledge his presence right away. The two of them hadn’t really spoken at all since the wedding and there were so many loose feelings floating in the air between them. Jeff had no idea how to even begin rectifying that.

“You’re missing a source here,” he said to Cam, highlighting the sentence in question and sliding the rough draft back.

Cam took the essay and slid it under his math homework. He must have sensed the romantic tension in the room because he immediately started stuffing the papers back in his backpack and slung the bag over his shoulder. Cam cleared his throat.

“I’m gonna go study at Danielle’s place for a while.”

Luke tore his gaze away from Jeff and nodded at his son. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out some cash.

“For food,” he said, handing the wad to Cam. “Be safe.”

“I will,” Cam assured. “You two be safe too. Talk it out. Use protection. Don’t wait up for me.”

And with that, he was out the door and gone. Luke’s face was priceless. He obviously hadn’t gotten the memo that Cam had warmed up to the idea of their relationship. Now here he was leaving the house because he was certain the two of them were about to have make-up sex. Jeff selfishly hoped he was right.

Luke was a sight for sore eyes. He wasn’t as greasy or dirty as he was some days, but his hair was tousled and his coveralls were half open, revealing his skin-tight undershirt. They weren’t standing very close together, but Jeff was getting a hint of Luke’s usual earthy smell mixed with just a hint of sweat.

“Hi,” Luke said eventually.

“Hi,” Jeff said back. His throat felt tight and he was incredibly nervous. What if they didn’t fit back together the way they used to?

“I saw your TV interview,” Luke said.

Jeff licked his lips.

“Yeah?”

Luke nodded.

“I liked what you said about us being stronger together.”

Luke took several steps forward. His skin was flushed and he was looking at him with hooded eyes. Jeff scooched his chair back and stood so that they were both on the same level. Luke reached out to touch Jeff’s face, and Jeff leaned into the touch. They stayed like that for a while.

“I love you, too,” Luke said finally, returning the words Jeff had said in his interview.

Jeff closed his eyes and let his shoulders slump.

“Why didn’t you call me then?” he asked.

“I thought that you were mad at me for making you lose your job.”

Jeff pulled back and gaped at him.

“What?”

Luke shrugged.

“Cam was acting all weird, and I got a voicemail from you telling me to call you and then like an hour later a text basically telling me to leave you alone. Then my face was suddenly everywhere, and there you were on TV telling me that you loved me! It was confusing, okay?”

Jeff shook his head.

“Why are we so bad at this?” he said to himself.

“Because good things don’t come easy?” Luke offered.

“I think it’s just because we’re both dumb.”

Luke laughed.

“Fair enough.”

“Seriously though,” Jeff said. “I think the universe is trying to tell us something.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve had at least a dozen communication issues and a public scandal and we’ve barely been dating a month.”

“It’s been longer than that,” Luke argued.

Jeff rolled his eyes.

“I’m not counting all the times we weren’t talking to each other.”

“Fine,” Luke acquiesced. “So, the universe doesn’t want us to be together. Who gives a fuck? I’m more interested in what you want, Jefferson.”

“I want you,” Jeff admitted.

Luke came forward and wrapped his arms around Jeff’s torso.

“Good,” he said. “Because I want you too. Always.”

“Are you sure? Because eventually I’m going to stop giving you chances to back out on me.”

Luke tightened his grip on Jeff’s hip bones.

“I’m sure. You make me happy. These last couple of weeks have been hell.”

Jeff sighed contentedly and rested his head on Luke’s shoulder. It was like he’d just released the world’s longest held breath.

“Okay. New rules,” he said slowly.

Luke slid his hand up the small of Jeff’s back.

“I’m listening.”

“Neither one of us is ever allowed to assume how the other one is feeling without asking ever again.”

“All right,” Luke said. “What else?”

“No more sneaking around.”

“Done.”

“And we’re starting the clock for our anniversary today. I don’t even want to count all that messy angst from before.”

Luke laughed.

“I mean, that’s not really a rule so much as a request, but sure. Whatever you want.”

Luke took a step back so he could look into Jeff’s eyes.

“I’m sorry for putting you through all that stress,” he said. “I honestly thought that you’d call me or stop by if you wanted to talk.”

Jeff felt like slamming his head into his palm. It was a perfect mirror of his own thoughts. God the two of them were such twin gay disasters.

“And that’s why neither of us are allowed to assume things anymore,” Jeff reiterated.

Luke hummed and buried his head in Jeff’s hair.

“I missed you,” he said into the curly nest.

“Stop talking,” Jeff said, pushing Luke off of him and pressing him into the table. He then reached up to cradle the back of Luke’s neck. Their mouths met in a kiss. It was a rough and bruising gesture fueled by weeks of alone time and sexual frustration.

Jeff slipped his hands under Luke’s coveralls and pressed his palms against the warm skin of the other man’s hips. Luke broke away to kiss at the soft skin on the side of Jeff’s neck in response. Jeff hissed and threw his head back as he felt Luke’s teeth gently graze his skin.

“I guess you missed me too,” Luke said against his collarbone.

Jeff didn’t respond. He just grabbed a fistful of fabric and pulled Luke closer. He could feel the raggedness of the older man’s breath against his skin and it set his blood to a low simmer. He didn’t think he’d ever get over how much Luke wanted him. It was like dying a very slow and very arousing death.

“Take your clothes off,” Luke whispered in his ear.

Jeff stiffened and took a tentative look at the curtainless windows behind them. There was nobody in sight, but he still didn’t want to take the chance.

“Okay,” he said. “But not here. Can we go upstairs?”

Luke nodded and took hold of Jeff’s hand. The two of them ascended the central staircase and Jeff drank everything in. As many times as he’d been to this house, this was his first time on the second floor.

Everything up here matched the decor of the downstairs rooms, only it looked much more lived in. There were dark spots on the ceiling and moth holes in the rug that were illuminated by soft yellow wall sconces. Everything was white except for one door, which Jeff was assuming was Cam’s based on all of the taped-up band posters. Luke led them past this door and straight into the master bedroom at the end of the hall.

Looking at Luke’s bedroom, Jeff could understand his boyfriend’s excitement over seeing his apartment for the first time. Even though he’d never consciously made an effort to picture Luke’s bed sheets or curtains, it was easy to see how his personality had informed the selection. Both were muted shades of green with the curtains being the lighter of the two. Most people wanted the darkest curtains possible, to block out the most light, but not Luke. He was an early riser who liked to get up with the sun. Then there were the sweet little personal touches like the pictures of Sarah and Cam, a framed college degree, and a to-scale replica of a Boeing Dreamlifter, at least that’s what the placard underneath it said it was.

Jeff didn’t get a chance to study everything in as much detail as he would have liked on account of Luke shedding his coveralls and effectively distracting him, but he was sure he’d get another chance. Naked boyfriends did take precedence after all.

Luke was like an animal, hungry and insatiable. He was sucking on Jeff’s neck so hard that he was sure to leave bruises, but Jeff certainly didn’t give a rat’s ass. He’d never seen this possessive side of Luke, but it turned him on like crazy.

Jeff ran his fingers over Luke’s chest and tangled his other hand in his hair. Luke was not so subtly moving them closer to the bed.

“I have to take my clothes off first,” Jeff reminded him. “Remember?”

Luke pulled away and fumbled with the buttons of his shirt while Jeff took care of his belt and pants. Luke took one moment—which was difficult in his primal state—to appreciate the look of Jeff in his underwear, before pulling them off as well.

Now, with both of them half-hard and in the nude, Luke pushed Jeff down on top of the bed and pressed him firmly into the mattress, holding him there. Jeff squirmed around a little bit, desperate for Luke to touch him. Luke didn’t keep him waiting for long.

“Can I fuck you?” he asked, lazily running his hand all the way down Jeff’s stomach, stopping right before reaching his dick.

“God yes,” Jeff keened.

This was completely new territory for them. So far, every time they’d been intimate, Luke had wanted to be on bottom, and Jeff wasn’t complaining. But the idea of Luke inside of him? That suddenly sounded very, very, appealing.

Luke let go of Jeff, freeing him to move around and stroke his cock while Luke disappeared into the joining bathroom. He returned a moment later with a condom and a bottle of Jeff’s favorite brand of lube.

Jeff quirked a brow at the latter.

“Did you buy that just for me?”

“Yes.”

Jeff closed his eyes and bucked up into his hand. The fact that Luke had noticed a small detail like that and held onto it in the hopes of fucking him one day? It was almost enough to make Jeff cum on the spot.

Luke slicked up his fingers and spread the cold lube all over Jeff’s entrance. The sensation sent shivers all up and down Jeff’s body. Luke rolled on the condom and pressed in against the flesh of his ass. Jeff hissed, and lifted his hips. Every muscle in his body was tight with anticipation, like a spring ready to explode.

“Relax,” Luke demanded, pressing in. Jeff whined and tried to do as he asked. Slowly, so painfully slowly, Luke inserted himself all the way up to the balls. Jeff felt the sharp jut of Luke’s hipbones flush against his body. He could feel every single one of Luke’s heavy breaths inside of him. The older man took a minute to find his groove, but eventually settled into a nice steady pace. Jeff looked on with his bottom lip between his teeth and whispered encouragements.

Eventually, Luke started getting braver, pulling back farther and quickening the pace. The slapping of their bodies together was making the whole bed shake. Then, he pistoned his hips, hitting Jeff’s prostate. It felt so good that Jeff’s eyes nearly rolled back into his skull. Jeff let out an obscenely loud moan and started stroking his cock.

“I’m going to cum,” Jeff warned, moments before spilling onto his stomach. Luke continued fucking him through the orgasm like he just couldn’t help himself, and Jeff wasn’t going to lie. He loved every second of it.

When Luke finally did pull out, it was all he could do to rip the condom off before cumming hard all over Jeff’s hole.

After they were done, they just stared at each other for several long moments before bursting out laughing.

“I think,” Luke said out of breath, “that if you don’t get your job back, there’s still a very promising future for you in gay porn.”

Jeff reached behind him for a pillow and smacked him with it, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face if he tried.

He’d actually been right about them not fitting together the same way anymore. Now, they fit even better.