A jarring noise roused Low from a restless sleep. He knew without opening his eyes that Renzo’s spot beside him was empty. He opened his eyes and sat up against the pillows.

The sound came again.

Like someone was at the piano, pounding on it with no sense of music.

Renzo.

Low rolled off the bed and made his way out the bedroom. In the doorway leading to the room Renzo kept the piano and nothing else, he leaned against the doorjamb, arms folded. His lover sat at the piano, head bowed as his animated fingers flew over the keys, wearing nothing but boxer briefs.

All the lights were on, of course, so Low caught the strain in Renzo’s posture. The trembling in his spine. The shaking in his fingers.

Low hadn’t been the only one affected by what happened at the club earlier, but he’d been so caught up in his own shit, he hadn’t noticed Renzo falling apart even as his lover comforted him. Now, Renzo needed him.

Renzo needed his comfort.

Low turned away, making one quick trip back to the bedroom. When he returned, Renzo hadn’t moved. Low walked up over and stood behind him. If Renzo noticed him he didn’t show it. He kept his head down, legs moving as he worked the piano pedals. Low put his hands on Renzo’s shoulders, massaging.

The noise paused when Renzo covered Low’s hand on his shoulder with a quivery touch. Low fisted his hair with his free hand, tugging Renzo’s head back gently to stare into his eyes. Red-rimmed, those eyes brimmed with sadness. With grief. With apology.

They didn’t have to speak for Low to know Renzo blamed himself for what happened. That he was here beating himself over it. They hadn’t talked before Low fell asleep, and maybe they would.

But not now.

His man was in pain.

Bending at the waist, he kissed Renzo. Soft brushes on his forehead, his nose. Then his lips. Taking his time, doing his best to convey his feelings. Nothing about blame and fault. Just love. Only love. Renzo killed for him. Renzo protected him. Low wasn’t about to push his lover away over that. He dropped his hands and walked around, standing between Renzo and the big black piano.

His lover parted his legs and Low stepped between his knees, cupping Renzo’s nape. Taking his mouth again. This time sliding his tongue inside, tasting him, licking him up as Renzo hugged him around the waist, pulling him closer and gripping the waistband of his joggers, trying to tug them down. Low stepped back and held out a hand for Renzo to stand. When he did Low turned them until Renzo was pressed against the piano and Low sat on the black and white bench.

He smoothed a hand down Renzo’s quivering torso, leaning forward to lick him. Tongue laving his chest, teeth worrying his nipples while Renzo arched and hugged Low close with a hand on his nape. He moaned, the sound deep and pained, breath leaving him in a hurried pants. Low tasted every inch of him, the saltiness of Renzo’s skin melting on his tongue, making his mouth water. He pressed his lips to Renzo’s belly button, nuzzling him, loving the softness around his middle.

Renzo guided him lower and Low went willingly, mouthing him through his underwear before pulling it down and taking Renzo’s thickness into his mouth.

Renzo bucked.

Low moaned.

Smooth heat, hard and throbbing on his tongue. Eyes closed, Low wrapped a hand around Renzo’s base and sank down onto him. Renzo moved with him, hips making little circles, rolling, sliding deeper as he fucked Low’s mouth.

Ungh.

Now, Low was the one shaking, white-knuckling his control when his body flamed, clenching, aching to go harder until they were both sated. He slid a palm up Renzo’s torso, catching a nipple between two fingers, pinching. Loving when Renzo’s grip tightened and his hips slammed forward.

Choking him.

Just a bit.

Wetting his eyes.

He looked up at Renzo and found his lover staring down at him nostrils flared, lips parted, eyes so soft. The sadness and guilt had been replaced with heat and raw lust. Love, too.

Low pulled off him, releasing his shaft with a grunt and quickly yanked off his Henley, tossing it aside as Renzo kicked away the underwear caught around his ankles. Low stood, removing the lube from his pocket before toeing off his joggers. When they were both naked, Renzo caught Low by the throat, yanking him against his body.

Taking his mouth.

Teeth clicked as they went at each other with mouths wide, hands groping. Fingers scratching, leaving thin trails of fire in their wake. Low was the one to pull back, to push Renzo against the piano, until he was almost sitting on the keys.

They wailed, those black and white keys.

Hooking a hand under Renzo’s right knee, Low spread him open. That position couldn’t be comfortable at all, but Renzo didn’t complain. So Low got into a crouch and lubed up two fingers, pressing them to Renzo’s exposed hole.

Renzo’s shuddered at Low’s touch, lashes fluttering, nostrils flaring. He didn’t close his eyes though. Darkened to almost black, his gaze seared Low as he teased that tiny hole with two fingers, rubbing over the contracting flesh before dipping inside.

One finger.

Renzo’s head fell back.

Two.

Renzo groaned, hands grabbing onto the piano’s edge, legs lifting higher, opening himself wider. Low pushed in, teeth in his bottom lip, eyes darting from Renzo’s face to down below. Renzo’s body opened just enough to allow Low’s fingers to squeeze through, clasping him tight, hot flesh molding around him.

Jesus.

He shoved his way in to the last knuckle then retreated and did it all over again. Stretching Renzo, plunging in and out until that strangle hold relaxed a bit. Until Renzo was rocking back on his fingers, clenching around him.

Until Renzo’s hooded eyes were begging for more. For harder. Low gave it to him. He added more lube, another finger, and Renzo was pulling on his neglected cock, hips bucking wildly, mouth agape as he watched Low finger fuck him.

The sight Renzo made. Fuck. Low reached between his own legs. Fisting his leaking dick, pulling hard, squeezing the base to help ease some of the ache in his balls. It didn’t work, all it did was cross his eyes and make his movements falter, so he reluctantly pulled his fingers from Renzo’s ass and straightened, bringing his cock to Renzo’s hole.

Falling on him mouth first, hungry tongue seeking.

They sank into the kiss as Low breached Renzo.

His lover flinched, grunting into Low’s mouth. Low paused, waiting for Renzo to make the next move. He did, lifting his legs and wrapping them around Low’s waist. So Low pushed forward, into the blistering, choking heat.

Balls deep.

Moaning. He forgot to kiss Renzo, too caught up in the bliss of having Renzo’s ass wrapped around his dick.

Mudda ass.

That shit was amazing. The tightest fit made it difficult to thrust back and forth, but he rolled his hips, inching deeper still and Renzo grabbed his ass, forcing him closer, holding him right there.

Mouth on Low’s throat, biting. Saliva all over him. He fisted his hands in Renzo’s hair and just thrust. Over and over. Deeper and deeper. Every thrust jostled Renzo atop the piano keys and deep, jarring sounds punctuated their lovemaking.

Hands around Renzo, mouth on his, Low smiled. They moved on each other, Low burrowing into Renzo’s ass and Renzo riding him, meeting him thrust for thrust with a hand trapped between their bodies, pulling on his dick.

Low sucked on his tongue, biting on his lip, fingers clawing at his back every time Renzo pushed back on him. When he couldn’t catch his breath, he tore his mouth away to press openmouthed kisses all over Renzo’s face and neck, teeth sinking into his throat, sucking up a hickey with hard pulls until Renzo’s ass clamped down on him and his body bucked. Until he was jerking hard on his cock.

A harsh breath washed over Low’s face then Renzo’s body bowed. His ass got impossibly tighter then he froze. Sticky cum dripped between their bodies as he reached his orgasm, ass contracting. Getting tighter.

Low’s thighs burned, quivering.

He lifted Renzo’s ass and staggered backward, falling onto the piano bench with Renzo still wrapped around him. Still rising and falling on his dick. The pleasure blinded Low, tripped him out. He buried his face in Renzo’s throat, thrusting up into him, mouth against his skin, smothering his cries as Renzo pulled the orgasm from him.

Long and body clenching.

Agonizing.

He came and all his sense fled, so he clung to the man in his arms. The man cupping his nape, raining kisses down on his face.

Fuck.

He raked his fingers down Renzo’s back. His lover squirmed, ass spasming. Inside him, Low’s cock jerked as Renzo milked him, and Low bit down on his lip as another weak orgasm flared, turning his limbs useless.

He clasped Renzo to him as his lover stroked his head in the bright silence. They stayed in that silence, broken only by their harsh gasps of breath and pounding heartbeats. And it was good.

Better than, really.

Nothing mattered more than this. Not after what Low just experienced at the club. Nothing mattered except him loving Renzo, and Renzo loving him. Life was fucked up and complicated, he knew that more than anyone. But this, them, they were easy.

Always easy.

He tipped his head up, brushing his lips over Renzo’s chin. “I love you so much,” he whispered. He would be okay. As long as he had Renzo, he would be okay.

They would be okay.

Renzo’s lips curved. Eyes bright and lighter than before, he dragged his knuckles down Low’s cheek. “I love you, Low.”