Kell

 

How the hell was he supposed to eat when Ty was sitting right beside him in the booth, instead of across from him like normal people would. They were so close their thighs touched. Kell’s nostrils flared again, Ty smelled so good, or maybe it was his lotion, or hair product. He wasn’t sure and didn’t care. He found himself leaning in for more between bites of his salad. Kell looked over to find Ty had that ‘what’s exactly happening here’ smirk on his face. It seemed Ty wasn’t the only one baffled by their body language.

If anyone else had tried to give Kell a handout or pay anything for him, he’d have refused immediately. It was the main reason he hadn’t gone into the Rib Shack with his sensei. He would’ve automatically put his bill with his because he knew Kell was on an unbelievably tight budget and didn’t have extra money. What his sensei did for him already was enough, he wouldn’t be extravagant and eat out on his dime as well.

But, Ty… Ty went about it in a whole other way. The way he’d presented the offer made Kell feel cherished. The thought of being a burden hadn’t once crossed his mind. Ty had asked to feed him. He’d said please as if he needed to do it, not had to. That’s why Kell had agreed.

“How’s your salad?”

Kell slowly closed his eyes and let out an inaudible breath. That damn voice. It was so rich and sensual. Heaven help me. Just three words, that’s all Ty had purred close to his ear, yet he couldn’t arrange them in his mind to formulate what question he’d just asked. So, instead of saying ‘um, it’s almost four o’clock’, he put another fork full of leafy romaine in his mouth.

“I guess that says it all.” Ty laughed lightly.

Does he have to sit right on top of me? Kell groaned under his breath at the sudden tightening in his briefs. Oh hell. It’s been way too long, that’s all. Hell, hell, hell. First, I’m calling on heaven now I’m thinking of hell.

“How about one of those questions now?” Ty kept going, still leaning in close to Kell’s ear as if others were trying to listen to their conversation.

Kell looked up and noticed a few eyes flicking in their direction, trying to see them without being seen themselves. He always saw them. However, Ty seemed oblivious. Didn’t he care that these people were associating him—with all his style—with the long-haired, queer man?

“I have a question first.” Kell huffed.

Ty smiled that damn arrogant grin, “Okay. Sure.”

Kell aggressively whipped away a little raspberry vinaigrette from the corner of his mouth with his napkin before setting it down and turning his entire body toward Ty. “Do you see these people looking at you? At me? They think we’re together, Tyrell. They think you’re with me. Really with me. And it’s not my fault, it’s yours. You held the door for me, ordered my food like a man does for woman on a date, then you…” Kell lowered his voice a little, his tone naturally going softer when he thought of Ty’s touch. “You keep touching me and… and pulling me close to you. Look how closely we’re sitting now. There’s a whole other seat over there ya’ know.”

Kell stopped himself. He’d said enough. But, he was done with the yo-yoing. Ty was going to explain himself. Explain why he’d acted as if he’d never seen a gay man until this morning, now he was pretending they were a gay couple. Come-the-hell-on? This was not how grown men behaved. Kell didn’t have time for games.

Ty’s smile was starting to tick Kell off. He’d be wise to take him seriously. Kell didn’t lower his firm gaze. When he spoke, he looked a man in his eyes just like his sensei had taught him. His scowl clearly wasn’t threatening enough, because Ty had the audacity to move in closer until their faces were only an inch apart.

Kell shook his head. “What the hell are you doing? You trying to get a reaction out of me? You wanting to see if I’ll back down from you?” His lips almost touched Ty’s. “You shouldn’t challenge me, Tyrell.”

“We are already challenging each other.”

“Yes.”

“Yes. And to address one of your concerns, because it wasn’t a question. People watching us… me.” Ty broke their eye contact, but he didn’t move his head. His mocha eyes slowly scanned the room. “Some are watching. Some are not. I know none of them. These strangers mean nothing to me. They are not a part of my world. Do they mean something to you?”

Kell parted his lips but Ty didn’t give him time to answer.

“You think I’m self-assured and you’re absolutely right. I was born into this way of thinking. I’m a strong black man, Kellam. My father raised me to always hold my head high. To do whatever I do proudly and confidently. I’ve never, nor would I ever, do anything to shame myself… or the person I’m with in public… or in private.

“I touch you, Kell, because you smile when I do, so I know it’s not wrong. You make me feel good deep down in a place that’s untouched. The things you’ve listed that I’ve done for you didn’t warrant me checking for other’s response. Opening the door, touching you, easing you when you were uncomfortable made both of us feel good, so no, I do not worry about the thoughts of outsiders. Honestly, no one should. I’m only accountable for my own deeds. No one on this earth can judge me so why would I willingly give them that power over me by caring what they think of my actions. This is what I was taught, Kell and it’s what I believe. I do what feels good to me, as long as I don’t hurt others in the process.” Ty looked to think about his next thought carefully. “I will be honest. What I’m feeling, the things I’m doing with you, are different… new. I’m in uncharted waters.”

“I think I am too,” Kell admitted softly.

“So much changed in a matter of days that my mind is racing to keep up. First seeing Brian King again. Just knowing that he holds the key to a part of my soul that was locked and stored away because I couldn’t handle the unknown is weighing heavy on me. Then meeting you.” Ty shook his head in awe. “I’ve never met anyone even close to being like you. I find myself… wanting… feeling things I’ve never felt for anyone. It’s not something I’m taking lightly and it’s not anything I will dismiss.”

Kell exhaled slowly. This is unbelievable. How was it that the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen, oozing so much swagger it pained Kell to stare at him too long, was saying Kell made him feel good. When it was the other way around. It was Kell’s body that strummed with passion. Every place Ty had touched so far sparked with little electrical currents.

Kell cleared his throat, not wanting his voice to hitch, “Are you talking about…?” How did he word this?

“Being attracted to you,” Ty finished for him. He slowly nodded. “I believe I am.”

Ty

 

He knew Kell was going to make him say it. And he understood why. If he was in his partner’s shoes he’d want him to be real with him. A growing attraction in the work place could be a problem. It didn’t matter who was gay or not, it didn’t matter who was black or white, what mattered was their new chosen paths. This job meant a lot to him already. His father had his hand in this, Ty needed to see it through. He was sure Kell had his reasons as well. They couldn’t do anything to risk getting booted from the program. If the two of them messed up, there wouldn’t be a thing Brian or Quick could do to cover for them. Duke wouldn’t risk his company to two men who were too distracted by each other. Ty hadn’t missed the way he had watched them in his rear-view mirror. Thank goodness they’d correctly answered all the questions on Duke’s pop quiz.

“What’d you two eat, huh? Watercress salads with lemon wedges,” Dana said, loud enough for them to hear crossing the street. “You guys better start eating the food of champions. Meat.”

“Where the ’hell’d you come from?” Ty laughed at Dana’s playfulness and gave him a quick pound when he reached him. “I thought you had court duty.”

“We did. It’s almost four. Court’s done for the day. Now it’s back to training the ’youngins.”

Ty thought it was amusing that Dana kept calling him young when he was only a few years older than him. He stood there with Dana while Kell kept walking toward the SUV. It sounded like the bosses were talking with Ford about a large bond he’d just posted for a first-time offender, so Ty hung back. Automatically, his eyes roamed to Kell. He was leaning against the back of the vehicle with his head bowed.

“Cool guy, isn’t he?” Dana said out of the blue.

Ty didn’t have to turn his head to know Dana was talking about Kell. “Yeah, he is.”

“When Quick said he wanted to bring Kellam in we were all skeptical at first because—”

Ty turned and faced Dana with a stern expression, cutting off his sentence, “If you’re about to tell me something negative about Kellam, you can keep it to yourself.”

“Whoa. Damn, man.” Dana put his hands up. “First of all, that’s not what we do in this family. I’m not talking behind Kell’s back because I’ve already told him to his face; that I was skeptical of meeting anyone Quick had personally trained. Because it meant they could most likely kick my ass.”

Ty laughed, giving Dana a look of understanding. Watching Kellam in Jake’s gym had been unreal. Growing up where he had, he hadn’t met another trained, disciplined fighter. “He really is something.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Ty heard the undertone in Dana’s murmured ‘mmmhmm’. “I didn’t know you were gay, Tyrell. I don’t even think Brian knows.”

“That’s because he doesn’t know me. Brian knew my father. Not me.”

“Let him tell it, you two are one in the same.” Dana tilted his head. “Fiercely loyal, were the words he used.”

“I guess I could say the same about you and Ford? I didn’t know.” Ty flipped the conversation back on Dana.

“Shit. I didn’t either. I was always bisexual. But I was caught up with another female when I realized Ford was it, ya know. He was the one.”

“How long you been dating?” Ty figured it was fresh, because Ford was all over Dana in that truck earlier. New romances were always exciting and full of heat. Every touch more urgent than the last.

“Almost three years. We moved in with each other not long after making it official.” Dana smiled.

Years! Living together?! “You two aren’t married?” Ty asked, hardly able to hide his shock.

“Hell no, man! I said three years, not ten.” Dana looked at his bosses. “If any one of us was to get hitched first, it’ll probably be Duke.”

“Why would you say that?” Ty was curious to understand their way of thinking, because none of what Dana was saying aligned with what he’d been taught. These men claimed to have someone precious to them, a partner in life. Then why leave them unprotected out of wedlock? Ty had presumed the guys were either divorced or single—a result from working a dangerous job—since none of them wore wedding bands. He didn’t know they all had someone special in their lives.

Dana shrugged as if it didn’t really matter. “Well, because he has the youngest partner. Quick’s son, Vaughan, is thirty-three and I think he’s hinted at marriage to Duke. They been together almost four years.”

Four years! Ty didn’t know what was going on. Are these guys doing time? All these men were claiming to be in love and in relationships… without the security of marriage. Were none of these strong men willing to humble themselves to receive the peace of matrimony? Ty realized then, that he’d learn from these men, train with them, but he’d determine what lessons he took into his soul and what he discarded.

“Kell’s a beautiful man,” Dana said, watching Ty closely.

Ty leveled a look at his new coworker. A look that may’ve warned Dana to be careful what he said next.

Dana scoffed at him. “Like I thought.”

“Problem?” Ty asked calmly. He knew Dana had seniority and was technically his superior, which was the only reason he was letting him have his say. It was clear he’d noticed the change in temperature between him and Kell as well. Looked as if they all had. Did he and Kell think they could fool men who were intelligence officers in the Special Forces?

“You tell me,” Dana threw back at him.

He was already done with this conversation. He didn’t play guessing games. If any of them wanted to question him directly, then he was right there. “It’s all good.”

“That’s all I need to know. We don’t care who you’re sleeping with. This ain’t the police department. Just make sure you show up and do your job. Make sure you keep your personal shit at home,” Dana told him.

Ty could respect that.

Dana waved to his team, throwing both hands in the air. “Ya’ll gonna stay out here in the parking lot picking meat ’outta’ya teeth all afternoon? Or are we gonna snatch Memphis’ sneaky ass up real quick so I can go home. Thank you.” He finished by hopping back into the passenger seat of his and Ford’s truck.

Now they were three cars deep.

Ty didn’t confirm nor deny with Dana if he was gay. Only one person deserved that answer as soon as Ty figured it out, and that was Kell.