Ty

 

It was about a forty-minute ride with traffic from Paces Ferry back to Dixie Hills. When they pulled up to the dark warehouse, Kell pointed up the street, “If you go around that corner and take that back street down to Carver, my apartment is five minutes’ walk from there.”

Ty looked around at the loud, rundown neighborhood. He realized it was similar to his own. Maybe their worlds weren’t all that different after all. It was clear from the way Kell spoke that he had good education, but some things still weren’t quite adding up. Kell carried himself like he had a different upbringing. A classy one.

Kell pulled a small key ring from his pocket and unlocked the iron gate, sliding it against the wall. Then the front door, labeled:

Grandmaster Roman Webb

Self Defense Academy

 

When they stepped into the dark building, Kell left his side and went to the opposite wall and flicked on a light switch. The front reception area lit up. First thing Ty noticed was the multitude of trophies in the large display cases.

Ty grinned. “Are some of these yours?”

Kell’s smile was charming and a little shy, “A lot of them are mine. I’ve been competing since I was sixteen. It kept me out of trouble. Most of the time.”

“I like that you stick up for people, Kell, but I’m also glad you’re not doing it anymore. It’s dangerous.” Kell’s skills did need to be utilized in a way that wouldn’t land him in prison. He continued walking around the case reading the large, first place trophies. “How many of these are at your place?”

“None. This is it. I don’t want to keep them at my apartment. I’d hate for them to get stolen,” Kell said, following a little ways behind him while Ty surveyed the incredible space.   

He didn’t like the sound of Kell staying in a hood like his own… where no one was safe and it was every man for himself. He didn’t voice his displeasure. It wasn’t his place and it wasn’t his time. The front area had several chairs lined up along the wall and a television in the far corner, with a few vending machines underneath it.

“Come on. Let’s go into the training room.” This time Kell took his hand and led him farther into the large building. “This is the main gym area. Most of the grade-school classes are held in this part, including my classes.”

Ty took in the space that was covered with black and red wrestling mats. Padded beams rose to the ceiling. Along the walls were displays of weapons from various kinds of martial arts styles. Swords, bo and staffs, batons, rattan sticks, even cool Sai sets. Ty brushed his hand over the vented steel blades of the Kama weapon.

“You should see Sensei use those.” Kell smiled beside him.

“I’d rather see you use them.” Ty glanced down at his partner, who stood right at his shoulder. To him, Kell was the perfect height.

“I won’t demonstrate those tonight.” Kell walked off in another direction, down a long hall, pointing out more private classrooms and a decked-out meditation room with dim lantern lighting, bamboo walls, and kneeling pillows. Soothing scents of sage, mint and cade infused the enclosure and filtered into the hallway. “This is my favorite room.”

“I can see why,” Ty said against Kell’s temple. He kept purposefully standing close to him. Every time he stopped to show him something, Ty made sure he was in his personal space, making those startling eyes have to gaze up at him. And yeah, it made his chest stick out, he’d confess. He liked how this badass stared at him.

“And those are the locker rooms back there.” Kell turned. “That’s it. Before I started Duke’s program this is where I spent most of my life. When I was younger, I was always here if I wasn’t in school. It was my safe place.”

“And where does that lead to?” Ty pointed to a steep staircase with a closed door at the top.

A shadow appeared across Kell’s eyes before they fell to his feet. He snapped his head up as if he realized a master shouldn’t show weakness. Ty pulled Kell closer to him. He didn’t have to wear a mask for him. Ever. He didn’t have to front like he was a man of iron.

Ty gently squeezed Kell’s shoulder, “What is it? It’s okay.”

“It’s a storage room.”

“Okay. What about that storage room?” Ty knew it had to be something that disturbed him to cause such a dramatic reaction. Standing until their chests touched, he brought his hands up and cupped Kell’s gorgeous face for the first time. He was glad he let him. Pleased he’d earned that right. Kell tilted his head slightly into Ty’s right palm, his eyes fallen shut. Enjoying his touch. Dark blond lashes lay against his ivory cheeks. His beautiful skin was just as he’d imagined. Silken under his fingertips.

Ty exhaled. His desires were running deep for this man so soon.

“I used to live up there,” Kell said so quietly Ty had to watch his lips movements to make out the words. “When my father kicked me out for being gay. I ran away from my Catholic school and came here. I’d been living up there two weeks before Sensei caught me.”

Ty waited to see if Kell would tell him more as he got lost in the tranquil motion of caressing his cheek. His eyes danced all over him, then back to Kell’s loose ponytail. He wanted to pull that bind and release all those long locks for his pleasure, but he refrained and focused on making Kell feel better. He kept his right hand on his cheek and slid his left one around the back of his neck. His thumb and middle finger found the hollows at the base of his skull and started a gentle kneading there. Kell moaned softly for him. 

“I haven’t seen my father in person since,” Kell whispered after a long time. “I’ve been on my own since I was fifteen.”

This was what Ty had been speaking of. He was an African-American man living in America, yet he felt like a foreigner. He didn’t understand the ways of these men. Although when Ty was fifteen, his father considered him a capable man, and he was, he’d been trained to be. He thought like a man, he carried himself like a man. But that wasn’t the way of Kell’s family. A boy was not a man until age eighteen in his world. Kell still relied on his father for his care and support, and he’d abandoned him. Abandoned his son when he was still in need. Unconceivable in his mind.

He was glad Kell had confessed this to him. It was making sense now. Kell’s manners, his boundless compassion, intelligence, his drive and discipline didn’t quite fit in the neighborhood he was ’chillin in. Because he wasn’t hood either. He’d adapted to a new lifestyle after a life-altering change… just like he’d done. Ty had to leave their beautiful family home in Rosewell not long after his father’s death and move to the projects, so his mother could still live well. He’d adapted to his new surroundings just as Kell had to.

Kell was born privileged but also born special. A kind of special his father couldn’t accept in his world, so he’d ejected Kell from it. And instead of Kell taking on a-life-is-unfair victim mentality; he’d survived and grown into a remarkable man.

“One man’s loss is another man’s treasure, son.”

Kell melted into his touch. Ty wanted to let him know it was okay for Kell to be open with him. He didn’t have to hide a damn thing. Bringing the relaxing massage to an end, Kell murmured the words ‘thank you’ against his chest.

Back inside the main gym, Kell removed his heavy jacket, but left his long-hooded tunic on. He led them to a cork board mounted on the wall beneath a six-foot-long American flag. “This is where we practice blade throwing.”

Ty took off his heavy peacoat and set it down on a bench. He caught Kell trying to advert his eyes before he turned around. “There’s no need to turn away. If you want to look at me, then look all you want.”

Kell blinked before his silvery eyes shamelessly roamed over Ty’s chest in his fitted shirt. “Come here. I want to show you something.” Kell’s voice was husky. Ty gravitated toward him like a bee to honey.

Kell positioned him how he wanted him to stand. “Just like firing a gun, throwing a knife requires a certain stance and posture.” He looked Ty over. “Make sure you’re relaxed, stand up straight. Since your right-handed, you’re gonna put your right foot forward and the left slightly behind it.”

Ty adjusted his footing.

“Good.” Kell purred.

Ty’s jeans tightened.

“Now,” Kell continued, his voice getting stronger the more he fell into his natural element. “We’re not worried about accuracy or power right now.”

“Okay,” Ty breathed. Kell just didn’t know how much his tutorial was turning him on. He admired and respected Kell as a master fighter but, he absolutely adored him as a teacher. He was so knowledgeable and patient. Everything was stimulated in Ty at that very moment, his mind and his body. No being had ever achieved that with him.

Kell rolled up the sleeve on his tunic, revealing his sheathed knives. There were four black and red lethal blades in the casing on the underside of his wrist. He pulled one out by the slim handle as easily one would a stick of gum and flicked his hand forward. The blade sang through the air and stuck into the board. Ty’s body vibrated, he grinned slyly. Badass.

They were standing roughly six feet away from the practice board. Kell handed Ty a blade and came to stand behind him. He peered over his shoulder, liking him back there. Kell glanced up at him and rolled his eyes. “Stay focused.”

“Oh, I’m focused,” Ty crooned, staring at the beautiful golden strands of hair on top of Kell’s head.

“Mmhmm. Sure.” Kell put both hands on Ty’s waist and turned him back into position. “This is far enough for you to make a half spin with the blade. Don’t think of putting force behind it, just a moderate throw… like you would a dart.”

Ty turned and gripped the blade with the handle facing the ceiling. He tossed it as casually as Kell had, mimicking his hand movement. The blade whistled through the air and lodged in the board several inches from Kell’s.

“Nice,” Kell whispered. “Now, put the next blade right beside the first one.”

Ty chuckled. Worth a try.

“Keep your eyes on the target the entire time. Aim and release.”

Ty reached back and Kell placed another wicked knife in his hand. He adjusted the blade, leaned forward with his right hand and tossed it again. This time it landed about ten inches away from his first one.

“Better,” Kell said with more bass in his voice. “Again.”

They went on with the lesson until Ty was throwing the knives one after the other, hitting the same point. He probably wouldn’t be able to conceal them and pull them at will like Kell for a while, but he liked his progress. Now, he didn’t feel so rusty. He watched Kell remove the knives from the board and replace them on his wrist.

“You’re a fast learner,” Kell praised.

“And you’re a good teacher.” Ty’s voice was low and full of the desire he was feeling. “I really am a fast learner.”

Kell cut his eyes up at him, swallowing loudly, “Yeah. That’s um… it’s gonna help a lot.”

Ty began walking up on Kell again. To his surprise, Kell tried to retreat. It wasn’t in Ty’s nature to back down. If Kell ran right now, he’d chase him.

“I can learn a lot of things really fast if you’re willing to teach them to me, Kellam,” Ty said Kell’s name as if it was a delicacy to be savored.

Kell cleared his throat as his back connected with the cork wall. Nowhere left to go. Ty kept advancing, feeling like a lion stalking what he craved. 

“Are… are we still talking about knife-throwing?” Kell stammered, blushing again.

Ty put his arm on the board, caging Kell in on one side, the other he rested on his shoulder. He massaged him there, before easing his hand back around his neck. The fine hairs at the base of Kell’s skull tickled the skin on his hand. “I’m talking about learning everything.”

Kell’s breathing was labored. His hands clenched at his sides as if he was fighting the urge to reach out and grab. Ty knew how he felt. His head was spinning too, and he felt out of control, but in the best, most exciting way possible. He wasn’t afraid of this. Kellam Knight blew his fucking mind.

Ty deepened the pressure and Kell released an erotic moan that went straight to his balls. He barely held in his groan. This wasn’t about him. None of it was. He had to show Kell he was a man worthy of him. If he treated Kell the way he wanted to be treated, then Ty would have the final reward.

The day had been a productive one. Dinner and their conversation had been good, just like yesterday. Now, tonight, he’d been invited into Kell’s sanctuary, the dojo, a place that was his home away from home. A place he’d entrusted Ty to see and respect. He appreciated that trust, that gift, and he wanted to show it. He wrapped his other arm around Kell’s shoulders and pulled him to his chest. He held him close. Showed him what his security felt like. Kell’s head nestled into his throat perfectly and his arms slowly came up and wrapped around his waist. When he squeezed Ty back, he finally got to let out his own satisfied moan.

He feels so good to me. He feels right.

I can’t let him go.