Lars spent the next few days with Tanner in the hospital, looking after Gram. She was irate that the two of them wouldn’t go on home, as she basked in their attention. It wasn’t often she permitted herself to be doted on. But after the second day she was arguing with the nursing staff to allow her up so she could make up the makeshift cot that had been brought in for Tanner. They had found one in one of the unused maternity ward rooms, that was typically reserved for fathers of newborns who spent the night with their partners, but the maternity ward was only half full so Tanner had been grateful. Gram was going to be in the recovery suite for at least another week, and already Lars could see the potential for complete disaster if she didn’t find someone to boss around, or something to do. He, blessedly, had the opportunity to drive home every night, as it was only ten minutes, and come back bearing gifts, coffee and changes of clothes for Tanner. He had stopped by to take care of the dog for Gram and she got all teared up when he told her, Sparkle was anxious for her to come home.

On the third day, Lars went back to work, opening up the pub and giving Jesse a break. He gave him a bonus for looking after things, despite the inventory being a mess over the last week, he had done an excellent job keeping the pub running. Lars knew he had precious little time over the next few weeks, before Memorial Day when the crowds would really start turning up, to get the kitchen in order and higher a summer wait staff. His summer cook, Jerry, was already anxious to come back. Lars typically took care of the half menu during the winter, but he was getting excited for the crowds to come in. He hadn’t had much time to spend alone with Tanner in the last couple of days, and he was feeling the effects of missing him. Gram was working on convincing him to go home at night, and the Coast Guard had given him a few extra days off, so Lars was hoping they could spend some time together that night. He had the anxious feeling like he needed to see how he was doing, how he was feeling. He was keeping his emotions bottled up and acting like everything was fine, but Lars knew by the thin lines around his lips and eyes, that stress and tension were taking their toll.

After closing the pub, Lars was exhausted having to field questions from the regulars about how he was, how Shirley was, what happened out there, and how Tanner was holding up. It was one of the downsides of living in a small town, everyone knew what had happened, but everyone wanted a first hand re-telling of the story. George and Thomaston were quick on the draw to help him out and answer questions about the rescue, for which Lars was grateful, and he was able to get back to work.

George and Thomaston didn’t bring up the complaint, and Lars had been working on a way to say thank you, again, but when he started to say something, both men looked into their glasses, and with a manly, nonchalant shrug, told him to think nothing of it. So, he dropped it. They knew he appreciated it, and that was all that needed to be said about it. Ollie didn’t show up at the pub that night, for which he was grateful. He felt like for once it was a reprieve from the harassment, but he was sure it wasn’t over. He mailed the payment in for his ticket without contesting it, and hoped with the formal complaint, he might get a reprieve from Ollie for a while.

Lars had texted Tanner to see if he needed a ride home but never heard from him, so he figured he would go and check on Sparkle just to be sure. When he got to Gram’s house, he found the spare key on his key ring, she had given him one their senior year of high school because Tanner had a penchant for losing his. He let himself in but found it odd that Sparkle wasn’t at the door, already yipping and dancing to go out.

“Sparkle?” He called, and that’s when the dog started going crazy. She bounded down the hall and Tanner followed behind her, looking sleep disheveled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were home.” Lars said. He felt a little hurt that Tanner hadn’t bothered to text him and tell him he was coming home, he would have gone home and gotten some much needed sleep himself if he knew. Or he would have headed straight here with maybe dinner made for the guy, or something. He felt responsible, like maybe he should be taking care of Shirley because it was his, “little stunt” as Ollie had called it, that had caused Shirley to have the attack. Was Tanner mad at him because of it? He hadn’t had the balls to ask him yet, but he supposed now was the best time to bring it up.

“It’s alright. I meant to text you when I got home, and I fell asleep. Sorry.” Tanner mumbled. Before he reached Lars, he turned into the kitchen and Lars followed him. He normally would have waited for an invitation, but despite just waking Tanner up, he felt they really needed to say the unspoken things that had been building between them.

“Tanner, I’m sorry for Gram. For causing the attack.” He said to his back.

Tanner was standing at the coffee pot, fixing a cup of what looked like hardened sludge, but when he turned back around with two cups, he accepted the one he held out to him because he felt it would only take as much to kick him awake with how tired he was.

“What are you talking about?” Tanner asked yawning.

“It’s just, Ollie told me that when they called to tell Gram that I had gone out looking for you, that it caused her to have the attack.” Lars confessed. Tanner looked at him over the rim of his mug and Lars was captivated in the intensity of his blue eyes.

“Do you honestly believe that I am ignorant enough to believe what Ollie has to say?” He finally asked quietly.

“Ahh…”

“Lars, Ollie’s stupidity stems from hatred. Someone as cruel as him is going to say anything they can to upset you. The only reason Ollie gets to you so much, is because you let him. I see him for exactly what he is and so I can take anything he says with a grain of salt. Look at the source. Now look at the fact Gram is eighty, a closet smoker and drinker and ask yourself, did you really not anticipate something like this might happen?” Tanner said.

Lars nodded. He had underestimated Tanner’s ability for reason. “I didn’t know you knew about her smoking and drinking.” He said. “You should probably know, I was with her when she had both that night.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make you responsible. She’s a grown woman and knows the effects. I knew because I’m a trained law enforcement agent, Lars. It was pretty obvious. Don’t put this on yourself. You shoulder way too much all the time. I’m not mad about that.”

“What are you mad at?” Lars countered.

“Who says I’m mad about anything?” He asked.

“It’s just, you’ve been avoiding talking to me. I know you’ve had a lot going on, but I thought it was because you were upset about…”

Tanner cut him off. “There has been a lot going on lately. It doesn’t mean I’m upset with you. It’s just that, you and me, is also a lot right now. It’s like we’re making up for lost time, you know? Ten years of it, all in a couple of weeks. I haven’t had much of a chance to process all that. So I needed to push through all the stuff with Gram and the rescue before I could figure out, us.”

“And, ah, do you know what you figured out yet?” Lars asked. Now was the moment of truth. Things would go either very badly, or he would finally get the reprieve from the level of uncertainty he felt around Tanner.

“I know that I missed you. I know that, the times we have spent together, I haven’t felt that good in over ten years. So, I figure that has to count for something. I’ve only had two serious relationships Lars. You and Jacques. Now, I know what happened with Jacques is dicey. Even I war within myself to try to understand it. But when you go undercover, the best way to convince your mark is to try to make it as real as possible. When you spend that much time with someone, you start to get to know them. The good and the bad. You learn their quirks and habits and you find out what makes them tick, you know? This doesn’t mean Jacques was a good person, he did a lot of messed up stuff. But it was a risk I was willing to take, getting to know him, and learning he is human as much as he is a monster. He could be charming and charismatic. He could be downright funny sometimes. I had to remind myself daily that he was still a monster. An evil person who hurt a lot of people, even when I let myself be pulled into his life to get to know him. It messed with my head a bit. So that’s a bit confusing sometimes to go from one extreme to another. Good man to crime lord. Kind of hard to process sometimes.”

Lars understood what he was saying. He set his cup down on the kitchen table. Only a few sips had left his nerves humming because it was so strong. Before he could do anything though, Tanner was the one who strode over to him and cupped the back of his head, pulling him into a kiss.

Lars felt heat spark through his body. His cock stiffened in his jeans instantly and he felt Tanner begin pushing him backwards. He didn’t break the kiss as they went, and Lars stumbled over the door jamb, only to be caught by Tanner as his other hand went around his waist and grabbed his ass, pulling him to him. Lars gasped as he felt the length of Tanner’s dick through his sweat pants. He was just as aroused.

They continued frantically kissing and nipping at each other’s tongues and lips, but somehow managed to make it to the bottom of the stairs. Lars didn’t want to break of the kiss, and Tanner seemed to be of a like mind, because they only made it a few steps with Lars attempting to climb them backwards, before he stumbled and fell, landing on his ass on the step he was on.

Tanner went down with him, sinking to his knees and immediately pushing Lars’ coat off and pulling his shirt up over his head. He popped the button on Lars’ jeans and Lars groaned as his cock sprang free. The tip of it throbbed when he saw Tanner lick his lips and duck his head. When he felt the warm wet heat of Tanner’s mouth on him, he gasped and his hips thrust up involuntarily, but Tanner placed his left palm flat to his stomach, pushing him back down. His other hand began stroking up and down on him and Lars let his head fall back to the stair as his friend bent over him, shoulder’s hunched as he worked him in his mouth.

Lars felt the hand on his stomach slide down, and he knew better than to try and move again, and he willed himself to hold still as he felt it reach under, and cup his tight and aching sack. Tanner massaged him as he sucked and licked at him. It was like Tanner’ way of conveying all of the emotions he was feeling but incapable of saying.

He gave him hard, deep pulls with his airtight mouth and then alternated with soft licks and teases with his tongue and lips. It was like he was trying to tell him of the frustration Lars felt when the teasing became too much, and changed to fast, frantic and fulfilling when he’d work his mouth as far down him as possible.

He seemed to sense when Lars was nearing the edge. He paused, looking up at him and Lars thrashed around on the stairs. It somehow seemed so wrong to be doing this where they were and yet somehow it felt like they were finally home and able to express themselves freely with one another. Lars distantly heard the sound of the damn dog barking madly at the foot of the stairs, but he didn’t care.

“Tanner, please.” He whispered. Tanner formed a ring with his lips around the head of his cock, and let his palm pump frantically up and down Lars’ shaft as he worked him into the orgasm. Lars gripped the rails of the stairs with one hand, and his other hand went to Tanner’s shoulder as he exploded into his mouth. He hollered as he jerked around on the stairs.

Just as he was coming down from his high, he felt himself being jerked around as Tanner him on his knees on the stairs. He was exposed for him and felt the blunt head of Tanner’s dick on his ass. He squirmed on the step and laughed when Tanner grabbed his hands and pinned them behind his back, as if he was subduing a perpetrator.

He looked back to watch Tanner’s face and saw that the flash of a haunted look swept over him as a wave of pleasure took its place when he thrust inside him. Lars breathed through the heavy feeling in his gut and looked down between his legs to see himself dangling there lewdly. It only caused him to harden again and he watched as with each thrust Tanner took, he swayed as skin slapped against skin.

Lars could feel Tanner tighten behind him, and before his friend could finish himself off, he gave one last push of strength, hearing the pop as Tanner’s cock left his ass. He felt empty, and hollow, but this wasn’t where this was supposed to happen. He stood up and it forced Tanner to have to let go of his arms. He turned back to see the dumbfounded expression on Tanner’s face and he gave him a wicked grin.

“First one to the bedroom gets to…” But before he could finish the sentence, Tanner darted his head forward, nipping his ass cheek with his teeth. The small sharp sting of pain was overtaken by the immense, quaking wave of pleasure that spread through Lars’ body and he began scrambling up the stairs with Tanner hot on his heels. His friend managed the nips twice more which caused Lars to stumble on the steps.

Laughing, he raced down the hall to the bedroom as Tanner tried to restrain him by reaching around and stroking his hardened cock in his hand. It was a game, a contest, to see who would win the upper hand. Tanner had him on brute strength, so he was sure to end up face down on the bed once they got there, but even more arousing than the physical acts themselves, was seeing Tanner’s mischievous nature surfacing as he wrestled with him for that upper hand.

Once they were in the bedroom, Tanner pushed him towards the bed, and he went willingly, flopping face first onto Tanner’s old bed. It creaked as he felt his friend kneel on it behind him. He caved and knelt up on his knees, so he could give Tanner the access he had stolen on the steps. There was a blissful reprieve from the barking of the dog, as the door was shut now.

Lars shivered when he didn’t feel the immediate pressure again and he looked back in anticipation. Tanner had a small smile playing on his lips as he rolled a bandana around itself. He approached the bed and pulled it over Lars’ eyes saying,

“I didn’t get to see you for ten years, turnabout is fair play.”

Lars moaned at the insinuation as his world went dark. He didn’t try to remove the bandana. He didn’t want to. He wanted to ache in anticipation of whatever Tanner was going to do, and then revel in just the feel of it when he did do it. Tanner made him wait a few moments before he felt the softest brush of fingers along his face. It was as if he was memorizing what he looked like, so that if they were ever separated again, he had it committed to memory by touch.

The tenderness of the gesture was what got to Lars the most. Tanner was never one to mince words, and he knew he expressed his emotions through actions. Lars felt his fingertips rub through his hair and down over his neck. He massaged his shoulders and back and let his fingers trail over his ass cheeks. He waited, trembling on the bed, feeling his erection pinned between his stomach and the blanket, wondering what he was going to do next, and that’s when he felt Tanner’s wet tongue trace the crease where his ass met his upper thigh.

He jerked at the sensation, as his tongue darted dangerously between his legs and touched the back of his aching balls. He wasn’t sure if he did it again to the other leg, he could hold back the orgasm, but that was the sweet torture of not being able to see if Tanner was going to do it or not. Not knowing if he would have the equality of the sensation was equally as maddening, and that was the point of the game. Tanner let his hands slide up his hips as he trailed kisses along the lower part of Lars’ back. He traced the dimples in the muscles just his ass and then let his tongue slide up his spine. Las gripped the rails of the head board, trying not to move, or wiggle his ass at his friend to beg for the contact of his tongue in that sensitive spot.

Tanner leaned over him, so his dick brushed against Lars’ between his legs and he trembled as he couldn’t help but squirm, trying to cause more friction and contact. Tanner nipped the back of his neck, and he turned his face, hoping Tanner would lean to the side and kiss him. He kissed his cheek and then let his tongue trace his neck, before his lips sealed around the sensitive spot on his neck where his pulse thrummed.

Lars’ squirming wasn’t doing him any good. The contact wasn’t enough as it was just the hard length brushing up against the softer flesh below. He gritted his teeth, wondering if his futile efforts were only causing more agony for himself but realized he didn’t care. Any contact was good for him.

He thought for sure Tanner would push into him as the waves of pleasure seemed to run right from the pulse in his neck, to the one throbbing in the tip of his dick, but he didn’t. After a few moments when Lars began trying to sit up and escape the intensity of the feeling, Tanner pulled away, so Lars couldn’t feel him anywhere. He remained on the bed on his knees, gripping the headboard, but he hated that he couldn’t feel him.

“Tanner.” He whispered but there was silence. Tanner made him wait another minute before he felt his weight on the bed again. Lars could only guess at what he was planning. He though surely as he had been denied on the stairs, he would be frantic to be back inside him, but he was quickly figuring out the point of this game was that, Tanner had been patient for ten years, a few more minutes of controlling his lust was going to be worth it for him. Lars knew himself well enough though, that he wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer if Tanner didn’t touch him. Just when he was ready to reach up and take the mask off, he felt the silky brush of Tanner’s hair on his thighs, and then the warm wetness of his mouth as his friend leaned his head up and sucked him down into his mouth.

Lars shrieked and almost lost it right there, but Tanner reached up with his arms and wrapped them around the backs of his thighs, holding him in place. Essentially, Lars had the control, as he was now kneeling over Tanner’s face, but he froze in place as he felt Tanner’s arms secure him, and he let him work his neck muscles as his head bobbed up and down in between his legs. Lars wanted to rip the blind fold off so he could watch the top of his friend’s head, but he dropped his head to the pillow and shook in Tanner’s arms.

He lasted longer than he thought in this position. If he got too close to coming, Tanner slowed down the suctioning tug with his mouth. It was infuriating in the best possible way. He felt the heat creep over his skin to where he thought the room was sweltering, and his reaction to hold still broke. He fought to thrust his hips down, but Tanner figured his resolve would break at some point, because his arms banded around his thighs, preventing this from happening. It wasn’t that Lars wanted to hurt him, but instinctually his body reacted. Tanner took mercy on him finally, allowing him the second orgasm of the night, and even as he continued shaking, he ducked his head out from between his thighs. That’s when Lars felt his tongue trace the other leg, just at the crease and the intensity was multiplied as his body was still reeling from the orgasm.

Tanner pressed into him then and he went limp in his arms, unable to move accept to shiver as the feelings pulsed through him. How Tanner had held on that long, he had no idea, but it wasn’t long before he felt him spurt deep inside him, and Tanner’s moans mingled with his own. Even as he was coming, he was still quieter than Lars. He collapsed against the bed when he was done, pulling Lars into a spooning position. Lars thought he should say something, anything, but for once found his mind blissfully blank. He felt the exhaustion creep over him and couldn’t fight the fatigue anymore. He drifted off to sleep with Tanner behind him, snoring softly and he slept peacefully for the first night in a long time.