The Move

Daniel

“You forgot your keys?” Daniel sighed in exasperation. “Again?”

Evan pouted. 

“I’m a busy, busy man! I can’t be bothered to think about trivialities like keys.”

Daniel bit his lips. After a week away and a disastrously long flight back, he’d been hoping for a comfy bed and an obliging boyfriend. Was that too much to ask? He was dead-tired, having gone over thirty-six hours without sleep and his brain was glitching. He wasn’t sure whether to be deeply irritated or to laugh at this unfortunate unfolding of events. 

“I guess I should be grateful you didn’t forget me,” he finally said, deflated. There was no juice left in him for annoyance and he craved the feel of Evan’s body against his too much to start an argument right now. Instead, he pulled Evan to him and dropped a conciliatory kiss on the pouty lips. “Thank you for picking me up,” he added between light pecks and luscious tongue swipes. 

Benji, nestled in his usual spot underneath Evan’s arm, gave a muffled bark of protest.

Daniel tore his mouth away from Evan’s and raised an eyebrow at the tiny Pomeranian. Now that he had Daniel’s attention, Benji immediately stopped growling and fidgeted in excitement. Daniel laughed at the dog and petted its soft head. It was remarkable how much master and pet resembled each other. Both of them preening for attention and made for the limelight. Both of them big, temperamental personalities in small packages.

“Yes, thank you too, Benji,” Daniel said.

Evan still looked dazed after their kiss and at that sight, the remnants of Daniel’s annoyance at the forgotten keys dissipated like a wave disappearing on the shore, leaving barely an imprint. He placed a final, swift peck on Evan’s lips and gave the locked door of the apartment a dubious look.

“Should we drive to the gym and pick up the keys?”

Evan, his face still kiss-drunk, blinked up at him in confusion. Daniel felt his chest puff up a bit, despite the exhaustion. He loved how he could do this to his boyfriend, put this dreamy-drunk expression on his face, make him forget everything but the connection between them and the way they made each other feel. It took Evan a few moments to come round. The haze in his eyes faded slowly, replaced by a wicked gleam.

“Oh, no need for that,” he waved a cavalier hand at Daniel. “I’ve developed a new system.”

He shoved Benji at Daniel unceremoniously and skipped over to the only window in the hallway. On its ledge sat a flower pot, housing a husk of a long-gone plant of indeterminate variety.

“What system?” Daniel asked in alarm when Evan pulled out something longish and metal-looking from it and brandished it over his head. The sly smile that accompanied this made Daniel’s hackles rise—that particular Evan smile meant mischief. It could end up being harmless, innocent mischief, but it could also be potentially dangerous mischief. One could never tell with Evan.

“Make way for the master.”

Daniel stepped aside, almost tripping over his suitcase, and watched with mounting astonishment, followed by light horror, as Evan wedged his weapon—a butter knife, by the look of it—between the door and the doorframe and wiggled it until the lock suddenly gave way with a crisp click and the door swung open.

“Ta daaa!” Evan spun on his heel and bowed like a magician.

Daniel gaped. His jaw must certainly be on the floor, because when he moved his lips, no sound came out.

Terrible pictures ran through his mind, all of them of Evan, the love of his life, lying lifeless in his paper house of an apartment, a victim of butter knife robberies, loose locks, and enterprising serial killers. Ridiculous? Maybe, but the fear that grabbed him by the throat? Overwhelming. 

“No,” he finally managed to squeeze out of his dry throat. His voice was hollow and cracked. “No.” He shook his head vigorously.

“What?”

Evan’s gaze darted between the open door and Daniel, confusion spreading on his features.

“I thought you wanted to stay at mine tonight?”

That was true—back when he believed this was a relatively safe building with decent locks that couldn’t be breached with random silverware! He took a deep breath, trying to calm the sound of blood in his ears.

“You just unlocked your door with a butter knife,” he finally said, sounding like an idiot.

Evan blinked at him, and nodded solemnly, as if indulging him in his slowness.

“I know! I saved us a trip to the gym. Ta daaa!” He announced again, taking on a circus presenter stance. When Daniel kept staring at him mutely, he let his arms fall and frowned. “Are you okay? No, of course you’re not, what am I doing, you’ve been awake for two days.” He struck himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand.

Benji whimpered and looked up at Daniel with big, brown, understanding eyes. He kissed Benji’s fluffy head in an attempt to soothe himself just as much as the dog. Evan was right about one thing—he had been awake for two days straight and this wasn’t the best time to bring up the topic of how much he hated Evan’s apartment. He would make a hash of it. What he should do is get a good night’s sleep, and then think about the best way to convince Evan to move out. 

And move in with me.

The thought popped up in his mind so abruptly and with such force that Daniel swayed on his feet. He was in shock, rooted to the spot, while a peculiar sense of clarity took over. He blinked at Benji, his mouth opened and closed, his fingers spasmed against the dog’s fur.

Evan pulled him by the arm towards the open apartment and shook him out of his daydream.

“Okay, in with you,” he said urgently and gave the frozen Daniel another pull. “You’re dead on your feet. You need a short shower and a loooong nap.”

Daniel followed him blindly inside, his mind reeling from the force of his sudden realization. He hid his smile in Benji’s fur. He was going to ask Evan to move in with him. He would be so persuasive that Evan wouldn’t be able to say no. He was going to wake up every day to his boyfriend’s riotous curls, sleepy smiles and pouty lips. Evan needed at least two cups of coffee in the morning before he became a functioning member of the human race. Daniel couldn’t wait to bring him coffee in bed and to know with certainty that the man he loved was safe and sound behind a steel door and a robust alarm system, instead of languishing in an apartment where the heater broke down every other weak, the floors creaked ominously like ship’s ropes, and the front door could be unlocked by a fucking breeze.

Evan rolled in Daniel’s suitcase and closed the door, muttering to himself.

“What was that?” Daniel grinned at him and put a wriggling Benji down. The dog darted for his water bowl.

“I said that I should get credit for saving the day,” Evan grumbled.

Daniel diplomatically didn’t mention how he’d also created the problem in the first place, by forgetting his keys at work. He pulled his boyfriend to him. 

“You can have all the credit you want,” he murmured in Evan’s ear, relishing the way his powerful body shuddered in response. “As long as you let me buy you that key tracker we talked about.” He finished in a breathy, seductive voice. Evan pushed him away with a sour expression.

“You suck!”

Daniel laughed. “Maybe later,” he winked. “If you behave.”

***

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Daniel murmured softly and set the steaming coffee cup on the wine crate Evan used as a bedside table.

A muffled growl came from under the duvet. He grinned and sat down on the bed to watch Evan’s curly bedhead emerge from underneath the covers. His eyes were still closed; sleep creases transected the right side of his face.

“Whatimist?” The adorable jumble of words made perfect sense to Daniel. After six months, he was very proud that he now spoke fluent ‘Evan’.

“Nine,” he said and leaned for a quick kiss.

Evan growled again and flopped down, but didn’t pull the duvet over his head. A second later, his nose twitched. He’d smelled the coffee. Daniel leaned back on his arms and waited patiently, a small smile playing on his face.

“You’re staring,” Evan mumbled. “It’s creepy.”

“It’s adorable and you know it.”

Evan’s eyes stayed closed, but a grin tugged on his lips. “Adorably creepy,” he agreed.

“The sun’s out.”

“Is it? How rude.”

“I made coffee,” Daniel said solemnly. That finally merited an eye opening.

“An Evan special?”

He suppressed a shudder of disgust. The ‘Evan special’ was a large cup of French press coffee with a scoop of instant in it. It tasted vile and bitter, but it was Evan’s favorite, so sacrifices had to be made. Although he should probably consider buying a less expensive French press roast. His high-quality Italian beans being ruined by cheap instant powder was a travesty. 

“An Evan special,” he confirmed.

That got Evan moving. He sat up in bed, half naked and adorably pink and when the duvet slipped lower, his nipples hardened to sharp points. Daniel’s sudden air intake made Evan smile evilly over the rim of the cup. His groin tightened at that smile, his heart fluttered. It’d been only a few months since such moments of arousal had been rare. After his cancer treatment his libido had almost disappeared. But an understanding boyfriend, who also revelled in teasing him mercilessly in the most exhibitionist manner, had slowly helped his body regain its natural rhythm. Nowadays, he was constantly horny when Evan was around, and often when he wasn’t—a simple memory of them together would do.

Evan took his first sip of coffee with his eyes closed and a blissful expression on his face.

“It’s strong,” he said approvingly. “Best. Boyfriend. Ever.” He leaned forward and puckered his lips for a kiss. His breath smelled like coffee and his taste was dark and bitter. A tendril of need snaked down Daniel’s body. A week away from each other had made them both desperate and needy; last night they’d only managed a quick, frantic frot session, because he could hardly keep his eyes open.

They clung to each other, exchanging wet, open-mouthed kisses that had his cock standing up in attention in record time. He groaned. He needed to get a grip, and fast; if he was going to convince Evan to move out of this disaster of an apartment, he needed all his blood to remain in his brain instead of draining downwards. With a pained sigh, he pushed away from a protesting Evan and pressed a palm against his eager cock, trying to get it under control. Stall. He needed to stall.

“Later,” he said. “Enjoy your coffee while I feed Benji. After, if you’re good, I’ll give you your presents.”

With a wink, he stood—although stooped, while standing, was a better description, since Evan’s bed was in a loft—and climbed down.

It took Evan a while to come round after the heavy kissing and the remnants of sleep. Daniel was already mixing supplements into Benji’s kibble, when Evan’s voice carried.

“Presents? Plural? OMG! You brought me presents, plural, from New York?”

Daniel smiled broadly. “Of course I brought you presents. Don’t get too excited though, it’s mostly tourist junk.”

“I love junk! Hello, have you seen my place?”

There was muffled banging from the loft, and then some solid cursing.

“Don’t break anything important,” Daniel shook his head. “I need you whole for the rest of the day.”

For an athlete, Evan was ridiculously prone to accidents. Fortunately, he was so strong and athletic, there were almost never serious consequences. Daniel still worried about him. 

“What? Why? I’ll be down in five.”

“Babe, just drink your coffee in peace. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay.”

“You’re putting on clothes, aren’t you?”

There was a short silence.

“You don’t expect me to stay up here, when you’ve got presents, plural down there, do you?”

Daniel sighed. “I guess that was short-sighted of me.”

“Yep, I’m coming down.”

Bare feet appeared on the ladder that was bolted to the kitchen counter for stability. The small kitchenette was directly under the loft, so Daniel had a pretty great view of the descending Evan. He’d put on a pair of black boxer briefs, and a cutout black mesh top, a lot more suitable for a pride parade than for the chilly apartment in the middle of October. His abs were all exposed, and the interplay of muscle and golden skin were both enticing and titillating. Daniel could still see his nipples and it cost him a significant effort to focus his eyes on Evan’s face, away from the temptations of his body.

“Trendy,” he said. 

Evan’s grin was wicked. Drawn by the commotion, Benji arrived swiftly and began dancing at their feet. Evan picked him up.

“Good morning, baby,” he cooed at the Pomeranian, who licked his sleep-creased face with abandon.

Daniel put Benji’s bowl down on the floor, and the scrape immediately redirected the dog’s attention. Benji started wriggling to be put down.

“All right, okay, Jesus!” Evan released him and he shot right to his bowl and fell on his food like a fluffy, starving hyena.

“You did feed him while I was away, right?” Daniel said jokingly.

Evan gave him a narrow-eyed look.

“It was a joke!”

“It’s not funny,” Evan said, rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain. His hazel eyes glinted with excitement. “Now. What did you bring me?” 

Evan

Evan knew he probably had stars in his eyes when he looked up at Daniel. He loved presents, yes, but he loved his hot, kind and caring boyfriend more. He’d missed him terribly this past week. Ever since Daniel had started working for his grandparents’ firm, there’d been a number of out-of-town trips which always put Evan in a sour mood. He didn’t like being apart from Daniel and had spent hours whining about his misfortune to anyone who’d listen. Mostly Santi. Occasionally Mark. And this past Friday, Daniel’s grandfather.

Daniel’s left eyebrow hiked up, delivering a perfect, wordless sarcasm at Evan’s antics. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Such moments were a reminder of what Daniel had been through and how that had amplified his sarcastic tendencies into pure nihilism. They also reminded him how close he’d come to losing his boyfriend.

“You look more excited about your presents than about me being back,” Daniel said drily, arms crossed. 

“Slander,” Evan gasped theatrically, ignoring the clamp in his chest. “I like both you and presents equally.”

“Brat,” Daniel’s lips quirked and Evan grinned, happy to have put a genuine smile on Daniel’s face.

Daniel sighed, all-suffering, opened his suitcase, pulled out a plastic bag and threw it at Evan. He caught the bag easily and gave it a few squeezes, trying to figure out what was in it.

“Hmm, nothing breakable in here,” he sat down on the sofa and opened it. It contained two smaller plastic-wrapped packages. From the smaller one, he pulled out a miniature red-and-white bandana with the iconic ‘I heart New York’ logo on it.

“That’s not my size,” Evan frowned at Daniel.

“It’s Benji’s size,” Daniel deadpanned. “I thought he’d look cute in it.”

A wave of delight washed over Evan. “You got Benji a present too,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse. He stared at the bandana, refusing to look his boyfriend in the eyes.

“Of course I did, babe.”

“Well,” he cleared his throat. “On Benji’s behalf, I have to say that this is an excellent addition to his collection.”

He put the bandana aside and took out the second package. It contained a bright green set of inflatable toys.

“What is this?” He unfolded them carefully. “Ohmigod! It’s a crown!”

“Only classy shit for you, babe,” Daniel winked at him.

“It does bring out my classiness,” Evan agreed after he’d blown up the Statue of Liberty crown and put it on his head. It fit perfectly. “It comes with a scepter too!”

“I think that’s a torch.”

Evan gave the thing a dubious look. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Never mind. I’ll just pretend it’s a scepter.”

Daniel laughed at him.

“What?”

“You’re a vision,” Daniel’s gaze traveled admiringly down Evan’s half-naked body, sending shivers down his spine. Evan batted his eyes, which sent Daniel into a full-blown laugh.

“What’s that?” Evan had just noticed the longish red gift box that Daniel held in his hands. “More presents?”

At Daniel’s nod, he outstretched his hands, and knew his smile must be a bit deranged. He didn’t care. “Gimme!”

Daniel ignored him, pulled the gold velvet ottoman closer and sat across from him. Their knees brushed. 

“Careful,” he said and handed him the box.

“What is it?” 

Daniel’s eyes twinkled but his smile was soft. “Open it.”

Evan carefully removed the lid. At first glance the box was full of crumpled tissue, but when he started poking in it, lots of long, thin, tissue-wrapped objects seemed to fill it to the brim. He unwrapped one cautiously to reveal a long, thin, octagonal crystal. He couldn’t stop himself from gasping, because even before he could compare, he knew it was the same cut and shape like the ones on his chandelier.

“Ohmigod!” He clamped a hand over his mouth. “You got me replacement crystals for my chandelier!”

Evan had found the spectacular light piece on the street and when he’d taken it home and cleaned it, there’d been a number of crystals missing while others had significant damage. He’d meant to buy replacements, but after researching and finding out that he was now the custodian of an antique Baccarat chandelier, it felt like a travesty to put cheap glass crystals on it. And he definitely didn’t have the budget to replace a dozen Baccarat crystals. Star-cut ones, like those on his chandelier, could run hundreds of dollars each.

“How did you—” he stuttered, gazing adoringly at his boyfriend’s smug face. “Where—”

The words came out choppy and choked while he unwrapped crystal after crystal, grinning like a fool. He laid them out on the sofa around himself, admiring the wave of reflected light they cast in the room.

“I took one off the chandelier before I left,” Daniel said. “And then spent my last day in New York scouring antique shops, tracking down the right shape and cut. I think I got you enough to fill the chandelier.”

Evan was pretty sure his eyes were by now glowing constellations of stars. His chin quivered. His heart felt so full and he didn’t know what to do with himself. Daniel seemed to sense his distress, because he reached for Evan’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. Evan stared into his laughing blue eyes, basking in the love they shared.

“Best. Boyfriend. Ever.” He leaned forward and touched his forehead to Daniel’s, whispering the words as if they were a spell. Daniel swiped away the tear that slid down his cheek tenderly.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” Evan closed his eyes, sinking into the feeling. 

Six months ago, he’d been broke, single, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, after losing his athletic career to an injury. Not in his wildest dreams had he imagined that only a short time later, he’d be in love with the most wonderful man in the world, and be accepted just the way he was, diva tendencies and all. Not just accepted. Loved. Daniel loved him and he loved Benji. What more could a man want? Well, besides expensive chandelier crystals, his weightlifting career back, and a Terminator-replica for The Gym. Minor things really.

“Will you help me put them up?” He nodded at the chandelier above their heads. 

Daniel licked his lips. “I had another idea.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I thought your chandelier might look really good in my living room.”

Evan blinked at him. “You want my chandelier?”

“In a sense,” Daniel said slowly, watching him closely.

“In what sense? There’s only one sense. Oh—is this like a shared custody situation?”

“Shared custody of a chandelier?” Daniel deadpaned. “No, Ev, it’s definitely not that.”

“Your apartment is bigger,” Evan said in a contemplative tone. “And now that we have the replacement crystals, I guess it would look grander at your place.” He added the last words reluctantly. 

Daniel’s apartment was spacious and designed by professionals. He had a large kitchen with marble countertops, and a cozy, stylish living room. They’d spent countless hours making out on the plush sectional, so Evan had had the time to assess the light situation. The living room fixture was one of those modern black track lights. Daniel barely used it, preferring the soft warm light of the various table and floor lamps he had throughout the space. The chandelier would certainly give his apartment that special something, and unfortunately, Evan did love Daniel more than he loved his chandelier. 

“Okay, you can have it—but! You have to use it now that it’s going to be restored to its full glory.”

Daniel stared at him as if he had two heads. 

“What? Why the cartoon eyes?”

Daniel shook his head and looked heavenward, muttering something under his breath. He often did that in exasperation at Evan’s antics. Evan narrowed his eyes at him. He should really take offense—he hadn’t done anything to deserve exasperation today. Before he can voice his protest, Daniel scooched even closer and took hold of both his hands. 

“Ev, I’ll gladly take your chandelier,” he said.

“You’re very odd today,” Evan told him. “Are you sure you slept enough?”

“I slept fine.”

“Hm.”

“I did—about the chandelier—”

“You really want it? Like want it, want it?”

“The chandelier?”

“Babe, wake up!” Evan pulled one hand free and snapped his fingers in front of Daniel’s eyes. “Of course the chandelier.”

Daniel retrieved the rogue hand and stared him down, as if trying to tell him something important with only the power of his eyes. His jaw ticked, but no words came out. Which would have been useful, because Evan was getting worried. A friend of his had once traveled to Australia and unknowingly came back with a parasite in his brain that made him suffer seizures. Some of them had been pretty mild, not unlike this staring down contest Daniel was trying to have with him.

“You didn’t eat or drink anything suspicious while in New York, did you?” He asked urgently.

“What? Why would you ask me that?”

“Ronnie once got a parasite while on vacation and weirded me out big time.”

“I don’t have a parasite,” Daniel sighed audibly. “I want to talk about the chandelier.” He interrupted Evan’s budding retort quickly. “I want it in my apartment, but I don’t want to separate you from it.”

Evan’s confusion was mounting by the second. “Could you repeat that? I’m not sure I heard it right. You want my chandelier, but you also don’t want to take it from me?”

Daniel nodded vigorously. His strange eye hold was back.

“But I’m giving it to you,” Evan said slowly. Daniel sighed like he was in pain.

“I don’t get it,” Evan gave a shoulder shrug.

“Gahh,” Daniel buried his forehead in their intertwined hands. He hiccuped loudly and when he lifted his head again, his face was red from laughing. “I give up. What if you came with your chandelier, we move in together, and this conversation is over! I can’t take it anymore.”

Evan froze with his mouth open. 

“You—,” he whispered. “I—”

Daniel seemed to be gathering speed. 

“Move in with me, Ev. I love you, and your dog, and your chandelier. You’re the most precious person in my life, and I want to have you by my side, always.”

Evan’s heart was so full he could hardly breathe. With a cry of joy, he launched himself at Daniel, who made a Woof sound and almost toppled backwards. At the last moment, the core exercises Evan had been including in his training did their job, and he stabilized them both, straightening up. Evan wrapped his legs around Daniel’s back and buried his face in his neck.

“Is that a yes?” 

The smile in those words was unmistakable.

“You only want me for my chandelier.”

Daniel’s chest rumbled. “Slander,” he said. “I also want you for your hot body.”

Two weeks later

Evan

“This isn’t that bad,” Evan said to Benji, who was perched on Daniel’s sectional and watching him closely. “Right, baby?”

Benji barked dutifully in response, his tiny head tilting curiously to the side.

Evan licked his lips as his gaze slid over the mountains of boxes, furniture and knick knacks. The movers had just left after delivering the contents of his storage unit. All other surfaces, apart from a narrow path between the door, the couch, and the open kitchen area, were covered with stuff. Evan’s stuff. He’d truly forgotten how much he’d put away before moving into his last apartment. There were clothes, artwork, furniture pieces he refused to let go of, and even a couple of boxes labeled ‘kitchen stuff’. He couldn’t remember what was in them. He was a disaster in the kitchen, so probably some device that promised to peel, cut, cook, and freeze all his meals through a remote app. He’d probably have to donate those two boxes, since Daniel had a fully-appointed kitchen that he actually used. The only bright spot in this dismal state of things, literally and figuratively, was the glowing Baccarat chandelier, restored to its full resplendence with the new crystals, and mounted above his head. It fit perfectly in here, in the open-concept living space. It had taken a small team to install it. Daniel’s grandfather had arrived with a toolbox and proceeded to order Evan, Santi and Daniel like a general. It had taken quite a lot of grumbling (Daniel), elbow grease (Santi), and moral and emotional support (Evan and Benji), but the result was magnificent. 

Unfortunately, even fully illuminated, the chandelier wasn’t going to distract Daniel from the mess. He bit his lip and rubbed his temple, beginning to panic.

“Okay, change of plan, Benji,” he said. “We’ll get as many of those boxes as possible in your room.”

Daniel had given an entire little room to Evan’s furry shadow. Benji had his crate in there, a bin of toys, as well as an old armchair where he loved to nap, and a small new step-ladder to climb on his armchair by himself. Most of the time, he was a velcro dog, but there were definitely moments when he needed his space. A lot of those moments involved Evan and Daniel being naked. On such occasions, Benji would run away, barking loudly in complaint and not return until someone went to get him. 

Evan had mixed feelings about Daniel’s willingness to offer an entire room, however small it may be, to his dog. He hated to admit it, but he was jealous. He would have liked to have a room to himself as well, and given the situation, that would have been a huge step toward making sure his live-in boyfriend of one week didn’t throw him out on the street at the sight. He could have stashed a lot of these boxes away.

The sound of the front door opening and closing startled him while he mulled over this thorny conundrum.

“Ev, I’m home.”

At the sound of Daniel’s voice, Benji executed a controlled flop onto the floor and raced out the door.

Arf, arf, arf.

Evan threw a panicked look around and his limbs moved automatically. He frantically tried pushing a box to hide it behind the sectional, but unfortunately, his efforts were thwarted—there was already a different box there.

“Shit!”

This was now quickly turning into a deflect and distract mission. The sounds of Daniel playing with the puppy drifted in from the hallway and his laughter made Evan stop for a split second, heart melting. He had at least a few minutes before his boyfriend realized what a hoarder he was. He needed to think fast. Evan was great under pressure, that’s why he’d thrived for years as a competitive weightlifter. An idea popped into his mind and he wasted no time executing it.

He pulled off his hoodie and t-shirt in one go. Fortunately, or unfortunately, in this particular case, Daniel’s apartment wasn’t the occasional ice house his own had been, so he had to flick his nipples to make them bead, just the way Daniel loved. He was unzipping his jeans when he heard footsteps coming closer.

“Ev, are you in here?”

Evan frantically pulled down his jeans and underwear, got them stuck mid-shin, lost his balance and face planted on the sectional. He struggled on his back, and managed to kick the clothes off with a triumphant hiss.

“Ev?”

Socks! He looked ridiculous completely naked with only his socks on, so he twisted himself into a pretzel to reach his feet—thank god for athleticism—pulled his socks off with a heavy pant, and jumped up, fully naked, plastering a wide grin on his face and taking a seductive pose. 

“Hi, babe,” he said to Daniel, who stood in the doorway, looking wildly around at all the boxes and stuff that crowded his living space. “Welcome home!” Evan added a sultry note in his voice.

Daniel’s attention was immediately diverted from the mess to Evan’s naked body, and he stood frozen, clearly confused as to the best course of action. 

So far, so good.

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out. His eyes had rounded like golf balls. He seemed strained. A vein pulsed in his temple, and a flush was creeping up his neck. 

Evan’s eyes slid down Daniel’s suit-clad figure appreciatively. He was a sucker for a man in a suit—and a perfectly fitted suit, a crisp shirt and a stylish tie made his boyfriend an insta-humpable stud! He let out a salacious catcall, which seemed to finally shake Daniel out of his stupor.

“Looking good, babe,” Evan winked at him and gave him his best smoldering, come-hither face. Daniel grunted, dropped his messenger bag on the floor and started towards Evan, already taking off his suit jacket.

Yes! Distraction managed!

Everyone was way more pliable after and orgasm or two, and grunty, lust-filled Daniel was one of Evan’s favorites. He loved it when his boyfriend was reduced to this barbaric, wordless persona at the sight of him naked. Before his thoughts could go astray, Daniel reached him and locked their lips together in a brutal kiss. He’d managed to discard his suit jacket on the back of the couch but was still fully dressed and the fabric of his suit and shirt against Evan’s skin created such delicious friction that Evan’s entire body shivered, his arousal  rising like a tide. He clasped his arms around Daniel’s midsection and lined their groins together. They both moaned simultaneously at the contact. Daniel’s grip on Evan’s neck increased, his fingers painfully sinking into the muscles. Evan whimpered. He’d come to love these possessive moments between them. The more Daniel’s confidence increased after his dysregulated libido had returned to normal, the more demanding he’d gotten in the bedroom. It was a complete turn on. Evan was still a lot stronger than Daniel; in fact he was probably a lot stronger than most people; he could easily overpower Daniel physically. What made him shudder and surrender wasn’t his boyfriend’s physical strength—it was Daniel’s self-assurance, his confidence, his crystal-clear desire for Evan. It was intoxicating to be wanted like this and he was addicted to it. 

He lowered his hand to unzip Daniel’s trousers and when he brushed up against the straining hardness of his cock, through the thin cotton layer of his underwear, Daniel gasped and stopped kissing him. Their eyes met, and Evan licked his lips at the wide, dark gaze. The blue of Daniel’s eyes was gone. His features were taken over by a powerful wave of arousal, so strong it made Evan’s heart race. The sudden desire to be fucked by a fully-clothed Daniel speared him right in the belly. He bit his lower lip and leaned forward to whisper in his boyfriend’s ear.

“I want you like this, with your suit on,” he licked Daniel’s earlobe and then pulled the fleshy part of it between his teeth. 

Daniel’s choppy breaths teased his hair. He didn’t speak but his body strained in place, tension palpable. It reminded Evan of being under the bar, straining to keep the weight above his head with all the strength he had. He shuddered and closed his eyes, delighting in the thought of the strength needed for Daniel to not maul him like a savage.

Evan focused on slowly pulling Daniel’s underwear down to reveal his hot to the touch cock. Daniel’s breath caught and he stilled. 

“I want you to fuck me hard,” he said, his voice barely a note above a whisper. “Take what you need from me, no holding back.”

Daniel’s hand trembled as it came down to caress and then squeeze Evan’s ass cheek. Delicious tremors spread down his legs; the moment felt serious, all traces of humor or banter gone. That wasn’t typical for them—they laughed and bickered incessantly during sex.

When Daniel’s frantic tongue speared its way into Evan’s mouth again, his thoughts disintegrated into fragments. He let them go, focusing instead on the sensations in his body. The confidence had returned to Daniel’s touch. Gone were the trembling hands and fleeting touches. His hands roamed greedily up and down Evan’s body, his tongue licked into Evan’s mouth, ran across his teeth, touched his upper palette like a hummingbird wing, sending his eyes rolling back into his head, exploding sensation after sensation. Evan’s body went slack with bliss. 

They toppled down on the sectional, Daniel on top of him, Evan with his legs wrapped around his boyfriend’s fully-clothed body. Evan’s cock was straining so hard, he may not need much to come. He didn’t care. The pressure building up was like a flood and there was no dam big enough to stop it. Or so he thought, until a firm hand grabbed at the base of his cock and squeezed, cutting off the wave of pleasure and replacing it with a tiny burst of pain. 

“Not yet, baby,” Daniel whispered in his ear. Evan whimpered. “Not yet.”

The rush of air on his heated body was sudden and made him open his eyes. Daniel was bent awkwardly, one leg planted on the floor, the other one on the couch, while his free hand rummaged through the drawer of their coffee table, where they kept the lube. They’d ditched the condoms months ago, after getting tested. Evan let his head flow down again and closed his eyes. A moment later, Daniel’s weight pinned him down again. His nipples, already sensitive, rubbed against the fabric of Daniel’s vest. He moaned and his body arced involuntarily. Daniel’s quiet laugh teased his ears. His eyes refused to stay open and by now, he was only going by feel. He blindly reached for purchase and grabbed Daniel’s arms tightly.

With the painful fist grip on his cock, his torso, straining for friction, and his mouth constantly invaded by another tongue, he was overwhelmed, conquered in the best possible way. He was barely aware of slick fingers breaching him and when he finally felt Daniel’s cock entering his slack body, turning him this way and that for deeper thrusts, for more access to all of his intimate parts, he couldn’t care less what was happening; he only cared that it didn’t stop. He couldn’t remember his name, or motives, he simply existed in this world of never-ending pleasure-pain.

Until the moment when the hand that kept him floating with its painful grip let go and moved down his cock to tease the tip. Two more practiced strokes and his world exploded into a million little beads of multicolored light. He came violently, squirting all over himself. He had only a vague memory of Daniel continuing to thrust in his body for a while longer, until he came with a strangled cry. 

He conked out after that. 

When he came to, they were still lying on the couch, and Daniel’s warm body was behind him. A thin blanket covered him. His limbs were heavy and happy, and so was his head. He opened his eyes and at the sight of the boxes, a tiny twinge of panic rose up, but in the presence of all the satiation, it quickly faded. He’ll think about the problem later. Instead, he searched for Daniel’s hand, and, finding it on his hip, splayed his fingers on top of it. A small, exhausted smile tugged his lips. He couldn’t remember if sex had ever been this good before. His nose puckered as he attempted to conjure up past sexual experiences that could rival this one, but he came up empty.

A hot breath seared the back of his neck.

“Welcome home, babe,” Daniel whispered. Evan’s heart fluttered in pleasure. He tightened his grip on Daniel’s hand. “And welcome home to your mountain of stuff.” He added in a teasing tone.

Evan choked on a giggle.

“You can distract me like that every night.”

Daniel’s voice was full of laughter. Evan craned his neck to get a glimpse of his boyfriend’s perfect laughing face. His blue eyes shone softly in the chandelier’s glow, his stubble made his jaw look more square and his lips were red and swollen. He was perfect, and by a stroke of pure luck, he was Evan’s. He bit his lips and extended a hand to cradle Daniel’s cheek.

“I think you can admit now that you should have given me my own room too,” he stated gravely.

Daniel nodded, his eyes twinkling but his expression solemn.

“I know. But if I’d done that, tonight wouldn’t have happened.” He gave Evan’s lips a light peck. “And that would have been sad. So sad.”

Evan gaped at him.

“You—,” he started, but was out of words and ended up sputtering in outrage.

There was no sarcasm in Daniel’s voice, only light, happy humor. He watched in fascination as Daniel’s gaze locked on something behind Evan and cocked an eyebrow.

“But I may be amenable to changing my mind,” he said. “I really don’t want to be stuck staring at those pink monstrosities in our living room.”

Evan followed Daniel’s eyes and his face may have flushed a bit at the sight of his two plastic, bright pink, novelty chairs. He’d bought them with the money from his first sponsorship. He’d been seventeen and he’d quickly realized how gaudy they were but had kept them around for sentimental reasons. In storage. But Daniel didn’t need to know that. He rearranged his face into a put-upon expression.

“You’re a philistine; those are pure art.”

“Guilty,” Daniel agreed with a kiss and a squeeze of his thigh. “Now move it. I’m hungry and we have this mess to sort out.”

Evan pushed his backside into Daniel’s body and burrowed under the blanket.

“Not yet,” he muttered and closed his eyes.