Chapter Twenty-eight

There was something particularly annoying about working full-time. It meant Zachary didn't get to see Leroy very often because they were both swamped with work. They did meet up here and there, but one or the other was constantly tired. Sometimes both of them were, and they'd spend the evening curled up in bed, fading back and forth from being awake to being in a deep sleep. Zachary still treasured these moments though, but he wished he could do more—talk more, plan more, especially now that things between them were more tender. The uncertainty had cleared and made way for longing that they'd not had time to address.

"Are we stopping at the next street?" the cab driver asked, making Zachary look away from the window of the back seat.

"Yes," he said with a nod, turning back to face the passing houses. He was in a cab to Leroy's place now. It wasn't one of their after-work sleepovers this time. It was Friday evening, and there was a coming long holiday, and the two had planned to spend the entire weekend together at Leroy's place. Emilia had pestered Zachary about coming to her fair, so they'd also be going to that on Monday.

When the cab came to a stop in front of the Adkin's home, Zachary got out and made his way to the front door. He rang the doorbell, remembering the first time he'd been here—so unsure of himself that he'd practiced what to say when Leroy opened the door. This time he just waited, listening to the sound of footsteps before watching the door handle turn. Leroy's face looked through the slight opening—a dimpled smile plastered on his face.

"You're here," the younger man said, smiling at the older man. "Hope it wasn't a hassle getting here by yourself."

"It wasn't," Zachary said, feeling his expression soften as he looked at Leroy. It was getting a little dark, seeing as it was seven in the evening on a Thursday afternoon. Zach watched Leroy nibble on his lips as the younger man moved to the floor. He noticed that—they both couldn't look at each other for very long. It often was intense, steering feelings that would make the decent public blush.

"We're having dinner in a few. Would you like to drop your stuff upstairs first?" Leroy asked, stepping aside so Zachary could walk in. The older man nodded, his head looking in the direction of the hallway.

"You're here!" Emilia said from the living room, making Zachary look over to the sofas in the living room, and sure enough, Leroy's sister was curled up in one of them, waving aggressively at him. He managed to wave back, muttering a 'hey' that she definitely could not hear.

"Is he going to have lunch?" Leroy's mother asked from the kitchen, sticking out his head.

"Yeah," Leroy said, reaching out to touch Zachary's shoulder. "We'll be down in a bit," he added, reaching out to take Zachary's bag from him.

"Okay, we're having cod, hope that's okay?" Leroy's mother asked and Zachary nodded before looking over at Leroy who'd tugged at his arm again.

They went upstairs, and Leroy opened the door to his room before standing aside. Zachary walked in, dropping his overnight on the floor next to Leroy's bed.

"I'm excited," the younger man said, closing the door behind him before looking over at Zachary who'd made himself comfortable and sat at the edge of Leroy's bed. He smiled at Zach, resting against his bedroom door as he took a good at the older man. "I've been looking forward to this. We've not had a lot of time for a while. With all your deadlines, the new business coming in at my department..." Leroy trailed, sighing as he watched the small smile form on Zachary's face.

He'd noticed it before, but Zachary had a very strong face—a sharp jawline and cheekbones to die for. Leroy couldn't make up his mind about whether he preferred the older man to wear his hair away from his face like he was right now with the two huge French braids. Or if he preferred the man's hair loose and wild, obstructing his face and piercing hazel eyes. He wanted to touch the man's hair, gently pull it his hair down so that he could watch the thousands of expressions that crossed his eyes when they touched—

"Leroy?"

The younger man blinked, realizing that he'd spaced out. "Hmm?" he muttered, standing up straight as he rubbed the back of his neck and hoped that Zachary hadn't said anything important in the past few minutes.

Zachary looked like he was concentrating. He sucked in his lips, then sighed before mumbling under his breath "I was just asking if could—I was wondering if we could have sex today?"

Leroy's eyes went wide, and then his lips parted before he shut them close again as he tried to construct the thoughts in his head a little better. "I was already thinking about it..." he admitted, strolling over to the bed, before taking a sit beside Zachary. "After dinner?"

Zachary shook his head turning towards Leroy, so they were gazing into each other's eyes. "You know what I mean..." the man trailed looking away. "Erm, since it's a long weekend we could maybe try going a bit further..." he expanded on his thought, and Leroy wished the floor would open up and swallow him when he realized what the man was getting at.

"I was thinking you could top—only if you want of course. I can wait as long as you like. I'm just a bit sexually frustrated and it's starting to get to me," Zachary admitted, looking down between them as he let his fingers find Leroy's. "When we're on the phone, and when you come over... It's starting to get ridiculous," he said, chuckling a little bit. "I want you," he added after a while. "A lot."

"I want you too," Leroy added. "But—"

"You can top if you want," Zach said cutting the younger man off. "If you're more comfortable with it."

Leroy sighed, scratching just around his hairline. "It's not that I'm trying to be difficult..."

"I know, I'm genuinely okay if you top until you're comfortable with doing something else," Zachary said. It didn't matter really. He'd never seen himself as a top in the first place, and he'd prepared for it—if one could call excessively masturbating to the thought of your boyfriend just before you met up preparing.

But still.

"I won't hurt you?" Leroy asked after a while of silence, and Zachary nodded.

"You're not going to hurt me," he confirmed, and Leroy was going to add something when they heard a knock on the door.

"It's time for dinner," Emilia said from the other end of the door making the two men blink before standing up.

"We'll be down in a bit," Leroy announced as he listened to the sound of his sister's footsteps fading off into the distance. "You think she caught any of that?" Leroy asked, looking over at Zachary. The older man shrugged, smiling a bit before chuckling when Leroy raised a brow.

"I guess I'm just going to pretend she didn't hear that," he said, sighing as he walked over to the bedroom door. "Come on, let's go," he said, opening the door. They both went downstairs and as Leroy's mother said they had cod—Zachary stuck to having it without dressing not wanting to risk anything. The four of them spoke between bites, discussing everything from Emilia's business, the two men's jobs, and Zachary's health.

For whatever reason, it didn't feel bad to talk to Leroy's mum about his issues. The shift from concern to doubt most people displayed when Zachary went off on a tangent about his issues wasn't just something that happened with her. She sympathized and often spoke about the albeit small health issues she had to bridge the conversation.

It was something the older man appreciated.

After dinner, the two went back to Leroy's bedroom when they were done helping out.

"I loved watching you talk to my mum today..." Leroy trailed, walking over to the side of his bed to take a seat beside Zachary.

The older man smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a treat," he said, staring at the wall as he thought of his parents. Even now that he was working and didn't feel too much like a drain on his sister, he was too self-conscious to reach out to them or talk to them casually. His sister did most of the talking to them, and on the rare occasion, they did have something to say to him. He mostly stayed silent, letting their words blend and roll over his skin like they were just procedural. Leroy's mum was a big difference. She was sweet—he'd never seen her angry, and the amount of concern she'd shown him about his issues in the small number of times he'd interacted with her was somehow more kindness than either of his parents had shown to him.

Maybe his parents had been kind once—when he was much younger and their frustration with him hadn't grown. It didn't matter. He didn't remember.

"Are you okay?" Leroy asked, making Zachary blink when he noticed he'd been frowning and staring off into space.

"I'm okay," Zachary muttered, looking at Leroy, whose brows were farrowed in concern.

"You sure?" the younger man asked, reaching out to touch Zachary's face. "You looked worried."

It was sad—though, Zachary wasn't going to correct him.

"I'm okay," the older man said, reaching to hold Leroy's hand. "I promise," he added, watching as Leroy's brown eyes scanned his before the younger man gave him a nod.

There was just something about Leroy's mannerisms that made Zachary's heart swell. He would always remember the way the younger man's eyes and brows worked together in an almost cartoonish fashion—they made his face extremely expressive. It meant Zachary didn't overthink Leroy's words or actions. It meant that Zach felt more hilarious than he was when Leroy laughed. It also meant that Zachary didn't feel like Leroy was pretending to like him or put up with him because the younger man's expressions gave him away. There was a deep tenderness to how he looked at him, and right now Zach's mind had narrowed down to making Leroy give him that look now.

"Err, we agreed we would... err..." Zachary trailed, finding it hard to construct his sentence in the least crude way possible. Asking for sex was up there among the most embarrassing things he'd ever had to do. It didn't matter that Leroy had assured him that he wanted it to. There was just something about it that made him doubt himself and feel a little desperate because well. Leroy was Leroy—the cutest most attractive man on two legs, and he was just Zach.

Riddled with inexperience and not much in the looks department to offset it.

Leroy narrowed his eyes at the man for a bit before smiling when he realized what Zachary was trying to say.

"We will," Leroy said, leaning forward until their lips touched. He kissed Zach, coaxing the older man's mouth open before deepening the kiss. Zach didn't know if it was abnormal to feel the blood rushing in his eyes whenever they kissed—it was overwhelming in a way that sent shivers down his groin and made his heart feel like it was going to collapse.

Zachary let go of Leroy's hand, and then gradually reclined on his elbows, it wasn't long until he was lying down on the bed flat with Leroy hovering over him. They kept kissing—even when Leroy's hands traveled under Zachary's shirt and then unzipped his pants. The older man let out a sigh, feeling the pressure in his underwear build up as Leroy moved to straddle him. The younger man broke the kiss, staring down at Zach as he peeled off his shirt. Zachary watched as the cotton gave way to a washboard stomach with a happy trail of dark brown hair. He noticed Leroy's freckles—his cute nipples as his chest heaved with every breath.

"Let's get rid of your shirt," Leroy offered, reaching down to touch the hem of Zachary's t-shirt. The older man nodded, finally finding the will to pull his shirt over his head. He felt his face get hotter with how much Leroy's expression seemed to change as his eyes scanned his body. The younger man rested his palm on Zach's stomach, just inches away from his crotch before lowering and groping the mound of pent-up desire.

Zach moaned, closing his eyes as he bit into his lip. "Leroy..." he trailed in a shaky voice, opening his eyes to look at the man straddling him.

"You said you wanted me to top?" Leroy asked, looking down at Zach as he unbuckled his trousers. "Are you sure?"

The older man nodded.

"Do I need to help you get ready?"

Zach shook his head. "I already did that," he admitted. "It's how I—" he paused, staring at Leroy's lips. "It's how I think about you."

Leroy's face gained a deep red color at the older man's words. "Oh," he mumbled, seeming frazzled. "With your fingers...?" It hadn't occurred to Leroy that Zachary masturbated to the thought of him at all.

"Yeah..." Zachary trailed, reaching out between them to rub Leroy's erection through his clothes. "I have lube in my bag," he whispered just loud enough for Leroy to hear. "I pretend you're in me and calling me names."

"Names?"

"You know, babe, love..." Zachary trailed. "Telling me I'm hot."

"You are hot—so fucking hot."

Zachary paused, still not sure what to do with himself when Leroy made declarations like that.

"You know, when I imagine us having sex, I always think of your dick."

Zachary raised a brow. "What?"

"You know, the first time we saw each other like that. It kind of slapped me in the face with how hot I thought it was," Leroy mumbled. "I want to touch it—suck it. Fuck you while you touch it. It looks so good," Leroy muttered, reaching out to pull Zachary's underwear off. The older man's erection popped out, falling back to rest just above his belly button.

"Won't you touch it for me?" Leroy asked, pushing down his underwear and his pants so that his erection was in view as well. "I'll go get the lube," he muttered, watching Zachary reach out to touch himself with a flat palm. Leroy got up, taking his clothes off completely before ransacking Zachary's book bag. He found the clear liquid in a small container with a corny brand that would make you beg Amazon to ship it off as discreetly as possible.

He looked over at Zach who had taken off the rest of his clothes and was lying on his side, staring at Leroy with a look of anticipation.

"If it hurts you have to tell me to fuck off," Leroy admitted, crawling back into bed with the bottle of lube in his hand. "Seriously," he added, watching Zachary spread his legs.

Leroy fumbled with the bottle cap, feeling his grip shake as he squirted onto his fingers. He leaned forward, looking between Zachary's legs before pressing into Zachary. Leroy had never done this before—obviously—so the feeling of his finger being engulfed by the warmth as Zachary let out a whimper caught him off guard. He felt himself heave as his eyes scanned Zachary's expression.

"Is that okay?" Leroy asked, and Zachary nodded, and he took that as permission to slip in another finger. This time he moved his fingers, watching as Zachary bucked and moaned. He slipped in another, and then another—and then he was sure nothing else could go in. He kept moving his fingers, watching Zachary for any signs of pain.

"Does that feel good?"

The older man nodded.

"Do you want me to go faster?"

Zachary nodded again. "Yeah..."

Leroy edged closer, bending over so he could press his lips against Zachary's as he continued to move his fingers inside him. Occasionally his stomach would brush up against Zachary's erection, making the older man break the kiss as a sudden moan left his lips.

"Zach..." Leroy trailed, feeling his lower stomach swell as Zach continued to heave. "I think I'm going to cum," he mumbled, fighting the thought in his head. It was hard to watch Zachary like this. It was like his masturbatory thoughts had come to life.

"N-no..." the older man stuttered shaking his head. "We're supposed to—oh my God!" he groaned, bucking below Leroy as the man grazed his soft spot.

"You want me to take my fingers about?" Leroy asked.

Zachary nodded into the pillow. "Yeah." His French braids were coming loose, and Leroy couldn't help himself when he reached out to give them the final untangling. The man's hair sat around his face in huge twistouts, and the whole sight was just too much for Leroy—

"I'm going to try and top," Leroy rattled away, looking away before he could feel himself coming close. He took his fingers out before leaning back until he was kneeling between Leroy's legs. He positioned himself and briefly felt unsure of the situation once he pressed up against him.

"Let me know if it hurts," he mumbled, looking at Zach as he pressed in. Things were going fine until Zach stiffened a bit, digging the fingers of his hand into Leroy's back at a certain point.

"Are you okay?" the younger man asked, and Zach nodded, into his shoulder resting his fingers until his hand was just a flat palm on the man's back.

Leroy kept going, occasionally pausing to check on how Zach was going. And when he was in—fully—he felt such indescribable pleasure that he had to bite down on his lip.

Fuck.

It was a feeling between spasming and melting from the heat. Zachary's insides seemed to clench and relax with the timing of his breaths and Leroy couldn't concentrate.

"I'm so sorry Zach but I think—I'm going to cum. I'm so sorry," he found himself rambling as he tried to concentrate, do anything but prematurely stop now. Zachary reached out to touch Leroy's face, caressing it before pulling him down for a kiss.

"It's okay," the older man said, sighing into the kiss. "It's fine," he assured the younger man. Leroy nodded as he started to move, watching Zachary's face twist in pleasure with every stroke, but just as he'd predicted—he couldn't last very long, and seemingly just as it started—it was over—with his legs bucking as he ejaculated right as he pulled out.

He heaved, staring at Zach's glazed stomach, and the man's still erect penis that had clearly not had the same happy ending. "I think I owe you a blow job," Leroy trailed, and Zachary just smiled, laughing in that way of his that took all Leroy's anxieties away in a situation that should have otherwise led to a feeling of inadequacy.