Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 22:45:31 -0700 From: Teh Genius Subject: Beginnings/Another Rainy Monday Chapter 10 Legal Note From The Sarcasm Department Do not read this story if: You are not over 18 years old (or the legal age where you live). Reading this story will land you in jail (unless you're into that type of thing). You don't want to read about men touching other men in somewhat inappropriate places. You are prone to masturbatory spraining. This story is completely fictional. It is not meant to represent or reproduce any person or situation. If this seems to mirror your life in any way, you're a lucky bastard. Enjoy! Cuidado ======= The touch was brief, but full of endless possibilities. I leaned a little bit closer to Terryn and pointed to the arrows on his remote. "These are for what?" Terryn paused for a second and looked at me with an unwavering gaze. "Those are for moving around... when you find something you like, you just hit the OK button." My mouth started moving before my brain managed to extract itself from a sudden obsession with Terryn's eyes. "Oh, that makes sense." I couldn't believe that I had said something so useless. Feeling that the moment had passed, I handed the remote to Terryn and had him start Family Guy. I barely noticed the contents of the show. I found myself laughing when Terryn did, just to keep up pretenses. I spent most of the time mentally cursing myself for my gaffe and sneaking peeks at Terryn out of the corner of my eye. I thought that I had been surreptitious, but one glance revealed Terryn staring at me again. I felt the blood rising to my cheeks, and I chuckled nervously. "What's so funny?" "Nothing in particular... just laughing at myself, I guess." "Mmm hmmm...well, here's the remote. Time for your first Tivo test! Find something that you feel like watching and record it." "No way man, it's your TV... watch whatever you want to!" "Oh, come on. You watch way more TV than I do, and I'm going to make you spend as much time with that thing as I can." Terryn kicked off his shoes and curled his feet up onto the couch. I picked the first thing from the viewing guide that I recognized and tried again to stay focused on the show. Ten minutes later, I tried to hand Terryn the remote again. The back of my arm bumped against his, but he refused to take it back. The harder I tried, the harder he pushed my arm away from him. For nearly a minute we fought a battle of feather blows. Neither of us was pushing very hard, but a subtle struggle was being waged. Finally I gave up and just dumped the remote in his lap. His arm remained under mine, and my hand landed on top of his as I tossed the remote. I saw out of the corner of my eye that he was glaring at me, but again neither one of us moved our hand. Sensing another opportunity slipping away, I steeled my nerves and tried to correct my earlier gaffe. "You're cute when you glare." Terryn started, and I saw the slightest hint of color suffuse his face before he turned away. "I hate when people say that... it's embarrassing." "What? That you're cute?" Terryn sighed and nodded. "Well, embarrassing or not, it's true." "Just shut up and watch TV!" Though the words were harsh, the tone was anything but. Relieved to have finally spoken my mind, I curled my fingers through Terryn's and waited for his reaction. In a final act of victory, he tossed the remote right back at me as he leaned against my side. I shifted slightly to make things more comfortable for both of us. With all of the awkwardness drained from the room, a peace settled over me and I basked in the moment of pure relaxation. Terryn's right hand was twined with my left, and I idly rubbed my thumb along his. His left hand was resting on my leg, and his fingers traced little nonsensical patterns. Our breathing settled in to a comfortable rhythm as we made tiny little forays into previously uncharted territories. His voice was soft as he turned my left hand toward his face. "What happened to your fingernails?" My nails were even more ragged than usual, as I had been chewing them nonstop since Terryn had invited me to dinner. I started to mumble a response, knowing full well that anything I said would only make me look silly. "I chewed them to bits... it's a terrible nervous habit." Terryn's voice was husky as he egged me on. "And what did you have to be nervous about?" "Oh, just the fact that I have a tendency to see you when you're passed out or flinging things at me." My snide comment was met with a swift slap on the leg. I laughed as I caught Terryn's free hand on the rebound and held his wrist captive. "And now I am free to mock you mercilessly, as you have no hands with which to defend yourself!" Though I'd never pass as a true member of the British aristocracy, at least my campy accent made Terryn laugh. I was just about to continue with my taunting when my breath suddenly caught in my throat. Terryn's lips were gently grazing the tip of my left index finger. I groaned softly as he bit it lightly, subtly mocking my nail chewing habit. My whole body ached with the need to get closer to him, so I slid down the couch as we let our hands roam free. Terryn lay to my left, stretched out so that his body pressed against mine and his head was resting on my shoulder. His left hand traveled slowly up and down the length of my arm, and he sighed gently as I ran my fingers through his hair. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to get mad at me?" Terryn's head shot up to look at me with a panicked expression. "You really are a weird space alien, aren't you?" I couldn't contain the laughter that spilled forth. "Well, if I am, then I guess I found the right planet to conquer!" Terryn heaved a sigh of relief and dropped his head back down onto my shoulder. "I was just going to tell you that I really do think that you're cute." My heartfelt compliment was met with a surly growl and what sounded like mumbled cursing. He bit me lightly and I giggled. Terryn propped his chin on my chest and frowned. I could tell that he really was trying to look angry, but the sparkle of light reflected in his eyes just made him look adorable. I slid my fingers through his hair and cupped the side of his face. As my thumb traveled along his cheek, Terryn closed his eyes and kissed the inside of my wrist lightly. "I'm not cute... I can work with 'handsome', but 'cute' is right out." "Don't I have any say in the matter?" "No, you don't." I leaned my head closer to his and whispered in his ear. "Fine then... you're devilishly handsome." Terryn shifted slightly higher, and his ragged whisper was the only warning I got before I was attacked. "That's much better..." Almost before he had finished talking, he had captured my earlobe gently between his lips. I gasped as he sucked gently on my ear, but I wasn't at all prepared when he dragged his teeth across the lobe. My back arched involuntarily, moving my face just far enough away to give him enough room to move in for the kill. Our lips touched and my world contracted. The first kisses were sweetness and light. Our lips just barely touched time and time again, both of us simply content to make that first moment last as long as possible. My tongue was first to cross the threshold of our teeth, gently questing toward Terryn's lips. Terryn shuddered and met my tongue with his. The tips collided and something snapped in Terryn. His legs wrapped around mine and he slid his left arm under my neck. It felt like he was suddenly fused with me; his lips, fingers and tongue driving into my being seemingly everywhere at once. I couldn't get close enough to him, no matter how I tried. My left arm pulled him as tightly as possible as my right hand slid beneath the waist of his pants. I cupped his ass in my hand and squeezed, reveling in the feel of him. His ass flexed under my hand as his legs squeezed tighter against mine. Terryn's kisses were punctuated by low growls, which served to turn me on even further. I rolled onto my side to get a firmer grip on Terryn's ass, which served to press Terryn into the back couch cushions. I was in the middle of a perfectly wonderful kiss when I realized that Terryn was stifling laughter. Needless to say, I was somewhat more than a little confused. Terryn kissed the tip of my nose, still giggling, and I smiled nervously. "Are you trying to kiss me or the couch?" "Well, you're much more fun... but the couch will do in a pinch." I rolled onto my back again to let Terryn get some air. Terryn leaned on his elbow and stroked my beard with his fingertips. I was content just drinking in the little details of his face, framed in the light of the overhead fixture. After a while, my tongue darted out and licked the tip of Terryn's index finger. He shivered, leaned down and began the kissing anew. The second round of smooching was far less inhibited than the first. The need for comfort and closeness was replaced with mindless abandon. As our mouths busied themselves with each other, I slid my hands inside of Terryn's shirt. I could feel his body heat radiating through his skin as I grasped his waist, and I could feel his racing pulse mirrored in my fingertips. My fingers traced the smooth surface of his skin, sliding their way up his sides and along his back. Terryn growled enticingly in my ear again and sat upright. "I want to show you something." I can't possibly put into words how disappointing it felt when Terryn climbed off of me and stood in front of the couch. As soon as Terryn had moved away, the draft of air left me suddenly cognizant of the sweat that plastered the front of my shirt to my body. I sat upright, gently fanning my shirt away from me as Terryn turned his back to me. He tucked his ponytail over his shoulder, then grasped the bottom edge of his shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. My fanning motion stopped immediately as I took in the sight of his naked back. To say that I was looking at a true work of art would be an understatement of massive proportions. Terryn's entire back was covered with a single tattoo, leaving scant inches of naked flesh here and there. A magnificently crafted dragon filled the available space, the length of it stretching from just under his neck past the waistband of his jeans. The dragon's wings were partially furled, and small gouts of fire jetted from the dragon's nostrils. Rather than just simple areas of color, each aspect of the dragon had been painstakingly rendered with immaculate detail. The whole thing burst to life in an array of colors, each complimenting and defining the details of the artwork. Terryn turned his head over his shoulder and looked at me. He must have seen the wonder in my eyes because he smiled and took the shirt off completely. "I take it you like it?" "It's amazing Terryn... I've never seen anything like it." I stood and leaned in closer for a better view. "How long did it take?" "A friend of mine did the initial concept drawing about three and a half years ago. I actually had the tattoo done in stages over the last couple years, and it was just finished about 4 months ago." I ran my fingers along the lines of the dragon's spine. Terryn shivered as I traced a path down his back, so I stepped in close and crossed my arms around him. I splayed my hands over his pecs and my fingers touched metal. "My, my... aren't we just full of surprises?" Terryn laughed and leaned his head back. I took the opportunity to gently nuzzle at his neck, and he brought his hands up to cover mine. With a contented sigh, his body melted against mine. "OK, now it's my turn for the big reveal." Terryn turned his head toward mine and gave me a questioning look. I lead him back to the couch and struck a model pose in front of the TV. Terryn's laughter sparked some more spontaneous posing, culminating in a classic body builder flex. I didn't figure that it would be all that impressive, but Terryn hooted appreciatively. Realizing that the moment had come, I braced myself for Terryn's reaction as I grabbed the bottom of my shirt. With one swift motion, I jerked the shirt over my head. My heart stopped as Terryn spoke. "Oh... my... god!" Revelations =========== Erik's arms curled around me were absolute heaven. Even though he was only a little bit taller than I was, he seemed massive as he hugged me close. Just as I settled in to enjoy the feel of his body, he led me to the couch and sat me down. It amazed me how he could so easily move from super serious to insanely silly in an instant. Watching him hop around to strut his stuff in front of the TV cracked me up. His finale was so pathetic that I just had to cheer. Without so much as a warning, his face suddenly became serious again. He yanked his shirt off in one swift motion, and my mouth started moving of its own volition. "Oh... my... god!" I jumped off of the couch and saw that Erik was staring at his shirt. His fist was clenched around it, and the muscles along his jaw were strained. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as I put my hand on his chest. The tips of my fingers grazed a trail through the fiery red hair that blanketed his chest. Erik looked shocked for a second before his muscles relaxed and he dropped his shirt to the floor. The pattern of his chest hair looked like it had been sculpted with immaculate care. Fine hairs covered his pecs, and the hairs became darker as my gaze lowered. Less a treasure trail and more a treasure highway, the hair ran down over the small swell of his belly and disappeared underneath his waistband. There wasn't a trace of hair on his shoulders or sides, and I couldn't feel any hint of stubble anywhere. "Most of the guys I've dated have hated it." Erik's comment was matter of fact, but there were traces of anger in his words. "Well, I'm not 'most guys', am I?" I kissed Erik lightly on the tip of his nose. "That you definitely are not..." As Erik was talking, I leaned down and ran my face over his chest. The feel of the tiny hairs was soothing, and Erik yelped as I gently licked his right nipple. "Come on, Teddy, let's go." "I'm Teddy now?" "Yep! Without your shirt on, you look like an overgrown teddy bear." "You do realize that this gives me free reign to think of an incredibly embarrassing nickname for you, right?" "No it doesn't! I am the namer of nicks! DO NOT TREAD ON MY DOMAIN!" Erik laughed and bowed theatrically. "I beg your pardon, your highness. Your humble servant wishes to apologize for overstepping his bounds. Feel free to dole out any punishment you see fit, sire." "I decree that your punishment shall be a thousand kisses, to be delivered at any time I see fit! In fact, I think I see fit right now!" "A full thousand is a tall order, but I shall not flag or fail in my attempts for atonement." At that point, both of us collapsed into laughter. The next thing I knew, I was being assaulted with kisses all over my face, neck and chest. My laughter was punctuated with counting. "997... 998... 999... 998... 997..." "You're not exactly a math whiz, are you?" Erik stopped kissing me and looked at me as if I were daft. "If I never hit a thousand, then I don't have to stop." "Well, no one asked you to stop..." 20 minutes later, we were laying in a tangle on the floor. Eventually, my head came to rest on Erik's stomach, and his hand worked its way through my hair. "Can I make a clone of you to have as my pillow?" "Why not just use the real thing? I've heard that cloning is a messy business." I couldn't think of a single clever remark to make to that. I let myself be content with tracing my fingers through his chest hair. "You're the first guy that's ever really dug my being so hairy. It's kind of weird." "You have no idea how glad I am that you're not one of those guys that spend entire afternoons shaving themselves bare!" "I've dated a few people that were... they always wanted me to shave, too. Things didn't usually last long after that conversation." "That explains why you were so tense when you took your shirt off." "Yeah..." I kissed his belly and laughed wickedly. "Let's see just how far this hair goes..." I hadn't even turned my head halfway around before Erik scooted backward. My head bumped the ground and Erik jumped to his knees. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to hit your head... I just freaked out a bit." His eyes were full of concern, which made me smile. "It's OK, Erik. It didn't even hurt...much." I sat up and took his hand. "Come smoke with me." I grabbed my cigarettes off of the table in the hallway as I led Erik out onto the front patio. The cat was surprisingly absent, so we occupied his normal evening spot on the front step. Our hands intertwined as we sat in amicable silence. Once we were done, I leaned my head on Erik's shoulder. "Being that it's getting late... do you want to stay here tonight? I promise there won't be any monkey business, even if you beg and plead." "Oh, shit!" That definitely wasn't the answer that I was expecting. Erik glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath. "I have to open tomorrow! Well, actually, today!" "Ah crap... what time do you have to be there?" "Ummm... in about four and a half hours? It's going to be a rough day..." "Damn! I'm sorry to have kept you out so late... I didn't realize that you had to work." "Don't even worry about that for a second!" Erik kissed me as we moved back into the house. I groaned as he put his shirt back on, and he flashed me a quick tease of his gorgeous chest before moving back in to kiss me again. Ten minutes later, I practically had to pry him off of me in order to get him out of the door. "Weren't you the one complaining about having to work tomorrow?" I grinned as he pouted. "But I don't want to leave..." I sighed and poked him in the belly. "I don't want you to leave, either, but you've got people in desperate need of caffeine that are counting on you." "Screw them... most of them are in there so often that they could make their own damned drinks." "What time does your shift end?" "Technically I get off at noon, but something always happens that keeps me there until 12:30-ish." "I'll tell you what... when you get done at work, why don't you swing by here? I'll make us some lunch, and we'll figure out what to do after that." It was Erik's turn to sigh as he realized that he really would have to go to work after all. "OK, OK, I'll go... but I don't have to like it." During another extended session of kisses, I was finally able to maneuver Erik to the door. After a series of further kisses, I closed the door and leaned against it. I could still feel the aftermath of Erik's beard on my face like a delicate reminder of the night. Less than 45 seconds later, I heard a gentle knock on the door. I opened the door and glared evilly at the grinning man on my doorstep. "I forgot something..." It was one kiss among many, but it spoke volumes. "Goodnight, Terryn." I sagged against the doorframe with a giant grin on my face. I watched Erik as he walked back toward his car. He glanced back and waved, then disappeared into the night. ================= Author's Note #10 ================= I think the word that sums this chapter up is.... FINALLY! While it was incredibly difficult to write, this chapter has easily been my favorite to re-read. Kisses, kisses, kisses... I love kisses! This story is dedicated to the perfect man in an imperfect situation... here's to hoping that the future brings us better tidings. It's almost birthday time again... it's amazing how fast a year can go... Copyright 2005 by TehGenius. Comments and constructive criticism welcome at stories@tehgenius.com.