The sun started setting, signalling it was time to pack up and leave. Carly and Troy took off first, and while James was loading gear into his car, Elle took Andrew aside. “Do you understand now?”
Andrew sighed. “I think so. But it’s not like it means we wouldn’t have been happy. I’m bi, not gay.”
She studied his eyes for a moment. “I know, but that’s not everything is it?” Her head tilted towards Brian.
“Well, there’s that,” he acknowledged softly.
“And that’s why we wouldn’t have been happy long term.” She kissed his cheek again and was crying when she stepped back. “I only ever wanted what is best for you. I’m sorry I hurt you back then, but you had to figure it out for yourself.”
“I know,” he whispered.
Elle nodded and went and got into the car. James frowned at her, then at Andrew, then got in and they drove away.
Brian’s week was interminably slow. For once, Andrew was out of the house each day longer than he was and dinner duties fell to him. To ease Andrew’s added stress for driving that horrible stretch of highway in peak hour traffic twice a day, Brian tried to keep up their eating healthy habits. He was nowhere near the dedicated cook Andrew was, however, and by Thursday he was ordering delivery. Andrew was tired enough he didn’t care. And tired enough they barely managed mutual blowjobs all week.
Friday night, Brian was sitting behind him in bed, massaging his shoulders. “How’s the job search going?”
Andrew groaned and pushed back into Brian’s hands. “Not great. I’ve been ignoring everything architecture for so long I don’t know who’s who anymore.”
Having decided he now wanted to finish his qualifications and work in architecture again, Andrew had started putting feelers out to firms other than Sleazy Sheridan Inc.
“How about that one in Brisbane, that designed the place you’re working on now. You said you’d liked them before.”
“Reynolds Designs, yeah. I love their work but they’re not eco-focused and that’s really the direction I want to go in.” He sighed. “I should just apply with them, shouldn’t I? It’s not like my options are endless, especially if Vaughn decides to badmouth me to everyone.”
“He’d be an even bigger arsehole than he already is if he did.” Brian’s fingers dug in a bit too hard at mention of the prick. Sheridan had messaged Andrew a couple of times through the week, all concerned and sweet, and Brian had seriously considered finding him and punching him. “He’s the one who made the dick move, not you.”
“My word against his.”
Brian grunted sourly. “Did you at least tell him to fuck off with the messages?”
“Sort of. I told him I was no longer interested in anything he had on offer.”
“I hope you used slightly stronger language than that.”
“What does it matter now? He’s gone and that’s all that matters. I’m too tired to really care about him anyway.”
Deciding now wasn’t the time for the you-need-to-stand-up-for-yourself-more speech, Brian asked, “Are you going to be okay tomorrow? It’s a big day.”
“Yeah. If I get a good sleep tonight I should be good.” Andrew leaned back and tilted his head up. “Maybe if my boyfriend wanted to ride me I’d sleep better.”
“Oh. So I’d have to do all the work?”
“Well, I should rest up. It’s a big—”
Brian kissed him. “You had me at ‘ride me.’”
Ever concerned for Andrew’s health, Brian got on his knees in front of him and opened himself up while Andrew watched and stroked himself to hardness. It was sort of embarrassing to be on display, but amazingly erotic and empowering at the same time because Andrew was wordless with lust, just moaning and panting—all because of Brian. In between those alternating emotions, Brian had the weird thought that he should track down Lena and apologise for all but running away when she suggested this. Weird mostly because he had two fingers up his own arsehole and he was perving on a hard cock he very much wanted to sit on—two things he’d never imaged loving so much even when Lena helped him discover how much he liked anal play.
Andrew’s ragged, “Now, Brian, please,” was accompanied by the crinkling of a foil packet and Brian turned around to see Andrew rolling a condom down his shaft, lube ready to drizzle over it. All thoughts of past girlfriends and missed opportunities vanished. Brian crawled up Andrew’s body, smashed his mouth over his boyfriend’s and kissed until they were both breathless.
A little clumsy in his desperate need, Brian moved over Andrew’s dick, held it steady, and worked his way down. Taking him in was easier this time, even though it still stung. Brian knew what awesomeness awaited him so he bore it happily.
“So amazing,” Andrew whispered and Brian opened eyes he hadn’t realised he’d shut to find Andrew’s gaze locked on his face, and not where his cock was disappearing inside Brian.
It hit Brian right then. So hard and sudden he felt dazed.
Andrew loved him. Not the sex. Him. Brian Stagliano.
The sex was worthy of all sorts of praise, for sure, but what he found in that moment was understanding. Brian got it now. The love Andrew had been speaking of, the quiet steadiness of it, the trust he had in it and in Brian. How it had always been there, patiently waiting for acknowledgement, growing only deeper the more they shared.
Chest aching with realisation, Brian kissed Andrew. Not hard or fast, but slowly, deeply. Passionately. Ensuring he showed Andrew exactly how he felt. Andrew’s arms wrapped around him, big hands pressing to his back, rough with calluses but smooth with tenderness on Brian’s skin.
Somewhere in the middle of the kiss, Brian started moving. Rocking his hips gently until every inch of Andrew was inside him. They kissed again as he started rising and falling, slow drags of his body over and around Andrew’s, and a roll of his hips until he found the sweet spot. He couldn’t kiss after that, too busy blissing out on his prostate firing shots of pure ecstasy through his body. The feel of Andrew’s hands moving all over him, the upthrust of his hips to meet Brian coming down, echoed the inside sensations, enhanced them a hundredfold.
Brian had never felt this before, not with his girlfriends, not even the first time Andrew was inside him. Then, Brian had been too much in his head, making sure he didn’t spoil the experience for either of them. This time felt pure and free. From the moment he’d spread himself out in front of Andrew to right now, everything felt right.
“Love you,” Andrew whispered.
Struck dumb, possibly permanently, by the endless friendship and love Andrew was giving him, Brian could only nod. Then they were kissing and Andrew’s hand was around his cock and before Brian knew it, he was coming. While he was still thrumming with his orgasm, Andrew grabbed his hips, held him still and fucked up into him, taking only a half dozen thrusts to reach his own peak.
Utterly wiped out, Brian collapsed on Andrew’s chest and shivered until the warmth and comfort of Andrew’s arms around him put him back together.
“Thought I was supposed to do all the work.” Brian snuggled deeper into Andrew’s body.