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It ached, the pace at which they built toward the inevitable end. Marco kissed and nipped at Carter’s neck as the man slid into him, his body tight as though every nerve ending was being struck with pure pleasure. Strong hands gripped him, and he was caught in every tense of Carter’s body and the slightest sound, gasp, moan, or soft growl that left him.

When it was over, it was Carter who cried out, Marco’s lips falling from his as he thrust in one final time, sheathing himself completely. Marco clung tightly to him, shivering as he felt the pulse of Carter inside him. It was a first,thefirst, and right before his mind was wiped clean with ecstasy, he hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

Breathless and a little shaky, Marco held tight to Carter after he slipped free of him to slide back to the bed. He didn’t have to roll over to face him because Carter pulled him against his side with a grunt. Marco wrapped an arm around the man’s waist, burying his face in his chest.

“Good?” Marco asked softly.

“I hope so,” Carter said quietly.

And Marco said nothing, closing his eyes because he knew precisely what Carter meant.

CARTER

The end of the weekend came around even faster than usual. Carter woke up on Monday morning to the faint beeping of his phone. He wasn’t surprised when Marco didn’t twitch at the sound. Carter hadn’t been around when Marco had to wake up for work in the morning, but he suspected the lazy bastard needed a foghorn.

He looked at him, smiling faintly as he spotted Marco curled into a ball, his back pressed against Carter’s side. Marco could be a little restless in his sleep. Eventually, he’d learned to mostly ignore it and let Marco do whatever he wanted, especially since, short of tying the man down, there wasn’t much he could do to stop it.

There was still time before he had to leave. He always made sure he had some time before he was expected to get to work. After this past weekend, Carter allowed an extra half hour, wanting to linger even more.

Slowly rolling onto his side, he gently kissed Marco’s back. The man was ridiculous, had no idea how vulnerable he was, and was overly reliant on faith and a belief in good intentions, calling it instinct. And God save him, he was so fuckingnice.

Carter smiled, tracing a circle with his fingers over Marco’s shoulders. Marco was also sweet, warm, and so unbelievably patient. And against all odds, he had seen something in Carter that no one else had, and while Carter wasn’t sure if Marco was right, he wanted to believe he was.

Marco stirred, his voice thick with sleep. “Tickles.”

Carter snorted. “You’re ticklish everywhere.”

“Noteverywhere,” Marco protested.

Carter slid a hand down the stretch of Marco’s back, gripping his ass and squeezing. “That’s true.”

“Horndog,” Marco said, though it didn’t sound like a complaint. “Kinda still hurts, though.”

Which didn’t sound like a complaint. Carter couldn’t blame him. Sunday night had been as relaxing as ever, but after a shower, Marco had walked around in the tiniest pair of shorts Carter had ever seen. He’d found his eyes tracking the man’s every movement through the apartment as Marco busied himself tidying and cleaning up.

Which, of course, had inevitably resulted in Carter pouncing. He chuckled as he remembered grabbing the lube from beside the couch and bending Marco over the counter. The benefits of going without a condom were clear. It was quicker, easier, and damned if it wasn’t many times better. And the foundation of it all was the fact that he could do it, be with someone he trusted that much, and who trusted him just as equally.

“I know what you’re thinking about,” Marco murmured, finally uncurling himself from his ball of warmth to blink up at him.

Carter snorted derisively. “You’re a mind reader now?”

“No,” Marco said, glancing down. “But your dick is currently trying to push me off the bed.”

“Morning wood,” Carter said, scowling at him.

Marco smiled sleepily. “Sure it is. So, if I were to offer?—”

The question was accompanied by a slow grind of Marco’s body back against Carter. There was no hiding his temptation, and Carter gripped Marco’s hip to pull him back when the man threatened to pull away.

“I can’t be late,” Carter warned him.

“I know,” Marco said, kissing him gently.

And for a moment, Carter forgot all about debating if he should try for a quickie or tamp down his sudden burst of hunger. The feel of Marco’s lips on his and the happy little hum he gave, a reaction that was because ofCarter, was enough to wipe away all the other thoughts.

“I’ll behave,” Marco promised, running a finger along Carter’s jaw.

Carter watched him, all sleepy smiles and heavily hooded eyes. Marco should still be sleeping. The man couldn’t function unless he had a full night’s sleep. But he was awake and staring up at Carter with an emotion that had a name, Carter was sure. Even if he couldn’t place it exactly, it made his heart skip a beat and wonder what he had done to deserve this one good thing.