Page 18 of Bazooka

Long story short, we went to Pete’s. I didn’t give it much thought because it had been a long day, and I just wanted to get it over with.

Adam sat in the booth first, with Jordan sitting next to him, probably just to spite him.

John Smith followed, then Patricia, and I sat next to her.

Luz plopped down in my lap, of all places.

I looked at him in disbelief. “What’s this now?”

“Me marking my territory,” he whispered in my ear, his lips grazing my earlobe. “Officer Vile is a bit dense, so I need to paint her a picture.”

“Luz, do you want Chief Bibb to stop you from coming?” I said, trying to reason with him.

He grinned. “I don’t want anyone to stop me from coming, kochanie .”

I rubbed my forehead. “Jesus.”

“The round is on me,” Luz said, smiling widely as I transferred him to the seat next to me.

Ruby, the waitress, stopped by our table and turned pale.

“Luz,” she said, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. Your poor face.”

Luz forced a smile.

“It’s okay, Rub. I’m fine. Can we get a round of… whatever anyone’s having?”

“Of course. Coming right up.”

After that, a couple more rounds ensued.

“The new guy didn’t want to come?” John Smith asked, sipping his lemonade.

John Smith was a twenty-something guy of a non-descript appearance and non-descript personality. His name fitted him like a glove.

“Which new guy?” Patricia said, frowning. “Oh, Maddox? No, he prefers sulking in the corner.”

“He’s kinda interesting,” John Smith murmured.

Interesting? You could say that. Psychotic? I would bet my life on it.

Then loud laughter reached us, coming from the booth across the room. A group of men sat here, laughing and drinking beer. They weren’t causing trouble, but something about the situation felt wrong. I didn’t know what until I looked at Luz.

He was pale in the face, but his cheeks were unnaturally flushed and damp with perspiration. His gaze was on the floor, his drink untouched. His nails were digging into the leather seat so hard that his knuckles turned white.

“I’m fine,” he whispered without looking at me as a drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. “It’s just that tho-those guys tha-that beat me up… sa-sat in that bo-booth… I can’t breathe…”

Even before he’d finished his sentence, I scooped him up in my arms and carried him outside, ignoring others’ stunned expressions. As soon as we reached the parking lot, he threw up. I held him until he was done and helped him get to the car because he seemed unsteady on his feet.

“Let’s go home, yeah?” I said once in the car, looking at him with worry. “Are you okay? What do you need?”

He smiled weakly without opening his eyes. “Just you, Baz. And maybe a cuddle. Can I get a cuddle when we get home?”

“Yeah, you can get a cuddle,” I said grimly, cursing myself internally for my stupidity. How could I have been so thoughtless? How didn’t I guess that coming to Pete’s would trigger him? It was a question for another day, because right now, I needed to calm him down somehow.

“It will cost you,” I said, turning left at the intersection. “That cuddle, I mean.”

“What will it cost me?”

“Two hours of non-flirting at a minimum.”

Luz chuckled. “You’re a funny guy, Baz.”

I grinned. “You bet your sweet ass that I am.”

“Do you think I have a sweet ass, Baz?”

“Sometimes. When you behave.”

After we came home and got ready for bed, I joined Luz in the bedroom. I lay down beside him and, almost immediately, he wrapped himself around me as if I were a pillow. After I raised my arm so he could rest his head in the crook of my shoulder, he finally stilled.

“Are you comfortable, sweetheart?” I said, using the endearment on purpose because he looked fucking broken, and I wasn’t having that.

“I feel on top of the world, Baz. On top of the fucking world.”

I kissed his damp forehead, mostly to check if he had a fever because he was flushed in the face.

He raised his head and looked at me. His aquamarine eyes were glassy and red-rimmed, his expression thoughtful. In the faint light of the moon, he looked almost ethereally beautiful despite the bruises.

“Thank you for today,” he said softly. “I had a great time.”

I made a face. “No, don’t say that. It was a mistake. My mistake. I shouldn’t have taken you there. I’m sorry.”

Luz shook his head and smiled. It was a sad little smile that made my heart hurt even as I smiled back.

Our eyes locked, and for a few endless moments, we were just looking at each other in silence.

When he leaned in, his intention unmistakable, I swiftly turned my head to the side before his mouth could find mine. Instead, his lips landed on my cheek.

“No, Luz,” I said with a sigh.

“I’m s-sorry,” he stammered, gulping. “I think I’d had too much to drink.”

I pulled him into my arms because he was trembling.

“Shh. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

He buried his face in my neck. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

He glued his body to mine as I hugged him tight, maybe too tight.

And he felt good. He was tall and toned, but immeasurably thinner than I was.

Limby. Like a vine wrapping itself around me, he was everywhere.

I could feel his erection throbbing against my leg, but I pretended not to notice it.

I mostly concentrated on this hugging thing, which wasn’t so bad, after all.

In fact, it felt nice, like something I could get used to.

“Do you know how I feel right now?” Luz mumbled into my neck. “Like a battery recharging.”

I chuckled. “That’s a strange comparison.”

“I can feel you everywhere, Baz,” he mused. “Top to bottom. All over my body. And I want to feel you everywhere, always. On me, under me, inside me. How would it feel to feel you inside me? Would I feel full? How full would I feel?”

He was talking gibberish, and it made me smile. Maybe he really had one drink too many.

“Very full?” I offered, biting my lip so I wouldn’t laugh.

He raised his head and looked at me.

“Did you just make a dick joke?”

“Go to sleep, pest,” I said, pushing his head on my chest and closing my eyes. “It’s been a long fucking day, and I’m officially done with it.”