Page 21

Cody kissed him. Heat exploded the length of Demetrius's body like a line of gunpowder ignited. It felt like his skin burned, nerve endings singing with sensation. Vertigo swamped his brain, reality and fantasy blurring. The scratch of Cody's whiskers was familiar, but in a remote way, as if remembered from a dream. Demetrius had bought into the high school timeline of the date so completely that everything with his husband felt new and dangerous and exhilarating. As if they hadn't shared thousands of kisses before tonight. As if they hadn't made love hundreds of times.

Demetrius moaned, and Cody took advantage of his parted lips to slide his tongue between them, deepening the kiss until it felt like drowning in the sweetest way. A buzzing had started in the back of Demetrius's brain, thoughts scattering like startled birds, leaving only sensation in their wake. This kiss felt different, unpracticed, electric with discovery—as if they weren't yet a couple but two boys finding their way to each other for the first time.

"I love you," Cody said as he came up for air, the words hanging in the small space between them. Then he took Demetrius's mouth once again, tongue pushing past his lips with hungry insistence, his breathing quickening to match the racing of their hearts. Demetrius shoved his hands up under Cody's jersey, greedy for the feel of skin against skin. He ran his fingers through the hair in the center of his chest, the familiar texture somehow thrilling anew, then slid them apart and rolled Cody's nipples between his fingers with practiced precision.

"Fuck yeah," Cody said between kisses, his voice rough with desire. "Keep doing that."

Emboldened, Demetrius moved his mouth to Cody's neck, finding that sensitive spot just below his ear that always made him shiver. He sucked hard at the skin there, teeth grazing lightly as he worked to leave his mark. Cody's groan reverberated through the car, his hands clutching desperately at Demetrius's back.

“I want everyone to see," Demetrius murmured against the reddening skin, a possessive edge to his voice that surprised even him. “Show them who you belong to, even if we can’t be out at school."

Cody pulled Demetrius closer, one hand tangling in his hair as he tilted his head to expose more of his neck. When Demetrius finally pulled back, a dark purple bruise was forming on Cody's skin—a declaration visible to anyone who looked closely enough.

Cody rucked up Demetrius's shirt and pressed his palms flat against his stomach. His skin was warm and damp, and Demetrius had a dizzy thought of Cody catching and throwing the football under those blazing bright lights every Friday night, of himself watching from the bleachers, yearning from a distance. Now Cody’s hands were on him here in the backseat.

"My turn," Cody growled, leaning forward to capture the sensitive skin at the junction of Demetrius's neck and shoulder between his teeth. It was directly on top of the scar left by Nicolae, and Demetrius knew he’d chosen that spot on purpose. Cody sucked hard, marking him with equal fervor, branding him in this shared ritual of belonging. His mark over top of Nicolae’s scar might very well erase what had happened all those years ago, or at least dull it. The sensation of Cody’s mouth and teeth sent sparks cascading down Demetrius's spine, a delicious pain-pleasure that made him arch into Cody's touch.

"Everyone will know," Cody said. "They'll know you're mine, even if I can't say it out loud yet."

The words, so perfectly aligned with their role play, sent a shudder through Demetrius. The idea of being claimed publicly but secretly in the world they were pretending to inhabit felt dangerously thrilling.

"Fuck me," Demetrius said between kisses, the request both demand and plea.

Cody pulled back and looked at him, eyes searching his face in the dim light. "You're sure?"

"More sure than anything else in my life." He leaned in for another tongue-heavy kiss, tasting beer and passion. "I want you to fuck me hard and deep in this backseat." Planting a hand on Cody's chest, he pushed him back to the other side of the seat. "But first, I want to do this."

Cody panted quietly as he watched him move closer, eyes dark with anticipation. The front windows were still partway open, allowing a bit of fresh air to steal inside, but the back windows were completely steamed over, cocooning them in their private world. Demetrius leaned in close and lightly brushed his lips against Cody's. He pressed his hand against the hard line of Cody's cock beneath the soft material of his uniform pants, feeling it jump beneath his touch. Cody hissed in a breath, then laughed quietly, the sound intimate in the close space.

"Sensitive," he admitted. "This material feels a little too good against it."

"Let's solve that problem then, shall we?"

He struggled a bit with the unfamiliar belt until Cody, laughing softly, shooed his hands away and undid it himself.

"Thanks," Demetrius said with an embarrassed laugh, surprised to discover he was actually nervous and blushing.

"Hey." Cody put a gentle finger under his chin and lifted it to look into Demetrius’s eyes. "Relax. I'll go as slow and gentle as you need me to."

"Okay."

Demetrius leaned in for a kiss as he spread Cody's pants open with trembling fingers. The heady, musky scent of him hit Demetrius full force, and he moaned into Cody's mouth, the sound pulled from somewhere deep and primal within him.

"You smell fucking amazing," Demetrius whispered against Cody's mouth, then took his bottom lip between his teeth and gently tugged before releasing it, savoring the small gasp this elicited.

"Get your mouth on me. Right fucking now." Cody's voice was stern, commanding in a way that sent electricity racing down Demetrius's spine.

The tone made Demetrius's cock jump. He dropped his face into Cody's lap and wrapped his fingers around his dick. It pulsed in his grip, the fat head glistening with a layer of pre-cum that caught the moonlight filtering through the steamed windows. Demetrius ran the flat of his tongue across the tip, and the taste of him was like a brand new flavor.

Demetrius surrendered to the moment—to the hot, salty length of Cody against his tongue and the soft brush of Cody's bush against his nose. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensations of having Cody in his mouth. Every technique, every movement that he knew drove Cody wild, he employed with the enthusiastic discovery of someone learning these secrets for the first time. He sucked him with reverence and urgency, as if afraid he might never be given the chance to do this again.

"Okay, okay," Cody said, voice strained as he eased Demetrius off him mid-suck, fingers tangled gently in his hair. He ducked his head and kissed his wet, swollen lips, tongue sweeping the inside of his mouth, tasting himself there. "My turn."

Cody pushed him gently to the other side of the backseat, the leather cool against Demetrius's heated skin. He started to remove his jersey, the red fabric bunching under his fingers.

"No," Demetrius said, reaching out to grab the hem and stop him, surprising himself with the intensity of his voice. "I want you to wear it."

Cody grinned, the smile transforming his face in the half-light. "All in, huh?"

"You started this."

He kept the jersey on and leaned in for a kiss, the fabric brushing against Demetrius's chest. Cody's voice was quiet and deep. "And I'm going to finish it. Inside you."

"Jesus fucking Christ.” Demetrius stared up into Cody's face, the familiar features somehow rendered new in the moonlight and shadow. "I almost came just now."

"You'll fucking come when I tell you to fucking come.” Cody’s hot breath sent shivers cascading down Demetrius's body. He dipped his head to suck hard at the mark he'd left on Demetrius's neck—darkening the bruise, reinforcing his claim—as he kicked off his shoes and shoved his pants down his legs with an urgency that belied his controlled words.

Demetrius arched his back and toed off his shoes then opened his pants and shoved them down as well, movements frantic with need. Cody helped, tugging his pants off and flinging them to the floor, then pulling his briefs down and off. He peeled off the t-shirt and dropped it. He placed a gentle kiss in the hollow of Demetrius’s throat as he stroked his cock with aching tenderness, the contrast between his earlier roughness and this touch creating a delicious tension.

"Damn, Demmy," Cody said, lips tickling against the sensitive skin of his throat. "You're big."

"Nothing like you," Demetrius said, reaching to take Cody's hard, hot length in hand. It felt like steel wrapped in velvet against his palm.

"Baby," Cody said, rising up to kiss his lips and look him in the eye. "There's nothing like me out there." In the statement was both the swagger of the teenage football star and the certainty of the man who’d built a life with him.

"Oh, I know."

Cody kissed him again, deep and searching, then he left a trail of soft kisses down his body that burned like firebrands on Demetrius's skin. He pinched and tweaked his nipples, his fingers rough against the sensitive points. Demetrius moaned and writhed beneath him, fingers of one hand twisted in Cody's hair, the other pressed against the seat back.

When Cody took him in his mouth, Demetrius cried out and arched his back off the seat, the sensation almost too intense to bear. Cody sucked and stroked him with practiced skill that somehow felt like discovery, his other hand tugging and massaging Demetrius's balls until he slid a finger lower and gently rubbed his hole, the touch electric.

"Oh, yeah," Demetrius moaned. "Yeah."

Cody paused to spit on his finger then resumed sucking him, eyes lifted to watch his expression, to track his pleasure as he gently pressed the slick tip of his finger inside.

"Yes, Cody, go deeper." Demetrius heard the pleading whine in his voice and didn't care. "That's it. Oh, God."

Cody slowly worked his finger inside, the burn and stretch a familiar dance, then moved his mouth down to suck his balls, easing his legs up a little at a time until he'd exposed his hole. He ran his tongue across the sensitive skin, eyes open and watching Demetrius's face as he licked, kissed, and sucked him. Demetrius slowly stroked himself with his head propped against the back door, looking back at Cody and nodding, beyond words now.

With a final push of his tongue into him, Cody sat up and reached into a pocket on the back door, bringing out a small bottle of lube.

Demetrius raised his eyebrows, a hint of their usual banter breaking through the intensity. "Was I that much of a sure thing?"

Cody grinned and shrugged as his cock stood straight up in front of his jersey, thick and powerful. He uncapped the lube and drizzled it on the tip of his dick, then smoothed it over the length with his hand in a motion that was both practical and deeply erotic.

"Let's just say I was hoping this was how the night would go," Cody said, voice rough with desire. He grabbed a small towel from the door pocket and wiped his hand, then leaned in over Demetrius, supporting himself in the space above him and looking down into his eyes. "You ready?"

Demetrius lifted his legs, forcing Cody to slide back a bit. He held the backs of his knees and looked up into Cody's eyes as he leaned above him once again.

"I've been ready all my life."

Cody dipped down for a kiss and, with slow, steady movements, entered him. Demetrius gasped into Cody's mouth and closed his eyes, overwhelmed by sensation.

"God, you're so fucking tight," Cody’s voice strained with the effort of control. "I'm trying to go slow."

"You don't have to go slow. It's okay."

"I know what it felt like…" Cody said, the words halting, loaded with shared memory of their time in each other's bodies, a unique understanding that no other couple could claim.

"I know. And I know what you're feeling, and it's okay. Fuck me." It was both permission and plea.

Cody kissed him and pulled back, then pushed in again. Demetrius grunted into his mouth, the sound swallowed by Cody's kiss. Cody thrust again, and again, then he sat back and grabbed Demetrius's ankles, lifting his legs higher as he continued to move his hips, sending shockwaves of pleasure through Demetrius's body.

The scent of Cody's sweat and their mingled arousal filled the car, a heady perfume that belonged only to them. Pre-cum dribbled from Demetrius's dick with each thrust. It felt good—it felt right—and then Cody shifted position slightly. The new angle sent sparks spiraling through Demetrius's brain, overwhelming in its intensity. His mouth dropped open, but he couldn't form words as Cody pounded into him, only unintelligible sounds escaping with each thrust.

"I'm close," Cody said, voice tight with approaching release as he dropped to one hand above him. The musky smell of him hit Demetrius like a revelation, and he lifted his head to press his face into the damp fur of his exposed armpit, drawing in a deep breath. Cody knew him well enough he’d skipped wearing deodorant.

"Fuck, Demmy," he gasped as Demetrius ran his tongue through the hair, tasting the salt of his exertion. “I’m there. I'm coming."

The words were all Demetrius needed. He stroked himself to a shuddering climax that seemed to start at his toes and rush through him like a tidal wave. His release splashed across his chest and belly as Cody's cock pulsed inside him.

When he'd finished, Demetrius dropped his head back, gasping for breath, every muscle loose. Cody dropped his head into the space between his neck and shoulder, breath hot against his skin as he panted, still inside him. He gasped out a breath, and a shudder rattled through him. Demetrius kissed the side of his head, his hair damp with sweat.

“Amazing,” Demetrius said. “Always.”

“Yeah?” Cody’s voice shook slightly, and his body shook with another shiver.

Something felt off. Demetrius pulled his head back to try and see his face. “Cody?”

A quiet, choking sob sent a dart of anguish into Demetrius’s chest.

“Oh, baby.”

Demetrius tried to push him back to be able to see his face, but Cody resisted. He remained inside him, arms sliding under his shoulders, pulling Demetrius tight against him as he finally broke down. His big body convulsed as he sobbed, grief pouring from him. Demetrius clung to him, pressing his arms hard against his back, keeping him anchored in the backseat with him. He could feel the slick material of his jersey and the soft fabric of the number on his back.

“She’s gone,” Cody said between sobs. “She’s gone.”

“I know,” Demetrius replied, tears running down his face. He held him even tighter, and when Cody shifted slightly, his cock slipped free. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

For several minutes they clutched each other as Cody wept. When his sobs finally softened to sniffles, he kissed the side of Demetrius’s neck. Tears pooled in his eyes and shone on his cheeks, but he managed a trembling smile.

“Sorry I ruined date night,” Cody said.

“You didn’t ruin anything. You came back to yourself, to me.”

Cody turned away to grab more towels, ever considerate even in the aftermath of passion and grief. As he handed off the towels, he looked away, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

"It's okay," Demetrius said, cleaning himself up. His heart pounded, accentuating the tenderness of the bruised skin on his neck and the pleasant ache from Cody's penetration. Every sensation was a reminder, a physical memory he would carry forward. It was all worth it to be with Cody.

Once they had both cleaned up, Cody stretched out beside him on the seat. His long, warm length was a familiar comfort, a touchstone to reality even as the fantasy lingered. "I love you, Demmy."

"I love you, too." Demetrius cupped the side of his face, thumb tracing the cheekbone he knew as well as his own. “So much. You okay?”

Cody nodded. “Better. I’ll be okay.”

“It’s all right not to be, you know.”

“I know.”

"Thank you for this,” Demetrius said. “For this amazing night, and the opportunity to go out on a date with Cody Duran Bower, star linebacker on the Parson’s Hollow football team.”

Cody grinned, and it looked more like himself, at any age. "Thank you, for never giving up on me. On us." Cody kissed him again, the gesture full of reverence. "You've changed my life."

They kissed again, sealing promises both spoken and unspoken, as outside the Cadillac the insects and frogs continued their eternal chorus. A breeze came in through the windows, freshening the musky scent of their union and bringing a gentle hint of lilac and other spring blooms—life renewing itself, beautiful in its persistence. Demetrius couldn't think of any place he'd rather be than right there, in that moment, with Cody.