Page 14

OLLIE

It was amazing how Ollie could be simultaneously happy and worried. Against his better wishes, he was starting to like Finn. A lot. More than he should, because the further he fell the harder it would be to get back up once things ended. But it was like a different part of him took over whenever he was around his handsome knight, and that part told him he deserved more. He’d given up food; he should be allowed to have this in return.

And he was so very close. He only needed to lose a few more pounds but they’d have to wait because once again Ollie was required to eat. Earlier that week, Finn had humbly requested that the next date be at his favorite restaurant and Ollie knew that he couldn’t say no. Finn had been studying him lately, not exactly like his parents did, but there was a familiar scrutiny. So, Ollie needed to reassure Finn and he would do that by being completely normal about food for this meal.

Trepidation buzzed through Ollie’s body during the ride there but, as soon as they stepped inside, he instantly felt more relaxed, because Thank Goodness It’s Tasty was adorable. With framed pop art on the walls and wire furniture padded with red cushions, the place had fifties vibes; plus, there was a huge glass window in front that looked out onto the street and they were lucky enough to be seated next to it. Distracting himself by people-watching instead of sweating over calories, Ollie put his faith into the reinstated Christmas Plan - eat for one night and then work it off over the following weeks.

Finn’s eyes drifted from the sky outside down to Ollie’s face. “I know this isn’t that fancy but-”

“Are you kidding? A comfort food restaurant with vegetarian options? It’s wonderful. I can see why you like it.” Standing, Ollie took a picture of the retro comic book art near their table, where a heavily outlined woman said into a phone “Oh, Jeff…I love you too...but I’m plant-based.”

“Are you ready to order?” The waitress wandered up, notepad out. She had pretty magenta hair, more tattoos than skin, and the largest septum piercing Ollie had ever seen. He immediately wanted to introduce her to Biz.

“Yes.” Ollie quickly sat down.

“You didn’t even look at the menu?” Finn held it up, confused.

“Oh, I uh…I looked at it online.” Ollie’s cheeks burned but as long as Finn didn’t know that he’d cried over the choices for hours, then he was fine. “Do you need some time?”

“I’m good! I’ve been here enough.” Finn’s smirk held some self-deprecation. “I’ll have the bacon double cheeseburger with the sweet potato fries.”

“Cool.” She turned to Ollie. “And you?”

Ollie took a long slow breath. He could do this. “I’ll have the mac and cheese.”

Finn almost dropped his water glass. “I didn’t think you’d order that,” he stated as the waitress left.

“Why? Because I’m a health nut?” Ollie teased, but his heart was in his throat. This had to go well.

“Kind of.” Finn was talking slowly, carefully, and Ollie didn’t want that.

“I’m allowed a cheat day every once in a while, right?” Except he wasn’t. Extra food made him nervous. Anxious. Reinforced that he needed to be faster, quicker, so he could slip away from disaster’s hold; however, keeping Finn was also avoiding disaster so tonight required some strength.

“Yeah, I guess you do.” Finn gave him a crooked smile, his face clearing. It seemed like Ollie’s plan was working.

The deal was to eat two-thirds of the mac and cheese but it was so dense that Ollie could barely make his way through half. That appeared to be normal, because Finn ended up pushing his extra-large burger away, leaving some on the plate. But Ollie wasn’t done yet. When the waitress came over, offering to box up the leftovers, he solidified his cheat day facade by ordering vanilla ice cream for dessert.

“Is vanilla an actual flavor or is it like…plain?” Finn rubbed his chin. He’d opted for the carrot cake and Ollie was beginning to see a pattern. First the carrot cake muffin at Vice and Virtue and now actual carrot cake?

“It’s a flavor. It’s vanilla. Oh my god, I can’t believe that I have to explain this to you when you ordered vegetables for dessert.”

“It’s carrot cake. Cake and icing, not just carrots. I thought you liked vegetables?”

“I do. But not for dessert.”

Finn laughed. “You have some strong opinions about sweets.”

“And you have some bad takes about ice cream.”

“Do I? Hear me out.” Finn’s eyes were full of mischief. “Chocolate is a flavor. So is rocky road. And pistachio. But vanilla is a base. The beginning. You need to add things like chocolate chips or caramel to it to make it an actual flavor.”

“It’s still a flavor though. Otherwise, it would be called plain. It’s called vanilla because it tastes like vanilla.” Why were they even debating this?

“It tastes like paper. No flavor, hence it is not a flavor.” Finn waggled his finger as if he were a scientist making a point and Ollie couldn’t help but smile.

“How do you know what paper tastes like?” Ollie asked as the waitress came back, putting their desserts in front of them and giving Finn a raised eyebrow before she left. “And just because you say it’s not a flavor doesn’t mean that you’re right.”

“I’m going to need to see a citation on that.” Finn winked, digging into his cake.

Ollie ignored his ice cream, typing on his phone. “Aha!” He turned the screen toward Finn, gesturing around it like he was presenting a prize on a game show. “It says right here that vanilla is the world’s most popular aroma and flavor.”

“You know you can’t trust everything you read on the internet.” Finn held out a little carrot cake on his fork. “Would you like to try some?”

“Of your vegetable cake? Nope, I’ll stick with my delicious flavor of ice cream,” Ollie grinned, prodding the vanilla scoops with his spoon, delighted that some of it had melted. It would give the impression that he’d eaten more. “By the way, where are you taking me after this? Do I get to know now?”

Finn gave him one of his sultry grins. “Not yet, it’s better to see it in person.”

Finn was right. As they pulled up in front of the glowing movie theater, the large and impressive bulb-lined marquee with Dracula on it had Ollie’s jaw on the floor. Apparently, they were going to see the nineteen ninety-two film version of Bram Stoker’s novel and Ollie was beyond okay with that.

Like the restaurant, the theater was also retro, its plush velvet seats crowned with golden accents, complimenting the crimson curtains that framed an enormous screen. Since there weren’t many people in the theater, Ollie and Finn were able to sit far away from anyone else, and once they settled down, Finn flipped up the armrest separating them so they could cuddle. His arm slid around Ollie’s shoulders like it was meant to be there and calm washed through Ollie as he nestled comfortably against Finn, sighing in contentment as the previews started.

With nobody nearby they were able to whisper back and forth throughout the movie, adding commentary, and by the time the credits rolled Ollie was choking with laughter, sure that his eyeliner was running because Finn made him giggle until he had to wipe away tears.

Surprisingly, the food hadn’t bothered him and had actually chased away his constant low-level headache. While he could feel it lying in his stomach, and he knew he had to work hard to burn it off, the night had been worth it. He’d grown even closer to Finn during this date and it sent him up to cloud nine, where he stayed for the ride home.

Not ready to end the night, Ollie asked Finn inside, and they lounged in his room, Ollie taking the desk chair and Finn curled in the window seat, both nursing mugs of tea.

“Did you see that Dracula TV series back in the early two-thousands?” Finn asked, blowing on the liquid before taking a sip.

“Yes!” Ollie pointed at him, almost falling out of the chair. “It was sogood! I wish it had gotten more than one season.”

“Me too!” Finn shook his head in disappointment. “Why do they always cancel the good shows?”

“They do! It makes it hard to get invested because you’re afraid they’ll end prematurely.” Was Ollie still talking about television? He should shut up before Finn thought he was unstable; it was bad enough that he’d cried in the back of his car the night they met, passed out on him, and then shunned him.

Finn put his tea on the windowsill. “I think it’s worth enjoying things no matter how long or short they are. We’re discussing the Dracula show right here, right now, after all these years, even though it only had what? Ten episodes? That doesn’t make the experience any less valuable.” His eyes were deep, intense as they stared into Ollie, telling him that, despite his words, they weren’t talking about television.

“I guess…” Ollie took another sip of his tea, wetting his throat, which had gone dry under Finn’s heavy stare, “But you’re still setting yourself up for disappointment.”

“Because things end too soon?”

Ollie looked down at his mug. “Doesn’t everything end?”

“You’re saying that we shouldn’t invest in anything because it’ll end and we’ll be disappointed?” Of course, it sounded ridiculous saying it out loud like that, but Finn had just outlined the basic tenet of Ollie’s life. Avoid disaster. Try to make it through without everything crumbling around you. “That’s a sad viewpoint.”

Was it sad? Ollie thought it was practical. “You don’t worry about things ending?”

“I try not to. If you start out anticipating the end, doesn’t it ruin whatever you’re doing?” Finn sat up, tilting his head.

“It sort of does, yes.” Ollie let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Talking about his worries, even in this roundabout way, was surprisingly soothing.

Finn stood, carefully placing his mug on the windowsill, and turned toward Ollie, seizing his attention, because Finn didn’t walk, he sauntered. Stalked. And the way he held eye contact stole Ollie’s voice. Once he stood before Ollie, hovering over him, their size difference became very apparent, and Ollie’s mouth went dry again.

“Do you think about us ending?” Finn’s tone was curious but it still sent a shiver down Ollie’s spine. How was that question so erotic?

“I, uh…” Ollie licked his lips. “Maybe?”

“Well, how about I take your mind off that hmmm?” Finn’s eyes traveled south to where Ollie’s pants were beginning to fit more snugly.

“I won’t say no to that,” Ollie smirked, ready for another make-out session. But when Finn took the tea out of his hands, placed it on the bookcase, and dropped to his knees right in front of the chair, Ollie’s brain scrambled. “What are you-”

“I’d like to return the favor from our first vampire movie night.” Finn put his hands on Ollie’s thighs, pushing them apart and rubbing while staring at the center of Ollie’s tight black jeans. Their first vampire movie night? Ollie remembered watching Near Dark and then he-

“Oh.” He wondered if his eyes could actually fall out of his head. “You…you want to…”

Reaching for Ollie’s belt buckle, Finn glanced up at him with a smoldering expression. “I do. Are you okay with this?”

Ollie didn’t know. One part of him wanted this more than he’d ever wanted anything else in his life but another part wanted to somersault over the back of the chair and run away. If he said yes then he would have to expose more of himself to Finn, figuratively and literally. But the air was crackling around them, and Ollie was seriously straining the front of his pants, so he nodded, vowing to keep as much on as he could.

Finn was slow, sinuous, opening the button and zipper on Ollie’s pants and staring at the tight lavender briefs beneath. Leaning in, he nosed Ollie’s trapped cock and Ollie clenched his teeth, trying not to move as he groaned. He could feel the pull of air as Finn breathed in and the rush of heat across his shaft as he exhaled with a matching groan of his own.

“Why do you always smell so good?” he whispered, pulling the front of Ollie’s underwear down, and Ollie let out a breath of relief as his cock sprung free. He was ridiculously hard; why wouldn’t he be? A gorgeous hunk of a man was on his knees before him, a man who wanted him, who was going to suck his dick. It was a little overwhelming. So was the feeling of Finn’s tongue as it licked the tip of Ollie’s cock, which was drooling in anticipation, and Ollie thought he was going to rip the arms off his desk chair when that tongue started to travel.

Using one hand to hold back Ollie’s clothing, Finn snaked the other around the base of Ollie’s cock, holding it steady for his explorations.

Ollie had gotten a blowjob before but it was nothing compared to the way Finn was touching him right now. For someone with zero experience he was giving one hundred percent enthusiasm and even though he was just kissing and licking the shaft, it was sending Ollie into the stratosphere. Once Finn eventually swallowed him down, Ollie might launch straight into the sun.

But he didn’t have to worry about that for long because Finn was wrapping his lips around the top of Ollie’s cock before he could blink, sucking gently.

Wrenching his hands from the armrests, Ollie threaded fingers through Finn’s soft hair. “You don’t have to go too deep the first time. You got me close just doing what you were before.”

Finn hummed and the vibrations spun anything else Ollie wanted to say right out of his brain, replacing it with only sensation as Finn started to bob his head. The slick heat of his mouth, along with the scent of sandalwood and pine, kept Ollie in a perpetual state of bliss, and all he could do was moan in response. This was the kind of sex he’d read about in his sister’s fanfics, where it took over your whole body, washing it with pleasure and then leaving you cleaner, different than you were before.

“Finn.” Ollie tightened his fingers, grasping Finn’s hair and almost doubling over as Finn attempted to reach the base, choking a bit before he retreated. But he was persistent, and after a few more rises and falls, he was taking Ollie’s cock like a pro. And if Ollie was on cloud nine earlier that evening, he was now on cloud one thousand, wondering if his soul was going to shoot out of his dick when he came.

Rising, Finn angled better and took in even more, as Ollie’s groans echoed through the room. Just seeing his dick in Finn’s mouth was doing crazy things to Ollie, making him lose control. His hips started to thrust, breaking free as he lost his resolve, wanting to go wherever Finn was leading him.

“I’m uh, I-I’m,” Ollie stuttered, unable to access vocabulary as Finn sunk low again, holding his head at the bottom and rippling his tongue. “F-Finn.” Using his hold on Finn’s hair, Ollie gave it a little tug trying to warn him and Finn shook his head, growling.

The deep throaty sound rippling all around Ollie tore all control from his hands and he came down Finn’s throat, gasping all the way. It was the strongest orgasm he’d ever had, and he was right, he did lose his soul through his dick because his body sailed for a while.

“I guess that was okay?” Finn said after a few moments, leaning his head on Ollie’s thigh.

Drifting back down, Ollie stroked his hair. “You swallowed it all?” At Finn’s nod, Ollie raised his eyebrows. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”

“I do know that, but it’s always nice hearing it.” Finn winked and Ollie was too satiated to swat at him. “And you’re pretty amazing too.”

Ollie could feel the blush across the tips of his ears and he quickly tucked himself back in, not wanting to be bashful and exposed. “Seriously Finn, did you practice or something-”

“I used a cucumber.”

Ollie almost slid out of the chair. “What?”

“I grabbed one from the grocery store that I thought was appropriate and practiced on that. But it”s more intuitive when you get down to the real thing.” Finn stood, wiggling one leg and then the other.

“Oh my god.” Ollie put his hand over his eyes, trying very hard not to imagine Finn deep-throating a vegetable. He failed, so his cheeks must have been crimson when he dropped his hand, looking up at Finn again. “Did you like it?”

Finn gave him a devilish grin. “I’m ready to do it again.”

Ollie frowned at the mirror. Even though the lighting in Bar None’s men’s room wasn’t the best, he couldn’t deny that his curls looked dull and lifeless. A clarifying shampoo was needed, along with more conditioning masks. And he should get a better moisturizer too because his skin had gone on strike along with his hair. He was always itchy and flaking no matter how much he moisturized and even his nails were peeling and bending.

With all the work he’d been putting in he should be getting healthier, but right now he barely wanted to look at himself. Would he ever be happy with his reflection?

“There you are!” Finn wandered into the bathroom, latching onto Ollie from behind and nuzzling his temple. “Didn’t you hear? This is a no-primping zone.”

Ollie leaned back into the hold, letting Finn’s calm energy wash over him. “I wasn’t primping, I swear.”

“It’s also a no-lying zone.”

“Arrest me, then.” Spinning in the hold, Ollie wound his arms around Finn’s neck, stood on his toes, and pressed their lips together. One kiss led to another, and by the time they parted Ollie’s cheeks were flushed and he could taste Finn on his tongue.

“The back room looks amazing, you did a wonderful job decorating it,” Finn stated once he recovered his breath.

“Thank you! I hope Liam will love it.” Ollie bounced a little on his toes, his energy shaky and weird. He wished he could go for a run but Owen and the birthday boy were showing up in fifteen minutes. Maybe he could fit one in after the party.

“I’m sure he will. By the way, Marci was looking for you. She wanted to make sure you had the gift cards.” Finn tucked a curl behind Ollie’s ear, seemingly unaware of how limp it was, and that simple gesture made Ollie’s blush deepen. Occasionally, Finn did something that proved he wasn’t shallow, or in it for Ollie’s looks, effortlessly walking that fine line between admiration of features and admiration of character, and it made Ollie’s heart do a little dance whenever it happened, helping him feel stronger in the constant battle with his appearance.

“I do, they’re all wrapped and on the gift table.” Ollie pulled out his phone. “Lemme text her.” He shot off a quick sentence, hit send, and when he looked up, Finn was staring down at him with that expression again. It wasn’t scrutiny, because Ollie was very familiar with scrutiny; it was more like a mix of fear and hesitancy but it came and went so fast that Ollie couldn’t pin it down.

“Is everything all right?” His dread began to spin, spilling pitch all around him.

“Yeah, just tired. But don’t worry, I’m ready for some fun.” Although his features were back to normal there was something in his eyes that Ollie didn’t like. But The Pointe’s staff were arriving for Liam’s birthday party, so now wasn’t time to hash things out. Taking a slow breath, Ollie stuffed down his anxiety and dread, and his stomach panged in response, his head spinning. It would only be a few hours and then he could talk to Finn in private.

“Okay.” Nodding, Ollie gave a final hair fluff and offered his arm to Finn, hoping that his smile was passable. “Let’s party.”