Page 37 of The Freshman

Nate blew a long breath through hispursed lips. “It’s kind of a relief.”

“A relief?”

Nate smirked, then sat up on the bed.He still didn’t look at the open hatch, but the wallopposite.

“You can handle yourselfif you need to. My protection will only go so far in here, and onthe outside its non-existent. I’m glad for whatever reason you knowhow to punch. How’s the hand?”

“The hand?” Alfie gasped.“Jesus Christ, I’m not bothered about my hand. How’s yourlip?”

“Stings,” Nate saidslowly. “I’m guessing the hand does too.”

Alfie splayed his fingers on the hatchand snorted at his reddened knuckles. “Probably not asmuch.”

Nate swung his legs off the bed andonto the floor. Alfie knew this was the time he should shut thehatch. They had made peace, whether fake or real Alfie didn’t know,but he had said what he wanted to.

“I guess you want thisback?” Nate said flapping the piece of paper.

Nate walked forward, his body insilhouette. Alfie realized the paper in Nate’s hand was his letter.Nate offered it, not looking at the hatch, but to the wall as if itwas irrelevant.

“Still leaving right?” Hesounded bored and flapped the letter with a huff.

Alfie studied him, then reached to getit.

Nate snapped from calm and collected,to a striking python. He grabbed Alfie’s wrist with his other handand yanked him forward. His knees pressed painfully into the metalwalkway, and he patted his belt with his free hand to get hisradio. He couldn’t breathe and was surprised his heart was stillbeating. Pain, he waited for it, waited for the snap of hisfingers, or wrist, or the dislocation of his elbow.

He froze when the hand captured byNate pressed against soft bristles. Nate moved his hand up Alfie’swrist to link their fingers then pressed Alfie’s hand to his face,made him cradle it.

“Nate?” hegasped.

He throttled his radio with his otherhand, poised to press down and demand assistance, but he didn’t.Nate brushed his face into Alfie’s hand, then moved it to hislips.

“Let me go,” Alfiewhispered.

Nate didn’t answer, just continued tolead Alfie’s fingers to the places he wanted touched. His lips,more specifically the bump in his lip, the catch of torn skin, andhard scab that stopped leaking blood. Alfie shut his eyes andswallowed hard. He did not like the feel of the damage he’ddone.

“I’m sorry,” Alfiewhispered, and then moved his thumb along the cut.

Nate opened his mouth, and Alfieregistered heat on his thumb. He shivered, Nate nipped, and heshivered again. Teeth clutched at each of his fingers in turnbefore letting go. The metal digging angrily into Alfie’s kneesdidn’t matter, nor did the edge of hatch door pressed into hischest.

All Alfie could feel was the soft skinof Nate’s lips, surrounded by the coarse hair of his beard. Natemoved Alfie’s palm down from his face, against his throat, and ontohis bare chest. His bare chest, that was warm and hard. Nate’sheart beat powerfully, pressing against Alfie like it wasn’tunderneath his skin but in his hand.

He felt sections of muscle, dips andbulges, and Nate shifted, moving his body to get Alfie to touchmore. Alfie couldn’t see him through the hatch, could only feel,and he swallowed when he was certain the sharp angle his fingerstraced was a hip then a small dip of a belly button that madeNate’s stomach twitch.

There was hair, trailing down, thenAlfie felt Nate’s hard cock, and his mouth went dry.

Nate guided Alfie’s hand to touch him,wrapped his fingers around his erection to feel it pulse, to feelhow tight the skin got, how aroused Nate felt. Alfie didn’t knowwhat to do. He didn’t pull away, and he didn’t take over thestroking. He allowed his hand to be used, and when Nate groaned,low and dark, Alfie whimpered in reply.

He knew Nate was getting close whenhis breathing change from near silent, to a pant. Their joinedhands were wet and slippery as Nate continued to move them at aslow pace over his cock. Alfie twitched his fingers, putting morepressure when their hands rubbed the tip. Nate gasped, and Alfiefelt him shudder.

His radio was there. He could’vecalled for help. He could have fought harder to reclaim his hand,but he didn’t want to. He turned off all the niggling thoughts inhis head and focused on the feel of hot flesh, the sound of Nate’squickened breathing. Alfie’s stomach fizzled, his skin tingled, andhis head filled with pleasant rushes.

The radio at his belt hissed, andAlfie snapped his eyes open.

Nate’s hand wasn’t guiding hisanymore, it was just Alfie’s, and as soon as he realized he joltedbackward and slammed the hatch shut. He stared at his wet handaccusingly, then his erection showing clear as day though histrousers.

“Fucking hell, Freshman,you’re a tease.”

Alfie scrunched his face and quicklywiped his hand on his thigh. “I hate you.”

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