Page 59 of Bobby Green
Oh fuck.
Bobby swallowed. “That was shitty,” he said, feeling regret in his bones. “Sorry, Reg. That was… that was a shitty thing to do to you.” He took a deep breath. “I was hurt. I… I shouldn’t have been, but I was. I—”
“What kind of friend does that?” Reg demanded, and Bobby realized he was crying, faint tear tracks gleaming in the porch light from the house.
“A bad one,” Bobby told him back. He held his palms up to Reg’s chilled face gently and wiped the tears with his thumbs. “A really crappy friend. But I think that’s the problem. That’s why everything’s felt so awful and wonderful these last two months.”
“Being my friend is awful?” Reg asked, the sob in his chest making his voice shrill.
“No, no,” Bobby soothed, pulling him close and kissing his forehead. Reg was small but built powerfully. Bobby had a heartbeat to give thanks that Reg wanted to be kissed. “Being your friend is wonderful. I’m so glad—every day I’m glad—that you were in the office that first day. That you got to see me, that you ran your hands through my hair. I’m so grateful. You made me feel so special.”
Reg rested his head against Bobby’s shoulder. “I want to be mad at you,” he said, voice muffled. “But I missed how you used to hold me like this. I don’t know why you stopped. I mean, I know it was because I hooked up with Trey, but I don’t know why this had to stop.”
Bobby held him tighter, and his own eyes burned—and to his mortification, spilled over.
“I didn’t understand at first, myself,” he said, shaking, he was so glad to be holding Reg again. “But then tonight, I was talking to Ethan, and… and he said no. And I was glad. I was glad he said no. Because I didn’t really want to be with him. I just… I couldn’t watch you be with someone else either.”
“But you got a girlfriend!” Reg snapped—and God, this was justified. Bobby knew it was, but he was going to follow through anyway.
“Not for long,” he said with feeling. “I shouldn’t have let it go on this long. I don’t want a girlfriend. And I don’t want Ethan. And I don’t wantyouto hook up with anyone else.”
“But….” Reg jerked back, looking confused as hell. “What in the fuck, Bobby. Whatdoyou want?”
Oh, he couldn’t have asked for a better line.
“This,” Bobby said, grasping his chin and tilting his head up. Reg’s mouth was open and vulnerable and ripe for the taking, and Bobby took. Bobby lowered his head and drank from Reg’s mouth like a man dying of thirst, and Reg kissed back, eagerly, hard, giving for every kiss Bobby stole, and Bobby kept taking. Ah! Gods! He tasted so good!
And again, and again, until Reg raised his hands to Bobby’s hair and yanked tight, urging him closer. Bobby wrapped his hands around Reg’s bottom and hauled him up, until Reg wrapped his legs around Bobby’s waist and clenched him tight, and still the kiss went on. Reg moaned, grinding against Bobby in frustration, and Bobby pressed him tight, tighter. Reg pulled away and shuddered before burying his face against Bobby’s throat and letting out a long groan.
He was jerking against Bobby, hips twitching, and with one last heave, he bit Bobby’s neck hard, and Bobby realized Reg’d just come, right there, in his pants.
Bobby groaned and kissed him again, only moving away when Reg’s legs started to shake. Gently, Bobby lowered him until his feet touched the ground and then wrapped him tight against his chest.
“I came in my shorts,” Reg moaned, sounding dazed.
“Yeah, well, lucky you,” Bobby muttered. “’Cause I’m spending the night on Dex and Kane’s couch and I didn’t. That’s gonna be fun.”
“Why you spending the night there?” Reg demanded. “Why not withme?”
Bobby stroked his hair, hands still shaking. Reg had let it grow out a little this last month, cutting off the dyed blond part. What was left was a rich, dark brown. “Because I haven’t broken up with Jessica,” Bobby told him, still catching his breath. “I’m not sleeping with you as a hookup or a part of work. When we do this again, it’s because I want to be with you, like this. I want to kiss you and touch you and be the only one you do this with—”
“Outside of work?” Reg clarified, and Bobby had to sigh.
“Course. We gotta eat. But I’m moving out of the big stupid apartment and moving into Ethan’s tiny crappy one so he can move in with Dex and Kane. I can save more money that way for meandmy mom and spend more of it fixing up your house.”
“You can stay withme,” Reg demanded, sounding bad-tempered, and Bobby had to laugh. Reg’s body aligned so perfectly with his, so warm, so immediate, somebody might have to pry him out of Bobby’s arms before he forgot his original plan.
“I might,” Bobby said, nuzzling his temple. “Soon. But for now, I’m going to break up with my girlfriend and fix my life. AndthenI’ll impose on your life.”
“Sex, Bobby,” Reg all but wailed. “Jesus God, I get you’re all smart and shit, but seriously. I’ve got a little brain. I want sex. With you. And nobody else. When’s that gonna happen? I’m dyin’ here. Dex had to make those guys stay at my place ’cause I kept dropping shit, because I couldn’t concentrate, becausesex.”
Bobby laughed and whispered in his ear. “Soon, Reg. Soon, I promise. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And I’ll bring dinner. And I’ll spend the night. And I’ll make it special. I promise.”
“It’s already special,” Reg grumbled. “I haven’t gone this long without since I was in high school.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bobby said gravely. And he would. Because he wasn’t going to scare Reg with the bigLword. Yet. “Just….” He grimaced. “Just tell Trey you’ll be by yourself tonight. I promise I will be too.”
Reg grunted. “Fine.” Then he rolled his eyes and laughed. “I would have felt like shit in the morning anyway. You know—I don’t know what’s so great about you. You’re the first person in the world who made me feel shitty about sex.”
