Chalk Butterfly: Part One (First Time Erotic Romance) (14 page)

“Hey!” he called, and Alexander stopped in
his tracks.

What could the man want now?

“Yeah?” Alexander shouted above the wind,
snowflakes caught up in his eyelashes.

“I still have your pen!”

“Bastard!” Alexander found himself yelling
back.

“Some other time, then,” Daniel said.

Alexander shook his head against the wind.
“What?”

“Good night!” Daniel called, rolling his
window up and shifting into drive.

Definitely some other time.

Chapter
Eight

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He watched the water.

Steam rose from the deep tub, fogging the
windows and the small mirror on the far wall. The bathroom was
small, but the tub was divine.

After such a stressing night, Alexander just
wanted to soak out everything inside him.

The water neared the brim of the tub, and
Alexander let it reach the top drain before he carefully twisted
the faucet off. He knew when he slipped in that some water would
spill over the edge and onto the floor, but he didn’t mind. The
water would dry.

It neared ten o’clock at night and he looked
forward to dozing in the warm water. With his back to the mirror,
he gently removed his sweater, setting it atop the sink. His pants
were next, the charcoal trousers slipping easily to the floor. His
hands worked on autopilot, not registering the stabs of pain that
worked their way from the tips of his long fingers down to his
palms and wrists.

When his boxers hit the floor, he began
unwinding the gauze.

He enjoyed allowing his hands a good soak
without the protection of the bandages, though his skin would sting
a bit at first. It wasn’t the best way to clean the wounds, and
Alexander’s doctor had actually warned against such action. The
blisters, when open, were easily prone to infection, something
Alexander had been reminded of in the past months.

But this was one of the few luxuries he
allowed himself.

He had never liked baths much before. Of
course he had been young, and never enjoyed sitting in one place
for too long. Showers always worked for him, quick and simple.
Things had changed, of course. When Alexander had reached eleven
years of age he began having skin problems.

The first time he’d noticed anything unusual
was after a particularly rough footie practice. He'd been an
extremely active young man, so full of energy and impatience. He’d
run around all day in tight shoes, kicking and tripping.

When he’d gotten home that night, odd
blisters were on the heels of his feet. His mother had noticed the
blisters, of course, but hadn’t thought much of it. Alexander was
an energetic boy, of course he’d get a few bumps and scrapes. After
all, Alexander had always had rather sensitive skin, so it wasn’t
too unusual that he’d blister.

As the days went by, the blisters increased,
so much so that Alexander had difficulty walking. A visit to the
doctor was useless, as the physician only suggested less rough
play. Blisters were a common thing among active children.

So, Alexander missed a week of practice. And
then he’d missed two, then three and the blisters only
worsened.

Alexander missed school the day he’d woken
up with lesions on his fingers. He couldn’t write or grasp
anything, the blisters were so sore. It was then that his mother
Natalie began to worry.

She'd taken Alexander to another doctor and
the diagnosis was life altering. Alexander had a rare skin disease
called Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex, a disease that he’d most
likely have to live with his entire life. Strangely enough, the
disease was usually inherited from a parent, but neither Natalie or
her late husband had any symptoms of EB. What was worse, the doctor
had no hope for a cure. Luckily, Alex was diagnosed with a very
mild subtype of the disease called Weber-Cockayne. Yet, even with
this mild form, Alexander still experienced painful blistering and
had to bandage his hands, something most people with the subtype
didn’t have to do.

Though the disease was painful, it wasn’t
life threatening like some of the other forms and there was a
chance that the symptoms of the disease would improve as he grew
older. But Alexander’s life still changed. School became a burden
and Alexander was affected more by the isolation from his peers
than by the pain. The blisters were manageable, but Alexander drew
away from his classmates and friends.

Every doctor they visited came to the same
conclusion; there would be no cure.

Desperate for her son to live a normal life,
Natalie said goodbye to their family and friends and moved to
Massachusetts. With much research under her belt, she knew some of
the best physicians in the world could be found in New York, as
well as DebRA, a nonprofit organization that supported those with
EB.

Alexander was able to meet with others who
had EB through DebRA, and while he was a bit shy of the children he
met, he felt that he’d finally found a place to fit in.

While there was still no cure to be found,
Alexander’s doctors were optimistic, and had treated other patients
with EB before. They’d prescribed medication to ease the pain and
taught Alexander and Natalie how to wrap his hands if the blisters
became unmanageable.

In a way, the wrapping had allowed Alexander
to live a semi-normal life, though his mother home schooled him. He
was still involved with other children, as well. Natalie would send
him to the library every day, and thus began his passion for
books.

Alexander had become a quiet, withdrawn
child with much patience. He needed patience to survive. Everything
became slow and methodical. He’d listened to everything his mother
had said, though her care could be almost overwhelming at times. As
Alexander grew older, he’d had to wrap his hands and feet less and
less. He’d gone to college for a year before the stress was too
much for him to take, physically and mentally.

Now, living on his own in New York, he
couldn’t seem to keep his EB under control anymore. He was back to
wrapping and the pain became distracting.

Alexander sighed heavily, breaching the
surface of his reverie as he unwound the last strip of gauze from
his hand. The cloth clung, releasing with a stinging burn.

He looked at his right hand, frowning at the
abused, red skin. Months ago, his hands hadn’t been half as
irritated as they were now. The blame could only be placed on
himself, as he was keen on pushing his boundaries further and
further.

That evening seemed to be the pinnacle of
his daring. What a coward he’d been, he knew it.

He hadn’t a clue that Daniel was left with
the polar opposite impression of him.

Alexander pushed all thoughts of the evening
from his mind, walking carefully to the filled tub on his bare
feet. He didn’t even test the water, just slipped in with a low,
satisfied moan.

The water was brutally hot, but he found
that the heat seemed to work the aches right out of his insides, to
the very core of his being.

But some aches couldn’t be healed.

He sank in deep, the water to his chin.
Every inch of his skin burned for a few long moments before he
adjusted to the new temperature. Immediately, Alexander felt the
hot water work the tension from his back. Only then did he relax,
letting his eyes drift shut and the pleasant feel of the water
surround him.

He soaked his feet for a while before
straightening his legs out and propping his heels up at the head of
the tub. His hands rested comfortable on his belly, one gently atop
the other.

This was a well-known routine. He’d doze
until the water became tepid and then quickly wash his body and
hair. This was done hastily not only because the lukewarm water was
uncomfortable, but also to avoid unneeded stimulus to the water
softened skin on his hands.

But tonight was different. He was too tense
to doze, though his body was extremely relaxed. It was his mind
that refused to shut down.

Thoughts of his evening could not be
drowned.

Worse than just the thoughts were the
feelings. Much to his chagrin, raw excitement still lingered in his
belly, and his nakedness didn't help the situation. It had been an
upsetting evening, far from perfect.

Why were goose bumps tingling all along his
arms? Alexander’s eyes eased open then, looking down his lean
torso. He was very displeased to find himself physically aroused.
His eyes followed the smooth plane of his stomach, down his thighs,
and then to the small tuffs of curls between them.

His entire body flushed, hotter feelings
awakening than the water could entice. Alexander wasn’t a prude,
really, just nearly incapable of dealing with the physical side of
his feelings.

He had been attracted to certain individuals
before, and had admittedly been aroused, even sometimes to the
extent of embarrassed aching. He knew that it was natural for him
to feel that way.

Though he often found himself uncomfortable
and frustrated, he could accept his sexuality and the affects it
had on his body.

But not now, not with Daniel.

Daniel was different; Alexander liked him.
He was interested in the man. It was something he couldn’t
deny.

Daniel had surprised him.

Alexander didn’t know what he'd expected
from Daniel, but he knew that he didn’t exactly have the right to
harbor any expectations. Daniel hadn’t overreacted to Alexander’s
overreactions, and nor had he distanced himself from the situation.
He’d been there for Alexander.

'A calming presence,' Alexander thought,
sinking in deeper. He scowled, trying to shake the thoughts away,
but he couldn’t lead his mind elsewhere.

Daniel would want to touch him.

If they were close in an intimate way,
Daniel would want to kiss him. Daniel would be gentle and sure and
sweet, Alexander knew.

And cocky, Daniel would be horrible and
pushy and overbearing. He would be sure, sure that he knew what was
best for Alexander, and too gentle, fearing to break him. His
sweetness would shift to coddling and condescending words.

Alexander would become weak and slight
beneath him.

But Daniel had already touched him, and
those soft touches alone were enough to send Alexander reeling.
This wasn’t a safe fantasy.

Alexander let out a soft sigh as the
tightening in his groin continued. His cock rose stiffly, rosy and
wet in the warm water. Warily, he pressed a tender palm to the
hardening length, just holding.

What he wanted was more, much more, but it
wasn’t something he could give himself. He shifted his legs closer
together, applying more delicious pressure, his slim, long thighs
brushing the base of his cock.

He thought of Daniel.

Just his smile, and the way he talked low.
He no longer thought of the worries, or the future, only allowed
the sweetness through. Lips parting on a soft moan, he held himself
tighter. The wanting overtook him, and his breath came out in
stifled little pants between his lips. His eyes slipped shut, and
the blackness filled him with intense longing.

He’d never really been kissed. Would Daniel
mind?

His hips eased up, water sliding down his
sides. Groaning hoarsely, he relinquished the gentle hold on his
cock, denying it the friction he craved, the burn of arousal
becoming too intense. Often, he wondered how a strong, certain hand
would feel on his body.

Alexander’s stomach muscles trembled at that
point, his cock maddeningly hard. Excitement coursed over his skin,
every part of his body, sensitive and wet.

Daniel had touched him with care, on his
neck and arms…

Would Daniel want him like this?

Alexander remembered Daniel’s eyes.

Yes, the man wanted him.

“Fuck,” Alexander hissed out, forcing
himself to sit up. He stared blankly at the wall, biting his lip.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

It had been a confusing, wonderful, horrible
evening.

And it would be an even longer night.

***

“Tell Elizabeth that her reading group at
noon is canceled,” Elijah said flatly. He propped his feet up on a
small child’s chair that he’d dragged in from the reading room.

Alexander looked up from the computer
screen, and scowled. “She’s sitting two feet from you, tell her
yourself.” Alexander sent Elizabeth a withering glance, but she was
busy studying her nails.

“Elijah, I’ve never had a reading group at
noon,” Elizabeth replied flatly, tossing her hair back and
standing. “David always has the noon reading groups on Saturday.
You know that, you made the schedule. So stop being such an
ass.”

Elijah tipped his head to the side and
looked at Alexander seriously. “You can tell Elizabeth that I
changed the schedule just last week, and if she doesn’t want to
keep track of--”