Spark (7 page)

“Mmm” was the only response given aside from Kevin burying his nose in Hugo’s neck and taking in long, deep breaths.

Several moments later, Hugo realized Kevin still had himself in hand, so he reached to help Kevin find a second release.

“No. No, I’m good,” Kevin whispered lazily. “Just hold me, Hugh.”

“Sure. Of course,” Hugo soothed against Kevin’s hair, which was sweat-damp at his temples. “A romantic, huh?”

Kevin mumbled something incoherent in reply then adjusted them both into a more comfortable position.

Hugo’s chin started to itch, but he attempted to ignore it, unwilling to disturb the moment they were having.

After nearly five minutes, Hugo asked, “Can I clean up a bit?” The itching was becoming nearly unbearable. When Kevin sat up, Hugo gestured to the mess along his face and neck.

“Yeah. Come on. Let’s shower quick,” Kevin said, pulling Hugo toward the en suite bath.

Everything in the bathroom looked rich, from the warm wood floor and vanity to the green and blue recycled glass subway tiles on the walls of the walk-in shower.

Kevin turned on the tap and gestured to Hugo to head in first. Testing the water carefully, Hugo stepped in and allowed the spray to pour over his face and down his neck, washing away all the spunk.

Gentle hands soaped Hugo from behind. He leaned into the touch, melting into the feel of palms, which were doing much more than washing him. Muscles were stroked and soothed as Kevin placed tender kisses along Hugo’s neck and shoulders.

Abruptly, Kevin pulled away, popping a lid open on a bottle, but soon returned with sudsy shampoo he used to wash Hugo’s hair. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Conditioner. Then Kevin took only a few moments to wash his own short hair before the water was turned off and Hugo was handed a soft, white towel.

Hugo was feeling nervous, a little uncomfortable, with the continued silence as he finished drying off before heading back toward the bedroom.

“So,” Hugo started, not entirely sure where he was going with his words. “Do you still drive the blue Saturn?” he asked with a pained smile, knowing full well a man living in the wealthy suburb of Edina and owning a lake house wouldn’t still be driving the car he had back in high school, but at least his question broke the deafening quiet.

Kevin laughed and shook his head. “Nah. But the keys practically had to be pried out of my hands. I loved that car.”

“What do you drive now?”

“Right now I’m driving a blue Lexus RX.”

“Still blue, but no Jaguar or Maserati?”

“Uhm,” Kevin’s brows drew together, “no. Something a bit more practical, I guess. A crossover utility vehicle is more my speed now than a two-door sport coupe.”

“Well, it’s a step up from the Saturn,” Hugo teased with a bump of his elbow to Kevin’s arm as he passed to head back to the bedroom.

Hugo reached for his underwear, finding them draped over a pair of Kevin’s shoes.

“Hey. I thought you were gonna stay,” Kevin said with disappointment in his voice.

Hugo looked up and asked, “And that means I have to be naked if I stay?”

“Preferably. Come on. Climb into bed with me and tell me about your life. All we’ve done is talk about me. I want to know about what’s been going on with you.”

Hugo slid naked in between the cool sheets and took a few minutes to adjust the pillows behind his head. Trying to get comfortable in someone else’s bed had never been easy for him, but it wasn’t as if the bed at Summer’s cabin was more familiar. He pulled the summer-weight down comforter up, wondering if that was wise in the July heat, and then kicked the dark fabric off one leg and exposed it to the air-conditioned room instead.

“Comfortable?” Kevin chided.

“Getting there. You remember how I am. I still can’t sleep well at other people’s places. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah,” Kevin answered with a smile in his voice. “Isn’t that how you got me to jerk you off the first time?”

“Seriously? You’re going to bring that up now?” Hugo looked over at the gleeful look on Kevin’s face and shook his head. He knew Kevin was just trying to get a rise out of him. “And from what I recall, you were the initiator. Besides, what happened to wondering about my life and who Hugo Thorson is today?”

Kevin moved closer, pressing a palm against Hugo’s stomach. Hugo flinched at the sensation but knew Kevin wouldn’t tickle him on purpose. Instead, Kevin took up a slow rhythm as he threaded his fingers through the line of hair in the center of Hugo’s stomach, tracing it higher until he got to Hugo’s chest. Kevin thumbed across Hugo’s nipples, which instantly responded to the touch, pebbling into tight little nubs. He
just
kept himself from moaning at the sensation.

“Tell me who Hugo Thorson is today?” he soothed, nuzzling into Hugo’s shoulder and kissing his chest.

“I’m a jack-of-all-trades, but mostly I’m a theater director.” Hugo looked to Kevin’s face to get a reaction. That was the career Hugo had always wanted, but Kevin, at one point their senior year, had tried to encourage him to consider something more stable or lucrative. Hugo had known all along those were just the parroted words of Kevin’s father, not Kevin’s true thoughts.

“I never wanted a job that made a ton of money, but I always wanted a job that would allow me to create something amazing from nothing. That’s pretty much what I get to do. From imagination to performance. From sets to costumes. From helping people who can barely read a script out loud during the first read-through to bringing characters to life. And I do get paid to do it.”

“Well, you’re certainly passionate about it. I don’t think my face has ever lit up like yours just did when I’ve explained my job. I think the lights in the room pretty much dim the longer I talk about biotechnology sales.”

“That’s not true,” Hugo said with a shove.

“Okay, maybe not, but I’ve never had passion like that before, for… anything. Well, maybe photography, but that’s just a hobby. What other trades do you dabble in, Jack?” Kevin winked.

“I still act. I do some voiceover work locally and at the national level.”

“Anything I’ve heard?”

“Probably not. It’s mostly training videos and some obscure national ads I’ve never heard on-air because they’re probably on at three in the morning. Though I did narrate an audiobook recently. I’d love to do more of that.”

Kevin pursed his lips and said, “I’m sure I would’ve recognized your voice. Besides, I’ve probably listened to all of three audiobooks in my life. I’d rather read than listen.”

“And….” Hugo trailed off, unsure if he should admit the last thing he relied on for money. He didn’t have the best track record with guys when they found out about his
other
profession.

“And something else?”

Hugo turned to look at Kevin more directly and studied his face. “I’m not sure I should tell you. It might scare you off.”

“Shit, Hugh. That just makes me want to know all the more. You’re not FBI, CIA, mobster? Are you?”

Hugo shook his head with a snort.

“Online porn. Oh my God! You’re buttboy1978 aren’t you? You’re that sick little shit who’s always trying to get me to give you my credit card before you’ll pull down your tighty-whities to show me your delicious ass, aren’t you?”

“Jesus, Kevin.” Hugo chuckled. “No. No. No. But now that I know you think so highly of me—”

“I’m kidding, Hugo.”

“I know. And I’m giving it back just as hard as you’re giving it to me.”

Kevin’s mouth crashed against Hugo’s, taking Hugo by surprise.

“You always did know how to give it to me hard, just the way I liked it.” Kevin practically purred his words.

“Of course, I’ll give it to you how you like it.”

Kevin pulled Hugo on top of him, slotting their thighs together. They thrust against each other and started to harden.

“You always did, Hugh. You knew exactly what to do even when I didn’t have a clue what I liked. How did you know? How did you know I wouldn’t punch you?”

They rocked against each other, bringing pleasure quickly with the added thoughts of their first time together.

“I knew,” Hugo panted against Kevin’s mouth, “because you were the one to kiss me first, you idiot. I never would’ve even considered doing anything else if you hadn’t kissed me.”

“Point taken. But kissing to wanking is a huge leap.” Kevin groaned on the last word but kept pumping his hips.

“I disagree entirely. Kissing is way beyond. It’s fucking… intimate. And you were the one who initiated the fricking hand job…. Oh fuck, Kevin.” Hugo lost his train of thought for the more in-the-moment words, “Your cock is amazing.”

Kevin chuckled and wrapped his hands around Hugo’s ass to bring him closer. “Fuck. So is yours. Fucking magic.”

“I’m close,” Hugo admitted right before Kevin’s “Me too,” so they ceased all discussion and concentrated on sensation, heads bent close together. Breaths started to take on a staccato rhythm accentuated with Kevin’s vocalization. Hugo gave in this time too, letting his voice go where it would; not holding back helped propel him toward his release.

Kevin came first, but Hugo was very close behind, adding to the pooling wet mess on Kevin’s stomach.

“Magic cock,” Kevin whispered as Hugo grabbed some tissues to wipe up their mess. Hugo chuckled as he took care to clean them both so they could sleep without having to leave the bed again. Hugo wasn’t sure he’d even be able to stand if he tried.

“Magic cocks,” Hugo added as he pillowed his head on Kevin’s shoulder and easily fell asleep.

Confrontation, Dinner, & Dessert

A
FTER
Kevin first kissed Hugo in the woods as teens, Kevin found any excuse to simply drop him off at home rather than get together like they’d done every day since they’d met. Sometimes it was because Kevin said he needed to help his mom with grocery shopping or planting a shrub in the backyard. Other times it was for father-son bonding time, fishing in the local streams and rivers where Kevin’s dad would talk to him about duty and the honor of the family name. At least, that’s how Kevin described the outings to Hugo the following Monday as he dropped off mail in the lab.

At first, Hugo thought Kevin was feeling regretful for kissing him that day. Kevin had a hard time making direct eye contact for very long, and his smiles went from being full and open to seemingly shy and almost disguised. Hugo tried to ignore the changes, thinking time would make the awkwardness go away, but when that didn’t work, Hugo decided to try asking about doing specific things together rather than asking the ubiquitous “Wanna hang out after work?”

Yet, when Hugo suggested heading to Merlin’s Hallow or spending some time on the trails, Kevin always had something to do. Hugo knew he might have to be more direct.

“Sorry, man, but my mom and dad are really riding me hard right now. It’s not unusual. Actually, this is pretty typical. I think they just gave me some slack when we first moved.” Kevin shrugged as he dropped a pile of mail in the wire inbox on the desk in the lab before slipping back out the door.

“Wait,” Hugo said, stepping into the hallway to call after Kevin’s retreating back. “Would you just talk to me for a second? Please?” He knew he sounded desperate, but Hugo needed to understand what was going on.

Kevin stopped, his back tensing, but he turned, leaving his rolling mail cart in the hall, and reentered Hugo’s workspace. Hugo shut the door behind them and took a shaky breath.

“Are you avoiding me because you kissed me?” he whispered, just in case there was someone able to hear them through the thick wooden doors.

Kevin looked angry, his brows drawn together in a tight line, and the same pink spots which always seemed to appear when he talked about his father showed up high on the apples of his cheeks.

“Look. I’m not gay, okay? I don’t know why I kissed you.” He was defensive.

Hugo felt like someone had stabbed him through the belly and he was bleeding all over the floor.

“But….”

“I don’t know.” Kevin looked down and kicked at the seams between the clean tiles.

“But you kissed
me
,” Hugo said as if trying to convince himself he did nothing wrong. “I didn’t kiss you. So apparently something’s going on because the last time I checked, straight guys weren’t just walking up to gay guys like me and kissing them.”

Besides telling his sister, that was the first time Hugo had told anyone he was gay.

“I think I would’ve noticed, and I
might
not have been weeks away from my sixteenth birthday the first time I was kissed.” Hugo couldn’t keep the pathetic tone from leaking into his voice.

Kevin looked up sharply when the words finally sunk in. “Wait. That was the first time you kissed someone?”

Hugo nodded and added, “Aside from Kari Miller in sixth grade under the jungle gym on a dare, and that was a far cry from what happened in the woods.”

“Geez. I’m sorry, Hugo. Shit!” Kevin started to turn, and Hugo feared he was going to leave.

“So you’re not gay? I just assumed since you kissed me….” Hugo trailed off, upset with himself for making any sort of assumptions, especially when he’d noticed Kevin looking at girls in the past. And now someone else knew. Hugo wondered what Kevin might possibly do with his secret. Was he the type of guy who would tell their classmates about Hugo? Would he betray that trust? Beat him up? No matter what, now Kevin knew.

“I’ve always had girlfriends. I like girls. But I like you too.” Kevin faced Hugo again and released a huge sigh. “I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never even
looked
at a guy before, not like that, but…. Shit, Hugo. What the hell is wrong with me?” Kevin ran his fingers through his long hair and grasped at it in a way that looked painful. His face was a worried mess, and Hugo could see unshed tears in his eyes.

“I’ve never liked girls in my life, and I don’t think anything’s wrong with me, so I obviously don’t think anything’s wrong with you.” Hugo tried hard to keep the defensiveness out of his voice.

“I’m confused,” Kevin admitted. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. That’s why I’ve been blowing you off. I mean, what the hell do you say to your friend
after
you’ve kiss him?”