Matty Demaret really looked no different than he had the year he and his friends - Marbles, Scarpa and Taylor - had taken the trip to Montana. He was only slightly older looking; he had more wrinkles and was a bit thinner but he still gelled his black hair the same way, still wore dark and expensive clothes.
He sat in his favorite black chair in front of the long and wide window of a large house as he looked outside, over at the ocean and the San Francisco bridge which was far off in the distance. He held his chin with one hand while the other was wrapped around the arm of his chair. His legs were spread wide apart, his socked feet pressing against the tan rug. The window was open, and in came a nice cool breeze, which softly blew through his hair and slightly lifted his black shirt, revealing his tight stomach.
He was deep in thought as he looked over at the horizon, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. He wore a worried expression on his face; there were wrinkles along his forehead, his gray eyes were serious, his lips were tugging downward in a deep frown. He hardly moved, except to blink, to breathe, to clench his teeth and to swallow. It would have been clear to anyone who came across him that he was thinking deeply about something serious, something troubling.
And indeed he was...
Two days ago.
"Shit, huh?" Matty said.
He and Taylor Reese, his best friend, stood side by side on the tan carpet as they looked out the window at the Golden Gate Bridge which stood above the ocean. They each held a bottle of beer in their hand.
"Yeah. Shit. Finally finished unpacking," replied Taylor, watching the sun set.
"It's really sinkin' in, now. This place is all ours, man. And we can look at this. Every day," said Matty, gesturing toward the view beyond them.
"Fuck New York," Taylor responded, taking a sip of his beer. Matty laughed, softly.
"Yeah. Who needs it, right? All I've ever gotten from that place was bullshit. Everybody lookin' at me like I was a stone-cold killer. But here, it's gonna be different. We can start over. No more Matty Dimes. We're free of the judgement. Free of the whisperin', the glaring. That look of fear on everybody's faces," said Matty, briefly looking at Taylor. "Free of the memories... my father."
"There's nothin' to miss. 'Cept my mom," said Taylor. Matty looked back at Taylor, this time sympathetically. He looked down for a moment, thoughtful, then reached his hand out and rested it on Taylor's back.
"She'll be alright," Matty said, comfortingly. "As long as you call her once a night, like she asked you to. And if you need to fly over, any time, you're free to... Even if you don't have the cash, I'll lend it to you, alright?"
Taylor looked at Matty, his expression slowly softening. He pressed his lips together and nodded once, bowing his head.
They continued to watch the sun set until it was hidden behind the horizon.
After finishing their beers, they went into the small hallway of a kitchen and threw the bottles in a bin they'd decided was for recycling. Matty then turned toward Taylor, putting his hands in his pockets.
"You wanna go for a drive, check this place out?" Matty asked. "We should find a bar. Meet some people. Have a few drinks."
"Sounds good," Taylor responded, and with that, the two headed out of the kitchen. Matty went into his bedroom. Taylor went into his own as well, which was right across from Matty's. They left the doors open as they talked.
"Yeah. We'll see what San Francisco's made of," said Matty as he removed his dark blue t-shirt, revealing his hairless and lean though muscular torso. Taylor looking over at Matty as he removed his own shirt, so his dark skin and muscular, hard body was visible. The bullet wounds from where he'd been shot by Teddy Deserve as he was saving Matty had healed nicely, though could still be seen, and were permanent scars.
Matty stepped out of his black loafers and undid his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his black slacks then stepped out of them, so he wore only his tight black boxer briefs. Taylor removed his jeans at the same time, looking over at Matty as he did so. He watched as Matty walked over to his bureau and took out a more expensive pair of slacks which he stepped into and pulled up. Matty looked over at Taylor who looked away just at that moment and in turn, went over to his own bureau and found a darker pair of jeans to wear.
Matty kept his eyes on Taylor a while longer, appearing thoughtful, then he looked away and walked beyond the doorway so the wall hid him. He clenched his teeth as he walked over to his closet, opened the door and took out of it a royal blue long-sleeved button down. He put it on and buttoned it, leaving three undone, giving him a relaxed though stylish demeanor. He then put on a black over coat, one which reached his knees, and stepped back into his loafers. Afterward he left his bedroom and headed for the bathroom to stand before the mirror and take in his own appearance. He ran his hand through his hair, checked his teeth, then sprayed some cologne on his shirt. Then he went back into his room and took a stick of mint gum off his bureau, which he put into his mouth and chewed on.
"You wanna piece of gum?" Matty asked.
"Nah, I'm good," replied Taylor.
Both then left their rooms. Matty ran his hands down his coat, smiling at Taylor as he looked him up and down.
"Nice. Lookin' good," Matty said. There was a look in his eyes, a certain smile on his face, that made him appear devious. Taylor smiled in return, looking Matty up and down just the same.
"You ready?" asked Matty.
"Yeah," said Taylor.
"Let's go," Matty responded as he turned, stepping in front of Taylor. He took the keys off the hanger beside the door then unlocked and opened the door. Both stepped out and Taylor locked the door before shutting it behind him.
Once outside, both got into Taylor's van, his Dodge Ram. Matty put the keys in the ignition and pulled out of the drive way. As they were driving down the road, Matty suddenly spoke.
"Ah, shit, I forgot my cellphone. You got yours?"
"Yeah," Taylor said, taking it out of his pocket.
"Look for some bars in the area," Matty said. Taylor pressed the buttons on his phone, keeping quiet for a good five minutes before he spoke.
"Bourbon and Branch. They say it's one of the best," said Taylor.
"Yeah? Alright. We'll go there, then. Put it in the navigation," replied Matty. Taylor obliged.
"Okay. Keep goin' straight. There's gonna be a left turn in seven minutes. I'll let you know," Taylor said.
Some time later, and Matty parked on the side of the street, shutting off the van and taking the keys out of the ignition.
"Well. Here it is," Matty said, looking out the passenger's window. He looked at Taylor, who looked back, then at the building. There was a look on their faces, as if they would say 'this is it?'
"Can't judge a book by its' cover. Come on, let's go," said Matty. He and Taylor undid their seatbelts then got out of the black van and headed for the building, walking side by side. Taylor opened the door and held it open for Matty, who stepped in. As soon as they were inside, both looked around.
"Didn't expect this," Taylor said. Matty continued to look around, shaking his head back and forth in agreement.
The walls were made of brick, there were rectangular spaces in the walls which held bottle after bottle of every type of liquor you could think of; wine, bourbon, vodka, beer. The list went on. There was a nice bar which was made of dark red wood with a shining surface, there was a big and bright chandelier hanging from above it. Matty turned to look at Taylor, pursing his lips as he nodded with satisfaction. Taylor looked at Matty and smiled, then looked at the bartender behind the table. He and Matty stepped up to the bar. Matty grinned.
"Hey, how you doin'?" he said, looking into the eyes of the balding, brown-eyed man.
"Hello. Welcome to Bourbon and Branch. What can I get you this evening?" asked the man. There was a name tag of his vest which read 'Timothy'. Matty looked beyond the man to the drinks.
"Shit..." he said in awe. "Ah. How 'bout that, right there, the Reseviour," answered Matty, pointing at a bottle in the back then taking a wad of money out of the pocket in his jacket. Just as the man was preparing to ask for ID, Matty put two hundred dollar bills on the table and slid it over to the man, who looked at it with wide eyes. He looked at Matty, seemingly confused. Matty nodded, smiling.
"We'll take the bottle," he said.
"Ah, yes, sir. Right away...!" said the man. He instantly placed two glasses on the table before Matty and Taylor, who sat down.
"Fuck, Matty," Taylor said, a look on his face that showed amusement.
"Don't worry about it," said Matty, showing his bright white teeth in an excited smile. Taylor breathed out, a laugh of sorts, and bowed his head.
Just then, Timothy poured their drinks, then left the bottle.
"Here you go, guys. Enjoy," he said.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," said Matty. The bartender smiled and nodded then went over to the next customer. Matty took the drink off the table then smiled as he looked at Taylor, raising his cup. Taylor smiled back and tapped his cup against Matty's.
He and Taylor locked eyes as they both brought the cup to their lips and quickly took down the burning liquid.
"Aah! Whew. That's good shit, huh?" Matty said, his tongue darting out of his mouth as he licked his lips. Taylor watched Matty with interest, his eyes shining and the corner of his lips turned upward in a grin.
"Yeah," said Taylor. Matty placed his cup back down on the table and took the bottle into his hands, reading the label.
"50%," said Matty.
"No shit?" replied Taylor.
"No shit," Matty said.
"Couple more shots and we'll be gone," Taylor responded.
"Yeah, you're prolly right," Matty responded, laughing softly. He opened the bottle then poured himself another cup. He looked at Taylor and bobbed his head, causing Taylor to place his cup on the table and watch as Matty poured. They proceeded with finishing that cup just as quickly as they'd finished the last.
"Ya know, out here, being a Sport's Agent... I can make it happen. Nobody 'round here's gonna know Benny Chains. I'm finally free of it, free of my father holdin' me down. Aroun' here, I'm just gonna be a regular guy, ya know?" Matty said.
"Yeah," replied Taylor. "You made the right choice, movin' on."
"Yeah. Yeah, you too. So where you gonna work, you think of anythin'? Now that you're off probation, you can do anythin', man," Matty said.
"I don't know," replied Taylor. "I'll find somethin'."
"You know what, you should go to school to be a fuckin' personal trainer," said Matty, looking Taylor up and down.
"Aaah..." Taylor replied, tilting his head to the side and shrugging, seemingly against the idea.
"No, man, I'm serious. I mean, it's your thing, you... you've always been liftin' and workin' out and, I mean, come on, look at you, man, you've got the body for it," Matty said, again observing Taylor's form. Taylor watched as Matty examined him from top to bottom.
"Yeah?" Taylor asked, smiling a smile that reached his eyes.
"Yeah. I mean, anybody who sees ya, they're gonna be thinkin', now that's what I wanna look like," said Matty.
Taylor pressed his lips together and bowed his head, looking down at his drink, appearing to be embarrassed.
"Shit, you could... You, ah... you could become a karate instructor or some shit, teach kids how to defend themselves, you know?" said Matty.
"Yeah," Taylor replied. "Might do somethin' like that."
Matty nodded, keeping his eyes on Taylor. He took the bottle off the counter and poured he and Taylor another shot, winking at his friend before the two took it down.
An hour later...
"'Bout time we should... ah... sober up..." said Matty, taking a watch out of his pocket to check the time. "1:20. If we're gonna... you know, get outta here... we gotta be somewhat coherent."
"Neither of us should be drivin', not like this. We gotta find a hotel," said Taylor, reaching into his pocket and taking his cell phone out of it.
"There's a Hilton 'bout a 7 minute walk from here," said Taylor.
"Yeah? Let's see if they've got any rooms available," Matty replied, standing up from the bench he sat on. He wobbled slightly and had to balance himself.
"Whew, that shit's strong," Matty said, and he looked back at the bottle, taking notice of the fact that they'd downed nearly half. Taylor stood up just after and the two left the restaurant.
As they walked down the street, they passed by some people, those of which Matty bobbed his head toward in a sort of greeting. A black man bobbed his head in return while a brown-eyed girl smiled and waved.
"Ya know, this place, it's not so different from Brooklyn," Matty said as he looked around, taking in their surroundings.
"Yeah," Taylor agreed. "The streets are cleaner and parking's easier, but other than that, it's hard to believe we're across the country."
"Tell me about it," Matty said, and then they finally arrived at the Hilton Hotel. Both looked up at it and then headed for the doors. Both went inside, made their way to the lobby, and stood before the counter. A woman named Jennifer looked at them, smiling a fake smile.
"Hello, do you have reservations?" she asked.
"Uh, no, Jennifer, we're just stoppin' in, checkin' to see if there are any rooms available," Matty explained.
"I'll take a look," she responded, and she began typing away at the computer. A moment later, and she looked back at them.
"There are two rooms available, but both are singles. I'm sorry, usually we recommend that you make a reservation to ensure that you get the room you want. We're almost always booked, honestly you're lucky there are any available at all," she said. Matty and Taylor looked at each other, searching one another.
"I don't mind if you don't," said Matty to Taylor.
"It's fine," Taylor replied.
Matty paid for the room and was given the key with the number on it and they walked down the hall, up the stairs, and found the door. Matty opened it then the two stepped in and looked around. It was a small room. There was a queen sized bed with clean, white comforters in the middle of the room, a small desk in the corner with a lamp on it, a chair in the corner and a small TV in front of the bed. Matty looked at Taylor and Taylor looked back with a raised brow and a smile.
Matty stepped further into the room, walking in zigzags as he struggled to remove his coat and loafers then looked for the remote to the TV. He looked on the bed, on the floor, on the stand.
"Where the fuck's the remote!" he said with irritation. He then looked beside the TV and saw it resting just there.
"Right fuckin' there, you kiddin' me?" he said. Taylor bowed his head, laughing. "Tss..." Matty turned the TV on and put it on the sports channel, as he always did.
"Fishin'. Man. I wanna go fishin' soon. We gotta go some time," said Matty.
"Haven't been in a while," Taylor replied. Matty looked at his friend and watched as Taylor took his boots off as well as his sweater, took off his rings, unhooked his necklace and placed the jewelry on the stand underneath the light of the lamp. Matty undid the rest of the buttons to his shirt then sat down on the right side of the bed. Taylor sat beside him soon after.
"Shit. We gotta... remember. We live right by the ocean. We could catch some big fish," said Matty. "We'll have to, ah... upgrade our poles."
"Yeah, we'll have to upgrade all of it... Poles... luers, line," replied Taylor.
"Should check out some boats, too, right?" Matty added.
"Yeah, it'd be nice. Like old times," said Taylor, looking over at Matty and smiling. Matty looked back and smiled in return. Both then looked away shyly, Taylor picking at a string coming from his jeans and Matty running his thumb back and forth against the remote. Matty looked back over at Taylor. He looked him up and down, his face serious. He clenched his teeth then looked at the TV , hesitating before looking back at Taylor.
"You know, Taylor... I'm glad you're here," he then said. It wasn't like Matty to be so sentimental, but he'd had quite a bit to drink, and was less guarded than usual. Taylor looked over at Matty, making eye contact. He sensed strong emotion coming from Matty.
"You expect me to sleep on the street?" asked Taylor, jokingly. Matty laughed, extending his hand and resting it on Taylor's shoulder, the one closest to him. There was a smile on his face and love in his eyes. Taylor's heart hammered beneath his chest.
"I mean here. In Cali. You didn't have to come, but I'm glad you did," Matty said. He pinched and released Taylor's shoulder with his fingers then ran his hand up to Taylor's trap, which he continued to massage. Taylor swallowed past a lump in his throat; Matty had never touched him like this before and he couldn't deny that having Matty's hands on him was always something he desired. Taylor lowered his eyes down to Matty's lap and cautiously reached his hand out to rest it on Matty's leg, close to his knee cap, showing that he approved of the way Matty touched him and that he in fact enjoyed it. He gave it a gentle squeeze and watched as Matty looked down at his hand, his lips parting as he took in a silent breath of air.
"No point stayin' in New York if you're way out here," Taylor replied in his deep voice. Matty smiled softly and his eyes began to shine. He moved his hand further up Taylor, to his neck. Taylor looked down at Matty's lips and Matty looked down at Taylor's.
"What'd I do without you, huh...? Fuck... without you, I'd be dead as a doornail..." Matty said, softly, moving his eyes from Taylor's lips to his own fingers as he rubbed the back of Taylor's neck. They'd never shared a moment as tender as this one, and both felt that something was coming; something they'd always been yearning for but hadn't had the courage to admit so. Taylor pressed his lips together and bowed his head, looking down at his hand. He slowly brushed his thumb back and forth against Matty's leg through the man's black slacks as he rested it there. Matty in return removed his hand from Taylor's neck and instead moved it down Taylor's muscular chest. Both began breathing deeply; it was a shock to the both of them that Matty was touching Taylor like this. He continued running his hand down to Taylor's stomach, then ran it back up to his chest. Taylor's brows creased as he looked into Matty's eyes, as if to ask, 'what's goin' on here?' Matty didn't look him in the eye, only focused on touching Taylor, so Taylor responded with running his palm along Matty's leg, from his knee to his thigh and back.
Matty let out another breath off air, this one audible, as he shut his eyes. He then opened them and looked at Taylor with lust while Taylor did the same. Matty licked his lips and again looked down at Taylor's, which were also parted as he breathed through them. Matty raised his hand back up to Taylor's neck and the back of his head, running his fingers along Taylor's shaved scalp. He slowly leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart. Both froze, breathing heavily as they looked into each other's eyes. Neither sensed aggression, only passion and desire. Matty looked back down at Taylor's lips and shut his eyes. He slowly moved even closer then softly pressed his full, soft lips against Taylor's. Taylor didn't have time to react before Matty stopped and again looked at Taylor. He shakily exhaled, and Taylor felt Matty shiver, as if he'd never been so nervous, or excited, or perhaps never so aroused. Unable to resist, unable to stay apart, Taylor brought their lips back together. Matty took in a deep breath from his nostrils then kissed him back, slowly and cautiously. After a few seconds, Matty leaned back and looked at Taylor, who looked back; the both of them searching for acceptance which they found. There was no doubting that they felt the same way about what was happening. So they collided once again, and both began moving faster and harder, turning their heads from side to side, kissing roughly and passionately, until they were practically breathless. Their brows lowered, giving the both of them an aggressive appearance.
Matty began using his tongue, sliding it past Taylor's lips and into his mouth, running it against Taylor's tongue and smooth cheeks. Taylor reacted to it by running his own tongue along Matty's, feeling each tooth, sliding the tip of his tongue along the roof of Matty's mouth. Such extreme feelings seared through them. Matty turned toward Taylor and Taylor turned toward Matty as the black-haired man extended both hands, one gripping Taylor's bicep and then other running up and down Taylor's side, from his hip to his ribs and across his back. Taylor also reached out, one hand against the side of Matty's face, around his ear, and the other wrapping around his thin body, holding him close. They became erect quickly, became more ferocious and eager and began moving their bodies against one another.
Matty parted from the kiss, to catch his breath and look at Taylor. Taylor looked back, admiring the way Matty looked; his big and round blue eyes, his long lashes, his pale skin and full, feminine, pink lips. Taylor placed one more kiss on Matty's lips then planted kisses along Matty's neck. Matty tilted his head to the side and moaned softly, letting his eyes shut.
"Taylor..." he quietly said, tilting his head to the side and running his cheek against Taylor's head as he moved his hands all over the man. He wanted to say 'What are we doing?' or 'Stop' but nothing came out. All he could do was lose himself in the pleasure that he'd wanted for so long, despite his denial. Taylor kissed further and further down his neck, placing his hand against Matty's skin between his unbuttoned shirt. He stroked the soft and pale skin, ran his thumb against each nipple. He stopped kissing Matty and quickly moved each half of the shirt off Matty's torso so he could see the man's chest and stomach. Matty opened his eyes, looking at Taylor as he took the shirt off entirely and threw it off the bed. He then again rested his hand on the back of Taylor's head and pulled him close to kiss him roughly. Taylor proceeded with running his hands up and down Matty's body, this time also against his cock hidden in his pants. Taylor had never touched a man like this, and Matty had never been touched by a man like this, but both felt that it couldn't have been more right. They weren't just any regular men... they were best friends. They'd grow up together, knew each other inside and out, had similar thoughts and opinions yet at the same time offered each other different view-points and could trust each other more than they could trust any other person in their lives. As Taylor touched his most private area, his greatest source of pleasure, Matty immediately parted from the kiss, gasping.
"Aw, shit..." he whispered. Taylor looked at Matty's face, admiring his expression, then bent over to kiss his chest, his ribs, his stomach. He then licked his way back up, twirled his tongue around each of Matty's nipples before sucking on them. Matty's chest raised and fell with excitement.
Just as he was kissing back down Matty's tight stomach, Matty turned and began to lift Taylor's shirt, fingers fumbling as he did it so quickly and eagerly. Taylor leaned back and raised his arms, letting Matty pull it up and over his head. Matty then instantly leaned forward and held onto Taylor roughly while he bit at Taylor's chest and nipples and placed kiss after kiss along his tan body. Taylor loved how rough Matty was, how full of desire he obviously was... It drove him wild. He ran his hands along Matty's back as the black-haired man moved back up and kissed Taylor on the lips. He shoved his tongue into Taylor's mouth, bit his lips, practically bruised them as he crushed their mouths together. The sexual frustration had been building for years. When he pulled back, he moved to Taylor's ear. He kissed it once, then ran the tip of his tongue along it, from top to bottom, then took the lobe between his teeth and gently raked them against it. Taylor let out breath of excitement. Matty then kissed his way down Taylor's neck and to his shoulder. Once he made it to the bullet wounds, he slowed down, and kissed them gently and softly. Neither had ever before shared a moment as emotional and heart-warming as this.
Taylor lovingly ran his hand up Matty's back and into his soft hair, shutting his eyes.
Matty leaned back and looked into Taylor's eyes. They hesitated for a moment, just observing each other and instinctually knowing how the other was feeling and what the other was thinking. Matty leaned back, knealing on the bed, and quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, pulling them and his briefs down and off. He couldn't and wouldn't stop, not now, not before they got further. He didn't know if he'd have a chance to be with Taylor like this, again, either because he himself would feel guilty about it or because Taylor would, and he wanted to make the most of it while he could. He knelt on the bed, entirely naked, as he moved closer to Taylor to unbutton and unzip the man's jeans. With as much urgency, Taylor helped to remove his underwear and pants so they were both nude. They knelt in front of each other and Matty instantly reached down and took ahold of his own cock while looking at Taylor's, which was about seven inches long and thick and had a vein going along the side of it. Taylor did the same and stroked his member as Matty did. Matty was more courageous than Taylor, and pushed his hips forward, brushing the head of his long dick against Taylor's, causing the both of them to moan. He did it again and again, both dick-heads meeting the smooth and slippery surface of the others'. Matty then moved even closer so their pricks were side by side. He replaced Taylor's hand with his own, so he had each their cocks in his hand, and then jerked the both of them at the same time. Taylor tilted his head back, pressing his lips together, his forehead wrinkling as his brows creased in pleasure. He then looked back down, at Matty's hand along their dicks, and out of his own cock a small bit of pre-cum leaked. Matty rubbed at Taylor's piss hole, gathering it onto his fingers before continuing to stroke Taylor's hard member. While Matty jerked them, Taylor ran his hands along Matty's body.
"Fuck..." Taylor said, desperation in his voice. Matty stroked the both of them harder and faster then took ahold of his cock and rubbed it all over Taylor's, from base to tip. He then released their dicks and instead wrapped his hands around them, making one hole with both hands, and ran them back and forth, so their cocks were pressed together, side by side. Matty clenched his teeth and moaned in his throat, his body tensing. He then pressed his lips back against Taylor's and they kissed passionately while Matty swiftly jerked and teased their cocks. After a moment, he released them, and took ahold of Taylor's with one hand while using the pointer finger of his other to rub circles along the dripping hole, which left Taylor groaning and clenching his fists.
"Fuck, Matty..." he growled. Matty watched Taylor as he grasped the man's balls while jerking him hard and fast, curling his fist over Taylor's head to give it special attention.
As Matty stroked him, Taylor reached down and took ahold of Matty's cock to do the same. Matty's cock was thin but long, about 8 inches, and he had a big purple head. Taylor tightly held the long shaft and moved his fist back and forth, slowly and teasingly at first, then faster and faster. Both could hear noises of wetness coming from their cocks.
"Fuck... Aw, fuck... I'm gonna cum," Matty moaned. He tilted his head back and thrust his hips forward as Taylor jerked him faster and harder, using his incredible strength. Matty moaned once and again, and before he came, Taylor quickly released the man's dick and forcefully pushed Matty back onto the bed so he was lying down. Matty looked up at Taylor with confusion and disease as the man bent over Matty and took the head of his cock into his mouth. Matty cried out and immediately rested his hands against Taylor's head, overwhelmed with pleasure. Taylor jerked Matty while sucking and licking the head, causing Matty to moan and groan, and push his cock up further into Taylor's mouth as he came closer to the edge. Taylor used his other hand to jerk himself, his cock aching and throbbing and harder than he ever thought it could get. Only a moment later, Matty lost all control. His body glistened with sweat, his veins popped out, his muscles tensed and stretched. He dug his fingers into Taylor's skull and moaned repeatedly, sliding his cock as far into Taylor's mouth as he could get it. Taylor removed his hand and let Matty fuck his mouth. Then suddenly Matty came, letting out squirt after squirt of his cum into Taylor's mouth. He froze, tensing, and he shook while crying with pleasure. When Matty stopped moaning and his body went limp, Taylor let the cum drip out of his mouth and back onto Matty's cock as he stroked it while it softened. Matty was still and breathless and looked as if he could pass out right then and there.
Taylor then switched hands, using the one which had Matty's cum on it on his own dick as he watched the black-haired man recharge. It didn't take long for him to cum as well, groaning loudly as he let it out onto Matty's stomach. Once empty, he lied down beside Matty, as both caught their breath.
And though he tried to stay awake, Matty soon fell asleep, exhausted after the physical pleasure and the booze, especially as it was past 2 o'clock in the morning.
By 8 in the morning, Matty woke up in the same position he'd fallen asleep in, just with the sheets pulled up over his body, and opened his eyes. His brows lowered in what appeared to be discomfort; his head and stomach ached and burned. He let out a breath of air as he sat up, running his hand through his hair. He then sat still for a moment as he remembered what exactly had happened before he fell asleep. He looked over and saw Taylor turned onto his side and breathing heavily as he slept. Matty stared at him for a good while, frowning. He looked away, clenching his teeth and swallowing, then got off the bed. Immediately, he realized he was naked. He froze, standing still, then looked back at Taylor with worry before bending over and taking his clothes off the floor, and quickly heading for the bathroom. He took a shower and thought as the water ran down his skin.
'What the fuck did I do?' Matty asked himself. 'Who the fuck am I? I'm not gay. What was I thinking?' He splashed his face multiple times and fixed his hair then left the bathroom. He saw that Taylor was now standing by the lamp, fully dressed and putting his rings back on. He looked back at Matty out of the corner of his eye. The room was silent.
Matty put on his coat and stepped into his loafers as Taylor stepped into his boots. They then looked at each other, speechless. Matty clenched his teeth, a very serious look on his face. Taylor brought his hands together and spun a ring around his finger in discomfort. Matty then looked away and as did Taylor, both of them frowning as they headed for the door. They left the hotel and walked up the street, heading back for Bourbon and Branch.
"Hope my van wasn't towed," Taylor said. Matty wouldn't look at him and he didn't respond, either. He kept quiet, hands in his pockets, his face cold and serious.
They walked back to the stop near Bourbon and Branch and saw that Taylor's van hadn't been towed. Neither said anything as they got into the vehicle and Taylor began to drive off.
"Gonna need navigation," Taylor said, taking his phone out of his pocket and handing it over to Matty. Matty took it and typed in their home address.
"Take a right, up here," he said.
As they were driving, the tension in the air became far too thick. Taylor looked over at Matty once and again, his brows creased. He was anxious; he sensed Matty's discomfort and a tinge of aggression and was worried that things between them would change. He'd never been more fearful than he was right then and there; not even when his life was at risk when he'd jumped in front of speeding bullets to protect Matty did he feel as worrisome as this. The only thing that truly worried him was losing Matty.
"About last night..." he began, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. Matty straightened his back as he took in a breath then sighed, ran his hand back and forth along the arm rest, then licked his lips and looked out the window.
"Forget about it," said Matty. "Had too much to drink."
Taylor looked over at Matty, frowning, then he pressed his lips together and looked back out the windshield.
"I'm not gay," Matty added.
"I know. Me neither," replied Taylor.
Matty brought his hand to his mouth and drummed his fingers against the armrest. There was no doubting that he was under stress.
Once they'd made it back home and went inside, Matty immediately headed for the living room and put on the TV; a San Franscisco Giant's game was playing. He sat down in his favorite black chair and kept quiet as he looked at the screen. Taylor came into the living room and stood still, looking at Matty, expressionless. Matty took notice and looked over at Taylor briefly before looking away.
'He's thinkin' about it... thinkin' of me with my cock in his hand. Thinkin' about how much I loved it. Fuck. What did I do? So much for bein' a man. I'm no man. I'm a fuckin' fag,' thought Matty.
"Sit down, would you?" he said to Taylor, irritation in his voice. Matty had never spoken to him like that before and it filled him with dread. Taylor cautiously stepped into the room and sat down on the couch, beside Matty's chair. All the comfort they'd always felt when together had disappeared; Taylor had never felt so uneasy.
Neither spoke to each other for hours and after a while, Taylor couldn't stand it. He wanted to fix things.
"You wanna go to the store, get some fishing gear?" asked Taylor. Matty swallowed.
"No. You go," said Matty. Taylor was quiet for a while; Matty would usually never turn down such a thing. He'd always wanted to go out and do things, especially with Taylor.
"Come on, Matty. You said yourself, let's forget about it. We were drunk," said Taylor, keeping his eyes off Matty. Normally he wouldn't say anything like this, but he felt the situation called for it. He knew Matty was belittling himself, mocking himself, and that he felt guilty about what had happened.
"How do you expect me to forget about somethin' like that?" Matty replied.
"Alright. Then don't forget about it. Accept that it happened. But move on," Taylor said. "Why let it get to you?"
"My question is, how is it not gettin' to you?" asked Matty. He wasn't sure why he asked. It wasn't that he was judging Taylor. Maybe it was because he wanted to see how Taylor would react; to see if Taylor had liked it as much as he was denying that he did.
"Doesn't bother me," Taylor responded.
Matty thought to say 'It doesn't bother me, either...' but in the back of his mind, he had an additional thought. 'That's the problem!'
"It should," Matty instead said, showing no proof that he'd enjoyed it.
"Matty, there's nothin' wrong with what we did. Things happen," Taylor said.
"Are you serious?" Matty asked, squinting at Taylor. "I thought you weren't gay."
"I'm not," Taylor replied.
"Then how do you think what we did is alright?" Matty questioned. Taylor was quiet for a long time.
"You're not just any regular guy," he finally said, very quietly. Matty looked at Taylor and slowly his expression softened. 'Come on, Taylor... why do you gotta say shit like that?' He stared at Taylor, a prominent frown on his face. He didn't know how to feel. One side of him agreed, but the other side mocked him. He stood up from the chair, his back facing Taylor.
"Look, I need to get outta here. I'll see ya later," said Matty. Taylor looked up at the back of Matty's head. He blinked then bowed his head, saying nothing as Matty stepped across the living room, walked into his room to get his cell phone then left the house.
In Taylor's van, Matty used his cellphone to find a strip joint. He wasn't in the mood to get laid, but he felt it needed to be done. He felt that he needed to prove to himself that he didn't like men, and liked women, and that what happened with Taylor wasn't something he loved and had always craved and now wanted more of. He found a place and put it into navigation then drove off. He parked before the entrance and once inside, he sat down at a spot near the front of the stage. One broad caught his attention; she was thin with round hips, nice breasts, wearing pink lipstick and had bright blue eyes. He called her over and gave her a wad of cash, and thus was given a long and dirty lap dance.
"When do you get off?" he asked her as she ground against him, rubbing her round ass along his legs and cock.
"Right now if you keep givin' me those big, juicy tips, baby..." she said. Matty laughed; he wasn't really too amused, it was an act more than anything. He needed to be charming to hook this fish and reel her in.
"Come on, I'm serious," he said.
"A couple of hours. Why?" she asked.
"I'll give you a hundred if you let me take you somewhere... Let me have my way with you," Matty replied, looking at her with a cheeky grin.
"Mmm. How could I refuse?" she said, turning around and giving Matty a good look at her bubble butt. Matty ran his hands against each cheek and once she stood up to leave, he gave her a quick slap. She yelped and turned around, laughing. Matty winked.
Once she moved on to her next customer, Matty left the building and instead waited in the van until he finally spotted the woman passing through the doors. He started the ignition then drove up to her and beeped. He rolled down the window.
"Come on in, babe," he said. She smiled and opened the passenger door and sat down. She crossed her legs then took a cigarette out of her red purse and lit it.
"Where are you taking me, sweetie?" she asked, looking at Matty with her bright blue eyes before taking a drag.
"Ah, well, I've got a big trunk," said Matty.
"I'm sure you do," she said, looking down at Matty's crotch. Matty laughed, bowing his head. He was trying to convince himself that he was pleased with the situation just as much as he was trying to convince her. But deep down, all he could think about was Taylor.
"Eight inches, if you'd like to know," he said.
"Mmm," she moaned in delight. "You'd better park quick, sugar. I don't think I can stand another minute without a cock of that size up inside me."
Matty looked at her deviously before he parked and the two went into the back of the truck.
After having had his way with her, Matty paid her then asked where she lived and dropped her off. He waved good-bye then continued driving. He stopped off at a café and had a coffee then drove around a bit more, taking site of a park. He decided to take a walk and did so as he thought, hands in his pockets. He smoked a cigarette, one which he'd gotten from the blue-eyed stripper. Eventually, he sat down on a bench, and simply took in his surroundings. He wore that same uneasy expression on his face.
'That did nothin' for me. She was hot. Nice. Still wasn't even half as good as last night was, with Taylor. Shit... What am I supposed to do? If pop knew what I was thinkin', he'd disown me.' 'I can't go home. Not yet. I can't face Taylor. I don't even know what to think, right now.'
Taylor had watched TV most of the day as he waited for Matty to return, but soon he decided not to wait any longer once he came to realize it was 6 o'clock and Matty was still gone. So he ordered a pizza and ate alone on the couch, for the first time since they'd returned from Montana. Taylor's chest ached; he needed to leave, to do something and keep his mind off things. After eating, he took the spare key out of his bedroom and left the house, to go for a walk. He walked to the nearest store and bought a pack of cigarettes; he needed them now more than ever. He smoked one as he walked home in the darkness. And though he tried to ignore all feeling, a deep sadness seared through him. It became intolerable, and turned to anger; a terrible, firey anger. He ended up deliberately bumping into a large, muscular man as he walked down the street.
"Watch where the fuck you're goin'," Taylor said. The man looked Taylor up and down.
"What'd you just say, asshole?" asked the man, clenching his hands into fists as he got up into Taylor's face. Taylor threw his cigarette on the ground then pushed him back forcefully which resulted in the man taking a swing at Taylor. But Taylor ducked and instead punched the man hard in the stomach. As the man bent over and groaned in pain, Taylor took him by the back of the head and brought the man's face to his knee. The man fell over onto his back, turning back and forth in pain. Taylor then bent over and took the man by the shirt, holding him up to his face.
"Don't you fuckin' mess with me!" Taylor yelled before punching the man in the face then letting his head drop to the cement. The man whined, spitting blood from his mouth as Taylor then stood up and continued walking. He breathed deeply as he took another cigarette out of the pack in his pocket, lit it and smoked it.
When he returned home, he realized his van was there, meaning Matty had finally come home. Taylor clenched his teeth, his heart hammering as he stepped up to the door. He turned the knob and realized it was unlocked. He walked into the house, looking around for Matty, and realized he was in the bathroom, taking a shower. Taylor went into the kitchen and washed the blood off his rings and hands. He then sat back down on the couch, smoking another cigarette as he used his cellphone. He was looking for a job, anything available in the area, to keep his mind off things.
When Matty exited the bathroom, he stepped into the living room, and realized Taylor was sitting there, which caused him to freeze in place. Taylor glanced at Matty out of the corner of his eye, realizing that Matty was in his blue robe. Even as Matty was like this, he couldn't deny that he found Matty attractive and that he loved his friend, more than he would say. But Taylor was silent and continued to look at his phone. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took another drag.
"Want one?" he asked.
"No, I'm good," Matty replied, in that same cold voice. Taylor looked away from his cellphone, up at the TV. Matty wouldn't even come near him, and denied a cigarette; a rarity. Taylor's stomach turned. He hesitated, then stood up from the couch and swiftly walked past Matty.
"Taylor..." Matty said, softly, though he didn't know what he'd say. He watched as Taylor ignored him, going into his room, shutting and locking the door.
There was a sadness in Matty's eyes and an ache in his chest. He hadn't meant to treat Taylor differently, or to make the man feel badly; it was his own insecurities that left him behaving the way he was. He frowned as he looked at the closed door. He bowed his head, brows creasing, then ran his hand across his mouth. Instead of sitting down and watching TV, he shut it off, and went into his own room. As he laid down in bed, he looked up at the ceiling in thought.
'I can't do this... I can't keep treatin' Taylor like this. He's never done anything to hurt me. Fuck, he risked his life for me. He's only ever been there for me. And now that... now that all that happened, I treat him like shit. He doesn't deserve it. I'm an asshole...'
The next morning, when Matty woke up, he changed into a black shirt and black slacks then left his room. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and gel his hair and once he exited, he looked around the house, and realized that Taylor was gone. So he went into the living room and took his chair, turning it to the side, so it was facing out the window. He looked outside, over at the ocean and the San Francisco bridge which was far off in the distance. He held his chin with one hand while the other was wrapped around the arm of his chair. His legs were spread wide apart, his socked feet pressing against the tan rug. The window was open, and in came a nice cool breeze, which softly blew through his hair and slightly lifted his black shirt, revealing his tight stomach.
He was deep in thought as he looked over at the horizon, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. He wore a worried expression on his face; there were wrinkles along his forehead, his gray eyes were serious, his lips were tugging downward in a deep frown. He hardly moved, accept to blink, to breathe, to clench his teeth and to swallow. It would have been clear to anyone who came across him that he was thinking deeply.
Taylor came home an hour later while Matty was still sitting in his chair, facing the window. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Taylor once the man stepped into the living room.
"Taylor..." he began, softly. Taylor said nothing, but stood still, waiting for Matty to continue.
"I'm sorry," he added. All was quiet for a moment. But then Taylor stepped further into the living room, closer to Matty, and looked with him out the window.
"You were right. What we did, there's nothin' wrong with it. I was just upset with myself. That's all..." Matty said. He then hesitated before continuing.
"But I can't keep lyin' to myself. Lyin' to you. Treatin' you the way I have. You don't deserve it... Look... I liked what we did. And that was a lot to process. I've never done anything like it before..." he said quietly.
"And... I always tried to deny it, but... but, you know, I've always thought about it. Not about doin' it with any regular guy... but with you. Ever since we were fourteen I've been thinkin' about it," Matty admitted. "I just couldn't accept it. Especially since my pop and uncle Teddy were always makin' fun of gays. Callin' 'em fags. Homos. Cock-suckers and fudge-packers and all that shit... And growin' up, I was always supposed to be a man, a real man, a tough guy... You know?"
Taylor pressed his lips together and bowed his head.
"I know. Same with me," he said. "But you're past that, now. It's not about what they want, anymore. It's about what you want."
Matty swallowed and bowed his head. He nodded slowly.
"I know... Let's take it slow, alright...?" Matty quietly said.
"Yeah..." Taylor agreed. Such a huge feeling of relief came over him, such a feeling of excitement. Not only would their friendship go back to normal but there would be the addition of romance; Taylor couldn't have felt better. "No need to rush into it."
Slowly, Matty stood up from the chair and turned around, looking at Taylor with emotion in his eyes. He clenched his teeth then stepped over to Taylor, bowing his head, brushing his hair against Taylor's chest. He cautiously moved closer and pressed his body against Taylor's, his hands in his pockets as he rested his chin on Taylor's shoulder. Taylor hesitated then gently lifted his hand and rested it against Matty's back, tilting his head to the side and pressing his cheek against Matty's head.
And so things had been rectified and their relationship had progressed, ever so slowly, and not one more argument did they have.
[The End]