Tommy comes out of the bathroom quickly drying off, eager to reunite with Annika. Yes, they spent the day together, and went together to burn down a too daring rival in the evening, and followed up in the wee hours of the night with a passionate sex session, so what? He's barely…well, it's already five o'clock in the morning after the alarm clock on the nightstand, but they're young and not the type to go to bed with the chickens. They can still have a drink, or play a game of poker, or even have a second round, before the sun comes up...
Tommy is in the process of enunciating these tantalizing programs aloud when he realizes that Annika has fallen asleep, exactly in the position he left him, sprawled on the bed. He smiled tenderly. So much for the late night. At the same time, it is true that the day was particularly long. Without forgetting that, as often, it was Annika who took the lead in bed and did the most tiring. It wouldn't occur to the blond to complain about it, but he more or less hoped for...something else. Even if he has no reason to want more, he reasons to himself.
He's very lucky, actually. He was able to achieve his dream of becoming a gangster, he is powerful, famous, endowed with magic, and he has an incredible partner. Annika is almost a caricature of the outlaws he's always dreamed of, he's incredibly strong, reliable, with ironclad composure, he can take on anything without hesitation and take down anyone. who without batting an eyelash. They make a thundering team, the two master assets of the Kozlow clan, whatever that fool Barney thinks, they are each ready to protect the other with their own life without hesitation, and are able to knock down all obstacles. who may attempt to stand in their way. As long as he has Annika by his side, Tommy is certain he is invincible.
And on top of that, for some time – ever since Annika got his mechanical arm, although that doesn't make sense – they've been sleeping together. It's only happened a few times, always moments when the adrenaline burns their veins and when they throw themselves on each other as if they want to devour each other, before pretending that nothing is wrong. was the next day. Sharing Annika's bed is always great no matter what role the brunette chooses, and Tommy should just enjoy what he's got. Besides, there's no way Anna will ever be too pushy about their relationship or ask her to commit to anything serious. So far, they haven't engaged in anything at all. Tommy preferred not to ask questions. All he knows is that obviously Annika and Miklos broke up – is that the cause? That's a dangerous question — and one that the brunette has forbidden her from talking about this aspect of their relationship to anyone. His demeanor is as elusive as the expressions on his face. And until he knows, Tommy is way too scared to do or say the wrong thing and end… what they have today, whatever it is. So he doesn't ask for anything. So he doesn't know.
In the meantime, this is the first time he can take advantage of Anna like this, so vulnerable and abandoned. The previous times, Tommy fell asleep pretty quickly after they had sex, and before that, the mood isn't conducive to properly admiring Annika's body. Before, all his attention is focused, captivated by his lover's gaze, his dark eyes so piercing, his face of marble, as ferociously attentive as when he works, as if Tommy were a particularly dangerous explosive that could only be mastered. 'with constant concentration. And Tommy Bloom, who loves nothing more than to be stared at, sometimes feels like he could die from that look, as sharp as a dagger. It's incredibly exciting, more intoxicating than the best whiskeys they could get their hands on, more exhilarating even than throwing yourself into the middle of the balls and letting its explosions run wild. With just one look, Annika can give him an adrenaline rush that violently approaches the hottest times of his life as a dangerous gangster, and Tommy can't get enough of it.
But it is also nice to discover it differently. Slowly, the blonde lets a bare hand run over his lover's back and gently descends to his buttocks, playing with his fingertips to trace a secret path between his countless brown freckles. It's funny how much he's come to appreciate Annika's freckles. He had always preferred lighter freckles, like those of Grace, his first girlfriend, who looked like they had been spangled with gold paint. Anna looked more like he was streaked with ink. If we really wanted to do poetry, we could compare our skin to thet and her dark spots to a star-studded night – if you reversed the colors – and you could trace constellations on her surprisingly soft skin. Tommy is not really a man of poetry, but he loves romantic songs, and he would be tempted to improvise one in praise of this speckled muscular back, finally perfectly relaxed. Even if he has to admit, somewhere deep down, that he loves Annika's freckles, first and foremost because they're Annika's freckles. They are as inseparable from him as his black eyes and lack of expression. Thinking of them is thinking of him, and inevitably, each time, he feels this little thrill, this mixture of pride at having been chosen, fear of misunderstanding and ruining everything, and other things. Another thing he always took for admiration, a desire to be special in the eyes of the one he considered a role model, a desire to be seen, understood and applauded. A desire that may have nothing to do with what he believed.
His hand caresses her lover's buttocks, a touch that quickly turns into a full-palm caress. Annika is the only person in the world in front of whom Tommy takes off his gloves, and he takes the opportunity to fully appreciate the sensation. His butt is really the only part of his anatomy that's fluffy – although you can feel the muscle underneath when you really knead it. Anna is all muscle, not the burly type like Tommy, more lean, sheathed muscle, sinewy, ready for action in a split second. Snake-like reflexes, a rough-hewn face, knife-throwing eyes, everything about the brunette seems to be hewn out of steel. Except his buttocks, which Tommy hugs tenderly against, before planting a light kiss on his lover's mottled neck.
Who would have thought that Annika was literally sitting on such a marvel. The fact that no one noticed is a crime of his tailor. It is absolutely necessary that Tommy make him a correct costume, one that fits well and puts his sumptuous fall of the kidneys in value. Anna would hate – the only thing he hates more than talking is being looked at, they can be really complementary on that side, not to say dramatically opposed. But with enough charm, he might give in. Tommy never knows if it's because he's softened by his nonsense or he's tired of wasting his time listening to the blonde's babbling, but he gives in. The man of steel is ultimately much more tender than it seems. And Tommy is the only one who knows. Well, Miklos probably knows it too, but it doesn't matter. At this moment, it is Tommy who is there in Annika's bed, and only he can see his tender side. It's all that matters.
He slips in next to his lover and begins to fold the covers between them, before turning off the bedside lamp. The time to make this gesture was enough for Annika to fall back on the side - with his back to him. Tommy doesn't really know how to interpret this gesture, he doesn't even know if Anna has woken up or if he's still unconscious, and he's still debating whether or not to move closer when Annika walks away. steps back and sticks her back against him.
With a relieved smile that he is completely unaware of, Tommy adjusts his position to that of the brunet, pressing their two bodies against each other. Anna lets out a sigh, but doesn't seem to have woken up, just relaxed. And that's perfect. The blond has his nose on the back of his lover's neck and this smell soothes him in turn, preparing him for sleep. As for freckles, this smell would not have deserved to be written poems. Anna smells like cigarettes first and foremost – everything he smokes has permeated his hair, his clothes and his apartment for a long time. He also smells of gunpowder when he's handled the guns, and cheap soap, probably the same one he's been using since he was a teenager. We also find, when we look for it, a discreet trace of the smell of Tommy magic, the one that has the cigarettes that he lights with his flames and that Annika prefers to all the others. And also the smell of Annika himself, the one that sets him apart from all the others. None of this or the resulting blend is particularly appealing, it's not the kind of fragrance that makes a pretty girl turn around and wonder where that flowery scent is coming from. But Tommy fell in love with it because it smells like Annika, and when they're like that, curled up in each other's arms, he feels amazing. In its exact place in the universe.
He drops his arm over Anna and strokes him gently. He doesn't want to wake him up and he's pretty sure the brunette won't want a second round at this hour, but Tommy wants to touch him again, more tenderly.