They walked into the small house, and Nathan threw his keys onto the table by the door. He rubbed his eyes and the back of his neck, knowing well enough to assume he had to be as physically exhausted as he was mentally. It didn't matter anyway; he knew he wouldn't be getting any rest any time soon. Not with him here.
"Sorry, I've been told the couch is pretty lumpy, but it's probably no better than the mattress." Nathan said, as he walked in, showing Duke around like he hadn't been to his place a million times before.
"I'm sure I've dealt with worse. I just don't know why I had to stay here, is all."
"Well, you remember, don't you? The fact that you can't go back to your place, because someone might come back and try to stab you again!? It's crazy, but I think that might have something to do with it." Nathan reminded him, annoyed.
"Yes, but the difference is I know he's coming this time, and that is what my collection of various guns and weapons are for." Duke replied, and Nathan knew he probably wasn't joking about that. But the fact that Duke really thought he would let him try to fend for himself right now was just ridiculous.
"And I'm sure you'd be a very formidable opponent when you currently can't even tie your own shoes." Nathan laughed.
"Oh, I'm not that damaged, Nathan. Just a little sore... and these stitches are itchy."
Nathan wanted to say 'At least you remember what itchy feels like', but decided it was in better interest to just ask, "Are you sure that you didn't get a name? Description? Anything?"
"Not a thing. Ain't it funny?" Duke replied, sarcastically. He knew who the guy was and Nathan knew he knew. He just couldn't comprehend why the hell Duke wouldn't tell him after something like that happened. Nathan wondered if it was because he didn't trust him anymore.
"You're not funny, Duke. What you are is lucky that Parker happened to be the same blood type as you." Nathan said, kicking his shoes off underneath the coffee table. "And you know exactly why you had to come here. It's because it's the last place anyone would look for you."
Duke laughed, "Yeah, I guess that's true."
Nathan thought he was just deflecting away from the issue, but in reality, Duke just felt it wasn't safe for Nathan to be involved. He was also scared of how Nathan would handle the truth. The truth was, Duke had agreed to make a delivery for someone he knew he shouldn't. A very scary and important person, but also someone you do not want to say no to. But, he figured... no questions, no problems, like always, right? Wrong. The problem was that delivery was a person. He wanted Duke to smuggle an American teenage girl off to god knows where, most likely to be some rich foreign creep's sex slave. So, when Duke found out what the package really was, he refused and now that man wanted him dead.
He was relieved when Nathan had decided to drop it for now though, and asked, "Well, you want a beer? There's not much else to do around here. Maybe we can play a couple hands of poker or something?"
"Haven't I gotten poked enough for one evening?" Duke joked.
Nathan rolled his eyes at the poor attempt to get a laugh, and replied, "If you don't want to, that's fine."
"No, no. Poker sounds good." Duke replied, as he settled himself on the couch. "You know, Nathan, I gotta say... I think this is the first time in about fifteen years that I've been to your place and you've offered fun activities and semi-civil conversation. I was beginning to think you didn't know how to."
"Oh, come on, Duke. We aren't always fighting."
"Not so much around Audrey, but... yeah. Yeah, we still always fight." he said, with that grin he gave when he was saying something just to be a jerk, "But I just wanted to say though, in all honesty... this whole thing's gotta stop. I mean, aren't we getting a little old to still be having this pissing contest between us?"
"Mmm... no." Nathan replied, trying to look serious at first, but Duke knew it was a lighthearted response.
He handed Duke the beer, and Duke popped it open, taking a big swig. He almost seemed like he was working up the nerve for something, and Nathan soon discovered what that was, when Duke said, "So, if I'm going to be here for a couple of days, I want us to get all this awkwardness out of the way first, okay? Clear the air. Especially now that I have you alone and we're finally being somewhat polite. So, can you answer me one thing, please?"
"What's that?"
"What the hell happened with us, Nate? Cuz all these years later, and... you're still pissed at me and I have no idea why."
He stared at Duke, confused. He wasn't sure what had brought this on. Was this just some ploy to start a fight between them so that he could leave? Because Duke should know by now, that wouldn't work. Nathan would still make him stay. So, what was he getting out of this? Why could he possibly want to talk about this unless he really didn't know?
Then again, the real question was... was Nathan ready to discuss this? Those were boxes he wasn't sure he wanted opened again. What they would release... well, there were reasons they were buried in the first place. Then again, it wasn't exactly like they could avoid the issue forever. Not with how much time they had been spending together; it would get brought up one way or another.
"Are we really going to have this conversation right now?"
"Well, when is a better time in your schedule, Nate? Because I know we both have oh so much free time these days."
"Fuck, alright... I guess we're doing this." Nathan sighed, settling across from him on the couch. He was bracing himself for the words to come, because he knew this was going to be hard for him. He wasn't exactly the one known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, especially when it came to Duke. "How about the fact that you were my first... everything!? My first best friend, my first big secret..."
Duke knew exactly what he meant by that, too. The Chief had never been able to accept their friendship, even when they were really young. But even though Nathan knew it was technically wrong to do, he would lie to his dad and go hang out with Duke instead. He'd say he was going to the library or another friend's house, but it wasn't true. He would sneak over to the park to play basketball with Duke, or sneak him into his bedroom window so that he could sleepover. He always wanted Duke to be around, because when he was, he could just be him. Not who his dad wanted him to be, not who anyone expected him to be because he was the Chief's son. He was just Nathan.
"You were the first person I ever smoked a cigarette with, drank a beer with. You were the guy to teach me how to roll a joint." Nathan said with a chuckle that turned into an eased grin as he reflected more, "You taught me how to kiss..."
Duke cut him off with a sly smile, "If I recall correctly, I taught you how to do a lot more than that."
Nathan sighed in frustration, as he continued, "But that was it, though. You were scared about things changing between us, but everything had already because you had changed, and now I was your big secret. The lame friend you were hiding from all the cool kids, if you were even admitting to being my friend that day. And then, after that happened between us, then I was just some guy you were fooling around with behind all of their backs."
It was the truth Nathan had been apprehensive to face. They'd always had their off-and-on's, but during an 'on' time in their friendship, when they were about fifteen, Nathan had asked Duke to take his virginity. Duke was completely shocked, because as far as he knew, Nathan had never been attracted to men, so he wondered why the thought had even crossed his mind. Duke had always been more open minded when it came to sexuality, so he had definitely thought about it before. He just never thought it would never happen, so he squashed that fantasy down deep in his spank bank and moved on. His friendship with Nathan meant more to him than anything, and as much as he wanted to agree, he told Nathan the truth... sort of. He told him that he wasn't sure if he was the right person for Nathan to be considering, and that it might complicate things between them.
But Nathan wouldn't take no for an answer. And the alcohol they'd been drinking that night somehow helped Duke wrap his mind around Nathan's jumbled words, as he tried to explain to him why. He said that he wanted it to be someone he could be completely comfortable with, someone that he trusted and really cared about, and there was no other person for him. He also said that he wanted to learn the general idea of what it was supposed to feel like when he had sex with a girl, so he had to make sure it would be from a very good teacher. So, even though he was sure Nathan that had just used blatant flattery as a means to persuade him, Duke agreed. And he taught him well... very well. Over and over... and over.
They never mentioned it going beyond that one night, but it had. Far beyond. It felt too natural at that time and they were too young to question it. They just chalked it up to teenage hormones and let whatever happened occur. But when they were together, it was beautiful. There was a fluidity to their bodies, moving so perfectly in sync... it was like a dance they'd choreographed for ages, yet they'd never done before. Somehow they knew, without words, what the other wanted, where their hand or their mouth was needed, if the other wanted to take it slow and gentle, or if they needed it fast and rough... they just knew.
But other kids had started to notice the chemistry between them change too, and Duke didn't want to give the student body yet another reason to make fun of Nathan. He had it rough enough without having to deal with that. And he also knew that Nathan was having a hard time because of him, struggling with if and how their arrangement had affected his sexuality. So Duke wasn't shocked when he'd figured it out that it was over. When Nathan quit calling, he just figured that he didn't want to sleep with a guy anymore. Or maybe he had finally realized he could do a lot better than Duke and moved on. Either way, he always knew it would have to come to that soon enough.
However, his words had been sinking in with Duke. Maybe things had been a lot different than he'd realized back then. He always thought, it was Nathan using him, but did he think the same about Duke?
He was almost too shocked to ask, "Nathan, please... please, don't tell me... that you think that's all you meant to me, is it? That you were just some fuck buddy?"
"I don't know, Duke, wasn't I?" he snapped back, and the look on Nathan's face as he did almost broke Duke's heart.
But Nathan was bewildered by how hurt he looked as well, when Duke replied, "God, no. What the hell had brought that on?"
Nathan knew he was going to have to explain; he just wasn't sure how he would make it through the story. It was going to hurt and not just him. If what Duke had said was any indication, it would hurt him too.
"I went to Paul Sullivan's house for a party one night sophomore year. You were in his back yard standing by the fire pit with Sara Davies. You hadn't noticed me yet, but man, how could you? She was all over you, it was almost pathetic. But anyway, she asked you what was going on between us, because people had been talking and she was a nosy bitch... And you told her... this is word for word, mind you, because I could never forget what you said... 'I'm not gay and even if I was, Nathan Wuornos is the last guy I would ever fuck. I'm not even really friends with him. I only hang out with that loser because I feel sorry for him.' Oh, and if that didn't hurt enough, you decided to take her inside about ten minutes later to prove to her just how 'not gay' you were. The whole party heard you two, but I always figured that was just for extra measure to squash the rumors for good."
Duke seemed shocked. His mouth hung open in awe at first, but then he just looked like he was feeling nauseous. He threw his head back onto the couch and closed his eyes, like he was blacking out, somehow so upset emotionally that it was disturbing him physically.
It took him a few minutes to be able to speak, but when he could, Duke said, "Holy fuck. Nathan... I must have been so wasted; I don't even remember that. That doesn't matter though. That's no excuse. I really can't believe I said that about you. That's so horrible. How the fuck could I do that!? I didn't mean any of that. God, why do I have to be such an asshole and fuck everything up!?" He screamed, raking his hands through his hair, holding his head in his hands for another few minutes as he calmed himself again. He looked back at Nathan once he had settled down and added, "I doubt it's any consolation now, but... I'm so fucking sorry. I wish you had told me then."
"I just didn't understand it. All that stuff... gay, straight, whatever... never really mattered to you before. So I couldn't get why you felt you had to do that."
"Hell, I'd like to know the answer myself." Duke replied, "Obviously, I did care more about what other people thought. More than either of us knew, I guess."
Nathan chugged down the rest of his beer, working up the nerve for the next question. "Duke, be honest... were you embarrassed of me? Is that why you said what you did?"
"No!" he exclaimed.
"So then why wouldn't you ever, at the very least, admit we were friends? I get the other stuff; it was a different time. People weren't as okay with it as they are now. Hell, apparently neither one of us were as okay with it as we thought either, but... fuck, Duke, you couldn't even be my friend."
"I was never embarrassed. But Nate, I knew the other kids weren't going to ever get you, not like I did. So yeah, looking back on it now, I guess I didn't include you into that part of my life as much as I should have and kept you separate from them. But... I don't know, I guess I liked having something that was away from all of them, that was just... mine, you know? I didn't have to put up fronts around you. I could just be my goofy ass self and didn't have to worry about looking cool. And, I don't know, I guess I thought that if I let you into that part of my life, I would lose you. That you would change in all the ways that I guess I was hating myself for changing. I could have gone about it so much better, but you can't blame a sixteen year old boy for being an idiot! I was stupid. I was a jerk. Not to mention, I was a raging ball of testosterone and my entire basis of self-worth was built upon what my peers thought about me." Duke said, reaching over in an attempt to grab his hand, but Nathan moved away before he could. Duke was upset by that, but sighed and continued, "I was scared as hell to actually say it, but I thought you at least knew how much I cared about you. God, if I could have just been more honest with you... hell, with myself... all of this could have been avoided. But, of course... I should have known it was my dumbass who screwed this all up. What else could have happened? I had honestly thought you just got bored of me and moved on."
"Bored of you? What would bring on that idea? No one could ever get bored of you, Duke. I thought that you weren't into it anymore and pushed me away, because we had promised that we weren't going to get attached. But, god, I was so crazy about you and I thought you noticed and freaked. But then, you said that to her... I'd never been that hurt by someone before. I don't think there was anything that you could have done to make that right with me, Duke."
They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, before Duke replied, "I would have kept trying, you know... To make it right? Even if it was impossible, I would have never stopped trying."
"I know that now. I just wish I had then." he said, staring into his eyes, looking for any sign that he was lying. He wasn't. Duke had proven himself to him countless times, shown to him that he was a good man with good intentions throughout it all.
Nathan decided to take his opportunity then. If they were going to be completely honest that night, he had to know the answer to one thing.
"Why did you get stabbed tonight?" Nathan asked, but saw that Duke was about to protest, so he added, "Clear the air, right? Duke... please."
Duke sighed and reluctantly told him the story. About the girl, how she had looked so young that he had almost cried. He told him that all he could think about when he saw her was a girl who had gone missing when we were in eighth grade - Jenna Wilkerson. How her parents had looked when they came to the school desperately asking if anyone had known anything. And how, after he saw this girl, all he could picture were her parents doing the same thing. He said he had made up some excuse about thinking the cops were watching his boat, so the guy had accepted that as an out. But, he said that, somehow, he just couldn't leave it alone and he wasn't sure why; it was almost nagging at him. So, he figured out who the next person was that they would attempt to go to with this particular 'package' and had left an anonymous tip with the police, but he wasn't sure what had progressed with that. That was, until the guy showed up at The Rouge and attacked him.
Nathan shot up from the couch, furiously. "Who is this guy? I need a name. Now!"
"See? This is why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to get you involved. It's too dangerous." Duke replied, reaching out to grab Nathan's arm to stop him from pacing, but he shrugged it away before he touched him.
"If something happens to you, Duke... trust me, I am involved. Okay? Now, give me a name."
"Well, that's sweet, Nathan, but I don't want this coming back to you. If I give you a name, I want you to promise me that you are only going to check to see if he's been caught yet, okay? Nothing more."
"You know I can't just..."
"Nathan." Duke said, abruptly cutting him off. "Promise me."
Nathan struggled with it for a minute, but finally promised. And when Duke gave him the name, he knew immediately why he was disconcerted. That guy was a level of dangerous that he didn't think Duke would attempt to reach, but apparently he had. But Nathan also knew the guy was being watched. He was someone that had not only been on their radar lately, but the FBI's as well.
"I know you're probably upset with me, but I think this was actually a really good thing for me. That made me realize... that's the person that people think I am. That I would actually do those kind of things." Duke trailed off with a disgusted look on his face, "So... I'm done! I'm done with smuggling, shipping, exporting... whatever the hell you want to call it. I am not going to be that person anymore. I got way too good a thing going on here with the restaurant. I finally got an out into a real life, and I need to take it seriously, for once."
Nathan took a second to process that all. He had heard all these promises from Duke before and had been let down. But actions speak louder than words and his actions as of late were what made Nathan think he could be for real this time. He had made the right decision and was trying to make a better path in life for himself. It gave Nathan a glimmer of hope that maybe things were finally different.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Duke. And for the record, I'm not mad. And I never thought you would do something like that either. I've always told you that you were better than that shit. I'm just sad it took something like this to make you see it too." Nathan said, as he stared deep into Duke's eyes. He had to add, "Underneath it all, you are a good man."
Duke tried to fight a smile and Nathan grew very aware of how awkward their stare was becoming. He noticed Duke's hand moving toward his knee so he quickly jumped up from the couch, grabbed the empty beers and asked, "You want another one?"
"Yeah, sounds good." he replied, with a faint smile, "And, hey, how about we get to poker before we go too Oprah Winfrey special, okay?"
Nathan returned and handed him his bottle, but as he did, their fingers grazed each others and... he felt it. His hand jumped back, like he'd been shocked. Duke must have noticed somehow too, because he stared at his hand in almost the same manner, before staring up at Nathan with uncertain eyes.
"What just happened?" Duke asked.
"I... I felt that." Nathan replied, with a dumbfounded smile. He reached across and placed his other hand on the side of Duke's face gently, looking elated, yet almost scared. "How? How is this happening?"
"I don't know." Duke reached up tentatively, and he placed his hand over the outside of Nathan's. "It's gotta be because... of Audrey, her blood...? Maybe because you can feel her...?"
"It's gotta be that. I just... I never really thought it was possible."
Nathan stared at their hands in almost a daze, and Duke noticed the small changes in his face when his thumb moved, slowly grazing across the top of his hand. He moved that hand over to place it on Nathan's hip, his thumb now delving underneath his shirt to caress the soft skin there. He enjoyed seeing how something so small could be having an impact, as Nathan fought to keep his eyes in focus. He remembered that look very well and decided that they might actually find a way to make their card game fun tonight. Besides, it sounded like he had a lot to make up for and... what better way?
"So, want to make poker interesting?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
"Don't have too much cash on me tonight." Nathan replied, looking genuinely confused.
"Not what I meant." he smirked, "I was thinking about kicking Honesty Hour up a notch, and possibly taking full advantage of this opportunity we have here. How about... whoever wins the hand gets to make the other person do whatever they want. Anything."
"So, truth or dare poker, basically." Nathan said, processing the information. He remained stoic for a second, something he was very good at, but eventually he asked, "But I can disagree if it's something I just flat out won't do, right?"
"Of course. Everyone has their boundaries." Duke agreed, "Besides, there are some things I just can't do right now without ripping stitches, so I think that's pretty much implied."
"Okay, sounds good then." Nathan agreed, but Duke silently wondered if he still wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to happen here.
"Alright, let's get this started then." Duke said, chuckling to himself as he grabbed the deck of cards from the coffee table. "You know, I have to say, I thought you'd be a bit more put off by the idea."
Nathan smirked as he took a swig of his beer, "Just shut up and deal, Crocker."
Duke sipped his beer and began shuffling, then dealing the both of them five cards each. He had two pairs already. It seemed the poker gods were smiling down on him. He just hoped he could keep his luck coming.
"So, how does this work then?" Nathan asked.
"Well, I guess we just won't fold on any hand, no matter what. You can't discard more than three cards and there's no wild cards. Whoever wins makes the stakes."
"Okay, well... I'll take three then." he said, throwing his unwanted cards down on the couch.
"Alright, three for the detective. One for me." Duke replied, before putting on a sexy smile as he added, "So? Show me what you got."
Nathan had a measly pair of Jacks, but Duke quickly showed that he had gotten the full house he was attempting for - tens over fours. Nathan's face instantly flushed, realizing now he was succumb to the will of Duke Crocker. He could now make him do anything he wished, and that idea was both unnerving and a little exciting too.
"Let's start with a truth before we get to the dares." Duke said, deciding to take a somewhat easy approach to everything. "Am I the only guy that you've ever been with?"
Nathan blushed and sipped his beer awkwardly, before taking a deep breath, almost working up the nerve to respond, "You're the only guy I've ever even considered."
Duke felt an odd warmth swell inside him. He tried to fight his smile, as he asked, "Really?"
"That's another first of mine that you can add to your list - first crush. I had a crush on you before I knew what that even was. There was always something different about you, you know?"
It was Duke's turn to blush, as he replied, "Well, I feel honored, Nathan. I really do. And just so you know, you were my first crush too."
"Thanks, Duke, but no, I wasn't. That was... oh shit, I can't remember now. Was it Tawny Kitaen or Tommy Lee?"
"Excuse me, but it was Mr. Nathan Thaddeus Wuornos, for your information... because celebrities don't count." Duke joked. "And you were wrong anyway, it was Nikki Sixx."
They laughed and continued, the next hand going to Nathan. He decided to start easy with a question, as well.
"What would you have done to start making things up to me about Sara?"
"Teenaged Duke? He would have probably done something lame, like write you a song or a poem or something... Maybe got your name tattooed on his butt when that didn't work." he joked, but Nathan roared with laughter at the thought.
Once he calmed down, he asked, "And... what about Now Duke?"
Duke smirked and leaned across the distance to get close, as he said, "Oh, I don't know. I probably would... take you to that bed and breakfast a few hours away from here, the one on the beach. We would rent the whole place out for the weekend, so we wouldn't have any interruptions." Duke got closer then, his lips were fainting over Nathan's ear as he continued in a quiet, husky tone, "And for a few days, I would spend every waking minute showing you exactly how sorry I was, with every lick, every stroke... every second dedicated to your absolute pleasure." He then rested back against the couch again and grinned triumphantly at the reaction he had arose from Nathan, before adding in a cocky tone, "You know... just for starters."
Nathan knew, despite the ability to feel it, that his dick had twitched at the thought. However, he knew looking down to see if he was becoming hard would be too obvious and he wasn't sure what the reaction from the man sitting across from him would be. Would he laugh? Would he smile? Would he try to leave? Or would he be just as turned on? He knew he couldn't exactly stare down at Duke's crotch to gauge either. That might screw things up too! He was so unsure about all of this, but the one thing Nathan knew for sure was that he wanted this game to continue.
Duke had won the next hand, but decided to switch it up from the Q&A portion that had been happening so far. He had to start slow, though. He didn't want to freak Nathan out by suggesting anything too quickly.
"You have to... let me give you a massage."
"Well, umm... I guess. Okay." Nathan replied, now looking a little nervous, "Wait... is this okay though? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Nate, I'm not doing anything crazy, just rubbing your neck. Come on, doesn't that sound good? It's just for a few minutes, anyway." Duke said, and Nathan agreed, because he had to admit, it did sound good. So, he turned so his back toward the arm rest of the couch and Duke stood to get behind him, placing his hands on his shoulders. It was then he felt lips on his ear again, as Duke whispered, "Besides, if I hurt myself, you can always kiss it better."
He was loving messing with Nathan like this. He knew how much of a turn on spot his ears were for him, so he knew this had to be driving him wild.
He began rubbing his shoulders, and Nathan realized he had never really noticed how big and strong Duke's hands were before. But to be fair, he hadn't felt those hands on him since they looked a lot different and he had definitely missed them. When Duke's fingers started moving, Nathan was surprised how he could ever forget the finesse they held; they felt remarkable. So gentle and yet so forceful at the same time, working every bit of tension away slowly.
At least, he assumed. He couldn't actually feel how tense his muscles were, but he could somehow feel the affect the massage was having on them at the same time. His eyes drooped as Duke began to work on his neck. The rough callouses of his fingertips were a nice contrast against his smooth skin and were delving up into the hairs at the nape of his neck.
Nathan hadn't felt anything like this in years. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time anyone had given him a massage. Somehow he knew, it probably was Duke then too, but he didn't care. He was happy he was now too.
Duke leaned down, his mouth getting close to Nathan's ear as he said, "Well, I think it's time..." he started, before standing back up and speaking normally again, "...for another hand. You deal. I'll get the beers."
Duke almost swore he could hear a whimper as he walked away, toward the fridge. He felt a grin of gratification creep onto his face as he grabbed the bottles and popped them open, handing one to Nathan.
The next few hands went back and forth. Duke asked Nathan to remove clothing and Nathan removed his socks, to the other man's dismay. Nathan asked Duke to sing a song about the things he loved about him and he swore he heard Duke say something about 'a cute booty and eyes so blue'. They toyed with each other, a constant back and forth flirting battle, but it was clear at this point that any road they took was leading to the same destination.
The next hand went to Duke and he said, "Nathan, you have to kiss your favorite spot on my face that is not my lips."
Well, that definitely wasn't what Nathan was expecting, but he laughed a bit and scooted closer to Duke anyway. "You know, I actually like this one. It's kind of sweet."
Nathan leaned forward a bit and put his hands on both sides of his face. His fingers moved slowly, deeper into Duke's loose, wavy strands. It reminded him of times when Nathan would grab him like this and kiss him until he couldn't breathe anymore. He inhaled sharply at the thought, thinking that if he just leaned in a few more inches then he could finally feel those lips on his again.
However, it seemed like Nathan's mind was focused on deliberating which spot to choose. Intensely studying every inch before he finally leaned in and placed a small kiss on...
"My nose?" Duke laughed.
"Yes." Nathan smiled, "I like your nose."
"Well... uhh, thanks. I like your nose too." Duke replied, somewhat taken aback, "Now, deal another one."
Nathan had won the next one and he had to make a decision. He could keep up with this game, as fun as it was, or he could take into consideration that he had no idea when this would reverse itself and to get on with it. A new sense of urgency overwhelmed him, so he decided that he was done with cute, done with reminiscing. He needed to put this show into motion.
Nathan insisted, "Will you get over here and kiss me already?"
"Oh, thank god." Duke huffed in relief, with a huge smile, quickly closing the gap between them and kissing him, intensely.
Lips parted almost instantly, the desire too strong to take this slow. Nathan's hands were tugging at his hair, as Duke's arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him as close as possible. It felt familiar... but in a good way. It was like, even though it had been years, they never left each other's arms.
Duke's teeth grazed Nathan's bottom lip and he moaned into the kiss. Tongues finally met and danced hungrily, as Nathan's finger nails traced lightly down the back of his head, holding Duke to the spot so he could swing himself over onto his lap. Duke was slightly surprised by the action, but he was definitely welcoming it. He had been missing the feel of having Nathan as close to him as possible, and was going to show him just how much he had.
He tore his lips away, leaving small kisses and nips down Nathan's jawline, until he reached his neck. He was biting, sucking at the flesh exposed, as his fingers grazed up Nathan's back to scratch down again roughly. The sounds leaving his lips were music to Duke's ears, whimpers and moans, all for him. Nathan's hips jerked forward, and he could feel that Duke was just as wound up as he was.
Duke smiled, "You missed the feel of that, didn't you?"
"God, yes. So much." Nathan replied, his eyes barely able to stay open, but he was using every ounce of strength he had to do so.
"You're gonna get it, don't worry. I'm going to take my time with you tonight." Duke replied with a evil, mischievous grin that made Nathan's cock jump again.
Duke then placed his finger to Nathan's lips before he grabbed the hem of his shirt, yanking it off of him with ease. He then grasped Nathan's waist and picked him up to maneuver them both so that Duke was now lying on top of him on the couch. Nathan couldn't help but instantly worry, considering the events of the evening. All he could think was that he didn't want Duke to hurt himself any further. However, that was until Duke's lips went back to his and all ability of sensible thought flew out of the window. Soon, he began on his neck again and started palming him through the rough material of his jeans, but it was enough to have Nathan's eyes rolling backwards in bliss.
"Oh, god!" Nathan whispered, breathlessly.
Duke was kissing down his throat, over the soft skin of his shoulder and delving into the dips and curves of his collarbone. He then moved to circle his tongue agonizingly slow around Nathan's nipples, before his teeth raked across them and then returned to lick and soothe the raw flesh. He moved down, kissing and licking between ribs, before heading lower and lower. He was staring up at Nathan as he ran his tongue up that strip of hair peeking out over his pants, which were uncomfortably tight.
He began to unbutton Nathan's jeans, but felt the urge to stop. He got back up, close to his ear, whispering again, "Tell me what you want, Nate. What naughty little things have you been dreaming about getting me to do to you, huh?"
Nathan got eye to eye with him, feeling his breath and Duke's mingling, shaky and unsure. "I want you to tease me. Make me beg for it. Take absolute, one hundred percent control and don't you fucking stop for anything."
Duke actually found himself groaning loudly at the thought, as he slid down Nathan's zipper. He moved back down to remove his pants and underwear, and took a second to bask in the sight before him. Not only was Nathan beautiful, but to see all the scars and know most of the history behind them. To know the pain he had endured throughout life, though never really experienced... It was a trail of thought he'd have to wander down during more melancholic times, though. Not now. Not when he had work to do.
Nathan was rock hard and waiting, his eagerness evident. Duke then removed his shirt before pushing his knees up and pulling them apart, kissing the sensitive skin on the inside of this thigh. Nathan's eyes fought to stay open but when Duke's tongue snaked it's way closer to his prize, he succumbed to the pleasure and let them droop closed. He felt Duke plant feather like kisses around the base of his cock, but never actually touching it, teasing until Nathan's pants and moans were growing louder, more rapid.
"Tell me how much you want it, Nathan. Tell me what you need. I want to hear you say it."
"Duke, I need you... Your hands, your mouth... anything. I just need to know it's you touching me. Missed you so much... Oh, god."
"Ah, ah, ah!" Duke mockingly scolded, "I want you to be more specific."
"I want your mouth. Your tongue running all over me, you trying to hold me still. I want you work me up until I just can't take it anymore and I just have to fuck that pretty, little mouth of yours. Come on, Duke. You remember how I like it, don't you?"
"You know I do." he smiled, finally taking a hold of Nathan with his hand in devastatingly slow strokes, "How much have you missed this?"
"So fucking much."
"Tell me, Nathan. Tell me. If you stop, I will." Duke warned, sternly, before his tongue darted out, running along the underside from base to tip before swirling around him.
"Fuck, I missed you so much, when I was with anyone I couldn't feel... my mind always went back to you. The first time we both sucked eachother off... oh god, when we first fucked eachother... that night we got trapped in the snow in that abandoned hunting shed. Remember?" Nathan moaned.
"How could I forget? We pushed that thing at least a foot off of its foundation by morning. Gotta tell you, Nate, you're the only one I've ever moved buildings with." Duke smiled, as Nathan's fingers tangled into his hair.
Duke's mouth finally wrapped around him and he began to suck, hard and slow. Nathan was definitely having a hard time getting the words out now. They came in spurts... short, choppy words, with grunts and groans in between, but they conveyed enough.
"We used... fuck, not getting hypothermia... as an excuse to... oh god, have sex all night... and watch the sun come up. And, Jesus Christ... all these years later, and... holy fuck, you're still all I can think about."
Duke had picked up the pace while Nathan was reminiscing. He had to admit, it was a memory he brought up in his mind often, as well. Sometimes he looked back on it plaintively and regretted everything he had lost. But sometimes, he looked back on it fondly, very fondly.
It had only been a minute or so, but he could tell Nathan was already getting close, so he pulled away with an evil smile. Duke had remembered the word 'begging' had come up earlier, so he had every intention of making Nathan regret that word.
Nathan's head shot up from the arm rest to look at Duke with irritation, "Why the hell are you stopping?"
Duke smirked and kissed Nathan's hip, "Oh... you don't want me to stop?"
"Why would I want you to stop!? Are you crazy?" He asked as Duke placed random kisses all around the area.
"Do you... want me to be crazy?" Duke asked, and, okay, he knew he was just being a jerk now, but he loved the frustration it added to the moment. He loved causing the fire to swell up in Nathan's eyes like he'd done so many times before.
"No, I want you to keep going!" Nathan growled.
"Now, now..." Duke started, "I think I'll need more convincing than that."
He wasn't even touching him now, just blowing light long streaks of air up his shaft to the tip. His mouth hovered over Nathan, his tongue peeking out to get oh so close to his skin, only to back away a second later. His eyes met Nathan's, almost begging him to say the word. That one simple word that he wanted to hear.
"Fuck, please, Duke. Please."
He licked the tip, the faintest of touches, before asking, "Please, what?"
Nathan was almost beyond the point of forming sentences. His fist flew out and banged against the edge of the coffee table in aggravation.
"Dammit, Duke... please, please... I can't... I need..." Nathan's head rose up and slammed back down hard on the arm rest again. "Fuck, I'm begging you! Touch me! Finish, please."
"Well, since you asked so nicely."
Duke's mouth was around him once more, and Nathan's hands tangled into his hair again. He tugged at it roughly and bucked his hips upward, thrusting hard into his mouth as he held him to the spot. Duke nearly gagged a few times, but powered through. However, Nathan continued until he wasn't sure either of them could breathe anymore.
"Duke, fuck, Duke... I'm gonna..."
He moaned around him, and those small vibrations were just enough to send Nathan spiraling over the edge. Long bursts shot into Duke's awaiting mouth and he moaned again as he swallowed it down, enjoying the taste he'd been missing. There was something about Nathan's that was always extra sweet to him; he assumed it was because of all the maple syrup he consumed on a daily basis.
He sat back and watched Nathan, still coming down from the peak of his orgasm. His eyes were not quite focusing on anything, he was panting loudly and muttering random obscenities under his breath. It was a beautiful sight.
When Nathan seemed to be able to form coherent sentences again, they decided to move to the bedroom. He had Duke lie back, worried they'd already aggravated his injuries enough, and climbed on top of him. He leaned down for a kiss, finding himself becoming excited by the taste of himself on Duke's lips. So much so, he was already becoming hard again. He wasn't sure how it was possible.
He broke away to reach into the bedside table, pulling out a tube of lube and placing it in Duke's hand, before leaning down and kissing him again. It was a pretty damn obvious signal, but he knew Duke understood; he knew what Nathan needed. No words necessary, just like old times.
He put a generous amount of the lube on his finger before sliding it gently inside. Nathan's eyes closed, savoring the moment, and he knew Duke would let him. It had been a while, so he knew he should take it slowly. After a few minutes, when Nathan began crying out for another, he obliged, contorting his fingers to find that spot in him that made his toes curl and his eyes roll to the back of his head. Duke loved finding that spot.
A bit more lube and a third finger was added, until Duke felt comfortable enough to proceed. He dug his other hand into Nathan's hip and, seemingly with one fluid motion, pushed him up and off of his fingers and down onto his cock, earning a loud groan from Nathan.
After he was confident he hadn't injured Nathan in his impatience, Duke realized he had missed this too much to let it go to waste with sloppy kisses and quick pounding. He stuck to a steady pace, slow yet giving an extra hard thrust when he'd reached his hilt. Nathan seemed to be enjoying it; his nails were scratching down Duke's chest wildly, yet he was still somehow aware enough to miss all of his existing wounds. When Nathan's prostate was found once again, his hands flew up and tugged roughly at his own hair. His head rolled back in rapture and his back arched, screaming out Duke's name.
The way Nathan clenched around him made Duke suddenly aware this wouldn't last nearly as long as he wished it would. So, he wrapped his hand around Nathan's cock, pumping in time, as he let Nathan take control of the rest. He was pulsing, grinding, bouncing up and down on top of him, harder and faster with every movement.
"Oh fuck, Nate... so close."
Nathan leaned down, growling softly in his ear, "Me too. Cum with me, baby."
Duke wasn't sure if it was the abnormal use of an affectionate nickname or what, but the energy in the room shifted. He felt barriers crumbling inside of him and something made it impossible to fight the words, like he'd always done before. They'd been held back for too long, and they had now found a way to finally, finally made their way through the cracks.
"Nathan... I love you."
Nathan looked stunned at first, but broke out into a huge smile as he replied. "I love you, Duke."
And with a few more thrusts, both men cried out, Duke filling Nathan and Nathan spilling all over Duke's chest. He collapsed down, his head burying itself in Duke's neck. He was breathing in his scent and basking in the glow of new revelations, words that had been years overdue. However, the excitement and fear of what door those words opened was still lingering in the air between them. He was sure that if he could feel it, his heart would be pounding out of his chest.
"Did you mean it?"
Four simple words had left Duke's lips, but Nathan found the same fear in them that he held inside. His head was swimming. What did all of this mean? Were they together now? What about his trouble and when he couldn't feel him again? What then?
However, he couldn't let the question linger forever. And he owed it to Duke to answer him honestly, so he replied, "I meant it. I can't lie anymore. Not after that."
"That was pretty epic, wasn't it?" Duke smiled, trying to act nonchalant, even though he was beaming inside. He added, "I meant it too. You know... in case you were wondering."
Nathan finally pried himself off of Duke to lay next to him, completely spent. He placed his hand on the side of Duke's face, staring him in his eyes, when he responded, "I know you did. You wouldn't say it otherwise."
They laid there for a few minutes, taking it all in, but there was still a question that was hanging in the air. Duke couldn't help it, he just had to ask, "But, what about Audrey?"
"What about Audrey?" Nathan replied, "Listen, Duke... me and her? Yeah, there was something there, but that spark faded pretty fast. This? What we have? That's a flame that's been building our whole lives. There's no putting that out now."
"Are you sure? You're sure that you will still love me in the morning, when you can't feel me anymore?" Duke asked for reassurance.
Nathan smiled over at the man next to him and replied, "I loved you yesterday... I'll love you tomorrow."
Duke's eyes welled up with tears as he let those words sink in. He fought them, trying so hard not to cry, but he was unsuccessful, tear drops falling and hitting the pillow. He felt so lame, crying after it all, but Nathan didn't seem to care and kissed them away. Duke wondered how he could be so lucky. He had escaped death and gained a chance at a perfect life all in one evening. He found a new solace he had never known before in that thought, as his tears subsided, and he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Duke woke to faint kisses being left on his shoulder. His eyes cracked open, despite how much they didn't want to, but he had be sure. He had to know that last night was real. And when he saw Nathan kissing his way down his torso, and making time to stop and run his tongue over the indent of every muscle in his abs, he knew that it was.
Duke smiled as his nails began scratching Nathan's scalp as he felt his head, his lips trailing lower until he'd reached his destination. He whispered, "I've missed the feel of this between my lips, baby."
"Feel?" Duke asked, hopefully. "You can still feel me?"
He was overwhelmed with emotion, but refused to cry again. That had been really embarrassing to him, but he knew Nathan didn't care about it. They'd been more vulnerable with each other than anyone else in the past and most likely ever would in the future.
"I don't know. You tell me." Nathan replied, with a devious smile, before engulfing him in his mouth.
Every swirl, every lick, every scrape, every suck had Duke feeling wild, unhinged. His body was desperate for him, craving him... it was a hunger that Nathan had never drawn out of him before. Duke was making noises he'd never made, clawing at everything around him, looking for any semblance of stability to hold on to. And when Nathan grabbed his hand and put it back in his hair to grip onto, Duke just about lost it right there.
Nathan's cheeks hollowed and Duke's hips bucked up a little. He definitely didn't have to wonder if he could feel now, because Nathan gagging was a good indication. Yet that didn't slow him in any way; Nathan continued with little difficulty, determined to reach his goal.
He moaned around him and sucked as hard as he could, until Duke couldn't hold it anymore. He pulled on Nathan's hair hard, trying to tell him he was about to cum, but Nathan's fingers dug deeper into his hips and kept going. Duke came shortly after, screaming loudly as he did.
Nathan sat up with a satisfied smile and wiped his lips, before settling back down at Duke's side. He watched his chest rise and fall rapidly and placed his hand there, loving to be able to feel his pulse thumping hard beneath his skin. That was something he would definitely miss.
"Damn, Nate. I know that guy didn't kill me yesterday, but are you trying to?" he joked.
And, as if on cue for the worst timing ever, they heard Nathan's front door rattle and open. Hurried footsteps scattered the apartment, frantically. Nathan grabbed his gun from the top drawer of the bedside table in a hurry, aiming at the open doorway. However, he relaxed once he heard the voice, and put it down to look for some clothes.
"Nathan? Nathan!" Audrey yelled. "Where are you? I just heard Duke got stabbed, and..."
Her words were cut off when she found them, Duke grabbing the sheet to just barely cover himself as Nathan was pulling on his underwear. Her mouth dropped open in shock and the realization of what had happened.
"...And Duke seems alive and very well to me... Sooo, yeah!" Audrey babbled, as she clearly couldn't resist ogling both men in front of her. "I should call first and... I'm being rude, so... holy... wow. I'll just go now. Sorry to interrupt your... yeah. Well, bye."
She had then realized how hard she had been staring, so she turned and practically ran from the room. Both Nathan and Duke yelled her name, beckoning her back. When she returned, she seemed timid, but mostly embarrassed. Her face was red and her eyes kept darting anywhere but at them. He thought it was almost funny how uneasy this made her, but at the same time, he knew that neither of them wanted this to strain their friendships with her.
Nathan went over to her, and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Listen, Parker... you're still my partner, right? So I need to know that you're okay with this. I know it's... kind of strange..."
"Strange?" she scoffed, "Yeah, that's one word for it!"
"Yeah, definitely. But, Duke and I realized a few things last night. The first was that your blood can make me somehow able to feel Duke again. And the second thing was that all these complicated feelings we've had was because we were too stubborn and insecure to admit that we've always loved eachother."
Duke wrapped the sheet around himself better, getting up to join them as he continued, "But hey, listen. What you and Nathan do is too important for this town. I don't want to get in between anything for my own selfish reasons, so if you are uncomfortable with this in any way, let me know and I'll just..."
"Oh, you'll 'just' nothing. You're not going anywhere, Crocker." she said, as a smile creeped on her face.
"So, you're... fine with this?" Nathan asked, hopefully.
"Fine?" she asked, "All I have to say is... thank god! It's about damn time already!"
"So, wait..." Duke started, as her words sunk in, "Was this one of those lame 'they're ridiculously in love, but they're the last one's to figure it out' kind of deals?"
"Pretty much." Audrey replied, "In fact, you just reminded me, Laverne owes me twenty bucks."
"Well, I'm glad you got something out of it." Duke joked.
"Apparently, you did too." she said, as she winked and nudged his shoulder with hers.
"Yeah, something pretty wonderful, I'd say." He smiled, pulling Nathan to him in a kiss, and they were both pretty sure they heard Audrey squeal with glee.
They spent days trying to figure out what had happened, but it wasn't like this was something you could Google or look up in an encyclopedia. Their best guess was that her red blood cells were what caused it, but those would die after four months. So, they would deal with it then if they had to, but hopefully, the Troubles would be gone by then and it wouldn't even be an issue.
After a few months though, they didn't even worry about it at all. They knew that wasn't what their relationship was about. What they did know was that they were finally happy. People didn't seem to have any problems with their relationship like they had feared. In fact, most people accepted it fairly quickly. When one went out, people asked about the other. When Duke would go to the coffee shop and order his drink, they'd automatically give him Nathan's order too. The didn't receive individual invitations to events anymore, but one for the both of them. Yep, they were the normal couple. But not so normal that Duke had ever expected what Nathan was planning.
One night, Duke went to the Gull just after closing. He was there to take care of the books and file the inventory, but when he walked in, Nathan was standing there. There were candles everywhere, white roses on every table and one in his hand, extended outward to him.
"What's going on here, Nate?"
"Just come here." Nathan smiled, "Please?"
Duke smiled and walked over, grabbing the rose from him and leaning in to kiss him briefly. He was still as confused as ever. He knew something big was about to happen, so his brain immediately went to the worst, but he also knew he was just being silly. This took time and effort, and Nathan wouldn't do all that to just break his heart.
"Duke? This is going to be really hard for me, so... just let me get it out, okay?"
"Okay, what'cha need to tell me so badly?" He asked, slipping his arm around Nathan's waist and pulling him closer.
"It's been almost four months since we got together, which means that soon... I might not... be able to..." Nathan trailed off, "Well, I don't want you to think that's what this is about. I don't care about that; I care about you. I remember that first night we got together... and you were so scared that I would leave you in the morning if I couldn't feel you anymore. Do you remember what I said to you?"
Duke replied, "Of course I do. You said..."
Nathan put his hand up to pause things, and began digging around in his jacket pocket. His hands were shaking so hard as he handed him the box. Duke looked surprised, almost scared as he opened it, but there, in the box, were two simple, silver rings, each engraved with those words.
"Are... are you proposing to me?"
"Do you want me to be?" Nathan replied, cheekily, knowing that's what Duke would say. "Look, this doesn't have to mean anything you don't want it to, okay? Whether that means a proposal or simply a promise... It just means that I will always love you, no matter what."
"Nathan, I... I don't know what to say." Duke replied, astonished. "No one's ever done anything like this for me before."
Nathan placed his hand on Duke's cheek and stared at him lovingly, "Well, it's about damn time, isn't it?"
Duke wrapped Nathan up in a tight embrace, holding onto him as though all life depended on it. Nathan could actually feel Duke's tears of joy hitting his neck and it made him savor the moment that much more.
"So, you know this means forever, right?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah, I know. What the hell am I thinking?" Duke replied, jokingly, as he wiped his eyes. He was almost too overwhelmed to continue, as he leaned in and kissed him. He grabbed the first ring from the box and slid it on Nathan's finger, reciting the words etched in them, "I loved you yesterday..."
Nathan then repeated Duke's actions, sliding onto his finger the other ring carved with the words, "...I'll love you tomorrow."
They weren't sure what would happen in the future, but they both were now certain that future was together. That this love between them was honest, it was real, and it was eternal. They knew they were always going to have obstacles, but they weren't going to let societal standards or any amount of supernatural bullshit come between them anymore. In fact, they both thought... 'bring it on'.
