Sorry this chapter took so long, but at least it didn't take as long as the last "Finishing Touches" update did! THAT was an ordeal. But I'm also amazed I finished this tonight because I got Netflix today and started watching Teen Wolf and... well, I'm kind of hooked. (STILES YOU LITTLE SHIT.)
For those of you on Tumblr, I started a Balcifer blog called, simply, "balcifer" (so the URL is just balcifer. tumblr. com). Always accepting submissions, yadda yadda yadda, we don't have much because I haven't seen any fanart at all and all the fics I linked to are mine, so...whatever.
Many thanks to kb18142, Keefer, Kitcat 1995, and Sexy. Lil. Emo for your reviews to last chapter, and I hope this chapter appeases you because it's 3,500 words (approximately) and... smutty.
*UPDATED 15 FEB 2013 WITH SLIGHT ADDITIONAL CONTENT (this dumbass motherfucker forgot about Lu's accent thing. I meant to update this ages ago...).*
The only reason Lu was even allowing Gabriel to call Balthazar to get him was because the neighborhood was rough and he didn't feel like getting knifed tonight. Even though it would be an idiot who would contemplate mugging the six-foot-one strawberry blonde alone (and he never carried cash anyway, so it would be pointless), a small gang could easily jump him and he didn't relish that prospect. So he sat on the curb in a sulky silence until Balthazar's cherry-red Mustang pulled up next to his feet and he stood, waiting for the singer to reach across the passenger's seat and open the door.
They rode in silence for a few minutes. Lu chanced a quick glance at Balthazar to try to deduce what he was thinking, but the singer's face was carefully neutral, surrounded by a faint haze of cigarette smoke. Gabriel hadn't said anything when he'd hung up except, "He's on his way," so Lu couldn't be sure if Balthazar was irritated or not. If he was, he was doing an excellent job of disguising it.
But he finally broke the silence. "What exactly happened in there? Gabriel didn't elaborate."
Lu dragged his fingers through his hair. "There was a… minor altercation. Punches were thrown. Noses were bloodied. Patrons were… ejected. Not a big deal. Gabe just wanted to get Sam home and get him patched up."
Balthazar looked him over briefly, flicking his cigarette butt out the window. "You don't look hurt."
"I'm not." He held up his hand, showing him the back of it. "Except a few scraped knuckles. Sam was the one with the bloody nose. One of the other guys probably has a black eye. No one went to the hospital, though."
"That's fortunate."
"Yeah. Like I said, no big deal." Lu still couldn't tell if Balthazar was bothered, either by being left at the house or having to pick him up from the bar. He didn't look upset, but that didn't mean much.
Balthazar eased to a stop at a red light and picked up Lu's hand, his eyes raking over the raw skin over his knuckles. Blood seeped out, but that was understandable. All in all, this fight ended better than a lot of other ones he'd had. Still, it was a wound. "We'll get that cleaned up when we get home," he murmured, finally letting go just in time for the light to turn green.
Lu swallowed and ignored the slight uptick in his heart rate. All he had to do was get through tonight (that should be easy—just wash his hand off as quickly as possible and then go right to bed) and bike over to Radio Shack the next morning for his interview, and then he'd be okay. Presumably.
They fell silent again until Balthazar pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. He led the way back into the house, tossing his jacket across the back of the couch, and into the bathroom, where he rummaged for a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a few cotton balls.
"Uh, I don't think that's necessary," Lu started, but Balthazar shot him a warning look.
"Rubbish." He pointed to the toilet seat with the lid down. "Sit."
He decided he didn't feel like arguing and obeyed, but not without a heavy, overdramatic sigh. Balthazar ignored it and doused a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide, taking his hand again as he crouched in front of him.
Lu was barely paying attention, focusing most of it on letting his eyes roam the white tiles of the bathroom floor (purposely avoiding looking at the singer), and so was quite unprepared for the sharp sting as Balthazar touched the cotton ball to the back of his hand. Lu hissed and instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but the other blonde's grip was firm.
"That'll sting a bit," he said belatedly, dragging the swab across Lu's knuckles.
"No shit," Lu muttered.
"There's no need for snide commentary," Balthazar responded with a hint of teasing in his tone. "Besides, you're a big, strong man. I thought you were accustomed to a bit of pain."
Lu fumbled for some cutting remark or another but found himself looking right into the other man's bright blue eyes. His chest tightened and his thoughts scattered. He suddenly wondered why he was so easily unbalanced by a casual glance, a stray touch, an offhand comment. What made Balthazar so different from, say, Castiel or Raphael? Certainly he was no more attractive than they were (and Lu had always been of the opinion that Castiel was the prettiest in the group anyway). Maybe it was the self-assured way he did everything, the confidence (bordering on arrogance) with which he spoke and moved and smirked, like he had nothing to prove to anyone.
But whatever it was, it had his throat going dry and he was grateful Balthazar wasn't a telepath because the only thought racing through his mind was something along the lines of kiss me right goddamn now. He just hoped it didn't show on his face.
Balthazar carefully cleaned off the remainder of the blood and pressed a Band-Aid over both of the first two joints before languidly, almost tenderly, running his thumb across the back of Lu's hand. Had the bassist been standing at the time, the action probably would have caused his knees to give out or at least wobble a bit, so he was relieved to be sitting. Balthazar stood up and threw away the used cotton balls, shelved the hydrogen peroxide, and wiped his hands off on his jeans. "You have your job interview tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yeah. At ten."
He nodded slowly and took a step toward the door. "Should probably get to bed, then."
"Yeah." Lu looked up at him, two sets of blue eyes locking, and a frisson of heat passed between them. The shorter blonde briefly, almost unconsciously, licked his lips, and somehow Lu's legs regained their stability. He stood up, took the two steps necessary to close the distance between them, and pressed his lips to Balthazar's.
His arms slid slowly, tentatively, around Lu's waist before he pulled back slightly, his breathing shaky. "Luce. How drunk are you?"
The taller man barely registered the sibilance attached to his preferred nickname. It sounded okay coming from him. "Not at all." After three drinks in as many hours and considering his alcohol tolerance, he wasn't lying.
Balthazar exhaled sharply. "Oh, thank God." He immediately captured Lu's mouth again, pulling him tighter, and the bassist melted into the kiss, hanging onto the other man.
He felt Balthazar stepping back but keeping his arms locked tight around him and he allowed himself to be steered out of the bathroom and into the hallway. The shorter man shoved him against the wall and the kiss, a mere meeting of lips to this point, deepened as he traced his tongue across Lu's lips, silently seeking entrance. Lu obliged, spreading his lips and fisting Balthazar's collar to keep him close. But the blonde was flush against him, his thigh wedged between Lu's legs, one hand coming up to tangle into his hair as he slid his tongue into the other man's mouth. Lu moaned softly, the sound far more needy than he'd intended, and he felt Balthazar's lips quirk into a smile.
"You alright there, love?" he murmured, pulling back for a moment.
"Yeah, just fine," he murmured, silently cursing the slight twang to his words. His accent was coming out no matter how much he tried to fight it.
The hand that was gripping Balthazar's shirt released the material to fist his short blond curls and tilt his head back to kiss him again. He prayed this was really going to happen right now—something inside him must have snapped because he didn't care anymore that Balthazar was a bandmate and this was fucked-up on so many levels. It felt like they'd been careening toward this, its imminence undeniable. There was no other way this could end, not unless one or both of them had a wild personality shift.
And then he realized just what it was about the older man that had his attention. With the right provocation from the right person, he lost control easily. Michael had the ability to send him into a rage with a few lazily-chosen words. The one and only time they were together, Gabriel had brought him to orgasm so quickly, it was almost embarrassing. Balthazar, too, had his carefully-constructed illusion of restraint crumbling with the barest effort.
The most damning thing about it was that he enjoyed the loss of his control. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he didn't feel alive unless he was out of control. He wanted to feel alive. He wanted Balthazar, even if it was only for tonight. He was going to do exactly what it took to have him.
He didn't even notice that Balthazar's hands had found their way under his shirt until he leaned back just far enough to tug it over Lu's head and cast it to the side. Lu snapped back to his senses in time to pull off Balthazar's ridiculous black V-neck and then their mouths were locked together again and Lu's pulse was skyrocketing. He cradled the back of Balthazar's neck as the other man hooked his fingers through Lu's belt loops and pulled their bodies together, their teeth clacking against each other and sending a shudder down Lu's spine. He moaned again, instinctively grinding into Balthazar's thigh and hating himself for needing the friction, even when he felt the definite bulge already in the singer's jeans.
Lu pushed back against him, sending both of them back against the opposite wall, a few feet closer to Balthazar's bedroom. Balthazar chuckled softly, his lips never leaving Lu's mouth, and slid one hand to squeeze the strawberry blonde's ass. Lu nearly whimpered and dragged his mouth away from Balthazar's to nibble at his neck, scraping his teeth across the spot just underneath his jaw. He couldn't suppress the satisfied smirk that crossed his face when Balthazar exhaled sharply—it almost could have been called a whine—and grabbed onto Lu's hair.
He was panting heavily but then he was back in control, flipping them around and propelling Lu into the wall again. His hands were suddenly everywhere—running over his arms to trace the tattoos found there, over his chest with the light sting of nails, across his back and loosing another shiver through the bassist—while he fixed his lips on Lu's neck, letting his teeth press against his skin and sucking hard enough to leave a bruise. Lu keened and rutted against Balthazar again, sliding his fingers into the waistband of his jeans and feeling his heart skip a beat when he realized that the older man had gone commando. Balthazar didn't appear to notice and merely shifted his mouth against his neck, letting up on the teeth and just drawing his lips across Lu's skin.
"So, what, are we gonna do this or not?" Lu breathed, hating the way he sounded like a horny teenager almost as much as he hated his accent.
"Yes, we are," Balthazar murmured silkily. His voice was low and rough, rumbling over Lu's skin and sending goose bumps across his neck. Lu couldn't be sure, but he thought he felt the older man smiling. "What's the bloody rush? I know you've wanted me for awhile, but I figured we could at least make this enjoyable."
"Oh, trust me, I'm having loads of fun," Lu panted, not quite able to purge all the sarcasm from his tone. His breathing hitched as one of Balthazar's hands, drifting over his stomach, slipped into his jeans and palmed him through his boxers. He bit his lip to stifle a sharp moan and grinded into his hand. "But you've been a massive fucking cocktease for the last few weeks and I'm kind of over it," he finished breathlessly.
Balthazar chuckled and licked the side of Lu's neck. "I rather doubt that."
"What, that you've been a massive cocktease?"
"Of course not," he breathed, biting down quickly and sharply. The strawberry blonde groaned, half in pain, half in pleasure. "That happens to be something at which I excel. No, I doubt you're over it."
Lu felt his temper flare, but before he could even think of a scathing reply, Balthazar's fingers unbuttoned and unzipped the fly of his jeans, releasing the pressure he hadn't even realized had been building. He gasped and the singer leaned back with an infuriating smirk, his hand sliding back into Lu's jeans, this time into his boxers, to wrap his fingers around the younger man's dick and give a few lazy pumps.
Lu's blue eyes melted shut and he tilted back against the wall, trying and not quite succeeding not to groan. He opened his eyes just long enough to bring Balthazar fully against him and kissed him again, although it was less of a kiss and more of a battle for dominance. It was a battle that Lu already knew he'd lose, but it didn't stop him. The blonde's hand was still down his pants and stroking him with far more purpose than before, and the action was making it incredibly difficult for Lu to focus on anything besides not moaning like a porn star.
And then, just as quickly as he'd started, Balthazar withdrew his hand and reached for the knob of the door next to them. "After you," he murmured with a smirk, nudging Lu toward the door.
Lu was momentarily torn between wanting to keep his dignity and wanting to get laid, but wanting to get laid won out and he ducked into Balthazar's room. As soon as the door was closed behind them, the blonde captured his mouth again and started walking them toward the bed. When the backs of Lu's legs smacked into the bed, he dropped to the mattress. Balthazar's lips never left his and he crouched down to meet his mouth while he tugged off Lu's shoes and socks.
He had no idea how Balthazar was able to multitask like that because his own brain was a frantic jumble of just wanting to touch him and be touched by him. But Balthazar's tongue was tracing patterns on the roof of his mouth and sliding against his and the next thing he knew, the older man was slithering up onto the bed, in between his legs, and rocking his hips against Lu's. The bassist moaned into his mouth, deciding he didn't care how desperate he sounded, and ran his hands over Balthazar's ass before he unbuttoned his jeans.
The blonde's nails dug into his back for a moment before Balthazar finally lifted his head. "Move," he murmured, prodding him toward the head of the bed. Lu scrambled further along, eliciting a grin from the older man, who reached across him and toward the nightstand next to the bed. As he pressed another kiss, all lips this time, to Lu's mouth, he pulled open one of the drawers and fished out what ended up being a bottle of lubricant and a condom.
He was helping Lu wriggle out of his jeans and boxers before the younger man could fully comprehend what was happening and Balthazar was kissing him again and his eyes were drifting shut while his hand went to the back of the older man's neck and kept him there. As if from a distance, he heard the snap of the bottle cap and felt Balthazar shift over him, and then his fingertips, cool and slick with lubricant, were drifting between his legs, ghosting over his now fully-hard erection, and then one of those fingers was pressing against his entrance.
Lu let out a primal moan and his head tilted back as he hissed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he breathed, biting his lip.
"Been awhile?" Balthazar asked in a tone that was half-teasing, half-concerned.
Lu nodded frantically. It had been three years, as a matter of fact. The last time he'd had sex with another man, it had been Gabriel. He had met Eve not too much longer after Gabe met Sam, so he never dwelled on it much. But now it was all he could think about, how woefully out-of-practice he was. Gabriel hadn't been the first, but he had been the last up until this point. "You could say that," he managed, chest heaving as his whole body heated up from that one solitary touch.
"Want me to stop?"
"Fuck, no," he panted, pretending he didn't noticed just how pronounced his accent was becoming. "Just give me a minute."
Balthazar grinned and started thrusting shallowly with his finger, tearing a desperate moan from Lu's throat.
He didn't need as long as he thought he would to adjust, although every time Balthazar slipped another finger inside him, he would ask if he was still okay. By the time the blonde had three fingers buried in his ass, Lu was a flushed, trembling wreck, murmuring obscenities and moaning every time Balthazar moved his fingers. It didn't help that the older man would drag across his prostate every chance he got, sending stars dancing across his vision. But finally, Balthazar had him worked open and he withdrew his fingers and reached for the condom.
The older man pulled his jeans down and tore open the condom wrapper. As soon as he rolled it on, he squirted another palmful of lube into his hand with a quick wink at Lu. "Ready?" he breathed, leaning over him and raking his nails down the strawberry blonde's chest.
He nodded quickly. "Time to make good on your teasing," he replied.
Balthazar flashed him a nearly predatory grin, wrapped one of Lu's legs around his waist, and finally, mercifully, pushed inside him.
"Oh, fuck," Lu gasped, gritting his teeth and rocking against Balthazar's first thrust. He'd forgotten just how good this felt, hadn't been prepared for that first intense wave of intermingled pain and pleasure. It was going to be a repeat of his tryst with Gabe, all sloppy fucking and over way too soon.
But then Balthazar gave a second, harder thrust, and Lu nearly whimpered.
He was wrong. He wouldn't last nearly as long this time. Balthazar was sober and Gabriel had been drunk; while he highly doubted Gabriel had had no idea what he was doing, sobriety made all the difference in technique. Balthazar kept hitting all the right spots and his nails dug into his hips, sending more pleasure coursing through his body. He cried out, back arching off the bed, as the blonde gave a particularly hard thrust, and then he managed to moan, "Slow down."
"I thought this was what you wanted. Hard and fast," Balthazar added pointedly, giving Lu's cock a firm squeeze.
Lu groaned again. "Yeah, but…" His voice trailed off, but somehow, the singer understood, because he smirked.
"Really?" he asked, sounding highly amused. "You're that close already?"
"Fuck you," Lu spat, grateful their conversation had effectively distracted Balthazar. He'd wrapped his other leg around the blonde's waist but he'd paused to grin—well, it was actually more of a leer—down at him. But he should have rethought his witty retort because Balthazar laughed once.
"My pleasure," he quipped, resuming his pace and beginning to pump Lu's erection in time to his thrusts. Lu nearly melted into the mattress, fisting the sheets and trying to focus on not coming right then, but then Balthazar was leaning over him and whispering into his ear, "Oh, yes, love, good boy, you feel so tight, so bloody good on my dick, love the way you feel, so hot and desperate for my dick, aren't you, oh, God, yes, wanted you for so bloody long, so bloody perfect, say my name, come on, love, fuck…!" and somehow he'd known that dirty talking would get him off and he was moaning out Balthazar's name and trembling and all that control he'd been trying to retain crumbled and he was coming so hard he couldn't see straight but it didn't matter because Balthazar was moaning, too, and damned if it wasn't the sexiest sound he'd ever heard and he must have been coming, too, because his thrusts had grown short and shallow and he was slumping against Lu's chest and everything was slowing down and Lu became dimly aware that he was still panting and his stomach was sticky with his own come but he couldn't bring himself to care.
When Balthazar finally raised his head again, he was grinning. "Wasn't quite as long as I thought it'd be, but I'd give that a solid seven, seven and a half."
Lu snorted with laughter, too drained to be offended. "I haven't gotten laid in a month. I don't know what you expected from me."
The older man shook his head, still grinning, as he slipped back out of Lu and peeled off the condom. "You can sleep in here if you want to," he said, pitching the rubber into the trash. "I'm not gonna kick you out or anything."
"I appreciate that," Lu said with a touch of snark, but he was inwardly pleased to discover that his accent had left his voice. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw Balthazar rolling his eyes at his comment. Still, it was nice to fall asleep next to someone again. The few times he and Eve hadn't been fighting, he'd slept quite comfortably next to her. Admittedly, Balthazar was different from her, but having someone close had always made it easier to fall asleep.
Before he finally drifted off, he couldn't help wondering what happened with the two of them now.
ARE YOU APPEASED YET?
So. UST is no longer unresolved.