Marcus took in a deep breath as he slowly opened his eyes and instinctively reached out his right arm, finding an empty space next to him in the bed.
He slowly raised himself up on his elbows and looked around the room sleepily, squinting in the early morning sunlight that came in through the crack in the curtains, until he heard Tomas moving around in the bathroom.
With Tomas located, Marcus dropped back down on the bed with a soft sigh and closed his eyes again.
He had just started to drift off again when he felt the mattress shift next to him as Tomas climbed back into bed.
"Shower time!" Tomas suddenly cried, laughing as he shook his wet hair and rained water down on Marcus
"Ugh! No!" Marcus scoffed, then laughed too as he turned away and pulled a pillow over his head, "Bugger off!"
Tomas sighed and kissed Marcus' exposed right shoulder, then laid back against the headboard on his side of the bed and stretched out, only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"You're no fun sometimes, you know that?" Tomas chuckled as he ran a hand through his wet hair with his left hand and picked up the remote control to the television with the right, turning it on.
Marcus slowly lifted the pillow from over his head as he heard Tomas flipping through the television channels
"Correction. I'm only 'no fun' before…." Marcus looked over to the clock radio on his bedside table and noted the time—6:45— then finished, "Before 6:50."
Marcus heard Tomas laugh softly in response as he looked back over his shoulder to the younger man, then started to slowly sit up, running a hand over his tired face.
Marcus smirked as he took in the sight of Tomas with his hotel breakfast—a small plate of cut fruit, bacon, and a bagel with cream cheese-that now lay on his bare stomach.
"Do you ever stop eating?" Marcus quipped as he came to a seated position with the pillow resting over his thighs.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Tomas replied, turning and giving him a sweet smile as he took a bite of bacon with his left hand and continued channel surfing with his right, "And you should actually try eating more than you do."
"That's one of the biproducts of going hungry most of your life," Marcus found himself saying, "You get used to the not eating—the not desiring of food…."
He suddenly closed his eyes and shook his head as he trailed off
"Sorry…" Marcus whispered, looking down to his folded hands resting on the pillow, "It's way too early for me to wax poetic about my childhood."
Tomas studied him for a long moment, then without a word, he took a grape from his plate with his fingers and offered it to Marcus.
Marcus leaned forward and, keeping eye contact with Tomas, gently took the grape into his mouth, his lips gently grazing Tomas' fingers.
Tomas gave him that sweet smile again before turning back to his plate, where he picked up the plastic fork resting on its edge, and blindly handed it over his shoulder to Marcus. He then picked up the remote control and continued to flip through the channels.
Marcus took the fork, then reached over and speared a piece of melon on Tomas' plate.
Then, he too found himself gazing at the television screen in front of them, where Tomas had finally landed on a station – Telemundo.
"Oh…." Tomas chuckled as he put down the remote on the bed next to him and picked up another piece of bacon, "Nice"
A telenovela—their favorite one, in fact—was on.
During the months they were on the road together, they grew close and discovered many things about each other—differences and similarities.
Hilariously, one of the things they found they had in common was the guilty pleasure of watching telenovelas.
Marcus had grown to enjoy them when he was living in South America as an exorcist and Tomas grew up with telenovelas in the background as his abuela cooked and took care of their apartment when he was a boy.
"You'll have to catch me up," Marcus said, laying back, "I was out at sea on a job when the last few episodes aired."
He then popped the piece of melon in his mouth and chewed as Tomas turned to him, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Oh, man, there's so much to tell..." Tomas chuckled, picking up another piece of bacon and taking a bite as Marcus leaned forward and speared a mandarin orange off the plate as the younger man mused, "Where to begin...."
"Well, did Lilianna find out that her mom paid off her lover?" Marcus asked, seriously, as though they were discussing the weather or the score or the last Chicago Bulls game
"Yes!" Tomas replied, turning back to the television and pointing excitedly to Lilianna now coming through the apartment door on screen as he chewed around his words, "And it turns out that the lover is actually Lilianna's half-sister that the Mom gave up for adoption at birth! Apparently, she was the product of a torrid affair with her father's former business partner, who it turns out is actually a woman now and she turned out to be—"
"Manuella?!" Marcus interjected, hopefully, as he took the piece of orange between his lips, his eyes brightening, "Oh, please tell me it was Manuella!"
Tomas turned to Marcus and paused for dramatic effect, a glint in his eye as he enjoyed the suspense on Marcus' face.
"It was Manuella!" he replied finally and laughed as he saw Marcus keel backwards, throwing the plastic fork up in the air in celebration, then punch the air excitedly
Tomas chuckled, still amused as he turned back to the TV and now picked up the bagel, "And... this goes to show that we really need to get a life!"
After a moment, Marcus smirked as he leaned up on his elbows and ran his gaze over Tomas as he took a bite.
"Why?" Marcus asked softly, "I like this one."
Tomas swallowed as he turned and met Marcus' now smoldering gaze.
"Really?" Tomas asked flirtatiously, his eyes darkening, "Why?"
"Because it has you in it," Marcus smiled, biting his lip, "Half naked and feeding me fruit."
Tomas' eyes held Marcus' for another long moment before he slowly replaced his breakfast plate on the bedside table and began to slowly crawl over to where Marcus lay across the other side of the bed.
Tomas kept eye contact with Marcus as he moved closer, like a stealth leopard, ready to pounce.
When he finally reached his side, Tomas lingered over Marcus for a few moments before he leaned in and captured Marcus' lips in a deep, languid kiss.
Marcus kissed him back with fervor, taking Tomas' face gently in his hands as he brought them to their knees in the middle of the bed.
Tomas suddenly broke free of Marcus' lips and began kissing down Marcus' neck as the older man sighed with pleasure, feeling Tomas hands slide down his abdomen and go to the belt buckle looped in the pants still around Marcus' waist from the previous evening.
"Tomas…" Marcus breathed, closing his eyes to steady himself as he reached down and stopped the younger man's wandering hands, "Wait…"
Tomas' kisses slowed and he planted one long kiss on Marcus' chin before he pulled back and met the older man's eyes with concern
"What's wrong?" Tomas asked softly, catching his breath as Marcus looked down to their now entwined hands.
"I just…." Marcus smirked sadly, then lifted his gaze, "Before we take this any further, you need to be sure…"
"I'm sure," Tomas breathed without hesitation, trying to meet Marcus' eyes
"Tomas," Marcus whispered, suddenly closing his eyes, because he was afraid if he looked too deeply into Tomas' dark brown eyes, he might drown. It would be like drowning in swirling chocolate—pleasant and delicious, yes, but terrifying all the same, "I'm an excommunicated priest…but you are not. You should take care. If the archdiocese found out about us…." Marcus opened his eyes and swallowed, "You could lose everything. And I don't want that for you. You have so many wonderful gifts, Tomas, and you need—"
"Only you," Tomas whispered, leaning forward and placing his forehead against Marcus' as he trailed a hand up the older man's muscular arm.
"Tomas…" Marcus breathed, preparing to chide him
But, Tomas took in a breath and leaned back, meeting Marcus' eyes again as he interjected, "If the archdiocese finds out, they find out."
"And the demons?" Marcus continued incredulously, narrowing his eyes, "If we continue to serve exorcism, they will know what's in our hearts and minds, Tomas. They could use it against us—"
"If I get dragged to Hell, at least you're coming with me," Tomas responded defiantly as a smile spread slowly across his face and the hand that had trailed up Marcus' arm came to rest at the nape of Marcus' neck.
Tomas now used it to pull Marcus to him and Marcus closed his eyes as he rested his cheek against Tomas' and breathed in the younger man's scent and whispered, "I just can't help thinking that it's wrong somehow…"
Tomas gently retrieved Marcus' right hand and brought it up to rest flat on his chest and held it there with his own hands as their noses and foreheads still touched, their eyes closed, and just feeling one another.
"Does this feel wrong?" Tomas asked softly
Marcus didn't reply, he just took in a trembling breath
"Feel my heart, Marcus," Tomas whispered, "It's racing."
Marcus swallowed audibly and opened his eyes, now looking down to their joined hands over Tomas' chest.
"I've never felt for anyone, the feelings I feel for you, Marcus," Tomas said solemnly, following Marcus' gaze to his chest, "And none of this feels wrong because I'm in love with you."
Marcus looked up and met Tomas' eyes for a long moment before the younger man whispered, "And I know you are in love with me. I heard you—last night. You whispered it when you thought I was asleep."
"Tomas, I do—" Marcus began
But, Tomas interjected with a soft voice, "Then stop over thinking things...I want you. Do you want me?"
Marcus held Tomas' gaze for a bit longer before he nodded slowly and smirked before leaning forward and kissing Tomas passionately.
When their lips finally parted, Tomas breathlessly pushed Marcus down on the bed and Marcus smiled as Tomas crawled on top of him and started kissing him deeply again.
Tomas reached down and began unbuckling Marcus' belt as he kissed a trail down the side of Marcus' neck to his chest and then to his stomach and naval.
Marcus closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing as he felt Tomas unzip his pants and pull them down his legs along with his boxers.
Then, suddenly, his mouth was on Marcus' manhood, taking the whole of him in his mouth.
Marcus gasped and reached back for the headboard as Tomas continued his ministrations.
Suddenly, Marcus grabbed Tomas' hair and pulled him away and guided him up to kiss him again, languidly, before he whispered against his lips, "I want to make this last."
Tomas chuckled, then gasped when he felt Marcus take hold of him around the chest and haul him up with him into a sitting position on the bed as he pulled off the towel from around Tomas' waist and tossed it aside.
He then cradled Tomas' face as he kissed him passionately, then released his face as he kissed a trail down the side of his neck and onto his chest as he took hold of Tomas in his hands and began massaging and masturbating Tomas toward completion.
Tomas gasped and held onto Marcus as he got closer to his climax, then bit down on the older man's shoulder when he erupted.
When it was over, Marcus brought his mouth to Tomas' and kissed him slowly and languidly, then reached between them and with one arm, gently lifted Tomas up and onto him.
"Okay?" Marcus whispered, his soft eyes searching Tomas' face for permission.
The younger man nodded as he slowly and deliberately lowered himself inch by inch onto Marcus.
Tomas closed his eyes and leaned forward, holding onto the back of Marcus' neck with one hand and his shoulder with the other, their trembled breaths in each other's ears as they felt their bodies connect.
Marcus pulled back and looked at Tomas'—his eyes were still closed and his bottom lip quivered as he experienced the pain and pleasure of taking Marcus inside of him.
Marcus leaned forward and put his forehead to Tomas' as he whispered, "Look at me."
Tomas slowly opened his eyes and swallowed a strangled moan that threatened to escape from his throat
Marcus smirked as he brought a hand up to caress the side of Tomas' face, then whispered, "Now...move with me."
Tomas brought his lips to Marcus' forehead, breathing against his skin as he began moving slowly up and down in rhythm with Marcus.
Marcus' breath trembled as Tomas placed his hands on his chest and caressed him up to his shoulders, before leaning forward and resting his head between the nape of Marcus' neck and his right shoulder.
After a few minutes, Tomas pulled back and groaned and Marcus gasped.
Then Marcus gently pushed Tomas backwards, down on his back, their bodies still connected as Marcus kissed down the side of his neck, leveraging his left hand against the headboard as he continued to thrust slowly and sensually into Tomas.
When they both reached their mutual climax, Marcus captured Tomas' lips in a deep kiss and when they pulled apart, they were breathless as Marcus rolled off of Tomas and to the younger man's side.
They both lay there quietly for a few minutes, looking up at the ceiling and trying to catch their breath.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Marcus felt Tomas' lips on his right shoulder and turned to see Tomas planting kisses on the scar where a possessed woman once bit him during an exorcism.
"What are you thinking about?" Tomas asked softly against his skin as he continued to kiss up to the side of Marcus' neck.
Marcus closed his eyes and chuckled, "That I overthink things too much..."
He turned on his side to face Tomas as the younger man ran a hand down the muscles of Marcus' left arm
Marcus leaned forward and gently kissed Tomas' lips, then his left cheek and then his forehead
"I'm sorry," Marcus whispered, against Tomas' skin, "Sometimes, I just can't get out of my own way."
"I understand," Tomas whispered, "Its like a shark that has to keep swimming, or it will die. Your mind is always running. You don't like the quiet."
When Tomas reached the end of Marcus' arm, he let his fingers rest lightly over the leather-bound religious medallion bracelet Marcus wore over his left wrist and watched Marcus close his eyes in silent reverence.
Tomas thought about the first time he had seen the deep, thick, scarring that took up the inside center of Marcus' wrist and wrapped round it. Tomas had seen Marcus take it off the bracelet that covered it only once-when it got caught on something during a particularly grueling exorcism in Kansas City.
Later that evening, as they were eating take out in their hotel room, Tomas had gotten up the courage to ask Marcus about it. Marcus told him that it was where he started harming himself when he was a teenager-slashing and stabbing at his wrist with anything he could find just to feel something and quiet the voices in his mind. He had wanted to watch the blood flow and hoped that he would lose enough that he wouldn't wake up.
Marcus opened his eyes and somehow, now wet with tears, they seemed a more electric shade of blue. Tomas looked down to where the fingers of Marcus' left hand and Tomas' right interlaced. Tomas gently pulled the hand to him and kissed the inside of Marcus' wrist.
"You can overthink as much as you want," Tomas said softly, bringing their entwined hands to settle between them, "I'm pretty stubborn sometimes, I don't listen. I lead with my heart more than my head. So, I need someone like you to think about the things I don't and talk me back from the ledge."
"But," Marcus whispered, a small smile spreading across his face, "It doesn't stop you. You still jump."
Tomas chuckled, nodding, "I still jump."