Page 42 of Freshman

Alfie straightened, rubbed a palm down his face, and stared into the darkness. The lights buzzed noisily, then lit the space with their dulled glow.

Alfie couldn’t look toward the three prison officers, and he couldn’t look at Nate. He turned away and stared at the floor. Nate didn’t move from in front of him, even when Henry came closer. Nate stood still, shielding Alfie with his bulky body.

Alfie felt exposed, and the barrier that stood between him and three curious pairs of eyes was the man that had made him vulnerable and confused.

Nate had tasted him.

“Fish?”

There wasn’t a word that could make him lose his erection faster than that one. He shuffled, angled his hips away from Henry and inwardly counted to ten.

“Yeah, ’m fine,” he mumbled.

Alfie shifted along the gate, and Henry unlocked it with his set of keys. He flicked his head at the open space, and Alfie hurried through with Nate shadowing his movements.

“Slow down, Fish!”

He ignored Henry’s shout. He needed to be away from the curious gazes of the prison officers, needed to distance himself from Nate even though logically he knew he was separating the two of them from Henry and they’d end up outside Nate’s cell alone. Still, Alfie rushed the steps, and Nate did the same.

They paused outside the cell and listened to Henry wheeze as he climbed up after them.

Nate took a step nearer, and Alfie took one away. He still couldn’t make eye contact with Nate and instead stared at his clenching jaw, stared at the lines of his neck as it pulled tight. He didn’t know the expression Nate wore. He imagined him smirking, but no noise travelled to his ears.

“I got your blush wrong,” Nate said slowly.

Alfie forced his gaze high and was immediately caught in the trap of Nate’s eyes. They were darker than Alfie had ever seen them, and the intensity in the look made him shiver. He didn’t just feel stripped by the stare but tied down, chained, at Nate’s mercy.

Nate wetted his lips, and his eyes roamed Alfie’s face. Then they settled on his tingling mouth. Alfie had sunk his teeth into his bottom lip and only realised when Nate turned his sole focus to that pinch of skin.

Alfie took another step away from Nate and subtly leaned over the railing to check if Henry was close by.

“The apples of your cheeks blush, but it goes farther, down to your jaw.”

Alfie dropped his gaze and shook his head. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

Alfie shuffled. “Making me feel stupid…for—for that.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel stupid.”

Henry puffed into view and coughed into his tissue. Then he moved to the cell door and unlocked it with a clunk.

“Get inside,” he said.

“I want Alfie to pat me down,” Nate said carefully.

Alfie blushed furiously and retreated another step. Nate wasn’t done humiliating him for his reaction.

Henry huffed. “No, just get into the cell.”

Nate breathed deep and released his breath slowly. Alfie raised his head and saw Nate staring fiercely at Henry. He might have been old, almost knocked to the ground by Nate’s exhale, but he didn’t bow to him.

“Inside, now.”

Nate walked forward, and Henry un-cuffed his hands. Then he slammed the door shut loud enough to wake everyone in the prison.

“Evil,” he muttered, then turned to Alfie. He nodded, and a few seconds later, Alfie nodded back. They walked back down the stairs in silence, and the mute atmosphere only broke when Henry closed the office door behind them.

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