Page 6 of Until We Fall

Ohhh fuck.

Oliver reaches for Leo’s dick, giving him a slow, gut-tightening, heart-thumping stroke.

Rory’s reading about two dudestogether. Not just a quick plot point, either. This isdetailed. It’s specific. It’shot. There’sforeskin.

Hell yeah, props to us uncut guys, by the way.

But Rory’s reading…this. No electromagnetic radiation.

This.

I glance back toward the lavatory. My heart is thumping against my ribcage, my fingers tightening on his reader. Is this something he normally reads? Does it… mean anything? I’m not sure that reading about two dudes going at it means anything specific about him. People are a lot more nuanced than whatever they choose to read. He could be reading this for all sorts of different reasons. But…

It’s just… Okay, well. I have a thought. Stay with me.

So, about three weeks ago, we were studying for this nightmare chemistry class I have, and I was making silly jokes about protons and neutrons, and our stomachs hurt from laughing. And there was thismoment. His hand brushed my thigh, and his laugh faded. The light from my bedside table glared across his glasses, but behind that Iswearhis eyes moved down to my lips, and there was this hanging pause where everything felt so clear, the colors more vibrant, the scent of the mint tea I’d made stronger. Like life had doubled-down on the realness.

Then he jumped away, scrambling off my bed, our books tumbling, notes going everywhere, and shit…

I mean, maybe he wasn’t looking at my mouth?

Maybe I’m reading into things?

I just don’tknow.

I don’t know if he’s into guys. Is it weird that in three years, he’s never said one way or the other? I’m openly bisexual and have dated both guys and girls casually. But I’ve never knownhim to date anyone. I’ve never noticed him evenlookingat anyone. Maybe he’s asexual? But…

Now he’s reading this. And yeah, people are more nuanced, but I keep thinking about that moment. Does it all tie together somehow?

I take a steadying breath, and I turn back to the reader. I skim for action verbs and nouns, pulling them out of the muddle.Groan, shiver, pulse, quake.Then…dock.

Dick? No, it’s definitely “dock.”

That word stands out, practically highlighted on the page.

Docking.

I’ve got a… vague idea? I’ve heard that term before. And?—

Shit. I glance back, my intuition sparking, and sure enough, Rory’s stepping out of the lavatory.

I flip the cover closed and toss his reader on his seat. My pits are sweating, my fingers shaking. I’m kinda turned on too, my dick half-hard and cramped uncomfortably in my jeans. It’s not just about what was happening with Oliver and Leo and foreskin, but the fact that Rory was sitting right next to me, readingthis.

I don’t have time to fully digest the situation before he slips back into his seat, wiggling to get comfortable, swiping his hair back from his forehead and then tucking his reader into his lap.

I stare at the seat in front of me.Don’t eyeball him. I feel like I’m frothing at the mouth or something. Maybe Iam.

“D?” Rory pushes up his glasses with his index finger. “Are you okay?”

“Um…”

Docking.

He was reading about docking. I need to know what that is. What itexactlyis. Like pictures and diagrams. Charts and schematics. What are those 3D shoebox things we used to make in first grade?

Dioramas.

I want a diorama of docking.

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