Page 121 of Two for Joy

“Stop.” Romeo said, taking a two-handed grip of Chad’s shirt. Chad was struggling, trying to back away. “Don’t…”

He gave up the fight, and let Romeo take the shirt off completely. Some of the wounds were still bandaged, the numbers Marc had cut out, rather than just cut.

A whole confused mass of emotions spun in Romeo’s mind, he had trouble deciphering them all, had no idea how normal people coped when they were faced with complicated situations. The longer he took to say something reassuring, the more Chad drooped forward, and hugged his arms around his body.

He cupped Chad’s face and lifted him until their eyes met. “You know I love you, right?”

Chad widened his eyes. “What?”

“I don’t really knowwhatit is, but I feel it’s the appropriate word to sum up how I feel about you. One simplistic word for something that’s immeasurably complex.”

“You love me?”

“Do you think I’d get punched in the face by a boxer for anyone?”

Chad laughed.

“Do you think I would’ve allowed someone to stab me with a pencil—”

“Wait, someone stabbed you?”

“Or climb through panels in a hospital ceiling, or crawl through ditches, or scale walls, or tie up ex-fiancés, or get sliced with a scalpel. You think I’d do that for anyone?”

“I hope not.” Chad laughed.

“These…” Romeo said, touching the numbers on Chad’s chest. “These won’t ever take away how I feel about you. What I’d do for you, and I really would do anything to keep you alive.”

Romeo hooked his fingers over the top of Chad’s pants and yanked him closer. “That okay with you?”

“Would it make a difference if I wasn’t okay with it?”

“No difference whatsoever. Now … I’m hungry.”

“I’ve got coffee, vending machine snacks

“You know full well I didn’t mean that kind of hungry.”

Chad’s lips lifted into a lopsided smile. “What kinda hungry are you referring to?”

Romeo smiled, and cupped Chad’s cheek. When Chad opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to speak, Romeo swallowed his mumbles, and slid their tongues together.

Romeo moaned at the sensation, and his stomach fluttered while he got reacquainted with the taste of Chad. Sweet, making his mouth water. He kissed deeper, until the stubble around his lips pressed into Chad, till it was uncomfortable for both of them. It added a sharpness to the slick softness of the kiss, and Chad stood up on his tiptoes, pressing back, encouraging the beard rash that was bound to decorate his skin.

Romeo maneuvered Chad around, before easing him away, pushing him back on the bed, until Chad understood, wiggling up and waiting for him. He placed his arms over his chest, hiding as many of his scars from view as he could.

Romeo shook his head. “Arms at your sides.”

Chad hesitated, then gave in to Romeo’s glare. He moved his arms, exposing the red etchings to his chest. Neatly cut numbers, stark on Chad’s skin.

He leaned over, unhooked Chad’s pants, then pulled them down his legs. Next were his socks, then lastly his boxers, until Chad was completely naked, fixated on Romeo, wondering what he’d do next.

He gave Chad a reassuring smile, then joined him on the bed. Romeo kissed down Chad’s body, then up again. He didn’t shy away from the scars, and marks, he lavished them with attention, claiming back what belonged to him. Chad didn’t belong to Marc Wilson, wasn’t part of either of their killer countdowns. He was Chad, broken, corrupted, but beautiful, irresistible, and Romeo’s, not the monster’s in his head.

Every soft sound Chad made flooded Romeo’s head with desire. He mapped Chad’s body with his mouth and hands, curled over him like a possessive beast, soothing his wounds. The skin on Chad’s knees was rough on his tongue, and the patch behind his ear was the softest. The taste of his mouth was sweet, but the musky taste of his cock had Romeo rocking forward and back in frustration. The toothpaste had been heavenly, but the taste of Chad was sinful. He teased with his tongue and lips until Chad grabbed fistfuls of his hair and groaned to the ceiling.

“Enough.”

“Enough?”

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