Page 80 of Rat Park
It was one thing imagining. Knowing for a fact that Flor was sleeping with other people was something Dominic wasn’t sure he’d be able to take.
So, they did the long-distance thing, and Dominic didn’t complain the few times Flor missed a scheduled call with him when a group project had gone on too long, or he was out with friends. He didn’t ask questions. He nodded his head and pushed down the ache and was grateful for what he had, for as long as he would have it.
**********
It was Cat’s idea originally, for Dominic to fly out and surprise Flor with a visit, but Dominic hadn’t taken many days off since starting at Fiona’s shop and agreed without much resistance. He coordinated with Cat, who casually asked Flor what weekend he would be free from deadlines, and got on a plane for the first time.
It was early Friday evening when Dominic got to Flor’s small loft in a student building. He buzzed another apartment to get inside and climbed the stairs slowly, a familiar mix of anticipation and worry squeezing his chest. By the time he reached Flor’s front door, there was a numb fluttering in his stomach Dominic ignored in favour of knocking on the door.
Dominic heard muffled voices inside and almost choked on a breath as the door opened. There, like a balm, stood Flor, his hair messy and lounge clothes hanging from his body. Flor stood there for a moment, complete shock taking over his face, before his lips split into a smile.
“Dominic!”
Suddenly, Dominic had an armful of Flor. Dominic dropped his bag and caught him, Flor’s legs winding around his waist and arms around his neck, clinging on. Dominic squeezed back, laughing.
“Hey.”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe you’re here!” Flor shrieked, pulling back just enough to mash their lips together in an uncoordinated kiss. Dominic felt something in him relax.
That reaction couldn’t be faked.
They parted as Dominic heard shuffling from behind Flor. Dominic tilted his head slightly and saw there was a slim, dark-skinned man around Flor’s age standing awkwardly inside the loft.
“Oh,” Flor laughed sheepishly, sliding down Dominic and landing back on his feet. “Sorry. Paul, this is Dominic. Dominic, Paul,” Flor introduced.
“Hey,” Dominic said, the joy of seeing Flor again dampening slightly at the sight of Paul’s slightly dishevelled clothes, how his feet were bare from even socks. Dominic had heard about Paul in passing, another of the students living in the building.
It was fine, Dominic told himself. He’d known what to expect.
“Hey,” Paul replied, shaking Dominic’s hand. “I’ll, uh, leave you to it.”
“Yeah, sorry, Paul. We’ll finish next week.”
“It’s cool. You still coming out tomorrow?”
Flor looked at Dominic, who shrugged.
“Maybe,” Flor replied, turning back to Paul.
“Cool,” Paul said, shuffling his feet into some slippers. Dominic grabbed his bag, stepping into the apartment and out of Paul’s way as the guy left.
The second the door was shut, Flor was on Dominic again, pressing kisses to Dominic’s face.
“I can’t believe you’re here! Oh my God,” Flor repeated.
Dominic wound his arms around Flor, letting the feel of their bodies pressed together calm him down. It didn’t matter what had been happening a moment before. Right now, it was just him and Flor.
Dominic threaded his fingers through Flor’s hair, steadying his face for a deeper kiss. Flor melted against him.
“Yes, fuck,” Flor said when they parted, lips kiss-wet. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Dominic pressed their foreheads together. “I’ve missed you too,” he said softly.
Flor’s smile lit up the whole room.
They stumbled onto the bed, an urgency born from absence taking them over suddenly. Flor straddled Dominic and then they both had to wrestle their clothes off even as they tried to continue kissing, getting tangled up in cloth and each other.
Dominic squeezed Flor’s ass as they finally became nothing but skin and wet tongue, Flor moaning as he slid his cock against Dominic’s, both of them hard and slick between their bodies. Dominic pressed dryly at Flor’s hole, just brushing the skin there, sensitizing it. Dominic felt Flor shudder, a rumble of sound getting lost between their teeth.
