Page 27 of Rough Heat

“It’s fine. Are you okay?”

“Uhm, yeah, no, I’m fine. It’s just…you can totally say no, obviously. I know you know that, but I just wanted to make sure—”

“Josh. What’s wrong?”

“Okay, so, Damon’s kind of in rut? And, uhm, obviously normally I can handle it—I mean I can handle it now, it’s just that he’s kinda out of it and is asking for you.”

There was a long pause as Leo tried to process all that. “He’s asking for me?”

“Yeah. He’s not in danger or anything. He just…” The implications hung over the line—the fact that Damon was asking for anybody but his mate during rut was…

Leo couldn’t even finish the thought.

“I’ll be there in thirty,” Leo said, rubbing down.

“Are you sure? I haven’t even contacted the agency, he was just so—”

“Josh, it’s fine. Is he asleep?”

“Yeah, finally. He’ll wake up soon, though.”

“Okay. Be there soon.”

“Okay. Thanks, Leo,” Josh said softly.

“You’re good. Okay. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Leo’s heart was pounding the whole way there. He took an Uber, a train from Sunset Park to Greenpoint at that hour inconceivable, cancelling his clients for the next two days without an ounce of regret.

There was something bright and warm overtaking him. Damon had asked for him. During rut. It must have been the first one since they met, what with ruts only happening twice a year, and, fuck, it’d already been almost six months since their first meeting.

Leo felt…eager. Happy. This wasn’t what it felt like when he went to a session—this was a whole lot more.

He rapped on the apartment door quickly, waiting impatiently until he heard muffled voices behind it.

“It’s fine,” he could hear Josh saying. “I’m not in danger. It’s Leo.”

“Leo?”

The door got yanked open, Damon standing there, naked as the day he was born.

Leo stared for a few seconds before he was pulled into the apartment, the door slamming closed behind him.

“Hey, buddy,” Leo said as Damon pressed him against a wall, taking deep lungfuls of his scent.

Josh peeked from behind Damon. “Hey. He’s kind of out of it.”

Leo choked on a laugh as Damon started lapping at his neck. “I can see that.”

Josh poked Damon’s bicep. “Hey, baby? Why don’t we take this into the bedroom?”

“No,” Damon grunted.

Leo shared a look with Josh as he stroked Damon’s back. “I’m actually pretty tired…can I lie down?” Leo tried.

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