horrible and humiliating. He never wanted to do that to Zac again, either. But right up to then, he’d been wildly turned on and he’d felt so close to Zac, so right . “I just don’t want to fuck up again, Zac.”
“It’s okay, Bryce. We’ll deal with it, if anything happens, if we screw up.” Zac raised one hand to touch Bryce’s cheek. “We, Bryce. If anything happens, it’s because both of us did it. Not just you.”
We . Bryce’s breath caught. He didn’t deserve Zac. We . He didn’t have anything he could say to that, so he leaned in and kissed Zac on the cheek, cupping Zac’s other cheek in an aching hand.
He didn’t pull away, either, nuzzling back to breathe in the smell of Zac’s skin. Zac’s arms slid around him, holding him close.
Zac gave such good hugs, warm and comforting. Zac always hugged like he meant it. Bryce hid his face in the curve of Zac’s neck, trying to get close, sliding his other hand into the small of Zac’s back. Their bodies felt so good together. Bryce kissed the curve of Zac’s neck tenderly, trying to tell Zac he wasn’t mad about last night.
Zac shivered a little, then took a deep breath and said, quietly, “You’re gonna be okay, Bryce.
We’re gonna be okay.”
Bryce nodded and closed his eyes, swallowing hard. “I want us to be okay, Zac.” Zac smelled good, still warm and sleepy and sexy. God. Bryce was always fond of that warm scent; now his body was learning that it meant sex and it was turning him on.
“Good.” Zac slid one hand up into Bryce’s hair, petting him gently. “Good. Then we will be.” Zac sounded so sure, so certain.
Bryce sighed and let the tension go out of him. He didn’t want to give up on them... He hadn’t even known there was a ‘them,’ but apparently there was now. “Are you okay?” He pulled back to look at Zac closely, frowning.
Becoming Us - 51
“I’m okay.” Zac was still tight around the eyes, but he didn’t look nearly so sad or hurt anymore.
“You sure?” Bryce was pretty good at reading his friend. He stroked Zac’s cheek with his fingertips. “I mean... tell me, Zac?”
Zac smiled wryly. “Hangover.”
“Dork.” Bryce rolled his eyes at Zac, then he kissed him on the forehead. “Go back to bed. I’ll bring you breakfast, if you want it.” That would be nice, to do something good for Zac. He’d manage, before his hands stiffened up too much.
“Only if you promise to do something about your hands.” Zac raised his eyebrows expectantly.
“I will.” Bryce stroked Zac’s head. “Go on. You look like shit.” Actually, Zac looked incredibly kissable, but Bryce was resisting. They needed to talk about things like that first.
Zac rolled his eyes, laughing quietly. He looked pleased, though, maybe because of the petting.
“Thanks. That’s exactly what I like to hear from the guy I’m flirting with.” He smiled at Bryce.
“I’ll see you upstairs.”
***
Upstairs, Zac glanced at Bryce’s door, but headed for his own room, instead. He stripped off his smoke-and-beer-scented jeans and T-shirt, tossed them toward the hamper, and crawled into bed.
His sheets and covers were cool on his warm skin. It felt good.
He watched the door, waiting for Bryce. He hoped Bryce was okay. Bryce had seemed okay when Zac left him in the basement, but he knew it might not take much to ruin that. He wanted Bryce to be okay, not only because Zac felt responsible for what had freaked him out in the first place, but also because Bryce was Zac's friend. And because he wanted so badly for Bryce to be more than that, too. All this time, he’d never even thought about it being possible, and now he couldn’t stop.
Bryce was up about fifteen minutes later. Peeking into Zac’s room, he looked a little surprised.
“There you are.”
Bryce had taped up his fingers, as promised. He was still bare, though, except for the tape and his worn jeans that hung low on his hips, so low that he probably wasn’t
“It’s okay, Bryce. We’ll deal with it, if anything happens, if we screw up.” Zac raised one hand to touch Bryce’s cheek. “We, Bryce. If anything happens, it’s because both of us did it. Not just you.”
We . Bryce’s breath caught. He didn’t deserve Zac. We . He didn’t have anything he could say to that, so he leaned in and kissed Zac on the cheek, cupping Zac’s other cheek in an aching hand.
He didn’t pull away, either, nuzzling back to breathe in the smell of Zac’s skin. Zac’s arms slid around him, holding him close.
Zac gave such good hugs, warm and comforting. Zac always hugged like he meant it. Bryce hid his face in the curve of Zac’s neck, trying to get close, sliding his other hand into the small of Zac’s back. Their bodies felt so good together. Bryce kissed the curve of Zac’s neck tenderly, trying to tell Zac he wasn’t mad about last night.
Zac shivered a little, then took a deep breath and said, quietly, “You’re gonna be okay, Bryce.
We’re gonna be okay.”
Bryce nodded and closed his eyes, swallowing hard. “I want us to be okay, Zac.” Zac smelled good, still warm and sleepy and sexy. God. Bryce was always fond of that warm scent; now his body was learning that it meant sex and it was turning him on.
“Good.” Zac slid one hand up into Bryce’s hair, petting him gently. “Good. Then we will be.” Zac sounded so sure, so certain.
Bryce sighed and let the tension go out of him. He didn’t want to give up on them... He hadn’t even known there was a ‘them,’ but apparently there was now. “Are you okay?” He pulled back to look at Zac closely, frowning.
Becoming Us - 51
“I’m okay.” Zac was still tight around the eyes, but he didn’t look nearly so sad or hurt anymore.
“You sure?” Bryce was pretty good at reading his friend. He stroked Zac’s cheek with his fingertips. “I mean... tell me, Zac?”
Zac smiled wryly. “Hangover.”
“Dork.” Bryce rolled his eyes at Zac, then he kissed him on the forehead. “Go back to bed. I’ll bring you breakfast, if you want it.” That would be nice, to do something good for Zac. He’d manage, before his hands stiffened up too much.
“Only if you promise to do something about your hands.” Zac raised his eyebrows expectantly.
“I will.” Bryce stroked Zac’s head. “Go on. You look like shit.” Actually, Zac looked incredibly kissable, but Bryce was resisting. They needed to talk about things like that first.
Zac rolled his eyes, laughing quietly. He looked pleased, though, maybe because of the petting.
“Thanks. That’s exactly what I like to hear from the guy I’m flirting with.” He smiled at Bryce.
“I’ll see you upstairs.”
***
Upstairs, Zac glanced at Bryce’s door, but headed for his own room, instead. He stripped off his smoke-and-beer-scented jeans and T-shirt, tossed them toward the hamper, and crawled into bed.
His sheets and covers were cool on his warm skin. It felt good.
He watched the door, waiting for Bryce. He hoped Bryce was okay. Bryce had seemed okay when Zac left him in the basement, but he knew it might not take much to ruin that. He wanted Bryce to be okay, not only because Zac felt responsible for what had freaked him out in the first place, but also because Bryce was Zac's friend. And because he wanted so badly for Bryce to be more than that, too. All this time, he’d never even thought about it being possible, and now he couldn’t stop.
Bryce was up about fifteen minutes later. Peeking into Zac’s room, he looked a little surprised.
“There you are.”
Bryce had taped up his fingers, as promised. He was still bare, though, except for the tape and his worn jeans that hung low on his hips, so low that he probably wasn’t
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