But he’d won.
“You did great, Scott.”
“Fuck you,” he replied, turning his head to face the other way to avoid Thomas’s smirk.
He closed his eyes and must’ve zoned out because the next thing he was aware of was Thomas crouching down next to him and brushing his hair behind his ear. “I mean it, those grunts and gasps at the end weren’t fake at all, and you’re tired yet determined expression was hot.”
Thomas smeared his hand across Scott’s wet forehead. “This is hot.”
Scott sighed at the touch. “My arse hurts.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Thomas looked in that direction. It throbbed. Scott imagined it probably looked like a baboon’s arse.
“That’s why I made you practise with your clothes on.”
“That was cruel, making me burst all two hundred.”
Thomas’s snake eyes bore into him. “I know, but will you let me be kind to you now?”
“Do you have a kind setting?”
Thomas laughed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a tube. “It’ll help. It’s got menthol in it; it will cool your heated skin.”
“That sounds nice,” Scott murmured, still with his cheek squished to the floor. He shut his eyes again. “If you put it next to me, I’ll use it…eventually.”
“I can put it on?”
Scott slowly opened his eyes. “Huh?”
“I can…” Thomas hesitated. He exhaled. “I’d like to…put it on.”
“Is it acid or something –”
“No, Scott, it’s soothing balm. It’ll feel nice.”
They stared at each other. Scott gave in. “Sure. Why not?”
He tensed, expecting Thomas to slap it on, but his touch was gentle.
“Relax for me…”
Scott did.
“That’s it,” Thomas rumbled. He rubbed circles into Scott’s stinging cheeks, and Scott exhaled with a blissful sigh.
“How does it feel?” Thomas asked.
“Good.” Scott rolled fully onto his front and rested his chin on his crossed forearms. Thomas massaged his sore cheeks before reaching down to rub the back of Scott’s aching thighs.
“This okay?”
“Yes,” Scott whispered.
Thomas’s hand was heaven on his skin. Scott inhaled the scent of mint.
“To hell with the walls.” Scott snorted. “I think the floor is melting, and taking me with it.”
Thomas chuckled, rubbing harder. Scott groaned.
