A knock on the door distracted him once more. This time, he opened it a little cautiously. But let out a long breath when Vic was standing at the door, cheesecake in hand. He stepped aside and let him in, locking the door behind him. Vic moved to set the cake in the fridge like he was the one living there. Tawson stayed where he was by the door. His skin felt like it was crawling. He ran a hand up and down his opposite arm.
“Hey, hey. What’s up?” Vic was standing in front of him in no time. His hands were on him, guiding him to the couch. “Tawson, talk to me.”
“I’m fine,” he managed to get out. Tawson shook his head, trying to clear it of the train of thought leading the one way hedidn’t want. Not when he could be having fun with Vic.
“It’s late,” Vic said. His voice was soft and he stood up in front of Tawson and held out his hands. “Let’s just get some rest tonight.”
“No, I’m okay, I promise. We don’t get enough time together as it is.”
“You’re not getting rid of me,” Vic said. “Just moving to a spot more comfortable. Besides, I’m pretty sure you promised me no clothes.”
Tawson let out a quiet laugh at that comment. He let Vic guide him and nodded without hesitation when Vic asked if he was okay with him stripping out of his clothes. Then he helped Tawson do the same.
“If this wasn’t a moment we were having,” Vic started. He pulled the blanket back and guided Tawson to lay down. “I would definitely comment about how incredibly thick your dick is.”
Tawson snickered, his whole body joining the movement. Tawson closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Vic and pulled him closer. Naked bodies pressed together, Tawson finally started to come back to the moment. Vic was going on and on, rambling about something that happened in one of his classes. His hand ran up and down Tawson’s body, exciting him but also grounding him. It took several more minutes, but eventually Tawson was feeling okay again.
“I’m sorry. I feel like if I’m not saying we should stop, by body is fighting me too.” Tawson ducked his head, letting his forehead rest against Vic’s. “I don’t want to stop with you.”
“I don’t want to stop either, but you need to listen to your body.” Vic’s words were quiet. Their legs tangled togetherand Vic wrapped his arm around his back, mirroring the way Tawson was holding him. It was the most intimate Tawson could remember being with another person. “You can’t keep ignoring this, Tawson. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” Tawson said honestly. “Can you just talk about something for a bit? Listening to you helps calm my brain.”
“Can I share something with you that I’ve never shared with anyone else before?” Tawson noted the slight change in his tone. He sounded almost nervous. “I can make it into a story if you want.”
“Go for it,” Tawson said. He smiled when Vic scooted just a bit closer to him. Their bodies were creating a force of heat together, which was more comforting than anything for his spinning mind. He pursed his lips and kissed Tawson. It wasn’t anything heavy. Just a quick peck before he starting talking again.
“Once upon a time.” Tawson smiled at the start of his story. He had no idea what was coming, but Vic was sure to deliver a tale. “A long, long time ago. Like, a whole two years.”
“Please remember you’re telling a story to the English professor.” Tawson was only joking, but he got a reaction from Vic. Actually, he got a reaction from little Vic too. He knew he was getting hard, could feel it. Tawson’s hand snaked down slightly to rest right at the top of Vic’s ass.
“Stop interrupting me,” Vic said. He was playfully annoyed. “As I was saying. A long time ago, there lived this child. He was the son of the most powerful King in the land. His family was great and he grew up happy. His mother, the Queen, was kind and wonderful. His sister, Princess… um, Princess Pudding.”
Tawson laughed at the name, but he didn’t interrupt. Vic’s fingers danced along his side, down his outer thigh and backup again. “Princess Pudding was awesome too. She seemed to have it all. She helped the King and Queen whenever they needed, had a great relationship with the princess from another kingdom. The Prince, though, was a little quieter than the rest. He had friends and enjoyed his title as Prince. But there was something he felt was missing. See, the kingdom, as great and open as it was, hadn’t seen someone like the Prince before. He didn’t dream of becoming a knight in shining armor and going to slay the dragon.”
Tawson didn’t have to be a professor to catch the parallels and know this story was about Vic. He listened intently, wanting to know where this story was going. Tawson lifted his hand to brush his hair back from his face. Vic’s eyes were glistening in the dim light.
“This Prince held a secret from his family and the kingdom around them. His secret was held deep in his room, in a box that no one would see. It was a magic box, one that could only be opened by the prince.
“The Prince dreamed of being a princess sometimes. He didn’t feel right taking on the role of Prince all the time, but he couldn’t tell the King and Queen that. They depended on him to do his job. But sometimes, when he had a moment alone, he would pull out the magic box and he’d pretend that he wasn’t a Prince. He’d twirl around his room and look at himself in the mirror. He stole these moments as much as he could.”
“Vic…” Tawson could see the tears in the corners of his eyes. One escaped and Tawson watched it roll down the side of his nose and drop to the sheet below them. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Vic’s. Just a soft kiss. He wrapped him in his arms, pressing their bodies together tight. He kissed across his face and held him, rubbing his hands up and down his back.He could hear the sniffles against his chest. “It’s okay if that’s how you feel. I bet that prince looks amazing in whatever they decide to wear.”
“I just- I know our lives aren’t the same, but I want you to know that I understand. I get the panic attacks and I know how much they suck.”
Tawson didn’t know what to say to that. So instead, he moved just enough to wipe the tears off his face and kissed him. “I hope the Prince knows that he can be himself around others. They won’t judge.”
“I can’t,” Vic said quickly. “I know my family is open and accepting, but something like this- I’m scared it might be too much for them. I don’t even understand it much myself. I just know that I like the feel of wearing different clothes and I’m not as into getting dirty and sweaty. I never saw the appeal of it. I don’t mind working on the ranch and I love the animals, but I’ll never be like my dad or uncle.”
“And no one expects you to,” Tawson said. “Princess, please look at me.”
Vic’s tears flowed freely at that. He buried his head deep in Tawson’s chest. His hands were curled into fists between their bodies. Tawson was at a loss for what to do or say. He hadn’t expected this to be their conversation tonight, but he wouldn’t change it for anything. Vic helped him last time and now it was his time to just be there.
“Go to sleep, Vic. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Chapter Seven
~ Victor ~
