Most of the students took their time putting away their supplies, but Jude acted like he was in some kind of rush, even though Al knew his next class wasn’t for another half hour. When Al went to see what was the matter, Jude only muttered, “I’ll be going home at five if you want a ride,” before grabbing his bag and storming out the door, the first to leave out of everyone.
Corbin, who had been using the easel next to Jude and was still packing up his things, whistled low. “Touchy much?”
“I am afraid not,” Al lamented. “Jude has not been wanting to touch at all, and I am feeling fear that my actions today may have made him even more upset.”
“Good,” Corbin said with a snort as he packed the last of his things away. “Maybe he’ll finally come to his senses.”
“I do not understand what you mean.”
“What I mean is, maybe he’ll finally admit that he wants you to himself.” Corbin bumped his shoulder against Al’s arm playfully. “I gotta run, but hey? Thanks for the best class I’ve had in a long,longtime. Jude would be insane to give you up, and not just because you’re gorgeous. Although that definitely doesn’t hurt. You’re a good man, Al. Try not to worry. Jude can be stubborn sometimes, but he’ll get his head out of his ass soon.”
Corbin left through the same door Jude had, not waiting for Al to add anything else. Al frowned after him, feeling confused, and for the rest of the day, he did what Corbin had told him not to do and felt worry. Worry and, perhaps, the slightest bit of hope.
* * *
Jude would only speak in grunts on the drive home, and he wouldn’t look at Al. A feeling of anger was radiating off him, and it was making Al’s own feelings of anger come back, because honestly, what the fuck? Jude was acting as though he had been wronged, but hadn’t he stated that they could not be together? That he wanted Al to take their offspring and go back to his planet? Did he or did he not feel love for Al? It was imperative he decide quickly, because Al did not think he could tolerate his indecisiveness for much longer.
When they got home, Ezra and Buttons greeted them.
“What’s up?” Ezra asked.
“How was your day?” Buttons added, although Al was the only one who understood her.
“Mmph,” Jude grunted.
“Hrump,” Al grunted, glaring at Jude.
“Good talk!” Ezra said, and turned back to his entertainment program. Buttons shot Al a sympathetic look, then went back to trying to steal potato chips from the bag on Ezra’s lap.
Jude was headed toward his bedroom, and Al, not feeling desire to deal with his attitude, was going to go to the kitchen and sit on the floor and maybe cry for a while, but as he set off in that direction, Jude surprised him by grabbing him by the wrist and shaking his head.
“Uh-uh,” he muttered, and dragged a confused Al with him to the bedroom.
“I do not feel understanding,” Al said once they were in the room and out of earshot of Ezra and Buttons. Jude closed the door behind them. “You have not felt desire to engage me in conversation the whole drive here, but I am supposed to stay in your company even though—mmph!” Al was cut off by Jude pushing him against the door and claiming his lips in a bruising kiss, his fingers gripping Al’s hips hard enough to bruise.
“Jude—” Al tried, but Jude just captured his lips again and kissed him hard for a prolonged increment of time before pulling back, just a breath’s distance away.
“Ihatedthat,” Jude whispered breathlessly. “All those people looking at your body and thinking filthy things about you. They aren’t supposed to think those things about you, Al. You’re supposed to bemine.”
“You do not feel desire to have me, Jude,” Al argued, but his argument came out sounding flat, as Jude chose that very moment to nip Al’s neck and suck at the skin behind his ear. Al sagged against the door, suddenly as breathless as Jude, and said a small prayer his heart would not beat its way out of his human chest.
“There’s a difference,” Jude panted, “between what I want and what I can give you.” He inhaled deeply and took a step back, still in Al’s bubble but far enough away that they could look at each other properly. Jude ran the back of his knuckles down the side of Al’s cheek, eyes a little wet. “OfcourseI want you,” he whispered. “I do, okay? But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t give you what you need. I’m not father material. I’m not husband material. I’m nothing. I’m nobody. You deserve to be with someone who can make you happy.”
“Jude, you don’t—”
“Shh, please just shh.” He took one of Al’s hands and placed it on his swelling belly. “I would be jealous having other people see you like that under normal circumstances, buttheymake me absolutely feral about it. They’re doing something to my fucking brain chemistry or something. I felt like a wild animal in there. All I could think about was how I wanted to have you bend me over the teacher’s desk and fuck me in front of all of them just so everyone in the room knew that you already have a… a mate.”
Hearing Jude use the word mate made Al whimper. He smoothed his hand over Jude’s rounded belly, feeling their young within it, and took a small step closer. “Youaremy mate, Jude. My only mate.”
“But I can’t be forever.” Jude frowned, looking down. “Eventually—soon—you’re going to have to break our bond and find somebody else.”
It was possible that Al had neglected to tell Jude the truth about breaking their bond, but in that moment, with both of them sporting impressive erections that could be seen through their denim jeans, Al could not bring himself to correct his mistake.
“I do not feel desire to find someone else,” he told Jude firmly. “You’re mine, Jude, and I’m yours, for however long you wish me to be.”
“It will never be long enough.”
“It could be forever if you let it.”
