“Yes, like that. You don’thaveto be little all the time if you want to be big, but whatever you’re comfortable with works,” I reassured him.
“And what else?”
Ash took a step off the curb and I pulled him back. “Did you look both ways before crossing?”
“But there’s no one—” His eyes widened, and he smiled, stepping back onto the curb. “Sorry, Jay. I’ll remember next time.”
“I know you will.” I kissed the side of his head. “Were you wanting to know more rules?”
Ash nodded.
I scratched my chin, trying to think on the fly. “Well, I would say we need to make sure you don’t use potty language, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you say a naughty word, so we don’t have to spend much time with that.”
“No, I don’t say bad words if I can help it.” Ash furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. “I always knew that was a no-no.”
“See, you were a good boy even when you didn’t have anyone to give you rules,” I pointed out.Fuck, he was a natural at this.“But you’re not always a good boy, are you?”
“What do you mean?” I made a show of looking both directions before guiding him across the street.
“When you think I’m sleeping, you play with your winky, don’t you?” Maybe it was wrong to call him out on it, but he needed to know I wasn’t oblivious to what was going on across the room from me. I pulled him closer so I could whisper in his ear, even though we were alone. Keeping my voice low felt like it was a secret I was sharing with him. “I know you like to put your pillow under you and rock back and forth.”
“Oh God!” Ash tried to pull away from me, but I tightened my grip.
“Shh, it’s okay, buddy,” I reassured him. “But from now on, I want you to ask me when your winky hurts, okay?”
“You’ll tell me when it’s okay to touch it?”
I pursed my lips and offered up a quick prayer that I wasn’t about to make a mistake that would decimate the progress we’d made tonight. “Or, if you want, you could ask your Jay to help you when it hurts. If you’re a really good boy, I might even kiss it better.”
Ash’s entire body tensed, then he shuddered. When I pulled him aside, he wouldn’t look at me. “Are you okay?”
“You can’t say things like that,” he scolded me. “Now I’m all messy, Jay.”
He came?
Okay. Not what I was expecting, but I supposed it wasn’t that unusual. And it wasn’t like it wasjustthe mention of me blowing him that had made him come. Tonight, had been like the world’s most agonizing foreplay session ever. Hell, there were a few times I considered trying to get away long enough to rub one out in the bathroom.
“Then we’d better hurry back to the room to clean up my naughty little boy.” I swatted his backside to see how he’d react. He moaned, his back arching as he looked at me with pleading eyes. “You like that? We’ll have to find a time when I can spank my boy for being naughty. I don’t want anyone hearing you cry. That’s just for me.”
“Just Jay and Ash.” He sighed, leaning against my side as I led him up the stairs to our residence hall.
We almost made it to the room unnoticed. Almost.
“Well shit, never would have guessed the two of you were butt smuggling the salami.” I glared at Zach, who’d obviously had a few too many tonight.
“What’s wrong, Carter? Had to drink enough you forgot no one wanted your pencil dick?”
“You know what, fuck you, man.” Zach shoved past me, which was when I realized Chase was gone.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck.
I eased open the door, unsurprised to find Chase curled up on his bed with his back toward the room. I should have given him some space, but that felt like the wrong thing to do. He was worried about how I’d react if our roommates found out we were seeing each other. Well, now he knew. I’d get defensive as hell and forget everything but cutting down the mother fucker who decided to take issue.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said as I quickly stripped out of my jeans and t-shirt. I didn’t wait for permission before climbing into bed next to him. I pressed my lips to his shoulder as I held him tight. “Forget Zach. He’s a douche on a good day, and a fucking asshole when he’s drunk. I’m sorry he made you feel bad.”
“It’s not… Maybe this…” He sniffled a few times, and his body shook as he sobbed.
