‘He’s been quiet. For him, anyway. I think he’s taking this homeless thing a bit too much to heart—as if it touches him personally. Did I tell you he had a fight with someone the other day?’
‘No. Who? What about?’
‘Some old guy. I mean, it wasn’t much of a contest. But it was odd. Squeezy really lost it with him. Pushed him out of the line.’
‘Did you ask him why?’
‘Course. He said the guy wasn’t a veteran. That he was cheating. Stolen valour.’
‘Does it really matter? If someone needs the food… Ben, you know I would help with this. ANGEL would help with this if—’
‘I know. But it’s really complex, Nik. I thought just go in all guns blazing and dump money on the problem—buy houses, feed everyone. But it’s not like that. Maybe eventually. But it feels good to actually just do something practical. I met a guy I knew briefly in the Regiment.’
‘You didn’t tell me that.’
‘Yeah. It’s like Squeezy says—imagine how close we were to that. I mean, if I hadn’t met you…’
‘I think you had other outlets, Ben, besides just meeting me. You might have been an officer by now—if you’d stayed in.’
Ben knew how impossible this was so just laughed. ‘Sir, yes, sir?’
‘Ack, you could have if you’d—’
‘Had the best education at the finest academies?’ He smiled sadly. ‘Yeah maybe.’
‘I was going to say had some table manners and didn’t eat like a—’ One day, he reflected, his ribs would actually crack from the wearing away of Ben Rider’s poking, like a vast mountain of rock being worn down, raindrop by raindrop. After the anticipated assault, it grew quiet for a while.
He lay on his back, picturing himself smoking, which wasn’t as good as the real thing but apparently had to do. He listened to the gears grind, and eventually asked, ‘What?’
‘I’m thinking.’
‘Can you think and fuck me at the same time?’
Ben straddled him once more, staring down at him. ‘I’ll try, and we’ll see.’
Aleksey began to laugh, which they knew from previous such moments could lead to unfortunate outcomes. ‘Take the pyjamas off first, please? I have always thought of you as…wild, ferocious,feral,when you prepare to ride me. Now I am just being sat upon by Rupert Bear.’
Ben began to unbutton the jacket, slowly, never losing eye contact with him. That was much better. He knew Ben could not help but feel what was rising behind him, urging him on. When the jacket was fully open, Aleksey laid his palms onto the smooth chest, grazing Ben’s nipples with his thumbs. Ben leaned down and kissed him swiftly on his lips, then into his neck, then he bit lightly and Aleksey groaned. He slid his hands down to the waistband and eased it lower, down to Ben’s thighs. Ben continued placing kisses into his collarbone hollows, around his ears. They were both heavy with lust now, engorged, engrossed in this sharing. Aleksey took his cock in his hands and began to slide it slowly over Ben, slicking him.
In a very soft murmur, Ben broke their unspoken rules and asked him, ‘When’s the last time I told you I loved you?’
Even more uncharacteristically, Aleksey replied softly into Ben’s tousled hair, ‘When I told you I’d buy you a plane?’ Ben was laughing when he kissed him. Aleksey began to finger him and Ben arched in pleasure. ‘Or was it when I told you I’d bought you an island?’
Ben, fully impaled on his strong fingers returned to kissing, but at each movement of Aleksey’s hand he whispered, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you…’
Finally, unable to delay longer, Aleksey rolled them, lifted Ben’s thigh and slid into him. It never got old; it was never less pleasurable than it was this time. He closed his eyes to the feel of being inside, of being welcomed.
Of being home.
* * *
Chapter Six
Squeezy drove the four of them back to their house the next morning.
Aleksey sat alongside him pretending not to be gleeful. If their entire relationship were a dick-measuring contest, then he reckoned he’d just thumped his undeniably more impressive one onto the table.
Ack, he was a bad man. For the moron’s ears alone, quietly murmured under the sound of the engine and the radio, he offered, ‘So, planned home invasion off now?’
