12
“These pancakes are incredible,” Oscar said as he started in on his fifth one, smiling to see that Ryan was keeping pace with him.
He’d followed Oscar into the shower this morning, shy at first, but then eager, kissing and touching with twice the confidence he’d had the night before.
Oscar could still feel Ryan’s hands exploring, hear him gasping and moaning under his touch. His favorite thing, so far, was that Ryan kissed like he needed it to live, hungry and biting, intense in a way that made a curl of arousal settle in Oscar’s gut at the memory of it.
So he was hot, and he was sweet, and hedefinitelywanted to learn and explore some more.
Oscar was inclined to teach him and show him everything he wanted. Everything theybothwanted.
Ryan was safe. Oscar didn't have to fall in love with him, and he wouldn't, because he was only sticking around until he could leave.
Which meant the opportunity to have regular sex with an enthusiastic partner and no concerns about the future whatsoever.Waybetter than a hookup.
Not, honestly, that Oscar expected this to last after they left this afternoon. Ryan probably wasn’t ready for something like this, even in the no-strings way Oscar was imagining it’d go.
“Glad you think so,” Gary said, grinning over at him across the table. Oscar had no idea how he’d managed to make enough pancakes from scratch to feed ten people without so much as breaking a sweat, but he would have loved to know the secret. Getting through a whole bottle of just-add-water pancake mix without either starting a fire or crying was one of Oscar’s biggest challenges in life.
He knew how to cook, kind of. He just liked to do it slowly. Pancakes were complicated and if you weren't quick, they went cold.
In Oscar’s opinion, there was nothing sadder than a cold pancake.
“The salt air here must be doing you boys a lot of good,” Anna said. “You both seem to have worked up an appetite.”
Oscar glanced at Ryan and found him, as expected, blushing all the way to the adorable tips of his ears. He smiled a tiny, knowing smile over at him, which only made him blush harder, looking away.
It wasn’t shame, though. Oscar could tell the difference between shy embarrassment and shame, and Ryan wasn’t feeling any of the latter. A little confused, maybe. A little unsure about what all this meant? Definitely.
But not ashamed of himself. Which was good, because Oscar had woken up next to more than one previously-straight boy who hated himself—and by extension, Oscar—in the morning.
Why he keptdoingit was a mystery, but he’d always had a weakness for lost souls. That was probably why he liked working at an animal sanctuary so much, even if the pay was terrible and his job description now involved being an ambassador on his days off.
Although, he’d gotten a good deal out of this weekend so far. He’d have to apologize to Ryan some more, based on how well things were going for them right now.
Maybe with another blowjob. He’d been so damnedresponsivethat Oscar couldn’t help wanting to suck his cock again, just to see what other sounds he could get Ryan to make.
“Did you sleep well?” Gary asked, and Oscar was positive it was an innocent question, but Ryan blushed all over again.
“Like a rock,” Oscar responded, trying to save Ryan the embarrassment. “You have a beautiful, welcoming home.”
Anna chuckled. “You should see the mess our day-to-day place is in,” she said, taking another pancake for herself. They really were good, so Oscar couldn’t blame her.
He was just about full, too, and he hadn’t been happier than he was right now in a long time.
“Oh, don’t worry, you should seemine,” Ryan said, apparently having regained the power of speech. “I’m still living out of a suitcase.”
Oscar’s stomach dropped. They were supposed to have been together for a while, but if the Kowalski’s found out that Ryan hadjustmoved here, they’d be sunk.
“Still?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
Dammit. Things had been going so well.
At least Oscar hadn’t been the one to screw things up. Though that was a small mercy, considering how awkward things were about to get.
Ryan’s eyes widened as he apparently realized his mistake. “Uh, yeah,” he said. “Oscar finally convinced me to move down, and the sanctuary needed a new business manager. I mean. I’m really just a glorified accountant, but… anyway, I’ve only been in town two weeks. It’s been good to be closer,” he added, glancing up at Oscar and giving him a small, shy smile that Anna was absolutely supposed to notice.
Oscar smiled back, relieved that disaster hadn’t actually befallen them. Ryan had said the wrong thing, but he’d managed to salvage itandcome up with a good explanation about why they might have seemed a little awkward around each other last night. If they’d only been in the same state for two weeks, they were bound to need to get used to each other physically again.
