“It’s your place. It’s not supposed to be like my place,” I pointed out.
Izzy never really had River and me over to his house as kids. We hung out in the backyard sometimes, since our houses connected there, but I could count on my hand the number of times I’d been inside his place growing up.
The house had felt empty, even with all the stuff in it. Like an old museum without windows, a place where you weren’t allowed to touch anything.
But with one mean man, Izzy’s gruff father, who always made annoyed grunts when we mentioned our moms.
Now, something about Izzy welcoming me into the studio felt like I was finally seeing his actual world. Not just the house next door, but a home that was all his.
“That’s true,” he said, then pecked my lips at the door. “It’s not supposed to be like your place.”
Inside, the studio was one long room, humming with life. I blinked, taking in the sight before me. “Oh my god, it’s beautiful.”
“Oh, yeah,” he laughed. “Did I mention I have a lot of houseplants?”
“It’s like a garden grew in somebody’s library.” I gestured at the twin bookcases, each surrounded by different plants, then out at the many plants around the studio. Some hung from the ceiling with long, pale leaves, and he’d pinned vines to the walls all over the place, curling out from tiny pots. The windowsills were busy with short and spiky red things, and when I stepped in and turned to the kitchen area, I saw shelves of herbs, growing by the window. “It’s amazing.”
Izzy laughed and bounced. He traced his hand along a bushy tree thing that sat in a big pot on the hardwood floor. “It didn’t seem quite so extreme at my last place. But this one is a lot tinier.” He gestured around. “I got it for the windows. These corner units get great light.”
I stepped forward, then took him in another kiss. Our lips crashed together as my cock swelled. Izzy and I moved as one, our tongues teasing until we found the bed and I shoved him gently to the mattress.
Since Leo left, my condo had felt so quiet, almost lifeless. Being here in Izzy’s place was a whole different experience.
It was filled with life and bursting with his bright energy.
“Kai,” he said, parting his legs for me and riding his hand down his crotch. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
My head was spinning. It was the bedroom I’d seen on the screen, the sheets that were already seared into my memory. I fell down, joining Izzy, and took a deep inhale of the scent.
That bed smelled like Izzy. Citrus sweet.
Of course it did, but still.
Damn, that was nice.
“I can’t believe I’m here either.”
I dragged my lips along his neck and listened. Quickly, I earned his whimpers, the needy noises slipping between his lips, dancing up from the low drop of his speaking voice. We pulled our shirts off, and I kissed his chest, then up his neck again, licking his cleft on my way to clasping our lips together.
Izzy rolled on top, straddling me as he sat up. His jeans were undone, and the white waistband of his underwear stuck out.
I traced my hand down his belly button, across the soft trail of hair, and fingered his waistband.
“Should I…?” His voice trailed off, and his tongue danced at the edge of his teeth.
I’d been trying not to think about the costumes so hard. Now that he brought it up, I couldn’t talk. If I said the words, admitted what I wanted, the world might rip open.
But I wanted it so bad my teeth hurt.
“We don’t have to,” Izzy said. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”
I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him. I slammed my lips against his and pushed my tongue into his mouth, tasting him as deeply as I could. I wanted to break through and give us both what we wanted, but I needed to feel him first and to know he was there, quivering in my hands.
“Yes.” The word finally came out. “Please.”
Izzy laughed and grabbed the back of my head, and for a second that seemed frozen in time, we held each other like that.
He jumped up, then ran to the closet. Reaching on his toes, he grabbed a cardboard box, then pulled the brown cat costume out.
