Character Bleed Book 2: Stalwart

Chapter 1: Day 17, Night-3

He wriggled down so they were nose to nose. “I want you. But we should talk about this. Just now you asked me if something was an order.”

Colby bit his lower lip, apprehension not quite surfacing in blue tides.

“No, look, I like that. I like that you want to.” He stroked back an adventurous strand of Colby’s hair. He was half-hard and growing more so with each second, each meeting of bodies; they both were. But this mattered, before they did anything again. “You said that your ex…at least one of your exes…was into some kink…”

“Tony, yes. And Liam, a bit, toward the end. When he wanted to make things more interesting. But Tony knew more.”

“But you didn’t like a lot of it?”

“I…” Colby thought this over, lying in Jason’s arms: taking the question seriously. “I don’t like being hurt. I don’t like being humiliated. I didn’t like hoods and earplugs and things that meant I felt alone in the room. I do like interesting sensations and I like being told I’m being good. I like belonging to someone, if I can. I actually rather like some denial—making someone else happy, while I have to wait, letting them decide what I can have. I’m being honest about this, by the way, not saying what I think you might want to hear. If you were wondering.”

“I believe you.” Punctuated with a kiss. “And thanks for telling me. It’s about the emotions for you, isn’t it? Not as much physical?”

“Probably?” Colby didn’t seem quite done with this answer; Jason waited for more. “I know I’ve never felt the way I did with you. I don’t think I’ve in fact got a good point of comparison. Is that a problem?”

“Nah. Or yeah, but only because I want to kick all your exes in the face. You said you’d looked some things up when he asked you to. You know what I mean when I ask if you’re submissive, right?”

“I…think so. I haven’t thought about it that way exactly. But I suspect the answer’s yes. Especially given last night and this morning. Are you…er…more of a dominant? That’s right, isn’t it?”

“I can switch, sometimes, once in a while.” Jason tried to work out words, explanations, how best to make no demands while figuring out how much Colby knew and also liked, which might be two different answers. “But yeah, if you want to use the word. I’m not like super-experienced or big into the scene or anything formal. I do like being in charge, and I like knowing everything’s set up how I want, and I like taking care of people. And that plus the muscles, and the reputation…”

“People assume you are,” Colby agreed, understanding, because of course Colby understood; Colby would. “But it’s not about the size and strength for you, is it? It’s about making certain it all goes right and no one gets hurt and everyone gets what they need. The way you are when you’re walking round a film set before shooting.” Those eyes held memories of water and hope. “It’s the way you care for the world.”

Jason drew a breath, let it out. “You…could put it that way, yeah. So we should talk about what we both want. Limits. All of that. You don’t want me to give you orders outside the bedroom, do you?”

“Mmm…aren’t we? Remembering to eat, texting you, all of that?”

“…guess we are. Is that fine?”

“That much, yes.” Colby offered a self-reflective eyebrow-shrug, even lying down. “I like it. You can. I think…not much more than that, though. We both have jobs to do, and also I would never remember to ask you first about clothing choices or permission to run out for coffee.”

“Wouldn’t want you to. No getting between you and cinnamon mocha cream, right?”

“Precisely.” Colby slid a leg between his, casual and astonishing. “What else?”

“I guess…what do you want? I mean…how far do you want to…” He gave up. “About s*x. Do you want to just…keep doing what we’re doing, as far as hands and where I can touch you? I mean, tonight, filming…that was…”

“Oh.” Colby’s tone was more interested than upset, or so Jason hoped. “Are you asking if you can actually…have your way with me? Oh, no, that’s a terrible euphemism, you already are. Do you, ah…want to…oh, drat…do you want to f**k me?”

“Well,” Jason said, “I do, yeah, especially if you’re gonna say it out loud,” and ran a proprietary hand over Colby’s bare arm and hip, and cautiously down to his backside; Colby did not object. “But I get it if that’s not on the table.”

“You’d want to do that on a—”

“Metaphorical table!”

“Yes, I gathered that. Any of the options in here would never survive. Though perhaps if I went shopping…”

“Be serious.”

“I am. I admit I was rather hoping that one night with you would magically cure everything.” Colby did a little nose-scrunch at him: joking, or ninety-five percent so. “Unfortunately we don’t live in a fantasy.”

“I don’t know.” Jason kneaded a hand over his delectable round ass. “Feels pretty fantastic to me.”

“You always do know what to say,” Colby said. “You know there might not be—there might be some things I just can’t do. Or not often.”

“So we won’t do them. Or you can tell me when it’s not a good day to try.” More kisses. Colby’d sounded too lonely. “Anyway, we’re already having the best s*x ever.”

“I suppose so, yes…certainly for me…but you might want something more?”

“I don’t care. I swear.” He tugged Colby closer, needing to feel that warmth. “This is good. And I’m good with whatever you want.”

“Hmm…”

“What?”

“The problem is, having said that, I rather do want to try.”

Jason lay there being stunned by this, and forgot to say anything.

“Not if you don’t want to.” Colby was blushing now, and ducked that head to hide against Jason’s chest. “I don’t know. I only thought…I think I could. With you. And the more I think about it the more I do want to. Like learning to bake bread.”

“Might have to explain that one.”

“Not easy, and a lot depends on your equipment and the weather, but certainly possible? I initially had to attempt it quite a few times, but each time made me want to try again. And eventually I ended up with a really lovely simple crusty loaf, and then I got to experiment with more flavors, and shapes, and sourdough, and braided knots with cinnamon and raisins in…I’ve either lost track of this metaphor or it’s become amazing.”

“Knots I get. Not sure what the raisins are, unless I’m feeding them to you—”

“You do have fascinating ideas.”

“—but okay, yeah, that makes sense.” He did not ask Colby to look up, only kissed the top of that head. Some part of him enjoyed this: being a shelter, a comfort. “You told me once you could be pretty damn persistent. If you think something’s important. When you’re trying to help someone. Like me.” He wavered over adding the last thought, and finally did: “Or us. Yourself.”

“Or if I’m trying to talk ciabatta into behaving, and the amount of air in the dough is—no, sorry, deflecting. That one was on purpose.” Colby peeked up at him, and did not otherwise move, being cuddled. “Once again, I’m not very good at this. I was attempting to convince you to have s*x with me.”

“I know it was on purpose,” Jason said. “It’s not as random when you’re thinking about it. More going back to something you’ve already mentioned. I’m keeping up with you okay. Depends on the equipment and the weather, you said. How’s the weather right now?”

“Quite lovely, in fact,” Colby decided. “Nice and warm. Helping me feel safe. I’m surprised you didn’t aim for the obvious joke about equipment.”

“I thought about it. Figured you already knew how much I appreciated the equipment.”

“And you didn’t want to make me nervous.”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Well, I am nervous, but I’m also not.” Colby set a hand on Jason’s chest. Over Jason’s heart. Where it beat under his fingers. “I trust you. Make all the jokes you’d like.”

“It wasn’t really,” Jason said, honest. “Just that I like your equipment.”

“I like yours. Especially the size.” Colby paused, grinned, admitted, “I am a bit nervous but I’ve also told you I used to like sensation and being filled up with it…”

Jason’s d**k liked that idea. Jason’s whole body liked that idea. Jason’s entire personal universe sizzled with the need to put that idea into practice.

He forced himself to say, “You know that doesn’t have to mean me, um, bending you over the closest metaphorical table. You like my hands. I can do a lot with that.”

“I do like your hands,” Colby said. “But I think I’m in the mood for…exploring. Testing the equipment in question. Unless you’re not, and you’d rather do something else. Which is perfectly—”

“Colby?”

“Oh. Yes?”

“Do you, um, ever top?”

“…me?”

“It’s fine if you don’t, I don’t care, I’m just asking—”

“No, I only didn’t expect the question. Most people simply assume. But you’re not most people, of course. Er…I’ve done it twice. No, three times. Two and a half. Both of us were fairly tipsy that middle time and it didn’t work out well. Ah, it’s not precisely my usual preference, but I can attempt it if you’d like?”

“But it’s not what you like?” He ran a hand over Colby’s thigh, marveling at the fact that he could. “Just thought it might be easier for you.”

“Oh.” Colby visibly thought about the idea and the caress, watching Jason touch him. “I see. But…no, I think not. I’m not opposed to trying if it’s something you want, but when I’m thinking about, er…when I picture myself wanting someone—if I do—or if I’m reading a very interesting romance, getting lost in that sort of fantasy, imagining…I, ah. Definitely don’t top. Rather distinctly the opposite. As it were. Is that a problem?”

“Nope. Told you I like being in charge.” He squeezed Colby’s leg: not hard, but enough for affirmation. “And I like you having preferences about things. And telling me about them. Interesting fantasies?”

“Not—” Colby cut himself off, eyes startled.

“Not what?”

“Not lately, I’d been going to say, because I hadn’t been, but that isn’t true.” All that blue twinkled at Jason. Abruptly conspiratorially tempting. “You and the muscles. You and the niceness. You with a hand between my legs in that stairwell, not pinning me down—I could get away if I wanted—but you’d kiss me and you’d have that hand, er, doing what I said, and you’d simply make me come for you, right there, because you wanted to see me…”

“Would I.” He coaxed Colby into adjusting positions, deliberate and unhurried; they ended up with Colby on his back, Jason leaning just a little over him, hand venturing higher. “You want me to do what I want with you? Get you to come for me? Tell you you’re so good, listening to me, letting me play with you?” He paused, breathed, “Say stop and I’ll stop. Say yes if you want more.”

“Yes.” Beckoning as horizons. As unfurled sails, catching a breeze. History and sailing-ships, in that voyager’s accent. “Yes, please. You’d stop if I asked, but you know I want you to keep going, I’ve told you, so I don’t ask and you don’t stop…”

“You wanted that? Being mine, like this…” Colby’s c**k, long and nicely curved and full, fit delightfully into his grip. Colby’s breath skipped; Jason waited without doing more, only holding him.

“Yes,” Colby murmured. “Yes, yes…this…ah, perhaps not in public…that was the fantasy of it…but in my trailer, maybe, only the two of us, after you’d made me wait, after you’d teased me with it…”