you love me anymore? You can't forgive me?"
Damn, not more tears. God. "Of course I love you. I can't just turn that off. But you ripped my heart out and diced it up pretty fine."
Joey ran a finger down the pulse point of his throat and Willem swallowed hard. He'd always melted when Joey touched him there. "You'd lost your job. We were fighting a lot. And then Leo was there. I was selfish and stupid."
The finger traced Willem's ear and his stupid cock stirred. Down, boy.
"Say you forgive me. Tell me we can start over."
He took Joey's face between his hands, searching his big, dark eyes. "I forgive you, sweetheart. I do."
A home, the comfort of regular meals, a bed, and hot water, someone human in his arms at night, it was tempting. He wanted to pretend it would be all right, wanted to turn back the clock and erase the bad moments, but he couldn't. His eyes were open now, and he had a lover waiting for him who hadn't tried to control his every touch, who appreciated who he was instead of who he thought Willem should be.
"But I'm sorry. It just wasn't working. Even before Leo. You wanted someone big and strong, hon. Turns out, you didn't really want me. I can't change for you, and it was wrong of me to want you to change for me."
"Oh." Joey moved back. He looked disappointed but not devastated. Then his head jerked down toward his lap. "Oh! Will, look!"
"What now?" Will frowned. He didn't want to look at Joey's blistered crotch again, but when he glanced down, his mouth hung open. Slowly, starting at the edges, the oozing sores dried and shrank while he watched, the inflamed patches of skin fading to a less painful-looking pink.
"Oh, my God," Joey whispered. "Will, tell me you see this."
Willem nodded, for a moment unable to form words. All across Joey's skin, the blisters vanished. Only the barest trace of irritated skin remained. "What the... "
Joey squealed in delight and flung off the robe, turning in front of the mirror. "They're gone, Will! Holy fuck, they're gone!" He ran to hug Willem and then raced back to the mirror to look again. He laughed, twirling. "You're my good luck charm!"
Someone's going to have to do some serious explaining later. And I better like the answers. "At least you're better. That's the important thing. Must've been some weird allergic reaction."
Still stark naked, Joey cocked his head to one side. "When's the last time you had a shower?"
Willem tried to ignore the flush climbing his neck. "Couple days ago, probably."
"Take one with me. I'll wash your back." Joey pulled out his best come-fuck-me smile and held out his hands.
Tempting, again. He knew that beautiful, compact body so well, knew just how it would feel to shove Joey up against the shower wall, spread his thighs, and take him. Willem squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the image. "Maybe not the best idea, hon. I don't need a pity screw and you don't need me giving you the wrong idea."
He watched Joey's expressions run through disappointment and offense, waiting for the explosion. It never came. Joey ducked his head, his next expression one Willem had never seen on him. He could have sworn it was shame.
"I get it, Will. I'm sorry. For everything." Joey pulled a blanket off the bed to cover himself. "I was a dick to you, and you still showed up when you thought I was in trouble. Please. Use the shower. You need one, baby. I'll stay out here."
Willem tried not to gape, though he wondered when he had stepped through the dimensional door into The Twilight Zone. Joey insisted, he had his first hot shower in days, and they parted with a kiss and a warm embrace.
"You'll find your big bear of a sugar daddy someday," Willem whispered into his hair.
"Dear God, I hope so." Joey rolled his eyes, but sounded much more himself again.
"Just don't cheat on him when you do."
He was still royally pissed at Kasha, but making his peace with his ex felt... better. No denying it, he felt better.
* * * *
Kasha peered out from the
Damn, not more tears. God. "Of course I love you. I can't just turn that off. But you ripped my heart out and diced it up pretty fine."
Joey ran a finger down the pulse point of his throat and Willem swallowed hard. He'd always melted when Joey touched him there. "You'd lost your job. We were fighting a lot. And then Leo was there. I was selfish and stupid."
The finger traced Willem's ear and his stupid cock stirred. Down, boy.
"Say you forgive me. Tell me we can start over."
He took Joey's face between his hands, searching his big, dark eyes. "I forgive you, sweetheart. I do."
A home, the comfort of regular meals, a bed, and hot water, someone human in his arms at night, it was tempting. He wanted to pretend it would be all right, wanted to turn back the clock and erase the bad moments, but he couldn't. His eyes were open now, and he had a lover waiting for him who hadn't tried to control his every touch, who appreciated who he was instead of who he thought Willem should be.
"But I'm sorry. It just wasn't working. Even before Leo. You wanted someone big and strong, hon. Turns out, you didn't really want me. I can't change for you, and it was wrong of me to want you to change for me."
"Oh." Joey moved back. He looked disappointed but not devastated. Then his head jerked down toward his lap. "Oh! Will, look!"
"What now?" Will frowned. He didn't want to look at Joey's blistered crotch again, but when he glanced down, his mouth hung open. Slowly, starting at the edges, the oozing sores dried and shrank while he watched, the inflamed patches of skin fading to a less painful-looking pink.
"Oh, my God," Joey whispered. "Will, tell me you see this."
Willem nodded, for a moment unable to form words. All across Joey's skin, the blisters vanished. Only the barest trace of irritated skin remained. "What the... "
Joey squealed in delight and flung off the robe, turning in front of the mirror. "They're gone, Will! Holy fuck, they're gone!" He ran to hug Willem and then raced back to the mirror to look again. He laughed, twirling. "You're my good luck charm!"
Someone's going to have to do some serious explaining later. And I better like the answers. "At least you're better. That's the important thing. Must've been some weird allergic reaction."
Still stark naked, Joey cocked his head to one side. "When's the last time you had a shower?"
Willem tried to ignore the flush climbing his neck. "Couple days ago, probably."
"Take one with me. I'll wash your back." Joey pulled out his best come-fuck-me smile and held out his hands.
Tempting, again. He knew that beautiful, compact body so well, knew just how it would feel to shove Joey up against the shower wall, spread his thighs, and take him. Willem squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the image. "Maybe not the best idea, hon. I don't need a pity screw and you don't need me giving you the wrong idea."
He watched Joey's expressions run through disappointment and offense, waiting for the explosion. It never came. Joey ducked his head, his next expression one Willem had never seen on him. He could have sworn it was shame.
"I get it, Will. I'm sorry. For everything." Joey pulled a blanket off the bed to cover himself. "I was a dick to you, and you still showed up when you thought I was in trouble. Please. Use the shower. You need one, baby. I'll stay out here."
Willem tried not to gape, though he wondered when he had stepped through the dimensional door into The Twilight Zone. Joey insisted, he had his first hot shower in days, and they parted with a kiss and a warm embrace.
"You'll find your big bear of a sugar daddy someday," Willem whispered into his hair.
"Dear God, I hope so." Joey rolled his eyes, but sounded much more himself again.
"Just don't cheat on him when you do."
He was still royally pissed at Kasha, but making his peace with his ex felt... better. No denying it, he felt better.
* * * *
Kasha peered out from the
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