Second Shot - 45. Chapter 45: Moet & Chandon

Jason slowly pushed the door open, careful not to spill on the carpet. Between two coffee cups and two muffins, he didn't have a free hand to wave back to the older women he worked with.

He was surprised they were even here, it was New Year's Eve after all, didn't they get the day off? Weaving between the empty desks, he made his way to the one he shared with Wendy.

Figures she wouldn't be early the day he decided to surprise her with breakfast. A quick check of the clock told him she had three minutes. Wendy was never late. In about a minute, he expected her to come in, out of breath, rushing to be on time.

Setting down the cappuccino and double chocolate muffin he bought for her, he barely had time to sit before the door flew open.

"Right on time," he said, too soft for anyone to hear.

Pretending nothing was out of the ordinary, he tried to look busy when she practically ran to their desk.

Looking slightly annoyed, she didn't seem to notice her breakfast. "What are you doing here early?"

Terse and a tad snippy, the question bothered him more than it should have. Pointing toward her side of the desk, he said, "I thought I was surprising you with breakfast."

Her head moved where he directed, and she broke into a grin. "What do you want?"

Now he was irritated. Trying hard not to take out the real cause of his frustrations on her, he just shrugged.

"Nothing, I was up early so I decided to bring us breakfast."

Taking her coat to the rack at the back of the office, she stared at him the entire walk back. Still silent, she took her seat.

Not sure what he did to deserve the silent treatment, he stared back. This was the thanks he got for buying her coffee? His bad morning was getting worse. "What?"

"Normally you eat breakfast with Peter, and we go get coffee."

"I didn't spend the night at Pete's"

When she didn't voice the question he knew she wanted to ask, he picked up his cup. "I went out with Matt and Eric. Peter didn't feel up to it, so he stayed in."

She rolled her hand in a circle. "And?"

"And nothing." The frustration he felt came out in his words. "I went home rather than wake him."

Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to the side. Jason expected her to ask him to explain, but instead she looked down at her food.

"How much do I owe you?"

Relieved at the question, he waved his right hand across his body. "Don't worry about it, I got it."

"Jase, you need to pay your dad back." Wendy reached for her backpack. "You can't be Mr. Generous anymore."

It sounded like a replay of a number of conversations he and Peter had lately. "Seriously, I don't need your money, and this won't affect my ability to pay back Dad. I got some gift cards for Christmas, including one for the Java Shack."

"The Java Shack has gift cards?"

"Evidently so. My grandparents gave me a $250.00 card, Peter too. They gave us each a thousand dollars in different cards; Target, Giant, Java Shack, and Macy's."

"Wow, how did Peter take that?"

"Surprisingly well." Jason took a long drink from his cup. "It was kind of cute. My grandmother was so pleased with herself. Normally they just give me a check, but she knew about my arrangement with Dad. So to get around giving me or Peter money that we would feel obligated to use to pay back the loan, they gave us the cards."

"That makes no sense, why wouldn't they want to give you money to use to pay your dad back?"

"First, Dad would be mad. He and I agreed I would work to pay him back. Then there's Peter. I think he would be more upset if my grandparents just gave me the money to take care of him. At least if I'm working, it feels less like charity."

"Huh? How's that?"

"It makes perfect sense if you think about it. We spend most of our time at his place, so by paying the bills, I get the benefit of us having 'our' own place. My family would get no benefit if they pay for it, so it feels like charity to him."

"That's kinda convoluted you know." Wendy shook the piece of muffin she was holding, spewing crumbs in Jason's direction. "The money still comes from your dad."

"Yeah, but it's just a loan. It'll be paid off by the end of the semester. Especially now that I have my caffeine addiction paid up for the next month. The cards to Target and Giant will help too."

"Still, I didn't expect Peter to be okay with the cards."

He was about to answer her, when something she said made him shut his mouth. Head tilted to the right, he stared at her.

Wendy suddenly seemed fascinated by her coffee cup. "What?"

That sealed it. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me, what?" She still wouldn't look at him.

"You told my grandparents what cards to get us."

The red flush to her cheeks left Jason shaking his head.

"Don't try to deny it, your face already told me I'm right."

"They were so cute, Jason." Wendy’s eyes lit up as she smiled at him. "Did you know your grandfather rented a car to be sure you wouldn't recognize one of his?"

"Really?"

"Yup, they were so pleased with themselves as we went from place to place."

Jason could almost see the smiles on their faces. "I knew someone told them, but I thought it was my mother."

"Nope."

"Wait, if you were there, why did you . . ."

"Please, did you think I was going to tell you before you figured it out?" Now she seemed to be enjoying herself. "Besides, I wasn't sure Jerri was going to have gift cards until we got there."

Half smirking, half frowning, he shook his head. "You took my grandparents to the Java Shack?"

"Of course." She spoke to him as if it were the most natural thing for her to do. Perhaps it was to Wendy. As normal as his grandparents were, he never envisioned them sipping espresso at the Shack. "Jerri loved them. Gave us all a free drink."

"That doesn't sound like Jerri." Not the Jerri he knew, anyway.

"It does when someone gives her five one-hundred dollar bills and buys two gift cards. Besides she gushed over them when she found out who they were."

"Okay, that sounds like her." They both laughed.

Stuffing part of the muffin in his mouth, he noticed Wendy was staring at him again. "What now?"

"What's up with you and Peter?"

Jason tried to cover his discomfort with the question by drinking. He should have gotten a latte, the milk might help calm his stomach. "What do you mean?"

Wendy gave him a pointed stare.

"C'mon, Jase, you think I don't see it? You look and sound unhappy, then you tell me he was too 'tired' for you to see each other last night." She made air quotes at the word tired. "Something's bugging you."

"Not really." Yes really, but it was probably just him being overly sensitive.

"If you tell me, 'not really,' then something is wrong." She moved closer to him. "Spill."

"Honestly, it's probably nothing." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more with that statement. "He just didn't want to go out last night."

"So why didn't you stay in with him?"

"He said he didn't feel like having company last night." Saying it out loud reinforced the angst he felt.

"You're not, 'company' Jason, you're his boyfriend." Wendy might have been trying to help, but her thoughts echoed his. "Are you sure he's okay?"

"No." He shrugged. "I mean, yes, he's fine. It's us I'm not sure about."

"Do you think he's cheating on you?" Wendy's voice was barely a whisper.

"Honestly? No." He really didn't. "I trust him enough to know that he isn't cheating on me."

"So, what then?"

Jason wondered if she realized how much it hurt to think about this. He knew she was trying to help and to be there for him, but the consequences of this scared him.

"I think the attack is still affecting him. His mom, Erin, me, even Mister Lee, suggested he get some counseling, but he won't go. Says he doesn't need it." Peter might not need it, but maybe their relationship did.

So?" She shrugged. Jason knew he made a face, and she must have noticed because she quickly added, "I mean I know it affects him, and that would explain why he might not want to go out, but not see you? . . . "

"Wendy . . ." Now she was getting closer to the things he didn't wanted to think about.

". . . Has that ever happened before?"

" . . . just let it go." His voice was a low growl. They both looked around to see if anyone else heard them, but the few staff members in the office paid them no mind.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, can we just drop it?"

He avoided looking at her while he ate, but she was still staring at him when he finished. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the trash and sighed.

"Okay, just say it."

For a moment Jason thought she might not speak, but her silence lasted only a few seconds. "Obviously something's not right because you only snap at people when you're irritated. If you don't want to talk about it, fine, I understand. I was only trying to help."

'Only trying to help' was Wendy speak for 'I want to tell you what I think, but first you need to tell me your feelings.' It was one of Jason's least favor things about her.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "No, this is not normal and yes, it is bugging me. I mean, I know we don't need to spend every night together, but last night was the first time we didn't spend the night together since he left the hospital. We even spent Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together.

"What makes it worse is there wasn't any reason given other than he was tired. Tired? Then we could have stayed in and watched a movie and gone to sleep. At least if there was a good reason I'd be okay."

Telling Wendy made him realize how ridiculous he must sound, but she asked. As much as his brain told him it wasn't that big a deal, his heart said it was. "I know it's just one night, but it somehow feels wrong. He wasn't sick, or busy, or wanted to go out with his friends for the night without his boyfriend. It felt like he didn't want to see me."

"Have you talked to him today?" Answering him with a question was not what he expected.

"Not yet." Truth was, Peter's potential reaction scared him. Was last night the start of something more?

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not sure what he's going to say and I didn't want to be late for work if it turned into a long discussion."

"So you're scared of what he would say." To Jason's ear, her voice lacked any sympathy.

"That too."

Wendy's face took on a serious look. "Want to hear what I think?"

Not really. "Okay."

"You should talk to him, but avoid asking why he didn't want to see you last night. It's probably nothing, and if he acts like his old self, you can let it go."

She didn't say what to do if Peter didn't want to see him today. Truthfully, he didn't expect that would happen, not today at least, so he didn't press the issue. "I'll text him to let me know when he's up, so I can call."

Before she could say anything else, he left the area, taking out his phone as he put some distance between them. She was right, kind of. He did need to talk to Peter. Right now, however, was probably the wrong time. Something was off between the two of them, and it scared him. Scared him enough that he his stomach twisted into a knot each time he thought about calling.

Typing the short message, he realized avoiding the problem didn't make the elephant in the room go away.

Hitting the send button, he we went to the bathroom before returning to work. Thankfully they would be off early. Wendy was going to be inquisitive, and there were only so many times he could say nothing was wrong before she wore him down and got him to answer her question honestly. Were she even a bit less proficient, he could've sold her on the notion he was fine.

Best not to dwell on it and just focus on work for the morning, maybe she would give up on getting him to tell her more. He shook his head. How silly a notion that was. She wouldn't give up. He needed to accept it and act accordingly.

**

Taking the stairs two at time, he paused when he got to the door. Knock or walk in? Peter seemed fine when they spoke earlier. More than fine, he sounded happy talking to him about their plans for tonight. So why was he worried about something he hadn't given a second thought to in months?

He exhaled and unlocked the door. Either they were good or they weren't. Using his key to come in wasn't going to change things.

"Pete?"

"In my bedroom, Jase."

'My bedroom?' Jason put his bag on the floor by the futon, unsure if he should sit down or go find Peter. Was he being overly sensitive to everything, or was there really something wrong?

His internal debate lingered for a few moments, long enough for Peter to come out.

Peter stopped in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just waiting for you."

Peter tilted his head, looking confused. "Why'd you stay out here?"

"No reason, figured you'd be out when you were done." Jason knew he was acting weird and Peter's expression confirmed it.

Instead of saying anything, Peter walked over and put his arms around Jason's waist. When he smiled, Jason's anxiety disappeared. "Hey, Pete, missed you last night."

Their lips met for brief kiss, too brief for Jason's liking. It was, however, good to be this close again. Again? Jason knew he was being irrational. One night and he was treating it like a month.

"Sorry, just needed a bit of space last night."

"No problem." Yes it was, but only in Jason's mind. "Not like we need to spend every night together."

Peter's smile waned a little. Jason wondered if what was left was forced or real.

"Thanks for understanding." Peter took his hand and led him to the bedroom. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup, packed last night, showered before coming over." He sat on the bed while Peter collected his things and stuffed them in a bag. "I even remembered to bring the champagne."

Peter looked up. "Really? Where did you get that?"

"Pop gave me two bottles of Dom Perignon for tonight. I left them in the car to keep them cold."

His eyes seeming far away, Peter finally blinked. He flashed Jason a big grin. "Go get one and leave it here. Erin got us a bottle, but I'm sure whatever your grandfather gave you is better than the stuff Erin bought. I'll be ready when you get back."

Seeing the playful smirk on Peter's face put a spring in his step as went back to his car. True to his word, Peter had his bag in the foyer when Jason returned. Noise from the kitchen told Jason where to find him.

"I'm just getting the cake I made."

Ed and his boyfriend were making dinner to accommodate Peter's refusal to go out to eat. They seemed to take it okay, but Jason wondered what Jack really thought about not going out on New Year's Eve to accommodate Ed's friend.

Peter held out his hand, and Jason gave him the bottle. Examining the label, he read it out loud.

"Moet & Chandon Champagne Cuvee Dom Perignon 750ml 2002. Any idea how much this costs?"

"None. I didn't think it right to ask Pop. I just said thanks." Jason laughed remembering how stunned he was when his grandfather gave him the two bottles.

Peter put the bottle in the refrigerator then took out his phone. Jason watch as Peter started typing. Staring at his phone for a moment, he suddenly looked up.

"Holy crap!" Peter opened the door and pulled out the bottle.

"What?" Jason watched as Peter compared the bottle a second time.

"According to this, the champagne you got sells for more than a hundred and fifty dollars a bottle."

Dreading where this was going, Jason nodded. "Oh."

Peter flashed him a big grin. "Glad we're saving one for ourselves. We can have it on Valentine’s day."

Unexpected, but welcomed, Jason smiled back. "Hopefully it tastes better than the other bottles."

"Yeah." Peter laughed. "Wouldn't that be a pisser if we couldn't tell the difference?"

The dread he felt driving over was banished by Peter's upbeat mood. "C'mon. We told them we'd be there by seven."

***

"I feel bad that Ed had to leave his own place." Feeling the effect of drinking almost a whole bottle of champagne, Jason put his hand on the bathroom door to steady himself. "I could have slept on the floor and given you the couch."

Making his way to the foot of the bed, he peeled off his shirt. Attempted to take it off was more like it. The tee shirt underneath decided to come up as well, tangling around Jason's head. He heard Peter snicker then felt a pair of hands on his torso. Instead of helping him keep the tee shirt on, Peter pushed it over Jason's head.

"You might as well take 'em both off, it'll save me the trouble."

"Oh?" Jason felt dizzy from the struggle. "Have plans for the rest of the night?"

Peter ran his hands over Jason's bare chest. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Lacking their usual grace, Peter's hands jerked across the smooth skin. Jason wondered if Peter was drunk as well. They both drank enough, Peter more than him. Didn't matter, it was a good night. Hopefully a sign things would be good the rest of the year.

With just his black CK trunks on, Jason let Peter lead him toward the bed.

"You look so fucking hot in those trunks." Punctuating his comment with an ass grab, Peter pulled Jason closer for a deep kiss. They stood at the foot of the bed for a few moments before Peter unceremoniously pushed Jason backward toward the mattress.

Drunk, Jason quickly went down, nearly bouncing up on impact. He managed to grab Peter's hand, dragging his equally drunk boyfriend down with him. Laughing, they rolled around, managing to shuck their underwear somewhere along the way. Apart from rolling around and kissing, Peter never got too far into whatever he had planned. Before long they both fell asleep holding each other.

***

Jason hated driving with a hangover, especially when the sun was blaring in a clear blue sky. Neither of them felt like breakfast, or whatever you have at 11:30 a.m. They showered, thanked their hosts and carefully made their way to the car.

"Yeah, tell your pop that was damn good champagne." Until Peter spoke, Jason thought he was asleep. A quick glance confirmed Peter never opened his eyes.

"Sure will." He knew Peter drank more of the bottle they brought than anyone else, practically appropriating it once he poured the other three a glass. That might have been a blessing because Jason might have had more to drink if it was better. Given the state of his head, more would have been bad.

"So, what do you wanna to do tonight?" he asked before Peter could go back to sleep.

"Nothing. I promised Mom and Erin I'd come over tonight. After dinner we'll take down the tree and put stuff away. Not sure when I'll be done, but after last night I know I'm going to be tired."

"Do you want help?" It felt weird inviting himself, but Peter's silence on the issue made him ask.

"Nah, that's okay, Jase."

Not the answer he wanted. "Okay."

Even to his ear, he sounded disappointed. Maybe Peter didn't notice.

"Jase." Then again. "We just spent the night and day together. A little time apart here and there isn't bad."

"I know." He really did, so why did it bother him so much? "That's not a problem."

"So what is the problem?" There was a sharp edge to the question.

"There isn't a problem. Honestly. D will be home tonight, so it's all good." He tried to sound happy. Peter needed to spend time with his family. Alone.

"You sure?"

What was it in his voice now? Not anger, but disappointment? At what?

"Yeah, Darryl might even be there by the time I get home." Talking about seeing his best friend improved his mood. They hadn't hung out, just the two of them, since the start of the last semester. "We'll figure something out. Probably watch football and eat cheap Chinese food."

Jason laughed, thinking about the last 'roommates' night. Too much greasy chicken, too much soda, too much Halo… Definitely fun.

"Oh, okay. Good."

This time he heard it. Peter didn't sound happy for him. Probably just the hang over, Jason decided, still smiling at his plans for the night.

***

Walking up the stairs, Jason realized how much food they bought. "What the hell are we gonna do with all this food, D. Did you invite the team over?"

"No kidding." Darryl set his bag down to fish out his key. "It didn't seem like this much as we were ordering."

"Really?" The exaggerated face he made went unseen. "I remember saying, 'that's good' at least twice before you stopped ordering."

Darryl went to the kitchen while Jason locked the door. "This is all your fault, you know?"

"Mine?"

"Yeah." Darryl poked his head from behind the wall. "You're never around lately. This is the first time in months it's been just us. I'm making up for lost time by ordering everything I wanted."

Wrapped in a joke, Jason still heard a note of regret in Darryl's voice. Had he really been ignoring D? Probably. It wasn't intentional, but he realized he had.

"Jase?"

Darryl's voice snapped his focus back to him. "Sorry."

Putting the bag down, he quietly started to unpack.

Darryl grabbed his shoulders from behind and began to squeeze softly. "Dude, I was kidding. It's been a hectic few months for you and Pete."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I should ignore my other friends." Staring at a box, he opened it, then handed it to Darryl. "Sweet and sour something."

"That's for you too."

Jason continued to check the white and red boxes. "Nah too fried. Peter will kill me if he finds out."

"No way." Darryl put the box in front of Jason. "Tonight there is no, 'Peter won't like if I eat this,' or 'this isn't good for us.' This is, 'we eat anything we want, hang out and have fun night.' You can worry about it tomorrow, as if that will be a problem."

He stared at the box for a moment before laughing. Just like old times. "Right. Roommates Night rules it is."

"There ya go!" Grabbing two plates he handed one to Jason. "So what's first? Halo? GTA?"

"Anything but Guitar Hero."

"Okay, deal. Just be ready for an ass whuppin'. I know I've been practicing more than you lately."

Jason feigned a hurt look. "What? No love? Not gonna go easy on me?"

"Hell no!" Darryl grabbed two sodas. "You know the rules, if you wanna win, beat me."

Despite his laugh, Jason knew he was in trouble. Paybacks sucked, and Darryl was going to get his tonight.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Jason was ready for bed. He played the last game half asleep, a fact Darryl picked up on when calling it a night.

Jason picked up his empty soda cans. "I won two games. That's better than I expected."

"Yeah, me too." He followed Jason into the kitchen. "I thought I was gonna get a clean sweep."

After they were done, Jason stopped Darryl from leaving with a hand on his chest.

"Thanks," he said. "I needed this tonight."

"Me too, Jase." They shook hands and bumped shoulders. "I missed this too."

Two steps into his room, and Jason heard the text chime on his phone. 'Peter - 5 texts'

"Five?" he whispered, shutting the door. "Shit."

They began about the time he and Darryl got home. Right after he put his phone in his room.

"Hey, what r u up 2?"
"U there?"
"Must b busy, text me when ur done"
"Where r u?"
"Call me!"

The last one was about ten minutes ago. With the game playing, he wasn't surprised he hadn't heard the phone. Checking the time, he couldn't believe it was almost ten-thirty. Peter was going to be mad, but then again, he was the one who didn't want Jason around. How could he be mad that Jason found something to do?

Rather than text back, he called. Easier to explain than texting. "Voicemail? That's weird."

"Hey Pete. Sorry I missed your texts, D and I were playing GTA and I had my phone on my dresser. It's about ten-thirty now. I'm beat, so I'll call you tomorrow. Love you."

Probably wasn't too important he decided as he got ready for bed. Teeth brushed, he climbed in bed. After all the months of sleeping together, getting in bed alone felt wrong. It felt lonely.

Despite how wrong it felt being alone, he understood Peter's need. Since he left the hospital, they spent most of their time together out of necessity. Jason was his ride until the cast came off and beyond. The doctors still recommended he not use his motorcycle until he completely healed. Throw in the holidays, with the shopping, family, cooking and what not, and they basically lived together for three months.

Problem was, Jason liked it. Maybe Peter didn't. Then again, tonight reminded him he also enjoyed hanging out with his friends.

Tired, and a bit confused, he was about to shut the lights and hope for clarity in the morning when the phone rang.

"Hey Pete."

"Bout time I reached you." Not exactly the greeting Jason wanted. "Thought you were ignoring me."

Unsure if Peter was playing or really mad, Jason decided not to provoke him. "Sorry, we were playing GTA and the sound was up. I didn't expect you to call, so I left the phone in my room, so it wouldn't distract me if someone unimportant called."

"That's okay, I'm just messin' with you. How was your day?"

"Good, except for the ass kicking D gave me. I'm out of practice, I guess." Realizing Peter might think he was complaining about his lack of time to play, he quickly added, "How're your mom and Erin?"

"They're good, we got the tree down, the stuff packed away and had dinner." Peter sounded a bit off.

"What's wrong with that?" Turning, he pulled the covers over him as he burrowed further into his pillow.

"Nothing, just they wouldn't let me lift or carry anything."

Now Jason understood; they were babying him. He learned early on that Peter didn't want people to treat him like he couldn't do things.

"Heading home soon?" He stifled a yawn, barely.

"Already here. Erin dropped me off half an hour ago."

"Cool." This time he couldn't suppress the yawn, so he held the phone away.

"Wanna come over?"

The playful edge to his voice almost made Jason agree. "Geez, Pete. I would love to, but I'm in bed already. Probably not a good idea for me to drive when I'm this tired."

"Oh." The disappointment Jason expected wasn't what he heard. He seemed more annoyed. "You sure?"

Even Jason knew his excuse came off as lame, but after playing video games with Darryl all night, getting very little sleep the night before and being hung over for half the day, he didn't feel like getting up, taking a shower and driving over. "Yeah, sorry, not tonight."

The pause that followed dragged on long enough that Jason wondered if he should apologize again. Finally he heard Peter exhale.

"Are you mad at me?"

The question, after the silence, took him by surprise. "Not at all, why?"

"Just asking." The way Peter said it told Jason more was coming, so he kept quiet. "I mean, you've never been too tired to come over, so I'm just wondering what's really going on."

"Nothing's going on, Pete. I'm just zonked after last night." Was that really it? Or was he doing it because Peter didn't want him around earlier?

"It's not that far to drive." Back was the edge he heard earlier in the day. Jason couldn't place it, but he didn't like it.

Thinking about it for a second, he decided he wasn't doing it out of spite. He was tired. "Really, I can't. I almost fell asleep playing the last game with D. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Promise."

"Okay, Jase. I'll see you tomorrow. Night."

"Night Pe . . ." He didn't get to finish before he heard the phone cut off. Yup, Peter was mad. Not that he had any right to be upset. Peter decided earlier they would see each other tomorrow. Now that he was tired and in bed, Jason didn't feel wrong staying in.

Yet, right before Peter called, he was thinking how wrong it felt sleeping alone. So why didn't he go? "Wrong yes, but driving tonight isn't a good idea," he whispered, as if hearing his own voice made it more believable.

Still wondering if he should have gone over, he put his phone on the night stand and closed his eyes. For a time he drifted in and out of sleep. One moment he dreamt they were at Peter's, then he realized he was in his bed. At one point he thought he heard Peter's motorcycle, but when he sat up he didn't hear anything. Finally he cleared his mind enough that when he plopped his head back onto his pillow, he quickly fell asleep.

His dreamless sleep ended with a start. Opening his eyes, he saw a shadow of someone next to his bed. Throwing the covers off, he bolted straight up. "Whoa!"

"Easy, Jase, it's just me." Peter's voice was soft and soothing. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Wha . . . what're you doing here?" How did he get here?

He walked around the bed and sat next to Jason. "I decided I really wanted to see you, so I came over."

Still somewhat startled, Jason let himself be pulled closer. Gently, he felt Peter stroke his hair, allowing him to relax. The calm, peaceful feeling lasted a few seconds before he remembered his last thought.

"How did you get here?"

Peter kept one arm around Jason's torso, preventing him from sit up. "Rode my bike."

"Pete." Jason tried again to move, but it was clear Peter wanted him to stay put. "Not only are you not supposed to ride the bike, it's icy out. If you slipped . . ."

"I know." Peter cut him off. "I was careful, trust me. Besides, I'm well enough now."

"The doctor said if you fall you could be paralyzed."

"Jase, I know what he said. But honestly, it's going to be a risk forever. I can't live my life worried about that, or I won't do anything."

Rather than argue, he snuggled closer. "As much as I hate how you got here, I'm glad you are."

"Oh?" Jason didn't need to see Peter's face to know he was smiling. "Why's that?"

With his free hand, Jason unbuttoned Peter's jeans. "Let me get you naked, and I'll show you."

Hearing no objection and getting no resistance, Jason had Peter's clothes off in short order. He quickly shucked his boxers and tee shirt and rolled back onto the bed. When their lips met, Peter kissed him with an urgency Jason hadn't felt before. It lacked any hint of tenderness, forcing himself where and how he wanted.

Their rigid cocks ground together, added to the desire Jason felt growing inside. Perched over him, Peter used his arms and legs to limit Jason's movement. Hints of this control had been emerging in the weeks since Peter was released, but tonight it was not subtle.

Jason tried to sit up, hoping to flip positions, but Peter nudged him back down. When he tried a second time, Peter was less gentle, almost growling at his to stay put.

Their lips were pressed tight as Peter roughly ran his hands over Jason's body. Twice he smacked Jason's ass, the second time hard enough that Jason worried about the sound. When he tried to protest, Peter shushed him with a kiss.

After several minutes of pawing each other, Peter used his knees to push Jason's legs apart. All hope Jason had of fucking Peter were gone, again. Since the accident, Peter resisted all attempts Jason made to be on top. Gone were the times when they switched positions, with Peter refusing every request.

Most times it bothered Jason, but he never made too much of it. Tonight, he found himself so turned on by the forceful control Peter displayed, he didn't bother to ask. Their lips parted, and Jason threw his head back as Peter kissed his way down Jason's body. Bypassing his leaking cock, Peter pushed his face between Jason's legs.

He stayed in that position for a few seconds before swinging around to present his own hard cock in front of Jason's face. Knowing what Peter wanted, Jason eagerly sucked the pre-cum covered head into his wet mouth.

That Darryl was in the next room might have flashed through his head, but Jason didn't care, this felt way too good to stop. For several minutes they kept to their tasks, the sensations driving Jason's lust beyond his normal desires. When Peter finally stopped, he was on his back with Jason over him on all fours.

Silent, but firmly, Peter moved free, rolling Jason onto his back. He pushed Jason's legs up, rubbing his wet cock against Jason's equally wet ass. Jason felt the head of Peter's cock pressed against his hole, as Peter leaned forward to kiss him.

Ever so slightly he felt Peter press his rigid member forward. "Pete . . . ?"

"Shhh," Peter hissed between kisses. "It's cool."

"Pete, stop." Part of him didn't want Peter to listen, but that part of his brain that had been taught for years to be safe won out. "What are you doing?"

"C'mon, Jase." Peter kept his position, even pressing forward a bit more. "I'm totally clean. You know how many tests they ran on me at the hospital. I so want to feel myself inside you this way."

"I know." He wanted it too, but not like this. "But we said we wouldn't just let it happen. We were going to plan it and agree before we did this."

"Jase." Peter never moved, as if keeping himself poised to act once Jason agreed. "We both want this, you know you do."

Peter inched forward again, forcing Jason to squirm to prevent further penetration. "Pete, no!"

Rolling hard, Jason nearly flung Peter off the bed.

"Hey!" Anger as much as surprise could be heard from Peter. "Why'd you do that?"

Jason put some distance between them, as angry as Peter sounded. "What're you doing?"

"Me?" Even in the dark, Jason could see the frustration on Peter's face. "You're the one who nearly threw me off the bed."

"You kept trying to fuck me bare, even after I said, 'no'." He tried to keep his voice down, but he was sure Darryl could hear them. "What did you expect?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I wasn't." He reached for Jason's hand, but Jason snatched it back. "Really. I mean I wanted, want to, but you said, 'no.'"

For the first time, Jason didn't believe him. "Sure felt like it to me."

Inching closer, Peter grabbed Jason's hand. He brought to his lips and brushed them against the shaking fingers. "I'm sorry if it felt like that, but I wouldn't do that unless you agreed. You know that."

The apology sounded sincere. Peter's voice lost the annoyed edge it had a moment ago. Still, Jason knew what he felt. If he hadn't moved, he was sure Peter would have kept going.

What was he thinking? Peter wouldn't hurt him like that. How could he even think that?

Jason relaxed, and let Peter pull his head closer until it rested on his chest. Holding him, Peter lightly kissed his head. Unable to reconcile things, Jason felt like his head would explode. He began to shake, causing Peter to tighten his grip.

"You okay?"

"Sorry, Pete." He knew he ruined the mood, but a part of him still wasn't sure. "I overreacted."

"It's cool." He kept his face pressed against Jason's head. "We won't do that until you're ready."

"Thanks." The soft hairs on Peter's chest tickled his face. As always, being this close to Peter's furry torso turned him on. "Did I totally kill the mood?"

Taking Jason's hand, Peter moved it toward his still hard cock. "Nope."

His doubts dispelled, Jason eased Peter onto his back, never letting go of his erection. Slowly he maneuvered them into a sixty-nine position then went to work. Taking Peter's cock into his mouth, he used his tongue in the way he knew Peter enjoyed.

Moving further down, he suppressed a gag, as sucked his way to the base of his penis. A loud moan was followed by Peter quickly doing the same to Jason.

After a couple minutes, Jason felt Peter fumbling toward the nightstand. Never releasing the cock in his mouth, Peter continued his efforts until Jason heard a drawer open. Jason kept up his efforts even as he felt a cool liquid against his skin. A finger penetrated him, forcing a sound of pleasure from his occupied mouth.

Peter stopped for a moment, and Jason felt a condom being pressed into his hand. With a loud slurp, he let go of Peter's cock, jockeying for better access. Peter added a second digit as Jason moved around, adding to Jason's need.

Careful not to tear the condom, he ripped open the foil with his teeth and quickly rolled it down. Peter pushed his hand gently away from the lube, twisting his body until he was between Jason's legs. Not letting his fingers slip out, Peter used his free hand to flip open the top, then squeezed a bit more onto his fingers. Working them in and around, Peter finally withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his rock hard cock.

For the second time that night, he pushed Jason's legs back, but this time he thrust forward hard.

Searing pain lanced through Jason's body, forcing a loud grunt of pain. "Slow down, Pete. Give me a second to adjust."

Peter stayed still for no more than a three count before he began pumping furiously, magnifying the pain.

"Ah, shit, Pete!" He tried to squirm away, but Peter kept a tight grip on his legs. "That hurts, let me get used to you."

With his eyes closed, Peter's face was hard for Jason to read. He buried himself deep inside Jason, then stopped while Jason took several deep breaths. Peter watched him, as if looking for a sign he could resume.

"Just relax Jase, it’ll feel good in a minute," Peter whispered. Before getting a response, he started plunging himself hard against Jason's butt. The smacking of his body on Jason's forced more grunts of pain.

"So good," he moaned, ignoring Jason's obvious discomfort. Holding Jason's calves, he thrust hard, staring down, not making eye contact.

Not enjoying himself, Jason noticed Peter wasn't checking on him like they always did. There wasn't a hint of concern, just Peter doing what he wanted. Hopefully it would be over soon.

Trying hard to keep it quiet, he soon regretted that approach. Peter increased his tempo, pounding harder. Jason wondered for a moment if Peter was trying to get him to cry out, or just acting out something he always wanted to try.

"Pete . . ."

Peter opened his eyes and smiled at Jason. "God, you feel so fucking good."

The low growl, was something of a turn on for Jason. The discomfort slowly subsided and he tried to get into the mood, but Peter continued to ignore any attempt to kiss him.

Finally, he could tell Peter was close.

"Ah shit," Peter said in a loud whisper. "I'm gonna shoot!"

Tilting his head back, Peter buried himself deep inside Jason. He kept still for a moment, then began to fuck him again, albeit a bit easier.

Gritting his teeth, Jason waited for Peter to finish. In the year plus they had been together, he never remembered wishing for sex to end, until tonight.

Lying atop Jason, Peter rested for a moment, breathing hard. His attempt to kiss Jason was met without much enthusiasm. Apparently Peter didn't notice.

"God," Peter sighed. "That was great."

Slowly Peter pulled out and rolled on his back. "I so needed that."

Without a word, Jason slid off the bed.

"Hey, where're you going?" Peter sat on the edge to take of the condom.

"Bathroom to clean up." He barely heard Peter say something about Jason not cumming yet, but he didn't acknowledge it. Eager to get to the bathroom, he didn't let Darryl being home stop him from leaving his room naked. All other thoughts dissolved against his need to be alone.

Not wanting to take a shower, he quickly cleaned up. So much for things going back to normal. Peter never treated him like that before. It almost felt as if he didn't care about Jason, only about getting off. Or maybe Peter was just in a different kind of mood. Whatever it was, he didn't want to experience it again.

Scooting quickly from the bathroom back to his room, he stopped in the doorway.

"Why're you getting dressed?"

Peter continued to button his shirt. "I'm going home."

"Why?" Now he really felt dirty. Did Peter really want to see him tonight or did he just need someone to fuck?

"You seem mad at me or something."

"Pete, what're you talking about?" He stayed in the doorway, making sure Peter couldn't walk out without pushing past him. "I told you I was glad to see you."

"You ran off as soon as we were done, like you couldn't wait to get away from me. How cool is that?"

"Whoa." His anger almost got the better of him. "You're trying to make this about me? You tried to fuck me bareback, then fucked the hell out of me, even when you knew I wasn't enjoying it, and you're upset at me?"

"See," Peter shook his head, "you are mad, I knew it. I said I was sorry about the bareback thing."

"Pete, I'm not mad about that, I'm not mad about anything, I just don't get you tonight."

He picked up his jacket from the floor. "Which is why I should go."

"Please don't." How did this turn around onto him? It made what they did seem seedy and trashy; made him feel that way too. "It feels weird."

"It feels more weird staying."

"Seriously, Pete, please don't go." Even after what happened, he didn't want him to leave. "It's late, it's icy, and I want to fall asleep next to you."

Peter stared at the wall rather than at Jason. He appeared to debate his options and Jason felt sure he would leave.

Feeling vulnerable and helpless standing naked in the doorway, Jason forgot all his other feelings and focused on Peter not leaving. "Please?"

Peter walked over, coat still in hand, and Jason stepped aside to let him pass. Rather than leave, he tossed his coat on a chair and took Jason's hand, drawing him into the room.

"Okay." He whispered softly. A soft push shut the door, as he silently undressed before crawling into bed next to Jason.

His back to Peter, Jason felt him snuggle closer, drawing the two of them together. Unsettled by the night's events, Jason remained awake long after Peter fell asleep. Eventually, he drifted off, keeping a tight hold on the arm around him.