Ripped - 24. Chapter 24

--Bailey—

Bailey wriggled under the heavy blanket covering him, wanting to burrow even farther into the bed. Morning was trying to make itself known by casting its warm glow across the room, hitting the wall in front of him. Although, strangely, his alarm hadn't gone off. At the moment, he didn't care. For the first time in months, he felt at peace... safe... whole.

Maybe he should bury himself in a ton of blankets every night.

Then he remembered why he didn't do that.

The heat.

God, he was hot. And how many damn blankets had his mom thrown on him in the middle of the night?

Bailey wriggled a little more—and... the blankets... tightened around him?

Bailey fought to pull himself from sleep. White walls, not dark cream. Navy blue sheets, not his green. Where—?

Oh, god. That's right. He'd stayed over in the dorms, in Declan's room. In Declan's bed.

He froze at the moan from behind him... and the large body pressed up against him. Shifting. A hard length nudging him. A thick arm wrapped around his chest. The heavier weight blanketing his body.

Declan.

"...ailey... nhnn..." a breathy whisper tickled his neck.

Bailey felt his own body respond instantly, and he gasped, driving his own hips forward into the mattress. He wriggled again as Declan's throaty moans shot straight through his core. "Mmmmm... Declan..." he groaned.

Declan stilled instantly.

Bailey gasped out a surprised breath at the sudden lack of movement.

"W-what...?" Declan's confused voice huffed next to Bailey's ear. Bailey wriggled in Declan's hold, but that only seemed to snap Declan out of his haze of sleep even faster.

"Oh, shit." Declan jerked back, attempting to pull his arm off of Bailey. "Oh, my God... Bailey... I... I'm so—"

"You say that alot." Bailey smiled briefly into the pillow at Declan's adorable embarrassment, but he grabbed the thick arm as it tried to retreat. He could feel Declan trying to squirm his body away from where he'd been pressing Bailey into the bed.

"Don't."

Declan stilled with just that one word, stopped trying to pull away.

"Bailey, I didn't mean—" Declan's voice was hoarse, rough with sleep. "I would never—"

"I know." Bailey rolled under Declan's arm until he was on his back facing up at Declan who was at his side staring down at him. He allowed Declan's arm to loosen but not to retreat completely.

"I meant to go back, you know, to Evan's bed after you fell back asleep, but I guess I fell asleep too. And I usually wrap around a pillow... but because you were there instead... I must have... you know..." He flopped the hand Bailey was holding, trying to make his point clear.

Bailey squeezed Declan's wrist to stop his rambling, dropping his own eyes. "I had a nightmare, didn't I?"

Declan just nodded, and Bailey swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry. Was it bad?"

Declan shrugged. "I don't know what 'bad' is for you, but you got a little rough with the wall. Logan came in wondering what was going on."

"Oh, God," Bailey groaned, hiding his face behind his hands.

He felt Declan tug one hand away gently. "Hey, it's okay. It happens. Don't worry about it. I'm sorry you have them, you know, about your dad."

"Thanks." Bailey patted Declan's arm lying across his belly. Silence hung between them for several moments, the air thick with unspoken words. Declan's fingers had started rubbing across Bailey's ribs where the shirt had ridden up in his sleep, probably an unconscious nervous movement Declan wasn't even aware he was doing.

Bailey lifted his head slightly, enough to brush a kiss across Declan's pink lips. As he fell back, Declan followed, pressing for more. Bailey felt the tip of Declan's tongue teasing along his bottom lip, and he opened, allowing the tentative kiss to deepen. Declan's kiss was hesitant and unsure at first, much like it had been the first time. But it didn't take long for Declan to get over his uncertainty, and Bailey moaned at the delicious assault on his mouth.

Declan eventually pulled back, panting. He looked almost pained, and Bailey realized how still Declan was trying to hold himself. "God, Bailey... I don't know... I'm sorry I—"

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Bailey whispered softly. "I'm not exactly immune to you either."

Declan lifted his head slightly, following Bailey's line of sight to the lower half of the bed. His eyes widened slightly.

Bailey could tell that his admission eased some of Declan's embarrassment. Declan ducked his head, trying to look anywhere by into Bailey's eyes. The tinge of pink on his cheeks still very prominent.

"Yeah, um, maybe I'll just head to the bathroom for a moment..." Declan mumbled, trying to extricate himself from the covers without touching Bailey any more than he already had.

"Geez, Declan, lighten up," Bailey smacked at Declan's chest. "You act like you've never fooled around before."

Declan froze, wide uncertain eyes staring at Bailey.

"Ohhh..." Bailey abruptly realized why Declan looked so nervous and insecure. Declan probably hadn't ever fooled around before, because he'd barely admitted even being gay until just recently—whereas Bailey had had a boyfriend at his last school, and yeah, they had fooled around some, exchanging mutual hand jobs a couple of times. Declan, this big macho tough guy, was scared and uncertain, even as he obviously desired more.

Bailey lifted his free hand and cupped Declan's cheek, the slight stubble rough under his fingers. "Hey, it's okay. This is new to both of us."

Declan cleared his throat, his finger absently tracing a pattern over Bailey's belly. "Have you ever... you know?"

Bailey quirked an eyebrow at him. "What? Had sex?" Of course his bluntness caused Declan to turn beet red, so Bailey took pity on him and didn't wait for him to respond. "No, not really."

Declan's hand stilled. His fingers wrapping around Bailey's hip possessively, and Bailey smiled, certain Declan wasn't even aware of what his hand was doing.

"What do you mean 'not really'?" Declan growled.

Bailey's hand brushed Declan's jaw before stroking down his neck soothingly. "I mean, just a little making out, a hand job or two. I did have a boyfriend at my old school."

"Oh, yeah. The one that outted you to your team."

"I was already out. I just hadn't advertised it. It wasn't his fault my old team was a bunch of homophobes," Bailey said as the rough pad of Declan's thumb teased at his hipbone. "You didn't ever go on a date? Kiss someone? A girl, maybe?"

--Declan—

Declan sighed, relaxing a little bit more against Bailey's smaller body. This really wasn't what he wanted to talk about—his previous sex life or lack thereof. But it had helped distract his dick, which was slowly deflating—thank God. How fucking embarrassing was that! Waking up to find himself attempting to bury himself in Bailey. And then to see that Bailey had been turned on as well...

Declan was sure his face couldn't have flamed any redder. Yet, Bailey didn't seem to mind, easily helping to deflect Declan's embarrassment over the whole thing.

And that kiss. Oh, hell, that kiss. Yeah, he wanted more of that. And even of this... just lying next to Bailey, being this close to another guy he was interested in, practically cuddling. As his fingers stroked over taut muscles and sharp bones, he was amazed that he could actually touch someone like this without feeling guilty or ostracized for his desires—his thumb teasing at the edge of Bailey's sleep pants. It was freeing, really, to finally be able to give in to his yearning, one that Bailey had fully awakened in him. Maybe they could just lay here all day...

"Declan?" Bailey's sleep rough voice brought him back to the present.

What were they talking about again? Oh, yeah... his previous sex life.

"Yeah of course, I've been on dates, kissed a few times, made out a little. But they were girls. Kissing them... well, they expected like romance and fireworks or something. And making out... well... Girls are different than—" Declan paused, staring down at Bailey. "Well, different than a guy. They're all soft and squishy. I realized a while ago I preferred more hard planes and rough edges."

"Really?" Bailey teased.

Declan smirked back, his eyes going darker. "Yeah really. Like broad shoulders and hips... like this." He ran his thumb over Bailey's sharp hipbone, sliding slightly lower. "And kissing you just now... so different. I don't feel like I'm going to break you, even though you are smaller like a—" Declan broke off, grimacing at what he'd been about to say. Comparing Bailey to a girl probably wasn't the best idea.

Bailey chuckled. "Trust me. I've been called much worse than a girl."

"You're nothing like a girl," Declan growled, dropping his head to kiss Bailey again. It was rough and possessive, nothing like he would ever consider doing with a girl. Bailey opened to him, and Declan felt Bailey's hand slip into his short hair, tugging him closer, accepting the grinding of their lips eagerly. Declan's grip on Bailey's hip tightened, his thumb scraping over the jutting hip bone. One part of his brain registered thicker raised lines under his thumb and wondered absently what they were? Did Bailey have some sort of cut or wound or something on his hip, like the one he'd seen earlier this week on his chest? But lost in the heat of the kiss—and his blood trying to rush south again—Declan couldn't focus on them. He should ask later...

Bailey's hand drifted down, cupping Declan's neck before scraping over Declan's muscular chest. Declan hissed his approval into their kiss. Odd scar lines forgotten, Declan slid his hand around Bailey's back, intending to draw him closer.

"—you guys coming or—? Oh, holy hell!" Micah's voice was like a bucket of cold water being dashed over them. Neither Bailey or Declan had heard the door to the suite bathroom opening.

"Are you guys having sex?" Logan asked.

Declan dropped his head to the pillow next to Bailey's, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Don't you guys ever knock?"

"Don't you ever lock the door?" Logan shot back. "We always come over to get you for breakfast and you insisted nothing was going on between you two."

Declan finally rolled over, sitting up on the side of the bed, while Bailey propped himself on one elbow. He saw Micah's smug grin as he leaned in the doorway.

"What?" Declan groaned, knowing the guy was dying to say something.

"I guess 'not yet' came sooner than you thought," Micah sang.

Declan dropped his flushing face into his hands, trying to hide his embarrassment, when he heard soft giggling next to him. He lifted one hand and arched an eye at Bailey, who didn't seem nearly as disconcerted at being caught by Declan's suitemates.

"Screw you," Declan finally snapped at Micah. "Bailey had a nightmare... and... and... I just fell asleep next to him after he fell back asleep."

Micah pointed at the bed. "That was not just sleeping. It was kinda hot actually." Micah cocked his head, grinning. "Can you do it again?"

Declan glared as Logan burst out laughing at Micah's antics at riling Declan up. Declan instantly reach over, grabbed a pillow and flung it at Micah. It hit him square in the chest.

"Hey!" Bailey piped up. "We were using that."

Micah held it out with two fingers. "Should I be afraid to touch...?"

"Oh fucking hell!" Declan yelled, stomping across the room and snatching the pillow from Micah's hands. "You really are an ass." He forcibly turned and shoved Micah and Logan back through the bathroom door, starting to close it behind the two. "We'll be ready in ten minutes if you want to wait. Otherwise, go on without us."

Micah poked his head back in. "Ten minutes? Is that enough time? Or did you already... you know... finish?"

"GET OUT!" Declan roared, plastering his huge hand on Micah's face and shoving him back enough to close the door—and lock it.

Loud hysterical laughter could be heard on the other side of the door. Declan slumped against it. God, he was so fucking embarrassed by Micah's ridiculousness joking around. He finally got himself together enough to face Bailey again.

"Sorry about him."

Bailey's face was flushed slightly, apparently not totally immune to Micah's insinuations, but he didn't look upset or angry, just amused. "Hey, that was actually the nicest reaction I've ever had when other guys have caught me kissing someone. At least he wasn't ready to beat the hell out of me, accusing me of corrupting his 'straight' friend."

Bailey was crawling out of the bed, and Declan took in his swollen lips and the thin strip of skin peeking out between his t-shirt and where his sleep pants had slipped lower on his hip from when Declan had been rubbing it. Declan vaguely registered the harsh lines peeking out from under the waistband before Bailey absently hitched them up.

What were those marks...? Fuck, did I scratch—? He froze as Bailey's words sunk in. Wait, what did Bailey just say? He'd been beat up for kissing a guy?

Declan popped his head up. "Jeez, Bailey, has that actually happened?"

Bailey shrugged. "Once." He grabbed his backpack as he stepped closer to Declan. Declan could feel the frown creasing his face, his hands tightening to fists. "Don't," Bailey said simply, laying a soothing hand on Declan's chest. He petted Declan, like he was attempting to calm a Doberman. "It was a while ago, far far away. Just think about it. Micah's teasing shows his acceptance. That's actually pretty awesome. Most of the guys here seem to be like that, which makes Heritage a pretty safe place to be, with a few exceptions—*coughs* Chris."

Declan caught Bailey's hand, smiling down at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just not used to it being directed at me yet."

"Get used to it. That's what guys will do. Harass each other, joke around. You guys seem like really good friends. You know he's not trying to be mean, and it's something new, so of course he's going to be all over it."

Declan rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah. Just wait until Evan hears about this."

Bailey grinned coyly up at him. "Just hope that Justin and my team don't hear about it. They'll accuse you of taking advantage of little 'ole me."

Declan sputtered, flushing again. "Oh, jeez..."

Bailey just laughed, patting him again. "Oh, calm down. I'm just kidding." He turned to the bathroom. "I'm going to pee and change. You get ready to go too. I'm hungry, and you promised to help me with yard work today."

And just like that Bailey had eased Declan's anxiety, causing him to perk up, excited to spend the rest of the day hanging around Bailey.

Sorry this chapter was so long in coming.  I hope not to be so long between chapters next time.  Feel free to nudge me if I do!