C.E.C.O. - 5. Chapter 5

On the drive back to the apartment he shared with Jace, Avery and Clint conversed and joked around. They had both experienced similar work mishaps in their respective positions. Colleagues and friends alike hounded them when it came to figuring out cell phone settings, and they both fondly recalled owning flip phones that actually fit into their pockets.

"...and the worst were the text typos. The ones where decks became dicks and fucking became ducking?" Clint recalled. "Did you ever suffer with those?"

"Yes. One time, I ran out of chocolate sprinkles for the cupcake tower I was making for a birthday party. But, when I texted Jace to pick some up from the grocery store, in my rush I didn't realize that I had texted him 'pick up some chocolate sharts on the way back' instead."

"Chocolate sharts?" Clint echoed through his laughter.

"Exactly! Thank goodness that Jace knew what I meant," Avery concluded. "He had the sprinkles shaker in his hand when he walked through the door, but he was laughing the whole time."

"Has he ever let you live it down since?"

"No. Definitely not. Oh, take a left here, that's our complex," Ave instructed as Clint found a parking spot in the lot beside the apartments. He took hold of the taller man's hand after they got out of the car and walked towards the apartment door, refusing to let go. The nervousness he felt was a result of fretting over Jace's opinion of Clint.

The gray-eyed man studied his new lover as Avery clung to his hand like a lifeline. They didn't know each other long enough for him to know just what the blond was worried about. Was he concerned about his cousin, or Clint himself?

"Room 114. That's us." Ave said in a sing-song voice as he rang the bell to let Jace know they were there. Though he had his own key, he wanted to make sure that his cousin was at least part-way dressed first. Whenever he was anxious, Avery hummed or sang as a defense mechanism. Who would ever think that he was fretting if he was humming a cheerful tune to himself?

"On my way!" Called out the voice from inside the apartment.

The door was flung open and they were faced with a slender man who appeared younger than Ave. Clint thought his dark brown hair, cut asymmetrically with purple streaks might have made the man look even younger. Though, if this was Avery's cousin, he knew Jace was eighteen from talking to Ave. The petite man's looks matched his voice.

Olive green eyes raked over both of them before Jace dragged Ave into a fierce hug. "I thought you were never going to get here. I was about ready to call the police." Jace pulled back and flicked his green gaze to Clint. "And you brought Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome with you."

Avery felt his face heat up in a blush of pure guilt. "Sorry about getting here so late..." He apologized. "Clint, this is my cousin Jace." He introduced. "Jace, this is Clint."

Jace somehow made the handshake he shared with Clint extra flirty and Ave gave him a hard look. The green-eyed man just laughed and got out of the way so they could go inside. He then plopped on the couch with his legs folded under him before smirking at Ave.

"New outfit, cuz?" Jace asked, his eyebrows waggling. "Goes with your eyes."

Clint looked triumphantly at Ave. He was proud to have found the right hue. That particular shade of blue wasn't common.

"Clint was kind enough to let me borrow them." Ave responded with a nod. For the moment, he was relieved that Jace seemed to take to Clint well enough. He then turned towards Clint. "If you have a seat I can bring you something to drink. What would you like? We also have some snacks, if you'd prefer."

"Do you have coffee?" Clint asked with a smile. "And the shirt is yours. It's too small for me. You can have the pants, too."

Suddenly, Avery thought of never washing the clothes ever again so that it would continue to have Clint's lingering scent on them. He squirmed in place and realized he was already getting a rise from that juvenile thought alone. Get it together, Amerin! He decided to focus on making coffee instead. "How do you take your coffee, Clint?" He asked from the kitchen.

"Black is fine." Clint called.

Jace leaned close to Clint. "You planning on treating my cousin right?"

Clint blinked in surprise. "Of course."

The college student's eyes narrowed. "Ave's a good guy. The best, really. He doesn't deserve to be yanked around."

"I don't plan on any unwanted yanking." Clint emphasized with his hands raised in surrender.

"Good." Jace leaned back, keeping his voice low. "Because, I may not be able to kick your ass but I can find someone who would do it for me."

Clint was both amused and impressed at the firm warning that Ave's cousin delivered. But, he made sure not to show any of it on his face since it would have come off as disrespectful. He gave the olive-eyed man a firm nod of understanding, instead.

Avery hummed contently to himself as he waited for the coffee machine to finish. He made himself a cup for himself and for Jace, as well, just how they liked it. Afterward, he returned to the living room with a tray holding all three mugs. He handed Clint and Jace their cups and then sat down with his own. "You didn't tell him any embarrassing stories about me while I was gone, did you?" He asked Jace.

"Nope." Jace grinned. "Not even the one about the time I took you to that rave and that guy and girl wanted to have a threesome with you and kept grinding on you."

Clint raised his eyebrows and looked at Ave.

Ave was grateful that he had already swallowed down his first sip of coffee and didn't choke on it. His face began to glow pink. "I'm not as adventurous as Jace, as you have surely noticed."

The memory of the back of Avery's throat grinding against the head of His cock came unbidden to Clint's mind. Apparently, that was not what the cousins before him deemed as "adventurous." A part of him was really curious about what Avery was like when he was Jace's age.

Jace thanked Avery for the coffee and sighed. "I've tried to bring you over to the dark side...but, you always resist." The teenager smiled cheekily and sipped his coffee.

"You know I support you regardless of what you like and do," Ave replied. "So long as you're careful every time."

Jace reached over and tugged a strawberry-blond lock of Ave's hair playfully. "You know I stopped being dumb about who I play with and how I play since over a year ago." Jace fought a shiver and forced a smile. "I stick with the nice boys now."

"It's because I love you that I don't want anything to happen to you. And I know you worry about me, too. That's why I'm here and not beneath Clint's sheets like I could have been." Avery added.

"We were quite cozy." Clint piped up.

Jace stuck his tongue out at the older man and smirked. "I just bet you were."

"How was work yesterday?" Ave asked, changing the subject. "Jace works at an ice cream shop with amazing flavors. But, even there, he scopes out possible one-night-stands. So, any bites?"

"Same as usual." Jace stretched casually. "A couple of cute ones, but nothing serious." Jace's eyes lit up. "You guys should totally come out with me this weekend!"

Usually, Avery would turn his cousin down. But, now that he had a boyfriend, he felt as if he wouldn't embarrass himself as much. "What do you think, Clint? Want to go?" He asked the man beside him.

"Sounds like fun." Clint sounded amused. "Hopefully I can scare off anyone that gets any ideas about going after hot strawberry-blonds with cute freckles."

Ave gave him a grin. "And I'll do my best to fend anyone else off of you with sticks." He then turned towards Jace. "Guess we're going."

Jace slammed back the rest of his coffee and let out a happy whoop. "I get to pick your outfit!"

Avery let out an involuntary groan. "Will I be able to walk in said outfit?" He questioned.

"Yes?" Jace said slowly. "They aren't clubbing pants if they aren't tight! You have to show off the goods a little!"

"Showing off my goods always results in bad accidents, remember?" Ave practically pouted. "Have you forgotten who I'm going with?" He said as he motioned to the sin-incarnate being that was his new boyfriend.

"I might want to touch...Just a little." Clint admitted and grinned ferally. "And I like a little bar brawl sometimes. Might be fun to play with anyone who got a bit too interested in your...goods."

For the first time, Ave actually contemplated wearing the evil pants just to please Clint. "...oh, all right," He conceded with a sigh. "Just not too tight or I'll surely soil them within a second of wearing them."

Clint couldn't decide if that was a bad thing while Jace clapped in delight.

The younger man hopped up and scampered to Ave's room to rummage in his cousin's closet.

"And that's pretty much how he is all the time," Ave told Clint as he motioned towards his cousin's antics.

"I like him." Clint said with an amused smile. "He's kind of like a hyper puppy." He cocked his head to the side. "He knows how easy it is for you to..."

"Yeah," Ave admitted. "Let's just say during the year he first had sex ed, he used me as his experiment."

"That's...kind of hot." Clint admitted. "Kissing cousins, eh?"

"Something like that...Though we're not blood cousins, I refused to cross the line. And the line for me was anything beyond oral." He explained.

"And now that you're with me?" Clint asked.

Avery bit his lower lip and shifted to straddle a leg on either side of Clint's as he faced him. "Jace is constantly on the hunt for someone special. I've already found mine."

"Mmmm, I love the sound of that." Clint purred, running his broad hands up Ave's thighs.

The strawberry blond swallowed hard, as if he felt those very hands caressing him all over instead of just on his thighs. "Do you have plans today, other than our outing tonight, I mean?"

"I'd planned to be very busy...with you." Clint's fingers squeezed high on Avery's thighs. "If that is agreeable to you."

Ave nodded almost fervently. "More than agreeable, yes."

Clint's smile was wide and genuine as he pulled Ave down for a deep kiss. "And what would you like to do today?" He asked as he released Avery's lips.

It took a moment for the words to register, and another for him to answer. "Would you like to watch a movie?"

"It will be hard to focus." Clint rolled his hips, pressing his erection between Ave's thighs. "But no RomComs."

Ave's breath hitched. "Doesn't have to be at a theater...could be at your place." He suggested.

"Can we go now?" Clint's breathing was ragged. "Come back later before we go out with your cousin?"

Avery nodded. "Let's go." He then called out to his cousin. "Jace! We'll be back later!"

"But I haven't found your black jeans!" Jace stuck his head out of Ave's room. His eyes widened when he saw his cousin's suggestive position. When was the last time he'd seen Ave being so bold? "Oh! Well, you crazy kids go have fun then." The young man flipped purple-streaked hair out of his eyes and dropped a wink. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He went back into his cousin's room, calling over his shoulder. "Be back by 8:30, we'll pre-game here. Bring vodka!"

Ave let out a laugh at his cousin's antics. "I shouldn't laugh," He realized soon after. "I don't even know what shirt he has in mind for me for tonight."

"The blue one!" Jace called from the bedroom.

Clint looked at Ave, amused. "Apparently, he wants you to wear the blue one."

"That one, I like," He confessed. "Thanks Jace!"

"Pay me back by helping me find a hot piece of ass tonight!" Jace hollered, then muttered. "Now where are those black jeans?"

"He sounds like he has it under control." Clint said with a grin, hands running up and down Ave's thighs. "Back to my house to...watch a movie?"

A hot blush formed on Ave's face, but he nodded and got off Clint's lap, reaching out to gently tug him by the wrists to help him stand up, as well. "Let's go."

While more overexerting activities weren't exactly on the table if they were going to join Jace on his outing later that night, Avery was excited to find other ways of rousing the lovely sounds from earlier that morning out of Clint again. Hell, he also wanted to see what other expressions he could draw forth from him. The aqua-eyed man's mind filled with all kinds of ways he wanted to bring his partner pleasure. But, as he opened the door for them to head back out, each and every single thought in his head tumbled right out.

"Mi amor…"

The dark gray dress pants would have been an elegant combination with the dress shirt to match. But, with the first several buttons splayed open to reveal the bronze chest beneath, the man looked more like a model who had finally been freed from a day-long photo shoot. His tousled, wavy hair had grown past his chin, but the way he styled it half up into a manbun was admittedly hot.

He held a box of key lime cake in his hands. Why the hell was he holding a box of key lime cake? And, why was that the one thing that Avery fixated on as he stared into dark brown eyes in shock?

"Alonso?"