Chapter Thirty-Eight – It Didn't Sound Corny At All
"Hey," Jamie said softly, feeling a twinge of awkwardness caused by nothing more than his eagerness to hear his bunny boy over the phone.
"Hey," a sleepy voice replied. "How was it?"
"All your ideas were amazing."
Jamie was standing in front of the club, still basking in the pleasant glow of the day. He didn't want it to end, not the day, nor the feeling. The only pull he felt toward ending the current situation was this – to go home to someone he enjoyed spending time with.
"I'm glad." Cottontail's voice had that same warmth to be found at the end of the day. The bunny boy sounded like he was perking up, too.
"Don't tell me you went to sleep without checking the stats first," Jamie teased.
"I did. But I had to study, because someone asked me to." A playful accusation lingered in those words.
"And you're doing things only because random people ask you to?"
"It's not random people. It's someone special."
Two could play that game. Jamie began walking slowly toward his bike. "How would you feel about a ride?"
"A ride? On your bike?"
"Yep."
"At this hour?"
"Okay, grandpa, if it's too much for you to be out after ten--"
"When are you going to be here?"
"What's here supposed to mean?" Jamie asked slyly. "Your home address?"
"No, yours," the bunny boy replied quickly. "I'll wait for you in front of your building."
"I'll send you a message when I'm close."
"You want to keep me on my toes, don't you?"
"I like you flustered, what can I say?" Jamie teased some more.
A snort was followed by an embarrassed chuckle.
He liked his bunny boy flustered, bothered, annoyed, aroused, all that jazz. While he had never been bad with words, and it wasn't a lack of them preventing him from saying what he wanted Cottontail to hear him say, Jamie discovered that silence could serve the purpose, too. As he waited for his bunny boy to reply, he felt good. No, more than good. He felt like he could take on the world. No Anguses and Arthurs could take today's win away from him.
He straddled his bike, with his phone still pressed against his ear. "Wait for me," he said. "It's all I need for this day to be perfect."
***
Sometimes, Jamie said the strangest things, didn't he? Hearst rolled onto his back, holding the phone against his chest. It sounded romantic. Jamie sounded romantic on the phone. So, two options opened up before him, and two alone: either he, Hearst, was beginning to imagine things because he wanted them to be real, or Jamie, the famous heartbreaker, the player who played the field like no one else, was starting to catch feelings.
He shook his head, pondering over whether he needed a cold shower, or a well-intended mental slap. Daydreaming never helped anyone.
But Jamie was on his way home and expected to find Hearst, disguised as usual, on his doorstep. A manner of speaking, of course, because Jamie lived in an apartment building, but it fit the script. How many times had he thought of it – waiting for someone to come back to him? It seemed like an unlikely dream, so he had rigorously stashed it away in its designated drawer.
It was happening, though, therefore practical matters must prevail. He needed a nice mask and a shower. Not in that order, obviously.
What had his brother said? That he shouldn't let Jamie haunt him? Hearst shrugged his shoulders on his way to the bathroom. Wen had no idea what was going on, and he never would know.
His relationship with Jamie had to remain a secret. There was no point in dreaming big when Jamie was on his way to stardom and would meet many other guys who would be more interesting, sexier, better.
When he put it like that, he felt better. There was no pressure to perform if he didn't dwell on wanting things that couldn't ever be.
***
"Ah, you disappoint me," Jamie said playfully as he stopped his bike right by Cottontail who was waiting for him in front of his building as they had arranged over the phone. The simple fact that his bunny boy hadn't even thought about making him wait instead warmed his heart. Too many people just expected things to be given to them, and while Jamie didn't mind it, it was a nice change to see someone do things differently.
"How so?" Cottontail walked over to him, stopping inches away.
Jamie grinned and wrapped one arm around Cottontail's waist. "I thought I'd see you in your bunny outfit. You know that pink, horrendous one."
"You hate that one," Cottontail protested but leaned in for a kiss, anyway. "And it's too hot for it tonight anyway. Where are we going?"
"Just on a ride."
"No helmet?" Cottontail asked as Jamie gestured for him to hop on.
"I thought you liked living dangerously, inspector."
"Not every day."
"Don't worry. We'll just be cruising. Come on, we'll enjoy ourselves. At least I know I'll be enjoying you."
Cottontail giggled as if tickled. "Okay then, my life is in your hands."
"I'm touched," Jamie said with a grin, turning his head and begging without words for another kiss.
"Touched in the head?" Cottontail refused to play along, sticking out his tongue.
"No, you ass. I'm touched by your display of trust in me."
"If I don't die tonight, then you can help yourself to another serving," Cottontail offered. "Aren't you used to people showing you trust?"
"Not really, no," Jamie admitted before he could think better of replying truthfully to such a question. "I mean," he added quickly, "don't you read Xpress? I'm this loose, good-for-nothing guy who prances around thinking he's hot stuff."
Cottontail wrapped his arms around Jamie and pressed his cheek against his back. "You are hot stuff. Xpress eats shit."
"I'm glad you're on my side."
"Unlike that stupid guy, I know you."
Jamie felt his lips twitching. Sometimes, less often lately, he had a feeling that he was playing a complex game of chess with Cottontail. "So, it's a guy, huh?"
"Not that I'd know," Cottontail said quickly.
"Too late," Jamie egged him on. "You must know who's behind that stupid gossip rag."
"I don't," Cottontail said cuttingly.
"Okay, okay, I was only teasing you. No need to--"
"Get my panties in a twist?"
The bunny boy sounded mad. Jamie turned his head. "No, let me be the one to do that."
"Well, I'm not wearing underwear."
All right, crisis averted. Nothing would ruin tonight, and that was a promise Jamie made to himself.
"Aren't you a kinky bastard?" he teased.
"For you, I'll be whatever you want."
"Okay, so stop being mad about my teasing you earlier."
"I'm not mad."
"You got mad."
"It's a character flaw," Cottontail agreed.
"A horrible one," Jamie upped the ante.
"I'm afraid it's a feature, not a bug, though."
They both burst into laughter at the same time. Jamie revved the engine. "Ready?"
"As ready as I will ever be. Are we going to get moving or what?"
Jamie laughed and kicked the bike into gear, enjoying, as usual, the roar underneath him.
"Wow, this feels nice," Cottontail admitted. "Let's go, Jamie. I want to see where you're going to take me."
***
It didn't look like they had any particular destination in mind, and it fit the mood perfectly. Whenever he wrote a piece, whether it was just practice or he intended to make it public via Xpress, he thought of such things: tone, flavor, the right words.
Jamie was making good on his promise and they were moving at a pleasant pace, fast enough to make the calm evening breeze caress their faces, but also slow enough to allow them to enjoy every moment.
Hearst wrapped his arms tightly around Jamie. The smell of leather filled his nostrils and he breathed it in deeply. If only tonight would never end, he thought. What trite ideas were crossing his mind tonight. They weren't in a relationship, so he shouldn't worry about some hidden romantic connotation in Jamie's invitation for a ride down the serpentine road that went through the woods close to Sunny Hill.
The only thing he needed to worry about was not leaving himself wide open. Jamie might discover the truth about him by accident, and that had to happen of his own accord and no one else's. As he had thought before, he would tell Jamie the truth before they parted ways for good. It sounded like a great escape plan, and even if Jamie got mad at him, it wouldn't matter because they wouldn't ever be seeing each other again.
Trite, trite, trite. He repeated the word over and over to himself. Sometimes, it would be better if he could just turned his brain off and let things happen. Let the chips fall as they may and all that.
When had he ever been known to let things happen, though? His father had ingrained in both him and his brother that everything could be manipulated, information, most of all. So, this letting go thing, wasn't exactly easy to achieve.
He'd try tonight, though. He pressed his cheek even harder between Jamie's shoulder blades. Tonight wasn't going to last forever, but if they didn't need a lick of sleep, they could make it last for as long as they wanted it to.
***
"It's so nice here. Quiet. It even smells good."
Cottontail was babbling, which was unusual for him since he appeared to be a master of words. Jamie pressed him against the bike seat, aligning their bodies. "Why are you nervous?"
"Well, there's a lake out there. Maybe you want to get rid of me."
Jamie laughed out loud. "You can't be serious."
"I'm not," Cottontail admitted, slumping his shoulders.
Jamie put his hands on the back of his bunny boy's neck, linking them together, resting his forearms against his partner's shoulders. "Am I heavy?" he asked, sensing that Cottontail was tensing under the pressure.
"I can take you."
"Then tell me what's with the nervousness. If you don't like being in the woods at night because you watched some creepy horror movies as a kid, you can tell me."
"It's not that," Cottontail protested. "It's just—well, I'm having the stupidest ideas cross my mind is all."
"Like what?"
"We're doing things couples do," his bunny blurted out.
"And? Aren't we a couple?"
"You know what I mean," Cottontail insisted. "I think it's stupidly romantic, and it's neither, right? I mean--"
Jamie shut him up with a kiss. "It is stupidly romantic," he said. "You're right about that."
"For real?"
"Very real."
"That can't be," Cottontail protested.
Jamie brushed his nose against the edge of the mask covering half of his partner's face, wondering if he could nudge it away and then claim it'd been an accident. "Why so?"
"You're Jamie Vayne. Since when are you doing stupidly romantic things?"
"Since I got cockblocked by a certain inspector and then assaulted by a huge pink rabbit. It's your fault, so you should start assuming responsibility."
"What's prompted this? It didn't just come out of the blue, did it?" Cottontail insisted.
"Okay, it looks that I have to do the talking thing before the sexing thing." Jamie sighed from the depths of his soul. "Because of you," he began, taking the bunny boy's hands in his, "I discovered what I really like doing."
"How so?"
"Today, because you helped me design the plan of getting back at Angus and his stupid team, I discovered that I don't have to be angry to get even. It felt amazing."
Cottontail laughed softly. "Well, I liked helping you."
"You should become my assistant."
"Ha! As if you can afford me." Cottontail giggled and turned his face to the side, averting his eyes.
Jamie wouldn't have any of that. He caught Cottontail's cheek and made him look back at him. It was dark, but their body language spoke volumes to compensate. "Name your price."
"Are you sure? I told you. You can't afford me."
"Try me." Jamie was getting hot for a challenge. He might have been on his best behavior for the entire day, but he didn't mind spending his unused energy on giving Cottontail a piece of his mind and more.
"You."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The price is you." Cottontail removed his hands to grab Jamie by the front of his t-shirt. "See? You're getting freaked out."
"Not at all," Jamie replied and pushed back. "Actually, you're selling your services cheap."
"Shut up. You're not cheap," Cottontail objected.
"Well, I guess it all boils down to the person doing the appraising. One man's garbage could very well be another man's treasure."
His mouth was too loose tonight. Why did he have to embitter himself with memories from a different time? Obviously, he needed to shut up and start sexing Cottontail, as he'd promised himself he'd do.
It was Cottontail's turn to shut him up with a kiss. Jamie didn't mind it at all, especially since it squashed all those bad thoughts from a long time ago when he'd been alone and lost, not knowing what path to take.
***
There were layers to Jamie Vayne, Hearst realized as he indulged in the kiss he was sharing with the guy who had been his mark for a stupid article in an equally stupid publication. The key hadn't been to chase Jamie everywhere and pester him with questions. To know Jamie Vayne involved something else, something like getting close and remaining close without harboring any bad intentions.
Regret was a funny thing, and Hearst couldn't take back the stuff he'd written for Xpress over the years under his brother's guidance. It wasn't like him to not assume responsibility for his own actions, so he wouldn't blame it all on Wen. He had accepted his role, he had bent under the advice their father had showered on them, forcing it down their throats more like. His actions remained his doing and his responsibility.
Jamie deserved the truth for all the little truths he had allowed Hearst a glimpse of. One day, any day now, he would discover the unsavory secret that made Jamie say things like that. But Hearst wouldn't rush to publish it in Xpress as he'd been raised to do if he had remained the same person. He would take that secret and bury it deep, where no one else would find it.
"Are we really going to have sex out here?" he asked out loud. Although Jamie's ideas of stupidly romantic things made him warm on the inside, getting hot under the collar took more work than it ought to after using his head so much instead of abandoning himself to the sensations sparking over his skin under his partner's soft kisses.
"Are you chicken?"
"Well, you know I'm a rabbit, so your question is moot."
"Come on, live a little," Jamie challenged him. "Wait, do you think it's cringe that I told you all those things earlier?"
"Not at all."
"Then what's the matter?"
"What if someone catches us with our pants around our ankles?"
Jamie laughed. "I suppose it would make for a very interesting end of the day. We would definitely get a fine for indecent exposure."
"And you're okay with that?"
"I'll pay the fine for both of us. As you may know, I'm a bit of a celebrity. And they do pay decently for the privilege of making a fool out of me on that show."
"Yeah, but you showed them. They won't dare do that to you again."
"I hope not, but don't change the subject. I'm starting to lose faith in my charms. If I can't get the guy I like to drop his pants and enjoy a good dicking because I love giving it to him, then it means that I might be slipping."
"You're not slipping," Hearst said. "I feel just… you know, exposed out here."
"I get that. Is that why you're still stubbornly wearing a mask?"
The words hit a little too close to home. Jamie had let him learn a few things about himself tonight, but Hearst didn't feel brave enough to do the same.
The only way out was to play along. Not that it would be unpleasant, after all. He engaged first by putting his hands on Jamie's chest, fondling his nipples through the thin fabric.
"You'd rather do this than answer me," Jamie remarked. "That's fine, though. Do it in your own time, babe."
"You're way too generous," Hearst said. "It might go badly for you."
"If it's you, it's fine. You wouldn't do anything to hurt me."
"That's one big-ass assumption."
"I stand by it. You cared about helping me when nobody else would even give me a moment of their day."
"That's not true. Melinda helped you a great deal."
"Yeah, she's awesome. And so are you." Jamie angled his head and let his lips move slowly over the side of Hearst's neck. "I'm being picky here. I'm talking about guys in particular, and furthermore, guys I fucked."
"They always wanted something from you, didn't they? And what they offered--"
"Wasn't enough," Jamie said promptly. "With the risk of sounding corny as hell, it's more than just sex with you, bunny boy."
"That's great news."
"So prim and proper. You only make me want to mess you up more."
"You know you're good at it. Mess me up, then."
Jamie chuckled against his skin, blowing hot air over it. "I plan to do so thoroughly, so buckle up."
"Are you going to fuck me out here, after all?"
"Yes. Unless you show me your dislike of the idea by kicking me in the balls."
"Okay, then. I care about your balls more than about the shame of being discovered, so do it."
"Say it out loud, and I'll start," Jamie challenged him further, his lips hovering right over the corner of Hearst's mouth without kissing it. "I want to hear you being demanding and assertive for a change."
"I can be that, you know I can."
"Then stop beating around the bush."
"Ugh, you won't drop it, all right? Fuck me, Jamie."
"Hmm," Jamie purred, "do better."
"Better than 'fuck me'?"
"Yep. Say this." Jamie aligned his mouth with Hearst's ear. "Make love to me like you mean it, Jamie."
"So corny."
"Do it anyway."
He said it, and when he did, it didn't sound corny at all.
TBC