Catch My Breath (26 page)

“T
HAT
was a little embar—” Elliot froze. The room was decked out in candles and flowers, and Danny had music playing in the background. “What’s all this?” he asked in a whisper.

“Nothing. You just had a tough day. I wanted you to smile.”

Danny looked so gorgeous. His skin gleamed ruddy in the candle light, his hair, his eyes, his whole body seemed to glow. “You look different tonight. Did you do something?” Elliot asked.

“Nope. C’mere.” Danny had sat on the bed, bigger than they were used to and covered in a luxurious, fluffy down comforter. Elliot sank down onto the bed and reached for Danny’s hand. “El…,” Danny started.

Elliot’s heart stopped. “Y-yeah?”

Danny coughed and looked at the ground. “God, how do people do this?” he said to himself.

“Are you trying to end this?” Elliot couldn’t imagine what they had being taken from him. Not so soon, not ever if he got a choice. “D, I don’t want us to be over.”

“No, no, no. You’ve gotta stop thinking that. It’s
nothing
like that. El, what I’m sitting here trying very awkwardly to say is that I’m in love with you. I know it’s only been a couple of months, but I feel it. The flowers and the candles were supposed to help, but—”

Elliot crumpled into Danny’s body and hugged him as hard as he could, cutting off his rambling. “I love you too. I have the whole time. I thought you were trying to break up with me. I swear, it’s like my worst fear—that you’ll decide all this is too much damn trouble, and it’s easier just to find a girl.”

“No.
No
.” Danny cupped Elliot’s face and turned it, gentle but firm, until he was looking right at him. “I was in here the past hour trying to figure out how to tell you that I could happily wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life.”

“You mean that?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

“Jesus,” Elliot whispered. “Who would’ve thought this would happen? We’re
eighteen
.”

“You think we’re too young?”

“To know what we’re feeling? No. Most people probably would say it’s infatuation at our age, but I really fucking love you. I know it’s real.”

“Me too.” Danny pushed a stray curl off Elliot’s face. “So what now? I don’t want this to just be some…
thing
anymore.”

“Me neither. I never did.”

“Good.” Danny smiled, that fond, intimate smile nobody ever got but Elliot. “I love you,” he murmured. “I just wanted to say it again.”

Elliot shivered. He dove forward and buried his face in Danny’s neck. He wrapped his arms around Danny and held on as tight as he could. “Love you too.”

After a few minutes, Danny pulled away enough to brush a kiss across Elliot’s lips.

“Hey, El?”

“Yeah?”

Danny smiled again. This time his smile went sweet and sly and hot as hell. “You wanna go to bed?”

Elliot nodded. He didn’t need to say anything. He always wanted to be in bed with Danny. Always.

They stripped their clothes off, sweaters and warm-up pants and big wooly socks strewn carelessly all over the rug. Moments later, they snuggled up under the big down comforter, naked skin and arms and legs happily tangled together.

“Mmmm best feeling ever,” Danny murmured into Elliot’s neck.

“I know. It sucks when we’re on the bus and we can’t sleep like this.”

Danny snickered. “Can you imagine Tate’s face if he came to wake us up one morning and we were naked in our bunk?”

“He’d kill us,” Elliot groaned. Tate was all for their relationship, but he was conservative. “Webb would probably just laugh, though.”

“Yeah, and take pictures. And tweet them.”

Elliot chuckled and shimmied down on the bed until his lips were even with Danny’s.

“Kiss?”

Of course Danny complied. He smiled into the kiss and slung his thigh over Elliot’s hip. “I never get used to how good you feel,” he said quietly against Elliot’s lips.

It was mutual. Elliot hadn’t gotten used to it either. How perfect they felt together, the fact he got to touch Danny like that. It was too good to be true. Except it
was
true. “I want you,” he said.

They’d gotten closer and closer, touched each other in a hundred different ways, but neither of them had brought
that
up. Maybe Danny was just as nervous about asking as Elliot. Elliot hoped he wanted it as much.

“I want you too,” Danny answered on a moan. Then he paused. “Wait. What do you mean?”

“I mean I
want
you.” Elliot flipped them over so his thighs were cradling Danny’s hips. He pulled on Danny’s perfect round ass, dragging him as close as he could get him. They slid together, and Elliot tilted his hips so Danny hit him right where he wanted pressure the most. Elliot groaned.

“Are we ready for this?” Danny asked, eyes wide and a little scared.

“Yeah,” Elliot said with a soft smile. “I think we are.”

Elliot had been carrying lube around in his bag for weeks. He’d wanted Danny far longer than that, but he didn’t know how to ask for it. They’d come so close so many times. Elliot spread his legs farther. It felt so familiar to have Danny there, grinding and hard, but the implications of where things were going made his heart race.

“Love you,” Danny whispered against his lips. Danny’s elbows were on either side of Elliot’s head, his fingers tangled in Elliot’s hair. Their kisses had grown slow and deep, addictive. Breathtaking. Elliot couldn’t get enough.

“I love you too,” he answered. He raked his fingers down Danny’s back, wanted to touch every bit of skin he could get to, wanted to pull Danny into him and never let go. But Elliot didn’t want to rush it. Sure, he was dying to have Danny in him, to feel him in every way possible, but he wanted to kiss him too, and touch him in all the ways he always did and even a few he hadn’t yet. Maybe it was dorky of him, but what they were about to do? It was special. Elliot flipped Danny over onto his back and scooted up to him, stomach pressed against long golden flank, legs tangled together. He ran his fingers down Danny’s chest, his belly, his thighs. He didn’t want it to be only about turning each other on. Just his fingers on Danny’s skin felt so good.

Danny groaned. “Your hands. I love the way you touch me.”

Elliot grinned and leaned over for a kiss. “Never get sick of it. Your skin is gorgeous, all golden and smooth.”

Danny caught Elliot’s hand and brought his palm up for a kiss. “Your skin is gorgeous too, silky and pale and perfect.”

Elliot had never felt perfect in his life, just tall and geeky and awkward. But Danny made him feel that way when he looked at him with his green eyes hazy and lids heavy with desire. Danny turned so they were facing each other, blankets pushed down to their hips.

“Sometimes I still can’t believe that this really happened. I remember how I was back in the spring with Katie and my normal life and can’t believe that I’m here, doing all this with you. It’s still so surreal.”

“Me too. I mean, I’d have never thought someone like you would fall for me. But you did.” Elliot’s throat felt tight. Sure, he was being corny, but he meant it. Every time Danny touched him it felt like a dream.

“Of course I fell for you. Who wouldn’t love you?” Danny asked. Danny pulled Elliot’s thigh over his hip and curled fingers around his erection. Elliot shivered. He was used to Danny touching him. Sort of. Maybe he’d never be used to it. He did the same, running his hand down Danny’s body until it was grasping warm, hard flesh. They touched and looked at each other for a few minutes, trading intense slow kisses.

“Will you?” Elliot pulled one of Danny’s hands between his spread legs until it was at his entrance. “I want to know what it feels like.”

“Fuck.” Danny shuddered. “
Yes
.”

“I have—” Elliot couldn’t say it. Instead, he slid out of bed quietly and rooted around in his bag. “Here.”

“O-oh.” Danny took it and held the covers for Elliot to get back into bed next to him.

Danny’s hands shook when he uncapped the bottle and drizzled some of the liquid onto his fingers. Then he leaned over to kiss Elliot and slid his fingers back to where they’d been. It felt weird and tingly, like something Elliot wanted but was scared to want. Danny played with his skin and muscles, giving him pressure but nothing else. Elliot grew desperate. Danny’s fingers were slick and sexy, his touches so gentle, as if he couldn’t believe he was allowed to touch like he was. Elliot didn’t need Danny to be careful. He just needed
him
.

“Please,” he groaned.

“You sure?” Danny asked.

“Fuck.
Yes
.” Yes, yes, yes. He’d been wanting to be with Danny like this since back at the
Band Camp
house. No matter how close they got, how much he was allowed to touch and taste and love, Elliot wanted more.

Danny’s breath hitched. Then he slowly pushed one slick finger inside. There was a stretch, new but not unpleasant. Elliot squirmed.

“Is it okay?” Danny asked.

“Weird, but yeah. Keep going.”

Danny watched, awe on his face as Elliot’s back arched. He worked slowly with one finger then two. It started to feel less weird. Good, actually, then really good. Then Danny hit a spot with his fingers that sent shivers all over his body. Elliot couldn’t hold back his moan.

“Good?” Danny asked. He still looked nervous, but his Danny smile was coming back.

Elliot rolled his hips, trying to get the sensation back. “More,” he groaned. “More fingers.”

Danny closed his eyes for a second, then leaned over and kissed Elliot as he pushed a third finger in. “You’re so fucking sexy,” he whispered. “I can’t believe I get to have you.”

Elliot had to touch Danny. He wanted Danny panting and moaning and about to lose control, just like he was. He patted around the bed with his hand until he found his bottle of lube. Then with a slick hand, he reached for Danny, who was hard and hot and thick.

“N-no wait,” Danny choked out. “I’ll get too close.”

“Don’t care,” Elliot muttered. “Wanna touch you.”

Danny knelt between Elliot’s legs, held up on one elbow, his hand tangled in Elliot’s hair, the other one deep in Elliot’s body. Elliot worked at Danny’s erection until his moans matched Elliot’s—deep and desperate, full of need. Elliot couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop touching Danny, couldn’t stop writhing on those fingers, torturing him, making him shiver and moan, couldn’t stop loving the amazing guy he got to call his. Elliot wanted the rest. He wanted that final step, to be as close as they could get.

“You want me, D? ’Cause I need you inside me,” Elliot finally forced out. Danny shuddered hard and froze. His teeth sank not so gently into the skin of Elliot’s neck.

“
Yes
.” Danny’s breathing was ragged, pupils blown wide with lust.

“I’m ready. I want you.”

Danny squeezed his eyes closed and withdrew his fingers gently, then with hands that shook he squeezed more lube out and slicked himself up. He lowered himself back onto his elbow and kissed Elliot, wet and slow.

“I love you so much,” he whispered in Elliot’s ear as he lined himself up and pushed in, slowly, an inch at a time until he was all the way in. “Oh my
God
.”

“Good?” Elliot echoed Danny’s earlier question. He was shivering at the fullness, how close he felt to Danny, how right it was.

Danny pulled out slowly and sank in again. “Holy hell so hot and so tight. I had no idea it would feel this amazing.”

Elliot tipped his hips, and Danny’s cock dragged across that spot again. He convulsed a little and tightened his grip on Danny.

“Okay?”

“Right there,” he breathed out. “Just… right there. Don’t stop.”

Danny didn’t stop. He rolled his hips and kissed Elliot so deep and long he nearly passed out. But it didn’t matter because it was Danny and they were so close and so in love and everything was so damn perfect. Elliot wrapped his legs around Danny’s waist and moaned into their kiss. Danny kept hitting him inside in the exact right spot, and he got friction against his aching cock when Danny’s slick, sweaty stomach rubbed against it. Elliot thought he might lose his mind.

It built in a rush—the most intense, heady rush, until Elliot was crying out and coming between them, eyes squeezed closed, clutching at Danny as hard as he could. Danny moaned against Elliot’s neck and froze. Warmth spread inside Elliot, and Danny collapsed against his chest.

They were still for a few moments. Elliot tried to collect himself, but he barely managed to breathe. He just ran his fingertips up and down Danny’s sweaty back and let his heart slow. Danny finally dragged himself up onto his elbows high enough to kiss Elliot. He slowly pulled out and flopped next to Elliot. He pulled Elliot into a long hug, sweaty, sticky bodies and all.

“Thank you,” Danny said quietly.

Elliot couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He was so damn happy it was hard to react any other way. “Thank you for what?”

“Being you, loving me back… I don’t know.”

Elliot grinned into a long, soft kiss. “Of course I love you. How could I not?”

“You know,” Danny started. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I tried pretty damn hard not to feel it at the beginning. But now? I wouldn’t want my life without you.”

Elliot’s heart melted. They were being cheesy as hell, all lovey and sappy, but he didn’t give a damn. He’d say anything, do anything, to make Danny happy. To keep things exactly as they were. “I wouldn’t want it either.”

“’M
ORNING
.”
Elliot’s voice was scratchy with sleep. He curled around Danny just like he always did, warm skin, lanky limbs, comfort—home. Danny was more at home with Elliot than he’d ever been anywhere else in his life.

“’Morning, love.” Danny kissed Elliot on the tip of his nose.

Elliot grinned at his words and shivered into a tighter embrace. “So last night….”

“Amazing,” Danny mumbled. Images of the night before, sweaty and hot, tight and oh so close flashed into his mind. It had felt damn good. Even as amazing as everything else with Elliot had been up to that point, it hadn’t prepared him for how intimate it would be, how perfect and loving and everything he’d never known he could feel. They’d done it two, no three times, Danny sinking into Elliot, then rolling over and letting Elliot inside him before they fell asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, they’d woken up and started all over again. He shivered.