Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (119 page)

really don’t think that was symbolic, or anything. I think she’s just

been bitching to him.”

Cody tried to cut through the manic gloss that characterized so

many of Tristan’s deeper moments. Well, that characterized his

shallower moments, as well, really. “So — what are you saying?

‘Cause I’m not kidding, Tristan. I’m not going to just turn and look

the other way if you start fooling around. If we’re doing this…” He

caught himself. What was he even talking about? This couldn’t

happen. This wasn’t what he and Tristan were.

But Tristan had set his plate on the floor and crossed to the couch,

carefully sitting on the coffee table so he could look Cody in the eye.

Up close, Cody could see the bruise that was forming on Tristan’s

cheek, and he let his fingers reach out to trace over the surface.

Tristan kept still until Cody pulled his hand back, then said, “Is that

the only objection? Like, if you trusted me…would you be into it? Or

is all that just letting me down easy?”

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Cody didn’t quite trust his voice, and it came out a little tight, but

still strong. “I’d be into it.”

Tristan nodded slowly. “So — how come you don’t trust me? I’ve

never cheated on anybody; you know that.”

“It’s not… it’s not just cheating, Tristan. I — fuck.” Cody had no

idea what he was doing, but apparently he’d decided to go for it. “I

love you, Tristan. I mean, yeah, as a friend, but… I’m in love with

you. I have been for quite a while, I think.” He waited for the bolt of

lightning, but nothing came, so he made himself continue. “You don’t

cheat, but you dump guys after, what… about a month? Two months,

max. We’ve been friends for eighteen years — I don’t want to lose that

for two months of something more. Maybe you wouldn’t even dump

me, but I’d see that you were losing interest, and I’d get jealous and

stupid, and you’d resent me, and I’d get pissy, and you’d get pissy,

and we’d end up not friends.” He swallowed hard. “That’s what I’m

afraid of. Friends is a lot, and I don’t want to grab for something

more, and end up losing what I already have.”

Tristan was listening, and frowning. “You’re a bit of a pessimist,

Code. And how come this is all on me? Are we so sure you wouldn’t

be the one to get bored? I mean, assuming that either one of us

would…”

Cody thought about it. His relationships didn’t last any longer

than Tristan’s, after all. Most of his had fizzled away, rather than the

spectacular explosions that Tristan often managed, but still, they

hadn’t lasted. And he knew why. Maybe he was crazy, but he wanted

to tell Tristan the truth. “Do you know what most of the guys said?

When they ended things? They said they could tell that I just wasn’t

all that into it.” He stopped, and somewhere found the courage, or the

insanity, to push the point a little further. “Do you know why I wasn’t

all that into it? Do you know who I was comparing them all too?”

Tristan was quiet for long enough to make it clear that he did, in

fact, know who Cody had been comparing his boyfriends to. But then

he smiled, a glow of happiness that he actually seemed to be trying to

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 727

fight back if only so that his grin wouldn’t split his face open. “Fuck,

Cody — I think I’ve been doing the same thing.”

Now it was Cody’s turn to take a moment to absorb the new

information, and by the time he was ready to say something, Tristan

had shifted off the coffee table onto his knees, his face much closer to

Cody’s. Close enough for contact, if Tristan just moved a tiny bit

further. But he didn’t move. Instead, he said, “I love you too, Cody.

For real. Let’s do this. Let’s put away the childish…”

And maybe it wasn’t religiously respectful, but Cody didn’t want

to hear more Bible verses, not when he could be kissing Tristan.

Tristan didn’t argue, just let Cody control the kiss, giving back as

good as he got without pushing for more. Which wasn’t exactly

Tristan-like.

Cody pulled away a little. “You having second thoughts already?

Why haven’t you gone for full-skin-contact yet?”

Tristan grinned. He was, after all, a fairly enthusiastic proponent

of full-skin-contact. “You’re not at full strength, Cody. Those ribs…

and your face is still sore, right? I saw you trying to eat your lunch -

normal people don’t take a bite of the bun, and
then
a bite of the

burger.” He reached his hands forward, and rubbed them gently on

Cody’s thighs. “We’ve got time, Code. We don’t have to rush it.”

“Okay, I’m a bit banged up. But there’s nothing wrong with my

dick
…”

“Cody, we’ve been through this. There’s
plenty
wrong with your

dick.” Tristan’s words lost any bite they might have had when he

kissed Cody gently on the side of his neck, then slid his hands down

to tug gently on Cody’s knees, encouraging him to scoot his ass

forward on the couch. “I can blow you, okay? We can figure out more

as you get your strength back. I don’t want to fuck you while you’re

still a cat…”

“That’s good to know. At least I don’t have to worry about losing

you to bestiality.” Cody let Tristan rearrange his body, and could feel

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 728

his cock already swelling in anticipation. It had been too long since

they’d been together, too long since Cody had been able to feel

perfection. And maybe Tristan was right — they could hold off on the

more involved maneuvers. There was no rush. “I can return the favor.

My jaw’s a little sore, but I’ve been drinking out of straws for almost

a week, now. Your little finger-dick shouldn’t be much of a

challenge…”

Tristan didn’t bother returning the insult. He had Cody’s cock

free, now, and he gave the head one of his patented, deep, rolling

kisses before grinning up at Cody and getting down to business. Cody

let his head slump back on the couch, and rested his uninjured hand

gently on Tristan’s shoulder. Tristan. Tristan and Cody. There was

still some anxiety, still a bit of concern about the gamble they were

taking, but for the time-being, at least, all was right with Cody’s

world.

****

would he, when everything he needed was there? But two servers at

the bar called in sick on Friday night, and they’d already been a little

short staffed, so Tristan had reluctantly decided that he really needed

to spend the whole night at work. He’d suggested that Cody come

down for dinner.

And Cody was glad he had. The patio was full of happy, laughing

regulars, and it took Cody ten minutes to fight his way past all their

greetings, commiserations, and, strangely, congratulations. Apparently

Tristan had been fairly proactive in spreading the word about his new

relationship. It made Cody smile.

His smile got even wider when he finally made his way inside and

saw Tristan behind the bar, his black bar polo stretching just right

across his back as he reached for glasses and bottles. When he turned

and saw Cody, he grinned, and it was only then that Cody noticed the

hat on Tristan’s head.

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 729

He moved closer. It was the same familiar design, the same

“Don’t bother…” start, but…

“Tristan,” Cody said, tearing his eyes away from the hat. “Damn,

Tristan…”

“I told you I was serious, Code. And, check it out.” Tristan

reached underneath the bar and pulled out a matching hat. “Got one

for you, too. Actually, I had to put in another order after everyone saw

mine. I didn’t know how many guys were…”

But Tristan wasn’t able to finish his sentence, not with Cody

leaning over the bar and grabbing hold, pulling their faces together for

an awkward, stretching, perfect kiss. Cody didn’t care what Tristan

was going to say about other guys. He only cared about Tristan. He

cared about Tristan, and his ridiculous, brilliant hat. He pulled away

from the kiss just before his back started to spasm from

overstretching, and couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he looked

down at the hat.

‘Don’t bother - I’m taken,’ the letters read. Cody pulled the hat

onto his own head and was only a little surprised to hear the cheers of

approval from the bar regulars and staff. He nodded over the uproar,

and smiled at Tristan. “You’re damn right you are,” he said, and

leaned in for another kiss.

THE END

Author bio:
Kate Sherwood started writing at about the same time

that she got back on a horse after a twenty-year break. She’d like to

think that she’s far too young for it to be a mid-life crisis, but

apparently she was ready for a few changes!

Her writing focuses on characters and relationships, people trying

to find out how much of themselves they need to keep, and how much

they can afford to give away. Kate finds that real-life monogamy is

much easier to maintain when she gets to spend time with so many

different men in her stories.

Blog
: http://kate-sherwood.dreamwidth.org/

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 730

Websit
e: http://www.katesherwoodbooks.com/

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 731

K. Z. Snow – QUIET ERP (Fairies/ Non-Explicit Sex)

Genre:
paranormal contemporary

Tags:
fairies/fae, magic, second chances,

Dear Author,

comfort, sex content mild/non-explicit

Who thought the

Words:
4,850

Department of Lost Teeth

wasn’t recession proof? So,

QUIET ERP

I’ve lost my job, my

boyfriend kicked me out

by K. Z. Snow

because an unemployed

The Fairy Godfather was doing well, better

fairy wasn’t in keeping with

his image, and I have no

than well, until the tiara slipped over his eye.

place to stay.

Dashing and weaving through the stream of

What I need is a Fairy

bare chests and bare butts and costumes that

Godmother Godfather

would’ve made a seasoned wardrobe mistress

Godfairy to make me feel

better. Maybe there’s one

cringe, he repeatedly flicked his wand, its foil

hanging out in this bottle of

star flaring with captured sunlight, and

Jaeger….

sprinkled his glitter. The gleaming flakes stuck

[PHOTO: Sitting on a

to oiled skin and sweating skin, caught between

doorstep in a brick wall,

strands of gelled hair, clung to the clothing of

arms on his knees and a

bottle of Jaeger tilted to his

ordinary-looking men and women who didn’t

mouth, is a very…unusual

strut or prance or twirl but merely strolled arm-

man. He’s lean, tattooed and

in-arm, confidently. It even landed on exuberant

shaven-headed, wearing

floats that certainly didn’t need more