Who: Ezra and Archer When: late afternoon, Tuesday, June 12th Where: their house Warning: NSFW Status: complete
Archer didn’t like feeling like a caged animal in his own home, but he’d been pacing around for hours. He didn’t have to stay there, he supposed. He could’ve gone out and busied himself doing something else -- work, shopping, or his new favorite pastime -- but he knew that if he went out, he would be too tempted to drive to where Ezra currently was. The worst place for Archer to be.
Today was Blake’s funeral. Archer wasn’t sure when his vehicle and body had been found, but it had been at least a week or two after the two of them had pushed it off of the cliff. With the tide coming in and out, Archer couldn’t imagine there was much left of Blake, and even less evidence that it hadn’t just been an accident, but it had still taken until now for a funeral to happen, which told him that there’d been some sort of investigation at least. The routine kind that always happened with a fatal accident, maybe. There was no way for them to know for sure until either the cops came to the door to arrest them, or didn’t. So far they hadn’t, which made Archer hope he and Ezra were in the clear. They would at least know more after today, because Ezra was expected to be at Blake’s funeral.
They’d gone over their story a few times before he’d left, and while Archer felt pretty confident in his man’s ability to lie to protect them, it was driving him fucking crazy that Ezra was there and he wasn’t. Was he crying? Were they genuine tears of regret that his insta-boyfriend was dead? Was he turning Archer in right at that moment, confessing everything to Blake’s family, or even the cops? Was he throwing Archer under the bus and claiming he wasn’t involved at all? Did Ezra miss that glorified bed-warmer he’d collected while Archer had been gone? All of it made Archer pace and check the clock every five minutes, muttering to himself as he restlessly walked from room to room and tried to quell the urge to break everything in sight.
The past month had been a slow simmering hell for Ezra, but he thought that today might be the last of the worst of it. He’d made it through the finding of Blake’s body and the day the police had come by to ask him questions. Archer hadn’t been there, thank God, because he’d gotten all weepy, and he knew it would’ve pissed him off, but Ezra thought it helped that he’d been truly upset. The story was that they’d broken up and that he hadn’t heard from him since, and that Archer had returned later, something they’d worked to coordinate. He was fucking thankful that Blake had family in town and that no one had asked him to identify the body—it had been in the water a solid week by that point and Ezra doubted he could stomach it. The service he’d attended was more of a memorial service than a funeral, since there wasn’t an actual body to bury. They’d had Blake cremated. Ezra assumed it was due to the smell.
The service itself was painful, but for all the wrong reasons. Ezra was worried people might look at him and know what he’d done, that they might see through the tears that came even a month after Blake’s death. It wasn’t bad anymore, just a slight leaking of his eyes, but he couldn’t help it. It was a terrible, horrible loss. People seemed to believe him though. A few even gave him condolences, even though he was just the ex boyfriend. He had no reason to be scared, though he didn’t feel like he could breathe again until he walked back in the door, finally home. Ezra dropped the keys on the counter and closed his eyes as he sighed. It had all been exhausting, but at least it was over.
Archer heard the door open and shut, and he forced himself not to run from where he was upstairs. His heart was pounding in his chest. If there were cops come to collect him, they would have pounded on the door, right? Or would he descend the stairs to find all of Blake’s family down there, staring at him in accusation? It was just a flash of an idea, and it was exciting in a way that nothing should be. There was no one in the living room, however, and Ezra was alone in the kitchen. Alone and there, he’d come back. Archer realized just how afraid he’d been that Ezra would just disappear. The relief made him feel shaky inside. Archer walked wordlessly up to Ezra, turned him around by the shoulders, and wrapped him up in a tight hug. He looked tired and sad and like he’d been crying, but Archer was just so glad to see him, he had to.
Ezra heard Archer enter the kitchen, but didn’t realize how close he was until he wrapped his arms around him. For a second, Ezra went stiff, disgusted with himself for seeking comfort in Archer while mourning Blake, but it only lasted a moment before Ezra leaned into him. As wrong as it felt, the draw was undeniable, and even the circumstances of Blake’s death couldn’t sever the cord. He just wished things could have played out differently, that Archer could have come home during the daytime and been able to see that Blake wasn’t an intruder… “I think it’s over,” he said softly, his arms coming up to wrap loosely around Archer. “I need it to be over.” Which just felt so damn selfish, but he couldn’t help it. He was tired.
The initial stiffness didn’t faze Archer much, lasting about as long as he expected it to before Ezra relaxed, which was only a few seconds. That was his needy, sweet boy. Of course he needed comfort, and who could honestly give it to him besides Archer? They were the only ones who knew what had really happened. It was bonding, no matter how they felt about it. Archer squeezed him tighter briefly when he spoke and nodded a little, also unfazed by the less than enthusiastic hug he was getting in return. Then he pulled back enough to look into Ezra’s eyes, both hands moving to cup his face. “It’s over,” he told him, soft but firm. “You did it, and I bet you did great, baby. And that’s the last thing you’ll have to do.”
“I did great?” Ezra asked with a bitter little laugh. “What does that even say about me? A man died, tragically, and I just stood around lying to everyone that cared about him. They think he killed himself and all I can think is how that’s good, that’s what we need.” His voice was breaking, the stress of the day finally getting to him now that he was home and safe. A hundred different times he’d considered telling someone the truth, and a hundred different times he’d backed out, the consequences of those actions too great to bear. It felt horribly selfish, but he and Archer would have to pay for what had happened and it wouldn’t change the fact that Blake was dead. It just didn’t seem worth it to ruin three lives instead of one.
Archer knew he just had to weather these attacks of conscience with Ezra. His man was sweet natured and didn’t want anybody to die, especially not someone he’d been close to. All of this bullshit surrounding Blake’s death -- being questioned by the cops, hearing people talk endlessly about the tragedy, facing his family at the funeral, blah blah -- had kept the pain sharp and alive in Ezra, but now that it was over, things would get better. Blake would fade into a bad memory that Ezra never looked at, and they could get on with their lives. “It says that you’re smart, and that you love me, and you protect the people you love,” Archer told him, raising his brows a bit and nodding as he held Ezra’s gaze. “The truth would just drag them through more pain, you know? An investigation, a trial, all that could take years, and cause even more pain to ripple out to more people. Let them handle their grief and find their own peace, okay?”
“Okay,” Ezra sighed. He knew Archer was right, that the truth would make everything so much worse, and not only for them. It would be in the news. The steps that they’d taken to conceal the truth would make them look guilty, even though it was an accident. They’d both likely end up in jail and Ezra knew, he knew, he would not do well in jail. Neither of them would. So that outcome needed to be avoided at all costs. He hugged Archer, squeezing him tight, then began to pull away. “I need a drink, and… I dunno. A distraction. What have you been up to?” He would have preferred Archer be there beside him, but he knew how inappropriate that would be. Even if no one knew the truth of what happened, he couldn’t take his boyfriend to his ex-boyfriend’s funeral, so Archer had been left to sit and home and wait. Hopefully he’d enjoyed himself more than Ezra had.
Archer didn’t mention that they would both probably be arrested, but it was clear in between the lines, and he knew Ezra had thought of it himself. Hopefully that sense of self preservation would keep him in line. Archer returned the tighter hug, then let his arms relax and fall away as Ezra pulled back. He gave a soft laugh at the question, but there wasn’t much humor in it. “I wore a path in the carpet pacing, waiting for you,” he answered. That wasn’t much of a distraction, though. Archer loosened Ezra’s tie for him and patted his chest a bit. “Here, sit down, relax. I’ll make us a couple of screwdrivers, we can just chill for a while. Maybe hop in the tub, turn the jets on? We’ll be drunk by dinner, perfect, right?” Archer shot him a little smirk and moved to the liquor cabinet to pull a bottle out.
“You were worried about me?” Ezra asked, not sure if he should be amused or not. Despite his mental battle with his conscience, he doubted he was seriously strong enough to tell anyone the truth. When it came to guilt versus fear, his fear always won out—he would rather bear the weight of his guilt than face the consequences of his actions. He didn’t know if it bothered him that Archer thought he might rat them out, or pleased that Archer actually thought he was brave enough to do so. “I kinda forgot we had a hot tub,” he said with a little smile, enjoying the feel of Archer’s hands tugging at his tie. “That could be nice.” They would have to order in. There was no way he’d be cooking if that’s how they were starting the evening.
Dinner was far from Archer’s mind at the moment. He was full of relief and the hopeful sense that the worst of all this was over, and he wanted to get drunk to celebrate. They could figure out food later. He was sure that Ezra didn’t feel quite like celebrating, but Archer could act like it was a more somber occasion than he felt it was. “Of course I was worried about you,” he said, glancing back at Ezra while he poured them both a few fingers’ worth of vodka. Archer pulled the fridge over to fetch some orange juice to splash in there along with it. “I love you, and I know this hasn’t been easy on you.” He didn’t want to suggest that Ezra might confess, but that had definitely been a paranoid concern. His boy had come through, though. They were going to be safe. “Here,” he murmured, as he moved in close again and offered Ezra his drink. “Bottom’s up.”
Ezra definitely wouldn’t have considered this a celebration. It was more like a huge relief, a burden being lightened by having completed his duties as a good ex-boyfriend and a decent human being, the latter of which he still believed he was capable of. He was clearly the worst ex-boyfriend known to man, so that one wasn’t even up for debate. All he could do now was prove himself as a better boyfriend to Archer and make sure he didn’t lose him again. “It’s just… one long nightmare,” he muttered, then picked up the offered drink. “At least I have you back. That’s the best silver lining I could ask for,” he said with a tiny smile before knocking back the screwdriver. He supposed he could have sipped it, but it was nice to get it over with in this case. He wanted to feel the buzz, to pull his mind away from the depressing cloud that had hovered over him all afternoon.
Archer smiled faintly back at the endearment, then raised his brows as Ezra drained his glass fast. He couldn’t blame him, he supposed. They might as well get to where they were feeling good on this shitty day. He drank his own down in two big gulps, then took Ezra’s glass from him to get them both a refill. “And best believe, I’m never leaving again,” he told Ezra once he’d taken a breath. Archer tilted a little smile at him before he turned away to pour them more vodka and orange juice. He intended to keep that promise too -- Ezra was his, and Archer would be damned if he let anything separate them again. Or anyone. “Go on and get comfortable,” he said, glancing back at his boy again. “I’ll meet you out back in the tub, yeah?” Their hot tub was on the large back porch, nestled into a corner with privacy screens to shield them from prying neighbor eyes, if anyone was peering over the fence. It was an indulgence that Archer was more than happy to pay for, especially in the colder months.
Ezra hadn’t meant to make Archer down the whole thing as well, but at least that put them at the same point going forward. His head swam a little, the effects coming on strong, and he probably should have eaten more at lunch if he was going to start drinking this early in the afternoon. But that was fine. It was what he’d wanted. He’d just take the next one a little slower. “Never,” he echoed Archer, thinking that he’d make sure of it if he could. A large part of Archer’s story still felt too surreal to understand, but he grasped the point that Archer hadn’t wanted to leave him in the first place. And it was too fantastical a lie for it to be anything but the truth. “Yeah,” he said, giving Archer a little smile and a quick kiss. “I’ll see you in a few.” The hot tub always felt like a bit of a splurge, but every time he was in it he knew it was worth it. It was great fun in the colder months, when there was snow all around them, but it was even nice in the spring and summer, when the nights were still cool out. As Ezra hurried off to change, he thought that maybe this was just what he needed tonight.
Once Archer had their drinks made, he fetched a couple of towels and brought it all out onto the deck with him. He got the hot tub uncovered and started up. It was a warm day outside already, and would likely stay that way until the sun fully went down, but it still felt good to strip down to nothing and climb into the warming, bubbling water. Archer arranged their glasses to be within easy reach and slouched down low in the water, leaning his head back to rest against the molded edge of the hot tub. He tried to settle himself internally, telling himself again that the worst part was over. The violent dreams and urges he kept having ... well, maybe they would ease up now. Maybe it would all fade away and he could live normally again. But if he couldn’t ... he’d definitely learned a lesson about acting on them in his own back yard, so to speak, hadn’t he? Never again.
Ezra knew he didn’t need swim trunks, especially with how the hot tub was setup in the yard, but he always felt like he should at least have them. They lived in a town where the weirdest things seemed to happen sometimes and he didn’t like the idea of being caught anywhere without something to wear. So while he knew Archer would probably roll his eyes at him, Ezra changed from his suit into his trunks and met his boyfriend out back, already relaxing in the warm water. “Looks inviting,” he said as he took in the drinks and the towels and Archer lounging in the water. If he hadn’t had him to come home to today, things would have been so much worse. It was hard to remember that if Archer hadn’t returned, Blake would probably still be alive. Ezra climbed in, humming happily as he sunk beneath the water. “Thanks for this,” he said. “I always forget this is an option until you remind me.”
The swimming trunks did make Archer want to roll his eyes, but he restrained himself. He was going to try to be extra nice to Ezra today. He didn’t need his boy thinking about any more bad shit and wondering if he would be better off elsewhere or something like that. Archer gave him a soft smile instead as he settled, then moved in closer to Ezra, resting one hand on his leg under the water while he reached for their drinks with the other. “You’re welcome,” he answered. “I missed the hell out of it, so I’ll never take it for granted again.” Archer offered Ezra his screwdriver before taking his own in hand, then lightly clinked their glasses together in a wordless toast before he took a swallow of his own. He could already feel the tingle of the first drink in his extremities, but he definitely wasn’t drunk enough to enjoy this day yet, and he wanted to.
Ezra wondered idly if that was true, if Archer had even thought about the hot tub while he’d been gone. He doubted it. He’d been given the impression there were much worse things to worry about, and that there wasn’t a lot of time for daydreaming. As for himself, Ezra had never gotten to use it with Blake, and for that he was thankful. It made the hot tub one of the few spots around the house that he didn’t share memories with a dead man. He clinked his glass against Archer’s and took a sip, hoping that would wash away the thoughts, but the silence let them linger. “Have you seen any of the others?” he asked eventually. “The ones that were over there with you?” He didn’t know who they were exactly, but rumor had it that Archer wasn’t the only person to suddenly not be missing anymore.
It had been a crazy few months over there, caught in a shitty limbo between existential terror and feeling like a lunatic and intense boredom. There hadn’t been anything to do for such long stretches of time, made even more hellish by the lack of day and night. Sometimes all Archer could do was get lost in fantasies and memories, and he’d missed a lot of things while he was over there. Most of them involved showers and clean water and beds that didn’t reek of mold, the simple things. The hot tub had been among them, especially imagining Ezra inside of it with him. Weirdly, there’d been nothing horny about those daydreams, it had just been comfort. Archer lifted a brow at Ezra’s question, sipping on his drink. He didn’t like to think about those people or those times, but it was kind of impossible not to sometimes. “I’ve spotted a couple of them around town,” he answered, shrugging a shoulder. “But not spoken to anyone. I’m sure they want to get back to their lives just like I do. There’s this ... strange sense though ... like I know where they are, I could find them if I wanted to.” His tone turned musing.
Ezra could understand Archer not wanting to seek them out, but at the same time he thought those people might understand some of the things that Ezra didn’t. Shared trauma and all that. Except Archer didn’t seem traumatized. Or maybe Ezra had been so deep in his own shit that he hadn’t been paying attention to what Archer was going through. It was hard for him to tell at this point. Covering up an accidental murder would do that, he supposed. “You know where they are?” he asked, finding that curious. “Like... they’d be easy to track down?” He wasn’t sure if Archer was being literal or not and he didn’t want to sound like a fool, but it sounded a bit like Archer was saying he’d acquired some weird GPS for the people he’d been stuck with. It was weird and Ezra wasn’t quite sure he believed him, but it wasn’t near as outlandish as the rest of his story, so he didn’t want to balk at it.
Archer’s gaze was distant and unfocused for a moment as he tried to assess the weird feeling inside of himself. It was like standing in the dark and seeing distant, vague lights in the distance, bobbing around in different directions, at different intensities. Only not visual, more of a gut instinct. Like they were all connected now somehow. Archer didn’t want to be magically or psychically tethered to anyone, so it wasn’t exactly comfortable ... but he didn’t hate it. Not yet, anyway. “Yeah it’s like ... I can’t name the streets or anything, but kind of like ... I could follow this feeling and find them,” he murmured, trying to focus on Ezra again. Archer took another swallow from his glass. He probably shouldn’t be saying this, maybe the vodka was getting to him faster than normal. “Weird, huh?” The corner of his mouth quirked upward. “Maybe I will sometime, just to see if it’s legit.”
"That's cool," Ezra said, smiling softly in response. "Maybe not super helpful, but still... more than I can do." He was sure there was some time in the future where it might be helpful, though he had the feeling that it was a skill that would have been much more useful before they returned to this world. Dimension. Whatever. Now, what was the point? It was probably just some lingering affect from wherever they'd come from, but what if it was more? Ezra hoped he'd be able to tell if something was wrong with Archer, but he'd missed all the signs last time, up until it was too late to do anything about them. "I've always heard rumors of odd things happening around here. Witches and shit. After all this, makes me think that some of it's real."
He wanted to believe that sense he had of the others was completely useless, because Archer didn’t want to have a goddamn thing to do with any of them ever again ... but his gut told him that wouldn’t be the case. Something about all this wasn’t over yet, and while it was terrifying on one hand, it enraged him on another. He wanted his life back, fully and completely, and he was going to fight anything that tried to get in his way. Archer chuckled faintly at Ezra’s words, sipping from his drink as he squeezed Ezra’s thigh gently under the water. “If I told you half of the unnatural shit I saw over there, it would break your brain. I believe in a lot now,” he said, his tone a mix of amused and dark. “And I’m going to figure out how to protect us.”
Sometimes Ezra wanted to know everything that had happened to Archer over there. He wanted to know who he’d been with, how he passed the time, how he’d managed to survive despite the horrors. But he didn’t want to force Archer to recall it just for his curiosity. And there were times he appreciated the ignorance. Nothing like that was ever going to happen again, so why obsess over it? Ezra knew he would obsess. What Archer had been through over there had to have been immensely worse than the mess he’d returned to, and even that gave Ezra nightmares sometimes. He smiled as Archer squeezed his thigh, comforted by the touch. “How would you protect us?” he asked, somewhat amused. “Do we need an alarm system? Guns? I’d probably shoot myself in the foot.”
Archer was fine with maintaining an air of mystery around what had happened to him. He had no real desire to relive it, and he was sure that the more he told Ezra, the more insane he would sound. Ezra needed to keep faith in him. Besides, Archer was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of truth about the universe. His boy was delicate, and he was already under strain. Ezra’s suggestions might have been cheeky, but Archer was nodding a bit as he talked. “Definitely an alarm system ... maybe a shotgun ... I can teach you to use it. I’m going to look into some other avenues too, for other types of threats.” If the place he’d been stuck in was real, then maybe magic was real too, and it could be used to protect them. Archer was determined to look into it and find out.
An alarm system would be fine, but the thought of having a gun in the house kind of freaked Ezra out. One person had already died in their house by mistake and that was without a gun. If they’d had a shotgun, they might have been cleaning bits of Blake off the ceiling. “Maybe something smaller,” he said with a small frown, though he wasn’t sure how much better he’d feel about a handgun. It could be just as deadly. “For the other stuff, where would you even start? I don’t know anyone in town advertising that kind of thing.” He felt like he would have noticed if there were witches selling their wares up and down Main Street. If magic was real, people didn’t seem to be talking about it openly. It probably made them sound crazy, and if it weren’t for all that Archer had been through, Ezra probably would have thought so too.
Even if Ezra never used it, or didn’t even know where it was, Archer was resolved to get a shotgun. From what he’d read, you didn’t have to be much of a marksman to be deadly with one, and considering the size of the beasts that had been hunting them on the other side, Archer wanted something bigger than a pistol. He let it go and just focused on Ezra’s other question, shaking his head a bit. “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out,” he said. “There were a couple of women over there ... they might know something, or know someone who does. There was some strange talk. But it’s a place to start, at least.” If that turned out to be a dead end, Archer knew there were a couple of shops in town that seemed magic-y. He would figure it out, he always did. Archer shifted his position a bit, stretching his arm out along the rim of the hot tub behind Ezra’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of us, babe, don’t worry,” he murmured.
Archer’s comment made Ezra wonder a bit more about the people he’d been trapped with, but he knew better than to dwell on that topic. If they were able to provide Archer with any more information, hopefully he’d share it with him, since Ezra was as curious about the possibility of having magic in this town as Archer was. “It’s hard not to worry,” he said, tipping his head back so that it was resting against Archer’s arm. Being close to him helped ease his worries more than anything else. Or maybe it was more of a distraction. “It seems like there’s a lot more out there than I’d noticed before. I don’t want to be caught off guard again.” Weird as it was, he’d rather worry about a vague threat in the future than the lurking threat of the past. He’d done all he could to put Blake’s death behind him. Now all he had to do was wait and hope it all disappeared.
It felt nice to have Ezra’s head on his arm, like they were getting back to a place where Ezra relied on him. Archer had missed that place. It gave him purpose like not much else in his life could. Now that he’d come back and fought to reclaim his Ezra, he was going to defend his claim to the death. “There is, there’s a lot more,” Archer said quietly, moving his hand to caress and gently squeeze Ezra’s shoulder. “But we’ll make sure we’re ready for the next thing.” He had no doubt now that there would be a Next Thing, Archer was just determined to make sure it didn’t separate them again. He leaned over to kiss Ezra’s cheek. “I love you,” he murmured, nuzzling him a bit. “And I’ll do anything to make sure we stay together now.” If that meant buying help from witches or whoever else might be able to provide it, so be it.
The next thing. When would it come? How would they prepare? Ezra didn't even know where to start, but he comforted himself in the idea that Archer had it under control. He'd always been able to rely on him to take care of him, even under the worst circumstances. Now that he had him back, he was never letting him go again. He smiled when Archer kissed his cheek, turning his body to angle more towards Archer's. One leg draped over Archer's knee. "Love you, too," he said, stealing a little kiss for himself. "Don't you ever leave me again. Drag me with you, if you have to." It might get him killed, but at least he wouldn't have to go through the loss a second time around.
Archer welcomed the increased contact, settling Ezra’s leg over his and stroking his thigh a bit under the water. Their sex life hadn’t been the most active as of late, for obvious reasons, but it was always good to feel his body respond to his boy’s. Archer gave a deep chuckle, keeping his face close to Ezra’s. “I’ll remember you said that,” he murmured. He was going to do everything in his power -- and perhaps beyond it -- to make sure he never got dragged anywhere again, but it was good to hear that Ezra didn’t want to be separated either. They belonged together. Ezra was his, and always would be. Nevermind that the state he was in before the portal meant he would’ve killed Ezra in the process of taking him anywhere, that wasn’t happening again. “Promise I’ll do my damndest. I missed you so much,” he added, pressing another kiss to Ezra’s lips.
Ezra knew he’d been a little standoffish lately, but the stress of dealing with Blake’s death hadn’t exactly been good for his libido. He wasn’t the kind of guy who swung from one relationship to another and going from Blake back to Archer was a change so drastic that he sometimes felt like he’d gotten whiplash in the process. They were such totally different people. Sometimes it felt like he’d traded one for the other at the cost of Blake’s life, but then he had to remind himself that he’d never made that choice. Blake was dead before he even knew Archer was back. It was the kind of morbid thinking that killed the mood, though with the funeral behind him, he was hoping he could move on. It was okay to enjoy being touched by his boyfriend, just as it was fine to appreciate the life they had after going to a funeral. In fact, he’d heard it was pretty common. “I missed you, too,” he muttered, one hand moving to cup Archer’s neck as he kissed him again. “I never thought I’d see you again. Or kiss you. Or anything. It was horrible.”
It was easier for Archer to believe that was true now that Blake was out of the picture completely. He could let go of the fact that Ezra had tried to replace him so quickly, since nothing was going to come between them again. Archer was sure of it. He was also sure that Blake had been a poor substitute for him, and hadn’t been able to give Ezra what Archer knew he needed. He curled his arm around Ezra’s freckled shoulders to hold him closer, more than happy to return the kiss. It didn’t deter him at all that Ezra had just come from a funeral -- that was over now. They could have their life back. “Me either,” he murmured against Ezra’s lips, hand sliding a bit further up his thigh. “But I’m back now, I made it back to you.” The relief was still like a pressure in his chest, and Archer kissed him deeper.
What Blake could or couldn’t give him was moot at that point. He was gone. Ezra did his best not to think of him, trying to treat it more like a break up than the tragedy it was. It was so much easier to pretend that Blake was gone because of a break-up than because Archer had beat him to death with a fire poker. People moved on after break-ups, often going back to a previous lover. Ezra and Archer had done it so many times when they were younger that no one had questioned him getting back together this time either. The real question was where did Archer go, something that would never be easy to explain. What mattered was that he was back, and holding him in his arms, tight enough that Ezra couldn’t doubt his words. Ezra kissed him back, sliding further into his lap and beginning to wish he’d foregone the swim trunks. That was almost always the case, but nothing felt like a guarantee these days.
Archer couldn’t care less what anyone else thought -- as long as Ezra believed him and wanted him back, he was happy to just let everybody else wonder until they rotted. He’d lied to his family, friends, everyone else who had asked him questions after his ‘return’ about where he’d been, and he didn’t care that they didn’t know the truth. Most of them couldn’t handle it anyway. All Archer was currently focused on was keeping his home life safe and sound, and that meant taking care of his boy. Archer made a soft deep sound into the kiss as Ezra got closer, slipping his hands up the sides of Ezra’s thighs, under the hem of his trunks. He was prepared to be gracious if Ezra’s mood shifted away from doing this today, but Archer wasn’t going to pretend not to want him. The more they bonded now, the better off they were. He lightly stroked their tongues together, letting Ezra’s weight against him encourage that warmth deep in his stomach to grow.
Ezra was certain that he should have felt guilty, that today of all days his thoughts should have been of Blake and not how good Archer’s hands felt on his body. The guilt had been constant though, this weight he had to lug around without anyone else noticing it, and if they did, he had to pretend it was grief. Which, there was, on some level, but not as much as he thought there should be. It probably made him a bad person. Blake’s body hadn’t even been cold for twenty-four hours before he was back with Archer, yet he forced himself to separate the two. He’d have broken up with Blake when Archer returned, he was sure of it. Now he just wanted to cling to him, to remind himself of what he had, and prove himself worthy of Archer’s attention and affection. He settled fully into Archer’s lap as the heat grew between them, allowing it to take its time as his arms looped around his neck and their bodies pressed more firmly together. He needed Archer now more than ever before, but he refused to show himself as desperate from the get go. It wasn’t like he’d planned this. He just couldn’t help himself around Archer.
People being good or bad had ceased to mean anything to Archer, really. There had been ‘good’ people trapped with him in hell Over There, but it hadn’t mattered. None of it mattered, in the end. They were all just easily-confused squishy meat sacks, running around bumping into everything. If anyone was judging the two of them for this, grabbing at the immediacy of life with both hands, they could fuck off. That was Archer’s take on it, anyway. He was going to carve out his own happiness if it killed him -- or anyone who stood in his way. All of his thoughts were fading away, however, overridden by the heat pooling in his gut as Ezra’s body pressed into his. Archer loved the weight and heat of him, even warmer in the bubbling hot tub, and he kissed Ezra deeper as his hands moved around to slip under the waistband of his trunks from the back. He squeezed his ass and let out a little groan against Ezra’s lips, pleased that he wasn’t the only one getting aroused.
Heat rose inside Ezra and he couldn’t tell if it was the liquor, the hot tub, or Archer’s hands on him that was having such a strong effect. Probably a combination of the three. His breathing got heavier, even while his kisses were still lazy, his arousal more pronounced and getting worse with every squeeze to his ass. The day's events had weighed so heavily on him, but now they were beginning to fade into the background, a worry for another time, or maybe never again. He liked the idea of putting it all behind him and starting fresh, moving forward with Archer on his arm and in his bed. Their relationship had been rocky at times, but he always found himself back with Archer, happiest with him, even when he was a pain in the ass. No one satisfied him like he did. Blake had tried, but he hadn’t even come close. Ezra craved Archer, and the more he gave, the more he wanted. He ground his hips against Archer’s, encouraging him to take more as he felt Archer’s cock grow hard between them. As his hand slipped beneath the water to circle Archer’s cock, he nipped at Archer’s lips, determined to keep the focus on him while everything else drifted away.
Archer had been with a good number of guys in his life, and he’d never been able to stand anybody but Ezra for very long. They ceaselessly got on his nerves, but not Ezra. Sure, any relationship came with its fair share of frustrations, and they weren’t exempt from that, but Archer had always wanted to stay with Ezra more than he wanted to leave him, no matter what passed between them. He’d found his person, and he refused to give him up and start the search for another one. Archer felt more love for him than he’d ever felt for anyone else in his life. This was part of it too, the way Ezra moved against him, coaxing that hunger out of Archer like no one else could. He hummed his approval when Ezra took his cock in hand, rocking his hips up a bit. He could feel the press of the growing bulge in Ezra’s trunks and got a flash of amused aggravation -- why’d he even wear those things? Archer pulled one hand around to grope him through the wet fabric, giving a soft huff through his nose. “Get these off,” he murmured against Ezra’s lips.
Ezra wore these things because he didn't climb into the hot tub assuming it would result in sex. He wasn't modest by any means, but going nude would have been an invitation that he hadn't been sure he wanted to send. Now he wished them gone with a snap of his fingers, but they took actual moving, a full disruption of how comfortable he was in Archer's lap. He groaned but complied, climbing off just long enough to push his trunks down his thighs and kick them off into the water. He wanted to feel his bare skin against Archer's, to wrap his hand around the both of them and tease until he trembled with the need for more. Even with the way the hot tub was hidden from view, it was exhilarating to do this outside, where anyone close enough could hear them, or even see them if they got close enough. If they dared intrude. It was a risk Ezra was willing to take as he pumped the both of them slowly, his kisses hot and hard as his cock.
Archer hadn’t assumed this dip in the hot tub would end in sex either, but he was glad it was going in that direction. Focusing on fucking was much more fun than focusing on death. It was good to have life-affirming experiences while you were grieving, right? Archer wanted to affirm the hell out of Ezra’s life. There was a little grin on his face as he watched Ezra get out of his trunks, but it faded as soon as their lips met again. He kissed his man back with equal intensity, muffling a groan against Ezra’s lips as his hands found his ass again. The stroking felt damn good, especially with his cock pressed up against Ezra’s, skin to skin. Archer wasn’t worried about neighbors or anyone happening by, even though it was still daylight out. This was their space, private enough and perfect. He stroked his tongue against Ezra’s and rocked his hips up into the stimulation, his body already hungry for more. “How long can you hold your breath?” he murmured in between kisses after a moment, a grin flashing over his face.
The question brought Ezra out of his lust-fueled fog, his brain taking a moment to find an answer. In the best conditions, he could probably go for a minute, maybe a minute-fifteen, but he was breathing heavily already, his heart still racing and unlikely to slow so long as he was in Archer’s lap. “Probably… forty-five seconds,” he said, nipping at Archer’s lips as he wondered if he was capable of whatever Archer had in mind. If they’d been in bed, he might have expected Archer’s hands on his neck, pushing him back into the bed until fear dominated over pleasure. It was a line they’d skated on once or twice and Ezra could never bring himself to ask for it, no matter how good it felt. But they were in the hot tub right now, and Archer wouldn’t be able to see him if he was holding his breath. Ezra couldn’t decide if he was excited or terrified, but his cock twitched in anticipation nonetheless.
They’d pushed so many boundaries in the past that Archer could see when Ezra wanted to do some pushing. Now seemed like one of those times, even if it wasn’t said out loud. It didn’t have to be. Archer knew what Ezra liked, sometimes even better than he did, and those proclivities were part of why he belonged so much to Archer. He ran his hands over his boy’s chest and sides, sucking a breath in through his teeth as he looked down at their cocks under the rippling water. Archer’s eyes came back to Ezra’s and he smiled, something a little dangerous behind it. “Sounds like enough time to get my cock in your mouth,” he murmured, his palms slipping down to Ezra’s hips. Archer started to push him off of his lap, holding eye contact. Ezra could tap out if he needed to come up for air, Archer wasn’t going to let him drown in a hot tub ... but maybe feeling like he might would hit that button in him that Archer so loved to press.
Ezra knew what Archer wanted even before he said it, but the request was still a bit of a shock. It wasn't the first time Archer had asked him to take on more than he thought he could handle, but it was the first time that the fear felt loud, rushing around his head like the jets in the hot tub, filling in from all sides. And he realized that's exactly what he was up against. It wasn’t just time, or his ability to hold his breath, but the water all around him. The danger brought a whimper to his lips as Archer's eyes held his, but then he slid off his lap, dipping his head below the surface before he could think too much about it. His first thought was how loud it was, how he could hear nothing but the water pounding all around him. He lost precious seconds guiding himself to Archer's cock, but then he was sliding the head between his lips, taking him in slower than he'd like in an effort to keep the water out. There was no way he's going to make it forty-five seconds, but he didn't let that stop him.
Archer could see the fear in Ezra’s eyes and that just made him want it all the more. His cock flexed with anticipation in the hot bubbling water. He just waited for the obedience he knew was coming, and got an erotic wave of satisfaction as Ezra’s head slipped under the water. He’d always enjoyed choking Ezra in various ways, either internally with his cock or externally with his hand -- there was something so hot about knowing his boy was sacrificing oxygen to please him. This felt no different. “That’s it,” he murmured even though Ezra couldn’t hear him. Archer groaned faintly as Ezra took him in. Slow was fine, he could deal with slow, as long as it was still happening. Archer put one hand on Ezra’s shoulder and slid the other set of fingers into his hair underwater to guide him into bobbing his head a bit.
Ezra hadn’t realized how natural it was to breathe through his nose while giving head until that option was taken away from him. He had a brief moment of panic where he was sure he was going to inhale and be up gasping before he even got started, but then he shifted his grip, holding his nose closed with two fingers while the others rested lightly on Archer’s cock. His other hand held tight to Archer’s hip, trying to keep himself below the surface while his body tried to float to the top. It was far more complicated than Ezra expected, but Archer’s hands on him kept him grounded, putting the focus where it needed to be. It didn’t feel like the most skilled blowjob he’d ever given, but it got easier once he got into a rhythm. He sucked and swallowed around Archer’s cock until his lungs began to burn, then pushed himself for a few more seconds until he was on the edge of panic. Only then did he push up, desperate for air.
Sure, it wasn’t the most pleasurable head Ezra had ever given him, but the context was hot and Archer was certainly enjoying the effort it was taking. He was tempted to hold Ezra under the water for a few extra seconds, but he decided to be nice, at least this first round. He let his boy up for air, the hand that had tangled in his hair falling to his other shoulder. After Ezra had gotten the first couple of gasps, Archer leaned in close to kiss him, hard and deep, relishing the needy breaths through his nose that followed. Fuck, Ezra was so hot when he was needy and off balance, Archer wished he could just start fucking him right there. Water didn’t make for good lubrication, unfortunately. He gave Ezra’s bottom lip a hard nip and then pulled back a bit. “That felt good,” he murmured to him, one hand moving to close around the front of Ezra’s throat to feel him breathe. “You want some more? Above water?”
Ezra sputtered as he gasped for air, his breathing hard and his vision blurry. He thought he could have gone longer if he hadn’t been under water, but it wasn’t the best place to pass out. He’d barely had time to recover when Archer was on him, stealing his breath away, but this was something Ezra could manage. He kissed him back, clinging to Archer as he let him take, and the dizziness began to fade. The nip at his lip made him moan, his neglected cock still hard and twitching in response, and then Archer’s hand was on his neck. Ezra tried to slow his breathing, to fill his lungs with every breath, acutely aware of how Archer could cut him off at any second. “Yes,” he gasped, reaching for Archer’s cock again, stroking it as his eyes held Archer’s. He’d go under again, but if Archer let him stay above water, he’d make it worth it.
Archer could feel those breaths rasping in and out under his palm, and it was such a hot power trip to know that he just had to squeeze to make them stop. And to know that Ezra wouldn’t fight it until he was right on the edge of panic, because he trusted Archer’s control. It was a heady feeling, with his body running hot from the water outside and the arousal inside. For a brief moment he thought about doing it, cutting off Ezra’s air again until he started to struggle, turned blue, passed out. But the throb in his cock was more insistent than that urge for the moment. Instead he reached with his free hand to grope Ezra’s cock, humming his approval to feel how hard it was. “Such a good little cock slut,” he murmured as he dipped in to kiss Ezra deep one more time. Then Archer pulled back and let him go to stand up where he was, giving Ezra all the access he needed to start sucking again.
Ezra moaned against Archer’s lips, the words feeling more like an endearment than an insult. He’d missed the dirty talk while Archer was gone, the feeling of being both desired and belittled at the same time. It was just another one of those things that he couldn’t explain and couldn’t ask for, but craved with all of his being. He wanted to earn those words from Archer, wanted the praise of taking his cock just how he liked it. Something about being used so completely turned him on and if that made him a greedy little cock slut, then so be it. There was no hiding it from Archer; he’d already seen how hard he was. When Archer stood, Ezra grabbed his hips and pulled him in, swallowing him down, making up for the lack of skill he’d had under water. He could taste him better here, the hint of precum that beaded up at the tip, and it was so much easier to breathe, even with his mouth full of cock.
It was funny, the mixture of emotions that could exist for one person. Archer loved Ezra as much as he could love anyone, wanted him in his life more than any other man he’d ever met. He’d been honest when he said he’d missed Ezra. Ezra was warm and funny and considerate and sweet, all those things that Archer wasn’t but he saw the value in, mostly in how others reacted to them. At the same time, Ezra’s lovely personality generated a weird, deep frustration in Archer, and he’d found it was best to let that out like this. He could cherish and degrade him at the same time, release several kinds of tension at once, reinforce just how much Ezra belonged to him, and Ezra loved it. It was perfect. Archer watched him immediately latch onto his cock like he needed it to live, and let out a soft groan when he touched the back of Ezra’s throat. His boy knew exactly how he liked it, and Archer let his eyes roll shut as he slipped both sets of fingers into Ezra’s wet curls. He held his head as he began to slowly roll his hips, setting a slow and deep pace for the moment. “Fuck, your mouth feels so good,” he whispered down to him.
Ezra knew there was something a bit off with the kind of affection he wanted from Archer, aware that it was slightly masochistic at times, but he didn’t see the point in trying to change that part of himself, especially now that Archer was back. Archer could scratch that itch better than anyone else. He made him feel dirty and desired, allowing him to indulge in the kind of debauchery that few others understood. It wasn’t just that he wanted to suck Archer’s cock, to make him come with his lips and tongue, but that he wanted Archer to fuck his mouth, to own him like no one else ever had. He swallowed around Archer as he began to roll his hips and relaxed his throat to take as much of him as he could. The hands in his hair guided him, held him in place as he let Archer use him, and his eyes began to water as he tried not to gag. His cock hung heavy between his legs, begging to be touched, and his hips shifted in the water, finding nothing to even rub up against. As frustrating as it was, he could wait it out. His release would be so much better with the taste of Archer’s cum on his tongue.
Archer could always feel it when Ezra really surrendered to him, and it always made his balls ache with pleasure. Even if both of them struggled to put it into real words, they’d always understood one another’s needs, and Archer knew his boy needed this just as much as he did. Whether it was good for him or not was perhaps a different story, but it didn’t really matter. This was how both of them liked it. The way Ezra relaxed into it was palpable, and it made Archer want to fuck his face even harder. His breathing gradually got heavier as he thrust, gradually building up speed as it started to feel better and better. Ezra’s lips and tongue were perfectly tight around him, and the depth Archer could get into his mouth gave him a feeling of dominant power that made everything feel even better. He thrust deep enough to gag Ezra, and let out a deep groan at that lovely clench around his cock. It only took another couple of thrusts and Archer was there, his breath catching and his body shuddering as he spilled in Ezra’s mouth.
Ezra’s hands tightened on Archer’s thighs as he gagged, the feeling of absolute helplessness causing a surge of adrenaline and desire to spike within him. He’d never gotten off on Archer fucking his mouth, but he always came close, his cock throbbing with need, turned on by the abuse his mouth suffered. Only a few seconds of air was nothing to earn Archer’s release and he sucked it down greedily, wet eyes gazing into Archer’s the whole time. He cleaned him with his tongue, humming softly in pleasure while his body practically shook with pent up desire. “Please,” he gasped, the word falling from his mouth as he licked the head of Archer’s cock. “Please, Arch.” He could think of nothing else but his release, Archer’s hand or mouth encircling him, forcing him towards completion. That was the beauty of it all. When Archer had him, he was his everything. There was no room for anything else.
Ezra looked so pretty and needy and subservient down there, cleaning the cum off of Archer’s cock. It made him wish he could get hard again with the snap of his fingers so he could fuck that pretty mouth all over again. There was always time to fuck all his holes later, when they had more room and more lubrication, but Archer still felt greedy in the moment. Not greedy enough to leave his boy hanging though. Ezra had had a hard day, and he’d just given Archer what he wanted, so he deserved a reward. Especially since he begged so cutely. He raked his fingers through Ezra’s curls and just enjoyed looking at him for another moment, then pulled away enough to sit down again. Archer pulled him by the hair into a kiss, his other hand dipping into the water to find Ezra’s cock and give it a few strokes. It felt hard as a rock and so desperate, and that turned him on all over again. “You want my mouth on your cock?” he murmured against Ezra’s lips. “Ask me nicely.”
Ezra whimpered into the kiss as Archer’s hand wrapped around his cock, his eyes falling shut as he enjoyed the moment of bliss. It would be so easy for Archer to get him off like this, even with the lack of good friction in the water, yet it would be so much better with Archer’s mouth on him. It felt like a prize for good behavior, the anticipation giving him a buzz that was so much sweeter than anything liquor could provide. “Please,” he begged again, his hands sliding up Archer’s chest and around his neck. “Please suck my cock, babe. I need your mouth on me.” Pleading came so naturally to him once he was wound up, despite the fact that he avoided it anywhere else. He normally wasn’t one to grovel, but it was different when he was with Archer and he knew his lover got off on it. Catering to Archer was something he’d become an expert in over time, so much so that he barely knew how to handle anyone else.
Ezra definitely knew exactly what to say to him, and Archer let out a low groan, a fresh tingle in his belly. He was definitely going to fuck his boy’s brains out later. For now he would treat him to a blowjob. A better one than Blake ever gave him, Archer was sure ... but he had the good sense not to say out loud. Archer’s fingers slid lower and he gently squeezed Ezra’s balls as he assaulted his mouth with another deep kiss. He broke it abruptly and leaned back, releasing Ezra with both hands. “Stand up,” he ordered, dark arousal still in his eyes. “Let me see all of you.” There was little chance of any of the neighbors spotting them, but the chance still existed, and Archer liked the idea of Ezra being horny and needy enough to risk that exposure and embarrassment. Archer didn’t ever give a fuck about that sort of thing, but he enjoyed using Ezra’s hangups to make him feel more vulnerable. He was so sexy when he was vulnerable.
Though Blake was now the last thing on Ezra’s mind, there really was no competition to be had. No matter how thoroughly Blake fucked him, he couldn’t manipulate Ezra the way Archer did. He’d never known which buttons to push, buttons Archer mashed with ease and glee, heightening Ezra’s response. He groaned as Archer squeezed his balls, his lips left swollen from the force of the kiss, and he caught his breath as Archer pulled away, ordering him up. The chance of anyone seeing them was slim, but if they were caught Ezra would be mortified. His skin tingled as he rose from the water and his eyes darted around to make sure no one was there to see his cock standing hard against his belly. But there was only Archer, pushing him to his limits, asking him to expose himself in broad daylight where anyone could see or hear him if they got close enough. “Please,” he whispered, his voice shaking with need.
Archer was half tempted to just sit back with his drink and tell Ezra to jerk himself off while he watched ... but he wanted to put his hands and mouth on that beautiful body more than he wanted to indulgently torture Ezra. Archer could see the worry mixed with arousal on his face as he looked around, and being so exposed was probably torture enough. Maybe Archer could get him to make some real noise to add to the risk. The thought made him even hornier. Archer scooted forward a bit on the molded seat under him, his hands sliding up Ezra’s wet thighs as he took his time looking at him. His boy was so gorgeous, all graceful lines and pale skin ... except for that flushed, jutting cock of his. Archer gazed at it while his palms caressed their way up to tweak Ezra’s nipples, then glanced up at his face as he leaned in and gave the very tip of his cock a soft lick. He would give Ezra what he needed, but he just had to tease him a little first, drive him crazy. This act was always for his own benefit too.
Ezra’s body quivered with need as Archer scooted forward, his hands moving slow enough that his touches almost felt like an act of torture. He gasped softly as Archer tweaked his nipples, but refused to let that gesture alone pull a sound from him. If he started now, he’d be screaming by the end of things and that was bound to get the neighbor’s attention. Ezra was determined to keep his wits about him, even though he knew how unlikely that was when it came to Archer. The man had a tendency to reduce him to a whimpering puddle of ecstasy. It was one of the things he loved about him, regardless of how much it often humiliated him. He bit his lip as Archer licked his cock, his eyes pleading for more. Just a taste of his hot little tongue made his cock twitch eagerly, but it was nowhere near the amount of stimulation he needed and Archer knew it.
Every orgasm was a gift, and Archer liked to periodically remind Ezra of that. He liked to create the sense that he might stop, might leave Ezra hanging. He’d done it a couple of times in the past, just to set the precedent that it was possible. It made Ezra more grateful for the pleasure Archer gave him, and that was part of what he got off on. Even though those pretty eyes were begging him, Archer kept teasing for a long couple of moments, only giving Ezra’s cock tiny kitten licks and lightly caressing his lips against it. God did he love to feel it twitch with need. When he sensed Ezra was close to whining out loud, Archer relented and let Ezra’s cock slip into his mouth. He started to suck with more purpose, though he was still easing into it, pushing his head forward to take Ezra deeper. He opened his eyes to look up at his boy’s face, tongue stroking firmly against the solid heat in his mouth.
Ezra thought he might explode if Archer didn’t give him more soon. He thought he might lose his carefully crafted restraint and actually take hold of Archer and force his cock into his mouth, something he couldn’t even dream of doing, but that was how wound up Archer had him. He was going to break, start pleading or stroking himself, but then Archer finally stopped torturing him and he melted. As Archer’s lips wrapped around him, Ezra groaned loudly, his cheeks turning pink with the noise he made, still aware of his surroundings, but unable to help himself. Archer’s mouth felt so deliciously good, slowly taking more of him with each stroke. “So good,” he murmured, his gaze going down to meet Archer’s. It always amazed him how his man could top from any position. Even with a cock in his mouth, there was no doubting who was in control.
There was that involuntary noise Archer wanted to hear. He would’ve smiled but his mouth was full, so he just basked in the satisfaction of getting his boy to embarrass himself. Even though there was nobody actually around, Archer knew him well enough to know it was embarrassing to Ezra. Personally, Archer would have fucked his brains out in the town square if he felt enough of an urge, but Ezra wanted so badly to keep everything private. Archer’s eyes crinkled a tiny bit as their gazes met, then they closed as he really went to work on Ezra’s cock. He didn’t rush it, but he made sure that every bob of his head and stroke of his tongue was just how Ezra liked it. Archer wanted him to feel like he was nothing but pleasure for a while, and he knew just how to edge his boy.
Ezra bit his lip, unable to stop the soft hums of pleasure that seemed to radiate from him with each passing second. It was getting harder and harder to hold himself back and he knew it was only a matter of time before his surroundings would cease to matter, but he held on as long as he could. He’d already been good and wound up before Archer started and it didn’t take long before he was breathing hard, hips attempting to rock even while he held himself in place. And then he was gasping, hands gripping the edge of the hot tub with white knuckles to keep himself from grabbing Archer instead. It didn’t stop the quick jerks of his hips though, the tightening of his ass cheeks as he just barely kept himself from thrusting fully into Archer’s mouth. He begged breathlessly as his balls tightened and then gave into the feeling, his voice rising as he raced towards climax, unable to stop himself any longer. His hips thrust and his body shuddered, and then he was coming, careless of who might see or hear him once the moment was upon him.
Archer was sorely tempted to pull his mouth away when Ezra was right on the edge. It was always so much fun to be the one bestowing that kind of pleasure on his boy, with the full knowledge that he could take it away at any time. Ezra just got so twitchy and needy and cute when he was lost in it all. But Archer decided to be nice -- Ezra had just been to an ex’s funeral, after all. So he worked Ezra’s cock and fondled his balls until he felt those desperate pumps of his hips and that tell tale jerking against his tongue. Archer swallowed everything Ezra gave him -- something he didn’t always do -- and kept gently sucking on him until all of the final aftershocks were done. Then Archer sat back again and let his boy go, wiping at the corner of his mouth with one thumb. Ezra still looked delicious, flushed and breathing heavy, his cock relaxing gradually. “Now you gotta kiss me,” he murmured with a lazy grin.
Ezra felt so good he was almost dizzy, drunk on the sensation of Archer swallowing around him, leaving his legs weak. As soon as Archer pulled fully off of him, he sank down into the water to steady himself and hide his nudity once more. With his face still flushed and his eyes half lidded, he climbed into Archer’s lap and kissed deeply, arms winding around his neck as he did so. He didn’t exactly enjoy the taste of himself on Archer’s tongue, but he would never hesitate to show his appreciation after a blowjob. He felt too good to resist, his body all slack and lazy, plus Archer had asked it of him and he could deny him nothing—not now, not ever. The man knew how to pull his strings and Ezra not only let him, he liked it. “Love you,” he murmured, all the while wondering how long he’d have to wait before Archer could fuck him. If they could spend the rest of the day in bed, with Archer reminding him how good it felt to be alive, then maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad. It was already looking up.
“Love you too,” Archer muttered back, then nipped at Ezra’s bottom lip as he squeezed his ass. Semen probably wasn’t anybody’s favorite taste in the world, but Archer appreciated that Ezra kissed him with such enthusiasm anyway. He was still horny too, but the blowjob had taken the urgent edge off of it, so Archer could just languish in that hot semi-arousal for a while. They could finish up their drinks in the hot tub maybe, then head back inside to clean up and relax even more. Archer wanted to be balls deep in his boy before the sun went down, and he had a feeling from the way Ezra was kissing him that the desire was mutual. They always knew how to make each other feel better with their bodies, at least. It was better than nothing, so much better than all those months he’d spent alone and afraid. Archer was getting his power back, and it felt goddamn good.