JAWS (Complete)

Chapter 15

“Like brothers.” For a moment, something flashes across Galliard’s face, an expression so complex and layered that Reiner almost can’t parse it, but he’d have to be blind not to see the deep hurt there. He shifts his hand from the back of Galliard’s neck to the side of his face, and after a second’s hesitation, Galliard leans into it, his cheek soft against Reiner’s palm.

“I have my Economics final tomorrow.”

Reiner blinks at the sudden change in subject. “Do you want help studying for it tonight?”

That would explain why Galliard is here on a Monday night, after all. He’s never showed up on a Monday before; Reiner usually sees him on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with the occasional Sunday thrown into the mix.

Galliard shakes his head, and Reiner drops his hand back to the nape of his neck. “If I don’t understand this shit now, I won’t by tomorrow morning.” He pauses, and glances across the room at Sarge, pointedly not meeting Reiner’s eyes. “I was, uh… I don’t have to work tomorrow. I took the morning off.”

“That’s a good idea. You don’t want to be stressed before your final.”

“Right.” Galliard is quiet for a moment, looking at Reiner expectantly, but Reiner has no idea what he’s angling for. Finally, just as it’s starting to get awkward, Galliard sighs. “I’m going to spend the night here.”

“You are?” Reiner can’t believe his ears, and he gapes up at Galliard, expecting him at any moment to say he’s joking and probably tweak his nose again. Galliard just keeps looking at him, his jaw set and expression serious, and Reiner can feel a slow, disbelieving grin start to spread across his face. “You’re really going to stay?”

Galliard tilts his head to the side, studying Reiner in the way he does when he’s still deciding if he wants to believe what he’s hearing or not, then rolls his eyes and shakes his head. He’s smiling as he does, though, and taps his fingers along Reiner’s sternum. “Yeah. And you look like you’re going to start humping my leg right now.”

“But you’re staying!” Galliard has never done that before. He comes over regularly, eats Reiner’s food, naps in Reiner’s bed, and they have sex every time he’s over, but Galliard has never spent the night. It’s always been one thing or another: class, work the next day, shifts at the club, appointments at the gym. For Galliard to spend the night, he must have done some fine-tuning to his schedule, and Reiner recognizes how challenging that can be for him. He’s operated on a very narrow budget himself, and knows how missing a day or even a shift can upset the balance and throw everything into jeopardy.

Galliard’s finances must be improving, and Reiner pushes away the thought that maybe he’s making enough at the gym so that he doesn’t have to cam anymore. He doesn’t even know if Galliard likes camming or not. They’ve never talked about it, and Galliard doesn’t know Reiner used to watch his streams.

Reiner realizes he’s grinning stupidly up at Galliard, and abruptly swings his legs around, sitting up. He turns around in one smooth motion and climbs onto Galliard’s lap, straddling his thighs. Galliard makes an amused snorting sound and settles his hands on Reiner’s hips, helping him keep steady as Reiner loops his arms around his neck.

“You really are going to hump my leg, aren’t you?”

“I’m excited!” As though that weren’t completely obvious. Reiner knows he’s being about as subtle as Sarge is when he sees his tennis ball, and that if he had a tail, it’d be wagging so hard it would make his entire lower half shake, but he can’t help it. The idea of falling asleep next to Galliard, and waking up next to him, like a normal couple—like a couple, like boyfriends—fills him with simple, unadulterated joy, and he swoops in for a kiss.