A matter of pride

Chapter 8

Dillon gasped as something flickered in the corner of his eye, distracting him from one of the greatest kisses of his life. He tried to ignore it and focus on the slide of David's hand against his cheek, and the lips against his, swollen plump from kisses, and for a while it worked. He closed his eyes and pushed his tongue back in to David's mouth, his arousal becoming a tight, desperate ache when he heard, and felt, David moan. He tightened his grip in the man's tangled curls, adoring the thickness of it, and deepened the kiss more. Sam had been blonde with hair that was as fine as the most pure, sun-kissed, sand and Dillon had loved running his fingers through it. But David's hair was more like a lustrous satin and he let his fingers become lost in it as he pulled the man closer needily. He was being more forward than he'd ever been before and he wondered if he was moving too fast, coming on too strong, but David didn't seem to be complaining. He was making small, whining noises at the back of his throat that were making Dillon's cock throb and driving him mad, but he definitely wasn't complaining, or trying to slow things down.Until a sudden noise, like a boot slipping on the wet stones, snapped Dillon's eyes open again and set his heart pounding so hard his chest felt bruised. There was a movement, the slightest outline, but before he could focus on it David had turned to look as well, blocking his view, his body tense as he too searched the darkness."What did you see? What was it?"Dillon wanted to scream that it had been a man with broad shoulders in a black hoodie, but shook his head instead. It was too dark, and the rain was beginning to fall harder than ever, and realistically he knew that he couldn't have seen anything more than a shape by the side of the house and that it was his brain and eyes just seeing what they wanted to see. Yet the overwhelming feeling that it had been the same man who'd broken in to his home just wouldn't leave, and he felt his body begin to shake as the panic and fear returned."Nothing," he lied. "It was nothing. Just my eyes playing silly buggers.""Are you sure?" David pressed, standing to walk a few paces toward the edge of the porch. "I might just... check.""No!" Dillon felt as if ice had been dropped down the neck of his t-shirt at the thought of David walking out in to the dark. It didn't matter that he'd walked the perimeter of the house only a few nights ago, on a night just like this one. Dillon didn't want him to leave the light and the relative safety of the house. He didn't want David to leave him. "It was nothing, there's nothing, nothing out there. I don't want... I don't want you to leave." He took a deep, unsteady breath. "Please?""Okay," David said simply, though his eyes lingered on the shadows for longer than Dillon liked. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. And you're right. What would be out there on a night like this?"As if to illustrate the point, thunder clapped suddenly above them and a second later the whole property was lit by the bright flash of lightening that followed. There was no one in the field, no one near the house."Can we go inside, please?" he whispered when the thunder had finally rumbled itself to silence, and David nodded and immediately began gathering up the bags he'd brought with him and abandoned on the porch floor.They walked quickly inside as the strength of the rain increased, and Dillon felt his leg protest at the swift movement. He had definitely done some damage to it the night he'd run out into the rain in pursuit of the thief. It had been more painful the last few days, and as he locked the back door behind them he shook his head at how idiotic it had been. He was scared shitless of the intruder and could barely believe his first instinct had been to try and go after him. At least this time he wasn't on his own, and smiled when he saw that David was making himself at home in the kitchen. He'd unpacked the fish and chips, which had gone a bit cold and soggy while they'd been busy with other things, and he'd switched on the oven, presumably to heat them up, and now, for some reason, was searching every cupboard in the kitchen. The bottle of white wine still looked cold enough and Dillon crossed to the table and snatched it up. He needed a drink. The cork, however, proved difficult. He couldn't plant his feet well enough or brace himself and so couldn't get the leverage he needed, and it seemed ridiculous that a bum leg should affect things he thought he only needed arms to do.He set it down on the table again, harder than he needed to, and let the corkscrew clatter down beside it, wishing he could throw something, just to relieve the frustration and tension, but knew he couldn't. David was already looking at him with concern and he didn't want to scare the guy off."I can do that," David told him, his voice dark and mellow, grabbing up the corkscrew before Dillon could object. "What I couldn't do was track down a baking tray. I'm a bit useless in the kitchen, really."Dillon cocked his head to the side and looked up at him through his hair, trying to decide whether he was telling the truth or whether it was just false modesty. David didn't seem like the sort to hide his talents or play down his strengths but he was also difficult for Dillon to read and he carried on staring, enjoying the slope of the man's shoulders and the way his long fingers moved so quickly and surely, and the way his eyes kept darting up the longer Dillon stared."I thought you said you had a repertoire?" he said teasingly. "What is it, toasted cheese?"By the way David's eyes widened at that comment Dillon thought he might have just guessed the man's food of choice. He bent to retrieve a tray from the drawer beneath the oven, forcing his face to stay neutral despite the stab of pain, and when he looked back over, David was grinning at him and eyeing him off in a manner that seemed... hungry."Cheese toasties are possibly my favourite food, I'll have you know. Food of the gods! And there is an art to making the perfect toasty, you mark my words."He waggled the corkscrew as he spoke and Dillon couldn't help but laugh."And that's your idea of proper food, is it? I hate to imagine what your diet's like.""It is proper food," David countered, opening the wine and stepping toward Dillon until they were almost chest-to-chest. "And my diet is perfect. Toasties for breakfast, pies for lunch, fish and chips for tea. I've got all the food groups covered."Dillon pulled a face. "Yeah, covered in fat. You're ridiculous."David leaned in, a smile twitching about the corners of his lips like he was trying to hold it in but couldn't quite manage it, while his eyes stared right at him, making promises that made Dillon ache all over again. David moved his arm, leaning right in until Dillon was trapped against the kitchen counter, but he didn't kiss him, didn't touch him. He grabbed two wine glasses from the draining board instead and poured them each a glass of wine."Cheers," he said, handing Dillon his drink and lifting his own, but Dillon couldn't make his body move and just watched as David took a sip, his lips catching the moisture and looking so kissable that Dillon thought he might go mad if they couldn't go back to just making out like carefree teenagers.He finally brought the glass to his lips and gulped the cold wine. He didn't even taste it; he just needed to quench his thirst somehow, even though he knew no drink could do it. He needed David, but David wasn't making a move. He was standing so close that Dillon could see his stubble and the creases in his shirt and the creases round his eyes, and he put his glass down clumsily on the counter so that he could use both hands to pull David toward him, one hand grabbing his shirt, the other skimming the skin at the back of his neck to tangle in the curls there and guide his head down. David, it seemed, didn't need any more urging than that. He pushed his body against Dillon's, grinding their hips together until Dillon started to moan in to his mouth, overcome by the heat and pressure, a reaction David had apparently been aiming for because he took it as his cue to begin kissing along the line of Dillon's jaw until he found his neck.Dillon knew the sounds coming out of his mouth were probably ridiculous but he couldn't stop, not when David was sucking on his neck and grinding his cock against Dillon's and sliding a hand down from his waist to his squeeze his arse until Dillon was genuinely worried he was about to come in his pants. David's other hand was in his hair, the tips of his wickedly clever fingers scratching against his scalp until he felt himself go into sensory overload, unable to cope with everything David was doing; wanting to push him away and pull him closer all at once.His body decided, separate to his brain, to buck against David with such force that he had to hold back his orgasm with clenched teeth and fingernails digging into the man's skin, and David gasped so loudly that Dillon worried he'd hurt him. He eased off a little after that, peppering Dillon's mouth with light, tender kisses until they had both regained their breath, and their minds."I should put the food in the oven," David panted, resting his forehead against Dillon's. "You don't eat enough fat and I promised you dinner."Dillon smiled and closed his eyes tight. He didn't care about the food but he appreciated the chance to take to take a breather. As much as he loved what they were doing, he didn't want to rush in to anything heavier. And he definitely didn't want things to end too quickly all because his body had been touch starved and was ready to come so soon."You do the oven, I'll get plates."David pressed one more kiss to his tingling, swollen lips before moving back and Dillon scrambled to grab the edge of the counter as he suddenly had to support his own weight. Even his good leg felt boneless, while his shorts just felt unbearably tight. They weren't the only flies pushed to bursting he realised as he watched David walk unsteadily back to the oven to ready the fish and chips for a reheat. He was so obviously hard that Dillon wanted to tell him not to bother with food, or with taking their time, or with anything sensible like that, but at that point David's stomach grumbled loudly, and he blushed and squinted his eyes shut in embarrassment and Dillon decided that dinner was probably in both their best interests.*"Does it hurt all the time?"Dillon shivered as David used the tip of his finger to trace the scar around his shin but David wasn't sure whether it was caused by his touching the sensitive scar tissue or because Dillon seemed to be so receptive to any kind of positive touch. He'd watched him shy away from comfort, even hugs from friends, whilst all the while his body language screamed that he wanted to be held, and it had made David yearn to cover the man in kisses and soft touches, which he was finally getting to do. They'd cooled down a little bit, after their serious snogging session in the kitchen, but even if they had refrained from grinding each other in to the furniture, the heat had remained, and David had been desperate to touch Dillon and feel every inch of his skin.He ran his hand up Dillon's calf to his knee, enjoying the coarse scratch of his body hair, and then continued upwards, under the hem of his shorts, and let his fingers slide over the softer skin of Dillon's thigh, watching as he shivered in just the same way, his body reacting instinctively to the touch. They were sitting together on Dillon's couch, or at least, he was sitting, and Dillon was reclined with his legs across David's lap, his eyes heavy lidded and relaxed. He hadn't wanted David to see his leg at first, had even tried to leave to change his clothes after they'd sat down together with their reheated dinner and he'd realised that he was still wearing his shorts and that David could see the evidence of what had been done to him.The only argument he'd listened to was that if he left to change his food would go cold again, and David had carefully avoided looking at or mentioning Dillon's leg during the meal. It was only after, when David had cleared their plates and refilled their glasses that the subject had come up again, but David was glad that it had. He wanted Dillon to be comfortable and open with him because, he realised as his heart jumped sickeningly, he cared for Dillon in a way he couldn't recall ever caring for another person. Dillon had winced as he tried to change his position on the couch and David had asked if he would be more comfortable lying down. Dillon had said no but it was an obvious lie and eventually, with much coaxing, David had convinced him to lie back, with his legs resting on David's thighs.Still they hadn't mentioned the scars, or what had caused them, but David had managed to discover that the muscles in both of Dillon's legs tended to become tight and sore with too much use, and so he had put his large hands to work and had started massaging Dillon's calves, and inevitably they had come to the topic they had been so carefully avoiding, when Dillon admitted that he had been frightened to let David see his leg, in case it disgusted him or made him change his mind about how he felt and the attraction brewing between them."It's not that bad. Not really," Dillon murmured, his eyelids drooping further as David's hand stroked lazy circles against his inner thigh. His lips parted and his lashes fluttered under David's administrations but he continued to explain, despite the arousal David could see growing between his legs. "I mean... it hurt's like fuck but... funnily enough the, um, the reattached part, the foot and the shin... it, um, doesn't hurt nearly as much as the top of my leg." David paused his movements for a moment, worried that his touch might not be entirely pleasurable, but Dillon shook his head, as if understanding the hesitation, then gave a shuddering sigh when David began circling his fingers once more. "It's the outside of my leg, at my hip. Where my pelvis, um, shattered. Most of the pain's up there. The replant scar just looks more gruesome. And it pulls a bit, 'cos that leg's shorter now, which is apparently another reason why my hips hurt, 'cos nothing's even anymore, but... compared to the alternative-"He shivered and David knew that this time it was caused by the thought of how close he'd come to losing his leg entirely."I didn't even know they could reattach legs like that," David said, to fill the silence.It was a nasty scar and ran the whole way round Dillon's shin, as if the bottom half of his leg had just been torn away and then stitched back on, which was essentially what had happened, but it seemed surreal to think that Dillon's foot and leg had been reattached so successfully. The man could walk and feel his touch and to David it seemed like a miracle."Neither did I," Dillon replied. "When I woke up the, um, the doctors tried explaining it to me, using words like 'minimal shortening' and 'viable' and 'reasonable chance of success' but then, then I saw it and I just wanted to scream. They told me I'd been lucky, because somehow I managed to grab my own foot after it was... it was..." He shuddered and shut his eyes and David tried to make his movements comforting as he sensed Dillon mentally prepare himself to share what had happened. "I thought I was grabbing a branch or something. Something that would help me stay afloat in the river but... it wasn't, obviously. But, um, for some reason I held on to it, and made it to shore before passing out, and, and someone saw me and called an ambulance. It was late at night so that was pretty lucky too but, um, it wasn't until the next morning that they found Sam.""I'm so sorry, Dillon," David whispered, his own voice hoarse with emotion, but Dillon opened his eyes and focused them on David's."Not your fault," he told him kindly. "I reckon if you'd been the officer in charge they might've got to the bottom of it though. As it was the whole investigation fizzled once they realised a car really did hit us and that the only traffic camera that could've helped them wasn't working at the time of the incident. They thought... um," his voice wobbled as he tried to continue. "I was actually a, um, a suspect for a while. They thought for a bit that Sam and me, that Sam and me'd had a, um, a fight, and I'd tried to throw him in to the river, only to be pulled down myself. It was all a bit... " he breathed deep through his nose, his eyes darting away to gaze out the window at the rain soaked night. "It all made me hate cops and the whole system, you know? But I think I'm finally getting past that."He gave David a wan smile and David responded with a smile of his own, and a gentle squeeze of Dillon's thigh. The skin there was just so very silky that he couldn't resist the urge to begin circling his fingers over it again, and Dillon's breath stuttered at the touch, his eyes becoming glazed and heavy once more, and the bulge increasing in the front of his shorts. When they had been kissing in the kitchen David had told himself that they needed to slow down and take some time to really get to know one another, but now, seeing Dillon hard and needy and vulnerable on the couch, within his reach, he couldn't think of a good reason not to show him just how wonderful he was, and how much David adored him. At this rate, he mused, he really would have to take a permanent position in Port Evans, just so that he could see Dillon on a daily basis and carry on falling in love with him. More realistically he knew that if, by some miracle, the case was solved tomorrow and he had to pack up and leave again, he'd regret not showing Dillon, at least once, that he was beautiful and worthy of love.He let his hand creep higher, to brush against Dillon's sac and feel the soft fabric of his Y-fronts, and Dillon's hips bucked in answer to the silent question, making up David's mind for him. Catching Dillon's eye he moved both hands to the button of his shorts, undoing it slowly and deliberately so that there could be no mistaking his intention. Dillon was breathing hard and his eyes were only half open but they were focused on David and almost, it seemed, daring him to continue, so that was what David did. When he was done with the button he moved on to the man's flies, still checking that Dillon's eyes were on his, that he wanted it, and the frantic nod Dillon gave as David paused with his hand on the zipper was the confirmation he needed.Dillon was so hard that David worried even the brush of his fingers undoing the zip would set him off but all he did was moan, loudly and with enthusiasm, as his cock was freed of his shorts. It made David's own cock twitch in response and he pulled the shorts carefully over Dillon's hips and legs, aware that the majority of the man's pain centered around his thigh and pelvis, and desperate to give only pleasure, rather than the pain that Dillon seemed to consider a constant companion. With the shorts out of the way he hurriedly removed his own shirt, pulling it over his head rather than wasting time on the buttons, because he knew from experience that being the only one undressed in this sort of situation would be an unnecessary added embarrassment that Dillon didn't need. He'd thought to take things slow, to work up to the physical stuff over time, if they even were heading toward a physical relationship, but since they were here, he wanted to make sure it was special and meaningful, and something to be treasured. He didn't want either of them to regret this in the morning. Every time he looked at Dillon he fell even deeper, and was aware that his feelings had raced past simple lust and in to something more serious. He cared about the man. The feeling had been exaggerated by his fear that Dillon might be next on the killer's list of targets but even so, he thought as he ran his hands up the sides of Dillon's legs, from his ankles to his hips, even so he thought that he would have fallen for the guy, however their paths had crossed. It filled his heart to bursting with something that felt terrifyingly like love and he let it flow out and fill his entire body as he leant down carefully to kiss the man beneath him.The feel of Dillon's fingers sliding over his bare chest was electrifying and the feel of Dillon's tongue in his mouth made him want to grind his hips down, to relieve the furious ache, but he didn't. He was too scared that pressing down on him would cause Dillon pain, so settled for kissing him until neither of them could breathe. When they were both forced to pull back enough to take in gasping gulps of air, Dillon grinned at him with a look of delight and disbelief."God, you're gorgeous. You know that, right? You know you're really fucking attractive?""I wouldn't go that far," David shook his head, feeling a new kind of heat rising in his cheeks at being worshipped so blatantly. "I'm currently making out with a guy who could legitimately pass for a god so, you know... I'm a fairly average second place here.""Nah," Dillon whispered, his smile widening as he looked up in to David's eyes cheekily. "I reckon you're a, a solid ten." He stopped to breathe again, his chest heaving in a way that made David want to tear the t-shirt away, so that he could see the stretch of his muscles and ribs. "And up until a couple of days ago, truth be told, I didn't think I'd ever meet someone I actually wanted to get naked with. It's a bit of a turn around, to be honest. My head's still spinning.""Should I," David licked his lips as he thought through his options. "Should I stop? Should I slow down?""Hell no," Dillon told him, grabbing the back of his head to drag him back down so that their noses were touching. "Not unless you want to. I want, um, I want this... I want this to be good, you know? I want... you."David thought he could go on kissing Dillon for hours, it felt so right, but his trousers were rubbing against his cock, which was so hard it refused to be ignored, and Dillon was making the most wonderful mewling noises and he knew that if they both wanted this, then it was probably time to move things up a gear. He sat up reluctantly and Dillon tried to follow him with his mouth, his eyelids fluttering for a moment before they opened questioningly, but his expression soon turned wicked when he saw David reach for his belt, and his quick, clever, fingers were soon helping to free him of the last of his clothes until Dillon's pants and t-shirt were the only things separating them. The urge to rip the last of the man's clothes from his body was back but David restrained himself. He wasn't the clothes ripping type and had never considered himself a very passionate lover, but the idea and the image remained in his mind, and he was delighted that he was able to let go and be lustful and hot-blooded, that the passion was inside of him, and that Dillon's presence brought it to the fore."Can I?" he asked, taking hold of the hem of Dillon's shirt, and the soft smile he received with the nod of ascent made him feel like he was melting.He took his time, peeling the fabric up and kissing the skin he exposed as he went, enjoying the ripple of Dillon's muscles, his narrow waist, his surprisingly broad shoulders, the smattering of freckles just below his collar bone, it was all glorious and David wanted to savour every inch. Dillon's body was bucking and squirming beneath him but David tried to keep his pace steady, until he had lifted the t-shirt over Dillon's head and tossed it aside. He gave the man's red lips a quick kiss before swooping down to kiss one of his nipples on his way back to the one, final piece of clothing between them. He licked along the line of elastic, looking up to give Dillon his best bedroom eyes, but Dillon groaned dramatically and began to pull the pants off himself, nearly taking out David's eye with his knee in the process."Seriously, I am going to come in my fucking pants if we don't get things moving," he said, his voice high pitched and close to a whine. "And I will not, will not live that down. That will be the last time you see me, I'll move out to that cabin in the middle of the bush and, and, and no one will ever hear from me again. I'll become a cryptid out of shame! The thirty-two-year-old who came in his pants from kissing! So unless you're happy with that..."He couldn't finish the sentence and David couldn't do anything but laugh and watch as Dillon wriggled out of the last of his clothes and then gave him a glare, which only made him laugh harder. He lowered himself back down carefully, shivering at the contact of their bodies, and heard Dillon grunt as he carefully pressed their groins together, putting as much weight on to Dillon's hips as he dared. He hadn't really considered what they would actually do once the clothes were off and the mucking about was done with, but Dillon seemed to be more than happy with what they were doing so he kept it up, and tried not to lose himself in the slide of Dillon's cock against his, at least not too soon.The whole experience was like a dream, like a fantasy his brain had supplied rather than his real life. He wasn't like this in real life. He didn't fall in to bed with potential murder victims he was supposed to be keeping an eye on. He wasn't even really the sort of person who knew his neighbours, yet here he was, having sex with the man next door, a potential target for a serial killer, who he'd known for less than a week. It was ridiculous, and potentially dangerous, for all sorts of reasons, and the reality of the situation hit him suddenly as Dillon bucked in to him and he felt his body respond in kind."Give me a minute?""Are you alright? What's wrong?" Dillon's change was immediate and as he lowered his hips, searching David's face for some sign of what was bothering him, David held back the urge to hug him. He really did need a moment and it would be sending Dillon all sorts of mixed signals if he hugged him just as he was asking for space."It's alright," he whispered reassuringly, leaning up on his elbows so that they could speak more easily. "Truly, it's just..." He took a minute to analyse his feelings, and what he needed in order to feel really comfortable with the way things were progressing. He knew that he did want to do this, but he needed to appease the cop in his head as well. "Look. I really like you."Dillon gave him another of those soft smiles that made his heart melt. "Yeah, you said. I really like you too but we can stop if you've changed your mind."He'd angled his chin, looking at David in that way he had, a curiosity verging on suspicion, as if David was a puzzle he was trying to solve, but one he didn't want anyone to know he hadn't figured out yet."I don't want to stop," David told him truthfully, trying to choose his words with care. "I really do like you, more than I realised I did, more... fiercely than I realised as well, but... I don't know your... history? And you don't know mine. So I think if we're going to do this it would be best to use... protection. Don't you?"He hadn't known how Dillon would react but the grin that stretched across the man's face was just what he'd hoped for, and he backed away, looking for his trousers, as Dillon lay back on the couch, stretching out like a cat and showing off his naked form as he did so. He really was the most attractive man David had ever had the privilege of seeing naked and he rushed to dig through his pockets, searching for his wallet and the emergency rubbers and lube therein. The fact that Dillon had been so ready to stop, to do what needed to be done so that David felt comfortable, the fact that he cared, had sealed the deal for him, and he turned back to Dillon with condoms in hand and a renewed sense of reverence and affection for the man. He was strong, stronger in mind and body than he gave himself credit for, but he was kind and generous as well, and David felt himself begin to fall again, closer and closer, until the thought that he might love Dillon Kelly wasn't so terrifying at all.