LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 54

"So you liked it?" Jack sought to clarify.

"Too much, I think" Ralph chuckled lightly. "You want a performance review or what?" he joked.

"Nah, as if I need one" Jack scoffed, "I already know I'm great at it" he confidently declared.

"You're narcissism is making it hard for me to agree with you" Ralph rolled his eyes warmly.

"But you can't disagree with me because you know it's true" Jack surely pointed out.

"Shut up" Ralph dismissed him as he quickly realized he had no leg to stand on.

The boys laid in blissful quiet for several minutes. Jack kept his head on Ralph's chest, the younger boy's fingers combing through his messy blond hair. Jack kept his slightly sticky hand firmly around Ralph's waist, his other tracing circles over the skin of Ralph's chest just above his own head.

"You tired or you want me to show you how to do it?" Jack hoarsely broke the silence.

"How to do what?" Ralph asked curiously.

"What I just did with you" he vaguely clarified. "Unless you aren't ready."

"No, I am" Ralph quickly defended. Perhaps he was too desperate to prove his strength to Jack at times; times like this.

"You sure? I'm happy to just go to sleep, it's after 0200 hours now" Jack pointed out.

"I want to do it" Ralph said with certainty. But on the inside, he was panicking at the prospect of doing it wrong, of failing to make Jack feel as good as he practically effortlessly made Ralph feel.

"Okay, so long as you really mean it" Jack agreed.

"I do" Ralph decided. "But I don't think I know exactly what to do" he shamefully admitted.

"I said I would teach you, didn't I?" Jack reminded him, taking Ralph back to that night before their month-long hiatus.

"Right" Ralph nodded hesitantly. "But how?"

"Let me worry about that, alright? All you gotta do is listen and follow my lead" Jack assured him. Ralph nodded, trying to direct his focus to his hand in Jack's ragged hair, his other tracing the little dents he put in Jack's swelling back. If he was hurting Jack at all, the older boy hadn't said anything about it or even flinched. Perhaps, he was that accustomed to physical pain. Ralph struggled to imagine how much he'd have to endure before his own pain threshold would start to weaken the way Jack's clearly had.

Jack pushed himself up on his elbow to crawl off Ralph. He climbed properly onto the bed, leaving Ralph where they'd spent the last hour; halfway, hanging off the side of the bed. Ralph soon crawled up beside him, hoisting the rest of his overworked body onto the bed, laying his head down on the pillow beside Jack. He turned to face Jack and swung his free arm that wasn't trapped beneath his own body over Jack's bare midsection. Jack pushed his arm closest to Ralph underneath the boy and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, squeezing him gently. Jack softly kissed Ralph's forehead, and the younger boy nuzzled closer to him.

Jack grabbed Ralph's hand that laid around his waist with his own free hand, entwining their fingers together atop Jack's flat stomach. Jack pressed the palm of Ralph's hand into his own stomach, gently stroking the back of the younger boy's hand. Ralph's breathing was calm, collected, peaceful. Jack could sense his comfort and tranquility, the lack of panic in his body compared to his earlier state.

Jack gently lifted his hand off of Ralph's to allow the younger boy to freely explore his upper body. Ralph complied without hesitation, his hand wandering aimlessly over Jack's stomach and chest. Jack took deep, controlled breaths at the pleasant feeling of Ralph's touch. This was nothing they hadn't done before, Jack reminded himself. Stay calm.