You Of All People | A Nigerian Gay MM Love Story

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Later, as they left the party in their individual cars in the early hours of the morning, Folarin texted Chuka.

          "Are you coming through?"

Chuka texted back.

          "Yeah. After I drop her off."

Folarin had taken Lucy home too. She was a little tipsy but still alert. She watched Folarin read the text then put his phone away.

"Was that Chuka?", she asked, unlocking her front door.

Folarin nodded, as he helped her into her apartment. Lucy's brow furrowed. There had been something strange in the air between Folarin and Chuka all night. First, it was all the tension at the Premiere. Then the whole detour to Folarin's place to argue or whatever. Now, there was this strange new energy between them at the afterparty. It wasn't even overt at all. In fact, it had felt more like they were trying to put a lid on something.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Holy shit! Did you...? Are you guys...?"

Folarin deadpanned. "Are we guys what?", he said, as he sat her down on the living room couch and kneeled to help her take her strappy heels off.

"Did you two talk?"

"About?"

"FOLARIN!"

He smiled cheekily as he stood back up.

"Oh my God!" Lucy squealed. "Seriously? You're doing it? You're really together?"

Folarin shrugged. "A test run."

Lucy screamed for what felt like a whole minute.

Folarin winced. "It's 3a.m in the actual morning."

"You have a boyfriend! Finally!"

"Partner." Folarin corrected, glaring at her.

"Oh, shut up. Tell me everything." Lucy said, patting the spot on the couch beside her.

Folarin scoffed a short laugh. "Good night, Luce.", he said and started to walk away.

"Good n- . Are you high?" Lucy asked, incredulously. "Listen, I'm taking a huge chunk of the credit for this. This relationship is my baby, my child. I gave birth to it!", she said, pointing at her chest with her thumb.

Folarin shook his head as he walked towards the front door.

"Where are you going?"

Folarin kept walking.

"HEY! Lucy shouted after him, leaning over the back of the couch. "I DEMAND MY PARENTAL RIGHTS!"

Folarin looked back and threw her a smug wink as he opened the door and left.

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Both men returned to Folarin's apartment within ten minutes of each other. Folarin waited in the parking lot for Chuka to arrive. Neither said a word, walking together in companionable silence as they entered the apartment. Chuka had had a small, conspiratorial smile on his face the entire after-party, stealing furtive glances at Folarin. That smile remained plastered on his face even now. Folarin rolled his eyes at him, as he fetched two pyjamas from his closet, while Chuka leaned against the bedrom door frame watching him.

As they brushed their teeth together, Chuka looked at Folarin in the mirror with an amused grin. Folarin let out a long-suffering sigh as he spat out his toothpaste. He rinsed his toothbrush, shaking his head. Chuka laughed through his nose.

Folarin took a fresh towel out of the bathroom drawers and left it for Chuka, then he took his off the rail and went to the other bathroom to shower. When he returned to the room, Chuka was already showered and in bed, wearing one of the PJs but only the bottoms. As soon as Folarin entered, Chuka got under the covers, then peeled back the duvet on the other side of the bed and patted the mattress twice. He waggled his eyebrows, the shit-eating grin still on his face.

Folarin put his pyjama bottoms on underneath his towel, the whole time, giving Chuka a look that said "wetin dey really worry you?"

Chuka chuckled. "What? I can't enjoy the novelty of being a straight guy with a boyfriend?"

Folarin trudged over to the bed. "Are you?", he said as he climbed in. "Are you a straight guy, Chuka? Because this joy and gladness..."

Chuka laughed through his nose.

"Besides, didn't we agree 'partner' is more ambiguous?" Folarin added.

Chuka kissed his teeth. "Fuck 'ambiguous'!"

He dragged himself across the bed and was about to wrap his arm Around Folarin.

"Wait, wait." Folarin said, stopping him. "Who said it always has to be like this?" He turned himself around and faced Chuka. "Oga turn."

Chuka laughed. "I don't mind either way.", he said, turning around and assuming the little spoon position. 

Folarin threw his arm around him and drew close. He paused, expecting to feel ...the thing. Instead, it was more than a little awkward. Maybe it was because he was a bit bigger than Folarin. Half-an-inch taller too. Folarin moved up the bed to cover the height gap and tried again. No difference. An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Folarin could almost hear crickets.

"Let me guess; you prefer the other way." Chuka said, mockingly.

"Just shut up and turn." Folarin grumbled.

Chuka laughed aloud. "Ridiculous." he said, shaking his head as they re-adjusted. "Just a ridiculous person."

Chuka wrapped his arm around Folarin again and pulled him even closer until he was practically flush with him. Then he pulled the duvet back over him and tucked the sides in making sure Folarin was well covered as that one glared daggers at him. Chuka ignored the death stare, as his arms went back under the covers and around Folarin, pulling him into a close snuggle.

"I don't remember discussing all this one." Folarin protested.

"Oga, shut up. You love this." Chuka said, sniffing his neck and kissing his shoulder.

"I really don't." Folarin grumbled quietly but did nothing to stop Chuka's onslaught of affection.

Alpha male in the mud, Folarin thought, trying not to feel his dick shrivel up beneath him. But somehow, he liked the feeling too much to care too deeply about how emasculating it was.

Chuka let out a deep satisfied sigh. "Good night, babe", he joked, snorting a laugh as he shut his eyes.

Folarin felt a scratchy feeling in his throat as an odd warmth washed over him. Just body heat., he thought, as he drifted off.

And it was the deepest, most satisfying sleep Folarin had had in a while.