Quarantine: Day Five
Covy
After leaving campus to head back to my dorm that first day, Sicko—my roommate—and I made a game plan. We'd go shopping for a few essentials, enough to get us through the next two weeks and to let our parents know we couldn't make it home. Him, because his family members are obnoxious and he didn't want to expose them just in case. And me, a result of shitting parenting and their alcoholism compromising their health.
The store ended up being a shit show. There were people piling in like the world was ending. Maybe they knew something we didn't. Either way, we barely could find what we needed.After coming home, unpacking, we both went to bed with heaviness on our mind.Now, it's Friday, four days later. A full quarantine is in effect. While I'll probably read most days, (and have.) Sicko was all about sports. (still is.) How he'd contain his constant urge to workout would be a true test. Me? I lived for being a homebody."Hey, Cov, I'm making grilled cheese. Want some?" I peeked up from the MM romance book I'd been devouring, heat tickling my cheeks at the intrigue in Sicko's expression. Gripping the e-reader in my palms, it took every ounce of control to not toss it and pretend I wasn't embarrassed. It wasn't because I read romance. It was in fact what I read that made me all warm. Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine recently released their newest MM romance, Need for Speed. It was book two in their Elite series. I'd just downloaded it last night, using it as an escape. These two were so hot and heavy that I'm surprised Sicko couldn't feel the heat of both need and open-gaped shock rolling off me in waves.While I'm openly gay, people always claimed men didn't read romance. Especially not the good stuff that had all the cocks involved.They'd be wrong."I—" my skin felt all clammy, wondering if he saw the words on the book, while also realizing, he was several feet away. He couldn't have read it. He's not Superman. We've shared a dorm room for the last two semesters, but what I knew about him was only the things he felt were pertinent to tell me.He's Sicko Salinger. Star Forward for the Valley West Leopards. Since I've known him, he hasn't dated a single soul. But while the details of his life aren't the most giving part of himself, he always protects me.That was how we met."He's following me everywhere," I tell Jed, my longest best friend, and first everything. He eyes me, his protective nature present in his scowl. "I'll fucking kill him," he bites out, balling his hands into fists. While Christoper Delaney—my most recent ex—was a dick, I didn't want Jed to hurt him. I'd always loved both of them. Jed and I realized we were better as best friends, knowing romance wasn't in our best interests, after all."Jed, please," I implored, touching his shoulders. A chill racks his frame. The anger flowed off him in waves, making me feel horrible for even mentioning it. I'd get out. I would. I tried leaving Christ several times, it just hadn't worked. He always found me. He always stalked me. He always won."No, Covington, I'm not allowing this prick to hurt you any longer." He placed a kiss on my forehead, a hiss leaving his lips as he walked past me. Within a week, I'd met Sicko, Jed's cousin. Jed asked if he could help me out, and without a question, he helped me move across the country to Valley West. We'd been friends and roommates since no questions asked. He never judged me, ridiculed me, or even made me seem less for the toxic relationship I stayed in for way too long. It was one of the best things about him."So, a sandwich?" he interrupted my inner battle, smirking at me like he had the right. He did, but fuck, it confused me. Setting down my device, I swallowed the driest gulp of air I'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing and tried not to feel embarrassed for where my mind went."I'm starving," I replied instead of babbling. His smile widened as he dragged his thumb across it. My eyes landed on the plump lower lip, wondering what it'd be like to taste.What.The.Fuck.Seriously? He was my friend. My roommate. And... straight? Sicko wasn't like any guy on campus. He might be the star forward for our hockey team, but he wasn't your typical jock. He kept to himself, which usually meant video games or movie nights with me. Not that I'd ever complained. I found it charming that he'd rather chill than constantly be out with his teammates. Some of who were absolute asshats that reminded me of Chris.With his retreating form, I found myself watching his body move. He sported a tight black v-neck, it hugged his wide shoulders and almost flowed at his tapered waist. His arms were visible, tattoos visible, snaking across his skin like book pages with words. I'd never spent time wondering what they meant, it wasn't my business. But now, with all the time I had, my eyes wandered far too often."You're being unusually quiet," he mused when we hit the kitchen. My teeth latched onto my lip, a nervous habit, not knowing what to say. It wasn't abnormal for me to be loud and chatty, but after reading what I'd read in my book, my body confused me."You're being unusually conversational," I rebutted, not knowing how to respond. He turned to me, a smile breaking across his face as he grabbed the spatula off the counter. "Why are you acting so defensive, Covy?" He raised an eyebrow, flipping the switch on the stove, spreading the butter across the pan. As if waiting for me to say something, he cleared his throat."N-no reason," I mentioned, feeling that dryness take residence in my throat. The itch of it making me uncomfortable and on edge. Did he see my book? He couldn't. Nope. No way."Hmm, I don't believe you," he pushed, setting the spatula down to grab bread to butter. While he busied himself I tried coming up with a valid reason for my reactions, but couldn't. Who cared that I read a little bit of smut? It's hot as fuck. "Need help?" I offered as he buttered the bread. He brought his gaze up to me with amusement in his eyes and the squirminess I'd felt earlier found its way back into my body."Yeah, wash your hands and you can help. Neither of us knows how clean they are.""Are you insinuating I touched my dick?" It came out way more defensive than it should, but I couldn't help my reaction. I'd only jerked once today and it was during my shower where he couldn't hear me. Which was twice less than my usual reading day. When I read steamy books, my desire climbed a lot, making me hot and bothered. And while I wasn't in a relationship, searching for guys when I didn't feel at my strongest wasn't my idea of a good time.So my hand it was."Are you arguing you didn't?"My heart hammered in my chest, my face, body, and skin everywhere his eyes roamed heated and pricked with discomfort. I wasn't a shy guy by any means, but my mind seemed on edge since the announcement yesterday."I-I—""Don't have to be embarrassed, you're a dude, I'm a dude, and we touch our dicks." As if sensing my hesitation, he shrugged and I went to the sink to wash my hands. My skin had already taken a toll since yesterday. Washing my hands often was a chore when my skin wasn't exactly the best, but living in California helped. The moisture in the air seemed to help the dryness. However, lotion was almost necessary after every wash. After toweling off my hands with a paper towel, I broke the silence I'd elicited"What do you need?""Butter the rest of the slices and I'll start cooking," he explained, grabbing the first two slices. Placing them on the hot pan, it immediately sizzled from the buttered. There were sounds in life that brought people comfort. Soft instruments, the waves of the ocean, and even rain. For me, it was the opening of a soda can, the sizzle on a pan, and the crack of a bat connecting with a softball."You're definitely different, Covy."The words caught me off guard. "What do you mean?""Well, you read for one." He laughed when I scrunched my nose, and then tapped my chin, almost conveying his intentions weren't to upset. I grabbed the knife and went to town on the bread while listening to the sizzle on the stove. "For two," he continued a moment later. "You find comfort in the sounds that many people find annoying. It's different."When I inwardly cringed, he snaps his fingers for my attention."I'm not saying it's bad, just different. I didn't realize many things before the quarantine. I like it," he reassured and moved passed me, reaching for the fridge handle. His chest brushed past me on the way back, making me shiver.What am I doing?He sprinkled cheese on the bread, putting a lot. He knew how much I loved cheese. Which only made him more charming than usual. Fuck.After finishing my sandwich, he put it on a plate and shooed me away. "Go eat, you don't want to be exhausted later after you've used all your energy reading those books." Blanching I took the plate and ran to my bedroom, not knowing why he teased me so much today. Was it always like this? Or was the enclosed space between us confusing my mind?
