When Steven came home from work, after a long day in the office going through his stuffed mailbox and working on his model portfolio, he could smell something cooking in the kitchen. It was becoming a new normal to Steven, as Brandon often welcomed him home with a warm, home-cooked meal. It was a welcomed change to the limited offerings of local restaurants and fast food chains, and it also helped Steven to make sure Brandon wasn't skipping meals.
"Please tell me you're going to stay here forever." Steven greeted Brandon by the kitchen doorway. He was grinning, like he always did when he was in the same room with Brandon, but his grin faded when Brandon didn't smile back at him. Steven opened his mouth to ask Brandon why he was frowning like that, but Brandon beat him to it.
"I don't like that word. Forever." Brandon admitted, then shrugged his shoulders as if it weren't a big deal. Then, finally, he smiled. "But otherwise, yeah, I'll stay as long as you'll have me."
"So for.." Steven let his voice trail off, realizing his mistake. He made a mental note to ask about the word later, but the sadness flickering behind Brandon's eyes kept him from asking then. Instead, he walked to Brandon and circled his arms around Brandon's waist, glimpsing over his shoulder to the pots and pans on the stove. "What do we have here?"
"Just chicken, rice and broccoli." Brandon mumbled, letting Steven take a peek under the lids. Steven didn't appreciate the way Brandon was putting down his cooking, so he made Brandon feed him some of the chicken and made a great show of telling Brandon just how good it was.
Steven wanted to point out how Brandon was willing to go to lengths to cook for Steven, but didn't take the time to make anything just for himself. He wanted to ask how Brandon had money to buy all these ingredients to cook for them, but not for himself. Steven didn't voice those thoughts, knowing how hard Brandon was trying to do nice things for him.
"So.." Steven started to say instead, leaning his cheek against the side of Brandon's head. There was actually something he had planned on asking Brandon since it came up at the coffee slash smoke break he had spent with Brody and Hayes. "We have this fancy dinner thing and an after party next Friday, and it would mean so much to me if I could take you there."
Brandon didn't say anything for a prolonged while, and Steven was starting to regret ever bringing it up. He knew Brandon wasn't as okay as he insisted on being, and that he was much more afraid than what he let Steven see. Hence, a big, crowded event like that likely wasn't what Brandon was up to.
But then again, they had no idea how long it would take for the police to find Treyton and they couldn't just keep hiding for the rest of their lives. Steven had to go anyway, so he might as well take Brandon with him. They could spent the entire evening glued to each other and make sure they were safe.
"Okay." Brandon surprised Steven by agreeing and even sounding sincere when he said: "That could be fun."
"Really?" Steven exclaimed, turning Brandon around to face him and stared at him with eyes full of amazement. He squeezed Brandon into a hug, but soon pulled back to look at him from arm's length. "You don't have to push yourself, if you're not ready. I totally get it, with this whole fiasco with Tre—"
"I know." Brandon cut him short, then pecked his cheek before turning back to face the stove. Either he was telling the truth and truly wasn't bothered by the idea of going to the event or he was an Oscar worthy actor.
Steven gave Brandon the details about the event, and they planned together where Brandon could loan a suit for it, while they filled their stomachs with Brandon's cooking. Brandon smiled the entire time, and if Steven hadn't seen those pictures spread all over the floor, he could have easily believed none of it had ever happened.
There was still a lot Steven didn't know or understand about Brandon; his sporadically changing moods were one of those things. Brandon's emotions followed no seemingly logical pattern, they just came and went like summer rain. The line of Brandon pushing himself too hard to 'come up to Steven's expectations' and him actually wanting to do something remained hazy for Steven. Brandon kept so much to himself that it was difficult to tell how he actually felt, what he wanted and needed.
Either way, Brandon was in a good mood and Steven wasn't going to complain. After dinner they watched a few episodes of some telenovela, but didn't spend much time reading the subtitles even though neither of them spoke barely a word of Spanish. Truth to be told, Steven was less interested in the mishaps of the unfashionable, but not actually ugly main character who everyone called ugly, than he was about Brandon's lips and his hands roaming on his body over his shirt.
The touch of Brandon's hand underneath his shirt made Steven jolt with surprise. They had been kissing to the point where their lips turned swollen, but never had things gone further than careful groping over the clothes. Brandon's touch was like fire, his fingers waking every nerve ending in Steven's body and filling his stomach with burning need. Steven felt overheated, yet he was shivering, coming undone under Brandon's touches. He had fantasized for a moment like that much longer than he cared to admit, and no other guy had ever gotten him going like that.
It didn't go any further than that, though, and it took Steven a while to realize that Brandon was waiting for a green light. Steven showed it was safe to proceed by pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the ground by the couch. Brandon gave him an intent once-over, the kind that sent shivers down Steven's spine, and then pulled off his own sweater.
"The shirt needs to go too, it's only fair." Steven prompted, testing his luck. He was rewarded with a smile and, even better, the shirt being tossed on the floor somewhere near Steven's. His breath caught as he took in the sight of Brandon's bare chest and flat, sculpted stomach. The thin line of hair leading down from his navel and disappearing under the waistband of his jeans. Steven licked his lips, and breathed: "Fucking hell, Brandon."
Before he could say anything else, Brandon tilted him on his back with his hands on Steven's shoulders and followed right after. When Brandon kissed Steven, Steven pulled him closer and stifled an urge to grope and touch all those sculpted planes and sharp edges. He took a handful of Brandon's soft hair into his fist, tucking gently as his fingernails graced Brandon's sculp. Brandon's breath hitched, and he leaned down for another kiss.
"Ground rules?" Steven whispered breathlessly in between the kisses.
"When I tell you to stop, you stop." Brandon pulled back enough to look at Steven, his brown eyes darkened by desire. Steven didn't hesitate before nodding, because it went without saying. "And.. don't call me a slut."
"No dirty talking? Got it." Steven agreed as his lips curved into an amused grin. He placed his palm on Brandon's lower back and held it there. "Don't call me daddy, that doesn't work for me."
"Oh God, no." Brandon laughed and shook his head. He was still smiling when Steven rolled them around so that it was Brandon's turn to lay underneath him. Before Steven could capture his lips again, Brandon took off his glasses and set them on the bedside table. Then, finally, he pulled Steven down and pressed their lips together. For a long, long while they only explored each other's mouths, and Steven would have been perfectly content to do just that.
[smut warning]
But then, as he got closer to trail kisses down Brandon's neck, his hips nudged against Brandon's groins. He was, just like Steven, already achingly hard underneath the coarse fabric of his jeans. The touch was rewarded with the most delicious moan as Steven's touch caught him by surprise. Steven did it again just to see Brandon lose more of his composure.
Brandon writhed, biting his lip to keep quiet. Then he rolled them around again, a remote control clattering on the floor in the process, and smirked at Steven. His hand, cold like always but already warming up, caressed Steven's stomach. Steven's breaths came out in warm gushes as he deepened the kiss even further, urging Brandon to touch him just like that.
Somehow Steven got back to his senses long enough to remember Brandon's disinclination with sex and his earlier thoughts about Brandon pushing himself too hard, and Steven squeezed his hand around Brandon's to make him stop fumbling with his fly.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Steven breathed, his voice sounding hoarse even to his own ears. He watched as Brandon sat back. "I don't want you to rush things just because you think that's what I want."
"You don't want it?" Brandon asked, grimacing a little in embarrassment as if he couldn't see exactly how much Steven wanted, and needed, this.
"Do you seriously have to ask me that?" Steven grinned sheepishly, glimpsing down at his tenting crotch with lifted brow. A grin pulled up the corner of Brandon's mouth, but he fought to keep it away. "I want this, but do you? Do you really?"
"Yes, Steven, I want this." Brandon said in a way that left no room for doubt, before kissing Steven again. "Really."
This time, when Brandon started operating with Steven's fly, Steven didn't stop him. In fact, he did the opposite and reached for Brandon's belt and tossed it on the floor. Getting the buttons open was an operation, because Steven's hands were trembling in a way they had never done with any of the guys he had undressed before.
When Brandon pulled off his shorts and briefs, Steven started to worry if he was going to cum before Brandon could even get his hands on him. Steven blamed the long celibacy, which was turning him into a horny teenager all over again, and silently swore to himself to keep his cool. He wasn't sure if it was working, judging from the clumsy, rushed way he freed Brandon from his jeans.
Steven wanted to appreciate every arc and groove in Brandon's body, and how the muscles in his arms flexed when he positioned himself on top of Steven again, but it wasn't time for that yet. Brandon seemed to come to the same conclusion, because he only took a few moments to revere Steven's body, before rolling his hips over Steven's. The blissful friction was enough to bring up a guttural moan deep from Steven's throat.
"I like this side of you." Steven voiced his appreciation, then pulled Brandon down to graze his teeth over the sensitive skin of Brandon's neck.
Brandon's hips jerked down and he shivered, humming under his breath. Steven used the opportunity to suck his neck and then rolled them around while Brandon was still recovering from the sensation. Steven looped his fingers around Brandon's dick, then waited for Brandon to give some sort of sign for him to stop or carry on. The fervent, breathless kiss of Brandon's was a sign enough, but the buckle of his hips to meet Steven's hand was what truly urged Steven to proceed with his advances.
Steven slid his fingers down, enjoying the feel of Brandon and the way his body reacted to the touch. Steven jerked his hand, slow and mesmerized, forgetting all about his own needs in the face of this new side of Brandon and how different this was than with any of his previous hookups. He would have been content just to watch, to make Brandon feel good, but Brandon's hand reaching for his achingly hard dick made every bit of that selflessness disappear.
Steven wobbled on his knees and arms, nearly collapsing on top of Brandon, so Brandon sat up and guided Steven onto his lap. Without missing a beat, he pulled Steven down to a kiss with one hand and the other got back where it was most urgently needed. Steven followed his lead and picked up his rhythm, bringing them both to the edge at the same time.
Brandon mumbled something incoherent, his breathing fast and hot against Steven's lips. Then his hand on Steven lost its rhythm and he threw his head back, his fingers tucking at Steven's hair. Just the sound he made was enough to take Steven over the edge, and he pressed his lips on Brandon's neck, the skin muffling some of his guttural groan.
It might have been fast and sloppy, but Steven erupted like a goddamn volcano and he went so high he thought he was never going to get back down. When he did, he realized he was practically biting down on the side of Brandon's neck. He let go, smiling sheepishly as he gazed down at Brandon.
"Hickeys, huh? What are you, five?" Brandon murmured, his cheeks flushed and eyes glimmering with pure happiness. Steven had to kiss Brandon just so that he didn't blurt out exactly how much he loved him. Steven tilted Brandon down on his back again and kissed him lazily, willing to ignore the stickiness that would soon turn unbearable.
"Uhm, I don't think I gave much thought to hickeys at that age." Steven pointed out, rising onto his elbows. He brushed a damp curl off Brandon's forehead, still buzzing with warmth and dizzy with pleasure. His smile turned to a devilish grin when he murmured: "And your ground rules said nothing about hickeys."
[smut warning over]
"Let's take a shower, I'm freezing." Brandon decided at some point, reluctantly tucking at Steven's arm to get him moving. Had they laid there making out for ten minutes or ten days, Steven had no idea, but he could have easily stayed there for ten thousand more.
"Already?" Steven lifted an eyebrow, but got up without further complaints.
They took a shower together, just showering and nothing more, then watched more episodes of the telenovela until they went to bed early. Brandon fell asleep the second his back hit the mattress, but Steven had to wait for drowsiness to take over a while longer. He didn't mind, because staying awake meant he could stare at Brandon, still wondering about their earlier encounter and how he couldn't wait for the next one.
Steven had always considered himself lucky, despite having grown up with his dysfunctional family. He had sisters and brothers, who he was fortunate enough to call his friends. He had money and he was making more with his emerging modeling career. He had a bunch of friends, and the best albeit judgemental cat in the world. Yet he had never felt luckier than he felt that day, not just because he got laid, but because it meant Brandon trusted him.
All Steven had left to hope was that they would be lucky with whatever was coming with Treyton too. Who knows, maybe they would only have to hear about him when the police informed them he had been caught. Wishful thinking? Well, so had once been the idea of Brandon wanting to take the next step with Steven, and look at how that turned out.
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I've somehow ended up writing longer chapters again, but you said it's fine, so I'm likely going to keep doing so in the future as well. :)