Fic: Warm (Part 2/2)
Title: Warm (Part 2/2)
Word Count: 7120
Pairing: Pinto
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Chris and Zach continue their stay at the cottage and end up in NYC.
Warnings: RPS. Fluff (I mean it, enough to make your teeth rot). A jacuzzi, a fireplace, and whispers of sweet nothings.
Disclaimer: None of this is true.
A/N: This is the second part of Warm, which I wrote as a loose fill for this prompt for the Holiday Prompt Fest at pinto_fic. I hadn't planned on writing more originally, but something happened...
“It’s like, not even five in the afternoon and you want to take a bath? We could save it for later. You know, after dinner,” Chris suggested.
He looked over his shoulder at Zach, who had his arms crossed and was visibly pouting.
Their day had gotten off to a late start. The two of them were reluctant to get out of bed after some slow, lazy sex under the morning sunlight that poured in from the window. Just after eleven, Chris decided that he had to at least call the managing office about the heat and dragged himself out of bed, smiling at the way Zach was laying on his side appreciating his naked form.
They had returned from their coffee and grocery store run to a warm house and a note profusely apologizing for the inconvenience with an offer for another complimentary stay at any of the other nearby properties owned by the company.
“I have other plans for us after dinner,” Zach explained impatiently.
Zach stepped close to him and unexpectedly tipped his hips forward into Chris’ backside making Chris drop the utensils into the soapy dishwater. His fingers attempted to search through the suds when Zach’s hands wormed their way into the front pockets of his jeans, tracing the outline of Chris’ growing erection while his body pressed into him from behind. A warm set of lips rested on the back of his neck.
“The dishes can wait,” Zach insisted and nibbled on the tender skin behind his ear.
“But there’s just a couple more--”
A metal bowl fell into the sink with a clatter as Zach thrust his hips again, pinning Chris and the hard swell in his pants against the counter for a moment. Chris’s knees buckled and he twisted in Zach’s arms.
“Okay, now is a good time,” Chris agreed quickly.
Chris almost wanted to laugh at the gleeful expression on Zach’s face as he hurried Chris up the stairs ahead of him, drumming on his behind with each step. The door to the bathroom was half-closed, but even from the hallway Chris could see the glow and flicker of candlelight. He nudged the door open all the way and was greeted by little white candles scattered around the bathroom, on the counter, and by the enormous tub where the water jets hummed softly. The orange flames seemed to wave at Chris’ upon his arrival.
“Where did you find candles?” He turned to face Zach.
Zach shrugged vaguely and removed Chris’ black-framed glasses from his face. He smiled at Chris and placed the glasses next to the sink before his fingers began unbuttoning Chris’ jeans. Chris’ own hands were busy trying to untangle his cardigan and t-shirt from his arms.
Zach’s fingers plucked at his waistband, snapping it against his skin, and Chris swiftly bent sideways slightly to lose his jeans and briefs in one motion. In the meantime, Zach had pulled off his three layers of sweaters and striped shirts and had begun peeling his own tight jeans from his long, slender legs. Chris laughed as Zach hopped around on one foot, tugging at the denim. Stepping forward, Chris caught him as an arm flailed out for balance.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Chris said affectionately, kissing Zach’s neck and shoulders.
He felt Zach’s hands on his back, scratching lightly. Chris pushed up against Zach’s so that their bodies were flush and their erections rubbed together. His hands smoothed over Zach’s pale skin and chest hair as he sank to his knees in front of him. Chris watched as Zach’s hard length twitched in anticipation, just an inch from his lips, and grinned when Zach gasped at the feel of Chris’ breath on him. Blinking up at Zach, Chris tasted him with a small lick at the tip. It was making him even harder to see Zach’s half-lidded eyes and slackened mouth.
“God, Chris,” Zach breathed, his hands threading through Chris’ hair.
A memory of the night before flashed in his head and Chris pressed his nose and his lips along the length of the swollen flesh, teasingly rubbed his face on it, and was rewarded with a low and throaty moan. With a long lick, Chris traced up the underside and flicked his tongue at the swollen tip again before taking in as much as he could, his pink lips stretched around Zach and his hand twisting at the base. Under the hand that rested on Zach’s hip, Chris could feel the tension and restraint Zach was exerting to not plunge himself into Chris’ mouth. He soothingly traced the jutted hipbone with his thumb as he lapped and sucked to the sound of Zach’s encouragement until there was a gentle prod at this shoulder. Pulling off him, Chris let Zach help him onto his feet and guide him toward the tub. A yellow rubber ducky bobbed cheerfully on top of the tiny ripples at the far end.
“The water’s going to cool soon,” Zach said.
Chris dipped a toe in and drew it back quickly. “Uhh, doubtful. The water’s hot enough to melt my nuts.”
“I’m going to melt your nuts when I get my hands on you, now get in,” Zach rasped in his ear. Chris laughed and started to climb inside.
The water was warm around his legs, extremely warm, and Chris hesitated before taking a deep breath and dropping himself in to sit at the bottom. The water came up almost to his nipples and he relaxed further, slipping lower and letting the waves from the jet next to him bounce off his thigh. Zach sank into the tub on his knees across from him, straddling his legs and placing his hands on Chris’ waist.
A splash of water hit his face as Zach leaned forward and dipped his shoulders below the surface of the water. Chris grinned as Zach floated over to cup his face and kiss him. One of Zach’s hands cradled his head to lick and bite tenderly at Chris’ lips, while the other one stayed under the water to wrap around Chris. He slid his hand along Chris, squeezing lightly and rubbing his thumb over the tip, before his hand descended to cup Chris’ balls, rolling them in his fingers.
Throwing his head back with his eyes closed, Chris broke the kiss and his hands pulled Zach’s hips closer to his, trapping Zach’s wrist between their pelvises. When he opened his eyes, he saw Zach staring intensely at him before he felt Zach move his hand and grip them both at the same time. Chris’ mouth fell open at the feel of them being stroked together and couldn’t help as his hips bucked into Zach’s hand, rubbing himself along Zach. He watched as Zach thrust into his own hand, which was barely moving, the water around them splashing erratically with their increased movements, extinguishing a couple of the candles along the perimeter of the tub and sending the rubber ducky over the side.
Chris licked at his lips and panted, his fingers digging into Zach’s hips.
“Zach, I’m--”
“C’mon, Chris,” Zach whispered. “C’mon.”
With another squeeze, Chris sobbed and gasped for air as he came. Zach’s grip slowed and he felt Zach let go of him to finish himself off. Chris tried to keep his eyes open, knowing that Zach was close from his shallow breathing.
“Zach, please,” he begged. Suddenly, Zach was crying out and warmth hit Chris in the abdomen.
Still in his lap, Zach rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and kissed his neck. The sound of their panting died and the water on their skin cooled. Reluctantly, Zach sat up, smiling ruefully.
“I didn’t even get to put your ass up to the jets,” he lamented.
“Would I have liked that?” Chris replied with a worried expression.
“Oh, you would’ve loved it,” Zach said with a knowing grin.
An hour later, they were back in the kitchen and Zach was groping Chris from behind again as he stood at the stove tending to their dinner.
“It smells good,” Zach commented over his shoulder.
“It’s going to taste amazing.”
“Obviously,” Zach snorted. “I see bacon in there.”
“Yup, we need to fatten you back up,” Chris said, flipping a pork chop.
“Like you should talk.” Zach pressed a kiss to Chris’ shoulder and his hands moved under the front of his shirt to pat his stomach. “What happened to this?” Zach asked into the back of his neck. It was one of Zach’s favorite places on Chris, he’d realized.
“What do you mean?”
“Your tummy,” Zach clarified. His fingertips slid under Chris’ waistband.
“Hey!” Chris jumped and yelped with a grin as Zach sprang back and squealed with laughter.
He playfully lunged at Zach and hugged him around the waist from behind. Flirting with Zach had always come naturally and Chris found that he was enjoying the new freedom of being able to touch Zach however he wanted when they were alone without being conscientious of not crossing a certain line.
A pop from the pan reminded Chris of the dinner he was cooking and he let go of Zach to shuffle back to the stove.
Clearing his throat, Chris’ expression turned serious. “So, when did you first... you know...” he trailed off quietly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zach leaning on the counter and studying him with his arms crossed.
“A while ago.” Zach paused. “A couple years ago, maybe,” he confessed softly. Chris looked over and saw Zach tracing his finger along the side of a glass, his brow furrowed.
“Yeah,” Chris answered with a tiny smile and waited for Zach to meet his gaze before turning his attention back to the pork chops that were simmering in the pan. “Are we incredibly clueless or what?” Chris chuckled.
“We’re incredibly something, for sure,” Zach said, inching closer and hooking his finger in one of Chris’ belt loops.
“We’re just a huge cliché, aren’t we?” Chris said breathlessly as Zach kissed down his neck and fumbled with the ties on this pants. “Fucking in front of the fireplace?”
“You’re going to look delicious once I get your ass naked.”
In the time it took for Chris to change into pajamas, Zach had also changed and had hefted an armload of blankets and a pillow from the hall closet and spread everything out between the coffee table and the burning logs. Chris returned to the living room prepared to read quietly or play a board game, but stopped short when he saw Zach lying on his side in the middle of the floor of the dark room illuminated only by the bright flames. I guess this is what he meant by ‘ other plans’, Chris thought.
With Zach on top of him and still attached to his neck, Chris tried to slip his sweatpants off. He touched Zach’s arm and nudged him gently. “Get undressed.” Zach pulled back, his lips parted and swollen, and nodded.
As Zach turned to toss his clothes in the direction of the couch, Chris laughed and tackled him, pinning him to the blankets with his naked body and his arm. He kissed Zach’s nose and brushed his hair back. The flickering light cast a golden hue on Zach’s skin and Chris ran his fingertip from the dark eyebrows and down his cheek, feeling the stubble along his jaw. He rested his head on Zach’s shoulder and brushed his thumb across his lips. Zach pursed his lips and kissed his thumb before licking it and pulling it into his mouth, biting playfully at the tip.
“I’ll be right back,” Chris whispered and began to push himself up.
Zach made a small noise of protest and caught his wrist. He kissed the center of Chris’ palm. “Next to the pillow,” he said.
Squinting, Chris looked over and saw the lube and three condoms. Three? Really?
Zach let go of his wrist so Chris could fetch the items. When Chris kneeled back down next to Zach, he rubbed his hands over Zach’s chest. He sat on his heels and watched as his fingers disappeared among the dark hair.
“Can I, umm,” he started hesitantly. “Do you want to switch?” he asked quietly, his lips barely moving.
Sitting up to face him, Zach placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently. “Is that what you want?”
Chris’ hand moved up to curl around Zach’s neck as he nodded, his stomach fluttering again. He brought their foreheads together and it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. It was a mystery to him how Zach could so easily have this kind of effect on him.
“You sure?” Zach asked softly, cradling his face.
A small smile crept across his face and he leaned forward to kiss Zach, wrapping his hands around Zach’s wrists. He leaned back and pulled Zach with him, the two of them landing in a pile of limbs. With his eyes closed, he could feel the smile on Zach’s lips as he kissed and nipped at his jaw and over his shoulders and chest. His fingers tangled in Zach’s hair as he concentrated on the way Zach was touching him, his hands soft and tender. Each point of contact felt like his skin was on fire, like Zach was burning into him.
Zach smoothed his hands down his sides and sat up to roll Chris onto his stomach. Pillowing his head on his folded arms, Chris watched the flames lick upward and kick at the air as Zach kneeled next to him and continued reverently kissing and caressing the muscles in his back, licking at the birthmark that usually made him so self-conscious. He felt curious fingertips drawing invisible lines from freckle to freckle.
He couldn’t help the moan that escaped him when Zach reached that sensitive area on his lower back and again he felt Zach’s smile against his skin. The pounding in his chest was thrumming in his head now, as Zach began kneeding the soft muscle of his backside. He felt Zach’s breath on him right before a sharp and unexpected pain on his left ass cheek made him jerk. Shock colored his features as he twisted around to look at Zach.
“Did you just bite my ass?” he asked incredulously.
Zach was crouched over him, biting the inside of his lip and looking at Chris with an expression of sheepish satisfaction.
“It’s just so... round. Like an overripe peach or something.”
Sitting up, Chris covered his face and laughed. “Oh my god.” His shoulders shook and he wrapped his arms tightly around Zach. Minutes passed as they kissed slowly, mapping out one another’s mouths with their tongues.
“I’ve never bottomed before,” Chris whispered into his ear and he felt Zach freeze. The fingers that were tracing patterns on his back stilled. He kissed Zach again and licked at his own lip, noticing that he tasted like Zach. He reached for the lube before taking one of Zach’s hands and placing the plastic tube in it. He tried not to make analogies or think about the romantic symbolism of how he’d just placed his trust and about a dozen emotions he was afraid to verbalize into the palm of Zach’s hands; if he were to be heartbroken, he’d rather have Zach holding the shattered fragments of his dignity than anyone else.
“You have to stop me if it’s too much, okay?” Zach pleaded, uncapping the tube.
Chris gave him a coy smile and nodded before lying back and resting his head on the pillow. His eyes never left Zach’s as he felt the first finger enter him. The only other time he’d tried this was during what he thought was an experimental phase in college, and that had ended with him redressing awkwardly and abruptly leaving the guy’s dorm room after he had barely inserted his fingertip in Chris. There was no nervousness this time around, not with the tenderness in Zach’s face and the gentleness of the fingers in him while the other hand rubbed soothingly on his stomach. A rush of lust flooded his stomach and he moaned loudly as Zach probed him, carefully brushing along the small spot that made his toes curl and his eyes roll back.
“You doing okay?” Zach asked quietly and withdrew his fingers to wrestle open a condom.
“Yeah,” Chris replied. “Hurry, I’m so hard it fucking hurts,” he whined.
“Oh poor baby,” Zach mocked.
He bent over Chris with a smile and kissed his nose, his mouth, his hand, and his chest. Wrapping his hand around Chris, he gave him a few strokes and lifted his hips and thighs. Chris sucked in a deep breath as Zach pushed into him slowly. It felt a lot bigger than he thought it would. When Zach saw his hands fisted in the blankets, he stilled and rubbed his hands down his arms.
“Breathe, Chris. Tell me if you want to stop.”
“Keep going,” Chris whispered and pulled his knee as close to his chest as he could.
Zach began pushing in again, hovering over Chris and bracing himself on his arms. Chris gasped when he felt Zach’s hips flush against him and involuntarily clenched around him.
“Chris,” Zach gritted out.
“C’mon, I’m good to go. Let’s get to the ass pounding,” Chris goaded him.
Chris saw his eyes narrow before he pulled out a couple inches and sharply thrust back into him.
“Oww, fucking hell, Zach!” Chris yelled.
Strong fingers entwined with his and brought his hands up above his head. Zach’s hips rocked him gently as his face came into view.
“I can make this awesome or I can make the car ride back to the city tomorrow excruciatingly painful.” Zach’s voice was low. Chris felt a drop of moisture on his belly and realized that he was leaking on himself.
“Option A. Make it awesome,” Chris choked out.
A hand moved one of his legs to hook it around Zach’s waist and he felt Zach pumping in and out of him gingerly. He held onto Zach’s hip and soon he was moaning along with Zach’s little grunts. Zach tilted his hips up and suddenly bursts of something electric rippled up his spine, making his mouth fall open in a gasp. Chris threw his head back and let out a whine when he felt Zach jacking him quickly and running his thumb over the tip. Squeezing Zach’s side, he came with a surprised shout on his own chest.
“Fuck,” Zach groaned and Chris felt him speed up for a few seconds before pushing as far inside him as possible, the tremor of Zach’s orgasm vibrating deep within his belly.
Chris reached up and grabbed Zach by the shoulders to pull him down, crashing their lips together. They rolled onto their sides and held onto each other while the sounds of their ragged breathing filled the room.
Zach returned with more blankets and cocooned them together in front of the fire, their heads resting on the same pillow. He tucked himself behind Chris, his hand at his waist and his nose and lips against the base of his neck. Chris snuggled into the blankets and pulled Zach’s arms tighter around him.
“Chris?” Zach asked quietly.
“Hmm?”
“When do you go back to LA?”
Chris blinked. “My flight leaves tomorrow night.”
“Oh.”
The heat from the flames radiated warmly on Chris’ face. A log snapped and dissolved into a series of crackles.
“Stay with me? Just another day or two?” Chris didn’t so much hear the words as he felt them pressed into his skin.
Chris smiled as Zach’s toe traced the arch of his foot. “Okay, yeah.”
Something in his chest fluttered with giddiness and he didn’t fight to tamp it down this time. He gave Zach’s hand a small squeeze and closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of Zach wrapped around him and knowing with certainty that it wouldn’t be the last night they’d spend like this.
~*~
Against his better judgment, Chris turned his head slightly toward the commotion two rows back and a few seats over. The three young women quickly looked away, pretending they hadn’t been squealing about his presence just seconds ago. He knew he heard his name. Chris sat a bit lower in his seat and was about to flip through the program again when the lights dimmed and the third act began.
An hour later, the light came up and he found himself full of raw emotion, the thundering arrival of The Angel still rumbling through his chest and his mind. He waited until most of the people had filed out of the theater before he stood up and walked toward the side of the stage. Throwing a quick glance around, he walked backstage in search of Zach. Around the corner, a girl with a headset looked up and was about to stop him when her eyes widened. He gave her a polite smile and pointed down the hallway. She bit her lip and nodded.
“Second room on your right,” she called after him. He gave her a small salute and continued down the hall.
Poking his head in room, he saw Zach chatting with a castmate and tying the lace to his boot. He quietly slipped in and stood by the door, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Zach threw his backpack on and turned to leave when he spotted Chris. A huge grin stretched across his face and Chris couldn’t help but smile back as Zach walked over to him. Zach’s hands came up, almost touching Chris’ face, forgetful that there were other people around, and instead he blinked and tightened the scarf around Chris’ neck.
“You were amazing,” Chris whispered.
He watched as Zach’s blushed and shrugged. “I was alright.”
“Stop that. I’m so proud of you.” Chris poked him in the stomach for emphasis.
“Thanks. I’m glad you were able to see it,” Zach said softly.
“Me too.” Chris smiled and poked him again. “I’ve been spotted, though.”
Zach barked out a laugh. “Oh well, it was bound to happen.”
On their way out of the theater, a few people stopped Zach and asked for autographs. Chris was aware of the curious looks in his direction, but hung back and patiently watched as Zach graciously received compliments and posed for photos; this was Zach’s moment and Chris felt another swell of emotion rise in him.
After Zach signed the last Playbill, he grinned at Chris and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You wanna get something to eat?” he asked, gesturing toward the sidewalk with a tilt of his head.
“Yeah, I’m starving.”
Chris pulled Zach’s mittens out of his pockets and tugged them on his hands. They arrived back at Zach’s in the mid-afternoon and the first thing Zach did was dig out a pair of gloves from a trunk under his bed and shove his mittens into Chris’ coat pockets.
They walked halfway down the street before Zach hailed a cab.
“So, Part 2 tomorrow night?” Chris asked once Zach had slid into the backseat next to him.
“Yeah, I already asked them to set aside a ticket for you. I have Part 1 in the afternoon, though. You’ll be okay by yourself for a while?”
“I’ll manage,” Chris said with a yawn.
The drive back to the city was tiring. After a long winded phone call with the car rental company, it ended up being cheaper and less hassle for Chris to drop the car off at JFK that afternoon than extending his reservation for another two days. Zach had rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and they both had almost fallen asleep in the cab ride back from the airport. Now, after sitting through the first half of the seven-hour play, Chris was completely exhausted. He wasn’t sure how Zach was still awake having performed on stage for over three hours.
The restaurant was half empty when they walked in and Chris was thankful that their food arrived at their table within minutes of their order being placed. They ate in a comfortable silence and hopped back in yet another a cab to return to Zach’s place.
Shuffling into the apartment, Chris toed off his shoes, shrugged his coat off, and made a beeline for Zach’s bed, where he collapsed on his stomach with his eyes closed. He grunted when he felt Zach tugging off his socks and rolled onto his side to look down at him.
“Tired,” Chris mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“I know, me too,” Zach replied and patted Chris’ thigh. He walked over to his dresser and changed into a pair of striped pajama pants and a grey wife-beater before heading to the bathroom. Chris closed his eyes again, listening to the muffled sound of the water running. He drifted off momentarily. The few minutes that Zach was gone felt like they stretched on for hours until Zach padded back into the bedroom and sat next to him on the bed.
“Do you want to brush your teeth? Take out your contacts?”
Chris threw his arms up and wiggled his fingers. “Ugh, help me,” he whined.
“Such a baby,” Zach sighed and pulled on Chris’ arms until he sat up. He laughed as Chris passively resisted being hauled to his feet. “Bathroom. Go,” Zach instructed with a playful slap to Chris’ ass.
He stumbled to the small bathroom, flipped on the light, and paused in the doorway when he saw that Zach had unpacked his toiletries for him and lined them up on the tiny shelf above the toilet, next to some of Zach’s own bottles. His blue toothbrush stood opposite of Zach’s green one in a plastic cup behind the faucet, as if its presence was a necessary balance and prevented the cup from tipping over into the sink.
The way his belongings mixed with Zach’s looked too natural, mirroring their effortless transition from friends to whatever they were now, and that feeling of hope and anticipation fluttered in his chest again. Chris brushed his teeth and finished his nightly ritual quickly, smiling to himself the entire time.
When he returned to the bedroom, Zach was on his side already tucked into bed. Instead of rifling through his duffle for his sleepwear, he grinned and went over to the dresser, pulling out the same drawer Zach did earlier and hummed as he picked out flannel pants and a worn black t-shirt. Zach watched with an amused expression as Chris changed into his clothes. Chris pulled the comforter back and slipped into bed with a chuckle.
They were both on their sides, studying each others’ faces in the dark. Chris flipped onto his stomach and pressed his hand to Zach’s chest.
“If I ask you something, would you tell me the truth?” he asked.
“Of course.”
Chris’ fingertips scratched idly on Zach’s chest.
“Is it too soon for me to be farting in your bed?”
Even in the dark, Chris could see the absolute shock on Zach’s face.
“Oh my god.” A hand full of seconds passed before Zach started his high pitched giggling.
Chris began laughing too, which only made Zach wheeze harder. After they caught their breaths and their shoulders stopped shaking, Zach brushed his fingers through Chris’ hair.
“What am I going to do with you, Chris?” he breathed with a sigh and inched closer to him. “God, what am I going to do without you?”
A couple inches of snow had fallen overnight and Chris was vibrating with glee. After breakfast, they walked, and in some cases, leapt, through the park and Chris marveled at how peaceful everything looked while covered in a blanket of white. It wasn’t often that he got to see snow. Zach had grabbed him at one point and shoved him into a pristine and untouched patch among the fields, prompting a snowball fight that ended up with them rolling on top of each other in a manner that was bordering on being inappropriate for public display. They reluctantly got up and dusted off whatever snow they could and began walking back toward Zach’s apartment. Chris was doubtful that he really had as much snow on his ass as Zach had insisted, but he only mildly protested when Zach swiped at it occasionally during the walk home.
“Feel free to use my laptop if you need to,” Zach said as he wound his scarf around his neck. “I’ll call if it looks like I’ll be running late, but I should be able to meet you at the restaurant around 5:30.”
“Sounds good,” Chris replied, following him to the door. Zach pulled on his coat and opened the door to leave, but turned back at the last second and looked at Chris with an unreadable expression.
Tipping his head to the side, Chris gave him a little frown. “What’s up?”
Zach leaned his head on the door with his hand on the doorknob, chewing on his lower lip and blushing wildly.
“I’m happy this week happened.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the doorframe. “Even though we both, you know...” Zach gestured with his hand. “Maybe this was just the right time for us. And it took a stupid broken radiator for us to figure ourselves out.”
Chris smiled and stepped up to him, cupping his face gently, and pressed their lips together. He held Zach close to him to whisper directly into his ear. Zach mouthed the words back against the corner of his goofy grin and rubbed his thumb over Chris’ bottom lip. It felt surreal to be standing in the doorway of Zach’s apartment and confessing such things to each other.
Chris gave him an exaggerated pout when finally Zach said he had to go. He watched as Zach walked toward the stairs, throwing him another smile and a small wave over his shoulder. Five minutes of him fidgeting in the living room passed before he grabbed the spare keys off the counter and headed out into the cold afternoon.
“You have to keep your eyes closed, okay?” Chris pleaded.
“I promised, like, four times,” Zach said with his hands over his eyes as Chris fiddled with the keys to his apartment.
Chris had bounded up to him in the lobby after the show with wide and glassy eyes, the left corner of his mouth crooked up in a tiny smile. Not caring if anyone saw, he threw his arms around Zach buried his face in his neck to compose himself before he gushed about how wonderful Zach’s performance had been. On their way home, he nearly walked into a lamp post as he bounced with excitement about the surprise he had for Zach at his apartment.
Chris closed the front door, flipped all the locks, and spun Zach around so he was facing the door. Hurrying over to the coffee table, he took the plug and attached it to the extension cord that snaked behind the couch.
“Okay, you can look now.”
Zach’s hands dropped from his face and he turned around slowly. When his eyes fell on the two-foot tall Christmas tree adorned with little white lights and topped with a pair of white and crookedly cut-out angel wings taped behind a picture of John Cho, his mouth fell open in a look of complete wonder before he directed his gaze to Chris.
“Oh my god,” he breathed. Taking three huge steps, he wrapped Chris in a tight embrace and kissed him. “I’m, oh my god,” he said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.
Chris chuckled and patted his arm. “It’s a little pine tree. Go take a look,” he told Zach.
Taking off his coat and loosening his scarf, Zach sat on his couch and reached out to touch one of the green branches. Chris removed his coat and plopped down next to Zach.
“You printed these off my computer?” Zach asked, his fingers touching and tracing the circular photos of Noah, Harold, and himself with various family and friends, including Chris, that were hanging like ornaments from untwisted paperclips on the branches.
“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I looked through your photos folder. By the way, why is Harold evil looking in every picture you have of him?”
Zach shook his head. “He’s a cat. Chris, I can’t believe you did all this while I was gone.”
With a shrug, Chris placed his hand on Zach’s knee. “You seemed so disappointed when you were talking about being away from Joe and your pets for Christmas, and your mom being in Ireland this year,” he explained softly. “And, I’m so sorry, I wish I could stay another few days to spend Christmas with you, but I have to get back for a bunch of meetings I’ve been putting off...” He took a deep breath. “I thought maybe it would be nice to have something that made everyone feel not so far away.”
He watched as Zach studied each picture with a broad smile, laughing at some, cooing at the ones of Noah and Harold.
“What are these?” Zach picked up one of the many small blue envelopes that were arranged under the tree, each one slightly larger than a gift tag.
“Oh, those,” Chris laughed nervously. “Okay, don’t judge,” he warned.
Zach turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Chris licked his lip.
“I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas,” he blurted. “And I got kind of sad when I thought about how I have to leave tomorrow so I started writing in my notebook. Then I realized that I could leave what I’d written as notes, one thought for every day that you’ll be here until you come back to LA. And that could kind of be my gift to you.” He ducked his head and ran a hand over his face when he realized how sappy it sounded. “The cards are dated, so you have to read them in order.”
“You left me love notes,” Zach said slowly.
“They’re not-- okay, when I say it like that, it sort of sounds like, but they’re not--,” Chris licked at his lip again and sighed in defeat. “Yeah, okay. I left you a series of love notes and profane stick figure drawings.”
They sat on the couch staring at each other for a few seconds before Zach placed the envelope back under the tree and reached for the hand on his knee.
“You’re so seriously old-school romantic, Chris, it’s kind of amazing. Thank you for doing this.” He brought Chris’ hand to his lips and kissed it.
Chris placed his hand on Zach’s cheek and moved to straddle him on the couch. Turning his head to the side, Zach closed his eyes and kissed at the inside of Chris’ wrist, rubbing his nose at the tender skin there. Chris bent his head to kiss Zach’s cheek and ran his lips across the stubble on his jaw. Eager hands gripped Chris’ hips and wove their way underneath his shirt to trace circles on his back. When their lips finally met, Chris felt a warmth curl in his belly, like something inside him fluttered before melting and winding its way through his veins, making his head dizzy and his fingertips tremble.
Somehow Zach had maneuvered himself on top of Chris, pinning him to the couch cushions while his head was propped on the plush armrest. He watched with parted lips as Zach slid down his torso and settled himself between Chris’ knees to unbutton his fly and massage the hardness in his briefs. Shifting slightly, he let Zach tug his jeans and underwear down to his thighs to take him into his mouth, holding his hips down with his hands. Chris arched his back with a low moan when he felt the back of Zach’s throat along with a suctioning pressure around him. The rest of the living room faded away as Zach intermittently flattened his tongue against the underside and then flicked right around the tip, forcing Chris to bite his own lip to keep from crying out too loud.
“Zach, you have to stop,” he muttered with a firm push on Zach’s shoulder.
Zach sat back and rubbed his hipbones with his thumbs before going to the bedroom. Chris hastily pulled his t-shirt and cardigan and off and kicked his bottoms as Zach returned, placing some things on the coffee table. With a huge grin, Chris began to push Zach’s sweater up, freeing one arm at a time, then carefully pulling over his head. He dropped the sweater and began doing the same with the striped long-sleeve shirt Zach had been wearing underneath. There was something Chris found incredibly intimate about undressing Zach, like his body was some kind of secret that Chris could reveal as he slowly removed one article of clothing at a time.
Eventually, Zach’s impatience won out and after a weak attempt at prepping, he had Chris on his back again, whimpering and cursing as Zach sank onto him. Chris reached his hands up and pressed his palms to Zach’s chest, noticing the contrast of the dark hair against the pale skin. His hands traveled up and rubbed along Zach’s neck before they touched the smooth skin of his shoulders. He let them follow Zach’s long arms down to his wrists on either side of Chris’ head.
“You’re memorizing me,” Zach whispered, knees and thighs against Chris’ sides as he gently rocked on his hips, barely pulling out an inch before sinking back down.
Chris nodded and returned his hands to the center of Zach’s chest, feeling the rapid drumming of his heart. Tipping his head forward, Zach leaned toward Chris and began moving with a fast determination. Chris grabbed at Zach’s shoulders, his arms, before he settled his hands on his narrow waist. They were both gasping and uttering moans when Zach took the hand that was resting on his hip and moved it between them. Chris nodded again and their fists worked together, stroking and squeezing Zach, while Chris placed a foot on the floor to give him the leverage to thrust up into him.
Zach stilled above him and Chris watched as his mouth fell open right as he clenched around him, pushing Chris closer to the edge. When the spots of dampness spilled over their hands and across his abdomen and chest, Chris felt himself fall and float away, pulsing inside Zach, who was still shuddering through his own orgasm.
Minutes later, they were cuddled in Zach’s bed, kissing slowly and kicking playfully at each other’s feet. In the middle of the night, Chris woke to find that Zach had half rolled on top of him, an arm thrown across his chest and a hand curled possessively around his shoulder. Sleeping alone after this is going to suck, Chris decided.
Saying goodbye was a sad and drawn out process, with both of them wanting to have one last touch or kiss, until Chris suggested that they christen every room of his new house once Zach was back. Lust flared briefly in Zach’s eyes and Chris shook his head in amusement and forced himself to leave in order to make his flight. He had glanced up as he stood on the sidewalk hailing a cab and saw Zach watching him from his window, his form almost imperceptible in the waning light of dusk. Zach had pressed his fingertips to his lips before laying his hand flat against the glass and Chris had smiled bravely despite the sting of tears behind his eyes.
With a sigh, Chris walked away from the ticketing kiosk and stopped by a row of empty seats to put his boarding pass into the front pocket of his messenger bag. He remembered then that he forgot to return Zach’s mittens. Wrestling them from his coat pockets, he noticed that one of the mittens crunched. His brow furrowed as he stuck him hand inside and pulled out a neatly folded wad of Christmas paper. He unfolded it to reveal Zach’s distinct handwriting and a key that tumbled into his lap.
Dear Chris,
I wasn’t sure what to buy you for Christmas either. I can’t think of a gift or anything else that could adequately express what the last few days have meant to me.
This is the key to my house in Silverlake. It’s symbolic of something and I trust that you will keep it close.
Also, this means you have to pick me up from the airport cause it’s the only house key I brought with me.
I’m missing you terribly already.
Yours, Zach
Chris laughed to himself and shook his head. Apparently, Zach’s disregard for proper capitalization only manifested when he was near a keyboard. He laced Zach’s house key onto the metal ring that held his own keys and placed them back into the pocket of his jeans. Carefully, he folded up the note and tucked it into his wallet just as his phone buzzed. Fishing it out from his other pocket, he saw that his publicist had texted him.
Weren’t you supposed to be back two days ago?
Three paparazzi photos of him and Zach were attached. The powdery snow on their coats and jeans gave away that these were taken yesterday morning during their walk back from Central Park. In the first two, they were laughing with their heads turned toward each other as they walked. He couldn’t remember exactly what they had been talking about, but he found himself grinning at how happy they looked.
Chris scrolled down and snorted when he saw the last photo. They were still walking, but the mischief was clear on Zach’s face as his arm extended behind Chris’ lower half (‘just dusting off some snow, oops, I didn’t mean to squeeze,’ Zach had told him). Chris wore an expression of surprise, his own hand trying to shove Zach’s shoulder away.
As much as Chris despised it when these types of photos were taken of him, he couldn’t stop staring at them with a lopsided smirk. He checked the time and sent off a quick text to his publicist.
Something unexpected came up so I took a spontaneous detour.
He blushed at the memories from the last few days, going through his mental catalog of all the ways Zach looked at him and touched him when they were alone, and with his face pink and warm, he gathered up his things to head to the gate. February couldn’t arrive soon enough.
Word Count: 7120
Pairing: Pinto
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Chris and Zach continue their stay at the cottage and end up in NYC.
Warnings: RPS. Fluff (I mean it, enough to make your teeth rot). A jacuzzi, a fireplace, and whispers of sweet nothings.
Disclaimer: None of this is true.
A/N: This is the second part of Warm, which I wrote as a loose fill for this prompt for the Holiday Prompt Fest at pinto_fic. I hadn't planned on writing more originally, but something happened...
“It’s like, not even five in the afternoon and you want to take a bath? We could save it for later. You know, after dinner,” Chris suggested.
He looked over his shoulder at Zach, who had his arms crossed and was visibly pouting.
Their day had gotten off to a late start. The two of them were reluctant to get out of bed after some slow, lazy sex under the morning sunlight that poured in from the window. Just after eleven, Chris decided that he had to at least call the managing office about the heat and dragged himself out of bed, smiling at the way Zach was laying on his side appreciating his naked form.
They had returned from their coffee and grocery store run to a warm house and a note profusely apologizing for the inconvenience with an offer for another complimentary stay at any of the other nearby properties owned by the company.
“I have other plans for us after dinner,” Zach explained impatiently.
Zach stepped close to him and unexpectedly tipped his hips forward into Chris’ backside making Chris drop the utensils into the soapy dishwater. His fingers attempted to search through the suds when Zach’s hands wormed their way into the front pockets of his jeans, tracing the outline of Chris’ growing erection while his body pressed into him from behind. A warm set of lips rested on the back of his neck.
“The dishes can wait,” Zach insisted and nibbled on the tender skin behind his ear.
“But there’s just a couple more--”
A metal bowl fell into the sink with a clatter as Zach thrust his hips again, pinning Chris and the hard swell in his pants against the counter for a moment. Chris’s knees buckled and he twisted in Zach’s arms.
“Okay, now is a good time,” Chris agreed quickly.
Chris almost wanted to laugh at the gleeful expression on Zach’s face as he hurried Chris up the stairs ahead of him, drumming on his behind with each step. The door to the bathroom was half-closed, but even from the hallway Chris could see the glow and flicker of candlelight. He nudged the door open all the way and was greeted by little white candles scattered around the bathroom, on the counter, and by the enormous tub where the water jets hummed softly. The orange flames seemed to wave at Chris’ upon his arrival.
“Where did you find candles?” He turned to face Zach.
Zach shrugged vaguely and removed Chris’ black-framed glasses from his face. He smiled at Chris and placed the glasses next to the sink before his fingers began unbuttoning Chris’ jeans. Chris’ own hands were busy trying to untangle his cardigan and t-shirt from his arms.
Zach’s fingers plucked at his waistband, snapping it against his skin, and Chris swiftly bent sideways slightly to lose his jeans and briefs in one motion. In the meantime, Zach had pulled off his three layers of sweaters and striped shirts and had begun peeling his own tight jeans from his long, slender legs. Chris laughed as Zach hopped around on one foot, tugging at the denim. Stepping forward, Chris caught him as an arm flailed out for balance.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Chris said affectionately, kissing Zach’s neck and shoulders.
He felt Zach’s hands on his back, scratching lightly. Chris pushed up against Zach’s so that their bodies were flush and their erections rubbed together. His hands smoothed over Zach’s pale skin and chest hair as he sank to his knees in front of him. Chris watched as Zach’s hard length twitched in anticipation, just an inch from his lips, and grinned when Zach gasped at the feel of Chris’ breath on him. Blinking up at Zach, Chris tasted him with a small lick at the tip. It was making him even harder to see Zach’s half-lidded eyes and slackened mouth.
“God, Chris,” Zach breathed, his hands threading through Chris’ hair.
A memory of the night before flashed in his head and Chris pressed his nose and his lips along the length of the swollen flesh, teasingly rubbed his face on it, and was rewarded with a low and throaty moan. With a long lick, Chris traced up the underside and flicked his tongue at the swollen tip again before taking in as much as he could, his pink lips stretched around Zach and his hand twisting at the base. Under the hand that rested on Zach’s hip, Chris could feel the tension and restraint Zach was exerting to not plunge himself into Chris’ mouth. He soothingly traced the jutted hipbone with his thumb as he lapped and sucked to the sound of Zach’s encouragement until there was a gentle prod at this shoulder. Pulling off him, Chris let Zach help him onto his feet and guide him toward the tub. A yellow rubber ducky bobbed cheerfully on top of the tiny ripples at the far end.
“The water’s going to cool soon,” Zach said.
Chris dipped a toe in and drew it back quickly. “Uhh, doubtful. The water’s hot enough to melt my nuts.”
“I’m going to melt your nuts when I get my hands on you, now get in,” Zach rasped in his ear. Chris laughed and started to climb inside.
The water was warm around his legs, extremely warm, and Chris hesitated before taking a deep breath and dropping himself in to sit at the bottom. The water came up almost to his nipples and he relaxed further, slipping lower and letting the waves from the jet next to him bounce off his thigh. Zach sank into the tub on his knees across from him, straddling his legs and placing his hands on Chris’ waist.
A splash of water hit his face as Zach leaned forward and dipped his shoulders below the surface of the water. Chris grinned as Zach floated over to cup his face and kiss him. One of Zach’s hands cradled his head to lick and bite tenderly at Chris’ lips, while the other one stayed under the water to wrap around Chris. He slid his hand along Chris, squeezing lightly and rubbing his thumb over the tip, before his hand descended to cup Chris’ balls, rolling them in his fingers.
Throwing his head back with his eyes closed, Chris broke the kiss and his hands pulled Zach’s hips closer to his, trapping Zach’s wrist between their pelvises. When he opened his eyes, he saw Zach staring intensely at him before he felt Zach move his hand and grip them both at the same time. Chris’ mouth fell open at the feel of them being stroked together and couldn’t help as his hips bucked into Zach’s hand, rubbing himself along Zach. He watched as Zach thrust into his own hand, which was barely moving, the water around them splashing erratically with their increased movements, extinguishing a couple of the candles along the perimeter of the tub and sending the rubber ducky over the side.
Chris licked at his lips and panted, his fingers digging into Zach’s hips.
“Zach, I’m--”
“C’mon, Chris,” Zach whispered. “C’mon.”
With another squeeze, Chris sobbed and gasped for air as he came. Zach’s grip slowed and he felt Zach let go of him to finish himself off. Chris tried to keep his eyes open, knowing that Zach was close from his shallow breathing.
“Zach, please,” he begged. Suddenly, Zach was crying out and warmth hit Chris in the abdomen.
Still in his lap, Zach rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and kissed his neck. The sound of their panting died and the water on their skin cooled. Reluctantly, Zach sat up, smiling ruefully.
“I didn’t even get to put your ass up to the jets,” he lamented.
“Would I have liked that?” Chris replied with a worried expression.
“Oh, you would’ve loved it,” Zach said with a knowing grin.
An hour later, they were back in the kitchen and Zach was groping Chris from behind again as he stood at the stove tending to their dinner.
“It smells good,” Zach commented over his shoulder.
“It’s going to taste amazing.”
“Obviously,” Zach snorted. “I see bacon in there.”
“Yup, we need to fatten you back up,” Chris said, flipping a pork chop.
“Like you should talk.” Zach pressed a kiss to Chris’ shoulder and his hands moved under the front of his shirt to pat his stomach. “What happened to this?” Zach asked into the back of his neck. It was one of Zach’s favorite places on Chris, he’d realized.
“What do you mean?”
“Your tummy,” Zach clarified. His fingertips slid under Chris’ waistband.
“Hey!” Chris jumped and yelped with a grin as Zach sprang back and squealed with laughter.
He playfully lunged at Zach and hugged him around the waist from behind. Flirting with Zach had always come naturally and Chris found that he was enjoying the new freedom of being able to touch Zach however he wanted when they were alone without being conscientious of not crossing a certain line.
A pop from the pan reminded Chris of the dinner he was cooking and he let go of Zach to shuffle back to the stove.
Clearing his throat, Chris’ expression turned serious. “So, when did you first... you know...” he trailed off quietly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zach leaning on the counter and studying him with his arms crossed.
“A while ago.” Zach paused. “A couple years ago, maybe,” he confessed softly. Chris looked over and saw Zach tracing his finger along the side of a glass, his brow furrowed.
“Yeah,” Chris answered with a tiny smile and waited for Zach to meet his gaze before turning his attention back to the pork chops that were simmering in the pan. “Are we incredibly clueless or what?” Chris chuckled.
“We’re incredibly something, for sure,” Zach said, inching closer and hooking his finger in one of Chris’ belt loops.
“We’re just a huge cliché, aren’t we?” Chris said breathlessly as Zach kissed down his neck and fumbled with the ties on this pants. “Fucking in front of the fireplace?”
“You’re going to look delicious once I get your ass naked.”
In the time it took for Chris to change into pajamas, Zach had also changed and had hefted an armload of blankets and a pillow from the hall closet and spread everything out between the coffee table and the burning logs. Chris returned to the living room prepared to read quietly or play a board game, but stopped short when he saw Zach lying on his side in the middle of the floor of the dark room illuminated only by the bright flames. I guess this is what he meant by ‘ other plans’, Chris thought.
With Zach on top of him and still attached to his neck, Chris tried to slip his sweatpants off. He touched Zach’s arm and nudged him gently. “Get undressed.” Zach pulled back, his lips parted and swollen, and nodded.
As Zach turned to toss his clothes in the direction of the couch, Chris laughed and tackled him, pinning him to the blankets with his naked body and his arm. He kissed Zach’s nose and brushed his hair back. The flickering light cast a golden hue on Zach’s skin and Chris ran his fingertip from the dark eyebrows and down his cheek, feeling the stubble along his jaw. He rested his head on Zach’s shoulder and brushed his thumb across his lips. Zach pursed his lips and kissed his thumb before licking it and pulling it into his mouth, biting playfully at the tip.
“I’ll be right back,” Chris whispered and began to push himself up.
Zach made a small noise of protest and caught his wrist. He kissed the center of Chris’ palm. “Next to the pillow,” he said.
Squinting, Chris looked over and saw the lube and three condoms. Three? Really?
Zach let go of his wrist so Chris could fetch the items. When Chris kneeled back down next to Zach, he rubbed his hands over Zach’s chest. He sat on his heels and watched as his fingers disappeared among the dark hair.
“Can I, umm,” he started hesitantly. “Do you want to switch?” he asked quietly, his lips barely moving.
Sitting up to face him, Zach placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently. “Is that what you want?”
Chris’ hand moved up to curl around Zach’s neck as he nodded, his stomach fluttering again. He brought their foreheads together and it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. It was a mystery to him how Zach could so easily have this kind of effect on him.
“You sure?” Zach asked softly, cradling his face.
A small smile crept across his face and he leaned forward to kiss Zach, wrapping his hands around Zach’s wrists. He leaned back and pulled Zach with him, the two of them landing in a pile of limbs. With his eyes closed, he could feel the smile on Zach’s lips as he kissed and nipped at his jaw and over his shoulders and chest. His fingers tangled in Zach’s hair as he concentrated on the way Zach was touching him, his hands soft and tender. Each point of contact felt like his skin was on fire, like Zach was burning into him.
Zach smoothed his hands down his sides and sat up to roll Chris onto his stomach. Pillowing his head on his folded arms, Chris watched the flames lick upward and kick at the air as Zach kneeled next to him and continued reverently kissing and caressing the muscles in his back, licking at the birthmark that usually made him so self-conscious. He felt curious fingertips drawing invisible lines from freckle to freckle.
He couldn’t help the moan that escaped him when Zach reached that sensitive area on his lower back and again he felt Zach’s smile against his skin. The pounding in his chest was thrumming in his head now, as Zach began kneeding the soft muscle of his backside. He felt Zach’s breath on him right before a sharp and unexpected pain on his left ass cheek made him jerk. Shock colored his features as he twisted around to look at Zach.
“Did you just bite my ass?” he asked incredulously.
Zach was crouched over him, biting the inside of his lip and looking at Chris with an expression of sheepish satisfaction.
“It’s just so... round. Like an overripe peach or something.”
Sitting up, Chris covered his face and laughed. “Oh my god.” His shoulders shook and he wrapped his arms tightly around Zach. Minutes passed as they kissed slowly, mapping out one another’s mouths with their tongues.
“I’ve never bottomed before,” Chris whispered into his ear and he felt Zach freeze. The fingers that were tracing patterns on his back stilled. He kissed Zach again and licked at his own lip, noticing that he tasted like Zach. He reached for the lube before taking one of Zach’s hands and placing the plastic tube in it. He tried not to make analogies or think about the romantic symbolism of how he’d just placed his trust and about a dozen emotions he was afraid to verbalize into the palm of Zach’s hands; if he were to be heartbroken, he’d rather have Zach holding the shattered fragments of his dignity than anyone else.
“You have to stop me if it’s too much, okay?” Zach pleaded, uncapping the tube.
Chris gave him a coy smile and nodded before lying back and resting his head on the pillow. His eyes never left Zach’s as he felt the first finger enter him. The only other time he’d tried this was during what he thought was an experimental phase in college, and that had ended with him redressing awkwardly and abruptly leaving the guy’s dorm room after he had barely inserted his fingertip in Chris. There was no nervousness this time around, not with the tenderness in Zach’s face and the gentleness of the fingers in him while the other hand rubbed soothingly on his stomach. A rush of lust flooded his stomach and he moaned loudly as Zach probed him, carefully brushing along the small spot that made his toes curl and his eyes roll back.
“You doing okay?” Zach asked quietly and withdrew his fingers to wrestle open a condom.
“Yeah,” Chris replied. “Hurry, I’m so hard it fucking hurts,” he whined.
“Oh poor baby,” Zach mocked.
He bent over Chris with a smile and kissed his nose, his mouth, his hand, and his chest. Wrapping his hand around Chris, he gave him a few strokes and lifted his hips and thighs. Chris sucked in a deep breath as Zach pushed into him slowly. It felt a lot bigger than he thought it would. When Zach saw his hands fisted in the blankets, he stilled and rubbed his hands down his arms.
“Breathe, Chris. Tell me if you want to stop.”
“Keep going,” Chris whispered and pulled his knee as close to his chest as he could.
Zach began pushing in again, hovering over Chris and bracing himself on his arms. Chris gasped when he felt Zach’s hips flush against him and involuntarily clenched around him.
“Chris,” Zach gritted out.
“C’mon, I’m good to go. Let’s get to the ass pounding,” Chris goaded him.
Chris saw his eyes narrow before he pulled out a couple inches and sharply thrust back into him.
“Oww, fucking hell, Zach!” Chris yelled.
Strong fingers entwined with his and brought his hands up above his head. Zach’s hips rocked him gently as his face came into view.
“I can make this awesome or I can make the car ride back to the city tomorrow excruciatingly painful.” Zach’s voice was low. Chris felt a drop of moisture on his belly and realized that he was leaking on himself.
“Option A. Make it awesome,” Chris choked out.
A hand moved one of his legs to hook it around Zach’s waist and he felt Zach pumping in and out of him gingerly. He held onto Zach’s hip and soon he was moaning along with Zach’s little grunts. Zach tilted his hips up and suddenly bursts of something electric rippled up his spine, making his mouth fall open in a gasp. Chris threw his head back and let out a whine when he felt Zach jacking him quickly and running his thumb over the tip. Squeezing Zach’s side, he came with a surprised shout on his own chest.
“Fuck,” Zach groaned and Chris felt him speed up for a few seconds before pushing as far inside him as possible, the tremor of Zach’s orgasm vibrating deep within his belly.
Chris reached up and grabbed Zach by the shoulders to pull him down, crashing their lips together. They rolled onto their sides and held onto each other while the sounds of their ragged breathing filled the room.
Zach returned with more blankets and cocooned them together in front of the fire, their heads resting on the same pillow. He tucked himself behind Chris, his hand at his waist and his nose and lips against the base of his neck. Chris snuggled into the blankets and pulled Zach’s arms tighter around him.
“Chris?” Zach asked quietly.
“Hmm?”
“When do you go back to LA?”
Chris blinked. “My flight leaves tomorrow night.”
“Oh.”
The heat from the flames radiated warmly on Chris’ face. A log snapped and dissolved into a series of crackles.
“Stay with me? Just another day or two?” Chris didn’t so much hear the words as he felt them pressed into his skin.
Chris smiled as Zach’s toe traced the arch of his foot. “Okay, yeah.”
Something in his chest fluttered with giddiness and he didn’t fight to tamp it down this time. He gave Zach’s hand a small squeeze and closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of Zach wrapped around him and knowing with certainty that it wouldn’t be the last night they’d spend like this.
~*~
Against his better judgment, Chris turned his head slightly toward the commotion two rows back and a few seats over. The three young women quickly looked away, pretending they hadn’t been squealing about his presence just seconds ago. He knew he heard his name. Chris sat a bit lower in his seat and was about to flip through the program again when the lights dimmed and the third act began.
An hour later, the light came up and he found himself full of raw emotion, the thundering arrival of The Angel still rumbling through his chest and his mind. He waited until most of the people had filed out of the theater before he stood up and walked toward the side of the stage. Throwing a quick glance around, he walked backstage in search of Zach. Around the corner, a girl with a headset looked up and was about to stop him when her eyes widened. He gave her a polite smile and pointed down the hallway. She bit her lip and nodded.
“Second room on your right,” she called after him. He gave her a small salute and continued down the hall.
Poking his head in room, he saw Zach chatting with a castmate and tying the lace to his boot. He quietly slipped in and stood by the door, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Zach threw his backpack on and turned to leave when he spotted Chris. A huge grin stretched across his face and Chris couldn’t help but smile back as Zach walked over to him. Zach’s hands came up, almost touching Chris’ face, forgetful that there were other people around, and instead he blinked and tightened the scarf around Chris’ neck.
“You were amazing,” Chris whispered.
He watched as Zach’s blushed and shrugged. “I was alright.”
“Stop that. I’m so proud of you.” Chris poked him in the stomach for emphasis.
“Thanks. I’m glad you were able to see it,” Zach said softly.
“Me too.” Chris smiled and poked him again. “I’ve been spotted, though.”
Zach barked out a laugh. “Oh well, it was bound to happen.”
On their way out of the theater, a few people stopped Zach and asked for autographs. Chris was aware of the curious looks in his direction, but hung back and patiently watched as Zach graciously received compliments and posed for photos; this was Zach’s moment and Chris felt another swell of emotion rise in him.
After Zach signed the last Playbill, he grinned at Chris and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You wanna get something to eat?” he asked, gesturing toward the sidewalk with a tilt of his head.
“Yeah, I’m starving.”
Chris pulled Zach’s mittens out of his pockets and tugged them on his hands. They arrived back at Zach’s in the mid-afternoon and the first thing Zach did was dig out a pair of gloves from a trunk under his bed and shove his mittens into Chris’ coat pockets.
They walked halfway down the street before Zach hailed a cab.
“So, Part 2 tomorrow night?” Chris asked once Zach had slid into the backseat next to him.
“Yeah, I already asked them to set aside a ticket for you. I have Part 1 in the afternoon, though. You’ll be okay by yourself for a while?”
“I’ll manage,” Chris said with a yawn.
The drive back to the city was tiring. After a long winded phone call with the car rental company, it ended up being cheaper and less hassle for Chris to drop the car off at JFK that afternoon than extending his reservation for another two days. Zach had rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and they both had almost fallen asleep in the cab ride back from the airport. Now, after sitting through the first half of the seven-hour play, Chris was completely exhausted. He wasn’t sure how Zach was still awake having performed on stage for over three hours.
The restaurant was half empty when they walked in and Chris was thankful that their food arrived at their table within minutes of their order being placed. They ate in a comfortable silence and hopped back in yet another a cab to return to Zach’s place.
Shuffling into the apartment, Chris toed off his shoes, shrugged his coat off, and made a beeline for Zach’s bed, where he collapsed on his stomach with his eyes closed. He grunted when he felt Zach tugging off his socks and rolled onto his side to look down at him.
“Tired,” Chris mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“I know, me too,” Zach replied and patted Chris’ thigh. He walked over to his dresser and changed into a pair of striped pajama pants and a grey wife-beater before heading to the bathroom. Chris closed his eyes again, listening to the muffled sound of the water running. He drifted off momentarily. The few minutes that Zach was gone felt like they stretched on for hours until Zach padded back into the bedroom and sat next to him on the bed.
“Do you want to brush your teeth? Take out your contacts?”
Chris threw his arms up and wiggled his fingers. “Ugh, help me,” he whined.
“Such a baby,” Zach sighed and pulled on Chris’ arms until he sat up. He laughed as Chris passively resisted being hauled to his feet. “Bathroom. Go,” Zach instructed with a playful slap to Chris’ ass.
He stumbled to the small bathroom, flipped on the light, and paused in the doorway when he saw that Zach had unpacked his toiletries for him and lined them up on the tiny shelf above the toilet, next to some of Zach’s own bottles. His blue toothbrush stood opposite of Zach’s green one in a plastic cup behind the faucet, as if its presence was a necessary balance and prevented the cup from tipping over into the sink.
The way his belongings mixed with Zach’s looked too natural, mirroring their effortless transition from friends to whatever they were now, and that feeling of hope and anticipation fluttered in his chest again. Chris brushed his teeth and finished his nightly ritual quickly, smiling to himself the entire time.
When he returned to the bedroom, Zach was on his side already tucked into bed. Instead of rifling through his duffle for his sleepwear, he grinned and went over to the dresser, pulling out the same drawer Zach did earlier and hummed as he picked out flannel pants and a worn black t-shirt. Zach watched with an amused expression as Chris changed into his clothes. Chris pulled the comforter back and slipped into bed with a chuckle.
They were both on their sides, studying each others’ faces in the dark. Chris flipped onto his stomach and pressed his hand to Zach’s chest.
“If I ask you something, would you tell me the truth?” he asked.
“Of course.”
Chris’ fingertips scratched idly on Zach’s chest.
“Is it too soon for me to be farting in your bed?”
Even in the dark, Chris could see the absolute shock on Zach’s face.
“Oh my god.” A hand full of seconds passed before Zach started his high pitched giggling.
Chris began laughing too, which only made Zach wheeze harder. After they caught their breaths and their shoulders stopped shaking, Zach brushed his fingers through Chris’ hair.
“What am I going to do with you, Chris?” he breathed with a sigh and inched closer to him. “God, what am I going to do without you?”
A couple inches of snow had fallen overnight and Chris was vibrating with glee. After breakfast, they walked, and in some cases, leapt, through the park and Chris marveled at how peaceful everything looked while covered in a blanket of white. It wasn’t often that he got to see snow. Zach had grabbed him at one point and shoved him into a pristine and untouched patch among the fields, prompting a snowball fight that ended up with them rolling on top of each other in a manner that was bordering on being inappropriate for public display. They reluctantly got up and dusted off whatever snow they could and began walking back toward Zach’s apartment. Chris was doubtful that he really had as much snow on his ass as Zach had insisted, but he only mildly protested when Zach swiped at it occasionally during the walk home.
“Feel free to use my laptop if you need to,” Zach said as he wound his scarf around his neck. “I’ll call if it looks like I’ll be running late, but I should be able to meet you at the restaurant around 5:30.”
“Sounds good,” Chris replied, following him to the door. Zach pulled on his coat and opened the door to leave, but turned back at the last second and looked at Chris with an unreadable expression.
Tipping his head to the side, Chris gave him a little frown. “What’s up?”
Zach leaned his head on the door with his hand on the doorknob, chewing on his lower lip and blushing wildly.
“I’m happy this week happened.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the doorframe. “Even though we both, you know...” Zach gestured with his hand. “Maybe this was just the right time for us. And it took a stupid broken radiator for us to figure ourselves out.”
Chris smiled and stepped up to him, cupping his face gently, and pressed their lips together. He held Zach close to him to whisper directly into his ear. Zach mouthed the words back against the corner of his goofy grin and rubbed his thumb over Chris’ bottom lip. It felt surreal to be standing in the doorway of Zach’s apartment and confessing such things to each other.
Chris gave him an exaggerated pout when finally Zach said he had to go. He watched as Zach walked toward the stairs, throwing him another smile and a small wave over his shoulder. Five minutes of him fidgeting in the living room passed before he grabbed the spare keys off the counter and headed out into the cold afternoon.
“You have to keep your eyes closed, okay?” Chris pleaded.
“I promised, like, four times,” Zach said with his hands over his eyes as Chris fiddled with the keys to his apartment.
Chris had bounded up to him in the lobby after the show with wide and glassy eyes, the left corner of his mouth crooked up in a tiny smile. Not caring if anyone saw, he threw his arms around Zach buried his face in his neck to compose himself before he gushed about how wonderful Zach’s performance had been. On their way home, he nearly walked into a lamp post as he bounced with excitement about the surprise he had for Zach at his apartment.
Chris closed the front door, flipped all the locks, and spun Zach around so he was facing the door. Hurrying over to the coffee table, he took the plug and attached it to the extension cord that snaked behind the couch.
“Okay, you can look now.”
Zach’s hands dropped from his face and he turned around slowly. When his eyes fell on the two-foot tall Christmas tree adorned with little white lights and topped with a pair of white and crookedly cut-out angel wings taped behind a picture of John Cho, his mouth fell open in a look of complete wonder before he directed his gaze to Chris.
“Oh my god,” he breathed. Taking three huge steps, he wrapped Chris in a tight embrace and kissed him. “I’m, oh my god,” he said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.
Chris chuckled and patted his arm. “It’s a little pine tree. Go take a look,” he told Zach.
Taking off his coat and loosening his scarf, Zach sat on his couch and reached out to touch one of the green branches. Chris removed his coat and plopped down next to Zach.
“You printed these off my computer?” Zach asked, his fingers touching and tracing the circular photos of Noah, Harold, and himself with various family and friends, including Chris, that were hanging like ornaments from untwisted paperclips on the branches.
“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I looked through your photos folder. By the way, why is Harold evil looking in every picture you have of him?”
Zach shook his head. “He’s a cat. Chris, I can’t believe you did all this while I was gone.”
With a shrug, Chris placed his hand on Zach’s knee. “You seemed so disappointed when you were talking about being away from Joe and your pets for Christmas, and your mom being in Ireland this year,” he explained softly. “And, I’m so sorry, I wish I could stay another few days to spend Christmas with you, but I have to get back for a bunch of meetings I’ve been putting off...” He took a deep breath. “I thought maybe it would be nice to have something that made everyone feel not so far away.”
He watched as Zach studied each picture with a broad smile, laughing at some, cooing at the ones of Noah and Harold.
“What are these?” Zach picked up one of the many small blue envelopes that were arranged under the tree, each one slightly larger than a gift tag.
“Oh, those,” Chris laughed nervously. “Okay, don’t judge,” he warned.
Zach turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Chris licked his lip.
“I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas,” he blurted. “And I got kind of sad when I thought about how I have to leave tomorrow so I started writing in my notebook. Then I realized that I could leave what I’d written as notes, one thought for every day that you’ll be here until you come back to LA. And that could kind of be my gift to you.” He ducked his head and ran a hand over his face when he realized how sappy it sounded. “The cards are dated, so you have to read them in order.”
“You left me love notes,” Zach said slowly.
“They’re not-- okay, when I say it like that, it sort of sounds like, but they’re not--,” Chris licked at his lip again and sighed in defeat. “Yeah, okay. I left you a series of love notes and profane stick figure drawings.”
They sat on the couch staring at each other for a few seconds before Zach placed the envelope back under the tree and reached for the hand on his knee.
“You’re so seriously old-school romantic, Chris, it’s kind of amazing. Thank you for doing this.” He brought Chris’ hand to his lips and kissed it.
Chris placed his hand on Zach’s cheek and moved to straddle him on the couch. Turning his head to the side, Zach closed his eyes and kissed at the inside of Chris’ wrist, rubbing his nose at the tender skin there. Chris bent his head to kiss Zach’s cheek and ran his lips across the stubble on his jaw. Eager hands gripped Chris’ hips and wove their way underneath his shirt to trace circles on his back. When their lips finally met, Chris felt a warmth curl in his belly, like something inside him fluttered before melting and winding its way through his veins, making his head dizzy and his fingertips tremble.
Somehow Zach had maneuvered himself on top of Chris, pinning him to the couch cushions while his head was propped on the plush armrest. He watched with parted lips as Zach slid down his torso and settled himself between Chris’ knees to unbutton his fly and massage the hardness in his briefs. Shifting slightly, he let Zach tug his jeans and underwear down to his thighs to take him into his mouth, holding his hips down with his hands. Chris arched his back with a low moan when he felt the back of Zach’s throat along with a suctioning pressure around him. The rest of the living room faded away as Zach intermittently flattened his tongue against the underside and then flicked right around the tip, forcing Chris to bite his own lip to keep from crying out too loud.
“Zach, you have to stop,” he muttered with a firm push on Zach’s shoulder.
Zach sat back and rubbed his hipbones with his thumbs before going to the bedroom. Chris hastily pulled his t-shirt and cardigan and off and kicked his bottoms as Zach returned, placing some things on the coffee table. With a huge grin, Chris began to push Zach’s sweater up, freeing one arm at a time, then carefully pulling over his head. He dropped the sweater and began doing the same with the striped long-sleeve shirt Zach had been wearing underneath. There was something Chris found incredibly intimate about undressing Zach, like his body was some kind of secret that Chris could reveal as he slowly removed one article of clothing at a time.
Eventually, Zach’s impatience won out and after a weak attempt at prepping, he had Chris on his back again, whimpering and cursing as Zach sank onto him. Chris reached his hands up and pressed his palms to Zach’s chest, noticing the contrast of the dark hair against the pale skin. His hands traveled up and rubbed along Zach’s neck before they touched the smooth skin of his shoulders. He let them follow Zach’s long arms down to his wrists on either side of Chris’ head.
“You’re memorizing me,” Zach whispered, knees and thighs against Chris’ sides as he gently rocked on his hips, barely pulling out an inch before sinking back down.
Chris nodded and returned his hands to the center of Zach’s chest, feeling the rapid drumming of his heart. Tipping his head forward, Zach leaned toward Chris and began moving with a fast determination. Chris grabbed at Zach’s shoulders, his arms, before he settled his hands on his narrow waist. They were both gasping and uttering moans when Zach took the hand that was resting on his hip and moved it between them. Chris nodded again and their fists worked together, stroking and squeezing Zach, while Chris placed a foot on the floor to give him the leverage to thrust up into him.
Zach stilled above him and Chris watched as his mouth fell open right as he clenched around him, pushing Chris closer to the edge. When the spots of dampness spilled over their hands and across his abdomen and chest, Chris felt himself fall and float away, pulsing inside Zach, who was still shuddering through his own orgasm.
Minutes later, they were cuddled in Zach’s bed, kissing slowly and kicking playfully at each other’s feet. In the middle of the night, Chris woke to find that Zach had half rolled on top of him, an arm thrown across his chest and a hand curled possessively around his shoulder. Sleeping alone after this is going to suck, Chris decided.
Saying goodbye was a sad and drawn out process, with both of them wanting to have one last touch or kiss, until Chris suggested that they christen every room of his new house once Zach was back. Lust flared briefly in Zach’s eyes and Chris shook his head in amusement and forced himself to leave in order to make his flight. He had glanced up as he stood on the sidewalk hailing a cab and saw Zach watching him from his window, his form almost imperceptible in the waning light of dusk. Zach had pressed his fingertips to his lips before laying his hand flat against the glass and Chris had smiled bravely despite the sting of tears behind his eyes.
With a sigh, Chris walked away from the ticketing kiosk and stopped by a row of empty seats to put his boarding pass into the front pocket of his messenger bag. He remembered then that he forgot to return Zach’s mittens. Wrestling them from his coat pockets, he noticed that one of the mittens crunched. His brow furrowed as he stuck him hand inside and pulled out a neatly folded wad of Christmas paper. He unfolded it to reveal Zach’s distinct handwriting and a key that tumbled into his lap.
Dear Chris,
I wasn’t sure what to buy you for Christmas either. I can’t think of a gift or anything else that could adequately express what the last few days have meant to me.
This is the key to my house in Silverlake. It’s symbolic of something and I trust that you will keep it close.
Also, this means you have to pick me up from the airport cause it’s the only house key I brought with me.
I’m missing you terribly already.
Yours, Zach
Chris laughed to himself and shook his head. Apparently, Zach’s disregard for proper capitalization only manifested when he was near a keyboard. He laced Zach’s house key onto the metal ring that held his own keys and placed them back into the pocket of his jeans. Carefully, he folded up the note and tucked it into his wallet just as his phone buzzed. Fishing it out from his other pocket, he saw that his publicist had texted him.
Weren’t you supposed to be back two days ago?
Three paparazzi photos of him and Zach were attached. The powdery snow on their coats and jeans gave away that these were taken yesterday morning during their walk back from Central Park. In the first two, they were laughing with their heads turned toward each other as they walked. He couldn’t remember exactly what they had been talking about, but he found himself grinning at how happy they looked.
Chris scrolled down and snorted when he saw the last photo. They were still walking, but the mischief was clear on Zach’s face as his arm extended behind Chris’ lower half (‘just dusting off some snow, oops, I didn’t mean to squeeze,’ Zach had told him). Chris wore an expression of surprise, his own hand trying to shove Zach’s shoulder away.
As much as Chris despised it when these types of photos were taken of him, he couldn’t stop staring at them with a lopsided smirk. He checked the time and sent off a quick text to his publicist.
Something unexpected came up so I took a spontaneous detour.
He blushed at the memories from the last few days, going through his mental catalog of all the ways Zach looked at him and touched him when they were alone, and with his face pink and warm, he gathered up his things to head to the gate. February couldn’t arrive soon enough.