Sweaters & Cigarettes (34 page)

Max isn't exactly shy with letting
Theo know just
how
he misses him, either. Apart from the affectionate
stuff, there are one or two texts detailing how Max has thought about Theo
while in the shower, apparently causing him to come twice in twenty minutes,
and picturing that is more than Theo can deal with, to be honest.

Ever since Theo met Max, and ever
since they started getting (very) physical, Theo has found himself
inappropriately aroused, far too often. And now especially, with Max gone and
Theo only being allowed fantasies about him, it's even worse. That started
after that night, though, he remembers, the one at the motel. Theo simply can't
get it out of his mind.

He wants to do it again. He wants
to have sex with Max again, over and over―anything more than a handjob
would do, at this point, and as he takes a late night shower, two days before
Max's return, he can't stop thinking about it.

He can't stop thinking about Max's
lips against his own, hands smoothing over his body. Skin slick with sweat, the
feeling of Max's hot mouth swallowing him down, that pierced tongue driving him
crazy. Feeling Max move inside him, thrusting and panting, groaning deeply
against Theo's ear, making Theo squirm and moan with pleasure. He even thinks
about going down on Max; he hasn't gotten the chance to do that again, after
that time in the shower. He's somehow surprised to find that he really wants to
do it again. He
really
wants to.

Coming in the shower, while
muffling his own moans, picturing every possible scenario involving Max, isn't
nearly as good as the real thing, but it's good enough. It'll have to be, Theo
thinks, if he's going to survive another two days.

♦

When the day before New Year's Eve finally arrives,
Theo is so glad to see Max that he feels like he wants to rip his clothes off, right
then and there. That is, he would, if his parents weren't present, and Riley
wasn't studying at the kitchen table, as Max comes over to their house.

Max can't stay long, though; he
needs to help out his parents with some stuff, and he just came over for a
little while, simply because he wanted to see Theo. Theo is indescribably happy
to see him, and despite (or perhaps,
because
of) the frankly unbearable
frustration they both seem to feel at seeing each other, they don't retreat to
Theo's room. Neither of them says it, but Theo is pretty sure that Max knows as
well as he does, that if they were to be alone together right now, they
wouldn't be able to stop themselves.

So, to play it safe, they hang out
in the living room, and before Max leaves, they double-check their plans for
New Year's Eve.

Michael has invited them both to a
New Year's party at some other guy's house, where pretty much everyone is going
to be, apparently. Cassie is invited, too, and Theo can't help but think that
it's a nice gesture, especially since he and Michael don't hang out, anymore.

Riley is spending New Year's with
his friends (including Ellie, Max teasingly points out), and Eric and Amy are
going to a party across town. Theo realizes that this is probably the first
time he's actually looking forward to New Year's Eve; last year, he spent it at
some party with Hannah and Michael, and he left early. All the years before
that, he didn't really do much, at all. So this should be a nice change.

Before Max leaves, he pulls Theo
into a deep, slow kiss, as they stand in the hall. Both Theo's parents, and his
little brother, are well out of earshot, but Max still makes sure they're not
around, before leaning in by Theo's ear.

"Good thing we weren't
alone," he whispers. "Or I swear, I would've slammed you up against
the wall and given you the best blowjob of your life."

Theo involuntarily lets out a
small, frustrated moan, barely audible, but Max clearly notices the way he
grits his teeth and grips Max's coat tightly.

"Stop it," Theo growls,
and Max gives him a small, mischievous smile.

"Or, you'll what?" he
says, his voice just above a whisper, and he nips at Theo's bottom lip gently,
with his teeth, making Theo suck in a sharp breath. "Just giving you
something to think about, later. God knows, it's what I'll be thinking
about."

He pulls away slightly, and Theo
looks at him, certain that Max can see just how unbearably turned-on he is,
right now. Max quirks a small smile, blue eyes burning.

"See you tomorrow," he
says, and they share one last, searing kiss, before Max walks out the front
door.

That night, Theo's mind is filled with the images Max
has just put there, and he must admit, the effects of it put every other orgasm
he's had that week to shame.

Chapter 22

Midnight

It's not like Theo hasn't been to a party, before. He
has, more than once, even though he generally doesn't like it much.

This time, though, it's a tad
different.

Max and Theo meet up with Cassie,
and they go to the New Year's Eve party together. When they get there, the
party seems to be in full swing, and the music and shouting can be heard from
the street, making Theo feel a little bit apprehensive. Cassie shares his
reservations, but Max coerces them inside, and they end up having a pretty good
time.

Michael is there, and Theo is
grateful that they can still be friends, and on good terms. Hannah is there,
too, and while she still seems rather apprehensive about Max, and Theo's
relationship with him, she's much kinder about it than Theo expected her to be.
She even says hello to Cassie, who is visibly surprised, seeing as how she and
Hannah aren't exactly best friends anymore, like they used to be. Theo wonders
if Michael has talked to Hannah about the whole thing, or if she has simply
warmed up to it, but either way, he's glad.

There's alcohol at the party, lots
of it, and although Theo has been drunk before, he finds himself feeling a
little bit out of place. It's nothing compared to Max, though, as he moves
through the crowd; people blatantly stare at him, with a mix of suspicion and
recognition, but as usual, Max doesn't seem to care. He's as comfortable as
ever (which he tends to especially be, when making others uncomfortable), and
soon enough, he oddly blends right in. He's not one to waste time on people who
don't like him, anyway, and he mostly hangs out with Theo and Cassie, instead.

It ends up being a rather fun
night, and later during the party, Theo is pleased to see Cassie talking to
some brunette, clearly flirting, and apparently getting somewhere with it.
She's twirling her red hair around her finger, the other girl giggling and
smiling, gradually moving in closer and closer, and Theo nudges Max, nodding in
Cassie's direction. Max makes a face, looking very impressed.

"Nice," he says, taking a
drink of his beer. "Respect."

They don't see much of Cassie,
after that, and Theo finds himself drinking more than he expected. Max does,
too, and more than once, he simply grabs a hold of Theo and pulls him into a
corner, practically shoving his tongue down his throat. Not that Theo exactly
minds, but he can't help but feel that it's a bit too public for him to be
entirely comfortable, despite the very intoxicated state everyone is in.

It doesn't make Max's persuasion
any easier to resist, though. The moment Theo feels those hands on him, those
lips against his own, he can feel himself melt and become pliant against Max's
body, leaving him breathless, and pretty much moments away from ripping Max's
clothes off, right there. It's not a feeling Theo is used to, not in a place
and time like this, but he likes it. It feels drunk and urgent and eager, and
he has to force himself to pull away, more than once. He can even feel himself
getting hard, and that's as far as he's willing to go, at this point; his
self-control is precarious, at best, and there are people everywhere.

It's later on that Max seems to
decide something needs to be done, and he simply grabs Theo's wrist and drags
him up the stairs. They're both pretty drunk, at this point, and apart from the
slight disorientation, all Theo can really focus his attention on right now, is
how hot Max's ass looks in those jeans.

There aren't quite as many people
on the second floor, and Max tries a random door, which appears to be locked.
When he tries a second one, though, it opens, and he pulls Theo with him
inside. It's only when the light has been turned on and the door has been
locked behind them, that Theo realizes that they're in a bathroom.

Not that Theo even manages to
mention this, before Max grabs onto him, fierce, slightly dazed determination
in those dark blue eyes.

Theo actually gasps when Max kisses
him. Not because he's doing it, but because of
how
, as he actually grabs
onto Theo's sweater and promptly steers him backwards, until Theo feels the
wall pressed up against his back. He barely even has a chance to react, and
when Max pulls away, Theo just stares at him, eyes wide.

"What?" he says,
breathlessly, and Max tilts his head.

"What?" he mirrors
innocently, and Theo blinks at him.

"What are you doing?" he
asks, while Max eyes him up and down. One hand is deliberately moving downward
now, down toward Theo's crotch.

"I have no idea what you're
talking about," Max murmurs, and looks up again at Theo, as he presses with
his hand against the bulge in Theo's pants. And Theo exhales sharply.

"Really?" he says,
startled and suddenly very turned-on, all at the same time. "Here? Right
now?"

Max quirks a small smile at his
outraged tone.

"Yeah," he says, his
smile simply predatory. "Why not?"

"Because we're in someone
else's bathroom, for one," Theo replies, his voice lowered to almost a
whisper, slightly husky, slightly less inhibited than usual. "It's not
exactly appropriate."

Max utters a low groan that sounds
more like a growl.

"You know what's not
appropriate?" he asks, voice low, as he moves his mouth closer to Theo's.
"This, right here."

He grabs Theo's crotch pointedly,
and Theo stifles a pleased groan.

"Max," he says.
"Really not a good time."

"Really?" Max says, cocking
his eyebrows. "You're the one who's had a boner for the past half-hour, or
so."

He kisses Theo softly, and Theo
widens his eyes in surprise and slight panic at Max's information. It's not
like he hasn't been aware of said boner, but still; the thought of everyone
else noticing makes him feel positively mortified.

Max smiles mischievously at his
discomfort.

"Relax," he says.
"It didn't show, or anything."

He moves one hand up to gently grip
Theo's chin with his fingers, while smiling at him wickedly.

"I just know your
expressions," he says, still smiling. "It's written all over
you."

Theo swallows hard, trying not to
think about how
hot
this whole situation is. It wasn't exactly planned,
and although he has indeed been much more keyed up around Max, lately (and when
he's alone, just
thinking
about Max), he didn't actually expect to be
able to do anything about it, right now. And if nothing else, they're not
alone. For the first time while doing this, they're not alone in the house,
they're even at someone
else's
house, and it makes Theo feel so much
more tense.

Max watches his expressions,
watches Theo squirm slightly against him, Max's hand slowly massaging him
through his jeans. It makes Theo close his eyes for a moment, before opening
them again and looking straight into that intense, dark blue. Max looks amused,
somehow, hungry and intrigued. There's a slightly dazed, drunken look to those
eyes as well, mirroring Theo's own, and it's enough to make Theo even harder.
Max smiles slyly at him.

"Look at you," he
murmurs. "Pinned against the wall, people right outside the door, and a
hot guy feeling you up."

He chuckles. There's something dark
about it, something that makes Theo's heart race.

"Yeah," Theo says, a bit
breathlessly, to his own surprise. "Probably not the best idea."

"Oh, but I think it's a great
idea," Max says, moving both hands down to slowly undo the fly of Theo's
jeans, blue eyes on Theo's the whole time. "You need it."

Theo doesn't stop him. He's
honestly shocked at himself for not stopping him, because the timing of this
whole situation is just weirdly
wrong
, and completely out of place. But
it just feels so
good
, and Max's hands feel so good, as they tug at his
jeans the slightest bit, just enough for Max to slip one hand underneath them and
massage Theo, with nothing but a thin barrier of cotton in between.

Theo involuntarily moans, but then
snaps his mouth shut. He can't do this, can't make a sound. Not when they're at
someone else's house, and there are several people right outside. Anyone could
come in, for god's sake, it doesn't even matter that the bathroom door is
locked. And it doesn't matter that Max touching him right now is the hottest
thing, ever.

"See?" Max nearly
whispers, leaning in so that his lips are just by Theo's ear. "You're so
tense."

He plants a soft kiss by Theo's
jaw.

"Fuck, I missed you."

Theo actually closes his eyes,
then, trying not to breathe too heavily. The walls aren't exactly paper-thin,
and the music is so loud he can feel its vibrations, but still. He has never
had to be quiet with Max, before, so he's making a point of not really doing
anything, at all, just in case.

"Really not a good time,
Max," he breathes, his voice-control already compromised, head slightly
dazed from the alcohol, but Max just plants a soft kiss against his throat.

"I'll make it quick, I
swear," he murmurs. "I know all your sweet spots, remember?"

As if to enforce this, Max slowly
slips his hand underneath Theo's boxers and wraps his fingers around him, and Theo
has to grit his teeth to keep himself from groaning loudly.

"I'll make you come, in no
time," Max says, a small, amused smile in his voice. "Promise."

He starts moving his hand, then,
stroking slowly, and Theo tilts his head back, leaning it against the wall,
parting his lips in a low, weak moan.

"That's it," Max murmurs
in his ear. "Let me take care of you."

Theo swallows hard, keeps his eyes
closed. What the hell is happening? What the hell is Max doing, and why the
hell
is this so hot and making Theo feel so turned-on that he can't even see
straight? It's ridiculous. And it feels so damn
good.

Max starts kissing his neck,
slowly, and Theo moans quietly. If they were alone, he would be moaning much
louder right now, especially as Max starts stroking him faster, while planting
slow, searing kisses against his skin. And when Max moves his other hand down
to Theo's ass, and slips his hand underneath his underwear, touching his bare
skin, Theo actually groans in pleased surprise, making Max pull away a little
bit. Theo opens his eyes.

"We're gonna have to do this
quietly," Max says, looking at Theo pointedly, blue eyes slightly
unfocused, and Theo notices how he's stopped stroking him. "Alright?"

Theo just looks at him, swallows
hard. His entire body is buzzing, desperate for Max's touch, for him to
continue what he's started.

"Don't stop," Theo hears
himself murmur, and he swears he can see a glint of hungry arousal in those
dark blue eyes.

"I won't," Max says.
"But you need to be quiet. Can you do that?"

Theo knows that Max is just teasing
him, that he's savoring every moment of making Theo pant and come undone, like
this, and that he couldn't really care less if anyone hears them. And on some
level, it annoys Theo. But right now, all he wants is for Max to keep going,
his hands completely and annoyingly still against his skin.

Theo nods, and Max gives him a
small nod, in return.

"Good," Max says, and he
keeps his eyes on Theo, as he slowly starts stroking again. And Theo bites back
a deep moan of pleasure, Max keeping his eyes on him, as he grabs his ass,
pressing him a bit closer, one hand stroking him faster and faster.

Theo closes his eyes again, tilting
his head back, breathing steadily to keep all those euphoric sounds suppressed,
while he places his hands on Max's hips. His fingers slowly dig into that black
shirt, lips parting as Max's pierced tongue pushes into his mouth, and soon,
everything starts spinning. Theo isn't quite sure if it's the alcohol, or the
excitement, or just the sensation of having Max touching him like this, when
they could easily be interrupted any minute, but it's simply
fantastic,
and
he never wants it to stop.

In a matter of seconds, Theo is
losing his mind, digging his fingers into Max's black, messy hair, his other
hand firmly placed against his hip, gripping so tightly that it just might
leave bruises, but Max doesn't seem to care. Instead, he just keeps going,
keeps touching and stroking, moaning into Theo's mouth, and suddenly,
everything just stops. Suddenly, everything is just suspended in one wonderful
second, as Theo feels that blissful release, and he has to actually cling to
Max to keep himself from falling over.

He's only vaguely aware of Max
pulling away, and he slowly opens his eyes to look down. It seems that Max,
while Theo was too blissed-out to notice, grabbed a washcloth lying nearby, to
make sure that they didn't make a mess anywhere, and Theo watches as Max
glances at it apprehensively.

"Not sure I thought this
through," Max murmurs, sounding intoxicated. "I was gonna make it
last longer, go down on you and stuff... Guess we got a bit overeager."