Paladin - Jericho's Boys - ch. 15 & 16 (Patreon)

Here you go. Two insanely long and (finger's crossed) hot unedited and unbeta'd chapters. Be kind.

Arsen

Arsen knew that whenever there was a crisis of this magnitude, Jericho had no choice but to call in reinforcements. Reinforcements like his in-laws, the Mulvaneys. He knew Jericho would bring Atticus. He’d also known the drama of Arsen stabbing someone in the shop would bring Felix and his husband, Avi. He hadn’t expected to get Avi’s twin brother, Asa or his husband, Zane.

Arsen was just grateful the whole Mulvaney clan hadn’t shown up. Ever wasn’t quite ready for that level of chaos. Ever sat on the counter, legs crossed, bottom lip trapped beneath bunny teeth, watching Asa and Avi with interest and maybe a little trepidation. The two weren’t incredibly tall, but they were broad and muscular, and so identical they could be bookends. Mirror twins, opposite in every way.

Nico and Levi hovered close to Ever, like self-appointed bodyguards, placing a physical barrier between Ever and the corpse on the ground. Knowing his friends wanted to protect Ever made his heart trip a little. He was lucky to have all of these people in his life. Ever slipped his headphones onto his ears, but there was no music playing in them. It was just one more barrier between him and the world.

Avi ran a hand through his deep brown hair, then crossed tattooed arms over his chest, whistling low. “A screwdriver to the brainstem. Gnarly.”

“Mm,” Asa agreed. “I didn’t think you had it in you, firestarter.”

Arsen rolled his eyes at the nickname. No matter how many times he told them Arsen was short for Arseny and not a nickname given for a felony, they ignored him. He’d just stopped trying. “He was going to…hurt…Ever.”

Arsen tamped down the bile trying to claw its way up his esophagus. What would have happened if he hadn’t gotten there in time? Gruesome images flooded his brain, but he pushed them away even as his pulse thudded hard in his ears. He never should have left him alone. Even for a minute.

“Hey,” Avi said, dragging him from his thoughts. “We get it. I’d kill anyone who even looked at Felix sideways.” When Felix didn’t react Avi nudged him. “Hey, I’m being romantic here.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Two days ago you threatened to rip a guy’s heart out because he forgot your queso. Forgive me if I’m not swooning.” Almost as an afterthought, he said, “Besides, I can take care of myself.”

It was true. Felix might look like a pampered trophy wife, but he had claws. Literally. Silver tipped claws gifted to him from his husband, claws that Arsen had witnessed him use firsthand to geld a pedophile. If Arsen had to put money on who would win in a fight between Avi and Felix, he’d back Felix every time. And not just because Avi was obsessed with him.

Zane however, wasn’t a fighter. He was all brain, no brawn. He was a reporter and a true crime writer, which came in handy when the people closest to you were largely responsible for the exceedingly high number of unsolved murder cases in the city.

Zane crowded closer to Felix, who absently lifted his hand to Zane’s springy dark curls, fingers winding through them without thought, like he was petting him. Felix and Zane were…close. Arsen pretended it was just because they all lived together, and did his best not to ponder how close the four of them truly were.

“What did he want?” Zane asked.

Arsen spit on the body. “He was warning Ever to keep his mouth shut about his and Jennika’s ‘arrangement’.”

“She had a partner?” Felix murmured.

“And a boss,” Ever said quietly, flushing when they all looked at him.

“A boss?” Jericho asked. “What do you mean?”

Ever wrapped his arms around himself and Nico and Levi stepped closer, instinctively. “He said his boss could think of a lot of things to do with someone like me. He didn’t specify what, but—” Ever shuddered— “I can guess.”

Atticus’s lip curled in disgust. “We all can.”

“So they’re running a human trafficking ring,” Asa said.

“In my fucking neighborhood,” Jericho muttered. “That shit pisses me off.”

“He’s a Jamesville cop,” Nico said.

“It’s not our territory,” Levi reminded him. “Besides, we usually wait until someone asks us to get involved.”

“If we didn’t, we’d never stop working,” Nico said.

Jericho shook his head, his mouth a grim line. “Jennika lived in our neighborhood. Ever lived in our neighborhood. He was ours to look after.”

Asa sighed, sounding more put out than disturbed. “If there’s a trafficking ring and the cops are involved, its our job to take out the trash.”

Asa didn’t say that due to any sense of responsibility. He didn’t have the ability to feel guilt or remorse or empathy. Right now, Arsen envied that about him. He was swimming in guilt. Not about killing that piece of shit, but because he almost didn’t get there in time.

“Yeah, Dad will insist on it,” Zane said.

“If he came here to deliver a message, they’re going to notice pretty quickly when he doesn’t come back,” Asa said. “Killing a cop is…problematic.”

Heat rushed through his veins at Asa’s words. So what if it was problematic. He was hot all over, his blood whooshing in his ears, drowning out everything but his sudden rage. Every time he thought about Ever and that asshole touching him, it made him crazy. It made him want to revive the man and torture him slowly, made him want to hear him scream.

“I wasn’t going to let him rape Ever,” Arsen snarled. “He had his hands all over him.”

“Woah. Easy, killer. Nobody is saying you did anything wrong,” Jericho said. “We’re on your side.”

Felix gave a low, “Mm,” then glowered at the corpse. “I fucking hate rapists,” he said, then placed the heel of his boot on the man’s nose. It gave with a sickening, wet crunch.

“Gross,” Zane muttered.

“We can get rid of the body and we can clean up the evidence, but they’re going to know this was the last place he came and they’re going to come knocking,” Asa said.

“Good,” Atticus said, drawing their attention.

“Good?” Avi echoed, giving his brother a curious look.

Atticus wasn’t a fan of the wet work. Everyone in that room knew he preferred to leave the murder to his husband.

“Yeah, good,” Atticus repeated. “They’ll come straight to us. If other cops come sniffing around, we’ll know exactly how deep this cover up goes. If it’s just low level thugs, we’ll know it was a gang paying off a cop. One is infinitely easier to clean up than the other.”

“You just want me to wait around and see who tries to hurt Ever again?” Arsen snapped. “That’s your plan?”

Arsen jumped when arms wrapped around him from behind. “They’re just trying to help,” Ever said quietly against his back, warm breath puffing between his shoulder blades.

Arsen’s hands covered Ever’s, all but engulfing them. He gave them a squeeze, hoping somehow Ever knew that Arsen didn’t think any of this was his fault. After a moment, he pulled Ever to stand before him, needing to wrap his arms around him, needing to feel the heat of his body and smell the shampoo in his hair. He needed to reassure himself that Ever was alive and well.

Asa and Avi took Ever in, almost like it was the first time they’d noticed him. With those two, it was possible. Asa snickered. “He really is adorable. Like a…kitten or a…teletubby.”

“Teletubby?” Ever echoed.

Zane glared at his husband. “They’re these creepy little alien-like creatures that babble in gibberish that my husband is eerily obsessed with. You do not look like a teletubby.”

Asa rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say he looked like a teletubby. I said he was as adorable as one.”

Avi shook his head. “You don’t look like a teletubby,” he assured him.

“He’s more like Toothless from How to Train your Dragon,” Zane said.

“Oh, or that super cute animated spider from that short with the fuzzy legs and big eyes,” Felix added. “Oh, or Totoro or  Eevee from Pokemon. So squishable.”

Arsen rolled his eyes, dropping his chin onto Ever’s head, right between his cat ears. “He’s not a teletubby or a pokemon or Totoro. He’s just Ever. And Ever is cuter than all of them.”

“Someone is in love,” Felix said under his breath in a sing-song voice.

Arsen didn’t care. He was in love. He’d tell Ever that to his face. He’d tell all of them. He’d sky write it if he had to. He just needed Ever to know he meant it. He was the only thing that mattered to him.

“Alright, enough fucking around,” Jericho said. “Let’s get to work. August is bringing the van to the alley in…” He looked at his cell phone. “Forty-five minutes.”

“What is he going to do with it?” Ever asked.

“Disarticulate it and dissolve it in lye most likely,” Avi said like he was discussing the weather.”

“Sometimes, he just dumps it in a bucket of acid until it's soup,” Asa added. “Either way, we need to tarp it up so we can bleach the floors.”

“Won’t that be a dead giveaway if the cops are stupid enough to tell someone that this is the last known whereabouts of the detective? I mean, bleach lights up under luminol too. It’s going to look like a crime scene,” Nico said, frowning.

“It is a crime scene, but there’s a big difference between suspecting someone was murdered because of bleach stains and knowing someone was murdered because their DNA is still detectable everywhere,” Zane said.

“Yeah, one is circumstantial evidence,” Atticus said. “The other is a death sentence after a long stay in a federal prison.”

“Besides, the cops on this side of town are on our side,” Jericho said.

“But these aren’t our cops,” Levi reminded. “They’re Jamesville. We have no control over Jamesville PD.”

“This conversation is irrelevant,” Felix said. “If the cop was working for a human trafficking ring, they’ll never send the cops here to look for him and if the cops are running the trafficking ring, they’re not going to show their hand by accusing us of a crime when they have no body. Let’s just clean up and go home. I’m tired and I do not miss the smell of diesel.”

Jericho nodded, then looked from Ever to Arsen. “Why don’t you take Ever upstairs and shower. We’ll be out of here before you know it.”

“I should help,” Arsen said. “This is my mess to clean up.”

Jericho shook his head. “You did your part by keeping Ever alive, we’ll take care of the rest.” He pointed to the stairs. “Go.”

Arsen knew better than to argue with Jericho. He just sighed and pushed Ever towards the stairs. Ever seemed as reluctant to leave as he was but allowed himself to be led up the stairs. Once in the apartment, Arsen told Ever to take a shower, then watched the others below as they worked.

If there’s one thing the Mulvaney’s and Jericho’s boys had in common, it’s crime scene cleanup.

They were practically experts by now.

###

When Arsen exited the shower, Ever was waiting for him on the bed, perched on his knees in nothing but a pair of barely there striped sleep shorts and Arsen’s slit-side black tank top that left little to the imagination. Arsen’s dick took notice immediately.

Ever sat back, tilting his head. Arsen once more had the feeling he was being stalked…by a kitten. “What are you up to?” he asked suspiciously.

Ever looked him up and down, then bit his lip and pouted, his gaze locking onto the towel around Arsen’s waist. “You promised.”

Was Ever expecting Arsen to be able to think of what he’d promised him while looking at him like that? He could barely remember his own name with Ever’s soft, smooth legs on full display and his torso peeking out from his t-shirt. There was too much skin and Arsen’s blood was flowing in the wrong direction for higher thought processes.

Ever’s hand shot out, curling into his towel and dragging him closer. He was deceptively fast for someone so little. Arsen wanted to remind Ever that more than a half dozen people were downstairs and could—technically—arrive any moment to interrupt…whatever this was.

That’s what he wanted to do.

It was the logical, adult thing to do.

But then Ever placed an open mouth kiss just below Arsen’s belly button, his hands not removing the towel but sliding up underneath it to grab his bare ass, making a satisfied sound when Arsen’s erection started tenting the towel.

Arsen groaned, his hands falling to pet Ever’s dark hair. He was being seduced…well.

Ever bit Arsen’s hip, dragging his teeth along the skin there, before moving to give the other the same treatment. If Ever had learned this from a romance novel too, Arsen was going to get him the biggest bookstore gift card he could afford.

Ever rose up to let his tongue trace the tattoo around his nipple, before closing over it, sucking in a way that made Arsen lightheaded. Ever had figured out how to get Arsen going far too quickly. Christ. His soft, wet tongue swirled, then sucked then bit until Arsen was throbbing.

A library card.

He was going to get him one of those too.

Fuck.

But no matter how much he was enjoying the attention—how much he wanted Ever to play out this little seduction—he still had to ask. “Are you sure you want to do this tonight? After what just happened?”

Ever sat back on his knees, eyes bleak.“Do you think I want his hands to be the last thing that touched me?”

Why hadn’t Arsen thought of that? He didn’t want that either. He didn’t want anybody touching Ever but him. Ever.

“Well, when you put it like that…” he murmured, gently toppling Ever onto the mattress and climbing over him. He loosely pinned his wrists to the mattress, studying Ever’s face, looking for any fear or trepidation, but there wasn’t any, there was just heat and…anticipation.

“If you start to panic you tell me. Promise?” he asked, more for his peace of mind than Ever’s. He didn’t want to feel like he was taking advantage of a situation.

Ever nodded, curling up to smack a kiss on Arsen’s parted lips. “I promise. Can we do it now?”

Arsen snickered. But then dipped his head to kiss his forehead, his nose, then finally his mouth, tangling their tongues briefly before pulling back. “This is your first time though, so its all about you. You have to just lay back and let me do the rest.”

Ever’s lip pooched adorably and he leveled puppy eyes at him. “It’s my first time, shouldn’t I get to decide how we do it?”

Once more Arsen felt like he’d been put in checkmate by an amateur player. How did he keep falling into his traps? “I just want you to be happy.”

“Being with you does make me happy,” Ever said, like Arsen was stupid. “But having you inside me will make me happier.”

Arsen’s cock jerked at his words and he was grateful for the resilience of the towel still knotted at his hips, creating a small barrier between his painfully hard dick and Ever.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” Arsen said. He released Ever’s wrists. “Then what do you want to do, besenok?” He trailed a finger along Ever’s side, watching in fascination as the muscles jumped beneath his hand. “What do you want me to do to you?”

Ever stared up at him, pupils blown, lips parted, his hand rising to stroke his thumb along Arsen’s lower lip. “Kiss me?” he asked, breathless.

“As if you could stop me,” Arsen teased, leaning down and slanting their mouths together. Ever tasted like spearmint and he smelled like flowers and kissing him created this euphoric effect that made Arsen feel almost high.

That was Ever though…kissing him was drug inducing. The more their lips met, the harder it was for Arsen to pull back, to give space. The more Ever’s tongue darted out to tease his own, the more Arsen wanted. Each kiss grew longer, hotter, more intense until Ever was writhing beneath him, whining into his mouth, his blunt nails digging into Arsen’s back.

“Please,” he whispered.

Arsen sucked Ever’s bottom lip, before reluctantly pulling back. “Please what? What do you want?” he asked, nosing his way under his chin to suck a bruise onto his neck, then his collarbone, his fingers teasing over his ribcage.

“I want—Oh, fuck—I want your mouth on me,” Ever managed, canting his hips up so Arsen could feel how hard he was.

Arsen bit back a groan. Nothing turned him on like drawing swear words out of that innocent mouth. Ever wanted Arsen’s mouth on his cock. Arsen wanted that too. But not yet. He wanted to drag this out as long as he could. He wanted Ever delirious by the time Arsen pushed inside him.

He bit at Ever’s chin, his jaw, sucked at his earlobe. “Like this?” he taunted.

“No,” Ever whined.

Arsen smiled against his skin, moving lower, to push Ever’s t-shirt to the side, nipping at his ribs, then running the flat of his tongue over one nipple, then the other. “Like this?”

Ever released a shaky breath, grinding against Arsen, another frustrated sound escaping. “No.”

Arsen still gave his other nipple the same treatment. “Then where, besenok?”

Ever laughed quietly, catching on to Arsen’s teasing. He tangled his hands in Arsen’s hair, pushing his head down with a steady pressure. “You know…” he panted. “Stop playing.”

Arsen smiled. “I’ll never stop playing with you.”

Still, he moved lower, placing open mouthed kisses wherever his lips fell. His hip, his belly button. Anywhere. He loved the taste of Ever’s skin.

By the time his mouth hovered over where Ever wanted him, he was almost off the bed, so he slid to the floor, then hooked his thumb in the waistband of Ever’s shorts, snaking them down and off.

Ever moaned like Arsen had already put his mouth on him. He was so fucking responsive. His noises were addictive. Arsen lifted Ever’s leg, kissing the inside of his knee, his thigh. Then he slid his hands under Ever’s ass and dragged him until his hips hovered at the edge of the mattress.

He splayed Ever’s legs wide, nosing at his cock.“Here? You want my mouth here?”

“Yes,” Ever whispered like a prayer. “But don’t make me come,” he added hastily.

Arsen bit back a smile, nuzzling into the crook of his leg, breathing in the scent of him. At the rate they were going, they were both going to get off before the finale. “That’s a big ask.”

Ever sat up on his forearms, fixing him with a heavy stare. “I want to come with you inside me.”

Arsen was gut-punched, his cock so heavy it ached. Fuck. He closed his eyes, willing himself to stay the course. “You keep talking like that and this is going to be over before it starts.”

Ever flopped back on the bed again. “Fine,” he said dramatically.

Arsen shook his head, amused, then swallowed him down. Ever rewarded him with a porn-star worthy moan that shot lightning through his blood. He was so fucking sexy.

Arsen wanted so badly to just say fuck it and climb on top of Ever and fuck him until he was a drooling, sobbing mess, but he didn’t want to be another bad thing that happened to him. He wanted to make it so good for him. He deserved that. So he vowed to take his time, to take him apart slowly.

Chapter 16

Ever

The moment Arsen’s mouth was on him, Ever forgot all about not coming. It was so hot and wet, the suction so perfect he could barely stand it. He knotted his hands in Arsen’s hair, telling himself to push him away, but his body wasn’t getting the memo, his hips curling, working him between spit-slick lips again and again.

When Arsen pulled off, Ever couldn’t stop the irritated whine that escaped, once more rising up on his forearms to give Arsen a stern look. Arsen gave him a dirty smile, kissing his belly.

“Relax, sweet boy. I’m not done with you yet,” Arsen promised, putting Ever’s legs over his shoulders.

Before Ever could even guess what he would do, he was spreading him open, his nimble tongue spearing against his hole. “Oh, my God,” he heard himself say. That shouldn’t feel so good. Right? Why did that feel so fucking good? Ever felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Arsen gently bit the inside of each ass cheek, the scruff on his chin abrading the flesh there in direct opposition with the soft, slick silk of his tongue probing him.“What?” Arsen murmured against him. “Didn’t read this in your romance novels?”

Ever shook his head, knowing Arsen couldn’t see him. But he couldn’t speak. It didn’t matter though. Arsen was busy anyway, swirling his tongue in a way that made Ever dizzy. Did people do this? Lick and suck at each other’s most intimate parts?

If not, they should.

Fuck.

It felt so… good wasn’t the right word but it was all that came to mind. He couldn’t think, what little brain power he had disappeared with every swipe of Arsen’s tongue. Ever whimpered, moaned, writhed as Arsen took his time, licking and sucking and nibbling at him. He could come just from this, he was sure of it, found himself trying to test the theory by bearing down on Arsen’s tongue, wanting it inside him.

“Please,” he managed, voice as raw as his nerves, his heels working against Arsen’s shoulders, fingers so tight in Arsen’s hair, he worried he might start pulling it out at the root.

Arsen’s mouth disappeared, then the rest of him, leaving Ever’s feet to flop onto the cold floor. He laid there, too stunned to move, barely hearing the sound of the side table open and close over his heart beating in his ears.

Then Arsen kneeled between his legs once more. He trembled, dancing on a knife’s edge as he waited to see what Arsen would do next. He had only a moment to register Arsen’s finger at his entrance, before it was pressing in, just as Arsen’s mouth closed around his cock.

Maybe it was the shock. The sudden invasion, but the perfect suction of Arsen’s mouth wasn’t enough to cancel out the burn of his entrance. Panic flooded him, his mouth going dry. He couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped.

Arsen stopped immediately, but left his finger where it was, barely inside. “Are you okay?”

Hearing Arsen’s voice quelled the sudden panic. He forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths, looking around, remembering he was there, in Arsen’s bed, with Arsen. Not some monster. “Yeah. I-I’m fine. I just…freaked out for a second.”

Arsen kissed his thigh so softly Ever wanted to cry. “Do you want to stop?” he asked gently.

“No,” Ever cried, then winced. “No,” he said again, softer this time. “I just…needed a second. Is that okay?”

Arsen kissed his leg once more. “It’s all okay. Whatever you want to do is okay.”

Ever’s heart felt too big for his chest. He was so fucking in love with Arsen he ached from it. It was on the tip of his tongue to say so but he didn’t want to freak him out.

“I’m-I’m good. I’m ready.”

When Arsen eyed him warily, he lifted his hips, sliding his finger deeper. The burn was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar pressure and a feeling of fullness. He tried again, rocking his hips, once, then twice, until Arsen’s knuckle dragged over a spot inside him that had him moaning.

What the fuck was that? He glanced down as if he might find the answer there, but instead he found Arsen watching Ever ride his finger.

“Oh, fuck,” he whispered.

Ever’s curse seemed to break Arsen from his spell, his finger curling over that spot inside with far more deliberation than before. Ever couldn’t stop the cry of surprise, his cock leaking onto his stomach. Arsen did it again. And again.“Oh, my God,” he said, voice full of wonder.

Arsen smiled. “Yeah?”

“Do it some more,” Ever begged, cheeks flushing.

He heard Arsen’s muffled laugh but was too gone to care. He was too busy chasing that sensation, that zing that made his brain numb. Each time Arsen did it, Ever’s body bowed like he was possessed, until he was moaning, “More. I need more.”

Arsen’s finger disappeared, but before he could mourn the loss, he pushed back in with two. The stretch and burn was still there, but disappeared much quicker this time, only pleasure trailing in its wake as Arsen fucked into him.

Ever wanted to come with Arsen’s dick inside him, but the more he moved, the harder it was to hold back, It just felt so good. “Fuck. Fuck.”

“You want to come?” Arsen asked, nuzzling his cock. “We have all night. Let me make you feel good.”

Ever considered it, but then shook his head. “No. I still want you inside me first.”

It felt important.

Arsen’s fingers slid free, leaving an empty aching feeling. The bed dipped and then Arsen was over him, his towel now gone, his cock slotted against Ever’s. “How do you want it, besenok?”

Ever chewed on his lower lip for a long moment. “Can…can we do it like this? So I can see your face? I-I need to see your face.”

Arsen’s eyes went wide. “Yes. The answer is always yes.”

Arsen sat up, bringing Ever with him, wrestling his shirt over his head before gently pushing him back into the mattress.

Ever could feel himself trembling, but he couldn’t help it. He was nervous, but he was also excited, his nervous system firing on a hundred different levels. He wanted it to be good for both of them. Not just him.

Arsen pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. “You’re in control. We can stop anytime you want. Okay?”

Ever nodded. “Kiss me.”

Arsen found his lips again, but it was slower this time, unhurried, his hips rolling against Ever’s in a way that he found…distracting.

“Condom,” Arsen muttered suddenly.

Ever froze. “What?”

He pulled back slightly. “Condom? I need to get one.”

Ever frowned. “Why?”

Arsen studied him, frowning. “Well… I mean, I’m negative for anything and you are too so I guess we don’t have to use one, but some people say it makes it easier the first time.”

Ever chewed on his lower lip. Was it weird to say he didn’t want anything between them? Was it stupid or childish or gross? He glanced up at Arsen’s face. His look was so earnest it made Ever’s chest hurt.

Finally, he said, “Can we just not use one?” He looked away, afraid Arsen might see how desperately he wanted him to say yes.

Arsen’s lips brushed his forehead. “When are you going to get that I would amputate a limb if you asked me to? It’s all okay. Whatever you want, whenever you want it. It’s yours. I’m yours.”

Ever stared at him, shocked. “Oh.”

Arsen shifted, widening Ever’s legs. He closed his eyes, focusing instead on the sounds. The lube cap opening, the heavy sounds of their breathing, the way the bed shifted and squeaked with each movement. Then Arsen was back, his weight a comforting pressure, blunting out the fear. His breath hitched as the head of Arsen’s cock, pressed against his entrance.

“Just breathe, okay?”

Ever nodded, wrapping his arms around Arsen’s neck, the air punching from his lungs as Arsen breached him. The burn was intense, his body instantly rejecting the invasion. He was big, far bigger than he’d looked and he’d looked pretty intimidating. Or maybe Ever was just too small.

His nails dug into Arsen’s skin, half-panicked whining sounds falling from his lips, but this time Arsen didn’t stop—he knew Ever didn’t want him to stop—he just slowly sank deeper into him until their bodies were flush against each other.

Arsen was so deep inside him. The thought made his whole body hot and cold. Arsen was inside him. Did Arsen like it? He wasn’t moving, just sucking in panting breaths in between kisses to whatever skin he could reach. Ever’s neck, his jaw, his ear.

“Are you okay?” he finally murmured.

Was he? Ever shifted experimentally. The burn was gone, replaced only by that feeling of fullness. “Yeah,” he managed. “You can move.”

Ever was no longer hard, the pain and the anxiety taking its toll, but when Arsen rolled his hips, his eyes widened at the sensation.

Arsen groaned. “You’re so fucking tight. Fuck.”

Heat shot through him. He didn’t know if that was good or bad. Was he making Arsen feel good? He wanted to do that for him. His dick twitched at that thought. Arsen wasn’t thrusting, just sort of rocking into him. Ever tried to catalog everything. The weight of Arsen on top of him,  his sweat soaked skin beneath his palms, the way his back muscles moved and flexed. The way his breathing sped up with his movements until he was working into him.

“Does it feel good?” Ever heard himself ask.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Arsen promised, his voice like gravel.

Ever slid his hands into his hair, pulling him down to slant their mouths together. Arsen’s kiss was greedy, his tongue aggressive. He was driving into Ever now, pulling almost all the way out and slamming home, the head of his cock hitting that same spot inside with each motion.

Ever felt dizzy. “Am I doing good?” he asked against Arsen’s lips.

Arsen’s hips stuttered at the question. He nipped Ever’s lower lip, then his mouth was back at his ear. “You’re doing so well. So fucking good. My good boy. So fucking perfect.”

Heat pooled in Ever’s belly, his cock hardening at Arsen’s praise. “Promise?”

Arsen kissed him once more. It was sloppy and messy and absent, like he was too caught up in his own bliss to focus on hitting his mark. “I promise,” he whispered. “Do you feel good?”

He did. But he didn’t know how to verbalize why. He liked making Arsen feel good. He liked the feeling of their bodies joined, liked the way Arsen said his name like a prayer and used his body like he just couldn’t stop himself. “Yes.”

Arsen sat up between Ever’s open legs, dragging him until his hips were on Arsen’s thighs, his legs splayed wide. His thrusts slowed as he grabbed the lube, pouring it into his palm, then wrapping it around Ever’s flushed cock.

“I think we can do better than that,” he said, squeezing until Ever moaned. “That’s better.”

Then he was moving once more, fisting Ever in time with his thrusts until Ever’s mouth went dry and he couldn’t stop the ‘uh-uh-uh’s’ that escaped each time Arsen drove into him.

Ever couldn’t stop looking, couldn’t stop watching as Arsen fucked him, jerked him off, looked at him like he was the only thing in the world. That was what did it. The half-drunk look on Arsen’s face, the lust in his eyes when he watched Ever’s face.

Heat pooled in his belly and he thrust up into Arsen’s fist, no longer able to control his movements. “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah?” Arsen asked, voice wrecked. “You gonna come for me?” Ever whined. He was so close. So close. “Do it. Come for me, my good boy. Let me see it.”

Ever sucked in a startled breath as his orgasm punched from him, sparks erupting behind his eyelids as he came hard, coating Arsen’s fingers and his stomach.

“Oh, fuck. You’re so good,” Arsen muttered. “I can feel you spasming around me. Fuck. Fuck.”

Before Ever could catch his breath, Arsen was leaning forward, Ever’s knees over his arms, practically folding him in half so he could kiss him as he drove into him, far deeper than Ever even dreamed possible.

“I want to feel it,” Ever said against his lips. “I want to feel you come inside me. Please?”

Arsen made a sound that was almost a snarl, his hips slamming home again and again until he groaned low in his throat, grinding against Ever as he came. Ever could feel it, could feel the way his cock pulsed inside him, filling him up. It was a heady feeling.

He’d done that.

He couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped. Arsen collapsed on top of him, gulping in heavy breaths. “What’s so funny?” he asked, digging his fingers into Ever’s ribs just hard enough to make him squirm.

Arsen laughed, batting his hands away. “Nothing. I just feel…happy.”

Arsen lifted himself up onto his forearms. “Yeah?”

Ever nodded, pushing Arsen’s hair back off his forehead, giving him a smile. “Yeah.”

“Good…that’s good,” he said again, dropping his head onto the pillow beside Ever’s, but making no move to get off of him.

A week ago, that would have terrified him, but now it made him feel safe. Arsen would kill for him. Arsen had killed for him. He’d die for him too, Ever was certain of it. He would always put himself between Ever and any danger that came for him.

“I love you,” Ever said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

Heat flooded his face and he contemplated trying to shove Arsen off him and running away, but he was trapped. He could only lie there, waiting to see if he’d just ruined everything.

Arsen didn’t miss a beat, nuzzling his face against Ever’s neck. “I love you, too,” he said, pressing a kiss to his pulse. “I love you too.”

###

“No, no, no, no, no,” Ever cried, running from the hoard of zombies lurching towards him. “There’s so many of them.”

“Left-click. Left-click,” Arsen said, his hand hovering over the mouse like he was contemplating doing it for Ever.

When it came to gaming, Arsen had a hard time letting go of control, especially when it came to Ever. Because he was just so bad at it. Still he was having fun. And the others watching the stream seemed to have fun watching him get mauled by zombie hoards again and again.

“I am left-clicking,” Ever shouted, through peals of laughter. “There’s just so many of them.” He gave up attacking, instead turning and running so he could put some distance between himself and the threat so he could recover some of his vitality.

Arsen’s lips were suddenly next to his ear. “Use the big first aid kit,” he coached. “And the grenade.”

“But I only have one,” Ever whined, partially because he didn’t want to waste his hard earned grenade and partially because Arsen’s hands were riding up his inner thighs out of the camera’s line of sight.

With one of Ever’s hands on the controls and the other on the mouse, Arsen was free to do whatever he liked to him. He took full advantage of Ever’s vulnerability, all while acting like nothing was happening.

“There’s one of you and eight of them and you only have enough ammo to take out three or four. You can’t use your machete. Just…trust me.”

Ever nodded, but didn’t leave the safety of his hiding spot just yet. He glanced over at the chat, eyes catching on the emojis first. Lots of hearts, frogs and flowers. He didn’t understand what most of them meant. For the most part people were nice.

“Okay,” Ever said, more to himself than anybody else. He took a deep breath, sending his avatar back into the fray. As he crept behind the walls of the dilapidated house, he could hear the zombies just out of sight, knocking things over, groaning, all looking for him.

His heart slammed against his ribs, adrenaline coursing through him in a way he only felt when he played these horror games or when Arsen was inside him. There was something so exhilarating about being afraid in a controlled environment, knowing that the monsters on the screen couldn’t really hurt him, but feeling the anticipation all the same. It was…addicting.

Ever took a deep breath and rounded the corner, hurling the grenade. “No!” he shouted, realizing his mistake.

It was too soon. Only two of the zombies fell, leaving another six lurching towards him.

“Fuck,” Arsen said, urgency creeping into his voice as he said, “Shoot them. Shoot them.”

Instead, Ever just took his hands off the keys, covering his face with his hands. He couldn’t watch. He was as good as dead already. He hated seeing his avatar torn limb from limb then munched on by hungry flesh eating creatures. It felt…demoralizing.

Arsen laughed, his arms coming around Ever, easily taking control of the game. Ever watched from between his fingers as Arsen took out the hoard with nothing but a handful of bullets and a rusty machete. Was it weird that Ever found that hot? He was just so…good with his hands.

Ever flushed thinking of all the things those hands had done to him since the first time they’d had sex. Arsen had made him come on his fingers more than once, all while praising him.

My good boy.

Ever shifted uncomfortably, his dick half-hard just thinking about it.

While Arsen continued to play to the save point, Ever checked the comments. They always came fast and furious whenever Arsen brought Ever onto a live. Not all of them were kind, many of them were crass, and some were just plain nonsensical.

Ever’s so cute.

Premature evacuation, bro

<3 <3 <3

You should let him play Paladin.

You two are so hot together.

Kiss.

Kissssssssssss

He sucks

That one hurt, even if it was true. In his defense, he’d spent most of his life in a closet and only started playing video games two days ago after a viewer promised Arsen a large donation if he taught Ever to play a scary game. Ever had been more than willing to do whatever helped Arsen earn money, even though Arsen insisted he made plenty from subscribers and tips.

He scanned more comments.

You need to kiss more. Ever agreed.

You’re so bad at this game. Never change. Its so cute.

Fuck you, but thanks.

You two should get married.

Ever sighed, maybe someday.

How am I this obsessed with two gay boys?

They were, too. They were obsessed with Arsen and Ever. The majority of the comments revolved around Ever and all the things they wanted to see him do with Arsen, many of them X-rated.

<3

I love you, Ever. Ditch the Russian and be mine.

Ever snorted. Yeah, right.

When is Ever getting his own discord?

Ever didn’t really even understand what discord was. Only that Arsen seemed to meet up in certain rooms to play with certain people. It was all very confusing for Ever. He just liked playing the games. Even if he was terrible at it. And Arsen said he liked showing him off.

But his popularity wasn’t the only reason he was there. Jericho had a plan. A plan Arsen hated, but that they’d all admitted had merit. The only way the dead cop could have known Ever’s name was if he’d heard it through the neighborhood, or he was watching him online.

Maybe a combination of both. Either way, Jericho wanted Ever front and center, a way to safely use him as bait, as a way to see if that cop was all talk or if there really was a ‘boss’ that they needed to take out in order to keep Ever safe. And others.

It was the others that scared Ever. How many other boys were living like him? A domestic servant to a narcissistic lunatic? A sex slave to a monster? Having their bodies traded for money? How many kids were snatched from their mothers so young they couldn’t even remember them? That was why Ever didn’t mind being the bait. He was free. So many others weren’t.

With each passing day, Ever grew more uneasy. The silence was almost worse than the attack. It was like living every day with a sword swinging over his head. He wanted this over with. He wanted to be normal. Atticus was working on securing a new birth certificate and social security number for Ever, something that took more time and money than Ever could even fathom.

He’d tried to offer to pay him, but Atticus had waved him off, had said there was no benefit to being as disgustingly rich as he was if he couldn’t use it to help people who needed it. It was so weird. Arsen insisted the Mulvaney’s were psychopaths, vicious murderers who tortured people for their crimes. But they just seemed so…nice.

Only when the noise of the game quieted, did Ever realize he’d zoned out. He quickly reached for the gummy worms in the bag in front of him and put one in his mouth, tipping his head up to show Arsen the half dangling over his chin.

Arsen looked down and smiled, dipping his head, teeth scraping against Ever’s lips as he stole half of Ever’s treat, smirking as he chewed it triumphantly. Ever slapped his cheek softly, glowering until Arsen reached over and took another worm, swinging it in front of Ever’s mouth.

Ever took the apology worm, chewing and swallowing, then showing Arsen his empty mouth. Arsen swooped in, kissing him deeply, sucking the sour taste from his tongue until Ever moaned low, his half-hard cock, now fully at attention.

Arsen continued to plunder his mouth, his hand sliding beneath his t-shirt, fingers skimming his belly in a way that made Ever’s stomach swoop. He heard the chime signaling that the people watching were ‘paying’ Arsen. A strange sort of online currency the platform converted into real money twice a month. That’s what Arsen called it, a platform. He said Ever’s appearances made him lots of tips, because the world loved Ever.

Ever only cared that Arsen loved him. He said he loved him. Had whispered it a hundred times a day since that night. It had only been four days, but it felt like just yesterday and a hundred years ago at the same time. He loved Arsen like they’d known each other in every lifetime, comfortable with him in every way. But no matter how much time they spent together, no matter how many times he let him into his body, it just never seemed like enough.

Ever’s hands slid along Arsen’s jean clad thighs. Arsen gripped his chin, holding him in place so he could taste his mouth at his leisure. They should stop. They were on camera. In front of roughly six hundred people at last count. All watching Arsen tongue-fuck him with enthusiasm.

That should bother Ever, right? People watching Arsen kiss him, touch him, manhandle him. But it didn’t. He wanted everyone watching to know Arsen was taken. Not just the ones online, but the girls who showed up at the shop, giggling and flirting. He wished they could see him too. Maybe they could. Maybe they were watching.

Good. They needed to know Arsen was his. Just his.

And Arsen proved it every night, fucking him long into the early morning hours, then dragging himself out of bed to go to work, just to do it again the next night, sometimes even during lunch. Ever almost felt guilty about how sleep deprived Arsen was. Almost. It was hard to feel guilty after several mind-numbing orgasms. Arsen buried inside him was quickly becoming an addiction.

Arsen pulled his mouth away, but then dropped three more kisses in rapid succession onto Ever’s slack mouth. He looked at the camera, a dopey grin on his face. “Streams over. See you next time.”

He signed off quickly, pushing the buttons to take them offline. Ever glanced once more at the chat log on his monitor, heart stopping at the second to last row of comments.

Ever. Ever. Ever.

I seeeeeee you…

See you soon.

He slapped Arsen's arm and pointed, the words sticking in his throat. It could be just another online creep. It wasn’t the first weird thing someone had said to him. It wasn’t even the first weird thing that day. Levi said the chat section was the wild west, and the only way to deal with it was by blocking, reporting or ignoring the bad apples.

But this seemed different. Malicious. It left Ever feeling like he needed a shower. Arsen took a screenshot then turned off the monitor. “Don’t worry about it. It’s probably nothing.

He was lying.

And they both knew it.