Chapter Text
Ellis could have spent hours in Nick's shower.
The tile and glass interior was chilly, at first, but it only took a short while to heat up under the hot spray of water. Steam and soap-suds built up against his skin in a pleasant cloud, and he was mildly sure he'd found heaven.
It was, however, only a stepping stone to a different sort of heaven... and although he didn't rush through the shower, he tried not to dawdle. He did dedicate some time to stroking himself into a quick and quiet release, helped along by the overwhelming scent of Nick's minty soap, a smell he'd often caught in passing and fantasized about at length.
He had to shore up his stamina for the night, after all.
Finishing his shower and stepping out, Ellis wrapped up in a fluffy grey towel hanging from the wall, surprised to find it was nearly beach-towel in size, pleasantly oversized. He snuggled into it, taking a moment to undo and throw away the waterproof bandaging Nick had foisted on him to cover his almost-healed forearm.
Mostly dried-off and turning his attention to the sink, he was faced with a sight that made his stomach flip-flop.
On the counter - which was also lined with a frankly alarming array of colognes, hair gels, and skincare products - was two toothbrushes. One was electric and stowed in a charging cradle, and the other was a simple yellow stick toothbrush, sitting upright in a yellow cup. Beside it, there was an unopened tube of toothpaste, and a tiny bottle of mouthwash.
Ellis stepped sheepishly up to the edge of the counter, reaching up to press his knuckles against his cheeks, trying to stifle the grin that wanted to spread across his face.
It wasn't hard to interpret it as a cautious attempt to walk some line... to mark out a space for him, without going too far. The toothbrush was cheap, the toothpaste and mouthwash were both travel-sized - soon to run out - but the cup was solid, permanent, a glazed ceramic.
Just a hint, a simple sign that he'd be welcome back, that a space had been made for him. In any other situation, Ellis might've been intimidated.
And maybe he was - but not unpleasantly.
He hurried to brush his teeth and then got a mouthful of Listerine, grabbing his phone off the counter and staring briefly at it as he swished. He should've taken a moment to call his mother, but the more he thought about it, the more his heart started to ache.
He was used to having a portion of his life he couldn't share with his two most favourite people in the world. It had been that way for a long time. He'd grown accustomed to it, settled into a pattern, accepted the idea that he'd have to choose between his family and his feelings - and the reality that he'd never be able to do that.
Whut'm I s'posed tuh do now?
It was too much to consider, just then, and so Ellis thumbed into his contacts where his mother was proudly presented at the very top with a star, and tapped out a quick text. "staying over. the guys say hi"
He did not wait for a response, did not wait for a read receipt. He just turned the phone off, and returned it to the bathroom counter as he spat out his mouthwash.
If he was going to maintain momentum, he needed to focus. Swiping his wrist over his mouth, he nodded briefly at himself in the mirror, grabbed the towel from around his middle, and tossed it back towards the rack it had been hung on.
He only paused long enough to watch it catch and drape there, before turning to stride towards the door and throw it open.
To his pleasure, Nick was still in the living room, seated on the arm of the couch. His head turned just a little, a casual twitch - and then snapped straight, along with his spine.
With no restraint at all, his vision trailed in a slow zig-zag, taking in every inch of Ellis. That gaze obediently followed along as the Southerner took care to raise up a hand and wipe a stray trickle of water off the curve of his thigh.
"You got any spare PJs?" he drawled out, idly, head tilting. "Don't wanna sleep in muh clothes, since I'll need 'em in the mornin'."
Nick stood, movement calm, though his brows were low and his eyes were subtly aflame. He crossed the living room in a few long strides, and Ellis met his gaze easily, marveling at the heat there. It was more than a little satisfying, seeing the doctor so fixated.
They'd already stripped in front of each other, but that night had been a whirlwind. He'd be lying if he said some of the memory hadn't been warped by anxiety, both in the moment and after it.
This time, he was determined to do better.
And then Nick closed the distance with a sudden burst of motion, and Ellis couldn't hold back a burst of laughter when the doctor's arms swept tight around his middle. Where one hand slid down to cup against the curve of his ass, the other raised to cradle against the back of his neck.
Fingers gripped onto his nape and gently encouraged his chin to lift, tilting his face up, and Nick dove to capture him in a kiss.
The link of their lips did not remain shallow for long, a hum rumbling in Ellis' throat as Nick's tongue slid gently against his. He pushed up onto the balls of his feet, flattening himself against Nick's front, enjoying the pleasant rub of fabric against his bare body.
As much as he was looking forward to taking Nick's clothes off with his teeth, he also couldn't deny a little thrill as they were. The idea of Nick taking him, fully clothed, made his toes curl.
And then Nick's head pulled back, breaking the kiss as abruptly as he'd started it, a faux-serious pull knotting his brow. "No. Starting today, no clothes allowed in my apartment. You strip the minute the door shuts."
Ellis pulled his expression into a grin, leaning forward into the embrace, resisting the little part of him that might not have minded that arrangement. "If I'm makin' fried fish next time, I ain't cookin' naked. Unless you want a repeat'uh that time Keith -"
The interruption came lightning-fast: "I remember."
Nick was starting to grimace, eyes wandering upward, so Ellis pushed forward to land a kiss on the older man's cheek. He slid his hands forward to stroke at Nick's waist, smoothing against his shirt.
That recaptured the man's attention, and a small laugh puffed out of his nose. "You go on to bed. I'll be right after you, sweetheart."
Ellis nodded, but was stopped halfway through the gesture when Nick bent to kiss him again - this time, slowly, and gently.
They broke contact even slower, and Ellis bit his lower lip as he turned to step towards the bedroom door, Nick passing him into the bathroom. Only when they'd gotten out of each others' sight did Ellis allow himself a giddy little hop, hands flying up to rub at his face.
The excitement did not dull as his vision finally settled on the man's bedroom.
Much like the rest of the apartment, it was somewhat plain. The carpeting was plush but a plain slate grey, the walls a simple taupe colour, and the furniture was all boxy and unadorned. The walls themselves were bare, except for a large full-body mirror standing next to a dresser - and he did not hesitate to hop into view and spin a bit, checking himself over.
He had a few scuffs, scratches, and bruises, along with the injury on his forearm that was almost healed. He was, at least, free of one particular kind of bruise; there was nothing on his hips or his neck.
The soft bites from their first encounter had since faded, and as he'd kept to himself since then, there were no reminders of someone else's hands on his skin.
Ellis ran fingers through his wet hair, closing his eyes just for a moment.
Wasn't it nice - to be somebody's?
Wouldn't it be nice, to have somebody?
When his eyes reopened, he looked anywhere but his own face, blinking instead towards the dresser beside the mirror. It, much like the bathroom sink, was covered in yet more bottles and products, mostly hairgel and hairspray. There was a wall-mounted set of hooks with an array of ties in various colours, a few he'd never seen the doctor wear.
On the corner of the dresser, there was a framed photograph. It felt like the first sign of anything personal or sentimental, and Ellis nearly tripped over himself in his hurry to get closer.
Picking it up, he blinked, surprise flattening him on his heels.
It was a wedding photograph.
Not featuring Nick, to his immediate relief - but a man in a suit who looked just enough like him that it seemed obvious it was his father, though the image was old and greyscale. Next to him, a woman in an overly poofy white dress beamed at the camera, dark hair up in massive curls. His mother, presumably.
The immediate embarrassment and absurd urge to cover up was overwhelmed by a slow, dawning confusion; it wasn't actually a photo. It was not glossy and reflective under the glass. Instead, it was paper and ink, yellowed slightly with age. The image was hazy and unfocused where it was only roughly formed.
A printing of a copy of a copy.
A slim inlay blocked most of the contents beyond a tight rectangle that surrounded the image, but when he wiggled it, the paper itself shifted. It fell slightly, exposing more of itself underneath, where a thick dividing line sat just above the image.
He had just enough time to make out the header printed there before he heard the bathroom door open.
'OBITUARIES'
There wasn't time to formulate a response other than panic. He thrust the frame back down onto the dresser and bolted for the bed. Scrambling to sit, he strained to look unaffected, to look less like he'd snooped his way into new information.
When Nick strode into the bedroom, he'd uncuffed and untucked his shirt, but was otherwise still dressed. He'd collected Ellis' clothes from the bathroom, hung over his forearm, and passed a brief glance at the younger man.
Fortunately, his eyes went from low to high, giving Ellis a few extra seconds to look innocent.
The doctor smiled briefly at him, before turning towards the closet and going through the process of hanging up Ellis' clothes in a closet built into the wall. "So they're not wrinkled in the morning." he explained, over his shoulder, through the door.
Ellis pushed his tongue into his cheek, nodding over-enthusiastically. "Mm, thanks." he managed, voice faintly strained, eyes shifting to his hands rather than look back at the dresser. "I'm kinda surprised. I didn't think you were livin' in an apartment."
"What did you think I lived in?" Nick retorted, hangers rattling as he worked. "A box?"
Ellis chuckled, despite himself, brows knotting together as he clung eagerly to the excuse to babble. "'Course not. I just kinda expected like... a big house, or somethin'. Or a mansion. Ain't doctors make a bunch of money?"
The older man paused for just a moment, angling an arched brow in his direction. "Disappointed?" he queried, low, humour warm in his eyes over a faux-concerned frown. "Did I hook myself a little gold-digger?"
"Haw-haw. You know whut I mean." Ellis raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck, screwing up his expression. "Anyway, it's way nicer than Mama's house. Or Paul's place."
"I'm glad someone likes it." Nick's expression broke, a slim grin flashing teeth, and he turned back to bury his attention in the closet. "Me? I can't stand it. Feels like a hotel room. It's why I spend so much time at the clinic."
Ellis' lips curled in a small frown, head tilting to stare more directly at his new lover, watching his shoulders move under his shirt as he folded and hung the jeans in his hands.
Loneliness hung too comfortably around him.
Ellis pushed off his heels, shoving up to flop on the bed. He struck the cushy surface with a whoomf, and it was enough to make Nick's attention dart back to him. He grinned, wiggling his hips, counting it as a victory when Nick's eyes followed the movement, narrowed with interest.
"Ain't so bad right now, is it?" he prompted.
Suddenly withdrawing from the closet, Nick turned to move towards the bed, though he did so with abrupt caution. His head cocked, faintly, and he reached up to start unbuttoning his dress shirt.
"No, I guess not, huh?" he murmured past the beginnings of a grin, his head shaking. "Lucky me, having a cute little thing like you to liven the place up. And I'm not even keeping you entertained."
Ellis slipped his tongue between his teeth, chewing idly, fending off the beaming smile that wanted to overtake his expression. "Yeah, I'm awful bored. Sure wish there was somethin' we could do tuh pass the time... Real shame."
Reaching the bed, Nick slid up onto it in a kneel, balancing on his shins as he finished unbuttoning his shirt, the halves parting over his torso. Its opening exposed the white undershirt underneath, tucked into his slacks, tight against his breast and the gentle curve of his stomach.
Ellis' mouth watered.
"Monopoly?" the other man offered, grin beautiful in its casual ease. He shrugged out of the dress shirt entirely and tossed it over his shoulder, the low neck of his undershirt exposing the dark hair of his chest. "Charades, maybe?"
A laugh caught Ellis' breath, raising his hands up and wiggling his fingers. "Oh, shit, I love charades! I'm a damn charades champion, you know. This one time -" he chirped, though he got no further before Nick closed the distance.
Hands dove to his sides, fingertips digging into the softness beneath his ribs, and the jolting kick his body gave was wholly reflexive. Laughter merged with a protesting shout as he tried to squirm away from the tickling, but Nick swung a leg over his thighs and seated himself there in a straddle, trapping Ellis where he was.
The weight of him was fascinating, as was the heat of his body through his slacks, pressed tight against Ellis' bare thighs. It shocked him - very pleasantly.
"N- Nick! Quit!" he yelped, wriggling even as the tickling slowed to a soft stroking, the older man's palms running over his belly and sides. The contact still made his spine jolt and his body squirm, anticipating the jolt of nerve feedback.
"You know, Fireball, I've had more than a few fantasies about you." the doctor murmured, and there was such an intensity to the words that Ellis couldn't help but freeze, blinking up at him. "Most of them were about how you'd look bouncing on my dick, sure."
Ellis' body trembled, just a little, and he was abruptly aware of how their positioning put the curving firmness of his rising erection on full display. He couldn't turn, couldn't mask it. Nick had him pinned where he was, and his gaze flickered bluntly to take in the sight of him.
Lifting his chin, stubbornly, Ellis maintained an even tone through the urge to whimper. "Not all'uv'em?"
Nick's grin widened, and he bent forward, falling gently onto his hands and knees in order to drift his head down and nuzzle his nose against Ellis'.
"You seem like you'd be... sweet, on top."
Ellis startled, lifting his hands to grip onto Nick's shoulders, palms smoothing up to slip between his white undershirt and the dress shirt over it. He knew surprise sparked over his face, but he couldn't help the reaction.
He'd taken control before, when it was a partner's preference, but it was normally the other way around. The closeted men he usually met up with found some kind of comfort in him being the receiver - as if giving rather than taking made them a little less culpable.
He didn't mind it, strictly, but the idea of this particular man fantasizing about him in that way seemed almost too good to be true.
He couldn't help but wonder what the doctor would be like. Would he rather take it on his back? On his belly? On his knees? Would he stay on top, just like they were? Maybe he'd get flustered - was it possible he'd get loud?
The possibilities felt like quite nearly too much, and he stammered out a response before his imagination could run too far ahead. "Y-y- I... wow, I... yuh don't seem like you'd - want... I mean... yuh don't strike me as -"
"You don't have to. I'm more than happy with a repeat of last time." Nick clarified with a small smirk, tone quick, expression a bit tired at the edges. Some of Ellis' shock melted as his eyes flicked over the man's features. There was wanting there, a longing, but the way Nick stifled it behind a sudden scrunch of embarrassment made it seem more serious than that. "It's just been awhile."
Why would he do anything but oblige?
Stomach twisting with a clench of nerves, Ellis gripped onto the man's white undershirt by the collar and pushed up with his hips. He didn't have to apply much pressure at all, as the moment he began the gesture, Nick cooperated. They rolled together, Nick landing on his back with his knees crooked over the edge of the bed, and the younger man straddled onto his lap.
The doctor gazed up at him, eyes warm, and relaxed back onto the mattress beneath them. His arms spread to settle against the bed, hands fisted gently by his head. It was a soft surrender, and Ellis felt the pull of arousal turning to affection.
This was trust - not mutually assured destruction, as he was used to.
He swallowed past the pulse thundering in his throat, and settled his weight on his knees. He reached down, curling fingers softly in Nick's undershirt and starting to pull it up.
A little hum left Nick's throat, eyes closing as he arched his back to help in the effort, and Ellis pulled the shirt up and over his head. He dropped it to the floor behind him, gazing eagerly over the skin exposed to him. His tongue curled against his teeth, head tilting as he set his hands to Nick's body, determined to map it out.
His fingertips trailed delicately along the slopes and curves of soft skin, focusing at first along the line of hair up his belly but getting lost a moment later in the map of scars that layered his body. He'd seen them, during their first rendezvous, but his instinct had been to mind his gaze and avoid noticing.
Now, despite himself, it felt like his business.
He felt and heard Nick's breathing change as he touched him. Where the contact calmed Ellis, the breathing underneath his palms quickened lightly. The echo of a smirk sat stubbornly on the doctor's lips, but his gaze grew unfocused.
Ellis' thumb trailed the line of a knifewound, playing along the wicked curl just at the end of the pale mark. His index fingertip wandered around the pinkened scar of a bullet, grazing the mottled center where Nick's breath caught the most. He swept his knuckles along marked skin, spreading digits into the hair that dusted his chest.
He discovered each one - felt at them and assigned each one to memory, tenderly circling the sensitive skin that built up along the damaged marks. It reminded him a little of Paul, who he'd seen bare-chested more often than not, and was covered in the scars from the IED that had almost killed him.
Had Nick been in the army? A medic, maybe, on the battlefield? It would explain some things... like his unflappable nature in the face of Keith's numerous injuries. It could even explain his solitary nature; the trauma of service coupled with the loss of parents would make anyone close up.
His gaze trailed from scar to scar, and then to Nick's throat as he shakily swallowed. Was he self-conscious? Was he bracing for the questions, the inevitable prying?
Ellis was desperately curious.
"You got stuff?" he murmured, instead. "I brought some just in case, but -"
Nick's expression softened, and then his body shifted. Ellis lifted onto his knees enough to allow him to escape, though he followed close behind as the older man squirmed up the length of the bed. Nick reached the top, rolling halfway onto his belly, and stretched a hand over to the nightstand to reach into an already-open drawer.
He retrieved a bottle of lube and a condom, turning his head towards Ellis just in time for the younger man to settle against his back.
Ellis stilled when the older man stiffened. Rather than press on, he tipped his chin to nudge his mouth against Nick's shoulder and kiss up the line of his neck, all the way to his jawline. Ellis only stopped when he felt his lover's frame relax against him.
They were both nervous.
It comforted him.
"Just tell me if I do somethin' wrong." he hushed out, losing himself in a swell of affection. "Wanna make yuh feel good."
Nick's laugh was just a quiet hum, catching in his throat when Ellis' left arm slipped around his waist. His spine flinched as Ellis' fingers curled to undo his belt, thumb driving under the metal tab to force it up in one swift motion.
"I don't deserve you." he muttered, low.
Ellis grinned against Nick's throat, and hooked fingers in his slacks and boxers to drag them down. He might've gone slow, mindful of the subtle jumpiness of the body beneath his, if Nick hadn't pushed his hips up to hurry the effort.
The squirm and writhe of their bodies together as Nick kicked off his slacks spooled heat up Ellis' spine. He couldn't help but nuzzle his mouth against the nape of the doctor's neck, and when that earned him a soft sigh - nip, gently.
That earned him a hiss.
Nick turned in Ellis' arms as the last shred of clothing slipped off the bed, maneuvering onto his back and pulling the younger man on top of him. His head rested back, neck arched as his chin lifted, eyes half-closed.
Ellis settled into the embrace with just an instant of hesitation. He slipped his legs into a curl underneath himself to sit on his heels; the position lifted Nick's hips up into his lap, knees framing Ellis' waist. His bare, furred body was exposed in full, then, cock plump against his belly and spread thighs inviting.
"Shit, yer nice tuh look at." left him in a whisper, aware of the way his voice trembled, barely-withheld nerves lengthening his drawl. "But I reckon you'd rather I do more than look, huh?"
In answer, the doctor reached up his free hand to grasp at the back of his neck, pulling Ellis down as much as he surged up into a curl. Their lips locked in sudden warmth and heat, breaths turning into fuzzied huffs between them as Ellis relaxed onto his elbows.
It felt a bit like a plea.
Ellis' left hand slipped up to pull the bottle and foil square from Nick's grasp, depositing the former by his thigh. He gently shifted his weight, bringing his hands together in his lap, tearing open the condom wrapper and plucking out the contents.
Without looking and without breaking the soft kiss lingering between them, he applied the condom - snorting in gentle frustration when he had it turned the wrong way at first. Rolling forward more onto his knees again, Ellis grabbed the lube bottle, thumbing the cap open and pouring a generous amount into his palm.
Before he could act, Nick's hands alighted on Ellis' knees where they were nestled under either side of him. His eyes were lit low with fire, his tone shaky. "Make me feel it, sweetheart."
Ellis did not consider disobeying - he just bent his head to capture the man in a kiss, and slid his left hand between them.
The slick press of his fingertip against the gripping warmth of his lover's body was enough to make his body shiver. Ellis hummed out sharply, stomach clenching at the sensation, anticipation fluttering in his chest; he felt clumsy, somehow, like it was his first time.
Maybe, in some ways, it was.
Nick's hips bucked, pressing into the touch as fingers pushed against and into him, just a little. His head jerked softly, breaking the kiss as fast as it had started in favour of exhaling. The sound he made, whisper-quiet, was enthralling.
Ellis wanted to hear more.
"Y'know, you was real gentle when you took me." he mumbled, choked with awe, turning his chin to nuzzle his mouth into the crook of his lover's neck. He kept a smooth pressure with his fingers, nudging in circles to coax his lover open, and let his grip curl to cradle the heel of his hand against the other man's balls. "Makes a guy wanna return the favour... take muh time."
Nick's grasp tightened against the skin just above his knees, nails finding purchase on his thighs. "I'd rather you get your dick in me." left him in a soft murmur, humour and impatience equal in his voice. "Waited long enough. You gonna make me wait longer?"
Driving Nick to beg aloud was an enticing thought - one he tucked away for later, when things didn't feel so uncertain. He'd committed himself to Nick's enjoyment, not necessarily his own. Making sure Nick wanted to keep seeing him was paramount.
Still, he couldn't even count the times he'd been pushed too fast, too far. So, he continued sinking his first two fingers up to the second knuckle, curling them to press up and against the soft clench of Nick's body.
"You sure?" he murmured, husky, fingers moving with purpose now as they circled, lube-slick, to massage his lover's too-tight body open. "If you ain't had it in a while, I... don't wanna hurt you."
The older man's head fell back against the mattress, chin lifted and jaw slackened into a weighty sigh. He groaned, just a little, squirming in a subtle attempt to rock Ellis' digits deeper. "I'll tell you if you do." He relaxed, melted, and Ellis couldn't look away from his face as it softened - and then he muttered, "C'mon, Fireball. Fuck me."
Self-control wasn't his strong suit on a good day, and that was too far.
Smooth as he could manage, he withdrew his fingers, rubbing what remained of the slick lube onto his already-wrapped erection. He shifted his left hand to grasp under Nick's right thigh, lifting it up just enough so he could nudge himself forward and raise the man's hips another inch.
His other hand slipped to grasp at his own shaft, thumb nudging against his glans to position it at Nick's entrance. The warmth of it, even through rubber, made his mouth water.
Ellis waited - just long enough for Nick to look up at him, their gazes meeting at that steep angle.
Only then did he flex his abdomen to slowly press his hips upward.
The resistance - even with the prep he'd done - as the head of his cock breached into his lover's body was enough to make him shudder. Stars exploded behind his lids, holding back a stuttered moan as his spine threatened to buckle, glad he was on his knees rather than standing.
Nick's frame arched up slightly off the bed, and his fingers tightened into fists against the sheets, but only a small huff escaped past his nostrils. "Yeah. Yeah, sweetheart..." groaned out of him, through gritted teeth. Pleasure was thick in his voice, his breath - but strain, too. "Just like that."
Discomfort.
Ellis let both his hands slide to grab at Nick's thighs, fingers curling against his buttocks. He used his grip to gently roll the man's hips up, softening the angle of his penetration and supporting more of Nick's weight against his own thighs. He leaned forward, curling over him, kissing up the doctor's jaw as he otherwise froze in place.
But Nick's slightly fitful huffs filtered straight into the air, answering the question he'd not yet asked: "Don't stop, kid, c'mon -"
He couldn't refuse, but he wouldn't obey to the letter, either. Every painful experience he'd ever had fueled a sudden, fiery determination.
If the doctor wanted to feel something, it wouldn't be pain.
Ellis tipped his chin up to catch his teeth against the older man's earlobe, softly rolling his hips in a subtle circle to focus on stretching him over gaining depth, playing against tight muscle. The breathy exhale that tumbled out of Nick was appreciative, but his hips rocked to try and drive Ellis deeper.
In answer, Ellis tightened his grip, shifting his weight to pin the older man tightly against the mattress. Immobilized there, Nick's chest surged with a sudden inhale, a held breath.
Surrender.
Softly, Ellis let his hips fall into the softest back and forth, pulling out just until the tip of his cock nestled itself against the inside of that ring of muscle. He pushed low as he nudged forward only an inch or two, driving his tender little half-thrusts up toward Nick's belly, spine tensing as it rutted him softly against that warm inner wall.
He felt Nick's body respond, the half-risen erection that was trapped between them quickly filling, twitching in time to each slow stroke.
Ellis slowed further, lingering at every push and pull, his own careful inhales shallowing as that tight warmth rolled up and down his length. He felt every clench, every flinch, every shiver... and when he dared to flicker his gaze up to sneak a glimpse of his lover's face, the soft look in Nick's eyes threatened to take his breath away.
Sex was supposed to be a transaction. A mutual fulfilling of needs, best done in the dark fast and quiet, where the evidence could be left behind.
Ellis had never before felt what surged through him, then.
He couldn't even put a name to it. Just action.
His hips rolled, pushing just an inch deeper, and deeper still when his lover's body accepted him readily, now. Nick's next breath pitched up in a moan, rough and hoarse and full of relief - so Ellis didn't stop until his hips pressed tight against the other man's, buried as deep as he could.
Nick's heels nudged into his lower back, and his hands dove suddenly up off the mattress to curl into Ellis' hair, knuckles squeezing against his scalp.
"Christ -" left him, urgent, a punched-out sound that might've been an accident.
Pleasure coiled tight in Ellis' belly, and his fingers finally relaxed, releasing his hold on Nick's hips. He'd barely let go before the other man was moving, pushing insistently up and against the bed in order to rock himself on that last inch of Ellis' bottomed-out length.
Ellis couldn't stop a groan from leaving him, letting his body finally surrender to the desire to move in earnest. He pulled back, until just the tip of him lingered in that tight warmth - and then he rutted forward, driving deep into that intimate completion.
Nick's voice folded into a gasp, desperate, as his body shuddered and clenched tight with a jolt of pleasure. "El!"
"Yeah. 'M here." he whimpered, with half-held breath, as he picked up a slow rhythm - taking every inch with reverence. He spread his hands slightly on the older man's thighs, stroking up to his knees and back down, and dragged his mouth along Nick's jaw until it reached the corner of his lips. "I got'cha, babe."
He hadn't meant to say it. Hadn't planned to. But the word felt right on his tongue - and Nick chased it before he could think to regret it. They fell into a kiss, messy and desperate at first, and then maddeningly slow. Their breath quickened, urged on, faster, harsher, even as Ellis' hips kept that steady pace.
Nick let out a sound that might've been a whimper, muffled against Ellis' mouth, and his body jerked to meet the next thrust as he came undone.
The warm spread of come where their stomachs pressed against one another, the clench of Nick's body around him, thighs around his waist... One more thrust was enough to push Ellis over the edge, his own orgasm startling him into a hoarse moan.
He buried himself into his lover, feeling the pulsing call-and-response of his twitching release as Nick tightened around him. It came in waves, emptying him, his hips rolling urgently with that primal desire to fill his lover - and then nestling close as he fell still.
Only slowly, hot breath filling the air, did they both begin to relax out of that shivering tension.
Nick's arms wound around him, pulling him down. It was a collapse that brought them together, a rolling slump as they fell into a clumsy embrace. Their bodies were still entangled, warmth and satisfaction and affection melting any self-awareness of the way their skin stuck together, from sweat and other fluids.
Pleasure was a lingering haze as they settled in, panting.
"I was right." was mumbled against his temple, exhausted, yet full of adoration. "Sweet as honey."
Ellis had had flings who liked the brief fantasy of intimacy, before. They'd say things, say they loved him, make promises... and it never lasted past sunrise. He never expected it to last; it was just part of that dreamy twilight of a one night stand. He'd closed his heart to it.
In Nick's arms, just then, he felt it crack open.