Archive of Our Own

The parcel had been left at their apartment by mistake. Mixed in with his and Kenny’s mail, one name that did not belong there.

Craig Tucker.

He was the neighbor from across the hall and down one. He was a decent neighbor. He was the neighbor that Kyle was most friendly with, in that he knew the most about him. During holidays he had trusted Kenny to feed his guinea pig before.

He was kind of intimidating. He had a really nice tattoo that spread across his whole forearm, and a face that was easy on the eyes, even if getting him to form an expression that wasn’t ‘bored’ was like trying to draw blood from a stone.

Kenny started it.

“It’s obvious what it is, dude. You just don’t want to admit it.”

Kyle glared across at his roommate. “Shut up, Kenny.”

“C’mon, admit it. It’s the right size package,” a leering grin spread across his face. “Get it?”

“I get it. You don’t need to explain.”

The package in question was a box. It sat on their coffee table, inconspicuous brown packaging that made him think it was trying too hard to be subtle. There was no indication of where it was from, but it was clearly a company with the professional, polished touch.

Maybe Kenny was just getting in his head.

“It’s too big,” he announced to the room. 

“Too big for what?”

He glowered. “For what you think it is.” 

“What I think it is? Why, I think it’s a massive, supersized, Big Boy-?”

“Kenny.” 

“Dildo.”

Kyle threw his hands in the air as heat erupted across his face. “Dude!”

“What? You weren’t gonna say it.”

“For a reason!” 

“Everyone has needs, Kyle,” Kenny reasoned with that leering grin back on his face. “Just because you don’t want to imagine our handsome, tall, stoic neighbour in the throws of pleasure as he-?”

“Oh my god!” Kyle shot to his feet and grabbed his and Kenny’s glasses from the table as he rushed towards the kitchen. “I’m not listening to this!”

“Feeling a little thirsty?” 

He didn’t dignify Kenny with a response. He went straight for the fridge, filling up their drinks with soda. His mind was swimming with questions and images as he watched the bubbles rise in the glasses, liquid flowing as his thoughts raced.

His impulse control had a lapse. He put the bottle back in the fridge, and instead of grabbing the two glasses, grabbed the kitchen scissors from their drawer.

Kenny barely had time to react as he came storming through from the kitchen. The blonde was laughing with shock as he watched Kyle sink the blade in, giving one, long tear through the tape sealing it shut.

They both leaned over, peering into the box as Kyle tore it open and-?

“Oh,” the disappointment in Kenny’s voice was palpable. “It’s...?”

A rocket ship. 

There, staring back up at him, taunting him, was what looked like a rocket ship lava lamp. He wanted to scream. Wanted to pick it up and throw it out the window. Wanted to use it to bash Kenny’s head in as he  oh so helpfully  pointed out the consequences of Kyle’s actions: 

“Guess you’re gonna have to tell him why the packaging is wrecked.”

“Oh my god.” 

“On the plus side, that would be a lot more awkward if it had been a dildo.”

--

He’d considered just...not returning the mail. Keeping it in their flat, or leaving it on their neighbor's doorstep to find. Refusing to accept any kind of accountability. But he knew that he needed to take responsibility for his actions and make sure the recipient was united with their order safely.

Kenny had also offered to take it back, and under no circumstances did he trust Kenny not to embarrass him.

Kyle knocked on the door and waited, open parcel in his hands as he tapped his foot against the floor.

The ideal scenario here would be that no one answered the door. This wasn’t the ideal scenario.

Craig answered the door, eyes narrowed until they landed on Kyle and his face softened out. He opened his mouth to speak, about to lean against the frame of the door before Kyle thrust the box in his hands forward, not looking up to properly take in the handsome man ahead of him.

“Here,” Kyle offered. “Your mail ended up with us by accident.”

“It’s open.” 

“Sorry,” Kyle’s eyes remained pinned on the box he was holding out. “I thought it was...I didn’t realize it wasn’t ours. I just opened it.”

“You just opened it?”

“Yeah.” 

“Even though it’s got someone else’s name on it?”

“Yeah.”

“So you just open every mail that gets delivered to you, regardless of who it’s for?” Craig’s voice was even, but there was an underlying judgement there that made Kyle sweat. “Your roommate must love you.”

Kyle sucked in a breath, feeling heat prickle the tips of his ears, as he tried plan b: throw Kenny under the bus. “Kenny and I were arguing over what it was.”

“Oh, I see, so it wasn’t that you thought it was yours. You knowingly opened my mail.”

“Yes!” he hissed through his teeth, finally meeting the silver eyes with a glare. “I’m sorry I opened your mail, okay? I – genuinely. I am sorry.”

“What did you think it was?”

His heart stopped. “What?”  

“You said you argued over what it was. So, what did you think was in the box?”

Kyle hesitated. He took too long to answer.

Craig leant forward. “Go on. What was your first guess?”

“It was Kenny’s first guess.”

“What was?” 

“Does it matter?” 

“Yes,” Craig’s voice was decisive. Left no room for argument. “Say it, Kyle.”

“He said he thought it was a dildo and I said he was wrong and I was right!” Kyle rushed out in one breath, pushing the box until it was pressed against Craig’s chest, forcing him to take it. “So, there.”

“That’s very inconsiderate.”

Kyle turned a glare up to his neighbor who was now smirking at him. “Oh, fuck you, you know what Kenny’s like.”

“I do, but I expected better from you.” 

“Just take your damn lava lamp, you absolute nerd.”

“Hey, I’m not the asshole who decided they wanted to know what their neighbor's sex toys look like.”

If his face wasn’t red before it sure as hell was now. He spluttered through a nonsensical response, eyes wide as Craig took his mail and took a step backwards, biting down on his lip as he completely failed to stop amusement from completely spreading across his face at Kyle’s embarrassment. Kyle was too busy being utterly mortified to even be angry at the jackass for mocking him.

“Thanks for the mail. I’ll make sure to send you a thank you gift.”

With that the door was shut in his face.

He did his best to put it out his mind. He succeeded for the most part, refusing to speak to Kenny about the conversation and successfully dodging his neighbor. Three whole days past and he wrote it off as a horrifically embarrassing conversation that would haunt him forever, but not go any further than that.

Three days of ignorance. 

“Uh, Kyle?” Kenny’s voice called out from the front door. “There’s a parcel here for you?”

“What?” Kyle headed into the room as he tried to search his memory banks for anything he’d ordered recently. “What is it?” 

Kenny’s brows rose high as he presented Kyle with a familiar looking package. “This?”

The first thing he felt was a flare of embarrassment at the realization that it had a similar size and shape to mail he’d opened not too long ago, which had belonged to someone else. The second was hot fury that when Craig had said he’d send a thank you gift he’d actually meant it. Specifically to get under Kyle’s skin.

“That fucking dick,” Kyle declared as he rushed forward and snatched the box. “Who the fuck does he think he is making fun of me like this?!”

“Did he get you a dildo?” 

“No, I bet it’s another one of those fucking lava lamps!” Kyle spat out as he dug his nails into the packaging, rage fueling his actions as he tore his way through. “Thinks he’s just oh so funny with his dumb jokes and-?”

You could hear the way he literally choked on his words as the contents were revealed to the room. Kenny’s brows shot up even further, low whistle blowing through his lips as he took in the sight of the box in Kyle’s hands, obscene photo of the product on the front. 

“Well,” Kenny said as he broke the silence. “I guess I got one thing right, huh?”

He had to dodge out the way as Kyle lobbed the thing straight at his head. It didn’t help that it meant the delivery note came fluttering down, gift message included.

Seeing as you wanted to know that badly.

“Holy shit, dude!” Kenny’s voice was loud, as was the unbridled joy in his tone. “Did he send you the same one he has?!”

“That’s not what we’re taking away from this!” 

“It is absolutely what I’m taking away from this oh my god!”

The next day when he walked down the stairs it was to find Craig at the bottom, just coming home, and Kyle found himself completely unable to look him in the eye.

--

Kenny brought it up. He was beginning to think that Kenny had an insidious, ulterior motive when it came to this, because of the sheer joy he found in casually mentioning it. Like it was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard in his life. 

Stan was visiting, and they finished ordering the takeout for the night. Kyle couldn’t even remember what they had been talking about that prompted Kenny to slide into the conversation the line that he did. Whatever it was, Kyle wished they had never been talking about it, though Kenny would probably just find another time to bring it up.

“...order, just like your lovely gift from our lovely neighbor.”

The reminder sent blood rushing to Kyle’s face as he lit up like a firework, wide eyes snapping to Kenny with a warning scowl. He had the worst poker face. His reaction was enough to prompt Stan to question it.

He was forced to admit the truth. Stan was baffled. Utterly lost. Seemingly a little unsettled.

“Your neighbor sent you a sex toy?” 

Kyle groaned. “Yes, he did, but it’s Kenny’s fault!”

“Probably!” Kenny agreed. 

“How is it Kenny’s fault?” 

“Because he was the one who started saying that his mail looked like a dildo!”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“We ended up with Craig’s mail, and he said it looked like a dildo, so I opened it, and it wasn’t, and then I explained it to Craig and he thought it would be funny to send me one.”

“I feel like I’m missing so many parts of this and I don’t know if I want to know them,” Stan said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know how it’s Kenny’s fault that you opened someone else’s mail.”

“He started it!” 

Kenny finally looked up from his magazine. “I didn’t think you’d open it, dude. And I wasn’t there when you spoke to him and said whatever made him send you a thank you gift.”

“I would’ve sent you if I didn’t think you’d pin it entirely on me.”

“I would’ve. I was gonna tell him about how you opened it, unprovoked, and that I was sorry about my kid he’s just a curious lil’ tyke.”

Stan rolled his eyes. “Okay, yeah, I can see how it might’ve been a mutual effort.”

“Either way, he’s an asshole, and I’m not speaking to him,” Kyle announced to the room.

“You should send him a response,” Kenny suggested. “I’ll help you pick.”

“This sounds like a bad idea, dude. I’m not sure you really want to get in some kind of weird, kinky neighborly feud with the guy,” Stan advised.

“It’s not a feud,” Kyle huffed.

“But it is kinky!” 

Kyle glared at his housemate. 

“I’m just saying. It’s kinda weird.”

“Thanks for your input, Stan. You can sit there while Kenny and I pick what to send our asshole neighbor.”

Kenny grinned as Kyle whipped out his phone and settled down on the couch next to him. “Bring up that site he used, do you remember where it was from?”

Kenny’s unsurprisingly vast knowledge on toys was a godsend in this moment. Stan was next to them with a smile on his face and a strained laugh at the conversation while Kenny talked Kyle through his options, and Kyle’s insistence early on that they should probably set a spending limit.

“Here,” Kyle finally settled on an option, egg shaped product staring him in the face. “These are cheap, and dumb looking?”

“Classic, you can’t go wrong with a Tenga egg. Though the fact that he sent you a dildo makes me wonder if that’s a sign he’s a receiver rather than a pitcher.”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Stan drawled. 

Kenny’s face lit up. “Didn’t he add a note? Like a gift message?”

“Kenny, no.” 

“Kenny yes."

Stan loosened up enough to help them word a sentence, Kyle protesting the whole way as Kenny tried to come up with various puns – which Stan had to correct – to slip into the gift message. The pair of them used it to mercilessly rip on Kyle for the rest of the night.

It was a few days before Kyle saw Craig again. Two doors down on the opposite side, him arriving as Kyle was going. He had to steel himself to look him in the eyes as Craig’s lips twitched upwards and he lingered in his doorway, leaning against the frame as he addressed Kyle.

“I got your gift,” he drawled in a monotone voice. “I take it that means you got mine.”

“I did. I hope you enjoyed it.”

Craig’s smirk widened as his eyes crinkled at the corners. “You really wanna start this war?”

“I haven’t started anything. You started it.”

Craig scoffed. “I was being nice. You deserved a thank you present for so kindly delivering my mail, and you seemed so curious.”

The question flashed in his mind again, if that meant it was confirmation that Craig’s choice in gift had been  his choice.  Not that he had any intention of asking.

“You seemed pretty curious still, in your little gift note.”

Kyle scoffed despite the heat creeping up his neck. “Don’t flatter yourself. Kenny wrote it.”

“Do you blame everything on Kenny?”

“Everything that’s his fault, yes.” 

Craig smirked as he finally opened his door, eyes never leaving Kyle’s face. “Whatever you say.”

Kyle waited for the door to close before he let out a shuddering breath and turned back inside his home, deciding that he really needed a drink before he went anywhere to try and cool himself down. Craig was...

Craig was a lot.

--

Two dildos. An obscenely realistic flesh light. Something that he was pretty sure was supposed to be an anal expander that he did not want to touch with a ten-foot pole. A candle with skin safe wax. Those were just the things that he’d received, never mind the shit he’d sent.

Stan was around for the candle. It was the most recent acquisition. Kyle was half way through opening the parcel when the door went again and Kenny answered it, letting Stan into the room with a wide smile as he gestured to where Kyle was by the shelf that now hung against the wall at the back of their living room.

He recoiled instantly. “Why the fuck do you guys have a shelf full of – are those sex toys – wait, is this to do with your neighbor?”

The disapproval at the end of his sentence promised how well this conversation was going to go. 

“Sort of.”

Kenny scoffed at Kyle’s response. “It has everything to do with our neighbor. They’re like, pen pals. But sexy pen pals.”

“Pen pals write each other letters,” Kyle argued. “We don’t write each other letters.”

“I hate this,” Stan said. “I hate this so much – why do you have them on display?”

“That was Kenny’s idea.” 

“It was!” Kenny agreed. “Give us both equal access, seeing as I helped.”

“I hope you’re joking.” 

“Mm, maybe.” 

Stan watched as Kyle moved to the shelf with a candle in his hands, positioning it between the two dildos under Kenny’s instruction. He watched with a dropped jaw and a scrunched brow, Kyle waiting till he was finished before he decided he was going to grace his best friend with any attention.

“So,” Kyle finally turned to Stan. “What do you want to order for dinner?”

“I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

“That’s fine, Kenny and I can pick-?”  

“No way are you getting out of this so easily.”

“You were there when I ordered the first one.”

“Yeah, the first one, this is – more than one!”

“He didn’t want to let it rest.”

“You could be the bigger man, for once.”

“I’d rather win.”

“Kenny, I can’t believe you’re encouraging this. This is so unhealthy!” Stan turned to the blonde. Kyle rolled his eyes.

“It’s a little unhealthy, but it’s a lot funny.”

Stan pressed his hand to his nose. “After your lecture about how  my  relationship was unhealthy, I can’t believe you’re gonna let Kyle get away with it.” 

Kenny sniggered. “Oh, I see, you’re upset that it’s not fair, not because you’re worried-?”

“Hang on!” Kyle cut Kenny off with fury in his voice. “That’s totally different, Stan! Kenny had a go at you because you and Wendy were the most hot and cold couple in the county! But you were dating, I’m not dating Craig.”

Stan gestured at the shelf. “This? This is flirting.”

“It is not.”

“It so is.”

“Ladies!” Kenny held up his hands. “You’re both beautiful! Let’s not start fighting over this, okay? We don’t want to rush Kyle, Stan. You know what he’s like.”

“It’s not flirting! I’m not interested in Craig!” Kyle denied, stomping over to grab the discarded contents of the package for the bin. “He has the personality of a brick wall!”

“You can want to bone someone without wanting to date them.”

“Fuck off, Kenny!” 

The conversation made little progress from there. Mostly because Kyle left the room. When he returned Kenny had already brought up takeout options on his phone, summoning Kyle over to help them decide. He certainly had no intention of bringing it up again.

--

Kenny was on a late shift, leaving Kyle with the apartment to himself for the evening. He took advantage, sprawling across the couch, having readymade food with too much cheese as no one was there to make him cook, or cook for him.

He planned on having a long, scolding hot shower. Set up his phone to play music, drowning out the outside. Set the shower running and left his clothes in his room.

He passed it on the way back to the shower. The shelf, holding the toys he’d received. It caught the corner of his eyes. He moved over to inspect it while he waited for the shower to warm up.

It was blue. A ribbed pattern along the length, a button, and a suction cup at the base. It looked a little pricier than some of the others. A little more intimidating.

He picked it up, tugging at the suction cup, and a thought passed through his brain.

I wonder if it would hold to the shower tiles? 

He promptly put it back on the shelf. He wasn’t going to start using the toys. Sure, he suspected Kenny had, because Kenny had made a joke about it, and the skin safe candle wick had very clearly been lit, but that was different. That was Kenny. 

He headed back to the bathroom. He checked the water, to confirm it was hot enough. He looked at the black tiles that lined the wall.

He went back into the living room and returned with the toy.

It seemed to hold. He positioned it, staring at it as the water hit the tip, protruding comically from the wall. It was funny.

Yet, he still found himself shuffling his weight about, a temptation burning that was not so humorous.

Kenny wasn’t in. He’d be out for a few hours yet. Kyle did plan on taking a long shower.

He washed like normal, his hip bumping against the toy occasionally, waiting for decision to be made. He’d need to shift it a little, move it down just a touch. It was...

He could feel himself losing the battle. 

He pressed down on the half-mast erection between his legs, soap making his hand glide insufferably. Was it really that bad to use it? It wasn’t like anyone would know, except maybe Kenny, given that it would have vanished from the shelf. And Kenny had no right to judge him for it. He’d done exactly the same thing.

He reached out, pressing the button that was hidden at the base, and nearly choked when it entirely unsurprisingly started to vibrate.

The burning curiosity only got stronger.

The hand that had been pressed between his legs moved. Shifted behind him, creeping between his cheeks towards the hole that was begging out for something to fill it.

He rested his head against the wall he’d attached the toy to, arm providing a pillow as he stretched himself out. He didn’t take his eyes off the buzzing toy as he tried to gauge how much preparation he needed. How little he could get away with.

The scolding water was making it all the more insufferable, making him feel like he was boiling from the inside and the outside, but he made no effort to turn it down.

The sound of his panting was drowned out by the sound of the running shower and the music playing from his phone, heavy beats filling the air. He finally turned round once the dull ache of pain seemed to subside, leaving him just with a dull ache for pleasure. Adjusting the position wasn’t too difficult, though he was left with the question of where to place his hands.

He reached out for the glass plane next to him with his right hand, left hand guiding the toy to his entrance, biting down on his lip as he pressed back. The low grunt he gave blended in with the background beats, letting him lose himself in his own world.

He paused long enough to pump a hand across the length he was about to take, hoping the soap would help ease the stinging heat. When he decided he’d done everything he could, he reached out to the tiles on the left, and sank back.

The sensation was familiar enough to be comfortable, and foreign enough to be strange. The vibrations seemed so much stronger when he was wrapped round them so intimately, echoing round his body with the pleasure they stimulated. The water cascading down around him, caressing his skin as he moved back and forth. He hoped his legs would manage to hold him up for the whole time.

As the initial discomfort subsided he was left wanting more, and this position just wasn’t providing it.

He leant forward, left hand pressing against the glass plane in front of him, bending down to allow the shower to rain down against his back, right hand seeking anything to grasp onto something. He found the handle for the shower door.

He moved faster, falling into pace with the music still echoing against the bathroom walls, and he shut his eyes.

It was kind of weird, in the best sort of way, knowing that this was a purchase he hadn’t made. It had been a gift. His neighbor had given him this. Craig had ordered it straight to his house as a joke, and he was fucking himself with it. He humored himself with the idea of telling him. Getting one up on him in their little fight through admitting what he’d done with that joke that Craig had started.

He wondered if any of the things he’d ordered to Craig had been used.

He fell out of sync with the music. He lost sight of it as he pushed back harder, firmer, muscles twitching every time the vibrations hit his prostate, and on one rough push back he found himself staying there, circling his hips as the toy massaged his insides, sending sparks of electricity through every nerve.

He took hold of his neglected cock, struggling to keep himself standing as he brought himself to completion, his orgasm flowing with the water that surrounded him.

On the come down he was left feeling a little sore. Maybe he hadn’t quite given himself the prep he needed. Or maybe it was more just the shame of knowing that he’d masturbated in the shower, with this toy Craig had given him, and may have almost accidentally imagined him a little too intimately at the end.

Once he’d finished cleaning up he took the toy to his room and stashed it somewhere he wouldn’t have to look at it until he was ready to face his actions.

--

Craig was in the hallway when he arrived. He was sat against his door, phone in his hands as he played some mobile game. Kyle considered ignoring him for a moment, but he honestly didn’t want to.

“Hey,” Kyle greeted, getting Craig to look at something other than his phone. “Are you okay?”

“I forgot my keys. I’m waiting for Clyde to get home.”

“Do you want to wait in ours?”

Craig stared at him, unblinking. 

He started to panic. “I mean, it saves you lounging about in the hallway. Kenny’s home I’m pretty sure, so we were just gonna watch TV before he has to go to work.”

“He won’t be long. I don’t wanna like…disrupt your evening.”

“You won’t!” Kyle promised. “Kenny made spaghetti?”

That did get Craig to his feet. 

It was a strange experience to invite him into the apartment. It wasn’t like they’d never spent more than five minutes together, but it didn’t happen often. Most of their interactions were reduced to in passing, speaking to each other briefly. He’d been in Craig’s apartment before; Kenny was friends with Clyde, but Craig had just so happened to be busy whenever he was there, and never made an effort to visit them. Their friendship bordered more on acquaintances than friends sometimes.

He held the door open for Craig, who lingered by the doorway once he was inside. Kyle cleared his throat as he took of his coat and moved to stand beside him, seeing Kenny in the kitchen through the open door, working away.

“Hey, Kenny?” he called out. “We’ve got one extra for food.”

“Huh? Oh! Craig!” Kenny grinned over to them, waving from his place at the counter. “Nice to see you!”

“Sure,” Craig acknowledged with a wave back.

“There’s enough for three, no worries. Excuse the décor. It’s totally Kyle’s fault.”

Kyle snarled through the heat on his cheeks at Kenny’s words. “It was your idea!”

“What décor-oh. Oh, yeah, I see it.”

Kyle groaned as Craig moved over to the shelf and dragged his feet as he joined, nerves bubbling in his chest as he watched Craig’s face go through the motions, torn somewhere between amused and disturbed.

“This is...” Craig’s brows furrowed as he inspected the contents of the shelf. “We’ve spent lot of money, huh?”

“You mean wasted.” 

“I wouldn’t say wasted,” Kenny called.

“No, I think Kyle’s probably right,” Craig muttered. “Some of them weren’t cheap. Where’s that – the blue one, with the ribbing? That one was definitely not cheap and it’s not even in prized place?”

The question was innocent. As innocent as a question about the location of a sex toy could be. It caught him by such surprise he couldn’t even lie his way through an answer. He knew exactly which toy Craig was talking about, and he knew exactly where it was.

Craig’s eyes fell on him to search for an answer, and he clearly got the gist from the look on Kyle’s face. His eyes widened a fraction, and it was the first time that he saw a pink hue take over the olive cheeks.

He honestly didn’t know how to save face in this situation. Craig clearly was equally as lost.

“I think that one’s in my room!” Kenny supplied – blessed, sweet Kenny – voice floating through from the kitchen. “It was worth the price!”

“Oh,” Craig’s voice was a little weak, and his eyes didn’t leave Kyle’s face. “I guess it wasn’t all wasted, then.”

“Exactly!” 

Kyle gave a laugh that sounded way too manic to his own ears as he gestured to the rest of the living room. “Well, make yourself at home! Don’t mind Kenny! He’s just – he's Kenny .”

“Right.” 

“Do you want a drink, or something? I can get you a drink.”

“Yeah, sure, just – whatever's fine. Soda. Water.”

“Cool. Perfect. I’ll get right on that.” 

While he appreciated Kenny’s help, he didn’t appreciate the perverted smirk that spread across the freckled cheeks when Kyle entered the kitchen. He muttered low cursing to himself as he poured three glasses, sliding one across to Kenny with a ‘thank you, asshole ’ . He did appreciate the fact that Kenny didn’t say anything else.

By the time he got back through to the living room Craig had settled himself on the couch, accepting the drink with a wobbly smile. Kyle turned on their TV, explaining that he and Kenny had already picked out some trash show to watch before Kenny went to work. Craig didn’t seem to mind.

He did pick apart Kyle and Kenny’s watch list while they waited for Kenny to be finished cooking dinner. It might’ve been mocking him, but at least Craig was doing well at easing the tension between them.

Clyde texted Craig five minutes before the first episode of their show finished, and the food plates were empty on the coffee table. Craig didn’t waste time in leaving, thanking Kenny for the food and thanking Kyle for the invite. Kyle walked him to the door.

When Craig was gone and the door was shut, Kyle pressed his back to it as he stared up at the ceiling and said a silent prayer for his sanity.

Kenny didn’t help. 

“You should probably put the toys back when you’re done with them, if you don’t want it to be suspicious.”

“I’m not putting it back!” Kyle hissed, not bothering to defend himself. “It’s been used!”

“So?” 

“So that’s gross, dude!” 

“Not if you wash it properly,” Kenny said as he leant over the back of the sofa. “I can show you how?”

“Not happening.” 

“It’ll be fun! A bonding experience.” 

“We’re not bonding over proper silicone care. I know how to clean a sex toy.”

“If you’re so sure of yourself, why haven’t you put it back yet?”

They ended up bonding over proper silicone care. Kyle wasn’t sure he ever expected to be in a situation where he and Kenny would be stood next to each other over the bathroom sink, hands wrapped round a silicone toy which was suction cupped to the sink.

--

It would be the biggest mistake he’d ever make in his life.

There was no doubt in his mind. He could never, ever, possibly do anything so stupid again. Kenny called his name when he returned from work with a parcel in his hands, having caught the mail when he finished his nightshift. Kyle approached him with a thank you, taking the parcel and intending on heading to his room.

Kenny didn’t ask if it was a parcel from Craig. Kyle didn’t need prompting for telling Kenny when it was something he wasn’t expecting. He probably just trusted Kyle to tell him.

He took it to his room to open. He was glad that Kenny hadn’t reached his bedroom yet when Kyle threw the door open with his heart in his throat and dread in his stomach.

“Kenny!” 

Kenny raised his brows, hands on his cheeks after rubbing his eyes, frozen to the spot.

“Oh my god, Kenny, you have to help me!” 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I-? I can’t tell you,” Kyle announced. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Woah, woah, dude,” Kenny put his foot in the door before Kyle managed to close it, brows crinkled as he scanned Kyle’s face. “Calm down a second, yeah?”

“I can’t, I have – I have to fix this.” 

“Are you sure you can’t tell me what’s wrong?”

He caved. He took Kenny to the parcel, showing a borderline comical toy; long tube with lips at the opening that had cost him just over ten bucks. He’d become very aware of the drain on his bank account after Craig had pointed out that wow, they really did spend more than they possibly should on these things.

“Okay,” Kenny looked from the parcel to Kyle. “I see the toy. The problem is...?”

“This isn’t what I ordered.” 

The biggest mistake he’d ever make in his life.

As Kenny’s eyes widened and he began to fill in the blanks as Kyle began to ramble. “If I have this, then that means that Craig has what I ordered for myself, which cost me eighty dollars, Kenny, I can’t – I can’t just reorder it! I can’t afford that! What’s he going to think when it arrives and he finds out I’ve spent that much! He’ll know!”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, Kyle, but I think at this point in your relationship, he’s probably already wondered if what you order him is what you order yourself.”

“Oh my god,” Kyle acted on reflex, landing a solid punch into Kenny’s arm. “Would you take this seriously?!”

“I am!” he defended, taking a step back and rubbing the spot Kyle’s fisted had connected with. “C’mon, dude, are you telling me you’ve never wondered if the shit he sends isn’t what he’s into?”

“No!” 

“You big liar.” 

“It doesn’t matter! It was eighty dollars, Kenny!”

“Maybe you could ask for it back? Or, we could bribe Clyde into fielding Craig’s mail to us?”

“I don’t want Clyde to know, he’ll probably tell Craig! And I don’t want Craig to know, either!”

“Why? What the hell did you order that you’re that embarrassed about it?”

“It’s not that it’s like, anything embarrassing! It’s just a blow job simulator, but – how awkward is that conversation going to be? And then he’ll know!”

“He already knows you use the shit he sends you. I mean, sure, I said it was my fault, but did he really believe that?”

“Kenny you are absolutely zero help and you need to go to bed before I punch you again.”

Kenny held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll be helpful, I’m sorry. Maybe – maybe I could ask for it, like, say that it was for me?”

Kyle grimaced. “No, if he didn’t believe that you were the one who used that blue toy, there’s no way he’d buy that I ordered it for you.”

Kenny clicked his fingers. “We steal it back then!”

“We steal it back?”

“Clyde was telling me about how he wants to have a party this weekend. All we have to do is crash his party, get into Craig’s room, and then find it before he realizes we’re in there.”

“This is a terrible idea.”

“The alternative is that you suffer for the second-best option of toy, and accept that your eighty-dollar purchase is lost to the depths of their apartment forever.

Kyle would not accept that.

--

Getting into their party was easy. It was easy considering on the day, twenty minutes before they planned to crash, Clyde knocked on their door and invited them round, looking a little flushed in the cheeks with a grin on his face, Craig behind him trying to drag him back to their apartment.

“Kyle!” Clyde gushed as soon as he opened the door. “Kyle, Kyle, you gotta come round, okay? We’re having a party, and Craig-?”

“Hey!” Craig snapped. “Don’t - I’m sorry about him. He started drinking at like, noon, and so he’s pretty wasted. He wanted to pre-drink for like six hours.”

Kyle forced a smile onto his face as his brain latched onto the opportunity. “I don’t mind. We’d be happy to come round, if the invites serious. Kenny was just saying how he was bored with nothing to do.”

Clyde gave a loud whoop as he stumbled back into Craig’s arms with a grin on his face. “See?! See, I told you, bro! I said, hey man, they’d kill to come hang out with us! But no, you just had to be a Negative Nancy-?” 

“What are you, fucking twelve? Go home.”

Kyle was thankful that he’d at least already styled his hair and worn the hoodie with the biggest pocket he owned, with the knowledge that at some point that evening he and Kenny were planning on sneaking in anyway. Kenny was quick to join them, wrapping both arms round Clyde with laughter filling the hallway as he dragged the brunette back to his apartment.

Craig turned to Kyle with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I – I tried to stop him.”

“Are you saying you don’t want us to visit you?” 

“No, I guess I was just being a Negative Nancy about it. I didn’t expect you to agree.”

Kyle shut his door, leaving the two of them stood in the hallway. “Well, I did. So now its your turn to invite me in.”

The place was pretty crowded. He reunited with Kenny quickly enough, Craig disappearing to find his roommate. They wandered to lean against a wall, observing the room and the friends that Clyde had invited.

“Now we just have to figure out which one is his room,” Kenny advised, not taking his eyes off the room. “It’s the same layout as ours, at least.”

“Do you think someone will notice?”

“Not if we’re stealthy.”

The party had been going on long enough that at least no one seemed to notice when Kenny poked his head into one of the rooms, opening the door and surveying the posters that lined the walls. They decided pretty quickly that it was Clyde’s room, not Craig’s.

“I can’t see Craig having that many naked women on his walls.”

“It’s like a teenager’s room.” 

“That’s the bachelor’s pad – shit, Craig’s coming.”

Kyle looked over, seeing the very man they were trying to sneak around heading in their direction.

“I’ll handle this. Act fast.” 

Kenny stepped forward, wide smile on his face as he bounded over to where Craig was, patting him on the arm as he began to chatter, angling them so that Craig was facing away from Kyle. Kyle didn’t bother to be too sneaky, choosing speed instead as he grabbed the door for the second bedroom, stepping inside and closing it quickly.

Craig’s room was distinctly  not Clyde’s . The floor was tidy, and all the drawers were shut. The only thing on the walls was a framed movie poster, an astronaut looking out across at the sun rising across the earth’s horizon. The bedsheets plain and blue. The furniture black.

He went for the bedside table first; an obvious choice to store sex toys. He riffled through them, finding underwear and belts, before getting on his knees and looking under the bed properly.

And then the door opened.

He looked up with wide eyes, seeing a lithe woman in the doorway with strawberry blonde hair. She shut the door behind her, folding her arms across her chest, and addressed him curtly with narrowed, piercing eyes.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Kyle, I live across the hall,” he introduced as calmly as he possibly could. “I left something here last time I visited.”

It took her a few moments to respond, but she didn’t hold back. “Are you the one who’s been buying my brother all those sex toys?”

“Please don’t tell him I’m here.”

A delighted smile took over her face. “Oh, trust me. I will.”

“Please,” Kyle begged as he dropped his calm act completely. “I just need to get something back, I’m not doing anything shady, I promise.”

“Hmm,” she pressed a finger to her lips. “I can see it’s something that’s important to you...”

“It really is.” 

“So, let’s talk about how important it is.”

Kyle paused, completely lost.

Lost, until a wicked grin lit up her face. “How important is my silence worth?”

“You...are you blackmailing me?”

“Yes, I am. Seeing as you and my brother have so much disposable income to throw at each other, I’m sure whatever’s in your wallet right now is enough to cover the cost of my silence. I won’t speak a peep, let you keep sniffing round his underwear, and he’ll be none the wiser.”

“You’re kidding me?”

She pointed to the door with wide, innocent eyes. “He’s just out there, you know? Talking to that blonde. I could call him in here.”

“No!” 

She brought her hand back towards her, brows raising. 

“I’ll...give you money. Just please don’t rat on me.”

She sat on the edge of the bed with a bounce, satisfaction written all over her face. “I won’t, I promise. What are you even doing?”

“I-I ordered something to him that I was meant to order to our’s.”

“Oh,” she gestured towards his wardrobe. “Box on the top shelf.”

He headed to the wardrobe, pulling it open to see she was right that there was a box on the top shelf. He pulled it down and hesitated. There was something kind of creepy about opening this box of Craig’s private items in front of someone who had introduced herself as Craig’s sister.

“I’ll leave as soon as I get my money. I’ll even make sure he’s still distracted.”

She kept her word, disappearing as soon as she had her hands on the twenty dollars he kept in his wallet. When he was alone and he opened the box, he found his most recent purchase sat on top, blowmotion logo on the side, and stuffed it in the pocket of his hoodie.

Before he put it back he also discovered that Kenny had been right; that first toy that started this whole mess? It was the same one that Craig already owned.

--

The next time he passed Craig in the hallway, the greeting was brief. Briefer than normal. Normally Craig paused to mock and tease him, pulling forth any reaction he could. Kyle wasn’t going to let him go that easily.

“Hey.”

Craig stopped at his door, where he was about to put his keys in the lock, turning to glance at Kyle over his shoulder.

“Thanks for the invite the other day, to your party? I’m sorry I couldn’t stay long, but I did appreciate it.”

“It’s fine,” Craig answered with a shrug. “It was kind of short notice.”

“It was nice to see your flat this time.”

“I know the decoration choice isn’t as entertaining as yours.” 

Kyle scoffed. Craig was speaking again before he had a chance to come up with a response.

“A word of advice? Don’t trust my sister. I don’t know why she was blackmailing you, but I do know you paid for her silence.”

That sleazy rat.

“I hope she didn’t scare you off? Like, if that’s why you left early, or…?”

“No, no!” Kyle insisted. “She didn’t. I mean, she’s pretty intimidating, but she didn’t scare me off.”

Craig finally lowered his keys, leaning against the door with a lopsided smile. “It’s okay, I won’t think less of you. Clyde’s pretty terrified of her.”

“I can’t blame him. What were you having a party for?”

They ended up staying in the hallway for some time chatting. It was possibly the most that Kyle had ever spoken to Craig in one go. They didn’t part ways until another neighbor had to pass between them to head down the hallway.

It left him feeling light, with a wide smile on his face as he greeted Kenny.

The next time he and Craig finished work at a similar time, he kept Craig in the hallway again. And again. And again.

--

“So.” 

The way Stan said the word made Kyle want to flee the room. He sat down next to Kyle on the couch, propping his head up on his arm against the back of the couch, angling himself towards Kyle. It sent him on the defensive immediately.

“Kenny tells me that you’ve been having half hour long hallway chats with your neighbor.”

“Kenny exaggerates.”

“Mm, not that much.”

“Yes, that much.” 

Kenny arrived with plates for the takeout that Stan had brought with him, placing them on the table, and pausing when he saw the death glare he was receiving from Kyle.

“He’s just looking out for you, Kyle.”

“No, you’re both gossiping about me, and you shouldn’t take it so seriously.”

Kenny’s lips pulled down. “Stan, dude, I told you not to bring it up.”

“I’m just pushing him in the right direction.”

“You’ve known him long enough to know he’s only going to dig his heels in if he feels like someone’s telling him to do something.”

“What are you two talking about?”

The pair exchanged a look. Kenny spoke first, pointing a finger straight at Stan. “He asked if you were dating yet.”

Kyle felt heat hit his face full force, wide eyes snapping to Stan, who held his hands up in the air.

“I wasn’t gossiping.” 

“You so were,” Kenny argued.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kyle insisted as he started to pull out his meal. “We’re not dating.”

The silence he was met with was insufferable. Neither of them made a move for their food.

“What?” 

“You just…normally would be more upset.”

“Be happy I’m not, dude. I’m just…I have no plans to date him. I’m happy with him being my neighbor across the hall who I chat with. Is that so bad?”

“Are you admitting you do like him?”

He shrugged it off. 

“Jesus, dude, you admit you like him, but you don’t want to do anything about it?”

“Pretty much,” Kyle admitted. “It’s fine how it is. We talk, and it’s nice, and there’s no pressure. If I asked him out I’d have to like, plan something, and dates are expensive, and right now I just can’t.”

“Hang on a sec,” Stan held up a hand to stop him, deep, disapproving scowl on his face. “You’re telling me that you don’t want to ask him on a date because you can’t afford to?”

“It’s more than that!” Kyle defended. “Like, what if he doesn’t actually want to date me? How weird would it be to find out the neighbor you’ve been exchanging sex toys with is romantically interested in you? So weird! That would be so creepy! I don’t want to do that to him!”

“Dude. You  cannot  tell me he’s not interested. The guy has literally spent obscene amounts of money on buying you sex toys? This is the stupidest form of foreplay I have ever seen in my life!” 

“Hey!” Kenny bit out. “Take that back, Stanley. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed their foreplay.”

“At least one of you has been getting use out of them.”

“Okay, fine, it’s mostly the money, but the other thing plays a part too! You can’t say for absolute certainty that he does like me the same way.”

“I can’t believe this,” Stan muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “That is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I’m sure there’s been worse.” 

“No. No, I honestly don’t think there has been.”

Kyle huffed out. “Fine, okay, it’s stupid, I’m a moron, I’m sorry.”

“I will  give you  money to pay for a date with this guy. Please, just ask him out. I’m begging you.”

Kenny scoffed as he pulled his own food out from the bag. “I don’t know why you think you need to go out out, you’ve been buying each other gifts for weeks; you’ve got plenty to keep you occupied.”

“I’m not – I'm not inviting him round for casual sex, that’s - Stan, tell him.”

The response was an unhelpful shrug. 

“Stan!” 

“It’s probably better than what you’re currently doing.”

“Ha!” Kenny crowed as he brandished his fork in Kyle’s direction. “Stan’s on my side this time!”

Stan had to break up the childish argument that broke out between the roommates, Kenny sniggering away as he gloated about his victory as Kyle got very close at throwing spoonful's of rice in Kenny’s direction.

--

It sat with him. Stan’s argument that he should ask Craig out. The absolute certainty in Stan’s eyes when he said that Craig most definitely was interested in him. Like there wasn’t a drop of doubt in the statement. It was pretty rare for someone with a pessimistic streak that bordered on crippling.

He thought about it while he was chatting with Craig in the hallway, admiring the way he leant against the doorframe with such a casual aura about him. Hooded jackets with sleeves pushed up to show of the tattoo on his forearm; constellations painted into his skin around a rocket ship, geometric lines creating patterns.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold a conversation with him. Craig accused him more than once of needing to get his hearing checked.

He was perfectly fine with things the way that they had been. Then Stan had to come along and ruin it.

He admired the way his facial expressions shifted and twitched, what was once a very standoffish man having become more comfortable. More expressive, more conversational. It left Kyle wondering if the intimidating aura he had was less due to being unpleasant and more due to being shy.

He admired the way he looked when he laughed at something Kyle said, a flash of white teeth, crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Those were some of his proudest moments. When he pulled that low chuckle or nasally laugh out of him.

“Hey, are you listening?” 

Kyle jumped out his skin, focusing in on the man he was daydreaming at. He had a brow raised, a smirk across his face, and Kyle prepared himself for the torment.

“What’s been up with you lately?” 

The question caught him off guard. “What do you mean?”

“You keep drifting off while I’m talking. Am I starting to bore you?”

“No!” Kyle insisted. “You’re not, it’s not that. I’ve just...had a lot on my mind?”

The smirk on his face faded. His eyes shifted away as he asked his next question. “Do you wanna talk about it, or something? Will it help?”

Would it help? 

He was slowly losing his mind, continuing like this. He pinned the blame wholly on Stan for bringing it up in the first place. The best intentions be damned. Maybe...

“I was wondering…” Kyle started, feeling his heart beat heavy against it’s cage as he tried to summon his courage. “If you wanted to come round one night for a movie or something?”

“Oh,” Craig glanced behind him to the door for a split second. “Is Kenny cooking again?”

“I was thinking it just being me and you. I’d ask you out somewhere fancy, but I’m kind of really broke right now, because of you, so you’ll just have to settle for dinner at my place.”

A smirk started to spread across Craig’s face, teeth flashing. “It’s not my fault. You started it.”

“I didn’t! You sent the first one!” 

“You opened my mail.” 

Kyle resisted the urge to stomp his feet. “Do you want to come round or not? I can un-invite you.”

Craig laughed. “I do want to. When were you thinking?”

“Sometime this week, maybe? When are your days off?”

“Uh, yesterday and tomorrow, so next week might be better. Tomorrow’s kind of short notice – not that I wouldn’t be willing to do tomorrow, but I’m not offended if you want more time.”

“I don’t need more time. Tomorrow’s fine! Really.”

“Okay,” Craig nodded, smile breaking out across his face as he folded his arms across his chest. “Tomorrow it is.”

Kyle licked his lips. He could feel his toes curling in his shoes. “Tomorrow. I best go make sure I’ve got stuff in the fridge, to make dinner. Not long to prepare.”

“What time’s best?” 

“Seven?” 

“Perfect.” 

“I’ll see you then?”

Craig nodded and stayed there as Kyle disappeared into his apartment, still smiling after Kyle as the redhead glanced over before the door shut completely.

He set on Kenny as soon as the door was shut.

"Kenny?!” he shouted out, rushing into the living room as he looked around. “Kenny, I need you out the apartment tomorrow evening! Are you at work?”

Kenny appeared from his bedroom with a scowl on his face. “Yes? Why?”

“Craig’s coming round. What’s in the fridge? Shit, I should’ve taken his offer to do next week instead.”

He was glad that at least Kenny spent time helping calm him down and pick out what he should make for dinner, rather than mocking him for his life choices. It left him confident enough that the next night would go well.

--

Craig was punctual. Knocked on the door right on time, with a box of four beers in his hand, offering it forward with a close lipped smile and raised brows. Despite the timid approach, Kyle thought his heart was going to explode.

“Thanks,” he took the box and stepped back to open the door fully. “I appreciate it.”

"I figured it was a good call, seeing as it was pretty short notice.”

“Dinner’s nearly ready,” Kyle glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen, where pots and pans were set across the stove steaming. “So you can pick the movie while I finish it up if you want?”

“Trusting me with it?” 

“After you tore my watch list to shreds last time?”

Craig’s shoulders shook as he held back his laughter.

“I’ll be back in a second.”

He picked a comedy horror. Kyle plated their food and set it down on the coffee table, apologizing that they didn’t have a dining table. Craig brushed it off like no big deal.

The nerves that had been bubbling in his stomach left shortly enough. They were silent through most of their food, but Kyle credited that to the fact that Craig ate too fast to really have time to speak. When he finished it was with a compliment to Kyle’s cooking, who thanked the heavens that Kenny had left him written instructions.

By the time Kyle’s plate had joined Craig’s on the coffee table, they were at the half way point in the movie. It left Craig with a lot more time to make fun of Kyle at any points where he jumped at a cheap scare, and them both to give morbid laughter at unnecessary gore that played out in high definition.

It wasn’t exactly intentional to end up with his knee brushing against Craig’s thigh, but he didn’t move when it happened. He left it there, ankle tucked under his other leg, body shifted an inch towards Craig.

When Craig’s hand set on top of the knee invading his personal space, Kyle’s muscles relaxed into the position fully. He glanced over to check Craig’s expression; was he comfortable? Did he look like he was enjoying himself? Was Kyle doing okay?

His eyes met the silvery grey that were already looking at him. Craig held his gaze for the briefest moment before he turned back to the screen ahead.

“I can’t believe you were so harsh on my tastes,” Kyle declared as the credits began to roll. “You’re no better.”

“I thought you might like something simple and easy to follow. Didn’t want to lose you somewhere in the first ten minutes.”

Kyle scoffed as he nudged his knee into Craig’s thigh further. “Dick.”

“Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?”

He bit down on his smile and narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t about to lie, but he sure as hell didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of winning.

He didn’t need to say anything. A wide grin split across Craig’s face as he leant in. “See? Trust me. I’ve seen the trash you watch. I can pick movies for you now.”

Their low bickering dissolved into a conversation about the movie they’d seen, highlighting their favorite and least favorite parts. The hand that was on his knee never left. Fingers absent-mindedly traced patterns into the fabric of his jeans while Craig listened to him speak, laughing at the most appropriate – and inappropriate – parts.

It left him feeling like he was floating in the clouds. Off in another world. Not here, in his apartment, because he couldn’t afford a restaurant.

“I hope this is okay,” Kyle muttered once there was a lull in conversation. “That you came here instead of going out somewhere.”

“It’s fine. I’ve really enjoyed it. After you mentioned about how you couldn’t afford something else, I was trying to figure out if I could take you out, but...I guess you were right when you said we’d wasted a lot of money.”

Kyle laughed. “Kenny disagrees.” 

“At least someone’s enjoyed it then.”

“Are you telling me you haven’t?” 

He didn’t mean to ask it. Craig could probably tell, given the fact he felt his cheeks began to warm as soon as the words left his lips. He intended to make fun of him, but it ended up just sounding...

“I have,” Craig confessed. Kyle felt a shiver go up his spine as he ducked closer, looking up at Kyle with a smirk. “Are you telling me Kenny’s the one who’s been enjoying it?”

It was said so quiet that Kyle felt like they were exchanging some tightly kept secret. “He has been. He’s just – not the only one.”

Craig chuckled in a way that made Kyle want to move closer. “Finally going to stop pinning it on someone else?”

“Shut up.” 

“Make me.” 

He did. He thanked the heavens for the invitation.

It felt like finally giving in to a slow burning need that had been building in his gut for weeks. Something languid and slow as their lips met and Kyle shifted to fully face Craig. It was something he’d thought about. More than once, in various stages of innocence. To finally have it here, in his grasp?

He gave a stuttering breath out as Craig’s tongue grazed along his bottom lip and he allowed the other man to deepen the kiss. The relief in his brain met the energy in his muscles in bliss.

Just when he thought the kiss was going to end, lips parting for a moment as he prepared to compose himself, Craig shifted. He pulled his knees up onto the couch and leant forward. He sealed their lips together again as he continued to lean forward. Kyle realized he was being pushed back.

The languid pace shifted. It was like Craig has struck a match. He pressed Kyle down into the couch and the redhead made zero attempt to slow him down. He revelled in the feeling of being desired as Craig’s hands began to come into play.

He was left breathless, Craig on his knees as he shuffled his way between Kyle’s legs. It gave him freedom of both hands; grasping Kyle’s neck as his thumbs brushed against Kyle’s jaw, before they dipped down. Traced the shape of his collarbone. Gripped his shoulders.

Kyle had to mentally scold himself for just lying there, being kissed senseless, and forced himself into action.

He raised his knees and used his heels to pull Craig closer. He ran his hands through the dark hair, breaking it out of the product that was holding it in place. He wasn’t expecting for just a kiss from Craig to leave him with a discomfort in his pants. With such a coil wrapped up in his insides, waiting for attention.

Stan had been right. They had just been engaging in the stupidest form of foreplay. It had gone on far too long. He was so riled up.

When the kiss ended Kyle was left breathless as he lay on his back with Craig hovering above him. He continued to play with the strands of black hair. Despite the fact that he no longer looked so well polished, Craig still managed to look like the most attractive thing that Kyle had ever seen.

“I should really…leave,” Craig mumbled, though he made no effort to put space between them.

“You don’t have to.” 

“I do if I want to calm down,” he admitted. “What I want to do right now isn’t first date appropriate.”

Kyle felt a rush of excitement spread through his bloodstream. “What is it you want to do?”

Craig knocked their noses together, and Kyle found himself trapped in stormy eyes as he spoke. “I want to take you to your room and fuck you, honestly.”

“We can do that.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Please, yes.” 

The smile that crept across Craig’s face filled Kyle with a certainty that this was absolutely what he wanted to do. He reached out again, pulling Craig in for another searing kiss as he tried to get across just how okay he was with the suggestion. He seemed to get the message.

Craig pulled him to his feet and spun him towards the bedroom doors and Kyle lead the way to his room, mentally checking to see if he remembered the state he’d left it in.

He didn’t have much time to think about it once the door was open. He laughed as Craig guided him by the hips straight to the bed, spinning at the last second so that when he reached the edge he landed on his back. Craig set on him second later, calming the impatience thrumming in Kyle as it always did.

He wanted to feel every edge and curve of Craig. Wanted to have it without all the clothes in the way.

He started on the buttons of Craig’s shirt, exposing his chest and stomach to the air as Craig pushed his t-shirt half way up his torso before he broke the kiss long enough to tear it off Kyle’s body. When he descended again it wasn’t for a kiss. At least, not on Kyle’s lips.

His tongue brushed against Kyle’s jaw. Lips dotting kisses down his neck. Pressing down, teasing the skin. When he caught an especially sensitive spot Kyle twitched. Craig latched onto the small movement and sucked down on the skin.

He bucked his hips in reflex, groaning out as his eyes fluttered shut at the assault on his neck combined with the friction against his groin. Craig responded in kind, grinding down against him to keep the feeling going.

His throat felt too dry. His skin too warm. His relief too lacking. 

He finally summoned enough concentration to push Craig away and spoke curtly.

“Strip.” 

Craig didn’t argue. He stepped back off the bed, pulling the button up off his shoulders and dropping it on the floor before making quick work of his pants and underwear in one swift action. If Kyle thought he was parched before, he had no idea of the meaning of the word.

He didn’t have much time to lay back and admire the sight. Craig took hold of the buttons on his jeans and popped them open, wicked smirk on his face as he shuffled the fabric down Kyle’s legs. Kyle lifted his hips with a brief laugh, unable to keep the joy contained.

He shuffled his way up the bed till his head was against the pillows. Craig waited to be summoned. Kyle instead pointed towards his bedside table.

“Second drawer. Get the lube out.” 

He did as he was told, crouching down next to the bed as he fished through. Kyle waited as patiently as he could.

Before he had a chance to ask how hard it was to find a single bottle, Craig was scowling into the drawer.

“Wait, isn’t this...?” 

Kyle’s eyes widened as Craig withdrew an item from the drawer.

“You ordered me one of these. And then it went missing.”

“Uh, yeah,” he admitted, realizing there was no way out. “I got so used to ordering things to you, that I accidentally ordered something I wanted to you. So I snuck into your room to get it back.”

Craig raised his brows. 

“It’s what your sister was blackmailing me for.” 

“I was so annoyed when it went missing. It…was one of my favorites that you got me.”

“You used it?” 

Craig nodded. Kyle thought his nerves were about to set on fire.

“I-I haven’t,” Kyle admitted. “After I got it back I kind of felt too awkward to.”

A smirk touched the corners of Craig’s face as he placed the toy on the bed next to Kyle before he reached back into the drawer for the lube. The redhead shifted as his eyes flittered from the toy to Craig, trying to find the words for the question he wanted to ask.

“Move onto your front,” Craig instructed. “Make sure you can keep one hand free.”

“Why...?” 

“Because you’re going to need to operate this,” he picked up the blowmotion toy and tossed it to Kyle. “I’ll talk you through it.”

Kyle moved onto his knees, sitting up as he waited for Craig to slid up behind him. He picked up the tube that he’d spent way too much money on considering he’d then never used it.

Though, someone had, so it wasn’t a total waste till now.

“Is it worth the money?” Kyle asked, straining his head to look at Craig who settled behind him.

“I think so. I used it more than once.” 

“You only had it for like, a day and a half.”

“That’s why I think it’s worth the money.”

He felt his erection twitch as his brain filled blank space with images of Craig fucking the sleek, black toy. It was easier to imagine now that he was here, naked, and Kyle knew exactly what that looked like.

Craig’s chin settled on his shoulder, arms wrapping round his waist. Every inch of skin that pressed against Kyle felt like it was going to set him on fire. “Maybe it was more the fact I was thinking of you that made it leave an impact.”

Kyle leant backwards into the touch of the man. “Really?”

“Yeah. I hope that’s not weird.” 

“No,” Kyle shook his head. “I’ve thought of you before, too.”

“Tell me about it.” 

He tried to fight back the embarrassment heating up his face as he spoke. “With that blue toy, with the ribbing.”

“I knew it was you who’d taken it.” 

“It was. I used it in the shower. I wanted to know if it would hold against the wall.”

“Did it?” 

“It did,” Kyle nodded. “It was really nice. I wondered if you used the toys I sent you, too.”

Craig left two kisses against his shoulder before he spoke. “Now you know.”

“I do.” 

“Here,” Craig started to move his hands, reaching to put a drop of lube against the rim of the toy. “Give me your hand.”

Craig showed him the angle to hold it, so he could best press the buttons. He held on to Kyle’s wrist, his free hand finally touching Kyle’s cock as he guided it towards the toy, inserting the length slowly. His words brushed against Kyle’s ear and sent electricity straight down to his spine.

He felt Craig’s length twitch against his lower back. He tilted his head to the side to give Craig more space. He felt a rush of pride when he took it, looking down over Kyle’s shoulder at what he was doing.

“Fuck, you’re hot,” Craig growled out as he gave small, shallow thrusts against the toy. “Are you ready to hold it?”

“I am.” 

“I’m going to start prepping you, and then once you’re ready, turn it on using the button closest to the base, okay?”

He nodded his head, frightened to speak. 

Craig pushed him forward. He gave no resistance, resting his forehead against his arm as he exposed himself. When he felt the cold touch of lube he tensed. He forced his muscles calm again as he felt the first finger push past his ring.

He willed himself to wait out as long as he could. Despite the urge to press the button early, to make his pleasure happen faster, he knew he’d regret it if he did. He waited for two fingers, biting down on his lip to keep his noises inside as Craig’s fingers moved inside of him, pushing his hips, causing the briefest friction of his cock against the soft inside of the toy.

He caved early. He pressed the button, gasping in a breath at the sensation that overcame him.

Craig took it as a sign that he was ready. He pulled his fingers out and it was replaced with the sensation of something bigger. There was a burning sensation that accompanied the feeling of Craig burying his length inside of Kyle that in that moment was intoxicating.

He struggled to keep any kind of comprehensive thought. Craig told him to press a button, and he pressed it. He was instructed through the cycles, wrapped up in pleasure from both sides. He arched his back and gripped the case of his pillow as Craig tore shameful noises from his lips.

He gave little warning as he felt his orgasm reach its boiling point. The coil that had been wrapped up so tightly sprang loose. The rough pound of Craig from behind had him thrusting into the toy whether he wanted to or not. The total lack of control he had was something he wasn’t used to.

It was something he wanted to get used to.

He smothered his face into his pillow in an attempt to at least control his volume. He hated the noises he made. He hated how even here he was too loud.

“Press the button closest to the tip.”

He did as he was told. The buzzing noise increased, and Kyle found himself grateful that Kenny wasn’t home, as the toy was loud enough it could’ve drowned him out.

It was enough to completely push him over the edge. He came into the toy in his hand as Craig continued to fuck him from behind, grasping his hips and pulling him close as he picked up pace. Every graze of his prostate left his legs twitching helplessly.

Craig gave a low growl as the warning that he was close. Kyle pushed back, gaining enough of his senses to clench round Craig as he came, toes curling as his ears soaked in the groan that filled the room.

He was perfect. It was perfect.

They were like that for some time. Without the noise of the buzzing filling the room it left it feeling too quiet; the sound of panting far too loud. Craig withdrew and Kyle grimaced as he realized that maybe he had been a little premature on deciding he was ready.

It was still worth it. 

“How was it?” 

He glanced over his shoulder to see Craig tying up the top of a condom, and wondered when the hell he found the time to even get one out.

Craig turned away and shook his head with a smile. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” 

“Like that. I’m not going again so soon.”

“I didn’t mean to look like I wanted to.”

“It’s not that, you just looked too good,” Craig promised as he lay down on the bed next to Kyle. “Looking over your shoulder at me like that? You don’t know how attractive you are, do you?”

Kyle hid his embarrassment by reaching across to the drawer he had kept the toy in, fishing out the cleaning spray that Kenny gave him. He set them both on the side to ensure he wouldn’t forget to do it as soon as possible before he rolled over to look at Craig, who was biting back a smile. He felt a rush of shame and attempted to defend himself.

“It - Kenny gave me the spray. After you visited and the blue one was missing because it was in my room, I said I didn’t want to put it back used, and he made me learn how to clean them properly and all that. With the cleaning spray, and then go and wash in warm water, and store them separately and all that. Don’t let the materials touch and stuff.”

“For someone who couldn’t look me in the face the first time I sent you a dildo, you sure know a lot about toy-care.”

“It was Kenny!” 

“I’m seeing a pattern with how often you use him as a scape goat.”

“He’s not my scape goat, he genuinely did!” 

Craig laughed as he wrapped an arm round Kyle’s waist and pulled him closer, snuggling into his side. “I believe you.”

“Though, while we’re on the topic, it’s probably worth mentioning that you having that box where they’re all touching isn’t great for them.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe your pillow talk is a lecture.”

“It’s not a lecture I’m just saying.”

He was glad that Craig’s response wasn’t to turn away from him, or tell him to shut up. Instead, it was to get Kyle lying properly on his back so Craig could rest his head on his chest, asking what Kyle thought he should be doing, if he was doing it so wrong. And then actually listened.

Kyle wasn’t sure he’d ever been so thankful to have listened to Kenny’s speculations about their neighbor’s personal lives before.