Box Shaped Heart Ch. 32

"But we're playing, I mean, fooling around now, right?" Carter mumbled.

"Fooling around?" Aron's hooded eyes were doing nothing good to his nerves. "Sure."

He could not really tell what Aron was thinking. And that was so strange, seeing that he usually knew everything. Maybe he was just a little bit broken when it came to understanding his best friend. Maybe it came with them having sex. Sex was complicating things. But he didn't want to let go of that kind of complication.

Aron stood up and gathered the dishes.

"No," he hurried.

"You hate doing the dishes," Aron laughed and kept the plates up like he didn't want Carter to reach them. "Don't you think I forgot that."

So he was left sitting, while Aron made himself busy at the sink.

"What would you like to do next? Rest a little? Go out for a walk with Taz?"

"Fool around," Carter answered promptly. "I mean if you're not tired. And it's not yet Taz's time for the evening walk."

Aron remained silent for a few seconds, and Carter wondered if the guy had really heard him.

"Done," Aron said, wiping his hands on a cloth, and turning toward Carter with a smile.

He needed to take a picture. The kind to always keep in his wallet or something. Aron was leaning against the sink, his eyes intense and trained on Carter. But he wasn't sure if a picture was enough to really capture how peaceful this scene looked like.

All right, maybe peaceful was not the right word, he thought, as Aron moved slowly. The man leaned in just enough to reach Carter, place one hand on the back of his head and angle their lips so they could kiss.

"Let's fool around, then," Aron whispered, and there was no other thing to do but to agree.

***

"Am I doing this right?" he asked, while he stared, his heart beating wildly in his chest, at his cock buried deep into Aron's perfect ass.

Despite his protests, Aron had convinced him to go doggy-style this time. And it was true. It was too frigging amazing the way the guy's ass was squeezing his cock in this position. There wasn't any need to panic just yet, but he could feel his cock pulsing inside the tight channel of muscles, and he wasn't sure whether he was going to blow too soon or end up performing at least decently.

"If you moved, it would be even better," Aron smiled at him, looking over the shoulder.

"Okay, I'll try," Carter mumbled.

His first moves were a bit clumsy, but he was finding his rhythm.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered.

He loved grabbing Aron's waist and pulling the guy to him. By the way Aron was bucking his hips to meet him halfway, he was doing it right, indeed.

But somehow it wasn't enough. He needed to know how Aron felt. This was definitely different from his modus operandi, as he searched blindly for Aron's cock beneath. The hardness filling his hand was making both his heart and cock swell with pride.

"Oh, damn, you're so hard, A," he said slowly.

"You have a huge dick and you know how to use it," Aron joked back.

Okay, maybe half-joked, Carter thought. The guy's voice was heavy, and the sounds he was making showed no signs that Aron was amused. Carter peeled the skin down from the hardened member in one move, and Aron cursed softly.

"Go faster," Aron urged him.

He could do this, moving his hips to the rhythm, enjoying the amazing sensation of being squeezed and the incredible warmth of Aron's body, and listening to the small chant of his best friend's breathing falling into synch with everything else.

"Can I come in your ass?" he asked, through ragged moans.

"No need to ask, do it," Aron urged him.

He wasn't going to last. Now he was really going to make a fool of himself if he wasn't going to make Aron come first. It was clearly common courtesy. And also a desire as huge as an entire planet, to feel Aron writhe and moan beneath him, in the throes of ecstasy.

The way the guy was moving his ass was driving him crazy. There was just so much need, and he could feel that doing it raw like this was the best way to claim Aron, even if for a fleeting moment.

"Yes," he whispered, as hot liquid touched his fingers curled around Aron's cock.

Now that was his cue. He pushed and pushed, the pleasure coursing through his veins at the speed of light, and came in waves that seemed to go on forever.

When he crashed by Aron's side, breathing like a drowning man barely pulled out of the water, he knew, with the utmost clarity, that he could never be with anyone like this.

"You were amazing," Aron praised him, half turning to nuzzle his cheek.

"I was?"

"I can't understand how you can be so insecure in your abilities as a lover, seeing how many girlfriends you had."

"But no boyfriend," Carter pointed out.

"Ah, of course," Aron chuckled. "So there's no term of comparison? Is this what you're trying to say?"

"Well, probably, the mechanics of things are the same, but," Carter raised one finger, "I cannot know for sure if my experience counted or not. Plus, I don't really know if my girlfriends enjoyed it. I mean, I did ask, but ..."

"By the way they were gossiping about your performance," Aron laughed, "I'd say they were pretty satisfied."

Carter propped himself on his elbows, to stare at Aron.

"Were you gossiping with my girlfriends?" he asked, perplexed with this kind of revelation.

Aron dared to laugh at him.

"No, of course not. But girls sometimes talk, and sometimes one cannot help but overhear. Plus, with so many of them coming to me and asking me to introduce them to you ... I'd say you had quite the reputation."

"Ah, great," Carter dropped back on the pillow. "Now you think I'm easy."

Aron was now laughing so hard that he had to straighten up not to choke himself.

"Easy?" he eventually managed.

"Yeah," Carter said, a bit miffed now. "Since I had so many girlfriends."

"Ah, I didn't think you were easy. You were yet to meet the right one," Aron said.

I've met the right one. He's next to me.

Tell him.

No way. He's not yet divorced. After that, maybe.

You're just afraid he'll say 'no'.

Of course I'm afraid.

"Yeah," he mumbled in reply instead of the storm inside his head.

"You think you will? Meet the right one?"

His body was weightless, and his bones were still melting after the orgasm from earlier. Yet, Aron's words had a way of making him touch the ground.

"Yeah," he whispered, still too afraid of speaking the truth.

Aron moved to get out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I think I need another shower," Aron replied, and this time his smile as he looked over at Carter was no longer a happy one. It wasn't reaching his eyes. Actually, his eyes were sad.

He remained in bed, listening to the sound of the water running.

We need to do something to keep him here.

Like what?

I don't know, but we need to be clever.

And that without blurting out how I'm in love with him and going on one knee. It's the last thing a guy who's divorcing wants to hear. About another frigging wedding.

Seriously, are you really thinking about getting hitched?

With Aron? Of course. But all in due time.

Alex was married to him and couldn't keep him.

Ah, well, I'm not Alex. I'll do anything to keep him happy.

Aron was back, and still silent. Carter jumped out of the bed, to wash, too. Soon enough, he needed to take Taz out. No matter how much he wanted to, they could not spend all their waking hours in bed.

***

Happiness had to be in all the little things, Carter thought, as he almost stumbled over Aron's shoes on his way in. There hadn't been any awkward conversations for weeks, and Aron had talked no more about finding a place and moving out.

Also, they were busy fucking the brains out of each other, cooking together, okay, so that was more Aron and less him, taking Taz out, that was more him and less Aron, going out, sometimes even dancing, although they weren't doing much of that, either, because they were always ending up in a bed ...

All in all, life was good. Baby steps were good. There was no point in rushing and making Aron uncomfortable with declarations of love. Carter was pretty damn certain that he was going to suck at it when he was going to say the words.

And who knew what Aron was going to say then?

Aron seemed to be busy on the phone.

"And how many bedrooms?" Carter heard his roomie inquiring.

Ah, damn. His heart sank.

"A big yard is important, yes. Yes, we do have pets."

Pets? Carter's ears twitched. What was Aron doing, exactly?

The guy seemed pretty pleased as he finished his conversation with probably a real estate agent.

"Hey," Aron smiled and beckoned him close.

That was one of his favorite moments of the day. When Aron was kissing him after coming home from work, or, like right now, when Carter came back from some errand.

"What were you doing?" Carter asked the soonest Aron let him breathe.

"I found the perfect place," Aron said with satisfaction.

"Ah, you're leaving?" Carter asked, not wanting to let his disappointment show.

"It's perfect," Aron's smile widened. "It has a large yard."

"I heard. What do you need it for?" Carter asked.

Are you really hoping ...?

Hush!

"Taz needs plenty of space to play," Aron said promptly.

"Hmm," Carter barely managed.

"And it has an excellent room that can be turned into a home office," Aron added, pulling him close and tipping his chin, so they could stare into each other's eyes.

"What for?" Carter mumbled again.

"For you," Aron said softly, his eyes filled with warmth. "You're my roomie, right? You and Taz are coming with me."

"Oh," Carter said.

"Not 'oh'," Aron corrected him. "It's 'yes'."

"Yes," Carter said automatically.

"Great!" Aron said cheerfully.

Carter was certain he was about to gush out like a little girl, starting that very moment, when Aron's ringtone went off.

The man stared at the screen, and his face darkened. His voice was rough and harsh when he answered.

"Weren't the terms clear?" Aron said.

Carter took one step back.

"You wouldn't dare," Aron hissed.

Ah, damn, something was wrong, Carter thought.

"No, I refuse," Aron continued. "Are really willing to make this messy and ugly?"

Carter had a hunch who was on the other end.

"I will find a way," Aron said, his voice strung now. "I don't want anything. You cannot give me what I want."

Carter wanted nothing less but to tear the damn phone out of Aron's hand and yell at his rival that Aron wasn't his anymore. But he knew that Aron could not bear let him carry this battle for him.

"Fine. You win for now. But just know this. That every moment I breathe, I will put into making this end."

Aron's mood was even worse when he put the phone away.

"Was that Alex?" Carter asked, unsure that he could still talk while not breathing.

"Yes," Aron said, pursing his lips. "I will have to go back for a while."

"To try to make things work?" Carter attempted.

Aron's eyes were filled with hurt and anger as he looked at him.

"No. To end them for good."

"But ... why do you have to go back? If you two don't plan on getting back together?" Carter asked.

"Because my soon-to-be ex-husband dares to blackmail me by telling me that he would go to the police and tell them that he remembers all about the accident and that you pushed him in front of that fire truck. Yes, I know, it's not the first time he's saying this lie," Aron shook his head.

"I didn't push him!" Carter said firmly.

"Do you remember now? The accident?" Aron was hopeful, the clouds starting to leave his face.

"No," Carter sank back into the sofa. "But I just know. I could have never done that."

"I know," Aron exhaled. "Don't worry. I will deal with this situation," he said through his teeth, "and then I'll come back."

"You don't have to leave," Carter spoke, fiddling with his thumbs. "Let him go to the police. He has to prove it, right?"

Aron sighed, and there was so much bitterness in that sound that Carter could feel his heart breaking in half.

"I don't want you dragged into this mess. I'll sort it out. Alex, he has a way to sound very convincing when he wants. I don't want you hurt in any way."

"But ..." Carter tried to protest.

"No. I know what you want to say," Aron raised one hand. "And I know that you're generous and kind and you would go through a scandal just for my sake. But I won't put you at risk. Hell, I know I'm tempted to just stay here, and let that ... Just promise me this."

Carter was almost forced to his feet, and Aron was grabbing his shoulders tightly.

"Promise me you'll wait," Aron said slowly, but firmly.

"Where could I go?" Carter mumbled.

"Promise me. It's all I ask. Promise me that I'll find you right here when I come back."

"Sure," Carter nodded, hoping that he wasn't shaking or doing other stupid things. "I promise," he hurried. "And I do know what you mean. Like no girlfriends."

"And no boyfriends," Aron added.

By all means, that should have sounded like a joke. But it wasn't.

Aron pulled him into a tight embrace. For Carter, it felt like it was the last time he could hold Aron like this. And he feared although he said not one word, that Alex was going to win again. And that he needed to find a way to fight this if he didn't want to lose Aron forever.

***

Taz was sitting next to him, most probably sensing that something wasn't right. Carter was staring at the nicely stacked plates in their cabinets, his hands resting on the cabinet knobs.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do with all these plates?"

TBC