“Thank you so much! Pete’s no trouble. You’ll barely know he’s there, I promise,” Jared's text from Cate read. The city’s saturated art scene meant that both Jared and his new guest were entering into a haphazard collective together, with an exhibition planned for that evening in hopes of sales for everyone involved.
Jared didn’t mind hosting a relative stranger for the weekend, at all. His unassuming and inquisitive approach was something he had learned always worked in his favor; professionally, socially and especially with women. His tall 6’3 stature and broad shoulders from years of rock climbing certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Needless to say, Jared was hoping to apply his forthcoming nature to his new visitor. He would have agreed to let literally anybody stay with him for Cate. Memories from eight months prior of her holding his eye contact as she lay the right side of her face and her breasts down on her mattress whilst keeping her hips in the air replayed in his mind almost every day. She slid both her ring and middle finger into herself and was happy to lay there, playing in this position while Jared removed his jeans and joined her for what turned out to be some equally memorable and especially verbal sex.
Cate had always had a playful and flirtatious manner, in a much more aggressive way than Jared, which tested each person’s boundaries that she met. The fact that she maintained control throughout the entire fuck didn’t surprise Jared. She had grabbed his hair, which was dark, full and always remained pushed back, in her fist while she rode him, putting those same two fingers she had used on herself earlier, deep into his mouth. The concentration it took to keep his pace whilst trying not to gag on how deep her fingers were exploring the back of his tongue drowned his senses in a way he hadn’t come across before, which was further added to by her cruel tone.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Every question would melt into a gentle moan or gasp for breath. “All those bullshit niceties but you only really want to get fucked.” On the word “fucked” she gave a rough tug on his hair. The jolt, along with his overwhelmed mind had Jared’s head swimming with imagery. Giving an inch to Cate invariably meant her taking a mile and he was enjoying every second of being insulted. The idea of giving over entirely and getting fucked was enough for Jared to need to maneuver into whatever position he could the fastest, to be able to keep this wild momentum going.
It was only once he had Cate grabbing her headboard whilst he built each thrust of his hips harder from behind that Jared realized that in the image of letting someone fuck him, Cate was in his face, being as rude and provocative as usual but it was a towering man that he imagined actually doing the fucking. Only in retrospect did Jared wonder when Cate said Jared wanted “to get fucked,” whether he was supposed to be doing the fucking or taking dick?
That memory was amongst some of Jared’s most unexpected in his life. He smirked to himself just as he heard a knock on his front door. Propelled slightly with the vivacity of that crazed night, Jared threw the door open, “Pete!” Jared threw his free left hand up. Although he would never have shown it, Jared was surprised by who he registered standing in his hallway.
In skinny jeans and a dark grey oversized baseball jacket, Pete looked swallowed up. His hair hung in loose dark curls that reached just past his ears and could have given him a Greek look, were it not for his pale face. His fringe was cut just above his eyebrows, which framed his striking eyes. It was almost as though Pete was always slightly squinting, which when paired with the ever-so-slight curl to his lips gave the impression he had his mind in a better place.
Pete’s eyes widened with the surprise of such a big welcome. “Hi-Jared, thank you.” Although definitely not a-kin with this bro-y greeting, Pete went to return what he thought was a hug. As he passed the point of no return, Jared started to turn back toward his kitchen. Hastily trying to damage control, Pete instead patted either side of Jared’s ribs. With Jared’s lean physique, this already introduced way too much information on his anatomy for comfort.
Feeling Pete’s hands on his torso and trying his best not to tense up, Jared kept his volume high. He turned to Pete with a smile. "So! You all set for tonight?” The sentence hung in the air as Pete registered, still reeling from what just happened. That second of silence was enough to make Jared realize just how rushed it sounded to skip straight to work, having just met one another.
Pete nodded his head, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “I guess, it’s not my usual scene but one of my friends heard about the opportunity and put me in touch with Cate.” Jared visibly relaxed whilst listening, taking Pete in. Pete had about half of Jared’s energy, his movements were stiff but his delicate features and deep eyes gave this a level of gentle charm that Jared read as both engaging and queer by the time Pete finished his sentence.
Jared squinted, “Not your usual scene?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making art but I’ve never trained and never sold a piece. I work at Walmart to pay my bills and spend all of the rest of my time painting.”
On this last sentence, Pete held Jared’s stare, clearly scanning for any element of judgement or surprise. In other circumstances, Jared would have shown his disdain for what he deemed an immoral mega-conglomerate but for some reason this stare had him thinking differently. He shrugged, “I used to wash the dishes at hooters.”
Unfortunately, as they walked over to the gallery together, every detail Pete shared encouraged Jared to dwarf aspects of his own life, sensing their incomparable levels of success would feel uncomfortable, otherwise. This continued until the conversation dried up and on arrival, Pete made a B-line to the one familiar face he spotted, a girl Jared wasn’t acquainted with. Judging by the sudden hard shoulder, Jared took the hint not to try and familiarize himself with her.
The crowd in the space morphed with movement, people drawn to different pieces. Jared started his own lap, hoping to spend time taking in each piece at some point in the night. Although it was on the other side of the room, colors drew Jared’s eye from the corner of his periphery.
On the canvas’ top third, a waxing moon was setting behind a cloud, casting the trees and foliage at the side of the lake in a blue sheen. Centered was Pete's self-portrait, from behind. Covered up to his waist in the water of the lake, his form was outlined twice, once in red and once in blue. The two colors split at certain points to give the illusion of movement. The blue outline showed Pete holding up his hands to the moon in a pose of total submission and frustration. The red outline struck Jared as Pete’s inner spirit, which was pounding his fists into the water surrounding him, causing it to shoot up in beautiful, chaotic reflections.
This painting gave Jared an intimate vantage point to Pete. It said more than Jared could have ever discerned. This was someone who had unparalleled talent but remained unfulfilled; who in his private moments lets himself feel the rage at everything that holds him back. This included his lack of resources, opportunities and confidence. Jared turned to find Pete looking straight back at him, having watched Jared’s process of being blindsided.
Jared returned home feeling considerably lighter, knowing his political commentary piece had covered his next few months of rent, after selling for $18,000. He hadn’t asked whether Pete's night was a success, as his head was instead filled with questions to gain insight into Pete’s prism, through which he sees the world. Clumsily, he tried to express what he couldn’t figure out.
“Pete, your painting...” he stared at the ground, raising his hands and slowly shaking his head. “I don’t even-”
"It’s just a picture." Jared looked up to see Pete hanging up his jacket, holding a lot of rigidity in his frame. Jared kept watching until Pete returned his gaze. Jared knew Pete wasn’t saying this to try and be modest. He couldn’t handle discussing that fire he held inside.
On seeing Jared’s face, Pete knew that his stare was charged and tensed under it. The atmosphere in the room was now heavy with all that was unsaid between the two relative strangers. Jared moved silently forward, reaching out and wrapping his fingers around the back of Pete's neck, in a moment of comfort.
Jared let his eyeline fall to Pete’s chest, which was now rising and falling quickly. He gently squeezed, letting Pete know he had understood enough to know that Pete needed some level of physical support. Pete couldn’t help but instinctively lean in, resting his forehead on Jared's shoulder. This was all Jared needed as confirmation and so he wrapped his other hand around Pete's waist and pulled him in, bringing the pair hip to hip.
Jared brought his lips by Pete’s ear, "I don't believe you.” Pete’s eyes glazed over slightly, feeling the torrent of his emotions laid bare. Desperate not to lose his focus, Jared kissed Pete and was met with an immediately fiery response. Pete's chin raised slightly, answering Jared’s kiss as his tongue entered his host’s mouth. Sensing the pace developing quickly, Jared pushed Pete onto the couch. He pulled off his shirt, never taking his eyes off Pete, who raised his chest, getting comfortable as he took in every inch of Jared’s sculpted torso. Jared saw mischief dance in Pete’s dark eyes as he waited for his new lover to undress him. On doing so, Pete’s body was revealed as toned and lithe with little evidence of muscularity.
Jared set straight to work, kissing Pete’s navel, up the side of his waist. Pete couldn’t help but smile and buck slightly. After losing themselves in a kiss that dared each of them to call the other’s bluff, Jared looked into Pete's eyes and traced his lips with his thumb. Pete grazed his tongue on the tip of Jared’s finger slightly.
This gorgeous moment of tranquility consumed Jared with compulsive passion and he tugged hard on Pete’s jeans, which Pete helped to kick off, along with his blue boxers. Jared felt a momentary lapse. Pete was considerably larger than Jared was expecting, definitely bigger than his own now achingly hard cock. This was the real thing, completely unchartered territory and Jared, for the first time in his own memory, was taken out of the moment by the fact that he was nervous. Jared had always tended to commit entirely to whatever it was that scared him and so he began to worship Pete's penis. Kissing around his pubic bone, Jared jerked the head of Pete’s shaft softly in his hands. Pete gripped the edge of the couch cushion, moaning.
Jared filled his mouth but didn’t want to let the significance of this moment distract him from listening to his partner, to work out how best to apply pressure. Before he knew it, Jared could feel his heartbeat through his dick and suddenly the moment had become as much about the exploration of his own servitude to another man than it was about showing Pete his beauty and worth. Jared kicked off his jeans and gripped the head of his cock through his boxer shorts as he pushed the boundaries of his gag reflex.
Pete was astounded by Jared’s laser eyed focus as he worked Pete’s dick in his mouth without ever settling on any particular technique. Under the pressure of the pleasure, all Pete could think to do was reach down and find Jared’s nipple, which he grinded between his thumb and forefinger. The sensation of Pete’s touch there pushed Jared to reach up and grab Pete’s shoulders, tight. His whole body moved upwards until they were face to face. Jared’s knees hooked under Pete’s thighs, which Jared grabbed and pushed back until they were spread and Jared’s throbbing dick rested right where Pete needed it most. Pete pressed his lips together, waiting at the edge of baited breath. Jared slowly motioned his hips forward. Pete turned head a little, "so slow."
Jared seemed to look through Pete as he sensed his way a further inch in. Pete registered the word "fuck" shadow across Jared’s lips. They smiled at each other as Pete giggled into a sudden long exhale, feeling his tension release as the thickest part of Jared's dick passed into his tight ass. At first, Jared just pulsed ever so slightly at the deepest point he could get to. Pete reached up, laying his hand on the top of his head as he felt his prostate rubbed, consistently, “Jared, fuck!”
Having broken through with each other, Jared gave in to his instincts, kissing the bicep of Pete’s raised arm that was flexing, gently. In doing so, he pushed Pete's legs back further, allowing him to get even deeper. This suddenly intensified Pete's pleasure, as he tightened. Any shred of his meek demeanor was cast aside in the wake of this pleasure.
"Yes, there!" Pete nuzzled into Jared's ear. Full immersion smothered their senses as Jared developed his movements into long, full strokes. Pete grabbed his own right pectoral, his jaw dropping and his eyes squinting slightly with a furrowed brow as he started to flush with intense waves that Jared masterfully controlled.
Jared quickened his rhythm, without lessening his depth. He encased the fat head of Pete's cock in his hand and deftly shot one hit of saliva down onto it, enjoying feeling every inch of Pete sliding back and forth in his palm, applying extra pressure on the head, each time. Pete's back arched at this addition.
Pete took Jared's chin between his thumb and forefinger and looked him straight in the eyes. "Come on. Come on, I want it.” Jared couldn't help but be dumbfounded for a second at this new energy. This was the fire of the unbridled demands Pete was calling out to in that painting.
At this point, Jared felt Pete apply growing force on his right shoulder with his leg, pushing him onto his back. Pete maneuvered to keep Jared inside of him. Jared laughed, impressed. Pete wasn’t fazed at all, cocking his head to the left, holding Jared's eye contact and rolling his hips back and forth. Pete’s gaze began to trance out slightly as he rocked on Jared's unrelenting inches. Pete closed his eyes running his right hand through his curly hair and stretching his shoulders out.
Jared lay back, as though watching Pete's emancipation from all of the pressures he's felt socially, professionally or even in the confines of his own mind. Jared reached a hand back behind his head, cushioning between it and the arm of the sofa. He let Pete ride him at his own perfect speed, the tight muscles of his ass massaging his whole cock.
Pete lent down, laying his head on Jared's shoulder as he took hold of Jared’s hands, which were at either side of Pete's hips. Pete kept their hands clasped as he brought them behind his back, letting go and balling his hands into fists. Jared took this hint and held Pete's wrists together in one hand, using the other to grab Pete's left ass cheek, for leverage.
Pete closed his eyes and pressed his face into Jared's neck, whispering, "do it." Jared didn't need any excuse to starting pumping his cock inside Pete as hard as he could. Within seconds, they met at a roaring crescendo. Pete was unable to move out of Jared's rigid grip even when he saw Jared wince and raise his hips forward. Jared finally released Pete's hands and lay both of his palms on Pete's butt, plunging as deep as he could, losing himself in a haze as he released all of his energy. along with all of his cum, into Pete.
The second Pete felt his wrists free up from Jared's determined grip, he rushed his hands straight to his cock, which had been dying to be dealt with for the last two minutes. Pete couldn’t believe his own sensitivity after being treated with such perfect force. His hair disheveled, his face hot with perspiration, Pete lent back, applying all of his weight as deep down onto Jared’s pole as possible, hoping to elongate his load.
Nothing could distract Pete from his own need to release all of what had pent up, both emotionally and physically. Suspended before what he knew would be an incredible level of euphoria, Pete took in the whole scene for what it was. This bare chested, gorgeous man was looking upon him with total desire but through the fog of such an intense orgasm that it was as though there were miles between them. Pete looked down at his own body, every part taut and heaving, his fist gripping his dick, still slick from Jared's mouth. Just as his eyes were taking this tableau in, Pete was hit with the full impact of the entire experience. He released a piston of cum that reached straight up to his neck, coating much of his pectoral area. As his balls tightened, the beat of pleasure remained powerful more so with every second. Pete stiffened his posture and collapsed backward.
Jared, in a bid to take control and steady Pete, grabbed him by the arms and guided him forward instead, onto his chest. Pete continued to shudder as Jared felt yet more cum explode out onto his abdomen.
After allowing Pete to catch five or six breaths, Jared shook his head, without a shred of humor. "I will never, ever forget tonight." Pete's gaze slowly rose in steps from Jared's lips to his eyes as he pieced together each moment of discovery they just shared. He kissed Jared slowly, his breathing finally at a normal pace again.
The following morning they woke up, having slept in the exact position they had drifted into, together. Jared tumbled across different words in his mind to let Pete know that he meant everything he communicated, last night. Their touch, his awe of Pete, all of it. But he realized that he didn't need to. Pete was a changed man now. He wasn't retreating in the morning light, he wasn't second guessing anything, at all. When it finally came for him to head out for his bus, even the way he picked up his bags had a sense of both finality but also of a journeyman, rather than someone lost.
Jared finally led Pete to the door but as he took the last couple of steps, he realized something still felt unfinished. He needed punctuation from this incredible revelation. He felt like a crazed girl, having just discovered raw passion. Jared’s eyes cast down for a moment and on looking back up, he saw Pete stood close to him with his head tilted back slightly. Pete was reading Jared's entire movement process in this moment for exactly what it was. Pete leaned in, resting his forehead gently against Jared's. The pair stayed like that for about three seconds. That was long enough for Jared to feel all of that energy from last night. It still lived there, in the shared ether between them and always would.
"OK?" Pete said with the perfect level of care yet firmness that let Jared know that Pete was feeling that flow too. Jared bit his lower lip, nodding slowly. Pete finally brought his lips to Jared's, pushing him back up against the wall. As he pulled away, Pete took Jared's chin in his thumb and forefinger, in one last caressing call back to the previous night's caress before he stepped out the door. With a final smile, Pete was gone.
Four days later Jared was woken up to a banging on his apartment door. Flattening his bed hair down and yawning, he opened to a UPS delivery man, holding Pete's painting and evoking every single moment like a mirage realized all at once. From that day onward, anytime Jared would wake up from a nap on that couch that had been their world for that one night, he would look up at Pete. He knew that wherever he was, Pete was creating the impact he had made on Jared and on that water, to the whole world.
