Mandarin Orange Sweet and Sour

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher. Mandarin Orange: Sweet and Sour COLOR BOX An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers PO Box 2545 Round Rock, TX 78680 Copyright © 2011 by TC Blue Cover illustration by Alessia Brio Published with permission ISBN: 978-1-61040-191-3 www.torquerepress.com All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680. First Torquere Press Printing: March 2011 Printed in the USA

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"Dedicated with thanks to Brenda and Katie. It's largely thanks to you that this book was finished… and that I had such a blast in San Francisco! You ladies rock!"

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Chapter One It was raining on the day Riley Abrams felt his world change. Though raining might not have been a strong enough word, and Riley definitely knew from words. He used them frequently, and if many of them were comprised of four letters and frowned upon in polite company, well, that was fine. He didn't really do polite company much, choosing to spend his time at the gym and at work, with a decent smattering of hours with his friends thrown in there for good measure. Balance, Riley. That's what's important in this world. Work hard, definitely, but always make time to live your life. There's no point in working if you don't have a chance to enjoy what it gets you, right? His uncle, Peter, had been saying those words, or some variation thereof, for all Riley's life, and Peter would know. At just-turned-fifty-and-never-mentionthat-in-public, Peter had never been shy about his own happiness. Riley's father, on the other hand, thought Peter put far too much weight upon personal pleasure, and while Dad wasn't exactly thrilled that Riley had chosen to take Peter's words to heart rather than Dad's, well... it wasn't that big of a deal. It was made even less of one by the fact that Riley wasn't counting on getting lucky the way his uncle had done. Amazing what one little innovation in hair-care that had originally involved a stick, a piece of comb, a zipper, and three rubber bands could become, but that had happened more than twenty years earlier and for Riley's uncle, as opposed to Riley's father. Riley thought his dad might be a little bit jealous of Peter's easy success, but he would never say so out loud. He was barely willing to say so in the privacy of his own mind. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 4

None of which changed the fact that it was Saturday. The day had started out very warm and unusually humid, and only gotten more so, according to the Weather Channel. Riley didn't know personally, but that was what they'd said when he'd woken up at ten thirty, and he'd decided it was likely to become too hot to go to the gym. By one o'clock in the afternoon, Riley was glad of his choice. He was already sweating enough, even in the dubious breeze created by the fan he'd stuck in the window, that even the idea of lifting weights had him feeling nauseated. Then the clouds rolled in, dark and thick and looking more like heavy, near-black smoke, and Riley only noticed them when he realized he was squinting in his living room, the room lit only by the glow of his television screen. The infomercial for Peter's latest incarnation of the original Hair Master flashed, Riley having somehow missed the storm warning scrolling until just then, though maybe he'd been dozing in the stifling heat and hadn't known it. He knew the infomercials for Peter's products pretty much by heart, so it was possible. "As seen on TV is fucking right," Riley muttered, even as he pushed to his feet, leaving the couch behind. "Holy shit," he added, this time speaking to the one and only plant he owned and somehow hadn't managed to kill yet. "I'll bet this is gonna be one huge-ass fucking blow-up. Cool." He opened the French doors that led onto his balcony and sighed happily at the whipping wind, hearing its susurrus finally, now that the television was a good ten feet away. "Very cool." Five minutes later, Riley was outside, comfortable in his thin cotton tank shirt and cut-off cotton pajama pants. He had an open bottle of beer sitting on the small table by the railing of his deeply-eaved wraparound Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 5

balcony for his apartment on the second floor of the quaint Victorian house. He leaned back in his chair and smiled, waiting for the first splatters of rain to start. Drops fell slowly at first, and cool enough that Riley thought he could hear the pavement in front of the house hiss and spit a little as each particle of water struck. There might even have been steam, though Riley was fairly sure that was his imagination rather than anything truly likely. Then the rain fell harder, faster, and wasn't just rain anymore. A deluge, a torrent, drenching Hartford with violent urgency. Yeah, four-letter words weren't the only ones Riley knew, though he tended not to advertise that. The point, as far as Riley was concerned right then and there, was that it was fucking awesome. Nature exploding in all -- part of, anyway -- its fury. The only thing missing was... Loud and deep, so rough and rumbling that Riley felt it building in his bones long before he recognized the first touch of sound, the thunder shook him down to the bone. Shook his hand enough that he almost spilled his beer. "Alcohol abuse, you fuckers," he called out to the sky, amused by the notion that there might be storm gods around to hear him and saddened by the knowledge that there were no gods anymore, if there had ever been. But whatever. Riley would be fucked if he'd let that rob him of enjoying what was shaping up into a hell of a tempest. The lightning flash came nearly three seconds later. Riley knew. He'd been counting. The flash came and it lit up the world, it seemed like, leaving jagged slashes of dark-against-bright on Riley's retinas for a moment, and he loved it. It was primal and strong as fuck. Powerful and undeniable, and it made him feel small. Just being there, on his balcony, watching the fearsome, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 6

uncontrolled force of the storm building more by the second, drinking his beer while little needles of rain struck at his feet and calves whenever the wind shifted right...? Oh, Riley felt like a man. Not a child hiding from that primal fury, but a man who braved it, admired it. Not enough to leave the shelter of his observation point, of course. He was a man, not a moron. It was definitely cool. Right up to the point where another sound slipped in -- a different kind of rumble that Riley didn't notice until more thunder broke and faded out. This wasn't a rumble that seemed to build in his chest. It wasn't actually connected to the storm at all. Instead, it was higher pitched yet still low, and somehow Riley thought it would be smooth, if not for the odd, felt-more-than-heard whine buried beneath the surface. It seemed to... he didn't know what, really, because it wasn't a stutter, but it was rough. Like muffled barking, maybe -- mechanical rather than organic. Try as he might, Riley couldn't pin it down. Not direction or even the manner of beast, what with nature raging just inches away. He stood, leaning out into the driving rain, his beer left behind, abandoned on the table. Water pounded at him, soaking him through in moments and running down his back to his waistband before continuing, trailing a cool path along the back of his leg. Head bowed, letting most of the rain drip from wet strings of hair, Riley stared hard through pearl-gray sheets of angry cloud-spill, eyes raking misty haze and dark gray air, until... there. It was dim. Almost invisible, with the storm slaking its fury on Hartford with such determination. Still, it was there. Pale and watery -- because hello, it's fucking raining down fucking buckets, right? -- and getting Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 7

closer. One single, simple gleam, like a dying moon moving unsteadily. It was accompanied by the rumbling whine that seemed to rise and fall, and Riley found himself leaning farther over the railing, his eyes narrowing more and more in an effort to focus, to make out what he was seeing. Then the pale, wandering moon came closer, veered toward the house, and lightning flashed again, harsh and whiter than white. "Oh, shit!" It hurt his eyes this time, rather than just flashing a negative image onto his vision, and even at that, Riley counted himself lucky. Whoever was driving the motorcycle -- because that's what the lightning had shown the shaky moon and whining rumble to be -must have caught even more of that painful spike, likely because the strike hadn't vanished into the ether the way the last ones had done. It had hit... something. Riley didn't know what. Whatever it had been, though, the person riding the motorcycle had been surprised by it. Enough so that the bike was careening -- slowly, but still -- up the driveway, headed straight for Riley's car. "Oh, shit," Riley said again, more yelp than shout, but that was fine. Fuck if it wasn't. What was a little bit less fine was that he had to go out into the full anger of the storm, with lightning bolts that apparently didn't have anything against hitting things in Riley's neighborhood. He was across the living room, out the door, and halfway down the steps to the first floor by the time he thought about that part, though, and when he shoved open the front door of the house and stood on the porch, he groaned. The motorcycle, complete with some weirdass trailer thing, had fulfilled the promise of its earlier direction, its front wheel jammed fully into the back wheel well of Riley's old Bronco. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 8

Ordinarily, Riley would have given a shit about that, but another rumbling, drumming roll of thunder sounded and the driver of the motorcycle had apparently been thrown, because there was a helmeted body on the ground a few feet from the joined vehicles. There would be more lightning in a second or two, damn it, and Riley figured he'd never forgive himself if he let the downed rider get killed. "Fucking fuck," he muttered as he leaped from the porch and ran toward the person lying on the ground. Then "Fucking fuck!" when he got closer and heard a soft, low howling coming from the back of the strange little trailer attached to the bike. Now it wasn't just the rider. Riley had some sort of dog to worry about, too. "Fucking fuck." *** Should have stopped at that hotel. The thought played through Kelly's mind for about the fiftieth time since he'd decided not to do just that. I should have stopped and bought a meal or something, even if I couldn't afford to stay there without using credit. Of course, he probably wouldn't have been allowed inside for lunch at the Hotel Durmont in downtown Hartford, either, judging by the look of the place. The hotel itself was all columns and fancy windows, with a doorman and a valet. There was not only a clearly fancy restaurant, but a so-called pub attached to the place that was almost as fancy as its parent business. Kelly suspected that the pub was overpriced, as well, just from the looks of things. He doubted that any of the three would let him inside with a dog, no matter how violent the storm. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 9

It was his own fault for not listening to the weather report, but he'd been so close that morning. Only four hours away from his new place, really, and Goobs had distracted him by nearly breaking free while Kelly was trying to get him into the travel crate. Not that Kelly could blame the poor dog. He wouldn't have wanted to spend hours locked up in a plastic cube, either; especially with the exhaust fumes and road dust. The fumes weren't that bad, really. Not enough to cause Goobs more than a bit of discomfort, according to the vet back in San Francisco. Even so, Kelly had been taking the trip slowly, stopping every couple hours at rest areas to let Goobs out to do his business and have some water -- that was important, considering how much hotter it had gotten the farther east they went. Kelly still felt horrible for trying to make the last leg in one long haul. Then the storm. God, the storm. It had come on so suddenly. One minute, it had been too bright and sunny, and the next, black sky. Only ten minutes later, the thunder and lightning started, accompanied by a heavy rain Kelly hadn't anticipated. But he'd been so close. So damned close when it all started. Close enough that he'd figured he could tough it out until he got to Calderon Drive, and now...? Well, now I've crashed my bike into someone's car, my dog is pitching a fit, and I'm about to drown in my own helmet from the rain. God, I think the wrong one of us is named 'Goober.' And what an ignominious end. Drowning on land because he'd been too impatient to stop, then startled by lightning striking the tree he'd passed. Kelly just knew his kid brother, Robin, would laugh like a maniac on hearing how Kelly had died. After an appropriate amount of mourning, of course, because Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 10

Robin would definitely mourn. So would Kelly's sister, Amanda, but Mandy would never laugh over it, not even after the first shock wore off. That was more of a guy thing, anyway. God, his head hurt. The rest of him, too, but mostly his head. The only thing Kelly could figure was that he'd cracked himself a good one when he'd tumbled from his bike. His face shield was split, or more like broken, and taking on water. Crap. Okay, seriously? I am not going to die like this. I'm just... out of it. Maybe concussed? God, where's that bastard, Bob, when I need him? Oh, right. Bob was back in San Francisco, where he belonged. Back with the wife and baby Kelly hadn't known about when he and the hot young EMT had been dating. Or whatever the hell they'd been doing. Crap. Kelly groaned, the exhalation making a bubble in the rising water in his helmet, then struggled to make his sodden, wet-leather-clad arms move. Soaked through, the Kevlar-reinforced hide was heavier than he'd expected. "Unnngh... crap." He couldn't help the grunts, but he also didn't much care. He shifted enough to get his arms up, his palms against the ground. Grunting was fine. Even better when he did it again and managed to roll himself. The water that had pooled in the front of his helmet drained to the sides, sending cold fingers of wetness under the sweat-heated mat of hair there, and even that was a relief. At least drowning was off the table, although more thunder growled and Kelly started to wonder about lightning. With him all flat on the ground, there were definitely much more attractive targets. Another tree, maybe. Or the house he was in front of. Or Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 11

Goobs, moron, because he's still in that stupid crate and attached to way too much metal. Crap. It wasn't until Kelly turned onto his side so he could hopefully get to his knees and free his poor pup that he noticed the man messing with the trailer. "Hey! Leave my dog alone!" Okay. Maybe not the most sensible thing to say. While Kelly's head throbbed from the volume, the man turned. Regardless of the pounding rain, Kelly could see dark brows rising with something. Maybe curiosity, maybe amusement. He couldn't be sure, especially since he was seeing the man through a cracked face shield. The man stared for another second, then shrugged and shook his head. "Fuck off," he said, nearly shouting. "You might want to roll around in the fucking driveway waiting to get electrocuted, but your fucking dog deserves better, shithead!" Oh, God. Kelly supposed that was what it had to look like, really. He'd somehow gotten onto his back, then he'd started twisting around again, and there was a storm going on, so... Yeah, I think I'm pretty well concussed. Crap. "Sorry," Kelly called back, the effort of making his voice carry even those few feet sending stabbing pains through his head. "His name's Goober. Sorry. I'm kind of... crap." The man laughed. Kelly saw it, even though he couldn't hear it through another ringing clap of thunder. Then the man did something or other and the next thing Kelly knew, he had a face full -- or as much as he could with his helmet still on -- of anxious, slobbery dog. He could tell. The slobber was much more viscous than the rain, though swiftly washed away. "Come on," the man shouted, wind whipping up even more around them. "We need to get you guys inside!" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 12

Kelly didn't bother to try speaking. He just nodded and let the man help him up. Between the man on one side and Goobs on the other, both trying to help -- the man more successfully than the mutt -- the three of them were indoors within minutes. Just in time for another growling crack of thunder, this one followed immediately by another bright flash that knocked out the electric lights in the small hallway where Kelly, Goobs, and the stranger stood. "Well, that fucking sucks," Kelly heard the man mutter. "But fuck it. There's fifteen stairs and the door to my place is on the right. You and Goober go on up. I'll follow you, just in case you fall or something." Kelly started to shake his head, but stopped the motion when it hurt. "Unngh..." "Sorry, man, but you look like you're about to fall over, and your dog doesn't seem threatening, but I'm not a big fan of getting bitten. You know, in the not-fun way. So drag your undoubtedly hot ass up the stairs and I'll make sure you don't topple over and fuck yourself up any worse." Well, there wasn't really anything in what the man had said that Kelly could argue with, and while it might not be the best idea to go to the apartment of some guy he really hadn't even met, Kelly could hold his own and then some. Even with a concussion. He was at least on the right street, too. He'd missed the house numbers in the storm, but he was definitely on Calderon Drive. The strange man was a neighbor or something. And the bike was out front, big as day, so even if the strange man somehow got the drop on him, somebody would see the bike with its California plates and likely ask questions. So Kelly felt safe enough. For the moment, anyway.

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Kelly started up the stairs, one hand tight on the railing while the other gripped the fur at Goober's ruff. The man only had to steady him twice. "I'll get you some dry shit to wear," the guy said once they'd entered the dim apartment at the top of the stairs. It felt big, just from the way sound traveled. "And some towels for the fucking dog, man. Shit, he stinks already. They'll be big. Uh, the clothes for you, not the towels. Then again, I guess they might be big, too. I have this thing for those fucking bath sheets, you know? But fuck it. Just stay where you are, unless you can see. And maybe you can, but I doubt it, what with that crackedass helmet and shit. I'll be back." Well, the strange guy had a point, Kelly decided after a moment of thought. The helmet had done its job, but there wasn't really any point in keeping it on, was there? His brain seemed to scream when he unfastened the strap and tried to maneuver the hard casing from his head, and Kelly thought he might have whimpered. Then he knew he had because Goobs echoed the sound, pitched high and droning, and crap. Just crap. "Let me help." The man's voice was soft, even with as sudden as it seemed. Big, thick fingers slid up under the back of the helmet, somehow cupping Kelly's neck while tangling in his hair. "Okay. Try again. Just go slowly, man." Between them, they managed, and Kelly breathed a careful sigh of relief as he dropped the helmet, his fingers unable to hold on. "Crap, that hurt." "Probably should have called for an ambulance," the man said slowly, "but you were moving on your own and shit, so I figured you were okay. I can call now, if you want. Might be a good idea." Again, Kelly started to shake his head, only to stop with a small hiss. The last thing he needed was another Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 14

EMT. If he never saw one again, it would be too flippin' soon. "I'm fine," he answered, doing his best to unzip the heavy, rain-sodden leather jacket he wore. "I hit my head when I tumbled, but I don't need an ambulance. I know what to do for it. I've whacked my head enough times to recognize the symptoms of a concussion." It had been a while, but Kelly didn't feel any need to announce it. The man laughed, so close Kelly felt his breath. "That's on you, man. I offered. So, here." A rustling as the man bent down, then straightened, and fabric was being pressed into Kelly's hands. "That's clothes for you. I'll start drying that stinky fucking dog of yours once I show you where the bathroom is." A pause. "Uh, you probably need a shower or some shit, but there's candles in there. I'll get them lit for you." Kelly rinsed himself off in blissfully warm water while the man's parting "Try not to take too long, I need to shower, too... and if you start feeling dizzy or whatever, call me, okay?" still rang in his ears. If nothing else, the guy seemed nice enough. A good host, and decent in a crisis. There were worse neighbors to have.

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Chapter Two "Well, you're a huge fucking beast, huh?" Riley chuckled when the dog cocked its head at him like it was trying to make sense of the words. "A huge fucking beast of a dog who should look dangerous but really just looks like a giant fucking goofball," he elaborated, and damned if the dog didn't stand there dripping on Riley's rug and grinning one of those doggy grins that said yep and sure and huh? Then the dog seemed to gather itself, and Riley knew what that meant. "Oh, fucking hell no!" he grumbled, even as he dove to wrap the stinky-ass dog in the big towel he held. One shiver-and-shake was enough, damn it, and while Riley hadn't been able to prevent the first because he'd been too busy showing the dog's owner to the bathroom and lighting candles against the near-dark that would become full once the bathroom door was closed, he was for damned sure not about to let Goober add even more stench-laden dampness to the environment. "Goober's about the perfect name for you, buddy," Riley growled as he wrestled the big beast to the floor, his own wet clothes likely causing more harm than the dog's shaking of water ever could. But he didn't stink, so that was fine. The ensuing tussle and tumble was kind of fun, even if it was a bit uncomfortable, what with the way wet cotton tended to bind. Riley was grinning just as much as the dog by the time they finished. He was still wet, but Goober was mostly dry, and that was the important thing. Or it was, right up until Goober apparently Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 16

decided that Riley's couch looked comfy. "No! Bad dog!" A soft laugh from the hallway that led to the bath had Riley sighing. "Sorry, man, but your dog is fucking bold." Motorcycle Guy chuckled again, then cringed slightly as another bolt of lightning lit up the room, reflected through the still-open balcony doors by the rain. "You don't know the half of it," the guy said, and now, finally, Riley could hear something other than pain and cold in the guy's voice. He sounded... young, sort of, except not really. Or maybe it was just that his voice seemed weary and worn, and that robbed it of some youth. "I found him four years ago," the guy went on. "He was tiny. Like the size of a potato. Someone abandoned him in a box with a few other pups. Goobs was the only one still alive." A sigh. "Even the vet didn't expect him to live, but I figured what the heck, might as well try, you know?" The guy moved closer, out of the deep darkness of the unlit hallway, and Riley's breath caught for some reason. Not that his living room was that much brighter, between flashes of lightning, but there was something about the way the guy moved. Fluid. Controlled. Easy, but with some sort of contained force to it. Riley didn't have those sorts of moves, himself, but he'd known enough people in his life that he recognized the way the guy moved. Dancer. Gymnast. Swimmer. Something like that. This guy isn't just some random dude on a bike. That last thought had Riley blinking, even as another blast of thunder sounded, but it was true. The dude seemed like a pretty cool guy, so far. Even though he'd crashed a motorcycle into Riley's ride. Then again, that was what car insurance was for, wasn't it? Of more Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 17

interest was why the fucking clumsy-ass biker was even there. "No offence, man, but is there some reason you were flopping around on the ground like a landed fucking fish? I don't mean just the storm and shit, but why here? I'd fucking recognize you if you were local, and this isn't exactly a high-traffic area." Riley cocked his head, trying to see the guy more clearly. A small sound that Riley couldn't classify came from the guy. "I'm supposed to start living around here," the guy said. "It's the right street, anyway, but I couldn't see the house numbers at all. Um, sorry again. Or not 'again' because I'm not sure if I said it before, but sorry. For all the trouble. And the truck. Unless it's someone else's truck I ran into, in which case, I guess I need to apologize to them, too." Oh, fuck. It almost sounded to Riley like the guy was... but no. It was way too early. And yet, what were the odds that he was wrong? It was with that thought in mind that Riley moved a few steps closer to Motorcycle Guy and cocked his head. "Don't worry about it. So. Dude. Tell me if I'm totally off fucking base, but I'm guessing you're the guy Peter told me about. Uh, I mean Peter Jamison. The landlord here." Riley saw long, dark hair move while the pale oval of the guy's face dipped in a nod. "I guess I forgot about the dog." Except he hadn't. His uncle hadn't mentioned anything about the new... special guest... having a pet of any kind. Riley would have remembered that. He liked animals. He just didn't have the time or energy to keep one of his own. "Okay." Riley didn't bother with trying to smile or anything else. Motorcycle Guy wouldn't be able to tell, anyway. "Well, you made it to the right place, even if I Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 18

think you're fucking crazy. I would have stopped somewhere once it started raining. Especially with a fucking pup in a box, but whatever. None of my business. I'm Riley Abrams. Peter and I are..." How to explain it without making it sound like he was taking advantage of his uncle's wealth, or worse, like he was a total loser who had to rely on relatives in order to keep a roof over his head? Riley didn't know, so he fumbled through as best he could. "Close," he said. "Peter and me. We're friends. Close ones. I look after this house for him, so if you have any problems here, like plumbing or whatever, you tell me. If I can't fix it, I talk to Peter. Make sense?" Not that he expected the guy to be hanging around all that often. They usually didn't. There was no point in mentioning that the reason Riley was responsible for just the one house out of all Peter's properties was to keep the manager of the rest of Peter's properties from finding out too much about the frequently changing downstairs tenants. The guy blinked. Riley could just make out the dark wash of thick lashes closing and opening again. "Um, okay. I. Sorry. Riley. Can I... you mind if I sit down?" Oh, fuck. The guy had already said he was concussed, and Riley was making him stand around, for fuck's sake. "Dude. Sit. Uh, your dog looks like he's already using most of the fucking couch, though." It was true. Goober had stretched out and from end to end covered a good six feet, leaving about nine inches of sofa for anyone else. "Got a table and chairs out on the balcony, if you want." Dark-hair-pale-oval turned slightly, and Riley saw teeth gleam in the gloom. "That would be exactly why I don't let him sleep with me," Motorcycle Guy said. "The Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 19

balcony sounds okay. I'm guessing it doesn't get too wet?" Riley smirked. "Nah. A little bit, sometimes, depending on the way the wind's blowing, but it was fine before I ran down to rescue your ass from the storm. Uh, I'm guessing you don't want a beer, but if you think you can make it out there on your own, I can bring you some iced tea or something." "Nothing caffeinated," Motorcycle Guy said quickly. "It'll just make my head hurt worse. I'd kill for some water if you don't have anything else. Most people don't." Well, whatever. Riley just shrugged. "Will kill for water? Good to know. Head on out, then. I'll see what I've got." He hadn't been looking forward to the new tenant Peter had mentioned. Not even a little. Mostly because Riley already knew how that whole song and dance went. Peter liked them young and stupid and desperate, but somehow Riley didn't think this guy met more than one of those requirements. Maybe two, considering the dude hadn't just stopped to wait out the storm. He grabbed a beer for himself, because chances were the last one wasn't icy cold anymore, even with it being less than fifteen minutes since he'd first heard the sound of Motorcycle Guy's bike. He also grabbed the lonely can of soda that was left from the last time the twinkiesthree -- Riley's good friends Pauly, Randy, and James, who were all together -- had been by. Then he made his way back to the living room and out onto the balcony. "I found a Sprite, so drink it. The sugar will probably be good for you or some shit. Can't figure why Mr. worried-about-his-waistline Pauly would drink it, otherwise. I'm gonna take a quick shower and change. Just... you know. Try not to fall the fuck asleep, okay? Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 20

The last thing I need is some fucking biker dude going all comatose on me." "Kelly." It came as a surprise, but then again, so did the way Riley felt when the guy on his balcony turned to look at him. "I. Wha... Huh?" Riley bit the inside of his own cheek to keep from gaping. "My name," the guy went on. "Sorry. I suck. My name. It's Kelly. O'Connor. Kelly O'Connor." Riley forced himself to take a long, slow breath through his nose, then nodded and let his jaw relax, releasing the flesh he'd had trapped between his teeth. That was the last name Riley would have imagined belonging to an obviously part-Asian guy. "Nice to meet you, Kelly," he managed to say, even as his eyes catalogued long, wavy-even-while-wet black hair, alabaster skin, and vaguely almond-shaped dark eyes. He already knew the guy -- Kelly -- was lean and about an inch or so shorter than his own just-under six feet. Riley knew that even with the leather armor Kelly had been wearing at first, Kelly had to weigh a good thirty pounds less, too. That much was obvious. "Let me go shower and I'll see you in a few, man." What Riley didn't know -- and definitely didn't want an answer to -- was the question of why it actually bothered him that Kelly was being installed in the downstairs apartment Riley's uncle Peter used for tricks. Long-term tricks, granted, because the shortest had stayed there three months and the longest for more than year, but... tricks. The other question Riley wasn't asking himself was why he cared. He'd just met Kelly, for fuck's sake. But Kelly seemed like a cool enough guy, or maybe it was just that Kelly had needed Riley earlier, whether he'd known it or not. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 21

Yeah. He just needed me and he's hurt. And he's early. I'll tell Peter that his new fuck is here, and that'll be the end of that. Except maybe I'll be friends with this one, even after he and Peter go their separate ways. I like his dog. Riley smiled to himself as the warm water of the shower poured over him. It was just that he'd helped Kelly out. His interest had nothing to do with the fact that Kelly was stunning and far sexier than any man ever ought to be. And Riley knew he'd enjoy having a dog nearby. Maybe Kelly would let him walk the mutt or something. All the fun of a pet with none of the responsibility. Yeah. It wasn't that Kelly was fucking hot, it was that Kelly had a pup. Riley finished his shower in record time, then pulled on the sweats he'd grabbed earlier. It was only when he was out on the balcony with Kelly again that Riley realized they were dressed alike. While the sweats and T-shirt Kelly was wearing were big on that smaller frame, Riley couldn't help thinking the guy looked good. Better than just good. Kelly looked fucking awesome in Riley's clothes. Oh, fucking fuck. *** Kelly's head still hurt, but thankfully it had stopped throbbing unless he moved quickly. When he did that, the pounding, pulsing sensation returned with a vengeance. Fortunately, there wasn't really anything that was making him move too fast, aside from the occasional rumble of thunder and flash of lightning. Those were bad enough, but there wasn't any way to avoid them. The storm was still going strong. Strong-ish Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 22

might be a better term. It was still vicious and violent, but not as much as Kelly remembered from being out in it. Even being in a dark room probably wouldn't have helped his head, so Kelly didn't suggest it to the man who'd dragged him in out of the rain. Riley. That was the guy's name. Riley. Taller than Kelly, Riley was bulkier as well. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a body-by-gym, though from what Kelly had seen, Riley moved well enough. Some gym guys were sort of stiff and lumbering, but from what Kelly recalled, Riley wasn't one of them. To be fair, Kelly reminded himself, his head had been swimming in the deep end while Riley was helping out earlier, and the two of them had been sitting on the balcony pretty much ever since. It was possible that he'd just not noticed, but Kelly doubted it. The can of Sprite in his hand was still relatively cool, even after twenty minutes or so of no conversation. Riley seemed to be fascinated by the storm. Ordinarily, Kelly would have been happy to let that intense focus continue, but regardless of the sugar in the soda, he was starting to flag. He could actually feel his mind growing fuzzy, his eyelids drooping just a bit more with each passing minute. "So," Kelly said, the words emerging as more of a mumble than anything else, "I really do need to thank you for before. Getting Goobs out of his crate and the shower and stuff. Um, thanks." Yeah, talking was waking him up some. The last few words had sounded almost normal. "You said you're friends with Peter?" Maybe he shouldn't have asked that, but Kelly couldn't help it. He wanted to know. According to Kelly's stepfather, Peter Jamison only had a certain kind of close friend, and Riley just didn't seem like the type. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 23

Riley started a little, then shrugged. "Something like that," he said, offering up a sort of half-grin that looked guilty to Kelly, though he had no basis for that notion. He barely knew Riley. "And you're the dude who's supposed to be moving in downstairs. In, like, two fucking weeks. You're really fucking early, man. The apartment isn't ready yet." Yeah, that was what Kelly had been afraid of. Or rather it was what he would have been afraid of if he'd thought about it beforehand. Before throwing his clothes in suitcases and his dog into a travel crate. Before heading off across the entire damned country because Bob wouldn't believe Kelly really was through with him. Because I couldn't figure out how to explain to him that being married and pretending he wasn't while we were dating was the same thing as cheating. On me and on his wife. It's not like I wasn't coming here anyway, just not quite so soon. What difference does a week and a half make? Kelly wasn't about to say any of that to Riley, of course, so he just smiled a little and didn't shrug because the motion would have made his head hurt worse. "It's only ten days, and I'll be fine," Kelly said, taking a slow, careful sip of soda. "As long as the electricity is turned on, I'll manage until my stuff gets here." Until he called his friend Justin's moving company in San Francisco and had his things packed up and shipped. It wouldn't necessarily be fun, but Kelly would manage. He liked his comforts. Who didn't? But Kelly was sure he could handle having a roof over his head and a sleeping bag between his back and the floor for a while. He'd slept in tents for weeks on end during many, many summers. At least in his new apartment he wouldn't have rocks digging into his back or pine cones Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 24

falling on his head. Not to mention there's less chance of waking up with a snake. Of the reptilian variety. Riley snorted and took a long swallow of beer. "Dude. Seriously? Your bike is intimately acquainted with my fucking ride, you've managed to bust up your brain, and your stinky-ass dog is asleep on my couch. What part of that shit makes you think you can fend for your fucking self? I'm amazed you're even still breathing." The man paused, then grinned. "And I'm getting another beer, man. I'd offer you more Sprite but there isn't any, so water's gonna have to do. I'll give Peter a call at some point, but unless he has some sudden fucking brilliant idea, it looks like you're gonna be hanging out here for a while. At least until your brain unscrambles itself. I can probably find some aspirin or something, too, if you're sure you don't want an ambulance. Not that they'd get here anytime soon. I'm betting there's a fuck-load of accidents all over the place, right now. So... yeah. I'll be back, man." Weird, how Riley seemed to be so concerned for him, but Kelly didn't spend more than a second or two thinking about it. Thinking hurt. Then again, pretty much everything hurt. He chalked it up to a combination of ramming Riley's vehicle and not taking the time to train for the last week or so. But that was another thing an empty apartment would be good for. Space. Enough room for Kelly to sweat through regaining whatever flexibility he might have lost during his cross-country trek. He wasn't forgetting that Riley's something like that hadn't really answered the question of what kind of friendship existed between Riley and Peter, but then again, it wasn't really any of Kelly's business. He knew that much, but still... Riley seemed like a decent guy. And while Kelly didn't actually know Peter Jamison Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 25

personally, the things Kelly's stepdad had said about the man -- always with an amused but slightly offended tone of the boys will be boys variety -- made it seem unlikely that it would end up going well for Riley. And that's none of my business, either, so I need to stay out of it and just be glad Riley's the kind of guy who runs out in the rain to help someone. What goes on between him and my new landlord doesn't have anything to do with me. At all. God, can someone please cut my head off until it stops pounding? "Dude." Kelly jumped, only then realizing that he'd been dozing off. "Here," Riley added, setting a glass of water and bottle of aspirin on the small table, along with the cap for the pills. "You sure about that whole weird 'no caffeine' thing? Because you look like you're gonna fall right the fuck over in about a minute. I thought caffeine helped headaches, anyway." Kelly carefully picked up the aspirin bottle and tipped three tablets into his hand before exchanging the pill bottle for the water glass. He did his best not to move too quickly while he placed the tablets on his tongue then chased them down with a sip of the cool liquid. "That's regular headaches," he said seriously. "The kind that happen when your brain gets bounced around in your skull are a whole other story. Um, how do you not know that? You look like you must have played some kind of sports in school. Football, maybe? You must have had a concussion at some point or other." Riley chuckled and sat in the chair opposite Kelly again. Maybe it was the dimness, or maybe it was just hitting his head so hard, but for whatever reason, Kelly got the impression that Riley was blushing. "Nah," Riley answered, twisting the cap from his beer in one swift, practiced motion. "Seriously, I was a little Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 26

dude until I hit fifteen. Then I grew like eight fucking inches in one summer. After that, I was a reedy little shit. You know. Tall and skinny as fuck." He took a swig of Heineken. "I didn't start working out until after high school, and I was never coordinated enough for sports, anyway. Too much being aware of where everyone else is, you know? And fuck that. I'm lucky if I know where I am." That surprised a laugh out of Kelly, and even though it made him cringe a little, it felt good to be laughing with Riley. Okay, it felt good to be laughing with anyone. Kelly hadn't felt like laughing much in the last couple weeks. Still, there was something about big, buff Riley saying so bluntly that he just wasn't an athlete that Kelly found amusing. "I'm not big on team sports either," Kelly said a few seconds later, staring out at the storm. "Sorry, is it my imagination or is the rain letting up? I don't think there's been any thunder or lightning in the last few minutes." Riley grinned, and Kelly noticed that he could actually see the man better. Not much, but a little bit, and that might mean... "Clouds seem less thick." Riley sounded happy about it, and that was a little strange considering how much Riley had seemed to be enjoying the force of nature. "Dude. Maybe we should go inside. If the sun breaks through, you're gonna be in a world of fucking hurt. I don't know how it works where you're from, but here? When the sun comes out again, all that wet fucking pavement and grass and shit is gonna be bright and shiny, you know?" Oh, crap. Riley was right. That didn't mean Kelly could just go inside and hang out, though. "I should get my stuff. And my dog. We'll be out of your hair in a minute. But thanks, Riley. I appreciate all your help." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 27

Riley snorted. "Kelly. Dude. Which part of 'you need a fucking keeper' don't you get? You're concussed, you don't have any fucking furniture, and the power's out in the house. You're staying in my spare room until at least two of those fucking things are fixed. Seriously, Peter would kick my ass if I let you stay downstairs right now." A huge, affectionate grin split Riley's face. "And Peter might be 'a flighty old queen,' like he says, but he really would try. Or get my Aunt Edna to do the asskicking from Florida. So do us both a favor and don't fucking fight me on this, okay? The last thing I need is to tell the guys at the gym that a swishy fifty-year-old dude gave me a black eye. Or an old lady who's hundreds of miles away." There wasn't much Kelly could say to that. Even if he hadn't been relieved, there wouldn't have been any point. As it was, he gave in as gracefully as possible. He did promise to cook Riley dinner, once he was settled into his own place and had pots and pans and utensils and so on. Riley seemed surprised that Kelly could cook. "Well, I'm not a master chef, but I do all right," Kelly said, smiling as he watched Riley try to shift Goober's dead weight enough to wake the beast. That dog could sleep through anything, and apparently the trip had tired him out just as much as it had tired Kelly. "I just don't use anything frozen, canned, or jarred. It makes it easier to be sure about what I'm putting into my body. That's important." His smile grew a little when Riley shot him a surprised glance. "I'm not all-organic or anything," Kelly clarified. "But I feel better about things if I know how much salt or fat or whatever is in the food I eat. Oh, and I'm not a vegetarian, either. A lot of people assume I am when I say stuff like that, but I'm not." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 28

Riley grunted and finally managed to wake Goobs up with a hard shove. "Well, thank fuck. I like most vegetables, but fuck if I could live on them. Give me a big, thick, juicy piece of meat along with my broccoli and shit, and I'm a happy dude." Kelly moved slowly across the floor, then dropped onto one end of the couch. Goobs whined and reluctantly shifted to the floor, where he put his chin on Kelly's thigh and offered up the puppy-eyes-of-doom. "I kind of already had you pegged as a meat-man, Riley," Kelly answered. "So, you planning on sitting down, or what?" he added, one hand resting on Goober's head and scratching behind the dog's ears to make up for the loss of the surprisingly comfortable couch. Riley shrugged and slouched onto the opposite end of the sofa. "Guess I better. Otherwise you'll fall right the fuck asleep, slip into a coma, and die." Riley smirked. "Peter would be totally pissed off, man." "As long as it keeps you from getting your butt kicked, I guess it's worthwhile." Kelly wasn't entirely sure that Peter Jamison would really be upset enough to fight with Riley, but whatever. He also didn't think he'd end up in a coma if he dozed off. In fact, he would be able to do just that in a little while -- doze, not become comatose -- as long as Riley woke him every now and again. But Riley was laughing at Kelly's last words, and for whatever reason, Kelly really liked the sound of it. It had his head throbbing, but it still sounded good.

Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 29

Chapter Three Kelly was situated in the spare room, probably calling home because he'd said he needed to do that. Riley couldn't deny that the guest room was far from perfect -- it was small, as so many were in houses of the era during which the old Victorian had been built -- and although one corner was filled with piled-up boxes, it did have a bed and a dresser, along with a bathroom right across the hall. Kelly's things were in the living room, suitcases standing on a pad of three old towels that would hopefully soak up the rain that had apparently leaked inside during Kelly's ride and the time after, when those same cases had sat outside in the raging weather. Riley figured they could open the cases the next day. With any luck, the power would be back on by then and they would be able to do a few loads of wash. Rain water might be more natural or whatever, but Riley knew for damned sure that even hanging Kelly's wet things out to dry wouldn't leave them anything like soft. And why the hell do I give a flying fuck whether my uncle's newest fuck has soft fucking clothes? Jesus Christ, why do I even care if he dies in his fucking sleep? Except then I'd be stuck with his dog. That was bullshit, of course, and Riley knew it. He did care whether Kelly lived or died, even wanted him to be comfortable. And that was the moment -- standing there in his own living room, with a stinky fucking dog on his couch and four suitcases seeping water into a pile of towels -- that Riley felt it happen. The world changed, somehow, though Riley was sure he'd imagined it. It was only a moment. A simple instant Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 30

during which Riley felt off balance and borderline dizzy. Then he was fine. It was probably a shift in the atmospheric pressure, he decided, because the clouds were clearing and spears of sunlight were starting to shine through. Or else it was some weird kind of surge from the power coming back on, because once the strange sensation faded, Riley heard the hum of his old refrigerator starting up in the kitchen. He needed to see about replacing the ancient machine with a new one. Something with a water and ice dispenser on the outside of the door would be good. He took one more look at the big, hairy monster on his couch and rolled his eyes at how fitting that name, Goober, actually was. Then Riley made a mental note to call Uncle Peter once the post-storm inspection of the outside of the house was done. If nothing had been damaged, Peter still needed to know that the new... well. Peter deserved to know that Kelly had arrived. Early and injured, but Kelly was there. And Kelly was a good guy, from what Riley had seen, so maybe there was some way to warn Peter off. Yeah. Riley could manage that much, at least. He would. *** No one ever said having the front wheel of a motorcycle jammed into an SUV's wheel well was a good thing, Riley thought with a grunt as he strained to drag the bike backward. Unfortunately, jammed was exactly the right word. He hadn't thought Kelly had been going that fast when the impact occurred, but it had been enough to mess up the guy's helmet and cause a minor concussion, so what did Riley know? And maybe the seemingly permanent joining of vehicles had something Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 31

to do with the rain. Like the wetness made the rubber slicker than usual and the bike's wheel had pushed in farther and harder than it could have done while dry. Now, of course, it was dry, which might explain the degree of difficulty in uncoupling Harley from Ford. The added weight of the trailer-type contraption that Riley had managed to detach from the motorcycle had probably contributed to the degree of connectedness, too, but the fact that the trailer was up against the side of the house didn't seem to be helping much right then. "Fuck, I'm gonna have to lube it up." "Um, excuse me?" Kelly stood on the front walk, a grin on his face, though Riley didn't know if the smile was due to the way he'd jumped at Kelly's voice or what Riley had just said. Only one way to find out, though, so Riley repeated what he'd thought a moment or so earlier. "I'm thinking you got it way deep in there because it was so wet, man, but it's dry now, and just jerking it at random isn't doing any good. So maybe if I work something slick in there, it'll be easier to slide you the fuck out again. Make sense?" Riley shrugged and Kelly burst out laughing. "What?" Kelly shook his head slowly. "Nothing. Just... no, never mind." That grin was still there, though. "What?" Riley demanded again, crossing his arms and trying to look stern. Another head shake. "I don't know you well enough to say what I'm thinking," Kelly said, shoving his hands into the front pockets of what Riley knew were freshly laundered jeans. "It might freak you out or something." Riley cocked his head, trying to figure out what the hell Kelly was talking about. Then he replayed his own words and it hit him. "Fuck," he said, laughing, "I say that kind of shit all the time, man. Jer says I'm missing Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 32

my brain-to-mouth filter, but what the fuck ever. I just think it's funny." And sometimes he didn't even notice when he said things that might make other people -- like Kelly, apparently -- try to censor themselves. Weird. "I guess it is," Kelly agreed once Riley had gone back to examining the intimacy of the vehicles. "Honestly, you kind of reminded me of my kid brother for a minute, there. He's seventeen, but his sense of humor stopped maturing around twelve." Riley's loud snort was deliberate. "And you're what? Twenty going on forty? Please. Now do us both a favor and find me something to oil these babies up, okay? Or... wait. I'll do that. You need to get your ass back upstairs and rest or some shit. You had a fucking concussion yesterday, man." "I'm twenty-four. And I feel okay now," Kelly answered, and Riley snorted again. "Shut the fuck up, get inside, and sit your ass down. Play with your fucking dog or something. Or... fuck. He didn't shit in my house, did he?" Because that would suck. Goober already smelled bad enough. The last thing Riley needed was to have his apartment stinking of dog shit on top of it. Kelly's eyes rolled. Riley saw it while he stalked toward the porch. "I took him out a couple hours ago. You were still asleep. He's fine. But I need to find a store. I gave him what little food didn't get ruined by the rain, but there isn't any left now." Well, shit. That was what Riley got for taking in a guy with a big-ass fucker of a dog, wasn't it? "Fine. Get upstairs. I'll get your bike the fuck separate from my ride, then you can tell me what kind of shit we need for Goober, okay?" And Uncle Peter was going to get a fucking earful, just as soon as the man started answering Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 33

his phone. He should have mentioned that his new fuck had a dog. *** It was actually sweet, the way Riley kept trying to take care of him. In a weird, Riley-Tarzan, Kelly-Jane kind of way that didn't sit quite right with Kelly. He might be the smaller of them and the one who had done a crappy impression of a rag doll when he'd flown from his bike the day before, but that didn't make him helpless. Kelly was anything but helpless. He'd been a bit woozy and slightly damaged, but he really did feel fine. The headache was almost gone, and while his pupils weren't quite back to normal, they were well on their way. And Riley seemed to think Kelly was mentally deficient or something, judging by the way the man kept hovering. So yeah, it was sweet. It was also incredibly annoying and more than a little bit offensive. That Goober seemed to think Riley was the next best thing to liver treats and celery only added insult to injury. Then again, Riley's probably used to taking care of people. He seems like the type. Maybe that's even part of his thing with Peter Jamison. It's possible. Peter Jamison might be ill or something. If he is, how in the world does he… Pills, maybe? Peter Jamison, little blue pills, and Riley. The idea alone was enough to have Kelly feeling queasy again. It was also still none of his business, and Kelly knew it. "We can watch something else." Kelly blinked, Riley's voice pulling him from his thoughts. "Huh?" "Dude," Riley said from the other end of the couch, shrugging, "I said you can change the channel if you Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 34

want. The way you were frowning, I figured you were probably tired of sports." Kelly hadn't been paying any attention, but it was as good an excuse as any. The last thing Kelly wanted to do was explain that his expression had been due to disgust over whatever might be going on between Riley and Riley's close friend Peter Jamison. Kelly smiled a little and picked up the remote from where it lay between them on the sofa cushions. "Sorry. I told you I'm not a huge fan of football, right? Not even the European kind. Now, if they were showing my sport, that'd be a whole other story." Riley laughed. "Fuck. Yeah, you did say that. So what's your sport, man? We got kind of sidetracked by the fucking weather before." Kelly nodded. "Various martial arts, mostly. I used to swim some, but I gave that up after high school. Grandfather's pretty well known as a teacher back home, so he started me out really young with karate and judo. Then he sent me to study with some of his friends for other forms and styles." Kelly chuckled. "They're all old men, but I swear I wouldn't want to mess with any of them. They taught me everything I know... but not everything they know. Kempo, hapkido, even some tahtib. Um, that's Egyptian, in case you've never heard of it. Egyptian stick fighting. I picked up some other less traditional stuff along the way." And hadn't his mother been thrilled about Kelly's interest in things that could get him hurt? Not. Of course, she wasn't exactly happy that Kelly had managed to give himself a concussion on his first day in Hartford, either. "You sound like you miss it," Riley said, and while Kelly didn't know the guy all that well, the surprise he thought he heard in Riley's voice dragged him back on track. "You any good?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 35

Made the national karate team once, but I broke my arm before I could compete, damn it. Of course, Kelly wasn't going to say that. Half the time when he did, guys got belligerent, wanting to test him or possibly themselves. "I'm okay," Kelly said instead. "I'm supposed to start teaching in a few weeks. One of my old teachers has a former student who's just bought a school here. He's someone I've competed against and was kind of a friend back then, so when he asked if I wanted to be one of his partners, I said yes." Hell, he'd leaped at the chance, not only because he would be teaching what he loved, but because the idea of owning even part of a business at twenty-four was incredibly appealing. That the school was in somewhat dire financial straits was only an added challenge. Besides, Kelly had been aching to spend time somewhere other than San Francisco. It was a great city, but he'd lived there almost his entire life. Riley grinned. "Cool. Beats the fuck out of looking for work. And answers the question of what you're gonna do with your time." "Plus the question of what I'm going to do for money," Kelly added. "The rent won't pay itself, right? I'm lucky that the school is already established. At least we have a built-in customer base. Harry's been working there for years. His old sensei decided to move to Hawaii, so he offered to sell to Harry." This time, Riley's surprise was visible rather than audible, but all the guy said was, "Okay. I'm getting a beer, man. You want a Sprite? I picked some up when I was getting the shit for fucking Goober." Riley frowned. "Not for, like, fucking Goober. Just. Fuck it. You know what I mean." "Well, now I know you're not into bestiality, so that's a plus." Kelly smirked while Goober raised his head at Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 36

the sound of his name, then put it back down with a muffled huffing sound. "And a Sprite would be good. Thanks." Riley chuckled. Nodded. "No problem, man. I'll be right back. Don't fucking move. One concussion at a time is e-fucking-nough." Yeah, sweet but annoying pretty much summed it up. "And that means we need something with explosions to watch," Kelly muttered to himself as he flipped channels, Goobs' chin resting on his foot. *** Riley was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. At the moment, irritated was definitely on the list, though. "Goober," he called, "I'm not screwing around, dog! Stop jerking the fu... the funny leash!" The word changed in mid-breath out of deference to the group of kids playing in the Henderson's yard. They looked about ten or so, and the last thing Riley needed was angry parents banging on his door. Christ, the fucking dog was a pain in the ass. Big and brown-mixed-with-beige, and while Kelly claimed the beast was four years old, Goober acted like his age could be counted in months rather than years. Goober pulled harder at the leash, seeming suddenly determined to go see the kids. Strong as fuck. Add that to the list. Jesus! The damned dog was practically dragging Riley down the street. It was pathetic. He was the human; the dog should have been listening to him, damn it! Of course, it was also funny. At least, Riley was sure he would have been laughing if he'd seen anyone else being hauled down the street by an enormous goofball in Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 37

a dog-suit. He was just glad none of his friends were there to see it. Pauly, Randy, and James would probably take pictures, given the chance, and even Jeremy and that damned Troy Ballard would laugh and tell the story at every opportunity, though without photographic -- or video -- evidence. "Ooof!" The breath left him in a sudden gust as Goober devoted one final burst of speed to reaching the fence around the yard where the kids were playing and Riley hit that same fence, the top edge banging roughly against his stomach. "Goober!" The threat in his voice had no effect, other than to make Goobs look over at him as if to say what now? Then the dog turned back to the kids, little whining sounds coming out as Goober panted, long strings of slobber hanging from his doggy tongue. The kids shrieked with laughter and the boys moved closer to the fence while the three girls of the bunch backed away, their noses scrunched up like they smelled something nasty. Probably Goober, Riley thought with a grin. There were nine more days until Kelly's things were supposed to arrive from California. Riley was determined to get the damned dog to a groomer long before then. With any luck, a professional would be able to do something about the dog's stench. "Riley! Hey there!" He looked away from the kids to see Beverly Henderson coming down the steps from the front porch. "Good Lord, Riley, what manner of fell beast has you in its clutches?" Riley sighed and shook his head sadly at the blonde, thirty-something woman. "Pretty sure it's a demon, Bev," he answered, still doing his best to look sorrowful. "Friend of mine conjured it up, then he bashed his fu... funny head in, so now I'm stuck doing the stinkmonster's bidding." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 38

Beverly laughed. "He's cute." Riley almost agreed, until he realized she was talking about the dog. "He's a menace." But he was grinning when he said it. He actually liked Goober. He just didn't want the dog to know it. "How's your summer going? How's Andre? Haven't seen you guys around much lately." Bev rolled her eyes for a moment, then smiled again. "Andre's in Baltimore until Thursday. It's his mother's sixty-fifth birthday this week and she wanted him to make it a real visit. And my summer students at the college are... pretty much what you'd expect, really. Some of them are great and taking summer session because they love learning, and some are there because they partied too hard last semester and need the grades. On the whole, it's not too bad." "So you're not in Baltimore with Andre because you're teaching?" That sounded weird to Riley, considering how much Beverly and Andre seemed to live in each other's back pockets. They both taught at the same school, even. If Andre could get away for a few days, it seemed strange that Beverly hadn't been able to take the time off, too. Beverly's lips compressed to a thin line, then relaxed. "Why don't you and yon hellish hound come over to this side of the fence? I'll bring some lemonade out onto the porch. We can catch up while the kids get acquainted with their slobbery new friend." Riley considered asking for a rain check, but the kids started hollering excitedly, even the girls, so he gave in as gracefully as possible. "Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm not responsible if he fu... messes up their clothes or whatever." Five minutes later, Goober was running around like the big, bumbling puppy he apparently believed himself Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 39

to be. The kids were taking turns chasing him and being chased, and Riley was perched carefully on the edge of a wicker loveseat on the Hendersons' front porch. It had been months since he'd actually taken the time to sit and talk with either Henderson adult, Riley realized then. It made sense, considering that Bev and Andre taught classes and Riley worked the six p.m. to two a.m. shift at Safe Haven Security, but even so. He used to make time and he hadn't been doing that lately. Not since Jeremy had moved in with Troy Ballard, anyway. "Sorry I've been such a fucking stranger, Bev," he said when she came out of the house with a pitcher of lemonade in one hand and two glasses in the other. The screen door shut behind her with a loud snap. She shook her head as she placed pitcher and glasses on the small, glass-topped table, then sat down in the wicker chair near the loveseat. "It's been a fucked-up few months," he added. "But is it getting better?" Beverly looked truly concerned while she poured for them both. "And no matter what you may think, Riley, it's not always your responsibility to make sure we talk. Andre or I could have stopped by any number of times, but we didn't. So. Whatever it is that's kept you away, is it getting better?" Riley accepted the glass she offered, then took a sip of tart-but-sweet liquid. He waggled his free hand in the standard yes-and-no sign. "The guy I used to work with -- you remember Jeremy, right? I must have mentioned him before." She arched a brow and took a drink from her own glass. "Only about a million times, but I'm afraid I don't recall too many particulars." "Okay. So Jeremy started seeing this guy a while ago, and..." Riley found himself telling Beverly all about how Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 40

a noise complaint had thrown Jeremy and Troy Ballard together... and how Riley's best friend didn't seem to have much time for anything anymore. "It sucks," he grumbled. Beverly nodded and leaned forward, patting Riley's hand where it sat on his thigh. "It does. But Riley... one of these days, you're going to meet the right one. And when you do, you'll realize that Jeremy is still your best friend. Just because he's not spending hours every day with you doesn't mean he doesn't still love you. In that strange man-way I'll never understand, of course." "What-fucking-ever." Riley forced a chuckle. "So. Your turn, Bev. Fucking amazing try at derailing that topic, though. Too bad I'm smarter than I look, huh?" Bev smiled, then looked down at her hand. Or at her wedding ring, maybe. Riley couldn't be sure. "It's simple," she said, and she sounded resigned, somehow. "Andre and I have been married for twelve years, and his mother still doesn't understand why he had to go falling for 'some white woman.' She's never met me or the kids, and she doesn't want to. But Andre loves his mother, and he should. She gave up so much to raise him and his sisters. And she would put up with it if I insisted on being there, but she wouldn't be happy. It's her birthday, Riley, so I told him to go." Beverly's smile didn't reach even halfway to her eyes, but Riley pretended not to notice. "Andre told Samuel and Belinda that their Granny Henderson is sick, and that's why they can't see her. I suppose that's true in a sense." Fuck if Riley even had words to express his opinion. Not consciously, anyway. His mouth, on the other hand, seemed to have its own ideas and bypassed conscious thought in an instant. "That's fucked up. Like, seriously, seriously fucked up, Bev. Shit, I thought all that race crap was in the past. Fuck. Sorry." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 41

Beverly smiled again, no more convincingly. "It is, in some places. Just like all the gay stuff isn't an issue in certain areas. And I'm not saying they're the same thing, but they make about as much sense, as far as I'm concerned." There wasn't much Riley could say to that, so he just nodded and finished the lemonade in his glass, even with it being heavily diluted by the ice that had melted during their conversation. At least Goober would be tired when Riley got him home. That was a fucking comfort.

Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 42

Chapter Four Kelly still didn't know what he was going to do in Hartford for the next week, but he knew he needed to do something. Specifically at night, because Riley worked nights. Kelly had known that, sort of, because Riley had mentioned it a time or two since Kelly's arrival on Saturday, but here it was, Monday evening, and for some reason the idea of being alone at Riley's with just Goobs for company until very early Tuesday morning didn't sit well. More to the point, it sounded boring. And it didn't even look like there was going to be anything worth watching on the tube. Maybe he was still more concussed than he'd thought. That was the only reason Kelly could find for his sudden, unexpected sense of loneliness. Riley wasn't gone yet, but Kelly still felt alone. That was saying a lot, considering that Kelly had always enjoyed his own company. He had friends back home, of course, but he'd never been one of those guys who needed to be surrounded by people all day, every day. So feeling lonely because Riley was going to work? Well, it had to be due to the head injury. Or else I just like him. That could be it, too. I like him and he's pretty hot. And if he weren't 'close friends' with Peter Jamison, maybe I'd see whether... no. I don't know if he's really gay, or maybe just bi. He doesn't exactly come across as gay, but he must be at least bi, or that whole 'close friends' thing wouldn't work. But either way, he's involved with Peter Jamison, and even if he swings, I'm not going there. And I've had enough experience with bisexuals to last me a lifetime. Crap. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 43

He really didn't know Riley's inclinations. Riley didn't seem to want to clear up the question, either, which wasn't to say that Kelly had asked. Gay or bi, Riley for damned sure hadn't expressed any interest in getting up close and personal with Kelly. Or no more so than insisting Kelly and Goobs stay in the surprisingly well-kept two-bedroom apartment, anyway. "No, he really hasn't," Kelly muttered to himself, flipping channels rapidly. Goober snuffled and rolled on the floor, showing his belly. "Dude. You say something?" Kelly turned, already smiling, and froze for just a moment at the sight that greeted him. "No," he answered, shaking off his initial disbelieving reaction to seeing Riley in the less than appealing short-sleeved white button-down shirt with matching pockets on each side, black slacks, equally black shoes, and a black baseball cap that bore the Safe Haven Security logo in gold, blue and white. "Sorry. Just talking to myself." Riley's lips twitched, one corner of his mouth quirking up into a half-grin that should have looked stupid but instead was far too appealing for Kelly's peace of mind. "That something you make a habit of or is it the fucking concussion, man?" God. Riley's eyes were shining, but Kelly was sure he saw concern there, as well. The conviction was borne out a second later when Riley moved closer to the couch. "Hey, I can call in if you're not feeling good. I haven't taken a sick day in two years. They owe me." That was just too much. Sweet, which Kelly still didn't expect, even with sweetness seeming to be Riley's default setting. The man talked like a thug, with all the cussing, but Riley's personality somehow cut the cringeworthiness. How anyone could say the things Riley did Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 44

and still come off as a good guy wasn't something Kelly could explain, but there it was. Sweet guy, filthy-dirty mouth. Annoying jerk. "I'm fine," Kelly said bluntly, that kindness rubbing him the wrong way right then. "Save your sick leave for when you really need it. Or use it for extra vacation time. Go have fun at work." A snort answered his words, but Goobs rolled again and stood, then made a beeline for Riley, who snapped out "Down!" Kelly was relieved to see that the worry he'd probably imagined was gone when Riley looked at him again. "They call it work for a reason, man. It's fucking boring as shit, which pretty much makes it the antithesis of 'fun.' And they're probably gonna give me a new fucking trainee tonight, so it'll be hell." Riley shrugged and turned toward the door. "Besides, if I added all my accumulated sick leave to my accumulated holidays, I'd be away from work for, like, a month and a half. My boss would fucking kill me. Then again, he's gonna saddle me with another crappy trainee. I'm pretty sure this one's gonna be even worse than the last, so... whatever. Later, okay?" Kelly kept his eyes locked on the swiftly flickering channels on the TV instead of turning to the door. "Yeah. Whatever. See you." He would, too. Would see Riley. In the morning, because Kelly was definitely planning on hiding from that kind nature once Riley got home from work. It bothered him, that sweetness. Made him think Riley actually cared more than seemed reasonable when all the guy had done was take Kelly in for a few days. And Kelly was going to be living downstairs eventually, so maybe that explained it. Riley was just looking out for him, and by extension... "Making sure I don't try to cause any problems for his 'close friend' Peter. Not that I ever would, but somebody Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 45

else might. It's like a national sport." Kelly frowned, thumb hard on the channel button, but he wasn't paying attention to the flashes of reruns, infomercials, shopping networks, and movies. That was the most likely reason for the way Riley was acting, and Kelly felt like an idiot for not realizing it until just then. Of course, he also didn't know why the idea bothered him so much, except Riley was a decent guy, really. Not the kind who deserved to be used by someone, the way Kelly's stepdad had implied Peter Jamison used men. But Riley was also an adult. Kelly figured him for twenty-seven, maybe twenty-eight. Riley was old enough to know what he was doing with his own life, wasn't he? "Crap." *** He'd been right about the new trainee. This one was even worse than the last. Older than Riley -- the man had to be in his mid-thirties and obviously resented being taught the ropes by someone Riley's age -Lorenzo seemed sure that he already knew everything there was to know. Lorenzo also seemed to have a problem with every single person they drove past on their rounds while it was still light enough out to see details. "Look at that," the man said, nodding at Mrs. Jeffries as she pulled two bags of groceries from the back of her car while hollering for her kids to come help. "How does she even live there? She looks like a whore." "She lives in the community that pays us to patrol," Riley said, doing his best to sound less angry than he was rapidly becoming. "That makes her a client." To be Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 46

fair, the fortyish woman didn't dress her age, but she didn't look it, either, and as she and her husband seemed to like the way she looked, Riley didn't figure anyone else had a right to complain. Honestly, he thought she looked pretty hot. Not at all like someone who'd been married long enough to have three kids who ranged in age from sixteen down to eight or so. Hell, if he'd seen her in a bar or something without knowing anything about her, he probably would have taken a shot. Lorenzo did something that might have been a smile, but it looked sick and twisted and wrong to Riley. "I bet she's more used to having clients than being one," the guy said, and that was enough. Right then and there, it was enough. Riley had spent the last two hours listening to the fucker rant on and on about various ethnic groups -- specifically people of the ethnicities who lived in the very pricey Hartford neighborhood they patrolled -- and he was sick of it. Also sickened by it. "I think we should head back to the office," he said after a minute or so. "I need to talk to Maughrey." Not that Riley really thought the manager would do anything other than hopefully assign Lorenzo to a different trainer, but fuck if Riley thought he could stay in the damned car with the asshole without belting him one. Lorenzo repeated the weird-ass smile from a few seconds earlier. "Good. My sister wanted me to tell him to bring home some Scotch, anyway. She doesn't like calling him at work." Well, that explained how Lorenzo had gotten hired, Riley realized. The boss was married to -- or possibly just sleeping with -- Lorenzo's sister. It also explained why Lorenzo was so obviously unconcerned about the garbage he'd been spewing. Nepotism at its best. Shit. Riley was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize he'd followed his usual route and turned down Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 47

Troy Ballard's street. Jeremy's street now, too. Then the fucking asshole trainee pointed it out. "Jesus Christ! Look at that! It's fags on parade!" Riley looked. Of course he did. When someone said look like they'd just seen a fucking dinosaur, whoever they were talking to looked. Just like happened whenever someone said don't look now, but... He'd been wrong before, Riley realized as he somehow managed to keep the patrol car at a steady pace while Lorenzo's voice went on and on, spewing poison. It hadn't been quite enough when it was still Lorenzo commenting on Mrs. Jeffries. But the things the fucktard was saying right then about everyone gay? Oh, that was it. All of it. Riley might say similar things from time to time, but never seriously, and never behind anyone's back. When Riley said shit like that, it was always to peoples' faces. Fortunately, those people were his friends and knew he didn't mean anything bad by it. Lorenzo, on the other hand? No. Just no. Ten minutes later, Riley pulled the patrol car into the parking lot of Safe Haven Security's offices. He climbed from the car and threw the keys to Lorenzo, then moved as calmly as possible to the front door. He stepped inside, not bothering to hold the door for his trainee, and walked steadily to the main office, where he opened Maughrey's door after knocking just once. "I'm not feeling so good," he said, throwing his work cap onto the desk in front of the obviously surprised man. "I might fucking hurl all over your desk. So I'm leaving. You'll have to find someone else to train Lorenzo. I think I have a virus, or maybe an ulcer. He has the keys." "Riley." Maughrey frowned. "Close the door and tell me what's going on." The frown only deepened when Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 48

Riley did as instructed and closed the door, leaving Lorenzo in the hallway. "You don't get sick," Maughrey said then. "It seems strange that you're all of a sudden ill now." Riley did his best to meet his boss's stare, but fuck it. "I am," he insisted. "Seriously, man, I totally feel sick to my stomach." It was true, really, which was a good thing because Riley wasn't good at lying, in general. "I'm sure it'll pass, but..." A soft, disgusted-sounding chuckle interrupted the words, then Maughrey added some of his own. "But you don't want to work with Regina's brother. Funny, I'd think you'd be glad to be training someone like him. Especially after you had to work with Nelson for so long. At least Lorenzo won't hit on you." "What the fuck? Jer never hit on me. He's my best friend!" And maybe he should have kept that to himself, Riley realized, because Maughrey's face twisted into what could only be described as a sneer. "Oh. 'Friend.' I should have guessed." Yeah, that was definitely a sneer on Maughrey's face. In the man's voice, too. Disdain, revulsion, and loathing, all wrapped up in one package, for fuck's sake. "Fine. You're 'sick.' Go ahead home, then. I'll find someone else to train Lorenzo. He probably wouldn't be safe with you, anyway." Riley didn't wait for Maughrey to say anything else, he just turned on his heel and stalked out, ignoring Lorenzo when he passed the man in the hall. Fuck Lorenzo. And fuck Safe Haven Security if Maughrey doesn't know Lorenzo's a fucking piece of shit who'll never be able to do this job without offending every fucking client we have. Did he seriously just fucking imply that I'm gay just because Jeremy is? Yeah, fuck Maughrey. In the metaphorical way, 'cause the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 49

other is too fucking gross to even think about... And fuck Kelly for reminding me about my sick days, for fuck's sake! Except Riley didn't really mean that last. If Kelly hadn't gotten the connection between sick days and using them for other things into Riley's head, Riley probably would have quit instead of pleading sick. He honestly didn't know why Lorenzo's particularly broadscoped brand of hate bothered him so much, either. He'd been set to train bigots before. For some reason, though, it felt more personal this time. It was confusing, but Riley couldn't deny the truth of it. He just wished he knew why. An hour and a half later, when he was comfortably ensconced in a chair on the back deck at Jeremy and Ballard's place, Riley still didn't have a single clue. But he felt secure in the knowledge that he'd done the right thing. All his and Jeremy's friends had told him so, repeatedly. And if a few of them -- specifically Pauly, Randy, and James -- were acting incredibly fucking weird, well, that wasn't exactly unusual for the threesome. The twinkies-three hadn't been what Riley would call normal even once since he'd first met them. That they were smirking more often than not was just fucking irrelevant. Their smirks only grew deeper when they suggested meeting up at Riley's the following afternoon and Riley agreed, with the proviso that nobody mention he was on sick leave. It wasn't a secret, exactly, but the last thing Riley needed was to have Kelly worried that Riley'd jeopardized his fucking job because of what Kelly had said. He also didn't want to have to explain his reasons. Kelly might feel guilty or something, thinking Riley's reaction to Lorenzo's sour hatred toward ethnicities and Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 50

gays was because of Kelly, rather than because it was plain fucking wrong. Riley was just being a good friend, and the twinkiesthree could laugh as much as they fucking wanted to, as long as they didn't rat him out. *** Three nights of sleeping in Riley's spare room and hanging out with the guy during the day had Kelly feeling a little bit off. Sure, there was still gratitude for the way Riley had rescued him, but there was also resentment for the fact that Kelly had needed rescuing in the first place. Gratitude that Riley had woken him up every hour that first night. Resentment for feeling like he owed Riley. It was messed up. Even more messed up was that Riley just went on being a decent guy. Kelly was a little repulsed that Riley was involved with Peter Jamison in the close friends way. Even so, Kelly was becoming more and more sure that Riley was actually bisexual rather than gay. He still hadn't asked, of course, because that would have been rude, but with the last vestiges of concussion gone, Kelly had noticed that Riley's gaze lingered on women when they watched television. And Kelly couldn't deny that while the small glances he'd caught Riley casting his way had set his gaydar to pinging, the muscled man didn't set it to singing. And now some of Riley's friends had shown up, which only muddied the waters even further, unfortunately. Most bisexual guys didn't have quite so many gay friends of the non-sexual variety, in Kelly's experience, which Kelly couldn't deny was limited, but still. That wasn't to say that Riley's friends weren't Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 51

sexual, just that they apparently weren't sexual with Riley, if Kelly was any sort of judge. "Well, I think it's fabulous that Ry-ry's being so nice to you." That was Pauly, an absolutely stunning man who was a study in browns. Brown hair, brown eyes, and even brownish skin, though Kelly was fairly sure that was from tanning. "Then again, we already knew he was a prince. Sadly, he's not my prince. What a good boy you are! Yes, you are!" That last was directed at Goobs, who had latched on to Pauly, apparently hoping for clandestine treats. Another of Riley's friends, this one nearly platinum blond with green eyes, laughed. "I have a feeling Randy and James wouldn't like the idea of you having any more... princes... than you already do." The blond leaned back into the couch cushions. "Be nice, Troy." Yet another friend, this one tall with light brown hair, and clearly involved with the blond. He was leaning against the arm of the sofa with one hand tangled in the blond's hair, anyway. Was his name Jerry? Kelly wasn't sure. The entire group of five had shown up all at once and Kelly couldn't remember who was who. Aside from Pauly, because Pauly was... well, bold didn't even begin to cover it. So there was Pauly. The blond was apparently Troy. And it seemed Pauly had two different boyfriends, because Troy had said James and Randy. Okay. Kelly could deal with that. It took all kinds to make a good relationship, and Pauly didn't seem at all bothered by Troy mentioning Pauly's two lovers, so it clearly wasn't a secret. "I am being nice," the blond -- Troy -- said with a grin. "I just don't want Pauly to start thinking Riley means anything by it when he says Pauly's got a hot little ass. The last thing we need is to have Randy and Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 52

James getting worried." Then Troy winked and Pauly and Jerry laughed. So did Riley and the other two men when they walked back into the living room on the tail end of Troy's words. "Jeremy. Dude." That was Riley. And that was the guy's name. Jeremy, not Jerry. Kelly figured he should have known that, considering how often Riley mentioned his best friend, though Riley had always said Jer, rather than Jeremy, until just then. "Pauly does have a hot little ass. I mean, look at it. Guess that makes Ballard right, for a change." Pauly, apparently trying to help, turned around and lifted the tails of his shirt, then shook the mentioned ass quickly. "I so do. Just ask my honeys." Goober barked once, as though in agreement, and Riley laughed. Okay. And I still don't know if Riley's gay or bi. God. James, the lawyer who was a part of Pauly's threesome, as far as Kelly could remember, snorted. "Yes. It's hot. But even if you suddenly decided to take a shot, Ry-ry? Pauly's ass wouldn't be available. Trust me when I say Randy and I are more than capable of keeping his ass and other parts... occupied." Kelly couldn't help laughing at the over-done pout that was on Pauly's face when he stopped with the assshaking and turned to face them. Kelly didn't want to laugh, mostly because James had two boyfriends while Kelly hadn't managed to find even one who was interested in anything serious, but he did anyway. "I'm sure you are," he said quickly, and everyone else laughed, too. Troy rolled his eyes and pushed himself up from the couch. "Margaritas?" he said, like he was offering gold bars, and the way everyone snapped out a quick yes -- or in Riley's case, a fuck yes -- had Kelly echoing them. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 53

"I'll help you," Kelly added, moving from the chair he'd been occupying and following Troy into the kitchen. "So, what can I do?" The blond glanced at him and arched a brow, lips curving into a smile. "I wouldn't say no if you were to get the margarita glasses from the cupboard over the fridge. I've got the rest of it handled." How weird was it that Riley had actual margarita glasses? Because when Kelly opened the aforementioned cupboard, there they were. Enough that Kelly lost count at twelve. "Weird." Troy chuckled. "Jeremy and I gave those to him for his birthday. We have these margarita parties on Monday nights, but Riley's always working. So we make a point of having a little afternoon gathering here every month or so. It lets Riley feel like he's in the loop." Troy frowned slightly. "And he is. He talks to Jeremy every couple days, so he knows what's going on with our group. He just doesn't have the chance to party with us very often." "So you've known him for a long time." Kelly hoped so, anyway, but Troy killed that hope with just a few words. "Not really," he said, as he lined up the glasses Kelly had set on the counter. "Jeremy used to work with Riley," Troy continued, pouring liberal amounts of tequila into all but one of the glasses. "They're best friends, you know? But I know Riley pretty well, even if it's been less than a year. He's a good guy, though he still thinks I stole Jeremy from him." Troy picked up the bottle of triple sec next and added a dash to the already poured tequilas as he went on. "And I guess that's fair enough." He sounded amused. "I met Jeremy and I helped work things out so he could Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 54

stop working and go back to school full time. So in a way, I guess I did steal Jeremy. Can you grab the gallon jug of mix from the fridge? You can go ahead and pour the mix, if you don't mind. Oh, the empty glass is Jeremy's. He doesn't drink much, and he's a complete lightweight. More than a single beer and he gets superchatty, then falls asleep." Troy grinned. Less than a minute later, there were seven margaritas on the counter, one without liquor and none with salt. Goober would have been uncontrollable if there was salt on the glass rims. Goobs loved salt even more than celery, so the lack on the glasses was a relief. Besides, too much salt was never a good idea, even for people. "I've trained the guys to stay out of the kitchen while I'm mixing drinks," Troy murmured. Then he called out "Come and get it!" Kelly laughed and took one of the alcohol-laden glasses as the doorway filled, the remaining five men pushing their way through. Then he took a sip and he knew his eyes were going wide, but that was fine. "Troy," Kelly said, after a full three seconds of savoring the flavor. "I didn't want to say so before, but I hate margaritas. Except yours. I could drink this every single day." Riley grinned and drained the glass in his own hand in one long swallow. "Dude. You don't know the half of it. Troy is the fucking Margarita King! Hey, should you be drinking with a concussion?" Kelly glared at Riley and took another sip, slowly and deliberately. "I told you I'm fine." He transferred his gaze to Troy, easing up on the glaring. "So. Margarita King? Really?" Troy blushed and Jeremy laughed. "It's true," Jeremy said, taking a sip from Troy's glass while holding his own full virgin drink. "Troy's won the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 55

local amateur contest for three years running. It's all because of his secret recipe." Kelly arched one brow. "See, that sounds like a challenge," he said, then took a careful, slow sip. He held the liquid in his mouth for a few seconds, letting it tingle on his tongue. Then he swished it around slightly and swallowed. "I'm guessing, here, so don't laugh too hard, okay?" Troy grinned. "Go for it. I promise not to make you feel bad." Kelly hesitated for a moment, but Riley moved closer and bumped against his shoulder. "Dude," Riley said, "I swear you won't get kicked off the island if you answer wrong. Some fucking asshole at the last contest guessed wallpaper paste, but he was full of shit and it turned out his cousin was one of the other fucking finalists. So just say whatever the fuck you're gonna say so we can have more drinks." Then Riley winked. At him. God. "Um. Okay." Kelly darted a glance at Troy, and the man looked so smug and certain that Kelly couldn't help saying exactly what he'd thought. "It tastes like you make your simple syrup with turbinado sugar. That would be raw sugar, if you don't know the name. And I'm guessing that tiny tinge of nutty heat is dried, powdered habanero peppers. I think I'm missing a couple of things, but that's what jumps out at me right now." Kelly offered up his own smirk and took another sip of his drink. "So, how did I do? I'm usually pretty good at figuring this stuff out. My friend Trevor, back in California, makes this amazing thing he calls a Citrus Explosion, and I was the only one who could tell he was using pureed mandarin oranges in addition to mandarin orange vodka. I could give you the recipe if you like." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 56

*** "Dude." Riley knew his grin was huge, but he had good reason. "I've never seen Ballard speechless before. Fucking awesome." It really, really was. Troy Ballard always seemed so cocky and in control, but Kelly had knocked the guy stone-silent with just a few words. "How did you do that?" He lifted his bottle of water and took a long swig. Kelly shrugged and went back to surfing the 'net, fingers flying over the keyboard of Riley's computer. "I told you I like cooking, right? Well, I'm pretty good at figuring out flavors, and turbinado sugar has a distinctive taste." "Uh-huh. And the other shit? Powdered something or other?" A laugh answered Riley's question. "In addition to training those budding martial artists lucky enough to interest him, Grandfather grows peppers. All kinds. He even turned one of the rooms at his place into sort of a greenhouse. So one thing I know really well is chili peppers, and habaneros don't taste quite like anything else, especially when they're dried." Riley chuckled. "Whatever. Any time you want to fuck with Ballard's head, feel free. Just let me know ahead of time so I can make a point of being there to see it." "You don't seem to like him much." Kelly's eyes stayed locked on the monitor, but Riley could see the small furrows in the guy's brow. "That can't be fun if he's your best friend's boyfriend. Can I ask... I mean, it's none of my business, but were you and Jeremy ever more? Is that why you don't like Troy?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 57

Riley froze, water bottle halfway to his lips. "Oh, man. Kelly. Dude. That's so fucking wrong." He shook his head at the absurdity. "Jeremy's totally not my type. And why the fuck do you think I don't like Ballard? I do. We're just not touchy-feely with each other. Shit, I figure the twinkies-three have that whole hands-on part covered enough for everyone." Kelly shrugged again, then shook his head, and while Riley was surprised to realize that he actually wanted to know why Kelly thought that about him and Ballard -and the other thing, about him and Jeremy, for fuck's sake -- a quick glance at the clock told Riley that he didn't have time to fuck around anymore if he was going to keep his ruse going. "Shit. I need to get a move on, man. Guess I'll see you tomorrow." Fuck if Riley wanted to leave, all of a sudden, but he didn't have much choice if he wanted to keep up the pretense of going to work, and he did. For the moment, he did. That would change in a few days, when he came home and said he'd taken some of his vacation days, but for the moment, Riley could stand it. Kelly finally turned away from the computer and grinned. "My head's pretty much better, so don't be too surprised if I'm still awake when you get back. I was thinking about watching a movie or something, but I won't be loud if you're tired. Um, we could hang out for a while, if you feel like it, but it's fine if you're more interested in sleeping." The offer was unexpected, but it had Riley feeling good. Like maybe he and Kelly were becoming friends or something, and that was cool. He'd already suspected that he wanted to be friends with the guy, and a late night watching TV or whatever actually sounded like fun. It had been months -- more than six, in fact -- since the last time Riley had spent a late night hanging out Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 58

with a friend, aside from the Margarita Monday at Troy's the night before, once Riley had left work because he'd been sick of Maughrey and the new trainee. After Jeremy'd hooked up with Ballard, most of Riley's nights had been spent prowling the clubs for chicks. Unfortunately, his last few exes had spread the word about him. A nice guy but emotionally unavailable seemed to be the consensus, damn it. "I'll bring some beer home. Do you even drink beer? After today, I know you're cool with tequila, but--" "Beer's fine," Kelly interrupted with a grin. "Whatever kind you like. See you, okay?" Riley managed to say his goodbyes, even while trying to ignore the uncomfortable sensation that he'd just been dismissed. Of course, Kelly was doing something or other on the 'net, so maybe that was it. Riley hoped so, anyway, because for whatever reason, he didn't like the idea that Kelly was glad to see him leave. He got into his Bronco and backed out of the drive. He tried to call Peter's cell, but only got voice mail. Again. Riley didn't bother to leave a message. He'd already left at least ten in the last three days, and he had to face the truth. His uncle would call back whenever the man felt like it. Until then, Riley was on his own. Or not exactly on his own just yet, because before Riley even got to the end of the street, he could hear Goober howling to be let in from the balcony, where he'd been sequestered so Pauly and the rest could leave unmolested. Goober had gotten totally fucking attached to Pauly, or maybe to the vegetables with Italian dressing Pauly had kept feeding to the dog. Weird fucking mutt, begging for celery. Goober howled again, just as Riley reached the stop sign. It was strange, and Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 59

Riley would never admit it -- ever-- but the sound made him smile.

Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 60

Chapter Five It was good to be back on his bike. It was better than just good. Kelly felt almost completely free for the first time in days. It hadn't taken more than a few minutes to remove the remains of the cracked face plate, and while it wasn't entirely safe to ride with a damaged helmet, it beat the crap out of no helmet at all. Goobs had been left on the balcony with a bowl of food and an even bigger bowl of water. The poor guy wasn't too happy about it, but Kelly had seen what the dog had been eating and there was zero chance that all that roughage wasn't going to cause some issues. It wasn't the first time Goober had gotten into vegetables, after all. The dog would be fine. Unfortunately the same wouldn't have been true of Riley's floors or rugs if Kelly had left Goober inside. If the yard had been fenced, Kelly would have left Goober out back, but it wasn't, so the balcony and some spread-out newspapers would have to do. Kelly would deal with that when he returned. At the moment, he had a ride to take. The weather was fine, it was still daylight out -thank God for summer -- and Kelly wasn't going too far, anyway. Just to the nearest motorcycle shop, which was what he'd been looking for online. Assuming he'd read the directions provided by the map service correctly, it was less than a twenty-minute ride, which Kelly figured would be perfectly safe as long as he was careful, and he was always careful. That was one of the things Bob had laughed about, before everything had gone wrong. "I don't understand Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 61

how you can have such a sweet bike and never tear it up," Bob had said at least once a day. "And I don't get how you're an EMT but think speeding through busy streets without anything substantial between you and the pavement is a good idea," was what Kelly had usually said back. But Bob isn't here, and he turned out to be a completely different kind of man than he seemed. God, it's not like I loved him or anything, so why am I still dwelling on this? Just because he managed to fool me? It's crap and I need to get over it. No, I am over it, as of now. Kelly nodded to himself and pushed it all to the back of his mind, letting the air flowing past soothe him. He watched the roads and other vehicles, but that was really second nature, and between moments of pure focus, he darted small glances at the rest of the city around him, seeing the Victorian-style houses give way to smaller, more modern-looking ones. Then the houses became interspersed with smallish apartment buildings before fading out in favor of more apartments, condos and businesses. It was interesting to see that, at least in the part of the city where he was riding, even the newest buildings weren't ultra-modern, but more in keeping with the old-fashioned, nearly historical style. It was different downtown. Kelly remembered that much from his incredibly foolish ride in the storm. Most of the buildings downtown had been huge. Even the obviously ancient ones had towered over the streets, while the newer edifices had been glass and chrome, much as in any other city. Kelly preferred the character of the area where he was currently riding. It almost reminded him of home. Less hilly and with straighter streets, but there was still that bit of quaint charm that was appealing. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 62

"Sweet machine," called the guy who'd stepped from the shop while Kelly had been backing his bike to the curb at a forty-five degree angle. "Looks sorta like a Softail, but not really. Still sweet, though." Kelly laughed and popped the bike up on its stand. "It's had a lot of work done," he admitted, "but it started out a Softail Custom. The guy I bought it from was a big fan of messing around with things." He shrugged and unfastened his ruined helmet, then pulled it off and offered the tall, tattooed guy a grin. "It runs like a dream, though. Made it here from California without any problems." The guy stared pointedly at Kelly's helmet, clearly noticing the missing face shield. "Uh-huh. Looks like it." Kelly's grin turned sheepish. "Yeah. The helmet happened after I was already here. You know that storm the other day? Well, let's just say it didn't go well for me. So I'm looking for a new helmet. Um, I'm Kelly." "Spider," the bike shop guy replied, and he cracked a grin when Kelly blinked. "Yeah, I know. I'm a walking cliché. I blame my dad for the name. Mom wanted to call me Oliver. I'm not sure whether that would have been better or worse. Come on inside, Kelly. I'm pretty sure I have something that'll work for you." As it turned out, Spider did. The new helmet was almost perfect, colored just a half-shade lighter than the deep burgundy of Kelly's bike. Kelly tried it on and decided it fit well enough, even when he took his hair down from his habitual ponytail. "I'll take it," he announced happily, already pulling his wallet from the inside pocket of his leather jacket. Spider chuckled. "Don't you want to know how much it is?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 63

Kelly shook his head. "It fits and it's a close enough match. It'll cost whatever it costs. But don't worry; I know it won't be cheap." It really wouldn't, but that was fine. Kelly was willing to pay for top-of-the-line safety. His credit card company would love him for it just as much as Kelly hated using credit in the first place. "O'Connor," Spider said when he took Kelly's card to run it through the machine. "Kelly O'Connor. Why does that sound so familiar?" He frowned, obviously wracking his brain. "I swear I've heard it somewhere before." "I doubt it," Kelly said, one hand running possessively over the hard, curved surface of the new helmet. "I only got here a few days ago. Nobody knows me yet. And vice versa." Spider shrugged and swiped the card, then handed card and a charge slip back to Kelly, along with a pen. "I'm sure I know the name, man, but it'll come to me eventually." He traded Kelly's signed slip for a duplicate. "Enjoy your new helmet and if you need anything else for that sweet bike, you know where to find me. I've got a nice little repair shop off the alley out back. We don't do any real custom work, but you can't beat us for regular fix-ups and maintenance. We do some painting, too, just in case you want to touch things up a little." Spider had a point. There were a few dings and scratches from the altercation between bike and Bronco, but they could wait a little while. At least until Kelly started teaching classes at the martial arts school. "I'll keep it in mind." With those words and a smile, Kelly left the shop and donned his new helmet, then straddled his bike and headed off for his next errand. The movie rental store was back near Riley's, only twelve or so blocks from the house. Kelly was in the mood for something sappy, silly and sweet. He had Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 64

hours before Riley got home from work. A couple of socalled chick-flicks would fill that time just fine. Then maybe a thriller or an action movie. Possibly something that combined both, like one of the Bourne films. Matt Damon was kind of hot. Or something with Will Smith, because the guy was incredibly funny and talented, and oh, yeah. Hot, too. Not as hot as Riley, but not many were. Kelly could definitely watch one of those movies. Again. And the hotness on the screen would probably be enough to keep him from wondering why someone like Riley was all tangled up with Peter Jamison. Kelly hoped so, anyway. *** Riley woke up feeling grumpy. He didn't have any reason to be, but he was. He'd spent a decent night driving around. He'd gotten some dinner at the pub in the Hotel Durmont, hit some bars, and considered hooking up with a few of the chicks he ran into, but he'd more or less promised to be home at the same time he would have been if he'd actually gone to work, so he'd passed on the idea. Most women didn't much like it when a guy got off and then disappeared without so much as a cuddle. In his most honest moments, Riley admitted -- only to himself, of course -- that he enjoyed the cuddling. There was something about being wrapped up with someone following full-on intimacy that just felt really fucking good. Not good enough for him to break his word, but still. Good. So he hadn't gotten his groove on. He'd picked up some beer and gone back to his place, where he'd sat on the couch and watched The Bourne Identity, followed by Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 65

the first Men In Black movie, and it was fun. Right up to the part where Riley realized Kelly was completely ignoring him unless Riley asked a direct question. Even then, Riley had understood. There were some damned good-looking actors in those movies, and Kelly was obviously gay. Not because he seemed gay, really, but because... well, there was the whole thing where Kelly was going to be staying in the downstairs apartment, and that meant Kelly was Peter's latest fling, trick, whatever. Kelly had been completely comfortable with Riley's friends, too, and that was sort of telling. Most straight dudes got all fucking weird when they were surrounded by not-so-straight guys. Riley didn't, but he'd been around gay dudes most of his life. Long enough to realize that there was way less macho bullshit with his non-hetero friends than with the few straight friends Riley had. Not that gay guys didn't do the whole macho thing, but it was less... something. Less in your face, I guess. Like there's not as much fucking need to prove how manly they are or something. Can't say it gets much more manly than deliberately letting another dude shove his dick up your ass, though. Shit, a guy would have to be pretty fucking secure about himself to do that. It's probably not easy to step up and be open about it, either. But fuck it. I didn't get laid and I came home and fucking Kelly ignored me like I wasn't even there. Might as well have just done the guy-thing and hooked up with some chick for all it mattered that I was here. That probably explained it. He'd passed on orgasms in order to keep his word, and Kelly hadn't even fucking appreciated it. Or maybe, Riley decided as he lay there in his bed staring at the too-bright ceiling reflecting the sun from the window right at him -- maybe he was grumpy Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 66

because Goober's enthusiastic scarfing of the fucking veggie platter the day before had resulted in a whiny, pathetic dog who whimpered every time either Riley or Kelly shifted on the couch. Riley was fairly sure that the outcome of Goober's un-doglike feast was directly related to the lack of newspaper left in the apartment, but he'd been afraid to ask. And that most likely explained his mood. Goober's obvious distress had kept Riley from fully enjoying the movies, and he was grumpy because they were movies he liked and he hadn't been able to lose himself in them because of the damned dog. The pitiful, unhappy dog. Fuck, Riley hoped Goober was feeling better. Poor thing didn't deserve to suffer that much. And Goober was really just an overgrown puppy. Pauly shouldn't have fed him so much broccoli in the first place, not to mention the celery and fucking carrots and shit. So, yeah. He was grumpy because Pauly was a moron. "Like that's a fucking news flash," Riley grumbled as he finally threw back the sheet he'd slept under. "Pauly just doesn't fucking think. Not with the big head, anyway. Shit." And possibly, Riley thought, he was grumpy because whatever he'd been dreaming just a few minutes earlier had left him hard and aching, but he couldn't remember the dream. He definitely felt disappointed that he'd woken up too soon, though. Fuck if his cock wasn't still pulsing like he'd been about to come from whatever had been going on in his head. And if that's not the stupidest fucking reason for being so damned grouchy, I don't know what is. Riley chuckled to himself as he got out of bed, looking down at the tented boxers he'd slept in. "Fuck it. At least I can rub it out in the shower. No such thing as a bad fucking orgasm." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 67

Ten minutes later, Riley felt much more relaxed. He didn't bother to watch the last of his spunk flow down the drain. Instead, he rinsed off, wrapped a towel around his hips, and brushed his teeth before running a comb through his hair. He was happy to find that his mood on waking had passed during the familiar morning activities, though it was actually past noon by the time Riley tugged on a pair of gym shorts and a tank and left his room. Kelly wasn't around, but neither was Goober, which led Riley to the belief that Kelly was walking the fucking dog. Probably a good thing, considering. The kitchen was cleaner than Riley remembered leaving it in the early hours, but the scent of coffee seemed fresh, rather than having that burned tinge it acquired when the pot sat on the warmer for too long. "Thank fucking God for that much," Riley murmured to himself as he grabbed a mug and poured it full. He took a careful sip of strong black nectar and moaned softly while he opened the fridge. "Shit. I need to go to the fucking store. There's fuck-all to eat in this place. And Kelly's probably gonna be hungry after walking the mutt. The little bit of shit here isn't gonna cut it." It was the truth, too, because while there were a fair number of things in the refrigerator, none of them actually went together. A red bell pepper. A green one. Half an onion. Two lemons and a Satsuma that had probably been in the fridge for weeks, if not longer. One package of smoked salmon -- something Uncle Peter had turned Riley on to as a teenager -- some ketchup, four beers left from the night before, and a quart jug of milk. "Fuck. Well, at least I know what I'm gonna be doing first today. Before 'work,' I mean. Shit." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 68

A bark answered his words, followed quickly by Goober's galloping entrance into the kitchen. Riley startled and stepped back and the dog jumped up, his front paws on Riley's shoulders. Then Goober barked again, sharing his nasty-ass breath. "Oh, fuck no! Jesus Christ, dog, get the fuck off of me!" Goober panted, his nails digging into Riley's skin. "Now, you fucking backward mutt!" It didn't help that Kelly was suddenly in the doorway and obviously trying not to laugh. Riley finally managed to get purchase on the hugeass beast with his one empty hand and he pushed hard at Goober's ribs, even as Kelly said "Goobs! No! Bad Goober! Down!" It could have been the shove or Kelly's words; Riley didn't care which. All that mattered was that the hellbeast's gaping maw was the fuck out of his face. "Shit, man. When's the last time the mutt saw the doggy dentist? He needs a fucking teeth-cleaning in the worst damned way." Yeah, fuck it. He was grumpy again. Shit. "You know what?" Riley added, setting his half-full coffee mug in the sink, "I don't care. Fuck it. I've got things to do. I'm out of here." Kelly blinked but Riley ignored it. He just pushed past the guy and headed for the front door. He only paused long enough to push his feet into his untied trainers and grab his wallet and keys. Some time on his own would be a good thing, Riley decided as he got into his Bronco and backed out onto the street. It was probably having Kelly and Goober in his place when he was used to living alone that had him so irritated. Yeah. That had to be it. *** Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 69

Riley's little tantrum had been unexpected. Kelly hadn't figured him for the type. "Then again, Goobs," he said as he packed up his things in the suitcases again, "I can't say I blame him. We sort of descended on him and took over, didn't we?" Goober cocked his head, looking for all the world like he was considering Kelly's words, and Kelly laughed. It wasn't much of a laugh, but it was all he could manage. "I'm guessing he's starting to feel crowded after five days. He's obviously used to living alone. So let's just get everything ready to go, and I'll call Peter Jamison to ask about the keys for downstairs. Maybe Riley will feel better if he knows we're actually trying to get out of his hair." And Kelly made yet another mental note to call Justin about packing up the apartment in San Francisco. He'd put it off for long enough, even without meaning to. He'd just been... sidetracked was a good word, Kelly figured. Yeah. Truthfully, Kelly thought he'd feel better himself once he and Goobs weren't imposing on Riley's good nature anymore. And it wasn't as though they would be going far. Only down a flight of stairs. "We'll still see Riley, buddy. Just not all the time. It'll be fun." And maybe Kelly could talk to Peter Jamison about putting in a fence in the back yard. That way Goober would be able to spend the day outside while Kelly was at work. Or part of the day, anyway. Whatever. He would figure that out later. First he needed to get in touch with the landlord, though from what Riley had said in passing, that was no easy task. No easy task for Riley, I guess, Kelly qualified silently, less than an hour later. Peter sure didn't waste any time calling me back. Maybe they're having problems. Which don't involve me, obviously, so I'm not even going there. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 70

Kelly found the key to the first floor apartment right where Peter -- Kelly couldn't keep calling him by his full name after talking to the man and being invited to use less formal terms -- had said it would be. On a small nail behind the framed watercolor-and-ink painting in the lower hall. The bottom lock seemed to have been oiled recently because the key slid in and turned with barely any effort, making an almost soundless click. "Well, Goobs," Kelly muttered, one hand on the doorknob while the other rested on Goober's head, "here goes nothing..." He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he opened the door and stepped inside, because that was when that held breath burst from his lunge with a loud whoosh. "I take it back. This is... definitely not nothing. This is totally something." Goobs huffed a bark, clearly agreeing. The apartment was bigger than Riley's. That was the first thing Kelly noticed. Of course, it didn't have the deep widow's walk of the second story, so that made sense. The door entered directly into the living room. Painted recently, because Kelly could smell very faint fumes that suggested as much. The walls were a shade of white that was tinted to a tone somewhere between vaguely yellow and slightly orange. It was a warm shade, reasonably neutral, and seemed to amplify the sun coming in through the widely spaced windows. The floor was shining wood, but nowhere near as dark as the one upstairs. Clover-honey, rather than espresso. It looked like it had been refinished in the very recent past, and seemed to extend throughout the apartment from what Kelly could tell without moving. Goober didn't have any problem with moving, because while he did wait patiently for a few brief seconds -- that was about as patient as Goobs ever got -he took off across the living room to the hall, hard nails Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 71

clacking against the wood, and Kelly winced. "Goober! Stop! The last thing we need is to mess up the floors!" God, he didn't even want to think about what it would cost if Goobs managed to do any real damage. Hardwood floors didn't come cheap. "God, Peter will kill me if we wreck this place, and I've only seen the living room. If the rest of it's this nice, I'm already in trouble. Crap." Trouble didn't even begin to cover it because the kitchen had obviously been updated just as recently as the floors. So had the bathroom attached to the master bedroom. There was a huge corner tub and a separate shower stall with more knobs than Kelly had ever seen before, even at his mom's and Doug's place back home, though it looked as if the grout work hadn't been completed yet. There was only one bedroom, unlike upstairs at Riley's, but because of the guest bathroom in the hall between the living room and kitchen, Kelly suspected two smaller rooms had been combined when the renovations had been done. The bedroom still needed painting, it looked like, but aside from that? The warm wall color from the living room extended up to the bedroom doorway, and the beautiful flooring passed right through. Kelly spent a moment wondering why the insanely affordable first floor apartment was both bigger and more modernized than the apartment Peter's close friend occupied. It seemed weird. Then Goober started howling at the back door and Kelly forgot all about that while he moved to let the dog out. Goobs wouldn't go far as long as Kelly was there. It was when Kelly was away that was always problematic. That was when Goober got the urge to wander. "Maybe it'll be okay once our things get here. Goobs will realize this is home and be able to find his way back Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 72

if he has to." His voice echoed slightly, but in a good way. Then he considered how his belongings would look in the new apartment. "Oh, crap!" That time the echo was less good. He sounded... embarrassed, Kelly figured, which was fair enough. When he pictured his less-than-new and sometimes threadbare things in the stylish space surrounding him, Kelly was embarrassed. He wasn't really the sort to be concerned over appearances, but there was a big difference between his new place and the old, creaky, walk-up one bedroom he'd had in San Francisco. His stuff had seemed just fine there, but here? When he thought about it, Riley's furniture was at least three times better than what Kelly had back at his old place, and even Riley's things would be out of place in this apartment. "Crap." There was only one thing for it, and while Kelly hated to do it, he took a deep breath and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Hey, Doug," he said when the call went through. "How's it going?" His stepfather laughed. "Same old thing. As usual. There's some kind of problem with the new plant. I sent Dmitri down there to handle things, but I doubt you want to hear the details. Two calls in less than a week tells me something's wrong. Out with it, son. If I can help, I will." Doug meant it, too. That he'd help, and that he thought of Kelly as a son. Kelly knew that, but it never failed to give him a tiny thrill of warmth. His mother could have married anyone after Kelly's father left them. Kelly had been lucky that the man she'd chosen -Douglas Roderick -- had accepted him and even offered to legally adopt him less than a year after the wedding. Kelly hadn't quite trusted Doug then, of course, and had been used to being an O'Conner, but even so. Doug Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 73

never treated Kelly any differently than Kelly's siblings - technically half-sibs -- Robin and Amanda, who were Doug's biologically. No, Kelly had been more than lucky, really, and that wasn't something he would ever take for granted. Even so, he felt himself blushing when he replied. "Um, your friend. Peter." That was all he got out before Doug was laughing again. "He's a trip, isn't he? I mean, he's brilliant and everything. Hell, son, he's part of the reason Roderick Products and Manufacturing Company is so successful, but he's definitely whatever the grown-up equivalent of a spoiled brat is. Always was, probably always will be." Yeah, there was that tone Doug got whenever he talked about Peter Jamison. Affectionate and frustrated. It was almost the same as the way Doug sounded when he talked about the crazy things Robin and Mandy got into sometimes. Kelly couldn't help chuckling a little in return. "I haven't actually met him yet, but he sounded pretty cool on the phone. The thing is, I'm standing in what's supposed to be my new apartment and it's... crap, Doug, it's really, really nice. Even without anything in it. It's... way nicer than I thought it would be for the rent he wants, and..." Well, he might as well say it, Kelly figured. Doug was the one who'd told him about Peter's habit of acquiring young men in a serial fashion. "And the guy upstairs. Riley. His place isn't anything close to this nice but it's still so much better than my old place, and I just..." "Use the card I gave you before you left," Doug said, interrupting Kelly, which was likely a good thing. Kelly had a feeling he hadn't been making much sense. "I know you're determined to make it on your own, Kelly, and you know I respect that. But you're going into Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 74

business, and money's likely to be tight for a while. Use the card and we'll call it a loan. You can pay me back once your martial arts school starts making enough to recoup your investment and pay the bills." While Kelly felt a little bit like a child, he also couldn't deny that he'd been hoping Doug would say exactly that. It didn't stop him from apologizing, though. "I. Thanks. It's just that this place is so nice. My stuff would look... incredibly crappy in here. Um, I'm not going to go crazy or anything. Promise." He amended his mental note about calling Justin. He would still ask his friend to pack and ship Kelly's personal items, but Kelly would ask Justin to deliver the crappy furnishings and such to the dump, unless Justin knew anyone who might want them. "I won't abuse it," he added sincerely. A sound came through the connection, as though Doug couldn't decide between snorting and grumbling, so had decided to combine the two. "There's a reason I gave you that card, son, and it's because I trust you. I can't say I'm entirely convinced that a martial arts school on the other side of the country is the best way to use the money you saved, but I'm no martial artist. Besides, you have a good head for business, even without getting your degree. So I trust you to make wise choices and not spend more than you can afford to pay back eventually. Unlike your brother and sister. Amanda could spend the annual income of a small nation in less than a day. " Oh, that had Kelly grinning ear to ear. "She could," he agreed. "It's probably best not to tempt her. So, moving on,I'm still really curious about why this apartment is so much better than the one Peter has Riley staying in. It doesn't make any sense." "Why? Because Riley is Peter's nephew?" Doug sounded distracted, and Kelly could suddenly hear papers being shuffled. "Okay. I'm not sure if I'm Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 75

supposed to be telling you this, but Peter's actually on a break. Between... 'special friends,' as he calls them. That's the whole reason he had that apartment available. It's probably why it's nicer than Riley's, too. Riley looks after the house, and his uncle doesn't charge him rent in return for the favor, but my understanding is that Riley refused when Peter offered to renovate the upstairs, as well." Doug cleared his throat. "Hang on a second, son." There was a muffled sort of rumbling that came through the line, probably because Doug had his hand over the phone, but Kelly didn't care. He was too busy trying to process the idea that Riley had lied to him. Had been lying for the entire five days since Kelly had arrived at the house. Riley had said Peter Jamison was a close friend. Riley for damned sure hadn't said Peter was his uncle. But what Doug had said did explain the differences between the two apartments. Especially the difference in the size of bedrooms. Bedroom, singular, in Kelly's case. "Crap." "Sorry. I'm back now. I hate to cut this short, but I have Dmitri on hold. Apparently things are worse than I thought in Mexico. Can I call you later?" Doug sounded stressed all of a sudden, and Kelly sighed but agreed. "That's fine, Doug. And thanks. You know... for everything. Um, tell Mom I love her and I'll call her soon, okay? Robin and Mandy, too." "Of course, Kelly. That's a given." Doug hung up without saying goodbye, but Kelly was used to that. He found himself a little bit worried about whatever the situation was in Mexico, but most of him was divided between being angry over Riley's lie and excited at the idea of furnishing the new place in the manner it deserved. He might have stood there for hours, just thinking, if Goober hadn't chosen to bark suddenly, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 76

running to the living room window that faced onto the street. Riley was home, Kelly saw when he followed the dog and looked out. Home and apparently bogged down with bags because the man spent a good two minutes dragging plastic grocery sacks from the back of the Ford. "Guess we should go help the lying jerk, huh?" Kelly asked Goober. He left the new apartment, smiling when Goobs barked again as if to say duh. Kelly deliberately ignored his unexpected relief that Riley wasn't sleeping with the landlord, though. There was no reason for him to be relieved, and Riley was a liar, so it shouldn't even have mattered. Except it did, and Kelly knew it.

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Chapter Six "Feeding an army?" Riley turned slowly -- ponderously, weighted as he was. "Nah. Just noticed we were out of pretty much everything, man. Hard to make breakfast without any fucking food, right?" The trip to the store, as well as the time spent wandering up and down each aisle, had been therapeutic, in a way. At least Riley didn't feel all fucking growly and grumpy anymore. Not after he'd run into a girl he'd once dated. Tessa'd had a kid who looked about three holding on to her pants leg and an infant she'd said was sixteen weeks old in a carrier attached to the basket part of her shopping cart. Even with the toddler constantly trying to pull things from the shelves with one hand and the baby being fussy, she'd looked happy. She was, according to her, and Riley believed it. He'd expected to feel some sort of guilt for the way he'd dated her for close to a month and ended things with a simple "Sorry," but when he'd finally tried to say something, maybe an apology...? Well, they'd already been talking and shopping for almost ten minutes and Tessa had just brushed it off, saying she wouldn't be happily married if things hadn't ended the way they had, four years earlier. Riley had turned her off of meeting men in bars, and she never would have signed up for the astronomy class where she'd met her husband otherwise. The whole conversation had left Riley smiling. "Looks like you got enough," Kelly said, his voice drawing Riley's attention back from the surprisingly pleasant meeting. Riley'd had much worse run-ins with Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 78

exes, after all. "So I ask again. Planning to feed an army? Or just you and your close friend Peter?" Kelly sounded just as sour as he looked, though the guy did take a few of the bags from Riley's hold. Riley frowned, unsure whether the frown was directed at that odd tone to Kelly's voice, or at the strange sneer when Kelly had mentioned Riley's uncle. "Huh?" Kelly shrugged and opened the front door of the house, and Riley laughed when Goober barked and raced up the stairs. "I was just wondering. It seems like an awful lot of groceries for just you." Riley snorted. Quietly, but still. It seemed like he and Kelly had traded emotions, somehow. "Dude. Seriously? There's me. There's you. And there's the mutt, who seems to eat his fucking weight in dog food twice a day. So I'd say we're okay for a few days, but not much longer." "Uh-huh. And none of this is for Peter. Doesn't he ever come by?" Riley stopped three steps up the stairs and looked back over his shoulder at Kelly. "I guess that's up to you, man. You're the one who's gonna be staying in his... you know what? Never mind. I thought we needed some fucking groceries, but I wouldn't have bothered if I knew it would end up with us talking about your sex life. Just fucking forget it, okay? You and the mutt can starve for all I care." He didn't mean it. Riley even knew he didn't mean it. But he really didn't want to think about Kelly being with Peter. It still bothered him on that same weird and unexplainable level. "And fuck if I want to see it while you do, so I'm gonna get this shit put away and then I'm going out. You can sit around and fucking snarl at yourself all day long, if that's what floats your fucking boat." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 79

Riley stalked up the stairs, struggling a little with the awkward dimensions of the bags, then growled softly when Goober got in the way of opening the door. Finally he managed it, though, and the fact that the apartment door wasn't locked could only mean that Kelly had seen Riley return with the shopping and had deliberately gone downstairs to help with the fetch-andcarrying. So whatever crawled up his ass and died there only started up in the last couple minutes, but fuck if I know what it was. Shit. Riley made it to the kitchen and started pulling vegetables and fruit from the sacks of perishable items, determined to ignore Kelly even though he could hear the guy right behind him. It had already been a shit day, regardless of the unexpected meeting at the grocery store. Riley wasn't interested in losing the vestiges of his decent mood. Of course, the idea that Kelly was mad at him wasn't helping. Finally, Riley sighed, a bag of apples halfway to the counter. "Okay. Dude. Want to tell me what your problem is, or am I supposed to guess?" Something to do with Peter, it seemed like, but that didn't make any sense, unless Kelly was jealous for some reason and thought Riley was going to get all fucking mixed up with whatever Kelly had going on with Riley's uncle. It was possible, Riley realized, looking at the sour expression on Kelly's face. Riley had pretty much said he and Peter were close. Maybe Kelly misunderstood what that meant. But if so, why had it taken five fucking days for Kelly to get all shitty about it? So, no. It still didn't make sense. Something of Riley's confusion must have shown on his face because the next thing Riley knew, Kelly set down the bags he'd still been holding and leaned against the counter, arms crossed tightly enough to show lithe, defined muscles. Kelly's head cocked just a bit, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 80

examining Riley as though Riley was something Kelly didn't recognize. "I talked to my stepdad a little while ago," Kelly said, like that was supposed to shed some fucking light. "He said some things. And I've been staying here for close to a week and you've been lying to me the whole time, and I don't understand why." Riley blinked and set the apples down, then assumed a position almost exactly like Kelly's. "Dude. Seriously? What the fuck..." "God, Riley! Peter Jamison! What else?" Kelly didn't move, but he looked even angrier all of a sudden. "You let me think you were his boy toy, or at least involved with him in some way, even though you don't come off as gay -- more like bi, if anything -- and believe me when I say that confused the hell out of me if you were sleeping with Peter! But you're his nephew! And unless there's some really freaky crap going on with your family, that pretty much means you're not having sex with him!" "Ah, shit." Riley frowned. "Dude. That's such a small fucking lie. That's why you're acting like I kicked your fucking... well, not dog, 'cause I like Goober, but that's it? Jesus fuck." It was ridiculous. "I didn't want to come off like a spoiled fucking brat, okay? And anyway, why the fuck would Peter be moving you in if he already had a boy toy? Not that I'm a boy toy. I'm totally fucking straight, man." Okay, I probably shouldn't have said that part about Kelly being Peter's new fuck out loud. Fuck. Because Kelly looked stunned and sort of baffled. That passed pretty quickly, though. More anger washed over Kelly's face and Kelly stopped leaning. Instead, the guy stood straight, nearly vibrating. Riley could tell that much even without knowing Kelly any better. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 81

"You think I. God. That's just." Kelly glared. "I can't even express how messed up that is. I'm nobody's whore, you... God. You..." "Fucker?" Riley offered, hoping to defuse the situation with humor. Kelly didn't seem ready to laugh, though. "Yes! You fucker!" Then Kelly stopped, one arm leaving its spot across his chest to rise, his hand covering his mouth, eyes wide as though he'd never said anything like that before. It was fucking hilarious, except... Riley couldn't remember a single instance in the entire past five days when Kelly had said anything stronger than hell, and even that was rare. Kelly hadn't said fuck even once while concussed after the storm, or in the time since. That the guy was saying it now was serious, apparently. "Shit." *** That one word was enough to cut through Kelly's shock at what had come out of his own mouth. He still couldn't believe he'd said it, and the fact that Riley had suggested it in the first place only made things worse. Anger, frustration, and embarrassment -- all of them were suddenly intensified. The frustration was with Riley for not understanding why that lie was a big deal. The embarrassment, on the other hand, came from having actually shouted a word Kelly had said exactly once in his life before. He'd been thirteen and thinking he was so mature. Unfortunately, Grandfather hadn't shared that opinion, and the resulting four hours of hard training, accompanied by an ever-changing lecture on why it was wrong for anyone, but especially a child, to Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 82

speak that way? That had firmly broken Kelly of ever developing the cussing habit. Crap and hell and damn were bad enough, but they didn't cross his grandfather's line once Kelly had turned sixteen. Even so, Kelly had spent so much of his time with the old man and others just like him that using the F-word definitely made Kelly uncomfortable. And Riley's the one who made me say it! God, he flings it around enough that I didn't even think! That was the part that had Kelly angry. Furious, really. And fury was much easier to accept than the frustration and embarrassment. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, glaring for all he was worth as he uncovered his mouth. "What have I ever done to make you think I'm the kind of guy who would do that? Have sex with some guy I've never even met because... why? And he's your uncle! Why would you even lie about something that stupid? Like I care who you're related to! Except I do, because you thought I was sleeping with him! And that's apparently no big deal!" Riley's eyes widened and Kelly glared harder, hotter. Then Riley's lips compressed, becoming a thin, tight line, and just a second later Kelly noticed that Riley's chest and stomach were jerking, sort of, like Riley was trying not to vomit or something. The or something turned out to be laugh, because Riley for damned sure lost whatever battle he'd been waging and the guy made a muffled-sounding chuckle. It only made Kelly angrier. "It's not funny, damn it! You think I'm a slut!" Riley's lips relaxed and a full laugh left him. "Dude! It's totally funny! Seriously, it is. Fuck, I'm straight and you thought the same shit about me, but you don't see me getting all bent out of fucking shape, right? Besides, I thought all you gay guys liked to mix it up and have Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 83

lots of sex when you're single." Riley laughed more, and Kelly thought he might finally understand what it meant when people said they were mad enough to see red. It didn't help that Riley had a point. Kelly knew he'd made the same assumption about Riley and Peter. But Kelly hadn't lied or said anything to give Riley that impression, and that was the difference. "It's not the same," Kelly hissed, his hands falling to his sides, fingers clenching tightly. "Hell, you'd probably think it was hilarious if someone called you a slut. You laugh at everything else!" God, it wasn't fair. Riley didn't seem to take anything seriously. Nothing pissed him off or made him moody -- except whatever had been bothering him before, but that had passed, obviously. Riley was acting like Kelly didn't have any reason to be less than happy right then. The guy's smile said that much, plain as day, and screw it. Kelly was going to wipe that annoying grin right off of Riley's face. "Fine! Laugh at this, jackhole," Kelly snapped, invading Riley's space and grabbing the man's face in both hands. He didn't have a plan beyond proving to Riley that there really was something to be upset about, and the last thing Kelly knew was why his own warped mind decided on the method it chose. Unfortunately, he was already moving, and by the time he realized what he doing, it was too late to stop. "Laugh all you want," Kelly ordered, even as he dragged Riley's mouth down to his and roughly, thoroughly kissed the man. The straight man. *** What the fuck? Riley tried to say it out loud, but there was a tongue in his mouth. He hadn't even seen Kelly's Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 84

hands rise, which probably meant the guy was a fucking amazing martial artist, or at least crazy-fast, and yet there it was. All of a sudden, Kelly's tongue was in Riley's mouth. The initial shock wore off quickly, and Riley knew he could have pulled away, but for some reason, the kiss wasn't anything like as disturbing as Riley thought it should have been. It was wet, yeah. And Kelly's tongue was hot. Kelly was hot. Shit, even Kelly's hands felt like they'd just come out of a fucking furnace where they were clamped to Riley's face. Kelly's hair was like silk between Riley's fingers and he didn't know when he'd tangled them there, but he had. The long strands felt just like hair, too. Nothing about it that screamed male to Riley. Fuck, not even the scent of Kelly's spicy, citrusy cologne seemed out of place. It was just lips and hands and tongues for a good few seconds. Then Riley vaguely registered a bark and something hit his leg. The disruption was enough to end the kiss, leaving Riley staring wide-eyed at Kelly, who looked equally stunned. Well, fuck it. At least he's not all pissed off anymore. That's a plus. "Uh. Dude," Riley said before stopping. What was the right fucking etiquette for addressing a gay guy who'd just kissed a straight guy hard? Fuck if Riley knew. He should be angry -- that was obvious -- but he wasn't. If anything, Riley was... he didn't know what, but angry wasn't on the list. Surprised, yeah. Kind of flattered and sort of spun. A little bit weirded out at being flattered and spun. And confused. Riley couldn't deny that he felt sort of confused, but he could figure that part out later. Right then, he needed to find something to say that wouldn't make things worse by turning speechless-Kelly back Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 85

into shouting-and-angry-Kelly. Riley hadn't liked that mood at all. Of course, it might be better to pretend nothing had fucking happened. For the moment, at least. "Uh. We should get the rest of this shit put away," Riley said. "There's ice cream in one of the bags and it'll be a fucking mess if it sits around much longer." Jesus. He doubted he could have come up with a lamer comment if he'd tried. Riley watched Kelly's stare drop from his eyes and focus lower -- probably on his lips, Riley figured -- but Kelly nodded, just a tiny little dip of his head. "I. Yeah. We should do that. Um, it might be easier if you let go of my hair first." Oh, Jesus, that was funny. It really, really was. It tweaked Riley's sense of humor, anyway. "If you let go of my ears, I'll let go of your hair, man. Wouldn't want you to twist one of them off by accident or anything. I kind of like having a matched set." Kelly grinned suddenly and tweaked Riley's ear. "Hey!" Riley deliberately yelped, then tugged at the long, wavy strands he still held, and Kelly laughed. It was way better than the anger and shit Riley remembered from five minutes before. "On the count of three," Kelly muttered, waiting for Riley's nod before starting the count. "One. Two. Three!" Hands released and Riley laughed as Kelly jumped back, nearly tripping over Goober. Kelly caught himself quickly, and gracefully enough that Riley was reminded yet again. Kelly might be smaller and less bulky than Riley himself, but Kelly was fast... and flexible, judging by the contortions involved in not falling over while barely touching the big-ass hellhound. Cool. "I don't know which bag the ice cream's in, but we need to find it," Riley said as he turned away from Kelly Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 86

and looked at the many plastic sacks. "Time's running out, and there's nothing worse than re-frozen chocolate mint chip. I got some of those little cans of mandarin oranges, too. Just in case you want to make any of those citrus bomb things or whatever." "Citrus Explosions," Kelly answered. "I think you've discovered the one exception to my 'no canned food' rule." Kelly fell right in with opening bags. "I found the ice cream," he added a moment later. Riley grabbed the carton, putting it in the freezer, and by the time they'd finished getting everything put up, it was almost like the weird argument and its equally bizarre conclusion had never happened. Only almost, though. *** He'd kissed Riley. Kelly tried to forget it, but he couldn't. He'd kissed Riley and Riley hadn't shoved him or hit him or any one of the dozen reactions Kelly had expected. Instead, Riley had just stood there, then... No. I'm imagining things. He did not kiss me back. He's straight and I'm a guy, so there's no way Riley kissed me back. He thought he should probably be mad that Riley had waited so long to state his straightness, but Kelly didn't feel like being angry again. And it wasn't as though Riley had pretended to be gay, was it? Kelly had made some assumptions, but that was his own fault. If Riley said he was straight, then the man was straight. The logic was simple, really, and Kelly was a big fan of logic. Unfortunately, he couldn't shake the conviction that Riley had been into the kiss, at least for a minute or so. Enough to grab Kelly's hair and not use that hold to drag Kelly's mouth away. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 87

It was weird. Damned weird. And kind of intriguing, if Kelly was being honest. Riley's mouth had tasted like Gatorade -- the blue kind -- and Riley's scent of clean male musk still lingered in Kelly's nostrils, even after close to an hour. It was definitely enough to be disturbing, because the very last thing Kelly wanted or needed was to start imagining that a self-proclaimed heterosexual man was even slightly interested in men in general or Kelly in particular. But he does talk about that Pauly guy's ass a lot, and he's really comfortable with gay men. Does he even know any straight guys? If he does, he sure doesn't talk about them much. Except maybe that friend of his from the gym. And maybe he's bi but doesn't want to say so. Of course, there was probably a much simpler explanation, like Riley had been being polite or something. Maybe the whole being kissed by a guy thing wasn't a big deal. Or else Riley didn't want to make a fuss. The guy was one of the most laid-back people Kelly had ever met, and that was saying a lot. Whatever the reason, Riley hadn't mentioned the kiss while they'd put away the rest of the groceries. Kelly had talked about vegetables while they figured out what to make for dinner, and Riley had mentioned a few of the Food-O-Vision shows he liked. It was comfortable, really, which still surprised Kelly as they sat on the sofa, empty plates stacked on the coffee table in front of them. The air still smelled just a little bit of the omelets with cheese and salsa that Riley had made, and there was some strange-looking game showing on one of the sports channels. It seemed to involve really longhandled ping pong paddles and a two-sectioned goal. "What did you call this again?" Kelly grinned when Goobs rolled over, clearly wanting his belly rubbed, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 88

which Kelly did, running his foot lightly over slightly wiry fur. Riley chuckled and darted a superior glance at him before answering. "Dude. With a name like O'Connor, I would think you'd fucking recognize it. It's hurling, man." Riley smirked. "Oddly enough, it doesn't look a fucking thing like what I first thought of when I heard the words 'professional hurling,' but I was in high school at the time. It's Irish." Kelly rolled his eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, the only Irish thing about me is my name. My birth father was married to my mom for about a minute. Just long enough to cut and run once I was born. Well, okay. I was maybe two, but it doesn't matter. I don't remember him at all." "Ouch." Riley frowned, then shook his head. "That's gotta suck. Not the part where you don't remember him, but the part where you're stuck being grateful for your existence to some fucking asshole. Sorry, man." "It's fine," Kelly said, eyes trained on the television. "My stepdad's great and my brother and sister totally rock. I'm lucky Mom found a guy who doesn't care about my genetics, you know? And Grandfather's never punished me for my sperm donor being a jackhole, either, so things could be worse." He smiled, toes ruffling Goober's fur more. "Doug still says he wouldn't mind if I wanted to become a Roderick instead of staying an O'Connor, but at this point, I don't think it would do any good. Besides, it might hurt my new school if I changed my name now. So, how does this hurling thing work?" Riley took the change of subject well enough and started to explain about the goal system. Kelly lost track after a few minutes, though he continued to watch Riley's lips. The man really did have a nice mouth, Kelly Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 89

decided. Soft lips that were pink rather than red. Lips that were so expressive when Riley spoke. It was mesmerizing, in a way, just seeing them move. "You listening?" Kelly blinked, Riley's question pulling him from his careful contemplation. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I was listening. Um, points up top and goals below... I think?" God, how embarrassing. "Dude. Now you know just as much about fucking hurling as I do. It's pretty cool to watch, though. Unless we're talking about the other kind, because I became a master at that, the summer after high school." Riley offered up a wry smirk. "It wasn't fucking pretty." "I'll bet," Kelly agreed, turning toward Riley when a commercial started. It was then that he noticed the time on the DVD player. "Oh, crap! You needed to be at work fifteen minutes ago! God, I'm sorry! I've been all..." "Shit." Riley sighed. "Okay, you're not gonna like this. Or I don't think you will, since you got so fucking pissed off about me not telling you Peter's my uncle, but... I decided to use some of my sick time. My boss saddled me with training this fucking shitheaded asshole, and it turns out he's related to the boss's wife, so..." A shrug, followed by a sheepish look. "It's only been a couple days and I figured you'd get all freaked out, thinking I'm gonna get in trouble at work, so I didn't want to say anything, man." Kelly cocked his head, trying to follow the rapid-fire words. After a second or two he got the gist of it. "What's with you and the lying? God, it's like you're six and don't know any better." And it made Kelly wonder whether he could believe anything Riley said. Except that wasn't fair. He understood why Riley hadn't mentioned being Peter Jamison's nephew. It made sense, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 90

especially if Riley had thought Kelly was Peter's newest lay. Kelly could only imagine how some of the former downstairs tenants might have tried to use that to their advantage. It also made sense that Riley hadn't wanted to worry Kelly, just like Riley said. Kelly didn't know why Riley would care whether he was worried or not, but that part didn't matter. It was kind of sweet that Riley cared at all. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Riley looked at him and pulled a very elaborate face while leaning away as far as possible without leaving the couch. "Shit, man. You're not gonna kiss me again, are you?" Of all the ways Kelly had considered the subject of their kiss coming up, that hadn't even been on the list. But it was so... Riley, it surprised a laugh from Kelly. "You wish," he said. "But it sure did shut you up, didn't it?" And that had been the point, Kelly reminded himself, well aware of the fact that he was the one lying, this time. Silently, granted, but still lying. "Guess so," Riley agreed, grinning widely. "Just do me a favor and never fucking mention it to the twinkiesthree. Pauly and Randy would never let me live it down. Shit, they'd probably want to take a fucking shot at it themselves. Just for shits and giggles. I doubt James would give a fuck, unless they were serious when they did it, but he's the sane one of the group." Kelly didn't have any problem with making that promise. Even the idea of Pauly or Randy trying to kiss Riley quiet was nauseating. Kelly didn't know why -didn't want to know why -- but it for damned sure made him queasy. Crap.

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Chapter Seven Three days since the weird moment in his kitchen and Riley was no closer to finding disgust or revulsion within himself. He'd kissed a dude, no matter which of them had started it, and he kind of thought it should bother him, but it still didn't. The passage of time between the act and the present moment hadn't changed things. Apparently, a kiss was just a fucking kiss. So he'd kissed a dude and he felt exactly the same way he'd felt before. He still thought Kelly was hot and he still liked the guy. Riley was pretty sure they were going to be friends for as long as Kelly lived in the house, which would probably be a while, judging by the amount of shopping Kelly was doing. Riley had been under the impression that Kelly had his shit coming from California, but there was definitely a lot of new purchasing going on. Every time Riley looked, Kelly was on the 'net, comparing couches and chairs and bedroom sets and pillows... and whatever-the-fuck-else gay dudes furnished their homes with. It might sound like a cliché, even in Riley's mind, but Kelly obviously had the gay shopping gene. The guy wanted shit that went together, or created a theme or some fucking thing. And while Riley appreciated that Kelly asked his opinion, what the fuck did Riley know? His own furniture had been given to him, for the most part, and the few items he'd bought were things he'd chosen because he liked them or they were comfortable. He didn't know a single fucking thing about decorating, and fuck if he didn't plan to keep it that way. He needed to get on the lead contractor about finishing up the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 92

downstairs apartment, though. That much, Riley did know about. "Do you think this will go with that dining set I ordered yesterday?" Kelly called out from the living room, where the guy had set up his laptop after finally unpacking it and finding it thankfully unharmed by the storm. "It's kind of similar, but..." Riley rolled his eyes but he was smiling when he strolled out of the kitchen, a bottle of sports drink in his hand. He moved up behind the couch, looking down over Kelly's shoulder at some... carved wooden thing that was meant to be art, maybe. The picture on the web page had it hanging on a wall, anyway. "Uh. Dude." Riley's brow furrowed. "Fuck if I know. You should talk to Ballard, man. He knows all about that decorating shit, just like the rest of you gay guys. Now, if you want to know about big-ass flat-screen TV sets, I can help you." Kelly's head rose and he tossed out a smile that somehow hit Riley in the gut. "I don't buy electronics online," Kelly announced. "But I was planning to ask whether you'd mind going to the store with me for that. I never quite trust the picture quality unless I can see it for myself, and my old stuff is exactly that. Old. I'm thinking I'm due for something decent. So what do you say? Want to come with me later? I'll even buy you dinner as a thank you." Riley shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. It's not exactly a fucking chore to check out all the new shit, right? And dinner's cool. Just no fast food, okay? I'm starting a new training regimen tomorrow and I don't need the saturated fats." Kelly snorted and turned back to the computer. "As if I'd offer you dinner, then take you to Taco Bell. Please. Oh, hey! Maybe we can stop by the school. I think the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 93

repairs were supposed to be finished today. Or almost finished. Something like that." It took Riley a minute to remember what school Kelly was talking about, but he nodded. "Cool. I'd love to see your new business." He grinned. "Besides, maybe I'll sign up for some classes once you open. It could be fun. So enjoy your shopping or whatever. I'm gonna head out to the gym. See you." Gym bag in hand, Riley left his apartment ten minutes later. He got into his Ford and started off, using his time at the stop sign to call Ballard. "Dude," he left as voice mail, "I know how fussy you can be, so I figured I'd give you a heads-up. Kelly's trying to decorate the downstairs apartment by himself. If you don't help him, you won't have anyone to blame when whatever he ends up with makes you puke. Vomit doesn't work at a house warming, right? Just saying, man. Later." Yeah, Riley thought, smirking, that should do it. And maybe Kelly was doing a good job, but Riley for fucking sure couldn't tell. At least Ballard's input would probably keep Kelly from any kind of embarrassment later, and that was the whole point. It made Riley feel uncomfortable when Kelly was upset, and that meant he had good reason to try to avoid it. He would do the same for anyone he considered a friend. Riley was almost sure of that much. Besides, if Ballard was at Riley's trying to help Kelly, that meant Jeremy would be home, and Riley needed some fucking time with his best friend. Not that he didn't see Jeremy enough, but they almost never had the chance to spend time alone, without Ballard or the twinkies-three. So yeah. A little one-on-one time with Jeremy was an added benefit. Riley was looking forward to it. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 94

His workout was good, even with Pablo hitting on him every five minutes or so. That wasn't unusual, anyway. Pablo hit on anyone with a pulse and a penis. Usually, Riley thought it was funny, but this time, the Spanish man's attentions were more annoying than anything else. It almost seemed like Pablo was serious, which didn't make a single bit of sense. Fuck. Pablo was good looking, sure, but he knew Riley was straight. And he's not acting any different, anyway. He's just being his usual horny fucking self. So why do I get the feeling that if I took him up on it, he'd be all over me? Is it something new, or have I just been that fucking blind all this time? Good questions. No fucking answers. As usual, for fuck's sake. Even so, Riley chuckled like always and shot Pablo down. Pablo didn't seem to mind -- also as usual -- and by the time Riley finished his sets and took a quick shower, Pablo was helping another gym member bathe, so maybe Riley had imagined it all. "Oh, I doubt it," Jeremy said an hour or so later, when he returned home from school and let Riley into the Ballard house. "Pablo likes you. I'm pretty sure he'd throw himself down, legs spread, if you ever gave him even the smallest hope. I thought you knew that." "Christ." Riley shook his head and followed Jeremy through the house. They stopped in the kitchen to grab sodas, then headed out to the back deck. "Seriously, Jer, if I'm gonna turn to the rainbow side of life, it won't be with Pablo. Fuck, that dude gets more ass than a proctologist." Jeremy smiled and took a sip of orange pop. "Pablo doesn't top," he said, still grinning. "But you're right. He gets more cock than any one man rightfully needs. So." Jeremy's eyes narrowed and Riley swallowed hard at the concern he saw there. "What's wrong, Riley? You've Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 95

never just stopped by unless there was something bothering you. You might as well tell me now instead of waiting until you're about to leave, because we both know that's your usual MO." Riley blinked and leaned against the deck railing beside his friend. He couldn't say Jeremy was wrong. He really did tend to bullshit, then spout stuff when he could run away. Riley didn't know he had anything to talk about, though. He was just there to hang out, after weeks of not seeing Jeremy at all when there weren't loads of other people around. He opened his mouth to say so, but what came out was... not that. "How did you know?" Riley frowned at the sudden sense of relief the words brought him, but fuck it. Relief was relief, and apparently he'd been wanting to ask before but hadn't known it. "Sorry, man. I mean... how did you know you were bi? Back before you went and got all gay as a fucking stroll down the yellow brick road with Ballard. There had to be some point where you were just rolling along doing chicks and you saw some dude and went 'that could be good, too,' right? So how did you know it was a real fucking attraction and not just you being curious and shit about being a shirtlifter?" Okay, that was an expression Riley had never seen on Jeremy's face, not even all the times Riley had scandalized the guy with the crazy shit that sometimes came out of his mouth. Jer looked like he'd just been whacked in the head with a board and wasn't sure whether to fight or fall over. It was kind of cool, really. "Um. What?" Riley tried to laugh but the sound that came from his mouth seemed strained and sharp, even to him. "I kissed a dude. Or he kissed me. Whichever. And it didn't suck, Jer. It was... fuck, it felt good. And I keep trying to Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 96

forget about it, but I can't. It's like I can still smell him, taste him. But I don't know if that means I'm bi-fuckingsexual or if it's just this one fucking dude, you know? I mean, you know I can look at dudes and admit when they're hot and stuff, but this is different. It's more… I don't know. Intense, I guess. So I figured I'd ask you, since you're the only bi guy I know, even if you're biting pillows these days, or whatever it is you and Ballard do together." Riley hadn't realized that he still remembered Kelly's scent and flavor so well after three days, but he did. Saying it out loud only made it that much clearer. And fuck if he didn't remember the way Kelly's hair had felt between his fingers... and maybe that was what he'd been dreaming about lately. He still didn't remember. Riley just knew that he'd woken up more than once in the dark with his heart pounding, cock hard, hands reaching for something that wasn't there, before taking care of business and dropping back to sleep. Jeremy's stare was wide-eyed and matched completely by his gaping mouth. It gave the guy a sort of goldfish look that was fucking hilarious, but Riley didn't laugh. Not because it wasn't funny, but because Jer looked like he was about an inch away from a heart attack. "Jer. Dude." Riley forced a smile. "I get that you're totally fucking stunned, but do you think you could stop with the boggling and answer my fucking question?" Jeremy startled, his mouth closing with a loud snap. "I. Sorry. Sorry, Ry. It's just... honestly, that's the last thing I ever expected to hear coming out of your mouth. You kissed a guy? Really?" A few blinks came and went so quickly, Riley couldn't count them. "Oh, shit. Tell me this isn't about Pablo! He's not the right kind of guy to be getting curious about, Riley, and you know it! I know Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 97

he's gorgeous, but so does he, and..." Jeremy stopped, then shook his head and took another long swig of soda. "You know what? Never mind. Pablo might be the perfect guy to figure things out with. As long as you don't go into it expecting any sort of relationship, it should be fine. So, yeah. Go for it. Um, be safe and stuff, okay? Because Pablo really does screw around a lot." "Oh, for fuck's sake. Stop talking, already. I told you I'm not into Pablo. Shit, Jer, I wouldn't touch Pablo with a ten-foot pole. And I'm hung like a fucking god, but not ten feet's worth. Jesus Christ." Riley rolled his eyes and thanked God that Jeremy laughed. "Who, then?" Jeremy demanded and Riley almost told him, except... "What the fuck difference does it make?" Riley answered. "I'm not asking you to tell me what to do, man. I just want to know how you knew you liked dudes. At some point, you had to be dating women or girls or whatever. So what was it that made you think 'okay, I like guys, too, and I want me some fucking cock and man-ass'?" He felt himself blushing, but that was fine. It was Jeremy, after all, and Jer wouldn't say anything about Riley's red face. Not ever. Jeremy sighed and looked away. "It wasn't like that for me, Ry. I always knew I liked both. From when I was a kid having my first wet dreams. After a while, I ended up dating guys more than girls because there just weren't that many girls I was attracted to. I mean, girls were always a possibility, but it wasn't really about gender." Another long swig of soda and Jeremy set the can down on the flat wooden rail. "When I met Troy, it was partly that he wanted something real, not just a fuck -even if he didn't know it at the time. But then I fell for Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 98

him, and... I don't know, Ry. But whoever this guy is -the one you kissed, I mean -- if you liked it, and he liked it, then maybe it's worth thinking about. And just so you know, it doesn't necessarily mean you're bisexual. It could just be this one guy, like you said. That happens sometimes, you know?" Riley groaned and finished off his own orange pop. "No, I don't fucking know. That's why I asked you. Duh." He frowned and crumpled the empty can into a wad. "I guess I need to find out, right? But fuck if I know how to do that. I can't just walk up to the dude and be all 'hey, kissing was cool, let's try some more shit,' right? Shit." Shit didn't even begin to cover it, really. As far as Riley knew, Kelly wasn't seeing anyone. Fuck, he'd have been surprised if Kelly was. Between the concussion, Goober, and shopping to fill the new apartment, the guy had barely left the house since arriving in the storm. Riley was sure Kelly had spoken numerous times with the other guy, Kelly's business partner, but Kelly had pretty much been home whenever Riley was. Kelly also hadn't shown any signs that he was interested in Riley, aside from that kiss, and even if he had, Riley wasn't sure about what he would have done. The kiss had been good. Better than good, when Riley let himself think about it. But Kelly hadn't tried it again and seemed cool with just hanging out. That didn't imply any great attraction, as far as Riley could tell. And yet... the idea of kissing Kelly again wasn't bad. Wasn't even close to bad. But when Riley thought about seriously kissing some other dude -- Pablo, maybe, or any one of the twinkies-three, or even Jeremy -- the whole idea left him cold. Well, more like only slightly warm, but that wasn't exactly new. "Maybe it really is just--" Riley said, Jeremy's voice clashing with his own. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 99

"You should go out," Jer was saying, a small, sheepish smile crossing his lips when he spoke over Riley. "Sorry, but you said you didn't know how to find out, and that's easy, Ry. You should go out. To a club. Take a look around and see whether anyone makes you hot. It's probably the easiest way, and it would expose you to a lot of different kinds of guys. And I know you've been there before, but this time, you'd be looking. On purpose. That makes a difference, I think. I can talk to Troy. Maybe we'll all go together." Oh, fuck. That was just what Riley needed. To go cruising dudes at a gay bar with Jer and Troy fucking Ballard. Shit, Ballard would never let him live it down. "I don't know, man." Jeremy chuckled, though he still looked a little baffled. "Troy won't have any idea. It's not like you've never been to the Habitat before. We'll just call it a night out and Troy will be so happy that I'm taking a few hours off from studying, he won't even think there's another reason." True enough, really. Hell, Riley wouldn't have questioned Jeremy taking a night off to go out, either. The guy spent more time studying than could possibly be healthy. Ballard would be fucking thrilled. "See if the twinkies want to come with," Riley suggested. "The three of them are so distracting, even your too-fuckingaware boyfriend won't be able to pay attention to anyone but them and you." It sounded like a decent plan, really. Fucking awesome. And if Riley discovered that it wasn't just Kelly who was so attractive to him, out of the whole have-their-own-block-and-tackle set, at least then he'd know. He suspected that wouldn't happen, though, because Riley had never been homophobic or even slightly standoffish with people based on their gender Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 100

attraction. He'd just never seriously considered men as sexual partners. But kissing Kelly... well, maybe that was it. Maybe experiencing that kiss had opened his metaphorical eyes or something. And maybe those open eyes would go wide for any number of dudes. Only one way to find out, and Riley was looking forward to it. Just as long as it didn't happen that night, because he was going TV shopping with Kelly, then having dinner, and that was another thing Riley was looking forward to. Maybe more than he should be, but considering what Jeremy had said, maybe not. He hung around for a while longer and the conversation moved on to other things, like Kelly thinking Riley was fucking his own uncle and the fact that Kelly wasn't Peter's newest trick but related to a friend of Peter's. They talked about Goober, and Riley related the story of how Kelly had found the dog as a pup. By the time Riley left, he knew he'd been talking way too fucking much about Kelly. He also suspected that Jer knew who Riley had kissed, but since Jeremy didn't say as much, Riley didn't either. That was how they were, how their friendship worked. They might taunt each other over things they'd discussed, but they didn't rub each other's faces in shit that hadn't been said. That was part of the reason Riley loved Jeremy so damned much and thought Troy Ballard was such a lucky fucking man. *** Watching Riley in the electronics store was an education. The guy moved from display model to display model, asking questions Kelly would never have Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 101

thought of. Of course, he didn't understand most of them, much less the answers the entirely-too-helpful clerk gave. As far as Kelly was concerned, the only things that mattered were picture and sound quality, and where the ports to connect a video gaming console and whatever else he decided on were located. He needed a DVR, definitely, and maybe -- depending on which TV he bought -- some external speakers. But Riley seemed to know way more than Kelly had ever suspected there was to know. Because obviously, Riley was one of those guys. The kind that felt all manly and in charge when talking electronics. It was cute, really, and Kelly added that thought to the ever-lengthening list of things he would never say out loud. Like the way he felt left out while Riley and the clerk, whose name tag said Bob, kept talking about things Kelly didn't know. He didn't like the way the guy was looking at Riley, though. It wasn't lustful or anything; Kelly could have at least understood that. Riley was a damned fine-looking man, and lustful glances would have made sense. But no, this Bob was looking at Riley like there was something weird on Riley's face, which Kelly knew there wasn't. It was... speculative, Kelly decided. "Okay, so we've got it narrowed down to Kashihaka's Luminary line," the clerk said then. "The next question we need to answer is what kind of space you guys have and whether you're interested in the full theater effect. And we don't have them on display, but all of the Luminary televisions are available with colored casings. Sure, it costs a little extra, but not everyone wants black, right? I can show you the brochure if you have a certain color scheme you're trying to match."

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Riley snorted. "Dude. Seriously? Who matches their TV to the walls, or what the fuck ever? That's fucking bizarre." Bob-the-clerk laughed and that weird, considering look faded. "Well, you never know," the guy said with a shrug. "I mean, you didn't really seem like the type, but it doesn't hurt to ask, right? Look, last week I had a guy in who wanted to know what his speaker casings were made of because he wanted to paint his new speakers with flowers -- posies, if you can believe that -- and he didn't want the paint to peel. He was... different." Another shrug, and Bob shared a grin with Kelly, but the tiny bit of smirk Kelly thought he saw under the humor left him cold. It almost seemed like the clerk was trying to imply something. Or else it was the fact that the last Bob Kelly had known turned out to be a lying sack of... well, something that Kelly's grandfather would have boxed his ears for if Kelly had said it aloud. That was probably it. Kelly was prejudiced -- for the moment -- against guys named Bob. It wasn't fair, but there it was. "I'm good with the black," Kelly chimed in, finally. "The silver looks cool, too, but it doesn't matter which one I get. I just don't want to be stuck waiting for a special order. Um, as far as size goes..." He didn't know the actual dimensions of the wall in his new living room, but between him and Riley, they managed to approximate the space Kelly had available. It was easier to decide on a TV for the bedroom, because while Kelly wanted one, he didn't plan on spending too much time watching in there. Nothing huge was necessary, and while Riley disagreed, he also admitted that it was up to Kelly, what with it being Kelly's apartment and everything. Big of him, really, Kelly thought with a smile. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 103

"Dude. You're gonna have such a kick-ass system." Riley grinned. "I might have to come hang out or something. It's gonna be fucking awesome. Now let's go look at the stereo shit." Bob-the-clerk chuckled. "Tell you what. I'm going to hook you guys up with my friend Rob, over in the audio section. He knows his stuff. I'll go ahead and finish up your purchase order and it'll be waiting for you at customer service when you're finished, okay?" Kelly frowned, but Riley nodded. "Cool, man," Riley said. "Hey, you got someone in, like, the video games department? Because my buddy, here, needs everything. I don't know what kind of system he was running out west, but fuck if he's gonna be using that old-ass shit, right?" "Hey!" Riley smirked, obviously teasing. "Dude. You're getting new furniture and shit. And you said your old stuff sucks ass." "I bet he does, too." Kelly heard the words, but couldn't quite believe it. They'd been muttered, but he'd heard them, and he was damned sure they hadn't come from Riley. In fact, Riley went still -- completely and utterly still -- for just a moment. Long enough that Kelly was sure Riley had heard them, too. Kelly's own moment of stunned disbelief passed quickly. "You know--" He didn't know what he was going to say, but it didn't matter because Riley cut him off. "Maybe you should hand us off to Rob now. And go ahead and write up that order. We're not big on waiting around much." Kelly didn't know Riley too terribly well, really, but he definitely knew the man better than Bob did. And even so, Kelly almost missed the coldness in Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 104

Riley's voice. If he'd barely noticed it, it was a good bet that Bob didn't have a clue. Ten minutes later, after being introduced to Rob -who was apparently Bob's friend, and Kelly was sure that had to get confusing for other people -- Riley raised one hand to stop Rob in the middle of a sales pitch. "Dude," Riley said, his brows drawn down, lips tight and thin. "You know your shit. No question. But we need to get going, so how about we finish this shit up another time? Later, man." "Um, Riley..." "Outside." One word, snapped out, then Riley grabbed his hand and dragged Kelly from the store. Kelly didn't fight it, really, but mostly because he was confused. "Fucking bastard," Riley muttered, once they were storming down the sidewalk. "That fucker Bob and his 'bet he does, too,' like he knows a single fucking thing about you. He's gonna get exactly what he fucking deserves." On the one hand, Kelly could understand Riley getting all defensive about what the first clerk had said. Riley had a lot of gay friends, so it was probably second nature. On the other hand... "It's not that I don't appreciate you taking up the banner for my people," Kelly said, trying to tease a smile from Riley when they reached the Bronco. "I do. It's really great that you care so much. But can I point out that we were in that store for close to an hour, and I still don't have a TV, much less an entertainment system?" Riley's laugh was mirthless, but there was a strange sort of satisfaction in both voice and gaze when he left Kelly at the passenger side of the Bronco and moved around to open the driver's side door. "Yeah. But that Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 105

fucker Bob's probably sweating bullets right about now, so I think it's time well spent." Whatever that meant. Kelly didn't know. Then Riley got into the vehicle and leaned across to unlock the door. Kelly got in and fastened his seatbelt. "Okay. So why would Bob be... what happened in there? Aside from some random, stupid comment." "Most of the electronics stores now are chains," Riley said, while pulling out slowly into traffic. "But Kralinger's is local. The clerks still work on a commission basis, man. When we walked out, our buddy Bob lost an ass-load of money. So did the store. And I'm pretty sure he listened to me and already wrote up your order, so it was in the computer and being pulled in the warehouse out back for future delivery by the time we left. So now he has to explain why customers who were gonna spend huge amounts, especially with the economy the way it is, just walked right the fuck out." "Um." Riley tossed a glance his way, and Kelly couldn't help smiling at the sheepish-looking quirk to Riley's lips. "Sorry, man. It just pisses me the fuck off, you know? Shit, I would have kissed you right there if I thought it would do any good. Uh, not that kissing you is something that would be for a fucking plan or anything. I mean, you kiss like. Uh, it's good. But that's not the fucking point. I mean..." A groan left Riley, soft but obviously heartfelt, and whispered through the cab of the Ford. "Shit, I don't know what the fuck I mean, except that Bob-guy figured we were all gay with each other, then he decided I was the straight dude with a gay friend, and then he decided - for whatever fucked-up reason -- he could say shit about you, and it pissed me off. So we'll go to that Buy Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 106

Rite outside of town and we'll get you all the same stuff, okay? It'll probably cost about the same with delivery added in, and the clerks won't know fuck-all, but we'll get you set up, man. I swear." "Um, okay." Kelly said the words, but he wasn't actually paying attention to himself at that point. He was more caught up in the fact that Riley -- I'm straight, dude Riley -- thought the kiss from days earlier had been good. That was... well, not entirely unexpected, but it definitely had Kelly thinking yet again about whether Riley was as straight as the man claimed to be. It also had Kelly sure that, regardless of what Riley's actual bent might be, it would be a really bad idea to push things. He wasn't certain that he wanted to, anyway. Kelly had already tried the whole dating-the-biguy thing, and that really hadn't worked out. At all. Trying to get involved with a straight guy would probably be even worse, so it would be far better to just ignore whatever strange thoughts Riley's admission had started brewing. Kelly knew that. And maybe he'd just flipped a switch for Riley, too -- clued him that kissing a guy was still just kissing. Kelly suspected Riley had done plenty of kissing before. Looking the way Riley did, there was about zero chance that the guy hadn't. That didn't make it any easier to push away the memory of Riley saying their kiss was good, though. No matter how Kelly tried, he just couldn't seem to forget those words. "What do you want for dinner?" Riley said then, dragging Kelly from his speculations. "Burgers? Steak? Shit, anything with meat works for me, man, but I can eat pretty much anything. Fuck saturated fats. After that fucker Bob, I want meat. Still not fast food, though." Kelly shrugged, trying not to stare at Riley. "I don't know any of the places here, so you pick. I'll follow Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 107

your lead." And while that statement had more meanings than one, Riley didn't seem to notice, which was good, as far as Kelly was concerned. Dinner was good, too. Kelly even talked the bar into making him a Citrus Explosion, though it wasn't the same without the pureed fruit.

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Chapter Eight "Well, here we are," Riley said once Kelly joined him and the others in front of the Habitat. Officially named M. Butterfly's Habitat, the club had become something of a fixture on the gay scene in the fifteen years since it had opened. It had started out as a cabaret-style place with drag shows every night, and changed over time, or so Riley had been told. Currently, the drag portion of the entertainment was confined to two nights a week, while the other nights were devoted to a more pick-up and hook-up friendly attitude. "Welcome to the Habitat, Kelly," James said for himself as well as Pauly and Randy, who were busy trying to lick each other's tonsils near the front door. "Ignore them, by the way," he added, nodding at his boyfriends. "They like to put on a show." Kelly looked a bit baffled, but he shrugged. Riley smirked. "Dude. Like you fucking hate it when they do. Right." He turned fully toward Kelly and gave him a wink. "Seriously, man, all three of them will be out of here in, like, an hour. Pauly and Randy get all sexed up on each other, James gets hot and trulyfucking-bothered. Then they all disappear, and we don't hear from them for fucking days. It's kind of their thing." Kelly made a sound between a cough and a sneeze and Riley realized the guy was trying not to laugh. "Hey, whatever works," Kelly answered, grinning. There was a little bit of pink to his cheeks, but Riley wasn't sure if the guy was blushing or if it was a reflection from the pink neon sign over the door. "I can't even remember the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 109

last time... you know what? Way too much information, so I'll just ask how the drinks are." The last time what? The last time Kelly had sex? Or the last time he spent fucking days... fucking? Either way, it couldn't have been that good if he doesn't remember it, but I want to know what it was, for fuck's sake, and he's not saying. Shit, give a guy a clue, damn it! "Riley likes the Cosmos." And that was Ballard being so fucking helpful, the prick. "He won't admit it, but he does." Riley snorted. "Dude. I fully embrace the pink drink. When in Rome and all that shit, right? Besides, I've seen the guys who drink beer in this club, and they look pretty fucking stupid when everyone else has something colored. In a glass. With little paper parasols and fruit. I'm secure enough in my masculinity to drink a Cosmo, girly or not." Jeremy's stifled laugh sounded more like the guy had swallowed a bug, but Riley knew that expression when he saw it. It was fucking annoying but it was still better than being laughed at. Of course, Riley didn't know why Jer was laughing when Riley hadn't said anything funny. "We should probably go inside," Jeremy said a moment or two later. His shoulders still shook just a little when he looked at Riley, but fuck it. Gay dudes laughed at all kinds of weird shit. Riley knew that from experience. So did straight dudes, for that matter. Ballard and Jer went in, then Riley waved Kelly through the door ahead of him before following with James, who had uncoupled his lovers for the moment. "You know," James said, giving Riley that look that always seemed so skeptical, "I think you're the only straight man I've ever met who not only knows what a parasol is, but can use the word in a sentence. I'll admit Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 110

that I find it funny when one of the associates at the firm, or even a client, says they went 'parasol-ing' on vacation, but that's a whole different thing and I never correct them. The mental image is just too amusing." Jesus fucking Christ. Yeah, it was. Just like that, Riley was picturing guys, young and old, in swim trunks, holding lacy, ruffled umbrellas and strolling along the beach with mincing little steps. Jeremy and Troy stopped and turned when Riley burst out laughing harder than he'd done in weeks. Then Kelly turned, too, and Riley found himself explaining the snapshot in his brain. When they all finally stopped laughing, Riley and Kelly took drink orders and headed to the bar on the far side of the club. It was farther away than the main bar, but with the number of men already gathered near the door, service would be faster and less hurried at the secondary bar. Faster because there weren't a huge number of people that far in yet, and less hurried because the bartenders there didn't need to rush quite so much. Riley looked back and saw Ballard and Jer dancing -no surprise there -- while Pauly and Randy made out more, under the watchful eyes of James. Because James did like to watch. It was kind of his thing, as far as Riley understood it. No one had ever said whether the watching extended to the bedroom, and Riley didn't want to know, but in public, and especially at the Habitat? Oh, yeah. James liked to watch. Not just his guys, either. James also liked to watch other men watching his guys, which Riley didn't really get, but so fucking what? The twinkies-three weren't hurting anyone, and whatever they got up to, as long as they were happy? Riley could give a fuck. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 111

It didn't take long to get the drinks from the sub-bar, but Riley couldn't deny being glad Kelly was there to help carry the three Cosmos, two Long Island iced teas, one gin and tonic, and one vodka martini, extra dirty. That last was for Ballard, who would nurse it all night, but that was fine. Ballard was driving for himself, Jer, and the twinkies-three, assuming the threesome didn't ditch the club for some alone-time. The drinks distributed, Riley found himself leaning against the wall by the dance floor, Cosmo in hand, while Kelly leaned right beside him, sipping slowly at the gin and tonic. Sipping slowly and making a fucking grossed-out face. Weird. "Dude," Riley nearly shouted to be heard through the loud-ass music. "If you don't like it, get something else! Maybe one of those orange things you like!" Kelly's eyes reflected the flashing lights over the dance floor, but Riley thought he saw amusement in that shine. "I hate gin," Kelly answered, just as loudly. "That's why I ordered it! It'll take me at least an hour to finish this one drink, and that means I won't need to worry about wrecking my bike! I don't think they have mandarin orange pulp here, anyway, but if they did I'd end up drinking more than I should!" It made sense, even if Riley didn't like it. He hadn't liked the idea of Kelly riding into town to begin with, when they were going from the same place to the same place. "You could have rode in with me," he said then, repeating his offer from earlier that day, when he'd accidentally mentioned that he was heading to a gay bar that night. He hadn't actually planned on Kelly going, too, but once the plan was out in the open, there hadn't been any way of telling Kelly the true purpose of the evening. And if Riley was being honest, he would admit Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 112

that there was something pretty cool about the idea of spending time with Kelly in a gay bar. Kelly shook his head, looking at the dance floor. "I could have," he shouted, "but there's no guarantee that I'll be going home tonight, man! If I have the bike, I'll be able to leave whenever I want, right?" Kelly went still while Riley stared at him, shocked by the words he'd just heard Kelly say. Then Kelly went on. "Oh, man! That guy can dance!" The next thing Riley knew, he was holding a gin and tonic in one hand and a swiftly warming Cosmo in the other... and Kelly was on the dance floor, shaking things Riley couldn't look away from. "Oh, hell no," Riley muttered, but fuck if he was doing anything even remotely like moving. Instead, he just stood there, something in his chest burning, turning to acid while Kelly proved himself to be even more flexible than Riley had figured a martial arts guy would be. He tossed back the rest of his drink, stomach turning sour, then finished off Kelly's despised beverage and deposited both empty glasses on the small ledge that ran around the periphery of the club. His arms crossed tightly over his chest, and while Riley wanted to glare, he forced himself to just stare. He didn't have any right to be angry. Kelly was single and available. Kelly had every right to be looking for a one-night stand, or even something more. And fuck if Kelly wasn't hot enough, out there dancing, to have anyone he chose. Fuck, Riley was pretty sure the guy could entice even Jer and Ballard or the twinkies-three into a night or two. And I'm not here to watch fucking Kelly. I'm here to check out the dudes and see what flips my gay-butt-sex meter. Shit, someone must, so it's just a question of finding them. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 113

Someone had to. Otherwise, Riley figured he was in for a world of fucking disappointment, because the way Kelly had just run off to rub himself all over some random dude seemed like a pretty good sign that Kelly was totally not into Riley. At all. Fuck! *** God, what was he doing? Unfortunately, Kelly didn't know. Oh, he knew he was dancing with a tall, lanky redhead who had some idea of how to move, but he didn't know why. The redheaded man wasn't his type. He was attractive enough, Kelly supposed, in a pale and freckled sort of way, and he was definitely attentive, but that was about it. Kelly wasn't entirely sure about why he'd fled from Riley's side -- because he'd done exactly that -- or even why he'd said what he had, about maybe not going back to the house that night. He had every intention of going home, damn it, but... Maybe it was the way Riley had been scanning the crowd. It was possible, Kelly figured. First the guy said all that crap the night before about how kissing Kelly had felt good, then they were at this club and Riley had barely even looked at him. In fact, Riley had been looking at everyone but him whenever Kelly checked. That had to be it, Kelly realized, because even thinking about it had him getting pissed off again. It must have showed on his face, because redheaded-paleguy stepped back a little, putting a good foot of space between them. "Hey, you okay?" the guy hollered, and Kelly sighed to himself and slapped on a smile as he nodded. Redhead's eyes rolled, seeming bright blue in the colored lights, and the next thing Kelly knew, the guy Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 114

leaned closer. "It's just a dance, and you're really hot, okay? If it helps at all, that big, butch guy you were with just stomped off like a five-year old who's had his blankie taken away. And I would know. I teach kindergarten." God, that surprised a laugh out of him. Of everything Kelly might have expected the redhead to say, that wasn't even close. "Sorry," he said back, not shouting as such, just speaking loudly because of the music. "He's my temporary roommate, and we're apparently fighting or something. Don't worry about it. Um, you're a good dancer." The redhead grinned. "I'm Kelly, by the way," Kelly added, introducing himself. Redhead smiled, and it made the guy about ten times more attractive. "I know. And I'm Leonard. Nice to meet you. Now, about the dancing... I'm thinking we should finish at least this song. Maybe another, too. Unless your roommate needs you." Kelly snorted, quietly and to himself. "I'm sure Riley's fine," he answered. "He's just here to observe my kind in our natural habitat. He's straight." Leonard's eyes widened and seemed to sparkle with humor. "That's what they all say, right up until they have a few drinks in them. Next thing you know, they're pounding your ass through the bathroom wall. Or maybe that's just me." Oh, God. God help him, Kelly thought as he and Leonard returned to dancing. He really liked Leonard. The guy was funny and snarky and far too limber. And maybe, Kelly realized as one or two songs turned into six or seven, maybe he'd been right when he'd told Riley he might not be home that night. Leonard might not be Kelly's type, but there was something appealing about the man, and Leonard was definitely giving off the right kind of vibes. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 115

The dancing wasn't getting Kelly excited or anything, but that didn't mean a little private time with Leonard wouldn't be different. Kelly had never been an exhibitionist, anyway, and clearly his body knew that as well as his mind did. Yeah. Kelly remembered waving goodnight to Pauly, Randy, and James. He'd still been dancing with Leonard then, but he'd seen them and offered a grin for Pauly's blown kiss, too. He was pretty sure Troy and Jeremy were gone because they'd driven the threesome to the club. Unless the twinkies-three, as Riley called them, had taken a cab when they'd left. Either way, Troy and Jeremy weren't on the dance floor that Kelly could see, and who the hell knew where Riley might be? Kelly hadn't felt the man's eyes on him in ages. The music broke, switching to something slow, and Kelly was already trying to find a graceful way of leaving the floor without offending Leonard when the man leaned in again and spoke. "I could use some water; how about you?" "Sounds good," Kelly agreed, thankful for the excuse, though by the time he and Leonard reached the bar, Kelly realized it wasn't actually an excuse, as such. He really was thirsty and just hadn't noticed. It was while Leonard was ordering two bottles from the bartender that Kelly remembered what the man had said earlier, and when Leonard turned around with their drinks in hand, Kelly just asked. "What did you mean before? When I told you my name and you said you knew? I'm just curious." More than curious, because now that Kelly had had a chance to think about it, that was a little weird. A school teacher knew his name? Yeah. Definitely a fair bit on the freaky side. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 116

Leonard laughed and handed Kelly one of the waters. "You know, I'm guessing you're the world's worst liar, because right now you've got this look on your face like you think I'm some kind of stalker or something." He shook his head and opened his bottle, then took a swig while Kelly stared. "Look, it's nothing like that. I told you I teach, right? Well, it doesn't exactly pay well enough to cover all my bills, much less martial arts classes, so I work part time for Tiger Holloway and get matching hours of instruction instead of pay. When he told me we were closing down for renovations because he'd taken on a partner and could finally afford it, I got curious and looked you up. Then I saw you here and you came over to dance and I figured it'd be better to admit I recognized you from the pictures I saw online. So, no big, right?" That actually made sense, Kelly realized with a fair bit of relief. Tiger -- or Harry, as Kelly had known him when they'd competed against each other -- would definitely have told his staff about the new status of the business, especially if there hadn't been enough money for the repairs and such beforehand. And as odd as it still seemed that the guy Kelly had chosen to dance with was one of Tiger's -- their -- employees, it kind of made sense. Kelly was gay, he was in a gay club, and he'd decided to dance with someone who could move. It was highly likely that he'd subconsciously noticed the sort of fluidity even a part-time martial arts student possessed, and that would explain why he'd decided to dance with Leonard in the first place. "No big," Kelly agreed, twisting the cap from his own bottle. "And you're right. My lying skills are... well, sadly lacking, as my little sister's said about a million times since she first learned how to speak in complete sentences. So you said you're a teacher. How do you..." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 117

He saw someone out of the corner of his eye who might be Riley. The man had the same size and shape thing going on, anyway. Unfortunately, when Kelly turned and locked eyes on that figure, it wasn't who he thought it was. "Crap! Where the hell did he go?" Leonard only smiled slightly, one side of his mouth tipping up like he was both amused and disappointed. "I guess it's just as well," he said, but he didn't elaborate when Kelly looked back at him. "So. Your roommate. The 'straight' guy. He's got you all twisted up, doesn't he?" Kelly frowned. "As if. We're friends. That's all." Friends who'd kissed, but that didn't mean anything. It didn't. And Kelly hated that it didn't, damn it. *** Riley wasn't sure about when Kelly had left the club the night before. And he didn't care, either. He knew he didn't care because he'd been telling himself so all night long. He'd tossed and turned, and punched his pillow enough times that he would have been up on domestic violence charges if there had been a pillow-abuse division to the Hartford Police Department. He'd finally managed to doze off around three a.m., only to be woken less than two hours later by the sounds of a motorcycle engine and Goober's weird-ass chuffing noises that weren't quite barks. He'd heard Kelly coming up the stairs to the apartment and even heard the key in the lock. He'd followed the small shush-shush-shush of Kelly's steps, muffled by the rugs, and when he'd heard the door to the guest room close and the small squeaks of the bed there, he'd finally managed to really sleep. Not for long enough, because he'd woken again at ten feeling grumpy Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 118

and sour, but some sleep was better than none and Goober needed a walk, anyway. Riley could tell by the way the dog whined and stared at the door that led downstairs, once Riley managed to slip into a pair of shorts, sneakers, and a T-shirt. There wasn't a single chance that Riley was going to the gym; he knew that much. With the mood he was in, he'd only snap at everyone he saw. He was too tired, anyway, after four Cosmopolitans followed by being up so late. And fuck, would it have killed Kelly to call? To tell Riley he was okay but getting his gay groove on? Riley snarled to himself as he walked Goober. The dog was all over the place, but it didn't much matter, and Riley couldn't bring himself to take his foul mood at Goober's owner out on the dog. "Riley!" It caught him by surprise, being hailed that way. He'd been so busy thinking dark thoughts he couldn't explain that it actually took him a moment to blink. When he did, though, Riley saw Andre, Bev's husband, leaning on the fence that surrounded their place. "Hey, man," Riley answered, trying to smile as he dragged Goober along in the opposite direction of whatever smell the dog was interested in. "How's it going?" Andre shrugged and offered up one of the polite kind of smiles that never looked sincere to Riley. "It's good to be home," he said. "I missed Bev and the kids. I heard you have a new, uh... tenant." Riley almost smiled at the hesitation before Andre's last word. It wasn't any secret that Peter used the downstairs apartment of Riley's house for special friends. This time, it didn't seem to be true, though, and regardless of what Riley thought Kelly had been up to the night before, Kelly wasn't Peter's newest trick. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 119

"It's not like that, man," Riley said. Then he explained the situation, as far as he understood it, which wasn't far because Peter still hadn't fucking returned any of Riley's calls. "So, Bev told me you went back home to see your mom." Best way to change the subject ever, because Andre frowned and looked down, then shrugged. "I'm sure that's not all she said. And she's right. I need to choose and I don't want to, but I can't keep letting my wife and kids feel like they aren't good enough. And Mom will never think they are. She made that very clear this time." He sighed. God, it wasn't just him who had family and relationship issues, Riley realized. He'd been wondering lately, because all his friends seemed so fucking secure. Jer with Ballard, the twinkies with each other... and sure, he felt sort of shitty for being glad to hear about Andre's problems, but at the same time, it was a relief. Even so, Riley wondered. "Dude. Did you ever think about taking the kids to see your mom?" He winced even as he asked, because of course Andre would have thought of that. Duh. The guy was a fucking college professor, for fuck's sake. "Sorry. Never mind." Goober chose that moment of inattention to yank hard at the leash, and the next thing Riley knew, the fucking dog was galloping down the middle of the God damned street. "Oh, fuck! Kelly's gonna kick my fucking ass if I let anything happen to Dogzilla!" Riley didn't realize Andre had jumped the fence and followed him in his mad dash after Goober until Goober pulled a move that should have been impossible, according to physics -- somehow stopping in mid-leap and reversing his direction by a hundred and eighty degrees, seemingly without losing momentum. The dog Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 120

slammed into Andre's chest, and Andre's "Ooof!" was accompanied by Goober's sudden whining to be let go, but Andre kept his arms locked around the big-ass demon-dog. The big-ass demon-dog who then turned to licking Andre's face with maximum enthusiasm and an equal amount of slobber. "Oh, that's gross," Andre groaned, then he spit after Goober's tongue slipped into his mouth. "God, I'm going to have to gargle with bleach before I can even kiss my wife again!" Even so, he was laughing. "Come get your drool-machine, Riley. I'm not interested in prolonging the relationship." It was still funny fifteen minutes later, when Samuel and Belinda, Andre and Bev's kids, were being treated to the same experience. The kids took it with squeals of laughter rather than exclamations of disgust. Then again, that was what kids did, as far as Riley knew. When he'd been that young, he hadn't been allowed near animals, but he was pretty sure it was normal from what he'd seen since. "She's seen pictures. My mom, I mean." Andre sounded sad when he said it. "We sent them for the first few years. Then Mom said to stop. She didn't want to see any more of them." It took a minute for Riley to remember what Andre was responding to, what with the mad dash to rescue Goober from absolutely nothing, but when he did recall his question, he frowned. "Dude. That sucks." Andre's lips twitched into a sickly looking smile. "It does. Because I love my mother, but I love Bev and the kids, too. It's been... difficult." Obviously. But Riley didn't say as much. There was no way it couldn't be difficult. Andre's mother had somehow managed to put him through school by cleaning offices and working retail, according to Andre, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 121

and Riley didn't doubt that she was proud of him. But then Andre had gone and married someone his mother didn't approve of, and that dislike wasn't based upon who Bev was or even Bev's personality, but the color of her skin, and that was just stupid, as far as Riley was concerned. It wasn't up to him to say so, but God, he wanted to. "Guess your mom's birthday wasn't as much fun as it could have been, but it still could have been worse, right?" Riley tried, smiling. Andre snorted. "I doubt it. But it's over for now. So tell me about this Kelly person. I can tell you like him, so why aren't you guys together, since you know he's not here for your uncle?" Riley's entire body seemed to seize. Except his mouth. "What?" "You're walking his behemoth of a pet, Riley," Andre said, sounding so reasonable Riley could have clocked him. "And you had this sort of wistful tone when you were talking about him before." Andre smiled again but it looked more real, less forced. "I could be wrong, but I figure there's something going on that would surprise your ex-girlfriends. Am I wrong?" Fuck if Riley knew what to say to that, other than "Dude. Seriously? I'm not fucking... fucking Kelly. Hate to disappoint you, but I'm still straight." He was. Mostly. Except where Kelly was concerned, apparently. Because Riley had spent every moment after he'd walked away from Kelly at the club just looking at different types of men and trying to imagine kissing them, touching them, having them touch him... and not a single one of the guys he'd looked at and considered had done much of anything for him. Sure, he'd been able to appreciate nice pecs, killer abs, tight-looking asses, and strong thighs, but when it Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 122

came down to it, Riley hadn't been truly turned on by any of them. Then he'd caught sight of a guy on the dance floor whose body moved just so, who had long, denim-encased legs and wasn't overly bulky, wasn't bubble-butted. Who had a fluidity of motion that only showcased his form. And that guy had turned while dancing with someone, and that simple rotation had shown Riley that the man who'd had his body stirring was exactly the answer because it was Kelly, still dancing with that long, lanky fucker who Riley hated. Then Kelly had gone and stayed out all night, probably with the fucking redhead, and it was a damned good thing Riley wasn't planning on exploring the unexpected attraction. Kelly had a boyfriend, apparently. Good for fucking Kelly. Riley wasn't looking for a boyfriend at all, though he wouldn't have said no if the possibility had arisen the night before. With Kelly, of course. But fuck it. Kelly was apparently seeing someone. Or had indulged in a fucking one-night stand, and that would be way better, for fuck's sake. Riley could understand one night. Fuck if he hadn't done that himself, not so long ago. With chicks, yeah, but fucking for one night didn't have to mean forever, no matter what gender someone was. All that ran through Riley's mind in a flash. "Kelly's just a friend," he repeated, meeting Andre's eyes. "I'm walking his fucking dog because I didn't want it taking a shit on my floor. And because Kelly was out until five this morning, doing fuck knows what with some dude he met last night. So, yeah. I'm gonna say you're wrong." Andre chuckled and shook his head. "All right. If you say so, I have no choice but to accept that. I still don't think I'm wrong, though." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 123

Beverly joined them just a few seconds later, looking fresh and sharp, and Riley had never been so glad to see her in his life. *** Kelly woke up around noon, still grinning from the night -- the very, very late night -- before. Leonard still wasn't his type, but the man had proven to be good company and more knowledgeable about the renovations to the martial arts school than Kelly expected. Of course, Leonard also claimed to be in the know about men, which he might very well be. Though Leonard looked to be in his very early thirties, the man freely admitted to the big four-oh approaching rapidly. Unless Leonard had only been out as a gay man for a little while, he likely had far more experience with men than Kelly. Still, Leonard wasn't necessarily infallible because there was no way Riley had been acting jealous at the club. Even Riley's gay friends believed Riley was straight, and in Kelly's limited experience, gay men knew when their friends were not-gay. Kelly stretched, the sheets smooth beneath his back as he turned to look at the clock. God, Goobs was probably desperate for a walk, Kelly realized. He should have taken the poor dog out before going to sleep, but Goobs hadn't acted anxious; he'd just seemed glad that Kelly was back, then had jumped on the couch again and lay down to sleep more. Seven hours later, though, the poor dog was probably about to burst. Or else he already pissed and dumped all over the floor. But no. He would have barked to wake me up if he was that anxious. Goober's all about making his own personal human toe the line. It was true, too, Kelly Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 124

reminded himself with a grin. Goobs had never been shy about demanding what he needed, once the tiny puppy Goobs once was had learned that Kelly could be trusted. So unless Kelly had been sleeping too soundly to hear him, the dog was fine. "Only for the moment," Kelly reminded himself, his own voice urging him to get a move on. "And if I don't get my butt in gear, who's to say I won't hear about unexpected pet-mess from Riley?" The apartment was silent when Kelly crossed the hallway, a change of clothes clasped to his naked groin. Fifteen minutes later, after showering, brushing his teeth, and shaving away the sixteen chin hairs he owned, it was less quiet. Kelly rushed, getting into his jeans, damp skin slowing the process, then pulled on a T-shirt before dragging his wet hair from beneath the neckline. Water trailed into the cotton, dampening the back of the shirt, but Kelly was used to that. He'd forgotten socks, of course, but that was fine. His boots were entirely comfortable without them, for about five seconds. If Goobs was even remotely needful of grass and dirt, it wouldn't take much longer than that. "Hey," Kelly greeted, strolling into the living room and seeing Riley sitting on the couch. "Goober didn't do anything... messy, did he?" Because that was the only explanation Kelly could think of for the way Riley was glaring. "Sorry, man. Look, I'll clean it up, okay? Or I owe you one if you already did it." Riley's gaze moved, shifting from Kelly to the television in a way that implied that glare was still there. "Don't worry about it," Riley said. "I took him out a couple hours ago. The Hendersons, down the street, think he's the shit. The kids want to know if he can come 'play' every day." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 125

Kelly blinked and stood right where he was, halfway between the hallway and the couch. "Um. Sure?" "Cool. I'll let them know. So how was your... what do you gay guys call it? Date? Trick? Fuck? Whatever. Did you have fun with the could-have-been-a-fucking-serialkiller?" Another blink, then Kelly laughed. "What, you mean Leonard?" He started moving again, relaxing at finally knowing what Riley's problem was. "Oh, man. It's so bizarre, but cool, too, I think." Kelly flopped down in the chair by the couch. "Leonard's totally not my type, but I saw him dancing, you know? And there was something about how he moved, so I figured it would be fun, right? Well, it turns out he works for me! Or for Harry, anyway, which is kind of the same thing, considering..." Kelly told Riley about Leonard and what they'd talked about at the club. "Then we ditched and went for coffee at this diner he knows about, and when he realized I still hadn't seen the school -- remember, we got kind of sidetracked the other night, going to the Buy Rite -- he figured we might as well swing by and check it out. He's been working at the martial arts school for years now, so he has a key, and I guess he knows someone on the crew doing the renovating because he told me all about everything that was going on." Riley made a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a snort, as far as Kelly could tell. "I'll bet. So that's what you were doing until five in the morning. Looking at construction." Deadpan, like Riley didn't want to show any emotion or something. Weird. "No, that's what I was doing until about three-thirty. Then Leonard offered to buy me breakfast, and I've never turned down a free meal in my life, so we hit the diner again. Um, if you're ever out at four a.m., try the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 126

banana-and-chocolate-chip waffles at the Castle Diner. Or the Big Breakfast. Four eggs any style, half a pound of the breakfast meat of your choice, hash browns, and four pancakes. God, I thought Leonard would have a heart attack right then and there." Kelly grinned. "For such a long, lanky guy, he eats like a lumberjack. Maybe that's why he trades work for martial arts classes. It would explain a lot." Kelly didn't know why, but Riley seemed to relax a little after that. Those broad shoulders loosened, anyway, returning to their normal position rather than being hunched up close to Riley's ears. "Sorry." It didn't make any sense, Riley saying that out of nowhere. "Fuck. It's just that for all I knew, that redheaded dude -- Leonard, I guess -- dragged your ass out of there and killed you. So just do me a fucking favor, okay? Next time you want to wander off with some fucking guy, try calling. At least until you're moved in downstairs." Riley still wasn't looking at him, but Kelly was sure the guy was blushing. The side of Riley's face that Kelly could see was pink, anyway. "Okay," Kelly answered with a shrug. "But I doubt it's going to be an issue. Most of the new furniture's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. And Harry said the school was supposed to open again next week, but from what I saw last night, the contractors either underestimated how long they needed or they're slacking off." Riley grunted. "I'll call if I'm out late tonight, how about that?" Oddly enough, promising exactly what Riley had asked seemed to make the man tense. Again. Because Riley sat up straighter, no longer slouching even a little. Then those eyes turned, and Kelly wasn't sure about what he saw there, but it set something to fluttering in the pit of his stomach. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 127

"You're going out tonight?" It sounded almost accusing and more than slightly annoyed, but Kelly nodded. "Yeah. I'm catching an early movie with Leonard. Um... that one about the football team. I can't remember what it's called. I should be back by ten, though. Leonard works early, and he's probably beat after being up so late last night." Kelly chuckled and ran one hand through his hair. "I'm not sure he even went to sleep, to tell you the truth. I wouldn't have if I'd needed to be at work by eight a.m." Riley frowned. "It's his own fucking fault. Nobody made him stay out all fucking night, did they? And what does he do, anyway, that he stayed out and went to work? Does it involve heavy machinery?" Riley seemed hopeful. Kelly laughed again. "No, he's a school teacher. Kindergarten. I kind of feel sorry for him, dealing with a bunch of five-year-olds on little to no sleep, but you're right. That's on him. I wouldn't be surprised if he cancelled on me for the movie, but..." His brow furrowed. "I guess I should call him later to offer him an out. I never got around to giving him my number. I started to after he gave me his, but our food came and I just never got around to it." "Sounds like a good idea," Riley said, suddenly sounding less growly. Again. "I'm thinking about going back to work tonight, by the way. So don't be surprised if I'm out late, myself. And I'm gonna fucking go, already. I need to hit the gym. Have fun." The next thing Kelly knew, Riley wasn't on the couch. Instead, the man was halfway across the living room, then he disappeared down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. He was back a minute or so later, a sports bag slung over one shoulder. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 128

"Later, man," Riley said quickly, then he tossed a smile that looked so real, Kelly couldn't help smiling in return. "Don't let the fucking hell-hound mess up my rugs." "Okay, that wasn't at all weird," Kelly told Goober when the sound of the door closing brought the dog running inside through the open balcony doors. "No, that was entirely normal. Pissed off to calm to annoyed to just fine, all inside of ten minutes." He grinned at Goober's woof, then reached down and scratched the dog's ears. "Maybe he has a chemical imbalance or something. And yeah, another thing for the 'never ask' list, buddy. So what do you think about a run? Want to find your leash?" Goober was clearly on board with that idea because as soon as the words left Kelly's mouth, the dog darted away, running in a few circles before finally stopping at the apartment door, where he stood still, head turning back and forth between the leash on the table and Kelly, who didn't seem to be moving fast enough for Goober's liking. "Okay," Kelly said, laughing as he pushed himself from the chair. "I'm coming, already. Just let me call Leonard, then we're out of here." He doubted the guy would answer, since it was prime school-time, but he could leave voice mail, at least. Goober didn't seem happy about the delay, whining louder while Kelly dialed. "Hold on, Goobs," Kelly ordered, still chuckling. "God, anyone would think you've never been outside before in your life!"

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Chapter Nine Another lie. And I already know how much he likes being fucking lied to. Must be a story there, but fuck it. None of my business. I lied to him again, but it's in a good cause, and he never needs to know, anyway. I think. Maybe. Fuck, Peter better have something useful to say, starting with why he's been fucking dodging me, damn it. That was the plain truth, that last. It had taken a while, but Riley had finally figured out that his uncle was deliberately avoiding talking to him. More than a week without a single returned call? Yeah, something was definitely stinky about that, and Denmark wasn't even fucking involved. That wasn't exactly why Riley was driving to Peter's summer house in Stamford, but it would work as an excuse. Plus, he actually was curious. Peter had never ducked Riley's calls before. Even when Peter was out of the country or in areas where there wasn't much in the way of cell phone reception, the man always got back to him in a couple of days. So, more than a week of silence when there was no obvious reason for the lack of fucking contact? Peter was definitely up to something. Or something was wrong. The drive usually took just over an hour and a half, but with construction and traffic, it was nearly three o'clock by the time Riley pulled into the drive of his uncle's waterfront house. Fortunately, he'd managed to make a few calls and light a fire under the ass of the lead contractor for the downstairs apartment. Riley would be incredibly fucking surprised if the bathroom and bedroom weren't finished by the next day. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 130

There were three cars, other than Peter's, in the driveway, one of them a brand-new Dodge Charger. As sparkly and shiny as it was, it still looked out of place parked there with Peter's classic Jaguar, a gun-metal gray Saab, and the low-slung, bright red Tesla. Then again, Riley's beat-up Bronco looked like a beggar outside of the Hotel Durmont by comparison. A beggar who couldn't even afford a paper fucking cup, at that. Riley smirked to himself at the thought. His footsteps were sure and quick as he strode to the front door of his uncle's house. Riley wondered for a moment whether he needed to knock, but the door wasn't actually closed. It was cracked a few inches, letting a steady stream of cool air push out into the waterside humidity, and Riley could hear music, too. Some sort of overly synthesized shit, probably from the eighties or something. It was enough to make him shudder, but not enough to keep him from pushing the door open farther. "Yo, Peter!" Riley tried, but nobody answered. He shrugged to himself and stepped inside, then closed the door behind him. No point in air conditioning the whole fucking neighborhood, was there? His mom would be proud at having nagged that into his head as a child. "Peter!" he called again, following the music that was joined by voices and laughter the closer he got to the back of the house. "Hey!" Riley nearly shouted it, standing in the doorway of the so-called great room. Technically, the name was appropriate, because the room really was great. It just wasn't big enough to count as great-with-acapital-G, as far as Riley was concerned, but that was something he and Peter had long ago agreed to disagree on. It was big enough for Riley's uncle and six other Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 131

dudes to be acting fucking stupid in with room to spare, anyway, so whatever. One of the men seemed to hear him, or maybe just managed to notice him, because the dude laughed and tossed back whatever the fuck he was drinking. "Looks like the entertainment's here! You didn't tell us you hired a stripper, Pete!" Riley groaned. Oh, Christ. It's one of those days. Figures. Another man turned and narrowed his eyes at Riley. He was tall and slender, with long auburn hair down to his butt, deep blue eyes, and wore a goatee with obvious pride. Riley tried a smile and the man frowned. "If you did, you're in serious trouble, Pete," the man said, still glaring at Riley. "It's bad enough that you let all these people in, but if you hired someone to strip, I'm out of here." That was strange enough that Riley looked closer at the man and saw that he was older than Riley had first thought. The small lines around the man's eyes and the slight creases beside his mouth seemed to say late thirties, but there was just something about the set of his jaw and the furrows to his brow that suggested a few more years. Not that Riley gave a shit, but he figured he sort of owed the guy because with those words, the music suddenly became quieter. When Riley looked across the room to the area where the stereo equipment had been the last time he'd visited, he found himself meeting Peter's eyes. Peter's worried-looking eyes, if Riley didn't miss his guess. "I didn't hire anyone, Dex," Peter said carefully. "That's Riley. My sister's boy. I wasn't expecting him." Then Peter quirked a little half-smile at the guy he'd called Dex. "I wasn't expecting anyone else, either, but you don't believe that, so I'm not sure what to say." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 132

Riley's eyes went wide before he could stop them. Peter sounded... fuck if he didn't sound like he was trying to placate the dude with the ass-length hair. Shit. Peter never sounded like that. Not that Riley remembered, anyway. "I could shake my ass for a while if you think it'll help," he said, trying to defuse the sudden and uncomfortable tension, "but I'm not getting naked. That'd be way too fucking weird, since we're related and shit. And dude! Tell me why I'm at another party full of gay guys and there still isn't any fucking Jell-O wrestling or strip-Twister going on. I'm totally starting to doubt everything I've heard about how you guys party! It's fucking depressing. And disappointing. I feel totally fucking let down." Peter sighed, long and hard and overly-dramatically. Loud enough that the other guys heard it, because they laughed a little, too. Even Dex laughed, so Riley was good with whatever Peter was about to say. "You see what I have to deal with?" Peter asked, ignoring Riley for the moment. "He's not only straight, but he has all these bizarre ideas about what goes on at my parties, even though he's been to more of them than anyone but me. And apparently this party is over, so off with you. I could use a free night anyway. Mañana, hmmm?" It was amazing to Riley, but nobody grumbled much. They all just finished their drinks, kissed Peter's cheek, and walked past Riley. And if one or two of them accidentally brushed against him and had to steady themselves by grabbing him, well, Riley couldn't say he was surprised. He also couldn't manage to muster up any fucking ire. At least he hadn't needed to strip for them, and that was a plus. Not that Peter would have let that happen, but still. Besides, they were all pretty good looking, so being groped was kind of a compliment. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 133

Weird, because the guys knew he was Peter's nephew, but still complimentary. Eventually, it was only him and Peter... and Dex. "Uh..." Riley started to say, but Peter shook his head. "Sorry. Riley, I guess you need to meet Dex. He's... an old friend who's staying with me for a while. So what's going on that you needed to drive all the way out here instead of just calling?" Riley blinked and moved farther into the room, then leaned against the side of Peter's big-ass aquarium. "I did call," he said. "Dude. I've called you, like, twenty times, and you never called me the fuck back." Peter's brows shot up and Riley hoped, yet again, that he aged as well. Peter looked his age, but Peter looked good. Then Peter's words registered. "I haven't heard from you since you promised to make sure the new tenant got settled in when he arrived. Then he called me and I thought you were out at the gym or working. When did you..." "That was me." Dex sounded ashamed but unapologetic, which seemed strange even to Riley. "I'm sorry, Peter. I just... your phone kept beeping for voice mail and it was some guy who sounded young and used far too many curse words, so I deleted them. I thought it was... I don't know. Some former fling." And that gave you the right to fucking delete my messages? Riley frowned. I don't even know who the fuck you are and I already don't like you. How the fuck is it your place to... and no. No point in keeping it inside his head. He didn't know this Dex dude, but Riley for damned sure wasn't taking that kind of shit. "Look, you --" Riley started, but his uncle's voice drowned him out. "No, Dex. No. He's my sister Maureen's son. And we're close. I know... I mean, I thought I'd mentioned Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 134

him before. I should have reminded you, though." Peter stopped for a moment, then turned pale. "My God, what you must have thought! But it's nothing like that. Riley is family. That's all, Dex." Okay, there was something really fucked up about whatever was going on between Peter and Dex. Riley knew it. Hell, he could fucking see it. He just didn't know what it was, and the way Dex seemed unwilling to leave only made it clear that Riley wasn't going to be finding out. Not right then, anyway. The whole weird-ass dynamic he'd already seen was worrisome, but Riley could figure it out later. Right at the moment, he needed to have a talk with his uncle -the talk he'd driven hours to have -- and Dex or no Dex, Riley wasn't about to leave without doing just that. So, "I have a problem," Riley said, ignoring Dex as much as possible. "It's a relationship thing. Or maybe just a sex thing. Fuck if I know. Uh, it involves a dude." The last thing Riley expected to see from the corner of his eye when he made that revelation was Dex's eyes narrowing even further, but that was exactly what happened. Then Peter laughed, short and sharp, and Riley forgot all about Dex as he told Peter that yes, he was serious, and yes, the dude in question was gay. It wasn't a comfortable conversation, by any means, but when Peter suggested that they all go out for cocktails and an early dinner, Riley said yes. He wasn't sure jeans and a T-shirt were appropriate attire, but he wanted to spend more time with his uncle. Riley suddenly wanted to spend more time with Dex as well. The man clearly had some sort of agenda, and if Peter couldn't see it, then it was up to Riley to feel the guy out. And get rid of him, if it proved necessary. Nobody fucked with Riley's family, not even so-called old Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 135

friends, which Riley was pretty sure was Peter-code for old lovers. *** They'd had a good run, he and Goobs. Kelly had even met the Hendersons Riley had mentioned, and the couple's kids, Samuel and Belinda. The kids were cute, and he had a feeling the little girl was going to grow into one hell of a beauty. The boy, all rough and tumble in the yard with Goober, would likely break a few hearts, too, in time. They seemed like a nice enough family, in any case, and Goober did enjoy playing with the kids. Kelly chuckled as he and Goobs made their way home, trying to imagine his own mother letting some big, strange, smelly dog play with Robin and Mandy. His imagination fell short, right after picturing the incredibly disgusted expression she would have worn at the very notion. His mother's idea of playing involved classes and very structured activities. Just running around in the yard with a dog wouldn't have been even slightly acceptable, especially if that dog was Goober. It wasn't that his mother disliked Goobs, Kelly reminded himself, but that she preferred smaller, more inbred canines. She'd been horrified when she'd seen Goober for the first time, though he'd been less than three months old then. "Wouldn't you rather have something less... common, Kelly?" she'd said then. "You know Doug and I would be happy to get you a real dog, if you truly want one. Maybe a greyhound, if you insist upon something large. I understand they can be very loyal companions." Kelly had shrugged and watched his puppy tear through an old shoe. "Goober's a good dog, Mom. He's a Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 136

fighter. Even the vet didn't expect him to live, but he's doing fine now. And I like him." God, Lily Roderick had the put-upon sigh down to an art form. "Please tell me I won't be turning on the television one day to hear you've been arrested with one of those dog-fighting rings. I don't think I could bear it." It had taken a few minutes to explain what he'd meant when he'd called Goober a fighter, but once his mom understood, she'd been horrified again, this time that anyone could be so evil as to abandon an entire litter of puppies to die in a box. "Well, you'll take good care of him, I'm sure," she'd said, apparently accepting Goober completely once she understood how many decks had been stacked against him. "You might consider a different name, though. Something less... ridiculous. How about Percy?" Kelly's laugh was sudden and loud enough that Goober had looked away from his thoroughly killed shoe -- it definitely wouldn't be going anywhere on its own -- and barked. Then the puppy stumble-ran in a circle, tongue hanging out, before returning to gnawing the poor shoe into further submission. Mom had laughed, too. "All right," she had finally agreed. "It's a silly name, but 'Goober' is entirely fitting. It suits him. And now, I'll be on my way, dear. I'm meeting Lucinda Barrett at the Cornelius Spa. Her daughter still asks about you, you know." Kelly had rolled his eyes. "Mom!" He stretched it into three syllables. "Let it go, okay? I'm gay. I've always been gay, and I'll always be gay. And I like Clarissa, but it's never going to happen." Another put-upon sigh, but Mom's eyes had sparkled. "Well, I'm fairly sure Les and Billie Clancey's Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 137

boy, William, swings your way. I could find out whether he's still single, if you like." Yeah, that was his mother, Kelly thought with a grin as he and Goobs trotted around the corner toward the old Victorian. She had the whole dichotomy thing down to an art form, just like her various sighs. It was actually kind of cool. She would still never have let Robin and Mandy -- or Kelly, when he'd still been young and lived at home -- play with some strange mutt, though. Then again, her insistence on structured activities was exactly why Kelly had pursued martial arts, and he loved what he did. He would love it even more once he started teaching at the school. So, in effect, I really should thank Mom for making sure even the things I did for fun had a purpose. I'd probably be one of those 'useless' kids, otherwise. Even at twenty-four. He unlocked the front door, frowning slightly when Goobs pushed past him and made a beeline right up the stairs. Then he realized Goober was growling, nearly silently, and that made Kelly cautious. Even more so when Goober stopped on the landing in front of Riley's apartment door, still growling but not bumping the door with his head or even jumping up to rest his paws against the wood the way he usually did when Riley was inside. Oh, crap. Please, don't let there be a robber or anything. It's broad daylight, for God's sake! Who breaks into an apartment in the middle of the day? Well, if there really was someone inside -- and Kelly didn't doubt Goober's senses even a little -- then he wasn't letting Goobs go first. Anyone stupid enough to break in during the day might think it was a good idea to shoot a dog, and Goober was a good pup but not smart enough to dodge a bullet or even recognize a gun as dangerous. "Stay," Kelly whispered, even as he tried the Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 138

knob and slowly pushed the door open when it proved to be unlocked. "Stay," he murmured again. Goober, in all his brilliance, completely ignored Kelly's words and shoved through the opening before Kelly could grab his collar. "Goober!" he shouted, following close behind. "Goobs, watch it!" His heart raced while Goober flung himself at the strange man on the couch and Kelly heard glass breaking, even while the intruder yelped. "Jesus! Ack! Get off of me, Goober!" And just like that, Kelly's dangerous, growling beast became a wriggling, panting, yipping marshmallow. Seconds later, Kelly rounded the couch and saw Jeremy trying to push Goobs away, his face twisted into what looked like disgust at the strings of drool hanging from Goober's mouth, and amusement at the way the dog was suddenly trying to lick him. The amusement won because Jeremy laughed. "Ugggh, get him off me, Kelly! I'm about to drown in his spit!" Relief flooded Kelly and put a smile on his face, but instead of helping, he leaned against the arm of the couch and shrugged. "That's what you get for breaking into Riley's apartment. Death by slobber." He smirked as Jeremy tried shoving Goobs away again. "I'd offer you a drink, but I think you've got enough liquid to handle already." "Ugggh. That dog needs a dentist in the worst way," Jeremy said a minute or so later, when Goobs was finally a little bit calmer. "And for the record, I didn't break in. Riley gave me a key ages ago. For emergencies. I decided sitting out in the heat waiting for him to get home qualified. So, where is he?" Kelly shrugged again and pushed away from the couch before turning toward the kitchen. "He said something about hitting the gym. I think he was planning to head to work right after, though, so I doubt Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 139

he'll be home any time soon." He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You want that drink, now that Goober's not French kissing you anymore?" "Sure," Jeremy said, but there was a strange look on his face that Kelly couldn't decipher. "Beer, if you've got it. But of course you do. Riley always has beer." "True." Kelly stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a couple beers from the icebox, then rejoined Jeremy in the living room. He sat down at the opposite end of the couch from Riley's friend and handed over one of the bottles. Whatever look Jeremy had worn mere moments earlier was gone, and Kelly shrugged it off. It wasn't as though he knew Jeremy well, after all, so maybe it was just one of the guy's usual expressions. "I thought Riley said you have school during the day." It wasn't exactly a question, but Jeremy obviously took it as one. "My last class was cancelled. Professor Perkins apparently got food poisoning from something in the faculty dining room. At least, I'm guessing that's where he got it. A couple other professors got sick, too, judging from the gossip on campus. Anyway, I thought I'd swing by and see if Riley wanted to do something, since I suddenly had a couple hours free. But I guess not." That weird expression was back, all of a sudden. "So, the gym, then work? Really?" "That's what he said," Kelly agreed, opening his own beer and taking a slow swallow. Now that Jeremy had questioned it, Kelly was starting to wonder. "Maybe he meant he was going to come back before work, though, because he wasn't wearing his work uniform and he definitely didn't take it with him." Riley hadn't taken more than his gym bag, now that Kelly was thinking about it, which meant... what? Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 140

That he's a habitual liar. Duh. He lied about his uncle, he lied about going to work before he finally told me he'd taken sick leave, and now he's lying about working tonight. Why the hell would he do that? It doesn't make any sense! Unless he didn't lie and I just assumed what he meant. He never really said he wasn't coming back here. He just implied that he wouldn't see me, but I said I was going to an early movie, so... Yeah. "I probably just misunderstood," Kelly added, feeling better for having thought it through. "I'd only just gotten up, and God knows I'm not at my best before coffee." "Cool," Jeremy said, sipping his beer. "I guess I won't be hanging out with Riley, then. So what are you up to?" Kelly grinned. "Not much for the next little while, but I'm meeting someone for a movie later. Maybe dinner, too, depending on whether Leonard's too tired, after as late as I kept him up last night." Because Leonard had answered when Kelly called earlier, and while the man had admitted to being a little on the worn out side, he'd insisted that they keep their movie date. Leonard had been hesitant about promising more than that, but that was fine. Kelly was more than capable of getting himself dinner and didn't want to keep Leonard out long if the guy was anything like as exhausted as he'd sounded. A smile lit up Jeremy's face, taking him from the high end of average-looking right through to stunning. It was an unexpected transformation, because while Kelly had seen Jeremy smile before, they hadn't been smiles like that. He couldn't define the difference, but there definitely was one. "You have a date? No, make that a second date? God, why didn't I know this? Riley usually tells me all about that sort of thing!" Jeremy was nearly bouncing at the end of the couch, Kelly noticed. It was kind of cute, in a Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 141

dorky sort of way. "So who's this Leonard and how do you know him?" Kelly rolled his eyes, and even though he knew he should feel like Jeremy was invading his privacy, he just didn't. It was kind of cool that the guy wanted to know, actually. Unfortunately, "It's not a date. Or not the way you mean it." Jeremy pouted and Kelly laughed. "I'm serious. Leonard's not my type, and even if he were, I couldn't date him. It turns out he works for me." He found himself telling Jeremy everything he'd already told Riley about meeting Leonard the night before and how Leonard worked at the school. "So even if I were butt-crazy hot for Leonard, I couldn't date him. It would be totally unprofessional. If things went badly, it would screw with the business, you know? Plus, I kind of get the impression Riley doesn't like him much. I think they know each other or something. And since I'm going to be living downstairs and Riley's the first friend I made here, I don't think it's worth pissing him off by messing around with someone I'm not interested in anyway." "Oh?" "Yeah, because..." The rundown of Riley's strange moodiness didn't take long, but by the time Kelly finished talking, Jeremy had that same weird look on his face again for about a minute before it disappeared under simple curiosity. "Like I said," Kelly finished, "I think they know each other, and I'm sure it's just Riley being protective or something, but Leonard really isn't my type, so it's cool. I'm fine with having another friend, you know? I'm not looking for a boyfriend, anyway." "Huh. Okay. Interesting." Jeremy's eyes were dancing just a bit. "So you're going to a movie. With this Leonard. I can't believe I didn't notice you dancing with Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 142

him when we were at the same club! Of course, I was kind of distracted." Kelly laughed at Jeremy's smirk, then took another swallow of beer. "I'll bet. I mean, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but Troy? I can see how he might be distracting. He's gorgeous!" Kelly frowned at himself. "Um, he really is, but I wasn't looking-looking, you know? I was just looking. In the normal way. He's not really my... um, you know what? Never mind. Erase that and replace it with 'I'm sure you were distracted because your boyfriend was there with you,' okay?" God, he was such a doofus. Once again, Kelly wondered whether Goober should have been his name, rather than the dog's. One light-brown brow arched and Jeremy offered a little half grin that Kelly was relieved to see. "So Troy's not your type either, hmmm?" Jeremy said, sounding playful. "I guess that leaves out James, Randy, and Pauly, too. So you don't like your guys lean. Definitely interesting." Kelly groaned. "It's not interesting. It's not funny. It's not strange or weird or anything else, okay? I just have a type. That's all. Unfortunately, the type of guys I'm attracted to usually want to be all in charge or think there's one set of rules for them and another for me, so it hasn't gone well. I don't honestly expect that to change, so can we talk about something less depressing, please?" He drained the rest of his beer in one long draught while he debated asking Jeremy to leave. He couldn't, though. It was Riley's apartment, and Jeremy was Riley's friend. Kelly was only staying there for one more night, assuming his new furniture arrived on time the next day. And if he wanted to keep a friendship going with Riley, which Kelly did, kicking Riley's best friend out probably wouldn't help. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 143

Jeremy shrugged, but he was still smiling. "Just tell me you don't have a secret Santa Claus fetish or something, man. Because I know a lot of different single guys, but none of them are that old." "Hey, there's nothing wrong with an old bear," Kelly answered, lightening up a bit once he realized Jeremy had been questioning him with an eye to fixing him up. "Nothing wrong with a young bear, either. But no, that's not the type I mean. Look, it's not that I don't appreciate the offer, but I've been in town less than two weeks, and I'm nowhere near being ready to settle down." Or just settle, and that's what it would be. So I'm not looking for anything deep or serious. Things were fine with Bob until we tried that whole 'serious' thing. Until then, I wouldn't have cared that he had a wife and kid. Hell, I could have worked with it if I'd known ahead of time. That was a lie, though. Kelly had never been the kind of man to insist that everyone be in monogamous relationships and paired off two by two. There was something to be said for just screwing around, and Kelly had done plenty of that himself. But when two people decided to be exclusive, they should mean it, as far as he was concerned. And if they couldn't maintain that degree of exclusivity, then they needed to have the balls -- guts, nerve, whatever -- to say so, and to not even suggest it if they were already involved with someone else. "Fine," Jeremy said, and it took Kelly a moment to remember what the man was responding to. "But remember, Kelly. Between all of us, we know a lot of men. Most of them are gay, some of them are single, and a few of the single ones want more than just a hot night or two. Luckily for you, almost all of them come to the Margarita Mondays Troy and I host, so whatever you're Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 144

looking for, you can probably find someone to suit the bill there. That's a standing invitation, by the way." Jeremy grinned. "We can always use some new blood, and a young, hot martial artist who's not only single but also isn't opposed to staying that way? You'll never lack for a date again." Kelly laughed at the apparent about-face. "I already don't lack for a date, remember? Leonard, movie, later tonight? Oh, hey! You and Troy could come, if you wanted. Or no. Never mind. If Riley and Leonard have issues, and they must or Riley wouldn't have been all growly before, then I don't want to put you guys in a weird spot." He really didn't. It would suck if he created tension between Jeremy and Riley. "Hmmm?" Jeremy's brow arched again. "Oh, no, don't worry. No weirdness. Troy and I would love to come along. We didn't have plans for tonight, anyway. Besides, with Riley working and your friend presumably tired from being out late last night, we can keep you company after this Leonard of yours wanders off to sleep." Jeremy grinned and Kelly laughed. "Okay, fine. You've got yourself a deal." Kelly looked at the empty beer bottle in his own hand, then stood. "I'm going to have another. Care to join me?" Jeremy smirked again. "Bring it on." *** By the time they'd finished dinner at the private, members-only club Peter frequented, where Riley's casual dress was noticed but not remarked upon, Riley was only sure of two things, as far as Dex was concerned. First, that Riley still didn't trust the guy, and second, that there was way more going on between Dex Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 145

and Peter than Riley would likely ever understand. Okay, Riley was sure of three things, because Peter for damned sure seemed to be trying to make Dex happy. The things Riley still didn't know numbered way more than just three, though. Like... he didn't have a single fucking clue about how to move things along with Kelly, or even if he wanted to. He was fascinated by the younger guy; Riley couldn't even begin to deny that much, but he still wasn't sure if it was something serious or just a weird attraction that would pass. If it was a passing thing, then fuck if he wanted to do the deed with a dude just for the experience of it, or even try the things that might lead to the deed. But if it was something more, well, Riley didn't have a single fucking clue whether Kelly shared that interest. Fuck, Riley didn't even know if Kelly thought he was hot, did he? One kiss in the fucking kitchen wasn't exactly declarative, as far as Riley was concerned. "I really think you should just ask him," Peter said, a variation on the theme that had peppered their whole meal. "You did say he was the one who initiated the kiss, so he's probably not shy about sex in general, which I have to say surprises me, considering Douglas and Lily tend to be a little bit... reserved, at least in public." "They weren't in public." Dex sounded snide, and Riley fought the urge to snarl at the fucking prick. "They were in some dilapidated kitchen in one of your slums, Peter. I'd say that qualifies as private, since nobody in their right mind would ever deliberately choose to be there if they had any other option. And excuse me. I'll be back in a little while. Peter. Riley." The man nodded and pushed his chair back from the table, then stood and sauntered off, leaving Riley to glare after his swaying ass and hair. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 146

"Dude. Seriously? Your buddy Dex is a fucking pain," Riley muttered, but instead of agreeing, Peter reached over and slapped the side of his head. "Hey!" "You're my nephew and I love you," Peter said, his eyes fastening on Riley's in a way Riley wasn't sure he liked. "But you have no idea about Dex. You don't know who he is or why he's here, and you certainly don't know what I put him through in the past. Yes, he's rude and defensive, and he's taken some liberties -- like deleting your messages -- that might be considered intrusive, but he has reason, Riley. I gave him reason." Peter frowned, the sternness in his gaze fading, becoming something more like sorrow, as far as Riley could tell. "You don't have any idea about the things I made him suffer through, and if I'm lucky, you never will. You'd likely end up thinking worse of me than you do him. That he's even here and trying is something of a miracle, to be honest. So I need you to stop. Dex is being as forgiving as he can, for now. I'm hoping to show him that I'm not the same man I was when we knew each other before, but it's going to take time. It takes more than a couple months to undo the sort of betrayal I treated him to. And no, I'm not going to tell you about it. It's none of your business. It's mine. And Dex's, of course, but I won't hear you malign him when you don't have any knowledge of who he is. Understood?" It was a shock. Riley couldn't deny that, even to himself. Jesus Christ, Peter was admitting to fucking up Dex's world, it sounded like, and Riley had never taken his uncle for the kind of guy who would do that to anyone. Especially someone who -- according to Peter's implications -- hadn't deserved it. "I. Okay," Riley muttered, rubbing the side of his head even though it didn't really hurt. "Sorry, man. He Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 147

just seems so fucking... I don't know. Bitter and sour, I guess. Um, good luck. Fixing things. Or whatever the fuck you're trying to do." And time for a change of subject. "I think I'm gonna quit my job. The manager's brother-in-law, or whatever the fuck he is, is a total raging racist, man. And a homophobe. I've been out sick for, like, a week, but I don't think I can go back to training that fucking shithead, man. So I hate to ask, but if you know anyone with job openings for something in the daytime, it'd be really cool if you could point me their way." Peter seemed a little bit stunned at the sudden change of topic, or maybe it was that Riley was asking for help. Riley couldn't blame his uncle for that last. He'd never asked Peter for any kind of assistance before. Even living in the house and not paying rent was a favor to his uncle, who had been having trouble finding responsible people to act as superintendent for his buildings, most of which were houses similar to the one Riley inhabited. That one house, specifically, had been a concern for Peter, considering what the downstairs apartment had been for. Their arrangement had started five years earlier, but it still worked well. "I wouldn't be asking, except with the economy..." "No. No, it's fine," Peter said, cutting Riley off. "I can't believe Safe Haven would hire someone like that, but if he's a legacy of sorts, then... well, that's their business, not mine. It's fine. I'll make some calls. Are you interested in more security work, or..." Riley shrugged. "Whatever, man. But if I get to pick and choose, I'd rather not have to wear another polyester fucking uniform. For the rest of my life. And I really want daytime hours. I mean, if... Well, I'm not getting any younger, right? I don't want to be stuck working nights forever." And if he had his nights free, maybe he Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 148

could spend more time with Kelly, even though the guy was moving to the downstairs apartment. As slightly uncomfortable as the idea of Kelly being the reason for wanting different hours made him, Riley couldn't deny it was true. "Shit." Peter smiled a little, just a quirk of his lips, but that was fine. "You're thinking about him again. I can tell. You get this look that reminds me of that summer when you were twelve. Remember how you used to follow my housekeeper's son around? I doubt you knew why you were like that with Tran, but I always suspected… but then you started with the girls and I assumed it was a momentary thing. But it seems you have a type, and this young man seems to be it. I think that's a pretty good indication that you really do need to talk to him, Riley. I've seen you hung up on girls before, but you've never been like this." "Well, Kelly's no girl!" Riley snapped it out before he even knew he'd thought the words, but it was true. The very last thing Kelly was -- with his lean, strong body, demanding lips, angular Asian features, and decidedly masculine personality -- was a girl. Peter was right, though. Riley did remember spending an entire summer following Peter's Vietnamese housekeeper's son around. The boy had been a few years older and never seemed to notice. Peter chuckled quietly, his lips quirking just a bit more. Riley saw it. "I'm sure of that much. As I said, Riley, I've never seen a girl get so deep under your skin. Especially not with just a kiss that you said happened at least a week ago." His eyes darted past Riley and Peter looked a bit pensive again. "And Dex is coming back, now. I don't expect you to be his best friend, okay? But I'd like it if you could at least ratchet back the hostility. I'd consider it a personal favor." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 149

Riley snorted. "Dude. You're family. You need me to be nice to the fuc... sorry, your 'friend'? I'll be sweet as fucking pie. Because I love you too, Unc." And Riley did his best to be as good as his word. When Dex sat back down, Riley offered him a smile and a "Hey, man. I was starting to think you fell the fuck in." He dragged the bottle of chardonnay from the ice bucket. "More wine?" Okay, there was something really satisfying about the suspicious gaze Dex gave him, not that Riley was going to say so. He still thought the dude was bad fucking news, but Peter already knew that, so whatever happened between the two guys was on them. Riley had an entirely different dude to think about. He would need to approach Kelly in the right way, Riley decided as he drove back to Hartford an hour or so later, the one glass of wine he'd finished not affecting him enough to worry over. The last thing he wanted to do was freak Kelly out. Or come off as fucking desperate. Even if I maybe am. Shit, even with as much of a fucking shithead as that Dex dude is, I kind of envy him for the way Peter looks at him. Like Dex is something fucking rare and special. How cool would it be to have someone -- meaning Kelly -- look at me like that? Pretty fucking awesome. He still didn't know whether what he was feeling was a serious thing, but Riley had a pretty good idea that it could be, given half a chance. It didn't bother him, exactly, that he was all hot for a dude; it was just so fucking unexpected. He could deal with it, though. Fuck, sex was sex, wasn't it? And it wasn't just Kelly's body, anyway. It was that Riley genuinely liked the guy. He liked his personality, his voice, the way Kelly moved. The hot-as-fuck body didn't hurt, of course, but Riley Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 150

was almost entirely sure that it was the whole package that appealed to him, not any one part. It was kind of cool, really. Maybe more than just 'kind of,' too.

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Chapter Ten The movie had been something of a disappointment for Kelly, though the other guys seemed to like it just fine. Then again, there was something to be said for the locker room scenes, which was probably why Leonard, Troy, and Jeremy had waxed nearly poetic once the film was finished. Then Leonard had bowed out of dinner, and Kelly had ended up scarfing down a burger and salad at the pub attached to the Hotel Durmont. He'd been right, too, when he'd first rode through town in that huge storm. The pub was a fair bit pricey. Unfortunately -- because the food had been so good -- Kelly saw many, many sixteen-dollar burgers in his future, damn it. He was sipping slowly at the one beer he'd allowed himself with dinner when Jeremy's phone rang. The man looked at the display, then grinned and stood up. "It's Riley," he said under the music piped in from above. "I'll take it outside. Be right back." Troy rolled his eyes and picked at the French fries left on Jeremy's plate, though Kelly had no idea of where the slender blond would put even one more bite of fried potato. "Honestly," Troy said, "I swear it's like they're joined at the hip, some days. So you really didn't like the film?" Kelly shrugged, pushing his own plate -- empty but for a bit of burger bun and a few limp leaves of lettuce -away. "It was okay, I guess, but so much of it was about football, and I know it's un-American to say so, but I don't even understand the rules." Troy blinked, those green eyes flashing for just a moment. "Well, that changes things. So the whole movie made... you know, the kind of sense that doesn't make Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 152

any sense at all. Oh, you poor baby. Even the nudity wouldn't make up for the big bunch of 'huh,' would it?" "I wouldn't say that," Kelly answered after a moment or two. "I mean, the actors playing the... what's the position called? The big guys in the back or whatever." "Linebackers, maybe?" Troy replied, grinning. "Mmmm... they were definitely nice, if you like that type. All big and muscle-y and bulgy with the big muscles." One exaggerated eyebrow waggle later, Kelly was laughing with Troy. "Oh, God. I would line their backs any time," Kelly admitted. "Unfortunately, even when they're gay, guys like that tend to be all... toppy all the time. So what did you think of Leonard?" Because damned if Kelly wanted to get into a conversation about what he'd just said about big, muscled men. It wouldn't take much more than another sentence or two for Troy to figure out Kelly's crush on Riley, of all people. Crap. Troy smiled in a way that seemed playful to Kelly. "First, I can tell you from personal experience that just because a guy is bigger, it doesn't mean he's not willing to bend over and take it with many, many shouts of joy. Second, I think your friend Leonard is absolutely adorable. Fortunately, he seems to already know he doesn't stand a chance with you. Otherwise, I think he'd be trailing after you like a puppy." Troy's smile eased slightly, going from teasing to simply amused. "Speaking of puppies..." God, Kelly really liked his new friends -- Riley's friends, really, but whatever. That they were sitting in a pub and Troy was thinking about Goober was just too cool. "I took him out before you guys picked me up." Kelly grinned. "He'll be fine as long as I'm home -- I mean Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 153

back at Riley's -- in the next hour or so to take him for a run. Goober's a good pup, man." Troy's smile returned. "Oh, good. Can I ask about the name? Why Goober? Aside from the way he acts, I mean," Troy added when Kelly arched a brow. At least that was what Kelly assumed brought it on. "Well, when I found him..." Yet another recitation of the one-live-pup-in-the-box-of-death story. "So he was tiny and brown, like a chocolate-covered peanut. With hair. And then he started acting like a spaz once he was healthy and stuff, so it made sense, you know?" "It suits him," Troy agreed. "At least it does from what I've seen so far. And Riley likes him, so that's good. Your Goober will have a friend there forever. Riley... well, he's the sort that sticks, you know?" Kelly frowned a little. "Sticks to what?" About two seconds after the words left his mouth, he got what Troy meant, but that was too late, and it would have been rude to interrupt the blond, anyway. Troy laughed quietly. "His family. His friends. People who don't quite count as friends but are more than acquaintances, you know? I mean, he drove all the way across town in a blizzard last winter, just because Pablo couldn't think of anyone else to call when his 'date' turned out to be a 'party.' So if he likes Goober, chances are? You're stuck with Riley until you either move away or Goober's no longer with us." "Goobs is a dog, not a person." Kelly frowned at his own words. "I mean, he's not a human person." Troy nodded. "True. And yet he still loves Riley and shows it every chance he gets, right?" Kelly nodded and Troy went on. "That makes your Goober even more important. I don't think Riley's ever had a pet. That first experience of pet-love, when someone -- whether they're human or not -- loves you just because you're you? Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 154

That's addictive. So Riley's going to stick. To whoever he feels strongly about." There was something in the way Troy said those last words that had Kelly feeling a little concerned, but he couldn't define what that was. God, he hadn't spent so much time confused since he'd been thirteen and trying to figure out why his wet dreams involved the boys on the swim team rather than the girls. Even so, he shrugged. "It's not like Goobs will be far away. We're going to be living right downstairs. Riley can see him any time he wants. I'm actually thinking of giving him a key. Except he probably already has one." Kelly thought. "Or not, because he would have given me it when I first got into town, and... oh, whatever. Crap." God, just thinking about Riley having a key to the new place had Kelly's heart beating faster. Harder. For no damned reason. "I'm sure he'll value having his apartment to himself again," Kelly finally finished, taking a long, desperate sip of his drink in an effort to keep himself from saying anything more. "Maybe," Troy answered, "but I've heard..." Whatever Troy had been about to say was lost because Jeremy rejoined them then, and there was something in his face that reminded Kelly of the weird expression he'd caught a couple of times earlier that day. Not that there was anything odd or even out of place with Jeremy's "Hey, we should probably get going, guys. Um, Riley says hi, by the way. Sorry, but I have an eight o'clock class tomorrow." Troy looked a little surprised, but Kelly chalked it up to the suddenness of Jeremy's announcement. Plus, it was going on ten o'clock, anyway. Kelly figured that by the time they paid their check and the guys dropped him Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 155

home, then went to their own place, it would be closer to eleven, so yeah. It made sense. What made less sense, Kelly decided twenty-five minutes later, was the way Jeremy had pulled over at the corner closest to Kelly's place and suggested that he walk from there. It was only half a block, but still. Then Kelly saw Riley's old Bronco in the drive of the house and saw the lights on upstairs. He even saw Goober out on the balcony, and Goobs greeted his approach with a happy bark. Not desperate to get outside, either, because Kelly knew that sound well, but just happy to see him which meant... what, exactly? It means Riley really did lie to me, damn it. He didn't go to work tonight. Or if he did... maybe he really is sick now. Maybe that's why he's home. He's been acting weird for days, and sometimes people act strange when they're getting sick, and if that's it, then I've been a really bad friend! And he must have taken Goobs out when he got home and I wasn't here, and God, he's sick and he walked my dog! That's... really, really sweet, and... Crap, I've been all messed up because I thought he was lying! Well, no matter what he'd done or thought before, Kelly was going to make it up to Riley. There was no excuse for thinking the worst of the guy. Hell, Riley hadn't even given him any reason to think badly of him. Sure, the guy had told a few lies, but they weren't mean or malicious. Just misleading about who Riley was and what Riley had been doing. But harmless, in the end. And now... well, with Riley sick enough to go back to work and then leave again, Kelly could forgive the lies. Forgive Riley. Maybe Riley was feverish or something, and kind of delirious, which would explain walking the dog, and... Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 156

Kelly unlocked the front door of the house faster than he'd ever done before and was up the stairs to Riley's within moments. He pushed through that door, too, before looking frantically around the living room, suddenly afraid that he'd see Riley collapsed on the floor in a heap. "You're home." The voice came from the hallway, and Kelly turned quickly enough that it took him a second to focus on the light blur that was Riley standing in the dark hall. "I'm glad, Kelly. We need to talk." Riley didn't look particularly sick, but that didn't mean anything. "Okay," Kelly said quickly as he moved closer. "We can talk. Um, soon. God, are you okay?" "I've been better. I feel sort of off balance, man, but I'm hoping you can help me with that." Riley's eyes were wide when Kelly got close enough to see them. Wide and almost all pupil. "You should be in bed," Kelly said, the overwhelming worry for Riley's health swarming through his blood. "You look..." Well, Riley actually looked pretty damned good. Riley was wearing one of the pairs of shorts he always chose for the gym. No shoes, no shirt... God, no problem, and Kelly felt like a jerk for admiring Riley while the man was clearly in a bad way. "I don't care how I look," Riley said, but Kelly noticed that the guy was flexing. Subtly, but enough that someone who knew from flexing could see it, which pretty much described Kelly, especially since his eyes were adjusted to the lesser light in the hallway. "But you look fucking awesome, man." Kelly blinked, but he couldn't stop himself from moving further into the dimness. One hand rose to rest on Riley's shoulder and God, Riley's skin was hot. Not sweaty, just hot. Almost... no, Kelly realized all of a sudden. Riley's skin wasn't hot, it was warm. Normal, in Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 157

fact, and that was just bizarre. It was Kelly who felt hot, all of a sudden. "Riley, what the hell are you doing?" "What I need to." Riley's eyes were still wide, almost enough to imply that Riley was afraid or something equally unlikely. "What I need, Kelly; what I want. Jesus Christ, just don't hate me, okay?" "Hate you?" Kelly blinked again, his hand still on Riley's broad, hard shoulder. "Why would I ever--" Riley's hands grasped him without warning, and it was a strange sensation. Kelly was used to being faster than that, faster than Riley. Maybe he'd been distracted by the smooth skin under his palm, though. Less than a second later, Kelly wasn't thinking about moving faster than anyone, because Riley's mouth was on his and that big, warm, more than half-naked body had him up against the hallway wall. Riley's hands were on him, gripping tightly, fingers flexing, and Kelly's own hands were tight on flesh and hair, one still on that shoulder, the other at the nape of Riley's neck while the man -- the straight man -plundered his mouth with more finesse than anyone Kelly had ever kissed before. Even Riley, the one time they'd kissed in the kitchen, hadn't treated Kelly to the kind of deep, hard taking the man was giving him then, and Kelly loved it. Wanted it to go on for hours. "Oh, God." Kelly thought he'd whispered it, but he couldn't be sure because that mouth was still on his and Riley's tongue was still sweeping roughly through his mouth. It didn't much matter whether it was merely thought or actual speech, though. Not when Kelly could feel Riley's body against him, Riley's prick growing harder, bigger in the small shorts the guy wore. And Kelly's body was responding just as quickly, answering the lure it had never expected to be offered. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 158

It was hot and wild and oddly desperate, and yet Kelly couldn't quite manage to wonder about any of it. His mind was there, of course, but the rest of him wasn't listening, and why should it? One of the hottest men he'd ever known was kissing him, humping him in the hallway, and so what if Riley was straight? So what if whatever this was didn't mean anything? So what if Kelly's straight roommate wanted... Straight. Straight. He's straight. "Wait!" God, Kelly thought saying that one word was possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done, even if it had vanished into Riley's mouth. Then he made himself pull away from the hungry kiss, and saying it again just about killed him. "Wait. Riley, wait. What... God, what are you doing?" "Making you an offer," Riley mumbled, his eyes still wide and darker than dark. "Need you. Now. Have me, Kelly. Fuck, have me, okay?" His mind whirling from what he thought those words meant, Kelly didn't bother to resist when that kiss returned and went deeper. God, he didn't even want to fight it. It just felt too good. "Yes," he managed before losing himself completely in the one man he knew he should be staying far, far away from... and it felt amazing. No, more than amazing, it felt perfect. *** I'm pretty sure this isn't what Peter meant when he said I should talk to Kelly. It's not even what I planned on when Jeremy promised to have Kelly home soon. But fuck it, this is better... Christ, it really, really was. The first kiss, in the kitchen, Riley had been sort of stunned. Even after he'd Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 159

started participating, his mind had been spinning. This time... well, his mind was still spinning, but not from surprise. This time it was a combination of adrenaline, excitement, and determination that had his brain dancing a fucking jig, twirling around like one of those fruity guy ballet dudes. Though fruity might not be the right word, since Riley was the one whose cock was trying to bust through his shorts while he kissed a guy. Kissed Kelly. Fuck, Kelly felt good against him. A little strange because Riley kept expecting to feel tits instead of a hard, toned chest. Soft hips rocking against him rather than a hard length that matched his own. Sense-memory, he figured, because that was what his body had always known, but fuck sense-memory. He was liking the differences just fine, wasn't he? It was a struggle of sorts to push the jacket from Kelly's shoulders without stopping their kiss, but Riley managed it. He didn't have much choice, unless he wanted to chance having Kelly come to his senses or something. That one brief moment when Kelly had said wait was enough. Riley wasn't sure he'd be able to talk the guy into continuing if he gave Kelly any time to think. They could talk later, and would. Riley knew that much. But fuck if he didn't want to get the sex out of the way first. It would be way harder for Kelly to turn him down if they'd already done the fucking deed, and if Riley knew anything, he was completely fucking sure that once wasn't going to be even close to enough. Even if the first time sucked or whatever, which Riley doubted it would, he'd never been the kind of guy to give up without at least a second try. Sometimes a third and fourth, even. No matter what he was doing. Fuck, the first time he'd had sex with a girl, it hadn't been great. Good, definitely, but great had taken some Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 160

practice. If he was going to do this whole gay-sex thing with Kelly, Riley was pretty sure they'd need a few tries to get it really right. The last thing he wanted was to have Kelly put a stop to things before they got started, and that meant letting Kelly think would be a mistake. Or not. Never heard of a gay dude turning down sex, unless he was already seeing someone, and Kelly's not. He told me so himself. That fucker Leonard isn't anything. Kelly's fingers tightened on the back of Riley's head and Riley groaned, lips still on Kelly's, tongue still spearing in and out of that hot, wet mouth until Kelly pulled away a moment later. "Riley. Crap." A shuddering breath left Kelly then. Riley felt it against his face, saw Kelly's eyes wide and intent. "Are you sure you want to do this? Because you've been kissing me, but it's like you aren't really here." Another breath, shaky and fast, and Riley nodded quickly. "Fuck, yeah. Been thinking about this. I was trying to figure out how to keep you from stopping." Coming to your senses played through Riley's head again, but he wasn't about to fucking say that out loud. Bad enough that Kelly seemed determined to talk when they could be doing other shit. "Believe me, man, I'm totally fucking here. Nowhere else I want to be." "I. Okay. And you want. I mean, it sounded like you were saying you wanted me to." Kelly blushed. Riley could see it in the small bit of light that entered the hall from the living room. "Crap." It was kind of fucked up that Kelly was the nervous one. Kind of funny that Riley was the one raring to go, but there it was. His hands loosened on Kelly's hips, sliding up the guy's sides and taking the T-shirt with them. "You need me to spell it the fuck out, dude? Fine. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 161

I want you to fuck me, Kelly. And at some point I want to suck your fucking cock, okay?" It was Riley's turn to blush. "I can't swear I'll like the cock-sucking, but I want to try it, man. I figure it must be okay or you gay guys wouldn't do it so much, right? The butt-sex, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna enjoy, though. So can we shut up now and kiss some more? I like your mouth. A lot." Total fucking understatement, but Kelly seemed to be on the same page because he let go of Riley and raised his arms, letting Riley strip the thin cotton T-shirt from skin that was so fucking pale and smooth, Riley wanted to touch it. Maybe even taste it. Soon. After sucking Kelly's tongue for a while longer, because fuck if Riley didn't have his priorities, and more of that fucking awesome mouth was right there at the top of the list. Then Kelly's hands were on him again, pushing down his arms, around his waist, and the next thing Riley knew? Fuck if he wasn't being groped by a master. It wasn't the first time Riley had been groped, but it was definitely the first time he'd enjoyed it, coming from a guy. And there was no doubt that he was enjoying it. His cock went even harder, hips moving against Kelly's body while Kelly's fingers dug into his ass, kneading the muscles like Riley had seen people knead bread on that cooking channel. Not as roughly, but yeah, and it felt fucking awesome. "Fuck," he gasped, and Kelly moaned softly. Jesus Christ, they needed to get out of the hallway, Riley realized. Or at least get on the floor, but if there was going to be fucking, and Riley was sure there would, a bed would be better. Specifically, his bed, which was where the condoms and lube he'd picked up on the way back from Stamford were. Well, they weren't literally in his bed, but they were on the nightstand beside it, keeping company with the lamp on the lowest Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 162

of its three illuminations and the box of tissues that had already been there. "Bed," Riley ordered, tightening his grip on Kelly and getting them started in the right direction. "Maybe we can do the floor thing later, but all the safe sex shit's in my room, man." Kelly's feet moved in time with his own, thank fuck, though the guy's grip on Riley ass eased up. Another thank fuck for that, because Riley didn't think he'd have been able to wait, otherwise. There was something about Kelly man-handling him -- he smirked on the inside at the term -- that way that was fucking exciting. Arousing. What-fucking-ever. He didn't need to figure out the why right then. It was enough for Riley that he knew he liked it. Kelly seemed to like it, too, because as soon as they barreled through -- nearly fell through -- Riley's bedroom door, Kelly's hands were back, squeezing, rubbing, demanding that Riley's hips move the way they'd done in the hall. Fuck if Riley wasn't going to give the guy exactly what he wanted. Especially since he couldn't seem to control the sharp but shallow thrusts against Kelly's jeans and the hard ridge behind the guy's zipper. Riley's shorts were barely covering him, and thin as they were, he could actually feel the heaviness of the denim Kelly wore. Then Kelly's hands shifted, slid up then back down, and those fucking hot-as-sin fingers touched Riley's skin under the light fabric of his gym shorts. "Oh, fuck. Kelly." It was both sigh and groan, infused with a tiny bit of pleading, though Riley would deny that if anyone asked. Except Kelly. He was pretty sure he'd admit just about anything to Kelly as long as the guy didn't stop fucking touching him. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 163

"Yeah." One word answer, but when Riley opened eyes he had no recollection of closing, Kelly looked... weird. Not bad-weird, but kind of spun. Like Kelly didn't quite believe what they were doing but had no intention of backing off, either. "This is... oh, crap. We're going to be one hell of a hot mess, aren't we?" Fuck if Riley knew what that meant, so he shrugged a little, his fingers sliding across Kelly's hard stomach to fiddle a little with the button of the guy's jeans. "If that's a good thing, then yeah. Shit, I want to fucking touch you, man." Kelly's stare deepened but that ripped belly tightened a little. "I. Go for it. I want to see you naked. I mean, I always figured you'd feel amazing, but I want to see you. God, I really, really want... everything, man." A small part of Riley crowed at the realization that Kelly had thought about how Riley would feel. How touching him would feel. The rest of him was consumed with the not-so-sudden urge to see Kelly, too. To know for sure about the cock Riley was determined to have inside him. Kelly was half Asian, so it probably wasn't huge, but that was a good thing. Then again, it hadn't felt small when Riley'd been pressed up against the front of those jeans, and fuck if it looked it with the denim still fastened. "You first," he said quietly, and Kelly nodded slowly. So fucking slowly. Christ. Riley's fingers twitched, pushing the metal button until it popped through its loop, and Jesus. Fuck if his hands weren't trembling, just a little, when he closed one hand around Kelly's waistband, the other fumbling for the zipper tab for a moment before finding it and tugging slowly down. The room was silent, save for their breath and the small snick-snick-snick of each zipper tooth releasing. Riley's teeth closed over one side of his own bottom lip Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 164

and he couldn't decide where to look. Kelly's eyes were a temptation in and of themselves -- heated and desirous -- but the lure of looking down, focusing on Kelly's groin to see what was revealed? That was there, too. It was only the knowledge that Kelly was probably wearing some sort of underwear that kept Riley looking into Kelly's exotic eyes, so dark and intense. There was a moment, when Riley pushed the denim down past Kelly's slim hips, that they almost had a problem. Riley was barefoot, but Kelly had been out and still wore his boots, which Kelly had apparently forgotten because the guy nearly fell over when he tried to step out of the jeans that had stopped dropping just below his knees. Riley caught him, though the action had them toppling onto the bed. It was actually funny, and while Riley wasn't sure Kelly would take it the right way, he still laughed. "Dude. Seriously? That was fucking graceful." And Kelly laughed, too. Laughed and shook his head, even while sitting up to kick his boots across the room. "I wasn't thinking about being graceful," Kelly said, a chuckle still there in his voice. "I was thinking about your hands on my... my cock. Because we seemed to be headed that way, but if you've changed your mind--" Riley snorted. "Fuck that. I totally want to fucking touch you, man. And I still want you to, you know. Fuck me. Assuming we ever get you out of those fucking jeans. Jesus Christ, what are you, a sausage?" They were just jeans, of course, but Kelly laughed again, which was exactly what Riley had been going for. The added benefit was that Riley felt a little bit less likely to blow his wad before things got really interesting, and that would keep him from being fucking embarrassed as shit. Kelly smiled and shook his head, then leaned in and pressed his mouth to Riley's again, and Riley forgot all Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 165

about any possible embarrassment. Fuck if he didn't forget pretty much everything but Kelly and the way the dude was wriggling. Then Kelly moved, somehow, and Riley moaned at the sensation of that body on his own, Kelly's legs straddling him. That explains the wriggling around. He was getting the jeans off. And shit, his skin is soft as fuck! Christ, it really was. Riley felt it all along his chest where Kelly's naked skin brushed his own, pressed and rubbed against him with every move Kelly made. He had to touch. Just had to. His hands left the bedding, moving quickly, hungrily over Kelly's sides, up the lean cords of muscle beside Kelly's spine. Riley gripped hard at the top of one smoothly muscled shoulder while his other hand slid down again, finding the edge of Kelly's underwear, then pushing underneath. It felt strange when he stroked down the masculine curve of one buttock. Sort of like when he'd known Kelly was a dude but had still expected breasts earlier. Sense-memory wasn't prepared for the amount of toned muscle and sharp angles, or for the hard ridge of cock grinding against his own when Kelly responded to the touches. His senses, on the other hand, didn't have a single problem with the difference. His head was spinning again, but Riley liked the sensation. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. Deeper, more visceral in a way Riley couldn't begin to fucking explain, even to himself. But he didn't need to explain it. He understood it on a level that didn't require words. What he was doing was good and right, in a way that made him happy, or maybe it was just Kelly that did that. Either way, he was in the right place, with the right person, and that was the only thing that fucking mattered. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 166

"I think... we need... to be naked," Kelly muttered against his lips just a few more long, hard kisses later. "This is good, but..." "Yeah. More. No shit, man." Riley's hands left Kelly's skin and found the sides of his own gym shorts as soon as Kelly rolled off him. Fuck if the front of the nylon wasn't damp, too. Then again, it shouldn't have surprised him any more than the fact that Kelly's boxer briefs were in a similar state, when Riley looked to see Kelly mirroring the action. Fabric flew across the room, and Riley could really see Kelly, and "Oh. Oh, man. Fuck." He swallowed roughly, eyes trained on the thick column of flesh against Kelly's stomach. "Shit, that's... Christ!" Nice, even if I'm not ready to say so yet. Damn. Nice works. Bigger than Riley had expected, but not massive, Kelly's cock was fucking... well, pretty wasn't the right word, and even if it were, Riley couldn't see himself calling another dude's dick pretty. Or beautiful. What it was, was Kelly's. Probably half an inch over six, and close in color to the porcelain of Kelly's torso, though pinker. The head was wide and a deeper pink, almost magenta, and veins stood out, bulging along the length. Kelly's balls were slightly smaller than Riley's, which made sense because Riley's entire body was bigger, including the block and tackle, but where Riley had a definite trail of hair from just below his navel, Kelly didn't. Instead of the coarse, curly strands Riley was familiar with from his own body and from seeing the other dudes at the gym, Kelly was close to hairless, with what little decoration there was being straight and black. It was fucking amazing how just looking at the guy had Riley's cock firming even more.

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"Dude." Riley bit his lip, just like earlier, as he forced his gaze to travel up Kelly's body until he met those dark eyes. "You're fucking hot. Jesus." He obviously wasn't the only one who'd been looking because Kelly released a slow breath then. "I've come to the conclusion that I'm dreaming," Kelly murmured, eyes still locked hard enough on Riley's that Riley doubted he'd be able to look away before Kelly was ready to let him. "It's the only explanation. But I don't give a crap, as long as nobody wakes me up. And you need to touch me. Now would be good." Riley almost laughed at that, except it wasn't funny. He did want to touch Kelly. Wanted Kelly to touch him, too. Hell, more than wanting it, he fucking needed it. Needed things to move along. "Fuck, yeah," he muttered, rising up on one elbow while he reached across the foot or so between them. His fingers found and wrapped slowly around the shaft of Kelly's cock, and Riley groaned at the near-scalding degree of heat. All that blood, so close to the surface, and he'd never really noticed it when it was his own cock in his hand, but now that it was Kelly's, Riley definitely took note of the temperature. "Oh, God." It was a moan, a groan, and sounded almost pained. In fact, when Riley managed to tear himself away from watching his own big, tanned fingers against Kelly's pale, rosy prick, he saw that Kelly's eyes were squeezed shut, Kelly's jaw clenching and unclenching. And yet, Riley didn't think he was hurting the guy. At all. Huh. Was that what he looked like when some chick was stroking him? Riley doubted it, but Kelly definitely looked into it. Curiosity rose and Riley tightened his grip just a little, then moved his hand slightly, stroking down, then up. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 168

"Oh, God!" again, Kelly nearly shouting it. His hips pushed up from the bed, and Riley smirked. Then Kelly's eyes opened again and Riley's smirk vanished. "If you do that again, I'll come, Riley. And I want to come, but not..." "Not like that," Riley finished, Kelly's words setting his heart to beating wildly again. "Yeah. Fuck if I want you to come in my hand right now, either, man. Maybe later." He slowly let go of Kelly's prick and moved away to grab the lube and a string of condoms from beside the lamp. "I. Uh, how do you want to do this? I mean, fuck if I don't want to watch you fuck me, but only if that's okay." Kelly's eyes closed but reopened so quickly it looked more like a slow blink than anything else. Then Kelly shook his head and took the tube and foil-wrapped packets, dropping them over the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to fu... do that, Riley. Not now." Kelly's throat worked, Adam's apple bobbing as the guy swallowed. "It's. I don't know. Too soon or something. But we can..." And Kelly moved swiftly, motions sharp and simple as he resumed his earlier position, straddling Riley, though lower this time. Riley's groan was automatic, comprised of equal parts frustration and excitement. He'd talk Kelly into fucking later; Riley was sure he could manage that. For the moment, though, just having Kelly's naked skin against his own and seeing that strong, lithe body over his own? Oh, that would fucking do. "We can what?" Riley barely recognized his own voice, it was so strained and breathy. If he hadn't known he'd spoken, he would probably have wondered who had. "Fuck, Kelly, just do something, man! Come on!" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 169

Kelly let loose something that sounded like a laugh, if laughs had an edge of disbelief mixed with passion in them. "D-don't worry," Kelly answered and Riley saw the guy was blushing. "There's going to be coming. God, is there going to be coming." Then Kelly shifted a bit higher, still sitting up and straddling Riley's body, and one strong, thin hand slid beneath Riley's cock, drawing it away from Riley's stomach. Fingers slid over Riley's turgid flesh, and Riley didn't bother trying to bite back a cry when those digits loosened, then tightened again, this time wrapping around not only Riley's cock, but Kelly's, too. "Oh, fuck! Kelly!" *** God. Yes. Those two words ran through Kelly's mind like a mantra, a prayer, a plea. Something. God. Yes. More had its place in his mind, too. More was easy, really, and right at the moment, Kelly was all about easy. Easy to stay right where he was, perched atop Riley's form. Easy to rock slightly, forcing his own dick along Riley's, in the tight confines of Kelly's own fist. Easy to moan something wordless and guttural as dribbles of pre-come from both of them eased the slip and slide of thin skin and sensitive, nerve-rich flesh. God, it was even easy to watch Riley's face, to see each twist of Riley's lips and every widening and narrowing of the man's hot eyes. Easy to respond to the shifting grip Riley's hands had taken on Kelly's hips, though Riley wasn't trying to direct him, Kelly knew. It was more like Riley just needed to be touching, holding on to something. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 170

"Fuck," Riley grunted, arching beneath him, and Kelly gasped out an agreeing breath, his free hand braced on Riley's chest, just below one tightly budded, bronze nipple. He moved faster, harder, fingers tight around his own dick and Riley's, still more fluid slicking the way. Kelly gasped again as his tip nudged up against the flared ridge of Riley's prick, the sensation seeming to travel directly from that collision to Kelly's balls. "Soon," Riley moaned, and Kelly nodded. "Uh-huh. Soon. God, so soon." It was more words than Kelly had expected to find breath for, but when Riley nodded, a sharp exhalation leaving the man's pink lips, Kelly was glad at having managed to speak. Then Riley started moving faster under him, hips rising and falling harder. The movements pushed at Kelly, created more friction in his hand, and that was good. What was less good was that there suddenly seemed to be a chance that Riley might buck him off completely, before either of them finished what they'd started. "H-hold on," Kelly stuttered, and wonder of wonders, Riley actually seemed to hear him, because the sharp upward thrusts slowed. Kelly swallowed roughly, then opened his hand, letting Riley's dick slap against the man's tight, toned stomach. "Just hold on," he said to the disappointed groan Riley released. Kelly moved again, legs still spread wide over Riley, though straddling Riley's groin this time. Then he lowered his chest to meet Riley's and shifted a little more, until he felt the length of Riley's hard prick against his own. "Kelly, what...?" Riley started, only to stop a second later when Kelly rocked, letting their dicks slide, trapped between their bodies. "Oh... Yeah. That's..." Riley's Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 171

hands slid from Kelly's hips, moving over ribs and spine, then pushing down to grasp Kelly's butt tightly when Kelly moved faster. Kelly moaned, his hands flat against the bed to either side of Riley's shoulders. "Yeah. Oh." God. Yes. He stretched just enough to counter their small height difference and pressed his lips to Riley's, surprised by how that one small meeting of mouths made things impossibly hotter. Kelly had been fairly sure they were already near to combusting, but adding a kiss to the mix was... He pulled back to acknowledge the truth of that heat. "Coming. Coming, Riley." "Fuck. Yeah. Yeah. Coming. Fucking coming, man!" The small part of Kelly's mind that wasn't consumed by his own eruption of pleasure took note of the look on Riley's face and vowed to see it again in the near future. The rest of him was lost as he spilled rough and hard against Riley's skin and felt matching spurts of hot, viscous fluids joining his own. He could feel Riley's heart pounding, the rhythm matching the fast, shallow breaths coming from Kelly's own lips as his body relaxed, seemingly one muscle at a time, and reluctantly, at that. Of course, Kelly wasn't surprised about being reluctant. He figured he had maybe two minutes before Riley fully realized what had just happened. Regardless of what Riley had said earlier -- when the man had asked Kelly to fuck him -- Kelly expected Riley to backpedal. Straight guys just didn't get off with their gay buddies and not backpedal. Or so Kelly believed. He didn't have any personal experience with that, himself, but he'd heard stories, and the last thing Kelly needed was to have Riley think their little frottage session meant anything, even if it did to Kelly. Because it did. Unexpectedly, it did. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 172

It's not that I'm in love with him or anything, but I like him. A lot. I already liked him a lot, and that was before I saw his dick and touched it and... God, that was before I'd done anything but kiss him. So I like him and I like this. I like being naked with him and knowing I made him come. I even like smelling his come, and how weird is that? Pretty weird. Kelly knew that much, but just because it was weird didn't make it less true. But Riley would start freaking out any minute. That was what straight guys did when they ended up having a bit of naked fun with another guy. And ultimately, that explained why he was so shocked when Riley's hands moved from his butt to his ribs, then from Kelly's ribs even higher. One stopped between Kelly's shoulder blades while the other kept on, finally halting when it found Kelly's hair, Riley's fingers burrowing in and tangling there. Kelly held his breath. "Dude." Riley sounded strange. Not bad, Kelly decided, but strange. He couldn't quite force himself to look at the man's face, though. Not yet. "Dude," Riley said again, "if that's what it's always like for gay guys, I'm fucking amazed there's a single straight dude left on the planet. Fuck." The statement surprised a laugh out of Kelly, and even though he hadn't planned on it, he found himself looking at Riley and smiling at the goofy, orgasmcaused grin he saw there. Even so, Kelly chose his words with care. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way," he said, "because that was... incredible. But it actually gets way better. Or, you know. It does when you're with the right person." Then Kelly blushed and shook his head. Carefully, because Riley still had a good grip on his hair. "I don't mean I'm the right person for you or Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 173

anything. Just that sex is sex, and it's always good when you're with someone who's. Crap. I'm just making it worse." Obviously, because Riley had gone from goofy grin to confused-looking frown in less than a second. "So, you're... what?" Riley muttered it, but Kelly heard him loud and clear. "Fuck. Of course you are. That's why you didn't want to fuck me. You're saying you're not the right guy, or you don't fucking want to be. And all this, just now. The rubbing off, or whatever the fuck it's called. That was you just tossing the fucking needy-ass straight dude a bone, right?" God, Riley actually seemed to believe that. The man even let go of Kelly's hair and those big hands fell to the bed. It was almost more than Kelly could believe. Then the last words registered, and even though Kelly knew it was a bad idea and tried to control the impulse, he started laughing. It was tiny, right at first. Just a simple caught breath with a minuscule yip behind it. The next breath-and-bark was louder. The one after that was a full-fledged chortle, and Kelly could see Riley getting pissed off. He could see those hands clenching into fists, Riley's expressive eyes narrowing with something other than passion, unless the clear urge to do serious bodily harm could be termed passion, which maybe it could. But even with his own amusement, Kelly couldn't miss seeing the hurt hiding behind Riley's anger. "Sorry," he said between laughs. "Sorry, Riley. It's just, you said..." Another laugh. "Tossing. The straight guy. A bone!" Kelly sat up, but he was still splay-legged over Riley, that solid body right there beneath him. "Sorry!" he insisted on another chuckle. Riley seemed to fight it for another few seconds, but then the man's frown faded, only to be replaced by Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 174

twitches at the corners of Riley's mouth. "It's not funny," Riley grumbled, but those twitches kept growing until Riley's mouth was curved into something that wasn't quite a smile but was still far from being the angry frown Kelly had seen. "And I wasn't punning, for fuck's sake." Kelly sighed, forcing himself to swallow down the remaining mirth as he slung one leg over, settling his butt on the mattress instead of Riley. "I know." It was easy to admit that much. Less easy to keep talking, even though Kelly knew he had to. "But it was kind of funny. Just the wording, not the meaning, okay? And I wasn't trying to say. Crap." He sighed again. "You know what, Riley? I'm not really sure about what happened here, or why. I mean, I'm obviously attracted to you. I don't think I can pretend I'm not. And I guess it's mutual to some extent, because you said all that the other night about liking it when I kissed you before. You definitely participated tonight, too." Riley's brows rose, but Kelly kept talking, wanting to get it out before he had second thoughts about speaking his mind. "But you're straight, or so you keep telling me, and I've done my time having a 'relationship' with someone who didn't classify himself as gay, and that really didn't turn out so well. So excuse me for being a little nervous about whatever the hell this is. Because to be honest, I don't have any idea. I'm not sure you do, either." He didn't know what sort of reaction he'd expected, but Kelly did know that Riley surging up and grabbing him, rolling them until Kelly's spine was pressed to the bed by the weight of Riley's body wasn't even on the list. Yet that was exactly where Kelly found himself. Riley stared down at him from maybe six inches away, and there was something so determined in that Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 175

dark gaze that Kelly felt his stomach flutter. There could have been an entire flock of butterflies in there, the fluttering was so intense. "Riley?" "This is exactly why I wanted you to fuck me, man," Riley said. He sounded serious, and the look on his face made it clear to Kelly that Riley truly was. Serious. And sincere. "Not just because I want to know what it feels like, even though I do, but I really wanted to avoid all this fucking bullshit. I guess I thought it'd be easier with a dude. Less of that hemming and hawing and whatever the fuck. I figured being with a. No. Not 'a' anything. You. I figured being with you, when I know what I want, wouldn't involve all this fucking drama. Shit." Kelly's mind reeled, and he didn't know if it was because of what Riley was saying or how good that bigger, heavier body felt on his own. Part of it was probably due to the way he felt Riley's dick against his thigh, obviously starting to express its interest in Kelly again. "I. God. I can't." Kelly's managed to work his hands between them and he pushed at Riley's shoulders. "Riley, I mean it. I can't have a coherent conversation with you when you're touching me and getting. Crap, you're getting hard, and we need to talk about this, and I can't do that when..." When I want you so badly again already, even though we just came all over each other and our come is drying on my skin. Kelly didn't say it, but he definitely thought it. The noise that came from Riley then might have been a growl, or maybe a snarl. Kelly couldn't quite define it. It didn't matter, anyway. What mattered was that Riley pushed away, letting go. What mattered was that Kelly suddenly found himself trying not to shiver at the loss of Riley's heat against him. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 176

"Jesus fucking Christ," Riley muttered. "I guess dudes are just as fucking chatty as women. Gay dudes, anyway." Then louder, "Fine. I'm gonna take a shower. Meet me on the couch in ten." "O-okay," Kelly answered, waiting for Riley to close the bathroom door before getting up and leaving the room, grabbing his jeans and boots on the way. He needed to shower, too. Then dress and definitely grab a beer. And he needed to talk to Riley. "Maybe something stronger than a beer," he admitted as he started the water in the second bathroom and stepped under the spray. "I somehow doubt just a beer will be enough." Of course, whatever he drank, it wasn't going to make it any easier to tell Riley that what had happened that night was a mistake that could never be repeated. No matter how much Kelly might want it to be. And thank God I'm moving into the downstairs apartment tomorrow. Temptation is way easier to resist when it's not right in my face, twenty-four seven. And Riley is one hell of a temptation. He wasn't looking forward to explaining that to Riley, though. Not even a little.

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Chapter Eleven Fucking Kelly, being all... whatever the fuck Kelly was being. Not noble. Riley was sure about that much, at least. Shit, the guy wanted to talk. And what had all that been about some relationship? Though to be fair, Riley had literally heard the air-quotes around the word when Kelly'd been talking. Or felt them. Something. However it came to be, Riley had known they were there. Maybe some quasi-sarcastic tone. The point was, Kelly had apparently gotten burned by some fucker, and whatever the particulars were about that, Kelly was obviously assuming Riley was just as fucking emotionally retarded as the shithead who'd fucked Kelly over. The more Riley thought about it, the less relaxing the hot water pouring over his skin became. He still soaped himself carefully, ignoring the fact that he was washing away every bit of evidence that he and Kelly had engaged in... fuck if he knew what to call it. It hadn't been sex, but it had for damned sure been more than something totally fucking meaningless. It kind of pissed Riley off that Kelly didn't agree. Or thinks I'm just fucking curious or some such shit. Fucking asshole. Like I run around begging gay dudes to fucking fuck me every day. Shit. Maybe whoever the fuck screwed him over really fucked him up. Or maybe Kelly was in love with the piece of shit. Maybe that was why Riley hadn't seen Kelly go out much. Maybe the dude was mourning the death of whatever the fuck had been going on before Kelly's move to Hartford. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 178

Except there'd been that tone. The one that had implied the so-called relationship Kelly had left behind was exactly that. So-called, rather than real. "Fuck if this gay shit isn't just as confusing as all the guy-girl shit I've been through in my life," Riley mumbled as he shut off the water and stepped from the shower to dry off with a few rough swipes of his towel. "It might be even worse. At least with chicks I know what to say." Except he didn't. If Riley was being honest, he didn't know what to say to women most of the time, which possibly explained why he'd never dated anyone for long. He'd never been good with the flowery talk and stuff. It hadn't escaped his notice that he was stalling, taking longer than necessary to decide what clothes to wear for what was sure to be a pain-in-the-ass talk with Kelly. He also couldn't deny that he was lingering in the bedroom because he could still smell himself on the air. Himself and Kelly, the combination of earthy musks teasing Riley's libido like nothing he'd known before. "This is so fucking weird." It was even stranger a few minutes later, when Riley finally walked down the short hall to the living room and saw Kelly sitting on the arm of the couch, holding two of Riley's margarita glasses. The glasses seemed to be half full, though Riley could tell by the color that none of Ballard's margarita mix was in either of them. "Dude." Okay, maybe not the best opening because Kelly jumped, nearly dropping one of the glasses. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to..." "No. No, it's fine." Kelly's eyes were wide, cheeks pink as he looked at Riley. Looked and stopped, staring. "Um, it's okay. I guess I. Wow. Okay. I kind of thought you'd be more... dressed when you came out here?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 179

Riley frowned slightly and looked down at himself. "Dude. I'm wearing clothes." Kelly laughed, but it sounded surprised, somehow. "You're wearing boxers." And Kelly was wearing sweat pants and a long-sleeved, baggy T-shirt, for fuck's sake. Jesus fucking Christ. As if that would make Riley forget what had happened just a short while earlier. Or let Kelly forget. It was the way Kelly's tongue crept out to moisten those soft lips that had Riley smirking just a bit as he moved closer to the couch. No reminding required, apparently. Fucking cool. "They count. They're cotton. Cotton is fabric. Fabric makes clothes." Maybe his logic was questionable, but Riley didn't care. "Besides. You've already seen me totally fucking naked, man. Shit, you covered me in jizz. I figure boxers are close enough. It's not like you mentioned a dress code for this fucking 'talk' you insist on having." Kelly let loose one sharp sound that could have been another laugh or just some kind of fucking shock. "I'm pretty sure any... jizz... wasn't entirely mine," Kelly said before blushing even darker. Fuck, it was hot to see that ivory skin go so deeply pink. It reminded Riley of the color Kelly's cock had been, and that just had his own cock responding. Riley shrugged a little, arching his back slightly as he stood there, and when Kelly's eyes dipped, then darted away from the slow tenting of Riley's boxers, Riley agreed. "Dude. It totally wasn't all you. I don't think I've ever come that hard in my fucking life! Unless we're counting wet dreams and shit, because I might have had a few lately that nearly blew the top of my fucking head off. So, is one of those drinks for me, or are you desperate to get sloppy-drunk?" Because now that he was out of the bedroom and the scent of him and Kelly Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 180

had faded, Riley could smell the tequila. "Fair warning, man. You get drunk, I'm definitely gonna get you to fuck me. I know you wanted to before. I just don't know why the fuck you didn't." Yeah, he sounded a little grumbly, but Riley had reason. At least he thought he did. He didn't have a chance to figure out what that reason was, though, because Kelly blinked and stood up from his perch on the couch arm. "Well, I don't know why the hell you wanted me to!" Yeah, Kelly looked kind of confused and sort of pissed off. It was fucking hot. "You're straight! You've said so at least a dozen times, and then all of a sudden you're half naked and you want me to fu... do you! And I like you, Riley! I really do, okay? You're the first friend I made here, and sure, we had that messed-up misunderstanding about who was doing what with your uncle, but I don't want to screw this up! Us being friends, I mean, even if you do keep lying to me, because you're obviously not at work right now! But that's beside the point. The point is, I'm pretty sure that me satisfying whatever bi-curious urges you're having would end up killing this friendship, and I don't want that, so excuse me for not having full-on sex with you tonight, but it would have been a really bad idea!" As much as Riley wanted to just get in the guy's face and shut him up, he didn't. Instead, he took two long steps, stopping when he stood directly in front of Kelly. Then Riley grabbed one of the glasses Kelly held and tossed back half of the tequila it held with the ease of long practice. "Drink your fucking drink," he said, congratulating himself on not snarling or sounding impatient with Kelly's fucking ridiculous concerns. They clearly weren't ridiculous to Kelly, and maybe that was all that mattered. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 181

Riley waited until Kelly's wide-eyed gaze turned incredulous, and he did recognize the expression, though he didn't know how. Then he waited until Kelly had taken a long swallow of liquor, too. "Okay," Riley said, speaking slowly and softly in an effort not to freak Kelly out any more than the poor guy already was. "You're right. You're totally fucking right. I lied to you about working tonight. I went to see my uncle. I just didn't figure there was any way to say 'Hey, Kelly, I'm gonna ask Uncle Peter for some advice about getting involved with a dude,' without ending up having a whole conversation just like this one! And I really have told you I'm straight; more than once. Because I mostly am, man." He held up a hand when Kelly looked like he was about to interrupt. "Dude! Let me finish!" Riley waited for Kelly's nod, then went on. "None of this is about me being straight. None of it." He made a back-and-forth motion with his free hand, gesturing to himself first, then to Kelly. "This... fuck if I know what it is or why, but dude. I've been totally fucking hot for you since you got here. It just took me a while to get it. And it's not about being confused or curious or whatever the fuck else you've gotten into your head. I like you, too. And I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone in my fucking life. If I was just curious or whatever, you've met my fucking friends. Do you really think they wouldn't help me out with that? Shit, the twinkies-three would probably throw a fucking party!" Kelly laughed a little at that, and Riley's lip twitched into a small smile. "It's not guys in general I'm curious about, Kelly," he said then, even softer, more gently. "It's you. And that's why I want you to fuck me, man. Because I can't think this whole fucking obsessive attraction is gonna go away. I dream about you, Kelly. Shit, I jerk off thinking about you. And I wanted to kill Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 182

that fucker Leonard when I thought you guys were doing the nasty." Riley's little smile became a full-fledged grin when Kelly's eyes rolled. "Did you really just say 'doing the nasty'? Because that's so... God, I think I was still in the womb when that was a saying," Kelly said before taking another sip of tequila. "And it's not like that. Leonard's a friend, or I think he's going to be, and I already told you he works for me, so even if he were my type, I'd never go there. Too... messy." Riley heard the silent just like getting involved with a friend, even though Kelly didn't say it. He actually agreed, in a way, or he would have if the friend of Kelly's hadn't been him. As it was, though, Riley couldn't let that fucking supposition stand. Not even a little bit. "Sometimes messy is good. Shit, sometimes messy is fucking awesome, man. We're still friends, right? Whatever happens, that's not gonna change. So maybe messy is okay." God, Riley hoped so, because there was no fucking way that he could let go. Not after feeling Kelly on him, spurting jizz all over his skin, damn it. Kelly smiled and finished his drink, though the smile looked a little off to Riley. Fuck. Then Kelly shrugged. "I'm glad you think so, because 'messy' doesn't even begin to describe what my apartment is going to look like tomorrow when all the furniture and electronics and things get here. Maybe I should have spaced it out more, but Harry was so sure the renovations on the school would be done on time. So are you willing to help me get everything organized tomorrow? Since we're still friends and all that?" It took every ounce of restraint in Riley's body to hold his response to a short, sharp nod and a grunted "Yeah." He managed it, but fuck if it didn't hurt. Part of Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 183

the pain was the way Kelly looked at him. Like Kelly had made up his mind, and not only was there nothing Riley could do about it, but Kelly wouldn't even listen if he tried. The whole situation was fucked up, damn it. And Riley didn't have a single fucking clue about how to make it less shitty. Then Kelly offered up a smile that looked faker than a movie star's tan and left the living room. Riley was still trying to figure out how everything had gone so fucking wrong long after he heard the door to the guest room close and lock. Not that he was going to give up, of course. Riley never gave up when he set his mind to something, and fuck if he hadn't set his mind to winning Kelly. Winning? What the fuck. He's a dude, not a fucking prize. Or not the kind of prize I can get by throwing a fucking ring over a peg or whatever. I need to win him over, I guess, and fuck knows how I'm gonna do that. But what's that shit they say? Faint heart never won fair... not maiden, for fuck's sake. Fair Kelly. Oh, man, he's gonna totally fucking hate me by the time I'm done wooing his fucking ass. Riley took one final sip of the tequila Kelly had poured, then took his own glass and the one Kelly had left on the end table into the kitchen. He would worry about washing them in the morning. At the moment, he had a plan to devise, and that plan involved an ending that had Kelly in Riley's bed. Not just once, but repeatedly. He'd agreed to help Kelly get settled in the apartment downstairs, but Riley didn't have a single fucking intention of letting the guy stay there for long. Not alone, anyway. Riley called the twinkies-three, just to be sure they were still coming by the next day to help out. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 184

James insisted they were, and that was good enough for Riley. He hadn't figured out what to do about Kelly yet. He might need to play it by ear. "Whatever it takes to make him see," Riley murmured into his pillow an hour or so later. "Whatever the fuck it takes." The last word was strained, emerging on a muffled gasp as Riley's hand around his own cock encouraged the sharp explosion from him, the memory of Kelly's moans and gasps driving him to completion. Fuck. *** Kelly wasn't surprised to wake up and find Riley already gone. He wasn't. And he would tell himself that as many times as necessary for the lie to take. At least Kelly was only lying to himself, though that was small comfort. That Riley's latest lie had been a means to let Riley see his uncle was less bad than it could have been, but Kelly still didn't like it. He had to admit Riley was right, though. Just knowing why Riley wanted to talk to Peter Jamison would have made both Kelly and Riley uncomfortable, but would that have meant the whole sexual part of the prior evening never happened? Well, maybe, or maybe not. Kelly couldn't be sure, but he suspected that being confronted with a mostly naked and horny Riley might have turned out the same way, regardless of whether Kelly had known Riley was thinking about it beforehand or not. It still hadn't been a good idea, though, and it was a good thing that Riley had already left; probably for the gym. It also sucked because that meant Kelly had to actually think about what they'd -- he'd -- done. Okay, he'd let himself indulge in a serious lack of judgment the night before; there was no question about Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 185

that. Frottage with Riley had been the worst idea Kelly had ever had, even if it had felt sinfully good. And on the bright side, I now know what 'sinfully good' means. It means Riley, damn it. It was bad enough when it was just that first kiss, but now? God help me. Kelly frowned slightly as he looked through the open door to Riley's bedroom one more time, then he shook his head and turned toward the hall bath. A shower would be good. An amnesia pill would be better. As there were no amnesia pills around that Kelly knew of, the shower would have to do. It did something. It didn't make him forget how Riley had felt under him, naked and hard and muscled and demanding more. The shower wasn't good enough to even make a dent in the memory of all of that. Neither was the orgasm Kelly wrung from his own body as he replayed the night before. Worse than not making a dent, the masturbation only had Kelly's body anxious to do it again. Preferably with Riley watching. So it was a good thing that Riley wasn't there, Kelly decided as he dried off and slipped into a lightweight pair of drawstring pants. It was easier to avoid temptation when the temptation was somewhere else. "Duh," Kelly grumbled, even as he made his way to the kitchen and started coffee brewing. "Just like it's easier to avoid a car crash if you don't drive." He rolled his eyes at his own obvious observations, then picked up Goober's bowl and put a hefty scoop into it. Kelly frowned when the sound of kibble didn't bring the dog running. "Goobs," he called out, "time for breakfast!" Silence still greeted him, and it was only then that Kelly considered the idea that Riley hadn't actually left, as such, but was only gone for as long as it would take to walk Goober. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 186

"Crap." I don't want to see him, don't want to talk about anything, because he wanted whatever the hell we did last night to mean something and it can't and he's straight, even if he got off on us rubbing and I'm obviously a guy, but he said it was just me, not guys in general and maybe that means something, but what? He's not into guys, except he wants me, but what if I get all wrapped up in him and he decides he wants a woman because he's straight, aside from me, and I don't know what's happening, even in my own mind! Thank God I'm moving in downstairs today. Otherwise I'd be a complete basket-case. Like he wasn't already. God. He was jittery even before the coffee finished brewing, just from the expectation that Riley might be back at any moment. Kelly wasn't sure about whether the jitteriness was from wanting to see the man or not. He did want to see Goober, though. If only to give the big mutt a hug for being so good the night before. Kelly was pretty sure he would have been even more freaked out than he was if Goobs had interrupted whatever the hell he and Riley had been doing. Less than a second later, Kelly decided that he should punish the dog for not interrupting them, but that was unfair. Goober was a dog, after all. How would he know that his personal human was doing something so stupid that stupid was a good three exits back in the rearview mirror of Kelly's life? "Oh, God. I am so screwed." His voice sounded loud all of a sudden. Like the fact that Goobs wasn't there to hear him somehow let the space amplify things. Nothing else sounded unusually strident, though. The coffee machine's hiss-and-spit didn't have any excessive volume. Nor did the water coming from the tap in the sink when Kelly turned it on. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 187

Even the phone sounded like it was at a normal enough volume when it rang, and while Kelly was still trying to figure out what was wrong with him, he answered it with a grunt. "So what time do you guys need us over there?" Kelly's caffeine-deprived brain stuttered for a moment while he tried to identify the voice. "Um. Pauly?" A snort answered him. "As if. It's Randy. Hi, Kelly. Sorry, I thought you were Ry-ry. So what time should we be there?" On the one hand, Kelly realized, he really hated it when anyone called Riley Ry-ry. It was a stupid nickname and didn't belong on a grown man. It made Riley sound stupid whenever anyone called him by it. On the other hand, "I didn't know you guys were coming over at all," he admitted. Randy laughed. "Oh, please. Your new place is ready and everything's supposed to be delivered today. Where else would we be?" Kelly sighed. Silently, but still he sighed. "I'm not so sure anything's ready. Last time I checked, the bedroom still needed painting and the bathroom wasn't finished." Neither of which were enough to keep Kelly from moving in with all his new stuff, but Randy didn't need to know that. Except Randy apparently did. "Ry-ry had the painters there at the ass-crack of dawn," Randy said. "And the grouting-guy's probably done by now, too. Riley told James about it late last night. It should all be easy-peasy. Or so Ry-ry said." There was nothing accusatory in Randy's voice, but Kelly still heard something there. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. And he didn't want Randy, Pauly, and James coming over to help him get settled, for God's sake. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 188

"Are you really sure you guys want to be here today? It's just going to be a lot of moving things around, and that doesn't strike me as something you're into." Kelly spoke with the knowledge that he might be destroying three burgeoning friendships, but he just couldn't stand the idea of seeing the guys Riley called the twinkiesthree right then. "Let me get everything organized, okay? Then I'll have a party or something." Randy pouted through the phone lines better than Kelly had ever thought possible. "What are you trying to say?" he said, sounding annoyed and maybe even a bit offended. "I'll have you know we can be just as butch as the next guy. Well, maybe not as butch as Ry-ry, but then who could? No, we'll be there. Possibly with bells on. We might even bring pastries, but I can't swear to it." And apparently Randy had mood-swings down pat because he didn't seem anything but amused by the time Kelly gave in. Kelly had barely taken a deep breath after hanging up when he heard the front door to his... no, Riley's. When he heard the front door to Riley's apartment opening. He wondered for a moment whether he'd need to explain himself again to Riley, but then Goober galloped through the living room and homed in on Kelly, and there wasn't much time to worry about anything but staying upright. Once Goobs calmed down a bit, Kelly couldn't help agreeing with the refrain Riley, and even Riley's best friend Jeremy, had been singing since their separate introductions to Goobs. Goober needed a doggy-dentist in the worst possible way, and it was far easier to think about that than Riley. Riley, who was perched on one arm of the couch while Kelly ignored him entirely, or as entirely as possible. Even while a part of Kelly that wasn't buried as deeply Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 189

as Kelly would have liked didn't want to ignore Riley at all. *** Riley didn't know exactly what was going on, but after two hours of rearranging the living room furniture that had arrived that morning, he was starting to think Pauly, Randy, and James were running interference. It seemed like every time he tried to get close to Kelly, whether to help the guy or just get all up in Kelly's space, one of the twinkies-three was there. So far, it was kind of funny, but Riley could see himself getting pissed off if the guys kept it up for much longer. Sadly, nobody but Riley seemed to know that because fuck if Kelly wasn't playing along. Shit, more than playing along, Kelly was actively encouraging the cock-block, even if that wasn't the right phrase. It was the middle of the fucking day and there were more deliveries due to arrive at any time, so it wasn't as though there was much chance of sex right then. But if the guys didn't stop whatever fucking game they were playing, Riley wouldn't be able to get anywhere, damn it. He lifted one heavy wooden end table for the fifth time and cocked his head. "Hey, Kelly. Where did you want this fucking thing again? And don't tell me 'by the window,' because that's where it was three moves ago and you didn't like it there." Kelly wouldn't even look at him, Riley saw. Fuck if Kelly wasn't doing some shit with one of the cushions on the new couch, but Riley thought it was just a ploy to avoid eye contact. Jesus fucking Christ. Pauly giggled and strolled across the disordered living room, holding a tray of drinks. Pauly and the guys Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 190

had brought the tray. And the drinks. And snacks... Pauly hadn't done anything but wander around offering refreshments while the rest of them worked. "Oh, don't worry about the table," Pauly ordered. "It can wait until we've got everything else in place. Just put it by the wall, right, Kelly?" Kelly nodded, and Riley wasn't finding Pauly or anyone else funny anymore. "Good thing I've been hauling this fucking piece of shit around for fucking ever, then!" Riley glared at Pauly, then Randy and James, and finally at the source of his angry, unsettled feelings. "You know what? Fuck it. I'm done here. You guys have fun, but I'm through. Fuck it!" Yeah, fuck it. And fuck Kelly, too, but not in the fun way. Bastard. And how the fuck did someone go from rubbing all over him one minute to treating him like he didn't even fucking exist in less than twenty-four hours? From "we're still friends" to complete silence? Riley didn't know, and he didn't care, either. He didn't. Except once he'd stormed out of Kelly's new apartment and stomped up the stairs to his own, Riley... well, he still didn't know, but he sure as fuck cared. He didn't particularly want to care, but damned if he didn't. Shit. He turned on the TV, more to break the quiet of his own place and cover the noises coming from below than anything else. Then he headed for the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He paused with the door still open, cold air blasting forth, and snagged a second bottle before closing the fridge and heading back to the living room. The couch was calling his fucking name, and with the way he was feeling, he'd want the second beer before long, anyway. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 191

A sip, then change the channel. Sip, change the fucking channel. Sip, channel. It had a rhythm all its own and Riley fell into it, pausing only to set his empty bottle on the floor and open the other drink. He paused in his surfing, watching some half-naked woman with huge breasts bounce in some sort of video on one of the music channels, then snorted and moved on. Another pause, however many channels later, became a full stop, and Riley settled in to watch an old Lassie movie. Another beer and the rest of the black and white film had Riley feeling more mellow than earlier. "That Lassie was a hell of a dog," Riley said to the television as the credits scrolled over the screen about five times too fast to read. Goober was a hell of a dog, too, but the poor mutt was tied up out back. Not that Goober seemed to mind. Water and food were out there and about thirty feet of rope. Just enough to keep him from running to the front of the house where he'd get in the way of the delivery people. A loud spate of laughter sounded from the downstairs, and Riley frowned. There hadn't been any laughing while he'd been helping. In fact, aside from the occasional conversational attempt by the twinkies-three, it had been pretty fucking solemn. That the guys were obviously having a better time without him? Oh, that sucked more than Riley would ever admit out loud. He was entirely willing to cop to the hopeful leaping of his heart when he heard the apartment door opening behind him, though. Kelly, he thought, a smile breaking out across his lips as he turned to look over the back of the couch. He did his best to hold on to the smile when he saw Jeremy, but Riley couldn't swear to succeeding. "Man, you look like someone died," Jeremy said, closing the door behind him. "I figured you'd be dancing a jig, since you've somehow managed to avoid the big Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 192

bunch of crazy that's going on downstairs." He grinned, and Riley's smile started to feel a bit more real. "Dude." Yeah, somehow Jeremy being there had Riley feeling a little bit better. Less alone, and not just in the sense of having another person in the apartment. "Lassie almost did die, or maybe that was Timmy. Whatever. Go grab yourself a fucking beer. There's gotta be some shit on that's worth watching." Jeremy was gone in a flash, only to return a minute or so later, a beer in each hand. "So. What's going on? We got here, like, five minutes ago, and as soon as I asked where you were, everyone went quiet. What the hell did you do, Riley?" Riley snorted and accepted one of the beers, then shrugged as Jeremy sat on the couch. "Fuck if I know. He had me dragging shit around, over and over, like I'm some fucking pack mule. So when I got sick of the shit, I blew it off and came up here. If he's pissed off that I'm not down there helping, it's his own fucking fault." Good. That sounded reasonable. And not sulky at all. Unless maybe it really did sound sulky, because Jer was giving him that look. Like Riley was being stupid. "I'm guessing by he, you mean Kelly?" Jeremy arched a brow, clearly prying. Then again, it wasn't really prying when Riley already knew he was going to tell Jeremy everything. "We had sex." Riley actually felt himself lightening up more when Jeremy's eyes opened comically wide. "Well, sort-of sex. Last night. And now he's being a fucking prick and it pissed me off, so I was a prick right back. The fucking twinkies weren't any help, either. I thought those assholes were supposed to be my friends." And that was part of it, too, Riley realized. He'd been counting on the guys to... something. Be supportive or whatever. Not that the twinkies-three knew what was Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 193

going on, but they had to know something was up. Riley didn't snap and snarl often. Except he'd been doing more of that than usual, ever since Kelly'd crashed into Riley's Bronco and Riley's life. Jer's eyes were still huge. It was fucking awesome. "Wait. You had sex with Kelly? What do you mean, 'sort-of'? How the fuck do you have 'sort-of' sex? Either you did or you didn't, there's no 'sort-of' option!" Another shrug and swallow of beer, then Riley answered. "Dude. If you really want the details, we got naked. There was humping. It was fucking awesome, except for the part where he wouldn't fucking fuck me. Then he got all freaked out or whatever because I'm straight and I guess he got fucked over by some straight dude. So now he hasn't said a single word to me all day. I can give you the play-by-play if you need more info, you dick." "Frottage?" Jeremy's face was red and he made a sound that was some strange mix of a laugh and a groan. "Oh, for... You seriously." Jer shook his head and Riley smirked. "And why am I the one who's blushing here?" Jeremy added, all gruff and annoyed. "Because I've always been willing to tell you about my sexual exploits and that always makes you blush like a little girl?" Riley suggested, but then he did feel himself flushing a bit. "But this is different, Jer. I don't know why -- I mean, yeah, Kelly's a dude, but that's not it. I don't know. I just really like him, okay? And I fucking hate that he won't even look at me. It's pissing me more and more the fuck off, man." Riley frowned. "And for the record, there was no fucking cheese in bed with us last night." Jeremy made that weird sound again. "Frottage, Riley. Not fromage. It means rub, or close enough. Uh, frottage does. Fromage really is cheese." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 194

"Like I know all your weird-ass gay terms." Except Riley did. He'd only frowned and mentioned cheese to fuck with Jer. "So that's what happened. Now, what do I fucking do about it? If I could change things and all of a sudden not be straight, maybe I would, for him. But I can't. And I guess he won't fuck me unless I'm gay, so where the fuck does that leave me?" Jeremy shook his head and pushed himself up from the couch. "Seriously, man, I need another beer. Or tequila. This might be a tequila conversation." Riley chuckled and got up, as well, following his friend into the kitchen. "Dude. You need a fucking soda. You have even one more Heineken, I'm the one who'll have to explain to Ballard about you being passed out. Or fucking rambling about whatever shit pops into your head." He pushed Jeremy toward the small kitchen table, then took a Sprite from the fridge for Jer, along with one more beer for himself. "At least you're a cheap date." "Fuck off," Jeremy grumbled, but he took the Sprite and opened it. "So, wait. Did you say you wanted Kelly to... you know what? Never mind. I've been drinking." "I asked him to fuck me," Riley said bluntly. "And he wouldn't. He said some shit about sex being bad for friendships, but then he said some other shit. That I was just curious or whatever. So I'm thinking he thinks I'm just fucking around." "But you're not." There wasn't any sort of questioning tone in Jer's voice, at first. "You seriously want Kelly to fuck you. Why? I mean, most straight guys who get all... in touch with their inner queer? Well, they usually want to do the, um..." Riley smirked. "Fucking?" Jeremy nodded and drank some soda, obviously uncomfortable but game to listen. "Dude. You gay guys aren't the only ones who groove on anal. There's chicks out there who are totally into it. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 195

I'm pretty sure I've hooked up with most of the ones in Hartford." Riley took a long draught from his own drink. "I already know what it's like to do the ass-fucking, Jer. And I'm sure it's a little bit different when you're doing it to another dude, but it can't be apples and fucking oranges, right? But for the record, I'm not totally fucking stupid, either. If Kelly wanted me do him someday, I'd be all over it. But I figure God gave me a prostate for a reason, and Kelly's the only dude I've ever met who makes me want to do anything to find out about it. Anything sexual, I mean. With a dude. Kelly. So, yeah. I want him to fuck me." Jeremy groaned and leaned forward until Riley saw his forehead rest against the table top. "God, I so didn't ever want that much vision into the inner workings of your mind. I think I'm scarred for life." But Riley heard the humor in the groan. It was Jer's I-can't-believe-yousaid-that-like-that groan. Riley was more than familiar with it. "I want to suck his cock, too," Riley announced next, earning another deep, dramatically pained groan. "But I won't be able to do any of that if he won't even fucking look at me!" "I don't know him well enough to tell you what to do," Jeremy finally said after a few more exaggerated reactions. "But I do know that ignoring someone usually means they make you uncomfortable. Whether that's uncomfortable because the sex happened, or uncomfortable because the sex happened and he wants to do it again, or even for some completely different reason -- like maybe that other straight guy you mentioned -- I can't say." Riley sighed, picking at the label on his bottle. "That's a big fucking help, asshole. Ballard's gone and fucked your brains right out of you, huh?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 196

Jer chuckled. "Being with Troy doesn't automatically give me insight into Kelly, you know. And gay doesn't have anything to do with it, anyway. It's not a question of gay or straight. It's a question of you and Kelly. You just need to figure out what you want and find a way to make it happen." "I know what I want." Riley did. He'd known from that first day, pretty much. He just hadn't known he'd known. "I know exactly what I want." And it was downstairs moving furniture, or whatever the fuck was happening after the hour or so since Riley'd come upstairs. "It's that 'making it the fuck happen' part that's giving me fucking problems. Or did you somehow miss that?" Another laugh left Jeremy, though it sounded less amused than before. "I wish I knew what to tell you," Jeremy said then. "I really do. But you know me, Riley. All I can say is... you need to talk to Kelly, not me." Jeremy raised one hand -- fortunately not the one holding the soda. "And you're right. If he won't even look at you, talking to him might be difficult, but if you're serious about this -- about him -- I guess you need to figure it out." There wasn't much to say after that, Riley decided, or not about the whole Kelly situation. It was fucked up, yeah, but no amount of bitching to Jeremy was going to fix it. Instead, they made their way back to the living room couch, and Riley flipped a few more channels, stopping on an old NCIS rerun, and he and Jeremy bullshitted about that for a while, Riley pretending to be disgusted when Jeremy commented on how goodlooking all the guys were. Jeremy was right, really. The guys were kind of hot. But not the way Kelly was, damn it. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 197

Chapter Twelve On the one hand, Kelly was glad Riley was gone. It had been incredibly difficult to keep himself from looking at Riley. Even harder to keep the memory of Riley's body -- all that strong, warm muscle and hot, hard dick beneath Kelly while they rubbed and rocked and shot roughly against each other -- from his mind. On the other hand, Kelly couldn't deny that he was angry. Even while laughing and joking with Pauly, Randy, and James, beneath the surface? Oh, Kelly was definitely angry that Riley had just up and left so easily. Like it wasn't worth Riley's time to stay and give Kelly a reason to change his mind and loosen up, or maybe just get used to Riley being there so soon after whatever the hell the night before had been. Of course, that was part of the problem, and Kelly knew it. He wanted to write off the whole evening, including nudity and orgasms, as an experiment on Riley's part. Kelly truly wanted to believe that whatever they'd been doing hadn't meant anything, mostly because it would make his life easier. But the way Riley had spent so much time doing whatever Kelly asked -including moving that stupid table repeatedly -- seemed to imply that there might be more to it. That Riley had so obviously been trying to get Kelly to even look at him said more, still. The fact that Kelly hadn't been able to stand sneaking more than tiny glances at Riley told Kelly even more. It wasn't exactly shocking to realize that Riley drew him. Kelly had been clear about that much from the very first day. Back then, Kelly had thought there was something going on between Riley and Peter Jamison, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 198

though. In truth, Kelly had believed Riley was gay, or at least gay enough to be involved with a man sexually. Then learning Riley was straight had put the man into a different mental category on Kelly's part, and that had made things easier, right up until that kiss. The first one. Then the second one and the naked coming all over each other. Kelly groaned as he lifted the last corner of his new mattress and forced the corner of his equally new sheets to fit. "This sucks," he muttered to himself. Or not to himself, because someone answered. "It looks good to me." James was smirking a little in the doorway when Kelly turned away from the bed. Then the man strode into the bedroom and stopped beside Kelly, looking at the bed. "You've got a good color scheme going, anyway, or so Troy said. He's got my guys in the kitchen, by the way. They're trying to organize things so you'll be able to find them, which means you'll probably need to spend a day or so emptying your cupboards and putting everything where you actually want it." James switched from smirk to smile, and the change was so subtle yet dramatic that Kelly was stunned for a moment. "Or were you talking about whatever's going on between you and Riley? Because from what I saw earlier, you're right. It sucks. I just can't figure out which one of you is being the jackass." James chuckled and cocked his head. "Maybe both?" "I don't know what you're talking about," Kelly answered, his heart racing at the thought that he'd been so obvious -- and that James didn't seem to be surprised or even upset that Kelly had somehow seduced the selfproclaimed straight Riley. Unless that wasn't what James meant, which was always possible, Kelly realized. He and James barely knew each other, after all, and James Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 199

might simply mean that the friendship between Kelly and Riley was clearly on shaky ground. James snorted, and the next thing Kelly knew, he felt James' arm around his shoulders in a comforting hold. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," James said bluntly. "I'm a lawyer, Kelly. I'm smart enough to know what I was seeing earlier. So are my guys, but they're both too chicken-shit to say anything right now. They're afraid of making things worse." "And you're not?" James laughed. Not a chuckle but a real, full laugh. "I'm not afraid of anything. I've dodged enough bullets - mentally, emotionally, and literally -- in my life to know when weighing in is a better idea than discretion." Kelly frowned, caught between wanting to pull away from the slight but comforting weight of James' arm and wanting to lean against the man's side, accepting that solace. "Riley likes me," he finally said, and admitting it out loud felt both good and bad. "I mean, Riley seems to really like me. In the not-so-straight way. Except he still says he's straight, and I don't know what that means." He also didn't know what it meant that he was confiding in James, but Kelly figured he didn't have much choice. He didn't have any close friends in Hartford, and he already knew what calling anyone in San Francisco would get him. His friends back home had been there for the entire Bob fiasco. Their reactions would most likely have matched Kelly's own instinctive response. Meaning, they'd have told Kelly to do exactly what he was already doing -- pushing Riley away. And maybe James would tell him the same thing, but for some reason, James' opinion mattered. Possibly because James had known Riley for a while. "It means Riley thinks of himself as straight," James said softly, and Kelly felt his heart plummet down to Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 200

somewhere near his stomach. "But he's not necessarily so straight where you're concerned. Christ, I knew that much when we all went to the Habitat that night." Another laugh, low and intimate-sounding. "I know we left before you guys did, but I didn't miss the way Riley was watching you. Have you ever seen a kid in a candy store when he's just gotten his allowance? Because that's the kind of look he had." James released Kelly's shoulder and Kelly felt a little cold all of a sudden. "He wasn't really looking around the club. He wasn't shopping. He was just looking at you, Kelly. Nobody else even registered, and I can say that because I know Ry-ry. He's been to the club with us at least a hundred times before, and he never seriously checked out anyone, not truly, until you." "How can he be straight, then?" Because that was the damned question, wasn't it? And maybe it sounded more like a demand than a request for information, but Kelly didn't care. "I mean, it's flattering and everything, but... I like him, too," Kelly muttered, his cheeks growing warm with the admission. "I really like him, James, but I've already done the whole 'I'm not exactly gay, but I want you' thing with someone before and it turned out he had a wife! And a kid! And for whatever reason, I can't stand the idea of being with Riley and having it turn out to be just some thing! I just..." Kelly frowned and shook his head, meeting James' eyes. "I can't." James blinked, then blinked again before smiling. The smile was merely a quirk of the man's lips, but Kelly saw it. "Ry-ry doesn't have a wife, and as far as I know, he doesn't have any kids, either." Kelly snorted, but James went on as though the sound hadn't registered. "He grew up here, in Connecticut," James said bluntly. "Ry-ry's uncle is gay. Most of his friends are gay. Even his parents are gay-friendly, though they Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 201

might have a few issues if he ends up in a relationship with a man. Riley Senior and Maureen are exactly the type of people who would make incredible grandparents, and I'm sure they won't be thrilled to learn that it might never happen. But Riley's almost twenty-eight, Kelly. He's dated more women than you could shake a stick at." James paused, then smirked. "Well, I suppose it's physically possible to shake a stick at them, but you know what I mean." Kelly laughed a little. He couldn't help it. "I hate to think about what sort of stick Riley may have shaken at them." He was thrilled to find that his tone came out as jokingly as he'd intended, even while he admitted silently that he meant it. He really did hate to think about it. "And I'm sorry, but what's your point?" James rolled his eyes and moved a couple steps, then sat down on the edge of Kelly's bed. "My point, Kelly, is that it isn't fair to judge Ry-ry by whoever it was that hurt you before. Our Ry-ry's had more than enough chance to find himself a permanent relationship with a woman. And maybe he just hasn't met the right one, but maybe it's not about gender. Maybe it's about finding the right person. And with the way he was looking at you at the club that night, and the way he was trying to get you to look at him earlier...? Maybe that person is you." James shrugged. "I can't think of any other reason why our straight-boy Ry-ry would be so determined." God, Kelly didn't have any idea about how to respond to that. He truly didn't. But he wasn't at all surprised when he heard himself saying, "Don't call him Ry-ry." He wasn't even surprised by the bit of growl in his own voice.

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When James laughed again, Kelly couldn't deny that the man had reason. Hell, Kelly couldn't even deny that his own words had sounded jealous. "If I were you," James said then, "I'd haul my hot little ass upstairs and take Ry-ry to bed, but that's just me. I'm not suggesting that sex solves anything, but it couldn't hurt. Well, it couldn't hurt too much. I can't be sure, but judging by the way he wears his jeans, that boy's probably hung well enough to cause just the right kind of pain." It was only James' wink that kept Kelly from snarling at the idea of the man checking out Riley's package. Well, that and the way James was still saying Ry-ry, like James wanted to provoke a response. So instead of letting James see just how annoyed Kelly was at the nickname, Kelly smiled sweetly. "What makes you think I'd be the bottom?" Kelly asked, his heart thundering away again as he remembered Riley begging Kelly to do him. Remembering it for probably the five-hundredth time. He hadn't believed Riley really meant it, but James had honestly made some really good points. Riley definitely wasn't homophobic, as Kelly had good reason to know. And God help him, but Kelly definitely wanted Riley. It had just about killed him to turn Riley down when Riley had demanded to be... well. Demanded to have Kelly inside him. James made a sound Kelly couldn't identify as anything but amusedly shocked. "Oh, Kelly," James said, sounding apologetic, "if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Riley's a top. He's much too 'in charge' to ever roll over for anyone. God knows he's commented enough about my boy Pauly's ass before, and how he'd tear it up if he swung that way. He's large and in charge, Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 203

but that's not really surprising. I'm sure he'll treat you right if you decide to give him the chance." Kelly managed to hold back the laugh that wanted to burst from his lips. "Wait. He's talked about doing Pauly? Seriously?" James chuckled. "He's mentioned it. Of course, he's also mentioned doing Troy. And Randy. And Jeremy, once or twice. Honestly, I don't think any of us has ever assumed him to be entirely straight. Which brings us right back to you." James tilted his head to the side and offered up a considering gaze. "If he's tried to get to you, Kelly, there's a very good chance that it's not simple curiosity. He's had ample opportunity to satisfy that -with myself and my guys, even. So it's just you that he likes that way, and if you're as smart as I think you are, and as interested in him as you seem, you'll forget about the whole dubiously straight thing and do whatever it takes to make sure you're both happy. And I do mean both, and happy. Because I know Riley far better than I know you, but if he likes you as much as it seems, then I'm fully prepared to like you, too. Without the sex, of course. And I don't think you're the type to fuck him over, any more than I think he'd do that to you." Kelly wasn't sure about what he said to James after that. He just wasn't. His mind was too full with wondering whether he could manage to apologize and explain things to Riley in a way that wouldn't seem accusatory or pathetic. There weren't that many ways to say "Hey, that guy I mentioned before said he was bi and said he wanted to be exclusive, and I ended up in a so-called 'relationship' with him for long enough that I still feel betrayed by how it turned out," were there? As it turned out, Kelly didn't have to say any of that. He just left his new bedroom and wandered to the kitchen, where Pauly, Randy, and Troy really were Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 204

putting things away in very odd locations. He told them he'd be back in a while and they should just relax and possibly have a few drinks or something. Riley was on the phone when Kelly reached the second floor of the house, but Jeremy was just leaving. Kelly offered the guy a smile and Jeremy smiled back. It was a smile with sharp edges that Jeremy offered, though. "He's my best friend and I love him," Jeremy murmured in passing. "Hurt him and we're going to have a problem." Jeremy was past him and halfway down the stairs by the time Kelly made sense of the words, but that was fine. Kelly was too caught up in watching Riley through the open apartment door. Then Kelly closed that door behind him and moved closer to the couch. He heard Riley talking, and what he heard was enough to make it clear that the person on the other end of the line was James. Then Riley hung up and sighed, and Kelly realized Riley didn't know anyone was there. Which made sense, since Jeremy had been leaving. "I'm sorry," Kelly said after a few moments of the television providing the only sounds. Riley jumped and turned on the couch, wide eyes meeting Kelly's equally wide gaze. Kelly couldn't help it, though. The stunned look in Riley's eyes was amazing. Watching it turn to happy in less than a second only made it more so. "I. You're. What?" Yeah, Riley sounded just as floored as he looked, and Kelly couldn't deny that it had him feeling like a god. "I'm sorry," Kelly said again. "I haven't been fair to you. Not even a little bit. And I should have been." He clasped his hands together, squeezing his own fingers as they tangled. "I told you about that guy. Bob. Well, he was..." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 205

Kelly repeated the story for what felt like the fiftieth time as he rounded the couch and sat down on it beside Riley. "So when you said--" Riley groaned, but he reached out to grasp Kelly's hand, and Kelly couldn't help making space between his own fingers for Riley's. "Dude." Riley sighed. "That fucking sucks." Kelly nodded. "But that has fuck-all to do with me. And you. Us." Kelly sighed and nodded slowly. "I know. I wasn't telling you that because... well, okay. I was using it as an excuse. I mean, I never loved him, but there was something there, you know? Maybe just my own expectation that when he said 'exclusive,' it meant--" "What? Exclusive?" Riley pulled on his hand and Kelly didn't bother to fight it. "I might be pretty much straight, aside from you, or maybe it's just that guys who are my 'type' don't come along all that often, but whatever. If you let me be yours, Kelly, you'll never need to worry about whether I'm messing around with anyone else. Male or female. And I guess I get why you got all bent out of shape when I lied to you, but I'd never lie about anything that really fucking mattered. Fuck, I won't lie to you on purpose again. I really fucking won't." Riley blushed, and Kelly took it as a promise. "I. Okay." It wasn't a declaration, as such, but judging by the way Riley's lips found his own, Kelly figured it was enough. For the moment, anyway. Then there was tongue, and enough became nowhere close to enough, but it was Riley's lips and tongue and hard body against his own. It was amazing. And awesome. And maybe a little bit scary, but Kelly could handle scary. He could handle Riley, too. Happily. *** Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 206

There was something about leading Kelly to the bedroom that had Riley sweating in the metaphorical sense, rather than the great-globs-of-wet way. Maybe it was because the overwhelming passion of the last time wasn't the driving force. Oh, Riley was feeling incredibly fucking passionate, and he was pretty sure Kelly was, too, but it was different. Like maybe they were going into it with their eyes wide fucking open instead of being blinded by lust. Either way, Riley liked feeling Kelly's hand in his own. Liked the way Kelly's fingers -- longer and more slender than his own -- felt. Fuck if Riley didn't more than like it. He loved it. Loved squeezing Kelly's digits where they tangled with his, and he had a complete fucking hard on for the small sounds Kelly made with each tightening. Maybe he should have said something more, Riley thought. Something that would make his position clearer. Unfortunately, Riley didn't know what the fuck that might be. He couldn't say he was in love with Kelly, not without lying, and he knew how Kelly felt about lies. That would be the wrong way to start whatever it was he and Kelly were starting. But he couldn't claim to just like the guy, either. Riley had liked plenty of dudes before, and none of those likings had ever led to nakedness and sex. As that was where Riley hoped things were going with Kelly right then, he was a little bit lost. There wasn't much time to think about it, either, because the hall wasn't all that long. "Uh." God, he sounded like a fucking halfwit. Shit. And Kelly was looking at him like Riley was exactly that, all of a sudden. Fucking fuck. If Kelly had been a woman, Riley would have known what to say, or even Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 207

what not to say. Something cheesy and romantic, most likely. But Kelly was a guy, and... Maybe Jer's right and I should just say what I'm thinking. Or feeling, because fuck if I know how to say what I'm thinking without sounding like a fucking moron. It was worth a try, anyway. Riley stopped just inside his bedroom door and turned, using his hold on Kelly's hand to pull the guy closer. Then he closed his eyes for about a second before opening them and giving his mouth free fucking rein. "Kelly. Look, I don't want there to be any fucking misunderstandings, okay?" Kelly seemed to freeze, or at least he went utterly still. Riley couldn't even swear the guy was breathing. Then a small shudder passed through Kelly. Riley felt the small tremors of it in the hand he still held as Kelly nodded. "Okay," Kelly said, his voice close to a whisper. "At least this time I'll hear it before the sex, right?" Oh, for fuck's sake. "Jesus Christ. It's nothing bad." Riley paused, then offered a small smile and an equally minuscule shrug. "At least I don't think it is. It's just..." He sighed and forced himself to continue. "I need to tell you something, man." Deep brown eyes met Riley's and there was something in them, something Riley was maybe imagining, that had him wanting to rewind the last few seconds. Fucking time wasn't likely to accommodate him, though, and Riley knew it, so he pushed on, pulling Kelly even closer. "This. Whatever the fuck this is," Riley said, his head bowed just enough that his lips were less than an inch from Kelly's, "I like it. A whole fucking lot. And I never expected to feel like this about anyone, especially not a dude. But I do, and it's you, and I don't think I'll ever Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 208

feel this way about anyone else. Shit, I never have, and it's been my whole fucking life without it 'til now." Kelly seemed to be paying attention. His gaze somehow sharpened, even from so close. "And?" Kelly asked, the word barely more than a breath. "And I meant what I said before," Riley rumbled, his own eyes leaving Kelly's to lock on the guy's lips. "I want you. Not just for now, okay? I might not be all fucking in love with you or whatever. Not yet. But I think... Fuck, Kelly. I more than like you, so maybe I just love you, man. 'In love' will probably happen soon. I can't figure any reason it wouldn't. But I just want you to know, this fucking means something. It means a lot. I don't want us to be some weird-ass, bullshit thing." Kelly was quiet then. Riley knew it was only for a few seconds, but it felt like a fucking eternity. Then Kelly laughed, soft and slow. "I never thought it would be possible, but even with all your cussing? That's possibly the most romantic thing I've ever heard." Kelly sounded amused, but the way he was suddenly pressed up against Riley made it clear that the guy meant it. "And I understand the difference between love and being in love," Kelly added. "I'm glad you do, too." Then Kelly's mouth was on his, and Riley gave up on more fucking words. He didn't need them and neither did Kelly. Not right then. What they needed were hands stripping clothes away, and tongues working in tandem. Skin on skin and soft moans that became sharper, rougher as they set out to explore each other. Riley learned that his nipples were far more sensitive than he'd ever known before, and that the backs of Kelly's knees were a hot spot. He discovered that Kelly's lube-slicked fingers, while slender, were incredibly skillful when pushing inside him, and that Kelly seemed Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 209

to have a belly button kink. At least, Kelly appeared to enjoy shoving his tongue in and out of Riley's navel, and Riley was surprised to find himself gasping every time Kelly did it. Of course, he also gasped and moaned each time Kelly's fingers slid deeper inside him and twisted. "Now," Riley groaned, after however much time had passed. It could have been minutes or hours, but fuck if he cared. All Riley knew was that he was going to go completely fucking insane if Kelly didn't get inside him already. "Fuck, Kelly! Now, okay?" The long black hair that had been trailing so wickedly over his skin moved as Kelly raised his head, and Riley almost came from the heat in Kelly's eyes when their gazes met. "Are you still sure you want--" Kelly started to ask, and Riley cut him off. "Fuck me," Riley demanded. Then, "Please," when Kelly's face twisted with what looked like uncertainty. "Please, Kelly. I just really need... Fuck. I need you, okay? Just you. In me. Now." Riley watched as Kelly's teeth closed over that bottom lip, but Kelly nodded. "I. Yeah. Okay. I just. I want you to be sure." "Dude," Riley said, grinning as much as he could while laid out naked with Kelly's fingers up his ass. "If I was any more sure, I'd be a can of fucking deodorant. So stop making us both fucking crazy and get on with it!" Kelly laughed, his fingers delving deeper, and Riley let out a small cry as those digits brushed right up against his prostate. "Get on with what? Doing that? Again?" Kelly asked, and just that quickly, things went from entirely too serious to just funny enough to be fun. Riley chuckled and shifted enough to reach the nightstand drawer. "Yeah. Do that again, man," he answered as he groped inside for condoms, then found the tube of lubricant on the bed. "All of it. Now." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 210

Kelly shook his head and pulled his fingers from Riley's hole, and Riley moaned, finally understanding how it was possible to feel empty down there. "Soon, but not quite yet," Kelly murmured, and Riley snorted. "I don't want to see any regrets," Kelly added quietly. Riley nodded and dropped the necessities beside Kelly, then turned and settled himself on hands and knees in the middle of the bed. "I guess this'll work, if it's more your thing." But Christ, he hoped it wasn't. He really did want to be able to see Kelly the first time Kelly pushed inside him. Wanted to be sure Kelly was seeing him, too, and not some nameless, faceless fuck. "I meant I wanted to be able to see how sure you are," Kelly said simply. "But it might be better to start this way. It's one of the easier positions for someone new to, um…" "Getting fucked?" Riley suggested, and okay. "Dude, I'm totally following your lead here. As long as it's not because you don't want to look at me." Kelly's laugh was quiet and Riley felt Kelly's hands shifting Riley's thighs just a bit farther apart. "I would love to see you," Kelly answered, sounding so sincere that Riley couldn't doubt those words. "This way should hurt less, but believe me, Riley. I'm only seeing you." Kelly's hands moved, stroking skin, and then slick digits circled Riley's hole again. "Oh! Oh, that's... yeah. Do that some more, Kelly!" Those long, slender fingers felt even better pushing inside him the second time. "Oh, fuck!" *** God, it was unbelievable, but Kelly was seeing it with his own eyes -- feeling it with his own hands. And what he was seeing and feeling made it clear that Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 211

whatever Riley was experiencing right then, regret wasn't even in the ballpark. He pushed his fingers deep one more time, adding a slow twist of his wrist, and Riley gasped out some combination of moan and plea that went directly to Kelly's already full, tight balls. He fumbled for the string of condoms Riley'd more or less thrown at him, silently cursing the manufacturer for making it so difficult to separate one from the rest with just one hand. But screw it. He wasn't willing to stop stretching Riley yet, so he made it work, just as he made opening the single packet with his teeth work, though he got a slight and unwelcome tinge of spermicidal lubricant on his lips. Even so, it was worth it. "Fuck!" Riley shot the word out, sharp as glass to Kelly's ears as that muscular rear pushed back, forcing Kelly's fingers deeper. "Seriously, man, that's enough fucking stretching, okay? I want you to shove your cock up there, not the fucking Death Star!" "I'm getting there," Kelly answered, his voice shaking with repressed laughter and not-so-repressed need. "I don't want to hurt you." A snort filled the room for a second. "Dude. Unless you're hung like King fucking Kong, which I know you're not, I'm thinking I'm good to go. So fucking go!" Kelly shook his head and smiled as Riley's head turned, the man's eyes glaring at him from over one very broad shoulder. "You don't even know the meaning of the word 'patience,' do you?" he asked, surprised to find that he was really enjoying Riley's irreverent attitude. Kelly wasn't sure why it surprised him, though. He'd been scandalized, mortified, and completely taken aback by some of the things Riley had said in the past, but he'd always enjoyed the guy's perspective. That devil-maycare-but-I-don't kind of mentality. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 212

"I know 'patience' means pretending to be happy to wait for shit," Riley replied, and Kelly moaned softly when Riley's hole closed tighter around his digits. "I figure we're both here and you've got your fucking fingers up my ass, so unless you're running for sainthood or some such shit, I'm tired of waiting. Get a move on, man! Or did you change your mind? I've never really studied my naked ass, but if you don't like it..." "Shut up," Kelly said, carefully twisting his fingers inside Riley one more time. "Just like the rest of you, your ass is gorgeous, okay?" Riley smirked, then Kelly lost their locked gaze because Riley's head dropped forward, apparently so Riley could stare at the bed again. "I figured. I do a good glutes workout. Now, will you just fucking-- Oh!" Kelly chuckled at the sound Riley made, then dragged his fingers fully from the tight, hot clench of Riley's hole. He drizzled a small line of lube over the opening, then spread a bit more along his own latexsheathed dick. His lube-free hand latched onto Riley's hip while he used the other to position himself, and as much as he wanted to just push right in, Kelly paused. "Try to relax," he murmured, his voice shaking again. This time the trembles were from being so close to inside, not laughter. All of a sudden, Kelly didn't feel like laughing at all. "I'm going to take this really slowly, Riley. I want you to like it, okay?" He didn't wait for Riley to respond. Instead, Kelly pressed forward just a tiny bit. Just enough to feel Riley's well-prepared entry start to give. Then he pulled back even less before pushing forward again, and Riley moaned. It wasn't a deep moan, or a loud one, but it seemed to brush over Kelly's skin, traveling from the tops of his ears to the tip of his dick and back again. It was a Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 213

helpless moan, and Kelly couldn't do anything but repeat his motions, in the hope of earning another sound like that one. "Oh, fuck." It was nearly a whisper, but Kelly heard it. Wanton enough that Kelly wasn't sure Riley had meant to say it out loud. Low enough that Kelly pushed just a tiny bit harder, went a little bit deeper, and felt the strong, lube-slicked ring of Riley's hole almost close over the ridge of his prick. One more small shove later, there was no almost about it. Kelly gasped quietly, the sound lost under Riley's strong grunt, but that was fine. Hearing that rough, loud exhalation was just as exciting as the sensation of Riley's body wrapped so tightly around his tip. Kelly couldn't remember ever feeling so damned right. The hand Kelly had been using to direct himself moved to grasp Riley's other hip, and Kelly bit his lip as he pressed deeper, the lubricant countering the natural tightness of Riley's body in a way that was both perfection and torment. "God, you feel good," Kelly managed to say, and Riley pushed back, not slowly or carefully. He just shoved that incredible ass back hard, taking the rest of Kelly's shaft deep. "Oh, God!" "Now, that's..." Riley panted for a moment before finishing his sentence, "That's what I'm talking about. Fuck, that feels weird. Good. But fucking weird." Kelly's eyes narrowed and he gripped Riley's hips tighter. "I'll show you weird. See if I ever try to take it easy on you again." Riley's head rose from what had apparently been careful contemplation of the sheets, and Kelly almost laughed at the smug look on Riley's face when Riley looked back at him over one broad shoulder. "Bring it on, man," Riley grumbled, and Kelly did. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 214

He pulled back, leaving only his tip wrapped in the heat and strength of Riley's body. Then Kelly shoved forward, his sac slapping against Riley's just hard enough to be heard. And Riley's body went even tighter, tensing roughly as a strangled-sounding cry left Riley's lips. Those eyes closed, Riley's head dropping forward again. "Oh, God. I'm sorry!" Kelly's hands slid from Riley's hips, moving under the man's torso to hold Riley in a hug. After what he'd just done, Kelly figured Riley deserved at least that small comfort. "I'm so sorry! Let me. I'll stop. I. I was too rough and I hurt you and..." And Riley's cry faded, turned into a laugh that sounded more surprised than anything else. Wondering. That's what Riley's laugh sounded like. Like Riley couldn't quite believe something but liked it. A lot. "No," Riley mumbled a moment later, just as Kelly was steeling himself to pull out of Riley and let the man recover from being handled so roughly. "Fuck. No, Kell. That was. It didn't hurt. I just..." Riley's hole spasmed around Kelly's dick, and Kelly moaned. "That rocked! Seriously, dude, I just came all over the fucking bed. From one good thrust. Shit, I think I like this gay-buttsex stuff. Don't stop." Oh, God. He came? Just from... Jesus. And he doesn't want me to stop. "I. I can do that. I can absolutely not stop," Kelly said, relief singing through him. And Riley rocked back against him, which made any possibility of stopping pretty much nonexistent. "Oh, God." As it turned out, not stopping didn't mean going on for much longer, because Riley started making the hottest growling sounds every time Kelly pushed deep, and that stellar ass just got tighter and tighter, which Kelly thought might be a violation of the laws of Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 215

physics. The sad truth was, it took less than five minutes before Kelly was panting and sweating and making his own stuttered cries, and when he moved his hand to Riley's groin and found that Riley was hard again, that was it. Kelly gasped out something even he couldn't identify and took Riley's prick in a tight grasp. One stroke, then a second, in time with Kelly's own thrusts into the tight heat that was Riley's body, and they both came roughly, Kelly filling the rubber he wore with shot after shot of viscous seed while Riley spilled wildly onto the sheets again. "Oh, God," Kelly murmured for about the fiftieth time, his cheek resting on Riley's shoulder blade, his dick still buried deep. Riley was the only thing holding him up, damn it, he felt so orgasm-drugged. "God, Riley." "Shit, yeah," Riley said then, sounding just a bit raspy. "That fucking rocked, man. Um, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm gonna collapse in the fucking wet spot in about a minute, Kell. So. Look, I don't know if there's some sort of gay fucking etiquette for this kind of thing, but do you think you could maybe haul your fucking cock out of me before that happens? I'm not anti-jizz or anything, but it's not something I want to be face down in. Dick down in. Whatever." Kelly laughed quietly, then forced himself to move. "Sorry. It's one of the hazards of the... what did you call it? Oh, right. It's one of the hazards of the 'gay-butt-sexstuff' you were talking about." He pulled slowly from Riley's body, the fingers of one hand holding the edge of the condom, then removed the used item gingerly. "Lie on your stomach. I'm just going to get cleaned up a little, then I'll take care of you, okay?" Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 216

Kelly didn't wait for a response. He just hauled his lethargic self from the bed and made his way to Riley's bathroom, where he disposed of the full rubber and ran the water until it was warm. He wiped at himself with a washcloth that looked as though it had seen better days, then rinsed it and squeezed out the excess water before returning to the bedroom. Riley had apparently been busy while he was gone, Kelly saw, because the top sheet -- the one Riley had come on twice -- was on the floor at the foot of the bed, and Riley was waiting on his stomach, just as Kelly had asked. Riley's head was turned toward the bathroom, but the man's eyes were closed and there was such an expression of bliss on Riley's relaxed face that Kelly paused for a moment, just to look. There was also something about seeing all that muscle and lightly-haired skin displayed for him that had Kelly's body getting interested again. Knowing he'd already been inside Riley and that Riley had enjoyed it so much only added to the building desire. "Spread your legs a little," Kelly said as he sat down on the side of the bed. "Let me take care of you." Riley released a little hum that sounded satisfied to Kelly, then those strong thighs spread, letting Kelly see the deeply pink hole he'd plundered so thoroughly just minutes before. "Mmmm..." Riley hummed again when Kelly carefully swiped the damp cloth over the slightly swollen opening. "Feels good, Kell. But you felt better." God, there were still so many questions, but Kelly wasn't ready to ask them yet. Like what Riley's parents were going to say, and how much they were going to hate Kelly for turning their son gay. Except he hadn't done that, really. Riley still identified himself as straight, for the most part. But in that moment -- sitting on Riley's bed while soothing the small hurt he'd caused Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 217

-- Kelly couldn't make himself care about Riley's parents. He was too busy caring about Riley.

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Chapter Thirteen Riley was pretty sure the twinkies-three, along with Jeremy and Troy, knew something had happened with Kelly that day two weeks earlier. Fuck, the smug little glances they'd all shared once Riley and Kelly had rejoined the moving-in experience kind of guaranteed it. Only James seemed to have noticed that Riley was moving a little less easily than usual, but fuck if Riley gave a shit. The guys could think whatever they wanted. Fuck knew they did anyway, and it wasn't Riley's job to clue them about anything that happened between him and Kell. It wasn't any of their fucking business, just like it wasn't Riley's business about what the threesome or the twosome got up to. What definitely was Riley's business, though, was the redhead he saw trying to drag Riley's boyfriend onto the dance floor when Riley came back from the bar at the Habitat with Citrus Explosions for himself and Kelly. That was so much Riley's business, in fact, that Riley had to stop wending his way through the crowd and lean against a wall for a moment while catching his breath. Then he noticed that the redhead looked familiar, which required a few more slow, deep breaths before moving on. "Leonard, right?" Riley said with a smile that felt toothy and dangerous on his lips. "I don't think we've ever met." He knew they hadn't, but fuck it. Kelly called the guy a friend, so Riley would at least try to be pleasant. "I would have gotten you a drink if I'd known you were here." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 219

As long as you're not trying to make time with my fucking lover, you shit, because the minute you touch him anywhere that's not G-rated, I'm so gonna kick your ass... or die trying. Because Riley suddenly remembered what Kelly had said about Leonard taking classes at the martial arts school that had finally been fully renovated and had reopened just a few days before. Riley had seen the school and met the other owner, Harry. Harry didn't worry him at all, but Leonard? Oh, there was something about the way the guy was looking at Kelly that had Riley's hackles up. "Don't ask me how, but someone introduced the owners, I guess, to Kelly's drink," Riley continued. "They must like it because they for fucking sure have everything they need to make it now, even the pureed mandarin fucking oranges. Do you have everything you need, Leonard?" Yeah, he kind of sounded like a prick, but fuck it. "I could get you another one of these babies, but you can't have mine." Kelly laughed and leaned against Riley's side, taking the cocktail with a smile. "Be nice," Kelly ordered. "Poor Leonard had a date tonight and it went badly. He needs some friend-loving." Riley arched a brow, looking at the redhead again and finally noticing the way the guy's lips were turned down at the corners. "Dude," he said, deciding to give Leonard the benefit of the doubt, "that fucking sucks. You want me to kick his ass for you? Because I don't even fucking know you, but if my Kell says the guy was a shithead, I'm all over teaching him a lesson. Or giving you an alibi if you can handle the ass-kicking all on your own." Yeah. That made it clear enough, Riley figured. Made it clear that Kelly was his, but that Riley wasn't about to try dictating who Kelly could be friends with. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 220

Leonard laughed, that sort-of frown fading. "It was a date. A first date. A friend -- or rather a former friend -set it up." Leonard shook his head. "I'll just say that it's never a good sign when someone starts talking about fisting before the appetizers arrive. It's an even worse sign when they ask whether you've ever worn a saddle, then tell you they have plans for you… and it truly sucks when they sound so sincere you feel the need to sneak out through the kitchen, which luckily in this case was right beside the bathrooms." Leonard shivered, which was a good thing as far as Riley was concerned. He didn't feel like displaying his ignorance in front if the guy. Riley was still very new to the whole gay life, or at least new to experiencing it firsthand, and while he'd heard of fisting -- it made him shudder, but to each his own -- the whole saddle concept was entirely foreign. And sounded vaguely filthy. Judging by the looks on not only Leonard's face, but Kelly's, too? Riley was sure he didn't want to know. "I'll say it again," Riley said. "That fucking sucks. Badly." He turned to Kelly. "Dude. Don't you know someone better than that kind of fucking shit-wad to fix your buddy up with? For fuck's sake, what's the use of having a whole gay-posse if you're not gonna use it to benefit your fucking friends?" Kelly laughed and leaned harder against his side, and Riley knew a silly grin was spreading across his face, but he couldn't quite manage to care. He ignored the amused gazes from the twinkies-three, as well as the outright smirks Jer and Ballard were throwing their way, too. Fuck them. Riley could give a shit if they were amused by his Kelly-inspired gayness. "Maybe..." Kelly started to say, just as Riley said "Dude!" to Leonard. Then "Sorry, Kell." Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 221

Kelly shook his head while Leonard just looked confused. "Go ahead, Riley." Kelly smiled. "I think we were about to say the same thing, anyway, but it's better coming from you, since you know them better." Leonard only looked even more confused, so Riley shrugged. "Okay. Look, we have this friend. I mean, Kelly and I do." Leonard nodded and Riley went on. "I guess 'friends' is more like it. Anyway, they have this fucking awesome party every Monday night and it's pretty much a who's who of gay-fucking-Hartford. You should come. Dude, let us introduce you to Ballard. He's a pain in the fucking ass, but he's good people." "Troy's also Riley's best friend's boyfriend," Kelly added. "Worst case, you go to a party and have a good time." Riley smiled as they ditched Leonard with Jer and Ballard, and while he hadn't made any sort of announcement or anything, nobody batted an eye when he pulled Kelly out onto the dance floor a few minutes later. Their drinks had been abandoned on some table or other, but Riley didn't care about that. What he cared about was right there in his arms, swaying gently to the fast-paced, frenetic beat of some techno-centric mess that was passing for music. "We should probably head home soon," Kelly said against his ear after a few sways. "You need to make the rounds in the morning and meet people." Riley sighed, but Kelly was right. He was starting his new job the next day, acting as manager for the many houses Peter owned. And it wasn't anything sketchy, either. The man who'd been doing that had decided to retire, right on schedule, and Peter had offered Riley the position. He'd never suggested it before because Riley Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 222

had seemed happy enough working for Safe Haven Security. The job wasn't even that different from what Riley had been doing at the house where he and Kelly lived, either. It was just on a larger scale. Repairs, a monthly walk-through to look for possible future problems. And no matter what Riley's uncle's... friend, Dex, thought, Riley was qualified to do that much. The job didn't require working nights, except in the event of an emergency, and that meant more time to spend with Kelly, which Riley didn't have a single problem with. "We should probably head home right the fuck now," Riley answered, holding Kelly closer and tighter. "I figure we're gonna need at least a few hours in bed before we go to fucking sleep. Besides, aren't your people supposed to get here tomorrow night? We should probably get it out of our systems before we're fucking cock-blocked by your family." And Riley wanted to try that whole cock-sucking thing again. He wasn't sure he liked it, but he didn't hate it, either, and it was Kelly's cock, so it was only fair that he keep trying. Besides, Riley thought it might be the taste of latex that was putting him off. "Mom and Doug are going to love you," Kelly said with a grin, and Riley let himself believe that reassurance. "So are Robin and Mandy. Grandfather, too, when we go out to San Francisco to see him. You're a good guy, Riley. They'll all love you just as much as I do." "In a different fucking way, I hope," Riley said automatically, and Kelly blushed. Even with the flashing lights in the club, Riley could see that alabaster skin turn darker. Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 223

Kelly shook his head like he couldn't believe Riley had said that. Then Kelly grinned. "Remember, you need to watch your language. Mom doesn't cuss, my brother and sister aren't allowed, and Doug's learned better. Just be glad my grandfather doesn't like to travel. He'd smack you down for every word. Then you'd be in the hospital for, like, six years. Oh, and remember to invite the Hendersons over at least once. It might do their kids good to see a bi-racial family where race isn't an issue." Riley simply smiled and, once the current song ended, took Kelly's hand. He led him from the dance floor and got their jackets from the coat check, waving a good night to the twinkies, as well as Jer, Ballard, and Leonard. When they were finally outside and standing beside Kelly's bike, Riley took Kelly's face in his hands and pressed a long, slow kiss to Kelly's lips. "Your brother and sister are lucky to have a big brother like you," Riley said bluntly. "And I fucking love that you can think of the Hendersons and their fucking family drama when you just met them. I didn't have any fucking clue that your stepdad was black until you told me. Now, take me home and fuck me, Kell. And do me a favor, okay?" Kelly blinked, but he nodded as he unlocked the mechanism holding the matched helmets to the bike. "Okay. If it's something I can do, I will." "First, make some time before work tomorrow to get tested at the clinic with me. I'm tired of spending so much fucking money on rubbers when we might not need them." Riley smirked at the stunned look Kelly gave him. "Second, see if Goober can stay up in my apartment with your family. Fuck knows I love the giant stinky-face mutt, but isn't he like your folks' grandkid or Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour - 224

something? It'd kick serious ass to be able to sleep without needing to wake up and let him out. Even with the fence we added, he likes to go in and out at the worst fucking times. Usually when we're going in-and-out, man. So that would help, okay?" Because having even one night without the pup would be the shit. Of course, just being with Kelly was that. Yeah, Riley thought as he pressed up against Kelly's back while they wove through the streets to home, the Harley rumbling beneath them... this was the shit. The good shit. He and Kelly had it good. There were moments of sweetness and seconds of sour, but between them they'd found the perfect medium. They played off each other and managed to be happy, and while Riley couldn't swear that what they had would last forever, he was completely certain that they would both do their best to make sure that it did. It's more than most people have. More than I ever hoped for. And fuck if I'm not gonna do whatever it takes to stay this happy and make sure Kelly does, too. He turned his head, laying the side of his helmet against Kelly's leather-clad shoulder. Most people thought Riley was all large and in charge, but the truth was he'd only ever wanted to love and be loved, and when love was involved, nobody was truly in charge. Love was. And love seemed to be just fine with him and Kelly. That was pretty much all that mattered, as far as Riley was concerned.

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