Cupid's Chokehold
Chapter 1
Darius Hayes heard his front doorbell ring, and muttered to himself as he carefully set down the still-wet half-formed hunk of clay beside the spinning pottery wheel. He headed for his front door, picking up a rag as he went so that he could wipe his hands. Who could it be at this time of the day? His friends and family knew better than to disturb him when he was working in the afternoon, so it was probably a delivery of some kind. But as far as he knew, he hadn’t ordered anything lately.
He swung his front door open, then just stood there with his mouth ajar as he stared at the sight on his front doorstep. A scantily-clad man was standing there – and normally he would have appreciated the view, but this…was more than a little strange. For one thing, his visitor was wearing a DIAPER. Or what looked like a diaper, anyway. A swath of white cloth pinned at his hips really looked like a cloth diaper. Weirder still, he had a large pair of feathered wings attached to his back, and a glittery gold harness across his chest and shoulders. A wreath made of red and pink hearts was sitting atop his hair, and he was carrying a little bow with an arrow nocked in it. The arrow had a heart for a tip instead of a normal arrowhead.
The reaction of his visitor to the sight of him was just as dramatic. The man’s mouth fell open, and he gasped at Darius in disbelief. “You’re a black guy!” he blurted out, sounding stunned.
“The last time I checked, yeah,” Darius agreed dryly, eyeing this apparition. “And you’re…what? Cupid, I presume?”
“Oh, crap, I am SO gonna get fired,” muttered Cupid in dismay. “And I need this job, too. Shit!”
Darius folded his arms over his chest, feeling bemused. “Why will you get fired?” he asked curiously.
Cupid blinked a pair of sky blue eyes at this question, and then sighed gustily. “Because I was supposed to give a ‘Love-gram’ to a…” he consulted his inner forearm, where Darius was amused to see he had something written in ball-point ink, “Ms. Amy Chapman, from her Valentine Brian. So unless YOU’RE Ms. Amy Chapman, I am so totally screwed.”
Darius’s lips twitched. This had been totally worth being pulled away from his work. “I see,” he remarked. “Went to the wrong address?”
“Obviously,” Cupid snorted. “I wrote it down carefully, but I think that my sweat must have washed part of it off. I was wearing a light jacket over this, not only because it’s pretty cool today but to hide this get-up until it was time to do my shtick. Darn it, this sucks!” he burst out.
Darius felt rather sorry for the lost love messenger. “Well, you obviously still have part of her address,” he pointed out reasonably. “Why don’t you just look up Amy Chapmans in the phone book and take the one that has the address that matches the partial that you still have?”
The Cupid brightened up. “That’s a great idea! But…” his shoulders wilted, “I don’t have access to a phone book and I probably couldn’t get over there in time anyway. I ride a bike,” he explained, “Because I can’t afford a car. Either that or I take a bus. I was really psyched because YOUR address happened to be close to my apartment. But something tells me that I won’t get as lucky with this Amy Chapman person.”
He just looked so pathetic and helpless that Darius felt himself being drawn in despite himself. “Why don’t you come inside and use my phone book?” he told the Cupid in restrained amusement. “First we’ll find out where she lives, and then we’ll go from there.”
“Thanks, man!” Cupid cried, smiling at him. “You rock!”
Darius mused to himself silently that Cupid might not think that if he knew that the artist was eyeing his mostly-bare legs as he walked into the foyer of the house. “The phone book is over there on the desk,” he said, and the other man moved speedily to pick it up and flip through it.
“Chapel, Chappell, Chapman, here it is,” he said, his finger poised over the page. “Oh, crap!”
“Not nearby I take it?” Darius asked.
Cupid’s wings were definitely drooping. “No,” he said mournfully. “It’s halfway across town. I’ll never make it. I was supposed to deliver it today on her lunch break. It’ll take me an hour to get there by bus, by which time she’ll be back at work anyway. But thanks for letting me use the phone book,” he sighed as he set it down.
Darius didn’t know whether to laugh or commiserate, so he decided to split the difference. “Wait,” he told Cupid. “Just let me get my car keys. I’ll drive you over there.”
The blue eyes nearly bugged out as Cupid gaped at him. “What?!” he yelped. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I don’t want you to lose your job,” Darius explained. “Not when it will be really easy for me to help you. I’m an artist; I don’t work on a set schedule.”
“Oh, wow,” Cupid breathed. “You are so totally nice, I can’t believe it. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll find a way to pay you back, seriously!”
Darius didn’t say aloud how he’d like the adorable Cupid to pay him back, since that was sure to send the other man scurrying away in terror. He walked over to pick up his car keys and waved toward the front door. “Let’s go, “he said. “Just make sure that you actually know the address, this time.”
“I got it,” Cupid replied eagerly, before running out the door after the artist like an eager puppy.
The drive took less than twenty minutes. Darius let his gaze go sideways to the half-dressed man sitting in his passenger’s seat. What a cutie, he thought to himself. He’d always had a thing for blondes, although his roommate in college had called him a traitor for liking white boys. But hell, you liked what you liked. And Cupid was definitely his type. He liked how the golden strap sandals showed off toned calves and a light sprinkling of very pale blonde hair. He had to drag his eyes away and back to the road, since if Cupid caught him ogling his bare legs the poor guy might jump out of the car in sheer, blind heterosexual panic.
“Here we are,” he said, pulling up at the right address.
“Thanks again, man!” Cupid cried, jumping out of the car. “I really appreciate this!”
“It was no problem,” Darius replied honestly. “Good luck with your…err…‘love-gram’.”
Cupid grinned at him, displaying an even set of white teeth. “Thanks. Ummm….would you stick around? I left my bike at your house, and I’d have to take the bus back to get it…”
“Sure,” Darius told him. He made a shooing motion with his hand. “Get going.”
Cupid ‘winged’ away down the sidewalk toward the apartment building that was his destination. Darius watched him go, admiring the nearly bare back under the bobbing wings. Hmm, not a bad distraction from his work at all, he thought to himself. It wasn’t every day that a cute guy wearing not much at all showed up on his doorstep. Actually, it had been awhile. He really needed to get out more.
He waited patiently, listening to the radio as he did so. Finally Cupid came loping back to his car and got in, careful of his wings. “Phew! All done!” he told Darius happily. “She was really excited to get the candy heart and the card from her boyfriend. I think that he’s going to propose to her soon,” he added. “Or that’s what she thinks, anyway. I could tell by her expression. I hope that she’s right. She seems like a nice girl.”
Darius chuckled as he pulled away from the curb. “You have an interesting job,” he noted.
“Yeah, it is. Although this costume is ridiculous,” he went on, holding up the tiny bow in disgust. “I don’t really like this time of year. I look like an idiot.”
“Actually, I kind of like it,” the artist replied, and then realized what he’d just said and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
Cupid gave him startled look. “You do?” he said, clearly surprised.
“Well, yes,” Darius began slowly, wracking his brains to think of a good reason why he liked the stupid-looking Cupid costume.
“Huh. Is it because I’m a studly God of Love?” the blonde asked impishly, flexing his muscles in a goofy way.
Darius moved in his seat a little, feeing his body becoming aroused. Oh, man, this was not good. It had been far too long since he’d gotten laid. “I’m sure that’s it,” he said aloud, albeit in a decidedly husky voice.
A giggle. The sound seemed to play arpeggios down his spine. “Okay. Anyway, my name’s Thom Nagley. What about you?”
“Darius, Darius Hayes. Nice to meet you Thom.”
“You too. You have been really great, Darius. I can’t thank you enough. If I’d gotten fired that would have been bad. I need to pay my rent, which unfortunately is two months behind. I lost my other job when the company I was working for went out of business, and this was the only thing that I could find. By the time I got the job my rent was behind. I'd be homeless if I lost this job too. So you have my unending and enduring thanks, Darius. You saved my life.”
“I was glad to,” he replied sincerely.
Silence fell between them for a moment, and then Thom sighed and remarked: “This is going to sound bad, but…I was wondering…?”
“Yes?” Darius glanced sideways at him briefly. The blonde was chewing on his lip a bit in a nervous habit. Made him want to kiss those pink lips, to plunder them ruthlessly.
“Well…Maybe we could…umm…go out sometime together. For a drink or something?”
Darius’s jaw dropped. He was being asked out?! By the adorable and completely attractive Cupid? But was this an actual request for a date? “Err…do you mean to hang out together? As friends?” he asked.
Thom scratched at his blonde head. “Uhh, no,” he replied. “I mean…oh, hell,” he muttered, and lifted his tiny bow. He pointed it dramatically at Darius. “I’m hoping to shoot you with Cupid’s arrow,” he said impishly, his blue eyes laughing. “If that’s okay?”
Darius found himself laughing. “I see,” he said in amusement. “So you figured out that I was…?”
“Checking me out? Sure,” Thom replied casually with a grin. “It was pretty obvious. You kept staring at my legs. Are you a leg guy?”
“I guess I am,” Darius admitted as he turned a corner. “You do have very nice legs, you know.”
‘Thanks. I work hard enough for ‘em. I run every day,” Thom said proudly.
“I should so something like that,” the artist sighed, “But I don’t always find time to work out. I‘ll get to working on a piece and forgot to look at the clock, and before I know it hours have passed and its dinnertime.”
“Piece? You said you were an artist,” the blonde asked curiously.
“Yes, I work with clay mostly. Sculptures and vases and that kind of thing.”
“Ooo! Can I see?” Thom said eagerly.
His lips twitched. “Sure. I’ll show you my studio when we get back to my house.”
“That’s awesome. I’d love to be an artist, but I can’t even draw.”
“I’m sure you have other talents,” Darius remarked soothingly.
“Not really. Oh, well,” he sighed.
Darius didn’t point out that he could think of some talents that the blonde might have. He decided to keep that observation for their second date, if there was one. Right now it would seem that he was coming on too strongly when they’d just barely met. He pulled up in front of his house and turned off the engine. “Here we are,” he said. “Come in and I’ll show you my studio.”
Thom jumped out in all his Cupid glory and followed Darius as the artist went up his front walk. He noticed one of his neighbors standing on his lawn sprinkling his yard. The man was gaping at the sight of Thom in his costume. He bit back a loud laugh as he opened his front door. Once inside, he led the way to the back of his house where a large room had been set up as his studio. The blonde looked around in fascination at the art supplies, the blocks of clay, and the pieces neatly lined up on shelves. He went over to look at them admiringly. “I like this one,” he said, pointing to a statue of a muscular man sitting gracefully with his legs drawn up. “It’s hot.”
Darius’s eyes twinkled. “Is that your basis for good art?” he asked in amusement. “That it’s hot?”
Thom shrugged, which did weird things to his wings. “Sure, why not?” he asked impishly.
“I see. Well, I can kind of agree. The model for that piece was very hot, I’ll admit.”
“Did he pose nude for you? Lucky guy,” the blonde said enviously.
“Yes, he did. But since he was totally straight and just doing it for the money, all I got to do was look,” Darius told him.
“Hey, looking is better than nothing,” Thom replied. “Although,” he added with a saucy look over his shoulder at Darius, “Touching is better.”
“That’s true,” the artist agreed. He began to walk toward the blonde. “Should we test that theory?” he asked, his voice lowering a little.
Thom took in a deep breath as he looked up at Darius. “Sure,” he said hoarsely.
The artist smiled as he reached out to gather Cupid up in his arms and pull the blonde toward him. Those pink lips opened in anticipation, so he did what he’d wanted to do ever since he’d first opened his door and seen Thom standing there – he kissed them.
Chapter 2
Darius finally drew back a little. Thom’s eyes were a little dazed and decidedly mellow. “Wow,” he breathed. "That was cool.”
Darius found himself grinning a bit. “I’m glad I got the seal of approval on my kissing technique from Cupid,” he teased.
Thom snorted. “Well, I’d be the expert, wouldn’t I?” he sighed, scratching at his blonde hair. “It’s been great, but I’m afraid I’ve got to go,” he remarked apologetically. “I have to report back in now that I delivered the love-gram.”
“All right,” the artist replied. “But here,” he stepped over to his workbench and opened a drawer. He turned to hand a stiff white square to Thom. “This is my card. It has my name, home phone, and cell phone numbers on it. Call me, and we’ll set up a day to go and get that drink. Okay?”
Cupid/Thom tucked the car into a glittery golden pouch on the harness. “You bet,” he said enthusiastically. “I’ll call you tonight. If that’s okay?”
“Definitely,” Darius told him, meaning it.
The blonde smiled and stepped forward to lightly buss him on the lips once more.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Darius,” he murmured as he stepped back.
“You too, Thom,” he said.
Cupid dashed out of his house in a flutter of wings and diaper, and Darius stood on his front doorstep to watch the blonde mount up on his bike. It was quite a sight – even with the light jacket covering his upper body, Thom’s legs were still very visible and very bare. Nice, nice view. Especially when he straddled the bike and lifted a hand in farewell, then pushed off. The artist eyed the back view sitting squarely on the bike sight, and then sighed in regret when Thom turned the corner and was gone.
Darius returned to his work, but his mind wasn’t exactly on it right now. Finally he gave up for the day and went into his kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice and put a bagel in the toaster. He leaned up against the counter as he sipped his juice, thinking about the wild Valentine’s Day that he’d had so far. Fate had literally dropped Cupid into his lap! How lucky was that? Especially when it turned out to be a very cute, decidedly gay Cupid who returned Darius’s interest in full. He could wish that all of his Valentine’s Days had been like this before. Oh, well, once might be just enough.
He was watching TV later on when his phone rang. He picked it up, saying: “Hello? This is Darius.”
“Hi, Darius, this is Cupid,” Thom’s spritely voice replied.
He chuckled. “Hey, Cupid. How’d your day go?”
“Not too bad after this morning. I made five more deliveries of love-grams, and I got paid today. Sadly, most of it went into the hot little hands of my landlord, but at least I won’t be out on the street anytime soon.”
“Glad to hear that. It would be a sad day when Cupid ended up homeless.”
A giggle. “True, true. Anyway, I called about setting up a date. I can’t go tonight, because my sister wants me to attend my niece’s recital. But how about tomorrow night? Say seven-ish?” he asked hopefully.
“That sounds fine. My days and nights are mostly pretty free,” Darius told him.
“Cool. I know this little place that’s not too expensive, and they serve pretty good food too if we get hungry. Erm…should I come over to your place?”
“No, I’ll swing by and pick you up. What’s your address?”
He wrote down Thom’s address on a piece of paper. “Great, got it. I’m really looking forward to this…I haven’t been on a date in awhile,” he admitted ruefully.
“Why not? I mean, you’re good-looking and really nice,” Thom said. “I’d think guys would flock to you.”
“Thanks for stroking my ego, but I’m afraid that the sad truth is that I don’t get out enough. Working at home means that I don’t leave it as often as I should, so unless I want to try on-line dating services I almost never get out to the places where single gay guys are. And I don’t particularly care for on-line dating sites – people all too often lie about everything, and when you meet them you’re really disappointed. Or you’re getting a restraining order because they turned out to be a nut job.”
Thom laughed. “Yeah, people are like that. They think the internet is a place to go to lie about themselves or to act in ways they never would in person. It’s sad, really. If you can’t behave on-line like you would in person, it means that you’re two-faced. I hate those kinds of people.”
“So do I,” Darius agreed. “I like people who are honest and open. Even the honest and open jerks are better than people who lie and are nice to your face but not behind your back.”
“Amen.” Thom said fervently. After that they chatted for together for about an hour, and it was the easiest, most entertaining conversation that Darius had had in awhile. Finally, reluctantly, he had to hang up so that he could go start dinner. Thom blew him a kiss over the phone and said: “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Darius. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Me, too,” he replied, hanging up the phone. He sighed as he set it in its cradle. His house suddenly seemed lonely and too quiet, and he frowned over this fact as he went into the kitchen to start dinner for himself. He’d never been bothered by living alone before this. But he seemed to hear Cupid’s lively voice in every room, and when he went into his studio to work for a bit in the evening, he thought about the kiss they’d shared this afternoon. He could still taste Thom’s mouth under his own. It had been sweet – so very sweet. Like cotton candy. He wanted nothing more than to taste it again, and as soon as possible.
He went to bed that night and tried hard not to notice how empty it was. He lay on his back and stared up at the shadowy ceiling, calling himself an idiot in his own head. He’d only met Thom this afternoon! Why was he reacting like this? He rolled over on his side, sighing. Maybe he was having an early mid-life crisis or something. They did say that a lot of guys started the male equivalent of ‘nesting’ when they hit their early thirties, wanting to settle down with someone and have a family. While he wasn’t sure about the ‘family’ part, since he’d never been fond of kids, having a boyfriend would be nice. Very nice. Images of Cupid danced in his head as he closed his eyes and finally fell asleep.
Darius contemplated what to wear on his date. He stood by his closet door and frowned at the clothes hanging inside. He had nice suits for when he went to his own (and other peoples) art shows; he had casual clothes for hanging around the house and working in his studio; but he didn’t have much in-between. Maybe he should go shopping today and pick up some semi-nice but still casual outfits. Something told him that Thom wasn’t the sort to dress up completely. While he wanted to look nice for the blonde, he didn’t want Thom to feel uncomfortable because Darius was dressed nicer than he was on their date. He decided to do so. Closing his closet doors, he went to snag a light jacket and headed for his car. Time for a trip to the mall, his least favorite place in the world.
Darius hated the mall because of the crowds, the noise, the brightly-colored signs advertising ’50 per cent off, and close-out sale’ in the windows of the shops, and of course the many hours wasted as you fiddled away your life looking at stupid products that you’d never use. But unfortunately for him, there was a good men’s clothing store in the mall closest to his house. So he went there, mentally girding his loins as he walked into the mall. A wave of noise hit him immediately, and he winced as the mingling of loud elevator music and the chatter of the many shoppers (most of them teenagers) assaulted his tender ears.
He grimly made his way to the men’s clothing store, which was near the far end of the mall from where he’d parked. He breasted through the crowds, setting his eyes on his goal and nothing else. Finally, gratefully, he walked into the store he wanted. Walking among the racks of clothes, he eyed the things they had for sale. What to get? A casual silk shirt? Or a button-up cotton one? Should he get a jacket to wear over the shirt? Maybe a turtleneck sweater? No, he looked terrible in turtlenecks. He shuddered as he remembered how much he hated going clothes shopping. Cupid had to be pretty special, or he wouldn’t have bothered. The things he did for a potential true love…
He finally picked out (with the help of a friendly salesman) a pair of charcoal-grey slacks, a simple white cotton shirt, and a casual jacket the same color as the pants. He tried them on, and was surprised at how good they looked on him. He’d left the shirt with two buttons undone at the throat, and the jacket hugged his torso faithfully. He turned in front of the mirror, wondering if Thom would like this. He hoped so, since he was going to be shelling out more than a bit of cash for these articles of clothing. Still, even if the blonde didn’t like the look of this outfit, he could wear it to a gallery opening or something. He could consider it a business investment if nothing else.
He took off the suit and put on his regular clothes, toting the new outfit up to the counter to pay for it. Lugging the bag, he started down the mall again to flee to his car. But as he passed one store, he stopped short. It was a shop that mainly sold fragrances and other toiletry articles. There was a tasteful display of colognes in the window. He didn’t usually wear cologne, but…he went inside, shaking his head silently at himself. He really had it bad. Cupid had definitely shot him with a sharp, sharp arrow.
Darius finally got out of the mall with the new outfit, two bottles of cologne, a pair of leather shoes (he hadn’t been able to pass a footwear store either), and a new watch. Damn it, he was losing his mind! He threw everything in his car and jumped in himself before he tried to go back into the mall and buy sexy underwear or something. He rubbed at his forehead as he drove home. He hadn’t quite been himself since he’d opened his door and found a sexy blonde Cupid standing on his doorstep, half-clothed and entirely edible.
What was a guy to do when Cupid came calling? Give in, apparently. That was all he could seem to do. He pulled into his driveway and took the new clothes inside to lay out on his bed. Then he tried to get some work done, but finally gave up when he realized that the sculpture of a client he was supposed to be working on was taking on Thom’s features. He cursed and obliterated the face, which seemed chillingly symbolic to him. After that, he didn’t want to try again. So he went into his bathroom to take a long hot bath (okay, and preen himself for his date tonight, he could admit that) to relax his muscles and clear his mind.
Soaking in the hot water, he relaxed back against the tub and closed his eyes. But even here Cupid insinuated himself – Darius was having a vision of himself and Thom taking a bath together (he had a very large Jacuzzi-style tub), his dark skin contrasting sharply and sexily with Thom’s very pale Nordic-type skin. Like chocolate and cream, he mused. Mmmm. He felt his cock stir between his thighs at this vision, and he reached down between his legs with a sigh as his trouser snake reared its ugly head.
Darius began to stroke himself idly. He was imagining burying his cock into Thom’s tight heat, of hearing Cupid’s delicious moans as Darius bent him over. Maybe on the kitchen table? That was a decidedly kinky thought. Thom’s fingers would grip the edge as he hung on for dear life, and his cries would fill the kitchen as he was fucked…Jesus! This was such an erotic image that he couldn’t stop himself from coming. He gripped his cock tight as his semen spurted out into the bathwater, spreading in a pale scum atop the water.
He was definitely feeling more relaxed when he climbed out of the tub and toweled himself off. He whistled to himself as he wrapped a towel around his waist and began to get ready for his date. He looked at his own mellow eyes in the mirror as he shaved; splashed on a bit of the muskier of the two new colognes he’d bought, and used a skin moisturizer. Then he clipped and filed his nails, grimacing at himself a bit in wry humor at his own preening. But he wanted to look his best, to impress his adorable sexy Cupid. Once he was finished, he padded out into the bedroom to start getting dressed. He deliberately chose a pair of dark-blue silk boxers, the sexiest underwear that he possessed. He slipped them on, trying not to hope too much that Thom would get to see them anytime soon.
The suit went on afterward, along with a pair of dark grey socks and the new shoes. He wrapped the new watch around his wrist, and put on a black leather belt. He stood in front of his dresser and considered himself, deciding that he’d made the right purchase today at the mall. He looked pretty snazzy in this suit, if he did say so himself. He smiled, showing off his white) and newly brushed and flossed) teeth. Lookin’ good,” he murmured in his sexiest voice. We’re gonna charm the socks off of Cupid,” he added, winking at himself impishly.
He left his bedroom and went to get something to drink. He sipped at a bottle of water as he leaned on the counter and tried not to feel too impatient. The clock wasn’t moving at all, or at least it didn’t seem that way to him. Finally he wandered out into the living room and tried to watch TV, but couldn’t concentrate. He could have been watching anything at all, and he finally realized that he’d turned on a televised golf match. He hated golf! Darius frowned and turned the TV off impatiently. He got up to pace a little, prowling around his own house like a caged animal. Would the time NEVER pass by?
Finally, at long last, the clock gave him some good news. He snatched up his keys and nearly ran out his front door. Time to go and pick up Cupid, and see what he looked like when he wasn’t wearing his wings.
Chapter 3
Darius made his way up the sidewalk of the apartment building, his eyes searching out Number 26. Ah, there it was, on the second floor. His feet thumped on the metal stairs as he climbed them. He smoothed the front of his shirt almost compulsively, wanting to look his best for Thom. Arriving at the right door, he knocked on it and stood waiting. A light, merry voice called out from within: “Just a sec!” then the door swung open, revealing Thom standing there smiling brightly at him.
“Hey, Darius!” he chirped. “Wow, you look really nice,” he said, his blue eyes trekking over Darius’s body admiringly.
Thom’s admiration of him pleased Darius greatly. “Thanks, you look good too,” he said, looking the blonde over.
Thom spread his hands and grinned. “Yeah. Lot’s better than Cupid, eh?”
“Actually, I kind of liked the Cupid outfit,” Darius replied, “Although I like this look too.”
Thom was wearing a pullover shirt in a shade of blue that complemented his eyes, and a pair of buff colored dress slacks. Darius had the sudden urge to eat the man from the top of his curly blonde head to the bottom of his well-shaped feet. Remembering the taste of Thom’s sweet mouth from that kiss in his studio the other day, he had to bite back a groan. All he wanted was to taste it again, o plunder it until Thom moaned for him again.
The blonde was responding to his spoken words, not his naughty thoughts. “Well, you might get to see me wear it again,” he said, lowering his lashes and looking at Darius flirtatiously from under them. “Would you like that?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said hoarsely. “I really, really would.”
The restaurant he’d chosen was a nice one, and Thom looked around in awe as they were seated. “Darn, I don’t think that I’ve ever been to a place this nice,” he remarked. “Thanks for bringing me.”
‘You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it. The food is fabulous, too,” Darius told him. “That’s why I really come here, since I’d never waste my money otherwise. Good food is a must.”
Thom laughed heartily. “Well I should hope since, since this IS a restaurant,” he teased. “But I agree with you. Not that I can afford a place like this, though,” he added with a sigh. “Unless they take food stamps.”
Darius laughed. “I doubt it, but you never know,” he replied as their waiter handed them menus. “But it’s my treat tonight, so get whatever you want.”
“Ooo, a big spender. I’m all for that,” Thom said with a charming giggle. “I’ve often thought that I should just get myself a sugar daddy,” he said as he opened his menu to peer at the selections. “Since I’m pretty hopeless at taking care of myself.”
Darius thought about this. “Hmm. A sugar daddy? I like the sound of that. Does that mean I should dress you in furs and lots of gold jewelry, and have you parade around on my arm all the time?”
Thom’s blue eyes were sparkling. “Yeah!” he cried enthusiastically. “Sounds good! I’d be so pretty,” he crooned, making Darius laugh almost uncontrollably. Although he DID think that Thom would be quite pretty drenched in gold and gems and draped in furs. How about those and nothing else? His breath caught at the image that raced through his head, and his cock stiffened in his pants. Damn, he shouldn’t have had that naughty thought in a restaurant full of people! He forced himself not to double over, but it was a fight.
“You okay?” Thom asked him brightly, making him jump a bit.
“Umm, yeah,” he said a tad hoarsely, making the blonde give him as puzzled look. It wasn’t easy to look innocent when you had a massive hard-on in your pants.
“You sure? You looked like you were in pain there for a second.”
Darius managed to smile painfully. “I think I just had a Charlie horse in my leg for a second,” he lied. “But it’s getting better now.”
“Oh,” Thom smiled dazzlingly in return. “I’m glad. Is there anything that I can do to help?”
Dear God, that was a loaded question! Darius could think of all kinds of things that he’d like Thom to do to ‘help’ him. It took all he had onto to blurt out some suggestions. Instead he gritted his teeth together and said politely: “No, that’s all right. It really is getting better now. But thanks for asking.”
“Okay. Anyway, I wanted to ask you about your stuff. In your studio. I’ve never met an artist before,” Thom said, and Darius was thankful to change the subject for now.
They talked about his work until the food came, then they were too busy savoring it to speak. Thom had a rather goofy look of bliss on his face as he tried everything, which made Darius conceal a smile. He enjoyed his own meal, but he also thoroughly enjoyed watching Thom eat. Although the sight of food sliding between those pink lips made him think about other things that could go there as well, and that didn’t help his condition at all…
After dinner he took Thom to a movie. The blonde giggled at the comedy and ate popcorn with just as much enthusiasm as he had the gourmet food before. He insisted on feeding Darius pieces, and he licked salt off of Thom’s skin greedily. Thom gasped a little at the touch of his lips, and his attention wandered away from the movie as he stared into Darius’s eyes. The artist had to force himself not to lean over the seat and plunder Thom’s sweet lips, since there were a lot of other people in the theater with them. Even some older kids. He didn’t want any of them to see two guys making out instead of watching the movie.
Thom was finally distracted by uproarious laughter all around them, and his blue eyes went back to the screen. Darius leaned back in his chair and fought down his body once more, resisting the urge to reach out and begin feeling up Thom’s leg in the dark. He mused to himself that Cupid was the first man he’d met in a while that had such a profound effect on him. All he wanted to do when he was around Thom was to touch the blonde, to kiss him, to drag him off to the nearest soft surface and have sex with him for hours. It was nice to feel this way about somebody again. It made him feel alive (well, and really, really horny, too).
Darius couldn’t really have said what the movie was about, although Thom was still giggling over it when they left the theater. They paused outside on the sidewalk, and the artist turned to look at his date. “Do you want me to take you home?” he asked regretfully.
“Ooo, a gentleman,” Thom teased, his eyes sparkling. “I like it. But no, I don’t want to go home just yet. And I don’t have to work tomorrow; so let’s say we go somewhere where we can really move? I know this great club where we can dance…”
Dancing. Watching Thom sway sexily in front of him – Darius’ mouth went dry. “Sure,” he rasped. “Let’s do that.”
“Cool!” Thom bounced away toward his car eagerly, clearly ready to get down and boogie.
Darius was entranced. This was even worse than he’d imagined – Thom was a sensual, graceful dancer, and his sexy body writhed like a snake in front of Darius’ very eyes. His breathing had become erratic, and not from his exertions either. He couldn’t look away as the blonde shimmied his hips, and his body swayed as he wound his arms around Darius’ neck. He pushed his hips forward aggressively, and the artist groaned silently as Thom’s groin nearly brushed against his. Dear God, was he even going to survive this experience?
The blue eyes were half-lidded as they looked into his. Thom had a small smile on his face, and was clearly enjoying himself. Oh, those pink lips were tempting! Darius shuddered faintly and closed his eyes for as moment as he struggled to control himself. Coming in his pants right out here on the dance floor would be hideously embarrassing. His cock throbbed angrily, wanting out of its painful containment – and into something warm and tight. He jumped a little when Thom’s voice spoke, because he simply hadn’t been paying attention to anything but his painful condition.
“Isn’t this great?!” the blonde caroled happily.
“Yeah,” he croaked.
“Mmm, you dance pretty well,” Thom complimented him.
“So do you,” he replied grimly, which was an understatement.
A giggle. “I LOVE to dance! It’s so much fun! I just like to move,” Thom said as his hips gyrated in a way designed to blow poor Darius’s mind altogether.
Imagining other ways that Thom could move was almost his undoing. Darius gritted his teeth and breathed heavily through his nose as he fought his body to a standstill. But fortunately for him, Thom decided that he wanted a drink. The blonde dragged him off the crowded dance floor by the hand, leading him toward the bar. But then Thom leaned over the bar a bit, displaying his fine ass as he did so. Darius’s gaze was riveted, and he swallowed heavily as Thom ordered him a drink. “What do you want?” he asked Darius over his shoulder.
‘You,’ the artist thought. ‘Just you. In a pool of melted chocolate.’ But aloud all he said was: “A Manhattan.”
Thom nodded and leaned over again, making Darius moan behind his hand as he fought not to openly ogle the blonde’s assets. He heard a voice speak somewhere near his ear: “Are you here with Thom?”
Startled, he glanced sideways at an attractive man with a wry smile on his face. Darius couldn’t help but notice that this guy was younger than he was, and also white. Cautiously he replied: “Yes, I am. Why?”
The other man shrugged. “I just thought I ought to warn you – Thom’s a great guy, but he’s flighty. While he’s interested in you, you’ve got all of his attention. But once he loses interest…” he shrugged again, grimacing as he did so: “Then it’s all over. He stops calling you and he’s always ‘busy’, no matter what. It took me awhile to realize that we were over, since he never actually said that he wanted to break up with me. He just froze me out of his life until I got the message.”
Darius felt a chill run over his skin. Thom returned just then, and his eyes fastened on the younger man. “Patrick,” he said coolly. “Long time no see.”
The man called Patrick cocked his head a little to the side and gave Darius a rueful look as though to say ‘see?’ “Yes, it has been awhile, Thom,” he replied aloud. “You look nice,” he added.
The blonde tossed his head. “Yes, I do, “he said snippily. “Now if you don’t mind, my date and I are here to have a good time,” implicit in his voice was the fact that this man Patrick wasn’t adding to that good time at all. “We’re just gonna get going,” Thom went on, handing Darius his drink and the putting a hand on his arm to lead him away toward an empty table nearby. “See you,” he said indifferently over his shoulder.
This was so unlike his normal behavior that Darius was taken aback. Once they were out of earshot of Patrick, he perked up and seemed to forget his sudden attack of bitchiness. He plopped down in a chair and sipped at his drink, smiling at Darius across the table as the artist gingerly sat himself and tired to make heads-or-tails out of that scene that had just taken place at the bar. Finally he couldn’t help but ask: “Thom? Was that one of your old boyfriends?”
“Yeah,” the blonde replied shortly.
“Err…was it a bad break-up?”
Thom grimaced, tugging at a lock of his own hair with his fingertips. “You could say that.”
He didn’t seem inclined to give any more information, and Darius wasn’t going to push it except that he couldn’t forget about what Patrick had said about Thom’s behavior. Was he going to get in too deep with Cupid, only to discover that the adorable cherub was a heartbreaker after all?
Chapter 4
Darrius tried to act normal for the rest of the evening, but he knew that Thom could see that he was a little too grimly quiet. The blonde kept casting him puzzled, questioning looks, but he didn’t tell Thom what had upset him. This was only their first date – learning something like this about the guy you’d just started going out with was…disconcerting, to say the least. Would Thom do the same to him? After he’d already started feeling something for the blonde? Darrius could see awful heartbreak in his future if he let himself get too close to Thom. There was only one solution, much as he didn’t like it – he had to stop this now, before he got in too deep.
So when he drove Thom back home to his apartment, he said little in the car. And when he stopped it in front of the building, he turned to the blonde with a distant smile and said: “I had a good time tonight, Thom. Thanks for going out with me,” his voice was flat as he made this perfunctory statement, and anyone with half a brain would know that he was blowing the blonde off politely.
Thom looked stricken. “Uh, yeah,” he replied. “Sure. I did too. Had a good time, that is. Darrius…”
It was clear that he was going to ask why he’d suddenly started acting cold and distant. Darrius leaned over the seats and silenced him with a light goodbye kiss, not wanting to answer that question and hurt Thom’s feelings. When he pulled back, he looked into those blue eyes for the last time. A deep regret rose up in him, but he didn’t let it show on his face as he smiled slightly. “Goodnight, Thom,” he said, his voice firm.
Thom got out of the car, his shoulders slumping. The blonde stood there on the sidewalk and watched him drive off, and Darrius felt utterly wretched and weary as he drove home. What a horrible ending to a promising date! No wonder he seldom went on dates anymore. It simply wasn’t worth it.
The next few days were bad ones for Darrius. He knew he was moping, but he didn’t try to stop himself from doing so. He wandered around his house like an unhappy spirit, trying very hard not to think about the adorable Cupid who’d turned out to have tarnished wings. But of course, the harder he tried not to think about Thom, the more the other man intruded onto his thoughts. He was tormented by memories of that amazing kiss in his studio, and images of Thom in the sexy Cupid’s outfit…God, he seemed to have a perpetual headache anymore. Or maybe it was a pain lower down, a heartache instead…
He looked up as his doorbell rang, sighing as he set down his tools and went to answer it. He didn’t really want to talk to anybody, but you never knew…it might be something important. He swung the door open, and to his shock a familiar blonde man was standing there on his front steps with a mulish expression on his face. “Hello, Darrius,” Thom said. “Can I come in?”
“Err…” he didn’t know what to say to this request.
“Please, just for a minute. I want to talk to you about what happened the other night. Please?” His begging blue eyes were too much for Darrius, who sighed and held his door open so that the blonde could enter his house.
“Come into the living room,” he told Thom in resignation, leading the way.
Once they were inside, he gestured for the blonde to sit down on the couch. Thom did so, and then looked up at him. “Darrius, please. I need to know what my old boyfriend said to you. It’s obvious that whatever it was really upset you, because you got real quiet after that and you started to treat me like I had the plague or something. Just tell me what he said, I have a right to know since it was me he was talking about.”
He had a point. Darrius sighed again. “He said that everything was going great, but that after a few months you started to shut him out and were really cold toward him. That you drove him away rather than breaking up with him, and that it took him forever to realize that you were over because of that. I just didn’t…want to end up that way myself, especially since I could tell that I was already starting to really feel something about you. That you were going to be…special. I didn’t want to get hurt as badly as I suspected I would be if you did that to me, too.”
Thom leapt to his feet, running a hand through his blonde locks in agitation. “That BITCH!” he yelled furiously, taking Darrius aback. “I KNEW it! The moment I saw him talking to you, I knew that he’d said something to try to drive you off. Darrius, listen. Yeah, I did just what he said. Do you wanna know why? Because I had started to suspect that he was cheating on me, but I couldn’t prove it! I tried everything, but he’s always been really smart. It was impossible to be all lovey-dovey with a guy you just KNOW is fucking everything that moves, but at the same time you’d look like a real bitch for dumping him without any proof at all. It drove me crazy. I just couldn’t smile and pretend that I loved him anymore, so I froze him out instead. And you know what? After he finally got the message and broke up with me, I found out I was completely right. I ran into a guy who he’d been sleeping with when he was with me, and he introduced me to like half-a-dozen more! God, then the smarmy son-of-a-bitch had the nerve to come back afterward and try to get with me again, and when I said no way in hell he swore he’d get even with me! And that’s what he did – he got rid of you, the first guy I’ve really liked since I met him…” he sank back down onto the couch, looking miserable. “Fucker,” he said, as tears started in those amazing blue eyes.
Darrius felt terrible. He walked over and sat down next to Thom, putting his arm around the blonde’s shoulders comfortingly. “I’m sorry,” he husked. “I shouldn’t have just taken his word for it, but the way you acted when I asked if he’d been your boyfriend just seemed like a confirmation of what he’d told me. And I couldn’t stand the thought of getting hurt as badly as I knew I would if I let myself feel anything for you and you pulled the same thing on me. I really couldn’t…because I think that I might easily fall in love with you,” he said softly.
When Thom’s wide blue eyes, still limned with tears, flew to his, he smiled wryly and leaned forward to kiss the blonde. God, he couldn’t help himself. Thom’s pink lips were as sweet as ever, and the other man moaned and twined his arms readily around Darrius’s neck. Their mouths mated and merged in an ancient dance that left them both rather dizzy. Thom’s eyes were glazed when Darrius finally drew back. He lifted a hand and ran his thumb lovingly over the pouty, kiss-swollen bottom lip. “God, what you do to me, Cupid,” he husked.
Thom drew in a long breath. “You do the same thing to me,” he pointed out.
Darrius smiled. “Good,” he said. “Listen, do you have to work right now?”
Thom shook his head. “It’s one of my days off. That’s why I came over to talk to you today.”
“Great. Would you let me take you to lunch to start to make up for my abominable behavior?”
“Sure,” Thom replied, “But the way you acted was understandable, Darrius. You don’t know me that well, and here comes this guy telling you a nasty story about me…just please promise that if anything like that happens again, you’ll talk to me instead of shutting me out?”
Darrius nodded. “I promise,” he said, making a ‘cross-my-heart’ gesture on his chest, “I’ll always talk to you. No matter what.”
Thom looked pleased. “Then I’ll go to lunch with you,” he said. “As long as you pay. I’m broke.”
Darrius laughed. “You got it,” he said, just before he kissed Thom again…
He took the blonde to a lovely little bistro that he liked to frequent. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was charming and reminded him of a French café. He and Thom sat at one of the outdoor tables, drinking wine and talking about everything under the sun. Thom’s curls looked gilded, and he was just so stunning that Darrius couldn’t take his eyes off the blonde. He just wanted to eat Thom up from his small toes to the top of his golden head. he was ravenously hungry – but not for food.
Those blue eyes rose to his, and he heard Thom’s breath catch as he saw the hunger in Darrius’s eyes. His pink mouth opened a little, and Darrius’s eyes settled there instead. He licked at his own lips a little as he remembered how good that Thom’s lips tasted. He wanted to pull the blonde across the table and kiss him right here. Kiss him? Hell, Darrius wanted to throw him down on the table and fuck his pretty little brains out! He shuddered faintly, his crotch tight and throbbing under his trousers.
Thom was breathing swiftly. Irregular pink color had swarmed into his cheeks. Darrius closed his eyes so that he didn’t have to look at the amazingly sexy Cupid sitting across from him anymore. He was going to lose it if he did that. His fingers spasmed on the table top. He wanted to bury his fingers in those golden curls as he devoured every inch of that lovely ivory skin with his mouth. He couldn’t wait to see how his own mocha-colored skin would contrast with it. Like vanilla and coffee-flavored ice cream, swirled together.
He was actually glad that the waiter arrived with their food right then. It gave him something else to concentrate on. And also something else to do with his mouth…he took a bite of his parmesan chicken, savoring the taste. Thom was happily devouring his own food, proving that he had a big appetite. Darrius wondered if he had a hollow leg – since he was pretty thin. If he ate like this all the time, he had to have a high metabolism. He tried hard not to think about other things that the blonde could eat with that much enthusiasm. Lord, he was already addicted to those pink lips.
Thom sat back and patted his flat belly, while Darrius eyed his empty plate in disbelief. Seeing his expression, the blonde grinned. “I like to eat,” he said in satisfaction.
“I can see that. Where do you put it all?”
Thom shrugged. “I dunno. I think I have a black hole in my stomach.”
Darrius chuckled. “There are a lot of women who would envy you,” he said. “Being able to eat anything you want without gaining weight.”
“Well, it has its bad points too,” Thom replied. “For instance, no matter how much I work out I can never get ripped. No bulging muscles for me,” he added, making a face.
“Those can be overrated,” Darrius said. “Over muscled guys are grotesque, especially the ones that can’t lower their arms. And I hate the way that their veins pop out. It’s pretty gross.”
“What, you never found Ahnuld attractive?”
Darrius rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I wouldn’t – between his Neanderthal forehead, huge muscles, and that space between his front teeth – wow; he’s just everything that anyone could ask for.”
Thom giggled. “And yet his wife is so pretty,” he mused.
Darrius shrugged. “Lots of ugly guys have beautiful wives or girlfriends,” he remarked. “Mick Jagger has slept with…hell, hundreds, probably…of gorgeous women, and he’s ugly as all get out. Go figure. I don’t claim to understand women, anyway.”
“Even straight guys don’t understand women,” The blonde said. “They’re a mystery.”
“You’re right. Anyway, after we eat dessert I thought we could go for a drive. Sound good to you?”
“It does,” Thom replied eagerly. “Now all I have to do is decide whether I’m going to have the strawberry shortcake or the chocolate cake.”
“Why not have both?” Darrius suggested sarcastically.
Thom cocked his head to the side. “By Jove, I think you’ve got it!” he exclaimed. “That’s a great idea! I’ll have both.”
Darrius opened his mouth, then shut it again without saying a word. He shook his head in disbelief as Thom signaled to their waiter. It looked like he’d created a monster.
They took a leisurely drive around the city, taking their time and seeing the sights. Thom craned his neck and stared out the window like an eager child, and when he caught Darrius staring at him he only shrugged and grinned self-deprecatingly. “I don’t have a car, so I never get to see this much of the city,” he explained.
“Okay,” Darrius laughed. “let me take you on a thorough tour then.”
He drove around for hours, showing the sights to Thom. They talked about everything that they saw, as well as a ton of other subjects. When they finally finished their unofficial tour, Thom stretched in his seat and wriggled happily “That was fun,” he said. “Wish I could afford a car,” he added glumly.
“Too bad being the God of Love doesn’t pay better,” Darrius replied sympathetically.
The blonde giggled. “Yeah. You’d think a guy bringing romance to all of these couples would be making a fortune. Oh, well. I won’t be playing Cupid anymore right now anyway, since Valentine’s is over. Now I have another costume that I have to wear when I deliver those love-grams.”
“You do? What sort of costume?” Darrius asked with interest.
“Maybe I’ll show it to you,” the blue eyes slid his way with a rather evil gleam in them.
“When?” Darrius asked hopefully.
“Tomorrow. I’ll show you tomorrow,” Thom told him.
“Sounds good to me. I’m looking forward to it,” the artist replied.
“Cool. What now?” Thom asked.
Darrius sighed. “I’d love to spend the evening with you, Thom; I really would. But I’m going over to my parents’ house for dinner. I promised my mom that I’d come. So I’ll have to take you home now. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Thom said, although he looked disappointed. “Will you be home tomorrow?”
“Yes, I will. You can come over at any time during the day or evening.”
“Okay, great.” Thom beamed at him, which made Darrius’s stomach do strange things inside of him.
They arrived at Thom’s apartment building, and the blonde reluctantly got out of the car. “I had a great time today,” he told Darrius.
He smiled. “Me, too. Should I walk you to your door?”
Thom grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a decidedly charming way. “Yeah, why not?” he said. “I like an old-fashioned sort of guy.”
Darrius got out of the car and circled it. He reached out and set his hand on Thom‘s elbow, making the blonde draw in a sharp breath at his touch. They walked along together, and Darrius deliberately let his thumb stroke over the fabric of Thom’s shirt in a caressing motion. The blonde shivered faintly, which made his eyes dance. It was good to know that he affected his Cupid as strongly as Cupid did him.
Arriving at his front door, Thom turned to look at him. “Thanks for believing me, Darrius,” he said. “About my old boyfriend, I mean. Some people might have thought that it was more prudent to get out while they still could, because like you said you don’t know me that well. I could have been lying about him.”
“I trust my instincts,” the artist replied soberly. “And they were telling me from the start that you were an honest, trustworthy person. Yeah, I did get thrown a little by what he said, but even then my instincts were still telling me that I could trust you. So when you came over to finds out why I hadn’t called you or anything, I knew you were telling the truth. Besides, you could have just written me off when I didn’t try to contact you again, but you didn’t. That told me that you really want to be with me. Which is a nice thing, because I really like you.” And he stepped forward before Thom could reply, and kissed his adorable Cupid right then and there.
Their mouths moved over one another hungrily, and Thom made candy-floss sounds as Darrius’s tongue glided inside and began to stroke over everything within. Thom was flushed and dewy-eyed by the time that Darrius finally pulled away from him. “Darn it, if it were anybody other than my mom…” the artist said wryly.
Thom blinked. “You can’t cancel on your mother at the last moment,” he said regretfully, “That wouldn’t be nice. So I’ll see you tomorrow, Darius.” He gave the artist another light peck, then touched his chest with one hand before he opened his door and went inside. He closed the door reluctantly behind him, his eyes still looking into Darrius’s.
Darrius sighed, rolling his shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to call his mother and tell her that he couldn’t come to dinner, then knock on Thom’s door and ask to be let in. But Cupid was right- it wouldn’t be nice to cancel on her at the last moment when they’d made plans. And he’d get to see Thom tomorrow…it was just that tomorrow seemed like a long way away…
Chapter 5
Darrius answered the knock at his front door, swinging it open. His eyes widened a little when he saw the sight on his front doorstep. Thom grinned and spread his arms a bit. “What do you think, Darrius?” he asked.
‘Wow,’ Darrius thought, drool beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. He made a choked sound in the back of his throat, and Thom grinned sunnily.
“Thought you’d like it,” he purred.
“Oh, yeah,” Darrius replied fervently, staring hard at the gorgeous blonde decked out in(of all things) a bunny suit! And not just any bunny suit, either. It wasn’t a full body suit with a lot of fur; it mostly consisted of a pair of bunny ears atop his head, some fingerless furry gloves, and a furry loincloth with a little bobble tail at the back. Whiskers had been glued to his face on either side of his nose, which had a little pink bunny nose over it. A basket of colorful eggs was set over one arm, and Thom lifted his hand a bit to show it off. “I’m the Easter Bunny,” he told Darrius. “Come to deliver some chocolate and bunny love to you. What do you think?”
“I think that you are by far the hottest, sexiest, most adorable bunny that I have ever seen in my entire life,” the artist replied fervently.
Thom lowered his lashes a bit and gave Darrius a sultry look out from under them. “Thank you,” he said throatily. “Now I know this should be my line…but can I taste your chocolate?” and his blue eyes sketched Darrius’s warm, dark skin hungrily as he practically licked his lips.
Darrius took a shuddering breath. “I’d be happy to let the Easter Bunny sample my chocolate,” he said, stepping back. “Come on in, Harvey.”
Thom giggled and sauntered into his house, flirting that tail at Darrius provocatively. He nearly groaned aloud as Thom stopped and looked at him over his shoulder. “Where to now, Willy Wonka?” he asked teasingly.
“This way,” Darrius led the way toward his bedroom, which was down a hallway since his house only had one storey. Once inside, he reached out pulled the delectable Easter Bunny in for a deep, tonguing kiss that made Thom go limp in his arms and moan into his mouth.
Darrius licked at Thom’s kiss-swollen lower lip as he pulled back. “Much as I love that sexy costume,” he growled, “I think I’ve got to take it off of you now.”
Thom gave him a seductive look. “Do what you have to, Candy Man,” he purred.
Darrius let his fingers do the walking, finding the fastenings on the skimpy bits of fur and cloth. Thom stood still and let him get on with it, the blue eyes full of lust and anticipation. Finally the wrap-around fur loincloth was pulled off, and Thom was totally, gloriously naked in his bedroom.
Darrius wanted to groan as he looked at the perfect porcelain beauty standing in front of him. He slid his hands up muscular thighs lightly furred with blonde hair, and Thom gasped above his head. Darrius leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the left thigh, then ran his tongue down it. “Darrius,” Thom moaned.
He slid his hands up to Thom’s waist. “You’re so gorgeous, Thom,” he said. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Thom’s quivering stomach. “And you taste sweet,” he murmured, making the blonde take in a deep, shuddering breath.
“Let’s see how sweet you really taste,” Darrius murmured, then licked at the pink tip of the cock quivering between Thom’s thighs. The blonde gasped and clutched at his short hair wildly. “Mmm, nice,” he hummed, then opened his mouth and went to town.
Thom cried out deliriously as Darrius’s lips encased him, and the artist’s dark head moved forward as he took in more and more of Thom’s quivering cock. It was so tight, so hot, and so very good! Then he was sliding down Darrius’s throat, as the artist swallowed him to the root. His nose was in the soft blonde curls at the base, and Thom whimpered at the sensation of being taken in entirely. Then Darrius began to bob his head rhythmically, his tongue doing the most amazing, naughty things down the length of the shaft. Thom bucked his hips, driving more of himself inside Darrius’s talented mouth. This was the best blow job that he’d ever had!
Hands stroked his hips, then reached around to palm and knead his ass sensually. Thom’s legs were threatening to buckle out from under him. His mouth opened as he fought for any kind of breath. He was going to come soon, he just knew it. His balls were drawing up tight, and he could feel his stomach muscles tightening. Darrius pursed his lips tightly and sucked strongly at just the head, rubbing his tongue on the sensitive spot just under it. Thom cried out loudly, his whole body arching as he shot into Darrius’s warm mouth.
Thom went limp, completely spent. Darrius caught the blonde up in his arms and rose to his feet. He kissed that sweet pink mouth, and Thom tasted himself on Darrius’s lips. The artist’s hands slid around to smooth up and down his bare back, before squeezing the cheeks of his ass. Thom, meanwhile, began to let his own fingers do the walking. He happily began to divest Darrius of his clothing, pulling it off him rather frantically. The artist was content to just stand there and let himself be undressed, as Thom’s hungry blue eyes took in his smooth coffee-colored chest. He licked at his lips instinctively, and Darrius almost groaned aloud at this gesture.
Thom’s fingers slid down to his pants. “Ooo, look, a Hershey’s kiss,” he said, just before he leaned forward and licked in a long lap at Darrius’s left nipple. The artist shuddered as that warm mouth stimulated the sensitive nub, even as long fingers got his pants unfastened and began to pull them down of over his hips.
Thom began to slide to his knees. His eyes focused on the thick dark cock rearing up between Darrius’s thighs. “Fudge stick,” he purred, taking it in hand. “Yummy.”
Then he was taking Darrius in so sweetly, his pink lips sliding over his cock in a startling, sexy contrast with that dark skin of the shaft. Blue eyes rolled up to meet his as Thom blew him, and Darrius did groan this time as he tangled his fingers into the blonde curls and held on for dear life. This was so damn good! The fact that Thom still hadn’t removed the whiskers or the bunny nose somehow turned him on even more. Thom was like a sex kitten down there, lavishing attention of the cock he held so firmly in his hand.
Thom’s other hand closed over his balls and stroked them in time with his avid sucking. Darrius gasped out loud, his head going back. “Thom, I’m gonna…” he wheezed, his fingers tugging at the blonde curls urgently.
“Cream. Give it to me, Candy Man,” The blonde replied before he dove in again.
Darrius cried out as his balls let go and he began to come into Thom’s sucking mouth, his body bowing as his orgasm rushed through him. Then he was done, spent, and Thom was licking him clean daintily.
“Wow,” he murmured huskily. “That was good, Thom.”
“I’m glad you liked it,” the blonde replied as he rose lithely to his feet. “Because I sure did,” he patted his stomach happily, which made Darrius smile.
He closed the small space between them and took Thom into his arms again. They kissed hungrily, their tongues tangling together as their hands roamed over naked flesh in voyages of exploration. Darrius maneuvered the blonde closer to the bed, then pushed him down onto its surface. Thom laughed and looked up at him. “Now that you’ve got me here, what are you going to do with me?” he asked cheekily.
Darrius’s eyes gleamed. “I can think of a lot of things that I want to do with you,” he replied. “Starting with this.”
As he said that, he knelt down on the bed and pulled Thom’s legs up into the air. The blonde squealed a little, then cried out as Darrius’s head disappeared between his thighs. A warm, wet tongue was gliding along his crack, and it wriggled as it found his little pink asshole and dove in. Thom arched his back and gripped tightly at the bedspread under him, moaning loudly as Darrius began to eat him out. His legs jerked and trembled in the artist’s grip as pleasure swamped him.
“Oh, God!” he wailed. “Oo, Darrius!”
“That’s right, Hunny Bunny,” Darrius murmured wickedly before resuming his incredible tongue bath, “I AM God.”
Thom managed to giggle and gasp at the same time, especially when a finger slicked with spit slid into his body. “Uh, uh,” he moaned, lifting his hips helplessly.
Darrius continued to loosen that tight little pink hole until he was sure that it could take him. Thom was a quivering mass on the bed by the time he slid away to retrieve a condom and some lube from his bedside table drawer. He slid the condom onto his cock, then smoothed a generous portion of lube onto its surface. Moving back in between Thom’s thighs, he stuck two lubed up fingers into the blonde and probed sharply. Thom whimpered and pushed his hips up toward Darrius, silently asking for what he so desperately wanted.
Darrius couldn’t wait any longer, and clearly Thom couldn’t either. “Candy Man,” he cried, “Fuck me, please!”
“No problem, baby,” Darrius growled, then began to sink his cock into that tight hole. Thom gasped at its size, spreading his legs further to take it. Darrius moved slowly, lifting the blonde’s legs to his shoulders and maneuvering his hips a bit at a time. He gritted his teeth as he sank into tight heat. Thom’s mouth was hanging open, and his chest was heaving as he fought for breath.
Darrius finally pushed all the way in, his short curly pubes resting against Thom’s ass. He paused, looking down at the blonde. “You okay, sweetheart?” he crooned.
Thom’s blue eyes opened. “Yeah, I am,” he gasped. “Just give me a second…you’re so big…”
Darrius waited patiently for Thom to adjust to his size. He was enjoying that tight space too much to care, anyway. He watched Thom’s face, enjoying each expression that crossed it as the blonde got used to having something so big inside of him. He admired the contrast between his dark skin and the white thighs he held onto, loving the coffee and cream beauty of it. Finally Thom wiggled a bit and said breathily: “Do it, Darrius. Move.”
“Sure thing,” he replied, then began to stroke. Thom cried out, his back arching, as Darrius began to slowly but steadily fuck him.
Thom’s hips undulated, and they moved together as their pleasure grew. Thom’s skin turned a dark pink that was just enchanting, and a film of sweat began to coat his porcelain skin. Darrius held onto his thighs and began to really move, to fuck hard and fast as Thom made little noises like a dying animal as he was invaded again and again by that big cock. He twitched, his head rolling on the bed, his eyes going vacant.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Thom cried, totally incoherent by now. “ugh!” his whole body bowed off the bed as he came without even touching himself, his semen jetting up into the air to fall in droplets on his flushed skin. His muscles squeezed tightly around Darrius, who groaned between his teeth and succumbed to his own orgasm. His head went back as he came and came, shooting inside of Thom as the blonde went limp and lay with heaving chest and open mouth on his bed.
Darrius stopped moving, struggling to breathe as he recovered from that intense orgasm. Thom was completely out of it, just laying there in a limp heap. The artist felt great contentment as he looked down with lidded eyes on the man sprawled on top of his bed. Thank God, he thought vaguely, that Cupid had come to the wrong door on his errand. Because, in the long run, it had turned out to be the right door after all. Love had come to his door, and he never intended to turn it away as long as he lived.