Closer

(I have a feeling this book is gonna be as long as HomeLess. lol)

Tommy-

Waking up to being tied up had definitely been one of his wet dreams before. Having it actually happen, however, was a bit confusing, to say the least. His mind was hazy as he began to come around, but Tommy knew that his hands were definitely tied behind his back.

Thank god I'm on my side.

It would have been extremely painful to wake up on his belly. Any weight on his injury was still quite unpleasant. Flexing his fingers, Tommy quickly realized what was really going on. Or who, to be exact.

Why couldn't he have woken me up before tying me up?

The thin twine ropes around his knuckles were nothing to laugh about. They were tied exquisitely, making him unable to bend his fingers more than a few centimeters. He definitely couldn't move them enough to try and undo Christopher's handiwork.

Damn he's good.

He wasn't surprised by that fact, but he was a bit sad that he'd managed to sleep through it all.

I shouldn't have taken those pain meds.

He'd needed them after the insane taxi ride back to his place, then taking Skipper out twice, but now he almost regretted taking the two small pills. Noticing that he was facing away from the clock, he carefully rolled over onto his back to check the time.

Almost nine at night.

Tommy knew that he'd needed to rest more, but almost twelve hours? A quiet bark by the door to his bedroom brought his eyes to Skipper. The small dog was wagging its little tail feverishly, front paws tapping on the carpet with excitement.

I know you're excited to see your master. Can we trade spots for a bit, though?

The dog gave another small yip before darting back down the hall. "Fine then, leave me alone to suffer under his tyranny."

"I didn't think tying you up so simply would make you think that highly of me."

Tommy bit his tongue at Christopher's words as the man slowly made his way into the room and dropped down into a chair that he had to have brought earlier from the dining room table. It was situated right next to Tommy's bed, and as Chris sat, a gentle wave of his scent met Tommy's nose. It was his own soap. He'd used my shower.

Not that he minded, but it didn't help calm his racing heart. The damp sheen to Christopher's hair only solidified his conclusion, but Tommy forced himself to not think about it... too much. He could see dark circles clearly defined under the man's eyes, and had no doubt that he'd used the shower to try and wake himself up.

I'm going to need a cold shower soon, too.

"What was all that bravado at my place?" Chris asked.

Tommy met Christopher's eyes as he smiled. "Exactly what that word means? I believe the definition is something close to; An action meant to impress or intimidate."

When Christopher's eyes narrowed on his, the man clearly unimpressed, Tommy gave a slight shrug and let his smile grow a little wider. "I'll let you decide which of the two occurred?"

Christopher blew out a frustrated sigh as his left hand ran through his formerly straight hair, raising several groups of strands. Delicious. He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest and gave his head a slight shake.

"Neither, Tommy. This needs to end. We are coworkers, not friends with benefits." Christopher said as he got up and leaned over him, undoing the ropes as if a three year old had tied them.

Haven't seen too many benefits. Tommy grumbled to himself in his head before realizing that his thoughts weren't entirely true. I definitely know how big he is down there now. He gave a quiet chuckle, making Chris's angry gaze darken even further as the man dropped back down into the chair.

"I don't want to be friends with benefits." Tommy replied, trying his best to sound just as stern as Christopher's. His submissive side was loving the man's dominant tone, but he knew that he couldn't just yes sir and okay, master his way out of the situation. At least, not in the direction he wanted it to go.

Christopher tugged at his hair as he held his head between his hands and glared down at the floor. "Then what the hell do you want from me? I don't do relationships. I don't do friends. I don't have time for any of that."

Tommy remained silent as Christopher's frustration seemed to grow. He liked seeing that he could rile the man, but Chris was beginning to tug too hard at his hair. "Hey." Tommy whispered as he carefully situated himself closer while carefully remaining on his side.

When Christopher didn't respond, he reached out and gently pressed his right hand beneath the other man's chin. He didn't lift it, but just let the touch happen. It was a tricky situation, and he understood that. Christopher was a dominant that didn't like things going any other way but his. To his surprise, Christopher didn't move, though he could feel a bit more pressure against his hand from the man allowing him to have a bit of his head's weight.

I've got you.

Instead of doing what his mind was screaming at him to do, which would have definitely ruined the entire situation, Tommy slowly forced himself to sit up without wincing or moving his hand much. He then carefully slid from the bed to his knees, putting himself in the small space between where Christopher sat and the bed at his back.

"You." He whispered as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Christopher's cheek. The faint foreshadowing of a beard tickled his skin, drawing a small smile from Tommy.

"I don't want any of those things."

Pushing back the hesitance trying to creep into his mind, Tommy lifted his free hand and began sifting through Christopher's messy hair, softly disentangling the man's fingers as he moved. He was surprised that Chris was just letting him do as he pleased, but Tommy knew that the man could change his mind at any moment.

After a few moments, Tommy got himself situated more comfortably on the floor, his legs to either side of the chair Chris was in and his back against the bed.  Christopher's eyes were closed when he got settled, but the man didn't seem to be asleep. His breathing, at least, hadn't quite evened out completely and he still held most of his head's weight with his arms on his knees.

Tommy opened his mouth to whisper again, but something told him that silence was what they both needed right then. So, instead, he tilted his head just-so, then leaned forward and slightly up. Christopher's lips were dry, but not rough. The taste of butterscotch, whether it be the chaptstick he seemed to have applied, or one of the candies he'd eaten to try and keep himself awake at work, Tommy enjoyed having a taste.

While he wanted to push further, he knew better. Christopher was dozing in and out of consciousness and Tommy knew that he wouldn't appreciate being startled with a tongue in his mouth. It was damn tempting, though. Instead, he allowed their lips to just press together in silence. There was movement every couple of seconds, but he only reciprocated what Christopher did. The man was clearly hesitant, but also seemed almost... curious.

Be curious, hon. No one will judge you here.

When he felt Christopher's thumb brush against his left cheek, Tommy's breath caught in his throat. He'd closed his eyes as he'd relaxed into the gentle kiss, and didn't dare open them as Christopher's fingers slowly cupped his chin. His thumb rubbed along Tommy's jawline, gently.

I should have shaved.

His stomach twisted into knot after knot as Christopher took his time. Tommy could feel the man's eyes on him, but their lips hadn't been disconnected yet, so he didn't move until Christopher finally allowed them to part.

"Tell me again... what is it that you want from me, Tommy?" He breathed, so close to Tommy's mouth that his moist lips could easily feel the heat of his breath on them.

For a moment, he couldn't think of a logical answer. He searched through his foggy mind for something meaningful to say, because he knew damn well why he wanted the man, but he just couldn't figure out the words. Sure, he could say his body, mind, and what not, but that wasn't what would get through to Christopher.

He was just about to try and say whatever honestly came to his mind, and probably make a fool out of himself, when Skipper jumped into his lap and snuggled up against him. Tommy stared at the dog for a moment, it's tail thumping happily against his leg. Skipper looked up at him and seemed to smile with his eyes.

Instead of stressing himself out over his answer to Christopher, Tommy smiled down at the small dog and scooped it up, hugging it tightly to his chest as he nuzzled his face against its fur. He might not have the words he needed to tell Christopher yet, but he could easily love his dog, as Skipper didn't seem to need any words to understand.

Tommy's smile widened when Skipper nudged his head into the crook of his neck, enjoying the snuggles he was being awarded. He was honestly content to just give the dog his affections for the time being and deal with Christopher another day. When he felt the small dog being removed, his smile turned downward, but when Christopher literally fell into his arms from the chair after setting Skipper aside, Tommy had to react automatically.

His arms jerked up and looped around Chris's back to catch him. The abrupt action made him wince from his injury, but Tommy managed to carefully get Christopher settled against the opposite side of his chest.

To hell with me. He's a little taller, but he fits so damn well in my arms.

Tommy leaned his head back against the bed just enough to be considered submissive, but when Christopher looked and noticed the gesture, instead of taking advantage of it like most others would, he leaned forward and pressed his head into the spot. The unfamiliar weight resting against his collar bone made Tommy's heart stutter in his chest, but it calmed as Christopher's warmth saturated his body.

They weren't embracing like lovers. Nor siting like friends. It wasn't entirely comfortable, and Tommy could feel his right leg already beginning to fall asleep, but when he felt Christopher's body finally relax against him on a tired sigh, he knew that they were one step closer to at least understanding each other.

"I don't want that dog."

Tommy chuckled as his arms tightened a tiny bit around Christopher.

"But we're keeping him."

Instead of replying with words, Christopher grumbled quietly and nuzzled one more time against Tommy's neck. Not five minutes later, Tommy could feel the man's breathing even out as he drifted off.

(Omg I just realized Christopher got jealous of Skipper just like Jana of Tera. Who knew the two had similarities)