Page 53 of Caught Running
Jake pursed his lips and looked off into the two-story lobby of the hotel, complete with indoor pool, hot tub, restaurant, and bar. “You could catch a flight home,” he suggested with a careful shrug.
Brandon looked over at him, wishing he could say what he wanted out loud. He’d been wanting to say something for over a month now. He and Jake had been together about seven weeks,and to him, it had just gotten better and better. Except for working so much he didn’t have time to sleep, much less get in anything else but a quickie with his boyfriend. Brandon winced. “Don’t want to,” he said.
“You could miss the game in the morning,” Jake suggested. “Could say you’re sick and just stay in and sleep. We’ve got plenty of extra coaches without the freshman team here.”
Looking a little petulant, Brandon visibly suppressed the urge to pout. He didn’t want to sleep unless he was with Jake. He’d found the last couple of weeks that he didn’t really want to do much of anything without Jake. He threw back the rest of his drink and tossed a twenty on the bar. “How about we take a load off in the room? My ass is killing me from that damn bus.”
“All righty,” Jake agreed, taking his beer bottle with him. He had never even unshouldered his bag.
Brandon groaned and leaned over to drag his bag and backpack off the floor and start trudging down the walkway past the pool, reading off numbers under his breath. They got to the very end of the row, and no room. He frowned and looked down a little hall, and there off by itself was another room, a handicap-accessible one—right next to the vending machines. He checked the number. Yep. He keyed open the door and walked in.
“Snazzy,” Jake muttered as he followed his cranky lover into the room.
Letting his bags drop to the floor, Brandon turned and watched Jake close the door and step into the wide open room. Then he walked right over to him and wrapped one arm around Jake’s neck, the other around his waist. He buried his face in Jake’s shoulder and clung. Jake pulled him close and nuzzled against his temple as he hummed soothingly. He’d had these days before. He knew that sometimes you just needed to be cuddled and cooed to.
Brandon clutched him closer, letting himself ever so slowly relax, safe in Jake’s arms. The soft sounds and touches helped, and after a couple of long minutes he asked in a small voice, “Would you hold me while I nap? Just for a little while?”
“Yeah,” Jake murmured in answer, turning his head to kiss Brandon’s cheek. “I’ve got to make the rounds first, though, okay?”
Nodding, Brandon squeezed him tight before letting go. He pulled his sweatshirt over his head, revealing the T-shirt Jake had given him forever ago. “I’m gonna unpack,” he said.
Jake reached out and grabbed his shirt, tugging him closer to kiss him slowly. “Why don’t you just crawl into bed?” he suggested in a low voice.
Sighing when Jake’s lips pulled away, Brandon blinked at him sleepily. “Want to wait for you,” he admitted.
Jake cocked his head in surprise and smiled slightly. “I’ll be fast, then,” he promised as he stepped away and turned to the door.
Brandon wrapped his arms around himself and watched Jake go. He was just wasted enough to think about going with him. Instead he grabbed his bag and tossed it on the dresser, then hefted up his backpack. He seriously thought about chucking it out the window. It would have been more impressive if the room wasn’t on the first floor. But he stood there staring at the window anyway.
Jake made the rounds, going first to Troy and Jonathan’s room to get the master list and then going to each room to check the kids. He took their IDs, including the fake ones, and the kids all handed them over readily because they knew Jake would give them back when they got home without a word about them. He gave each group the same warning he always did about being caught out of the rooms: buying a bus ticket home andturning in their uniforms were the least of their problems if they wandered.
It took nearly an hour, but Jake was certain that no one would be out of line tonight when he returned to the room he and Brandon shared.
Brandon managed to make it twenty minutes before sitting on the edge of the bed, another ten before he leaned back against the headboard. Five minutes after that he’d collapsed over to hug a pillow to him as he fell into a troubled doze. It was hard to sleep without Jake now. It felt wrong.
Jake entered the room quietly and stepped up to the end of the bed in his sock feet. With a small smile he began taking off most of his clothing. He didn’t dare strip when it was possible that someone might knock on their door at any moment, but he got down to his boxers and crawled into bed behind Brandon. He curled around him and kissed the back of his neck softly.
Just the warmth of Jake close was enough for Brandon to start relaxing, and he sighed his lover’s name, already mostly asleep. The furrows carved on his face smoothed as he turned up his chin to press his cheek to Jake’s lips.
“Hey baby,” Jake murmured in Brandon’s ear, pulling him closer.
“Mmm?” Brandon shifted to his back, turning toward Jake instinctively.
Jake pulled him closer and kissed him. “You drunk?” he asked in amusement.
Brandon’s lips turned up slightly. “God, I wish,” he mumbled. “’Cept then I wouldn’t be able to appreciate this.” He kept turning until his chest pressed against Jake’s, sliding his face into the curve of Jake’s neck, pressing his lips to soft skin.
“One day I’m gonna get you drunk,” Jake promised with a smirk, “and grope you.”
Brandon groaned. “You don’t want to do that. Really. I’m a silly-ass drunk.”
“And that’s different than normal how?” Jake chuckled, cuddling Brandon closer to him.
A happy smile spread on Brandon’s face. “Missed this,” he murmured, opening his hands to splay his fingers over Jake’s chest.
“It’s been right here,” Jake whispered as he ducked his head and kissed Brandon gently.
Brandon winced and sighed in apology. “Not been fair to you,” he murmured, soaking up being so close.