“Christ.” Ed ran a hand threw his hair, tugging on the ends. “We said we were going to stay friends and that’s all.”
“You weren’t saying that last night.”
“I know.” Far from it. He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of Oliver under his hands, in his mouth.
Oliver narrowed his eyes. “I know you weren’t drunk.”
“I wasn’t.” He took a deep breath, wanting to get this right. “Last night...” He tried again. “I really like you, Oliver.” He gestured to their nakedness and the clothes strewn about his bedroom. “Obviously.”
Oliver huffed out a laugh. “I got that impression, yes.”
“And I don’t regret it for a second. But...”
Oliver put his hand over Ed’s, linking their fingers with a sigh. “But it changes nothing? This still has to end at some point because you’re moving?”
“Yeah.” God, he wished things were different. Wished he’d met Oliver when he was settled and not poised to move his life elsewhere. Wished they had a proper chance to see where this might lead. “So...” For all his convictions, he couldn’t bring himself to end this before it had begun. Not with Oliver lying naked in his bed... looking at him like that. “What now?”
Laughter was the last thing he expected, but Oliver’s rang out in the bedroom. “You’re asking me? You’re the one with the big speeches.” His sudden grin took Ed by surprise, and despite the gravity of their conversation, he found himself grinning back.
“I can’t think straight while we’re lying here like this.”
Oliver slipped a hand under the quilt, letting it rest low on Ed’s stomach. “I don’t want you thinking straight.” His fingers slid lower still, teasing the hairs of Ed’s happy trail.
With a groan, Ed put his hand on Oliver’s, pushing it lower. Their joined fingers wrapped around his cock. “So we could... Um...” Oliver started to stroke him, shuffling forward until they were close enough for him to get their joined hands on both of them. “We could enjoy this for what it is.”
Voice rough, Ed murmured, “And what’s that?” He met Oliver’s gaze, heat searing through him at the intensity he found there. This was more than friends with benefits, not that Ed had ever thought he’d be okay with that.
Oliver kissed him, just a soft press of lips, a far cry from the demandingly rough kisses of the night before, but the effect it had on Ed was the same. His heart stuttered and his toes curled. Moving his free hand up to cup the back of Oliver’s neck, he tried to keep him there, prolong their contact and keep any more words inside his mouth.
With a smile and a small huff of laughter, Oliver pulled back enough to speak. “I think we both know that you leaving is going to be hard no matter what we do from here on out.” He kept up the slow, steady slide of his hand, and Ed bit his lip, trying to think and not give in to the pleasure building at the base of his spine.
“It’ll hurt more if we keep doing this,” he managed, sucking in a breath when Oliver ran his thumb over the head of his cock, slick with pre-come.
“You want to stop?”
“No.”
Oliver laughed softly. “This, what we’re doing right now... or?”
“Neither... Both.” Ed mumbled, then closed his eyes, thrusting into Oliver’s fist and biting his lip with every slide. Oliver was right, now they’d crossed this line, leaving was going to suck no matter what. Might as well enjoy the time they had. Who knew, maybe long distance would work out if they were still together when he left. Maybe they wouldn’t even last that long. Whatever, Ed didn’t much care at that moment. “Don’t stop.”
Oliver kissed him long and deep, tongue chasing his as his hand worked them both relentlessly.
Cocooned in his bed like this, life outside seemed a world away, easy to push to the back of his mind. He could lose himself to the orgasm rapidly approaching. Fingers twined in Oliver’s hair, Ed held on tight as he came, moaning into Oliver’s mouth, kisses turning sloppy and uncoordinated as Oliver followed him over the edge.
“What now?” he asked again, opening his eyes.
This time Oliver smiled at him, lazy and content, and it sparked a tightness in Ed’s chest he’d not experienced in a long while. “Now we shower, eat, and decorate that awfully bare tree you’ve got in there.”
That wasn’t exactly what Ed had meant, and he knew Oliver had avoided it on purpose, but maybe he was right—take each day as it came. “And paint the bedrooms,” he added, regretting it immediately when Oliver’s smile faltered. Painting them meant photos, which was a step nearer to selling the bungalow. “Or not.”
“No, it’s fine.” Oliver rallied, leaning in for another soft kiss. “We can paint too.” He kissed Ed again, lingering this time, but before it could turn into more, Oliver rolled over and reached for his phone. “I just need to let Betty know where I am.” He sent off a quick text, chuckled at the reply, then put it down on the bedside table.
“Shower?” Ed asked, trailing a finger through the mess on Oliver’s stomach when he faced Ed again. “We can both fit in the new one.” His dick showed signs of interest, but Ed needed a little more recovery time than that. Despite that, the thought of Oliver’s naked body under his hands, wet and soapy, was incentive enough to have him shoving back the covers and reaching for Oliver’s hand.
“Fuck, it’s cold.” With a shiver, Oliver let Ed pull him up and lead him to the bathroom. He let out a low whistle when Ed turned the light on. “Wow, I’d forgotten how awesome it was in here.” He shivered again, and Ed quickly reached in to turn on the shower.
Ed tugged Oliver against him for another kiss. Now they’d officially given up on the friends-only thing, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Didn’t want to. “Let’s get you warm.”
