AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guard shot a look between Ash and Nix. Nix, still sitting on the floor, head in his hands, panting. Ash, all toothy grinned neighborhood from next door. Wholesome and trustworthy, nothing to see here, officer. Nixy boy just had a bad dream and wet himself, poor bubba. They had definitely not been fucking themselves together after edging for a week so that bumping and grinding into each other had absolutely not sent them over the edge together. No siree. The door slammed and locked as the guard left.
Ash sank to his bunk with a relieved breath out, perching on the edge, eyes darting to the man in front of him who hadn't moved a muscle since pushing Ash off and sitting up.
* * *
"Well, this stay is going to be a lot more interesting than I had thought it would be," Ash said, trying for light hearted humor.
Nix moved then. His fist swung and connected with Ash's jaw. Ash saw it coming milliseconds before impact but chose not to block it. Ash suspected Nix needed to exercise his anger. Ash would take a punch or two if he needed to. Maybe Ash deserved it a little.
Nix spoke finally. His voice punching through the gloom, low and slow and full of menace. "Don't ever touch me, without my permission, again."
Ash gulped. Nix sounded pissed. Nix sounded murderous. Fuck, had Ash overstepped? Ash hadn’t thought of it like that. He had thought Nix was enjoying himself, he had thought Nix wanted it. He'd been just trying to hold Nix back, Nix had said he wanted to do the week, Ash hadn't realized grabbing Nix's forearm would have been such a big deal-
"Do I make myself clear?" Nix spat, head still in his hands, still sat on the floor.
Fuck, had Ash misread this all horribly wrong? This is what frequently happened, this is why he’d get in trouble back at home. People said he took things too far. He thought he knew best and he was too domineering. But he didn’t think he was wrong about this, Nix had wanted it.
Ash felt a sudden stab of regret. And he wasn’t a man to regret the things that he had done. Nix wasn’t just a play thing for the night. An amusement for Ash’s stay. Nix was more than that. Already, somehow, Ash hurt thinking he had hurt Nix. Ash regretted overstepping and he couldn’t bear the thought of this beautiful fierce man in front of him not wanting him. Not liking him. Because Ash both wanted and liked Nix quite a lot.
Ash hated that he might have upset Nix. Nix probably wouldn’t say it in those words, Nix would say it with his fists and his surly mood, which is exactly what was happening now. Fuck, Ash would have to live with a grumpy, hurt cellmate who fucking hated him now for taking things too far. The apology didn’t flow naturally from Ash, but he knew he had to make it.
"I... sorry Nix, yes, clear... I didn't-"
Nix raised his head now and looked Ash straight in the eye. "Now, shut the fuck up and tell me, when can we do that again?"
"Visiting day,Ash, you’ll be wanting to get yourself all dolled up!” a guard called. Nix groaned like a teenager being told to wake up early for school.
Ash sprung out of bed. "I bet it's Colt, it will be Colt."
"Who’s fucking Colt?" Nix stirred into his pillow.
Ash almost thought he detected a hint of jealousy.
"I told you, Prez of the MC I'm a member of.”
Nix groaned again into his pillow and looked up. He was at almost eye level to Nix. Their gazes locked and Ash was struck by the man's beauty. Even sleep rumpled, he looked cute. Those neck tattoos, a lush botanical forest drawing Ash in. Fading into a geometric pattern that merged into his hair. Oh how Ash wanted to see more. So much more. He looked at Nix like a thing he wanted to eat. And Nix saw it. He knew it. He didn't like it, but he knew it.
Nix moaned again and collapsed his head back into the pillow. The guard rattled their door. "You too, Nix, visitors.”
"What? But..." Nix's voice was edged with confusion and... hope.
Ash pursed his lips. Whoever was here to visit Nix, Ash hoped to God it was going to be a good visit. Nix deserved it.
* * *
Ash strode into the visitation room like a king parading into his throne room. If there had been one person visiting him or a whole entourage of people, he would have walked in with the same swagger. He wasn't going to let this get him down. He wasn't going to give in to the feelings of dehumanization, the shame of having to be watched, told it was time and be herded back into his sheep pen. No siree.
And Ash's eyes scoured the room. Sure enough, Colt.
Ash felt instant relief in his gut. The guy was mid-thirties, compared to Ash's mid twenties. Ash had done Colt the first favor, because Colt had been there for him when Ash was at rock bottom, basically kept like a slave in his uncle’s resort, forced to work as a concierge, no pay, no autonomy. Again, the dehumanizing shame of it. And Colt hadn't batted an eyelid when Ash told him why he was there in the first place.
He'd been kicked out of college for taking beautiful but explicit photos of himself involved in a threesome with a guy and a girl. His parents had been unimpressed, to say the least. They'd had enough of his "homoerotic shenanigans” and had looked into correctional therapy for him. Yes, they'd thought he could be cured of his gayness. The plan was working the summer at a luxury lodge retreat his uncle owned. Ash had obviously chosen that, he had no intention of getting close to any conversion camp. He'd naively believed maybe his family would see he was doing okay and support him... that was all proven wrong when Ash’s uncle reported his car stolen. Ash had borrowed it and lent it to Colt as a getaway vehicle. He'd explained it was for an emergency for a friend... his uncle hadn't cared, hadn't shown any sympathy or trust or faith in him. And once he'd been arrested, his parents had washed their hands of him. He still had visions of returning, them being pleased to see him, his little sister running and giving him a massive hug. Colt told him not to get his hopes up, people don't change... they stayed the same. Ash still had hope.
Ash smiled as Colt looked disgusted at the room around him. Colt had done time and it obviously haunted him. But Colt only had very subtle tells. To everyone else, he would look like the badass Prez. In his leather cut and black jeans and boots. His shoulder length chocolate brown hair pulled up in a bun. He had his arms folded and his legs crossed, leaning back like he owned the prison.
Ash had huge admiration for Colt.
They weren't allowed to touch, but Colt's eyes warmed when Ash took a seat at his table. "No April today?" Ash asked. Last visit, Colt’s beautiful, sunny partner had come along. Wife now, as they'd jetted to Hawaii and got hitched. His ol’ lady, in their biker terms. Colt smiled ruefully and shook his head.
