Second Time Around Read online

  Second Time Around

  Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  Dedication

  To my family

  Jenjo, Kim and Jen

  My loyal readers

  © Copyright 2012

  ~*RONIN*~

  It’s amazing the things you think about when you’re in denial. Did I pay the bills? Is the coffee pot off? Did I take the trash out?

  Right now I would have preferred to think of anything other than where I was. I was standing next to a hole in the ground watching my partner of twelve years being lowered in a solid wood casket. I’d wanted something snazzy; something with a “Star Wars” theme - Mav would have loved that.

  Maverick Holliday, the man I’d fallen head over heels for in college, was gone. I couldn’t get used to the fact that I was a widower, even though we hadn’t had the chance to get married yet.

  Our parents were good with our relationship, but it hadn’t been easy in the beginning. Brigitte and Monroe Holliday had no idea their son was gay until he brought me home for Christmas the first year we were together. Let’s just say the eggnog flowed in abundance that night. They screamed at Mav, and then kicked us both out of the house. I’m pretty sure I remember Mav pissing on their lighted reindeer out front and then running over Frosty in the driveway. They’d come around after about a year; Mav wouldn’t speak to them and, in the end, their love for their son finally pushed them into reconciling. My parents, on the other hand, had always known I was gay. It was kind of hard to hide when I was walking around the house at ten years old in my mom’s high heels and dresses singing “It’s Raining Men.”

  I had to laugh a little at that, which earned me a few raised eyebrows from my fellow mourners. Mav wouldn’t want me to be sad; he’d always said that if he went first, he wanted a huge party at the house with a Chewbacca impersonator. (I couldn’t find one of those, so I settled for “Star Wars” party plates and cups.) My attention was drawn back to the coffin as Mav’s mom let out a broken sob.

  I tightened my fingers around hers and closed my eyes. This was it. Mav was being laid to rest, his life cut short by a drunk driver. I heard the unmistakable sound of the coffin hitting the bottom and swallowed the large lump in my throat. I’d cried more in the last week than I had in my entire life.

  The frigid wind blew across my face and I realized I was crying again. My mother stood on the other side of me, wiping her nose with a tissue. God love her, she’d loved Mav fiercely. He had that effect on you, though; his smile would melt you into a big, splashy puddle.

  I was vaguely aware of the pastor saying something to me. I nodded, not quite hearing him, and took the shovel from him. Stepping up to the hole, I peered down and saw the coffin Mav’s mother had picked out. It seemed cold, not like Mav at all. I scooped some dirt onto the end of the shovel and dropped it on the coffin below. It landed on the wood with a thud and I lost my composure, sliding to my knees and grabbing the earth in my fingers. Why Mav? He had such a bright future ahead of him as a doctor.

  Brigitte and Mom took me by the arms and picked me up. I glanced over my shoulder as we walked back to the limo; people were still standing around as a light rain started to fall.

  My life was being covered with every shovelful of dirt that landed in the huge gaping hole.

  ~*~

  The house seemed empty as Mom opened the door for me. Mav’s sneakers sat up against the wall on the mud mat. His jacket hung carelessly over the side of the couch arm like he’d get back to it, ya know? I hadn’t been here since the day I’d found out. I couldn’t.

  Brigitte went to make coffee and get all the food in order. I sat down on the couch and took Mav’s jacket off the arm, holding it up to my nose. The scent of “Old Spice” filled my nostrils and I let a heady sigh escape my lips. God, I loved the smell of him.

  “Ronin, why don’t you take a shower, honey?” my mother suggested.

  I shook my head.

  “I don’t feel like it.”

  “Sweetheart.”

  She sat down next to me and took my face in her hands.

  “I know this is hard for you, but Maverick wouldn’t want you to wallow.”

  I blinked and focused on her face. “It’s been a week, Mom. Let me wallow.”

  “She’s right, you know,”

  Brigitte came back into the living room with three cups of coffee and a small plate of biscotti.

  “Maverick would want you to move on with your life. God knows my son had his ways,” Brigitte smiled.

  I sighed and covered my face with Mav’s jacket.

  “Can we just get this over with? I have no interest in sitting here for God knows how many hours while people tell me how sorry they are that my partner is gone. I’m supposed to go back to work on Monday and face a classroom of high school kids and teach them the English language.”

  “Jules, why don’t you take Ronin upstairs?” Brigitte said gently.

  I took the jacket off my face and huffed at both of them. “I’m not a child. Go do whatever it is you women do in the kitchen.”

  I pushed off the couch and trudged upstairs to my room. Closing the door, I looked at the king-sized bed with its rumpled sheets and comforter. I collapsed onto the bed and buried my face into Mav’s pillow, inhaling deeply.

  “God, I miss you so much.”

  Burying my face in the pillow, my thoughts drifted back to the day I met Maverick Holliday.

  ~~*University of Arizona*~~

  12 years earlier.

  The dorm halls were crowded and smelled of sweat and fear. I fumbled around in my bag for the paper that held the room number I was looking for. My freshman year of college was starting off with a bang. I got a flat tire on my way in, spilled my caramel latte all over my shirt and stubbed my toe. Now my bag had just slipped off my shoulder and proceeded to vomit all its contents onto the hall floor. I groaned and dropped to my knees, picking up all the books that had slid out.

  A shoe landed on my finger and I yelped in pain.

  “Sorry, dude.”

  I looked up just in time to catch the back of the dickwad who had just stepped on my index finger. I wanted to flip him off, but lost the energy. Finally righting my bag, I found the paper I was looking for and made my way down the hall.

  Music blasted from some of the rooms and doors opened, giving me a glimpse at some of my fellow underclassmen. I finally found my room and turned the door knob.

  Opening the door, I walked into a galaxy far, far away. I mean literally. I have no idea how long my roommate had been in the room, but he’d made it his. One wall was blue with twinkling stars and the ‘Millennium Falcon’ painted into the scene along with the ‘Death Star.’ I expected Darth Vader to jump out at me.

  “Holy shit,” I whispered.

  “Um, yeah, hi.”

  I turned to find a guy with a lopsided grin looking at me. Oh holy shit and hot damn was he hot! Black hair was cropped short, accentuating pale grey eyes. The body of a wrestler was wrapped in jeans and a Wildcats football jersey. My cock thickened on sight.

  “Is this your work?” I grinned, showing off my fantastic capped teeth. Having dentists for parents had its perks.

  “Yes, it is,” he smiled shyly. “I’m sorry you got stuck rooming with the nerd.” He tilted his head, looking at me. “You sure you’ve got the right room? I was told I’d have a nerd in here with me.”

  I looked at the paper in my hand and prayed I had gotten the right room. I looked up and smiled.

  “12-A?” I laughed when the guy nodded. “Well, I’m your nerd then.”

  I looked around the room and chuckled at the TIE fighters hanging suspended from the ceiling. “I take it you like ‘Star Wars’?” I turned back around to see him toeing the c
arpet with his sneaker.

  “Yeah, if it bugs you, I’ll take it down,” he offered.

  “What? No Jar Jar Binks?”

  In my humble opinion, Jar Jar Binks is the most annoying character ever created. Truth be told, I tried to watch the newer movies just for Hayden Christensen, but even his hotness couldn’t help. In fact, I think I fell asleep during the first fifteen minutes. A loud snort interrupted my reverie and I almost peed myself at the look on the guy’s face. His nose twitched in disgust, like I’d farted or something.

  “That is not ‘Star Wars’,” he snorted again in disgust.

  I had to smile. No wonder we’d been paired. My roommate felt the same way I did about the old ‘new’ “Star Wars.” I put my hand out.

  “Ronin Eastland.”

  “Maverick Holliday. Before you say it,” he held his hand up after he’d shaken mine, “my mom had a thing for ‘Top Gun’.”

  “Will Goose be joining us?” I asked with a smile.

  “If we get along, you are Goose,” he said, closing the door to the room.

  “As long as I don’t end up like him.”

  I dropped my bag on the bed across from his. I noted the size of the room and closet space. The carpet was sort of grey and the walls - well my wall - was white.

  “I’m sorry, do you fly jets?” Maverick asked me.

  “Not lately,” I looked over my shoulder at him and grinned. “I can’t say shit anyway. Ronin? Hello? Robert De Niro, anyone?”

  Maverick laughed.

  “You have any luggage?” he asked.

  “In my car.”

  “Well, why don’t we go get it and then grab some lunch, get to know each other?”

  I nodded and stretched my back. “Lunch where?”

  He shrugged. “Wherever. Do you live in Arizona? Or are you just here for college?”

  “No, I live here. Up in Sabino Canyon.” I eyed him. “You?”

  “Live here. Foothills.”

  “Snob,” I laughed.

  “Snobbier.”

  “Is that even a word?”

  He shrugged and opened the door.

  “It is now.”

  After dragging my bags up from the car, we headed into town for lunch. We ended up in the McDonald’s drive thru and we were back on the road again headed for the college. The end of summer was at hand and the heat was unrelenting. Living in Arizona had taught me one thing - don’t drive a car with leather seats while wearing shorts. Oh, and always keep pot holders handy if you don’t have a steering wheel cover.

  There was a frustrated sigh to my right and I looked over at Maverick. He was picking pickles off his burger and throwing them out the window.

  “They fuck you at the drive thru,” he mumbled.

  “Isn’t that in ‘Lethal Weapon’?” I asked with a grin.

  Maverick turned an incredulous eye towards me.

  “Do you know every line from every movie?”

  I shrugged, giving him my best grin. “Maybe.”

  “We have got to play board games with other roomies. We could kick some serious ass.”

  I motioned to the jersey he was wearing. “Are you a football fan?”

  Maverick turned in the seat and that’s when I got a full view of the back of his jersey. The number seven and the name - Holliday.

  “You play?” I spluttered. Okay, so not my finest moment.

  “Yup,” Maverick inhaled his burger.

  “But, you’re…I mean…”

  “A nerd?”

  I blushed at that one. I had no idea what to say. My roommate was a football player and a drop-dead gorgeous one at that. I pulled my thoughts together and then stuck my foot right back in my mouth.

  “Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’re gay, too.”

  Maverick coughed and I thumped him on his back. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, fine.”

  I concentrated on the road, but it had gotten extremely quiet in the car. Now I felt like an ass. When didn’t I though? I had a habit of saying things before I thought them through. I was the male version of Lindsay Lohan’s character in ‘Mean Girls.’ Me and my damn word vomit. I pulled into the parking space at the dorms and shut the car off. Maverick sat quietly, chewing on a fry.

  “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “What if I was?” Maverick turned to look at me. I knew my mouth was hanging open; I had a habit of doing that, too.

  “Um, I wouldn’t care,” I said slowly.

  “You wouldn’t care if your roommate was gay?”

  Now came the moment of truth. I was going to have to come clean about my sexuality to a guy I’d just met, probably went to a rival high school and was now my roommate. God, I hoped I could contain my growing need to run from the car screaming.

  “No, I wouldn’t.” I took a deep breath. “I’m gay.”

  Maverick started at that information and I saw my chances of being in a dorm room with a hot guy slipping away. This wasn’t new to me, though; I’d lost friendships before for being gay and I learned a long time ago to say it before things got too comfortable. I decided to keep going, because, you know, word vomit and all.

  “So, I guess it’s out there now. Punch me, slap me, scream at me, kick me out of the room, but just make it quick, okay?”

  A hand flew out at me, but it didn’t hit me. It grabbed the back of my neck and hauled me forward. Warm lips were on mine and the taste of ketchup and onions invaded my mouth.

  Maverick Holliday was kissing me.

  A loud groan escaped me as I was pushed into the door, Maverick almost in my lap. Hands found my hips and fingers dug into my skin. The door handle was in my back and I couldn’t have cared less. Maverick’s mouth was feasting on mine. Damn was he a good kisser, too. I felt my tightie whities getting wet as Maverick’s tongue explored my mouth, licking at the insides. Even though it was well over a hundred degrees outside, I swore the windows were fogging up. Maverick’s nostrils flared as he continued to kiss me, his hands sliding over my more than ready erection.

  I finally found my brain somewhere and put a hand to Maverick’s cheek. He pulled back slowly, breathing hard and searching my eyes.

  “We should…um, go to the room?”

  Maverick nodded and relaxed into his own seat. I took the keys out of the ignition with a shaking hand and finally managed to open the door. I got out and stood on wobbly legs waiting for Maverick to exit my car. He did and we walked a few feet apart back to the dorms.

  As soon as the door closed, I opened my mouth to say something and Maverick grabbed me again. In my defense, I do know when to shut up. My shirt was gone, then my pants and I was getting the once over from a fully dressed Maverick Holliday. I blushed at the scrutiny and tried to cover the erection that was currently standing up like a damn flag pole in my underwear. Maverick just smiled at me as he pulled his jersey off.

  I’m not a wimpy guy, don’t get me wrong - but Mav? Oh, hell. He was sculpted to perfection, casually flaunting rippling abs and massive biceps. I almost creamed my tighties right then.

  His hands fumbled with the button of his jeans and I couldn’t look away for fear I’d miss something. The zipper came down and I almost choked on my own spit as Maverick’s jeans slid down his legs along with his boxers. His cock was huge and leaking, and God help me I had to have it in my mouth. I was on my knees in seconds, massaging his balls as I licked up his hard shaft. Maverick’s hands were in my hair, massaging my scalp as I sucked the rim of his cock. His hips pumped into my mouth as I took him deeper, sucking on his prick like I needed it to function.

  “Oh fuck yes, Ronin…”

  I moaned at the tone of his voice and lapped at his cock more. I slicked a finger with spit and traced around the muscle of his hole. The fingers in my hair tightened as I breached the ring of muscle and slid my finger into Maverick’s ass. A blast of heat shot down my throat and Maverick’s snapped back, a loud delicious moan leaving his throat as I sucked and swallowed
happily. I eased back a bit, pressing a kiss to Maverick’s now sensitive head and leaned against his thigh to catch my breath.

  “Ronin?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you a top or a bottom?”

  “I’m whatever you want right now,” I said, running my cheek against his thigh.

  “I want to fuck you,” he whispered.

  I looked up at him just then and saw the carnal need in his eyes, and oh God how I wanted him inside me, fucking me into oblivion. I stood up and walked to my side of the room. Unzipping my duffel, I grabbed the contents inside and turned to face Maverick.

  “Your bed or mine?”

  I thought for sure we’d alert the whole dorm as to what we were doing. Maverick had me on my hands and knees, plowing into me. My fucking prostate was in heaven as Maverick nailed it every single time. His hand was at my hip, pulling me onto him and one arm was draped across my waist, holding me in place. My fucking balls were swaying back and forth, hitting Maverick’s, and I almost screamed at how good it felt. I managed to grab my cock and stroke it as Maverick pounded me into the bed. I heard a gasp behind me, and then Maverick let out a low, feral groan and collapsed on my back. I spurted onto the sheets below and fell down in the wet spot.

  Ew.

  “Holy fuck, Ronin,” Maverick gasped.

  I tried to grab air into my lungs as the aftershocks of my magnificent orgasm ebbed away. I looked over my shoulder to see a sly smile on Maverick’s face.

  “You knew I was gay,” I accused, tightening my ass around Maverick’s cock, still inside me.

  “Oh, shit,” he exhaled, closing his eyes. “I had a clue.”

  “I didn’t,” I laughed and leaned up to kiss him. His lips met mine softly and a warm hand caressed my face.

  “The minute you walked into this room I was so glad you had your back to me so you couldn’t see the look of pure lust on my face,” he confessed. “You looked so good from the back, and then when you turned around…”

  “Yeah? You thought I was hot?” I nibbled on his bottom lip a little.