Moving In

"I hope this damn thing doesn't hurt your back. It's not exactly new." Annie looked with concern at the old brown plaid couch.

"It'll be fine," Steve said. He dropped his blue duffle bag on the floor and wrapped his arms around her. "Seriously Sis, thank you so much for letting me stay with you. I really needed to get out of that small town and into the city, where things happen."

Annie hugged him back. "I'm just glad you're here. It'll be good to have family around. I love my roommate, Mark. He's like another brother to me, but you and I share a history. Nobody else quite gets my jokes like my little brother."

She stepped back, ruffled his dark brown hair with her fingertips and smiled. Annie and Steve were four years apart and she had treated him like her own personal doll from the time he was born, keeping watch over him and telling her mother what to do for him in a way that had exasperated her mother at times. Annie and Steve had a connection that nothing could break.

One of the two bedroom doors opened and Mark stepped out. "Oh, great! You're here! Welcome to our humble abode!"

Mark crossed the distance quickly with his long legs and Steve put out his hand to shake but Mark just took it and pulled him in for a hug.

"Annie has told me sooo much about her little brother. We're so happy to have you here." Mark stepped back and beamed.

Steve just smiled bemusedly. "I'm... glad you feel that way and that I'm not putting you guys out."

"Absolutely not," Mark replied with a wave of his hand. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. Now, it's already six o'clock. I insist on taking you both out for dinner. Chinese?"

Annie looked at Steve and he nodded. "Sounds great to me."

"Okay, there is the most fabulous little place two blocks down. You're just going to love it."

*****

Looking at the menu, Steve admitted that they did not have a Chinese restaurant in the town where he and Annie had grown up so he'd only ever had the chance to try a few dishes and mostly stuck with the one he knew he liked. Mark immediately ordered a feast of different flavors for everyone to share.

"You've got to try new things or you'll never know what you like." Mark admonished him.

Mark tried to show him how to hold chopsticks. "You simply cannot eat Chinese food properly with a fork. It just isn't done."

Mark put the sticks into Steve's hand and tried to show him but Steve couldn't get the hang of it. Steve's stomach started to growl audibly.

"Wait!" Mark put up a hand. "I have it. I saw this on a cooking show once."

Mark took the wrapper the chopsticks came in and rolled it up tight then put it between the chopsticks to give Steve some leverage. Steve picked up a piece of shrimp and popped it in his mouth.

"Success!" Mark crowed. "So, Steve, what plans do you have now that you're here?"

"Well, I'm enrolled at the University for my junior year. All my community college credits transferred. I'll be looking for a job and once everything is in place, I'll get out of your hair and find a place of my own."

"No hurry," Steve shook his head. "It'll be great having you around. Another man in the house to counter your sister's estrogen. I don't exactly do a great job of that. She overwhelms me."

They laughed and dug into the food with a will, shifting plates around and sharing the different dishes that seemed so exotic to Steve. They refilled the little teacups often and ate until they were satisfied.

Annie picked up the fortune cookies and tossed them around then cracked one open. "Hmmm... I think I got yours Steve. It says 'be open to the unknown, you are embarking on a new life.'"

"Sounds like good advice to me," Mark said. He cracked open his and read. "Love will find you in an unusual way this year. Hmmm, I wonder what that could mean? Maybe that's yours Annie."

"I think it works for you," Annie replied. She cracked open her fortune. "Use the music of nature to relax. Always sound advice."

The three headed back to the apartment, stopping at the liquor store on the way for a couple bottles of wine.

*****

They had been playing Scrabble for a couple hours and were solidly into the second bottle of wine when Annie called it a night.

"I'm going to hit the hay gentlemen, I bid you adieu." She blew kisses to them and headed off to her bedroom.

"Little more wine?" Mark asked, holding the bottle and jiggling it from side to side.

"Sure," Steve replied. "Sounds good. I'm already about two sheets to the wind, might as well go for three."

They were sitting on the couch that would be Steve's bed for the night, just a foot apart. Steve's eyes kept straying to the opening of Mark's shirt, where hair peaked out, and up to his softly swept golden hair. He was struggling to keep himself from just staring openly.

Mark shifted in his seat so that one leg lay flat on the sofa between them, his ankle under the knee of his other leg. He rested his cheek against the back of the sofa. He hadn't missed the frequent heated looks Steve had tried to hide. He suspected that Steve didn't even know what he was doing.

Steve took a sip of his wine, his eyes looking into those of the man sitting opposite him over the rim of the wine glass. Was it just the wine? He'd never found another man so wildly attractive. Oh, all right, there was Jimmy in Science class and his professor of British Lit at the community college. He knew he was gay but in such a small town he'd been afraid to explore the possibilities, of which there were darn few. Earlier, when Mark had laughed and patted his knee at some inane comment Steve had made about the electric company, a jolt of electricity seemed to rush through his system.

Mark drained the rest of his wine glass, set it on the coffee table and stood. "I'd best get to bed before I fall asleep right here."

Steve popped up off the sofa and swayed. Mark reached out a hand to steady him.

"Easy there, you okay?"

"Yes, I just don't usually drink that much wine in one night."

"That's a good thing, we wouldn't want you turning into a wino or a drunk, now would we?"

They were standing face to face, just inches away. Mark stared into Steve's face. He had such an open and hungry look that Mark impulsively leaned in and kissed him, cupping his face. It only lasted for a few precious moments but Mark was sure Steve had kissed him back before pulling away.

They stood looking at each other breathlessly for a minute then Mark grinned.

"If you find the sofa's too hard, I'd be happy to share my bed with you. Just come on in." Abruptly, he turned and headed for his bedroom.

*****

Steve tossed and turned for several hours on the couch. It was perfectly comfortable but he couldn't seem to stop the longing coursing through his veins. He wanted more of the kiss Mark had given him, and anything else Mark was willing to do.

Finally, he threw off the blankets and went over to Mark's door. He stood before it, not moving. Should he? He wanted to, he definitely wanted to. Taking a deep breath, he put his hand to the doorknob and turned.

Mark woke to see Steve standing over him in the light from the street lamp outside, completely naked. He simply lifted the blankets and scooted back, letting Steve crawl in next to him. They lay face to face, looking into each other's eyes. Mark reached out to Steve, stroking a hand down his chest and resting it on his hip.

"I'm glad you decided to join me," Mark said softly.

"I... I've never done this before," Steve confessed.

"Never? Never, ever?"

"No... never."

Mark smiled and leaned in to press his lips to Steve's. "Don't worry. I promise you I will make you feel better than you ever have on your own."

"I think I already do," Steve replied. He moved closer to Mark and kissed him urgently.

Mark's eyes opened in surprise but he didn't waste any time. He pulled Steve closer and slid his tongue into Steve's open mouth. Their hands danced over each other's skin, exploring and caressing. Mark heard Steve gasp as his hand closed gently around Steve's erection. He wondered if anyone else had ever even done that for him. He suspected not.

Steve groaned into Mark's mouth and thrust forward. He had waited so long for this and had expected to wait a good deal longer. He certainly didn't expect this kind of initiation into the big city.

Mark laughed gently at Steve's eagerness and began to stroke him slowly through his loose fist. Planting soft kisses and licks down Steve's neck, Mark worked his way down his chest. Mark kissed and licked his nipples, biting gently. He kissed down his belly, little feather light kisses everywhere that made Steve shiver. When he reached Steve's erection, he closed his hot mouth around the head and sucked gently.

Steve moaned and gripped the blankets around them. Steve never imagined feeling this way but Mark's hands on him were heavenly. Just the thinking about what Mark was doing to him under the blankets excited him unbearably. He felt Mark's hot wet tongue sliding over his cock.

Mark tenderly cupped Steve's testicles and caressed them. Releasing Steve's cock from his mouth, Mark leaned down and kissed the jewels he held in his hand before sucking on them lightly. He heard Steve groan and sigh.

"Oh Jesus Christ!" Steve moaned and worked to hold still.

Mark slid his mouth down over Steve's cock again and sucked hungrily. He was sure Steve was close to coming and Mark wanted to taste it and drink this man down. He felt Steve's balls in his hand move of their own accord and sucked as Steve came. Sweet ambrosia! He sucked every bit in and swallowed. It was more delicious than anything else he'd tasted that night. Mark released Steve's spent cock from his mouth and kissed his way back up until he was face to face with Steve again.

They came together urgently, tongues sliding past one another. Steve lay back, panting, as Mark ran his hands up and down over Steve's chest and arms.

"Thank you," Steve said simply. He reached down and gently gripped Mark's solid erection. "Can I taste you now?"

Mark shuddered and nodded, pulling the blankets down so they could both see Steve's hand gripping his hard-on. He watched Steve turn and move over him, kneeling beside him as if in prayer.

Steve knelt, looking at the cock before him as he slowly stroked the thick shaft, feeling the veins that protruded in places. Pre-cum oozed from the tip. He leaned forward and licked the head, tasting his first lover. He heard Steve groaned and looked up into those sparkling blue eyes as he lowered his mouth reverently over the cock he held.

Mark panted as he looked into Steve's dark eyes and watched him suck. The sight of that dark head nursing at his groin filled his vision and magnified the sensations being created. The tongue swirling around his cock was inexperienced but eager. The thought of all the other things he had yet to teach Steve about pleasuring each other filled his mind. He gritted his teeth, wanting this moment to last but knowing there would be many others. He slid one hand down to touch his own balls and one hand down Steve's side.

"I'm going to come. You can swallow it or you can pull off now." Mark watched as Steve looked up at him and sucked harder. He didn't hold back.

Steve felt the first pulse of come from his lover's cock, shoot into his mouth and he swallowed as he continued to suck. He watched Mark's face contort in pleasure, his lips quivering. He sucked and swallowed until the cock was no longer rigid in his hands then reluctantly released it from his mouth. Mark held out his arms and Steve went willingly into them.

Spent, they kissed and cuddled, talking softly and basking in the feel of each other's arms. As their bodies cooled, Mark pulled the blankets back up over them.

"That was wonderful," Steve said softly.

Mark pressed a kiss to his lips. "The best is yet to come."

*****

Annie was mixing a bowl of pancake batter when Mark walked into the kitchen the next morning. She looked up and grinned.

"How are my favorite guys this morning?"

Mark had the grace to blush. "Steve's still sleeping. Listen, Annie... I..."

"I figured you could use a hearty breakfast after last night. It's not every night you deflower a virgin. I hope you showed him a good time."

Mark looked stunned as Annie walked over and kissed his cheek. "I had a feeling you two would get along perfectly."

"You, my dear, are a very naughty girl, but I forgive you already," Mark said with a magnanimous air.

"Well, couldn't have my brother sleeping on the couch forever, could I?" Annie said with a wink.