Colt doesn't sleep well that night. After dinner and a few more drinks, Marc and he had watched more Netflix. Eventually they had kissed and Colt can't say that he didn't enjoy it. They wound up in his bed this time instead of on the couch. With everything unresolved, his body drowning in the aftereffects of whiskey and his thoughts and feelings still in flux, his mind never fully shuts off.
When he's asleep he dreams about his childhood, the horrors of it; his mom's constant crying and his dad's ever present anger. How his mom could love anyone like his dad, Colt has no idea. He dreams of fists and hard objects slamming into his body. He dreams of all the lies he had to tell social workers and EMT's out of fear of more retaliation from his father and how no one ever saw through them to the truth.
When he's awake, he thinks about the man in his bed with him, holding him tightly even in his sleep as if he's afraid Colt might slip away from him.
There's a man in bed with him. No matter who it is, even that simple truth is something shocking to Colt. The couch had seemed innocent enough. Even if nothing has happened beyond kissing, the bed is different. It's more personal. It's more intimate.
He thinks about their conversation the night before.
Colt isn't stupid. He gets the implication that whatever business Marc's uncle is involved in isn't on the up and up. He gets that Marc's dad was involved in that business and that Marc has now taken his place. He gets that it's dangerous. Colt wonders if he can convince Marc that being a mechanic with his dad is better than getting himself beat up or worse.
Three months. Marc had been watching him for two months before Colt had ever seen him, before they ever said a word to each other. That's weird, isn't it? It isn't normal. Then again, none of this is normal for Colt. Maybe he's reading too much into it.
There's no denying that it felt good to be held on the couch, to have someone there to hang out with. There's no denying that he likes kissing Marc or that it feels good and warm to be held while laying here. What happened at the library scared him. Anything more than that scares him.
Is he attracted to Marc? Marc is attractive. He's charismatic with a confident swagger about him that's hard to ignore. But is Colt attracted to him? He thinks about that crooked grin and he has to admit that yes, on some level Colt is attracted to Marc. It's a strange feeling to acknowledge that, even in the privacy of his own mind. He has no idea what to do with that attraction.
With Marc comes an added edge of danger, unpredictability and pushiness, an intensity that diminishes Colt in some ways. Colt would be stupid to ignore all of that.
Marc's arm shifts around his waist, pulling him even closer, holding him even tighter, as if Marc can read Colt's thoughts and knows he's thinking about him.
Colt lies very still, waiting to make sure that Marc will go back to sleep. However, after a full minute's worth, Marc stirs even more.
"I can tell you're awake, Vanilla."
"I think I'm still drunk." Colt glances at the clock on his bedside table. "And I have to get up to get ready for work in less than an hour."
Marc yawns, speaking through the act. "I've always heard that the best solution for that is to get re-drunk."
Colt smirks. "Re-drunk? Really?"
"Really."
Colt feels Marc's lips nuzzle at his neck and shoulder. It's a warm, intimate touch and Colt's skin prickles to life. It's over too soon as Marc leaves the bed and the bedroom. When he returns, Colt can barely make out a bottle in his hand.
"You can't be serious, Marc."
"Serious as fuck. We're gonna get you ready for work."
Marc crawls back onto the bed, slips partially back beneath the bed sheets before straddling Colt.
Colt looks up at the dark shadow of the man on top of him. "I don't think there's science to back up this method of yours. Also, I don't wanna be drunk at work."
"You wanna be hungover at work?"
