I'm a Sucer for You

The next day, Ethan took another shower, paranoid about being as clean as possible for that night, before getting dressed in a black long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, and then starting to work on dinner, which was a shepherd's pie with a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. It's not something he would have tried to make ten years ago, but living alone meant that he had to be creative about dinners or else he would eat things that were far too unhealthy, like takeout every night. He didn't want to hire a cook since it was just him and he felt weird about that.

Coco, his little, fluffy calico cat, was sitting in the arm chair in the living room, which was right next to the kitchen, watching him cook as if she was Gordon Ramsey waiting to tell him how horrible the food was. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched him, like she was personally judging every move he made.

"You don't even get to try this," Ethan said to her as if she was a person. "It has onions and garlic. You'll be getting a delectable salmon in gravy tonight, Princess."

It occurred to him now that if he had a few more cats, he might just be a crazy cat dad.

Before long, he got a text from Carter: "Done with practice, prepare to be disappointed!"

"So long as you shower, I'm unlikely to be disappointed," Ethan teased him.

"Like I said... There was zero (0) running water at the gym we practiced at. I am SOOO stinky right now!" Carter sent, "Want me to run to the fleabag and get showered before I come over? I don't know what kinda time restraints your dinner-making is under."

"It should be done in an hour, so you can if you want, or I have running water here and a rain showerhead," Ethan offered.

"I mean, you know how much us... dark folk smell when we sweat!" Carter teased.

"You can't be worse than a high school, rich, white jock, or college footballers," Ethan replied. "Oh, and I hope you aren't allergic to cats."

Then Ethan sent a photo of Coco sitting on the armchair with her judgy face as she kept looking at him. Her tail was twitching as she considered him, likely because he was looking at her but not giving her pets.

Moments later, the ring doorbell gave a chime. Just then his phone chimed. "What was your address again? This looks a little... suburban. Think the HOA will approve of the decrease in property value from me just standing on the sidewalk?"

"No HOA here. We have far more space between the houses than those neighborhoods," Ethan said. "And if anyone on the block gives you trouble, they can deal with me."

Ethan walked over to the front door after giving Coco a few pets and then opened up the door and came out onto the porch barefoot. He saw Carter straightening from an Uber with a duffel bag on his shoulder and sure enough he was dressed in his sweat-soaked practice uniform. He turned to see Ethan approaching and smiled wide, shrugging helplessly.

He looked Ethan up and down and took note of his bare feet and said, "I do like a partner to be barefoot and good in the kitchen!" as the car pulled away.

"Well you lucked out then," Ethan laughed. "I hate wearing socks at home. Come on in and I'll give you a small tour and then you can shower." As soon as they got into the living room, which was decorated in blacks, grays, and whites, Ethan motioned to the cat. "That is Coco, destroyer of arms and testicles when she decides to walk on you in your sleep. I'll give you a treat later you can give her so she will have been properly bribed."

Carter squatted down and held his hand out to Coco. She stuck her head forward, daintily sniffing at his hand for a moment before she began to lick some of the sweat off of his wrist. He scritched her behind the ear and then stood slowly so as not to disturb her. "Gotta show proper deference to the mistress of the house."

Ethan smiled at that. "Yes, it does put you in her good graces, which is important."

Ethan didn't give an entire tour yet. He explained that the basement had been renovated to be a home gym on one side and an entertainment room on the other with a bar, an air hockey table, and pool table. The kitchen and living room were all open concept, with a view into both rooms from the other. On one side of the kitchen was a room that was set up as a den with bookshelves, mostly covered in medical texts and a bathroom next to it. On the other side were two bedrooms and the master bathroom. One of the rooms Ethan had turned into a guest room, though people didn't stay often, and the other was just his bedroom, which he had decorated in blacks and reds.

Ethan admitted to Carter that he rarely had any of his casual flings over to the house, but when he had he usually took that kind of thing to the spare bedroom. The master bedroom had always generally been off limits, but when they came to the door that led into it, Ethan opened the door and let Carter go in before he followed him.

Carter made appropriately impressed noises as the tour continued but he stood agape at the master bedroom. "So, like, did you pay a gay to do this or...?"

Ethan chuckled and shook his head. "No, I did most of the decorating and placement. I also did quite a bit of manual labor to get it up to how I liked it. Some of the furniture I've collected over time, just finding things on the marketplace on social media or at antique shops."

"Boi, you been a closet case longer than you knew!" Carter joked.

Ethan looked around the room for a moment before laughing. "Yeah, I guess now that I've been looking back, there were clues here and there that I just ignored."

Carter laughed, a deep, rich sound, and said, "Lots of straight guys have an eye for design, but I'm guessing you've discovered that sexuality is a spectrum already."

Ethan gave a small nod. "I've been reading a lot about that. I've actually done a lot of thinking this last month. I think I'm mostly bisexual, because sex with women is fine, and can be fun, but...I was reading that romance can be a spectrum too, and I think I lack that with women."

Carter nodded sympathetically, recognizing that this much introspection rarely leaves a person the same as they were before going into it. "Just don't spend too much time navel-gazing or you might end up a Vegan, and then you'll never let me put my sausage in your mouth." he said with a wink. "Now where's that shower?"

"In here," Ethan said with a chuckle, and showed him into the master bathroom. It was big, with a large jacuzzi tub and a large shower that could easily fit two people with two rain showerheads. It was decorated with white and black tiles that looked like marble, though Ethan had actually gone for cheaper but quality material for it. He showed Carter how to make the water a good temperature before turning back toward the door. "I should check on dinner. Besides, I'd kind of like to get the first kiss out of the way before I see you naked."

"As you wish," Carter said as he started to strip down, his duffel bag already on the sink. He took his time getting clean, usually preferring to be thorough, especially before a date. He toweled off quickly and got dressed in the clothes he had brought with him and hit himself with a light spritz of cologne on his neck, just enough to draw someone smelling it in closer.

When Carter came back out to the kitchen, Ethan was just flipping over the flourless chocolate cake onto parchment paper on a cake plate. He had just put the shepherd's pie into the oven so the mashed potatoes could brown on the top. Ethan set the cake off to the side and turned to look at Carter, taking in his outfit and hair, and his handsome smile. Carter had put on comfortable but nice black slacks and a royal blue polo shirt that complimented his body perfectly. It wasn't too tight but it showed off the hard planes of his chest and stomach, and Ethan watched him move closer to the kitchen, his eyes roaming over Carter's body hungrily.

"Mmm, has anyone told you that you are downright delectable?" Ethan asked him as he moved around the kitchen island to come and stand just outside Carter's personal space, giving Carter the option whether he wanted physical contact.

"Not that I'm aware of, but you can if you'd like to," Carter said suggestively while swaggering a bit.

"Your past flirting partners have done you a disservice then," Ethan replied with a playful smirk.

"Indeed, they did," Carter said, affecting a mock-wound in his chest. "Cut my heart right out of me."

Ethan very lightly touched Carter's chest with his fingertips, where his heart was. "My family has been suggesting I study to be a surgeon..."

"Are you suggesting we play doctor, Doctor?" Carter said, arching his brow and stepping a bit closer.

"I'm not against the idea," Ethan commented and lightly ran his fingers down to Carter's navel.

"Won't you end up burning your pie? What will the shepherd think?" Carter teased, lifting his left hand up and running his fingers through Ethan's hair while his right went to his waist as if it belonged there.

"Always the logical one," Ethan replied as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Carter's hands. "I guess we can postpone it until after dinner."

As Carter's fingers slipped through Ethan's hair, he gently closed them at the nape of his neck, capturing his hair in Carter's large and deft hand and consequently pulling his head back slightly. Carter leaned in to give Ethan a kiss, but pulled back at the last minute to check for consent. Ethan had opened his eyes again and gave a small nod. Usually Ethan had always been the one in control on dates, and it felt almost freeing to be on the other side of it for once.

At Ethan's nod, Carter closed his eyes and kissed Ethan's soft lips. His mouth was large and nearly covered the lower half of Ethan's face, it felt like, but his lips were soft and warm. Though the kiss was definitely passionate, it was reserved as well. He could tell Carter was teasing still, this time with the playfulness of his tongue on Ethan's lips. Ethan gladly opened his mouth to allow their tongues to touch, the entire experience feeling electrified, and like he could feel every touch from Carter racing through his body like lightning.

Carter gently broke the kiss, backing up ever so slightly to give Ethan room to breathe and letting go of his grip on his hair, though he kept his hand on the nape of Ethan's neck. The look on Carter's face was one of curiosity, with an undertone of deeper feelings held in check. He had disclosed during their conversations that he had dated a "bi-curious" boy in college who had felt the need to take things very slowly and keep it quiet while he "explored his feelings," so it was understandable that he might hesitate before jumping in with both feet.

Ethan's expression, on the other hand, looked a bit like a lightbulb had gone off somewhere in his mind, but he wasn't freaking out about it. In fact, he felt an extreme amount of peace at the knowledge now, and he smiled at Carter with eyes that seemed to be reeling in some of what he was feeling, like he was afraid it was too much too fast. He would have to text Jeremy later to say he wouldn't make jokes about the gay community dating at breakneck speeds anymore.

Of course, they had now been talking for a good month, and they talked a lot. Usually by text, of course, because they both had busy schedules due to their careers, but quite a bit could be said and shared in a month. The distance had been frustrating, at times, for both of them, but it had been nice getting to know each other this way. Carter had commented at one point that this felt like the most serious relationship he'd ever been in, despite dating his previous ex for a year.

That was true for Ethan too, as all of his short-lived relationships had been about fun and curing boredom as opposed to anything that would have gone anywhere. It scared him a bit, because Ethan had kind of expected to be a bachelor forever, perfectly content to live his life with his cat and get his rocks off with random people, but now sometimes the house felt a little empty and lonely when he was there and Carter was busy. Having Carter standing there in his living room, though, and kissing him, just felt right. It would be hard to watch him go back to the hotel and to work.

The timer for the shepherd's pie went off while they were still looking at each other, and Ethan chuckled. "That was some first kiss. Totally put us both in a stupor."

Carter polished his nails on his shirt, saying, "Speak for yourself, Doc. That was totally how I saw that going in my head."

Ethan smirked at him and then went back into the kitchen, slipping on his oven mitts before he opened the oven and pulled the shepherd's pie out and set it in the middle of the stove to cool a little. He turned off the oven and slipped the oven mitts off and back to their holder before he turned back to Carter.

"It just needs to cool down a little and then we can eat," he told Carter. "I made a bourbon whipped cream for the cake too. Jeremy was the one who sent me the recipe."

They chatted a little as they waited for it to cool, this time with Ethan telling Carter a bit about his friends, since he had mentioned Jeremy before but not said more than that really. They had so much history as friends, and not all of it was great because of other people, mostly Jeremy's exes.

He explained to Carter about how they all owned a business together, which they had named Table of Five. It was a business that Carter recognized, not only because it was doing well with their fashion section, as well as the section of the business that Jeremy had a ton of pride merchandise sold through. Half of the proceeds of that particular side went straight to funding shelters for LGBTQ+ youth that had been kicked out of their homes or didn't feel safe where they were. That was all connected to the Silas Foundation that Jeremy and Jimmy ran. Many of those shelters had been built out of old and rotting buildings in areas of Northeast Ohio and New York, so Carter had heard of that part too. Plus with their diverse hiring, a good eighty percent of the staff weren't white. Ethan said that there was a running joke now that the staff that were white were the "token white people" of the company.

Carter laughed at that, "Man, y'all are funny! I can't believe I kissed a celebrity!"

Ethan shook his head with a chuckle. "Nah, not a celebrity. Just rich, and a congressman's son. I try to use it for good though."

Eventually, Ethan went over and moved the dish with the pie over to the table, which he had set for two, and motioned for Carter to take a seat. He went over to one side of the kitchen and pulled out a couple of glasses, asking Carter what he wanted to drink while pouring himself a pepsi.

"Oh, water is good for me, thanks! I can't drink the bubbly because of the sugars. Ruins my tenuous hold on fitness," he said while smiling.

"It's one of my few vices," Ethan admitted as he came over to the table with the drinks and sat down. "I mostly eat healthy, have my own home gym, and I only drink alcohol at certain events where I know my mouth won't get me into too much trouble. So I indulge a little."

The two of them ate and talked, and eventually Ethan served up a piece of cake and bourbon whipped cream for them to share. It wasn't very strong whipped cream, just enough to get some decent flavor from it, and everything was delicious. Before he served the cake, he went over and put some wet food into a bowl for Coco, and Carter got to watch as she wrapped herself around and around Ethan's feet while he told her that patience was a virtue.

"Clearly you starve that cat," Carter said.

"She thinks so, but I'll let you in on a little secret. She was a good fifteen pounds heavier a year ago," Ethan replied with a laugh. "She's a little too lazy for a ton of exercise, and so a small diet it is. She's much more active now though, usually trying to trip me to my untimely demise."

"She's helping! Clearly you need supervision while walking up or down stairs," Carter said with a laugh.

"Oh I see how it is," Ethan joked. "Come in, get in her good graces, and then you'll be defending her for the rest of her tiny life. Then if you decide it's worth sticking around, I end up being the bad dad, and she has a good one too." Then he stopped as he sat back down, looking a little panicked. "Not that I'm implying that...I mean...Not that she suddenly has a second dad right now, and I'll just shut up now."

Carter laughed even harder, getting up and pacing in his mirth. Ethan gave an embarrassed sigh at that. Carter calmed himself with some effort and apologized to Coco for startling her. She gave him a glare for a moment before moving back over to her food.

Once they were done eating and Ethan had everything either washed or soaking, they sat down on the dark gray sofa in the living room. "So, what time do you have to be back at the fleabag?"

"That is entirely up to you," Carter said, "We're practicing again tomorrow. Coach didn't like how easily your local boys kicked our butts last time, so he has us running drills together and won't let us practice on our own."

"Really cracking the whip, huh?" Ethan joked with him. "Well, I can definitely make sure you get there in time, since I don't have a shift tomorrow."

"Cool, practice starts bright and early at noon," Carter responded.

Ethan checked the clock, noticing it was just barely eight o'clock, and then turned back to Carter and smiled. "Well, I can give you a better tour that includes the basement, or you could get a better tour of the master bedroom..."

"What.... Exactly... do you keep in your basement?" Carter asked hesitantly. "Should I call you Mr. Grey?"

Ethan laughed heartily at that, and it sounded almost musical to Carter. "No, nothing like that. It's mostly the gym and the game area, but people like to see it sometimes, or like to see if I can actually keep up on those games. I hustled quite a few people in med school though, so the answer is yes, I can."

"Cocky. I like it," Carter said, stretching exaggeratedly. "I'll gladly take a raincheck on the basement. I usually have to stoop and I'd rather not right now. But maybe after the game. Is there a secret sex dungeon in your master bedroom that I missed? Do you pull a rope and the wall opens up?"

"Uh, not quite," Ethan said with a slight blush. "I do tend to fall into the slightly kinky side, though, so my closet has a dual purpose..."

"Oooh this is a story I need to hear!" Carter said, his eyes lighting up.

"It might be easier to just show you," Ethan replied as he stood up, holding out his hand to Carter to give him the option of what he wanted to do.

Carter took his hand, his palm easily as big as Ethan's entire hand. Once Carter was on his feet, they walked down the hallway and into the master bedroom, where Ethan opened the door to the walk-in closet he had in there. On one side of the closet was his suits and scrubs, mostly what he used for work, while the other side had the fancier suits and his nice shirts and pants.

Ethan moved over to the side that held most of his work outfits, and pushed aside a few of the scrubs to press a small button that made that side open up like two double doors. He had a row of kink implements, most of them used for impact play, such as crops, floggers, paddles, and even a whip. He also had candles for wax play, some things for electrostimulation, and things like pinwheels and feather tools. Ethan looked a little nervous as he looked back at Carter.

"Interesting. Is all that for you or...?" Carter asked.

"The times I've used them, it's mostly been on other people," Ethan replied. "I don't tend to give myself over to people often like that. Not that I haven't considered it, but...it takes a lot of trust, and I don't let go very often. Maybe that will change though..."