In the Closet

All characters are at least 18 years old.

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Keith

Fucking hell, why'd it have to be now?

If my ex Marie had come into town two weeks ago she still would've been unwelcome, but it would've been manageable. Now, though... The way Zach had looked at me was still burned into my mind, and I felt like throwing up. Instead, I swallowed the bile and got out of my rideshare, looking at the front of Josie's Bar.

"My man!" Cliff greeted with spread arms, but lost some of his enthusiasm as I spaced out while staring at the facade. "Yo K, you good, bro?"

I snapped out of it with a sniff and smirked as I walked up to him. "You know it," I replied, and we did our usual bro hug.

"You just seem off your game, na' mean?"

"Just a little bit," I chuckled, before tilting my chin toward the inside of the bar. "They already here?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, head on in." He waved me in, and I could already see the guys at our usual spot in the back, along with a stunning woman in a red tube dress that hugged her curves so tightly they threatened to spill out.

Marie was beautiful, busty, and blonde. Exactly my type... or at least she used to be. Looking at her now, it was as if she'd lost some of her luster. Like she'd changed... or maybe I had. She beamed when she saw me, sauntering up and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"K," she crooned. "I hated how we left things. Are you ready for a second chance?"

I scoffed. "Hold on, you're giving

me

a second chance? Seem to recall that I broke things off."

Her eyes darted over to the guys before she smiled at me. "Just letting you make things right--"

"Marie, it's good to see you again, but is this why you drove up here?"

"I drove up here because I thought..." She swallowed, her bravado faltering. Fucking hell, it was happening again. I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but I always hated making girls sad. Genius move, then, that I broke up with so many of them. So whether she was trying to manipulate me or was genuinely upset was hard to say.

"Hey, let's just enjoy tonight, alright?" I said, putting my hands on her bare shoulders. She nodded, seeming to perk up a bit. She wrapped her arms around one of mine, and we joined the guys at the bar. They all seemed to be amused that I was entertaining Marie in acting like we were together again. I spied Cody eyeing me with that calculating gaze of his, and it brought me back to the conversation where Zach asked me why I was friends with him. I hoped my thoughts weren't all over my face, because just looking at him now disgusted me.

"So, beauty and beast back together again," he remarked snidely, and the others chuckled. Marie clutched me tighter, but I couldn't look over to see her expression.

Instead, I managed a rueful smirk. "Fuck off, dude." I turned to Josie and ordered us a beer each, taking a huge swig as soon as she served them up. No way I was making it through the night sober.

We were a couple drinks in before Cody decided it was time to be a prick.

"So what happened to Zoey?" he asked in that serpentine way of his.

Marie turned to me accusingly. "Who's Zoey?"

Before I got a word out, Cody cut in, "She's K's new girl. Very petite, very cute. Seems like K doesn't like big tits anymore."

Marie was uncharacteristically subdued today. I was expecting her to get all jealous and demand to meet Zoey so she could have it out or something, but she just clutched my arm tighter and bowed her head. I glared at Cody, knowing full well that raising this subject served only himself. With his deceptive sleepy eyes, he grinned and shrugged as if he didn't mean to stir the shit. But shit was exactly what he wanted, because he wasn't even a snake. He was a worm.

I was drinking more than I should have, I realized. I tried to limit my drinking for health reasons -- or rather, jizz reasons -- but I was so slammed tonight. I found myself making out with Marie at the bar, my tongue coiling with hers. And then I found myself making out with Marie in a car, my hand up her dress. And then I found myself making out with Marie in a hotel room, throwing off my shirt before pinning her wrists to the bed. What just happened?

"Oh Keith," she breathed, her dress pulled down to expose her voluminous breasts and pulled up to reveal her shaved pussy. "Fuck me, Keith."

As if possessed, I produced a condom and pulled it on. In my alcohol-addled mind, I think I was scared of what was happening between me and Zach, and I could wash it away with some straight sex. Yeah, I'm a fucking idiot. Marie was rubbing herself while she waited, and I leaned over her and kissed her again before slowly sliding into her.

And I fucking went soft as soon as my tip was in her.

She looked down in surprise, and I quickly pulled out as I muttered under my breath. Holding the condom in place, I started jacking myself off in the hopes of reviving my erection. I was in full panic mode and didn't even have time to make excuses to her.

Was I not horny enough? Couldn't be, I was always horny. Was I too drunk? It never stopped me before. Then what was going on?

You know what's going on.

My heart sank as I came to terms with the real reason. I was gay now. Or maybe it wasn't even that. I just loved only Zach.

You mean Zoey, right?

Right, of course.

I looked up at Marie apologetically, giving up on my boner. She looked at me incredulously before swallowing. "Am I... Am I not pretty enough?" she murmured. The question caught me off guard. Perhaps I'd misjudged her, but she always struck me as the type to blame me if I couldn't get it up. Yet here she was, feeling insecure about herself.

"No, it's not that," I said quickly. "It's just... You already know... that I've found somebody else. This was a mistake. She's really special to me, and... I just can't, Marie." I pulled the condom off and tossed it aside, scratching my head.

Her eyes began welling with tears, and she stifled a sob with the back of her hand. "So... I'm not good enough anymore? Keith, I... I can't take any more. If you leave, and after Cody--"

She stopped herself, but it was too late. My eyes darted back to her, and I felt my blood beginning to boil. "What did Cody do?" I growled. It was nothing good, I already knew. But I had to hear her say it.

"Nothing," she lied, trying to get her crying under control.

I crawled over to her, cupping a cheek and turning her to face me. "Marie, did he hurt you?" I asked gently. She bit her lip but still failed to stop it from quivering. "Tell me."

"He... He tried to... force himself on me," she whimpered before sobbing once. And I believed her, because I knew after our time together that she was a terrible liar.

My expression hardened. If I were a better man, I would have been more gentle and comforted her while she collected herself. But me being me, I pressed on, "When?"

"After our last fight," she said, turning away to wipe her tears. I stood and began getting dressed. "Where are you going? Are you leaving?"

"I'm going to beat the shit outta Cody," I replied, not hiding the vehemence.

"Keith, don't. What would that change?" I turned back to her, and she looked absolutely miserable. I could see her feeling of helplessness, and as a guy it broke my heart that there was nothing I could do to help.

"It would change his bone structure," I said with a smirk, and she couldn't help but laugh. I stepped back over to her, taking her face in my hand again. "I'm... sorry I can't give you what you want, Marie. I really am. I hope you find somebody who can. If you ever need help with anything, you can always come to me." She sniffed and managed a wobbly smile, and I kissed the top of her head. "Now I'm gonna go make sure Cody doesn't bother you again, alright?"

"Don't kill him, K," she giggled.

"No promises." We smiled at each other, and I gave her one more kiss before leaving. I sighed as the door closed behind me, as if it was a metaphor for something. But enough time to ruminate on all that later. I needed to take out the trash.

Zach

What the hell was I doing? This was such a stupid idea.

The bouncer outside Josie's Bar eyed me with an arched brow, clearly not amused that I was here again. Cliff, I think his name was? I mutely pointed inside hesitantly, and he simply shook his head. I put my hands together and he sighed.

"Look, girlie, I already got in trouble last time over you, aight? I ain't looking to have a repeat--"

The door to the bar opened, and my stomach flipped when Cody stuck his head out. He must have seen me from inside. He did a once over of my body, smirking appreciatively before walking out and leafing through his wallet. Ignoring Cliff's protests, he slapped some cash into the bouncer's hand before putting his arm around me and leading me inside.

"Where's Keith?" I whispered. I couldn't see him anywhere.

"Hm? Oh, him? He took off with his girlfriend Marie a while ago," he purred. "Love the outfit by the way, Zoey."

I was in my black slip dress again tonight, and I definitely needed to get a wig to match it. But more importantly,

Keith wasn't even here.

This was turning out to be the worst idea I'd ever had.

"Hey fellas! Look who it is!" Cody called.

His friends all cheered, and yet we kept walking until Cody was leading us out the back door. My heart was thundering in my chest as I went into panic mode. Was what I think was happening really happening? Keith wasn't here to save me this time, and now I was at the mercy of this monster. He backed me up against a wall and tilted my head up.

"Let's have a taste of Keith's newest girl," he growled before pressing his lips to mine. I recoiled but he followed, and before he could start nibbling on me I bit him. "Gah! Fuck. Feisty little bitch, aren't you. Fortunately that's how I like it."

He pressed into me, moving his mouth down to my neck to suckle on the hollow. I felt like I was going to be sick. I moved to knee him in the balls, but he anticipated the move and caught my leg, hooking his hand under it to raise it high. Despite what was happening, I found myself wondering how many girls had tried the same move that he was ready for it. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

Chuckling, his mouth moved across my throat, sucking all the way. Suddenly stopping, he jerked back and stared at my neck with burning fury. With his fingers, he felt around at the spot he'd just sucked on... right where my Adam's apple was.

"You're a guy?!" he snarled. With my leg still hiked up, he pulled my dress up and saw the bulge in my panties, then threw me to the ground. I cried out, unable to disguise my voice. "You're-- What the fuck-- Disgusting!"

He raised his foot to stomp me in the face, and I flinched, waiting for the blow. I heard an impact, and then a scuffle on the ground nearby. Opening my eyes, I saw somebody on top of Cody, relentlessly punching down at him.

Keith.

Cody fought back and managed to knock him off, and the two of them clambered to their feet and squared off. Cody was already bleeding from his mouth, and in contrast to his usual casually sleazy demeanor, this was the most vicious I'd ever seen him. However Keith looked like he had an inferno raging inside him.

"You're fucking a guy?" Cody spat. "You fucking gay now, K?"

"Stay the fuck away from him," was Keith's only response.

Cody looked at me again, and suddenly his eyes widened. And he started laughing. "No way. No fucking way." He broke his stance to jab a finger at me as he turned back to Keith. "You're-- You're fucking your own brother?!"

Keith sucker punched him right in the mouth, catching him by surprise, and he pressed the advantage and quickly had Cody back on the ground, punching his head into the asphalt. I realized I had to do something before Keith went too far, and I pulled him off of Cody. The latter was already a bloody mess on the ground, and Keith was panting hard, his knuckles cut up and likewise painted crimson.

He turned to me and reached out to cup my face, hesitating slightly at the state of his hand, but I took it and held it against my cheek. "You okay?" he murmured, and I nodded. He turned back to Cody, his lip curling. "You fucking tell anybody, and I'll tell the cops what you did to Marie. Yeah, I know. Don't come near the three of us ever again or I'll fucking kill you."

Cody turned his head and spat weakly onto the ground next to him but said nothing. Keith led me around back, not going back through Josie's Bar, and called us a ride home. As we rode back, he turned to me again.

"What the hell were you doing there?" he asked quietly.

I swallowed. "I was..." Damnit, admitting the real reason was gonna be super embarrassing.

C'mon, Zach, suck it up and tell him.

"I was looking for you..." His eyes widened, and I continued, "But you were with your girlfriend."

He shook his head. "Marie and I are done. For good." He reached over and took my hand, his thumb gently stroking the back as he smiled. "Alright?" I bit my lip and nodded, making him chuckle.

We snuck back into the house, and I brought the first aid kit to my room. "Yo, this isn't necessary," he said as I started cleaning up his knuckles with iodine.

"Don't fuss. Let me take care of you." He smiled as I worked, diligently cleaning his wounds before wrapping some bandages around his hands. "Thank you... for saving me."

"You don't need to thank me for that." I was still in my wig and makeup, and he leaned over and kissed me on the lips, making me blush.

He helped me out of my clothes after I was done. The dress had gotten dirty when I'd been thrown to the ground in the alley, and I instead opted to put on something else.

"What are you doing?" Keith muttered playfully, watching me change into a white lace lingerie set, complete with thigh-highs and elbow gloves. The bulge in his pants twitched with excitement, and I got shy.

"Could you... stay with me tonight? That thing earlier was..."

He nodded, then stripped down and climbed in my bed. I draped myself on his body and he sighed in content, putting one of his strong hands on my back and pulling the blanket over us. I don't think either of us were interested in anything sexy tonight. We just wanted to be together, and for the first time in an eternity, I fell asleep feeling safe.

--

I woke up the next morning still on Keith's chest. Smiling up at him, I just took a moment to watch him sleep. He might have lost all his friends last night, but he'd still chosen me. It was hard not to feel butterflies in my stomach. I crawled up his body to kiss him on the lips, and he stirred. Giggling a bit -- because apparently I giggled now -- I nibbled on his bottom lip before resuming the kiss. He cupped the back of my neck and pulled me closer to deepen the kiss, and our tongues danced back and forth as we made out. I couldn't be any happier. I didn't even hear the door open.

But out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. Standing over us was dad, ready to skin us alive.