Ch. 8 - Three Mistakes

Chapter Eight – Three Mistakes

Jonathan had to be thankful for small mercies as the class he had together with Maddox went without any notable incidents, which meant that the guy hadn't thrown knowing looks in his direction or done anything to appear that he was even aware of them being in the same room. Now he was starting to believe that he had done nothing but overreact lately. That kiss had been nothing but some sort of a joke, after all, with Maddox challenging him to do it, and him… well, doing it. It didn't mean anything. Given Maddox's experience, he must have been kissed thousands of times by people with a lot more to offer than Jonathan.

No, not people in general, but girls in particular, he told himself. Actually, he had no idea. Maddox could go around kissing guys at random, for all he knew. Only for him that moment had been special, and he was just blowing things out of proportion like a teenager experiencing the frissons of a first love.

Jonathan liked to believe he was way past that stage, thank you very much. Therefore, he had no reason not to accompany Ray to the party and pretend he was a part of the campus life like everyone else. Maddox would just play around with some girl, like he usually did, no matter what Sunny Hill Xpress kept talking about, and Jonathan would play the wallflower for as long as it was polite to be there and then return to his humble quarters.

The most annoying part of it all wasn't how things played out, which was entirely for the best, but how disappointed he felt. He couldn't repress that annoying feeling if it killed him, and he was getting a bit tired to be so guarded all the time just so that he could keep any thoughts of Maddox out of his mind.

Ray was already bouncing off the walls with excitement, as the hour at which the party started was drawing near. He had tried four different hairstyles that Jonathan had found strangely similar since Ray couldn't discipline his mop of hair if an army of hairstylists were at his beck and call. Then the wardrobe ordeal had come, and Jonathan had used all the persuasion he could muster to convince his roommate that he just needed to dress comfortably to enjoy the party.

"Is this how you're going?" Ray's eyes grew wide when he looked at him.

For no particular reason, Jonathan had opted for the same light sweater he had worn at the time of the kiss. In the evenings, the temperatures were starting to drop, so it was a reasonable choice. "Yes. What is wrong with it?"

"It's like you're dressed for class, not a party. So conservative," Ray commented and shook his head.

"You somehow still have the wrong idea about this party. It's not the country club, Ray."

"My point exactly. The only thing you're missing is a tie."

Well, if it had happened that he wore one that time, he would have picked a tie, too, right now. Was he being sentimental? No, he just enjoyed clothes he could feel comfortable in, unlike Ray. "Stop pestering me already. Look who turned into a party animal overnight, giving lessons to others on how to dress and all. Let's just go already so that you can see that it's just another party."

"Just another party," Ray mirrored his last words with a moan. "You must have been to some really cool ones before coming to Sunny Hill, right?"

"Not really, no," Jonathan said abruptly.

Ray stopped brushing his hair for the tenth time and turned toward him. "Was it that bad? Before? You never talk about it, but I feel like it was."

Jonathan just threw Ray a look that needed no explanation. He didn't want to talk to anyone about it, and it wasn't like he had something against his roommate in particular. But he preferred if that particular sore spot in his life was forgotten, and he was not one to raise the dead, figuratively speaking. The Jonathan Hamilton from before was no more, which meant that he was supposed to be done and over being starry-eyed, naïve, and in love with the wrong person.

That thought kept buzzing around his brain. If he were falling in love with Maddox, it would be so, so bad. What the hell was happening to his resolution that he would just find a nice gay guy, someone out and uncomplicated, who would have no reason to hide? Apparently, it was enough for a pair of lovely gray eyes to look his way, and he was turned into a ditzy character incapable of controlling himself or his feelings.

"I get it," Ray said, interrupting his musings. "But just know that whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'll be right here."

"Thank you," Jonathan said and allowed Ray to embrace him shortly. "That's good to know. Now let's just go to that party so that you can get it out of your system."

***

Maddox was so restless he could barely do more than exchange a few words here and there with people he had personally invited. His eyes kept darting toward the door, as it appeared that Jonathan enjoyed testing his patience by being fashionably late.

Dex slapped his shoulder and then grabbed him to pull him aside. "Maddox, it's not that I don't enjoy watching you fret like a schoolboy waiting for his crush to come through the door, but even I, despite enjoying teasing you the most, need to tell you to chill. It's torture merely looking at you fidgeting like you have something up your butt."

"I don't think he's coming."

"It's early. Not even half the people are here, and Kane is still debating if crackers and chips should be mixed in the same bowl."

"I don't think so," Maddox offered his input. "I mean, just tell him to place them in separate bowls, and get the biggest ones. People are going to start feeding like pigs after a few drinks."

"Ah, nice to hear you talking about other things. Now, move away from the door and mingle a little like the most popular boy on campus that you are."

Maddox was about to follow Dex's advice when the door opened to let in another stream of new comers. And behind them, he noticed right away, Jonathan Hamilton walked in, and suddenly, the entire universe, except for one special guy, disappeared.

He strutted over to him, deciding not to let him out of his sight for one moment. Jonathan might choose to walk back home any moment since he didn't appear to be the kind to party.

"Hey, Maddox," someone called and put himself between him and Jonathan.

"Hey, man," he replied and turned his attention to the intruder with reluctance. That was Ray, Jonathan's roommate, and Maddox had already forgotten the ruse he had used to get the most important person to attend his party. "Glad to see you could make it."

Gawd, he was talking like a middle-aged soccer mom. He responded to Ray's off the scale enthusiasm by giving him a short hug. He stared at Jonathan over the boy's shoulder. "And that you brought your roommate with you." His eyes bore into the beautiful ambers that were challenging him from less than one foot away.

"Yeah, not like it was easy, but I convinced him," Ray chatted happily.

Maddox patted Ray on the back. "See the big guy there?" He pointed at Dex. "Tell him I sent you. He'll show you around. I'll take care of your roommate in the meantime," he added quickly.

Dex needed to help after teasing him so much, so taking care of Ray should be on his list, Maddox decided. While Ray waved happily at Jonathan and rushed toward Dex, he no longer dallied. Without a word, he grabbed Jonathan by the hand and pulled him toward him. As much as he was a mess on the inside, he knew how to play cool on the outside. "What do you say? Do you like our house?"

"It's big," Jonathan admitted and pulled his hand away, a bit too slowly to not be interpreted as reluctant. "And nice. I mean, I suppose. I just entered."

"Let me show you my room," Maddox said abruptly and gestured with his chin for Jonathan to follow him.

Jonathan frowned slightly and threw a cautious look around. Loud music broke out all of a sudden, as Rusty began taking his DJ role seriously. The already gathered crowd cheered. Maddox took Jonathan firmly by the arm and dragged him up the stairs, without allowing him one single moment to become indecisive.

***

Jonathan couldn't stop the butterflies in his stomach from doing somersaults. The moment he had stepped inside the house where the party was held, Maddox had seized him and now, by force of fate or circumstance, they were alone in his room. To give himself a moment to gather his thoughts, he looked around. The room was neater than he would have thought, and the bookshelves were loaded with books. He took a step toward them and began reading titles at random. Maddox's bed was right in the middle, but he wanted to avoid looking at it, as if an inanimate object such as that could jump at him and give him a scare.

"So, what do you think?" Maddox asked while leaning lazily against the door.

He was wearing a white t-shirt and washed out jeans, both glued to his perfect body like usual. At least, the sleeves had stayed down, Jonathan noticed with a bit of satisfaction. "You have some really great titles in here."

"If you ever want to borrow anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I work at the library, remember?" Jonathan said with a small laugh.

He sounded so awkward, so out of his depth, and the next thing he truly needed to consider was how to find a way back to the party and away from that dangerous boy and his dazzling smile.

His first mistake was looking. Maddox cocked his head and blinked slowly, while his full lips stretched even more. Something about how he did that made Jonathan think of a tomcat preparing to devour a bowl of cream.

"So, what is it like to suck cock?"

Jonathan blinked rapidly and stood there, in shock. Maddox was grinning and now it felt like he was actually blocking the door, trapping his guest inside. "Wow, what an ice breaker," he commented, as soon as he found his words.

Maddox shrugged. "Well, you were talking about books, and that's not why I brought you here."

"Oh, really?" Jonathan crossed his arms. "I hope you didn't bring me here to suck your cock."

Maddox stared at him nonplussed and then started laughing. "Oh, screw me sideways, you're so easy to rile up. No, no, I was just wondering because I've never sucked cock, and in life, it's good to learn new things from others."

Jonathan swallowed thickly and made a second mistake, this time by looking at Maddox's beautiful lips and imagine them briefly –

He shook his head. "Well, if we're just discussing for the sake of knowledge, well, I can't say if I do enjoy it." Finally, his cool was returning to him, and if Maddox thought he would be easy to tease, he wouldn't make it a walk in the park.

Maddox's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? So, let me get this straight, you've never slept with a guy, and you don't even like sucking cock. What exactly makes you think you're gay then?"

Jonathan smiled affably. "Well, that's simple. Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is how much I want to kiss you."

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had just made his third mistake. It was supposed to be mere teasing! Maddox grinned and walked over to him, his walk confident as usual. "I see," he said and stopped inches away from him.

Jonathan began searching frantically for a way out. But he was caught between the bed on the right, the desk on the left, and the bookshelves were dangerously close to his back. If he took just one step backward, he would bump into them.

And, of course, Maddox was blocking the only way out. "That's quite a coincidence," he purred, "because I was thinking about the exact same thing."

"Do you want to kiss yourself?" Jonathan made a lame attempt at a joke. "In the mirror? I can't really blame you. I'd probably think the same if I looked like you."

He was babbling, turning with each word into a more confused mess, but it was hard to keep his mind going steady when Maddox was so, so close. Jonathan stopped breathing and was about to close his eyes and let the inevitable happen when the other spoke.

"Just to get something clear, if I kiss you, will you punch me before or after? Give a man the chance to prepare."

Jonathan burst into laughter, most of the tension in his shoulders suddenly gone. "I'm not going to punch you ever again. That was so stupid of me I don't know what I can do to make it right."

"I see," Maddox said, "and I'll take your word for it. So, you won't punch me if I do this?"

Jonathan had no time to react as Maddox grabbed him and pushed him onto the bed. In a split second, he was trapped between strong thighs and his shoulders were pinned to the bed. Above him, Maddox's pretty eyes were burning. "Well? Are you sure you're not going to do anything?"

Jonathan just nodded and licked his lips.

"Good," Maddox said matter-of-factly, and the next moment, those maddeningly soft lips were on his, making each and every one of his dreams from the last week come true.

Dreams were one thing; reality was way, way better. The first time, he hadn't allowed Maddox to kiss him properly, and then he had been the instigator. But now, he was getting a front row seat to an outstanding performance.

First, his lips were slowly taken, despite the quickness of the initial attack. It looked like sometime, overnight, his bottom lip must have turned into a most delicious dish because Maddox appeared to be fixated on it, and especially on devouring it with tiny nibbles. Just as he was about to protest, Maddox switched angles and took his mouth completely.

His shoulders were no longer pinned to the bed; however, his head was caged between strong arms, and he could detect the other's pleasant smell, of just washed skin and something deeper. Jonathan chased the scent, lost in sensations, while Maddox began pushing his tongue inside, challenging his to come out and play.

Never before had he been the kind to step back from a sweet fight like this. Thus, he started giving back, enjoying every second of hearing Maddox's moans triggered by each of his actions.

"Fuck." Maddox stopped for a moment, and they stared at each other, breathless and far from satisfied. "You're one hell of a kisser, Jonathan Hamilton."

"You're not bad yourself, Maddox Kingsley," he replied in kind.

"Then we should go back to it, right?"

Jonathan nodded. This moment was real and unreal at the same time; it happened in a bubble, away from all his disappointments and fears. The only regret he had right now was that soon, it would be over, and he would have to return to drab reality.

***

He smelled the same way he had smelled that time; he even wore the same clothes. And his mouth, his mouth was everything, better than he remembered. Maddox had always enjoyed kissing the girls he had been with, but this was different in a way that was making him tremble with excitement from head to toes. Maybe only the very first kiss in his entire life could compare to this. And seeing this was the second time they were kissing, all the signals that this thing was special, no matter what definition could describe it, were lighting up.

He loved how firm yet still soft Jonathan's lips felt. He loved how that mouth, usually set in a straight line, opened at the mere touch of his lips, welcoming him inside. And most of all, he loved the tongue that wrapped around his, teasing it, tasting it, giving its all. It was maddening to kiss Jonathan. It was pure pleasure and something more than that.

Too bad they had to breathe, but it was rewarding to discover that he wasn't the only one out of breath. For a few moments, they stared at each other, saying nothing.

From up close, Jonathan was even more attractive. Yeah, those amber eyes were amazing, and Maddox felt like he could drown in them with no regrets. The slightly flushed skin looked good on him, too, and made him look human and full of life, no matter how much Jonathan wanted to project a cool collected image of himself everywhere he went. It made Maddox wonder if that was caused by a rigid upbringing or if Jonathan had something to hide and chose to do so behind a façade made of stone.

The lips betrayed him the most. They were full, so kissable that they could drive anyone who dared to look too close mad, absolutely mad. Maddox leaned in for another kiss; he was far from finished, and who knew when he would have Jonathan pinned to the bed like this again.

"Shouldn't you go back to the party?"

The question stopped him midway. "I don't care that much about it."

"But you're supposed to be its star, aren't you?"

Maddox grimaced. "Do you want to go back to the party, Jonathan? 'Cause that would be a low blow."

"Really? How so? And you know I only punch above the belt," Jonathan said and his eyes twinkled.

Oh, yeah, there was so much mischief in there. Maddox cared for absolutely nothing else in the world but how to find the key to the mystery that was this beautiful guy lying underneath him. "Ha, ha, very funny. And you were saying that you would never hit me again."

"Well, give me a serious enough reason, and I might," Jonathan teased him.

"That's not nice. I don't like being punched, and I'm not searching for a safe word."

Damn Rusty and his crazy ideas!

Jonathan frowned slightly. "A safe word? I don't intend to spank you, either, just so you know."

Maddox could feel his skin getting warm at the mention of that. Cool looking Jonathan having a dude bent over his lap, one of his elegant hands resting right above the curve of his nice ass…

All right, that was just making him jealous. And horny, at the same time. Maddox grounded his crotch into Jonathan, making the other let out a small, unmistakable grunt. Yeah, yeah, he was not the only one getting desperate here, and that was a good thing. "So," he drawled, "have you ever spanked someone?"

The amber eyes blinked prettily. "No, of course not."

"Would you like to?"

"Again, the answer is 'no'." The amber eyes lit up with alarm, but not the panicky kind.

Maddox didn't really have the time to unpack the significance of that look. "Why not?"

"Seriously? Because… I don't know, I don't see myself as that kind of person."

"Violent, you mean? Because you definitely were violent toward me when I tried to kiss you."

Jonathan groaned. "I'm really sorry about that punch. I don't even know what came over me. I thought you were pulling a prank on me, and next thing I knew, you'd start laughing."

Maddox scoffed. "Are you serious? I only kiss someone when I want to do it for real. I'd never do that. What exactly makes people think that I'm a prankster?"

"People? So it's not just me," Jonathan concluded.

"Well," Maddox said, now irritated, "I'm not a prankster. Everything I do, I do with honesty. So, why wouldn't you spank me?"

The question seemed to take both of them by surprise. Maddox hadn't intended to phrase it like that, but he just couldn't stand the idea of Jonathan fondling some rando's butt when he could fondle his.

Jonathan got red in the face. "I was just joking about even punching you ever again, no matter what you'd do. How did we get to spanking?"

"Omigod, you're such a virgin." Maddox changed tack and chose to tease Jonathan some more. He didn't want to think of Jonathan's hands wandering anywhere below his belt right now because he needed to prepare better for that first. And he had never been into the crazy stuff Rusty was into, so his mind was just polluted with that kind of crap for no reason at all. On top of it all, Jonathan blushing like crazy was a sight to behold, and he wanted more of it.

"Well, I am, and I'm not denying it. Since you're not, and you're obviously the more experienced, I see it as a low blow on your part to tease me over my lack of knowledge on the matter."

"Wow, do you ever breathe between words?"

"Not when you're around."

"Damn, tough. Because I'm not going to let you breathe anyway."

Maddox took Jonathan's mouth, covering it completely with his. Even that was amazing, how their lips fit together, how they knew how to angle their heads just right, and how their tongues began their performance like they were lifetime dance partners. And that mouth was sweet, sweeter than everything else Maddox had ever had in his life. He could drink and eat from it forever; he was sure of it.

And as much as Jonathan had tried to keep him away otherwise, by avoiding him around campus, and trying to send him back to the party, he kissed back with everything he had.

They were even making noises as they kissed each other deeper. Maddox had to up the ante or he would go nuts, so he snuck one hand under Jonathan's sweater and began fighting to take his undershirt out of his pants. As one would expect from someone like him, he didn't give up until his fingers made contact with naked skin.

Damn, that was something. Maddox had no idea there could be guys so silky smooth to the touch. Jonathan's skin was something glorious, and he was dying to see it again, but since his mouth was busy and he had no intention of interrupting that contact, it would have to wait.

Jonathan shivered under him, as Maddox snuck his hand higher, curious in his explorations. He could feel the ridges of a toned abdomen, although they weren't as prominent as in an athlete, and then his hand found and followed the contour of a defined pec. Jonathan arched off the bed as Maddox brushed his thumb over a hardened nipple.

A soft moan followed, and Maddox loved how it reverberated inside his mouth, as Jonathan looked completely unwilling to stop kissing, too. Without even realizing it, he was moving his hips against the other's body, dry humping like he was still in his first year of high school.

He needed to undress Jonathan and have him lie completely naked on his bed so that he could satisfy all his curiosity. And they were both well beyond the age when dry humping could still be considered acceptable, so they needed to work on that, too.

Just as he was about to put his plan into action, a loud knock on the door startled them. Jonathan froze under him, but this time Maddox was ready and stopped him from bolting by pressing him down.

"Yeah?" he asked aggressively.

"Man, you're fucking missing the best part," Rusty yelled. "I'm just about to do karaoke. Don't tell me you're scoring already. Are you with --"

"Coming!" he yelled.

Maddox could see the entire horrid accident that his bestie could be sometimes unfolding in front of his eyes in slow motion. He jumped off the bed in the blink of an eye and rushed to the door. He opened it only enough so that he could sneak outside and interrupt his roomie before he would blurt out something stupid. "The fuck, Rusty?" he whispered angrily.

"What?" Rusty dropped his voice, too. "Is he in there? Man, you're moving fast. Touchdown yet or --"

"Rusty, I swear to God, one day, I'm going to kick your ass so hard that we're both going to cry by the end of it. Can you have worse timing? We were just getting into the groove, what the hell?"

No surprise there, Rusty grinned like the idiot he could be sometimes. "Okey-dokey, I'll leave you to it. But man, you need to tell me everything."

"Why? Do you intend to switch teams?" Maddox teased him.

"I'm just curious, 'cause I've never slept with a guy."

Maddox took Rusty by the shoulders and began pushing him toward the stairs. "Well, it's something you need to experience by yourself, and then maybe we could exchange notes. What do you say?"

"Ah," Rusty pouted, "then that means that I'll never know."

"Never say never. Now go and make sure to leave the force before I unfriend you for good."

"What force?"

"The cockblock police."

"Ah, so you two were already --"

"Rusty, go," Maddox said and gave his friend one last push. The last thing he needed was for his nosy friends to embarrass Jonathan, who seemed to get red to the tips of his ears at the drop of a dime. Later, they would be allowed to talk to him and everything, but tonight, Jonathan was his.

***

Jonathan cursed as he pushed his undershirt back into his pants and smoothed down his hair. What the hell was he thinking, walking into Maddox's room and making out with him like that? That knock on the door couldn't have been timelier. It was enough to remind him of all the sneaking about, the lies, and the deception that came with something like this.

Of course, Maddox didn't want his friends to know. Once more, Jonathan would be nothing else but a dirty little secret, something that would fester and then blow up right in his face.

It didn't matter that it felt good. Unfortunately, all the wrong things tended to feel like that, but now he was a bit older and wiser, so he shouldn't fall into the same trap. He rubbed his cheeks, willing down the redness that he knew was there. He would walk out the door normally and pretend to talk to Maddox about some book they both read or something along those lines.

This way, no one would feel embarrassed, and what was the most important, they would both escape unscathed.

He was about to walk out the door, when Maddox entered the room.

"What was that about? Is your friend that good at karaoke?" he asked in a neutral voice.

"The total opposite."

"Ah, I see. Then you should go and cheer him up so that the crowd is not too tough on him."

Maddox stared at him, nonplussed. "Wait, what am I missing?" He was blocking the way out, but this time, Jonathan was determined to escape. "Moments ago, we were on the bed, ready to…"

"I thought you invited me to a party, and so far, I've seen little of it," Jonathan interrupted him.

Maddox opened his mouth to say something but then reconsidered. Good, that meant that they were both on the same wavelength. It was one thing to spend a few minutes showing a guy your book collection, and another to be alone for half an hour or more with him in there while there was a wild party downstairs without making rumors spread. Especially when the other guy was openly gay. It looked like Maddox understood this much, and he had no intention to appear on the cover of Sunny Hill Xpress next to some inane title about the most popular boy on campus turning to the dark side, or whatever those would-be tabloid reporters would come up with.

"Sure. Let me show you the party, then." He stepped out of the way and even held the door for him.

Jonathan tried to keep a straight face as he walked out, Maddox kept his eyes steadily on him with seemingly hundreds of questions in them.

***

Fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck! He was so going to kill Rusty the first time he had the chance. Jonathan had gotten cold feet in an instant, which, for a moment, had thrown Maddox off completely. So the guy didn't want other people to know they were fooling around. For sure, he hadn't seemed to mind while Maddox was just starting to feel him up, or when they were kissing, but during the short time needed to get rid of Rusty, Jonathan had turned from blazing hot to freezing cold and looked like nothing could easily be done to make him begin thawing.

So, getting Jonathan Hamilton to where he wanted him to be was going to be quite the quest. He would have to think up a strategy to convince him that he wanted more than a romp in the hay.

Maddox stopped just as he helped a pretty brunette with a refill. Did he want more than a romp in the hay with Jonathan?

Definitely.

"Oh, shoot," the girl shouted, waking him up from his thoughts.

"Damn, so sorry," he apologized, as he saw the beer overflowing the girl's glass and pouring all over her hand.

"Don't worry," she said and accepted graciously a tissue which he offered right away. "Would you like to dance, Maddox?" She threw him a come-hither look.

"Not tonight," he replied, somewhat abruptly.

She offered him an amused look. "Rumor has it that the mighty have fallen. Is it true?"

"What?" he asked and blinked a few times.

She leaned in slightly and winked at him. "Are you in love, Maddox?"

He had no idea what to say, so instead he just offered her his most stupid grin. It looked like that was enough, because she grinned back and then turned on her heels to find another victim.

TBC