“Then I shall wait here.”
Ture adored the way Maris phrased things. He was so proper and yet flamboyant and fun to be around. Some of it stemmed from the fact that he still wasn’t completely fluent in Universal, and some of it was that he liked to keep others off-kilter where he was concerned. “Actually, you’d probably be more comfortable in my office while we close down. I tried to get Ana to use it, but she has a weird aversion. She’s afraid the rest of the staff will hate her for her special treatment.” Ture led him to the backroom that was furnished with a small desk covered in papers and a wall monitor and comfortable leather sofa. “You don’t have to stay here, but it is where I spend a great deal of my time.”
Maris gave a curt bow. “Then I shall be here when you finish.”
Ture turned away then spun about so fast that Maris barely realized he’d done it. Before he could react, Ture pulled him into his arms and kissed him with a passion that made his head reel.
Maris growled deep in his throat as he wrapped his arms around Ture’s lean, ripped body and held him close. He hungered for Zarya’s friend a lot more than he should. A lot more than made any kind of sense to him.
Ture slid his hand down Maris’s back and pressed his hips against his until he felt the fact that Ture was as hard for him as he was for Ture.
Damn it.
Why couldn’t his body, for once, listen to his brain?
“This is a mistake,” he breathed against Ture’s lips. He knew it with every part of himself.
Fisting his hand in Maris’s hair, Ture teased his earlobe with his tongue, sending even more chills over his body. “I swear to you, Mari... I won’t ever be your mistake. Let me give you the love you deserve.”
Those words carved themselves into his heart and burned with an indescribable pain.
Wanting to believe Ture in spite of a past that had taught him better, Maris met his gaze and saw the sincerity that emblazoned there. Could he trust it? “Ture... I can’t be hurt anymore. I’m tired of it.” Clenching his teeth, he winced at the bad memories that scarred him soul deep. “See, here’s what’s going to happen should we tangle our lives. You’re going to tell me that it doesn’t bother you that I’m in love with a straight man, thinking you can drive Darling out of my heart and life. For a few days, weeks or months, we’ll have fun. But after awhile you’ll start to get annoyed when Darling calls and I take it, no matter what’s going on or how naked we are. Then one day or night, I’m going to call you darling and you won’t know if it’s an endearment or if I’m pretending you’re him. Then you’ll start hating me and this will end badly. It always does.”
Ture scowled at him. “Good grief, Mari, what kind of insecure assholes have you dated?”
He laughed bitterly. “They’re not insecure until they date me.”
Ture pressed his forehead against Maris’s in a way similar to how Maris held Darling at times. “Yes, they were. Because I can swear to you that I will never be jealous of your love for Darling. It’s the loyalty and love you have for him that I treasure. It shows the true depth of your character and heart that you can be there for him without question or hesitation when there’s nothing more to be gained from it than platonic friendship.” He kissed Maris’s forehead. “I don’t want to drive Darling out of your heart or replace him in any way. I just want to share you sometimes. Believe me, I understand split and heavy obligations.”
Still, Maris was unsure. “You say that now, but—”
“I will say it tomorrow, too.” He took Maris’s hand into his and led it to his groin so that he could press it against his hard cock. His gray eyes burned Maris deeply with their love and sincerity. “Just think about it, Mari. Trust me. If you’re still here when I close, then I can promise you a night you won’t soon forget. And if you leave... I’ll be heartbroken. But I’ll understand and we can go on as nothing more than civil, platonic friends.”
Yeah, but like Ture, he wanted more. He craved the same fairytale that Darling shared with Zarya. To have that one person in his life he could count on. To go to sleep and wake up in the arms of someone who would grow old with him. Someone he could trust not to hurt or judge him for things he couldn’t help.
Someone who accepted him, faults and all.
Maybe his family had been right. Maybe he didn’t deserve anything.
Still, he hoped.
And he hated himself for it.
Praying he wasn’t about to make another awful mistake, Maris nodded.
Ture pressed his face against Maris’s hair so that he could inhale his scent. “I won’t hurt you, Mari. My heart is scarred and in pieces, too. I don’t trust lightly, but I want to trust you.”
Those words brought tears to his eyes. He cupped Ture’s face in his palm. “I will be here. Waiting.”
“Then I will close quickly...before you change your mind.” He gave him a light kiss then pulled away.