Graham strutted up to the bar and sat down in one of the many empty leather stools. It was just after seven o’clock and the after-dinner crowds had yet to arrive, so the place was pretty empty. Graham had just checked in a few minutes ago. He'd worked a half-day at home – and also slept in by accident – before hitting the road around noon. Besides a few road snacks, he hadn't eaten for hours, so was craving a burger and a beer.
More than that, he couldn’t wait to say hello to Archie.
The bar was unmanned when he took a seat. The TV played ESPN on mute. Graham watched the closed captioning appear and disappear on the bottom of the screen before movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see Archie, stepping out of the doorway to the kitchen, a stack of giant, plastic dishwasher racks in his hands. He faltered for just a second when he registered Graham at the counter, then a huge smile quickly took over his face.
“Howdy,” Graham smiled, the flirtation in his voice warm and rich, like caramel.
“Well, hello there.” Archie placed the racks on the back counter and turned to face Graham.
The instinct to leap across the counter, take Archie in his arms, and do him right there on the rubber floor mat had to be forcibly repressed, though the image flashed vividly in Graham's mind, eliciting a chuckle.
“What?” Archie asked, a giddy smile warning his voice.
“Nothing,” Graham laughed. “It's just taking a lot of restraint to stay on this side of the bar right now.”
“Uh, yeah, tell me about it.” Graham looked down at Archie's hands, which grabbed the countertop, anchoring him in place. “It's good to see you.”
“It's good to see you, too.”
And it was.
It had been a strange weekend at home. Graham had resumed his regular routine – laundry, chores, an afternoon with Eli – but for some reason those two days had felt more like a work trip than his entire last week in Des Moines. He'd felt restless and a little out of place, even as he’d paced around his apartment and picked up coffee from his favorite shop, and despite his best efforts to relax he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was out of place. Graham had more than a little idea what that something was, but he'd tried his best not to think about it. He was afraid that if he pulled at that thread, the last bit of stability he had in life would completely unravel with it.
And yet, as he'd loaded up the car and begun his journey back to Des Moines this afternoon, he'd felt primarily relieved.
He ordered his burger and a beer – a local pale ale Archie recommended on draught – and took his time while the bar steadily filled up around him. By eight o'clock it was slammed, and Archie had his work cut out for him. Graham learned through numerous overheard conversations that, apparently, today had been a rough day for air travel. Storms had nailed the east coast all morning, causing massive delays and leading to a backlog of flights into Des Moines late this evening. Graham smiled, grateful again for his decision to drive.
As the evening progressed, he and Archie didn't interact too much. Archie checked in on him a few times, clearing his empty plate and pouring him another beer, but mostly, they caught each other's eye while Archie worked hurriedly behind the bar. It seemed like whenever one of them looked up the other was already looking his way, always aware of the other's presence even as the bar grew more chaotic around them.
It was strange, the return to this platonic interaction, this pretense that their relationship did not extend beyond the confines of this counter. Graham didn't like it. He had never considered himself a very jealous person, but as he sat there nursing his beer and watching Archie smile and charm the other patrons – including many another businessman who could have easily been a variation of Graham – he felt an overpowering urge to lay some sort of claim. It's not that he wanted these other men to leave Archie alone; that would've been ridiculous as he knew they posed no threat. This was deeper. Simply put, he wanted to be identified with Archie, to show the room that Archie wasn't just another bartender, that he himself wasn't just another guest.
Graham didn't know what to do with these feelings, but he figured if he did anything it would only cause a disruption that Archie didn't deserve. And so, he decided it would be best to head back to the room and finish unpacking. He flagged Archie down and asked for the check, charging it to the room.
“Good luck holding down the fort,” Graham encouraged. “This is nuts for a Monday.”
“Right?” Archie’s eyes glowed. “I'm gonna make bank!”
“Will I…see you later?” Graham asked discreetly.
Archie smiled.
“I was planning on it. If you're up for it, that is.”
“Oh trust me,” Graham reassured him. “I'll be up for it.”
Graham finished unpacking and took a shower while he waited for Archie to finish work. He'd been hoping they'd resume their evening arrangements this week, and he was glad Archie had answered with such an emphatic yes.
True to his word, Graham had texted Archie throughout most of the weekend. They hadn't talked about anything in particular – they'd exchanged good mornings, provided random updates about their weekend activities, and even swapped some very non-platonic photos as they enjoyed lazy Sunday mornings at home. Graham had gone back to those photos at least a dozen times since they'd been sent, that thrilling disbelief as to how this could really be his life swelling with each glimpse.
And, to be fair, Graham had managed to take more than one photo he was incredibly proud of. Something about seeing his nude body shown back to him on the screen exhilarated him. He'd enjoyed posing, flexing, adjusting the light to best emphasize his physique. More importantly, it gave him the ability to see himself through Archie's eyes, and for the first time ever he was able to recognize what Archie had been saying for weeks – he was hot.
Graham heard the knock at the door and jumped up immediately, too excited to waste time playing it cool. He opened the door and managed to get out half a syllable before Archie descended on him, his limbs and lips twisting indistinguishably with Graham's.
“Talk later,” Archie gasped between kisses.
They tore each other's clothes off and fell heavily on the mattress. They were both rock hard and leaking, clearly suffering side effects from their three-day absence. They moved clumsily, greedily, fumbling and giggling like teens who couldn't resist themselves.
Archie knelt beside Graham, kissing down his stomach, taking him in his mouth. Graham moaned and reached for Archie's thigh. He grabbed his leg, pulled it towards him. Without stopping, Archie shuffled his knees until he straddled Graham's head, his erection pointing down sharply at Graham's face.
Graham brought it to his mouth and began to suck, both of them devouring each other with abandon. Graham spread his knees wide to grant better access, rocking his hips up and down. His hands squeezed Archieie's ass; his fingers teased his hole. He smacked Archie's glutes, the sharp sound echoing through the room like the crack of gunfire. Archie moaned deeply and began to move his head even more ferociously.
They didn't last long, sucking and slurping and moaning until, finally, the pressure that had been building over the long weekend reached its breaking point. Graham came first, thrusting his hips into Archie's mouth as he began to unload down his throat. This must've done the trick for Archie, because he released his load into Graham's mouth.
Graham hadn't meant to take it. He'd meant to pull away just in time to send Archie's load cascading down his chest, but he'd passed the point of no return. Instead, he held on tightly as Archie’s cum filled his throat. He steadied his breath and swallowed, evaluating the texture and taste. Surprisingly, Graham didn't mind it– it was warm and salty, like the taste of sweat running down his cheek during a workout – and he managed to take nearly all of it, losing only a little down his chin.
As their bodies relaxed, Archie rolled off of Graham and plopped down heavily on the mattress, a contented sigh escaping from his lips.
“Man, I needed that.”
“Me too,” Graham chuckled.
They lay there quietly for a moment while their breathing settled. Archie’s feet rested by Graham’s head, sliding under the pillows. His knees were raised, giving Graham a private view of that intimate space between his legs. Already a stir of desire fluttered in his stomach, a check he knew his body would be unable to cash without at least a little rest, so he sat up, swung his legs around, and joined Archie at the foot of the bed.
His head fell to the side, and their eyes met. Archie’s were especially clear tonight, a looking glass that threatened to show Graham the most closely guarded parts of himself. His chest constricted, just slightly, as he stared at this beautiful creature before him.
“Hi,” Archie said warmly.
“Hi there,” Graham smiled back. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Archie leaned forward and kissed Graham’s shoulder. “I know you’ve only stayed here one weekend, but, I don’t know, you being gone all of a sudden just felt…wrong.”
Graham laughed fatly.
“I know what you mean. Not being here was weird.”
A heavy quiet hung in the air between them, thick with avoidance of an inevitable conversation. Throughout his whole drive, Graham had tried not to think of the fact that this was his last trip to Des Moines. He’d made arrangements to stay the weekend again. This worked out better for the client as it put him back in the office first thing the following Monday to start training, but mostly it gave him three more days with Archie, time he knew he would not otherwise have. The look on Archie’s face suggested he was contemplating the same thoughts, though neither wanted to dampen the moment with talk of the future.
“How was everything back home?” Archie asked.
“Fine,” Graham shrugged. “I took Eli to the zoo on Saturday.”
“Aww,” Archie smiled. “I love the zoo.”
“It was a good day. All the animals were out. Eli got to watch the monkeys, which is his favorite part.”
“What’s your favorite?” Archie asked, rolling onto his side.
“Hmm,” Graham thought, rolling to face Archie. “Personally, I love elephants.”
“Really?” Archie asked, his smile amused.
“Yeah! I don’t know why. They’re just so big and graceful and stoic. Like, they’re so strong and intimidating but also somehow gentle. I just like that.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” Archie quipped.
Graham cocked an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Gentle, huh?”
Archie’s head rocked side to side, debating this.
“Apart from a few specific contexts…yeah, I’d say pretty gentle. And definitely strong.” He reached up out and grazed Graham’s chest.
“Well, thank you,” Graham chuckled. “What’s your favorite?”
“Meerkats,” Archie answered before the question had even left Graham’s mouth.
“Meerkats?” Graham asked incredulously.
“Yes! They’re so fucking cute,” Archie exclaimed. “I don’t know, they’re just the most unserious animal ever. They make me smile, and I want to put one in my bag and take him home and keep him forever. I feel like he’d be the best company. Sure, he’d trash the place and get up to all sorts of nonsense, but….I don’t know. Worth it.” He blushed. “They’re just adorable.”
“Hmm,” Graham considered this, fighting back his own smile. “Sounds like someone I know.”
“Oh, smooth,” Archie mocked.
“Hey, you started it!”
Graham shoved Archie’s shoulder playfully. Archie responded in kind, throwing his weight into Graham’s shoulder and pushing him back onto the mattress, rolling on top of him. Graham looked up at him, studying his face as if seeing it again for the first time. He marveled at his bright eyes, his dark, expressive brows, his soft lips, high cheekbones, and strong jawline.
Suddenly, an image popped into his head of him and Archie and Eli spending a Saturday together at the zoo. He saw Archie taking Eli’s hand as they walked, holding Eli on his hip as they watched the meerkats scuttle about in their pen; carrying Eli on his shoulders, a stuffed monkey dangling in Eli’s grip, as they made their way back to the car. The image hit Graham like a punch to the chest, taking the air out of his lungs. It felt so real, so vivid, and yet just out of reach, like a mirage tempting him with this chance at another life, at another family.
His eyes burned as he blinked away the image. Archie’s face came back into view, looking down at him with a concerned brow.
“You okay?” He asked gently.
“Yeah,” Graham nodded. “I’m just…I’m really glad to be back.”
Archie smiled, but the furrow still traced across his brow like lines in sand. Graham’s hands found his hips and held on tightly, grasping at the certainty of this moment, regardless of how fleeting he knew it might be.
“I’m glad you’re back, too.”
He leaned down and kissed Graham slowly. Against his better judgment, Graham closed his eyes, inviting images of a life with Archie back into his mind. He exhaled, sank deeper into the mattress, and focused his mind on the feeling of Archie’s lips against his mouth, Archie’s body grinding against him.
Slowly, the intensity of their kiss increased, the heat of the bodies growing warmer and warmer. Archie shifted, pulling away slightly, sending a jot of panic through Graham at this idea of Archie slipping from his grasp. He was reassured moments later when he felt Archie’s hand slip into the space between them and slowly work its way between Graham’s legs, pulling them back together, leading them forward into the night.
