The Grind
Cody lay in bed staring at his gym bag with slightly bloodshot eyes, tracing the worn Westwood High logo.
The one thing that had always kept Cody from thinking that Jason was real was that he didn’t believe in a world as open as the one Jason crafted. Now he was beginning to realize this world was far more provocative and dangerous than he had ever allowed himself to believe. Beneath his gray sweatpants, he felt himself harden.
He sighed as he adjusted his growing erection.
He stared up at the ceiling, feeling the cool air cover his body.
The one thing he knew was that he needed to talk to Jason.
By the time he walked through the store doors later that afternoon, his stomach was already in knots.
The store was busy for a Thursday as Cody walked briskly inside. He glanced over at Debbie, who was trying to get as many registers open as possible as customers grew more impatient. He was quickly brushed aside by Jason as he rushed to help.
Without thinking, he raised his hand to the spot where Jason had touched him.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry, PG. We are down two sackers today and trying to help keep up with the flow.” Jason’s eyes slowly scanned Cody’s face.
Cody stood there watching Jason help Nick, who had just graduated with them from the training class. A customer was harshly looking over at Nick as his hands were starting to tremble under the inspection.
“Why are you putting the bleach with the eggs? Do you think that is safe?” the man snapped.
As he berated Nick, the heavyset customer, smelling faintly of denture cream and Brut, leaned closer to inspect the bags.
A paper bag popped.
Jason stepped behind Nick and calmly began rearranging the groceries into more sensible places. Cody could not hear exactly what Jason said, but he watched him turn on the easy charm he seemed to carry everywhere. A moment later, the older man ended the interaction with a laugh and a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Cody, still early for his shift, hovered nearby.
While watching Jason, his hands fidgeted.
His breathing grew shallow.
“Cody!” Debbie called, startling him. “I need a huge favor. Can you clock in fifteen minutes early?” She looked like she was manning a sinking ship. “I really could use your help.”
Cody sighed and headed for the time clock, his eyes darting around the store as he walked. His hand lingered on the terminal as he logged in.
How was he going to talk to Jason? And where?
The lines started to shrink, but only slightly.
Cody moved to register three, where Katie looked frantic behind the register. Her customer was a woman Cody recognized immediately. Her dusty hair was pulled so tight it matched her personality.
Cody grabbed a paper bag, opened it, and forced a polite smile.
He filled the bag quickly and exactly how he knew she liked it. The familiar routine helped him steady himself. Within moments, the groceries were packed and ready.
“Thank you, Mrs. Whitmore,” Cody said. “I made sure to pack the bags a little lighter than you like.”
“And the bread?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. A smile was beginning to form.
Cody smiled back. “Yes, ma’am. In a bag, on top of the eggs like you told me Saturday.”
“Hmm,” she said, almost surprised. “Guess you listened.”
Cody smiled to himself and glanced over at Jason as he finished filling another bag.
Jason looked up briefly, their eyes meeting for a moment before he returned to his work.
Cody couldn't help the small smile that crept across his face.
“Cody, the customers are supposed to be the ones checking out,” Katie said with a smirk.
Break time did not come fast enough.
Cody walked into the breakroom and collapsed into a chair. A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he took a deep breath and placed his hands behind his head.
The door swung open just as he was about to close his eyes.
“Man, that was crazy. I am going to kill Eric and John for both being out today.”
Jason grabbed a bottle of water from the vending machine.
Cody sat there watching him, relaxed and unfazed by the last week that had felt apocalyptic in Cody’s head.
Jason studied Cody’s face for a moment, longer than before.
“PG, no offense, man, but you have been wound up more than usual today, and you look like shit.”
“Thanks…” Cody said, still lost in thought.
“That is what I am here for. Well, that and other things, but you know that.”
Cody rolled his eyes and stood up to leave.
Before he could reach the door, it swung open again and Debbie stepped in with a clipboard.
“Guys, great work today. Seriously. I could not do it without either of you. Jason, you really took care of Nick when I thought he was about to quit.”
Cody glanced over at Jason as if he were suddenly seeing a different person sitting there.
“And Cody,” Debbie continued, “Mrs. Whitmore said you were a decent employee. That woman has never talked to me without complaining. So if I had a medal, I would give it to you.”
She tapped the clipboard.
“That being said, I need you two to take the returned items and clean up the back storage area. The guys already left for the day, and we have a delivery coming early tomorrow. Can you do that?”
Both Jason and Cody nodded.
Cody grabbed the returned items and started putting them back on the shelves.
He was going to be alone.
With Jason.
He wanted to talk, but now his throat tightened. Maybe that was a bad idea. One time alone had already done enough damage.
He slowly made his way to the back storage area.
His eyes widened.
Jason was already there, leaning against a shelf and looking at his phone.
Waiting.
Jason looked up at Cody and waited.
“PG. What is going on with you? You are normally uptight but… you seem like you are about to flip. What is going on?”
“Jason… I.”
“Dude. What is it? This isn't because of the little BJ I gave you in the car?”
Cody winced at those two words and was not sure why.
“Jason, can you just stop talking about sex for one minute!?”
Jason’s eyes got wide, and his mouth softened, and then he stood there.
Cody looked around, planning his escape.
“I am not sure what is going on, but I am pretty sure whatever you are going through doesn’t have to do with me.”
“Who else would it be, Jason?” Cody said quietly. “It was just a ‘little’ BJ to you. It was supposed to be special for me… and not with you.”
Cody looked directly at Jason.
He waited for Jason to respond.
Jason lowered his eyes to the floor and sighed. “You think too much.”
“Excuse me?”
“You think too much.”
Jason leaned against the shelf.
“Ever since the car, you’ve been stuck in your head.”
Cody let out a short laugh.
“You been reading my mind now?”
Jason stared back. “Life doesn’t follow your little checklist, Cody.”
Cody’s heart dropped, and he was silent.
“And you know,” Jason laughed softly, “you know what is funny about your outburst?”
“You enjoyed it.”
Cody held his breath, his eyes like a deer caught in headlights.
“If you didn’t, you would have compartmentalized it like you do everything else.”
Cody clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Cody, we used to be friends. I still know how you work.”
Jason looked deeper into Cody.
“You spend so much time trying to control everything.”
“Sometimes you just need to let things happen.”
Cody glanced back at him.
“And just because someone’s different doesn’t mean you have to shut them out.”
“You don’t get to tell me how I feel or what I want,” Cody said, moving closer to Jason.
“Then what do you want, Cody?” Jason stepped closer. “Tell me what you need.”
Cody looked at Jason, frozen, his eyes darting as he tried to think.
Jason was closing the space between them.
Cody's soft sigh brought a smile to Jason's lips.
"Relax. Let me help you."
"I see how much you want this."
Jason's mouth moved toward Cody.
He should stop this.
But his body did not let him stop this.
The kiss wasn’t as overpowering as the night in the car.
A soft moan escaped from Cody’s lips as his fingers dug into Jason’s waist.
“See? That isn’t so bad.”
“Dude. Shut up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cody’s mouth returned quickly.
Finding Jason’s mouth.
Cody's hand pressed up against Jason's chest, feeling his muscular chest and the heat radiating off of him.
Cody's eyes looked at the door to the storeroom.
Cody stopped.
“We can’t. We’re at work.”
Jason reached forward, holding Cody’s now rock-hard cock in his hand through his jeans.
Cody pushed his hand away.
"Jason..."
“Your mouth is saying no, but this is saying yes.”
Jason pulled Cody behind a stack of boxes.
“Relax. Not going to do anything that will get us in trouble.”
Cody had been so mad at Jason that he should have been fighting this and everything they were doing, but after all that had happened in the last week, Jason was right. The rain might have broken something in Cody, but maybe it was something that needed to be broken.
With that, Jason unbuckled Cody’s pants and reached inside his black work slacks to withdraw his thick cock.
Cody closed his eyes.
Just for a second.
Jason's hands wrapped around him.
Rough.
Steady.
Not moving as he got down on his knees.
Like he was waiting.
Jason's eyes looked up at him.
Tilting his head back.
Like he was waiting for Cody to decide his next move.
Cody looked down.
The same blonde hair from the dream.
“I really want to taste this thick cock again, Cody.”
“I want you to tell me you want my mouth on your dick.”
“I…”
“I… want your mouth on me so bad.”
Jason smiled and ran his tongue along the underside of Cody’s shaft, feeling it flex in response to his touch.
He grabbed Jason by the back of his hair and pushed him down on his cock.
Cody felt Jason moan as he surrendered his throat to him.
A deep moan escaped Cody’s mouth as Jason licked around the head of his dick.
Before he knew it, Jason slid Cody’s cock deep into his throat, stopping at the base of his pubes.
He could feel Jason’s mouth on him.
Cody closed his eyes and waited.
Something reserved for someone special.
He felt it twitch under his touch.
Warmth radiated from deep within.
Opening up for him.
Jason moaned deeper on Cody’s cock.
Cody stood back up, feeling the pleasure building.
Jason must have felt him harden as he sucked.
Deeper.
Faster.
Until Cody’s head fell back and he bit into his arm as he released several thick ropes of cum into Jason’s throat.
“Fuck…” Jason muttered as he shot three volleys across the cement floor, landing at Cody’s feet.
Their breathing was still quick.
Then it slowed.
Both suddenly became aware of their surroundings and hurried to straighten their clothes.
Cody looked Jason over and straightened the collar of his green polo.
His hand lingered on the button, circling it with his fingers.
Jason looked like he was about to say something.
Then he hesitated.
Cody stepped forward and leaned in to kiss him.
For a moment, Jason didn’t move.
Cody studied him.
His face shifted, sadness and something else.
Fear?
Jason cleared his throat as he lifted his hand to stop him.
Their eyes met one more time.
“PG, what are you doing?” Jason said while rolling his eyes. “We are just having fun.”
Jason picked up a box, almost wanting to avoid the conversation from going further.
“We don't have to get married just because we got off.”
They finished cleaning the stockroom in silence.
Jason glanced at Cody.
Cody caught himself stealing a glance back.
But something about the whole thing didn’t fit.
Sex was supposed to mean something.
So what was this?
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