5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Fuck. That was a bloody hard workout. Throwing my keys on my kitchen side, I go to grab cold water from the fridge. Who thought it would be a good idea to try to compete with the college kids in the gym this morning?

This dickhead.

Who’s paying for it now?

This dickhead.

I’m no spring chicken and doing a hundred pull-ups followed by an eight-minute sprint has me needing a hot shower and some ibuprofen. Who was I even trying to impress?

The young twenty-something guys today just thought I was some kind of idiot, nearly dropping a dumbbell on my foot, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. It’s not like I have a partner to look good for, but I try my best to keep in shape when I can. I don’t even have another date lined up for next week yet. I doubt I’ll even get one with it being the week before Christmas. What a sad sack of shit I am, probably spending the holiday on my own with just my hand for comfort. My mind wanders to a certain guy that I have no business letting one thought about enter my mind. I try to block out the night that always seems to work its way into my memories, but it’s no good.

“Come on, Dad. Come meet my friends and have a drink. It’s my birthday,” Jake asked me that day on the phone. Turning twenty-one, he decided against a traditional family celebration and instead organised a night out at the local gay bar with his college friends. He hardly ever wanted me to tag along, maybe because he didn’t want me to mess up his cool image, but I treasured any time I got to be with him, so I jumped at the chance.

Shaking my head to erase the thoughts before they get any further, I toss my empty water bottle into the recycling and make my way upstairs. With each step, I can already feel the relief of shedding my damp gym clothes, and stepping into the soothing spray of my ensuite shower is just what my body needs to unwind.

Once I’m clean, I know I should get out, but of course, the temptation of jacking off is too much. My dick is fully onboard. As I tug on my semi-hard cock, my thumb grazes over the textured bumps lining the top of my shaft. Six of them, which I had specifically added for my partner’s pleasure four years ago. Pearling. I’d seen it in a porno and was intrigued. With some more research, I knew it was something I wanted to have done.

Firmly planting my other hand on the shower wall, I shut my eyes tightly and attempt to divert my thoughts away from him . Yet, no matter how forcefully I try, his face keeps appearing, and I have no choice but to surrender to the overwhelming memories of that night.

Stepping through the bar’s front door, the boisterous sound of cheers echoed through the air, setting the energetic tone of the place. It was then that I noticed a cute guy walking towards me, his blue eyes sparkling like raindrops, and a flirtatious smile on his lips. His lean body was clad in shiny silver shorts, and a baby blue see-through mess top, his perky pink nipples on display. Fiery red curls bounced on his head. With no words shared, he brazenly slid his arms around my neck and pulled my head down into a kiss. Despite my initial hesitation, his tongue danced across my lips, igniting a fire within me, and my arms eagerly embraced him, pulling him closer as I willingly surrendered myself to him. The sweet taste of the alcohol blended with his natural flavour created a sensation that was intoxicating. His warm breath coasted over me. As the kiss deepened, our heads turned to draw closer, both of us lost in a moment, forgetting our surroundings, as we consumed each other, strangers that seemed to fit together instinctively.

My hand ventured down his back, searching for something to hold on to, until it discovered his enticing ass cheek, perfectly moulded to fit in my grasp, securing him against my growing cock. My other hand lovingly caressed his face.

His whimper lingers in my mind, trapped in a never-ending loop, tormenting me.

My hand moves with increased speed and force, as I recall the sensation of him, aching for the opportunity to turn back time and experience it all once more. It’s wrong, but I’m too far gone to stop. If I try hard enough, I swear I can still taste him. My lips tingled with the memory of his, so plump and smooth, pressing against mine with a firmness that I couldn’t forget.

With my eyes shut tight, the feel of warm water against my skin intensifies the pleasure I felt from one hand jacking my dick while the other gently tugs on my balls. What I wouldn’t give to kiss him again, to feel his lithe body in my hands, to know what it would feel like to pump my load into his tight little hole...

Fuck.

Waves of excitement surge through my body, starting from the base of my spine and coursing through every inch of me. My stomach tightens, and a rush of pleasure cascades over me as his name escapes my lips in a passionate cry.

Tristan.

There’s nothing quite like the sound of a cold beer cracking open. A day dedicated to chilling out and doing absolutely nothing. Drinking and watching sports. Sitting on my brown leather sofa, I barely have time to lift the bottle to my lips before my phone interrupts with a loud ring. Picking it up, my heart skips a beat at the sight of Tristan’s name on the screen, but in the next moment, a wave of worry washes over me as I realise he’s never called me before. The only reason I have his number is because I convinced Jake that I might need it in case of an emergency. After much persuasion, he finally agreed to add it to my contacts. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stared at the number, desperately hoping it would ring, just so I could hear Tristan’s voice. It’s bordering on stalker-ish.

“Hello?” I ask hesitantly.

“ OH MY GOD, DAX! HELP, WATER, EVERYWHERE ...” A shrill, panicked voice sounds from the other end.

“What? What do you mean, water?”

“Water... in the bathroom. Oh, God, what do I do? I didn’t know what to do, Dax. I called you. Shit. Towels. I need towels.”

“Tristan!” I shout loud enough for me to break through his panic.

“What?” he screeches, the panic lingering in his voice.

Using my soothing teacher’s voice, even though my own nerves are frayed, I gently instruct, “First, take a deep breath for me.” I hear him inhaling, his breathing clipped. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning. Where are you now and what’s happening?”

“I’m currently at your cabin. Jake was supposed to spend this week with me, but he ended up going to Paris with Lewis. So, he suggested I stay here so I could unwind and avoid feeling miserable in my apartment. I arrived yesterday. I was just prepping food when I heard a loud gushing noise. Water is leaking from under the bathroom sink, and I called you because I didn’t know what else to do.”

The moment I hear the building anxiety in his voice, it stirs something inside me. He reached out to me, and that realisation settles deep within me. I am the one he needs. It doesn’t matter that he had no one else to call, or that he was in my cabin; I’m intentionally disregarding those details and instead choosing to concentrate on the significance of him needing me . Pathetic, I know, but I never said I was a smart man.

“Okay, don’t worry. You did the right thing calling me.”

“Yeah?” he breathes into the phone. Yes, my inner protector growls. Always call me!

“Of course. Let’s start with the basics. Head over to the kitchen sink. Look inside the cupboard, and you’ll find a tap with a red cover, should be right at the back.”

As he walks across my cabin floor, I can hear the soft pad of his feet. Is he wearing socks? Or is he barefoot? Who the fuck cares, Dax? Focus!

“Okay, I see it,” he pants.

“Good, now turn the red stopcock counterclockwise and that will shut off the water to the cabin. You’ll be without it for a few hours while I drive to you, but at least it should have stopped the water in the bathroom.”

“Wait, you’re coming here?” Surprise is evident in his voice.

I hear a bang down the phone as he slams the cupboard door closed. His voice carries a subtle undertone that I can’t quite decipher—is it relief, shock, or maybe a small sign he doesn’t want me at the cabin? No, that’s ridiculous. He definitely wants me there. I need to fix the problem because that’s what I am here: a problem fixer, not a guy who pines for his son’s best friend.

Jesus, brain, get a grip. It’s not happening, nothing is happening here. There is not a Tristan for you in this lifetime.

You drive.

You fix.

You leave.

“Yeah, I’ll need to check for any burst pipes; otherwise, there’s a risk of flooding in the cabin, and you won’t have any water during your stay.”

“Oh right, yeah, good plan. Okay, so... I’ll go clean up the water and wait for you to come? I mean arrive.”

A smile breaks out on my face at his misuse of words. Come. Yeah, I’d like to come all over... for fuck’s sake, Dax. I catch myself and shake off the thought.

“I’ll be there in a few hours. And Tris?”

“Yeah,” he says in a breathy voice that goes straight to my balls. Tris ... Since when do I shorten his name? It slipped out my mouth like it belonged there. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it sorted.”

“You’re my hero,” he chuckles.

Fuck, the sound of his happiness is almost painful. Was he really going to spend all week locked up in my cabin by himself? This hits a nerve. He should be looked after by a loving partner, enjoying the fun of Christmas, not hauled up in the middle of nowhere alone. But who was I kidding? I was gonna hide in my house all week doing the same thing.

I need to see Tristan for myself, just to make sure that he’s okay. That’s all this feeling is. Concern.

After ending the call, I turn off the TV and double-check that the back door is securely locked. The shed at the cabin already holds all the tools I’ll need. My clothes are already there too, so I don’t have to bring anything. However, I do take the blue blanket from the back of my couch. If it’s a hero he wants, it’s a hero he’ll get. I crank up the heat in the car and switch the radio station to Heart. ‘All I Want for Christmas’ blares through the speakers. I sing along enthusiastically as I drive towards the cabin, eager to see Tristan. Maybe a little too eagerly, but I won’t dwell on that now.