CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Noah ran through the woods , sweat dripping in his eyes as he went. He ignored it. Ignored everything except his need to find Cooper.

"Coop!" He yelled, his voice echoing out. The look on his face when Pete had accused him of being a sissy, of letting his parents die. Noah had never seen that level of hatred in someone's eyes before. Especially not Coop's.

He hadn't been able to stop his friend's fist from slamming into Pete's face. And now couldn't find him as he'd run off alone.

"Coop! It's just me. No one's with me. Where are you?" His feet slammed against the ground, before he suddenly forced them to come to a stop. Cooper sat, his back against a tree, leaves all around him. A lighter in his hand.

Noah's heart dropped, sunk down into the ground. "Coop?"

"He knew I let them die. He knew I'm a pussy. I shouldn't have run."

Slowly, Noah walked over to him. Slowly he lowered to the ground. "You're the bravest person I know, Coop." And he was. He had lived.

"I hate myself for what I did. I should have died with them." Over and over he lit the lighter. Fear skittered down Noah's spine. This wasn't like his best friend.

"If you would have died, I wouldn't have my best friend. I know it's not the same. But… you help me deal with stuff. You make people laugh. Everyone loves you, Coop. This town wouldn't be half as fun without you in it."

I wouldn't love it without my best friend in it.

Cooper lit the lighter again. "I've thought about it, ya know. That maybe I was supposed to die with them. That maybe I should go the same way. With my family… But, then I think about all the fun we have, and I don't have the guts to do it. That just makes me feel guilty because I shouldn't put how much I like hanging out with my best friend over being with my family." The flame burst to life again.

"Give me the lighter, Coop." Noah could hardly speak over the blood rushing through his ears. Thirteen was too young to talk about dying.

When Cooper didn't move, he said it again. "Give me the lighter."

Still nothing, so Noah decided to take it. He put his hands on Cooper's. Coop trembled. Noah almost let go but didn't. He…liked the feel of Cooper's hand in his.

Just cuz he's my best friend.

" Gimme the lighter, Cooper." Slowly, Noah started unwrapping Cooper's fingers from the black lighter. Each one went a little easier than the other. Then Cooper's hand was open, the lighter in Noah's, but he didn't move. Didn't let go. "Don't talk like that ever again. Your mama wanted you to live. Your dad would have too . I…I need my best friend."

At that Cooper's blue eyes locked on Noah's. This time it was Noah who shivered, and he could have sworn it vibrated through Coop , too.

Coop stared, then jerked his hands away and started to cry.

"God damn you, Noah." Cooper's voice snapped Noah out of the memory, as they still stood by the table. The same memory, that he knew Cooper was probably remembering, too. Because this was the only time other than that day, he'd seen that pain; that much devastating hurt in Cooper's eyes.

"Go. I'll take Wes home." Braden told them. He nodded at the man, then peered down at Wes, who did the same, telling him to go. They had to be wondering what was going on. Why Cooper was acting the way he was, and why they'd both stood there for so long.

"Thanks."

Cooper pushed his way through the bar. Noah didn't catch him until they were outside. "We're taking my car," he told Coop.

"I can fucking drive."

Noah grabbed his arm and pulled him toward Noah's Mustang. "I wasn't asking. Get in the fucking car, Cooper."

He was surprised when Cooper did as he said. Coop slammed the passenger door behind him, as Noah climbed into the driver side. Noah revved the engine, his tires squealing as he peeled out of the parking lot.

The inside of the car was silent, thick with tension. Neither of them said a word as Noah sped home. The second he pulled into the driveway, Cooper was out of the car, the window rattling when the door hit.

Noah was going to kill him.

He was out of the car right behind Coop. Noah's hand shot out to catch the door to the house as Cooper tried to slam it behind himself. It stung his hand but he ignored it.

"You're acting like a fucking kid."

Pacing the room, Cooper didn't reply. The heavy fall of his steps and the flex of his muscles shouldn't be sexy , but God dammit it was.

"What the hell is your problem?" Noah crossed his arms. "I was in your bed every fucking night, Cooper. You're the one who kicked me out of it. You're the one who said you couldn't do this , and now you're going to throw a temper tantrum because I'm not sitting around and waiting for you?" Not that he'd planned to have anything with Wes, because he hadn't. But if he had, it was none of Cooper's damn business.

"You think I don't fucking know that ?" Coop shouted. "You think I wasn't telling myself to chill the fuck out, the whole time? That I didn't know you had a right to be with him? That I don't realize it's my own fucking weakness that leaves me aching for you every fucking day? I know that, Noah."

Noah hated admitting it, but his heart went crazy. His dick got hard. Christ, he ached for Cooper too.

"But my uncle…I owe him—"

"Fuck your uncle. You made the decision. I don't blame you for it because I know this comes with a whole set of problems you've never had to deal with, but you still fucking made the choice, Coop. And, I won't wait around for you. I won't be my father, wanting someone who only wants them when it's convenient. I'm not here to play fucking games, man. I don't do the back and forth shit. We're in or we're out."

He 'd witnessed that too many times. His mom loved his dad when she messed up, when he threatened to leave her, but she seemed to forget that love when it suited her.

Cooper took a step toward him. Then another. "I don't only want you when it's convenient. I want you all the damn time!" Another step. Then another. "Jesus, I jack-off thinking about you, and I remember what it felt like to be in your mouth and how you tasted in mine. God damn you, Noah. Damn you for making me want you. For the fact that my eyes are always on you, and my mind always with you."

He stood so close to Noah now, he felt the other man's breath.

"Damn you for making me jealous when I've never been fucking jealous in my life. For knowing I would have gone bat-shit crazy if you didn't walk out of that bar with me tonight, just like I would have lost it if you didn't find me in the woods all those years ago." A muscle ticked in Cooper's jaw. Anger in his eyes. Anger at himself, or Noah, he didn't know. But Noah saw something else there too…desire.

"Damn you for making me want you too, Coop. For making me want to keep someone off that edge when I've never cared about being that person for anyone else before. Just. Fucking. You."

Noah went to push around him, but Cooper blocked him. Before he realized what was happening, Cooper shoved him against the wall, his mouth coming down hard on Noah's. They battled each other, fought each other for dominance. Noah pulling Cooper closer, Cooper doing the same to him. Their tongues each trying to probe, to gain control of the hard, wet kiss. Their bodies collided, grabbing and grinding as though they were starving for each other.

What am I doing?

Noah grabbed Coop's face, pulled him again. The other man's chest heaved heavy with breath. "You decide now, Coop. You're in this or you're out. No more games. No more changing your mind. You touch me again, and you won't have a choice. You'll be mine."

***

A blast of heat shot through Cooper. A shiver raced down his spine. He wanted that. Wanted to be Noah's, and Noah to be his, so fucking bad, he thought he would go crazy without him. He wanted to fuck him. To own him, and for none of the other shit to matter. He'd make none of the rest of it matter.

"I tried. I tried so damn hard not to want you but I couldn't do it. I don't understand it. My brain keeps telling me it'll go away but then I look at you and I don't want it to." Cooper grabbed Noah's face as well, a hand on each cheek. "It scares the fuck out of me, Noah but that fear doesn't have anything on seeing that bastard with you tonight. It doesn't have anything on my need to make you mine."

Cooper covered Noah's mouth with his own. He let his tongue slide between Noah's lips. Noah's hands immediately went to Coop's ass, pulling Cooper against him so their cock's rubbed together.

Coop pushed his hands under Noah's shirt. Pulled it up, separating their mouths just so he could get the damn thing off. Before the shirt hit the floor, he rasped his tongue over Noah's pierced nipple. "Jesus, this is so sexy. Damn you for being so fucking sexy." He shoved himself hard against Noah. The bitterness in his own voice made Cooper see red. He shouldn't be pissed at Noah because of how he felt. He shouldn't be pissed at all but the anger was there, intertwined with the need, alternating which one gained control at any moment.

Noah's hand slid around and covered Cooper's erection. "Make up your mind. Are you mad at me, or do you want me? You feel like you want me, Coop. I know you do. Does it get you hot that you can take your anger out at me? That you can be rough with me? Maybe you're not really pissed that you want to fuck me, you just like that you don't have to go easy on me."

There was some truth to that. Noah's strength turned him on. The fact that they matched each other in so many ways, turned him on. He never thought he would find something like that, so…erotic.

"Fuck you, Noah. Fuck you for turning my whole world upside down." As he spoke, he thrust his hips, let his dick rub against Noah's hand.

Coop's fingers went to the button on Noah's pants but the other man stopped him. "I didn't come to screw things up for you. I never wanted that for you… but I can't be sorry for it either. Not when it brought us here. You can use me if you want. Take it all out on my body, Coop. I can take it. I want it all from you."

Fuck. Cooper almost came right there. He ached, his underwear and pants suddenly too tight. Suffocating him. The reaction shocked him but excited him at the same time.

He wanted to burst free of all his confines. He wanted all of Noah. To experience everything they'd done and more.

Coop tried to drop down to his knees but Noah stopped him. "No. Upstairs. I don't only want our mouths on each other tonight."

New panic burst, came alive inside Cooper. "I don't…I don't know if I can … If I can let you..."

"You can have me. Use me. I just want you."

That he could do. Cooper turned and went for the stairs, Noah right at his heels. There was lube in his room from the nights Noah spent there, and Cooper had condoms already. Cooper pulled off his shirt. Storms raged down inside him: lust, need, hunger, fear, anger, confusion. He didn't know what to focus on so he fought to shut it all off. To do what Noah said. To take him. To. Fucking. Have. Him.

Cooper's mouth came down on Noah's. Holy shit he'd never been much for kissing but he wanted to taste Noah all the time. He grabbed the Noah's bottom lip between his teeth and pulled, before letting his tongue swim in his mouth again. As they kissed they both unzipped each other's pants. With rough hands, Cooper shoved the damn things down, Noah doing the same to him.

He wanted skin -to-skin and he wanted it now. He kicked out of his jeans and noticed Noah somehow beat him in doing the same. Then he wrapped a hand around both their erections. Cooper groaned at the feel of Noah's hard, hot, prick against his own.

"God, that feels so good. Why does it feel so good, No ah?" His own vulnerability angered him further

"Don't question it. Just feel. You're running this show, remember? Take what feels good, Coop. Take what you want."

This man tied him in knots. Wrapped him so tightly , Cooper wasn't sure he would ever break free. With a hand on Noah's chest, he shoved him backward. Noah grinned as he fell to the bed. Coop wanted to kiss that smile off his face.

Instead he opened the drawer in his beside table, pulled out the condoms and the lube, before tossing them beside Noah.

Holy shit. I'm about to fuck a man.

He almost took a step backward but then Noah's cock, long and hard, flexed against his stomach. Cooper watched him, remembered how it felt to have him in his mouth. How much he enjoyed having Noah there. Cooper wanted that more than he should.

Straddling him, Coop let his mouth take over. He kissed Noah's neck, shoulders, chest. "Fuck, I missed this, Noah. Missed you."

Noah's body stilled beneath him. Coop peered up, from where he'd been kissing Noah's stomach, when Noah said, "You have no idea what it does to me to hear you say that."

Me too… Knowing how it affected Noah, affected Cooper deeply.

Noah rolled his hip, rubbing them against each other. Pleasure lit him up like a damn fireworks display , a sensual buzzing under his skin.

"Tell me what to do. Shit, I don't even know what to do." He never thought he would utter those words during sex.

"You've never had anal sex?" Wrinkles formed around Noah's eyes, the cocky bastard.

" Anal sex isn't something women usually do when they know they'll only be with you a night, or two."

Noah's whole face lit up when he smiled. "You're in for a fucking treat. Use the lube. It's been a while for me, so you're going to have to get me ready, Coop. I could do it for you—"

"No! Fuck that." There was no fucking way Cooper would let Noah do that. If Coop did this, he wanted to experience it all.

He flicked open the lube and poured some on his fingers. After scooting down off Noah, the other man opened his legs wide, his knees up and his feet flat on the mattress.

Coop's eyes went straight to Noah's cock. To the purple-ish head, down to his heavy balls…and lower to his hole. It didn't matter that he'd never touched a guy there, his body ached, pulsed with the desire to penetrate Noah.

He leaned forward pressing kisses to Noah's shaft , as he circled his pucker with a finger.

"Fuck… ! Push in. Just do it. Need to feel you, Coop." The words breathlessly tumbled out of Noah's mouth.

So he did. Pushed passed the ring of muscles until he had a digit inside his friend. "Shit. You are so damn tight. I swear I'm going to bust the second my cock is inside you."

"Use more lube. Deeper. I'm going crazy for you, man."

Not as crazy as Coop was going for Noah. He poured more lube onto his fingers, onto Noah's hole before he pushed deeper, pulled out and again and then pushed his finger in as deep as he could.

Noah's hips moved as he rode Cooper's finger. It was the sexiest fucking thing he'd ever seen.

"It's not enough. Two. Gimme another one. Wanna feel you."

Coop did as Noah said. Noah panted as he worked him, as he fucked him with his fingers.

He watched as they disappeared inside. Focused on the feel of his body squeezing, wrapped around him. With each pump of his fingers, he felt Noah's body loosening.

Coop's heart thudded, slammed against his ribcage like it wanted to burst free. "I can't fucking wait. I want you so bad, I can't handle it."

Steady and serious, Noah said, "Then do it."

Cooper fumbled with the condom wrapper, finally having to rip the damn thing open. He rolled it down, sheathing his cock. He then coated himself in lube before kneeling between Noah's spread legs. He pushed them open f urther; his hands, one hooked beneath each knee.

And he fucking trembled.

Noah wrapped a hand around his own dick, and started to stroke. The muscles in his stomach flexed, tightened as a moan slipped past his lips.

"You 're so hot. I just wanna fuck you."

"Then , fuck me."

Slowly, he pushed forward. Noah's hold was so tight, he almost stopped , but then his head pushed past the ring of muscles. "Holy shit. Fucking hell. You are so tight." Deeper, Cooper worked himself deeper. Each inch he pushed in, he thought he was going to lose it, thought he would explode, before he even got all the way in.

Noah kept jacking himself off, his eyes on Coop as he said, "I thought you were going to fuck me? Change your mind?"

That was all it took for Cooper to slam his way in. He cried out, as he buried himself balls deep inside Noah. It was like a fist, a fucking glove tight around him. Already his balls started to draw tight, so he pulled out before slamming forward again.

Noah called out. His eyes squeezed shut, as he started to moan.

In. Out. In. Out. Cooper watched himself disappear in Noah's hole. "Noah…shit…I'm gonna lose it. I'm not going to last. You better fucking come, too."

Over and over he slammed into Noah, watching as the other man stroked his own cock. Coop wanted it too. With one of his hands, he palmed Noah's balls. Tugged on them a little as Noah's hand started to move faster and faster.

"Ah, fuck. Harder, Coop."

He played with Noah's sac, as he slammed in harder. That was all it took. That one more thrust, before Noah shot white cream jetting out of his prick, flying all the way past his rock-hard abs.

And then , Cooper was joining him. Filling the condom with semen, as he kept pumping.

His vision fucking blurred , and he felt lightheaded. He emptied himself, before collapsing on top of Noah, sweat and spunk making them stick together. He couldn't believe how it felt, naked and on top of Noah. Intense. Different. Erotic.

It was fucking incredible.