7. Charlie

Chapter 7

Charlie

I walk around my lounge where my computer setup is, tidying up the clothes and fast-food cartons littering the floor. I still can’t believe the hot jock from that night is Ethan’s best friend, Ben. This has to be some cosmic intervention throwing a curveball at me.

“This was a bad idea,” I mumble under my breath, throwing a sweaty T-shirt into the laundry basket.

But, ugh , I just couldn’t turn him down. Like physically. He’s got this pull I can’t fight. I’d forgotten about it since I hadn’t seen him in years, but it explains why the sex was so good.

I scoff, then snort. Good? No, that doesn’t even begin to describe it. It was mind-blowing. And the fact that it was my Ben—whom I never thought I’d see again, let alone fuck—makes it even more head-spinning.

And he’s coming over tonight.

“Fuck, Charlie. What are you going to do?”

My phone rings then, making me jump. But it’s just Ethan.

“Hey, what’s up? You need something?” I say, rushing out the words as I glance at the dirty clothes I’ve collected.

“It’s lovely to hear your voice too, dear brother,” Ethan says as a video request pops up.

I accept it. “You are calling because you need something. We just saw each other earlier,” I speculate, knowing my brother too well.

He hums, a wolfish smile accompanying the suspicious gleam in his eyes. “So, you and Ben…”

I gape at him. Oh god. Please don’t tell me he noticed. “What about me and Ben?”

He scowls, bunching his eyebrows so tightly he looks like he’s suffering from constipation. This doesn’t bode well. “C’mon, Charlie. You think I’m blind or something? What’s going on between you two? Did you hookup?”

My cheeks catch fire. Fuck, this is so embarrassing, and he hasn’t even started lecturing me about going after his best friend yet.

“Oh.” Ethan grins. “About time one of you made the move.”

I blink at him. “Wait, what?”

He gives me a conspiratorial smile. “You still like him, don’t you? So, good for you that you’re finally taking your shot.”

My mouth hangs. “You… are okay with that? With us ? Even though Ben is your best friend and I’m your brother?”

He snorts. “If there is one person I trust to have your best interests in mind, it’s him.”

I look up at the ceiling, my neck tingling with heat. Oh my god. This conversation has become embarrassing for a whole other reason now.

When I don’t say anything and just continue to do my best to try and not look my brother in the eyes, he chuckles. “You are both adults. It’s none of my business who you date as long as your partners are decent. And I can personally vouch for both of you.”

Except we are just friends-with-benefits. But I think I can spare my brother that detail for now. Being called out on what I thought was a secret I was very good at hiding is enough embarrassment for one day.

Someone shouts my brother’s name in the background. He sighs. “I gotta go now, but we’ll hang out again. I’ll give you a call.”

Ethan clicks off. I just look at the wall for a few minutes, processing what just happened. I guess my brother knows about me and Ben. And I guess he doesn’t mind. That’s… good, if a little anticlimactic compared to the reaction I expected.

This new development is still sinking in as I toss the laundry into the washing machine and turn it on. I’m cleaning up because Ben is coming over soon. I take a deep breath. You’ve got this. It’s just sex, nothing more. You’re over him. You moved on from your crush years ago. He’s just coming here to hang out and have sex with you. It’s for fun because you happen to have killer chemistry. That’s all.

Slapping my cheeks for encouragement, I slip into the shower. I don’t have a lot of time, so I am quick and efficient, spending the majority of it picking what to wear. I probably shouldn’t care so much, but I do want to bounce on top of his massive ribbed magic wand, so maximizing my chances of making that happen is what I intend to do.

I glance at the third drawer, a buzz spreading through me. Black jockstrap it is. I toss it on once I’ve toweled myself dry, and then follow up with the extra snug pair of shorts I almost never wear. They are not the most comfortable, but they make my ass look amazing. They also make it possible to tell exactly what kind of underwear I’m wearing. For my top, I put on the hoodie with my favorite spaceship. It’s a little big on me, so it reaches the middle of my ass and partially hides its very prominent outline. That’s perfect—it completes the teasingly sexy style I’m going for, so Ben doesn’t think I’m throwing myself at him or something.

Which, technically, I am, but I can at least pretend that I’m not. Despite my initial apprehension and how messy this whole thing is, after stewing in my own thoughts all afternoon, I decided I’m going to enjoy the sex part of it. It would be stupid not to. Plus, it’s the best way to embrace my new debaucherous lifestyle and erase all remnants of old Charlie who believed there was a person out there meant only for him.

The door rings just as my mind is about to spiral down into that place I hate to visit. I throw a quick last glance at the mirror—I look positively delicious, and I bet he won’t be able to keep his hands off my bare thighs—and pad out of the room with a bottle of lube. Stashing that on the bottom shelf of the end table next to the modern couch in my living room, I take a deep breath and answer the door.

“Hi, Char—lie,” Ben fumbles, his eyes sliding up and down my body as if he’s never seen another human before. The bag he’s holding halts halfway as he lifts it.

I grab it and take a peek. There are snacks, drinks and ice cream. Perfect. “I see you come prepared.”

His forehead scrunches like he’s trying to get his brain to brain but the poor thing is having major lag issues because of how hot I am. “Yeah…”

Part One of Mission ‘Get Ben’s thoughts to FilthLand’ accomplished.

I let him gawk at me for a few moments, then I step aside and motion him in, making sure to give my hips a little sway that his eyes most definitely don’t miss. “You coming in, or are we hanging out remotely?”

He shakes his head and chuckles, seeming to regain some control of himself. “Are you trying to chase me away?”

“No such thing. I don’t back out of a challenge.”

He hums, crouching down to take his shoes off. “Is that what this is? A challenge?”

I lean one shoulder against the doorframe of my lounge, tapping a finger against my chin. “I meant me showing you how amazing I am at the game I play. I don’t normally have a live audience.”

If I’m being truthful, I’m a little nervous. Back when Andy and I had just started to date, I invited him over so he could watch me play. He did, for a whopping five minutes, while monologuing about how much of a waste of time video games are, because you could be making money or hanging out with your bros instead. I did try to explain to him that I am actually making money doing the thing that I love, but he wasn’t listening at that point. He’d already called the chads, and, if memory serves, they were discussing the latest sexual conquest one of them had.

So fucking cringe.

A hand snakes up the side of my neck, grazing my jawline. I snap out of my thoughts and find Ben looming over me in my personal space. I hated when my ex did it, but Ben? I shiver in delight, my trapped cock swelling.

“I’m really good as a live audience,” he says, voice low and hoarse. “And I haven’t forgotten that I promised you a reward if you win.”

I frown, replaying our conversation in the parking lot. I’d been so confused and turned on, making it hard to follow. “What happens if I don’t?”

He leans in, brushing his lips against mine. “I’d have to punish you then, no?”

Does it involve spanking? And why does he make it sound just as good as being rewarded? It’s the way he says it in that sultry voice, I think, his proximity, the subtle smirk playing at his lips when he steps back and crosses his arms.

“Right. Yeah. Of course. I’m winning for sure.” I wave him away, feeling warmth spread across my face when he gives me a knowing arch of his eyebrow. “ Who wants to be punished?” Clearing my throat, I walk past him and enter the lounge. “Make yourself at home.”

I don’t miss the way his eyes train on my ass when I glance over my shoulder. They are ravenous, and he looks ready to pounce on me. Good , my teasing is working. He seems to catch himself ogling after a few moments, his mouth fighting off a smile. Joining me in the lounge, he settles on the armchair next to me instead of the couch. It’s comfy, but the couch is better, unless… Does he actually plan to watch me? I was sure he was joking.

“So, who are you playing against? I’ll be honest. I don’t have time to follow all the side tournaments, just the championship. Play-ins were in the summer. Did you compete?”

I snap my head at him, squeezing my headphones. “I… did. And I qualified for the solo bracket.”

He blinks at me and smiles, pride oozing off him. “That’s so fucking cool. What’s your tag, by the way? I don’t think you told me.”

I swallow, anticipation twisting my stomach. “NeonNuke.”

He doesn’t react. At least not immediately. Goosebumps erupt all over me, my insides knotting. And then he beams, his entire face lighting up. “Holy shit! You’re NN?”

My screen loads up the lobby then, my character in his black-green suit filling the screen. Ben’s eyes flick to it, going even wider.

“You a fanboy or something?” I toss, trying to play it cool and not squeal and cheer and lose my shit because he actually knows my game name.

“Why? Is that a problem?” he purrs, placing his hand on my thigh.

I suck in a breath, loving the way his rough, long fingers knead my flesh. “No… Why would it be a problem?”

“Does it turn you on, then?” He drags his hand up, then slides it down, caressing the inner side. It’s awfully close to my hardening cock.

“I have tons of fans,” I say, my voice lower than it was.

He cradles my cheek, turning my head so we’re looking at each other. His pupils are blown, excitement and lust stirring within them. I clench my legs together. He smiles and slowly melts the distance between us, his lips sealing against mine.

I moan, my body burning, and open for him in invitation. He takes it, his tongue hungry and searching as it tangles with mine. His distinctively sweet taste erupts in my mouth, and I fight him for control of the kiss. But he’s relentless, dictating the pace and making my head spin as his hand finds the zipper of my shorts and slides it down.

“How long until the game starts?” he rasps, his rich voice vibrating down my throat as I swallow the sound.

“Five minutes or so.”

“Not enough time then.” He hums and pulls away.

His retreat is slow, filled with feather-light kisses to my lips, chin and neck. I almost pull him back in, hungry for more of his feverish touches and taste, but my headphones ring with the team call. I mostly play solo, but now and then one of my game buddies will ask me to sub in or help.

“Behave and be quiet,” I warn Ben, adjust myself, and answer the call. “Hey. Sorry. I’m here. I was having some, uh, technical issues.”

My friend, Luna, laughs in her chiming voice. “Should we be worried, Nuke?”

“Nah, all good now.” I click on the confirmation as a dialogue box appears on the screen, telling me the load-out menu is about to pop up.

I forget all about Ben from then on, my focus on the game. It’s a 4v4 setup, best of three. The map we get thrown into is the abandoned mining space station with the nasty bridges. Everyone hates it, but I actually like the challenge which navigating it adds. I also know a few tricks that I haven’t shared with anyone.

My character spawns at the northern end, where the labs are. I switch to a shotgun and head toward the contented point. Two of the enemies are already there when I make it over, but I slip into stealth mode and run them down before they have time to react. My team takes care of the other two, and then we manage to keep them away, snatching the first round.

“Fuck, you are amazing!” Ben yells from behind when the five-minute break starts.

I spin in my chair. He’s pushed the armchair back a bit so he’s not too close and is munching on hard candy, his excited smile stretching from ear to ear.

“I don’t think I can use the same strategy again though. They’ll be ready for it,” I say, nodding in thanks when he walks over and hands me a can of coke.

“Mm, probably. You’ve got the paralyzing pulse sniper in your load-out, right? If you can get to the CP first, you can find a good vantage point and pop them when they try to approach?”

I blink at him. That could work. It’s one of my newest tricks and I don’t do it very often because not all maps are good for it, but the mining station one is perfect. Plus, I bet they won’t expect it.

“I can tell you like my idea,” he says, pride and contentment rolling off him. “Then again, I’m always full of good ones.”

I snort. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Round two drags out a bit more, but we win, two-zeroing the enemy team.

“Nuke, you are a god!” Luna shouts in my headphones, hyped and livid. “Shit, we are going to the semi. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

“When’s the next game?”

“In two weeks. And the finals, if we make it, are the week after,” she explains, commotion audible around her. “You in?”

That’s three weeks in total. I do a quick calculation in my head to make sure it won’t interfere with the main tournament. It starts in a month. “Yeah, all good.”

“Sweet. I’ll send you our practice schedule in case you wanna join in. Catch you later!”

I lean back in my chair and stretch, the adrenaline from the game still coursing inside me. The period between play-ins and the main part of the championship is a little quiet, so this is actually great timing. Even if I am the loner type, playing with Luna and the rest is fun. The added challenges of team coordination push me to higher levels of creative improvisation, which helps me in my solo matches, too.

When I swivel around, I find Ben observing me from the armchair. It’s so intense it almost seems reverent.

Warmth touches the back of my neck, spreading to my cheeks and down to my chest. “What?”

“You’re really hot when you play.” He spreads his legs a little, biting on his bottom lip.

My eyes cut to the bulge there. It’s shamelessly tenting his pants. Swallowing, I shift in my chair, my dick taking immediate interest. “Did you get hard watching me?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure why exactly. Probably had something to do with you bossing your teammates around.”

I huff air out of my nose. But he’s not wrong. I get carried away sometimes without realizing it.

“You want me to boss you around, is that it?” I toss, meaning it as a half-joke.

His eyes darken and he palms himself through his clothes. “I—” He bites off a moan. “Fuck. I think so? I’ll do anything you tell me to, babe, just say it.”

Fire roars inside me, wild and unstoppable. The air in the room suddenly charges, crackling with tension as if it’s turned into the sky before a storm hits. My hole twitches, flooded with the feeling of emptiness I’ve been pretending I don’t notice since the night we hooked up.

Pulse hammering loud in my ears, I push up from the chair and approach him. His eyes track my every movement, locked on me like I’m the only target in his crosshairs. I love it. Fuck , I love it so much. It’s like he can’t see anything but me, like I am some kind of a god he’s dying to worship.

No one has looked at me like that before. Or told me they’ll follow my lead. My head swims with all the possibilities, with how fantastical this whole thing is. To have my brother’s best friend who was my first ever crush wanting to fuck me so much I can feel it with every pore of my skin. I never thought something like that might be possible; it’s like a porn fantasy come true.

Planting myself in front of him, I comb a hand through his hair and tilt his head back with enough force to make him hiss. It exposes his neck. I waste no time trailing open kisses and licking his heated skin. The mad beat of his heart seeps into me through the contact, heightening my desire for him.

“I want you to eat me out before you fuck me from behind. And I like it when you manhandle me.”

He stands up, towering above me. I shiver in delight. His hands roam me, stroking my cheeks, then my jaw, then my shoulders while his eyes don’t leave mine. It almost feels like he can’t look away, like he’s entranced, and that deranges me further, spiking the white-hot need within me for him.

“You chose this pair of shorts on purpose, didn’t you? To tease me,” he rumbles, one hand groping my ass. “I can see the outlines of your jockstrap.”

“I got horny thinking about you coming over.”

“You were apprehensive earlier,” he points out, dragging a finger along my crease.

I purr, my eyes fluttering closed. “Yeah, but then I remembered how amazing your dick feels.”

He pushes me with his big hands. The backs of my knees hit the edge of the wooden coffee table. It’s low enough so that if I were to climb on it and present my ass to him, it would bring it to the right height so he can rail me without having to bend down.

He surveys the table, arousal causing his green eyes to shimmer. I think he’s had the same idea.

“Get on the table, Charlie,” he orders, voice deep and commanding.

I hop on and face him. His arms wrap around me, our heights about the same now. My erection presses against his, making my eyes roll as tiny prickles cover me from head to toe. God, he’s so big. He could crush me so easily. Or he could protect me, keep me safe from sheeple who can’t appreciate how amazing my gaming skills are.

“Open for me,” he says, one hand straying from my back to my ass and squeezing again.

I do as I’m told. He smashes his lips to mine, ramming his tongue inside my mouth. My abs tighten, every inch of me alight as he owns me with a deep, filthy kiss that has no right to make my chest flutter. It’s gentle and almost loving despite its obscene nature, but I remind myself that such things have no place here because this is just sex.

Even if the guy who’s about to make me lose my mind spent hours today cheering me on as I played and makes it a little hard to remember that I should’ve gotten over my crush on him years ago.