Twist



Chapter 5: Evolution

Roach looked at Ghost, a rakish smile on his lips, and Ghost knew he was serious. His stomach flipped.



“Don’t look so bloody terrified!” said Roach, laughing.



He reached up with his right hand to stroke Ghost’s face, but Ghost shied away automatically, wary of the invading touch. Roach paused, and retracted his hand slightly, waiting to see what Ghost would do. When he stayed still, he reached out again, gently fingering a stray lock of hair and then brushing it back into place.



Ghost tensed under the gentle caress across his forehead, struggling not to leap away as Roach traced his fingertips along the hairline and skimmed over the sensitive temple.



“You wanted to do a lot more last night” observed Roach, breaking into a sardonic grin.



“That was different” said Ghost, his voice hoarse and nervous.



“Oh?” Roach raised his eyebrows.



“That was just...”



“Sex?”



Ghost nodded.



“And this is?”



“That other stuff.” said Ghost.



Roach snorted. “You’re a real true-blooded romantic, you.”



“How can I be...” he couldn’t even say the word, it was sounded so awful “...like that? It’s just... weird. I see blokes in cafes, holding hands. I saw two men kissing in public in Paris. Like they didn’t have a care in the fucking world.” he muttered “I have to be careful. There’s no fancy stuff.”



“Get in quietly, get out quietly?” said Roach, laughing.



“You’re a right bastard, you know? I’m pouring my fucking heart out here!” snapped Ghost.



“I’m sorry.” said Roach. He shifted along the bed until he was sitting right next to Ghost, the edge of their thighs touching. Ghost could feel the seam of Roach’s jeans pushing through the fabric of his trousers and rubbing against the skin.



“What makes you think this is going to work?”



Roach simply shrugged “What’s the alternative? You were going daft last week. Wasn’t going to get any better.”



Ghost mulled this over for a few seconds. Deep down, he knew that Roach was right. He hadn’t been coping, and it was a mammoth enough task to admit this to himself. There was no way he was going to admit it to Roach.



“What’s in this for you?” Ghost asked.



Roach laughed. “Well, it’s kind of exciting. You know, you’re a hard man to read. You’re like, all locked up and interesting.”



Ghost snorted.



“And I’ve always had a thing for blonde blokes and big lads.” he continued, wistfully.



Ghost was mortified. Partly because there was a man, sitting on his bed, talking about men that he fancied and partly because Ghost was one of those men. He sat in stunned silence, keeping his head down to stop Roach seeing the embarrassed flush he knew was developing across his face. In his peripheral vision he could see Roach’s hand stealing across to rest on Ghost’s knee. He jumped. Part of him wanted to move away, but another, newer, part of him wanted to reach out and touch Roach’s hand. Was that the right thing to do? He froze, petrified of getting it wrong.



“I went Sweden once.” said Roach. He pursed his lips and sighed, a sound of appreciation. “You should have seen them! They don’t sell them like that in Ikea.” He laughed quietly at his own joke and sighed again.



“This is weird” said Ghost, awkward in the silence when Roach had finished speaking.



“Oh?”



“I mean... urgh! How do you even say things like that?”



Roach cocked his head as he regarded Ghost curiously. “It’s who we are.” he said, shrugging. He shifted closer and squeezed Ghost’s thigh, a subtle reminder of everything that had passed between then in the last twenty four hours.



Ghost could feel Roach’s breath near his cheek and then the touch of Roach’s forehead on the side of his face, where his fingers had traced their gentle path moments ago.  He closed his eyes, defending himself against the overwhelming excess of sensations and the uncomfortable questions that Roach was making him ask himself. Roach shifted again, bumping against him and sending little jolts of electricity down his spine each time he did so. He could hear the soft sound of Roach’s breathing as they rested together and the rustling of their hair as Roach moved. Something brushed against his sore cheek, and he realised it was Roach’s lips, placing a soft and delicate kiss just in front of his Ghost’s ear. Ghost squirmed as a tight knot of tension in his spine kicked out a wave of tingling, itching sensation across his body.



“Kiss me” whispered Roach.



Ghost wanted to kiss him, wanted it with every fibre of his being. Roach nuzzled against him, his breathing loud in Ghost’s ear. A puff of hot breath escaped down the back of Ghost’s neck, raising his hackles. He shivered and twisted, coming to rest with his forehead against Roach’s When he breathed, he could smell Roach’s skin just millimeters away. Fuck it, he thought and kissed him.



Roach’s lips were as soft and welcoming as he remembered, but this time, they barely brushed each other. The tension in the small of his back was so strong it was painful. Ghost wanted to passionately grab Roach, like he had done the night before, but now it seemed wrong. Nervously, like a cat sensing with its whiskers, he raised his face again and felt Roach gently take the very edge of his bottom lip between his own and suck softly, exerting only the lightest of pressure. He burned with desire. Between his legs, things were starting to become uncomfortable.



Suddenly there was a touch at his neck, and he jerked, tearing away from Roach and grabbing at the thing that had brushed him. He realised it was Roach’s hand, and, feeling stupid, quickly let go. Now about a foot apart, they stared at each other. Roach was smiling: a knowing, hint of smile. It drove Ghost wild inside.



He watched Roach shift on the bed, and realised it was because he was uncomfortable with his developing erection. I did that, thought Ghost, proudly. In the daylight, the sight of Roach’s arousal seemed more real than it had done before. Suddenly the realisation that Roach  really wanted him was undeniable, and it shocked him. He had never really believed it before, but now he realised it, it made him bold. He leaned over towards Roach and reached up, cupping his jaw in his hand and drawing it towards him. Their lips met again, and this time Ghost opened his mouth to take Roach’s lips within the grasp of his own. He slid his hand around to stroke at the nape of Roach’s neck and was excited to feel Roach tremble and squirm beneath him. He bent his fingers and ran his nails along the short, fuzzy hair at the base of his skull, relishing the sensation under his hands. Roach arched his neck back, pulling away from Ghost and and squealing with enjoyment. Ghost smiled.



Seeing Roach respond to his actions, Ghost suddenly realised how much power he had. He could do something, and Roach would respond. Suddenly, there was a new thrill to the whole experience. He remembered Roach pinning him down the night before, and kissing him over and over along the sensitive skin of his neck. Ghost leant forward, simultaneously sliding his left hand up to Roach’s face. He cupped the edge of his jaw in his hand with just enough pressure to keep him still as he bent to kiss Roach’s neck.



Roach gasped as Ghost placed gentle kisses along his collarbone and up across his throat. He tried to shy away, but Ghost kept him in place, pinning him between his strong hand and delicate touches from his lips. Ghost could feel Roach writhing underneath him, and quickly grabbed his hand as he reached up to protect his sensitive skin from Ghost’s attentions. Roach moaned and managed to crook his neck far enough that he could slide in front of Ghost and return his kisses. They were more urgent now, and it was obvious to Ghost that he was exciting him. Roach flopped back onto the bed, pulling Ghost with him.



He stroked Ghost’s hair with his free hand, twisting the short strands around his fingers and gently running his nails across the scalp. Roach had pulled Ghost close to him, entwining their legs and slipping his hand down onto Ghost’s waist. The feeling of closeness, the emotion of the shared experience flooded Ghost’s senses. It had never been like this before: it felt like he was meant to be here, that this was what he had been looking for all his life. Lying in Roach’s arms, he felt complete.



Emboldened by Roach’s reaction to his previous touch, Ghost reached up to stroke Roach’s ear and explored the skin across his neck and down across his collarbone. His heart fluttered in his chest; he was so nervous he thought he would burst. His fingers found the apex of the collar of Roach’s shirt and the fear reached a pounding crescendo as he rolled the button under his fingertips. Underneath he could see Roach’s dark hair peeking through. He wanted to touch it, to run his hands through it, to run his nails across the skin. The button under his fingers popped open.



As he reached to touch the newly exposed skin, he caught Roach’s eye. For a moment, his hand wavered, unsure of whether or not this was right and then Roach kissed him again. This time, he felt Roach’s tongue pressing on his lips and he responded, opening his mouth wider and reaching forward with his own. They locked together and writhed against each other, a passionate demonstration of desire.



Ghost took this as approval and slid his hand inside Roach’s shirt, stroking his hands across the skin of his chest. He rolled the fine hair between his fingers, pulling just enough so that he knew that Roach could feel it. Blindly he fumbled for the next button. His stomach gave a little flip when the cotton of the shirt squealed across the plastic as it came undone. He pushed his hands under the fabric again and found the smooth, delicate skin of the nipple. Underneath him, Roach squirmed with pleasure as the muscles hardened under his touch. He broke away from Roach’s kiss, bending down to nuzzle into Roach’s chest and drew his tongue across the exposed skin.



Gently he circled it around the nipple and took the tip of it delicately between his teeth. Roach moaned, a sound that sent shivers through him.



“Bloody hell!” said Roach, his breathing heavy. His breathing hitched as Ghost pulled at the skin with his teeth and then let go.



Ghost grinned, pleased with his reaction. All his worry about getting it wrong vanished. He thought of the things he wanted to do with Roach, to do to Roach, and it excited him.



Roach growled. “That’s a face thinking dirty thoughts.”



“Yeah.”



“Care to enlighten me?”



“Oh yeah.”