Your son for Mine

chapter 12

Lucas looked up at the sky. It was all grey, dismal, and seemed appropriate to him. They'd been at the hotel for two uneventful days. Under any different circumstances, he'd probably be happy to be stuck in a hotel room with Mario. But Mario had been tense and closed off since they'd arrived. When Lucas asked what was wrong, Mario said he was just doing his job. He had to stay focused. This was Mario's job, you are just a job. Lucas frowned as he realized that at some point along the way, he'd let himself forget that. And it was obvious that Mario hadn't and didn't want to either.

Mario hadn't smiled since they'd left the FBI office. That smile made his whole face light up and his eyes twinkle. That smile made Lucas's belly warm and made him want to smile himself. He wanted to see it again. Wanted to know he was the reason for it. It's just his job, Lucas. Stop deluding yourself into thinking a man like Mario could want a twink like you.

A twink that had already caused enough trouble for him. He knew Abraham Leby was ultimately responsible for everything, but if Lucas hadn't been a brat and had just cooperated from the get-go, the car might have never blown up. The backs of Mario's legs might not look like he'd had a run-in with a three-foot-tall Freddy Kruger, and they might not be stuck in some airport hotel waiting for Agents Cow Cunt and Baldy to nail down Abraham Leby. Then Mario would go on to the next client and Lucas would go back to life as usual. Lucas sighed as he let the curtain fall, turned back into the room, and flopped face down on top of the bed with a groan.

"You okay, lucs?" Mario asked from his seat at the tiny hotel desk.

"I'm fine," Lucas replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.
He felt the bed dip and a warm hand on his shoulder,
gently lifting it up. "Look at me, Lucas." Mario's voice was soft and soothing. Lucas turned his head and peeked up at him through his long bangs. Mario's blue eyes looked down at him, his head bent at an angle so it was parallel to Lucas's. "You've been fine for two days. Want to talk about it?"

Lucas wanted to say something. Wanted to say that something was going on inside of him that he didn't quite understand. That every time he looked up and saw Mario looking at him, butterflies swarmed around his stomach. That every time Mario sat at that desk with his brow furrowed, he just wanted to walk over and kiss it away.

But he knew the response he would get and he knew he wouldn't like it.

"No, really I'm fine, really," He lied. It was better than hearing some lecture about how it's normal to form attachments in situations of extreme pressure, but in the long run, those feelings don't last. No, Lucas, you're only feeling this way because we've been stuck together for days. Really. As soon as this is over, you can head back to school and to the clubs... Lucas didn't​ want to think anymore about what Joe would say to him if he confessed.

"I don't believe you, lucas." Mario gently patted his shoulder and leaned back against the headboard. Lucas turned his head the other way and closed his eyes. He felt Mario's hand rub back and forth trying to comfort him. Lucas felt that warmth spread through him. Suddenly he was incredibly thankful he was lying on his stomach. Shit. I shouldn't be getting wood from a guy rubbing my shoulder like I was a little kid who'd just lost his baseball game. He's just trying to comfort me, not get me off. So why the fuck does it feel like there's an electrical current running from my shoulder to my dick?

"Ugh." Lucas couldn't stop the word from coming out of his mouth. "Thanks Mario, but really, I'm all right. Just can't wait for all this to be over."
Then maybe he could forget his brutal Viking.

With a final pat that seemed a bit harder than the others, Lucas felt the mattress pop up abruptly. He turned his head back and saw Mario was sitting back at the desk staring at the phone. "Soon enough lucas. This will all be over soon enough. Um, do  you need anything? I think I'm going to take a shower."

"No..."

"I know, you're fine." Mario looked over his shoulder at Lucas and gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.