Stray Cat

Chapter Sixteen

Phil hid his smile behind his hand and Dan laughed at him. He tugged on Phil's wrist to lower his hand. "Why do you do that sometimes? Cover your smile or your mouth when you laugh?"

"Oh, that'd be my teeth. See?" Phil smiled to display them. "One of my front teeth is a bit crooked and I never had braces or anything to correct it. I used to be self-conscious about it, so I got into the habit of covering my mouth, but I don't really care anymore. I like my teeth."

"You should. You have a nice smile. I like your teeth – they're very you." Dan ran his tongue across his own white teeth. "I'm a bit self-conscious of my own. You see the chip in the one at the front? I chipped my tooth biting into an apple when I was a kid."

Phil was vibrating with suppressed laughter, but eventually he managed to say, "Let's just both admit that our teeth are fine. But I don't really want to talk about teeth now, do you?"

Dan felt his heart start racing and he wondered if Phil could feel it from his position on top of him. "No, I don't."

Phil started to lean closer, but he hesitated. "Is this okay? Can I kiss you?"

Dan bit his bottom lip, remembering that first kiss where everything had gone wrong. He tried to remember what had caused him to panic, but all he remembered specifically was that he had convinced himself that Phil was going to attack him and use him. He knew now that Phil wanted more than his body, so this kiss should be fine.

Phil had been silently assessing him during this pause. "We don't have to do anything now. We can wait."

Dan shook his head. "I've already been waiting too long." He lunged forward and kissed Phil. Phil gasped in surprise against Dan's mouth, which sent a thrill through Dan who slanted his mouth against Phil's, exploring. After they took a moment to familiarize themselves with the feeling of each other, neither of them held back or tried to be gentle.

Dan wasn't sure how much time had passed when Phil pulled away. Phil panted, trying to catch his breath while his face rested against Dan's neck. The feeling of Phil's hot breath on his neck made him shiver, but he focused on catching his own breath. Phil had his hand under Dan's shirt and was idly exploring the skin by his ribs. When he could talk again, Dan asked, "Did I do it right?"

"Hmm?"

"Kissing you. Am I doing it right? I've never done anything like this before."

Phil placed a kiss on Dan's neck. "Yes, you're doing perfectly."

"I want to do more," Dan requested. He lost some of his boldness when Phil sat up on his elbow to look at Dan's face, but Dan insisted. "Please. You want me, right?"

"Yes, of course, but we just got together. We haven't even had a proper date yet."

Dan laughed. "Phil, it's almost 11pm. You have work tomorrow, so we have to go to bed. I'm going to your bed, unless you want me to start sleeping on the couch again."

"Of course you're coming to my bed," Phil said with a possessiveness that made Dan shiver with pleasure. "But nothing has to happen. I want you, but I'm not going to pressure you into doing anything you don't want."

"I want this," Dan insisted, and they got up. As Dan followed Phil to the bedroom, he realized that there was a difference between wanting this and wanting Phil. There was no doubt in his mind that he cared about Phil and wanted to be with him, but he wasn't sure that he wanted Phil's body yet. Objectively, he had heard that sex didn't always have to hurt, but it was all he had experienced so far. He didn't want Phil in that way yet – he wanted to make Phil happy and he wanted Phil to make him forget. He wanted to lose himself in Phil until he couldn't remember his own name anymore, let alone the things that had happened to him in the past. He thought that if anyone could make him forget, then it would be Phil. Phil was magic.