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Hank pulled into the parking lot with a sigh and grabbed the book on his dashboard. It had been sitting there for over three months and he had stopped counting the emails sent by the library asking him to return the book. The only reason he was finally giving it back was because of the last email he had received.
“ Please, please, please return the book. I know you’re not keeping it to be malicious, but I’d really like it back. I promise I won’t be mad at you. Maybe you’ll even get something special in return.”
It had caught him off-guard and he’d assumed the library email account had been hacked. He had expected them to issue an apology within 24 hours but after a week had gone by, he saw it wasn’t coming. It was odd, but maybe it was some new tactic used to get people to return books on time- after all, it had convinced him to drive out to the library after work despite how desperately he wanted to go home, shower, and fall asleep in front of the T.V. with a beer in his hand.
He'd imagined it would be a quick process and was surprised to see an out-of-order sign on the book return slot. With no alternative in sight, he pushed open the doors to the building and stepped inside.
It was quieter inside than he’d expected. He hadn’t had the day off, but he knew it was a school holiday- something he remembered since his job consisted of telling teenagers to get back to class instead of loitering around storefronts. A group of students studied off in one corner while some grade-school children ran around the kid’s section, their parents standing nearby looking frazzled. He remembered coming here with Cole and watching his son check out a pile of books that Hank knew he’d never be able to get through before they were due. Cole loved to sit in one of the big chairs near the window and hunch over a new book, his face scrunched up in concentration as he worked to sound out new words, sunlight shining on his face. The only thing that could break him out of his focus was when he needed to ask Hank about something he didn’t understand.
Hank found the small coin in his pocket- an arcade token leftover from Cole’s 7 th birthday party- and rubbed it mindlessly as he fought back the tears that burned behind his eyes. He was trying to be better about letting the memories wash over him the way his therapist suggested, but the pain they brought squeezed his heart in a vice grip every time. He took a few breaths and went back to his mission.
A young man sat behind the desk at the front of the library. A large bin of books was on the desk beside him, and he picked one up carefully before typing something into his laptop and sliding the book to his other side. A single brown curl fell in front of his glasses and Hank watched as the man tucked it behind his ear only for it to break free. The freckles dotting his skin made him look ethereal and Hank felt the urge to turn around while he still had the chance.
“Can I help you?” The man’s voice was soft and sweet, and Hank could feel his cheeks redden as he realized how perfect this librarian was.
“Uh, yeah, I wanted to return this,” Hank waved the book in his hand and Connor- Hank could now see the nametag on his chest- looked at him funny. “The book return thing is broken.”
“That’s why I left a box in front of it.”
“A box?”
Connor stood with a sigh and poked his head in the entryway of the building. When he turned back to Hank, he was frowning. “That’s odd, I left a cardboard box out there for returns. It was clearly labeled.” He shook his head with a sigh, “Some kids probably took it. What’s your name? I can log the return manually.”
“My name’s Hank Anderson.” He watched as Connor’s eyes grew wide and his fingers froze on the keyboard. “I’m going to assume the email I got was from you?”
“No! I mean, yes, it was from me.” He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose, “I apologize for that; I may have had wine that night and made the mistake of finishing up some work before bed. I was hoping the email went unread.”
“No need to be sorry, it got me to stop by. I wouldn’t have returned it otherwise.” He handed the book to Connor who took it with a smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. The grin quickly disappeared when he looked at the item in his hands.
“May I ask what happened to this?” There was judgment in his voice as he eyed the faded cover and thumbed it open to see further evidence of damage: pages were now warped along the edges and at least one was missing a corner.
Hank was embarrassed- or perhaps nervous- as he steeled himself and wished the book return hadn’t been closed. He knew he wouldn’t have gotten out of anyone knowing the damage was thanks to him, but he hadn’t expected to be making eye contact with a librarian when they found out.
“I may have left it sitting on the dash of my car where it may have been in direct sunlight for over eight hours a day, five days a week. Or more.” He scratched the back of his neck and grimaced, “Sumo might have gotten his mouth on it at some point as well. He’s not a fan of paper.”
“Sumo?”
“My dog. A saint bernard. I’m surprised he didn’t eat the whole book. Sorry.”
“Lucky for you, I like dogs,” Connor said with a fond smile.
“You’re not mad?”
“Maybe a little. I’d be angrier if I hadn’t already bought a replacement copy for it.”
Hank let out a laugh from deep in his chest and drew more than one pair of eyes to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel embarrassed when Connor let out a chuckle of his own. “I have to ask: why send me an email if you weren’t expecting to get it back in the first place?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t really remember sending it at all, but when I woke up the next morning it was open on my laptop. I do appreciate that you decided to return it.”
“Are you gonna be able to put it into circulation again?”
Connor shrugged, “Probably not, but I’ve been meaning to read it myself. I was planning on buying my own copy, but this one will do just fine.”
“I’ll have to come back and see what you thought of it.”
“You had it that long and never actually read it?” Connor was scanning through the novel and paused, looking appalled as he gazed up and saw the redness creeping up Hank’s neck. “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t judge.”
“No, it’s a reasonable question; I was supposed to read it for an upcoming event with the author, but I couldn’t get into it.”
“Really? That sounds fascinating!”
“I work with the guy who wrote it. Gavin’s been bragging about it for over a year and some of his friends are celebrating it finally coming out. We’re supposed to read it before the party.” Hank sighed and rubbed at his face with one hand. He didn’t mean to reveal so much personal information to Connor, but something about his presence was so inviting that it drew more out of Hank. “He’s probably gonna ask me what I thought, and I’m not a good liar.”
“What if I read it and relay the most important points to you?”
“Are you serious or is that an attempt at a joke?”
“I’m being completely serious, Hank. It’s the least I can do after giving me this,” he lifted the book in his hand, “which came with a wonderful story.”
“What if I do you one better?”
“Oh?”
Hank grinned and he swore Connor’s eyes flitted down to his mouth for a fraction of a second, “What if you go to the party with me? I have a plus one that I’m not using.”
“It sounds a bit like you’re just using me for my brains to impress your colleagues, but I doubt it’ll be the worst party a man has ever taken me to,” Connor replied with a smirk of his own and he produced a business card from somewhere on his desk which he placed in Hank’s hand.
“Well, Connor Stern,” Hank read the name from the card, “I’ll text you the details.”
“You better.”
Hank walked back to the entrance with a warm feeling in his chest. Everything had happened so fast that it was barely registering in his mind that he’d gotten a hot librarian’s number. It had been a long time since he’d felt desirable, but he found that his confidence was the highest it had been in months. Just in time for him to meet Connor, apparently. He looked back just in time to see a middle-aged woman approaching the desk with a box of books.
“Good afternoon, Connor. I found this by the door and wanted to make sure it got back in your hands safe and sound. You really should be more careful about where you leave books.”
Connor glanced up and immediately deflated; even from a distance, Hank could see he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the woman standing before him. Her face was smug, and Hank recognized the type of woman she was.
“Thank you, Mrs. Clancy,” he walked around the desk to take the box from her hands, holding it with greater ease than she had, “but you didn’t have to go out of your way like that. Next time, just talk to me before moving anything.”
“I would have, but you know how my Bobby is. He was so excited to see what was in the kids’ section today.” She gestured to a boy about five years old who was running through the rows of books and narrowly avoiding running into other patrons as he did so. Connor flinched slightly when Bobby knocked a book off a shelf with a thud that drew the judgmental eyes of the college students.
“Of course. I appreciate you looking out for the books.” He turned around with the box and Hank saw the sign taped to it that read “Machine broken, place your returns here” and was decorated with stars, a rocket ship, and a little robot that had a perfectly even square head and a blue uniform. Hank caught Connor’s eyes and gave him an apologetic smile and Connor simply shrugged in response.
As annoying as she was, Hank was thankful to Mrs. Clancy for bringing the two of them together.
***
They chatted frequently over the next few days. The first text Hank sent was a simple hello followed by a picture of Sumo chewing on one of Hank’s sneakers with the caption underneath reading “the culprit”. Connor had sent hearts back and announced that he would do anything for Sumo.
The party for the book release was scheduled a little over a week after Hank and Connor met. Going from first encounters to a party with Hank’s friends seemed sudden and he worried that Connor wouldn’t have a good time despite how much he expressed his excitement for the event.
When Sunday evening came, Hank took Sumo for a long walk and got ready; it wasn’t the fanciest gathering, but he still wanted to look good, so he pulled on a button-up with a pattern of saint bernards scattered across the fabric- a gift from the last office holiday party. He found a black denim jacket and a pair of dark pants that looked decent paired together and added black sneakers with socks that matched his shirt. He pulled some of his hair back into a loose ponytail and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. The chest hair it revealed gave him pause, but he decided it wasn’t too inappropriate for a party.
“I’ll be back in a few hours,” he called to Sumo who barely looked up from where he was sleeping on the couch.
Hank had to keep wiping his sweaty palms on his pants as he drove to pick up Connor. He hadn’t been on a date in years and wasn’t even sure if Connor would agree that this was a date at all. His therapist had been suggesting getting back into the dating scene. He couldn’t exactly say he missed his ex-wife, especially when things between them had become so vitriolic towards the end, and the whole thing had left him feeling unworthy of love or kindness. It was better now. Therapy did wonders. Still, getting back out there was daunting and he had zero experience dating men aside from a few hookups when he was in college; the acceptance of his sexuality had been a revelation brought on when his therapist helped him recover memories from his youth of boyhood crushes, smuggling a magazine full of men in swimsuits into his room only for it to be found by his less-than-progressive father.
Part of him wondered if Connor would change his mind when he saw Hank again. His hands were shaking just slightly when he finally pulled up in front of the house Connor rented with a friend. There was a pride flag gently blowing in the fall air, its presence not surprising but relieving all the same.
The doorbell let out a short chime and Hank heard muffled voices as someone approached the door. He was thrown when he saw a young black man with buzzed hair and mismatched eyes on the other side.
“I’m here for Connor.”
“He’s just getting ready,” the man said. “I assume you’re Hank. My name’s Markus.” He shook Hank’s hand and gestured for him to enter the house.
The decorations and furniture were a bit eclectic as they both seemed to have their own style. Hank assumed that the large bookshelf in the living room filled to the brim with novels, comics, and magazines belonged to Connor. A T.V. sat in the corner with nearly every game console imaginable lined up beneath it. Paintings and sketches were pinned to the walls while the dining room table was scattered with art supplies; another glance at Markus showed that he, too, was stained with paint on his hands and a little near his elbows.
“Did you make all these paintings?”
“Not all of them, I’ve traded pieces with some of my friends over the years. Most of them are mine, though. That one’s my favorite,” Markus pointed to a framed piece next to the bookshelf featuring a man staring above him with a single tear rolling down his cheek. There was a plethora of emotion in each brush stroke despite how little detail was on the canvas. The signature in the corner of the painting caught Hank’s eye.
“You’re Markus Manfred!”
He let out a sudden laugh, “Yeah, that’s me.”
“Sorry, you’re just… Man, I wasn’t expecting to meet you today.”
“Don’t get too excited, I’m not exactly famous or anything.”
A door opened and Connor stepped through to join them in the living room. Hank froze at the sight in front of him; when they first met, Connor had been wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow embroidered in the corner and black pants. Now, he was wearing a sweater that was a mixture of blues and greens, reminding Hank of the time he had traveled over to Massachusetts with Cole so they could spend a few afternoons on the beach. He had on a simple, pleated black skirt that went a little past his knees but still showed off his slender legs. His sweater had a pin attached to it depicting the cover of Frankenstein . Connor looked unbelievably handsome.
“Markus rarely gets recognized even though his artwork is something to behold. It’s a shame.” Connor’s eyes drifted around Hank’s body and seemed to pause at his chest, only tearing his gaze away when he realized Hank was looking back. He averted his eyes quickly.
“Where did you run into my work?” Markus asked.
“It, uh,” Hank considered manufacturing a lie to make the situation less awkward, but he didn’t want his relationship with Connor, whatever it might be, to start with deception. “I saw your work in a gallery with my son a while back. I think it was a show for students at a local university and there were a good few artists on display, but he liked your stuff the best. He didn’t seem to enjoy the abstract stuff.”
“What’s his name? I’d love to make something for him,” Markus said.
“His name was Cole. He passed away nearly six years ago. Hit-and-run.” Hank cleared his throat to remove the lump that had formed and tried to ignore the way his voice cracked when he spoke, “That day at the gallery was one of the last things we did together.”
A warm hand touched his arm and he felt kindness radiating from Connor’s touch. It comforted him in a way that nothing else had been able to in a long time.
“Thank you for sharing that with us, Hank. I’d love to hear more about him sometime.”
“Thanks, Connor. It was a long time ago, but it can still be hard to talk about him.”
“It never feels like that long ago. Not when you lose someone important,” a wistful look passed over his face before he shook himself out of it and smiled. “Ready to get going?”
“Yeah, my car’s out front. It was a pleasure to meet you, Markus.”
He had been staring into space but snapped out of it when he heard his name, turning to Hank and Connor and giving them both a quick wave, “The pleasure was all mine, Hank.”
“I didn’t upset him, did I?” Hank asked when the door was firmly shut behind them.
“No, not at all. He can get a little distracted when he’s in one of his creative moods, so it’s probably good that I’ll be out of his hair for a bit. Markus gets intense when he works.” Connor’s eyes drifted to Hank’s chest again and he swallowed hard, “You look very handsome, by the way.”
“I clean up alright. You’re looking stunning yourself, I don’t think anyone will notice what I’m wearing when I have you by my side.”
“It’s not too much?”
“I think it’s perfect. It suits you.” He opened the passenger side door of his car and closed it once Connor was situated in his seat. The other door stuck, and Hank had to pull on it roughly before it finally released.
“I don’t think this car wants to be driven,” Connor said with a smile.
“She doesn’t know what she wants. They don’t make cars like this anymore.”
“She’s in remarkably good condition, what’s your secret?”
“There were a good two or three years after high school that I was convinced I wanted to be a mechanic so I worked at a local auto shop and read anything I could find that about cars. I know how to handle most basic problems and a few of the more complicated ones. I’ve spent many weekends fixing her up.”
Connor was silent for a moment but there was a spark of what appeared to be interest in his eyes when Hank looked over.
“What’re you thinking about over there?”
He hummed, “I’m imagining how you’d look bent over the hood of this car.”
“I… What?”
“So, this Gavin guy- do you two get along? I sensed some tension when you talked about him before.”
Hank wanted to go back and press him further on his previous statement. It seemed like he was flirting. There was no way he wasn’t flirting. It made Hank’s stomach do a little flip- one that he found he didn’t hate. “He was antagonistic towards me when we first met, and I can’t say I did much to help that. He settles for calling me an old man these days. I think you’ll know what I mean once you meet him.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I should meet him since I wasn’t directly invited.”
“You’re just as important as anyone else that’s going to be there. Besides, it’s not like he’s a celebrity or anything.”
“That’s not the issue,” Connor said. “If he asks what I thought of the book, I’m not going to lie, and I’m not sure he’ll appreciate what I have to say about it.”
Hank laughed, “You can tell him the truth, he’s a big boy. I’m sure he’s already read worse reviews of it online at this point.”
“Won’t it hurt your relationship with him if the man you invited tells him his debut novel was boring and uninspired?”
Hank turned onto Gavin’s street and parked behind Chris’ SUV.
“To be perfectly honest, there’s nothing you could do to our relationship that I haven’t already done myself. When Cole died, I lost myself. I became someone else, someone who wasn’t fun to be around. Somehow, all these people stuck by me and supported me in their own way, including Gavin. If we can come back from that, we can make it through you criticizing his book.”
“Fair enough,” Connor nodded. “I’m glad you found yourself again, Hank.”
“Me too. Sorry for oversharing so much.”
“We only met because I got tipsy on red wine and sent a wildly inappropriate email to you from my work account. If that didn’t bother you, then I won’t be put off by you telling me about your life. Now, let’s get inside so I can meet all your friends.”
“Will I get to find out what else you do when you’re tipsy on red wine?”
A blush rose on Connor’s cheeks, “Perhaps. If you behave yourself.”
Hank followed him out of the car and up the driveway with a chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief at his luck.
He wasn’t the only one surprised to see them together. Chris gave him an approving nod, Tina’s mouth dropped open and she gave Hank a huge thumbs-up, and Jeffrey pulled him aside at one point to get the scoop. He claimed to avoid gossip but was always interested in what was going on in everyone’s life.
“Were you gonna tell me you were seeing someone?”
“No, we’re not…” Hank searched for the words, “I think this is our first date.”
“You think?”
“I don’t want to assume it’s a date. It feels like a date.”
“I think that’s something you’ll want to ask him. He seems like a nice guy.” They both looked over to where Connor was chatting with a friend of Gavin’s Hank didn’t recognize. Whatever they were talking about, Connor was making her laugh and Hank couldn’t stop his face from smiling.
“He’s great. God, I hope this is a date,” he took a sip from his glass- a ginger ale since he didn’t drink anymore- and nearly choked when Connor met his gaze and gave him a wave.
“Gavin has some fascinating friends. That woman used to work for the local news station but left to open an animal shelter.” He held a glass in one hand filled with a dark red liquid and it stained his lips ever so slightly. “I was hoping that someone he knew was a writer, but I have yet to meet anyone like that.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Hank had been so focused on Connor’s face that he failed to see Gavin walk up next to them, “Why are you hoping I have a friend who writes?”
Connor’s eyes widened and he turned slowly to face Gavin, a strained smile on his face, “I’m Connor Stern. I’m here with Hank.” He held out his hand but Gavin didn’t even look down let alone take it.
“Shit, Anderson, I didn’t think you’d actually use your plus one. I was hoping you’d get bummed out from trying to find a date and you’d decide to stay home, but I guess that backfired.”
“You should know how little you get under my skin by now, Reed.”
“Yeah, whatever. What did you think of the book? It’s fucking awesome, right?”
Hank shrugged, “I was busy doing my actual job, so I didn’t get time to read it.”
“Figures. What about the twink you brought?”
Connor bristled at the comment and responded before Hank could jump in to defend him. “I did read it and I’ll be completely honest: I wasn’t impressed. The writing was weak, even for a debut novel, and the dialogue felt forced. You drew too much inspiration from classic noir films and novels without adding anything new to the genre that would have made this book stand out against the hundreds of others like it.”
“What are you, a fuckin’ English teacher?”
“I’m a librarian. I could walk down any aisle in the fiction section and find a book nearly identical to this one. Did you even do any research into criminal investigation?”
Hank almost choked on his drink yet again and watched as Gavin’s neck began to turn red. He had half a mind to stop Connor and change the subject to something neutral, but Hank was having too much fun watching the interaction go down. Connor’s words were harsh but his tone was calm. Anyone that looked their way would think they were having a casual conversation.
“I don’t think I mentioned it before, but we work for the Detroit Police. I’m a lieutenant and Gavin here is a detective.”
“Oh,” Connor’s head tilted to the left like a puppy who heard an interesting sound, “that makes this all the more embarrassing. In the book, Detective Avendale breaks the law constantly in the name of justice and does things that any real cop would get fired for. By the end, we understand that his captain is fully aware of what he’s doing but lets him off the hook just because he gets results. There are at least four different civilians in the story who would have grounds to sue Avendale and the department for thousands of dollars. The negative PR alone would be enough for them to lose funding.” Connor turned his copy of the book around in his hands and Hank saw the sticky notes bursting from the pages. They were perfectly aligned and were color-coded. “You’re going to have to try a little harder if you want to impress a twink like me.”
Connor’s arms were crossed as he stared at Gavin, the silence between them palpable. Hank was trying not to laugh and was failing miserably, although the other men didn’t seem to care.
Gavin broke into a grin, “You better keep this one around, Anderson. He’s got some fire to him.” He gave Connor a playful punch on the shoulder and Connor looked back at him like he’d grown a second head.
“You’re not angry?”
“I know I’m never gonna be the best writer around. This was one of those projects I’ve always wanted to complete, and I got lucky that a publisher decided to pick it up and distribute it. You’re exactly the kind of guy Hank needs in his life.” Gavin walked off with a laugh and joined up with a group of people hanging around the living room.
“Wow.”
“Yeah,” Hank said, “you really impressed him.”
“I suppose I should count my blessings that he didn’t kick me out of his house.”
“He’s not so bad, he just has an abrasive personality.” Hank watched Connor’s throat as he swallowed down another mouthful of wine, “Was the book that bad?”
“I may have exaggerated a touch. Don’t tell him I said this, but I enjoyed it. Reading a book that wasn’t taking itself too seriously and wasn’t trying to make waves was refreshing. I was being honest when I said the writing left something to be desired, but I secretly love finding novels that have below-average writing but heaps of personality. Each character was important to Gavin and it came through in the writing. I hope he writes more.”
Hank laughed and warmth spread through his chest when he saw Connor hiding a smile of his own behind his glass. He was incredibly handsome and Hank wanted nothing more than to kiss each freckle that dotted his skin. He felt his cheeks warm with the start of a blush.
When he met Connor’s gaze, it was clear he saw the flush creeping up Hank’s face.
“Hey,” Connor’s voice was soft, every word coming out as a whisper, “do you wanna get out of here?”
Warmth settled in Hank’s gut as he saw mischief sparkle in Connor’s eyes, “Yeah, sure, that would be perfect. Let me say goodbye to Gav and then we can head out.”
“Don’t take too long,” Connor said and he gave Hank’s arm a soft squeeze.
Hank practically tripped over himself as he went around the room saying good night to everyone. Gavin gave him a smirk and said something about remembering to use protection, but Hank had already stopped listening the second he was moving back toward Connor. It had been so long since Hank had felt wanted by anyone and he was not above admitting that Connor seemed to have come straight from his fantasies.
“I’m not taking you away from your friends too early, am I?”
“I’ll see them at work on Monday. I’m much more interested in what you have in mind for tonight.” Hank’s hand was laced with Connor’s and he followed his date out the front door and to his car.
“I was thinking we could head to your place if that’s okay,” Connor said with a meek smile. “I would suggest my apartment, but Markus might ruin the mood.”
“Yeah, my place would be good. Private.” He got behind the wheel and took Connor’s hand in his again when they were both settled into their seats. He rubbed circles into the back of his hand and saw the way Connor’s eyes were on him the whole ride over; they were both silent but there was a heat growing between them.
Hank’s house was dark when they got there and the second he flicked on the light, they were bombarded by a large, fluffy figure.
“Sumo!” Connor bent down immediately and let the dog lick at his face, his hands running through the thick fur on his body. He laughed when Sumo’s cold nose touched his cheek but he didn’t pull away. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for days.”
“I’m starting to think you like him more than me,” Hank laughed.
“If I have to choose between you and a dog, I’m picking the dog every time.” Connor stood and walked up to Hank, grabbing the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer to Connor’s body, “That said, I’m quite fond of you as well.”
“Oh?” Hank brought one hand up to rest on Connor’s waist. “How about you show me how fond of me you are.”
Connor pulled Hank down to him and smiled before pressing their lips together. The kiss was gentle at first as they got a feeling for each other but it quickly developed an intensity Hank hadn’t felt in years. Connor’s lips were soft and it didn’t take long for him to open his mouth and allow Hank’s tongue to explore. Connor groaned and clutched Hank’s shirt tightly in his fists as he moved closer, silently begging for more.
They broke apart and Hank trailed kisses down Connor’s jaw, neck, and the skin of his shoulders that was partially exposed by his outfit. His skin was warm and he squirmed with each scrape of Hank’s beard against his skin, causing it to take on a pink hue.
“Hank,” he whined, “your mouth feels amazing.”
“How would you like to feel my mouth somewhere else,” he grinned against Connor’s skin and moved a hand down to the front of his skirt.
When the movement was stopped by a hand on his wrist, Hank looked up to meet Connor’s eyes and saw hesitation.
“We don’t have to do this tonight. We barely know each other so I’d understand if you’re not comfortable.”
“That’s not it,” Connor shook his head and brought Hank’s hand to his chest where he could feel the rapid pace of Connor’s heartbeat. “You probably figured it out already but I’m trans. I don’t want this to keep going without you knowing that.”
“Oh.” Hank’s mind spun for a moment but adjusted to the new information quickly, “Okay, yeah, thanks for telling me.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“Go where?”
“Home.”
Connor avoided looking at Hank and he bit his bottom lip with worry. “I want you to stay here. With me.” He held Connor’s face in his hands and gave him a gentle kiss, “You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever met, and I would be honored to share my bed with you.”
Connor laughed and kissed Hank back with enthusiasm. He let Hank lead them to the bedroom where Connor was gently placed on the bedsheets for Hank to admire. His skirt pooled around him and gave Hank a good view of the skin just above his knees, revealing moles that were begging to be kissed.
“You’re too goddamn perfect, do you know that?” Hank shook his head and pushed up the hem of Connor’s sweater to expose more of his skin.
“I don’t believe anyone’s ever told me that, no. Most people aren’t attracted to the know-it-all librarian.”
“Really? Because having a sexy librarian in my bed has been a dream of mine for years.”
Connor laughed, “It might be a generational thing, Hank. The ‘sexy librarian’ fad died out ages ago.”
“Are you calling me old?”
“No, I’m calling you… experienced. And I want to find out if I’m right.” He reached up and began unbuttoning Hank’s shirt, grinning wider with each inch of chest that was revealed to him. He traced Hank’s faded tattoo with his fingers and lightly pulled at the hair covering his chest before pulling the shirt off his shoulders.
Hank had never been particularly fond of his body, but the way Connor looked at him with amazement and lust made him feel like the most attractive man in the world. Well, second most attractive since Connor held the top spot.
Connor removed his oversized sweater and Hank’s jaw dropped; he wore a light blue lace bra that complimented his skin perfectly and Hank found he couldn’t turn his attention away from Connor’s breasts. He only tore his eyes away when he saw Connor lift his skirt and expose the edge of a matching pair of lace panties that hugged his form. The grin on his face was mischievous and he moved to undo Hank’s belt and unbutton his pants.
A groan escaped Hank’s throat as Connor palmed him through his boxers. It didn’t take long for him to get hard with Connor’s fingers massaging his dick and rubbing over the head, looking at his crotch with an intense hunger.
“Fuck, Connor. You’re…” he was cut off when Connor slipped his hand beneath his underwear and wrapped a hand around his cock. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched him like this, but he knew it had been too long.
“I’m what, Hank? Use your words, big boy.” He kissed the soft skin of Hank’s belly and rubbed at the head of his dick, smearing precome down the shaft and making Hank groan.
“You’re perfect, Con. A dream come true.”
Connor laid back on the sheets and gestured for Hank to join. He slotted himself on top of Connor who pulled Hank’s hips down and pulled his panties aside so Hank’s cock could rub against the wet warmth of his core. Connor grabbed at his ass and used the leverage to angle Hank to hit Connor’s dick with every thrust of his hips.
“You’re so big,” Connor sounded breathless as he pushed up to meet Hank. He ducked his head slightly and managed to take one of Hank’s nipples in his mouth.
When he bit down lightly, stars flashed in front of Hank’s vision. “Shit, I’m-” he didn’t have time to get it out before he came in hot spurts across Connor’s chest, body shaking with the intensity of his orgasm as he moaned Connor’s name. Heat rose in his face as he looked down to see the mess he’d made and the stains that were on Connor’s lingerie, thanks to him.
“Fucking Christ, I’m sorry, Con. I didn’t… That doesn’t…” He put his head in his hands, “This is what happens when you fuck an old man. God, I don’t know why I thought this could work.”
“I’ve heard of post-nut clarity before, but I didn’t know post-nut self-degradation was a thing.” Connor took one of Hank’s hands in his and squeezed, a wide smile on his face and a flush on his cheeks. “It’s fine, Hank. In fact, that was one of the hottest things I’ve seen,” Connor moved to drag Hank’s hand through the wetness that had pooled between his legs and begun to wet his thighs. “I had been looking forward to you fucking me into next week, but there are other ways you can make me feel good.”
Hank huffed out a laugh and rubbed his fingers around Connor’s dick, giving it a few strokes that made Connor gasp as his head fell back against the pillow. Hank got his fingers slicked up and pressed one slowly into Connor until the heel of his hand nudged Connor’s dick.
“Even your fingers are thick,” he sighed and grinned at Hank. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to take your cock tonight anyway.”
“For a librarian, you have a real dirty mouth.”
“I had to find some way to relieve stress after spending a class analyzing the most boring books classic literature had to offer. Some people drank; I chose to unwind by reading stacks of queer erotica.”
Hank hummed, “You’ll have to recommend some to me, I could use a few pointers.”
“I don’t know, you’re doing great so far,” Connor groaned as Hank added a second finger and curled them against his walls. The stimulation made his hips jerk up and one of his hands dug into the meat of Hank’s thigh. “More of that, please.”
Hank obliged and kept up the movement as he kissed Connor’s mouth and sucked bruises onto his neck and shoulders right next to the freckles that bloomed there. The soft cries and moans that fell from Connor’s mouth were beautiful and Hank felt arousal growing in his gut.
“I’m so close,” Connor said.
“What do you need?” Hank whispered and licked over one of the marks he’d left.
“Touch my cock.” Hank obliged and enveloped Connor’s dick with his fingers while fucking his cunt with the other hand. It only took seconds for Connor to shout, warm liquid gushing over the hand between his legs as he trembled and thrust his hips up into the grip Hank had on his cock. “Hank, oh shit, yes.”
He swatted Hank’s hands away after a moment and panted as he caught his breath. His hips continued to jerk through the aftershocks of his orgasm and Hank rubbed at his sides while he came down from his high.
“Come here,” Connor patted the space next to him on the bed and Hank settled down next to him with a groan. He wrapped his arms around Connor and pulled him close, ignoring the come and sweat that was drying on their bodies. “I’m glad I met you.”
“So am I. Maybe it was fate.” Hank felt Connor’s body tense under his hands and he turned him over to look into his eyes, “Connor. Did you do something?”
“Perhaps?”
“What did you do?”
Connor turned away from his gaze, “Well, I’ve admired you from afar for a while now. The last time you stopped in to check a book out I realized that I could set up a meeting of sorts with you.” Hank’s mouth dropped open and Connor sighed, “I never would have done it if I hadn’t gotten a little wine drunk that night.”
Hank had half a mind to consider the whole thing creepy, but laying like this with Connor in his arms was preventing any rational thought. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel pleasure or joy in years, but meeting Connor had given him an excuse to finally take care of himself and his desires. It didn’t matter how they had met, just that they had.
“In that case, I’m going to be forever grateful to those glasses of wine for bringing us together. Maybe next time you can be a bit more direct.”
“I’m hopeful that there won’t have to be a next time,” Connor said. He smiled and leaned over to kiss Hank and he brought his hands up to cup Connor’s face and deepen the kiss. Their mouths moved together and Hank took the time to explore Connor’s mouth again, reveling in the way his hips twitched against Hank’s body. He slotted a leg between Connor’s thighs and smirked when the man moaned into his mouth.
“Ready for round two?” Connor asked.
“I don’t think my dick can go again for at least six more hours.”
“I have good news for you: you have been blessed with an absolutely marvelous mouth.” Connor ran his hands through Hank’s beard and tugged slightly, “I would love to put it to use if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind one bit.”
Connor pushed him back on the bed and straddled him. He finally removed his panties that were now stained with Hank’s come and the wetness that had leaked out of Connor. Hank felt his mouth water as he admired Connor’s cunt, eager to get his tongue all over it.
“Come here,” he growled and pulled Connor’s hips forward until he was settled in place over Hank’s face. It didn’t take much convincing for him to move his hips down until he was seated and Connor let out a broken moan when Hank’s mouth closed around his dick.
“Shit,” he panted and rocked forward. “I knew you were gonna be great at this.”
Hank couldn’t do much more than hum as he brought the flat of his tongue through Connor’s folds and dipped inside his entrance. The keening whine it pulled from him spurred Hank on and he grabbed Connor’s ass to pull his cunt as close to his mouth as possible. Connor took the hint and began grinding against Hank, running his hands through his gray hair to use as leverage as he rolled his hips. Hank groaned, knowing that this would be enough to get him hard again if only he were a few years younger.
“You’re gonna make me come,” Connor said and Hank closed his mouth over Connor’s dick and sucked hard until the thighs on either side of his head tightened and he felt the dick in his mouth twitch in time with Connor’s cries. After a few moments, Hank had to tap his ass lightly to remind him to pull away. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to suffocate you, that was just… Promise me you’ll never shave your beard off, okay?”
Hank rubbed his chin with the back of his hand and chuckled at the sheer amount of wetness that had accumulated there during their activities. “I promise not to shave,” he gave Connor a gentle kiss and maneuvered him to lay down in Hank’s arms once again. “Are you all fucked out for the night?”
“If you make me come again I might die. I suggest we order something for dinner and cuddle up on the couch with Sumo while we watch a movie.”
“I second that suggestion. There’s a pizza place nearby that delivers.”
Connor hummed, “That sounds perfect. I guess we should get dressed again if we don’t want to scandalize the delivery boy.”
“In a minute, I’m enjoying this too much to let go.”
Connor’s arms wrapped around his torso and Hank relaxed against the warm touch of a body next to him. It felt like the universe had seen all that he’d gone through and everything he’d been doing to improve his life and decided to reward him with Connor, and he knew they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.
And it never would have happened if Hank had remembered to return his library book.