Until We're Home Read online

  “It's okay,” Jesse said. “You don't have to be nervous. I'm just going to clean the wounds. I probably don't have to dress them because you aren't bleeding but I don't want you to get an infection.”

  He didn't ask what an infection was. Jesse poured some sort of sticky red liquid from a bottle and onto a white bit of cloth, which he then rubbed on Taln's hands.

  Taln groaned.

  “I know,” Jesse replied. “I'm sorry. You're lucky I'm studying to be a nurse. Do you have your wallet on you? Well, no, I guess you don't. You don't look like you have any pockets. What are you wearing, anyway? Is this part of the whole performance artist thing? I mean, don't get me wrong, you look really good, but—”

  “What's a wallet?”

  “All done,” Jesse said, laughing and winking at him. “Now give it a minute before you go wash your hands, okay? You don’t know what a wallet is? A wallet is one of these.”

  He took a black, leather square out of his back pocket and flipped it open. “Inside, it has all these things that you need, you see? Your driver license, but you can't look at that, your debit card, etc. Things that could identify you in an accident or whatever.”

  Taln shook his head. “I don't have one.”

  Jesse glanced at the device on his wrist again and frowned. “Go wash your hands with soap. The bathroom is the second door on the right. I don't think I should leave you alone, I'm just going to make a phone call.”

  Still reeling from Jesse's touch, Taln stood up and made his way towards the 'bathroom', whatever that was. The room was completely dark when he opened it. He closed the door behind him and looked around, trying to make some light with his hands. All his magic seemed to be gone. How could he do anything without his magic?

  The room got a little less dark after a while, but not by much. It wasn't helpful, either. He tried to make his way around the small room but was distracted by his host's rising voice. He seemed to be in the middle of an argument with someone. Unable to make any of the contraptions inside the small room work, Taln made his way outside to find Jesse with his eyes closed and shaking his head, as if he was speaking to someone.

  “Look, it's just, something came up,” Jesse said. “It's not you. I have to stay here tonight. No, Jon, you can't come over. No, you can't just invite yourself over, we've talked about this. If you come over, I'm calling the police. Yes, I would. I'm telling you that I would, alright?”

  Jesse rubbed his temple before he looked at Taln and smiled.

  “Sorry,” he said, putting the rectangular device he was holding down. “Did you wash your hands?”

  “I don't know how to get water,” Taln replied. “I am thoroughly useless in this realm.”

  “Don't say that,” Jesse said, smiling. “I've never met anyone as committed to a role as you have and I went to a magnet art school. I'll help you. Just go back in the bathroom.”

  Taln did as he was told, entering the small dark room again. His eyes would have to adjust to the darkness again. He would be trapped here until his host decided to let him out. It wasn't too bad, Taln thought. He could sleep here.

  “What are you doing?” Jesse asked as he stepped inside, pressing something on the wall. The small room was entirely illuminated, assaulting Taln's eyes. He shielded them with his hand. “No electricity where you're from?”

  Taln looked at Jesse for a second. Apart from when he was speaking to no one, he never seemed to stop smiling. Jesse stepped forward and wiggled his hand over a lever. “Here. Warm water. Surely you know how to wash.”

  “Yes,” Taln replied. “Am I to wash everything?”

  “Everything?” Jesse replied, before his eyes widened. “Oh, you mean you want to take a shower?”

  He looked at the big square box to Taln's left. He surmised that was the shower.

  “I would like to be clean,” Taln replied.

  Jesse tilted his head before he nodded, his eyes sparkling. “Of course. You can have a shower if you want.”

  Taln nodded and started to undo the emerald buttons on his long-sleeved jacket, which reached well above his hands. The fabric was thick and comfortable, enough to keep him warm without wearing any undergarments. He let the jacket fall on the floor before he knelt down to undo the laces of his soft leather boots.

  “You're having a shower right now?” Jesse asked.

  “Is there another time which would be more convenient for you?”

  “Nope,” Jesse said. “You do you. I'm going to shut up.”

  Taln nodded before he started to pull the rope belt that held his brown trousers up. He let them fall on the floor and watched Jesse, whose eyes were glued to him. He had bathed with all the children in the Minburry Citadel many times before he was sixteen, but they were never allowed to look at each other. Only an assigned partner could look at another person like this. He wondered if Jesse's assigned partner knew about the hungry look in his eyes. There was a part of him that was enjoying the attention despite the feeling that it was wrong.

  “Goddamn, you're gorgeous,” Jesse said.

  He didn't understand what Jesse meant, but it seemed to require an answer. “My name is Lahtinen,” he said. “That's my clan's name. I can't... I can't remember my first name.”

  Jesse frowned, barely able to peel his eyes away from his nude body and look into his eyes. “So what should I call you?”

  “I don't know.,”

  “I have to call you something,” Jesse replied.

  “Why?”

  “Why?” Jesse repeated. “Everyone needs a name. And I'm definitely not calling you Lah—whatever that was.”

  “I'm trying to remember,” replied, his hands in fists. Why couldn't he remember his name? He needed to know his own name. It was the one thing he had left.

  “Whoa, it's okay. You're okay. I'm just going to call you Puck for now.”

  “Puck?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “You look like you stepped out of a Shakespearean play.”

  Jesse took a step towards him and extended his arm. Puck—looked at his arm, which was lean and muscled, before Jesse's hand fell on his face.

  Puck's eyes widened. His host was obviously powerful and could probably hurt him. He had access to light, water and more things than he had ever seen one person have.

  Puck tried his best to stay still as Jesse stroked the outline of his face and his smile widened. “Are you wearing contacts? I've never seen eyes like yours before.”

  “I don't know what that means,” Puck said, finally admitting what he had been holding back since he had arrived on Earth. “I don't understand most of what you mean.”

  Jesse nodded. “I've been there. Is this the first time you've ever done this?”

  “This is the first time I have ever done... any of this,” Puck replied. He had a feeling that being touched was a lot more common on this realm, especially from a member of royalty to a peasant, and he didn't want to make his host feel uncomfortable. If he did, where was he to go?

  Jesse nodded again. “We'll take it slow. What do you want to do?”

  “I would like to be clean.”

  “Of course,” Jesse said. He cocked his head and took a deep breath before he spoke. “Do you want me to join you?”

  “While I wash myself?”

  Jesse nodded again. “If you want.”

  “I don't know,” Puck replied, suddenly self-conscious about wearing nothing in front of him.

  Jesse frowned before looking him up and down and nodding again. “Okay. I can just leave you be.”

  He was about to leave the room before Puck found his voice again. “Wait,” he said. “Stay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” Puck replied before he could change his mind. “I'm sure.”

  * * *

  Jesse took a moment to take him in with his eyes. Puck was gorgeous. He wasn’t very tall, which would normally put Jesse off. He liked his guys tall and buff. Still, the rest of his looks more than made up for it.

&n
bsp; Despite his lack of height, the word that came to Jesse was statuesque. He looked like he had been carved, slowly, painstakingly, out of gorgeous white marble. Like his skin had been painted over with a thin brush. It was almost like there were no edges to his body, despite the lines visible on his abdominal muscles, his calves and his arms. For a second, it looked to Jesse liked no shade was being cast upon his body, but he shook that thought quickly. That was impossible.

  Taln’s heart-shaped face was framed by strands of black hair that changed color to copper, red and hazel every few seconds. He hadn’t noticed it before but when he did, it was hypnotizing.

  He didn’t even want to look at his eyes.

  “This is the shower,” Puck said quietly.

  “Yep,” Jesse said, trying his best to look away from him and failing. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and peeled it off before undoing his belt and unbuckling his jeans, letting them fall to his ankles.

  Puck looked at him.

  “You said you wanted company,” Jesse said, realizing he sounded more defensive than he intended to.

  * * *

  Puck took a second to drink Jesse in as he stepped into the bathroom.

  “Yes,” Puck replied, looking him up and down once again. His heart was racing. This was the first time he had ever looked at another person like this and he wasn’t sure how to describe how he was feeling. He was frightened of whatever a shower was, yes, but there was a feeling of genuine anticipation spreading over his body in waves.

  Jesse looked down at him and smiled. “I’m looking forward to this, too.”

  Puck looked down as well. He had felt his sexual organ being engorged by blood before. That was one of those things that couldn’t be avoided, the council had told him, along with all the other children in the citadel, when he was only twelve. One was never to call attention to it. It would simply go away on its own.

  He moved his gaze towards Jesse’s. The bulge under the thin wraparound cloth he wore indicated that he was going through the same predicament.

  “Will you wash while wearing your garments?”

  “Nope,” Jesse said. “But I’m feeling a little insecure. Damn. Turn around.”

  He did as he was told. He could hear Jesse taking off his undergarments, moving around as he did so. Before he spoke to him again, Jesse took a deep breath. “Okay, now you can turn around.”

  Puck did. Despite expecting it, his host’s nudity confused him. The anticipation seemed to spread through the insides of his body, through the bottom most layers of his skin, spreading outward towards his extremities and seemingly discharging through the tips of his fingers. It felt like magic did, except a lot more pressing.

  “Hey,” Jesse said. “Are you okay? You sure you want to go through with this?”

  “Yes. I need this,” he replied, not quite knowing what he meant, but knowing that he meant it.

  After he watched Jesse’s hand moving around more levers, water started to flow over and onto them. Puck took a moment to marvel at it as he stepped inside the ‘shower’. He knew that the greenkeepers in the citadel would do anything for Jesse’s power to conjure water like this. It took them days sometimes to have enough for crops. On the rare occasions that they didn’t manage to get enough, the citadel would—

  His melancholic thoughts were interrupted by Jesse putting a warm hand on his back. The palm of his hand seemed warmer than the water that was washing over him. He could feel Jesse’s breathing on the back of his neck. It sent a weird, tingling, unfamiliar feeling down his spine.

  “Is this good?”

  “Yes,” Puck replied. It didn’t seem possible just a minute before, but his heart was going faster. It was as if he could feel it inside his ears, not just on his chest.

  Jesse’s right arm reached around him. Puck watched him wrap his fingers around his member. It exacerbated whatever was happening within him. Jesse took a step closer towards him. He could feel Jesse’s breath on the curvature of his neck. It was quickened and heavy.

  “Do you like this?”

  Puck tried to take a second to think. It was difficult, his body was being hammered by a million sensations. As he did so, Jesse hands continued working on him, each stroke, each touch, sending a tingle down his spine and through his entire body. He wasn’t sure what kind of magic Jesse was using, but it was powerful. It was overwhelming.

  “Puck?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “I think so.”

  “Good,” Jesse replied, “I just want to make sure.”

  His grip on Puck’s member tightened and quickened, his fingers tracing its outline. Puck tilted his head back and groaned softly, letting himself feel Jesse’s magic.

  “So, do you like it?”

  “Yes,” Puck said. “I like it.”

  “Turn around,” Jesse said, letting go of him.

  Puck turned around to face Jesse. Something, though he wasn’t sure what it was, compelled him to close his eyes as Jesse moved his hand slowly down his side, his fingertips digging slightly into his skin.

  He grabbed him again. He didn’t understand how it was possible, but he could feel himself getting harder. Every touch, every stroke, even the tiniest bit of contact was soon making him moan.

  Jesse knelt down in front of him. Puck watched him, his lips parted and his eyes hooded. His chest as the pressure continued to build, electricity feeling like it was shooting from within him. His vision became hazy for a second. He could no longer hear the water splashing over them. It never seemed to stop and it felt like it was coursing through all of him.

  Jesse moved his head back. Puck opened his eyes slightly to see a stream of liquid, as continuous as the sensation inside of him. His eyes widened as he realized that whatever that was about to fall on Jesse’s face.

  He angled himself so that he was pointing towards the shower curtain as Jesse started to laugh, his hand falling to his side. “What are you doing?”

  “I don’t know,” Puck replied.

  Jesse laughed again. “Okay, just—you’re good?”

  “My legs are tingling,” he said. He noticed that Jesse, who was now standing up, had moved his hand and was tugging at himself and watched curiously.

  “Oh my God,” Jesse said, throwing his head back and moaning. He bit his lower lip while Puck watched him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Thank you,” Puck said, still trying to catch his breath. He had never felt anything like that before. His heart was still racing. He wasn’t paying attention to the fact that Jesse was still wearing nothing, even after they had moved to the sleeping quarters.

  Jesse made that noise again.

  “What are you doing?” Puck replied.

  “I'm laughing because you don't have to thank me. I had fun.”

  “I do have to thank you,” Puck said. “I'm sorry to contradict you, but you're wrong.”

  “Next time will be better,” Jesse said. “You know what it's like. You've probably been with girls before.”

  Puck shook his head. “I've never... done anything like that with anyone. I was to be married but ran away.”

  Jesse laughed again. “Married? Aren’t you a little young?”

  Taln shrugged. “They didn’t think so.”

  Jesse nodded. “And you never had sex with her?”

  Something told Puck he shouldn't ask what sex was. He shook his head again. “I've never been touched before.”

  “By another man?”

  “By anyone,” Puck said.

  Jesse licked his teeth and looked him up and down. “You're so good-looking, though. How is that possible?”

  “It was forbidden,” Puck replied. “It mustn't be forbidden for you.”

  Jesse shook his head. “Only kind of. I'm kind of still seeing someone, but he can go fuck himself. You're way nicer.”

  Puck rolled over onto his side and looked at Jesse. He had never been in such a comfortable sleeping station before. It was a little small for both of them, but he was used to sleeping
with three or four people in tight spaces.

  “Do you want me to drive you home?”

  “I don't have a home anymore,” Puck replied. “I've been banished. I don't have a name nor a trade. I have nothing.”

  “Oh my God. Are your parents fundies?”

  “I don't know,” Puck replied. “I had a father. He's dead.”

  “I'm sorry,” Jesse replied, curling a strand of Puck's hair around his finger. “Your hair is so fine.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It's so thin,” he said. “I've never seen hair like this or eyes like yours. Are you a model?”

  Puck didn't know what to say. “I'm nothing.”

  “Whoa. So your parents are fundies. Alright, you can stay here tonight,” Jesse said. “We'll go to the LGBTQ center tomorrow and try to find you some placement. I don't usually let guys stay the night, so consider yourself very special.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You have to stop thanking people for being decent human beings,” Jesse said. “Since you have no wallet, I assume you have no money. Are you hungry?”

  “You've already been so kind.”.

  Jesse shook his head. “I need to eat, too. What kind of host would I be if I didn't feed you?”

  Puck looked at him, feeling an uncomfortable sensation on his cheeks. That was the first day he had ever felt it. It was as if the blood in his body was rushing up to his face and he was unable to control it.

  Jesse stood up. “Alright. Stay here. Don't go anywhere. Do you like pizza?”

  “I don't know what that is,” Puck replied. “I will eat whatever you give me.”

  Jesse laughed again. “Don't tempt me. You've never had pizza? Alright. We're getting pizza.”

  * * *

  Puck opened his eyes slowly. It took him a little while to adjust to the light pouring into the room.

  He looked around the small room, his eyes narrowing as he looked around for his host. Except for the many furnishings in it, the room was empty.

  He sat up and cleared his throat, suddenly realizing that he was still naked. He had been given a robe to wear while eating and had taken it off later, after his host had talked him into disrobing again. It wasn’t like he had needed much convincing. He would have done anything to feel the way he had after washing and he was most open to the idea of feeling his host’s hands on him again.