The Division, page 19
Socket didn’t know, but he found himself curling his arm around Valor’s neck and kept him close, tasting that plump mouth, and memorizing how it felt against him.
If this was the last time, he’d take everything.
For the first time in his life, Valor hated his mentor. Slugger had made him ashamed of his attraction to men, and that shame had grown like a tumor in his chest, preventing him from seeing Socket’s feelings. Socket deserved so much more than Valor’s fucked up self—someone who could step out with him in public, give him the family he wanted.
The thought of someone else being those things to Socket made his belly burn with rage. Socket was his, damn it—his friend, his lover. Valor wasn’t going to let him get away. Fisting his hands in Socket’s shirt, Valor kept him close as he mouthed along Socket’s jaw, tasting salt and sweat. He wanted to taste Socket everywhere, learn what he’d forbidden himself to know for so long, and maybe pretend that they could have more than just this.
“Bedroom?” He pulled away long enough to ask.
Socket nodded, but didn’t speak. Valor took his hand to lead him when he realized Socket had never been in his bedroom before. There hadn’t been any reason, since Valor had kept the sneaking around to the base. He stopped before opening the door, worried for a moment that he hadn’t picked up his dirty socks.
“What? Forgot to make the bed?” Socket teased.
Valor laughed and pushed ahead, flipping on the lights to reveal a perfectly made bed, and a pile of laundry at the foot of it. He kicked it to the side, which got Socket laughing. The sound eased the knot in his chest. They could still do this, and somehow come up on the other side okay.
Valor pulled off his shirt, letting it fall on the floor with the rest of his dirty clothing. Socket stepped forward and ran his hands up Valor’s chest, making him shiver as fingers ghosted over his pecs and down along his abs.
“All these muscles and you don’t even have to work for them. It’s ridiculously unfair, you know.”
“I’m sorry, ah!” Valor cried out in surprise as Socket leaned forward to bite at one of his nipples. The sharp shock of it went straight to his cock. He tugged at Socket’s shirt, wanting to touch him too, needing to be skin to skin. “I don’t have any um, things.”
“Things?”
“You know, ah, condoms?” Valor felt his face grow hot.
Socket cradled Valor’s face between his hands. “It’s cute that it still embarrasses you. You can’t even say lube, can you?”
He didn’t understand why Socket looked sad as he teased him. It didn’t make sense. “I can learn.” Valor fell to his knees and undid the zipper on Socket’s jeans. He buried his face against Socket’s cock—a hard outline in his boxers—and breathed him in deeply. The musky scent entranced him. Valor thought he’d be able to pick Socket out of a crowd just by smell alone.
“Oh.” Socket sucked in a deep breath, and his eyes were wide as he looked down at Valor.
Valor got it now, as he freed Socket’s dick—so hard, already—and licked at the very tip. There was power in this, such power at having Socket at his mercy, his pleasure under Valor’s control. The taste sprang over his tongue, sharp and salty. He stretched his lips around Socket’s cock, taking as much in as he could before sliding back up. Valor knew what he liked, so he tried to imitate what Socket did for him—swirling his tongue around the head, sucking hard.
Socket ran his fingers through Valor’s hair and tugged him back. “I don’t want to come like this.”
“Did I do okay?” Valor kissed the silky soft skin just under Socket’s navel.
“Oh, more than okay. Strip and get on the bed.” Socket’s voice was deep and gravely and normally Valor might tease his best friend about sounding like a sex phone operator.
That was if those words hadn’t gotten his dick throbbing. Valor ran his palm over it, trying to dampen down the desire long enough to get out of his jeans. He could feel Socket’s eyes on him as he stripped, and Valor tried not to watch as Socket slipped out of his own clothes. This would be over far too fast if he did.
Valor backed up onto the bed, stopping when he got to the headboard. He rested his head against the pillows, feeling oddly exposed. Socket pulled a condom packet and a slim tube of lubricant out of the pocket of his jeans before letting the pants drop to the floor. “You’re a boy scout now? Always prepared?”
“I thought that was the marines?” Socket sat astride Valor’s knees. He tossed the condom packet onto Valor’s chest and then squeezed some of the lube over his fingers and reached between his own legs.
“That’s always faithful, and bad mental image, man.” There were some things Valor didn’t want to think about during sex. War was one of them.
Socket chuckled, and then choked off the laughter as he made contact with something inside himself. His body stiffened, and then he shuddered as he continued. “Oh. Yeah.”
Valor loved watching Socket come apart like this. “Let me.” He wanted to touch, to feel that velvet heat around his fingers.
“Wait your turn.” Socket nodded toward the condom. “Take care of that?”
“Would rather be taking care of you.” Valor managed to tear the plastic open without too much trouble. He slid the rubber over his dick and had to grip the base to settle himself.
Socket crawled up Valor’s legs and straddled his waist. Valor could only watch, stunned, as Socket slowly sank down on his cock. All he could feel was Socket over him and around him, encasing him in warmth.
Socket cupped his face, and Valor looked up into bright eyes as Socket leaned down to kiss him. If he’d thought being inside Socket was too intimate before, it had nothing on this. They were joined completely, connected at the center of their bodies. Valor could run his hands down Socket’s back, feel the muscles flex beneath his fingers and Socket shiver at his touch.
The only sound in his bedroom was their shared breath, and the slip slide of their skin as Socket rode him. Valor dug his heels into the sheets, unable to get any more purchase than that. This was totally Socket’s show, and he could only hold on and see where it went.
Socket grabbed the headboard and began to roll his hips, changing the angle just enough that it felt like Valor slid even deeper inside him. Valor gasped, unable to speak. He could only focus on how it felt to be pinned down beneath Socket’s weight, trapped between his thighs. It was nice, for once, not to be the aggressor, to just accept all Socket had to give.
He’d never offered to bottom, and now Valor wished he had. He wished he knew exactly what it felt like when Socket gasped like that or arched his back just so. Valor thrust up, thrilled at the way that made Socket clench his eyes shut.
“Touch me,” Socket pleaded.
Valor slid his hands up Socket’s thighs, before curling around Socket’s cock, which was wet and leaking. He never thought he’d get such delight from touching another man and making him come. But that man was Socket—his Socket. He wanted to make Socket feel good, and would do anything to bring him to that crest of pleasure and beyond.
“Like that, just like that…” Socket kept talking as he came, as if he couldn’t stop himself, spilling over Valor’s hands and abdomen.
Valor had to come now. He couldn’t take the way Socket was squeezing him, the sounds Socket was making, and the look on Socket’s face. He grasped Socket around the waist—always careful never to grip too hard—and let go, arching his back as he cried out.
Socket collapsed onto him and for a moment they lay just like that, limbs tangled up like a couple of puppies. Valor stroked his hand through Socket’s hair, so soft and still sticking up in the back. After a moment, Socket made a noise in the back of his throat and pushed off. “Let me do the cleaning up.”
Socket moved toward the bathroom too fast to notice the hand Valor held out for him. With fingers dangling over the edge of the bed, Valor felt he was missing something very important. He fell back onto the pillows, waiting for Socket to return.
Socket came over with a damp towel and wiped at Valor’s chest. “I made a bit of a mess.”
“Come on.” Valor patted the extra pillow, snuggling down on his own. It had been a long day and he was dead tired. They could talk more in the morning.
He felt the weight of the bed shift as Socket got in beside him. Socket kissed his forehead, making Valor feel like they were kids again, though this had never crossed his mind back then. “Good night,” Socket whispered, and even half-asleep Valor could feel the weight in those words.
A sudden noise had Valor startling awake—it was his neighbor’s dog, barking to be let back in. He blinked at the sunlight coming through the blinds. Had he slept the entire night away?
The other side of the bed was cool and he couldn’t make out the sounds of anyone else in the apartment—no coffee maker brewing and no water running in the shower. Socket had left and by the looks of it, a while ago. Valor sat up and let his head drop into his hands.
“So, that’s what that feels like.” He wished Socket was still there to hear it.
It sucked to be the one left behind.
Chapter 14
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. I’ll be brief. Most of you don’t know me, since I try to keep out of the public eye and let BarTec speak for itself. I’m Peter Barnes and I founded this company five years ago. My purpose back then was to challenge the status quo, to prove that I could make software that was unhackable. Since then, BarTec has grown to be so much more than a little web startup.”
Socket cleared his throat and shuffled behind the podium. He hated speaking in public, which was why he normally had Nina do the press conferences. But this, this had to come from him.
“Yesterday you all saw the article published by the Hutton News that pointed out several connections between BarTec and the superhero team known as The Division. I cannot confirm or deny these associations. That’s not what this press conference is about.”
He kept talking before someone steamrolled over him, wanting an admission. There was no way he was giving Holly Hutton the satisfaction. “We are currently at war with beings that are trying to take over our planet. They will destroy everything we hold dear, and the only thing standing between us and them are the heroes of The Division. So the question shouldn’t be about the loyalty of the men and women in The Division. It’s clear to me that these folks are doing their best to make sure that every human being on this planet is kept safe from harm.”
It was a nice speech. Nina had done a good job writing it. Socket hoped that it would work, that this would get the press to stop hounding him and start focusing on what was really important.
“Thank you for your time. Nina will answer any questions you may have.” Socket stepped away from the podium and started to walk to the safety of the door. His hands were shaking and he hid them in his pockets. Once outside the conference room, he made for the elevator, slapping the “Up” button.
“Mr. Barnes!”
Just hearing Holly Hutton’s voice caused him to flinch. Why the hell had she followed him? Socket pushed the elevator button again, wishing his powers could somehow make the elevator move faster, but even he couldn’t speed up the laws of physics.
“Why won’t you admit you’re funding The Division?”
He whirled on her. If she wanted to have this out here, then fine. “Seriously? You came out here to ask me that? If you don’t know the answer to that then you’re not much of a reporter.”
She made a face like she’d tasted something sour. “What I don’t understand is why you just won’t admit to it and take the credit. You’d be considered a hero.”
Socket snorted. “That’s not what your angle is. You want me to take the blame if something goes wrong.”
“I want someone to be held accountable.” Hutton crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. “We’re talking about a group of people who have the power to level a city if one of them sneezes wrong.”
He looked away, because she had a point. When the nanobots had invaded Valor’s mind, he’d nearly taken out the Brooklyn Bridge. If it hadn’t been for Socket being able to use his powers to neutralize the bots, who knows what would have happened?
“You can’t control them, Mr. Barnes. What if the team members have a falling out? Who can we depend on then?”
Jester had left in a huff, but what if he had taken half the team with him? What if he’d done some property damage in retaliation? Socket hated that she was right about anything, not after she’d put him through all this grief and risked his company. He’d built BarTec from the ground up, and Socket wasn’t about to let her destroy it.
“I suggest you spend your time coming up with a better plan, then.” The elevator dinged, finally, and the doors slid open. “The Division is all that stands between us and invasion.” He didn’t wait for her response before stepping inside and riding it all the way up to the penthouse floor.
Socket didn’t make it past the common room, tugging off his tie and letting his jacket fall onto the floor. He dropped into a couch and let his head fall backwards on the cushions. The problem with living in his secret hero headquarters was that Socket couldn’t hire anyone to come give him a massage. Fuck, he felt like he could sleep for a week. But even if he did all the problems would still be there—Valor, his company, The Division, and oh right, the aliens trying to invade Earth.
“That was one hell of a speech.”
Socket lifted a hand in thanks. “If you’re feeling generous, Doc, grab me some coffee?”
Doc laughed, but did go over to the side table where he had a coffee maker set up. He realized he had one in every room except the bathrooms. Socket entertained that thought for a moment before deciding there was such a thing as overkill.
“At least you look like you got more sleep last night.” She grabbed a large black mug from the stack, with white letters that read “come to the dark side, we have coffee.” Socket didn’t remember buying that one.
He twitched at her words. Socket always slept well in Valor’s arms. Last night hadn’t been any different and it was only because he set the alarm on his phone that Socket was able to leave before Valor woke. He could still feel Valor inside him when he shifted on the couch.
Had Valor realized last night had been a goodbye? Socket had been too selfish to leave without making love for one final time—sleeping in Valor’s bed as if he had a right to be there. It didn’t matter that he still loved Valor so desperately, especially now that he knew what it felt like to be Valor’s lover—because Socket would not accept Valor’s terms.
No more secrets.
“Yeah.” Socket took the full mug from her and gazed into its dark depths. It hurt, knowing he’d given up the one thing he thought he’d wanted. Well, to be fair, it was only a distorted reflection of what Socket had most desired from Valor. There weren’t any answers in the coffee.
“You finally going to tell me what’s going on?” Doc sat in the couch across from him, her own drink cupped between both hands. She looked less like a superhero and more like someone’s mom in her workout pants and baggy T-shirt.
Socket didn’t know what she meant, so he went for the obvious. “Other than the huge press conference I just gave?”
“Right. And why isn’t Valor the one up here serving you coffee? You boys are attached at the hip.” Doc wiggled her eyebrows at him, and he got the picture real quick. It was noticeable that something was off between him and Valor, even if the other members of the team didn’t know what.
Yeah, Valor should be here. Socket hadn’t even told him about the press conference. Any other time, he’d look to Valor for the moral support he’d need to get through speaking in public. Although the loss of that bulwark saddened him, Socket knew it was past time for him to stand on his own two feet. It might as well be now, since their friendship would never be the same again.
He felt hollow inside when he thought of time stretched before him without Valor at his side. There wouldn’t be any more game nights, or trips down to see the Phillies play. No one would be at his side with an inside joke that only the two of them would get.
“Things are different now.” Socket wasn’t about to get into how. What was the point? Valor still wanted to hide his sexuality, and Socket had made his decision. Everyone else could guess why they suddenly weren’t the same anymore.
Doc frowned at him. “I think there’s a story there.”
He stood, not wanting to continue this discussion. Socket wasn’t about to spill Valor’s secret, not when the man had gone to such lengths to keep it. Even after everything, at least he respected Valor enough for that. “Not really interested in sharing.”
“Socket, you know you can talk to me.” She put down her coffee and grabbed at his hand, sending gentle sparks of electricity up his arm.
Socket opened his mouth to make a quip about doctors and house calls, but shut it. It was time to stop hiding behind banter. “Thank you.” He squeezed her fingers briefly before letting go. There was only so much of this touchy-feely stuff that he could take.
“Hey!” Dash ran into the room, the light effect from her super speed fading behind her. It seemed like everyone in The Division just hung out in their headquarters these days. Didn’t they have day jobs? “Turn on the TV!”
“You mean you didn’t watch my speech live?” The comment fell flat. Socket didn’t even have the heart for his usual sarcastic bite.
Ignoring him, Dash grabbed the remote and pointed it at the large screen on the other side of the room. Valor had been the one to suggest this theater setup as a way for the team to bond. He’d been so eager for team movie nights, but there hadn’t been any. The team had been far too busy fighting drones to just simply hang out. In retrospect, Socket thought it would have been nice if everyone had gotten to know each other a bit more before going out into the field. That would have nipped the Jester situation in the bud a lot earlier.
