CHRIST, this guy was enormous. sparring him in the cage wouldn’t end well, even if he could keep his own head on his shoulders. ❝ i like your tattoos… ❞ was that all he could say?
BAR FIGHTS. he thought he had gotten past stooping so low when it came to going out and trying to enjoy himself. there wasn’t much he could do, four days past from his most recent fight and still sore and waiting for a few more injuries to heal most of the way. stitches and bandages could only go so far. layne had to take a break from his regular routine because of them and figured he could go out and have some fun instead. unfortunately, a loud patron at the bar he was drinking in happened to get on his nerves. it didn’t take long after a few exchanges for a fight to break out, only to be broken up when a cop who had been in there stepped in. holding his hands up, layne huffed to himself. ❝ if you let me explain what happened, officer, i’m sure you’ll understand. ❞ he should have kept his mouth shut. ❝ this fucker irritated me. ❞ he really should have shut up.
“ You’ve never seen me do my stretches before, have you? ”
Not that he exactly broadcasted them. Usually Noah was either still asleep or out and about when he did them, so the man never really got the chance to watch. Now, with his boyfriend sitting on the couch and Layne standing in front, it was almost like he was putting on a show. He bent over backwards and spread his legs a little, bending his back so he could rest his arms on the floor and look at Noah from between his own legs.
It wasn’t often he got to see Lambert drunk at all. The man had a tolerance that was through the roof when compared to his own, so he knew Lambert had to try if he wanted to do that. Though it was a little entertaining to see the man as smashed as he was, he wondered why the effort was put into it.
it’s time, he thinks, that he gives layne the truth. it’s the least he owes after all this time. he smiles faintly, already curious as to how he’ll react. ❝ layne, i haven’t been wholly honest with you in the time i’ve known you. ❞ his fingers fidget as he talks, betraying nerves he doesn’t often let show. ❝ the reason i have such strong faith, the reason i can only ever see the good in mankind… is because i’m an angel. ❞
it was obvious that the other wasn’t completely truthful with him, that there was something that he wasn’t being told. what it was, layne didn’t want to push. but when he came out with it… well, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. a grin tugged at his lips and he started off chuckling, only to actually laugh after a moment and shake his head. ❝ oh… really. you’re – ❞ he started laughing some more and rubbed a hand over his face. ❝ yeah. an angel… right. ❞
❝ what did you teach? ❞ he asks, the new knowledge derailing any other protests he might have had. what a strange transition to make, from grading papers to dodging attacks. he supposes it almost mirrors his own ascent from brother to viceroy. ❝ what do you plan to do when you can’t fight anymore? ❞
❝ i taught art class for high schoolers for a long while. ❞ he was miserable over doing it well into his first year, but he still managed. a part of him thought it would have gotten easier with time, but it didn’t. it just got harder to deal with not only the students, but with the parents as well. ❝ when i can’t fight anymore, i’ll teach people how to fight and defend themselves. but i can’t go back to a desk job. i’d sooner fight my way into an early grave. ❞
“ i think you’ve met your match. ” he just hoped that neither one of them would get bored but layne has assured him multiple times that it wouldn’t be happening. so, he had to trust that and hope for the best. “ i’ll steer clear until it’s time. ” though, he did want to corner him, so that would be tricky to pull off.
“ i think i have too. ” and he was perfectly fine with that. maybe this was what he needed to let someone else make him happy. he moved his feet slightly in jay’s lap so that he could continue the foot rub they both seemed to have forgotten about. “ great. probably wouldn’t be the best way for us to come out as a couple. ”
“ oh, yes i have. ” jay licked his lips and offered a wide smile his way. “ i think about it often. ” more than he should, in all honesty but he was rather swept up in what layne brought to the table in every way, including a sexual sense. “ so, you’re more than welcome to toot your own horn about it. i’m not complaining. ”
“ i think you might like sex more than i do – and that’s really saying something. ” though he may not have had his first until college, there was barely a week that passed where he didn’t have sex with someone. and since he started fighting professionally, his flings became more frequent. it was nice having someone keep up with him. “ i think i will. be ready for me after my next fight. ”
“Who says I want you out of bed? I’ll just join you again and we’ll relax.”
Putting the breakfast down on the man’s bedside table, Noah hopped back onto the mattress by Layne’s side. Okay, so maybe, originally, he had indeed planned to get his boyfriend out of bed, but he figured eating breakfast right here and now was just as good - at least for the time being.
It would give Layne a chance to properly wake up and warm up to the prospect of getting up eventually. Or that was the plan, anyway.
That little jostle was enough to make him tense, every sore muscle in his body screaming and making him groan. The adrenaline crash he faced the day after every fight was almost as bad as the strain on his muscles, but having the comfort of Noah there with him would make it more bearable.
Layne turned slightly and made some room for Noah to lie down, looking to him before closing his eyes and pressing his face into the pillow.
“You may relax with me as long as you’re gentle. Otherwise I will cry and it will be pathetic.”
