Rivals ? - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

At any moment, Juice expected to see a row of motorbikes in the rear-view mirror. Only when they were about thirty miles from Charming, he held the steering wheel a little less tightly. A relieved sigh escaped his lips and he leaned against the back of the seat.
Raine placed his hand on his thigh. Two scars were reminders of Happy's torture device. A drill, he feared. The wounds had healed on the outside, but since a nerve had been damaged, a part of Raine's palm had become numb. "You all right?"
"I'm glad to be out of that fucking town."
He hadn't gone back home, he hadn't dared. After he'd called Skye, she had taken a bag of stuff to the hospital when she had to give a puppet show there.
He wondered if the Sons still believed Raine was dead. If they were smart, they would find out that there was no funeral held for him. Or did they assume they had done so in secret? He found it impossible to predict the behavior of his former brothers.
The Reaper on the inside of his arm grinned wickedly at him. Once they were in Santo Padre, Raine would have to turn it into a black rectangle or something.
He put his fingers over his boyfriend's hand. Raine still looked pale, but there was more life in his eyes than in the previous days. After three weeks, he had finally been discharged from the hospital. They could turn a new page; one on which the Sons of Anarchy would no longer appear.
Juice was all set to leave everything behind. He would miss Skye—their goodbye had been hasty—but right now he just wanted to get far away from the place where his brothers had betrayed him and where his fiancée had almost died.
"It's the city where we met, though," Raine replied. "And some of my best memories are at your place. So I could never truly hate it." Raine turned his hand so that their palms melted against each other and Juice's fingers sank between his.
"It's also the place where I sat in agony twice, not knowing whether you would survive," Juice muttered. He heaved a sigh. The betrayal, his despair, his fear—they were unhealed wounds that would become scars. As far as he was concerned, he would never return to Charming. He hoped Skye would move too; closer to wherever they would live. He didn't like the fact that she still lived so close to the Sons. Although he would have said in the past that they would never harm an innocent woman, he was no longer sure of it.
Raine had also been innocent. Twice.
"Juice. You're almost breaking my fingers. Try to let it go."
Juice pulled his hand away and clamped it around the steering wheel. "As if I can let things go on command. You know how I am."
"I do. So talk about it."
"The way you talk about shit? You haven't said a word about that night."
A tense silence fell. Raine sighed. "What do you want me to say about it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Juice chewed on his cheek, fighting those cursed tears. He was still so incredibly tired. Furiously, he wiped his eyes. He kept his gaze on the road, but he felt all kinds of dark feelings creeping under his skin, searching for a way out.
"I got a text. From you. And I -"
"I don't wanna hear it," Juice cut him off. The last thing he wanted right now was for Raine to paint pictures of what his brothers had done to him. Santo Padre was still nine hours away and since his boyfriend was wearing a cast, he could not take over the wheel. He had to keep his thoughts straight and that was hard enough. "Not now, anyway," he added in a less harsh tone.
Fortunately, Raine knew him well enough not to take it personally. "Okay. I get it."
Juice cast his friend a grateful glance, still fighting the emotions that slammed against him as if they were trying to drown him.
By about four o'clock, they called it a day. They paid cash for a room in a motel, ate a quick bite there, and headed towards their room. They were both tired and soon crawled under the covers. Finally, they could sleep together again. It had been over a month and so he snuggled up to his boyfriend, careful not to touch his broken leg.
"I'm sorry I was so edgy today," he muttered as he laid his head on Raine's shoulder.
"Don't worry. I get that you're stressed. You've been for weeks."
"Months," Juice mumbled.
Ever since he met Raine. Sure, there had been a lot of great moments, but keeping their relationship a secret had asked a lot of his mental state, and so had all the misery that had come after that. He was exhausted. It was a good thing he had quit the club because he would not have been able to deal with that shit for another year. He would have developed a burn-out. He just hoped he had indeed been on time.
Juice raised his head and cupped Raine's jaw. The bruises had finally faded. He'd also had enough energy to shave in the last few days, making him look healthier again.
Raine rose slightly, but a groan escaped his lips before they touched Juice's, and he let himself sink back into the pillow with a frustrated sigh—which also made him squeeze his eyes shut in pain.
"I hate those fucking ribs," he growled.
Juice straightened up and leaned forward. "Calm down," he said. "You just got out of the hospital." He kissed his lover tenderly and smiled as soon as Raine's fingers slid along his neck. It had been so, so long since they had been intimate or even shared a real kiss.
The butterflies had never left, but right now they were racing around as they got re-acquainted with each other's bodies. Soon, his lips burned and his skin sizzled. His fingers slid across Raine's torso. Sometimes they encountered new scars and not yet fully healed wounds, but he tried not to dwell on it too much.
Raine was still beautiful.
He loved him with every fiber of his being and he knew it was mutual. He saw it in Raine's eyes, felt it in the way he touched him—never would they give up on each other.
His lips followed an imaginary path that started at the tattoo on his chest and continued to where his cast began. He heard his friend sigh with pleasure, which made him smile contentedly. Finally, Raine felt something else than pain.
"Juice..."
Raine's voice was dark with excitement, making him hold his breath for a moment. He looked up at his lover; his eyes shone.
"I don't want to wait anymore."
Juice rose on his knees, his heart suddenly thumping like a bass. "You mean...?"
"You know very well what I mean, dumbass." Raine showed him a grin that set all his cells on fire. Juice's cheeks grew warm. "If you want that too, of course."
It overwhelmed Juice a little. The heat swirled around them—there was no denying he wanted this. Especially because of the distance there had been in the past weeks—both physically and mentally—he was all too eager to get closer to his friend. Closer than ever. To be one.
"You have bruised ribs, a broken leg... Are you sure that's a good idea?"
His attempt to kiss Juice had already caused a twinge.
"I have the most cautious lover there is." A devilish grin made his lips curl. His hand slid between Juice's legs. "Or do you only have turbo mode?"
Raine burst into laughter at the sight of Juice's face, though he soon grabbed his ribs with a growl.
"I'm glad you punish yourself," Juice said shaking his head. Nerves stirred in his lower abdomen. Idiotic, of course. He wasn't exactly a virgin. But still... this was something they had both looked forward to so much, fantasized about... "You're sure?"
Raine threaded his fingers through Juice's. "I nearly died. There's still a bunch of deranged bikers looking for us. It was a nice idea, to wait for our wedding night. But to be honest? I don't know when we can really... get married. You just got betrayed by the people you wanted to invite. I... don't even know where I stand with my brothers. I love you, Juice. Juan Carlos. Man, I love you so much. I want to stay with you forever and it doesn't take an official to confirm that. I've been longing for you for so long and we've been through so fucking much shit. I just want... you. I want you, Juice. Deep inside me, your arms tight around me. I want to lie with you like I've never lied with anyone before and like I'll never lie with anyone else."
His words warmed him to his core. A stab of desire went through his lower body and heated his chest.
"I want that too." His voice sounded hoarse—and he felt like a loser for not being able to utter anything more meaningful after such a statement.
A teasing smile tugged at Raine's lips. "Well, that's a relief."
Juice chuckled softly, easing the tension a little. He stroked Raine's belly, letting his fingers curl around his stiff member. It felt warm and firm in his hand.
There was a practical point, of course... he could cross off a few poses now that Raine was wearing a cast.
"Can you lie on your side?"
"I guess."
It took a while for Raine to find a way to relieve his broken leg, but eventually, he was able to lay it down in such a way that Juice would not touch it easily. He shoved behind his friend and enjoyed his warm back and behind. He pressed gentle kisses on his neck and across his shoulder, sliding his hand over his hip. They did not have lube, so he took his time preparing his lover.
Although he could not see Raine's face, it still felt intimate to lie like this, their bodies pressed together. He brought himself as close as he could, and the warmth that was already enveloping him left him craving for more. It was a bit of a search for the best angle, but eventually, he managed to push himself in a little. He moved his hand forward and found Raine's hand; his lover pressed their entwined fingers against his chest.
Juice pushed a little further. He felt that his friend pressed back and as a result, he slid even further. The neat heat enveloped him so tightly that all his nerves were on edge. He did not move, he just wanted to be inside him for a while, as he felt he would not last long.
"Does it feel good?" he whispered.
Raine looked over his shoulder, a lazy grin on his face. "Yeah. Bit uncomfortable at first, but now that I'm relaxed..."
Juice pressed a kiss to his jaw. Then he pulled back and thrust softly. Raine breathed in sharply. He squeezed Juice's hand encouragingly. Juice's breathing quickened. He kept up the gentle, rocking pace, penetrating his friend a little deeper and deeper. His eyes sank shut, he heard Raine moan and a similar sound escaped him. He let himself be carried along as his feelings grew stronger with each breath. He loved this man so, so much. The warmth that had nestled in his heart on their first meeting had grown into a fierce flame that was currently becoming all-consuming. It pushed itself to his core, flashing hot, and then it erupted, the heat leaving his body in jolts. For a moment, he floated around on waves of love, clinging to a warm body that belonged to him alone. His lifeline, his anchor, his everything. If it was up to him, he would never let go.