Free A Boy Called Cin by Cecil Wilde Page A

explains. Somehow, this seems less stupid than saying Tom was a friend who likes his art. He'll have to think of a better cover story.
    The seagull doesn't seem to believe him, and remains standing in place.
    "I admire your persistence, but you can't get blood out of a stone."
    The seagull squawks again. It's starting to make Angela look like a pushover in terms of being brushed off.
    Even if he does get good at dodging questions and ignoring reporters and maybe changing the routes he takes to get places so the press wouldn't find him—which seems like a lot of work to just assume he'll be okay with—he's not going to be able to avoid being under the spotlight if he gets any closer to Tom. It's a nice thought that they could just be like any normal couple, one or two quirks aside, but they can't be.
    Cin's coffee is suddenly too bitter to drink, the breeze too harsh to be enjoyable. He stands and leaves a five-dollar bill on the table, secured under his half-empty coffee cup. The thought of further human interaction just now makes his stomach hurt.
    The walk back to Tom's house isn't long enough for him, so he makes his way down what he supposes is a hiking trail that meanders off into the woods that surround this little patch of housing. Compared to some of the others nearer the beach and closer to town, Tom had chosen a relatively modest house. It's strange to think of him not showing off, but on reflection, he'd only shown off in ways he thought would make Cin happy before.
    Thinking about that only makes it harder for Cin to accept that this isn't—and can't be—a long-term deal. He wants to go back to Tom and curl up beside him and just keep pretending, but he doesn't want to hate Tom when it has to be over.
    The trail loops back around, so Cin emerges a few hundred meters down the road from the house. He'll go back and enjoy what they have while they have it.

Chapter Five
    "God, I'm so sore ." Tom moans as he wakes up. "You coulda warned me."
    Cin makes a soft noise and rolls over toward him. "I warned you. Didn't listen," he mumbles.
    It was possible that Cin had made some warning along the lines of, "We don't have to do this now, and if we do, you're going to hate yourself in the morning."
    Tom had ignored it, and lo and behold, it's morning, and he hates himself.
    "This can't be what it feels like for you. It's not, right?"
    "This might come as a shock to you, but your asshole is like any other muscle in your body. If you suddenly start using it differently, you'll be sore. It's like the morning after your one workout per year."
    "Ouch. You're mean in the morning." Tom pokes Cin's stomach gently.
    "You woke me up to complain that your ass hurts after you begged me to put a full-size dildo in it. And accused me of not warning you about exactly that, which I did." Cin stretches out, finally opening his eyes. "I can rim you, if you want. Might help."
    Tom considers, not missing the low burn of arousal in the pit of his stomach, or the twinge of soreness that accompanies it. "That sounds amazing, but also like it might hurt more than it helps."
    "Your call. Was it worth it?"
    "Hell yes. I can't believe I've been missing out all these years." It honestly feels a little like a revelation. Tom's sore in a way he's never been before and he can tell it's going to haunt him for a few days at least, but it was worth it.
    Not that he'd put this on Cin, but he feels a little cheated, too. Cin's been perfect, better than he'd ever hoped for in a partner, but looking back, there were a lot of people who could have done this for him. A lot of people he should have been able to trust and now, in hindsight, knows he couldn't. It hurts that the first person who's cared enough about him to even try is a twenty-year-old kid. Especially one he's pretty sure thinks Tom isn't serious about him. He has to think of a way to make it clear that he is, regardless of age gaps or celebrity status or anything else Cin might think would stop