Free Patient Z by Becky Black

get away, if they knew the moves and had the confidence to use them. Knowing the moves gave them the confidence to use them. It was a virtuous circle. People froze when they didn’t know how to deal with the situation. Mitch taught them to deal. Nobody would hurt any of his group again without consequences.
    “Mitch?” Cal said, leaning closer, both hands flat on the floor. “What’s next?” He moved, his hips sliding slowly over Mitch’s belly and groin, making Mitch moan and start to harden. Cal’s eyes glowed softly in the dim light. He licked his parted lips and leaned closer still. “What’s next?”
    No!
    Mitch scrambled out from under Cal, knocking him off balance and onto his back on the mat.
    “Fuck,” Cal muttered. Mitch got to his feet and stood over Cal, making his expression stern.
    “Quit screwing around. We have work to do here. Get on your feet, and I’ll teach you some throws.”
    If that didn’t make Cal too angry to want to kiss him, nothing would.
    * * * *
    A week after they started the training, Cal’s rifle and pistol rating was going up, Bren trusted him to actually handle small amounts of explosives, and Mitch was still pretending that their sparring wasn’t giving them both ridiculous boners, like high schoolers in the slow-dance segment at the prom.
    Cal was done pretending.
    He looked into their shared room after dinner. Mitch was sitting on his cot reading a book.
    “Hey,” Cal said, sticking his head around the door. “Are you free for the next couple of hours?”
    “Sure.” Mitch put his book down and swung his legs off the cot. “What do you need?” Cal smiled at the perfect answer. He stepped inside and closed and bolted the door.
    “I need you to have sex with me,” he said. He raised a hand to silence Mitch before he could speak. Or possibly explode. “Now before you cut my head off and feed me to the sharks, just listen.” Mitch listened. Perhaps he was too angry to speak. But he stayed quiet as Cal continued. “We’re the only men here. By happy chance we both like guys. We’re both horny. We’re both hot, so what’s the problem? I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, just sex.”
    “It’s never just sex.”
    Great, a romantic . “Yes, it is,” Cal insisted. “Sex for fun, for relief. To make that vein in your forehead stop throbbing.”
    Mitch rubbed his forehead in reaction, scowling. “Not funny.”
    “I’m not trying to be funny.” Cal sat on the end of Mitch’s cot. Not too close, because Mitch would surely push him away. “You are as tightly wound a guy as I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of really tense guys. You need this.”
    “Don’t tell me what I need. You don’t know me.”
    “I share your room. I hear what you say in your sleep.” Mitch’s eyes widened at that, but Cal pressed on. “Mitch, you devote your every waking moment to taking care of other people. You didn’t even hesitate when I asked you if you were free; you were just ready to give up your time to do whatever was needed.”
    “Flattery isn’t going to help you.”
    “I’m not flattering you. I’m saying that you need something to help you relax and that you damn well deserve it. I want to help you.” He rested a hand on Mitch’s knee, hoping the touch would help. Activate the chemistry or electricity or whatever. But instead Mitch pulled away and stood. Cal stood too. He almost approached but remembered their sessions in the gym and how strict Mitch was on the whole unwelcome-attentions thing. Not that Cal believed his attentions were unwelcome, just that Mitch wasn’t admitting that to himself. But as long as he said no, Cal had to show he respected it. That in itself could be the way to break down Mitch’s refusal. He couldn’t resist continuing to talk, though.
    “Come on, what’s the problem? Give me one good reason we shouldn’t.”
    “I don’t owe you an explanation. I said no. Don’t ask me again.”
    “Okay, fine.” Cal raised