Free Spokes by PD Singer

noise, he pelted out the back door in search of a quiet spot to hear the rest of this bombshell where no one could see his face. Who would be
    coming to see Luca that Christopher could actually compete with?
    "Um, sounds important." Sounds like pulling my heart out and stomping it. He huddled out of the brisk wind behind the dumpster.
    "Very." And Luca sounded so happy about it. Damn it. "One of team's sponsors, source of much money. Maybe source of
    more."
    Oh. A sponsor. Well. Christopher sagged against the green bin. Guess if you have the company name written across your chest you talk to the representative.
    "Then it's good news?"
    "Possibly. Could be very, very good news, depends on what we say to each other tonight. I talk with manager and sponsor, maybe until late,
    certainly past dinner."
    Managers and sponsors had to be accommodated, yeah. Christopher pushed his panic back into its "Break heart when needed" box.
    "I'll miss you, but if you need to be there, I understand."
    "Thank you, Christopher. Ah, I may be very full of energy after talks. Need to go for ride to work off energy." Oh man,
    Luca's voice dropped a good octave. "A ride ending at your place. Okay?"
    Bring on the energy if it made Luca growl like that. "Sure." His own voice suddenly had a burr in it.
    "Or I might be sad." If Luca's pause was to add unseen theatrics, Christopher wouldn't be the least surprised.
    "I might need shoulder to cry on."
    "I'll dry your eyes," Christopher promised. He'd kiss every tear away and keep on going. "Do you really
    think you'll be sad?"
    "Have big towel ready. But probably we use it for shower in morning." Luca's laughter returned, tinged with hope and excitement, and not
    sounding too different from his anticipation of travel, races, or getting Christopher's clothes off.
    "Okay. I'll see you later tonight." Luca wasn't blowing him off, anything but that. No, he was bringing Christopher
    his triumph, or his unlikely sorrow, whichever needed to be wallowed in with a lover's help.
    "I tell you about it when I get there," Luca promised. "See you at home."
    Home? Luca's words filled him with a warmth the cold wind couldn't touch.
    ***
    At 10:07 Christopher leaped off the futon to answer the fusillade of knocks at the door. Luca tumbled in, wind-whipped and grinning, throwing down his pack
    and nearly dropping his bike in his rush to pounce on Christopher. Two could play the eager game--Christopher's genuine stumble under
    Luca's hurtling weight became four extra steps and a collapse on the futon. Pinned under his squirming lover, he gave as good as he got, with
    probing tongue and thrusting hips.
    "You don't seem to be crying," Christopher observed about five minutes later. They'd frotted themselves into climax
    almost as fast as Luca had come on their first night. Not a bad thing really, some joy in each other and then talk. And then round two would come, more
    slowly, more thoughtfully, and a lot longer.
    "No crying, none at all." Luca seemed content to stay on top, his weight on his elbows and their noses in brushing distance. His curls
    fell down over their faces, making a private twilight for Christopher to gaze up into Luca's eyes. The sun-crinkles around them creased into
    delight now. "I make up for no dinner tonight with a week of dinners in France. Or Italy. Or Belgium, or wherever rest days are and you can
    come."
    "Whoa! Italy?" Christopher rolled them over to their sides and sat halfway upright. "What? When?" His jaw could
    barely come up enough to form the words.
    Oh shit. Too much--Luca shrank in a way that should have been history a week ago. "If you want to come."
    "Oh, yeah, sure, but, I'm just surprised." He reached to Luca's jaw, cupping the classic features and stroking with
    his thumb. The tension leaked away; Luca leaned into the caress. "I know you have to go soon. I just didn't know you wanted me to come
    along on your turf. I didn't think I could--" He had to override Luca's sputtering, no matter