On The Rebound - Ch. 3 (Collateral Side Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

On The Rebound – Chapter 3

“So you are Stephen,” Klaus spoke as he shook hands with Hans’s boyfriend. “I see what you mean, Hans,” he turned towards his best friend. “He is cute, indeed. But my Jake is cuter,” he added with mirth.

Hans laughed.

“Klaus, I see you are in a good mood. You’re even joking.”

“Joking? By no means. You met Jake.”

“Yes, I did. But I stand by my man,” Hans moved to link his fingers with Stephen, something that immediately earned him a bright smile from his lover.

“Of course,” Klaus said charmingly. “I am indebted to you both. With your help, I might finish early and head back to Jake.”

“Wow, how many times did he say Jake since he got off that plane?” Hans chuckled and looked at Stephen.

“On a love-meter up to ten, I think he’s in the red zone already,” Stephen chimed in.

Klaus seemed slightly miffed with the playful exchange between the two.

“All right. I see you two are having fun at my expense. I will put you to work. Let us see who is still in the mood for bad jokes then,” he added smoothly.

“I told you. He is draconian,” Hans spoke to his boyfriend again. “If you want an out ...”

“And miss on all the fun to tease your best friend? No way,” Stephen giggled.

Klaus’s jaw went slack for a moment.

“I can understand what you see in him,” he commented, addressing Hans. “Is he up to no good when in bed, too?”

“What do you think?” Hans winked playfully.

Stephen shook his head and laughed.

“Let’s go and sort your stuff out, Klaus. You surely don’t want your Jake to die of longing while you’re stranded here, fighting with boring papers.”

“He will not die of longing,” Klaus replied, rather clipped. “I will make sure of it.”

“Die? No way,” Hans intervened. “Jake is a resourceful guy. He will definitely find something to do to forget all about you.”

“That is not possible,” Klaus frowned.

Hans laughed while Stephen followed suit.

“Klaus, baby, you’re so easy to tease,” Stephen said, almost hiccupping with laughter.

“Baby? I do not remember ...”

“He’s one hell of a lawyer, Klaus,” Hans laughed. “Don’t pick a bone with him. You might just lose. Let him call you baby. He’ll make sure you’ll finish as soon as possible.”

“All right. But please, if you can, limit the number of times you call me that. It is grating,” Klaus glared at the both of them.

“Sure thing, baby,” Stephen shrugged.

It was refreshing to see someone not intimidated by Klaus’s icy stare. Stephen was a one in a million kind of guy. 

***

It was really something to see Stephen acting professionally. The guy was formidable once he got into his lawyer’s shoes, and Hans was starting to realize that he just liked Stephen more and more. No matter how demanding Klaus was, Stephen was not complaining. He had even taken some time off from his own practice to help out. 

“I see why you are so infatuated,” Klaus said to him when Stephen left them alone late in the afternoon.

“Infatuated?” Hans stared at his best friend over a stack of papers.

“Oh, I suppose you prefer the term ‘in love’. Well, I will concede. I understand why you are in love with him.”

Hans wanted to have something witty to say, but instead, he chose to look at the papers in front of him.

“Yes, I am. Very much in love.”

That was what people in a perfect relationship would have undoubtedly said.

“Why so serious? I thought you and he are pretty much a fun duet.”

Hans pursed his lips. Why did it not feel like a game? He shook his head.

“Do not tell me you have second thoughts already. It is not like you to be flirty,” Klaus misinterpreted his silence.

“I can assure you that it is nothing of the kind. And that Stephen is the man I am certain I will love my entire life.”

Klaus quirked an eyebrow.

“How did you know? How do you know?” Klaus asked, with a mix of curiosity and something else in his eyes. “That he is the one?”

“I cannot say exactly,” Hans shrugged. “We met and just clicked. We are much alike. I don’t see a reason to fight. Not now, not in the future. We want the same thing.”

“And what thing is that?” Klaus asked with determination.

“To be in the perfect relationship,” Hans said in one beat.

Klaus remained silent.

“Aren’t you going to convince me that such a thing is not possible?” Hans spoke again.

“No,” Klaus replied shortly. 

And that was all? Hans felt curiosity eating at him.

“So, about Jake,” he said and set his eyes on his friend who was now back at his papers.

“What about him?”

“He snatched your heart, the hot little thing,” Hans joked.

“I would not say that,” Klaus replied quickly. “But I do admit that I am thinking of him more often than I would have expected. It must be because I somehow foolishly think that taking his virginity makes me responsible for him.”

“Or because you tasted something delicious and now you’re ravenous for more,” Hans teased. 

“I am not ravenous,” Klaus protested. “But I admit that I have the most enjoyable time ... having him.”

“I’ll be damned,” Hans smiled. “Who would have thought an unruly beauty from the slums could be the one to bring you down? I am just wondering how he is doing it. Seeing how many tried and failed, he’s worthy of a mention in the Guinness Book.”

Klaus grimaced.

“I like him very much. And that is all. And I do not lull myself into believing in happy-ever-afters. But I want to do enough for him so that he does not hate me when we part ways.”

“You’re still thinking about breaking up with him. I cannot believe it.”

Klaus frowned.

“Not now. And I will not talk about breaking up with Jake. That will not happen for at least … You know what? Let us just focus on work. This fruitless conversation is irritating, to say the least.”

“For you, maybe. I find it quite amusing.”

“I do not doubt it,” Klaus commented dryly.

Hans decided to let it drop for the time being. Klaus was mature enough to accept the truth eventually, especially since it was going to hit him in the face with the power of a freight train and with Jake’s name written all over it.

He searched his soul again for traces of regret and came back empty. It was like he could not remember feeling bitter and disappointed because of the relationship he had used to have with Klaus when they had been intimate. Inside him, there was nothing but a sweet fuzzy feeling, and he was certain it had to do with a pair of moss-like eyes and a million-dollar smile that could light up a dark room through sheer magic.

***

“Klaus said we could go right in,” Hans guided his boyfriend through the door to the office Klaus had at home.

“His house is pretty nice,” Stephen commented.

The man stopped dead in his tracks.

“Something wrong?” Hans frowned.

Stephen just stepped aside, and Hans felt his jaw going slack. Klaus had apparently left his TV on. The still image needed no extra commentary. Or all the commentary in the world.

“Oh, my,” Stephen whispered, “is that Jake? Klaus is so going down,” he snickered.

“Well, yeah, that’s definitely Jake, and that is definitely a ... tail,” Hans joined in the fun.

“Should we quickly turn off the TV? We’re not supposed to see this, I bet,” Stephen said swiftly.

Just another thing about the man. He knew how to be tactful. Hans searched the desk for the remote and turned the TV off just in time. When Klaus walked in, they were both seated on the chairs in front of the desk and engaged in sotto voce conversation.

“I am terribly sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen,” Klaus spoke. “So, Stephen, please be frank with me. How long do you think this whole circus is going to take?”

“I’m afraid it will take longer than this week.”

“That only means that I will have to push harder,” Klaus said with determination. “I need to be back by Sunday.”

“Push harder? Klaus,” Hans warned. “It’s all right. Jake can wait. He is a smart guy. He can understand.”

“I suppose he can,” Klaus replied, rather clipped. “I believe I am the one who has a problem with this unscheduled time off.”

“I will help,” Hans said.

“Me too,” Stephen said quickly. “It’s not like we have to walk the dog or something,” he added.

Hans stared at his boyfriend in disbelief. The glint of mischief in green eyes was the only answer he needed. Klaus stared at them, and he was about to say something. He eventually chose to remain silent, but Hans noticed how he stole a few looks around, probably wondering about where on earth he had left the TV remote.

“Klaus, baby,” Stephen spoke again, this time in a motherly voice. “You should get more sleep. You don’t want to look older than you are, right?”

Klaus snorted and shot a quick look at Hans.

“Hans, please shut him up, all right?”

“Gladly,” Hans said with a smirk.

That earned him an exaggerated hurt look from Stephen. Hans moved his chair closer and quickly pulled his boyfriend into a heated kiss. A small huff of annoyance from Klaus let him know their performance was not leaving the Ice Man unaffected.

“See?” he joked, as he broke the kiss. “He is all chastised now.”

“I bet,” Klaus commented dryly.

***

“Klaus is such a slave driver,” Stephen faked complaint, as he worked a few knots in Hans’s shoulders.

Hans groaned in pained delight. It hurt, but it felt good nonetheless. 

“Am I being too nosy if I’m asking you how you feel working close to him?” Stephen spoke again.

“Well, I’m perfectly comfortable with him around. We’re just best friends again, and it’s awesome. The therapy seems to be working like a charm.”

“What therapy?” Stephen questioned.

“This. What we are doing. This perfect relationship therapy. I feel like in one of those commercials featuring happy people walking on the beach and acting like there’s nothing else in the world but how amazing they feel. This therapy,” Hans pulled Stephen quickly over his shoulder, making the guy stumble, but eventually land in his lap.

He liked to kiss Stephen until they both struggled for breath. The kiss soon became passionate, and they landed on the floor. It was good that Stephen was still well lubed from their previous session that had happened the moment Hans had gotten through the door. He had filled the guy’s lovely hole with a load that was the result of an entire day of being pent up. Now he was on top, and Stephen was whimpering while being hammered swiftly.

“Damn, it’s so good to have you without a condom,” Hans whispered. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Fuck no,” Stephen protested. “Just breed me over and over again. That’s the only therapy I need.” 

“Glad to be of service,” Hans spoke and made their lips connect again.

He finished just before his phone began ringing. With a curse, he stood up and grabbed the phone.

“Yes, Klaus,” he said while trying to catch his breath.

“You either climbed a few flights of stairs or fucked your cute boyfriend,” Klaus spoke. “I must say I am impressed. You two seem to go at it like rabbits.”

“Shut up. You would do the same if Jake were with you.”

“Yes, definitely. Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask if it is not too much. May I give Jake your phone number? I, unfortunately, cannot spend time chatting him up, and I am afraid he is bored out of his mind.”

“You just don’t trust yourself if you were to speak to him. You’re afraid you might just take the first plane and go to him.”

“Yes, right,” Klaus said quickly. “Can you please help me out?”

“Sure. Give him my number. I’d love to talk to him again.”

“Great,” Klaus said brightly. “I am indebted. To Stephen, as well. You two went the extra mile this week, and I am forever thankful.”

“No sweat, buddy,” Hans stretched and welcomed Stephen as the guy straddled his lap and began kissing his jaw slowly.

“Thank you for the generous check, Klaus,” Stephen spoke into the phone.

“You deserve every single cent. Do not spend it all in one place,” Klaus joked.

“See you tomorrow, man,” Hans spoke and finished the conversation.

“So, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?” Stephen questioned.

“Besides fucking you and letting you fuck me?”

“Yeah,” Stephen smiled.

“Care for some drinks? Eating out? Although I love your cooking,” Hans nuzzled Stephen’s neck.

“And I love to cook for you,” Stephen agreed.

“How about a nice evening in front of the TV?”

“Sounds good,” Stephen got to his feet and helped Hans, too. “You know, I just wanted to say, Hans. This perfect relationship thing? I’m glad I wasn’t wrong. I mean, it’s everything I dreamed of and more.”

“I must say that it definitely works,” Hans agreed, and tried to ignore the small pang in his chest. “You are the perfect boyfriend.”

“You, too,” Stephen rubbed his nose against Hans’s playfully. “Even more. You’re totally husband material. Wait, sorry, I take that back. I mean,” Stephen struggled with the words.

Hans kissed him hard.

“Don’t you dare take that back,” he threatened but smiled.

“Or else?” Stephen’s eyes twinkled. 

“Or else I’ll just drag you to bed again and fuck you into the next week.”

“Um, tempting,” Stephen cooed.

“Yeah, but let’s just take a break. Even the perfect couple can enjoy a quiet evening.”

“Definitely,” Stephen smiled.

How much of it was an act anymore? Hans could not tell. The line between real and fake was growing thinner and thinner. The perfect fake relationship. Only that everything in it was real, from how sweet Stephen’s kisses were to how they loved spending together every waking moment that was free of other obligations. Was he the only one feeling that? It could not be. Stephen seemed ecstatic with everything. And Hans could not remember feeling so at ease. Stephen was not expecting anything from him, except for common sense. He was undemanding, generous, amazing all around. 

How long was it going to last? At this point, Hans hoped they could just go and go, without interruptions. And that Stephen felt just the same. 

***

He was stretching lazily, enjoying Stephen’s fluffy head resting against his chest, when the phone rang. He smiled as he answered.

“Hey, good morning cutie, thanks for calling,” he said cheerfully.

Jake’s voice came through, a tad careful, but just as cheerful. Hans was glad to hear the boy. 

“Oh, shit, sorry. It’s like six o’clock where you live, right?”

Hans looked over at the digital clock. Not that he didn’t want to linger in bed with Stephen, but it was time to get up anyway. And he hoped Stephen was up for some morning sex, too. 

“Seven, actually, but don’t worry. I’m an early riser,” he told Jake quickly.

Stephen’s head moved, and two sleepy green eyes blinked while staring at him, a tad miffed, but in a deliberate delicious way. 

“Who is it? Do they know what time it is?” Stephen mumbled as he tried to straighten up.

Jake’s voice interrupted Hans’s derailed train of thought. Stephen was not that much of an early riser it seemed. But the guy began moving around.

“When is a good time to call?” Jake asked, his voice a tad anxious. “And sorry again. It sounds like you have someone over.”

“Yeah, a very special guy,” Hans replied, and his eyes traveled over Stephen’s naked body, as the man was obviously trying to find some clothes. His hand traveled to his own crotch on its own accord, as Stephen bent to grab something from the floor. That delicious ass curve was worthy of more consideration and exploration. 

Stephen’s head shot up, and the guy jumped on the bed and kissed Hans loudly on the lips. He was almost lost in the sensation of having Stephen plastered all over him that he almost dropped the phone. He got hold of it right away.

“Sorry about that,” he told Jake. “This guy is just too kissable.”

Stephen’s face was all a smile as he looked Hans in the eyes. 

“Would you guys be interested in some PvP? You name the hour. Or maybe your boyfriend is not into that?” Jake asked.

“Stephen? Oh, he is. But he is not my boyfriend. Just some crazy awesome one night stand,” Hans teased while winking at Stephen.

The guy’s eyes narrowed, and Hans dodged the pillow that was about to smack his face right on time. 

“Well, like 7 or 8 one night stands, to be fair, although I’m not counting the times we did it, and it was not during nighttime,” Hans joked again.

“9 nights,” Stephen yelled loud enough so that Jake could hear him. 

“Wow, like coup de foudre or something,” Jake commented on the other side.

Coup de foudre? Hans’s mind traveled back in an instant. A guy with beautiful green eyes holding a cup of vanilla cappuccino, waiting for Hans to take it. He shook his head.

“I guess you could say that. And how are you? Did Elsa still behave like a frozen bitch around you?” Hans chose to change the subject quickly. 

Jake giggled. 

“But I suppose not,” Hans came up with his own explanation, while Jake was obviously trying hard to breathe normally. “What did you do to the guy, Jake? Be honest. Where do you keep your kryptonite and what is it?”

Stephen jumped off the bed and began dressing up. Hans could only sense the guy moving about, but he was so much aware of that like Stephen was just an extension of his own being. 

“What do you mean?” Jake finally came back to his senses. 

Hans definitely wanted to look into that. Stephen smiled and winked at him as he finally dragged a robe over his shoulders. It was not like Hans didn’t regret no longer being able to deal with the constant distraction of Stephen’s graceful naked body. He needed to refocus.

“Come on, don’t be a teaser. Klaus is smitten with you,” Hans spoke.

“He is?” Jake sounded excited, and a bit doubtful.

“Well, I don’t recall ever hearing him say that his lover must be getting bored and that he needs to do something about that. Or use any occasion to mention you, completely out of the blue,” Hans continued. 

It felt nice to talk like that with Jake. For once, to have Klaus so completely out of his mind, that he could joke about the man’s interest in another guy, like the two of them have never been anything more than friends.

“Like what? Tell me,” Jake immediately took the bait and asked for details.

“Swear you’re not going to be a kill stealer, and we can negotiate something,” Hans teased.

“Come on, man. You know I’m good. No kill stealing, I promise,” Jake said with a small huff of exasperation.

“Well, for instance, just yesterday, one of his business associates, a woman in her late sixties, mind you, complemented him on his looks and told him he should be named the most beautiful man in the world. He thanked the lady and told her promptly that she would be wrong, because he had already met the most beautiful man in the world, and he found he had nothing on that guy. Guess who he was talking about? Should I give you a hint? His name starts with J.”

“He didn’t,” Jake said like he could not believe a thing.

“Oh, yes. And he even dared to insult my beloved to my face,” Hans continued while stealing another glance in Stephen’s direction. The guy was leaning against the closet and was playing with the hem of the robe, teasing Hans with his eyes.

“Oh, shit,” Jake murmured. “What did he do?” 

“I introduced Stephen to him. And he just said, while still shaking his hand: My Jake is cuter.”

Stephen pouted from across the room, and Hans blew a kiss to him. The man almost lost his balance while trying to catch the flying kiss.

“Fuck me,” Jake mumbled on the other side of the planet.

“I suppose he did plenty of that, right?” Hans joked. “He had that ‘I fucked all night’ look all over him when I went to welcome him at the airport.”

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell,” Jake said shyly. “But, yeah, he did.”

“I’m glad for you. You sound pretty happy,” Hans commented. 

Stephen was just starting to show more skin. Hans tilted his head so much that he could feel a few bones snapping. What a tease.

“I think I am,” Jake admitted, making Hans snap back to reality.

“Good. It was about the damn time for him to settle down,” Hans said without a hint of regret. 

“Oh, it’s not like that,” Jake replied. “He told me we would break up.”

That gave him pause. Well, Klaus had said something about that, but it was clear as day, at least for him, that the man wanted nothing of the kind.

“He did? That is rather strange,” he said with a small frown. 

“I mean, I suppose he doesn’t want me to get all clingy and moronic. It’s okay. I mean, you warned me, too, right?” Jake’s voice dropped to being anxious once again.

“I guess,” Hans sighed. Yeah, he had done that, yet things seemed different now. “But I’ve known Klaus all my life. I don’t remember him ever being like this. He might have changed his mind,” he insisted. 

“I can assure you he didn’t. He was pretty clear about it, too. Like he always is. You know. Serious,” Jake spoke softly. 

“Well, I will not fight you over this. But are you really sure, Jake? And how do you feel about it, by the way?” Hans fished for information. Here it was, the perfect occasion to learn more about both parties, straight from the horse’s mouth. 

“It doesn’t really matter. It’s not my choice, anyway,” Jake continued, and Hans could feel how dejected the boy felt.

Great, now he felt a terrible need to smack some sense into his best friend. It was not like Klaus to play games. Why was he doing it?

“Hmm, I beg to differ. If you managed to make the almighty Ice Lord swoon over the mere thought of you like a schoolgirl, you could change his mind, too,” he chose to insist and put the boy’s mind at ease.

“He’s just a horny bastard,” Jake murmured.

“Horny? Maybe. But Klaus is the kind of guy who sets his sex schedule so that it doesn’t interfere with his favorite business show. I’m telling you, Jake. Whether you want it or not, you are already changing him. He is sharp like always, but he even smiles from time to time now. When he speaks of you,” Hans drove home his point, without any hesitation.

“He’s only been there for like four days or so. How did you see all this?” Jake asked.

“Because I have spent part of my time this week helping him with this business project. He practically begged me to get involved so he could finish early and head back to you,” Hans replied.

“Are you recording this? Did he ask you to tell me all this? Because he seems like a totally different guy.”

“No joke, Jake. I mean it,” Hans’s voice turned serious.

“Okay,” Jake said with a small sigh. “I trust you. You’re a cool guy. But wait, isn’t he stealing you from your boyfriend?”

“I got Stephen to help, too. He’s a lawyer, so he has assisted me in the document review, double checking Klaus’s attorneys. So it’s just an occasion for us to spend more time together. Hey, let’s talk more a bit later? Now we have to get ready to finish our review and report back to Klaus before noon,” Hans spoke.

Jake had to build a little more trust right now. And Hans had to deal with a pressing matter such as his boyfriend caressing a long and strong erection with featherlike moves and an easy to read expression on his handsome face. 

“Come get me,” Stephen mouthed the words, making Hans’s heart stop for a second.

“Sure thing,” Jake replied at the other end.

Hans bid his goodbyes and threw his phone on the nightstand. He hoped he had been clear enough with Jake. Because now he needed to do something about a teasing lover who was going to get it, for real.

Stephen giggled as Hans almost ripped the robe away from his body and pressed his lips against his lover’s collarbone, sucking in hard. The giggles soon turned into gasps and moans, as Hans grabbed the man’s buttocks and parted them.

“How about you make yourself wet, sweetheart?” he cooed in Stephen’s ear. 

Hans bit his lips as he watched Stephen push two long fingers into his mouth, making a show of making them wet. He pushed his own erection into the guy’s thigh, leaving a trail of precum in its wake. 

“Hurry,” he whispered, and this time there was no more teasing in his voice.

Yes, Klaus as a lover was nothing but a memory. This guy, with his moss-like eyes and pouty lips, was filling every gap, every nook, and cranny inside his mind. And right now, his other head was taking over.

Stephen pushed him away gently and turned, exposing his ass, as he began to make his hole wet slowly. Hans growled low in his chest and started to push, making sure to smear his own fluids over the kinky hole waiting for him and the guy’s fingers. 

“Go in, darling,” Stephen encouraged him. “There’s still plenty of you inside me from last night. I won’t break.”

That Hans hoped to be the truth. Because right now, as he grabbed the man’s fine ass and buried himself to the hilt in moist heat, he wanted to take Stephen hard. He wanted to stake his claim. To be the only one in the guy’s life, and mind, and body. To hear Stephen scream his name.

“Hans, yes, yes!”

Bingo. Sometimes, maybe the only thing you needed was to wish for something to happen.

TBC