Taming A Jerk - Ch. 5 (Box Shaped Heart Side Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

Chapter Five – When You Have What You Want, But Not What You Need

He woke in the morning, feeling refreshed. He stretched and yawned. 

“Hey,” Aron called for him from behind and placed one hand on his hip.

“Not now,” he moaned, feeling his good mood evaporating.

Pleasing his husband first thing in the morning was not on his list of priorities. There was so much to do today. He needed to convince Simon to take him to some weekend getaway. It felt like he hadn’t been in years.

“Are you sure?” Aron nibbled his ear playfully.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Alex pushed away the blanket and quickly escaped his husband’s loving arms.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Aron questioned. 

“Thousands of things to do and places to go,” he shrugged.

“We’ll have Carter over this weekend, don’t forget,” Aron said.

Ah, the weekend getaway with Simon could wait. He turned and looked at his husband. Aron’s eyes were guarded. For a second, Alex looked at him. Aron was a good looking guy. But he could not let his guard down. The moment he was going to do that, Aron was going to overwhelm him, that was sure. When Aron made love to him, it was so damn powerful and demanding, that it made him feel a bit afraid. There was no way he was going to manage Aron, Simon, and Carter if he was going to give in to the temptation of jumping in bed with his husband right now. 

“Please, don’t tell me you forgot,” Aron said sternly this time.

“No, no, I didn’t,” he hurried to say. “I was wondering if I should prepare something special.”

Aron’s face lit up at his words. He smiled. He had this one in the bag, and Aron could not possibly suspect a thing. Even more, Aron was delighted he was willing to play the good husband’s role for once.

“No need. Carter is not a pretentious guy. Plus, too much attention might make him feel uncomfortable.”

Well, that was tough since he was planning to give the guy plenty of attention whether he liked it or not. 

“All right, then. But I will still have him taste one of my perfect veggie smoothies,” he said with a bright smile.

“I suppose he won’t say ‘no’ to that,” Aron shrugged.

He hesitated as he turned, and then he hurried to the bed and kissed Aron quickly. 

“Gotta go, but see you tonight,” he said.

“Do you have to work late?” Aron tried to keep him a little more, by taking his hand.

“Yeah. Some big thing going on right now. Yolanda can be a slave driver sometimes,” he said, shaking his head.

“Okay,” Aron replied, and Alex could tell the guy was disappointed.

“See you,” he said quickly and placed another quick peck on his husband’s lips.

Sometimes, life could have been just uncomplicated. When he wasn’t demanding, Aron was manageable. But, the thing was, Alex liked it complicated. So, he was going to fool around with Simon after work, see his husband in the evening, and maybe just say he was too tired for marital duties, and on Saturday, he had the chance to see Carter and plan something for that to work, too.

***

Carter Malis had been downright weird, Alex thought as he turned back home after work. From that meeting a few days ago, he had noticed the guy following him around, and he had taken the bull by the horns. Yet, the guy had told him to his face he didn’t like him. What was with that guy anyway? He was willing to jump in front of a car for Alex, but he didn’t care about moving things forward? For the sake of all that was holy, he couldn’t figure out the guy.

“You forgot your phone,” Aron stopped his train of thought, as he closed the entrance door.

His husband was sitting on the sofa, in the living room, and was eyeing Alex’s phone on the table like it was something foreign and strange. 

“Ah, I was a bit of a scattered brain today,” Alex said and reached for his phone.

That mainly because he had thought too much of Carter Malis and how weird the guy was. 

Aron picked up the phone before he could reach it. Alex frowned. What the hell was that? 

“You got an interesting message from Simon,” Aron said, rather clipped. 

Alex could feel his blood rushing to his feet. What the hell was that idiot thinking, sending him messages? He had been clear about having minimal communication between them, to avoid suspicions.

Aron began reading out loud.

“I already miss you. Can you just please tell Aron already?”

Alex sighed. Damn, getting out of this was going to be tough. Then he frowned. 

“How did you get into my phone?”

“What do you mean? You don’t keep it locked anymore. I thought it was a sign of trust.”

He blinked a few times. No longer keeping his phone locked? What the hell? But yeah, he had a vague recollection of that. 

“Well, yeah, and that meant that you weren’t supposed to look into my messages.”

“You told me you have nothing to hide,” Aron reproached.

Yes, he could remember that, too, although he had no recollection exactly when that had happened. 

“Aren’t you even going to tell me some well-crafted lie about why Simon is sending you such messages?”

“Are you accusing me of cheating?” Alex went straight for the offense. 

“What does this look like to you?” Aron gestured at the phone. 

“It only matters what it looks like to you, isn’t it?” he hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Are you really trying to make this about me? Alex, what’s with you and Simon again? How many times do we need to have this conversation? I’m warning you. My patience is wearing thin.”

“Oh, you don’t say! And why is that?” he lashed out again.

Stupid Simon. How could the guy be such an idiot? Although, it had never happened for him to leave his phone behind. How that overlook had happened was beyond him. 

“During these last weeks, I’ve been nothing but patient,” Aron warned. “Just when I thought that you were getting back to being a good husband, for once. But again, you started working overtime, staying late, coming up with excuses the moment you climb into bed next to me …”

“Oh, is this really about you being sexually frustrated?”

Aron threw him a sour look.

“What was the point to fool me into thinking you can be a good husband, Alex? And yeah, it is about my sexual frustration, too. For a little while, after the accident, you seemed invested in our marriage. In me. We had sex. Almost every night, every morning. You topped me, and it felt great. And now you’re taking it all away.”

He had plenty of troubles with trying to remember why he had been so open in his relationship with Aron during that time. His therapist had told him it was all about feeling alive and kicking again. The thing was his enthusiasm from those days that somehow felt like it had belonged to a different person, not him, was now coming back to bite him in the ass, and it was nasty like hell. 

Aron had expectations now. And Alex didn’t do expectations. 

“It was all about feeling alive again,” he recited what the therapist had told him.

“Ah, and I thought it was all about feeling like my husband, for once,” Aron said bitterly. 

“I’m tired, why can’t you just see it?” Alex rolled his eyes.

“Tired? I’m working every day, too,” Aron pointed at himself. 

“Oh, sure. Our jobs can’t stand comparison,” Alex replied.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aron looked at him, a bit shocked.

“I’m under a lot of pressure to perform,” Alex placed one hand over his chest. “In my line of work, if you’re not perfect, you’re out the door in no time. Plus, I’m not getting any younger. Soon enough, some new guy will appear and just take my place.”

“You can continue to work in the fashion industry even after you’re no longer a model, Alex. Plus, what are you talking about? You have plenty of years of modeling ahead! Wait, I know what this is all about. You’re just making this about me having something against poor you, once again. Like every time we fight. This time, I’m not willing to let it go. What the hell is this message from Alex all about?”

“None of your goddamn business,” Alex said through his teeth. “You had no right to look into my phone.”

“You gave me that right. And I had no ill intent. I thought you were trying to ping your phone because you thought you lost it. Or is it simply just another way for you to try to paint me as the bad guy in this? So, I’m asking you again, Alex, and I really want an honest answer. What’s this message all about? What does Simon want you to tell me already?”

“And I say, once again. None of your business,” Alex said back, almost stumping his foot.

He was really angered now. Typically, he would have smoothed things over, but, right now, it felt like the only thing that truly mattered was to win. The thing was being with Simon was great. And he had been avoiding his husband for days, if not weeks now. There was no intimacy between them. And it felt right that way. All he needed … was not home, with Aron.

“I am not going to live with that answer. Are you trying to take me for a fool, Alex?” Aron said.

The look in the man’s eyes was frightening.

“You’ve kept on telling me nothing is happening between you and that guy. Yet, this message tells me that I’ve closed my eyes for no other reason but because I wanted to believe you. Your lies. So Alex, tell me. Are you cheating on me with Simon?”

“Your distrust is insulting,” Alex said through his teeth. “And you know what? If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you just pack your things and go?”

Aron recoiled at those words as if he’d been physically hit. Over the last days, this fight had been brewing slowly. Alex could tell. But now, that the words had left his mouth, he wasn’t willing to take them back. He felt guilty for telling them. He felt guilty for not telling Aron the truth.

But he also felt angered at himself for feeling guilty. That wasn’t him. 

“You want me to leave?” Aron said slowly.

“Yeah, I want you to leave,” Alex replied, holding his head high, and looking his husband in the eye.

“If I go through that door, I’m never coming back,” Aron said slowly, each word a menace.

“Fine by me,” Alex shrugged.

“All right, then. I’ll go pack,” Aron turned on his heels and stormed out of the room.

Alex looked after him. The guy was bluffing. He had to be bluffing. It was impossible … no, that wasn’t how Aron was like. Truth be told, he should have managed that fight better. He should have just said some lie about Simon pulling some stupid prank on him. He should have just slept with Aron to convince him that they were good together.

But, instead, he had sent his husband out of the door.

Minutes later, Aron appeared in the living room again, with some hand luggage in his hand. Oh, so Aron was willing to make the fight an even bigger thing. He turned his back as Aron walked away.

The sound of the door closing almost made him feel ill to his stomach. Aron was going to come back. It was just one of their usual fights, and Aron was just playing tough. Everything was going to be all right.

***

“I saw you on the TV show,” Simon caught him from behind, and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “Are you really through with Aron? Is it really happening?” the guy asked excitedly. 

Alex rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously, it was all your fault and how many times do I have to tell you that it was stupid of you to send me that message?”

“Well, it looks like it worked to get me what I want,” Simon smiled and hooked one arm over his shoulders, as they walked in.

Alex shrugged off the guy. There was no point in getting chummy for all the world to see. By Simon’s body language, he could tell the guy was taken aback by the not so subtle rejection. After all, there had been days since Aron had left, and he was beginning to feel worried. He hoped that Aron seeing him on TV, hearing him how it was all over, was going to make the guy back down and come back. 

So far, it didn’t seem to work. Aron hadn’t even sent him a message. There was silence between them, and that was making him feel fretful. And now Simon was giving him headaches, too.

Actually, he thought, as he turned to face Simon, as long as Aron was away, he could fool around with the guy. It was good, after all, to throw the guy a bone or two, seeing the situation.

“Things are pretty complicated between Aron and me at the moment,” he spoke. “I’m not going to say we’re through, but, well, the situation is not good.”

He was vague on purpose. If Simon wanted to tip the balance in his own favor, he needed to prove himself up to the occasion.

“Are you okay?” Simon squeezed his shoulder.

Alex froze for a second. He wasn’t looking for pity. He was looking to get wooed and seduced, preferably with expensive gifts and what not.

“Let me take you out somewhere nice this weekend,” Simon offered.

That was more like it. He smiled at the guy, and Simon seemed happy. Yet, he was surprised again, as Simon touched his forehead gently.

“This thing with Aron is really getting to you, isn’t it?”

Why was Simon saying that? That wasn’t it! But maybe playing the victim was going to work to his advantage. 

“It is,” he mumbled, and the sudden pang in his chest told him right away that he didn’t need to play the part.

For once, he was the part. The realization was shocking. Simon’s featherlike kiss made his eyelashes flutter for a couple of seconds. He wasn’t going to break down and cry now, was he?

***

Simon’s lips were hot on his, and he was panting with renewed desire. It wasn’t like him to spend the entire weekend in bed, when traveling to remote and fancy getaways like this one, but, from the second they had set foot in their room, he had practically jumped Simon, so starved for human touch that he was starting to think there was something terribly wrong with him.

Since Aron had left, he had been doing nothing but balancing between the wish to grab the phone, swallow his pride, and call his husband to tell him to come home, and diving entirely into the thing he had with Simon. The source of his dilemma remained unknown. Did he want Aron? Not the man, but the assurance of him being home, being there for him. Did he want Simon? Yes, it felt like there was no one he needed more, and yet, he felt scared to do that, too. 

In the end, he had decided to let Simon whisk him away for the weekend. And it felt right. All the misery he had felt lately, the lonely nights, were melting under Simon’s touch. 

The man knew how to make love. Not that he was some expert lover. If he were to compare, Aron was, without a doubt, the one with more expertise. But when Simon held him, he knew, deep down in his heart, that the man wanted him. He had no doubt. That was making him feel proud, powerful. 

At first, it had been the same with Aron. But his husband was not one easy to manipulate. Simon was different.

Simon loved him. At least, more than Aron. Simon would have never left him over a stupid message. He wanted to believe that. He wasn’t sure.

So he was looking for that reassurance in Simon’s arms, right now.

“Damn, Alex, you’re so hot,” Simon whispered in his ear.

He was. For this guy, he was. No matter how much he felt he somehow missed his husband, right now. The thought of having only Simon was scary. Simon was going to have too much power over him. It was not something he could allow to happen. 

Except for now. The feeling of loneliness was too unbearable, so he could allow Simon to hold him so tightly. 

He pushed Simon’s damp strands away from his handsome face. Simon’s eyes lit up as they looked at each other, and the man leaned in for another sweet, long kiss. 

Alex could feel his legs stretched a bit too much. It was like Simon was trying to get inside him with everything he got. But he welcomed the discomfort. 

Simon began speeding up, and his moans of pleasure were growing louder. Usually, he would have scolded the guy for that. But now, Simon wasn’t the only one voicing his pleasure, noisily enough to let the people in adjoining hotel rooms they were going at it.

Simon’s cock was going in and out of his ass amply, hitting the spot over and over again. With each thrust, he could feel he was getting closer to the edge.

“Fuck, Alex, I love you,” Simon whispered, as he pushed inside one last time, making Alex come undone with him.

He stared at the ceiling, breathing hard. There was nothing there, but he didn’t want to look at Simon right now. The sticky sensation in his ass and on his belly was real enough.

But why did Simon have to do that? To say the words as he came? It wasn’t like it was the first time. Only that, right now, unlike other times, Alex felt guilty for not saying them back.

“Simon,” he said quietly, reaching for the guy with one hand. 

“It’s okay,” the other replied. 

Simon caught his hand and kissed him.

“I know one day you’ll love me,” he added. “You just need time.”

Fuck. Alex squeezed his eyes shut. He could just go ahead and lie. Say the words. They would have made Simon happy. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t say a lie. And why was that? When had he had any troubles lying?

***

So, it was real. Alex looked at the folder on his desk like it was something foreign. Aron was asking for a divorce. He grabbed the edge of the desk and heaved for long minutes. It could not be. 

And because of Carter? Why had Carter saved him from that accident? And now he and Aron were together? Nothing made sense.

There was just one thing he could understand right now. The intense, absolute pain in his chest. He wasn’t going to let go of Aron. Aron was his husband! Carter had no right to just waltz into Aron’s life and grab him!

A playful knock on the door startled him. 

“Come in,” he called, and his voice was tired, barely audible.

He had to repeat the words.

“I have the perfect idea about where we could go tonight,” Simon walked over to him, looking like an excited kid, as he always did.

“We’re not going anyone tonight,” he replied.

The guy stopped, dead in his tracks, and frowned.

“What happened?”

Simon had become a little more astute lately. It was a change. Alex wasn’t sure whether he liked it or not. Somehow, Simon’s unapologetic behavior over the last weeks, including about the message Aron had read by accident, had made the guy more desirable, which was not something he could clearly understand. The balance was shifting, and, as exciting as the idea of having Simon more determined and in charge was, Alex wasn’t going to give up the helm easily. 

He pointed at the folder on his desk, and Simon eyed it with unease. Eventually, he moved and grabbed the thing. And, as he looked at the papers inside, his face lit up.

“Finally!” he exclaimed. “That’s awesome! I mean, Alex, this is what we’ve been waiting for, right?”

“Maybe what you’ve been waiting for,” he snapped.

Simon looked at him in shock.

“What do you mean?” he asked, and let the folder down on the desk slowly. “You’re going to be free. Isn’t this what you want?”

“No. And don’t you dare to assume that you know what I want!” Alex raised his voice. 

Simon frowned.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Alex?”

“I don’t want this!” Alex pointed at the folder.

“You don’t want to divorce your husband?”

“Oh, let’s praise the Lord! You finally got it!” Alex raised his arms to the ceiling.

Simon’s frown deepened.

“So you don’t want to be with me, then?”

Alex stopped for a second. He was so pissed right now. 

“Don’t go drawing stupid conclusions,” he said through his teeth. 

“Stupid conclusions?!” Simon almost shouted. “Are you trying to say I’m stupid?”

“Oh, God,” Alex murmured. “I’m in trouble here, and you’re making a scene?”

The man’s handsome face turned into a scowl. 

“I am stupid; it seems,” he spoke. 

Alex shook his head. On top of it all, Simon wanted to give him a headache. 

“Whatever, take it how you want to take it, I don’t care,” he waved.

He didn’t have time for this. He needed to make Aron come back, and Simon was, at the moment, a complication he didn’t want. 

“You want Aron back?” Simon asked, by his voice, seething with anger now.

“Yeah, he’s my husband,” Alex looked up.

Simon’s beautiful eyes filled with pain. Alex looked away. The last thing he wanted right now was to feel guilty. 

“Then indeed, I am stupid. No,” Simon shook his head, “I was stupid. Because I’m not letting you yank my chain like I’m your stupid lap dog.”

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What was with Simon anyway? 

The man walked away and slammed the door behind him. Great, now he had to deal with two stubborn men, not one. But first, he needed to start with one. With that, he grabbed his phone, pretending his hands weren’t shaking.

***

“If you think this stupid thing you’re trying to pull is going to make me stay your legal husband for long, you’re wrong.”

He could not even look at Aron. He had never seen the guy so pissed in his life. He could just abort, sign the divorce papers, and be done with everything. Simon was ghosting him at work, and the ill feelings were back in full force. 

There was no way to turn. And Aron wasn’t swayed. Not by promises, not by fights, not by threats, not by anything. The man didn’t want him anymore, and it was a simple fact. 

“You can’t do much, though,” he murmured. “You surely don’t want me to go to the police with that.”

Each time he said the same thing, threatening his husband that he was going to claim Carter had pushed him in front of that truck, he felt like a giant spoon was taking a scoop out of his soul. He wasn’t going to do that. It was just an empty threat. He had told Carter that much. He wasn’t going to claim that. Not when Carter had saved his life, who knew why. Maybe the guy was just a good Samaritan, and Alex wasn’t going to go against someone like that.

But Aron had no idea about that. And it was the last and only card he could play. But right now, it felt impossible to win the guy back. Everything he had tried had failed. He was out of ideas, and he felt so damn tired.

Aron wasn’t interested in him at all, and that hurt like crazy. And getting close to the guy, offering physical intimacy, wasn’t working. 

And, on top of all things, now, that they were back from the function where he had basically forced Aron to go with him, he could sense something changed in his husband. Worse, in the car, on their way back home, he could detect the smell of sex on him. 

Aron was no longer his.

“I will put that to rest soon,” Aron said. “I’m not playing this game anymore. You’ll come to regret you didn’t take that deal. You’ll get so much less out of the divorce once I clear the situation.”

“And how can you do that?” Alex asked.

“There was an eyewitness. It’s only a matter of time until I’m out of here, for good. I can’t understand how, for so long, I haven’t realized who you truly are. I guess I just wanted to fool myself. And no, I’m not just going to blame you, tell you that you fooled me. I made a mistake. And I’m going to correct it.”

Aron had taken the bedroom without asking him where he preferred to sleep. The nights on the coach were getting weary. But, somehow, the fact that he was suffering through this was making things a bit more okay.

The truth was, he was stuck. He had no idea what to do next.

***

He stared at the screen, not believing his eyes and ears. How come he had forgotten about what Carter had yelled during those crucial moments? But now, it was all coming back to him.

And not only that. While Carter had been in a coma, he had had the strangest dreams, as far as he could remember. He had been trapped in a strange world, and he had been told to …

No, he was insane even to consider that. Maybe he had felt guilty over the guy being in a coma because of him. Because of trying to save him. And his mind had just invented those stupid weird nightmares.

Now, unfortunately, he needed to call his lawyer and see what he could take from Aron. The man was already gone, most probably already in his lover’s arms, celebrating. 

The thought wasn’t making him mad. Not even sad. What made him feel awfully tired and disgusted with himself was something else. The battle ahead of him. Facing Aron for weeks, knowing that the man hated him. 

Scraping for every single dime. His stomach hurt. He was losing weight lately, and even Yolanda had started to scold him over not eating. Apparently, the heroin chic look wasn’t in high demand. Or, at least, not for guys.

“I must do this,” he told himself, as encouragement.

“Not exactly,” someone next to him, on the sofa, spoke.

“Fuck!” he yelled and jumped.

Wearing what looked like the latest Ferragamo outwear, with matching shoes and accessories, Angel was casually sitting there, legs crossed and with an ‘I told you so’ expression written all over him. 

“You … you’re real?!” Alex yelled.

Angel shrugged and wiggled his eyebrows. 

“Alex, I’m here because you, poor soul, need me.”

“I doubt it,” Alex crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Hmm, full of denial … At least, you’re pretty, and have good fashion sense,” Angel seemed to talk to himself for a second. 

“Well, at least, you’re not wearing white this time,” Alex glared.

“What I’m going to do will not be that pleasurable for you, so I decided for more suitable attire,” Angel said promptly.

“I can’t believe I imagine things now,” Alex shook his head.

“If only,” Angel smirked and got to his feet.

And pinched Alex’s cheek, hard. 

“Ouch,” Alex protested, grabbing his cheek and rubbing it.

“Real enough?” Angel looked into his eyes from up close.

“Are you really my guardian angel, asshole?” Alex complained.

“I told you, little jerk. I’m not your guardian angel. I’m your overseer, and now I’ll do something to put you on the right path. Since you seem completely incapable of doing that, although all the evidence is right in front of your eyes.”

“What do you know?” Alex sighed. “And could you please give me a little space? We’re practically breathing each other’s exhales.”

Angel began laughing, throwing his head back. Funny thing, Alex thought. He was feeling a bit better.

“And, seeing how you’re here to help, how about you tell me what should I do to get what’s rightfully mine out of this divorce?” he added.

The smile on the other’s face was wicked. Alex wasn’t sure he liked that.

“Oh, you’ll get what’s rightfully yours out of this divorce, trust me,” Angel said. 

“Great. It’s good to know you’re on my side, seeing how you’re my … whatever you are.”

“Overseer.”

“Yeah, that, whatever it means.”

“Oh, I am completely on your side, whether you like it or not,” Angel smirked.

“Somehow that doesn’t sound like it should put me at ease …” Alex trailed off. 

“Well, Alex, first things first, let me show you your future.”

“Oh, cool, should I turn on the TV?” Alex quipped.

“No, dear,” Angel patted his head like he was a hard-headed child. 

“Oh, you’ll project some hologram or something?” Alex asked, now quite interested.

“No, no, no. We’re going for a ride. In your – for now, at least – Spyder.”

“For now?” Alex asked, alarmed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Those are details,” Angel gestured with one hand. “Right now, I have to show you why karma is a bitch, and you should not play around with it.”

“Are angels supposed to say words like 'bitch'?”

“Sweetheart, I can do whatever I want. Now, grab your keys, and let’s roll. We don’t have all day, and the timing should be perfect.”

“Okay, okay, but can you at least tell me where we’re going?” he asked.

“As I said; to see your future.”

“Is there a destination I can introduce into my GPS for that?” Alex pressed the matter further.

“Now, Alex, there’s no need for that. You already know the address. We’re going to see mommy dearest.”

Alex stopped with the keys in his hand.

“I’m not going there!” he exclaimed.

Angel took him by the shoulders and began guiding him away. 

“Now, now, let’s not be difficult, Alex. And I told you. I’m going to save your ass, whether you like it or not.”

TBC