Life on a Printed Plane

Derrick stood in front of his locker, and began to get rid of his work day.  Hard hat, welding hood, beanie, leathers, neck bandana, gloves, boots.  Shoving his feet into ancient tennis shoes, he slammed the door to his locker closed and headed out to his battered and ancient work truck. Dropping his used bandana and beanie on the passenger floorboard, snapping his seat belt on, yet another lonely night staring him in the face.  Driving home from work, trying to psych himself into going out and at least trying to meet someone.  It had been almost six months.  Six long months, time for him to put Tim behind him.  Derrick really had thought that moving to a new city would have helped him get over Tim and his infidelity.  Infidelity?  Wouldn't that mean, at some point that Tim would have been faithful?

Stepping into his apartment, being careful to stay on the mat just inside the door.  Never getting a rent deposit back was expensive, and he was trying to keep from staining the carpet with his dust and grease from work.  Dropping his clothes into a conveniently placed laundry basket, a overly full laundry basket, a can't be denied laundry basket.  Walking into the bathroom, and firing up the shower, checking the temp, and when hot, stepping in.  Picking up the scrub brush he began the chore of cleaning his hands.  Even wearing gloves his hands were encrusted with grime by the end of the day.  Washing his hair, twice hoping not only to get it clean, but to get it clean smelling.  Welding paid well, but the dirt and smell were a drawback.  Finally clean again, Derrick stepped out and started to dry himself off.



Should I shave?  Am I really going to leave the apartment tonight?  Honestly?  Get real Derrick, the same thing will happen tonight, like every other night.  I will get shaved, dressed and get to the door, and change my mind, turn around and spend my evening either watching some lame tv shows, or wandering around the internet.

No! Tonight I will leave this apartment!  Shaved, teeth brushed, standing in front of a closet with not a great deal of options.  Sighing, deciding that if he was judged on his clothing, then he most likely wouldn't get along with the guy anyway.  Pouring lotion into his hands and working it into his face, the heat at work dried his skin out severely, and into his dried roughened hands. Pulling on a clean pair of baggie jeans, and a black long sleeved tee. Deciding tonight to put his earrings in, the small silver hoops gleamed against his black hair.  Snapping on his watch, grabbing his phone and keys, and before he could change his mind he was out the door.

Walking to his car, still trying to keep himself from turning around, unlocking the door, getting in, and then the big decision.  Where to go?  He had read about a gay bar that was supposed to have really terrific hamburgers.  At least if he decided not to mingle with the other patrons, he could at least get fed. The entire drive Derrick kept wanting nothing more than just going home and ordering a pizza, the door firmly shut on the world at large.

Well, shit!  A parking spot right in front of the door!  The parking gods were not going to let him back out on a minor technicality.  Swinging his car into the spot, locking the door, heaving a breath that had to weigh a good 200 tons, he opened the door to the bar, and walked in.  Not as dim as some bars, and the aroma that met him was hamburger heaven!  Seeing servers circulating around the room, he found a booth and slid in.  Picking up a menu, the descriptions of the burgers making his mouth water, wondering how big they were, he was starving.

"Hello!  Do you know what you want yet?  Or do you still need a few minutes?"  Oh! The server was so cute!

"I think so.  How big are these burgers?"

"About average I guess.  How hungry are you?"

"Starved!"

"I would order more than one if I were you."

"I would like a bacon cheese burger, and a mushroom cheese burger, with fries. And a salad, with ranch dressing."

"Anything to drink?"

"Yeah, a Silver Gulch porter on tap."

"Gotcha!  Will be back in a few minutes with your salad."

Now that the busy work was over, he was open and exposed without anyone to buffer him.  Before the nerves got the better of him, his salad saved him.  The salad was good and crisp.  Eating it as slowly as possible, trying to look unapproachable.  Why did he do this to himself?  Go out and then want nothing more than to hide.  Just as the last bite of salad disappeared, his burgers arrived along with his beer.

The first bite sold him.  Even the suffering of being alone in a bar, was nothing compared to the happiness of his taste buds!  Heaven!  After only a few bites of his burger, the bar started to quickly fill up.  Only his booth had a single occupant.  Starting to feel conspicuous  again, he was going to finish up, and get out of there.

The bar was filled, only a few bar stools were empty, and then even those few were full.  Looking at his meal, trying to finish and get out of there as fast as possible, he didn't notice someone walk up to him, and stand there.  Finally the awareness of someone standing close, jerked him back to the present.  Looking up, he saw a man older than himself, around 30, chestnut brown hair, and green eyes, and seriously good looking.

"Do you mind if I share you booth?"  He was trying to juggle a beer and a burger basket.  Crunch time here, oh well, what the hell, he is just wanting a place to sit.

"Sure no problem, have a seat."  The new guy gratefully set his basket down and slid into the booth.  As he put his beer down, Derrick noticed a wedding ring on his finger.  WTF?  Why did a straight guy cruising a gay bar, have to choose him to hit on?

"Thanks, I didn't intend to get anything to eat, but the smell of the burgers changed my mind."

"Why did you order, if you didn't have a seat?"

"I had finished my drink, went to the john, and when I came back, it was filled with someone else!  Then my food came, and I was stranded, trying to juggle food and drink and trying to figure out how to eat without hands!"

Silence fell on the two men eating. A silence in Derrick's point of view, that was uncomfortable.  Who knew what the other guy thought?

Derrick watched his face as he asked..... married guy his question, "Did you come in here by accident?"

"Huh?  How do you come into a place on accident?"

"Did you know this was a gay bar?"

"Oh, yeah I did."

Not able to restrain himself, he pointed to the guys wedding ring, "Why is a straight guy cruising in a gay bar?  Shouldn't you just go home to your family?"  Derrick realized how bitter he sounded, but he hated cheaters!

"Bi, not straight.  And I am not cruising. I am looking for a... boy friend.  My wife sent me."

"That has to be the most original pick up line ever!  And the most unbelievable one ever!  Your wife sent you?  How stupid do you think I am?"  Derrick's voice was thick with disgust.  Just as he opened his mouth to work this guy over, he saw what an effort married guy was making not to cry.  Watching his trembling hand pick up his beer, lifting it up, taking small sips.  Could this unbelievable pick up line be true?  Married guy kept his eyes on the table top, burger forgotten, still sipping his beer.

"Um, I am sorry for bothering you."  Married guy began sliding out of the booth.

Taking a big chance, Derrick caught his arm, gave a small smile saying, "Hey, I'm Derrick, and you are?"

Married guy looked at Derrick's hand on his arm, up at his face, then slowly smiling in return, "Ben, I'm Ben.  I wasn't lying to you, it was the truth."

"Yeah, I realized it to late.  Wanna talk about it?"  By now the bar was full to over flowing, and the noise level had increased to the needing to almost yell to make your self heard. "I know a diner close that is noisy enough for privacy, but quiet enough to talk at a normal level."

"Sounds good.  My ears are starting to bleed."  Finally catching the server, Derrick paid for them both, and then a blessed massive drop in decibel level as they stepped outside.

"Where are you parked?"  Derrick chuckled at Ben's question, and pointed to his car.  "Wow!  Did you get lucky or what?"

Derrick, looked into Ben's eyes saying, "Yes, I think I might have gotten very lucky."  Doing a mental face palm, what had made him say that?  How had he allowed that out of his mouth?  Ben was going to think he was....... forward?  Pushy?  Slick?  Something unpleasant for sure.

Ben dropped his eyes a bit hearing Derrick say he had gotten lucky.  Was he really ready for this?  Only time would tell.

"Do you want to ride with me, or follow in your car?"

"Ahh, ride with you?"

"You don't sound to sure there Ben.  No worries if you want to follow in your car."

"No. No, I'll ride with you.  I'm sorry about sounding uncertain, it is because, ahh, I am."

On the short drive to the diner, the conversation was halting and stilted.  Neither wanted to start talking, until they were sure of being uninterrupted.  Pulling into the parking lot of the diner, there was not a single open parking spot.  What is with tonight?  Why is everywhere packed?

"Well Ben, now what?"

Ben, so quiet for so long, Derrick thought he was not going to answer him, just when he had his mouth open to ask again, he heard Ben clear his throat, and in very low voice, "How about your place?"

Frozen between joy and fear, elation and despair, finding his voice at last responded, "Sure?"

Pulling out of the parking lot, and into the flow of traffic, the ride home was even quieter than the ride to the diner.  Parking next to his truck, locking up his car, then remembering the floor full of welding beanies and bandanas, he had used the last clean ones today. Might as well grab those up too, it was laundry night.

"Hang on a minute.  I need to get something from my truck." Pulling a grocery sack from under the passenger seat, he started stuffing beanies and bandanas into it.  Slamming the door shut, he flashed a brief smile at Ben, "I always forget to grab these, and have to end up wearing dirty ones.  Event though my job is dirty, I can't stand starting the day that way."  Derrick started walking to his apartment, and Ben followed along slightly lost and confused as to what in the hell he was doing here, and not at home with Abby.

"What is it you do?  I mean, what is your job?"  Why did everything he say sound so incredibly stupid?  How was this ever going to work?

"I'm a welder.  I work at the coal mine.  What about you?"  Unlocking the door, he stopped quickly to pick up the mat inside of the door, almost knocking Ben over.  As Ben stumbled, Derrick reached out and grabbed him, preventing him from falling.  Damn!  This boy was strong!

"I am a project manager for Kit Pro.  Boring as hell, but it brings the bacon home....."

Derrick picked up the laundry basket, and nodded with his head, "Make yourself at home, I need to get my work clothes washing.  Be right back."

Ben wandered into the living room, looking around him.  Generic room, nothing personal in here at all, except for a computer and an XboX with a stack of games on the floor.  Sitting on the sofa, waiting for Derricks return.

As Derrick rounded the corner, he saw Ben sitting on his sofa, looking lost and confused.  Even his body language screamed sad, head bowed, shoulders sagged, hands hanging between his legs.  What had brought him to this point?  Searching for a way to break the ice, he cleared his throat asking, "Thirsty?  I could really use some water, how about you?"

"Sure, thanks."

Carrying the water, trying to decide if he should sit next to Ben on the sofa or on the chair, voting for the sofa.  Handing Ben his water as he sat down.  "Ya wanna tell me about your pick up line now?"

In fits and starts, jumping around in the story, jumbling things up, trying to get Derrick to understand why he was there at the bar.  The look on Derricks face was hard to read, worry made him talk faster, until he ran out of things to say, and fell quiet.

"Damn!  What an incredible story!  That explains a lot.  Hey, I am sorry that I yelled at you earlier.  Um, I have history with an ex-boyfriend who didn't understand the idea of only one partner, and when I saw your wedding ring, I thought you were a cheater also."

Hearing the washer shudder to a halt, Derrick went to re-wash his clothes.  Upon coming into the living room, he noticed a big difference in Ben's body language, for the good.  Several hours later, Derrick remembered his laundry.  The conversation had been flowing effortlessly.  When Derrick jumped up to change his laundry over, Ben was surprised at how late it had gotten.  Where had the time gone?

As Derrick came back to sit on the sofa Ben asked, "Would it be alright to call Abby?  I don't want her worrying about me."

"Why are you asking me?  She's your wife.  If you wanna call, go for it."

"I don't want you to feel.... left out, or anything."

"No worries!  Give her a call."

"Sure."

"Hey honey.  No, just fine.  Yeah, yeah, umm not... no.... I know.... not sure yet.... unhuh.... 'k then talk to you later.  Love ya."  Ben closed his phone and sat looking down at the floor.  "Sometimes she is kinda pushy.  I do love her to death, but once she gets an idea in her head, there is no slowing her down."

"What was she pushing you about?"

"Umm, well, ahh...... she wanted to know...... if we.....had sex yet."  Ben sat his eyes glued firmly to some important only to him spot on the wall.

"So, did she not want you to have sex tonight?  Or did she want you to jump into bed with the first guy who bought you a drink?"

"She wanted me to have sex tonight.  And was surprised that I had been picked up and hadn't been to bed with him yet."  Ben's eyes had yet to leave his wall spot.

"Hey, look here."  Derrick lightly gripped Ben's chin turning him to face him. "It's alright.  Did you see me hurrying you along into the bedroom?  I don't go to bed with anyone on the first date.  Never have, and never will."  After briefly glancing at Derrick, Ben dropped his gaze away again.

"Yeah, me either. It is weird to be that intimate, without being, well intimate."

Derrick was still lightly holding Ben's chin, waiting for him to look up and meet his eyes.  Hesitantly Ben raised his eyes to Derrick's, seeing a soft sweet smile that reached all the way to his eyes.  And it was if the sun had broken from a heavy cloud bank, the full watt smile that illuminated Ben.  His eyes twinkled like sun reflecting off lake water.  And his smile was crooked too, damned cute!

Derrick's breath was taken from him by the radiance glowing from Ben.  Before he could take a replacement breath, Ben buzzed in and took possession of Derrick's lips.  Lips soft warm and pliant pushed against Derrick's lips, soft full kisses, slow, slow, slow kisses.  Lips lingering on long long long kisses.  Ben began to lick Derrick's lower lip, lingering licks, tasting, questing licks.  Moving away from Derrick's lips, Ben began kissing his way along Derrick's jaw, interspersing kisses with tiny, flicking licks, finally reaching the edge of his jawbone, sucking lightly at the tender area by Derrick's ear, he began kissing and licking his way back to Derrick's mouth.

Derrick pulled Ben onto his lap and the tongues came to play, rubbing against each other, being sucked into a mouth, only to retreat home, to be sucked out again.  Ben wrapped his arms around Derrick's neck and shoulders, holding him tightly, so tightly, afraid if he let go, somehow Derrick would vanish into a well worn out dreamworld.  Shifting slightly, pulling his knees in snugly against Derrick's thighs, leaning into him, kisses becoming more insistence, more demanding, each pushing and pulling each other further along the desire road.  Moans were leaking out between mashed lips, breathing was raspy and becoming faster and faster.  Breaking apart, hair in disarray, eyes heavy lidded and glazed, breath and limbs heavy with desire.

"Um Derrick?"  Ben was sitting back a bit, voice low and thick.

".......yeah."

Derrick's head was back against the sofa, eyes barely open, his pulse beating in that soft kissable place at the base of his neck.  Mmm, Ben wanted to kiss that fluttering pulse, to feel that beat on his tongue, mmmm.  Leaning forward he ran his tongue over that tender, soft and so kissable, umm, so very kissable.  Pulling his lips away from the drug that seeped from Derrick's skin, leaning against him, head against his shoulder, inhaling the scent that churned and dizzied his senses.  Warm, strong arms, holding him, same and yet, so different from when Abby held him.  Her hold was lighter, softer, more...... feminine..... this was..... mmmm..... what he had been craving for so long, so very long.  Throwing caution to the future, Ben pulled up and began to pull his shirt off.

Derrick groaned  pulling Ben back down as soon as his shirt cleared his head.  Clamping his mouth over his nipple, tonguing, bitting and sucking, sucking, sucking.  His hand was busy tweaking and rubbing his other nipple.  Like a fish on the line, Ben was jerking and twisting, moans and gasps of pleasure stuttering from him.

Letting loose of Ben's erect nipples, Derrick slung his hand under Ben's hips, and lifted him higher and tighter to him, gathering his legs underneath him, standing up.  Letting Ben slide down him, until he was standing plastered up against Derrick.  Running his hand down Ben's arm until he found his hand, finding it, grabbing it, holding it, began tugging him along behind him as he walked to his bedroom.  Pulling Ben into his room, not bothering to turn the light on,  leading him to the bed, only stopping when the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress.  Ripping his shirt off, he reached over and ran his fingers over the length of Ben's erection, causing a shudder to cascade thru him.  Gathering the slighter man against him, running his hands over his back and down to cup his ass.  Grinding their cocks together mummified in layers of heavy denim, those must go!  Simultaneously reaching for each others jeans, scrabbling in their hurry.  Unbuttoned, unzipped, pushing down, kicking off, standing there in boxers, frozen a moment in time, before attacking waist bands, down and then off!  Cupping hands around asses, caressing, lifting, lightly pulling apart, cooler air slightly shocking the heated crevices, causing puckers to tighten up.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Derrick nuzzled his nose into Ben's pubic hair, breathing in his scent, rubbing his face back and forth over Ben's cock, pre-cum leaving trails across his face.  Sucking a ball into his mouth, gently sucking, and tonguing the orb, Ben jerking into him.  Releasing it into the much cooler room, he slurped up the ignored ball, giving it the same treatment.  Ben was leaking down his shaft, letting go, and moving up to begin licking up and up and up.  Reaching the head, slowly swirling his tongue around it, wrapping his hand around the base, pulling it down to lick and tongue his piss slit.  Ben was moaning nonstop, rubbing and petting Derrick's head, running his hands down to his shoulders, and then back up to rest on his head again.

Lightly sucking on the head of Ben's cock, he began to slowly suck him deeper and deeper into his mouth, his other hand caressing his balls.  Bobbing back and forth, his tongue running loose along the shaft, sucking harder and harder, slowing down, speeding up, until Ben grabbed Derrick's head and began to face fuck him.  Careful not to go to deep, faster and faster, short quick strokes, until arching into his mouth began to shoot.  Grunting and jerking, the strokes loosing their rhythm, winding down, coming to a quivering halt.  Pulling out of Derrick, he turned and collapsed onto the bed, panting for breath, covered in a light sheen of sweat.


"Come here you."  Ben pulled Derrick over to him, "Straddle me."  Derrick knelt over Ben's face, went down on all fours, and Ben swallowed Derrick down to the root.  Derrick had been leaking and was covered in wonderful tasting pre cum.  Working his throat around the head of Derrick's cock, pulling off only enough to catch a deep breath, and then slurping him down again and again, squeezing his throat around his cock head, it didn't take Derrick long to blow ropes of cum down Ben's throat.  Pulling off until Derrick was shooting into his mouth, holding the cum, only swallowing it down, when it threatened to overflow.  Licking, carefully cleaning every last trace of cum off.  Derrick moved away from Ben and flopped onto the bed.

Huffing and puffing, sticky with sweat, rolling into Ben, rubbing his face over the light fur covering his chest.

"Wanna shower?"

"Yeah."

Hot water cascading over them, clasped tightly together, swaying lightly back and forth, finally pulling away only to wash each other clean.  Toweling each other dry, dropping light kisses here and there.  Passion spent for the moment, needing only to reassure themselves that this was not just another shopworn dream.  Walking back to the bedroom together, Derrick pulled back the covers, yanking Ben along into the bed with him.  Drawing Ben to him, while pulling the coverers up over their shoulders, cuddling together, safe in each others arms.  Drifting off to sleep, both happy for the first time in a very long time.