The First Move
by elfin


He's no idea why he's at the docks at six in the morning, but he is.  And what he sees is Dwight the caretaker stepping off Duke's boat.  Duke's up on deck looking relaxed, happy; freshly showered, wearing a different shirt to the one he was wearing yesterday.  (Yes, Nathan does pay that much attention.)  Dwight, conversely, is in the same clothes he was wearing when Nathan saw him at the crime scene the previous afternoon; he's ragged, morning-after scruffy, victorious.

Nathan wants to kill him with his bare hands.

He stands his ground and Dwight grins at him as he side-steps him to saunter on passed.  He says, "Nathan," in greeting but Nathan's eyes are fixed on Duke and he ignores the other man for the time being.  If he didn't, he might follow through with his fists. 

"Nate..."

He boards the boat.  "Nice night?"  He almost manages to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"He was here, when I got back, attacked me... but we came to an agreement." 

One rising eyebrow.  "An agreement?  He can fuck you as long as he doesn't kill you?"

Duke sighs, head tipping to one side, looking caught, guilty, just for a moment or two.  "We had a couple of drinks and it just happened."  He straightens.  "And why the hell am I explaining myself to you anyways?  Why do you give a fuck who I fuck?  Shouldn't you... be more concerned about the 'he attacked me' part?"

It feels like the last straw when he hasn't even been aware there are any straws.  Why the hell does he care that Dwight and Duke spent the night together?  When did Duke's sex life become a problem for him? 

"How long have we known each other?"

The surprise turn in conversation puts a frown on Duke's face, backs him down from his defensive position.  "What?"

"All our lives?  You fuck the caretaker but it never once crosses your mind to ask me...?"

Duke's eyes widen.  "To ask you if I can fuck the caretaker?"  He sounds genuinely confused.

"No, dumbass."  The anger's gone now, if it was ever really there.  He takes three steps forward so he can smell the spicy scent of Duke's aftershave and the fruit in his shampoo.  "To ask me if I want to fuck you."

Duke's mouth opens and closes.  It's almost funny.  "I didn't realise... I mean, you never said... I didn't know you wanted to."

Nathan doesn't have an answer to that.  He really hasn't known either, not until the surge of jealousy when he watched Dwight coming off his boat and Duke all freshly showered and thoroughly fucked.  Just gorgeous.  Over the years there have been times, long nights when maybe he thought about it, jerked off to vague fantasies of a wooden deck under his bare back, the scratch of a rough beard on his skin, hard muscles and a tight body under his hands.  More recently though Duke has started to represent something more permanent in his life, something solid and if not reliable then certainly dependable.

"First move's up to you," Duke presses, cautious but definitely interested.  "I'm not about to kiss you and risk a smack in the mouth-"

Nathan decides not to disappoint either of them.  He puts one shoe between Duke's bare feet and tilts his head, bringing them mouth to mouth, pausing to give Duke a chance to laugh before sliding his tongue between lips and finally - finally! - tasting him.

Everything after that is inevitable.  They kiss until Nathan's chin's sore from the rub of Duke's beard.  By then he's got Duke's denim shirt off, got his tight white T pushed up over prominent ribs.  Duke's already got Nathan's shirt off his shoulders, his hands are everywhere like he's determined to find a place on Nath's skin where he can feel him.  When they start reaching for buttons and zips, Duke moves it to the cabin, somehow navigating the steps down into the galley without killing themselves.  Then it's skin against skin, low moans and loud groans spreading through the boat. 

*

Hot and sticky, Nathan eventually tries to peel himself away from Duke, only to have the arm around his shoulder tighten to hold him in place.

"Oh, no.  Don't think you're leaving like some illicit one night - or rather morning - stand."

"Sticky!" Nathan complains, and Duke kisses his head. 

"Sticky's good.  Sticky's sexy.  Sticky's hot."

"Yeah, that too."  But he stops struggling, enjoys being held, even if he can't feel the calluses of Duke's hand he can still feel the pressure.  It's been too long since he shared himself with someone, even if this turns out to be a one-off event it's worth it just for the sex.  Even if it is with Duke.  Audrey is going to laugh her ass off.

*

When he gets out of the shower, he's half-afraid things will be awkward.  They've known one another all their lives.  But Duke's waiting for him, denim shirt hanging from his wide shoulders, offering Nathan a mug of coffee.  Dropping his towel shamelessly, Nathan smiles, takes the mug and wonders back into the cabin to pull on his jeans before heading up on deck to rescue his shirt while Duke takes his second shower of the day.

It's only as he bends down to retrieve his clothing and sees Duke's white T in a heap next to it that he realises Duke's already been up here to grab the denim shirt he was wearing.  And if he was being really paranoid, he might think Duke left the other things on deck on purpose just on the off chance that someone might drop by -

"Morning, Nathan," - his partner for example.  "Lose your shirt?"

The tone of Audrey's voice is one of puzzlement and it won't be long before she's putting two and zero together to come up with -

"Did you and Duke fight?"

Nathan resists the urge to roll his eyes, puts his coffee down and shrugs into his shirt, buttoning it up as he shakes his head, "no".  He keeps a hold of Duke's T though, and it worries him slightly that there's a part of him that wants to wear it, but he can see it now - Duke bounding up on deck, eyes sparkling with mischief and the words - "looks good on you, Gorgeous," - springing forth from his mouth with triumph.  He's got enough ammunition to destroy Nathan now, it's suicide giving him any more. 

As it is, Nathan hasn't said more than that one word to his partner and she's looking at him over her venti latte with deep suspicion.  Like he's murdered Duke and thrown his body over the side or something, like the T gripped in his hand is evidence he was trying to remove from the scene of the crime.

It says something about the vibe he and Duke give off that her first guess at something happening between them is violence.  Although sex probably wouldn't be his first guess either. 

"Nathan... is everything alright?" 

"Why shouldn't it be?"  Duke's approaching them, coffee in hand, towel-dried hair sticking out every which way, shirt on shamelessly unfastened but them he has nothing to be ashamed of.

"Morning, Audrey," he greets her like any other morning while he reaches for his T from Nathan's hand.  "What brings you over here so early in the day?"

She isn't going to answer because she's looking from Nathan to Duke and back again with a grin wide enough to split open the planet and eyes wide enough to see God.  Finally she says, "No....  What?  No way!  The two of you have....  You're kidding, right?"

While Nathan's trying to work out a suitable response he feels a jolt to his shoulder and glances at Duke who's standing close enough that they're elbow to elbow.  He smells so good - that mix of spice and fruit that will always remind Nathan of sex from today onwards.  He isn't aware of the breath he takes, but Audrey's staring at him now and her coffee's almost forgotten.  "Did you just sniff him?!"

"What?  No!"

But she's seen through him.  His other senses are enhanced while he can't feel anything and the smell of Duke is making him hard again.  He has the ridiculous urge to tip his head back and bite the guy's neck.

Audrey's laughing softly, shaking her head.  "Oh my God, you two....  From zero to sixty in no time at all, huh?"

"Or you could say, zero to sixty in around thirty years."  Duke puts in, shrugs, takes a mouthful of coffee and saunters off again, leaving Nathan and Audrey presumably to talk although he doesn't feel much like talking.  He's embarrassed even though he has nothing to be embarrassed about.

"So, is it serious?" she asks him quietly.

He hasn't even thought about it.  Right now what he actually wants is more sex.  Maybe Haven will stay quiet today, give him the day off.  Then it strikes him that the one thing more unusual about him being on Duke's boat at eight in the morning is Audrey being on Duke's boat at eight in the morning.

"Don't tell me, we've caught a case."

"Oh!  Yeah.  Over at Merchant Quay.  An arm washed in with the tide."

"An arm?"

"Tattooed.  We should go."  He nods, grabs his coffee and drinks it down.  "But don't think this conversation's over, Wournos."  He's well aware that it isn't.

"Duke, gotta go." 

Duke raises his hand, waves him goodbye with his fingers, but it's the expression on his face presumably that makes Audrey kick Nathan in the shin.  There are definitely going to be three people in this relationship.  Rolling his eyes, he crosses to where Duke's taking his washing down from the line strung up under the bridge.

"See you later?"

Duke shrugs.  "You know where I live."

"Duke...."  One neurotic partner, one neurotic lover.  Leaning in, he kisses Duke hard on the mouth.  "See you later."

"Absolutely."

"See Dwight again and it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Duke laughs.  "You've been saying that since we were five.  One day, you'll have to make good on that promise."



fin
elfin