Love Flavored Coffee

Rajeev stared at the sky as he enjoyed the weightless feeling of floating in the pool. He sighed and his body sank a little until he inhaled again. What was he doing here, in the pool belonging to Mike's apartment complex? He had managed to mostly avoid Mike until the other day when the half-hispanic/half-caucasian dancer stopped him at the coffee shop. Rajeev had been polite at first, though he had wanted to throw his white chocolate frappe into Mike's face. As their conversation went on, however, old feelings had started to come up again and in a terrible fit of nostalgia and loneliness, Rajeev had agreed to "hang-out".

"Hey I have something special for you when we get back up to my apartment." Mike's voice cut through Rajeev's serene cognition. He moved so that he was facing Mike upright in the water and then turned and swam over to the edge of the pool.

"What is it?" The younger man asked, not bothering to hide the suspicious tone in his voice.

"It's a surprise." Mike said, disregarding the other's reaction like always.

Rajeev just rolled his eyes and turned to rest his arms and head on the edge of the pool, "Where are the other pool patrons?"

He heard the older young man wade closer to him, "The kids are at school, the moms are busy, and the old people are napping."

Rajeev replied with a 'hmm' sort of noise and closed his eyes. The high walls around the pool blocked a lot of sunlight, but he still soaked up the warmth on his skin.

"I need to go inside soon. The sunblock's worn off by now" Mike said behind him, as though reading his thoughts. When Mike came even closer Rajeev stiffened, and when Mike put a hand on his back he jolted and jerked away.

Mike's eyes were wide, "Sorry, it's just that your skin is such a pretty shade right now."

Rajeev started to get out of the water, "Yeah I know. I'm like the 'golden brown of a banana-nut muffin'."

"Haha, yeah, that's a good description."

"My ex said it all the time when we were dating."

Mike stopped. Ah yes, the mysterious boy who had melted, then broken Rajeev's cold, cold heart. Mike hadn't known about him until their conversation in the coffee shop. At first he had felt the all too familar stabs of jealousy that someone had managed to snag the one he couldn't. Then came strange protective feelings, followed by urges to hold the young man with one arm and punch the heart breaker with the other. Mike was that way with all of his friends, students, and protoges, so why did it feel different with Raj? Mike knew damn well why, but he'd never let himself feel that way at this point in his life.

- - -

"So where's my surprise?" Rajeev asked from under a scarf of pool towel draped over his head.

Mike went over to the fridge and pulled out two plastic cups full of frosted drink, "Ta-da!"

"Mmmm, how did you know that I was craving one?"

"Because that's what evil caffiene does to you. Which is why mine is de-caf."

Rajeev took a sip of his, "I know I shouldn't have it, but it's a nice familiar thing."

Mike also took a sip of his, "Well, your metabolism needs all the calories it can get, bone boy. Even a few bad ones."

The younger man wasn't really "bone boy" anymore, Mike noticed now that he was shirtless. Lean muscles carressed the small skeleton, which told Mike that Rajeev was still dancing. He really wanted to watch those muscles work in a dance... ooh, sweat forming a nice sheen over the golden tone of skin...

"You still bother me when you stare." Rajeev's voice brought Mike back to reality. Damn that seductive hold that Raj still held over him! When he saw the fire start in those brown pools staring back at him it did nothing to help him.

"Sorry. Thinking of dances you could do."

"Mhm." Rajeev replied doubtfully and then dripped some frappe onto his tongue from his straw. Damn!

The younger man continued, "So, going back to skin colors, I'd say that you're pretty close to this drink. But more french vanilla. With a little more sun you could be a nice caramel latte, or cafe-au-lait color."

Mike stared, "You didn't really just compare my skin to coffee, did you?"

Rajeev sucked some more of his drink from the bottom of his straw, "Oh you know I did. At least you're not a green tea frappe or something."

"Fuck you." Mike said and flicked some of his drink from his straw at Rajeev.

"It was a compliment." the other replied before flicking his own straw at Mike. "Now I'm all sticky." Rajeev complained. He looked up into brown eyes nearly as dark as his own, and knew exactly what Mike was thinking. Rajeev hated the wave of heat that followed such a thought and sipped his drink to cool off. His ears pricked when he heard the kitchen stool slide across the floor, and suddenly Mike was too close, so the younger man set down his nearly empty cup and moved away into the living room.

Mike felt cold when Rajeev escaped from him, but he chose not to speak and merely watched his muse glance around the living room for a distraction. He knew it would be a difficult accomplishment. So many things they had done on the couch, the coffee table, the carpet, and even the walls. Rajeev closed his eyes for a moment as though he could see the memories and was shutting them out. When he opened them he looked down at the coffee table, which was covered in bits of paper. He picked one up and began to read it out loud, and Mike felt his heart flutter in panic when he realized what it was.

"That night 'Abdi Jan's troupe had been called so that the harem occupants could watch the show. Of course, you remember 'Abdi well. Let me, nonetheless, give you a description of his looks. He was a lad of about twelve or thirteen, with large black eyes, languid and incredibly beautiful and attractive..."

The older dancer walked into the living room and, with Rajeev, finished the excerpt from memory, "...His face was tanned and good-looking, his lips crimson, and his hair black and thick. Renowned throughout the town, the boy had a thousand adoring lovers. Being a dancer, however, he was unworthy of being anyone's beloved*."

Rajeev let the paper fall to the floor and looked up at Mike.

"It was for a report I did for a class," the latter began to explain, "it reminded me of you, so I kept it for inspiration."

"Inspiration?" the smaller man said, his enunciation sharp. Mike felt each syllable cut into him.

"I've been making up a dance for you." the older young man suddenly felt very stupid, which rarely happened, and he didn't like it. He noted that Rajeev blushed for a moment before it was gone and he wondered if he had really seen it. He reached out to touch his face, and Rajeev's eyelashes lowered and he leaned into it for a fraction of a second before he caught himself and pulled away as though Mike's touch was acid. Mike reached out again and the other turned away.

"You're so frigid." Mike said in a defeated tone that threw Rajeev off.

"You're so offensive." Rajeev said while continuing to look away. He didn't want Mike to see the confusion he'd caused him.

"What?"

Dark brown eyes looked up at soft brown ones, and Mike saw the fire flicker behind them.

"You will not do this to me anymore."

"Do what?"

Rajeev started toward the door, but Mike grabbed him. Rajeev pulled away, "No, Mike!"

The older dancer let go, but before Rajeev could leave he said, "At least tell me what the fuck."

The dark young man turned to face the other, "Silly me, I thought that you just wanted to see how I've been doing since we stopped fucking, but no. That's still all that you want from me. Is that all that we're going to do, Mike? Fuck and dance? You've paid me," he gestured to the coffee on the counter, "So let's just get it over with, Mike. Let's fuck."

There was silence as Rajeev stared the other one down. After a moment, when the silence didn't end, Rajeev began to feel uncomfortable.

"It's not just me, you asshole." Mike started. When the other said nothing he continued, "You act like you're such a victim. I have tried to treat you nicely, but you ignore it. I want to take you to dinner, you're sick. I want to take care of you, you tell me to stay home."

Rajeev wished he had an argument against what Mike was saying, but he saw no use in lying. Mike still carried on.

"I try to get you to talk to me and you fall silent. I try to comfort you and you shrink away. All you ever let me do was fuck you. That's was the only way to get close to you, the only way you ever opened up to me. I took what I could get until you shut your legs, too." The end of Mike's speech quivered in his throat.

"You always make me feel like such an idiot, like I'm so inferior to you, Mike," Rajeev said, feeling a lump rise in his own throat, "After a while I stopped trying because nothing was ever good enough. I'm just a half and half nutcase trying to do the best with the shit thrown at me. Not all of us were born with everything given to us."

"I know I'm an arrogant prick, Raj, but I'm trying. Do you know how much you've humbled me? You're like a fucking god to me, Raj. What's funny is that I never felt good enough for you. I've had years of training to get where I am in dancing, and you started at 16 and everyone loves you, but then you walk away. Do you realize how frustrating that was? Then you're so fucking beautiful and compassionate and smart and talented, and you keep it all inside. Why?"

They were only a foot apart by now, and Rajeev's nerves and brain were shot to hell by information overload. He refused to acknowledge what his heart was doing.

"Because it's all I have. It's like a special gift that I can keep and only give to the people I want to."

"Well that's selfish."

Rajeev looked up at Mike. Dammit, he was right.

"I wanted to give it all to you, once. I was too afraid that I was just your favorite dancer of the month."

Mike stepped even closer, "Did you give anything to him?"

"Yes," Rajeev whispered, "But he didn't want it. He just thought I was pretty. Silly silly Rajeev."

"I hate when you talk bad on yourself. I wish you still wanted to give me something."

"I do. Just promise not to break it."

This time when Mike reached out for Rajeev, the smaller young man stepped into it and wrapped his arms around the taller one.

"You're shaking." Mike stated between light kisses.

"I'm scared shitless. You are too, I can tell."

Mike picked Rajeev up and started heading for the room, "Then we'd both better lay down."

When the two were on the bed exchanging light touches and kisses, Rajeev stopped and pushed Mike away, "Promise me that this isn't just about sex?"

Mike kissed Rajeev's collarbone and then looked at him, "I promise. We don't have to do anything right now." he started kissing one of the younger man's palms.

The darker dancer giggled at the feeling, "I just want to keep doing things like this."

Later that day Rajeev decided against a shower with his new, possibly boyfriend in favor of going home to a change of clothing. He knew a lot of things were going to be changing, though. Dating Mike was definitely going to be something different. He was both terrified and excited about it. The sweeter side of Mike was showing through stronger than it ever had, and Rajeev really hoped that Mike was being sincere.

- - -

"Hey Mike, you're beautiful too, you know."

Mike zipped up his duffle bag, "Yeah right."

"You are. When you dance it just like... I feel it in my chest." Rajeev poorly articulated.

"Aww, you're sweet." Mike said and pecked Rajeev's mouth, ignoring the 'awws' from the girls leaving his classroom, "Damn, they can't know that I'm soft. I'm supposed to be the scary ballet teacher."

"I'm sure they're still afraid of you." Rajeev said as he began warming up, "And now they'll be afraid of disappointing your boyfriend."

"Dork."

Once he was warmed up Rajeev simply began tracing patterns with his feet. He then began to make patterns with his knees, and then his hips, and upward until his entire body was moving. Mike was mostly focused on his abdomen. He watched the muscles contract to pull Rajeev's hips up, and stretch as he bent backwards.

"Aaja nachle." he beckoned Mike.

"I haven't put any music on."

"You don't need music to dance with me."

Mike came over to the smaller dancer, "I feel awkward."

Rajeev lifted a leg and wrapped it around Mike's waist, "My turn to teach, then. Stop thinking, start moving."

Mike lifted his arms up and moved his hips side to side. Rajeev put his leg down, "It's a start." he said before leaping away. He ran back to his now boyfriend/pupil and lightly pushed his shoulder. Mike understood and started to move his shoulder back until his back started to curve. Rajeev came up behind him and lightly pushed his back, so he started moving his upper torso forward. Rajeev continued guiding his body like a scarf under water until Mike started to get ideas and move on his own.

"Remember... time, space, and energy." Rajeev said, cutting through the air with an elbow before dropping his arms to the floor and then jumping up.

Mike began to run, leap, and turn. Sometimes his boyfriend chased him, sometimes he would be the chaser. It was a fun game, and Mike had come to know that it was sometimes Rajeev's form of foreplay.

"Catch me!"

His arms were suddenly full of dark skinned dancer, and Mike knew what was being asked of him. Already lips were on his neck.

"We can't in my studio." he said and gestured to the large windows facing the busy street.

Rajeev moved down to the floor and wrapped his arms around Mike's fit shoulders, "But I don't want to wait until we're home."

"You live a block away."

The smaller dancer kissed Mike's chest, "Can't wait that long." he started to tongue one of Mike's nipples, which sent the blood from Mike's brain to his groin. He grabbed Rajeev's face and pulled him in for some passionate kissing.

"Aw fuck, we'll use the costume closet." he said during a break.

"Mmm, kinky."

Soon the two were grinding against each other in the closet. Rajeev's head kept hitting against a costume that sent glitter onto his hair, and face, and everywhere.

"I fucking hate glitter," he panted out while Mike pulled off his dance capris.

"Yeah, but it sure loves you." Mike laughed, but moved his boyfriend to the floor on top of a pillow made from their clothing and a bed made from a large velvet cape.

"I don't even want to know where you were hiding that." Rajeev commented as Mike rolled on a condom. The other just smiled mischieviously and came to lay on top of him.

Rajeev started to move underneath Mike, so he lifted up to watch what he was doing. Rajeev turned onto his stomach, which confused his boyfriend. The smaller young man had strict rules (not to mention phobias) about turning his back on someone he was having sex with. As an experiment, Mike touched Rajeev's back, and when he moaned and arched up Mike took it as a go signal.

Oh. God. Mike had found a new favorite position. From the fantastic sounds Rajeev was making underneath him, it seemed that he had also found a new favorite. When they started to get close, though, Mike felt like he was missing something.

"Turn around," he whispered. Rajeev obeyed after protesting when Mike removed his cock, and then hissed in pleasure when Mike put it back. As good as doggy style felt, he loved being able to watch Mike's cock moving in and out of him, and watching Mike's face as he approached orgasm.

His boyfriend had the same thoughts, and when Rajeev's head bent back as his lower half convulsed in orgasm, he couldn't hold himself back anymore. With a few hard thrusts he came and then slumped on top of the smaller body.

"Mmm..that was gooood..." Rajeev purred.

"Yeah it was. I especially enjoyed the new position."

"Don't abuse it. That means I trust you."

"Well then I'm honored." Mike snickered and pulled out, "Oops."

Rajeev sat up, "What?"

"Um...where are we going to put the condom?"

-END-

~*~*~
Ok, I hope you liked the last story of Mike and Rajeev. I almost posted it without sex, haha. I think I gave it a pretty good ending though. Onto the next chapter of Glass 2.

*(Taj Al-Sultana 1993: 163)