Side piece

He was dragged back to camp over the shoulder of Reg Seekings, mumbling and moaning incoherently as the pain overwhelmed his system. The extent of his injuries wasn't known until he got back to camp, the doctors stripping him bare and peeling pieces of khaki uniform from patches of seared flesh. Undoubtedly, he would be left scarred, his mobility severely affected. 

The first few days, the men mulled around him like hens with an egg. Everyone was certain he'd succumb to his injuries; they had seen many a man fall to severe burns, their bodies giving in to pain and fever, giving in to death's siren call and embracing the darkness willingly, but Paddy was not so quick to surrender. Be it to death or man.

Truthfully, he thought it was all a bit dramatic. He had danced with death all too frequently, most recently, of course, his wee bout of malaria, which had landed him in hospital and caused him to soak the sheets through every night. This was not that. This was admittedly more painful and a touch more inconvenient, but the pain paled in comparison to how weak he felt. How useless. The first days were the hardest; his body fought a fever, danced hand in hand with nausea, and his nerves danced under his flesh. But after a while, the pain became a constant companion, something he would have to live with. Even with medication, he felt the sharp sting of nerves dying, the tight discomfort of skin trying to repair itself. 

The men eventually let him be, stopped hovering and lingering by his tent flaps like flies on shite. If his condition improving didn’t give them cause to leave, his deteriorating humour certainly would have. Paddy was an acquired taste at the best of times….but now, in pain and miserable, he was simply insufferable. He knew they meant well, but he truly couldn’t stand the constant hovering, the incessant check-ins, as if his body would heal faster with them mulling by his door. 

Of course, the one man who never let him be alone was the one man he couldn’t stand to see him in this condition….burned, maimed, less than himself. He hardly knew himself these days, but he certainly didn’t need Eoin McGonigal feasting his eyes on the ugliness that graced his skin. 

Even so, he couldn’t keep him away, as hard as he tried. “The dead arose and appeared to many…” Eoin mused as he pushed through the flaps of the tent and approached Paddy's cot with an easy stride. When Paddy got injured, Eoin had taken to sleeping on the floor of Cooper’s tent. He figured Paddy could do with the peace, and truthfully, his incessant moaning & groaning kept him from restful sleep. 

Paddy had almost forgotten how bright those eyes were, how wide his smile stretched across his cheeks. Eoin was the one man who could lighten his dour countenance, the one person who could ease the pain of the sprawling burns with just one look. He brought light to any room, a sense of calm and joy to all those around him. 

Now that Paddy had escaped the clutches of fever and his body had settled into a rhythm of healing, Eoin kept him company as often as he could. In between drills and manoeuvres, he would sit beside Paddy and read him poetry, trying his damndest to lift his spirits. Despite the soothing timbre of Eoin’s voice reciting all his favourite prose, Paddy’s mood seemed to grow worse by the day. 

Eoin could see Paddy's disposition deteriorating the longer he was cooped up. The longer he had to depend on another to feed himself, to put on his pants in the morning…he could hardly take a piss without help. It wore him down and ate away at his usually high self-confidence, his witty repertoire of insults and flowery poetry all faded to angry quips and snide remarks. But he was there, Eoin, for all of it. Despite Paddy being incredibly stubborn, lashing out at anyone who had the misfortune to blow through the flaps of his humid tent.

It wasn’t until he tried to help him dress one morning, and Paddy lost it, swearing at him like he was just another man in the regiment, that Eoin finally gave up. 

“Fuck it, Blair, I’m done. What else am I to do?” Eoin exclaimed, throwing his hands up to the air and chuckling bitterly with exasperation, before throwing Paddy a glare filled with hurt and disappointment as he turned and exited their shared space. He left Paddy alone once more, to stew in the mess he made, to sit in the stifling heat of that tent and think.

Paddy knew he wouldn’t stay away for long, but he did feel guilty for shouting at him, for finally pushing him so hard that he snapped. 

Eoin was always the one man who’d put up with his shit, the mood swings and insults, the madness…but he’d never raised his voice at him. No, Eoin deserved every inch of kindness Paddy could muster, and usually, it wasn’t hard to reserve his soft side for that lanky Dublin boy. But pain and frustration had overcome his usual sensibilities. It had caused him to act like the beast most men assumed him to be, to lash out when Eoin was doing his best to help him.

As soft and kind as he was, there was a limit to Eoin’s patience, even with Paddy. It wasn’t the first time his anger had flared, he had once pointed a gun at Paddy’s temple as a last resort to quench the roaring flames of anger licking behind his eyes. Paddy knew his threats weren’t to be taken lightly, and anything he said, he took in earnest. But this time, it wasn’t anger, it was pure frustration, disappointment, even hurt, as Paddy berated him. He could scold any man without a care, but never Eoin…and he hoped against hope that Eoin would find his way back to the tent, that he would forgive him in his miserable state. 

As the day pushed on and the tent remained unusually empty, Paddy felt the familiar pangs of hunger set in. Eoin had yet to grace the flaps of their shared tent with his bright smile, with his larger-than-life presence, his gentle eyes. The searing heat of the desert sun had long faded, and despite his stubborn nature, Paddy quickly realised he would have to at least attempt to find dinner. 

Luckily, Reg had a pot of gazelle soup on the boil, bubbling over a roaring fire, so he was able to nab a bowl without too much trouble. The real task was drinking the soup without wearing half of it…. 

For a man like Paddy, stubborn and highly independent, finding himself incapacitated and incapable of looking after his most basic needs was the height of humiliation. Despite trying his level best to negotiate the slippery bowl, his bandaged hands didn't allow for much dexterity, and he ended up spilling it all down his chin, into his lap.

Besides the initial shock and the searing pain spreading through his groin, Paddy was generally very fucking fed up. He couldn’t even slurp some soup in peace, without boiling himself alive. 

With both hands wrapped from fingertip to elbow, his palms bandaged and looking like mittens, he was next to useless. And the only man that gave a shit, he had driven away with his foul temperament. 

His anger flared, causing him to rise from his place on his small cot and knock the dish, sending it scuttling into the tepid earth. Emasculated and thoroughly drenched in gazelle soup, Paddy could do nothing more than pace around his tent, dripping and swearing like a sailor under his breath. Had Eoin not walked in to see Paddy smothered in fragrant meat soup, and circling the perimeter of their shared living quarters like a madman, Paddy may have thrown something at the next man he saw, whether that was an errant object or his own bandaged fists. But Eoin arrived in the nick of time, just soon enough to see his friend in a bewildered state of rage, pacing back and forth in the hot sand. 

“God almighty, Paddy…what happened?” Eoin exclaimed, releasing a breath slowly through his nose as he strode towards a forlorn-looking Paddy Mayne. “Sit down, let me help…” he spoke softly, brow creased into a furrow of wrinkled skin. Paddy couldn’t even look him in the eye, he felt so weak, so helpless…he just sat there and let Eoin clean him up without a word. He never thought he’d deserve to be treated so well, to have someone dote on him in his hour of need, but despite all of the strong emotions washing over him, Paddy couldn’t help but feel ashamed of how his body reacted to Eoin’s touch. Each swipe of his fingertips, each warm breath that tickled his skin, sent Paddy’s nerves into overdrive. His core burned brightly with want, and he was truly desperate for relief. It had been so long since he had any kind of time alone, any sort of release. Even through the thin cotton fabric, soaked and slimy, Paddy felt the burgeoning heat of his touch, so comforting and welcome. 

Despite being incredibly grateful for Eoin's help, and more than a little guilty at his treatment of him in recent days, every brush of his hand sent jolts of electricity coursing through his body, and straight to his groin, where his cock simply ached for him. He was no better than an animal, yearning to rut and come undone. He'd thought about it many times, the feel of Eoin wrapped around him, or vice versa, his own body stretching to accommodate the younger man.

His mind often wandered to images of Eoin's svelte, taut body encompassing his own, his arms holding him tightly while he ploughed Paddy like a common whore..no, Eoin would be gentler, more romantic. He'd take his time with it, make it pleasurable for them both, Paddy was sure of it. All these shameful thoughts were fuel for his releases in months past, but to his dismay, Paddy hadn't been able to touch himself since the accident - and his body was truly hungry for it, for him.

Every time Eoin’s hands danced across the surface of his skin, every time his slender fingers grazed Paddy’s exposed skin, Paddy’s nerves fired on all cylinders. His body reacted so viscerally to something he knew he could not have. To a release denied him, satisfaction was delayed. To a man that would never hold him in that way, who could surely never love a man such as him…

Paddy had seen too much of himself in recent weeks to expect that from Eoin. He didn’t even need to try to know how that would end. 

Each time Eoin’s treacle brown eyes met his, he simply melted under that heavy stare - he was sure he’d drown in it eventually. He would bite the head off any man who dared to even look in his direction these days, but Eoin could always quieten his rage with a single glance.  Those eyes that permeated every cell in his body with a quiet warmth, gentle as a balm on a raw wound. 

Paddy always dreamed he’d have someone look at him like this, someone to call his own, but he could never let himself hope, never let himself get too close for fear that Eoin would reject him, for fear that he would distance himself and Paddy would be left alone.  It was almost a certainty in his mind that someone as kind-hearted and special as Eoin McGonigal would have had to be a fool to want him…

Eoin saw Paddy in pain, he saw his frustration build day by day, as his healing didn’t quite go to plan, when his marred flesh didn’t mend as quickly as he’d hoped. Paddy hated feeling useless, hated being a burden to anyone, but more than that, he hated depending on anyone. He’d seen too many people leave, too many friends die, too many walk out of his life. 

Eoin was more than happy to help; in fact, it helped him see Paddy as just an ordinary man….not some deity to idolise, but a living, breathing man who could get hurt, just like everyone else. Who felt pain, who cried…just a man, fallible and flawed. Helping him through a tough situation just endeared Paddy to him that much more. Even proud men need help occasionally. 

At first, Eoin assumed Paddy’s rapidly withering fuse had been due to embarrassment, or possibly the lingering pain from his scorched flesh. His foul humour had only worsened in recent days. As time pushed on, he noticed little signs, and then it hit him. 

Paddy surely hadn’t been able to get himself off in weeks. He was pent up and angry at the best of times, but to be frustrated and worked up, to have someone touching his body and no way to vent it all…it must have been hell. More than that, Paddy would never have dared ask him to help with that particular issue. 

He couldn’t decide whether to bring it up, would it ruin the precarious balance of their friendship, or would it serve to bring them closer? Eoin knew how he felt about Paddy, and despite being fairly sure that Paddy reciprocated those feelings, he was nervous, hesitant to approach such a sensitive topic. Paddy was an incredibly proud man, and to not even be able to relieve himself must’ve been indescribably frustrating. 

His mind was made up when he stumbled across Paddy drenched in soup, pacing the rim of their tent. 

Although Paddy rightly pissed him off earlier that day, his anger and frustration coming to a head, Eoin didn't hesitate to help him get cleaned up. He could have let him stew in that watery soup a little longer, let him feel the consequences of being a tetchy prick to everyone in his vicinity…but Eoin truly had a soft spot for Paddy, everyone knew it.

Every touch sent shockwaves through Paddy’s body. He was reactive, more jittery, his body utterly betraying him, clearly showing the extent of his sexual frustration. 

Eoin helped him undress to change into a dry uniform. Paddy allowed him to strip him out of his soggy shorts and stained shirt, but shied away as Eoin began to clean him up. He couldn’t stand the feeling of his incredibly soft hands caressing his skin. He could feel his desire become uncontrollable, with even the most innocent of movements, and he was ashamed. He had never thought that maybe Eoin reciprocated these feelings, that maybe he had a chance with this beautiful younger man, and despite his kindness and true show of friendship, Paddy felt ashamed of how his body reacted to Eoin’s touch in this innocent, almost tender moment. 

Eoin had seen Paddy naked more times than he cared to count, but never had Paddy shied away from him like this. He was usually so sure of himself, cocky to a fault. But now he seemed embarrassed, and Eoin knew that his hunch was correct. Now, he was a rubber band ready to snap, a trigger begging to be pulled, but with no way to relieve the tension. He was certainly not himself, not the quiet, but steady Paddy Mayne Eoin had grown so fond of. 

“Christ almighty, Paddy, come here please, just let me help you.”

“You are.” he grumbled, slinking away from him slightly. 

“That’s not what I mean,” Eoin emphasised, grasping Paddy lightly by the shoulder to keep him close. Paddy turned to look at him, confused by the sudden contact, and even more baffled by his very sudden offer. But as he stood bare before him, for the first time, he was painfully aware of his nakedness. They had showered together plenty of times before, and Eoin had helped him wash up since his accident, but things seemed different now, under his heavy gaze. Paddy was painfully aware of the evidence on show, the tumescent appendage hanging between his legs. He knew his cock was engorged, painfully swollen without even so much as stimulation. The tip was leaking onto his abdomen, leaving a sticky trail behind. It was humiliating, this desperate need with no way to relieve it. But more than that, having Eoin witness it, having his eyes consume his very form…knowing he was the sole cause of it.

Eoin's touch had always stoked the fires inside him, every tiny bit of contact through the years; the warmth of his hands as he grasped his arm through those prison bars, the feeling of his solid chest against his back as they played piano together, the squeeze of those strong fingers on his shoulder before that first jump, and every minor graze and brush of his hand, Paddy relished in it. But now his body betrayed him, showing just how helpless he was to the effects of Eoin's merciful hands on his skin. 

Eoin's eyes drifted down his torso, landing firmly on his very obvious erection. Paddy saw a slight change in his eyes, but could've never anticipated what happened next. 

Before Paddy could slink away and cower from his line of sight, Eoin gripped his shoulder more firmly and huffed, frustrated with him, "You can't just ask for help like a normal person?" He inched forward, resting one hand lightly at the top of Paddy’s bandages, the other hovering at the small of his back.

Paddy laughed in shock, his chuckles shaky and breathy, as if he didn’t quite believe what had just come out of Eoin’s mouth. "I could never ask that of you." His eyes darted between his hands and Eoin’s comforting stare. 

“You’re not, I’m offering.”

Was he hallucinating, or had Eoin McGonigal really just offered to get him off? To touch him where no other had before. Was this real?

It wasn't until he saw the slow movement of Eoin’s hand towards him that it even felt like a possibility. 

Eoin hovered a feather-light hand over Paddy's hip bone, anchoring him to the spot should he have had the notion to run away.  Paddy could barely breathe; his lungs refused to expand in his chest at the sensation of Eoin's soft hand pressed to his bare skin. 

But it didn't stop there. “Come here”, Eoin uttered, voice low and dripping with desire.

Paddy inched forward into his embrace, truly pushing the boundaries of their friendship to a place they may never return from. 

“Eoin, you don't have to.”

“Shut up, will you? Just, come here.” he puffed, pulling him closer still -  so close that his cock brushed against the seam of Eoin's rough uniform shorts. 

Paddy could feel the heat emanating from his skin, could smell the faint scent of plain army soap, clean and familiar. He had never been so close before, inside Eoin’s personal space so intimately, with the promise of something new. 

He didn't quite believe what was happening until the soft, slightly chapped skin of Eoin's lips met his own in a chaste peck. Every sensation became heightened, every minute movement caused goosebumps, every hair on his body stood on end, truly on edge and wanting. 

It seemed to last a lifetime, until Eoin pulled back slightly to assess Paddy's reaction, his breath gentle and balmy against his chin. 

This was it, this was the moment to back out, to run and hide -  if his feet didn't feel like two lead bricks, anchoring him in place. But one glance into those rich brown eyes had him stuck. Every feeling Paddy had buried, every emotion he denied himself for the younger man all those years, everything came rushing back in one fell swoop, like a tidal wave engulfing him. 

Eoin gave him the opportunity, a brief moment in time, a reprieve from their embrace to chicken out of his dream scenario, the content of his nightly dreams, the one thing he fantasised about but never truly believed he could have. He had the chance to salvage their friendship, to pretend this never happened, but he just couldn't go on like it was before. He had finally allowed himself to hope, to believe he could have everything, and Eoin would give it to him. 

In a moment of absolute clarity, Paddy pulled Eoin in for another kiss with his bandaged hand, wincing slightly at his ill-conceived plan and the shooting pain radiating down his injured arm, but holding him tight to his chest anyway. He could feel every inch of him, feel every wisp of breath against his skin, each throb of his beating heart. Eoin moulded perfectly to him, fit just right against his body. Paddy never wanted to leave that spot, never wanted to break from the safety of his arms. He never wished to be parted from Eoin again, though he knew that time and circumstance were against them. 

It even took a few moments to register the kiss, to begin moving his lips against Eoin's, to push bravely forwards and probe the edges of his mouth with his tongue, seeking entry. 

Eoin, enthusiastic and eager to help ease Paddy's pain, but also secretly enjoying the attentions of a man he had crushed on since they were boys, held Paddy close to his clothed body. His hand moved to cradle Paddy's bearded face, finding purchase in his unruly and slightly matted facial hair. Luckily, the flames had left his face untouched, he could explore every recess and line of his handsome face without worrying about hurting him. Eoin felt entirely overdressed for the situation, but enjoyed feeling Paddy twitch and react to his every movement. 

It was true, he wanted to help him relieve his tensions, but that didn't mean he couldn't also enjoy himself. He didn't expect Paddy to fold quite so easily, to melt into his arms quite so quickly…but he would have been lying to say he didn't like it. Eoin saw this as an opportunity, not just to help the man he adored, to help relieve his tensions and satisfy his needs, but also to scratch an itch of his own. A burgeoning desire that had been growing for a while, that lay dormant for a long time without any hope of growing fruit. Only now did Eoin let those tiny glimmers of hope flourish. 

As Paddy bravely tested the waters, teasing and prying open the edges of Eoin's lips, exploring the warm caverns of his mouth, tongues dancing in rhythm with each other, he could feel the fire in his core burn even hotter. His cock twitched and ached, sandwiched between his body and Eoin's clothed torso, leaking a small wet patch onto his khaki shorts. 

He knew he wouldn't last long, and the second Eoin touched him, that was more obvious than ever before. 

His large hands roamed the plains of Paddy’s chest, exploring the dips and sharp corners. Paddy wasn't as lean as Eoin, but he was proud of his physique. He wouldn't think himself unattractive in any case.

Eoin's hands felt unnaturally soft, not calloused or torn up like Paddy's were, not scarred or shredded from the rough sands, not burned beyond recognition. They were pillowy soft against his skin, his fingertips leaving a tingle as they danced across the imperfect surface of his face. 

Thankfully, Eoin didn't leave him in limbo for too long before reaching a long arm between them, and grasping Paddy's solid prick between his slender fingers. Gentle, yet firm. 

Even the sensation of his cool skin wrapped around his cock sent shock waves through Paddy's body. As Eoin swirled his thumb around the head of his shaft, dipping softly into his slit and collecting his slick, Paddy couldn't help but throw his head backwards in overwhelming bliss, breaking from the kiss that connected them. 

He never knew it could feel like this, but then again he never had another man's hand wrapped around his cock….let alone a man he adored. 

Every minuscule movement sent bursts of euphoria through his weary body, and for the first time in weeks, pain was outweighed by pleasure.

Though his anxieties at having Eoin so intimately close did not abate, Paddy felt himself slowly relax into his touch, knowing he was safe, knowing Eoin would take care of him, as he always did. 

Being able to surrender to the touch of another was a different type of ecstasy. It was safety, total security in the arms of the man he desperately loved but never had the balls to pursue. Eoin's large hands grounded him in the moment. In the delicious strokes of his nimble fingers, gliding smoothly across his delicate flesh, in the warmth of his breath as it fanned his cheeks, utterly lost in those lust-blowen eyes. 

Paddy could hardly focus on the pain radiating from his scorched flesh, from the nerves dancing and firing across the surface of his arms and hands. He didn't even notice the throb, the deep ache in his muscles. All he could focus on in that moment was the pure bliss, the rush of endorphins flooding his system as the man he loved fondled him with such tender care. 

“Fuck Eoin…so good…” Paddy panted, almost delirious from the intense sensations coursing through his broken body. He couldn't even string a coherent sentence together, just a collection of obscenities and Eoin’s name. His breath left his chest in heavy sighs, in between stolen kisses. 

“Shhh, it's okay..just..enjoy it”, Eoin mumbled, his lips captured roughly by Paddy's mid-sentence. His hips bucked against Eoin's gentle hand, searching for something more. 

He lost himself in a haze of ecstasy and saliva, and before he knew it, Paddy felt his end approaching. It was too soon, he wanted this to last forever. He wanted to stay in this tent, with the sand hot beneath his feet and Eoin pressed against his skin for as long as humanly possible. 

“Eoin, I'm so close.. please…s-slow down..”

“Whatever you want, Paddy”, Eoin smirked, as he slowed his pace. Paddy drew a sharp breath in, trying his best to calm his racing heart. 

“God I wish I could touch you…these fucking hands…” he sighed with frustration. 

“Please, Eoin, take it off…” Paddy pleaded, staring at Eoin’s stained khaki shirt, his own juices seeping into the fabric. “I need to see you.”

Eoin teased open his shirt buttons, popping each one slowly and deliberately, all the while staring into Paddy’s lustful, heavy-lidded eyes. 

The attention was nice; it had been a long time since Eoin was intimate with anyone, and in this moment, he couldn't imagine a more perfect partner than Paddy. He was practically drooling at the sight of a little skin, his own body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. 

The fabric parted to reveal alabaster skin dotted with kisses from the sun. Paddy never noticed the small details of his body, but now, as he stood before him, he couldn't help but study every freckle, every scar littering his buttery soft skin. Only his thin cotton vest shielded his body from Paddy's hungry stare, and Eoin seemed in no hurry to bare all, not before teasing Paddy with the very thought of it. 

This reprieve from Eoin’s touch did little to quench his thirst, the insatiable need inside, but it certainly served a purpose. Paddy groaned, frustrated that he couldn't touch that perfect body, couldn't feel the sinew of his rippling muscle under his fingers. Would he ever be able to feel the sensation of Eoin's mesmerisingly soft skin underhand, or would his burns deprive him of that for good? 

Damn Jock Lewes and his handmade bombs. He wasn’t even here to defend himself, Paddy thought. 

His finger carved a path in flesh, dancing across the surface of his skin, as he shed that sweat stained shirt from his broad shoulders. Every fiber of Paddy's being stood on edge, every hair raised and every nerve prickled under the surface. The very sight of Eoin's mean body elicited such a visceral response, he could scarcely control his reactions. Paddy couldn't hide his desire, the overwhelming need running through his body, and Eoin knew it. 

It wasn't often that Eoin asserted his dominance, he rarely found the need to toy with anyone, let alone with Paddy, but with his hands bound and bandaged, Eoin saw a rare opportunity.

He savoured Paddy's impatience, his silent displeasure at a job half finished. Relishing in the moment, Eoin briefly strode over to his cot and leaned over him. His tall stature meant Paddy was only inches away from his groin, from the one part of Eoin he ached to touch. 

Looking at him with quiet amusement as the furrow of his brow deepened with each brush of his fingertips, Eoin extended a hand and cradled Paddy's jaw, almost reverently, as if he may break under his fingertips. 

Eoin could feel the slight shake rattling Paddy's bones, and as it was impossibly hot in that stuffy canvas tent, he could only assume it was from the much sought-after physical contact. 

He pulled him in for a chaste kiss, and briefly held Paddy against him, calming the tremor born of want, before pushing him down to sit on the cot once more. 

The loss of contact coaxed a soft moan from Paddy and a low grunt as his body hit the rather uncomfortable cot. His head spun, and the air around him drew colder without Eoin’s body to warm him. His brow creased in confusion, he thought Eoin was here to help him, not to give him a taste of relief only to withdraw it at the last moment. He did ask him to slow down…but not to stop entirely. Now, dropping himself onto the creaking cot directly across from Paddy, Eoin began to remove more layers of clothing, starting with the sweat-stained white vest that covered his taut torso. 

As he reached for the hem and pulled it upwards over his head, Paddy feasted his eyes on every square inch of his lean, muscular body. His arms flexed, framing his biceps and upper body, truly peacocking his well-honed physique for the pair of eyes focused solely on him. 

Training had sculpted his lithe body into something lethal, strong and capable of anything. As fragile as he seemed to others, Paddy knew Eoin’s body could handle anything he threw at it…including his infamous temper. The filthiest thoughts imaginable filled Paddy’s head as his mind wandered to what else that body could handle. 

Eoin didn’t seem to mind being openly ogled. It was his intention all along. He knew Paddy couldn’t resist looking when he stripped out of his uniform, he knew that Paddy wouldn’t be able to tear his eyes away. 

It was certainly a test of Paddy's restraint. 

“Fucking hell, you're not going to make this easy for me eh?” Paddy huffed, trapping a breath in his chest as the sight of Eoin half-dressed, eyeing him up like prey from across their small, shared tent. 

Eoin sat, perched at the edge of the rickety cot and unbuckled his trousers under Paddy's heavy stare. The same cheeky grin that Paddy always loved now teased and taunted him from his place on the adjoining cot. He was both in shock and incredibly needy. Paddy both wanted to ravage him and admire the view at the same time. He had wanted things to go slower…but this was downright torture. 

Eoin lingered, savouring each little unconscious gasp and breath from Paddy, his fingers hovering just over the open buttons of his trousers, which hung open but still covering the lower half of his body, while holding Paddy's gaze the entire time. It was amusing seeing the carnal desire in his eyes, his surrender to his more base needs. 

Eventually, he relented to those delicious sounds coming from Paddy's chest and shimmied out of his trousers, which pooled on the floor next to him, leaving him in only his underwear. Even through the fabric, Paddy could see evidence of Eoin's arousal. It was obvious he was enjoying this little rouse, this torturous display of flesh. Clearly, taunting Paddy with the promise of relief and utterly deserting him turned him on. 

The outline of his cock made Paddy's mouth water on instinct, his eyes travelling from Eoin's to his lap of their own accord. He couldn't help but wonder what it looked like, what it felt like. Was it pretty and pink? Was it as beautiful as him? There was only so much he could see through the thin fabric, but his mind certainly filled in the rest. 

Paddy craved what he couldn't have, what he couldn't touch. Pining for the cock of his best friend while his own leaked against his stomach, throbbing and left unattended, thoroughly unsatisfied.

Eoin began to palm himself through the thin fabric, a wry smile plastered across his face as if he could read Paddy's thoughts. His face creased with those familiar lines Paddy loved, the ones he often thought about tracing with his fingers as Eoin smiled at him. He never did, of course. Now he would give anything to be able to touch that face, to run his hands across his stubbled skin, and to feel the life under his fingertips. The little noises that left Eoin's lips had him speechless, shocked that one man could make such pretty sounds. Eoin knew exactly what he was doing, he knew exactly the effect that this would have on Paddy, especially in his current predicament. 

“No touching Paddy, you need to heal.... doctors' orders…”

Again, another megawatt smile aimed right at Paddy. His face scrunched with each reveal of those pearly whites. When Eoin smiled, Paddy felt himself melt, just a little under his sunlight. As if he needed another reason to love this man, that smile would melt even the coldest of hearts. 

Knowing the extent of Paddy's utter desperation, Eoin further teased him by sliding the thin cotton shorts down his creamy thighs, until they pooled on the floor beneath him. A smile plastered across his face the entire time, but now joined with a twinkle of mischief in those big chocolate brown eyes. 

His cock was everything that Paddy had ever imagined and more. A perfect specimen.

Now fully erect, it sprang free of its cloth cage and sat against Eoin's abdomen. Precome dribbling from the pink fleshy tip, Paddy couldn't keep his eyes away from it. 

It was so pretty…like nothing he'd seen before. The head, perfectly bulbous and flushed pink, glistening and appetising, just sitting, waiting to be worshipped. 

“Please, Eoin, I'll do anything…” Paddy pleaded, reaching for his hair but not being able unable to find any purchase with his bandages. 

Saliva practically oozed from the sides of his mouth as the sight before him utterly bewitched Paddy. His body ached to be touched, to be filled. He didn’t even realise he was whimpering, tiny little moans escaping from his chest, until finally Eoin relented to Paddy's desperate pleas. He ushered him forward with one nod, to which Paddy enthusiastically shuffled forward and knelt before him. 

“No, here, sit.” Eoin gestured to his lap, and despite being slightly confused, Paddy did as he was told. Anything for the slightest chance at relief. Eoin pulled him into his lap, their cocks brushing up against one another, which sent a shiver through Paddy's body. He did not expect Eoin to wrap his slender fingers around them both, and begin stroking languidly. Paddy could only tuck his head into Eoin's chest and breathe, or at least try to, the sensation was utterly overwhelming - his body was on edge as it was, but this wrought a whole new level of pleasure. The feeling of his shaft pressed against Eoin’s, the velvety skin undulating with each stroke. It was more than he could have dreamed, and certainly more than he deserved - given his outburst earlier in the day. Eoin's nimble fingers moved across both shafts with ease, keeping a steady but lazy pace. He was in no rush to the finish line, he knew Paddy would cross that peak before he did, but he was thoroughly enjoying the little moans and profanities coming from the man in his lap.

He had never seen Paddy like this - so small, so meek, when he usually stood 10 feet tall. His intimidating persona loomed larger than life, but here, nestled against the thin skin of Eoin’s throat, Paddy made himself quite small. He nuzzled into the warm safety of Eoin's body, pressing his flesh to Eoin's as if he needed it to survive. 

He quite enjoyed being in control, though rarely got the opportunity to express that desire. The power Eoin felt in that moment was intoxicating..but he knew it wasn’t something to abuse. He held a vulnerability so precious in his hands, both physically and metaphorically..and he fully intended to savour it. Paddy had surrendered to him, had trusted him to take care of his needs in a moment of helplessness. He had let go of all pretense, of all the bravado and anger he usually carried with him, and succumbed to pleasure - there was something fragile, something quite delicate about this moment, and Eoin fully intended to revel in it completely. 

Although he truly loved Paddy, and couldn't stay mad at him for long, Paddy needed to learn that he couldn't lash out at him without consequence. Whether that was a delayed release, or being denied altogether…Eoin certainly enjoyed his payback. 

He took his time with it, keeping a slow but steady rhythm with his fingers wrapped around both of their shafts. 

Paddy wriggled in his lap as his peak approached, mumbling into the hollow of Eoin's throat, as if his very name was a prayer to recite and repeat, to revere and worship. 

Eoin could feel the tension building in Paddy's body, every muscle as tight as an elastic band, wound up and ready to snap. 

He held onto Eoin's shoulders like a lifeline, like he would drown without the sturdy support of his body beneath him. If he had use of his hands he'd have carved little crescent moons into the pale flesh, claiming it as his own. 

“That's it..come for me Blair” Eoin encouraged, ever so slightly increasing the pace of his movements. His own arousal spurred on by the delicious sounds of slick skin and the vibrations of Paddy’s heavy moans against his chest. Paddy loved hearing Eoin call him Blair…nobody else did, nobody else saw the man under the beast. 

The high came and went, and once the fog of orgasm lifted, Paddy had the urge to repay Eoin’s kindness, to show him but a fraction of the pleasure he just felt in his tender grasp.

“I want to make you feel good, Eoin, please...let me?”

One look into those glassy blue eyes, seeing the fucked out look on Paddy’s face had Eoin hooked. He couldn’t resist Paddy like this, he was intoxicating. He’d give him anything he wanted. 

Paddy scooted himself off of Eoin’s lap, sinking to his knees and parting Eoin’s legs slightly with his bandaged hands. Although he couldn’t use them to touch Eoin, to work his cock like he always imagined he would, Paddy could use his mouth, his tongue, his lips to bring Eoin pleasure. To bring him to the precipice and drag him over the edge, even without the use of his digits. The sight of Eoin’s perfectly pink cock lolling between his legs still had Paddy in a trance. Although now softer and flaccid from the lack of contact, Paddy was determined to see it stand to attention once more, to see it grow tumescent right before his eyes.

As his lips met the base of Eoin’s velvety cock and his tongue made light work circling his soft tip, he tasted the remnants of his own release hanging on the skin. He lapped up their mixed juices, the slightly bitter and salty fluid danced on his tongue and tantalised his tastebuds. Even the taste of Eoin’s precome was inebriating. The warmth against his cheek, the heady scent of sweat and sand, everything about this moment would be etched in his memories long after this night drifted away into the ether, to be forgotten into the sands of time. 

Paddy, keen to pleasure Eoin, wanted to show the depths of his appreciation. He couldn't touch him the way he wanted, couldn't grip and grasp onto his flesh, but he could do this. 

He could lick, tease, and entirely consume Eoin's flesh with his tongue and lips. He had dreamed of this day, dreamed of holding his thick cock on his tongue, to feel the weight of him pressing down and find out what he tasted like. Would he be sweet, would his spend taste salty as it was pumped into the depths of his throat?

His crude fantasies had finally manifested, and now, as he took Eoin’s plump cock into his awaiting mouth, Paddy had to try his very best to restrain himself - to push Eoin over the same cliff that he had tipped over not minutes earlier.

With much enthusiasm, Paddy messily licked the flushed tip as a cat would lick up milk. He drank in every drop. Saliva dripped from his lips onto the pink, bulbous head, lubricating the skin and savouring the salty, metallic taste of his fluids as they dribbled from Eoin’s swollen tip. But Paddy wasn’t known for his patience or restraint, and having Eoin’s cock hanging on his tongue was not enough, he desperately needed more, needed to feel Eoin deep in his throat.

Eagerly swallowing him down, tears pricked the corners of his eyes as it nudged the back of his throat. Eoin rolled his hips unconsciously, his body reacting to the sensational stimulation from Paddy’s rough tongue; the very texture of it against his most sensitive spots had Eoin seeing stars.

Eoin was the only man Paddy could imagine doing this for, the only man deserving of such attentions. The only person he could fathom swallowing so deeply that he could scarcely breathe, the only man that could fill every orifice and still have him begging for more. The only man who could bring Paddy Mayne to his knees, quite enthusiastically.

Saliva and precome drenched his chin, beads of sweat hung heavy to his brow - he was truly a sight to behold, and as Eoin glanced down to see Paddy with his mouth full, messy and dishevelled, he truly couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d have rather been in that moment. 

“Such a good boy for me Blair, so good..” Eoin panted between strained breaths. The sensation of Paddy's throat, tight and warm enveloping his shaft was almost too much to take. 

Like Paddy did when he was finally touched, Eoin threw his head back in pleasure, his mind swimming in the floating void between realities. 

He shut his eyes to the world, blocking out all external stimuli. Only the comforting heat of Paddy’s tongue, the soft flesh of his cheeks hollowing out around his cock grounded him in reality. Eoin breathed through the swell of pleasure, the overwhelming tide of ecstasy pulling him under, with only Paddy to keep him from drowning. One hand roamed his bare chest, desperate for a tether to hold him in this realm. 

There was a certain vulnerability to it, he was completely at Paddy’s mercy, his most delicate appendage under his control, yet he felt completely at ease. Everything in his body tingled, screamed and rejoiced at the feeling of Paddy’s lips wrapped around him. Every part of him wanted this, despite his mind’s reluctance to ever act on it before tonight. And though Eoin yearned to feel Paddy’s hands caress his skin, to feel him grip and grab onto any body part he chose, this first foray into quite an unknown world felt better than anything he could have imagined. It felt better than all his previous experiences and sexual encounters; this was bliss, utter and total bliss. 

Paddy suckled the head of Eoin’s cock in an effort to draw out even more juices, desperate to taste his essence. Each bead Paddy wrought from his shaft was slurped up eagerly, nothing wasted. 

Paddy utterly lost himself in the sensations surrounding him. The taste of Eoin’s cock on his tongue, the smell wafting around him - sweat and hot sand, a slight musk that was unique to Eoin alone. The heat rising from his body as he got closer to his peak, Eoin's fingers threaded through his hair, gripping onto the base of each strand tightly as if he needed Paddy to centre himself.  Although wildly inexperienced, Paddy listened to Eoin, to his moans and breathing for feedback, he felt his body squirming and the tension in his muscles building underneath him. 

As the knot in his stomach tightened, and his peak loomed in the distance, Eoin had enough of the foreplay, knowing he wouldn't last much longer with Paddy looking up at him through those feathery eyelashes, tears staining his cheeks. He was doomed to come quickly with those plush, flushed lips nipping and suckling at his cock. He had to change things up, and the thought of Paddy wrapped around him in a different way had every cell in his body tingling.

“Enough…enough” Eoin grunted, before he pulled Paddy up by his hair, gently but firmly planting a sloppy kiss on his lips before whispering “I want to fuck you Blair…I bet you’d like that eh?” not directly into his ear, but along his jaw as he peppered his skin with soft, open mouthed kisses. With a nod of his head, Paddy gave his answer -  his mouth hanging open at the prospect. Only once he felt Eoin’s large hands roaming down his body and settling on his hips, guiding him up and into his lap once again, did the prospect actually become a reality. 

Eoin sincerely loved seeing him squirm and come undone in his lap earlier, feeling his muscles tense, feeling his breath rise and fall against his chest, and having his body cling to him like a lifeline had him aching to fuck him in that position, to feel the warmth of Paddy’s muscular body pressed against him like he was afraid Eoin would disappear. 

Reaching sideways for a tub of Vaseline by the side of his cot, he placed one hand on Paddy's thigh to stabilise himself while he leaned over. Even that small motion made the breath in Paddy's chest stick and his lungs refused to expand for a few seconds; until Eoin pulled himself back up with that familiar wide grin plastered to his face. “Breathe Blair, I've got you.” Eoin chuckled, sweetly kissing the side of Paddy’s cheek before dipping his long graceful fingers into the gooey lubricant. Eoin slicked himself up first before lubing Paddy up thoroughly; reaching underneath his body to swipe the oily substance around his puckered entrance, fondling every inch of skin he could reach, each delicate patch of flesh, every touch leaving goosebumps in its wake. Even the soft brush of Eoin's fingertips had Paddy clenching around them, searching for friction and that delicious penetrating fullness that he knew would come quickly after.

As Paddy sank onto Eoin's lap, he held tight to the pale flesh of Paddy’s hips, lowering him down at a torturous pace. Controlling the speed, the depth, meticulously guiding him onto his cock, which was standing ready and waiting. Eoin watched with wide eyes and gasped audibly as he impaled Paddy on his cock, as his body engulfed him, pulled him in to the hilt. 

Paddy felt so full, so complete and wanted, sitting there in Eoin’s embrace, he let his body acclimatise to Eoin’s girth; his chest rising and falling as his head slumped against Eoin’s torso. Paddy’s body was made for him, was designed to accommodate him in, like a key to a lock, he just fit. It felt right, and despite the stinging stretch, Paddy felt happy, serene almost, as he sat atop the man he desperately loved. “Are you alright, mo stór?” Eoin enquired, his voice barely carrying on the breeze as he tried to regain his composure. He couldn’t believe how incredibly good this felt, how much he was missing out on before. It was only his fragile ego standing in the way of this, they'd lost so much time because he was afraid of brooching the subject, afraid of getting rejected…..but now as they sat, chest to chest, sheathed inside Paddy’s body like a hand to a glove, Eoin felt right. 

“You touch me like I am everything you asked God for. Underneath your hands I become poetry. This is the alchemy that you do” Paddy panted, his breath catching in his chest. 

Eoin just wanted Paddy to feel good, to forget the pain running through his burn riddled flesh, and to feel pleasure. He wanted to be the man to make him forget about the pain, to be the one responsible for the endorphins rushing through his veins. He wanted desperately to be the man to make Paddy Mayne come undone atop him. But to hear those beautiful words, it was more than he ever dreamed.

His fingers traced loose little circles against Paddy’s skin, while he rocked his hips rhythmically against him, keeping perfect time with the beating of their hearts. 

Paddy’s head buried once more against his chest, his ragged breaths fanning Eoin’s nipples. He tried with all his strength to hold onto him, to wrap his arms around Eoin, but any bit of pressure caused pain to shoot through his damaged muscle, so instead he rested them lightly around Eoin’s shoulders, trusting him to keep him in place through the force of their combined thrusts.

His hands seared into the flesh of Paddy’s bare back, holding him close to his chest, his fingertips engraving their pattern as they roamed the valleys and dips of his body. 

Paddy had never felt so fulfilled, so connected to another. He felt every point their frames intertwined, each pulse of blood beneath the skin, each drop of sweat falling between their slick coated bodies. 

With every rock of his hips, Eoin ploughed his cock deeper, rubbing against each and every sensitive spot in its path. Every soft bundle of nerves cried out in ecstasy, being stimulated by the bulbous tip. Every stroke drew low, euphoric moans from Paddy’s chest. Eoin had dragged him quite quickly towards his impending peak, though even through his haze, through the blinding fog of pleasure, Paddy yearned to pull Eoin over the edge with him. To show him even a fraction of how he made him feel, through the unbearable pain of flames licking at his skin, to reciting the words that were a constant comfort by his sick bed, to making his body feel indescribable pleasure. Paddy wanted him to feel all of it, but even a small piece would do. 

As they climbed higher, both men grasping at any bit of skin they could reach, Paddy boldly latched onto Eoin's neck, suckling at his sensitive spots, leaving small red marks in his wake. The combination of pressure and new sensations finished the job, sending waves of pleasure crashing over Eoin's tired body. That wonderful fullness of Eoin’s release pulled Paddy over the edge along with him. A beautiful heat bloomed within him, true euphoria surrounding his delicate frame. His whole body spasmed, muscles clenching and milking Eoin's cock for all it had left. Every drop, every ounce of his spend drawn from the source into Paddy’s body, pulsating and contracting around his quickly softening member. 

Paddy couldn't ever remember feeling so good, feeling nothing but pleasure, and almost forgetting the indescribable pain that wracked his battered limbs. 

True elation swelled in his chest. A rather pleasant warmth radiated outwards, spreading through his blistered and burned arms. 

This overwhelming warmth quickly pulled him into a restful slumber, with his lover by his side. As both men drifted into a pleasure induced sleep, only the sound of their shared breaths filled their humid tent, truly content and free from pain, if only for a short time, if only for the night.