Wes hissed at the door when a knock came from behind it. He didn’t exactly mean to, but it was the only way to let out his frustration without causing alarm.

Of all the days to have a visitor why did it have to be today?

He shrugged on a shirt that had been thrown on the floor the night before and quickly did up half the buttons so he looked reasonably presentable by the time he got to the door. He lifted the latch and pulled it back just enough for him to poke his head around the door and see who was there.

It was Alex.

Fuck.

“Hey Wes,” she said in an all too cheery way for that time in the morning. She was chewing on her lip nervously. She wants something, Wes thought. Fuck. He cleared his throat.

“Hey Alex, how can I help you?”

Alex looked pointedly over Wes’ shoulder and then back at him but when Wes made no offer to come inside she spoke.

“I was wondering if I could pick your brains about something? The house actually. I was thinking of redecorating? Knocking a few walls through etcetera.” She waved her hand in the air to represent the ‘etcetera’. Wes nodded, willing her to get to the point. “And I was wondering if you wanted to have some input. I know how much you loved that house.”

The sympathy in her voice grated on Wes a little bit. True be told he hadn’t thought of his old house since he had decided to let Alex go. When he really decided to let her go. He could always find another house that he loved, with a lawn he could care for, and a person to share it with. He did not allow his thoughts to go any further.

He heard a rustling behind him and it was his instinct to turn around. For a moment he had forgotten what he had left behind him and when he was reminded he pulled the door even further shut so that it was digging into his side. Alex looked puzzled and for the first time in his life Wes cursed open plan apartments.

“Now isn’t really a good time,” he said, screwing up his face. “Do what you like with the house, it is yours after all. I’d be happy to give you some suggestions but it sounds like you already know what you are doing so…”

“Oh okay,” Alex said, her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline. You don’t think I’m over you, Wes thought as he read his ex-wife’s surprised smile like a book. If only you knew.

An awkward silence passed. There was a lot of staring at feet and shuffling on the spot until Alex took a deep breath, the type that people do to break such silences.

“Right well, I shall leave you to it.”

“Thank you, yes, bye.”

“Bye.”

It was an excruciating exchange, but it could have been worse. They just had to get the balance of friends-not-married-couple in check and they’d be fine. There were no more romantic feelings there to get in the way at least. It was just strange. But it would get easier.

Wes shut the door as Alex disappeared round the corner of the corridor. He leant against it with his whole body weight and let out a sigh of relief.

“Are you ashamed of me?”

And there was problem number two.

Travis was sitting on the end of Wes’ bed, putting on a pair of socks, having found his jeans whilst Wes had been talking to Alex. That had been the rustling Wes had heard. His top half was still completely uncovered though, and Wes took a moment to search for the bite mark he knew was above the right nipple because he had made it there last night.

“Of course not,” Wes said in answer to Travis’ question. There had been no malice in Travis’ voice, he had clearly meant it as a joke, but Wes felt the need to answer it anyway. He did up the rest of his buttons. “This has got to stop happening Travis,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head. He couldn’t find the strength to look Travis in the eye. “This is the third time this week!”

The sex had started after a particularly ridiculous argument. Travis had complained about the amount of air freshener Wes had in his car and Wes had said he only used it because Travis had had McDonalds in there a few days before and stunk his car out. The argument escalated into all their bad habits and before they knew it they were ripping each other’s clothes off as they said things like ‘I hate your suits, do you realise how tight they are around your arse? And when you have an arse like that, it is just cruel!’ and then Wes replies ‘Me wearing tight clothing? Have you seen your shirts? Why do you feel the need to tease me with biceps like that?’

It happened again a week later.

And then a week after that.

And then four days after that.

And then two days.

And then one.

They just seemed unable to control themselves around each other. It was almost like as five o’clock approached at the end of the day they would exchange looks that said ‘are we going to do the thing tonight’.

The answer would almost always be yes.

Travis remained quiet as Wes paced back and forth. It unsettled Wes because usually Travis would make some crude joke, Wes would scold him for it, and they’d be alright and hating each other again and able to get on with another day in the office. But this time he was acting differently.

“Say something!” Wes pleaded, not wanting this silence to go on any longer. Travis looked up at him and god why did he have to be so pretty like that?

“What if I told you I didn’t want it to stop?” Wes stared at him.

“What?” he said very quietly.

“What if I told you I’ve been deliberately arguing with you in the hopes that this could happen.”

“I would say…” Wes felt himself blush, “that I’ve been doing the same thing.” Travis’ head snapped up.

“Wait what?”

“What?”

“You’ve been arguing with me just to get me to bed?” Wes was affronted about how angry Travis sounded.

“You’ve been doing it too, don’t sound so cross about it!”

“I’d expect it from me but from you!” Travis pointed an accusing finger at Wes.

“Oh what you thought I wasn’t capable of turning you on?” Wes challenged.

“I didn’t think you were the type to go manipulating someone like that.”

“Man-manipulating?” Wes scoffed. “When you see me being manipulating you’ll know it!”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.”

Wes wasn’t sure how or when they had approached each other. But somehow or another their faces were barely inches apart as they taunted and bickered with each other. The air, that already smelled of sex, was thick with tension once more. They stared at each other.

And then Wes licked his lips and all hell broke loose.

Travis dived on him. There were sloppy kisses and the lightning removal of clothes as they dragged each other to bed. Not once was their skin not in contact in some way. The sex was hot, fiery, hungry with want, just as it always was. But this time there was something more. They stayed together for longer, touched each other more, kissed rather than bit or sucked or scratched. It was unlike anything they had done before.

They held each other afterwards, which was also new. Travis’ head rested on Wes’ chest so neither could see the way the other was smiling to himself.

“So we’re a couple right? I mean, that is what I was trying to get at before you dragged me to bed again.”

“There was no dragging about it,” Wes corrected him, “you wanted it as much as I did.” He paused. “And yes,” he added quietly, “if that’s what you want. I’d… I’d like that.”