Fawned

Chapter 9

   "Thank you."

   Barnaby rolled up his window, and Gil turned off the car. It'd  been a quiet ride, but at least his queasiness had subsided. No more  shaking either. Whenever he'd looked over, Gil would still have that  pleasant look on his face. 

   "Did you have a good time?"

   Barnaby could feel a glow coming over him, and he dipped his head. "I had a lot of fun. Yeah. Sorry, if I didn't- seem like it, but you...You made it fun. Thank you."

   Gil's hand left the steering wheel, and Barnaby's breath stuttered as his chin was tilted up. "Well-" Voice barely above a whisper, Gil leaned in. Barnaby studied how his lips formed every word - "I'm glad for that. Hate to find out I  traumatized you."

   "What?" Barnaby could have snorted. He thought he saw a twinkle in Gil's eyes, but he was unable to stop himself, "No- no, nothing like that. God, I- I know I'm like, a wimp, and I'm- really sorry if I did anything to embarrass you or acted  ungrateful because I really did have a good time and I can still get you  the money back if you want it but-"

   The rest faded into Gil's mouth. A point forgotten as all of Barnaby 's attention abruptly shifted to kissing the man. He made a grab for  his sweater, something to use for purchase in an attempt to match Gil 's sudden heat. It was the least he could do.

   Until the man was tugging on him in turn, and his lips moved to Barnaby 's ear. "You know, it's hard to believe you're a wimp with that  collar around your neck."

   A whine slipped out involuntarily, and Barnaby tucked his head  under Gil's chin, pretending he could delay the confrontation. With  cheeks starting to burn, he mumbled, "That's two different things."

   "Is it?" Gil's hands wandered to his back, idly rubbing up and down. Barnaby nodded.

   "The collar's for you, and I'm- I don't know--"

   "What do you mean for me?"

   "You know—"

   "Do I?"

   Barnaby gulped a mouthful of air just to exhale it all in a huff.  "I don't know." He frowned, aware of how pathetic he sounded. He receded  to look up at the other. "I don't know how else to say it other than it  felt like- I had to? And I know that's weird because I think the implication was that if I wore it the next  time you saw me, we'd have sex even though that wasn't the plan tonight  which was totally fine, but just knowing that I was going to see you  made me feel like I had to because- I- something to do with respect, maybe...?"

   In Gil's face, Barnaby saw disbelief, confusion, confliction - and then he wasn't sure. He couldn't quite read him after that. 

        You had to be honest?   

   He glanced out the car window to his dorm building.

        You couldn't have gone along with it?  

   "I had fun-"

   "Barney-"

   He fiddled with the collar to get it off, keeping his head low. "I really don't know what I'm doing, and I'm sorry if I tricked you into  thinking I did, but I think the more we do stuff like this, the weirder  I'm going to get and I don't think that's what you want-" He cut himself  off, not realizing why the collar was only getting tighter.

   "How about instead of assuming the things I want-" Barnaby froze as Gil's fingers grazed his neck. Relief ensued as the collar consequently fell off. "You ask?"