The story below came to me many years ago, when I was in college and is really nothing more than a first draft - it's probably not very good writing, either. And as it devolved into a graphic sex scene, I realized it wasn't ever going to be mainstream fiction. I still don't know what to do with it, but I feel like there's more to the story; I want there to be more to the story, but for now, it remains unfinished. Feel free to let me know what you think.

UNTITLED

     Xero Vegas stomped across the floor, dragging deeply off his cigarette.  He moved silently through the ululating crowd, headed for the men's room on the other side of the bar.  The constant pounding beat of the music, combined with the swirling colored lights had begun to give him a headache.

     'I'm gonna piss.  Then leave.' Xero thought, 'Fuck it.  I've been waiting all night and for what?  Nothing.'

     He'd made his way, unmolested, through the throbbing swarm of college-aged dancers to the dark hallway that led, not only to an exit but also to his destination.

     Pushing through the black painted door, into the harsh white/clean light of the men's room, he heard fierce retching: The unmistakable sound of a college teen, probably too young even to be in this place that Xero had been frequenting for the last six or so years, hacking all the cheap beer he'd drunk tonight into the porcelain bowl, thankfully concealed by the tan partition that separated the small, antiseptic-smelling room from himself.

     Xero stepped up to the urinal- tossing his smoldering butt into the shallow, piss-colored water that awaited.  Standing close to the cool, damp ceramic basin, he unbuttoned his pants and removed himself.

     "Ah." he moaned aloud, as the warm spray vacated his bowels.  He stared speechlessly at the dingy white painted wall, sighing heavily as he forced the liquid from the depths of his entrails.  He heard the young man in the stall pull the handle, casting the regurgitated liquid into the network of tubes and pipes that led into the abyss of waste that polluted the Earth's oceans.

     Xero threw his head back, reveling in the release of his own waste.  The yellowed walls proclaimed good times, as well as guys who sucked dick and juvenile ditties that rhymed with words like poke and cum.

     The young man in the stall finally emerged.  Xero looked over his shoulder as the baseball hatted boy stepped up to the sink to rinse out his mouth.

     "Tough night?" Xero queried, uninterested.

     "Yeah." the boy croaked, as he scooped a hand full of gray water to his reddened lips.  He swallowed quickly, then answered, "I guess I drank too much beer..."  as if it was a thought that had just occurred to him.

     "I guess you did." Xero paused, "It happens to us all." He chuckled as he remembered the last time he had let himself go like that.  It had been in a place like this, several years ago, when he had been a less experienced drinker.  He had managed to make it outside the building before he had thrown up on the hood of the cop car that had been parked out in front of the bar.

     "Yeah."  the boy said as he ran his wet hand across his face and underneath his hat, through his short cropped dark hair.  When the boy had finished post-vomit preening, he left without a word.  Doubtlessly to drink more cheap beer and score with the girl he had been hitting on before all the beer came back at him.

     Xero closed his eyes and thought, 'What a shame that a stud like that had to want to stick his dick in some shameless pussy' when Xero would have gladly gobbled his innocent cock in a flash.  No matter, though.  Xero had choked down enough college boy prick to keep him happy for a while, anyway.

     Xero finished peeing and gave his own healthy meat a few fast strokes before he jammed himself back into his tight black jeans.  He turned quickly, not bothering to flush his waste, now mingled with other men’s, into the great beyond.  He flashed a quick smile into the badly stained mirror, noticing that his blood-shot eyes gave away the fact that he, too, had had a few beers tonight.

     As Xero emerged into the dark, lair-like room, he was jostled by a gang of rowdy, tight-skinned guys all entering the men's room for the same reason that he had. 

     'If only he had been able to hold off his trip until he had seen this bunch of able flesh enter the can.  He might not have gotten anywhere, but at least he would have gotten a brief glimpse of the meat that dangled between their legs.'

     The music changed again, and Xero knew it was time for him to exit.  He pivoted, allowing his back to face the crowd and passed the men's room door with little more than a glance as one of the young men came back into the bar, blatantly pushing his drained cock down the left leg of his tight jeans.  Xero noticed that the boy squeezed himself a few times before he actually went back to the well-lighted part of the dance floor.  Undoubtedly, priming himself for some cheap slut that he thought he might be able to score with tonight, or just here alone, or with his buddies, trying to score and hoping that his pumped-up prick could get him laid.

     Xero pushed his way through the black door that he knew would lead into the alley that ran behind this bar.  The cool, night air wrapped itself around him and peeled the sweat from his body; sliding in beneath his leather jacket, caressing his chest, making his nipples stand erect and beginning to evaporating the wetness under his arms and clinging to his back.  He looked up into the dark night and squinted as the glow of halogen lights stained the December air, took a deep breath to clear his head and lungs and puffed out a cloud of crystalized water vapor.  He turned to his left and began walking down the unlit alley, his chin tucked to his chest to keep the biting sting of cold weather from burning his face.  A police car cruised by as he emerged onto the dimly lit sidewalk, slowing to check out the scum that surfaced from the black tide that was the alley.

     Xero turned right when he hit the sidewalk, ignoring the police cruiser.  He trod along, silently, hands thrust deep into the pockets of his leather jacket, now zipped against the numbing frost.  If he’d timed things correctly, he expected the cruiser to pull over a few yards ahead of him so the rest of the script could be played out, but then again, there was something about tonight that told him that would not happen.

     The cop that drove the cruiser brought the car to a stop a few yards up the street, the taillights reflecting like red blood on the frozen snow covered pavement.  He sprung from the car like a jack in the box that had been cranked one too many times.  Xero continued to walk towards the approaching cop, who, he noticed was very handsome.  His well built and toned torso filled the dark shirt of the uniform; his thick legs and tight ass packed into and stretching against the fabric of the pants.  Xero shivered involuntarily.

     The cop stepped in front of Xero, just as he was sure that he was the one that was going to be harassed. 

     "Have you been drinking, tonight, sir?" the blond patrolman asked, puffing out his chest a bit in an authoritative manner.

     "Yes," Xero answered, curtly, not trying to be rude, but it was a rather stupid question, considering the cop had to have known that the alley that had spewed forth Xero had only one other entrance: The Rock Garden.

     The youthful policeman didn't move as Xero continued his approach.  When they stood face to face, the bright-eyed cop put his hand out, placing his hand on the right side of Xero’s chest, to put a bit of distance between himself and his adversary.

     "What's the problem?" Xero asked shortly, not bothering to add the respectful title that the cop, he was sure, expected and that the script dictated.

     "I asked you a question, sir."

     "And I answered you.  Yes, I have been drinking, but that's not a crime the last time I checked."

     "Were you planning on driving this evening?"

     "Does it look like I was?" Xero retorted, annoyed that this cop was bothering to waste his time with him when if he'd had half a brain he’d be poking his unwanted head into the Rock Garden where all the under-aged college kids were sucking down brews and smoking pot in the private party room.  The cop would see the action he wanted there and he’d be in control like the script said he was supposed to be.

     "Sir, I think you should come with me."

     The handsome cop put his thin, strong hand on Xero's left shoulder and steered him into the nearby alley.

     Xero went willingly, knowing what the script dictated.  He had been through this before - Enjoyed it even, but something was different tonight.  Something dangerous.  Something that just didn’t give him the patience to play the game tonight the way it was supposed to be played.

     When they were well hidden by the shadows that engulfed the alley, the blonde cop pushed Xero to his knees.

     Xero still did not resist.  With a flash, Xero pulled down the zipper of the uniformed cop’s pants and reached in for the prize.  The cops' cock flopped out into the cold air and began to expand.  Xero whistled softly as he took in the beautiful sight of the cops' uncut cock lengthening in the cold air.

     Xero licked his lips and grabbed the cop by his belted waist, pulling him closer.  The cop grabbed roughly at the back of Xero's head and shoved his crotch forward.  Xero inhaled deeply the familiar scent of Ivory soap and Drakkar and shuddered again.  His nose was buried in the scratchy bush of the blond lawman that stood before him.  His tongue slid from his mouth, searching for the manhood that rubbed against his cheek. 

     The cop groaned softly.  "Suck me, faggot," he whispered.

     Xero didn't need to be told twice.  His hot mouth slithered over the engorged tube of flesh, taking in the head and slipping his tongue between the folds of flesh just the way he always did, then with one swift motion, he swallowed the massive prick with eager lips.

     The blonde cop thrust his hips forward, pushing more of his thick cock into Xero's watering mouth and groaned louder.

     Xero's head bobbed slowly along the shaft that filled his mouth, feeling the head poke the back of his mouth, then slid down his stretching throat.  The cops hands, buried in Xero's dark, curly hair, pushed more forcefully as Xero continued to suck the rigid cockshaft in front of him.

     The cop's hips began to find the opposite rhythm of his partner's mouth as Xero decided it was time to set free the massive, golden-brown, silk covered balls that he knew hid in the folds of the pure white cotton briefs.

     The cop shifted his weight as he felt Xero release his tight, aching orbs into the cold December air.  With one hand, Xero gently pulled the tight sack, rolling the hard, smooth ball between his fingers, causing the cop to groan still louder.

     Suddenly, Xero felt the unmistakable jerk of a man about to give him his nut.  The fuzzy golden spheres pulled closer to the cock that was buried deep in Xero's mouth, tickling his chin and without further warning, the cop released the first splash of thick hot juice into Xero's hungry mouth.

     The cop grabbed tightly to Xero's head as he thrust his prick into the waiting mouth, but Xero, in anticipation had pulled back so that he could taste every drop of the liquid fire that filled his mouth and drenched the front of his leather jacket.

     Xero sucked until the cop, without hesitation, pushed him back, causing him to fall on his ass in the dimly lit alley.  The cops' thick member still swung in the moonlight, the head glistening not only with his own cum but with Xero’s spit.

     The cop absently and roughly shoved himself back into his pants and walked over to Xero. 

     "You sure do have a nice mouth." the cop said without ceremony, then turned and began to walk away.

     "That's it?" Xero demanded, still sitting on the damp gravel of the alley.   "I don't get anything in return?"

     "What'd you expect? For me to suck you off?", the cop asked, turning his back on the fallen Xero.  “You know how this gets played out.  You’ll get yours later.”

     Xero, still sitting on the ground, his dick harder than he'd ever known it to be, heat throbbing against his leg, he sprung like a lion pouncing for the kill.

     He landed on the cop with the full force of his body.  The cop’s hat flew off his head and he grunted a dull woof into the night as the air was thrust from his lungs and he fell to the ground.  There was a hollow crack as his head hit the pavement.

     "I’m tired of having to wait all the time.” Xero whispered into the cops' ear, "and now I'm going to take what's mine." Xero shifted his weight and grabbed the back of the cops' pants, with one swift motion, he rolled the cop over.  Adeptly unbuckling the gunbelt and trousers, Xero tore the dark blue trousers over his victim's hips, exposing the crisp white briefs that hugged the thick cock, heavy balls and perfect globes that he had held while giving his lover head.

     The cop began to struggle, but Xero leaned forward, whispering in his ear, “We can make this easy, or we can make this hard, Mark.  Let me have what’s mine.  Now.”  He flipped the cop over again, grabbing his waist, pulling the cotton covered ass towards his aching crotch. The cop groaned like he had when he had his dick buried deep in Xero’s throat.  Xero pulled the white briefs down, exposing the winking rosebud hidden deep in the fold pressed his stiff prick into the crack of the cops ass, and moaned as he felt the heat through his dark, denim jeans.

     Xero slid his hand into the waistband of the pure white briefs that held the final prize.  He felt the warmth of the cops' downy ass, then slid his finger along the crack until he located the precious hole he searched for.

     The cop groaned again, this time not in pain, but in a dazed pleasure as Xero slid his finger through the ring of muscle that now clamped around his knuckle.  Xero took that as his cue and flipped open the buttons on his jeans, allowing his aching cock to spring free.  The cold air and the excitement of being in a dark alley made his rod twitch on its own. 

     His thick, pulsating cock was covered in his own precum and he delayed no further by mounting the cops perfect blonde ass and pressing his massive hardon into the tight hole.

     The cop groaned again, this time pushing his ass higher in the air.

     Xero felt the sphincter give and then his whole dick slid deep into the warm depth of the cops' squirming butt.  Xero moaned as he began to sow the untilled hole with his plow of hot flesh.  It took only a few sharp, short strokes before Xero knew he would be unable to hold out any longer.

     With a soft grunting cry, Xero buried his dick deep into the waiting hole of the prone officer.  As the first spasms shook his body, Xero thought with grim humor, this is one way to fuck the cops.

     His body trembled as wave after wave of cum splashed the hot walls of the cop's chute.  Xero could feel his own fluid lubricating the beloved cavity that he filled with himself in liquid form.

     The cop groaned again.

     Xero pulled his slippery shaft from the snug opening, hearing the familiar 'pop' that went with removal.

     He hurriedly jammed his still hard, cum covered prick into his jeans, fastening only a few of the buttons in order to keep himself together.

     He grabbed the cop under the arms, his pants and underwear shredded from Xero's forceful entry and helped him quickly towards the waiting cruiser. 

     The unusually busy street was deserted and Xero deposited the sucked and fucked cop into the driver's seat.  He reached into his front pants pocket and lifted a small vial under the cops nose.

     The blonde cop's eyes flashed open, unfocused.  Xero quickly kissed the battered blond cop on the lips then ran in the opposite direction.

     Later that night, as Xero lay in bed, reading a magazine, waiting for his lover to arrive home, he thought about what had happened a few hours before.

     It had been one of the best fucks of his life, but much more violent than he normally liked to be.  He hoped that he would be able to live with himself as the hours passed.

     A few hours later, after Xero had begun to doze off, he heard the door to the apartment open.  He waited patiently and silently in the low lit room for his lover, Mark, to come into the bedroom.

     After what seemed like an eternity, Mark entered the cream colored bedroom quietly.

     "Oh, you're still awake," he said tonelessly.  Xero took in the bruised forehead and split lip of the man with whom he shared his life.  He noticed the ripped dark blue shirt and dark chinos that he wore, as well as the gun belt that was slung over his shoulder.  "I was hoping you'd be asleep by now."

     "Oh, sweet Jesus, what have I done?" Xero muttered, "Mark, lover," he said as he got up out of bed, his bare chest and legs crawling and covering with  goose flesh as he came nearer the man he loved and he had fucked in an alley earlier this evening as part of a fantasy-game that he had not wanted to participate in the first place.  When he was just a few steps away from Mark, his hand outstretched, Mark said, coldly, "No.  Don't touch me.”

     Xero pulled back quickly, distraught at what he saw and even more distressed by Mark's reaction.  He had never meant to hurt his precious companion, but he knew he had.  Irrepairably, perhaps.

     Mark entered the small bathroom, closed the door and locked it.  Xero slowly walked to the closed door and heard the shower start to run.  Hesitating for the first time that night, he knocked.

     "Xero, I love you, now please give me some space.”

     "I'm sorry," Xero croaked, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

     "I know." Mark paused, "things just got out of hand."  Xero could hear Mark stripping off his clothes with soft sighs.  He turned the handle and began to realize how much he had hurt his partner.  Mark never locked the door

     "Xero, go to bed.  We'll talk about this in the morning."

     "I can't.  I never meant to hurt you..." The door swung open swiftly, Mark's bruised face and split lip stared down at his lover.  His naked body exposed.  The golden blonde hair that covered his chest held a fine mist of sweat and water, his thick cock dangling from between his legs; his balls hanging low, his powerful arms hung against the door jams revealing just how muscular he was.  Xero wanted to stroke the fine hairs that hung under Mark’s arm and bury his face in the crook of Mark’s next and cry when he saw the look of pure anger in Marks’ eyes.   "You did." he paused, "I'm only thankful that you used the smelling salts before you left."

     "Mark, I couldn't leave you like that.  I wasn't sure what I had done...It's just when you pushed me like you did I wanted to fuck you so hard you'd never do that again." Xero cried resentfully.

     Mark stared at the floor, the steam from the shower pouring out behind him.  He took a deep breath, signed then said with conviction: "It won't ever happen again." and looked Xero directly in the eye, for emphasis.   He paused, gathering what to say next, and Xero looked away. Then: "I think we need to spend some time apart from each other."

     Xero said nothing, turned from Mark and threw himself on the bed.  Mark closed the door without a word.

     Xero cried softly as he lay in bed, listening to MarK shower; waiting for him to come out and take him in his arms and tell him everything was all right.  But Xero knew that wouldn’t happen. 

     The door remained closed until Xeros' tears had dried on the pale sheets and he had fallen asleep.

The next morning, when Xero awoke to the sun and the sound of the birds in the trees, he knew that Mark was gone.  He had never come to bed last night. 

     “Asshole.  That’s what you are, Xero Vegas.  100% Asshole.” he muttered to himself.  He got out of bed and scratching his ass, walked into the kitchen of the small one bedroom apartment that he had shared with Mark.  The clock read 7:00 am.  Mark would be at the station by now, his shift usually started at 6:00 am and went until he got home.  Xero knew from what had happened last night that Mark would not be coming home tonight, but he could hope. 

     While making his ritualistic pot of coffee on this clear Saturday morning, Xero was greeted by Mark’s only other love: a tabby cat named Merlin, who meowed a greeting as he rubbed against Xero’s leg. 

     “Did Daddy feed you before he went to work this morning, Merlin?”  He asked the feline as he entwined himself in and around Xero’s slightly spread legs, mewling softly.  He reached down and picked up the cat, cradling him against his bare chest, feeling the soft fur brush his left nipple.

     Xero walked across the kitchen to see that Merlin’s dish was empty.  Mark usually put some dry food into the bowl before he left for work, but he must have forgotten this morning, his mind occupied by other thoughts. 

     Merlin meowed again.  “Okay, okay, I’ll feed you.  Mark’s just mad at me and taking it out on you.”  Xero said dropping Merlin on the floor with a soft thud.  Merlin immediately entwined himself between Xero’s legs again, as he grabbed the half-full box of Purina Cat Chow from beneath the sink.  As he poured food into the blue plastic bowl, Merlin quickly moved to the edge of the bowl and waited until Xero had finished.  Merlin meowed once more before he began licking and crunching the hard dry Xs of food.

     “You’re welcome.”

     Xero moved back across the kitchen, stretching his aching body, pushing the tiredness from his limbs.  He walked into the bedroom as the coffee brewed and standing in the doorway, surveyed the room that he had shared with the man who he had hurt so badly last night.  The bed he had just risen from showed that he was the only one that had occupied it last night.  He had not really slept well and had heard Mark leave early this morning.  He had spent the night on the couch, the first time they had slept apart since they had moved in together, two years ago.

     Xero shook his head, trying to remember what had caused him to react as he had in the alleyway the night before.  It had been lust, first and foremost, he knew that, but he had never meant to hurt Mark, only to take great pleasure from the big, blond cop that had dragged him into the alley for a quick suck-job.

     He walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light.  Mark had left a few items on the floor.  Xero picked them up in a bundle and sat on the closed toilet. The clean white undershirt that Mark had worn under his uniform shirt wrapped in the blue trousers that had been scuffed and torn last night.  Xero closed his eyes and buried his face in the discarded clothing, breathing deeply in the scent of his man and cried.

          After a few minutes, he managed to gather himself together and stepped into the shower.  He adjusted the hot water and watched as the steam plumed out from behind the curtain.  He grabbed the bar of white soap and began to scrub viciously at his skin, trying to rid himself of the dirt he had brought upon himself by raping his lover in an alley the night before.  Even after scouring himself for fifteen minutes he felt no cleaner than when he has started and he knew he would not until he could speak, face to face, to Mark.  His skin turned red as the hot water burned into his flesh.  He only hoped that Mark would come home tonight so that they could talk.  Xero knew somehow that it would be a few days before the two would be together again, and even longer before Mark would allow him to touch him at all.  That’s just the way he was.  Mark had always been the bottom, and that had not been the issue, Xero believed that Mark was angry because he had not followed the script that they had written together.

     During the weeks, ever since they had met two years ago, they would create a scenario they would act out on Friday nights.  These scenes always ended in the same manner:  Mark would undoubtedly wiggle his tight ass in Xero’s face and Xero would show his big cop how much he liked sinking himself into the soft folds of his lover's hole.  Last night they had decided to take their game outside into the winter night.  Mark would play cop to Xero’s drunk, Mark would drag the drunk to the alley and Xero would be forced to suck the blue shirts thick cock, a joy that Xero never had to be asked twice to complete.  Last night, though, Xero had not been drunk and feeling cheated, he forced himself beyond the game that they played and fucked the cop mercilessly.  That had been why Mark was so angry.  Xero had not even let on that he would do such a thing and taking the big cop by surprise had not only bruised Mark physically but also damaged his macho ego.

     Mark had never once told Xero no when he had wanted a piece of the golden-haired cop, but last night Mark had not offered and Xero wanted it.  So he took it.

     Maybe he should drop by the station later today to try to smooth things over, even though Mark had asked him never to come downtown to see him while he was working.  He had said that the other guys would never take him seriously if they knew that he took it up the ass from a guy that was half his size.  Xero understood the logic and had never crossed that line.  He had been a dutiful lover and respected his partner's wishes.  Until last night. 

     Xero had forced a wedge into their relationship and he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to pull that splinter out again.

     As Xero sat at the kitchen table, drinking his third cup of coffee that morning, half-heartedly reading the Saturday edition of the Journal, he thought about the night that he and Mark had met:

     He had been at a club in the City.  He had been offered and accepted a dose of blotter.  The heavy beat of ambient house music pounded through the air as he watched the spinning colored lights and half-naked young men with their hats turned backward making out on the dance floor. 

     He had been standing off to the side of the dance floor, half in the shadows, half exposed by the swirling lights, watching.  He had not really wanted to be there, but some of his friends had told him that he would have a good time, just to come and loosen up.  Xero stood, watching as men and women, men and men and women and women licked, kissed, touched and danced their way around the pulsing room.

     A warm, strong hand gripped his shoulder and turned him around slowly.  The hand had been attached to a massive arm that belonged to a beautiful, blond haired man whose dense chest stretched the white, cotton T-shirt he wore.  Xero could see the small hard, brown nipple poking against the warm night and licked his dry lips.  Xero’s gaze flashed across the blond stranger's chest before he looked into eyes so blue he was swept into an ocean of passion where he thought he would drown.  The blond Adonis, obviously no stranger to the lustful look of another man, crossed his arms at his waist and stripped the thin shirt from his torso, lifting his arms high over his head exposing the broad, well-shaped pecs that were covered by a blanket of honey-colored hair.

     Xero’s knees went weak, but he felt the warmth of this mans hands wrap around his waist and pull him close.  Xero reached up putting his hands against the thick arms that encircled him and breathed deeply.  He smelled the warmth, sweat, and cologne of the man that held him; familiar and comforting.  He could feel himself and the man who held him stiffening as he was pulled closer.  The blond leaned down and pressed his soft lips against Xero’s and gently pried open his mouth with his tongue. The strangers tongue pistoned in and out of Xero’s mouth, he thought it felt like a good hard fuck.

     Xero felt the beat of his partner's heart, as well as his own, speed to an almost dangerous level as the blond man’s hands,  slid down Xero’s back and cupped his denim covered ass, their lips never parting and their tongues dancing against the rhythm of the music.  Xero felt himself being lifted off his feet and carried deeper into the shadows that surrounded the throbbing dance hall.   He was completely lost in the spontaneity of the man whose arms encircled him.  The friends he had come with were long forgotten as he remained enraptured by the burly god that held him.  He hooked his arms over the shoulders of his new found companion and straining not to break the kiss that had been forced upon him, pressed his thin body against the massive chest as he was carried deeper into the darkness of the club. 

     When the two slammed into the black cement wall, Xero felt himself being separated from his new playmate's lips and gently pushed to his knees.  His own manhood ached as the man he knelt before unbuttoned his pants and allowed Xero to see the precious rod of flesh that he had felt straining to be released from its black denim prison. Wordlessly, Xero reached for the cock that jutted before his willing mouth.  The blond man, whose name he still didn’t know, slipped his left hand behind Xero’s head and into his damp, dark curly hair.  With forceful pressure, Xero felt his lips stretching to take the hard pole that he so wanted.  An electric current flashed just before his lips touched the engorged flesh and he tasted the first of the clear liquid that was squeezed from the erection in his hand.  As he slid the man deeper into his mouth, he picked up the smell that he would from that point forth always associate with this man: Ivory soap and Drakkar.  The stranger moaned as Xero felt the tickle of wiry pubic hair brush his upper lip.  He knew he was in Heaven and moaned.  The music continued to throb as Xero worked the swollen member in a frenzied combination of fist and mouth until his partner tensed, grunted and coated  Xero’s throat with a healthy batch of hot, thick jism.

     When the phone rang, Xero returned to reality and realized that he was as hard as he had been that night he had met Mark.

     The phone rang again, and Xero stood up quickly and gave himself a few quick squeezes through the thin, grey cotton shorts as he picked up the receiver.

     “Hello?”

     “I forgot to feed Merlin.  Would you Feed him?”

     “Mark?”

     “Just feed the damned cat.”

     “What time will you be home so we can talk?”  Xero heard the hustle and bustle in the station for a few brief seconds as Mark considered what he had said, “I don’t know.”, then the solid click and silence before the dial tone that accompanied the end of conversations.  At least he hadn’t said he wasn’t coming home.

     Merlin again rubbed up against Xero’s leg, meowing softly as he walked methodically back and forth looking for attention.  “Oh, Merlin.  You still love me, right?” Xero queried as he scooped the tabby feline into his arms.  Merlin purred softly, closing his eyes as Xero stroked his upturned belly.

     “Oh, if only I could make up with Mark as easily as you.” Xero cooed before he dumped Marlin back onto the floor with a soft thud.

     It was Saturday and Xero had some errands to run.  He ran through the list in his head as he dressed: Bank, birthday present for Mark’s sister, Christine, who was going to be sixteen next week,  he and Mark were supposed to have a quiet romantic dinner together tonight, but with everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, Xero didn’t know how much he should try to be romantic.  His brief conversation with Mark a few minutes ago had led him to believe that he would be eating alone tonight, but he would get everything he would need for two anyway.  He also had to do laundry.

     Xero went through the apartment gathering the dirty clothes.   Most were contained to the bathroom, where they kept their hamper, but there was a pair of Mark’s underwear beside the dresser, a pair of white socks at the end of the couch, and a white T-shirt thrown across the bedside lamp to dim the light one-night last week when they made love.  Xero went into Mark’s gym bag and removed the smelly clothes that had been safely zippered there since the day before. Mark always played basketball on Thursday nights at the gym with some of his buddies, so Xero knew there would be clothes still left in his bag.  Mark seldom remembered to throw them in the wash when he came home.  He pulled out a damp maroon T-shirt, a pair of grey cotton shorts, a pair of white sports socks, Mark’s jock strap and a towel.  He threw them all into the basket he would take to the laundry mat.  After a quick check to make sure that he had everything, Xero headed out the door to complete his errands. 

     Bank

     Laundry

     Birthday Present

     Food shopping

     Home.  Hopefully, before Mark got off work, so he could have dinner ready and maybe they could talk.

     He quickly loaded the basket into the backseat of the green Volkswagen Jetta he had purchased last year, jumped into the driver's seat and eased into traffic.  The roads were still covered with a layer of frozen snow and slush from the last snow storm.  The city hadn’t bothered to plow last time it snowed, stating that there wasn’t enough manpower and it hadn’t laid down that much snow.  So, drivers had crushed the newly fallen snow into the hard-pack that already lay in slippery patches on the roads.  Driving was not all that dangerous, as long as you were careful, and Xero always was.

     He turned the heat up to high and cautiously maneuvered his car onto the better, more highly traveled state roads, to get to the bank.  It was almost 10 am, but the roads were relatively free of motorists and Xero managed to get to the bank without incident.  He walked up to the ATM machine and withdrew $100.  He put the five twenties in his wallet and went back to his car.  Bank was completed; he checked it off his list mentally.  Next, laundry.

     Guiding his car through the snow-covered streets continued to prove fairly easy as he headed down the street to the Laundro-matic on the next block.  He found a parking stop right in front of the Laundro-matic, which was convenient, if not a little lucky.  Usually, he or Mark would have to drive around for fifteen minutes before they found a stop.  They usually did laundry together, unless Mark had to work.  Xero hadn’t planned on doing laundry alone today.

     He entered through the glass door steamed over from the heat of the washers and dryers.  He hoped there was at least one washer available.  He had two to three loads that needed to be done and the fewer washers, the longer this was going to take.  To his astonishment, he entered an almost empty Laundro-matic.  There was a woman, probably in her forties, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, in a dark green sweatshirt and jeans folding laundry on one of the tables near the back of the room and a bright-eyed young man, with dark hair and eyes, sitting on the floor, reading a book.  Only the young man had met his gaze, looking up at him as he entered.  A smile broke across the strangers face, he stared for just a second, then returned to his book, quickly, as if embarrassed.

     Xero had smiled back and moved to the first available washing machines near the young man on the floor. Beneath his jacket, Xero wore a dark blue Champion T-shirt, already beginning to soak up the sweat from his overheated body.  He peeled off his jacket, tossed it on the washer next to him and began sorting the dirty clothes into separate machines.  Whites and colors.  Whites to the left, colors to the right.  He would be able to do two loads and get out in an hour and a half or so.  That would leave him plenty of time to find something for Christine at the mall and get home to take care of things before Mark came home.  If in fact, Mark did come home.

     While he was sorting clothes into the machines, the woman folding clothes in the back, left, as if her existence had never been.  A few minutes later he noticed the young man sitting on the floor a few feet away staring at him.

     “Hi,”

     “Hi,” the young man answered with another smile, nervously.  He stood up revealing a tight, well-muscled body.  He walked over Xero and wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, leaned against the washing machine casually, “My name is Todd.” he said, extending his, now dry hand.  Xero took it in his and noticed how soft and warm it was at once. “Xero, with an X.” he said, “Nice to meet you.” their hands still pumping, Todd holding his grip a little longer then Xero expected, and with a slight comfortable, elated anxiousness that Xero could feel.

     “Xero, that’s an odd name.  You don’t look like a Zero to me.”

     “No?”

     “No, way man, you look pretty fine to me.”  Todd said as he looked Xero up and down, now gaining confidence in his speech and demeanor.

     “Why thanks, you’re not bad yourself, but I’m not interested.” Xero smiled and continued to sort clothes.

     “Hey, Xero, man, don’t be that way.  I just thought you looked pretty fine and wanted to know if you were interested in a quicky once you hit the dryers?”

     Xero froze.  No one had ever been so blunt with him in years.  Not even Mark.  He got a feeling as if someone were poking a cold finger into the middle of his stomach, filling his gut with excitement.  “No, I don’t think so, thank you.” Xero breathed heavily.

     “It’s doesn’t seem to me like you really mean that.  Is it me?”

     “No, really, Todd... ah, look this is really hard to explain, but you’re hot and I’d fuck you if my boyfriend hadn’t dumped me this morning because I stupidly hurt him.  So, do me a favor and stop, okay.”

     “Hey, Xero, I understand.  I’m sorry.”

      “You couldn’t.”

     Xero placed $1.25 in quarters into the machine and pushes the cartridge into the washer.  When the lid closed and the water poured into the cylinder, Xero leaned back and began to think again.  This time, he thought about how rude he had just been.  What had come over him in the last couple days.  He had become more aggressive.  Needing to possess and dominate, that wasn’t usually his nature, but somehow that wasn’t true either. 

     When he had sex with Mark he had always been the Top.  There had never been any discussion.  It had always felt right, until last night, when it had felt too right.

     Xero stood up straight and decided that he would apologize to the handsome young man that had approached him a few moments before and maybe even take him up on his offer.  After all, Mark had left this morning