Chapter 2

Archer's voice was soft and velvety, yet with a subtle accusation in his tone as he forced some of his words out.

Leo lowered his gaze and looked at him. Then, his gaze slowly shifted down into Archer's neck, where he saw a very obvious bite mark on his nape.

Leo recalled Archer sobbing aloud when he bit and marked him the night before.

It got Leo wondering how many more telltale, incriminating marks were still hidden under Archer's clothes.

Archer seemed to have read Leo's mind as he began unbuttoning his shirt. He ran his fingers from the bite mark on his neck down to the purple bruise on his chest.

"Wanna take a closer look?" Archer asked, his lips curling into a grin. "It's still hurting until now."

Archer continued undoing his shirt buttons while Leo's heart continued thumping against his chest. His heartbeat was erratic now, and his breathing was also getting ragged.

Leo had always believed that he was straight until the incident on the night before.

But Archer was just too attractive for him to resist. He had a slim, defined yet muscular waist, and Leo also couldn't forget the sight of Archer's long legs shaking and shuddering in the air.

Suddenly aware of where his thoughts were going, Leo grabbed Archer's wrist and stopped him. "I-I'm going to mend the shirt now."

He couldn't let his dangerous thoughts continue like that. Otherwise, he was pretty sure that he would get a nosebleed and a heart attack in one.

He could hear Archer chuckling softly behind him as he fought to calm himself down with deep breaths.

"Since you're mending it, I'll go take a shower in the meantime," Archer said.

Leo pricked himself on the finger.

He stared at Archer in disbelief.

Archer just cocked his eyebrow back at Leo and replied, "I spent the whole day travelling yesterday and even got my guts rearranged by you last night. Can't a man just shower in peace?"

Leo pricked himself on the finger again. He quickly averted his eyes and suddenly wished that he were deaf so he didn't have to hear what he'd just heard.

"Aren't you wary of me at all?" Leo asked with a click of his tongue.

Archer answered ambiguously, "Gavin told me you were straight."

Leo couldn't deny that. He used to think that he was straight, too.

He fell silent after that, listening to the sounds of the shower in the bathroom instead.

Leo just couldn't calm himself down. He couldn't get rid of the mental image that was already conjured in his head, either.

Leo gulped softly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as he continuously muttered under his breath like a mantra, "I am straight. I am straight…"

He was just done mending the shirt and putting it away when Archer came out of the shower. Leo turned around and said, "I've just put the shirt away. It's my first time—"

Leo had wanted to say that it was his first time sewing a button onto a shirt, and that he didn't know if Archer would be happy with his handiwork.

However, before Leo could get the rest of the words out of his mouth, his breath suddenly caught in his throat.

Archer had stepped out of the shower with a towel loosely wrapped around his lower body. The entirety of his body was covered in red, blotchy marks, and Leo suddenly didn't know where else to look.

When Leo caught himself staring at Archer's thighs, he pinched himself angrily, thinking that he had stooped so low he was no better than an animal.

However, Archer just chuckled and said, "I know it's your first time. You've got literally zero skills and knowledge, but you gave it your all. Nice try."

Leo gritted his teeth.

He knew that Archer was twisting his words and teasing him on purpose, but he just couldn't help a bitter feeling rising in his chest.

"You sound like you've had a lot of experience," Leo said, getting to his feet.

He wasn't going to play by Archer's rules.

Archer was eventually cornered against the closet door. He mumbled softly, "I just watched a lot of stuff."

"If you think I suck, then maybe you should teach me, Archie," Leo said in a deep voice.

Archer remained calm and pushed his hands against Leo's chest. "I can't. We don't have any rubbers."

He seemed certain that he could control Leo like this, so he didn't seem the least bit afraid. However, Leo looked down at Archer and met his gaze.

"Archie, do you still remember how many we used last night?"

Archer had been so lost in pleasure last night, flitting in and out of consciousness. He couldn't possibly have kept track of anything.

"Eleven," Leo said, leaning close to Archer's ear. "We almost finished up a 12-pack box. Wanna guess where the 12th one is, hmm?"

The cold aluminium foil was then pressed against Archer's lower stomach as Leo slowly inched it up his body.