The first time Sören woke up the next morning, it was to Seamus headbutting him hard in the jaw, then kneading on him, purring loudly. Sören felt Solly curl up on his feet. Sören smiled to himself as he snuggled closer to Anthony being the "big spoon" behind him. He could get used to this.
The second time Sören woke up, he faded in and out between the cats meowing for food, Anthony grumbling "yeah, yeah," and then the sounds of Anthony in the bathroom - including the sound of Anthony washing up. Just before Sören could drift off again, Anthony climbed back in bed beside him and began peppering Sören's face with kisses. Sören opened his eyes and looked into Anthony's beautiful moss-green eyes, took in the mussed black hair and the sweet smile that became a teasing, wicked grin. Anthony moved in closer to steal a kiss. He tasted like toothpaste rather than morning breath. One kiss became another, then another, and Anthony began to kiss Sören's neck, which made Sören buck and start rubbing against him like he was in heat, wanton, shameless.
Through the haze of his lust, there was a nagging caution, and before they could get too hot and heavy, Sören gently pushed Anthony off him and said, "Anthony, wait. We need to talk some more."
Anthony sat up, looking concerned, but he gave a small nod. "All right."
Sören exhaled. He also sat up and rubbed his beard, rubbed his curls. "OK. I know you said last night to just focus on the here and now, and that you want to take a chance and not look for trouble before it starts. But the problem is I'm already in too deep." Sören finally said it, aware he didn't say it back to Anthony last night. "I love you."
"I love you too, Sparky." Anthony kissed Sören's forehead.
Sören smiled, then he got serious. "But I need to think with my head - my big head - and not just my heart. I need to be smart about this, we both do."
Anthony nodded. "I've been thinking a lot since last night. While you fell asleep, I lay there for awhile thinking about how to make this work between us."
"I know you said you would help me with a reference at another restaurant but I really cannot emphasize to you enough how much that gives me anxiety. Like I said last night, I 'learned the room' with you, and with the cruise ship. I don't want to take the risk of joining a team and running into problems with the other cooks or the head chef. I know that I sound picky and I should be happy to have any job, especially if it's between that and going back to sea and never seeing you, but..."
"Yeah." Anthony nodded again. "That was one of the things I thought about."
Sören nodded too.
"So, I have another offer for you. I want to hire you." Anthony pet Sören's curls, looking into his eyes.
Sören gave a nervous laugh, and shook his head. "Even though I wanted a job at your restaurant yesterday, today is different, after what we did last night, after where this is going. You're not going to be able to keep our relationship a secret for very long, unless you plan on never being seen with me in public which isn't going to fly, and I really don't want the kinds of problems that will come with working in your kitchen, knowing everyone knows we're together, so they think I'm chef's pet and they resent me for it. That's also the kind of shit that will get employees running to the gossip rags -"
"I know. That wasn't what I meant." Anthony propped himself up on one elbow, and took turns petting and skritching Seamus and Solly, who returned from their food trip - Solly had food on her nose. "The commission I want from you, for a mural in my London restaurant. I'd like to hire you to go beyond that. To paint a different mural in each of my restaurants. I'll fly you around the world, all expenses paid - we could even go together, since I make it a point to visit each of my restaurants at least once a year, and I'm overdue for that with the travel restrictions since the pandemic started."
Sören's jaw dropped.
"I'll pay you handsomely enough that you won't have to worry about making ends meet for a good long while, and considering how many celebrities and wealthy people eat at my restaurants, you'll likely get enough exposure from the job that other people with money will buy your paintings and commission you for art and you can just focus on that instead of using my kitchen or someone else's as a stepping stone to your art career."
Sören let out a low whistle. He felt giddy relief wash over him, jubilant, feeling like he'd won a victory even sweeter than the one he'd hoped for with the show. Anthony was giving him a path to do what he truly wanted to do, he was making things right, and Sören loved him for that.
But there was still one last nagging stab of doubt, and Sören said, "OK, here's the other thing."
"OK." Anthony pursed his lips and furrowed his brow.
"So like I said, unless you plan on us never being seen together in public, sooner or later the media is going to find out that you and I are an item. That's going to look very, very bad that you hooked up with a contestant, and I don't want to contribute to damaging your reputation and your business -"
Anthony put up a finger. "I thought about that, too."
"Did you?" Sören folded his arms. "I hope the answer to that isn't going to be me being your dirty little secret -"
"No." Anthony exhaled. "Jesus Christ, Sparky, no, please stop assuming the worst."
"Sorry." Sören looked down, aware of how Justin's abuse had led him to expect shittiness.
"First of all, I do try to keep my private life private, because I've noticed the celebrities with the most information available about their private lives also tend to have the biggest trainwrecks in their private lives, as if inviting spectators is also inviting trouble - rumor-mongering, entrapment and the like. That said, I don't intend on hiding you or lying about you. I'm aware that there is likely to be some backlash, and I feel the most ethical thing I can do is wait until the series is done for us to come out about our relationship... and cancel the show after this series is done. It's had a good run, but I don't want people to take me for an unfair judge and have distrust going in, and I don't want to upset any future contestants who might have experienced sexual harassment at work or other situations and have them worry this is a pattern of behavior and I'm going to be an inappropriate pervert. And... I know I'm an arsehole on the show, some of that is genuine, I expect certain high standards from my workers and I expect people wanting a shot at my kitchen to uphold those standards, and I don't like people wasting my time, but Clive encourages me to play it up for ratings, and there's enough shittiness in the world now, the pandemic has made people nastier, and I don't want to contribute to that any more than I have. I don't want to remind you of Justin verbally abusing you, either." Anthony kissed Sören's hand and pressed it to his heart. "It's time for something positive. I'll probably do another show, but it won't be like this one. It won't have contestants. It won't be snarky."
Sören let out a low whistle. That floored him even more than Anthony offering to hire him to paint a mural in every single restaurant he owned, around the world. Anthony was willing to accept a career change, in large part because of him.
Sören melted.
"Are you sure?" Sören felt his eyebrows go up.
"As sure as I am that I want to make love to you some more." Anthony leaned in and kissed Sören deeply.
Sören giggled into the kiss, and kissed him back. Their tongues took a few playful licks and Anthony's hands slid over Sören's naked body, making Sören shiver and break into gooseflesh. Anthony made a small noise of appreciation and began to kiss Sören's neck as he took their hard cocks together in his fist.
"I washed up when I was in the bathroom," Anthony said softly.
"I like your toothpaste." Sören facepalmed, realizing how idiotic that sounded.
Anthony laughed, as if that delighted him, and he kissed the tip of Sören's nose, then he claimed Sören's mouth again and he let go of their cocks for a moment to hook his index finger through the Prince Albert ring in the head of Sören's cock.
"What I meant is... I want to know how this feels inside me." Anthony looked into Sören's eyes.
It had been a long, long, long time since Sören topped, not since Eiliv. Sören's breath hitched and his cock jolted, mind going wild with the idea of feeling Anthony tight around his cock, making Anthony lose control, wrecking him thoroughly.
Anthony booped Sören's nose. "That is, if you want to. I assumed that since you'd got that done you're not strictly a bottom, but maybe I assumed wrong -"
"I'm mostly a bottom but not exclusively. 'Versatile bottom', I think it's called, about 80/20."
Anthony nodded. "I'm a versatile top, about 80/20, so... that's good." Anthony's face lit up. "We're compatible. That's impor -"
Sören silenced Anthony with a kiss. "You talk too much, Corny."
"Maybe you should find something to put in my mouth, Sparky."
Sören grinned back. "Too bad we're out of eggs and flour -"
Anthony growled and nibbled Sören's neck. "Brat."
"You're goddamn right." Sören nipped Anthony's lower lip, then he rolled Anthony onto his back. "Here, I've got something for that mouth of yours." He straddled Anthony's hips, then scooted up till he was at Anthony's shoulders, his cock in Anthony's face. "Get it ready for you."
"You're cute when you think you're in charge, Sparky." Anthony took a long, slow lick at the head of Sören's cock, then another. For a few moments he just licked it, around and around the head, up and down the frenulum, slowly, then up and down the shaft, slowly. When Sören felt like screaming with frustration - though he loved it - Anthony's eyes locked with Sören's as he took Sören's cock into his mouth, inch by inch, getting it halfway before he gagged. "It's been a long time," Anthony rasped, "and last one didn't have a Prince Albert."
"It's OK, elskan." Sören felt strangely satisfied that nobody else had touched Anthony in awhile. Mine. ...Unless we find a hot silver daddy bear to have a threesome with. Sören kept that thought to himself and moaned as Anthony tried again, sucking on the first third of Sören's cock, then taking it halfway again once he'd adjusted. Sucking slowly, hand rubbing up and down the bottom of Sören's shaft as he sucked.
It had been awhile since Sören had a blowjob - Justin had been a selfish lover and stopped giving head within the first few weeks of their arrangement - and Anthony learned how to handle Sören's cock in short order, sucking harder and faster, humming around it, driving Sören mad with sensation and lust. Sören wanted to come inside Anthony - they could taste each other another time, it seemed they would have lots of that now - so he pulled back when he felt himself starting to get closer.
Sören needed to get Anthony ready too, if it had been awhile. Sören leaned down and kissed him, tasting his precum on Anthony's tongue, which inflamed him even more. Sören began to kiss and lick down Anthony's neck and throat, and proceeded to worship every inch of the body that had starred in his fantasies for years... the reality so much better than the fantasy. Sören kissed, licked and nibbled Anthony's shoulders. He licked the veins down Anthony's forearms, licked the defined biceps, nuzzled and licked the hairy armpits, breathing in the clean masculine scent of him. He rubbed his nose in Anthony's chest hair, lapped and suckled Anthony's nipples back and forth, thumb and fingers pinching, plucking and rolling one as his lips and tongue teased the other. He kissed and licked the planes of Anthony's stomach, kissed and nibbled his inner thighs. Anthony writhed, panting, bucking at him, and Sören loved watching him lose it like this, when they'd barely started.
Sören returned the teasing treatment Anthony had given his cock, taking long, slow deliberate licks at the head of Anthony's cock, then up and down the shaft. He sucked on Anthony's balls and licked them, then split Anthony like a peach and licked around the outside of the puckered hole, until Anthony let out a precious little whimper, and then Sören dove in. There was the lingering taste of soap with earthy undertones, and Sören devoured him, tongue lashing away, playing with Anthony's balls as he ate. At last Anthony was working his hips, fucking himself on Sören's tongue, gasping, begging "god, Sören, please, fuck me..."
Sören spat into Anthony's hole, took a few last licks, and Anthony handed over the lube. Sören sucked the head of Anthony's cock as he worked slick fingers in and out of him, relaxing the muscles - Anthony was tight even around Sören's fingers. Sören's cock throbbed, knowing it was going to feel good around his cock.
It was even better than what Sören was hoping for, once he was inside. Anthony took deep breaths as Sören rested, letting him get adjusted. When Anthony nodded his readiness, Sören propped one of Anthony's legs on his shoulders and began to thrust, slowly at first, not wanting to hurt him, and when Anthony rolled his hips back at Sören, moaning, Sören took that as his cue to go faster. It didn't take long for Anthony to get in the zone, rocking his hips, panting and moaning louder, and Sören let his inner beast out to play, balls smacking Anthony's ass as he fucked fast and furious, grunting and growling as Anthony cried out.
"Elskan," Sören gasped. "Oh, fuck..."
"Oh my god, that ring." Anthony's eyes rolled back, and fluttered. He shuddered and started stroking himself madly. "Jesus Christ, Sparky, that ring. Oh god, fuck..."
"You like that, elskan?" Sören's hand rubbed up and down Anthony's stomach, over a thigh.
"Mmmmmf." Anthony shuddered again.
Sören drove it home, giving it his all, pounding wildly, as Anthony gave little broken cries, almost sobbing as Sören let loose. Sören rubbed Anthony's balls and Anthony stroked himself harder, his hand a blur.
"Sparky," Anthony warned. "Sparky, you're going to make me come..."
"Yes, elskan. Come all over me..."
Anthony screamed as he climaxed, rope after rope of thick cream. Sören had never seen a man shoot so much cum before and it drove him over the edge, shouting out as his climax overtook him, spending deep, the throbbing pleasure intensified by the way Anthony contracted around him, pulsing.
"Jesus fuck, Sparky." Anthony gasped for breath. "I think you killed me." He gave the thumbs up and then a cheesy grin before his head flopped and his tongue lolled for an instant.
Sören giggled and came down into Anthony's waiting arms, kissing him. "Don't die," Sören said then, not wanting to make this sad, but even in jest, he couldn't deal with that after what happened to Eiliv.
"Oh, sweetheart." Anthony rubbed noses with him, then kissed the tip of Sören's nose.
Sören kissed Anthony's nose in return. The thought of losing Anthony tore at him, and he knew then, even though it was still early in their relationship: this was the one. The second great love of his life.
Wherever Eiliv was, he was smiling.
March 2022
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Some months later, Sören and Anthony were living together, and attending the grand opening of Anthony's newest restaurant in Brazil, where Sören would be painting a mural, the second in the series after completing the London mural in January. Sören's mural in the London restaurant had been seen and praised by Elton John, who had offered a commission for Sören to do a painting for him and his partner, and Madonna had been in touch with Sören about designing her next album cover and a set for a music video. Sören would be set for life even without a mural at all of Anthony's restaurants, which was still on the agenda.
The public reaction to their relationship had been less bad than either of them expected - it helped that they waited until the series was done [Josiah won, and Vivian was the runner-up and got an offer from Wolfgang Puck] and Anthony announced the relationship in a press conference he held to specifically explain why he wasn't signing on for another season...
...and was also announcing his new show. He'd signed a deal with Sesame Workshop for a show called Cafe Sesame, where he would make kid-friendly recipes with the Muppets, to teach kids how to cook and also hopefully instill a love of cooking in children, like his mother had when he was young.
So here they were, at the new restaurant, weeks away from Anthony starting the new show. Life was good, and life was beautiful in warm, sunny Brazil, enjoying the dance parties and the beaches.
On a private beach, Sören and Anthony watched the sunset together, much as they had watched the sunset on the river the night they'd almost made love, last year. It was just the two of them, and cuddling in the fiery glow of the sky put them in an amorous mood enough that they began to kiss and grope, not able to wait to get back to their hotel. Soon their shorts were off and they were laying on their blanket in the sand, grinding against each other as they kissed.
Being out in nature made them both feel wild and free, bringing out their animal side. Sören got on all fours and Anthony took him from behind, pulling Sören's hair as their hips slapped together and Sören's cries echoed on the waves. When they got close, Sören rose up, his back to Anthony's chest, and began stroking himself feverishly as Anthony kissed and nibbled Sören's neck.
One of Anthony's arms was around Sören, and it let go, and Sören felt Anthony lean back, like he was reaching for something. Suddenly Anthony's other hand was on top of Sören's hand, working Sören's cock faster, and Sören felt Anthony slip something onto his ring finger. Sören pulled his hand up and looked at a platinum diamond solitaire.
"Marry me," Anthony husked.
Sören turned his face and kissed Anthony hard, whimpering "mmhmmm" into the kiss, and after a few playful licks Sören breathed, "Yes," meaning it with all his heart.
Anthony's arm was around him again, tight, and Anthony slammed into him savagely, balls slapping, making Sören howl. He took hold of Sören's cock, jerking it so hard it rattled, bringing Sören to that edge as his cock hit that hot spot inside him, over and over.
"Mine," Anthony growled, and licked up Sören's neck. "My husband."
"Yes, yes, yes." Sören climaxed, shuddering, shooting his seed into the sand, feeling as fiery and vibrant as the sunset, like a phoenix rising.
Anthony groaned as he spent inside Sören, and then both his arms were around Sören, holding him tighter, rocking him, as Sören turned his face again and they kissed.
"Love you, Sparky," Anthony whispered.
"I love you, Corny." Sören kissed him again.
Anthony rolled his eyes, pulled an arm away to slap Sören's ass, and then, laughing, they rolled onto the blanket together, clinging, to watch the first star rise in the twilight.
"Make a wish," Anthony said, taking Sören's hand.
"I have everything I want," Sören said, smiling, and kissed the tip of Anthony's nose.
go to horny jail | go to story index | go to O-fic index | go to home page