The first time after moving in that you come home to a closed bedroom door, you're not sure if you should knock or intrude. But James soon appears, wet from a shower, and you forget about it as you make dinner together.
After it happens again a couple of times, you realize suddenly when as you sit on the couch and pull out your laptop that he must be working out.
He smiles at you as the door opens and he appears, hair still wet from a shower.
"Hi."
"Hey. Is it easier for you if I leave while you're... needing some alone time?"
You didn't mean to ask quite so bluntly, but he stops and seems to consider for a moment.
"No. Just running. Some weights. No one's seen me sweaty. You don't have to leave."
You feel bad bringing it up, and you let the topic drop as he kisses you and starts dinner.
It isn't until you walk into the bedroom after classes one day to grab your laptop charger that you see James, in nothing but his underwear, running on the treadmill.
He raises an eyebrow at you, and you quickly look away, feeling like you're intruding on something private. A while later, he joins you on the couch, freshly showered.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to... walk in on you."
He shakes his head and kisses you, gently. "It's ok. We're living together. Don't mind." He shrugs. "Less intimate than sex, and we do that."
You can tell he doesn't quite believe the words though, but you file it away as yet another intimate thing he's ready to share with you now, and your cheeks flush despite yourself.
"Pasta?"
You set down your laptop. "That sounds great."
Mike has been over before, and the three of you have watched sci fi together before, you snuggled up with James on one side of the couch while Mike sits at the other end.
So it shouldn't be surprising, but somehow it still is, when you walk in the door one day and Mike is sitting on the couch, laughing about something while James smiles at him. James looks up at you as you enter and nods.
"Hi, Chris. Sorry, but I ran into James on campus and he mentioned you were starting TNG soon, and I kind of invited myself over."
"It's fine." You try to be sincere, but James looks at you in the way you know he isn't falling for it, and there will be a conversation about it later. "You're always welcome over here."
"Thank you. Next time I'll have to bring popcorn."
You drop your backpack in the bedroom and join James on the couch, relaxing into his arms as he kisses your forehead and picks up the remote.
"Interrupting any plans?"
You shake your head and kiss him. "My plans were to watch TNG with you tonight before I did some homework."
He nods and squeezes you briefly in a gesture that you take as apologetic, even though you don't think there's anything he needs to apologize about.
The three of you get through the pilot and the second episode together, before James turns off the TV.
"That was quite a bizarre episode."
"Not good after pilot."
You nod in agreement. "We don't really know who these characters are yet, so having them act so unlike themselves so soon was not a good narrative choice."
James laughs, quiet and rumbly in the way you love to hear, and Mike stands and stretches.
"Well, thank you for having me. Let me know if you're willing to do this again sometime. I'll bring popcorn."
"Yes." James stands and walks him to the door.
"Good night, James. Good night, Chris." Then he's gone and James shuts the door behind him, returning to the couch and pulling you against him again.
"Sorry I didn't respect our date night."
You shake your head, kissing him, trying to convey that it's okay. "We didn't make it a formal date night, and I don't mind when Mike comes over. And the beginning of a new series is a good time, anyway."
"Still. Didn't think."
"It's really fine." You kiss him again. "I... was jealous of Mike, for a bit, but it's nice to spend time with him, and I trust you, so it's really fine. We have a lot of time we can already spend with just the two of us."
The two of you haven't talked about Mike much, but it feels like an opportunity to clear the air, and you hope he knows how much you mean it. He nods, seemingly convinced this time.
"Okay." His hand moves to your leg and his fingers caress your inner thigh. "Shower?"
Your hand finds his leg in the same spot, and you smile at the way his breath catches. "Definitely a shower."
After taking a bit longer in bed, staring up at the ceiling and basking in the afterglow, you gently put in the buttplug and follow James into the bathroom.
He's standing at his usual spot by the sink as he cleans himself up. His eyes find yours in the bathroom mirror and he smiles.
You really should just let finish up, but something about the way his gaze meets yours stirs the desire in your chest again. You wrap your arms around him from behind, your fingers combing through his chest hair. He leans back against you slightly.
"Hi."
"That was really nice."
"Yes."
"I really like it when you cum inside me."
You don't miss the way his breath briefly hitches and his eyes briefly grow half-lidded. "Yes."
"The feeling of your cock forcing me open as you slide into me." The words are enough, but your fingers find and gently tweak a nipple for good measure.
He growls that low growl that always turns you on, and tonight is no exception, despite the orgasm you just had. "Yes." His eyes are filled with desire again, unerringly focused on yours in the mirror.
"The way I can feel you pulsing as you fill me..."
His breath catches again, more noticibly this time, and he turns around in your arms before capturing your lips in a brutal kiss. It's all need this time, all teeth and tongue and none of James' usual poise and composure and gentleness.
His hand makes its way to your ass and you can feel his fingers close around the base of the buttplug. He growls again, into the kiss, before tugging it out in one swift motion and replacing it with his fingers.
You moan into the kiss and he breaks, his mouth moving to your neck instead as his stubble grazes your jaw almost painfully. You're pretty sure whatever he's doing is going to leave a mark. "Mine," he breathes into your skin, rough and needy.
His other hand pulls you closer and you thrust instinctively against him as his fingers work you open. You can feel his cum running down your leg now, and you whimper, which seems to further amplify his need.
"Mine," he says again, louder and more harshly now, and his eyes are closed as he thrusts back against you and one of his fingers finds that spot inside you.
You fumble blindly for his mouth, finding it and trying to ground yourself in that before it's all too much and you're cumming again, between the two of you. He cries out and some small still-functional part of your brain realizes he's found release again, too.
When you shakily start to come back to reality, breaking the kiss and trying to steady yourself on shaky legs, he kisses your forehead, and you realize he's taking most of your weight, his arms wrapped sturdily around your waist and back, now. You're pressing him against the sink, and you're thankful he had the support, as he doesn't seem to be doing much better, himself.
"Thank you," he breathes, quietly, eyes still closed. You kiss him again.
"Thank you."
You step back, reluctantly breaking out of his embrace. He opens his eyes, still breathing heavily, and frowns as he looks at you. "Sorry. Didn't hurt you?"
You probably would have been a little too sore, before, but after driving him to a similar state in the past, you're used to it now. "No. That was really nice." His eyes drop the floor and you're sure he's looking at the drops of cum you can feel at your feet and the buttplug haphazardly dropped... somewhere. "I'll clean up the floor."
"My fault."
"No, I'm pretty sure that was my fault for coming in here and interrupting you and driving you to... that."
His breath hitches again, but he doesn't object as you grab some toilet paper and disinfecting wipes, and clean the floor. This shouldn't be sexual, but with the way his eyes watch your naked form, you think it might as well be.
You both clean yourselves up and head back to bed. James carefully folds and places the towel next to the laundry hamper, and you find your usual spot against him, head on his chest, arms around each other.
"Was that okay?" you ask, eventually.
"Definitely," he says, but it's tinged with the Why? you often hear in his voice when he wants more elaboration.
"I really like it when you're so... needy, and unwound, and... primal, I guess. It's the opposite of how you usually are, and the thought that I can do that to you is really... nice... as long as it's okay with you."
"Very okay. Only for you." This one is all affection and no curiosity.
"Yeah. I think maybe that's it? It's a side of you that no one else gets to see. No matter who you kiss on stage, there's always this that's just us." He kisses your forehead. "Not that I care when you kiss other people on stage," you add quickly, knowing he'd comment on it otherwise.
He nods, and his hand, which you hadn't even noticed was rubbing circles in your back, stops moving, and you can tell he's thinking.
"I feel safe letting go with you," he says, eventually, and your heart practically melts with it. "It's okay for you to find me attractive like that. You can look at me like that. With most people it feels invasive. But with you, I want that. It feels... nice."
You crane your neck upward and kiss him, and he smiles.
"I love you."
He closes his eyes and hums in the way he does when he's truly relaxed and happy, and his hand starts moving again. "Love you too."