“Fuck that’s good.” Furi held out the glass for more, and Doug laughed, pouring him another two fingers. After two more refills, Furi slouched down and rested his head on the back of the couch, happy to have a nice buzz starting.
“So tell me about him.” Doug sipped his drink.
Furi let out an exasperated breath. “Where the fuck do I began?”
“At the beginning.”
“Right. Well, I guess there’s not much to tell.”
“Okay,” Doug drew out the word. “Tell me the little bit there is.”
“Alright.” Furi sipped and told Doug about the attraction between him and Syn. How the man gave him crazy vibes. He told him about Syn going to the bus stop and offering to take him home. How Syn wanted to hear his name on his lips. Furi closed his eyes when he described Syn to his best friend. The man’s growly voice, his perfect lips framed by a delicious goatee. He told him all about the fight and the power he oozed from every pore. Then he told him that he was a cop. Not just a cop ... a damn Detective.
“Okay. This guy came to the bar and flirted with you, then he pummels some guy for hitting you.” Doug counts off each attribute on his fingers. “Then he chases after you to make sure you’re okay. But you blow him off because he’s a cop.” Doug shook his head. “I’m sorry, but what exactly is the problem?”
Furi’s head was spinning at his screwed-up emotions. “I told you how Patrick started hitting me after I gave him what he asked for in bed. Whenever we’d fuck a certain way, he’d love it, but would always freak out later. I can see the same shit in Syn. As soon as men like that fuck, they lose their shit and immediately feel like they have to reclaim their lost manhood, on my face. Mark my words. Syn would snap just like Pat did.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
“Call it my gay man’s intuition.”
Doug laughed and refilled their glasses. “I think you’re making an unfair generalization. Every man is not a psycho asshole like your husband and his brother. There are plenty of good guys out there. This cop seems like he’s more of a protector than an abuser, babe.”
“I guarantee he’s closeted and will go crazy on me the second I let my guard down and hook up with him.” Furi let his head fall to the side as he stared at his friend. “There’s no way that a goddamn Detective is going to be all out and proud. You think he’ll take me to the policeman’s ball? Hell no, he’d make me be his dirty secret, and eventually his punching bag.”
“Whoa, dude chill. You’re jumping too far ahead. Give the guy a chance. Try to get to know him first. Then decide if he’s crazy. You know I got your back. I’d never let anyone fuck with you.” Doug looked at Furi through squinted eyes. “You want him bad don’t you?”
“Of course I want him. He’s hot as fuck. All alpha and growly and shit, wanting someone to take his control. But he’s not going to admit it.” Furi downed the last sip and put his hand up declining another refill.
“A fucking cop.”
“What do you have against cops, man? They protect and serve,” Doug argued.
“Yeah they serve and protect other people, not people like me.”
“What do you mean, people like you?”
Furi pushed his fists into his eyes and winced at the memories. “When I was first beaten by Patrick. He’d cracked two ribs, busted my lip and given me a black eye. I had other bruises on my legs and back from being kicked repeatedly. All because that motherfucker thought it would make him a man. After sex he had to do something to feel like he was in control. I got myself to the hospital and after I was released I took a cab to the police station. I was going to file a restraining order against Patrick. But the cops, they, they ...” Doug noticed Furi was shaking and scooted closer to put his arm around him.
“Shhh. It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it.” Doug rubbed soothing circles on Furi’s shoulder.
Furi nuzzled in close to Doug and was immediately calmed by the contact with his friend. “It’s fine. The cops there wouldn’t help me. It was because I was gay, I know it was. They looked at me with disgust on their faces. Cops are fucking homophobic as hell. There I was, all banged up, begging for help but all they were concerned about was my sexual preference. The bruises meant nothing. Like they felt I deserved it.”
“Fuck them. But you can’t assume that ... what’s his name again?”
“Syn.”
“Yeah. You can’t say Syn is a homophobe too. I mean he was hitting on you in public, right? And protecting you.” Doug kissed the top of Furi’s head and squeezed him close.