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As the doors opened before Eli to let him out into the free world once again, he took a moment to recognize the nature he had been missing on the outside. The dry field before him and the grey sky was blending peacefully together, he took a long glance at it but was soon interrupted by the faint noise of a car approaching. The car stopped just before him, and when he could make out who was behind the wheel, the grip around the paperback in his hand tightened. He felt his ears burn hot and his body sinking.
“How big chief. Which way to the Little Big Horn? mhmhmh”
He couldn’t believe it. Mickey Fucking Doyle.
“He sends you?” Eli asked. “Sharp as ever. No luggage, right?” He chuckled and faced the front of the road as Eli annoyedly walked towards the car.
“Very rustic here” Mickey nodded to himself. “They ever let you out? Fresh air?” he looked at Eli, who had just entered the car, searching for an answer but didn’t find any. “Okay long ride. Don’t want to cover everything at once” he said understandably and reached for the accelerator, only for his hand to be grabbed by Eli’s…
Why the fuck did he do that? Why did he just grab his hand? He could feel Mickey stare at him, which only made his ears feel even hotter than before. He tried to focus on his breath as he avoided Mickeys look by staring out of the front window.
Mickey smiled slightly as a he looked at Eli and they both turned their faces at the two hands joined together. “I can’t drive if we hold hands” Mickey said.
“Let me ask you something, Mickey” Eli interrupted, chancing the subject and turning his head to face him. “How the fuck are you still alive?”.
A question to avoid the obvious, but also a question he actually had been wondering about.
“Cause I’m valuable.” He answered calmly” I bring people together, they appreciate that”.
Eli let go of his hand and turned his face to the road again. “you’re a backstabbing shit” he commented. “No wonder we get along” Mickey returned sarcastically.
“Look Eli” Mickey sighed and faced the road as well. “things have changed… Nucky? Hard man to get to these days. Can’t just walk in and put your feet up… A lot of hoops… and the Munya thing.. that did not help”.
“What thing”
“Ohh” Mickey responded. “Just some shot his face off… But who? And why? Big question mark” he turned his face to Eli slightly amused but then added more seriously: “So nobody just walks in… But he told me ‘Go fetch my brother, get him set up’”.
“The fuck are you babbling about?” Eli asked, visibly bothered by the whole situation.
“You… work for me” Mickey answered.
“Doing what?”
“Well that’s my decision, ain’t it?” he responded amused.
That’s it Eli, thought and stepped right out of the car faster than when he entered. Mickey called after him, but he did not respond. This is so low, Even for Nucky. Work? For that weasel?
He started walking along the road with nothing left but the paper bag in his hand and what little pride he still had for himself. It didn’t take long before Mickey started the car and drove up next to him.
“Come on now. Don’t be a jaboney”. But Eli didn’t listen, he just kept walking straight ahead, each step filling him with anger. “What are you gonna do? There’s no one else coming for you”.
Eli stopped up, and Mickey did the same. He really didn’t have a choice, did he? He glanced at the dry field again taking a moment to accept what his life had come to, how it was never going back to how it used to be… He took a few steps back, threw his paper bag into the car and stepped in.
They had been driving for a few hours. Mostly in silence except for when Mickey tried to make small talk, it just ended in him giggling to himself. Eli didn’t say much, he couldn’t, he was too busy thinking about the moment his and Mickeys hands had touched.
The time he spent in prison had been lonely. In sixteen months he hadn’t touched another person like that, and he found himself being a little too effected by the touch of mickeys hand for his own liking. He shifted in his seat, crossing his legs as he looked out the window away from Mickey, trying to distract himself from him.
Mickey noticed Eli was acting kind of weird. Sure, he wasn’t much up for talking with Mickey in general outside their routinely banter, that he enjoyed. But Eli was being quieter than usual. He then noticed the way Eli was sitting, though he did try his best, Eli wasn’t really that good at hiding it, and Mickey soon understood what was happening.
His face grew hot and he turned to look straight out the window as if everything was normal.
“You all right there?” he asked trying to sound concerned.
“I’m fine, just get me home” Eli said quietly, folding his hands together tightly and laying them in his lap trying to hide it what was already obvious.
“Ookaaay” Mickey returned. He wanted to make a teasing comment, but somehow he couldn’t. He couldn’t even make himself turn to face Eli, even though he wanted to. He wanted to see Eli being unable to control himself. He wanted to see him being all bothered. But he couldn’t, he was too surprised by Eli’s situation. Why was he getting all worked up now? There hadn’t really happened anything. All there happened was… oh…. Oh?
Still staring out the on the road, Mickeys right hand left the wheel and he reached over to grab Elis left hand which was still folded together with his right one in his lap. Eli froze, shot a quick look at him and then turned his head to the right to avoid him again. Mickey softly pulled Elis hand out of his lap and placed it between them. He turned the other man’s hand upside down, so the palm was facing up, and lightly let his fingertips dance across center of it.
Eli shivered and shut his eyes close. He couldn’t believe this was happening, but some part of him wasn’t against it. He always had a weird feeling about Mickey, it was a mix of attraction and annoyance. Or maybe just an annoyance from being attracted to him, he couldn’t tell. But either way, none of them stopped what was happening, and soon enough Mickey started to caress his hand. Slipped his fingers in between his, and let his thumb massage a bit hard against the center of the palm. Eli couldn’t help it, it hit him like lightning. Though he tried to keep it quiet he couldn’t avoid letting out a small sigh.
Mickey stopped the car.
“What are you doing? Get me home” Eli said with a hoarse voice opening his eyes again. Trying to ignore their hands.
“I can see you aren’t feeling well Eli, we gotta take care of this before we you home” he said letting go of his hand and moved closer. Eli jumped a bit when he felt Mickeys right arm snake around his back and pulled him in tightly.
“I know how prison is… I know what it does to you” Mickey said softly and moved his lips to his ear. “let me take care of it for you huh?”. His left hand touched the tip of his knee and slowly made its way up Eli’s thigh, stopping about halfway.
“Unless you’re against it that is” he added and squeezed. Eli shook his head and Mickey chuckled “Mnnhe I thought so”. Without any warning he grabbed Elis cock through his trousers and Eli let out a surprised soft gasp. He began massaging it softly. Eli closed his eyes and turned his face against Mickeys neck in order to hide his embarrassment. The blood in his ears was pumping, and he was sure his face was flushed red as well.
Mickey giggled: “There’s nobody here but us”. He opened his trousers and snuck his hand under the waistband of his underwear, enjoying being so much in control.
“We can just keep this to ourselves”.
Eli shot his eyes open and was about say something to Mickey, but as soon as he raised his head to face his him, Mickey’s hand had already curled around his dick and was slowly beginning to pump it up and down.
Fuck this felt so good, he hadn’t had another person touch him like this in sixteen months. Having Mickey so close to him. Having his arm around him. His hands on him, touching him. All he could think, all he could sense was-
“Mi-Mickey-” he said and turned his face into his neck again, letting out small sighs and gasps.
“What’s that?” Mickey smirked, enjoying the effects he had on Eli. Truth be told, he was nervous in the back of his head. He had always liked Eli more than most people he had encountered. Though they hadn’t spoken much together, they had a sort of chemistry. Their banter had some sort of feeling to it, almost like a flirt. A flirt that neither of them wanted to address.
“Come on Eli, what were you about to say?” His arm he had around Eli slowly made it up to his neck, grapping the back of his hair as he started to pump faster. He yanked his hair, forcing Eli to turn his face up and look at him. “Huh?”
Eli had never been so embarrassed, yet so turned on. “Don’t stop” he whispered softly in between small gasps.
“How rude, ya not even gonna say please?” Mickey pouted and slowed down the rhythm, earning a whimper from Eli. “Maybe I should just stop entirely, seeing as you’re not grateful”
“No! Mickey, Please! Please! Don’t stop Mickey please!” Eli whispered loudly.
“Yeah? Ya mean that?”
“Yes!, p-please!”
“You like it?”
“Yes!”
“You want it?”
“please, Mickey! Just- come on.”
“…… Mhmhmm how can I say no to you huh?” He giggled and turned the speed up faster.
Eli moaned softly and shoved his face against Mickeys neck again. Mickey was not against this as each little sigh and pant he felt on his neck made his mind fizzy. His right hand which he had around Eli slowly sank down to grab his ass. It was almost too much for Eli and in order to keep himself quiet he bit down hard on Mickeys neck.
“Ohh- boy, Fuck!” Mickey strangled out as his hips made a small involuntary jerk. He could feel Eli tensing up by the way he was biting harder, and harder, clearly leaving a bruise on his neck. He was very close.
“It’s okay Eli, just Mnh! Just let go” Mickey whispered, which resulted in Eli doing exactly what he demanded. He gave him a few more pumps, to ride out his orgasm and Eli slowly relaxed into his arms completely, still panting lightly.
Mickey took his right and gently brushed them through Eli’s hair. “There you go… There you go” He said comforting him.
They sat for a few minutes in silence.
“Mickey?”
“Yeah?” he answered still stroking his hair. He suddenly noticed that Eli shaking again, but this time not in pleasure.
“Shit are you alright Eli? he asked and grab his shoulders looking him in the eyes.
“I… I don’t know what to do with myself” he said looking down, warm tears traveling down to his chin.
“I feel so weak…” He lifted his head but tried to not to look into Mickeys eyes as he still was to proud to look into his eyes and show him his frustration. “I feel as if I have no control of my own life, and now… this... I’m- I’m so confused”
“Mm-well of course you are…. how the fuck could you not be?” he said softly: “But listen, we are all going through this shit right now… We all feel out of control… But I think because you have had a safe position up until now, this is coming as a big shock to you, and so there are a lot of thoughts going up in your head.” He lightly tapped his head with a smile.
Eli nodded and dried his tears as he took a deep breath. Still not able to look into his eyes he focused on Mickeys shoulder.
“It’s not wise to keep it all in your head”
“I’m not-“
“-You don’t have to talk about it right now. Or talk to me about it if you don’t want to… but please don’t keep it to yourself, talk to your wife… and if not, write it down on a paper and burn it. Don’t let the words fog up your mind, you need to keep your head clear in these times…. And this?” he grabbed Eli’s chin and forced him to look into his eyes. A slight blush appeared on Elis face.
”Whatever this is, is not something we have to define right now. Or ever if you don’t want to… As I said we can just keep it to ourselves, pretend like it never happened, if that’s what you want, and if this is something you would like to continue, I’m open to it, but I think we should wait till you have had some time to think… I want you to know, I’m here for you no matter what, okay?”
Eli nodded, looking into his eyes: “Thanks Mickey”. He turned to look out the front window.
Mickey did the same and shifted to his previous seat and grabbed the accelerator, turning on the car. As Mickey started driving, Eli reached out for his hand and they shared a slight smile with each other before bantering the rest of the ride home to Eli’s house.