Watershed : Chapter Five

The Tipping Point : Part Two

Précis:

After losing his mother, Wyatt falls deeply in love with Charlie, only to be heartbroken when Charlie betrays him. Years later, Wyatt builds a life with his husband Sam, but their marriage unravels after Sam begins an affair with Hunter, leading them to experiment with an open relationship that spirals into jealousy, secrecy, and betrayal involving friends like Cody, Ari, Jace, and Connor. The final rupture comes during a tense weekend at Cody’s cabin, where Wyatt realizes Sam’s heart truly belongs to Hunter. Wyatt leaves the marriage and moves to London, where he slowly rebuilds his life with the help of Malcolm and his dog Bowie. Fate brings Wyatt back into contact with Charlie, now involved with Leo and entangled with their friend Spencer, reopening old wounds and unresolved feelings. Meanwhile, Connor arrives in London seeking Wyatt, and their rekindled connection forces Wyatt to confront the lingering scars of his past and the possibility of loving again.

Provenance

Connor:

I’d gotten too close too soon.

After Wyatt came home drunk two weeks ago, everything between us felt forced. I slept in the guest room and stayed out of his way as much as I could. I asked if I could go running with him in the mornings. “Suit yourself,” was all he said. I cooked most nights, but he usually texted to say he wouldn’t be home for dinner. When I asked if everything was alright, he said, “It’s fine.” The first time I told him that it clearly wasn’t, he ignored me and walked away. The second time, he said I was behaving like a nagging boyfriend.

That night, he didn’t come home. That night, I realized I’d been calling it home. It wasn’t. It was Wyatt’s. And I should leave.

I texted him, but he didn’t answer. I called Malcolm and asked if he’d heard from Wyatt. Malcolm said he was there. I knew better than to ask if I could speak with him. Malcolm hadn’t offered to put Wyatt on the phone. For a moment, I felt relief. At least Wyatt was safe.

“Please tell Wyatt I’m moving back to the hotel tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll take Bowie out and feed him before I leave, but he’ll need to come home after work.”

I lay awake in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. The flat had been quiet for hours. At some point, I must have drifted off, because the sound of the front door opening woke me.

I listened. No television. Just the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

The door opened without a knock.

The hall light behind Wyatt was dim, but it was enough. He looked tired. Worse than tired. For a moment, he just stood there, like he wasn’t sure I’d still be here.

Then he said, quietly, “Don’t leave, Connor. I’m sorry.”

I pushed the covers back and moved over on the mattress without thinking. “Okay.”

Wyatt stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Bowie nudged it open again with his nose and jumped onto the bed, curling up with a sleepy sigh.

Wyatt:

I woke up in the guest bedroom with Connor’s arm draped over my chest.

“Connor,” I said, gently shaking him. “You need to wake up.”

He lifted his head and kissed me, slow and warm, pushing his tongue between my lips. I pulled back slightly. “Wait. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

Morning light crept through the curtains, pale and thin across the sheets. Bowie was stretched at the foot of the bed, snoring softly. I brushed a hand through Connor’s hair.

“Last night… I meant what I said. I don’t want you to leave. But I need you to understand something,” I said. “You and me… we can’t be boyfriends.”

“I never said we were. What are you trying to say, Wyatt?”

“You’re here for school,” I continued. “A year at Imperial College. That should be your whole world right now. Classes, friends, figuring out who you want to be.”

Connor huffed quietly at that. “That’s not really an answer.”

I sat up, rubbing the back of my neck.

“You’re fifteen years younger than me, Connor.”

He held my gaze. “I know how old I am.”

“I care about you,” I said. “Probably more than I should. You can stay here,” I said. “The guest room’s yours as long as you need it. Bowie’s already decided you live here anyway.” At the sound of his name, Bowie thumped his tail once against the mattress. Connor glanced down at him, then back at me.

“So what does that make me?” he asked. “Your roommate?”

Despite everything, I smiled a little. “Something like that.”

“That’s not exactly what I was hoping for.”

“I know.”

Connor looked down at the sheets, tracing a crease in the fabric with his finger. I left the silence between us alone for a minute.

“Come on,” I said, gently nudging his shoulder. “Let’s get up and make some breakfast.”

Bowie stretched and pushed his nose between us like he’d decided the conversation had gone on long enough.

Connor slid out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt. I followed him downstairs. He filled Bowie’s bowl and set it on the floor, then leaned against the counter while I cracked eggs into a pan.

I let him be.

We ate mostly in silence. I stayed in the kitchen while Connor went upstairs to shower and get dressed. When he came back down, he grabbed his bag from the chair and slipped his shoes on by the door.

“See you tonight,” he said.

I watched through the window as he crossed the street. At the corner, he glanced back once, like he knew I’d still be standing there. Then he disappeared into the crowd.

London carried on around us, and before long, our days settled into something familiar and steady. The guest room became “Connor’s bedroom.” I’d take Bowie out to do his business, then go for a run. A few times I crossed paths with Leo, Charlie’s boyfriend, out running. At first, he only slowed long enough to say hello. Then we started running together when our routes lined up, which happened more and more often.

“There’s a place that does a very respectable flat white,” he said, jerking his head toward a café. “Fancy one?”

From then on, we’d stop for coffee and talk once or twice a week before going our separate ways. Before long, the conversations turned more personal. Leo was as curious about me as I was about him. The mornings with Leo had quietly become my favourite mornings.

One morning, while we were standing at the counter waiting for the Barista to make the coffee, Leo said, “Charlie used to meet me for coffee after runs. These days, he’s usually got somewhere else to be.” He said it like it didn’t bother him, but it sounded like it did. The more he talked about Charlie, the more it sounded like something I’d already lived through. I’d heard those same doubts once before, only then they’d been my own.

Connor left early most mornings, usually after feeding Bowie and stealing the last piece of toast off my plate. He took on a part-time tutoring job. By evening he’d be back at the flat with a stack of books. On the nights when I wasn’t at the law library studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, I’d cook or order takeaway. Connor would study at the dining table while I cleaned up. Occasionally, we’d curl up on the couch with Bowie between us and watch whatever nonsense Connor insisted was worth watching.

Malcolm drifted in and out the way he always had. One Friday, he showed up with takeaway and a bottle of whisky. Another night, he stopped by to walk Bowie with Connor. A few weeks into Connor’s term, Malcolm called.

“There’s a show tonight,” he said. “Decent band. You two should come.”

Concerts and crowded clubs have never been my thing. Connor looked up from the kitchen table when I relayed the invitation.

“You should go,” I told him.

“What about you?”

“The last concert I went to was when I was in college. I think I’ll stay home with Bowie.”

Connor seemed disappointed, but he smiled and said, “If you’re sure.”

Leo:

Charlie told me that he’d spoken to Wyatt since he came to dinner a few weeks ago. I was fairly sure Wyatt had left that night, thinking we were a couple of wankers. I didn’t press Charlie for details, but since Wyatt hadn’t come round again, I assumed Charlie hadn’t sorted things out with him.

Unless he had and simply hadn’t told me. There was quite a lot Charlie wasn’t telling me these days.

The first time I saw Wyatt out running, he ran past like the morning belonged to him, like a man who knew exactly where he was going. Before long, we started running together and stopping for coffee afterward. Knowing his and Charlie’s history, the irony of my having a bit of a schoolboy crush on Wyatt wasn’t lost on me.

Wyatt tore his scone in half and slid the larger piece across the table. “You and Charlie should come round for dinner,” he said, unaware that Charlie and I were coming apart. Charlie had stopped trying to hide his attraction to Spencer, and I knew they were spending time together without me.

Wyatt phoned Charlie and invited us to come for dinner at his flat on Saturday. Charlie and I had it out the night before the dinner. I came home and found him in bed with Spencer and another man. That’s why I arrived alone on Saturday night. I thought about cancelling, but truth be told, I couldn’t think of a good excuse or anywhere I’d rather be.

Wyatt:

Earlier that week, I told Connor I’d invited Charlie and Leo to dinner. He was welcome to stay, but he had plans with Malcolm. They’d been spending a lot of time together lately. They both liked music and clubbing, so it never occurred to me there might be more to it. The first time Connor didn’t come home, he said they’d been drinking, and he’d stayed at Malcolm’s. I didn’t realize what was going on until I came home late one night and found Bowie sitting outside Connor’s bedroom door. Bowie thought Connor belonged to him, so most nights he slept at the foot of Connor’s bed. I quietly opened the door to let him in. Bowie started for the bed before I caught him. Malcom was on his back, hands behind his head, thrusting up into Connor’s mouth.

“There ye go. Just like that.” Malcolm turned his head to look at me with a mischievous grin. “Easy now, Son. Ye’re doin’ so good.”

I pulled the door closed and took Bowie for a long walk.

The following morning, I was eating breakfast when Malcolm walked into the kitchen naked, his fat cock swinging between his legs. Malcolm’s a good man. Kind, loyal, and dangerously good in bed. He’s hooked a lot of men with his pendulous cock.

“We need to talk…” I said, “About Connor.”

“Aye. I suppose we do.”

“When you and I dated, I could feel myself falling for you, and that was enough to make me end it. I’m lucky you didn’t walk away.”

“So, what is it ye’ve got tae say?” Malcom leaned against the counter.

“You don’t stay with the same man for long,” I said. “You’re my best friend. But if you hurt Connor, you and I will have a problem.”

“Aye,” he said quietly. “Ye dinnae need tae worry.” Malcolm absently ran a thumb along the inside of his wrist where Connor had left a faint mark. “He’s no’ just another lad tae me.”

I nodded and went back to my coffee.

By Saturday evening, the flat was quiet again. Connor was out with Malcolm, and Bowie was asleep on the sofa. The doorbell rang just after seven. When I opened the door, Leo was standing there alone.

Leo:

Wyatt stepped aside to let me in. He didn’t ask where Charlie was. Wyatt’s dog padded over, sniffed my hand once, then leaned against my leg like we’d already met. “He likes you,” Wyatt said. “His name’s Bowie.” The flat smelled warm and savoury from the kitchen.

“Chicken Pot Pie,” Wyatt said. “Nothing fancy.”

“It smells heavenly.”

Over dinner, Wyatt told me he’s been studying for the exam that would allow him to become a solicitor in the U.K.. For now, he could only practice U.S. law. He seemed genuinely interested in my job as a photographer, and asked if he could see my portfolio sometime. By the time dinner was over, we’d finished an entire bottle of wine. I helped clear the plates, then we took Bowie for a walk.

I was prepared to say goodnight when we got back to the flat, but Wyatt asked me to stay a little longer. We sat on the couch, moving a little closer together as it got later. Wyatt’s arm rested lightly along the back of the couch behind me.

When I turned toward him, Wyatt was already looking at me. The kiss was soft at first. Then his hand slid to the back of my head, pulling me closer. His mouth opened against mine, warm and certain, his tongue finding its way between my lips.

I felt the rough brush of stubble against my chin and the slow, deliberate way he deepened the kiss, like he’d been holding back all evening. For a moment, I forgot why I’d come alone.

Wyatt:

I should have stopped it, but I wanted him. Slipping my hand under his t-shirt, I dragged my fingers along the etched ridges of his abdomen, feeling his soft skin over the hard muscle. His breath hitched in my mouth. I curled my fingers around the hem of his shirt and lifted it off. “Tell me to stop,” I said, turning his face to mine.

“No.” His fingers twisted in my hair, pulling me in and kissing me, driving his tongue in my mouth.

I led him upstairs to my bedroom and closed the door behind us. I pulled off my shirt. Leo slipped his fingers under the waistband of my jeans, working the zipper open. He reached in and ran his fingers over the head of my cock, then he brought his fingers to his mouth, licked them, and then kissed me. His lips were soft and warm, and I opened for him. His hands moved to my waist. He went down on his knees and pulled my jeans off. He looked up at me and wrapped his hand around my cock, catching the string of precum dripping from it on his tongue.

I lifted him to his feet and pressed my lips to his ear. “I don’t want you to be a cheater,” I whispered.

“I’m not. He’s with Spencer.”

Leo stepped out of his pants, leaving his white briefs on. I slipped my hands underneath, cupping the round cheeks of his ass, and slid his briefs down over his muscled legs.

Leo:

Wyatt led me to the bed and lay me on my back. His lips moved to my neck and down my chest, running his tongue over one nipple, then the other. He kissed his way down my stomach and around my navel, licking up the precum off my belly. He looked up at me like he was asking permission, then he took my cock in his mouth, running his tongue around the head and up and down the shaft. He lifted my legs and licked my balls and taint. He pushed my legs back to my chest and buried his nose and tongue between my cheeks, telling me he loved the way I smelled and tasted.

Wyatt didn’t ask or tell me. He didn’t need to. He reached for the lube from his nightstand and poured some into his hand. He teased my hole with his fingers and gently pushed a finger in, then two, working me open, getting me ready. He slicked his cock with lube and pressed the head against my pucker. Wyatt’s cock is bigger and a lot thicker than what I was used to. He started to push in slowly. I felt every inch of it stretching me open. It was painful at first, but I wanted all of him inside me.

“Okay?, he asked barely above a whisper.

“Yes. Just go slow.” Wyatt didn’t move, waiting for my ass to adjust to his cock. All that took was his bending down to kiss me. He began to rock his hips back and forth, grinding into me. I felt his cock moving against my prostate. When I told him I was getting close, he began to thrust into me. Sweat dripped off his face onto mine.

“I want you to come in me,” I said, whimpering and begging. He pulled back and looked in my eyes.

“If I do that, I’ll only want more,” he said.

“I know. So will I.”

Wyatt:

“My cock throbbed inside Leo. I came hard. Leo arched up, and I felt his cum hitting my chest and neck. Leo looked up at me, my cock still buried deep inside of him. I watched his face for signs of regret, but there was only his smile. I lay on top of him, letting my cock slip out, feeling his warm cum between us.

When I woke up, Leo was still beside me, snoring softly. I looked at the clock on the nightstand. 6:18. I didn’t want to wake him, so I slipped out of bed and tiptoed naked down the hall toward the bathroom.

When I passed Connor’s bedroom, the door was open, and his bed was unmade, so he must have come home last night. I was worried about Connor’s feelings. I hadn’t slept with anyone since he moved in. Just then, Connor opened the bathroom door. He was naked, and his hair was still wet from the shower.

“Morning,” he said. “Coffee’s on.”

He glanced down the hall toward my bedroom, then back at me with a small smile. He grabbed a towel from the closet and draped it over my shoulder as he passed.

“You’ve got company,” he added softly. “I’ll keep Bowie out of your room.”

Not long after that, Leo moved out of the flat he’d shared with Charlie and found a place of his own a few streets away. He said he wanted something smaller. Something quieter. The truth was, we spent most nights at my place anyway.

Connor and Malcolm drifted in and out of the flat the way they always had, usually late, laughing too loud, and talking about some band I’d never heard of.

I was watching football on a Sunday afternoon with Bowie curled up on my lap when the doorbell rang. Connor was out with Malcolm, and Leo was in Norwich visiting his parents.

I opened the door.

Charlie stood on the landing.

“Hello, Wyatt,” he said. “Can I come in?”

To Be Continued