Work Text:
"Hey, babe."
Agron looks up from his laptop to see Nasir leaning against the doorframe, messenger bag still slung across his body, which means he’s just gotten home. Agron smiles and just takes in the sight of him. He’s still kind of floored that this gorgeous man is his, and that he lives here now, even if it's technically only temporary. For now.
"Hey, gorgeous," he replies, and in response, Nasir beams at him and steps into the room, lifting his bag off and dropping it on the floor next to Agron's desk chair, before leaning down and giving him a kiss. He stands up after a long moment, his hands moving to his hair to undo the messy bun he'd pulled the long, dark strands into, probably while he was bent over the lab equipment. Agron wraps his arms around Nasir's waist and pulls him close again, resting his face against Nasir's stomach.
Nasir cards his fingers through Agron's short hair, and Agron can't help making a pleased noise and rubbing his face against Nasir's soft shirt, making him laugh.
"How was your day?" he asks Nasir’s bellybutton.
"Good. Long. One of those days that really demonstrated what my graduate program will eventually be like, and made me glad I actually like writing up research reports. What about you?”
“Good, too. Work was busy, but Auctus let me leave early. I’ve been researching rental cars since I got home.”
“Oh yeah? What are you renting a car for?” Nasir asks, curiosity evident in his tone.
“You mean, what are we renting a car for,” Agron replies, purposefully teasing him.
Nasir pulls out of their embrace a little so he can look down at Agron’s face. “Okay, what are we renting a car for?”
“Well, you know how my great-grandma’s 100th birthday party is in a few weeks, right?”
Nasir nods that he does know.
“Well, I was thinking about how we’ve never taken a vacation together, and just flying in and out for the party really wouldn’t count because we’d be around my family the whole time. And then I started thinking that you haven’t even been home to see your family this summer because of your assistantship, so wouldn’t it be good if we could see them too? But that would be a lot of flying, which isn’t a lot of fun, and not a great way for us to spend some quality time together, just us, so I thought, maybe we should just drive. So do you want to?”
Agron isn’t quite expecting Nasir’s response. “Wait, so, I’m invited to your great-grandma’s birthday party?” he asks.
“Baby! Of course you are!” Agron says incredulously. “Why wouldn’t you be?”
“I don’t know,” Nasir says. “You never actually asked me to go, so I just assumed you were going by yourself with your family.”
“Oh, shit, I’m sorry, babe,” Agron says, feeling sheepish. “I guess I assumed that you’d just know that my invitation included you. Um, for the record, any invitation from my family always includes you.”
Nasir smiles at that. “So, okay, your great-grandma’s birthday party. In San Diego. And you want to drive there?”
“Yes? I mean, it’ll be fun! We can fly back, but driving out there, spending time with you, traveling across the country, visiting your family, meeting your brother… I dunno, I just thought it would be really cool. I’ve only ever flown out to see Mom’s family before, so I’ve never actually been into the middle part of the country. And I want to see where you’re from. You’ve been to Portsmouth loads of times with me.” Agron realizes he’s rambling and consciously closes his mouth to stop talking and let Nasir get a word in.
“Well, I would love for you to see Kansas City, and meet my brother, and spend more time with my parents. And I’ve never been to California,” Nasir says, his smile getting bigger as he goes on.
“So, do you wanna do it?” Agron asks, barely able to contain his excitement.
Nasir grins at him. “Yes, Agron, I will drive cross-country with you.”
Agron whoops and stands, picking up Nasir by the waist as he goes. He looks up, Nasir’s long hair surrounding their faces like a black, silk curtain, and kisses him. They’re both grinning, and Nasir is practically giggling, but it’s good anyway. Agron can’t wait to start really planning their trip. It’s going to be amazing.
***
Agron’s going over the packing list and itinerary one last time before he goes to bed. Nasir is currently propped up against the headboard, reading glasses on and hair in a messy bun on top of his head, reading over his research paper. He’s got that little crease going on his forehead that he gets whenever he’s concentrating really hard, and it’s so fucking cute, it’s always really hard for Agron to stop himself from touching him all over when he looks like that. He actually does need to interrupt him, though, so he can satisfy himself that they’re ready to leave tomorrow morning. He at least waits until Nasir turns a page, the end of the pencil he’s been making notes with now between his teeth.
“Hey, babe,” he says.
Nasir takes one extra second to look up, probably finishing a sentence. “Yeah?”
“Can we go over the itinerary for a sec?” Agron asks.
Nasir rolls his eyes, but he’s got that quirk to his mouth that means he’s amused, not annoyed, and pushes his glasses up on top of his head and sets the paper and pencil aside. “Sure.”
Agron beams at him. “Awesome. Okay, so. I’m going to leave here at six-thirty so I can pick up the rental car by seven, which means I need to get up by six, so I have to set the alarm for five-thirty.”
“Uh-huh,” Nasir replies.
“Then I’ll be back here to pick you up at seven-thirty, by which time you’ll have packed up all of the last second stuff we need to use in the morning, and then we’ll load up the car and be on the road by eight.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t feel like you have to bring all the bags downstairs by yourself, though. You can wait for me, or Donar should be up by then, so he can help you.”
Agron really should’ve seen the pillow to the head coming.
“Asshole. Like I can’t carry a fucking suitcase by myself. I’m in the goddamn gym just as much as you are. Just because your arms are twice the size of mine doesn’t mean--”
Agron crawls across the bed and cuts Nasir off with his mouth. Nasir responds after a second, and once he’s thoroughly kissed away his rant, Agron pulls back and presses their foreheads together. “I know, babe, I’m sorry.”
Nasir responds by shoving against Agron’s shoulders and pinning him to the bed in one swift movement. “Forgiven,” he says, before leaning down and kissing Agron again.
Agron wraps his arms around Nasir and pulls him down against him, at the same time pushing up with his hips. Nasir pulls back after a second to look at him. “Is this on the Official Itinerary?” he asks, a little breathlessly with how he’s grinding back down against Agron’s hips.
“Fuck the itinerary,” Agron replies, pulling him back down and then rolling them over, smashing Nasir’s paper in the process, which, whatever. The pencil in his shoulder hurts, though. “Fuck, ow,” he says. Nasir takes pity on him and grabs the paper and pencil and tosses them off the bed, then takes his glasses off his head and sets them on his nightstand before launching himself back at Agron.
They roll around like that for a while, making out and rubbing against each other. They’re not in any hurry right now, and it just feels damn good. After a while, though, Nasir says, “Less clothes, now.”
Agron obeys, and gets his pajama pants and t-shirt off in short order while Nasir does the same. They meet again in a clash of lips and hands stroking across sensitive skin. Agron settles between Nasir’s thighs, sucking a trail of kisses from his jaw and neck, down his torso, before stopping at the soft skin below his belly-button, the muscles beneath tensing and relaxing as Nasir moves his hips, trying to get Agron to go lower. He doesn’t make him wait long, pressing his hands against the backs of Nasir’s thighs, encouraging him to spread his legs further. Agron has to stop for a second just to look; the sight of Nasir spread out before him still takes his breath away.
“C’mon, babe, please,” Nasir groans, and that prods Agron to move again, taking a quick nip at the soft skin of Nasir’s inner right thigh before he licks a stripe up his dick, which lies heavy and full against his stomach. Agron wraps a hand around the base, then licks and sucks around the head, savoring the salty-bitter taste of Nasir’s pre-come, before moving down until his lips meet his fist. Nasir sighs above him, hips flexing gently to push up into Agron’s mouth. Agron takes his hand away to give Nasir more room to thrust, and drags his fingers down to stroke against Nasir’s balls before moving them down further to tease at his hole. He rubs his thumb around the rim, and enjoys the hitch he hears in Nasir’s breath when he presses against him a little harder.
He feels Nasir’s fingers tighten in his hair, which sends goosebumps down his neck and back, but then he yanks harder and Agron pulls his mouth off Nasir’s dick and looks up at him. Nasir is already stretched up and over, grabbing the lube out of the nightstand. He tosses the tube to Agron, who catches it easily, and squeezes some out onto his fingers before closing the lid and setting it aside for now. He reaches for Nasir again, pushes his legs wide as he slowly presses one slick finger inside him. Nasir relaxes into it, easy as anything, rolling his shoulders back on the bed so he can push down with his hips. Agron slides in a second finger, leaning up over Nasir so he can get his mouth on his neck again, sucking on all of his favorite spots, making Nasir moan and writhe beneath him. He bites Nasir’s bottom lip and adds a third finger at the same time, and Nasir’s hands clutch at his shoulders as he makes a high pitched noise.
“Please, Agron,” he moans against Agron’s mouth.
And Agron can’t deny him any longer. He kisses him once more before sliding his fingers out gently, then reaches over to the nightstand for a condom. Once he gets it on and himself slicked up, he pushes Nasir’s thighs back and lines himself up. Nasir nods and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as Agron pushes into the tight, wet heat of him. There is nothing else in the world Agron has felt that is better than the way Nasir feels around him, so hot and perfect. Once he’s pressed in as far as he can go, he stretches out over Nasir, propping himself up with his elbows bracketing Nasir’s shoulders. It changes the angle and Nasir wraps his legs around Agron’s waist, and his arms around his neck, pulling him down to press their foreheads together.
Agron’s thrusts are slow and measured at first, he and Nasir sharing the same air, pressing soft kisses to each others’ lips, looking into each others’ eyes. After a while, though, Nasir bites his own lip, hitches a leg up high along Agron’s side, and slides his hands from Agron’s shoulders down to his ass. He grips it hard and that’s Agron’s cue to pick up the pace and strength of his movements. He pulls out almost all the way, then pushes back in fast and hard, and keeps doing it, watching Nasir’s face the whole time. Nasir tosses his head back on the bed, his eyes slide shut, a breathy, “Yeah, fuck,” escaping his lips.
Nasir reaches a hand between them to grab his dick, which had been leaking messy trails along Agrons’ stomach. He fists himself in rhythm with Agron’s thrusts, and before long he’s moaning loudly and clenching tight, his come slick between their bellies. Agron drops his head to bury his face in Nasir’s neck as he feels himself getting closer. Nasir tightens his arms and legs around him, the hand not covered in come reaching up to run through Agron’s hair and pulling at the longer strands. That’s enough to send him over the edge, and he bites down on Nasir’s shoulder as he comes.
They lie pressed together for a few minutes as they both come down. Eventually, Agron pushes himself up a bit to smile at Nasir and kiss him again. Nasir smooths his hand down the back of Agron’s head where he’d pulled his hair, and Agron nips his lower lip. He pulls out slowly, then gets up to get rid of the condom and get a washcloth for Nasir. They get cleaned up and get their pajamas back on, and Agron snorts when he gets a look at Nasir’s hair, his bun totally ruined.
Nasir smiles and reaches up to tug the elastic out of his hair so it falls loose around his face. And Agron can’t do nothing about that, so he reaches over and digs his fingers into the soft strands, leaning down to kiss his gorgeous boyfriend. Nasir laughs a little into the kiss as he presses himself against Agron, the interested twitch in Agron’s dick obvious.
“You’re so easy,” he says when he pulls away from Agron’s lips.
“Yeah well, you’re really hot,” is all Agron can say in response. Because it’s true.
Nasir kisses him again, then yawns, and says, “We should probably get to bed. Wouldn’t want to mess up the Official Itinerary by getting a late start in the morning.”
Agron smacks his ass lightly. “Brat. You’ll appreciate my planning when we’re on the road.”
“Uh huh,” Nasir says, as he climbs into his side of the bed.
“Never doubt my superior planning skills, babe. So many disasters averted because of them, just ask Duro,” he says as he climbs in on his side.
“I’ll be sure to do that,” Nasir says around another yawn, snuggling up against Agron’s side.
Agron wraps an arm around him and pulls him in close, Nasir’s head pillowed on his chest. “I love you,” he says.
“Love you, too,” Nasir replies as they both drift off to sleep.
***
The Official Itinerary, as Agron’s taken to calling it in his head since Nasir said it that way last night, goes off without a hitch in the morning. They’re on the road by eight a.m. and are only delayed for a few minutes by a quick stop at Dunkin before they get on the highway. Even though it’ll mean an extra, and earlier than planned, pee stop, Agron is not about to spend the entire day in the car with an uncaffeinated Nasir. In retrospect, it should’ve been included in the itinerary, which he knows Nasir will call him out on if he mentions it, so he keeps quiet and acts like it was the plan all along.
They’re on the Mass Pike, heading west with the windows down, sipping their coffee, and enjoying Morning Edition on WBUR. It won’t last long; Boston is having a rare, cool August morning, and they’ll be out of range of the station at some point soon, but it’s a nice way to start the trip.
Once they’ve exhausted all of the radio stations as they make their way out of New England and it’s time to put some music on, Agron scrolls to a playlist on his iPod that he made specifically for this trip. He hits play on the first track and “Superbeast” by Rob Zombie starts blaring over the sound system. He turns to look at Nasir’s face, which is wide-eyed in horror. Agron just laughs and tortures him for about thirty more seconds, then skips to the next song, acoustic guitar filling the air.
“Is this Of Monsters and Men?” Nasir asks.
“Yep,” Agron replies, turning to glance at Nasir, who is smiling hugely at him.
“You’re the best, babe,” he says, leaning over to kiss Agron on the cheek before settling back in his seat, one foot bouncing up and down in the footwell as the song picks up.
Agron kind of hates Nasir’s hipster music, but he really loves Nasir, so as they cross over the Hudson River, he takes Nasir’s hand in his and rests them on his thigh. Nasir squeezes their fingers together and hums along to the music.
***
They stop for lunch in Scranton, PA. Nasir convinces him to stop at a small diner instead of pulling into the mid-priced chain restaurant he was headed toward. It ends up being a fantastic idea. The food is incredible, and cheap as hell, and their waitress is snappy and pleasant. When they get back in the car, Agron queues up the Office theme music, and Nasir laughs until they’re back on the highway.
They have about seven more hours to go today, Agron planning to get them to Columbus, OH before they stop for the night. When they start getting bored with the music, Agron tells Nasir to open the glove compartment, and Nasir makes a happy noise at the surprise he finds there.
“Harry Potter audiobooks! Babe, you’re spoiling me!”
Agron is, but Nasir deserves it, so he smiles at him and says, “Put one on.”
They start with Prisoner of Azkaban, because it’s Nasir’s favorite, and Jim Dale’s voice takes them through the mountains of Pennsylvania and into the river valleys of Ohio.
***
It’s around nine-thirty when they finally check-in to the hotel Agron had booked ahead. It’s just a Hampton Inn, but the lobby is clean and bright, and it looks like they’ve tried to update the furniture to what an interior decorator in Ohio would think of as “modern”, so it could be a lot worse.
“And there’s your card back, Mr. Müller,” the front desk clerk says as he slides Agron’s credit card back across the counter. “We have your room ready, a King Standard, non-smoking?” he asks with only a slight eyebrow twitch toward Nasir.
“That’s right,” Agron confirms, taking Nasir’s hand in his after he’s put his wallet back in his pocket.
“Great,” the clerk says. After another moment, he swipes two keycards through the machine on the desk, then puts them in a small envelope and hands them to Agron. “You’re on the third floor, room 307. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call the front desk.”
“Thanks,” Agron says. He and Nasir make their way across the lobby, overnight bags slung over their shoulders, and find the elevator.
They’re quiet on the way up to the room, both of them tired and a little stiff from being in the car all day. They get out on the third floor and head down the hall until they find their door. Agron fumbles the keycard at first, but gets it on the second try. “I hate those fucking things,” he says, holding the door open for Nasir, who just snorts at him as he walks into the room.
The room is nice, most of the space taken up by the king-sized bed. But there’s a flat-screen tv across from it, and it smells clean, thankfully, and looks clean, too. He peeks into the bathroom after he tosses his duffle bag onto the bed. It seems like it’s been remodeled recently, and if it’s anything like all of the other hotel showers Agron has been in, the water pressure will be fantastic.
He goes back out into the room and finds Nasir unpacking what they’ll need for the night from both of their bags. He looks fucking adorable doing it, and Agron moves toward him, wraps his arms around him from behind and presses his face into his hair, his French braid from this morning soft and loose at the end of the day.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” he mumbles into the back of Nasir’s head. He feels Nasir nod his head, presses a kiss there, then grabs his shower kit out of his bag and heads back into the bathroom.
He gets the water on and the temperature adjusted, then strips down and steps into the shower. He was right; the water pressure is divine, the hot water pounding on his shoulders and back, stiff from driving the car all day. He reaches for the shampoo bottle that’s on the little shelf in the shower and squirts some out into his hand. It smells like vanilla.
He’s working the lather into his hair when he feels the cool rush of air from the shower curtain being pulled back. He tips his head back to rinse, rubbing a hand down his face to make sure he won’t get any soap in his eyes, then opens them to see Nasir climbing into the shower in front of him. He smiles and reaches for him, pulling Nasir close and getting him wet with his body as he leans down to kiss him.
Agron slides his hands down Nasir’s back, then over his ass, which he squeezes, urging Nasir up on his toes, his arms winding around Agron’s neck. One of Agron’s thighs is between Nasir’s, and it’s a sweet, slow grind against each other, with deep, searching kisses and Nasir’s fingers sliding through Agron’s wet hair.
The make out like that for a while, the steam from the shower making everything hot and slick. Eventually, Agron sets Nasir carefully back on his feet so he doesn’t slip, and pushes him back against the wall as he slowly drops to his knees in front of him. It’s awkward in the small space of the shower, with the spray pounding down on his legs and feet, but Nasir is gorgeous above him, his cock flushed and ready, curving up toward his stomach. Agron braces both hands on Nasir’s hips and licks around the head before pushing down and feeling the heavy weight of Nasir’s cock slide over his tongue and back toward his throat. Nasir moans, amplified by the acoustics in the bathroom, and Agron works his tongue underneath the head as he pulls back.
He sucks Nasir slow, not rushing, the taste of him flooding Agron’s mouth, making it water and drip down his chin as he bobs his head. Nasir’s hands cradle his skull gently, fingers tightening in his hair whenever he slides past Agron’s gag reflex and into his throat, which makes Agron’s cock twitch between his thighs. He can tell when Nasir’s close, his hands staying clenched in Agron’s hair and Agron loosens his grip on Nasir’s hips so he can thrust forward as he comes. Agron swallows with each pulse, Nasir’s moans echoing around them.
He pulls back, and Nasir helps him to his feet again, his knees popping as he straightens out. Nasir pushes on his shoulders and they do a little dance as they switch places, Agron’s back hitting the wet wall, cold except for the spot in the middle where it’s still warm from Nasir’s body heat. Nasir folds himself down at Agron’s feet, and then his mouth is on him, and it’s hot and wet and Agron’s hips twitch forward before he can stop himself. He mumbles an apology, but Nasir just pets his hip and sucks hard, letting him know it’s okay to move. Agron runs a hand through Nasir’s hair to cup the back of his head, his other hand gently cupping Nasir’s cheek where he can feel his jaw working. He slides it down over his throat, feeling it move and flex as Nasir swallows and takes Agron in further. He groans and thrusts forward again, holding Nasir’s head in place. Nasir moans around his cock, his eyes looking up to meet Agron’s, and the heat in them takes Agron’s breath away. “Fuck,” he chokes out, and then he’s thrusting forward once more and coming, shaking as he feels Nasir’s throat working to swallow.
When he’s finally spent, he pulls Nasir to his feet by his shoulders and leans down to kiss him, tongue chasing away the taste of himself in Nasir’s mouth. Nasir’s lips are almost slack, and he just lets Agron kiss him, his arms winding around Agron’s waist. Agron rests their foreheads together and tries to breathe again. “You’re so amazing,” he says.
Nasir just hums in response, getting a little heavier in Agron’s arms as he relaxes into their embrace.
“Tired, baby?” Agron asks.
“Exhausted,” Nasir says.
Agron kisses Nasir’s forehead. He helps Nasir shower, washing his hair for him, and by the time they’re both clean and wrapped up in towels, Nasir is practically asleep on his feet.
They turn out all the lights and climb into the bed, the sheets crisp and cold, but the bed surprisingly soft and comfortable. It’s a bigger bed than either of them is used to, and they sink into the middle of it, limbs tangled together, Nasir’s head tucked under Agron’s chin. They’re both asleep within minutes.
***
They’re up and out of the hotel by seven the next morning, wanting to make sure they make it to Nasir’s parents’ house in time for dinner that night. The drive is fairly uneventful, the scenery flattening out in Indiana and Illinois. They finish Prisoner of Azkaban before lunch, and they skip to Order of the Phoenix after that (Nasir’s second favorite, and Agron teases him about his crush on Sirius Black, which makes Nasir scowl at him, but he doesn’t bother to deny it). The highway bends somewhere around Effingham, IL and Agron almost has a heart-attack when suddenly there’s a gigantic cross in the sky. Nasir can’t stop laughing at him.
It’s right around one-thirty when they cross the Mississippi and enter St. Louis. The highway is north of the Arch, but Agron still cranes his neck for as quick a second as he dares while on a bridge over water to see it. Nasir doesn’t laugh this time, but smiles and squeezes Agron’s hand. Missouri has a lot more rolling hills than Agron was expecting, especially after the rest of the trip so far today. He says as much to Nasir.
“Yeah, Missouri isn’t really all that flat,” Nasir says. “It’s Kansas that’ll kill you with flatness, just wait.”
“It’s really pretty, following the river like this,” Agron says. And it is, the glistening water winding back and forth next to the highway as they drive through some scenic valleys.
“It doesn’t stay near the road for much longer, but yeah, this part of the drive is really pretty,” Nasir says.
As they get closer to Kansas City, Agron can feel Nasir getting more tense next to him. Whether it’s all nerves, or all excitement, or some combination of both, he isn’t really sure. Nasir doesn’t often volunteer information about his family, or what it was like growing up in the Midwest. Agron asks sometimes, and Nasir’s never been upset with him for it, but he doesn’t usually bring it up himself. Agron rubs his hand along Nasir’s thigh. “You doing okay?” he asks, going for vague, but he figures Nasir will know exactly what he’s getting at.
Nasir puts his hand on top of Agron’s, but leaves them resting on his leg. “Yeah, I just… I don’t know, I’ve just never brought a boyfriend home before. I’m not really sure how this is going to go.”
“I get that, but it’s not like I’m some random person. Your parents have met me and that went okay, right?”
“Well, yeah. But you’re more than just my boyfriend, you know?”
Agron does know, and it makes him feel all warm inside his chest to hear Nasir say it. He turns his hand over so they can thread their fingers together.
“Are you worried about your brother at all?”
“Nah, he’s so laid back. He’s gonna love you. Are you worried?”
“Not about your brother. I’m pretty much the expert on little brothers.”
Nasir snorts. “Yeah, I can see how Duro took a lot of looking after when you were kids.”
“Not just then,” Agron says with meaning. He’s pretty sure Duro will always take looking after. It’s a good thing he loves the asshole so much.
“Well, Rahim is a lot more laid back than Duro. He’s kind of the opposite of me, in a lot of ways. He’s really social.”
“You’re social,” Agron says, frowning a little.
“No, I know. But like, I’m introverted social. Rahim’s a total extrovert, never met a stranger. He’s really easy-going. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting along with him. He’ll probably be your best friend by the time we leave.”
Agron lifts their joined hands to his lips and kisses Nasir’s knuckles. “Never gonna happen. You are my best friend.”
“Dork,” Nasir says, but his voice sounds fond. Agron smiles against his skin and kisses it again.
***
As he follows Nasir’s directions, foregoing the GPS for local knowledge once they’re off the highway, Agron admits to himself that he’s pretty fucking nervous about this. He’s also really fucking excited; he can’t wait to see the home Nasir grew up in, meet his brother, and spend more time with his parents. They have all day tomorrow to spend exploring the city, and Agron’s looking forward to Nasir showing him his favorite spots. But he’s aware that while Nasir’s parents love their son and have come to terms with his sexuality, it hasn’t been easy for them, and he’s not really sure how his presence here will affect things. He’s only met them once, when they came to Boston to visit Nasir and he joined them for dinner. It wasn’t the most awkward dinner he’s ever been a part of, but it certainly wasn’t easy. Afterward, when Nasir was happy that it went so well, Agron knew that things with his family were just incredibly different from what he was used to with his own. Agron can roll with different though, especially when it’s for the love of his life, so he tries his best to swallow down the ball of nerves in his throat and turns right when Nasir tells him to.
They’re not far from the center of the city once they’re in a heavily residential area. The houses are gigantic, along with the trees surrounding them. Nasir directs them down a wide boulevard, lined with well-kept homes and trees with the occasional fountain in the center, and Agron can’t help but be impressed. “This is where you grew up?”
“Yep. Turn right at the next street,” Nasir says.
Agron does as he says. They go another few blocks, then Nasir says, “This is my neighborhood,” when they pass a little sign that says “Mission Hills”. “Technically we’re in Kansas, but we’re just over the state line,” he adds.
The road to Nasir’s parents’ house is winding, and they pass more huge houses, with expensive cars parked out front. They take another left, and then they’re pulling into a wide driveway. The house at the end isn’t the biggest one in the neighborhood, but it’s still pretty large. It’s a mock Tudor, white with brown trim, a large tree in the middle of the front yard and more surrounding the house in the back.
Agron stretches, arms in the air and rolling his neck, when he gets out of the car. They pushed through as fast as they could today so they would be on time for dinner. He’s walking around to the trunk to get out their bags when he hears the front door open and someone running down the front walk. He looks around the open trunk and sees a tall, skinny teenager with long hair running toward Nasir with his arms outstretched.
“Nasir!” The guy who Agron assumes is Rahim shouts at his brother as he wraps him up in a hug. He can hear Nasir’s laugh, muffled against his brother’s shoulder. Agron sets their bags down and shuts the trunk and smiles at them, a small part of him wishing Duro was there, too.
After a minute, Nasir lets go of his brother and brings him over to Agron. “Rahim, this is Agron. Agron, Rahim.”
“Nice to finally meet you,” Agron says, shaking Rahim’s outstretched hand. He looks so much like Nasir at the same time almost nothing like him at all, sort of like him and Duro. They have the same dark eyes and well-shaped eyebrows, and almost identical smiles, but otherwise, it’s like Rahim is a slightly stretched out version of Nasir.
“Yeah, you too!” Rahim says, and leans in for a quick one-armed hug and shoulder slap. Agron likes the kid already.
Rahim helps him with the bags, and they follow Nasir up the walk and into the house. When Agron walks into the house, Nasir is hugging his mother, so Agron sets his bag down and shakes Nasir’s father’s hand.
“It’s nice to see you again, Dr. Safar. Thanks for having us,” he says, remembering his good manners from somewhere.
Dr. Safar offers him a tight smile. “You’re welcome.”
They switch, and while Nasir says hello to his father, Agron greets his mother.
“Mrs. Safar, it’s lovely to see you again,” he says, as she takes his hand in both of hers and squeezes.
“It’s nice to see you as well, Agron. And please, call me Farah,” she says. “Now just leave your things there, and come into the dining room. Dinner is just about ready to put on.”
Agron follows everyone into the formal dining room, looking around as he goes and taking in what he can see of the house so far. It’s decorated very traditionally, but it somehow doesn’t look dated, just really nice. They sit down at the table, and Agron ends up sitting next to Nasir and across from Rahim, who’s sitting next to their mother, their father at the head of the table.
Dr. Safar says grace, and Agron dutifully bows his head along with the rest of them. He can’t help but glance up, though, and catches Rahim watching him. Rahim just smirks and rolls his eyes in the direction of his father. Another point for baby bro. Agron quirks a smile at him, but puts his head back down when he feels Nasir’s foot tap against his ankle. After the prayers are finished, they all fill their plates from the dishes Farah sets on the table.
“Nasir, tell us how your assistantship is going,” Dr. Safar says as they all begin eating.
“It’s going well. Dr. Floyd is an incredible professor, I’m learning so much from him. Did I tell you he’s agreed to be my senior thesis advisor?”
“You did not, but I’m happy to hear that. Have you decided on a topic?”
“Yeah, I’m going to continue the type of work we’ve been doing this summer on antiviral proteins.”
“That sounds like valuable work, although I do wish you had gone the medical route with your studies.”
Nasir nods his head a little, looking down at his plate. “I know. But I like the work I’m doing.” Under the table, Agron puts his hand on Nasir’s thigh, just above his knee, and squeezes gently.
“Well, at least you’re pursuing studies that will be of significant benefit to others, unlike your brother,” Dr. Safar says.
Agron looks across the table to see Rahim rolling his eyes again. He doesn’t say anything though, and neither does anyone else, so Agron asks, “What are you planning to study, Rahim?”
Rahim quirks his mouth in a way that he had to have learned from Nasir, it’s so similar. “Music, or art. Maybe creative writing, I’m not totally decided yet.”
“Oh cool. Nasir told me you were an artist, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t just like, painting art.”
Farah puts her hand on Rahim’s shoulder and squeezes. “Yes, he’s a very talented boy.” Then she turns to her husband and says, “You’re too hard on them, Qasim. Not everyone can be a surgeon, nor should they be.”
Agron guesses this isn’t the first time dinner has been dominated by similar conversation. He knows from Nasir that his father is demanding, but he also knows that he’s not cruel, he just wishes his sons had followed in his footsteps. Nasir came close, studying biology, but he doesn’t want to be a doctor like his father.
After some silence while everyone continues eating, the conversation lightens considerably. Farah asks them about the trip so far, and they talk about that for a while. Agron notices Nasir blushing a little when Rahim specifically asks him if they liked the hotel they stayed in, but Agron smoothly answers that they were so tired they went to sleep almost immediately.
They have dessert and coffee in the sitting room, and then they finally take their bags upstairs. Farah leads Agron to the first room off the stairs.
“This will be your room, Agron. There’s an attached washroom with a shower, and there’s fresh towels, but let me know if you need anything,” she says.
He’s laying out his clothes for tomorrow when Nasir comes in and hugs him from behind.
“Hi,” he says, and Agron can feel the warm puff of his breath through the thin material of his t-shirt.
He turns around in the circle of Nasir’s arms, and after a quick glance at the open door to make sure no one is standing in the hallway, leans down to give Nasir a quick kiss. “Hi yourself, beautiful,” he says.
“Sorry about the separate rooms thing,” Nasir says. He had told Agron before they got there that there was no way his parents were going to let them stay in the same room, so it wasn’t a surprise, but Agron appreciates the sentiment. He hopes it’s not too difficult to sleep without Nasir there, he’s gotten very used to sharing a bed with him every night this summer.
“It’s okay, babe. I can play by the rules.”
Nasir stretches up to kiss him again, then says, “Wanna see my room?” Agron nods that he does, and follows him on a tour of the house.
Later that night, after an hour or so of tossing and turning, Agron’s curled up on his side reading on his Kindle when he hears the door to the guest room open. He turns to look and it’s Nasir tip-toeing into the room.
“What are you doing?” Agron whispers as Nasir makes his way over to the bed and lifts up the covers to get in.
“I can’t sleep,” Nasir whispers back.
Agron smiles and pulls him close, kissing him deeply. Nasir sighs and melts into the kiss, and Agron tightens his arms around him. He doesn’t take things any further though, totally aware that Nasir’s parents are sleeping somewhere nearby. After a few minutes their kisses turn soft and sweet. Nasir nuzzles his face into Agron’s neck, leaves a kiss on his throat.
“Will you set your alarm for five?” he asks. “I need to be back in my room before my dad gets up.”
“Sure,” Agron says, reaching over onto the nightstand to grab his phone. Once he has it set, Nasir takes it from him and puts it on his side of the bed. Agron kisses him again, then turns out the light. Nasir turns over on his other side, and Agron tucks himself around his back, both arms around him, and one leg resting between Nasir’s. “Love you,” he whispers in the dark, pressing a kiss to the back of Nasir’s head.
“Love you, too,” he hears whispered back, and it’s the last thing he knows until he wakes up the next morning alone.
***
They spend the day exploring Kansas City, Rahim tagging along with them. They start at Nasir’s local Starbucks to get fueled up, and it’s full of women in yoga pants or leggings, most of them with young children. After they get caffeinated, they drive to the Plaza, which is a really gorgeous outdoor shopping area, with lots of great little restaurants and bars. They walk around for a while, window shopping, then have lunch at a little sidewalk cafe where they can people watch while they eat.
They drive downtown after that, and Agron is amazed by the architecture of the new performing arts center as they pass by. Rahim is excited to show him the arts district, and they walk through a few of the galleries that are open. For dinner, they meet up with Nasir’s best friend from high school, Chadara. Agron likes her immediately, and he can see why she’s one of the only people from home that Nasir keeps in touch with. She’s loud and hilarious and teases Nasir to the point of blushing more than once, but it’s all good natured, and she has Agron laughing out loud throughout most of the car ride to what Nasir insists is the best barbeque that Agron will ever eat.
Agron is pretty dubious when they pull into a packed parking lot of a small building that’s attached to a gas station. Nasir just says, “Trust me,” and they join the line that’s actually made its way out of the door and along the front of the building.
After a really long wait in line, they eventually get to the counter, and Agron lets Nasir order for him because the people working behind go really fast and Agron has no idea what he’s doing. Nasir just laughs at him and shoves him forward so he isn’t blocking the line and tells him to try to snag a table, but he’s going to have to be a vulture about it. Agron doesn’t quite understand his meaning until he misses out on a table because he was waiting too far back while the people who had been sitting there finished up their meal. He gets it right the second time, hovering a little closer to a table that looks like it’ll be empty in a few minutes, and he’s just getting four chairs pulled up to it when Nasir, Rahim, and Chadara walk over with trays full of delicious looking sandwiches and sides.
Agron takes a bite of his sandwich and can barely contain the moan of pleasure it causes him to make. “Jesus fucking Christ, this is amazing,” he says around his mouthful, and everyone laughs at him. Before they leave, Nasir makes him buy a shirt that says “My favorite restaurant is in a gas station” on the back.
They drive to Westport for some homemade ice cream from a quirky little shop, and they sit on a bench outside even though it’s incredibly hot and muggy out. Chadara has to leave after that, and they’re too hot to walk around anymore, so they drive back to Mission Hills.
Agron has to admit, Kansas City is a lot cooler than he was expecting it to be. The only thing that really sucks about it is literally having to drive everywhere. If they had some decent public transit, it would be truly amazing. After they get back to the house, he and Nasir hang out in Nasir’s room. Rahim comes in for a while, and the three of them chat and laugh and Rahim plays them a song he wrote on his guitar, and it’s just a really nice time. Nasir was right, Agron already loves Rahim like he was his own brother, and he loves seeing him and Nasir spending some quality time together.
Eventually, Agron kisses Nasir goodnight and goes back to the guest room. He’s so tired from such a full day and late night that he falls asleep without any trouble, and doesn’t realize until morning that Nasir didn’t come in to snuggle with him.
***
Agron is pretty tired in the morning, but they have a really long day ahead, so he gets up and packed and heads downstairs at a really unreasonable hour. Nasir’s mother is cooking breakfast when he goes into the kitchen.
“Morning. Help yourself to some coffee, I’ll have some breakfast for you in just a minute,” she says over her shoulder as she stirs something in a frying pan that smells amazing.
Agron’s sitting at the island, sipping his coffee, when Nasir walks in. He’s yawning, his hair pulled up in a messy bun, and he walks over to his mom to kiss her cheek before grabbing a mug and making his coffee. He sits on the stool next to Agron and leans his head on Agron’s shoulder. Agron wraps an arm around his waist, sliding his fingers just under the edge of Nasir’s t-shirt to touch his warm skin. They stay like that, and when Nasir’s mom turns around to dish up their breakfast, she has a soft smile for them.
Dr. Safar walks into the kitchen then, dressed for work, and Nasir sits up fast, like Agron’s shoulder was burning him. Agron drops his hand from Nasir’s back, and digs into his breakfast, trying to remember why his feelings shouldn’t be hurt even if they are a little.
“I have to get to work,” Dr. Safar says. He kisses the top of Nasir’s head. “It was good to see you, son. Keep up the good work.”
“You too, Dad,” Nasir says. “I will.”
“Agron, it was nice to see you again,” he says, holding out his hand.
“You too, sir,” Agron replies, shaking his hand.
After they finish eating, Nasir goes upstairs to wake up Rahim so they can say goodbye while Agron packs up the car. When Agron comes back inside, Rahim is following Nasir down the stairs, rubbing at his eyes and his hair everywhere. He hugs Agron. “I had fun, come back, okay?” he says.
Agron hugs him back. “I will,” he promises.
He hugs Nasir’s mom and kisses her cheek. Nasir’s dad may always be a little standoffish, but Agron’s totally won over his mom. She pats his cheek and says, “I hope you’ll visit us again soon, Agron.”
“I’ll do my best,” he says, smiling his most winning smile at her.
Nasir hugs her next, and she holds on to him tightly.
“You boys drive safely,” she says as they walk out the front door. “Nasir, let us know when you’ve arrived, okay?”
“I will, Mom,” Nasir says.
They get in the car, and Farah and Rahim wave as they drive away until they’re out of sight.
***
“Oh my god, you were not fucking kidding,” Agron says as they pass exits for a Manhattan that looks nothing like the other one. “How much longer is this fucking state?”
Nasir just laughs at him. “I’ve got some bad news for you, sweetheart. We’re maybe one-third of the way across.”
The only thing that keeps Agron from bashing his head against the steering wheel is the part where they’re going eighty-five miles per hour.
When they’re still in the middle of seemingly endless flatness a few hours later, Agron feels like he’s going to go insane. He pulls over at the next rest stop, not really to pee, although he does do that, but mostly to do something different with his brain for a few minutes.
“Do you want me to drive for a while?” Nasir asks as they take a short walk around the tiny picnic area.
Technically only Agron is supposed to drive the car, and so far he has been. But right now he’s so bored, and exhausted because he’s so bored, that he’s a little worried he’s going to become a hazard to them both before long. “If you don’t mind, that would be amazing, babe, thank you,” he says. He climbs into the passenger seat when they get back to the car, scooting the seat back while Nasir scoots the driver’s seat forward.
“Don’t even start,” Nasir says, adjusting the mirrors once he has the seat where he wants it.
“I wasn’t gonna,” Agron insists. He leans the chair back a little, too, and while he doesn’t mean to, within minutes of being back on the highway he’s down for the count.
***
He wakes up when he feels the car slowing down, sitting up suddenly and rubbing a hand over his face.
“Fuck, how long was I out?” he asks, looking around and trying to get his bearings back.
“A few hours,” Nasir answers, sounding a little terse. “We just crossed into Colorado.” He pulls into a parking space in front of the building, and gets out once he’s turned off the engine. Agron just sits there for a minute, trying to wake up, then gets out of the car to stretch. He walks into the men’s room as Nasir is walking out, but Nasir doesn’t stop, just brushes past him and back outside. Agron will figure that out in a minute, because right now his bladder is the priority.
Once he’s peed and washed his hands, he walks back out to the car. Nasir is already inside, in the passenger seat. Agron gets in on the driver’s side, his knees bumping the steering wheel awkwardly until he finds the control for the seat to move back. He glances over at Nasir, which ends up being a mistake.
“I’m serious, don’t fucking start, Agron,” Nasir snaps.
“I wasn’t going to make any short jokes, I swear,” Agron says. “You know I love that you’re small.”
“Ugh, fuck you,” Nasir says.
“Babe,” Agron says. “What’s wrong? Are you pissed because I fell asleep? I really didn’t mean to.”
Nasir sighs. “I know you didn’t. But just because I’ve seen it before doesn’t make driving through Kansas any less boring or monotonous for me. It would’ve been nice if you’d stayed awake to at least talk to me.”
Agron leans over the center console, gently turning Nasir’s head so he can kiss him. “I’m sorry, baby,” he says against Nasir’s lips. He kisses him again, and again, until Nasir shoves at his shoulder.
“Okay, okay, apology accepted. Let’s just go,” he says, but he’s smiling a little, so Agron counts it as a win.
***
They have dinner at a really funky restaurant in Denver, then get right back on the road. Their plan is to get to the other side of the state before stopping for the night. The scenery past Denver is incredible, the mountains getting closer and closer until they’re in them. They stop at a few scenic lookout points to take pictures and just take in the amazing views.
When they finally make it to Grand Junction, it’s pretty late. The motel they’re staying in is cheap, but serviceable and at least it’s clean. They’re both tired, and Nasir is still kind of cranky, but Agron agrees he has a reason to be so he doesn’t say anything about it. He changes into his pajamas while Nasir is brushing his teeth. When Nasir comes out of the bathroom, Agron takes his turn getting ready for bed. Nasir is already under the covers with his lamp off when Agron walks back into the room. He turns off the other lamp and climbs into bed. Nasir lets him snuggle up to him, so Agron relaxes, kisses whichever bit of Nasir’s skin is nearest (which happens to be his shoulder), and falls asleep.
***
They’re at some podunk rest stop in Utah the next day when, Agron supposes, the inevitable happens. He’s actually a little surprised they’ve made it this far through the heart of the country before someone decides to comment on the obvious fact that the two men traveling together are boyfriends.
“Must be nice, bein’ fuckin’ faggots,” some asshole croaks as he walks from the end stall over to the sinks where Agron and Nasir are standing washing their hands. Agron would normally leave it; he’s not real into starting shit with strangers, but he feels Nasir pull away from his side and sees how he closes in on himself, and no fucking way is Agron letting this piece of shit get away with doing that to him.
So Agron snorts, fixes the guy with a hard glare, and says, “Yeah, well, it must be nice, bein’ a fuckin’ dumb shit, too.”
“What did you say to me, boy?” the guy says, moving closer to get in Agron’s space.
Agron turns to fully face him. He’s got a good three inches on the dude, aside from generally being in excellent shape, but he doesn’t have the edge of crazy it looks like this guy has, nor the possibility of several friends waiting just outside to join in should this get physical. The thought that he might have a weapon on him gives Agron some pause over whether he should back off or go through with it, but the larger part of him doesn’t care, he’s not putting up with this shit.
“You heard me,” he answers. He steps closer too, heart-pounding, his body tensing for the fight it knows is inevitable. He’s so intent on staring this asshole down that he flinches when he feels a touch on his shoulder. But it’s Nasir. Who, when Agron takes a small step back and turns his head slightly to look at him, looks equal parts freaked out and pissed off.
“Come on, let’s just go,” he says. And as much as Agron wants make sure this fucker knows he has no right calling anyone a fuckin’ faggot, he also doesn’t want to hurt his boyfriend just by proving a point.
He turns away from the guy completely and takes Nasir’s hand as he walks them toward the door. Surprisingly, the guy doesn’t say anything, just lets them leave. Maybe he learned something after all.
Nasir doesn’t say anything when they get back in the car, so Agron doesn’t either. He’s not sure which part of what happened upset Nasir more, being called a faggot or Agron almost getting into a fight over it, but he knows it’s probably not wise to ask so he doesn’t. Instead, he turns The Deathly Hallows back on and pulls back onto the highway.
***
They’re about an hour down the road when they catch up to the storm that’s been looming on the horizon in front of them. It’s not too bad, driving in the rain, for about ten minutes. Then the sky opens up and the rain is coming down in such heavy sheets that even on the fastest setting, the windshield wipers can’t keep up and Agron can’t even see past the hood of the car.
“Fuck,” he says as he pulls over onto the shoulder, putting on the hazard lights after he comes to a stop.
He sighs and looks over at Nasir, who is still turned slightly away, looking out his window. Agron reaches over to tuck a piece of hair behind Nasir’s ear. “You okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine,” Nasir says, his voice flat, not turning to look at Agron.
Agron sighs again, because they’ve worked so hard at this, at getting Nasir to be open about what he’s feeling instead of bottling everything inside. Plus, Agron knows he’s lying, and that hurts a little.
“You know I hate it when you do that, say you’re fine when we both know something’s bothering you,” he says.
That finally gets Nasir to look at him, but he’s clearly annoyed now, his eyebrows scrunched together and his mouth turned down in a frown. “Okay. I’m not fine. Happy?”
Agron knows better than to take the bait, but he’s tired and now they’re off schedule and he’s still got some leftover anger from the encounter with the rest stop asshole, so he snaps. “Yes, I’m happy when you’re not fine. That’s exactly the key to my happiness, so glad you finally figured it out.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Nasir says, voice hard.
“I’m an asshole? What about you? You won’t even tell me what’s wrong with you, you’re just being all quiet and weird about it.”
“Because it’s stupid!” Nasir shouts over the sound of the rain pounding down on the car.
Agron takes a breath so he doesn’t shout back. “What’s stupid?” he asks quietly.
Nasir doesn’t answer immediately, he sighs and picks at a loose thread around the knee of his jeans. Finally, he looks up at the the roof of the car and says, “I just hate that I get so fucking scared, like with what happened back there. I freeze up and panic, and don’t even do anything except get mad at you for defending me, defending us.”
Agron feels any anger he had quickly deflate, and his need to reach out and hold Nasir becomes overwhelming. “Babe,” he says, his hands gently cupping Nasir’s face, turning him so he can look in his eyes, which are huge and a little wet. “It’s not stupid to be scared when shit like that happens. You think I wasn’t?”
“You didn’t seem like it.”
“Well, I was. I was pissed off more than anything, but I was worried he had a weapon, or a gang of friends waiting around the corner to kick the shit out of us.” He pauses, leaning back into his seat, running a hand through his hair. “If anything, I was being the stupid one.”
“Well, maybe,” Nasir agrees. “But I still wish I could be more like you.”
“It’s a good thing you’re not, though,” Agron says, taking Nasir’s hand in his and threading their fingers together. “We balance each other out. You probably stopped me from getting a black eye right before I see my great-grandma.”
“Well, there is that,” Nasir says, squeezing Agron’s hand and then tugging on his arm until he leans closer. “I’m sorry I called you an asshole,” Nasir murmurs against his lips.
“I’m sorry I was acting like one,” Agron replies, and then their lips are pressed together. Agron fits Nasir’s bottom lip between his own and sucks on the plump flesh.
Nasir groans and surges toward him, but stops suddenly and pulls back. “Fucking seatbelt,” he grumbles as he unbuckles it. Agron smiles at him and takes off his own, then they meet in the middle again.
Agron tugs on Nasir’s hair, which he left loose this morning, and bites on his bottom lip before trailing kisses across his stubbled jaw line then sucking on the smooth, soft skin behind his ear. Nasir moans and after a moment, pushes Agron back into his seat and follows the motion, climbing over the center console and sitting himself on Agron’s lap. Agron’s hands immediately wrap around Nasir’s hips, sliding around to grab his ass and pull him down against him, grinding up with his hips to get some friction on his dick. He mouths at Nasir’s throat while Nasir rocks above him, hands sliding up under Agron’s shirt.
He lifts his arms when prompted and lets Nasir pull his shirt off. Nasir runs his hands over Agron’s chest, pinching at his nipples, and Agron arches up into him, chasing the pleasure-pain. Nasir bites down on the side of his neck and Agron groans, his hands squeezing tight on Nasir’s ass, pulling them impossibly closer together.
“Fuck, I want you,” Nasir says into his ear, and Agron shivers at the feeling and the low rumble of his voice.
“You’ve got me,” he says.
“No, no, I mean, I want you to fuck me.”
“Fuck,” Agron groans. “Right here, right now?”
“Yeah,” Nasir says, pulling back to look at him. “Just like this,” he adds with a pointed roll of his hips.
Agron tips his head back and tries to breathe. “Do we have anything in the car?”
“Check my bag, in the back seat,” Nasir says, as he climbs off Agron and back to his own seat to take his pants off. Agron’s distracted by the sight for a second before he remembers what he’s supposed to be doing, and turns to reach into the back seat to grab Nasir’s backpack. He digs around in the pockets until he finds what he’s looking for.
“You’re such a boy scout,” he says as he sits back in his seat.
“Shut it and get your pants off,” Nasir just says, grabbing the lube and condom out of his hands.
Agron does as he’s told, and as soon as he has his jeans and boxer-briefs pushed down past his knees, Nasir is back on top of him, straddling his thighs and reaching behind himself with lube slick fingers. Agron slides his fingers along Nasir’s, pressing in with him, his other hand pressing low against Nasir’s back, encouraging the wet slide of his cock against Agron’s stomach, the soft skin of his inner thigh rubbing against Agron’s cock.
It’s not long before Nasir slips their fingers out of his hole and reaches for the condom, tearing open the packet with his teeth and sliding it down on Agron. Agron grabs the lube and slicks himself and then holds himself steady as Nasir sinks down slowly, letting gravity do the work for him, eyes closed, lower lip bit in concentration. Once he’s fully seated, he opens his eyes and looks at Agron and makes a deliberate roll of his hips.
“Shit,” Agron groans, and he can’t help it, he plants his feet in the footwell, sliding his hands up Nasir’s back to hold onto his shoulders and pull him down as he thrusts his hips up.
Nasir cries out, loud in Agron’s ear but nothing compared to the rush in his head, louder even than the rain still hitting the roof of the car, as he sets a fast pace, thrusting wildly up into the tight heat of Nasir’s body. Nasir grabs onto Agron’s shoulders and holds on, his moans and whimpers a constant chorus setting Agron’s nerve-endings on fire, Agron’s breathing heavy as he works his hips harder against Nasir’s. Agron can tell when Nasir is close, his body tensing up from the inside, and soon he’s cursing and shaking, his cock spurting come onto Agron’s stomach, spreading messy between them as Agron keeps moving them. The feeling of Nasir clenching tight around his cock is too much and Agron thrusts up once, twice more and then he’s coming too, pulling Nasir tight against him as the world whites out behind his eyes for a moment.
They’re still a tangled, sweaty mess when their breathing finally calms down, and Agron notices it’s much quieter in the car now that they’re not making a bunch of noise. The rain sounds like it’s let up considerably or stopped altogether, and he opens his eyes to look out the window and laughs when he can’t because it’s so fogged over. Nasir follows his line of sight until he sees what’s cracking Agron up, and he starts laughing, too, that soft, raspy giggle of his that Agron only hears during or after sex. He feels a rush of affection for the beautiful man on his lap and pulls him into another kiss.
Eventually they get themselves cleaned up and their clothes straightened out. Agron blasts the defrost for a while before he can see enough to pull back out onto the highway. They’re quiet, but it’s a good quiet this time, Agron’s arm stretched out and resting on Nasir’s lap, Nasir’s fingertips tracing unseen patterns on his skin.
***
The storm put them a few hours behind schedule, so when they eventually get to Las Vegas and it’s the difference between getting to Agron’s aunt’s house well after midnight or just stopping and getting there after lunch tomorrow, they decide to stop for the night. Agron splurges on a hotel room, which ends up being the best use of his money in this town, since they don’t actually leave it the entire night.
***
It’s early afternoon when they pull into Agron’s Aunt Teresa’s driveway. Duro is running out of the house and toward them the second they get out of the car. “Brothers!” he shouts as he practically tackles Nasir.
Nasir laughs and pushes Duro off of him and toward Agron. Agron wraps his brother in a tight hug. “Thank god you guys are here,” Duro says. “The old people have been driving me crazy!”
“Duro, you haven’t even been here a full day yet, how are they already driving you crazy?” he asks as he makes Duro help him and Nasir unpack the car.
“Brother, just be glad you were the one to get out of the house first. Trust me, the questions are never ending when there’s only one person to ask.”
Agron just laughs at him and they all walk into the house.
Agron hugs his mom and dad, and so does Nasir. After he hugs his Aunt Tee, he puts his arm around Nasir’s shoulder and pulls him close. “And this is Nasir,” he says. She smiles and hugs Nasir too. After they get everything settled in their room and eat a late lunch out in the backyard, Agron’s feeling like he could use a nap. Nasir has a different idea though.
“Are we far from the ocean? Can we drive there?” he asks.
And there is pretty much nothing that Agron can deny his boyfriend, so he changes his sneakers for a pair of flip flops and grabs his keys. Duro ends up climbing into the back seat to tag along.
It’s about a twenty-five minute drive until they’re at a public beach. Duro runs off toward a group of people playing Bocci ball in the sand, while Agron and Nasir walk hand-in-hand along the edge of the water, the wet sand hard packed beneath their bare feet.
Nasir stops to look out at the ocean, huge and beautiful stretched out in front of them. Agron wraps his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on top of Nasir’s head. They stand like that for a while, swaying slightly, and Agron figures this is as perfect a time as any to ask Nasir something he’s been thinking about since Pride.
“Nasir?”
“Yeah, babe.”
Agron pulls back a bit so he can turn Nasir around in the circle of his arms and watch his face.
“I’ve been thinking--”
“A dangerous pastime, I know,” Nasir sing-songs at him, and Agron pinches his side but he’s grinning. He loves this man. He takes a deep breath.
“This summer, living with you, has been amazing. And I’m really not looking forward to that ending when we get back to Boston. I love you, and I love living with you, living our lives together. So, I was wondering, will you officially move in with me?”
Nasir doesn’t react for a few seconds, and Agron is starting to worry that maybe this is going too fast for him, but then Nasir’s face slowly breaks into a blinding smile and he surges up to kiss Agron.
“Yes, yes, of course, I’ll move in with you,” he says between kisses.
Agron whoops against his mouth and lifts him up, spinning them around a few times. Nasir is laughing when he sets him back down, and the water splashes around their feet as they kiss.