A very big thank you to all of the readers who have taken the time to send kind messages for the first chapters of the story. I very much appreciate it. Please send any feedback, complaints, and correspondence to breakingthroughstory@gmail.com.
The usual disclaimers apply. This is fiction.
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Chapter 11
Armie prided himself on being good at his job. Critics may have other opinions on that fact, but he prided himself on showing up on time, having his lines memorized and being easy to work with. He'd done everything asked of him, promoting the movie in Toronto for the film festival just like he was supposed to. Then, when the movie was announced for a limited release, he and Gael did the rounds for TV, too. The whole time, Armie smiled, let the world see his charming personality and managed to drum up some excitement. Done and done, he thought. The rest, well, that was up to people who paid to go see movies and the studio's marketing department. What he never thought he'd pride himself on is getting his boyfriend to put a suit on.
"I haven't seen you dressed up since I've known you," Armie said. "I was missing out."
"You've seen me in a suit before," Chris said, trying his best to ignore Armie's hands coming around his waist. He adjusted his tie and smoothed his shirt as best as he could, his fingers grazing Armie's.
"Not this close up," Armie specified. Chris turned around and gave Armie a quick kiss.
"I need to brush my teeth and we can go."
Armie smiled and took a second to make sure he looked okay, too. His stylist had sent over clear instructions, but he'd been through this so many times he didn't need them. This was a part of the job he didn't particularly enjoy, but there was no way anyone involved would let him miss a premiere. He hoped that he and Chris could leave after the red carpet. He was proud of the film, but he wasn't in the mood to watch it tonight.
"You look handsome," Chris said as he picked up his own jacket and headed out of the room. "Car's downstairs."
Armie grabbed his hand before he could make it out of the room. "Are you ready for this?" He pressed their foreheads together and held Chris' hands in his own.
"Nope. Never will be." It was Armie's idea. The movie had gotten attention, so there was no reason to keep their relationship under wraps anymore. By now, everyone had made up their mind and something as simple as a workplace romance wouldn't sway the audience one way or another. Chris wasn't exactly hesitant, but he was perfectly happy the way things were. Their friends knew, the media had been speculating already, too. What did it matter at this point, Armie said, they might as well make a splash.
An hour in traffic later, Armie opened the car door and stepped out. "Here goes nothing," he said as he offered his hand.
Chris swatted it away and rolled his eyes. "This isn't prom," he muttered.
He stepped out, one step behind Armie and the entire world froze. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest and the camera flashes weren't something anyone could get used to. The fact that Armie didn't seem fazed at all was a wonder in its own right. Chris reached for Armie's hand and they walked together. Without a single announcement from their publicists, no headlines splashed across the internet and only the tiniest whispered rumors, they made it official to the entire world.
More than happy to stay a few paces behind Armie, Chris watches as he answers questions along the press line. He and Armie may not have prepped for the big announcement, but someone had taken the time to tell the reporters to stay on topic. With an expert's ease, Armie deflected any questions that even came close to being about their relationship and brought it back to the movie. It was an honor, he said. It was an important movie, he added, because it would resonate with people everywhere. Chris had spent so much time with Armie that the idea of their relationship being new seemed absurd, but knowing that Armie had done everything he'd asked showed just how much it meant to him. It meant a lot to Chris, too.
"We're getting burgers after this," Armie said, leaning in close. "I'm starving."
Their hands locked again and Chris could hear the cameras snapping away again. "There's an In-N-Out on the way back."
"Are we going to your place or mine?" Armie asked.
"I'm sure there's an In-N-Out in both directions," Chris said. "So it doesn't matter."
"Where do you want to go?"
"Right now? I want to get inside as quick as we can. You decide where we go from there. I'm going to head in and wait for you. Take your time out here." Chris squeezed Armie's hand, "Thank you for doing this. This project couldn't have happened without you. What we have is more than this movie though. I hope you know that."
"I'll see you inside," Armie said. "Don't get all sappy on me now."
Chris made a beeline for the theater's entrance. Inside, it was just as chaotic, but he knew these things as well as any of the actors. There would be a few greenrooms somewhere for people to collect themselves, for agents to make calls and for makeup artists to touch things up. He asked a few people milling around and finally found it. Trying his luck for an empty one, he picked the first one and almost cheered. Inside, it was quiet.
Jake picked up the phone before it even rang. "I never thought I'd have to do this without you," Chris said.
"I'm sorry," Jake said. Chris noticed the sadness in his voice. "I don't have a good enough reason for you."
Chris had done his best to have Jake see the movie, but their schedules never lined up. Chris made sure Jake had access to a copy of the movie, too, but Jake had ignored his phone calls and his messages. Chris knew that he was asking a lot of his ex. It was a lot to expect of Jake to watch a movie based on their experience. But Chris had hoped he'd get some input. He didn't expect radio silence.
"I'm in the same greenroom we were in last time," Chris said. "I'm always hiding at these things."
"I know the movie will be good," Jake said. "If it's anything like your book, everyone is going to love it. I've read it so many times. I'm really proud of you."
"I never thought it'd be like this," Chris said. "I always figured it'd be me and you."
"Things don't always work out like we want," Jake said, sighing. "Look at us."
"I wish you'd had the chance to see it," Chris said. "But I get it. You lived it. You should have just told me."
"It wasn't that, Chris," Jake said. "It's complicated. Everything between you and me is really complicated."
"There you are," Chris heard over his shoulder. Armie's velvety, syrupy voice was unmistakable.
"Hey, good luck," Jake said. "I really am sorry."
"I'll talk to you soon," Chris said. "Call me. Please."
"Everything okay?" Armie asked, hugging Chris tight. He ran his nose over Chris' hair, practically purring at the close contact.
"I think so," Chris said.
"I have very good news," Armie said. His hands were running over Chris' chest and stomach. Chris could feel Armie's erection pressing through his pants. "We can leave right now. They arranged it just for you."
"Me and my demands," Chris said, turning around to kiss Armie on the lips. "Did you lock the door?"
"No, it doesn't lock."
"Then we have to get out of here."
"Car's coming around to the back exit," Armie explained, trying his best to ignore the strain in his pants.
Chris slipped out of the tiny room and back into the lobby. It was crowded, but he managed to say thank you to the other actors in the film and a few of the crewmembers that he recognized, too. He saw Armie doing the same. Thanks to his very generous height, Chris knew where he was at all times. He towered above most of the people milling around making him easy to spot. Trying to be as cordial and gracious as possible, he moved towards the concession stand and the theaters, but collided with someone on the way.
"Smooth," Armie said, leaning down as he whispered. His lips grazed Chris' ear.
"You did that on purpose."
"Do you think the internet is buzzing about us yet?"
"It has been for a while now, hasn't it?"
Armie rubbed Chris' back, "You know I don't pay attention to those things."
"I see our way out," Chris said, pulling at Armie's hand. He couldn't remember ever dashing this quickly through an event and part of him thought about the possibility of regret. This was his big night--and Armie's, too. But more than the pride of a job well done, he wanted to celebrate with Armie. Everyone else could have their moment; Chris was seizing the night in his own way.
"What's the rush?" Armie joked. "Hold on one second."
Chris turned on his heels and before he could even make eye contact, Armie had pulled him into a kiss. Their bodies were pressed together and Chris was completely consumed, Armie's tongue in his mouth, their hearts pounding against each other as Armie's hands held Chris tight against him. Chris didn't know if he actually saw fireworks or if it was just the play of lights inside the theater's hallways.
"We did good, didn't we?"
"I'm happy if you are," Chris said, smiling through half-lidded eyes. "I'm just glad that we can just...be."
Armie couldn't stop talking through the hamburgers, milkshakes or the drive home. Their knees brushed and Armie held tight onto Chris' hands while driver wove through the L.A. streets. Chris sat back, content at just listening to Armie gushing about the movie, about what it could mean for the both of them, and how they'd be moving forward together. He was all manic energy, buzzing with excitement and ready to bounce off the walls. Chris just watched the city whiz by, lights blurring and the sky's ink black filling with the hint of stars. He could never see them with all the bright city lights, but he knew they were up there.
The back of Armie's hand on his cheek interrupted his introspection, but he leaned into the touch, smiling when their eyes met. "Food coma?" Armie asked.
"Just thinking about what comes next."
"Already? Enjoy the night for once."
"Can't turn my brain off," Chris replied.
"We'll work on that," Armie said. He was still smiling his bright movie-star smile. It hadn't left his face all night.
Chris let out a long breath. He hadn't asked, but it was obvious now that they were headed to Armie's house. Chris liked to call it "the castle," which Armie hated. "Almost there," Chris said softly.
"It's okay, right?"
"I just want to be with you tonight. It doesn't matter where we are."
"You really mean that?"
Chris nodded, squeezing Armie's hand. A few minutes later, they arrived at Armie's house. Dressed in his tuxedo, his hair combed back and surrounded by the grandeur of his own house, Armie looked like he'd stepped out of an old movie. Chris stayed a few steps behind him just to admire it all.
"What's going on?" Armie asked as he unlocked the front door and noticed that Chris had been behind him the whole walk up.
"This is unbelievable. How is this even real right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's like a fairy tale," Chris said, finally coming toe-to-toe with Armie. "If you keep this up, I'll be writing romance novels."
"I can give you happily ever after," Armie said, leaning in for another kiss. Chris' felt his broad shoulders and traced along his neck as they kissed. He could still taste the salt of the French fries and a hint of chocolate milkshake.
"You're so cheesy," Chris said as he followed Armie into the house. The lights came on automatically as they went through the entryway, Armie's hand still clutching Chris' as they went upstairs and down the hall, the house coming to life with every step. Chris pulled his jacket off and tossed it onto a chair. Armie shrugged off his own though he was a little more careful with it. His stylist would need it back tomorrow. Chris settled in on Armie's huge king-sized bed and let out a contented sigh. He started to undo his tie, until Armie got in on the other side of the bed, his own shirt and tie already off.
"Let me," he whispered, his deft fingers making short work of the simple knot.
"You did really great tonight," Chris said, pushing Armie's hair off his forehead.
"Always give them a show," Armie said. "That's how the business works."
He'd undone Chris' shirt, taking his time to kiss and nip at the exposed skin at Chris' neck and collarbones. Chris shut his eyes, happily letting Armie straddle his hips and feeling the warm air surround him as his shirt came off. Chest to chest, Chris felt Armie's back and thrust his hips up.
Chris reached into Armie's pants, gripping at his cock and stroking as Armie fumbled with both of their belts. Chris kissed at Armie's stubbled jaw, gasping quietly as Armie pawed at his dick, both of them clumsy with lust. Chris took the initiative, pushing his own pants and underwear down his legs. Armie groaned as Chris rolled on top of him, kissing at his chest as gave Armie's pants the same treatment. Chris stroked Armie's dick, which was already leaking a steady stream of slick pre-cum. His breath was hot on Armie's skin, every breathy groan sending ripples through Armie's body. Chris' hands were running up and down his sides and Armie was buzzing from head to toe, gently stroking their cocks together as Chris met his mouth for a searing kiss.
Armie rolled Chris onto his back, not breaking the kiss as he rearranged their bodies, Chris' legs spreading apart and Armie's settling between them. He moved down Chris' body, licking up and down Chris' shaft and rolling his balls in his hand. Chris was already groaning and panting, his eyes shut tight and his fingers in Armie's hair. Armie sucked at Chris' cockhead, his lips tight as he bobbed slowly, a hand pressing down on Chris' abs to steady him against the bed.
"Armie," Chris groaned through gritted teeth, his neck tense and his jaw clenched. "God, god that feels so good."
Glancing up through half-lidded eyes, Armie watched as Chris took short, quick breaths, doing his best to keep from getting too close. Holding Chris down, he bobbed faster and heard actual whimpers fall from Chris' lips. Armie came off, stroking Chris as he caught his breath, "You okay?"
"You kept me half-hard all night," Chris said, his voice gravelly. "I'm close already."
Armie leaned over Chris to kiss him, tingles running through his own body as Chris felt at his chest and shoulders, their lips crashing together. Chris didn't notice Armie slicking his fingers, but he bucked up when he felt two of Armie's fingers push into his hole and nearly yelled out when he felt them hook onto his prostate. Armie bit at Chris' collarbone as he pushed and prodded, groaning as he felt Chris' whole body seize under him.
"Steady," Armie whispered, leaning down to take a few licks at Chris' slit. The motions were playful and light, barely touching the skin. His breath was hot against Chris' dick and he could tell Chris was having more and more trouble holding back. He smiled as Chris' ring tightened around his fingers. Armie slipped in a third and worked them all back and forth, bumping against Chris' spot and sending jolts up his spine.
"Get in me," Chris said, almost pleading. "Do it."
Armie twisted his arm, pushing his fingers in and out of Chris' ring. Unrelenting, he licked Chris' head and kept his hand moving, never letting up even as Chris' demands got more and more incoherent. Feeling Chris' balls tighten, Armie kept his fingers still and pushed hard against Chris' prostate. Toes curling, Chris groaned loud, surrendering to the orgasm that he'd held back. Chris gasped as Armie pushed into him, ignoring the waves of his orgasm. He gripped at the sheets, knuckles white as the edges of his vision blurred and his body was overwhelmed on every front. The tension that came with Armie's long, thick cock pushing into him came with the slack, syrupy glow that came after cumming and Chris was doing everything he could to keep from blacking out entirely.
"So tight," Armie groaned, his lips brushing Chris' ear. He felt arms and legs wrapping around him, Chris clinging to his body, craving as much skin-to-skin contact as he could get. Armie stayed buried to the hilt, riding out Chris' orgasm right along with him. His thrusts started long and slow, letting Chris' clenching ring work every inch of his shaft. He kept things slow, watching the muscles in Chris' jaw loosen and his breath steady. Armie pushed deep and rolled his hips, hands feeling Chris' legs.
Nearly folded in half, Chris tossed his head as he felt Armie push in, bottoming out with every thrust and holding just long enough for Chris to wonder if he could handle having Armie go so deep. He groaned and arched, opening everything up more for Armie, his body begging for more even as the stretch turned into a dull ache.
"Love you," Armie said breathlessly, moving Chris to his side and spooning behind him. Armie's nose ran through Chris' hair and his hips moved slower, his own body trying its best to stay slow, even as every thrust brought him closer to orgasm. Chris reached back, feeling Armie's hair and clamping his chute tight, biting his lip as he whimpered. Armie held his hips, pulling him into every push forward and grinding in. Chris shuddered as Armie stroked him, his body already oversensitive to every touch, inside and out.
Armie gave Chris' balls a tight squeeze and thrust hard, their sweaty skin emphasizing every sound. Armie bit softly at the back of Chris' neck, grunting as he dropped all pretenses. He was barreling towards his own orgasm and there was no reason to keep it at bay. He reached for Chris' hand, squeezing it tight as he grunted, hips pumping harder.
"Cum for me," Armie said, his voice low and gruff. Chris grunted in response, his cock jumping as Armie picked up speed. The long, languid thrusts grew erratic and Armie's hand gripped Chris' dick tighter, strokes more insistent. Chris' head settled back against Armie's shoulder and he felt another orgasm rip through him, shooting a load onto his stomach and the sheets. Armie's eye shut tight. He kept his cock buried deep and ground in as hard as he could manage as he felt his own orgasm shoot through him. Groaning, he kissed Chris' neck and felt his body tense up into a tight knot before going completely slack, all the tension melting away as he pumped into Chris' ass.
Chris was breathing hard, holding Armie's hand against his chest. His heart was racing as he kissed Armie's knuckles, slowly regaining his composure. Chris didn't know how, but he felt Armie pull him even closer, blurring the lines of where one of them ended and the other started. Armie kept his face buried in Chris' hair, holding them together with his arms and legs. When Armie started for the blanket, something to cover them up, Chris shook his head, "Just stay like this a little more," he said, voice barely a whisper. Sighing, Armie decided the chill of the air on their sweaty skin wasn't so bad.
Flipping on the light in Armie's walk-in closet revealed that half of it was empty. It was startling at first, but it made sense as Chris rifled through the drawers, looking for something to wear. Stumbling on a plain T-shirt, he slipped it on and kept rummaging. Armie's clothes didn't fit him, but he didn't have the foresight to pack an overnight bag. A pair of Armie's workout shorts would have to do. As Chris walked slowly back to the bedroom, he saw Armie asleep on his back, just as he'd left him. Chris had become so accustomed to Armie staying with him and the fact that he was basically walking through unfamiliar territory emphasized that sentiment. He made his way downstairs and into the familiar territory of the kitchen. It was almost one o'clock, Chris noticed. The two of them had been oblivious to the entire world.
Coming back to reality was hard when he was at the Castle, but there were no enchanted woodland creatures to help him find Armie's stash of coffee. It didn't help that the kitchen was twice the size of his own and there were two pantries in addition to all the gleaming white cabinets. Finally finding some coffee beans, he sighed when he realized that they were still whole. Trying to find a a would be second adventure he wasn't ready to tackle just yet.
He briefly wondered just how much it would cost to summon an Uber car just to get Starbucks. The ridiculous idea reminded him that his phone was upstairs, somewhere in the mess he and Armie made. Settling for orange juice instead, Chris headed to the swimming pool, another of the spots he'd been before. He sat on the edge and put his feet in, tiny ripples breaking the glassy surface. He watched as the sunlight painted wavy reflections across the pool's bottom. Without a doubt, his inbox would be flooded with congratulations from last night and his agent would want to talk about it, too. He'd ignore that as long as he could. One of the only people that he wanted to hear from had ignored him and that was hard enough to take. As much as he tried to ignore, Chris kept thinking about Jake's reaction. If he would only talk about it, Chris could calm his nerves. His overactive imagination was always painting exaggerated scenarios and Jake's cryptic answers were fodder for the worst possible scenarios.
"Don't leave me alone in bed ever again," Armie said from the back door. Chris looked over his shoulder to see him leaning against the frame. His hair was messy and he was only wearing Chris' underwear, but his smile couldn't have been any bigger. Chris never thought he would fall for the typical blond hair and blue eyes, but here he was looking right at it. Maybe it was a deliberate choice to get as far away from Jake as possible, he thought.
"You hog the blankets," Chris said flatly, still gently moving his legs in the water.
"You're going to want to see this," Armie said. Chris begrudgingly got to his feet and walked towards Armie, a trail of wet footprints behind him. He leaned in for a kiss, getting onto his tiptoes like he always had to.
"Can we get some food first?"
Armie traced a line down the center of Chris' chest, down to his stomach and stopping right at the waistband of his shorts. "This whole morning-after, borrowing-my-clothes thing is really working for me," Armie said.
"What do I need to see? Did I get on the 'GQ' Best Dressed Men of the Week list?"
"Not quite that," Armie said, handing Chris his phone.
Chris walked back inside the house and settled in on the couch, just on the other side the glass door. He still had a view of the pool, the surface settling down now that Chris wasn't there to disturb it. He had a bunch of emails, just as he'd presumed, but he'd also been sent links to coverage of last night's premiere. He clicked on the first one, which was from "The Hollywood Reporter." The photos made him cringe. Armie was just five inches taller than him, but he looked like he towered over Chris in every photo.
"Armie Hammer and Christopher Lewis make it red carpet official," Chris read aloud. "Confirming previous speculation, the new couple held hands as they celebrated alongside the cast of the Jean-Marc Valle-helmed 'Everything After the Wedding.' Sources say they pair grew close during the film's production."
"Skip to the end," Armie said, doing his best to figure out what he could make from the very limited resources in his refrigerator.
"Both Hammer and Lewis have recently divorced," Chris read, eyes rolling. It was basically a tagline that was permanently attached to anything having to do with his work now. "Sources confirmed the working relationship developed into a romance after the two connected over their recent breakups."
"What are these sources?" Armie asked rhetorically.
"Can you make me a breakfast burrito?" Chris asked, still scrolling through the article. "What is so bad about this that you wanted me to read it?"
"Did you click the right article? 'Life and Style'?"
"Nobody reads that garbage."
"Forget your highbrow NPR-listening, elitist tastes for a second and humor me. I don't have tortillas. So, no. No burritos."
Chris quickly tapped out a search and saw exactly what he didn't want to see: "Hello, Lovers! Armie Hammer steps out with new beau after multi-million dollar divorce settlement." He sped through the entire article, which only mentioned his own name in passing and didn't even have the movie's title anywhere. It was exactly the kind of coverage that Chris didn't want.
"That's not good," Chris said.
"It didn't do much better on 'Cosmo' or 'Us Weekly,'" Armie added. "It's just a few. I think it's okay. It could have been worse."
It very well could have, Chris thought. No matter how hard he tried, how many accolades he managed to earn and what he was actually putting out there, there was someone who'd only see him as an opportunist. It was a reality he couldn't avoid, even though every word he wrote was an effort to get past it.
"I'll call my editor later," Chris said. He glanced over at Armie, who had given up on cooking anything, but had managed to brew some coffee. Their eyes met: blue and brown, Armie wanted to know everything was fine. He'd done everything that he could to keep both of them away from stories like that, but people liked sensationalism. It was bound to happen. "It'll be fine," Chris finally said. "The movie got good reviews. That's what matters."
"You're taking this much better than I thought you would," Armie said.
"Can't change what's already out there," Chris said. "I'm sure everyone did their best to spin last night however they could."
"We're going to have to get some food."
"We're going to have to stop by my house, I don't have any clothes."
Armie groaned as he walked towards the sofa. "You live too far away."
"All I have is last night's tux. You have clothes at my place. Too many clothes."
Settling down on the couch, Armie pulled Chris onto his lap, pressing their foreheads together as his hands settled on Chris' lower back. "We're not having this talk right now. Clothes. Houses. This is the first day I can let everyone know that you're mine." Armie nipped at Chris' neck to prove his point.
Chris ran his fingers through Armie's hair, doing his best to inject some order into the wild strands. "We've been seeing each other for months." His stomach growled and he let out a soft chuckle.
"Months? It's almost been a year," Armie said.
"Feed me," Chris said, squeezing at Armie's shoulders and ignoring his gaffe. "Get dressed and take me home. We can get something quick on the way."
Armie rolled the windows down as he slowed the car. Chris' neighborhood even had a certain scent. It was salty ocean air mixed with eucalyptus. Huge trees grew up and down Chris' street, the medicinal tinge of green spiking the air whenever there was any sort of breeze. Armie hadn't noticed it before, even though he'd been around so many times. "Pull into the driveway," Chris said before chugging down the last of his coffee.
Still wearing Armie's clothes, Chris wrangled his suit from the back seat before heading to the front door. Armie was a few steps behind him, Chris' dress shoes dangling from one hand and his own coffee in the other. "I signed for all of your packages," Jake said as soon as he saw Chris approaching. He was sitting on a planter, sunglasses obscuring his eyes as Chris stood motionless.
"Thank you," Chris said automatically, feeling a cold shiver spread through his body. "Have you been here long?"
Jake shook his head, "You weren't answering your phone. I figured you were sleeping off last night."
"It's in my suit somewhere," Chris said. "Died last night. I didn't think to charge it."
Jake's jaw clenched.
"Hey man," Armie said, hoping to diffuse some of the tension. "Good to see you again."
"Maybe under different circumstances," Jake said to Armie before turning to Chris. "I wanted to congratulate you. So, congratulations."
"Should I go?" Armie asked.
"Come inside," Chris said to nobody in particular, fumbling with his own keys.
"Next time," Jake said, watching as Chris tossed his clothes into a heap on the floor. Stunned, Armie stepped back. He never imagined it would happen this way. He'd run the situation over and over in his head--the whole meeting-the-ex situation--but even in the most outlandish situations, it never ended up like this, with Chris wearing his clothes and a heap of congratulatory bouquets waiting to be unboxed.
"Stop. We need to talk."
"Yes, we do. But not now. I'll say things I don't mean."
"You don't mean that."
"Call me," Jake said. Without another word, he walked away.
Sighing, Chris gathered up his crumpled tuxedo and headed upstairs. "You shouldn't have had to see that," he said when Armie stepped into the bedroom, his eyes soft and a look of sympathy on painting his face. "I'm sorry."
"We've all got history," Armie said, sitting down next to Chris on the bed. "Yours just happens to be chronicled in 'Us Weekly.'"
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