Liam had worked in the same department as Vincent for a couple years now, and he’d truly never met anyone who he hated at this level and yet had so much in common with. On paper, they should get along fine. But in reality, their mutual tenure was like a handcuff digging into his wrist. Neither of them were willing to leave a secure teaching job right now.

And worse, his previous officemate had retired at the end of the spring semester last year, and Vincent had taken his place. Understandable, since this was a spacious office with two large windows looking out at a pond, whereas Vinny’s previous office was in the basement.

When it was the two of them sharing a building, it felt too close. But now to share an office? Nearly unbearable.

As much as he could, Liam tried to stay out of the space when Vincent was there, planning staggering office hours when possible. But sometimes, it was just unavoidable. And Thursday afternoon was one of those times.

Liam walked into the office to his coworker’s music blaring. While he preferred to work in peaceful silence, Vincent always needed there to be sound. 

Liam dropped his bag heavily next to his desk and stomped over toward Vincent’s. With a yank, he unplugged the computer speakers that were currently filtering music into the space, and the room fell silent.

Vincent’s eyes snapped over to him. “What did I tell you about touching my stuff?”

“It’s a shared space, Vincent. I don’t know how many times we have to have this same conversation. Wear some damn headphones if you need music.” As he began to walk away, Vincent reached down and plugged the speakers back in, the music playing again.

Anger rushed up through Liam, and he spun on his heel. He reached for the plug again, but Vincent’s hand wrapped around his wrist before he could reach it.

“Don’t,” he warned in a low voice.

Liam straightened. This was the first time things had ever escalated to putting hands on each other. But he’d been ready for this moment for months.

Raising his right hand in a fist, he cocked his arm, ready to land a blow right into Vinny’s nose. But before he could follow through on his swing, Vinny caught that wrist too, stood, and shoved Liam against a filing cabinet, pinning both of his hands up near his face.

Liam tried to wriggle free, but Vincent pinned him, pressing their bodies together so that he had nowhere to go.

“There,” Vincent said. “Now what are you going to do?”

“Let me go,” Liam grunted, continuing to squirm, trying to find a way to get even one of his hands loose.

“Are you going to stop touching my stuff?”

He didn’t reply. Only continued tugging at his wrists. He even tried to drop to the ground with deadweight, but Vincent jammed a leg between his, preventing him from falling.

“Say it,” Vincent teased. “Tell me you’ll stop touching my stuff.”

With a grunt, Liam gave a full body shove that only managed to give him about an inch of wiggle room before being pinned again. That’s when he felt it. Vincent was hard. And it was pressing against his hip. He froze, and slowly looked up to meet Vincent’s eyes.

He must have been able to read it on Liam’s face. Because his teasing grin fell. Color rose to his cheeks and his eyes widened a touch.

“Are you…” Liam asked softly, a mean smirk spreading on his lips, “...turned on right now?”

“Shut up.”

“You are. Your mouth can lie, but your cock can’t.” He rolled his hips into Vincent’s, teasing him.

With a gasp, Vincent released him and backed away.

Liam used his surprise to his advantage, following Vincent’s momentum and pinning him against the adjacent wall. He used his forearm to press across his chest and shoulders, but Vincent didn’t seem to be fighting anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Vincent said quickly. “I wasn’t trying to— It doesn’t mean anything. I’ll turn off my music, and we’ll pretend this didn’t happen.”

“Hmmmmm,” Liam feigned like he was considering it. But seeing Vincent’s shame and embarrassment was too delicious. For years, this guy had been infuriating him. Pushing his buttons. Making snide comments. And for once, for once, Liam had the upper hand.

He watched Vincent’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

“Was this all it took?” Liam teased, moving in closer to press his hips into Vincent’s again. He was still hard. “Do you just need to get laid?”

“Liam,” Vincent tried to reprimand, but his voice was too breathy.

“The only reason you’re such an asshole is because you’re walking around with this hard cock in your pants?” Liam rolled his hips when he said the word cock.

Vincent grunted, eyes glued to the ceiling, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.

“Tell me to stop,” Liam offered. He made space between their bodies as his hand snaked down Vincent’s chest. “Or admit how bad you need it.”

His hand paused at Vincent’s belt buckle, waiting for him to make the call.

“Okay!” Vincent barked. “Fine. Yes. Don’t… Don’t stop.” He lifted his head off the wall and let it thump back down, defeated, frustrated.

The buckle clanked loudly as Liam undid it, quickly popping the button of Vincent’s slacks and pulling down the zipper. His hand slid in and he yanked down the front of the pants. Vincent’s cock sprung free.

“I should just leave you like this,” Liam threatened.

A shudder ran through Vincent and his hands balled into fists at his sides. “Fuck you.”

Liam let his arm drop, turned, and walked away.

Vincent stomped forward, grabbed him by the bicep, and spun him around. A rude comment died in Liam’s mouth as Vincent crushed his lips into his, taking rough, open-mouthed kisses. He felt the edge of his desk dig into the backs of his thighs.

He grabbed a fist full of Vincent’s hair and yanked it back, breaking the kiss.

In response, Vincent grabbed Liam’s free hand and put it on his cock.

“Do it,” he spat. “I need it. You started this. You end it.”

Liam wrapped his fingers around the hard cock in his hand and started pumping quickly, viciously. “Don’t you ever fucking kiss me again. Don’t play your stupid music. Don’t make your stupid comments. Don’t even fucking look at me after this.”

Vincent’s head was still tipped back, his eyes hooded as he looked down at him. 

As Liam continued to stroke him, Vinny’s breaths turned to pants, and his hips began to rock in time with the strokes, fucking into Liam’s hands.

“I’m gonna come,” he warned in a gravelly voice.

Liam reached back to a tissue box on his desk, releasing Vinny’s hair. He grabbed a few and pushed them into Vincent’s free hand. The other hand, Liam now realized, was twisted into the fabric of his sweater, right over his hip. Vincent’s knuckles were white.

With a grunt, Vincent came into his handful of tissues. Liam kept pumping him as the orgasm hit, wave after wave.

As it subsided, Vincent’s head fell forward, and he tipped his mouth toward Liams as if he were going to kiss him again. But he stopped himself.

Liam shoved Vincent away, and turned for the door.

“Now turn that fucking music off,” he spat over his shoulder as he left the office.

He hurried down the hall to a single-stall restroom, praying it wasn’t occupied. Mercifully, the handle gave way and pushed inside, locking it behind him with shaking fingers. He frantically tore at the front of his slacks until he could get his hand around his cock.

He propped himself up with a hand on the sink and pumped himself. Once. Twice. Three times. And then he was coming. He barely held it together long enough to get out of that office. Once he was spent, he placed his other hand on the edge of the sink and tried to catch his breath.

After a moment, he grabbed some paper towels and cleaned up the mess he’d made, washed his hands, and readied himself to go back to his (now quiet) office.