Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (3 page)

couldn’t perform any magic, his mind too fuzzy, both with panic and

the fact the remaining oxygen in the room wasn’t enough to sustain

his consciousness.

He swallowed hard, the bitter taste of smoke thick on his palate.

He had to get out of the room no matter what. Using magic now

would prove fruitless anyway. He didn’t have the strength, his body

weak from the effects of the fire which raged around him. Hans pulled

himself across the floor to the door.

His vision blurred, yet he continued to pull himself toward the

door. He had to. How else was he going to survive if he couldn’t get

out of here? Sure, his body was fire resistant, but that would only

confuse the coroner more. His perfectly unblemished body on the

examining table would still be just as dead.

Hans swallowed hard again, covering his mouth. He was about to

reach for the door, about to test if there was any heat coming from the

hall, when it burst open. Through stinging, misty eyes, Hans cast his

gaze upon the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life. A

fireman had come to rescue him.

“Can you walk?” the fireman asked in a wonderfully commanding

voice, even through his oxygen mask.

Hans managed to pull himself up to the crawl position before his

body was unable to function, the fire winning the battle for the

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 11

remaining oxygen. His mind became even more cloudy as smoke

billowed around him, engulfed him. He gasped for air, about to

collapse, lose the battle, when the fireman picked him up. In an

instant, Hans was carried, like a suitor would carry his lover past their

honeymoon threshold, toward safety.

The journey out of the burning dormitory was an interesting one.

Aside from the fact he was naked, exposing his best bits for all to see,

the fireman kept on reassuring him. As soon as they were outside,

men rushed to him, offering him oxygen and a blanket to cover his

modesty.

A paramedic came around and examined him. In fact, the whole

area outside the dorm was a buzz of activity. Seemed all the rescue

departments of the whole county were present. Every fireman,

policeman and ambulance officer. Also, many students were there.

Most looked bewildered, but some looked a lot worse than how Hans

had faired. A few were badly burned.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine,” he said,

coughing a few times while trying to get the words out. “There are

others who need your attention more.”

The medic ignored him. In a stern voice, he barked, “You’ve

suffered smoke inhalation. Keep yourself wrapped in the blanket and

stay on the oxygen.”

He would be fine, he knew it. But while the medics, and anyone

else who wanted to poke their nose in, fussed over him, he couldn’t

take his eyes off the fireman who had rescued his hide. He was

beautiful, especially now he had taken off his mask and he got a good

look at his handsome chiselled features.

“What’s that fireman’s name?” he asked to no one in particular.

“The one over there.”

Another fireman came into view. “That’s Adrian.”

“I’d like to thank him for rescuing me,” Hans said, more coughs

punctuating his words.

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 12

“Sure thing,” the man said. “I think you caused a bit of a stir with

ol’ Adrian. He hasn’t stopped yabbering on about you.”

Hans knew why he had caused a stir. He was the only one who

was stark naked. Sure, the reason for him sleeping in the raw was

perfectly logical to him. Pity no one else chose to be in their birthday

suit when they slept while in the dorms. Then again, he could

understand that sort of logic. Many college pranks involved nudity

and being naked while vulnerable only invited trouble. Thankfully,

Hans’ known abilities, the fact he could make folks levitate away—

and he had done so to get rid of bullies—meant he wasn’t a target for

those who went for such games.

His thoughts were knocked from him when Adrian patted him on

his shoulder. “You okay now, mate?” he said, his tone a wonderful

combination of sheer masculinity and concern.

Hans nodded. “I’m fine… now. I just wanted to thank you for…

you know… getting me out of there….” His words melted away and he

could feel his cheeks blush. Thanking someone for saving his life

wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be, especially seeing as the man

was just perfection in human form. All smouldering looks, muscles as

hard as rocks and deep brown eyes, which made him weak at the

knees. Hans just hoped the inevitable pre-cum dribble he’d soon get

thinking about what he would do with the fireman when he was

naked, didn’t set the blanket alight. That would be interesting to

explain to all the burly blokes of the fire department, he was sure.

“Well, you can thank me good and proper when you take me out

to dinner tomorrow night. Deal?”

Hans was taken aback. “Say what?”

The fireman grinned with those beautiful kissable lips of his.

“You heard. I got the weekend off. Besides, I saw a hell of a lot of

what I liked. You’re fit—say, what’s your name, handsome?”

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 13

“Hans,” he squeaked, feeling flushed like he’d completed a long

jack-off session. If he was standing up, he would have been certain the

fireman would have spanked his backside to emphasise his words.

Adrian smiled again. “Come over to my place at six, get some

drinks into us before we go out. It’s number fifteen, apartment 207

over there on Condor Drive. Don’t be late.”

Before Hans could reply, before he could even mention the fact

the fireman was being extremely forward in demanding a dinner date

without waiting for an answer, a police officer came between them.

“Hans Strieber, is it?”

For a moment, Hans was bewildered. His mind was still trying to

grapple with the notion that a fireman would ask someone he rescued

out on a date as a thank you. If it was a date, after all. For all Hans

knew it could be a way of getting a free meal. Or a cheap fuck. He

was certainly forward. “Um, yeah.”

“I know you’re recovering from a rather trying ordeal,” the police

officer began, “but I need to ask you a few questions. Purely routine,

of course.”

“Yeah, sure.” Hans watched as Adrian melded into the crowd,

disappearing into the night. Curiosity rose up within him. What sort of

man took such advantage like that? Then again, he wouldn’t have to

wait long to find out. What was he going to wear? Everything he

owned went up in the fire.

“Do you know an individual by the name of Josh Cartwright?”

The mention of Josh brought Hans back to the moment, and like a

splash in the face with cold water. “Yes… I mean no… I mean… well, I

know of him. Why?”

“We apprehended him earlier and he admitted his guilt. He started

the fire which you and hundreds of others were caught up in. But the

point I wish to address is one which concerns you. You see, he also

mentioned you by name. Now, I’ll ask you again, what is your

relationship with the suspect, Josh Cartwright?”

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 14

“None,” Hans said truthfully. “Other than the fact I may have had

a crush on him.”

“I see.” The police officer finished jotting down his notes. “Make

sure you’re available for further questions. I’ll need to ask you some

more questions when you’re feeling better.”

Hans swallowed hard. Was he a suspect? Did Adrian only ask him

out so he could keep an eye on him? Pump him for information? Hans

turned to look at the dormitory. It was nothing more than a glowing

shell of a building against the night.

He was lucky to have got out of there alive.

All the next day, and while Hans struggled along with everyone

else to get their share of emergency relief clothing and try and place

into coherent thoughts what had happened while piecing their lives

together, he thought of Adrian. The brash, handsome and infuriatingly

forward fireman who had pulled him out of the inferno was, for want

of a better word, sexy.

Hans had never encountered someone quite like him before. Was

he really interested in him or was it all just bravado? Put on for show.

If Hans found out he was having a lend of him, taking advantage just

to get a free feed or a roll in the sack, he’d levitate him over to wilds

of Canada stark naked. That’d give the man plenty of time to think

about how rude he’d been while he walked back home. Yet… Hans

had said he wanted to offer his thanks. Was he responsible for how the

man responded? Had no one ever thanked him personally before?

He also thought about Josh Cartwright. He had found out the guy

had been arrested, charged with so many counts he’d be locked away

for a long time, arson and endangering lives among them. Then again,

Hans didn’t think Josh was the type to do such a thing. He was

popular. He was doing well in his studies. He had a pretty girlfriend.

Also, why did he mention him to the police? Did Josh know

something about his fiery cum? Had Scott told him? Hans knew they

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 15

were friends. Had they both planned to set him up, blame him for

setting the building alight because of what had happened in the past?

In that moment, he wished he could apologise to Scott—no, on second

thoughts, he would apologise to him, and as soon as possible.

“You’ll be staying in Dormitory four for now,” a tired looking

woman droned, while handing Hans a package consisting of gray

wool-look blankets, a standard supermarket pillow and cheap

toiletries. He was at the aid tent the college had set up on the lawn in

front of his old dorm. “We’ve bunked you with others. It’s the best we

can do considering the circumstances.”

“Thank you,” was all he could manage. What else could he say?

Thank goodness all his most precious belongings were at his brother’s

house, in the spare room set out for him when he visited. He’d die if

his collection of miniature dragons ever got destroyed.

When he had grabbed the relief bedding package, he turned to

leave the long queue. From his peripheral vision he caught something

which, at first, confused him. He thought he saw Josh Cartwright. But

the man was in jail, wasn’t he? He stared for the longest time at the

spot which he thought he saw the man. Perhaps his mind was playing

tricks on him. After all, he hadn’t got much sleep.

Hans dismissed the thought. He must have had it bad for Josh. He

was seeing him in daydreams now. But there was someone there he

recognised. He was sure of it. Again, he shook the thoughts from his

head, nodding to emphasise that enough was enough. He had things to

do. Meeting his new roommates one of them. Getting ready for his

date with Adrian, the other.

He’d bet his new roommates were all straight lads. He knew

they’d be football jocks, he recognised their names from the list he

was given. Damn. They were fit and handsome, and he suspected they

touched each other a hell of a lot—as most sports boys did, he

supposed. All part of their team bonding and all that stuff. Hans would

have to make sure he wore three pairs of underwear, especially while

sleeping. He also had to make sure he got himself a couple of new fire

Don’t Read in the Closet – volume four 16

proof gloves at the very least. He didn’t fancy going through another

life threatening fire so soon, especially one started by his lust for

football jocks. He imagined they all had big cocks and tight arses, just

to rub salt into the wounds on how his life had turned lately. Typical.

Much to Hans’ chagrin, the jocks did indeed have big dicks, his

imagination an understatement. His first footfall into his new room, he

was greeted by the three of them, fresh from the showers, all wet and