scarletvanfleet

[scarletvanfleet]

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Reader/You/OC

Word Count: 2.2k

Chapter Index

Read on AO3

18+ NO MINORS! No Smuts in this chapter but the warning still applies.

Warnings/Tags: Alternate Universe, Mystery, Possibly Haunted House, Suggestive Language, Flirting, Deja Vu, Additional Tags to be added to future chapters as they are posted.

A/N: I told you I'd update when I felt like it....

Saw Mirador.... 10/10 no notes.

Previous Chapter

You hesitate for just a moment. You do not know this man. Never seen him before in your life actually. Yet here he was, and here you were. Led here by a mysterious black cat on a dreary day in early spring. As if to encourage your decision in a way that benefited him, a cold breeze chilled you to the bone and made you shiver.

"Well?" He asks, clearly giving you the option to leave if you'd like.

"That would be nice actually, thank you."

He seems pleased by your answer and pushes away from the tree to come close to you.

"No thanks is necessary– right this way," he says kindly and offers you his left arm. You find it a little odd that he would do this seeing as you just met.

You play into it after coming to the conclusion that it is actually quite endearing how chivalrous he is. You slide your bare hand into the crook of his arm, feeling the thick woolen material of his overcoat under your fingers. He walks at a leisurely pace as he leads you through the long vines of the tree and back out into the courtyard. Once you're out from under the branches of the tree, you see how much heavier the rain has gotten in just a short time without you even noticing.

He looks away as you approach the steps to the porch but speaks to you again. "You know, you really should wear gloves out in the cold. You might catch your death."

You shift the pagoda over to cover the both of you from the onslaught and he turns his head ever so slightly to look at you.

"Why thank you Chér." He purrs, lifting his spare hand to place gently over yours. His hand is so warm that you can feel it radiating through your cold skin and saturating the bones of your fingers.

You consider his suggestion but look down at the camera around your neck. "Maybe. But it might make it harder to adjust my camera settings."

He shakes his head at that. "Suffering for your art. How noble. Come, come. I'll put the kettle on." He instructs, walking up the three steps. The closer you get to those doors the more anxious you get, soon finding yourself standing at the bottom of the steps and looking up at him. Your hand having slipped out of his arm.

"Changed your mind?" He asks, observing you curiously.

"No."

"Well, come on then." He holds out his hand to you and you take it while shoving down your nerves.

Having your hand completely in his now is a different experience entirely. His skin is soft and warm, but there are clear signs of past labors with small areas of calluses and old scars that have long since healed over. He pulls you up the stairs gracefully and leads you to the doors where he reaches for the handle and pushes it open.

Hidden behind the ornate wrought iron and frosted glass doors is a dimly lit foyer with dark wood floors and more matching iron decor in the form of wall sconces and a large chandelier alight with candles that cast a soft warm glow over the entire space. There were great wooden doors on either side of the foyer and at the end a massive, curved archway showed the landing of a spiral staircase. The foyer had a gorgeous, patterned rug of deep burgundy upon it and at Jacob's request, you removed your mud-covered shoes by the door and handed over your umbrella.

He gently led you by the hand farther inside and onto the rug with your sock clad feet, he then discarded his own boots and began to unbutton his overcoat with deft fingers. You watched him as he did it and as he started sliding the garment off his shoulders to reveal the black waistcoat and white ruffle collar shirt underneath that cut down in a V-shape just low enough on his chest to reveal a stack of silver coins on various lengths of chain. When he looked up, he caught you staring at him and a smug smile graced his lips.

"May I take your coat?" He asked kindly while he hung his own up on a nearby hook.

"Oh… Yes. Thank you." You confirm, starting to undo the buttons. You can feel him watching you as you start to slide the coat off, struggling to do it as gracefully as he had.

Without a word he steps around you and takes hold of the collar and helps to pull the coat down off of your arms.

"Thank you." You say again with your eyes cast down, watching him glide around you to place your coat on a hook by his.

"You know, if you insist upon continuing to thank me. I might have to actually do something worthy of appreciation." He observes with a swift raise of his brow.

You look up at him, confused at how he doesn't seem to think his hospitality deserves thanks.

"This way. Let's get you warmed up by the fire and I will start the kettle." He offers you his hand again and you take it, letting him show you to a large sitting room with lavish velvet lined couches of deep burgundy which are framed on either side by ornate high-backed chairs in the same velvet and intricately carved wood. The room is as dimly lit as the foyer, the only true lighting besides the gray filtering in from outside is in the form of lit candelabras and an array of votive candles in different shades and sizes strewn about the room. You can't help but immediately think that with all of the drapery and flammable surfaces in this house that the candles are some sort of fire hazard. But you choose to say nothing and just take in the ambiance as he shows you toward the fireplace.

"Now normally, I don't set these chairs too close to the fire. But I think for an occasion as special as this, I can make an exception." He deposits you in front of the warm fire while he turns and retrieves a couple of the fine chairs, setting them down close enough where the heat can still be felt without much risk to the furniture.

You're about to thank him again when you think back on what he said just a few moments ago and choose to stay silent and warm your hands at the steadily burning fire.

"What type of tea would you like?" He asks, stepping over to the side of the fireplace and watching you intently.

"I'll have whatever you're having. I'm not picky." You reply, trying to be as low maintenance of a guest as possible.

"You're sure?"

You simply nod once and he turns with a smirk to walk across the room as if to say, "Suit yourself."

You don't pay too much attention to whatever he is doing since he walked out of your sight. But you hear the sound of things being moved around and cups being placed.

You catch yourself spacing out while you observe your surroundings. Everything here appears to be antiquated, refined, and tasteful. Even Jacob. But here you are, utterly out of place in your modern clothing with your digital camera.

What are you even doing here?

You don't have enough time to continue pondering your mortal coil as Jacob returns with two glasses of dark brown liquid. He hands one to you and you look down at it curiously.

"I thought you were making tea?" You question, looking down into the glass.

"I was. For you. Then you said you'd have what I'm having, and what I'm having is bourbon." He retorts. You watch him tilt the glass to you in a casual toast, then bring the glass to his plush lips for a healthy sip.

You throw caution to the wind and take a sip of the spirit as well, letting the dark woody taste coat your tongue. It's strong. Very strong. Which causes you to make a face when you swallow.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I'll be walking home tonight." You say bitterly with a little humorless laugh.

"Ah, well if you care to have a look outside you might want to reconsider that. Though I won't stop you if that is what you wish." He hums, using his glass to gesture towards the window. Jacob then takes a seat in the chair next to yours and rests his ankle upon his knee while taking another sip.

You observe his side profile for a moment, the way his dampened pink lips hug the glass and how his Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. He's completely enticing, and it makes your mouth run dry with thirst.

When you look past him to the window and through the middle of the drapes you can see outside that it is now pouring heavy sheets of water. As if on command, thunder rumbles loudly and lightning fills the sky. A disappointed sigh leaves your lips as you look back to the fire while picking up your glass and taking a large gulp. The alcohol burns on its way down and warms your chest.

"Fret not, darling. You are safe here if you wish to be. I would not be opposed to the company, and I obviously have the room to spare." He says, waving a hand at his surroundings.

"Stay here, with you? Won't your wife be upset if she comes home to some stranger in your bed?" You ask before you can possibly stop yourself. You know it's a bold assumption, but he can't possibly live in this huge house alone.

He half chokes on his current sip of bourbon and lets out a cough that quickly morphs into a laugh.

"Wife? Whatever gave you the idea that I was married?" He asks with what seems to be some mild offense.

"Oh… I… Well, this house is just so large, and so well decorated. I just thought…" You trail off, embarrassment coloring your cheeks.

"No, no darling. No wife, no children. Just me." He says as he gives you a small sad smile and settles back into his chair.

"And Keku? Where is he anyway?" You inquire, realizing that you still had yet to see the animal since before he went behind the tree.

"Oh, he's around. He comes and goes as he pleases."

You hum in response, going back to staring into the fire and sipping at your drink.

"This house has many beds." He says after a few moments of silence.

"Hm?"

"The beds. You don't necessarily have to be in mine…There are many rooms in this house. Though if you are determined to have mine, I suppose I would not be opposed. Although I am rather attached to it." He comments, and you look up at him. You note that he seems to have kept his eyes trained on you this whole time while he nears the end of his beverage. You blush again at the thought of sleeping in this man's bed, and before you know it your brain is spiraling off into thoughts of what his room is like, how soft his bed might be, what color his sheets are, the way he feels lying next to you, the way he smells, the way he-

"Darling?" He says, pulling you out of your daydream and making you realize you'd both been sitting there staring at each other.

"Yes?" You respond.

"Have you had supper?" He asks softly, standing from his chair and finishing his drink.

"No. I haven't. But you don't have to-"

"Don't have to do what? Feed and entertain my guests? Absolutely I do. Especially when they are such fans." He says, glancing down at the camera still hanging around your neck.

"Oh, right. Yes, I've loved this house since I moved here. It might sound kind of… Peculiar. But I've always felt drawn here. Like something keeps calling me back. I probably should have asked before I started taking pictures. But I thought it might make something click for me." You shrug, finishing off the liquor and setting your glass down on the floor. After a moment you also pull the camera off of your neck.

"And did it? " He questions.

"Not in the slightest. If anything, it probably made me look like a stalker. Even though I didn't even know who, if anyone, lived here." You tell him as you set the camera aside.

"Mmm. Well, I won't lie, I did indeed take notice of you. But I was not offended by your photography. On the contrary, I found it rather endearing." He explains and then reaches down to pick up the empty glass. "Shall we?" He asks and you nod. Once again, he offers you his arm, and you get a rush of butterflies as you place your hand in the crook of his arm. The feeling of his warm skin resting beneath the surface of his thin white shirt is making you feel a way you're not sure you should considering the circumstances.

Walking back down the main foyer to the end where the landing of the staircase is, you take a sharp right and start to walk down a straight hallway together. The floors are the same dark wood, but the wallpaper has changed in color. The sconces still match the rest and there are framed painted portraits of different people. They look old, but then again so did almost everything here.

Except for him.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

Next Chapter

Thank you for reading.

@jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @kultavalo @lipstickitty @gracev0609 @seenoversundown @katuschka @edgingthedarkness

[scarletvanfleet]

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Reader/You/OC

Word Count: 2k

Chapter Index

Read on AO3

18+ NO MINORS! No Smuts in this chapter but the warning still applies.

Warnings/Tags: Alternate Universe, Mystery, Possibly Haunted House, Suggestive Language, Flirting, Deja Vu, Additional Tags to be added to future chapters as they are posted.

You've always had a keen interest in the house, never knowing who lives inside because they don’t come out, well… ever. You don’t even really know for sure that someone does in fact live there. There is never any sign of life or movement in or around the house, yet the yard is always well maintained, and the mail never piles up.

One day as you're walking by, in the sprinkling rain of course, with a black pagoda umbrella over your shoulder and a camera around your neck. You take notice of the way the bolts of lightning are framing the high points of the house. You just love the architecture. It's so old and grand. The original Victorian style so timeless and the colors so muted. It almost looks like it was copied out of an old black and white movie.

It's spooky, beautiful, and haunting.

You bring the camera to your eye with one hand, just as you have at least two dozen times over the past year that you've lived here. You have photos of it in all of the seasons, when tiny dark red flowers dotted the bushes in the spring and the sweltering heat of the sunset casting a golden yellow glow in summer. Your personal favorites were when the leaves cascaded under the gate in autumn, and the snow-covered turret peaks in winter. You had captured them all... And then some.

As you're waiting for another crack of lightning to grace the gray sky, you feel a warm presence at your feet, rubbing away at your ankles, and winding itself between your lower limbs. You bring the camera away from your eye and look down to observe the sleek figure of a gorgeous onyx cat with huge yellow eyes.

In all the months that you'd been standing at this very spot by the gate, you'd never encountered this animal. But it appeared to be very familiar with you as it sat down and looked up expectantly. You drop your camera to let it hang around your neck as you crouch down next to the feline and offer it your hand to scent. You were surprised that your movement didn't seem to startle the cat at all. It stayed perfectly still and observed you until your hand was close enough and then instead of sniffing at your fingertips, it pressed its plush furry face into your palm and rubbed all over it. You giggled, knowing that in cat language this cat had just essentially marked you as its property.

"Well hello to you too, gorgeous," you say sweetly. The cat immediately stopped its marking and looked up at you when you spoke, observing your face thoroughly.

"Yes, you. I've never seen you here before. Do you live here?" You ask, not for a second thinking how silly you might look to passersby as you crouched on the sidewalk talking to a cat.

The cat stares into your eyes for a moment and you watch its pupils expand and contract as it listens to you speak. After a moment it blinks and then swiftly turns and walks towards the thick bars of the gate. You stand and raise a brow at the cat as it rubs its back against the iron, seemingly in a world of its own and going back to just doing cat things. So, you adjust your umbrella and turn to start walking back in the way of your small cottage down the road. You barely get a few steps away before you hear the sound of tiny paws pattering in the rain puddles behind you. You look down, and sure enough you see the cat beside your feet keeping your pace and looking up at you.

"Hello again my friend. Are you going to walk me home? You should know, the rain clouds seem to be getting darker. I don't think you'd like to be caught out in a storm." You continue walking on your way and are about to reach the corner of the street when the cat runs out in front of you, turns, and sits right under the lamp post that suddenly flickers to life. You regard the feline with confusion. The fact that this is the only light on the whole street that is presently aglow, is somewhat alarming, but you chalk it up to old faulty wiring. You stop about three feet away and stare at the odd scene. You follow your first instinct and grab your camera, pulling it up to your eye to snap a picture of the shiny black cat sitting under the light with its tail wrapped around its paws.

You're looking down at the image displayed on the screen when the cat lets out a loud bellowing yowl that pulls your attention up immediately. The animal seems satisfied that it has drawn your attention once again and runs up to your feet and bumps its head against your shins.

"What? What is it girl? What do you want?" You say down at it, trying to put the pieces together.

The response is a short, low growl and you knew you messed up somewhere. The cat gives one more head-butt to your shin and looks up at you with narrowed eyes.

Oh

"I'm sorry. Boy, is it? What do you want from me? I need to go home before the storm hits," you explain.

The cat slowly blinks at you and then walks around your legs and back towards the gate. You sigh, knowing that this is a very obvious indication for you to follow. Which, despite your better judgement…You do. Shaking your head at your own stupidity.

The closer you get to the gate, the more concerned you are because the same black iron gate that had stood closed for a year was now wide open, and you hadn't heard a single sound of the hinges moving.

Huh, that's curious. You think as you stop before them and stare up at the wide sprawling gravel road that leads to the house's front porch. The cat sits in the center of the space where the gates usually meet. Finally, you look down at him and the cat very slightly tilts its head in a way that seems to say, "Are you done yet?".

You huff, giving up on the idea of going home and crawling into your nice warm bed.

"Alright then, you have my attention. Lead on. But if I get yelled at for trespassing, I blame you." You tell him, rolling your eyes and starting to walk up the gravel road. The animal scampers ahead of you, his tail high in the air.

Once you pass through the gates, you look behind the wall of bushes and see a sprawling lawn of lush green grass. It's a finely manicured area that is accented by the massive willow tree just to the right of the front doors. The closer you get to the front porch, the more details of the house you can make out. The delicate detailing of the archway above the stairs and the big, frosted glass double doors with more of that spiraling wrought iron to match the gate.

You couldn't help pulling your camera back up and snapping photos of the newly discovered features that made you fall in love with the house even more. You’re too swept up in capturing the new details to review later, that you don’t notice you’d come to a full stop. A loud and annoyed meow draws you out of your reverie and makes you shake your head at his impatience.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm coming." You tell the furry creature, taking long steps to catch up with him.

When you reach the foot of the stairs and are staring up at the frosted glass of the doors, you realize exactly where you’re standing and that you had essentially just followed a random cat onto a property that he may or may not even live at.

Feeling incredibly stupid and embarrassed, you look over to where you'd last seen the cat, noting that he was now missing in action. You give a little look around, trying to see if you could locate where your new friend had gotten off to. You see what looks like the curled tip of the cat's dark tail grazing around the trunk of the willow tree.

Silly little beastie, you think and then take off towards the tree to bid farewell to your friend. Figuring if you cut your losses and left now, that you might still be able to beat the torrential rainstorm.

Once you were closer to the tree you tried calling him to you. "Pspsps, kitty kitty? Where'd you go, boy?". You give him a moment to make up his mind and come back around the tree trunk, but when he does not, you start walking closer and going around to the other side. You lean against the bark of the tree and peek around to look for the cat and are surprised to see that there was not a trace of him to be found.

"Now where did-"

"Looking for something?" Says a deep, distinctly male voice from behind you.

The sound of another human startled you and made you jump, turning around quickly to find the source.

The source you come to find, is a man in his mid to late twenties, with dark brown collar length hair that had nary but a whisper of a wave to it. His skin was fair, but still managed to have the slightest hint of a golden undertone. His eyes were so utterly dark yet warm and mischievous. They seemed to simmer beneath the surface when he raised one of his thick, shapely brows at you.

"I.. uhm.. no.. I just.." You stammer, completely overcome by his presence and stunned into near silence by his beauty. Your heart pounded fiercely inside the cage of your chest, and you were filled with a feeling you couldn’t describe.

"Take your time, love. We've got all evening. Unless of course you have an aversion to getting wet, that is," His voice was laced with subtle humor and the smirk on his rose bud lips made your pulse pound inside your ears.

You shake your head slightly to try and straighten your thoughts out so you could actually give a dignified response this time. "I'm sorry, there was a cat, and well he... It. Really. I don't know for sure if it was a boy. Well, it kind of led me here. I sound insane. Okay, I should go. Sorry again for bothering you," You ramble out, then quickly back away and turn to retreat.

"Wait just a moment, a cat you say? Led you here? How completely strange and unusual…. Say, this cat wouldn't happen to be black, would it?” You turn back around and look at him. His words said one thing, but his tone said something else entirely.

Suspicious.

"Yes. A black cat with yellow eyes and a cute little pink nose. Somewhat alarmingly intelligent if I'm honest." You tell him truthfully, thinking of how insistent the cat was during your interaction.

"Ah, it seems you have met Keku. He is quite an advanced little devil, isn't he?" He chuckles, leaning his back against the tree with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, he belongs to you then?" You ask, adjusting the handle of the pagoda over your shoulder.

"More like I, to him." He smiles fondly and it makes your stomach clench. How is it possible for one man to be so breathtaking?

You don't know what to say to that, so you stand awkwardly, shifting your weight nervously from one foot to the other and looking anywhere but directly into those intense eyes of his.

"Jacob." He says, coaxing you out of your avoidance and bringing your attention back to him.

"What?" You breathe, confused because you thought he said the cat's name was Keku.

"Jacob. My name, it's Jacob." He repeats in that same amused tone.

"Oh." You reply, followed by a hesitant whisper of your name.

"How lovely. Well little dove, would you care for some tea? Perhaps to warm yourself by the fire?" He suggests, looking over you as you stand in a defensively against the unseasonably cold chill in the air.

"Are you inviting me in?" You ask, clarifying what you already know.

"I am."

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

Next Chapter

Thank you for reading <3

@jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @kultavalo @lipstickitty @gracev0609 @seenoversundown

[scarletvanfleet]

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Reader/You/OC

Word Count: TBD

Read on AO3

18+ NO MINORS! THERE WILL BE SMUTS.

Warnings/Tags: Will be above each chapter.

If Deja Vu was a person... It would be him.

Author's Note and Chapter Index below the cut.

Welcome to Mon Cher.

This nugget came to me the day that Mirador announced their headlining tour. Those pictures just made my brain go brrrrrr.

Please note that this work of fiction is very ¨Self Insert¨ and is also very heavily inspired by many different works of fiction. I will not name them all, but you may very well encounter some references in here. Think of it like a fun little easter egg hunt.

This work is very fantastical, magical, and mystical. It doesn't necessarily follow traditional guidelines in terms of pairings as we have come to think of them. I am well aware of this fact.

Special thank you to my friends. You know who you are. Thank you for helping with this work and helping with ideas and beta-ing. You are worth all the stars in the sky.

Enjoy.

Chapter Index:

Chapter 1 - Fate Chapter 2 - Exposition

[scarletvanfleet]

being a writer is wild

like there are some days where all the words click into place and the sentences flow like silk and then there are other days where your plot is undergoing radioactive decay and you're about to punch through your laptop screen in frustration

[scarletvanfleet]

Pairings: Josh x Danny, Sam x F!OC "Lena", Jake x M!OC "Kit". SLASH PAIRINGS!

Word Count: 12k+

18+ NO MINORS. DNI. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

"You're really good at pushing people away. But here's the thing. People aren't like toys. They won't always just be there for you when you decide you want to play with them again.”

Read on AO3

Greek Loves Universe

Part 1

Warnings/Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Confrontations, Arguing, Fights, Name-Calling, Slut Shaming (Kind of? Mild.), Explicit Language, Making Up, Apologies, Threats (Non-violent, implied, one sexual but consensual), Flirting, Movie Night, References to The Mummy (Movies 1999-2008), Unwanted Advances, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Break Up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothes, Sleepovers, Heart-To-Heart, Alcohol Use, Angst, Anxiety, Kissing, Love Confessions, Relationship Discussions, Talks of Marriage, Teasing, M/M Sex, Nipple Play/Licking, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Aftercare. HAPPY ENDING!!!!

A/N below cut.

Here is Part 2! Thank you again to the brilliant @kultavalo and @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka ilysm. This one is a doozy. But can you really expect anything from less than me?

𓇢𓆸

Back inside the house Josh was putting his flower crown on the wall with the help of a couple push pins which he balanced the crown on carefully.

He took a step back to admire its place amongst the various posters and other sentimental items he had pinned up. He loved the way the pretty dark green leaves contrasted against the light color of the wall. He was brought out of his daze when he heard a light knock at his door and looked over to see Jake with a strange look on his face leaning against the frame, one foot crossed in front of the other and his arms folded over his chest.

"What's up?" Josh asked as he observed his presence and then went back to looking at his wall of tchotchkes.

"Just wanted to ask you something." Jake said while he observed Josh.

"Ask away." He shrugged, then turned to give his full attention to his brother.

"What's with you and Danny?" Jake inquired, keeping his tone easy.

Josh's eyebrows knit together as he replied, "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that you kind of shot him down a few years ago and now you're holding hands with him and looking at him like the sun shines out his ass. So, I'm just wondering what your intentions are." He tried to make it sound nonchalant, but Josh was immediately on guard.

"My intentions? Did you forget you were also holding hands with Kit? Looking at him like he hung the moon." Josh defended with a roll of his eyes.

"So? " Jake raised a brow, wondering where exactly Josh was going with this.

"So?" He mimicked. "So. You were also holding hands with someone. What does that mean Jake? What are your intentions?" Josh shot back; his annoyance clear.

"I don't know. We're just hanging out. He's a really nice person and I do like him. Just seeing where things go right now. Though I don't really see how that's relevant, or any of your business for that matter." Jake said honestly, if not a little brash.

"And how is my relationship with Danny any of your business? Also on that note, you hardly know Kit!" Josh was fed up with this line of questioning and the audacity of his brother to corner him. So, what if he was nearly yelling.

"It's my business because Danny is my friend too. Or did you forget that we pretty much all grew up together and your dumbass broke his heart so you could sleep around and not feel guilty." Jake spat.

"Excuse me? Of course I didn't forget! How dare you imply that I'm a slut when you jump at the first person who's nice to you!" Josh was actually yelling now, and he could feel the heat rising in his chest as he flared with anger.

"I didn't call you a slut. You did. So that means you knew what you were doing, and you still did it! Right in front of him! Knowing how he feels about you!" Jake yelled back.

"He knew! He knew what I was going to do! Because I told him! I was honest!" Josh fired off.

"That doesn't make it any better Josh! Just because you tell someone you're going to hurt them doesn't make it hurt any less when you do it! Why do you not understand that?!" Jake argued as he took a step forward into Josh's space. Josh too stepped forward bringing their faces closer together, identical glares staring at each other.

"What exactly makes you think I don't?" Josh growled.

Jake laughed then and he shook his head. "You're such an asshole, you know that?"

Josh couldn't hold himself back anymore and he shoved him. Jake, who wasn't expecting it, fell back and caught onto the door frame at the last second to keep himself from hitting the floor.

As soon as he got his bearings, he lunged at Josh only to be caught around the waist by a pair of arms and pulled back through the doorway.

“Hey! What the hell guys?!" Sam yelled at them while he held a struggling Jake in his arms.

“He fucking pushed me!” Jake said in astonishment.

"You got in my face! And called me an asshole!” Josh argued.

"You deserved it! You've had it coming for the past three goddamn years! Danny might be too nice to tell you off, but I'm not!” Jake hollered at him while trying to push Sam's arms off.

"I'll let you go but you can't hurt him, okay? You both need to chill out.” Sam reasoned, looking between the two of them.

"Yeah whatever.” Josh rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sam released Jake but stayed close to make sure he wasn't going to lunge again.

Jake brushed off his clothes and then looked Josh in the eyes. " You know Josh, you're really good at pushing people away. But here's the thing. People aren't like toys. They won't always just be there for you when you decide you want to play with them again.” His tone was a lot lower and more controlled now, almost icy.

Jake then turned and walked straight for his room and slammed the door closed, leaving Sam in the hallway with a confused expression and Josh with his jaw dropped open in shock. 𓇢𓆸

The following week was awkward to say the least. Jake was rarely home between applying for job positions in his field, and spending time with Kit.

But when he was home, Josh found himself walking on eggshells around him until he'd finally had enough of the tension and approached him in the kitchen one afternoon when Jake got home from an interview.

“Hey." Josh said carefully, coming up behind him while he was chopping up some vegetables.

“Hey." Jake responded, not looking up from his work.

“Can we talk?”

"Depends on what you have to say.” He looked up at Josh as he came to lean against the counter next to where Jake Jakewas standing.

"Well. First, I want to say that I'm sorry. For everything. For pushing you, for hurting Danny, for not exactly being the most empathetic person, and just in general being kind of a selfish prick.” Josh breathed. He'd spent the last week going over everything Jake had said to him during that fight and realized he had a point. Lots of points actually.

“I'm not going to say it's okay. Because it's not okay, and you better never do that shit again. But I will say that I forgive you. Danny is a different story though.” He said, putting the vegetables into a preheated pan on the stove and grabbing seasonings from a cabinet.

"I know. I'm going to apologize to him too.” He said, and watched as Jake seasoned the food and nodded his head.

"Good. What else?” Jake prompted.

"Well. I just wanted to tell you that I do actually really like Danny. I don't think I ever really stopped liking him. I just… I don't know. I had my head up my ass I guess.” He explained.

"Okay?” Jake encouraged him to keep explaining, turning away from the food now to meet him eye to eye.

He sighed and continued. "Well. I would like to try and move forward with that. Take it seriously of course. If Danny will even have me, that is.”

Jake clicked his tongue against his teeth a couple of times and regarded his twin thoughtfully.

“Well, only Danny can really make that decision. But if you're asking me for permission, you have it. But I swear to whatever powers that be. If you hurt him again Josh?” he warned, his voice lowering to a near growl.

"I know, I know. I promise. If he agrees, I will try my absolute best to never hurt him again.”

“I'll hold you to that. Also, Kit is coming over on Friday and we're all going to watch a movie together. So, if you want to put the moves on Danny, there's your opportunity." Jake told him and then turned back around to check on dinner.

“Okay. So… Can I ask how everything is going with Kit? Or is that not okay?” Josh asked carefully.

He heard his brother sigh and then put down the utensil he was using to stir the food.

“You can ask Josh. You're my brother. I still love you. I was just really pissed off at you and disappointed. This whole thing is just so out of character for you." He explained before turning around to face Josh again. “But to answer your question, things are good. Really good actually. Kit is great. I'm really enjoying our time together."

“That’s great Jake. I'm happy for you, truly. So, would you say it's pretty serious?" Josh pushed, trying to see how much information he could get before Jake told him to get lost.

Jake only blushed a bit and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “You know I don't do flings Josh."

“I know. I guess I just… You seem so different now and Kit’s….”

"A guy?”

"Yeah. I didn't want to put it that way. But I guess I'm just surprised. I…I don't know how I didn't know.” Josh sighed.

"Well, that's an easy one. You didn't know because I didn't tell you. I knew it wouldn't make any difference to you so I didn't want to make it a big deal.” Jake said with a chuckle.

"Fair enough.” Josh replied.

𓇢𓆸

In the days leading up to the weekend, Josh had indeed invited Danny over to movie night. An invitation which was readily accepted.

Each day that followed started with Danny receiving a good morning text from Josh and ending very similarly with a Good Night.

They had little conversations here and there, just talking about their day and sending each other funny memes. But neither could deny the thrill it gave them to see that notification light up their phone.

𓇢𓆸

Friday night came and before Danny knew it he was sitting in the middle of a large pile of blankets on the floor in front of the brothers’ couch. Josh was sitting to his left with a bowl of popcorn placed in between them. Sam was sitting to his right with Lena reclining back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her lovingly. Jake and Kit were sitting together on the couch itself. Close but not touching.

They were watching the 1999 cinematic masterpiece “The Mummy" and Evie had just saved Rick's life.

Danny absentmindedly reached into the popcorn bowl to grab a handful and shove it into his mouth. The salty buttery taste was addictive as he crunched on the kernels, and he reached down for another handful. He was gathering the pieces in his hand when he suddenly felt a hand on his own. He jumped slightly, and turned to look at Josh.

“Oh, I'm sorry." Josh whispered as to not distract the others from the movie.

“It's okay. Just scared me." Danny smiled, noting that despite the apology Josh had still not moved his hand from his, which made his heart flutter.

“Is uhm… is this okay?” Josh asked shyly. Danny nodded, realizing that he had no intention of letting go of his hand.

Josh gently moved Danny's hand from the bowl and into his lap where he threaded their fingers together. Danny raised a brow curiously and Josh just smiled and went back to watching the movie.

Danny turned back to the TV as well, just in time to see a fresh, clean-shaven Rick appear on the screen. He heard Josh sigh and glanced over at him again as he said, “He is so handsome."

Danny nodded and was about to say something when he was cut off by a loud cough from Lena. He looked in her direction and saw her give him the same raised brow she had on the night of New Year's. He returned the look only for her to roll her eyes and go back to watching the movie.

He thought it was odd but ignored it.

𓇢𓆸

When the movie was about three quarters of the way through, Danny needed to use the restroom. So, he released his hand from Josh's and stood up, heading down the hallway into the bathroom. He quickly relieved himself, flushed, and was washing his hands when there was a knock at the door.

“Just a sec." He called out, finishing up washing and drying before pulling the door open to reveal Lena standing in the doorway.

“Oh. hey. Let me just get out of your way." He tried to maneuver around her, but she stayed, blocking his exit.

“Uhm… Do you need something?” he asked as she looked him up and down.

“Yeah actually. I do.” She said, encroaching on his space even more.

"Okay?” he swallowed nervously, wondering what she could possibly want from him.

“Well… I was just wondering what you thought of Sam?” She drawled.

His brows crinkled together as she looked up at him with her big eyes and twisted a piece of hair around her finger.

“Sam? I mean. He's my best friend. I don't…?” His confusion was evident.

"That's not what I meant." She interrupted. “What do you think of him? Like do you think he's hot?”

"Hot? He's Sam. I don't really think of him that way. Like he's a good-looking guy but I don't… Why are you asking this?” He struggled.

“And me? Do you think I'm hot?" She pushed, a smirk now coating her candy-colored lips.

Danny paused for a second, thinking how he could possibly answer that question without making things weird.

“You're pretty Lena. You and Sam make a really good couple." He attempted.

“Oh. Why thank you. I think you're super hot. Sexy even." Her smirk turned devious as her voice took on a seductive quality.

Danny could feel his heart beating fast with nervousness as he looked over her shoulder down the dark hall into the living room that was only lit by the images on the TV.

He swallowed thickly and looked down at her. “Thanks. We should really-"

“You know. I think it would be really fun if you joined Sam and I sometime.” She said slowly, tracing a finger down the center of his chest.

"Like for a movie or something?” He offered, hoping and praying this wasn't going the direction he thought it was.

"Oh no silly. In bed.” She smiled, biting on her lower lip as her finger reached the middle of his stomach.

"Lena, stop.” He said firmly, grabbing her hand and pulling it away.

"Oh, come on. I know you want to fu-”

"Lena. What the actual fuck are you doing?” Josh yelled. Danny's eyes snapped up and he saw him standing at the end of the hall looking absolutely pissed.

"I was just… " she snatched her hand out of Danny's grip and turned around right as Sam came up beside his brother.

“You were what Lena? Why does Danny look shell shocked? What the hell did you say to him?” Sam demanded.

"Danny, what happened? Are you okay?” Josh asked, his voice full of concern.

"I was just trying to leave the bathroom, and she wouldn't let me out. Started asking me weird shit about her and Sam? Then she said it would be fun if I joined them….in bed.” He explained.

It was silent for a split second before all hell broke loose.

“What the fuck Lena?!" Josh yelled at her.

“You didn't!" Cried Sam, his voice filled with disbelief.

“I didn't! I swear I didn't! He's lying! He came on to me!" she accused, pointing at him.

“I absolutely did not."

“Two things. First, Danny would never lie to me. Second, we talked about this Lena! I said no!” Sam nearly screamed.

“Woah woah. Wait. Hit pause. You guys talked about this?" Danny squeaked.

“Yes! We have! She brought it up after the graduation party and I told her no! Multiple times!" Sam looked like he was on the verge of tears as he whispered “This is so fucked up. I can't believe you."

“But Sam! I saw him with Josh! He likes guys and you've said he's had girlfriends before! He said I was pretty! So why not?!” She tried.

"You cannot be serious right now.” Josh shook his head.

"I really did not think I had to explain this to you Lena. Just because someone likes guys and girls doesn't mean they want to just sleep with anyone! Come on! I thought you were smarter than that!” Sam scolded her, waving his arms animatedly.

“Then what's the point! Just be straight then! Isn't that the whole point of being gay! It's not like you can procreate with each other so why even do it at all?!” She screamed.

Another moment of silence followed by a loud intake of breath from Sam as Danny and Josh looked up at each other in shock.

"I cannot believe you just said something so incredibly ignorant.”

“It's just the truth!" She replied.

Sam glared at her and clenched his teeth together, hissing "Get out.”

Both Josh and Danny looked at him then.

"What?”

"I said, get out. We're done.” He clarified.

"No! Why!?” She whined, rushing forward to try and wrap herself around him, only to be pushed off gently.

"I can put up with a lot of shit Lena. But you've gone way too far. First with Jake, now with Danny? Not to mention the sheer disrespect for the queer community you just showed. I will ask you nicely one more time. Get out of my house and do not ever come back here.” Said Sam, his voice full of disdain.

“Fine!" She yelled in his face and shoved past the brothers into the living room only to see Kit curled into Jake's side, his arm wrapped tightly around his waist and Jake's lips pressed to the top of his head. She glared at them and scoffed as Jake looked up at her.

“No wonder you didn't want me. You freaking sodomite.” She spat at him.

Jake glared back and held Kit tightly to keep him from pouncing at the girl.

"What part of get out did you not understand? Get out right now!” Sam yelled at her.

She grabbed her bag from the floor and threw the door open before disappearing into the night.

Sam pushed the door closed and locked it. Then he leaned his back up against it and slid to the floor with his face in his hands.

Silence filled the room as they all took in what had just happened. Only when he heard the quiet sobs coming from Sam did Danny, who had been by Josh at the entry to the hallway, spring into action. He rushed to Sam's side and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Hey, it's okay. You're okay. I've got you." Danny reassured him.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I didn't know I promise." He cried into Danny's shirt.

"I know Sam. It's not your fault.” He said gently, trying his best to calm Sam down.

"I knew she was really flirty and stuff, but I had no idea she would go against my wishes. A-and the stuff she said about you guys and Jake. I'm so sorry.” He babbled through his tears.

"Shh. We know.”

"Oh fuck, Kit. Oh my god.” Sam quickly pulled himself out of Danny's arms and looked over to where Kit had his face tucked into the side of Jake's neck. " Kit I am so sorry you had to see that. I'm so sorry for what she said. I-”

Kit lifted his head and turned to meet Sam's eyes. "Honey, you have nothing to apologize for. Just be glad your sweet brother was here to hold me back. “

"I am. I just-” he tried but fell short.

"Sam, why don't you go to bed. That was a lot, and you probably need a break.” Josh chimed in.

Sam only nodded and pulled himself up off the ground. Danny too got up and was brushing his jeans off when he was suddenly pulled into a tight hug.

“I really am so sorry. I should have told you at least. If you want to stay you don't have to take the couch. You can stay with me. Like when we were kids?"

“Sam, go to bed, okay? I'm okay. I promise.” Danny said, squeezing him back.

"Okay You know where to go Danny. If you want." He then pulled out of the hug, waved good night to Kit and Jake, patted Josh on the shoulder then headed to his room.

“On that note, I should probably mention I'll be staying the night over at Kit's." Jake said to Josh.

Josh smirked and let out a little giggle.

“Oh, shut up, will you?" Jake rolled his eyes.

Kit giggled too but untangled himself from Jake to stand up and stretch his arms out. Jake soon followed, muttering something about grabbing a bag from his room.

“So… Are you going to stay? I think Sam could really use a friend tonight.” Josh asked.

"I mean, sure. I can definitely stay. If you're okay with it?” Danny replied, looking up to meet Josh's eyes.

"Of course I'm okay with it Danny. You're always welcome here. You know that.” He said with a soft smile that Danny returned.

Jake reappeared from his room with a dark leather backpack slung over his shoulder and walked over to Kit and placed an arm around his waist.

“I'm ready if you are?" Jake asked him.

“Oh absolutely. That was way too much excitement for one night. Never a dull moment with you guys.” Kit smiled and leaned into him.

"You guys have a good night. I'll see you in the morning.” Jake addressed his brother and Danny.

"You too. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!” Josh teased.

"Well, there's not much you wouldn't do, now is there?” Jake shot back with a raise of his brow.

Josh faux gasped and clutched his imaginary pearls. Danny couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll take good care of him. Don't you worry.” Kit winked and they headed out the front door together, Jake's hand never once leaving its place on Kit's waist.

"Well. I guess I'd better go check on Sam.” Danny sighed and pushed his curls off of his forehead.

“Yeah…. Uh hey Danny? I know it's kind of shit timing, considering everything that happened. Honestly, I wasn't expecting all that to go down I-” Josh rambled nervously before Danny cut him off.

"What is it, Josh?” He asked gently.

"Well, I just wondered if maybe you'd like to go check out this bar with me tomorrow night?” Josh asked, trying his best not to trip over the words.

“Just us?"

“Yeah. If that's okay?" He said while chewing at his lip.

“Yeah Josh, I would like that. Just let me know when, okay. I'll probably go home and shower and get some stuff done, but I can meet you there.” He gave him a reassuring smile before stepping a little closer.

"Great. Y-yeah, I'll…I'll let you know. Goodnight Danny. " He whispered and then began to turn away only to be caught by a hand around his forearm and a soft tug before being pulled into a warm embrace.

He let out a soft gasp in surprise but quickly melted into Danny's chest. He could feel him take a deep breath and then slowly let it out. “Goodnight, Josh. Sleep well."

They broke from the hug and Josh turned without another word and went into his room.

Danny watched him go and then shook his head to try and rid his mind of the insurmountable thoughts in his head.

He made the short walk to Sam's door and gently knocked. After a brief moment he heard him say “Come in."

He twisted the doorknob and entered the room to find Sam sitting on the bed in his boxers and a loose T-shirt, looking down at his phone.

"You stayed.” Sam observed.

"Yeah. Thought you could use a friend.” Danny shrugged, coming to sit on the bed next to him.

"You thought right. There's pajama pants or sweats in that drawer if you want. Shirts in the closet. Help yourself to whatever. You know I don't care.” He said, followed by a sigh as he focused intently on his phone screen.

“Kay. Sam, what are you looking at?" Danny leaned over his shoulder and looked down to see that he was on Lena's Instagram, refreshing every few minutes with a swipe of his thumb.

“She's deleting all of our pictures." He whispered.

“Oh, Sam… Block her. Put that thing away. You don't need to be looking at that." Danny advised softly.

“I know. I just… Three years in the trash. Just like that.” His voice caught on the last word awkwardly.

"Do you want to talk about it?”

"Yeah. Get changed though. It's too late for jeans.” Sam nudged his shoulder and Danny smiled. He got up and rifled through Sam's drawer and pulled out a pair of sweats that had been cut into shorts and nabbed the largest T-shirt in his closet to go with it.

He changed quickly, not caring that Sam was in the room as they'd seen each other bare many times in the years of their friendship. Once he was done, he threw himself down on the bed and reclined against Sam's pillows.

“Alright. Spill it. Get it off your chest." Danny instructed.

Sam chucked his phone onto the nightstand and laid down next to Danny, both men looking at the ceiling.

“Well, I guess it's not that I didn't see the glaring red flags. It's more I saw all of them and thought I was at a carnival.” He sighed and shook his head slowly.

"Sam, can I ask you a question? And promise you won't get mad at me?” Danny asked, turning to look at Sam.

“Yeah of course." He hummed.

“Did you just keep her around because you thought you could " fix” her?" Danny knew it was kind of a brutal question, but he had to know, and Sam needed to be honest with himself.

Sam breathed deeply and closed his eyes, letting out the breath slowly. “Kind of? I guess? I don't know. The sex was also pretty great."

Danny let out a laugh at Sam's unexpected confession and reached over to shove his shoulder.

"What?! I am but a man after all.” He said dramatically.

“Oh please.” Danny rolled his eyes.

"What?! You probably don't even remember what that's like. It's been forever since you've gotten laid. Every time anyone hits on you or seems remotely interested; you shoot them down with some BS about focusing on school." He scoffed.

“It wasn't BS! My finals reflected that!"

“Yeah well, we both know that it wasn't your schoolwork keeping you from dating. Now, was it?" Sam said knowingly.

“Ugh, Sam. How did we go from talking about you and Lena, to me?" He grumbled, trying to avoid the subject.

“Simple. There is no Lena and I anymore. There is, however, you and Josh." Sam said, and turned over on his side to face his friend.

"Fine. What do you want to know?” He turned on his side to face Sam aswell, and was hit with a sudden sense of nostalgia from when they were just boys.

"Everything. You were holding hands, whispering, you've been texting. Hell a few months ago you guys would hardly speak. So, I'm just wondering what's going on there?” He questioned.

Danny was quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and tried to organize them into a coherent sentence.

“Ever since the twins have graduated, he's been…different. It's like he actually sees me again, you know? Then when we went to the farmers market, it was almost like…” he chewed his lip.

"Like what?”

"Like… he actually felt something for me. He gave me this flower crown and held my hand. Then he asked me if I'd want to hang out alone with him sometime and I don't know. It's been really nice to get the attention from him that I always wished he'd give me, I just wonder if I'm reading it wrong?”

Sam could see the worry on his friend's face as he continued to chew on his bottom lip.

“Josh is kind of an anomaly. I'd like to say you have nothing to worry about, but I can't. I don't really know what's going on with him when it comes to you. But I can say that since the graduation party he hasn't brought anyone home at all." He tried to sound reassuring so that Danny would stop his worrying, but he didn't. So Sam continued. “So, are you going to do it?"

“Go out with him?" Danny asked. Sam nodded in reply, so Danny continued. "Yeah, he asked me to go to some bar tomorrow night. I told him I would.”

"Ooh! Like a date?” Sam perked up immediately.

"He didn't call it a date.” Danny corrected.

"Well, two people who have vague romantic feelings, going out together on a weekend night, alone. Drinks, food, maybe dancing? Sounds like a date to me.” Sam shrugged.

"You think so?”

"Mhm.”

Danny was silent a moment as he considered it before responding. "Wow. A date with Josh.”

"Yeah, and he better not fuck it up either, or Jake will really have to kick his ass this time.” Sam laughed.

"Huh?” Danny's forehead crinkled in confusion.

"Oh, did no one tell you about that? Yeah, Jake and Josh got into it after the farmer's market. I don't really know exactly what happened, but I guess Jake confronted him about playing with your feelings.” He said, followed by a dramatic eye roll.

“What?!" Danny shot up on the bed and looked at Sam with wide eyes.

“Yeah, Jake was about to pummel him. Luckily, I caught him before anything really happened. They hardly talked for like a week. But they got over it. It's fine. They're idiots.” Sam explained.

“Dude what the hell." He sighed and threw himself back on the bed.

“It's fine. They're fine. Honestly Josh needed to get his ass called out for once. We were both sick of his shit."

“I guess…." Danny whispered.

“He did. Now go to sleep. You don't need to be all tired for your date tomorrow." Sam giggled then rolled over and shut off his lamp, sending the room into darkness.

𓇢𓆸

Danny left early that Saturday morning. Josh was still asleep, and Jake apparently hadn’t come home yet. He left Sam half asleep in his bed, still seemingly running on summer hours.

So, home he went, entering the small studio apartment and kicking off his shoes by the door. He made a quick breakfast of eggs and toast with some coffee. After scarfing that down and cleaning up the dirty dishes, he went to grab a shower.

As the hot steamy water flowed down his back, he found his mind wandering to Josh. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't scared of what tonight could bring. The trepidation was agonizing.

He wondered what Josh's motives were. If they were indeed romantic in nature, or if Josh was just wanting to rekindle their friendship.

Just because Sam said it was a date didn't mean that’s how Josh had intended it. So, if he tried to make a move, but he had read the signals wrong. What would that mean? Would it ruin the progress they'd made on their friendship?

But then again…what if he made a move but he read the signals right? What if… What if Josh liked him? Wanted to be with him? Would he want to be a couple, or just sleep together? Unfortunately, Josh's reputation over the past few years had preceded him.

“Fuck" Danny sighed and pressed his forehead to the cool tile wall.

𓇢𓆸

The text he'd gotten from Josh said to meet him at the bar at 8pm. It was now 8:15pm and Danny could feel the nerves tearing their way through his body, the small table shaking as he bounced his leg and looked around.

Finally, at 8:23pm, in came a curly mess of hair belonging to none other than Josh who walked in and looked around the entire bar before his eyes landed on Danny, his face lighting up with a grin.

He made his way over to the table and sat across from Danny, and before he could even get a word out, Josh was rapid fire apologizing.

“I am so sorry for being late. I really am. I hope you didn't think I was going to stand you up or anything. I would never do that. I just-”

"Josh. Josh, it's okay. It's fine. None of you are ever on time for anything.” Danny laughed, hoping that he was somehow covering up the anxiety he had.

"Too true. So, what do you want to drink? It's my treat.” Josh asked, noting that Danny had just been sipping on water.

"Uh, an IPA would be fine. I'm not picky.” He replied while using his straw to swirl the ice in his cup.

"IPA. You got it. Shots?” Josh quirked a brow in question.

"Sure, why not.” He giggled, some of the tension finally easing at the thought of having some liquid courage.

"You got it. Sit tight babe.” Josh winked and then bounded off towards the bar.

Babe? Had he heard that right or did he imagine it. No. He definitely called him babe. Okay, alright. What the hell? Remain calm, he thought as he plucked out the straw from his drink and began to lightly chew on it.

He was completely lost in thought when Josh returned to the table, chiding him for chewing on his straw and telling him that it was bad for his teeth.

Danny sighed and pulled the straw from his mouth and placed it down on the table. Josh sat down a bottle of IPA and a low-ball glass of liquor.

“I got us doubles. You seem pretty wound up. Everything okay?” Josh asked, picking up his own glass of what appeared to be some kind of cocktail and sipping at it.

Danny nodded in response and then picked up his bottle to take a swig.

"Alright… So, what have you been up to?"

Danny was thankful for the subject change. He was trying very hard to ignore his own nervousness and Josh pointing it out directly wasn't helping.

“Well, not much. Enjoying the summer while it lasts, hanging with Sam. I've been to a few Frat events. Done some side gigs and whatnot.” He explained.

“Frat events? You actually go to those? Like the car washes and stuff?" Josh quirked his brow.

“Well yeah. They are benefit car washes and fundraisers for charities. Sometimes I'll play drums or guitar. Helps get my name out a little and does a good deed too. Most of the guys are pretty cool.” Danny shrugged.

“They are cool. I should have gone more. I wouldn't have minded seeing you running around in some little cut off shorts, all soaking wet" Josh winked then took a sip of his drink.

Danny blinked up at him and could feel the burning blush as it swept across his cheeks.

"I went to a few of them the first couple years I was in school. Then I just got too busy.” He said nonchalantly.

"Right. Busy.” Danny chuckled.

"What? Why's that funny? I was busy. College took up a lot of time, and then I volunteered at some schools so I could have something on my resume.”

"Oh, I don't doubt that. It's just we both know it wasn't just school that had your attention.” He picked up his drink again and took a long sip and Josh’s eyes widened a bit and his cheeks flushed.

"Well… No… You're right. But what about you? I'm sure you had other…distractions.” He reached, trying to get the heat off of himself.

"I didn't, actually.” Danny corrected.

"Oh. Never?” Confusion painted Josh's features.

"Not once.” He confirmed.

There was silence as he stared into Danny's eyes, his confusion meeting Danny's stoic expression.

Danny took that as an indication that it was time to down his liquor and grabbed the glass. Josh also took up his own and they raised them to each other, a toast without a speech.

Danny slammed back the liquid quickly, the burning sensation coating his throat as he swallowed. Once it was gone he put the glass down and looked up at Josh who was also setting his glass on the table.

“What kind of drink did you get?" Danny questioned, peering over at the colorful liquid.

Josh giggled a little before looking up at him with a smirk. “Fuck me, Daddy."

Danny choked on his own spit and coughed loudly. “Excuse me?!"

“It's called a "Fuck Me, Daddy”. It's one of their custom special cocktails from the bar menu." Josh stated, as if that was a perfectly normal name for a drink.

“Oh haha…right.” He laughed awkwardly.

"Do you want to try it? It has Kinky Pink vodka, lemon lime soda, pineapple juice, and coconut rum. Then as a garnish it has lime, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry. Gotta promise not to pop my cherry though.” Josh shot him a smirk and pushed the glass across the table.

This time Danny was prepared for Josh to say something out of pocket and quickly responded with "I'm pretty sure someone else already has.” To which Josh just rolled his eyes.

Danny picked up the fancy glass and took a good sip before handing it back. The drink was incredibly sweet and impeccably fruity.

“Jesus. How do you drink that stuff?"

“Easy. You put it in your mouth and swallow. Do I need to teach you how?" Josh's expression was devilish as he flirted. Danny's hand was resting on the table too and he tried very hard not to react when Josh slid his own hand forward and wrapped it around Danny's. As their hands touched, he looked down to confirm it was actually happening and he wasn't just making it up in his head.

“Danny, I-” Josh began before being abruptly cut off by the voice of a squealing woman somewhere behind his companion.

"Josh?!” she called.

Josh quickly snatched his hand back into his own lap and looked up with eyes the size of saucers to the woman approaching them.

"Oh my gosh! It is you! I haven't seen you in so long.” Her voice was so much louder than necessary, and Danny fought as hard as he could not to look up.

"Oh uh… Hey…Kristin?" Josh said awkwardly to the woman who was now scooping him into a hug where he sat.

“Kelly actually. Kristin is my sister. It's all good though. How are you? I haven't seen you around much! You look good.”

Danny let a slow breath out of his nose and finally gave in to his curiosity. When he looked up, he saw a voluptuous woman with dark brown hair and big brown eyes. She was very pretty and exactly what Danny was praying not to see.

“Yeah, I graduated this year actually. But I'm doing good. Ready to get out there into the adult world. You look good too. You always do.” Josh replied casually.

Danny's anxiety yanked at him as he let that compliment sink in.

"Oh wow! Congrats! So, you have a lot of free time now? I would love to see you again. We had so much fun together last time.” She purred, a hand reaching out to stroke his arm gently.

“Oh, uhm… Yeah! Maybe!” He replied with a smile, and Danny felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"Cool. Well, I have to go. I'll text you! Bye!” She gave him a flirty little wave and scampered off towards a group of other women standing next to the bar.

Danny watched Josh scratch at the side of his neck, his eyes cast down at the table.

“So… Who was that?” Danny asked, struggling to keep his voice neutral.

“Oh, that was Kelly. I saw her like, twice. We had English together." Josh shrugged.

"Oh. So, you fucked?” He couldn't keep the harshness from his tone any longer.

"Yeah. We did.” Josh confirmed.

"Great. Awesome.” Danny said sarcastically, his frustration seeping through.

"Woah, hey. What's wrong?” Josh searched Danny's face for some hint as to why there was such a shift in his demeanor.

"Nothing Josh! What could possibly be wrong? It's not like you just indicated to an old fling of yours that you might be interested in hooking up again while you're actively on a date with me or anything.” Danny huffed and snatched his drink from the table, throwing back another large mouthful.

"Date? You thought this was a date?” He said, bewildered.

“Is it not?" Danny pushed, setting the bottle down on the wood top harder than was necessary.

“No!" Josh replied.

Danny sucked his teeth and nodded his head slowly. He then pushed his way out of the booth and began heading for the door without another word.

Josh sat in shock for a moment as he watched Danny's retreating form. When he finally snapped back into reality, he realized what he’d just done and swore to himself before hastily grabbing some cash from his wallet, throwing it on the table and running after Danny.

“Danny! Danny, wait!” He called as he pushed through the doors that had just closed behind the taller man.

Josh knew Danny could hear him, but it was clear he was ignoring him. He caught up as quickly as he could and came to stand in front of him to block his way.

“Danny please. Stop. I'm sorry I didn't mean-" He started.

“Didn't mean what? Didn't mean to ask me out, lead me on, hold my hand, buy me drinks, flirt with me repeatedly? What. What did you not mean to do exactly?” Danny argued, his voice raised higher than Josh had ever heard it before.

Josh was shocked into silence, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water.

“You know. Sam had me convinced this was a date, and after the past couple weeks I had actually let myself believe that you liked me. That you had changed your mind, or that you were just done sleeping around. "Exploring” or whatever you want to call it. I thought maybe, just maybe you came to your senses and realized that it wasn't the life for you. But here we are.” Danny breathed, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he finally said everything he'd been thinking and feeling.

"So, what Josh? What is it? What do you want from me? Because I can't keep doing this. My heart isn't strong enough to keep wondering if you love me like I love you, or if you just want to be friends. I just need to know. Can you answer that?!" Danny yelled, his frustration finally getting the better of him.

Before he could even get another breath out, Josh rushed forward and there were lips upon his. A warm, soft, sweet pair of plush lips pressed against his firmly and a set of smaller, yet strong arms wrapped around his neck.

Danny's brain shorted out for a long moment before he realized what was happening.

Josh had kissed him. He was kissing him. His lips were still there. He could feel the lingering pressure from them, and he finally let it sweep him into the undertow. His eyes slipped shut and he sighed into the kiss, finally. Josh didn't stop kissing him even as Danny wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him tighter. He simply repositioned his lips and tugged Danny's bottom lip in-between his teeth, sucking on it slowly. Danny couldn't help the groan that was released.

When Josh finally released his lip and pulled back from the kiss, he stayed close and gently touched his forehead to Danny's, both their eyes still closed.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” Josh whispered and it was like Danny had just heard the most perfect melody of all time in the form of this man's voice.

"You do?” He gasped.

"I do. So much. I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry. How can you ever forgive me?” Josh asked, digging his fingers softly into the ringlets at Danny's nape.

“Be mine. Only mine. Always."

"Done.”

𓇢𓆸

Danny had insisted on getting an Uber to drive them to his apartment. He enforced the fact that they'd both been drinking and it wasn't a good idea. Josh readily agreed and soon they were seated in the back of a black SUV trying to keep their hands from wandering too far into erogenous zones.

It was a daunting task, but he found if he kept kissing Josh's knuckles it would distract him enough to keep him from trailing his fingertips along the inseam of Josh's jeans.

It felt like the drive was so much longer than 15 minutes, but finally they arrived at Danny's apartment complex and hastily climbed out onto the asphalt of the parking lot. They thanked the driver and headed up to the second floor of the building to apartment 28A.

Danny struggled to get the key into the lock on the door while Josh tenderly groped at his hips and ass, lips pressing so softly to the skin of his neck.

“Fuck Josh, I can't…” he whined.

"What baby boy? You can't focus?” Josh whispered, dragging his hands up off his hips to the curve of his stomach and then up over the small fill of his chest where he rubbed small circles over the little bumps until they hardened to stiff peaks.

"Come on honey, you can do it. That's it. You gonna let me in so I can love on you?” His voice was now a sultry growl and Danny thought he was going to lose it right there under the light from his porch and the hands of his new lover.

Finally, he got the door unlocked, twisted the knob, and pushed it open. He quickly turned and grabbed Josh by the collar of his shirt, dragging him into the apartment.

Josh had never been inside Danny's apartment before, but from what he could see of it before he was shoved against the now closed door, it was a good-sized studio apartment with a wall of whitewashed exposed brick that was lit up golden under the light of a small lamp. There was a bed in one corner next to a large window, a kitchenette, and a living area all placed in separate spaces. There was also a door that Josh guessed led to the bathroom.

The tall man then completely filled his vision as he brought him into a searing kiss. Danny wasted no time asking for entry to his mouth, and Josh gave permission readily. His tongue slipped in and licked against the other mans, so silken and tasting of the sweet fruits from his drink. Strong hands gripping at his waist and kneading gently.

A moan slipped from Josh and Danny responded to it immediately by reaching around his back and grabbing two handfuls of his ass before lifting the smaller man up and letting him cling around his waist. Josh could feel the firmness of Danny's bulge as it pressed against his own and he let out a desperate whine from the sensation, breaking their kiss.

“Shh. I know. I've got you." Danny told him as he clicked the lock one handed before turning to head to the corner of the room where the bed was placed.

It was a decently sized bed for a college student, and it was immensely comfortable with plush cozy blankets and big fluffy pillows that Josh appreciated as he was laid down amongst them.

They both kicked off their shoes and Danny climbed on the bed over him as Josh was attempting to pull off his white T-shirt.

“Hey, stop that. Let me. I'm going to take my time with you." Danny smiled, leaning down to place a soft kiss to Josh's ravaged lips.

“Oh?" He questioned, letting his hands fall to his sides.

Danny chuckled, responding slowly “You made me wait for you for three years. Now you can wait for me."

Josh only giggled in response and laid back, letting Danny slowly undress him. He started by pulling the shirt off over his head and tossing it to the floor then yanking each sock off of his feet, one at a time, throwing them down too. He trailed his hand up Josh's thigh and up to the waistline of his pants where he tucked his fingertips just below the elastic and ran them from his hip to where the button was hooked. He fingered the button lightly with his thumb and looked up to meet Josh's lust filled eyes.

“Is this okay?" He asked, wanting to get confirmation before going any further.

Josh answered his question with another question. “Danny, do you want me?"

"Yes. You know I do.” He responded without a single trace of humor.

"Then have me. Have all of me. Every bit of me. Swallow me whole. Consume every fiber of my being and remake me in your image.” Josh panted, begging, pleading for Danny to undo that button and finally put their longing to rest.

“Fuck Josh, you can't just say things like that" Danny whined against his stomach as he came to rest his head there in the warmth of his smooth skin.

“I mean it Danny. I never want to be without you again." He sighed and ran a hand through Danny's curly locks. “I love you, Danny. I do. I swear on my life I do."

Danny smiled to himself and placed a kiss just over Josh's belly button. " I believe you. I love you too. You know that though.”

“I do" Josh sighed as another kiss was placed to his stomach, but higher this time. Another soon followed that one, and another, and another until he came to rest over his sternum, right betwixt his supple bust. Danny let out a subtle little laugh as he nuzzled into him.

“What are you laughing at?" Josh asked, sounding confused.

“Just you. You know that's the second time tonight that you've said that? It makes me think." He hummed and then began to place little kisses over to his left pectoral.

"Said what?”

"I do.” Danny stated once he reached the soft rosy rounded nub that was Josh's nipple.

“Oh. What does it make you think of?" Josh's breath hitched as Danny licked around the circumference of his areola slowly, teasingly, which made him groan and arch his back.

“Us. Our future. When you'll say those two words again to me, and I will in turn say them to you.” Danny's voice was husky now with need as desire was lit from that first full taste of Josh's skin.

“Danny. Fuck. Danny, you can't. You can't say that." He whimpered, and Danny sucked the nipple into his mouth and rolled his tongue over it heavily over and over while Josh writhed beneath him.

After a few minutes of sucking, Danny finally popped off and blew cool air over the lingering saliva which caused the small bud to firm to a peak once more.

“I can say what I want, because it's true. I am going to marry you one day. I'm going to give you the whole world, baby. Now that you will let me." He looked up into Josh's eyes and saw that they were sparkling under the low light and full of emotion. “You're so gorgeous. Beautiful like a painting in the Sistine Chapel. I can't even describe it.” he explained and then began kissing his way over to the right pectoral.

Josh smirked at that. “Oh yeah? Do you use that line on every man you bring home?"

Danny stilled in his quest and blinked up at the curly haired man laying against his pillows.

"No. I don't. Because I've never…" he replied shyly.

Josh's eyebrows scrunched together while he regarded his lover. “You're a virgin? But Danny I thought-" came rushing from Josh's mouth, only to be cut off short.

“No, no. I'm not. I just… not with a man.” Danny explained bashfully.

"Oh. We don't have to… I mean if you don't want…” Josh bit into his bottom lip, looking incredibly self-conscious.

"I want to. I really do. I have for so long. I-I did research." He stumbled over his words a little and blushed once he finally got them out.

“You did research? Like you watched porn, or?" Josh asked, not trying to make fun of him in the slightest. Purely just trying to gauge his knowledge.

“Well, yeah, a little. But I also looked it up and read some articles and stuff." Danny explained quietly, somewhat embarrassed.

"Articles about what?” He cocked his head to the side and waited patiently for the response.

Danny sighed and looked up at him. " Like the best technique to use, and the best lube. Positions, and uhm… toys.”

"You're so incredibly sweet Danny. Are you sure you want this? With me?” Josh questioned seriously, giving him another chance to change his mind.

“Yes. There is no one else for me." Danny swallowed hard and stared into Josh's eyes.

“Then show me what you've learned baby." Josh offered, hoping that Danny would understand the implications.

He simply nodded and went back to kissing at the swell of Josh's right tit, only to then take it into his mouth in the same fashion as he had the left. Savoring the sweet, salty, addictive flavor of the man's skin and humming around it. When he was done, he blew on it as well and smiled proudly at the visible reaction.

He ran his nose down the center of Josh's abdomen all the way down to the small patch of hair just above his pantsline and breathed in the beautiful natural musk of Josh's skin. He brought his fingers up to pop the button open and slide down the zipper. As he pushed the fabric aside, he revealed a thicker patch of pubic hair covering Josh's lightly tanned skin.

“No underwear?" Danny raised a brow.

“Not usually." Josh smirked.

“Duly noted."

He grabbed either side of Josh's jeans and carefully shimmied them down his thighs, then completely off his legs before tossing them to the floor. He drank in all of the hills, plains, and valleys of Josh's beautiful body as it laid beneath him completely bare for the first time. He was so supple and curvy, lovely in every way possible.

“You're wearing too many clothes." Josh pointed out in the midst of Danny's staring.

"Oh. Right. Sorry.” He sat up and pulled his shirt off and added it to the pile of clothing on the floor. He bit down into his lip and reached down to pop open the button of his jeans, only to find Josh reaching for it himself and easily pulling it free and sliding the zipper down.

“Come on. Get em off." Josh instructed.

Danny gave him a small smile and then climbed off of the bed to push the material off his legs to reveal his black boxer briefs. Josh let out a low wolf whistle causing a blush to spread down across the taller man's chest.

“Those too. If you're ready.” Josh encouraged him and Danny took a deep breath before hooking his thumbs into his boxers and pushing them down to the floor, stepping out of them. He stood back up to his full height and looked down at Josh as he lounged in the center of his bed and scanned over Danny's newly nude form.

“Goddamn Danny. You're kind of packing, aren't you?" Josh observed, almost making himself conscious as he was ogled.

“I guess? Is that okay? It's not…” he trailed off quietly.

"Going to hurt me? No baby, it won't. Not if you prep me right it won't.” Josh gave him a reassuring smile and patted the bed.

Danny positioned himself between Josh's legs and ran his hands over the sparse hair on his creamy thighs, admiring their softness below the rough calluses that decorated his palms. He slowly, gently moved his hands upward towards the hardened length that awaited him. When he finally wrapped his fingers around it, Josh let out a relieved sigh and melted into the bed.

Danny took a deep breath and leaned forward, gathering some saliva in his mouth and letting it dribble from his lips onto the pillowy flushed head of Josh's cock. The smaller man sucked in a breath through his teeth at the sensation and whined when Danny used his thumb to spread it around and down.

A choked off whimper escaped Josh when Danny started to stroke him slowly.

“You don't have to be quiet. The wall between apartments is brick. Nothing gets through. Let me hear it.”

Josh silently nodded his understanding while he struggled to form words under Danny's skillful hands, but only curses came out. Followed quickly by begging.

“What baby? What do you need?" Danny asked, continuing his strokes.

“I- can you- mouth? Please. Fuck. Please?" He cried out.

Danny slowed his motions to a stop and looked down at Josh. " Okay. But I've never done it before. So, it might be bad. I'm sorry in advance. Also, should I… should you… condom?” He stammered.

Josh considered his words now that he could think straight without the extra stimulation. “If you want. But you don't have to, I'm okay without.”

"It's just… I… I know I'm clean but…" Danny struggled with his words, not wanting to offend Josh.

"But I was kind of a slut? I know. It's okay, you can say it. I am clean though. I got tested pretty recently after I… well.” He paused, taking a deep breath and catching Danny's eyes before continuing. “After I realized I really wanted to try this with you. I wasn't sure if you'd have me. But you know, just in case there was a chance. Plus I always used condoms before.”

"What's different now?" Danny asked.

“Well, I trust you. I love you. I want to feel you. All of you. But if you would prefer to use a condom I understand, and we definitely can. I just want to be with you, in any way I can. “ He explained, softly touching Danny's cheek.

“Josh., I trust you. I love you. Only you. Without is fine. I just want to make you feel good. Can I?”

Josh nodded and Danny dipped down to begin kissing at the base of Josh's cock which had slightly softened during their discussion but was very quickly filling out again with the warmth and stimulation. He suckled at the skin there then trailed the flat of his tongue up the side of the shaft to the tip which he sucked into his mouth completely. Josh groaned under him and wiggled his hips, begging Danny to take him deeper but only causing the man to grab at his hips and press him deep into the mattress, stilling him.

He suckled the head until he tasted salty precum and then used the tip of his tongue to spread it around and prod gently at Josh's slit, chasing the heady elixir to its source. The cries coming from Josh's mouth created a symphony that filled the silence of the space and made Danny's heart go erratic. He eagerly sucked him deeper into his mouth, finally allowing Josh's length to be caressed by his tongue. He worked him as deeply as he could without making himself choke and gag. Once he found his limit, he was able to settle into a smooth rhythm, bobbing his head as he'd seen done before.

He must've been doing something right because Josh soon began struggling under him, taking all he could possibly handle before having to push at Danny's shoulders begging him to stop or else he was going to cum. He popped off of the man's now soaked, fully flushed cock and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

“Baby, that's kind of the point. I want you to cum for me." Danny explained.

“I know. I will. Just not yet. I want to cum with you…. With you inside me.” He whispered the last part shyly.

"Okay. Let me just grab some lube alright?”

Josh nodded and watched as Danny leaned over to the bedside table where he pulled open the top drawer and rifled around for a moment before pulling out a bottle of lubricant.

“Let me see." Josh held his hand out and Danny placed the bottle in it, waiting for his assessment.

“Gun Oil huh? Guess you did do some research. Have you used it before?” He asked, handing the bottle back to Danny.

Danny shrugged "Only on myself.”

"On yourself? Like to jerk off?”

"Well yeah, but also for uhm… You know. I experimented a little." He blushed.

“Oh. Wow. So, you…?” He gestured to the bottle and to Danny.

“Yeah. I… well. Like I said. If we ever got here, I wanted to be prepared, and I didn't know what you liked or preferred so I just covered all my bases.” Danny explained, his blush growing even deeper.

"You are so incredibly considerate. I can do either, so you know. Maybe next time… or in the future, if you want. But right now, I would very much like to take you.”

He nodded his head and gently grasped Josh's thighs to move them apart and gain access to his hole. He never thought he could think of something like this as cute. But it truly was. So neatly manicured, small and puckered as he ran the tip of his thumb over it and made Josh shiver.

“You'll tell me if I do something wrong, or if you need me to stop?" Danny asked nervously, looking up at him.

“Of course. Go ahead. I trust you." He said with eyes full of love and lust.

Danny popped open the bottle of lubricant and dripped some onto his fingers, using his other hand to rub it down the length of the digits coating them completely. He then reached down carefully and rubbed a single slicked finger over his entrance and Josh let out a low groan.

“Okay, I'm going in now. You tell me what you need. Less, more, stop. Absolutely anything." Danny instructed, and Josh nodded his agreement.

He slowly began pressing his index finger inside and was met with minimal resistance but a deep sigh from the man below. He gave him a moment to adjust to the sensation as he'd learned, before starting to pump it in and out gently. He watched Josh's facial expression begin to change.

“Good?" He asked.

“Fuck. More. Please, more." Josh begged.

“Are you sure you're ready for another one? I just started." Danny replied cautiously.

“I'm sure, baby. I can take it.”

He pulled his finger out to the very tip before lining up his middle digit alongside the first and pressing them in together. Josh gasped at the stretch but made no indication of discomfort, instead his stiff cock twitched wildly at the intrusion.

Once they were all the way in, he stilled again and waited for Josh to release his breath before starting to slide them in and out, alternating with some scissoring movements that made the man moan loudly. Danny was mildly shocked at the lack of resistance that he faced when fingering Josh. He'd opened up easily and took the digits without issue.

“Fuck baby, you really like this don't you? You're taking my fingers so well." He said after noting the steady stream of pearly precum leaking down Josh's shaft.

“I love it. So good. You're so good." He whined, his voice going higher in pitch. “If you can, turn your hand over and curl your fingers up a bit. Oh fuck. Yes. Just like that. Oh my god.” Josh gasped as Danny effortlessly followed his instructions and hit that sensitive bundle of nerves dead on.

"Right there lovely?" Danny asked cheekily.

“Yes. Yes. Do it again. Please do it again." He begged, only to be rewarded by another prod to that trigger that made Josh spasm under him.

“Do you want another?" He asked, only to be answered with an enthusiastic nod.

“Okay. I'm going to add more lube. It might be cold." Danny explained, reaching for the bottle and removing the cap again so he could drizzle some directly onto his fingers and Josh's pretty hole which clenched around him due to the temperature change.

“God you're going to feel so good wrapped around my dick, you know that?" He leaned down to whisper into Josh's ear, then sliding all three fingers home in one fluid movement.

Josh cried out Danny's name in ecstasy from the sensation of fullness and threw an arm up around his lover's neck.

“Harder. Go harder. I promise I can take it. You won't hurt me." Josh reassured with a breathy voice.

Danny complied with his request and began finger fucking his tight hole, the squelching sound echoing into the room around them and mixing with Josh's gratuitous moans. He sat up to get a better angle and reached to take hold of Josh's straining cock in his free hand, only to be caught by the wrist. Which caused him to halt all movement.

“Don't. I will cum immediately. If you want to fuck me, do it now." Josh demanded.

“I want to. Do you still want it?” Danny asked.

"I swear if you don't fuck me right this instant, I will shove your ass down on this bed and ride you until dawn. Do not tempt me.” Josh threatened, and Danny could tell he meant it.

"Shh. Shh. Hey, calm down. There's plenty of time for that, my gorgeous boy. But right now, I'm in control. You're mine and I'm going to make sure you remember that.”

Josh gaped at him but nodded and quieted down. Danny took that as an indication that Josh was calm enough that he could remove his fingers. Which he did and gazed in amazement at the lingering stretch. He took the bottle in hand again and squeezed a generous amount into his palm, then began to coat the significant length that had been achingly throbbing between his legs. The relief was damn near instantaneous, and Danny got mildly carried away while stroking himself only to be pulled from his reverie by a hand on his thigh.

“You’re so fucking pretty. But despite that, my threat still stands."

Danny chuckled and leaned down over Josh, pressing their faces close together. He carefully lined up with Josh's hole and began to press inside as he attached their lips. He felt Josh's sharp intake of breath against his mouth as the thick head of his cock slipped past the ring of muscle.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to stop?” He asked, concern filling his voice.

“Don't you dare."

He chuckled a little bit before pushing in deeper. The heat and tightness were astounding, absolutely unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was addictive and he was resisting every urge to completely slam the rest of his length inside to feel it encompass every inch.

“You're holding back. I can feel it. Let me have it all."

“I don't want to hurt you." Danny fretted.

“You won't." Josh leaned up and pressed their lips together again, but harder this time.

“Fuck Josh, I just want to make love to you and you're making it so goddamn hard for me not to fuck you into this mattress." Danny growled into his ear once he'd pushed him back down into the pillows.

“Make love to me on our wedding night. Tonight, make me remember.” He dared.

That was the final straw for Danny who took handfuls of the pillow behind Josh's head to use as leverage as he slammed the rest of himself inside of Josh.

Josh yelped loudly and wrapped his thighs around Danny's waist like a vice. After a moment to ensure Josh had adjusted to the completely full sensation, Danny let him have it just as he'd asked.

Each thrush was powerful and deep, angled specifically to target that spot that Josh had so diligently led him to. Causing a continuous stream of pleasured cries to leave Josh's mouth while Danny plowed into him. The lewd sounds of wet thrusts and skin slapping against skin mixed together to create something that could only be described as a sensationally erotic masterpiece.

“Flip me over Danny." Josh begged.

“No. You're staying right here."

“Why? You can fuck me harder from behind." He tried to reason.

“I want to see your pretty little face when you cum, and I fuck you full of me.” Danny growled.

“Holy shit." Josh gasped, and Danny knew he was done for. Which was fine since he was quickly nearing his own end.

“Cum for me." Danny told him and he sat back up, one hand gripping Josh's hip and the other taking his cock in hand and pumping it in time with his thrusts. “Right fucking now."

Josh nearly screamed as his orgasm ripped through him and thick jets of cum painted his own chest, as well as Danny's stomach and hand.

Danny seemed to glow with pride and brought his cum coated hand up to his mouth to lick the cooling milky white fluid off while he steadily fucked into Josh.

“Your turn. Fill me up, all of it. Every drop." Josh whined.

Danny simply nodded and grabbed Josh by both hips, thrusting into him with wild abandon until he felt his own orgasm erupt, coating Josh's walls with thick white ropes. He gave little thrusts while he went through the aftershocks until he could no longer hold himself up. His body turned to jelly, and he collapsed into Josh's waiting arms which enveloped him completely. They basked in each other's warm after glow while they allowed their breathing and heart rate to return to normal.

“Danny?" Josh said quietly into the still silence of the space.

“Yeah?"

“I'm sorry. For everything. I guess I thought by telling you why I couldn't be with you back then, I was sparing your feelings in some messed up way. But I've realized that just because I told you what I was going to do, it didn't actually save you any pain at all. Did it?" Josh's voice sounded so different, so introspective and mature.

“No, not really. It just made me feel powerless. Because I could see you with people, but I felt like I couldn't say anything. I couldn't have an opinion or be upset about it. I just had to live with it. It sucked." Danny told him truthfully.

“I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It was incredibly selfish of me. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” He promised.

“No. We aren't going into this with anything hanging over our heads. I accept your apology, but that's it. It ends there, and we begin here."

Josh was slightly taken back by being told no twice within such a short timeframe. But he found he liked the push back as opposed to the other partners he'd had, who would let him do whatever he wanted.

“Okay." He agreed, earning him a sweet kiss from Danny.

“Now come on. Let's get cleaned up and I'll make us something to eat, then we can go to bed." Danny instructed as he sat up and gently began to pull out his softening member.

Josh flinched a little at the loss but looked up to Danny with wide doe eyes. “You want me to stay?"

“Baby, you're absolutely out of your mind if you think you're ever sleeping alone again." Danny smiled and leaned down to place a kiss to Josh's forehead. He then got up and walked to the bathroom where he turned the water on to start warming up.

Josh pulled himself up out of the mess of blankets and swung his legs over the side. He finally got a good look at the apartment and was taking in all the various decor and knick knacks when a book with a bright yellow cover caught his eye as it sat on the bedside table.

“The Ancient Greeks for Dummies”

Josh couldn't help but laugh as he flipped open the book to scan the table of contents and found there was nothing there about the recognized loves he had used as part of his feeble attempt at friend zoning Danny.

Danny reentered the room and came over to Josh to see what he had gotten his hands on.

“You wanna explain this?" Josh asked, showing him the cover.

“Well, I guess I just wanted to understand you more.” He shrugged.

"And do you?”

"I think so. But not because of that book. Actually, that book had nothing pertaining to those types of love you told me about.” Danny noted.

“Not surprised. It is a book for dummies after all.” He laughed and then tossed the book back onto the table before standing to wrap his arms around Danny's neck. The taller man's arms slid around his waist and pulled him closer, pressing their naked fronts together. He nuzzled into the fuzz of Josh's post coital hair and breathed deeply that earthy unique smell.

“Come on, I think the shower is warm now." Danny told him after a few silent moments of holding each other.

Josh only hummed and placed a kiss over Danny's left pectoral where his heart was buried beneath layers of skin, muscle and bone. It made him giggle and he took Josh's hands in his own and led him into the steamy oasis of the small bathroom.

The shower was surprisingly average sized for such a little space, but Josh was immensely thankful for it as he pushed open the accordion door and stepped inside. The water was almost too hot to bear but it beat against the tense muscles of his back and shoulders, and it felt glorious. Danny joined him inside the shower and pulled their bodies together in a loving embrace.

There was silence between them and only the sound of the water pouring down on them filled the space. It wasn't awkward, but Josh found his thoughts wandering to the words and phrases uttered to him in the midst of sex.

“Danny?" Josh asked quietly into the man's chest.

“Yeah baby?" Danny responded casually, as if this was completely normal for him.

“Did you really mean what you said? I know you said you meant it. But it was kind of in the heat of the moment and I wanted to make sure, so we don't mislead each other or anything." Josh knew he'd rambled a bit, a nervous habit of his. But his point was made.

“About getting married?" He questioned.

"Mhm.”

"I did mean it.” Danny confirmed, squeezing Josh a bit tighter for a moment. "I don't make a habit of saying things I don't mean.”

"I know. It's just… that's a big step for us. I mean we've only been back on speaking terms for a few weeks, maybe a month. Then we were working on rekindling our friendship. Now we're here, confessing our love to each other. Having sex and talking about marriage? It's just a bit…woah.” He explained, and he could feel Danny nodding his understanding, but not pulling away in the slightest.

"Josh, look at me.” Danny said in his calm, deep candor.

Josh silently raised his head and looked up into Danny's eyes, which were lighter in color now than he'd ever seen. Beautiful streaks of deep forest green mingling with honey tones and chocolate hues.

“I love you. I want to be with you from now on. Yes, I do want to marry you. Build a life with you and spend forever listening to the steady change in your voice and seeing the gray and silver slowly coat your curls. But I realize we are young. I’m still in school and you just graduated. We aren't really in the position to just jump right into it. All I am asking right now, is that we set a goal and work towards it together. We don't have to have a firm timeline, and it doesn't have to be perfect. I just want to know that I have you, and you have me.” Danny explained slowly and meticulously. Josh was surprised at the speech he just seemingly pulled out of thin air.

So, he said the only thing he could think of.

“You have me."

𓇢𓆸

End Note: Questions? Concerns? Comments? Hit my DM's like a train.

Taglist: @gracev0609 @lipstickitty

[scarletvanfleet]

Being a writer is just 97% googling words to make sure they mean exactly what you always assumed they meant.

[scarletvanfleet]

Pairings: Josh x Danny, Sam x F!OC "Lena", Jake x M!OC "Kit". SLASH PAIRINGS!

Word Count: 9k

18+ NO MINORS! NO SMUT IN THIS PART BUT THERE IS SOME IN PART 2. ADULT CONTENT BELOW CUT.

"Sometimes when you want something so fucking bad, it doesn't go away. Even when it breaks your heart. Sometimes it just... Sits there. Waiting."

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Part 2 (TBA)

Warnings/Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Angst, Mutual Pining, Graduation, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, Awkwardness, Hugs, Crying, House Party, Alcohol, Love Confessions, Explicit Language, Awkward Flirting, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Arguing, First Dates, Awkward Conversations, Frostbite, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia-Not Serious, Jake is smitten, Classic Cars, Arts and Crafts, hand holding.

A/N Below Cut.

A/N: Hello! I'm back! A couple of you were interested in a follow up story to Philia, or a "not sad Josh/Danny fic". Well, in true Scarlet fashion, I have delivered. May I introduce to you.... Pragma. The sequel to "Philia", as well as the second installment in the "Greek Loves Universe".

Special thank you to my lovely Beta reader and best friends, @kultavalo and @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka for your continued support, ideas, and interest in this world of fiction. You are the best friends a girl could have.

𓇢𓆸

Sometimes when you want something so fucking bad, it doesn't go away. Even when it breaks your heart. Sometimes it just... Sits there. Waiting.

This was the thought that was currently making its way through Josh's head as he crossed the stage to collect his diploma and move the tassel on his hat to the other side. When he looked out to the crowd to see his friends and family who were loudly whooping and yelling his name, he caught the eyes of the very person who he'd been tiptoeing around for the past three years.

So much had changed since that day when he and Danny had sat in his old beat-up car on New Year's Day, and he'd let him down as gently as he possibly could. But he knew that he had broken his heart, as well as his own that day, and damn near destroyed their friendship.

Josh knew that the damage to their friendship wasn't intentional. It just happened. Danny needed distance after that night, and time to heal. He was hurt, and Josh understood that. He also understood that he had to be real with himself and with Danny. That's why he did what he did. Sure, it was selfish, and he'd continued to be selfish in those years since then. Just as he'd implied that he would be.

He explored, he experienced. He worked his ass off in school, focused on his major in education and came out close to the top of his class. He partied and was involved with his Fraternity. He dated around.... Well... He went on dates. Slept with people of any gender, very rarely seeing someone more than twice, and he never formed a lasting attachment to anyone. He had friends and he had short term lovers. Distractions. That's what they really were.

Distractions.

𓇢𓆸

In the fall of the year after the New Year's party, Danny joined the Kiszka brothers at Michigan State and pledged the fraternity. He even got his own apartment near the university, which was pretty nice. He still came around regularly, mainly to do frat related activities and hang out with Sam. But that didn't mean there weren't times when they'd be relaxing on the couch when Josh would walk in the front door with someone neither of them recognized, barely offer them a passing glance, and lead his partner into his room.

The first time this happened, Danny clenched his teeth and sat through the movie with Sam. He tried his best to ignore the moans and grunts of pleasure that seeped under the door and through the thin walls of the house. He swallowed the lump in his throat and held back his discomfort until the credits started to roll, then quickly gathered himself and left the house with a promise to text Sam when he got to his apartment. He could see the turmoil on Sam's face. But what could he do? It was Josh's house too.

The subsequent times after that when Josh brought someone home, Danny had very quickly dismissed himself and left the house. Sometimes Sam would tag along with him, and on rare occasions so would Jake. They never really spoke about it, but Danny knew that they’d both harbored some guilt even though they really had nothing to do with it.

Other than those instances where Josh would bring someone home, Danny rarely saw him. In between their conflicting schedules and everything else, they'd almost never see each other. When they did, it would be at a fraternity gathering where they kept their distance most of the time, or at Sam's shared house where Josh might join them for dinner.

Their conversations were cursory in nature. Very often being a "hey" or a quick "how are you" followed by a curt answer and then silence until Sam cuts in with a random topic to kill the awkwardness.

Danny was immensely grateful for Sam at those times.

There came a point when the walking on eggshells, quick vague conversations and distance just became too much. After being friends for most of their lives the sudden change to near strangers was affecting all of them.

Josh thought that something had to change as he changed the direction of his gaze and began to walk off the stage to resume his seat next to his twin.

The ceremony went on for a long while and he politely clapped for each graduate as they collected their diploma and went on their way. He saw a few faces he recognized. Friends from classes, fraternity brothers, hook ups. When they were finally done with the last of the graduates, they all stood and cheered. Some threw their hats and others hugged their friends and went to hug their families too. Josh and Jake navigated the sea of people until they found their families and Danny all huddled together. They hugged all of them tightly but when it was Josh's turn to hug Danny, he hesitated. The two met eyes and Danny's hands twisted together anxiously before he sighed and let his hands drop to his sides. Ronnie, the Kiszka's sister, eyed the situation curiously as Danny stepped forward and brought Josh into an embrace. The surprise on his face was evident but it only took a few moments for his body to catch up and he put his arms around Danny's back to hug him in return.

It felt nice to be close to him again after the years of distance. He could smell Danny's after shave and that hair product he always used that smelled vaguely of coconut. The sensory experience made some tears well up in Josh's eyes as he sunk into Danny's chest. He hadn't realized how long they'd been hugging until he heard a cough come from his twin and quickly pulled away, avoiding eye contact while quickly swiping at his lower lids with the back of his hand.

No one said a word about it and Josh was ever so thankful for that.

"So.... Who's hungry?" Jake quickly said, addressing the group.

"Ooh! Me! I'm starving. That ceremony took forever!" Sam yelled loudly, his arm shooting up in the air.

"Yeah, well you better get used to it because you'll have to come to mine next year!" Danny laughed and clasped a large hand over Sam's shoulder before guiding him towards the exit as the others followed.

𓇢𓆸

After they ate, the family split off and went to their hotel to get ready for the graduation party which would be taking place that evening, and the brothers went to their house to begin preparing. Danny too had gone to their house to help with set up. Sam insisted on the twins taking a back seat to the process since they were the ones being celebrated. So, it was really just Danny and Sam who started cleaning up the house and setting up tables and chairs as well as putting decorations in the backyard.

"Do you think we should put some balloons in the pool?" Asked Sam as he tied off yet another black latex balloon before securing it onto the banner above the door.

"That would be cool. Might be kind of messy though if they pop and you have to pick rubber out of the grass." Danny answered while he arranged one of the tables outside where the cake was supposed to go.

"Wouldn't be my first time picking rubbers out of the grass." Sam giggled with a shameless grin on his face.

"Oh, ew dude. I do not need to hear what you and Lena get up to out here." He rolled his eyes and grabbed a few balloons out of the package to start blowing up.

"Oh come on. We both know that's probably the most exciting thing you've heard recently." Sam scoffed and tied off the balloon before walking over and tossing it into the water of the large above ground pool they'd set up, even though Jake had insisted it was way too early in the season for it.

"Excuse me?! What exactly do you mean by that?" He said as he regarded his best friend with a glare.

"Come on dude. It's been like three freaking years, and you haven't gotten laid once." Sam pointed out and grabbed another balloon from the bag to begin blowing it up as Danny gaped at him.

"You don't know that." Danny said defensively as he threw the tied balloon into the pool.

"Seriously? We're best friends Daniel. If you're not in school, at the frat house, or with me, you're hiding in your apartment all alone. What gives?" Sam threw his now inflated balloon in the pool and instead of grabbing another, he sat on the porch step and patted the concrete next to him.

Danny glared at him for a minute longer while he finished blowing up the balloon, tying it off before throwing it in the pool as well.

"You know what gives, Sammy." He grumbled, throwing himself down on the step next to his friend.

"Still?" Sam raised a brow as he waited for Danny to answer.

"Yeah. I feel like it's never going to go away." He looked off into the yard that was sprung to life with green grass and a small vegetable garden that Sam himself had planted, saying something about it being good for the psyche or whatever.

"So, you still...?"

"Love him? Yeah. I do. " Danny scratched the back of his head and continued to avoid Sam's gaze though he could feel it burning into his skull.

"So, every time he ... "

"Yeah. It sucks.” He interrupted. "But you know... I can't say he didn't exactly warn me that that's what he was going to do. So, it's like I can't even really be mad at him."

"Just because he told you, doesn't mean you don't have a right to your feelings. You can be mad, sad, whatever. I mean I know if I had to witness the person I loved sleeping with other people right in front of me I'd probably go nuts." Sam was using that voice again. The one that he'd developed in the last few years while working on his psych degree. The one where it's calm and empathetic. It nearly unnerved Danny because it worked too well.

"Well yeah. I mean it's definitely been hard. And I have tried, you know. But whenever someone tries to talk to me or ask me out I just ... I can't. I don't know, that probably doesn't make any sense and I'm just being stupid"

"You're not being stupid Daniel. You still hold a candle for him. But the thing is, how long are you going to keep holding that candle? Eventually it's going to melt down and burn you." Sam nudged him with his shoulder and Danny smiled a little bit.

"If I could just blow it out and move on I would. But I just... Can't." Danny explained.

"Well ... Have you tried talking to him again? Maybe see if things are different now?” Sam suggested.

"No Sam. We barely talk as is, and I don't really want to put myself out there again to get hurt you know? I already did that once. I don't think I can do it again." Danny finally turned and met Sam's eyes which were lit up like clover honey under the late afternoon sun.

"So, what you're saying is, you'd give it a chance if he was the one who made the first move?" Sam asked, again raising that manicured brow.

"I mean yeah. I absolutely would. But I really don't see that happening." Danny replied.

Sam hummed in response, and they sat quietly for a moment before the sound of a doorbell alerted them to the arrival of guests.

"Well. Come on then. We have entertaining to do!" Sam smiled as he got up from the steps and brushed off his pants before heading up to the back door. Danny nodded and followed him inside.

𓇢𓆸

A couple hours into the party, the house was full of friends and family alike. Members of the fraternity showed up with cases of beer and seltzers, a few girls from Lena's sorority accompanied her and even the Kiszka brother's next-door neighbor showed up, bearing gifts for the twins.

Sam and Lena, as well as a couple others, had braved the cool water of the pool which was still not quite up to comfortable temperatures but, due to a couple of beers and shots, they could hardly tell a difference.

The boy's parents were currently flipping through baby books of Jake and Josh while the twins feigned embarrassment and Ronnie cackled.

That left Danny back on the step in front of the porch watching it all unfold.

"Danny! Get in here! Stop being a stick in the mud!" Sam yelled, which caused the other pool goers to erupt into pleas for him to jump in.

Danny simply rolled his eyes and stood up before kicking off his shoes and pulling off the shirt he'd changed into. He hadn't exactly planned on swimming, but anyone who knew Sam knew that he always seemed to get his way. So, Danny threw the shirt down on top of his shoes and began making his way to the pool amid the cheers and whistles coming from the swimmers.

He climbed the pool ladder and was beginning to step down into the water when he looked up and caught Josh very obviously looking over his bare torso before realizing that Danny was looking at him and met his eyes with a blush. Danny raised a brow at him but continued to get into the water as Josh quickly looked away.

"Hey buddy! Finally! About time you joined the party." Sam hollered bounding through the water towards him, carrying Lena like a backpack.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. " Danny huffed as he struggled to adjust to the cool temperature of the water.

"Hey Danny! How are you?" Lena smiled wide at him and raked her eyes over his half naked body just as Josh had done moments ago.

Lena had become another staple around the Kiszka house as she and Sam officially began dating around Valentine's Day the year after the fraternity New Years bash. Danny didn't mind her. She was a pretty cool girl, if not a little ditzy and maybe a bit on the promiscuous side. But Danny didn't fault her for that.

"Hey Lena, I'm pretty good. Cold now, but it's fine. How about you?" Danny responded as he watched Sam swish her back and forth slowly in the water, making her giggle.

"Oh, I'm good. You know, just working on that music degree. Say, how did you do on the final in Professor Reynolds class?" She asked and the conversation evolved into the topic of finals and grades and plans for the following year. Sam pitched in here and there but mainly just listened to their conversation.

Once the topic was exhausted and the silence set in, Lena excused herself from them with the intention of helping herself to some of the food set out. Danny watched as Sam eyed her figure when she pulled herself up the ladder and over the pool wall, her tiny red string bikini leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

𓇢𓆸

Jake had just finished dressing up his hot dog with all his favorite toppings when he saw Lena walking across the yard towards him.

He had gotten to know her a little over the years of her dating Sam, but she always seemed to rub him the wrong way. She was just so over the top and he didn't know how to respond to it. He tried his best to avoid eye contact as she came closer, even picking up his hot dog and making it about three quarters of the way to his mouth before Lena was standing right next to him. A little too close for comfort. He took a half step back as her generous bosom bumped against his elbow and made him pause mid bite.

"Hey Jakey." she cooed as she continued to invade his space.

"Oh, uh... Hey Lena..." He responded quietly, sighing as he set his hot dog back on his plate and she engaged him in an unwanted conversation.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you around very much!" She continued on in that flirty high-pitched voice while wrapping a piece of her hair around her finger.

"Oh uhm... Fine. Yeah, I've just been busy you know. School and ... Stuff " He didn't want to be rude to her, but he really did not want to be small-talking when he hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Oh? Stuff huh? Is that code for a girl you've been seeing? I'm sure it's not. I never see you with anyone." She boldly pointed out.

Now Jake was annoyed by her prying into his personal life.

"No, if you must know. But then again I'm not sure exactly how you would've seen me with anyone when you barely see anything besides the sheets of my brother's bed." Jake said coldly.

She blinked in surprise but quickly recovered with a shake of her head.

Jake heard a choked laugh that was covered by a fake cough from somewhere behind him, which is when he recalled that there was a man at the table making his plate just a short distance away.

"Oh my gosh! Are those barbecue chips? I love barbecue chips! " Lena said excitedly and before Jake could stop her she'd reached up, snagged a chip off his plate and popped it into her mouth with a smirk. The smirk quickly evolved into an expression of exaggerated pleasure.

"Oh my…Mmm… So good." She moaned louder than was necessary.

Jake felt his mouth drop in shock.

She finished the chip with a few more small groans and then looked at him seductively.

"That was amazing. Ugh, reminds me of going to the lake. I am so glad you guys set up the pool because it gave me a chance to wear this swimsuit. Isn't it SO cute?" She giggled as she posed for him, making her breasts jiggle and then squish together when she changed positions.

"Uh... Yeah... It's great." Jake responded awkwardly, looking up to meet Sam's eyes who was eyeing the situation curiously.

"Do you go to the lake, Jake?" Lena asked with her overly sugary voice.

"Yeah, of course. We used to go quite often actually. " He told her, again trying to be polite but looking anywhere but directly at her.

"We should go sometime!" She suggested.

"Oh yeah that could be fun. Get all of us together, Danny and Sam and-"

"No." She cut him off. " Just us. " She said again in that seductive voice as she got closer to him once more and placed her hand on the center of his chest.

"Uh... " Jake stammered as his brain flatlined and he struggled to find the words to respond to her through his utter shock.

It was then that he heard a plate get thrown to the table and footsteps come up behind him quickly.

"Girl... " Came a warning voice to Jake's left. "Don't you have a man? Why don't you go to him and stop harassing Jake who is clearly not interested."

Kit. Jake recognized the voice now as he turned towards the man in the sage green dress shirt with his ginger hair in a slightly messy, curly, cropped cut. One of his finely manicured brows was cocked and his arms were crossed firmly over his chest.

Lena scoffed and regarded the man with a scowl.

"And you are?" She said arrogantly, dropping her hand to Jake's relief.

"Kit. Jake’s neighbor, and you're Lena. A girl clearly barking up the wrong tree. Seeing as you're currently hitting on your boyfriend's brother. So go on. Shoo." He responded and waved his hand in her direction dismissively.

She groaned in annoyance, rolled her eyes, and turned to stomp away from them.

Jake sighed and looked back down to his plate. The stress of that conversation had made him lose his appetite completely.

"Ugh. Just repulsive." Kit sighed and rolled his eyes just as she had.

Jake looked up at him, nodding in agreement. "Thanks Kit. She just... Doesn't know when to stop." He grumbled and set his plate down on the table.

"That's obvious. Hey, are you okay Jake? You haven't even eaten any of that.” He said, eyeing the man's untouched food.

" Yeah, well… Welcome to my life. " Jake mumbled and looked off towards the pool where Danny was currently chatting with friends. It was then that he noticed Sam's absence and looked around the yard for him.

He soon found Sam and Lena in the throes of a heated argument with lots of hand motions on her part.

Kit followed Jake's line of sight and chuckled. "I guess he wasn't too happy about that. Had to happen sometime I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess. Just bad timing." Jake grumbled and distracted himself by observing Kit's face.

He'd seen Kit plenty of times in the years they'd lived in the house. But he had never really noticed how attractive he was before. With pale porcelain skin, rosebud-colored lips, and sparkly blue green eyes. His jawline was sharp and nose cute and upturned. He knew Kit to be a few years older than him. Already out of college and working as a Kindergarten teacher.

"Hey Jake?" Kit's voice snapped him out of his reverie and made him blink a couple times, realizing that he'd been staring.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to get out of here? Maybe hit up IHOP or something?" He casually suggested.

Jake was a little surprised at the offer but one quick glance around the party and his mind was made up.

"Oh, hell yes." Jake beamed.

Kit smiled and reached over, taking Jake's hand in his own.

"Can I really leave my own party though?" He worried out loud.

"It's your party, you can leave if you want to!” Kit said in a singsong, playful way and pulled him towards the back door.

𓇢𓆸

The yelling steadily got louder until Lena was nearly screaming at Sam as he continued to talk to her with a calm demeanor though visibly upset.

The overall mood of the party had quickly shifted, and guests were beginning to gather their things and head for the door. Even the Kiszka's own family had given Josh their goodbyes and waved to Danny as he got out of the pool and dried off. As soon as they were gone, Danny realized that only he and Josh were left, besides the couple who were still currently going at it.

Danny looked around and saw that Josh had located a large trash bag and was starting to collect garbage and toss it in. He sighed quietly to himself before throwing his towel down on a chair and crossing the yard to where Josh was cleaning up. He grabbed half empty cans, dumping their remaining contents into the grass before crushing them in his hands. He’d gathered four or five before he approached Josh with them.

Josh saw him coming and held the bag open for him so he could throw them in. "Thanks. But you really don't have to help if you don't want to. You're a guest. "

Danny scoffed and started collecting more trash. "And it's your graduation party. So, I guess we're even." He gave him a shy smile and saw Josh return it apprehensively.

Together they cleaned up the yard, put the food away and broke down spare tables and chairs. At some point the yelling had stopped and Lena and Sam had gone into the house.

Josh sighed as silence filled the air "Thank goodness they're done. That was ridiculous."

"Yeah, they're definitely something else." Danny agreed as he plucked the balloons out of the pool and let the air out of them without causing a loud pop.

"So .... How have you been Danny? Is college treating you well?" Josh asked, grabbing the broom they used for the back porch and starting to sweep off the concrete.

"I'm good. College is great. I'm glad I decided to come. It's been a real adventure. I've learned a lot, experienced some stuff, and had a lot of fun." He responded, fishing yet another balloon out of the water.

" That's great. I'm so happy for you. I know Sam's been glad to have you around. Are you going to stay here after you graduate next year?" Josh continued sweeping the porch, keeping the conversation light.

"I don't know. It depends." He responded.

"On?" Josh inquired, halting his motions and turning to face Danny.

"If there's something worth staying for. Otherwise, there's a program that Jake and I have been looking at in Nashville that helps music majors find jobs in the industry. I might see if I can find a band to play with or an artist to support." Danny shrugged while he continued messing with the decorations.

There was a short moment of silence before Josh responded. "Oh. That's... Yeah. That's cool." He said slowly, looking down at his shoes.

Then finally Danny spoke up. "And you? What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know. Same stuff. Glad to be done with school. Ready to actually get out there and start teaching some kids." Josh smiled up at him and then went back to sweeping the porch until it was nearly cleared.

Another long moment of silence in the freshly fallen night was broken by Danny's voice.

"So, Josh, did you get everything you wanted?" He asked, with extreme effort to keep his voice neutral.

Josh stopped again and looked up again to meet Danny's eyes with furrowed brows.

Danny prepared himself for the answer. Because if he said that yes, he in fact had. That would mean in Danny's mind that their ship had sailed and Josh had moved on. Left Danny completely behind in the pursuit of his own adventure. But if Josh said no? Well Danny wasn't sure exactly what that would mean.

Josh cleared his throat and looked off into the dark sky for a while before replying. "It wasn't all it was cracked up to be."

Danny met Josh's eyes with an expression of subdued surprise.

"Oh?" He inquired, curious to hear more from Josh in this first full conversation they'd had in years.

"Yeah. I-" he began but was quickly cut off by the sound of the back door opening and Sam stepping out onto the patio.

"Hey guys. What are we talking about?" Sam asked as he bounced down the stairs and approached them.

"Oh uhm, nothing much. I was just telling Josh that I think I'm going to head home now." Danny responded, reaching down to grab his discarded shirt from atop his shoes. Josh noticed that he grimaced as he picked it up. He saw Danny sigh, his head dropping in defeat. It was then that he noticed Danny's pallor and the blue twinge to his lips.

“Oh my god. Danny! Your lips are blue! Are you okay?” Josh dropped the broom and sprinted over to him, grabbing him by the face and forcing him to look up.

" Yeah, I'm just freaking cold, and my shirt is soaked.” He grumbled.

"Yeah... Sorry, I think that was Lena. You can borrow something from me?” Sam offered kindly.

Josh rolled his eyes and spoke up. "Come on Danny. I have something better.” He then turned to head in the house as Danny slid on his shoes and followed him inside.

Soon he found himself standing in the warm embrace that was Josh's room. He'd never been here before. Only seen glimpses as the door opened and closed. But he loved it. It felt like a genuine outward expression of the man in front of him who was currently rummaging through a pile of clothes on an antique wicker chair.

Danny took in all he could as he looked around. The room was bathed in the soft glow emanating from a few salt lamps and they illuminated various old movie posters framed on the walls and piles of books on all available surfaces. There were also a couple of very well taken care of plants by the window and a pretty backflow incense burner. The whole room smelled like a mixture of Nag Champa and cozy, earthy spices.

“Aha!" Josh announced as he pulled a shirt from the pile and held it up in victory. The garment was an off-white and had the name of an indie band emblazoned across the chest. Danny recognized it almost immediately.

“Is that…?” He questioned in disbelief, reaching out to take the fabric in his hands. The shirt was slightly more threadbare than when he'd last seen it, but it was still soft and in good condition though the design had faded some.

Josh looked a little nervous, if not kind of embarrassed as he nodded and quietly replied "Yeah”

"I wondered where this had gone. Why didn't you ever tell me you had it? I've been over here loads of times in the past three years Josh.” Danny inquired.

" Well... You left it here that morning after…yeah. I just… I don't know, held on to it. I guess I should have given it back before now. Sorry.” Josh scratched at the back of his neck and avoided eye contact with Danny, choosing to look at the floor instead.

Danny nodded and slipped the shirt over his head and sighed at the warmth of it. It smelled like Josh, and he found himself wondering how long that scent would last. He was about to speak when there was a light knock at the door.

Josh went to open it and the youngest of the brothers leaned against the frame looking at both of them curiously.

"You know, you're always welcome to stay here Daniel. There's a pull-out couch with your name on it." Sam smiled knowingly and Danny just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that again okay? I'm going home. I'll see you guys later." Danny moved past Josh and gave him a small wave and a thanks before maneuvering around Sam and giving him a hug.

He walked across the living room around the aforementioned couch and pulled open the door, disappearing to the outside quickly.

They watched him leave silently and after the door closed Josh finally spoke up.

“So, is Lena gone?"

"Nah, she's asleep in my room." Sam replied, entering the room and taking a seat on the bed next to his brother.

Josh simply hummed in response. He knew chastising his brother for his choice in partners wouldn't help anything.

"So... You guys are talking again? You and Daniel?" Sam asked, leaning back on the bed and looking over at Josh.

"I mean we weren't ever not talking, really." Josh replied.

"Oh please, spare me. That's such bullshit and you know it. Did you forget I was there after you broke his heart, or?" He scoffed.

"I didn't do it on purpose okay!" Josh defended.

"Well, I know that. But you still did it, and bringing hookups around all the time didn't necessarily help matters either." It was obvious that Sam had no intention of letting him off the hook this time.

"Listen. I make no apologies for what I've done, okay? I did what I said I was going to do. I lived, I experienced, I grew. Danny gets that." He enforced, standing his ground.

"He might, yeah. But he still loves you. You know that don't you?" Sam asked rhetorically.

Josh's heart dropped when he realized that Sam didn't say "loved", he said "loves".

Danny loves him?

"I ... " Josh struggled to find the words to respond but Sam knew what he wanted to say.

"I know." He nodded.

"You do?"

"Well yeah. I mean we might not be twins, but I'm still your brother. I can read a room. I see how you look at him. You don't look at someone like that if you don't love them. Also you squirreled away that damn shirt for three years. Normal people don't do that." Sam gave a small smile and Josh nodded solemnly, confirming his assessment.

"How long?" He asked after a moment.

"A while. I mean I knew I liked him as more than a friend for a bit. But I didn't really realize that I... Love him .. until I saw him leaving the driveway on New Year's Day.” He breathed out before continuing, "But by then I'd already fucked everything up and decided I wanted the full college experience more than Danny and it was too late. The damage was done. " Josh confessed.

"It's not too late though." Sam encouraged.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused and wondering what it was that Sam knew, and he didn't.

"Well, I think you need to try. If you still want this, then you need to be the one to instigate it this time. Pursue him.” the younger man advised.

Josh considered this for a moment before the realization struck him and he chuckled.

"You know it's funny that you're sitting in here giving me advice on my love life when yours is currently a shit show." Josh said with a raise of his brow and another sarcastic laugh.

" Wow, okay. I'm just trying to help. But whatever, you do you. " Sam said as he got up from the bed without another word and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Josh sat there a moment longer in the still silence listening to Sam's door close, and the loud giggles start.

He stood and quickly shed his clothes before climbing into his bed amongst the fluffy blankets. He then grabbed his phone from the side table and opened up the Instagram app where typed Danny's name into the search bar and smiled to himself when it came up and showed they were still mutuals.

He scrolled back to the last post he remembered seeing of Danny's and started going through them all slowly until he was caught up. He saw clips of him playing various instruments, sometimes even singing a cover. He took beautiful pictures of scenery and of plants and animals, each captioned with a lovely lyric from a song or a quote from a book or film.

He felt like he'd missed so much in just three years. How much more time did he really want to miss without Danny by his side? Maybe Sam was right. Maybe he should flip the script and be the pursuer this time.

He gave it a little more thought before he made up his mind.

He was going to fix this.

𓇢𓆸

It was early on Sunday morning when Josh was woken to loud raps on his bedroom door and his twin poking his head in.

"Hey, are you awake?" Jake asked as he observed Josh in his freshly woken state.

"Well, I am now. What do you want Jake?" He grumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes to try and hide from the sunlight.

Jake let out a little snort and came in the room completely, throwing himself down on the bed next to his brother.

"Well, you know Kit?" Jake asked, even though he knew that it was a stupid question.

"Yeah, I know Kit. Our neighbor that you snuck off with last night without even telling me hi, bye, or fuck you." Josh dramatically threw his arm off his eyes and across the pillow beside him.

"That's the one. Well, he asked me to go to the farmers market this morning and I really want to go." Jake said excitedly but Josh knew he was up to something.

"Okay? So, go. Why are you in here bugging me? I'm not mom, you don't have to ask me for permission."

"Well... I'm kind of nervous to go alone so I was wondering if you might come with me?" Jake asked with a hint of desperation as he chewed his bottom lip.

"Why don't you ask Sam and Lena to go with you?" Josh sighed as he sat up on his elbows and looked Jake in the eyes.

"Tried. They already have plans today, and Lena kind of freaks me out. Please Josh? You could even see if Danny could come along? Sam told me that you guys were talking again." Jake said and gave him a tiny smile.

"Did he now?" He asked, not surprised by his little brother's loose lips.

"Yeah, and if I know you. Which I do. You've finally pulled your head out of your ass and you're actually being his friend again.” Jake incorrectly assessed.

Josh sighed, but didn't correct him. "Yeah, okay, fine. I'll go. Let me send Danny a text to see if he's free."

Josh knew a wide smile had taken over Jake's face as he jumped up off the bed in victory.

"Yeah, yeah. Now get out of my room." Josh huffed as he grabbed his phone from his nightstand and turned over on his side, away from Jake.

𓇢𓆸

About an hour later Danny had joined them at their house and they were all sitting in the living room waiting for Kit to come to the door. Danny and Jake were on the couch while Josh sat on the recliner and flipped through the channels on TV. Currently Jake was looking through the curtains and out the window towards Kit's house.

"Jake, get away from the window. He's going to see you and think you're weird." Josh scolded him playfully.

Jake glared at him for a minute and then went back to looking out the window until he suddenly jumped up.

"He's walking over." He said, his voice shooting up an octave.

"Jeez Jake, calm down. I've never seen you so hyped up. It's freaking me out. " Danny remarked sarcastically as Jake gave him a death glare.

"Oh, shut up will you." Jake shot back while he paced back and forth.

"Do you have something you wish to tell us, Jake? " Josh asked with a grin.

Jake let out an annoyed groan that was cut off by a succession of sharp knocks at the front door.

There was a moment of silence before Josh spoke up.

"You uh... You gonna get that Jake? " he asked, watching Jake stare at the door.

"Right! Yes." Jake scrambled towards the door and threw it open to reveal Kit.

He had a sweet smile on his face and his eyes lit up as he took in Jake's flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

"Hey Jake. Are you guys ready to go?" He said in his charming cadence, a wide smile showing off his straight pearly teeth.

Jake struggled to find the words to respond as he took in Kit's appearance. He was dressed casually in a pair of loose light wash denim jeans, a white sleeveless muscle shirt with a light-colored striped button up over it and slightly hanging off one shoulder. The outfit was finished off with a pair of plain black and white converse.

Josh rolled his eyes and bounded up behind his twin.

"Yes, we're ready to go. Aren't we Jake?" He said, putting his hands on Jake's shoulders and shaking him slightly.

This snapped Jake out of his stupor, and he finally opened his mouth. "Yes! Yep. I'm ready. Let's go!" He waved over to Danny for him to follow and they headed outside.

Once they were out on the lawn and walking towards Kit's house, they noticed a car they didn't recognize in his driveway.

It was a beautiful classic muscle car from the late 60s or early 70s if Josh had to guess. Its light blue paint shimmering in the morning sun. Kit walked over to unlock the doors and push down the seat so Josh and Danny could climb in the back.

"Sorry, it's kind of a tight fit for you Danny." He said as he regarded Danny's long legs.

"It's cool. I'm used to it. This is a beautiful car. What is it?" He asked, buckling in.

"It's a 1966 Mustang Shelby GT350 convertible. It belonged to my grandfather. He left it to me when he passed." Kit said while he pulled the seat back up and got in as well.

Jake got in on the passenger side and also buckled in.

"How come we haven't seen it before? " Jake asked curiously.

"I usually keep it covered in the garage. Only really bring it out for special occasions. " He winked at Jake then put the key in the ignition and fired the car up. It growled to life and Josh felt chills shoot up his spine.

𓇢𓆸

When they arrived at the farmers market and were able to locate parking, they realized that these markets were much bigger than the ones back home in Frankenmuth.

There were a great variety of local vendors with their own tents and set ups on the lawn and there were also some bigger tents set up off to the side where it looked like they were having workshops.

Jake and Kit walked in front of them down the aisles of small shops and peeked into each one that they found of some interest.

Josh and Danny hadn't really said much to each other since Danny had arrived at the house, and even then, it was just small talk.

Josh cleared his throat and turned to look at Danny as they stopped behind their companions who were currently looking at a shop of small crochet animals of varying shapes and sizes.

"Thanks for coming today." Josh said, watching as Danny turned to look back at him.

"Oh, you're welcome. I've been here a few times before. It's really cool." Danny gave him a smile and went to go look at a plush animal in the shape of a possum.

"Oh yeah? You just come here alone? " Josh asked out of curiosity.

"Hmm? Oh, no. There's some girls from my classes that like to come out here and get stuff so sometimes I'd give them a ride and check things out." He picked up the animal and turned it over in his hand before putting it back down on the table and going to look at a different one.

"Oh, that's cool. Kind of like... A date? " Josh inquired quietly.

Danny's brows furrowed and he looked up at Josh. "Not really, no. Just doing a friend a favor."

Josh could have smacked himself in the face for that one.

They soon left the tiny shop after Kit had picked out a pink axolotl and purchased it. He placed it lovingly in his canvas tote bag that was slung over his shoulder and then they were strolling through the booths again.

The group didn't get far before Jake had them stopped at a leatherwork shop.

They perused the various goods, and Jake found a small wallet with an emblazoned moon on the cover that he seemingly couldn't live without. He paid cash for it and slipped it into his pocket.

When they left this booth Josh noted that Kit had slid his hand into Jake's and their fingers were now entwined between them as they walked. It made Josh smile as warmth flooded his chest.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Danny said just loud enough so that only Josh could hear him.

"So cute. Jake seems really taken with him." He replied, watching as Kit led his brother to a booth selling old fashioned sodas.

"He does. I hope things go well for them. Jake deserves to be happy. You both do." He stated as he continued to observe the couple while they ordered their drinks and Jake insisted on paying.

"He does. You do too, Danny." Josh pointed out.

Danny hummed in response and motioned towards the booth, indicating for Josh to order.

He ordered a black cherry soda and Danny ordered a sarsaparilla. Right as Josh was about to pull out his wallet, Danny slapped down a twenty-dollar bill. Once he received his change and shoved a tip in their jar, he handed Josh his drink and then grabbed his own and began sipping on it lightly.

"That's so good. How's yours?" Danny asked him.

"Delicious. Do you... Want to try it?"

"Sure! Here, you can try mine too. Warning, it's a bit of an acquired taste." Danny said as he handed over the drink and took Josh's from him.

They both sipped at each other's drink and then observed the opposite person's face for their reaction. Danny's expression was of delight, while Josh's was of utter disgust. He quickly swallowed the mouthful and then shoved the drink back into Danny's hands and took his own, slurping at it greedily.

Danny full belly laughed and threw his head back while Josh glared at him.

"That is horrible!" Josh complained and Danny tried to reign in his laughter.

When Josh finally got over his dramatic reaction to the drink he looked up and realized that Jake and Kit were gone from their sight.

"Well, I guess it's just us now." Danny shook his head.

"Yeah... Sorry." Said Josh, not really sure what exactly he was apologizing for.

"Why are you sorry? I don't mind spending time with you Josh. Come on, there's something over here that I think you might like." Danny smiled and turned around, heading in a different direction than they were initially going. Josh quickly caught up to him and walked by his side.

They passed a few booths selling fresh eggs, vegetables, fruits and honey as well as some selling handmade aprons and blankets. Eventually they ended up at the larger tents on the edge of the market where it looked like they were hosting crafting classes. Danny quickly walked up to the instructor and before Josh could interject, he pulled some cash from his wallet and handed it to the small girl who had faux elf ears and a circlet of intertwined leaves and flowers on her head. She nodded and reached behind her, grabbing a couple boxes and handed them to Danny. She pointed to the various tables with flowers, leaves, herbs, decorations, and charms on it. He watched Danny nod and then turn back to walk the short distance to him.

"Here." Danny handed him one of the boxes, Josh took it and looked over the box emblazoned with "crown kit" in permanent marker and the name of the small business on a sticker in the center.

"Uhm. Thank you? Danny what...?" Josh asked shyly and looked up at him through his lashes.

"I thought you might enjoy it. Come on. I think she's about to start the class." He gave Josh a cute smile and turned back to the tent, going to one of the unoccupied tables. Josh paused for a second while he took in the sweet gesture and then followed him inside to the table.

It turned out that the girl was a pretty good instructor and the instructions on how to make your own flower crown were pretty simple to follow.

Josh's crown was made up of desert sage, white daisies, and baby's breath. He'd barely paid attention to what Danny was doing with his own crown as he was so focused on putting together his own. When it was done it was a very pretty, but simple wreath that he hoped would naturally dry and stay together.

When he was finished, he turned towards Danny who was putting the finishing touches on his own crown. He observed the waxy green leaves arranged neatly into a circlet and the small golden accents.

"Danny, is that...?" He asked curiously.

"It's a laurel crown. I- I read that the Ancient Greeks used to wear them to signify triumph. I thought it might be kind of fitting for you since you know... You graduated a couple days ago." He said and then turned to place the crown around the back of Josh's head and situate it up over his ears.

"You made this... For me?" Josh said nervously as he reached up to touch the leaves.

"Yeah. I thought you’d like it." He smiled and took out his phone. "Can I?" He gestured to his phone as if asking if he could take a picture.

"Yeah. Only if I can have one of you too." Josh stood up on his tip toes and placed the crown he made on Danny's head and took a moment to situate it nicely amongst the man's much more defined and silky curls.

"There. Perfect." Josh smiled once he was done and back on the flats of his feet.

He stood back a bit and let Danny take a picture of him. Then he pulled out his own phone and snapped one of Danny too.

They showed each other their photos and giggled. Then the instructor announced the ending of the class, and they all began to pack up and head out of the tent.

They were quiet again as they walked together through the shops.

"Hey, do you want to grab some food and find a place to sit?" Danny asked, looking over at Josh who nodded happily in agreement.

They quickly found a stand selling burritos and ordered a couple. Once their food was in hand, they searched for an open space on the lawn to eat. They found themselves a large tree to sit under in the shade and enjoyed their burritos in silence.

"You know... I missed this." Josh said, not looking up from his food.

"Missed what?" Danny raised a brow and looked up at him.

"This. Us. You." Josh blushed suddenly realizing what he'd just said.

"I missed you too." Danny gave him a shy little smile and went back to eating.

"Hey Danny, do you uhm-"

Josh was cut off by the sound of Kit's voice yelling out to them as they approached. "Hey guys! We wondered where you had gone!"

Josh looked up and saw the couple approaching, still hand in hand but Kit's tote was significantly fuller, and Jake's cheeks were pink. He also sported a new bracelet around his wrist that Josh noticed immediately.

"Hey guys. Did you have fun?" Danny asked once they were close enough.

"Loads. Josh, your brother is so sweet. Look at these!" Kit said excitedly and reached into his tote and pulled out a small bouquet of colorful flowers wrapped up in brown butcher paper and twine. "He picked out all of the flowers himself!" He nearly squealed as he handed them over and Josh inspected it closely before letting Danny take a look.

"That's so cute Jake." Josh said as he looked up to his twin whose cheeks were now turning more crimson.

Jake grumbled a thanks and scratched the back of his head. Kit took the flowers back and placed them in his tote carefully.

"So, are you guys ready to go, or was there more you wanted to see?" Kit asked them both.

"I'm ready if you are." Josh said to Danny though he really wished he had more time with him.

"Yeah, I'm good." Danny replied and he stood up and reached a hand out to help pull Josh to his feet. Once they were both standing, Josh didn't let go of Danny's hand. Choosing instead to hold on to it and give it a light reassuring squeeze.

Danny's brows furrowed a little as he looked from their hands to Josh's face, but he said nothing. Josh smiled and then looked over to Kit who was currently observing Jake's profile. He changed his gaze to look at his brother who was staring him down with burning eyes and a clenched jaw.

Josh thought it was a little strange, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and followed when Kit pulled Jake in the direction of the parking lot.

𓇢𓆸

When they arrived back at Kit's house, Danny and Josh said goodbye quickly and headed over to Danny's car while Jake said his goodbyes.

They watched the two interact as Kit pulled his bag of farmers market items from the trunk and then shut it. Kit stood with the bag slung over his shoulder and leaned against the car. They were clearly talking but neither Josh nor Danny could hear what they were saying.

Finally, they saw Jake reach for Kit's hand with his own. He cradled it gently before bringing the man's hand to his lips. The kiss lasted just a couple seconds before Jake looked back up at Kit through his lashes and said his final goodbye and then walked toward their house. He waved goodbye to Danny and headed inside.

Josh turned his attention back to Danny once Jake was gone.

"Thank you for coming today. It was really good to spend time with you again." He told him.

"Of course. It was really fun. Don't forget to hang that crown so it dries properly." Danny smiled and touched the leaves of the crown with his fingertips.

"I won't. Do you think maybe we could do this again sometime? Just us?" Josh asked, even though his voice cracked with nerves.

"Go to the farmers market?"

"Well sure, but I meant just... Hang out. The two of us." He had to really pull all his confidence when he said it as the fear of rejection looked over him like a cloud threatening rain.

Danny was quiet for a moment as he looked over Josh's face with surprise.

"I'd like that." He finally said, giving Josh a smile.

"Great! I'll text you?" Josh offered, giddiness filling his chest as the metaphorical rain cloud disappeared.

"Sounds good. See you later Josh. " Danny pulled open the door to his car, climbed in and started it up. He looked up at Josh and gave him a wink then pulled the door shut.

Josh walked over to the sidewalk and waved as he pulled onto the street and drove away.

𓇢𓆸

Taglist: @gracev0609

Let me know if you'd like to be added :)

[scarletvanfleet]

me personally i think danny would have thrived as a college guy. he's friends with everybody. his door is always open if you need to crash or something to eat. always wearing a backwards ball cap and flip flops and cut off jeans. cool enough to be a frat guy but nice enough not to be. always up to drive you to the airport. knows every inch of the college town and can frequently be found tossing a football around or playing his beat-up guitar. calls his mom every saturday. loves his sweetheart and plans to marry her when they graduate. just a kind, unassuming, all-american kinda guy.

[scarletvanfleet]

"Sometimes when you want something so fucking bad, it doesn't go away. Even when it breaks your heart. Sometimes it just... Sits there. Waiting."

Coming soon 👀

The Sequel to "Philia" in the Greek Loves Universe.

Split into two parts due to the sheer volume of this fic.

❤️ Scarlet

[scarletvanfleet]

Everything you put out is gilded in gold, my dear.

‧⁺˚･༓☼ Masterlist☽༓･˚⁺‧

Here's my collection of works! I'll have everything noted on whether it's a one shot or a WIP. I hope you enjoy!!

Key:

Fluff - ⁂

Smut - ☠

Trigger Warnings will be listed at the beginning of fics/chapters if applicable. (Please reach out if you feel anything was missed and I will make sure to add it in quickly!)

The Fine Print : *I do not own any of Greta Van Fleet's property. They are simply muses for my writing! Intended for fictional purposes only. Nothing is meant to be taken seriously and everything will be listed with TW's and summaries*

Redamancy ⁂ - Sam x Reader have been friends for so long but have never admitted their feelings towards one another. Lots of pining. (One Shot)

Playmaker ☠ - Sam x Reader (Hockey AU) After winning a playoff game, Sam decides to take you out for drinks and that leads to a fun night. (One Shot)

Succulent ☠️ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) take a little trip to Vermont for Valentine’s Day where Sam cooks up a nice dinner with a great idea for dessert. (One Shot)

Sparrow Of The Dawn ⁂ ☠ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) - Temporarily On Hiatus Sam unfortunately finds himself in not so meet cute with Willa. Hopeful that he doesn't cross her path again; the world works in mysterious ways and not always in your favor. |Enemies to Lovers | Forced Proximity | Workplace Romance | Multi Chapter Series|

Cloak and Dagger ☠ - Josh x reader attend a halloween party but have to leave early because they can't wait any longer to devour each other. (One Shot)

Satiate ☠ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) - Quinn is sweet enough to make breakfast in bed, but also has a devious little plan for their favorite person. (One Shot)

Amongst The Stars ⁂ ☠ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) Josh has always loved love, and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance. (Multi Chapter Series - WIP)

Your Bones ⁂ - Daniel x Reader spend a cozy rainy afternoon together. (One Shot)

Saccharine ⁂ ☠ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) spend a sweet Valentine's Day making cinnamon rolls together and then have a cozy evening away. (One Shot)

Slapshot ☠ - Jake x Reader (Hockey AU) After watching how well he played, you can't keep your hands to yourself on the way home. But he has just the way to help take care of that. (One Shot)

Oh Darling ☠ - Jake x Reader (Vampire AU) Jake has never been known for anything more than a one night stand but can you change his mind? (One Shot) Siren ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) get stuck at the bar on Valentine’s Day, but Jake makes sure to make it up to her after the bar closes. (One Shot)

Allure : Part 1 ⁂ | Part 2 ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) Family Lake Day! Starts off with Charlotte longingly watching her sweet motherly boyfriend take care of everyone all day but ends with him making it up to her in the sweetest way.

For Death Or Glory ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) The story of how they came to be | Jake has always been a hopeless romantic, heavy on the hopeless. He's gone out with plenty of girls, but they never last. Tired of being told he's "too sweet", he tapped out on dating once he bought the bar. Just waiting for the right one to walk into the bar and steal his heart | Workplace Romance | Friends With Benefits to Lovers | He Falls First (Multi Chapter Series - WIP)

A 4 Book interconnected series about the boys living in a small town in New England. Where they find love in the most unexpected ways. The bar was Jake’s dream, but somehow is helping everybody else’s dreams come true as well. Rom-Com • Enemies To Lovers • Love At First Sight • Rekindled High School Sweethearts • Workplace Romance • AU - Boys x OCs

Masterpost

Currently posting;

Sparrow of the Dawn - Temporary Hiatus

For Death or Glory - Thursdays!

(The Caravel Tavern Series AU)

Sam - Dueling Cameras ⁂ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) decide to make getting pumpkins into a little competition (per usual) (One Shot)

Josh - Chiaroscuro ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Enby OC) attend a local film festival where Josh gets to present a short film he's directed. (One Shot)

Danny - Spooks & Cider ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) Back in high school, go to a Fall Festival where Melody faces her fear of the Haunted House. (One Shot)

Jake - Affirmation ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) find themselves in an oddities shop where Charlotte has her tarot cards read, whether she believes in it or not. (One Shot)

(The Caravel Tavern Series AU)

Sam - Be Naughty, Save Santa The Trip ☠ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) Sam runs late after a shoot and Willa leaves him a little surprise for when he gets back home to her. (One Shot)

Josh - Merry Everything & A Happy Always ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Enby OC) have always had the tradition of baking cookies together, but Josh sets up a scavenger hunt for Quinn to bake some this time for a very special reason. (One Shot)

Danny - It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) took on hosting Christmas dinner with everybody but unfortunately for Daniel, nothing is going smoothly. (One Shot)

Jake - White Christmas ☠ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) have a million and one things to do on Christmas Day and Charlotte is already stressed by 6 am. Thankfully, Jake knows exactly how to calm her down. (One Shot)

Want to join my taglist? Fill out THIS form and I'll add you to the list!

Wattpad | AO3

Fic Recs - updated 01/29/2024

[scarletvanfleet]

Welcome to the Greek Loves Universe.

This fic was inspired by the types of love that were recognized by the Ancient Greeks. That being said, I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert in this field of study.

18+ ONLY. MINORS DNI.

This is a work of FICTION and does include SLASH.

Full list of works below cut.

Works are in order. Warnings to be heeded. All works are tagged on their individual posts.

Philia - Josh x Danny SLASH PAIRING!

“Danny, did you know that the ancient Greeks recognized many different types of love? Eight really. But most people, if they do know about it, only know about three of them.”

Pragma - Josh x Danny, Sam x F!OC "Lena", Jake x M!OC "Kit". SLASH PAIRINGS!

"Sometimes when you want something so fucking bad, it doesn't go away. Even when it breaks your heart. Sometimes it just... Sits there. Waiting."

Part 1

Part 2

[scarletvanfleet]

Disclaimer: I do not know any of the people mentioned personally, nor do I pretend to know them. None of these works are a reflection of the people mentioned or their thoughts, feelings, or beliefs.

18+ ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS. MINORS DNI.

Links below cut. Please heed all warnings!!!

Questions? Concerns? Ideas? Send to my ask box!

Series:

Greek Loves Universe - Features: Josh x Danny, Jake x Male!OC "Kit" , Sam x Female!OC "Calliope".

Mon Cher - Jake x Female!Reader/You/OC

Stand Alone Fics:

A Brat Gets What A Brat Wants - Jake x Danny SLASH!!!

1+1=3 - Jake x Female!Reader

[scarletvanfleet]

What up peeps.

I'm working on posting a master list for my writing nonsense.

Also, I have something brewing....

Introducing the world of Greek Loves.

;)

[scarletvanfleet]

Screaming and crying. Screaming.... Crying...

Ok it’s been a while again, but this story has been heavy on my mind recently, so here’s part 9! Hope you enjoy ☺️

Pairings: Jake Kiszka X Danny Wagner *slash

Warnings and tags: 18+ ONLY! No minors please!! Adult content including: big emotions (tears), complicated family situations, mentions of marital problems, smut including: m/m unprotected sex, dad Jake AU, uncle Danny AU

Word count: 5.4k

Danny woke with his nose buried into soft locks. Inhaling he smelled the tea tree shampoo he and Jake had shared this past week, paired with orange blossom and something sweet, coconut maybe. He nuzzled in closer and underneath was another layer of complex scents that filled his senses, natural and intimately his beloved. Jake smelled of warm caresses, and deep kisses, of pheromonic sweat, and sex.

His lips pulled into a soft smile when he remembered the events of the evening. It had all felt so good, he’d been so unbelievably happy, but then his smile faded and his eyes started to betray him with their sting.

He wasn’t perfect.

He fought the tears at first, closing his eyes and squeezing Jake tighter to his chest hoping that his warmth would melt the lump in his throat, but it was a losing battle. The tears were already coming. Trying not to bother the other sleeping man, Danny rolled over to his opposite side and furiously wiped at his eyes. Even that small moment stirred Jake from his sleep though, just enough to search for those strong arms that no longer held him close. He turned too, placing his hand on Danny's arm and sleepily kissing his shoulder when he felt his quivering.

Jake sat up, concern flooding his consciousness and launching him into alert. “Dan- what’s wrong?”

Danny huffed in frustration, unable to clear his throat for long enough to speak without a sob wracking through his chest. Why was he suddenly crying so hard all of sudden? One moment he was floating on cloud nine with Jake tucked comfortably underneath his arm, and in the next he was a sobbing mess.

To answer that question Danny had to search further back through his day. Before his night ended in a climatic symphony of passion, before foyer and backseat concessions put this undeniable connection they felt into perspective. Even before meeting Jake’s family, Danny had to face the part of his day where his own family was involved.

He sat up in the bed next to Jake who silently waited for him to gather himself before he could speak, and when he was finally able to open his mouth everything came spilling out.

“Grandma!” Emma yelled when they arrived back home and Danny’s parents were waiting for them at his sister's house to celebrate the graduation. She ran to give his mom a hug, who accepted it warmly.

Danny’s chest throbbed at the bittersweet sight. He could still remember when he revered his mother’s presence in the same way, still vied for her love even if it meant staying within the boundaries of what they considered to be ‘appropriate for a boy’.

Emma bounced on to his father next, and his mother’s eyes looked up to meet his own now. For a split second he could see her spark to life. It had been a few years since he’d properly seen either of them after all, having avoided any big family get togethers for fear of being picked apart like a piece of rotten meat left out for the buzzards. However, her glimmered eye quickly turned gray again when she really took him in.

Danny, with his black rimmed eyes and shining silver earrings and gold necklace. Danny, with his hair grown out long and styled in a way most men didn’t put that much effort into. Danny, with his fitted black shirt that showed off his arms that had only grown bigger and fuller with his work, and the band of ink that marked his bicep.

Danny, her one and only son. If only that was enough for her.

Danny lowered his head and stepped aside, letting his sister and her husband greet them while he found somewhere else to make himself look busy.

Before long they all made their way out onto the back patio for lunch. His mother and his sister sat next to each other, his sister's husband at his place at the head of the table, and his father on his other side. Emma insisted on sitting next to Danny, even after his sister tried to convince her otherwise, her mind was set and Danny took smug comfort in the fact that he was still her favorite.

“Well Danny, how have you been?” His father spoke up, directing the conversation to him after they had already just about exhausted all other topics.

“Fine Dad” Danny replied, trying to gauge whether or not he was genuinely asking him about the life he had been creating for himself, or if he was just looking for a way to lecture him again.

“What exactly are you up to these days?” His mother chimed in. It was the first time she’d spoken directly to him since they all got together, even if she was looking down at her plate when she said it.

“Body work mostly” he answered vaguely, “at a shop just about ten minutes from here”.

“Body work?” His father raised his brows in slight approval. “You know my brother, your uncle, did body work for the military when he was in the army. Helped build tanks and armored vehicles”.

“Yeah, that’s not really the kind of stuff I’m into” Danny quickly cut him off before he could go on further about it. “I like restoring things. Classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, whatever I can get my hands on. When I look at the grime and the rust I see a blank canvas I can create on. Make something beautiful out of something others see as worthless”.

“Right…” his father trailed off like he didn’t know what to say to follow that up with, chewing on his food some more before he found a response. “You know I always thought restoring classic cars was more of a hobby kind of thing. An expensive one too. Where do you get the money to buy all this?”

Danny set his utensils down in frustration, not that he had eaten much from his plate anyways. He didn’t really have an appetite with his current company. “Well, I mostly use the tools from the shop, and I don’t keep the cars. They’re projects for my boss’s customers. Right now I do have my own motorcycle I restored though”.

“You know I always did raise you to know anything on two wheels is dangerous” his mother added with a click of her tongue.

“Well you also raised me to express myself and fight for what I believed in, but look where that got me”.

“Daniel” his father gave him a warning for talking back to her in a biting tongue.

“What? Am I wrong? She can’t even look at me”.

Danny’s mother furrowed her brows, but she turned her head towards him with a pleading look, like she was the one to be pitied in this situation. They held eye contact for a moment, a silent battle to see who would crack first. Her eyes nearly welled up with tears before she broke and returned back to her plate with a shake of her head. “You know Evelyn came to visit me the other day. She’s getting married next month”.

“I don’t want to hear about Evie Mom” Danny sighed dramatically.

“Why not? I thought you loved her, and now she’s getting married to someone else. If you two had just stayed together I’m sure you would’ve already been married by now, maybe with a baby of your own”.

“I did love her, but she didn’t love me. Not the real me anyways. What’s the point of marriage if you’re not going to dedicate your entire being to your partner?” Danny’s glare shifted to his sister's husband, having half a mind to bring up his faults so this ridiculous conversation would be directed at someone else again. He’d never do that to his sister though.

“There's more to marriage than blind devotion” Danny’s sister's husband ended up speaking for himself. “It’s stability, and compromise” his hand reached over the table and took hold of his wife’s “and family”.

Everyone looked around the table, knowing that his words held some deeper meaning but not quite putting two and two together. “I’m pregnant” Danny’s sister spoke up, also avoiding her brother's prying gaze.

“Another baby!” The mood immediately switched from heavy passive aggression to pure excitement at the news, well everyone was excited but Danny. It’s not like he didn’t want his sister to have another baby, but he thought she was planning on filing for a divorce. How exactly was she going to manage that with a newborn?

“So? Do you know what it is yet?” Danny asked when he finally got a moment alone in the kitchen with his sister after cleaning off the patio.

She gave him a stern look before recalling she could trust him and her expression eased. “I haven’t told anyone yet, but it’s a boy”.

“A boy?” Danny smiled, finally allowing himself to feel joy for her as he pictured his new nephew in her arms. She was an amazing mother, he always knew she would be, so he was confident even now she would be strong enough to handle whatever difficult decisions were to be made next.

“So, have you thought about seeing another lawyer then? I know you said you had found one who would be discreet”.

“No,” she sighed, turning back to the sink to finish drying off the plates before putting them up. “I’m not talking to a lawyer anymore. We’re staying together”.

“Who are you making this decision for? You or the baby?” He tried to argue, not yet willing to let her make a mistake if that’s what she was doing.

“I’m doing it for myself and my family. He was right out there Danny, marriage is complicated. People make mistakes but that doesn’t mean it has to derail your whole life. We talked about it when I told him I was pregnant, he confessed and promised me it was just a lapse in judgment and that he loved only me”.

“And you believe him?”

“I have to” she exhaled with a weary chuckle and a shrug of her shoulders. “He’s my husband and the father of my children, and… I still love him”.

“When were you going to tell me all of this?” He asked, worried that she was trying to go through this all alone.

“Soon, hopefully. You have been kind of preoccupied lately”.

A few more silent looks were shared between them for a moment as Danny determined how he was going to take this. Ultimately he decided his sister definitely knew what was best for herself, and reached for her to pull her into a tight encouraging hug.

Danny squat down to give Emma a hard squeeze before he prepared to leave for Luna’s party. “Congratulations on this huge milestone in life, little one”. She giggled as he hugged her and tousled her hair.

“Where are you going?” Danny’s mom questioned with a slightly critical tone. She wasn’t very good at hiding her disapproval, but at least she was even making an attempt to now. “I thought you were staying here?”

“I am,” Danny wasn't afraid to admit to her as he stood up straight. “But I’m going to another graduation party. One of Emma’s friends actually”.

“Uncle Danny, you're going to sleep over at Luna’s Dad’s house again tonight?” Emma innocently asked, perking the interest of his mother even further.

“Luna and Emma are friends from school. Her dad actually lives a couple of blocks over” Danny’s sister, who was sitting across from their mother in the living room, tried to explain.

“So you two are friends then?” She pressed, trying to understand exactly the nature of their companionship considering Danny was staying at their house.

“Actually, I’d quite like for him to be my boyfriend, but I’m meeting his family tonight so I guess we will have to see how that goes first” Danny bluntly cleared it all up without a care for their reaction.

His father cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, but Danny’s sister smiled proudly at him as they made eye contact. Even though she was a glowing example of the respectable young woman their parents had raised her to be, Danny’s sister did always support and encourage his rebellious behavior in favor of seeing him be happy. Hopefully mom and dad would see it that way too, eventually.

Danny knew that seeing them today for the first time in a few years wasn’t going to suddenly change everything and they could all go back to being one happy family again, but he hoped that if he showed them he was willing to open that connection they would take the line.

“Oh, well. I guess have a good time then” his mother stiffly excused him, but she seemed to accept the fact that he was going to do what he wanted and there was no changing his mind. Maybe there was hope yet that he could show them even through the imperfections they saw, he was only ever capable of love.

“You didn’t tell me that you saw your parents” Jake frowned.

Suddenly he felt very small in Danny’s presence. Jake had been so anxious about him meeting his family, and he had acted so poorly around him at the party, all the while having no idea where Danny’s mindset must’ve been. He closed his eyes and exhaled in bitter disbelief of himself, remembering how when the second they got home he had said probably the worst thing he could have said to Danny at that time.

“I’m so sorry Dan” Jake quickly reached out to cup Danny’s face in his palms, kissing at his teary cheeks between heartfelt apologies. “I’m sorry, I should have never treated you that way. You’re absolutely perfect! You’re the most perfect person I’ve ever met”.

“Please don’t apologize” Danny placed his hands over Jake’s, but only pressed his touch deeper into his skin. “You don’t understand, I’m so happy you feel that way”.

Jake blinked at him through the darkness of his bedroom, only their closeness giving him the ability to read his expression in the bit of moonlight that filtered through the curtains. “For the majority of my life I restricted myself, tried to be the person everyone told me I was supposed to be. I was perfect, but I wasn’t really me.”

Danny moved to wrap his arms around Jake’s waist now, pulling him even closer and into his lap. “Jake, you’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like the way I am now is worthy of love. It’s silly I know, I don’t doubt my worth, but everyone else has always told me to dial it back, to conform, but never you. Granted you were pretty prickly at first,” Danny finally cracked a smile which in turn made Jake’s lips curl into a contagious grin. “But when I got you to let your guard down around me, you alway looked at me with affection, and it felt so good to be desired like that again. I was finally getting all the attention I craved, without being told to change”.

Jake leaned forward on his knees and looked down into Danny’s eyes, “I wouldn’t change a thing about you”.

“Not one thing?” Danny smiled again, tightening his grip on Jake’s hips.

“Not a damn thing”. Jake pressed a single confirming kiss to Danny’s lips. It wasn’t meant to be anything but comforting, but when he felt Danny’s hands slide further down to grip his backside, the kiss grew deeper and more passionate.

The soreness that had settled deep into the muscles of Jake’s hips slowly dissipated with the vibration of his awoken nerves, and he started a slow grinding in Danny’s lap. The languid passes of their tongues gave way to something more urgent, more primal and raw, until Danny broke the kiss first.

“How do you do that?” He chuckled, letting his head fall onto the slender curve of Jake’s shoulder, the tip of his nose tickling his collarbone with feather light traces.

“Do what?” Jake asked with a content sigh, using the moment to run his hands up and down Danny’s upper arms, his back, through the patch of hair he could reach on his chest, anywhere that would cause the cute little hums of satisfaction from the larger man below him.

“Make me want you so terribly bad” Danny answered before pressing a kiss right to his pulse point, feeling the way Jake’s heart raced underneath his lips with just that simple action.

“Then take me. I’m all yours anyways”.

Danny didn’t have to stop to ask if Jake was ready for another round so soon, he could hear it in his voice when he spoke. Just above a whisper but with enough weight to implore for more. He could feel it too, in the way Jake pressed their budding erections together. Just barely separated by the thin fabric of their sleeping pants.

He laid Jake back onto the bed with his head facing the end of the mattress, his chocolatey brown waves cascading off the edge. With a few more deft maneuvers Danny had them both stripped back down, and he was placing kisses all over Jake’s chest and lower stomach. Even despite how feverish he was to be with him again, Danny pulled away to locate the lube, giving his fingers a generous coating before pressing into Jake with tender ease.

Jake had grown so intimately familiar with the feeling of being stretched by him that he breathed through it without any discomfort at all until lightning strikes of pleasure bolted up his body when Danny reached that special spot in no time. Danny didn’t need to ask if he was ready either, already knowing by the way Jake’s body pulled his fingers in that he was going to want more soon.

So Danny positioned himself first, trying to get as close as possible before slipping his fingers free and quickly replacing them with the tip of his length. Jake cried out when he pushed inside, though not from pain, but from the thought that now they had been connected he never wanted to be parted again.

Once he was in all the way to his base, Danny took a second to gather himself, still somewhat sensitive from just a few hours ago, and only having had a little bit of restful sleep in between. Jake wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders, letting his fingers come to rest between his bowed shoulder blades as Danny held himself up by his elbows, and kissed his temple. He understood what Danny was feeling right now, the tiredness still pulled him back to a distant dreamland, but reality was so much sweeter right now that he fought to stay awake and be here in this moment together.

Finally, Danny started to move, slow but deep and hard and they both grunted from the exertion. The force in Danny’s hips pushed Jake further towards the end of the bed, but he didn’t mind, they could fall to the floor and he would push through the pain so long as Danny kept fucking him like this.

The hand on Danny’s back pulled him closer, and Jake lifted his head just enough to press their cheeks together as he panted into his ear, “when I cum don’t stop”. Danny shook his head to acknowledge his request, and Jake flopped back onto the bed before loosely wrapping one hand around his own throbbing hard cock. With just a few light handed, barely there strokes Jake was already letting go.

His long drawn out moans filled the room until his voice was caught in his throat and he could do nothing more but lay there with his mouth gaped open, and his eyes screwed shut.

“Jake, Jake sweetheart, are you okay?” Danny’s hips only faltered for a second as he watched Jake’s soul return to his body.

“Please!” Was all Jake managed as he balled the sheets into his fists, focusing all his tension into the grip of his fingers on the silk and allowing Danny to continue to use him for as long as he needed.

It wouldn’t be much longer, Danny could already feel the tightness in his stomach, the shuddering of his thrusts, and the panting in his breath as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Jake’s chest.

He could feel their sweat sticking together, tendrils of his hair being glued to skin, and he could smell the salty aroma of Jake’s release just inches below his nose. It took Danny every ounce of restraint to not slip lower to lap it up, only the chase of his own finish holding him together.

Only one thing played over and over in his head as the pleasure continued to build, but Danny held it in, afraid speaking it now would rip Jake from his euphoric state. It was too soon to confess such intense feelings, he hadn’t even fully realized it himself, but it was still there bubbling underneath the surface just like his climax.

Instead of delivering those words, Danny had one final thrust to give, gifting Jake the only thing he could in this moment of unbridled intimacy. All his thanks and adoration came pouring out of him and into Jake with a rush making his head spin and his toes curl.

Jake, having barely held it together until now, let out one final cry and a little more pearly white cum dribbled from his tip before he was absolutely spent. Danny managed to pull free of Jake’s limp hold and turned to collapse onto his stomach on the bed next to him for fear of crushing his tiny exhausted lover.

“Ha, I’m gonna need some time to rest before doing that again” Danny jested, though he was a little too out of breath to muster a full laugh.

Jake grinned, wide and free, sleep prickling at the back of his senses even more now that he was fully content again. Having been unexpectedly woken by Danny’s tears, he was afraid the evening had put more strain on their relationship than he had originally inferred, but now he felt even closer to Danny than ever before.

“That’s alright” Jake managed to pull himself upright, urging Danny to do the same so that they could crawl back underneath the covers together. “My boyfriend is always welcome in my bed even if it’s just to sleep, which is very much like to get back to now”.

Danny smiled, wrapping Jake up in his arms as their bodies molded together and they relaxed just before closing their eyes. “Your boyfriend? I like the sound of that”.

Jake didn’t dream those next few hours of sleep. He didn’t need to, everything he could dream of was already well within grasp. When the drowsiness started to wean away giving room to consciousness again, Jake stretched his limbs with his eyes still closed and the same smile he’d fallen back asleep with on his face.

With his eyes still closed he used his other remaining senses to take in the morning. He could feel the rising sun warming the bare skin that was exposed, all his intimate places still concealed by the covers tangled in his legs. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen. Danny must’ve woken up first and decided to make breakfast, something Jake was infinitely thankful for as his stomach rumbled with hunger already.

But what he could hear was even better than all of that combined. Next to him Jake could hear the gently plucking of guitar strings and the voice of an angel humming along a sweet tune.

“Do you ever sleep in?” Jake grumbled, but he reached blindly for something to grasp onto, finding a leg to wrap his arm around and pull himself close before opening his eyes.

Danny smiled down at him, continuing the soft playing as Jake slowly woke up completely. “I do, most days actually, but when I’m here I wake up early and I’m still refreshed”.

“Hmm, must be something in the air?” Jake teased, letting his lips drag across the fuzzy surface of Danny’s thigh. He’d gotten dressed since waking up, a basic white t-shirt and some light cream colored shirts. The windows caught the light behind him, capturing him in a warm golden glow that seemed to radiate from his relaxed form against the headboard.

“No, it’s because I’m so excited to wake up next to you every morning”. Danny corrected him, moving the guitar from his lap to lean over and press a kiss to his forehead. “Hope you don’t mind I borrowed this. Didn’t know how much longer you’d be asleep”.

“You should keep playing” Jake smiled again, tightening his arm around his thigh and looking up at him like a little kid who had asked for one more story.

“We can play together before leaving to get Luna, but first, breakfast is getting cold and I need you to put some clothes on before I get back into this bed with you”.

“What all did you do with Uncle Josh this morning?” Jake asked his daughter as he stood in the spare bedroom he’d last laid her to sleep in and helped her change into the bathing suit he’d brought over. She animatedly explained they went for breakfast, then a walk through his gallery, and that now she wanted art supplies for Christmas this year.

“What did you do this morning Daddy?” She asked in return as they headed out of the bedroom and through the kitchen to the backyard.

“Danny made me breakfast, isn’t that nice?” Jake answered her, and Danny perked up at the sound of his name from where he stood by the gate to the pool. “Then we played some music for a while, and got ready to come here and swim with you”.

Jake looked over at Danny, a bright smile on his face as he led Luna through the gate and helped her put her floaty on. Josh and his partner were still getting changed so it was just the three of them for now. Danny, not having expected to be invited to swim at Jake’s brother's house but excited to tag along nonetheless, didn’t bring his own swim trunks so he had to borrow a pair of Josh’s partner’s. Even if they were a better fit than anything the twins would’ve had to offer, they were still pretty small and Jake couldn’t help but give him a good stare down, especially where the short inseam came to rest at the tops of his thighs.

“Danny, did you make pancakes again without me?” Luna questioned him as Jake tightened the strap around her waist.

“Of course not!” Danny quickly assured her, “I said that you were my best pancake helper didn’t I?”

Luna smiled with innocent relief, and as soon as Jake let her go she was jumping into the water with a splash. Danny joined her first, laughing boisterously as she squealed when he said he was coming to drag her underwater.

Jake made sure their towels were safe from the wet zone and pulled his shirt over his shoulders to keep dry as well, but when he turned around Luna gave him a surprised look.

“What happened?” She expressed her concern and he followed her line of sight down to a pattern of colorful red blotches scattered all across his lower abdomen, even some peeking out from the waistband of his swim shorts.

“Oh…” Jake trailed off, a matching red blush filling his cheeks as he tried to quickly think of something to say. “It's mosquito bites! There were a lot out last night”. Danny snorted, then hid underneath the surface of the water when Jake shot him a warning look.

“Long night brother?” Josh suddenly asked from behind, a knowing smirk on his face when he got a good look for himself. “We were beginning to wonder if you were even coming back over”.

“I’m sorry,” Jake quickly apologized but Josh cut him off.

“No, don't worry about it. She’s always welcome over anytime, especially when you need a bit of alone time” Josh gently placed his hand on his twin's shoulder and guided him over to the edge of the pool. “I’m glad you got to enjoy yourself, but right now is my vengeance”.

Before Jake could even consider what it was Josh was implying, he was being shoved over the edge and into the pool with flailing arms. When he surfaced and cleared his eyes of the chlorine droplets he saw another taller figure standing behind Josh.

“Hope you don’t mind. I invited Sammy” Josh acknowledged the subtle shift in Jake's demeanor.

Jake looked at Josh, then back at Sam, feeling the slight pinch of jealousy flare back up again when Sam enthusiastically waved over to Danny.

Then he remembered the conclusion of his night, the soft declarations of belonging, warm caresses of wanted possession, and all his negativity melted away in favor of a more welcoming attitude.

Jake smiled and gave Sam a pointed look to where Josh stood precariously on the edge of the pool now with his hands on his hips. Sam, though not his twin but a brother no doubt, got the message and pushed Josh into the pool next, causing him to yelp and holler out for his partner to hurry up and come save him.

Settling back into the work routine was never a problem for Jake, even after a week of vacation. This time however, he seemed to be dragging his feet getting back into the office.

Danny had returned to staying with his sister by Sunday morning, and Luna had just been dropped off with Jake’s parents who had graciously agreed to help watch her over the summer break.

The morning drug on, yet at the same time in a flash he found himself sitting in the shared break room heating up some leftovers that he and Danny had cooked Saturday night while blankly staring out the window thinking about everything that had happened in the time he was gone.

“Are you done with the microwave?” One of the few girls who had lined up to warm their food next braved speaking up to Jake, snapping him out of his trance.

Jake hadn’t even noticed his food was already done, and he apologetically jumped up from the table to grab it, bringing the Tupperware back into his office. Just as he sat down again and started to take a bite, his office phone started to ring. There was a quick debate about letting it go to voicemail, he was on break anyways, but after considering that he’d been gone for a while and it could be important he picked it up on the last ring.

“Jacob, I’m glad I caught you. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be back in the office today”.

The voice was immediately recognizable, his father-in-law. It wasn’t uncommon for him to call the office instead of his cell, they’d always had a better work relationship than personal one. It was nothing against the man, it was just hard to keep up appearances around each other when they both knew the only thing on their mind was who they’d lost. Keeping it professional was just easier.

“Oh yes, I’m back for a while. What can I do for you?” Jake replied, trying to sound more thrilled about the interruption than he truly was.

“Well, there’s some things we need to talk about. I’ll be in town tomorrow, why don’t we get some lunch?”

Odd, he usually wasn’t the type of man to refrain from discussing matters over the phone, but Jake shook it off as an excuse to get together and catch up.

“Of course, just let me know what time and I’ll meet you there”.

They set the appointment, and Jake hung up the phone with a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Whatever the discussion was to be, there wasn’t much that could put Jake in a bad mood after all the good fortune he’d been having, so he chewed his first mouthful and went back to daydreaming.

Tags: @kultavalo @sanguinebats @gracev0609 @lipstickitty @lyndz2names

[scarletvanfleet]

I love Cake. More Cake please.

Do You Want to Know a Secret?

click to be added to my taglist :3 || send me an ask/request!

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x Chris Turpin

Word count: 1,477

Warnings: none

A/N: just a quick little fluffy story about chris & jake sharing their first kiss backstage

crossposted to ao3

Jake's fingers danced across the worn strings of his guitar, the music echoing through the quiet dressing room. The rich, deep tones filled the space with a comforting familiarity, a stark contrast to the electric anticipation that charged the air outside the door. It was Mirador’s final show of the tour leg, and the energy of the venue thrummed through the walls, reaching them even in their sanctuary.

Chris, perched on the arm of a well-worn armchair, tapped his foot to the rhythm, a grin playing on his lips as he listened. His eyes met Jake's in the mirror, and for a moment, the room felt as if it had been plucked out of the sound of the venue and placed into a silent vacuum. Jake's heart stuttered, and he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. His music stumbled, the notes faltering under the weight of the sudden tension. He cleared his throat, hoping it was just the dryness of the air.

"You okay, Jake?" Chris' voice was gentle, the teasing lilt from a previous conversation now gone.

Jake nodded, not trusting his voice. He took a deep breath, willing his hands to steady themselves as they found the correct chords again. "Yeah, just... nerves."

Chris slid off the armchair and approached him, the sound of his boots on the floorboards seemingly louder than the thundering crowd beyond the walls. "We’ve done a dozen shows," he said, his hand landing on Jake's shoulder with a comforting weight. "Why now?"

Jake shrugged, focusing on the strings. "I guess... it's all coming to an end, you know?"

Chris leaned against a nearby amp, arms crossed. "What's that gotta do with anything?"

Jake's gaze remained on his guitar, the silence stretching between them like a tightened chord ready to snap. "It's just..." He trailed off, the words sticking in his throat. The air grew thick with the unspoken, a silent symphony of all the things they'd never dared to voice.

Chris stepped closer, his warmth radiating like a soft light. "What’s wrong?" His hand moved from Jake's shoulder to the back of his neck, a touch that sent shivers down his spine.

Jake's eyes snapped up to meet Chris's, the intensity of the moment causing his breath to hitch. "I just... I don't want it to end."

Chris sat down next to him, the couch cushion sighing under him. His hand remained at the back of Jake's neck, his thumb brushing gently against the skin in a gesture that sent a wave of warmth through him. "What do you mean?"

Jake's heart raced as he tried to form the words that had been churning in his mind for weeks. "This... us, the band, the tour... it's been amazing." He swallowed hard, the taste of his fear coating his throat. "But what happens next?"

Chris's grip tightened slightly, his eyes searching Jake's in the mirror. "What do you want to happen?"

The question hung in the air, a challenge and an invitation all at once. Jake felt his stomach flip-flop, the tension coiling tighter with each passing second. He took a deep breath and set his guitar aside, his heart pounding like a kick drum. He turned to face Chris, their knees brushing together, the warmth of their bodies creating a space that seemed to hum with energy.

Chris's eyes searched Jake's, a flicker of understanding passing through them. He leaned in, his hand sliding from Jake's neck to cup his cheek, thumb tracing the line of his jaw. Jake's eyes fluttered shut, his breath catching as he felt the other man's breath on his face. The room faded away, and all that remained was the warmth of Chris's touch and the erratic rhythm of their hearts.

Chris's thumb hovered over Jake's bottom lip, and without a word, Jake leaned in, closing the gap between them. Their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss that sent a jolt of electricity through his body. It was like the first notes of a song they had never played before, both of them feeling their way through the melody, unsure of where it would take them.

Jake's eyes remained closed as he lost himself in the sensation. The taste of Chris's mouth, the feel of his stubble against his skin, the scent of leather and sweat and something uniquely him. It was everything he had imagined and more, a secret melody that had played in the background of their friendship for so long, now coming to the forefront of their reality.

But as quickly as it began, it ended. They broke the kiss, both of them drawing back slightly, their breath mingling in the space between them. Jake's eyes flew open, his heart racing as he searched Chris's expression for any clue as to what was happening. Chris's eyes were wide, a mix of shock and something else, something that made Jake's heart flutter.

For a moment, neither of them moved, the world around them seemingly frozen in time. Then, with a gentle exhale, Chris leaned in again, his hand sliding around the back of Jake's neck, pulling him closer. This kiss was different, more deliberate, as if he was trying to convey something that words couldn't express.

Jake's hands making their way around Chris's waist, the warmth of his embrace seeping through the fabric of his shirt. His hands found the small of Chris's back, pressing him closer still, as if trying to erase the years of distance between them. The kiss grew deeper, more urgent, as the tension of their unspoken feelings coalesced into a tangible force that seemed to vibrate through their very bones.

Chris's hand left Jake's neck to tangle in his hair, his fingertips sending a cascade of pleasure down Jake's spine. Jake felt himself falling into the kiss, the rush of emotions so overwhelming that he couldn't tell where he ended and Chris began. It was a heady sensation, like stepping off the edge of a cliff into the open sky.

Their kiss grew more insistent, their movements more urgent. Jake's hands roamed up Chris's chest, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt tighten with each press of their bodies. The room around them faded away, leaving only the sound of their ragged breaths and the pounding of their hearts. The air was thick with the scent of their desire, the dressing room walls seeming to pulse with the intensity of the unspoken.

Then, the harsh knock at the door shattered the moment like a cymbal's clash. They sprang apart as if they'd been caught in a forbidden dance, the spell between them broken by the intrusion of reality. The sound echoed through the room, a stark reminder of the world outside their bubble, where the crowd waited for them to take the stage.

Jake's cheeks flushed as he looked at Chris, his eyes wide with a mix of excitement and terror. The knock came again, more insistent this time. "Guys, showtime!" a roadie called from the other side of the barrier.

Chris took a deep, shuddering breath, his eyes never leaving Jake's. "We should go," he murmured, his voice thick with unspoken emotion.

Jake nodded, his hands falling away from Chris's body as the world rushed back in. The reality of their situation hit him like a cold shower, the thrill of the kiss fading slightly in the face of their impending performance. "Yeah."

They both took a moment to compose themselves, their eyes lingering on each other as they stood. Jake's heart thundered in his chest, the sound of his pulse competing with the music from the venue. He reached for his guitar, the smooth wood a familiar comfort in his trembling hands.

Chris cleared his throat, the sound rough and raw. "Um, Jake..."

Jake's eyes searched his, desperate for something to hold onto. But before Chris could speak, the knock grew louder, more persistent.

"Guys, now!" the voice outside the door urged.

Jake's stomach twisted into a tight knot, the words from their unfinished conversation hanging in the air like the last notes of a song. He took a step back, breaking the spell of their closeness. The room was still, the air charged with what had just transpired, and what might be left unsaid.

Chris's hand lingered on the door handle, his eyes never leaving Jake's. "We'll talk after the show, okay?" His voice was firm, a promise that sent a shiver down Jake's spine.

Jake nodded, his throat tight with a mix of fear and anticipation. "Okay."

Chris opened the door, and the cacophony of the venue spilled in, a stark contrast to the quiet sanctuary they had just shared. The roadie nodded at them, his eyes darting between their flushed faces before he turned to lead the way to the stage. They followed, the weight of their secret heavy on their shoulders.

[scarletvanfleet]

Beautiful.

The Horizon, Jake Kiszka/Chris Turpin

Chapter 2: Dancing On The Shore

Summary: Their fingers laced together in the sand when suddenly, in the distance, they could hear the ringing of a ship’s bell. Just one at first, and then two, and three and more and more until the entire night was filled with the sounds of an armada sailing into port. 

The new fleet had finally arrived.

Tags: AU-pirates, angst, 1700's, golden age of piracy, emotional hurt/comfort, alcohol use (wine), skinny dipping, light pining, kissing, religious references, crying, love confessions, mentions of pregnancy (background character), sadness, grinding, romance, sexual references.

Word Count: 8.2k

A/N: once again a huge thanks to my besties @scarletvanfleet and @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka for the continuous support and beta reading. This is a bit of a long chapter but what can I say, it's a big story. please let me know if you'd like to be tagged in any future updates! Thanks for reading!

The candlelight, reflected on the waves, turned the rippling water into folds of molten amber. The sun had dipped low beneath the horizon, and the soft melody of the sea was the only sound that echoed through the grotto as Jake finished setting up the dinner he had prepared. 

The rocky ground was sturdy enough to support the simple wooden table and chairs he had hauled in there many moons ago. The entrance to the cave curved slightly. A narrow path on the left, flanked by a small stream on the right snaked its way into the cliffside alcove, both eventually widening out into a shallow tidepool and a larger rocky plateau.

Jake had found this location on one of his many lonely walks along the beach during his early days as an ensign. The little spot, protected from the elements and largely hidden from sight, had become a bit of a safe space for him.

Life in the navy barracks was fine and comfortable enough, but it didn’t make for much privacy. Sleeping with a dozen other young men in the same dorm meant that almost every hour of the day was spent with other people in the vicinity.

Jake needed some space for himself. A spot he could retreat to when everything became a bit too crowded. A spot where he didn’t have to worry or hide his true self.

He spent many afternoons there, slowly crafting it into a space of his own. Sweeping the plateau and creating a border between it and the water with a carefully laid row of rocks. On warmer days he’d wade into the shallow pool and clear it of the flotsam and jetsam that washed in with the tide. 

Over the years he had collected random pieces of furniture people had thrown out onto the beach. He squirreled them away into his little grotto and fixed them up using the limited skills he had picked up from watching and assisting the shipwrights. After a while he had assembled a small but sturdy collection; a small square table, two wooden chairs, a little bookcase, a chest, and an old sleeping cot.

It wasn’t much, and the cave was not completely cut off from the elements so he would still have to perform regular upkeep on the wooden furniture. But he managed to completely weatherproof the chest, which meant he could use it to keep a bedroll, some blankets, and some pillows dry and ready to use whenever the barracks became too crowded.

Chris had found him here. Like he had found him everywhere.

                                                                                𓊝

The moment they met would forever be seared into his memory. It must have been about four and a half years ago by now.

Jake had been laying on his cot, reading through some of the letters he had received from home. Most were from his twin brother, Josh, their correspondence being the most frequent as they were not used to being so far away from one another.

Josh had voiced his desire to move closer to Jake. He had just finished his training as an apprentice tailor and was ready to start his own business. But their small and quiet hometown had no need for another craftsman and Josh had no desire to make the same frock and coat over and over for the rest of his life. 

Jake’s port town might not be a major metropolis, but it was a thoroughfare for all sorts of people and trade. Jake had seen the giant rolls of fabric being hauled off of ships, met the travelers from all over the globe who would pass through port on their way elsewhere, stopping for provisions and garments for other climates. Josh would be able to make a name for himself here.

As he read over his brother’s words for what felt like the hundredth time, aching for that little piece of home as he imagined Josh’s voice reading the words to him, a sudden crack of thunder rang out over the beach.

The day had been bright when Jake had entered the cave. Warm enough for him to dare a swim in his tide pool, after which he had dressed only in his breeches, not wanting to get the rest of his clothes wet.

The storm that now raged outside had come in suddenly. Dark clouds and big, heavy raindrops combined with a barrage of hailstones pummeled the beach and the surf. Jake could spy a sliver of the outside world from his spot on the bed. He regarded the ominous weather for a moment, thinking it matched his current mood rather well, before turning onto his other side and unfolding the most recent letter he had received.

The grim weather did not bother him. His little sanctuary was warm and dry. Kept that way by the candles he had placed onto the cave’s natural shelves and alcoves. He had his blankets and his letters and his books. He had even managed to make a stop by Mrs. Oliver before heading to the beach. She had supplied him with a batch of yesterday’s cinnamon muffins which were deemed too stale to be sold, but were still some of the best baked goods Jake had ever had. He could stay here all night if he wanted, wallowing in his homesickness and stuffing himself with the overflowing box of pastries.

But destiny had something else in store for him.

With his back now turned to the entrance of the cave, and the deafening roar of the thunder outside, Jake didn’t realize he was no longer alone until a trepidatious voice rang out. An uncertain “Hello?” made him shoot up, tossing his letters to one side and grasping at the dagger he had hidden beneath his pillow. He didn’t pull the weapon out yet, not wanting to immediately escalate the situation, but still preparing himself in case the voice belonged to someone looking for trouble.

But the man who had entered his domain did not look like he was looking for trouble.

He looked like an angel.

His shoulder length blond hair clung to his face in windswept tendrils. His light linen coat and shirt were soaked through, as were his black trousers. His black leather boots were obviously more suited for walking around town, or maybe a stroll in the park, than they were for a treacherous climb down the rough end of the beach, and the walking cane the man was holding completed the look of an unprepared gentleman out on a stroll on unfamiliar terrain, finding himself in a sudden storm and heading for the nearest cliff for shelter.

Jake’s grip on his dagger eased slightly but his fingers stayed wrapped around the hilt. He didn’t know this man. Had never seen him around town, and despite his soft and gentle appearance, Jake knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

“I’m-...I’m sorry to have disturbed you, I- I don’t mean to intrude, it’s just… Well, I was caught in the downpour and I saw this opening in the rocks…I…would you mind if I waited out the storm here? I can compensate you for your hospitality! I don’t have much money on me but I have some… My name is Christopher, I arrived in port about a week ago…I-” the man rattled on until Jake lifted his free hand, a gesture for him to stop speaking. Christopher quickly complied and looked down at his own hands, a slightly embarrassed expression painting his features.

“My name is Jacob.” was all he could think to say. 

Jake was an eloquent man. Soft spoken and intelligent, he did not often find himself at a loss for words. But something about this stranger had wiped all coherent thought from his mind.

His fingers slipped out from under his pillow, leaving the dagger in its resting place. Both hands now free, he quickly grabbed the shirt he had dropped at the foot of his bed, suddenly hyper aware of his state of undress. He slipped the garment over his head and tried to make himself as presentable as possible.

“Please, take a seat, you’re welcome to wait out the storm here.” Jake awkwardly gestured to the simple wooden table with its patchwork chairs. He never knew why he had bothered to drag both chairs in from the beach. He didn’t plan on bringing anyone else here and he didn’t need two chairs for himself. But the backrests had these beautifully carved birds and it had seemed like a shame to leave them behind.

The man, Christopher, bowed his head in gratitude and quickly made his way over to the chair. The silence that followed as he sat down was slightly awkward. Jake was still somewhat unsettled by the sudden presence of another soul in his little sanctuary. He felt the need to shift his melancholic mood into something more pleasant. Christopher had obviously not expected to find him here either, he was simply seeking shelter from the sudden barrage of rain and hail.

As he gathered his thoughts Jake stole a glance at him. The other man was awkwardly shifting on his chair, his rain soaked hair dripping onto his shirt, turning the fabric slightly see through. He picked at the skin around his fingernails as his eyes flitted about the cavern. They landed on the chest and the bookcase before drifting over the rows of candles along the walls.

Jake was just about to speak up, introduce himself properly, when Christopher spoke again. His voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid Jake would actually hear him, and when the words hit Jake’s ears they seemed to be steeped in sadness.

“Do you live here?”

The question snapped Jake out of his sullen mood and he let out a giggle at the absurdity of the situation. The sudden loud noise startled Christopher, who finally dared to look up and make eye contact. The expression on his face was one of confusion tinged with fear and Jake quickly stifled his laughter. Christopher must think him insane, a half naked man in a cave who laughed at simple questions. He was making a fool of himself. He cleared his throat and lightly shook his head before he answered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. Your question, as heartfelt as it seemed, simply caught me off guard. no, please let me properly introduce myself. My name is Jacob Kiszka, I am a lieutenant commander in the New England navy. I am stationed at the barracks near the ports. This place is simply my little hideaway, I come here when the base gets too crowded or I simply need to think. I’m not from around here you see, I can’t really go home on the weekends like the other fellows, so I made a bit of a space for myself here. But no, I don't live here full time.”

Jake wasn’t sure why he had said all that. He was usually a very private man, not sharing much about his personal life with anyone. It had even taken Mrs. Oliver a good few months for him to open up and tell her about his hometown and his family but even she didn’t know about the cave.

But Christopher was already here, had already seen the most private thing he had to offer. And there was such kindness in his eyes…

Jake’s words seemed to reassure him. A bit of his nervous energy dissipated and his expression turned from confused to intrigued. He listened attentively to Jake as he explained his job and his rank and the circumstances that led him from his tiny town in Sault Ste. Marie all the way to a New England port.

How being the youngest of a set of twins, but simultaneously older than his younger sister and brother left him essentially feeling a bit like the middle child. Left adrift between his other siblings who either required less or more care and supervision. From a young age he had been attracted to sailing. Having been the only child who had gladly accompanied his father as he went out with his sailboat on the weekends to catch fresh fish. A supplement to their otherwise quite boring diet. When the navy recruiters had flocked into town one summer, it had taken very little convincing for Jake to enlist.

“I was only sixteen, and in hindsight probably far too young to leave home. But they promised an education that my family simply couldn’t afford otherwise. My mother was heartbroken when I left but she knew it was for the best. I’ve managed to make a career for myself and she’s very proud of me. She writes often. I try to go back as frequently as I can.”

In return Jake hung from his very lips as Christopher told him about his life in England, how he had been an apprentice to his father, a master clockmaker, for as long as he could remember. How he, in turn, had also become a master of his craft. 

“It seems unkind to say but the reason I couldn’t stay in England is simply that my father trained me too well. He taught me everything I know but it’s all I know. And it’s all people know to expect from me. Everyone just knows me as young master Turpin, but for once in my life I would just like to just be Mr. Turpin. I love my father, as hard as it is for an Englishman to say, but I needed to leave before the constant comparisons to him made me turn sour.”

Jake had joined him at the table now. Their conversation flowed as smoothly as the tide washing in and out of the cave’s pool. There was no explaining it, as soon as they had opened their mouths there had been a connection. The awkwardness of their first few moments together had melted away and it seemed like they had known each other for years.

They talked for hours that night, not even noticing when the storm let up and the sun started to set. They ate from the box of pastries and drank from the bottles of fresh water and wine Jake had stored on the bottom shelf of his book case.

After the rain had passed the night turned humid. The air hung heavy around them. Oppressively warm as only an August evening can be, and aided by the heat of the candles burning in the cave. A layer of salt seemed to descend over everything, but whether it came from the sea or the two bodies providing conversation that echoed off of the cave walls no one could say.

The rain that had soaked Christopher to the bone had long dried on his skin but the sweltering heat was quickly becoming uncomfortable in a similar way. His shirt was sticking to the back of his neck despite him having removed his jacket hours ago. Etiquette prevented him from stripping any more items of clothing beside his waistcoat and cravat, which he had quickly taken off after he realized Jacob was also only in his shirtsleeves. He was simply not yet used to this new world heat.

Jake could read the discomfort plainly on Christopher’s features. He could feel the sweat starting to form on his own brow too and his shirt clung uncomfortably to his back. The humidity was becoming unbearable and it made it hard to focus on the conversation at hand. Emboldened by the half a bottle of wine flowing through his veins, Jake offered a way to cool down.

“Christopher, I don’t mean to be too forward, but the heat is starting to wear on me. And please correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe it has caught you as well. Would you be amicable to taking a short swim to cool off? I know the temperature of the water in this cave should be quite pleasant and I promise you it is completely safe, I swim here quite frequently during the warmer months.”

Jake tried to make himself sound as formal as possible. This would simply be a way for them to get out of the heat. A completely innocent swim to regulate their body temperatures and replace the salt of their sweat with the salt of the water. The fact that he had become more and more mesmerized with this fascinating man who had stumbled into his cave had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The flush on Christopher’s cheeks seemed to deepen for a moment, something Jake attributed to the heat and the wine but not his words. The man had been well spoken all night, voice clear and steady, never stumbling over any of his words, but suddenly his speech became jumbled.

“Well…I uhm, I don’t have a swimming costume you see, or well, at least not at hand at the moment. Nor do I have a towel or, or a clean shirt for that matter… and what if the tide comes in? Or washes out? Or however it works, I admit, I’m not familiar.” 

Jake stifled his laughter. He didn’t want to make Christopher any more uncomfortable than he already was by laughing at him. And truly he wouldn’t be laughing at him, simply at the situation. Living in the navy barracks had taught Jake to very quickly get over any sense of bodily shame he might have had. When you live with two dozen other men in very close quarters you see much more than you ever bargained for and it soon becomes routine. But Jake also realized that this was not a common thing and that the average civilian had a much more puritan way of seeing things, so he understood Christopher’s hesitation.

“I have some towels here for when I go swimming by myself. I must admit I also don’t have a swimming costume on hand. No one else ever comes here you see. I understand if my suggestion was out of line and I sincerely apologize, please, let us continue our conversation. I’d hate for you to leave.”

Jake wasn’t sure why he added that last part. Some hidden sense of desperation finally bubbling to the surface of his mind atop a sea of wine, and heat, and pleasant company. The need of finding a true friend and conversationalist finally fulfilled, he feared he had squandered it all by his overly familiar suggestion. But much to his surprise Christopher quickly shook his head and spoke up resolutely.

“No I- I think a swim would do me good.”

Jake lost the struggle to keep a smile off of his face at those words. He quickly stood and walked over to the weather proofed chest, retrieving two clean towels he had stolen from the Navy’s laundry room when he was on wash duty. They were slightly worn but still functioned well enough. When he turned back around he was met with the vision of Christopher pulling off his unbuttoned shirt and neatly hanging it over the back of his chair. His skin was pale and unblemished. Completely unlike Jake who, in his line of duty, had become tanned and scarred.

He could see the sinewy muscles shift underneath Christopher’s skin and for a moment Jake became enamored by the curve of his shoulder and the way his hair fell across it as he bent down to unbuckle his shoes. He realized he was staring as Christopher sat back up and he quickly averted his eyes, moving instead to place the towels on the table and move a few of the rocks that made up the border of the tide pool so they would have an easier time entering and exiting the water.

Shirt, shoes, and socks now shed, all that rested Christopher were his trousers. Jake could sense his hesitation and quickly started stripping off his own clothes in order to make the other man feel more at ease. Being naked was uncomfortable for most, but being naked while others were still dressed always seemed worse somehow. Jake undressed with the utmost nonchalance. He figured if he treated this as he would any other swim, or communal shower at the barracks, he’d have the most chance of making Christopher as comfortable as possible.

Jake had only bothered to dress in his shirt and pants after his solo swim earlier that day and thus reached the same state of undress as Christopher within seconds. Continuing in one fluid motion from shucking off his shirt, he deftly undid the row of buttons keeping his pants closed and easily stepped out of them. He neatly folded them over the back of his chair and sat down on the cleared edge of the pool, lazily dipping his legs into the water and letting out a content sigh at the coolness that enveloped them.

As he let himself submerge fully into the water he could hear the rustle of fabric behind him and the sound of one of the chairs scooting back across the rocky ground. Jake opted not to turn back around until he heard the splash of another body entering the pool, granting Christopher at least that modicum of privacy.

He could hear the other man let out a similar sigh of relief at the coolness of the water and as Jake turned, he caught just the slightest glimpse of tiny blond curls sinking into the darkness before the rest of Christopher’s abdomen and torso followed. Soon he was submerged down to his chest. The pool was shallow enough for both men to stand, and in the corner farthest from the entrance it even held a small, underwater ledge which could function as a natural bench. Jake made his way over and took a seat, planning on staying in the water for a while, or at least until they had both cooled off enough to brave the humidity of the rest of the cave once more.

As Christopher made his way over to take a seat next to him, Jake busied himself by scooping handfuls of water up over his hair and face, washing away the sweat and slicking back his already damp locks.

Before Christopher sat down he fully submerged himself for a second or two in a similar attempt to rid himself of the sticky sweat that clung to his skin.

As he reemerged Jake adjusted his previous observation. Christopher didn’t look like an angel, he looked like a siren. The way his hair clung to his face, the intense pale blue green of his eyes, amplified only by the slight redness in the whites from the sea salt, the way the candle light played across his pale skin. Jake was completely enraptured by him and in a moment of weakness, he reached out and tucked a strand of the damp hair behind one of Christopher’s ears.

Shocked at his own actions Jake quickly retracted his hand and went to apologize. But he only managed to draw his hand back a few inches before Christopher caught it, and all the words he managed to squeeze out were simply the other man’s name. 

“Christopher”

They stared at each other in silence for a singular, everlasting second, Jake’s wrist caught in Christopher’s hand and his gaze captured in those sea glass eyes.

“Please Jacob.. Call me Chris.” Chris said in a whisper, a smile playing along his lips and a glint of…something in his eyes.

“Jake… please call me Jake” was all Jake could reply before Chris placed the hand he had captured back onto his cheek and leaned into his touch.

That first meeting had been almost four and a half years ago to the day. Chris had visited the cave nearly every night after that. They would talk, and swim, and talk some more. Becoming closer and closer as the days passed. Never once had Chris thought to bring a swimming costume.

                                                                                𓊝

After nearly six months of almost daily visits, Jake had become utterly devoted to Chris. The man occupied his mind all hours of the day and night. Every waking moment he longed for the other man’s company and in his dreams their relationship blossomed into a beautiful intimacy, the likes of which he had never experienced before.

Jake kept these thoughts to himself of course.

Besides having become closer to Chris in their constant conversations, they had also grown somewhat closer physically.

After that first night where Chris had refused to let go of his hand, opting instead to nuzzle into it as Jake stroked his thumb across his cheek, their touches had become more and more frequent.

They would greet each other with an embrace during which Chris would always tangle his fingers into Jake’s hair, untying whatever ribbon he had used to keep it in a neat ponytail and making it flow loosely over his shoulders and back instead.

In turn Jake would assist Chris in taking off his coat and placing it over the back of one of the chairs. As the nights went on and they became more comfortable, more and more items of clothing would be shed, often resulting in them conversing in nothing but their pants, or even completely naked, submerged in the moonlit water of the pool.

It was during one of these nights, once again aided by a fair helping of stolen wine, that Jake had thrown caution to the wind and fully crossed the line into the unknown.

The night had once again been unbearably hot, and it had taken them no time at all to end up in the pool once more. Having become more comfortable with each other’s nudity, Jake had flung his clothes in Chris’ general direction, laughing as they hit the other man square in the face, and diving into the pool with a great big splash. Chris joined in his laughter and dove in after him, surfacing right in front of Jake’s face and splashing him with water. Jake splashed him back, starting a brief but intense water fight that ended when Jake managed to capture Chris’ hands. They were both heaving with laughter, reveling in the childish games their age didn’t often permit them.

As both men caught their breath, hands still clasped together, stray giggles forced out between pants, Jake simply couldn’t stop himself. His body moved as if possessed, lowering their entwined hands into the water, forcing their bodies closer together. The cave was quiet, save for the crashing of the waves on the shore outside and their slowly steadying breaths which now landed on the other’s face.

Chris made no moves to distance himself from Jake. His eyes were wide, not in shock, but in an effort to absorb every millimeter of Jake’s face in the dim candlelight. The fact that Chris made no attempts to flee filled Jake with the last shred of courage he needed to finally ask the question that had been stuck in his throat since the moment he laid eyes on the other man.

“Christopher…Chris. May I kiss you?”

He had barely gotten all the words out before Chris’ lips were on his. The warmth of his skin, pressed so impossibly close to his own, flooded all of Jake’s senses. He felt enveloped by him. The way his arms roamed over his back and pressed them closer together, one of his hands snaking its way into his hair and gripping it tightly. Chris kissed like a parched man finally feeling the touch of water on his tongue. His movements were hungry, desperate, but somehow also gentle, nearly reverent.

Jake felt like he was being worshiped. A ravenous kind of devotion was placed upon his body and as Chris’ lips moved from his own, across his cheek, to his ear, and down his neck, his continuously muttered stream of “you may, you may, you may” sounded oddly like a prayer.

The feeling was overwhelming. Jake had been loved before, sure. His mother loved him, as did his father, and his siblings all loved him in their own ways. But he had never been adored before. His veins felt like they were on fire as Chris’ lips made their way down his chest. A sob thundered through Jake’s rib cage as a kiss was placed right over his heart.

Chris straightened himself faster than lighting, his eyes searching for Jake’s expression through the flood of tears that rolled down his face. His hands tenderly cradled his cheeks, thumbs wiping away the torrents that flowed down his skin.

“Jake, my dearest, my love, what happened? Did I hurt you?” Chris asked, only partially successful in his attempt to hide the panic in his voice.

Jake shook his head as hard as the hands cradling him allowed. His head was flowing over with the love he was feeling and all his body could think to do was cry.

“You are so beautiful, so beautiful.” was all he managed to force out before another sob was expelled out of him and Chris pulled him into an embrace that felt like he was holding love itself.

“Oh my love, my love…” Chris muttered against the crook of Jake’s neck and the heat of his breath made it feel like the words were being seared into Jake’s skin. He was being marked as Christopher’s love, by Christopher’s love. 

“Let out all your sorrows my dearest, I am here. You have me, I am yours.” 

Chris held him for what felt like hours, letting Jake cry onto his shoulder until all his tears were gone and all that was left was the feeling of Chris’ arms around him and the steady rise and fall of his chest against Jake’s cheek.

“I’m sorry…” Jake began to apologize but Chris just held him tighter and shushed his words away as his fingers combed through Jake’s dark locks.

“Don’t apologize Jake. you have nothing to apologize for. If we are to share this love, my only condition is that we also share our pain.”

Jake pulled himself away from Chris’ chest just enough to look into his eyes.

“Love?” Do you love me?” He asked, his voice sounding smaller than he had sounded in years. And there was that kindness In Chris’ eyes again. That gentle and easy reassurance combined with whatever that glimmer was that had flitted behind his irises that first night in the water.

“I think I do. I think I have for quite some time now, I have no other way to describe this utter devotion I feel towards you.” Chris spoke, and this time it was Jake’s turn to parch his thirst on Chris’ lips. His kisses were softer, less urgent. Jake had always been of the opinion that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well and without hurry. 

He created a map of Chris’ body in his mind as his hands roamed his skin. The crook of his neck, the ridges of his spine, the way his hips pressed against his own when he pushed against the small of Chris’ back. It all became a part of the idol he was building in his head. It would become a tiny piece of home Jake would be able to take with him whenever his ship left the harbor. The map of Chris’ body had become the new north on his compass.

They kissed and hugged and simply held each other the whole night through. When the water had become too cold for either of them to stand they had dried themselves off and slotted their bodies together on Jake’s tiny sleeping cot. They kept each other warm that night, and many nights after in the four years that would follow.

But now, as Jake lit the final candle lined up along the walls of the cave, he wondered if that time might be coming to an end.

He had received his call to duty a day or so ago. It had been nearly a full month since the conversation Chris and him had shared on that bench outside the church. They had been given more time than they could have hoped for, but it hadn’t been enough. It would never have been enough time. 

The days had warmed up since that dreary July morning where Jake had shared the truth about the severity of the pirate problem the navy was facing. They had once again slipped into the heady heat of August, but despite the humidity Jake had still decided to dress in his Sunday best.

It might have been the last opportunity he would get.

There was no need to invite Chris to the cave. He would be there, as he had been every night Jake spent on shore and off duty for the last four years. All Jake had to tell him was to dress up and bring his good wine. The smile Chris had given him at those words had been bittersweet.

Jake had gone all out, cleaning the entirety of their shared slice of home. He had picked flowers along the dunes and placed them in old jars all around the cave, he had washed the sheets of the cot and even brought a table cloth he had found to cover their old rickety table with. He floated small tealights on pieces of driftwood, spreading the amber light even further than it had ever reached before.

The meal he had prepared wasn’t much special, just a simple dinner of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, but he had managed to convince Mrs. Oliver to bake him Chris’ favorite cake; spiced blood orange.

He had just laid out the final pieces of cutlery when he could hear the telltale approach of his beloved. Heeled boots clicking across the rocks and crunching over the fine layer of sand that managed to cover the floor no matter how much Jake swept. He turned around and there he was, his siren.

Chris was dressed in the exact same suit he had worn that first night they met. The cream colored linen had softened over the years and the shirt had become slightly tighter as Chris had grown stronger and bigger from hard work and sturdy meals, but he still looked as beautiful as he had all those years ago.

Jake could feel the tears prickling behind his eyes, but he quickly swallowed them down and replaced them with the loving smile Chris deserved.

“Hello my dearest.” Jake spoke as he walked over to help Chris take off his jacket, just like he always did. Chris smiled and planted a soft kiss on his lips before turning and allowing Jake to help rid him of the garment. When Chris turned back around his eyes finally drifted over the interior of the cave, landing on every candle and flower Jake had added before finally settling on the dinner for two that was laid out on the table.

Jake could see the same swell of tears behind Chris’ eyes but his love quickly blinked and softly cleared his throat as he spoke.

“You truly are the most adoring man that has ever lived. Every day over you make me proud that you’re the keeper of my heart.” 

Jake beamed at his words. Chris’ praise was always so poetic and it made him feel seen in a way that no one else ever had.

“Come, sit down, before the food gets cold.” Jake ushered him over to the table, pulling out a chair for Chris to take a seat before sitting down himself. They talked as they ate, discussing their day and any news from around town as they did every night.

“I think Mrs. Oliver may be with child.” Jake gossipped as he sliced into the meat on his plate.

“Really?!” Chris replied, his eyes wide in amused wonderment as he listened attentively to the rumors and daily minutiae Jake had picked up since they last spoke twenty four hours ago. He reveled in the feeling of normalcy and routine. Just for one last night.

“Hmm, I doubt she knows I noticed but with the way Mr. Oliver dotes on her you’d think she was made out of the finest china available. It’s quite adorable.” a smile danced around Jake’s lips as he looked down at his plate. He was truly happy for them.

“Well I for one would not be surprised if you were to receive a request to become a godfather. Mrs. Oliver has always said you are like a brother to her. It would only be fitting.” Chris grinned at Jake who was still staring at his plate. His smile had faltered slightly. As much as he would love to be a godfather for his best friend’s child, he knew he would be shipping out within a day. And there was no promise he’d return.

He lightly shook his head, plastering the smile back in its place as he stood up from the table and extended his hand to Chris, urging him to get up as well. 

“Come, I have something to show you.” he said as Chris placed his hand in Jake’s and allowed himself to be pulled up. Jake led him over to the book case where on the middle shelf a small, worn, wooden box rested. Chris had never seen it before, despite his frequent visits to the cave, and the presence of the item confused him slightly. All questions he might have had were expelled from his mind however as, with his free hand, Jake lifted the lid off of the box and the cave was filled with the small tinny waltz as played by a music box.

“It washed up on shore about a month ago. I must admit I’m no expert when it comes to cogs and springs but I fixed it up as well as I could and she seems to work like a charm.” Jake muttered, seemingly a little flustered at having kept his tinkering a secret for so long.

Chris couldn’t help it. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks now, and when Jake looked up from the box his hands immediately flew up to cradle Chris’ face.

“Oh I’m so sorry my love, I wanted this night to be one of joy and light but it seems now like that might have been a foolish idea. I never meant to upset you my dearest but I know the entire situation itself is upsetting.” Jake spoke as silent sobs wracked Chris’ body.

“I wish you wouldn’t have to go.” Chris lamented between labored breaths “I know it’s selfish but I wish you wouldn’t have to go. Every time you deploy it feels like my heart is carved out of my chest and stored in the hull of your ship. I wish you wouldn’t have to go.”

Jake felt his own heart shatter at Chris’ words but only because he felt the exact same way. Whenever he sailed out he couldn’t shake the feeling that part of his soul remained ashore.

“I wish that too my love, I wish that too. I am bound by duty but know I am bound to you too, and know that I will do everything in my power to return to you, I promise you that.”

Chris’ breathing evened out and the flow of tears slowly subsided. The sadness he felt was far from gone but he didn’t want to spoil their last evening together with a never ending flow of tears, and so he took a deep breath and pressed his lips against Jake’s.

Their kiss was urgent in a way. Chris tried to convey every ounce of love he felt through the connection of their skin, he hoped it would be enough.

As they parted, Jake wiped at his own eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffed once before forcing the return of his smile to his lips. The music box still played softly behind them and Jake took Chris’ hands in his own once more as he asked with a deep bow “Mr. Turpin, may I have this dance?”

The three kisses Jake received translated to the reply he knew so well; “you may, you may, you may.”

They assumed the positions for a slow and gentle waltz as the music echoed off of the walls of the cave. Their steps were clumsy and Chris could tell by the tiny movements of Jake’s mouth that he was counting along with the rhythm of the song. Neither of them were skilled dancers but they reveled in the closeness of their bodies and the shared movement. 

It didn’t take long for Chris to rest his head on Jake’s chest, the sound of his breath slowly entering and leaving his lungs, and the steady drum of Jake’s heart against his cheek was all he needed to calm him down. The music faded away into the echoes of the cave and it was just the two of them once more. Their shuffling feet and Jake’s quiet counting the only sounds that filled the air. 

The sun had set outside their rocky abode but the humidity still clung to them like flypaper. Their movements became sluggish until they finally stopped altogether.

“Could we go take some air for a moment? It’s dark now so no one should be able to see us.” Chris suggested and Jake nodded his head in agreement. Leading each other by the hand they excited their cave for a moment and sat down near the surf. It wouldn’t be long until the tide would come rolling in but they didn’t plan on sitting there long. Just long enough for some of the heat from their skin to dissipate and to breathe in the cool sea breeze.

The night was clear and the stars shone brightly above them. The light of the moon cast a silvery glow over all and the sand seemed to almost sparkle as they sat down.

“Have you told your brother you’ll be shipping out?” Chris asked softly.

“I have.” Jake answered. About two years ago Josh had finally made the big step and left Sault Ste, Marie to join Jake in New England. He had opened up a small tailor shop near the harbor and he was doing quite well for himself. Chris and Josh had met a few dozen times and Josh knew that Jake and him were good friends but despite their closeness Jake hadn’t yet been able to tell Josh what exactly Chris meant to him.

“He is anxious as well but he wished me luck and a safe and speedy return. He asked if I needed anything mended before I left so I’ll be picking up the last of my clothes from his shop tomorrow morning. It’ll be good to see him one last time before I go.” As he spoke, Jake absentmindedly traced his fingers through the sand. He drew spirals and hearts and stars until, as he came to the end of his sentence, he wrote Christopher’s name on the shore.

Chris smiled as he saw the letters of his own name appear in the sand in Jake’s handwriting and with his own hand wrote ‘Jacob” underneath.

Their fingers laced together in the sand when suddenly, in the distance, they could hear the ringing of a ship’s bell. Just one at first, and then two, and three and more and more until the entire night was filled with the sounds of an armada sailing into port. 

The new fleet had finally arrived.

Jake’s imminent departure was real now. Without the new ships it had all felt so far away. There were preparations at the docs, sure, but it hadn’t felt like an army sailing out yet. There were no ships and so nothing had felt imminent. But now there they were, pure white sails floating through the darkness like ghosts on the surf. The waves of their boughs traveled to shore on the incoming tide, washing away their writing in the sand.

Chris looked down at the vague indentations of the letters left behind.

“I suppose that was bound to happen at some point. It’s not a very permanent way to record our love.”

As he spoke he untangled his fingers from Jake’s and reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and retrieved a small dark blue box.

“That’s why I made you this. So you can take me with you wherever you go.” he said, as he handed the box to Jake.

A look of surprise washed over Jake’s features as he accepted the present and took off the lid.

Inside, nestled on a piece of deep black velvet, lay a shiny golden pocket watch. The front cover was decorated with an intricately carved crescent moon, its softly smiling profile looked oddly similar to Chris’ own face and when Jake popped it open he was greeted by the beautifully painted clock face. Along the row of roman numerals, painted in tiny lettering was Chris’ brand. 

“Christopher Turpin

Master Clockmaker”

But that wasn’t what caught Jake’s eye. For on the inside of the cover, etched in Chris’ own handwriting, were two simple words, repeated thrice.

“You may, you may, you may.”

Tears welled up behind Jake’s eyes again but this time he let them flow freely as he closed the watch, placed it back into the box, closed the lid, and put the box in his pocket before crashing his lips against Chris’.

His movements were fierce, pouring all his love and hopes and wishes into the connection of skin they shared. Jake’s lips roamed across Chris’s face, covering every inch he could reach in kisses and whispered declarations of love. Chris giggled at the tickle of lips on his cheeks, and his eyelids, and his forehead. His laughter was cut off with a gasp as Jake hoisted himself onto Chris’ lap, grasping his face in both hands as he placed another kiss upon his lips. But this kiss was different from the previous ones. There was a hunger here that seemed to seep out of Jake’s bones and onto his skin. A ravenous desire that burned out of his fingertips and outward from their chests which were now pressed together.

Chris answered that hunger with his own, opening his lips to let Jake feast on him. Jake’s tongue ravaged his mouth, tasting every millimeter, deepening the lines on the map of Chris’ body that lived in his mind. Maybe if he could keep tracing those lines he’d have some sort of reassurance he would be able to make it home.

Jake’s hands slid up into Chris’ hair as his tongue flicked across his teeth. Chris in turn held onto Jake’s hips like a drowning man onto a buoy. As soon as Chris’ hands landed on him, Jake let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Their lips disconnected but their foreheads melted together instead as Jake’s hips rolled forward against Chris, seemingly on their own accord.

“I need you.” Jake breathed, his words spread an undeniable heat across Chris’ skin.

“You have me, I am yours.” Chris responded as the tide of Jake’s hips continued crashing against his own. His hands sank down and grabbed onto Jake’s backside, pulling him as close as he could, intensifying the sensation of their groins pressed together with every wave.

Jake let out a groan at the feeling of being held so tightly, his ass cradled in Chris’ strong hands while his member slid up and down the steadily growing bulge in his lover’s pants. His grip on Chris’ hair tightened, pulling his head back slightly and exposing Chris’ pale throat. Jake could almost see his panting breaths flowing through his windpipe. As his right hand held the grip on his hair, his left traveled down to feel Chris’ heartbeat pulse against the side of his throat. It fluttered against his finger so rapidly. Even through the fabric of his cravat he could feel Chris’ life beating a steady, racing, rhythm against his hands. 

The feeling was intoxicating. 

Jake tried to set the grinding of his hips in time with the beating of Chris’ heart but it proved to be an impossible task. The faster his hips moved, the faster the pulse thrummed against his fingertips. Jake was snapped out of his reverie in the end by Chris letting out a soft whine. His hands roaming across Jake’s back, grasping at the fabric of his waistcoat, fighting for any sense of purchase as the warmth of Jake’s length slid against his own.

“Jacob please,” Chris forced out as Jake finally slowed his relentless grind.

“Please, please, please, I need you too, please take me, use me, I’m yours…. I’m yours.” he babbled and as Jake looked down at his face he could see Chris’ pupils blown with lust. He released the grip on his hair and gently combed his fingers through Chris’ long locks instead.

“Tell me what you need my love, I’ll give it to you. Anything you ask for, I’ll give it to you.” Jake muttered to him as he pressed their foreheads back together. They breathed in each other’s air as Chris sorted through all the things he could possibly ask from Jake. His mind was a maelstrom of wishes but in the end he landed on a singular simple request.

“Take me to our bed Jake.”

[scarletvanfleet]

LOLLLLL

I think I posted the same pic twice? help?