“Oh fuck. I’m sorry. I need...” He came hard into Dan’s mouth and was about to apologise when Dan stood up and kissed him on the mouth.

  “Thank you.”

  Ben coughed. “I should be thanking you.”

  “Oh, if you must.” Dan grinned and suddenly everything was right with the world again. Ben sank to his knees and took Dan into his mouth. He played with Dan’s flesh, one hand holding on to Dan’s muscular arse, and the other exploring Dan’s balls and between his legs, until he traced around the circle of Dan’s hole. Dan’s moan was perfection and Ben focused on sucking Dan. He wanted this to be as good for Dan as it’d been for him. That was only fair, wasn’t it? Dan made encouraging noises.

  “Finger fuck me.”

  Ben slid his finger inside Dan’s hole and stroked his prostate.

  “Oh fuck yes. Again.” Dan’s desperate tone was everything and Ben was glad he’d already come because he’d be aching right now. Dan wrapped one hand around the back of Ben’s head and he wished he’d hold him tighter. He hummed encouragement and bobbed his head, sliding up and down Dan’s cock, moving his finger in the same rhythm, and was rewarded when Dan’s fingers clung on tighter to his head. Dan cried out and came into Ben’s mouth. Yes. He swallowed the salty come down then slowly stood up. Dan kissed him hard, without giving Ben any time to catch his breath.

  “Thank you.” Dan rested his cheek against Ben’s chest and just cuddled him with the shower water still spraying over them both. Ben should be the one thanking Dan; he’d washed him and given him an incredible blow job while hungover. The man was something extra.

  Chapter 5

  Dan stood outside the church and let the cacophony of car horns surround him. The morning had been filled with Greek Orthodox traditions, making the bridal bed, and stuffing money in Vittorio’s shoes, and other interesting things. Most of all, the morning had been loud with people dressed in their very best clothes, all laughing and singing and shouting, and honking car horns. They’d walked to the village church, followed by a band and drums, and the whole atmosphere had been incredible. Ben looked amazing in his suit. Edible. The invitation had mentioned a top-notch dress code, and Ben had gone all out with a sharp suit, crisp white shirt, and purple tie with matching silk handkerchief poking out of his pocket. But it was the matching purple shoelaces that really made Dan smile.

  “Hey Dan. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for holding a grudge for so long.” Krishna stood in front of him, with his arms crossed tight across his chest.

  “Um, thanks.”

  “Ben told me that it was the house rules that night, not personal. I misunderstood.”

  Dan smiled in relief. “I’m really sorry I didn’t explain properly. It was awkward, you know.”

  “Very.” Krishna laughed nervously. “And yet, you still asked me to be your friend, after. I didn’t understand but I always appreciated that.”

  “I know what it’s like to have no family. I wasn’t lying when I said I hoped the choir would become our family.”

  “Yes. Family. And only you are still to be married. Ben is a good man, Dan. You’ve chosen well.” Krishna raised his eyebrows. “You are blushing.”

  Yes, Dan was aware that his face was an inferno. Damned Irish skin. It gave away all his emotions. And the overwhelming one was trying to avoid thinking too hard about being married to Ben. This week was supposed to be fake; and yet, they’d managed to convince Krishna that they had a real connection. Dan dared not hope that it might be true. Ben was too good for him, too perfectly his type, and Dan didn’t know how to deal with someone who cared enough about him to delve into his drunken ramblings and resolve old problems for him. Imagine having him share all his life; and that’s why his face burned, because it was far too easy to imagine a life with Ben. He didn’t have time for a relationship, between his job and burlesque and all the other ways he filled his time to avoid his loneliness. Well, shit. This was rapidly becoming far too complicated.

  “I think he must care very much if he approached me to clear up something that both of us were too stubborn to sort out years ago.”

  “Awkward conversations are his superpower.” Dan would never have talked about this if it’d been up to him. It’d only come up with Ben because he’d been tipsy, and Ben had seen him on stage, so part of him instinctively knew Ben would never judge him for his past.

  “All conversations are awkward for me. That’s hardly a superpower.” Ben walked up to the two of them, looking fantastic in his suit. It really emphasised his height, which of course, reminded Dan of their conversation about his proportionally sized cock. Fuck, he was half-hard already. This lack of control never happened to him.

  “But it means you say the things I could never say. And you’ve just fixed our friendship, so it’s definitely super.” Dan was gushing, but he didn’t care. The romance of the wedding, the joy of everyone around them, and now the long-term tension between himself and his friend was magically gone thanks to Ben.

  “Well, any time you need to talk about hard things...” Ben’s comment did absolutely nothing for the state of Dan’s arousal. Krishna laughed.

  “I mean, there is one thing...”

  “Sure, Krishna. What could be worse than what we’ve already discussed.” Dan glanced around at the crowd, but they were all busy honking their car horns and yelling in Greek at Titus and Vittorio.

  “I think I understand why you did that stuff when we were at uni. Like for money, yeah?”

  “Yes.”

  “But why do you still do it?”

  Dan sighed. “Okay, so many misconceptions to undo in one little question. Sex work is a complicated thing. Like any job, it can be sometimes fun, sometimes awful, and sometimes boring. I preferred stripping because I was great at performance and I could earn enough for my rent most of the time on stage. It’s different to burlesque though; and not just in the technical stuff.” He probably should be watching Krishna, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Ben and the way he nodded with understanding. “Um, the key difference for me is the type of performance. I’m a performer. I love an audience. If it wasn’t burlesque, I’d probably be on stage somehow. Maybe when I get too old for burlesque, I can do theatre or something for fun. I would sing, but you guys pretty much carried me.”

  “True. Your baritone is pretty weak.” Krishna nudged his elbow and Dan relaxed. Everything would be fine between them.

  “Hey. Nah, you are right. I am the worst singer in our group, but I was great at wooing the audience.”

  “You were.”

  “Still are.” Ben’s whisper was a validation that Dan would always crave. He blinked to stay focused on Krishna—why did he love burlesque? Easy.

  “To make lots of money stripping, you have to perform to an individual. There’s an art in picking out the richest person in the crowd, or at least, the person with the loosest pockets, and targeting them. It’s about a fake intimacy and a personal connection. Burlesque is more distant; it’s teasing an audience, and it’s more like an artistic performance. It’s still about sex but with far more control for the dancer who directs the audience’s attention.” For Dan, the power balance when he stripped was in the hands of the customer, and in burlesque, he held the power.

  “That makes a lot of sense. You’d be really good at that.”

  “Why Krishna? Is that a compliment? No little backhander?” Dan should leave it.

  Krishna sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a dick to you for so long, haven’t I?”

  “Yeah.” Dan shrugged. “It’s cool.”

  “Shouldn’t we follow?” Ben waved in the direction of the crowd, who were slowly making their way down the road.

  “Thanks Dan. I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted.” He would probably have to do this many times over the next while, until Krishna truly believed that things were cool between them. Dan understood that continual battle to feel valid that came after being thrown out of a biological family. Krishna smiled, then wandered off to find Ricardo. He’d made his own family with Ricardo, and suddenly Dan yearned to have the same for himself.

  “Shall we?” He held out his arm, as if Ben were a Regency lady needing support and Ben chuckled before placing his hand on Dan’s forearm.

  “You are ridiculous.” Ben’s laughter washed over Dan’s skin and he wished they were somewhere more private.

  “I owe you a kiss.” He may as well go all out. Ben didn’t answer. “Ask me why?”

  “Why?”

  “For fixing my friendship with Krishna. I could just about push you up against the church wall and kiss you right now.”

  Ben glanced at him with a smirk on his lips. “Promises, promises.”

  “Look at you.” Dan ran his gaze up and down Ben’s fine body. “I can’t believe I worked with you for so long and didn’t see you.”

  Ben shrugged. “I haven’t changed.”

  “No. It’s all my fault for overlooking you.”

  Ben didn’t answer again and there was an increase in tension on his hand on Dan’s forearm. It was obvious he’d said something wrong and he couldn’t help himself.

  “Where is that famous ability to just say the awkward thing now?”

  “What do you want from me?”

  Dan almost said, “too much,” and managed to keep that one inside. “Relax. It doesn’t matter. Let’s enjoy this show for now.”

  ***

  Ben didn’t understand Dan. Not just the extroverted way he loved talking to everyone. It was the inconsistency he didn’t understand; the sway between cocky and needy. Dan seemed to really need people to like him, and Ben just couldn’t figure it out. Why? Most people weren’t worth it. Worst of all, Ben was curious about Dan. He wanted to know what made him tick and he kept forgetting that this was fake. Dan had jokingly offered him a kiss. What if it wasn’t a joke? Ben definitely wanted more kisses with Dan. They walked together at the back of the crowd as everyone walked along a narrow road that wound down the side of the hill. The view was fantastic, looking out over the water. If he had his camera, he’d shoot the scene so the crowd was a little blurred to give it action, and the landscape would be sharp. As they neared the restaurant where the wedding lunch would be held, the crowd seemed to grow, as if everyone in the village joined in. There were more cars, more people, more noise, and he instinctively slowed his pace to linger behind everyone.

  Dan mumbled something indistinct, and Ben glanced at him. Tears streamed down his face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. ... Everything.” There was so much weight in that word.

  “Here.” Ben guided Dan between a couple of cottages into a narrow space. “You can tell me.”

  Dan wiped his hands over his face and leaned his forehead against the wall. “It’s nothing.”

  “Doesn’t look like nothing.”

  “I shouldn’t even be upset. Look at Titus and his amazing family and village, all showering him with love, and you...” Dan placed his fists beside his head against the wall. “With one simple conversation, you’ve fixed my friendship with Krishna, and everyone is fucking happy...”

  “Why aren’t you happy?”

  Dan spun around and glared at him. It shouldn’t be so ... erotic to have all the energy blasted his way. “I’m fucking happy. Who says I’m not! I don’t need family or a partner to be happy. I have a great job. I have excellent hobbies. Of course, I’m bloody happy.”

  “Okay.” It wasn’t Ben’s place to unpack all of that.

  “Okay? What the fuck does that mean?”

  Ben shrugged. “Who are trying to prove yourself to?” He whispered.

  “No one. All this—” Dan waved his arm erratically. “—is irritating. Who cares about all that old stuff?”

  Ben only cared because it had affected Dan’s friendship with someone he seemed to care about. “I’m more interested in who you are now.”

  Dan’s face softened. “You are?”

  “Sure. Everyone has history and baggage.” Ben had been sacked by a racist asshole from an IT job during a pandemic, saved by Seraph’s with a job offer when he really needed it. He’d been raised by a single mum who’d worked her arse off to ensure he didn’t feel abandoned by his non-existent father. He understood not wanting to dwell on the past.

  “When I came out to my parents, they threw me out—” Dan stopped, and his throat moved with a big swallow.

  “I’m sorry.” Ben had been so lucky with his own family, who just accepted him without any commentary.

  “Not your fault. I decided that day to show them just how gay I could be. It was probably the wrong reason to get into sex work because it was petty.”

  “But?” Ben was sure Dan had more to say, although he had stopped talking and was breathing heavily.

  “Yeah. The work was so validating. I was fucking gay, and I wanted to perform on stage and show everyone how incredibly gay I was. Stripping was a natural place for me when I was young and fiercely out. It started as a giant fuck you to them and ended up being where I found myself.”

  Ben wanted to hug Dan forever. “You are amazing. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  “Can I kiss you?”

  “Yes.” Ben gave up pretending that this was fake. From Dan’s kindness at work, to the way he sheltered him from crowds on their way here, to the incredible sex, and now the way he openly invited Ben into his life, Ben was already falling for him. Ben reached for Dan’s face, slowly, and bent to kiss him. He wanted to devour him, to show him how wonderful he was, and he couldn’t. What he could do was be a friend for Dan... A friend who kissed him. Dan didn’t seem to have any qualms as he pressed his tongue urgently into Ben’s mouth. The heat of it made Ben’s head swim. Dan kissed him urgently with his fingers gripping Ben’s biceps. Ben pushed Dan back against the wall, surrounding him in the dark narrow gap between cottages, not caring if the stones tore at Dan’s clothes. He needed Dan to know that he mattered. He didn’t have the words for it, only his mouth against Dan’s mouth and his hands cradling Dan’s face.

  “I want to drop to my knees for you.”

  “Here?” Ben could still hear the noise of the wedding crowd.

  “Anywhere. You make me feel alive.”

  Ben agreed with a kiss, and when Dan slid his hard cock against Ben’s thigh, he groaned into Dan’s mouth. How was it possible to feel this vulnerable when he wasn’t the one pressed up against the wall? Dan placed his hands on Ben’s chest and gently pushed until Ben took a step backwards. Ben had no time to think before Dan did as he’d promised. He sank down to his knees on the stone path and nuzzled at Ben’s crotch. Ben’s breath caught in his throat and he rested his hands on Dan’s shoulders.

  “Like this?”

  “I do like that.” Ben wasn’t certain if that was what Dan was asking, but he wanted it. As Dan unzipped his suit pants and released his cock from his underwear, the noise of the crowd faded away and all he could hear was the faint roaring in his ears and the rustle of fabric. Dan licked the tip of his dick and Ben gasped, unable to stop himself. He threaded his fingers through Dan’s hair, being careful to keep his touch light and gentle, so that Dan had control. And what control it was. He licked and sucked as if they had all night and weren’t only half-hidden away between houses. Ben wanted to push him down onto his cock, to get that beautiful mouth around him, but he waited. It was agony and his arm muscles trembled as he tried to stay still under Dan’s ministrations. Finally, Dan sank his mouth all the way down, and at the same time, he cupped Ben’s balls.

  “Fuck me.”

  Dan hummed around him, almost as if he were amused by Ben’s neediness. And then he sucked, up down up down, over and over, until Ben had to shove his own fist into his mouth as he cried out and came into Dan’s perfect mouth. He barely processed the way Dan tidied him up, putting his softening dick away with so much care, zipping up his suit pants, and tucking in his shirt. He realised, too slowly, that he still gripped Dan’s hair and he focused on releasing his fingers one at a time. He didn’t want to let him go. Oh fuck, he shouldn’t be thinking like that. It completely ruined the happy wrecked feeling and he hauled Dan to his feet.

  “What have you done?”

  Dan smiled, all happiness and dimples. “I’m only getting started.” His eyes still shone with his tears but they’d dried on his cheeks. Ben leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. This week would ruin him for anyone else.

  Chapter 6

  Ben had spent the three days following the wedding exploring Mykonos with Dan. The wedding lunch had been a riot of noise, and it had gone on and on into the night. Dan had been the perfect date, knowing exactly when Ben had had enough of people and had walked him back to the hotel with a promise not to stay out too late. It wasn’t the lateness that mattered; just that Ben needed to recharge after expending so much energy on socialising. Every day they’d slept in, waking up in each other’s arms. After a late brunch, they’d walked, talked, and Ben had taken photos. The day when they’d gone to the gay nude beach had produced some incredible photos.

  Now they walked together along the wharf to the ferry that would take them home to London. The sunrise had almost finished, and it cast a golden glow on the white buildings. The softer light at this early hour created a magical spread.

  “I don’t want this to end.” Dan walked beside Ben with their suitcases rattling on the wooden planks of the wharf. Ben wanted to say that it didn’t have to, but real life beckoned and he wasn’t sure about any of this.

  “Thank you for inviting me.”

  “You’ve been an excellent boyfriend.” And there it was. The reminder that this was temporary, something set up for this week, so that Dan didn’t have to be teased by his friends.

  “A question.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve met your friends and I don’t know why you needed me. They wouldn’t have been rude or mean if you turned up alone.”

 

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