Cruising For Love At Christmas - 1. Story

Cruising for Love at Christmas

 

December 17^th Earth year 3000

The announcement echoed out over the space port. “This is the one earth hour warning for all passengers for the Frandeesa Earth Christmas Cruise. Passengers are reminded that they are required to board no later than half an Earth hour before departure.”

 

“Thomas Anderson and Shaun Barrington. Two of a party of four.”

The crew member checking passengers looked down his list as Thomas grinned at his foster brother.

“What are you grinning about?” Shaun asked.

“Just thinking that before we arrive home again you’ll be a married man, and your new husband will have to put up with your nagging, not me.”

“Fuck off Thomas. I can’t believe Ernie found a historical Earth Christmas space cruise doing old Earth wedding ceremonies. I know, he knows, I love history but I never expected this.”

“Well, you can ask your fiancé when you see him. Of course you could just accept that he knows you well and be grateful.”

Shaun poked his tongue out at Thomas just as the crew member looked up from his list. “Your rooms are ready, gentlemen. Thumb print here please.” Both men pressed their thumbs to the proffered pad to confirm their id and the crew member handed them data pads. “If you follow the map to cabins Three and Four, your luggage will be brought to you shortly. Please also be aware there is a bachelor auction tonight, and the information is in your welcome pack.”

Thomas couldn’t help chuckling at Shaun’s blush as they made their way toward the cabins.

* * * *

A while later, two more men were making their way onto the ship to check in.

“Jameson,” one of them stated, and then flushed when asked, “Jameson who?”

“Eric and Ernie Jameson. And please no jokes.”

The crew member just raised an eyebrow before looking down at his list. “You’re in cabins Three and Four. If you follow the signs for the cabins, you can use your map to find your numbers. Please look at your welcome packs, as there is a bachelor auction tonight.”

The two men walked off and headed toward the cabins.

* * * *

Thomas was unpacking, but he found he couldn’t quite reach the top shelf in the cabinet where he wanted to put his pullovers. Suddenly, a hand reached from behind him and took the pullovers and placed them on the required shelf.

“You need to grow a few more inches, bro,” Shaun said, and then ducked as Thomas took a swing at him.

“If I want help, I’ll ask,” Thomas stated. “You’re only four inches taller than me.”

“But remember I’m also two years older than you, and you know Mom said to always respect your elders.”

Thomas snorted. “Are you going to respect Ernie then? He’s a year older than you. And I’m definitely not respecting Eric, even if he is a year older than me.”

Shaun made to grab him, but Thomas ducked into the bathroom out the way.

“Where do you suppose the others are?” Shaun called through the door.

Thomas concentrated on peeing, before rolling his eyes and answering, “Ernie will be here soon,” referring to Shaun’s fiancé.

“But remember with Ernie comes Eric.”

Thomas made a noise of disgust. “Why you had to fall in love with a man who has a player for a younger brother is beyond me. And what’s more, remind me why I have to share a bed with him once you two are married?”

“Well, how was I to know the cabins would only have double beds? And you know that the single room supplement was way more than any of us were willing to pay. You’re the accountant, and the one who said even you wouldn’t pay it.” Shaun looked very smug about that last comment as Thomas came out of the bathroom.

“You may be older and taller, but don’t think I can’t land you on your butt if you push this too far.” Thomas didn’t want to think about the fact that it was him who’d told the others the single room supplement was too much. He really wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

A beep came from the door. Thomas sighed as he headed to answer it. The door slid open to show Eric and Ernie. They were grinning like a pair of teenagers.

Thomas sighed and waved them in. “We were wondering when you two would show up.”

Eric grinned wider. “Oh? Miss me already, little man?”

Thomas tried to keep his face blank. Eric knew he was sensitive about his height. Instead of answering the comment, he turned to look at his brother.

Shaun had thrown his arms around Ernie, and the pair looked like they were trying to see who could go the longest without breathing.

Shaking his head, Eric said, “It’s a good thing we’re keeping them in separate rooms ‘til the wedding. We’ll have a while to stock up on sleep before all the noise starts.”

Thomas rolled his eyes and didn’t comment. He wondered again why he’d agreed to any of this in the first place. He knew, of course. It was because he couldn’t deny his brother anything.

He could only hope Eric would find a friend to spend the nights with and leave him the room to himself.

He came out of his thoughts when Shaun called his name, and he realized he’d missed a bit of the conversation. He raised an eyebrow, and waited for his brother to let him know what he hadn’t heard.

Instead, Eric was the one to speak. “Lost in your head again?” he asked mockingly.

Thomas grit his teeth. At a warning look from both the grooms, he turned his back on Eric and faced Shaun.

“I think I’ll go look around the ship and see what’s happening.” Before anyone could stop him, he was out the door and heading for the deck.

* * * *

After an hour of walking around, he found himself in the ship’s bar. It looked exactly like a bar from the early twenty-first century, with a wooden bar running the length of the room and tables dotted around the edge of the room with a polished dance floor taking up the center. On the bar was a panel labeled for the Bachelor Auction. He smiled to himself as he fished his welcome pack tablet out of the satchel he’d grabbed when he left his room. He found the nomination instructions and filled in Eric’s details before pressing his thumb against the id panel to send the entry.

Humming to himself, he headed back to his room to see if the brothers had left so he could get some reading in before he got to see Eric being sold to the highest bidder.

* * * *

The afternoon saw all four men sitting in the bar where a small stage had been set on the dance floor. They watched as the staff set up for the auction. The venue filled quickly as the time drew closer to the start, and then the announcement went out for quiet.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, can I please have your attention? As you know, all the proceeds from this auction are going to a worthy charity, and so we ask you to dig deep and bid often.

Without further delay, let’s see who our first bachelor is.” There was a short pause while everyone waited. “Thomas Anderson.”

Thomas sat there with his mouth hanging open. How could they have his name? Then he saw the grin on Eric’s face.

“You bastard, you’ll pay for this,” he hissed, as he pushed back his chair and slowly made his way to the stage area.

The emcee was a red haired male alien with a name tag that said Grigor Yuseew. He read what was on a card in his hand. “Thomas here is thirty-two year old Human, five foot four inches tall, and he’s an accountant by trade. But don’t let his job put you off. I have it on good authority he likes to have fun, and on weekends, he can be seen painting the town red with his friends.”

The bidding started, and Thomas was slightly surprised when it went past 100 credits and started heading toward 200 credits. He’d recognized two of the voices as Ernie and Shaun. They were obviously trying to make sure he was bought. But there were two voices he didn’t recognize, and they seemed to be in a bidding war. He finally realized one of the voices was Eric’s. He’d been disguising his voice, but as he got more into the bidding, he seemed to forget. The other was still a mystery, and Thomas got rather worried when Grigor declared him sold (he’d raised 500 credits), and he realized he didn’t know who won.

He was told to step off the stage on the opposite side, and the winner would meet him there to arrange their upcoming date.

Thomas stood shuffling his feet until he saw a man heading toward him. He was big, and looked almost like he could be a body builder. He was also not Human. He had green skin and only two slits where a human would have had a nose. The male had a cocky swagger. As he approached, he looked Thomas up and down, as though he was appraising an animal he’d just bought.

“My name is Ian, I’m an Yisdiarian, and I hope you’re worth the credits.”

Thomas was taken aback by the greeting, and it took a moment for him to respond. “I’m sure the charity will be grateful for your donation, and I’ll do my best to make sure you enjoy our date. Now, when would you like to meet?”

Before Ian could answer, there came a loud shout, and Thomas found himself being pushed backward. “You put my name in and then left me to be bought by whoever? You bastard! At least, I tried to buy you.”

Thomas realized it was Eric, and that obviously he’d been called and had his time on stage.

Ian pushed Eric away from Thomas. “Excuse me, but he belongs to me now. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Thomas had had enough. He turned to both men. “Look, I belong to no one. Ian, when you’re ready for our date, please have a message sent to my cabin, I’m in number four. Eric, yes, I put your name in, but then you put my name in, too. Therefore, let’s call it even and try to avoid each other for the remainder of this trip. Now, if you’ll both excuse me Shaun and I had a very early start to get here for the departure, and I’m tired. I’m going to bed for a nap before dinner.”

With the last statement, he pushed past both men and headed back to their table to collect his bag and comm. He ignored Ernie and Shaun when they tried to talk to him, and just walked away.

* * * *

Eric watched Thomas walk away and turned on the male who had won the auction. “You ruined everything. Why were you so hot on bidding for him? Couldn’t you tell I wanted him? You must have seen he came from our table.”

“Why would I not want to bid on him? He’s a hot little Human. He has a mix of fiery passion and shyness I find attractive. I look forward to fucking him after our date. Knowing you wanted him will just make it all the better.”

With that statement, the jerk pushed Eric out of his way and headed off.

Eric ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He’d wanted to win a date with Thomas so he could talk to the man for more than five minutes without him running away. Now he’d have to find another way, and he really wanted to talk to Thomas properly before his ‘date’. He didn’t trust that man, and he didn’t want to imagine Thomas on a date with him—or what might happen after.

* * * *

December 18^th

Eric woke early. He’d started questioning his brother as soon as they were alone the night before. Unfortunately, his brother knew little about Thomas, and he’d told him he’d need to talk to Shaun.

Eric waited until he knew Thomas would’ve left for his morning swim—at least that was one helpful thing his brother had known—before heading next door and pressing the door alert.

Shaun didn’t seem surprised to see him, so he had to assume Ernie had at least messaged him the highlights of their late night/early morning conversation.

“Come on in,” Shaun said. “Have a seat.”

Eric sat on the indicated seat and waited for Shaun to close the door and join him.

“We have probably an hour until Thomas gets back here, so make good use of the time. What do you want to know, and why do you want to know it?”

Eric took a deep breath. “I want to know about him, and I want to know how to get him to talk to me. The why is simple. I like him, and I want to see if we could get together and see where it goes.”

Shaun raised an eyebrow. “You do know he thinks of you as a playboy, and he would never even give you the time of day if you weren’t related to the man I’m going to marry. The stunt you pulled last night didn’t exactly help your case. I know he did the same thing, but that’s actually out of character for him. You just seem to manage to rile him up like no one I’ve ever seen.”

Eric felt himself going warm, and he was angry by the time Shaun had finished. “I am not a playboy. I’ve had exactly two lovers, and I was in relationships with both of them. At different times, of course. Yes, I like to go out, and I like to flirt, but that’s as far it goes unless I get to know the person well and decide to take things further. I don’t try to rile Thomas up, but it seems he takes everything I say as a personal insult. Please help me!”

Shaun thought a while before answering. “All right, I can tell you a few things that may explain some of his behavior, the rest you’ll have to get from him. Firstly, as you may know, Thomas and I are foster brothers, not biological brothers. But what you may not know is he only came to my family when he was fifteen. He was abandoned by his parents at ten, and spent five years being pushed from family to family. It takes a lot for him to trust someone, and not a lot for that trust to be broken. One thing I will tell you that I don’t think he’ll want you to know, but I think will help you deal with him, is that he’s a virgin.”

At Eric’s shocked expression, Shaun hastened to continue. “I swear if you tell him I told you, or even try to make a joke out of this, I’ll throw you out the nearest airlock.”

Eric shook his head frantically, not wanting to stop Shaun talking, wanting to reassure the other man.

“Well, okay. As you can imagine, with how shy Thomas is, it made it hard for men to flirt with him, even when he worked out he was gay. I drag him to parties and clubs occasionally, but he just props up the bar and waits for me to be ready to go home. If anyone tries to talk to him, he either makes an excuse and moves somewhere else, or pretends he’s waiting for someone. He’s been on a few dates, but the men have never had the patience to get to know him, and so they just don’t call him again after the first date. Especially when they realize he won’t put out on a first date.”

Eric stayed silent while he digested what Shaun had said. He realized his head-on way of flirting would continue to scare Thomas to the point of avoiding him permanently. He didn’t want that. He wanted to get to know Thomas, and he was willing to do anything to accomplish that goal.

Absently, he thanked Shaun and headed back to his cabin to start working on a plan.

* * * *

December 22^nd

Eric was getting ready to pull his hair out. He’d tried numerous times over the last three days to talk to Thomas, but the man had avoided him at every turn.

He knew that Thomas and Ian were going to see the performance pf the Earth play A Christmas Carol band playing that night, and the flamboyant little half-Human twink who had bought him at the auction, Tim or maybe Tom —he couldn’t even remember his name—was insisting on going to see it, too. Apparently the performers were hot, and the male had a thing for actors.

Eric had even tried to get Shaun to warn Thomas about Ian, but that conversation had not gone well. It was a conversation Eric didn’t want to remember.

“I’m not getting involved in my brother’s love life,” Shaun had told him when he had cornered Shaun alone. “Besides, he says he’s looking forward to this date, and he’s hoping it’ll turn out for the best.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Eric had asked in shock. “You only told me recently that Thomas doesn’t like to flirt, and he hasn’t been on many dates.”

“No, I don’t believe him. But”—Shaun held up a hand to stop Eric from interrupting—“I do respect his wishes, and I do believe he needs to date to overcome some of his fears.”

“Please, Shaun, I’m not just asking because I want to date Thomas. This guy gives off some dangerous vibes, and I really believe Thomas shouldn’t go anywhere near him.”

“But you have no proof of anything. You only have your feelings, and I’m sorry, Eric, but that’s not enough for me to interfere. There’ll be plenty of people about so I don’t think he’ll be in any danger. Now leave him alone, and stop spoiling this trip.”

That had been the end of that conversation, and Eric was left with no more options.

Eric was running out of time and patience—he wanted Thomas, and he was going to get him. But more importantly, he didn’t want to see Thomas hurt, and he had a bad feeling about how the night was going to end.

* * * *

Thomas was swimming lengths in the ship’s pool, the same as he did every morning. But he couldn’t seem to relax into the routine like he normally did. His date with Ian was tonight, and he was trying to make sure no one saw how scared he was of going out with the big alien.

The message had been delivered to his cabin by a steward the day after the auction:

Our date will be on the 22^nd at 9pm ships time. We will be going to the play A Christmas Carol. I will expect you to meet me at my cabin (I am number ten) in good time, so we are not late for the performance. I do hope you will be appropriately dressed for the occasion. Ian. Thomas had scrunched the note up and thrown it as hard as he could into the bin. Ian was rude, arrogant, and spoiled, but he’d won the auction, and Thomas had agreed to go on the date.

Thomas hated plays, and he really hated dressing up in old Earth suits. He’d only brought a his great great grandfather’s tuxedo with him at the insistence of his brother.

He sighed and turned on to his back to float a while. Maybe if he pretended to be ill, he could get out of this date? Maybe he could just pay Ian back his money? Maybe he could just curl up and die right here. He knew Ian wasn’t going to take any excuses, and that was what concerned him. He may have made a show of ignoring Eric the past few days, but he’d heard the other man’s concerns and had to admit, if only to himself, he was concerned about Ian’s plans for this date. A voice in the back of his mind was telling him the male wanted them to end up in bed together, but that wasn’t going to happen. Thomas had never trusted anyone enough to sleep with them—except his brother—and he certainly had never trusted anyone enough to have sex with them. The only reason he’d agreed to share a bed with Eric after the wedding was because he knew he wasn’t Eric’s type. Eric liked pretty flamboyant twinks, and that wasn’t him.

Heaving another sigh, he started swimming again.

* * * *

The evening saw Thomas tapping nervously outside Ian’s cabin door. He’d made sure to arrive with only enough time to spare so they had to leave immediately to get a good seat at the show. He wanted to give Ian the chance to change his first impression of him, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to be alone in a room with him. He wasn’t stupid.

Ian answered the door and looked Thomas over critically before coming out and closing the door.

“You’ll do, I suppose. What sort of being comes on a period style cruise and doesn’t have the appropriate clothing?” Ian’s tone was condescending. Thomas rolled his eyes the minute Ian couldn’t see him. It was going to be a long, long night.

* * * *

Eric had picked up his date—his name was Toby—and they were heading for the show.

Suddenly, he saw Thomas walking in front of them, with Ian beside him. He saw how Thomas kept moving each time Ian tried to put an arm round his shoulders, or tried to guide him with a hand on his back.

“Thomas, hey, you going to see the play too?” Eric called out in cheerful voice.

Thomas looked round at the sound of his name, and when he saw Eric, he actually smiled. Eric was quick to follow up his greeting. “I hear the tables sit up to four, and I don’t want to share with strangers, so why don’t we share a table and make this a double date?”

Eric had to hide his surprise when Thomas agreed to this without any hesitation, he also didn’t bother to hide the smirk he sent Ian’s way as the male scowled at the back of Thomas’s head. They all continued into the lounge.

After they’d got drinks and found seats at an old Earth cocktail table, they talked a while before the play started.

“So, Ian,” Eric said, “what do you do when you’re not on a cruise?”

Ian raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, you see, my family own a multimillion credit company, so I don’t have to work. I can spend all my time doing anything, or anyone, I like.”

With his last statement, he leered at Thomas, but Thomas moved just enough to turn away from him. This earned him a frown. Ian placed his arm along Thomas’s chair.

Just as Thomas turned, looking rather angry, the lights dimmed and music started.

* * * *

Thomas was fuming. Why couldn’t Ian take a hint? He’d moved several times, trying to dislodge Ian’s arm from the back of his chair, but it was like the male had Super Glue attached to his arm.

In the end, he settled for going over some work in his head, until he realized the lights had come back up. The band was taking a break, and he heard Eric sending his date to get him a drink. Thinking this was a good idea, he turned to Ian and gave him what he hoped was a friendly smile.

“Would you mind getting me a drink? It’s getting rather hot in here, and my throat’s dry.”

Ian seemed pleased he was at least talking to him and agreed. He set off in the same direction as Eric’s date.

“God, that twink has the hands of an octopus,” Eric burst out as soon as both men were out of sight.

Thomas looked at him in surprise. “But he’s exactly your type. You like them young, slim, and pretty. I’ve seen you in the gym, with all the males fawning over you. And, at parties, you’ve always got some young being on your arm.”

“You know I’m sick of people like you judging me,” Eric snarled quietly. He sounded like a man that was nearing the end of his patience. “I may like to be friendly and flirt, but that does not make me a slut or mean that I sleep around. Actually, I prefer my men a bit more conservative, and Human—although I am open to other beings. The only two men I’ve been involved with were very different from Toby. Tom was an administrator at the gym before you and Shaun joined, and Josh was a school teacher. Now before you judge me anymore, why don’t you try getting to know me first?”

Thomas’s eyes had gone wide at the other man’s rant. He’d never thought for one second that Eric had slept with all the men he flirted with, but to find out he’d only been with two men was a shock. Before he could think of what to say to the man he now realized he’d treated rather badly, their dates returned with the drinks.

The lights dimmed again, and the show resumed. Thomas sipped his drink and thought over what Eric had said. Eric was right. He had judged him and not gotten to know him at all. Every time the man tried to talk to him, he made an excuse and ran. Thomas had to admit, even if it was just to himself, that he only ran because he found Eric too much of a temptation. He was attracted to Eric, and had always thought Eric was out of his league, so Thomas found himself pushing him away as though he was punishing Eric for being too good and himself for not being good enough. It was easier to push him away when he thought he was a flirting playboy. Now it seemed he owed Eric an apology. Maybe he should at least try to be friends. For his brother’s sake, if nothing else. They were going to see each other a lot once their brothers were married.

As he was thinking on this problem, he found his mind was getting a bit fuzzy. He frowned. He’d only had two drinks, and he knew what his tolerance was, and he never had more than two drinks.

He looked over at Eric and tried to speak, but he seemed to have lost his voice and no sound came out. He tried to put his drink back on the table, but Ian noticed and reached out to him, putting an arm round his shoulders. “Let me help you, babe.” Ian brought the drink back to Thomas’s mouth, tipping it so Thomas had to swallow or choke. “That’s it. This’ll help you relax.”

Thomas looked into Ian’s eyes, and what he saw there made him panic, but he couldn’t seem to make any of his limbs obey him in order to get anyone’s attention.

* * * *

Eric was splitting his attention between the show and Thomas. He hadn’t meant to rant at the younger man like that, but he’d had enough. He was on a date with a man he didn’t want, and was watching the man he did want be pawed over by another male. Movement caught his attention, and he saw Ian slip his arm round Thomas, and he seemed to be helping him to sip at his drink.

Eric frowned. Thomas had been fending Ian off all night—why was he suddenly letting the man so close to him?

The show finished, and Eric’s concern doubled when he saw Thomas had to be fully supported by Ian and seemed to be totally drunk. Alarm bells rang for Eric. Thomas never got drunk, and after his talk with Shaun, Eric understood why. Thomas needed to feel safe, and in control, and if he was drunk, he wouldn’t have any control.

Ian went to walk Thomas by Eric, and Eric reached out to stop him. “Where do you think you’re taking him? He’s obviously drunk, so I’ll take him back to our cabin. He’s no use to you like this.” He hoped that by pointing out if Thomas was drunk then Ian’s plans for the evening weren’t going anywhere he could get the alien to give Thomas to him.

Ian looked at him straight in the eye and said, “He’s perfect for me just like this. Now why don’t you go and find your date? I think he just went to try his luck with one of the actors.”

Eric shook his head. The hard way it is then, he thought to himself before grabbing Thomas’s arm and hissing quietly in Ian’s ear, “You can either let him go now, or I’ll cause a bigger scene than you can imagine, and then tell everyone that the only way you can get laid is by drugging men. I’m sure the Intergalactic Press will be very interested, and I’m also sure they’ll have no trouble finding out just what company your rich family owns. I’m a doctor. I know the signs of drugs. And I’ve been watching what he’s been drinking. He’s had two drinks, one of which you got for him. Now. Give. Him. To. Me.”

As Eric finished his threat, Ian let Thomas fall. Eric swung him up into his arms and marched out of the lounge. A muscular being stopped him as he exited the door.

“I’m Lieutenant Harley, I am head of ships security. Is everything okay here, sir?” he asked in a low voice.

Eric looked at him, and tried to smile past his worry, “Yes, thank you. My brother-in-law has just had too much to drink, and I need to get him back to our cabin.”

“May I confirm your IDs, just to make sure you’re telling the truth?”

Eric freed one arm and pressed his thumb to the id pad, which the male tapped a few times before nodding. Eric had to try and hold Thomas in one arm to free up a hand for the male to scan, but when the man had checked them both, he nodded to Eric. “Do you want some help getting him back to the cabin?”

“Thank you but I can manage fine, Eric assured the male and headed off toward their section. Eric argued with himself about not telling all the truth to the man, but he was starting to realize Thomas was a very private person. He didn’t know if he would want anyone told about what had happened, so he decided to leave it until Thomas woke up and ask him then.

* * * *

Eric got Thomas back to his cabin and thanked his lucky stars Shaun wasn’t there. He got Thomas stripped to his boxers, and laid him on the bed. He then proceeded to check all his responses with a portable medi scanner he’d brought with him.

Thomas wasn’t quite unconscious, but he was having a lot of difficulty responding to stimuli, and his speech was so slurred, Eric couldn’t understand him.

He seemed confused, and at one point, Eric had to grab the bin that was near the cabin door so Thomas could throw up in it.

Eric finally concluded that throwing up probably got rid of some of the drug and the best answer for now was to let him sleep it off, and to just keep a close eye on his breathing and responses through the night. If there were any complications, he’d call the ship’s doctor.

He tucked Thomas into the bed and lay down beside him, on top of the covers and fully clothed. He didn’t want Thomas to panic when he woke up, especially if he couldn’t remember anything, and Eric knew that was a possibility.

While he watched Thomas, he commed Ernie. He explained what had happened, and then found himself talking to a very worried Shaun. He reassured both men that Thomas would be fine, and that he was staying with him to watch over him.

Shaun agreed to spend the night with Ernie, and said he’d be there later in the morning to check on them.

Eric rooted around the cabin until he found Thomas’s tablet and managed to guess his code so he could bring up the book library on it. He was surprised to find the younger man read romance novels, and that some were by authors that Eric himself sometimes read. He found one he liked and settled down to a sleepless night.

* * * *

Later in the day

Thomas woke slowly. His body felt heavy and uncoordinated, his head was throbbing, and his mouth tasted like something had crawled in it and died.

He tried to roll over and came up against the solid weight of another person. Assuming it was his brother, he flung out a hand. “Hey bro, move over, you’re on my side again.”

“Well, it’s good see you’re awake at last.” A hand rested on his forehead, as though checking his temperature. It took a moment for the voice to register, but when it did, Thomas shoved the hand away and tried to sit up.

“No, just lie there, or you’ll make yourself sick again.” The hand was back, but on his chest this time, and was pushing him back down. Eric’s head came into view as the man loomed over Thomas, and seemed to be checking Thomas’s eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Thomas asked, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was, and trying desperately to remember the night before.

He remembered going to the show, and spending a lot of the evening fending off Ian’s pawing hands. He remembered asking Ian for a drink and arguing with Eric, then things started to get a bit hazy. He thought hard.

“You were drugged. I ran Ian off and got you back here. I put you to bed, then stayed to make sure you were okay until you woke. You’ve been sick twice, but I managed to get you to drink some water to keep you hydrated, and you’ve been asleep for about six hours straight. Shaun came to check on you while you were still sleeping. He said he’d check back on us again later. I can message him if you want him here now.”

Thomas’ head was spinning by the time Eric had finished his explanation. Drugged? Sick? Eric bringing him back to the cabin? How had he got himself into this mess?

“I remember arguing with you… and then Ian gave me my drink…. I started to feel really drunk, even though I only had two drinks. I vaguely remember hearing arguing, and then nothing.” Except a sense of being held, and peace and comfort.

“The arguing you heard was me telling Ian if he didn’t let me take you, I’d make sure everyone knew he had to drug beings to get them into bed. I recognized the signs, and I knew you hadn’t had more than two drinks. He handed you over, and I brought you back here. The head of security stopped me at one point and checked who we were, and that our cabin numbers were the same, then he let me go. I didn’t say anything to him about my suspicions because I couldn’t prove anything, and I didn’t know what you would want to do. I did make a mental note of his name so you could contact him when you woke up. I got you back here, into bed, and called Shaun. He agreed to stay with Ernie, and I stayed here with you. Does all that help at all?”

Eric looked so worried that Thomas didn’t even think before he pulled him down into a hug.

“Thank you for taking care of me, and for getting me away from Ian,” Thomas said, his voice muffled in Eric’s shoulder.

Eric pulled him tight. “I would never let anyone hurt you.”

They both jumped at a quiet beep from the door. Eric got up, straightened his clothes, and went to answer it.

Shaun poked his head in as the door opened, and when he saw Thomas awake, he rushed to his side. Thomas was grateful to see his brother, and allowed himself to be pulled into a hard embrace. He felt his brother tremble, so he smoothed his hands down Shaun’s back until he felt him relax.

“I’m okay, Shaun, I’m just a bit weak at the moment.”

Shaun took a deep breath and let Thomas go.

“I was so worried when Eric called and said you’d been drugged. I’m so glad you’re feeling better, but I really want you to point out this Ian to me again so I can beat the crap out of him for even trying to hurt you.”

“You won’t get near him,” Eric spoke up from near the door, “The security guy who checked my ID dropped by this morning. Apparently some witnesses overheard what Ian and I were saying and reported it to the crew. Ian’s being held in his cabin until the end of the cruise. The crew searched his cabin but he either only brought one dose of drugs with him—which I doubt—or he has a good hiding place somewhere else on the ship. Or finally he has someone else holding them for him. Of course, nothing can be proved without hard evidence. As the room was dark, and no one actually saw him put anything in Thomas’s drink, the Intergalactic Force won’t be called. But the captain used his power to confine Ian. He used the same threat I did, and it seems Ian doesn’t want his family knowing he’s even on this cruise, let alone that he managed to get into trouble—especially with beings half his size.”

Thomas looked at Eric in shock. He felt tears start to leak down his face, and then Shaun was pulling him into another hug. He pulled back when he heard the door open and shut to find Eric had slipped out and was gone.

“I’m sorry I had to leave you with Eric, I know you don’t like him, but he is a doctor, and he knew better how to look after you.” Shaun was looking a little guilty, so Thomas hurried to reassure him.

“No, I don’t mind. Actually, I found out some things last night that may give me cause to reassess my opinion of Eric. But why did he run off?”

“He left because he knows you don’t like him, but he likes you and wants to get to know you. It hurts him that you won’t even give him the time of day, and so I think he’s given up. He spoke to me back at the beginning of the cruise, and I tried to help, but you were so adamant that you didn’t want to talk to him.”

Thomas blushed when he thought about how he’d behaved toward Eric. He’d pushed the man away so many times; it seemed this time Thomas would have to go find him.

“Shaun, I feel fine, but I want to get a shower and put on some clean clothes. Why don’t I meet you for dinner later?” He didn’t want to worry his brother by saying he had a pounding headache that was making him slightly dizzy. At least he didn’t feel sick still; throwing up earlier must have helped.

Shaun agreed and headed off to find Ernie and give him an update.

Thomas took some painkillers and had a shower, then feeling a lot better emptied his suitcase trying to find something to wear. He wanted to make a heartfelt apology to Eric, and he wanted to look good while he did it.

He had just finished dressing when there was a beep from the door. He answered it to find a female who looked to be older than him, but still had a sparkle in her oval eyes as she smiled at him. Her name tag read Dr. Cassandra Henderson. She was taller than him, with shoulder length purple hair and a kind face. She carried a black bag.

“Hi, I’m Cassandra, the ship’s doctor,” she said as she held out her hand for Thomas to shake. “I heard about what happened last night and wanted to check on you. May I come in?”

Thomas waved her in and she took the chair that was by the bed. He joined her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I assume my brother sent you to check up on me?” Thomas stared at the woman, thinking his brother really needed to let go sometimes.

“No, actually I heard about what happened last night from security. The captain asked me to look in on you to ensure you had no lasting effects. I’ve also spoken to a Dr. Eric Jameson, and we concluded that by your symptoms the drug may have been Bogorian, or something very similar. We don’t believe you got a full dose as you threw up soon after ingesting the drug, and you can still remember most of what happened. Usually that wouldn’t be the case. However, I do believe I should check you over before you think about going out and about.”

Thomas realized she was probably right and agreed to the exam, Cassandra did offer to get a male member of staff to chaperone, but the last thing Thomas wanted was any more men seeing him undressed. She was very polite and professional, but that didn’t stop Thomas from being very embarrassed when he was asked to strip to his boxers. She checked his blood pressure and listened to his heart using a medi scanner, before scanning stomach. Finally she finished and allowed him to dress.

“Well, you seem to be okay. There are no obvious complications, and it seems that you may have been very lucky this time. Because the drug was mixed with alcohol, and because you were so sick, you’ll probably find you tire very easily today, and you might have a few aches and pains but painkillers should help. Just take it slow and rest. You should be fine by tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. I have the name of a counselor on Earth if you want it.”

“No thank you,” Thomas said. “I’m sure I’ll be okay, I was very lucky to have my friend there looking out for me. If I need to I’ll get my own doctor to refer me to someone.”

Cassandra nodded as she put all her things away, she then held out her hand again as she headed for the door. “It was nice to meet you, I wish it could have been under better circumstances and I hope the rest of the cruise is better than is has been so far, for you. I assure you this doesn’t normally happen.”

* * * *

Eric was wandering about on the sun deck, the solar light causing a pleasant heat on his skin, when he heard his name. He turned and almost tripped over his own feet when he saw Thomas heading toward him. Thomas was wearing a deep green top that matched his eyes, and pants in a light grey that hugged his legs—Eric was sure they’d be hugging Thomas’s butt just as tightly.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Thomas huffed as he hurried up to Eric’s side. “You ran off so fast earlier, I didn’t even have a chance to thank you again for looking after me.”

Eric felt his stomach drop. Thomas had only come to thank him, and he probably still thought of him as a playboy and would go back to ignoring him after he’d had his say.

“I just did my job,” Eric told Thomas, and turned to look out over the image of Earth’s ocean.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Thomas step up to his side.

“You know I do remember what you said to me last night about judging you.” Eric looked over, but Thomas was looking at the sea. “I’m sorry, but I needed something to keep you at a distance, and thinking of you as a playboy gave me the perfect excuse to keep away from you.”

“Why couldn’t you give me a chance? I just want to get to know you and be your friend. Your brother’s marrying mine. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. The least you could do is be civil to me.”

“I know, but, see, being your friend is the problem. I don’t want to be your pity friend.” Eric stiffened and tried to turn away, but Thomas grabbed his arm. “I wanted you to like me for me, and not just because our brothers are going to be married.” He paused, as though he was trying to decide how much to say. “But I didn’t think I was your type of friend, and so I pushed you away. Whenever I saw you, you were always surrounded by pretty little guys with bright clothes and even brighter personalities. That’s not me. My idea of a good time is sitting at home with a good book, rather than going to clubs. I don’t wear tight clothes, unless Shaun bullies me into it. When I do go out, I prefer museums and art shows to loud busy places. I only go to the clubs when Shaun tells me I’ve been cooped up at home too long and drags me out.”

Eric was astonished by what Thomas was saying. Thomas thought of himself as boring? Nothing could be further from the truth. Eric had overheard conversations between him and Shaun when they were talking about the bank where Shaun worked. They discussed facts and figures that went straight over Eric’s head, but he’d been impressed by Thomas’s intelligence, and how he helped Shaun to figure out the answer to a problem without making his brother look stupid. Eric liked that Thomas wasn’t an empty-headed twink trying to get in his pants. Whenever he went out, he was always being hit on, and once anyone found out he was a doctor, it was always the same—“Oooh, do you want to examine me, doctor?” or “Let’s play the dirty doctor and the naughty patient.”

He wanted to be seen for who he was, not what job he did.

Shaking himself out of his internal conversation he turned to Thomas, who was looking back out at the ocean. “I go to the clubs with Ernie because I like to dance. I also like to laze at home and watch movies, and I also like to take long walks. If everyone liked doing the same things, life would be boring, but I’d like to get to know you properly.”

Thomas smiled at him. “You know, I think I’d liked to get to know you too.”

* * * *

Just as the ship’s doctor had predicted, Thomas was still tired from the late night and the after effects of the drugs. He spent the rest of the day in the cabin reading. He even spoiled himself and ordered room service so he didn’t have to move. He thought back to his conversation with Eric. He’d nearly told the older man how he didn’t want to be his friend because he wanted to be more. Thankfully, he’d thought better of it. He was looking forward to getting to know Eric better, and maybe his stupid crush would work itself out on its own.

Sighing heavily, he put his book down and curled up on the bed. The others were going to the karaoke night, so he had the whole bed to himself for the time being, and he drifted off to sleep with a smile.

* * * *

December 24^th

Thomas went for his early morning swim as normal, and was surprised to find Eric there ahead of him.

“I thought I'd join you today. All this rich food’s made me feel a bit fat and flabby. You don't mind, do you?”

“No, of course not. I'd be glad of the company.”

They swam laps for a while, and Thomas was impressed to see Eric could almost keep up with him. Even Shaun had trouble keeping up with Thomas. Being the captain of his college swim team, he’d always been in good shape, and he’d kept up his swimming even after he graduated.

They finally wore themselves out and went to relax in the shallow end.

“So why aren't you in the gym with Ernie and Shaun, then?”

“Didn’t fancy playing third wheel. Much better to be one-on-one with you.” Thomas blushed at the comment.

“Well, I’m going to shower.” Thomas gave himself a mental push. “Would you like to meet for breakfast?”

Thomas’s heart sank as Eric didn’t answer. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll see you later, with the others.” As he turned, he was grabbed from behind and swung around.

“Of course I want to meet you for breakfast. You just took me by surprise.” Eric was babbling so quickly, it took a few seconds for Thomas to take in what he was saying. When he realized Eric was agreeing, he grinned.

“Well, let me go so I can shower. I’ll meet you outside our cabins in an hour.” Thomas made a hasty retreat before he said something else and embarrassed himself.

* * * *

Eric practically ran back to his cabin. He was already mentally going through what clothes he’d brought with him, and wondering what he could wear to get Thomas’s attention but not look like he was trying to throw himself at the man—even though he was.

In the cabin, he quickly found some clothes and went to the bathroom, only to find the door locked. Realizing Ernie must have come back first, he banged on the door. “Come on, bro. I need to shower. I’m meeting Thomas for breakfast.”

Suddenly a deep groaning came from behind the door. Eric realized it wasn’t his brother’s voice, but Shaun’s.

Thanking his lucky stars he’d put his shower bag on the dressing table, he headed out the door and knocked on Thomas’s cabin.

Normally, he would have laughed at Thomas’s face when he opened the door with just a towel round his waist, but Eric was too busy trying not to imagine what Thomas would look like if the towel fell.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he quickly said, “Sorry to interrupt, but could I shower here? I think our brothers are wanting some alone time in the shower next door.”

He did chuckle as the meaning of his words sank into Thomas, and the younger man blushed before beckoning him into the room.

Thomas grabbed some clothes and went to finish his shower, leaving Eric sitting on the bed. When Thomas returned, Eric took his turn, and they headed off for breakfast.

* * * *

When the two men had nearly finished their breakfast, their brothers appeared, looking rather flushed.

Thomas surprised Eric by commenting first. “I hope you two enjoyed your shower.”

Ernie and Shaun looked at him in shock, and went so red Eric thought he could fry eggs on their faces. He couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

As the brothers all ate, they decided what they were doing for the day. Thomas said he was going to sit on the deck and read in the sun. Eric thought that sounded like a great idea and asked if he could join him. He was pleasantly surprised when Thomas agreed. The engaged couple said they were going to take in a movie.

They arranged to meet for dinner that evening and parted ways.

* * * *

Thomas was surprised that Eric wanted to sit and read in the sun, but he was also glad. He wanted the chance to make up for the way he’d judged the man, and this looked like a good opportunity.

“So,” Thomas asked curiously, “who’s your favorite author?”

“Oh, I like a lot of different authors and genres, but a few of my favorites are...” Thomas was surprised when Eric started naming a few authors he read regularly and it turned out they were the same authors Thomas read.

“I like most of those too,” Thomas said quietly, when Eric had finished. “Maybe we could compare books, and see if either if us has got any the other hasn’t read?”

“That sounds great,” Eric happily agreed.

They sat reading in the sun, with drinks at their elbows, stopping occasionally to chat quietly.

After a quick lunch, they returned to their seats, and Eric fell asleep while Thomas continued to read.

* * * *

After the four men met to eat dinner, they all retired to their cabins to shower and change for the dancing that was being held in the ballroom.

Eric had just come out the shower when his brother decided to pounce. “So you used the shower in Shaun and Thomas’s room?” he leered suggestively.

Eric thumped him on the arm. “Yes, I used their shower because you were so busy in ours you didn’t even hear me knock. But trust me when I say I could hear you. Or rather, I could hear Shaun.”

Ernie had the grace to blush, but he still continued to tease Eric. “But what I want to know is did you shower separately or together?”

Eric rolled his eyes. “I’ve just got the man to talk to me. Do you really think I’d have any luck getting him into the shower with me? Anyway, I want to take this slow and get to know him first. Now have your shower and get your dancing shoes on, little brother.”

* * * *

Ernie and Shaun sat tapping their feet to the music, while Thomas watched Eric dancing for all he was worth.

The evening had been fun, and Thomas had enjoyed watching the dancing while listening to the music.

He sat back and closed his eyes. He could feel the beat of the music throbbing through the floor.

“Come dance with me?” Thomas snapped his eyes open to see Eric standing in front of him, with his hand held out.

“I can’t dance,” Thomas stated.

“All you have to do is follow me,” Eric said with an appealing smile. “Listen, they’re even changing the music for a slow one to finish off the night.”

As Thomas listened, a slow love song came over the speakers, and couples started pairing off to dance. Ernie had even got Shaun up again.

Thomas gave himself a mental kick up the backside and took Eric’s hand, letting him draw him onto the dance floor and into his arms.

* * * *

Eric couldn’t believe his luck. He’d never expected Thomas to agree to dance with him, but he just had to ask.

When Thomas took his hand, he drew him onto the dance floor and into a loose hold. He started slow, just swaying to the music. When he felt Thomas start to relax, he pulled him closer, and was pleased when the younger, smaller man molded to him as though they’d been dancing together for years.

The foot difference in their heights meant Eric could lay his head on top of Thomas’s, and he started turning them around the dance floor. He felt Thomas tighten his arms round him, but he didn’t protest or try to move away.

They danced for the whole song, and Eric only reluctantly released Thomas when the music finished.

They returned to their table and finished their drinks before heading back to their cabins.

Eric felt Thomas grab his hand as they neared the cabins, and at a tug, he lowered his head so Thomas could speak into his ear.

“Thank you for the dance,” Thomas whispered, and Eric went still as Thomas kissed him on the cheek before slipping into his cabin with Shaun.

Ernie laughed at him and pulled him into their cabin.

Eric got ready for bed. As he fell asleep, he swore he could still feel the kiss on his cheek.

* * * *

December 25^th

Thomas woke very early the next day to find his brother up, dressed, and pacing a rut in the floor.

“Merry Christmas Bro. What’s with all the pacing?” Thomas asked around a yawn, glancing at the clock to see it was 5am.

Shaun stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the bed. “We have to get the license today at ten. What if something goes wrong? What if we don’t have all the right details?”

“Shaun! Calm down,” Thomas started to rub his brother’s back soothingly. “Ernie’s a lawyer. Do you really think he wouldn’t have double and triple checked to make sure all your information was correct?”

Shaun shook his head and seemed to calm down considerably at Thomas’ reassurance. They sat like that for a while until they heard a beep, and Shaun went to answer it.

Thomas heard Ernie’s voice, “Merry Christmas Babe. Are you two ready for breakfast? I thought we’d get there early so we’d have time to eat properly before getting ready to leave for the license office with the other couples.”

“Give us half an hour and we’ll be ready,” Shaun answered and let the door slide shut.

Thomas slipped off to the bathroom and grabbed a shower, before getting dressed for the day.

* * * *

Eric waited impatiently with Ernie for Thomas and Shaun to be ready for breakfast. He’d spent the last hour on the phone with his office manager. He was very glad Earth was five hours ahead of Planet Vetros, so she was already at the office, making any last minute changes to the arrangements he’d asked her to make.

He only hoped Thomas would enjoy what he’d planned. He knew the engaged couples had to go and get their licenses, so the other passengers would be free to enjoy the day on planet. He’d planned a great day out for them both, and he wanted to see Thomas having fun.

The door finally opened, and Shaun and Thomas joined them so they could all head for breakfast.

* * * *

“I have a small gift for you, Love,” Shaun said and handed a small box to Ernie. Ernie opened it and Eric grinned as his brother threw his arms round Shaun’s neck. “I love it,” he gushed letting go and pulling a gold chain from the box.

“Oh, I have something for you too,” Ernie said and pulled out flat rectangular package out his pocket. Shaun opened it to find a book by his favorite author.

Eric was so distracted watching the by play between the two fiancés he didn’t notice Thomas looking nervous until the young man pulled a wrapped gift from his pocket.

“This is for you,” Thomas murmured putting the gift on the table in front of Eric and dropping his hands to his lap.

Eric quickly grabbed the gift and ripped the paper off. Inside was a first edition paperback book by one of his favorite authors.

“How?” he asked in wonder, turning the book over in his hands.

“Um, I had Shaun ask Ernie before we left about what you like. He said that you liked old paperback books and that you had been looking for this one for a while. I have a client that is an antiques dealer and he found this for me.”

“Thank you,” Eric murmured and squeezed Thomas’ hands. “My gift for you is—”

“So what have you two got planned for today?” Shaun interrupted.

“I’ve arranged a great day out for us,” Eric spoke up before Thomas could answer. When Eric saw the surprise on Thomas’s face, he quickly added, “That is, as long as you don’t already have plans.”

Thomas looked like he was thinking about it before he answered, “I’m sure whatever you have planned will be fine. I was just going to laze around on the ship and read.”

“Oh, you have to see a bit of Planet Vetros. You don’t know when you’ll get back here.” Eric was glad Thomas had agreed, and he hoped he’d thought of everything.

* * * *

If Thomas had been surprised when Eric said he had a day out planned, he was downright shocked to find a private transport waiting at the space docks to pick them up.

They spent the day being chauffeured around the main city on the planet. They stopped at the Museum of Arts, and had lunch in a beautiful Gardens. As the planet didn’t celebrate Christmas like Earth still did everything was open and bustling with people.

They were back on the ship by four o’clock, and ready for the five o’clock departure.

Thomas had had a great time. Eric had been easy to talk to, once he let go of his preconceived ideas about the man. And when he wasn’t making rude jokes, he was actually quite witty and funny.

The only annoying thing to Thomas was that getting to know Eric wasn’t helping his crush on the man. The more he got to know him, the more things he found he liked about him. Eric was everything he wanted in a man—he was caring, protective, and of course, he was sexy as hell.

Thomas sighed to himself as he arrived back in his cabin and headed inside. He only had an hour to get ready for the wedding, and he knew he’d need to keep Shaun calm as well.

Just as he thought he would, he found his brother sitting on the bed, already in his tux, panicking and fretting.

“What if something goes wrong? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I freeze and don’t say anything at all?” Shaun was babbling to himself, not even realizing Thomas had entered the room.

“Shaun, snap out of it,” Thomas said sternly, but kindly. “You need to calm down so I can get ready.”

Shaun jumped at Thomas’s voice, and looked guiltily at his brother. “I wasn’t panicking... much.”

“Go comb your hair and run the polisher over your shoes, while I have a shower. Then you can make sure I look okay.” Thomas watched as Shaun went looking for his comb and the polisher. Shaking his head, he headed for the shower.

When he returned his brother seemed to have calmed down a bit, but he was still fidgety. “Come help me with this tie,” Thomas said, hoping to distract Shaun at least a bit. “You know I can’t tie these things as well as you can.”

Shaun knotted the tie expertly, and Thomas squeezed his shoulder in thanks. “Right. Let’s go and get you married. That way it’ll be down to Ernie to deal with you.”

Thomas ducked in time to dodge his brother’s slap to his head and jogged out of the room before Shaun could try again.

* * * *

All four men were ready and in their places by the appointed time of six o’clock. The ceremony room was large and all one side was reinforced high tech see through metal. It meant that the stage where the vows would be taken was backed by all the stars going slowly by. Thomas was trying to keep his attention on the wedding when it started, and not on Eric, who looked edible in his tux.

The service was lovely, even though it included lots of other couples.

Thomas could feel the love in the air, and he couldn’t help looking at Eric while the vows were being repeated. He was shocked to see Eric watching him too, and even more shocked to see the answering look of attraction in his eyes.

* * * *

There was a break before the reception, and Eric and Thomas headed for dinner. Shaun and Ernie had said they weren’t hungry, but they both felt they needed a nap. Eric had tried to tease them about how much of a nap they were actually going to get, but the couple were so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t take any notice of Eric.

Thomas found himself once again alone with Eric, trying to find something safe to talk about.

“The wedding was great wasn’t it?” Thomas settled on saying, once they were eating their meal.

“Yes, I hope I look half as happy and in love as they did when I get married one day.”

Thomas glanced up at Eric. He was looking off into space, as though he could see into the future. Thomas couldn’t seem to help his next comment.

“Anyone would be stupid not to love you and want to marry you.” As soon as he realized what he said, he tried to backtrack. “I mean, when you meet the right man, of course.”

Thomas stole a look at Eric, but the man just had a slight smile on his face, and he was still staring off into space.

They finished their meal and went for a walk before it was time to head back to the ceremony room that had been set up with a huge dessert buffet. They got some dessert, settled at a table, and were almost finished eating by the time Shaun and Ernie joined them, looking very happy but even more tired than when they’d left two hours before.

“Well, you two look well rested!” Eric sarcastically said with a knowing smirk, but the newlyweds ignored him.

“So what cake did you go with?” Thomas asked. Ernie and Shaun had refused to reveal their decision until now, as a surprise.

“The present stack.” Shaun pointed to the table of cakes. “It’s the one with all the colorful boxes and bows on it.”

Both Thomas and Eric looked. Thomas saw several of the cakes that Shaun described, and thought they matched the newly married couple perfectly. Eric might be a lawyer, but when he went to the clubs he really let loose, and Shaun wasn’t much different. Seeing them in their traditional tuxes, and seeing the beautiful over-the-top cake, meant that other people would see both sides of them. The serious lawyer and bank clerk, and the fun men they were in their off-time.

* * * *

Couples were called up one at a time to exchange pieces of their chosen cake, and to have their photos taken. Then the music started, and Thomas found himself being dragged onto the dance floor once again by Eric.

Eric was such a good teacher that Thomas had no problem following along most of the time. Other men kept trying to break in to ask one of them to dance, but Eric ran them off every single time.

Eventually, they stopped to get drinks and rejoined the others at the table.

“You looked good out there, bro,” Shaun commented to Thomas.

Thomas flushed, but smiled his thanks. “Well, Eric’s a great teacher.”

Thomas saw Eric’s blush out the corner of his eye. When he looked back at his brother, he saw a knowing smirk on his face.

Before he could ask what Shaun was smirking about, Eric declared it was time to get back on the dance floor.

“Can I intervene?” a voice said from beside Thomas as they danced.

Thomas turned to see an older man in a white tux holding his hand out to him. Eric growled low in his throat. “How many of you lot do I have to tell? He’s dancing with me.”

The man continued to look at Thomas and ignore Eric. “Well, beautiful, what do you say? Lose the ugly brute and dance with me. I’ll show you how it’s really done.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “As my partner said, I’m dancing with him.”

The man shrugged, and the next time Thomas saw him, he was dancing very close with another slim man, and the way they were dancing left nothing to the imagination.

Eric saw them too and snorted. “Well, at least I never dance like that. Where did he learn to dance? By watching Davorian Strippers?”

The rest of the evening passed in a blur, and before he knew it, Thomas was standing outside the cabin he’d now be sharing with Eric.

* * * *

Eric could feel Thomas’s nerves; they were flowing off the younger man like a wave.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to try a joke to see if he could relax Thomas at all. “You know, I’ve been looking forward to seeing what sleep clothes you brought with you. I’m thinking something with numbers all over them!”

Thomas stared at him for a moment, and Eric thought he’d made a mistake, but then Thomas started laughing.

“Well, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?” Thomas replied cryptically as they entered the cabin.

“I call first dibs on the bathroom. All that dancing has left me in need of the shower,” Thomas called over his shoulder as he grabbed some clothes from his side of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Eric smiled and went to the suitcase he’d transferred to the cabin when he switched rooms with Shaun. He found a pair of loose pants and an old top.

He then grabbed his shower kit and laid it on the bed, before picking up his tablet and settling down to wait his turn in the shower.

When Thomas returned, Eric had to do a double take. The shorter man was wearing an orange pair of very short shorts, and a matching tight top. The clothes left nothing to the imagination, and Thomas looked rather uncomfortable in them.

“They’re not mine,” Thomas said, after clearing his throat and attracting Eric’s attention to his face. “Shaun said he would deal with all the packing for this trip. Unfortunately, Shaun didn’t show anything to me before we left and I didn’t think to ask. He just told me he’d left sleep clothes on the bed for me this morning.”

Eric said a quick silent thank you to Shaun, then pasted a sympathetic smile on his face. “Well, at least they look better on you than my old pants are going to look on me.”

Eric headed for the shower. When he returned, Thomas was sitting up in bed, reading. Eric had decided to only wear the sweat pants, and leave his chest bare. “You don’t mind, do you? It’s rather hot in here.”

Thomas seemed to swallow, but nodded. Eric slid into bed, and Thomas turned out the light so they could get some sleep.

* * * *

December 26^th

Eric woke in the morning to the lovely feeling of Thomas cuddled up to his side. The younger man was still fast asleep, with his head on Eric’s chest, and his arm around Eric’s waist.

Eric couldn’t help running his fingers through Thomas’s short hair, and enjoying the silky texture of it. Thomas must have felt the touch, because he started to stir. He looked up into Eric’s face, blinking, as though trying to remember where he was. Eric couldn’t help himself—he leaned down and kissed Thomas chastely on the lips. At the first taste of those lips, Eric didn’t want to stop. He’d felt Thomas stiffen at the first touch, but as he continued to kiss him gently, he felt the younger man melt and hesitantly start to return the kiss. Eric licked at Thomas’s lips, seeking entrance. It was granted, and Eric start exploring Thomas’s mouth. He now knew what heaven tasted like.

When they finally had to part to breathe, Thomas was looking at Eric with a mixture of emotions. Eric could see desire in Thomas’s eyes, but he could also see fear. He didn’t want to scare the man off, so he eased away. “I’m sorry, but I’ve wanted to do that since soon after I met you.”

Thomas seemed to study him for a moment. “I’ve wanted to kiss you, too. But I will not just be a holiday fling. I know you said you’re not like that, but I need to be sure.”

Eric considered his words carefully before answering. “I don’t want a vacation fling, but I can’t make any guarantees to you either. I want to get to know you, and I want to see if we can make a go of a relationship. All I can promise you is I’ll do my best to make you happy for you as long as you’ll have me.”

Thomas’s face broke into a grin, and Eric found himself pushed back on the bed with Thomas’s mouth fused to his. Desire slammed into him taking his breath away.

They made out for a while, and cuddled even longer. Thomas seemed relaxed, but Eric wanted to get one thing out of the way.

“We need to talk. You know I’ve been with two men, but I don’t know your history. I need to know how you want this to go and how fast.” Eric didn’t want to admit he knew more about Thomas than the other man realized, so he was hoping that this would get Thomas to tell him about his lack of experience.

Thomas flushed bright red, but started to talk. “I’ve never had a lover before. I’ve been kissed, but that was a drunken bet when I was young. The only people who’ve taken the time to get to know me are Shaun and Ernie. And now, of course, you. All I want is someone who wants to be with me, someone who won’t try to change me to fit what they want.”

Eric blinked rapidly when he felt tears prickle his eyes. “I want the same thing. People make assumptions about me because of my job, how I look, or how I act. I want someone to take me as I am. Tom thought I needed to cut down on my job. He thought I loved my job and patients more than I loved him. In the end he was right, as he didn’t have a compassionate bone in his body. Josh met me at a party and thought the upbeat person he met was who I’d always be. When I had a hard day at work and just wanted to relax at home, he wanted to go out and dance the night away. In the end, he told me I was old before my time, and went to find himself someone with more get up and go. None of them wanted me for me.”

* * * *

Thomas was shocked at what he was hearing. Eric had always come across as confident and had seemed to not care what anyone thought. To hear he just wanted to be accepted made Thomas’s heart ache.

“I know all about bad days,” Thomas said quietly. “All jobs have their downsides. Mine’s usually when a client doesn’t like what I’m telling him. Or after hours of sitting over a computer or desk, my back seizes up. By the time I get home, all I want is a hot bath and to relax with a book.”

“I hear you,” Eric agreed. “My job’s downsides are long, very unsocial hours. I’m on call four nights a week. That usually leads to broken dinner plans, or even being called away halfway through dinner. If I have to give a patient bad news, it can put me in a bad mood, and I’ll take it out on the first person to cross my path.”

Thomas smiled and felt hope starting to bloom. He understood this would be an uphill struggle, but if Eric was willing to try, then so was he. He couldn’t believe the man he wanted wanted him too.

“Anyway”—Eric’s voice brought him back to the conversation at hand—“I have one thing I know I can offer you. I’m great at massages, and there’s nothing better when your muscles are stiff from too much computer work.”

Thomas blushed as he thought about having Eric’s hands on him, and he could think of one part of himself that most likely wouldn’t be relaxed. “Well, I can offer you understanding. During tax season, I almost live at my office, and I always have clients calling me in a panic. Our jobs may be different, but I think we could fit them together quite well.”

Eric’s face was beaming, and Thomas found himself grinning back, before he was enveloped in a big hug and kissed until he almost couldn’t breathe.

“So,” Thomas said, when he’d caught his breath again. “Who gets to tell our brothers?”

* * * *

As it turned out, the new couple didn’t see their brothers until the following evening. The newlyweds had stayed in their cabin and had room service brought to them.

They all met up for the quiz night, and Shaun was the first to speak. “You two are together, aren’t you?” he practically crowed.

Eric and Thomas looked at him in shock. “How on earth could you know that?” Eric asked.

“Well, first, you have your hand on Thomas’s leg, and he’s not hitting you,” Shaun pointed out, as Eric snatched his hand back and Thomas blushed, causing Ernie and Shaun to laugh. “Secondly, Thomas has a great hickey on his neck that his top doesn’t quite cover.” Thomas slapped his hand against his neck and tried to pull his top up, while Shaun and Ernie continued to laugh.

“So,” Shaun added, looking suddenly very serious. “What are your intentions toward my brother?”

Eric flushed and found that he couldn’t talk at first, but then he took a deep breath and answered as honestly as he could by repeating what he had told Thomas earlier. “I intend to make him as happy as I can for as long as he’ll have me.”

He felt Thomas’s hand grasp his, and he brought it to his lips for a kiss. Shaun and Ernie smiled and nodded.

The quiz started, and Eric was again impressed with the intellect of his new partner. Their team won by a landslide, and they spent the rest of the night celebrating.

* * * *

Epilogue

The rest of the cruise flew by. Thomas and Eric spent all their days together, and all their nights curled around each other. They’d both agreed to take things slowly, and spent time talking to get to know each other better.

Thomas found Eric to be funny, kind, and very affectionate. He felt safe in trusting him, and was always happy to wake up in his arms.

Eric seemed to become more romantic every day, always surprising Thomas with little gifts of chocolate and flowers.

Thomas felt this was the start of something great, and it would only get better from here on out. He knew there’d be trials and bumps in the road, but he felt confident now they were talking they’d be able to weather those bumps and trials and grow stronger together.

They’d already planned their schedule for after the cruise so they could spend as much time together as possible. Thomas had even agreed to take a look at Eric’s practice accounts, as that meant he could spend time working and seeing his man at the same time.

Life ahead was looking great

* * * *

Eric was happy. He hadn’t felt like he did with Thomas with any of his other partners. He knew he loved Thomas, and he’d told Thomas several times since the quiz night. It had taken a few days for Thomas to say it back, but when he did, it meant the world to Eric.

Eric would miss sleeping with Thomas when the cruise was over, but they’d agreed to take things slow, and he wanted to honor that agreement. That didn’t mean he didn’t steal kisses, and occasionally cop a feel whenever he could. If nothing else, he loved to make Thomas blush.

Thomas had come out of his shell so much over the last week, and Eric couldn’t believe he was the one who got to be with the beautiful younger man. He’d assured both his brother and Shaun he’d take care of Thomas, but he’d also pointed out to them that Thomas would be caring for him too. Theirs would be an equal partnership.

The future was looking good.

The End/Beginning