To The Stars - 13. September, 2018 (A)

Monday, September 3rd

Sean did not look happy. His pretty little face was stuck into a sulky frown. I hear you, beautiful. I don't want to be here either. The two of them had long since graduated from the Island. Monday's show, affectionately called the "Island," was a small, one-hour affair that showcased KADA's less prominent wrestlers. It was a valuable resource, of course. It gave crucial television time to the performers who were inexperienced, rusty or just not relevant on the main roster. The Island did not focus on storylines or promos, but it was occasionally used to test out potential characters and personas for its talent. It had been six years since Diego wrestled on the Island. He wasn't wrestling tonight either; he was going to be Lance's valet. How times have changed, he thought with a bitter smile. Now he's the one in the ring, and I'm the one cheering him on. It was worse for Sean. He'd been on the verge of breaking out into the main event in spite of his young age and slight build, and now in a few short months, he'd been demoted to Island status. That did not bode well for the direction of his career. He was wrestling Lance tonight. At least he was the one booked to win.

Lance was excited, though. He deserved to be. The Island is where he should have debuted in the first place and wrestled until he was deemed competent enough to work his way up the rungs of the ladder in the main roster. Diego didn't share his delight, though. Friday, Saturday and Sunday's shows were mandatory for all performers. He was usually booked into some public appearance or other on Monday morning before he could go home and be with his family for the rest of the week. Now, he wouldn't be doing that for the next month at least. Because he and Lance were technically an item on-screen, Diego now had to accompany him on the Monday night show, and that meant he was forced to spend an extra night away and couldn't viably see his children until Tuesday morning. He was losing a whole day with them. If Lance doesn't make this worth my while, I'm going to have to kill him.

Diego looked at Sean. He did that a lot. The boy was so beautiful, and he looked so masculine and savage in his ring gear. It was unfortunate that the young Cherokee man disagreed. He hated his character, but the higher-ups loved it, so he was trapped. Diego wanted to ask why Sean was offended by the persona he portrayed, but he wasn't sure how. The friendly, tranquil man was astonishingly prickly when it came to his heritage, tribe and family. Ollie gave Diego some great advice a while ago. If you don't know how he'll react, don't go there because he'll probably take offence.

"How do I look?" Lance was bouncing between his feet. He was ready to bounce off the walls. It was endearing, Diego supposed, and he smiled.

"You look fine," Diego reassured him, but Lance didn't seem at all convinced. He rolled his eyes, and Diego shrugged in exasperation.

"I need to look better than fine!" Lance nervously told him, looking at his reflection once more in that stupid flip mirror he liked to carry around. Is this what it's like to have a daughter? Diego couldn't help but feel like this is precisely what he needed to expect when Nina hit puberty.

"You look great," Diego snapped, but Lance only glared at him. What do you want from me?

"You look amazing!" Sean took over the role of hysteria manager, to Diego's relief. Sean used his finger to gently tame one small disobedient strand of Lance's hair and let it nest behind the younger man's ear. Lance bit his ruby red lip nervously.

"It'll be fine," Diego broke in, determined not to the bad blood with Lance affect his performance in the ring. "You're learning fast. Just let Sean lead."

Sean's music blared through the arena, and the Cherokee boy almost jumped out of his skin, making Diego laugh. Sean put his mean face on, huffed and stormed his way through the curtain. Diego and Lance watched him together on the monitor, getting ready for the red boy's new entrance music. Sean was out of his element, Diego thought sadly. He was a fantastic babyface. Everything about Sean screamed 'plucky underdog.' His moveset, his cheerful, friendly personality and his small build. As a good guy, he was main event material. He was a bad heel. The crowd knew that, too. The thunderous reactions Sean once received had dimmed down to a dull roar. Nobody booed him - nobody wanted to. Making him a heel was one of the most puzzling mistakes Margaret had ever made. Still, that's mostly my fault, Diego thought. Sean needed to prove himself to get back into the higher ranks, but he couldn't do that in a role he was not suited to play.

Diego never liked "Froot" by Marina and the Diamonds. Still, that was the song Lance picked as his theme, and the higher-ups gave it the thumbs up. His original music, a generic, repetitive dance beat, was history. Diego put on his happy face as he walked through the curtain with Lance strutting by his side in his glittery red ring attire, but he wasn't okay with this. Entering to Froot? Lance's boyfriend? Nuh-uh. This was stupid. Still, it was the Island. Grin and bear it. The crowd, although confused by the unfamiliar theme song, erupted when they saw Diego and Lance together. It was thrilling to come out to reactions like this. Throughout his career, Diego's crowd reactions had averaged at luke-warm. He wasn't a charismatic person by nature. Lance's influence was rubbing off on him, particularly now that they were amorous on-screen. Diego, letting Lance have his moments in the sun, lurked in the background as the boy dazzled the crowd with some of his moves on the way to the ring.

How many times had the crowd seen Sean versus either Diego or Lance this year? Quite a few. Diego couldn't think of the number off the top of his head, but they were always keen to see another one. Diego and Sean worked incredibly well together, consistently pulling off a three or four-star match. He was sure they'd knock off the rare five-star rating if they got enough time and a decent stipulation match. Lance was still a disaster in the ring, but he was slowly improving. Because the two had performed together a few times in the past, Sean was now aware of what Lance could and couldn't do, and Lance was comfortable letting Sean lead. Diego may have had an inner tantrum about being forced to be here on Monday, glumly escorting Lance to the gayest music in the world, but he admitted to himself that he was excited to see how this match played out. Nobody had a better view than him. He was right there at ringside to cheer Lance on.

By the time the two kissed in the ring and Diego, not Lance, stepped out of the ropes, the fans were in the middle of chanting "Lovecraft!" What is it about stupid Lance that makes everyone love him? What am I doing so freaking wrong? Should I dress like a slut and wiggle my ass? Lance's ring attire was far too provocative, surely! The short shorts had slits up the sides to expose his hips, and it was all too easy to imagine the boy completely nude. If my parents ever see this, that's me out of the will.

The match started off well enough. Lance took control early, which strategically was a good move. This electrified the fans and got them more invested. The boy's offence was good, Diego thought. He was crisp, fast and carried himself exceptionally well with the grace of a professional dancer. He used a particularly flashy move he'd mastered in which he spun, hooked his arms around Sean's arm and leg, rolled the two of them to the ground and flipped himself over Sean's body for a pin. It was an impressive manoeuvre, a definite crowd-pleaser, and Diego would encourage Lance to make it a staple of his moveset. Unfortunately, Lance's glaring flaws came into play when it was Sean's turn to be the aggressor. To say he fell apart would be unfair to him. He was getting better, but it was so sloppy and awkward. Hard to watch. Lance was still scared to take bumps.

Sean realised that and changed his approach, using the heel strategy of targeting a limb - Lance's left leg - to keep him grounded. It slowed the match down and often wasn't too exciting, but Lance couldn't wrestle a match where he was taking a lot of big hits. Not yet, at least. Not until he stopped being scared... however long that takes. This usually made a match slow and methodical, but Diego was pleasantly surprised. He'd forgotten something important - the boy was incredibly flexible. Dancing from a very young age made his body bend like rubber, and Sean was exploiting that, manipulating the bigger man into positions that seemed painful or downright impossible. The crowd was enjoying the display as much as Diego was. Sean, getting playful while he tried to put Lance in as much pain in possible to make him submit, began to use the boy's own foot to kick him in the back of the head. Lance, apparently not being in pain while someone folded him in half, broke character and began to giggle, and both Diego and Sean almost did the same, triggering laughs from the audience members who saw it. Had this happened on Friday's show, it would be a disaster, but Monday's show did not air live. It wasn't a big deal. That could be edited out.

Diego did his best to rally the crowd to cheer for Lance, the good guy, and to his surprise, they were eager to do so. It felt good. The fans clapped and chanted Lance's name, and that was the signal for the comeback. Lance had a small burst of offence, looking to win in spite of his injured leg, but Sean clocked him in the side of the head with a fantastic enziguri kick and finished him off with a picture perfect Moonsault to win the match. All in all, it was a fun match and Diego was impressed. By playing to Lance's strengths, Sean gave him easily the best match of his budding career. Lance took a significant step on the road to success tonight, but the road is a long one, and he had so many more to take. The minute the two made it backstage, Diego offered his hand to shake to a fatigued yet exhilarated Lance.

"You did well!" Diego decided not to put a damper on the boy's spirits by bringing up the things he didn't do well. Not yet. That could wait until Friday. For now, he just wanted the youngster to feel good about himself. Lance looked at his hand and shook his head, then leapt at Diego and threw his arms around him, surprising the big man. Diego awkwardly pat Lance on the back, and the two separated.

"Thank you so much," Lance covered his mouth and nose with his fingers, the red nails glittering in the overhead lighting. Ugh.

"I won't say it's been a pleasure because neither of us would believe it," Diego gave a half smile when Lance shrugged and nodded with smiling eyes. They were not friends. They likely never would be. They were coworkers. Mentor and protégé. Friends, no, but they had a good working relationship - nowadays, at least. Both of them knew and accepted that. "I am proud of you, though. I know you can make it as a wrestler. Just keep learning."

"I can! I will!" Lance assured him before Sean finally poked through and ducked past Astrid and Heather, two of the new bimbos who would be having their hair-pulling scratch fight next. He wasn't sexist or exaggerating - it was literally the kind of match Margaret was beginning to book for the women of the roster. Something about appealing to the most significant portion of their fanbase - straight men. It was disheartening and offensive not only to the women of KADA but the whole locker room. Anyone who believed women could not draw a crowd or wrestle as well as men could had never seen Gloria go for broke with an equal opponent. She should be grappling with the men, Diego thought. He wondered what it would be like to watch Gloria go no holds barred against Jimmy Vause. Or me. I'd love to give her the match of her life.

"You were awesome!" Sean was much better at quoting his approval than Diego was, kissing Lance on the cheek and squeezing the life out of him.

"No, you were awesome!" In spite of his weariness, Lance was on top of the world. Diego knew how that felt, and it made him smile. There was nothing like a good match, especially when you had so few of them under your belt. Even now, he felt thrills going through him from the moment his music hit the arena until long after he'd left the building. The purest joy was doing what you loved, especially if it paid the bills. Lance had a secure position in the company as a valet, but ultimately he wanted more than that, and he was taking all the necessary steps to make it a reality. Diego admired that, he had to admit. Lance was nothing if not resilient and had a history of succeeding in the face of adversity. It was impossible not to be proud of him.

"I need to hurry if I'm getting my flight! Danny will be furious with me if I miss it," Lance informed them after he and Sean had finished firing compliments at each other. "I'll see you both on Friday! Thanks, I had so much fun tonight. That was great!"

The boy sauntered off down the corridor, a skip in one step and a strut in the other. Sean let out a heavy sigh and spun around to Diego, who flashed a shy grin.

"Are you still planning to stay in town tonight?" Sean asked, a mischievous look in his beautiful eyes. They were the colour of rich earthly soil after a gentle rain, and they shimmered in the light.

"Yeah," Diego shrugged. "I won't get home until nearly two in the morning, so I figured it's easier to fly out first thing tomorrow. Audrey's cool to keep Julian an extra night. After what happened with my window, I don't want them in my house without me until I've installed better security."

"Yeah, fair enough," Sean's eyes nervously met his friend's. "I'm here for the night, too. Oliver went home today so that Trish didn't have to feed the flock again, but being here so late I just figured it's easier to stay the night."

"Oh, is that right?" Diego kept Sean at arm's length these days. He adored the boy. He would even say he was falling in love with him. He'd like nothing more than to take him home and be boyfriends. That gay stuff was scary to him, but Sean was worth it. That didn't mean Diego wasn't starting to second-guess his attachment. Sean seemed to reciprocate the intense feelings - he certainly claimed to, but he wasn't making things easy. "What are you trying to say?"

"You know," Sean gave a half-shrug. "If you... wanted to be together, we can do that tonight."

"You know I'd love to be alone with you!" Diego exclaimed, making sure to keep his voice down. "You're the one who keeps avoiding me. Now that Ollie's back on the road, you don't need me anymore."

"That's not how it is!" Sean looked crushed at that accusation, and Diego was satisfied he was telling the truth. It needed to be said. He needed to be sure. The bigger man gave in. Something about Sean always made that happen. "I swear it."

"I believe you. Come on, let's go to mine," Diego beckoned with his head. How he'd love to kiss the boy's lips, grab him by the hand or slip his fingers down the front of his pants right here. Maybe later, if he doesn't chicken out. How funny, he thought as the two walked side by side towards the administrative office to get their leave. It was always me who was scared of my feelings. Now it's his turn.

Forty minutes later, Diego did indeed have Sean's tongue licking his lips. The Brazilian was sitting up, back against the headboard of the queen size bed in his motel room, his shirt flung halfway across the room and his pants, shoes and socks all resting by the foot of the bed. The Cherokee was straddling his lap, knees either side, his hands alternating between his lover's cheeks, shoulders, back and chest. He was clad only in his briefs as well, grinding against the hardness underneath while he passionately kissed and played with the inexperienced man underneath him. They didn't even talk about their situation. The minute the door shut behind them, Diego made his move, and Sean encouraged him every step of the way.

"Do you mind if I...?" Sean asked with a shy smile, slipping his fingers beneath the band of Diego's underwear.

"Please!" Diego pleaded, thrusting his hips over and over, making the boy sigh and moan as he ground against his butt. Sean slipped off and shimmied himself down the bed, hooking Diego's underwear and bringing it down. Within seconds, Sean made Diego whimper so effeminately he would have otherwise been embarrassed by it. He gently put his hands on Sean's soft hair. It was... it was... Diego could barely think while he felt fire and lust clouding his whole body.

"Stop!" Diego commanded when he was beginning to approach the event horizon. He wasn't sure when or even if he'd be with Sean again. He wanted to make the most of this opportunity. Sean was a little confused and sat up.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Porra, no!" Diego laughed and pulled him up for more kissing and cuddling to delay his approaching orgasm. "You were too good! I don't want to finish yet."

"Oh," Sean giggled and used his hand to gently caress the man's hardened nipples, circling them with his fingers before using his mouth to kiss and nip at the clavicle and neck in front of him.

"Does it bother you?" Diego asked suddenly, feeling paranoid. "You know, that I'm not ready to... do that to you?"

"No," Sean shook his head and smiled. "I know this is all very new to you, so only do what you're comfortable with. There is no rush."

"You're too good to me," Diego whined, using his short fingernails to tease and excite the boy's back, tracing his spine and feeling goosebumps. It was remarkable how sensitive the boy's tanned skin could be. Stroking the brown nipples made him moan and writhe, and rubbing his back or neck made him purr like a cat. He was so ticklish that Diego had to be careful not to make him laugh during a match by putting his hands in the wrong place. No matter and where how Diego touched him, the boy was sure to react. I wish I could do this all the time, Diego thought sadly. Not just by stabbing our partners in the backs. They deserve better than that.

"Hey Sean," Diego felt nerves in his belly. If this were Rachel or any other woman, he'd have no trouble at all asking for what he wanted. This was different. New and scary. "You're a bottom, right?"

"Oh," Sean hid his face in Diego's armpit. "The way Oliver carries on about it, I think everyone in the world knows that!"

"So, you like that?" Diego danced around the question, and Sean was no better. We're awful at this! Why are we so... weird about it?

"Why are you asking?" Sean asked him, and Diego sighed.

"Would you like to do that... with me?" He asked, feeling embarrassed. I lost my virginity at fourteen because I randomly asked Yasmin Rocha if she wanted to screw around. She did. That was twenty years ago. I'm a grown ass man now. Why can't I ask Sean the same thing?

"You want to go all the way?" Sean's eyes bugged, and he got up to his knees, combing his hair back. "I wasn't prepared for this." He laughed. "I didn't think you'd be ready for that."

"Not if it's inappropriate or awkward or anything!" Diego began to chicken out, but Sean slipped his tight briefs down and straddled the man again. Oh, man, this is hot. This is so hot. Sean rubbed his body against Diego's as he ground his hips back and forth, and pushed their lips together, using his tongue to wrestle the Brazilian's. Diego would never get tired of making out with Sean, and he knew the feeling was mutual.

"I'm game if you are," Sean whispered with a cheeky bite of his lip. "It's not like I haven't thought about it for a long time."

"Are you sure? Won't it hurt?" Diego was a little worried. He'd never done this, even with a girl. He was well endowed. There was no way it could be comfortable for Sean at all, was there? Ollie said something a long time ago that must have echoed through his mind a thousand times, especially when he was busy pleasuring himself to the thought of Sean's body. He is an insatiable power bottom. What could it mean other than Sean wanted... that?

"I'm sure," Sean nuzzled Diego's forehead with his own, and the boy's long hair grazed and tickled the man's muscular chest and shoulders. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know," Diego sighed, wanting to but at the same time being afraid to. "Yeah? What if I hurt you?"

"I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry about me," Sean smiled and continued to tease Diego's erogenous zones with his dextrous fingers. "Do you have condoms?"

"In my bathroom bag," Diego's apprehension gave way to lust and excitement when he made that commitment. This is going to happen. Wow! Finally. "Front pocket. I have lubricant in there as well." Lube was something often took when he and Rachel were staying together. It was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

In the blink of an eye, Sean was back with a condom for Diego and lubricant for himself. Diego felt like a teenager all over again. He used his hands to make the boy climb back onto his lap and the two engaged in another kiss. Not sweet and romantic. This was full of raw passion and excitement. Diego caressed the boy's cheek with his fingers, and Sean gave a smitten giggle. What a sight. Whether he was awake or asleep, he'd always been dreaming about this. For months.

"Am I hurting you?" Diego asked between shallow breaths. He saw stars. Both were shuddering with bliss and joy.

"Nng... I'm okay," Sean whimpered in response, slowly beginning to rock his hips back and forth. "I'm so okay!"

That did it for Diego. Whatever doubts or concerns he had were gone. Now, he only wanted to feel Sean. The younger boy rested his chin on Diego's shoulder as they moved in lust and passion. Diego licked and suckled at the boy's sensitive neck, beginning to thrust his hips in time with Sean's gyrating. It was so hot. So sexual. He loves this! I love this! We should do this all the time! Sean's arms were tightly wound around his lover's neck, and he occasionally left passionate kisses on his lips. His eyes rolled back and his body seemed to always be quivering in delight. He'd never looked more beautiful than he did right now. I think I love him.

"I... I'm..." Sean seemed to tense and the pitch and volume of his moans increased dramatically. The boy finished first, and that brought Diego to an instant climax, perhaps the most powerful one he'd ever had. There was no way the neighbours didn't hear them. Sean had taken him to the stars, and he'd taken Sean there as well.

"Wow... oh wow..." Diego gave a small laugh as he came down from his incredible high. Sean was limp in his arms, and Diego played with the boy's hair, Sean leaning into the man's touch as he regained his senses. "That was incredible! Can we do that again?"

"Hee hee! Later," Sean gently kissed Diego's dark brown earlobe. "Can we just... cuddle for a bit?"

Diego decided that was an even better idea. Whatever was going on between them, well... working it out could wait. For now, he just wanted to be happy with the guy he really liked.

No, the guy he loved.

~

Sunday, September 23rd

Jimmy was a man's man. Gruff, ruggedly handsome and very masculine. Diego was so relieved that since the man's engagement came to a sad end, Jimmy was spending more time with his coworkers. Although he was a private, reclusive person by nature, without the comfort of Ivelisse to return home to, the Irish descendent man was becoming increasingly aware of how lonely his life had become. Diego was thrilled to have Jimmy around - he added some much-needed machismo. Both Lance and, to a lesser extent, Sean were very effeminate by nature. Ollie was pretty manly, but he actively enabled and encouraged the other boys to act like... well, girls. Pearl, Gloria and Rachel were women. Diego felt outnumbered, so when Jimmy began to hang around, it was easier to cope. The Brazilian man was getting better with his hyper-traditional views of gender expectations, but he wasn't quite there yet. It still made him squeamish to see Lance cover himself with makeup and he wasn't a fan of Pearl's super short haircut either.

"Whose turn is it?" Diego asked, somewhat drunkenly.

"What'd you say?" Jimmy shouted back. When Diego got drunk, his accent thickened and some people struggled to make out his words. Jimmy was such a man, even though they'd been on the road together for ten years.

"I'll do it!" Rachel volunteered. She was so merry today. For the past couple of months, actually. Her career was at a peak. Although the women's division in KADA was no longer something to be proud of, Rachel was still the champion, and she knew how to drew a crowd. She was a bitch of epic proportions on screen and, combined with her gorgeous anglo looks, made for a terrific villainess. She couldn't wrestle a five-star match as Gloria could, but she was a gifted entertainer, and everyone wanted to see her. She never failed to get a decent mixed reaction no matter what town she performed in.

"Are you feeling awkward here?" Diego asked gingerly, and Jimmy shook his head no.

"Not really," Jimmy shrugged, waiting for his next cider. "If anyone bothers you, just tell them I'm your boyfriend and I'm the jealous type!"

Diego laughed. Celebrating Lance's twenty-third birthday at a gay club. He wouldn't have dreamed of it a year ago. Never. It wasn't an environment he was comfortable in. Still, with the help of a lot of alcohol and Jimmy and Rachel both uneasy about diving into the vibe of the place, he was managing quite well. He liked it when boys and men looked at him. He'd be thirty-five soon. Thirty-five! And here, Lance was celebrating his twenty-third. What great times they were. Being in his twenties. The kid had a lot to look forward to. Gloria, Pearl, Sean and Ollie were deep into the dance floor with Lance and his boyfriend, Danny. Diego didn't like Danny much. Danny was a rail-thin blond boy. Cute, but he knew it. Very conceited. Wanted to get an eyeful of Diego when Lance wasn't looking. Mm. Stupid Lance is stupid, but he doesn't need some egotistical brat with a wandering eye.

There were several others Lance had invited to celebrate his birthday on this Saturday night - but Diego did not know them. The boy in his celebrity-savvy splendour had personally invited twenty-five of his fans - all of them members of the LGBT community either in the closet or facing difficulties due to their gender or sexual identity - to spend the night with him, and he was having a terrific time with all the love and attention. Before tonight, Diego thought the whole affair reeked of a publicity stunt, but he was humbled and awed by what he was seeing. Lance cared about his fans. Not a single one of them went ignored. He found time to talk and dance with all of them, and those who wished it received one of his trademark kisses on their cheek or forehead, leaving behind a cherry-red lipstick mark.

As for Lance, Diego could barely comprehend that it was legal for him to dress in public in such a way. Even here. The tightest, shortest black shorts in the world donned his hips, and from there he was entirely naked save for the tallest strappy stilettos that Diego had ever seen. It topped anything Rachel ever wore for him. The boy's wild red hair resembled the mane of a lion. It held enough hairspray to plug up the ozone layer, his makeup was thick and exaggerated, and he was covered head to toe in red glitter. He'd be beautiful if he presented as either a boy or a girl. Not both. Both was too confusing. Sean looked dynamite, though. Little Sean was wearing his six dollar tee and denim shorts to a gay club. Both the bouncer and the bartender didn't believe he was twenty-five years old until he showed his ID. How does Sean wear cheap, casual clothes and nerd glasses, but still look so beautiful? Diego blushed. They'd been having sex every Monday night for the past couple of weeks. After the show and again in the morning before their flights. Ollie was here by his side, of course. He looked spunky in his designer shirt and jeans. He was a handsome guy. A nice guy. He didn't deserve what Diego and Sean were doing to him.

"Heeeeey!" Danny, the little twink Diego disliked immensely, sidled his way over to Diego and Jimmy. The sight of him made Diego's skin crawl. He was shirtless too, with platinum blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Diego snuck a glance at Jimmy and saw that the big guy wasn't exactly a fan of him either.

"What are you--" Diego squeaked in surprise when Danny sat on his lap. "Get off me!"

"Aw, don't I get a kiss like Lance does?" Danny slurred. The boy stank of vodka. He was wasted. Diego was on his way to a decent buzz too, but not enough to ever want Danny touching him.

"You mean like on TV?" Jimmy was giggling next to him, and Diego went red with both embarrassment and anger.

"I don't kiss Lance because I like it," Diego snapped at the twink in front of him. "I do it for the paycheck. If you want a kiss from someone, Lance is over there. You know. Your boyfriend? Don't come near me again."

"Oooh got you," Danny winked and almost knocked Rachel over as he returned to the dance floor.

"I hate that little scrotum so much," Rachel grumbled as she placed a beer in front of Diego and a cider in front of Jimmy. The boys laughed at her assessment.

"He just tried to mack on your boyfriend!" Jimmy gleefully reported to her, and Diego rolled his eyes. He was hoping they could forget that incident and move on, but that was hoping for too much, it seemed.

"Oh, gross!" Rachel screwed up her face. "Did you let him?"

"Hell, no I didn't let him!" Diego wasn't angry because she thought he might have kissed a guy, but because she thought he might have kissed Danny. Gross.

"Good, because you would not be getting any tonight if you did," she laughed and drank from a beer of her own. She'd been having cocktails all night, but now she'd switched to beer. Yeah, I'm definitely getting laid. Nice!

"I gotta take a leak," Diego informed the two after a short silence. It was loud in the room, and they tended only to speak when they had something important to say. Taking a leak was important. In the bathroom, Diego felt so completely out of his comfort zone. There was a condom machine on the wall. Well, at least they're advocating for safe sex, he supposed as he emptied his bladder into the urinal. Still, the place felt predatory. He wasn't supposed to be somewhere like this. As if to prove his instincts correct, he felt someone run their fingers up his back right as he finished washing his hands.

"Ah! What the--?" Diego used his arm to shove whoever it was away, and then he turned around to confront whichever pervert touched him.

"Heeeey!" Danny smiled up at him, and Diego's blood ran hot.

"Are you looking for a broken arm?" Diego fumed, itching to punch this kid in his annoying face. "You don't touch me. You understand?"

"Why not?" Danny asked, walking up close. Diego, in spite of being at least a hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle bigger than little Danny, backed up.

"Because I told you so," Diego could hardly believe he had to explain the laws of consent to an adult. He didn't know how old Danny was, but he had to be at least twenty-one to be here. "Is this how you treat Lance?"

"Hey, I just thought we could have some fun," Danny propositioned, a provocative smile on his face. "I see you on TV. I know you're into it, even if you say you're not."

"I do it for the money, not because I like Lance," Diego put his hand between them to stop Danny advancing, but the boy's thin fingers touched him.

"I have money," Danny offered. "How much for some fun upstairs? You know they have rooms for that, right? We could go for a bit and come back and nobody would notice. C'mon!"

"I'm not a prostitute! What the hell!" Diego wrenched his hand away. "Does Lance know you're doing this?"

"He's busy," Danny shrugged easily and flipped his white hair from his eyes. "Plus, I'm not really into fem guys anyway. I like masc guys."

"Then why are you with Lance in the first place?" Diego was now getting furious. He'd always thought Lance, even though he was an idiot, deserved better than Danny, who was repulsive. Now, Danny was proving him right all along.

"He's rich and famous," Danny slurred his words and smiled. "But he's not my type. You're my type, though. So, why not? I'll pay."

Before Diego knew what he was doing, he punched Danny in the face. A hard hit, enough to send the boy sprawling with a wail.

"What the hell?" Danny cried, his voice breaking under the stress of emotional and physical pain. "What the hell?"

Diego didn't even look at him or make sure he was okay. He stormed out of the bathroom. He'd heard and seen enough. Lance was going to know the truth about Danny whether he wanted to listen to it or not. He saw the boy in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by friends and fans, having a terrific time. Aw, man. Diego felt bad. He didn't want to ruin the boy's big day, but he'd already crossed the line when he'd smacked that vile little bastard in the face. Do it now, he told himself.

"Hey, we need to talk!" Diego shouted over the whoops of the dancers and the roar of the music. It smelled of glitter, deodorant and body sweat here and he didn't like it.

"Why?" Lance slowed down and looked at him quizzically.

"Come with me," Diego beckoned, and Lance followed him, assuring his fans that he would be back soon. Gloria watched them, but she did not follow.

"What's going on?" Lance asked again, a little out of breath. It was no wonder how the boy was so incredibly fit and lean. He'd been dancing vigorously for hours.

"Danny came on to me," Diego admitted immediately, and Lance's eyes widened. "When I was with Jimmy and again in the bathroom. He wanted to pay me for sex. I just thought you should know."

"What?" Lance screwed up his face indignantly. "He wouldn't do that!"

"I don't know what to tell you," Diego shrugged. "That's what happened. He says that I am his type and--" Diego paused suddenly. Danny said that Lance wasn't his type, but he didn't want to repeat that. He didn't want to hurt his protégé's feelings any more than necessary. "He is not good for you."

"Who are you to decide what is and what isn't good for me?" Lance shouted at him, and Diego knew he'd approached everything the wrong way. Damn it. "You did everything you could to try and make me quit wrestling because you thought it wasn't good for me! What would you know?"

"I know that your boyfriend cornered me in the bathroom and told me he wanted to get it on upstairs!" Diego shouted back. "You can ask Jimmy for yourself! He was with me when Danny asked me for a kiss!"

"I don't believe this," Lance covered his mouth with glittery red nails. "Why are you so desperate to ruin things for me? All the time?"

"I'm telling you this for your own good!" Diego reasoned, and his blood boiled again as Danny slithered his way up to Lance like the snake he was.

"He hit me!" Danny cried to Lance, whose face snapped back around to glare at Diego with an intensity the Brazilian man had not seen before. Those eyes, red with contacts, burned with a hatred so intense that Diego almost felt scared.

"You hit him?" Lance asked, his voice low and acidic.

"Because he wouldn't take no for an answer!" Diego defended himself, but Danny wasn't letting Lance hear it.

"No, he hit me in the face because we were alone in the bathroom and he's a homophobe!" Danny lied, and Lance's jaw dropped slightly. "He hates you and he hates me! He told me so!"

"Get out," Lance ordered, and Diego knew he'd lost. He should have known Lance didn't trust him. He couldn't blame the boy after everything he'd put him through in the end.

"Lance..." Diego tried one more time, but Lance stepped closer. On those tall shoes, he towered over the Brazilian man. With the red hair teased into a web of curls around his head, those ruby red eyes and red lips, he looked almost demonic when he glared down at Diego. He was so angry.

"Get! Out!" Lance shouted at him, loud enough to get the attention of the nearby people.

Diego nodded apologetically and walked away. A few things became clear to him at that moment. The boy had not forgiven him for the months of bullying, even if he was kind enough to pretend that he had. The boy did not trust him. That was why Lance was struggling to break through his mental barriers. The boy still thought Diego was homophobic, too. Well, maybe I am, Diego thought to himself as he approached Jimmy and Rachel to break the news that he was going to the hotel early because he ruined Lance's birthday night and got kicked out. I'm trying so hard, though. I tried to do the right thing, didn't I? Was it the right thing, or am I still trying to hurt Lance? He wasn't sure. He missed how things were a year ago, and there was no Lance. No Sean and Ollie. Just Rachel, and maybe Gloria. He wasn't as happy then, but at least everything made sense. He took one last look at Lance, and the boy was still as a statue, still scowling at him. He hates me so much.

Thanks to anyone who reads To The Stars. ❤️ You're terrific. I hope you enjoyed it
I did write a much detailed sex scene between Diego and Sean, but in the end, I chose to (barely!) stick with a T rating. Let me know if you want to read the M version. 
Also, for anyone interested, I made Lance & his entrance in the WWE 2K18 game. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gno_U3YIvk&feature=youtu.be