Friends, Sexcapades, And Love Affairs - 27. Can You Tell Me A Secret?

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Can You Tell Me A Secret?

“So, your brother is laying it pretty thick. Kids, huh?” Jared tried to sound casual.

“Yeah,” Shane admitted but added nothing.

Jared continued to walk, without saying another word. They had left Coleman at Shane’s place, and now Shane was just walking him home. “I would have no idea what to to do with a kid.” He exhaled, happy to have said at least that.

“Sure you would,” Shane said with conviction.

Jared stopped. It was late in the evening, and only a few people were still out. The velvety warmth of the first days of fall was all around them, and the time was perfect for confessions. “How can you be so sure?”

Shane hooked one arm over his shoulders and began walking, making him move, too. “You’re an awesome guy, Jared. You take care of one million little things every day that I don’t how you do it. You’d be a great dad.”

For a few moments, Jared chose silence. “I would?”

Shane pulled him close. “Yeah, you totally would.”

It was great that one of them had such great confidence. “What about you?”

“I’d be a great dad, too,” Shane said matter-of-factly.

“No, what I meant to say is: have you thought about it? Before?”

“Not in particular. But I grew up in a happy family, so I guess it comes with the territory.” Shane was the one to stop now. He faced Jared and searched his eyes. “Is this too much for you? Nothing’s pressuring us anyway. Don’t mind Coleman --”

“I want to know what you think,” Jared said directly. “What you really think.”

Shane’s face became solemn, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes deeper. “It’s you I want to make happy. We’ll see about other things later.” He must have read something in Jared’s face because he sighed. “I knew Coleman would ruin something, even if not everything, with his big mouth. That’s why I wanted to wait some more.”

Jared smiled and kissed him quickly. “I’m so lucky you weren’t already taken when we met.”

Shane thanked him for the kiss with a hug. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Some of the usual teasing returned to his voice.

“Ah, nothing. But you know what, Shane? I want to make you happy, too.”

Details could wait. And even though Jared hadn’t thought before of children and whatnot, he couldn’t see what would stop them from having a big happy family. He began walking fast, Shane barely keeping up with him.

“Babe, where’s the fire?” Shane drawled.

“I would say something pretty vulgar, but people might overhear us. We don’t have much time.”

“For what?”

“For a little practice according to Coleman’s recommendation,” Jared replied.

“Recommendation? About … ah, I see.”

Great. Now it was hard for him to keep up with Shane and his long legs.

***

“Coffee?”

Adrian blinked away the last bit of sleep hanging from his eyelids and nodded.

Edward offered him a cup and drank from his while leaning against the kitchen counter. He looked good enough to eat, and Adrian didn’t mind skipping breakfast and opt for a more exciting alternative.

A small warning from a cocked eyebrow made him take a seat and sip his coffee. It was interesting how fast they had come to understand each other only from glances. Edward was a professional through and through, and he didn’t indulge in playing before going to work. Otherwise, as soon as he was free of any duties, he didn’t mind jumping Adrian at any moment of the day.

Also, he made great coffee. He had expected Edward to be a little less accustomed with tending for himself, but he was soon chastised and warned that his soon to be husband wasn’t helpless.

“You want to tell me something,” Adrian said, noticing the silence stretching between them.

“We’ve been summoned,” Edward said in a somewhat clipped manner. That could only mean that he wasn’t happy with whatever that summoning meant.

“By your father?”

Edward nodded.

“I’ll be with you. There’s nothing for you to worry about. Also, I secured you as my future husband. He won’t be able to do anything about that.”

“That’s, actually, the least of my problems. He won’t do anything, indeed, because he agreed.”

“Wow,” Adrian expressed his surprise. “I thought he would be the kind to hire hitmen to make sure the Hastings line remains pure.”

Edward offered him a crooked smile. “No, the issue is not with him opposing in any way.”

“Then what’s the problem? There is one, right?”

“It’s about the wedding.”

They had been living together for a couple of weeks now, and Adrian had announced his parents over the phone that an impending wedding had to be arranged. While the date wasn’t yet set in stone, his mother was up in arms about what had to be done.

Therefore, when the unspoken words finally reached his brain, his face fell. “They want to organize it? Is that the issue?”

Edward nodded and sighed. “I am yet to meet your mother, but I have a feeling she won’t take it well.”

“You can bet,” Adrian said with a grimace. “She’s planning something grandiose as we speak. If I tell her ‘no’, she might strangle me. And cry. I don’t know the exact order. Ever since I told her I’m marrying a doctor --”

“Good thing you didn’t tell her about my family,” Edward added. “And it should be something for us to take care of, right?”

“Well, yeah, but good luck with telling that to my mom. And, apparently, to your dad, too.”

“What are we going to do?”

Adrian scratched his head. “Um, talking about being between a rock and a hard place. When are we supposed to go meet your folks?”

“Dad wants us over as soon as possible. It is a bit unusual for him to drop formalities, but it might be that he just wants to talk to us, face to face, minus all the relatives.”

“Will your mom be present? To think that I didn’t meet her although I was there.”

“She must be behind all this,” Edward replied after he pondered for a bit. “She might make most people think she’s invisible, but only she knows how to bring dad around.”

“How come she didn’t intervene when the other guys courted you?”

Edward chuckled and shook his head in mirth. “I believe her words were something like: ‘Dear, if they don’t have the guts to stand up to your father, they don’t deserve the Hastings name’.”

“Wow, your mom is savage,” Adrian said with a snicker. “I wonder what she thinks of me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll have your chance to find out. Once she gets you alone in the room with her, she’s tell you what she thinks of you.”

“Now I’m getting worried. I thought your dad was the only challenge I had to overcome.”

Edward laughed, seemingly a bit smug over seeing Adrian fret over the upcoming meeting with the Hastings family.

“Ha, ha, funny. I’ll have to call my mom and make her promise that she’ll scare you, too. And that might be a bit difficult since she’s already smitten although she hasn’t met you yet.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed as some of Edward had said finally caught up with him. “The Hastings name? Are you trying to tell me that I’m going to take your name?”

Edward shrugged, but his smile said everything. He was having fun. “Adrian, you chose to marry into royalty,” he declared in a funny voice. “It’s only natural that you get to enjoy the perks.”

“What perks? Changing my name to Hastings?” All right, so that thought was a bit unnerving.

Edward gave him an odd look. Yet, his lips were twisting, fighting a smile, and Adrian knew he had been played. “Once you take the name,” Edward said in a willingly formal manner, “all doors will be open to you. My father wouldn’t allow anyone to take our name in vain, and you’ll be one of ours.”

“You’re laughing at me,” Adrian concluded. He cocked his head and examined Edward head to toes. Okay, so if he were to be pressed hard enough, he would give in. The alternative didn’t exist.

“A little. It’s a bit entertaining to throw you off once in a while. Exciting even.”

“Exciting, huh?” Adrian moved slowly toward Edward. He caught him in a tight embrace and crushed his lips with his. Naughty boys, regardless of age and station in the world, needed to be taught a lesson once in a while.

Edward was breathless by the time they broke the kiss. The look in his eyes was dreamy, and Adrian knew what it meant. Without bothering with formalities, he pushed Edward to his knees and took out his cock, ready for action. He enjoyed slapping that gorgeous mouth with it, as well as the heat growing in the deep pools of green staring at him and never breaking contact.

“Suck it,” he said thickly and licked his lips as a reaction to seeing Edward engulf his cock in one fell swoop into his mouth like it was the best dessert in the universe.

Edward’s fingers were steel as they dug into his thighs, but Adrian didn’t complain. Morning blowjobs; if he were to think about his life before Edward, those hadn’t been on the menu much. His beautiful and kinky lover could run his mouth about perks all he wanted; Adrian had a different way of counting.

Still, the work ethics didn’t leave Edward even now. He was efficient on purpose, but there was no one to complain about that. Adrian placed both hands on the kitchen counter and pressed down as if the piece of furniture had suddenly become sentient and wanted to float toward the ceiling. It took all his willpower not to thrust his hips forward and maybe make Edward hit the counter with the back of his head.

A hand left his thigh to grab his balls, and he was done for. His cock throbbed, and Edward went deep in one go, keeping him there and giving him what he wanted.

He was shaking slightly when Edward released him from his mouth. His breathing was hard, but he was on cloud nine already. The tongue gently cleaning his cock made him shudder a few more times in the aftermath.

“I think you’ll love being called Mr. Hastings,” Edward whispered against his lips when he got to his feet.

Adrian’s eyes snapped open. “Are you sure, Mr. Rossi?”

Edward’s greens flashed. Ah, Adrian knew what that was.

“I take thee to be my lawfully wedded --”

Edward rolled his eyes and slapped his cheek playfully. “Save it for the wedding.”

“Which is a matter of parents and much grief for us in the future, the way I see it now.”

“I’ll find a way to make it work,” Edward promised. “Of course, in the meantime, I will have to convince you to obediently receive my name.”

Adrian smirked. “Funny how you think you can make claims with a mouth full of my cum.”

The smirk was returned. “Funny you think you’re in charge. My mouth full of your cum just proves you wrong.”

Adrian caught Edward by the waist and kissed him again. He relished in tasting himself from his lover’s mouth. There was something raw and wild he wanted to experience again and again.

Edward pushed him away and grabbed his shirt. Their eyes met. “I need to get to work.”

“What if I don’t want to let you go?” Adrian tightened his hold.

“And leave my patients waiting?”

“Fair enough. Just one more kiss, then.” Edward obliged, and Adrian placed a possessive hand on his ass. “Now shoo, Mr. Rossi.”

“Of course, Mr. Hastings. No rest for the wicked.”

They would play at this for a long time, the way Adrian saw it. But he had both time and patience, and he would win, as usual.

***

“What do you think?” Ryan threw a critical look at the table arrangement.

“They’re not that kind of fancy guys,” Mike protested. Ryan had wanted to know what each of his friends drank and liked as favorite food, and Mike had even had to call and ask about Edward’s and Shane’s preferences. “They would eat and drink everything.”

“But Adrian’s boyfriend is sophisticated, you told me.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think he would scoff at beer and chips,” Mike retorted. “I did nothing all day,” he complained. “You just took care of everything.”

“But I enjoy doing it,” Ryan replied and grabbed Mike by the shoulders, squeezing out some of the tension accumulated in them. “You spend too much time at the computer.”

“Are you going to be the nagging wife?” Mike wondered. “Not that you have something of a wife in you or anything,” he hurried to ask.

Everything was amazing. Ryan made love to him every night, and there was nothing Mike could complain about. There was always food, he played with Bran, and he was already negotiating his next employment with a new tech startup that didn’t pay a lot, but had great perspectives.

But Ryan did everything, and Mike felt a little like … like a guest. Plus, he hadn’t yet gathered the courage to tell Ryan about his fantasy of topping him for a change. That could be a game-breaker, he feared, so breaching the subject had been postponed indefinitely for now.

“I wear the apron,” Ryan whispered in his ear, making goosebumps rise on every inch of his skin. “What else do I need to do to prove I’m the wife in this house?”

Mike had a reply to that, but it was way too vulgar to be said out loud. Ryan embraced him from behind. “I won’t spare anything to make a good impression on your friends.”

“They will be impressed,” Mike replied, and he really meant it. One look at that table, and he knew it to be true.

***

“I only have one question for you, Ryan,” Adrian said, “are you spoiling our Mike here with great food like this every day?”

“I’m trying,” Ryan confirmed.

“How come you don’t ever gain weight?” Adrian asked Mike directly.

Mike touched his belly, happy that his movement couldn’t be noticed. Actually, that was starting to show, but Ryan seemed happy with him getting a little bit of meat on his bones. When he looked in the mirror, he had to admit that he no longer looked like his usual scrawny self. But that didn’t mean he would indulge in dessert every day. However, Ryan made some amazing desserts. Maybe he could skip a course to indulge in them, anyway.

“Don’t tease him, Adrian,” Jared smacked his friend’s arm. “Mike, you’re great just the way you are.”

“That’s exactly what I keep telling him, too,” Ryan said.

Mike grinned, feeling goofy over being so loved. Ryan’s idea to throw a little get-together hadn’t been bad at all. Adrian and Edward looked great together, their eyes all shiny. As for Jared and Shane, they … actually looked pretty much just like that.

“Do you guys have something to tell us?” Mike asked, looking at Jared, and then at Shane.

There was a small exchange between them, and then they both broke into a smile. Mike grinned. So, after all, Jared had finally managed to see Shane for what he was, aka his boyfriend. That was great to know.

“We do,” Jared said after throwing another loving look at his partner. “Well, I guess we can always blame Adrian --”

“Blame me? Why?”

“For giving us the marriage bug,” Jared said promptly.

Mike’s eyes grew wide. Adrian began laughing. “You’re marrying your friend with benefits?”

Jared made a sour face. “I know all about your talking behind my back and having fun. You are both,” he pointed the finger at Mike, then Adrian, “in trouble.”

“I’m shaking,” Adrian said with a shrug.

“I’m sure,” Jared said as he squared his pretty eyes on him. “But I’ll think of something. Maybe I’ll bring a stripper to jump out of the cake at your wedding.”

Adrian guffawed and slapped his thighs. “I bet Mr. Hastings Sr. will have something close to a heart attack. Please, J, have mercy on my future father-in-law.”

“I can assure you that my father is worldly enough to have seen a stripper before,” Edward said as he looked at his boyfriend with tenderness in his eyes.

“J is planning revenge. Aren’t we going to stop him?” Adrian replied.

“Guys, guys,” Mike intervened, “aren’t we straying from the main topic here? Jared, Shane, are you guys going to marry? For real?”

Jared scratched his head and offered a small embarrassed smile. “We realized that we love each other and --”

“Well, it’s pretty much a shotgun wedding,” Shane intervened. “We were found by my family, so,” he added with a raise of his shoulders.

Jared shook his head, laughed, and then found a way to nudge his boyfriend in the ribs if the grimace on Shane’s face was any indication.

“Congratulations are in order, then,” Ryan said and raised the glass. “Are you thinking about coordinating your weddings?”

There were exchanges between Jared and Adrian, and then between them and their soon to be husbands.

Adrian was the first to speak. “Damn, that’s actually brilliant! I mean, your dad, Edward, won’t be able to call the shots as much as he wants, right, if we organize a double wedding!”

“That doesn’t sound so bad, and I agree,” Edward confirmed. “Plus, since we’re bringing all our friends together, anyway, it should be double the fun.”

Mike looked at his friends, listened to their happy chatter, and then risked a look in Ryan’s direction. Unlike him, Ryan didn’t look at the group; instead, he looked at him, and there was something hard to read in his dark eyes.

***

“Were you surprised?” Ryan asked later that night while they were getting ready for bed.

Which meant that here came the moment Mike waited with trepidation every evening. Without fail, Ryan had offered him all his love, regardless of how early he needed to get up in the morning the next day. It was routine, but one Mike liked to the moon and back.

“By Shane and Jared’s decision? A bit, yeah,” he admitted. “I mean, days ago, Jared didn’t want to hear about having Shane as his boyfriend.”

“Although they were having sex.”

“Yes, it was kind of a friends with benefits thing. I mean, Jared thought that. Shane didn’t. He actually wanted to convince Jared they were good together. It looks like he succeeded.”

“Are you a bit jealous?” Ryan came behind him, and Mike inhaled, enjoying his lover’s smell. They were both naked already, so they could feel each other’s body heat.

“Jealous?” Mike felt confused. His heart was already beating faster, as much in anticipation of what would follow, like the rest of his body. “Of Jared?”

“Of everyone.” Ryan blew hot air over his ear. “They’re getting married.”

“No, I’m not jealous.” Mike closed his eyes and relished the sensation of having Ryan’s hard body mold to his. A certain hard thing was already poking at his back.

“Is it okay if I admit that I am?” Ryan said.

Mike fought hard to open his eyes and turn to face his lover. “Are you jealous? Why?”

Ryan shrugged. “I’m a bit of a coward. All right, I’m afraid.”

Mike blinked a few times. “Of what?”

“I’m taking you too fast. I do notice that you still feel a bit estranged here, and I know that I must do more so that you feel completely at home.”

“I do feel at home.”

Ryan sat on the bed. He linked his fingers, letting his hands balance between his legs. Mike fought hard the temptation to grab his hands and tell him not to be afraid. But he had a feeling that whatever would follow was important enough to require no interruptions. “Feel free to laugh at me, but I’m a bit smitten, Mike. What am I saying? I’m completely smitten. And I’m not sure if I’m doing enough or too much.”

Mike knelt in front of him and took his hands. “You’re doing everything here. I’m not sure I deserve so much attention. Sometimes I’m afraid you might get exhausted and then tired of me. Even annoyed.”

Ryan threw him a surprised look. He shook his head. “I would never think that.”

“Yeah, I guess not because you’re generous like that. But, every day, you come home from work and you start cooking my favorites. You take me shopping and to visit places, and at night, you,” he swallowed once, “make love to me. And in the morning, you’re up again. I don’t want you to feel so … pressured.”

Ryan laughed and shook his head. For a moment, his eyes traveled down, but then rested on Mike’s face. “I guess I want to make sure you’ll stay.”

“You have no reason to believe against that,” Mike protested. “I’m happy here. Damn, didn’t I say it? I mean, I must have said it --”

“You did. You’re an amazing person, Mike. You’re thankful and generous, and you love me back. But you don’t ask for anything, and maybe it’s my fault that I’m trying to meet all your desires before they even have time to form in your head.”

Mike looked down. He was still the same quiet mouse deep inside, which meant that he didn’t speak his mind most times.

“So, I would like to know, what do you want, Mike? Can you tell me a secret? One thing you want, but you don’t want to ask because, I don’t know, you have reasons not to?”

Mike took a deep breath. “Is it important?”

“Yes,” Ryan replied. The look in his eyes was intense and left no room for second-guessing.

Mike looked away. Was it truly all right to talk about his desire? Just the thought of having Ryan and his exquisite body surrender to him was enough to make him spend himself right there. A soft touch on his cheek made him look back at Ryan.

“There is something, isn’t it?” The question was soft like a feather.

For a moment, Mike closed his eyes. “There is.”

“So, tell me,” Ryan cooed and brought their lips together in a gentle kiss. “I hope it’s not something like your wanting another man in the bedroom.” The statement was a joke but sounded like only half of one.

“No,” Mike said and hoped that he sounded terrified enough to make Ryan believe him without any other questions. “Me and threesomes … a total ‘no’.”

Ryan chuckled and caressed his lips. “I’ll take your word for it. Then what is it?”

“I want --” Mike started with all the strong will he could muster.

“Yes?” Ryan allowed his hands to wander and caress Mike’s chest, teasing his nipples in passing, on their way down.

Mike hissed when Ryan grabbed his cock. Maybe it was the right moment to let his other head do the thinking. “I want to … top you,” he added the last two words fast, hoping that he didn’t sound too eager.

Ryan laughed and brought one hand to caress Mike’s bottom lip. “Top me, huh?”

“Are you in shock? I mean, surprised? Me topping you --”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Mike fell silent and then examined his boyfriend curiously. “You’re not surprised.”

“Not in shock, either.”

“But how? I mean, you’ve only topped and I thought --”

“Hmm,” Ryan purred and began playing with Mike’s cock for real. “You thought I would tell you ‘no’? I don’t believe I’m a particularly astute observer, but when it comes to you, I might be. I noticed how you look at my ass when you think I’m not watching.”

Mike blushed and covered his face. Ryan took his hands away.

“So you knew?” Mike mumbled.

“It was only a suspicion, and I wanted to know for sure. After all, I didn’t want to pressure you in a role you didn’t think of taking. But, feel free to blame me for teasing you on purpose, you know, letting you have a good view of my ass as often as possible.”

“Oh gawd,” Mike complained. “I’m a walking boner for days, and I thought I was insane. I mean, you make love to me every night, and I’m not complaining, but lately I felt like it wasn’t enough. So you’ve been teasing me?”

“Forgive me.” Ryan gave him another quick kiss. “Better, take it on my ass.”

There was something naughty in the dark eyes, and Mike bit his lips. “Take it on your ass? Like … fuck you?” He didn’t mean to make it sound like that, but by how Ryan’s breath hitched for a moment, that was the right approach.

“Fuck me,” Ryan replied.

Mike was suddenly at a loss. He had imagined this moment in many different ways, but now his mind was blank. What on earth was he thinking? Now he would make a complete fool of himself.

Again, Ryan took his hand. “Want a good view of my ass again? Just in case you need a bit of inspiration.” A knowing smirk accompanied his words.

Mike now felt a bit like he wanted, indeed, to have his payback. “Then show me.”

Ryan leaned back on the bed, allowing him to admire his beautiful muscular body, stretched like a cat, and turned on his belly as if he were a stripper teasing his audience. He pushed himself back on all fours and presented a perfect ass. “How is this for showing you?”

“Will do,” Mike replied and let out a small nervous laugh. Was he playing this as he should? He grabbed Ryan’s ass with both hands and stared at the small hole between them as he pushed the buttocks apart. “Is this mine?”

“Of course it is,” Ryan replied matter-of-factly. “It’s okay, Mike,” he added in a gentler tone. “I know you’ll be an awesome top.”

There was no moment to waste. Mike grabbed all he needed and stood behind Ryan. For a while, he caressed the round butt cheeks, kissing and biting them from time to time. He knew he wanted to be inside his lover and go crazy, but first, there was a new hunger growing inside him that he needed to stave off.

He buried his tongue inside Ryan’s ass and received a manly moan in turn. Ryan was good at rimming, and Mike wanted to prove himself just the same. He ate his lover’s ass, shamelessly, wishing to show his desire in any way he could.

“I’m going in,” he whispered when his cock twitched so painfully that ignoring it was no longer an option.

“At last,” Ryan replied, but his voice was a bit shaky and hoarse from his earlier shouts and gasps of pleasure.

Mike snickered. So, it wasn’t that hard to turn his beautiful boyfriend into a quivering mess if he wanted to. That left room for experimentation, but it would have to come another time. For now, he needed to keep his wits about him. Having that nice ass all at his disposal was like the best gift ever, and he had every intention to enjoy it.

He gasped and felt his eyes rolling in his head with pleasure when his cock was gripped by tight heat. Oh, no, he needed to focus, or this would be over too soon. “Will you let me again?” he asked in a timid voice.

“What? Top me?” Ryan’s voice was labored now. Indeed, his hole didn’t appear as if it got that kind of action on the regular. “As many times as you want.”

Well, that was a comforting thought. Still, on his first time with Ryan that way, he had to make a good impression. With one deep breath, he found the power to push a little more. Damn, it was fantastic, how the warmth and tightness of Ryan’s body made him feel. His fingers trembled as he steadied himself by grabbing his boyfriend’s hips. Slowly, he began moving and found his rhythm right away.

He didn’t go too fast, not from the start, since he didn’t think he would make it far like that. Ryan wasn’t helping, his whispered encouragements too much already.

“Is it any good for you?” Mike asked.

“I’m hard like never,” Ryan replied. “Just feel my cock.”

Mike snuck one hand under Ryan’s body and sighed in satisfaction when he took hold of a hard leaking member. He teased the head with his thumb, enjoying the feel of so much precum that Ryan’s words from earlier sounded completely true.

“Oh, damn, don’t be a teaser, Micah.” Ryan’s voice always dropped low and sexy when speaking his name. That meant that had to be serious, so there was no point in postponing any of that.

He began moving his hips again; only this time, he could feel the effect of his thrusts right in his partner’s cock that pulsed and twitched in his hand. It was fantastic to be able to move like that, in a tide of growing pleasure.

“You’re the best top, Micah,” Ryan encouraged him breathlessly. “Give it to me like this.”

His body moved now as if it didn’t need a brain at the command center. It knew what it wanted, and Mike let it lead, as he closed his eyes. To be like that with someone that was more than just a fantasy come true. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t as sophisticated as others, or as handsome as them. Right now, he was together with this man, and no one else, and he was the luckiest guy alive.

Ryan cursed as he bucked his hips back, withdrew, and slammed back against Mike’s body. He came, and Mike felt it. That was a simple trigger for his own reaction. He had been teetering on edge for a while now, and nothing could take that victory from him now.

“Ryan, I love you so much,” he whispered as his body stilled, and his mind registered the explosion of fulfilled desire only to go blank for a second after.

He was barely on his back, exhausted but ecstatic when Ryan draped his body with his. “Oh, Micah, that was really amazing.” He peppered Mike’s face with kisses. “Have you been with others like this?”

“Not like this,” Mike said the truth. “There were others, only a few, but never like this.”

Ryan chuckled and pressed their lips together. “Then I’m glad. You know you’re going to top a lot from now on, don’t you?”

“For real? I’m afraid I cannot feel my legs.”

Ryan laughed. “Well, that comes with the territory. Now you’ll have a strong motivation to be in shape.”

“Are you teasing me because I’m getting fat? It’s your cooking at fault.”

Another snicker followed. “Yeah, it was all part of my plan. No, I’m just kidding. I’m happy that you’re enjoying your time here so much.” A pause followed. “And I hope you’re going to make it permanent. What do you say?”

Mike looked at Ryan. The laughter was gone, so the question needed a proper answer. He wasn’t always well aware of what went around him, but now it all made sense, Ryan’s jealousy over the others getting married. The question was there, but Mike felt that an opening was left, and it only depended on him if he wanted to take it or not. “Do you want to become my husband, Ryan?”

The dark eyes flashed with unhidden joy. “I’ll be delighted. I didn’t expect you to pop the question.”

“I knew you were about one second from asking it yourself, so I thought I’d be faster.”

A knowing grin was the response. “Well, that takes a load off my chest.”

“Don’t tell me you were afraid to ask me or something. I mean, not that it’s not okay to be afraid of stuff --”

“A little, yes. You weren’t jealous at all of your friends getting hitched?” Ryan searched his face.

Mike exhaled. “No. I know you love me. And as strange as that may be, it looks like I’m the one who has to put you at ease. Therefore, I’m asking the question.”

He had done it. He had just gone for it, and it had all worked out okay. But it felt nice to pretend he was cool for a change. For sure, Ryan saw straight through his act, which meant that he was just indulging him right now, but it still felt nice.

“I’m happy to say ‘yes’,” Ryan said and kissed him. “Wait till I tell everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“The family, of course.”

Mike had met some of Ryan’s best friends, but not the family. His blood chilled, and his smug smile disappeared. How were they going to look at him?

“Let’s take a shower together, husband,” Ryan said and took his hand. “This surely has a nice ring to it.”

Yeah, it did. But right now, Mike had a serious issue on his hands. How would Ryan’s relatives look at him?

***

Ryan was not only skilled at throwing dinner parties, but he also appeared to love doing that. After stealing one delicious canapé from the ones deemed unfit for the dinner table, Mike had to ask, “Have you ever thought about going into catering or something like that?”

He was rewarded with a quick kiss on his cheek and a small slap over the wrist. “Don’t eat so much or you’ll have no appetite later.”

That was sure since the moment Mike met the family, he wouldn’t be able to swallow another bite. Actually, his cleaning off the plates with the rejected foods was part of a strategy. “How are they like?”

Ryan took one moment to think, and then he shrugged. “Just like everyone else, I guess.”

Besides Ryan’s parents, a couple of aunts and an assortment of cousins were expected for dinner. Mike’s mom had been happy to hear the news over the phone, and she told them that she would visit the following week, but the Armstrong family apparently required a formal announcement.

Of course, they were well off, rich probably, and that was why things were as they were.

“I don’t remember if you told me, but is your uncle going to be here? Like in, my old boss from before you.”

Ryan laughed and patted his cheek. “Would you be embarrassed? He’s on a cruise, so he couldn’t come. Don’t worry; he told me you had always been an exemplary employee.”

“It’s good to have recommendations,” Mike agreed.

“Yeah, I mean you being the perfect employee was a major selling point for me.”

“Stop teasing me,” Mike protested.

“I’m not. I’m just saying that your work ethics proved to me that I’m dealing with a hard worker. You know, someone who always gets the job done.” The last words came with a small wink.

Mike looked down, red in the face. Last night, he had kept Ryan awake for an entire hour more only so that he could identify all the points on his boyfriend’s body that made him hot. He had ended up with the list of ticklish spots, but that was a win, too, if he thought about it.

Ryan squeezed his shoulder. “My family will love you. And if they don’t, the thing is, you’re not marrying them. You’re marrying me. So there’s nothing for you to be afraid of, or anxious about, okay?”

A nod was the most he could muster for the moment. Ryan tousled his hair and kissed him on the forehead. “You’ll be fine.”

***

“So, Mike, you are currently … unemployed?” Mrs. Armstrong asked. Ryan’s mom was a woman in her late fifties with perfectly coiffed hair and looking at least fifteen years younger.

Her slow and calculated hesitation wasn’t lost on Mike. After all, their son had just announced them that he intended to get married, so any curious inquiries were normal.

“I will start working next month, at a local startup. They’re new in town, and the pay is not that impressive, but I believe they have a vision,” he replied.

He was babbling and overly conscious of it, too, but couldn’t stop. His palms were clammy, and Mrs. Armstrong’s pursed lips were enough to drive the fear of all deities into his bones. Ryan was caught up in a conversation with a guy sitting to his right, so he wasn’t aware of the little briefing Mike was taken through by his mother.

“A vision,” Mrs. Armstrong repeated after him, weighing the word on her tongue.

She and her husband were right across the table from him, so Mike could see well that they weren’t incredibly happy with him. Or maybe it was just his imagination. Ryan reached for him while still talking to the other guest, but lost no time to grab him by the shoulders and give him an encouraging squeeze.

“What do you think of my future husband?” Ryan directed the question to his parents.

A short glance between Mrs. and Mr. Armstrong followed.

“He’s an interesting young man,” Mrs. Armstrong said, but only from the tip of her lips.

Mike made himself small in his chair. Ryan kissed his temple and whispered in his ear, “Told you. They already love you.”

Well, that was a way of seeing things; Mike just wasn’t sure he shared the same opinion but kept quiet for the time being.

***

The dinner hadn’t been that bad, after all, so Mike felt relieved. Ryan’s parents were a bit distant and asked him many questions, but he had done his best to answer truthfully. Of course, all the while, he had had to fight the sensation that some invisible sword would cut his head off if he answered wrong.

Some of the guests had chosen to mingle in the large living room, but a few were on the deck facing the backyard, and Mike was on a mission to ask them if they cared for another drink. Although not completely official, it had been a fabulous engagement party.

He was about to walk through the door leading to the deck when he heard a now familiar voice.

“I do not intend to stand in the way of his happiness.” That was Ryan’s mother talking, so Mike stopped to listen, although he knew well eavesdropping was a rude thing to do.

“He appeared to have made up his mind. It’s all said and done, at this point.” That was Ryan’s father replying, and his tone was reserved and seemingly neutral. Also, maybe it was just Mike’s imagination, but he seemed a tad annoyed with the conversation.

“I will insist that they sign a prenup.”

“Of course. A man in Ryan’s position needs to protect his interests.” From annoyed, Mr. Armstrong’s voice had progressed to bored.

“You need to tell him.”

“Why me? I don’t really care.”

“Well, you should. He’s your only son.”

“And a goddamn adult who knows better than the two of us whether he wants to start his marriage by practically telling his better half that he suspects him of trying to take him to the cleaners once they’re officially husband and … well, husband.”

“It’s obviously not about that,” Mrs. Armstrong protested. “In our world --”

“It’s common, I know. But Ryan looks happy.” Mr. Armstrong’s voice softened. “And I believe Mike to be a good guy. He doesn’t seem the kind to be interested in material possessions.”

“Ha! How could you know that? We barely met him.”

“But Ryan knows him.”

“The boy used to be his employee. You know Ryan’s history with such … people.”

“I like to think that my son knows better this time around. If you want to tell Ryan about the prenup, I won’t keep you. But I will not suggest, for one moment, that his future husband is a gold digger.”

Mike took little steps back until he was sure he was out of earshot. Then, he ran up the stairs and hid in the bedroom. On a conscious level, he couldn’t tell why he had done that, but it felt like the only thing he could do.

Of course, Ryan had had troubles with men before. And here he was, unemployed, awkward, and entirely out of the water in Ryan’s world. It was only natural for Mrs. Armstrong to suspect him of being a gold digger.

What was he going to do? They were moving too fast, indeed. They weren’t letting their parents get to know them, and that appeared to open a nasty can of worms.

He wasn’t marrying Ryan for his money, but how could he prove it? He lived here, in Ryan’s house, eating his food, not paying anything, without doing much except play with the dog! Anyone from outside could tell he was kept.

He sat on the floor and buried his face into his palms. They needed to have a talk, or they would be miserable. Allowing Ryan to go against his parents … wait, what if he didn’t want to do that? What if Ryan asked for a prenup?

Mike stopped his train of thought for a moment. Would he feel insulted? The logical part of the brain told him ‘no’; the irrational one said ‘yes’. With the latter also came a bit of revolt. He hadn’t chased a rich guy to make him marry him or anything.

It was just Ryan’s fault for being rich. And now, Mike’s head hurt, and he didn’t really want to get married just as much.

TBC