Scorch (Homecoming Hearts Book 1) by HJ Welch (3)

“Hey,” said Elion, causing Blake to look once he was done. “You okay?”

Elion’s light brown skin had taken on a rosy flush and his pink and black hair was in disarray. Blake hadn’t thought of a guy as being beautiful before, but Elion was. His smile was warm and kind too, making Blake relax.

“Um, yeah,” he said. He could hear the slight tremble in his voice, but that couldn’t really be helped post orgasm.

Elion was already back in his pants, so there was no awkward flopping about as he stretched and rolled on his side. “I meant what I said,” he told him. He held Blake’s gaze, not ashamed or shy in anyway. “You don’t have to overthink this or make it a big thing. We’re supposed to be dating, so it’s good to explore a little. Make it more authentic.”

He licked his lips. Blake realized with a jolt that he was tasting the remaining flavor of Blake’s most intimate body part. A small bit of him panicked that it was way out of his comfort zone. The rest thought it was extremely hot.

“I like you,” he said hastily. “I like being friends. And that was, uh, fun. Nice.”

Elion arched an eyebrow. “Just nice, huh? I’m going to have to up my game.”

Blake definitely blushed at that. “No, I didn’t mean-”

“I’m teasing,” said Elion gently. He poked his chest lightly then pillowed his hands under his head. “I like being friends too. This doesn’t have to change anything. I’m happy to be your bisexual experiment.” He shrugged. “I can take you out into the city to one of the gay bars if you like. See if anyone else sparks your fancy?”

“Oh, no,” said Blake quickly. A little too quickly. He didn’t know what he was thinking, so it wasn’t fair to put any pressure or expectations on Elion. But he didn’t like the idea of fooling around with anyone else. Elion was safe. And lovely. “We’re supposed to be dating, right? I wouldn’t want anyone to accuse me of cheating.”

Elion gave him a searching look, but he didn’t ask for anything more. He just gave a slow, half smile. “Sure. And if that was too much, we don’t have to do anything again, or even mention it. Equally,” he added, looking at Blake through his long, dark lashes. “If you ever want to try anything else, I’m up for anything.”

The way he said ‘anything’ made Blake’s pulse race. But this was absolutely what he wanted; to take it slow and at his own escalation. Maybe he might want to try something else in the near future. But for right now he just had to process how he was feeling.

“Thank you,” he said.

They looked at one another for a moment that stretched on just a little too long.

“So,” said Elion loudly, rolling on to his back. “What’s the most outrageous thing the band ever got up to. Any trashed hotel rooms? Hookers and coke? Stolen pieces of art or running from one of those fancy restaurants before paying the check?”

Blake’s laugh startled him. Yeah, talking about something else would be a very welcome distraction.

He had a lot to think about.

 

Elion

 

Elion Rodriguez was a big fat liar and he knew it.

For all his reassurances to Blake that their hookup didn’t change anything, he couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing it had been.

If it was just a case of great sex, he’d probably be able to shake it off and get over it soon enough. But they’d spent all afternoon talking and getting to know each other better. He was passionate and kind hearted and made Elion laugh.

Elion had meant what he said about being there if Blake wanted to try out his newly found bisexuality. Even if he wasn’t ready to label it, Elion was sure it was real attraction he was experiencing, not just the desire to have his dick sucked by a willing mouth.

But Elion had also implied that he could do that without getting attached. And he was pretty certain that ship had already sailed.

If he wasn’t thinking about Blake he was texting him. Unlike a lot of guys, Blake actually texted back, unless he was teaching class. And when he was teaching class, Elion spent any hours he wasn’t working just hanging around with the moms, watching his not-boyfriend like a love-struck teen.

At least he’d made sort-of-friends with Poppy’s mom, Julie. Poppy liked to act like her mother was dead to her from the moment she stepped into class, but Julie didn’t seem to notice. She had also latched on to Elion as her new token gay friend and was keen to ask all sorts of wildly inappropriate questions as well as feed him cookies. But she was fun in a harmless sort of way.

Elion had a kind of fan club now. Moms who would flock around him to watch the class together. Some were bitchy, some were dorky, some were shy. But they were more confident as Elion’s little posse, and generally kept the polished, super rich, homophobic prom-queen moms away. That was fine by Elion.

He was driving to yet another evening of lessons. Tentatively, he had a plan to ask Blake out to dinner after he was done teaching. He didn’t care if the cameras came too. He just wanted to show Blake how good a boyfriend he could be.

There was no sense lying to himself. If there was any chance he could switch this from being a fake to a real relationship, he’d take it.

But would that be something Blake wanted? It was hard being queer most of the time anyway, let alone in the limelight. Elion had to brace himself for the event that even if there was something real between them, it might just be easier for Blake to go back to girls after this fling was done.

What was wrong with him? Normally Elion was fine with wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Now the thought of Blake being with somebody else made his chest ache like a knife to the heart.

“You’re being dramatic,” he grumbled to himself as he pulled into the parking lot. He wasn’t in love. That would be ridiculous.

A familiar face greeted him from the steps of the community center. And a familiar tail. “Oh hey,” he cried. He pocketed his keys and dropped to the tarmac to let Watson bound over and lick his face. Jodi laughed at him.

“It’s official, you have no dignity,” she said.

Elion grabbed the beagle’s head and shook it playfully. “She said you had no dignity, Watson! How rude!” Watson let out a distinctive beagle howl, her tail wagging so fast it looked like it might propel off her bottom.

“Good to see you,” said Jodi when Elion finally offered her a hug as well.

“You too,” he agreed. He did his absolute best not to think of sucking her brother’s magnificent cock a few days ago. But of course, then that was the only thing he could think of. He cleared his throat. “So how come you’re loitering around out here?”

“No dogs allowed inside,” she said with a shrug. “I’m off to training in a minute anyway. Rob’s giving me a lift.”

“Oh,” said Elion.

He’d looked up Rob after their meeting the other day. Sure enough, he’d been in the yearbook, with a funny quote thanking the school for all that useful chemistry he’d be sure to use out in the real world. Elion could agree with him on that one. He did sort of remember him now.

“You get a ride with him often?”

“Oh, no,” she said lightly. She kicked up her foot to her butt and idly stretched her quad out. “My tire got a flat, so it’s in the shop. He offered to help me out.”

“That’s nice,” said Elion genuinely.

It was stupid, him feeling protective over Jodi. She wasn’t his sister and she could look after herself, judging from the way he knew she could swing a bat.

“Well, I better get in there. It was cool seeing you both again.”

Watson threw herself down over his feet though in a bid to get him to stay. He and Jodi laughed at her determination.

“Come on you lump,” she groaned, hauling her off of his sneakers. “We’re going to the ball park. They actually let dogs in there.”

Elion waved to her then went inside while she waited for Rob. The a/c was cool on his skin and much appreciated. His car was sadly lacking.

He was just unsticking his hair and fanning his button down away from his chest when Kala strode up to him with purpose. Marcus was behind her with a camera and shotgun mic attached.

“Hello, handsome,” she said. She slipped his mic into his pocket and hooked him up. “Don’t you look pretty today?”

He frowned at her. “I always look pretty,” he pouted. At her arched eyebrow, he relented. “Alright, thank you. I took your advice and I think I’m going to ask Blake out to dinner tonight. I assume you guys will want to tag along and make it awkward as fuck.”

“You assume correctly,” she said looping her arm through his. She was up to something. “This is actually perfect timing. You’re good at this, Rodriguez, you know that?”

She tapped him on the nose and steered him towards the main dance studio. That was funny. Even though it was the half hour break before the elite adult class, there would normally be younger students and parents still milling about. But the corridor was empty.

As they approached the doors, Elion could see through the glass that the lights were slightly dimmed. Not so much they wouldn’t be able to film, but definitely more dramatic than usual.

“Um, what’s going on?”

Kala rolled her eyes. “Nothing to be afraid of. I just thought I’d give you a hand kick-starting that date.”

Before Elion could ask what that meant, she opened the door and pushed him inside. She and Marcus followed with the camera right behind.

The lights around the edge of the studio were indeed dimmed, leaving pale pink spots angled towards the center. There was only crew inside, several cameras rolling, and Blake stood in the middle looking mildly uncomfortable. Or at least, his expression did.

His body was clad in black boots, skinny jeans and vest, like Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing. Elion had been obsessed with that movie when he was a kid. And now here Blake was, looking like he’d stepped right out of it.

A single red rose dangled from his fingers. He was chewing his lip, his eyes down cast. But at Elion’s entrance his whole face lit up. “Um, hi,” he said. His eyes flicked briefly around the crew, but then they settled on Elion.

“Wow,” Elion drawled. “What’s all this?”

He guessed Kala had been a bit more forceful with her suggestions to Blake that they go on a date.

Blake ran his fingers through his blond hair. “Um, I realized I’ve been so focused on work that I’ve been neglecting you.” He held out the rose, smiling shyly in the soft pink light. “Would you dance with me?”

Elion tried not to gulp too audibly. Sure, he could move in a club to the beat. But that was more about grinding up against a pretty guy until the need for sex became unsurmountable. When it came to actual choreography, Elion was pretty sure he had two left feet.

But Blake moved like liquid power. Elion had seen him teaching and training enough to know. And now he was holding his hand out, offering to guide Elion through this.

He had trusted Elion the other day with his body, which he had tended to reverently. Now it was Elion’s turn to trust Blake with his body in return. So he took a cautious step forwards and accepted the rose.

“This is beautiful,” he said, careful of the thorns against his fingers.

“So are you,” whispered Blake.

It was just for the sake of the cameras. They were right in their faces after all. But it still made Elion shiver.

Kala deftly stepped to his side and slipped the flower from his grasp, allowing Blake to step into his space. “May I?”

His hands hovered by Elion’s hip and shoulder. He was unbearably hot this close up. Elion was glad he’d worn a short-sleeved shirt, but he felt stuffy compared to Blake who was essentially oozing sex-appeal.

“Uh, sure,” he managed to utter.

Blake smiled, resting his hands on him and pulling their bodies closer. “Don’t think about them,” he said, flicking his gaze at the crew. Elion’s hands drifted up to mimic Blake’s positioning. “This will be fun. Just follow my lead, okay?”

Elion nodded, slightly dazed.

Blake leaned in to murmur in his ear. “If we want to talk, they can’t play music. Too hard to edit around. Also, can get tricky with copyright issues. But I want a beat. You need a beat to feel rumba.” He placed his hand over Elion’s heart. “Do you think you can do it without talking? Just following me?”

Elion felt dizzy. For someone who wanted to take things slow and wasn’t sure of his sexuality, this seemed pretty damn sexual. His heart was thumping in his chest, he wanted this so badly.

“Music,” he rasped with a nod. If he was going to have any chance of not making a fool of himself, he needed something loud to spur him on.

One of the P.A.s took Blake’s cue and pressed play on the sound system, pumping out a sultry, slowed down version of a Rihanna song that Elion couldn’t quite name in that moment. He was too busy trying not to get a boner from his proximity to Blake as he started to move.

He began slowly, encouraging Elion’s feet and hips to mirror his. Elion didn’t realize he was staring at the floor until Blake squeezed his ass, grabbing his attention. He smiled and tilted his head, telling Elion to look at him instead.

Elion swallowed and nodded. His grip on Blake’s body tightened slightly. The adrenaline was coursing through him, making him want to fly. He needed Blake to keep him on the ground.

They moved their way over the floor. Blake took one of his hands and spun him away, then whipped around several times to reclaim Elion back into his arms. He pressed his hand to Elion’s lower back and swung him gently, encouraging him to lean back and expose his neck.

He reeled him back in with a few more basic steps. Elion knew the cameras were all around them, but with the darkened lights it was easy to think they were all alone in the world. Blake smiled and bit his lip. Christ, Elion was going to need a cold shower after this.

Blake slipped his hand behind Elion’s neck, his other arm extended. He tilted his head and flicked his eyes up and down to tell Elion to copy him. He did so, clumsily, but then they were spinning. Elion’s whole world was reduced to looking into Blake’s eyes, following his every move.

He knew he was still sort of clumsy. He almost tripped over his feet several times. But Blake was there to steady him every time. The music started to fade. They were so close, breathing heavily. Elion didn’t care about the cameras, he wanted to kiss Blake again so badly.

The lights blared to life, dazzling Elion’s eyes and surprising him enough to jerk away from his almost-kiss.

“What the hell is this?”

Elion blinked and stepped away from Blake. The doorway which had previously been closed was now open and filled with several people. Nessa was the one who’d spoken. She had seemed alright when Elion had briefly interacted with her over the past couple of weeks. Now she was looking at the two of them distinctly unimpressed.

Beside her was the black guy from the elite group. His name escaped Elion for the time being, but his smirk suggested he was a bitch-queen if ever there was one. Jodi and Rob were also next to him, and several moms including Julie seemed be hovering behind them.

Great. So it was a set-up. Blake looked just as shocked. Apparently dancing for the cameras had been okay for him, but having people burst in on them had evidently not been a part of the deal. He screwed his hands into fists and clenched his jaw.

“Um, hi guys,” said Elion with an awkward wave. “We were just having a bit of fun. Oh, look at the time, it’s elite’s class already.” He leaned over and pecked a kiss on Blake’s cheek. “Don’t let anybody fuck with you,” he whispered so quietly even the mic wouldn’t pick it up.

Blake looked at him as he drew away, then nodded. Some of the tension left his shoulders.

“Come on in guys,” he said brightly. “Jodi, are you staying?”

She shook her head. “No, Rob just wanted to say hi, but we’ll leave you to it. Watson’s tied up outside anyway.”

She pulled on Rob’s arm and Elion almost felt sorry for him. He’d obviously wanted a chance to remind Blake that they’d been at school together, but Jodi wasn’t having any of it. Some people just got so star struck.

The crew had already swarmed like ants to reset the room for the elite group’s training. The lights were back up to their usual bright white and chairs were set up in rows so Elion and others could watch.

The elite group were going to do the closing number for the big show in several weeks’ time. It was what Feet of Flames was gearing towards for its finale too, so these sessions were pretty intense. It was also when Blake did his best dancing. There was no way Elion was missing these classes.

Not even when Nessa glowered at him on her way to set her bag down. She flicked her hair and rearranged her top so her boobs were even more on display. “Hi Blake,” she said sweetly.

Elion felt jealously flare in his guts. This was an issue he hadn’t anticipated.

 

Blake

 

Blake had been a fool to think he could have had an actual, private moment with Elion. Somehow, the cameras didn’t seem that bad. He’d just wanted to repay him in his own way for their wonderful afternoon lying in the grass by the brook and the oak tree.

Then everyone had tumbled in on them just as they were about to kiss and turned the whole thing into a spectacle, as usual. Now Nessa was flirting with him and everything felt so exposed.

He’d not stopped thinking about making out since it had happened. Images of Elion kissing him or going down on him would pop into his head all the time, often at the most inconvenient moments. He hadn’t jerked off this much since he’d been a teenager.

And it was always Elion in his mind now when he did. If this were a girl, he wouldn’t be fighting it as hard as he was. He’d just ask her to start dating for real. There was a part of his brain that argued that as far as the world was concerned, they already were dating. So what the hell was this block holding him back from truly crossing that line?

There was no going back, he supposed. His parents had made it pretty clear that they weren’t happy with the idea of him actually being bi, and if he was, someone like Elion wouldn’t be good enough.

Not someone. Elion. Blake didn’t want anyone else. And if being real meant his dad was going to try and force some pretty WASP type guy on him, he would rather keep it fake. That way he could keep seeing Elion while he sifted through his feelings.

He had only felt this attraction with two people in his whole life. Lola, and Elion. Was that enough to make him bi?

The guys had often riled him about being a prude. During their time in the band Blake had been propositioned by girls non-stop. Hell, most of his fan mail was still declarations of love and marriage proposals. But Blake wasn’t interested in hooking up with someone he didn’t know. In fact, he found the concept almost revolting.

Did that mean there was something wrong with him?

He shook his head as he moved away from Nessa and over to Elion again. The issue was null and void so long as he could stay exploring what he had with Elion.

“Sorry about that,” he said quietly as the cameras finished setting up. “Nessa’s normally pretty chill unless Karyn’s here to wind her up.”

Elion shrugged. “It doesn’t matter,” he said.

He looked at him through those long lashes. Blake hadn’t noticed them before they’d spent the afternoon out in the sunshine. They practically swept over his cheekbones and made Blake’s insides swoop.

“I liked our dance,” Elion said in a sultry tone. “Maybe we could rumba again sometime?”

Of course the cameras were on them, but Blake was getting better at tuning them out. It was probably why he thought Kala’s idea was a good one earlier. He smiled at Elion like he was the only one there, and gave him a quick, swift kiss on the lips.

“I’d like that. You staying to watch me dance?”

“You bet,” Elion replied, swatting his ass.

Blake’s good mood was almost spoiled by Nessa’s blatant scowl. But if she’d decided to make a move for him, let her. He wasn’t interested.

Tyler was soon there to distract him. He was the only other dude in their six-piece group and out-and-proud gay. He sashayed over licking his glossed lips and swinging a pair of black stiletto heels from his fingers.

“Size eleven, right?”

Blake raised his eyebrows at him. “You want me…to wear those?”

Tyler shrugged. “We were all going to wear them. Why? You too manly for that?”

He gave him a shit-eating grin, but Blake didn’t rise to the bait. He knew men dancing in heels was an art in its own right and he respected it. In fact, he’d been wanted to give it a go for a while. But he knew precisely what his parents would have to say if he put those on.

He glanced over at Elion. He was grinning from ear to ear and gave him a nod of encouragement.

This was living for today, seizing the moment. It would be no shock if his parents freaked out over this, but Blake wanted to try.

“It’s a technical dance skill,” he said, snatching the shoes from Tyler and slinging them over his shoulder. “Gender doesn’t come into it. I’ll still be the best in the room.”

Kala threw an air punch from behind the camera and one of the other P.A.s gave him a thumbs up. Tyler arched an eyebrow then swished away and pulled his own pair of heels from his bag.

Blake had planned different choreography for the day, but it seemed Nessa and Tyler had been prepped to take the class. He’d show he could do anything they threw at him though. So he dropped into the chair beside Elion and set about swapping his boots for the heels.

“Um,” said Elion scratching the back on his head and staring forwards. “So you know this is going to be super-hot, right?” He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “There’s a reason chicks wear heels; it does incredible things to your ass.”

Blake smiled slowly at him. “Is this turning you on?”

“Kind of,” said Elion, still staring straight ahead like he couldn’t cope with looking at Blake just then. “Also, the way you got all alpha reminding them who’s school this is.”

Blake glanced at the camera, then back to Elion taking a detour to glance at his crotch. “Are we going to have to check certain things are working again later?”

Elion froze. Maybe it wasn’t fair, flirting with him like this. But the less Blake overanalyzed it, the more he simply enjoyed it. If pressed by his dad he had the fallback of being able to say it was for the show. But in that moment, Blake knew it definitely wasn’t.

He liked the way Elion was hot for him. Lola had been different, so cool and impressive. She’d not really been one to get fazed. But Elion wasn’t shy about showing how much he enjoyed sex, or how much he wanted Blake. It made it easier for Blake to want him back.

“Go dance, you prick tease,” Elion growled. It was full of playfulness though, making Blake tingle with anticipation.

The first few steps in the heels were a little strange. But thanks to Blake’s core strength and leg muscles he was able to keep his balance and get used to the sensation pretty quickly.

Honestly, he thought he might look a bit of a fool in them. Like he was playing dress up with his mother’s wardrobe or he was an unfinished drag queen. But his all black ensemble and shock of blond hair made the look powerful, otherworldly. He almost wished he was wearing black eyeliner.

Maybe next time, he thought with a smirk to himself. His dad would love that.

Nessa took up the head of the class. He and Tyler were joined by the three other young women in their troupe; Maddie, Kim and Coral. They were all in their early twenties and had serious talent. That meant they came from neighboring towns and even Cincinnati, but it was worth it to get the caliber of dancers Blake had wanted in one place.

Teaching was an amazing reward in itself. But there was nothing quite like dancing flat out with people who challenged him. Until today, there had been relatively little drama in their group. But of course Seth couldn’t let that last.

Blake lost himself in the choreography. It was a lot of isolation and hip rolls, but he relished that. He was extremely conscious to keep the moves for the kids non-sexual. Now was a chance for him to let lose a little.

It didn’t hurt that he knew Elion was watching him either. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was showing off.

That was, until his heel snapped away from the shoe taking his ankle along with it and sending him crashing to the floor.

He cried out at the sharp stab of pain that shot up his leg and he immediately grabbed at it. His mind was already panicking, trying to establish if it was just a sprain, or a break, or-

“Here, let me see.” Elion was already beside him before anyone else. He must have launched himself from his seat. His nimble fingers were undoing the strap, freeing the foot and touching gently at bones in his ankle.

“I think it’s just a sprain,” Blake said through gritted teeth. “Nothing snapped.”

“Except for this piece of shit,” Elion said, holding up the remains of the heel. He was right, it had broken clean off. Tyler threw his hands up in a ‘not guilty!’ sort of way, but Blake wasn’t so sure. He looked over at Kala, but she just shrugged at pointed back to Elion.

Of course she wanted him to pay attention to his hot ‘boyfriend’ and not question what had happened. Fuckers. Absolute fuckers. If they’d messed with that shoe to injure him on purpose, if they’d ruined his career and his ability to dance just for a bit of drama, he’d kill them. He’d sue the shit out of them. He’d-

“Hey, hey,” said Elion, cupping his face in his hands. “Take a breath. This is fine. Don’t worry. Although we do need ice, can someone-”

“Here,” said Nessa breathlessly. She’d obviously sprinted to get one of those single-use ice packs. He and Elion both gave her similar incredulous looks, but she just dropped to her knees and peered at Blake’s foot. “It’s not swelling yet.”

“No,” Elion agreed. He grabbed someone’s spare t-shirt lying near them and wrapped the ice in it before applying it to Blake’s ankle. “Is that where it’s hurting?”

Blake nodded. “Thanks.”

“What’s going on?” a shrill voice rang through the air, and Blake cringed. Of course his mom would show up at just this moment. Had Kala kept her waiting in the wings? He wanted to hit something.

Instead, he grabbed onto Elion’s hand and held on tight. The cameras could loom over him all they liked. This was his actual fucking ankle and ability to dance on the line. He wasn’t going to act like it didn’t matter.

But then, that’s probably what they wanted.

“Blake – Blake!” she shrieked. The bystanders all stepped away aside from Nessa, but the crew remained. “What the hell have you done?”

“The shoe broke. Mom,” he said.

He watched with dread as he picked up the stiletto and then turned her gaze to his other foot still wearing its partner.

“Why were you wearing women’s shoes?”

Elion raised his hackles. Like an actual dog. “Because the show runners put them on him,” he hissed. “And one of the heels was obviously tampered with. Your son is injured here. Do you care about that?”

“Of course I do,” his mom cried, clutching his chest. “Blake, what do you need?”

“Ice, pain killers, elevation, compression,” snapped Elion. “Also rest, but that’s going to be tricky.” He rubbed Blake’s calf in a soothing manner. “This is fine, don’t worry.”

“And are you a doctor as well as a barista now?” his mom sniped.

Elion’s expression turned stony. “I’m first aid trained,” he said coldly. “Are you?”

She pursed her lips. “Blake, why they hell were you on camera cross dressing?” she hissed.

He’d been prepared to deal with that when he’d been fighting fit. But he was staring at his ankle and imagining the end of his career right there and then, all thanks to a fucking pair of shoes.

“I don’t know,” he uttered.

“Because they were all wearing them,” said Elion filmy. He jerked his head towards Nessa, Tyler and the others. “Only Blake’s were faulty. You can take him for an x-ray if you want, but it’s probably just a sprain and rest will be the only thing to heal it.”

“I’m taking you to Urgent Care,” said his mom with a curled lip. “Honestly, what were you thinking? Some stunt this turned out to be. What if you’ve damaged your ankle for good?”

Blake gritted his teeth. “It was just a new dance technique and an accident, Mom,” he said firmly. He knew full well what could be at stake.

Elion’s stormy expression suggested he still thought there had been foul play, but they couldn’t really prove anything then. Blake just wanted to get his ankle checked out.

He looked at Elion. “Come with me?”

His mom tutted. “I don’t think so,” she snarled. “I have this in hand.” She pushed Elion’s hand with the ice pack away and insisted Blake use her to stand.

He wanted to protest. But he was under his parents’ insurance now he was living with them again and he was frightened of doing anything that would delay his treatment by even a minute.

“I’ll text you as soon as I know anything,” he said. He grabbed for Elion’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Sure baby,” he said.

Baby. Blake bit his lip.

 No one had ever called him baby before.

 

Elion

 

Blake kept his promise and texted as soon as he’d been examined at Urgent Care. Elion had been right, it was just a sprain. No broken bones or torn ligaments. The relief Elion had felt at hearing the news had been startlingly sharp. Whether he liked it or not, he cared deeply for Blake now and was invested in his wellbeing.

As soon as Elion had finished his morning shift the next day he had driven over to the Jacksons’ place to see him. He doubted Blake’s mom or dad would want to let him in. That’s why he’d brought in reinforcements.

“You alright?” Kala said as she met him in the driveway. It was just her today, as they were trying to keep things on the down low. She had a handheld camera with a shotgun mic attached to the top and a concerned look on her face.

“Depends,” said Elion. The weather was a little more breezy today and he shoved his hands in his jacket pocket. “Did you tamper with that heel?”

She blinked at him. “Did I fuck with the cash cow? Is that what you’re asking?” She tsked. “What do you think I am, an idiot? Yeah, the footage and drama were great. But only because he’s fine and going to be dancing again in a week or two.”

Elion scrutinized her. He felt she was telling the truth, but he was pretty sure they couldn’t trust anybody involved with this show. No one said what they really meant.

“Maybe it really was just a fluke break,” he said for the sake of making peace.

She hummed at the back of her throat. “How about you keep your eyes open and your wits sharp, okay? You hear about those letters?”

Elion raised his hands. “You’re going to have to be more specific,” he said.

“Blake didn’t tell you?”

That stung, but rather than let her get to him, he just crossed his arms. He realized she hadn’t wired him up yet and the camera cap was still over the lens. It wasn’t like her to miss a chance to capture something on film.

“Okay, so Blake’s had a couple of old school stalker type letters,” she said practically, like they were discussing last night’s football game. “You know, like you see in the movies, where someone’s cut letters out of magazines.”

“How delightfully creepy,” said Elion. Privately though he didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Why go to all the effort when a nasty tweet was a thousand times easier? “What did they say?”

Kala bit her thumbnail and narrowed her eyes at him. Perhaps deciding whether or not to tell him. “That Blake and this person are ‘meant to be together, that no one else can love him, and now he’s been dragged down a peg or two there’s no stopping their love.’ Shit like that.”

“What the fuck?” Elion’s throat went dry. “Did…did they threaten him?”

She tilted her head in thought. “Things like ‘you’ll see’ and ‘it’s only a matter of time,’ but, no, no actual violent threats. Otherwise they’d have to go to the cops.”

“They haven’t already?” Elion was stunned, he would have thought Mrs. Jackson would be all over that drama.

Kala shrugged. “It seems your boy put his foot down. Doesn’t want to cause a fuss. He does get a lot of crazy flying around him; this isn’t much different.”

Elion considered her a moment. Then why mention it to him at all if she didn’t think it was particularly anything to worry about?

“Maybe I’ll bring it up with him?”

She shrugged again and hoisted her camera up to get it rolling. She also fished out a mic set from her back pocket and handed it over. By now, he knew how to set the thing up himself.

“It might be a good idea to talk it over, just so you’re in the loop.” The light started blinking to show the camera was recording. “Now, with his ankle. The important thing is that he’s already recovering.” She jerked her head towards the door. “You want to head on in? Our woman on the inside is expecting you.”

Elion shook off his worries about the letters and smiled. At least there was one other member of the Jackson family who was on his side.

Kala filmed him as he knocked lightly on the door. It opened almost immediately, but as usual he wasn’t given the chance to greet Jodi first. “Oh yes, good girl,” he cooed as he bent down to cuddle and stroke Watson, her long ears flapping around her head as she scrambled to say hello. She was on her best behavior though and didn’t bark or howl.

“Hey dude,” said Jodi as she ushered him into the foyer. Elion still wasn’t getting over this place. This entire hall was probably half the size of his and his mom’s whole house.

Jodi quickly hurried him upstairs with Kala in tow. Elion suspected they were going for a forbidden romance storyline for this episode, but he didn’t care. He’d play along so long as that meant he could keep seeing Blake.

Urgh, he was pathetic.

Jodi saw him to Blake’s bedroom door. “I’ll leave you to it,” she said. With a flick of her signature long ponytail she headed down the corridor, presumably to her own room. Watson stayed behind though, wagging her tail and looking up at Elion’s expectantly.

Kala nodded towards the door. So Elion knocked.

“Come in,” Blake’s voice sounded from the other side.

Elion pushed the door open. Blake’s bedroom was large and looked like something out of a magazine. Varying shades of grey and metal finishes gave it a hyper-masculine feel and there were almost no personal touches to be seen in the decoration. A framed portrait of his family hung on the wall as well as an official shot of Below Zero winning their Grammy for best music video a few years ago.

“It must be hard to jerk off with those guys all watching,” he said with a grin, pointing at both frames. It was easier to crack a joke than acknowledge how good it was to see Blake propped up in bed, fully washed and clothed, his left foot resting on three extra pillows. It was wrapped and Elion could see several discarded ice packs on the nightstand, so he was reassured that he was looking after it properly.

Blake laughed at his joke and smiled warmly at him. “You made it,” he said. He patted the bed, encouraging Elion to come sit beside him.

Although he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, it still felt strangely intimate. Obviously, Kala and her camera were on hand to help diffuse any real tension they might have felt. She followed Elion, and another camera operator that had already been set up in the room rearranged themselves to point at Blake.

“How are you feeling?” Elion asked. He rested his hand on Blake’s thigh. As annoying as having the camera there was, it also meant he could get away with flirting more.

“Honestly alright,” said Blake, the relief clear in his voice. “It’s going to be fine. Oh, hey Wats!”

He leaned down to pet Watson’s head. She had her front paws on the side of the bed and was obviously asking to get up. Elion was almost certain that wasn’t something Mrs. Jackson would allow, so when Blake reached over to pull her up, he immediately helped.

Now happy she was not missing out, Watson circled once, then dropped between Blake and Elion so they could both pet her.

“So you’ll be fine to dance again?” Elion asked.

Blake’s relief became even more evident. “Absolutely. This ankle has gone before, so I know how to ease it back up to strength. I’ll wear a support for training and thank God it’s not my fouette foot.” Elion looked at him blankly. “You know when I turn on one foot round and round with my other leg held straight out? That.”

“Oh.” Elion nodded. That was a good thing then. That was one of Blake’s most impressive moves.

He glanced over at Kala who gave him the smallest of nods.

“Uh,” he said, feeling awkward. “So, um, I heard you got some letters. Like, creepy ones?”

Blake sighed and stared daggers at Kala. “Did you now?” He didn’t seem mad at Elion though. Instead, he took his hand and held it tight. “They’re nothing, I didn’t want to worry you.”

Elion looked at him, reading between the lines. “They’re just dumb letters, aren’t they? I mean, I don’t like the idea of someone threatening you. But they’re just stupid. Right?”

“They don’t seem to like you very much,” Blake said heavily. He reached into one of the drawers by his bed and pulled out a couple of letters. “This one came this morning. I didn’t…I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

You can do so much better than that fence-hopper spic.

Baby we belong together. Don’t make me beg.

Soon you’ll see. I’ve always loved you.

“Well, she’s obviously not the whole nine yards, is she?” Elion said brightly, handing the letters back.

Blake blinked at him. “You’re not upset?”

Of course he was upset. There was a lump in his throat from the fact that even though he’d only been to Mexico once in his whole fucking life, people still called him and his mom names like that. He was enraged that some deluded woman out there was so angry at the idea of him and Elion being together that she’d wasted her time making these awful notes. It burned that everything he was feeling was unjustified, because after all, they weren’t really together.

But the way Blake was looking at him with such concern made it better. The game wasn’t over yet. There was still a chance this could become something real.

He smiled at Blake and rubbed his leg. “It’s not the first time someone’s called me names, believe it or not.”

Blake scowled. “Yeah, but they’re using me to insult you.”

Elion was genuinely touched. It was beyond awful, having someone call you names based on nothing more than the color of your skin. Elion had been born in America, he was a damn American. But some people always wanted to treat him as less.

But with Blake looking at him like that, it became fractionally more bearable.

“It’s fine, baby,” he said.

There it was again. He thought Blake’s face had lit up at the pet name yesterday evening, and it did it again now.

“So,” he said, swiftly changing topics. “Until you’re better, are you going to be cooped up here? Because I had hoped to take you out last night before you threw a diva fit and pretended to break your leg.”

Blake laughed and poked him playfully on his arm. “Actually,” he said. He stopped fussing over Watson and picked up his phone. “I was just talking with Joey. His agent, Martha, has a proposition for me.”

“Yeah?” Elion waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Blake slapped his knee.

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” He scrolled though his phone. “Okay, so in a few days it’s the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards in L.A. Joey is already going to present an award, but his partner dropped out last night. They wondered if I’d step in. I’ll definitely be able to walk by then,” he added as if sensing Elion’s question.

He smiled. “That’s great,” he said. “Keeps your face out there and gives you a chance to see your buddy again.” He rubbed his thumb against Blake’s leg in a comforting gesture. “You going to say yes?”

Blake bit his lip and looked at his phone screen. “Well, since you ask, I wanted to check with you first. I get a plus one to the awards.”

It took a second for what Blake was asking to register. “You want me to go with you? To California?” He’d hardly ever even been to Indiana, let alone the West Coast.

Blake occupied himself stroking Watson’s head again. “I mean, only if you want to?”

“Are you kidding?” Elion cried. “I’d love to! Do we get to walk the red carpet? Will I need a tux?”

Blake beamed at him. “Yeah, all those things,” he said. “When I feel better we can go shopping if you like? Find something together.”

Elion was almost bouncing with excitement. “Yeah. Yes, I’d like that.” Suddenly, the next few days were looking very exciting indeed.

 

Elion

 

Naturally Blake’s parents weren’t wholly keen on the two of them running off on a trip together. But Joey’s agent had only secured two event and plane tickets and just the one hotel room for him and Blake. For a while, Elion seriously thought Mrs. Jackson was going to rebel and book her own trip. But Elion had a suspicion the show runner Seth managed to say something to convince her to stay behind.

Whatever it was, Elion was extremely grateful. He was beyond excited to be going away with Blake. They could have been going anywhere and he would have been psyched, but the fact it was to a glitzy awards show in sunny California was even better.

As promised, Blake had taken him shopping and they’d gotten complimentary suits. Blake’s was a darker purple and Elion’s more of a lilac, with white shirts, grey-ish purple accessories and fancy Italian leather shoes.

Blake insisted on paying for everything. Ordinarily, Elion liked to try and contribute his fair share. But there was no way on Earth he’d be able to afford those prices, so his pride had stepped aside and he’d allowed Blake to treat him. Who knew if it would happen again, anyway? Elion was okay accepting a gift if it was possibly the only one he was ever going to get from him.

The plane journey was just four hours but he and Blake had been granted seats in first, whereas the crew were confined to economy and their camera equipment to the hold. It wasn’t like he and Blake could do anything surrounded by people anyway, but it was nice to relax and not feel like they were being recorded for once.

They chatted quietly about nothing in particular and half watched an action film on the small screens from their arm rests. Elion reveled in how normal and uneventful it was. Like they were a real couple. Even when a teenage girl came running up to Blake as they were exiting the plane it didn’t burst his bubble. Because when she tearfully asked for his autograph on the back of her boarding pass, she then also asked for Elion’s.

“You guys are so awesome,” she managed to choke out, her voice slightly lisped from the braces she wore. “I started taking dance classes because of you, contemporary and ballet.”

Blake’s face was pure delight as Elion scribbled his signature on the cardboard next to his. “That’s amazing, you keep at it honey.”

“Thank you, thank you,” she stammered as she ran back to her folks.

Elion couldn’t stop smiling as they went to get their bags from the carousel. “That was pretty neat,” he admitted. Knowing Blake had inspired someone to pursue their passion almost made all the shit they got online worth it.

“I know,” Blake agreed. Then he took his hand.

Elion was sort of aware of people looking and some taking photos. Kala got her smaller camera out of hand baggage and was obviously filming them. But Blake’s hand felt like a shield between Elion and the world. He clung to it and leaned into his body, letting everything else blur into the background.

They were only there for just one night and in no time they were in a car getting whisked off to their fancy hotel to get ready for the awards. It showed how nervous Elion was as he didn’t try to flirt or make a pass even though the both of them were running around having showers and grooming with nothing but towels around their waists.

He wasn’t totally brain dead though. So he did register how stunning Blake looked with his shirt off, glistening with droplets of water clinging to his golden skin. He just didn’t have the energy to do anything about it.

It hadn’t really occurred to him that he’d actually have to walk the red carpet. That he would be there as Blake’s boyfriend. That there would be reporters and bloggers and people scrutinizing them. Fuck. He wasn’t anybody. He wasn’t famous. He was just some guy who worked at a coffee shop that happened to go to school with a dude from a boy band. It was by accident he’d got himself on the show.

As he fumbled with his tie for the third time he was just about ready to throw the damn thing across the room, when he felt deft fingers slip around his collar and Blake appeared behind him. “It’s going to be fine,” he murmured in his ear as he expertly knotted the tie. He felt warm and reassuring with his chest pressed against Elion’s back. “I’ll be right there with you, I promise.”

Elion took a shaky breath and gave him half a smile. “You must be used to this by now,” he said.

Blake shook his head. “Just learned how to deal with it.” He smoothed the finished tie down and turned Elion to take in his finished look. They were about the same height; Blake was an inch or two taller, but it was easy for Elion to look into his eyes. “Perfect,” he said, holding his hands.

Elion was a bag of nerves. Part of him wanted to seize Blake and kiss him senseless, demanding that they date for real and take him to bed to utterly ravish him. The other was so scared that he was about to set a foot wrong with some unknown etiquette that he thought he was going to puke.

“Shall we go down to the lobby?” he asked, stepping away and rubbing his hands on his thighs.

Blake blinked then smiled at him. “Of course.”

On the car journey over, Blake explained how it would work. They would walk the carpet – orange, not red in this instance – and talk with reporters. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” Blake assured him.

Elion knew he was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when Blake took his hand again, he let him.

Then they’d mingle for a cocktail reception, take their seats, and enjoy the show. Blake’s award was about half-way through, so that was the only time he would leave Elion’s side. In the safety of the auditorium though, Elion didn’t think he would mind that so much.

Then there would be the inevitable after parties. As the ceremony was starting in the late afternoon, there were apparently several events Blake was expected to attend. But Elion would deal with that when the time came. For now, it was time to get out of the car.

The cameras started flashing as soon as the door opened. Elion’s heart raced in his chest as he slid out after Blake. He didn’t let go of Elion’s hand as they stood, waving to the crowds with his other free hand.

The show was being held at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. It was a big, square, red and cream building with palm trees swaying along the exterior walls. The carpet was indeed orange and stretched out before them towards the main entrance of the arena.

Blake’s laughter as people screamed for him was infectious and Elion felt himself relaxing. People were chanting for their attention. There was a chorus of ‘Oh oh oohh!’ that dozens of people sang at the top of their lungs.

Apparently, their ‘ship’ name was Belion. As they slowly made their way along the carpet, Elion could see people had made signs.

“We love you Belion!” some tearful girls screamed at them. Blake ignored the first few reporters hanging over the railings and took Elion to go say hi to the fans.

Like at the airport, the sobbing, shaking girls wanted both of their autographs, which Elion couldn’t quite believe. But he followed Blake’s lead, talking to each girl in turn and giving them a hug once he’d signed whatever they had in their hands.

“It’s so great to meet you,” he said over and over, meaning it ever time.

The reporters were still calling out to them. But before he and Blake had a chance to move over to them, there was a hurtling ball of black suit and curly hair that launched itself onto Blake’s back.

“DUDE!” the excitable ball screeched. Blake roared back in his face as he turned and hugged him with lots of back slapping. The cameras – both from Feet of Flames and all kinds of other shows – swarmed around them to capture the moment Blake and Joey from Below Zero reunited.

Elion stepped back gracefully. He was happy for them as they talked over one another, saying how much they’d missed each other. The reporters and bloggers were keen to ask them many questions and the guys stood with their arms slug over each other’s shoulders to answer them. The crowd started singing ‘Oh oh oohh!” again.

Elion had never asked about Joey. He was openly gay and by all accounts Blake’s best friend. Was there more to it than that?

Joey was cute, there was no denying it. He had a mop of blond highlighted curls and green eyes that sparkled. Smaller in almost every way than Blake, he also had a baby face and had always been marketed as the ‘cute’ one of the band.

Maybe that was who Blake would rather be with if he was actually bi. At this juncture, Elion was convinced it wasn’t a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’ he felt able to come out. So, when he did, was Elion just the warm up so he could go back to Joey?

The thought stung and made his nausea come back in full force. But if that was the case, he resolutely promised himself that he’d accept that with humility. He was here to support Blake through the show and his self-discovery. The chances of Elion being his ‘happy ever after’ were never very high.

Except Blake suddenly looked around confused, ignoring the reporter who currently had a microphone in his face. He stopped searching once he spotted Elion. “Come here,” he cried, waving him over eagerly.

Elion almost checked behind himself to see if Blake meant somebody else. But he didn’t. He was looking right at Elion.

So he eased his way through the small throng that had gathered and stood by Blake’s side. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around his waist and kiss him on the temple. “Joey, this is my boyfriend, Elion.”

Joey managed a handshake before the questions started up again. This time, some were even directed towards Elion. They were mostly what he thought about Blake and his dancing, rather than about himself. But that was fine. Because Blake’s hand didn’t leave his hip the entire time and his thumb rubbed in little circles, reassuring Elion that he wasn’t going anywhere.

The rest of the orange carpet was a whirl. Elion lost track of the number of truly famous people he saw. Some even came over to say hello, which stunned Elion into silence most of the time. Blake did a great job mingling with everyone though, and his hand only left Elion’s waist to take his hand so they could move around more easily together.

Joey stuck by them, not close enough to be intrusive, but near enough to pop back in whenever people wanted Below Zero photos. He was good at playing the crowd.

Eventually, they made it into the Galen Center building and out of the sunshine. Elion had sort of wished he’d brought shades with him, but apparently that would look bad in photos. Better to squint and have your face seen. But the a/c was a nice relief as much as the champagne flute pressed into his hand by a waitress.

“Cheers,” said Blake, holding up his own glass.

Elion licked his lips and lightly chinked the two flutes together. “Salud,” he toasted back.

They mingled for a little while but then Blake was accosted by a biracial girl he was sure was from a British girl band. He was about to follow them as he had been doing for the rest of the afternoon, when he felt a tug on his arm.

“I’ll entertain him for a minute,” said Joey brightly, shooing Blake and the girl away.

Elion suddenly felt nervous. He chewed on his lip as Joey steered them to swap their empty glasses for full ones.

“So, you know what I’m going to ask,” he said once they were a little away from anyone who might overhear.

“How I get my hair so shiny?” Elion suggested, attempting to cover up his nerves. “Because it’s just coconut oil, my friend.” 

Joey’s mouth twitched at the corner, but he didn’t smile. “Blake said it was all fake.”

Elion threw up his free hand and darted his eyes left and right to see if anyone had heard. “Look, it wasn’t our fault, okay. We were tricked. But we have to keep it up for now. Please don’t make Blake out to be a liar.”

Joey watched him for a moment, then sipped his champagne. “So it’s true?”

Elion took a larger gulp of his own drink. “It’s…complicated.”

“Because,” said Joey, leaning in and slipping his hand across Elion’s back. “He looks at you like you hung the moon.”

Elion just stared as Joey moved away again and smiled at him. “Huh?” he uttered.

“Are you telling me you two haven’t…” He let the pause do the talking. “At all?”

Elion obviously had a terrible poker face, because Joey grinned at him. “Okay,” he said hastily. He had no idea if he was making a terrible mess of things or not. “Blake’s figuring some stuff out, and I’m helping him. He’s my friend and I want him to be happy, but he needs to do some soul searching and work out some things about himself.”

“He’s bi,” said Joey bluntly. “And I’m almost certain he’s demi too.” He touched Elion’s arm affectionately. “You must be pretty special.”

Elion couldn’t help but look over to where Blake was taking photos with the girl band. “Really?” he said faintly.

Joey shrugged when he turned back to him. “I’ve known him a pretty long time. I’ve never seen him get like this with anyone.” He rolled his eyes fondly. “He talks about you all the time.” 

That made Elion laugh, but also he felt like firecrackers were going off in his chest. Did this mean he really had a chance?

“Question is,” said Joey, arching an eyebrow, “how do you feel about him?”

“Oh man, I’m crazy about him,” he said in one rushed breath. He probably should have kept his fat mouth shut, but if what Joey was saying was true, he didn’t want Blake’s BFF to be in any doubt of his intentions. “I can’t…” He shook his head. “I’m going along with this fake thing because I don’t want to lose him. But…do you think I really have a shot if I made a move? For real?”

He could hear the desperation in his voice, but he had a feeling that went in his favor as Joey slipped his arm around his shoulders. “I think you do. Don’t let that ridiculous show get in the way of something real. Blake might need just a bit of help to be brave for this one.”

Elion looked him square in the eye. “And I wouldn’t be getting in your way if I did that?”

Thankfully, Joey laughed loud enough to get the attention of several people around them. But he kept his voice low to talk to Elion. “He’s my brother. I love him more than pretty much anyone on the planet. But no, you’re not getting in my way. In fact, you have my blessing,” he said with a wink.

Relief coursed through Elion’s body. “Thanks, man,” he mumbled.

Joey shook his head. “Don’t mention it. Now how about we go rescue your beau before those girls eat him alive?”

Elion fully endorsed that plan.

 

Blake

 

Blake had been a little nervous as to why Joey had wanted to talk to Elion alone. But the two of them had come sauntering back over with smiles on their faces, relaxed and happy. So it couldn’t have been that bad.

Shortly after they’d been able to take their seats. The inside of the auditorium was decorated like some sort of Dr. Seuss wonderland, with whacky shapes and bright colors forming the basis of the stage and the areas around it.

“Wow,” said Elion, craning his neck to take it all in. Blake squeezed his hand, so happy he was able to share this with him. It was funny. He would have sworn that when the band had split, he wouldn’t miss this side of things. But here with Elion and Joey he was having a wonderful evening.

“Thank you,” he whispered in his ear. “For being here.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Elion replied a little bashfully.

He sat in between Elion and Joey, who was on the aisle end. That was so the two of them could slip out easily enough when it was their turn to go present. He was a little nervous, but that was always the way when he wasn’t just dancing. He was sure he could read the tele-prompter okay without fumbling.

As the lights dimmed and the show started Elion watched everything with the eagerness of a child at Christmas. Blake found himself paying attention to him over the performers and presenters half the time. His joy was infectious.  Blake felt his heart swelling.

All too soon, Joey nudged him. “We’d better go.”

He was practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect at getting on the stage. Blake hadn’t had the heart to ask how his latest round of auditions had gone. The fact he hadn’t told Blake about any successes spoke volumes. Blake hoped desperately that he’d get something soon. He was made for the limelight. Mundanity would make him wither away.

He shelved those melancholy thoughts as he jogged up the steps backstage. This night was about having fun, not about stressing over the future.

He and Joey were shuffled from mark to mark and given the envelope with the winner of their category. They brushed shoulders with Hollywood actors and sports stars as P.A.s herded them all where they needed to be. A Canadian rock band were currently tearing up the stage.

“It’s good to be doing this again,” he said in Joey’s ear. He turned and grinned at him.

“Hell yeah, bro,” he said, slapping his shoulder.

As their names were called by the presenter, Blake winked at Joey and they stepped into the glaring lights, smiling and waving to the screaming crowd. Blake couldn’t see Elion, but he looked where he thought he was probably sitting anyway.

They jogged to the podium and waited for the applause to die down. “Hello!” Joey read from the tele-prompter. “Good evening California. Thank you for having us!”

Blake beamed and glanced at his cue. “And thank you for helping us get the band back together. Two out of five ain’t bad, huh?”

The crowd obediently laughed, thank God.

“We’re here to present the award for Best Squad,” said Joey, showing them the envelope in his hands. “Blake and I were lucky enough to be part of a kick ass squad. So we’re proud to announce the awesome nominees.”

Blake looked at the tele-prompter. He could see the words perfectly clearly. But something took over him.

“You know what though?” he said.

He felt Joey stiffen beside him for going off book. But he didn’t care. He had a platform, and he had something to say.

“Our incredible days with Below Zero may have come to an end. But Joey and I are part of another squad now. A…squad that’s new to me.”

He could feel the tension in the room. People were probably wondering what the hell he was doing.

“I recently came out as bisexual,” he said. And by ‘recently’ – to himself – he meant right that very second. It was time to stop pretending. The crowd started clapping. He used that to galvanize him. “And it was tough. But it’s something kids all over the world have to do every day.

“I don’t know if I could have managed it without my friends.” He looked to Joey, then out where he hoped Elion was. “Not every kid has that.” The applause was really mounting now. People were cheering and he felt himself shaking. He leaned closed to the microphone.

“So while we’re thrilled to announce which amazing squad has won the award this year, Joey and I are also part of the LGBT Plus Squad. It’s got millions of members. They speak a hundred different languages and are every skin color you can think of. They’re rich and poor. Some of them have religion to guide them, and some…” Fuck it. He was going there. “Some of them have religion working against them. Whoever you are, if you’re queer, you’re part of our squad. Right, Joey?”

“Hell yeah!” Joey practically shouted into the microphone. The crowd was deafening now.

“Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me. I hope you’ll show it to the rest of our squad too. Today, and every day.” 

Joey was applauding him, shaking his head. Blake grinned. He felt like he might pass out.

“Now how about those nominees, huh?”

The crowd cheered again over their applause. But before he or Joey could read out the names, he was hit over the head with a downpour of cold, green slime.

He screamed and so did Joey as the audience went wild. Getting slimed at the Kids’ Choice Awards was one of their highest honors. It meant that you mattered. But it was also absolutely disgusting.

Blake could only laugh as Joey, ever the professional, wiped his eyes and read out the contenders. Blake cleaned his eyes and spat out gunk and tried to pay attention. But he was shaking too badly.

Adrenaline was making him giddy. He’d just come out, officially, to the whole world. People could argue that he’d already done that on the show. But that hadn’t been real. This…this was him finally giving up the fight.

It was going to be hard, and there was no going back now, but holy shit he was glad.

All he could think about was getting cleaned up and getting to Elion.

The winners – the cast of some dystopian young adult film – were crowding onto the stage, giving air kisses to him and Joey and trying to avoid the slime. Within minutes they were waving their way back stage once again as the crew raced onto the stage to clear up the goop before the next act performed.

As soon as they were in the wings Joey launched himself at Blake for an extremely squidgy hug. “Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?” he wailed. “That was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen!”

“Yeah?” Blake said, feeling like he was asking the question Joey was already answering. “It was okay?”

“It was fucking epic,” Joey cried as P.A.s attacked them towels so they at least weren’t dripping goo all over the place. “So?”

“So, what?” Blake asked. He was still trembling and his brain wasn’t working all that well.

“Sooo,” said Joey. “Are you going to go get your man now?”

Warmth blossomed in Blake’s chest. “Try and stop me.”

***

Most people who got slimed were escorted to a shower area and offered a clean and dry set of clothes for the rest of the evening. Blake had skipped that. As soon as he was no longer saturated with gunk, he tore from back stage into the auditorium. Elion was engrossed in watching Little Mix as he approached.

Blake leaned over the seats. “Hey handsome,” he said, making Elion jump. He went from surprise to mirth as he took in Blake’s disheveled appearance.

“Oh my God,” he sniggered, slapping his hand over his mouth. “Don’t you look gorgeous?”

“What a coincidence,” said Blake. His heartbeat was slamming in his ears. “So do you. Do you want to get out of here?”

Slowly, the amusement fell from Elion’s face. He looked up at Blake with confusion, disbelief, then finally, he gulped.

“Uh, yeah,” he rasped. Hastily, he rose from his seat. He checked that neither of them had left anything behind, then followed Blake from the arena.

Their car wasn’t that hard to locate once Blake had made the call. Unlike when he left with everyone else at a normal event, their car was the only one to pull up to the curb when he and Elion trotted down the steps of the venue.

“I’ll pay for any damage to the upholstery,” he said by way of a greeting to the driver. “Is that okay?”

The guy shrugged. “Sure man, whatever you say.”

Blake let Elion slide in first, then took his jacket off, turned it so the dry side was on the seat, and sat himself on the backseat. Elion kept looking at him throughout the drive, but Blake didn’t trust himself to say anything when they weren’t alone. Instead, he offered his hand which Elion took, and held it tight until they reached the hotel.

Staff gave him an alarmed look as they crossed the lobby. Blake saluted at them. “I promise I won’t touch a single thing,” he said. He felt like he was drunk. But those couple of glasses of champagne had been ages ago. He was completely in his right mind as he led Elion into the elevator and jabbed the button for their floor.

They still didn’t speak, but it felt like electricity was sparking between them. Crackling off the walls. Promising what was to come.

Luckily Blake had been instructed to leave his wallet and phone backstage with a P.A., so their hotel key card had been safe from the slime. He felt absolutely vile. His clothes were stiff and sticky from dried goo, his skin was itchy and his hair actually hurt where it pulled against his head. Yet none of that mattered.

All that mattered was the heated look Elion gave him as the door blissfully swung inwards.

“Did you mean that?” he asked. He grabbed Blake’s hand and pulled him into the room. “What you said. On stage.”

“Yes,” rasped Blake. Elion was still tugging him along. The door slammed shut behind them but Elion’s was focused on his destination. The bathroom.

“So, you’re feeling up for a bit more experimenting?” Elion asked. He bit his lip, which looked difficult considering how broadly he was grinning. “A little bit more education?”

“Please.” Blake’s voice caught in his throat. Elion was already undoing his tie as they stumbled into the bathroom. Blake tried to copy him, but everything was gooey and uncooperative. He growled at his shirt buttons when they refused to do as they were told.

Then Elion captured his mouth in a kiss.

“We’ve got all night,” he said. His voice was laden with promise. “No stress, okay?”

Blake was breathing heavily. “Okay,” he managed as, together, they unraveled the tie and dropped it to the tiled floor with a splat.

Blake leaned over and seized Elion’s mouth for another kiss. Despite the fact they were both in a frantic struggle to get out of their clothes, despite the fact that Blake knew his skin still carried the plastic taste of goop, he had to kiss him.

He’d never shared a shower before; he imagined it would be really awkward. But like everything with Elion, it felt easy and fun as they pulled off their clothes and stepped under the hot water.

“That was pretty awesome,” said Elion between kisses. “Your little speech. I bet that’ll be all over YouTube by tomorrow.”

Blake’s skin was already flushed from the heat of the shower, and the provocation of being naked and rubbing up against Elion’s lithe body. But he blushed again at the praise.

“I just,” he mumbled, “said what was on my mind. For once.”

“I liked it,” said Elion. He showed Blake how much he liked it by sliding his hand over his already hard cock.

Blake uttered something obscene. He wasn’t even sure what, he was too focused on Elion and he gorgeous body and what he was doing with his hand. Tentatively, he reached out and slipped his fingers around Elion’s own shaft. He buckled immediately, only just catching himself from dropping completely by slamming a hand on the wall tiles.

“Oh, fuck, yes, baby.”

His cock was slightly longer and thinner than his own, and it curved a little upwards. But really, it wasn’t too dissimilar. They were both cut and there were the same thick veins and ridges. It was hot to the touch and had a velvety softness to it despite the rigid core. He stroked it, absolutely loving how it made Elion come undone.

“What do you want?” he asked Blake, despite his distracted state. “We can do anything.”

The prospect was daunting. Blake had no idea where to start with a guy. If it had been Lola he probably would have fingered her – she always loved that – then taken her to bed and made love, slowly, until they couldn’t hold back and it was all over in a few frantic thrusts.

The idea of actually fucking with a guy though seemed too much. He almost wanted to wilt at the prospect. Try as he might, he couldn’t really see how you’d get a cock in an ass.

Something must have shown on his face, because Elion let go of his dick and cupped his jaw, kissing him tenderly under the waterfall. “Hey,” he whispered. His face was full of delight and excitement. “You don’t have anything to be worried about. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want. Or you can ask me for whatever you desire.”

The word ‘desire’ short circuited his brain. “I don’t know,” he stuttered. He blinked water away from his eyes and looked into Elion’s brown ones. “I don’t – I-”

“How about,” Elion suggested with a tone akin to a purr. “We get you cleaned off, then I take you back to that big, warm, comfy bed, and we just cuddle.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Naked.”

Blake smiled. He felt ridiculously inexperienced, but Elion didn’t seem to care. “That sounds lovely,” he admitted.

To speed things up, they stepped apart and washed their hair and bodies. But then Elion captured his lips again, hot and needy. It took Blake a second to realize that while they were kissing, he had his fingers between his ass cheeks, cleaning himself.

Blake still wasn’t sure he was up for anything that advanced, but it wouldn’t hurt to give himself a freshen up either. So while Elion was preoccupied, he made sure every inch of his intimate areas were rinsed. That way he was ready for anything.

By the time they shut the water off they were both painfully hard and slightly breathless. Blake dried off in record time, and soon Elion was once again leading him by the hand. This time they were stripped entirely bare, and headed for the bed.

Blake chuckled as they ripped the comforter back and scrambled between the sheets, damp hair splaying over the pillows. They lay side by side and tangled their bodies together as they kissed. Elion used his right hand to capture both their cocks, wrapping his fingers around the shafts and rubbing them together.

Blake spluttered. “Oh God, oh fuck.”

“Good?” Elion was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Blake managed to nod. “So good.”

This was exactly what he wanted. Nothing complicated, but still so intimate. Elion stroked them as they kissed deeply. He tasted of sweet champagne and something uniquely Elion. A kind of spicy muskiness. Blake moaned.

Elion pulled away, just an inch, and squeezed their cocks in a sinful manner. “Can I try something?” he asked. “I’ve never done it, but now seems like a good time and if you don’t like it we can stop, like, right away.”

His eyes sparkled in the dim hotel light. Blake touched his fingertips to his cheek. “You really love sex, don’t you?” he marveled.

“When it’s done right,” Elion said. He gave them a gentle stroke, just enough of a tease to make Blake shudder. “It’s the best way to talk to someone without the bullshit.”

Blake didn’t really get that, but he was having a magnificent time, so he didn’t question it further. “What do you want to do?” he asked. “I’m not sure…I mean. I don’t have any condoms.”

Elion shook his head. “We don’t need that. It’s something I like guys doing to me, but I’ve never done it to someone else.” He pressed their foreheads together, their panting breaths mingling. “I want to eat you out.”

Blake wasn’t sure he heard him right. But…they had just had a shower.

He remembered how amazing the blow job had been, and Lola almost always wanted him to go down on her. She preferred that more than sex half the time. Maybe it could feel good, to have Elion’s tongue and lips working his ass?

“Yes,” he managed to rasp out. “Yes, we can try that. Please.”

Elion groaned and kissed him hungrily. “Just lie on your front and relax. Let me do the hard work.”

Blake nodded and they shifted positions. He was trembling with anticipation, but like before, he trusted Elion. What was the worst that could happen, after all? He was pretty sure it couldn’t hurt. If it felt unpleasant, he’d just ask Elion to stop.

As Elion pulled the covers down and rubbed his hands over his ass cheeks, he did feel horribly exposed. But it was just the two of them, and Elion was soon soothing him by trailing little kisses up the inside of his thigh, inching closer to his hole, tingling with anticipation.

He moaned into the pillow. “Baby,” he gasped.

Lola hadn’t been keen on pet names in the slightest, but he loved it when Elion used the term of endearment on him. It made something warm blossom in his chest and saying it back to him only intensified the feeling. It gave him a sense of belonging, of being complete.

He felt Elion smile against the crease where the top of his thigh met his ass. “Hmm, baby,” he agreed.

Blake did his best not to flinch when Elion pulled his cheeks apart, exposing his hole to the air. He took his time though, massaging his hands into Blake’s skin as he kissed around the puckered flesh.

There was nothing that could have contained the filthy groan Blake let loose as Elion licked his tongue over the entrance. “Holy shit, that’s incredible,” he whimpered. He wouldn’t have even thought to suggest doing this, let alone had the courage to, if Elion hadn’t voiced the idea. Fuck was he glad he had.

“Yeah?” Elion asked, doing it again, kissing and sucking his flesh.

Blake thought his string of profanities was probably proof enough he was enjoying himself. “Yes, feels amazing,” he said. He rutted his throbbing cock against the sheets. There was a good chance he could come like this.

Elion hummed against him. He began to probe with his tongue, slipping it through the rim of Blake’s tight ring of muscle.

“Elion,” he gasped, clutching at the sheets.

Elion kept at it for another few minutes until Blake could hardly remember his name. Then he pulled away, crawling up the bed. “I want to come together,” he said through swollen lips.

Blake didn’t need any encouraging. He grabbed Elion’s shoulders as he moved to face him, hauling their bodies back together and slinging his leg over Elion’s. He wanted to claim all of him.

Their kisses were messy and lips bashed against teeth, but it was perfect. He knew what to do after Elion’s earlier demonstration, so wrapped his larger hand around both their pricks and began to thrust. They were both slippery with pre-cum and it felt even better than before.

Elion’s fingers dug into his back and side. He grunted and gasped and wailed.

“Yes, baby, yes,” Blake begged him. He rolled them over so Elion was on his back and Blake loomed over him. He felt like he was getting the hang of this now and his confidence made everything even more intense. Elion arched up into him, rubbing his cock desperately against Blake’s and his hand gripping them tightly.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he moaned. He leaned up and kissed Blake once before dropping his head back to the pillow and looking up at him wantonly. “Are you going to make me come?”

“Yeah,” Blake grunted.

“Do it, baby. I’m all yours. Fuck I’m all yours.”

A possessive wave of lust rolled over Blake. Elion was his. And he was Elion’s. The rest of the world didn’t matter in that moment. It all came down to the phenomenal pleasure they were giving one another.

“I’m going to come,” he panted.

“Yes,” begged Elion. “Come all over me.”

The idea of his spunk over Elion’s body woke up something primal in Blake. It tipped him over the brink, his orgasm exploding and robbing him of his sight as he rode it out. Elion came just a few thrusts later. But Blake didn’t let go of their cocks until they were fully soft again and exhaustion covered him like a blanket.

He almost flopped on top of Elion but he managed to roll to one side before he hit the mattress. They were a sticky mess, but he didn’t care. Instead he took Elion’s face in his hand and kissed him softly. “That was incredible,” he whispered.

Elion smiled sleepily back at him. “I want to say that we’re only just getting started. But, damn, yeah, that was awesome.”

Conveniently, there were boxes of tissues on either side of the bed. So they didn’t have to move far in order to get something to mop up their mess with. Once they were dry enough, Blake leaned down to pull up the blankets again over their bodies.

“Come here,” he said. “Turn around.”

Elion allowed himself to be spooned. “I love it when you get bossy,” he said, wriggling against him so they were pressed together as much as possible.

“Yeah?” Blake asked, his eyelids already drooping. He felt like he’d just done a serious work out.

“Yeah,” Elion repeated. “Maybe next time we can try a little more of that.”

Next time. Blake realized that wasn’t as scary as he thought it might be. He wanted more of this with Elion, no question. Sex didn’t feel like an obligation with him in the slightest. It felt like a gift. Something he yearned for.

He wanted Elion in his bed and in his heart, as much as he could possibly manage.

From his steady breathing, he figured Elion must have passed out already. Sleep wasn’t far off for Blake either. He had no need to fight it.

He felt content to his bones with Elion snuggled tightly in his arms.

It was too soon and he didn’t want to jinx anything. But as he drifted into unconsciousness his last thought was that maybe, perhaps, he was falling in love.

And that it was wonderful.

 

Elion

 

Elion was awoken suddenly by the obnoxious ring of the telephone. It took him a moment to orient himself and remember where he was…and what had happened.

He had a split second to indulge in the dizzying joy at realizing it hadn’t been a dream. He and Blake really had had sex last night. Then his fumbling hand latched on to the receiver and he plucked the phone from its cradle, thankfully killing the ringer.

“Hello?” he mumbled. What time was it? Where was his phone?

“Mr. Jackson?”

“This is his room, yes,” said Elion. He sat up and rubbed his face. Mr. Jackson himself was stirring beside him. Elion couldn’t help but reach over and stroke his lovely blond hair back. Fuck. How had he got so lucky? Did this mean things had changed between them; were they really dating now?

The guy at the end of the line was still talking, saying something about calling from reception.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“I said this is a message to let Mr. Jackson know his car has arrived.”

“Huh?” He looked around for his cell again, but neither his nor Blake’s were in sight. Presumably, they had got dropped along the way during their hasty striptease. “What time is it?”

“Eleven o’clock, Sir.”

“Fuck!” Elion yelped. He didn’t bother saying goodbye to the concierge. He just slammed the phone down and shook Blake’s shoulder. “Baby, we gotta go,” he cried, laughing. “We’re late, we have to get to the airport!”

Blake blinked at him, all ruffled and cute like a baby owl. Elion couldn’t resist swooping down for a quick kiss. “Wha-?” he mumbled.

“We overslept,” said Elion, throwing himself out of bed. There was no need to be shy at his nakedness now. Blake had already seen it all. He hauled his suitcase from the corner where he’d stashed it and yanked on the first pair of briefs and jeans he laid his hands on.

“Oh shit,” Blake grumbled. He rolled off the bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. “Give me a minute.”

Blake was apparently one of those people who was slow to surface and grumpy while he did it. Elion loved that he knew that now. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though. Instead, he helped him out by packing while Blake managed to pull on sweatpants and a t-shirt.

His body felt like it got more gorgeous every time Elion glimpsed it. He hoped beyond hope he was just at the start of seeing it a hell of a lot more.

He wasn’t used to the desperate want that had settled in his chest. He was craving Blake now, like he imagined drug addicts did. He needed him. The feeling was new and completely terrifying.

This is why he stuck to hookups. Far safer to just deal in sex and guard your heart. But there wasn’t much use fighting the way he felt for Blake now. Not after last night.

As they flew around and packed up their toothbrushes and discarded suit pants, Elion reminded himself he still didn’t know where they stood. Sure, Blake may have come out quite spectacularly last night. But just because he’d accepted he was bisexual didn’t mean he wanted to seriously date Elion. For all he knew, he was still Blake’s guy experiment, his gateway into dating other guys. For real.

There was no time to even contemplate discussing how he felt as they zipped their suitcase shut and headed out the door. Blake laughed at Elion as he suddenly dropped to his belly and checked the floor under the bed.

“It’s always worth looking,” Elion said, grinning as Blake tried to tease him. Wherever they were at, at least it wasn’t awkward. They’d had sex twice now, and Blake still grabbed his hand as they hurried down the corridor towards the elevator. Blake limped slightly on his bad foot, but on the whole, he had made a great recovery so far.

Doubt was circling Elion like water round a drain though. The way those people had cheered for Blake as he’d given his speech. They’d loved him. They were his peers and they’d been proud of him. Elion hoped nobody had seen him surreptitiously wiping his eyes at the end.

But they wouldn’t want him dating some Hispanic coffee barista with pink hair, surely? They’d want to see him with an actor, or singer, or someone else in the public eye. They’d want to ship him with other all-American hunks and write Fan Fiction about them.

“Hey?” said Blake quizzically as they stepped out into the lobby. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” said Elion hurriedly as they rushed to their car. “Just worried about the flight.”

Blake stopped and pulled him in for a kiss. Elion was so stunned he just froze and let it happen. Several people stared.

“Obviously we want to make it,” said Blake, tugging on his hand to get them moving again. “But if we miss it, we’ll just get the next one, okay?”

Something clenched in Elion’s chest. He wasn’t used to anybody looking after him, not like that. His mom and him did things as a team usually, but lately, he’d been the one doing a lot more of the caregiving. It felt really nice to have Blake just assure him he’d fix a problem if it arose. It didn’t hurt he was rich and didn’t have to think about wasting money like that.

“Let’s still try and make it, yeah,” said Elion. He didn’t want to take Blake’s generosity for granted. He squeezed his hand to show his appreciation though.

He didn’t feel comfortable talking about personal stuff in the cab, so he and Blake just sat listening to the radio. At least their hands were still entwined. They had to run through the airport check-in and security, only stopping for a couple of different fans who wanted photos.

No matter how stressed they were, Blake always stopped for them. It made Elion’s heart swell.

He tried to think about how many guys he’d been with in the past were actually kind. He wondered now if that was why he’d never really got anywhere far with anyone before.

They never got a moment just to themselves. There was always other people in earshot, forcing the questions Elion had burning inside back down his throat. What does this mean? For us? That’s all he wanted to say.

His hesitancy meant that before he knew it, the taxi from Cincinnati International was dropping him off outside his mom’s house. At least Blake gave him a kiss goodbye.

“I have class,” he said as he escorted Elion out of the cab. He sounded genuinely sorry for leaving Elion alone. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“It’s okay,” he assured him. “I have to do some house stuff and probably sleep.” He laughed and was pleased to see Blake’s cheeks flush a little. “Text me later?”

“Of course.”

With another kiss, he was gone.

***

The dance show was fast approaching, which meant extra lessons so the kids would be ready. Elion had also had to pick up extra shifts to cover the ones he swapped when he’d gone to L.A. Therefore, he and Blake didn’t see each other for three whole days after they’d parted ways on the curb by his house.

There was a part of Elion that knew he could always text his questions. Or arrange a time to call. But this felt like something he wanted to discuss alone. Face to face, without any cameras.

So when Blake asked if he would like to get together for dinner, Elion let his hopes get up for all of thirty seconds. Then Blake had messaged back to explain Seth wanted him to come over to Elion’s house and meet his mom for a family dinner. With the crew.

Part of him wanted to say no way. He’d never agreed to getting his mom involved with this shit. But there was a little voice in the back of his head that pointed out that he’d love for his mom and Blake to meet. And, so what if the cameras were going to be there? Maybe afterwards he’d get a chance to talk to Blake and clear some things up.

They set the date for the evening after next.

Elion had been apprehensive asking his mom what she thought of inviting a TV crew into her home. So far, she had been pretty cool about him being on the show to a point. She’d always been one to grab opportunities with two hands and have some fun. But whenever Elion mentioned Blake her eyes narrowed.

“You deserve a real boyfriend,” she had argued more times than he could count. The more she said it, the more it hurt. He wanted Blake to be his god-damned boyfriend. But now the prospect was dangling right in front of his nose, he was too chicken shit to ask.

The opportunity of being allow to meet and – more importantly – feed Blake had perked his mom right up. Especially when Blake told him Seth had specifically asked for traditional Mexican food. Elion had a horrible feeling they might have an ulterior motive and were going to play some racism card. But Blake assured him it would be alright and that he was really excited about home-cooked enchiladas.

He hadn’t brought up the sex in L.A., but then neither had Elion. He was pretty sure Blake had loved it as much as he had. It had been utterly thrilling going down on him like that. But at the moment it was feeling like the elephant in the room. He hoped again that at some point during this dinner, they would be able to sneak a moment to themselves.

“Do you think it looks okay?” his mom asked for the sixth time, biting her thumbnail. The kitchen-dining area was gleaming. She’d spent the two-and-a-half-days since the date had been set cleaning like a woman possessed and cooking up enough food to feed an army.

He slung his arm around her and squeezed. “It looks great,” he assured her. They had the best plates out and the fancy little dishes for appetizers that normally only served as decorations. The room had smelled of lemon and pine before scents of dinner overpowered it, and the windows and mirrors were sparkling. Elion had helped as best he could, but his mom had taken it as her own personal point of pride to make her home camera and boyfriend ready.

Elion had washed his own bedsheets. Just in case.

He stood with his mom a minute without speaking as they listened to the radio softly playing in the background. He wanted her to feel relaxed, but he was nervous himself.

“Is he nice to you?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Elion sighed. She was the only person aside from Joey who knew the whole thing was a total sham. Devon at work might have had her suspicions, but Elion couldn’t help confessing to his mom as soon as everything went down. She didn’t know the steps they’d made in taking their relationship closer to something real.

She didn’t know Elion was falling in love for real.

“He’s great, Mom,” he assured her. “It started out wanting to help him out after what the show did to us, but now…” He sighed. “We’re friends, I’m sure.”

She bumped him with her hip. “Maybe more than friends?”

“Mom,” he protested, rolling his eyes.

“What!” she cried, swatting his arm. “I watch the show. I know you say they edit it a lot, but it looks like there’s something there.”

He bit his lip. “How about a beer?” he asked, going to the fridge.

“You’re not distracting me that easily,” she scoffed. She folded her arms and pursed her lips. “He’s handsome and rich.”

“And sweet and talented,” Elion jumped in a little too quickly. But he didn’t want her thinking this was superficial. “Alright, yeah. I’d really like there to be something more between us. More than just the show. But this is all new to him. At the start he didn’t think he was actually bi.”

“With you as his fake boyfriend?” His mom tutted and took her beer from him as he held it out. “So he’s stupid, but at least he’s pretty.”

“Mom,” he growled as his ears went hot. “Please don’t say stuff like that to him, okay? His parents can be kind of dicks.”

Her face softened. “You really do like him, don’t you?” Instead of answering, he took a swig of his beer. She sighed and reached up to rub his back. “Well, we’ll show him a great time tonight, okay? I’ll be the best mother-in-law he ever saw. He’ll have no choice but to fall head-over-heels in love with you.”

He definitely blushed at that. “Oh God, why did I ever agree to put you in front of the cameras,” he wailed in mock anguish. “If you get out any baby photos I’ll never speak to you again.”

She pinched his cheek then stood on her tiptoes to plant a noisy smacking kiss there. “Don’t be ashamed of your mother. I brought you into this world.”

He felt a rush of strong emotions, all tangled up together. He was so thankful for his mom’s support and in knots about him and Blake. He didn’t really know how to articulate any of that though. So instead, he just pulled her over for a hug.

She patted his back. “It’s okay, buba.”

Before they could say anything more, the doorbell rang. Elion took a deep breath and stood up straight.

“Okay,” he said. He and his mom looked at each other. “Here we go.”

 

Blake

 

Blake stepped back from the doorbell and fiddled with Watson’s leash in his hands. Kala stood beside him with the half a dozen crew laden down with cameras, lights and sound equipment. She gave him a wink.

“Excited to meet the in-laws?” she asked.

He rolled his eyes. “It would be much better without you lot,” he said. She just grinned broader.

Elion lived in a fairly typical neighborhood for Perryville. The one-story houses were all set back behind neat front yards that were all just one long continuous run of grass. Telephone poles and power lines ran the length of the street on both sides. Every other house had a great oak tree standing proud and tall by the sidewalk.

Elion – or more likely, Elion’s mom – had pots of pretty pink flowers lining the exterior wall out front. They waved cheerily in the warm evening breeze.

The door flew open and Blake’s heart jumped into his throat. Having not seen Elion for a few days he seemed extra beautiful today, even though he was just wearing a simple Henley and jeans.

“Hey,” he breathed out. Watson strained on her leash and barked.

Before they could even think about embracing, Kala and all the crew but one camera operator pushed their way inside. “Nope, you know the rules. Let us set up then you can do that again.”

Blake blinked as the door was slammed in his face. Watson looked up at him with a quizzical expression. “Yeah, I know, it’s dumb,” he grumbled. She wagged her tail and head butted him in what was undoubtedly a show of support. He smiled and scratched between her soft, floppy ears.

The camera operator angled himself in front of him and Blake zoned out while he waited for the all clear again. He was nervous, which was kind of stupid. But he and Elion hadn’t had any time together since L.A. and it was undeniable things had changed.

His heart ached at them being apart. Like an actual strained muscle. Blake found himself absently rubbing his chest to try and make it go away. His ankle was all but healed, and in comparison didn’t hurt half as much.

Now he had to stand there and wait for the stupid cameras and lights to get in place before he could give his damn boyfriend a hug.

He loved referring to Elion as his boyfriend. Not like before, where the word scared him. Now it made him feel secure and wanted and…loved.

He was probably going to have to accept the L word soon enough, but one step at a time. Tonight, he just had to get through dinner.

Eventually the door reopened. This time there was nothing stopping him hopping eagerly up the front step and slipped his arms possessively around Elion’s waist and back, breathing his scent in deeply.

“I missed you,” he mumbled into his neck. The mics would pick it up, but he didn’t care. Let them.

Elion pulled apart and smiled brightly at him before pecking a kiss to his lips. “I am adorable,” he said.

That was all the greeting he was allowed though before Watson’s demands became too incessant. Elion laughed as he reached down and gave her a cuddle. “Do you want to meet my mom? Do you?”

They untangled themselves from her leash then let her off. She went charging down the corridor, past the rest of the crew, into the room on the left. There was music playing quietly, but as he and Elion got closer, someone turned it off. The sudden silence felt slightly awkward.

The room on the left turned out to be a kitchen/dining room combination, and a middle-aged Latina woman was stood waiting for them with her hands clasped anxiously around the neck of a beer bottle. She was plump with an angular face and cropped hair immaculately cut and styled. She had nice pants and light-knit buttoned sweater on with boots that Blake guessed normally wouldn’t be worn inside her pristine house.

As soon as she saw Blake walk in, lead hand in hand by Elion, she put down her beer and covered her mouth with her hands. “You must be Blake,” she said once she’d regained her composure and stepped over to greet him. He held out his hand, but she only used that to pull him down into a hug.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Rodriguez,” he said. He wasn’t used to being manhandled into an embrace like that, certainly not by his own mother. It took him by surprise.

“Now, now, none of that,” she said releasing him. She held him by the shoulders and inspected his face. “Call me Luciana, or Lucy’s even better.” She had a slight accent, but not strong. She certainly didn’t seem to struggle with speaking English.

He smiled at her. “Okay,” he said. He could hear the nervousness in his voice.

He’d met Lola’s parents a couple of times, mostly when he’d picked her up for homecoming and prom. But in some ways that felt more forced than this. He’d just been a kid then, trying impress her dad under some ridiculous social pretext that he was ‘allowing’ Blake to take his ‘baby girl’ out.

He was an adult now, and he just wanted Lucy to like him. Respect him. So this did feel more authentic, despite the camera crew hovering and the P.A.s hastily adding decorations all around the room. They had come armed with brightly colored Mexican pottery pieces, pillar candles and cacti in pots to dress the set. As much as it pissed him off they wanted it to obviously look as ‘ethnic’ as possible, he had to admit it did look stunning under the lights they’d set up.

It also reminded him that one of the girls was holding something for him. “Oh,” he said, searching for what he was looking for. “These are for you.”

He handed over a large bunch of flowers made of so many colors they were practically a rainbow. Blake suspected that might have been Kala’s aim. Lucy’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Oh, you didn’t need to…” she began.

Blake shook his head. They may have been the show’s idea, but he’d wanted to bring something nice. “Don’t be silly. Wow, it smells wonderful in here!”

Lucy beamed as she put the flowers in a vase. After that, she couldn’t ignore Watson any long as she ran around her legs. “Who have we got here?” She laughed and crouched to pet her. Blake noticed she kept looking self-consciously into the cameras, but hopefully she would get better once she got used to them.

Elion had never mentioned his dad, although he said once he was an only child. Seth had been pissed, wanting a big Mexican family get together to film. But apparently it was just Elion and his mom. That was fine by Blake; he just hoped Kala wouldn’t probe too much.

As usual since the show had got into its own stride, Seth was elsewhere watching the footage on several monitors. He had a dedicated room at the studio now, but Blake thought he had a van set up on the curb for this location shoot. He’d be talking to Kala in her ear no doubt, egging her on.

Lucy was besotted with Watson, having sat completely on the floor now, tickling her belly. Elion smiled and sidled up to wrap his arm around Blake’s waist. “We could never afford a dog,” he said sadly.

Blake had the sudden rash idea of buying them one, or he and Elion having their own little pup and coming regularly to visit Lucy with her. But that was definitely jumping the gun. Instead of saying anything, he just pulled Elion a bit closer and kissed his temple.

Kala soon herded the two of them into the seats and got Lucy dishing up divine smelling food, chatting to her about the dishes she’d made. One of the P.A.s had already poured them three large glasses of the wine from the crate they had brought with them. Blake didn’t drink it much, but he figured it would be perfect for a nice relaxing dinner. Or, at least it would give him a bit of liquid courage for whatever stunt Seth had in mind, because there was bound to be one.

Blake was soon distracted by the mountain of food that was placed before him. He recognized the enchiladas right away, his mouth watering at the spicy tomato aroma. There was also half-moon shaped crispy things, which turned out to be shredded beef empanadas. Guacamole, beans and rice, several different colored salsas, and of course, lots of cheese.

“This looks incredible, Lucy,” he said. Good manners would have meant he’d have said that regardless, but he did mean it. “Did you really make all this?”

“Absolutely,” she said proudly. “Except for the croquettes.” She pointed towards the bowl of deep fried balls. “Martha’s deli does them way better than I ever could, so why bother to compete?”

Blake laughed and reached to dig in. But he found his hands being grabbed by both Elion and Lucy.

Oh, right. They wanted to say grace. Blake wasn’t sure he was comfortable with that.

Church and religion was always used as a kind of punishment in his house. Something other people used as a yard-stick to measure your worth. He didn’t realize Elion was religious. He’d never mentioned anything before. But he seemed perfectly happy joining in with his mom as they intoned a few words.

Kala loved it. She got Marcus and the other camera guy to zoom in on them with their eyes closed. Blake liked that he was seeing a glimpse further into Elion’s everyday life, but he was still glad when it was over.

Elion and his mom didn’t seem to mind that he hadn’t joined in. Instead they let his hands go with smiles.

“What are you waiting for?” Lucy asked happily. “Dig in!”

 

Blake

 

Kala sat herself in the fourth seat so she could produce them from off camera while they ate. She tried to decline when Lucy offered her a plate laden with a bit of everything from the feast she’d prepared. But Lucy wouldn’t hear of it.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, putting the food in front of her. “Like we could just sit here and make you watch us eat.”

Kala tried to explain that that was their job. But Lucy wasn’t happy until all the crew had at least taken an empanada each. Watson was very happy chewing on a stick of celery by Elion’s feet. He must have slipped it to her. Blake smiled. The two of them certainly had bonded.

Finally, Lucy settled herself down. Blake had already finished his first enchilada. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he’d started. He felt bad as Lucy made him take another before she had one herself.

“You must burn a lot of calories, with all that dancing you do,” she said, shaking her head. “Gosh, I just love watching you on the show. No wonder Elion fell for you.”

Blake chuckled as Elion threw her a ‘shut up now!’ look. He couldn’t help but feel it was a bit late for that now though. He’d be pretty upset if Elion didn’t like him like that.

“How’s your ankle doing?” Elion asked instead, changing the topic.

Blake nodded as he sipped his wine. “Much better, thank you. I should be back to normal next week.”

“Thank God,” said Lucy, scowling. “Nasty business if you ask me. Elion told me about the stalker letters you’ve been getting. Do you think they’re related?”

He hadn’t actually considered that until now. He still firmly suspected it had been the crew creating drama for the show. He didn’t want to say that on camera though. “I’m sure it was just an accident,” he said, dipping a tortilla chip into one of the brown salsas that he assumed was made from beans.

The spice hit the back of his throat and he coughed immediately. Elion and his mom laughed good-naturedly at his suffering. “Sorry, I should have warned you,” said Elion, rubbing his back.

He wanted water, but there was none on the table. Kala passed him his newly topped-up wine instead. In fact, they all had full glasses again. When had that happened?

“So you’re a fan of the show, Mrs. Rodriguez?” she asked.

Lucy nodded. “Oh yes.” Kala prompted her to address Blake directly, so she repeated herself for the camera’s sake. “I wasn’t sure about Elion getting involved at first. But you boys seem to really like each other.”

Elion tensed up beside Blake. Was he worried she might say something bad? Like what?

A cold, nasty thought slipped into his brain. Maybe he didn’t like Blake the way he liked him? What if it was all just an act, to stay on the show? He’d admitted he liked sex for its own sake too. Was there no emotion behind it? He chewed his lip. Surely Elion wouldn’t do that to him, would he?

He wanted to assure Lucy that, yes, they did like each other very much. But doubt held the words hostage in his throat.

“How do you feel about your son being gay, Mrs. Rodriguez?” Kala jumped in instead.

Blake’s eyes went wide, wondering if she’d just opened a can of worms. But Lucy snorted and took another mouthful of red wine. “Poor thing,” she said, taking her son’s hand. “He got himself in a bit of a state when he told me. How old were you, chulo? Fourteen?”

“Thirteen,” said Elion. He’d gone a bit bashful, which was unlike him. Blake leaned over and took his other hand, squeezing it tightly.

Lucy shook her head. “He tells me, like it’s this big thing. ‘Mama,’ he says. ‘I’m gay.’ So I tell him. ‘I know, lindo. You wanna go get ice cream?”

Blake couldn’t help but laugh. There was a lump in his throat which he tried to swallow and he caught Elion’s eye. “That’s pretty cool,” he said. He thought about trying to come out to his own parents, then squashed it down. Tonight wasn’t about them.

“Of course I didn’t really know what that meant; I worried a lot. But then I joined PFLAG.” Her eyes went wide and she grabbed Blake’s wrist. “Do your parents know about PFLAG?” He shook his head, he’d never heard of it. “Oh, it’s this wonderful organization for parents of gay kids and allies and all that.”

“Mom made most of her friends there,” Elion said fondly before taking another bite of his food. Blake had got so wrapped up talking he’d forgotten to keep eating. He took another mouthful of the delicious enchilada so Lucy didn’t think he wasn’t enjoying it.

“I can take your mother,” she said excitedly. Her eyes sparkled the same way Elion’s did when he was happy. “You tell her I’d love to do that.”

Sadly, Blake knew his mom would never be caught dead in a place like that unless it was for a photo op or something. But he thanked Lucy profusely all the same. She chatted on for a while about all the different kinds of people she’d met there. Elion was right, it seemed like it had formed her core social group. Blake thought that was pretty damn amazing.

Her stories allowed him and Elion to eat a fair bit of food. She picked at things, but her wine went down at a quicker rate. The P.A.s never let the glass get more than half empty though.

Blake tried to slow down to begin with. But he figured, as long as he didn’t get wasted, it couldn’t really do any harm. He was having a nice time after all, and the wine felt good thrumming through his veins.

When he’d had his fill of food, he swapped his glass to his other hand and linked his free one with Elion’s. He rested them on the table so the cameras could see.

“Oh,” said Lucy resting her hand on her chest. “You two do look sweet together.”

Blake smiled, blushing a little thanks to the heat of the lights and the wine.

“Elion,” said Kala. Blake had almost forgotten she was there. “How does your dad feel about you and Blake dating?”

Elion snorted into his glass. “Never met him, never will. Don’t care. He probably wouldn’t even know it was me if he ever watched the show.”

Lucy was shaking her head. “His father never even knew Elion’s name,” she explained to Blake. “Took off the second he knew I was pregnant. Just like the rest of the family.” She leaned over in her chair and squeezed her arm tightly around Elion’s shoulder. “It’s always just been us two.”

Blake felt like he’d been hit with a bucket of water. Lucy’s family had disowned her? All of them? He looked at her again and tried to work out how old she might have been when she had given birth, learning to be a mother. He wondered if she might even have been a teenager.

How utterly unforgivable, to leave her to that by herself. And Elion, did they even know him at all?

If they didn’t that was wholly their loss. “They’re all idiots,” he said a little more forcefully than he meant to. But as far as he was concerned, anyone who shunned Elion wasn’t in their right mind.

Lucy smiled, her eyes bright, and she stood up to hug him from behind. “They are idiots, you’re absolutely right. But it’s fine, we don’t need them. We have each other.”

“And me,” said Blake thickly. He saw Elion’s face mouth drop slightly and his eyebrows raise. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. “And PFLAG,” he added to lighten the mood.

Lucy cheered and lifted her glass. “Here’s to good friends and boyfriends,” she cried as she took her seat again. Blake and Elion copied the toast. Blake couldn’t read Elion’s expression and he didn’t want to ask with the cameras rolling. The best he could do was to take his hand again and rub his thumb across the knuckles.

Elion smiled back at him, allowing his nerves to calm little. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if this wasn’t real for Elion. Be heartbroken, he suspected.

“Blake, Elion,” Kala said.

The cameras shifted around from where they’d got Lucy’s hug. Watson moved to avoid getting stepped on and trotted off to lap at the bowl of water Lucy had put down for her.

“How do you feel about the negative reaction you’ve received?”

Blake shook his head stubbornly, noting that the P.A.s were yet again topping up their glasses. “The positive far outweighs the negative,” he said firmly. He cradled Elion’s hand in both of his. His head was swimming from the alcohol, despite all the food he’d eaten. “There’s no way to make everyone like you,” he continued. “Not everyone’s going to be a fan. And sometimes, people like to spend their time spreading hate rather than investing in things they love.” He shook his head. “I don’t get that, but there’s nothing we can do to change it. We’d just rather focus on the people supporting us and the ones we’re helping.”

He looked at Elion who nodded at him. “That’s right. We get messages all the time from kids who say we’ve helped them come out, or even just accept who they are.” He rolled his eyes. “I mean Blake, not me. He’s the famous one.”

Blake scowled. “I wouldn’t even know this side of myself if it wasn’t for you though,” he said. He held Elion’s gaze. Didn’t he see that? He was more special than any of the famous celebrities he’d ever met in his whole career.

He was going to elaborate, but Kala interrupted from behind the camera. “What about this stalker though? Aren’t you worried about the threats you’re getting?”

That sobered Blake up faster than a cold shower and a cup of coffee. Seth had told him that he’d had a word with the police, and that the safest course of action would be to not draw attention to it on the show. What the hell was she doing?

His expression must have showed what he was thinking, because she went on to elaborate. “Your mom told us all about it. She showed us the letters and we had someone from the F.B.I. come in and analyze them with us.” As she spoke, she pulled out a sealed envelope. By now, Blake recognized the style of it, the font type and the color and size of the envelope. His breath caught.

“When did you get this?” he asked. He didn’t want to open it on camera, but there was no way he could wait either.

“This morning,” Kala admitted.

Blake flashed her a glare. “And you’re only just giving it to me now?”

Kala jerked her chin forwards. “We thought Elion might want to open it with you. It seems like this concerns him too now.”

They glanced at each other as Blake opened the letter. If the F.B.I. were really involved, there was no way they would let him open this unsupervised without gloves on. So they’d probably just got some college professor in to act the part with his mom. Or, hell, even just an actor full stop. That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous though.

The last time he’d been tricked into having the letters on him when Elion asked about them. Now, they were opening this one together. Blake couldn’t even vet it first. Even worse, Lucy was right there watching, too.

Blake willed it to just be about him. He didn’t care how disturbing or vile it was. He just didn’t want it to involve Elion.

The universe wasn’t that considerate though.

Why do you do this to me, Blake? the familiar mismatch of cut out letters read.

We could be so happy, I could give you everything.

It’s him or me. Don’t make me chose for you. This doesn’t have to get ugly.

“What does that mean?” Lucy stammered in alarm. She got to her feet, pointing at the note.

“Mom, it’s just a stupid thing, don’t even worry about it,” said Elion hastily. He got up too, so Blake followed. The cameras moved around them like a choreographed ballet.

Lucy was shaking though, tears in her eyes. “No, no,” she cried, jabbing her finger. “They’re threatening you, they want to hurt you.”

“No one’s going to hurt me,” Elion tried to assure her. But she’d had several glasses of wine and probably wasn’t thinking rationally. Besides, Blake had to agree. That sounded horribly ominous.

“I won’t let anyone hurt him, Lucy,” he said vehemently. “I promise.”

Watson was grousing and began winding between his and Elion’s feet.

Lucy was hugging her son and starting to cry though. “You have to protect him,” she snapped angrily at the crew. “This isn’t funny, this isn’t a game. Do you have any idea how wonderful he is? The kind of man he is?”

Kala was standing with them now, her hands raised in the face of Lucy’s angry tears. “I promise you Mrs. Rodriguez, we’ll do everything we can. I didn’t know the letter was going to threaten him-”

“But it has,” she snarled. She scrubbed her face and hiccuped. “He isn’t just some extra in your little show! Do you know what he did when he was just a boy? Do you know how amazing he is?”

“Mom, please.” He tried to grab her hands and calm her down. But she was like a tiger, riled up and baring her teeth.

“When his mother got cancer, when he was supposed to go and live his life and go to college and get out of this town,” she stammered. “He gave up everything we’d saved his whole life to help pay for my treatment. I’m still alive because of my boy, so don’t you dare, don’t you dare-”

She became too upset to speak. Kala grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her, then steered her from the room promising they would call the police right away. Half the crew followed them. The other half stayed with Elion and Blake.