7 comments/  17065 views/  24 favorites

Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 01

By: ChicosTodos



© 2013 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.

-----

NOTE: this story is a sequel to "Roberto the Mechanic Stud".

-----

-----

Danny Giroux-Yeung was finally home.

Well, back at his boyfriend Roberto's home. But to Danny, it felt like his home too.

The slim, short 22 year-old entered the empty one-bedroom apartment and flopped down on the black couch in his business casual attire. It'd been a long, numbing day at his new copywriting job, his first 9-to-5 gig straight after college. The "real world" was so very different from the academic life: corporate jargon, endless meetings about things that went over his head, people politics...it was his second week at work, and he wondered how people had the energy to do this for years.

Danny unhooked the messenger bag from his shoulder, dropped it on the floor, and leaned back against the enveloping couch with a sigh. Looking around the cluttered, barely decorated flat with a big home theatre system and countless pieces of workout gear, he really did wish he shared this home with Roberto.

Though he was tired, he wasn't too tired to smile, to know that he was happy, and lucky. The fact that Roberto Silva, the mechanic stud, was officially, truly his boyfriend was more than reason enough to smile. 

For long, eventful months, the two of them had danced around their feelings for one another, sometimes like the first couple on the dancefloor, other times like moths to searing flame. Attraction, betrayal, reconciliation: they'd been through it all , and they found their way back together, happy ending fulfilled.

Except, of course, life went on, and the reality of beginning a monogamous romantic relationship settled in. Roberto, the 31 year-old head technician and co-owner of a booming local auto shop, had never been monogamous before. Meanwhile, Danny had a boyfriend once, but he hadn't been truly in love like he was now with the mechanic. They were both new at this, at the expectations, boundaries, and challenges that came with being with the person you love.

And tonight, they were about to take another giant step. Roberto was getting off work early so they can go have dinner with Danny's parents. It was an important step, and a stressful one for both of them. 

Right from the start, way before Danny and Roberto realized what they were getting into, way before they told anyone they were dating, the younger man's mother shrewdly figured it all out herself and banned her son from seeing the mechanic. While Roberto's six foot three height, impeccably-sculpted figure, and deep-set eyes earned him a plethora of swooning female clients, Ms. Yeung only saw trouble for his son. 

Tonight, after months of sneaking out late at night, and sleepover alibis with Danny's best friend Richie. Danny was finally going to introduce Roberto as his boyfriend to his parents. Over the phone last week, after 30 minutes of tense, careful exchanges, Danny either convinced his mother to agree to the meeting, or Ms. Yeung figured it was best to know as much about the enemy as possible. 

As far as the new couple knew, all hell could break loose tonight.

"Honey, I'm home!" Roberto announced as he opened the front door.

Danny laughed and got up to greet his boyfriend, who'd (disappointingly) already changed out of his coveralls into regular jeans and tee. He wondered if Roberto was just joking, or half-joking, or if, like himself, he woke up every day wishing they were right beside each other.

"How was your day?" Danny asked after standing on tiptoe to give Roberto a smooch. The hardworking mechanic dropped his black tool bag and kissed back. He smelled like car grease and paint, as usual. It wasn't the most arousing scent, but Danny was getting used to it. Especially if Roberto was in his navy coveralls.

"Good. It went by quick. Nice to beat traffic for once." He wrapped his arms around Danny's trim waist, rubbing his beard on his boyfriend's neck. The younger man sighed and hugged Roberto back. "Not looking forward to opening tomorrow though," the mechanic groaned.

"Sorry..." Danny knew his boyfriend would have to do an extra-long day the next day, to make up for the extra-long day that Fred, Roberto's business partner and office manager, pulled today. Secretly, he was planning a surprise to brighten up Roberto's long hours at work.

"It's okay. We gotta do this..." The mechanic gave his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, then starting planting more kisses in a line towards Danny's mouth. "...gotta get it over with."

The younger man chuckled, feeling the same way. His boyfriend's hands started heading south. "You gonna work out before work still? You can work out at home...you haven't tried those blocks yet."

"I might wanna sleep in...after the dinner tonight." The older man slid his padded palms up under Danny's shirt. He loved running his hand possessively all over his lover's slender, supple body. The younger man breathed in deep.

"I hope we survive..." Danny weakly tried to stop his boyfriend's fingers as they circled his hardening nipples. 

"Roberto...go shower..." 

"Relax. We have an hour..." he said, pressing his lips to Danny's and pushing his tongue into his lover's mouth. The younger man moaned in pleasure and enjoyed the kiss for a bit, then broke away.

"We gotta cook still and I don't wanna be late..." he whined, wrinkling his forehead while looking up at Roberto with gleaming green eyes. Roberto loved staring at them, especially when Danny wasn't looking.

"You're always late. Didn't you say your mom is too?" Roberto teased with an evil glint in his eyes. Through Danny's grey slacks, he squeezed his lover's bubble butt; it was another favourite attraction of his. The young man squirmed.

"Hey! Don't push it with my mom," he warned, swatting the mechanic's horny hands away.

"I know how to handle women," he retorted, stripping off his faded tee. Danny had seen his boyfriend's statuesque musculature countless times before, but he was starting to think he'd never get over how goddamn hot Roberto was: his wide, sculpted chest, his thick shoulders, his big, rippling arms, and his ridged eight-pack and obliques. Roberto knew the effect his enviable physique had on everyone; the wide-eyed adulation he got every time from Danny never got old.

"Yeah, but she's my mom. And you know my mom." The younger man nodded with raised eyebrows at Roberto. They both knew she was not the one to trifle with. The mechanic also raised his eyebrows, then pressed his chest against Danny's and craned his head to suck on his lover's neck. Danny whimpered and ran his hands across his boyfriend's tanned, sinewy back.

"Yeah, but this time I have Bacalhau à Brás," Roberto responded, moving up to bite the younger man's earlobe. He'd heard that Ms. Yeung was a food lover and loved to cook, much like Roberto (though he rarely ate much of anything high in sugar, salt, or fat). By preparing one of the authentic Portuguese dishes he'd mastered from his mother, serving it, and talking about the joy of cooking, the mechanic hoped he had a shot at winning over Danny's mom.

"Umm...now I'm hungry," Danny moaned, sure that the codfish would be delicious. Roberto loved to try new recipes, and Danny loved to indulge in his man's considerable culinary skills whenever he came over.

"You're hungry, huh?" Roberto's grin was wide. He pressed his obscene erection against Danny's warm crotch.

"Berto..." Blushing, he pressed his hands against the mechanic's hairy chest and tried pushing him away, even though he was already well aroused.

"You know playing hard-to-get turns me on more, right?" Roberto asked, clasping his hands on Danny's and guiding them down his fur-lined abs.

"Go take a shower, NOW. It's an order," he commanded, freeing his hands to slap the mechanic's hard buttocks. Then he turned Roberto's half-naked body towards the bathroom. "See if that turns you on."

"Baby..." Roberto pouted. He wanted to sneak in a quickie, to relieve the anxiety he'd been sitting on all day while thinking about the dinner.

"Hurry up! I'm serious; I don't want to tick off my mom!" he exclaimed, giving his lover a push on the back, then pointed towards the bathroom. Roberto started walking, then looked back with a sad puppy face, which made Danny burst out laughing. He didn't take the bait though, and the mechanic shuffled away with his head down.

A few minutes later, Danny was in the kitchen cutting up potatoes and onions for the Bacalhau à Brás when he heard his man turn on the shower. Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound from the bathroom, followed shortly by a rude word from Roberto. The young man dropped his knife and dashed down the short hallway.

"Roberto?! Are you all right??" Danny asked worriedly, flinging open the bathroom door. Behind the green, opaque shower curtain, there didn't seem to be any movement. only water spraying from the showerhead. 

He whipped the plastic drape aside. Then he saw the mechanic's classic evil grin, followed by big arms hoisting him into the shower, work clothes and all.

"You asshole! You..." Roberto pinned his lover against the cold, wet wall and smothered Danny with a hungry, sloppy kiss. His hands were busy undoing the buttons on the younger man's soaking blue dress shirt.

"Gotcha," the mechanic exclaimed as he broke the kiss, flinging the open shirt apart.

"You're ruining my work clothes, doofus," Danny groaned. He sighed, then went ahead and started undoing his wet slacks.

"I'll buy you new ones." Roberto pressed his hands against the wall and hunkered over his five foot five boyfriend. When Danny finished stripping off his soaked clothes and tight whitey, the mechanic gave his lover his best bedroom gaze. Warm water coursed through the thick black patches on hair on his chest and armpits, running along his bearded jaw, dripping down his square chin. "Your man wants some attention."

"Next time, you're gonna cry wolf and I won't save you," Danny said dryly, sliding his arms up and around his lover's delicious arms and pecs.

"Oh yes you will. You fall for it every time."

The younger man dropped his hands and pushed Roberto away. "I'm going back to the potatoes," he said, getting out of the tub.

"Aw, seriously, Danny? Come on..." 

Without warning, the younger man turned back around and slammed the mechanic back against the shower wall, hard. Then he went down on his knees and engulfed the half-hard dick hanging between Roberto's thick legs.

"Aw shit...oh yeah..."

The younger man pulled off Roberto's stiffening prick and looked up at the mechanic. "You piss me off and I'll bite your dick off," he threatened, narrowing his eyes. Then he took the cock back into his mouth and worked the glans with his tongue.

"Nah, you like it too much," his man replied, smoothing Danny's brown hair back undering the shower spray. "You like sucking it too much...OW!"

Danny did bite after all.

"That's what you get for messing with me, " he said after, shooting Roberto a smug look. The older man raised his arms and flattened them against the shower wall.

"All right, you got me. What do you want?"

"Respect. And..." Danny began lapping at the mechanic's droopy balls, "Can you stop...tricking me...into sex?"

"Sorry baby, I was just...I wanted to relieve some pressure...for tonight..." Roberto replied, pushing his pelvis forward, trying to get his boyfriend to take his dick again.

"I know. I'm nervous too, Berto..." Danny's mouth kissed its way back to the stiff shaft, tenderly caressing the veiny, slightly bent stalk with his lips. With a swift flick of the tongue and a twist of the head, the younger man's mouth was back on Roberto's cock, enveloping the hard length down his hungry throat.

The mechanic cried out in pleasure, closing his eyes. He held Danny's head in both hands and guided it gently up and down his engorged member.

Danny gave his mechanic stud a skilled blowjob under the shower, taking all nine inches past his gag reflex and coating it with sloppy saliva, then pulling back and circling his tongue all around the shaft and glans. Roberto cradled his boyfriend's head from above as he softly pumped his pelvis back and forth. 

Then, as Danny's hands moved up the mechanic's tight abs, Roberto clutched his lover's fingers and guided his hands in lazy circles all around his obliques, chest, and ass. Danny moaned and deep throated harder; Roberto cursed and threw his head back.

There, in the warm, steamy shower, with the love of his life pleasuring him immeasurably, Roberto knew Danny was worth it all: the long hours, the hard workouts, facing Danny's parents, giving up the single life. At the end of the day, he just wanted to make Danny happy.

"Ready to come up, baby?" Roberto asked, giving Danny's hands a squeeze. He was gradually getting closer to the edge. The younger man gave one last, hard suck, then popped off the dick and smiled up at Roberto.

"Umm hmm," Danny replied, standing up. They kissed, sucking on each other's tongue, turning their heads to taste more of each other. Their hands massaged every muscle they found, rubbing and grasping water-slicked skin passionately as they pressed their bodies against each other.

Danny knew they were going to be late. But he didn't care anymore. Plus, since the mechanic seemed so confident about meeting his parents, he decided he would blame it all on Roberto.

Finally, the younger man broke the kiss. "Suck me, Berto?" he asked, drawing the mechanic's hands to his aroused genitals.

"Of course, baby," Roberto answered. He sat down in the bathtub and swallowed Danny's thick five-incher in one gulp.

"Ah yeah!" As much as the younger man loved wrapping his lips around the mechanic's big member, he loved getting sucked off by his man just as much, if not more. Roberto had so many tricks and moves down there, and they all pushed Danny's button. "Oh Berto, that's so good...omigod!" he cried as he felt his lover's tongue flicking all over the penis tip and crown.

"You like that, baby?" the mechanic asked quickly before diving back in. He sucked hard around Danny's bulbous cockhead, then went deep and milked the dick with his throat muscles, repeating the routine enthusiastically. His young lover cried out and dug his fingers in Roberto's thick, black hair, overtaken by the sweet aching.

After a while, the mechanic pulled off and spat on the younger man's hard shaft. He gave Danny twisting strokes, while his head went underneath and sucked on the tightening, almost hairless balls.

"You're so good, Berto...you're the best..." Danny whimpered.

"Damn right," Roberto muttered, running his tongue along the underside of the dick, then opened wide and devoured the entire prick to the hilt again. Danny yelled. The mechanic grabbed his lover's tender buttocks and pulled his pelvis towards him, hard, driving the fully-erect dick as far down his gullet as he could.

"Oh fuck baby fuck me!" the younger man wailed. Precum was leaking steadily from Danny's piss slit, bitter and slightly sweet. Roberto lapped it up eagerly. "Berto, oh fuck you're gonna make me cum..."

The older man pulled off the cock. "Not yet!" he exclaimed. He looked up at Danny and pointed towards the waterproof lube on the showerhead rack.

His younger lover turned around to grab the bottle, which gave Roberto the perfect opportunity to spread those pert, dripping ass cheeks and dive right into the anus.

"OH BABY! Ahh!!" Danny dropped the lube; he fumbled and pressed his palms to the wall as his man pillaged his asshole, always so hungry and needy for it. The mechanic reached around to envelop Danny's dick in his rough, wet palm. "Oh god, Berto, don't! I'll cum."

"Don't do that. I gotta fuck the cum outta you," Roberto muttered, grabbing the lube from the bottom of the tub and opening it.

"Quickly..." Danny whined. "...I don't wanna be too late..." He jumped when he felt a finger coated with cold silicone gel slide into his rectum.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll handle it," Roberto reassured, working the lube deeper into his lover. He gave a quick bite and slap on Danny's buttocks, then slid in another slippery finger. The younger man groaned and pushed back. 

"Your ass is so sexy under the water, baby," he sighed, biting the cheeks again.

"Y'know I try to keep it tight for you," Danny said in a low voice, clenching his ass a few times.

"I know," his lover replied. He scissored two fingers deep inside. "I feel it every time. You're so tight still."

"I love you, Berto. I just wanna make you happy."

The mechanic stopped his fingers. He knelt forward, over Danny's bent-over body, the warm water splashing on his broad, swarthy back. With his free hand, Roberto gently turned his lover's head towards him. Then, he gave a soft, tender kiss.

Their lips were sealed for several moments, tongues grazing each other's teeth and mouth. Breaking the long kiss, Roberto backed away and looked deep into the younger man's marvellous green eyes. "I love you so much, baby," he said. 

Danny smiled and blushed. A shiver escaped from his slim, pale figure. "I'm getting cold," he said quietly.

"Let's heat things up then," Roberto replied with a grin. He reached up and aimed the shower spray onto Danny's back, then crawled behind his boyfriend.

"Ready, baby?"

"Um hmm. Berto?" He looked back. "I want it gentle, please?"

His lover responded with a warm smile and soft kneading on his bum.

Danny turned back around. He felt the mechanic's cockhead push in, forcing itself against his sphincter. With a grunt it penetrated him, and kept going deeper, heat and friction rushing up his rectum. The young bottom exhaled and threw his head back, his hardy lover slowly but surely forging in.

"You ok, baby?" Roberto asked, halfway and counting inside of Danny.

"Um hmm," Danny groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He wanted to take it all right away, for Roberto.

"You're so fucking tight..." His girthy shaft continued sliding into Danny's asshole.

"Yeah, Berto...gimme all of it..." The younger man stopped himself from clenching, instead willing himself to push out and open up, take all nine inches that his boyfriend had to offer.

A few moments later, Roberto stopped.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked

"You did it. You took me all in one go." The mechanic ran his rough hands up and down Danny's sides. 

Water splattered and coursed on the young man's smooth, porcelain back, drawing cascading ripples down his shoulders and ribs. Roberto glided his hands through the splashing clear liquid, savouring his lover's body. He rested his hands on Danny's shoulders and began thrusting shallowly deep inside his lover's rectum.

"Gently, Berto," Danny said quietly.

"I am," Roberto responded.

"I wanna kiss you," his lover whined lightly. The mechanic wrapped his arms under Danny and lifted his torso up, pressing his back against his own brawny chest. Danny turned around and thrusted his tongue inside Roberto's mouth. Once in position, the mechanic resumed fucking.

"Berto..." Danny mumbled as his older lover relished in thrusting in and out slowly, at different angles. Roberto broke the kiss and bit down on the young man's neck. 


Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 01



"Ahh!" Danny yelled, feeling helpless. His lover sucked on his neck, while his big hands swooped down to his dick and began stroking it to the rhythm of his fucking.

"Take me, Berto...oh god take me!"

"You're making me so hot, Danny..." the mechanic moaned, lengthening his thrusts.

"Take my ass!" Danny wailed, pushing back hard against Roberto.

"Fuck yeah!" The mechanic grabbed Danny's hands and pinned them against the young man's hips. Then he pulled his cock out to the tip and began slam-fucking his young bottom.

Danny screamed in ecstasy, getting off on Roberto's massive, raiding cock, turned on from feeling his hands trapped beneath the mechanic's. Water rained down on his face; he closed his eyes and threw his head to the side as his body rocked up and down.

"Yeah, that's right, take my cock! Take it good!" the mechanic growled, giving Danny a ruthless pounding. He wouldn't last for very much longer, fucking his boyfriend's sweet hole this way, but he was enjoying the ride too much to stop.

"Berto! BERTO!!"

"You like that cock, huh?"

"Oh god yes fuck me with it! Oh god yes make me yours!"

"Aw yeah that's my ass!" He slapped Danny's bouncing cheeks. "My ass to fuck!"

They continued fucking vigourously, exchanging naughty, possessive exclamations, bodies slapping wetly.

After several minutes, Roberto's knees started to hurt from kneeling on the bathtub. He grabbed Danny and hoisted both of them down, to sit on the tub. Danny was now on top, sitting like a reverse cowboy.

"Fuck my cock, Danny. Show me how much you want that cum," the mechanic demanded, before smothering his lover with a kiss. 

Danny whimpered and sat up. He pressed his hands on Roberto's meaty thighs, lifted his body up and away, then smacked his ass back down around the mechanic's prick. They both cried in pleasure.

The young bottom rode on the mechanic's big hard dick energetically. Roberto held onto Danny's waist and savoured his boyfriend's flexing hole as it sheathed up and down tirelessly around his thick shaft.

"Berto...oh Berto..." Danny felt pressure building around his prostate.

"You gonna cum? Yeah??"

"I'm getting close..." Roberto's hands scooted to Danny's dick and scrotum and began stroking furiously. "Oh Berto!"

"Cum for me, baby, cum!"

"OH!!" A creamy geyser flew from Danny's cock and splattered on the shower wall, followed by a second shot. The young man wailed uncontrollably, slowing down on his gyration as he continued ejaculating, but Roberto grabbed his waist and kept impaling him on his dick hard and fast. 

Danny's voice broke into a squeak. "Berto...AAHH!!"

"Yeah, cum for me!" Roberto yelled, right at the edge of climax.

"Stop, Berto, stop!" Danny begged, pleasure turning into pain. The mechanic roared and stood up, still inside his lover, forcing Danny onto his feet, with his back bent over and his hands against the wall. Just as Roberto pulled out of Danny's ass, the first blast of cum erupted, firing long and far. It landed in a streak across his lover's heaving back, the globs scattering under the shower spray. 

"Aw fuck!" The mechanic jerked himself off, thick ropes of jizz flying from his red, fat cockhead onto Danny's wet skin. Semen splashed and trickled down the young man's back and hips under the falling water.

Danny was still shaky from his anal orgasm, but he faintly felt hot sprinkles on his back. He definitely felt Roberto's half-hard penis as it smacked on his bum a few times, then re-penetrated his loosened sphincter. It made Danny sigh in numb agony.

His older lover slid himself right up to the hilt, the shaft slick with jizz and lube. "Aw Danny...aw fuck..." he moaned.

Deep, short thrusts, tingly from the afterglow--Roberto savoured his lover's ass again. He saw a glob of Danny's semen on the shower wall, slowly trickling down. With his hands pressed against the tiles, he leaned forward and licked up his lover's cum. 

As Roberto tasted the jizz, Danny's clenching muscles milked the last dribbles of semen from his dick in spastic fits.

After a while Roberto asked, "Had enough of my cock?", as he tried to extract himself from Danny's vise-like anal grip.

"Had enough of my ass?" Danny retorted, rectally squeezing the exhausted dick. Roberto moaned.

"Your ass is just as nasty as your mouth," the mechanic muttered, bent over and wincing from the hypersensitivity.

"Let me clean your cock," Danny demanded, loosening his grip. The mechanic pulled himself out slowly, holding his breath.

"We're gonna be late..." he began, but to no avail. His lover turned around, got on his knees, and wrapped his sucking mouth around Roberto's spent dick in a split second.

"Aw fuck!" Roberto threw his head back.

-----

An hour later, after rushing through the cooking, the dressing, and the drive to the suburbs, they arrived at dinner. They were 30 minutes late.

Surprisingly, Ms. Yeung was all smiles and courtesy as she greeted and welcomed the pair at the door. As she stepped aside to let them in, Roberto looked back at Danny with a smug grin, convinced that his suave ways and homemade dish were working like a charm. Danny raised his eyebrows, not yet ready to let his guard down, and hugged his French dad, the calm, rational one of the family. They headed to the dining room, where three large plates of authentic Chinese cuisine, fresh from the kitchen, sat waiting to be devoured.

Danny's parents were impressed with Roberto's Bacalhau à Brás, finishing the dish. The mechanic and Ms. Yeung soon launched into an enthusiastic foodie talk, while Danny and his dad chuckled and ate quietly.

"Roberto, come, let me show you this recipe. Danny loves it," Ms. Yeung said, getting up. "Have you ever cooked with chives?" she asked, grabbing one of her recipe binders.

"Not yet, but I'll sure learn," Roberto answered, grinning at his boyfriend.

"It's scrambled egg with chives. It's somewhat similar to your dish...how do you say it again?" Danny's mom tried to follow Roberto's Portuguese pronunciation. "Yes, that. So, Danny likes a bit of meat, so I add some BBQ pork, just pieces..." The two of them side by side, a petite but commanding middle-aged lady and a towering, smiling mechanic, made an amusing composition to Danny's eyes.

"...that sounds delicious. And I know Danny likes meat, so..." Roberto turned around and smirked naughtily at his boy.

The rest of the dinner went by just as pleasantly. Danny's dad talked shop with Roberto, indirectly inquiring about the numbers at the garage, impressed at the growing business the mechanic and his partner Fred managed since opening the shop a year ago. Meanwhile, Ms. Yeung and Danny started clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Soon after, Roberto got ready to go back home. Of course he wanted Danny to come home with him, but Danny insisted he stay at his parents'. He didn't want to push their apparent good luck too far.

"I'm just going to walk him to the car," Danny said to his mom. He wanted a kiss goodnight, then immediately regretted his decision: his mom would probably be watching from a side window. He followed Roberto out the front door.

When they got to the mechanic's bright red, customized Mitsubishi Lancer, Roberto took Danny's hands and wrapped them around his waist.

"That went well."

"Yeah..." They kissed. "...I can't believe it."

"Told ya I'd handle it," Roberto bragged.

"Or maybe mom decided his son's happiness is more important and she had mercy on us." Danny hoped that was true.

"Hey, she liked my codfish. Your dad too." the mechanic jabbed.

"Yes they did, yes they did..." Danny conceded, kissing his boyfriend. "Your cooking skills save lives."

"Mock me some more and nobody's cooking you an egg omelette with chives..." Roberto threatened jokingly, opening the driver's door. "...and carrots and peas and barbecued pork."

Danny laughed and leaned into the open windowsill. "You're the best..." A quick peck on the mechanic's lips. "...and you know it."

"I do know it. You better too," Roberto quipped, starting the car. Danny rolled his eyes and slapped his boyfriend's furry, sinewy forearms.

"Call me when you get home."

"I'll call you when I'm in my jockstrap," the mechanic replied with a devilish glint in his eyes, shifting the Lancer into reverse. His young lover squealed and waved as Roberto backed out of the driveway and sped off.

When Danny stepped back into the house, his dad was watching the evening news in French. Walking to the kitchen, he saw his mom finishing up packing the men's lunches for the next day.

"Mom?" Danny asked, fidgeting with his keys in his pocket. "So...what do you think of him now?"

Ms. Yeung was quiet for a while, putting the tupperware lunches into the fridge. Closing the fridge door, she looked at Danny blankly and replied, "He's very charming."

"So you're okay with us dating then?" her son asked, holding his breath.

Danny's mom sighed. "We'll see, young man," she said, her reply ending on a higher tone, as if she was asking a question. She looked away for a second, her expression indecipherable, then walked past her son and headed upstairs. "Pierre, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Danny."

His dad was watching him from the living room couch. He shot Danny a quick, reassuring wink as he replied, "Coming, Maggie."

-----

-----

Simon Harris wished he could go home.

Instead, he stayed staring at the setlist for the night, a wrinkled sheet of paper affixed to a clipboard, filled with strikethroughs and last-minute additions.

If he looked busy enough, maybe he could have just a moment of peace. Chaos surrounded him: anxious members of local bands coming into the hipster bar, some already getting drunk and rowdy, others crowding around Simon to ask questions that were already covered in the emails; the sound girl who just realized the venue's mics weren't working, and was a phone call away from completely losing it; the cute but dumb security guard who kept asking Simon who was allowed to go in the green room; and the bar owner silently surveying the thin crowd, arms crossed, not impressed.

"Where's Jesse?" someone asked for the hundredth time tonight.

"I don't know." Except, of course, Simon knew exactly where Jesse was.

"Are you next in charge?"

"Yes." The damned word, leading to yet another issue, yet another delay. It was at a moment like this when Simon wondered what he was doing with his life.

A decade ago, he'd been a hopeful, determined, proactive young guy. Right after high school, it was a no-brainer to skip university and spend all his time and money from Booster Juice and Foot Locker on recording song demos and fancy threads. Since he was a child he could sing, and his interest in songwriting was budding as he went through teenage angst coupled with coming out. He'd thought without a doubt that he was meant to be a singer when he grew up.

He kept his chin up through all the rejection that was to come: all the managers and agents who never returned his calls after sending them his latest demo, all the music contests he didn't get into, all the band auditions that went south as soon as people gave him the once-over. 

"Hey guys...the Sugarcones, yeah? Hey, loved your song about the peppermint...so listen. The band who was supposed to go ahead of you can't make it; family issue with the guitarist. Can I ask a huge favour?"

Simon kept working on his craft, taking singing lessons when he could afford them, writing a few hundred songs over several years. He met and worked with other musicians, but it was hard finding someone who shared his creative vision, and over the years most of them threw in the towel and got a "real" job, while a handful found success and was never heard from again. 

He paid rent by waiting tables, handing out flyers and samples on street corners, trapping himself in a call centre cubicle, working two to three jobs at any given time. When he got home, he wrote songs and did vocal training. Six hours of sleep a night was a blessing.

"Ladies, please! You're on next!! There's no alcohol in the green room...here, gimme that and go backstage. Yes, you're on next...now!"

By his mid-twenties, Simon's outlook began to dim. He realized the problem wasn't his musical skills or his work ethic. He began to understand what label executives meant when they told him he didn't have the "right look", the "stage presence", or the "whole package". They meant his skin tone (black), his height (five foot five), and his mannerisms. He would never forget, during one national singing competition, the flippant look on a female judge's face when she said that the way his fingers darted in the air as he pulled off a big high note was "too delicate". Many also told him to try doing rap or R&B, when his heart had been in rock and pop since day one.

Then, two years ago, he met Jesse. Simon got on the bill of a local music showcase that Jesse ran. As soon as the aspiring singer met the event host, he was spellbound. With his quick eyes, perfect dimples, swimmer's build, and silver tongue, Jesse captivated Simon. He made Simon feel understood and valued like no one had before. 

They liked many of the same artists and songs, and had music debates that went on for hours. They began spending many nights in Jesse's car, parked at fast food parking lots, criticizing the unfair, slow-to-adapt music industry until the early morning. They vowed to take over the charts with their next song. 

Simon felt like they'd known each other from before, and what was more, he felt like he belonged in Jesse's company. So when Jesse asked the singer if he was interested in helping out his music showcase series, Simon said yes without hesitation.

"Thanks Gaby for running out and getting the mics. You saved our lives again....no no, it's fine. The sound's...not perfect, but we're doing the best we can."

Since then, Simon's feelings for Jesse only grew--Jesse who was straight but well aware of the unspoken layer in their relationship. The suave host made so many promises, of setting up a record label and launching Simon as the flagship artist, of shooting a series of music videos that told a multi-part narrative, of dedicating an entire showcase night to Simon, his co-host. None of them came true, but there was always a new promise, a new venture that sounded original and exciting coming from Jesse's mouth. 

In the meantime, what the singer got was more and more responsibilities, taking on paperwork, cold calls to venues and festival organizers, social media accounts, a blog, correspondence with bands past and present...basically everything but the finances and the sound tech. Between working for Jesse and juggling a side job or two to make ends meet, Simon barely had time to work on his own music. 

Last month, Simon turned 31. His big crew of gay friends, most of whom he'd met through the myriad of jobs he'd had over the years, threw him a real bender of a party. The next morning, he felt two things. The first was that he was getting too old for benders. The second was the sneaking dread he'd harboured for months, now ringing loud and clear in his head: that he was stuck in a rut. 

It was like there was no way out of this pitiful circus that his life had become. He'd lost track of his goal, bogged down in the means until they became the ends. Yes, he was around music; yes, he made lots of contacts and attended some industry conferences for free. But at the end of the day, where did all that get him? Five minutes under the spotlight, seven minutes top, singing songs that ten, twenty people heard once and never bothered to download afterwards from iTunes. He began to deeply regret not doing post-secondary education during his twenties. He began to have serious doubts.

"Please, everyone, can we get another round of applause for No More Rain?" A shrill feedback whistle pierced through the loudspeakers as Simon spoke through the mic. "...all right, so we're gonna take a little break right now, but coming up, we've got a lot more amazing talent, doing rock, heavy metal, rap, acoustic, and yours truly bringing you the best pop in the city; I promise you! Oh, it's gonna be a stellar night! Stick around and we'll see you in 15."

As quickly as he could, Simon slipped back to the makeshift office adjacent to the green room. He needed to talk to Jesse. But when he got there, all he saw was an empty room.

Stepping out of the office, a swarm of musicians began to gather around the co-host. Simon raised his arms.

"Guys, I'm really sorry, but I have to find Jesse first, and then I'll answer all your questions. Gimme five minutes."

The whining crowd droned on. Simon sped down the narrow hallway and pushed open the back door into the breezy summer night.

"Jesse?" he called, looking around the dirty alleyway. After a few seconds, he faintly heard chuckling.

"Jesse," Simon said, heading towards Jesse's voice around the corner. "How long are you gonna be? I need you back in there."

When he rounded the corner, he saw that the main host, dressed in his classic suit and tie, was on the phone, in front of a dumpster. He looked up at Simon and waved him off, making the co-host stop and take a deep breath. 

"Is that Sasha?" Jesse ignored Simon's question, listening attentively to the conversation over the line. "Jesse, please, I need you in there, Gaby needs you in there. The owner's pissed..."

The host held up one finger and turned around. Simon felt himself teetering on the edge.

"Look, I don't care if it's fucking Taylor Swift on the line. You need to get in there, now!"

Turning around, Jesse's eyes were cold and still. "Oh, yes...yes, wow, that, honestly, wow, that sounds like an amazing lyric. I mean, it's like Adele mixed with Gaga. You got both sides there...and I really think you're onto something completely fresh and...yes, YES, exactly! Listen, I'm so sorry to do this, but I have to let you go. The crowd's really starting to build and you know how amateur bands are--clueless little kids. Oh man...yeah, so, I need to take care of some stuff and...please the people...YES, please the people! Make 'em sing!"

Simon stood rigidly, arms crossed.

The host purred his final goodbyes and tucked away his phone. Adjusting his suit, he refocused his icy glare to Simon.

"I was on the phone with Sasha and I was THIS CLOSE to scoring a showcase gig with her."

"That's great, but it's a zoo in there and everyone's fucking being impossible...c'mon, you know I can't handle every single thing in there."

"Simon, you're not listening to me. I almost got Sasha to my night." Simon swallowed hard. "Can you even...fathom how many people would come to a Sasha showcase? And I mean the people who count, the suits and the cool kids. "Do Me Nasty" debuted at number five this week. Can you even comprehend..." Jesse walked up to his co-host and looked at him like a little child. "...what a 30-minute set with her would do for me? The new clientele it'll bring? The cred it'll get me, finally, after years of this fucking bullshit?" His eyes opened wide. "And then you tell me to get off the phone to handle some shit that you can take care of yourself?"

Simon was astounded. He was sure boiling blood was about to spill from his eyes.

"You fucked her already, didn't you?"

Jesse's condescending expression dropped, to one of utter shock. Simon slapped his own forehead and groaned. "My God, I can't believe this!" He laughed coldly. "After all this time I still thought..."

"Simon, this is not about..."

"YES IT IS!" he shouted, letting his last reservation go. "Yes it is! This is about us. Oh yes sir, this is ALL about us!" He whipped his arms in the air and circled the messy alley, speaking loudly. "This is about every single little bullshit thing you said to me to keep me here, every single little thing I took on for you, hoping..."




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 01



Jesse's awestruck eyes betrayed his stupor. Simon had never talked back to him like this before. But the host quickly went back to smooth operator mode. "Buddy, listen to me! Sasha's gonna change all that! She's gonna turn this whole thing around. Oh man, if you only knew how I have this all worked out: her exclusive contract to my record label; management, booking, and promotion all in the deal. I'm already getting chummy with her dad and I know it'll just take another meeting for him to sign everything over to me..."

Simon put up his hand up in front of him. "Stop, just stop." 

Jesse was speechless.

"You don't get it, do you?" Simon asked, looking at the man whom he dedicated his life to for two long, hard years. "I mean shit to you...DAMMIT!" Burning tears began to flow; Simon turned around. "Every fucking word you said, every fucking time you promised me..."

In a flash, Jesse grabbed him and held tight. If it were any point in the last two years, Simon would've screamed for joy. But at that moment, Jesse's arms felt hollow.

"I know it's been hard, Simon. Things haven't been going like I planned. But don't think for a second that I don't need you." 

He turned his head and spoke right to Simon's ear. "You're my rock, my lifesaver." A deep sigh. 

"I can't do this without you. And we're so close, so close to a breakthrough, you'll see..."

Every word sounded empty, phony. Then a light turned on in his head; Jesse was never going to change. Things were never going to change. They would never be together.

"I can't do this anymore," Simon muttered. He thought he was going to say sorry, but then he realized that, no, he wasn't sorry. "This is not it. This is not how it's supposed to be," he continued, pushing Jesse's arms away. 

All the time he wasted fantasizing, all the little moments when he thought, maybe, Jesse would come around this time...his heart lifted as he finally extinguished that flicker of false hope, the thing that kept him going.

"What are you saying?"

Simon faced the host. "I can't do this anymore. I've wasted so much time..." He looked at Jesse not in anger now, but in sadness. "And you'll never give me a chance, you'll never give me what I deserve." The tears began to cool on his cheeks. "I can't be your go-to anymore. I need to do me, my life..."

At that point, Jesse turned furious, scared shitless. He abandoned all pretense of cordiality. "What are you gonna do out there, Simon? Wait more tables? Rot in a cubicle?" he asked, pointing into the windy night air. "You're meant to be doing this..."

"This??" Simon asked, pointing to the bar.

"Music! It's in your blood. It's...it's what you're meant to do! Are you giving up now, after how far you've come?"

"No, not music; you." It was incredible how quickly years of devotion could just wash away after the blinkers were taken off. "I don't need you."

Silence. A static stare.

"FUCK!!" Jesse turned and kicked the dumpster. It was the first time Simon ever saw him lose his composure. "What the fuck am I supposed to do now?" He cried.

"It's your show, Jesse. You always make it work." Simon said dryly, turning around to walk back to the bar. "Just get up there and do your thing."

He didn't expect the host to run up behind him and grab his hands.

"Get your hands OFF ME!" Simon screamed. He wrung his hands free and slapped Jesse across the face. The host's eyes were wide open; Jesse couldn't believe what was happening. The singer left him standing there and went towards the back entrance.

A wave of people pushed towards him as he opened the door. He didn't hear a single word; all he said was, "Jesse's over there; go ask him," over and over again. As singers and guitarists and drummers made a beeline to the stunned host, Simon saw Gaby and gave her a hug. 

"I'm done here. Good luck. Find another gig," he said to her, before going to getting his stuff from the office.

The walk out of the bar felt like a victory march. He knew this would be a short victory, but it felt so very sweet in that moment, before the pieces fell down to the ground. The club owner tapped on his shoulder as he passed the bar; he shrugged and told him he was no longer in charge, then continued walking.

When he stepped outside the bar through the front door, it was like he left a part of himself behind. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Simon honestly didn't know. He had no idea if life would make sense or get worse from now on. But it was time for him to step back from the hustle, step back from even the lyric sheet, and take a good look at his life. What now?

Well, he wasn't done with benders yet.

-----

"Yo, Simon, my man, you did you and you did good!" Julio exclaimed. He raised his beer bottle and clinked the tip to Simon's bottle.

He was at his friends' house party downtown, in a mostly straight crowd. It was so packed that conversing pairs and trios had to stand in the middle of hallways, sit on each other's lap, even stake a spot in one of the washrooms.

Four people lived in this house, situated just north of the downtown university campus: Nicole, an actress and drama teacher he'd known for years; Arthur, a journalist at the public broadcaster who moonlighted as a session musician; Julio, a poly sci masters with rich parents; and Jae, Julio's friend from school.

Simon knew all of them well except for Jae, a second-generation Korean. He was the newest roommate in the house, after the other three kicked out their previous roommate because she spent all her money on shoes instead of rent. Julio met Jae in club rugby last fall and became fast friends. Two weeks later, Julio introduced him to the other roommates, who all took a quick liking to him, and the rest was history.

Although Simon had only met him twice, it was easy to see why Jae made such a great impression on his friends so quickly. Firstly, there was his physicality: five foot eleven, a kind, pleasing face that exuded boyish charm, a sensational smile, and a brawny 175 lbs. Simon could verify, from some drunken bet or game a few months ago, that Jae's upper body was smooth, light skinned, and buff.

An accounting major, Jae's other attractive feature was his personality. He lit up the room whenever he came by, warmly greeting everyone, actively listening to and remembering conversations, and telling jokes to a rapt audience. Simon was envious of the undergraduate's confidence, his willingness to poke fun at himself, his penchant for speaking his mind even when his opinion wasn't fully formed, and his ease at taking things lightly. Simon wasn't the only one who was attracted to all of these attributes: the girls always said hi to Jae, flipping their hair, and laughed at his jokes; the guys all wanted to be around him, claiming to be best buds with "the man".

The thing was, nobody knew who Jae was interested in. He mentioned dating a few girls back out west, where he was born and raised, but as far as everyone knew (and people had been digging), he hadn't gone out with anyone since he transferred to university here last fall. And since he was so charming and lovable to everyone, nobody knew if he had feelings for anyone.

What also dogged Simon's mind was an incident during the same drinking game when Jae took off his shirt. They'd gotten to the "spin the bottle" segment of the night (Simon only watched, of course), and a flushed Jae spun the bottle, only to have it point to Julio. 

A massive holler exploded in the room. With a drunken grin, Jae grabbed Julio's face as the poly sci student freaked out, and planted a big long kiss on his friend's lips. The rowdiness turned to gasps as it lasted for five, then ten seconds, ending when a panicking Julio finally wrestled himself free of Jae's husky arms. 

Then the accounting major raised his fists in the air, which prompted a big cheer from everyone again.

Truth be told, Simon had masturbated once to that scene. 

He shifted his sitting position at the kitchen table, having arrived at the house party early enough to get a precious seat in the overcrowded building. Julio went off somewhere; he'd been talking to a few girls who were new to this loose group of friends. Simon had a rare moment of quiet and he relished it. 

Nicole walked by and moped with all of her expressive face when she saw Simon. "You doing okay there, love?" she asked, stopping. He'd told her all that had happened earlier in the evening.

"Yeah, just taking a breather before getting up to see where the action is. Maybe I'll do some karaoke in the TV room in a bit."

"Oh hun, you'll clear the room cos no one will wanna sing after you!" Nicole replied, laughing in her chipper manner, her ginger curly hair bobbing. "You're doing okay, though?" She came in for a hug.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm glad I'm here."

"You belong here, not with that crooked rat," Nicole affirmed, her face full of disdain. "Sorry, you know I never liked him. And darling, look at you, with your beautiful face and body that never puts on any fat. You deserve so much better."

"Aw, Nicole, you don't have to..." he replied, waving off the compliments. "But, yeah, you were right all along. I just had blinkers on."

"Well, we have to celebrate you seeing the light!" the actress exclaimed, tapping her fingers on the table. She squeezed by two people having an intense talk about some TV show and went to the fridge. "Say, have you seen Jae around?" she asked, opening the fridge door.

"No, actually," Simon replied. "I think he may have gone out to the back. They're setting up cards...he's probably getting it started."

Nicole came back with two open beer bottles. She saw there were no other chairs at the kitchen table at the moment, and plopped her little butt down on Simon's lap. "Can I just tell you, every time I run into Jae coming out of the shower...omigod I can't even..."

Simon giggled politely, taking the offered bottle. "He's so damn hot...but it's impossible to tell what he thinks of me. He's so damn nice and friendly to everyone," she moaned.

"Nobody can figure him out...I mean, he's so open about everything else but that, isn't he? I've noticed, every time someone wants to dig deeper, he just turns it into a joke or just shrugs it off." Simon wondered if maybe, just maybe...but then he reminded himself that he just wasted two years of his life on a straight guy.

After a moment of quiet, Nicole said, "I'll...be back," patting Simon's thigh. She headed towards the backyard. The TV couple soon walked off as well, probably to Nicole's film and TV collection upstairs.

The singer looked at the beer bottle and left it on the table. He'd already had two, and he didn't want to ruin the one physical feature he was most proud of: his defined abs. Just as he lifted up his tee to check how they were doing, Jae came into the kitchen.

"Whoa, check out those abs!" the accounting major whistled. Simon almost jumped out of his seat. He pulled his shirt down as quickly as possible.

"Hehe..." the singer stammered. Jae flashed him a killer grin and went to open the fridge. Simon couldn't helping staring at Jae's well-built arms and shoulders as they popped out against his loose striped beach tanktop.

"No more beer!" he sighed, closing the door. "Guess someone's gotta run out and get some more..." he said, cocking his eyebrows at Simon, who chuckled.

"Here, have mine," the singer offered, grabbing the bottle and extending it to the Asian hunk.

"You sure? I don't wanna take away your buzz. I heard from Julio you had a pretty rough night."

"Please," Simon affirmed, nodding his head. Jae smiled and took the offer. "I took a sip from it...I hope you don't mind."

The accounting major shook his head and took a swig. "Thanks, Simon," he responded with a smile.

They looked at each other. Simon felt himself getting warm. 

"C'mon, we're starting King's Cup, " Jae said, motioning with his hand as he started walking out the kitchen.

"Oh, it's that time of the night," Simon replied with a smirk. "I'm okay," he continued, shaking his head and looking down. Jae stopped.

"C'mon Simon. You're an awesome drunk!"

"No, it's cool," he said with a polite smile. Jae stood waiting with his own smile, dazzling. If there were a contest to see who could endure the most awkwardness, Simon knew he would lose five seconds into the first round. Jae had either the thickest skin known to man, or he really just didn't give a shit about what other people thought of him.

Simon threw his hands up. "I gotta take care of my abs," he proclaimed, laughing.

"Wow, if I only had your discipline," Jae said, raising his eyebrows. Then he lifted up his tanktop to check himself out.

True, Jae didn't have a six-pack, but he still had a flat belly and tapered midsection. And the big pink nipples that Simon got a peek of, on top of that wide, beefy chest...Simon shifted in his seat.

"You look great," he said in a low voice.

"Nah, I drink too much beer and eat too much pizza," the Asian jock replied, putting down his top.

"Well, you're still young, so enjoy it while you can," the singer sighed. "I'm already breaking my diet having two beers. And I remember pizza..." he continued, grinning.

Jae stayed gazing at Simon. The singer couldn't handle it; he broke the stare and looked away. After another moment, the accounting student stepped towards the kitchen table, then crouched in front of the singer.

"Look, I know we're not best buds yet, but if you wanna talk about what's on your mind, I'm here" Jae offered.

"Thanks, Jae. That's so nice of you."

"Seriously," he repeated, looking at Simon. "Do you...wanna talk now?"

When he wanted to, Jae always convinced people to go his way. They went upstairs to the Asian jock's room.

It was messy; they had to clear books and clothes off his twin bed in order to sit on it. But Simon didn't notice; he just started talking and Jae listened, and then time flew by. The singer told Jae about the showcase, the job, then Jesse, then their whole history together. Throughout this time, the hunk nodded his head and ask a few short questions, but left the focus of their time together on what Simon needed to get off his chest.

The 31 year-old would've told his entire life story if Nicole hadn't knocked on the door an hour or so into the conversation.

"Oh, there you are!" she proclaimed, coming in; Simon wasn't sure which person she was referring to. "What's going on?" she asked with big eyes, seeing the two sitting side by side on Jae's bed.

"Simon was just telling me about Jesse and everything," Jae responded.

"Oh, that crooked rat. Good riddance, honestly. He's been nothing but negative energy in Simon's life," she said, trying to find a spot on the small bed to sit on. She moved towards Jae, who quickly got up and offered her the bed. "Oh, no, no, silly! Sit down!" she squealed, but the hunk was already sitting down on the floor.

"We missed you in the backyard," the drama teacher continued to Jae. "They were gonna spin the bottle but no guys were willing to kiss another guy!" She burst into laughter.

"Well, sorry I kept you, Jae," Simon said, getting up from the bed.

"No man, it's cool, seriously," Jae replied, one arm extended towards the singer.

Simon was about to leave the room, and get ready to head back home, when he thought about what would be waiting for him there: an empty room, where he would put on headphones and bawl to depressing acoustic laments, or angry rock screamers, until the sun came up.

So he stopped and turned to Nicole, hesitant. ""Hey, Nicole...can I...could I possibly sleep over tonight? It's just..."

"Sure!" Nicole and Jae both declared.

"Hun, you know the door's always open for you, anytime," Nicole affirmed. "And you should be around people right now."

"Yeah, and you better fuckin' drink some more!" Jae hollered.

The party went on until the wee hours of the morning. Jae turned in around midnight, citing rugby practice and readings for the next day. Simon stayed up with Nicole, Arthur, and Julio until the last guest stumbled out the front door; the singer was the only sober one left.

At Nicole's insistence, Simon stopped picking up the empties and got ready for bed. She also insisted he sleep beside her in the same bed; they met years ago as counsellors at an arts camp and slept in the same room the whole summer. The actress joked that it was gonna be like old times tonight. Though the singer found the arrangement a bit awkward, he also preferred the bed to the alternative, a lumpy sofa that had definitely seen more than sleep in its time.

Unfortunately, Simon forgot about Nicole's thunderous snoring. He got through it at summer camp via earplugs, but no such luck tonight. Already stiff from sleeping on a foreign bed, Simon remained wide awake beside his noisy friend, antsy and irritated.

When he finally started feeling drowsy, he was sure that the sun was going to come up at any second. And then he had to go pee. 

So he got up and headed to the bathroom, too groggy and grouchy to see that the light was on inside.

When Simon opened the bathroom door, he saw Jae sitting naked at the edge of the small bathtub. He had earbuds on, attached to the laptop resting on the covered toilet in front of him.

One hand was wrapped around his cut cock, glistening with moisture. The prick was erect, its shaft bent upward like a banana.

The other hand tweaked his left nipple, also slick with liquid.

His mouth was agape as his eyes darted from the monitor to Simon.

The singer couldn't move fast enough. Without a word, he slammed the bathroom door shut and hurried back to Nicole's room. Closing the bedroom door quickly behind him, he stopped and realized his heart was racing.

His friend was sleeping on her stomach, arms and legs outstretched as if she landed face-first onto the bed from high elevation, like in some old-timey cartoon. Simon sat down on the floor and caught his breath.

He heard Jae's door open and shut a wall away.



Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 02



© 2013 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.

-----

-----

Danny awoke with a start.

"Mom??" He remembered chopped chives, scrambled eggs solidifying in a skillet, and a shining butcher knife raised high.

It took him a moment to get his bearings. The alarm clock was beeping. 

No, his mom wasn't chasing Roberto around the kitchen table with a butcher knife. That was just a dream.

As Danny's emotions calmed and reality set in, he reminded himself of the day's events. He wasn't looking forward to the presentation that Friday morning, his first one. The copywriter hated public speaking; he thought he'd successfully steered clear of that by choosing a career in writing. Even though he was prepared, slides all made and notes all done, he was still worried about what everyone would think of him.

But he had something to look forward to after work as well, hopefully two things. The first was the surprise visit he planned for his mechanic boyfriend, to spice up his extra-long day at work.

The second was spending the night at Roberto's place, where they can sleep in a bit Saturday morning before the mechanic started work at noon. 

Of course, there was a technicality to take care of: Danny's parents didn't know he was going to sleep over, yet.

For all he knew, his mom and dad might've thought that he hadn't had sex with Roberto yet. The two times he'd slept over at his boyfriend's since they become monogamous recently, Danny told them he was sleeping over at his best friend Richie's. Now, he was going to tell them he planned to stay over at Roberto's. What would they think of their good little boy?

And then there was his relationship with Richie. He hadn't had a meaningful talk, or really hung out with Richie in months. That was a whole other issue, and Danny didn't know how to deal with it.

He got up and looked out the bedroom window. Heavy rain outside, whipping across the glass pane under fierce winds. Walking downstairs to the kitchen, he saw his dad Pierre turning back and forth between the stove, the fridge, and his iPhone in quick, hurried steps.

"Bonjour, papa," Danny said, sliding into a kitchen chair.

Pierre looked up at him and smiled. "Bonjour Danny...your mother's feeling a little bit sick, so I'm making breakfast this morning."

"Is she okay?" his son asked.

"Her stomach's a little bit sensitive from the feast last night. Don't worry; I've got this all under control..." His father pulled open a drawer and started digging through the clanging utensils. "The measuring cup, where is it?"

"I dunno..." Danny replied, getting up to help his dad. The two men rummaged through a few more drawers, then went up to the cupboards until they finally found the cup. They both chuckled at how useless they were without Ms. Yeung.

"Sit down," Pierre urged, pouring flour into the plastic cup. Danny went back to the kitchen table, delighted that he was going to have freshly made pancakes for breakfast.

"And tell me more about Roberto."

Danny's face fell. His father sensed Danny's tension.

"He seems to be an interesting guy."

"...yeah," Danny replied, grabbing the carton of milk from the fridge.

"Certainly smart and hardworking. And good-looking. I'm surprised your mom hasn't mentioned him before."

"Really? She was so sure he was gonna ruin my life," his son answered, pouring milk into a glass.

Pierre thought for a moment, stirring the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. "...this is the same guy, Roberto, the seducer?" He thought for a moment. "Mais oui...it makes sense now."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, looking at his dad.

"Your mom and I talked last night about you and your new boyfriend," Pierre responded, mixing eggs and milk together in a separate bowl. "She was worried. That's normal, for her. She had her heart broken before..."

"What??" his son exclaimed, eager to hear about a part of his mom's life that he never heard about, ever.

"Mais oui...and she's worried the same heartbreak will happen to you. But you know what I told her?" Pierre shot a glance at his son before mixing the dry and wet ingredients together.

"I said, 'Danny, he's a young man now. He's always been a good boy, because we raised him up well. Now, we have to trust him to make his own decisions. He has to do that, in order to grow up to be a good man."

Danny felt a lump in his throat. "And...what did mom say?"

Pierre did an over-the-top impersonation of his dramatic wife, bringing a wide smile to his son's face. "Oh, you know, blah blah blah, 'but Roberto's a bad bad man'....and I said, 'You liked him a lot during dinner'."

"She did?" Danny asked, hopeful.

"Bien sûr. He was so charming, so friendly." The Frenchman tested the heat of the stove. "And he can cook," Pierre added, as he shot another glance at his son, this time with an arched eyebrow. "Good choice."

"You like him, dad?" the copywriter asked quietly, holding his breath.

"Ben...do you like him? Are you happy together?" Pierre poured the mixture into the pan. The batter sizzled.

"I love him," Danny replied, his expression certain, still. 

Pierre puffed out his cheeks and exhaled, grabbing the spatula.

"He's good to you? He doesn't hurt you?" he asked, turning back to the frying pan.

His son paused and looked away. After a wordless moment, Pierre turned back around, eyebrows arching high.

"He did hurt me. But we worked it out." Danny turned back to his father. "We're okay now," Danny replied, finding a smile widening on his face.

"Ben voilà...you should tell your mother that. Tell her you're handling this like a man," his dad said, patting his shoulder.

"Merci, papa," Danny responded. He reached for his father's shoulder, emotions welling in his throat. Pierre smiled warmly.

"And if he hurts you again..." Pierre drew his thumb across his throat, complete with a strangling sound effect. His son burst out in laughter.

"Papa, can I ask you something?"

"Oui?" Pierre said, flipping the first pancake onto a plate.

"Promise you won't cut my throat first."

Those eyebrows arched again.

-----

That Friday saw a severe thunderstorm, with hail and a tornado watch, which prompted schools and other institutions to close down. Danny was among a handful of people on his office floor who actually showed up, albeit an hour late. There was no presentation after all; most of his coworkers opted to work from home. 

By the time 4pm rolled around, his boss urged him to go home: there wasn't much Danny could work on without the other team members present. Danny didn't object, but he wasn't planning on going home yet. Even though it was crazy outside, he was determined to see his man.

He packed all his stuff and turned off his work computer. Then Danny made a call to his favourite Chinese restaurant for takeout. He grinned as he hung up, anticipating an exciting evening.

Meanwhile, Roberto was in the office of his auto shop, researching new business growth opportunities. He'd sent everyone else home, since every appointment from noon on was cancelled and rescheduled for another day--no customer wanted to brave the storm. The mechanic had thought about going home early himself, but stayed behind for two reasons: one, for the rare chance to do some business planning during office hours; two, because Danny texted him saying to stay at the garage, then refused to answer any subsequent texts or calls.

Around 5pm, he heard tapping on the glass of the front door. Bookmarking his browser tabs, Roberto got up and headed to the lobby, wondering who was in such urgent need of car service.

When he got to the door, he saw Danny outside, stumbling in the gusting crosswinds. Wearing nothing but beige shorts, and an orange short-sleeve shirt with matching visor, his boyfriend was carrying a big paper takeout bag for some reason.

"Danny, what the hell are you doing??" the mechanic exclaimed, whipping open the front door and pulling his boyfriend in.

"Oh, thank you sir! Wow, such a powerful storm!" Danny piped up in a ridiculous Chinese accent. 

The younger man looked down at his soaked outfit, then lifted the takeout bag and thrusted it in Roberto's face. "Here's your order, sir! Guaranteed fresh!"

Roberto stood rigid in his coveralls, staring at Danny, mouth hanging open.

Danny winked and continued, taking the mechanic's hand and giving him the bag. "Fresh Chinese buns, hot from the oven! I guarantee they're soft and juicy." The younger man chuckled and batted his eyes.

For a moment, Roberto actually wanted to open the bag and dig in; the food smelled delicious. But then something else caught his attention: Danny started stripping.

"Quiet day at the auto shop, sir?" the younger man asked in his shaky accent, unbuttoning his wet shirt while bending over and swaying his ass. "You must be so lonely..."

Roberto smirked. He put the takeout bag on the front desk, then leaned back against it and enjoyed the show.

"What's wrong, sir? Wrong order? You don't like Chinese buns?" Danny questioned in a high-pitched, surprised tone, undoing the last shirt button. His man gazed hungrily at the sliver of flesh exposed underneath the open shirt front, skin so creamy and hairless, body so slim and supple. Danny pulled apart his open shirt and started slowly rubbing his nipples. 

"Maybe there's something else you like?"

"Oh, I love Chinese buns," Roberto replied, grinning wide. "I need to see them before I pay, though." He raised his eyebrows and nodded his chin.

"Ooh, smart mechanic. No tricking you, hehe!" Danny exclaimed, taking off his shirt.

"No, keep the shirt on. Just the shorts off," the mechanic ordered.

"Ooh yes sir, whatever you like." His boy turned around and unzipped his tight, stretchy , soaked shorts. Bending down at the waist, he stuck his peach bum out and slid the shorts down, stripteasing slowly. 

Roberto's prick stiffened in his coveralls. He watched the moist denim shorts smooth over and reveal Danny's globes, round and compact.

His boy wore no underwear. The falling shorts unveiled Danny's buttocks and rosebud, slightly loosened from Roberto's regular labour, despite the younger man's Kegel sets. 

The mechanic took a deep breath and stood up straight, ready to sample his order.

"You like, sir?" Danny asked coyly, bending his upper body further down until his hands pressed on the lobby floor, while his legs stood straight and hoisted his buttocks up into the air. The denim shorts piled around his ankles.

Roberto walked up and gave the cheeks a big slap. Danny jumped but remained face down, ass up. Spreading his hands lustily on the globes, the mechanic squeezed hard and began dry-humping his boy through his navy uniform.

Danny pushed back and whimpered. His fantasy was beginning to come true.

"Umm...very fresh....and soft..." his man muttered, groping Danny's ass greedily. "Just what I ordered..."

Danny suddenly stood up and pushed Roberto away.

"Excellent, sir," he said with a smirk. He lifted one leg and grabbed the shorts from his ankle, then started walking to the garage area, wearing only an open shirt and visor.

"Tasting is in the car," he teased. He realized then that if Roberto's red Lancer wasn't in the shop, his plan to realize his fantasy would backfire embarrassingly.

The mechanic's eyes widened. His boy was laying it on thick, and it was over the top, but he loved every second of it. Snapping out of his lusty daze, Roberto followed Danny to the garage, where he did indeed park his Lancer. It was the only car in the shop, parked beside the hydraulic lift. 

Danny maneuvered his way around the car parts and garage equipment, heading towards the red customized sports sedan. "Wow, such a nice car you have, sir," the young man exclaimed. 

When he got to the car, he spun around, stretched his arms up, and leaned back against the cold metal doors.

Roberto whistled; there was his boy, naked save for an open, dripping shirt and silly visor, draped on his car. Danny's ribs were showing, as well as the faint outlines of his abdomen. His cock was half-hard, his green eyes basking in Roberto's carnivorous glare.

The mechanic took his time getting closer to his lover, putting on his swagger. He began pulling his coverall zipper down.

"Stay in your uniform," Danny ordered without an accent.

"Yes sir," his man answered emphatically. 

Finally, he stood right in front of his boyfriend, looking down, faces so close together that he could feel Danny's hot breath on his chin. 

Before the mechanic went in for the kiss, he grabbed Danny's hands and pressed them down on the roof of his car. Then he dove in and devoured his boy's lips and tongue.

The younger man moaned in ecstatic pleasure, his skin tingling as his fantasy became reality. He'd wanted to get fucked in the garage by his mechanic boyfriend since the first time they met. He was delighted that Roberto was up for it.

Breaking the kiss with a loud smack, the older man let go of Danny's hands and asked, "Does this cost extra?" 

Danny burst out in laughter.

"Free sample, just for you," his boy replied. He grabbed Roberto's coverall zipper and guided it down. Disappointingly, his man had clothes on underneath, a white tee and tiny red briefs that barely contained his growing nine-incher. Danny had hoped that, like in his fantasies, Roberto would be naked underneath the uniform.

"Looks like it's my lucky day," the mechanic said. He aimed for Danny's right nipple and swooped in, biting hard on the fleshy pink knob. The younger man lost it, cursing out loud.

With his free hands, Roberto reached down and fondled his boy's genitals. The thick, five-inch dick erected rapidly to full mast as the mechanic's seasoned hands stroked and twisted around the shaft. Meanwhile, his mouth switched over to his lover's left nipple and resumed nibbling.

"Ahh!" Danny exclaimed. He tried awkwardly to fish Roberto's massive boner out of his underwear, but their height difference and the mechanic's fervour made it tricky. So, the younger man settled on running his hands all over Roberto's scalp, ears, and neck.

"Umm, I love Chinese..." Roberto muttered, beginning to bite and kiss his way down Danny's trim, pale torso. His hands kept stroking and pulling on his boy's cock and balls.

"Oh Berto...uhh..." Danny gave up on his Chinese accent, too distracted by the coming blowjob.

The mechanic made his way down to his lover's erection, crouching in front of Danny. "Forgot I ordered a spring roll too," he stated matter-of-factly, winking up at Danny. The younger man lost it again, and they both had a laughing fit for a moment.

When the last giggles died down, Roberto gazed into Danny's eyes and stealthily took the cock into his mouth. He took it all in one swallow.

The younger man squeaked his lover's name and closed his eyes, knees weak from the raw sensation. He started panting, feeling the awesome suction and tongue bath Roberto administered.

The mechanic loved to hear Danny moan and beg for more; he loved knowing that he could arouse and satisfy his lover's needs. All the men he had sex with before, it was just about getting off; with Danny, he wanted to titillate and please and blow him away. Of course, having Danny constantly remind him he was the best didn't hurt his ego.

After several blissful minutes, Roberto released Danny's throbbing prick, thick strings of saliva stretching and falling from the shaft. He looked up at his boy and slapped his ass, a signal to turn around. Danny bit his lip and complied, but before his man could start tasting his asshole, he piped up.

"I wanna do it in the car," he said, hopeful.

The mechanic hesitated; he didn't want to get the upholstery dirty.

"Please, Berto? It's...it's my fantasy..." Danny admitted, blushing. Roberto's ears perked up.

"What is, baby?"

"Y'know..." He was starting to feel like a dirty slut.

"Tell me," his man egged on, having a ball teasing Danny.

"Berto!" the younger man whined.

"You're not gettin' it if you don't tell me," the mechanic said, getting up.

Danny turned around in a flash. "No!" 

He looked down at his cock, dripping with spit. 

"I wanna...get fucked in your car," he finally whispered, closing his eyes, cheeks blazing. "With you in your uniform."

Roberto chuckled; he decided it would be worth the cleanup after all. 

With one hand, he seized Danny's cock and rubbed it slowly. "You been thinking about that a long time?" The other hand reached into a pocket on his coverall.

The younger man looked up at his lover, who was almost a foot taller. He nodded.

There was a beep; Roberto had pressed the car remote in his pocket and unlocked the doors to his red Lancer. His boy smiled sheepishly and opened the door to the back seat. Getting in, he kicked off his shoes, crawled on all fours onto the cloth bench, and presented his ass to the mechanic. 

Roberto suddenly realized how erotic this was going to be for him too. Without a word, he pounced and spat on his boyfriend's asshole.

Danny was delirious, squealing uncontrollably. The plastic smell of the car, the firm cloth seat under his palms and knees, and Roberto behind him, his face buried in his hairless crack, tongue poking and swirling, lips sucking hard on his sphincter...it all drove him mad. He cried out like a bitch in heat, prompting his man to give his butt a good slap.

The vigorous rimming lasted a good long moment. Roberto couldn't wait to sink his hard prick all the way into his boy's hole again; he was so turned on he didn't even need to jack off to get hard. Danny was bucking back and forth, pressing his ass against the mechanic's nose and slobbering mouth.

"I'm ready, Berto..." the younger man finally said, craving the piece of engorged flesh between his man's legs.

After giving Danny one more spit on the hole, then a bite on his buttocks, Roberto backed away and opened the front car door. His boyfriend shot him a confused look, until he realized that the mechanic was looking for lube in the glovebox.

"Can I take off my shirt and visor?" he asked. It was starting to get hot in the car.

"Well, if you want me in my uniform..." Roberto shot back with a smirk. His boyfriend pouted, fanning himself with the shirt. His fantasy didn't account for how stuffy car sex would be.

As the mechanic made his way back to Danny, the younger man decided he wanted to see his man during the act, and flipped over. 

Roberto grinned, revving to go. He slid down the band of his red briefs and fished out his hard prick, then slipped a lubed finger into his boy's hole and started probing around. With his other hand, he massaged Danny's thigh and stomach.

The young man found Roberto's free hand and gripped it, guiding it to his cock. With both of his man's hands massaging him inside and out, Danny moaned in pleasure.

"Ready to get fucked by the mechanic, takeout boy?" his man asked after a while, adding another twisting finger inside his rectum.

"Oh yeah, gimme that cock..." Danny breathed, squeezing Roberto's hand around his hardening prick.

"Portuguese sausage, comin' right up." 




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 02



Their eyes connected, then they both howled in laughter.

"We're having fusion cuisine tonight..." Danny said, watching the mechanic stand up outside the car and slick up his long, girthy meatpole. The thought of Roberto taking him savagely in his rocking car heated his loins; he rested his head back on the seat and stretched his clothed arms above him, against the car door. 

The mechanic leaned back into the interior and put Danny's legs on top of his shoulders. He aimed his erection at the relaxed rosebud.

"Comin' right up, baby..." 

With a firm push, Roberto's cockhead breached the ring and slid inside his sighing boy. So snug, so good...

The younger bottom arched his back and whimpered, feeling full as he submitted himself to the invasion. He gripped the door handle above him hard, then willed himself to relax and loosen up. Inch after inch of thick, throbbing man meat slid into him.

"Halfway there..." Roberto muttered, continuing to bore deeper. His boy suddenly yelped.

"You okay, baby?" the mechanic stopped.

"Um hmm..." Danny moaned, eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed. "Can we start there?" 

Maybe it was the new environment, or maybe it was the fact that his fantasy was coming true--the younger man was more tense than usual.

"Of course, baby," Roberto comforted. He began to pull out when Danny piped up again.

"And can you take off your shirt underneath? Please?" he asked with an awkward smile.

His man chuckled and pulled out of Danny. "Did I miss the script?" he teased, wiggling out of the arms of his coverall clumsily while keeping his head down under the car ceiling. He then stripped off his white tee to reveal his gloriously ripped and hairy torso, and quickly put the unzipped coverall back on. 

It was almost sexier just to see a peek of that hard, muscular body beneath the open zipper of the uniform, with a huge big cock hanging out at the bottom of the opening.

"Anything else, Mr. Director?" the mechanic asked, resuming fucking position.

"No. Just fulfill my fantasy, please," his boy replied with mischief.

Roberto did just that, jamming his prick in and snapping his pelvis forward. Danny was surprised, squeaking out loud, then held on to the door handle above his head and relished in his naughty dream coming true.

Since the ceiling was low, and Roberto was all bulky muscle, he soon felt the strain on his neck, bent over in a maladroit half-kneel while pistoning his slicked-up member deep into his boy. So he soon stopped thrusting, wrapped Danny's legs around his waist, and straightened his legs until his body pressed down on Danny's. 

Burrowing his face to his favourite spot between his lover's ear and neck, Roberto pushed deeper into his boyfriend and picked up the pace. He bit and sucked on Danny's neck while holding onto his boy's head.

Danny was lost in lust, panting and hollering desperately. The younger man loved it when Roberto's big brawny body pressed down on his, their groins gyrating tirelessly, Roberto's massive prick pillaging his insides. He squeezed his man's tough buttocks through the uniform and whimpered, a helpless, wanton whine, inciting his man to fuck harder.

The car began to rock slightly. Both men were covered in sweat. Danny locked his arms around his man's clothed back and wailed like a siren; Roberto wrapped his hands around his lover's head, to shield it from bumping against the car door, and drilled on. It wasn't the most comfortable place to fuck, but Roberto couldn't deny that the novelty was turning him on.

It would be several minutes of hardcore sex before the mechanic stopped thrusting. He hoisted himself up and wiggled out of his uniform one arm at a time, until he was only clothed from the cock down. Sweat ran down his chest, coursing through the black forest that lined his bulging pecs and abs. Several drops fell down on Danny's smooth frame, itself moist with perspiration.

The mechanic looked at his lover, who was flushed and breathing hard.

"Having fun?" Roberto asked.

Danny responded by pulling his lover's face down for a searing kiss. He wrapped his legs around Roberto's firm buttocks and sucked on his man's tongue.

"Fuck me, you stud," he ordered when he broke the kiss. Roberto raised his eyebrows, then heeded his command.

They fucked on, passionate, needy, loud. Sweaty, hairy balls smacked against a stretched, abused hole. The mechanic stud switched up his thrusts every so often, going fast and shallow, then deep and slow, then rotating his groin to set off Danny's prostate. His boy was lost in ecstasy, frantically clawing at his man's muscular back, then banging his fists up against the door.

Eventually, the aching pressure in Roberto's groin began building rapidly "I'm gonna cum..." he warned, his assault edging.

"Cum all over me!" his boy yelled.

His man pulled out and began jacking, the red, quivering monster, all nine inches of it, about to spray a big load on Danny's slender, heaving body. The younger man couldn't wait; he grabbed Roberto's cock with both hands and stroked hard, twisting his wrists around the cockhead, milking his man of his cum.

Roberto yelled, cursing. Semen shot forth, hitting Danny on the cheek up to his forehead. The next shot splattered against the lid of his orange visor. 

Danny kept milking. Cum flew all over his torso, streaking his neck, raining down on his nipples, landing across his belly button. Above him, his man jerked and doubled over, hissing curses. 

A river of the thick, runny liquid ran from Danny's waist down to the back of his open shirt, then onto the cloth back seat.

Without touching his own dick, Danny started cumming himself, screaming the mechanic's name. His own jizz shot in fountains and landed on his stomach, adding streaks to the mess Roberto had made. 

He kept jacking off Roberto until the stud couldn't take it anymore; the mechanic lifted Danny's hands away from his sensitive, oozing member and wrapped them around Danny's ejaculating tool, stroking hard in return. 

Danny's abs flexed hard; he begged for mercy.

"You like that, huh? That's what you do to me every time..." Roberto hissed, giving his boy one last twisting stroke before letting go. Danny moaned, his whole body going limp.

The mechanic sat back on the cloth seat, his body covered in perspiration. The top half of his coverall was flattened in a messy pile behind his back. Danny's legs stretched languidly on his clothed lap; Roberto stroked them quietly, coming down from the high.

Suddenly he felt the legs lift away. The next second, a warmth wrapped around his soft dick.

Danny had spun his body around, to lay his head in Roberto's lap, facing his sweaty, sticky genitals. He sucked that cock for its very last drop, alternating with sucking the sweat off his man's messy pubes too. The scent and flavours thrilled Danny and he just wanted more.

Roberto leaned back, defeated. He winced every time Danny's lips drew across his glans. Moaning his boy's name, he was too weak to push Danny's head away. 

The mixed cumloads on Danny's body continued to run off and seep into his shirt and the car seat. Roberto saw and tensed for a second--his car was his pride and joy (as well as his body)--but then he decided he would make an evening out of getting his boy to clean the mess he made. Who knows; maybe they'd do this again...

Running his hands up and down Danny's cooling belly and chest, Roberto gathered a pool of cum. He then swept his hand up his lover's torso, then his neck, over his chin, the runny liquid spilling all over Danny's porcelain skin. Finally, the older man dumped the sloppy load into Danny's open mouth. 

His boy moaned and eagerly swallowed.

"Shit...you're still a nasty little whore, aren't ya?" Roberto breathed. He loved seeing his boy coated in cum from his mouth all the way down to his dick.

Danny frowned but kept licking Roberto's hand, kept sucking on his exhausted prick. "Only for you..." he mumbled, his fiery hunger for his mechanic stud slowly calming to sated contentment.

When Roberto's cock slit had no more sperm to give him, he gave the cockhead one last kiss, then licked his way up his man's moist, hairy torso, running his tongue over the salty ridges of Roberto's eight-pack. Sitting up on his man's lap, he snuggled against the mechanic's chest and took a quick bite of his left nipple. 

The young man felt the layer of cum on his own body cooling.

After a while, Roberto stripped Danny of his shirt, now drenched in rainwater, sweat and cum. He threw the filthy fabric on the car floor, then kissed his lover on the nose and asked, "Happy?"

Danny nodded.

"Was it everything you dreamed of?" Roberto continued.

"It was better...and more painful," his boy replied, leaning back onto his man's damp, firm pecs.

"Did I hurt you?" the mechanic asked, looking down at Danny.

"...a little, but it was good too. I meant just, being in the car, on the seat."

"Yeah..." Roberto stretched his neck; he knew it would be sore in the morning.

After a quiet moment, the mechanic said, "Can't believe you drove all the way here, in the storm. That's dangerous."

"I drove carefully. And I wanted to surprise you, for your long day." Danny curled his fingers around strands of wet chest hair. "...and then when I saw the storm, I hoped you wouldn't have any customers, so then I pulled out the costume I got from Value Village and..." he chuckled.

"Went all Asian slut on me," the mechanic finished. That earned him a slap on his meaty pecs.

Danny looked up at his man again. "Did you like it?"

Roberto grinned, reminding Danny how exactly the mechanic stud had so quickly and utterly flipped his world upside down. "My neck's gonna be a bitch, but you saw how hard I came."

Danny smiled, then looked down at the car seat. 

"Oops...looks like we got messy..."

"Oh yeah. And you're gonna clean it," his man stated. The younger man looked up, pouting.

"What? It's your fantasy to get messy in my car. Now you gotta clean it up."

Danny whined, taking off his visor. He was surprised to find Roberto's cumshot on it. The mechanic shushed him up and put the visor back on Danny's sexed-up hair, then swiped off his cumshot. "It won't take that long. We just gotta soak and scrub it a bit," he said, slipping his jizzed finger between his boy's lips.

Danny sucked the finger clean. Releasing it, he then said, "Fine. And then we'll go back to your place."

That made Roberto open his eyes wide. "Your mom let you sleep over??"

Danny smiled proudly. "Well, my dad did. He's on our side. He's talking to mom." He snuggled up to his man. "He wants me to make my own decisions."

The mechanic whistled. "Well, that was easy..."

"He also threatened to cut your throat if you hurt me again," his boy teased.

Roberto stiffened. "Danny, I thought we talked about this..."

"We did, we did...I just..." He quickly sat up and looked at his man. "Sorry. I was just joking," he apologized.

"Do you trust me?" Roberto questioned, staring at his boyfriend.

"Yes," Danny replied firmly.

"Good. Now let's not bring it up again," he finished, lifting his boy off his lap. He fumbled for the coverall sleeves behind him and put his uniform back on. Danny watched, unsure if he'd just ruined everything.

He stayed sitting when Roberto zipped up and got out of the car. Waiting for a second, the mechanic turned around and leaned back into the interior. "Are you coming to shower?"

Danny exhaled. 

"I didn't know there was a shower here!" he exclaimed, crawling out of the back seat. Maybe that could be where his next fantasy takes place...

-----

After cleaning themselves, they spent 30 minutes soaping up and scrubbing down the Lancer's back seat. They then headed for Roberto's apartment in each of their cars. The thunderstorm had cleared by then, leaving roads wet and garbage cans toppled, but otherwise the drive was fine. 

When they got in and flopped onto Roberto's black couch, they were both starving and exhausted. The Chinese takeout wasn't going to be enough food for both of them, so after cuddling with Danny for several minutes, the mechanic got up and started making dinner.

"Wanna help me?" Roberto asked, opening the fridge. Danny bounded up and followed his man into the kitchen. The plan was chicken stir-fry, easy, relatively quick, and a suitable complement to the Chinese buns.

While Danny was chopping up the vegetables, his mind wandered. The past eight months had been crazy. The young man went from falling head over heels for Roberto, to having his heart broken by him, to a blitz of socializing and promiscuity in order to get over the mechanic, then back together with Roberto, as well as starting a new job. He hadn't kept in touch with any of his friends at all, both the ones he'd known for years and the ones he'd met during his 180-degree phase. This included Richie, his best friend. 

They'd met in Grade 5, where they bonded instantly when they saw each other's Powerpuff Girls merchandise: Danny had the pencil case while Richie had the pencils. From then on, they talked every day, had play dates at each other's house, and shared every secret until puberty. 

During their early teenage years, both of them were going through confusing feelings for boys. Well aware of the homophobic slurs being thrown around the hallways, they each kept to themselves in middle school.

The two stayed distant until the start of high school, where on the first day, Richie said hi to Danny in math class, hugged him, and told him he was gay. Danny gasped and whisper-asked how he knew; Richie told him about his first sexual experience, with a summer camp counsellor. That cemented their friendship again.

"Oh Richie..." the copywriter mumbled.

"What?" Roberto asked, turning around from the skillet. Danny jumped.

"Oh, nothing..."

Through their high school years, their friends noticed how similar Danny and Richie looked. Strangers thought they were brothers, Richie the blond one, Danny the brunet; brothers who actually liked hanging out with each other at school, unlike most siblings. They had each other for support in dealing with gay and teenaged issues, and truly became the best of friends. 

Richie was always the forward, outspoken, gutsy one; not Danny. Thus, the blond was the first to come out, first to his other friends, then to the whole school when he ran for student council. By association, Danny was outed as well. Luckily, their school was largely accepting and they were both well-liked.

"I miss Richie," Danny finally said.

They then went to the same college, Danny for professional writing and Richie for television broadcasting. Other friends came and went, but the two stayed and grew together. They talked about writing and producing a definitive gay version of Sex & the City, then winning Emmys and buying mansions beside Britney Spears and Tom Cruise in Hollywood. 

They also talked about boys, a lot. It was one area where the two besties were diametrically opposed: Danny had bought into the fairy tales and waited for his prince to come on a white horse, while Richie was basically Samantha Jones in young gay form. The former had one boyfriend during college; the latter, by graduation, had to estimate his number of sexual partners.

Roberto and Trevor, Richie's current boyfriend, changed their relationship again. Richie was in love for the first time and began spending lots of time with his tattoo-artist partner. Then Danny flipped out and went into an 180-degree personality shift when he discovered Roberto wasn't sexually exclusive with him--he sought a way to distance himself from the mechanic and his feelings for him, and the path he chose was to change himself completely. Richie, already spending less time with Danny, was confounded by the unprecedented change; it was like his best friend became another person. They began to drift apart.

Now that things had calmed down in Danny's life, he began to wonder if his friendship with Richie was in jeopardy.

"Baby, the veggies?" Roberto asked, staring at his boyfriend.

Danny snapped out of his thoughts and handed the bowl to Roberto.

"You should give him a call," the mechanic suggested, sweeping the veggies into the frying pan.

"I should..." his boyfriend conceded, doubtful he would anytime soon. "Umm, anything else for me to do?" he asked, walking up behind his man and leaning his head on Roberto's back.

"Nah." The stir-fry smelled mouthwateringly good. "Perfect time to call someone," the mechanic said with a smirk.

Danny took a deep breath and sighed. "You wouldn't understand..." He'd never fought with Richie, which meant they'd never had to resolve conflict and make up. It was something he didn't know how to deal with.

"Sure I do. It was Richie who helped me find you, remember?" Roberto threw the cooked chicken pieces back into the skillet and stirred them quickly with the greens. "We talked."

"About what?" Danny looked up.

Awkward moment. "...about how much you changed when we weren't together."

"Oh god..." Danny moaned. "You made me go crazy."

"Danny..." Roberto began to turn around.

"No, I'm just kidding..." Danny wrapped his arms around his big man. "Well, kinda. But I'm not like that anymore."

"No, you're not." The mechanic began scooping everything out of the pan. "Can you set the table, baby?"

Danny went to the drawers to grab the utensils and plates. He then walked over to the kitchen table in silence.

"Dinner's ready," Roberto declared proudly, placing the big bowl of chicken stir-fry on the table, beside the bowl of reheated buns. Instead of the usually appreciative audience, however, he had Danny, lost in thought.

"Do you want me to call him?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"No!" Danny exclaimed.

"Then let's have dinner, and then go call him." Roberto sat down.

"But what am I gonna say?" the younger man pleaded.

The mechanic scooped a large helping onto his plate, then forked a big bite of chicken and veggies into his mouth. Looking back at Danny, he chewed, swallowed, and said, "You can start by thanking him, for getting us back together."

Danny's eyes bulged. Roberto looked at him matter-of-factly and continued eating. Seeing his boy anxious, the mechanic then softened his gaze and reached across the table to give Danny's arm a squeeze.

Dinner was quiet. When the couple finished, Roberto gave Danny a look, then started clearing the kitchen table. Danny sighed again, and took out his phone.

As the call connected and started ringing, the copywriter took a deep breath.

"Hey Danny..."

"Hey,"

"...what's up?" Richie asked, seemingly distracted.

"Oh, nothing much, just wanted...to talk."

"Hey, I'm on the other line. Can I call you back?"

"Yeah, yeah..." he replied. The call disconnected.

Danny looked at Roberto, feeling helpless and disappointed.

-----

-----

Richie switched to the other line. "Hey, still here?" he asked.

"Yeah," Simon replied.

"That was Danny." Richie said, exhaling.

"Oh." Simon's eyebrows shot up. "Do you wanna talk to him?"

"Oh gawd no!" the blond exclaimed. 

He took a breath. "Not right now at least. Uhh, what were we talking about?"

"Uhh...what we're gonna do tonight," the singer reminded him, putting a frozen pasta dinner into the microwave.

"Oh yeah, that...so Trevor wants to stay in and watch a movie or TV, but I wanna go out. It's been so long!"

"Like a few weeks?" Simon asked, chuckling. He poured the last bit of water left in his Brita filter into his glass, then went to the sink tap to refill the pitcher.

"I used to party every weekend, at least twice! Danny and me and a bunch of us...you met Chris and Hamid and Ryan, and you know Ben..."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, we used to go out all the time! And I always had to talk to guys for Danny...but he was always too shy so...sometimes I ended up going home with the guy..."




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 02



Simon laughed, leaning against the sink counter in his small kitchen.

"That was before he met Roberto and I met Trevor." Richie said, his nostalgic tone turning melancholic. "And then everything changed."

About a month ago, the blond met Simon at an audiovisual studio complex. The singer was laying down backup vocals for another artist's album in one of the studios, while a room over, Richie was doing some post-production editing for a celebrity TV special. They met at the snack machine, where they both wanted the last bag of regular chips that was in there. The older man let the younger one buy it, then Richie shared the small bag with Simon. 

At a time when Richie was secretly and terribly missing his best friend, Simon reminded Richie of an older version of Danny. Being the extrovert that he was, Richie quickly invited the singer to his friend Ben's house party that night; as fate would have it, Simon was already invited to the same party, by Ben's new boyfriend Matt. Ever since then, they'd been hanging out regularly.

"You two have been friends since Grade 5, right?"

"Yeah. We bonded over Powerpuff Girls. We were born gay!" Richie giggled.

"That's funny," Simon replied. "Well, in my opinion, and you can take it or leave it, but in my opinion, I think you should talk to him." The 31-year-old turned off the tap. "I don't wanna come off all preachy or anything, but, that's a long time to be friends with someone, and it's...I think it's worth fighting for, I do. I mean, you guys are best friends...or were..." Simon went to the beeping microwave.

"I know, I know! It's just hard." Richie paused. "We never ever fought, y'know? Like, never. So this...this is really awkward. I don't know what to say to him. And he's changed so much, into a totally different person...I told you already."

"Yeah, you did. But, honestly, I think you should just call him. I think it'd be a shame if you just let it go, without talking first."

"Yeah, yeah, I will..." There was some rustling on the line. "Wait, did we figure out our plans tonight?"

They settled on Toga, the biggest gay club on the strip. It was pop night for Friday, which was good for Simon since he had no interest whatsoever for their progressive house night on Saturdays. They then decided that Richie would meet Simon at his bachelor pad after supper and a shower, head over to Ben's place in the gay village to predrink, and go out to the club.

Richie was half an hour late in meeting Simon; he blamed his hair, which he was trying to grow out, and suburban traffic, which was chaotic after the storm. He was dressed in tight dark jeans and a high-contrast top with green and purple zigzags that hung off one shoulder. It was evident that he used a lot of product in his wavy hair. 

Simon, as Richie expected, was dressed conservatively, in a navy short-sleeve shirt buttoned all the way up, a gold bowtie, and khakis. He also had a bottle of vodka in a paper bag.

"So tell me about what happened with your job...the music showcase one," the blond asked as they headed towards the gay village.

Simon looked off into the distance. "Well...I basically just left. I couldn't take it anymore. It just got to a point where...I was being used, and things were never going to change." They sprinted across an intersection. "...and what made it hard was, I had feelings for my boss..."

"And he's straight?"

"Yeah, but he took advantage of that too. It was just wrong," Simon sighed.

"Straight guys are the worst...the curious ones." Richie shook his head. "And they have that whole macho thing going on, which is so hot, but...ooh, I've met a few that I shouldn't have."

Simon nodded, eyebrows raised. "You're talking to someone dumb enough to waste two years of his life on one. And where did that get me?" He paused for effect. "Nowhere." 

They walked in silence for a while. A beautiful summer night was emerging from the aftermath of the frightful storm: clear skies and a warm breeze gliding through the air. The pair skirted and skipped over the puddles everywhere. Despite the severe weather just a few hours prior, people were already out and about to enjoy the start of the weekend, chatting on restaurant patios, riding bikes, walking hand in hand. 

"So what are you gonna do now?" the blond asked.

Simon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Good question." He glanced through the window of a used CD store. "I dunno... I think I wanna go back to school, actually."

"Yeah? Studying what?"

"Good question," Simon replied, then laughed.

"What do you like besides singing?" Richie asked. They stopped at an intersection.

"Not much...I mean, music's my life."

"Hey, maybe you can be a music teacher," Richie said, as they began walking again.

Simon nodded. "Yeah, I thought of that. I dunno if I need to go back to school for that. And I'll need to save up if I do..." He groaned. "I'll need to get another job."

"Aren't you working two jobs already?"

"Well, the music stuff, the backup singing, it's not steady, so I really just have my serving gig now. I'll need something else to pay for rent, on top of saving up for school." Simon was never a numbers guy, and the reality of his financial situation began to stress him out.

"Want me to ask around my department, see if there are any openings?"

Simon turned to Richie. "Umm, sure." He didn't think he had the education for a job at Richie's television channel. "Thanks, that's so nice of you."

Richie smiled and patted Simon's shoulder.

20 minutes later, they got to Ben's two-bedroom condo. The usual gay party crowd was already there, getting drunk in the kitchen and the TV room. Simon started on his bottle, doing shots with Richie, Ben, Matt, and other friends; he didn't want the calories from any juice mix, and he downed the shots quickly, knowing very well that the only way to enjoy the night with this rowdy bunch was to get plastered.

There were drinking games and YouTube singalongs and lots of selfies for Instagram. At one point, Simon wanted to ask Richie something, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He asked if anyone saw the blond; Ben replied that he saw him step out. The singer tottered out the door and drunkenly headed down the hallway.

He had no idea where he was going. Then he remembered that the condo indoor pool was also on this floor; he thought he'd look there. Turning a corner, Simon found who he was looking for, behind the glass wall that separated the pool area. 

Richie was the only person in there, sitting on a pool chair, talking on the phone. Simon opened the door and walked in. Humid chlorine permeated his senses.

Dropping into the chair beside Richie's, the singer leaned back and waited impatiently for the blond to end the call. Richie mostly spoke in hushed monosyllables, before hanging up a minute later.

"We're hanging out tomorrow," Richie said, leaning back as well.

'Who?"

"Danny and me."

"Oh. That's good!"

"Yeah..." the blond breathed. "That call was the most awkward thing ever."

"Well..." the singer turned to his new friend; his head felt warm and numb from the alcohol. "I'm happy you talked to him."

The blond smiled back and patted Simon's shoulder.

"Richie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shit...I forgot what I was going to ask you!"

"Drunk bitch," Richie snorted, then burst out in laughter. Simon joined in, before he heard his cell phone beep.

It was a text message from Nicole. "Hey you didn't say bye this morning! How are you? Jae asked about you."

"Oh! Jae asked about me!!" Simon exclaimed, falling back on the chair, grinning hard.

"Who's Jae??" Richie asked eagerly, leaning in close.

"He's hot!" Simon said emphatically. "I saw him naked last night!"

"Woo!! And??"

"He was masturbating!!" The wasted singer burst out laughing; Richie followed.

"Haha...ohh...but seriously, Richie, oh FUCK this guy is hot! He's like, a Korean jock..."

"Ooh!" Richie whistled.

"Who's ever seen a Korean jock?? Not me!! Oh man, if I could have my way with him..." Simon smacked his lips and shook his head.

"Then why don't you?" Richie challenged. "See, I always say this to Danny: just go for it! What's the worst that can happen??" He looked at Simon. "You get fuckin' rejected...so what? There's so many other hot guys!"

"Oh man, I wish..." The singer drew in a deep breath, fantasizing about what he wanted to do to Jae. "I would, Richie, I really would..."

Then he slapped his forehead. "But I don't know if he's gay! Or even who he likes..." His right hand waved in the air. "He's dated a few girls back out west or somethin'..."

"Well, just get him drunk and make out with him," Richie suggested.

"Have YOU ever done that?" Simon questioned, looking at his friend.

"Pssh yeah!" Richie replied, eyes wide open, looking at the singer like he was stupid.

"With a straight guy?"

"YEAH!! Omigod trust me; what's the worst that can happen?? You never see the guy again. Onto the next!"

Simon paused, then looked away. After a moment, he quietly said, "We're kinda friends." He remembered the talk they had in Jae's room. "He's really nice actually."

Richie shrugged. "Maybe you guys can be friends with benefits or something." He slowly got up off the chair. "Is your vodka all done?"

"I dunno. There was some left when I left, to find you."

"Let's finish that bottle and head out to Toga," the blond said, holding onto the chair arm to get up.

"Wait, I gotta text Nicole back!" Simon declared. He quickly typed a reply.

"Hey sorry I left early this morning didn't want to wake you. Tell Jae I'm ok I'm going to Toga."

Back at Ben's condo, the two friends emptied the vodka bottle, then rounded up several other tipsy gays, and marched over to Toga two blocks down. By that point, the singer couldn't remember how in the world he got in and paid cover. He somehow found himself on the 3rd floor, where they blasted urban tracks. In the pitch blackness pierced by whirling multicolored rays of light, people twerked it on the dancefloor.

Simon got nasty too; he remembered shaking his ass, then getting down on all fours and grinding his groin high in the air when A$AP Rocky came on. People were cheering and clapping around the singer. When he realized everyone was watching, he quickly got up and went to the bar, dodging glances and outstretched hands with his head down.

While waiting for his glass of water, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Those were some sweet moves."

Simon turned around to face the voice. He desperately wished that somehow, it would be Jae.

"Wanna show me how to do that?" the man said when the singer faced him.

It wasn't Jae, but Simon knew who he was. Heavily bearded, in his late-thirties, with a tall, husky figure, his name was Luke James. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Queeries, the glossy gay weekly.

Luke was very well-known on the strip and even beyond, actively involved on the boards of several social organizations, present and smiling in various photo ops promoting diversity, culture, or health. Without a doubt, he was one of the most recognizable faces of the local queer community. He and his friends also hosted the annual Bear Ball.

It was an understatement to say that Luke's social status and charisma, as well as his bright blue eyes, drew many admirers, even those who weren't normally into bears. Thus, Simon was taken aback that Luke was giving him the time of day.

Simon nodded at the editor's request. They walked back to the dancefloor, Luke's hand gently resting on the small of the singer's back. Once there, they began swaying against each other, Simon a bit drunkenly.

"What's your name?" Luke whispered into the singer's ear, leaning down.

"Simon." The cologne Luke was wearing titillated the 31-year-old.

"I'm Luke," the bear continued. Simon was too drunk and shy to tell him he knew that.

It'd been so long since the singer danced with someone. The last two years were all spent working for Jesse and other jobs; he was always too tired to go out dancing after a long day. Before that, Simon danced by himself; people preferred to watch his moves than dance with him.

Luke was one handsome slim bear, but he was so much more than that. Cute guys were everywhere, but Luke possessed a rare kind of confidence, a sort of grace that hinted at years of experience and reserves of masculine strength and endurance under his effortless movements, speech, and gaze. Looking up at the smiling man, Simon felt there was a whole world to discover behind those baby blues.

"What's up?" Luke asked with a grin.

The singer shook his head, smiling.

"You're cute," the editor said. He leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. "I haven't seen you around before."

Simon wanted those warm lips on him again. "I haven't gone out in a while," he replied.

"I hear ya. I haven't been out much myself lately. Can't keep up with the young'uns," Luke continued, chuckling while looking around him. Several guys were staring first at him, then at the small black man he was dancing with.

Luke then looked straight into Simon's eyes. "Though I'm glad I came out tonight."

The singer shivered, feeling weak under the gaze and the solid but gentle arms around his body.

"Me too," Simon responded. He felt like a kid again, peering out from his shell at a big wide world of exciting possibilities.

"Listen," Luke said, leaning into the singer's ear, "You wanna sit down and chat for a bit, at my place? We can have a drink, listen to some music...and you can show me your moves again."

Goosebumps rippled through the 31-year-old's arms and shoulders. This was all going too well, too fast. There had to be a catch.

Still, he smiled up at Luke and nodded.

After sending Richie a quick text to say he was sleeping over at a friend's place, Simon left Toga with Luke. A few blocks and an elevator ride later, they were at Luke's apartment.

The singer had had so much to drink, and was so worn out from everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, that when Luke opened the front door, Simon headed straight for the sofa and collapsed on it, passing out immediately.

Luke shook his head in disbelief, then chuckled.

When Simon woke up, he took a few seconds to whip his head around, trying to figure out where he was. He was on a king-sized bed, in a bedroom with a simple but elegant wood-themed decor. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves completely covered one wall. A big painting dominated the wall facing the bed, a serene scene of deer in a thick forest.

Sunlight was coming through the window. He could hear the shower running.

Gradually, last night's events came back to him. He sat up and looked for his phone and his wallet; they were still in his khaki pockets. He then saw that he was still in last night's clothes.

Checking the time on his phone (it was around ten in the morning), he saw a text from Richie:

"Play safe!"

Simon snickered.

The running shower stopped. Immediately, the wheels started turning in the singer's head: should he pretend to be asleep when Luke comes in? Should he get up? Get up and leave right now? Or stay put?

Too late; Luke came in, wrapped only in a white towel. His bearded face was slightly flushed, still moist.

Simon took in the sights; the stocky chest, the big arms, the thick legs, all swathed in dark brown hair. The singer's roving eyes fixated on Luke's dense treasure trail.

"Mornin' there," the editor greeted. Then he whipped off his towel and tossed it on the bed.

"Morning," Simon squeaked, averting his glance.

"You were out like a light," Luke continued, opening a drawer beside the bed.

"I'm so sorry." The singer snuck a peek at the flaccid dick hanging not far from his face. It was uncut, and around six inches soft.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Luke said, climbing into a pair of dark green boxers. "It was kinda funny though." There was a glint in his marvellous blue eyes.

The singer groaned, embarrassed.

"Did you sleep well?" the editor asked. He opened the closet door.

Simon continued to survey the topless bear. He had a slim layer of fat over his big torso; from the thickness of his arms and shoulders, it was easy to see that Luke was a strong guy. 

The singer imagined being dominated by him in bed. He swallowed, wondering if the editor still found him attractive the morning after.

"Yeah. Thank you," Simon said quietly, at once relieved and disappointed when Luke slipped on a tee. It was green, a lighter shade than the boxers, and had a v-neck that gave a mouthwatering view of his copious chest hair.

"Are you always this quiet?" Luke asked, turning around. He was grinning.

Simon didn't know how to answer. "Sorry, I..."

"Stop apologizing." Luke's eyes did a once-over on the singer.

"Sor...okay. I was gonna say, that, no, I'm not usually this quiet. I'm just...still waking up..." Simon shifted slightly. "...still trying to remember everything, and..." He looked down. Luke waited.

Taking a breath, Simon finally blurted, "It's been awhile since I've woken up at a guy's place,"

"Oh," Luke responded. He turned back to the closet and grabbed a pair of faded jeans. "Well, sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"Oh no, not at all," Simon quickly affirmed.

The editor smiled, zipping up his jeans. "Good, 'cos I wanna get to know you some more. We didn't get a chance to chat last night..." Luke raised an eyebrow. "...but what do you say about having brunch?"

Simon blinked and gave Luke the once-over. Luke James, Editor-in-Chief of Queeries, one of the most well-known, well-respected gays in the city, was offering to have brunch with him. Two days ago, if someone had told him this would happen, he would've rolled his eyes and laughed it right off. 

Good riddance to Jesse, indeed.

He thought about how his gay crew would react and what they would do, even the attached ones like Richie or Ben.

"Sure," Simon answered with a smile.

-----

-----

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Lots more drama and filthy sex to cum ;) Feedback is always welcomed.



Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 03



© 2013 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.

-----

-----

A messy king size bed. Saturday morning.

Warm hands, calloused from fixing automobiles, slid their way up Danny's sides. The fingers circled around his chest.

"Uhh...." the young man moaned, arching his back as he awoke. Under the thin blanket, he felt a pillar of heat in between his buttocks, and pushed back against it.

"Good morning, baby," Roberto purred, giving Danny's ear a quick lick.

"Morning, Berto..." his boy hummed back.

There it was, that thick, long, slightly bent shaft, probing in between his taint and thighs. Danny ground his pelvis back and forth, massaging Roberto's dick; he heard the older man sigh.

Then the dick pulled back and pressed against the opening to Danny's rectum.

"Knock knock," the mechanic said, tapping the tip of his hard cock against his lover's sphincter.

Danny turned around, confused and amused. His man had a mischievous smirk on his stubbly face.

"Knock knock," the mechanic insisted, tapping his cock again.

"Umm...who's there?"

Another dick tap. "Cock."

"Cock who?"

"Cock-a-doodle-dooo!" Roberto hollered, his hands tickling Danny's ribs. The younger man jumped and screamed, trying to wring himself free.

"AHH! Stop! I hate YOU!!"

After several more seconds of torture, the mechanic grabbed Danny's waist tight and pulled him back into spooning position, laughing. They were both breathing heavily.

Catching his breath, Danny turned around to his lover's smug face. "I'm gonna get you for that," the young man threatened.

Roberto chuckled, then kissed his boyfriend. "Whenever you want, baby," he whispered, then turned his boy back around. He aimed his cock at Danny's asshole and tapped again.

"Go away," the younger man fake-complained.

Roberto moaned in his boy's ear. "But I'm hard, baby..."

"Too bad. It's closed for business," Danny declared, trying hard to hide the grin on his face from Roberto. He slid farther away from his lover.

Roberto grunted disappointingly.

Danny waited. 3, 2, 1...

He turned around and pounced, thinking he could catch his lover off guard. However, his hunky man read his mind, caught Danny's lithe body, and pinned him back down on the bed.

Danny yelped as he found himself face down, pressed against the firm mattress. Tendrils of excitement wiggled in his groin.

"Looks like I gotta break and enter," Roberto muttered in a low voice. He leaned over to the nightstand drawer for lube, and ordered his boy to stay down.

"No! Help!" Danny exclaimed melodramatically.

"Ooh yeah, keep screaming. I like that," the mechanic said with a wicked grin.

Danny bit his lower lip in excitement, then continued. "No! Don't!" he pleaded in a high voice. He felt Roberto's weight shift over him again. "You'll never get away with this!"

"I'm gonna enjoy this..." Roberto said in his evil voice. Impatient, he just wanted to ram his bone into Danny's sweet ass, but he wanted his lover to enjoy this too.

He quickly opened the lube bottle and slathered the contents over his hard dick, coating the clear gel up and down his nine inches. The, thick, veiny, slightly bent length throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

Squeezing the bottle again, the mechanic pour more of the cold, slippery substance onto his fingers, drenching the digits about to penetrate some tight, hot hole.

As Danny mewled again in mock desperation, Roberto lifted two fingers and stabbed them through the sphincter ring.

Danny yelped. He pushed back to take his man's fingers up to the second knuckle.

"Stay quiet or I'll just ram my dick in," Roberto warned, twisting and sinking his digits in deeper. His lover looked back and batted his eyes lasciviously.

"Don't, please!" he pleaded loudly. "I'm still a virgin!"

That got his man laughing out loud. "I told you to to be quiet..." he hissed, pulling out his fingers, then pressing his big, rippling body down on Danny's back.

"No!" Danny yelled, sandwiched between Roberto and the mattress. Even Roberto could clearly hear the horniess in his voice. The mechanic licked the younger man's right shoulder, then bit down.

His loins fired up when he heard his boyfriend scream in pleasure. "Piss me off some more and I'll make sure it hurts," the mechanic whispered, his cold tone only making his boy hotter.

Danny decided to flip the script.

"Is that all you can do? Talk?" he sneered. His words halted Roberto, who blinked in surprise. Then the older man whistled and pushed his lover's head down on the soft pillow.

"I'm gonna make you beg for mercy!" he growled, ramming his rigid prick through the anus.

The young man screeched, jolted by the pain. His man waited for several seconds, wrapping his arms around Danny's torso, then impaling deeper.

"Berto!" Danny yelped, then gritted his teeth. Sweat began to trickle all over his body.

"You've been a bad boy..." Roberto grunted. He started fucking his young bottom with a forceful rhythm. Danny cried out repeatedly, his entire body rocking from Roberto's pounding pelvis. His desperate voice was accompanied by the softly creaking bed, and the squishes from Roberto's lubricated shaft puncturing and re-puncturing his anus.

"OH! Oh...yes!"

'"You like getting rough dicked, huh?" Roberto breathed, beginning to perspire. "Yeah, take it, you little slut!"

"No! No...yes! YES!" his lover begged, then yelled in surprise as the mechanic bit his shoulder again. The streaks of sweat from Roberto's armpits and furry chest moistened Danny's arching back.

They went on, and on, fucking like animals in heat. Wet, heated bodies pressed together, grinding and thrusting, their voices moaning and calling in passion.

Roberto had to take a breather from time to time, so that he wouldn't climax too early. Danny took those breaks to lay still and catch his breath, waiting to get filled and emptied again and again.

As usual, they lost track of time. They were fucking hard, after another little break, when the alarm went off. The mechanic stopped thrusting, groaned, and leaned over to shut it off. They had one more hour before Roberto had to be at work.

"Ready to cum, baby?" he asked, squeezing his lover's asscheeks.

"Um hmm," Danny nodded, looking back at Roberto hungrily. The older hunk gave him a kiss, then slapped those bubbly buttocks and jackhammered his prick into his boy. Danny yelped and closed his eyes, his body rollicking.

Several stabs later, the mechanic stud growled, every muscle stiff, then fell on top of Danny's body, breathing hard.

His bottom wasn't done yet though. Danny continued to grind his bum back and forth, stroking the cummy, spent prick inside his loosened canal. The raw sensations drew shudders from Roberto.

"You still horny?" the mechanic asked, his tone breathy.

Danny looked back with a cheeky smile. "Um hmm."

Roberto's eyes light up.

"Flip over," the hunk commanded, as he withdrew quickly from Danny's rectum. A runny mix of semen and lube gushed out from the used hole, staining the bed sheets. The young man turned onto his back, opened up his legs, and licked his lips, staring up at his man longingly.

Roberto's furry, statuesque body was flushed from exertion, the sinewy muscles even more defined under the sheen of slick sweat.

Without a word, Roberto re-entered, impaling all nine inches into Danny's used asshole in one go. He wrapped Danny's legs around his waist, leaned down, and smothered his boyfriend's mouth with his roving tongue and lips.

Danny's eyes rolled back as the relentless drilling began again.

-----

An hour and 15 minutes later, Roberto sped into the garage parking lot and screeched into his parking spot.

When he briskly entered the lobby of the shop, he saw that it was a typical Saturday: busy, filled with waiting customers who had no more seats to sit in. Roberto sped past the waiting room towards the office. A few women stood and chirped hello, only to be met by the head technician's half-hearted wave and smile.

Fred was at the office computer, rapidly typing and flipping through different programs as usual. He didn't even need to look up at Roberto before the mechanic spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Is everything on schedule?" he apologized and asked, grabbing the clipboard with the day's scheduled appointments, drop-ins, and other tasks.

"15 minutes late," Fred stated, eyes still locked to the monitor, though his brows lifted.

Roberto snickered at the subtle dig. He walked towards the door to the garage, when the office manager added dryly, "That must've been some wakeup sex."

Their eyes met.

Then they burst into laughter.

After they had a moment, Roberto said, "I'm gonna start on the Escalade..." He headed again towards the garage.

"Nick handed in his two weeks," Fred said, this time turning away from the monitor.

Roberto stopped again, this time racked with guilt. "Shit. I'm sorry, Fred. I know I fucked that up." With business booming, they needed every pair of hands they had in the shop. Nick's impending departure was another issue on top of all the balls Roberto and Fred were already juggling.

"It's all right, you horny bastard. He probably got an offer from one of the chains anyway."

"Y'know what? Here, take tomorrow off. I know you wanna spend Sunday with Jen and the baby."

"Buddy, it's cool."

Roberto walked towards his business partner, his best friend if he ever had one, and rested his hand on Fred's shoulder.

"Fred, I fucked up. Let me make it up."

Nick was the smart, proactive 19-year-old mechanic they hired straight out of college last fall. He also had a tryst with Roberto in the shop, before the mechanic was ready to face the fact that he was in love with Danny. After numerous failed attempts at getting into Roberto's pants a second time, Nick realized his chances of getting laid or getting ahead at the garage were nil. He saw no reason to stick around.

The office manager patted Roberto's thick forearm. "It's okay, buddy, seriously. I'm working on the hiring ad right now. Just don't fuck everyone else."

In response, Roberto shook his head and exhaled, grinning. "You know I got Danny now. And, no." The thought of the other mechanics in a sexual light made him nauseous. "Honestly, buddy, do you want me to close for you next week? Or work a few long days so you get more time with the baby?"

Fred thought for a moment. "That would be sweet. Hey, you wanna see the new pics we took of Lana? She..." He didn't have to continue; Roberto's frown answered that question. "Yeah, thought so. But, yeah, buddy, sure, we'll talk about that. I appreciate it."

"I mean it, dude," Roberto affirmed, take a step to the door.

"Uh, Rob?" the office manager piped up again. He shifted awkwardly in his chair before continuing. "Y'know, some of our lady customers are coming in less regularly," he stated, peering from the side of his eyes.

That left his business partner gobsmacked. "So...what do you want me to do? Whore myself out?"

"Well, you used to...flirt more. And it was good for business," he offered hesitantly.

Roberto threw his arms up in the air, shaking his head. "Yeah, but it's different now. It just doesn't feel right, y'know. I got..."

"You got Danny, I know. But think of the nice places you can take him if we exceed our target this month..." Fred whistled. "Bermuda, Cuba, Martinique..."

"Listen up, buddy," the head technician said, walking up to Fred. "I'm tired of you pimping me out." He raised his eyebrows and pointed at his oldest friend. "From now on, I'm gonna whip you into shredded shape and then YOU'RE gonna go out there and deal with the bored housewives."

Fred snickered. "Dude, you seriously have no idea what happens what you've got a baby. You think I'd go to the gym with you rather than sleep, if I had any free time?"

Roberto smirked. "Oh, but think of all the nice places you can take Lana and Jen with the extra money..." He looked off into the distance. "Greece, Italy, Portugal..."

Fred chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, it's never gonna work. You were always the stud." He whistled again.

Sighing then grinning, Roberto gave up. "Shit, you're making me blush. You know I have a boyfriend," the mechanic said coyly, opening the door to the garage. Fred laughed and went back to the computer.

Several seconds later, Roberto peeked back into the office.

"What'cha doin' tonight?" he asked Fred with a wink.

Fred was Roberto's only constant friend. It wasn't that the mechanic was a hermit; before Danny, when the mechanic was single, Roberto had met lots of people through the gym and the bars. However, most of them wanted something sexual or romantic with him, and those relationships never lasted. Others were fairweather acquaintances on the strip, coming and going with the season.

Despite this, Roberto rarely felt lonely. Contrary to his playboy image, he was actually a private person who enjoyed having lots of personal space. For years, he had been well occupied with working as a mechanic, then launching a business with Fred, as well as working out, cooking, and chasing tail.

Fred had been enough of a social commitment for him. However, when he got married and had Lana, they saw each other less often outside of work, and Roberto began feeling a bit of a void in his life. It was just the perfect time for Danny to swoop in and turn everything upside down.

The other reason why Fred was Roberto's only real friend was that the latter rarely let people in. Subconsciously, it was the residual effect of his family's immigration from Portugal when he was eight years old. He'd been a popular kid back home, but when he moved to Canada he lost all of that. Finding himself in a foreign land he didn't want to be in, Roberto was sure that anyone he befriended and cared about would leave his life eventually.

Then he met Fred in middle school. An unassumingly intelligent, enterprising kid, Fred was persistent in becoming friends with the Portuguese teen, mainly because he recognized that Roberto's budding masculine features were drawing the girls' attentions, and he wasn't even trying.

Though it took a few months, Roberto eventually let Fred in, because Fred helped him with all of his subjects at school. They also shared an interest in cars; Roberto liked looking at chassis diagrams and learning all the parts, while Fred was more interested in one day buying a Lamborghini and showing it off.

After college, the young Portuguese started work as a mechanic, while Fred studied for an MBA and sold Porsches at a luxury dealership. Then, when the latter got his master's, he began to save up capital for launching his own business, which took several years. It was enough time for him to convince Roberto to start an auto shop together.

Tonight, after work, the two men went out to grab a drink at a bar. It'd been a long time since they'd hung out together outside the garage. Relaxing for an hour or so before going back home, there was Fred with his beer, Roberto with his wine, joking about old times and geeking out about cars.

One thing they didn't share was love of the same gender. Back in school, as the girls threw themselves at Roberto, Fred assumed he'd scored with all of them. But when he tried to grill the Portuguese for racy details after every date, Roberto just groaned and shrugged his shoulders.

It took an entire school year before Fred figured it out: Roberto was gay. With a quick confirming nod one day walking home from school, Fred got his answer. He also realized that life wasn't fair. Roberto had been getting action all right, just back door action of the male variety when he used his fake ID to go clubbing. Fred never got any until university.

At the sports bar, as the office manager revealed his plan to save up for a Lamborghini behind his wife's back, Roberto's phone rang.

"Is the wife calling?" Fred jabbed. Roberto chuckled and answered the call.

"Hey."

"Where are you??" Danny demanded. He sounded belligerent.

"...I'm just having a drink with Fred. What's wrong?" Roberto asked cautiously.

"You didn't tell me! I've been waiting for you!!" Danny exclaimed.

Roberto was confused. "Wait, waiting for me, for what?"

"To see Richie with me..." Danny hissed.

"But you said you wanted to go by yourself..."

"You pushed me to go see him and now you're leaving me to deal with this alone! I don't even want to see him! It was your idea!" Roberto had never heard his boyfriend this angry before.

Danny was practically yelling when he demanded, "Why aren't you home?!"

"Okay, I'm coming back now," the mechanic replied. He was annoyed, confused and worried.

"Don't bother," Danny said coldly and hung up.

-----

-----

Half an hour later, Richie and Simon walked into Fantabulous, one of the gay bars on the strip.

"So, tell me about Luke already!" the blond said eagerly as they sat down at a table.

Simon recalled his brunch with Luke. They went to a diner around the corner, filled with groggy clubbers and well-dressed Ikea shoppers. Grabbing a table on the patio, the editor-in-chief got Simon to talk all about himself, something that he didn't do often. He was usually the listener, but Luke made him feel very comfortable, and seemed genuinely interested in hearing about his interests and his goals. Only after they said goodbye did Simon realize that he didn't know anything more about Luke.

"Oh, and another thing. So I told him that I'm looking for a job, and he said he might be able to help me out."

"Ooh, at Queeries??" Richie asked.

"I think so. I don't know what job I could do, but that would be amazing."

The blond winked. "Ohh yeah...imagine the naughty lunch breaks when you show him your appreciation!" He burst out laughing as Simon shook his head and blushed.

"He is really cute...and smooth..." the singer said, then paused. "I mean, personality, not his body...omigosh..."

Richie guffawed as Simon blushed some more.

"So you're gonna do more than just look next time?" the blond asked with an arched eyebrow.

The singer shrugged. "Well, who wouldn't?"

Richie nodded. "He is sexy...I bet it'll be lots of fun," he conceded. Then his eyes perked up at someone behind Simon.

As the blond waved, Simon turned around. He saw a short, slim, cute guy who looked a lot like Richie walking towards them. The smile on his face faded when he saw Simon.

"Hey Danny," the blond greeted, giving his friend a hug.

"Hey..."

"How are you?"

Danny shrugged and took a seat. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm good. Is Roberto still at work?"

The brunet looked at Richie, then darted his eyes away. "Uhh, he's out with his office manager Fred. I didn't know he was invited."

Awkwardness hung over the table.

"Oh, well, it would've been nice to see him." The blond took a breath. "So Danny, this is my friend Simon."

The singer extended his hand politely to the brunet. "Hi Danny. It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Danny shook Simon's head weakly as he sized him up: petite, dressed preppily, with perfect black skin and a handsome square face. In his foul mood, he guessed that Simon would be Roberto's type.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 03



"So we met at Maple Studios, over a bag of chips," the blond explained, smiling at Simon. "We were fighting over it." Simon shared a chuckle with Richie.

Watching that moment, Danny's heart sank.

"Simon's an amazing singer...you gotta check out his Soundcloud. And guess who he just went on a date with?" Richie teased excitedly.

The brunet blinked blankly. He thought about going to the bar and taking a shot.

His former best friend looked back at Simon. "Luke James!"

"Oh."

"Y'know who Luke..."

"Yeah, I know who he is. Congratulations," Danny said curtly to Simon. So this is the guy who's replaced me, the brunet thought.

Simon explained in his usual self-deprecating manner, "Well, we just met last night at Toga, so we'll see. He is really nice though."

Danny stood up. "I'm gonna get a drink," he said without meeting the others' eyes, and walked away.

Simon watched Richie's face grimace. "He didn't even ask if we wanted anything," Richie muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, it's cool. It's an awkward time for you two right now, but it's gonna be okay. Look at it this way: he suggested hanging out, and then he showed up. That says a lot."

"Yeah, it says we both made a mistake," the blond sneered.

At the bar, Danny downed a shot of tequila. He was on the verge of lapsing into self-pity. Looking up at the ceiling of the bar, he wondered why everything was going wrong today.

"You look like you need a screwdriver."

It was a strangely familiar voice, though the copywriter couldn't place it yet. Before he fully turned his head towards the speaker, the guy was already up in Danny's space.

He was lean, cheerful, with frosted blond tips in his hair and a too-tight tee stretched across his chest. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asked.

And then it dawned on Danny: he'd hooked up with this guy before, during his wild phase a few months ago. For the life of him, the copywriter couldn't remember on which drunken weekend they'd met, or what they did together exactly.

The guy was cute, but so were many others whom Danny had sex with during that time. It was all a blur of sticky, moaning, and ultimately empty sucking and fucking that the brunet would rather all forget. Like how he'd already forgotten this guy's name.

He almost tasted the disgust he felt about himself. Sweat tickled his skin all over. Usually, it was a turn-on when Roberto called him a slut, as he played with the mechanic's slimy cock after cumming. But now, he just felt gross.

Suddenly, Danny felt a big arm wrap possessively around his slouched shoulders. He turned around. Speak of the devil.

"What's up?" Roberto asked frosted tips with a quick nod. His eyes were steely.

"Nothin', man," the hookup responded, taking a half step back. "Just saying hi,"

"Hi, I'm Roberto, his boyfriend," the mechanic said dryly. Frosted tips backed away and walked off.

Turning back to his boyfriend, Roberto saw Danny's frown. The younger man was also avoiding Roberto's stare.

"You two know each other?"

Danny's eyes shot up. He hesitated, then nodded, and looked back down.

Roberto waited. After a few more seconds, he folded his big arms across his bulging pecs. That did it; Danny knew there was no way out of this. He sighed and met his boyfriend's eyes.

"I hooked up with him once...when we were apart."

The mechanic took a breath, then exhaled, his expression softened.

At that point, a rush of emotions overtook Danny: relief, hopelessness, anger, loneliness. He threw his arms around his man and whimpered.

"This is officially the worst day of my life," the copywriter began, nuzzling into Roberto's hard, wide chest. He felt his man's arms wrap tighter around his back.

"The whole Richie thing, the whole awkward thing that just happened...and, my mom called this afternoon."

That got Roberto's attention. "What did she say?"

"UGH..." Danny didn't want to get into it, but he knew Roberto wouldn't stop until he talked. And ultimately, he knew it would make him feel better. So he edged closer to the mechanic's ear and continued.

"She was fine until I asked her...I told her I was going to stay another night with you. She got angry and went on and on about how she didn't allow that, and I'm turning into a bad son, and..." Danny shook his head.

"She said as long as I lived in her house, I had to follow the rules, and I can't sleep over with you every week...so then I got angry and told her I'm an adult now, I can do what I want with my life, and dad is okay with Roberto...but THEN..."

Roberto raised his eyebrows.

"She started saying crazy things like I have to pay rent and cook my own meals, and do my own laundry, if I'm such an adult, or I'll have to move out...I..." He took a breath and moaned.

"...I was just so shocked and angry, I didn't know what to say, so I hung up on her. And then I wished you were there beside me."

"Aw baby..." Roberto understood what that phone freakout was about. "You should've just told me that on the phone. I didn't know what you were yelling at me for." He looked down into Danny's eyes. "I was worried."

The copywriter melted into Roberto's buff chest. "I'm sorry, Berto..." He rested against his man for a moment.

"I didn't want to see Richie by myself anymore, and I just got upset. And ugh, he's here with some new friend."

The mechanic rubbed Danny's back and kissed him on his head. After a moment, the younger man looked up at him.

"Can we go home now?"

Roberto blinked. "Where's Richie? We should go over and talk for a bit." He anticipated the whining that followed and shook his head resolutely.

"You guys need to talk."

"I don't wanna talk anymore," Danny groaned. "I'm done talking for today. And listening. All I get is bad news."

His man looked around the bar and found Richie's table a moment later. "C'mon, it won't be so bad. I'm here now," he teased, pushing his face into Danny's. The latter chuckled and pushed him away, then made up his mind.

"Fine," he whined. They started walking towards where Richie and Simon were sitting.

"You guys should talk a bit...chill a bit, whatever..." Roberto rambled as he followed his boy.

When they got to the table, Simon's eyes focused on Roberto.

"Hey Roberto, you made it," Richie said with a polite smile.

The mechanic smiled back and responded, "Yeah, I was out with my friend and I totally forgot about this. My bad." He then shot a grin at Danny.

"I'm glad you could make it. So, how are things?" Richie asked. To be honest, he still wasn't sure about Roberto, after seeing the number he did on his lifelong friend. But the guy was at least more talkative than Danny.

"Things are good. Lots going on, keeping busy. Right, baby?" He kissed Danny on the forehead. The younger man nodded, less tense now that his man was here.

As the couple sat down at the table, Simon's eyes stayed on Roberto. Danny observed warily as Richie spoke up.

"Roberto, this is my friend Simon. He's an amazing singer." The blond then turned to Simon. "Simon, this is Roberto, Danny's boyfriend."

The singer offered his hand and greeted the mechanic warmly. Danny swallowed.

"So what kind of music do you do?" Roberto asked. That started a chat between him and Simon, to Danny's chagrin. His longtime friend could see the jealousy in his eyes and soon spoke up to ease the tension.

"Hey Danny, how's your job going?"

The brunet snapped away and looked at Richie. "Oh, it's good, it's going well. How's everything with you?"

Richie sat up and thought for a moment. "I'm good. I guess the big news is, I moved in with Trevor a month ago. He's closer to my work, and also...we thought it was time." He tilted his head and smiled softly.

Richie continued, "Yeah, it's been interesting living with him, not gonna lie..." They shared a chuckle. "It's crazy when I think about it, and you know, with my track record," he looked at Danny with a smirk and rolling eyes,"...I can't believe I found someone I wanna spend the rest of my life with."

Danny's eyes and lips widened. "Wow."

"Yeah, I know. Wow." Richie nodded and took a sip of his vodka cran.

His childhood friend mulled over what he was about to say. "Are you sure? I mean, that's amazing, but...are you sure? It's been seven months..." Danny calculated out loud. He was surprised it'd already been that long.

"Well, we're not getting married tomorrow or anything. We're taking it step by step. But..." He blinked and sought the words to communicate how he felt about Trevor. "When I'm with him, I just...know, that this is it."

Danny felt happy for his blond friend. He also identified with how Richie felt. "That's amazing, Richie. It really is."

In response, Richie reached across the table and squeezed Danny's hand. He then cleared his throat and said, "Tell me more about your job. How's the copywriting?"

"It's good, it's fine. My boss is really nice and she tells me exactly what she wants, which is great 'cos I need that. The work is a bit dry, but I can't complain."

Richie smiled. "That's awesome you found something so quickly after graduation. Something good too."

"Aw, thanks Richie. Yeah, I'm really lucky. It's been a really crazy year..." They both stopped and looked down. "...but, I'm in a good place right now," the brunet finished and nodded.

Beside him, Roberto turned his head. "Were you talking about me?" he asked with a smirk.

Danny shook his head, confused. He then rolled his eyes when Roberto explained, "I heard 'I'm really lucky, I'm in a good place' and I thought you meant 'Roberto makes me so happy'."

Everyone at the table shared a laugh. Danny added, "I love his modesty."

The scene made Simon look away for a quick second. He thought about his love life, the fact that the longest time he'd been with a guy was three dates. He also grumbled over Jesse again. Sure, things were looking up with Luke right now, but he knew that nothing was certain, and everything could change in a second.

Suddenly it hit him. "Is everyone at this table attached but me?" he asked, then moaned and slapped his forehead. Another round of chuckles rose from the table.

-----

Two weeks after drinks at Fantabulous, Simon found himself in the office of Luke's magazine, Queeries. The editor-in-chief got him a job as an admin assistant and data entry clerk.

Simon was very thankful for Luke's string-pulling, and very relieved by the flow of regular income. Still, he was aware how mind-numbing this desk job would be. He was already wondering how long he could stand working there, and what his next step would be.

It was the end of his first week at Queeries, and things were crazy from the get-go. A massive volume of work and last-minute changes seemed to be the norm. He was taking over the more menial tasks for Deborah, the operations manager, who was polite but clearly stressed and overworked. Simon couldn't imagine how she handled everything before he got hired.

Simultaneously tired (he was still adjusting to getting up early), bored, and under pressure to copy, paste, type, and verify a hundred or so spreadsheet rows before end of day, the singer was on his second large coffee for the day. It was Friday afternoon, and most people in the office were getting loud and restless.

Finishing another anonymous row, he accidentally hit the wrong key on the keyboard. Suddenly the worksheet went blank.

Silent, cold panic. Simon pressed the undo shortcut repeatedly, but nothing came back. Racking his brain for a solution, he flipped through his notebook, with the training notes he'd jotted down when Deborah showed him his tasks. There was nothing that solved his current predicament.

Finally, he took a deep breath and got up from his desk.

Deborah's office was around the corner. The door was open, and as usual, the operations manager looked stressed out, staring at her laptop.

Simon knocked on the door. "Hi Deborah, sorry to bother you..."

She looked up at him, but it was clear she had no time for this. "What's the issue?" she asked, barely masking her impatience.

"I was working on the pending rows, and then everything disappeared."

Deborah leaned forward. "Disappeared?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Yeah, I think I hit a key and then the worksheet went blank."

The operations manager blinked, looked back at the laptop, then began to type, trying to hide the scowl on her face. She took a breath, as if ready to say something, and then shook her head.

"You're gonna have to give me five minutes..." she muttered to the screen. Simon nodded, then turned around, feeling a bit useless and guilty.

He immediately bumped into someone. Simon backed up and looked up.

"Sorry, Luke!" he apologized. In return, he got a dazzling bearded grin.

Though they worked in the same office, Simon hadn't seen Luke around very much at all. The editor-in-chief was always in back-to-back meetings, out of the office, or behind a closed door when everyone else had already went home for the day.

"Is everything okay here?" Luke asked, glancing between Simon and Deborah. The operations manager sighed and began a litany of issues; Luke went over to her desk to investigate. For a while, Simon stood there, quiet and feeling out-of-place.

Then Simon decided to head back to his desk. As he took a step out the office, Luke asked, "Everything going okay with you, Simon?"

The singer turned back around. "Umm, yeah. Well, actually..." He could see Deborah's slightly disdainful eyes staring at him, as if his issue wasn't worth anyone's time. "Something happened with my spreadsheet..."

Luke gave him a curious look. "Okay, I'll be right over."

Several minutes later, as people started parading out of the office, Luke made good on his promise. It turned out to be a bad delete, which meant redoing an hour's work for Simon. He hid his disappointment in front of Luke, who knew what he was feeling anyway.

"I know it sucks, but hey, maybe this will make it up. I have to stay a bit later too, and then I'm getting a drink with a friend. Why don't you come too? Drinks on me, great way to start the weekend...it'll be fun," Luke offered with a smile.

Simon readily agreed.

The extra hour flew by. Simon wasn't aware of the time, so concentrated on finishing his work. He didn't hear Luke come up behind him.

"Good to go?" the editor-in-chief asked.

Simon jumped, almost spilling his coffee. "Oh! Yes, almost, I just have three more rows."

The next thing he knew, Luke was leaning in. Their faces were side by side.

"You're figuring out Deborah's process?" he asked.

Deborah had a very particular way of naming, grouping, and saving her files. It was like navigating through a labyrinth. Simon paid attention during training, but inevitably, the operations manager didn't have the time or energy to explain every single detail of her workflow. A good part of Simon's day was spent figuring out where she put certain folders, and what her acronyms stood for.

"Well, it's quite a process..." Simon began, heating up from his proximity to Luke.

"Trust me, I know how tricky it is. She's been a self-contained do-it-all for so long. It's all in her head. And now, you have to break into that vault of knowledge." He skimmed through the singer's work on the monitor.

"It's gonna take some time. But you're doing great," he affirmed.

"Thanks," Simon accepted meekly.

The editor-in-chief pulled up a chair and sat down. "Sorry I haven't been around much. We're expanding at light speed online and it's just been all-around chaos, to put it bluntly. I'm really glad to have you here, to help out Deborah and the whole team." 

Luke squeezed Simon's shoulder. The latter instantly made a typo.

"Thanks for having me. Seriously," Simon said, turning to face Luke. "You really helped me out."

Their eyes locked. Simon's breath was caught in his throat, stunned as he was by Luke's ocean blue eyes and ruggedly groomed face. He got that feeling of mysterious wonder again, sitting in front of this exceptional man, now his boss. Always polished and accomplished, what Simon really wanted to know was what laid beneath the surface, though he'd be glad to first revisit what laid beneath his clothes...

And then Luke's phone went off.

They both shook out of it. Luke read the caller ID, then said, "Sorry, I have to take this."

Simon closed his eyes for a quick second before turning back to the monitor. Never a dull moment since he broke off from Jesse. And even that whole ordeal was rarely dull, just delusional.

Simon tried not to eavesdrop on Luke's conversation, but he couldn't help himself. He found it difficult to determine whether it was a personal or professional call. The editor-in-chief always sounded calm, charming, cordial. He was always so pleasant, Simon wondered if anyone at Queeries ever saw him lose his temper.

As Luke said his goodbyes, Simon finished the last row of the day. He made sure he saved his work, then clapped his hands and stretched his arm.

"Perfect timing," Luke said with a smile, hanging up. He stood up, ready to go.

Simon smiled back and gathered his belongings. He picked up his large coffee, about to take a big gulp, when the cup slipped out of his hand and landed on his chest.

The cup lid flew off. Coffee splashed down the front of Simon's shirt and pants.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, standing still, looking down at his drenched clothes.

Luke immediately bent down to pick up the cup and lid. "Lemme get the paper towel from the washroom," he then said, briskly walking away.

"Thank you..." Simon muttered, angry at himself. What was he doing looking like a wet fool in front of Luke? He was about to spend more time with the man of wonder, but instead he was now wiping himself down with a roll of paper towel.

He didn't have a change of clothes on him. "Luke, why don't I meet you at the bar? I'm gonna take a taxi back home to change, and then I'll head over."

The editor-in-chief nodded. "Call or text me when you're heading over."

Getting his clothes dirty was one of Simon's pet peeves. He was glad that he managed to flag a taxi soon after leaving the office. During the ride, he gritted his teeth at the feeling of cold, damp fabric clinging to his skin.

Then someone outside the cab caught his eye. He was passing by the university track and field centre, and there was a group of guys practicing football or rugby. From a distance, he thought one of the shirtless guys looked like Jae.

Spinning around to look again through the rear window, Simon squinted and verified that, yes, it was indeed the yummy Korean jock. His beefy torso was slick with sweat, his muscle flexing as he jumped and caught the football.

The taxi rounded a turn and Jae was out of sight. But in Simon's mind, the Asian stud was still very much present: naked, masturbating in the bathroom, one hand wrapped around his cut, banana-shaped cock, the other hand pinching a nipple.

When he made it back to his apartment, with the taxi waiting downstairs, Simon's own eight-incher was pointing up at the ceiling. He briefly considered taking care of business then and there, before he thought about where the night could end up with Luke. 

Quickly throwing on a pink polo shirt with white khakis, Simon hurried back down and gave the cab driver directions to the gay bar. As the taxi started moving, he realized he would be passing by the athletic field again, and positioned himself right in front of the window.

The taxi rolled towards the university and Simon's breathing quickened. Rounding the same turn towards the track and field centre, Simon scanned the stadium area. The team of guys was gone, but there were a few people jogging on the running track. Simon focused on one of them.

"Sorry, can you stop here?" Simon asked, getting his wallet.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 03



Only when he stepped onto the sidewalk, while the taxi sped away, did he ask himself what exactly he was doing.

Luke was waiting for him. He reasoned internally that he was just going to say hi, then he'd head over to the bar. Crossing the street towards the athletic field, his steps hurried, his heart beating at a brisk pace, he questioned again what he was doing. What was he trying to accomplish? Why was he going after a guy he barely knew? Why was he doing this again?

He stopped in front of the chain link fence at the edge of the stadium field, gazing at Jae's shirtless form as he jogged on the oval running track. The long, sturdy legs took each bounding step with ease. His toned core twisted and contracted, moist with perspiration that glistened in the setting sun. Simon's eyes roved up to Jae's smooth, hunky chest, each pec bouncing slightly with every step. The nipples looked ripe for picking.

And his brown eyes, gorgeous dark gems, now looking directly into Simon's as he rounded the corner of the running track.

"Hey!" Jae exclaimed, running onto the field towards Simon. The sun lit up his breathtaking smile.

He was panting when he slowed to a stop in front of the fence and asked, "How long...have you been here?"

Simon found it hard to listen or respond, so engrossed was he by the Korean's physicality. All he could think of was how badly he wanted to lick up every droplet of Jae's sweat, lift up those muscular arms and suck the pit hair dry, then bite those pink nipples until the jock begged for mercy...

"I was just passing by, on my way to the gay village. I saw you and I thought I'd say hi."

Jae grinned smugly "You were checking me out?" he asked, crossing his arms to puff up his impressive pectorals.

It made Simon hesitate for a moment, before he spoke the truth.

"I still am."

Those gorgeous eyes went wide, then rounded into dazzling crescents as a guffaw rung out of Jae's mouth.

"Haha! Ohh man, Simon, you're too much."

Instead of retreating back into his default civilized shell, Simon giggled and shot the jock a sensual glance. For once, he wasn't afraid to show his interest.

Jae continued smiling.

"So you're off to drive the boys crazy in gaytown?" he asked casually. He rested his hands on his hips, granting Simon full view of his cooling athletic torso.

Simon grinned and looked down. "I was," he replied, then batted his eyes back up at Jae. "What are you doing tonight?"

Running his hand across his wet brow, he answered, "Nothin'. I got invited to some big penthouse party, but I got into some serious debauchery last weekend...I should let my liver recover a bit." He sighed, remembering the bender. "Pretty run-down from my accounting internship too. I started this week, and I'm just sitting at my desk, falling asleep or wishing I was outside playing ball."

The singer nodded. "Yeah, I just started a new job this week too, so I know what you mean. I just wanna die around three o'clock."

A comfortable silence fell over them. They held their glance on each other.

Finally Jae broke the spell. "So, I know I look great shirtless and all, but I'm gonna go put my shirt back on and, uhh, maybe you wanna grab a bite or something?"

"Yeah, of course," Simon replied, grinning wide.

"Do you mind waiting a bit in the gym lobby? I'll shower really quick."

15 minutes later, they were off to the nearest pub. They were chatting easily about their new job, comparing office culture and coworkers.

Simon felt the need to exclude Luke from their conversation. As they entered the patio, he reminded himself to send his boss a text, to say "something came up".

Salad, wings, and burger gave way to beer and gin and tonic. Jae was on fire, busting out joke after joke about his colleagues, classmates, and professors. Simon, breathless from laughter, even squirted his drink out his nose on one occasion, prompting Jae to lose it.

Loosened up from the humour and the liquor, Simon began to unleash his knack for celebrity impersonations, parodying everyone from Nicki Minaj to Celine Dion in voice and mannerisms. It got the Asian hunk howling; he insisted that Simon do standup at an open mic.

Around this point, strangers began to approach the two, keen to join the jolliest table at the pub. Plastered Simon threw hugs and kisses at new acquaintances, not catching a single name. Meanwhile, Jae instigated the drinking games, which only attracted more people to gather.

Somebody ordered a round of vodka shots, and then they just kept coming. Uninhibited, hyper, and downright horny, Simon began grabbing, tickling, and slapping Jae's thick, firm arms as they laughed over increasingly nonsensical things. The Korean didn't seem to mind, grabbing Simon in a bear hug, poking his ribs, and raising his hand with the singer's whenever someone asked who wanted another shot.

The last thing Simon remembered was tequila.

-----

When he came to, it was dark all around.

He sat up immediately. His senses were much slower to awaken.

He was on a bed, in a room with the lights out. It wasn't his room.

Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The window curtains were slightly drawn, leaving a strip of moonlight to enter.

He saw that he was still in his clothes. There was an arm resting across his lap. It belonged to Jae, topless, snoring soundly beside him. The two of them made a tight fit on the twin bed.

When he tried to stand up, he realized he was still drunk. Against his will, his body lost balance and fell back on Jae's bed. Simon's head bumped against the wall.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, the curse deafeningly loud. Beside him, Jae stirred, mumbled unintelligibly, and turned onto his back.

His erect dick poked out of the piss slit of his striped boxers.

Simon watched it for a moment, seeing the genitals before him. He was transfixed, wondering how they tasted, how they would feel rolling inside his mouth.

Then he dove down and sucked Jae's prick straight into his mouth.

It was average sized, around five to six inches. Simon loved the upward bent of the shaft, and dragged the cut cockhead across the roof of his palate, while his tongue flew in a flurry all over the cock's underside.

Finally. This was really happening. He didn't have to fantasize from the bathroom incident any longer. Simon closed his eyes and sucked hard on the glans several times, then popped it out of his mouth and gave it an eager tongue bath.

He moaned gutturally, his extremities tingling with excitement.

All of a sudden, Jae sat up. "What the fuck?" he shouted.

Simon froze, his head in Jae's lap, his hand still around Jae's cock.

The jock's eyes squinted, blinking rapidly. A groan escaped his mouth, and then Simon saw the jock staring at him eye-to-eye.

"What the..." he repeated, this time in a low, confused mutter.

Simon began gently stroking the shaft. In a little, innocent voice, he begged, "Please..."

Jae stayed still, breathing hard.

"Please, just let me do this..." the black man continued breathily. He stroked a bit faster, eliciting a sigh from the Asian jock.

"I've wanted to for so long..."

Jae was breathing through his mouth. His flat abdomen was contracting with every breath.

An eternity passed. The only sounds were the rubbing between Simon's fist and Jae's cotton boxers, and laboured breathing.

"O...okay,"

In the Korean's eyes, the singer saw a mixture of desire and apprehension. He opened his mouth wide and engulfed the banana cock in one gulp.

Jae threw his head back. "FUCK!"

Simon sucked hungrily, his tongue and lips going wild all over the hard flesh. He was aware that this might be his only chance at a sexual encounter with Jae, so he worked desperately.

The jock started moaning loudly. "Oh my God! Oh wow..." He gripped the sheets with both hands and sighed under the sweet aching.

Encouraged by Jae's voice, Simon slid his hands from the Korean's thick, trimmed bush, up his tightening abdomen, farther up still, until his fingers wrapped around those slabs of big hard pectorals. It was pure heaven.

Swallowing the banana prick down his throat, Simon felt Jae's hands wrap around his head and begin to take control of the rhythm. Aroused, the singer moaned and went deeper.

"Fuck! You're so fucking good..." The Asian began to pump Simon's head up and down. "Yeah, take that cock...take it," he muttered, thrusting his pelvis to drive his hard dick as far up the black man's throat as possible.

It made Simon gag; he pulled his head back while Jae let him go.

Staring hard at the Korean stud, he spat onto his swollen, pulsing cock and teased, "Make me."

Jae sneered, so fucking arrogant and sexy. "Make you take it like a dirty little slut?"

"Show me what you got, fucker," Simon retorted, closing his fist around the shaft and spreading the gooey saliva all over the dick.

Without warning, Jae grabbed the back of Simon's head and forced his face down, stabbing his erect prick back into the singer's hungry mouth.

"Mmm!" Simon sucked and licked furiously as Jae flexed and jerked his groin to fuck the black man's mouth.

"Yeah...you little slut..."

The gurgles and slurps only made things hotter. Whimpering, his own cock fully erect without even stroking himself, Simon closed his eyes and relished in being used by the object of his fantasy.

"Take it all...AH! FUCK yeah..."

Several more hard thrusts later, Jae grunted and lay still on the bed, tired. His hands still gripped Simon's scalp, pumping the singer's head on his cock.

"Suck it good..."

Suddenly Jae felt something prod and circle his anus. Surprised by the intense sensation, he hollered and released Simon's head.

"You like that?" the black man asked, freeing the cock to stroke the slippery, steely shaft hard and fast with one hand. With the other, he teased the jock's clenching rosebud.

Jae was numb with raw pleasure. Panting, he lay back like a twitching doll, his muscles contracting on their own. "Oh wow..." he sighed, sensing the oncoming orgasm.

Simon saw the precum begin to ooze from the cockhead. He instantly impaled his finger through Jae's sphincter and twisted his other hand around the Korean's glans.

"AW FUCK you nasty bitch!" he screamed, his back going rigid as he began to ejaculate. The hot, milky fountain sprayed everywhere, raining down on Jae's sweaty, convulsing body and his rumpled sheets. Simon's merciless hand didn't stop milking, even after Jae shot several loads of fresh semen.

"FUCK! OH SHIT!!" Jae screeched, yanking the singer's hand away from his sensitive dick. However, he was in too much sweet pain to stop Simon from prodding his hole. All he could do was fall back on the bed and wince, weak and spasming from the black finger poking up his rectum.

Simon wasn't done. He closed in on the deflating dick lying helplessly on Jae's heaving, cummy stomach and sucked it back into his mouth, starving for a taste.

Jae begged for mercy, crying out as the singer drew his teeth repeatedly across the red, bulbous cockhead.

Drawing the shaft out of his mouth, he stared at Jae and said, "That's what you get for calling me a nasty bitch."

In his weak state, Jae still managed a smug grin. "You're the nastiest bitch I've ever had on my cock..."

But before he could finish his jibe, the black singer again wrapped his lips tightly around his softening dick and sucked hard.

"SHIT! You nasty cocksucker!"

Simon decided to treat Jae to one last deep throat. He buried his nose in the Asian's damp pubes and massaged his throat muscles around the dick. Jae shouted helplessly, then gnashed his teeth to endure the torture.

But Simon still wasn't done yet.

Though he then let Jae's cock go, he dove down onto the Korean's abdomen and sucked up the pools of cum all over.

Jae, catching his breath, saw the singer's face hovering over his. Simon's mouth was closed and full.

The black man waited a moment, then opened his mouth and dumped the cumload all over the Korean's mouth.

"Argh!" Jae exclaimed, gargling and choking on his own splashing cum.

Simon watched from above with wide eyes, spittle stretching down from the corner of his lips.

"Aw yeah...that's so hot..." he breathed, before lowering his face onto Jae's and lapping up the regurgitated liquid running from his mouth.

"Oh FUCK..." Jae wheezed, closing his eyes. "You're fucking crazy...crazy freak..."

The singer savoured each drop of the Korean's essence as he roamed Jae's cheeks, chin, jaw, and neck with his darting tongue.

"Damn right," he whispered in between his slurps. He made sure he got every trace of cooling semen.

After he was done cleaning, Simon lay down beside the jock. He closed his eyes and breathed the natural, musky scent emanating from Jae's body.

Soon, the Asian stud was snoring. Simon wished that morning wouldn't come.

-----

-----

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Lots more drama and filthy sex to cum ;) Feedback is always welcomed.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 04



© 2013 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.

-----

NOTE: this story is a sequel to "Roberto the Mechanic Stud".

-----

-----

Worried awake. Even when Simon drifted to sleep, he dreamt he was worried awake.

The drunken, desperate blowjob he gave Jae felt surreal, so intense and short-lived it was. Completely in the dark, marked by filthy, shameful words...he'd fantasized about it many times, but what just happened wasn't in his head. It was on his lips, his tongue, on his fingers...the puffy glans oozing drops of pearly precum, the upward-bending shaft with one thick vein pulsing on the underside, and the semen, the fountain of ejaculate that spurt up and rained down in messy drops. Oh yes, it was all too real.

But, what happens next? How were they both going to deal with this? Or, were they just going to not own up to it, pretend it never happened, act like they didn't remember? Were they going to pretend like everything was cool, but never see each other again?

The black musician rummaged through possible wordings when they faced each other in the morning.

"Ugh...my head...what happened last night?"

"Uh, how did we get back here?"

"Shit...sorry, I gotta go."

His dreams were twisted possible scenarios: Nicole, one of Jae's roommates and Simon's friend, walking in on them sucking each other off, then joining in with her hairy vagina; getting pushed out of Jae's second-floor window when someone knocked in the morning, then seeing his former boss and object of affection Jesse in the backyard; eating breakfast at the kitchen table with Jae and his roommates Arthur and Julio, then suddenly starting a naked food fight.

The bed shifted and Simon jolted awake. It was full-on morning.

Standing beside the bed, arms stretched high into the air, Jae turned to look at Simon. His hair was a mop of messy bedhead, and his hands scratched at his chest and ribs.

They looked at each other, both on the verge of saying something, but waiting to see if the other would speak first.

Finally they both spoke up at the same time. Jae smirked and nodded for Simon to go first.

"Uhh..." he began. But he was too afraid of the possible consequences to continue.

"...never mind," he spat out. His temples were pounding and he laid back down.

"How'd you sleep?" Jae asked, yawning.

"Ugh..." Simon just wanted everything to stop, the pounding in his head, the questions in his head.

Jae chuckled. "Sounds like someone's got a hangover! I'm feeling pretty rough myself," he said, looking at Simon as if he hadn't a care in the world, like how he always seemed to be. "I'm taking a quick shower. Feel free to grab breakfast downstairs."

Before he turned around, he added with a grin, "Last night was awesome."

The statement gave Simon brief relief. So Jae liked it and he probably didn't regret it, the musician thought. He might even be down to do it again...though he stopped himself before his imagination went into overdrive.

Coming back to reality, Simon realized he felt a bit dirty and gross, and that he wanted to get the walk of shame over with ASAP. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to talk with Jae about last night. He wanted to know if it meant anything, if it was just a one-time thing, or if...

Then he wondered whether he was seriously going to get that real, that honest with Jae.

He shook his head and got up. What he needed was sleep, and orange juice. Everything else could wait; he was in no state to think things through clearly.

As he headed downstairs and walked past the kitchen, however, it seemed Nicole had other plans. She practically jumped out of her chair when she saw Simon, and exclaimed his name loudly.

"...hey Nicole," the musician responded, not looking forward to the cheery-faced interrogation to come.

With a curious arch on her eyebrow, Nicole asked, "Where did you come from?". Before he could answer, the drama teacher gasped.

"You slept in Jae's room!"

Simon stayed silent, caught out. His silence seemed to pump Nicole's eyes out of their socket.

"Did you...omigod, did you?" she whispered, her expression stretching long and wide.

Something buckled inside of Simon, like during the day before when he openly flirted with Jae in the athletic field. Normally so well put-together, so decent, Simon felt his inhibitions give away again.

"Yes, we did. We got drunk and hooked up," he said, looking straight at Nicole.

The drama teacher's already-bulging eyes widened yet some more. Then, a smarmy grin spread across her face.

"You have to tell me everything," she urged, pulling the musician down to sit. But Simon didn't budge.

"Nicole, I'm not going to tell you everything. I need to talk to Jae..." He shook his head. "...and I really need some sleep."

"Sleep here! There's room in Jae's bed," Nicole suggested with a wink. The musician groaned. "And then we can have a cute chat after."

Before Simon could protest, the Korean jock walked in, dressed in jeans & tanktop.

"Good morning, guys! Less talking, more eating!" he exclaimed, grinning wide.

Nicole's eyes shone with excitement. "Good morning, Jae!" she piped up in a sugary voice. "How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept great, thanks! How 'bout you?" He asked, opening the fridge. Before the drama teacher could answer, he continued, "Anybody want eggs for breakfast?"

Simon was on a roll of confidence and he didn't want to lose the momentum. "Jae, can we talk?"

The hunk didn't miss a step, grabbing the carton of eggs and shutting the fridge door. "Of course, man. How do you like your eggs?"

Simon couldn't care less about eggs then. He cast his eyes on Nicole. When the still-smiling drama teacher didn't budge, Simon asked, "Nicole, can you give us a minute?"

"Of course," she replied, smiling and batting her eyes as she walked out of the kitchen.

Jae was busying grabbing cooking oil and a frying pan. Simon asked, "Can you come sit down for a sec?"

"All right."

When Jae sat down across the small kitchen table from the musician, Simon began. 

"Last night...last night was awesome," he said, looking at his hands resting on the table.

"It sure was," Jae reaffirmed with a wide grin.

"It was something I'd wanted to do for a long time." Simon paused, meeting the Korean's eyes. "So, thank you."

The young jock raised his eyebrows and said, "My pleasure! Shit man, it was wild." He looked at Simon, remembering the way he worked his cock. The musician could see a flicker of lust in those pupils.

Simon chuckled, relaxing slightly. "Well...what I wanted to talk to you about was..." Big breath. "Well, what that was. What we did...Like, what does it mean? And, uh..." 

He sought the words while Jae waited. 

Finally, Simon asked, "What now?"

"Dude..." For the first time since Simon met the Korean hunk, Jae actually appeared a bit bothered, fidgeting around in the chair. 

"Can we do that again sometime?" he asked out of nowhere, leaning in. His innocent tone was more in line with a boy asking for more candy. Maybe that wasn't too far from the truth.

The musician was surprised. "Oh. You'd be up for that?"

"Ooh yeah," Jae replied with a whistle.

Simon continued, "And we would be, like..."

"Like?" Jae repeated. Their eyes were locked.

Right in the thick of it, Simon was losing his steam. The thought of backing out and mumbling something incoherent crossed his mind, but he brushed it away and jumped off the edge.

"What would be our relationship?" he blurted out.

Jae looked down and scratched the back of his head, looking fully uncomfortable. 

"Simon, dude..."

He stayed staring at the table for a few seconds, then looked up and away from Simon's eyes.

"Last night was so awesome," he remarked, talking with his hands. "The jokes, the drinks, your impressions...shit, we gotta go to open mic night on campus, seriously..."

Simon waited silently. Jae looked at him and braced himself.

"I just want things to be like last night, y'know? We can hang out, get a litte crazy, and have fun once in a while."

Simon sat back. "Oh," he repeated.

They sat in silence. At one point, Jae looked as if he wanted to ask Simon something, but he never did.

Finally, he got up and went back to the cooking oil and frying pan by the stove. "I'm starving," he muttered. He took out two eggs for himself, and two eggs for Simon.

"How do you like your eggs?" he asked, turning around. He saw Simon walking out the front door.

-----

Two weeks later, on a humid summer Friday, Danny groaned as he clutched his work bag and pushed into the cramped bus after work.

He couldn't drive anymore. It'd been a week since his mother made Danny do his own laundry and make his own meals, and forbade him from taking the car. For him, the worst part wasn't the stripping away of privileges he took for granted; it was the loss of free time he used to have after work. 

He started complaining to Roberto that "growing up sucks", earning him a chuckle and a pat from his older partner. At least he had as great a cook as the mechanic to show him the ropes in the kitchen, to email him easy and healthy recipes to start with.

The bus made an abrupt stop; all the standing passengers threatened to topple over. Pushed tightly against the window, Danny closed his eyes and focused on Roberto, his safe haven from everything else. As much as he lived for the passionate, dirty, potty-mouthed sex with his virile stud, he enjoyed the calm, blissful afterglow just as much, if not more.

Leaning on the mechanic's furry pecs, rising and falling after a vigorous fucking, tonguing a dark, fat nipple, taking in Roberto's manly scent...that was it. Life was so simple, so wonderful during those moments.

It was a world away from how things were at home. Tension was at a constant high, not only between Danny and his mom, who were no longer on speaking terms, but also between his parents. Pierre thought that Maggie was overreacting, and they had a few heated conversations about their son's choices.

Danny wondered how much longer he could tolerate the hostile atmosphere, which manifested so suddenly and uncomfortably after years of relative peace and quiet on the home front. It had gotten to the point where the office was becoming less stressful that his home. He wondered if thing would ever change; if, one day, his mom would ever accept Roberto as his partner.

Thinking about Roberto made Danny smile again. He was on his way to the sports bar that the mechanic and Fred began frequenting lately. It would be Danny's first time seeing Fred outside of work, as well as two other mechanics. He was happy to spend time away from home, but he was also somewhat nervous about meeting the guys from Roberto's work.

His thoughts drifted back to that winter day, months ago; he'd always remember the day he first talked with Roberto. How he disliked the auto shop then; it made him feel dumb and wimpy. Now, it was a symbol of his lover, a natural extension of who he was, in addition to the gym.

As Danny pushed his way out of the bus, into the humid summer city night, he felt the same nerves jumping in his belly. He wondered if everyone at the garage thought he was a sissy, that he was just Roberto's bitch. A sense of déjà vu set in; he experienced the same apprehension as that fateful day he took the Civic to the auto shop.

But it's not the same, he told himself, texting his boyfriend to tell him he was almost there. This time, Roberto was on his side. Whatever happened, the mechanic would have his back. Or, at least he'd make sure it would be him and only him who would push Danny's buttons and embarrass him. 

Besides, he continued thinking, how badly could things turn out tonight? Fred seemed to be a cool guy, and the two other mechanics probably wouldn't dare to say anything that would piss their boss off. He tried convincing himself that he was overthinking. 

Arriving at the front door of the sports bar, Danny heard a steady stream of chatter and laughter coming from the crowded patio. He pushed open the door and went inside.

It was just as busy inside. The copywriter stood and looked around, a bit disoriented by all the noise and the servers running around. And then he saw an arm shoot up out of the sea of bodies and tables, waving in a slow, steady motion.

Through the crowd, Danny saw Roberto's deep-set, brown eyes, and he smiled.

The mood was chatty at the table for six. Everyone was starting their second bottle of beer, save Roberto, who was drinking wine. In the middle of the table were two baskets of nachos and wings that everyone was working on, save Roberto.

Sitting beside the head technician was Fred, who wiped his hands on the napkin and smiled warmly when Danny got to the table. "Hey buddy!" he cheered, patting the copywriter's shoulder. "How are ya, Danny?"

At once the brunet felt more at ease. "I'm good, Fred. How are you?"

"I'm doing great, man! Got a moment to relax, shoot the shit before going back to my ladies." He looked over at the two mechanics, "Danny, this is Mohammad and Ignacio, two of our guys."

The two mechanics nodded and said hello, then turned back to the giant TV screen behind the bar playing a baseball game, discussing the players.

"You hungry?" Fred asked as Danny sat down across from him. The latter nodded. "Have some nachos and wings," the office manager offered, pointing to the baskets. "Or, are you on the same insane diet as this stud over here?" he asked, elbowing Roberto.

Since Danny arrived at the table, he'd noticed that his partner was deep in conversation with an unknown, not-yet-introduced woman at the table. Sitting across from Roberto in skinny jeans and a chic sleeveless button shirt, she had piercing eyes, high cheekbones, long black straight hair, and an intense air about her. From the way she was talking with Roberto, it seemed they know each other well.

"You jealous of my abs again, man?" the mechanic retorted without missing a beat. 

Under the table, Danny felt something brush and slide up his inner thigh. He squirmed and giggled, watching Roberto's sexy wink above the table. Guess that'll do for hello and a hug, Danny thought.

Fred scooped up a tortilla chip loaded with cheese and ground beef. "The only six-pack I care about is one I can drink." He popped the nacho into his mouth with a satisfied smirk.

As Roberto placed a buffalo wing on Danny's plate, the copywriter smiled and glanced quickly at the woman, expecting an introduction.

"How was work, baby?" the mechanic asked. Danny could feel the striking stranger sizing him up.

"Good. My boss likes my copy so far, so that's a relief," he replied, darting his eyes quickly to the woman, then back at Roberto.

Roberto was seemingly oblivious. "You staying over tonight?"

Gritting his teeth, his boyfriend answered, "Yeah." He took a bite of the chicken wing.

"Good." Roberto smiled. "I need to tell you something."

"That's great." Danny couldn't take it anymore. He turned to the woman and said, "Hi, I'm Danny, Roberto's boyfriend."

"Nadia," she responded with a slight smile. The rest of her body was immobile. Danny noticed there was a motorcycle jacket hanging on the back of her chair.

"So Bullet got cancelled?" Roberto asked, turning back to Nadia, seemingly continuing on the prior conversation.

"Yeah. I had a bad feeling. It's been years since I've been to a street event, but I got a bad vibe right away. It was too big, too many people knew about it...I think one of the new racers could be a mole."

The mechanic shook his head. "Everyone must be pissed. That was, what, a few grand?"

Danny blinked blankly. He felt strangely detached from his man.

"Hey Danny, you like baseball?"

Fred was waiting for his response with a smile.

"Umm, well, I don't really follow it..."

There was a tinge of disappointment in the office manager's face. "Oh. Well, I thought maybe you and Rob would be interested in joining me and my wife for the game next Thursday."

"Oh yeah?"

"We won free tickets from Jen's annual bakeoff."

At that moment, seized with insecurity beside this unknown woman who knew his man very well, Danny was eager to take any opportunity that ensured Roberto would be by his side.

"Yeah, of course we'll come," the copywriter replied.

Fred broke into a genuinely bright smile. "Awesome. Can't wait to hear all about Roberto's weak spots."

The mechanic gave a side-eye to his best friend, but then quickly returned to the insider conversation he was carrying with Nadia.

Sensing Danny's unease, Fred continued talking to him. 

"Danny, can I ask you something?"

Frankly, Danny was glad for the distraction that Fred provided. "Sure."

"Now, I've already heard from big stud over here how you two met, but, I wanna get your perspective." He leaned in with a devilish glint in his eyes. "How did it happen? Was he all shirtless and greased up?"

"Pretty much!" Danny blurted, then burst into laughter.

They quickly developed an easy and pleasant rapport, which delighted and temporarily distracted Danny. It wasn't too long, though, before the young man shot a quick glance at the icy woman who seemed to have Roberto ensnared. Looking back to Fred, the office manager shrugged, implying he knew nothing about Nadia either.

Who could this enigmatic female be? What kind of relationship did she have with his boyfriend? And why hasn't Roberto mentioned Nadia once?

The copywriter thought for a while. He realized Roberto probably hid lots of secrets. A sliver of worry chilled his back; there was still so much he didn't know about the love of his life. And what hurt was that Roberto seemingly wanted to keep things that way.

Bar night went on and the vibe remained the same: Fred kept involving Danny in conversation; Mohammad and Ignacio talked with Fred but didn't say much to Danny; Roberto was completely absorbed in talking with Nadia, save a footsie or a wink to his boyfriend randomly. A few times, Danny tried to get into their exchange, but he wasn't privy to their references, and Roberto didn't offer to explain any of them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the conversation between those two died down. Nadia stood up and grabbed her sleek motorcycle jacket. Roberto got up as well, and quickly asked Danny, "Ready to go, baby?"

His boyfriend was caught off guard. "Uh...yeah, sure."

Seeing the commotion, Fred spoke up as well. "You two taking off? Hey, Danny, don't forget about the game!"

Danny smiled and waved goodbye. "Looking forward to it!" He followed Roberto and Nadia out the sports bar.

Once outside, Nadia looked around in an aloof manner, before turning to the mechanic.

"Will I see you at Bullet?" she asked.

Roberto half-sighed, half-chuckled, looking down, searching for the right words.

Finally, he looked up and said, "Not this time."

For the first time that evening, Nadia's glacial face broke into a grin.

"It was good running into you," the mechanic offered.

Shooting a glance at Danny, who was suprised to make eye contact, Nadia looked back at the mechanic and said, "You've changed." 

Before she turned around and walked off, the slim, leggy woman from Roberto's past had one more thing to say.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 04



"I'm sure I'll see you again."

Roberto watched her zoom away on her silver motorcycle. Danny watched Roberto, and wondered what was hiding behind those focused eyes.

When the motorcycle disappeared from view, its mechanical snarl fading into the night, the mechanic took Danny's hand and walked to his red Lancer. The younger man waited until they sat down inside the modified sports sedan to open his mouth.

"Who was that?"

"Nadia, an old friend."

"How come you never talked about her before?" Danny urgently demanded.

"Because I haven't seen her in years." Roberto started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, avoiding his boyfriend's glare. "We haven't been in touch."

As they stopped at a red light several blocks down, Danny piped up again. "Tell me about her."

Roberto exhaled and leaned back.

"We raced together. She was my mentor."

The mechanic stopped talking as his partner took in this new bit of information. "And?" the younger man inquired.

"It's a long story. A lot happened, a long time ago."

"Like what?" the younger man asked, determined.

Roberto looked back at him with weary eyes.

"Baby, I don't wanna get into it tonight. I have a lot on my mind." 

He put his right hand on Danny's left as the light turned green. "I promise I'll tell you everything."

His boyfriend continued his stare.

"Was she your girlfriend?"

Roberto burst out laughing.

"You were worried about THAT??"

With cheeks reddening, Danny looked ahead and fell silent. His lover squeezed his hand. "You have nothing to worry about," the mechanic affirmed.

Danny still wanted to ask more, lots more, but he buckled under Roberto' warm, firm touch. He buckled every time.

He desperately needed his man to show him everything was all right. He needed to know that Roberto loved him and wanted him to be in every part of his life.

The rest of the car ride was wordless, as was the elevator up to the apartment. When they got in, Danny went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Roberto stood for a moment, acutely aware that they weren't heading to the bedroom together like they always did. He went over to his sofa & turned on the TV, not paying attention to what was on.

Moments later, Danny walked out of the bathroom and watched Roberto silently. It was a good minute before the mechanic noticed his glare.

Danny saw that he was far, far away.

The younger man turned around and went to bed by himself. It was the first time he did that at Roberto's.

He was still awake when his man at last climbed into bed. Pretending to be asleep, he felt Roberto kiss him on his neck, then spoon him.

Worried awake. Even when Danny drifted to sleep, he dreamt he was worried awake.

-----

"Simon?"

Inside the musician's head, Jae's words from two weeks ago looped endlessly. 

"I just want things to be like last night, y'know? We can hang out, get a little crazy, and have fun once in awhile."

He kept trying to parse the meaning, the possibilities...deluded as they may be.

"Simon?"

But perhaps what was even more hopeless and perplexing was figuring out how he felt. Why was it so hard to pin down what he really wanted?

Was the real question underpinning his neurotic thoughts not what he wanted, but what he believed he could realistically get?

"Hey Simon!"

He whipped his head around. Luke was standing behind him, leaning over his desk.

"I'm so sorry, Luke! I was..." Guilt washed over his face. "I spaced out for a bit."

"No worries," Luke said, nodding to the computer monitor. "How's the master list coming along?"

"Pretty good. I'm finding a lot of invalid entries though."

"Ah yes. Have you looked at the second tab yet?"

Simon looked away. "I haven't gotten to it just yet."

Luke continued, "You'll find the obsolete subscribers on there, and you can use them to delete the invalid ones on the first tab."

Simon nodded quickly. "Yes, I see. I'll do that right away."

"Lemme know if you run into any other issues. Oh, and can you come into my office in an hour?"

The musician gulped. "Of course."

60 minutes later, on the dot, Simon found himself knocking on his boss' door. He heard Luke beckon him in.

"All right, Simon," the slim bear began with a relaxed smile, "So, I just wanted check in, to see how you're doing with everything. It's been, what, three weeks since you started? How are you finding everything?"

Standing, Simon replied, "I'm finding everything great. I think I'm really starting to get the hang of the process and the rhythm here."

"Sit down," Luke said. Simon complied.

With the same suave, unreadable smile, the editor-in-chief carried on. "Deborah tells me you're giving her very valuable support."

"Really?" His boss Deborah, the operations manager, who always looked stressed and never happy to see him?

"Oh yeah," Luke insisted. "I can see you're fitting in perfectly and doing a great job. Thanks so much for agreeing to this and for helping me out."

The musician smiled and shook his head. "Oh no no, you're the one helping me out. I mean, a month ago, I wasn't doing so great, financially or personally. So thank you for this. I'm at a totally better place than I was before."

In response, the editor-in-chief chuckled. "Well, since you seem so happy to be here, I have some good news for you," he said, pausing for a beat. "If you're interested, of course. I'd like to extend your contract with us from three months to six months." 

Simon's eyes lit up.

"If you're interested," Luke reiterated, an arch on his eyebrow.

The musician nodded quickly and thanked the editor-in-chief profusely.

"I'm really happy to hear that, Simon." He sat back and motioned towards the general office outside his door. "Since you've joined, we've closed some key deals with a couple of major advertisers and affiliates, and we have more money to invest in new growth opportunities. I can really feel the good morale in the office." He grinned. "Things are looking up!"

"That's great to hear."

"Tell you what: why don't you join me for dinner this Friday? I'm taking every team out for all the hard work and late hours everyone's been pulling, and to sneak in a little meeting between the drinks. I'd invite Deborah to join us--in fact, I'll send her the invite in a second--but I already know she'll say she has yoga or meditation or roller derby..."

"Deborah does roller derby??"

"Oh yes she does. That's where she unleashes all her stress!" The two share a laugh.

"So how's Friday dinner sound?" Luke asked.

Simon nodded.

From then on, every day leading up to Friday had the musician teetering between excitement and nervousness. He thought maybe this was the silver lining, where the universe was telling him to go to, that this was who he was supposed to focus his attention on. Luke: successful, handsome, debonair, mysterious, charismatic. Richie was right; who wouldn't like some time alone with him? Why wouldn't he go for it?

Aside from the fact that Luke was his boss...

And, Jae wasn't completely out of the picture either. As much as he tried not to dwell on that dark and desperate night, the Korean jock asserted himself in Simon's mind by calling him every other evening, for no discernible reason other than to blabber about trivial everyday stuff, like points from his finance lecture, this new song he heard on a streaming site, and always some story about some girl inviting him to a party.

He wish he minded. He wish he wanted to ignore Jae's calls. But he didn't. He definitely didn't mind the attention, and truthfully, he didn't mind the glimmer of hope that danced every time he saw Jae on his caller ID either.

Finally, Friday came around and Simon found himself in a taxi with the editor-in-chief straight after work. Luke wouldn't say where they were going.

When the cab stopped at their "happy hour", it was in front of The North, a recently-opened, upscale bar and fine dining hotspot. Simon had heard it was exclusive RSVP, and next to impossible to get on the waiting list.

Inside, the restaurant was all sleek walls and surfaces made of finely worked wood and charcoal marble, illuminated by soft amber light. The ambience was both immaculate and comfy. Big windows gave a breathtaking view of the lake just north of the city. Simon quickly realized this wasn't happy hour; this was wine and dine. And then maybe dash, if the prices on the menu was in keeping with the décor.

Sitting down, Luke casually chatted with the server who greeted and poured water. The editor name-dropped an "Elizabeth", who Simon presumed was the supervisor, manager, owner, or whomever Luke knew that got them a table. The musician opened the menu and saw exactly what he expected: dish names, ingredients, and cooking methods he'd never heard of, or didn't understand because they were in another language. He jokingly wondered if the decimal point in each price was misplaced.

Reading his thoughts, Luke assured, "Order whatever you'd like."

It took a second before Simon registered what his boss meant. "Oh, no, I couldn't...Luke..."

That ravishing smile again. "I said I was taking you out for all the hard work and extra hours you've done. This is my "thank you" to you. You've earned it." His hand touched Simon's on the table. "So enjoy."

The musician sipped the glass of water in front of him, but didn't move his hand away. 

He gazed around the dining room to distract himself from the number Luke was doing to his body and his head. The minimal chic decor, clean lines, and perfectly placed soft lighting exuded high style without being ostentatious. It made Simon feel important just by sitting there.

"Elizabeth did a fine job," Luke said, leaning back to take in the view, again voicing the musician's thoughts.

Meanwhile, Simon was committing to memory what he saw and felt at that moment. "Is that how you got us in here?" he asked. "I heard it was impossible."

Luke grinned, a quick wink from his eye. "She owed me one."

"Well, I'm glad I get to benefit."

"And I'm glad you made time for me on a Friday night." His gaze was steady, hypnotic.

Simon sipped on his water. "Well, I thought you said we were having a meeting between the drinks too."

Luke leaned forward slightly. "Is that the only reason you came out tonight"?

The musician gulped. "Luke..."

His boss' glare softened, and his smile widened, but he pressed on. "Is it?"

Simon was gripping the glass of water now. "Luke, you're my boss..."

"You're technically my independent contractor."

"Yeah, and we work together, with everyone in the office."

"This is just our personal time. We're just enjoying ourselves." Right then, the server strolled up to take their order.

When that was done, Simon threw another roundabout glance at The North. Everything was so pretty and classy here. Ten years ago, he thought he could one day get into a place like this on his own accord.

Looking back at Luke, he spoke up. "The truth is, I've had feelings for a boss before, and it ended badly. It cost me my job, it wasted two years of my life, really..."

The editor-in-chief shrugged, "He didn't know what he was doing."

"You've done this before," Simon suggested.

"Does that matter?" he asked, unruffled.

The seams were starting to show in the silver lining. Was this all Simon knew how to do? Get himself into complicated messes?

"Like I said, I just wasted two years of my life, being played like a fool. I need something simple, clear, clean, safe..."

Luke interrupted. "Are you looking for a kitchen appliance or a guy?"

Laughter. "I don't know..." Simon shook his head and continued, "I just know what I don't need anymore.."

"I think you need a drink," he said, nodding to the server waiting several tables down. A few minutes later, she brought them champagne.

"To prosperity and pleasure," Luke declared, raising his glass. Simon followed suit.

The bubbly was sweet; Simon took another sip before setting the glass down. Soon after, appetizers were served.

"Tell me about this guy," Luke suggested.

Looking down, Simon began describing Jesse. "Well, he was a real smooth operator, and we actually had a lot in common, just about music and our dreams and the whole 'David versus Goliath' thing in the industry." He chuckled, feeling a bit silly about it all. 

Taking a breath, he continued, ""He was also straight...and he definitely didn't hesitate to use it to his advantage."

Luke nodded to the side. "There's an issue out of the way...the straight bit, anyway."

Taking another drink between servings of his salad, Simon felt a little more bold. "Why did you invite me here?"

Luke caught the question with a quick jump of his eyebrows. "Because we haven't had a chance to spend time together since the night we met." He picked at his beautifully garnished crab cakes. 

"You're really a fascinating man, Simon. I wish you could see that."

Well, he just saw right through me, Simon thought.

"No, that's you," he responded with a smile.

It was Luke's turn to shake his head. "I just do me. Sometimes it pisses people off. But overall, it's worked out pretty well." He wore a gracious smile as he said, "I love my job, I love my boyfriend..."

Simon's hand froze, clenched tightly around his fork.

The editor-in-chief looked out the window, to the smooth lakewater mirroring the crimson sunset. He spoke without eye contact, unprecedented in Simon's company. "And the fact is, although I'm emotionally taken..." 

Those baby blues swung back into view in a flash, boring deep into Simon's vision. "I'm physically available."

At that moment, the main course was served: blackened seafood skewers surrounded by finely chopped pieces of lime, lemon, and strawberry, drizzled in a barely visible sauce. 

Biting his lower lip to stop the flood of spiky energy from bursting forth in a feral shriek, he cling on to a mantra and chanted it over and over in his head.

This will be funny later. You'll laugh at this later.

-----

In the suburbs west of downtown and the lake, Danny was having another sleepless night. This time, it was more than just the cold war with his mom. And this time, it was more than just lying awake; he was sobbing.

On the surface, everything seemed okay between him and Roberto. They made time to see each other at least twice a week, enjoyed each other's company, and the sex was still amazing. But there was clearly an elephant in the room, and anytime Danny tried to broach the subject, directly or even tangentially, Roberto would change the topic or just shut down and get distant.

The younger man had hoped it would go away, whatever it was that affected the mechanic so much ever since that Nadia woman appeared out of nowhere. But it'd already been two weeks and nothing had changed: no talk, no explanation, as if none of it was needed. Danny felt hurt and frustrated that the love of his life was excluding him from something evidently so important, with so much history. It made him feel like he wasn't loved, not as much as he loved Roberto anyway.

So he cried. He'd found the man of his dreams, but what was he going to do with it now?

It was way too late in the night to call Roberto. They'd already talked and said goodnight a few hours ago. But as he tapped on the mechanic's contact on his cellphone, he only knew two things: he was so scared of losing him, and he didn't know what to do to keep him.

"Hello?"

The mechanic's voice was scratchy and irritated on the other end. Danny could see the furrows bunching between Roberto's eyebrows.

When the younger man said nothing but sobbed, concern crept into the mechanic's voice. "Danny? What's wrong?"

The brunet tried to speak, shape his mouth and tongue into words, but he just couldn't.

"Baby, just calm down, and tell me what's wrong."

"Berto..." Danny choked. "I..I.."

"I'm right here, baby."

A stinging croak spilled forth from Danny's throat. He shook his head. "No you're not! No...Nadia..."

"Danny, please, just breathe for a minute, okay?"

He couldn't take it anymore. The more Roberto tried to pacify him, the more desperate he got. So he hung up on the mechanic, grabbed his wallet and house keys, and ran out of his bedroom.

Sprinting by parked cars in the quiet neighbourhood under the amber street lamps, the young man had no destination in mind. He just needed to get out of there, to move, to feel the burn building up in his calves and his lungs. They took the feeling of helplessness away.

His cellphone rang but he didn't pick up. He kept running, turning corners in the dark. The pounding of his shoes against the pavement clashed chaotically with the beating of his heart.

As Danny ran farther away from his neighbourhood, there was another ring. Still he didn't pick up. It was starting to really hurt to keep running, but Danny pushed harder and rounded another intersection. 

He suddenly found himself on the corner of the major boulevard that led downtown. Wheezing, he finally stopped and leaned over, gasping for air.

He wished he could run forever, but he couldn't. All his troubles were still waiting for him when he ran out of breath and had to stop.

He looked out onto the six-lane boulevard. There were more cars on the road at this hour than he expected, going home or heading to work maybe. A taxi cab rolled leisurely towards Danny, as if reading his desire to escape.

He got in. And then, sitting on the black vinyl backseat, with the taxi driver waiting for a destination, he realized he didn't want to leave and run away. He needed to see Roberto.

The cab headed towards the mechanic's apartment. He'd stopped calling, though he left a voicemail. Danny wasn't ready to listen to it just yet. He was too preoccupied thinking about what to say to Roberto when he got to his apartment. Determined, he had to get the full story on Nadia, and he wasn't leaving without it.

So deep was he in his thoughts about the myriad of possible stories Roberto could tell, that before he knew it, he was stopped in front of the apartment complex. He paid the fare, got out, and used the copied set of keys Roberto gave him to enter the building.

When he hurriedly entered his boyfriend's apartment, then stepped into the bedroom, he was surprised to see it was empty.

That was when he thought to listen to Roberto's voicemail.

"Danny, I'm coming over to get you. I'll be there soon, baby."

A tender ache clutched his throat. He immediately called his man.

It took Roberto three rings to answer. When he picked up, Danny heard wind rustling loudly in the background. 

"Hey baby, I'm almost there...I'm turning onto your street."

"No, stop! I'm already here."

"What??" the mechanic asked.

"I'm already at your place,"

The mechanic was silent. Danny began to feel very stupid. "I had to come see you," he meekly muttered.

The mechanic sighed, then chuckled. "O...Okay, I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Hurry..." the younger man whined. He fell onto Roberto's bed and inhaled the manly scent deep in the folds of the sheets. He needed to be held, to be kissed. To be fucked.

Without consciously thinking about it, Danny's left hand reached beneath his jean shorts and began stroking his cock.

Roberto drove him crazy; he always did. Being with him felt like taking one blind leap after another. He was so in love with him, but right now it hurt so bad he wondered if he could take it anymore.

He moaned that name, calling for it. He stripped off his clothes, then began to writhe on the messy bed, frotting against the soft fabric. The burning need he was succumbing to was two-pronged: primal lust spiked with shards of insecurity, fear, and jealousy. He needed to be sure that Roberto was his, all his, from his hard-on to his heart, from the drops of his semen to the essence of his soul.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 04



The young brunet bunched up the duvet and took another deep inhale of his lover's odour, reflexively opening up his ass. His other hand stroked his erection furiously.

As he was calling for his boyfriend in an increasingly loud voice, he heard the front door open. The excitement of finally getting to see Roberto pushed him to climax. He barely had time to flip onto his back before the first string of cum spurted from his thick 5-incher, just as the mechanic walked into the room.

"Berto!" Danny yelled, shooting another rope of semen into the air. His flat, smooth tummy was pelted with slick, creamy drops.

Roberto stood still and watched, mesmerized.

"Oh! Oh God!" The shots got weaker, smaller, until the hot fluid oozed out of Danny's piss slit, his hand still jacking slowly. Hooded eyes gazed at the mechanic, relieved.

"Oh baby..." Roberto stayed standing in his tenting pajama pants and tanktop, taking in what just happened.

"Berto..." Danny beckoned with his voice and his gaze.

"Are...are you okay, baby?" he asked, then laughed softly, the ejaculation he just witnessed a clear answer.

"Kiss me, Berto," Danny pleaded. His sexy hunk leaned down from above and pressed his lips against his, his tongue gently exploring the younger man's teeth and mouth.

Now that the real thing was here, Danny was quickly becoming horny again. He yanked down the neck of the mechanic's flimsy tanktop and squeezed a handful of his big, hard pecs. Above him, Roberto groaned in pleasure and kissed harder.

Danny's hands kept travelling south, trying to stretch the elastic waistband of the mechanic's pants and pull it down. Becoming impatient, Roberto broke the kiss and hurriedly yanked his pajama bottoms off.

Before he had time to take off his top, he felt warm, smooth hands wrap around his gentalia, one making its way down his girthy shaft, the other massaging his droopy ballsacks.

"Oh FUCK, Danny..." It felt like he died and went to heaven.

His boy moaned and lifted the shaft hand away. Looking down, he saw Danny scoop his hand through the pools of semen on his own stomach, then lifted it towards the mechanic's enlarging glans.

"Aw FUCK!" Roberto's head jerked back. He clenched his groin and anal muscles to stop himself from cumming, as his lover's fingers circled the cockhead, spreading a coat of cooling semen all around, then slid down the dick, slicking up the entire length.

When Roberto looked down after he felt Danny's hand lift away from his dick again, he cursed. Danny scooped up more of his cum from his body, his eyes on Roberto the entire time, only to again wrap his lubricated digits around his lover's thick, angry erection.

"FUCK you're gonna make me cum," Roberto breathed, taking Danny's slow, methodical hand away from his prick and up to his lips.

Feeling his lover suck the semen dry from his fingers, Danny sighed and begged, "Make love to me."

Roberto didn't need to be asked twice. He grabbed the back of Danny's thighs and shifted his body until his own dick was pointing straight at his eager bottom's anus.

"I'm ready. Just fuck me," Danny said.

The plunge into his lover's hot, tight, gripping asshole was divine torture, such a sweet, throbbing ache all the way down to the base of his shaft. 

Below him, sweating on the sheets, Danny cried out, high-pitched, trembling.

"Was that too much, baby?" the mechanic asked, locking his eyes with Danny's.

"No, don't leave me," the brunet implored with frantic eyes.

"Baby?" Roberto asked again, confused and concerned.

"Please don't leave me, Berto. Please...I'll do anything you like, just..." Danny's pupils sparkled with fresh tears, before his eyelids squeezed shut tightly.

"No no no, Danny, no..." He kissed his boy softly, quickly, all over his face. Danny began sobbing.

"Look at me," Roberto said in a calm but clear voice. Danny took a trembling breath and opened his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere," Roberto affirmed, his stare unwavering.

"But Nadia..."

"Is that what this is about??" he asked incredulously, beginning to pull out of Danny. "But I told you..."

"No, don't leave me!" Danny pleaded, clutching the mechanic's furry, rippling forearms. Roberto stopped and returned on top of Danny, his dick back inside to the hilt.

He was annoyed but spoke in a gentle voice. "She's not my girlfriend, she never was my girlfriend, she's not taking me away, okay?"

"No, it's not that," Danny responded. He paused before saying, "You never told me what happened."

Quickly, Roberto felt accountable. He sighed, "I'm sorry..."

"I know I haven't been good with that. I just..." At that moment, the mechanic decided to stop making excuses.

"You want me to tell you the whole story, like this?" he asked Danny, looking down at their joined bodies.

"Um hmm," Danny hummed.

Roberto rested his forearms flat down on the bed and shifted his weight. "Well, we raced together, on bikes. She was my mentor."

Years of bottled-up memories poured forth into spoken words. "I met her when I started college, at the parking lot behind the drugstore, around the block from my parents'. She had a really nice bike and I annoyed the shit out of her." A nostalgic smile lit up his face.

"I wouldn't let her get on the bike without telling me everything: the mods, the costs, how fast it could go, where she got that shiny silver paint job done. That was when she told me about street racing."

"You raced on the streets?" his boyfriend asked, leaning up on his elbows.

"Ooh yeah," Roberto responded, eyes wide open. "Late at night on the deserted parts of the 305, north of here, y'know, towards cottage country. Never got caught by the cops." 

He gave Danny a quick peck.

"Nadia taught me everything about racing. The focus, the timing, the precision. She was one of the best in the region, and I learned quick. I studied harder than I ever did at school."

His arms and shoulders were quickly getting sore, so Roberto wrapped his arms around his boy, leaned back, and hoisted him up, until they were both sitting upright in bed, Danny still impaled on his prick.

"I snuck out every night to ride, until it started snowing. And then I read everything I could find on bikes and racing and mods." His eyes looked far off again. "I never knew how awesome it would be on a bike. Feeling that speed, and the engine buzzing...you see the pavement zooming by, feel the wind whipping by, and you just want to go faster."

"It took over everything. It was all I lived for."

"Wow," Danny whispered, leaning his chin on the mechanic's shoulder.

"I started racing on the highway the summer after, and I was leaving the amateurs in the dust. They were all trash talkers, most of them, but at the end of the night I was the one who got the cash."

"You won money??" the younger man exclaimed, looking at Roberto.

"Oh yeah...it helped me pay for college, Until I was winning a lot and started getting a reputation, and then I couldn't get anyone to race me or bet money against me." He laughed softly, rubbing Danny's back. "That was when I felt like I was the shit." 

"Nadia told me I was a better racer than she was. She thought I was ready for the next level."

His expression changed, as if sobering up from his intoxicating recollection. "She took me to drag racing. Organized events, planned a year ahead. Legal...well, except for the bets," he remarked with a jump of his eyebrows. "Nadia wasn't racing anymore; she was my manager. Everything got serious."

Danny asked, "What happened?"

"It was all about the money. The bets got bigger and it was 'win or get the fuck out'. Nadia wanted me to spend all my time on training laps, modifying the bike, and the races were up and down the coast so there was a lot of travelling too. I was missing half the semester and struggling to get decent grades."

"And then, not just her, everybody did it...we started cheating." He closed his eyes. "Not the little stuff like jumpstarting on the streets, but hiding bike enhancements, lying about stats, faking my backstory. I never felt good about any of that, but that was the game."

Danny was all ears for this long-awaited outpouring of his lover's history. He kissed Roberto and tried to take it all in.

The mechanic and former racer's complexion hardened. "And then it all went to hell one day. Nadia told me she found a backer, some investor from Switzerland, this big fish she'd been flirting with. She was convinced we were set for life. All I had to do was throw the race."

"She wanted you to lose on purpose??"

Roberto nodded, adjusting his groin and cock. "She said that's all I had to do, and then we were in with this dude." He shook his head. "Of course I didn't want to do it; I spent all my time on the track doing laps, and in the garage on the bike. We spent so much money on that and driving up and down the coast...I didn't want it all to be for nothing." 

He frowned and continued. "And the Swiss guy rubbed me the wrong way. He was shady. So I didn't want anything to do with him, I didn't want Nadia to either."

Danny felt his lover's body stiffen. He searched Roberto's face, which was clouded with misery. 

"We were having a fight...we'd never had a fight before. I was supposed to get on my bike in ten minutes. And then we heard a big bang."

Danny grimaced and tried to picture what Roberto saw. "People ran out to the track. There was screaming. A racer flipped his bike and crashed into the wall." 

A shiver broke out from Roberto's body. "I could see the blood from far away. They said he was gone before the ambulance arrived."

As Danny's mouth hung open, Roberto closed his eyes and fell silent.

Taking a few deep breaths, he resumed. "I stopped racing after that. I didn't want anything to do with it. I didn't pick up when Nadia called. I never saw her again."

"Until two weeks ago," Danny remarked.

Roberto nodded, thinking for a moment. "And when I saw her again, it all came back, all of it. I remembered the speed, and winning the street races. I remembered driving overnight to the tracks, doing lap after lap on them. And the hours I spent tweaking my bike. And then I remembered the crash..."

The mechanic sighed. "This was way before I opened up the shop with Fred, before I finished college even. He doesn't know about any of this."

Then he was quiet. Danny pressed his fair, slender body against Roberto's, and held him tight.

"I'm sorry," the brunet whispered.

"Sorry for what?" 

"For being a drama queen." He finally understood why Roberto was so affected by Nadia's return. He also knew Roberto didn't like breaking from his sleep schedule, which he followed to keep his muscles in tip-top shape. As it was, there were four short hours before the alarm went off. 

"I should've been a better boyfriend. I should've been more understanding, " he muttered.

Roberto wrapped his hands around Danny's face. "Well, I didn't make it easy on you either." He kissed his lover. "I'm sorry too."

A smile widened on both of their faces.

"C'mon, you need your beauty sleep," Danny teased, stroking his lover's chin.

Roberto's eyes narrowed lasciviously as he purred, "But I'm horny now..." He started thrusting up his lover's rectum. "Aren't you?"

That got Danny moaning and biting his bottom lip. "I'm always horny for you," he breathed, circling his fingers around the mechanic's hairy, ripped chest. "But you have to get up in like four hours,"

The mechanic groaned, torn between getting off and getting what was left of a good night's sleep. He nibbled on his boyfriend's neck, unsure of what to do.

"Be a good boy," Danny goaded, patting Roberto's back.

The older man griped, "Fine." He reluctantly pulled out of his boy's blissful hole and laid down beside him, As he was about to strip off his tanktop, Danny stopped him with his hand on the mechanic's chest.

"Keep it on. It's hot," the younger man said with a mischievous smirk.

Grinning back, Roberto flipped his bottom around and spooned him tightly. As Danny laid back into his lover's hard, muscular body, content, the mechanic sneakily snapped up his groin and penetrated his boy's unsuspecting hole.

"Ahh!" Danny yelped, turning his head around. Roberto was ready with a smothering kiss, driving the rest of his slightly crooked nine-inch shaft into the cum-greased orifice. "Umm!" the bottom mewled, his lips sucking on Roberto's.

After a sensual makeout session, Danny broke the kiss and laid his head back down on the soft pillow, his whole body flushed. "You horndog..." he muttered, pushing his ass back onto his man's pole.

The mechanic went back to nibbling on his lover's neck, and played with the pert pink nipples on Danny's chest. "Are you complaining?"

"No, but you will be in the morning," the brunet retorted.

"I'll make you wake up with me," Roberto declared with an evil grin. That got his boy whining and pulling his ass off his dick, but the mechanic hooked his arms around Danny's little body and trapped him.

He leaned into his lover's ear. "Okay, fine, let's go to sleep."

"Like this?" Danny asked, trying to get comfortable.

"Um hmm," Roberto replied, settling into their spooning position, his rock-hard prick plugging up the bottom's cummy hole.

"Sleep tight, baby," the mechanic whispered, turning off the bedside lamp. "Squeeze your ass if you get horny," he added, giving his boy a little thrust.

Danny giggled, feeling tired, aroused, and happy.

For the first time in two weeks, the brunet fell asleep without difficulty, save the slight soreness in his ass from his man's massive boner. He wasn't aware how easily he dozed off until he woke up again in the pitch darkness.

He was awakened by the gentle thrusting massaging his rectum, and the skillful hands milking his erection.

"Berto..." he sighed. "What time is it?"

"I don't know..." the mechanic replied in a hoarse mutter. "But I need to fuck you."

The younger bottom was turned on by his lover's ardour, and whined like a little whore as Roberto gripped his waist and started pumping into his hole in the blackness.

It felt so good to have his big, buff stud taking his ass in the dark. He couldn't see anything, and it only made every push and pull in his rectum more intense. Overtaken by raw lust, he squealed and hummed like a porn star, reaching back to squeeze Roberto's beefy, flexing buttocks.

"You want it, baby? You want that cock??" the mechanic grunted.

"Yes! Gimme all of it," Danny begged, fucking back. "Gimme your cum too!"

"You're gonna get a big load...where do you want it??" he demanded, changing his position to kneeling on the bed, while his hungry bottom laid on his stomach beneath his brawny muscles.

"Anywhere! Just give it to me," Danny moaned, pushing against the headboard with his hands as his man began shaking the bed with his labour.

"Aw fuck, Danny! I love fucking that ass!" He was plowing into it mercilessly, making his bottom boy scream his name over and over in piercing falsetto.

"Yeah, take that dick!"

"OhGodBertoDon'tStop!" The younger man was getting breathless, his body burning up as the mechanic kept pounding above him like a machine. His ass was on fire, getting massaged and raped in equal and messy measure.

Suddenly Roberto's body pressed on top of his. He felt those steel-hard arms wrap underneath his torso, and then his whole body rocked and tumbled as the fucking continued.

Caught in the fury of the dicking of his life, with the mechanic kissing and biting his shoulder, his neck, his ear, Danny wondered how he ever doubted Roberto's love.

"OhGodYesBertoILoveYou!" the helpless bottom exclaimed.

"Oh baby I love your fucking ass!!" Roberto growled. "Oh baby you feel so good...AHH!" he hollered, all of a sudden shuddering.

And then the toe-curling wave seized him from head to toe. "FUCK!" Roberto screamed, pulling out of his boy's destroyed asshole to unleash torrent after torrent of fresh hot cum all over Danny's backside. He shot all the way up to Danny's hair and neck, cumming shot after shot, drenching his lover.

All the while, Danny called out like the cum slut that he was, demanding more, every last drop. The smell of Roberto's sweat and semen drove him insane.

Finally, when he was done ejaculating, Roberto released his softening nine-incher, letting it flop on top of Danny's drenched asscrack with a splat. His head fell down on Danny's shoulder, his breathing laboured. 

They couldn't tell where the sweat started and the cum ended.

"Oh my God that was incredible...whoa..." the mechanic panted, still catching his breath. "We gotta do it in the dark more," he suggested.

Danny giggled, then purred when he felt the mechanic's rough, hot hands sliding all over his back, his shoulders and his ribs, spreading the loads of cum all over. Soon, the fingers reached down to his pulsing erection.

"Ready to cum, baby?" Roberto whispered in Danny's ear.

He could only answer in a scratchy moan. His eyes rolled back as his man's cum-slicked hands worked his cock and balls. Meanwhile, the mechanic's low, throaty voice stay right beside his ear.

"Cum for me, you filthy little slutboy."

"Uh...OH..."

"Come for your big, sweaty, horny stud."

"OMIGOD..."

Before he knew it, he was yelling his lover's name, over and over. His limbs turned soft and threatened to dissolve; Roberto braced his torso with one arm, seemingly without effort, while pumping his dick ruthlessly with the other.

The cum came, the sensation wracking his entire body, mind blowing. Danny could feel the blood draining from his head, his fingertips, his toes. Roberto kept milking his cock. Only when he screamed and curled up into a ball did the mechanic finally let his dick go.

The brunet laid limp in the fetal position on his side. He felt weak, raw, and beyond satiated. Then he squeaked feebly as his tireless hunk re-penetrated him from above with a groan, and pressed his weight down on his boy.

"Lemme know if I'm crushing you," he said, rubbing his hands slowly up and down Danny's body, cooling his boy's face with soft kisses.

"It feels perfect," Danny murmured, his face resting on a streaky pool of his own cum on the pillow.

They were a hot, sticky mess. Danny was covered in cum, just the way he loved it. 

He darted his tongue out to taste his own ejaculate on the stained pillowcase. Roberto soon joined in, mixing the thick, sticky load with their spit and passing it back and forth on their tongues.

Fatigue draped heavily over the younger man. Roberto reached back and slapped Danny's wet, sticky buttocks hard, splashing the cum on the cheeks. "That's my piece of ass," he said, fondling it.

"Ow," Danny whined.

"On the cutest, most amazing boy I've ever met," the mechanic continued, sliding his fingers into his bottom bitch's mouth to give him a taste of his latest load.

Danny mewled, sucking with what energy he had left on his man's probing fingers.

After his felt his lover swallow, the mechanic pulled his digits out with a pop, and reached back to sweep up more cum for Danny to enjoy.

"That's a good boy," he said lovingly as his younger bottom swallowed another load from his fingers.

Releasing his hand from Danny's mouth to caress his face, he stopped when he heard Danny softly declare, "I love you, Berto."

"I love you so much, baby," he replied, going in for a tender kiss.

And then he remembered. The question he'd wanted to ask Danny before Nadia appeared and took all his attention. The plunge he was finally ready to take with the love of his life.

"Danny?" he asked quietly, his nose nudging against his lover's.

"Hmm?"

"Move in with me?"

The brunet took a sharp, little breath. He knew right away what his answer would be, but he hesitated in answering, because he couldn't believe what he'd been dreaming of was coming true.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 05



"You ready?" Roberto asked over the phone.

"...just about," Danny replied, shoving the last remaining pieces of clothing from his closet into a duffle bag. 

Around him, open cardboard boxes and a suitcase all stuffed with his belongings stood in a bare bedroom. His former bedroom.

"All right! You can come over now if you like," the copywriter announced, zipping up the bag.

"Okay baby, I'm heading out then." They hung up.

Sitting on the carpeted floor, looking at the empty four walls, it hit Danny again that he really was moving out of his parents'. This was going to be a big new chapter in his life.

He thought back to when he announced his decision earlier in the week. 

Facing him, in the kitchen, there was his mother, whose eyes widened, like those of a deer staring at oncoming headlights.

Beside her, his dad Pierre raised his eyebrows.

Danny was ready for his mom to raise her voice and begin an endless tirade. But instead, she just got up, expressionless and silent, and headed for the staircase.

"Mom?" the copywriter asked as she walked by him. When she neither stopped nor responded, he turned to his dad, who responded with a silent half-hug and a pat on the shoulder.

"Have you thought about this seriously?" Pierre asked.

"Yes, dad," the brunet answered. "He's the one. We're serious about this."

A slight smile appeared on his father's face. "You're all grown up now." He held Danny in a long embrace.

"It will be hard at times. Call me if you need anything."

"Merci, papa." 

Leaving his memories to focusing again on the present, Danny double-checked his closet. 'At least I have dad,' he thought.

Just then, Pierre knocked on the door. 

"Alors..." Danny's father said as he came in, "When are you leaving?"

"Soon, maybe ten minutes"

His father teased, "Love moves quickly, doesn't it?"

"Dad..." Danny moaned, rolling his eyes, as Pierre laughed and patted the copywriter's shoulder.

"Thank you, for supporting me," Danny said.

"We love you so much, Danny. Both of us." Pierre paused. "Things have been a little bit difficult lately, but that's because you're our little boy. You'll always be our little boy."

"Papa..." The moment just wouldn't be complete without waterworks from Danny.

His father continued. "You're a man now. Take care of yourself. Take care of Roberto. Soon, you'll have to take care of us too!"

Danny chuckled, wiping his tears away.

"Are you done packing?" his father asked, his hands on the brunet's shoulders.

"Almost."

"All right, I'm going to see how your mother is doing."

His son frowned, guilty.

"Just give it time, Danny," Pierre assured, patting his shoulder. Danny took a breath and nodded some more. "All right, go finish packing then."

In his bedroom, the brunet tried his hardest to concentrate on checking everything in his bags and boxes again. 'I'm doing the right thing, he reminded himself. I'm doing the best thing.'

Several minutes later, Roberto texted him to say he'd arrived. Danny went downstairs to open the door for Roberto, hugging him tightly. Then they began moving the copywriter's belongings out of his parents' house.

It took several trips to get his computer, his books, all his clothes, and every other daily essential and knick-knack into the mechanic's red Lancer; the trunk and backseat were filled to the brim. When they were all done, Danny made one last trip up to the master bedroom door. He knocked.

Pierre opened up, and Danny's eyes immediately darted to his mom, sitting on the bed, blotting her eyes with a ball of tissue. The sight made her son choke up.

"You ready, son?" his father asked.

Danny nodded and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. 

"Goodbye, dad. Goodbye, mom."

As his father embraced him one more time, Danny opened his eyes to steal a final look at his mother. She was looking right back at him, her eyes red, her expression stoic but flecked with fear and sadness.

That image haunted the brunet all the way back to Roberto's apartment. It would remain in the back of his mind for much longer. 

His boyfriend knew very well what was going on inside his head, and quietly held Danny's hand on the drive back home.

When they arrived at the underground garage in Roberto's building, the last thing Danny wanted to do was to haul his belongings up to the apartment. 

As they got out of the red Mitsubishi Lancer, the mechanic suggested that Danny leave the nonessential stuff down in his basement storage locker. After dropping that off, they then carried everything else up to the apartment in a few trips.

As they moved the final boxes in the suddenly cramped apartment, Roberto said, "You can start unpacking tomorrow. There's no hurry." The two of them pushed Danny's belongings first into the den strewn with exercise equipment, then finished off the last of the bags by throwing them into the closet.

"We gotta get some racks or shelves for all your fancy clothes," Roberto exclaimed, realizing how much space Danny's stuff took up.

Danny loved it every time Roberto said "we". "Don't worry; I inherited my mom's space-saving skills," he assured. "You'll barely notice my things are here after I'm done," he said with a smile.

Roberto tousled Danny's hair. " I'll notice the extra mouth eating all the food...and the extra pair of ass cheeks just waiting to be taken," he quipped, giving his boy's bum a loud smack.

The brunet jumped and squealed.

"Help me make dinner," the mechanic requested, wrapping his arm around Danny's waist.

After cooking up a chicken quinoa salad and finishing it quickly, the couple cleaned up and headed to bed. Both of them were silently wondering if they would have sex tonight. 

Danny thought Roberto would be too tired from the move to be in the mood. Meanwhile, the mechanic thought his boyfriend would still be too emotional to want some nookie.

Sliding underneath the covers, naked, Danny reached to hold Roberto's naked body, wrapping his arms around his beefy chest. He rested his head on the mechanic's shoulder and sighed contentedly. In response, Roberto draped Danny's leg across his waist and traced soft circles on his buttocks.

Just feeling Roberto's arms around him, his warmth, the protective strength of his hard body, was enough for Danny. For now.

"Thank you," he said, hugging his man's arms.

"For what?"

"For asking me to live with you. And..." he turned his head, "Just for everything." 

Danny felt so loved, so grateful that they were now living together. He felt alive as he embarked on the next stage of life's journey with his love.

The lovers kissed, gentle smooches to show their affection. Roberto snuggled his head deep in the nape of Danny's neck.

"You're welcome, baby."

Gradually, the rise and fall of the mechanic's relaxed body, and the soft rumble of his snores, they began to whisk Danny away to sleep. He smiled and wondered how his man always fell asleep so quickly.

Several peaceful hours later, a full bladder woke Danny. 

The sun was already up; he paused, then reminded himself that it was Saturday. Carefully, he moved Roberto's embracing arm from his naked waist and strided quickly to the bathroom.

After he was done peeing, he was eager to dive back into the warm bed, where his sleeping mechanic slept sprawled out, arms opened wide, with that gloriously built, hairy chest on full display.

The rumpled blanket bared Roberto's thigh and erection, a delicious, oversized prick that was begging to be sucked. Danny could never say no to that slightly bent nine-incher. He wasn't about to this time.

So he slid onto the bed like a predator, his arms and legs gliding over the sheets slinkily. Eyes locked on the prize, Danny licked his lips at the shaft of flesh. His lover's cock had already given him countless cries of pleasure; there were surely countless more to come.

Around the penis, an expansive stretch of pubic hair flourished, curly and unruly. It ran down the insides of Roberto's thick, toned thighs and spread up his pelvis, camouflaging the veins, until the fur narrowed into the treasure trail that Danny loved to fondle and suck.

Resting his head sideways on his mechanic's ripped stomach, Danny grinned and wondered how different his stud would look if they did a top-to-bottom Nair session on him. As he cast his eyes all over this stunning specimen of virile man, the slim brunet thought that Roberto would look like a fitness model. 

Danny softly fondled his lover's hard member, reaching to administer some loving touches to his hairy, droopy sacs.

The hairless fantasy continued in his head. He imagined a photo shoot with a professional photographer. Roberto would feel awkward in the studio; he didn't really like how he looked in pictures. Danny gave him that one; he thought Roberto's captured images didn't hold a candle to how devastatingly sexy the mechanic was in real life.

The younger man quietly giggled when he imagined the photographer barking orders to Roberto: "Flex! Look at the camera! Look at me like you want to make love! YES!! Keep flexing and bend your waist...HOLD IT!! DON'T MOVE."

Danny couldn't wait anymore. He took that monster dick in his mouth hungrily.

What would Roberto wear? Of course, the mechanic stud looked best naked, but if they were shooting a calendar, let's say, wouldn't he look cute dressed up as a firefighter? As a cowboy, with a lasso and assless chaps? Or maybe as a topless welder, with the helmet flipped back and grease all over?

As Danny licked under and over the shaft, then sucked hard around the crown, he decided Roberto would look his best in just a pair of red Speedos...ooh, or jockstraps!

Or...or, just in his mechanic coveralls, black oil stains and all, with the zipper pulled down to offer a tantalizing glimpse of his eight-pack and furry, veiny groin.

Danny was hard now. He opened his jaw wide and deep throated his dream lover.

The skillful suction drew a deep breath from Roberto. His big, rough paws found Danny's peachy bum and began kneading them.

"Morning baby..."

"Muhnuh..." Danny mumbled, not wanting to take his firmly-sucking lips off the cock.

"Eager beaver this morning, huh?" Roberto remarked, reaching for the lube on the nightstand.

Danny released his favourite plaything and looked at Roberto with mischief.

"We didn't, last night."

"You didn't get your dose of cum?" Roberto teased.

"Berto!"

"It's okay. I'm ready to feed my cum slut now," he winked.

Danny blushed and slapped Roberto's thigh, but then eagerly went back to fellating the mechanic. "Guu..." Danny replied with the nine-incher stuffed in his mouth.

As the younger man took his time to enjoy the sweet dick, Roberto slipped in two lubricated fingers into his favourite playground: Danny's hot, tight hole, the hole he deflowered, the hole that was his and only his to fuck and cum in. His boy yelped in surprise as his digits pushed past his sphincter and zoomed straight for the prostate.

The both moaned lustfully during the foreplay, calling on each other to fulfill their all-consuming need. Danny took all the cock he could handle down his gullet, gagging a few times but pressing on, while Roberto continued pumping his fingers into his lover's rectum, the friction drawing wet squelches from the relaxing canal. He also used his other hand to stroke Danny's five-incher, twisting his wrist and circling his fingers to get his boy turned on and opened up quickly.

Time slipped by uncounted, the lovers singlemindedly indulging in bodily gratification. Although the mechanic loved the view of his digits penetrating Danny's squeezing anus, and he loved having his dick attended to by his love, he wanted even more to stick it in and fuck away.

"C'mon baby, you're ready now," Roberto finally said, taking his slicked fingers out of Danny's rectum and giving the perfectly perky globes a good slap. Danny whined, gave one last hard suck, then popped the massive prick out of his mouth and turned around to face his man.

"Wanna ride me, baby?" Roberto asked with a grin.

"Um hmm," his younger lover nodded.

Danny got on his feet and straddled the mechanic stud's horizontal body. Reaching back, he found the steel-hard shaft and pointed it up to his rosebud. Then, locking eyes with his lover, he squatted down on it.

They both cried out in pleasure at the tight, aching sensation. The brunet wanted to impale all nine inches up his ass, right away, but he took a breath and knew he had to be careful with Roberto's endowment. So he waited a moment, planting soft kisses on Roberto's waiting lips. 

"Fuck, you feel so amazing," the older man moaned in between the sloppy dueling of their tongues. He gazed longingly at Danny with hooded eyes.

The young bottom bit his lower lip and sat down further, taking more cock up his tight little hole.

"Oh! That's it, Danny! Fuck yeah..."

Roberto closed his eyes, leaned back and threw his powerful arms above his head.

The sight of the mechanic's densely tufted armpits drove Danny to slide his outstretched hands up the mechanic's impossibly muscled torso. He relished the texture of every corded ridge, his man from head to toe an exquisite model of highly-disciplined brawn. Taking in Roberto's statuesque physique while also taking in his oversized prick, the brunet bottom mewled seductively.

"Yeah, baby, use my body..." the horny stud encouraged, as a gripping, aching warmth enveloped his pulsating cock. 

"Take that cock...that's right..." 

"Ohh!" Danny groaned, "I think you're all the way in..."

Reflexively, Roberto thrusted his pelvis up and found that he was indeed buried inside of Danny up to the hilt.

"Fuck yeah," he replied, reaching up to play with his lover's nipples. 

The copywriter leaned forward, hands bracing the headboard, and began to ride Roberto's dick. As they moaned and cursed with every squat and push, the bed bounced up and down, complaining with little squeaks.

Thrusting that monster prick all the way up his rectum, Danny fucked his mechanic stud harder and harder. The squats slapped his peachy bum loudly against Roberto's thighs.

"Aw yeah, baby, YEAH! You like that dick huh?!" the mechanic growled, eyes burning as they stayed locked on his lover's pupils. "You like taking that dick hard and fast??"

Danny held their breathless gaze amidst the frenzied rocking. And then he felt his lover's paws gripping his buttocks.

"Ye...y-YES! Oh Berto!!"

Roberto couldn't help but start to take control. He grabbed Danny's bouncing buttocks and thrusted himself up into his lover; Danny screamed, threw his head back, and held on tightly. The bumpy jaunt rocked the younger man's entire body, breaking his loud hollering into coarse, agitated shouts.

"Fuck me back, baby, c'mon!!" Roberto urged, giving Danny his all. His boy pushed his ass back onto the pistoning prick, matching the mechanic's thrusts, and screeched at the searing assault that ravaged his anal canal.

"BERTO! OH GOD!!"

The bed frame began to bump against the wall, a dull thud with every passionate fuck. 

With a massive prick drilling up his asshole nonstop, hitting then rubbing against his prostate every time, Danny soon felt an aching pressure build in his groin.

"BERTO, I'm gonna cum...I'm gonna!"

His man stopped. "No no! Not yet..." he breathed, grabbing Danny's body and flipping him back down on the bed. Then, he carefully lifted his lover's lower body and stood up into a wide squatting stance, until he was in position to piledrive Danny into screaming submission.

"Pillow for your neck, baby," he offered with a grin, reaching back to grab one and hand it to Danny. As his panting bottom adjusted it to cushion his inverted body, Roberto held onto the back of Danny's thighs, ready to give him some rough love.

"Berto?" Danny asked, looking up at Roberto with earnest eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Be gentle," he requested.

"Too late for that," the mechanic replied matter-of-factly.

Danny squealed in response, wanting to slap Roberto but helpless in his upside-down, all-open posture. "DON'T!!"

"That means yes, right?" Roberto continued, licking his lips. As his bottom boy yelped again, he rubbed Danny's airborne thighs. 

"Don't worry, baby. I know what I'm doing."

"You better cum all over my face," Danny retorted.

His man chuckled. "Oh, you're gonna get it all over your face, and your chest..." Roberto started fucking mid-sentence. "...and your stomach, and your cock..." His boy's quivering canal felt so good. "And your little hole too..."

Danny started moaning, the force of his lover's thrusts pressing down on his flipped-over figure. The position left his hole completely open, and he relished the feeling of being dominated by the love of his life.

"I'm gonna get you good, oh yeah..." the mechanic stud growled, widening his stance to get at a better dicking angle. The deeper penetration took Danny by thrilling surprise. 

"YES! Take me Berto!!"

Roberto loved watching his throbbing prick slide in and out of Danny's loosened asshole. The sharp angle of penetration also put toe-curling pressure on his glans. He fucked on and on tirelessly, while below, Danny bit his fingers, thrashed his head to the side, and called the mechanic's name like a cheap whore.

Bumping his groin against Danny's, the mechanic stud held on tight to the back of his lover's thighs and kept eye contact during the rocking intercourse, watching the bottom's face twist and stretch in torturous rapture. 

"Oh GOD don't stop!"

The pleasure-filled minutes ticked by with heated thrusts and grunts. Danny took in the sight of Roberto's body through his topsy-turvy vision. He loved watching the triceps activate, the pectorals flex, and the hairy, rippling abs drip sweat down onto his own smooth, exposed figure. 

With each piledriving slam, Danny surrendered himself again and again to satiate Roberto.

"FUCK ME!! Take my ass, Berto!" The building pressure in his groin threatened to spill over.

"You ready for my cum, baby?!" the mechanic demanded loudly, breathing hard, soaked with perspiration from the nonstop anal plumbing.

"Omigod YES cum all over me! YES I WANT IT!!" Danny hollered wantonly, about to go over the edge himself.

"Here it...UHH!!"

They came together. Roberto fired off the first of his shots in Danny's milking hole. He whipped out his massive cock from the clenching orifice quickly as the brunet's ejaculation exploded. The two cocks pelted crisscrossing, milky trails all over Danny's stomach and chest. Then the mechanic aimed his third spray at Danny's gasping face, dousing his fair features with his salty nectar.

With his eyes closed, the brunet bottom acutely felt each load of fresh hot semen raining on his body and face. He wailed through his intense orgasm, convulsing on the messy bed as he shot creamy geysers onto his flat hairless tummy.

Finally, when the last drops of their copious semen flew from their piss slits, Roberto stuffed his still-oozing glans into Danny's mouth and held on.

The electric shock he experienced as his lover worked on his depleting dick almost toppled him over. Danny quickly grabbed Roberto's buttocks and stabilized him, while staying busy with sucking and swallowing the remaining cum from his hypersensitive cockhead.

"FUCK!! Uhh!!" Roberto hissed.

He endured the sweet torture, because he knew Danny absolutely lived for cleaning cock.

A grueling minute later, below Roberto's exhausted, crouched-over body, the drenched young man released his lover's genitals and took a breath.

"Is it too much?" Danny asked, looking up at Roberto with a dribbling facial.

The muscular top grimaced with closed eyes, his panting breaths levelling out. "No baby...play with it all you want."

Danny smiled and wrapped his mouth back around the softening cock with delight. He gave it long, hard sucks, from the base all the way up to the tip, inducing ab-tightening shudders and guttural cries from his man. They only compelled the brunet to keep sucking.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 05



"SHIT!! Sensitive, baby, sensitive!" Roberto whispered harshly. "Ahh-AAHH! Fuck..."

Finally, a series of busy slurps and anguished moans later, Danny pulled Roberto's spent, rubbery dick out out his mouth and gently stroked the shaft, giving little licks to the glans.

"That was so fucking hot," he murmured, looking up at his lover. He felt cum cooling all over his naked body, a coat of jizz expelled from both of their cocks. A droplet of semen leaked out of his used asshole.

"Aw yeah..." Roberto agreed with a sweaty smile, his limbs weak from the fucking and the post-cum-head.

As their breathing slowed to a regular pace, Danny piped up again. 

"Berto?"

"Hmm?"

"Did I miss a spot?" he asked with guileless eyes, one hand still on Roberto's dick, the other running across the mechanic's wet muscles. "On my face?"

That made the strapping stud laugh out loud. 

"You're such a little cum slut.." he sneered, laying his firm body on top of Danny's, looking at his lover face-to-dripping-face. 

"You missed your whole face," he affirmed, then looked down the length of Danny's figure. Pools of semen glued themselves to the mechanic's furry body and stretched in gooey strings. "And your whole body."

Turning up his innocent-boy act, the brunet inquired, "Can you help me clean it?"

Roberto took one finger and began sweeping the globs of cum on Danny's face into his hungry mouth. He loved watching his boy savour and swallow every goopy load.

"It's tasty," he purred.

-----

The next day, Danny went to the annual Big Fair by the lake with Richie, his tattoo artist boyfriend Trevor, and Simon.

The copywriter was almost going to cancel when his mechanic stud said he had to go to some "mechanic's conference" at a nearby city. But then Danny thought it would be good to get out of his home, his new home with Roberto, and to take his mind off his mother. Also, it had been a yearly tradition between him and Richie to go to the Fair since they were little. Keen to rebuild his friendship with his lifelong pal, Danny knew how important it would be to attend.

Though it was October, the weather was still warm. It was perfect for a day outdoors spent playing midway games, riding the ferris wheel, and eating junk from the enormous food building. In the busy, family-filled afternoon, the group found themselves in the lineup to a crazy spinning ride. Richie turned to Simon and asked, "So, what are you gonna do?"

He was talking about Jae and Luke. The black musician did his trademark headshake and forehead slap. "I dunno. What would you do?"

Richie's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "I'd jump on both of them, then ask if they were down for a threesome!"

While everyone laughed and a father in line behind them gave Richie a dirty look, Trevor, sporting asymmetrical blue hair, commented, "Such a shy, demure flower, this one."

"What about you, Danny? What would you do?" Simon asked.

"I...I dunno." The copywriter hesitated, thinking. "'cos I would probably get attached to both or something, and then..." He finished with a frown on his face.

"Yeah, exactly!" Simon agreed, nodding. "It'd get messy, and the last thing I want in my life right now is a mess."

Quietly, Danny muttered, "Well, it depends on the kind of mess..."

Just like old times, Richie didn't miss a beat to tease his oldest friend. "Tell us, Danny," he goaded loudly, "What kind of mess do YOU like??"

The father waiting in line cleared his throat and glared at Richie again. He turned around to Trevor and mocked the middle-aged man's stern expression.

"Unlike you," the tattoo artist said with a chuckle, "Danny is a freak in the sheets, but a lady on the streets."

It was their turn to go on the ride. While Richie and Trevor were fighting over who would sit on the outside seat and thus get crushed once they reached top speed, Danny and Simon took the opposite approach and offered each other the inside seat. It took the cute teen operator coming around to lock the doors to force them to sit their bums down. Simon ended up on the outside.

As soon as the ride started, the two of them regretted getting on.

"Omigod...AAHH!" Danny screamed, trying hard not to. "Sorry!!" he screeched, as the centrifugal force pressed his slim body against Simon's.

Simon was crushed but couldn't stop laughing at Danny's 'get me off this ride!' face. In front of them, Richie and Trevor raised their arms and hollered.

When the ride ended, Danny took slow, wobbly steps off the ride, holding onto Simon's shoulder for support. Richie bounded out like nothing happened and asked, "Who wants to go on the Drop Zone??"

The musician and the copywriter both pursed their lips and shook their heads.

"Wimps," the blond groaned, grabbing Trevor's hand and starting to walk.

"Honey," the tattoo artist asked, "Why don't we play some games at the stands? You know I've got good aim."

Simon caught the cheeky glance that Trevor shot at Richie.

"Nah, it's a cash grab," Richie replied. "Danny and I come here every year and we've never won anything."

"What?!" Danny interrupted as they walked towards the midway booths. "Richie, don't you remember we won that big mermaid doll?? We actually won the ring toss after spending like $50!"

"Oh yeah!!" he responded, turning around to the brunet. "And then I lost the doll."

"Doofus," Danny said under a fake cough. 

Suddenly, it began to feel like old times again.

Simon observed the direction they were heading in. "So I guess we're heading to the food building..." he said with a grimace.

The brunet and the blond met each other's eyes. "Deep fried, all the time!"

Simon shuddered. "Well, I'll be eating my own food. I'll wait for you guys outside?"

"What?!" Richie exclaimed. "Simon, sit with us. Omigod, it would make my day if you actually had a bite of deep fried butter."

"Deep fried butter?!" the musician questioned in disgust.

"Death on a stick," Trevor clarified.

"Some people have no idea," Danny sighed, snapping his fingers and shaking his head.

"Yeah, wait till you get to 30 and suddenly, it's not so cute anymore. It takes work to maintain abs," Simon warned and complained simultaneously, smoothing his hand over his stomach.

In front of him, Richie stopped and turned around. "Have you seen his abs?" he asked Danny with eyes wide open. 

The copywriter turned to Simon with similarly wide eyes, then smirked.

"Show and tell! Show and tell!" Richie chanted, clapping. Danny soon joined in.

Rolling his eyes, the black musician looked around warily, then lifted up his polo shirt. Danny was surprised and impressed by how cut and perfectly proportioned Simon's six pack and obliques were. He cheered loudly with Richie and Trevor.

"I'm still not going in that building," Simon declared, his cheeks flushed.

"Oh, c'mon!" Danny exclaimed, as he and Richie pulled the black musician into the massive junk food centre.

Inside, the odour of deep-fried grease saturated the air. Danny and Richie excitedly bounded up to each food vendor to check out what calorie-overloaded fare was on offer.

Simon looked at the pictures of the food being served. He thought the food looked like artifacts in an avant-garde gallery exhibit.

After a round tour of all the food stands in the circular, single-storey building, the pair of reformed best friends each bought a stick of deep fried butter and shared a donut burger. Simon had to look away as Danny and Richie bit into their crunchy, dripping meal; he promptly lost all appetite.

The musician opened his messenger bag and looked for the banana he brought to snack on. As he rummaged, he heard someone call his name from behind.

"Who's that?" Richie whispered, squinting his eye at the stranger. And then it hit him.

Simon turned around. "Jae!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checkin' out the Fair, man!" he responded in his sunny manner.

For a moment, Simon wasn't sure how to feel. The last time they saw each other was weeks ago, and Jae basically said he wanted them to be fuck buddies. Since then, they hadn't talked or texted each other once.

But as the athletic Asian opened his brawny arms wide and moved in for a hug, the musician couldn't resist the physical contact. He savoured the warmth of Jae's tall, buff body.

"Are these your boys?" the Korean asked after the embrace, nodding at Danny, Richie, and Trevor. He promptly introduced himself and shook hands with them all, while Richie shot quick winks at Simon.

This was also when Simon saw Jae's friends, three girls and one guy who stood some distance behind the Korean. "Hi, I'm Simon," the musician offered politely to Jae's friends. He hated making introductions and small talk.

There were no handshakes with this early-20s hipster group.

"How do you know Jae?" one of the girls asked after names were introduced, then quickly forgotten.

"Oh, I know his roommates."

"Oh yeah, those guys..." the girl continued, looking to the side, nodding. Soon she was chatting amongst her friends, with her back to Simon.

Meanwhile, Jae was charming the pants off of the musician's friends; business as usual. Much to Simon's amusement and annoyance, the Asian jock was having a moment with Danny and Richie over the deep fried goodness on offer in the food building.

"Simon, you haven't had one of these?!" Jae asked in surprise, holding up a stick of deep fried butter.

The musician shook his head and moaned, "Ugh." 

That was when a devilish glow flickered in Jae's eyes.

He started walking towards Simon, the stick of pure artery cloggage held in front. "C'mon, it's so good," he teased, ready to feed the 31 year-old.

"Don't you DARE!" Simon declared, backing away, his hand outstretched. But then Jae grabbed his hand, and he went still.

"C'mon..." the young hunk said, raising the deep fried butter to Simon's lips. With a quick roll of his eyes, the musician opened his mouth and took it.

He took a tentative bite and chewed slowly. Then his tongue darted out and swept up the crumbs that he missed.

Jae's mouth hung open slightly, his eyes hypnotized by Simon's lips.

"...damn, it's good," the musician said after swallowing. There was a shift in the stare between the two.

Simon held Jae's gaze, and he was about to take another bite, when behind them, one of Jae's friends piped up. 

"Jae, c'mon, the dog show is starting soon!"

Their moment broken, the Asian jock grinned and put his hand on Simon's shoulder. "Lindsey really wants to check out the puppies." Simon nodded. 

"Hey, are you guys hanging around for a while?" Jae asked the musician and his friends.

"Umm, I dunno...maybe?" Simon replied.

"They're doing fireworks tonight by the lakeshore. We're probably gonna check 'em out...if you're around, come find us," the Korean suggested.

Simon replied, "Sure, of course."

"Text me," Jae said as he walked away with his friends, waving goodbye to Richie, Trevor, and Danny.

Simon turned around quickly, lest he be caught staring at Jae as he left with his friends. He was greeted by Danny and Richie's arched brows.

"Well then," Richie said with a wicked grin.

"What?" Simon asked abruptly, starting to blush.

"Nothing..." the blond continued, putting their food trays aside.

"What??" the musician demanded again, as the group strolled out of the food building.

They went around to several more booths, more rides, and a skating show, enjoying themselves as Danny and Richie bonded again. All this time, all Simon could think of was Jae.

As the sun went down and the air got chilly, Trevor wrapped his arms around Richie. It was soon clear that everyone was ready to leave. Except Simon.

"Dinner?" Richie suggested, looking at the group. "There's Chinese, Thai, and Italian places close by."

As the others deliberated, Simon piped up hesitantly, "Actually, guys, I think I'm gonna stick around a bit longer..."

"Yeah, we knew that," Richie responded matter-of-factly, then turned back to Trevor and Danny. "So Thai tonight? Okay!"

The musician stood there blinking as the boys each took turns hugging Simon goodnight.

"Play it cool. Be yourself. Don't think so far ahead," Richie advised his older friend.

"Yeah yeah," Simon replied, rolling his eyes.

When the boys left, he brought out his phone to text Jae.

'Hey, u still at the fair?'

Then came the part he hated: the uncertainty. Waiting for a guy to text him back. Not knowing whether Jae was still around. Whether he was still interested. And he wasn't looking forward to being around those elitist hipsters either. He hesitated between setting his phone on vibrate and turning up the ringer. 

Around him, families and hand-holding couples leisurely strolled through the Fair. He felt lonely, in the middle of the crowd. It was a feeling he knew very well: standing on stage, talking or singing into a mic, facing an audience who didn't give a shit.

He just loved stepping up to the plate for life's curveballs, didn't he? Jae already stated where he stood. And he didn't even want to think about the possible drama with Luke at work. So far, the editor-in-chief had been completely professional since that dinner. But what if he tried to make a move?

Then the SMS ring sounded and jolted Simon out of his fog of debilitating doubt.

'Yo I'm at the shore! Fireworks r startin soon, come!'

His heart jumped, and as much as he didn't want to look like he was rushing over to the lakeside viewing area, he well and truly was. 

It was funny how everything could change with just one text; before it, the Fair had become the loneliness place on Earth; but now, as Simon sped by a blur of midway booths, a rainbow of plush dolls, whirling rides with flashing lights, and children's laughter, he felt beyond excited to meet up with Jae, like he was zooming in closer and closer to the centre of it all.

The cloud-free evening sky and the warm temperature was perfect for watching fireworks. When Simon reached the shoreline, it was dotted with people waiting for the pyrotechnics to start: families and friends chatting and laughing, some showing off their giant, hard-won toys on the boardwalk port, other wielding flashing wands and helium balloons.

He almost leapt for joy when he saw Jae, by himself. His back was facing Simon, his arm leaning on the railing, his attention seemingly centred on the lake. Simon took a breath, walked up and tapped him on the shoulder.

The athletic Asian turned around. When he recognized it was Simon, he flashed the musician a big grin, the same grin that had swept the musician off his feet since their first conversation in the kitchen.

Before Simon could say hello, the first pop of firework sounded and echoed in the air. The musician's mouth hung slightly open; his eyes stayed steadfastly on Jae's smile, which was more vibrant than the burst of colour that erupted in the black sky. 

He was at a loss for words.

The Korean jock cheered and pointed to the sky as a string of crackles reverberated from high above. Simon cast his eyes to where Jae was pointing, taking in the the spectacle of lights.

To their left and right, there were whistles and claps all along the boardwalk. The night air was still, cool enough for a hoodie on top. Faintly, an orchestrated soundtrack drifted from the pyrotechnic boat to the masses.

Simon wanted so badly to hold Jae's hand. He fought so hard to hold back. He also fought to stop his head from turning to look at the Asian hunk again and again, itching for another glance at his invincible smile.

Iridescent flashes shot across the night sky, bursting into view from thin air. The blossoms of colour transformed in hue like airborne chameleons, morphing before their tone could be named or processed. Their forms, too, were kinetic but transient, never still, slipping away after fanning out gloriously for a second. Before there was any time to say more than "Wow...", a new wave of glittering spheres and comets ignited, starting the cycle anew.

It was almost enough for Simon to be happy, standing there beside Jae, enjoying the spectacular fireworks.

The musician didn't realize how quickly this blissful moment was passing until the pyrotechnics team went all out and the music swelled, signalling the final minutes of the display. It was like one big chaos of colour and sound, magnificently messy. Both of them cheered and clapped to the chaotic finale.

And then it was over. The music ceased and the sky went back to black.

"Aw man, I want more!" Jae exclaimed. A burning smell wafted through the air.

"Yeah, that was incredible," Simon said.

The young hunk turned to him. "What now, dude? Where to??"

Simon shrugged. "I dunno. What do you feel like doing?"

They looked at each other. There was a hint of hesitation on Jae's part, as if he thought of an idea he wasn't sure if he should express.

"We can go for some food, maybe? If you're hungry?" Simon suggested.

The Asian hunk sighed. "Ooh, I would, but I'm broke right now. And I have food back home..." His eyes lit up. "Hey, you wanna come over and have some? Nicole made some pasta and salad. We can download a movie on my laptop."

"Oh, okay, sure," the musician replied, trying to play it cool. His mind immediately shot to a possibility, a possible...pastime that could happen, after food. He wondered if Jae was on the same page.

He wondered if that was what Jae wanted to suggest in the first place. Just pasta and salad and a movie?

-----

When they got back to Jae's house, they were both starving, and soon tore into the pasta, the salad, and other leftover bits in the fridge that Jae shared with his roommates Nicole, Julio, and Arthur. The others were either all out, or doing their own thing in their rooms. 

During the meal, the easy flow that coursed through Jae and Simon's conversation resembled the beginnings of a real friendship. Although Simon enjoyed talking with Jae, deep down this emerging layer of connection with the attractive Asian only confused his feelings even more.

"I think it's harder to be a girl," Simon opined at one point in their conversation, feeling full from their hasty feast.

Jae shot him an incredulous look. "Yo, are you serious?? Guys have it hard too."

"Oh yeah? Like how?" the musician inquired with a grin.

A serious tone suddenly washed over the athletic Asian's face. "Don't you ever feel like, sometimes, you're trapped?"

"What do you mean?"

Jae wiped his mouth on a napkin, then balled it up and dropped it on his plate. He took a breath.

"It's become this 'cool' thing for guys to be sensitive, and talk about our feelings or whatever. But, the fucked up thing is, when we do, it..." He thought for a moment, visibly getting riled up. "They can't handle it. There's this look that's like, disgust and disappointment. Like they'd rather us shut up and man up in the end."

"Like, be sensitive, but don't be weak?"

Jae clapped and pointed straight at Simon. "That's it! That's fuckin' it." The jock sat back. "And it's fuckin' bullshit."

Simon smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But don't you think women have their boxes too?"

"Yeah, of course, it's hard for everyone. But I think there's more awareness about women's issues than men's issues." Jae puffed up his chest. "Like, what the fuck, men don't have issues!" 

They both laughed.

"Well, I can tell you it's a little different for gay men. Even more complicated," Simon began.

"Sometimes it's cool because I feel like I don't have to fit into either box. But other times, it feels like the worst of both worlds." 

He felt like he was onto something. "Like, I'm gay, so I should be into fashion, and interior design, and musicals, right? But I'm not, and there's this stupid thing...I feel like some people judge me because I'm not gay enough." 




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 05



He waved his hands in front of him passionately. "But then, I don't make jock jokes or whatever, I don't like basketball, and yes, I am sensitive, and I have a high laugh, so I'm not man enough. Then on top of that, people look at me..."

"Listen, you wanna come up for a bit?" Jae interrupted. He cleared his throat, looked around the kitchen, then directed his eyes at Simon.

"Sure," the black singer said, trying not to sound too excited, trying not to go into mental overdrive.

The walk upstairs was wordless; Simon used his golden ears to listen for the presence of Jae's roommates, but heard nothing. They made their way to the Korean hunk's room.

As soon as the bedroom door clicked shut and locked, they kissed. Finally.

Simon felt Jae's lips pressed passionately against his. Their tongues darted and rolled over each other, lost between discovery and dominion.

Standing on tiptoes, the musician grabbed the back of Jae's head and pushed their faces closer together, their mouths pressing tight against each other. The taller jock moaned and kissed hard.

Maybe he was just really horny, or maybe he was trying to show Jae such an amazing time that the Korean would have no need to look elsewhere for sex. Simon let his mind loose, and he let his body realize whatever fantasy was swimming in his head.

So he went and bit down on Jae's beefy upper arm.

The younger hunk squawked in surprise. "Shit!"

"Did I hurt you?" Simon asked hurriedly.

"Uhh..." Jae looked lost between astonishment and arousal.

"This'll be better..." he muttered, planting a kiss where he bit down, then gently trailing up those big, hard biceps and triceps with his lips and tongue.

Continuing to follow his lewd imagination, Simon snaked his hands under Jae's baseball tee and began groping the Korean's smooth, muscled body. Meanwhile, his own penis, trapped behind his boxers and chinos, was rapidly filling up with blood.

"Whoa...you're fucking horny, aren't you?" Jae breathed, closing his eyes, wobbling slightly under Simon's touch.

The musician stopped his kisses and nibbles. "Aren't you?" he asked back. Before Jae could respond, Simon pressed his hand against the jock's crotch and cupped his package.

"Uhh!" The strapping Korean moaned with hooded eyes.

"I never thought you were such a freak..."

Simon smirked and pushed Jae down on the bed. Hopping on top of him, the musician threw a burning stare at Jae, and held his gaze while he felt his way to the jock's zip fly.

Jae's breathing quickened as he heard the zipper being pulled down. Then, the button holding up his jeans came undone.

Above him, the randy musician grunted and pulled Jae's shirt hem up, yanking it forcefully over his head. As the Korean pulled the rest of his tee up and away from him, Simon dropped low and took his left nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard and bit down.

"Ow!" Jae screeched.

"Sorry, sexy..." Simon whispered, licking that reddened knob furiously, then sucking on it again as if it was his last meal.

His hand reached for Jae's other nipple and rolled the soft, swelling nub between his thumb and index fingers.

Titillated yet feeling helpless at the same time, Jae laid back with his arms stretched above his head and closed his eyes. He hissed when Simon's teeth and tongue switched to the other nipple.

Soon, he felt hot fingers wrap around his hard cock through his boxers. It made him moan and open his eyes.

The aroused black man leaning over him seemed to be a differently person from the Simon he knew, the quiet, polite, immaculately put-together Simon. Here instead was an aggressive sexual beast seemingly intent on devouring him whole.

It excited him.

Meanwhile, Simon really wanted to take out his own eight-inch cock and feed it to the young jock. But he wondered if Jae would be okay with that, if Jae had ever sucked cock, or even wanted to.

So he crawled back and frisked out the Korean's banana dick.

Before he swallowed that pulsing member, he looked up at the young jock. 

Jae's eyes were wide with anticipation, His breathing was shallow. Simon, seeing Jae so vulnerable, his need at the musician's mercy...Simon was overdriven with desire. He opened his mouth and took the dick.

Though it wasn't the biggest cock he'd ever sucked, Simon enjoyed going down on Jae because his oral skills got big reactions from the young Asian. The bursts of moaning, the hands clenching the bedsheets, fingers that caressed Simon's head, and eyes that rolled back as the musician circled his tongue around the velvety glans...it all got Simon rock hard without touching himself.

"Oh wow...oooh..."

The musician pivoted the dripping prick out of his mouth and shot a searing gaze up at Jae. Their eyes locked, Simon tapped the younger man's cockhead against his outstretched tongue, cooling it down before he resumed vigorously milking it.

In Jae's mind, there was a moment when he wondered if he was turning gay. But then Simon's velvety lips, supple tongue and his mind-numbing sucking took all of his attention.

As Simon worked his tongue and lips all over the banana shaft, he smoothed his fingers over Jae's tightening sacs and gently tugged.

The gasp and soft whine he evoked urged him to do it again.

Jae was like a lump of putty, albeit exceptionally well-shaped putty, by the time Simon went for the deep throat. The athletic Asian moaned loudly, gripping the bedsheets, and cursed in drawn-out mumbles. Simon gave Jae his best, working hard not to gag, at the same time enjoying the curved girth as it slid down and tickled his gullet. 

The musician himself moaned as he took pleasure from sucking, licking, kissing Jae's cock. Whenever he looked up at the blissed-out jock, he felt thankful that he was able to wrap his thick lips around such a sexy hunk.

The singer's hands slid up under Jae's baseball tee and groped impressive pecs. Overdriven with yearning, Simon circled his fingers around the sharply defined muscles, tweaking the erect nipples at the centres.

"FUCK you're gonna make me blow!" Jae exclaimed, lifting up Simon's face by the chin. His dick slid out of the black singer's mouth, dribbling with saliva.

"What you gonna do about it?" the musician challenged, a curl on his lips.

The young jock's mouth popped open for a second, but he soon let his brawny arms do the talking. Simon was lifted up, then flung onto the bed face-first. It squeaked in protest as Jae then pressed his body down on Simon's.

When he parted the black man's plump ass cheeks and jammed his curved prick against the sphincter, the already-tight opening clenched.

"Ow! Stop! We need lube!" the musician howled.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Jae mocked above him. Simon then tried to move his arms, but the athletic Asian grabbed them at the wrists and pinned them onto the soft mattress.

The precum from Simon's squished hard-on began to make a small puddle on the sheets.

"Jae, I mean it! I need lube," he repeated.

Jae moved his lips right beside Simon's ear. "Say please," he demanded.

"Please."

"You said it too fast. Say it like you mean it," Jae shot back.

Simon sighed in frustration. "Pleeease?"

"Please what?" the Korean hunk whispered.

"Please give me..." Before Simon could finish, Jae gave a tantalizing lick on his earlobe.

In his head, he recalled how freaky Simon was the last time they hooked up, which was also their first time. He thought back to the ambush, how he woke up with his dick already in Simon's mouth; how incredible Simon's blowjob was; how eagerly the slim, handsome black man sucked his dick; how unexpected the snowballing session was at the end.

This time, he was gonna show Simon up. He was gonna out-freak him.

"Beg for my cock," he ordered.

Simon closed his eyes and sucked in a breath of air.

"Please, your cock...I want your cock," he moaned.

"Beg for my cock in your ass," Jae continued, a slight tremble in his voice from anticipation.

"Please put your cock in my ass."

As he began to reach towards his nightstand, easing his bodyweight on Simon, he instructed, "Beg me to fuck you like a bitch."

The musician immediately tried to get out from under, but Jae's quick, athletically-honed reflexes overtook him. The younger jock seized Simon's shoulders and slammed him back down.

"Do that again and I'll just jam it in," Jae growled. "Have fun telling my roommates tomorrow why you were screaming like a hyena."

To prove his point, the Asian kneed Simon's thighs apart and pushed his bobbing boner hard against the musician's rosebud. A sliver of pain shot up the black man's spine.

"OW! OW okay I'll stop!!"

Above him, Jae stilled.

"Gimme the lube," Simon implored.

"What do you need to say?"

There was a pause.

...then Simon knew. His cheeks flushed as he muttered, "...fuck me like a bitch."

The strapping Korean leaned over to get the lube. "Say please," he demanded.

"Please fuck me like a bitch, Jae," Simon whispered, burying his head in the pillows.

"You asked for it," Jae taunted.

Then, it seemed like an eternity followed while Simon waited for for his surprisingly rude and stern top to administer the slick balm. He heard the unscrewing of the lid, the soft squishing of the jelly being squeezed out, and then, silence.

Until he felt a ringing slap on his buttock.

Just as he yowled in shock and pain, the athletic Asian rammed two lubed fingers up his back door.

"AHH!"

"I'm gonna make you scream," Jae threatened thrillingly, quickly thrusting his digits in and out. Meanwhile, Simon tried to open himself up, concentrating hard on relaxing his anus.

After a minute or so of squelching and heavy breathing, Jae sneered, "See? You're loose like a fucked pussy now."

Simon turned his head with a frown. "What the fuck..."

"I said your pussy's ready to be fucked!" The Korean jock pushed Simon's face to the pillow, determined to show that he was the freaky boss here. He snapped his pelvis forward and the head of his shaft breached through the lubricated orifice. 

He didn't stop pushing in when he heard Simon's muffled scream, only slowed his invasion, sinking deeper and deeper into the musician's rectum. 

Simon began whimpering, getting filled with young studly cock, subjugated by Jae's muscles and demeanor.

He loved it.

Seconds later, the dominant top grunted, feeling Simon's delectable, plump ass cheeks press against his hairy pelvis. Beneath him, Simon exhaled, relieved that Jae was all the way in.

"You took it like a good bitch," the Asian remarked. He bent down to give Simon's earlobe another quick lick, making his bottom shiver.

The hot, gripping sensation was just too good for Jae to stay still. So he began pumping, much to Simon's pain and pleasure.

"Easy!" the black singer complained, gripping the sheets. In response, the Korean braced his knees on the bed and fucked deeper, harder.

Simon cried out desperately, having no choice but to submit to the dicking with gritted teeth and clawing fingers.

"I said I was gonna fuck you like a bitch!"

With each thrust, Jae felt a delirious ache raced through his curved shaft. Simon's asshole seemed to cling to his member, refusing to let go. The powerful suction compelled him to fuck harder; he began slamming into his bottom bitch. His pelvis smacked loudly against the singer's bouncy buttocks.

"JAE! FUCK! Slow down!" Simon begged in a pinched voice, burning from the anal ramming.

With one more deep push to the greasy hilt, Jae decided he would go easy on Simon...for now. He withdrew his banana dick slowly, all the way up to the crown of his gooey glans, then gently slid it all the way back in. He didn't stop until his thick, moist pubes flattened against Simon's bum.

He did it again, patiently pulling out, then slowly plunging back in. The anal canal slid over his pulsing prick like a form-fitting glove.

Settling into this easier rhythm, Simon began to sigh in falsetto. At first, they were short, breathy, barely audible utterances. As the perspiring top continued to draw his erect cock out right to the tip, then plumb it back into the loosened rectum, the mewls developed into longer hums and ahhs.

The high notes stretched longer and longer, the pitches began to bend, and gradually, words formed from Simon's shaking mouth.

"Oh Jae don't you fucking stop...oh Jae..."

It really turned Jae on to hear Simon call his name like that. He wrapped his big arms around Simon's tingling body and lifted his torso up, until they were both kneeling.

Instantly, Simon turned his head, hungry for Jae's lips. The young hunk met Simon's open mouth and kissed hard. Their eyes met.

It was then that Simon realized he was in trouble. He could feel it in his heart.

"I'm cumming, I'm cumming!" he hollered

Ribbons of white cum flew from Simon's steely eight-incher, soaking the pillow and the bedsheet. Jae was so engrossed in Simon's ejaculation that he stayed still and watched with wide eyes.

"Shit, dude..."

"Oh God! Oh fuck!" The cock filling his ass only made him cum harder.

As he fell forward and collapsed on the bed from the dizzying orgasm, Jae flipped him over and penetrated him again in missionary, his own cock still needing sweet release. Simon screamed, everything below the waist extremely sensitive. He cried out at the top of his lungs when the lustful Korean above him got on his toes and power-fucked with no mercy.

"JAE! JAE OH GOD!!" Simon's vision was being blinded by the acute ache from the rectal hammering.

It didn't take long before Simon's contracting hole milked the cum out of that Asian banana dick. Jae thrusted wildly as he went over the edge, a fresh coat of sweat emerging all over his body. His yells were guttural and mad as he unloaded shot after shot in the black musician's pillaged hole.

Below him, Simon felt like he was about to pass out, the genital pain and the rough rocking overwhelming him. Then he felt Jae's buff body fall on top of his, powerless, burning hot, slick with sweat.

Instinctively, as the two of them laid panting, Simon wrapped his still-limp legs around Jae's wet waist. The Korean grimaced, trying to release his drained cock from the black man's rectum.

"Stay inside," the musician whispered, holding Jae tight.

Simon could feel the residual shudders and groans from his dominating top, who had now turned into a mewling ball of exhausted flesh.

-----

Several days later, Danny came home from work and had some free time on his hands. He had a free hour to go before he and Roberto were to head off to the baseball game that Fred invited them to last week.

Grabbing a drink of water, Danny looked around at his half-moved-in state.

His daily essentials were basically all set up. His computer, though, wasn't yet; they needed to buy a desk for it, something that would fit in the bedroom. Same for his clothes: they needed a shelving unit for the closet, or even a new wardrobe. "Two, to be safe," Roberto joked.

He thought about what to do for a while, before he had to pop the big bowl of stir-fried beef, the dinner that the mechanic had cooked in advance for tonight, into the microwave. His man wouldn't be home for another forty-five minutes. 

Gradually, Danny's eyes drifted towards Roberto's belongings instead of his. He thought about ways to more room for his stuff.

'Well,' he thought, 'his fitness magazines can go down to storage.' Roberto had a monthly subscription, and Danny noticed that very rarely did the mechanic ever reread an issue after excitedly going through it for the first time.

So he packed them in a vacant moving box and took it down to their basement storage.

When he got back upstairs, he was invigorated to continue on his organizational beat. His next project: Roberto's vast collection of workout equipment. Piled in the den, Danny had never seen Roberto use 90% of the gear. There were sandbags, medicine balls, resistance bands, endless free weights, and an assortment of other stuff. Danny knew what the latest purchases were; the rest of the gear had basically been gathering dust for months. 

So he grabbed as much as he could lift, and made a couple of trips down to the basement. After the second trip, he had to stop because his arms, legs and back all burned and couldn't take anymore.

As Danny sat down to rest, he glanced at the kitchen clock. Roberto should be back home soon, so after a quick minute of downtime, he went to the fridge and got dinner ready. 

By the time Danny had changed into casual clothes, set the table, and put together a fruit salad, the lock turned on the front door and in came the mechanic stud.

Danny threw a quick glance around the apartment before going up to his man. He was feeling pretty proud of himself.

"Hey Berto," he sweetly greeted, giving his mechanic a deep kiss.

Roberto kissed back and dropped his tool bag. "Hey baby," he replied, wrapping his arms around Danny's waist. He locked eyes with his boy.

"It sure is nice to come home to someone," he sighed.

Danny beamed the biggest smile he could muster. He felt so happy that he was certain he emanated a heavenly glow.

"How was your day?" the copywriter asked.

"Good," Roberto replied with a grin.

"Are you excited for the game tonight?"

Roberto shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I'm not really into baseball," he answered, turning Danny around in his arms and slowly pair-walking the two of them into the kitchen. "I didn't think you were, either."

"I'm not. But Fred invited me and I thought it'd be nice to go together."

Roberto nuzzled his boyfriend's neck and nodded.

"Looks like dinner's ready," he whispered, his mouth beside Danny's ear.

"Um hmm."

They sat down at the table and quickly started eating, aware that they had to leave in about fifteen minutes.

After they both had a few platefuls of food, Danny said, "So, I did some cleaning tonight."

Roberto looked around. "Did ya?" He couldn't notice the difference.

"Yeah, I, uh..." the brunet fidgeted. "Y'know those fitness magazines that you don't read anymore? Well, I put them down in storage."

Roberto stared at Danny.

"Wait, why did you do that?"

The younger man swallowed. "Well, I thought I'd make more room for the wardrobe. Or two, like you said," he offered with a smile.

"You didn't need to. We have room."

Danny noticed that his man had stopped eating.

"Well, you weren't reading them anyway..."

"Doesn't matter. Don't move my stuff without asking me," he snapped back in a clipped tone.

Sweat itched Danny's neck and back. He didn't expect this reaction.

Roberto tilted his head. "Did you move anything else?" he questioned tersely.

It was now Danny's turn to stop eating. 

"Yes, I moved some of your workout stuff. They were just sitting there in the den. I moved..."

Without another word, the mechanic got up from the table and headed towards the den. Danny hurriedly followed.

"Why did you move the weighted bags??" Roberto demanded as he looked around the stacks of boxes inside the small room.

"It-it's been there for months and you never touched it," Danny answered, stammering slightly. "Look, I left the..."

"I've been using them! I just put them back in the box after," the mechanic countered, turning around with a stare.

"I-I didn't know. I thought..." 

Roberto turned back to his equipment and looked further.

"You moved the resistance bands too."

"Yes, and some weights," Danny continued. He crossed his arms and looked down. 

"Fine, I'll go get them now."

At this, the mechanic stopped and rested his arms on the shoulder-high piles with a frustrated sigh, his back to the brunet. 

"Forget it. We gotta go."

Wracked with shame, Danny stood still, not wanting to mess things up even more. After a few seconds, Roberto turned around.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 06



© 2014 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

 If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further. 

-----

NOTE: this story is a sequel to "Roberto the Mechanic Stud".

-----

-----

Simon knocked twice on the hotel room door. He waited.

The door swung opened and he was greeted by Jae's grin. The smile he'd fallen in love with.

"Simon!"

"Happy birthday," the musician said, as Jae pulled him into a bear hug. It was another thing he'd fallen in love with.

Simon arrived at Jae's hotel birthday bash an hour later than he expected, because he changed his outfit six times. Eschewing his typical polo and khaki ensemble, the black singer finally put on a graphic tee and distressed jeans; they looked casual but cost $100 each. Finishing his look off with a gold-plated necklace, Simon also packed some accessories and a different t-shirt in his messenger bag, just in case he changed his mind during the party.

"Here, I hope you like this," Simon offered as they released themselves from the hug. He presented a gift-wrapped, palm-sized box to Jae.

Delightful surprise lit up the jock's face. "What is it??" He asked, tearing off the wrapping.

Behind the birthday boy, several of Jae's friends looked on in the open doorway.

"I think it'll come in handy tonight," Simon replied cryptically.

Suddenly, a bright voice piped up through the doorway crowd. "What's everyone looking at?"

It was Nicole. Her eyes met Simon's and she rushed forward. "SIMON!!"

Chuckling at her tipsy state, Simon said hi and hugged her.

"Gawd, Jae! Will ya let Simon into the party first??" Nicole asked melodramatically.

Jae looked up at Simon as he bunched up the torn wrapping paper. He had a beautifully printed box in his hand.

"Are these cards?"

"Yeah. The print is by this Russian painter." Simon smiled. "I figured you'd want to play King's Cup tonight, so..."

The athletic Asian hugged him again, this time sneaking in a quick peck on Simon's neck.

"Thanks, man. Come in!" he urged. "It's gonna be a boss night!!"

The birthday hotel party was already well under way. It was in a massive executive suite, several times the size of Simon's own bachelor pad. There was a TV room, a dining room, a full kitchen, two bedrooms each with a bathroom, an additional powder room, and a balcony that looked out onto the lake. Twentysomethings filled the suite, busy with drinking, chatting, laughing, and checking each other out. EDM music blared from the expensive home theatre system.

The black musician followed Jae, Nicole, and a couple of talking girls into the kitchen. Half-full vodka bottles and multicoloured shot glasses littered every surface.

"Drink this," Jae said to Simon as he put down his messenger bag on the floor. The Korean jock had two full shooters in his hand.

"What is it?" Simon asked as Jae offered another one to Nicole. The actress and drama teacher declined.

"Birthday sweets," the Korean answered with arched eyebrows. He poured one for himself, then one for each of the girls.

Nicole's eyes focused on the TV room. "Come find me. We gotta catch up!" she said to Simon as she walked away.

Simon nodded and saw that Jae was ready for his birthday toast. He clinked his shot glass with Jae's and his girlfriends'.

"Happy birthday!"

They downed the liquor together. It immediately warmed Simon's insides as it went down.

"Simon, this is Tiffany and Britney," the young jock introduced, smiling at the cheerful girls by his side.

"Hi! How do you know Jae?" Tiffany asked.

"Through Nicole and the other roommates, Julio and Arthur. How about you?"

"We met him last week at this guy's house party, after the rugby game," Tiffany replied. "What was the guy's name?" she asked Britney, who shrugged and poured herself another drink.

"Jae's so awesome," Tiffany continued, glancing at the Korean. He was talking with a really hot white blond guy, who was a bit taller, with a similarly athletic build. The fitted polo shirt he had on showed off his arms and chest.

"Omigod, remember when his team lost strip poker and they had to strip dance?" Britney blurted.

Simon was all ears.

"Oh, how can you ever forget that??" Tiffany shot back. "They were better than Magic Mike!!"

Both girls guffawed. Simon wished he was there for that, but then again, he'd already seen Jae in all his glory. And touched, and sucked, and fucked.

They'd been hooking up for over two months now, usually once a week, sometimes two. They were also getting closer as friends, catching open mic nights, playing video games, and talking into the wee hours whenever they saw each other, usually after they'd fucked each other's brains out.

Simon knew he was getting in really deep, maybe too deep. But he couldn't stop himself whenever Jae texted or called. They had so much fun together that Simon began to convince himself that the young jock must feel something, too.

"Simon, can I ask you a question?" Britney asked.

"Sure."

"You're gay, right?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Yes," he answered.

"Do you think Jae's hot?" the girl asked unabashedly.

Simon chuckled, surprised yet again by Britney's forthrightness. Before he replied, though, Jae's blond hottie friend bellowed an announcement.

"Everybody to the TV room for King's Cup!"

Jae flashed a wily smile at Simon, waving the playing cards in his hand.

For the most part, Simon was done with getting wasted and making a fool of himself, but if Jae wanted to play a drinking game on his birthday, he wasn't about to be a bad sport and turn it down.

With a crowd of thirty-odd people in the TV room, another deck of cards was added so that everyone had at least two turns. By the start of the second go-around, however, the party was well-oiled by the liquor. During each mini-game, people started miscounting and blanking on rhymes in messy laughter.

Inevitably, spillage occurred. When an errant elbow knocked over a beer bottle on the table, Jae immediately swept the playing cards away from the overflowing alcohol.

"Yo, Jermaine, watch your drink!" he exclaimed. "I just got these cards!!"

"Geez, chill, man..." he responded, picking up the bottle.

Jae looked at him and lifted up a card. "18th century Russian art. Please appreciate."

It was one of the few events that Simon vividly recalled from the long game; he got tipsy soon after the start and answered too slow or just plain incorrectly, which only meant more drinks for him. The other highlight came when Nicole pulled a queen from the deck, which signalled the game 'Never Have I Ever'.

Everyone put up three fingers. Nicole looked around the group and thought about her proclamation. Then, she said,

"Never have I ever had sex with someone of the same gender."

Anyone who had done that lowered a finger. As Simon lowered a digit, he watched Jae. The athletic Asian stayed still, looked around naturally, and dropped a finger as inconspicuously as possible.

And then Simon saw the that blond hottie, Tyler, dropped a finger as well, inciting an uproar of gasps and questions to both of them.

The game went on and Julio, a rich, intelligent, and sarcastic poly sci masters student and one of Jae's roommates, eventually become the unfortunate recipient of the King's Cup. At that point, the party was beyond ready to head to the club a few blocks away.

In his drunken stupor, Simon walked arm-in-arm with Nicole during the short but freezing jaunt. They were chatting, but they were so incoherent that they might as well have been speaking two different languages to each other. Every once in a while, the black musician looked for Jae in the giddy travelling pack. The birthday boy had his arm around a different friend every time, emphatically blurting out something, laughing, or raising his fist in song.

As the party crew neared their late-night hotspot, they toned down their bravado and composed themselves for the ID and security check. Simon saw that they bypassed the winding queue leading to the club's entrance. Walking in after the bouncer frisked him, he followed Nicole to coat check, then up a few flights of dimly-lit stairs, until he emerged at the balcony level looking down on the crowded dance floor.

He gathered from the sectioned-off area, posh-looking booths and ice buckets filled with vodka bottles that they were in the VIP. As the rest of the party excitedly filled the room, Simon couldn't help but wonder how much money tonight had cost, from the executive suite to bottle service. He figured Jae must have blown his entire paycheque on this one night.

"You like it?"

The black singer turned around. It was Jae, already sipping from a glass.

"Yeah..." Simon nodded. "Impressed. I'm impressed," he followed. Leaning over the railing, Simon felt his body bob and sway a bit.

"Good. I want everyone to have the best time tonight!"

The singer looked around the club. Rows of colourful LED lights lit up the walls, transforming into moving arrows, falling snowflakes, concentric circles, and cascading waves. The hi-contrast effect was alternately dazzling and dizzying. Meanwhile, on the bar counter, two female go-go dancers rolled and writhed their bodies to the beat, moving sensually in stiletto heels on the narrow serving ledge.

Jae wrapped his arm around the musician's shoulders. Feeling warm and loose from the liquor, Simon had to restrain himself from planting a kiss on Jae's flushed face.

Simon hoped they would have some alone time later.

"How old are you turning?" the black singer asked.

"24. I'm in my mid-twenties now!" Jae exclaimed. They both had a chuckle, well aware that Simon was seven years older.

"Let's see..." Simon pondered. "What was I doing at 24? I was...I was probably recording one of my many unreleased albums," he sighed, shaking his head with a grin.

Jae was silent for a moment. When Simon turned to look at him, the athletic Asian had a serious look.

"Y'know, I checked out your stuff on Youtube." He patted Simon's shoulder. "You're really good, man."

The musician was shocked. "What?? You looked at my old videos?"

"Yeah. Remember? We talked about them last time."

"Yeah, I remember, I just didn't expect...did you watch all of them?" The singer recalled his poor judgments in wardrobe and choreography over the years. "Wait, which one did you watch?"

"I watched all of them, man!!" Jae proclaimed. "You're legit, seriously. You can sing, you can dance...you're gonna make it one day."

At this, Simon shook his head, partly due to humility, partly due to defeat. "Nah, I had my chance. I..."

He exhaled. "Maybe the timing was off. Or maybe I just wasn't good enough."

"Don't give up," Jae said, looking at Simon straight in his eyes. He tightened his hold around the musician's shoulders.

Simon was speechless. Before he could utter a word, however, the birthday boy was mobbed by Tiffany, Britney, and two other girls. They pulled him away and dragged him towards the stairs in fits of laughter.

Simon watched them head down the stairs, presumably to the dance floor. Then he went over to one of the booths, where Nicole and her roommate Arthur were drinking.

"There goes the floozies with their prize," Nicole sneered, rolling her eyes.

"Judgey, much?" Arthur teased. He handed Simon a full glass.

"Actually, I'm basing my judgment on fact. They have a birthday surprise planned for Jae," Nicole said with a wry grin.

"Like a cake? Or song and dance?" Arthur quizzed. "Or song and dance with cake?" He was excited by the prospect of cake.

Nicole shook her head, head held high as if she alone had valuable exclusive information. Simon looked at her and waited a bit.

"What's your guess?" she asked with a smug wink.

Simon rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. What is it?"

The drama teacher and actress looked around conspiratorially, verifying that no one was within earshot. Then, she leaned in and spoke in a low tone.

"A lil' private session back at the hotel."

She waited for the guys' reactions with a side glance.

Simon didn't get it. "What do you mean?"

"Simon!" Her eyes were wide with disappointment.

"They're gettin' down, aren't they?" Arthur asked. He spotted Jae with the girls on the dance floor downstairs, and pointed them out to Nicole and Simon.

She nodded.

Simon's eyes bugged out as he stared at the females grinding up on the birthday boy, who had his beefy arms raised up in victory.

"Lucky man," Arthur quipped. His eyes squinted at the girls, looking them up and down. "Actually..." he corrected with a grimace.

Meanwhile, Simon couldn't hold back his surprise and disappointment. He downed his drink in one big gulp and blurted, "But they just met last week!!"

Nicole squealed and began laughing.

"Seriously, Nicole?!" the singer pressed on, staring hard at the howling drama teacher, anxious for an answer.

Meanwhile, Arthur watched curiously, his observational instincts as a journalist kicking in.

"SIMON! Omigod...oh dear..." she sighed in a sympathetic tone, wiping a tear from her eye. "Are you jealous? Just a little bit?" she taunted.

Her stare was pointed as the singer stammered. "WHAT?? No no no..." He frowned as hard as he could. "Why would I be jealous??"

Arthur's head tilted. "I'm missing something here." He had a pretty strong hunch about what was going on, but it was always more entertaining to wait for his subject to come clean by themselves.

It wasn't going to happen this time, though. "Arthur, girl talk," Nicole said, waving him away. The journalist mocked her haughty gesture and headed downstairs.

When they were alone in the booth, the actress began. "Honey, I think you're in trouble..."

But Simon wasn't having any of it. He stood up, waving his hands and shaking his head dismissively, and headed downstairs.

Nicole thought about calling him back. But then she shrugged and poured herself another drink.

Once on the dance floor, Simon pushed forward through the crowd until he saw the object of his affection. He was busy groping and making out with Britney.

The black singer stood still, watching and comparing the gut-wrenching spectacle to the kisses he'd been sharing with Jae lately. He looked away when it hurt too much.

Simon was compelled to go up to the Korean jock, tear Britney off him, and show him who knew how to pleasure him best. But then anger swung back to heartache again, when Simon realized he had already shown Jae everything he had, given all of his passion in every kiss, all of his desperate need in every blowjob, all of his love in every post-coital embrace...

All of his love.

He was staring at the man he had fallen in love with, the man who was now kissing someone else. A girl.

It hit him cold and hard: he was repeating the same mistake. Once again, he'd wasted his time and given his heart to someone who didn't ask for it, someone whose own heart wasn't up for grabs.

The gigantic speakers around him played the top hits of the year, eliciting wild cheers whenever the DJ mixed into the next radio smash. At that moment, when Simon thought about leaving the dance floor to drown his sorrows, or even to silently ditch the party, the DJ played Zedd's "Clarity".

Simon looked up at the elevated DJ booth and laughed hollowly. As Foxes began singing the first verse, the lyrics about an intense tug-of-war love affair filled the entire club, coming to life as a booming soundtrack to Simon's tortured emotional state.

He thought about the night of the Big Fair fireworks. He could clearly recall the exploding colours across the night sky, clearly feel the sheer euphoria of being with Jae. Now, on a jammed dance floor where drunken partygoers bumped into him and hollered off-key to the skyscraping chorus, he was also looking up at flashing colours. But the phalanx of LED lights that performed manifold sequences on the walls only confused him, spun his head around until any remaining shard of logic that he had were shattered on the liquor-stained tiles.

Simon lost his balance and fell backwards. It happened in a split-second, yet it felt like it was unfolding in slow motion. When he landed, a sharp pain stabbed the back of his head. His eyes lost focus for an instant; after blinking a few times, he saw a circle of people staring down at him.

Nicole and Arthur swooped down and lifted him up.

"Simon! Look at me!"

"Are you okay??"

"Simon!" Nicole's insistent slaps annoyed him, so he glared at her.

"I'm okay, I'm okay..."

A security guard come up and asked what was going on. Simon tried to brush it off nonchalantly, saying he just lost his balance and fell. The stern-looking lady gave him a once-over, then told him to follow her.

Simon groaned, thinking he was getting kicked out. She led him down a corridor past the washrooms, then through a 'Security Only" door.

Once inside the security office, she said, "Sit down in there," pointing to a brightly lit side room.

When Simon walked in, he saw three other people in the room, each on small beds. One of them was clearly tripping, staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes. Another was passed out, looking pale. The third person, a young man, was talking to himself.

"Hey, look. Three makes company and four makes a party."

Simon felt dirty and disgusted as he sat down in a vacant chair. He looked down on the floor, avoiding eye contact.

"Yo what's your name?"

The musician closed his eyes and sighed.

Happy holidays indeed! Christmas wasn't too far away, and here he was in some kind of detox room, and he didn't even do any drugs.

"Yo, I'm looking for Kevin. Have you seen him? He's a tall black dude, with..."

The young man would not shut up, but Simon was too much inside his head to register what he was saying.

He retraced his steps. How did he end up here? He drank too much. Why did he drink too much?

Jae.

The fall was sobering him up, and he felt ready to dive into the emotional mess he floundered in, so he took a deep breath and interrogated himself. 

What was the problem here? Jae was making out with Britney. Why was he upset by that? Because he didn't want Jae making out with anyone else. Because he was in love with Jae, and obviously Jae wasn't in love with him.

But it wasn't like Jae was cheating; they were fuck buddies. Simon stumbled into this ill-defined relationship with wishful thinking, hoping lust would turn into love, and casual fun would turn into monogamous commitment. It didn't happen, so Jae didn't really do anything wrong by making out with Britney.

Simon leaned back into the hard plastic chair. He thought about drawing clear boundaries with the young jock. Clearly, being fuck buddies wasn't working out for him.

'Maybe we can be just friends; maybe I can manage that,' he thought. 'It would be hard, but it would be worth a try.'

He did want Jae to continue to be in his life, even without the sex. He was an optimistic, happy-go-lucky kind of guy who lifted Simon's spirits whenever they hung out. And he had just encouraged Simon to not give up on his musical dreams. The singer believed that Jae would remain a positive influence in his life.

...but, every time he laid eyes on the Korean hunk, he just wanted to tear his clothes off.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 06



Simon blinked. He got up and went to the security guard outside the detox room.

"Can I go now?" he asked, tired and over it.

She gave him another scrutinizing once-over. "You can leave. Coat check is through that door," she replied, pointing to a door behind Simon.

"Thanks."

When the musician stepped out of the club, alone, it was snowing densely. He saw the nearest bus stop and started walking towards it, then stopped when he realized he didn't have his monthly pass on him.

"Shit, my bag..."

He left his messenger bag in Jae's hotel room. He'd left it there in the mass drunken hurry to head to the club a few hours ago. Simon really didn't want to see or talk to Jae right now, but he had no choice.

He sent the birthday boy a text and waited for a reply in the bus shelter. When he didn't get a text back half an hour later, he called Jae.

The Korean didn't pick up. Meanwhile, the December snow showed no signs of stopping. Simon decided it was worth a shot to go back to the hotel; maybe Jae or someone else was there.

On the way, Nicole texted him asking where he was. After explaining his return to the hotel to her, she invited him to join her at a 24-hour pita shop close by. Simon replied, "Sure," but all he wanted to do was go back home and sleep.

Minutes later, he made it back to the five-star complex and took the elevator up to the executive suite. When he got to the door, there was a "Do Not Disturb" sign hanging on the doorknob.

Simon swallowed and grimaced. He knocked on the hotel room door, waited, and knocked again.

"Who is it?" someone yelled, his voice muted by the closed door.

"It's Simon. I left my bag," he shouted back. "I just need to get it."

"Just you?"

"Yeah," Simon replied.

The door opened a minute after. Standing in front of him was Jae, wearing only his colourful boxer shorts. His face was ruddy and smiling. It was a déjà vu moment from the beginning of the night, only drunker and more nude. 

Simon looked away from the young Asian hunk as he hurriedly walked in. "Sorry...I just gotta get my bag."

Jae didn't say anything, just watched with a grin as the black singer thought for a moment, then went into the kitchen.

Simon found his messenger bag on the floor by the kitchen table. As he slung it over his shoulder, a voice called out to him.

"Hey, Simon."

It wasn't Jae's voice. Simon turned around.

He saw Tyler, naked, standing in the kitchen with a cocky smirk, his hands on his hips.

"Jae and I were just getting started. You wanna..." He jerked his fat cock. "You wanna join us?"

The tall blond man was as physically attractive as Simon had imagined he would be: all strapping muscle, lightly dusted with curly blond hair from his chest, his abs, his pubes, down to his toned thighs and calves.

Simon's breath was caught in his throat. Then Jae appeared behind Tyler, also naked.

"Dude, slow down," he scoffed, slapping his blond buddy's ass. "Simon doesn't like it like that."

The Korean jock walked up to Simon, who was petrified. Standing face-to-face, Jae leaned down and gave the musician a passionate kiss.

'Maybe this is just a dream,' Simon thought to himself. 'Or...or maybe someone slipped something into my drink...'

Soon Tyler came near and sucked on Jae's neck from behind. With a moan, the Asian hunk turned back and made out with the blond.

Simon wasn't turned on by the sight of the two studs kissing and groping each other right in front of him. Rather, he was confounded. He thought back to how he got his drink in the club.

'Arthur?? But why would Arthur want to drug me??'

"We're leaving Simon out," Jae said, breaking his kiss with Tyler. He looked at the short, slender black man and gestured for him to come closer.

Simon stood rigid, unable to process what was happening.

"C'mon, Simon," Tyler beckoned. "I heard you were amazing in bed," he added, as he reached around and felt the singer's buttocks through his jeans.

The musician snapped. He shot a sharp glance at Jae. He felt betrayed.

"What's wrong?" Jae asked, taken off guard. He took Simon's hands, brought them down to his semi-hard shaft, then moved in for another kiss. That was when the musician broke free of the trance he was in.

"I gotta go," he muttered, shoving past the two hard bodies.

Jae was jolted out of his easy, inebriated state. "Wait, Simon..." he urged, grabbing the musician's arm.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Simon screamed, turning around. He gave Jae a ringing slap across the face.

The Asian jock was stunned. Simon gave him one last look, then sped out of the hotel room.

"What the..." Tyler began, looking at Jae, then the front door.

The young Korean felt his cheek. It stung.

Tyler exhaled. "Sorry, man. I don't know what..."

"It's cool, just..." Jae mumbled. "...I think I need to call it a night." He headed to the bedroom.

Shock began to turn into remorse. He soon noticed that Tyler was following him.

"Dude, seriously," Jae groaned, turning around.

"Look, I know what just happened really sucked, but..."

Jae shot him a glance, as if asking him if he was serious.

"All right, all right," Tyler conceded, disappointed. He picked up his clothes and left the room.

The tall, striking blond couldn't believe it; he was shot down twice in one night. He'd never ever met a gay guy who turned him down. 'What a bust,' he thought, a night of promised debauchery flatlining into a massive fail.

When Jae heard Tyler finally leave with the click of the front door, the young Korean jock let out a breath of relief. He stripped off his boxer shorts and got ready to climb into bed, but then thought about the wicked hangover awaiting him the next day. So he went to the kitchen to get some water.

As he took big gulps from a plastic cup, he felt like a douche. If that slap didn't fully articulate how angry Simon was, the final withering stare left no doubt as to how badly Jae had fucked things up.

He hadn't planned on it. He was already busy trading sloppy blowjobs with Tyler when Simon knocked on the door. The blond froze, fearing that he would be discovered. When they realized it was Simon at the door, however, Tyler's fear quickly turned to curiosity. Jae had told his buddy from school how great Simon was at giving head and talking dirty, so in the spur of the moment, the blond suggested an impromptu threesome to Jae. Jae then genuinely thought that Simon would've liked to have some fun with Tyler. 

The Korean had met the blond last year in one of his classes, and they mostly talked about readings, sports, and girls at first. Then, at a kegger, Tyler drunkenly revealed that he was 'mostly straight': he'd had sex with gay guys, meeting them discreetly through mobile apps. In turn, Jae told him of an alcohol-fuelled gay hookup he had back out West, where he was from. It was just one time, oral only, and afterwards he'd never done anything gay again, until he met Simon.

Jae and Tyler found each other attractive, but they never had sex together prior to the birthday party. Tyler was mainly interested in hooking up with gay guys, while Jae had been fine with being celibate in the new city, after leaving behind a messy breakup with a girl back out West. Then, he met and got to know Simon, and when the singer wrapped his talented tongue and lips around his cock, his libido was reignited.

As a birthday present for Jae, Tyler had suggested a long-overdue sex session. After having sock-rocking gay intercourse with Simon for weeks, the young Asian realized he enjoyed doing it with a guy as much as with a girl. So he took Tyler's offer, excited to explore an attractive new body.

The Korean honestly thought that Simon would be excited to have sex with a guy as hot as Tyler. He didn't expect the anger and the look of betrayal from the musician.

Although the liquor in his system made him increasingly drowsy as he crawled naked into bed, he pulled out his phone and gave Simon a call before he passed out. Feeling guiltier by the second, Jae wasn't quite sure what he was going to say, apart from apologizing.

The musician didn't pick up. Four rings ended in Simon's voicemail message. Jae closed his eyes and started speaking.

"Simon, it's Jae. So, listen, I'm really sorry about what happened. I thought...as stupid as it sounds, I thought it was a good idea. 'cos Tyler's an attractive guy and..."

'Stop rambling,' Jae thought.

"...I guess I thought you would like to have some fun with him. Anyway, Simon, can you please give me a call back? I really want to talk this out with you. I'm really sorry."

Simon was in a cab when he got the voicemail notification. He was full-out bawling. He didn't care that the taxi driver was staring at him through the rearview mirror, probably judging his sad state.

For some reason, the singer couldn't get past the fact that Jae was having sex with another guy. He sincerely thought it would've been better if he saw Britney in bed with him instead of Tyler. Why was that?

Because Simon had thought that he was the only guy who Jae had sex with. He'd thought he was the only guy who Jae wanted to have sex with. The only guy who Jae was attracted to.

He'd thought that they shared something special.

-----

"Just three more reps."

Danny's arms were on fire. He wanted to stop and drop the weights in his hands.

"Two..." Roberto counted.

"Argh!"

"One more, c'mon!"

Danny rowed the last rep and dropped the barbells on the padded floor of the weight room. His arms were shot, but he was relieved that he would no longer feel judged on his form and number of reps. He was sure everyone else in the room thought that he was a wimp.

"Good job. Jump rope to finish?" Roberto suggested, grabbing two ropes.

"Sure..." Danny muttered, hiding his frown.

While his mechanic boyfriend could skip up to five minutes straight, no problem, Danny maxed out panting at one minute. The rest of the four minutes were used to catch his breath and feel sorry for himself.

He looked around at the other people working out in the weight room. He saw the same thing in the machine room, the yoga room, by the row of elipiticals, and in the changeroom: better looking, fitter people who knew what they were doing.

Since he started going to the gym with Roberto two months ago, Danny began to constantly wonder how Roberto was attracted to him. His man knew lots of people in the fitness centre, many of whom were clearly attracted to him. These guys and girls almost all had less body fat and more muscle than Danny. In his mind, he just didn't compare.

The copywriter looked at himself in the locker room mirror and sighed. Though Roberto had just complimented earlier that he could see more definition on Danny's body, the brunet knew that his frame wouldn't pack on a lot of muscle unless he drastically changed his diet and weight training routine. He wasn't sure if he had the drive or the discipline to do that.

As he followed Roberto into the showers, he saw Greg, one of the guys who blatantly checked out his man at every chance. A young Taiwanese guy, this fawning acquaintance was of similar build to Danny two months ago; now, Danny saw the bigger arms, shoulders and chest that Greg gratuitously flaunted as he said hi to Roberto. Danny bitterly wondered why he hadn't seen similar gains himself.

Last week, when he hung out with Richie and Simon, his best friend shook his head as Danny laid out the misery he felt every time he went to the gym with Roberto.

"Then stop going to the gym. You said Roberto had lots of gear at home, so work out at home," Richie said.

"Yeah, but I feel like we should spend as much of our free time together as possible. And it's a big part of his life, so I wanna be part of it."

"Then ask Roberto to work out at home with you."

Danny shook his head. "No no, that wouldn't work. He only has one of each equipment. Plus, I think he really likes going to the gym. I don't wanna be the one to stop him."

"Just talk to him. Tell him what you're telling us now," Simon suggested.

The copywriter sighed and pushed away the cheesecake he took one bite of. "No, it's okay. I just gotta get over it."

Back in the gym, Danny looked at Roberto getting dressed in the changeroom. He got the man of his dreams...but did he deserve him?

"Ready?" the mechanic asked him.

"Um hmm," he nodded, grabbing his gym bag.

The mechanic gave him a quick peck on the lips.

It was around eight in the morning when they left the fitness centre; Roberto was going to drop Danny off at his office, then go to the garage. It was a Friday, so traffic was lighter than during the rest of the week.

"Oh, baby, did I tell you I'm staying late at the shop tonight?" Roberto asked.

"Oh yeah? How late?"

The mechanic thought for a moment. "Well, I got a business meeting with Fred, so it's hard to say."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course. We're looking at expanding...we've been talking about it."

"Okay," Danny replied. "I'll get something from the supermarket for dinner."

They turned into the office parking lot. "Sure. Don't wait up for me though."

Danny looked at Roberto. "You're gonna be that late?"

His boyfriend sighed. "I dunno...there's a lot to go over. I'll try."

"Okay."

They stopped in front of the office entrance. Roberto leaned in for a kiss.

"Love you, baby," he whispered.

Danny swallowed, smiled weakly, and got out of the red Lancer.

He waved goodbye to Roberto as the sports sedan rounded the corner and sped off. Then he waited a few minutes more by the front door.

When he was sure that his boyfriend had driven far enough away, he started walking away from the building, and towards the bus stop one block away.

Roberto didn't know that Danny had called in sick this morning in the bathroom. Roberto also didn't know that Danny planned on spending most of the day wandering around the luxury shopping mall uptown, until it was dinnertime.

It wasn't the first time Danny felt the need to disappear on his own without warning. Once a week, Danny would go to the mall, the hipster strip, or a coffee shop after work. He would wander around and sit for an hour, then come home late, unannounced. Roberto would ask him what happened, and he would lie about working late. Today was the first time he actually called in sick to spend some time by himself. The stress was worsening. 

Wasn't he supposed to be happy? He had every right to be. He had a good job, and a drop-dead gorgeous stud of a boyfriend who loved him. Sure, his relationship with his mother was on the rocks, but nobody had it all. Besides, his turmoil didn't have anything to do with his mom this time.

'So what am I doing?' he asked himself on the bus.

He began running off impulsively after work when he'd started going to the gym with Roberto. He hated it; he hated how weak and ugly the gym made him feel. But he pushed himself to go because he wanted to be in every facet of Roberto's life. It was how he envisioned the perfect relationship to be, yet in reality, it was making him miserable. Worse, he began to feel guilty about feeling miserable. He kept telling himself to 'be a man' and to 'get over it', but that didn't help.

He'd also been walking on eggshells since Roberto blew up at him for moving his stuff. Danny was never one for confrontation, and that episode with the magazines and the workout gear scarred him; he never wanted Roberto to raise his voice at him ever again. He didn't want any fighting between Roberto and him to ever occur, and if it meant censoring himself and presenting only the side that Roberto liked, then he would do it.

He would do it, however, with the caveat of spontaneous time-outs after work whenever he needed to be fully himself. However, guilt caught up with him every time he was alone and supposedly at peace: he felt awful about repeatedly lying to Roberto.

The shopping centre was filled with Christmas shoppers rushing to complete their lists. The clothing stores Danny usually browsed in were all filled with snaking queues, so he avoided them and went to the bubble tea shop.

In the back of his mind, the ugly beast awakening underneath all of this was that Danny began to doubt whether he was good enough for Roberto. It was initiated by the gym visits, then it spread into a full-blown complex. It went beyond his belief that the mechanic was way too hot to be with someone like himself. He thought he was too immature, too emotional, too inexperienced for Roberto. He barely knew how to cook; he didn't feel like he could provide and take care of his man. He didn't feel like Roberto's equal.

If he was being utterly, brutally honest with himself, his sneaking off was a form of self-sabotage, a corrosive compulsion that was beginning to damage their relationship.

-----

Yet there was plenty that Danny didn't know about Roberto either. He didn't know that, like him, Roberto also wasn't going to work.

Instead, after dropping off his boyfriend, he got on the highway and headed west. He was going to a racetrack two hours away, where an all-day drag racing event was taking place. He'd been invited by Nadia.

They'd been emailing since after they ran into each other at the sports bar; Nadia had been in town to recruit new racers from the street to compete at the racetrack, where she was Vice President of Racing Events. Roberto waited a week after that unplanned meeting before pulling out Nadia's business card and sending her a message. Then, it took about a month before his former mentor convinced him to come out to the track, "just to watch".

He hadn't told Danny about any of this, nor the fact that his first visit to the racetrack happened during the weekend of the Big Fair. Part of the reason for the secrecy was Danny's hysterical reaction when he first met Nadia and thought she was taking Roberto away. The mechanic and former motorcycle racer didn't want to deal with the dramatic episode and the long-winded explanation if he told Danny, at least not yet.

The other reason, the one that scared and thrilled Roberto in equal measure, was because he began itching to race again. It happened as soon as he stood right by the track with Nadia and watched the motorcycles rev up, shoot forward, and clear the quarter-mile with a snarly whine. He instantly felt the urge to zip up in the leather suit he'd stowed away in the basement and climb on a bike.

Of course, circumstances were much different now than they were during his student street racing heyday. He had a garage to run, and he'd already gotten into a fight with Fred over his secret foray back into racing.

It happened just the day before his second visit, as Fred was leaving work. "I'll see you Saturday," the office manager said, ready to walk out the door.

"Hey buddy," Roberto called out, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah?"

"Uhh...can I ask you a favour?"

"What?" Fred questioned. And then he knew what it would be. Roberto's eyes shifted guiltily.

"No," the office manager said.

"Fred, hear me out..."

"Did you tell Danny where you were that weekend?" Fred demanded, staring at the head technician.

Roberto exhaled and shook his head. "I will, after tomorrow. I just...I really need you to cover for me one last time. He might not even call you. But if he does..."

"I'm not gonna lie for you again!" Fred said, exasperated. "Did you know I was THIS close to telling Danny last time at the baseball game? I bit my tongue because he looked like he was about to cry."

Fred wasn't leaving anymore; he had some things to get off his chest. "What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

"Not if you keep this up," the office manager retorted, walking up to his best friend and business partner.

"Look, I've got this under control. I'll tell him everything. But right now, Fred, please, just one last time..."




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 06



"I'm not gonna do it!" Fred exclaimed. "Rob, you're not listening to me! You need to tell Danny everything, NOW."

He put his hands on Roberto's shoulders. "Trust me; he WILL find out, and then it'll only get worse."

Roberto shook off Fred's hands. "And when are YOU gonna tell Jen about the Lamborghini fund?" he challenged.

His best friend was thrown off for a second, but he soon steered back the conversation. "This isn't about me and Jen. Rob, I'm trying to help you. If you can just listen..."

Roberto had enough. "Y'know what? Fuck it," he said, walking away from Fred. "Go home. Forget I said anything."

"Hey, I'm not finished!" Fred grabbed the mechanic's shoulder and spun him around.

"Forget it!" Roberto repeated, shrugging Fred off.

"I'm not gonna drop this because I care, Rob!"

The head technician stopped.

"I care about you, and Danny. I like him a lot." Fred took a breath. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to you."

That made Roberto turn around.

"I don't know why you feel like you have to lie to him about this..." he sighed. "I just know that, as your longest and best friend, I'm gonna be real with you." 

He paused, then warned, "Don't fuck this up. Trust me, lying never ends well."

So Fred refused to cover for Roberto. That didn't stop the mechanic stud from going to the racetrack on his day off. He was disappointed that Fred didn't understand where he was coming from.

Things were changing in his relationship with Danny. For the first time, Danny began to reject Roberto's advances in bed, saying he was "too tired" or "too sore from the workout". The mechanic didn't know the real reason for the rejection, so he thought that Danny's passion for him was dwindling. This worried him immensely.

Just as worrying and disappointing were the brunet's impromptu disappearing acts. He believed Danny the first few times he said he was working late, but when Roberto asked him why he didn't pick up his phone or at least update him via text, Danny's vague answers and darting eyes told the mechanic that his boyfriend was lying. Sometimes, with the slim, smooth young man naked and asleep beside him in bed, he would lose sleep obsessing over all the possible reasons Danny had for his dishonesty, all the horrible things he must've been up to that justified the lying in Danny's head. He would feel his heart breaking, and he would ask himself again and again if it was all worth it.

With all that relationship stress weighing him down, racing came back into Roberto's life at the perfect time as much-needed escapism. It made him realize that he longed for a jolt of excitement in his increasingly stable and settled life. He loved Danny, but he was also nostalgic for his younger, single, freer days, when it was more about enjoying the moment and less about the worries that seemed to have multiplied with age. Since he had no intention of cheating on his boyfriend, he decided that racing would be his way of adding spark back into his life. Just being there, at the racetrack, around the bikes and the racers made him feel young, exciting, and invincible again.

When Roberto arrived at the racetrack later that day, he saw four-wheeled hot rods on the track. The motorcycle races were still to come; he was glad he hadn't missed them.

Friday was the first qualifying session of three, before the fastest 16 racers compete for the trophy and cash prize on Sunday. Since it wasn't the finals, the general public was largely absent from the spectator stands. Those who were present were diehard racing fans and the inner circle of the industry.

Like his first visit two months ago, Nadia told Roberto to meet her in the VIP box. When he got there this time, he saw a grey-haired man in a black suit beside Nadia.

"You got here early," Nadia greeted with a hug.

"Yeah, less traffic on Fridays."

"I bet you sped all the way here so you wouldn't miss a single bike qualifier," Roberto's racing mentor quipped.

"Hello Roberto. Do you remember me?" the man with the distinguished air asked in a European accent. He offered a polite handshake.

"Hey Olivier," Roberto replied, reciprocating the handshake. He was the Swiss banker who Nadia connected with, right before everything turned sour. "Long time no see."

"I don't think I've told you yet..." Nadia began with a slight smile. "Olivier is my husband. We've been married for six years now."

"Time flies when life is good," Olivier continued, smiling sweetly at his wife.

"Well, congratulations," Robert offered. "Better late than never, hehe..."

"Thank you,"

Olivier stepped forward and wrapped his arm around the former racer's shoulders. "Roberto, I remember you were quite the rider."

"Well, Nadia was quite the teacher," Roberto replied.

"Why did you stop racing, my friend? You had such a promising career ahead of you. You could've had the sponsorships, the secondary business ventures..."

Nadia gave Olivier a side glance, which promptly shut him up.

"He's got his own garage now," she said. "And a beautiful boyfriend."

"Well, well, now I think I understand!!" Oliver exclaimed. "What's his name?" the Swiss banker asked with a big grin.

"Danny."

"I would like to meet Danny, the man who captured this superb rider's heart, haha!" Olivier declared, patting Roberto's back. "Does he know of your accomplishments?"

The mechanic couldn't help but chuckle. "Olivier, you're too much...yes, I've told him my past. It was a long time ago. Now I've got my shop, and Nadia's got a whole racetrack to run!" he jabbed at his former mentor.

"I must tell you, my friend: this woman likes to be in charge!" The banker guffawed as Nadia rolled her eyes. "Oh, Roberto, you must stay for dinner; we have to make up for lost time, yes?"

At this, Nadia jumped in. "Darling, I just told you he has a garage and a boyfriend to look after. I'm sure he has to be back home at a decent hour..." she surmised, glancing at Roberto.

"But you must stay for the night qualifying session! Nadia told me you were a speed demon late at night on the street," Olivier said.

Roberto couldn't contain his excitement. "You guys do night qualifiers?"

"Yeah we do," Nadia replied. "You gotta see the lighting rigs we installed this year. It's like Vegas compared to what we used to do!" she said with a laugh. Roberto couldn't remember the last time Nadia laughed.

So he stayed for dinner, a decadent five-course meal that totally broke Roberto's diet; he couldn't turn down Nadia and Olivier's hospitality. Their VIP dining room had a great view of the two-lane raceway; as Roberto watched pairs of racers speed down the quarter-mile, the former rider longed to head downstairs to the crew pit, get on a bike, then give it full throttle on that strip of pavement. He could almost smell the exhaust and feel the night air whipping past.

-----

-----

Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoyed this intense chapter. We're getting close to the end of this story, and I promise to finish it with a bang! Feedback is always welcomed. Also, feel free to check out my Author Profile for links to more of my work. 



Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 07



© 2014 ChicosTodos. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

If you are a minor, or if it is illegal for you to read material containing sexual activity between male adults, please refrain from reading any further.

-----

NOTE: this story is the sequel to "Roberto the Mechanic Stud".

-----

It was Friday, one week before Christmas. 

Simon was swamped with work at the Queeries office. The back catalogue database was recently updated, and at the beginning of the week, his boss Luke asked him if he was up for working overtime to check and sign off on all entries before the holidays. Simon readily agreed.

It had also been a week since that surreal and ultimately heartbreaking incident at Jae's birthday party. The scene with the birthday boy and Tyler coming on to him, naked, replayed incessantly every night as Simon tried to fall asleep. What could've been a very arousing scenario was instead a disappointing shock. He felt misled, as if the bond he felt with Jae was fake...but at the same time, he knew he himself was also responsible for the consequences. He willfully led himself down a painful path, so he had no one else to blame when he fell down and hurt himself.

For his part, Jae was trying to make things right. He called and texted every other day, asking first for forgiveness, then any kind of communication -- face-to-face, phone, even text -- that Simon was willing to partake. But the damage was still too raw, and the musician honestly thought he would probably fall into the same trap again should he acquiesce and talk to Jae, so he never responded back. The athletic Asian was still the same sexy, positive, friendly, funny guy; Simon was sure he would develop feelings for him in a heartbeat if they started hanging out again.

He didn't want to cut Jae out of his life, but at this stage, when he couldn't trust himself to be strong and sober enough to just be friends with the Korean hunk, burning the bridge might be the safest, most logical thing to do.

In the office, Simon was working hard, working hard to block Jae out of his mind. He didn't even notice he'd been at work for eleven hours until he felt a chill and sneezed, then paused and looked at the clock on his computer. He knew the coworkers in his row of desks had gone home hours ago; as he stood up and stretched, he realized the office was empty.

Empty except for Luke's office, where the lights were still on. Simon saved his work, then put his computer to sleep.

"Luke, I'm gonna head home. I'll come in around eleven tomorrow," he said through the editor-in-chief's door. Though the next day was Saturday, he had to go into work since the deadline was fast approaching, and he kept running into unexpected issues that took up extra time.

Luke's door opened as he walked away.

"Can't wait to get home, huh?" his boss asked, putting on his coat.

"It's been a long day," Simon replied, nodding. "I'm sure I can get everything done on schedule though."

"I have absolute faith that you will. And, thank you for staying late, again," the husky, impeccably-groomed, and always charismatic editor-in-chief said, shutting off the lights in his office.

"No problem."

"So, are you really going home, or are you going to see your boyfriend?" Luke asked slyly.

Simon's eyes bulged. "Uhh..."

Luke waited patiently for his response.

Simon shuffled awkwardly. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh," Luke remarked with a glance as they began walking out of the office. "Well, all that texting you've been doing lately must've been for someone else."

At this remark, Simon held his breath but kept walking, looking straight ahead.

"I'm so sorry, Luke, I..."

Luke chuckled. "I'm not reprimanding you. I know you're a hard worker, don't worry," he affirmed, patting Simon's shoulder. "I've just noticed you've been coming in with these slick, fitted ensembles, and I thought you finally found someone worth your time."

It was too late: Simon was full-on blushing at this point.

"I'm so embarrassed..." he muttered.

"Of what?" the editor-in-chief questioned as they headed downstairs to the street. "You're smart, dedicated, and attractive. Own it."

"Thanks," Simon responded shyly.

When they walked out onto the busy gay village sidewalk, Simon turned around and said goodbye to his boss.

"Come have a drink with me," Luke offered.

Simon looked at the debonair bear. "I shouldn't," he said.

"Why not?"

"I should go to bed."

"Are you really going to sleep, though?" the editor-in-chief asked with a glint in his piercing eyes. Simon was caught. 

"...well, I think I need some time alone," he elaborated.

"You'll feel better if you talk with someone about it. And I'm a damn good listener. C'mon," Luke insisted.

Once again, the magnetic gentleman was softening up Simon with his persuasion. He stood still, uncertain how he was about to spend his night.

"Are you seriously going to turn down free drinks?" Luke asked with a tilt of his head.

"No funny business?" Simon blurted out.

"No funny business. Just free drinks and the best advice of your life."

They went to Glory Bar, which was popular for hosting alternative gay events, from leather-themed parties, bear nights, to live sex shows. Simon noticed that Luke seemed to know everybody who worked there, and assumed he came often. Of course, being one of the most visible queer faces in the city, Luke seemed to know everyone everywhere anyway.

Once they sat down with their first round of drinks, the editor-in-chief got Simon to spill on what was bothering him. The black musician started with Jae's hotel party, then gradually revealed all the layers of their relationship.

When Simon finished his story, he gulped down his drink. Luke was silent and in thought for a moment.

"Wanna hear what I think?" he then asked.

Simon nodded.

"Take back the power. Make him want you back."

The musician liked the sound of that, but he wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Show him that you know you're hot and you can do better than him. This isn't the end of the story, and you absolutely have the opportunity to come out on top."

"Okay..." Simon still didn't know what he was supposed to do.

His boss took out his phone. "Here, let's take a picture. We're gonna post it on your Facebook wall."

Luke sat down beside Simon and circled his arm around the singer's shoulders. Holding up his phone at the classic selfie angle, he took a few snaps, all of them suggesting a very close bond between him and Simon.

"Which one's your favourite?" Luke asked the musician while flipping through the shots. Simon shrugged, so his boss picked one and promptly posted it on Simon's Facebook wall, with the caption "Fabulous night with the smart and sexy Simon at Glory Bar...waiting for the show to start ;)"

"What show?" Simon asked as he logged into his account on his phone and liked the photo.

He didn't have to wait long for the answer. The stage at the back of the busy bar lit up, and a round of cheers erupted. A commanding drag queen, sporting a massive crimson updo and an electric blue spandex bodysuit, sauntered onto the stage.

"Welcome to Freaky Fridays at Glory Baaaaaar!!"

"C'mon," Luke said, motioning for Simon to follow him towards the action.

"My name is Electric Blew, and just like every Friday, I'll be your MC with the motherfuckin' most! Now..." The drag queen paused and surveyed the crowd. "I know why you're all here tonight. Which one of you perverts is excited to see Benjamin Bonn?!"

More hollering. Simon looked at Luke in surprise; Benjamin Bonn was one of the top gay pornstars of the moment.

"Benjamin Bonn is here tonight??"

"Not just here," Luke replied with a wink. "He's performing."

"Performing..."

Simon had never seen a live sex show before. It looked like his Friday night just got a lot more exciting.

Electric Blew got the crowd going with several jokes and birthday shoutouts, then lip-synced a Katy Perry number. Everyone was sufficiently amped up for the x-rated performance to start; the atmosphere was charged with anticipation.

Minutes later, the lights went down and a Britney track blasted from the loudspeakers. People started screaming and clapping their hands to the beat. At the moment when Britney starts singing, the spotlight came on and there was Benjamin Bonn, wearing a leather half-mask, shackles with broken chains, and a black loincloth. He started performing high-energy choreography amidst the cheering, while two male dancers in similar outfits flanked him.

"He can dance," Simon remarked to Luke. Benjamin's impeccable physique, all lean and ridged with muscle, was easy to admire. So was his rugged face: he looked like he walked in straight from the Eastern European countryside.

"He's trying to break into music," the editor-in-chief replied with an eye roll.

At the final dance break of the song, all three men on stage were breaking a sweat with rapid movement, sinewy limbs glistening under bright lights. With one final authoritative pose, the song and performance ended with a bang, and the three performers soaked up the ensuing applause.

As was the case with most singers Simon had met, Benjamin was shorter in real life then he seemed onscreen. He had a confident allure to him, that kind of cocky attitude he knew he could get away with because he was hot. Simon also noticed that the pornstar would adjust his posture from time to time to appear more macho and laid-back.

"All right, who do I have to fuck to get a drink?" he taunted, earning "ME!!" and chuckles from the audience. At this point, security personnel appeared and stood by the corners of the stage. Meanwhile, the two backing dancers stayed on stage, but stood noticeably behind Benjamin. Simon looked closer at one of them, the tall, rough-looking Latino, and recognized him as another pornstar, Angelo Torres. The third man was young, a fresh-faced boy who looked barely legal. His stance was stiff, while a wide grin stretched across his pretty face.

After Benjamin threw back a glass, he waved to his soon-to-be-costars. "Everyone give it up for Angelo Torres and Eddy Payne!" As the audience whooped and hollered, the lead star continued, "If you haven't seen Angelo in action, you're gonna love what you see under that little piece of cloth." He walked up to the musclebound Latino and jigged his covered junk.

"And this yummy little boy here, Eddy Payne, he's fresh and ready to be fucked! Now, I gotta tell you, ladies and..." He looked around the crowd. "Excuse me, we're clearly all fags here..." 

Laughter bubbled up from the audience. "Gentlemen, bears, daddies, top, doms, anyone and everyone who appreciates a fine bubble butt such as this..."

Benjamin tapped Eddy's butt, which prompted an anxious stare from the boy. The lead star's eyes stayed locked on Eddy, and he grabbed the young man's waist, forcibly turning him around until his backside faced the audience.

"Look at that!" Benjamin exclaimed, then landed a loud smack on Eddy's meaty and surprisingly fuzzy buttocks to a raucous reaction. "This ass right here, waiting to be filled with cum..." The crowd went crazy. "This piece of cute ass has never taken a cock live on stage before," Benjamin remarked, looking at the bar crowd with an amused wink. "So, I want you to tell him what to do with that fresh boy pussy!"

And the crowd did. "Beg for Benjamin's cock!" "Scream like a pig bottom!" "Creampie!" "DAP creampie!!"

"You're all sick perverted faggots!!" Benjamin exclaimed, then whistled.

Club beats filled the bar again. Benjamin handed the mic over to a security guard, then nodded to Angelo. The two experienced pornstars sandwiched Eddy in the middle and began kissing and licking him all over, sucking on the young man's neck, biting on his nipples. The crowd hushed and watched intently.

Suddenly Benjamin grabbed Eddy's jaw and spat into the boy's open mouth. He then quickly reached down to the newbie's waist and ripped off his loincloth. The crowd roared.

Angelo reached for Eddy's limp dick and began jacking it off, while Benjamin continued making out with the fresh-faced performer. A moment later, the lead star again nodded to his Latino stage partner, who faced the audience with hands on his hips.

In a flash, Angelo whipped off his loincloth and displayed his awe-inspiring manhood. Even soft, it was already six inches, and thicker than a single handful. As everyone shouted their appreciation, Simon's eyes turned to Eddy, who was pushed onto his knees by Benjamin.

With a roguish grin, Angelo turned to the newbie kneeling beside him and licked his lips. His hands smoothed over Eddy's short, curly blond hair. The young man looked up at Angelo; the Latino pornstar winked back and patted his head.

Eddy closed his eyes and took Angelo's dick. In that instant, the newbie performer seemed to come alive; he enthusiastically took the monster cock all the way to the hilt and held himself there for what seemed like an eternity. Finally his head jerked back and he coughed, strings of gooey spit dripping from the semi-hard Brazilian shaft.

It wasn't long before Eddy attacked the oversized member again, pumping his head back and forth with youthful verve, breaking up his energetic blowjob with hungry licks all around Angelo's shaft and clean-shaven balls. All around, heads leaned in to get a better look at the action.

Simon could see why a porn studio would invest in Eddy's angelic beauty and devilish sex drive. He was so taken by the newbie's performance that he didn't even notice Benjamin had already gotten naked, until the lead star tapped on Eddy's shoulders, Without stopping his blowjob, Eddy braced his hands on Angelo's trunk-like thighs and lifted up his thick, hairy ass, pointing it back to Benjamin's long, cut prick.

The lead pornstar flexed his biceps and blew a kiss into the audience. Then he slammed his erect member all the way into Eddy's asshole.

The newcomer grunted, his face turning away from the public, his hand still jerking away on Angelo's intimidating boner. Benjamin then began the athletic sport-fucking that, along with his fitness-model looks, earned him thousands of fans around the world. Every quick thrust slapped against Eddy's ass with a clear smack. In the crowd, hands began snaking down to clothed crotches.

Angelo cupped Eddy's frowning face in his big hands and gently kissed the newbie's lips. He then whispered into Eddy's ear; the latter seemed to nod, then move back down to Angelo's groin, his bending down slowed by Benjamin's pistoning. By now, the Latino stud's cock was fully hard, easily over ten inches, and so thick that Eddy had difficulty taking much past the cockhead into his mouth.

They fucked in this spit-roasting position until the instrumental house track segued into another sequence of anonymous beats, which seemed to be the cue to change their setup. Benjamin pulled his cock out of Eddy's asshole. He snapped his fingers at someone to the side of the stage, who brought up a chair. Sitting down, the main star of the show then opened his legs up in a wide spread-eagle position, exposing his shaved rosebud to the audience. From behind, Angelo came up with his massive dong and dangled it right beside Benjamin's mouth; the gorgeous pornstar immediately seized in in his mouth and sucked away.

Meanwhile, Eddy crawled on all fours to Benjamin's ass and started tonguing the opening.

Simon turned away from the hardcore action to see if Luke was enjoying the show. He saw his boss busily texting away.

"Turning you on?" Luke asked when he looked up, nodding his chin at the stage.

"It's...professional."

At this, Luke burst out laughing.

"Oh Simon, promise me you'll never change."

The black singer smiled and turned his attention back to the sex show. All of a sudden, he felt hands circle his waist.

"Y'know that picture we just took?" Luke whispered in Simon's ear. "Well, my boyfriend thinks you're very attractive."

The slim bear's hands wrapped around Simon's burgeoning erection through his trousers, gave a soft squeeze, then let go.

The night had officially entered into 'funny business' territory. Still, Simon was too turned on to turn back. He was too captivated by the beautiful bodies and power dynamics onstage to even entertain leaving the venue. And also, in the back of his mind, he considered what Luke might suggest after the show was done.

The trio onstage were changing positions again. Benjamin pushed Eddy's head away from his ass and got down from the chair, then kneeled on the stage. He lifted the newcomer's body into his lap, impaling his dick into Eddy's hole effortlessly. The fresh-faced bottom then leaned back until his head was in Angelo's kneeling lap, where the Brazilian performer fed him his oversized prick.

Eddy rubbed his own forgotten dick as the threesome continued, a chain of sweaty, rippling bodies rocking in rehearsed motions. Benjamin looked to the crowd, pulled out a silly expression, and stuck out his tongue in the midst of his tireless fucking, earning yet another bout of adulation.

Although Benjamin was supposed to be the main attraction, and there was no denying his physical beauty, Simon found his eyes repeatedly being drawn back to Eddy. He was mostly expressionless at this point, and the energy he displayed at the start of the performance had dwindled to flat, detached procedure. In stark contrast to the oral and anal sex that was happening to him, Eddy struck Simon as weary and tediously bearing it; he was probably counting down to the end in his head. The black singer realized then that porn was just a job like any other, and the spectacle took on a sobering undertone.

Not long after, Eddy got his wish. The two tops dislodged their cocks from Eddy's orifices, then stood up and began furiously jacking off. Sweat beaded on both of their foreheads; the veins in their necks visibly strained from the effort to cum on cue. Loud cheering rung from the crowd again.

Below the two pornstars, on his knees, Eddy closed his eyes and his mouth.

Angelo was the first to step forward and ejaculate. His milky cum oozed out and dripped onto Eddy's chin, while the Latino rubbed the oversized cock back and forth over the newbie's shut lips. The clapping audience broke out in deafening whistles and hollers.

Soon, Angelo tried to push his sticky dick against Eddy's lips and part them; the kneeling blond turned his face away and circled his hand around the shaft, stroking his costar off.

On the other side, Benjamin was ready. He grabbed Eddy's jaw, turned the kneeling bottom's face towards his groin, and forced the newcomer's mouth open. Then, with a wild jerk back of his head, the main star unloaded streams of slimy semen onto Eddy's tongue. The audience lost their minds and flooded the bar with roaring noise.

When Benjamin's cumshots slowed down, he shoved his prick all the way into the young man's mouth and held the back of his head in place. Seconds later, Eddy broke free of Benjamin's restraint and spat out his cock with a frown, along with a big mouthful of cum. The main star then lifted Eddy's body up and gave his ass one more slap.

As the pornstar trio formed a line onstage and lifted up their arms in unison, the applause from the audience intensified. Shouts of "Encore!" and "Fuck me, Benjamin!" broke out. All three stars bowed, then walked offstage towards a guarded back room.




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 07



"Benjamin Bonn, everybody!" Electric Blew exclaimed over the PA. "Holy FUCK, that was hot!! Even better than his last porno with the wild men fucking on vines in the forest! Whew!! And Angelo Torres...who needs a fist when you have a dick like that!!"

A man with a mop and bucket went onstage and began cleaning. "Did y'all see the poor thing, what's-his-name, he had tears in his eyes 'cos he couldn't handle all that cock! If I were him, I'd rather choke to death than take those cocks outta my mouth. They'd have to pry them out of my dead corpse lips!!" the drag queen squealed. "Is the stage cum-free yet?"

"I'm gonna go to the washroom," Simon said to Luke, who nodded and continued texting.

As usual, the musician went to a stall to go pee. Not long after he started, the door opened and he heard a nonstop chatty voice come in.

"Fuckin' amateur...I'm so over it. We were supposed to do two more positions, but that kid was like a dead fish so I just went to the cumshot and called it a night. Ugh, there's NOTHING more aggravating than these lost little boys who ride on their looks and have no talent."

Simon recognized the voice as Benjamin Bonn's, but instead of the low, masculine tone he projected onstage, it appeared his natural speaking voice was much closer to the melodramatic lilt of a drag queen's delivery, not unlike Electric Blew's.

"I swear, if that man taking the foulest shit in the world comes out and tries to take a picture with me, I will puke all over his sorry ass."

Simon was stunned.

Liquid splashed onto the urinal drain. "...Eddy, his name is Eddy. You met him last month at the tour launch...whatever, he looks just like the rest..."

There was a flush. "No, no, Betty, you know what the saddest thing is?"

The black singer stood in front of the toilet with his dick hanging out, listening intently. This was the real show, right here.

"Y'know what he told me the first time we filmed a scene together? He told me he got into porn so he could meet me!" 

A high piercing laugh followed. "HAHAHA...god, it's so PATHETIC!" he sneered, turning on the tap. "Oh...oh yeah, oh, trust me honey, if I didn't have to see him every day on this goddamn tour, I'd feel sorry for him too..."

He pumped the lever on the paper towel dispenser. "Like, how fuckin' clueless are you? Did you think I was your Prince Charming, taking you to happily ever after?"

Simon closed his eyes.

Benjamin's tone turned serious as he began walking out of the washroom. "No, Betty, this isn't a fucking joke. This is thousands of dollars on the line he's fucking with...he...listen, he...he needs to know what he's gotten himself into. I swear, if he burns out or gets fucked up because he can't handle..." The door swung close with a squeak.

After waiting a bit longer, Simon zipped up and exited the stall. He looked in the mirror and stood still for a moment, before washing his hands.

When he went back to find Luke, Simon saw the editor-in-chief chatting with Electric Blew. Luke introduced Simon to the drag queen, then walked the musician over to the bar.

"Another drink?" Luke asked.

Simon shook his head. "I'm good, thanks."

"Yeah, let's get outta here."

The street was just as busy as before when they descended the stairs from Glory Bar. Though it was below freezing, the temperature didn't seem to stop everyone from getting their party on.

"So Imran would really like to meet you," Luke said.

"Imran?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend."

"Oh," Simon remarked. "Yeah, he's in town, just got back from Ibiza. He does lighting for festivals around the world so he's constantly flying everywhere." Luke paused and glanced at Simon. "He's worked with all the big DJs: Tiësto, Aoki, Avicii. You'd like him," the slim bear promised with a wink.

"Hmm," the musician responded with raised eyebrows.

"C'mon," the slim bear encouraged with a wave of his hand.

"Luke," Simon said. "Thanks for the invite, but I'm gonna go home."

"Oh?" Luke tilted his head. "Are you really going home this time?"

The singer chuckled. "Goodnight, Luke. I'll see you tomorrow..." He started walking away. "Around eleven..."

Simon was smiling. He felt a new sense of clarity. It was a good idea after all to have gone out drinking with Luke, not because of the sex show, not because of the possibility of hooking up with Luke and his sure-to-be-sexy boyfriend.

No, it was Eddy, and Benjamin's true nature that he needed. They were like fragments of truth that reflected Simon's misguided relationship with Jae. And he was sure how he wanted to address this problem: not by playing games like Luke had suggested, but by being honest and confronting Jae face-to-face.

He took out his phone and dialled the Korean jock's number. He was ready.

"Hey Simon," Jae answered in an eager tone.

"Hi Jae. How are you?"

"I'm good, man. I'm glad you called back."

"Yeah, I did," Simon said with a smile.

"Listen, Simon, I need to tell you that I'm really sorry for what I did. I know I fucked up..."

"Jae, Jae," the musician interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we talk in person?"

Simon could hear the surprise in Jae's response. "Sure man, of course. Wanna come over?"

"I...I'd prefer to meet at the 24-hour place not far from your house," the singer suggested. "Or, if you know of..."

"Okay, sure. I'll meet you there in five."

"Make that fifteen," Simon added.

"Okay, yeah. See you soon."

When Simon arrived at the 24-hour resto café, Jae had already gotten a table on the second floor. The athletic Asian got up and was about to hug Simon, but hesitated, unsure if it would be all right. Simon then took the initiative and wrapped his arms around Jae's brawny body.

"Were you getting ready for bed?" Simon asked as they sat down.

"Oh no, I was studying for my chartered accountant exam."

"Oh. How's that going?"

Jae leaned back, arms resting on top of his head. "It's tough, man. It's a lot of material. I'm in a cool study group though."

The server came by and Simon ordered green tea. Then he continued his conversation with Jae.

"And how's work going?"

The young hunk groaned. "I'm so fuckin' overworked. Y'know how it is: I'm the junior so I get all the busy work. And I'm still learning, so I have to do shit over sometimes."

"Aww..."

"On weekends, I have to study for the exam, whenever I have free time basically." He took a gulp from his mug.

"Is that coffee?" Simon asked.

"Yeah. I gotta stay awake. More studying when I get back."

Simon leaned forward. "Oh, well, I won't keep you for much longer..."

This made Jae emphatically shake his head. "No, dude, it's all good! I wanna be here."

Their eyes met. Then the kettle of green tea arrived.

Simon was losing the impetus that compelled him to face Jae and tell him everything he'd been feeling. But he willed himself to go on, as uncomfortable and scary as it felt.

"So, I called you because I wanted to talk," the musician continued, pouring himself a cup. "...about last week." 

There was a pause.

"I...I guess I wanna say that..."

Jae awaited Simon's stammering words.

The singer set down the tea kettle. "I can't do whatever it is we've been doing," he confessed with a frown, looking at the young jock.

"Okay..." Jae responded with raised eyebrows.

"I..." The musician took a big breath. "The thing is, I realized I'd fallen for you, and that's why everything at the party affected me so much."

Jae was silent, listening.

"You did nothing wrong. I mean, you..."

At this, the Asian hunk interjected, "No, I was an asshole. I honestly don't know why it seemed like a good idea when Tyler suggested a threesome..."

Immediately, Simon looked around the café to see if anyone heard what Jae just said.

"I guess I got too drunk to make the right call. It was my bad. And you have every right to be mad at me."

Simon cast his gaze down at the table.

"But it really only hurt me because I'm...I was in love with you."

He found it hard to meet Jae's eyes in that moment, so he concentrated on spitting out the words he needed to say, while staring at the tabletop.

"You're such a great guy. You're so easy to be around, and you're funny, and you're always positive. You've really affected me in a good way."

He felt Jae reach for his hand on the table; quickly, Simon retracted his fingers.

"But I can't just be friends with you."

The black singer shook his head weakly, weighed down by the sadness in his heart. This could be the end of their friendship, the last time they ever see each other. "I can't."

"I'm sorry," Jae offered again.

His voice was low and monotone, drained of the infectious energy that seemed to always be part of his character.

"I understand if you don't wanna see me anymore," he continued, a hint of sadness creeping into his tone.

They fell silent, looking down on the aged wooden surface of the table. Simon wiped away a tear with his finger and took a deep breath.

The static, wordless moment lingered. Then Jae got up.

"I won't keep you..." he muttered, his eyes avoiding contact.

"But I do wanna see you!" Simon uttered hastily.

They looked at each other, trapped in uncertainty. Slowly, Jae sat back down.

Simon's hands were cold, so he gripped the warm teacup. "Did you ever..." The singer forced himself to look at Jae. "Did you ever have any feelings..."

The young Korean's eyes seemed to lose focus for a second, as if they were lost in a mystery.

"Maybe..." Jae slowly replied. "I don't know..."

Simon wanted to push Jae further, to get a concrete answer out of him. But he knew it could also push him away.

"Do you still wanna see me?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, of course," Jae insisted, leaning forward. "But..."

This time, Simon reached forth and grabbed Jae's hand.

"I'm not asking for anything. I'm not gonna force you to make a decision."

A confused frown crossed Jae's face. "But...how is this gonna work?"

Simon swallowed. "I know maybe you can't tell right now, or maybe you never thought about it, but..." 

He gently tightened his grip on Jae's hand. "Do you think maybe there's a chance, in the future, that you could see me as more than a friend?"

The black musician held his breath as Jae pondered the question.

Jae's words came bit by bit. "Maybe...maybe I already have..." 

He looked at Simon, fidgety. "I've never had a friend like you before. I've never had sex..."

"Me neither," Simon concurred.

Jae continued, "I don't wanna be an asshole."

"Of course not," Simon followed.

After another period of quiet, Jae asked, "So, what...what do we do?"

Simon had came here to face his issue and get everything off his chest; he assumed the answer to his problem would reveal itself afterwards. Instead, it felt like they were back at square one.

"I don't know," Simon confessed, looking at their joined hands. 

'At least he still wants me in his life,' he thought.

"I should let you get back to studying," the musician followed.

"I'll call you later...if you want," Jae offered as they stood up and hugged goodbye.

"Sure," Simon answered with a smile. He felt Jae's strong arms tighten around him, and he reciprocated the embrace.

-----

The next day, Simon went to work feeling refreshed. Sure, he had to work on a Saturday, but he felt proud for stepping up to the plate instead of running away from his problem. Though the outcome wasn't clear-cut, at least they knew where each other stood. It was a big step for Simon towards respecting and loving himself.

When he finished work around five in the evening, he thought he'd give Richie a call, to see if he would be up to hang out. It turned out that his blond friend was stressing out over holiday shopping, and he promptly agreed to meet up for dinner.

They met at a Japanese eatery and caught up with each other. Simon told Richie everything that happened the night before, from going out for drinks with Luke, the live sex show, overhearing Benjamin Bonn's bitchiness, to confronting Jae.

Richie smiled warmly when Simon finished retelling his eventful night.

"Kudos to you, gurl!!" the blond toasted, clinking their teacups.

"Thanks."

"I'm so proud of you. I mean, you know what I would've done..." Richie remarked with a wink.

"Yeah...get to know Imran!" the older musician jabbed. They both laughed.

"And then try to get into Jae's pants again! Don't forget that!"

"Oh goodness..." Simon sighed, chuckling.

"But what you did was ten times better," Richie continued, his tone turning sincere. "You did what you really needed to do. You had to talk to Jae. And you did."

"Thanks," Simon said, blushing.

Richie popped a piece of sushi into his mouth. "So...are you going to get into Jae's pants again??" he asked after swallowing.

"Goodness, Richie!" Simon exclaimed. The blond responded with a cheeky smirk.

The singer resumed, "I dunno...I dunno where we stand. Or, I mean, I know where we stand, but where we go from here..." He picked at his bento box. "It's up to him."

Then he looked up. "Actually, it's up to me," he finished with a spreading smile.

"What if he sleeps with another guy? Or girl?" Richie questioned. "Wait, would that make a difference?"

"It wouldn't," Simon replied, looking back down at his dinner. "And I don't think I could handle that."

The younger blond raised his eyebrows. "So it's either he becomes your boyfriend, or that's it," Richie spelled out.

Simon was hit by how black-and-white it was. "Is that really it, though?"

"Well..." Richie began, but his ringing phone interrupted him. "Oh, it's Danny," he remarked, picking up the call. "Hey you."

Simon watched as Richie's expression turned to concern.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

The musician waited.

"What?!" Richie suddenly exclaimed. "What happened??" 

The blond shot a worried glance at the musician. Simon silently mouthed, "What is it?"

"Danny...Danny," the blond interjected. "Can you come to Gyoza? I'm here with Simon. Or do you want us to come pick you up? Let's talk in person..."

Richie listened to his best friend's response at the other end of the line. "Okay, okay. Take your time. We'll be here. Text me if anything."

"What is it?" Simon asked cautiously as Richie hung up.

"He just broke up with Roberto," the younger blond replied, confused.

"Oh my goodness..."

Simon thought back to the last time he hung out with Danny along with Richie, to see if there were any indications that things would take such a sudden and drastic turn. He remembered hearing that Danny didn't enjoy going to the gym with Roberto, and he urged the copywriter to talk to his boyfriend about it. It didn't strike Simon as something that could lead to such a quick breakup, at least on its own.

When Danny arrived, his eyes were puffy from crying and his head hung low. Richie went up to embrace him.

"Do you want some dumplings?" the blond offered as they sat down.

"I'm not hungry," Danny muttered.

"You should eat, though. We'll order you dumplings." Danny stared blankly at the dessert card on the table, and leaned against Richie's shoulder. The latter gestured to Simon to call for the server.

"Can we get an order of dumplings and another green tea, please?" Simon asked.

Richie offered his tea to Danny. They sat wordlessly while upbeat J-pop music played in the background.

After a spell of mute withdrawal, the copywriter straightened up on the booth seat. "I guess you wanna know what happened," he began.

"If you don't wanna talk about it right now, that's fine," Richie assured.

"No, I should," Danny sighed. "It'll help me deal with it."

The dumplings arrived and the copywriter stared at it. Simon wasn't sure if Danny was thinking about eating one, or thinking about what had just happened with Roberto, or if perhaps the dumplings served as a metaphor for the breakup. Basically, the musician couldn't wait to hear the story.

Danny took a breath and began his story. "So I got home from the coffee shop and Roberto was waiting for me with this funny look on his face. He was home a lot earlier than I expected. There was luggage in the kitchen."

He took a sip of tea and went on. "He asked, 'Where've you been?' like he was a bit anxious, and I said, 'Nowhere'...and then he pulled out a rose from his back and said, 'Happy anniversary, baby'."

"Oh," Richie noted.

"I didn't think it was that time already...I mean, I can't believe it still...he told me he started counting from when we first talked to each other at the garage."

Richie briefly recalled all the ups and down that his best friend had already experienced since his first talk with Roberto a year ago: the whirlwind romance, the tension with Danny's mother, the (first) sudden breakup, and the ensuing fall out of Danny's friendship with Richie earlier in the year.

"I thanked him for the rose and we kissed. And then he told me he had a surprise for me."

The brunet finally picked up a dumpling and began eating. "He booked a weekend getaway behind my back. We were gonna go to a hotel a few hours away...and then check out the racetrack."

"The racetrack??" Richie questioned.

Simon could see emotion welling up in Danny's face. "He said he wanted to show me what motorcycle racing is like, and how amazing it is. But all I could think of was just, what the fuck? And then it hit me that that he's been racing behind my back."

Danny put down his chopsticks. "He swore that he hasn't gotten back on a bike, but then I find out he's been to the racetrack twice already!" He looked at Richie in shock, as if reliving the fight.

"Once during the Big Fair, the second time just last week. And THEN I find out he's been talking to Nadia this whole time!!" The copywriter buried his face in his hands.

"Who's Nadia?" Richie asked. He held Danny as the brunet sobbed quietly.

"His old racing teacher. I was scared she was gonna take him away..." Danny squeezed his eyes shut. "He promised me he wouldn't. He lied to me!!"

"Oh no..." Simon whispered.

"We started shouting at each other. I couldn't understand why he would lie to me...HOW could he??" Danny stared at Richie as if his best friend would have an answer. "And why would he go back to racing?? It's so dangerous!"

"Did he tell you why?" Richie asked.

"No...I asked him what else he's been lying about, and instead of answering me honestly, he turned the tables on me. He asked me where I've been after work and I said, 'Nowhere', and he said, 'If you had nothing to hide, you'd just tell me.'"

Richie and Simon were beginning to grasp the layered complexity of the situation. "Danny, why don't we take a break? Here, have some more dumplings," the blond suggested.

But his best friend vehemently shook his head and went on, with tears running down his face. "And I told him, 'Sorry I'm not as good of a liar as you are.' I said, 'I go to the mall after work 'cos I can't handle going to the gym with you anymore!' I..."

A hint of shame crossed Danny's face. "I even called in sick once..."

Richie rubbed the brunet's back. "I couldn't handle it...I hate going to the gym!" Danny exclaimed. "I feel so weak and ugly, and I just feel like I'm not good enough for him..."

"Oh Danny..." Simon sighed, reaching over to hold his hand.

"And I told him, if racing is that important to you, then just go, go back to Nadia. Just leave."

Danny was shaking slightly, trying to hold it together. 

"He looked at me...like the way he looked at me when he found me in the bathhouse, after our first breakup. He looked at me and said he needed to do this, and he needed me to come with him."

The distraught brunet shook his head at the recollection. "I told him I don't want anything to do with racing or Nadia, ever. And then...'"

A pained sob escaped Danny's lips. "And then I said maybe we should break up."




Mechanics of the Heart Ch. 07



Richie and Simon were both stunned into frozen silence.

Danny took one of the napkins and blotted his face. Gradually, his breathing calmed down.

"He asked me one more time to come with him. I said no. And then he left and said he'll be back tomorrow night."

Simon closed his eyes and held Danny's hand tightly.

Wordless rumination followed. Minutes later, when the brunet broke the lull, he looked up at Richie and Simon. "Should I have gone with him? Should I not have said, 'Let's break up'?"

Richie leaned in and looked at Danny. "I really think you guys need to talk calmly when he gets back." The blond squeezed Danny's shoulders. "You guys just had a serious fight, and I really wish he didn't run off like that, but..."

Danny looked at his best friend sadly. "I think it's too late," he whispered.

His eyes were closed as he breathed, "I think...I think it's over," He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"No, Danny, it doesn't have to be," Richie corrected, gripping Danny's arms. "You guys are going through some problems, but you still love each other, right?"

And then Danny delivered the line that utterly broke Simon's heart.

"I love him, but I don't think I'm good enough for him."

The black singer jumped in. "No, Danny, don't think like that," he urged.

"No, it's true," the copywriter insisted. "He deserves someone better. He should be with someone who's more mature, someone better looking, someone his equal, in every way."

Danny's low self-esteem made Richie realize that there was a much bigger, more fundamental issue to deal with than saving Danny's relationship with Roberto. For all the years he's known the brunet, confidence was never his strong suit; now, it had finally translated into a heartbreaking consequence.

Danny hugged Richie, then reached for Simon's hand and squeezed it warmly.

"I should get back and pack," Danny said, sniffling.

"You mean unpack. The luggage?" Richie asked.

"No," Danny corrected. "I have to go. I have to leave."

"Leave??" Richie asked, astonished.

"I can't stay there anymore. Not like this," he muttered, getting up.

Richie immediately pulled him back down. "But where, Danny?? Where are you going to stay? Are you going to go back to your parents'?"

The brunet scoffed derisively. "No. My mom will never shut up about it." Then he stared blankly at a distance. "I...I was thinking I'll just stay at a motel for a week, until I can find a new place."

Richie thought that was the most foolish and insane thing he'd ever heard from Danny. He looked at Simon desperately, hoping he had a way to stall Danny from his rash decision, if not change his mind.

The musician thought quickly and spoke up. "Danny, if you're really sure you want to go through with this, maybe...maybe I can help you find a place."

"Oh yeah?" Danny responded, hopeful.

"Yeah, well, I know one of the bachelor apartments upstairs from mine will be vacant soon. My neighbour is leaving at the end of the month. I can help you look into that, if you want."

"Really??"

Richie interrupted, "But are you sure about this?" He looked hard at his best friend.

Danny nodded firmly.

The musician continued. "And, if you don't mind, you can crash at my place for a bit. It's small, but I think it's better than you staying at a motel. Even if you decide not to take the apartment upstairs."

Danny's eyes widened. He had long gotten over his initial misgivings about Simon, and they'd been getting along great ever since, but he was still taken aback by how open and generous his new friend was.

"Really, Simon? Are you sure??"

Simon was sure as soon as he heard Danny's struggle with his self-esteem. He recognized a piece of his own struggle within Danny.

The trio of friends left the restaurant soon afterwards to help Danny pack and move out of Roberto's apartment. It was a subdued affair, all of them quietly reeling from what had just happened, and what they were doing.

When they were ready to go an hour later, Danny held his emotions in check as best he could, and did one final check in Roberto's apartment for any lingering belongings. It was his second time moving out this year; he wondered if it would be as difficult every time in the future.

A few minutes later, Danny joined his friends out in the hallway and locked Roberto's apartment door. Richie was on the phone to update Trevor on where he was and what he was doing.

"Let's go," the brunet said.

They took a taxi to Simon's bachelor pad. When they arrived, they promptly moved Danny's things up into the small apartment. He would basically be living out of his luggage and boxes for a while, but at least he had a roof over his head, and he was with a friend, a surprisingly hospitable one.

While Simon called his landlady about the vacancy upstairs, Richie sat down with Danny.

"How're you feeling?"

"Better...I think," Danny said. "It's weird, and crazy." 

He gave Richie a long hug. "Thanks for being here."

"No problem," Richie replied. "Trevor's excited he gets to watch a documentary that would put me to sleep."

Danny was so wrapped up in his own drama that he forgot about Richie's life with his boyfriend. "Omigod, I'm so sorry..." he groaned. "Go home, go home."

"Psst...he's having the time of his life watching this fishing boat break waves and...catch fish and whatever." The blond rolled his eyes. "Hey, is anyone hungry? We should cook something," he said as Simon got off the phone.

"Sure," the musician answered with a smile. "And I have good news: the apartment is ready for January 1st."

Danny felt warmth and gratitude as he smiled and said thank you to Simon.

"Time for a chips and pasta fest!" Richie declared and whooped. He looked at Simon and added, "Chips and pasta and hummus fest?"

They went to the supermarket that was open till midnight to get ingredients for a fettuccine with brussels sprouts and mushrooms. Danny felt a lot better now, being with good friends and looking forward to helping out in the kitchen.

When they got back, Simon put on a dance playlist and the trio got down to making their late-night meal. The vibe was jovial, a complete 180-degree turn from before. In about 30 minutes, their piping hot pasta bowl was ready, and everyone dug in.

Amidst discussing celebrity gossip and the next movie they would like to see, Danny, Richie, and Simon finished all of the food quickly. It seemed the heavy emotions and heavy moving from earlier in the evening had carved out a mighty appetite. After the meal, as they washed and cleaned up, Richie got a text, the latest in a string of notifications over the night.

"Well, this is new," he said out loud. "He's moved on from describing every scene in the doc in detail, to pestering me about when I'll come home."

"Trevor wants some bow chicka wow wow," Simon teased, emulating vinyl record scratching.

"Go home, go home," Danny urged, turning Richie away from the kitchen sink.

"All right, all right. He probably wants a back massage before bed," the blond guessed, putting on his shoes.

"Say hi to him for me," Danny said. "And..." He grabbed Richie in a tight embrace. "Thank you for spending your night with me."

His best friend wrapped his hands around Danny's cheeks. "Anytime. Call me tomorrow,"

"Okay."

"Bye, girls!" Richie exclaimed as he opened the front door.

A moment of awkwardness followed Richie's farewell.

"Well, I guess I'll get ready for bed. I'll be quick," Simon said, heading to the bathroom.

"No need to hurry," Danny insisted. While Simon was in the bathroom, the copywriter changed into his pajamas.

Simon had a futon that came in handy whenever a friend wanted to sleep over. Danny helped him fold it out, then sat down on it. He saw Simon do the same.

"Go sleep on the bed," Simon urged.

"No no, it's okay..."

"I was planning on sleeping on the futon anyway. Go sleep on the bed."

Danny pleaded, "Oh, I can't..."

"Yes you can," the musician quipped, flopping down on the futon. "Too late."

Danny gave up with a chuckle and walked over to the bed. He wanted to ask Simon why he was being so nice to him, but he thought it would come off ungrateful.

"Good night. Hopefully you'll sleep okay in a new bed."

"Good night, Simon," Danny replied. "...and, thank you, again."

Simon smiled and closed his eyes.

The musician was awoken hours later by muffled sobbing. At first he panicked, thinking a scene from a ghost movie was coming true. And then he remembered that Danny was here, and he recalled everything that he'd just went through.

"Danny, are you okay?" Simon asked, sitting up.

The brunet coughed. "Sorry..." He blew his nose. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Would you like a glass of water?" the black singer asked.

Danny replied, "Please, go back to bed. I'm okay." 

But his host was already up and in the kitchen. Simon soon sat down on the bed facing Danny, and handed his friend a glass of water.

"Thanks," Danny meekly replied. He felt guilty and embarrassed.

"Do you wanna talk for a bit?" Simon asked gently.

"It's late," Danny answered after taken a sip. "I don't wanna keep you up."

"Well, tomorrow's Sunday, so unless you're a morning person, I was planning on sleeping in," the musician said with a grin.

Danny giggled. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he suddenly blurted out.

Simon turned on the lamp beside the bed. "Well..."

"Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate it," Danny elaborated. "I do. Just..." The younger gay gestured around the bachelor pad. "You didn't have to invite me here."

"No, but I wanted to." 

Simon paused; he thought about how to articulate his rationale.

The singer began slowly. "I...I guess I wanted to help you because I've been through what you're going through." 

He clarified, "Well...not exactly. I've never had a boyfriend. But, when you said, um, that you didn't feel you were good enough, I knew exactly how you felt."

"Really?" Danny asked, a bit surprised.

"Yeah...it's something I've been dealing with my whole life."

Danny sat up and listened attentively.

"I've fallen for the wrong guys all my life, and it was like I never learned my lesson." The 31 year-old looked out the window behind the bed. "Even if they were straight guys...and most of them were...I still fell for them and accepted whatever I could get from them."

Simon continued, "Sometimes it was just a one-sided crush. One time I told this guy and he was okay with it, but he wasn't interested in more than just friends. And then the last two times, man..." The musician whistled. "I let this straight guy use me."

"Like, sexually?" Danny asked.

"No, that was the most recent time," Simon corrected with a chuckle. "Jesse...he was my old boss. He would tease me with the possibility that...we could be more. He played me to get me to do all the boring and stressful work, like, doing the paperwork or the cold calling. And just ridiculous hours."

Simon swallowed and fiddled with his hands. "And then I finally woke up one day and I realized...I realized that he was never going to change. He was never going to love me. I wasted two years of my life, and I still didn't learn my lesson," Simon chuckled sadly.

Danny thought about it. He could see himself in a similar predicament, if he hadn't met Roberto.

"Then the last guy...his name's Jae. Actually, we're still friends..." he paused. "It's complicated," Simon finished while rolling his eyes. The two of them shared a quiet laugh.

"What was his problem?" Danny questioned.

"Well, it wasn't just his problem. It was mine. See, that's what I was having trouble with...I still am, but I'm working on it."

"Working on what?"

Simon shuddered a bit as he expressed himself. "That I deserve better. That I do deserve love. It took me so long before I realized. And I let them walk all over me, because I was scared that no one would want me. And I think that fear came from the fact that I didn't think I was good enough."

The 23 year-old brunet looked at Simon, breathless, mouth open.

"If you can't love yourself, how can you love somebody else?" Simon asked. He wasn't sure if he was asking Danny or himself. "As cliché as it sounds..."

Danny couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out into sobs.

"Danny??"

"No...I'm..." The young brunet tried to signal through his waving hands that he wasn't crying because he was upset. He was shedding tears because it was as if Simon had read his mind and voiced his deepest thoughts. The crying was a much-needed release not only for everything he'd gone through in the last 24 hours, but for all the baggage he'd accumulated throughout his life.

Simon realized his eyes was a bit moist as well. Everything he said wasn't just advice to Danny; it was advice for himself, too. He held his friend quietly as Danny's sobbing subsided.

After a wordless spell, the copywriter said, "You're totally right."

"I always thought that my relationship had to be perfect," Danny continued. "But it wasn't the relationship...it wasn't just the relationship that was the problem."

He looked at Simon with a new light in his eyes. "It was me. I have to start with me. If I can't love myself, how can I love Roberto?"

"And," Simon added,"If you love yourself, you'd think you ARE good enough."

Danny looked at Simon sadly. "How do I do that?"

"Well, why do you think you're not good enough for Roberto?"

"Because I'm too young, and I don't have a good body," Danny began. "I don't know how to cook, and..."

"I don't think he has a problem with any of those things," Simon interjected. "Or else he wouldn't have talked to you in the first place. Or asked you to move in with him."

Danny blinked.

"So, the problem is how you see yourself," Simon continued. "Nobody's perfect. And I think...I think what's important is to look at your faults, be honest about them," he continued. "And then...just, work on improving them, right? And if you need help, ask."

"I guess..." Danny muttered. He piped up a moment later, "But Roberto is so perfect...why would he love a guy like me?"

Simon grinned. "You can't explain love, can you? How can you explain why you love someone?"

"Sure I can," Danny countered. "I love Roberto because he's really hot, he makes me feel happy, and he's good to me."

"Well, there you go," Simon said. "And I'm sure he feels the same about you."

"I guess," Danny conceded hesitantly. Quietly, he added, "All I see are my faults though."

Simon shifted his sitting stance and faced Danny. "Okay, well, let's look at what you just said are your faults. You said you're too young for him...what if he doesn't think so?"

"But I made him mad one time. I wouldn't if I was more mature."

"Did you apologize?"

"Yes."

"Did you learn what to do next time?"

"Yes."

"Good. That means you're learning and getting more mature. Now, let me ask you this: has he ever made you mad?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there you go. He has to learn too. See, you guys are equal."

Danny thought that was too simple to be true. "But...I'm not as hot as him," he whined.

"Well, that's just what you think. What if Roberto thinks you're hot just the way you are?"

"But everyone at the gym he talks to has an amazing body, and they all want him, I can tell..."

"And who is he dating?" Simon asked with raised eyebrow.

That shut Danny up. He blushed and looked down.

"I know it's easy to just see your faults and not your strengths. I have the same problem, and I'm working on it too," Simon sighed. "But you're intelligent, Danny, and you're nice. You're a good friend, and you're cute," the musician noted. "Why wouldn't Roberto love you?"

"Stop it," Danny giggled.

"Oh," Simon exclaimed. "And cooking is easy to learn. You can practice here as much as you want," he affirmed with a wide grin.

"Maybe I will," Danny said, his expression brightening up. He leaned forward and grabbed his friend in a tight hug. Simon's words were exactly what he needed to hear, to start seeing himself in a new light.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"I think Roberto loves you the way you are," Simon said. "You just have to do the same, okay?"

Danny nodded. Simon nodded too, urging himself to take his own advice.

-----

They say you never forget how to ride a bike.

As soon as Roberto zipped himself into his leather bodysuit, then put on his boots, gloves and helmet, it was as if he'd never stopped racing.

He rolled up his motorcycle to the starting line and leaned down, his stomach flat against the metallic two-wheeled body. He paid no attention to the racer on his left; he was searching for an answer within himself.

Roberto's eyes centred on the racing lights, while his right hand revved the engine. One by one, the amber bulbs lit up and counted down, until the green light shone at the bottom. Then he took off.

Disengage the clutch; shift gears; rev the engine; re-engage the clutch. He repeated the precise, rapid-fire sequence every time the rpm needle hit the sweet spot.

The night wind howled as it whipped past his helmet, singing in furious harmony with the lively snarl of the bike. He accelerated through the quarter-mile at breakneck speed, then crossed the finish line before the racer to his left.

When he returned to the crew pit, Nadia and Olivier met him with smiles.

"7.3255 seconds, 180mph," Nadia said to Roberto after he took off his helmet.

Olivier gave the mechanic a hearty pat on his back. "You'll be in the Top 16 for sure, my friend!"

"Thanks," Roberto replied, meeting Nadia's eyes. "But I gotta go."

Both Nadia and Olivier's face expressed surprise.

"But you're just getting started..." the Swiss banker began; Nadia promptly stopped him with a glance and a tug on his elbow.

"Thank you again for this," the mechanic said, giving the silver Suzuki Hayabusa one more look.

"Anytime," Nadia offered. "It's your bike."

Roberto shook his head. "You know I can't accept that..."

Nadia interrupted. "It's yours, and it's here whenever you want to ride it."

The mechanic smiled and gave the Vice President of Racing Events a hug.

"Roberto, my speedy friend," Olivier sighed as he embraced the mechanic. "Please, you're welcome to come back anytime. Nadia misses you, you know? And we would like to meet Danny!"

The mention of his beloved's name stung Roberto in the heart. He nodded, then waved goodbye to the pair.

The two-hour drive back home felt like it would never end. While zooming past other drivers in his red Mitsubishi Lancer, he thought about his apology to Danny. He didn't want to get choked up and mess up the words; he needed to fully express what he felt.

He'd found his answer: Danny was more important to him than racing. The French-Chinese brunet was the centre of his world now, along with the garage. Racing was the old him; like Nadia had said when they had seen each other again at the sports bar, he'd changed. 

When he finally got back on a bike and raced down the quarter-mile, the all-consuming adrenaline rush and boundless freedom he'd anticipated didn't manifest themselves. It turned out that racing didn't thrill him the same way anymore. Or, maybe he was no longer satisfied with thrills. He needed meaning, substance, and purpose, things that being in a serious, long-term relationship with Danny offered.

Roberto still enjoyed the run down the quarter-mile, but he was now ready to give it up for Danny. He was ready to do anything for him and their relationship. He would work on their problems, even though he had no idea what he was doing--and he was ready to admit that, too. It would be hard, but he now knew it was worth it to keep trying.

So when Roberto arrived at his apartment and Danny and his belongings were nowhere to be found, the mechanic lost it. It seemed the challenges just kept on coming. His hand was shaking as he called the brunet.