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It was about one o'clock am, Jerry was still awake wondering where his partner was. He had disappeared during a party and everyone was asked, but no one knew where he was. He tried to reach Tony too, but nothing . Jerry kept waiting until he was overcome by sleep and woke up to the sound of a knock on the door. He looked around his room for a moment and realized that the sun had risen and it seemed that he was late too. knocked again, so Jerry stood up from his place, thinking that it was Dino.
he opened the door to see Mac and Jerry's excitement disappeared as soon as he saw him
"Good morning, Jerry"
Jerry replied in a low voice and returned to his place on the couch
"Where's Paul?!" He didn't realize his anger until he spoke
Mac looked at him with interest as he stood almost over him then lit his cigarette and went to Dino's locker
"He was with Tony"
Jerry wondered why Dean would prefer to go with Tony over him he found it almost funny
"Tony? Where did they go?"
Mac came back to him with some clothes in his hand a jacket, a shirt and pants Jerry looked at the clothes for a moment and felt a pang in his heart
"They went to the hotel next door and it seems they had a good night so much that his clothes were torn"
Jerry looked at Mack as if he had two heads
"Tony and Paul with a girl and he didn't tell me?"
Mac smiled at him
"I didn't mention any girls"
Then he left leaving Jerry shocked he wondered if he heard correctly
Jerry stayed in his room. Today was their day off. They agreed to play golf and then go to dinner. But Jerry started packing his things. Then he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. It was Dean who was standing on the other side of the bed. He was looking at Jerry as he packed his clothes. Jerry didn't even look at him.
"Jerry.. what are you doing?"
" Pack my clothes"
" What about golf"
" Go with Tony"
Jerry heard Dean sigh deeply
" Jerry.. I just slept with him it's not like I replaced him with you"
Jerry raised his head and looked at him in disbelief and Dean stiffened for a second before returning to his cigarette and looking away
Jerry shouted angrily
"Do I have to thank you now?!"
Dean didn't answer and continued smoking and went and sat on the other's bed avoiding looking at him
Jerry shouted
"Is that all you got? Seriously Tony!!"
Dean moved his hands
"Why are you mad?? I always sleep with someone else"
"Are you an idiot! He's a man and Tony! It's different from women!"
Dean straightened up and stood in front of Jerry directly and put his hands on the other man's shoulders and caressed his cheek and Jerry melted under the touch of the other man's hand and his anger disappeared. He spoke very gently
"Jer he's just a man he's not you... it's normal and you make it like big deal so let's close the topic and go eat something what do you think? Huh?
Jerry wanted to object but was silenced with a kiss and then Dean pulled out a red jacket and told him it would look great on him and all day Dean kept telling Jerry only you and Jerry understood that but it wasn't enough to make him see it as a normal thing
Two months passed
At one of the grand parties held at the Paramount Club, the grandeur was palpable. The hall was filled with an elite group of actors and singers, each more famous than the last. Glasses were clinking and laughter was rising, each group talking about something different.
Among them were Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who were together but separated by the demands of socializing. Jerry, looking dapper in a tailored suit that accentuated his eyes and hair, found himself in conversation with Marlon Brando, one of the most influential and influential actors known for his convincing charm and striking appearance.
Marlon has clearly taken a liking to Jerry, with his perfectly coiffed hair and soft, confident demeanor.
“Oh jer I didn’t expect you to be like this I owe you an apology,” Marlon said with a very polished smile, “I have to say your roles have given me the wrong impression of you. You’re… seriously great.” Gerry laughed as he took a sip of his drink. “It’s okay I’m not the first person to say oh your voice sounds too different or your personality is too serious or you’re not really innocent so I’ve gotten used to it.”
“Haven’t you thought about changing your role? You’d be good in romance movies,” Marlon drank from his glass, his eyes sparkling with interest. “A man like you, with such abilities, and looks…”
Jerry lowered his eyes to his glass, trying to organize his words while feeling Marlon's eyes burning on him. He understood the meaning of his words and felt some pride. "Oh...thank you, but I prefer to keep it on the safe side." Marlon said in surprise and jokingly, "Monkey?" Jerry laughed at that. "Yes, monkey." Marlon smiled at Jerry's laughter and began to fill their glasses. "Why?"
Dean Martin was watching the interaction between the two men in the other room, and he felt increasingly uncomfortable. He knew Jerry had his own charm and that held by Jerry made anyone laugh, but seeing Marlon looking and flirting with him like that sparked a jealousy in Dean that he had a hard time admitting.
Dean's usually cool, composed demeanor began to crack, his piercing eyes narrowing as he noticed Marlon's flirtatious behavior and pinched Jerry's cheek affectionately as he spoke, Jerry not seeming to mind.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Dean made his way over to the couple, his presence immediately drawing attention. “Marlon, Jerry,” he greeted them with a tight smile. “I see you recognize each other.”
Marlon raised an eyebrow in amusement, recognizing the tension. “Hey Dean. Yeah, Jerry and I were discussing why he chose to stay as a clown instead of using his sexy looks for work.” Marlon winked at Jerry who was taken aback by the word sexy. “Seriously Dean, isn’t Jerry very handsome?”
Dean's smile didn't reach his eyes, and the wink and Marlon's words made things worse, but Jerry's reaction was the worst. "He really is. He's absolutely irreplaceable."
Marlon smiled slyly, "Oh, then you know."
Jerry, sensing the underlying tension, tried to calm the situation. “We were just talking about some movies and how an actor’s looks affect the success of a movie.
Dean's expression softened slightly as he looked at Jerry, but his jealousy remained. "I expect Marlon has other people to meet," he said quietly.
Marlon replied cheerfully, "Of course, but no one is as interesting as Jerry, so I want to stay with him until the end of the party, and if he wants, even after the party is over." Marlon smiled at Jerry, hinting at what he wanted, and Jerry received his words, but looked away nervously.
Dean felt his patience running out. He moved closer to Jerry, skillfully placing his hand on the small of Jerry's back, a possessive gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Marlon. "Jerry come with me. I need you for a moment."
Jerry nodded, realizing Dean needed to speak. “Of course, Paul. Marlon, I’ll be right back.”
Marlon nodded in agreement but was skeptical of his words.
As they walked away, Dean's hand remained on Jerry's back, and once they were out of earshot, Dean let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"What's going on, Paul?" Jerry asked worriedly.
Dean looked at him, his usual calm demeanor intact but his eyes were the only window into his inner self, only a growing anger. "I didn't like the way Marlon was looking at you. Or the way he was talking to you or the way he was touching you and what he was trying to imply there?"
Jerry paused, studying his partner. "Paul, what's the matter? He's not the first person to do these things."
Dean looked at Jerry in disbelief and started fidgeting in his place trying to say something
"Damn.. nothing.."
Jerry didn't speak for a moment then said sarcastically "I thought for a moment that you were jealous of me"
Dean didn't like Jerry's tone "Jerry it's Marlon you know what kind of rumors are going on about him"
Jerry shrugged and put his hands in his pockets "It doesn't look like rumors"
Dean looked shocked at Jerry who started looking away with a small smile on his face Dean wondered if he was playing with him or if he was serious
"You seem so sure.."
"Everything he does screams that he wants me in his room"
Jerry approached Dean and looked directly into his eyes
"He wants me to kiss him, touch him and hug him"
Dean started breathing a little faster, he didn't know if it was from anger or something else or both.
"And you're going with him?" His voice was different than usual...unstable.
"Why not...didn't you say that whoever we sleep with is no problem?"
His eyes remained fixed and the atmosphere became more tense and the sounds of his party behind them were the only thing that full this silence.
"I meant women..."
"I slept with Tony."
"It was a mistake."
Jerry laughed bitterly and moved away a little. "You didn't say it was a mistake. You said it was normal and I'm dramatic ."
Dean understood his partner's strange behavior. He approached him and Jerry kept looking at him in confusion then Dean huggedn him.
Dean didn't speak for a few minutes and Jerry felt that there was something wrong but he didn't move. Dean spoke in a low voice that was barely audible.
"Tony put strange pills in my drink that made me abnormal and unable to think straight. I woke up surprised by the whole situation and I didn't want to tell you."
He felt Jerry's hands wrap around him and spoke after a minute in a low voice
"Did he take advantage of you...!"
Dean didn't speak.. thinking of the word "exploitation"
"I can't say he took advantage of me because all night I thought it was you until I got shocked in the morning"
Dean expected a laugh or a joke but he felt Jerry's tears on his neck
Dean pulled away to look at Jerry and said gently while wiping his tears with both hands "Hey hey what's wrong"
"Sorry.." Jerry whispered
Dean smiled, regret hitting his stomach. “Oh, Jerry, I…I’m the one who should apologize. I should have told you what happened then instead of making fun of your jealousy…I’m sorry.”
Dean took a deep breath and tried to organize his words. “I get how you felt now…damn it’s different…it’s not like sleeping with women…it hurts. I felt…”
Dean was silent and looked away. Jerry waited for a moment but decided to finish his partner’s words. “Jealously?”
"Fear... I felt fear"
Jerry saw something painful in his partner's eyes. He knew that the whole conversation was stressful and stressing Dean's nerves. To speak out loud about what he felt was rare, but Jerry wanted to confirm his position.
"Why?" His eyes were begging for an answer and not to run away. He needed to hear that.
Dean looked at him in a way said you know and Jerry shook his head no. Dean walked away from Jerry. Jerry thought he was running away, but it turned out he was thinking. He paced back and forth. Seeing him nervous like that was rare. Jerry felt a moment of regret for asking.
Dean came back and stood directly in front of Jerry. "I felt like he was going to take you away from me.. and the way he talked about you and how he saw you as a wonderful person. I know I don't say things like that, but I know very well that you like to hear that. I saw how you enjoyed his words. Something I'm not good at..."
Dean was now holding Jerry's shoulders, but he was looking away, contemplating his words.
"I couldn't bear the thought of someone else... appreciating you in a better way From me."
Jerry wanted to kiss him so badly but that they were in the middle of a party so he did what seemed natural to him, hugged him and kissed his neck.
"Paul.. my love for you goes beyond words.. yes I love hearing compliments.. but you with your gifts and your constant defense of me and the way you look at me and do things out of character just for me and your tolerance for me too.. I am special, you are everything to me."
He felt a deep sigh on his shoulder and the relaxation of his friend's shoulders.
"You too.."