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Sometimes Marco wondered how his life got to this point. He would look back on all of the events leading up to this precise moment in time and wonder how he was now standing in front of a porn star’s door—who, oh yeah, is also probably the best of his friends.
He hadn’t knocked yet. To be honest, while he was debating his life choices he was also working up the courage to actually knock. So, that left him on Ace’s welcome mat which, now that he’s glancing at it, actually has a few burn scars? Weird.
Anyway, back to regretting his life from birth.
Abandoned when he was too young to care, picked up by Pops and sent through rigorous school. Went to a college for acting, where Pops worked and he met the rest of his “family”. Roomed with Ace and Thatch all through college and sometime after. Was Ace doing porn back then, too? Probably not. Marco had a feeling that his friend would have told him, especially with how he responded to the call a few days ago.
“You found one of my videos?” Ace asked, sounding way too excited. Marco blinked slowly, not really knowing how to respond to that aside from the obvious way.
“Yes…? Thatch actually sent me a link,” Marco responded, feeling a little numb with surprise. Was Ace not ashamed? Could he even feel shame? Like, was it possible for the freckled man to actually have that emotion in any capacity?
“Thatch!?” The bark of laughter actually made Marco jump slightly. “Man, wonder how he got in that corner of the internet. Where’d you find it anyway? My studio’s site is locked down for people who pay. Unless you paid, you naughty man.” The flirtatious tone in his voice made Marco’s stomach do all kinds of weird squirms. Shit.
There was a pause before the blonde pressed his forehead into his palm and gave a sigh. “Uh, no. Didn’t pay. It was just on one of those sites that collect other videos, you know? Like uh… I don’t fucking know porn.”
“Wait, are you serious? What was the name? Our videos aren’t allowed to be distributed on sites like those. Shit… Wonder if Sabo knows this…” Sabo?
“Why would your brother even—“
“He’s the marketing guy for Revolution. Tell me the site name, please?” It sounded like Ace was actually looking for a paper to write it down on. What the fuck.
“Um, it was Tw—Uh…” Was he really going to say this. “Twink… Dreams.” It felt like slug just poured out of his mouth. Obviously he wasn’t against shit like this but… god damn, saying it out loud sounded so weird and slimy.
“Oh, those bitches. They steal our shit all the time. Maybe this time we can actually sue them. Augh. What did you even watch?” Ace went back to sounding curious and teasing and Marco curled up in his chair a little harder; mostly to keep his erection from happening again.
The silence stretched harder and Ace giggled (actually giggled). “Marco. It’s okay, man. I like doing this stuff. I won’t judge you for jacking off to my sweet bod, you know?”
Marco could only reply with a strangled groan. The laugh that came back only made him curl up tighter. “Okay, okay. It was the shower one.”
A sound of recognition and Ace was back to teasing him. “So… did you jack off?”
“Shut up.”
The stupid porn star probably choked on his own spit or something because after the good half a minute of laughter, the phone sounded like it was dropped and great hacking coughs echoed into his ear. Marco glared at the screen of his computer as Ace got himself together again.
“I’m sorry! I’m totally not laughing at you, dude!” A pause. “Okay maybe I am a little bit, but it’s really only because you’re so embarrassed. Look, I’m sure that video was awful quality if they stole it. Why don’t you come over and I’ll show you some good ones. You know, to get you used to this idea that I show my dong on a regular basis?” With the way he said it, it actually sounded like a good idea. Marco agreed before he even realized what the fuck he was doing.
So there it was. He was standing in front of his best friend’s door, shifting from foot to foot and wondering how he’ll survive the next few hours. He’ll probably only last a few minutes. Not—Not because he would get—Oh fuck it.
Marco pounded his fist on the door and it opened only a few second later like Ace was waiting. It had been the first time he had seen his face since it was on the screen and he couldn’t help but feel a lurch of lust and embarrassment at seeing his face in person. It was just as joyful and silly as it usually was, if not more so.
“Aww, what’s got you lookin’ like a nervous deer, old chicken?” Ace grabbed the hand that was about to bury itself into his jacket pocket and pulled him inside.
“Oh, I don’t know. The fact that I’m going to see your penis and probably more than a few close-ups of your asshole.” Marco muttered, fingers twitching weakly in Ace’s grasp. The door was closed behind him with a sense of finality and it felt like his heart launched up into his throat.
Ace just laughed. “Probably! I mean, you’ve already seen the bits and you’ve seen me totally go at myself so, like, what’s the big deal?” A dismissive hand was waved and Marco could only groan.
“It’s all a big deal, Ace!” Marco protested, finally pulling his hand out of Ace’s. “Just because I watched that one thing doesn’t mean I want to see the rest! I’m your best friend, don’t you feel any kind of shame showing me this stuff?”
The blonde immediately felt bad with how Ace’s face just fell. The freckled man’s hands fell limply to his sides and he pulled his lip between his teeth. Just seeing that made Marco flinch. “Well… okay. I guess that’s fair,” Ace mumbled, looking down at the ground. “I did kind of force you into this um… thing. I suppose it might be a little awkward. I just wanted to show you more so that you could work past this whole thing; maybe even have a little bit of fun?” It was so rare that Ace sounded insecure and just hearing that little lilt of question in his voice made Marco feel like a piece of shit. “I’m just trying to show you that I don’t care if you see this stuff. You shouldn’t either—I mean, you don’t have to like it if guys aren’t your cup of tea or anything,” oh how wrong he was. Thinking back on that night made Marco’s cheeks flare. “But this is how I get my money and that’s okay. I’m treated well and Revolution takes care of me. Like, it’s safe and happy and the moment anyone stops liking it, they can leave.”
Marco continued to listen to Ace ramble, trying to justify and prove that his job was just that: a job. An actually well-paying and steady job, too. Eventually, Marco just lifted his hand and Ace fell silent, looking so nervous that it made the blonde’s heart clench.
“Okay. I’ll watch one. If I’m feeling okay after that, we can watch more. But we’ll… I’ll go along with this plan of yours.”
- - - -
Weirdly enough, the viewing was kind of… fun? Ace had even gotten them popcorn. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and that was more than a little distracting, but Marco wondered if that was even a deal considering he’d be seeing everything the moment the video started.
The second the time bar started moving, Ace started talking.
“This video is, like, the second to last I’ve shot? I’m still doing stuff, but none of it is finished or even shot yet. This one isn’t even out yet, actually. I get early access ‘cause I’m a star in it, y’know?” Marco gave him a weak smile as he was jabbed in the arm with a sharp elbow.
“Anyway, it was supposed to be one of those videos were like, two people are sitting on a couch and they start making out and then eventually bang and it feels like a genuine-ish couple, right?” It certainly started out that way, with Screen-Ace sitting on a rather plush couch reading a magazine and a huge guy with gray hair sitting beside him. As Screen-Ace started to get more and more distracted by his beau, Real-Ace continued to talk.
“Smoker—that’s the other guy, screen name of course but he has this weird attachment to the name, whatever—was being really stubborn. Like, he doesn’t like doing scripted stuff too much because it doesn’t feel authentic. I don’t mind it either way, so I was trying to follow it.” Screen-Ace started teasing Smoker, licking up his neck and tugging at his earlobe with his teeth. Real-Ace shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth, but continued talking. God damn it, even during porn he had that annoying habit of talking with his mouth full.
“I was getting more and more frustrated and he just wouldn’t respond ‘cause that guy’s got the will of a fucking alligator. Doesn’t fucking move ‘cause he knows he’s the hottest shit in the room, right?” Ace rolled his eyes and waved at the screen as he started to straddle the silver haired man. His sweats were drooping down the round globes of his ass and Marco shifted awkwardly. He wanted to—“So I got annoyed, right?”
Ace continued to narrate the whole scene and as it went on, Marco miraculously started to relax. He even laughed a few times at the anecdotes that Ace brought up about the job, the scene, or about his partners. Strangely enough, this weird plan of Ace’s was actually working? Even as on screen Smoker was tugging Ace’s head down to deep throat his ridiculously impressive piece, Ace was telling a wild story about how afterwards he could only drink smoothies and eat ice cream for a whole day because that had hurt his throat so bad.
There was a lull of silence as they watched Ace get plowed from behind by the hulk of a man. Marco actually was feeling kind of bad for him. Not because he looked like he wasn’t having fun or anything, but that size couldn’t make the aftermath any kinder. And that couch… For the first time since the video had started, Marco spoke up. “Is that couch as comfortable as it looks?”
With a handful of popcorn shoved half into his mouth, Ace stared at him in astonishment. What, did he not expect this plan to work? Actually… probably not. Marco raised an eyebrow and Ace (thankfully) chewed and swallowed before letting out a laugh. “Hell no! It was lumpy in all the wrong places and I got hella rug burn on my knees. It was awful but I only realized afterwards ‘cause… well.” Ace motioned to the screen and Marco let out a snort.
“Yeah, you look like you’re having fun.” Marco’s cheeks flared. On screen, Ace had his mouth open and his back was bowed so deeply it looked like it was going to snap. The sounds were wet and slick and Marco had been hard for the last thirty minutes.
“I was, actually. Despite his size, Smoker knows how to use it. He’s a very considerate fucker. Even offered to give me a massage after.” Ace had such a fond tone in his voice that Marco felt his stomach roil in… something.
Clearing his throat, Marco asked. “Did you accept?”
Ace sent him a look, winked and left it at that. Damn it. Marco chewed on the meat of his cheek as he turned his attention back to the show. His erection had flagged at the feeling in his stomach, but the more he watched it came back and he felt a little dirty.
After a few minutes, both of them came and there was a lovely image of Smoke tugging Ace’s cheek to the side and watching with hawk-like eyes as his come spilled out of him. Marco shifted a little and the freckled man’s deep chuckle beside him echoed down into his pants.
“Hot, right? Smoker really knows how to get the best shot.” The screen went dark and then it was just a sweating blonde, a smug brunet, and a large bowl with a few un-popped kernels at the bottom.
The pregnant silence was more than a little uncomfortable. Marco could hear his too-loud heavy breath and his hands wedged themselves further into his jacket pockets. If he let them free they could do something stupid.
“You hard?” The question made him jump a little and he looked over at Ace, who was staring at him in the semi-darkness. There was something in his eyes that made Marco’s throat close and that feeling of lust rocket through him again. Silver eyes stayed on blue for just a moment before flicking down to his lap. Marco immediately moved to cover his oh-so apparent erection, but it was too late.
White teeth pulled a lip between them and Marco was enraptured by the movement. Ever so slowly, that freckled face that had haunted his dreams ever since he’d seen that video a week ago, came closer. Marco could feel his soft breath on his jaw as his lips trailed close to his jaw.
“Don’t worry, Marco.” A broad hand hovered close to his cheek. “I am too.” Gentle nails dragged against his stubble-ridden jaw, pulling from curve to chin. Marco could feel the soft skin of his lips touching so-lightly to his earlobe. “… and not because of the video. That would be a little vain, wouldn’t it?” Every word dripped with tension and heat. Marco’s fingertips shivered in his pockets.
Just as his hands pulled from his pockets, yearning to fit themselves against the solid curve of his hip—Ace pulled away.
“I’m going to get more popcorn. Let’s watch another one!” And he flounced away like he wasn’t just speaking pure sex into Marco’s ear. Needless to say, the blonde was in shock. The next few moments passed too fast and too wild for Marco to comprehend or prevent.
Ace had just settled the bowl down and was walking towards the pantry built into the wall. Hips swayed to and fro, drawing eyes to it and being as teasing as his voice was just a moment ago. It was a perfect fit as Marco pressed himself bodily against Ace’s back. The gasp that rocketed out of him was sweet and god damn addicting. Marco found himself already wanting to hear another.
Teeth latched onto the soft brown of the freckled beauty’s neck. Instead of a gasp, a full-bodied groan escaped from Ace’s throat and his hips immediately shoved back into the hardness pressed against his ass. “Marco…” He whimpered, sounding all too familiar but also different.
“Were you expecting this, Ace?” The blonde rumbled into his ear, hands sliding forward and taking the place at Ace’s hips they had wanted to since that first video. “Is that why you asked me over? You knew I had fucked my own fist to your videos and you wanted to see me lose my mind…” His fingertips dragged against the bare slope of his sides. Muscles twitched so temptingly under his hands. Fuck, Ace was so responsive.
“N-No…” Marco shook his head, forehead pressed hard against the handle-less pantry door. “I—I had hoped but… I did just want…” How funny. He was so eloquent in his videos, but as Marco’s hands slid up to his chest, it didn’t seem like he could gather his words to save his life.
“You hoped.” Marco cupped muscled pecs in his palms and squeezed, feeling Ace’s body buck back. “You sounded so confident back there. Where did that go?” Thumbs dragged over hard nipples, flicking them and making Ace’s body visibly thrum with pleasure.
“Marco—Pl… Please.” Ace was so quick to beg and it just made Marco harder. The blonde buried his face into the dip of his shoulder and bit down, making another strangled moan rip out of Ace. God, how he had wanted to do this… Maybe even for longer than he had thought.
Bodily, Marco tugged Ace away from the pantry, pushing him towards his bedroom. Along the way, Ace stumbled out of his pants and Marco let out his own noise at the sight of that curvy ass tensing with the effort of undressing. The older man tugged off his own clothes languidly, feeling his confidence amp with every step. Somewhere along the way, he had decided, simply, fuck it.
They’d talk about this tomorrow. Tonight…
Ace landed on his back on the bed, knees immediately hitching up and putting himself on display. Marco hummed with appreciation and he could feel his face burning, but damn it was everything he had expected and more.
His lips immediately attached themselves to the twitching muscle of Ace’s inner thigh, teeth following right after. The actor shook and rolled is body upwards, a needy whine echoing through the room. From how he had fucked himself, it seemed he liked the feeling of being teased. Thankfully, Marco was all to willing to see him squirm under his lips and fingers.
Freckled hands slid into his hair, gripping but not commanding. Marco let his lips, teeth, and teasing tongue trail up and down those thighs. The red of new bruises blossomed sweetly along the skin and Marco laved over each with a thick tongue. Ace was shaking, every fiber in his body seemingly not being able to stay still. “Marco… Touch me please…”
Those breathless words had Marco pausing against the curve of his inner thigh. There was only a moment before his head moved down as slow as he pleased. His nose pressed into the crease between groin and thigh, tongue dragging right next to his balls and making his hips jump. “Mmh, Marco!” Ace tugged at his hair a little, obviously becoming impatient.
Still, Marco trailed around where Ace wanted him most. The tip of his tongue trailed against the base of his cock before moving up, up. The flat of the wet muscle traced every quivering dip and rise of his abdomen. As he came nose-to-chest, he sucked marks into the meat of his pecs. Ace trembled so sweetly under him, the shaking only increasing as his tongue flicked at his nipple.
He remembered how dark and red they had gotten in his video and his teeth tugged insistently at them, making Ace fuck up against his stomach. Marco teased them into deep red peaks, teeth tugging and lips sucking. Ace was a wreck, fingers trembling against his head and his breath coming in hard and fast.
“The reason—“ Ace choked out two words and Marco pulled his head up, surprised that the man had started talking. “The reason that… the scene changed after I was playing with my nipples… was that I had cum from playing with them…”
Marco stared for a second, letting that process slowly through his brain. Ace was sensitive that he had actually fucked up his own shot because—shit.
“S-So… I would suggest to stop that. Unless you don’t wanna fuck me tonight?” There was that confidence and it made Marco fucking hot.
The older man reeled back, nails dragging from nipples to hips and making Ace’s body arch as they slid down. “Fuck!” The brunet grabbed at his own hair, gasping out the expletive like a prayer. He was already wet and leaking against his stomach and Marco let his body lean down and drag his tongue against that slippery head. Hands tightened on brown hair and tugged, moaning at the teasing touch.
“Where is—“ Marco didn’t even have to finish the question as Ace flung an arm out to yank his end table drawer open and rummage inside. The tube of lube nearly smacked him in the face. Thankfully, Marco had fairly good reflexes. Unfortunately, Marco was distracted by spreading the clear gel on his fingers and he didn’t actually notice the box of condoms flying at his face until they smacked directly against his eyeball.
“Oh my god!” Ace immediately sat up, unable to keep in a laugh as Marco curled his clean hand over his eye and spat out a whole line of curses.
“Mother fucker holy shit fucking dicks why are boxes so sharp what the fuck!” Marco rubbed at his watering eye and Ace leaned forward, kissing at his forehead and between his fingers.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I thought you were looking.” Ace simpered, though the smile on his face obviously betrayed his true feelings.
Marco pouted. “I might never be able to look again, Ace. It would be all your fault.”
“Aww, poor chicken. Then you’d actually have to use those glasses you insist on not having to use.” The brunet teased, still pressing little kisses to the edge of his eye.
“… Lay back down, you ass.” A delighted giggle as the body flopped back made the edges of Marco’s lips twitch, but he wouldn’t let Ace win this one.
With an eye firmly closed, he pressed a finger firmly into his friend, cutting off his giggles and making that sweet gasp come back. Ace wasn’t quite tight, which… was suspicious as to what he was doing before Marco came over, but at least it allowed him to slide his middle finger in alongside his index. Ace’s hips rolled smoothly with his fingers, teeth biting at his bottom lip.
Marco was the luckiest man alive to see Ace like this. He knew that people saw Ace having sex on a regular basis, but there was something else to this. Something much more intimate that made Marco’s insides twist happily. Now that the frantic, lusty mood was broken by a flying condom box, Marco could sit back and let his fingers spread and twist inside of Ace and simply watch him.
Silver eyes slid open just a bit, watching Marco back and it sent a thrill through the blonde that he was the one Ace was watching. Not a camera or Smoker or the director. Him. It made him feel obsessive and possessive, but Marco let himself sink to the feeling for now. A third finger neatly joined the others and Ace’s body undulated like a dance.
The world shifted a second later as Ace shoved at Marco’s shoulders, pressing him into the bed. Now straddling his hips with Marco’s fingers still in him at an awkward angle, Ace grinned down at him. The blonde wiggled his fingers and smirked himself as Ace shuddered over him. A firm hand tugged his hand out and shoved it against the bed. “I’m going to ride the fuck outta you.”
Guttural would be an all too accurate word to describe the noise that ground out of Marco’s chest. Ace pressed his wrists to the bed pointedly and Marco kept them there as his friend slid down his body. Aluminum was tugged open with practiced ease and he felt the plasticy feeling against his head—before Ace pressed his cock fully into his throat, pushing the condom down with his lips.
Idly, Marco wondered how thick Ace’s walls were as he nearly screamed at the feeling.
Slick sounds of lips moving against latex were enough to get him hot, but mixed with the suction around his cock… it was perfect. Marco’s fingers twitched against the bedding, though he couldn’t help his hips rolling up. Ace didn’t stop him, though. Instead, he held his head still and let Marco fuck into his throat, hips undulating desperately upwards and relishing in the feeling of a tongue swirling against the underside and the tight squeeze of his hot, tight throat.
It was over too quick. Fingers grasped the base of his cock and lips sucked sweetly upwards. Ace’s tongue swirled wetly over the head, around and around and Marco could feel his hips twitching upwards again but this time they were stopped. Lips wetly pulled away, saliva connecting the reservoir tip to the end of his tongue. “Y-You have a perfect cock, Marco…” Ace breathed, stroking up and down his shaft languidly.
“Mmph… Perfect?” Marco’s ego inflated just a bit with those words. A porn star just complimented his cock. Strike that one off the imaginary bucket list.
“Perfect,” his voice was breathless and almost in awe. Marco’s cheeks were as red as a tomato. Not just complimented, it seemed, but worshipped. That made a dark feeling join the lust in his stomach.
Marco was going to respond, but Ace was already straddling his hips once more, taking one of his own cheeks in hand and sitting slowly on the blonde’s cock. It pressed inside with one, slow, torturous slide. Ace’s mouth hung open and his eyes squeezed shut with pleasure.
It was too much, to see Ace like this. In both of the things he had seen, Ace hadn’t been completely in it. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—acting was simply different from reality even if the emotion and feeling was the same. Here? Like this?
Ace wasn’t trying to impress anyone. He wasn’t trying to appeal to the camera and show the best angles. This wasn’t going to be taken in multiple shots and there were no cameras. He bent in on himself, enjoying the feeling of simply being full and starting to rock his hips down on Marco’s cock. There were no other thoughts, no other worries or concerns about framing. Everything was here and it made Marco hungry.
With a harsh movement, Marco shoved Ace over, wrapping one arm around his thigh and hitching his leg up. The shift made Marco shove harder into Ace, making the freckled man squeal into the side of Marco’s head.
“Ohmygod fuck me, Marco. I’ve wanted—Fuck please!” Marco would get the rest of that sentence tonight but for now, he thrust hard into his friend. “Fuck! Oh god, I want you to fuck—Ple… Oh god…”
Words spewed out of Ace’s mouth with every thrust and it only made the blonde’s hips move harder. Skin slapped against skin and filled the otherwise quiet room. More bruises bloomed against the brown expanse of Ace’s twitching thigh from thick hands grasping and grabbing. The light pain only made the man curl upwards harder in pleasure.
Marco moaned into the speed bump of Ace’s clavicle, biting down as he relished in the tight vice of Ace’s ass. This wouldn’t last long, especially if Ace kept pleading him in such a desperate voice.
They were curled up around each other when Ace came. His body trembled so sweetly against Marco, back pulling up off of the bed as he buried himself into Marco’s chest. Whimpers, whines and squeaks accompanied the squeezing of his hole around his cock, wetness spreading between them. The blonde’s hips didn’t so much as pause as he continued to fuck into Ace, the tightness making his mind go blank as he fucked harder and harder.
It was when Ace’s teeth dug deep into his shoulder when Marco came, shoving as deep as he could as he filled the condom. His own body shivered and trembled, breath caught in his chest. He could feel Ace’s eyes on him as he came and it just made him hotter. His hips twitched, milking the feeling for just a bit longer as Ace’s hands skimmed up and down his chest lazily.
“That’s it… You were so fucking good, Marco…” Ace murmured, making Marco blush despite the lightheadedness he was already feeling.
The brunet’s hands continued to rub up and down his sweaty chest as he slowly came down and pulled out of him. The fingers twitched only slightly at the feeling.
“Fuck…” Marco hissed as he tugged the condom off and tossed it towards the wastebin in the corner. Thankfully, it made its mark.
“If that hadn’t gone in, I would have forced you to get up. Don’t throw condoms, old man.” Ace scolded teasingly. He just got a pinch to the hip in response and Marco flopped down beside him.
There was a silence between them, Ace staring up at the ceiling and Marco looking at each fiber of the pillow he was resting on. Neither of them knew how long it stretched on for, but Ace was the one to break it, as always.
“… If you’re expecting me to stop making porn just because I fucked you, think again.” Well. That kind of surprised him.
“What?” Marco raised his head, staring down at Ace’s face, seeing the trepidation and nervousness there.
“In the past, I’ve had boyfriends and girlfriends who have… Who thought that I didn’t like them or who didn’t like me doing porn. Because they thought I was cheating on them. It was fair, but not… really? Like, I had explained that this was my job and they just didn’t understand.” There was a soft pause before Ace huffed and continued.
“I… really like you, Marco. Honestly, it scared me to death when you called me about my porn. Not because I was ashamed or anything. My job is good and I love it. But, I don’t want you to be… disappointed in me. And I didn’t want my chance of this happening to go completely away.” This admission was spoken with a timid and quiet voice. It was so unlike him that it made Marco a little breathless.
“This was such a stupid way of going around this. I didn’t expect my stupid plan to work. It was so fucking desperate and we should have talked. I should have confessed—done something other than trick you into my bed. I’m so fucking sorry, I feel awful. But I do like you. I… I always have?” It ended on an awkward note and another silence stretched out between them. Anxiety was obviously ramping up in Ace’s body, making him squirm just a bit.
Marco smiled. The man just couldn’t stay still sometimes. A shift of blankets and thick lips were pressed to shivering thin ones. Immediately, thick arms came to wrap around the blonde’s neck and Ace’s mouth opened pliantly beneath his. Tongues swirled, stroking against each other and lips moving with similar movements. Both men sucked in breaths through their noses, not wanting to part for a second. Eventually, their lips had become too slick and tongues almost numb. It was only then that they pulled away.
“Look. It’ll still take me time to get used to the porn thing,” Marco admitted. “But I realized something when I saw that first video. You might not have been thinking about me, but… I wanted to be in your mind at that moment. I wanted you to show as much love as you showed the camera to me. I want you beneath me, both clothed and completely naked. I feel like an idiot, taking this long to realize just how amazing you are.” Ace pouted a little bit and Marco smirked. “Okay, I did know that you were amazing before. Not like I do now, though. You are so strong and confident and I… admire you. A lot. I like you too. I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner.”
After his little speech, Marco watched as Ace’s eyes shimmered a little with tears. They’d never fall—he’d never seen Ace cry even when his brother went to the hospital. The fact that they were there was enough, though.
Marco kissed at his cheeks, into every freckle. “Let’s go on a date soon. When we’re both free. You can tell me more about your studio. No secrets this time, yeah?”
Ace slowly nodded. “No secrets. I can’t promise you’ll like everything you hear.”
“Maybe not. But at least there will be no secrets. We can make this work, Ace. We just gotta work on it.” Another slow, almost timid nod.
This time the silence that stretched was comfortable. They were curled around each other so tightly and happiness rolled through Marco like lazy lakeshore waves. Ace’s thumb trailed against his chest softly, tracing the curve of his pec and the line of the tattoo on his chest.
“… By the way,” Marco could hear the tease on his… boyfriend’s voice. “How’s that eye?”
The only response was a yelp as Marco slapped his ass in retaliation.