Set Fire to the Rain

Author's Note:

The title for this story comes from the song "Set Fire To The Rain," by Adele. While I was writing this, I kept running into mental stumbling blocks trying to figure out where the story should go from there. Then I heard that song.

The first time I heard it, I was inspired again and the story began to take shape in my mind again. Daniel's character began to really come to life and so I knew that the song would be my anthem for this story. I in no way claim any ownership over the Adele song, only borrowed the title and the spirit of the words. I encourage everyone to listen to it because her voice is amazing, and the words spoke to me for this song and helped me write.

A huge thanks to my dear friend Jeremy, who is the reason I write these stories. Knowing I have an audience out there who wants to read what I write gives me inspiration and encouragement. A million thanks, Jer!

Usual disclaimers apply on this story - All characters are fictional and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is a coincidence. There is hot man sex in this story, so if you're underage, grossed out or live somewhere it's illegal to read this, please turn away now. Otherwise, please enjoy!

This is my first time posting to Nifty, but I have a few stories already written that I will be polishing up for submission. And I always have new stories in the works, so if you like this one, I hope you will be on the lookout for more!

If you have any comments or questions, you can send them to beyondanytherapy@gmail.com. If anyone would like to act as an editor for any future stories, please let me know.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! Randy Zak

Final Word Count: 22,021

Set Fire To The Rain

He was driving an old black and rust Ford pickup the first time I met him. Scanning hammers and nails all day at the register of Carter's Hardware Store was not the most exciting job in the world, but it helped pay for college. My meager scholarship didn't cover much and my parents were not well off and unable to support me beyond a little book money here or there. I'd made it through three years and was looking forward to starting my last year and graduating. Not that I had any plans beyond that. English degrees didn't take you far in the real world if you didn't want to teach.

When I say the job wasn't exciting, I mean it was mind-numbingly boring. This town is far from a hot bed of activity. There's a dollar movie theater that finally got movies from the early 90's last week, a few burger and pizza joints where most of the local teenagers hang out, and more churches than squirrels. Ok, maybe that last one was an exaggeration, but let's just say the people around here take their praying way too seriously.

The day started out like any other: scanning items, stocking shelves and sweeping the floors all while eyeing the clock for when I could go home. Then he walked in.

The truck that pulled up wasn't out of the ordinary for this town, but the driver certainly was. He looked to me like he'd walked straight out of an MTV music video. Black shaggy, wavy hair fell down past his ears, just shy of his jawline. One silver hoop decorated his right earlobe. A small goatee on his chin drew my eyes to those lips first. Then I managed to take in the rest of his face. His eyes were blue grey, the color of the mist around the mountains. He wore a pair of old hiking boots covered in white paint. The paint continued up his tattered denim jeans and onto his faded grey Grateful Dead shirt. I could see more paint on his arms and a few drops dried in his hair. No doubt what he was doing today.

He glided past the checkout, glancing over at me. Oh shit, he caught me looking. I felt myself flush a bit and hurriedly returned my focus to the work in front of me. When my eyes dared a quick glance back at him, a rakish smirk curved those lips. God those lips were sexy.

The customers in my line came through steadily for a while, giving me a chance to shift my focus off of the intriguing stranger. Once the last person was through, I snuck a glance around the store. He was standing towards the back, talking with the store manager. They were laughing over something. Well, it was a small town; it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe that Greg knew him. The bell on the door chimed and I saw my coworker walking in.

"Andi, it's about time! Cover for me ok? I'm going on break."

An eyebrow arched at me and Andi gave a dramatic sigh, tossing her long brown hair back over one shoulder. "What's your hurry?"

I didn't answer her, just slipped out from behind the counter to head to the back break room as fast as my Chucks could carry me.

"Anthony! Come here for a second!"

I froze in place at the sound of my boss' voice. Slowly, I turned and made my way over where he stood with the stranger. The man looked almost amused as they watched me walk over.

Greg reached out and slapped me on the shoulder with one huge grizzly bear hand. "Do me a favor and help Daniel load his truck. Everything's in the store room. You can move it out on the dock." He looked back to the other man. "Just pull your truck on around back."

Daniel smiled and nodded. "Sounds perfect. Be right back." He glanced at me and gave me a smile before turning to walk back out to his truck.

I found myself hauling 5 gallon buckets of paint onto the loading dock behind the store, waiting for the sight of the old truck. I heard it coming before I saw the beaten up old beast roll through into the back lot. Daniel maneuvered it into place with the bed snug against the dock. Good thing the tailgate was missing.

He cut the truck off and climbed out, walking around to look up at me. "Hand them off to me."

I followed his orders, handing the buckets down so he could take the handles. Every now and then, our fingers would touch and I felt an almost electric shock run down my arm and head right for my crotch. I had to resist the urge to snatch my hand away. I couldn't drop the bucket, but I didn't want him to think I was doing that on purpose. Once he turned away to fit the buckets in the truck, I walked back into the store room to grab the boxes of supplies. I took a quick second to adjust myself in my pants. I was achingly hard, just from an innocent brush of a stranger's hand. What was going on with me?

I've known I was gay since I turned 13. But living in a small town doesn't make dealing with that knowledge very easy. There wasn't anyone I hung around with that I felt wouldn't kick my ass if they knew, and there certainly wasn't anyone to date. Every now and then I would make a trip to a larger town nearby that had a couple bars. But impersonal hookups and jerk-off sessions in the club bathroom were not my idea of romance.

Shaking myself, I grabbed the boxes and walked back out, handing off one box at a time. "You must be painting a really big room." I couldn't believe I said that, I sounded so stupid. When would my mouth ever learn to stay closed?

I saw Daniel smile over his shoulder. "Not a room, a really big canvas."

"You're an artist?" Duh, Anthony, you're just on a roll with witty banter today!

He nodded. "You could call it that. I throw paint at a canvas and see what sticks, mostly." He grinned at me with a wink. God, I could just melt. I almost wanted to check and see if I wasn't just a puddle with Chucks floating in it already.

"I thought artists painted with fancy paint in tiny tubes, not the stuff you get at the hardware store in a 5 gallon bucket."

He chuckled, and right there, I decided I liked that sound. I wanted to hear his rich voice again as it rumbled in his chest with amusement.

"Some do, but not me. I enjoy the challenge of using different mediums, and it's easier to mix the typical house paint with things like sand and glass to get the effect I'm after."

"Cool." There I go again, Shakespeare in the flesh.

He nodded, glancing over to me after settling the last box in the back of the truck. "How old are you?"

Uh oh, here it came. Everyone thinks I'm 18 or something, no matter what I tell them. Getting into the clubs was always a bitch.

"I'm 21. I'll be 22 next month."

He just nodded, without any trace of disbelief or judgment. I decided to take a chance.

"What about you?"

A grin split his face and there went the urge to melt again. "28."

My jaw dropped and my eyes bugged out, like you see in those Tex Avery cartoons. Ok, maybe not exactly like that, but I'm sure I looked pretty shocked, because he laughed.

"What? Do I look that old? I'm reeling against the big 3-0, so don't you dare tell me I look that old yet."

I quickly shook my head. "No, no, it's not that. I just.. I don't know, you just seemed like you'd be so much older than me." More mature and fucking sexy. And way out of my league.

He smiled with a shrug. "I guess I can take that as a compliment." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out, he held it between his lips as he held it to the flame of a lighter. I'd never wanted to be a cigarette so badly in my life.

Once he was done, he tucked the pack back in his pocket, then glanced back up at me, a strange look on his face. It vanished quickly and he gave me a smile.

"I better get going. Thanks for the hand, Anthony."

I felt my head nodding despite me not telling it to. "Uh, yeah. You're welcome. Anytime." And I meant that.

He grinned, waving with the hand holding his cigarette, and climbed back into the truck. The beast roared to life and shuddered out of the parking lot and down the road. I stood there, feeling my cock straining my pants, listening to the rumble of the engine until it faded away.

A few weeks later, Greg walked over toward me before closing. "Anthony, I need you to make a delivery." He was carrying a box filled with stuff.

"Sure." It wasn't completely unheard of, and I often took on deliveries in the hopes of getting tips.

"Good, take this box over to Daniel's. The address is written on the paper there." He waved as he turned and made his way back to the office.

It took a minute to sink in what name he had said. Wasn't that the artist with the rockstar face and the hands that made me almost cream my pants? Great, maybe this wouldn't be a good idea.

Well, I had already agreed, and maybe the guy would be a good tipper. I picked up the box and headed out to my car, an '89 Honda Civic. She's not pretty, but she's reliable. Just takes a little care, but she's never steered me wrong before.

I made the short drive out to Daniel's house. It was situated back in the woods, very secluded. Perfect for an artist. I pulled up close to the house, behind the old rusted truck, and got out of my car. Nervously, I checked my reflection in the side mirror. I had started spiking my short hair sometimes, and the gel made my normally light blonde look a little darker, which was good. Quick check of my clothes and everything was good. Fly up, no embarrassing holes or stains. Ready to go. I grabbed the box and walked to the front door.

Loud music filtered through the door and I thought I recognized Def Leppard. This was one different artist. Most artists I met at college were into political protests, indie films and foreign music I couldn't understand.

Hot and good taste in music. I was going to be in love if I wasn't careful.

Raising my hand, I knocked at the door. No answer, but that wasn't a surprise, given how loud the music was playing. I carefully opened the door and was greeted with "Rock Til You Drop" blaring from a stereo to one side of the large living room.

Rock Rock, Till you drop ...

"Hello?" My voice was drowned out by the rock music, but I knew the song well enough that I decided to wait for the guitar solo before trying again.

I caught sight of Daniel, standing in front of a huge canvas against the far wall, his back to me. He was barefoot, wore no shirt and just those faded, ripped jeans that hung lower on his hips than I had realized the last time I saw him. Staring dumbstruck, I noticed two things about him. One, he had the best ass I've ever laid eyes on. It flexed tantalizingly under the denim, shifting as he moved a brush across the canvas. I checked my chin for drool that might have escaped my mouth.

The second thing I noticed was the large scar along the back of his left shoulder blade. It was obviously old and pretty faded, but still looked like it had hurt. I didn't know what had caused it, but it made me curious. I wanted to know more about this guy.

Finally, the guitar solo came on and I cleared my throat, speaking up louder. "Hello?!"

Daniel turned around, grinning when he saw me. "Sorry!" he called out over the music. He padded over to the stereo and turned it down. "Music helps me work and sometimes I just get caught up in it. Come on in."

I realized that I was standing there with the door wide open. I nudged it shut behind me and held up the box. "Greg told me to deliver this stuff."

"Awesome, you can put it down over on that table," he said, motioning with the brush over to the table that sat against the wall, covered in various supplies. I made room on the table and set the box down, turning to see him walking towards me.

This guy really was a different kind of artist. His chest was hot, muscled just right with the hint of a washboard stomach, but not bodybuilder cut. He had a tattoo on his chest of a weird symbol I didn't know. It looked kind of like a stylized bird or something.

I realized I was staring and quickly looked up at his face. The little smirk on his lips told me I'd been caught ogling and I could feel a blush heating up my face.

He grinned at me. "It's ok, I don't mind you looking."

I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. "Most guys would have decked me by now if they saw me checking them out."

"I'm not most guys." Daniel chuckled and I remembered that smoky laugh from the other week. My knees got a little wobbly.

"Yeah.. I can see that."

He smirked, crossing his arms loosely over his chest and staring at me. "So, Anthony. How can I thank you for delivering my stuff?" He moved in a little closer to me, so close I could almost smell him.

He was asking me? Oh God. My mind reeled. I couldn't make my mouth work, trying to figure out just what he was implying. No way could he be hinting at what I hoped he was. Right?

Daniel gave a grin. "Come on, surely there's something you would want." He moved closer and I felt my back press against the wall behind me. He pressed himself against me lightly, not trapping me there, just making it very obvious what he meant.

I felt myself swallow hard, trying to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. "I.. I don't know."

"Not even a kiss?"

My eyes widened a bit and I felt my cock throb at the thought. It was answering for me, apparently, because I saw that smile widen on Daniel's lips. We were pressed together enough he had to have felt it.

"I'm taking that as a yes."

When his lips touched mine, there was that electric sensation again, shooting through me straight to my cock. I was rock hard in seconds and I groaned into his lips. Reflexively, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. God, he tasted amazing. Like coffee and cinnamon over an earthy, woodsy tang.

His hips glided against mine, rubbing our dicks together through our pants lightly, just enough to tease and tempt. His tongue swept across my mouth and I opened, trying to encourage him in. He didn't need much convincing, sliding it into my mouth to twist with mine as he deepened the kiss.

Daniel's hands were stroking my chest through my shirt, fingers sliding under the hem and teasing my skin underneath. I groaned into the kiss, liking the way his fingers moved. He was skilled, that much was obvious. His right hand slid down over my stomach and dipped a finger below the waistband of my pants to rub across my groin, just above my cock.

I gasped and he nibbled my bottom lip. Quickly, I recovered and returned the kiss deeply, trying to take control of it. I felt his hand slide down to rub over my aching prick that was straining in my shorts.

His lips left mine and he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Maybe you want a little more than just a kiss?"

"Oh, God." Look, I wasn't very eloquent when all the blood was in my brain, but when it went south, my vocabulary flew out the window.

His hand left my crotch and I nearly protested, but then he sank to his knees, hands undoing my belt and pants and pushing them out of the way along with my underwear. I had to lean back against the wall when his hands touched me without fabric in the way, biting my lip to keep from screaming and cumming right there. I wasn't some over-stimulated virgin who was going to lose it before the fun even started.

His touch was rough, fingers callused from years of holding a brush, and they wrapped around me, stroking quickly. The feeling was so different from my own hand that it was incredible. He also knew what he was doing, his hand moving from root to tip with a little twist at the top over my sensitive head. I groaned, shivering and fighting to keep from thrusting.

Without warning, he bent his head and wrapped his lips around the tip of my cock, tongue bathing me. Then, he was swallowing me down almost to the root in one move. I gasped, my fingers clawing at the wall behind me for something to hold onto. His hands cradled my thighs as he began to bob his head, his mouth a perfect tunnel of wet heat and velvety tongue bathing me. I was panting and trembling, so close to losing it.

His mouth slid up my cock, holding just the tip of me in his mouth and bathing it with his tongue. He hit every single sensitive spot there was and I was nearly sobbing at the sensations. One of his hands slid down to caress my balls, squeezing them and rolling them around his palm. He went down again and I could feel the tip of my cock in his throat as he swallowed around me. It was too much and before I could warn him, I cried out and shot deep into his throat. I was vaguely aware of his hands stroking my thighs as he swallowed my seed. My head fell back against the wall and I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath.

He let me slip from his mouth and stood up. I opened my eyes, still panting, and looked at him. "You always tip your delivery boys like that?"

"Never had a delivery before now. But there's a first time for everything." He gave a smirk, licking a drop of my cum from the corner of his mouth. Fuck, that was hot.

I stood there, catching my breath, and he reached over, tucking me back into my underwear and got my pants fastened and belted. It seemed oddly intimate and touching after what we had just done, but I didn't mind. I watched him and when he looked up at me, I heard the words spilling out of my mouth. "Don't you want me to return the favor?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me, smiling. "Then it wouldn't be much of a thank you for you, would it?"

"I don't mind." Damn, I said that too fast, didn't I? "I mean, I don't want to leave you hanging."

Daniel gave a chuckle, shaking his head. "It's ok, Anthony. Don't worry about me."

But somehow, I did. I don't know why, but something told me that I would have to worry about this man. He seemed so cool and put together, hot as hell and could suck like a hoover, but a little voice shouted at me that he needed someone to look out for him.

He stepped back and turned away and the spell was broken. I could almost feel the change in him as he walked to the table to look through his supplies. It was like a new person took his place, becoming closed off and distant. It was very odd, coming on the heels of his wild side moments before.

I fidgeted for a minute, not sure what to do, but then decided he was subtly telling me to hit the road. I cleared my throat. "Um, yeah. If you need anything else delivered, just let Greg know." I turned and headed for the door.

"Anthony?"

Pausing, I turned back to look at him. "Yeah?"

Daniel walked towards me, holding up a folded bill. He reached over, tucking it in the pocket of my pants with a little smile.

"I thought I already got my tip?" I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut, but somehow I couldn't stop from asking.

He chuckled, patting my hip. "This tip will help you buy gas. The other was just because I wanted to."

And just like that, he was back to the playful, charming guy who had just sucked me off in his living room. I was starting to realize that hanging around this man was going to give me whiplash if he changed directions that fast all the time.

I managed a nod and a little smile. "Yeah, thanks. Um, I'll see you around?"

He gave a smile. "Sure."

Slowly, I stepped away, not quite ready to lose the weight of his hand on my hip, and turned to open the door and walk out. Before I had even made it off the porch, the stereo was turned back up and Def Leppard once again blared.

Pour some sugar on me...

I walked in the door at home after work, tossing my bag down on the kitchen chair and sorting through the mail. Bill, bill bill, junk mail, catalog. Nothing ever interesting. Throwing them down on the counter, I grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked into the den.

My old man was sitting in his chair, watching tv and drinking a beer. He had been home from work a few days because of a strained shoulder, and the doctor had ordered him to rest as much as he could. Although he bitched about it, he agreed to stay home only a few days. I was going to be glad when he went back, because he was impossible to deal with while he was at home.

He glanced up as I walked in. "Oh, you're home. About time. Your mother left for work a little while ago."

"Ok. You want anything to eat?"

"Nah." He sipped his beer, looking at me. "So, any news about getting more hours at work?"

It was an old fight between us. He wanted me to work more, saying it would do me good. I told him over and over that I couldn't get too much work because there were other people that had to be scheduled, and that it would interfere with my classes, but he never listened.

"No, Greg hasn't had time to talk. He said next time he's ready to make the schedule we will."

He seemed to accept the non-committal answer and his focus returned to the tv. When I realized I would get away without a huge fight tonight, I quickly escaped up the stairs to my room. He must have downed more beers than normal by now to be that easy.

I turned and headed up the stairs to my room. Shutting the door, I sat down on my bed and kicked off my shoes. It had been about a week since my delivery trip to Daniel's, and every night, I jacked off to the memory of his mouth on me. He was so hot, and so talented. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. I dreamt about him, daydreamed constantly, wondering what he was doing, and what kind of chance I could ever have with someone that hot and interesting.

I got up and walked over to my desk, sitting down and turning on my laptop. I pulled out the note from my pocket and smoothed the paper. At work today, I had used the computer to look up Daniel's account information and got his last name. It wasn't something that would go over well if Greg found out, but I just had to learn more about the guy. I figured it was about time I did a little googling and see if I could find anything online.

Pulling up the browser window, I typed in "Daniel Stern" and hit enter. Once I had to sort through the pages on an actor and other random people, I amended my search with "Daniel Stern artist." That brought around better results.

They weren't quite what I expected. I found page after page talking about Daniel's paintings, the ravings of critics that called him "a rising star in the art world" and "a bright jewel among an array of otherwise mundane new works." I clicked through several pages, finding reviews for shows he had. There were pictures of him posing next to paintings. He looked so young and innocent. I didn't see a hint of the haunted look he carried in his eyes sometimes.

On one page, I found a picture of Daniel and another man, arms wrapped around each other's waists and smiling broadly for the camera. The caption read "Daniel, with partner Gabe Harwell." Ok, realistically, I knew he had been with other men before, but seeing them together, and the look of complete happiness and contentment on Daniel's face was hard to look at. This man had made him happy. So where was he now?

All the pages about Daniel painting had information that stopped about 5 years ago. Before then, he was everywhere, apparently becoming incredibly popular in the art scene. Then, suddenly, it just stopped. I searched through what felt like hundreds of websites, trying to find any kind of information about what happened to make him drop out.

I finally pulled myself away from my search around midnight. I hadn't found anything that might tell me why he seemed to just vanish off the face of the earth, and show up in a tiny Pacific Northwestern town, hiding in a cabin in the woods alone. I crawled into bed, trying to fall asleep, but finding myself staring at the ceiling and wondering what happened to Daniel. Where was his partner, and how did he get the scar on his back? Something told me his story was the reason for his odd behavior.

"Move it to the right a little."

"I don't think it's going to fit."

"It'll fit. Now just angle to the right. That's it, now ease in a little."

"It's too tight! It's not going to go through."

"It'll go through, we just have to make it. Ow!"

"I told you it wouldn't fit."

Daniel glared at me over his side of the couch. "You ran my hand into the doorway."

"Sorry." I hefted my end a little and angled it more. "Try it now, I think if we work the legs past the door it'll make it this time."

"That's what I've been saying since we started," Daniel grumbled. He twisted the couch slightly and I could see it clear the doorway.

When he had commented during my last delivery that he might need a hand moving some things next time, I hadn't expected it to be furniture. He had very few furnishings in the cottage that I could see, and I hadn't gone past the living room. So when I arrived that day and he had a couch on the back of his truck, I was rather surprised.

After a little more arguing and maneuvering, we finally had the couch resting along the wall in the living room. Both of us collapsed down onto the soft grey upholstery, catching our breaths. His chest was shining with sweat and I watched it rise and fall. In the time I spent around him, I found he really hated wearing clothes and typically went around the house in only a pair of ratty old jeans and nothing else. It made it very hard for me to focus sometimes, but I wasn't about to complain.

He saw me staring and smirked. "You wanna christen it?"

"Huh?" Sometimes I really didn't get half of the things he said to me.

"Do you wanna fuck on the couch?"

"Oh." I don't know why I blushed. "Maybe later."

I'd been coming out here now for a few months. At first, it was just on deliveries from the store, but soon enough, I started coming by on my own. In that time, he had sucked me off almost every visit. I'd offered to return the favor, but he never let me. He'd suggested sex now and then, but I wasn't sure I wanted to do that yet. I wanted our first time together to be something we did because it was right, not just because I came over and he felt obligated. He'd blown me three times on my birthday, and I remembered having to tell him he better not be trying to make it 22 times because I'd die before then. I had been rewarded with one of his smoky laughs. I was starting to get addicted to those.

He had been staring at me for a few minutes with a strange look in his eyes, when suddenly he bolted off the couch and strode across the room purposefully. He grabbed his huge sketch pad and tin of graphite. I saw the look in his eyes and knew he had gotten inspired. That look always gave me a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, watching something being created. He looked so alive when he had ideas, it made him look that much more handsome.

He grabbed a stool and brought it over, setting the pad and tin down. Then he walked over to me and yanked my shirt over my head. Before I could respond, he started to undo my belt.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I tried to grab his hands and stop him.

Daniel looked up at me, the look on his face making me go still. He had that impish smile of joy he got when he was creating. "Posing you."

"Posing me? I'm going to be your model?" I was incredulous. I'm nothing close to model material.

"All you have to do is lie back and let me draw you."

"Nude."

He looked at me like I was stupid. "Of course."

How could I argue with that logic? Sighing, I motioned for him to continue. He quickly divested me of my pants and then made me lay down on the couch. Propping pillows up under my head and moving my arms the way he wanted me. He settled on me facing out, one arm up and bent behind my head, the other across my chest. One leg was straight out, the other raised and slightly bent. He stood back, admiring his work, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

He quickly knelt down and leaned over me. I yelped and nearly came off the couch when his tongue traced the length of my cock quickly. He put his hand on my chest to keep me from moving, but my cock jerked to life. He reached out and laid it across my hip, fussing with it until it was hard and he was satisfied. He stood up, smiling.

"Perfect, don't move an inch."

That wouldn't be hard for me, but there was no promises coming from my dick.

Daniel sat down on the stool, staring at me for a long time before picking up the pad and began to sketch away. I watched him through my eyelashes, just loving the intense look of concentration on his face. His hand flew over the page, scratching here and there as he created.

I stared at him as he worked, enjoying the view. God he was gorgeous, that long black hair framing his face, etched with concentration. His eyes darted around the page then back up at me over and over. His hand flew across the pad, moving with quick, confident strokes.

I don't know how long I lay there, but he was too focused for me to even think of saying anything. And I desperately wanted to make a Titanic joke.

After what felt like ages, he sat up, nodding. "Done."

I stretched, leaning up on one elbow. "Can I see?"

He looked at me, grinning. "Sure."

When he turned the pad around, I saw a drawing that couldn't possibly be me. I looked... hot. The way he drew me, I looked sensual, sexy. Hell, I'd do me.

"Wow..." I couldn't find words beyond that to really express my awe.

"Like it?"

My eyes met his. I saw something in his eyes that twisted me deep inside. He wanted me to like it. He cared about my opinion of his work. Oh, God, it was enough to give my stomach a lurch. I was so screwed.

I got to my feet and crossed the short distance to him, leaning down and kissing him deeply. When words won't do, sometimes you just gotta find another way. I felt him relax into the kiss, returning it with the same intensity.

I took the lead for once, moving the kisses to his neck, running them down to the crook where neck met shoulder. I suckled gently, careful not to leave a mark. His head tilted to give me a better angle and he sighed.

"Anthony, I want you to fuck me."

I froze, not sure what to think.

"Daniel.. I've never..."

He kissed me again, gently. "It's ok. You'll do fine." He gave me a quick smile and squeezed my hand reassuringly.

I wanted to say no, to say I shouldn't. But when I pulled back and met his eyes, he was staring at me with such desire and need that I swallowed my arguments. God, he trusted me. I think that was the hottest thing he'd ever done. Nodding, I fumbled for the words.

"Do you have supplies?"

Daniel grinned. "In the bottom drawer of my cabinet." He pointed to the cabinet on the wall that held his brushes and paints.

I raised my eyebrow. "Do I want to know why you keep them there?"

"Probably not." He chuckled, kissing me and biting my lower lip gently. "Get back on the couch. I'll get them."

I pulled back, walking over to the couch while he got the condoms and lube from the cabinet. Sitting down, I watched him walk back over and toss the items on the couch then he moved over to straddle my lap. He leaned down, kissing me again deeply.

Picking up the condom and lube, I shifted, turning so I was lying on the couch and he was still straddling me.

I set the supplies within reach, then my hands tugged at the waistband of his pants. "Gonna have to shuck these if you want any more action."

He grinned at me and moved up to his knees, hands undoing and pushing his pants away. I watched in eager anticipation. I'd never seen what he looked like under the pants and it was killing me. When they were gone, I just stared. God, why was I the one fucking him?

He had the most amazing cock. It was long, perfect thickness with a broad, flared head and curved upwards tantalizingly. He should really be a top with a dick like that. My mouth watered instantly at the sight and I knew I had to suck him at least a little.

I shifted, sliding down the couch between his legs to get my lips around him before he could protest. He gasped, hands falling to my shoulders to balance himself. My lips wrapped around the tip of him and my tongue swept over it, tasting him. It had been a long time since I sucked anyone, but the feel of him on my tongue was perfect.

Slowly, I began to bob my head, lips sliding up and down his length. I couldn't get enough of him, I just wanted to worship that cock. I could hear him groaning above me, and then saw him pick up the lube. He poured it out onto his fingers and his hand disappeared around behind himself. I groaned around his prick, knowing what he was doing.

My hands slid back to his ass, holding him open to give himself better access. I knew when the first finger went in because his whole body trembled. I took that moment to swallow him to the root, testing my gag reflex. His free hand gripped at my shoulder tightly and he nearly doubled over, panting loudly.

"Fuck, Anthony. Too much. I'll come."

I didn't care right then if he did. All I knew is that I wanted him to feel pleasure. But he was hitting my shoulder and I lifted myself off his cock, watching it bounce back against his stomach after it slid from my lips. I looked up into his face, watching his features twist in pleasure as he readied himself. I slid one finger around and let it press into him beside his own.

Daniel groaned deeply, pressing back against my finger and his. Watching the expressions he made was going to make me lose it fast. Thankfully, he grabbed a condom and reached back to roll it over my prick, giving me a squeeze and lubing me up smoothly.

I moved back up, looking at him. "You're running the show." I squeezed his hip, wanting him to control things. I wasn't sure I could go slow enough not to hurt him.

Really, I shouldn't have worried. He angled me toward his ass and sank down smoothly. Our gasps mingled as I felt myself sheathed in a perfect hot, velvety tunnel. Now I knew what it was all about. What all the guys were talking about when they bragged about getting ass. God, it felt so perfect!

Daniel began to slowly raise and lower himself, his ass sliding over my cock as he moved. I thought my head was going to explode from the incredible sensations. My hands rested on his hips, holding him gently, helping him move. I let him lead, just supported him as best I could. My eyes were glued to his face, watching the pleasure crossing his face. He looked like he was really enjoying it. I know I was.

The way he moved was insane. He could twist his hips just right and nearly send me off the sofa with pleasure. I could feel myself growing close to cumming quickly, so I reached up and began to jack him, my hand a blur as it moved over his hard length. He gave a cry that sounded like it had been pulled out of him, his hips stuttering a little. I groaned as he clenched around me, giving a little thrust up into him.

I must have hit just the right spot, because suddenly, Daniel gasped, his back arching and his body going rigid. I felt his ass squeeze me tightly and cum spurted from his cock, coating my hand and my chest and stomach. It was so hot. That combined with the grip he had on my dick had me flying over the edge myself moments later. I thrust up into him again as I filled the condom with a loud shout.

Slowly, I began to come back to my senses after the mind-numbing orgasm. I lay on the couch panting, and forced my eyes open to look at him. He looked ready to pass out. Reaching up, I pulled him down to lie on top of me, pulling his head to my chest. He didn't struggle, just stretched out against me, keeping us both warm by swapping body heat. The movement of him lying down caused me to slip from inside him and I shuddered. I hated to lose that connection, the feelings, but I didn't have the energy to move or complain.

We lay there for several minutes recovering. I closed my eyes, letting a hand glide over his back slowly, fingers enjoying the feel of his skin. I couldn't help smiling, enjoying the afterglow. He lifted his head, turning to rest his chin on my chest and look at me. He gave me an impish smile, and I felt my insides twisting. Fuck, I was really starting to find myself falling for this guy.

I reached up and let my hand brush the hair from his face. "So is that how you tip all your furniture movers?"

He laughed, grinning at me. "Never had a furniture mover before, so I wouldn't know."

I smirked, letting my fingers trace down the side of his face and over his neck gently. "You're really something, you know that?"

He grinned, leaning in to kiss me. It was the first time he had initiated a kiss just for a kiss. Oddly enough, that was more of a turn on than what we had just done. I slid my arms around him, holding him close. I didn't want to let him go, wanting to just lay here forever with him.

Slowly, he pulled back, smirking. "We need to clean up or we're going to be stuck together."

"You won't hear me complain." I grinned back at him.

Rolling his eyes with a smile, Daniel moved off of me, pulling me to my feet. "Come on, stud. We'll shower. Then you can help me bring in a few things from the shed that I need."

I followed Daniel down the hall to the shower, wondering if he would be horrified to know how much I was starting to fall in love with him.

Wednesdays were always rough. I had 4 classes and worked most of the evening, and by the time I got home, I didn't want anything more than to just sink into bed and be dead to the world. At least Thursdays were a much slower day, so I could sleep in.

By the time I dragged myself out of my last class of the day and headed towards the main hall for lunch, I was almost dead. I had an hour before I had to get to work, which was just enough time to grab food and then hit the road.

As I walked, one of my classmates called after me. I turned around and saw Arthur Moore hurrying over. Arthur is a tall, skinny guy, with unruly black hair that fell into his green eyes. He was kind of cute, if you went for the geek, twink type. I preferred the rockstar look myself.

"Hey, Anthony, do you have the handout from last week's Lit lecture?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you need to look at it?"

"You mind? I had to miss because of a doctor's appointment."

"No problem. I was just going to grab lunch, you hungry?"

He nodded and followed me to the lunchroom. Once we made our way through the crowd and found ourselves at a table with food and papers in front of us, I realized that Arthur might just be able to help me with a question that had been on my mind for a while now.

"Hey, Arthur, you're studying to be a detective, right? And you're pretty good with internet stuff? Like finding things online?"

He shrugged as he swallowed a bite of his chicken sandwich. "Guess so. Lots of practice really. I like finding out things and figuring out puzzles."

"How much trouble is it to find someone online when all you have is a name?"

"Well, that depends on who they are."

"As far as I know, just someone who hung around the art scene in New York a couple years ago."

"Well that's pretty vague. Not much to go on."

"I know his name and a little information on him, but I'm trying to find out what happened to him. Like why he vanished."

Arthur thought for a while as he chewed. "There are a few sites that might get you somewhere. First, I'd check police sites in the area for any listings of arrests. That's generally a good reason people go missing. Then, check obits too, just in case. Not sure how much you can do past that without having special access to sites."

I nodded thoughtfully. "That does help though, thanks." I let him eat in peace while he copied the literature handout. My mind was spinning with the possibilities. Could I find out what happened to this Gabe guy, and maybe tell me more about why Daniel move out here alone?

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Classes and work didn't mean much when all I could think about was getting home and researching. I made a dash for my room as soon as I walked in the door, sitting down at my laptop and starting to search.

Thanks to Arthur's guidance, it didn't take me long to find both the police report from that night, and the news article. A cold horror settled in my gut like a boulder.

The night of August 20th five years ago, the police had been called to the apartment where Gabe and Daniel lived. A neighbor reported noise and shouting, and then another call that someone had been stabbed. When the police got there, Gabe had beaten Daniel badly and apparently tried to kill him. The butcher knife was still stuck in his back when the cops tried to get Gabe away from him. In his crazed state, he refused to comply and made threats to the police. When he tried to attack an officer, he was shot and killed.

When I finished the article, I sat back in my chair, staring at the screen in shock. That certainly explained a lot about Daniel. The scar for one. And if he felt deeply for this guy, having gone through that would have shaken anyone's view on the world.

Suddenly, coming face to face with the realization that Daniel could have died so violently by the hands of someone he trusted, and probably loved, made me almost physically sick. The thought that Daniel might not be here now if things had been different wasn't easy to deal with either. I ran a hand over my face. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't met Daniel. I was pretty sure that if I wasn't already in love with him, I would be at some point very soon. So thinking that my life would have had to continue without ever knowing him was very hard to swallow.

I had to get away from my desk and move around. I shut my laptop and headed downstairs. Glancing at the clock as I entered the kitchen, I was surprised to see it was 10:30. I saw my dad sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a beer.

If I thought being back to work would put my dad in a better mood, I was seriously mistaken. He was even more pissed off lately by the time he got home than when he had been off recovering. He looked like he had already had a few beers and the expression on his face said he was looking for something to complain about.

As I walked into the kitchen, he looked up at me. "Oh, you're gonna come down from your tower, huh?"

Yeah, definitely not a good mood. I tried to keep my tone even as I walked to the fridge. "I'm just getting a drink, dad."

"Don't you sass me, boy! You live here for free, and I don't expect you to backtalk me."

I shut the fridge, looking at him. "I'm not backtalking, dad."

He glared at me for a minute, then took another long swallow of beer. "What about work? You gonna work any more?"

Great, this again. "No, it's not working out with my classes."

That pissed him off. He lurched to his feet angrily. "What the fuck does it matter?! You're gonna graduate with a fucking English degree. What the hell are you gonna do with that, huh? You can't make damn money with a worthless English degree!"

"Maybe I'll be a writer. Maybe I'll become a teacher. I don't know yet, but I'll find something."

"Writer ain't gonna pay shit. And you won't be worth shit as a teacher. Boy, you need to get serious about your life. When are you gonna find a girl and settle down? Get out on your own and get a real job?"

I gritted my teeth. I really didn't want to get into this part of the argument with him. I hadn't told them the truth about me before, but now that I'd been around Daniel, seeing that maybe I could have a life with him if I could work it right, I didn't think it was such a good idea to hide anymore.

Apparently, my silence wasn't what he wanted to hear, because before I knew it, pain exploded on the side of my face, knocking me back into the cabinets. I raised my hand to my mouth, wincing in pain. Looking down, I saw blood on my fingers. The bastard had hit me!

He moved closer to me, looming over me and glaring. "You're a worthless lazy son of a bitch. You get free room and board and piss your life away. You got a crap job, you're not amounting to shit in school, and you won't even bring home a girl so we know you'll grow up and be a man. What good are you, then?"

I didn't know where the words came from, but before I could stop them, they came screaming out of me.

"I'm gay, alright?! I won't have a wife and kids or any of that shit, because I'm gay!!!"

You would have thought I'd punched him back with the fury that came over him. Another explosion of pain filled my head as he knocked me a second time, tossing me to the floor. I landed with a grunt, holding my head as I tried to look up at him, bracing for another hit.

He stormed over and stared down at me. "Get the fuck out of my house, you little faggot! You're a worthless piece of shit and now you're telling me that? Get out of here! I ain't got no use for a fag son like you!"

I struggled to my feet and hurried up the stairs. Darting into my room, I grabbed anything I could fit in my duffle bag that I thought I would need. My laptop obviously came along, and a few handfuls of clothes. Satisfied that anything I left behind wasn't worth the effort, I hurried out of the house. With my head pounding, it was all I could do to get in my car and drive.

At first, I didn't know where to go. I didn't have many friends, especially not that I was close enough to that would let me crash with them. The whole time I drove, all I could think about was Daniel was my only friend in town. So, I turned the car down the road and headed into the woods towards Daniel's cabin.

I pulled my car into the gravel drive beside Daniel's house, turned off the headlights and shut off the engine. What a shitty night. My head hurt, my lip still ached and throbbed and I felt like my whole world had dropped out from under me. I didn't see Daniel's truck, and there weren't any lights on in the cabin, but just being here helped a little.

I climbed out of the car, grabbing my duffle bag and walked over to the porch. Tossing down the bag, I sat down on the stairs, leaned against one of the porch posts and stared out into the dark forest. It was quiet out here in the woods, peaceful. I listened to the crickets chirping, the frogs croaking, and just tried to relax. I closed my eyes for a minute and just rested there.

I woke up when I heard Daniel's truck rumbling down the drive. Opening my eyes, I saw him park and get out. He walked over to the porch, looking down at me in surprise.

"What are you doing out here this late?"

I shrugged, glad my face was hidden in the shadows. "Needed to get away for a little while."

He watched me in silence then nodded. "Come on in."

I grabbed my bag as I stood and followed him inside. He flicked on a light as he walked through the living room. "You want anything to eat?" He glanced back at me and I saw the look on his face change to shock. "Shit, Anthony, what happened?"

I winced as he reached over and touched my face. "Long story."

He stared at me for a long time and when I didn't continue, he stepped back, arms crossed. "I'm not going anywhere."

I really didn't want to get into it, but the look he gave me said he wasn't going to back down. "Things got.. rough at home. Can I crash here for a while? I don't really have any place else." God, admitting that was like ripping out my guts. I didn't want to seem weak to Daniel.

Daniel watched me in silence for a long time then he grabbed my hand, turned and led me to the bathroom. He sat me down on the toilet and got a first aid kit from the medicine cabinet. He began to doctor my wounds, wiping the dried blood from my lip and cleaning the cut on my cheek. I closed my eyes to keep from seeing his face and finding out what kind of expression he wore.

"Got rough how, Anthony?" He spoke after a few minutes.

Sighing, I looked at him, figuring I had to tell him the truth. "My dad was in a mood tonight and he started to lecture me about my future. Asking me what I wanted to do with my life and shit. I told him I didn't know yet. He hit me one time, saying that I was pretty much worthless, having a crap job and doing shit in school. Things went downhill from there and he started saying how I needed to meet a girl and settle down, have kids and all that shit. And.. that was when I told him I was gay."

The look on Daniel's face was hard to figure out. It looked like a mix of sympathy and anger.

I didn't want to see it so I looked down at the floor. "He hit me again and started yelling, saying I was already lazy good for nothing, going to throw my life away with a shitty job and worthless degree, and he refused to have me in his house if I was going to be a useless fag of a son. He screamed at me to get out, so I grabbed what stuff I needed and split."

The silence dragged on for so long I finally had to look up at him. He was staring at me with a really strange expression.

"What?"

He shook his head, putting the first aid kit away and turning. "You can stay here."

"Thanks." I watched him move around the bathroom, knowing something else was bothering him. "Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?" His voice sounded forced.

"I don't know. I just get the feeling you are."

He turned to look at me in confusion. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

He gestured, stepping back to lean against the doorframe and stare at me. "That. Come out to your family. You had a home, you had a life and a future. You didn't have to say anything to them if you didn't want to. You're almost done with school, now what are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever I can. And I told them because I was tired of lying." I swallowed, steeling myself. "Because I found something that makes me want to tell the truth."

He froze, staring at me. "What?"

"You."

I hadn't known what expression to expect, but the utter shock on his face wasn't quite it. He looked like someone had punched him.

Reaching out, I took his hand, speaking quietly so not to scare him. "You mean a lot to me, Daniel. When my dad started yelling at me, all I could think of was you, and that made me want to tell them about you. But before I could do that, I had to tell them about me."

He looked at me silently for a while before he spoke. "Why haven't you told them before?"

"That I'm gay?"

He nodded, looking a little shell-shocked.

I sighed and shrugged. "They're always so busy working. My dad's a miner and my mom works two jobs so they never really have much free time. We don't have a lot of money, and they're still busy taking care of my sister, so I didn't see much of a point in telling them. It wouldn't make them happy so they didn't need the stress. And I never had a reason to want to tell them before now."

He turned away, trying to hide his emotions. I stood, reaching over to take his hand again. "Hey. Are you ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Just wishing you hadn't done that."

"Why? You want me to continue living a lie?"

"No, I want you to continue living with your family's support and love. No one deserves to be cut off like that and yet here you are, abandoned by the people who brought you into this world."

"The only way to do that would be to continue lying. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to be myself. I realize now what will make me happy, and I don't want to give that up, or feel like I have to hide my relationship with you."

He stared at me, the look on his face breaking my heart. Slowly, he shook his head. "Is this really worth losing your family over?"

What I could tell that he wasn't saying was "am I really worth losing your family over." How could he ask me that? He truly had no idea how amazing he was. Just what did that man do to him besides leave that scar on his back?

I smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "I'd lose a lot more for this."

He stared at me in silence for a long time before a tiny smile graced his lips. Maybe I was starting to really show him how I felt. It wasn't easy for me to say it just yet, especially knowing what I knew after looking up his past. I couldn't bring myself to say anything just yet. But I was going to show him; that much I could do.

We lay naked on Daniel's bed - which is really just a mattress on the floor - only a light sheet covering us after an early morning tryst, staring out the French doors at the sun coming up. We were both on our sides, him pressed back against me tightly. I had my arm draped over his waist, holding him close, my hand gently roaming his chest. It was times like this I liked the most. I'm not usually a romantic, sentimental type, but just being together, in the quiet morning, was the best.

I kissed his shoulder gently, nuzzling it and he turned to smile at me. "You wanna go again?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I'm liking just laying here."

He chuckled, shifting onto his back and laying his head on the pillow, looking up at me. He reached up and cupped the side of my face. I turned my head, placing a kiss to the palm of his hand, closing my eyes and just leaning into his touch. I was turning into a real softy around Daniel. The look I saw in his eyes last night - scared and nervous over even the smallest declaration of affection - made me swear that I would never do anything that might hurt him. I only wanted him to be happy.

"We're going to have to get up eventually." I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I smiled, looking at him. "Why? I'm comfortable right here. It's Sunday. I don't have classes or work today, and you set your own schedule. Who's to say we have to move from this bed the entire day?"

"At some point we'll have to get up, either to piss or to eat." Despite his words, I could tell he wasn't any more interested in getting out of bed than I was.

I rested my chin on his chest lightly. "Eventually, maybe. But not right now."

His hands stroked over my hair. I had been letting it grow and it was almost long enough for him to run his fingers through, which he seemed to enjoy doing.

I watched him for a long time, enjoying the feeling of closeness. My hand reached out, tracing the tattoo on his chest. "What's this mean?"

He smiled lightly. "I designed it. It represents freedom."

"Freedom from what?"

Daniel's eyes got that closed off look they get when he doesn't want to talk about something, so I shrugged. "Forget I asked." I leaned up, kissing him softly. "You don't have to tell me."

He looked at me for a minute, then slid one hand down my chest to cup my cock. "Wanna go again?"

I smirked. "You just don't quit, do you?"

He grinned back. "Why would I? I've got a hot young stud at my disposal. I see why they say younger lovers are better."

Chuckling, I leaned in and kissed him. I was starting to see that Daniel used sex when he didn't want to confront feelings. When a conversation got too personal, he would steer things back into something like sex that he didn't have to think about. It made me wonder just how painful his past was, and I started to want to protect him even more than before.

It was starting to scare me how much I was coming to care for Daniel. He was so haunted by his past, yet I wanted nothing more than to hold him forever. It didn't make much sense to me. I was a simple kid from a small town. I didn't have any ambition or anything going for me, but I wanted to help him. I didn't really know what I could do, but whatever it was, I wanted to try.

I just had to convince Daniel to let me help him.

I had been living with Daniel for almost a month when things changed. Before then, we had gotten along great. I went to classes and work and came home to help him by fixing something for him to eat - he didn't usually eat anything if I wasn't there - and then we sat around listening to music and just talking about stupid, mundane things. He would ask me about my past, my family and stuff, but wouldn't ever really open up about himself. I wanted to ask him so many things, but then he would know I had researched him, and I had a feeling he might not like that.

One day, I came home from work to find a note on the fridge that Daniel had gone to the next town over to pick up a special shipment of canvas and other art supplies he needed. He said he would bring back some dinner for us because he would be late. I smiled as I read the note. It was hard for me to imagine him being the standoffish guy I remember from when we first met. Lately, he'd become really thoughtful in small ways. It was really nice.

About an hour later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see two things. One, that the rainstorm had hit and there was a torrent of rain falling. And two, there was a tall, smartly dressed man standing on the porch. He had piercing blue eyes and perfectly combed dark blonde hair, and I hated him instantly. I could just tell by the vibe he gave off that he wasn't someone I wanted to be around.

"Can I help you?" I tried to keep my voice even.

"I'm looking for Daniel, can you let him know Paul is here?"

"Daniel isn't here right now, but if you want to leave a message, I'll let him know you stopped by."

The man pushed past me and walked into the entryway. I stared after him, startled. I definitely did not like this asshole.

I turned to follow him. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I said he's not here. You need to leave and I'll tell him you were here."

"That's alright, I'll wait for him."

Bristling, I spoke a little more forcefully. "He won't be back for a while, so you can just leave and I'll tell him you came by."

The man regarded me with those cold eyes. "Boy, I don't know who you are to Daniel. Probably some groupie he's shagging for kicks, is my guess. But either way, you are inconsequential to me. I've come to talk to Daniel about his work and when he'll be ready to begin showing again." He reached into his pocket and produced a business card, handing it to me. According to the scrap of paper, he was Paul Barlow, art agent.

Now that surprised me. I had figured that Daniel was through with the art world for good if he was here, hiding in the woods like this. This asshole was saying that he was basically just on a break? And he must know if he's Daniel's agent, right?

I almost dropped the card, feeling a little uneasy at this news. "What are you talking about? He's here just on a ... what, a rest?"

The man gave a wave of one hand, a dismissive gesture. "He said he needed time to himself after the ... incident with Gabe."

"You mean the bastard trying to kill him?" I really didn't like this guy at all, and it was hard to keep myself civil. How could he refer to attempted murder as "the incident?"

Paul regarded me coolly, ignoring my comment. "I told him that he could have one year, but he had to produce something worthwhile in that time. When he vanished and never got in touch with me, I was concerned, but let him have his space. We've been billing it as a sabbatical and that he's coming up with new, amazing works in the meantime. I've already scheduled a gallery for next month to showcase his latest."

I was furious and wanted to kick this asshole out. "You don't give a shit about Daniel. You don't want to help him, you're just trying to salvage a show and figure out how you can make more money! You're using him!"

"What the fuck is going on here?!"

Both Paul and I looked towards the door in surprise when we heard Daniel. He stood there, holding a bag of what I could only assume was food, looking soaked and very unhappy. I couldn't tell if it was because of Paul or me.

Paul was the first to recover, putting on a smarmy fake smile and walking over to Daniel. "Daniel! You're looking good!"

Daniel held his hand up. "Don't take another step towards me. Get out of my house and leave me alone."

"Daniel, you have responsibilities to attend to. It took me a long time to find you, and now you're going to have to show the world what art you've created while you were gone."

The look Daniel gave him was enough to make my blood chill. Whatever this guy did, which I didn't have much trouble imagining, it had really hurt and angered Daniel. I was glad to know I wasn't wrong in disliking the guy.

"I said get out of my house, Paul. Get the fuck out of here, get out of this town and go back to living under the rock you slithered out from."

Paul glared at Daniel. "You have obligations, Daniel."

"Like fuck I do! You were the one who booked all those shows, and it was you who was profiting off them! I know what you were doing, Paul, and I'm not falling for that again! I said to get the fuck out of here!"

Apparently, the death glare Daniel gave him was enough to make Paul reconsider being an asshole.

"Well, I suppose I can give you a few more days. I gave your little fuck toy my card, so when you're free, give me a call." Paul was obviously trying to make it seem like leaving was his idea. He looked me over, smirking lightly before heading towards the door. "Talk to you soon, Daniel."

I was never happier to see anyone leave before. I looked towards Daniel, who seemed ready to spit nails. I stepped closer, looking at him.

"Are you ok?"

"Of course I'm not ok!" He spat back at me. "That asshole is the last person in the world I ever wanted to see again!"

"So he's your agent? He's a dick."

"No kidding." He ran a hand through his hair, still very agitated. "What did he say to you?"

"The same thing he said to you. That you had obligations. He said he had booked a show next month and you needed to be ready for it."

"Fuck! Goddamn that piece of shit!" He looked like he was ready to throw something.

"Obviously he's only interested in making money for himself. He didn't seem worried about you at all, just that you come to the show. He's using you, Daniel!"

"Don't you think I fucking know that?! Why do you think I never got in touch with him? I had to figure a way out of my contract, and he was good at hiding what he was doing."

That startled me. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

He turned away, snatching the bag from the table he had dropped it on and stalked towards the kitchen to put it away. "Because before I could, I had bigger problems to deal with."

"You mean the attack?"

He froze, going so still it was like he'd been carved from stone. Oh shit. I had let slip that I knew about Gabe.

Slowly, he turned to look at me. "You know?"

There was no way I could deny it now, so I just managed a nod.

His eyes narrowed. "How?"

I hesitated a moment, but had to tell him. "I looked you up on the internet."

Now he began to move again, but it was to pace and throw his arms in the air angrily. "What the fuck!? You went snooping online about me!?" He looked furious and I was terrified I might have really done some damage.

"You wouldn't tell me anything, you kept shutting me out. I wanted to learn more about you, so I looked you up."

"I'm so glad to see you're respecting my privacy!" He turned away, pacing a few feet before whirling back around. "So now you know it all. Everything. How long have you known?"

I hesitated again. I didn't think he was going to like my answer. "I looked you up a few days after that first delivery."

He made a strangled noise in his throat, what sounded like a mix of anguish and frustration. "So this whole time, it's been about that, hasn't it? That's why you hung around, why you weaseled your way in?"

"What?" I looked at him, confused. "No, that had nothing to do with anything."

"Oh, didn't it? You read I'm famous and you don't want to hang around and see what kind of money or fame you can get off me?"

"No! When I first met you, I had no idea about you. I just knew you were hot and I wanted to be near you."

"Yet somehow, you end up doing a background check on me and trying to figure out everything. Nice, I'm so glad to know you're willing to respect my privacy!"

"I just wanted to learn more about you!" I didn't understand why he was so upset. "You never told me hardly anything about yourself."

"So you don't know everything about me! So what?! I don't know everything about you, and you don't see me prying into your personal life!"

"I'll tell you anything about me you want to know! My last name is Wilkes, I'm the oldest of two kids. My bloodtype is AB, my GPA is 3.3. Before I met you, all I had done with another guy is hand jobs and blowjobs. I love classic rock and secretly have a thing for Japanese pop music."

I think that almost got a laugh out of him, but he turned away, shaking his head. "Anthony, did it ever occur to you that there are a lot of things in my past I don't want to talk about?"

I was getting a little annoyed myself now. "Well, yes, but only because I figured that out on my own. You certainly never told me anything about what happened to you."

"What makes you think I had any reason to?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe just living together, fucking each other. I thought there was something between us."

He glared at me. "What is between us is sex, Anthony. I don't recall ever promising you anything more than that."

"You never even promised that! You just got me off every time I stopped by! We never talked about anything deeper."

"I didn't hear you complaining!"

I sighed, walking over closer and softening my voice. "Daniel, please. You have to know how I feel about you."

"No, I don't." He was staring at me, his eyes stern and cold.

The more I looked at him, the more I suspected he did know. "I think you do. I think you know what I feel for you and you're afraid. You don't want to feel anything and you don't want to be hurt again after Gabe. So you're shutting me out and not letting me close so that I can't hurt you like he did."

The look on his face shifted from anger to horror and hurt. I hurriedly continued talking before he said anything. "Daniel, I love you."

"No, you don't. You don't mean that." His voice shook a little bit as he spoke.

I smiled softly, reaching towards him. "I do, Daniel. I think I've loved you for a long time."

He pulled away when I tried to touch him, looking at me with a terrified face. "You don't love me. Don't say that!"

"Why not?"

"Because if you say you love me, then you're going to hurt me. And then you're going to leave."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Why would you think that?"

"Because that's what he did."

His whisper shook me deeply. Even now, after all this time and what that man had done to him, Daniel still carried the pain of betrayal so freshly. I wanted to soothe him, to promise that I wouldn't do that to him, but before I could say anything, he turned and bolted from the house, out into the downpour outside.

I raced out of the house after him, blinking to clear my eyes from the rain that poured down my face and soaked me through instantly. I caught up to him, grabbing his arm and turning him to face me. "Daniel! I'm not going anywhere! I'm not leaving you, no matter what you think! I told you, I want to stay."

"I don't want you, you idiot!" He glared at me with a mix of hurt and anger. And fear. He was afraid. Maybe that he would feel something for me and then I would leave and hurt him, or just afraid of feeling anything at all. After what he went through before, it made sense.

"Listen to me, Daniel. I'm not like them. I don't care about the money you made. I don't care you're famous, or whatever. I wouldn't care if you were the King of Persia, I love you because of the way you make me feel. Because my stomach ties in knots every time I see you. Every time you walk past me, my whole body is on edge because it wants to touch you, to hold you forever and never let you go. Never let you be hurt again."

I stepped forward, grabbing him and holding him tightly, ignoring the beating down rain as I just wrapped my arms around him. I wouldn't let him go. I had to show him.

He was stiff in my arms for a while, but finally I felt him give a shudder and he sagged against me, burying his face in my chest. His arms tightened around my waist and I felt his body shaking as he cried. I just held him, stroking his head as he cried.

I kissed his temple, whispering into his ear. "I'm not going anywhere. I told you, I love you. I'm staying with you, and I will never hurt you. I promise."

"You can't promise something like that," he mumbled into my chest.

"I can promise anything I want. I love you, Daniel. I'm not like them. I don't care about fame, money or anything. I love you because you're you. Because you're handsome, funny, and I love watching you paint. The look on your face when you're working is amazing." I closed my eyes, resting my cheek to the top of his dripping wet hair. "I couldn't go on living if I could never see you again."

He tried to pull back and I turned his face to look at me. I stared into his eyes, trying with all my might to convince him I was serious. "Daniel, why don't you believe me? How can I prove to you that I'm serious? That I'm not the same as them?"

Daniel hesitated then looked away. He pulled away and turned to walk back towards the house. I watched him for a minute before following him. We sat down on the porch in silence for a little while, just listening to the rain and letting our clothes drip onto the worn floorboards. I could sense he was gathering himself to say something, so I just let him decide what he was going to say.

"That night, I had worked late in my studio and come home tired. Gabe had been out partying again, doing God knows what with any number of people. I had known for a while he was probably doing drugs and sleeping with other men. But I kept thinking we could work it out. I thought that he was just getting caught up in the lifestyle, and that with a little talk, we'd be ok."

He took a deep breath before he continued. "When he finally got home that night, he was more strung out than I'd ever seen him. He started yelling when I told him that my next show was going to be delayed because of some issues. He was ranting, screaming that I was going to hurt him because I was selfish. That I didn't care about him if I put it off. I had figured he was using my status to get things, but it wasn't until then that I realized how much. I got angry, telling him that he needed to quit partying and to stop using my name to get things. I told him if he didn't, we probably weren't going to be together anymore. That was when he went crazy. I don't really remember the details of the attack. Just that we had been standing in the kitchen fighting and I turned to leave, then woke up in the hospital where they told me what happened. And that he was dead."

My heart ached, hearing him talk. I could tell how much it hurt him to talk about it. Despite the time that had passed, the pain still looked fresh.

He slowly looked up at me. "I loved Gabe. We met in college when I had a show on campus. He came because it was a cultural credit for his sociology class, and we started talking. Within a few weeks, we were going out and we were happy. I don't think we were apart from each other more than a day at a time after that. In the beginning, he was everything I wanted. Smart, funny, handsome. But the more interest my paintings got, the more he seemed to change slowly. I didn't see it then, but I know it now. By the time I had my first professional show after college, he wasn't the same. I think he had started partying back then, and my shows were the place for him to mingle, meeting people he would go out with later. I was too wrapped up in my work to notice, or really care."

"It's not your fault, Daniel," I said softly. "Gabe hurt himself and you. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Maybe if I had loved him more, I would have seen what was going on, and I could have helped him. Maybe I could have saved him."

"Or, maybe he would have succeeded in killing you." The very thought of that made my blood chill. Never meeting Daniel was not a pleasant thought.

He looked at me, his eyes revealing how exhausted he was now that he had to tell about his past. "The point is I trusted him. I thought he loved me and he was going to be with me forever. And I trusted Paul. I was convinced he was doing everything for me, helping me become a better artist. I don't know if I can trust anymore." He looked away. "That's why I never told you anything. I kept thinking you were just staying with me to use me."

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm not here because you're famous. I'm not here because you have money. I'm here because of you. Because I think you're hot and sexy and I want to be around you. I loved you when all I knew about you was your first name and that you painted."

He still didn't look convinced so I got up and knelt at his feet, staring up at him. "Daniel. I know you've been hurt a lot in the past. Paul used you for money, and your ex betrayed you. He tried to kill you. That would make anyone wary and reluctant to trust. I understand. But I think I've shown you that I'm not all talk by now."

Daniel sighed, speaking quietly. "I keep trying to tell myself you're right. Deep down, I know you won't hurt me, but I'm just.. scared. I trusted them too, and they broke that."

A thought came to my mind. The people who had hurt him before were all concerned with using him to get something for themselves, and probably never gave anything back to him. All this time, I had been trying to tell him to trust me, to have him give something to me. I had to give something to him before I could truly get through to him. Maybe if I showed him I trusted him, he would understand.

Reaching up, I took his hand, pulling him to his feet and into the house. He looked at me, confused. "What are you doing?"

I smiled. "I want to show you something." I pulled him into the bedroom, dropping his hand to pull my clothes off. I could tell he didn't understand yet, so I sat down on the bed, moving back to look up at him. "Daniel, I want to show you how much I love you. How much I trust you. I want you to fuck me."

His eyes widened and he looked frightened. "No. Anthony, I can't."

"Yes, you can. I love you, I trust you. I want to give this to you." I sat up, taking his hand and pulling him down on the bed. Leaning in, I kissed him. "No one's ever fucked me before," I whispered. "I want you to be the first. The only, if you'll let me."

He gave a little whimper and pressed his forehead against mine, arms clinging to me. He looked deep into my eyes, fear obvious in his grey gaze. "You're not going to like it, and then you'll leave."

"Look at me. Do I look like I'm not going to like it?" I pointed down at my half hard cock. Just thinking about him taking me had gotten me hardening. I smiled at him. "I love everything you do to me, and I'm never leaving." I reached down, taking his hands and placing them on my naked ass. "Daniel, take me. Make me yours. I want to give this to you. I love you and I trust you, I know you wouldn't hurt me."

He hesitated a little more, but I leaned in and kissed him deeply. I could feel his resolve slipping. His hands began to gently stroke my ass and I nearly fainted with relief.

I'd been curious about bottoming for a while now, but had never been able to bring it up. Now, it seemed perfect. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be my first than Daniel.

He pulled back again, looking at me nervously. "Are you sure?"

My hands reached up, cupping his face and pulling his lips to mine. The kiss was tender and loving at first, just me trying to tell him how certain I was. I let my fingers trace down his neck and began to remove his shirt. Once off, I tossed the still wet fabric to the side. Our lips met again and my hands roamed his chest, fingers tracing the tattoo on his chest. I could feel him beginning to give in. His body was softening slowly, relaxing.

I let my hands move down his body to unfasten his pants. Quickly, I pushed them and his underwear away, leaving him naked in front of me. His beautiful dick was there, already mostly hard and taunting me. I leaned down, wrapping my lips around the tip, tongue tracing every bit of it. He moaned, shivering. One of his hands rested on my head, fingers stroking through my hair.

Quickly, I swallowed his dick down to the base, letting my tongue bathe it as I went down. He groaned louder, fingers gripping my hair once before sliding through it. I closed my eyes, enjoying myself as I ravished his cock. I was excited to get it inside me, to feel what being taken by that length would do to me.

After a few more minutes of sucking him, I lifted my head and straightened, looking at him with a smile. "Ready?"

He still looked uneasy, but he managed a smile. "I think so."

I took his hand and pulled him on top of me as I lay down on the bed. I settled back on the pillows, feeling him move between my legs.

He gave me a tentative grin. "Tell me if I do anything that hurts you, ok?"

"You won't hurt me. I want you, Daniel. Please."

He leaned down, kissing me tenderly again before he shifted, grabbing the lube and a condom from the bedside table. Ok, it was really a small steamer trunk that had seen better days, but it worked. He set the condom down to one side, then uncapped the lube, pouring some onto his fingers and rubbing it over them to warm it.

I shifted, bringing my legs up to give him full access. Even with the little unease in my stomach, I trusted him not to hurt me and I was definitely curious to know what it felt like to be taken.

He leaned over me and kissed me deeply while I felt the first finger gently circling my hole. The slick, warm digit traced the outline over and over, dipping in slightly now and then, but never forcing. The sensations were incredible, making goosebumps rise along my skin. I moaned softly into the kiss, amazed at how much of a turn on it was already.

Carefully, he pressed one finger inside me. I didn't feel any pain at all, just the gentle pressure of his touch. I sighed, feeling him slowly stroking in and out of me. I reached up, wrapping my hand around his neck and pulled him in deeper to the kiss, moving my hips to push him deeper within me.

He added a second finger and I could feel the muscles stretching then. I gasped softly into the kiss and immediately, he pulled back, looking at me in concern.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

I smiled, nodding. "Fine, just getting used to the feelings." I pushed my hips down, feeling his fingers slide deeper. "More."

He stared at me for a few more minutes before continuing. His head lowered and he wrapped his lips around my left nipple, teasing it. My back arched into the sensations and a shiver ran down my spine. His two fingers slowly stroked in and out inside me, brushing my prostate now and then which sent me almost levitating off the bed with a cry of shock. My body was on fire and I was aching to feel him inside me.

I looked at him. "Daniel, please. Hurry."

"Not yet. I don't want to hurt you." His tongue flicked over my nipple, then he moved to the other one as he slid a third finger inside me.

That finger stretched and burned slightly, but I was so desperate for more that it barely phased me. I was still rock hard, despite him having completely ignored my dick. Something told me this would definitely not be the last time I bottomed.

As his fingers stroked me, easing the way for what would come, he lowered his head and slipped my dick into his mouth. My body was trembling with the restrained urge to thrust into him, and a whine fell from my lips as I fought it. In all the times we had been together, I hadn't ever felt like this. I thought him sucking me and taking me inside his ass were the best that sex could get, but now, feeling him inside me was beyond what I could have imagined.

I could feel myself loose now and I barely managed to speak, my chest rising and falling quickly with my increased breathing. "Daniel, please! Fuck me! I need you in me!"

Slowly, achingly slowly, he sat up, letting my dick fall from his mouth. He stared at me, his hand inside me stilling. His eyes bored into mine, searching me as he spoke. "Promise me you're certain."

I groaned, shuddering. "Goddamnit, Daniel, if you aren't in me in ten seconds, I am never sucking you off again!"

The look that crossed his face was shock, but it dissolved into laughter and he leaned in, kissing me deeply. His fingers slipped from my ass, and I whined as they left me, missing the fullness already. He grabbed a condom and the lube, quickly readying himself. When he shifted around, I pulled my legs back, giving him space. He guided himself to my hole and I felt the tip of him brush against me. Slowly and carefully, he pushed in and my head fell back with a groan, my eyes closing. It felt better than his fingers. My hands reached down, holding onto his sides and pulling him closer, not letting him back off. He slid into me in one stroke, filling me perfectly. I felt a shiver race down my spine again and I wanted to cry for joy.

His hand stroked my face gently. "Anthony? Are you alright?"

I smiled, not opening my eyes. "Much better than alright. Fuck, that feels amazing." I wrapped my legs around his waist, just holding him in place. "God, why didn't you tell me it felt like this?"

Daniel chuckled softly. "Because then I might not have gotten fucked."

I looked up at him, grinning. "You're probably right. I'm definitely not letting you keep this to yourself from now on."

He leaned down, kissing me. "Deal."

I smiled, returning the kiss. "Hurry up and move. I don't know if I can wait much longer."

Smirking, he obeyed me. Slowly he drew his hips back, sliding almost all the way out of me. A whimper escaped me, feeling sensations ripple across my nerves. Then he thrust back in, cock brushing over my prostate and I gasped.

"Oh, fuck!"

He grinned, hips beginning to move steadily. He leaned down, licking and kissing at my collarbone. "I know."

I had no idea it would feel that good. Daniel's careful preparations had ensured that his entry was nearly painless, and the sensations of him thrusting were incredible. I almost couldn't catch my breath as he began to speed up, my brain focused on the intensity of the pleasure.

Daniel leaned down, kissing me gently as he moved, his hands on either side of me to support him. I looked up at him, wrapping my arms around his neck to hold him close. My legs wrapped around his waist, keeping him close and helping him thrust deeper. I might never let him go.

He smiled at me, biting at my bottom lip. "How's it feel?"

"Amazing." I moaned, tightening my legs to bring me closer to him, and we gasped in unison as he thrust even deeper. His head fell down to rest against mine and a shiver racked him.

"Shit, Anthony, I'm not going to last at this rate. It's been too long since I did this."

I smirked. "We just did it yesterday."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know." I shivered, gasping as a thrust hit the bundle of nerves inside me. "Fuck, Daniel, harder. I'll be right there with you."

He began to thrust deeper, his hips meeting my ass over and over. It felt like he was impossibly deep inside me, and I was starting to think I could die from pleasure. His breathing began to quicken and I knew he was close. I wouldn't be far behind.

Then he surprised me by wrapping his hand around my cock and stroking me, squeezing my already aching hardness. My body tensed, every muscle on edge as my orgasm surged through me out of nowhere. A shout ripped from my throat as cum coursed from me, covering my stomach. I wished I could have seen his face, but my eyes were shut tightly. I heard him grunt, and his hips snap a few more times before he stilled, back arching as he came into the condom inside me.

I don't even know how long it took for us to recover. We were both pretty stunned after those orgasms. He slowly pulled out from me, moving to clean us up.

When he was done, I pulled him in for a kiss. Looking up at him, I smiled softly. "I love you, Daniel."

He returned the smile. "I know."

That made me smile wider. Exhausted, I lay back on the pillows, pulling him close in beside me. He wrapped his arms across my waist and hugged me, pressing tightly against my side.

Daniel nuzzled my shoulder, chuckling softly. "I see why you do that so much now."

I smiled. "It just feels right."

"Yes, it does." He gave me another squeeze, sighing deeply. "Thank you, Anthony. For everything. I can't promise anything will change overnight, but I want to try. I really don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, Daniel. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here with you forever, unless you get sick of me and kick me out."

He chuckled. "Doubt that'll happen. You can put up with me when no one else can."

We lay there in silence for a while before I spoke softly. "Do you miss him?"

I knew he could tell who I was talking about. He was silent for a while, one hand gently roaming over my chest. "I did, at first. We had some good times. He was very charming. But I guess that was because he was trying to get something from me. I never realized it at first, but I think he had been a leech from the first day. I was blind to it, thinking he loved me for me. I was so smitten with him, it was stupid. I was stupid."

I squeezed his hand gently. "You were young and in love."

"Like you?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"There's a difference. I know the man I'm in love with is a good person."

He sighed. "How do you know that?"

I squeezed his hand gently. "Because what happened affected you. You were concerned for Gabe's welfare, even when he was mooching off you. And you still felt guilty when he was the one who tried to kill you. I know you're a good person, Daniel, I can feel it. And I love you very much. I always will."

Slowly, a smile curled his lips. "How did I get so lucky to find you?"

I grinned. "You know the right store to shop at."

When I woke up, I was alone in bed. I lifted my head from the pillow and shifted, looking around. The clock on a nearby table said it was 3:30 in the morning. The room was empty, but I could see a light coming down the hall from the living room. Daniel was working again. He couldn't be too upset if he was working.

I got out of bed and walked down the hallway towards the light. Stepping into the room, I could barely make out Daniel's form at a huge canvas, working away.

I blinked, trying to adjust to the light. "You're up early."

He glanced up at hearing me. His eyes had that "I'm creating" look to them. "Ah, perfect. Come here." He grabbed my arm and turned me around, pushing me against the wall and raising my arms up in a V over my head. He tilted my head down a bit. "There, don't move."

Even half asleep, I was used to him posing me. He'd come to enjoy having a live-in model to work out ideas that he had in his head. I kept saying I wouldn't do much to help his paintings since I wasn't model material, but he continued to claim I was perfect for what he wanted. I have to admit that did feel good to hear.

I could hear him working away behind me, fussing with the paint on the canvas. I closed my eyes and just listened to him working, wondering if I could fall back asleep while standing up.

Finally, he told me I could move and I trudged over to the couch and sank down. My head hit the pillow and I was asleep again instantly.

A knock at the front door woke me again a few hours later. Opening my eyes, I saw that sunlight was streaming in through the windows now, casting long streaks of light over the floors. I lifted my head, seeing Daniel still absorbed in his work.

I sat up and stretched. "I'll get it." I climbed to my feet to go answer the door.

He glanced up at me, confused. "You're naked."

"So?" I grinned, sauntering towards the door with a swing to my hips. I heard him laugh behind me, the first real laugh he'd uttered since I met him.

I opened the front door and there stood a short, well-dressed man staring at me through trendy black-rimmed glasses. He startled when I opened the door, giving me a head to toe sweeping glance. Obviously my naked state was not appalling to him, if the look he gave me told me anything.

"Can I help you?"

He pulled his eyes from my crotch and looked up at me. "Um, yes, I'm looking for Mr. Daniel Stern?"

Instantly, I was on edge. "Who are you?"

He reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a card. "My name is Raymond Frost. I'm an agent with the company that employs Mr. Paul Barlow. Or should I say employed? Mr. Barlow's actions in regards to Mr. Stern's accounts were recently discovered to be very unsatisfactory. He was let go immediately, but we feared he might still try to be involved, since we were not able to find Mr. Stern and warn him. When we heard he was going to be coming here to see Mr. Stern again, I came immediately to try and straighten things out."

"Well, you're a little late. He was here yesterday, trying to tell Daniel he had shows booked in a month."

Raymond grimaced. "I am sorry. I can assure you, we will take care of him immediately. Is Mr. Stern available? I'd very much like to speak to him about this."

I stepped back, motioning for him to enter. "Come in. I'll go get him."

Once Raymond was standing in the foyer, I walked back to the living room. Daniel was cleaning a brush and searching for another color of paint. I walked over, sliding my arms around him from behind and kissing his neck.

Softly, I spoke in his ear. "There's a guy who's from the same agency as Paul. He said they found out what Paul was doing and fired him, but couldn't stop him before he came to see you. This guy wants to talk to you about it."

I felt him tense up a little and rubbed his chest lightly. "It's ok. I'm right here. I think you should talk to him. If what he's saying is true, then they might take care of Paul for you."

He slowly turned to look at me, the look on his face was nervous. I kissed his forehead softly. "Just hear what he has to say. The worst that can happen is you say no."

Daniel nodded, smiling. "Thank you." He glanced down at me, smirking. "Go put on some pants. I do have an image to uphold."

Laughing, I kissed him quickly and returned to the bedroom to pull on a pair of pajama pants. When I walked back out, Daniel was talking with Raymond in the foyer. I walked over, sliding my arms around Daniel from behind and resting my chin on his shoulder lightly to show my support. Daniel squeezed my hand gently as he continued talking with Raymond.

"We are prepared to make amends for what Paul did," Raymond was saying. "There are lawyers at the agency now going through all the information they have trying to figure out what he did and just how much trouble he will be in. Before I came here, I spoke with my boss who assured me the police will be arresting him soon and he will face a judge for all he's done."

Daniel was silent for a while, nodding slowly. "I appreciate you letting me know. However, I never planned to go back into showing my works. I had my fill of it before, and I don't know if I'm willing to go through any of that again."

Raymond nodded. "I certainly understand, Mr. Stern. However, if I may be so forward as to say that your artwork is truly wonderful. I believe that there are so many who benefit from seeing your art that you would be depriving the world of a very great beauty if you did not share them."

Daniel didn't seem convinced, so I spoke up quietly. "Just think it over. No one says you have to decide anything now. But think about it. You obviously had something about it that you enjoyed before, so maybe you shouldn't throw that part away because of the bad parts."

He shifted in my grasp, turning to look at me with a little smirk. "Since when did you get so smart?"

"I don't know what you mean, I've always been this smart!" I looked insulted, but had a hard time fighting a grin.

He chuckled, turning back to Raymond. "I'll think about it. Thank you for coming to tell me about Paul. Please let me know what happens with him."

Raymond smiled, nodding. "Of course. We will have to get in touch with you about compensating you for the damages he did anyway. I do hope you will consider showing again. Please, give me a call if you decide you need anything."

Raymond excused himself and we watched him leave before shutting the door.

I looked over at Daniel. "What do you think you might want to do?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll admit, I did enjoy the showing, the creating for people. But I just don't know if I'm ready to go back to that yet."

"You have plenty of time to decide. If you want to go, I say do it. I'll always support you, so whatever you want to do is fine by me."

He smiled softly. "Thank you." He leaned in, giving me a kiss. "I promise I'll think it over. Even if I decide to go back, it won't be an overnight decision. I'm still not ready to go back to that life. It might be a month, it might be a year. I won't let myself go back until I'm ready."

I kissed his temple. "I'll be here for you, however long you need to take. You are my first concern. I don't care if you never go back, I love you and want you to be happy."

Daniel grinned, wrapping his arms around my neck to pull me close to him. "And that is why I love you."

Epilogue: 4 years later

I stood in the middle of the room, watching the crew running wires and reinforcing supports in the walls to prepare for the show. A huge crate sat in the middle of the room, filled with the paintings Daniel had worked on feverishly for the past few months. He had almost gone into a trance in the last stretch of time before the show, working nearly non-stop to ensure he would make it on time. It had been a battle to get him to sleep and eat, but I had gotten used to fighting with him over that. It usually worked out best if I just cooked something and brought it to him. If I sat and ate with him, he would typically take bites between long bouts of painting. And once his brush was starting to droop, I would pull him away from the canvas and drag him into bed and hold him until he fell asleep.

Arms wrapped around me from behind and I felt Daniel rest his chin on my shoulder. I smiled, leaning back against him.

"What do you think?" Daniel's voice was quiet, and I could sense he was nervous about my opinion.

"I think it's going to be great. Your stuff is amazing and this place is perfect. Raymond assures me that there's been a huge amount of interest in your show, and to expect a crowd."

We stood there silently for a long time, watching the work being done. My thoughts wandered to what had happened in the past four years.

After Paul's visit that night, Raymond assured us they were going to be pursuing legal action against him. And he didn't lie; Paul was arrested a few weeks later, then tried and found guilty of embezzlement and breach of contract. He was made to repay all the money he stole both from Daniel and the art agency. Last we heard, he was serving time in prison, and we didn't care if he never got out.

It took almost a year before Daniel had even considered returning to the art world. He told me that he didn't want to go while I was still in college, so I made him promise that once I graduated, he would try. We took a little time to ourselves, going on a few trips and just enjoying truly getting to know each other without the interruption of life. Once that was over, he contacted Raymond and began to work in earnest toward rejoining the art scene.

In the meantime, he encouraged me to find what I wanted to do. I was determined to prove my father wrong about my education. An English degree had to be worth something somewhere. Thanks to Daniel and an old friend of his, I had managed to get on staff as a feature writer for a magazine, which allowed me to work remotely and send all my articles in through email. It was a great job, letting me work at my own pace, and I got to use the skills I had never expected to be helpful. It was nice to feel like I could do something, and deep inside, it helped me to overcome how my father had felt. And how he had made me feel.

Daniel squeezed me gently, kissing my neck. "What are you so deep in thought about?"

I smiled, squeezing his hand. "Just things. You, me. All this."

"Does it make you nervous?"

"A little," I admitted. "I've never been one to be in the spotlight, so it's hard for me to get used to."

"It might be a little overwhelming at first, but because we won't be in it all the time, it shouldn't be too bad."

That had me thinking of all Daniel would be missing by not being in New York all the time. "Do you want to move back out here? Flying in for shows all the time might get tiring."

I felt him shake his head. "No. I want to stay right where I am. In that tiny shit hole of a town, in that house forever, with you."

His arms tightened around me and I couldn't help but smile. Before I had met Daniel, I couldn't wait to get out of that town. I just knew it was going to be the death of me. But now, I couldn't imagine any other place being home. That house in the woods was the only place I wanted to be, with him.

The sound of footsteps made us look up. Raymond was walking over, smiling.

"It's going great! They should have everything ready in plenty of time. And when those doors open tonight, it's going to be a huge success! I've got people calling constantly wanting to know if you're really back!"

I smiled, looking back at Daniel. He was smiling, but looked a little nervous. I kissed him gently. "It'll be fine. You'll be fine."

He smirked at me, returning the kiss. "I will as long as you're here."

We moved off to walk the room, ensuring all the art was hung properly before the doors opened. Soon, the gallery was filled with people and overrun with the sounds of conversations about art subjects I had no hope of understanding.

Daniel was treated like a long awaited hero coming home from battle. Everyone had to talk to him, expressing their happiness at him returning, and also dropping a few condolences about what happened before. If any of it bothered Daniel, he didn't let it show. He handled it all with grace and a smile. He wouldn't let me stray far from his side, wanting to introduce me to everyone.

Finally, it was time for the opening speeches. Raymond stood before the crowd, thanking them for coming and being a part of this special night. Then he introduced Daniel for him to speak.

Daniel gave me a kiss on the cheek and a quick squeeze on the hand before he walked up before the crowd. He gave a broad smile, looking around at everyone before he spoke.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. This show means a lot to me, since it is my first exhibition back in many years. Most of you know my story from when I was active before. You saw my rise in the art world and then what happened when I trusted the wrong people. I thought when I left New York that I would never be back. I expected to just spend the rest of my days locked in a cabin in the woods, painting things that no one would ever see." He smiled, looking towards me. "Then, someone came into my life and showed me I could trust again. When I first met Anthony, I would never have imagined he could change my life the way he has. Despite his young age, he quickly became my foundation. I couldn't be standing here today if it weren't for him."

I felt a flutter in my stomach, smiling back at him fondly. Hearing his feelings like this, especially in front of a crowd, was incredible. I never thought I would be able to be so open and comfortable with showing affection in public. I could get used to this.

Daniel held my gaze for a little while before continuing. "Most of the works here were created since Anthony became my inspiration. I've forced him to model for me countless times, and he never complains. Personally, I think the pieces that are here are without a doubt my best. I finally understand who I am and what my art is meant to do, and that has made all the difference in the world. So as you browse around, and I know you will compare these works to my previous ones, just remember the inspiration here. Whether these pieces are considered as good as my old ones or not, they are finally a true portrait of myself. Thank you."

Applause erupted from the crowd as Daniel made his way towards me. People began to wander the gallery, talking amongst themselves as they looked at the art on the walls.

Daniel stepped up to me, looking at me with a nervous gaze. "Well?"

I smiled, leaning in to brush a kiss over his lips. "It's fantastic. I can tell they love your stuff, and I know it's going to be a big hit."

He smiled. "But what do you think of the art?"

I smirked. "I think you need to get a new model."

Daniel laughed, hugging me close. "Never. I found the perfect one."

The rest of the evening was a blur. More guests came by to talk to him and Raymond kept us informed of how many pieces were selling. When I first heard how much one of the paintings went for, I nearly choked on my champagne. I hadn't ever asked Daniel how much money he had, because I didn't really care. But now, I was starting to realize that he was a lot more well off than I thought when I first laid eyes on him in the hardware store.

Hours later, I was more than ready to go. Daniel looked like he was starting to get fidgety as well, so I walked over to where he and Raymond were talking, sliding my arm around Daniel's waist.

I smiled to Raymond. "If you don't mind, I'm going to kidnap my boyfriend here and take him back to our hotel for a little proper celebrating."

Raymond grinned. "I don't mind at all. I'm going to grab mine later for a little celebrating of our own." He waved towards the refreshment table where his partner, Chris, was serving food. It had paid off that his partner had a catering business.

Daniel smiled at me, and we made our goodbyes, turning and slipping out of the building.

As we walked along, arms around each other's waists, I smiled over at him. "Not bad for your first show back, huh?"

He shook his head, smiling. "Not bad at all. Several pieces sold, and the gallery owner thinks they should have even more offers coming in soon. And best of all, I was able to get through it all without going insane."

"I knew you could do it."

"Only because you were here, Anthony."

I smiled, kissing his cheek. "Yeah, well, I'm just good like that."

He laughed, nudging me. I nudged back and soon we were shoving each other and then racing down the sidewalk towards the main road. We hailed a cab and fell into the backseat, laughing and touching constantly. We kissed endlessly, not caring what the driver might think. Once we made it to the hotel, we got out, threw some money at the driver, and raced inside holding hands. We dashed into an elevator and I barely managed to push the button for our floor before Daniel tugged me into another spine tingling kiss.

My hands got lost in his hair as I pulled him closer. He had let it grow lately and it fell down past his shoulders now in beautiful black waves. I couldn't get enough of it, and he humored me by letting me run my hands through it often.

His arms slid around my waist, holding me tight against him as the elevator rose. I kissed him repeatedly, getting lost in his taste. He still tasted just as good as the first time he kissed me. And I could still get hard thinking about the way I felt when I first laid eyes on him, half naked standing in front of that huge canvas in his house.

After what felt like ages, the elevator finally made it to our floor and we tumbled out, racing down the hallway. He fumbled with the door, but eventually got it open. Before it had finished closing, I pulled us together again, enveloping his mouth with mine. He returned the kiss with just as much passion, his hands sliding up under my shirt. Briefly breaking the kiss, he pulled the shirt over my head, tossing it aside.

Daniel grinned at me. "On the bed. I'm too old to do this standing up."

I smirked at him. "You're not to old for anything, handsome."

"Humor me." He grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the room, moving over to the huge king sized bed that dominated the far wall.

Falling back onto the bed, I started to remove my pants quickly. "Are you topping or me?"

Ever since the first time he took me, I had pretty much become a total bottom boy. I loved having Daniel inside me, it just felt right. He still wanted me to take him on occasion, but I much preferred to feel him thrusting away into me.

"What do you want?" He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, starting on his pants.

I grinned. "You know what I want. Besides, I think you deserve to be top for your big day."

"Like that makes any difference to you." He smirked at me. "I have to practically beg for you to top me."

"What can I say? I think you're hot."

Laughing, Daniel shoved me back on to the pillows playfully. His hand wrapped around my already hard cock, stroking me just right. I shivered, groaning.

He leaned down to kiss me deeply, hands stroking down my chest. His fingers left my cock and began to trace every inch of me, teasing all the spots he knew were sensitive. They flicked over my nipples, playing with them until they were hard and aching. Then his hands glided down, one again grasping me, the other slipping beneath to tease my sac.

I shivered, moaning softly into the kiss. "You keep that up and this will be over before we get to the good stuff."

He pulled back from the kiss and smiled. "Can't have that, now, can we?"

I reached into the bedside table and pulled out the lube we had stashed there. "Come on, handsome. Get me ready."

Daniel made short work of preparing me, his fingers stretching me in record time. I was panting softly, almost desperate for him by the time he was done. He didn't leave the rest of my body alone while he opened me. His lips wrapped around a nipple, licking and nibbling, then brushed down my chest. He would flick his tongue over my cock, teasing me until I finally shouted at him to get in me.

He reached for the condom to roll it on, but I grabbed it from him, looking up at him. "I think we can go without this now. Our tests have always been clean, and I will never want anyone besides you."

Daniel stared at me intently. "You're sure?"

I smiled at him, reaching up to stroke his cheek gently. "I want you without anything between us. I love you."

He hesitated a little longer, then slowly he smiled and nodded. "Alright. I love you too."

I grinned, grabbing the lube and shoving it at him. "So get to work!"

Quickly, Daniel slicked himself, adding a little more lube to me, before he moved between my legs and I felt him pressing at my entrance. I lifted my legs away a little more to open myself up. When he slid inside, I groaned, loving the feeling as he took me for the first time. It felt even more amazing now that it was just him.

He held still inside me for a little while, staring down at me intensely. He gave a smile. "You're amazing, you know that?"

I grinned back at him. "You're the one with the amazing cock."

He smirked, leaning down to press his forehead to mine. "You know what I mean," he whispered.

"Yeah, I know." I brushed a kiss over his lips. "Come on, stud. Get moving."

He slowly withdrew, sending shivers down my spine. He didn't give me a chance to enjoy that feeling before he thrust back in hard. I couldn't stop a groan, and with a grin, he began to move hard and fast. He was definitely feeling good if he was setting a pace like that. I didn't know where the energy had come from, but I certainly wasn't going to complain!

I rode the pleasure, amazed at the power behind his movements. I had known he was talented from the first moment we were together, but feeling his power and control now, I was even more amazed. Every time he thrust in, his hips moved in just the right way, touching every sensitive spot inside me repeatedly and driving me higher towards my ultimate goal.

"Oh, God, yes.. More!" I whined as he thrust into me, feeling his cock pegging my prostate over and over.

He groaned, hands gripping the sheets tightly, head falling down as he continued to pound into me.

I couldn't remember us ever coming together so energetically, or frantically. We were both on fire with lust, instead of the usual relaxed loving. He moved with an intensity I hadn't seen before now. I loved it.

A groan tore its way from my throat, my head fell back, body arching as he scorched my nerves endlessly. "Fuck.. Yes, Daniel."

He answered me with a shuddering gasp, his lips and teeth falling onto my neck to torment my skin deliciously. I could tell the different sensations of going bare were getting to him, and I wished I had enough muscle control to smile at the thought. Driving him crazy was always fun. When he was deep in pleasure and couldn't speak coherently, his face was a mask of pure ecstasy.

I managed to lift my arms, wrapping them around him to hold him close, squeezing my legs and thrusting back against him and sending him deeper inside me. We both groaned in unison at that and his thrusts took on a new, more pounding rhythm. It was almost too much and I knew I couldn't last much longer. And by the sound of his breathing, Daniel wouldn't be far behind.

I reached a hand between us, wrapping my fingers around my cock and stroking hard, trying to keep time with his thrusts but failing miserably. His hips were almost a blur, moving harder and faster than ever before. My body was almost burning in pleasure. I had to get relief.

Daniel gave a deep groan, looking at me with unfocused eyes. "I'm almost there."

I nodded, panting. "Me too."

He surprised me again, this time by grabbing my ass and lifting it, he was thrusting in on a direct course to my prostate. I felt my back arch so hard it nearly snapped. My hand flew over my dick, almost an afterthought as I felt my orgasm surging.

"Oh, fuck!" It hit me hard, sending every muscle in my body into a fit. Cum erupted from me, coating me thoroughly. My legs tightened around him, wanting him deep inside me as I came.

I heard him groan deeply, his hips faltering a little, and with another squeeze of my ass around him, he slammed deep, crying out as he emptied himself into me. I could feel the heat inside me as he came, and it gave me a shiver, though I was well past doing anything else at that point.

His arms seemed to give out and he collapsed on top of me. I weakly wrapped my arms around him and held him close, uncaring that we were being stuck together with my cum. His head fell next to mine on the pillow and his panted breaths tickled my neck.

I smiled, feeling my chest heaving from the exertion. "Not bad for an old man."

He smirked, biting my shoulder weakly. "Hush."

I chuckled, stroking his back gently as we rested. After we caught our breath, Daniel gently eased off the bed and walked to the bathroom. He got a washcloth and cleaned us up, then settled back down beside me. I lay there, staring at the ceiling and just letting my muscles relax. We were silent for a long time, enjoying the post-coital embrace, when he spoke softly.

"You have no idea just how much I love you, Anthony."

I glanced over to him. The look in his eyes caused any assertions that I did know to die in my throat. He stared at me with so much feeling, more than I had even seen him express while he was working, that it rocked me. I never expected to see that kind of emotion from him, especially not directed at me.

"I am convinced that if I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be alive right now," he continued, running a hand over my chest gently. He had become very touchy since we had arrived in New York, I assume because of nerves. "I was so bothered by the things that happened before that I wasn't letting myself live. But you coming along opened my eyes. You didn't expect anything from me, you didn't use me for anything, you just loved me. I never thought I could find that." He raised his eyes to mine and smiled.

I smiled back, leaning up to kiss him gently. "It's not all one sided, Daniel. You did a lot for me too."

"Like what?" He seemed to be genuinely unaware.

"You made me grow up. Before you, I was just skating by on life, not caring what my future was going to be. I didn't have any ambition, any desires. When I met you, I began to find a reason to grow up and care about the future." I gently pushed an errant strand of hair behind his ear. "You became so important to me, that I realized what I was supposed to be doing in my life. You make me want to be someone, you make me want to try."

He smiled softly. "Then I guess we saved each other."

I nodded. "I like to think so."

Daniel leaned over, kissing me tenderly. He whispered against my lips. "I am so glad I found you."

"Me too," I whispered back. "I was getting really sick of being a cashier."

He laughed, poking me in the side. I grinned, hugging him close, nuzzling his neck gently. We settled back on the pillows, wrapped around one another, and just relaxed. There were no obligations, nothing waiting to be done. No one needed us for a while, and we could just be alone together.

I smiled, closing my eyes and leaning against him. "You know something?"

"What?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I could get used to this."

He chuckled softly. "Me too."

We lay there in silence for a long time, and I finally heard him drift off to sleep. I lay awake a little while longer, just thinking back on everything that had happened in the last 5 years.

When I first met Daniel, I didn't know what to think other than he was hot. That was all it took to get me interested back then. But now, thanks to him, I was seeing the world in an entirely new way. I saw the darker side of people from the stories of his past, and I got to be his support when he needed it. Something about helping him made me feel important. I felt needed, and that was probably the most incredible feeling in the world.

I loved this man so much it sometimes scared me. I never dreamed I would fall in love like this, and I didn't want to mess it up. That didn't mean I was perfect. We fought sometimes, mostly because of little things I did, but every time, when I realized what I did wrong, I made a point of learning from it. I didn't make the same mistake twice.

I felt Daniel shift beside me, sliding his arm around my waist and hugging me close in his sleep. I couldn't help smiling, my hand taking his gently. This was where I felt happy. This is where I wanted to be forever.

I had found happiness. I had found love. I had found a purpose. That was a lot more than some people could say.

Smiling, I settled in closer and closed my eyes. I let myself fall asleep, knowing that tomorrow, I would wake up next to the one person that meant as much to me as I did to them.

I can finally say I believe in happily ever after.