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“Let’s go get those cables”, Danny quietly suggested. Dylan nodded and checked the electronics for which cables to bring once more before following Danny out the backdoor to the bus. The night sky still felt warm but a slight breeze cooled it down quickly. Dylan felt a little lost walking after Danny like this, eyes on his back. He fought the urge to think of one of those cliché vacation photos of a woman looking over her shoulder as she dragged her partner by the wrist. He didn’t even know where it came from in the first place. Danny didn’t look back on their way to the bus. One of the storage spaces was still open and Danny stopped next to it. Dylan dove into the storage trunk to fetch the cables. He checked the names taped around the end and took them out. He held them up like it was his most prized possession. Danny gave him a nod and leaned his side against the bus. “The ones we need?”
“Yeah, I checked.”
“Did you check them like you did last time?” Danny folded his arms and a small smile formed on his lips. Dylan never knew if that kind of smile from him was meant to mock him or if Danny was just amused by the dumb mistakes Dylan had made in the past. Whatever it was, it always made Dylan feel stupid. All his life he’d been comfortable with his intellect but when Danny questioned his mistakes with that smile, he felt like a complete idiot and more than ever, he felt disappointed in himself. “I checked them”, he bit more venomously than he intended.
Danny’s smile made way for a worried frown. He’d never tell Dylan but Danny had a sixth sense. Danny was completely socially incapable when it came to jokes and playful insults. He always took it too far, but for some reason, he sensed when he caused harm and he’d always try to make it up. And when he sensed it, the worried frown appeared. “For someone who doesn’t play an instrument, you’re more than capable of helping us set things up.”
“Yeah, sure”, Dylan huffed. Danny took his hand and pulled him a little closer. Dylan felt his heartbeat speed up. There were times when Danny seemed so young and so naïve and then there were times when Danny truly reminded Dylan of their age difference of 4 years. This was one of the latter moments. Danny was twice as broad as Dylan, slightly taller. Dylan swallowed a lump in his throat. Older guys, am I right? He shoved the thought out of his head but Danny tugged on his hand. “C’mere.”
He pulled him into a hug but snuck his arms under Dylan’s as if he were about to lift him from the ground. Dylan couldn’t just let his arms hang awkwardly so he wrapped them around Danny’s neck. It took him a second but he held him tightly and pressed his nose into Danny’s collarbone. His scent caught him off-guard. He closed his eyes and suppressed any thoughts he almost had about the embrace. He couldn’t help but entangle his fingers Danny’s hair. He thought he felt Danny shudder against him when he did. Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think.
He didn’t know whether his thoughts were playing tricks on him or if the embrace lasted longer than anything friendly. Or if he really felt Danny sink lower to squeeze him tighter. He bit his lip until he tasted blood. Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think. Danny gently pulled away but kept his hands on Dylan’s sides. Dylan couldn’t remember when he’d started sitting on the edge of the open trunk. He tried his best to keep his gaze straight forward, not caring that he was looking at Danny’s neck at that point. Though one thought made him avert his eyes to the side. Don’t think.
He took a deep breath when Danny lifted his chin. Dylan finally met his eyes and chewed the inside of his cheek.
“You know I don’t mean to insult you”, Danny whispered, barely audible. Dylan tried to nod but just closed his eyes gently. He tried to take his attention away from his heartbeat. At this rate, Danny would feel it too. “I know.”
Danny pressed his palm against Dylan’s cheek and Dylan tried to ignore how hot his skin felt or the urge to lean into it, for that matter. Don’t think.
Don’t think.
I shouldn’t think the things I’m thinking.
Dylan’s eyes flicked up at Danny to see him still staring down. He still felt one careful hand on his waist and was vaguely aware of Danny standing between his legs or how both his arms rested on Danny’s shoulders, still loosely wrapped around Danny’s neck. Danny finally dipped his head down to capture Dylan’s lips in a kiss. It was unexpected, yet inevitable. Almost like Dylan felt it coming so he’d been prepared, parted his lips to meet Danny’s tongue with his own. He felt butterflies in his gut when Danny pushed him backwards into the storage space and hoovered over him, one knee pressed between his legs and both hands gripping his sides with enough desperation to convince him he wasn’t too eager to kiss Danny. He was starting to feel dizzy. Maybe a bit love drunk.
As quickly as Danny had kissed him, he pulled away when they both heard a loud whistle. “Where are you guys and why is it taking so long?”
Charlie. Dylan jumped upright so quickly his vision went black for a second. Charlie finally came into view and took the cables out of Dylan’s hands. He didn’t even realise he was still holding onto them. Charlie checked the tags at the end of the cables and gave them both a look. “What took you guys so long?”
“Traffic”, Danny replied, voice so rough Dylan thought it was sexy. Danny followed it up with an amused smile. Charlie poked him in the side. “You must be the funniest guy at home, huh?”
“Life of the party”, Danny winked back at him. Charlie shook his head and walked off. Dylan could feel Danny’s gaze on him but he didn’t face him. Danny sat down on the edge of the trunk and pulled Dylan to stand in front of him. The roles seemed reversed now but Dylan wasn’t stupid. Danny was in control. Danny was in control when he pressed a kiss against Dylan’s cheek. Dylan closed his eyes and felt another gentle kiss to his jaw. He tried not to think when Danny moved lower and kissed his neck. His nose felt cold against Dylan’s skin. He convinced himself that must be the reason he turned his head away and offered more space on his neck for Danny. He gulped when he felt Danny’s tongue swipe across his skin. He felt like he found his voice again when he said: “Danny.”
First it left his lips so quietly Danny hadn’t even heard him. He repeated it, a bit louder and drawing his attention. Dylan leaned his hands on Danny’s thighs to stay balanced. Danny pulled away. Even in the dim lights of the trunk, Dylan could see Danny’s pupils were blown and he’d probably prefer to return to what he was doing before. Don’t think.
“We can’t.”
He ignored Danny’s hands creeping under his shirt by his hips. He tried to ignore the butterflies in his abdomen. “We practically work together.”
Danny huffed. “As if they’d care.”
“I care”, Dylan whispered. “I’m…”
Danny lifted Dylan’s chin to look into his eyes again and Dylan’s sentence trailed off into nothingness. “Is that the only reason you want me to stop?”
“Yes”, Dylan cleared his throat. “No. No. I just. We can’t. I can’t feel this. Not with you.”
“You mean this?” Danny asked. He took Dylan’s hand and pressed it to his chest to feel the rapid heartbeat. Dylan tried not to think about his muscular chest and abs when he touched him but at this point, he failed miserably. He knew that if Danny had actually been sitting instead of leaning, he would’ve straddled his lap already. He didn’t even try to convince himself he wasn’t doing so because of self-control. He had none when it came to Danny. Since the attraction started, Dylan hadn’t been drinking anymore. He was too afraid of what he’d do if Danny came into his personal space. No. Don’t think.
He exhaled sharply and pulled his hand away from Danny. The man smiled at him mischievously. “I could’ve put your hand elsewhere but not without your consent.”
“You’re making it hard”, Dylan complained.
“So are you”, Danny chuckled. “Oh. You meant resisting. Sorry.”
Dylan finally pulled away from Danny’s grip by taking a few steps back. “I’ll keep it at a no. For now.”
“That’s fine. I’d never do anything you don’t want”, Danny assured him. “But I know you want to.”
Dylan let out a nervous chuckle. “You have no idea.”
I get dirty thoughts about you.
Danny pushed himself off the edge of the trunk and closed it. Dylan waited for him to lead the way back to the venue, not really sure why he hadn’t started walking himself.
He could already feel a deep sense of regret set into his bones when he watched Danny’s back. He wished he hadn’t said anything, wondered just how far they would’ve gone in such a public space. At what point would Danny have stopped? Would they pick up where they left off later? Get in the bus and continue? Would he have left it at a handjob or blowjob even? Would he have gone all the way? Dylan felt the heat in his neck at a particularly graphic image of himself in Danny’s lap and he immediately felt a deep sense of shame. Told you. Don’t think.