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Dayo had been doing well in his new home on the coast. Sure, it had been raining and snowing which had created sleet, but it was still beautiful. He loved it here. He was glad he'd run away from home four years ago when he was seventeen. He had been arranged to marry a woman from another prestigious family, so he's made his great escape before anyone saw it coming. He'd have never had a chance to leave otherwise.
But that was all in the past. Today, he was invited to a Christmas party and needed a white elephant gift. He normally didn't wait until the last minute, but the days had slipped by him. He strolled along the Saturday Market, looking for a small bauble that would be interesting. He smiled and sipped his coffee, enjoying his life.
Someone bumped into him and his wrist was suddenly in handcuffs. He frowned and looked at who was attached to the other cuff. The man grinned. "Gotcha."
"Liam?" He didn't understand what was happening. He tried to pull away, but nothing happened. Liam, a third generation Thai man still looked as beautiful as when they dated in high school. Though, had bulked up, which meant he was sturdier and immoveable as Dayo tried to pull away.
"Hey, Dayo, I'm taking you home."
Leaden dread sank to his core. He shook his head. "No way! You can't do this!"
"Money's good." He smirked. "And I missed you." There was a bitterness in those words.
He frowned. "Fuck off! I'm not going anywhere with you!"
Twenty minutes and a good scuffle later, Dayo sat in Liam's car, handcuffed to the door handle. The snow had picked up, showering them in large, heavy snowflakes. He huffed. "So, what, you've sold your soul to my parents now?"
He laughed. "Close, I'm a bounty hunter."
Anger sizzled inside him. "Makes sense, it doesn't require a brain to do."
Liam glanced at him, jovial. "It's good to see you."
"Just fuck off."
Liam turned the windshield wipers to a faster speed, trying to see the road ahead of him. Dayo laughed to himself, knowing it would be a fruitless attempt. He wasn't surprised at all when Liam slowed and pulled off to the side. The moment the car parked, Dayo opened the door and got out. He didn't expect to get away, but being in the car with his old flame was suffocating. Dayo looked around him. They were in the evergreen forest of the mountain pass and if the snow was as deep as it was here, the pass would be closed. He laughed, served Liam right.
Liam sighed. "You can't get out of those, you're just gonna freeze and bring the snow into the car."
Dayo flipped him off.
Sighing, Liam looked at his phone and then swore a minute later.
He leaned down to look at him through the open door. "Problem, bounty hunter?"
"We're going to have to stay at an inn. The Evergreen Inn is just a few miles back. Get in."
"Make me."
Liam sighed and got out of the car and looked at him over the car. "This is childish!"
Dayo stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm not going willingly to my parents. I'm going to fight the whole way."
He watched Liam's jaw clench. He couldn't get over how more beautiful he was five years later. Round face more structured and those beautiful brown eyes full of annoyance. He wanted so badly to see Liam smile again, but he had no intention on being the one to do it now.
Stiffly, Liam shuffled over to him. "Get into the car, please."
"No."
There was another sigh before Liam's strength came out, wrestling him into the car. Dayo swore at him, kicking out at him and landing a blow to his shin.
"For fuck's sake, Dayo!" Liam snarled, shoving his hand in Dayo's face to push him in and then shut the door roughly. Dayo had half a mind to open the door again, but it would only make them more cold and wet. So, he slouched and glared out the window. Liam got in and blasted the heat, turning back to the town. He turned the radio on and in a fit of pettiness, Dayo changed it to a Christmas station.
Liam sighed. "You are one of the more annoying bounties I've caught."
"Good."
Silence stretched between them, the happy bop of holiday music grating their psyches. When they pulled into the inn, Dayo saw it full with cars. The Evergreen Inn always profited this time of year. Liam got out and pulled a bag over his shoulder. When he retrieved Dayo, he clicked the handcuff to his wrist and pulled it against his chest, covering it in a coat.
"Just be cool."
Dayo scoffed.
"We'd like a room please."
The woman glanced at them. "The only room available is the Turtle Dove honeymoon suite."
Dayo leaned against Liam, smiling wide. "The turtledove suite for the two turtledoves! How fitting."
Liam ignored him and checked it, expertly avoiding using the hand hidden under the jacket.
"He's grumpy about the storm, really he's a sweet vixen." Dayo chatted. "He was so excited for our little get away, he thought it'd be romantic to handcuff us together!" And with that, Dayo pulled the coat away.
"For fuck's sake!" Liam hissed, pulling it back on.
The woman's brows rose.
Dayo laughed. "He's going to keep me in bed until the storm passes."
"I'll let you have pee breaks," Liam mumbled.
The woman handed him the key. He pulled Dayo along in frustration, unlocking the door and pushing him inside. It was small, with the bed in the main room, a kitchenette and a tiny, standing shower. With the door locked and Liam standing guard, he finally undid the cuffs.
"Go do your business or whatever. You are going to be handcuffed while you sleep."
"Kinky."
"Shut up and go or you're sleeping in those wet clothes."
They were both stripped to just their underwear, handcuffed together on the bed as Liam flipped through channels. Each time he settled on something Dayo began to complain, making him lose interest and try again. Dayo found it extremely satisfying.
Finally, Liam turned it off. "Alright, it's bedtime, then."
Dayo frowned. "You're not sleeping on here."
Liam laughed. "Course I am."
"No. You can sleep on the floor." He was just starting another fight, too angry and scared to do anything else and Liam was a perfect outlet.
"Get over yourself, I'm not sleeping on the floor."
Dayo pivoted and pushed Liam off the bed. The man unceremoniously fell to the floor. Dayo's arm followed, but that was fine, it brought him closer to the key on Liam's side table. He scrambled for it, getting it in his grasp before Liam was on his feet and wrestling it from him.
"Dammit, Dayo!"
Dayo rolled, dragging Liam's arm under him to stop him from grabbing the key. Liam countered by straddling him and pulling at Dayo's hand, prying the fingers open. Dayo bit him. Liam shouted, falling away against the wall, key in hand.
The bed began to vibrate violently, knocking Liam on top of Dayo. They were tangled, twisted in awkward ways. Dayo's face was smushed, making it hard to talk. Liam took the precious moment to catch his own breath.
"Just out of curiosity," Dayo said. "What did they tell you they wanted me back for?"
Liam huffed. "You ran away at seventeen, they're worried about you."
"I ran away because I was arranged to marry a woman from a close family. If I hadn't left when I did, they would have locked me in a room and forced me to marry her."
"What?" Liam frowned. "Is that why you never wanted me to meet them?"
"If they'd known I was gay, I would have had no chance to leave."
Liam swore. Of course he'd done research of the family when they'd tasked him to find Dayo. A wealthy family native to Africa was well documented. However, the more modern records and rumors painted a not so friendly picture. And Dayo was only now validation to his original senses. He hadn't liked the family, but they'd been convincing enough that they were worried about Dayo and with his curiosity, hed been cautiously convinced.
He sighed and handed the key back to Dayo.
Dayo, even prettier than he'd been in high school, frowned.
"Go on, take it. It's against my policy to be implicit in forced marriages." He sighed, almost whining. "That was a lot of money." He'd be hurting for the next few months, but his morals wouldn't let him do otherwise.
Dayo wasted no time undoing the handcuffs. He untangled himself from Liam, sitting in the corner and eyeing him while they jostled noisily on the bed. "Just like that?"
Liam glared, the pang of abandonment now fresh and raw. He held out his hand for Dayo to undo the handcuff. "Yeah, just like that. I'm not going to force you into marrying anyone. I was going to force you to go say hi so they knew you were alive and healthy, but I was never going to tell them where I'd found you and I as going to bring you back. I remembered the way you hated going home."
Slowly, Dayo undid the cuff. "Oh."
Liam tossed the cuffs to the side. "When the storm clears, you can go back and forget I ever existed."
Dayo's posture softened. "I could never forget you existed. I hated leaving you. I had planned on telling you and seeing if I could stay at your place, but then things changed and I had to leave immediately and disappear. I wanted to contact you, but I didn't know if it was safe to- not because of you, but because I didn't want them to find any trails."
He sighed, taking in Dayo's sweet, soft, innocent face. He'd missed it. "Well, we're stuck here and I'm not sleeping on the floor."
To that, Dayo looked sheepish. "Sorry about that, I was only doing that because I was pissed and scared. I don't mind sharing a bed."
Liam shook his head. "You are a full on brat, always have been."
"You can be the big spoon to make up for it."
They'd never done more than make out, but the suggestion of cuddling, brought him back to being a teenager and wanting to touch him more than anything. "You're damn right I'm the big spoon, you bit me."
Dayo laughed. "I did, yeah, I'm sorry." He scooted under the covers, careful not to be thrown off the bed by the rocking.
His chest felt lighter than it had in four years. He turned the lights off and then settled next to Dayo, wrapping an arm around his waist. He shamelessly felt Dayo's stomach and chest, reveling in the hair and how soft he felt. Liam had had to learn self defense and keep his strength up, but Dayo hadn't and he loved it.
"You're not wasting time," Dayo laughed.
"I'm going to take advantage of whatever you let me do."
There was a pause and Liam waited for the rejection. "What if I say you can do anything you want?"
"We're getting married."
Dayo laughed, loud and joyous. He turned on his back. "Whoa, now!"
"You don't want to get married to me? Look at me, I'm quite the catch."
It earned him another fond laugh. "If I marry anyone, it will probably be you, but I don't plan on being married anytime soon, if at all."
He shrugged. "I can wait. And even if we never marry, as long as we're together, I couldn't care less."
Dayo intertwined his fingers in Liam's. "Thank you."
He hummed. "If marriage is out of the picture. I want to kiss you and then spend all Christmas using this janky ass vibrating bed to it's full potential. And maybe we'll celebrate together."
Dayo turned and kissed Liam. It was like coming home. They both smiled. Dayo brought Liam's hand to his lips. "That sounds like the perfect Christmas."