Denny
He’d managed to get three fans; two standing ones and a tabletop one that they could put somewhere on top of the bar. He felt accomplished as fuck, given that it had taken him longer than he’d thought to find them.
He also had one swamp cooler, the other hadn’t made a beep when he’d tried to start it. Oh well, it was still better than nothing.
As he drove toward the Hare, he smiled a little. He felt as if he and Josiah were getting somewhere. Their friendship was better than ever, and the lingering touches during their domestic routine were just… nice. Even without sex—although he couldn’t help but to think that would also be a nice thing to have sometime soon—he felt fulfilled in a way he couldn’t remember being.
He’d met Kristin for coffee the day their divorce had gone through, and he’d told her about Josiah. She’d smiled at him with fondness and told him he needed to take this relationship seriously, because Josiah was the love of his life. How she’d known that before him, well… sometimes he felt as if women were more perceptive. Besides, she hadn’t been married to him for nothing, they’d known each other well.
She was seeing someone casually, had told him about her health issues and whatnotto expect, intimacy-wise. She said he’d taken it well, so far. Denny felt relief and gratitude. They’d agreed that they hadn’t married mistakenly after all, but that they’d felt like they were it for each other at the time. Neither of them regretted a thing, and they’d vowed to try and stay friends, busy as their lives could get.
He parked the car at the little loading space and got out. He’d need help with the bigger boxes, they were awkward and he didn’t want to risk dropping the precious cargo. Feeling glad he’d been home when Josiah called so he’d been able to change into linen shorts and an old Alice in Chains T-shirt, Denny unlocked the back door and went inside.
Yeah, the temperature in the back was already stifling, he just hoped it wouldn’t carry on too bad to the bar proper. He pushed the door open, saw Josiah, and his mind blanked. The thin sleeveless top that showed off all the ink on Josiah’s arms and the way his nipples were little points underneath were one thing, but Denny realized that Jo had never heard of the gray sweatpants phenomena.
He stuttered something and backed away, willing his dick to behave, because holy shit this was awkward. He hadn’t gotten so turned on so quickly since in his teens.
Marching down the hall and out of the building, he tried to gather his wits.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jo asked from behind him.
Denny whirled around, startled somehow, even though he’d known he was being followed.
“I… uh… you….” He gestured at Josiah weakly.
“Okay, I don’t get it.” Jo frowned. He looked down and tried to figure it out. “I’m wearing my gym stuff—”
Denny made a choking sound. “That’s the outfit you exercise in?”
“Nah, this is my backup. Why?”
Denny groaned. “Take out your phone. Google ‘gray sweatpants season.’” He went to lean against his car while Jo dug out his phone.
In a couple of minutes, Jo guffawed loudly. “Oh my God,what?” Then after another moment of silence, Denny saw him look down again and then he blushed. “Uh….”
“So excuse me for staring, and I can tell you’re actually wearing underwear and even if you weren’t that’s fine, but holy shit Josiah, I want to climb you like a tree or bend you over the hood of this car and—” His ramble was stopped by Josiah walking up to him and kissing him almost violently.
His back thumped against the side of his SUV and something about the forceful way Josiah acted made him melt, and he moaned into the kiss. Josiah used the opportunity to lick into his mouth, and everything else faded away but Josiah.
They devoured each other, Denny tangling one hand into Josiah’s hair, the other gripping the hem of his shirt that made a small ripping sound as he pulled without meaning to.
He was harder than he’d ever been, and he recognized this with awe.
“Okay, dads, I get it that you’re hot for each other, but could we maybe get this open mic night done without you two being arrested?” Drea drawled from the back door.
Josiah pulled himself away, then realized what his god damn grey sweat shorts wouldn’t cover and groaned.
“We’ll be there in a couple of minutes. I’ll push Jo into a cold shower if need be,” Denny said, hoping that he didn’t sound as if he was as out of breath as he felt.
“Yeah, yeah, keep it in your pants. Hot as this is”—she gestured at them—“we’re getting swamped and the bar is slowly turning into one so chop-chop.”
The door banged closed, and Josiah groaned, then hid his face in Denny’s neck.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this in the open?” Denny murmured, feeling turned on and amused and just all the things at once.
Suddenly the sound of an energetic electric guitar started from the inside, and it jolted them both to action. After Denny had shown what he’d gotten to Josiah, both of their erection had gone down enough that they could function again.
To his utter surprise and Josiah’s too, based on his expression, it was Alfie who was singing on the stage with a punky-looking friend on the guitar. What was more surprising was to find Gray sitting at the end of the bar, looking supremely uncomfortable as Alfie… serenaded him?
