“I mean, it’s not a lie, no?” Chris looked into the bassist’s eyes, equally fearful and hopeful.
“No. I’m not fucking anyone else.” He raised a playful brow. “I’d have told you and we’d be using condoms.”
The pressure in the guitarist’s lungs disappeared, and he let out a sigh. “Me neither. So, you’re good with us telling them that, so they think we’re serious or whatever it is they want to assume so they’ll leave us alone?”
“I’m not sure they’ll buy it, considering you haven’t committed to anyone in ages, but sure.” Marc’s expression hardened. “Whatever feels better for you.”
“I think this is it, yeah.”
A part of Chris wanted to keep the dirty aspect of their relationship a secret. Once it was out in the open, everyone would know. It would become real. That was when people got hurt. And he had always run from getting hurt. However, a tiny part inside of him felt good about publicly claiming Marc, even if they weren’t serious.What a mess!
“Okay, then let’s go get this off our chests so we can leave,” the bassist said. “I still wanna have my way with you.”
Something in his tone told Chris he wasn’t so convinced about this decision they’d just made, but he couldn’t think. Not when his heart was thudding in his throat and his dick was eager for everything that was about to come.
As they entered the living room after reluctantly taking off their boots and coats at the entrance, all the eyes fixed on them and Søren smirked.
“What is it?” Julia asked while the banter slowly faded. “Who died?”
“No one,” Marc replied.
“Then you’ve killed someone and need our help to bury the body?” Luca quipped.
“No.” Chris huffed. “We just…” His heart thumped in his chest.Holy shit.He’d never imagined coming out would be this fucking hard.
“We want to talk to you about something,” the bassist said.
“We’re listening.” Uwe nodded solemnly, intertwining his fingers as he rested his elbows on his knees.
“So… hm…” Chris scratched the back of his head as he and Marc sat in their seats. “W-we’re kinda seeing each other.”
Silence. Thick silence filled the room.
“As in… dating?” Julia finally asked, cutting the tension with her sweet voice.
“It’s too early to say,” the bassist interjected. “But yeah. Guess you could call it that.”
“Wait, wait!” Noah shouted, eyes wide open. “You’re fuckingtogether?”
“Like choking each other’s chicken kind of together?” Eugene added.
Both Marc and Chris slowly and hesitantly nodded.The fuck?
“Holy shit. It’s ‘bout time!” Noah cackled, patting the bassist on the shoulder. “I always knew you had that Big Dick Energy.”
“Are you fifteen years old or what?” Uwe’s wife shook her head at the ridiculous banter this group, formed by supposed adults between their early thirties and late forties, had going on.
“Dude, I thought you were only into women,” Eugene told Chris with the stupidest grin plastered on his face. “I couldn’t believe it when this asshole said you might be a thing”—he pointed at Uwe—“though looking at you two now…” He tilted his head. “You make a nice couple.”
“I-I—” the guitarist stammered, completely mind-blown by the crew’s reaction. “Since when have we been the talk of the day?”
“You’re a bunch of old snoops,” Marc clipped, rolling his eyes. But he wasn’t deceiving anyone. He was clearly amused.
“Yo, let them be,” Luca said, waving his hands. “Who cares who’s fucking who? The only important thing iswhenall this started.” He flashed them a devilish grin.
Chris and Marc looked at each other for a second, frowning.
“Was it back at the festival?” Noah wondered.
